Bath Time!

Well, the painting is done.  And the sealing is done.  The plastic shower curtains have been hung.  The shower supplies have been stocked.  The bathroom is officially open for business.

The kids had their first official bath in the tub tonight.  They played and splashed around for almost an hour before they got cut off for bedtime.  Night number one of tub bathing was a huge success.

I just have a few minor details to finish.  I still have to sew the shower curtain.  Take a look at this gorgeous fabric.

Sometime in the next few months, I would like to replace the almond colored tension rod which protects the window.  I'm thinking maybe white or brushed nickel.  I would also like to replace the curtain hooks over the window.  The current ones have definitely seen better days and the metal hooks are a bit rough and corroded.  

Oh . . . last but not least, this beautiful picture (taken by me) is going to be hung on the wall as an 8 x 10.  Maybe I'll change it out seasonally. 

Capsaicin Free Taco Salad

Say what????  

What is capsaicin?  Capsaicin is the chemical compound that give peppers (Capsicum Genus, Nightshade Family) their varying degree of hotness.  So green peppers, red peppers, and paprika all contain capsaicin. 

Why avoid it?  Because I have been blessed with a food, airborne, and skin allergy to this most interesting chemical.  So this allergy means no taco seasoning, no salsa, no peppers, no guacamole (unless homemade), no taco sauce, and sometimes no refried beans (check the ingredient list on the can- avoid if peppers or spices listed).

So without further ado, here is my 

Capasaicin Free Taco Salad recipe:

Layer #1: Taco chips 
Layer #2: Refried beans with cooked hamburger 
        seasoned with garlic salt
Layer #3: Chopped romaine lettuce
Layer #4: Sour cream
Layer #5: Diced tomatoes
Layer #6: Shredded cheese

*Note: If taco chips become stale- place them on a cookie sheet, pop them into a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes to crisp them back up.

Enjoy!!!!!

Pumpkin & The Nature Treasure Hunt

This evening we had a mommy-son evening.  So I decided that it would be fun to do a “Nature Treasure Hunt” in our yard.  We used the scavenger hunt suggestions from the Nature Rocks website.

 Pumpkin- The Nature Treasure Hunter

1)     Find something round. . . .

 We found a seed. Where did it come from?  A hickory tree.

2) Jump like a frog, growl like a bear and flap your wings like a bird.

 I’m a big bear!!!

3) What is the smoothest thing you can find?

 Turtle shells & rocks

4) Discover evidence that an animal has been here.

 Broken up turtle nest

Red Tail Hawk feather

5) Find something the smells good . . . or bad!

Shagbark Hickory log- smells "yucky"

6) Listen for a bird.  What else can you hear?

 We heard geese, cicadas, crickets, mallard ducks and a saw

7) Find a place where an animal would be happy.

 Pond- ducks & turtles

8) How many different colors can you find?

 Red Tail Hawk feather on old concrete bench

White, brown, gray, blue, and black

Red cedar & dry grass

Green and brown

Monarch butterfly on Ironweed

Purple, orange, black, white and green

9) Find something that moves.

 Watching the turtles

10) Dig into the ground with your hands or flip over a rock or log.  What can you find? Don’t forget to put it back!

 We found soil & animal holes in the flower bed

Yummy In The Tummy

Last night we had a great dinner.  More like my husband and I had a great dinner and the kids were their normal picky selves.  We had a ham steak and home-made broccoli macaroni & cheese.  For dessert we had a strawberry rhubarb pie from the local grocery store. The only thing the kids ate for dinner was the ham, but at least it was something.

Broccoli Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients: 16 oz. elbow macaroni, 2 cups cut-up broccoli florets, 2 eggs, 12 oz. evaporated milk, 1/4 cup butter (melted), 1 tablespoon prepared mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 8 oz. Velveeta cubed, 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Toss the broccoli in with the dried macaroni.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter, mustard, salt and pepper until combined.  Stir in the Velveeta and 1 1/2 cups of each shredded cheese.  Drain macaroni & broccoli.

Stir into cheese mixture.  Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.  Yield: 6 servings

World Famous Stress Relief Tonic

Do you ever have one of those "bad" days?  Do you sometimes want to scream just to make the stress disappear?  Do you dream of just a few heavenly minutes without any care in the world?  

Everyone has some little trick to help on those days when everything just goes wrong or that are so full of stress that you feel like your head will start to spin.  Instead of vices, like alcohol, smoking or drugs, I rely on the good old fashion sugar induced happy rush.

My "World Famous Stress Relief Tonic" is called a Chocolate Cherry Coke.  Now they can be found at soda foundations and a few select restaurants, but I have concocted my own budget friendly recipe.  Friends during my college years got me hooked on these sugary drinks.  Warning . . . Daily consumption may not be good for your waist line or blood sugar levels. ;-)

Chocolate Cherry Coke

I use a 20 oz. plastic tumbler, fill it 3/4 with ice, then gently squeeze in 5 seconds (slowly count) worth of Hershey's chocolate syrup, then slowly pour in 2 seconds worth of maraschino cherry syrup (it can come out fast so go slow). Next place a straw in the tumbler. Then I pour about half of a 12 ounce can of Coca-cola and stir with the straw, then pour the rest in and stir again. Enjoy!!!