CRAZED MIND: January 2009

Weekend Whooopeee!

Super Bowl
for the guys

and

Bed N' Bath

for the girls

Yes, we have reached a happy medium here. This blog is going for a lil weekend off. As my DH, CG and myself run away for a weekend P A R T Y ! We have invited our friends and neighbors to a local Bed N' Bath for a Super Bowl Weekend Party. And I am so excited to get some time away from the ol' hacienda.

So here are a few of the yummies I am making for the snacks:

Fiesta Cream Cheese Spread

CATEGORY: Appetizer
TIME: Prep/Total Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup chunky salsa
* 1/4 cup apricot preserves or orange marmalade
* 2 tablespoons chopped avocado
* 1 tablespoon chopped ripe olive
* Assorted crackers

Directions:
Place cream cheese on a serving plate. In a small bowl, combine salsa and preserves; spread over cream cheese. Sprinkle with avocado and olives . Serve with crackers. Yield: 8 servings.

Best Grape Salad

Its very creamy and sweet, and a great mix of flavors. It will be the best thing you ever use grapes for!! (except maybe wine!) Thanks Nessa for finding me this one.

Ingredients
* 2 lbs green seedless grapes
* 2 lbs red seedless grapes
* 8 ounces sour cream
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste

Topping Ingredients
* 1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste
* 1 cup crushed pecans, to taste

Directions

1. Wash and stem grapes.
2. Set aside.
3. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.
4. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
5. For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
6. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
7. Chill overnight.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
* 1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained
* 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
* 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
* Tortilla chips

Directions:
Spread cream cheese into an ungreased shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Layer with chicken, buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips. Yield: about 2 cups.

I will see y'all again on Monday. Happy weekend to all!

Tagged, Bagged and Paying It Forward

I found this over at Willow Lake Scents Blog and just had to join in. I'm all about Random Acts of Kindness & Paying it Forward ! So, here's the deal... The first 3 people to comment on this post and agree to Pay it Forward to 3 people on their blog will within the next 365 days ~ receive a gift of love from me in the mail! That's all... just leave a comment and then post about it on your blog. Then the 1st 3 people to leave you a comment and agree to pay it forward to 3 more people on their blog ~ you send them a gift! This is such a GREAT idea. You never know when you'll get a "surprise" gift from a blogging buddy ! SO... Who's first??

nessa said...: This is Nessa and I am the first!!! Of course.
So I get a gift from you and I will be PIF too! Yippeeeee!
penguinsandladybugs said...: What a cute idea....I love it! I'm in!
Mama Krit said...: What a cute idea! I am in.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bookworm Meme that Nessa tagged me with. I've seen this on lots of blogs and think it's fun! Now what is a Meme? It is a word used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the blog world, much like an inside joke.

Now this meme involves opening the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the closest book to you at the moment, turn to page 56. Write the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that. Then pass it on to five bloggers.

So sitting here at my desk right now I have a choice of phone books or old first editions. I just do not think the phone book would be that interesting. So I picked up the Story of Lindbergh from 1930.

Well it goes from chapter 5 to chapter 9 or page 41 to page 73 so I guess this is not the one either. LOL
So instead we have a 1919 cookbook of Recipes for Everyday.

It goes like this:

The cakes are baked when they feel light when lifted in the hand and the sides are delicately browned.

This sentence comes from a recipe for Chocolate Eclairs (Chou Paste)

Now I can add a line or two after this but I would prefer to just share the recipe. You agree?

Chocolate Eclairs (Chou Paste)

1/2 cupful Crisco 1/2 teaspoonful salt
1 cupful boiling water 1 cupful wheat flour
3 eggs

Put the Crisco, boiling water and salt over the fire: when boiling sift in the flour (also sifted before measuring) and stir and cook until the mixture may be gathered into a compact mass: turn into a mixing bowl, break in one egg, beat until the mixture is smooth, then beat in the second egg and when the mixture is smooth, the last egg. With two teaspoons spread the mixture on Criscoed baking pans in strips about four inches long and an inch and a half wide. Bake about 25 minutes. The oven should be hot on the bottom. The cakes are baked when they feel light when lifted in the hand and the sides are delicately browned. When cold split on one side and fill with English cream; invert and spread the smooth side with chocolate frosting. This frosting may be chocolate fondant or a simple frosting made of confectioner's sugar. The recipe makes 18 eclairs.

The recipes continue with English Cream for Eclairs and Confectioner's Chocolate Frosting. If y'all are interested then I can record these later.

Now for the 5 bloggers I am tagging. These are my 5 newest followers. Thanks ladies!

more...

Tina

Life's a journey.....

ciara

Diary of a Thick Chick

Mama Krit

My Simply Savvy Life

Kat

Inspiration CAN be Found EVERYWHERE !

Deborah at Coco Bonbons
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nessa has tagged me with this really fun bag tag!

Here are the tag rules:

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today.

This is the one I have been carrying since this summer. I really like the whimsy of it and it is so so so girly .

2) I want to know how much it cost. And this is not to judge, because I’m honestly telling you I was ready to put down some cash; I just got lucky. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it.

I purchased this at a garage sale for $1.00. Of course most things I get are from garage sales and the local clothes closet.

3) Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your diaper bag/non-diaper bag.

My chicks I tagged. You like being a chick?
These are my next 5 newest followers.
I appreciate it much, Ladies.

♥georgie♥

Deborah at Coco Bonbons

Shelley

I'm Changing My Name to Ouisa

Revolt

Okay! I have had enough of this.

I am tired of being cold in my own house.

I am exhausted from having to sniff and sneeze all the time.

I want to be NOT tired.

I am NOT sick.

I am fed up with all of this and declare it to be warm now.

Pretty with sunshine.

Where my grass can be green again and flowers outside.

So doggies and kitties can run and frolic somewhere besides on me.

I want winter to be over with.

NOW.

Who joins me?

Time To Renew

Well I am into my second week at Curves. And already they have a "Time to Renew".
No, not fees or membership. But time to renew a promise to ourselves. Time to renew our determination. Time to renew our image of ourselves. Time to.....you fill in the blank. I like that the owner tries to have fun things for us to do. Last Friday was school spirit day. You dress in any school name or colors and you get a "Curves Buck". A coupon to use at a later date for goodies. This week we will get one for with our renewal forms. Later this week we will play "bingo" while exercising. All things for fun.

Some of the fun things to get on the back wall.

Well this renewal has a form to fill out. We are to list all the food we eat for a week. Oh no! After yesterday being so sad and pigging out on donuts.

Well, I did it. Ok, so what. I am not going to beat myself up on it. Some days are better than others. The weekly menu is so we are aware of what we are doing. I can go with that. I need some awareness. I need some resolve. I need some energy. And maybe I will get some more as I exercise this week.

So what would be your idea of renewal? What would you want to focus on? How would you? Wanna fill out my meals for me?????? Ha Ha!

Shopping the Night Away

Well here it is 4 a.m. again. And I am awake again. I am back in the can't sleep pattern. I am not sure why it crops up but I will have to start back on sleep medication to reverse it.

So what does one do online at 4 a.m.? Surf! Right.

Well I do and did and found that you can find offers and coupon codes for many online stores. And that there are many clearance sales going on too. And I even found ffree e-cards too. You know how many you can send in the middle of the night??? Think I am going to find out.

Happy Sleeping to the rest of Y'all.

Who Am I?

I read a blog the other day that was saying how our surroundings detailed who we were. Well I can't disagree with that.
But
It got me to thinking more about what is around me.
And more important why.
I know I surround myself with those things that I love the most.

I am sure that is true of the majority of people.

So here is who I am but what is around me.

One I am home all the time.
I do not work elsewhere and go out rarely.

So the best thing of each day is this!

My DH coming home from work.
He works two jobs and most of the time 7 days a week.
I get very little time with him.
So the time he is home is precious to me.
He always kisses me good bye and hello.
Never fails to tell me he loves me every time we talk.
Weather it be on the phone or just from running an errand and back.

Next is my greatest joy in my life.

CG is the soul of my soul!
She is what has been my focus for 21 years and will continue for the rest of my life.
I could not ask for a better daughter.
CG is always there for me.
Loving me, laughing me (and at) me and sharing in the good and bad.
She has been my reason for living and my goal for growing.
I adore her and will always be her #1 fan.

Then I have some amazing friends across the street.

The ever active boy who reminds me of Alfred E. Newman of Mad Magazine.
He is about as mischievous.

The cutie pie of the bunch.
She is a fellow bibliophile. (look it up)
And her effervescence lights up a room.

And of course,

NESSA
My good friend, partner in crime and fellow blogger!
I simply adore this woman.

Their home that I see every day from my front porch and windows.
I love all the rock work around it.

And my home sweet home!

This is our lil country abode.
It is almost 100 years old and may be broken down to most.
But I love the large front porch, 9 foot ceilings and the "at home" feeling it has.

This is where we hang out and have coffee, wine and chat about this and that.

Now for the inside.
I wish I could say it was as fancy as my favorite Tea Set.
It was a Christmas gift that I treasure.
It has the grace that I have always felt inside that I believe has never shown on the outside.

On my dresser has some of the couple figures that me and DH collect.
And my favorite book of Cinderella?
My DH is my Prince Charming.
And we collect these couple figures to celebrate that a couple we are now and always.

Here is my view from kitchen window.

I adore seeing the horsey swing that my granddaughter and CG's sissy loves to play on.
And my lil knick knacks that only I could explain why they mean anything.

Coffee Central is my favorite part of my kitchen.
I adore, love and worship my coffee.
Sweet and light with all kinds of flavors.

I also love natural sunlight in my home.

And the beautiful plants my Mom grows ever so well.
I do not have the green thumb.
She tends to them and enjoys seeing them thrive and bloom.
Can you believe these are looking so good in January?

Okay, I collect stuff.
Mostly oldish? (is that a word)
This is my dining room wall.

Knick Knacks all around.
Old bottles, cookie jars and just a general "country at grandma's" feel.

And most of all.
You see this in my home.
Everywhere (if you noticed)

Photos!
Of my family, friends and loved ones.
Old and new.
Young and young at heart.
I surround myself with pictures of those that I adore.
Who adore me.
And who came before.

So who am I?

A family oriented woman.
A wife and mother.
A friend.
A heart that sings inside and is quiet on the outside?
A down to earth person.

What is your opinion?

Pages