Taco Soup

This taco soup is a perfect open and dump soup for a chilly, rainy fall evening. Serve with sour cream on top and cheese quesadillas on the side for a delish and easy supper!

*I did not take a picture of this...because..well...I just forgot!

Taco Soup

I know it is WW friendly, but not sure of the points. The person who gave me the recipe years ago had 1 point for 1 C. Not sure if it is accurate.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can fat free chicken broth

2 C frozen corn

1 can fat free refried beans

1 can black beans, undrained

1 can white beans, undrained

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chili)

1 package taco seasoning mix

Directions:

-Saute onions until softened

-Add all other ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 1 hour

Taffy Apple Salad

My aunt made this salad when she was visiting from Idaho and I could have eaten it all. It became the salad I brought everywhere this summer and without fail, it was always a hit. I made it to bring to a surprise party tonight and thought it was too good a recipe not to post. It looks totally weird in the pictures....and speaking of which, WTF is wrong with my picture taking skills lately??



Taffy Apple Salad



6-7 Red Delicious Apples

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained (I also sometimes use a large can of chunk pineapple, drained)

1 jar lightly salted peanuts

1 bag bite-size Snickers

1 large container Cool Whip




-Cut apples into bite-sized pieces. Add pineapple and almost all the peanuts..

-Quarter Snickers and add to apples. Mix in Cool Whip.

-Garnish with leftover peanuts. Chill until serving.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars

One again, this recipe is courtesy of Katie at Good Things Catered. Does this girl rock, or what?? This are delicious and so spicy and apple-y that it makes a perfect fall dessert! And I apologize for the terrible pictures. It was dusk and the lighting was terrible.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars
from Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
small pinch ground cloves
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 apples, cored and diced (a little less than 2 c.)
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9x13 pan with foil and baking spray.
-In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
-Whisk to combine well and set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
-Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine.
-Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
-Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
-Fold in apples.
-Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon sugar.
-Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. (bars will be very soft)

Fruit Salsa

Last year, one of my classmates in my graduate class made this when we visited her school and if I would not have looked like a heathen, I would have taken a spoon to the bowl. I have given the recipe out so many times because everyone always loves it so much!

Fruit Salsa

In a bowl mix:

4 Red Delicious Apples, cut to tiny pieces

2 Kiwi, skin removed, cut to tiny pieces

One bag frozen strawberries, chopped (again to tiny pieces)

Add to fruit:

Juice of one orange

2 heaping TBSP apple jelly

4 TBSP brown sugar

Mix everything together. I usually prep this the night before to let the flavors come together. Serve with cinnamon sugar pita chips. You can buy them (Athenos makes a great one) or make them. Making them is a HUGE PITA so I often just buy them.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

Brush flour tortilla with butter and cut into chips (whatever size you desire). Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven until crispy.

Menu Planning Monday!

We have a pretty easy week, aside from my hair appointment on Wednesday. Next week, things will start to pick up with my Wilton class beginning on Tuesdays. Here is this week's menu, with one or two rollovers from last week because I decided to make things on different days.

Sunday: Taco night!

Monday: Turkey Eggplant Casserole

Tuesday: Taco soup and cheese quesadillas

Wednesday: Meatloaf, Lipton butter noodles, green beans

Thursday: Macaroni and peas

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Out to eat!

For more menu ideas, visit Org Junkie's website!

Party Planning Galore!

We have so many gatherings coming up in the next few months that I am in the beginning stages of planning some of them.

This weekend was my Southern Living at Home party. I tried to keep the menu simple, so only had a few appetizers out on the table. This included:

• Fruit salsa
• Cheese and cracker plate
• Brie en croute with a toasted French baguette
• Apple spice cookie bars

We are also planning a Halloween night get-together, post trick-or-treating. All of our friends have houses now and are either taking their kids trick or treating or want to stay home to pass out candy. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I am so excited to have a house this year to decorate and to pass out candy! I think I might dress up like a witch, but I may wait until next year to see how many kiddos we actually have. The girls are with their mother this year, so it will just be us. Anyway, we invited some friends over for drinks and snacks after, and I am already trying to compile some new recipes. I am for sure making this cake from Good Things Catered. It is perfectly adorable for Halloween!

After Halloween comes the infamous Twilight birthday party for J. I am so excited for this I can barely contain myself. The menu for that will consist of pizza and the basics for a 13-year old's party, and I am going to make her some sort of Twilight cake. It is all the extra stuff that I am super excited for!

Facing the Scale

I have not stepped on the scale since7/18/09 and that was also the last time I attended a Weight Watchers meeting. I weighed in at 204.8.

I stepped on our scale tonight at home and it read 209.4.

What the HELL has happened to me?

When I started this blog, it was going to be primarily used to document my weight loss. And it has done nothing but document excuses. Since our wedding almost two years ago I have gained 25 lbs. I can blame it on stress, grad school, drama, wedding planning, buying a house, one kid moving in then the custody battle that almost was, not to mention the essential kidnapping in August.

The problem lies within me. I sabotage myself, binge, eat when I am happy or sad and seemingly refuse to get off my ass and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I am beginning to think I need therapy, that it is psychological. Because I know I can do it.

I am laying it out on the line. I am not pregnant yet and that could have a direct correlation to my weight. My 10 year reunion is in almost exactly two months. It is time to cut this shit.

Because I just about lost it when I saw that scary number on the scale.

Twilight Birthday Party

My oldest stepdaughter, Jamie, turns 13 in November. And like most tweens, is an avid Twilighter. So, OF COURSE, when I asked what kind of party she wanted for the big 1-3, she said Twiglight! Does it make me a nut if I am super excited to plan this party? Probably. But I am ok with that.

I have begun scouring the internets for ideas and here is some of what I have found:

Love this idea of quotes in frames:

Hostess with the Mostess

Love these candles and centerpieces, but it is probably too much for her party:

Hostess with the Mostess

Twilight Jeopardy game found on Maggie's Dinner Dates:



And because I am a glutton for punishment, I will be making the invites. LOVE this idea from Maggie's Dinner Dates!

I need to find the damask paper!

Any more ideas or suggestions? I am open to them!

Menu Planning Monday: Back on Track (yet again)

Here, I am, back to menu planning with Org Junkie! Husbo and I have finally gotten a joint checking (and yes, we have been married almost 2 years and have lived together for 3. There were issues. 'Nuf said) and are working on living more frugally and budget-minded. I realized that I spend way too much money on groceries per month, so I am back to planning my weekly menu. I also am trying to go grocery shopping once a week instead of once every two weeks. I am hoping this will allow me to spend less and make fewer random trips to the grocery. So, here is our plan for the week!

Monday: Kielbasa and pierogies

Tuesday: Baked ziti

Wednesday: Taco soup and cheese quesedillas

Thursday: Chicken nuggets/Boca patties and french fries

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday: Mexican lasagna

Sunday: Chicken Stroganoff

What's on your menu this week? Looking for ideas? Visit Org Junkie's website for tons of menu ideas!

96 Days

Until Christmas! Holy crap!

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

Last night I made some chili and wanted a yummy cornbread to go along with it. I won't even bother posting my normal chili recipe, because it consists of me dumping a bunch of stuff into a crockpot with ground turkey and beans. I change it each time. But these muffings...YUM!

Sweet Cornbread Muffins

Courtesy of Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 C all-purpose flour

1 C yellow cornmeal

2/3 C white sugar
1 tsp salt

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 C milk

1/3 C veg oil

*I also add 1 can of sweet corn, drained

*You could also just pour into a 9-inch round cakepan and bake it that way. I prefer the muffin!

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Spray a 12-muffin cupcake pan

-Pour batter into cups

-Bake until golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes

Hello, lover

Before:

And after! I was so excited to have my new faucet installed by Husbo that I had to take a picture with the sink full of soapy water after washing dishes!

Easy Sausage and Peppers

Here is one of my weeknight meal standbys. Sausage and peppers is a favorite of C's so I try to make it once a month for him.

1 package Honeysuckle hot Italian turkey sausage (usually 5 sausages)

3 green peppers, sliced

2 onions, sliced

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350. Dump everything in a 9x13 pan. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. It just doesn't get any easier!

Classic Pumpkin Bread

One of my favorite things about fall: pumpkin. I love all things pumpkin. Apple runs a close second, with coconut as a third favorite flavor. And since today was the start of the football season here in Cleveland and the weather is cooling off, I wanted to bake something quick and easy to eat as dessert after a pot of yummy homemade soup. I was perusing Katie's cooking blog and stumbled across her adaptation of pumpkin bread, taken from Joy of Cooking. I kept her changes, since I wanted more spice in my loaf as well.

Classic Pumpkin Bread
From Good Things Catered, adaptation of Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 c. milk
½ tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp butter, at room temp
1 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 c. pumpkin puree

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Have all ingredients at room temp and prepare 9x5 loaf pan.
-Whisk together flour, soda, powder, salt and spices thoroughly.
-In another bowl combine milk and vanilla.
-In large bowl of mixer beat butter until creamy (about 30 sec).
-Gradually add sugars and beat on high speed until lightened in texture (3-4 min).
-Beat in eggs one at a time.
-Add pumpkin puree on low speed until just blended.
-Add flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the milk mixture in 2 parts beating on low or stirring with spatula until just combined.
-Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.
-Bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

If I were rich

I would shop at Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma. Because there is LOTS I want.

And I apologize for my posts without pictures. I have not uploaded any but I have several recipe posts coming soon!

Where I was on 9/11

It seems to be going around on the blogs on my list to post where you were the day of the terrorist attacks on our country.

I was getting ready to go to my morning class during my junior year of college when my aunt called telling me to turn on my television. I was living with my parents, having just transferred to a college closer to home, and flipped on the television just in time to see the second plane hit the second tower.

I drove to class and walked into one of my lame education classes. Many people had headsets on or were listening to the radio and we were getting continuous updates. That is until my idiot professor told us that we needed to focus. I could not believe it. The one thing my education professors had always said to us was that sometimes we have to realize when a "teachable moment" was upon us and to take time away from the day to day routine and discuss real-world events. It was what my Bio II teacher did in high school the day after the Columbine shootings, and THAT day is another one that will live forever in my mind.

After class I met my college boyfriend and best friend for lunch, and they cancelled classes for the rest of the day. My boss called and told me she was closing the store for the day. I went home and spent the rest of the night watching TV with my parents, not truly comprehending what had happened. Or better yet, WHY it had happened.

We will never forget.

New couch!

This is the throw pillow we have on our couch in our living room. It is from Kohls. Our current couch is kind of olivey/browinsh and is from my single gal apartment-living days. It is in good condition still and we are moving it to our family room BECAUSE...

we ordered this couch set from Levin Furniture today! We orderd the couch and chair/ottoman! Super excited!

On the TTC front...

not have luck. A few times this summer, I thought we were going to get our BFP (that is big fat positive for all of you non-TTCers) but have not had much luck. Twice I ovulated very late, which made my even normally long cycles (45 days) into even LONGER ones at 55ish. I was really holding on to hopes that we caught it this month, even with a late ovulation, but I started spotting today and cramping tonight. So I am thinking this is not our month. Again. I guess it is a good thing, considering my due date would have been the date of my friend's wedding. in New Jersey. And I am the matron of honor.

September Goals

Emily over at Imperfect creates goals for herself every month and then revisits them. Since I have been feeling like I am in a rut lately (and almost completely absent from the blogosphere), I decided to do the same. So, here it goes:

1. Keep up on my grading at school and post grades weekly.
2. Walk the dog nightly.
3. Start keeping track of my points and rejoin WW again. My life can not be taken over by the idea of getting pregnant. Because then I just keep eating.
4. Get a pedicure
5. Tile the laundry room.
6. Clean out the third bedroom and create a study to be used until I get knocked up and we need a nursery.
7. Start joint checking account (we have only been married for a year and a half...)

I think this is enough, considering I am back at work. Hopefully I will stick to it!