Whatever

Baskets. Oh how I love baskets. Especially ones with lids. They hide books and toys oh so well. These are in the family room. Tucked neatly behind the couch. They hold books, Barbies, arts & crafts and games. I am in love. ;)

Think I can get away with telling the kiddos the lima beans are edamame beans? LOL! Wide Noodles with Chicken and Lima Beans 4 servings Start to Finish: 25 minutes Ingredients 8 ounces dried pappardelle or mafalda pasta, fettuccine, or wide egg noodles 1 10-ounce package frozen baby lima beans 1 14-1/2-ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes 6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 small onion, cut into wedges 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup whipping cream Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional) Directions 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding lima beans to the water with pasta. Drain pasta and beans; return to saucepan. 2. Meanwhile, place undrained tomatoes in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process or blend until pureed; set aside. 3. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. For sauce, cook chicken, onion, and pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat ...

This past weekend we had plans with the Wallachs. We were going to go camping in their backyard and make a day trip to an amusement park. Two other families were supposed to join us. But, then tragedy struck one of the families. So, instead of scrapping the whole thing we spent a quiet weekend at the Wallachs who just happen to be fabulous hosts. We swam, bbqed and made smores. Being shark bait, I got to take all the pictures. Enjoy! I have him trained really well.....look at this shot!? Just lounging around....ahhhhhhh I absolutely love this shot of Jess and Dylan....oh to be a kid again and jump in the pool with reckless abandon....;) Would you look at these two crazy girls!? The smoke from the fire was getting in their eyes. So, they came up with this brilliant solution....wearing goggles as they roasted their marshmallows. LOL!!! And one last group smores shot....

Remember that movie? Ya know with Julia Roberts. She was married to a psycho that had all the cans lined up in neat little rows in the closets. That was the first thing I thought of when I stepped back to admire my new neat pantry. While I do have anal retentive tendencies. I really don't consider myself a psycho or anything. LOL!!!! Ok. I have to finish up my dining room and get to filing those important papers you must save just in case......

It's been so cold and dark here these last few days, I need some sunshine. So, I was going thru some more Florida photos and thought I'd share a few with you... I took this fun quiz at www.findyourspot.com to see what they say would be my ideal spot to live. Their top choices were, San Diego, Ca, West Palm Beach, Fl, Las Vegas, NV, Tampa, Fl. and Houton TX. Hmmmm, pretty interesting and right on target except for Vegas. Having been to Arizona, I realize I am not a desert person. I need to be near water and see some green. :) Ok. I better go back to work. I finally finished sending out Natalie's thank you cards for her birthday almost 2 months ago. :O Better late than never, right? I also started reorganizing my dining room. It's the catch all room in the house....you know the one where you put presents, etc. Well, I'm sick of looking at it all disorganized. I'm on a mission to pare down my stash. I really like serving dishes and bowls and have amas...

Ginger Beef Stir-Fry Ingredients 8 ounces beef top round steak 1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 2-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 to 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger Nonstick cooking spray 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1 medium carrot, thinly bias sliced 3 cups small broccoli florets or 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces 1 small red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (1 cup) 1 tablespoon cooking oil 2 green onions, bias-sliced into 2-inch lengths (1/4 cup) 2 cups hot cooked brown rice Directions 1. If desired, partially freeze beef for easier slicing. Trim fat from beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into bite-size strips. Set aside. For sauce: In a small bowl, stir together beef broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and ginger; set aside. 2. Lightly coat an unheated wok or large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and carrot; ...

She made me take shots from every angle. LOL!!!!!!

I'm so proud of Natty. She grew her hair really long so we could donate it to Locks for Love. She was so excited and she really loves her new look. She can't keep her hands out of it. LOL! I think she looks so cute. :)

Love 'Em! Fast Chicken Fettuccine Start to Finish: 20 min. Ingredients 1 9-ounce package refrigerated red sweet pepper fettuccine 1/4 of a 7-ounce jar oil-packed, dried tomato strips or pieces (1/4 cup) 1 large zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups) 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast strips for stir-frying 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese (2 ounces) Black pepper, freshly ground Directions 1. Use kitchen scissors to cut pasta in half. Cook in lightly salted boiling water according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to hot pan. 2. Meanwhile, drain tomato strips, reserving 2 tablespoons oil from jar; set aside. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon reserved oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet. Add remaining reserved oil to skillet. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Add zucchini, chicken, t...

Here are some summer shots from our glorious 3 weeks on the beach in Florida. This year I didn't take nearly as many shots as I normally do. I just wanted to live in the moment. I would like nothing better than for my kids to beach rats. I hope these vacations help them develop a love for the beach. :) Building a trench...life on the beach is good. :) Playing ball on the beach... LOVE this...just a typical day at the beach.... I LOL when I saw this shot. Could they stand any further apart and still have thier arms around each other?? Natty Patty while sea shell hunting... My favorite shot of Dyl at The Pelican retaurant on the pier....

So, it's been quite awhile since my last post. Lots of things have happened. First off, I was on vacation for 3 weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that I was meant to live near the beach...a warm one. :) Secondly, dear friends of ours lost their 10 year old little girl. A horrible unexplained tragedy. Life is cruel and it is short. I am taking the next couple of weeks before school and work to refocus my priorites, renew my passion for things and rekindle my love for my family and friends. But, first things first, I have a few things to share with you all. Some thoughts, new shows, recipes, freebies... -Tonight at 10 pm on MTV is the premier of the new season of The Hills. Go Lauren! ;) -Have you ever seen the show Big Spender? If you have any kind of debt, you should watch it. You can learn a lot of little tricks for decreasing clutter, debt and chaos from your life. I am working towards eliminating all the things I have. Which brings me to my next new find... -Dr Wa...