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I love me some sloppy joes Spicy Beef Sloppy Joes Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 4 hours (high) or 8 hours (low) Ingredients 2 lb. lean ground beef 2 16-oz. jars salsa 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (8 oz.) 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots (3 medium) 1-1/2 cups finely chopped red and/or green sweet pepper 1/3 cup tomato paste 2 tsp. dried basil, crushed 1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 4 cloves garlic, minced 6 kaiser rolls, split and toasted Directions 1. In a skillet cook beef over medium heat until brown, stirring to break meat in pieces. Drain fat. In 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker stir together beef and remaining ingredients (except rolls). 2. Cover; cook on high-heat setting 4 to 5 hours or low-heat setting 8 to 10 hours. 3. Reserve 5 cups of the meat mixture for Spicy Beef Taco Salad (below); cover tightly, refrigerate. Serve remaining meat mixture on toasted kaiser rolls. Makes 6 servings plus additional meat mixture for Spicy Beef Taco Salad. Nutri...

I am even toying with getting a second one for sides, etc. This is din din tomorrow... Chicken and Vegetables with Herbs Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 7 to 8 hours (low) or 3 1/2 to 4 hours (high) Ingredients 8 ounces mushrooms, halved 1 cup frozen pearl onions 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 bay leaf 4 small chicken legs (drumstick-thigh portion; skinned) (2 to 2-1/2 pounds total) Chicken broth (optional) 1/4 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Hot cooked mashed potatoes (optional) Fresh parsley sprigs (optional) Directions 1. In a 5-1/2- or 6-quart slow cooker, combine mushrooms and pearl onions. Stir in the 1/2 cup broth, the wine, tomato paste, garlic salt, rosemary, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. Add chicken legs to cooker. 2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-...

Martha has created a monster! :O Lemon Cupcakes..... 30 cupcakes Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 18 minutes Ingredients 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 tsp. vanilla 3 eggs 2 8-ounce cartons dairy sour cream 2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 3 tablespoon butter, softened 1 cup sifted powdered sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar Milk (2 to 3 teaspoons if necessary) 1 teaspoon shredded lemon peel Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Line thirty 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mix...

for SJ. It is of Dylan after winning a silver medal in last year's Soccerfest. Doesn't he look so proud?! :) Oh, and I am on a multi photo layout kick. I realized that while I do not want to ever really be caught up because then I'd have nothing to scrap, I do want to keep my photos to scrap backlog to under a thousand. Well, I am on the verge of breaking that barrier. So, in an effort to get these memories scrapped, I promised myself to not scrap so many one photo layouts. I even picked up Becki Higgins new sketch book half off at Mike's. I am in love. That woman is a pure scrapping genius. I may even start scrapping two-pagers! :O

This week on Martha, it is cupcake week. Everyday I watch and I salivate over these cute and delicious looking treats. Today she made meyer lemon and raspberry cupcakes, recipe courtesy of Vanilla Cupcake Bakery in Santa Monica. Oh MY! They looked absolutely divine. I have to share a little secret, I have never made a cupcake from scratch. I have always done the right outta the box kind. :O But, after watching this week, I am tempted to dust off the old Kitchen Aid stand mixer and get baking. So, in search I went of a fun one to try and I came up with this recipe from Everyday Foods. I'll let you know how they come out. :) Ingredients Makes 12 1 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ...

Doesn't this look perfect for a light supper on a warm spring night? 4 main-dish servings Start to Finish: 20 minutes Ingredients 2 tablespoons frozen orange-tangerine or orange juice concentrate 1 tablespoon water 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 3 cups watercress sprigs 1/4 cup cocktail peanuts Directions 1. In a small bowl combine juice concentrate, water, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Reserve 1 tablespoon of orange juice concentrate mixture. Cover remaining mixture. Set aside. 2. In a large skillet bring 1/2 inch of water to boiling. (Water should come just below the bottom of a steamer basket.) Reduce heat to simmer. Arrange chicken in a single layer in basket. Place basket in skillet. Brush chicken with the reserved 1 tablespoon juice mixture. Cover. Steam chicken for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender and no longer pink. 3. Remove chicken. Transfer to cutting bo...

Easter Sunday was here at my house like it always is. I like to do it but at the end of the day, I am beat. Last night every muscle in my body ached from preparing, shopping, cooking and cleaning for days. :O I made a turkey breast, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, a loin of pork and asparagus. The pork was the hit of the day. I made a Williams-Sonoma recipe with rosemary, thyme and figs. My Dad brought macaroni and meatballs and a huge canoli cake filled with 20 little canolis inside. It was sooooooo good. As for photos, I managed to get the 3 "big" cousins to stop playing basketball to pose for a shot. Not very Eastery but it's the best I could do. Then there was the egg hunt. It doesn't matter how many eggs I fill, they still take less than 10 minutes to blow thru them. But it is so much fun to watch. Stew was in charge of taking these photos. Natalie and Vincent going after the same egg... Dylan racked up big time. While all the others were fight...

What would Easter be without it? Every year I say I need to get more than a dozen eggs. We go thru them so fast. And, every year what do I buy? One dozen eggs. Oh well. We had fun! :) Before During After This year we went with the camo theme for our eggs. Not quite the look I like on Easter eggs but hey they liked 'em. They let me color one lousy egg...cheapskates. LOL!

Every February for Chinese New Year, Grandma's friend Pui gives the kiddos lucky money. She always gives them two envelopes each of crisp new $5.00 bills. Pui loves photos so this year I decided to take their pictures with the lucky money to include in our thank you. :)

I was begining to think I'd have no sledding pictures this winter. We have had very little snow this year. YAY! The only other time there was enough snow to go sledding, I got crummy pictures because it was getting dark. So, while I loathe the white stuff, I was happy to get some winter shots. I bet people are beginning to think I hibernate all winter since all my photos are in the sun. LOL! So, here's what I got. A couple of posed shots.... Look at the excitement of getting ready for the first slide... And then the agony of having to climb back up the hill. Look at the expression on his face...priceless! LOL!

it has been a month since I last posted on here. I am usually pretty good about keeping up. But, I was hit with a long stretch of insomnia. Yikes. I was up all night and sleeping all day. Then I was getting stressed about being tired so I was up worrying about that. Double Yikes. But, I think I've got it all under control. :) Thank the Good Lord for Advil pm. We've been busy with horseback riding, scouts, birthday parties and school and work. And, now we are getting ready to host Easter Sunday here. I'm making a loin of pork, turkey breast, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, asparagus. Should be fun! Let's see what else....oh we are no longer hagning out at the new DML site. It got all wonky on us. :( So, now we are hanging our hats at just need it. Small and friendly...perfect. I've got tons of photos to share but first I have to take them off my computer. :O Now to let you in on a little obsession of mine....The First 48. http://www.aetv.com...

1. Do you ever wonder if the way you see things visually aren't how other people see them? All the time. 2. What kind of sounds are the most annoying? Honking horns, they startle me almost every time and then I get annoyed because I jumped. LOL! 3. When walking through a store, do you shop with your hands by touching/feeling the texture of things? Oh yes, I am Italian..we talk, eat, shop and do almost everything with our hands. ;) 4. If you could only smell three scents for the rest of your life, what would they be? The ocean, vanilla, and the smell of fried chicken...oh my it sends me swooning. LOL! 5. What sorts of things do you savor when eating them? Chocolate, spider rolls, mango, nectarines and a nice big bowl of hot delicious fettucini alfredo. YUM-O!!!

button tree for all to see...

some of my challenges... Blue... Bold Colors.... Scallopped border.... Not quite birds but butterflies... Now all I have left to do is bling. :)

You must pick up the latest book by 3 Guys from Miami. I got mine from Costco for about $18.00...a bargain. It is filled with fabulous recipes, gorgeous color photos and the best little stories about the food. They even have a website www.icuban.com. You don't have to be Latin to love them. :D

I have never been so excited about a cookbook since the first 30 minute meals almost 5 years ago. I have been on a latin food kick lately and Ingrid Hoffmann is my latest obsession. I just love her. She's so cute and her recipes are extremely do-able. Before her, I was intimidated by latin cooking. But, not anymore. She has made it accessible to anyone who wants to give it a try. It is 30% off at Borders right now. Go get yourself a copy.

I am hosting this month's challenges over at DML, so here goes... Challenge #1 - Birds - Spring is in the air and so are the birds. They can be found everywhere today, on clothes, papers, embellishments and even in your backyard. For this challenge, you can take a photo of a bird or bird related item and do a layout about it or you can simply use one of the many bird themed products on your layout. Challenge #2 - Bold - I love the look of bold colors on my layouts whether it be patterned papers or just plain cardstock. I challenge you to create a really bold layout. Challenge #3 - Buttons - Buttons are probably my favorite product to use on a layout or card. But, this wouldn't be a challenge if you used them just any old way. So, I challenge you to use buttons in a new and creative way. Have fun with them. Challenge #4 - Blue - This challenge is simple and straightforward...just use blue as your predominant color on your layout or card. Challenge #5 - Borders - Borders come in ...

A long time ago, I was introduced to the Pampered Chef at a friend's house. I was so impressed that I immediately bought a pizza stone. Well, several years later, I own quite the collection of stoneware. I have to say that I really love it and use it all the time. The only thing I have a problem with is the way they look after years of use. I know...I know...it only means that they are seasoned and the food tastes better. BUT, I cannot serve pizza I made on a stone that looks, well, ugly. LOL! So, I threw mine out and anxiously awaited my neighbor to host her annual Pampered Chef party so I could get a new one. Now, I am happy to report that I am the proud owner of a beautiful new pizza stone with handles!!!! So, to christen this baby, I will be making pizza bianca courtesy of Giada DeLaurentiis and my good friend Denise. ;) Here's the recipe: 1 pound purchased pizza dough Flour, for surface 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 3...

1. Do you consider yourself to be a good housekeeper? Why or why not? Sure. I mean you probably shouldn't eat off my floors but in general it is clean and tidy. 2. Are there any household chores that you enjoy doing? If so, what and why? I don't mind washing and drying clothes, it's putting them away that kills me. 3. Which household chore frustrates/angers you the most? Dusting because the dust seems to reappear the very next day. 4. When doing household chores, what do you do to make them seem less of a "chore"? Play music. 5. Which chore do you find yourself doing most often, and why? Ironing beacuse I can watch mindless tv and still get the work done. :)

My name is Ramona and I am a shoe addict. Since when did Carlos Santana start making shoes!? Aren't these FABULOUS!? They are so mine. $89.99 and free shipping. What a bargain! :D