...BLAH/BAD DAY...

I feel crappy today...
I really need to go get a flu shot!!
I haven't had one yet this year...and I think that's my problem...

Well...today is the anniversary of when we buried daddy...and it hurts today just like it did nine months ago... My best friend from birth...Michael (our parents grew up together and when we were born...we were next to each other from the time we were born...except I had to wait a couple of hours for him...I'm like three or four hours older...LOL... Our moms waddled down the hall together and all... As we grew older...we stayed close...)...has his grandma's funeral today... Mrs. Martin was ALWAYS the sweetest lady! She always had a smile on her face. And was a GREAT Christain! She will be missed by all!

Mom and I went to the funeral home last night...and I made it about three steps into the the actual chapel and had to leave... All the flowers and people...was just like when Daddy died... I had to stay out front in the foyer... I've always hated funeral homes...but now...I can't stand the sight of them...especially that one... Last night was the second time I've had to go there since Daddy died...and I don't want to do it again!

I haven't had a "cry day" in a while (I have them about once every month or so...I was having them about once a week)...and I think it's going to be one today... I know that Daddy is in a MUCH BETTER place...but I just wish he was still here and well...

Until next time....

WOO HOO!!!!

Ok...so I told NO ONE (but her Daddy, Nanna, uncle Bryan, Megan and Angie about this)....but last night I took my lovely, wonderful, loving daughter downtown for an audition for commercials....

AND SHE GOT A CALL BACK!!!!

I'm in tears!!! This is going to be AWESOME for her and her self-esteem!!! I can't wait to tell her!!!!

A Day of Remembrance....

I remember where I was, who I was with, and what we were doing that day eight years ago! My now ex-husband is a ex-Marine and now (as he was that day) a police officer. I remember waking him up that morning and telling him the news. He ran into the living room and watch in disbelief what was happening to our country. I remember him getting ready for work and kissing me and our daughter goodbye and telling us he loved us and he would see us later that night…But we didn’t see him later that night…he had to work over and stand guard at the port of Houston in La Porte… He got home the next morning and the first thing he did was give our daughter and I a hug and kiss and tell us he loved us… It’s a day that I will NEVER forget… God Bless all of the men, women and children that lost their lives that day and all of their families…

Thank you to all of the service men and women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard and the Marines, all of the police officers, and all of the firefighters who put their lives on the line every day to protect us!!

THANK YOU!!!

Tasty Bite....

Sorry for giong so LONG between posts!!! I've been SUPER BUSY with my new job...and Karson...and Behr (the new puppy...crazy little dog he is!!!) and everything else going on in our lives... I promise to post more often!!! Since it's been so long...here's a tasty bite to add to your books...


A new one.....and it's a GREAT one!!!



FRIED DILL PICKLES
Printed from COOKS.COM
3-4 lg. whole dill pickles
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. beer
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic salt
3 dashes hot pepper sauce



Cut dill pickles into 1/4 inch thickness. Combine flour, beer, cayenne, paprika, pepper, salt, garlic salt and hot pepper sauce in a medium mixing bowl.
Dip pickle slices into batter. Heat oil 375 degrees. Fry pickles until they float to the surface about 4 minutes.

Until next time.....

Kari's Taco Soup

I LOVE this soup man!!! It's the BOMB!!!!!

Kari's Taco Soup:

2 pounds Hamburger Meat
1 package Taco Seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can corn
1 bag Velvetta cheese (shreeded)

Brown meat (drain it too after its brown...you don't want the added grease...lol); add taco seasoning and ranch style dressing mix; add canned (you can use frozen if you prefer it) vegetables - cook to desired tenderness; add cheese a little
at a time so it all melts good…. Season with salt and pepper to taste… (Spoon you some into a bowl and top with cheese and sour cream...makes it extra yummy!!!)

**You can use any beans that you like...I've also used pinto beans and navy beans and it turned out great then too!!!**

ENJOY!!!!!

Something Yummy....

Ok...I know...I know...I didn't do it every working day last week...lol...

So...here's one for today....


Kari's Cheese Soup

1 bag Colby / Monterray Jack cheese
1 bag Monzerrella cheese
1 block Velvetta cheese
1 packet Knorr Spring Vegetable Soup Mix
2 Tablespoons Chicken Base (not the cubes...use the paste kind...it's the best!!!)
1 pint Half & Half (I use the fat-free one...you CAN'T tell the difference!!!)
1- 2 pints 2% milk (I use skim milk...because that's what we drink...)
1 stick Butter
8 cups Water
1 cup Carrots (finely grated)

Put water, chicken base, butter, carrots, and Knorr soup mix in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
Cook long enough to get the soup mix and carrots good and tender. Cube up block of velvetta and add to the pot as you cube it up. Let that cook a bit until the velvetta is melted and combined with the other ingredients. Add the bags of cheese one at a time to let them melt and combine with the other ingredients. Add the 1/2 & 1/2 and one pint of milk. Bring it back to a boil and add the remaining pint of milk to make it to your thinkness. (It is also good if you add broccoli florets to it but if you add the florets, add them in when you add the carrots, so they cook through.)

This is REALLY, REALLY good!!! Rich as can be...but GOOD!!!! I love making it on a cool night (face it...we live in Texas...we don't really have cold nights...LOL). We also throw some crutons on top of it...makes it better!!!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

Until next time....

YUMMY Cheese Straws!!!

Ok...so I've thought about this for a long time. I have some GREAT recipes...so I thought that I would share one a day (work day) with you... (This one I got from one of the other blogs I read...so I thought that I would share her's first...it sounds YUMMY!!!!) I have a TON of them...so if you want something...I'm sure I have it... I'll take requests...

Day One: Cheese Straws - Starwoodgal http://starwoodgal.wordpress.com/

2 cups grated cheese (sharp or regular)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cream butter and cheese together. Sift flour and baking powder. Add salt and cayenne pepper. Form in dough as pie crust (this means not to stir or handle it too long.....it will make the dough tough and you don't want tough cheese straws!!!). Roll out as thin as pastry (which means get it pretty thin...but not TOO thin...LOL). Cut in strips with a pastry wheel (a pizza cutter works just as good as a pastry wheel...). Spray pan with cooking oil (I use butter flavored Crisco in the can). Lay cheese straws on the pan...not too close together...about 1/2 inch apart. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan and place straws on cooling rack to cool as soon as you take them out of the oven... Enjoy!!! Let me know how you like them!!