Fun Ideas for the Kids!

I'm still on the road, and I'm lazy, and I didn't schedule something for today, so I'm thinking I'd come up with a few links to share that give you some fun ideas for the kids (and you!) to do ...

Lisa over at Two Bears Farm has some great ideas of what you can do to entertain your kids with sidewalk chalk.

Michelle over at Muffin Tin Mom shared a yummy recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips! Mmmn. These look SO good. YUM!

If you're looking for a giveaway so you can take your chances at winning something fantabulous, head on over to Blue Violet's place. She has over 200+ giveaways linked up on her Saturday linky. Crazy! You've got a chance to win that many prizes? You'd have to be a fool to skip this post (I know I'll be tossing my name into the hat via a few links later today!).

So, that's it for today. Oh, yeah, after I submitted yesterday's post, I turned around to find my husband headed to the cellar to catch my 3 year old daughter ... with strands of hair in her hand. She cut her own hair. In a few spots. Serious spots. It's not nearly as awful as it could have been, but I cried my eyes out. Seriously. Cried. My. Eyes. Out. Why there were REAL scissors downstairs where she was playing with her 5yo and 6yo cousins, I couldn't say, but I was not happy. Not in the least. If you want more info on how pi$$ed I was, check me out on Twitter @goodgirlgonered. I promise I b!tched a bit. ;)

And don't forget to come by tomorrow for a guest poster in my 'hood! I have a few lined up for this coming week and would love for you to get to know them!

Hello Out There!

Hello from the road!

We're in beautiful and chilly Maine this morning. Seriously, It's 69* out there, and my feet are freezing.

We've made our way up North through New York, where, if you don't follow me on Twitter, we spent a good day at Coney Island with the wee one and my parents. She loved it. She went on ride after ride and truly enjoyed. We spent some time with my brother/sister-in-law and niece. And our girls had a blast hanging out together. They're 6 weeks apart and it's excellent to see them spending time with one another. Too few and far between.

Up here in the greater North we've spent time with the ILs, and my niece and nephew came up a few nights ago. It's great to see her playing with her cousins. My niece is 6 and my nephew is 5. She's awesome when she tells them not to fight. And when she tries to get their attention. My kid's awesome, overall, and seems to be growing awful quickly while we're on the road.

Anyway, just popped in to say hi. Click the airplane below to find out more about Friday-Follow. It's where you find yourself with new friends in bloggy-land. And forgive me if I don't follow you back right away. I'm only here in spirit last week and this coming week, but I did pop in today for realz. ;)



Chat atcha later!

Lazy Mom Recipe!

Yet another Lazy Mom Recipe here for all my peeps out in Bloggy-land!

Lazy Mom's Chicken Tortellini Casserole

* 1 package of fresh tortellini (9oz)
* 1 jar of alfredo sauce (10oz)
* 1 package of grilled chicken strips (10oz)
* 1/3 cup bread crumbs

-- Cook pasta (as directed).
-- Combine first 3 ingredients into casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs
-- Bake at 350* for 25-35 minutes

If you are so inclined, you can add frozen broccoli to ensure that there is a veggie included. If you pre-cook the broccoli, the cooking time will only be adjusted by a few minutes. If you toss it in frozen, stay at the longer end of the cooking time and check as needed.

Viola! Instant dinner!

I haven't made this in a while, but it is SO good. I made it once for a mom who I "storked" (brought her a meal after she had a baby) and they loved it, too. Sigh. Now I think I have to get the ingredients and make it soon.

Mental note: post recipes AFTER you make them, or you'll want to make them immediately!

Enjoy!

A Letter to my Daughter

To my daughter,

I love you more than you could know.

You are my life, my breath, my motivation.

My heart, my soul, my inspiration.

You hold so much of my heart in whatever you do.

And so much of me can be seen in you.

I watch you develop day to day,

And wrestle with things that don't go your way.

The days are filled with "what?" and "why?"

The nights are filled with a tired cry.

Your small body holds so much inside,

I wish you'd let me be your guide ...

My sweet, sweet child, I love you so.

And just how much, in time you'll know.

And when that day comes, that I hope I'll see ...

You've become a mom, just like me.

The challenges and trials, the fears and fright,

The way you hold me when you say good night.

I love you more than you could know,

But I sure will keep trying to tell you so.

Love, **Mom

Seven Year Switch ~ Book Review

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Claire Cook's Seven Year Switch to review recently, and I really do mean lucky!

And of course, it's another case of my receiving a book that I just happen to have a copy of another book by this author upstairs waiting to be read. [In this case, Life's a Beach is in my TBR pile.]

Anyway, Seven Year Switch was fantastic. I read it in under 48 hours. I couldn't put it down. Jill was great. I loved her. She was strong, powerful and an incredible mother. I wanted to be her friend. I wanted to empower her. And I sometimes wanted to give her a swift kick where the sun don't shine.

But most of all I really liked her.

The relationship between Jill and her ten-year-old daughter was well developed, and when Jill's ex returned to step into their lives, I loved how she initially responded. But then I truly loved how she opened herself up for her daughter's sake. It was real, and helped me know her better.

Claire Cook put some twists in that were slightly surprising, although somewhat predictable as the story progressed. I enjoyed watching Jill develop as her relationship with Billy developed, and her strange friendships with Cynthia, and even Joni (her boss).

Seven Year Switch is a great beach read, from start to finish you'll enjoy this story, 100%!



** I was not compensated in any way for this review. I did receive a copy of this book from the publicist to facilitate my review. **

Guest Post: Katie from Sluiter Nation

Just a warning: this is the post where I get up and brag about my husband. Just so you know.

I lived on my own after graduation from high school for almost four years. I had my housekeeping routines down pretty pat. I did everything myself so I knew it was done, well, right.

When Cort and I got married, we moved in with each other, of course, and I sort of continued the role of housekeeping while he kept our vehicles running and our lawn mowed. It was a happy existence.

We both worked fulltime and on the weekends you could find him outside grooming his yard, and I would be inside listening to some sort of pop music from the 80’s (um, Madonna? Your early work is wonderful vacuuming music. Thank you.). In the summers, when school was out, I would usually do my “housework” all through the week. It worked for us.

Then came baby in the baby carriage. And then Cort was laid off. And then I worked two jobs to help make ends meet. And then I had PPD meltdowns.

And then? I had a househusband.

What is a “househusband,” you ask? Oh it is only the most wonderful invention EVER!

It all started when Cort was laid off. He started doing a few more of the chores/errands. He did the pharmacy pickups, the groceries, any Target trips. If I made him a To Do list, usually he did everything on it.

The list started to grow when I picked up a second job. I wasn’t home much, but because we were still using daycare twice a week, Cort would use one day to do homework (he is going back to school) and handle job searching/interviewing/etc, and the other “free” day to do household stuff like clean the house, laundry, iron (which he has always done, to his credit. I do NOT iron), groceries, and other things that I thought up in the middle of the night.

My husband came through in every way possible. My PPD reared its ugly head in a way I finally couldn’t shove down and control shortly after I started my second job. My husband did it all. In an effort to keep my anxiety down, he ran our household. And referred to me as his Sugar Mama…which made me giggle. Another great thing about him? He makes me giggle.

All the stereotypes about husbands not knowing how to do housework? None of those apply to mine.

• He can run a vacuum. And he moves the furniture when he does it.
• He can get stuff that I thought was just now part of our bathtub…to leave.
• He cleans a bathroom with no complaints.
• He changes sheets much more frequently and more neatly than I do.
• He empties all trashes—including the diaper champ and litter box can—in a timely manner.
• He can do laundry as long as I sort. He has a nice cheat sheet he created taped to the dryer for how to do each load.
• He folds and puts away more neatly than I do.
• He irons
• He does the dishes…not just runs the dishwasher.
• He cooks.
• He organizes cupboards so they can be used more efficiently.
• He gets groceries. He likes me to be specific on the list, but he bought a little clipboard and coupon organizer and he works that store.
• He runs all the mundane errands: pharmacy, dry cleaning, butcher, etc.
• He manages naps and feeding schedules. He is usually the one who announces when Eddie needs to go up a diaper size.
• He does fun things with Eddie so they are not bored in doors all day.
• He STILL does all the lawn stuff and vehicle stuff

So what does he NOT do, you may be asking?

He does not dust. Ever. He hates it.

Other than that, I think I have it made, wouldn’t you agree? During the summer we have learned to share most of these responsibilities again. But it’s nice to know if I were to get sick or when I go back to work in the fall, he will be right there to help with everything!

Oh wait…did I mention he also picks up starbucks for us from time to time?

Ok…brag complete.

What is awesome about your significant other? Won’t you please share?

** You can find Katie over at Sluiter Nation and over at Katie's Bookcase. We love her even though her husband is so awesome and she just had to rub it in. So, ladies, go and show your hubbies this post. Gentlemen, check it out. Unite and show us your amazing strength. Or whatever ... don't. It's cool. We get it. Totally. Oh, your laundry? Did you need a clean shirt for work today? Yeah. Uhm. Good luck with that.

Guest Post: When the Crackberry Cracks

Hello to Andrea's readers here at Good Girl Gone Redneck! My name is That One Mom and our pal Andrea asked me to pinch hit while she's away re-New Yorkering herself.

We've all heard the jokes about people being addicted to their Blackberries. It sounds silly, doesn't it? A person being addicted to their phone? For realz?

Well, I am here to tell you, it happens. You see, I have been a Blackberry user since sometime in 2007. How I remember learning to use my first ever berry - a Blackberry Curve. I remember it being all shiny and new. The little track ball in the center was like nothing I'd ever used. And I could surf the internet! Even before my blogging days, the ability to use the web whenever I wanted was so very appealing to me. I. Was. In. Love.



My love for my berry grew as I learned more about the ins and outs of it. Then the time came. I received word from Verizon that I had been a proud berry owner for 2 years. It was time for an upgrade. So, with a heavy heart, I took myself down to the Verizon phone and selected a new berry. So, on a fine July afternoon in 2009, I became the proud owner of a Blackberry Storm. While I LOVED my Curve, the Storm had a killer touch screen, all kinds of options, and an application center!!! It. Was. So. Cool.



In the fall of 2009, I discovered blogging. I set up residence at Only Parent Chronicles and began to make my way in Blognia. I developed many bloggy friendships along the way (Andrea included!) and met a group of bloggers who loved their berries as much as I did. Thus began The Bishes. The Bishes and I chatted all day, everyday. We've been through thick and thin and have always been there to support one another. Over time, some bishes went away, some new bishes joined, but the friendships kept growing stronger.

One day, a bish lost her phone. My heart broke for her. It would be days before she could join us. I had no idea how she would endure. Then it happened to another bish, and another. It was heartbreaking. Each time, the bish would get a new phone, get linked back up to chat, and tell her tales of withdrawl. I had no idea how they survived. Then, one day, IT HAPPENED TO ME!

It was a Sunday. I had spent the day geocaching with my clan. We had seven finds in for the day and decided to go have dinner. A few weeks prior, I had downloaded a free trial of a geocaching application. It was expired and after spending the day using an application on The Man's phone, I resolved to buy the application for mine. To do this, I needed to uninstall the trial. So, I went through the uninstall process and turned of my phone to reboot. It never came back up. It died. I was lost. No bishes. No email. No internet. NO CONTACT LIST! NOTHING! And to top it all off, all of the Verizon stores were closed for the day!!!

I was frantic! Quickly, I took The Man's phone and reached out on Twitter! I had to let the bishes now I was down! What was I going to do!?!?!

Then, I remembered! Miss Lucinda had my Curve! My beloved first berry ever! I had let Miss Lucinda have it when I got my Storm! She had since gotten a Storm and was ready to return my Curve! I HAD TO GET MY CURVE! So, I had The Man drive me 35 minutes to St. Paul so I could retrieve it. I still had no bishes and no contact list, but I had a berry. I had internet. I had email.

While I am still trying to pick up all of the pieces that remain of my shattered berry life, I am happy to say The Bishes and I have reconnected. There are still many telephone numbers I haven't recovered, including my parents and siblings. Sadly, at this point, all I can do is wait for them to call and tell them my sad, sad tale.

What you hear of Blackberry addictions is true. I once scoffed at the idea, but now I know. The prospect of going even a few hours without my berry was one of the most critical I have ever endured. While the berry brings me so much joy each day, my reliance on it has brought me to an almost panicked state. I now know that having a back up berry at all times is crucial to my survival.

** A special thanks to That One Mom for writing something to share with my bloggy-peeps for this weekend. While I don't have a Berry, I can completely understand the addictive behaviors she is describing. My addiction is my backflip. I am rarely without it and the purty pink case she lives in. Scoff if you will, but get yourself a smartphone of any nature and WE will have the last laugh! **

TGIF! And it's Friday-Follow time!

I hope this hot as heck fine Friday finds you all well, dear readers.

My day, thus far has been crazy busy, and totally stressful such a beautiful one.

I had a healthy horrible breakfast of three honey butter Pillsbury biscuits, have already eaten a bowl of freshly made leftover spaghetti and homemade jarred sauce for lunch, and I've spent the last few minutes deciding which educational show horror is the lesser of the two evils? That pain-in-the-a$$ purple dinosaur named Barney evil fricker or those totally drugged up creatures crazy characters on Yo Gabba Gabba.

I've opted for the latter, because, well, Hugs are fun is much better than I love you ... you love me ... shut the eff up, would you, Barney?

I'm in a good mood, I promise. I am also not always so -- ehem -- visibly cranky. I promise, all you new Friday-Follow friends!

Anyway, I'm packing for a nice long vacation trip from he!! ... we head to visit our families. One 500 miles away, the other 500 miles after that. As you can guess, my mind is racing with ideas of what to bring to entertain the evil toddler child for the longest drive in creation. Oy vey.

DVD player is ready, as are multiple movies, CDs, etc. At least I think some of them are. I need to figure that out. Damn, this really DOES suck. Where is the packing and checklist fairy when I need that b!tch? her?

OK, so anyway, I promise I am a sweet blogger, one you'll truly enjoy and I always have your back as long as you promise to have mine, as well, should I need you or go off the deep end!

I'm just in a STRIKING ... no, wait, I wanted to say that one ... STRIKING kind of mood right now, and I truly wanted to join in on the Friday-Follow fun. And holy wow, or cow, as the choice may be! Last I checked, there were like 300 peeps signed up. Woah!

Oh Happy DAY!

Lazy Mom Recipe!

Lazy Mom Recipe for this week is something so simple, even your kid could do it!

Lazy Mom's Corn Casserole

* 16 oz can of creamed corn
* 16 oz can of corn (drained)
* 1 box of corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)
* 1 c milk
* 1 egg

Mix ingredients together. Grease casserole dish. Pour mixture in.
Cook at 375* for 35-45 minutes.

Absolutely delish!

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Toys in Cups!

Go find me ...

I guest-posted today (Monday) over at Musings of a Mommie, so go and find me there and say hi to her while you're at it!

Pretty please with sugar on top, and whipped cream and sprinkles and a cherry?

Damn, now I have to go have some ice cream before bed. It figures ...

Muffin Tin Monday! (And Swap Update!)

My post for this week's Muffin Tin Monday is also my post to link up for the swap results.

We were partnered with Crystal, and we received our goodies late last week, and my lil one was super excited! Here are some pictures of her with all of our new Muffin Tin Monday related treats:





Crystal included a pretty bow she made for my daughter, which she wore for about a hot minute before getting into the "sparkles" aka sprinkles ... and before you knew it, we were baking sugar cookies with the cookie cutters (totally princess-y: a crown and a shoe!) and having a great time. So thanks, Crystal. And I hope you and your family enjoy the goodies I sent you as much as we love these. (And sorry for the delay!)

Congratulations and Oh My Gawd.

Congrats to Lisa, Comment #4 and winner of SlobProof!

Lisa said ...

OK also. Worst mess/spill? I think it was when my brothers iguana knocked over the Christmas tree. Most memorable, anyway!

I will be emailing you for your address info so I can pass it on to the publisher (or whomever it was that contacted me) so you can receive your copy! Yahoo and thanks to everyone who entered!

And on another note, it's Saturday night, almost ELEVEN PM, and my child is still awake.

What? How? Why?

Ask away, my friends. This is a lesson learned that when your child is exhausted, and she falls asleep in the car, WAKE HER UP after she naps for ONE HOUR. DO NOT LET HER SLEEP UNTIL THE TWO HOUR MARK.

Or you'll be tearing your hair out, scratching and clawing at your eyes and looking for things to puncture yourself with later that night.

Sweet dreams, my dear readers! Cheers! Or ice cream ... as soon as my blood pressure returns to my normal levels I'll be determining which is the better option for me this evening. What say you?

Friday-Follow and a Guest Post!

Hi, readers! Today you can find me over at Katie's Bookcase! Katie invited me to do a guest post for her "July is Summer Reading Month" series, and I was delighted to do so. :)

For more friends to follow, check out this week's Friday-Follow Blog-Hop here, or just follow the airplane for more details:

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!



P.S. Two more days to sign up for my current giveaway! Check it out here.

Lazy Mom Recipe!

So, I haven't made this one yet, but it's on my upcoming meals list based on the groceries we currently have in the house -- actually, maybe I'll make it today ...

1 bag Tyson grilled chicken strips (frozen)
1 package Old Paso taco shells
1 jar Taco sauce
1 can black beans (drained - any kind of beans work, including refried)
corn (frozen/canned)
shredded cheese (normally I go for the Mexican style)
sour cream (optional)

Toss chicken strips, black beans, taco sauce [you don't have to use the entire jar, I usually just cover the chicken fully] and corn into Crockpot. Let cook for 4-6 hours on Low setting. Stir occasionally.

Once heated through, top off with shredded cheese and cover for about 30 minutes. You can also mix cheese throughout, if that's your preference. If so, I'd add a few handfuls, stir the mixture and then top off with more cheese before covering Crockpot until cheese fully melts.

Serve with taco shells and sour cream. We usually opt for the soft tortillas, and you can warm them up in the microwave and wrap up the rest really tightly. But this time I was in the mood for the crunch of the taco!

Another optional ingredient is to add some cream cheese about 30-40 minutes before you're ready to eat, which thickens the taco sauce and takes the place of the shredded cheese.

And personally, I'd LOVE to add tomatoes to this meal, but hubby doesn't eat them, so I avoid that, but you can add Rotel, or canned diced tomatoes, or pretty much whatever floats your boat. So not only is this a lazy and easy recipe, it's super flexible. You can, of course, bake this in the oven, but then you'd have to watch it and truly time it, and who really wants to do that - especially in this heat? Not me.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wordless Wednesday!

The Pocket Therapist

This book totally fell into my lap the other day. Almost literally.

I won it over at Retro Girl's place some time ago and so when I went to the mailbox last week and found it there, I was so psyched.

The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit is written by Therese J. Borchard, a writer and blogger and all-around incredible woman. In just under 200 pages, Borchard manages to fit in 144 tips on how to help yourself be emotionally stable and sound. Truly, it's a book worth reading. Whether you've experienced mental health issues or not, you're bound to find that you recognize yourself in her pages.

Some of my favorite tips from the book are:

#14 * Stir the oatmeal: "Stirring oatmeal is a humble act - not exciting or thrilling."
This small reminder us to just follow the norm and go for the day to day sometimes, and not look for the spectacular, is a HUGE one.

#58 * Build a guest-house for your feelings: basically let them stay for a night or two and then send them on their merry way. I LOVE IT!

#49 * Poke fun at your problems

#50 * Bawl your eyes out

#128 * File the feeling: Don't lash out in reaction, give yourself some time, watch the other person. File it away to help you determine if it's really and truly how you feel, or if you've been taken over by the rush of adrenaline that comes from feeling raw and angry

#94 * Go out and play

#133 * Don't quit five minutes before the miracle

These are all fantastic reminders that I will reflect on to get me through my day-to-day. I'm a huge fan of the book, and encourage you to pick up a copy. Heck, buy one for your mom, your sister, and/or your friends! It's worth a read.

Review: Little Tikes Picnic Table from CSN Stores

This table is a lifesaver!

My child loves it!

And it has not even left our house yet!

I recently had an opportunity to review any item of my choice (within a certain $ parameter) from CSN Stores. As many of you know, CSN stores have such a variety of inventory it's nearly impossible to choose. As this is one of the first opportunities I have found to review an item of value not just to me, but to my child, as well, I took it. I mean, wouldn't you?

I decided to review the Little Tikes Picnic Table seen here.

And it was actually pretty easy to put together, although I had to wait for my hubby to do it, as I was afraid I might break it before we had a chance to use it ... oops. That would have been bad.

And so, we have it in our living room, as you can see from the pictures below. It's our arts & crafts table, it's our snack (or sometimes meals) eating table, it's our collect things that don't belong on the floor table, too.

It is super easy to clean, and does fold up so we can put it away, or bring it out with us, and it'll be great when it cools down enough and we can BBQ and eat outside. It even came with an adorable umbrella, which I had to hide so my daughter wouldn't decide it belonged in and open INSIDE the house.

Overall, I'm really pleased with this product. I expected nothing less from Little Tikes, as they always make the best of everything. The process of ordering through CSN stores was really easy, and they sent me updates as I waited for the item to arrive. It actually got here before they thought (and told me) that it would. And that was excellent! I definitely will be shopping with them again, and look forward to checking out the over 200 stores they have available online.

**This review was done on a product I received for free from CSN stores. I did not have to pay for the item, or for S&H. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. **

Lazy Days ...

If I weren't lazy I'd be doing these crafts instead of having made fresh-baked (ie: Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake) peanut butter pb cup cookies with my kid. Yes, I was so lazy I didn't even feel up to doing cookie cutter cookies. Le sigh ...

How to Make Muffin Tin Crayons -- Over at trianglemommies.blogspot.com

DIY Sidewalk Chalk with Alicia over at A Beautiful Mess

Recycling Brown Paper Bags with Lisa over at Two Bears Farm

Tents and Smores over at Superheroes and Princesses

Muffin Tin Mom's Guest post on how to make a Handprint Caterpillar over at No Time for Flash Cards

So, maybe I'll kickstart the week with one of these fun ideas. Or maybe I'll just be lazy tomorrow, too. We'll see. Enjoy!

Rolling a 2!!!

So I'm a total dork and I can't believe I have 222 followers. I'm a big fan of these kinds of numbers, and it's perfect timing, as I was just contacted about hosting a giveaway, and I figured, why the heck not? I'll do it when I hit 222, which happened tonight. So here we are.

I figured you readers like freebies, or at least if you don't, I know I usually do, so maybe some of you will be convinced to go for it? Who knows!?!

But, anywhynotgivesomethingawayifIcanthaveitformyself? ;)

The giveaway is for a book (go figure!). But it's not your typical Good Girl Gone Redneck kind of read. It's called Slob Proof! Real-Life Home Decorating Solutions, by Debbie Weiner.

Debbie is an interior designer, with a focus on keeping your home a perfect mesh with your style, while at the same time ensuring that you purchase the kinds of items that you'll be able to keep clean for years to come. And who doesn't want that? I mean, make an investment in your decor you'd rather not have to change it down the line after the milk has been spilled or the cat knocks over a bowl of Spaghetti-Os all over your couch (true story, but thank goodness NOT my couch, our kitchen island - yeah, thanks, hubby) because you walked out of the room, turned your back for just a minute ... well, you get the picture!

Apparently Debbie has created some crazy amazing furniture line. Unfortunately, we're not giving away the couch you'll see here on their website, but it's cute, isn't it? Imagine having that kind of fabric and ability to avoid concerns about various items your kids get their hands into and make their way to your furniture with? Ah, the dream of it. (Debbie, are you out there? I'd love to test run your new line against my 3-year-old daughter. She'd have a blast, and so would we!)

So, let me tell you how to enter if you want to win a copy of this book.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me about the WORST mess/spill experience you've ever had. Come on, fess up. Whether it was at home, or out and about, what happened?

Extra entries (please leave separate comments for each):

* Follow Good Girl Gone Redneck
* Follow me on Twitter @Goodgirlgonered and leave your twitter handle so I know it's you
* Tweet about it (and please leave your URL)
* Follow @DebbieWeiner on twitter if you're that intrigued
* Get someone to tell me you referred them in their own entry here (ie: when they leave their mandatory entry, tell them to say you sent them in that same comment)

The winner will be drawn on Saturday, July 17th.

Simple enough, right? I mean, what the heck, it's a free decorating book, and the reviews on Amazon seem pretty favorable. By no means am I the best at home decor, which is why you're not getting a book written by me on the same subject matter.

Have a slob at home? Enter today!

Whattup, Peeps? Gleeks? Freaks?

It's Friday-Follow today, because, well, it's Friday. D'uh! Follow the airplane to look for some new bloggy friends.

So, how EXCITED is everyone for GLEE? 19 Emmy Nominations! Nineteen! How amazing is that for their first time up? Mega Yahoooooo to all the Gleeks out there at how exciting this is!

Here are three of their actors who were recognized for their amazing portrayals on this incredible show.


Obviously I'm low on motivation to post today, so I figured I'd applaud these peeps from my own *home.*

And just in case you've never seen the show, here's one incredible performance to remind you why you absolutely SHOULD:



**Images obtained off the web by doing a Swagbucks search!**

Lazy Mom Recipe!

So, last night's dinner was my own creation. Another Lazy Mom Recipe!

And as I was falling asleep last night I realized, you know what? I think I did this last Thursday, as well. SO I am kind of starting my own trend. Kind of!

Lazy Mom's Chicken and Pintos

Ingredients:

* 1 roast chicken (doesn't have to be the entire chicken)
* 1 can pinto beans (drained)
* frozen corn
* 1/2 can chicken and stars soup
* 1/2 can (see above) water
* 1 package of ready-made rice

Shred chicken [I used garlic seasoned].
Drain can of pinto beans and empty into crockpot over shredded chicken.
Add frozen corn (or other veggie(s) - this is a flexible recipe).

I didn't have chicken broth, or I would have put in about a cup of that, but I grabbed a can of generic chicken and stars soup, used about 1/2 the can, then added about 1/2 the same can of water to the mix.

Cook on low for 4 hours (possibly less) and serve over/with ready-made rice. I used the Rice Pilaf from Uncle Ben's with Orzo in it. I think the orzo gives it a little more texture.

Throw a pack of crescent rolls into the oven and about 8 minutes later you have yourself a complete meal! And this time I made the Great Value brand of crescent rolls, and they're delicious! The biscuits, not so much, but these were great. Maybe (gasp!) even better (gasp!) than Pillsbury! (GASP!)

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday!

Things that make my day easier ...

Muffin Tin Monday!

Join Michelle by clicking the button above to find out all about Muffin Tin Monday!

Here's ours from Saturday (ssh!):




Chicken fingers, ranch dressing, french fries and apples. Along with a Fruitables drink box (which it took her 2 days to finish!)

HAPPY FOURTH!

Fun stuff my kid says ...

Fun or Funny, I guess it depends on how you look at it.

"Mommy, you're a good cooker."
-- Thanks, kiddo. I try. I try.
This is said after I present her with a pbj sandwich, a plate of pizza rolls, or pasta and parmesan cheese. It doesn't matter what it is, I'm still a good cooker.

"Are we going to the real bookstore, or the pretend bookstore? The one with the horsies ..."
-- Oh my. We've created a bookstore snob.
This after going to Books-A-Million the day before, where they have "horses on sticks" you know, the ones you rode as a kid. Pretend. Great. Barnes and Noble, anyone?

"My name is ... and YOUR name is ..."
-- Mommy has my own middle name, sweetie.
Everyone in our family supposedly has the same middle and last name as the child does. Say her name was Susie Lou America. My name would be Andrea Lou America. And hubby's name would be Daddy Lou America. And so on and so forth. She'll get it. Eventually.


"You okay, Nana?"
-- Laughter ensues.
Child was on the phone with my mother, attempted to put the phone down on the picnic table, and proceeded to drop the phone. Child picked it up and asked my mom if she was alright. Absolutely hilarious. My mom could not stop laughing. We both were near tears, it was about the cutest moment possible.

These are clear cut moments I hope to remember forever. The child is amazing, adorable, and hilarious, even when she can be a total pain in the behind.

What I am Reading ...

I used to be the kind of person who read one book from start to finish and then moved on to the next one. Sometimes I fall into that groove again, when I hit a really great book or something strikes me just right.

Other times I'm in the midst of so many books I don't know which way to turn!

* I have books in the living room (TV-time for the child, as I sit here reading)
* I have books in the bathrooms (enough said!)
* I have books in my bedroom (for bedtime, when I get to escape)

I pick up whatever book works for where I am, or books that work for the amount of reading time I have available.

Right now, here's what I'm reading:




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Enjoy the long weekend, everybody!

Lazy Mom Recipe!

Hmmn, maybe I'm onto something here! My own meme (pronounced meem, thanks Adventuroo, for teaching me that, even though I still say it MY way: may-may), perhaps? Ah, I'm too lazy for one of those ... but maybe someday!

Anyway, here's my lazy mom **trademarking it** recipe from last night's dinner:

Lazy Mom's Chicken Parm

* 1 package of frozen chicken nuggets (don't judge me)
* 1 jar of marinara sauce of your choosing
* 1 c parmesan cheese
* Polly-O mozzarella (gotta be the hunk-o-cheese, nothing better)

Layer bottom of your Crock Pot with the frozen nuggets.

[Be smart, and make one layer, as this lazy mom did not do so, and therefore the 2 hours of cooking was not quite enough to get them all done. Once I removed some for dinner, the rest cooked super fast!]

Pour marinara sauce on top of nuggets.

[You do not have to use the entire jar here. I probably fell just under that amount.]

Sprinkle in parmesan cheese

[Or you could mix it with the sauce before pouring, your preference.]

Layer the thinly sliced mozzarella cheese on top. Cook on High for 2-3 hours, depending on how many nuggets you've thrown in there.

I'm a mix it up kind of eater, so I actually layered some cheese in there directly ON the nuggets. When it got hot enough it was a melty, gooey, saucy, cheesy and yummy delight.

So yes, it was a bit lazy of me to use all prepared [gasp, processed!?!] ingredients. And to choose to make this in my slow cooker, instead of my oven, but you know what? It was so brainless I barely had to look at it while I was preparing it. And sometimes we parents need those kinds of meals. Saves us some insanity, ya know? And it was YUM. Enjoy!