Who wants to save time and money?!?!

Thought that would get your attention! So, here's the deal. I love using onions when I cook. I think they bring a fantastic flavor to the food. I do not like peeling and chopping. In fact, I don't know many people who DO like peeling and chopping onions! I also do not use them too often. Lately it has seemed to me like I hadn't been using them at all, what with all the wonderful meals in my freezer! So, when I would buy a bag of onions, I found them rotting before I could use them all. That's like throwing money away, right? So, what I've started doing is using my food processor to chop the onions one 3-pound bag at a time, bagging them by 1/2C in snack-sized baggies and then throwing all of them in a quart-size freezer bag, and freezing them!

Here's the beauty of this:

*I get to use my cool big processor (which I will need a new one of very soon - this one was a wedding gift and so is almost 12 years old!)
*I don't get ANY tears
*All the onions get used - no waste!
*When I need onions for a recipe they are chopped and ready to go!

I had heard that onions gain strength when they are frozen and I have to be honest that I have not noticed a difference. This works so well for me I've decide to expand on the idea. So, yesterday I was making a new crockpot recipe (that bombed, but you don't know unless you try!) that called for small amounts of green pepper and celery. So, I drug out my processor and set to work. I did the same thing for those two that I do for onions. I have not tried to use the frozen veggies yet, but I am assuming the results will be as good as the onions.
















Happy Freezing!

Weekend @ Massenutten!

Alright Blogger is not being very nice and so I can't really move pics around. So, the top few are of the waterpark and arcade. The two on the bottom have a description...


We had a fun weekend! We were bummed that we couldn't tube on Sunday because of the rain, but it got us home early. Then dinner and winding down before bedtime were easier! Here are some pics. I don't have many because my point-and-shoot is on the fritz and I wasn't about ready to bring my new DSLR into the waterpark!

These two pics were from dinner on the way. We stopped at a local place right outside of Charles Town, WV:

Top Three Worst Things About Sinus Surgery

I have my 2nd post-op appointment today (as well as my 3rd ortho of the week, but that's another entry!) and I'm feeling pretty good. So, as I look back and reflect on my recovery I thought it'd be fun to give a top three. And without further ado:

#3 My aching legs

Yep. you read right. If I had to complain about discomfort it would have to have been the discomfort in my legs. Oh they ached SO BAD! This was only for about two days (until I really started moving again) but it was horrible!

#2 My sneezing fits!

Beginning last Sunday evening I lapsed into these horrible sneezing fits! They have been driving me CRAZY! I swear when we were at the settlement table on Monday signing the re-finance papers the women must have thought I was terribly sick! They don't hurt my nose but it makes it really itchy. I guess the fact that it's healing doesn't help the itchy-ness factor, either.

#1 That horrible tape!

My cheeks are still trying to recover from the tape that invaded them last Tuesday and Wednesday. I had to change my dressings once every two hours which meant ripping the tape off and re-applying every two hours. Picture folded gauze under your nose with tape coming out of both sides and attaching to your cheek. Oh, that has got to be the worst thing about this whole surgery!!


Well, we're out for the weekend. We are headed here for some fun in the sun (tubing) and fun inside (waterpark). I'll try to post pictures.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Chicken Cheddar Spaghetti

While I was down recovering my girlfriend Kathi stopped by and gave me some magazines to peruse. One of them was one I had been eyeing in the checkout line for weeks! It is a new Taste of Home called: "Casserole's, Slow Cooker and Soups." I've been getting what I hope to be some great recipes out of it. I decided to try one of them last night called Chicken Cheddar Spaghetti. It sounded yummy AND easy. Perfect combination! The verdict: It was good but lacking flavor. The next time I make it I may add some bacon or something salty like that. We did sprinkle garlic salt on it last night as we were eating it. Either way, good sound recipe, especially if you like to play around with ingredients! Enjoy!

Chicken Cheddar Spaghetti

7 oz Spaghetti, broken
2 C Cubed Cooked Chicken
2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Can Cream of Chicken
1 C Milk
Salt and Pepper


Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup of cheese, soup, milk and salt and pepper. Drain spaghetti, add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Transfer to a greased 9X13 dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

The Best Meatloaf Evah!

I made this up for our freezer meal swap and cooked some of it up tonight. That pic only shows HALF of the meat I used for these!

Anyway, they are really, really yummy!! I originally found this recipe in a Taste of Home Book. LOVE those!!

Enjoy!

Meat Loaf Miniatures

2 1/4 C Ketchup
1/3 C Packed Brown Sugar
2 ½tsp Ground Mustard
2 Eggs, beaten
2tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3C Crispix cereal, crushed (I use store-brand!)
3tsp Onion Powder
3/4tsp Seasoned Salt
1/2tsp Garlic Powder
1/2tsp Pepper
3 Pounds 85/15 Ground Beef (Do not use extra lean, they are dry!)

Combine Ketchup, Brown Sugar and Mustard in a large bowl. Remove ½ for topping and set aside. Add the rest of the ingredients but beef and mix well. Let sit for 5 minutes. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well with hands.

Form about 1/3 C mixture into a ball and freeze individually on waxed paper. Each recipe makes about 18 of these.

To Cook: Place frozen balls in a muffin tin and thaw in refrigerator. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes. Drizzle with reserved topping and bake 10 more minutes or until meat thermometer reads 160.

The Recovery

Am I better, yet?! This has been the longest week of my life! Pair that with Ella not being very good today and my poor husband who has been caring for me and the kids and trying to work and a son who wants dads attention and you've got our Saturday. Don't get me wrong, LOVING the weather today, but I can't get out into it and so it has me depressed. I'd rather it be snowing so the kids can be stuck inside with me and we could play games and watch movies all day. Jon just left to take the kids to the park with the warning that he may be coming back minus my daughter. Yep. It's that bad.

I have this headache that I think has something to do with the fact that I've done nothing all week. I'm really not handling this well at all, am I?

Okay, so I went to the doctor yesterday and he took my drains and packing out. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. A little uncomfortable, but no pain. All in all, not bad. When it was over and I was riding home I was so amazed at how well I could breathe! That didn't last long, though. By evening I was so stuffed up that my ears were popping from the pressure of swallowing. Today has been a little better. My nose is still very sore. Jon went out to get me more pain medicine (don't worry - I'm weaning myself) and got me a Neti Pot as well. That thing is cool!

One of the things I've been doing this week has been re-organizing and updating my recipes. I'd love to use this blog to share more of my recipes. I know I don't have a ton of readers, but the one's I do have have always given me positive feedback on the one's I've posted. So, look for more things like that to come! Another thing I've been working on is my monthly menu. I've been off the bandwagon (so to speak) lately with dinners and need to hop back on. I'm hoping my going through my recipes will spur some interest in me to do that. I love gaining new meal ideas and recipes and so I want to encourage you guys (you know, my handful of readers!) to comment and leave some of yours as well. That's the beauty of blogging!

Getting woozy from the meds. Look for good recipes coming soon!

A Survey With Ella

1. What is something mom always says to you? I love you
2. What makes mom happy? Me obeying
3. What makes mom sad? Me not obeying
4. How does your mom make you laugh? Sometimes when you talk to me
5. What was your mom like as a child? You had curly hair
6. How old is your mom? 100! (giggle, giggle)
7. How tall is your mom? I think you are 61
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Lay down and relax
9. What does your mom do when you are not around? clean the house
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? teaching little kids how not to cry (??)
11. What is your mom really good at? Running
12. What is your mom not very good at? Seeing without your contacts
13. What does your mom do for her job? Writing letters and stuff
14. What is your mom’s favorite food? fruits and vegetables, healthy food especially bananas
15. What makes you proud of your mom? When you buy me the things I want
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Rapunzel
17. What do you and your mom do together? Watch TV
18. How are you and your mom the same? Doing the same thing at the same time
19. How are you and your mom different? you don't like to play "monster"
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because you always tell me and God told you you have to
21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go? Grocery Store

A survey with Coby

(A fun survey stolen from Danielle!)

Ask your child the questions and write them down exactly how they respond.

1. What is something mom always says to you? Get ready for school

2. What makes mom happy? When everything she asks me to do is done.

3. What makes mom sad? When I don't listen to her.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? When she tickles me!

5. What was your mom like as a child? Cool.

6. How old is your mom? 31

7. How tall is your mom? Very tall

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Play with kids.

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around? Clean

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Cleaning (LOL)

11. What is your mom really good at? Bowling on the Wii.

12. What is your mom not very good at? Fighting with dad

13. What does your mom do for her job? Clean (sensing a trend here...!)

14. What is your mom’s favorite food? Broccoli

15. What makes you proud of your mom? When she doesn't make me sad.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Yogi Bear

17. What do you and your mom do together? Play Mario Cart on the Wii.

18. How are you and your mom the same?We both have freckles!

19. How are you and your mom different?She's a girl and I'm a boy.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because she plays with me a lot

21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go? Rita's

Sinus Surgery Run-down

Well, I woke up this morning at 5:45 to get ready for the day. I needed to call the weather hotline before Aunt Ann left her house to pick me up just in case things were delayed. So I did that, checked FB and email, got dressed and did some last-minute straightening. I also swept the kitchen floor. Aunt Ann showed up right at 6:30 and we were off!

Getting to the Surgi-Center was a piece of cake. But, apparently, not for the two people who were scheduled before me. We arrived at 7:05 and they went through all my paperwork. Then they immediately took me back. I got changed into the fashionable gowns, skid-free socks, and hair net and put my clothes in the locker they provided. Then I got to do all the fun pre-op stuff. During this the nurse told me that the two people ahead of me (my surgery was originally scheduled for 8:45) had not shown up yet and so I was going to be first! I was excited about this because, honestly, who wants to wait and wait when you are already there and ready? At around 7:20 she started the saline drip (I hate this because it makes my arm cold!) and sent me into the room to talk to the various doctors. We went over everything and at 7:35 they walked me into the (frigid!) OR. I was asleep in about five minutes and then waking up in recovery. At this point it was 8:55. I was so cold! It was like when you have a baby and your whole body just shivers and shivers. The top of my mouth was numb and so was my nose. It felt weird to eat ice chips but I had to because me mouth was SO DRY. I rested and tried to eat as many ice chips as I could but it was hard and plus I was still cold! They kept bringing me those AWESOME warm blankets! I need to get myself one of those heater things. They look just like refrigerators! That would totally run circles around those Snuggies...lol. Anyway, by 10:10 I was dressed and out the door! When I got home I was able to get some rest. Ella was home from school recovering (no fever today, yay!) and was laying next to me. It was so sweet because she would often lean over and stroke my hair or kiss my cheek. Around 2:00 the pain really hit. My nose felt like it was on fire and the top of my mouth was so tender and sore. Plus my head was starting to hurt. Just all-around miserable-ness. At 3:00 I was allowed more medicine so I took that and felt better within the half hour. Right about the time my wonderful friend Kathi showed up! And boy does she know me! She brought Taste of Home's Casserole's, Slow Cooker & Soups book (that I've eyed at every checkout stand for the past two weeks!), People, and Women's Day. Perfect!

I've been taking it easy ever since. It's so nice to sit in bed at 6:45 and blog and not feel guilty! But I'm still bleeding pretty bad and I want it to stop and the only way to do that is to sit and do nothing. I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow but for now there's nothing to do and so I'm enjoying it!

I'm hoping I can sleep tonight and that tomorrow is uneventful. I appreciate all of you who have been praying for me! Keep them coming, the next few days will be rough, I'm sure.

Off to take more DRUGS....

A Gripe

Well, my surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. It looks like the kids will be home again (they are also off today) and Ella is currently vomiting the contents of her stomach. Never seen anything so bright yellow coming out of the mouth before. TMI, I know, but this is my blog and that's the mood I'm in. So, because I'm the mom and don't get a day off, I'm subjecting myself to her germs and hoping I don't come down with it while I'm recovering. Although, that would make things interesting.