Tipsy Tuesday (#20)

We have had quite a few storms here lately and with storms can come power outages. Not a problem if you are home and the electricity goes out, but if you are on vacation and come home to blinking clocks, how can you know that your frozen food is safe?

Tip #20

Take this precaution before you leave for vacation and keep perishables safe!

Put a few ice cubes in a plastic bag and place them in your freezer. If the ice melts and refreezes in a lump, you'll know that the power was off for over an hour and food should be tossed.

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

Well, with VBS last week and the crazy first week of summer camp this week, the Rev hasn't had much home cooked food lately--unless sandwiches and Velveeta Shells and Cheese count (which they don't, in my world).

So even though I was pretty tuckered out from helping to oversee our first big field trip today, I wanted to put something halfway decent on the table for dinner. This is a quick and easy casserole that you can customize to your taste--the basics are below but I added mushrooms and chopped pepperoni to ours--fix it to suit your crowd.

Upside -Down Pizza Casserole

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 15-ounce can Italian-style tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1 10-ounce package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)
Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through.

Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle mixture with cheese.

Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle with italian seasoning.

Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

Don't forget to visit Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more great recipes!

Taking One For The Team

Well, we're nursing an injury around here--and for once, its not me--I know, hard to believe, right?
The Rev took a vicious line drive to the shin at a softball game last night and he is hurtin' today! We iced and heated it, but it is some kind of swollen and a pretty shade of blue.

I'd like to say that he took one for the team and won the game with his sacrifice, but it was the second of a double elimination in the tournament and we lost, thus ending the men's softball season. Oh, well, maybe the Rev's shin will be healed and good as new in time for co-ed ball in a few months.

Better luck next time, hon. And in a side note, can you believe that once he settled down after the loss, his biggest concern was whether his injury was blog-worthy or not?

Tipsy Tuesday (#19)

Sunny weather means increased outside time for us, as well as the four legged members of our family (that's our dog, Scarlett and BestBuys' dog, Phoebe in the photo). Protect your pet this summer season.

Tip #19

Put together a simple first aid kit for pets and keep it close by.

The following items can help with minor pet emergencies and should be grouped in a small bag for easy access:

• List of your vet's telephone and after hour telephone numbers, as well as the number for the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435).
• Digital Thermometer - average temperature range for a dog or cat is 100°F to 102.5°F. A temperature lower than 100 or higher than 104 is an emergency that requires immediate attention from a vet.
• Hydrogen Peroxide - useful in cleaning wounds, but also for inducing vomiting if a pet has swallowed something dangerous. Always check with your veterinarian or the poison control center before inducing vomiting, because if the substance ingested is caustic, it might be more harmful coming back up.
• Triple Antibiotic Ointment - good for keeping small wounds and lacerations free of infection.
• Styptic Powder - helps stop the bleeding from a broken or torn nail; using household flour can also do the trick.
• Benadryl (diphenhydramine) - treats allergic reactions (from insect bites and bee stings), have this over-the-counter human medication on hand. It comes in a pediatric liquid variety, which allows you to give a lower dose than the adult tablets. As a rule: Give 1 to 2 mg of Benadryl per pound of weight.
  
• Tweezers - best tool for removing splinters and ticks. Avoid using your hands to remove a tick because of the risk of tick-borne diseases.

P.S. A special good luck and get well wish for Phoebe who has to have surgery this week!

Grilled Taters

Around these parts, summer means grilling and gardens. We don't plant a garden ourselves. but alot of our friends and congregation do and they are always kind enough to share their harvest. I've already enjoyed fresh romaine lettuce this season and it is so good when it is fresh.

We received a load of fresh from the ground potatoes this week and I decided to grill some up to have with steaks for dinner. Its not really an exact recipe, but you should be able to eyeball it and add or subtract based on how many potatoes you need to feed your crowd.

Grilled Potatoes

Potatoes, washed and cut into small chunks

Butter

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Boil potatoes until close to tender.

Prep a foil packet, being sure to spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt butter and toss with potatoes, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Spoon potato mixture into foil packet and seal.

Grill for about 20 minutes, turning over at the halfway point.

Enjoy!

Let Them Eat Sand!

Most of you who know me know that I love kids and have spent most of my adult life working with them in some form or another. This week has been VBS and I had the Pre-K class--I am worn out! I have forgotten how active that age is! One of their favorite activities this week was when we made sand--that you can eat--so I thought that I would share this recipe for all of you out there with kids.

Now let me start off by saying, there is no nutritional value to this recipe at all, it is just a fun, summer treat for kids. And another thing, I know that some of us neat freaks cringe at the thought of letting kids cut loose with a bowl of ingredients to mix up, but do it anyway--its nothing that a broom and a soapy cloth can't clean up! I am also not responsible if your kids try to eat real sand after making this--just saying...

Pretend Sand

Softened margarine (not melted and not too soft)
Brown Sugar
Ground Cinnamon
Graham Crackers

Give each child a small plastic bowl and spoon.

Measure 1 tablespoon of margarine into each bowl.

Add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar to the margarine in each bowl.

Add 1/4 teaspoon off cinnamon to each bowl as well.

Let each child use their spoon to stir it all up.

Serve with graham crackers.

And let your kids eat sand!

Linked to DIY Day: The Beach Edition

Tipsy Tuesday (#18)

Here is a little known fact--mosquitoes love us girls with some meat on our bones. It's true, if I just step outside, mosquitoes swarm and commence to feasting. This can make outdoor summer cookouts a bit tricky, since I always forget to take any type of anti-itch stuff with me and almost never remember to apply bug spray before going out.

Tip #18

Stick it to those itchy bites with a common cookout item.

To ease the itch of a mosquito bite, grab a slice of onion and press onto the area for 5 minutes. The allicin in an onion acts as an all-purpose antibiotic that keeps bites from getting infected and calms inflamed skin.

Note to single folks: Do this ONLY if there are no good looking, unattached members of the opposite sex at said cookout--you won't get much notice if you smell like a big old onion pile!

Another First

Living in a small, more rural area has been full of firsts for us.

Let's see, I saw my first real live skunk here, learned that people actually race lawnmowers (and people actually go watch!), entered and won ribbons at the county fair, learned that you'uns is a word, and discovered the miracle cure of Snake Oil (seriously, if you get a cold, you have to come and get some of this stuff).

This past week, we experienced another first. The Rev got to perform his first creek baptism! That was the wish of a young man in our church who had accepted Christ on Easter Sunday. So the Rev went out ahead of time and researched a good place that would be deep enough and where hopefully, the current, which is up due to the recent flooding in our area, wouldn't sweep them away. After regular worship Service on Sunday everybody carpooled down to the spot, gathered on the creek bank, sang a hymn and commenced to dunking! It really was a neat experience and certainly a first that we will always remember--the Rev even more so since he said the water was freezing!

I {Heart} Home Made Ice Cream!

A couple of weeks ago, the Rev bought me an Ice Cream Maker and I finally got a chance to test it out earlier this week. I just used the basic Chocolate Ice Cream recipe that came with the maker and added in some chunks of cookie dough for the Rev. And it was sooooo good!

I can't wait to try out all kinds of flavor combinations this summer!

Wednesday Freebies at Arby's

Arby's is giving away FREE food with a small purchase ALL summer long! Here is the run down of what you can get:

June:

• 10th- Free Roast Chicken Club with any drink purchase
• 17th - Free Regular Sidekicker with any sandwich purchase
• 24th - Free Regular Roast Beef with any sandwich purchase

July:

• 1st - Free Regular Beef 'n Cheddar with any drink purchase
• 8th - Free Orange Cream Swirl shake with any sandwich purchase
• 15th - Free Regular Roast Beef with any drink purchase
• 22nd - Free Roastburger with any drink purchase
• 29th - Free FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

August:

• 5th - Free Regular Roast Beef with any drink purchase
• 12th - Free Roast Chicken Club with any drink purchase
• 19th - Free FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
• 26th - Free Regular Beef 'n Cheddar with any drink purchase

Be sure to check the back of your receipt if you visit and make a purchase, you usually get a code for taking an online survey that will get you another free sandwich.

Find Arby's locations here! Enjoy!

Tipsy Tuesday (#17)

Last year about this time, we were enjoying the Rev's beautiful Red Asiatic lilies (see picture). This year, sadly, not so much--special Thanks for the lack of flowers in our planter boxes goes to the neighborhood cats and their bathroom habits.

Tip #17

Keep cats away from your flower beds and garden, and your flowers beautiful, with this tip.

Sprinkle orange rinds around the perimeter of your No Cat zone (i.e. garden, planters, etc.). The citrus aroma in the peels is too intense for a cat's sense of smell, which is highly developed, so cat's will scram and leave your plants free to bloom beautifully. Be sure to replace the peels with fresh ones about twice a week.

Where Do The Weekends Go?

Have you ever noticed how the work week drags and the weekend just flies?

This weekend was absolutely CRAZY for us!

Yard Sale (along with the sorting and pricing that happens beforehand)? Check

Bridal Shower Decorations? Check

Bake and decorate cake for Bridal Shower (my 1st attempt at cake decorating, no less)? Check

Setup for, attend, clean up actual Bridal Shower? Check

VBS Planning Meeting? Check

4th of July Party invites? Check

The only thing missing? SLEEP!!! And its already Monday again, full of the knowledge that I am way far behind on VBS, which is in a week, and Summer Camp, which starts in 2 weeks, and the list goes on and on...

What about you? Slowing down for summer or picking up the pace?

Let Them Eat Sugar!

I love me some candy! It is probably my biggest food weakness, so I got all kinds of giddy a few weeks ago at the beach, when we stumbled upon this new store, called It'Sugar--it is full of all, and I mean ALL, kinds of candy!! Mom and the Rev were very patient and let me spend a great deal of time in there--TWICE! Here are some highlights:

(Photo: L to R - a sand castle made out of Jelly Belly's (BestBuys' favorite), a ginormous Gummy Bear, and a wall full of Pez!)

(Photo: L to R - Gamecock M&M's, and a whole wall of M&M's in every color imaginable)

(Photo: you could even make your own candy bar--still kicking myself for not doing this!)

(Photo: L to R - huge Coke bottles (the Rev's favorite), big tubes of gum and licorice, and Swedish fish (Kiki's favorite))

Seriously, if you are ever near one of these stores, you HAVE to go in! Find It'Sugar stores here!

Tipsy Tuesday (#16)

Well, we have been back from the beach for a while now and my skin is finally losing its beet red shade and has almost stopped peeling. I used sunscreen, but apparently not enough.

Tip #16

Don't forget your shot glass--of sunscreen, that is.

One shot glass full is about how much you should use to protect any exposed skin. If you're spending the afternoon outside, reapply every hour--especially if you're swimming or sweating a lot.

With My Own 2 Hands...

I had the chance to take a Basket Making Class a couple weeks ago. There were several styles available, but I chose to make a picnic style basket. I have been needing something that could tote 2 or 3 covered dishes for a while. It took about 6 hours total to make from start to finish and I can promise you that I will never again balk at the prices craftsmen charge for their baskets--this is hard work!

I still need to get a piece of light plywood to fit in the bottom for extra support, but I am fairly happy with how my first attempt at this craft turned out.

From this:

To this!

















A special thanks to the VERY patient teachers of the class!