Crochet Me Crazy

This is a new recipe I found that my family likes. I've made this quite a few times and I guess it's graduating to being added to my recipe box so I thought I'd share it here. I will also include this in my cookbook I'm making for Alison.

24 oz. spaghetti sauce
fresh spinach leaves
4 cups chicken broth (I use water and add a couple of chicken bullion cubes)
2 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sliced mushrooms (I haved used fresh and canned both)
16 oz. frozen torellini

Combine spaghetti sauce, cream cheese, broth and mushrooms in slow cooker. Cook LOW 6 hours.
Add tortellini & boil until tender. Add spinach.

I have a habit of making chicken noodle soup when we need something quick. I've been making up my recipe and have been perfecting it as I go along. I added to it today and came up with this and thought it was pretty good!



1/2 stick of butter in saucepan. You can add a little bit of onion here or not.

Add 1 tsp of Basil
Add 1 tsp of Salt
Add 1 tsp of Rosemary

Put in 4 cups of water.

Add 2 chicken bullion cubes
Add 1/4 tsp of Poultry Seasoning

Bring to a boil.

Add egg noodles -- I don't measure these.
Add cooked chicken breasts (I always have cooked, shredded chicken in my freezer. I guess if you don't, this dinner wouldn't be as quick and easy)
Add 1/2 cup of sliced green onions.

Cook noodles until they are done. I cook my noodles 8 minutes.

Your are done with your super quick dinner! If it's too salty for you...cut back on the salt and poultry seasoning. I don't have to add salt to this when I'm eating it and I usually add salt to my food. I'm eating a bowl right now and it really hits the spot on a cold day like today!

I buy chicken breasts with the bone-in (because it's cheaper and has a lot of meat on them) on a regular basis. I put them in the crock pot and cook them. Then, I take the chicken off the bone and put portions of it in freezer bags and freeze them. I use this for everything from casseroles to soups. Makes my life a lot easier!

Here is a picture of one the gifts my daughter got for me for Christmas. It's a collector's series called Painted Ponies.

Well, I had plans to post my finished sock monkey hat tonight but today just got away from me! I never got the picture taken and now I'm sooo tired!

Well, how about a recipe instead? This is a recipe I found on Pinterest and I've made it several times now. It's a new favorite soup recipe! We all love it and I LOVE it because it's super easy to make!

Here's the original recipe link:
Mangio da Sola: Broccoli Cheddar Soup
I made a few changes and here is the recipe with my changes...
Broccoli Cheddar Soup

* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/2 chopped onion
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1 cup milk
* 2 cups chicken stock (I used bouillon cubes + boiling water)
* 16 oz bag frozen broccoli cuts
* 1/2 cup carrot, shredded and chopped (I didn't measure, I just added it for color)
* 1/4 tsp nutmeg
* 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
* 4 ounces Velveeta cheese
* Salt and pepper to taste


Sauté the onion (and garlic) in the butter over medium heat. Add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add in the half and half, milk, and chicken stock. Bring to almost a boil.
Add broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes or until the broccoli is done.

Season the soup with the salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Stir in the cheeses and simmer while stirring until the cheeses are melted!

If you want to see a more appealing picture, then go to the original recipe link above. This is how it looks in my kitchen, trying to get a quick picture before we gobble it up! Yum!



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By the time I get the picture of my Prairie Star afghan taken, it might be finished! I'm getting really close! It's getting so big that it's hard to get a picture of it. I'm going to have the girls hold it up for the picture I think!

I've been seeing lots of these cute little character/animal hats and I'm thinking of making some of those after this. Just have to sort through my patterns and see what I've got. I've noticed that Red Heart has been putting out a lot of great free crochet patterns lately! Have you noticed the big trend with the "Owls" lately?

The lady we cleaned the house for called last night to tell us how happy they were with the house! I'm glad she called because I was wondering if we did a better job that the last people used to do. I think we did. Since we decided to charge them $14 an hour, I wanted them to be happy. I'm telling you...that house was spotless. They seem like nice people.

Today, I cleaned on my own house. We got the check for the cleaning job so Jeff went into town and got me two new tires on my car. The girls went to the stables and groomed horses today. Some people drove up and scheduled a trail ride for tomorrow so Jeff & Alison are going to go do a trail ride tomorrow with 8 riders. That's good. Enough people to get a little pay and some business for the owner's. Hay is hard to come by that you can afford. They are almost out of hay and they got a whole truck in that they can't even use because it's not horse quality. Using up the last of the alfalfa now....anyone know where to get horse quality hay? They buy about 500 bales at a time and have 18-wheeler truck, will travel!

I'm going to share another recipe...something I make quite often. We love hot sauce and we want it quick and easy so I make it this way with canned tomatoes in just a few minutes. I started out cooking the tomatoes but now I realize it's totally unnecessary and lots easier. I made a batch today!



In your food processor put the following:

2 cans whole tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 bunch of cilantro (the tops with stems)
1/2 of medium sized onion (we don't like too much)
1 jalapeno pepper (it depends on how hot the pepper is...sometimes I use half a pepper if the peppers are really hot and sometimes I've had to use 2 or 3!)

Blend it all up until its all chopped up or as smooth as you like it.

3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp hot sauce
1 TBSP Minced Garlic
1 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Avocado, Cubed
1 (15 oz) can white kernal corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans or black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (I've always used black beans)
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup diced green onions
1/2 - 3/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic and hot sauce. Fold in avocado and rest of ingredients. Season to taste and serve with tortilla chips.

I got this recipe from my sister awhile back and it's one that we all like a lot. I used to make this to bring to the stables to snack on. Everyone that has tried this when I've made it loves it.

Now, speaking of green onions....here's something I learned on Pinterest and I've been astonished no one has ever told me this works! Don't throw away the white ends of your green onions. Put them in a jar of water in your window seal and they will start growing immediately! This is especially helpful for me because I have a hard time using green onions since I only go to the store one time a week. Today, when I pulled my green onions out of the refrigerator to make this recipe, my onions were completely wilted. Luckily, I had the ones growing in the window that I used! If you don't use them, so what? Cut them off and throw them away and grow more! You would have thrown them away anyway!

I called the Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation place today. I talked to the lady who answered the phone about Grace. She said she thought they could take her but she's going to call me back after she talks to the director. They have several other Axis and some White Tail deer there. They basically get to live wild in the protected deer yard. Grace and I are pretty close and I'm going to really miss her but it's the best thing for her.

This recipe was one of the new recipes I found on Pinterest that was on the meal plan this week. Here is the original link for the recipe.

Chicken Parmesan Bake

The only problem is that you have to listen to the video to get the recipe so I jotted it down on an index card as I listened.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish put 2 TBSP of olive oil and 2 cloves of crushed garlic.
Add hot pepper flakes.
Fill dish with boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 5-6)
Add 2 cups of Marinara (I used canned spaghetti sauce)
Sprinkle with basil.
Add 4 oz. grated mozarella & 2 oz. of grated Parmesan Cheese
Add croutons (I used a whole bag and family requested more croutons next time)
Top with 4 oz. of grated Mozarella Cheese and 2 more oz. of Parmesan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until chicken is done.

YUM!

I could have sworn that I posted this recipe but when I went to check my tags I didn't see it. Well, I either didn't post and thought I did or I may have posted and forgot to tag it so now it's lost in blog land! I wanted to share this recipe because it's one of our favorites.

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken - cooked and shredded (I don't measure this)
1 can of Garlic and Olive Oil petite diced tomatoes
1 can of Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can chopped green chilies
1 clove garlic - minced
2 cups water
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
For Garnish: Grated Monterrey Jack Cheese, Sliced Avocado

In crockpot, combine shredded chicken, whole tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies and garlic. Add water, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on High 3 to 4 hours. Add cilantro. Garnish with cheese and avocado and serve with home fried corn tortillas. -- Delicious!

Note: I made this last night and it was hotter than normal but I couldn't figure out why! As I typed this out, I realized what it was...I used "hot" enchilada sauce! My husband loved it....me, not so much. I couldn't taste the blends of flavor with the hot so I like it better with the mild. So, anyway it's up to you!

I tried a new recipe tonight that was a big, that is soo good, can you double the recipe next time, hit with my family!

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly
brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half
lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour
cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix
Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes (continued) 3 of 3
DIRECTIONS: (continued)
with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins.
Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

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I've got my blanket sewn together! I have a whole lotta ends to weave in though! I'll post a picture of the afghan tomorrow. I'm a little weary tonight to get that ambitious. I also have a couple more slippers completed. I'm ready to move onto a couple of Christmas projects I have planned...some cute and whimsical stuff. Check back tomorrow for the pictures! Goodnight all!

In the meantime, I leave you with a picture of a horse in my yard....Michael thinks it's real cute to open the gate and let the horses into our yard.

Hello, Magic!

I came across the requested recipe! However, it's not called what I originally referred to as "Ritz" chicken. I called it that because of the Ritz crackers that the recipe calls for. The actual recipe name is "Chicken Supreme". In any case, here it is...

Chicken Supreme

1 cooked chicken (I did not use a whole cooked chicken) I just used 4-5 Chicken breasts
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
20 Ritz Crackers
1/2 cup of butter
2 tsp poppy seed

Layer bottom of pan with chicken. Mix soup and sour cream and pour over chicken. Crush crackers into melter butter. Add poppy seeds, and spread over chicken. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

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I spent some time this morning adding some new blogs to my Blog List. I like to read blogs that are updated regularly. Every once in a while, I go through that list and remove the blogs that haven't updated in a while. In any case, I've added some new ones that piqued my interest at some point in time or another.

It's hat making season!
If you have spent any time online looking for free patterns, you may have already come across this site. I just ran across it again while I was looking for an ear flap hat pattern --- which reminded me what a great hat pattern site this is! I have made the "Crochet Ridged Hat with Rib Cuff", the "Front Post-Back Post Brim Cap", and the "Loving Georgia Lee Tyler" hats. All are well written and make some great looking hats!

Head Huggers: Patterns List

Oh my goodness...I got about 5 panels of my afghan sewed together and I RAN OUT OF YARN!!! I was soooo close! Now I have to wait to go to town to buy more yarn before I can finish it! Well, the good news it that I don't have to worry about dye lot so much since I only joining the panels with it so if it's off just a tad it won't be very noticeable.



I'm have really been hankering to make these yummy, yummy cookies that I just snagged the recipe for. The dance teacher brings these every time they have visitor's week at dance and they are so great I finally asked her for the recipe. I've kinda been waiting for a cold day and a day I have time to come along at the same time because the oven helps me warm the house up. I decided to make these this morning and bring them to the stables today for them while they are working so I was making cookies at 7:30 this morning!! I took a big container of cookies down there and I can't believe how fast they devoured that entire container! Now there were a lot of kids there today...the stable owner's 2 grandkids, plus my two kids and Alison's friend.
Here's the girls on their horses...

They had a ball today. They rode and rode the horses around and groomed horses. Alison's friend, Phoebe, was there with her all day and asked to stay longer when her mom came to get her. Alison wanted to have slumber party tonight with Phoebe and Serenity (the stable owner's granddaughter) so they are both spending the night tonight. I just got finished making them a big bowl of popcorn and they are going to watch a movie.

I'm beat tonight...I think I'll go take a shower and go to bed early....I sure am glad I get an extra hour of sleep tonight because of the time change!

Oh, and here's the cookie recipe!

Oatmeal Rice Krispies Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups of Rice Krispies
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well Stir flour with soda & salt and then add to butter-sugar mixture. Fold in Rice Krispies, oatmeal, coconut & raisins. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.

Well, I'm enjoying having a real oven to cook it. I've started making some recipes I used to make but haven't made since we moved into the RV. Today, I even made chicken and dumplings...Alison's favorite! Earlier this week I made Chicken Pot Pie and I'll share that recipe here:

Chicken Pot Pie

Cover bottom of 9x13 casserole dish with cut up cooke chicken.
Layer 1 package of frozen mixed vegetables on top.

Mix in bowl and pour over vegetables:
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 can of chicken broth

In another bowl mix and gently spoon oversoup mixture:
2 cups of self-rising flour
2 cups of milk
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

I know I had a request for the Ritz Chicken. I haven't forgotten, I just seem to have temporarily misplaced that recipe! When I come across it, I'll post it.

I love it when the horses wander up to my front yard. This is the horse that I really take a liking to...her name is Ellie Mae. She is such a good natured girl.

I teared up a bit while looking through the box of things I received from my mother's personal belongings. I can't believe it's almost been a year next month since my mother passed. I really miss the days of talking to her. I don't have anyone to talk to now, really. My mom always would have enjoyed hearing about what was going on with us.

Well, onto day to day life....Here's another new recipe I tried last week. Everyone really liked this and I was surprised at how good it tasted because it really doesn't have any spices in it. I did throw a piece of fat-back in there which probably added to the flavor.

Cabbage and Sausage Soup

1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 head of cabbage
32 oz of beef broth (I used 2 cans and then added 1 beef bullion cube)
4 sliced carrots (I used baby carrots, whole)
1 round white onion (I used sweet onion)
1 package of smoked sausage
Water, as needed

In large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to simmer. Cook until carrots and potatoes are just fork tender.

I'm looking forward to making some some soups and simmering them on the stove during the day once the weather gets colder. It will be so nice to be able to cook in the RV and appreciate the fact that its warming up my RV! It will serve a dual purpose.

No rides at the stable today at all. We ended our day early today. I was mainly up there to play today. We got the bot fly eggs removed off of two horses. They are hard to get off and take a little while to work them out. Alison rode Wishbone. He's a thoroughbread who's fairly new and doesn't quite fit in with the herd yet. He's low man on the totem pole. He was stalled before they got him so he's a little different and has a cribbing habit. He's a great horse though. He would've been so good on the trail but he limps on the rocks and they think he's lame and it was hidden from them when they bought him at an auction. He seemed to ride well on the dirt for Alison today. He's one of her top 3 favorite horses at the stables.

My family seems to really like this recipe. I can eat it but its not my favorite. I make it anyway because its so easy and they all like it so much.

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
1 15 oz jar of salsa
1 8 oz package of cream cheese

Take frozen chicken breast and put in crock pot. Add drained black beans, salsa and drained corn. Keep in crock on High 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top) and let sit for about 1/2 hour until softened.

While I was blending up my dip this afternoon, I realized that I have been making this since I was a kid. I remember when my mama made it for me. I came home from school one day my mother had read and article about this healthy alternative to other fattening dips and decided to experiment on me. Well, I loved it and have been making it ever since then. It's one of those things that sounds gross but I just have people taste it without knowing what it is and they love it. I still eat it with potato chips, which isn't so good for you but you could use it as a vegetable dip too.


Cottage Cheese Dip

Dump your cottage cheese in the blender and a little bit of milk and blend it up until its creamy and smooth. Add garlic powder and onion salt to taste. Yum!

My mother was always clipping...clipping coupons, clipping recipes, and I remember her clipping out "Hints for Heloise" tips. Well, I decided to do a search for Hints for Heloise and discovered it still exists! What? She must be ancient! Well, I discovered the original Heloise passes away in 1977 and the column is continued by her daughter. How special ~ the legacy lives on!

The kids and I started our school year yesterday. It will feel good to get back into the groove and routine of school work. Biology, Texas History, Total Language Arts which includes literature, grammar, spelling, writing, and Pre-Algebra plus electives are the line up this year. We are starting the year off easy by reading "My Side of the Mountain" and doing a book study on it. I wanted to start off with a good, fun book to get them into it. We haven't officially started the Math or writing program yet because I just ordered the writing curriculum today and we have to install the Math program on their computers.

I worked 1/2 day in the visitor's center today. It is deserted here in the park so no one really came in the store. We're going to have to leave the park very soon. If Jeff is going to be gone this much, I can't handle getting all the volunteer hours myself while trying to get the homeschooling done and running Alison to and from dance. We barely got our hours last much. As a matter of fact, I don't think we would have made it if Michael wouldn't have worked at the fee booth by himself so much. Well, the fee booth isn't open anymore so that's out and the visitor's center will only be open on weekends. We'll have to start planning our exit after Labor Day weekend I guess.

The kids have gone to swim at the river this evening. They practically have the whole place to themselves....it's amazing.

I have another wonderful recipe to share. I had forgotten about this recipe. I should've been making this to take in our lunches at the stables. This was something my mama used to make and my family loves it! That raw broccoli is so good for you too!

Marinated Broccoli

2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 TBSP red bell pepper, minced
3 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
2 TBSP Water
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 Large close garlic, minced
1 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp pepper

Mix oil with vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and seasonings. In a large bowl, toss mixture with broccoli. Marinate all day or overnight. (Turn & shake the jar when you think about it)

Well, I tried and new recipe tonight and everyone liked it. Alison voted it her new favorite. It's really rich though but super easy to make.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cooked boneless chicken breast, shredded
3/4 cups flours
1/2 cups butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups heavy cream
4.5 oz package wild rice

Combine broth, water and chicken in large pot. Bring to boil, stire in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat. In small bowl, combine salt, pepper & flour. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning package until bubbly. Reduce heat to low, stir in flour by tablespoons to form a roux. Whisk in cream a little at a time until smooth. Cook until thickened (about 5 min) Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook until heated 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.

I've been struggling with my camper getting hot while I'm trying to cook dinner every night. When I turn that gas stove on, it heats up really quick in here. I decided to buy myself a electric skillet this weekend while we were in town. Tonight was my first dinner cooked in my new skillet. It solved my problem! Tonight I made, literally, a "no sweat" dinner! What a relief!
I tried a new recipe. It tastes good and I think everyone will like it but it just doesn't make enough for us. I would have to double this for it to be a meal for my family.

Oh! And I think I am finally developing a taste for celery! I usually leave celery out of recipes because I don't like it. I decided to use the celery this time and I love it! I don't think this recipe would be near as good without it. I usually try things I don't like occasionally because I know that our tastes change over time.
Chicken Jambalaya

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
2/3 cup white rice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken meat

1. Melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add celery, onion and
saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, rice, thyme or basil,
garlic salt, ground black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.
2. Bring all to a boil; reduce heat, cover skillet and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in chicken or turkey and cook until heated through.

I didn't have to go into the stables today but I ended up going up there anyway. I slept in a little bit later and then got my dishes washed up before I went down there. We closed up shop early today but it was a busy morning. Met a guy yesterday that brought his little girl to ride. He was back again today and he brought us a bunch of goodies. He brought us 4 watermelons, 4 canteloupe, and several bags of onions he said were fresh out of the field. We cut one of the watermelons and we all ate it right there at the stables. It was good and sweet! He said he'll be back with more -- yay! Well, with this many onions, I decided to try making onion rings this afternoon! They turned out great! Jeff and Michael really loved them.

Onion Rings

Allow 1/2 onion per person.
Slice onions into rings and separate to dry. Coat with flour.

Make a thin fritter batter of:

Blend in a bowl and set aside:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix together:

2 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Beat until smooth with flour mixture.
Fry onions at 375 degrees until golden brown. Grease should be only 1 inch deep in pan, just enough to float food.

When grease is hot, 375 degrees, dip dry onions into fritter batter and let excess drip off. Fry until golden brown. Remove and place on a plate that is piled with paper towel to soak up excess grease.

Next time he's also bringing sweet corn and cucumbers...Uh oh! Quick, help! What can I make out of cucumbers besides the cucumbers and vinegar? We don't like them plain. Or should I just get a very big jar? Lol! He said he can set Michael up with a stand if he wants to....Hmmmm.

Alison and I went and laid under the stars last night. It's amazing how late you have to wait for all of the light to go out of the sky so you can see them. It was finally good and dark by 10 pm. We got scared away once when we smelled a skunk! LOL... we have a little skunk that passes through our campsite every night. I sure didn't want him to stumble upon us! We saw a lot of shooting stars.

Today, Alison babysat here at the RV for a couple of hours.

Jeff thought he was finished with the stair job today but the man decided he wanted to add slats to the railings so he's got just a few hours of work to go back and do tomorrow. Almost done!

Alison and I walked up to the Cowboy Sunset Serenade tonight. It was unusually humid tonight so I was dripping sweat by the time we got up the hill. Cowboy poetry and singing with a beautiful hillside view....a nice way to enjoy the evening.

Came home and made quesadillas...it was a an easy meal that everyone loved. I tried something new tonight with them and it was good.

Shredded cooked chicken breast
Pour in some picante sauce...just enough to make it moist
Chopped cilantro (we like a alot of it)
Mix all this together in a bowl

Spray the pan with cooking spray. Put tortilla in and put some shredded Monterrey Jack cheese. Spread chicken mixture over this. Put a little more cheese and heat on medium-low until cheese melts. We had sour cream and guacamole with ours. YUM!

We didn't do much relaxing. The day went as usual except we did go to a small town fireworks show last night. It seemed like everyone from the surrounding three towns were ALL there! There was a huge amount of people lining the highway and all the streets for miles. Didn't know there were that many people out here! LOL ... Anyway, it was a pretty impressive fireworks show for such a small town. We just pulled over on the side of the road and got out our lawn chairs like everyone else.

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was a hit with the family. Easy to make and cost me about $7.00 to feed the whole family of 4 with this.

Steak & Cheese Sandwiches

1 lb. round steak, sliced thin (or whatever is on sale)
1 sliced onion
1 can sliced mushrooms
2 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 beef bullion cube
Hoagie rolls

Slice steak into think strips and brown in skillet. Add 1 beef bullion cube. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until soft. Add worcestershire, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Simmer as a long as possible. Serve on mayonaissed hoagie rolls with cheese (I used monterrey Jack tonight)