Supermarket Sweep!

Tonight I went to the Arlington Convention Center with my neighbor.  Starting tomorrow through the weekend the Just Between Friends franchise will be selling anything having to do with babies, toddlers, and kids.  This was my first experience with it.  I wasn't super thrilled about going because I never have much luck when I go to those second hand shops.  My neighbor (same one who let me bake my cakes at her house) sells stuff at the Ft. Worth one every year.  She also shops at it and gets everything both her kids will wear for that season.  If you are selling stuff in it you get a bracelet (and one for a friend) to come in the night before it starts to shop.  I got some cash and a "want list" from Andrea to take with me.  She called me before I left and said she imagined it being like the show Supermarket Sweep!  I laughed and thought it might very well be just like that.  She asked if I had my running shoes on and if I had done my stretches!  Ha, this girl doesn't run...besides, I was going to have Ella in the Bjorn and running would not be a possibility with that on.  Patricia (my neighbor) called and asked if I had a plastic bin to bring to put stuff in.  I responded, "You mean like a big bag to carry it all in?"  She said, "Don't worry about it I have a bin we can both use."  I  thought this could possibly be a freaking mad house, with a bunch of pushing and shoving.  Like Supermarket Sweep on steroids! 

I was hoping to hit the jackpot and get Adda some serious Fall/Winter stuff.  I don't need much for Ella because even though she and Adda were born in different seasons my stuff is working just fine.  Well, I am making it work!  I have to get a few things for in between sizes and seasons but the majority of it works perfectly!  Adda has good stuff that I took really good care of and I refuse to let it sit in tubs!

It was nothing like Supermarket Sweep!  We walked in and Patricia said, "Oh, this is a joke compared to Ft. Worth!"  We both went through the sizes we needed to go through and left after about 2 hours.  The best part was we actually got to visit without children tugging at our feet!  I had Ella, but she didn't have much to say except yelling "ma ma ma ma ma" every so often!  When we left Patricia said, "Oh girl, you are coming to Ft. Worth with me in the spring!"  I guess that's the plan!

Here we are ready to go in.  My sidekick and I!  The parking lot was our first clue that it was not going to be anything like the Ft. Worth one!

 There were also several tables behind me. 

 This is my bin!  Quite a jackpot, huh?!

 Here is Ella after our shopping extravaganza!  She was such a good girl! 

 Adda modeling her clothes!  Don't mind her crazy hair!  She and Daddy went to a soccer game and got home after we did!  She needed some good Daddy time!  

 Gap black dress, new with tags, $8.  So cute!

 Gap brown velvet skirt!  $4

 Genuine Baby by Oshkosh corduroy dress!  $6  Adda's favorite color is orange and she was super fired up about this dress!  I knew she would be!

This is the stuff I got for Andrea.

 Gap coat.  It looks brand new!  $14  These jackets they sell each year are between $40 and $60.  This was a good deal!

 Perfect condition brown boots for Leah $4

 Gap tulle skirt with bloomers attached on the inside!  $8

Gap tunic with matching leggings $4  This is so cute!

Overall we got a few good things, but I expected to get lots more.  I decided that I am a little bit of a snob when it comes to second hand clothes.  I feel like if I am going to pay for used clothes then I want them name brand or at least they need to look like new.  I find that the stuff that isn't name brand doesn't look good for long!  I do buy lots of Gap clothes, but I try to get it all on sale.  I wait for them to run their good sales!  I will go back, but maybe only to the Ft. Worth location! 

 

Burgundy Stew!

I got this cookbook in college from my mom.  She sent it to me in a package after I moved out of the dorm and into a duplex with Cammie.  This was the beginning of my Junior year.  I actually think this was the very first cookbook she gave me.  I love getting cookbooks from my mom.  Not only are they all good, but she writes in them!  That's what I love about them!

 The first thing I cooked out of this cookbook was Burgundy Stew.  I made this for Gonzo before we started dating.  He "loved" the meal (might have not liked it but he sure acting like he loved it) and it's been a favorite of ours since.  I think I was trying to win him over a bit.  The poor guy told me three different times in about a year that he liked me more than a friend, and wanted to start dating.  I had been on a few "friend" dates with him and thought it was just great that we could be such good buddies.  So typical of girls, right?!  (In fact, our first "friend" date was to Casey and Erin Thompson's wedding.  He is a coach with Gonzo at Martin and she is one of my best friend now.  Isn't that so crazy!)  Our first real date was on 11-16-2002.  I remember this because it was Mom's birthday!  He told me to tell you guys that I was totally worth the wait!  Ahhh, sweet guy!  I still feel a little bad that I turned him down so many times!    

Burgundy Stew

2 lbs. beef bottom or top round roast, cut into 1 inch pieces 

(I actually used a chuck roast that I had the butcher cut up, because it was on sale.)

2 stalks of celery, sliced (I used 3)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced (I used 6)

2 medium onions sliced (I used 1 large, and diced it)

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes 

(I used the larger can because that's what I had in my pantry and we really like the tomatoes in it.)

1 8oz. can of sliced mushrooms, drained (I used 1/2 package of fresh)

3/4 cup -1 cup dry red wine (can also use beef broth)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp. flour

Mix all ingredients except water and flour in a 6-quart slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, or high heat for 4-5 hours.  Mix water and flour, gradually stir into beef mixture.

I decided to use my Pampered Chef Covered Baker because I didn't put it together until after lunch.  It works the same way a slow cooker does except you cook it in the oven and it takes a little less time.  I also used this along with the red wine:

These are fantastic!  Go get some before soup and stew season begin!  Love them.  

(Because I used one of these I used less salt than the recipe called for)

 Did you know that if you wrap your celery in foil it will last much longer?  Like much, much, much longer!

And...Don't forget to add your wine!  Because it's a slow cooker recipe, you won't risk drinking the wine before it goes in the dish.  You'll have to get it ready earlier in the day and surely you won't be drinking wine that early!  HA HA!

   

About an hour before it was done I made a slurry with liquid from the pot and flour.  Make sure you take the liquid out and cool before you add the flour.  If you add it while its hot the flour will lump up in the liquid.  This is the same step as water and flour that is in the recipe.  I added the water before I cooked it so that my slurry would have flavor. 

 Pour it into the stew and stir.  It will thicken the stew perfectly!

 I like to serve mine over pasta.  It could also be served over potatoes or rice.  The recipe in the cookbook serves it with herb dumplings.  I have never made it with these.  I am sure it would be delicious with them as well. 

Comment back on the post if you make it.  Let me know how yours turn out!  It's a family favorite for us!  Hope you enjoy it too!

Babysitting!

Tonight my brother and Andrea had to go to a dinner for the Elders from The Village.  They asked if I would mind watching the kids while they were gone.  I decided it would be easier if we went to their house!  Even thought I was outnumbered 5 to 1 until Gonzo got there, it was not a mad house at all! 

We played some worship music on the ipad during dinner!

 Leah eating dinner!  She said, "CHEESE!"

Ella during dinner.  Chewing on come goggles from the Home Depot work bench in the playroom!  Forget the exersaucer, these goggles are amazing!

Adda, Abel, and Luke eating dinner!  Poor Abel kept getting pushed off the bench from his cousin Adda!  She was being a seat hog!

Everyone clean, in pj's, and sitting with milk watching Bambie! 

On a super side note!  Today our microwave went out.  I'm not sure what's going on with our luck on appliances but I'm starting to get concerned.  First the refrigerator, then the oven/cook top, and now the microwave, all in a little over a month!  Yikes!!!  The only appliance left if the kitchen is the dishwasher!  Hopefully it will continue working like a jewel!  Someone from GE is coming tomorrow afternoon to look at the microwave.  A whole lot quicker than stinkin Sears!  It just took them over three weeks to fix the oven.  I guess I shouldn't speak too soon about this microwave.  We could be back in the same boat! 

School Time!

Today our "school" started.  I started curriculum with the kids!  We did a little calendar time, checked the weather, sang some songs, read a book, and had some play time.  They had fun, and so did I.  I do miss the "teaching" part of teaching.  I do lots with Adda, but this was an organized lesson!  She totally loved it!  When Gonzo came home for lunch she started singing the songs and showed him the weather chart.  I am looking forward to doing this with her.  She is smarter than I give her credit for!  She gets that from her Daddy!  I love watching her little mind tick away!  I got my curriculum a while back from a blog called Confessions of a Homeschooler.  I learned about her from my cousin Suzanne.  If you haven't checked it out do!  This lady was a genius to put all this together and sell it!  I am using it as a basis and then added and taking away a few things.  Here are a few pictures from our morning!

A little bit of pretend play after circle time.  They stacked the boxes and sang happy birthday.  Then ate the pretend cake!

We had a friend stop by today to play for a while!  Thanks Becky for bringing Ibbie by!  We enjoyed him very much!  

Today we shall CELEBRATE!

Today is a great day for so many reason!  It's Sunday, my house is clean, it's cool and rainy outside, and today is my mamma's birthday!  This lady is a great lady!  Great doesn't even begin to do her justice.  She the best mom I know!  If I can be half as good a mommy to my girls as she was to me, I will be happy!  I wasn't always the nicest to her!  I think back to some of the things I said and thought about her getting all up in my business and it makes me sad.  Being a mom now I wish I had listened to her.  It would have saved me some time, some heartache, and some mistakes!  Today we celebrated her birth.  We celebrated who she is and all she sacrificed through the years to be the mom she was and still is.  I love you so much Mom!  Your not only the best mom in the world, but your the best NanAnn in the world.  We love you so much!

In honor of Mom's birthday we ate cake after dinner!  It doesn't take much for us to have an excuse to eat cake!  I made an Apricot Nectar Cake.  This recipe came from our family cookbook that my Nana made for all of us a few year ago.  I love this cookbook!  She put so much time and effort into it and I will cherish it forever.  This is one of Gonzo's favorites!  In fact tonight he said that he likes it so much it could be his birthday cake!  Usually he asked for a coconut cake, but I guess he changed his mind after eating it tonight.  

 My Nana made copies of the recipes and put them all together in the book.  I love that they have her handwriting on them and are dirty and torn.  

 The ingredients are: lemon cake mix, lemon pugging, apricot nectar, eggs, and oil.  This is a super easy cake and takes no time at all.  You don't even have to use an electric mixer. 

 While its baking you make a glaze with powdered sugar, the extra apricot nectar, and fresh lemon juice.

While its still hot you pour some of the glaze on it.

It was delish!  Gonzo already got into it again before bed.  He will snack on it all week (so will Adda and I)!

Happy Birthday Mom!  Wish you were here to eat Apricot Nectar Cake with us!  Miss you and love you so much!  Hope your birthday was a great day!

Apricot Nectar Cake

Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix

Small box of lemon jello (I like to use lemon pudding)

3/4 cups oil

1 cup apricot nectar

4 eggs

Apricot Nectar Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

the remaining apricot nectar

juice of 1 lemon

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add eggs one at a time.  Pour into a bunt pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Invert onto a cake plate and pour the glaze over the cake while its hot (I like to put half of the glaze on the cake right away, and then let it cool another 10 minutes and put the rest of the glaze over it.  It creates a crust when you do this rather than it all soaking in.)