Brrrrrr….

Waking up this morning, the goose bumplies on my legs, combined with the cripsness of the morning air, reminded me of something I’m not quite prepared for. Autumn is just around the corner. And even though this summer seemed to be hotter and humider than the last…I don’t think I’m quite ready for the change of seasons.

(And in case you were wondering, I FULLY support the use of words like bumplies and humider, and believe they should be used as often as possible.)

I apologize to all you English Majors out there.

(But not really)

There is one thing that makes me feel better though, when the thought of raking leaves, and then shoveling snow enters into my mind.

Soup Season!!!

Yes, those two words bring peace to my soul on a cold and blustery day like today. And soups like the Chicken Corn Chowder over at my most FAVORITE cooking blog, The Sisters Cafe always seem to make my days seem a little warmer, and a little brighter.

Remember those meatballs I made? You know…the totally healthy and delicious ones? Well thanks to Family Fun, I can share with you a great (and healthy!) soup to serve them in.

In order to spare you more of my incessant ramblings, I will just do this:

***This is the recipe I sent to my sister. (wise cracks and all). Enjoy!***

For printable recipe click: HERE

And if you’ve stuck it out this far…You deserve a reward.

Head on over to www.seeitloveitwinit.blogspot.com and enter to win a fabulous prize. (Today is the last day…so HURRY!)

Holy Moly….a giveaway!!

So excited to be sponsoring a giveaway over at www.seeitloveitwinit.blogspot.com

(And just between you and me, you have a pretty darn GREAT chance of winning. Considering there are only 3 comments so far)

So……should you want to enter to win $50 worth of Just Bead It Design Product…I suggest you head on over there right now! There’s only 2 days left!

AND…if you visit my Etsy shop…you might just get a sneak peak at my new product line! (coming soon. Very Very soon.)

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(okay…you got me. I couldn’t resist posting my sneak peak here too.)

Happy Thursday!

It’s true…

We have returned from our journey back west. And we survived. (My garden, however, did not)

I could write and tell you all about my fabulous family vacation.

• Like when my brother-in-law took a turn on the tube at Bear Lake, and it was so bumpy, his extra long legs kept flying up and making funny angles in the air. (seriously…I am still laughing about this)


• Or when My sister and I teamed up against Mike and my brother Adam to play Cranium…and we won! But only because Rachel kept cheating and whispering the answers in my ear. (sorry boys!)


• Or the time(s) Miles COMPLETELY regressed in his potty training. booh! :(

But I won’t. At least not now.

Or, I COULD tell you about all the FABULOUS things in store for Just Bead It, like:

• LOTS of giveaways in the very near future


• a completely NEW look


• and an ENTIRE NEW LINE OF ACCESSORIES!!! SQUEEL!!!!

But I’m not going to do that either.

At least not now.

Because I only have one thing on my mind right now. I experienced something just short of what I would whole-heartedly describe as a MIRACLE tonight. (you keep your minds out of the gutter. This is a family blog.)

Could it be possible that I am the last person in the WORLD to know about spaghetti squash???!!!

Seriously. This unassuming vegetable has completely rocked my world.

And this is hard for me to write. You see, I have never been one to be enthusiastic about health food. When someone says “You have GOT to try this!!! You can’t even TASTE the (insert disgusting vegetable here)…” I am the first to call B to the O to the LOGNA! I enjoy my bi-weekly trek to the golden arches, where-in I order a happy meal for my little Tornado, then tell him they forgot his french fries so I can keep them all for myself. You can flog me later.

But the extra eight (or so….let’s err on the side of caution) pounds I have been packing around with me this year have started forcing me to think about things like calories, and dieting and (gulp), exercise.

So when I came across a recipe in my Family Fun magazine that featured squash (a vegetable no less) that acted like my carbolicious noodles I often enjoy, I was intrigued.

Then, when I saw the recipe was actually for meatballs that you could then use for not one, but two supposedly delicious and healthy meals…I knew I had to give it a try.

I may be a lot of things…but a good cook has never been one of them. I have been actively trying to improve upon that skill as of late and I couldn’t pass up a chance to try these recipes out. Besides, I figured spaghetti squash (whatever that was), would probably be cheap this time of year.

And it was. I am happy to report I can now change the status of these dishes from SUPPOSEDLY delicious to DEFINITELY delicious. I will eat them again. Like, tomorrow.

So….Let’s start with the meatballs. Oh…those wonderful meatballs….

FLASHBACK: When I think of meatballs, I always think of my sweet Grandma Barnard. Not because she was shaped like a little meatball. No siree. (even though she was.) But its because when I was engaged and went to Grandma’s house to flaunt my new sparkler, she took one look at it and said “Oh my…when you make meatballs…the meat is going to get all stuck down there!” And that is why I loved my Grandma so. :)

But back to the meatballs.

They are made with ground Turkey and extra-lean ground beef, seasonings, and SPINACH! Yes…spinach. My skeptical husband popped one of these into his mouth and I could literally SEE the surprise wash over his face. They were good. He couldn’t deny it.

Here’s what you need:

1 lb. extra lean hamburger

1 lb. ground turkey

1 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach

1/2 C. finely grated Parmesan

3 large eggs, beaten

2 Tbs. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 C. panko bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray.

***If I were you, I would line my baking sheet with foil. Then spray the foil with cooking spray. Just do it. You will thank me later***

In a small bowl, mix together all the seasonings. In a large bowl add your meat, eggs, and spinach. Then dump in the mixed seasonings. Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. (try not to over mix.)

Pinch off about a teaspoon or so of the mixture and roll it into a ball. (Mine were about 1 1/2 inches) Place on your baking sheet, and continue this, spacing meatballs 1/2 inch apart.

Bake meatballs until lightly browned and cooked through (about 20-25 minutes)

Once they are done...let them cool and you can plop them on a meatball sandwich with some BBQ sauce, freeze some for later, OR..... you could make this....

Those aren’t noodles people. Oh no…they are vegetables. My newly beloved spaghetti squash. Want some? Just…

go buy a spaghetti squash. Cut it in half lenghtwise. (don't forget to remove the seeds.) Put the cut sides down in a microwaveable safe baking dish. Pour in a half a cup of water, set your cook time at about 12 minutes, and walk away.

When the squash is done, take it out. (VERY CAREFULLY!! That sucker will be HOT!)

Wear an oven mitt or something. Then take out a fork and go to town on the squash.

Seriously, just shred away. This might be a good activity to do when your son has just smeared a whole tube of toothpaste on your newly cleaned carpets. It will make you feel better. I’m just sayin’…

Now take a few of those meatballs, add them to your favorite spaghetti sauce, drizzle a little olive oil, salt, and pepper over your squash, top with the sauce…and Enjoy.

You won’t regret it.

(If that doesn’t entice you to try it, this will: My little toothpaste bandit ate an entire plate full. Then asked for seconds. Seriously. I wouldn't joke about something as elusive as a 2 year old eating their vegetables.)

Freeze the rest of your meatballs to use later in a completely delectible minestrone soup.

What? You want that recipe too? I can’t say I blame you. It was even better than the squash.

Stay tuned……

Camping and Calamities

We just returned home from camping at Pontiac Lake over the weekend. We relaxed, ate great Dutch oven breakfast and dinner (prepared by yours truly), played at the beach, and had a wonderful time.

Except for the ONE small catastrophe. Which happened to involve my sons beautiful face. The poor kid.

This is what happens when your son sneaks out of your tent in the early a.m., finds his way over to his “fwends" tent to “pway”, wakes them up, entices them to go play in their big four-door Jeep Rubicon……playing commences……and then this little boy leaned up against the not closed all the way door of said Jeep.

And PLOP! Fell face first right onto the asphalt below.

I woke to the far away sounds of my child screaming.

Yes…he was so stealthy in his sneaking, I didn’t even wake up or notice he was gone. Until it was too late.

But in my defense…either did his Daddy.

I would have been horribly embarrassed to show you the picture I took of him shortly after the fall. Because we had been camping. And in addition to having his battle wounds, the kid was filthy. I mean, he could have passed for a bonafide ragamuffin.

So instead I opted to share the picture of him all nice and cleaned up in the bath at home. Ah yes…… a great mother I am, indeed.

By George, I think we’ve got….uhhhh…..Never Mind

I sat down this afternoon to write. Write a REAL post. Like, with real words, and real sentences, and real paragraphs. It’s been awhile since I’ve done that.

So, like I said, I sat down to write a post. One I know you would have been ENTHRALLED in reading. Because it was all about the amazing bladder and bowel control my son has been exhibiting.

I know what you are thinking.

“Did she just say ‘BOWEL CONTROL’ on her BLOG??!!”

Enthralling, No?

But Seriously…I have been so proud. And I was just thinking as I had finished my post, how glad I was that diapers were behind us, and Buzz and Woody undies riddled his dresser drawers.

I should have known better.

At that precise moment, I looked out my window to see Miles playing baseball with some of the neighborhood boys. And there he was, running the bases in his khaki shorts, with the not-so-inconspicuous evidence of a little boy who enjoys running the bases more than going inside to use the potty. He really didn’t even mind. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen a happier child playing ball whilst his shorts were the opposite of dry.

There was nothing I could do but to

DELETEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

And that is what happened to my original post.

(But, in his defense, this was the only accident in several days.)

So I think it’s still safe to say:

By George, I think we’ve got it!!

It’s Official

I am a Grower.

An Official Gardener.

Don’t believe me? (it’s okay. My husband didn’t either)

But the proof is in the pudding. (So they say)

It might LOOK like a jumbled mess. I MAY have gone a little overboard in trying to fit the maximum # of plants in a minimal amount of garden space. But I promise, everything is planted in neat little rows.

Here’s a closer look………

See these? They are the starts to some wonderful (at least I’m hoping they will be wonderful) zucchini. I can hardly wait to throw these suckers on the grill.

And HERE>>>>> Give me another month, and that will be some real, bonafide, corn on the cob. With the 4 rows of corn planted, I am hoping we will have LOTS and LOTS and LOTS.

Then there’s my green beans and my peas. TWO varieties of peas to be exact. “Little Marvel” for early harvesting, and Sugar Snap Peas. Because, let’s face it. You just can’t have a garden without snap peas.

Even my little Tiny Tim tomatoes are blossoming. I planted Tiny tomatoes because have you ever seen the price of little grape tomatoes at the store?? It’s outrageous. I cringe every time I buy them. But Miles loves them. And it is one of the only fruit-vegetable thingies I can get him to eat without much of a battle. AND they are “early” fruit producers. But don’t worry. I also planted plenty of Homestead and Roma tomatoes. And when they ripen, I am going to attempt to can my own stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce.

And Salsa. I am going to try canning my own Salsa.

Which is why I also planted some Green peppers, and onions. The green peppers still have a ways to go. No blossoms here yet, but I’m sure they won’t be long.

I didn’t take any pictures of my carrots, but they are coming along nicely. And my basil plants are still pretty small. But I am hoping there will be enough to use in my spaghetti sauce and to make (and freeze) a bunch of fresh Pesto sauce.

It would be a HUGE understatement to say I underestimated the amount of room my pumpkins would need. The answer?? WAY more than I thought. But I have just been thinning them down a couple times a week. I didn’t want a pumpkin patch. I just wanted to end up with one pumpkin we might be able to carve for Halloween.

It’s looking like that won’t be a problem.

All in all, I have been completely satisfied with my exercise in organic gardening. Did I mention all my plants were grown from organic seeds? In organic soil? And with no chemicals of any kind? It’s been great. My only regret is not planting MORE.

Next year I want to add some strawberry and raspberry plants to the mix, along with some lettuce or spinach, radishes, squash, broccoli, and bunches of herbs.

MMMMM…I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

Red, White, and Blue

Happy Independence Day!

While we WISH we were in Wyoming to indoctrinate Miles into the tradition of pyromania that is July 4th there……

A box of sparklers and $10.00 pack of fountains will have to do. For Now.

Next Year I think I’ll be making the trek to Toledo to bootleg “the good stuff” across the border.

And because fireworks aren’t the MOST important thing on the day we celebrate our nation’s Independence….

A special Thank You to all those who have served our country, making it possible for us to have the freedom we all enjoy in this great nation.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Midnight Mayham

Eclipse and Breaking Dawn Movie

It's right around the corner

I am driving my husband CRAZY talking about how excited I am

I'm ready for it!

Re-read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse? CHECK!

Re-watched the Twilight and New Moon Movies? CHECK! CHECK!

Read "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" an Eclipse Novella? Wouldn't Miss it! (You can read it HERE too, for free, until July 5th. Thank You Stephenie Meyer!)

Bought my ticket? YESSSSS!

Invited the entire Relief Society to go with me so I don't have to be the only (almost) 30 year old there squealing with delight over Taylor Lautner's abs? Umm...that's a no brainer.

Designed a special Eclipse themed e-vite to invite the afore mentioned Relief Society to join me at Applebees for half price appetizers before the show? Of Course!

I even went as far as creating a few Eclipse themed accessories to wear with the T-shirt I made that says "If Jacob Black kissed me, I wouldn't punch him in the face."


Okay....I didn't really make the shirt.


(Or Did I???)


And in case you needed to know just EXACTLY how long I still have to wait.....




But REALLY....who's counting???

En Vogue

Fashionable Hair Accessories

A MUST for every little.....boy?

hmmm....not sure how his dad will feel about this. But personally, I have been laughing about it all day.

Canadian Falls

A couple weekends ago Mike spontaneously decided we should head on over and visit our neighbors to the north….er….East from where we live, and hang out with some Canadians. Pretty fun, eh?

So we booked our reservations at Michael’s Inn (Seriously, that’s where we stayed) loaded the car, and headed to Niagara Falls. It was a great get away.

We saw the sights, went on a hike, got SOAKED on the Maid of the Mist, crossed the border and ate at Hard Rock Cafe in NY, and watched Miles swim his little heart out in the hotel swimming pool.

(Because let’s face it…when you’re 2, the swimming pool is all that really matters.)

Pretty much, it was awesome.

I highly recommend going. To the Canada side.

sorry America…your Niagara Falls just weren’t as good. (But your food is cheaper, so thanks for that.)

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