Happy Friday:)

Its a cold, snowy morning here *hugs her remote start*. I really needed it this morning. I didn’t have to go out and brush my windows off or anything AND the car was nice and toasty:) We had reports that we were supposed to get up to 8 inches of snow today/tonight, I think they’ve backed off on that and are saying up to 4ish inches.

We have a new addition to the family. Although it could be only temporary. We did the shelter supper last night.  And after school, Matthew, Sarah and I ran to Cracker Barrel to pick up the cornbread. When we got home, I was taking it out of the car and I felt something winding it’s way around my feet. I looked down and there was the most beautiful kitten (probably 4-5 months old) looking up at me and meowing. I picked her (I THINK, it’s a her) up and she was just shivering! The temp was barely above 0 yesterday.  I asked a few of my neighbors (one of them that makes it her business to know absolutely everything that goes on our block:)  and no one knew the kitten.  So I brought her in, bless her heart. I put her in the bathroom because I didn’t want her around the other cats just yet. Then we had to pack the car and leave.  I didn’t tell Paul about her:) I just wanted him to find her:) He’s such a push over for cats/kittens:)  He found her and melted:)  She’s got gorgeous blue eyes, and she’s got the coloring of a Siamese (that taupey color) but her features are not sharp enough for a Siamese nor a Burmese. I think I may have found what she is or partially is. It’s called a Snowshoe Cat. “In purebreds, the eyes are always blue.” “The Snowshoe is considered to be a rare breed.” I called the police department/Animal Warden and asked if anyone had reported a missing kitten. No one had. I left my name and phone number and the description of the kitten in case anyone calls.  We’ll see. SOMEONE is missing her. They have to be She smells like her person is a smoker.  And I don’t know anyone around here that smokes. Weird.  We’ve all fallen in love with her though. Cat, Ford and Arthur are not real happy but they aren’t just completely outraged I don’t think. This should work out a lot better than it did with Marvin (another cat that we had in the garage for months and brought him in). He was a needy cat, but thankfully Anthony (our custodian guy) took him and is giving him a good home—along with his ferret:)  I think since this one is a kitten, they aren’t as threatened. They’ll adjust. Ford seems to adjust before the other two do. Cat is just a cranky pot in general.

As I said, last night was the shelter supper. I was so proud of the kids;)  They were very helpful and polite. The picture at the bottom is of the kids with Brother George( or Georgie?). He’s like the director of the shelter now.  Everyone really enjoyed the food. We had more than plenty. They seemed very happy with the hams I did because I decorated with lots of cherries and pineapples:) I took the cookies I baked.  They scarfed down the white beans I made and they RAVED over Jeanette’s Chinese Coleslaw. I will get that recipe for yall as well. It had coleslaw mix, ramen noodles (uncooked and crunched up over the top), almonds, green onions, I think she may have put some pecans in it and there were sunflower seeds. Her dressing was vinegar, oil, sugar and the beef flavoring from the noodles. It was delicious!! Monica made a ham as well as her pinto bean soup (another recipe I will get for yall:) and 2 huge things of mashed potatoes and some cookies. Elizabeth made a ham (she uses 7-up over her’s) and Jesse (her husband) baked several ‘sand cakes’. They looked awesome but I didn’t get to sample any because it all went so fast!.  Before we actually began serving, an elderly couple and another gentleman came in with little tins of fudge and brownies. They gave us some really disapproving looks. We couldn’t figure out who they were. Well, we asked if we could help them and they said they were there to serve dinner for the hospital and asked what we were doing there. We told them we had brought supper to serve. They were not happy with us. The director said, well some wires must have gotten crossed. We said, well better two meals than none! The lady looked our food over (a little disapprovingly)  and said to the director, “Well, the hospital always brings really nice food!” Monica, Eliz, Jeanette and I got tickled:)  The lady was clearly not happy:) Well, they put the brownies and fudge on a plate and left, less than happy. In the end, they had their nights mixed up because the hospital never did bring the ‘really nice food’ or any food at all:)  It was fun and we will do it again. I need to set up a date for March:)

OK, I have another absolutely yummy recipe for yall today:) It’s my lovely friend, Maria’s Broccoli Rice Casserole:) Good stuff, I know yall will love it. Sarah and I do! The other is the Club Grill sandwich. Canadian Anne gave me this recipe years ago and it really is one of the best sandwiches:) It’s very rich though, not for the faint of tummy:)

Yall have a great weekend:) Stay warm if you’re up here in what feels like the arctic circle *buurrrrrrr*.

take care,

~kat:)

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Maria’s Broccoli Rice Casserole

Club Grill Sandwich

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Matthew, Jacob, Cameron and Courtney with Bro. Georgie

1 c. Butter or margarine

8 oz. Jar Cheez Whiz

10 ¾ Cream of Mushroom Soup

¼ Milk

8 oz. pkg of Frozen Broccoli, thawed

¼ c. chopped onion (optional)

1 c. uncooked Minute Rice

Heat oven to 350. In saucepan melt, butter, stir in Cheez Whiz, soup and milk.  Mix together over low heat to make sauce.  In a bowl combine broccoli, onions and uncooked rice; add sauce to broccoli mixture & mix well.  Pour in a greased 10x10x2 casserole dish and bake 35 minutes or until broccoli and rice are done.

6-8 servings

*This recipe comes from my very dear and lovely friend, Maria:) It’s sooooo good:) Sarah and I loveeeee it:)

Hello:)

It’s gorgeous outside this morning. As ready as I am for spring, we had new snow fall. Not to much, just enough to make everything white and pretty. I’m sitting here having my coffee and toast. I’ve made 2 batches of cookies and am about to start my next batch. I am hoping to have 4 doz in all. I may throw together a couple of cakes. In just a little while, I’m going to go to Aldi and pick up 3 hams and beans. I’ll throw those on this afternoon. Sarah has ballet today. It feels like forever since she’s been. I’ve been trying to get us into a better routine. I’ve been making sure the kids have supper by between 5 and 5:30. It’s before Paul comes home, but it seems to work out a little better. I then can get them all into the bath and everything before he gets home at 7. Wednesdays and Fridays though, I’m going to have to rethink.  Sarah as ballet from 5-6 each of those days. I’m going to try to have something big made for them when they get out of school or eat it around 4:00. Then they can have a bowl of cereal or something like that when we get home or right before bedtime.  Yesterday, I had them put their shoes, backpacks (WITH Homework!), and coats by the back door. We still had problems getting out. My aim was for 8a.m. but of course we still didn’t get gone until 10 after.  I tell myself, it’ll get easier… I hope.

Today is Serbian Christmas so Merry Christmas:) Maria and her family are celebrating today. M&N were none to keen on the homework that they were sent home with yesterday though:) Does seem to be a bit unfair, still, having homework on Christmas!! There should be some get out of jail free cards for that.

It’s so quiet in my house. I didn’t get a chance to really enjoy it yesterday but this morning… loveeeelllllllly:)  I gave my notice the other day that this would be my last season as our Soccer organization’s Team Parent Rep.  No one believed me but I said that I have to pull back from some things.  I really enjoy who I work with in our organization, but I have to let some things go. I still want to be Matthew’s team mom, but I don’t want to be EVERYONE’S. I need to pull back at the school as well. Next year, I DO want to be one of Jamie’s Home Room moms. He’ll be in 6th grade and they have a special luncheon and only the homeroom moms go because they organize and set it up.  I have come to the realization that I can not do everything. Man, that’s a tough one.  I want to be involved but other things are suffering from it. I have to find my happy-medium.  We’ll see how it goes.

OK! I have a TREAT for yall today:) I am leaving yall with probably the BEST cornbread recipe I’ve ever eaten in my life… I’m from the south, and let me tell you, I’ve eaten a LOT of cornbread in my life:)  This cornbread is so good it’ll make you cry:) Happy tears of course:) Mrs. Laura (from school) gave it to me yesterday. Linda (from the cafeteria) made it one day and it seriously made me emotional!:) Linda got it from her daughter’s boyfriend’s mom:)

Well yall have a wonderful day and enjoy this amazing recipe:)

take care,

~kat:)

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Linda’s Cornbread

Baked Caramel Apples

Chicago Dip

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3 eggs

2 boxes Jiffy Corn Mix

2 sticks of butter (soft)

2 cups sour cream

1 can Kernal corn (not drained)

1 can cream style corn

6 T. sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350(F) for 45 minutes to an hour (or until golden brown).

*Mrs. Laura at school gave me this recipe. They made it one day at lunch and oh my gosh, it’ll make you emotional it’s so good:)  Mrs. Laura got it from Linda who also works in the cafeteria. She got it from her daughter’s boyfriend’s mom:)

Good morning:)  It’s a little snowy here. Not enough to make a difference really though.  The kids went back to school this morning.  I can’t say I’m sad. Well, I am and I’m not. If every day had been like yesterday, then yeah, I would be sad to see them go. However, they spent most of their holidays arguing and fighting. There were times I thought my head would explode. Matthew helped me quite a bit yesterday with the laundry. I showed the kids how to do it on this washer and dryer.  Sarah and Jamie wanted to do a load here and there but Matthew was pretty diligent:)  He and Sarah helped me undecorate the Christmas tree and then get the lights off and out the door. Well, I should say, out the door and then helped me get the lights off. It’ll be amazing if those lights still work next year. I hate the mess that a tree leaves once you get it all out, but we got it all picked up and vacuumed up. I need to run the vacuum over it again today. Put things back into place. Hopefully Paul can put the decorations back up in the attic. I went through them and threw away the ones that were half broken or just looked really bad. I grouped them like I wanted so I feel better about them for next year.  I still have some things in Sarah’s room to pack up though. But then I’ll be through!:) Woohoo:)

As I said, school has started back and I am once again, heading back up to the school in just a bit to put up a new PTC bulletin board.  I was up there earlier this morning when I dropped the kids off. I wanted to drop a menu that I found off to Mrs Laura. I told them if my kids could not be served this type/menu of food (click on the picture to see full menu!)  that I would have to respectfully withdraw my children and take them elsewhere!:)  It was the menu from the school that the Obama girls are now attending:) I’m sure once Mrs. Laura has a chance to look it over, immediate changes will be made to the existing menu!:)

I think I mentioned a couple of weeks or so ago (maybe I didn’t… dont’ remember) that Elizabeth, Monica and I are going to feed the homeless shelter. Another friend of ours, Jeanette is going to help  too. So I think I am going to start baking cookies today. Tomorrow I will make the beans and then just warm them up on Thursday before we go. I’ll bake my hams on Thurs as well. Jessie (Eliz’s husband) is making 4 cakes for us to take. Jeanette is bringing the salad. I’m going to order 100 corn breads from Cracker Barrel ($30) – so much easier than having to figure out how I’m going to bake them all.   I thought this would be a great idea for us to do every other month or so… but I’m freaking out so much right now that we are going to run out of food or something… I’m rethinking this every other month thing.

My friend, Steph, just got me into this thing called Twitter. Do any of you know about this? She told me to ‘come to the dark side’… should I be scared??:)

Well, I better get moving along. Matthew needs lunch in a bit. I want to get that bulletin board put up. Really need to find some border that is January-ish.  Back to the old grind I guess:) Yall have a wonderful day.

take care,

~kat:)

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Lazy Woman’s Enchiladas

Baked Lima Beans

Noodles and Cabbage

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