Delightful Steak Dinner and Redneck Week!

I love setting a pretty table!  Eric and I have had the opportunity to have a few "just us" dinners so far this summer while our kids are spending time with their other parents.  Eric has now had the chance to eat on china... for the first time ever!  Crazy, huh?  The first time he ate on china we used my great-grandma's dishes... it was perfect for his first time.  Now he's getting used to a "fancy" table *grin*

Mason jars, old fashioned stripey straws and sparkling lemonade are a perfect match for a summer meal!

Delicious chocolate covered strawberries not only work as a great summer dessert, they look beautiful on the table!

I love strawberry season when I can get a 2 lb container for a little over $1!

Mmmm.... Steak is fabulous when marinated for a full day and grilled over charcoal!

 Homemade spinach dip using fresh spinach and served on french bread is one of my faves!
 
Spinach Dip

10 oz fresh spinach
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayo
1 c. shredded Italian cheese
6.5 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained (if desired)
4 oz can diced green chilis (if desired)


Cook spinach in a covered saucepan with a small amount of water until done. Drain well. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan or microwavable bowl and cooking until hot and cheeses are melted. Serve on french bread (my fave), bagels or with tortilla chips.

 Chunk hashbrowns make a super easy microwaveable side dish!

Cheesy Potatoes

4 cups frozen chunk hashbrowns
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
paprika
shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients together and microwave on high until hot and bubbly and potatoes are done.

 Dang!  I'm drooling just uploading these pics!  I love me some grilled meat in the summer!

We had a really fun redneck week a couple of weeks ago... we went to car races on Memorial Day, a country concert one day and a demolition derby another!  Every now and then my redneck roots show!

At the races!

Charley Jenkins!

Chris Cagle!

Having fun at the concert!  I love concerts!

Rockin' my Camero shirt for the demolition derby!

Nina had to babysit, but the rest of the kids went to the demo derby with us!

Caleb and Caleb

If you've never been to a demolition derby, you're missing out!  You can't go wrong with cars crashing into each other!

It was a really fun week!

Now for a not-so-fun little end note...  

We've had to postpone the wedding.  It's still on and there aren't any problems between Eric and I, but we've had to postpone for other reasons.  I'm really sad and frustrated, but it's out of my control.  I'll keep you posted on what's going on.  I've also deleted my facebook for a while.  I'm going through a lot and need a little peace and quiet.  Last time I deleted my facebook I had a hard time wanting to activate it again... I like quiet!

Eric and I could really use some prayers right now... (((hugs)))

Chicken Caesar Salad & Fun Container Gardening

We LOVE salads!  I'm especially trying to add more fresh veggies into our diets right now because of how dang stressed out I am... I'm tired all the time and not feeling amazingly well so I'm trying to balance the stress with healthier eating.  Hey, it makes sense in my head *grin*

Leftover grilled chicken paired with romaine lettuce, corn, boiled eggs, croutons and light caesar dressing makes for a delightful dinner or lunch!  I teamed our salad up with bread and hummus... delish!  Most leftover meats taste great on a salad for a quick, light and cool summer dinner!

Last summer I spend my yard-working days trying to clean things up from years of neglect and only got to spend a little time on prettying up the yard... Speaking of which, awkwardly the guy I bought my house from came in to pay his storage unit bill while I was working.  I so wanted to make a snide remark about the mess he left me with, but instead I put a smile on my face and didn't even let him know that I remembered him and the hours/days/weeks of work he left me with on the house.... Grrrr

This summer I get to focus on making the yard awesome!  Eric loves yard work too and he's been helping me out a ton so we can create a yard to be proud of.  We've got a long ways to go, but it's looking better already!

I love using random things to plant flowers in!  The trick with container gardening is to keep them watered every day (twice a day in extremely hot weather).  They don't have the cool ground to protect their roots, so flowers need extra water in pots.  If you top the soil with rocks or bark it will help keep the soil from drying out as quickly. 

This blue bowl was a thrift store wooden salad bowl.  I painted it with craft paint and placed it on a $3 thrift store wooden box.  They look nicely together.  The bowl decided to crack this year, so this may be its last season... Good thing wooden bowls are easy to come by!  I've also used metal mixing bowls (spray painted of course!), tea pots, baskets, water pitchers and just about everything else you can think of to plant flowers in over the years!

This bucket was found on a farm and given to me by a friend.  I spray painted it red and placed it on a $1 plant stand that also got a coat of paint.

Another farm bucket made happy with spray paint!  I love summer flowers!

Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie and Glazed Carrots... Oh My

My last cooking class topic was "comfort foods".  I really enjoy teaching.  Sometimes I feel like I'm just rambling on for an hour and people can't even keep up with my hopping from one story to the next, but I think it's really fun.  I demonstrated four recipes last time and I think it went well.  I made Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Glazed Carrots and Oatmeal Fudge.  All turned out delicious!

Chicken Pot Pie
You can double this and bake it in a 9x13 for a larger family.

1 lb boneless chicken, cooked and cubed
frozen veggies (I use peas & corn)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c biscuit mix (I just buy the Walmart brand)
1/2 c milk
1 egg

 Heat oven to 400. Mix the chicken, veggies & soup in an ungreased 9" round pan. I like to microwave mine for a couple of minutes just to thaw the veggies and speed up cooking time, but it's not necessary. In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk and egg with a fork until combined. Pour over chicken/veggie mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Shepherd's Pie
This is one of my favorite dinners!  I make it a lot when my monkeys are gone for the weekend.

1 lb hamburger, browned & drained
1 can tomato soup
1 can green beans, drained
mashed potatoes
cheese

Mix the hamburger, soup and green beans together. Place in a 9x13 pan. Top with mashed potatoes and cover with cheese. Bake at 350 until hot.

Glazed Carrots
This has been our stand-by cooked carrots recipe for years and years!

1 (16 oz) pkg baby carrots
1/4 c butter
1/4 c brown sugar
1 env ranch dressing mix

Place carrots in a saucepan; add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Add butter, brown sugar and ranch mix. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until glazed.

Don't forget about the Simplify Your Life Ebook Sale going on now through April 20th!

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Broccoli Salad

Mmmmm...  I love salads!  Broccoli salad is something I first tried at a "Daughters of Utah Pioneers" luncheon years and years ago.  It had such a unique flavor that I had to go home and recreate it.  If you aren't familiar with broccoli coleslaw, which is used in this recipe, you should be!  It's found in the produce section of the grocery store, but not near the salads or cabbage coleslaw.  I've found it near veggie trays or strawberries or "gourmet" produce depending on the store.  Most stores do carry it.  You just may have to ask where they're hiding it.  Broccoli coleslaw has a fantastic crunch that cabbage coleslaw doesn't and it can be used in a lot of recipes.  It's fairly inexpensive and you can find it on sale often.

This is the perfect recipe to make for Easter dinner OR Easter picnics!  YUMMY!!!

Broccoli Salad 

1 pkg real bacon bits (or cooked bacon pieces)
1 12 oz pkg broccoli coleslaw
½ c dried cranberries
1 c sunflower seeds
3 TBSP white (or red) wine vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 c mayo

In a large bowl combine the broccoli slaw, bacon bits, sunflower seeds and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayo. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Today I'm linking to the Mommy Club! Enjoy!