Happy Hump Day #8...SNOW!

This is our dog, Frank The Pug running through the snow on Valentine's Day when we were in the Hudson Valley in New York. 

He just looks so cute hopping through the snow with his ears flapping...

I think that with the triple digit heat, this looks pretty doggone good!  :)

Stay Cool!

Nails...Strawberry Lemonade...

Good morning!
With the temps here being around 100 degrees plus right now (we are told that winter will be like 60 degrees which will make up for this!  I hope they are right!) I thought something hot but cool would be in order on the nails...

Sorry they are a little messy.  I did them a few days ago and didn't get the pictures until this morning...

I call this Strawberry Lemonade.  

I started with white and then went over it with Sinful Colors Neon Melon.  I then topped that with a strawberry slice and two leaves and a little red jewel on each strawberry--just for some sparkle...

Now for the toes...

I call these Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade with Ice Cubes...

Just ignore the pug tail down there...I started with white (which really makes any bright colors pop!) and then the Sinful Neon Melon.  I then added a slice of strawberry and a couple of slices of Kiwi.  To top it off, I added square clear jewels to look like ice cubes.  Here is a closer view...Again sorry for the sloppy look up close--been a few days...

Hot time in the summer...for sure!

Hope you are staying cool!

Friday Fun #5

And I was not even speeding!

Gotta LOVE Texas!  :)

Have a great weekend...

Happy Hump Day #7...Quarters On The Ceiling

While living in Missouri, we went to a town called Herman.

Established in 1837, Herman was settled by German settlers who founded this town.  Nestled on the banks of the Missouri River reminded them of their home country.

It is home to many beautiful wineries and breweries as well as lovely architecture and food and we really enjoyed visiting the town on a regular basis.

On this day, we ended up in a little cafe in town that touted all the frog legs you could eat written on a chalkboard outside.  Something in which I did NOT imbibe, btw  I just couldn't get this out of my mind...

Upon entering, we were struck by the ceiling...

Kinda silly and definitely different.

We sat in a booth and as we perused our menu, we were met with the story of the ceiling:

Hah!  What a GREAT way of giving back to the community!  Collecting money a dollar at a time (or more if you are like us, because nobody can do this just once!) and making a game of it.  What fun!

So, here is what you do:  Take a thumbtack and put through George's nose.

Take a quarter and put on the top of the large disk part of the tack (not the point).

Fold the dollar lengthwise in thirds around the quarter.

Fold the long thin dollar that is created around the quarter to make a tail.

It will look like this:

Do you see the little dot there on the down stroke of the "N"?  That is the point of the tack...

Grasping the tail created by the two ends of the dollar that are folded under the quarter that is inside, give that little sucker a flip towards the ceiling!

You have to flip it quite hard.

G-Man got his to stick into the ceiling on the 2nd try.

On my second try, I almost broke the coffee pot behind the lunch counter across the aisle from our booth after which I turned it over to the "pros" aka, the wait staff.

They just gave it a little flip and it stuck right in the ceiling tile--of course!  :)

Can you tell which ones are ours?

Here, let me help...

You'll notice that our dollars are still wrapped around the quarters.  Actually, you will notice there are 4 of them...  Too much fun not to go a second round!  ;)

When asked if we they got a ladder to remove the quarters, we were told that no, as the days go by and especially on days that are more humid, the dollars relax and quarters rain down on the floor (or whatever is under the dollars) and then they just pick them up and place them in the fund.

How fun is that!  Have some fun and help some people out too!  Win, Win!

What is the most fun/creative way you have seen for collecting funds for helping people?

Thanks for stopping by Happy Hump Day...

Hope your day is great!

Friday Fun #4--Here's Your Sign...

True?

True!  :)

Have a great day!

Happy Hump Day #6--You See The Darndest Things At Wal-Mart...

Really...
I was walking out to my vehicle after picking up a few items at Wal-Mart and saw this which made me laugh...

What DOES one do with a trailer full of old fire hoses?

Happy Hump Day...

I am off to ponder the fire hoses...

:)

Cheesy Burrito Casserole {Recipe}

I found this Excellent recipe over at Plain Chicken.  She has some of the greatest recipes and this one is no different.

First I will give you her version of the recipe and then my version using my own Taco Seasoning made from Scratch and Thrive Freeze Dried Foods which makes it low in sodium and fat...

(Source for Picture)

Cheesy Burrito Casserole
serves 6

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning
• 1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can Fiesta Cheese Soup (Campbell's)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 large flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef.  Drain. Return to skillet and stir in taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes and black beans. Heat for 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine soup and sour cream. Set aside.

Lightly spray a 9x9-inch pan with cooking spray.  Tear up 3 tortillas and place in bottom of pan. Spread half of the sour cream mixture over tortillas. Top with half of meat mixture. Top meat with half of cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly. Top with additional sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Now for my version:

Homemade Taco Seasoning:
2 Tbsp chili powder 
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 tsp onion powder 
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
1/2 tsp oregano 
1 tsp paprika 
1 Tbsp cumin 
2 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this and there was still plenty of salt in the recipe!) 
2 tsp pepper (I used 1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper which is stronger than ground black pepper in a spice bottle)

USE: 2 T per lb of meat or to taste.

I mixed it up and put it in a clean jelly jar.  There is plenty for another time.  Yummmmm...

Cheesy Burrito Casserole (Thrive Version)

I like using Thrive so much because it is so easy and quick to prepare the food AND it is so easy to use just the amount that you need for your recipe.  Traveling as we do in the camper, it allows me to have a nice pantry without adding to the weight of the camper and putting pressure on the axles and frame.  Oh, and it TASTES GREAT and freeze drying keeps the color and texture of the product.  

I cut this recipe in half and baked it in a bread pan.  Gman had 2 nice helpings, I had one helping, there is enough for his lunch tomorrow and one for me as well!  serves 3

• 1 c Thrive Freeze Dried Ground Beef (1/2 lb lean ground beef)
• 1 T Homemade Taco Seasoning (equals half a package of Taco Seasoning)
• 1 c Thrive Freeze Dried Tomato Dices (1/2 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes, undrained)
• 1/8 c Thrive Freeze Dried Green Chli
• 1 c Thrive Instant Freeze Dried Black Beans (1/2 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 (10 3/4 ounce) can Cheese Soup (Campbell's)  (I froze the other half for another time)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2-3 large flour tortillas  (I used the low carb tortillas)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, measure out all of the Freeze Dried foods along with the Taco Seasoning.  Add 2 1/2 c water and cook on low until the Freeze Dried foods are rehydrated.

In a small bowl combine soup and sour cream. Set aside.

Lightly spray a bread pan with cooking spray.  Tear up 1 1/2 tortillas and place in bottom of pan. Spread half of the sour cream mixture over tortillas. Top with half of meat mixture. Top meat with half of cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly. Top with additional sour cream and salsa, if desired.

This was truly lick the pan clean yummy!  Either way you choose to make it!  :)

Friday Fun #3--Here's Your Sign...

Wonder how many lawyers enter here?  {wink}

Have a great day and get ready for a wonderful weekend!

It's gonna be a scorcher here...

Happy Hump Day #5...

Those crazy guys in my life...

I don't even know what to say about this one!  

Except to say that it just cracks me up evey time it pops up on my desktop background!  LOL

Happy Hump Day!!!!!

Farmer's Market...

Last Saturday morning I was up and at 'em.

The honk sounded from Cathy's car and out the door I went.  We were off to the Bastrop Farmer's Market.

I am not sure exactly what Cathy was after, but I was after sweet corn and tomatoes...

We arrived about a half hour early to the delightful scent of freshly baking bread wafting through the air.  Oh MY!!!!!

And when I say freshly baking, I mean freshly baking--as in the pretzel trailer had it's ovens going full blast not only making Texas Pretzels but bread!  Yum!!!!

Cathy, being a long time devotee of the market, was known to most of the vendors and introduced me around.

I just want to take this time to say that since we have arrived here in Texas, most of the people are not only very friendly, but they are really happy people!  I think it must be all of the sunshine and Vitamin D because even the teenagers that we have met are a happy lot!  Perhaps they put prozac in the water?  {wink wink}

Anywho, I didn't get pix at the market because I was too busy tracking the scent of that bread but will endeavor to do better next time!  :)

So, here are a few of the items that managed to snag my dollars...

I found pure local honey.  Yay!  Snagged the last pint by the time I arrived there!

See the Jelly?  It is made from their own organic apples.  This is spiced apple and you might notice that the jar is only half full.  Well, when I got home and tried it on the fresh bread, oh my!!!!  She must spice it with crack or something because I am HOOKED!!!!  Can't wait to get more...

And the Goat's Milk Glycerin Soap.  The lady has her own goats and makes the soaps.  Obviously, the soaps are not naturally scented, but man do they smell good!  I mean, you had me at Pomegranate!  And the Vanilla Sandalwood with it's deep earthy scent...yum...

And here is my bread.  The long loaf it Texas Pretzel Bread.  It is braided and has a slightly sweet taste when you eat it.

The round loaf it sour dough.  This sour dough is made the long way.  They start it on Tuesday for baking Saturday morning fresh.  For those of you who have gluten issues, this is the type of bread that you can actually have due to the long processing time.  It is not a sour sour dough (like the San Francisco sour dough) but a light and softer version more like the French Country sour dough and boy it is yummy!  He also does Texas Pretzels which are the big soft pretzels but are different than the big soft New York pretzels.  These are sweeter and, well, different.  He also does many flavors of sourdough as well as wheat and spelt breads.

Okay, now I have made myself hungry so I will finish the Farmer's Market and the rock shop another day...

Fresh bread and homemade spiced apple jelly here I come!

Have a great day!

Upside Down Pizza...{Recipe} Regular Recipe AND Thrive Recipe!

First, a bit about why I use Thrive Freeze Dried Food.  This is not compensated nor have they given me any free product (but if they want to, I would sure accept it with glee!!!!)  Nor am I a Thrive Consultant, so I have no dog in this hunt other than I use and like it a lot!  

Since traveling in the 5th wheel full time, I have wanted to have a pantry of food, but it weighs a ton (bad for the axles and frame) and takes up a ton of space (bad for, well, space!--I mean, space is at a PREMIUM in a 5th wheel folks!)  

I learned about freeze dried foods while reading the blog of Misty Marsh who has a wonderful series on how to build a 72 hour emergency kit in 26 weeks...

I checked out a lot of Freeze Dried Foods and really like the Thrive line which has no added salt or fat (very important due to our dietary restrictions).  

Freeze drying food keeps it's color, texture and about 98% of the nutrients of fresh.  I have used this for more than a year and honestly, no one has been able to tell the difference!  

I dipped a toe in the Thrive water so to speak and now I use quite a lot of the line.  It is also great because I don't have to brown the beef or cook the chicken or ham or turkey or veggies or sauces or rice or the instant beans--yes, instant red kidney, black and brown pinto beans--or anything! which saves on cooking fuel and heat in the camper at this time of year--GREAT!   I also don't have to brown the meats and such, so it saves on pans, which saves on dishwashing!  How great is that????

So, I have good, nutritious food that is light on the axles and frame of the camper and salt and fat and takes up much less space than canned foods and will last for something like 25 years until you open it and then it will last about 1-2 years.  Cool, huh?

So, I give you first, the original recipe and then the Thrive version that I made...

UPSIDE DOWN PIZZA

(Original Recipe)

This is Lick the Pan Clean Good!!!!!!  Man was it delish!

Original Recipe from Emeals.com
1 1/2 lb Ground Beef
1 cup Chopped Onion
12 oz Spaghetti Sauce (1/2 of a jar)
1 cup Sour Cream
8 oz Shredded Mozzarella
8 oz Crescent Rolls

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet; (I added a couple of cloves of garlic too!); drain fat.
Stir in spaghetti sauce.
Cook over low heat 10 minutes stirring often.
Spoon mix into greased 9x13 inch dish (I used an 8x8" pan)
Top with sour cream and cheese.
Unroll crescent rolls, and place over cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.


MY THRIVE FOODS VERSION (pictured above):
When I made it, I used Thrive Freeze Dried Food in the recipe as follows:
3 cups Freeze Dried Ground Beef
1 cup fresh Chopped Onion
2 Cloves Fresh Minced Garlic
Thrive Tomato Sauce (12 oz hot water, mix in the Thrive Tomato Sauce, which has all of the basil and spices included already, to consistency of Pizza Sauce--let sit)
1 cup Sour Cream
8 oz Shredded Mozzarella
8 oz Crescent Rolls (I used reduced fat)

Put 3 cups dry Freeze Dried Ground Beef in bottom of pan.
Add Fresh chopped onion and fresh minced garlic and stir together.
Pour the Thrive Tomato Sauce mixture over all.
Add another 1 c water over all and stir a bit.
Layer 1 cup Sour Cream over top.
Layer 8 oz Shredded Mozzarella.
No need to hydrate Ground Beef ahead.  It will hydrate as it cooks.
Unroll crescent rolls, and place over cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I think my eyes rolled back in my head with the very first bite and then it got better!  :)

Enjoy either way you want to make it!

Friday Fun #2 Here's Your Sign...

 Attitude Adjustment...

 Have a great day and safe weekend!

Happy July 4th...

Yesterday I showed you my nails that are wearing red white and blue for the 4th.  Now, I give you a few things from our yard...

Whatever you are doing today, whether spending time with family or friends or spending a quiet day indoors where it is cool.  Whether you are having a Bar B Q, going to one, going to see a fireworks display or setting off your own fireworks, be safe, be happy and enjoy this Land of the Free because of the Brave.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Hump Day #4...Getting Ready for July 4th...

Today I just wanted to share a few things that I did last night in anticipation of July 4th.

Gman will be home Thursday through Sunday for the holiday.

There are not that many activities around the park during this time.  It is known as purgatory for a reason, folks!  Hot hot HOT!!!!!  Humidity has been around 50-60%.  Come fall and winter and spring which we are told are lovely down here more outdoor activities take place.

As for us, we KNOW we are hiding in the a/c or the pool during the summer!   :)

We anticipate swimming a lot since it will be in the 90's to 100's.  Boy do we LOVE that pool!  :)  It's a great place to meet the neighbors as well.

It is so hot and dry here right now that there are no fireworks permitted in the RV park.  It is just too dangerous.  If you have ever witnessed an RV or mobile home burn, you know it is a real problem given how closely we are all parked.

We are told that there is a large fireworks display put on at the Hyatt Regency across the highway that can be viewed from the front of the RV Park, so we are going to join the others in the front of the park for a night of fireworks.

Gman is planning to hit the links on Saturday morning, and I am going with a friend to the farmer's market hoping to find some corn on the cob and lovely tomatoes.  Gman's fav meal in the summer is corn on the cob, tomatoes and cottage cheese.  Then, my friend and I are planning to head to her friend's shop which sells rocks and such.

In getting ready for the holiday, here are my nails for this week...

It's hard to see in the pictures, but I started with blue and then used red lava glitter on the tips with a band of silver tape and finished off with hologram star stickers all of which really sparkle in the sunlight.  I topped off with a few coats of clear topcoat which makes everything pop beautifully.

This morning it was lovely in the low 70's with nice sunshine so I took the opportunity to kick back and enjoy my toes!  :)

My toes have blue on the big toes with hologram star stickers.  The other toes were white with red crackle over the top to give the red and white stripes.  I topped everything off with a hologram topcoat which really sparkles in the sunshine.

Do you have plans for tomorrow?