Recent happenings and giveaway reminder!

Do you ever feel like you have so much going on that you blink and four days have passed? That's me right now! The busyness is far from over and I should be in bed! Why am I online, then? Because I fell asleep with Riley this afternoon and didn't get up until 5!!!

I don't have recipes to post really as I've been back to my old tricks! I haven't been measuring anything when I cook, so what's shown is a quick snap shot and what was tossed in to my liking! I really have much more fun in the kitchen when I don't focus on amounts. The only downside is being unable to replicate anything exactly because of it!


This was SOOOOOOO incredibly tasty! It was one of those meals that was just as good, if not better, reheated. I was fortunate enough to replace my dried cilantro just before making it. You're supposed to replace most spices every six months, but I usually can't bring myself to throw any out and use it up instead. I'd noticed that there wasn't much flavor left to the cilantro and picked up more. The flavor in this dish made me thankful I did!

I tossed together:

black beans
kidney beans
diced tomatoes
chopped onion
sour cream
garlic
cilantro
oregano
kosher salt
fresh pepper
pasta
and topped it with shredded cheese

I'm fairly certain that I could eat that at least twice a week!



We had some ground turkey thawed and I had a spontaneous urge to use French's fried onions and curry with it to make turkey burgers (on my George Foreman 360 ... we don't have an outdoor grill). I overshot a bit and used about a 1/2 tsp. too much curry powder, but it didn't bother my husband (just me). It was definitely a really good flavor combo and I'd recommend you give it a try! Learn from my experience though and if you're using 1 1/4 lb. ground turkey; use only 1 tsp. or less of curry powder, and 2/3 to 1 cup crushed French's fried onions.



I called this a burrito casserole, lol ... We actually reheated this tonight for dinner (remember, I didn't get up from my nap until 5, ha!). I'd been wanting to make Mexican Lasagna, but still didn't have all of the ingredients. Actually, I don't even think I have an oven dish that could accomodate two to three layers! So I improvised extensively and the burrito casserole was the result!

I used four medium/large tortillas, cutting two in half and two in quarters. I lined an 8 X 11 pyrex oven dish with two halves on the bottom (flat sides being the outside to line the walls of the dish) and two of the quarters covering the empty spots (top and bottom) left in the center.

The burrito elements used were; layer of refried beans, ground beef with taco seasoning and onion, corn, cheese and salsa. On the top, I repeated the tortilla layer and loaded it with cheese, finishing with sliced black olives. We (Paige and I), OF COURSE, topped it with sour cream.



I've been in desperate need of a spice rack. The cabinet that they used to live in was so packed and unorganized that I'd often forget that I already had something and buy more of it when I wanted to use it! If we had money to "throw around", maybe that wouldn't annoy me so much!

We found this little shelf at Savers (local thrift store) for five bucks! I know it isn't actually a spice rack, but, as you can see, it works perfectly! I felt as excited as a little kid at Chuck E. Cheese when I discovered I could fit everything SO nicely and got to use the former spice cabinet for other things!!!

Random family spam!


Our crew, minus one, Easter 2009

This is us! We're the four in the very front. It can be SO difficult to photograph a whole group of people, let alone get the kids to stay still and smiling!

Well, I think it's time to end this post and see if I can't coax myself into going to bed. Seven a.m. is going to feel like four to me I think!

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the vegetable and tailgating kit (mini grill, etc.) giveaway! Click Here If You Missed It!