Halloween kisses.....

I made these for the kids at school who help me with a special project each week.  I never have to remind them - they are always on time and they perform their assignment quickly and correctly!  I hope they appreciate the chocolate and how cute it is!  I would have loved getting something like this as a kid.  They include some of my favorite things:  chocolate, cute printables and washi tape!

Happy Halloween!

Shame on you.....

I 'might' have listened to some Christmas music today.  And I may have actually purchased a new Christmas CD, to which my hubby said: "Don't we have enough Christmas music already?"  And yes - we do!  We have a lot.  But.  We don't have any by Lady Antebellum!  I've not listened to the whole thing yet - but what I've heard I really like.

And now you'll hear the 'rest of the story.'  I was picking up a few things in WalMart and as I walked past the music aisle, saw this.  Yes - it was an impulse buy.  In the cart it went.  I picked up my cereal (Cracklin' Oat Bran --- it's fabulous by the way --- and I had to elicit the help of a tall man to reach to the back of the top shelf to get the last box) and fruit and was able to score a place in the quick check-out line.  While I was swiping my card, the cashier put the bags in my cart.  That was nice, don't you think?  I did my quick look at the carousel to make sure a stray bag wasn't still there and headed out the door.  Once inside the car I started looking through the sacks to pull out the CD - I wanted to listen to it RIGHT NOW!  There was no CD.  So back into the store I went.  I headed to the check-out line I had been in and the cashier was gone.  Went to another checker and told her I was missing the CD - she went to check around the register area to see if it had been left.  When we weren't able to find anything she sent me to customer service.  I really do love WM customer service.  I told them what had happened and was told to go get another CD and they would make it right.

Fast forward an hour.  I'm home and unpacking the groceries.  Yes - it did take almost an hour - I get easily distracted.  And I realized that two more things that I needed tonight that had probably been in the same bag as the CD didn't make it home either.  We had dinner and back to the store I went.  (Good thing it's only .5 miles away!)  Back to customer service and the same person was there who had helped me earlier.  Turns out a bag with the last two items had been brought to customer service, but there was no CD in it.  Guess my cashier or the people behind me really wanted some new Christmas music too.  SHAME ON YOU!

Nonetheless - I plan to enjoy my Christmas music on the way to work tomorrow....and whoever you are that has the original CD that I purchased - I'm sure I'll enjoy mine much more than you will yours.  I would like to think that every time that CD is played you'll have a little twinge of guilt.

A favorite quote

“On those days when we're not ready to stop being offended, not ready to forgive, still determined to dish out the silent treatment, what we're actually saying is, "Thanks, but I don't want to become more like the Savior today. Maybe tomorrow, but not today." Perhaps those are the times when we need to pray the hardest, the times it becomes clear that a change in behavior is not enough--that we must have a change in nature.”
― Sheri L. Dew, Saying It Like It Is

I love Sheri Dew.  She is a powerful speaker and able to say succinctly what I muddle around in my heart and mind and am not able to find the words for.  I revisited this thought tonight and just wanted to share it with you.   

Busy Day Soup

Today was a perfect soup day!  The temperature this morning at 6:30 am was 38 degrees.  It warmed up to the 70's today and was really quite a perfect day!  Again - I pulled out an 'old' recipe for dinner tonight.  I used to fix this a lot when the girls were little.  It was easy to fix (the girls could do most of it themselves, even when they were quite young), it's inexpensive, and it's filling!  Gotta love that!

Busy Day Soup

1/2 - 1 lb. hamburger                    1 sm. onion, chopped

1 can bean w/bacon soup        1 can vegetable soup

2 cans water                            1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Cook the hamburger and chopped onion in a medium skillet until the hamburger is well done.  Pour off the grease.  Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until heated through.  

(Old Weight Watchers points - 3.75 points/serving - don't know what it is with points plus).

Chicken Ranch Pasta Dinner

I've been pulling out some of the 'old' recipes lately and cooking them again.  You know how after you've cooked something for a while - even though you love it - you stop cooking it and try new things.  I'm going to share a couple of our family 'classics'.  This one didn't really come on the scene until after the girls went away to school, but hubby and I have sure enjoyed it over the years!

Chicken Ranch Pasta Dinner

2 1/2 c. uncooked penne or medium tube pasta  
6-8 TBS butter

1 envelope Ranch salad dressing mix                 
2 c. frozen peas & carrots, thawed

3 c. cubed, cooked chicken or turkey

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt the butter.  Sprinkle the dry salad dressing mix over the butter and beat until smooth; heat through.  Slowly add peas and carrots and mix well, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes, making sure the vegetables are heated through.  Drain pasta and add to the mixture in the skillet...toss well.  Stir in meat and heat through.  Serve hot.    

Serves 4.