Monday!

Good Morning!

Happy Monday.
I hope you are enjoying a nice cup of coffee along with me as I start my day:)

I have lots to do. School starts next week and I have a lot I want to get done.
Bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchen:)






Along with all the household chores, I am also going to organize my Taste of Home magazines and bring out the Fall issues and start getting fall recipes organized:)

Also, I am always on the lookout for wonderful blogs. What are some of your favorite blogs to visit?

Coffee Filters!

I saw this list online, and thought it was pretty neat:)

24 Uses For Coffee Filters:

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers. 2. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
3. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
4. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
5. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
6. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
7. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
8. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
9 Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
10. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
11. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.
12. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
13. Keep in the bathroom. They make great “razor nick fixers.”
14. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
15. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
16. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
17 Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
18. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
19. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
20. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
21. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
22. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout.
23. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.
24. Use as a disposable “snack bowl” for popcorn, chips, etc.

Wednesday

Determination!!!

The squirrel was determined to get the bird seed!


Like Charles Ingalls said on Little House, "There is no crime in being hungry!"

Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday!

The Juice I made for me this morning had celery, cucumber, parsley, green pepper, spinach an apple and cube of Ginger:) It is a power up juice...and yes, I feel powered up...LOL.

The kids picked out plums, apple, lemon and grapes for their juice. They really have fun picking out the fruits and veggies for their juice and the new tastes they come up with. They have figured out, if they put a lemon in almost any juice, it makes it taste that much better.

I let someone use my feather down comforter, and let's just say, I did not get it back the same way I lent it out. (A very long story, but that is the jist of it). So yesterday, in the morning I scrubbed it good outside and let it dry all day in the sun to bleach it out. It looks so nice and clean and is all ready for the cool months:)

For dinner I am going to make this, with some grilled chicken:


Italian Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package dried fusilli
8 ounces broccoli florets(about 2 cups)
8 ounces cauliflower florets (about 2 cups)
1½ cups milk
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup oil packed dried tomatoes, well drained and chopped


Directions:

1. In a 4 to 6 quart pot, cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli and cauliflower the last 4 to 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium microwave safe mixing bowl whisk together the milk, flour, salt and pepper.

3. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until thickened.

4. Add the milk mixture, Parmesan cheese, and dried tomatoes to cooked pasta in pot. Stir gently to combine. Makes 6 servings.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am also making blueberry muffins today:)

Time to make some coffee!
Cinnabun Creamer today.

Monday!!

Happy Monday!!
I thought I would make a quick post.
Enjoying a cup of coffee with Internatinal Delights coffee creamer, Caramal-Mocha.

The Tilapia I made last night(recipe in the post below this one) was one of the best fish dishes I ever made. Delicious!!!
Have a great Monday morning.

Blackened Tilapia

This what we are having for Sunday Dinner:)

( Photo courtesy of Food.com)

Blackened Tilapia


With spinach, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes and green salad.

Look What I Found/Bought Today:)

Febreze Air Effects Pumpkin Harvest & Fall

I LOVE IT!!!
It smells wonderful:)
Am I rushing you...LOL;)

Cuban Style Pork Roast, By Mad Hungry!

Cuban Style Pork Roast

Pork shoulder is an inexpensive cut of meat, and since it cooks slowly at a low temperature, it is also relatively hands-off. From the book "Mad Hungry," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books).

Mad Hungry, April 2011
Yield Serves 6 to 8 as a dinner roast

Ingredients
10 garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (from about 5 sprigs), or 2 teapsoons dried oregano
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole limes, cut in pieces
1 tablespoon coarse salt
One 7 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or picnic shoulder)

Directions
Puree garlic, oregano, olive oil, limes, and salt in a blender or food processor.

Place meat in a roasting pan, and score the fat on top of the pork. Rub garlic mixture all over pork. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. Flip roast occasionally and redistribute the rub.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove meat from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Place pan in the oven, fat side up, and add 1 cup of water to pan. Roast, uncovered, occasionally basting meat with juices and rub and turning pan to promote even cooking. Cook for 6 to 8 hours, until meat easily shreds. Let rest for 15 minutes, then shred and serve.

ETA: This recipe looked so good when Lucinda made it. Reading the reviews on it however, people are saying the pith of the lime ruin it, too bitter. So I am going to remove the lime from the skin and use a bit of the lime zest....

Carnitas! By, Mad Hungry:)

Carnitas
These marbled chunks of pork shoulder are first simmered to ensure they become tender, and then browned so they develop a flavorful crust. This recipe was also featured on "Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn."

Martha Stewart Living, May 2008
http://www.marthastewart.com/282548/carnitas

Yield
Makes 6 to 7 cups; serves 8

Ingredients
6 pounds pork shoulder (butt or picnic roast), bone removed, meat cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 1/2 cups water

Directions
Place cubed pork, salt, and water in a deep, straight-sided 14-inch skillet. (Water should barely cover pork.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer gently, stirring and skimming foam from the surface occasionally, until water has evaporated completely, 55 to 60 minutes.
Once water has evaporated, pork will begin to brown in its own fat. Cook on all sides, using a spatula to turn cubes and scrape up crisp bits from the skillet, until browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Pork can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Reheat in a skillet over low heat.


Taco Bar for the Carnitas

A taco bar lets guests select their favorite fillings and fixings, choosing from chicken, pork, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, salsas, and a squeeze of lime. This recipe was also featured on "Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn."
Close

Martha Stewart Living, May 2008
Yield Serves 8

Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded and refrigerated (until crisp and dry)
8 radishes, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
3 limes, cut into wedges
1 pound queso fresco, crumbled, or Monterey Jack, shredded
8 ounces sour cream
Roasted-Tomato Salsa
Salsa Verde
Salsa Cruda
Carnitas
Poached Chicken
1 to 2 packages corn tortillas (12 count)

Directions
Arrange lettuce, radishes, and cilantro on a large platter. Place limes, cheese, sour cream, and salsas in separate serving dishes. Place chicken and pork in separate warm serving bowls. Garnish chicken with cilantro.

Toast each tortilla in a hot skillet or directly over a gas flame until softened, 15 to 20 seconds per side. Stack tortillas in a dish towel, keeping them wrapped.

Arrange all of the ingredients so that guests can make their own tacos.

Cook's Note
To keep the toasted tortillas warm, wrap them tightly in a dish towel, then in foil. Place in a 200-degree oven for up to 30 minutes. Remove foil, and transfer tortillas -- still folded in the towel -- to the buffet.

Housecleaning Day!

Good Morning!!

Today I am going to be doing all sorts of house cleaning.

I have had a very busy last couple of days and really wasn't able to do much housework.

So today I am dedicating this day to my home:) I really need to go through my refrigerator. I piled new veggies on top of old veggies so I really have to go through them and organize them.

Kitchen needs some TLC, floors, appliances, etc....

Things need to be dusted and scrubbed:)
....and of course, laundry:)

It will be a busy day at The Gossett household.
I just love staying home and taking care of my family and home:)

We had gotten Alexis a Guinea pig, and we noticed that her little eye was a little crusty. So she is now at the "Guinea Pig Hospital" getting better. She had the start of a respiratory infection due to stress:( The vet said this is very common in Guinea Pigs. Alexis was so sad. Little Kevin told her, "Don't cry sissy, she will be home next week and we will be happy." He wanted so bad to console his sister.

Happy Tuesday!
Off to start my Cleaning.
How about you?

Last Day!

Happy Thursday!
Today is the very last day to vote.
I am three blogs away from making the list:)
Thank you all for voting, I so appreciate it very much.



Click the logo to vote

Good Morning:)

Happy Wednesday!!!

Happy Monday!

Hello!
It is such a Happy Monday.
Kevin had been in Georgia for over a week. He came home yesterday, I am so Happy!!!

All is right in the Gossett Household now:)

My sister is also supposed to be coming home tonight, so I will no longer have to go over there and feed the kitty cats. They are good cats. There are two, and to me they look exactly alike, but both Alexis and Little Kevin can tell them apart..LOL.

(I love cows)

We went to the grocery store after Kevin got home, and we stocked up on a lot of fruits and veggies. Kevin picked out some Amberjack from the butcher. I have never cooked it before, so I will let you know, how that turns out. Any tips or recipe for this?

The weather man said it is supposed to get hotter this week...HMMMMM. We have had a really nice summer so far. Last summer, I don't think the sun ever came out. This summer the sun is out, but it is not too hot. I keep my thermostat at 78.....if the upstairs starts to get too warm then I turn it to 76.

Did I mention I shut the car door on my finger. Let me tell you this, don't ever try it. OHHH, it hurt!! It kept me up one night because I kept bumping it. It is pretty much all better now, just a little tender in certain spots.
OUCH!

Last nights dinner, we had steak and an assortment of steamed veggies and a fresh green salad:)

I re potted a few plants this morning. I don't have much of a green thumb, but I do try:)

Happy Monday.
Fall is almost here.

OHHH, and thank you so much for voting for me on Circle of Moms. I am ten blogs away from making the list:)

Click Me:)

Summer Days:)

Summer Days! Our last month of summer is upon us (well I like to think so..LOL). I never could consider September summer, even though Fall does not start until September 21st, I like to think when September starts so does fall. My dear Fred comes out too:)

My Sister is on vacation for a couple days, so we have her daughter's Guinea pig. Oh, is she darling!! My daughter is being a super substitute Mama to her. We also, go over there and take care of her cats. We told Alexis she can have a guinea pig, so this is like a trial run. She is really doing a great job.



I cleaned the kid's bathroom and oh, is it clean
now.

For dinner I made Pork, french fries, coleslaw and Avocados.

Hallmark plays Little House on the Prairie, and season one is starting again. My favorite season!!!


My sister left me the key to her pool, so we are going to go swimming at the BIG pool:)
YaY!!

Also, I have been getting Dr. Quinn from Netflix. I am really enjoying it. I am sad that they got cancelled far too soon. I have seen every episode, but not in awhile, so it is really neat to watch it all over again. Some episodes I can't remember what happens so it is like watching it for the first time. I was looking at the netflix list, and they have 'Christy" On it. Have any of you seen it? What have you seen on Netflix that you recommend?





Thank you all so much for your kind words about my blog....and for the votes:)
I am about 16 away from making the list. So close...LOL. I think it would be fun to make the list.

You can vote everyday. If you want too...LOL.
I know it may sound silly, but I would love it if a blog like mine could make the list.

Tuesday~~Flylady

Good Morning, or afternoon or evening....

I really like Flylady and her concept. I take her ideas and incorporate them into my own. I pick and choose which emails I want to read.

So today, I am going to do some things from Flylday.
I have had the A/C on, but today, I am going to open all the windows to air the house out.

I am going to do her 27 fling.....I am really going to focus this project in my kitchen. I have collected quite a few things and it really needs some TLC. Just yesterday I threw out about ten grocery store receipts from 2009. Why was I saving them...LOL. It was fun to look at the date and see what I bought at the time. I tossed them. I also had a string of Christmas lights with a little note with them saying they were broken. What was I saving them for? Was I going to attempt to go through each and every light to see if I could fix them? I don't know.


What is a 27 Fling Boogie?
This is a tool to help you declutter your home. Do this assignment as fast as you can. Take a garbage bag and walk through your home and throw away 27 items. Do not stop until you have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch it. DO NOT LOOK IN IT!!! Just do it. Next, take an empty box and go through your home collecting 27 items to give away. As soon as you finish filling the box, take it to the car. You are less tempted to rescue the items. If you have two of any item and you only need one, get rid of the least desirable.


After I throw out 27 things, I am going to do her weekly blessing hour. I have to be honest here, it is going to take me a lot longer then an hour. That is okay, I am devoting this day to really cleaning my home.



What is the Weekly Home Blessing Hour?
The Weekly Home Blessing hour is the time FlyLady spends slipshod cleaning her home. No detailed cleaning required; vacuum the middle of the floors only!

FlyLady sets her timer for 10 minutes to work on each of 7 tasks:
Vacuum
Dust
Mop
Polish Mirrors and Doors
Purge magazines
Change Sheets
Empty all trash

This takes approximately one hour; some tasks take less than 10 minutes. <~~~~Unless you are me, with total OCD...LOL.

Remember I told you I roasted a chicken the other night. Well, I ended up making something else last night for dinner, so today I took off the rest of the meat and I am making chicken stock with the carcass. Alexis mentioned she wanted chicken soup. So That is what I am making today. I have to say the house is already starting to smell wonderful.

Yesterday, Alexis went to a tumbling class, I really wanted her to like it. She didn't. She really has her mind set on Ballet again. So Ballet it will be. That doesn't start until September. I really thought she would enjoy tumbling, oh well, whatcha going to do:)


Thank you all for the votes on Circle of Mom's. I was so excited to see some votes.
You can vote every day:)



Have a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Monday~~Welcome August!

Good Morning!
Happy August 1st.
I can not believe it is August already, YaY!
I am so excited, I love the upcoming months.
September, October and November...there is just a nice feel when those months are here.
I love looking through my cookbooks and Taste of Home magazines for all the wonderful Fall recipes...and making my menus.

School does not start until September 7th, so we have a little over a month to enjoy these carefree summer days and pretty soon, Fred will be put out and We will start preparing for Jesus's Birthday too:)

Last night I roasted a chicken, so for tonight's dinner I will do something with all the leftover chicken I have:)


It rained yesterday, I couldn't believe it. It wasn't cool though. It was still hot, but looking out my windows it looked like it was winter.

Do you ever have a day and you wake up with so many things you want to do and then by the end of the day you realize that you got nothing done??? LOL...I had one of those days, it seemed that everytime, I tried to do something, I had an obstacle...I laugh about it now, but it was frustrating at the time.

(Click to Vote)

I was looking through the Circle of Moms Blog lists and they are doing 25 Southern California blogs. I added my name becuase I thought it would be fun. I looked through some of the blogs, and there doesn't seem to be really blogs like mine on the list, so I thought I would join giving my point of view of as a wife and mother in Southern California. If you like my blog would you give me a vote:) I would love to see if my little blog could make the list. If you go to the circle of moms site, my blog is all the way at the bottom..LOL.

Have a wonderful Monday and a first day of August!!
XO

Sunday!

~~~~A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken. ~~~

I saw this quote for summer and thought it was cute!
Have a great Sunday:)

Pizza!

Here is a pizza I made for lunch.
I bought the crust already made, put sauce, cheese and pepperoni on it that I got at the deli of my grocery store. I found you get a better deal at the deli and the pepperoni is so much better too:)

Before:

After:

Friday:)

These past two days just zoomed by...LOL.
I thought I had made a post yesterday, but it was Wednesday. Where did Thursday go??
We had a nice day today.
For dinner I made Hamburgers with mushrooms, steamed rice, peas and carrots and a salad.
My dishwasher is running and my coffee pot is all set for the morning.
I have my Dr. Quinn DVD all ready to go. I pop it in my TV when everyone is asleep, and watch it. I just started the 3rd season:) I was up pretty early this morning, so sleep will be very welcomed tonight.
I will be back tomorrow with another post about my daily life as a wife and mother:)
Have a blessed evening!!!

Chicken Artichoke Pasta!

Good Morning!
When we were in Georgia, my MIL made this pasta dish. It was really good. She gave me the recipe.
With the leftover Chicken I had, I used it to make this dish:)

You can click on the recipe to enlarge it.

Here are some of the ingredients I used.




I used the red and green pepper instead of the yellow and orange. They were much cheaper at the grocery store.





This is the finished product.

Everyone LOVES it.
I think it is perfect for summer:)...or really anytime!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today is Thursday and my husband has been in San Francisco since Monday, he will be home this afternoon~~YaY!!!

Tonight I am making pork. I have these pork strips that I cut up into bite size cubes, and fry them with onions and mushrooms. I usually serve it with rice or mashed potatoes. I will steam some broccoli and make a nice green salad. I also made some dinner rolls, so I will warm those up for dinner too.

Not sure if we are going to do anything away from the house today.
I may take the kids to the park.
Tomorrow I am going to take them to the big pool:)

Alexis has been going to the beach a lot with my sister and her cousin. It is great because her cousin is the same age and they get along like best friends.
Alexis is becoming quite the expert on boogie boarding...LOL.

School does not start here until September 7th, so we have a little over a month of summer left.

Fall, I think is my absolute favorite season:)
Everytime I go into the garage, I see Fred, and I tell him, it is almost time to come out...LOL.
For those of you that don't know, Fred is my scarecrow, and he comes out September 1st and stays by my front door until December:)

Happy Thursday!
Off to clean the toilets!

Wednesday!

Good Morning!
Today is my shopping day.
On my list of things to buy, are cleaning supplies:)
I am running low on a few things, like comet and window cleaner.
I have been using vinegar, but I really like this certain window cleaner. I have posted about it before. It comes in a an aerosol can....I can't think of the name...LOL. Maybe I need another cup of coffee.

Last night I made crockpot chicken, and I still have a bunch leftover, so I am going to make something with it for dinner.

The weather has been really nice. I feel bad for the other parts of the country that are having such terrible heat. I remember those days in Georgia, when you open the door and the heat just hits you in the face and you can't breath.
I also remember sitting on the porch at night and listening to all the sounds all around, like the tree frogs. We don't have lightening bugs here in California, so it was really neat for the kids to see them when we were in Georgia in April.

Also, in Georgia, Sweet Tea is a really big thing and my husband grew up drinking it. Here in California if you want sweet tea, you make it yourself. So I will make sweet tea for my husband. He showed me how to make it and how much sugar to add. Also, you heat the sugar you just don't pour it in the tea.

After, I am done here, I am going to sit down and write down my list for the store:)
I need things like foil, more fresh fruits and veggies. We go through a lot of fruits and veggies since I have gotten my juicer. If you have not gotten a juicer yet, you must. WE LOVE OURS! It is so healthy for you. Mine came with a recipe book, so there are just so many different drinks you can make. There are even recipes in the book in how to use the pulp:) I have not tried those recipes yet.

I will be back, lots to do today!!!

Little Blue Plastic Pool!

This is our little Blue Plastic Pool:)
How many of you have ever had one of these pools...LOL.

Thursday!

Just made lunch:

Crispy Fries
Hot Dogs filled with Cheese
Raspberries
...and Root Beer Floats:)

After grocery shopping we stopped in the Office Depot, and I found Alexis, her new desk for her room. It is the perfect size for her room, and it has peace signs on it. She is into peace signs at the moment. I have been picking up school supplies here and there. I love school supplies, I just can't pass them up...LOL.

Dinner Tonight:
HOT WINGS~~~> Yummy:)

Tiki, Staying Cool:)

I was misting her with water, and she was loving it:)

Housework!

I love these old ads:)

Today I have been doing some housework!
Toilets, cleaned them all!

I really need to get in my bathroom and clean my shower.
That one always seems to take a back seat to everything else.
I have no idea why...LOL.

It is a warm day here. Not as warm as other parts of the country, but it is warm.
A/C is on.

Dinner tonight:

Steak
Steamed Rice
Veggies
Salad

I am going to bake some brownies today too:)
Happy Tuesday,

Holly Hobbie!

I just loved Holly Hobbie, when I was a little girl.

I remember when I was a little girl, my mother had bought me a Holly Hobbie lunch box. I loved that lunch box. I was so excited to take it to school and use it. I grew up in Oak Park, Illinois until I was about ten years old. It was such a cold and snowy day. I was walking home from school and slipped on the ice, and my lunch box hit the hard ice, flew down the sidewalk. It was a plastic Holly Hobbie lunchbox and it cracked and I was never able to use it again. I was so heart broken. I would love to find that lunchbox. I don't know why that memory popped into my head, but I thought I would write it down:) That was kind of sad, huh?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For dinner:
NACHOS!!

It is a warm day today.
I filled up the blue plastic pool and filled up about 30 water balloons. I bought some normal party balloons, so the kids had some tiny water balloons and some really BIG water balloons...LOL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, I am turning 41 on Sunday!
41, I can not believe it...LOL.

Do you think 41 is too old to have another baby?

Monday:)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Happy Monday:)

Friday..Fun Day!

Hello!

I took the kids to Chuck E Cheese today:)
We had the whole place to our selves for almost an hour...Fun, Fun, Fun!

They had so much fun playing all the games.
I myself like Skee ball....LOL....oh, and the air hockey.

After Chuck E Cheese, we went to the Farmer's Market, I got lot's of fresh veggies.

I made homemade juice with some of the veggies and fruit. Alexis says when I add lemon to it, it just makes the juice that much better!

Happy Friday Everyone!