Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thursday's Recipe Swap Meet ~ Swedish Meatballs

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OK... we know you have all these recipes that you love to make. You got them from your mother, your grandmother, a magazine, or maybe you made it up, perhaps you don't even remember where the recipe came from. Well, how about sharing them with all of us? We are going to share ours with you every Thursday!



My good friend and (according to her husband) excellent cook, Dolly over at XmasDolly and I are now doing a recipe swap; we want to share ours with you and wold LOVE to get some of your favorites as well... So welcome to Thursday's Recipe Swap Meet, here is all you have to do:





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Post a recipe on your blog, sign the linky on either blog (they will be linked), grab our new button - isn't she cute - hubby says she looks like me... TeeHee? (above, on my sidebar and on my Co-Chef Dolly's blog) and check out the recipes. Don't forget that each week you actually will be getting at least TWO for the price of ONE because both Dolly and I will post a recipe on each of our blogs. How simple is that???



Bill likes his on the side of his noodles

Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles

Meatballs:
1/2 Cup Unflavored bread crumbs
1/2 Cup milk
1 small onion
1 large egg
1 lb. ground sirloin beef (use at least 7% lean beef)
Salt and Pepper to taste
EVOO (or butter)

~ Mix bread crumbs and milk; let it swell for about 10 min.
~ Mince the onion and saute in small amount of EVOO (or butter) until soft; mix all ingredients. (I find my hands work best.)
~ Form into small balls; you can use your hands, but I use a scoop to keep the size uniform (yep, I'm OCD like that... sorry). The size should be between a cherry and a ping-pong ball.
~ Fry the meatballs on med. heat in EVOO (you can also use butter) for approx. 5 min. turning to brown all sides.

While these taste really good, I find that I usually don't have the time or patience to make them, plus the nerve damage in my neck makes it really hard for me to mix it and then make all the balls.... SO, I usually buy some really delicious pre-made meatballs at BJ's.


Gravy:
1 Tbls dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup thin sliced onion)
5 Tbls butter, separated
3 Tbls All-purpose flour
1 1/2 Cup beef broth (I always use stock in my recipes)
1 tsp instant coffee (I used Espresso powder because I didn't have instant coffee and I love the flavor)

~ Melt 2 Tbls butter in large frying pan over medium heat, add onion and cover. Allow to cook until soft and wilted. (If using fresh onion, remove, set aside and leave juices).
~ Add remaining butter and melt; add flour, stirring constantly (I used my flat whisk).
~ Add broth (stock) all at once and coffee (espresso powder), cooking and stirring until until bubbly. You may need to add more broth/stock to get to proper consistency.
~ Return onions at this point if you are using them and continue to cooking until thickened.
~ Add meatballs to sauce to coat each one.

Cook egg noodles according to package directions; butter and salt/pepper to taste.

Serve either on top of noodles (as I like it) or on the side of noodles (as Bill likes it).



So now all you have to do is sign our linky so we all can find your recipes. You check out all ours and we will check out all yours. If you don't want to write it all down and you know of one on line just post a link to it on your blog or leave it in a comment if you prefer!



For more recipes, head on over to Ms.BiBi at Daily Organized Chaos.


Let's get cooking..... Bon Appetit!

{Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. Any link or reference to a specific company is purely because I find that the products mentioned are the ones that work best in my experience. The links included are just to help my friends out.}

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Star

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WORDLESS


Welcome to Wordless Wednesday..... Here is our little Mai-Li thinking she is going to be a star:





For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out the WW Hub, leave your link, check out the other participants, and don't forget to leave a nice comment - you know you like comments, they do too!!






And don't forget about our recipe sharing meme tomorrow: "Recipe Swap Meet Thursday" - have you got your recipe ready??? Don't forget to grab our button and play along... Happy cooking.



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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

In My Neighborhood Tuesday March 29: Lazy Things


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Eighty MPH Mom In My Neighborhood Tuesday



I'm joining my friend Jennifer over at Eighty MPH Mom called In My Neighborhood Tuesday – a fun photo meme where you spend some quality time with your family and friends and discover average things in a new light, get creative and try and get outdoors on occasion. There will be an assignment/prompt for each week, and hopefully you will have some time to take a walk and show us what you found in your neighborhood!

This week's theme is "Lazy Things" - well, around our house, that is something that we are really good at:




 Bill chillaxin by the pool in Mexico
 
Mumbo taking care of Mommy with a migraine

Nano resting


Lorie sunning in Mexico



Mandie loves to lie in the sunshine in the window, you'd think she was a cat. =)
Maila just lazing around the house in the sun


So that's my post for In My Neighborhood Tuesday... if you'd like to join, here is all you have to do: It is easy to join in! Just take your picture and post it on your blog, with the button above and link up on Eighty MPH Mom. Make sure you visit the other participants to see what they have found in their neighborhood {or house or wherever} recently! Don’t worry if you didn’t have a chance to take a walk over the weekend to snap the perfect shot. If you already have a picture that fits into the “assignment” of the week, feel free to use it. If you want to write down the upcoming assignments and take photos for several of them while you are on a walk, you can do that too! There really aren’t many rules, except to stick with the theme of the week and be creative! You can even post more than one photo, as if you didn't notice... HaHa!

Let's also help Jen out by tweeting about this meme:

Please RT: What cool things are in your neighborhood? Photo meme: This week’s theme: Lazy Things http://www.eightymphmom.com/


Enjoy the rest of the week and happy photographing!
 
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Monday Mingle ~ March 28th: Songs, Coupons & Apps

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"Blogging with you since August 2009"


"Welcome to Monday Mingle! Each week three questions are asked, and you can answer via a written post, or a vlog post. If you have always wanted to try vlogging, Monday Mingle vlog meme is a fun way to try vlogging. If you’d like to join in the fun, answer the 3 weekly questions in short vlog on your blog, or a written blog post, then link up over on Eighty MPH Mom in the linky. Please post the above button within your post and link to Eighty MPH Mom, so readers can easily find other participants. Visit the other participants, learn about them and have fun! It’s not too late you can link up anytime during the week."


Questions for the week of 3/28/11:



1. What is your favorite song right now?
2. How good are you about using coupons at the grocery store?
3. Do you have a Smartphone? If so what are your top 3 games/apps?





That's my mingle for this week, I was in bed already, so sorry it's a little quiet, I was trying not to wake up hubby and by the end of the day, my voice is just about gone from my inhaler the Pulmonologist has given me. 

BUT, if I can do it, so can you..... Come on, want to get to know you better.... we won't bite. :)  Don't forget to link up with Jen at Eighty MPH Mom. Please at least visit some of the other participants and leave a comment - we all love comments... :)



Plus, help us get more players... Tweet the meme by either hitting the retweet button or tweeting this phrase:


"Join Eighty MPH Mom for #mondaymingle- a fun meme to learn about you! http://eightymphmom.com"
 
 
Have a great week everyone!!
 
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Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday's Music Moves Me:




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Welcome to Monday's Music Moves Me the fantabulistic music meme hosted by me, Dolly from XmasDolly, Larry from Cakeblast and Callie from Jamerican Spice and this week's theme is Favorite Male Artist, so let's see who you all listen to - I can't wait.




This week is a FREEBIE week, so you can post any little thing you want. I have decided that in honor of us going to see the band Starship with Mickey Thomas (a band with several name changes and female lead changes, but one that is still going strong) this coming weekend at EPCOT's Flower and Garden Festival, I'd post some of my favorite songs by them.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now





We Built This City




Sara




White Rabbit (this one is my favorite)




So, who's got you movin' and grovin' this Monday??? Share it with us and bring along a friend. Here's all you need to do:


First step: Head on over to You Tube, or anywhere you get your music videos and post them on your blog! Upcoming themes are to you LOWER RIGHT of XmasDolly's blog.


Second Step: Grab our "Monday's Music Moves Me" Button, mine is on my right sidebar, or off of any of the hosts' sites.


Third step: SIGN THE LINKY - Follow your hosts, grab their buttons too when you visit them and show them some love by leaving a comment.. (mine is on my right sidebar above the 4M button)


Final step: Go visit the other Rockers on our Linky and PLEASE show them some love by leaving them a comment, you know you like comments, they do too!



Thank You Comments

Once you write up your post, link up with us (on any of the host's blog - they are all connected) and you may be chosen as our SPOTLIGHT DANCERS like this week's lucky couple in our #1 & #2  linky spots.....




Now, don't forget to sign the linky, visit the participants, and leave a comment - you know you like them, so does everyone else. For more Monday music fun, visit Amanda, Lady Estrogen, and Run DMT.




Rock on my friends!!


We're very sorry to say there has been some people not playing along, and just signing our linky so other people will stop by their blogs for giveaways or whatever! Unfortunately, these bloggers will have to be deleted from our linky. Leave a comment, grab our button, or follow us. If you don't want to post a video, you can post a link to a video, or post some lyrics, but please - at least attempt to make it music related. Thank you for your understanding.




*** Just one thing to note... We are family friendly blogs and while we don't want to censor anyone, we do ask that you keep your songs rated PG13 or less.

Thanks very much!***


Gigi Ann of My Reading Corner ~~ and ~~ Hazel of Delineating Des

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Happy 3rd Birthday Nano Bytes Shewbridge

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Birthday Images



Today is our little baby Nano's 3rd birthday... I cannot believe how big he has gotten!

Here he is when we first got him at 10 weeks - the little bugger:






Here is how he looked at age one:



Here is how he looke at age two:



And here is our furry little love now:



How could you NOT love such a beautiful little boy? Hew is just so sweet, he gives us kisses all the time for no reason, he gets all excited when we come home from somewhere - even if it is just Bill taking out the garbage. Plus he knows when I am not feeling well and will lie down with me to comfort me or go get Bill when he knows that I need him. He is the best doggie in the whole world! (But, ssshhhhh, don't tell the other doggies in the house, we don't want them to get jealous.)

So Happy Birthday, Nano... Daddy and I love you very much and hope you enjoyed your very special breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon.  HUGGLES!!
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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Self-Portrait Sunday ~~ Walt Disney World EPCOT

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Maria's Space

My friend Maria over at Maria's Space started this meme to get us out from BEHIND the camera and showcase our own lovely faces on our blogs.... We don't want to have a blog full of our family, friends and children and when we go back years later and wonder.... where the heck were we and what did we look like?




Here's another photo of me at Disney World's EPCOT during the Social Media Moms conference. Bill and I were just fooling around and having a good time.




Join Maria by posting your beautiful face and linking up with Maria over at Maria's Space and visiting the other participants and leaving them a nice comment.



Have a great week everyone!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday Photo Flashback ~ New Year's Eve 1999

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Friday Photo Flashback


Alicia from More Than Words says she started Friday Photo Flashback because "I have so many pictures from my PRE-digital camera days. I thought it would be fun to scan them and share them here with you.. I'm having so much fun doing this, that I would love for you to join me, too! So dig out the photo albums and put your scanner to good use! Don't forget to link up so we can all visit and comment on each others blogs!"



This photo is from a visit to Disney World that Bill and I made to Disney World before we moved down here to bring in the millennium. This photo was taken on New Year's Eve 1999 as we celebrated in EPCOT with about a million other people - it was SO exciting. We bought a bottle of champagne in Germany and they poured the whole thing into two large plastic cups so we could carry it into the park with us and we had those HUGE turkey legs for dinner.... It was one of the most memorable evenings ever, the fireworks were spectacular and to be able to kiss my favorite person at midnight under those fireworks at my favorite place in the world was just the most magical experience. What a way to start a new year, a new century and a new millennium!
 
 
Notice my motto, no woman is fully dressed without her tiara! :)
 
 
If you'd like to play along with Friday Photo Flashback, dig out the old photo albums, scan in some photos and write a post to tell us all about what's going on in the photos. Then link up with Alicia at More Than Words, visit the other participants and leave a nice comment.

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Friday Food Fight: CANDY!!

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To join the weekly Friday Food Fight, post a picture of your favorite food, meal, snack or drink. Of course, you enjoying your tasty treat would be great, but you don’t need to be in the picture. Then on Friday, post your drool inducing photo and link up with Denise at RunDMT. That’s it.



My choice for today's photo is from the Disney Social Media Moms conference (you'll be seeing lots of photos from that conference, I took 329 photos)... during one of the events, there were several tables with nothing but CANDY loaded all over them plus the most beautiful centerpieces. We were able to fill up boxes of our own to take back to our rooms with whatever candy we wanted.... I was in heaven!
 
 
 
So head on over to RunDMT and link up to her blog, visit the other participants and leave a comment. While you're at it, how about grabbing Denise's Friday Food Fight Button on her site - I have it on my left side bar.


Happy eating and have a great weekend!
 
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Thursday, March 24, 2011

How'd Y'all Say That Again??? Part 2

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Annie of MamaDweeb.com has come up with another geat dialect blog hop. A list of words for all of us to say and questions to answer to see how people around the country pronounce different words or call different every day things.  If you want to check out Part 1 see MamaDweeb's blog.



(Gotta love that face... looks like I'm scared to death - UGH!!)

'So here is the list of words:  Roof, Root, Illinois, Arkansas River, Missouri, About, Ask, Abdomen, Especially, Hierarchy, Often, Realtor, Coyote

Here are the questions to answer:

1. What do you call it when friends get together and eat food outside?


2. What do you call the meal at noon? What about 6pm?

3. What do you call the thing you put your groceries in after you buy them?

4. What is it called when you ride a sled down a snowy hill?

5. What is another word for a stream you find in the woods?

6. What is the piece of furniture you store you clothes in?

7. What do you call the stuff you throw away?

8. What is the huge piece of furniture in your living room that at least 3 people can sit on?

9. What is the common/slang way for where you live to say, “Calm down”?

10. What do you call the colorful candy toppings you put on donuts?



That was so much fun and listening to all the other bloggers on the hop is even more fun. Grab the button, link up with MamaDweeb, and visit the other participants and have fun!

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Thursday's Recipe Swap Meet ~ Crepes

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OK... we know you have all these recipes that you love to make. You got them from your mother, your grandmother, a magazine, or maybe you made it up, perhaps you don't even remember where the recipe came from. Well, how about sharing them with all of us? We are going to share ours with you every Thursday!






My good friend and (according to her husband) excellent cook, Dolly over at XmasDolly and I are now doing a recipe swap; we want to share ours with you and wold LOVE to get some of your favorites as well... So welcome to Thursday's Recipe Swap Meet, here is all you have to do:




Photobucket



Post a recipe on your blog, sign the linky on either blog (they will be linked), grab our new button - isn't she cute - hubby says she looks like me... TeeHee? (above, on my sidebar and on my Co-Chef Dolly's blog) and check out the recipes. Don't forget that each week you actually will be getting at least TWO for the price of ONE because both Dolly and I will post a recipe on each of our blogs. How simple is that???

Crepes











In honor of our wedding anniversary on March 15th, I made us crepes with fresh strawberries and whipped topping... they were yummy - they got 6 out of 6 puppies tails wagging.


Ingredients



My helper cutting up
the strawberries.
 2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 Cups milk
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbls. cooking oil (I prefer vegetable oil)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbls. brown sugar (can use granulated sugar, but brown gives better flavor)
1/2 tsp. flavoring (I used pure Mexican vanilla)
1 pint strawberries cut up (or other fresh fruit)
Whipped cream












In a bowl combine all ingredients (except strawberries and whipped cream) and beat until combined thoroughly.













Lightly grease a 6" skillet (I use Pam cooking spray and spread it around with a brush) and heat on med-high heat; pour in approx. 2 Tbls. batter into skillet and tilt pan to spread batter. Cook until first side is slightly brown, flip crepe carefully and lightly brown second side; then slide onto oven safe platter. Repeat with remaining batter, lightly greasing skillet as needed - keep cooked crepes warm in 200 degree oven on oven safe platter until ready to serve.


To serve, spread fresh fruit inside crepe, roll it up and put whipped cream on top; enjoy!








So now all you have to do is sign our linky so we all can find your recipes. You check out all ours and we will check out all yours. If you don't want to write it all down and you know of one on line just post a link to it on your blog or leave it in a comment if you prefer!






For more recipes, head on over to Ms.BiBi at Daily Organized Chaos.






Let's get cooking..... Bon Appetit!


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Breakfast at Walt Disney World's Grand Floridian Cafe

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WEDNESDAY


Welcome to Wordless Wednesday..... here is my breakfast one of the mornings at the Disney Social Media Moms conference:



Would you expect anything less of me?

 For more Wordless Wednesday posts, check out the WW Hub, leave your link, check out the other participants, and don't forget to leave a nice comment - you know you like comments, they do too!!




And don't forget about our recipe sharing meme tomorrow: "Recipe Swap Meet Thursday" - have you got your recipe ready??? Don't forget to grab our button and play along... Happy cooking.


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In My Neighborhood Tuesday March 22: In Bloom

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Eighty MPH Mom In My Neighborhood Tuesday


I'm joining my friend Jennifer over at Eighty MPH Mom called In My Neighborhood Tuesday – a fun photo meme where you spend some quality time with your family and friends and discover average things in a new light, get creative and try and get outdoors on occasion. There will be an assignment/prompt for each week, and hopefully you will have some time to take a walk and show us what you found in your neighborhood!



This week's theme is "In Bloom" and I was lucky enough to get some wonderful photos at the Disney Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT during the Social Media Moms conference over the weekend. Hope you enjoy them, I have a lot more that I'll be showing in future posts.
 
 












 
 
So that's my post for In My Neighborhood Tuesday... if you'd like to join, here is all you have to do: It is easy to join in! Just take your picture and post it on your blog, with the button above and link up on Eighty MPH Mom. Make sure you visit the other participants to see what they have found in their neighborhood {or house or wherever} recently! Don’t worry if you didn’t have a chance to take a walk over the weekend to snap the perfect shot. If you already have a picture that fits into the “assignment” of the week, feel free to use it. If you want to write down the upcoming assignments and take photos for several of them while you are on a walk, you can do that too! There really aren’t many rules, except to stick with the theme of the week and be creative! You can even post more than one photo if you so desire.



Let's also help Jen out by tweeting about this meme:

Please RT: What cool things are in your neighborhood? Photo meme: This week’s theme: In Bloom http://www.eightymphmom.com/

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