"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" - Erma Bombeck

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was wonderfully relaxing! All the adults bring something to dinner to help the host out. This year my mom had us all bring desserts. When she told me my aunt wasn't making the apple pies she traditionally makes, I was sad. They are always so good, and remind me of the apple pies my grandmother use to make. However, I can understand why she didn't. My mom and I always only eat a sliver. No one else eats it. So it's a bit of a waste.

Unfortunately, I CAN NOT have Thanksgiving without apple pie! Where could I turn? Oh yea! PINTEREST! Of course I can't find the exact recipe I used, which is bad news for me. But I have this one posted on my Favorite Recipes board here.  

So, since I didn't write the recipe down, and can't find the exact website, I will just show you some pics of the process....

I started with Red Delicious apples. Most people use the green granny apples (including my aunt I believe) but I thought it would be fun to try something new!

 

 

I peeled about 5 apples with a peeler, cut the apples with the slicer, and then cut them into smaller 1/2 inch pieces.

 

 

 

 

Then I mixed the slices with the rest of the ingredients that I can't find online! UGH! (Sorry this is an epic fail blog!)

 

 

I used crescent rolls, flattened them, and then cut the bottom crusts using a mason jar lid to make excellent circles. (I'm so cheap frugal that I used 2 different kinds of rolls, so that I didn't have to go buy more!)

 

 

I placed them in cupcake tins, filled the cups with the apple mixture, and  then topped with butter.

 

I used the rest of the dough to use as a top crust and brushed the top with melted margarine.

 

 

Baked according to the crescent roll package directions and here is the final   result!!! Mini apple pies! No wasting! What we didn't eat I froze and made for dessert a different night! They were a success!

 

 

What was your favorite dessert this Thanksgiving? Please post and share!

"It's just another Manic Monday." - Bangles

So, last week I was stuck at home sick. In between drug induced naps, I kept staring at this stain on my couch that has been there for months!!  A few months ago, I was watching my nephew and he was playing with the puppy. The pup nipped him in the nose and he bled all over my couch and carpet! I tried desperately to clean it up with stain remover but it left this horrible stain!

 

(sorry for the blurry pic...remember I was heavily medicated at the time!)

As I lay there getting more and more annoyed with the stain, because I was actually home with time on my hands to look at it, I remembered I pinned something on Pinterest about cleaning microfiber couches here on my "Cleanliness is next to godliness" board.

It looked easy enough! Use rubbing alcohol to remove stains. Ok! I was in, because in my sickness I could not tolerate it any more!! I needed to make a few adjustments to what Julia used in her blog, just because I was too sick to go out to buy a white sponge and a white bristled scrub brush. Here's what I did.

I had the rubbing alcohol! (Yay me!) So, I put it in an empty clean spray bottle that I had, then saturated the stained area. I didn't have a white sponge, so I scrubbed the heck out of it with an old white wash cloth. Here is how that looked.

 

HOLY DIRTINESS!!! I almost threw up in my mouth there for a minute, it was that nasty! After I scrubbed I let it dry for about an hour. By the way, it will smell! So open a window and turn on a fan. The smell of the doctor's office will go away in no time.

When it dries, it's a little stiff. So I took a bottle brush since that is what I had, rather that the white scrub brush Julia used, and went over the dried area in circular motion for a few minutes.

I CAN NOT believe the couch AWESOME-NESS that I saw afterwards! It's like I have my brand new couch back!!! Of course I immediately decided to do the entire couch, but was so worn out half way through I stopped. I noticed a few stubborn stains, but NOTHING like before. Julia says in her blog if you go over those stubborn areas about 2 days later, most of the stain will be removed.

PS- I did eventually do the entire couch. But I'm still recovering, so I haven't gone back to take care of those super stubborn stains.

Happy Cleaning! :)

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” - W.C. Fields

I am so excited to share about my first monthly dinner club! As most of you know, I've never been a cook. However, in the last 2 years, some kind of domestic virus has been attacking my mind and body so I have been experimenting with food! My poor kid! She's had to try so many new things.

Any who... what better time to start a Dinner Club! Now I'll get a whole new set of recipes to torture my child with! :)

The theme for our first Dinner Club was "Favorite Dish". Apparently, this caused a little bit of stress for some of the club members who couldn't decide what to make. Everyone got fancy with their dishes. Well not me of course, however, my dishes were much fancier than my true favorite dish...a bowl of cereal! :)

Below were the delightful dishes of the evening! The smells and the scene were so exciting I couldn't wait to eat!! (I'd like to apologize for the lack of pics of the actual evening. I could only think about eating, not blogging!)

As you can imagine, the tastes were savory!!! I asked club members to taste all the dishes and then vote on their favorite, anonymously of course!! The prize would be a fantastic blog written by MUAH about their dish and recipe! (I know, not much of a prize!)

All votes were casted and the results were......

 

 

IT WAS A TIE!!!!

 

 



Chicken Cashew Stir Fry and Panko & Parmesan Tilapia!! They were both to die for! I'm scared to death to try to make them on my own because I know they won't even touch the taste of these ladies' skills!!! But I will try because Grace loved the left over reheated tilapia! And she NEVER eats fish!

The night was a success! And even though it was "dinner" themed, it was truly about spending time with good friends, good wine, and fantastic food! We had so much fun and laughed the night away!

I can't tell you how happy I am that I started the club, just for that fact! It also helped that there were a few "write in" votes that warmed my heart! Cnn't wait for December's Dinner Club night!

 

(Sorry for the sideways pic! I can't figure out how to rotate it! I'm still working on this blogging thing!)

A grandparent buys you gifts your mother says you don't need. - Erma Bombeck

I miss her. My grandmother. Actually both of them, but my Mommom, in particular today. You know those days when you can be surrounded by people, but still feel alone in some way. Today is one of those. All I've been thinking about all day is laying my head on her lap, my safe place. She would run her fingers through my hair and make me forget that there were any issues or problems in the world. It was my favorite place to be ....

She once told me, that the perfect man for me would be able to make me feel safe like that and he would always take care of me. I'll never forget that conversation as she ran her fingers through my hair watching a Phillies game. It was the most personal conversation she ever had with me. Today, even though the Phillies aren't playing (don't even get me started with that!), I wish she were here for me to lay on her lap and run her fingers through my hair so we could have another conversation.

Still looking for someone to make me feel the way she did ....

“True love stories never have endings” - Richard Bach

It's been a crazy two weeks. I had a health scare and I've been distracted with life around me. So I'm trying to refocus.

I started this blog because I am a single mom and just looking to connect with others who may feel the same way about life, or experiencing something similar. I wanted those people to know, they aren't alone. I know how lonely life can be sometimes.

So tonight, I wanted to start what will hopefully become my weekly Sunday night single parent topic.  Which reminds me....I need a catchy title. Please feel free to suggest! If I choose your title, I'll redo a piece of furniture for you as a prize!!! Ok, don't you all go typing at once! :)

Ok, back to the blog of the evening ... Some of the distracting things these last two weeks have been helping friends and loved ones through some tough times they are having. Whenever I do that, it reminds me of how lucky I am for my daughter.

I always tell her, and she loves to hear it, that she saved me. She saved me from myself, who was lost, lonely, and insecure. I've never felt love like I did when she was born.

This year while surfing through Pinterest, I found a pin that described a way to focus on the good in your life for the year. (You can see that site here) Any time Grace or I have a memory we want to remember, we write it down and put it in the jar. On New Year's Day we will read the great memories we have had during the year before. It helps me focus on the good things in my life. I can't wait to read them New Year's Day!

Tonight is a pity party night. Does any one HATE them as much as I do?!?! I feel like yelling at myself, "Get over it!!! You chose this life! Look at all that is good!!" But there is that pity party planner in my head saying, "Yeah, I know, but I don't care. I'm sad, I'm lonely, I don't know how I got here! Plus, I already made the party plans of eating chips and watching Lifetime Movies!"

It's funny, beause I started this blog to help oither single parents know they aren't alone. If you know me, you know I'm not one to share my feelings. So letting people know I'm having a pity party right now, is not like me. My friends know I'm a control feak, and blogging about this makes me feel vunerable. But I want to be able to connect with others. Maybe another single parent out there is feeling the way I do.

So tonight I'll have my party. (Sorry you're all not invited.) And tomorrow when I wake up, I'll be back to my normal mom/teacherness. It's just tonight....that's normal, right?

"All you see, I owe to spaghetti." - Sophia Loren

That quote describes my learned cooking skills perfectly! Seriously, spaghetti and scrambled eggs (which I once made via microwave only) were what I survived on in my adult life before Grace was born. Once she ate solid foods, we added microwaveable pancakes to the menu! My lucky kid, right?!?!
 
My friend Karen's amazing meals began to inspire me to want to branch out. Plus she has the patience of a saint with me! So, I desperately tried to make her fried chicken, because who doesn't LOVE fried chicken?!?! Ummmm, yea....EPIC FAIL!!! Three times in a row now.
 
So I've finally come to terms with not being able to make fried chicken (my new plan is trying to get invited to Karen's house instead when she makes it). Instead, I've been scoping Pinterest (of course!) for recipes. I discovered a site where I found what we had for dinner tonight.... Cheeseburger Pie!
 
When Grace asked me what was for dinner tonight, and I replied, "Cheeseburger Pie" with excitement.... well let's just say I could hear her thoughts, "Oh God Mom! Another Pinterest meal. UGH!"
 
I thought it was a perfect meal because neither of us like the bun when we eat burgers, so a thin "crust" was a perfect solution. Of course Grace hears the word "pie" and immediately cringes. (She doesn't like pie) But here's the recipe and some of our photos to go along with it.
 
Cheeseburger Pie

By Anne Coleman

 

Ingredients

• 1 can crescent rolls
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, OR 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/3 cup chopped dill pickle slices
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups shredded American cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Unroll crescent rolls and press into the bottom and up the sides of an 8 inch pie pan.
3. Cook ground beef in a skillet until browned. Drain well.
4. Stir in onion, chopped pickle, ketchup and mustard.
5. Sprinkle with flour and add pickle juice and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
6. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of shredded cheese.
7. Pour into the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes, or until edges of crust are golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and top with remaining cup of cheese. Let stand until cheese melts.
9. Garnish with extra ketchup, mustard and pickle slices.

Here's what it looked like before going into the oven.

 

And here is the completed dinner.... waaaahhh laaaahhhh

 



 Grace only wanted ketchup on her piece and I had ketchup and mustard on mine ....

 

 And the final judgement.... all fingers were crossed!! Here's my critic mid first bite. (Posting pics like these is why I'm collecting her therapy fund!)

 

AND THE VERDICT IS................

 

(she's so cute, isn't she?!)