Recipe: Granola Bars

This is a super yummy, and super easy snack to make! I was genuinely surprised by the simplicity of it! Now, I am going to put the generic recipe on here, but I didn't follow it to T. I'll put my changes as well for comparison, but just so you know...have fun with it. Add what you like so that you aren't stuck with something horrible...and if you get something horrible, you're to blame! =)


The ORIGINAL recipe:

3 cups quick cooking oats
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

My variation to the recipe:

3 cups quick cooking oats
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 lemon, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon honey


Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, mix together your ingredients with your hands until well blended. Press flat into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. (I baked mine for roughly 17-20 minutes) Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into squares/strips then let cool completely before serving.


Enjoy!

Recipe: Slow-Cooked Beef Stroganoff Topped Potatoes

In the past, I have posted a beef stroganoff recipe, but this one is different, and it is made entirely in the crock pot. Gotta love those meals, eh?  This meal is simple, easy and healthy for you. It gives a little bit for leftovers, but not too much.

1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 pounds boneless beef steak, cut into 2x1/4 inch strips (I just used beef stew meat instead)
9 ounces sliced mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon beef base (I crushed up a bouillon beef cube and added water)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash nutmeg
1 tablespoon dry sherry or water
6 medium baking potatoes (I used three big ones)
8 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
chopped parsley (optional)

In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, layer onion, beef and mushrooms. In a small bowl, combine beef base, pepper, nutmeg, and sherry/water; mix well. Pour over beef mixture. Add garlic.
Cover; cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.
About 20 minutes before serving, pierce potatoes several times with a fork. Place on a microwave safe container or paper towel in microwave. Microwave on high for 10-13 minutes or until tender, turning potatoes over and rearranging halfway through cooking. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sour cream, flour and ketchup; blend well. Stir into beef mixture. Increase heat setting to high; cover and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
To serve, lightly roll potatoes on counter to soften center. Cut potatoes in half length-wise; place on individual serving plates. If desired, sprinkle with salt. Spoon beef mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Mediterranean Tuna Salad on Wheat Pita Bread

As I may have mentioned at least a dozen times, I am always on the look out for new meals. This one is super quick to make, tastes great and is really healthy for you! We didn't have many leftovers, but it was worth it! This will be a meal to make again, especially when we are pressed for time!

1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used the bulk bottle instead)

12 ounces white tuna packed in water; drained

3/4 cup diced scallions

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (I omitted these because neither one of us are big olive fans)

Green leaf lettuce (optional additive)

Pita pockets

Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Stir in tuna, scallions, bell pepper and olives until incorporated.

Serve with lettuce leaves in pita pockets, if desired.

Enjoy!

Sometime We Have to Make Good Things Happen

Hey everyone!

Well, I'm not expecting to write much, so this may be a pretty short post, unlike last time.

Saturday was the birthday party of my friend's seven year old daughter. We were told to dress fancy! I did my best! The birthday was quite cute! It was not a typical birthday party and I really liked it! I think that I will steal a few ideas for when my kids have parties! There were stations for kids to have their face painted, get a temp tattoo, or both, if they wanted...sometimes more than one! They even had a coloring station, where all the kids got a booklet of numerous bugs and creatures to color. After that, they went on a bug hunt/safari. Each kid was given a little bug catching kit, and went outside to find bugs. They were really just foam cut outs of different bugs that they put into their little kits. They all really enjoyed that! I was pretty surprised! Presents came next, and the girl made out like a bandit! Lots of great stuff! Pizza and dessert were next up, and I remember kids in my day liking pepperoni pizza, but none of them wanted it, they all wanted cheese! Crazy! Instead of a cake, they had worms in dirt, and for those of you who are not familiar with that, it is simply chocolate pudding topped with crushed oreos or other chocolate cookies, with a gummy worm inside. All in all, it was a great birthday party!

There was a funny moment involving me and some of the other mothers there. One of the moms had asked me which kid was mine. I replied that none of them were mine. She then tells me that oh you're just here for the birthday girl? Well, it's so hard to keep all of the moms in line and remember them all, besides you look really young, but then again, all of them are young these days. After she walked away from me, all of the moms were looking at me as they talked, most likely about me. I just laughed and shook my head. I told my mom this story, and when I went to visit her yesterday afternoon, as soon as I walked into her house, she says," There's the hussy from the party!" We had a good laugh about it, but I told her that I guess you just have to love the Desperate Housewives of Colorado Springs...sad, I know, but there are too many of them and they are all alike.

I got to meet a lot of my friend's family yesterday at the party, and they are soo soo nice! They are really funny and just all around a good loving family. I know that my family is not like that, though I wish they could be, but I know it will never happen, and I have yet to have any other friend's whose families are like this! It was a nice relaxing feeling being around them all! Can't wait to do it again soon!

We got some snow last night. It had been a great few days of nice weather, but we ended up with some this morning. No one is really surprised by it, as it is Colorado weather, but still...I'm a summer baby, I like the warm weather...it would be great to have some sun!

I'm excited for this week to begin, but I can't tell you why...not just yet anyways! I'm hoping that things are going to go well enough for me to share with all of you, but for many reasons, I need to just leave you hanging!

Mike and I tried some Thai food nearby, and it wasn't too bad. I think I know what I would order next time that we go. The menu even featured many gluten free items! I told my mom, but I knew that she wasn't a big ethnic food person, so she wasn't intrigued. If I ever need to eat GF, I know that I have many tasty options available to me, other than salads!

My work outs have been put on hold, very temporarily. I think I have tweaked my back and because I have already thrown it out, about a year or so ago, I am not willing to push myself hardcore, and risk damage. It was pretty bad yesterday, and I can still feel it today, though it is not as bad. I may just convince my friend to just go for a long walk until it gets better. We'll see.

I'm excited for the upcoming girls night this Friday. I'm not entirely sure what is planned, but I thoroughly enjoy my time that I spend with these amazing women! One of them is my friend that I work out with, another is her twin sister that I went to her daughter's birthday party, and a lot of them are their friends, whom I've met more than once! They are really refreshing from what I am used to having in friends that I had in my past.

There has been a lot of stresses in my family, that I am hoping get resolved soon. I won't delve into details at this moment, but just keep them in your prayers, as I know that something good, I hope, will come from all of this. If not, well, things could go very differently.

Yesterday, Mike sent me a text that brought a smile to my face. He told me that he is so happy and lucky to have such a special person in his life, as I am always taking care of those around me, regarding my family, my friends and him. He always knows how to make me feel good about what I am doing for others. We even talked last night, when I told him how much pain I was in with my back, that I am a very stoic person. If I am in pain, I don't say anything, I don't talk about it, and I don't really show it, and then I'm always, regardless of my pain/health, making sure everyone around me is taken care of. I smiled, and almost cried. It's nice to know that he can admit it, and tell me that I am more concerned with others than me. I'm not sure why, but it means a lot to me. I do put others before me and it will most likely never change. It's just who I am.

I found this great quote that I wanted to share..."Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together."  This is so very true. I think that it is true in every relationship that you have/had. Sometimes, I think it's harder for us to just sweep it up and leave it alone in the trash, than just re-gluing and piecing it again and again. Eventually, we learn that we have too many cuts on our hands, and we need to leave it alone. I often think that this is the hardest lesson anyone can learn. I remember my mom telling me numerous times when I was dating Matt, that I needed to walk away. I never did until I was tired of it all. It wasn't until a few weeks remembering the relationship that I realized how fake and full of lies and unfaithfulness was involved. The same thing is true about many of the friendships that I had. I used to wonder what happened, and some of them would tell me, and more times than not, it was more their insecurities of things that was going on in my life, or things that I said which were my opinions that I held to my own standards, that drove them away. I had to learn that there is a reason why they left, regardless of the reasons, it happened for a reason. It could be that the reason is that I would have suffered more in another way, or someone close to me would have been the ones to suffer. Sometimes, we need to be the ones to say, I don't care what you think, why you did what you did, and move on. When I think about Matt, I think about how silly it was of me to ignore all of the signs. I should have moved on a long time before I really did, and the same thing is true with everyone else that is no longer in my life. The saddest part of it all, after looking back on it, is that this is a vicious cycle that they do to all of their other friends and family. I'm not the first that they have done this too, and I know I won't be the last. There are a lot of people who are never happy with the people or things that they have in their lives, and always complain or get new things, only to be disappointed by them later. That's like asking for more drama. There's no need of them. Life is too damn short. There was a girl that I was friends with for a very short time, as I tried to be her friend, but she never took care of herself, her kids were always being yelled at by her for silly things, and she brought so much drama into her life. She would literally look for drama...a day or two ago, Mike told me that she is in the hospital. She went in for some stomach problems, and then was admitted. Her kidneys failed, and they are hoping that things improve soon. I stopped being her friend, not just because of her want to bring more drama into her life, her need to constantly buy things that she couldn't afford or need, or how she treated her kids, but how she would tell another girl that was constantly trying to get Mike's attention in a very adulterous way that I didn't like her for it. I didn't need that in my life, so I walked away. After hearing that she was in the hospital, I told Mike that I truly hope that she gets better. I may not like the drama inducing lifestyle, or the crazy spending sprees, etc and I may not like her in general...heck, even if I hated her guts, as I do some other people in my past, I would never wish anyone harm or death. I do hope she makes a fast recovery, and I hope she sees this as an opportunity to change her lifestyle before something worse happens.

There...that was my profound moment for the day. Life is too short to hold onto things or people that don't want to be around us or are not good for us. We need to be the stronger person and move forward and never look back. Yes, we can look back so that we have something to learn from, but we don't need the drama. We get that by moving forward and seeing what else is in store for us. Life is full of hard choices, and sometimes, we will not be able to make everyone happy. It will come down to what is right, what is wrong, and what is best for those around us. We may catch a lot of grief over it all when we actually do it, but what if it saves a life? What if is something that will keep us from getting sick or depressed? Maybe it will destroy a family, or a friendship, but sometimes that is just what life has in the works...let's just ride it out and see.

Until next time!

Recipe: Sausage, Egg & Biscuit Casserole with Sage Gravy

Once again, I have succeeded in finding another amazing meal! Now, growing up, I hated the sausage gravy meal that my mother would make. Since I was the only one in the family who was disgusted with it, we had it often. This recipe I love! It's not your traditional sausage gravy meal. It's better! Not only is it great for dinner, but amazing for breakfast!

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

7 eggs

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

8 frozen buttermilk biscuits, partially thawed, halved

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

For Gravy:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (I used dried)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used more, simply because we like foods that have a kick)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375*. Coat a 7x11 (I used a 9x13) baking dish with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet.

Brown sausage in a saute pan over medium heat, breaking into chunks. Transfer cooked sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Reserve drippings for Sage Gravy!

Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper in a large measuring cup/bowl. Set aside.

Layer biscuit bottoms in prepared dish. Sprinkle half of the sausage over the biscuits and top with half of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layering, except for the cheese! Pour egg mixture over top; transfer to oven and bake 30 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the casserole and bake until eggs are set (center is no longer jiggly and instant-read thermometer registers 165*), a toothpick inserted into a biscuit comes out clean, and tops are golden, 10-15 minutes more. Let casserole stand 10 minutes.

For the gravy:

Melt butter in sausage drippings (reserved from casserole) in a saute pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth; cook 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk until mixture is smooth. Cook gravy until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in sage and pepper flakes. Season gravy with (optional) salt and pepper. Pour gravy over top of your serving of casserole.

Note*: You don't need to try and distribute the egg mixture evenly in the casserole pan, as it will do that naturally.

Use a serrated knife when cutting the partially thawed biscuits, as it will make it easier!

This is an easy meal that can be prepared the night before for morning baking!

Enjoy!

Living Life With No Regrets

Hello everyone!

Let's see what I can update everyone on....

Aside from the snow and the fog and cold weather that snuck on us last week, it's beginning to feel a lot like Spring/Summer. The thunderstorms have started up again, and it's so nice to see them again! I am hoping for more soon so that I can get pictures of them! I can't wait to try it again!

I spent a good portion of one of my afternoons, planting seeds for our walkway flower bed and around our tree. There are some sprouts poking up, but nothing too serious. It seems like forever! Next month, I will be planting even more, but I have to wait until May. I'm also looking forward to getting the garden started too, as soon as I know more about a certain topic, which I cannot delve into at this moment.

Working out in the mornings have started to become pretty intense! My good friend and I have been pushing each other to make it through the entire workout! I'm glad that we have each other! Mike had ordered some kettle bells and a workout video to go along with it. I've used kettle bells before when I was going to boot camp, but we don't have them here at home. I hope they will be put to good use!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had gotten a coupon for a free "something" that was going to be a surprise for Mike. After struggling with the online ordering, talking to an online rep, and finally being able to order it the next day when the system came back online, it finally arrived on Tuesday! The "something" was a photo book, filled with pictures of the two of us, with our wedding vows inside, plus a few "Happiness is... <fill in the blank>" pages. As he was reading it, you could tell that he felt like he knew the words, but couldn't place them. He asked me if I wrote the words myself. I just smiled. Once he finished reading the whole book, I explained to him that those were our vows, and you could see the light bulb go off. He loved the book, and that made me very happy!

I will be having a busy weekend ahead of me. My mom is pretty sick, and will be watching my niece, Willow again on Friday and Saturday. I called her today and could tell that she wasn't doing very well at all. So, tomorrow after my early morning workout, I will be heading over there to help her out. Saturday, of course, will be a little more challenging as I have a birthday party to attend in the morning! I can't wait for the birthday party, actually, and I hope that she will be happy with her gifts...though she is turning 7, I'm sure that she will.

I think I mentioned in my last post that Mike and I had gotten hair cuts. Mine was a cut, color and style, but I am loving it! I feel like I have much more confidence, and feel great about myself. I also know that a large part of those "new-found" feelings are due to the lessened stresses in my life, but I like to think that the hair cut/color helped too. I am pretty happy with it, and the curls are staying in! Yay! I keep meaning to time myself as I work on my hair in the morning, but I always forget. I need to focus on that next time!

Lately, I have been obsessed with Seether's new album! I used to think that Seether was just okay, but I have suddenly become a big fan. Now, I've seen videos of them performing live, and I must say that I will never see them live! They aren't very good live...at least that is what a friend of Mike's said when she went to see them recently, and from the videos I saw, doesn't help their case. There is a lot of really good songs on this album, a lot of them are surprisingly not typical of them...ala quiet... =) One of the songs that I really like the words to is Fur Cue. It talks about realizing that you're being used, and the fakeness, the lies and deceit of the person closest to him. He talks about making no compromises as he walks away from it all, and no longer bending and obeying, ignoring what is going on and growing into a stronger person to stand up against the things that are wrong. Feels almost like a theme song. I would link the video into the blog, but I know a lot of people don't like heavy metal, so I won't! =) But, you can always look it up if you are curious.

Mike made this amazing salad vinaigrette! I picked up more vinegar so that he can make even more! It's much healthier than the traditional salad dressings, and I am feeling okay with giving them up. We saved a jar, cleaned it and will use it as the container to allow him to make a bulk batch of this vinaigrette...can't wait!

Last week, I had my annual physical with our primary physician. I am completely healthy. I mentioned to her about the random hive break out that I had late last year, early this year...whenever it was. Turns out that it wasn't hives after all. She explained to me that if it was a food allergy, it would have happened the same day as I ate whatever it was, and then the hives would have gone away within 24 hours, but because it didn't go away in that time period and didn't show up until a day later, she told me that it was a possibility that it was some sort of viral infection that happened to show up on the skin. I guess that makes sense? =)  I offered to show her the pictures that I took of them, but it wasn't necessary. It didn't itch, it didn't scar me or anything, and I haven't had it happen since, so I guess we're good!

Allergies have been horrible this year! Mike is starting to suffer now, as I am becoming more adaptable to them. Claritin every night is helping a ton too! I also think that with the storms and colder weather, it calmed everything down, at least that is what I am hoping for!

My mom told me that Willow loves to sit on her potty chair. I am not sure if the training has started or not, but she loves to sit on it. My mom told me that Willow will look at her and say," Potty!" and then run and sit on it. I think she's been ready for a while, and I think she wants to get this train moving!

On Easter, Willow had a bite of some broccoli that I brought over, and she didn't like it at all! It was a funny face that she made, and didn't spit it out, but eventually did. She loves carrots though, so I had to keep giving her some carrots. As my mom, brother and I were playing a card game, Willow tried to climb out of her pack and play. She didn't want to nap, so we let her out. Now, here's a funny story... my mom unplugged her kindle from the wall, so that Willow didn't grab it. Willow, for some reason, was fascinated with the outlet and kept trying to touch it. My mom smacked her hand and said no, more than once, but Willow wouldn't listen. I decided to act before Willow succeeded in sticking her fingers into the sockets, so I grabbed my mom's spray bottle that she uses on her cat, turned and sprayed Willow a few times. She flinched from the water and ran away. My mom and I bust up laughing for about 5 minutes. My brother, of course, didn't find it as humorous, but given the fact that it worked, was just priceless. I'm sure that it won't work on her again, but it was still great!

Mike has been craving Thai and/or Indian food lately. I have never had either. (except the Thai that Mike makes) I looked up a few restaurants in our area and told him that I'd be willing to try them. After all, I fell in love with sushi after trying it...maybe it will be the same here. Mike did mention that we could go out tonight and try one of them, but we'll see. I have a steak pulled out just in case he'd rather not go out. Either way, I'll be okay with it!

 The hair style before.         

The new style! (I sent this to Mike to cheer him up at work)

I know, the blowing a kiss photo is the best of the new hair style, taken today to brighten Mike's day at work. Work's been kind of horrible lately, and I wanted him to at least have one moment of the work day to smile at. Needless to say, it worked!

I felt a little bad for my mother the last couple of days. Not only is she really sick, but she gets to deal with people putting her in the middle of situations that she isn't even a part of. I have to shake my head. I guess she was right in saying that I scare my family. Oh well. I kind of don't care. Honestly, I didn't do anything but ask the same questions that are asked all the time by numerous others...and yet, I'm the bad guy. Again...oh well. I think that people need to grow a backbone and stand up for themselves. If you can't do that, then you'll always be used by those around you or treated in disrespectful ways. The people who usually try to make everyone else happy, are the ones who are the least happy and are the most lonely. Frankly, I find the whole ordeal a bit funny. This individual has gone off on my mother for the stupidest things, and yet won't stand up to her husband or me or anyone else...just my mom... I am proud of my mother for saying that she is staying out of this one. I'm not expecting any sort of conversation to stem from this, but I'm prepared either way.

I just don't get it...why do people do the things that they do? Say the things that they say? Is it all because they have nothing better to do than pick on those who are defenseless against them? For the longest time, my mother was one of those people, but lately, I have seen a change in her and it's for the better. I am proud that she is coming to terms and is doing the right thing for her own well being. Too many times, people put others before them, always making sure they are doing okay, buying them things to allow them to spend their money on things that are important and vital to them or their families. Sometimes, this generosity becomes abused and taken for granted. I'm a victim of that, as I am sure everyone has been at one point or another. Why people take others for granted is beyond me, but honestly, I think it goes to show the maturity and the selfishness of those said individuals. It's a hard lesson to learn and to see the signs, which most of us don't see until it's too late, but what matters is how we react, how we handle the situation and most importantly, how we strong we are to make sure that we won't allow it to happen again. I remember being completely and utterly broke when I was living in my apartment. I couldn't afford rent most months, let alone food. There were several months that I didn't have food in my apartment. What little money I had left over from that month's bills, I spent on food for the cats, and buying canned goods that I knew would last me for a long time. I didn't go anywhere, or do anything with friends because I didn't have the funds to have fun, but I was always making sure that everyone else was taken care of before me, and that, I know didn't help my situation any, but at that time, I couldn't say no. If I could go back and change that, I think I would have, simply because that would have allowed me to build on my relationships, but in reality, I know that it wouldn't have been easy. I am so very very grateful that I have the life that I have. I am very fortunate to be able to afford a roof over my head and food on my table, and more to support those that I love and have around me for good reason. I have no regrets in helping the people that matter(ed) to me, and still don't. I know that it was for a good cause, but honestly, I need to learn to be a little less giving. If I had a fault, that would be a key one. I've learned this nature from my mother. I have learned that my mother and I are one in the same. There are so many similarities that sometimes, it is downright scary! I think we all view our parents as these meddlesome people who are always trying to interfere with our plans, with our lives, but they are simply trying to look out for us, and we need to understand that it's all in our best interest. We shouldn't be complaining about them, even if we feel that they are more supportive of one sibling over the rest or more critical of the other. Sometimes, they don't know they do it, or if they do, they have their reasons.

Anyways, sorry for that tangent. Not sure where all of that came from, perhaps a long contemplative day. Regardless of everything written, I love my mom, my brother and my niece as well as my husband and his family and even my friends who have become a great support system. So with all of that long winded droning, I just want to close this by saying that I have learned to become a strong and independent women with positive people and mind-sets in my life and I am loving it! I can't wait to see what else is in store for me next and I hope that the world smiles down on all of us, as we will all surely deserve some happiness!

Until next time!

Recipe: Eclair Cake

After the Spiced Zucchini Cake with Spiced Maple Frosting, I had a hard time trying to convince Mike that there could be other yummy desserts. Once he gave me the green light to make something else, I had asked him about his thoughts on an Eclair Cake. He looked at me funny, at first, so I figured that I had to explain what an eclair is...turns out that I didn't but he was just thinking about how it'd turn out. Doesn't he know that I'm making it? =)

This dessert takes no time at all to prepare, and is a quick and easy dessert to make before any guests arrive! I even gave a piece to my grandmother, who also loved it!

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (ie cool whip)

3 cups milk

16 ounce package graham cracker squares*

16 ounce container prepared chocolate frosting

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the pudding mix, whipped topping and milk.

Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.

Melt frosting in the microwave for 30 seconds and spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan.

Cover and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

*Notes: The variations of graham crackers to be used in this recipe are endless, as well as the pudding flavors!

Try this recipe out using:

Chocolate graham crackers with chocolate pudding and vanilla frosting.

Cinnamon graham crackers with cheesecake pudding and chocolate frosting.

Chocolate graham crackers with coffee flavored chocolate pudding and dark chocolate frosting.

The variations are endless! Be creative! Enjoy!

Recipe: Hearty Split Pea Soup

Mike had told me once that he was a huge fan of split pea soup. As usual, I ran out of ideas for a menu, and decided that I would surprise him by making this meal. It's super easy, and it goes in the crock pot! Bonus!

16 ounces dried split peas

2 cups (or more) fully cooked lean ham, diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 medium onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

5 cups boiling water (I don't use boiling, I just use hot tap water...it's in the crock pot, right?)

1 cup milk

In a slow cooker, layer the first nine ingredients in order listed (do no stir). Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in milk. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Pan Grilled Russet Potatoes

I had some left over potatoes, and needed to use them up soon, so I decided to make this quick and easy side for our game hens.

potatoes (I had about 4-5)
2 tablespoons of olive oil (I eyeballed it. Just enough to cover the pan)
dill (to taste)*
rosemary (to taste)*
thyme (to taste) *
garlic powder (to taste)*

Pour in your oil in the bottom of a skillet/pan. Cut your potatoes into bite size pieces and place them into the oil. Sprinkle your spices/herbs on the potatoes and turn the heat on low-medium. Allow them some time to brown and cook before turning them over. Don't wait too long, as they will burn and stick to the pan. Once all sides are nicely and evenly browned, transfer them to your plates!

Enjoy!

*Note: You can use any spices/herbs that you'd like. The posted ones are what I used and are just a place holder and suggestion!