Mock Margaritas

Had these with our Cafe Rio salad last night. YUM! Here's the link to the salad recipe I used.
http://www.beckyhiggins.com/recipes/2009/01/cafe-rio.html


Mock Margaritas

Lime Slices, if desired
Coarse salt, if desired
1 can (6oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (3/4 c)
1 can (6oz) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed (3/4 c)
1/4 c powdered sugar
3 cups crushed ice
2 cups club soda or 7 up, chilled

1) Rub tops of glasses with lime slices; dip in salt to coat
2) In blender, place lemonade and limeade concentrates, powdered sugar and ice. Cover, blend until slushy. Add club soda; stir gently. Pour mixture carefully into glasses. Garnish with lime slices.

Yummy Stuffed Peppers!

Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
3 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded

1 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, drained

4 servings brown rice, cooked according to package directions

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 can corn kernels, drained

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

and rinsed

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons grated

Parmesan cheese


Prepare peppers, place in pan. Cook Rice according to package directions. Mix everything but the peppers & cheeses together. Fill peppers with mixture. Bake at 400 about 30 min. Mix cheeses together and sprinkle over peppers. Bake another 5 minutes or until peppers are tender.

November

November is upon us. Wow!
Morgan's Halloween party was a hit, I guess she had kids upset with her that they weren't invited and "everyone" was talking about her party. Does that mean I am a cool mom now? I guess this is going to become a Halloween tradition. I had a good time, Morgan hangs out with some pretty good kids.
Blair was interviewing for a job at Hill Air Force Base. He went through the first interviews and made the cut, and they flew him to Ohio for the next set. He got back today. We thought he'd have it for sure, but they gave to to someone else. I'm trying to be happy for the other guy-he needed it pretty bad too, but I'm really struggling with this. I guess I'm used to getting my way.:)
He's been out of work for about a year and a half now, and it's really getting to me--It's tough having him underfoot all the time and depressed---
David has been having a super hard time at school, bad enough I'd call it regression. His teacher got a new rewards system in place (with some motivators from me...Legos, action figures....) and he had his first good day in weeks. I hope it lasts. Yesterday I was having to wrestle him onto the bus while he kicked and screamed. Yesterday was probably his worst day this year.
I am sick, AGAIN! This time it's some respiratory thing, I have a cough and I feel like someone is sitting on my chest. I also have a lovely "smokers" voice.
Morgan came home from school sick today, she has the barfy's. She seems to be doing better tonight, hopefully she'll be OK to go to school tomorrow.
On a lighter note (after all my whining) Broden is doing well and most days enjoys school. He's been a great motivator getting us to church and is taking his preisthood responsibilities seriously. I'm very proud of him. He's started writing stories, and he's pretty good. I'm impressed with his abilities. Of course it could be I'm just a bit biased.
Tomorrow I tackle applesauce making for the first time ever. I hope I don't poison my family. :) Tonight I made chili with my garden tomatoes, I am kinda proud of myself. Again, I hope I don't poison anyone.
Off to feed the fam! TTFN

Halloween

So Halloween is creeping up on us. I have to say, I'm not a fan. I like dressing up as something goofy and who doesn't love candy? I just hate the spooky, gory stuff & people that jump out and scare the kids (and me). David is pretty excited this year. Can you guess what he'll be? You guessed it! He's a clone trooper again! I guess it is kind of nice that we do the same costume every year with him. :) Morgan is throwing a party on Friday for her friends. I hope they all have fun, I'm a little overwhelmed. :) Her friends are all pretty good kids though, so hopefully no problems. Broden has, yet again, said he's going to opt out. He gets totally freaked out by the scary/gory costumes. I wonder where he got that? However I think, like in years past, he'll decide 10 minutes before we head out for trunk or treat that he wants to participate. I imagine he'll be some kind of soldier or a clone trooper as well. I am being completely unoriginal (according to my daughter) and taking a page from David's book. I am wearing last years costume of Rosie the Riveter. It's great! Jeans, comfy shirt, hair pulled back, and retro makeup! Hey, at least I dress up!
Well, I'm off to clean the house for the craziness tomorrow! Hopefully we'll have some fun pics to share. TTFN!

Shakespeare & Swine Flu

Impromptu mosh pit at the awards ceremony. Gotta love these free spirits! I do!



Team Pictures on the last day.



Duos & Ensemble. I don't have any photos of the Monologues. Morgan was in the Ensemble, you can kinda see her in the back with her orange vest on. This was when it was over and they were cleaning up the props and PB&J sandwich that attacked Brian.

The ride home......

The Shakespeare trip was great! What a wonderful bunch of kids! I was unable to see all the performances, but the ones I saw I was so impressed with. Our group was so well rehearsed and super well-behaved (for a drama team :)) Sadly our team didn't place, but they had some seriously tough competition. Mrs. Poulsen got sick while down there, but what a trooper! She just plugged on with a smile! The other teachers & parents that attended were a blast, and I made some new friends. Sadly a bunch of kids came home with....you guessed it.....swine flu. Swine Flu is a recurring theme around town! Working at a grocery store I get to see loads of these sickies that come in to the pharmacy to pick up their Tamaflu. Of course, while they are at the store they need to grab their gallon of milk, tissues and whatever else sounds good. Now they come to me! Yeah! They get to share their germs with me! So guess what. I managed to come home uncontaminated from the Shakespeare trip and caught it from work. Now, I am not 100% sure I have the swine flu-or whatever the politically correct term is- because I REFUSE to fork out a small fortune to a Dr. so he can stick a swab up my nose and prescribe me something that may or may not work. So fluids, rest and more rest and eventually I will be back to my somewhat normal self.
Enjoy the photos of the Shakespeare trip!

Losing people, swine flu & insomnia

Moving around kinda sucks. Facebook is great for finding lost friends, but what if you can't remember the last name of that amazing lady that lived downstairs from you in Germany? Or someones name is SO common you have 1000+ hits and aren't sure where they live now? I have met so many wonderful people in our adventures, and I feel terrible that I've lost touch with them. All of them have had a positive influence in my life. I wish I could "talk" with them again.

So Broden had a bug yesterday. The barfy's, fever and headache. SO much fun! Morgan wasn't feeling too hot either, but I think she slept it off. So far so good I don't have it, but my luck Thurs morning will come around and I'll be sick. I am a chaperone for Morgans Shakepeare trip down to southern Utah. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be fun!

I am addicted to the internet. It's 12:30 am and I am blogging and skulking around Facebook. I am not even really sleepy. Whazzup with that? I guess it could be that I am normally just getting off of work right now...but still!
Ok, so I guess I'll go plant some seeds on Farmville...:)

September

Sept 11th. I've been thinking on where I was and what I was doing that day. I was at Ft Campbell. I barely made it back onto post before they locked it down. As I pulled up in front of my house, my neighbor running out and yelling that the world trade center had been hit by a plane and the Pentagon was on fire. Armed soldiers at my kids school. Calling my mom and waking her up, telling her the horrible news. Humvees & MP's patrolling the streets. That feeling of helplessness, mourning for those lives lost, anger and confusion-wondering how people could do this to each other.Worried about Blair leaving for Afghanistan, proud of him and our soliders. Sleeping alone, not knowing if I'd get to say goodbye if he deployed. Kids having no teachers on the 12th because they couldn't get on post with the one gate open. Wanting to hold onto my children and never let them go............ *After Sept 11th*
Broden with his Thomas backpack walking to school, guards waiting to check my ID. If I remember, they checked it near the crosswalk and again at the school doors.

____________________________________________________
Later-------
I love driving through Lakeshore/Benjamin and watching people bringing in their harvest. It is starting to feel a bit like fall. Though it's not cooled off enough yet for me. :) Smelling the hay as they cut it, looking at the corn growing. Watching the red-taile hawks cut and dive through the air. I love fall.

It's the middle of Sept. Wow. What have I done in the last month? I finished all the blocks on my gingerbread man quilt. It's cute! Still have the borders and actual quilting to do..... to machine quilt or to hand quilt...that is the question.

David is signed up with a study at BYU for kids w/ autism. He's thrilled cause he makes some money, and I am hoping the research will get us closer to a cure, or at the very least a cause. Broden was disappointed, they deemed him "too normal" for the study and not "normal" enough for the control group. Poor kid! :) He was so looking forward to some easy money!
Everyone is back in school. Blair & the kids. I am back to full-time at Maceys. Garrett (my nephew who's been living with us, has a job and is closer to his enlistment into the Army. :D
It's late and I better get to bed. I leave you with a question.....What IS Normal??