My {not so} famous chili...

Time for payback. All of you that know Sammie and know what chili does to him, this is your chance to make this chili and get him back!!! This is a decently priced, ONE POT chili!!!

                                 

What you need:

-One big soup(?) pot
-Cheese grater
- 1Onion
- 2 cans of pinto beans
- 2 cans of great northern beans
- 1 Can of tomato juice
- 1 McKormic chili seasoning package
- 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. of ground beef
- Salt, garlic powder, chili powder



This is what you do:

This is a ONE pot chili! That means easy clean up and barely ANY mess! You can do this in the crock pot, but I would brown the meat in a pan and then put it in the crock pot.

Anyways, Start with the onion. One way to cut an onion and WITHOUT the tears is by using a cheese grater. Cut the onion in half and peel the outside. Do NOT cut off the ends. You will want the ends to hold on to because you will use the cheese grater to "cut" it up. Sammie doesn't like onion unless it is so small, you can't notice it in the meal. I used dried minced onion for the longest time and then got the idea to use a cheese grater.  The onion almost looks pureed after it is done. (I knew I should have gotten a pic. Sorry.)

Forgive the pot markings. They are always there no matter how many times I clean it. Anyways, after grating the onion into the pot, put the meat in and brown it! Mix the meat and onion well. While the meat is browning, do a once over with some chili powder and garlic powder. After the meat is brown, of course drain the grease, but you don't have to do it well. I keep a tiny bit in there to add flavor. I usually use the leanest meat I can find, too. So there isn't that much grease anyways.

After that, add the ENTIRE can of tomato juice. Sometimes I only add 3/4 of the can and put water in it. It all depends on what I have in my fridge. :) Then add the McKormick package, drain the excess juice from the cans of bean, and add beans. Don't fully drain the beans. I like a little bit of excess bean juice to add flavor...which might could explain some things.

Alright! After mixing everything together, bring the chili to a boil. I would suggest using a medium-high heat. You don't want anything to burn at the bottom. Stir frequently as it boils so that burning doesn't happen. I would also suggest boiling it about 10-20 minutes. It really depends on how much time you have. After it heats up a little bit, most of the time I take this moment to add more garlic and chili powder and salt if needed. Tomato juice already has plenty of sodium in it. So, you might not need to add salt. If you added some water though, you  most likely will need to.

I let it simmer the rest of the day. I stir it every once in a while so that things don't get cooked to the pan. If you go to work and are not a stay at home mom like me, that is why I suggested the crock pot(on high). The longer it cooks the better it will be!  Not to mention, the more it cooks, the more the flavors seem to just melt into each other! I like it when the beans are tender and the meat practically melts in your mouth. That is why I use pinto and great northern beans. I hate kidney beans and they always seem tough no matter how long you cook them. Also, feel free to use the recipe as a guide to make your own style of chili!

Thanks for letting me share! You can also feel free to share any suggestions of making it better or even what you do for your chili! If you use this recipe as a base for your own, please share that, too! I love hearing what other people do. Have a great day!!

Mean Girls (Part 2) and the 4th of July

So, after reading my previous post a couple of times, some questions came into my mind. I realized I didn't post anything about what I might be doing to prevent my girls from becoming "mean girls". So here goes:

First of all, I think it is going to help that they are so close in age. Lucy is the main one I am concerned about since we are so much alike. She has gotten a lot better since Lainey was born and can be very gentle with her sister. Sometimes though, she likes to yank the pacifier out of Lainey's mouth for kicks and giggles, just so she can try to get it back into her mouth. So, I guess just really encouraging acts of kindness between the two of them is my first thing. To really praise Lucy when she is gentle and/or actually gives Lainey her paci when she is crying!

My second thing, is really communicating/communicating "why". Kids really understand more than we give them credit for! They can really understand so much. So, when she is being unkind to Lainey or me, I really try to explain to her WHY it is mean. Even if I use big words, I feel that she understands me. I guess you could say I don't want to "dumb down" my kids just because they are young or kids. I am sure that could get positive and negative remarks, but I think communication is so important. I think it is so important that kids learn how to communicate their feelings rather than act out on them. I am by no means a perfect parent. I make mistakes and sometimes I yell even though I don't want to be a yeller. Or, I can lose patience and not communicate in a nice way. That brings me to my next point.

Third, I am trying to lead by example and it is easier said than done!!! I have two very loud children and one sounds like a pterodactyl! They can wear on my patience quickly. I have really learned to start taking deep breaths, praise(Praising the Lord for these gifts), and God's word. Sometimes all I need is silence. One time I was really having a hard time and was being very impatient with EVERYONE. At this point, I didn't want to be with anyone, not even friends. I didn't want to have to give to someone...if you know what I mean...all I wanted was some silence. So, at naptime one day, Sammie got irritated with me and I walked outside, read a couple of chapters from Proverbs and it helped me so much. What really helps me sometimes when I am reading my Bible are the notes that I have written in margins. Some of the notes contain my goals and desires for being a good and wise parent.

I guess the fourth thing would be proper discipline. This is so hard and I am not going to go to far into this. I am learning about this, too. I constantly pray for the wisdom and intutiveness I need to raise my kids. I am a really my harshest critic. Sometimes I don't feel like a very good mother and notice myself comparing myself to other mothers. I do my best when it comes to this. When she throws something at her sister and makes her cry, I will take the object away and spank her. I recently posted something about this on Facebook. So that is another reason why I won't go so far into it. I think prayer and asking God to mold and help me mold our children to be sweet is the major thing. I know that my girls are human beings and life is really learning by experience. That means I know they aren't going to be perfect, but I will do my best to encourage them to love and communicate well with people of all ages!

Are you still reading? Would you like to know what it is like to jump into a lake from 33ft?

I will be quick. To celebrate the fourth of July, we were invited by friends to go and hang out on a yacht. It was 133ft. long and 33ft high. When the boat was parked, I just climbed down the ladder and got into the lake. I had had one cocktail and was feeling relaxed. When I saw the boys start jumping into the water from the second story of the boat all I could think was, "I have got to try that." It was awesome! Well, after hanging out in the water a little while longer, someone got the idea to jump fromt the third story! Again, I told myself that I had to try it. When you jump from that high, you just can NOT think about it. I was glad I had something to relax me a little. I was one out of two girls to jump into the water from either story of the boat. Anyways, when I jumped in the feeling was just like the panic you feel when you are having a "falling dream". The three emotions I got were: panic, excitement, and elation! I literally thought "Am I going to hit the water?" When I did, I landed on my butt and it hurt a long time after that. It also lead to a huge bruise the size of soft ball on my rear end. O well! It was so worth it and I would encourage any one to do it if they have the chance!! You only live once!!

Hope all is well with everyone! Thanks for letting me share!

Mean Girls? And maybe a few tips.

Bullying seems to have started becoming popular. When I was younger, I believe I was the bully, not the one being bullied.  I might have had a few instances where someone was mean to me. That lead to me just being mean back. I once got sent to the principal's office. A girl had been making fun of my acne and that lead to me saying, "I rather have acne than butt breathe like you." Hahahaha. I still find it funny, even though I probably shouldn't. I don't think that is bullying though. I think bullying is when you get your class to surround someone who used to be your friend, heckle her, and kick her shoes. The image of that girl is still stuck in my and I hope it stays there. I do not want my girls to grow up as mean girls.

Recently, I was talking to my mom and I was going through some of the mean things (that could be considered bullying) and I had a realization. I realized that most of the time when I was acting that way, it wasn't my IDEA to treat people that way. It seemed that it was always someone else's idea and I wanted to look cool. So, I succumbed to peer pressure. I am by no means blaming these people. It was my decision to do it and then continue with my actions.  I know my kids aren't perfect, even though I think that the sun shines out of their butts, but I just don't want to be one of those moms where they think their kid could do no wrong. Anyways, I hope I can teach them the things they need to be sweet girls, but to know how and when to stand up for themselves. I don't want them to be suckers either...

Anyways, some people might think I am still a mean girl. I consider myself a very blunt person and I know that some might consider that "bitchy".  I am just not the kind of person that is going to tell you if something looks good if it doesn't! If you ask my opinion, you better REALLY want it because I am going to give it to you! :) Has anyone else noticed that when someone asks for an opinion or advice, they don't really want it anyways? People are still going to do things the way they want to anyways.

Alright, on to bigger and better things...

So, I was looking for a mattress pad for Lucy. Potty training will be soon approaching us and we will deifnitely need one.  Right now, I just couldn't stand that you could see the mattress through her pink sheets! I don't know why. It just seemed ghetto. Well, we do not have the money right now for a mattress pad. At least, we couldn't afford a good one that ranges in prices of 20-30 dollars. So, I ended up getting a twin size comforter that we have had forever and put in on the mattress and then used her flat sheet over the comforter. She doesn't really use covers and that flat sheet was becoming a pain in my toosh when I made the bed!! This was a cheap, quick fix. I was thinking of putting some kind of plastic underneath when potty training comes. I am sure the plastic would be cheaper and you couldn't hear it with that comforter over it! After I put all of that on, I covered it with the fitted sheet and it worked out great! Just an idea for you moms out there that are frugal!

I haven't really tried any new recipes lately. I know that since Lucy is on almond milk, instead of cow's milk, I have used sour cream in our mashed potatoes. We use sour cream more and usually have it on hand. However, I would not recommend using almond milk in your mashed potatoes. It doesn't taste terrible and some might like it, but I prefer the sour cream. It makes very tasty mashed taters! I will also say that lately, we have grilled a lot and have had some of the BEST burgers.  If you want a tasty burger you must mix the Kraft Fresh Takes with the meat! (Use the four cheese one for burgers) I also put a tiny bit of Allegro in it to make them moist and a little more flavorful when it comes to the grill. Not to mention, I usually don't eat meat for left overs because I can't stand the taste, but I ate a left over burger last night and it was still delicious!!

Anyways, thanks for letting me share with you! Hope everyone has a blessed day!!

Does time heal all wounds? And sharing a recipe.

I really having nothing to complain about. I want to start off that I am not complaining about my life. I have two beautiful girls and a great man. Life is, for the most part, really awesome right now.


My Grandad has been on my mind a lot this past month. July 3rd is coming up and this day marks 2 years since he has passed. I have been missing him SO much. It is as if he just passed! The thing is, is that I look back and when I think about that time, I was pregnant, then I breastfed, and then I got pregnant, again. Life was pretty busy! I guess the reason I named this "Does time heal all wounds?" is because it seems that the more time passes, the more painful it gets. It is like the more and more it sinks in every year that he is gone.

I was in the grocery store this past weekend and I was buying Claussen pickles. Those pickles were Grandad's thing. He loved them and he got me hooked on them!! As I was taking them off the shelves, I was telling Sammie about how he loved them and I would do anything to share a pickle with him again! I seriously almost started crying in the store! It made me think. It made we want to tell people that still have their Grandads to listen to their stories! I think I really wished I could get to know my Grandad more as a person! It is weird when you are a child. You don't think your parents or grandparents are real people or something! I don't know. It is just weird. I loved seeing Sammie and my Grandad exchanging war stories! It was amazing how much they had in common!!! Grandad was such a special man. He was such a leader of our family and he really took care of all of us! If I could describe him in one word it would be "respectable".

Anyways, I just had to get that out there! I miss him terribly!


On to other news: The girls are doing well. I am always concerned or worried about something. I feel I need to do better at letting go, but that I also need to think of new fun activities for them! I am sure most of y'all know that Sammie and I have a garden! This week we have actually started being able to harvest some veggies! Mainly squash and zucchini! I love having a garden. It is definitely going to encourage me to try new recipes. The first time we fried up some zucchini and squash, we did it with some butter, salt and garlic powder. Tonight, we made some AWESOME fried zucchini!! It is basically the same way, but with Allegro. It is so good.

One chopped Zucchini (serves two and half people)
1/2 tsp. butter (maybe less)
sprinkle of salt and garlic powder
Allegro Marinade (about 1/3 of a cup. Eye it to your liking)

Melt butter in the skillet. After the skillet has been heated up, put the rest of the ingredients in and cook until the zucchini is translucent or clearish looking. Next time we will add some prosciutto. YUM!! I will probably never cook it another way. 

I also have a simple recipe for a meatless spaghetti sauce. It isn't really a recipe. It's more like getting store bought spaghetti sauce and putting a can of diced tomatoes in it. Very good and just as filling as a meat sauce. I plan on taking our cherry tomatoes and doing this instead of using a can and probably adding some fresh onion from our garden, too.

Alright, it is time to go to bed. I know I haven't posted in a while! I hope to keep everyone updated on my journey with new recipes using things from our garden and hopefully take some pictures next time! Hope all is well with everyone!

Shame...I want people's input.

So, Sammie and I have been married for about 5 and 1/2 years. Sometimes I look at other people's relationships and they still have that (idk) "innocent" thing about them? They still have shame or feel shameful when they do certain things in front on each other.

Well, Sammie and I don't have any shame. Farting is a way of life. We have walked into the bathroom (accidently and sometimes on purpose) when either is going 1 or 2. I mean we have had to pop each other's zits. (Hey I am just laying it all out there. I'm going to try and keep this as PG or PG-13 as possible.) I would say we are pretty honest with one another. I can tell him when he has really bad breath and he tells me when my burps smell. He dutch ovens me and farts on my dang pillow (which I was NOT happy about and did NOT laugh at.) It smelled horrible and it kept wafting up in my face!!! Ugh!

I guess what I am trying to say, is that we laugh A LOT! I am a bit of a prankster. There have been several times where he has been in the shower and I have brought in a nice cold pot of water to throw on him. There have also been moments when one of us has walked out of the room and when they walk back we have our butts hanging out, mooning them. I mean is anyone else like this??? I know we watch "The Walking Dead" and there is a couple on there that is SO serious. Everytime we watch them, Sammie is like, "How can they be like that? Even in a zombie apocolypse, I don't think that we can stop laughing".

We just have no shame. I have also asked myself is this a good thing? Or does any innocence just evaporate with marriage? I mean Sammie has gone as far as pulling this ONE hair above my lip that seems to poke itself out every once in a while (it's blonde). I tell him when he has a forest growing in his nose. He has the worst nose hairs ever! I am really not looking forward to what his ears might look like when he is 80. Like, I wonder if his ears are going start growing forests, too. No matter what though, either I will be shaving his ears when he is 80 or He will. Of course, we have told when one another has boogers in our noses. I mean it gets much worse, but like I said, I am trying to keep this at a good rating.

I don't know. My parents have farted in front of me before, but now they act like it is awful. Maybe it is because they only let silent killers. Sammie is not only smelly,but loud. We all have to do it just like we all have to poo! How do couples go through a marriage and not know when the other is going #2? Especially men! They use that time as a vacation apparently. I mean we let each other know, because if either of is gone for a while, we are afraid the other might have fallen in. Sometimes, Sammie has even had to text me from the bathroom asking for a roll of toilet paper. If you knew our bathroom, you would know we had to walk in to get it.

I don't know. I guess I was just wondering if other couples were just as "out there" and accepting as we are...except for when he farts on my dang pillow!

Thank You Sammie Meade.

So many things have been on my mind. I even have another post in the works right now, but this has been on my mind more.

Sometimes saying "Thank You" doesn't seem like enough. I have been thinking about the past few years with Sammie (I don't know why) and have thought about all of the opportunities that he has given me. I think it is amazing that I have probably experienced more life with him than ever (except for maybe India).

Here are a few things:

-First experience ever being totally drunk with someone. He was a gentlemen and took care of me.

-Of course having kids.

-All of my tattoos. Especially that first one.

-He has paid for and encouraged me to go back to school. I will finish eventually.

- Personal experiences...if you catch my drift.

-He has let me seriously fail.

-He has taught me a lot about the world in general.

-He gave me a reason to grow out my hair for the first time my entire life!

There is SO much more, but he has shelled out a few bucks to be with me and I can kinda admit that I am spoiled. He knows when to say "Yes" and when to say "No''. We were just talking last night how comfortable we are with one another. We were also talking about the show "The Walking Dead" and how the couple on there is "Balls to the wall" all the time (actual quote from Sammie). They NEVER laugh and Sammie and I both agree that we, even in a zombie apocolypse, could not be like that. I love the fact that we can really communicate to each other about anything! It took a while and some hard lessons, but I am grateful to be at the place we are now. I mean I can talk to him about the stupidest stuff and he would listen. Heck, we will even talk about Teen Mom 2! Just the other day he admitted he liked watching it..lol! Too funny!

Anyways, I was just thinking about the things he has bought me that I probably could have never had or thought to buy if it weren't for him.

Examples: Chanel lipgloss, My new ring, a Brand NEW car, two Coach purses, etc.

Those above were all experiences in themselves. Chanel Lipgloss has practically changed my life. Yes, it is a worldy thing, but I love it. I am also completely...COMPLETELY...obsessed with my ring and wash it once a week. I realize that this is vain and loving worldy things, but it's so pretty. :) I have to be grateful though and I do believe taking care of the things he has bought for me shows that....even though I could take care of my car a little better. So I guess I need to say 'Thank you!" Sammie Meade for being a loving husband, teaching me hard but helpful life lessons, and buying me things I probably wouldn't have ever had in my life. :) All those things aside though, I appreciate you being patient with me, for putting baking soda on my wasp sting, and the sacrifices that you make for our family. You're a great leader, husband, and father. I'm incredibly lucky that you chose me....even if you do fart a lot. I've learned so much from you and I think that is something I appreciate the most. Love you!

Organization....

I know that I haven't updated my blog in a while. I have had so many things to write about. Having two kids is an amazing and challenging thing. So challenging that it can be overwhelming at times.

So, this past weekend was my birthday. It was an amazing weekend. I had lots of fun and paid for it the next day. It was also a humbling experience. My parents came to visit and that made me feel really loved, but it was also humbling. My house was a mess. It was total and complete crap. It wasn't until my mom said something, that I realized what was going on with me. My house had been so messy I didn't know where to start and I was depressed. Everytime I thought about cleaning a sickening, panicky feeling stuck itself in my gut. What do I do? Where do I start? AAAAH! Piles are laundry. Clothes and toys everywhere! It was embarassing. Well, I have done what most stay at home moms have done and created a schedule. Here it is:

Monday: Our bedroom, A load of laundry, Kitchen

Tuesday: Lucy's Bedroom, A load of Laundry, Kitchen

Wedns.: Lainey's bedroom, A load of Laundry, Kitchen

Thursday: Our Bathroom, A load of Laundry, Kitchen

Friday: Living room, A load of laundry, Kitchen


So far, it worked well today. The kitchen is ok. I did a couple of loads of laundry, and I got the bedroom cleaned up. I wasn't able to vacuum though. This brings me to my rules for the schedule. I clean those rooms that day and ONLY that day. If I miss something, then it will get done the following day it is suppose to be cleaned. That way I don't feel things piling on top of me. If I find that I have some extra time another day, and the kids are ok, then maybe I can do what I wasn't able to. When my house is this messy, I feel SO out of control and fearful! After this previous weekend, I really did feel humbled. I also felt convicted, because I felt that I had really taken advantage of my husband. His acceptance of the house was so sweet, but I really needed to stop taking advantage of him! He works so hard! I need to be more organized. I think this schedule helps with this. It makes me feel in more of control of something I NEED to be in control of!! It also eliminates that panicky feeling.

Even though I have made this schedule, today is PROOF that sometimes, things just aren't going to get done....

Lucy got sick last week and I am pretty sure whatever she had, Lainey got today. It always starts after nap time! I was picking up the bedroom and it was ready to be vacuumed when crap hit the fan. Lainey was sleeping in my bed, because she was so upset! I didn't want her to keep Lucy up. Well, I picked her up to take her into the other room so I could clean the floors and my first thought was "crap". I took her temp and sure enough she had a 102.2 fever!! Well, while I was taking her temp, she pooed and peed EVERYWHERE!!!!! My next thought: "bath time"! I got her into the bath and she starts to scream. Then, Lucy starts to scream. I go and check on Lucy and she has stuff all over her. She had dumped my FULL glass of water with strawberry/watermelon MIO all over her and on the floor. My sanity started to leave. I got her naked, then went and got Lainey out of the tub. I have Lainey in my arms and I lift her tub up to empty it and when I think it is drained, I hang it on the shower rod to dry. It was not drained and I dumped a good amount of water all over the side Lainey wasn't on. I have to get Lucy in the tub now.... did I mention that BOTH kids are still screaming???? Well, I get Lucy in the tub and I am trying to get Lainey dressed. After I got her dressed, I go in and wash Lucy, pull her out, and when I pull her out, I hit myself with Lainey's tub that was hanging on the rod, which falls off.... and they are still screaming. I get Lucy dressed, I change my clothes, and then I cuddle with Lainey to try and comfort her. They just keep on crying. I finally get Lainey to sleep and fed Lucy a snack and they stopped for a little while.... I just had NO time for vacuuming! The beauty of the schedule is that the vacuuming will get done next Monday...hopefully...and tomorrow I will pick of Lucy's room! I call it the "Scarlett O'Hara schedule".

My goal is that my girls will have a clean home and something we can ALL take pride in. It has taken me 3 months since Lainey was born, but I think this could be the beginning of me knowing how to balance things. That said, Lainey is also sleeping most of the night now and is on more of a schedule. That makes things easier, too.

Life is certainly a new adventure with two babies. Lucy is having a hard time listening...and obeying! I am spanking her and really trying to train her, but maybe I am not being consistent or something because she still touches those damn TV remotes. I want to be able to enjoy my kids, like it says in the Bible, by properly training them! One of these days, I want to wake up and not have to worry about what my child is touching while I am in the bathroom because she knows better not to touch certain things! It is possible!!! If I just put her in the pack n'play or keep moving things around, what is that really teaching her? That she can't touch them over there, but she can touch them when they're here. I think it is possible and I know I can gain the wisdom to train my kids in the best way. She is smart and she does know what NOT to touch. How? By the fact that I will come in with a remote in her hand, sneak up on her and say "what do you have Lucy?", she will drop the remote as if she never had it, and run off. O yes, she knows better! It is just so hard to be consistent, but I can do this. The more consistent I am, the more I will be able to enjoy her and we will be able to enjoy one another, and I think the less crazy I will feel. I do not want to be a yeller. I don't like it. I feel it can be damaging and I have noticed, I have done it more this past week or two. So the more consistent I am, I think the better parent I will be.

Anyways, sorry this was so long. I just had a lot on my mind. Hope everyone out there is doing well! I am gonna go feed a baby now!