Tuesday's Ten - Toys/Dolls from My Childhood

What toys do you remember playing with as a child? These are the first ten that came to mind for me:

1) Barbies (Yes, I played w/ them when I was younger, but I don't let The Princess have them now. They just don't seem appropriate anymore, esp. the clothing.)

2) Fisher Price Little People Airport (My parents still have this in their basement for the munchkins & their cousins to play with.)

3) Bionic Woman Salon Head (I could style her hair & put make-up on her.)

4) Princess Leia doll (She even had the big buns on the sides of her head.)

5) Wonder Woman doll (You could dress her as her alter ego, Diana, in a navy blue business suit or as Wonder Woman.)

6) Cabbage Patch Kids (I had two of them...a boy & a girl.)

7) Square Building Blocks (They were about twice the size of Legos, but not as well made. Many of the blocks didn't stay together & others wouldn't snap together. Despite these difficulties, we still had fun building houses w/ them.)

8) Peanuts Camp Set (While I'm not a Peanuts fan, I still had this rubber camp ground set that had several of the characters, bunk beds, canoes, a picnic table, & a campfire.)

9) Holly Hobbie & Friends dolls (These were fabric dolls & I loved them. Somehow I lost them over the years & have no idea what happened to them.)

10) Glamour Gals (I had four of these miniature dolls. My friend & I would get together to play w/ our Glamour Gals in her dollhouse.)

Speaking of dollhouses, I should also mention that I received a Victorian dollhouse kit for my 14th birthday. It was to be a project for HandyGramps & me. We worked on it a total of three times & it is now sitting in our crawlspace, awaiting the day The Princess is old enough to work on it w/ me.

Friday's Fare - Cincinnati Chili Over Pasta

I've had some requests for recipes of dishes I've mentioned lately, so I thought I'd start a new meme here. So, without further ado, the first recipe for "Friday's Fare" is...

Cincinnati Chili Over Pasta

1 med. onion, chopped in small pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
1 lb. ground meat (beef is better, but I used turkey)
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
3/4 c. beef broth
1 T. chili powder
2 T. honey
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. oregano
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained
water
8 oz. thin spaghetti
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat skillet for 2 minutes on med-high heat. Add beef, onions, celery, & garlic, stirring until beef is brown & vegetables are tender. Drain fat.

Stir in tomato sauce, paste, beef broth, chili powder, honey, cumin, cloves, & oregano. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, cover, & cook 30 minutes...stirring occasionally.

Add kidney beans & cook 15 minutes more. While beans are cooking in the chili, fill a stockpot 2/3 with water & bring to a boil. Add spaghetti & boil according to package directions. When done, drain.

Divide spaghetti on plates or bowls. Top with chili & shredded cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Note: This recipe is a a modified version of one I found in the book, The United States Cookbook by Joan D'Amico & Karen Eich Drummond.

Small Successes

Sherry, at Chocolate for Your Brain, hosts Small Successes each Thursday. Check it out to see others' successes & share your own. Recognizing the small things we accomplish each week helps us realize that even when it doesn't seem like it, we are getting things done!

1) I started using Pinterest at the invitation of my sister. It's a bit overwhelming & I only have two things pinned at the moment, but I'm sure I'll add more soon!

2) I got my flute out yesterday. My cousin has asked me to play for her wedding next month, so I thought I should practice some. While playing, The Saint came up carrying a small plastic trumpet & said, "I play too, Mommy-uh?" So cute!

3) I finally called & made several appointments that I've been putting off or forgetting...orthodontist & 11 yr. check-ups for The Prophet, a new psychologist for The Archangel, physical for me, & The Princess' annual check-up.

Last Week's Goal...Clean & organize the front room where all our school stuff is stored. (Some Accomplished...the room itself doesn't look too bad, but the storage areas are kinda cluttered.)

This Week's Goal...Work on front room storage; Start a new recipe meme for Fridays & call it "Friday's Fare."

A Thankful Womans' Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy, over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful we were able to get into a new doctor for The Archangel quicker than I thought we would. We've not been happy w/ the psychiatrist he's been seeing for various reasons, but had to wait until Casinodad's new insurance started. I talked to the new center on Monday & the appointment is next Tuesday. Please keep us in your prayers as we try to help our dear son w/ his ADHD, anger, aggression, etc.

2) I'm thankful the munchkins have been enjoying my meals the past couple of days. Last night, I made Cincinnati Chili over spaghetti. The night before I made New Orleans Beef and Bourbon. (Hmmm! That might be a great meal for Fat Tuesday, w/ a King Cake for dessert!)

3) I'm thankful for the snow we had over the weekend for several reasons. It made it feel like winter finally, it got cold enough to hopefully kill some of the germs & illnesses going around, and hopefully it will reduce the number of bugs this spring & summer!

4) I'm thankful for The Prophet's assistance last night when we prayed our evening Rosary. He sat next to The Saint & helped him w/ each bead. It was so cute, too...each time he went to the next bead, The Saint shouted, "Yes!"

5) I'm thankful for The Princess' faith. She's recently expressed an interest in becoming a nun & has been asking a lot of questions about what they do. I told her the best thing to do now is pray for God's guidance & that if it is His Will, He will show her the way to becoming a nun. I also found a couple books at the library about nuns, but if you have any book suggestions, please let me know. She'll be seven next month.
She also told me that she wants to be a nun for Halloween this year. I said that she'd been a nun the last two years (St. Therese of Lisieux & St. Bernadette Soubrious). She was amazed, "They were nuns?" I guess, even though we'd read about them, she hadn't put two & two together!

"Tuesday's Ten" - Ten of My Favorite Homemade Meals

Ten of My Favorite Homemade Meals

1) Chicken Enchiladas
2) New Orleans Beef and Bourbon
3) Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole
4) Lasagna
5) Taco Pie
6) Chicken Stir-fry
7) Macaroni & Cheese (NOT from a box!)
8) Kielbasa & Cabbage, w/ fresh garlic
9) Chicken Quesadillas
10) Spinach & Cheese Quiche

Small Successes

Sherry, at Chocolate for Your Brain, hosts Small Successes each Thursday. Check it out to see others' successes & share your own. Recognizing the small things we accomplish each week helps us realize that even when it doesn't seem like it, we are getting things done!

1) I started another journal for myself...Finding the Joy in my daily life. Each day, I reflect on the joys & write them down so that I can remember them & KNOW there truly is JOY in each day.

2) Tuesday, I opened up & washed the parts to my new juice extractor that I bought last week. Yesterday, I used it & made green juice...kale, spinach, celery, apples, ginger root, & 1/2 a lemon. It sounds weird & gross, but is REALLY good. I can't wait to try other juices.

3) I paid my overdue fees at the library. They weren't high, I just wanted to get them taken care of. I really don't mind paying overdue fees at the library...after all, we get to borrow the books for free. I feel I'm helping to contribute to their cause!

Last Week's Goal...Take down Christmas decorations & get organized to start back to school on Monday. (Accomplished, except for getting organized! We did start back to school, but I still need to do some rearranging in our school cabinet.)

This Week's Goal...Clean & organize the front room where all our school stuff is stored.

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy, over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for an enjoyable Epiphany Party w/ my small church community. We gather for prayer, a great meal, secret pal gift exchange, & socializing. A few years ago, we decided in lieu of a Christmas party (getting everyone's schedules to mesh was tough), we'd celebrate on Epiphany Sunday & it's worked out great for us.

2) I'm thankful for new kitchen appliances! We're getting a new fridge, stove, & dishwasher w/in the next month & I am so excited. After 10 years in our house, I finally feel like a real homeowner! (I'm still on the lookout for that perfect, indestructible, affordable coffee pot!)

3) I'm thankful for clean humor. In a world full of perverse & offensive humor, it is so refreshing to see some clean humor out there.

4) I'm thankful that our checkbook balanced correctly the first time! Usually, it's off & I have to go over it several more times (I don't stop until it balances to the penny), so when it balances the first time, I am VERY happy!

5) I'm thankful that I found you can pop microwave popcorn on the stove. We have a smaller microwave & the popcorn bags are too big. They get stuck & end up burning the popcorn. So, I just opened the bag, poured the kernels into a saucepan, covered it w/ a lid, & popped it on med-high (shaking it occasionally)...super easy & done in the same amount of time.