October Soup Challenege

Fall is in the air and so is soup! I LOVE soup!  Here are FOUR of my favorite soup recipes.  I really like to make double batches of soup, so I can freeze some.  I love to make food that I can freeze.  It is so nice to grab a bowl of soup out of the freezer as you are running out the door to work.  You save money by taking your lunch, you know what is in the meal, and it's healthier than eating out.

Take the soup challenge and try one of the soup recipes each week during the month of October.  You will not be disappointed by any of these delish soups!

1. Chicken Buffalo Soup

2. Loaded Bake Potato Soup


3. Corn Chowder


4.  Ham & Potato Soup

Happy Birthday Libby!!!

Today Libby turns TWO!!!!!  Happy Birthday Libby Lou! 

Wordless Wednesday

Fishing Trip 2006

The first year we were dating I took Art stripper fishing for his birthday.  We each caught one fish; however, the fishing guide threw Art's fish back.  He told him the fish was too small & we would catch a lot of other fish that day.  Well we never caught anything else.  I felt so bad for him. 

A couple weeks later Art got the urge to go deep sea fishing & asked me to go.  Off we went around 4:30am on a Saturday to the boat.  I think we traveled about 2 hours out into the ocean.  I had no idea what to expect.  We threw our lines into the ocean and the fishing began.  I caught 3 large salmon on our fishing trip.  I out fished Art....I caught the second biggest salmon of the day.  This was the only time we were able to go salmon fishing.  Not long after this fishing trip they shut down salmon fishing.

We took our fish to Art's parents.  Art & his dad started to cut up the fish.  I offered to take a turn. I ended up cutting up 2.5 of the fish. I impressed the future in laws with my butchering abilities.  I informed them that day I had helped butcher on the farm for years.

 My fish are the 2 in the middle.  Art is holding one & I am holding the other.

Family Dinner Menu

Saturday evening we had the family over for dinner.  I went all Susie Homemaker and made the majority of the meal from scratch. DELISH!

Lasagna

Garlic Bread

Salad

Apple Pie

Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie

Art & I picked tomatoes from the garden.  Art washed them while I started chopping the onion & peppers. I made the sauce for the lasagna. Nothing tastes better than real fresh sauce!

I used Italian sausage, ricotta cheese and homemade sauce for the lasagna. Delish! We had half of it leftover, so I froze it!

I normally made my own pie crusts. My in laws rave about my pie crusts.  This week I was lazy & bought pie crusts.  This is the first time ever I have done this. lol  The pies turned out delish! I sent half of it home with my father in law.

I bought a loaf of bread, crushed up about 5-7 cloves of garlic, melted half a stick of butter, poured it over the bread, and put it in the over. mmmmm

The salad I used my organic veggies from my weekly veggie box.  Lettuce, arugula, avacado's, tomatoes - threw it all in a bowl and WA-LA there is your salad. I LOVE the smell and taste of arugula!

Saturday Pinterest

Can you believe Halloween is in 5 weeks....time is flying by this year.

We want to dress Sammy up as a skunk this year.  We love this outfit.

This is going to be Lacey's family one day. LOL

Last year Art & I saw this gnome outfit at Target.  We couldn't stop laughing at it.  If we have a little boy one day we are dressing him up as a gnome.  It will FREAK my MIL out.  She can't stand gnomes.

Isn't this precious?

This Mario outfit made me crack up laughing!  LOL

Halloween

I have been trying to figure out what to be for Halloween.  I didn't see any outfits that excitement.

Below is a picture of me with my friend Pam & her little boy Gio.

We were at Wal-Mart the other day and Art founds the wig below.  Art says "Hey, why don't you dress up as Pam for Halloween."  bahahahhahaha 

It cracked me up!  This is an option!

Wordless Wednesday

Maizee

Today is a sad day.  Lacey had to put Maizee to sleep.  Maizee's health has been going down hill for the past year.  Maizee was able to travel to California for Christmas 2010.  I felt sad when she left thinking that would probably be the last time I saw Maizee. 

I can't imagine what Lacey felt today or how heart broken she is today. When Lacey first got Maizee I wasn't very happy about that dog.  She chewed up about 10 pairs of my shoes in a couple months.  She liked to shed hair all over the place.  I never understood why Lacey treated her life a person until I got Sammy.  My entire outlook on pets has changed. 

When Lacey told me last week she was putting Maizee down I cried.  I cried a few times today.  She will always be part of our family and will be missed greatly! 

Maizee in CA for Christmas.

Flight 93 Memorial

Art & I went to The Flight 93 Memorial on September 11.  It is a really beautiful memorial. If you are ever in the area I encourage you to visit it.  There was also a ceremony while we were there. 

Menu Monday

I am still doing the HCG diet and Art will be doing the 3 day diet. 

Here is what Art will be eating for dinner for 3 days.

1. 3 ounces lean meat, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup carrots, 1 apple, 1 cup vanilla ice cream

2. two hot dogs, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup carrots, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

3. 1 cup tuna, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup cauliflower, 1 cup melon, and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Here is what I plan to eat.

1. Steak & green beans

2. Chicken & eggplant

3. Tuna, celery, onions & broccoli

Pinterest Saturday

Joey + Rory

On Saturday night Art & I went out on a date.  The local radio station I listen to each morning was having an event a local winery with country song writers.  It sounded like a lot of fun.  I had worked most of the day on Saturday, so I wasn't really feeling up to going anywhere.  I thought it would be good for us to get out and not stay home again on a Saturday night.  We had the most enjoyable evening!

Joey + Rory are song writings from Tennessee.  They have written some famous songs. Here are a few of teh songs they have written the Chain of Love by Clay Walker, Some Beach by Blake Sheldon, and a Little More Country Than That by Kenny Chesney.  They have a great sense of humor and also have written some funny songs.

Joey was just so down to earth.  Sometimes I feel like CA people lack that down home quality....Joey had it!  Joey + Rory also brought along their friend Tim Johnson another famous song writer.  They all sang for about 2 and a half hours.  It was such a nice evening. Listened to music under the stars and relaxing.

 Julie & Nate from KRTY introducing Joey + Rory

 Tim Johnson, Rory Feek & Joey Feek

We arrived right before it started and all the tables were full.  We ended up sitting on some stumps off to the side.  It was the perfect place to sit!