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September 30, 2009

Crockpot 103...

Tonight's feature is some super, YUMM-O TACO SOUP! This is my F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E in the fall/winter. Lets get right to it! I have lots I could be doing like cleaning house for my BFF Betsy's birthday bash at my house tomorrow :) My house is Dirty with a capital D and I am having all the girls over tomorrow night for treats and eats!! Not sure when I am going to get it clean but hopefully I will whip up a treat in the 'ole crockpot... OH yes, back to my FAV, the taco soup.

It is so easy.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 onion chopped
2 cans tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can Ranch style beans
1 can Taco seasoning
1 can Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix

Brown your meat with your onion.
Mix with all other ingredient in your best friend the crock pot and simmer all day!
Serve with cheese, sour cream, corn chips, avocado!

Happy Hump Day...
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September 29, 2009

Crockpot 102...

Tonight's crockpot recipe is one I am sure everyone has and one I am sure everyone does a bit differently. I am not a true recipe follower. Really, I dont follow any recipes. I just throw it all together and hope for the best. Usually it all turns out pretty good! My family never complains. Tonight's feature is the roast. I have a LOVE/ HATE relationship with the roast. I would much rather have a roast like I featured in last nights crockpot 101. I probably hate roast because my mom made roast EVERY. SINGLE. SUNDAY. for lunch after church. My family loves roast and since it is so easy I cook it a lot! I do my roast a lot of different ways.

Sometimes I put:
Roast
Potatoes
Carrots
Top with brown Gravy and water and cook all day on low in the crock pot
Salt and Pepper

Some times I do:
Roast
Potatoes
Carrots
Can of cream of mushroom on top
Cook all day in crock pot on low.

The other day I did
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
potatoes
carrots
can of cream of mushroom soup
cook on low in crockpot all day... like a roast, but not!

LOVE IT!

Its done when you get home!

Add some rolls and salad and your supper is served!
I will remind you that the crosckpot has become my best friend because of soccer. Soccer has consumed our evenings. Lainey is doing great in her first year on soccer. I was so proud of her last weekend in her first game. She was close to scoring about six goals. I am hopeful that she will get one in real soon!

Here is Miss Lainey and her best friend, Abby before their game. Lainey at work during her game! Of course I forgot my camera during Abbey's games. Abbey's game last night was a nail biter! It was tied after regulation play and came down to goal kicks. Each team got five goal kicks. We got beat in the end because we only made one goal and the other team made two but it was a great game. Abbey scored one great goal in regular play. It is so fun to watch Abbey play. I think I hurt my knee last night cheering her on! I jumped up and down after her score... silly me! I am not a high school cheerleader anymore. I am a thirty-something mom who is in love with a crockpot!

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September 28, 2009

Crockpot 101

I have gotten lots of comments and questions about my new best friend... the crockpot. Many of you have wanted me to share some of my favorite "go to" crockpot recipes. This week I will share my favorites with you! They are simple, easy and only have a few ingredients that you are sure to have on hand! I must say that I could not pull off my crockpot creations if it werent for my hubby Will turning on my crockpot during his lunch break. He has really helped me out LOTS since I have gone back to work!!

This week I am going to share a recipe I learned from AMY and her mother-in-law. They call it crockpot fajitas.

1 roast
1 can tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can taco seasoning
1 can beans (black beans or pinto beans whatever you have)
Do not drain any of the cans. Leave the juices for moisture.

Dump all into crockpot and cook on low all afternoon. It will make your roast tender and it will pull apart easily.

Serve in tortillas with the beans, corn, and tomatoes. Top with cheese, sour cream, and avocados and anything else your heart desires!

Check back tomorrow for more crockpot creations...

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September 25, 2009

Friday Favorite...

This week my Friday Favorite is my black cross t-shirt I got at the World Championship Bar-B-Que Goat Cook-off this year! I love it... And it was pretty cheap :) It has by favorite color turquoise in it, too! I also had to introduce you to Sapphire and Diamond. They are training to take the place of Ruby and Pearl! Ruby and Pearl are very famous actresses here in H-town. Watch out Mrs. Jordan and Ms. Edwards. Your replacements are in training! Sapphire and Diamond are heading to the top. I think their first act is the Pest Control for HISD :)
Happy Weekend!
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September 24, 2009

Makin' Dave Happy...

I'm going to give you the quick version of what has been going on in our lives... I am going to "Make Dave Happy" Dave Letterman that is and give it to you in a TOP TEN LIST!

10. Soccer, Soccer, and more Soccer! We have had soccer three nights this week. Abbey's team won their first game this Monday night. Lainey's team had practice on Tuesday night and then both Abbey and Lainey's teams practiced on Thursday night. Abbey and Lainey both have a game at the same time on Saturday. Right now I am just thankful Emiley is not playing Soccer! We do LOVE soccer though.

9. I have a cold/sinus/allergies issue and cannot get over it. It is going on a week now and it is making me crazy!

8. The crock pot is my best friend. If it wasnt for my new best friend we would not eat supper most nights :)

7. My laundry is overflowing and my washer and dryer will be overworked this weekend.

6. School is going GREAT and I think I MIGHT be getting the hang of it again. (I probably should not have just said that because it may all fall apart now!)

5. I successfully switched the girls' closets from summer clothes to fall/winter clothes last week and it has been fun to see them wearing long sleeve t-shirts this week. I "heart" long sleeve t-shirts!! It makes me want to go to Target/ Old Navy/ Children's Place and grab a few more...

4. I also want to go buy some real pumpkins and mums for my front porch and then wrap them in barbed wire so that Jasper our horse wont eat them :)

3. I am ready for another WEEKEND!

2. We had a surprise visitor last night. Jason came for a quick slumber party last night and made our week. He even took the girls to school this morning. They were so excited to see Jason, but it made them miss Kate, Kooper, Case, Kenna, and Amy even more :(

1. I am "sort of" loving all the Season Premieres (Catching them when I can) Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars... That reminds me, I better get! Grey's is on...

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September 22, 2009

Pumpkin Patch...

My brother and sister-in-law have the most fun little business... They now own a little market on the main street in my old hometown. All summer long they have sold fruit and flowers. They also sell yard decorations and just all sorts of "cool stuff." They have pottery, jewelry, candles, and gifts in this little house on their property. It is just an overall neat place. This is just their side business. Well, this week they got a truck load of PUMPKINS and MUMS...
Now this really makes me ready for fall!

Happy Fall Y'all!
It looks cute, Chad and Gina! Wish I lived closer so I could get some "goods" for my front porch!
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September 20, 2009

Party On!...

Emiley's birthday wish came true! She was wishing for a kickball and swimming birthday party. I know... a bit strange and really different... but that is Miss Em... not like anything or anyone else! I was a little worried after the week long rain we have been having but the weather turned out perfect yesterday.
We had the best birthday party with just a few of her best buddies and swam for a few hours and played kickball in the yard. It was the best and so relaxing :)
Happy 7th birthday sweet girl!

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September 17, 2009

Happy Birthday, Emiley Morgan...

On September 18, 2002 we were blessed with a wonderful little girl.

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl, Emiley Morgan... How is it that she is seven years old? It seems like just yesterday I was crying wondering how I was going to care for my two year old and my five month old when I found out about Miss Em. She is such a blessing! She is so carefree, full of life and love... I remember the day she was born and the doctor but her in my arms. Her head was full of red hair and she had huge gorgeous eyes right from the beginning. Miss Em, You are a sweetheart. I am so lucky to be your Mommy!
By the way, did you know that "Emily Morgan" is a historic hotel in San Antonio? I didnt until a few days after we had named Miss Em. Poor Emiley did not have a name until she was almost a day old. Will and I could not agree on a name. Will finally went to lunch the day after she was born and came back and told me her name was Emiley and I could choose her middle name. I chose Morgan because I have always loved that name and because we almost used it with our other two girls. I guess I should have researched it before hand. Maybe we will just have to take our Emiley Morgan to THE Emily Morgan!
To read more about Miss Em and to see some cute baby pictures click on the link below....
And of course... Miss Em has to be MY FRIDAY FAVORITE TOO!
http://haleshousehold.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-birthday-emiley-morgan.html

Happy Weekend... We are going to party it up, swimming and kickball style, in honor of Miss Em!

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September 16, 2009

"I Will Survive!"...

I know, I know... You have been wondering where I am! I am still here. I feel like my motto is "I will survive!" Things are super busy around here like they always are this time of year when we are welcoming fall! School is into full swing, soccer is starting, we are going like crazy to and fro. I feel like we are meeting ourselves coming and going from football to meetings, to church to school. It is a fun time of the year. We have enjoyed the cooler weather and the rain... This weekend Lainey and I took the time to get out a few of our FALL decorations. They make us smile :) We have pumpkins here and pumpkins there...

It is so fun to decorate the house

We have just a little bit everywhere! Oh yes, and did I mention it is Miss Em's birthday this weekend (actually Friday) so we are also planning for that with everything else. Fun times!
Happy Fall Y'all!

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September 13, 2009

Happy Grandparent's Day...

Happy Grandparent's Day! From Abbey, Lainey, and Emiley and their cousins Whitney and Garrett, too! Love You all so much...

I know I am a bit biased, but my girls have the best grandparents in the world. Thanks Dad and Dee, Mom and Jim, Tom and Marilyn for all you do. My girls are also blessed to have two of their great-grandparents still alive. They love hugging necks of Mi-Ma and Granddaddy Bill whenever they get a chance :)

Ok, Hale Family...We really need to get all the grandkids together so that we can have a grandkid picture for Grammy and PaPa.

*Picture by of Ashley Phillips...of course!

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September 12, 2009

Friday Favorites...

Its a Friday Favorites (Saturday Style because that is how I seem to work these days!)... I got this cute little pendant at the Goat Cook-off last weekend and LOVE.IT! I wore it to work last week on my large strand of pearls with my cute turquoise dress and jean jacket and got so many compliments! To make it even better it was only $7!

Happy Weekend!

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September 8, 2009

Goin' for Goat...

We had a great time this past weekend at the World Championship BBQ Goat Cook-off. We spent most of our time hanging out with my brother, his wife and Whitney and Garrett. The girls LOVE hanging out with their cousins. It is so obvious that they are cousins!! They hung out all weekend together. Everywhere we went...everyone would say "You can tell they are all Everett's!" Mr. Garrett would not let me take a picture of him by himself. I love my little nephew. I tease him all the time. I told him I was going to pack him up and take him home with me in my suitcase. Maybe someday he will want to come spend a few days with me! I can only hope. Isnt he the cutest thing?
Whitney made these cute necklaces and the girls went around the cookoff and sold them. I think she made over $20. I was so proud of them for going out and selling them, but who wouldnt buy from four cute little girls?
Abbey and Emiley took some time out to do a little bungy jumping... of sorts!

It was a great weekend...
We spent Saturday night watching Seth. We let Abbey stay up late and go with us. She was so excited to spend time in Seth's bus visiting and hanging out with daddy and Seth. I was glad we let her go. She has every song on his album memorized.
It was a great weekend. It could have only been better if we would have had Monday off from school to recover...

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September 7, 2009

Fruits of My Labor...

On this Labor Day, I would like to share with you the beautiful fruits of my "labor!' Here is a sampling of our newest pictures my Ashley Phillips Photography.
Happy Labor Day!
Ours was spent at School :( One of my kids in my class told me I needed to come over to their house and use their rechargeable hair clippers on my arms. I guess they thought I have hairy arms. That will really brighten your day!
Happy Monday...
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September 3, 2009

Friday Favorites Flashback...

Well, This Friday Favorite is a Flashback of sorts. This Friday I am thankful for growing up in a SMALL TOWN and for being able to raise my girls in a SMALL TOWN. I guess it is a shout out to SMALL TOWNS of sorts on this Friday Favorites! Sixteen years ago I able to represent my small town as one of the "Goat Queens!" Here we (Me, Mikey, and Michele) are "showing off" the new World Championship Goat Cook-off T-shirts that were front page news in our Small Town paper sixteen years ago this week. We were the Miss Heart of Texas Royalty in 1993... Has it really been 16 years ago? I cant wait to go "home" and see some of my long lost friends and see the new royalty-Goat queens! Growing up in a SMALL TOWN is such a blessing! We were able to travel the state, meet lots of fun people like this man in San Angelo who let us change clothes in his restaurant before the parade along the Concho River. We cruised around TX on our Pepto Pink float representing our SMALL TOWN and loving it!

Happy Weekend! See you after the World Championship Barbeque Goat Cook-off! Dont eat too much Goat :)

Man, I wish I was still that skinny... If I was only still 17!

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September 2, 2009

Can I Just Tell Ya!...

Can I just tell ya how much I hate cancer...

Can I just tell ya how much I am still in SHOCK that Will's mom's cancer has already come back. It hasnt been that long.

Can I just tell ya how much it makes my heart happy and sad all at the same time to hear Abbey pray for her Grammy at dinner time to recover and fight cancer...

Can I just tell ya I am totally pooped...

Can I just tell ya I am ready to go to the Goat Cook Off for the first time in YEARS...

Can I just tell ya I am excited to hear Seth James play this weekend... (It is so fun that he is a childhood friend to both Will and me! And by the way his CD came out this week!)

Can I just tell ya I am so thankful for a husband that helps me wash the dishes every night after dinner...

Can I just tell ya each day is getting easier and easier...

Can I just tell ya I wish I was more motivated to get up and workout every morning but until I am sleeping good I just dont want to wake up at 4:30...

Can I just tell ya that it feels good to be working again...

Can I just tell ya that it is an adjustment to be working again...

Can I just tell ya that GOD IS GOOD... all the time...

Can I just tell ya that today was a good day!

Can I just tell ya that I love ya just because I do :)
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September 1, 2009

Going to the Big D...

What a Day! Last Saturday we headed to the Big D... well, actually Arlington with lots of our friends on this "Barbie Bus" ready for a great Cowboy's game. We got to the new stadium and got all set up about four hours before the game. It was so much fun... it may have been twice as much fun watching the boys set up the tarp so we could have shade. Such gentlemen! Thanks to Cody, we had all the proper Cowboy gear... charcoal, lighter fluid, and even Dallas Cowboy papertowels. We were all set to make our fajitas and relax before the game began.


We even shared our fajitas with the parking attendants so that we could keep an empty parking space beside our bus so we could have more room :)
Once we got inside the stadium, I think the boys spent most of their time looking at the girls...

And us girls spent most of our time looking at the BOYS! We are pretty fond of Romo and Whitten... This is what they looked like from on seat... on the BIG SCREEN!

It was an amazing big screen, an amazing field, and an amazing stadium!

Good evening with great friends! We wished Misty hadnt enjoyed walking around with her hubby so that she would have been here for the picture.

We even made our BOYS pose for a picture

Beautiful stadium... great fun... so glad we had the chance to go! Until next time... Just wish it had turned out a little better in the last few minutes of the game.

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