Sunday, Super Fun Day...

What a weekend this has been.  We've been busy entertaining houseguests, and making a new TV purchase.  I learned this weekend that I've a finalist (I didn't think I was in the running) in the Release your Inner Red Gold Chef contest. I was amazed, this was originally a recipe that my Mom would make for us when we were kids, but I took it and 'jazzed' it up alittle bit.  It's crazy to me that a recipe that is 30 years old and still sounds good to people.  It is good..check out my 'Recipe of the Week' tab for all the details.

Things I learned this Week

I actually learned this a couple of weeks ago, but kinda forgot about it until I was going through the pictures on my cell phone.  When we were at the Tim McGraw concert, I saw someone take a picture of the parking sign so that they could find their car after the concert, and I thought that was such a good idea, until I realized were we had parked.

To quote my husband 'Is it neccessary for you to do that when we park in the first part of the first section?' Maybe not so much.  But, it's a good idea, especially at the mall.

A Dairy Queen run on Sunday night of a hot weekend is a most!

Have a great week!

Later~
Cyn

Award Winner Baby!!

When I got home tonight there was a surprise waiting in my mailbox.

It's a cookbook from Red Gold.  Apparently, I was one of the 4 monthly winners in May (nice that they told me, huh?) I had submitted the Pizza Casserole recipe - see recipe here.  So I called my Mom and congratulated her, see it was one of her recipes that I jazzed up alittle bit. So if you want to, please head out to the Red Gold site and give it a good rating, maybe we can get it into the next cookbook!  It is also listed on the Red Gold Facebook site!

Thanks!

Have a great Friday tomorrow!

Later
~Cyn

Banana Cake

 You know how I hate to waste anything.  I know that kinda makes we sound like a hoarder but I promise I’m not turning into one, I try to maintain an even flow of things entering and exiting at my house.   So, back to this weekend, I was faced with an all too common problem at my house, leftover fruit.  Hubby and I have been on alittle bit of a health kick, and it seems  that when I do my shopping I am unable to balance how much fruit (or lettuce, or tomatoes) we will need before they start to go south on us, and this heat wave that we have been in for what seems like weeks, is not helping one bit.  So our biggest problem this week revolved around bananas.  It’s a good thing they are best to bake with after they are alittle ‘ripe.’  We had the same problem a couple of weeks ago, and I easily solved it by mixing up a batch of oatmeal muffins and adding the mushed bananas into in it (along with some mini chocolate chips.)  But, I just wasn’t in the mood for them this week.  So I started digging.

I found the greatest website in my quest to find a new banana reciepe.  It's called How To Cook Like Your Grandmother it is fabulous, you must check it out!  That is where I found this recipe for Banana Cake and let me tell it was good.  I actually had enough batter to make 36 mini cupcakes, and a small double layer cake.  I even took some to work, the container was from the mini cupcakes we had for 4th of July weekend.  I simply washed the container and added alittle of my flair (again, I promise I'm not becoming a hoarder.)  This was a nice way to transport them.

I started with this.....

And ended up with this...

Everyone at worked loved them!

Enjoy your week!

Later~
Cyn



What a Week, heat, floods, breast feeding babies....

Boy, this was a long week.  I felt like I was ready to bed every night when I got home.  But, we made it through it.  Then we woke up to this on Saturday morning....

I knew that it had rained overnight, but I had no idea.  W were laying in bed watching the news in the morning, when we heard that the airport was reporting that 6 inches of rain had fallen the night before when we both had the same thought...what does the parking lot look like?  Soon the phone started to ring, with people looking for help cleaning up their flooded basements.  Hubby was able get his truck out, but my car would not have made it through the water at the center of our parking lot.  So I made a pot of coffee and turned out the news.  The water was down by midday so I ventured out to do some shopping, it was a mess all over town.

Things I learned this Week

So I hope that everyone uses the reusable 'recycling' bags when they do their shopping.  I love mine, I find them so much easier to use that those stupid plastic bags they give you at the store, I always have a problem with those ripping on me before I get them home.  So I learned this week that you have to use those at least 11 times for them to equal the environmental impact of a plastic bag.  Well it's safe to say that mine have been used at least that many times.  Also, one thing I didn't really think about is this.  These things are a breding ground for bacteria, and that you can use them to eliminate that treat.  Never even crossed my mind.  So this week when I wash my kitchen towels, I'll be throwing them in for a good cleaning.  For more tips check out this great article from Plant Green.  See not only I'm I entertaining, I'm also educational this week.

Just one more thing and you can get on with enjoying your evening.  A Spanish toy company will announce this week plans to market and sell a doll that  breast feeds.  I am not kidding you.  The doll is called "Breast Milk Baby" and even comes with a halter top (with flowers for nipples) where your child can latch the baby on to.  Really?  Thoughts on this?  Would you get one for your child?  Apparently they are popular in Europe, do you think they will catch on here?  I'm going to go out on a limb an say a big "NO" on that.  I think that this crosses a line.  This doll is deafened by saying it is just another chance for children to 'play learn.'  See I understand that but  I had one of those babies that would pee when I was growing up, but all I would is hold her head under water until she was full and then hold her up straight so it would all gush out.  And, I have never done that with a really baby.  For more info, check out this article from USA Today.

So I'm hoping to be in touch alittle more this week.  Have a good one!

Later~

Cyn

#40thingsaboutme....

I saw this on Twitter (follow me @cyndic88) and I just had to do it...

40.  I hate to do the dishes.
39.  I took French in high school & college, but can say more in Spanish.
38.  Dad almost lost me on the Space Mountain ride when I was 5 (apparently I was just sitting on his lap.)
37.  I have two older sisters.
36.  I had a season pass to Cedar Point each summer from Jr. High through High School.
35.  I have driven my car around Chicagoland Speedway's track.
34.  I have grown very found of my DVR and if you took it away I would be lost.
33.  I am very awkward, but that is part of my charm.
32.  Since I was a little girl everyone has told me how much I look like my Dad :)
31.  I had to have my appendix out over Thanksgiving weekend one year.
30.  I have two nieces named Abby
29.  I love this dish that my Dad makes with mac and cheese & scrambled eggs (people thing it's gross.)
28.  I always watch repeats of 'Hoarders' while I do my Spring and Fall closet cleanings (motivation!)
27.  I am a proud member of the Kid Rock Congregation.
26.  I have a slight Starbucks addiction.
25.  I failed my driving test twice before I passed it.  My whole math class applauded (still embarrassed)
24.  I love to go to the grocery store.
23.  If I had been a boy, my name was going to George Perry, or Perry George (that's the joke at least!)
22.  I love to go fishing.
21.  I bought the first wedding dress I tried on.
20.  My favorite snack are cheese roll-ups with sour cream and tomatoes.
19.  I have a sewing machine, I don't know how to use.
18.  I love the smell of cat breath (people thing that's gross too!)
17.  I met my husband in a bar (oh - the horror!)
16.  Scary movies still give me nightmares.
15.  My cabbage patch kids names are Freddy Hal (better known as Herb) & Sonya Emmalynn
14.  I prefer Pepsi over Coke.
13.  I love to sit at the pool in the hot sun and read a book.
12.  I cannot roller or ice skate.
11.  I used to help my Grandma deliver Avon.
10.  I love to cook.
9.  I am also I proud member of Junior Nation!
8.  I had the chicken pox in first grade (and gave it to both my sisters!)
7.  I was voted most helpful in my graduating class.
6.  I am the perfect balance of my Mom and Dad.
5.  My secret brownie recipe is a Betty Crocker mix.
4.  I am afraid of the dentist (and she is really nice)
3.  If I were a Golden Girl, I would be Blanche.
2.  I'm a bit of a bed cover hogger.
1.  I married my best friend.

Yikes!  That was harder than I thought, try it yourself!

What we've been doing this week...

Did you ever ride a rollar coaster and as you were climbing that first hill you just wanted to scream 'let me off of this thing!' that is how I have felt for the past month and a half.  We have been running from dawn to dusk.  Last night I felt us going over the top of the hill and by this morning we were free floating down hill.  I think the worse is behind us, but I do expect some twists and turns before the summer is over!

So I just emptied my digital camera and I came across some pictures that I have been meaning to share.  So I guess that I'm kinda going to do a 'wordless Wednesday' as it's know in the blog world.







Summerfest!

My favorite thing at Summerfest every year!

White Hat?

Black Hat?  I've always loved a bad boy!

Hubby and I made a new friend at the 4th of July parade!

Hubby's giving you his best Kid Rock!

Tree that came down during the storms on Monday, ripped right out!



Not sure that this was a good idea, but the neighbor kids loved it!






Sweet Baby Boy!



So 3 days down, 2 more to go this week. Have a great rest of the week!

Later~

Cyn

If it makes you Happy...

How was everyone's Holiday Weekend?  I think that I have a Holiday hangover.  This cold just doesn't seem to want to go away!

What a whirlwind of weekend we had.  Lots of parades, festivals and concerts.  It was exhausting, but fun.  Hubby had a tough weekend, we learned of a tragic accident that took one of his best friends from him.  It was good that we had a busy weekend, it helped to heal him alittle bit.  There were parades and concerts.  Hanging by the pool and we both got a good old fashion nap on Monday afternoon!

How cute is he??

So we finally have a new grill (thank you sweetheart for the awesome b-day present!), and it will mean endless possibilities in the way of my cooking this summer.  The steaks that we made on it this weekend were fabulous.  So I'm too excited to try some new things.  We decided against the one with the side burner, because although I thought that it would be super cool, I could not figure out how I would use it. 





We even made Smores on Saturday!  YUM!



Summerfest was great as always and included some yummy fried cheese curds, and brats.  Followed by a rocking Kid Rock concert.  Sheryl Crow opened for him and I think that I can say that I don't really need to see her again in concert.  It is so obvious that she has a big old crushy poo on Kid.  She wasn't bad, I guess that she was just not my cup of tea.  We were thinking about seeing him again in August, but I need to make sure that she will not be there, I couldn't take it.



I Love Summerfest!!







So I'm hoping that everyone had a great weekend and are recovering from all the fun! 

Have a great week!

Later ~

Cyn