1/12 My daily contest/giveaway entries - you can enter too :)

• A years supply of Downy Fabric Softener - things are smelling better already!!! Oh how I would LOVE to win this!!!! You can give it a shot too - check out Shibley Smiles for information on how to enter! This ends on: 2/12/11
• I've entered to win a HearthSong Art Table with Paper Roll! My girls would LOVE this!!!! To find out details on how to enter, just visit: Show Me Mama - this ends on: 1/24/11 
• I got my bonus entries in to win a $25 Amazon gift card supplied by joeshopping.com - giveaway details can be found at "Rachel's Reviews and Giveaways" the bonus entries are available until 1/17 and the main giveaway goes until 1/22
• I also got my bonus entries in to win a $25 gift card to the Outback!! Giveaway details can be found at "Rachel's Reviews and Giveaways" the bonus entries are available until 1/17 and the main giveaway goes until 1/22. 
• One lucky "ace and friends" reader will win a special Prilosec OTC gift pack, complete with a $100 AMEX giftcard for you to splurge on your favorite foods without the fear of heartburn!This ends on 2/3/11

Sweet-and-Sour Beef Stew in the Crockpot

This was SUPER yummy!!! Having no leftovers is always a good clue to a successful dinner!!

Sweet-and-Sour Beef Stew

1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat

1-1/2 cup sliced onion

1 cup carrot, peeled and cubed

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 t. cornstarch

cooked egg noodles

Place all ingredients except cornstarch and noodles in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on high setting for 6 hours. One hour before serving, stir in cornstarch. Cover again and cook for final hour on high setting. Serve with cooked noodles on the side. Serves 4

Changes: Jason suggested adding mushrooms to it. I didn't have a need to add the starch because it was plenty thick when we were ready to serve. I also didn't serve it over noodles and Jason suggested serving it over Rice! All in all, a good recipe - it was missing something in the "spice" department though!

GOOSEBERRY PATCH - "Dinner$ on a Dime" review!

I love to cook! But I especially love to cook when the recipes are easy and come out tasting yummy too! I recently found a Gooseberry Patch cookbook at a local store. I've always been a fan of the company, but never had bought any of their cookbooks. I've always been more of a "search the Internet and see what I find" kinda cook! Don't get me wrong, I have lots of cookbooks sitting over in the corner of my counter looking all pretty and organized. But for some reason, I just never feel the urge to pick them up. But so far it has been different with "Dinner$ on a Dime". In the last week I have cooked 3 of the recipes included in the cookbook and I have another in the crock pot for tonight!

One of the things that I love most about this cookbook is all of the Tips & Tricks that are included. As well as all of the money saving techniques that everyone could benefit from! As I look at the recipe for "Picnic Hot Dog Surprise" (located on page 26) I notice a note at the bottom of the page which says: "When the weather is nice, carry dinner outdoors to the backyard for a picnic. You'll be making memories together...and just about anything tastes even better outdoors!" Other Tips & Tricks:

I've made several recipes already from this cookbook but for the purpose of this review I made:

Stuffed Cabbage Soup (page 46)

Carolyn Helewski

Arcadia, FL

We just loved my mom's stuffed cabbage, but it took so long to prepare. I took all of the ingredients she used and turned it into a soup that is a lot quicker and tastes just like the original!

1 pound ground beef

garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

2 14-1/2 ounce cans beef broth

3-2/3 cup water

2 10-3/4 ounce cans tomato soup

1 4.4 ounce can sauerkraut

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

1 cup cooked rice

Brown beef in a large soup pot over medium heat; drain. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add broth water, soup and undrained sauerkraut; stir until mixed well. Mix in cabbage and rice; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for one hour. Makes 10 servings.

A splash of cider vinegar adds zing to any cabbage dish.

Over all I find the cookbook very easy to use and very easy to understand. The recipes are straightforward and so far have proven to be accurate and correct! I love all of the extras that are included and enjoy reading them too. I can't wait to continue to try more recipes. This cookbook will be sitting nicely next to my stove for some time to come!

If you would like to find out more about Gooseberry Patch and their other cookbooks and/or products available, you can go to their website. They can also be found on Facebook (please let them know that I sent you)!
 

1/11 My daily contest/giveaway entries - you can enter too :)

• I entered to win a $75 gift certificate to Plow and Hearth - this is from "The Thrifty Things" and end on 1/25/11 
• One LUCKY *ace and friends* reader will win a cozy "Change of Plans" Fleece Blanket and three (3) P&G/Walmart family movies: "Secrets of The Mountain", "Jenson Project" and "A Walk in My Shoes". This ends on: 1/26/11
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Today is Tuesday.......

Don't really have too much to write about this morning. Brooklinn slept really well again last night and my chickens laid me an egg yesterday! I saw this quote on Facebook the other day and found it fitting with a lot of things going on in my life right now:

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So, love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Another quote I really like:

Expect nothing - Appreciate everything!

Have a good day!!!!

1/10 My daily contest/giveaway entries - you can enter too :)

• I entered to win a Vitalicous sampler pack from Ace and Friends co. The mission of Vitalicious is simple: to make healthy and delicious baked goods that are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. This ends on: 1/31/11
• 2 Boys + 1 Girl = 1 Crazy Mom is having a thank you giveaway. She is giving away $50 in Paypal Cash! This ends on 1/31/11
• I love kitchen gadgets - if I keep getting new ones, I might have to remodel my remodeled kitchen!! I found a giveaway for 2 Wilton Tasty-Fill Cake Pan Sets. They look pretty cool too. I'm sure I could make some beautiful cakes with this set!! I found the giveaway at: Mommy D's Kitchen - this ends om: 1/30/11
  

Weekend Away!

We spent the past weekend in MD/DE visiting Jason's family to celebrate a late Christmas with them. Traveling this year is always tricky! This is what I drove in for over 2 hours:

We eventually made it safe and sound. It just took a little longer! I've always wanted to go to the Ocean in the Winter. So I made Jason humor me and we paid a quick visit to Ocean City. I even managed to talk him into walking out on the Jetty with the girls and I. It was cold but the look on Brooklinn's face was priceless! Thank goodness I was holding her or I think she would have jumped in!!!

We stayed in hotel while there. The bigger kids mostly stayed at Jason's sisters house but Brooklinn stayed with us. Most of you already know about my previous experience letting her CIO. If you don't know about it you can read about it in my earlier posts. We didn't have enough room in our room for a crib so I was really hoping she would just curl up on the floor, maker herself a bed and go to sleep. Wishful thinking! In order for the entire hotel to get some sleep I had to put her in bed with me. All I kept thinking was how the entire first night of her yelling and screaming during sleep training was going to be for nothing and how I was going to have to endure another night just like that one.
WELL, I was pleasantly surprised last night. I put her in her crib and she cried for not even a minute, laid down and went to sleep and that is how she stayed until this morning! I can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am that she did that!!!!