Becoming Betty: Barbecue Chicken Bubble-up Bake

I've been scrolling through Pinterest quite a bit lately and found this recipe.

http://pinterest.com/pin/73957618857464537/

I'm always looking for easy recipes and recipes that use biscuits since I usually stock up on them when they are on sale.  Speaking of which, I recently stocked up.

This recipe is easy-peasy.

Biscuits cut up

Chicken cut up and ready for BBQ. Oh, the chicken ended up kind of shredded since I didn't cut it up until after it was cut.

Sous Chef Zed overseeing the process (ok - waiting for some more chicken)

Chicken and biscuits mixed together.  Oh - the recipe called for a 3 qt glass container.  I only have a 2.5 qt container.

Then covered with cheese.

And after 30 minutes

It doesn't really present well on the plate

The verdict:

I would probably cook this a little longer.  There were a couple of biscuits that were gooey.  Hubby liked it, and I thought it was pretty good especially since it was so easy to make.

Becoming Betty: CrockPot Chex Mix

I LOVE homemade Chex Mix.  I have an original recipe from a Chex cereal box from WAY back (maybe the 80's).   I say this because I don't like the "new" recipe that is store bought.  Mostly because of the baguette pieces.

I've only ever done the recipe in the oven, but this year I ran across a recipe for Chex Mix in a Crockpot!  WHAT?!  

I LOVE my crockpot. So when I saw this recipe, I figured I'd try it.  

http://pinterest.com/pin/73957618857432861/

All I can say is WOW!  So easy and not as messy as the oven recipe!  I followed the recipe to the T, which I don't do on the oven recipe (I have a secret ingredient). 

The end product - in the cooling stage.

And the casualties

Lesson learned - spray with non-stick spray.

Future Chex Mix will be made this way (but maybe with the secret ingredient).

Becoming Betty: Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

So it seems like Spaghetti Squash is the big thing right now.  One of my friends posted that she made it and liked it, so I have been thinking about making it.

Off to Pinterest!  One of the recipes I found was Spaghetti Squash Alfredo.  I figured, hubby and I both like Alfredo, so this might work.

Monday, I picked one up and showed hubby the recipe.  Since my work week has been slow, today was the day to try it.  It actually didn't take that long to make.  I started at 3:45, but probably could have waited until 4 to start.  I just wasn't sure how long it would take me.

I really had no idea what to expect when I cut open the squash and didn't expect it to automatically become "noodles".

Getting ready to boil

the Alfredo sauce

cooked and cooled

forked out and ready to put into the sauce

empty shells

finished in the pan

and plated, served with chicken

This was an easy peasy recipe.  Both hubby and I didn't know what to expect when we tasted it.  Guess what?!  We both liked it!  It's probably not something that will be in the weekly menu, but definitely the monthly menu.

So here I am, a meat and potatoes kind of girl, eating squash as her main dish!  This is just too much!  It filled me up too.  I couldn't finish my chicken.  I am happy to say that hubby had seconds!

Becoming Betty: Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake

I have been looking at this recipe for awhile and have had the ingredients so I asked hubby if he wanted to make it.

It was so easy to make.  Batter on the bottom and pudding on the top. 

I kept looking at it in the oven and the batter was surrounding the pudding.  It ended up like so:

Added the Cool Whip and ready to eat!

It was really good. Not too chocolatey and light.

Adventures: Busy Weekend Full of Fun

This weekend was full of fun.

Saturday, we went out for lunch at The Village at Leesburg and went to Noodles & Co.  We scanned some munzees when we were there and got a geocache too.  We stopped at Hamilton Sofa Gallery which is going out of business (at that location only) to see what bargains there were.  We saw some items we liked for the basement, but we still don't know what we are doing down there decorating wise so no sense in purchasing anything yet.

In the afternoon, I went to my friend's house (in West Virginia) for a Jamberry party.  I'm glad I got to go since I was shown how to correctly put on and take off the wraps and given some ideas to prep my nails better so they don't come out like last time.  I also signed up for another Facebook party (September 28).

The two wraps I had done at the party.

Sunday, we went to the Lucketts Fair.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but for $5 each, I figured what the heck, it's something to do.  We had a good time.  There were a lot of vendors and I really didn't expect to purchase anything (except maybe a funnel cake).

We ended up getting Zed a new bed and I got a (thumb) ring with Esa's name and dates.  I have been looking for awhile for something (and I lost her portion of the keychain that I made for me).  This was perfect.  I asked Dan about getting matching ones, but he wasn't really sure about it.  So, I just got one for me.  I love it and have been wearing it non-stop (more than my wedding ring).

The food was very tempting, but we ended up just getting funnel cake and bringing it home.

Z on his new bed.

My memorial ring.

Adventure: Sick Puppy this Week.

We know that Zed always starts itching whenever we are traveling.  I don't know if it's just the environment change that messes with his system or what.  Usually, I give him some anti-fungal medicine and it keeps the itching at bay.

At the end of July, we went to NY to see family and Z started itching up there.  Unfortunately, we were running low on the med so we had to wait until we got home to get a refill.  So that following Thursday(we got back on Monday), I started the medicine daily.  He was itching but not too bad - maybe a couple times a day. 

This last Tuesday, his itching got out of control.  So much so that he was whining and wasn't able to relax to fall asleep.  So, we took him to the emergency vet.  We just assumed he was having some sort of allergic.  The vet assumed so too.

She ended up giving him a steroid, benadryl, pain medicine, and a sedative.  Needless to say, he was out of it by the time we left the medical center.  Unfortunately, he woke up at 4:40 AM and immediately started scatching.  So I called the emergency vet and the vet tech said to give him a benadryl a little early since the medicine was still in his system.  He ended up sleeping a little.

Our vet (who is a good friend of ours), called and said that if the steroid isn't working then obviously it was probably mites.  So Wednesday afternoon, she stopped by with the medicine and checked him out.  He was so red all over his belly and he was whining so much in pain.  

I gave him his first dose and changed from his daily Benadryl to Zyrtec.  Yesterday he was a little better.  He stopped itching as much, but his belly wasn't that good.  So our vet told me to cook some rice and chicken.  

Today, Zed is so much better!  His belly isn't red and he is almost back to his normal self.  We were able to go for a mile walk this afternoon and his tummy is better.

He'll continue his parasite treatment for about 6 weeks.  Hopefully that doesn't come back.

Something "clicked on" in my brain.

I have shared this with my close friends and family and now an update. 

About 2 months ago, something "clicked" in my brain after a week of tummy issues.  I got off of the 6 pack of diet coke a day (ok, close to that amount) and now drink maybe 1 or 2 cans a day.  I am drinking water like crazy.  I no longer have cravings for food.  Seriously – not even Chipotle.  I eat when I am hungry and now my stomach tells me when to stop.  I also can’t stand how my mouth feels after I eat and have to brush my teeth within the hour.

If you really know me, you know I have the “Clark Stomach.”  You put food in front of me and I will eat it (maybe it has something with being Italian too).  I have struggled all my life with cravings (mostly carbs like potato chips, nachos, etc, but ice cream too) and can’t keep those trigger foods in the house.  They will be GONE.

So the last 2 months have been crazy – that’s the only way I can describe it.  Trigger foods are in the house.  I eat them, but it’s like a NORMAL portion size (WHAT?!), and they last in the house (like weeks instead of a couple of days).

This has been hard for me to comprehend, but maybe even harder for Dan since he’s used to me saying “I want (fill in the blank with my favorite restaurants)” or “I had a craving for_____” or even not finishing my plate or going back for 2nds.  I used to starting thinking of dinner at 9 am in the morning.  Now I struggle with even getting a taste for anything.  Crazy.

Anyway, about 3 weeks ago I went into the doctors for a prescription renewal and told her about my week of not feeling well and how my taste buds have changed, etc.  She did a complete blood workup and a urine test.  She was worried that maybe I was having a kidney, liver, pancreas issue.  The worst thing I could think of is maybe I have diabetes (since it runs in our family).  Yesterday I went in for my lab results.

Let me just say – I am a medial miracle.  The doctor has no explanation on what has happened.  All my results came back with no organ issues.  All of my lab results have improved since they were last taken in March.

My cholesterol has gone down from 226 to 176.  My risk for diabetes was at increased risk and now is normal.

Her only response was to keep it up, start exercising, no soda, and no health/herbal supplements (sorry to my Youngevity, Body by Vi and Isagenix friends).  Follow-up in three months. 

I am taking this day by day and hopefully this will last.  

Book Review: An Average Joe’s Pursuit for Financial Freedom

I don’t usually read financial “self-help” books.  And it was obvious with this book also since it took me so long to read and to write a review for it (sorry Advertisewithbloggers.com).

Now, I’m not saying that financial books are boring.  You can ALWAYS find new ideas on how to save money/build wealth in them and this book provided that.  I got some recommendations on two other financial books “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Richard Kiyosaki and “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley.  Both helped the author changed his perception on how to build wealth.  I’ll admit it-the latter has been sitting on my bookshelf for YEARS and has never been opened. 

“The Average Joe’s Pursuit for Financial Freedom” provides the author’s approach for how to (eventually) live without a full time job using passive income streams.  His approach is real estate and the book focuses on this.  Unfortunately, real estate isn’t for everyone.  The author lists a couple of different passive income, but never recommends information about or where to find out more about these other ways of generating passive income.  Just a spot I thought was missing from the book.

The author also reminisces on how he got to his point in his life.  I think this was a great story.  He and his wife were willing to take a chance and move away from family to get to where they wanted in life.  This resonated with me as I moved over 300 miles from my family, alone, when I was 20 because of a job opportunity that I knew would never happen in my hometown area.

There were points in the book I agreed with and some I didn’t.  One was using a financial planner.  I disagree that a person should not use a financial planner.  I agreed with the statement that you should use a good one if you do and learn about investing.  My husband and I use a financial planner.  Luckily, in our opinion, he’s a good one.  We make money on our financial investments and we are “the millionaire next door” because of the “old fashion way” of earning a paycheck and saving money.

I also agree with the goals portion of the book.  One of the biggest goals that my husband and I had was to pay down debt.  We are now (and have been) debt free besides our mortgage for many years.  “The Average Joe’s Pursuit to Financial Freedom” provides a great layout for setting financial goals; whatever they may be.

I would love to have more passive income, but like the author mentioned.  If you and your spouse are not on the same page with goals, it won’t happen.  We agree on the “old fashion” way, so that is our financial plan until retirement.  Our house is an asset (our home as appreciated since we’ve had it), our spending is under control and our credit scores are in the high 700s.  With that being said, half of the book didn’t pertain to me.

HOWEVER, that’s not to say that it’s not a good book.  It’s just not the book for me.  If someone is looking to learn from an average guy how he is achieving his financial goals through real estate (and if you watch HGTV’s Income Property), you would like this book.  It gives you the basic structure on what you need to create that “team” who supports you with your properties.

I was a landlord/property manager for my childhood home for 11 years after moving away.  What a pain in the butt – and I had the support system I needed (handyman, plumber, etc.).  Word to the wise:  If you do get into real estate, either have the houses close by or use a full service property management company.

As I first mentioned, there is ALWAYS something that can be learned.  So even if you aren’t into using real estate as a passive income, I would still read it.  It might give you some ideas that you haven’t thought about yet – or maybe you will get into the real estate game!

The above review is my opinion.  I was not paid for this review, but was given a copy of the book.

From back of book cover:

An Average Joe’s Pursuit for Financial Freedom offers a different perspective on money than what is traditionally taught by our parents and in our school systems. The reason there is such a discrepancy between the wealthy and the poor is due to the difference in the way money is perceived. We are not born with the ability to maintain wealth: it is something that is learned. The knowledge of knowing how to make money work to generate passive income is something that anyone can learn as long as they are disciplined. An Average Joe’s Pursuit for Financial Freedom is based on practical concepts and discusses the problems that the majority of us face with our personal finance.  The concepts in this book are based on theory by an author that practices what he writes about.

AUTHOR BIO:

Michael Munsey works in the oil industry and resides in Houston, Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Murray State University in May of 1995. While working to climb the corporate ladder within Halliburton Energy Services, Michael enrolled in the EMBA program at Rice University in 2005. After earning his MBA, he had a major change in the way he perceives money which he is sharing in this book.



Website  http://www.freeaveragejoe.com/

ExLibris URL  http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-000777812/An-Average-Joes-Pursuit-For-Financial-Freedom.aspx

Amazon URL  (Kindle)  http://www.amazon.com/Average-Joes-Pursuit-Financial-Freedom-ebook/dp/B00JRW4CTM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398720284&sr=1-1&keywords=Michael+Munsey

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8161838.Michael_Warren_Munsey

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/FreeAverageJoe

Twitter  https://twitter.com/FreeAverageJoe

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The Daily Zed: IPad Holder

My new iPad holder

Becoming Betty: Lawry's Hawaiian Sauce

Tonight, we tried something new - Lawry's Hawaiian Marinade on chicken.  I don't grill, so I baked the chicken in the oven and added pineapple chucks to it.  I thought it might be pretty good since that Pineapple BBQ chicken that I make in the crockpot is really good.

The finished product

Yeah, this really didn't come out that great.  It gave the chicken some flavor, but not that much.  Dan said, "It's alright."  Meaning, he'd pass on it for the next time.  I agreed.  I said maybe it would be better if the chicken was grilled, but I just went ahead and dumped the sauce out.

Maybe these marinades are more for grilling.  I have a couple of other flavors to try - lemon and pepper, lemon and garlic, and garlic herb.  We'll see how they are.   I'll say it, I like Ken's Marinades much better.

Becoming Betty: Slow Cooker Steak

So I headed to Pinterest to find a good slow cooker recipe for beef.  I ended up on crock pot gal's website.  I love this website!

I decided on this recipe.  Unfortunately, I didn't have dill spice, but I figured it can't be that big of a deal since it's only 1/4 teaspoon.

The end product.  

This beef was so tender, and I don't think there would have been any difference in the taste with the dill.  I put some juice on it and it was wonderful.  We had baked potatoes with it.

The Daily Zed: Running Errands

We did a family trip to Petco today. 

Z FINALLY needed food.  We had a 30 lb bag to go through which I bought in November. Since Z only eats 1/2 cup a day if he does eat, it was slow going compared to the 2 1/2 cups we were going through with 2 dogs. 

We then stopped at Giant to grab one thing, and Dan went in while Z and I sat in the A/C.

Adventures: DIY and Bday Present

For months, I have been trying to figure out what I wanted to get us for some sort of memorial for Esa.  I looked on Etsy and saw some items that I liked (bracelets, keychains, etc.), but haven't taken the time to really go forward with it.

Then I was looking at the May 2014 Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  This was on the last page.  Seriously....

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/73957618856070650/

Do you see that?  Of all of the names/initials, they use in this publication E S A.  Now, if that is not a sign, I don't know what is.  I have thought about making something, but never really knew what I wanted.  There you go, idea solved.

Today (May 30), is Dan's birthday.  This post is/was a work in progress (and not published until May 30 - just in case Dan decides to look at the blog).

Trial run with paper 

(and a backward letter - what can I say, I don't use stamps very often)

I used 2 Creative Memories tools to get the ovals (used the middle of the tools) .  I purchased the stamps at AC Moore and had the ink pad.

Of course, the next idea that came in my head was maybe I can make a Zed one too, but with his REAL pawprint!

Friday, May 23 afternoon

It took me about 4 tries to get the bottom right large one done.  It's a mess, but I decided to keep it and it would be mine for a reminder how much problems I originally had!  LOL!  I guess it would have helped if I had cleaned the stamps BEFORE using them on the clay!  Like I said, I don't use stamps very often.

I TRIED to do Zed's pawprint (he is so patient!), but his paw is bigger than the large oval AND even when I pressed on his paw, it didn't really make a mark.  His nails did, but not his paw.

Zed's charm has is adoption date on it.  Esa's has her birth date on top and death date on the bottom.

So side story - I made these around 1 pm in the afternoon and had it sitting on the oven to cool when I went on a walk with Zed and our neighbor, Lynne and Sable (Esa's best friend) around 2:15 pm.  I figured - plenty of time to hide everything before Dan gets home at 4 pm.  I had cleaned up the mess when the charms were in the oven, so only the pan was out on the stove.  

Lynne and I come around the corner and who is sitting on our porch but Dan!  PANIC!  I thought for sure that he saw the charms.  So I immediately said, "What are you doing home?  Did you see what was on the stove?"  He said no that he saw that the leash was gone and immediately came out to the porch.  He said he saw something sitting out, but didn't go inspect it.

So, truth will be told on Friday when he gets his presents.

Wednesday, May 28

The finished products.

Dan's

Mine

I enjoyed making these.  It was a quick and easy project that means a lot.

BOOK TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: I Will Never Forget by Elaine C. Pereira

I was really interested in reviewing this book because my aunt Annie had Alzheimer's.  I don't remember when she was diagnosed, but I remember her downward spiral started in 1980-1981 when she was around 65.  She died in early 1990.  I appreciate that the author is donating to the Alzheimer's Association.

Another reason I was interested in reviewing is because I have been an elderly caretaker.  One of my other aunts that I was close to, Helen, had me in charge of her financial side, while my sister-in-law took care of the medical side (since she's an RN).

Elaine's memoir is a book that should be read by anyone who is or has gone through being a caretaker for an elderly relative.  I could not believe how much this book resonated with me.  There were many times throughout the book that I thought, "I had that happen too!"  It just reminded me that even though I was alone in the journey of taking care of my Aunt, I wasn't alone!  This was my first full book read on my Kindle and I highlighted 44 areas that I had a "YES!" moment.  No one really prepares you for becoming a caretaker (no matter the level).

Elaine did a great job in giving the background history about her family.  The glimpses in her relationship with her mother and family helped with explaining the feelings of the child becoming the parent.  Kudos to Elaine for putting her story out there.  I'm sure it was hard to relive those emotional times in her life, but it will help others.

***

I Will Never Forget is the incredible true story of the author’s talented mother’s poignant and humorous journey through Dementia. From superb stories of Elaine's childhood, her controversial name, tales of smoking’ dragons, the feisty teenage years and a near paralyzing accident, her mother Betty Ward’s wonderful character is revealed.

Over time, as their relationship evolves and a new paradigm is formed, Betty begins to exhibit goofy actions, uncharacteristic verbal assaults and bizarre thinking. Although clearly mystified by her mother’s irrational behaviors, Elaine does not initially appreciate the extent of Betty’s mental decline. Her mother’s amazing ability to mask the truth clouds Elaine’s vision and prolongs her denial until one cataclysmic explosion of reality over an innocuous drapery rod launches a waterfall of destructive events.

As her mother’s brilliant mind is steadily destroyed by Dementia’s insatiable appetite for brain cells, Elaine accompanies her mother on her one-way journey through Alzheimer’s mystifying haze. Elaine cherishes her mother’s fascinating visions of her own mother, masterful Houdini-like disappearances and finally a stunning rally to take control of her own destiny.

I Will Never Forget is a heartwarming, humorous, honest and deeply moving story pertinent to everyone touched by the insidious effects of Dementia. Learn from Elaine's unwitting mistakes as she weaves her way through her mother’s unpredictable disease to capture insightful and effective intervention strategies.

The author donates a portion of every book sold to Alzheimer's research "in part so that my daughter's don't have to write a book about me one day."

#1 Best Seller in medical Biographies and Memoirs (Kindle) Amazon March 2014

 #1 Best Seller in Medical Professional Biographies (Books) Amazon March 2014

Buy the Book
Amazon.co.uk     Amazon.com     Barnes and Noble 

About the Author

Elaine C. Pereira is a retired school occupational therapist who worked with special needs children. She earned her bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Wayne State University and later completed her master’s degree. She also has completed courses as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and Caregiver, CDP. CDC.

Elaine and her husband Joseph live in southeastern Michigan with their cat, Snoopy, and two big dogs, Bailey and Maddee. Together they have five adult children; Joe’s three sons and Elaine’s twin daughters, five young grandchildren and a teenage granddaughter. Life is good again.

Follow the Author

Author's Website     Facebook    Twitter    Google+    Goodreads

"She was a kind, brilliant and talented person all of her life until Alzheimer's took hold leaving an agitated, bewildered and compromised woman in its wake. I was NOT the easy kid to raise, that would have been my brother. But after a decade of great personal sacrifice and unspeakable losses, Mom started her descent into dementia. I stepped up as she slid down, grateful to give back to the woman who once gave so much!" - author Elaine C Pereira

Follow the book tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

 

5 Lucky Winners will each win a Signed Book of I Will Never Forget

Open to US or ebook for Worldwide winners

Ending on Sunday 15th June at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Daily Zed: Geocaching

We decided to go geocaching on Sunday since it was a long weekend and it was going to be nice out.  We invited Dan's sister and her husband along too.  We had gone to the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship  before, but still had a lot of geocaches to find.

Our plan was to go to the Equestrian entrance since that would be closer to the geocaches.  Well, that didn't go as planned.  First of all, we took a wrong turn and ended up at another "sort of " entrance that only had like 2 parking spots.  We got out of the jeep and then looked at the map.  WRONG PLACE!  

We got back into the jeep and went to the right place.  The gate wasn't open.  WHAT?!  So much for that plan.

So we just went to the main entrance and walked the trail.  It all ended good.  We walked a good 3.5 miles.  Little Z was a tired boy when we got back to the Jeep. 

ready to pass out on mama's lap

We did find one geocache, but the container was broken and there was an ink pad in it that leaked all over everything.  Disappointing.

It was great to spend time with Donna and Bill, so the day wasn't a waste at all.  We all enjoyed the day.

Of course, we had some excitement on the way there.  The check engine light came on.  GREAT!  Not again!  We'll see what the code is this time.....

After taking a little nap, Zed was up and around and back at it.  He knew there were treats in the geocaching bag, so what does he do right in front of Dan?

That little stinker!

Adventures: Family Tree Collage

Saturday was my DIY day.  I have been thinking about doing a family tree picture collage for quite awhile.

I was thinking about putting it in the stairway, but then no one would really see it.  With our dining room now decorated, I was thinking of putting it on a wall there.  I had bought a canvas that I originally wanted to use, but at the community yardsale last week, I found FAMILY letters that caught my eye.  I got them for $1.

I knew I wanted to paint them - either black or brown to match the room.  I decided on black to match the picture frames and do all of the pictures in black and white.

That was an easy project, but my second using spray paint.  Still getting used to making the paint even!

Pictures - I have so many pictures for my side of the family.  My goal is to get "couple" pictures, but the farther back I go, the harder that is.  Either it's a family picture or single pictures.  The crazy thing - I went through all of my family tree stuff and found pictures that I didn't even remember.

L to R:  Mom & Dad, Great Grandparents LaSala, Grandparents Clark, Grandparents Caprarulo

I did a couple of pictures so far and started doing my templates for the wall.  I think I am going to wait a while to put them on the wall.  I am still gathering pictures from Dan's side of the family.  Plus I need to figure out the layout on the wall.

I'm making progress though!