Mission... use up left overs...

Hope that you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends!  I'm on a mission... that's a "use up left overs" mission!

The Turkey Pot Pie before it went into the oven.

In the works:
Turkey Pot Pie
Ham & Bean soup
Quiche Lorraine


We've been enjoying left over turkey, ham... and all the fixings!  Gosh, I think that we had enough food for 30 people even though we only had 16!

Today for my husband's lunch I made a nice sandwich of ground up some left over ham, mixed in some dill relish, celery, mayo topped with a nice piece of curly leaf lettuce on 9 grain bread.  I know... he's totally spoiled!

But for tonight, I've made up a Turkey Pot Pie and that used up a bunch of the dark meat. What's left of the dark meat is now in the freezer.

I've got some friends coming over for lunch tomorrow... and we're going to have ham & bean soup!

Tomorrow night I'll be making a couple quiches!  That will use up some of the extra ham. I've got company coming over for dinner!  Quiche is such a lovely dish to share!!!  We'll have quiche and salad!

Oh boy... Tuesday's going to be a wonderful busy day!!!

What is your favorite soup or stew?

It's really really cold here in northern Wyoming... a bone chilling 7 degrees Fahrenheit.  I'm thinking that this we would an excellent day for fresh bread and some kind of soup or stew...

I need some inspiration!  What are your favorites?  Would you share your recipe?

Perspective changes everything...

It's Saturday morning on a snowy, frigid morning in northern Wyoming....

I'm sitting at the kitchen island sipping on my fruity green smoothie enjoying a few quiet moments before the kids come home.  They spent the night at their grandmother's just down the street.

I'm thinking about my business... and fondly reminiscing over the past 17 years of my life!

I'm at that age where I have "perspective."  I mean... I have had some experience with different things and have learned lesson that I can now reflect upon...

I've decided that... Perspective changes everything!  It totally shades what we think and how we interpret things that happen in our lives!

I mean... I thought I new about this one thing (sorry for being vague...) but come to find out... I didn't know beans!  Well maybe I did know a few beans... but I didn't understand how it all fit together.... you know... like the big picture!

So, 17 years isn't a lot of time really... but I've gone from babies to teenagers... wow!

Life is such a grand adventure!

Just thinking... and sipping on my fruity green smoothie...

Parent Teacher Conference

Parent Teacher Conference
Over 2 hours later... I have emerged... Wow...

I love talking to the teachers, but standing in line for a really really loooong time... I don't know about that part!  I was having flash backs of sitting on the bridge going into Boston... car after car after car... just moving an inch or so at a time...

But that's done so moving on!

House Stuff
I primed the 1st floor bathroom this afternoon!  Yeah!  Sure felt good to get going on the bathroom again.  I so want to have that bathroom finished for Thanksgiving!!!  More details on my house blog... here.

Well got to run and get boy2 to get his reading done.

Canning 30#s of Green Beans

I belong to a food co-op called Bountiful Baskets.  Every week I get a basket of fresh vegetables and fresh fruit!  It's like Christmas every Saturday... waiting to see what goodies we'll have to pick up!!!

Sometimes my co-op has case lots... like last week, I got 30#s of green beans!!!

So this afternoon, my mom, aunt, and I cut up a big box full of green beans in preparation for canning!

I got my pressure canner out... had to find it first!  I'm on my second batch now... My canner holds 7 quarts at a time.  This batch will be a bit zippy... I added a garlic glove and slice of jalepeno pepper!

Green Smoothie adventures...

Green Smoothie adventures...
I love smoothies!  I've been drinking them for 13 years now!  I have them for breakfast and sometimes for lunch too!

Typically my smoothies include a cup of water, frozen fruit and ESP and/or Cinch.

But recently, I began hearing about the health benefits of adding greens to smoothies.... so... during the summer I started adding my garden greens too!

Apple, Pear, Banana green smoothie...
Today I made THE MOST delicious green smoothie yet!!!

Into my Vita Mix (high powered blender), I added:

• 1 cup  of water
• the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 red delicious apple
• 1 pear
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup of spinach
• 3 sprigs of kale
• a little ice
• 1 serving ESP  

Yum!

I love FREECYCLE!

I joined our local FREECYCLE group recently.

It's such a great idea!  You OFFER want is still good and usable... and ASK for what you need!

A treadmill...
A few weeks ago I connected with a woman who had an older version treadmill to give away.  She had gotten a new one... and this one had to go.  So... I got it!  It works great for me!!!

Yarn...
I had a box of yarn that was just sitting around... so I OFFERED it!  It's gone!

Artist's Easel...
A water color artist had a homemade easel to give away.  I've been wanting one for my mother-in-law who is a newish oil painter!  Going to get it this week!

What a great way to recycle our good stuff!!!!