A Southern Girl

Chicken Pot Pie (lazy girl style)

Recipes

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

 

6 Chicken Thighs

1 29 oz. can Veg-All

2 cans Cream of Chicken soup

1 can of Grands Biscuits

Salt & Pepper

 

Boil thighs in large pot with enough water to cover.  When done and cooled, remove meat from bone and chop (save broth).  In large casserole dish combine chicken, soup, drained vegetables, 1 1/2 cups of broth from boiled chicken, and salt & pepper to taste.   Bake at 350 for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 325 add flattened biscuits on top and continue baking until biscuits are done.

*Note – I added an additional 1/2  can of diced potatoes to mine.

Boo-tiful Pumpkins…

Crafts

 

With Halloween being just around the corner I thought I would give this ‘being crafty’ thing a try. I must say, I love how these turned out.  I am trying to get in touch with my inner crafter, and I plan on sharing my journey…. I’m sure along the way there will be some craft fails, and I may or may not decide to share those : )

 

 

I couldn’t believe how something so easy to make could turn out so cute!  All you need are pumpkins, a few rolls of Halloweenie ribbon (I found mine on sale 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby) your favorite craft glue, and some wire for the bows on top.   The ribbon I used had wire in the edges, which was a big help when it came to making the bows.. I tried using ribbon without the wire, and it just made a floppy sad looking bow… so my advice is, opt for the ‘sculptable’ wire ribbon.  If a ‘newbie’ crafter wannabe like me can do this, so can you.  Now go out… get a few pumpkins and give it a try!

Love this…

Family

There once was a woman with big perky breasts
Then cancer came and left a flat chest
Then chemotheraphy was what it’s about
And very soon her hair all fell out
Then doubt and self-pity turned into fear
And she couldn’t stand to look in the mirror
Then she looked and said “what the hell”
I don’t feel whole, I’m just a shell
Then anger sparked the will to fight
A war against cancer that had no right
There’s purpose in life with so much to do
To give in to cancer and just say I’m through
There is life to live and memories to make
Children to love and cookies to bake
So keep up the fight and never give in
This is your life you’re in it to win
Believe in yourself and encourage others
The wives, daughters, sisters and mothers
To all the women who have to endure
Don’t give up hope there will be a cure

Written by Rick Watson

The first step is admitting you have a problem… right?

Reviews

 

Well, I’m taking the first step.. I do in fact have a problem.  But what if it’s an addiction you like to have?  I absolutely LOVE these books!  Back in my days as a hairstylist, a good friend of mine handed me a copy of One for the Money and that’s all it took.  Like a drug dealer handing out a sample of their goods knowing you’ll be back for more.  Well, fast forward 10 years….. and here I am waiting very impatiently for the 18th book in the Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series to be released next month.  I have always enjoyed reading, but I can read these at mach speed… no joke.

What is even more exciting is the January release of One for the Money on the big screen! Oh, how I have hoped and dreamed the day would come…. and I cannot wait.  You still have time to jump on the Stephanie Plum band wagon and get few of these under your belt before the movie release in January.  So here I am, offering you a sample of the goods… knowing you will soon be back for more. (No, not really… because you have to buy (or borrow) the book yourself.)

 

(book description from back cover)

Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash–fast–but times are tough, and soon she’s forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie’s bail bonding company. She’s got no experience. But that doesn’t matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father’s Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water–wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn’t. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she’ll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight–and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

 

I promise once you pick up the first one you’ll be hooked. You’ll read the last page and instantly want more… so my suggestion is be sure and have Two for the Dough on standby.  If you’ve read these, feel free to chime in and leave a comment.

Loaded Fried Rice

Recipes

 

I love fried rice, and this is a recipe that’s so easy and so filling. Plus, it’s even better the next day. You can change this up and add your own additions to change it up to your tastes.

IMG_7954-2-1

4 Cups uncooked Minute Rice (prepare according to box directions)

8 Boneless thin pork chops (could also use chicken)

1 lb bacon

1 medium onion

soy sauce

salt and pepper

 

In a large skillet cook pork chops on medium heat in a tbsp of oil . Season both sides with salt and pepper then set aside.  In the same skillet cook bacon until browned.  Remove bacon from skillet and pour bacon grease into a wok. *If you don’t have a wok, make sure your skillet is big enough once you add the rice. Add chopped onion to bacon grease.  Cut cooked pork chops in to 1/4 inch cubes and crumble bacon, then add both to bacon grease and cook until onion is translucent.   Spoon rice into wok and stir well over medium high heat.  Add soy sauce to taste and serve.  Refrigerate leftovers.  This really good reheated…and this is coming from someone who usually HATES leftovers 🙂

 

 

 

Cancer Sucks….

Family

It’s funny how much your life can change in an instant.  In a matter of seconds something that is the most important to you above all else…. your family.. becomes threatened.  This past Monday I took my Mom to a doctor’s appointment to find out the results of biopsy test.  To be honest, I wasn’t worried. I woke up that day the same as any other day. I just knew that it would be nothing…. well that’s not entirely true.  Of course in the back of my mind the thought was there.. the dreaded what if ?  But call it denial, call it blind faith.. whatever you want to call it, I wasn’t overly concerned.

We get to the appointment… and we both knew that when they started dragging up 1.. then 2.. then 3 chairs that this wasn’t going to be the “Oh, you’re just fine..” results we were hoping for.  Even then, I am still thinking….”Ok… maybe they are just going to tell us that the benign tumor will need to be removed and are wanting to discuss the procedure.”  The doctor comes in and then gives us the results…. it’s cancer…Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  I have to tell you, after that, it pretty much seemed like one of those scenes  in a movie where you are seeing through the eyes of a character and their mind trails off… voices fade… and the room kind of blurs.

It didn’t last long because I instantly went into the mindset of “Okay, now what?”  I had to be strong not only for my Mother, but also myself.  The news could have been a whole lot better… but it could also have been a whole lot worse.  The tumor is fairly small… not as small as they would have liked.. but about the size of a dime.  I’m thinking let’s get her into surgery NOW… I want it out. Period.  But unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.  We go back in tomorrow for an MRI, that will help them determine more of a big picture of what we’re dealing with.  Monday morning is the appointment with the surgeon…

As crazy as it may seem… I haven’t cried… not one tear.  Not really sure why.  I don’t know if it’s because it just hasn’t hit me yet.  I don’t know if it’s because in my mind defeat is not an option… and that this is just one of those times where you make the decision early on that you will do whatever, whatever it takes to get through this.  We are all tested at some point in our lives.  I can’t say that this is a test that I look forward to, but it was the one given.  We will pass this test, and any other test that comes our way.  “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”  We are going to kick cancer’s butt.