Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

Happy Wednesday!

First, I just want to thank you for being the best bloggy readers ever!  Your e-mails and comments have been so kind.  I don't know most of you, but your encouraging words and love for our family as you celebrate with us have made our celebrations even sweeter!  

We are not huge meat eaters around here, but with lots of celebrating and entertaining going on lately...this is our go-to recipe!  Best of all, it can be made the day before and re-heated in the oven.  All you will need to do is set the table, cook the noodles, slice the bread and have your guests bring a salad!

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

{adapted from my favorite Ina Garten!}

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 12oz. pkg. hickory smoked bacon
• 2 lbs. chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1  2 lb. pound  bag of carrots, sliced into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced and diced {not too small} maybe I should say bite size chunks.
• 4 cloves of garlic, pressed 
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle dry red wine...I like to use Blue Fin {$3.99} from Trader Joe's
• 2 cups beef broth...I use Better than Bouillon
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 12oz. pkg. fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to the crockpot.

{This is the only time bacon is allowed into the kitchen!  It is usually cooked on the bbq!}

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the crockpot with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned...placing it into the crockpot.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Place all of this goodness into the crockpot. Add the bottle of wine..yes, ALL OF IT!... and the beef broth. Add the tomato paste and thyme.

Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Add  the flour to the stew. Season to taste.  You are mostly tasting for salt and pepper.  WARNING!!! It's gonna taste winey!

Cook on high for 6 hours.

Serve over hot egg noodles, mashed potatoes or rice and ENJOY!


Shared with:  comfy in the kitchen

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18

{photo credit:  Matt Miranda}

You, my son are 18 TODAY!

18!

Happy Birthday!

Oh where to begin?  At this point, I feel as though there are no tears left to cry. 

Dad and I are so very proud of the young man you have become.  Although you are no longer a little boy, there will always be parts of you that will remind me of “little you”. 

From the second I saw you, it was a blur as the tears streamed down my cheeks. It was pure joy that I had YOU in my arms! 

At close to a month early, you were STRONG, alert, and full of life.

Our first conversation was me, your momma, holding you close to my lips and me whispering into your itty bitty ear…”no matter what happens, I will always LOVE you.”  You had no idea what your momma was saying, but it was a promise I gave to you right from the start.  I had no idea why I said that, but as I reflect on the last 18 years, I am pretty sure God put those words on my heart to gift to you.

As Dad and I are sitting here reflecting back, there are some things that just make us laugh!!

*For Halloween one year, you wanted to be a cowboy mouse.  Your sis had you loving a mouse movie...and you loved anything to do with cowboys.  Needless to say there were no costumes that matched your criteria.  So, you made your own!  One momma came up to me and thought we couldn't afford a costume and felt so sorry for us...but I was the happiest, most proud momma at the costume parade, because I knew that I had one determined, creative boy who was not ashamed to be himself!

Let’s see…shortly after moving into our home, I had gone to the back restroom and honestly, I was only gone for minutes, but you had managed to open the garage door and wander down to the intersection at the end of our street in your cloth diapers and cowboy boots!  Imagine how horrified I was when the neighbor, whom we had not even met, rang the doorbell to bring you home!  Aside from having no idea how you had figured that out…I was so afraid they were going to call the cops!

*Stacking wood for hours and hours before Daddy  got home from work.  YEP, at three you  dubbed yourself “the workin’ man”…because you wanted to be just like your Daddy and like Poppi.

*Climbing the tree about 30 feet up before yelling, “hey, dad, look up HERE!”

*Roasting marshmallows with your best friend over the candle in the bathroom…and not finding out about it until his momma called.  NOT OKAY! 

And then deciding next time, it would be a better idea to just go ahead and have a fire pit in the bedroom instead!  NOT!!

*My Wednesday date days with you…both of us in our camo gear treading the creeks and wetlands and sitting in musty, muddy forts.  I am so thankful you invited me into “your world”.

*Once your fort was finally complete…and it took a whole extra year because you financed it on your own…all the way down to the last box of nails, we celebrated by you fixing it all up comfy and cozy for the whole family to enjoy.  I think you had every pillow, blanket and dog toy jammed into every last bit of space you could find.  We popped popcorn and pretended it was the best spot in town until the wee hours of the morning…when we were achy, hot and still AWAKE!

*Believe it or not, digging in dirt, moving all the rocks from the rock bed, pulling junipers, clam digging, cleaning fish, and seeing the skinned squirrel and trying to save baby birds have endeared me to who YOU are...and I know without a shadow of doubt, who to call when in need!

*I think my favorite time with you was close to Christmas and you so badly wanted me to come out to the fort to see the Christmas lights from the loft.  It was freezing out and your big blue eyes looked so disappointed as I tried to come up with as many excuses as possible…one being it was past your bedtime.  You decided to heat a rice bag for me and make me HOT Ovaltine…if I would venture out with you.  How could I refuse?  So, up we climbed into the loft with our hot drinks, blankets and the battery operated radio.  It is one of my most cherished memories.  We chatted and spied out of the window and listened to stories and Christmas music.  SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL!

*Knocking on neighbors doors to sell painted rocks in order to raise money for the homeless shelter.  Again, we had no idea until a neighbor brought down a check made out to us for FOOD!  But it was your tender heart that so badly wanted to help in a very real way.  As far as you were concerned, it was YOUR job!

*Rodeo camp, summer camps, hunting, basketball, baseball, soccer, a broken arm, a broken wrist, a broken rib, a fractured skull, monkey bites, and a jelly fish sting...all things that may put a damper on life, but you took every situation in stride and didn't complain ONCE!  I complained and cried for YOU!

Sometimes, as parents, we just want everybody to know the child  WE know.  The child who is tender-hearted and who is deeply concerned for others.  The child who snuggles and who still hugs and loves his big sister like no other!  The child who comes to check on his dad…and who IS the man of the house when Dad is gone!  The child who is willing to do things that most others are not willing to do.  A child who still knows Grammy better than the rest of us... We are blessed to have YOU, dear Caleb.

We are so very proud of you!  You are truly a blessing to all those who know and who love you and to those you have yet to meet!

…and even though you enjoy relaxation and adventure...

You will always be our "workin man"!

We LOVE you to the moon and back and back AGAIN!

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The Oatmeal Bar

Celebrations are upon us!  Easter, bridal and baby showers, graduations and everything in between!

Although a dump dump quiche is great and crepes and waffles are divine, there are times that you need something even simpler.

Oatmeal is nutritious, yummy and best of all requires no fridge space, no cheese shredding, or veggie dicing OR baking!!

A couple of days ahead of time, line up your containers on the kitchen counter.

Place 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats into each container.

Sprinkle a couple shakes of sea salt onto the oatmeal.

Top with 1 Tbsp. brown sugar.

Mark each seam with a sharpie about a thumb's width from the lip of the container.

Place lids back on top and store.

You can leave them plain or add some fun touches...only if time allows!

Place directions into a frame and that is it!

The containers may be placed onto a tray or in a basket along with fresh cream and toppings...like dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts, coconut, dried pineapple, etc.!

OOOPS!  Don't forget the boiling water in a large carafe or tea kettle!!

ANNNND, if you are not planning on hosting...they are fun to pack up for on-the -go mornings, spring picnics or to take to a friend for breakfast!

When time is short and I have wanted to take a meal to a new momma, I have taken this on several occasions.  I think it was almost liked better than the chicken pot pie meal!  :}

Okay.  I think that is about it!  The ideas are endless.  Just keep it simple!

Have a lovely DAY!




Shared with:  comfy in the kitchen, at the picket fence, stone gable, pink saturday

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Fridge Photo Organization {and a 40/40 update!}

Hello from beautiful, sunny Portland!!

The air is fresh and springy and I am nesting like it is nobody's business, and I am not even having a BABY!

Is that what happens when your son is graduating and your daughter is getting married?

It feels like a motor is revving and there is no time to slow down...

I am emotionally and physically exhausted, but feel like there is so much to do!

Since I started the "40 bags of stuff in 40 days" and have not been blogging much about it, I thought I would just bunch it altogether with what has been gone through so far.

One of the things I have refused to get rid of is the pictures of friends on our fridge.  I know it is a clutter party going on...but I love having the pictures out where they can be enjoyed.  It is also a fun topic of conversation, especially when guests recognize that you have friends in common! I just LOVE that!

However, there is no reason not to have it neat and tidy.  It has only taken me 20 plus years to tackle this project!

I had a leftover piece of wood with fabric on it I had saved.  There was no way I was putting the nasty, dusty board on the fridge, so, I cleaned it off, removed old staples and fuzz balls and covered it with leftover fabric from my kitchen curtains.  YAY!...a free project!!!

I pressed the white fabric.

Then, I laid it over the green fabric.

I wanted the seam to stay put, so, I used the trusty glue gun to make sure it would not sag with the photos attached to it.

Then, I turned it over and trimmed the fabric down just a bit...so that it would lay flat against the fridge and not be bulky.

Last, but NOT least...was using the staple gun to attach the fabric to the board.

That is it!  I am sure there are fancy schmancy ways of doing this, but there were more bags to fill!

There were two holes in each corner, so once the board was done, I used the pointy end of my scissors to poke through the fabric so that I could hang it with twine!

ONE of my favorite hooks to use is the 3M COMMAND strips.  They are strong wire hooks that do not do damage to the surface and you can move them if you want.  

SO much better, don't you think?

Here is the before pic...

and I had already started pulling everything off before I grabbed the camera!

here are some more 40/40 projects:

I got rid of so many shoes.  I have had the shelves labeled, but they were migrating to the wrong spots!  That is one way to know that less is MORE.  How many shoes do we really need?  

Hope your 40/40 is going well.  I have enjoyed the e-mails and the pictures!!  :}

Happy Wednesday!

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ENGAGED!

When you are carrying your baby inside, they are safe and sound.

They are warm.  They are protected.

It is the only time in the span of their life that they will be held beneath your heart. 

They hear your voice and they learn to recognize it as a voice that soothes and that offers comfort like no other human voice in the world.

And when your eyes first meet, there is recognition like no other.  It is for sure love at first glance.

Because that is what you do.  You glance at first because it is simply too much to take in at one time.

As they grow and become a bit more independent, there is still always the pride and smile that you can’t hide when they still need you despite their ever-growing need for independence.

Somehow, someway, they DO grow up.

It happens so quickly.  Honestly it does.

It seems like yesterday, I was nursing a newborn while watching FATHER OF THE BRIDE.  Crying, I grabbed my hubby’s arm insisting that I didn’t want our baby girl to grow up.  He assured me that we had lots of time with her.  Plenty of years before we needed to worry about that…

Six years ago, I was taking my children to school.  Pretty sure we most likely had a hectic morning and were probably trying to make it on time.  We got stuck at the light!!!  This is years before the blinking yellow light was installed…or we would have missed THIS…

A young man was waiting to cross the street.  He had one little boy on one hand and the other little boy on the other hand.

They were obviously walking to school. As they walked right in front of us, I could tell they were all brothers.  It was the sweetest thing EVER! 

I asked Laurissa who THAT was.  She replied, “oh, that is David Curtis.”  I said,” You need to get to know that boy!” { Don’t you think you would have done the same thing?  Or, am I just CRAZY!}

That morning, on our walk up the dreaded hill, I told my bff about the boy who was walking across the street with his two little brothers in tow.  Really, who still does that? 

Fast forward…

This young man arrived back from Korea right before Christmas after having served overseas for a year.  Having opened the discussion before he left for Korea, he again approached my hubby to ask for permission to marry our daughter.  After seeing that David had thoroughly thought everything through, his blessing was given! 

The only thing to figure out was when and where to ask her.

Laurissa is notorious for having the gift for figuring all things out.  She figures out everything.  Birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, all things that should not be figured out.

Between friends, family, David, my hubby and my birthday weekend, we figured it out.

The plan was that my hubby and I would go to the beach to celebrate my birthday, and that the rest of our family would meet us for lunch…after Kim snapped a few family pictures.

As far as Rissa was concerned, David was on 24 hour duty, so she brought one of her best friends along instead.  We were actually commenting on our concern for our daughter's lack of having any idea of what was going on!

We were all jumping and crossing the stoney creek in our dress clothes, getting misted on and freezing as the fog continued to roll in…but there, in the distance, a more mature young man was walking, yet again, almost in front of us…a young man who did not have his brothers holding his hands across the busy street, but a man with open arms and a heart so full of love and compassion for our daughter.

With her back to him and with Caleb’s arms around her, Kim snapped the last picture of her childhood.  Laurissa turned around and in disbelief and sheer confusion hugged David…and within seconds, he was on bended knee asking her to marry him.

Sooo…I guess when I asked her years ago, “who is that?” she could have said, “oh, that is David Curtis…my future husband!”

Momma’s, it is never too early to pray for a God-fearing, loving, compassionate man who will become the husband to your baby girl.

 

AND, as far as FATHER OF THE BRIDE…cry away…because there is no such thing as “plenty of years”…

Honey…Thank you for being the best daddy in the world.  You will always be her first love and what an amazing example you have been for her in what a husband should be.  You set the bar high! I am looking forward to being married to the best Mr. Banks that ever was…can we pretty pretty pretty please have swans?  PLEASE! :)

Caleb…thank you for making my day so special and for helping plan the weekend.  We have not forgotten that it is YOU who will be graduating…and we are so very proud of all of your accomplishments despite physical limitations.  You are one inspiring young man! We are excited to see where God leads you after graduation!  LOVE YOU, buddy!

Bunny…thank you for being the most gracious friend in always putting others first…it really needs to be ALL about you now.  I am tipping the scale!  I am blessed to have a friend who shares with JOY and tears, and who loves me AND my family!  You are the bestest little bunny that ever was!

{me, the future Mrs. David Curtis and my bff, Kim}

“BE FILLED WITH JOY!”

Please visit this post by my BFF...the pictures she caught are filled with emotion and beauty!  Is there anything more lovely than two people in love...be it young or old?  

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Cupcake Topper Winner

Thank YOU, Kim for sponsoring the adorable giveaway this week!

Congratulations to #3...taftms and to #4...anonymous{Paula}!

Please contact me via email with your email addresses.  You will be contacted  for specific order information soon!


Happy Happy WEEKEND!

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Lemon Bar Meringue Tart

Welcome March and a very HAPPY birthday to my mother-in-love!  She is always spoiling everybody else with her time and love.  We should be having her party tonight, but we decided to celebrate her birthday at the beach on Saturday for something a bit different!  Hoping it is not too wet!!

By the time March rolls around, I am thinking about lemons...not snow!
Lemon bars have always been a favorite, but so is lemon meringue pie.  So, since my parents were coming for dinner last night, I decided to make a combination of both.  That is what you do when you have the best poppa in the world and you know that it has been way too long since you have made him his lemon meringue pie...but you are also secretly dying for lemon bars.

All I did was make a lemon bar crust, a cooked lemon filling, and then topped it with the meringue, baked it and chilled it.  It was so yummy!

But best of ALL was the company and the conversation!

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway!  Have a beautiful day!

Shared with:  at the picket fence

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