Just Me.............Through Words

Menu Plan Monday - Nov. 21 - 27

2011-11-21T23:33:00.000-06:00

Crockpot Monday - Apple Butter Ribs (I used the recipe except I sprinkled the ribs with Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb seasoning and left out the Salt, Pepper, and onion), Stroganoff flavored Noodles, Peas

Mexican Tuesday - Mexican Pizza for hubby and I. For my little men who don't like it, Soft Tacos. :)

Easy Wednesday - Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Rice, Green Beans

Thursday - Leftovers from Family Thanksgiving Lunch

Friday Pizza & Dessert Night - Homemade Pizza & Shortcut Apple Danishes (For my little guys, I'll leave out the apple pie filling for theirs.)

Something New Saturday - Cornbread Muffins (The link is to where I got the idea, however, I am just gonna use Jiffy corn muffin mix and place the hot dogs down in the muffins before baking.) , Knockoff Olive Garden Salad & Dressing

Hubby Cook Sunday - Hamburgers on Toasted Buns, Corn on the Cob, Mac-n-cheese

Have a great Thanksgiving week everyone! And don't forget to check out the other menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday Linky Party.

Hugs, AShlyn

Slow Cooker Porkchops & Gravy

2011-11-16T23:49:00.000-06:00

I based my recipe on the this one from The Country Cook. However, in true Ashlyn fashion I changed it a bit.
(Confession: It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to make any recipe exactly as stated. Why that is I do not know but it is just one, of the many, quirky things about me.)

My version:
5 fairly thick Boneless Porkchops
2 1oz. packages of Brown gravy mix
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup

I placed the prokchops in the crockpot. Then I mixed the hot tap water and gravy mix until blended. I poured that over the porkchops. Dumped in the cream of chicken and broke it up a bit in the gravy mixture. Set on Low for 8 hours and oh my goodness was it DELICIOUS!!!!! :) The gravy it made was so good over the mashed potatoes!

That reminds me...my scrumptious mashed potatoes.
2 1/2 cups water
4 Tbsp. margarine or butter
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
2 2/3 cups Hungry Jack potato flakes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder, to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, to taste
Bring water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in cheese. When mostly melted, stir in potatoe flakes and milk. Then add sour cream, garlic and pepper and blend well. Serve and Enjoy!

Hugs, Ashlyn

Tell Me About Yourself Award! :)

2011-11-16T01:11:00.002-06:00

I received the "Tell Me About Yourself" award from Julianne at Sew Fantastic and I went crazy! Jumping in my seat, calling my hubby to tell him. Oh my goodness, my FIRST award!

Whoot! It made my day! :)

Thank you so, so much Julianne for passing this award to me!

You should really check out Julianne's blog, Sew Fantastic!

She has some AMAZING tutorials and recipes.

I made her cinnamon roll cake for my boys and they raved about it.

I'm not allowed to buy store bought cinnamon rolls anymore, they want cake! Lol

Now the rules for this award are:

1.I must tell 7 things about myself

2. I must pass this on to 15 other bloggers

Okay, 7 things about me...hmmm...

Step 1

1. I am a homeschool mom to my two WONDERFUL sons.

2. I got married when I was 15 years old to my soul mate.

(Because I loved him, not because I was pregnant or in any kind of situation)

3. I love the Lord with all my heart but I still struggle with giving Him the time He deserves. I just pray that He knows that His love gives me the strength I need everyday to be the best me I can be!

4. I want to be great at everything my first try! Even-though I know its impossible to be a master your first time doing whatever, I still get disappointed when I'm not.

5. My favorite seasons are Fall & Winter because I would rather be cold. And it holds my all time favorite holidays! ;)

You can always put more clothes on...you can't take enough off...

6. I love to cook for people...family, friends, strangers...I like to see the joy that a meal can bring to someone's life. Some of my best memories are centered around good people and good food!

7. I like to dance in the rain...to have mud fights in the rain...to just be in the rain...

but I loathe cleaning up mud

So there I am in 7 things...I'm pretty awesome...that's what you were thinking, right?! Heehee ;)

Without further ado...

Step 2

Here are the lucky 15 bloggers!

1. Altered Heart Works

2. Don't Disturb This Groove

3. Busily Spinning Momma

4. Vixen Made

5. Pearls & Blue Jeans

6. Diann's Creative Place

7. Kelly's Art Journaling

8. twobutterflies

9. An Artist's Legacy

10. DAV.I.SON

11. Magpie's Nest

12. The Penny Parlor

13. Little Chief Honeybee

14. Then She Made...

15. 365 Days to Simplicity

Hugs, Ashlyn

Menu Plan Monday - Nov. 14 - 20

2011-11-14T12:18:00.001-06:00

Menu Plan Monday

Mondays are usually Crockpot Mondays in our house but we have a Family dinner tonight so I won't have to make anything but Green Bean Casserole. I use the linked recipe except I use 2 cans drained No-salt added french style green beans in place of the frozen. :)

Mexican Tuesday - Taco Salad - I put all kinds of the fixins out and everyone makes their own to their liking. Ex. taco meat, diced tomatoes, chopped lettuce, tortilla chips, sour cream, Ott's dressing, Salsa, shredded cheddar cheese.

Wednesday- Something easy- Since we missed Crockpot Monday we're having Slow Cooker Porkchops & Gravy today with mashed potatoes and Corn on the Cob.

Kids Cook Thursday - This is the day the boys chose something to cook with Mom - This week is Spaghetti and Garlic Toast. For the garlic toast the boys butter wheat bread slices and sprinkle with McCormick Garlic Bread Sprinkle and bake for 5-6 minutes at 450 degrees F. I LOVE cooking with my little men and it is a GREAT skill that every child should learn!

Friday night Pizza & Movie Night - Homemade Pizza and Jell-O(mixture of raspberry reg. Jell-O and orange sugar free Jell-O, this is my family's fave combo) with a dallop of extra creamy whipped cream on the top for dessert. Yum-tastic!! :)

Saturday - Something new - We have a Family dinner this evening too but I will be making a Cream Puff Dessert to take for my something new. I have never made this before but it looks soooooo GOOD!

Sunday - Hubby Cooks Sunday - which usually translates into Hubby's Grill Day- Grilled Chicken Skewers, Baked Beans, Baby Carrots

Be sure to check out the other great menu ideas and recipes at the Menu Plan Monday Linky Party!

Have great day!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Canvas Art Treasures

2011-04-07T06:30:00.005-05:00

One of my great friends sent me a Faber-Castell Shell Treasures Canvas Art Kit in the mail for a belated birthday gift!! And boy was I excited!! And a little scared...I've never worked with watercolor before...

Faber-Castell Kit

I shouldn't have been scared a bit... watercolor is AmAzInG, forgiving, and beautiful!!!! :)

If you have never tried watercolor art, pick up one of these great kits!! You will not be dissappointed!! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Small Town Love

2011-04-02T06:30:00.002-05:00

I'm proud to say...I'm a small town girl! I feel like I'm surrounded by family and friends. Its a great place to raise a family! I love the stories here, the time that seems to stand still, to hold onto what once was...Small town life...HOME!! :)

The old church

Top of the Old Schoolhouse

Have a Blessed day everyone!!
From a small town girl, Ashlyn

Red Bedroom Reveal

2011-03-31T06:30:00.000-05:00

I absolutely LOVE color!! So, I had to paint the white walls in my bedroom. But it took me a while to decide exactly what color I wanted.

Finally, it hit me...RED!!!

I liked the black of my bed so I had my handy-man husband paint my dresser black to match and the handles silver. We put up some champagne silk curtains over the blinds. Put our wedding photos in nice silver frames above our bed and a few other little things and voila!! Now I have a spankin' new bedroom that I truly enjoy looking at!! I hope you all enjoy looking at my new room as much as I do!!
Here's the pics:

I spray painted the sconce bases silver too. And bought this pretty mirror for over the dresser. The Branson western saloon pics were already in silver frames so they fit in nicely with the room!!

I love the embroidery scrollwork detail on these curtains. Awesome!! The curtain rod and silver curtain tie back things were on clearance, SCORE!!

The lamp was a thrift store purchase and started its life a burgundy color but I spray painted it silver and gave it a new cream hat (lampshade). Lol The absolutely AMAZING elephant pillow was a gift from my nephew. Love it! (Yes! I have a bit of a thing for elephant stuff! lol)

My husband made this beautiful bed as a Christmas present for me two years back. He's such a sweetie!! I LOVE my bed!! And my awesome, amazing, handy-man, husband!! The time and detail put into this bed amazes me! The base of the bed is made from a waterbed frame. One of those that has drawer storage under it, so we have 6 extra drawers!! And he saved it from the landfill, double AWESOME!! Is he the greatest guy EVER or what?!! ;)

Blessings to you and yours!!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Tea Time!!

2011-03-29T06:30:00.005-05:00

I really enjoy hot tea!! Chai is my favorite but I had never tasted green tea before. And everyone raves about how green tea is so good for you. So, I really wanted to try some. I went safe and got Chai flavored green tea and I really like it!!! Its not quite as good as Chai flavored Black Tea, in my opinion. Nevertheless, I'm not gonna have any problem devouring this Chai green tea!! Yumm-O!! :)

Happy Tea Tuesday!! And don't forget to go over to Kimmie's blog and see what the others are doing for Tea Tuesday!! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Girl Time

2011-03-27T06:30:00.000-05:00

I had my mom and a couple of the local teen girls over at the house. (My younger brother and my oldest son tend to lure them in. Lol) Anyway, I was feeling crafty and its not too often I have a room full of girls in my house. This is a testosterone cave on most days!! Heehee So, I took full advantage and made an on the spot bracelet making party. I flung a whole bunch of different kinds of beads on the table and cutsie charms. Then we created away! :)
Here's there results:

They did an AMAZING job!!! Don't you think?? Of course you do!! ;)

And mine:

Love it!!! :)
Have a Happy Day Everyone!!!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Caterpillar House Guest

2010-09-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

My son is in a Homeschool Coop class called Bugs. :) I am a helper in his class, so his teacher gave us the great honor of being the first family to babysit the caterpillar. After having her for a few days she stopped eating and attached her back end to one of the parsley stems. I started thinking... hmmm... maybe I should take some pictures. Dah, Mom! LOL Two days later and she was in her chrysalis. I believe she will be a swallowtail butterfly at the end of her journey. I'm saying she because, I believe, she will be a she. The yellow spots on her lime green and black body were barely visible and males tend to be more vivid in color. However, I am by no means a caterpillar/butterfly expert, so we'll just have to wait and see if I was right. :)
Here are a few pics of our house guest:

This is our last day with "Friendly" (that's what the class named her). She will go on to another family this afternoon. Its kinda sad :( We'll miss her.

Thanks for stopping in. :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Dove Chocolate Goodness!!

2010-09-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

Dove chocolate just happens to be my all time FAVORITE chocolate!!! It is AMAZING, Melt In YOUR MOUTH, GOODNESS nestled in beautiful, vibrant wrapping with inspirational promise messages!! Does chocolate get any better?? I think NOT!

So, anyway, when the opportunity arose to be part of a group, of artists, that would be doing art tags with the chocolate promises from the Dove wrappers...I JUMPED UP AND DOWN WITH EXCITEMENT AND IMMEDIATELY SIGNED UP FOR THE TASK!! YIPEEE!!!! :)
I can always use another excuse to eat my favorite chocolate!

So, I am now in a Christian Paper Artist Swap and the challenge was to make tags of any design I wanted as long as I incorporated a promise message from a Dove chocolate wrapper. I've seen pictures of several of the other ladies tags and WOW!!! I went a little different direction though, hopefully, everyone likes it. :) I love the vivid colors of the wrappers themselves so much, I used the wrappers to decorate my tags. Creating collages with different Dove chocolate wrappers was very relaxing and loads of fun! I used the blue wrappers from Dove milk chocolate, Green holiday wrappers from Dove milk chocolate from Christmas last year (yes, I am a pack rat. LOL) and orange wrappers from Dove milk chocolate with peanut butter. I know dark chocolate is better for me and for those that like dark chocolate, Dove has the BEST one I've ever tasted. However, I like milk chocolate, personally. :)

Anywho, I glued down the wrappers in random patterns and then cut a few intentional patterns to place on top. Glued on the saying. Modge podged over the entire surface. Then punched a hole and added pretty yarns and ribbons. Viola! :)

Here's a couple upclose pics of my favorites:

Thanks for stopping by! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Be Careful, Little One

2010-08-26T01:34:00.000-05:00

I have had some pretty rough things happen in my lifetime...and I have days when the memories of those days bring tears, rage, terror, sadness, fear, depression, and bad dreams. Today was one of those days :( I don't want to sleep right now...the pain returns...

Art has been my outlet, Art helps ease the pain...let it out...

I started with black cardstock, added the black and white printed photo of me as a child, rubbed a white stamp around it. doodled with a black permanent marker around the edges of the picture. Used lots of different colors of oil pastels do some shading. Pasted on: Be Careful, Little One onto the journal page. Rubbed oil pastels over top, outlined with permanent marker. Added vintage lace and sealed with modge podge.

I plan to use this for a journal swap I'm in at Miliande Art Community.

Hugs, Ashlyn

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T22:14:00.001-05:00

It's hard to beat the beautiful architectural detail at Kansas City's Union Station.
Hugs, Ashlyn

Menu Plan Monday 08/23 - 08/29

2010-08-23T07:30:00.001-05:00

Monday: Scotty's Kielbasa Stir Fry - recipe below (Kids Choice, Sliced Carrots)
Tuesday: Grilled Pork Steak, Homemade Coleslaw, Baked Beans
Wednesday: Taco Salad
Thursday: Chicken Alfredo (Corn Dogs, Apple Slices, Peas)
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Meatloaf - recipe below, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Green Beans
Sunday: Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken (I take the chicken out when shredding it and leave enough to cut into chunks for the boys. They like just the chicken out of this dish. Corn)

Scotty's Stir Fry:
This is a concoction my husband came up with one time to use a variety of things we had from the pantry. It turned out so well, I had him tell me what he put in and how he prepared it so we could make it again! :))

1 large green pepper, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, loosely drained
1 can pinto beans, loosely drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Kielbasa Sausage, chopped (Can use leftover chopped ham or chopped turkey bacon. I've used both and it worked just fine.)
4-5 cups prepared Rice
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

Saute sausage, onion, and green pepper in olive oil until onions are clear and green peppers are tender. Mix in all other ingredients (except rice), heat through. Add seasonings, to taste. Top plates of prepared rice with sausage mixture and serve. Yum!

Ashlyn's Quick & Easy Meatloaf:
2 lbs. Ground Beef or Turkey
1 1/2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
2 Large eggs
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, using hands. (May also add 1 can of very well drained spinach, as well. Warning: my kids don't like it very much with the spinach added but I thought it was AWESOME!)
Form into oval loaf and place into a 2 quart casserole dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
(If glaze is desired: Pull out after 20 minutes of baking and brush with a ketchup & brown sugar mixture. About 2 Tbsp. brown sugar for 1/2 cup of ketchup)

Have a GREAT week! And don't forget to check out the other menus for more great ideas at Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday blog hop.
Hugs, Ashlyn

Vanilla Muffins Transformation

2010-08-20T07:01:00.025-05:00

I started with a basic Vanilla Muffin recipe.

Then I transformed them into.......

*** I made the above Vanilla Muffin recipe but only filled each muffin cup up half way, put a tablespoon full of strawberry jam in the middle. Then filled the muffin cup up the rest of the way with muffin batter.

For shortcake: Cut one muffin in half, spoon one large dollop of Coolwhip on top and then cover in a fresh strawberry and sugar glaze! A scrumptious, succulent, reward for your tastebuds!! :)

YUMMY!!! :)

Hugs, Ashlyn

Jewelry Redesign :)

2010-08-19T19:41:00.002-05:00

I've had these HUGE earrings for a little over a year.

I really liked them but they were TOO heavy. So, I decided to turn them into something else.
Hence, the jewelry redesign.
Yeah, hence!

(That was on a movie and it made me laugh, had to include it. Sorry! Lol)

Heeheeehee :)

After some jewelry making know-how from a jewelry making class that I took at my local library and some creative inspiration from a book I also got from the library,
The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques.
And few supplies and I was ready to go!!
I know a lot of ands! ;)

The Jewelry Redesign Revealed:

It turned out pretty cool, I think!
Don't you?
Now, I need to decide what I'm gonna do with the other earring!

:) Fun times!! :)

Hugs, Ashlyn

Menu Plan Monday

2010-08-16T00:01:00.003-05:00

OK, I'm back to planning out our suppers again and doing Menu Plan Monday. My boys can be somewhat picky eaters, so, I have put their alternative choices in parenthesis( ). Some people think I baby them too much for cooking them something separate than what I make for my husband and I. But...I don't like eating things that don't taste good to me...So why make my boys eat stuff they don't like?? They both eat plenty of vegetables and fruits so I'm not concerned about their nutritional intake. Anywho...Here's our menu:

Monday: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia (Popcorn Shrimp), Creamed Peas (Peas), Homemade French Fries
Tuesday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy(Isaac loves his mashed potatoes plain, Gabriel usually eats Homemade french fries), Green Beans
Wednesday: Taco Salad
Thursday: Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken
Friday: Homemade Pizza (See my recipe below)
Saturday: Homemade LoMein Noodles (We'll have lots of company this evening and this is quick and inexpensive to make in bulk. See my recipe below)
Sunday: Grilled Pork Sirloin Chops, Herb & Butter Rice, Glazed Carrots (carrot sticks)

Homemade Pizza:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. salt (or Mrs. Dash Table Blend if watching salt intake)
1 tsp. Garlic Bread Sprinkle (or Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb) +enough Garlic bread sprinkle for edges of dough
3 tsp. sugar
1 cup hot tap water
2 Tbsp. non-fat Dry Milk
1/3 cup canola oil
Olive oil cooking spray
Pizza Sauce
Toppings: turkey pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onions, black olives, diced tomatoes, ground beef, diced chicken, mozzarella cheese, etc, etc

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray a 13x9 inch cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix all dry ingredients well. Add water (mixed with the dry milk) & oil, blend in thoroughly (I start using my hands at this point as the spoon doesn't work. Lol) **Here is also where a little improvising may be in order, depending on humidity and such you may need to add a little flour to get past the TOO sticky stage. You want the dough to be pliable but not stick to your hands. Often times I accomplish this by patting the dough into a ball and dusting the surface of the dough with a little flour. Turn it over and dust the other side.
Then roll it out with a non-stick rolling pin into a 13x9 inch (approx.) rectangular shape.
Place on cookie sheet.
Spray the edges of the dough with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic bread sprinkle. (this makes the edges taste so SCRUMPTIOUS!)
Top with pizza sauce and desired toppings and cheese.
Bake on middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.
Enjoy!! :)

LoMein Noodles by Ash :)
16 oz. Spaghetti, Linguine, Angel Hair or other long skinny noodle of choice
6 Tbsp. Light Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Teryaki Sauce
2 Tbsp. Peanut Oil
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb
1 tsp. sugar

Cook noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, Mix remaining ingredients in bowl.
Drain noodles. Rinse with cold water.
Return to pan and add in sauce, mix, coating noodles well. Serve. YUMMMmmm!!! :)
**The leftovers will begin to absorb the sauce and become a little dry. Just add one to two tablespoons of light sodium soy sauce to liven it back up!

Hope you enjoy the recipes. I'm always trying to come up with acceptable versions of my favorite restaurant meals. Lomein is a MUST for me when going out for Chinese!! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Heart-Felt Jewelry

2010-07-08T01:50:00.007-05:00

Let me say, before I tell you about the jewelry I made that today was an AMAZING day!!! :) I had a lot of wonderful conversations about anything and everything and some much needed girl time with a great friend and fellow blogger: Nathalie. She and the kids came by and it sure blessed my day!! :)

Anyway, during our visit we popped over to Kym's (my next door neighbor) and talked about Kym's Knotty Bottom diapers that she is knitting (WAY COOL!) and how her children are making roving (is that right?) out of Alpaca and hand dyeing it. And Nathalie talked about her etsy shop and I put in my two cents when I wasn't distracted by cute kids and alpaca fibers! ;P

As it turns out Kym noticed my obvious draw to the alpaca fibers and generously offered some that her very talented girls had already cleaned and dyed. And as much as I wanted it, I was reluctant to take it without paying for it, but Kym, being the super generous person she is, insisted I take it without paying anything for it. Thanks Kym! :) I knew right away I wanted to make a felted heart necklace out of it because I had seen a felted heart necklace made by Patty on her blog Magpie's Nest a while back and LOVED it!!

So after Nathalie and I walked back to my house and visited some more, said our goodbyes and see ya laters, I went to see my mom for a short spurt, hug and kissed my boys before they were tucked in to bed and kissed my hubby good night, I began creating!!! :)

I never in a million years would have thought that I would LOVE the way it turned out so well!! But......I DO, I REALLY DO!!!!! :) :) :)

So, here it is:
My heart-felt jewelry
Heart-felt Necklace
The one bead by itself ontop of the felt heart is a symbol of me, my heart. The three beads in a group are a symbol of the three that hold the key to my heart: My husband(Scotty), and my two sons (Gabriel and Isaac).

Me tickled pink that my heart-felt jewelry turned out soooooo well! :)

Well, that's all for now. I gotta get some sleep!!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Vintage Easter Eggs

2010-04-14T15:27:00.006-05:00

** Shh, don't tell anyone but I'm running late! I signed up for a swap and am having a hard time finding the time to do ANY art! Ugh! Help!**

Nathalie somehow heard my silent prayer and came to my rescue yesterday! :0 Thanks Nathalie for being my motivation to get it done and helping out with the papermache!! :) *The one I am making Nathalie isn't quite finished but I'll post it after I give it to her so I don't spoil the surprise.*

Oh, I must say a special "Thank You" to Candy Rose my darling neighbor girl for the beautiful flowers she brought me this morning(pictured with the Vintage Easter Eggs)! Thanks, Candy Rose! :) She's such a little sweetie, she's always bringing me flowers she has picked on her adventures outside. :)
Now off to the post office to get the Vintage Easter Eggs mailed out! TTYL
Hugs, Ashlyn

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

2010-01-08T11:15:00.008-06:00

....but I want to start NOW!!

Our children have enough hardships to worry about in this world, why on Earth would we as there provider want to create more for them? Why don't some parents see children as a gift, as they should? Why is it so hard to see that children are the BEST and most precious miracles on Earth? I can not fathom not loving and protecting my wonderful gifts and I can not understand why other parents can!

Whether your children are young or old, near or far, I challenge you to show them how much they mean to you this month. Whether it be by a simple hug and loving whisper, a call coming from across many miles, a card made with love and sealed with a kiss. Tell them you love them! Show them you love them with both word and deed! We were, we are blessed with God's greatest miracles, let us celebrate them (our children) right now, today, tomorrow, this month, and always!!!

Mommy Loves You Gabriel and Isaac!! and Mommy promises that will NEVER change!!!!

Hugs, Ashlyn

Finished Happiness!!

2009-12-02T23:07:00.009-06:00

I haven't had much time for art lately which saddens me. But last night and today all else fell away and I made time for art! (Which is a really good thing since I have two swaps through Christian Paper Artists due by December 7th !!)

While working on these projects, it helped me get in the Christmas spirit. I sang my favorite Christmas carols and thought about past family memories and the birth of our dear savior, Jesus Christ. I had a lovely time!!

Without further ado, here are the results:
All My Homemade Christmas Ornaments Together
These beauties are inspired by Patty over at Magpie's Nest. I was doing a search and happened on her Inchie Ornament Tutorial. And then these beauties were born! You MUST Check it out, they're sooooo much fun and I recycled by using past Christmas cards for my ornaments!!
Close Up of # 1 - 5
Close Up of # 6 - 10
Close Up of # 11 - 13
Front of My Storybook Page for the CPA Christmas storybook Swap
Back of my Storybook Page

TTYL
Big Hugs, Ashlyn

Belated Menu Plan Monday

2009-11-04T13:48:00.003-06:00

I have been menu planning and sticking with it, however, I just haven't had the spare time to post it. Until now.

So, here is my belated Menu Plan Monday post. Including what we had Monday and Tuesday and what we will have today and the rest of the week.

Monday:
~Taco Night

Tuesday:
~Homemade Sloppy Joes on whole wheat buns, Sweet Potato and Regular Potato Fries

Wednesday:
~Grilled Chicken seasoned with McCormick Grill Mates: Chicken Rub and cooked on the Foremen Grill, corn, Applesauce (apple slices)

Thursday:
~Corny Tuna Cakes (Fish Sticks), Herb & Butter Rice, Peas

Friday: Pizza Night

Saturday:
~Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Stuffing, Green Beans

Sunday:
~Saucy Parmesan Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Homemade Sloppy Joes
Note: This is my variation of a recipe I originally recieved from a co-worker, Teres Hamblen.
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2-3 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Cook ground beef, drain, rinse and set aside.
Mix together remaining ingredients in large saucepan and heat through.
Add ground beef to sauce mixture and mix well, covering evenly with sauce.
Heat through.
Add 1 Tbsp. at a time of all-purpose or wheat flour 'til the Sloppy Joe mixture reaches desired consistency. I usually use two Tbsp. of which ever flour is in arms reach at the time. :)
Place by spoonfuls onto toasted wheat buns and Enjoy!
I plan on trying a 1/2-1 tsp of taco seasoning in my next batch, omitting however much of the chili powder to compensate. Like if I add 1/2 tsp taco seasoning, only adding 2 tsp chili powder, instead of 2 1/2 tsp. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.
Hugs, Ashlyn

Menu Plan Monday

2009-10-25T22:10:00.010-05:00

This is my first Menu Plan Monday post, but I'm hoping that it will become a habit!! :) I have done menu planning in the past, but for whatever reason, it stopped. Then I happened on Organizing Junkie and a new mission to become better organized emerged! :) I bet she has that effect on a lot of people! :) Note: My children tend to be picky eaters, so their choices if different from my husband and I's will be in parentheses()
So, here goes:

Monday
~Dinner: Taco Night

Tuesday
~Dinner: Eat out for my niece Destiny's 21st birthday

Wednesday
~Dinner: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia (Fish sticks), Creamed Peas (Peas), Homemade French Fries

Thursday
~Dinner: Crockpot Harvest Pork Chops--I use this recipe but I substitute butternut squash for the acorn squash, Orange Orzo Primavera--I use this recipe but I substitute orange for the lemon and Italian seasoning for the fresh thyme (sliced carrots and apples)

Friday
~Dinner: Homemade Pizza

Saturday
~Grilled Beef Patties served on toasted buns with Swiss American cheese, lettuce and tomato, Sweet Potato Fries

Sunday
~Dinner: Healthier style chicken Nuggets--Family Favorite!!--I do not cut them into pieces, I leave them as tenders and cook them 30 minutes, flipping three times--, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia:
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. miracle whip or mayonnaise
3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
4 (6-8 oz.) tilapia fillets
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine miracle whip and mustard in small dish, set aside.
Combine next five ingredients on a plate and mix well.
Coat tilapia with miracle whip and mustard mixture on both sides.
Then press each fillet into bread crumb mixture, coating well on both sides.
Bake in foil lined baking dish for 15 minutes.

Creamed Peas
1 can peas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. sugar
Cook peas, set aside. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt & pepper until blended; gradually adding milk & sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir peas into the sauce and heat through. Yield: 3-4 servings, 1/2 cup each

Homemade French Fries
(Sweet Potato Fries are done the same except, I peel them before slicing)
As many potatoes as it takes to feed your family
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Rock Salt
Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and toss with rock salt and extra virgin olive oil, bake for 15-20 minutes in a 450 degree preheated oven. Yum!!

Procrastination, ACMP & Altered Book covers!!

2009-10-07T13:59:00.010-05:00

Well, I didn't get around to making the advent calendar matchbox prototype(ACMP) last Thursday but......I do have a good excuse! That makes it ok right?! Well, not really a good excuse. It started out, as simple procrastination and then later, I became sick! Mother Nature decided to come visit at the same time my allergies were setting off my sinuses and it was making me a sneezy, runny nose, coughy mess!!! In the brief moment, I've been at the computer to begin this post, I have already accumulated more tissues than I care to count. I'm contemplating the purchase of some Puff's Plus Lotion stock!!!!

I did, however, have time to go to Nathalie's Altered Book Workshop held at my local library last Saturday for FREE!!!!! How awesomely, amazing is that?! Free art class, is there anything better?? :)

I had such a wonderful time!! I absolutely love all the wonderful creations that everyone made. Including Nathalie's art that she had done the night before to show us what the technique she was sharing would look like. I told her the second I seen the book she'd altered that I wanted it!!! She was more than willing to give it to me for free, being the generous friend she is, but I wanted to give her at least a little bit for her trouble. I finally convinced her to take $3 for it which was a STEAL!!! I Love IT!!!
"Dream" Book Cover by Nathalie Thompson
The one I created was originally an old Webster's Collegiate Dictionary that had a dark blue cover. I painted the entire cover lightly with dark brown. Then used a pretty patterned rubber place mat(Nathalie provided these and let her students buy from her, if we desired, for 25cents! Yay!!) for a stencil, I blotted metallic blue on. At this point, I was told it looked good and it was probably a good time to stop using the stencil and begin the lettering. But.....I wanted to continue on. So, I blotted some dark turquoise, using the same place mat stencil in random areas of the book, very lightly, smudging it on purpose after I lifted the stencil away. Then I took a light pinkish lavender and stenciled through a spot on the place mat, that resembled a butterfly, in a couple random spots on the cover and smudged it and brushed a few accent strokes in the corners and edge of the book. Then I did my letters on the cover and on the back with a hot pink color using my fingers to smudge the letter after each stamp application. Once that dried I used a black sharpie marker to add more words over top of the stamped letters. When I was finished, Nathalie said she was glad that I didn't listen to her, when she suggested I was done, because it came out very nice!! And that made me feel very good!! :)
"Knock" Front Cover by Ashlyn (Me!!)
"Seek" Back Cover by Ashlyn (Me, again!!)
Give it a try!! There is no wrong or right way to do this and its instantly beautiful and there are so many different ways to us this technique. Most importantly, have fun and allow your art to take you where it wants to go!! :)

Anyway, on to the ACMP:
I made two.
The first, a more traditional/vintage style with natural hews of gold and brown with a gold ribbon and red velvet inside.
The First ACMP
The second, is a more modern interpretation of Christmas colors. I started the same with the vintage angel picture and the Bible verse on the back but went with blue accents and a light blue knit sweater material on the inside.
The Second ACMP
So far, I have one vote for the First ACMP and two votes for the Second ACMP. Which one do you like? Leave me a message, please, to let me know.
Hugs, Ashlyn

Recent Happenings

2009-09-30T15:19:00.006-05:00

I'm back! :) Here I am to tell you about some Halloween decorating I've been doing with my boys. We recently made Halloween signs for our front door (pictured below). I got the printables from parents.com. This site has all kinds of printables and fun crafts to do as a family. Check it out!

I was having a creative day so.....I also did a journal page in a journal my good friend, Stacey, and I have been passing back and forth. What fun!! :) When Stace mentioned it, I was so excited--That's so awesome! Its like sisterhood of the traveling pants but with a journal! Lol :)

More to come:
Right now I'm working on matchboxes for an Advent Calendar Swap with Christian Paper Artists. As soon as I get my first one done, hopefully tomorrow, I'll post it for everyone to see!

Last but certainly not least: I made my first purchase from RubyFloy!! :) I bought the decorated bottle of buttons!!! Love it!!!

Big Hugs, Ashlyn

An Amazing Etsy Shop, An Amazing Artist and An Amazing Friend!!!

2009-09-11T15:39:00.005-05:00

Ruby Floy is an amazing etsy shop with unique doodads and thingamajigs. It is is a wonderful place to find one of a kind treasures (like the ones pictured below)created by an amazing artist. As well as, sweet little things that can be a muse, for you, on your precious adventures into creative lands.

I have an amazing friend, generous and kind. I am so very glad my friend decided to settle her family in the same little town that I settled mine.

Now what on Earth do these three things have in common: the amazing etsy shop, the amazing artist and the amazing friend. Well....They are all a part of my life because of one amazing person.......Nathalie Thompson!!

Congratulations Nathalie on opening your new Etsy shop!!!

And Don't Forget to Check out Nathalie's Blog! She is having a journal giveaway!! Don't worry if you don't win, you can always pick one of her Prompt Journals up at her etsy shop, Ruby Floy!!

Dance

2009-06-18T16:08:00.009-05:00

Hello, All
I signed up for a 3 for 3 ATC swap at ATCsforALL.com with the theme Dance. I started a couple cards a while back. I even got around to showing them to Nathalie. But....There was just something missing, something wrong with them. So, I let them be, tucked into there little baggies. Then today, I decided I was going to just take them out and look at them. And when I did, to my delight, I knew right away what needed to be done. I needed to paint! So, I painted and I painted and I LOVE THEM NOW!!! Watch out, here comes lots of pictures! HeeHee :)

The Red dancer was very hard to photograph. I tried so many different directions and such and no matter what there was a glare or something. This pic below was the best one of like 20 pictures I took.

I wish I could show everyone what they look like in person, cuz these pictures just don't do them justice. I'm really pleased with how they turned out. And I learned a hard lesson: Sometimes its best to walk away. Something that is very difficult for me cuz I'm very impatient and once I start something I want to get it done NOW! Anyway, the wait paid off and I'm happy! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Art it makes me smile!! :)

2009-06-17T16:33:00.007-05:00

I am blessed! I have only been a member of the online artistic community and blogging since January, yet everyone has welcomed me with open arms. It has been wonderful! Thank you!

Melissa was having a 100th blog giveaway on her website Primfixins. So, I entered and....YAY!!! I won. I knew there would be a cool book coming in the mail but what I didn't know was: Melissa would also be sending me some AMAZING art!!! I was blown away!!! I love it!!!

I have already hung "Power Transforming" up above my craft desk, as you can see from the pic below!

Wow!! Isn't Melissa's art PERFECT?!!
I knew I just had to send her a thank you. And I still needed to send Linda a thank you for my bookmark. And.....I need to send Craftastic her prize from the Sweet things competition. So, I got on all that stuff today. I spent all day, while the boys were at summer school, working on ATCs for the above ladies. Below are the results. They will be going into the night drop at the post office on our family walk this evening. So, be on the look out ladies!
For Craftastic (Flower)

For Linda (Blue Bird)

For Melissa (Treasure)

I hope the ladies enjoy the ATCs. They are all different and somehow all connected. They are pictured in the order I made them. I made them back to back with no break in between. I just let the art take me where it wanted and I followed in awe! For the result is beautiful!
Big Hugs, Ashlyn

A fun Weekend and the Big Day! :)

2009-06-15T16:04:00.004-05:00

Sweet Things for Hubby:
Friday - My niece Destiny was wanting to take the kids to Wellington to the Blues & BBQ fair and I was wanting some alone time with my hubby! So......Destiny took the kids to the fair and I got 5 hours of quality time with Scotty without the little ones under toe. How sweet is that?! Coming home to an evening just you and your spouse. I don't know about you, but that doesn't happen very often for us. Needless to say, my husband was excited ;)
Saturday - Well, this Saturday was supposed to be game day but it was canceled due to some of the players not being able to attend. Scotty was bummed. So, I talked to the players that were going to be able to attend and set up a hang out day instead. We laughed, talked, threw back a couple adult beverages and enjoyed time all of us just hanging out. It was nice. It proves we don't have to have a game night or anything else to get together, its OK to just hang out! My husband had a great time and so did I! :)
Sunday - The children were all tucked into bed and I found myself browsing the internet and listing to my playlist and then our song came on ("I Cross My Heart" by George Strait). I instantly thought--why am I in here?! I walked into the living room, took my husband by the hand and we danced to our song, right in the middle of the living room floor. We held each other so close. It was wonderful!

MONDAY - THE BIG DAY - Our 11 year anniversary! My husband has an hour lunch everyday and he had taken soup and crackers to eat. I just happened to keep the car today to do errands and such and was in town during his usual lunch time and thought, hey, lets go out to eat. I talked with Scotty about it and let him pick the place. So, we had Chinese buffet today for an anniversary lunch together! YUM!!!! As far as this evening goes.........It's his turn ;) Lol
Just FYI:I got a hold of craftastic and will be sending her out a Thank You surprise tomorrow afternoon! Then I'll be posting so everyone can see what the Thank You surprise is.

No-Bake Sweetness for Hubby

2009-06-12T09:25:00.003-05:00

I was taking a leisurely stroll into internet world yesterday, checking blogs and such. And then somehow I happened across Craftastic's Blog, one I had never been on before. It was very interesting. I found myself thumbing through some of her older posts and came across her No-Bake Cookie post and had an epiphany......Ashlyn, I know what we're going to do today (My variation to Phineas and Ferb's saying, cute TV show for children and adults ;) Anyway. Lol). We're gonna make NO-Bake Cookies for the sweet thing for Scotty today! So, I made the No-Bake cookies, tasted a few to make double sure they turned out really well ;) And then began making our dinner sack lunches. I knew we'd be leaving to go to Warrensburg right after my husband got home from work. Knowing that, I was trying to save our wallets by packing everyone dinner for in the car. Anyway, I had them all packed up by the time Scotty walked in the door. So.....it wasn't until we were about half way to Warrensburg when he opened the package that had the No-bakes in it and he said "That's impossible" and I just laughed for I had put a little note inside the baggy that said...I love You MORE! :) :) That moment I will never forget! It is truly the little things in life that mean the most!

I know that Craftastic didn't actually comment to get into the sweet things competition but....I'm going to try to get her address to send her a thank you anyway :)
DON'T FORGET TO POST A COMMENT WITH ANY IDEAS! IF I USE YOURS YOU WILL BE SENT A THANK YOU SURPRISE IN THE MAIL!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Counting down the Days 'til the Day we said "I Do"

2009-06-11T14:43:00.004-05:00

My husband and I will have been married 11 years on June 15th, 2009. I can honestly say that my love has grown even more than I ever thought possible during this time. My husband is a truly exceptional man, an amazing husband and a wonderful Dad to our two boys Gabriel and Isaac. Of course, we have our days when we don't quite see eye to eye. Nevertheless, we work through whatever trials are thrown are way and somehow make it out better for them.

The Lord is Good! I have been so blessed to see miracles happen in my life. Scotty is one of the BEST things that has ever happened to me. I truly believe that God answered my prayers, bringing me to my darling husband! Where would I be today if I had not met this wonderful man so many years ago? I don't know and it makes my heart sing knowing----I never will!!

OK, I gotta stop that before my eyes well up so much, I can't see to type! Alright....I sometimes forget to tell my husband how wonderful he is and that he means so much to me. ( I know, I'm horrible! LOL) So, yesterday, I decided that I will make him something special each day leading up to our anniversary. It might be a special dinner, a sweet treat, a back massage, who knows what all I'll come up with.

This is the Special thing I made for Scotty Wednesday, June 10th:

This is a Beef and Bean Pot Pie recipe that I got from Betty Crocker. The only variation from the recipe is I used venison instead of ground beef and 2 Tbsp. of brown sugar instead of 3. And the crust I cut I <3 U out and then cooked them on a separate baking sheet. Yummy! My husband loved it!!

Want to help me out?? Leave me a comment on what sweet things you do for your husband or significant other to make him or her feel special. The one or ones I choose to use will receive a Thank You surprise in the mail.
Hugs, Ashlyn

Sent and Recieved

2009-06-03T21:31:00.008-05:00

I have had two one on one swaps going out and coming in and a special bookmark that was unexpected...........

I received this beautiful bookmark from Linda. It couldn't have came on a better day! I was just having one of those days and then I got this bookmark in the mail and it just LIT UP MY DAY!!!! It made me pause in the moment and remember that there is kindness in this world and lots of things to be thankful for. Thank you so much, Linda!

Nathalie, a good friend, encouraged me to use some of my feathers that I had just lying in a drawer. Keeping that in mind, this is what I created for a one on one ATC swap with Paula.

This is a pic of what Paula sent me. I was so excited to recieve it. I first saw this Shooting Star ATC on Paula's flickr page where she has pictures of ATCs she wishes to trade. I saw this and fell in love! And then to hold it in my hands, I smiled. The picture doesn't do it justice! :)And Paula was sweet enough to include extra ATC sized paper too, how AWESOME is that?!Thanks so much, Paula

This is the journal I made for Anna. I put in some long hours doing this journal but it seemed like minutes! I just didn't want to stop, I had so much fun making it! And it turned out so well. I used magnetic closures and did lots of painting inside. I tried several new techniques. I just had fun with it! So much fun I just have to show you another picture:

This is the center of the book. I tore and cut pieces of scrapbook paper to make the sky and ocean. I painted the dolphins on cardstock and then cut them out and pasted them in. Behind the ocean is a pocket for putting things in or maybe pictures. I've always wanted to swim with dolphins, haven't you?

And last, but certainly not least is my Gypsy Girl, I received from Anna! I love this mini book more than words could say! It is PERFECT!!! Anna did such an amazing job! And then on top of the BEST Gypsy book in the WORLD, Anna sent me little embellishments, a card, and sticky note tips inside the Gypsy book! Isn't she WONDERFUL!!! Thank you so much, Anna!

Thanks to everyone for making crafting and being an artist such fun! You all are wonderful!
Big Hugs, Ashlyn

Boring Rain Day? Not in this family!

2009-05-15T21:11:00.009-05:00

When the rain comes, most sane families retreat indoors to the dry comforts of home sweet home. Well....lets just say we don't have a sane family. When it rains, we come out to play!!!!

Mud fight anyone??

Isaac and I getting ready to tag each other with a handful of fresh caught mud buddies :)

Gabriel says, "Come a little closer, I have somethin' for ya!"

Isaac makes such a cute mud covered boy, don't you think?

Somebody should help him, he's out numbered! Nah, he'll be OK. HeeHee!

We all had such a great time!!! Rain, Rain, Come and Stay, Come Again, EVERYDAY!!!!
Hugs, Ashlyn

PhotoFunia Pics

2009-05-12T22:01:00.006-05:00

Linda had a blog featuring PhotFunia's Old book effect and I just had to mosey on over to see all the different fun things one could do with PhotoFunia. So, off I went, exploring this new found time captivator. It would take way too long to try them all, in one sitting. So I chose a couple and below are the wonderful results!!! Thanks, Linda, for sharing!!!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Portrait: My husband and I, sweet kiss

Wall Painting: Gabriel

Three Colours: Isaac

My First Junk Journal: Ash Creations

2009-05-08T14:38:00.015-05:00

I'm really loving the way it turned out! Please excuse the excessive use of pictures :) But I just HAD to show it off!!
Front Cover: A mix of saved "junk" and a hint to what's hiding inside :)

Doesn't that tea bag holder make a perfect pocket!!!! On the back of the cute duck card it says--Don't worry...Be Happy NOW!!!

Live, Laugh, Love!

I'm Strong, Look at Me!

Reasons Why :) I love this M&M clip!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE fortune cookies and one of my many fortunes was the inspiration for these pages. Your home is a pleasant place from which you will draw pleasure.

Aren't these CAP'N CRUNCH dots just the cutest!! Pretty Please...with less sugar on top.

These two pages are near and dear to my heart! Left, my youngest, Isaac, drew a pic and wrote his name for mommy. On the right, I covered a lime green paper in Gabriel's many names/nicknames and pasted one of my favorite drawings he's done on the back. Then I slipped the card inside the pocket of the brown paper bag page. Momma loves her boys!!

This cute tag has a Shrimp Ramen noodle seasoning packet adorning the top and fits snugly into the Spiced Chai pocket to it's right. What fun! :)

I love this saying: Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to DANCE in the rain!!! I have a copy of this saying taped to my computer moniter, to remind myself, I can and I will get through the storms with the love of the Lord and my wonderful family and friends! With LOVE we can all learn to dance through any storm!

And....with no further ado: THE BACK COVER! Everything's better with CHERRY. LOL. I had such a wonderful time with this project! Thank you everyone for your inspiration!

Oh, Oh, one more thing......I am experimenting with ink dyeing my own paper to create fun & funky designs for my next journal. Here's a peak:

Ok, that does it for me :) For now, muahahahahaha! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

2009 Show-Me Gourd Society Festival/Competition

2009-04-27T14:54:00.006-05:00

The 2009 Show-Me Gourd Society Festival/competition is now over. (It's held in Sedalia, MO at the State Fair Grounds the last weekend in April every year. Come join us next year! We'd love to have you!! For more information visit www.showmegourdsociety.com) It was a great weekend and I was blown away by the amazing talent of my fellow artists. The creativity and time put into the details of every piece. This beautiful piece was done by Betty Davis and won first place in Combination of Techniques class. She did a wonderful job!! It had my vote for People's Choice!

This is my first time competing in the competition. Nonetheless, I chose not to compete in the novice categories. If I were to compete in the novice categories, that's the only categories I could compete in and they don't have a jewelry novice category and I was so proud of my gourd seed jewelry set, I just had to enter it! So, I competed with seasoned artisans and I am glad I did. It gave me a real confidence boost to know I can compete well with these amazing artisans. I brought home the First place ribbon in the jewelry class.
2nd place in the cut, painted gourd class
and 3rd place in the Mask class!

My lamp in the functional gourd class did not place. But I love it just the same!

My children had a lot of fun at the festival. They too competed. Isaac,my four year old, painted an alien design on his gourd.

Gabriel, my eight year old, made a belt pouch, which is wonderful. I was so proud of him. He practiced and practiced painting flames til he had it just perfect before painting on his gourd!
My boys make me so proud! They are my living, breathing blessings, proof that the Lord makes wonderful miracles!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken

2009-04-23T21:22:00.001-05:00

First, I want to say sorry its been a while since I've posted! But I did not forget about everyone, just got REALLY busy :) and this dish is definately for busy people and so so easy!!

This is a recipe from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Feb/March 2009 issue. It quickly became a favorite in our home!!! I've made it at least six times since I got the magazine. LOL So, here it is:

Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken

2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with mild green chilis, undrained

1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

1 jar (8 oz.) chunky salsa (I use mild)

1 cup frozen corn (or from the can/leftover)

1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. pepper

3 cups hot cooked rice

1. In a 3-5 quart slow cooker, combine the beans, broth, tomatoes, chicken, salsa, corn and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken shreds easily with two forks.

2. (Remove chicken from slow cooker) Shred chicken and return to the slow cooker; heat through. Serve over rice.

Nutrition facts:

1 cup chicken mixture with 1/2 cup rice equals 320 calories, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), 21mg cholesterol, 873mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate, 8g fiber, 19g protein

Recipe for leftovers:

leftovers from slow-cooked southwest chicken

burrito size tortillas

sour cream

Mix all chicken mixture and rice together and heat through. Drain as much of the liquid off as possible. Place two tablespoons of mixture inside each tortilla and add a dallop of sour cream and roll. YUMMY!!!!!

You and Me

2009-04-08T23:11:00.002-05:00

No matter what one believes

one must believe in something,

for in that lay hope,

in hope lay faith,

in faith lay life.

And life, my friends,

lay You and Me

I think about religion and God in general a lot!! I believe there is
something out there but it's up to each one of us as individuals to
find out through errors in judgment and trials what is wrong and what
is right in our own lives. Lord knows I've tried to bestow my all
mighty, all knowing way on people. LOL What works for me or didn't work
for me might do the exact opposite for someone else, forcing me to tell
myself, I don't have control over anything or anyone but myself and my
choices. So, here I am trying to make the most of what my higher power,
God, has given me. And boy did he give me somethin' special!!! :)

So, guys and gals--lets go out there in that big wide open world and see what we can see.

Hugs, Ashlyn

Club Wars Rockfest Widget

2009-03-31T15:29:00.003-05:00

My husband and I are going to Rockfest 2009 for a early anniversary outing-actual anniversary June 15th. This will be our 11th year anniversary! My how time flies...I know this will sound so corny but I truly do love him more and more with each passing day.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!!!
I love my husband so much!! I couldn't have asked God for a better man to be my husband or father to my children. Thank you Lord for my many blessings!!

Hugs, Ashlyn

Ashlyn's Citrus Mousse with Strawberry Sauce

2009-02-26T21:29:00.003-06:00

Ok, I just got back from my monthly Home & Community Club meeting and the so good, yummy cheesecake dessert inspired me to blog about my recent dessert dish, I invented. It's a deliciously, easy dish with beautiful presentation for those of you who live by P.I.E. ;)

Ashlyn's Citrus Mousse with Strawberry Sauce

Serves: 4

¾ cup boiling water

1 pkg. (4-serving size) SF orange gelatin

1 tsp. grated orange peel

Ice cubes

½ cup cold orange juice

½ tub Cool Whip whipped topping

.. ..

1 ½ cups frozen strawberries, thawed

(if you use fresh add 2Tbsp, water to the puree for the right consistency)

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. orange juice

.. ..

Stir boiling water into gelatin and orange peel in large
mixing bowl at least 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to
orange juice to make it 1 cup (about 5 cubes). Stir into gelatin until slightly thickened (3-4
minutes) and ice cubes are completely melted. Stir in whipped topping. I use a wire whisk for all the stirring cuz it seems to work out best.

Put thawed strawberries, orange juice, and sugar in blender
and puree. Pour half of strawberry sauce into four dessert dishes. Top with
mousse. Spoon remaining strawberry sauce over top in zig zagged pattern, for a
nice presentation. (I placed the second half of the strawberry sauce in a ziploc bag and snip a very small corner end off)

Refrigerate 4 hours and serve.

My family raves about this healthy, delicious and beautiful dessert! Enjoy!

Hugs, Ashlyn

Vegetable stir-fry with Couscous (My own invention)

2009-02-11T12:26:00.002-06:00

Vegetable stir-fry with Couscous (My own invention)

This recipe came from the need to use up some fresh vegetables before they expired. It ended with a uniquely delicious (so good, yummy) dish that my husband and I enjoyed. The kids, of course, wouldn't eat it. Those picky little buggers. LOL

So, here's the recipe:

Vegetable stir-fry with Couscous

2Tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, rough chopped
6 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
garlic powder
oregano
Italian seasoning
accent
Mrs.Dash
pepper
season all

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup Couscous
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
garlic powder

Place the EVOO in a large skillet on medium heat. Chopp all vegetables and place them in the skillet as your done, do this in order so everything gets cooked properly. Add seasonings to taste. I like ALOT of garlic, so, use your own judgement. Once all vegeatables and seasonings are in the skillet continue to let simmer, stirring occasionally and begin the couscous.
Place water in small pot and bring to boil, once boiling add butter let melt, add cousous and continue to boil, covered, for 1 minute. Uncover, remove from heat and stir. Add seasonings, to taste.
Then give the vegetable mixture one last taste test to make sure seasonings are where you want them. If they are remove from heat.
To serve, place couscous on plate and cover with vegeatable mixture.

Hope everyone enjoys the recipe!
Can't wait to hear everyone's comments!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Loved Ones, Good Times and Great Soup!!

2009-02-09T14:24:00.005-06:00

Pictured Above: Baked Potato Soup
Pictured Below: Two of My Brothers (Dave-left & Vince- right)

Jolee, from Pennsylvania, A good friend of mine and fellow member of the Recipe Exchange group I created, gave me this wonderful recipe. I made it for a get together my husband and I hosted last Saturday. Everyone loved the soup and several went back for seconds! It was so GOOD, YUMMY!!! (Or as my oldest brother, Vince, pictured above in red, would say-You mean: Delicious! No,not really, I mean so good, yummy but you can call it delicious if you want. :) LOL)

I love to cook and try new recipes and I love to spend time with my family and friends; put the two together and I have a PERFECT Saturday!! Thanks, Jolee, for the wonderful recipe. It's so good, I want to share it with the world. So, here's the recipe for you to enjoy:

Baked Potato Soup
3 lbs. potatoes
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
2 quarts half−and−half
1 pound block Velveeta cheese, melted
White pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 lb. bacon, fried crisply
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Dice potatoes into 1/2−inch cubes. Place in a large Dutch oven, cover with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes or until almost cooked. In a separate large Dutch oven, combine melted margarine and flour, mixing until smooth. Place over low heat and gradually add half−and−half, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until smooth and liquid begins to thicken. Add melted Velveeta. Stir well. Drain potatoes and add to
cream mixture. Stir in pepper, garlic powder and hot pepper sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place soup into individual serving bowls and top with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, chives and parsley.

Wishing you many days full of loved ones, good times and great soup!!! :)
Hugs, Ashlyn

Trash to Treasure

2009-02-05T00:32:00.004-06:00

It's 12:33am and I am still awake. Why, you ask? Because I'm too excited to go to sleep. I just finished my first ever wine bottle and soy sauce makeovers. Last week my friend Nathalie and I, along with our little ones Rebecca and Isaac, took a trip to Baltimore Bend Winery. We had a good time and both of us came home with our choice of wine. Well, my husband and I finished the bottle in what seemed like no time and there the bottle sat empty, purposeless; needing someone to give it new life. So, I went internet cruising for ideas on what to do with my piece of junk that I wanted to turn into a treasure. Well, let me tell ya there is a wealth of knowledge just asking to be put to good use on the internet and I was intrigued by many findings. Finally, I opted for painting the wine bottle and adorning it with doohickeys and putting something inside. Alright, hard parts over now-I know what the plan of action is. So, I rush to my next to closest Walmart (cuz the closest one has only a one isle craft section LOL) Anyway, I pick up Metallic Amethyst paint, spray sealer, plastic gem stones, artificial grape vine, black wire and thinking ahead: some lavender tissue paper for wrapping, the soon to be done wine bottle makeover, for gift giving. Well, life got in the way so I didn't get to do too much on it during the day. I did; however, manage to get one coat of paint on it. Then after the kids headed to bed my project was headed into high gear. I was in super crafter mode--In the Zone. Lol In the madness somewhere, I decided to look around for other things to decorate while waiting on paint to dry(that's so boring and drives me crazy cuz it seems minutes take weeks) So, my eyes landed on two, over half empty, bottles of soy sauce. Hmmm...If I pour this one into that one, I'll have one full bottle and another bottle for crafting. YAY!!!!! So, I cleaned it real good, got the label and all the sticky off and then decided instead of painting this bottle, I'll use the tissue paper and decoupage it. Well, after all is now dry, the bells and whistles assembled. There are both complete! I personally, prefer the decoupage technique (the technique on the smaller, soy sauce bottle). But they both are beautiful!! The wine bottle has lavender bath salt in it and the soy sauce bottle has foot soak in refreshing cucumber mint. I plan on giving them both as gifts. The wine bottle will be going to my sister-in-law Sam for her birthday and maybe the soy sauce to my sister, Shayna, but I'm not for sure on that one, yet. I had a good time with this project, I haven't spent any real time crafting in a while and it felt good to take the time and make something. I truly amaze myself, at the ability I show. I never know I have it in me, 'til I try! Well, its now after 1am, I think that'll do it for me. I gotta get up in less than five hours. Yikes!!

Hugs, Ashlyn

2009-02-02T18:06:00.002-06:00

Hi
I just love this recipe, I'm having it for supper again tonight. Enjoy!
Hugs, Ashlyn

Shepperd's Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cups brown gravy, prepared
1 cup corn
3/4 cup peas
1/2 cup canned carrots, diced
3 cups mashed potatoes, prepared
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
paprika

Directions:
In a skillet, cook beef over medium high heat. About half way through cooking add onion. Cook until beef is done and no longer pink, drain off grease.
Add meat mixture, veggies, & gravy in large bowl and mix well to coat. Put into 2 quart baking dish. Top with prepared mashed potatoes, melted butter dispersing evenly, and sprinkling with paprika.
Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

Nutritional Info.:
Calories:417 Fat: 22g Sat. Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 87mg Sodium: 701mg Potassium: 733mg Carbs: 27g Fiber: 4g Sugars: 3g Protien: 28g Vitamin A: 150% Vitamin C: 75% Calcium: 15% Iron: 20%

Happy Birthday to............ME!!!!!

2009-01-31T18:39:00.007-06:00

I'm happy to say.........Hello! I'm here at Blogger. Yay! Lol I first became aware of blogspot when a friend, Nathalie, informed me of her page. From there, inspiration to create my own consumed me. Today, January 31st, I'm 26 years old and have had an amazing day. I woke to good morning hugs from my two boys, Gabriel and Isaac, a good morning kiss from my husband, Scotty, and breakfast in bed!! I feel so loved :) Eggs, toast, turkey bacon, and milk. YUMMMY!!!

After the meal, we hung out and visited with each other, my brother stopped in for a hug and to ask if I'd cut his hair later. Of course, was my answer. How I love, my big brother, Vince! He sure is special to me. Then Isaac, my 4 year old, helped mommy make her birthday brownies.

My loving husband offered to make me a sweet treat but I wanted to make this new recipe, I happened across during one of many internet browsing sessions, for Fudgy Brownies. A low fat, low calorie alternative to one of my favorites. I know, stubborn woman. Lol After the brownies were done in the oven, I cut them and arranged them in a pyramid pattern on a plate, sprinkled them with powdered sugar and spread sugar free chocolate syrup around the edges of the plate for a pleasing display, added a cute little candle to the top and set the ensemble on some cute Forever fabric and viola a beautiful picture in the making!! (picture above) Then I sat the creation in the fridge and we went on a family walk with the dogs (Max, a one year old Chihuahua/Dachshund mix, Jenna, a six year old Lab and Bubba, an 11year old French Mastiff/Lab mix) When we got back I was lovingly serenaded by my wonderful family and asked to make my wish (Vince included. I know how to keep 'em coming back, free haircuts and food!! HeeHee). I was secretly thankful for no pictures were taken cuz my eyes were welled up with tears. So, it would of made for a crazy pic.

This day has pulled at my heart strings. The little things in life are what count and to me that is what this day is all about!!!

The brownies turned out GREAT and only 76 calories and 1 gram of fat per piece!!! That's what I'm talking about, baby! (as my boys would say) So, after overindulging in my low calorie fare defeating the purpose entirely! Lol I settled in to do exactly what I'm doing now---Creating my blogspot account and my first post. Well, I'm happy to say: Mission Accomplished! Until next time......
Be safe, be happy and remember to take time for the little things!

Hugs and Much Love, Ashlyn