chili recipe

*edited to include the tomato sauce that i forgot--kind of an important thing when you're making chili!! :)


(i have been trying to post this since early this morning--something weird with blogger or my computer, i guess!)

i had a request for my chili recipe that i posted in my last project life post.
(so here you go, becki!)

debdoozie's blue ribbon chili
(found on allrecipes.com)

2lbs. ground beef (i used 1 lb. buffalo)
1 (8oz) jar salsa
1/2 onion, chopped
2-4 T. chili seasoning mix*
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can light red kidney beans
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 1/2 c. tomato sauce (didn't use quite that much)
1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes (my addition)
1 can green chilies (my addition)

*i didn't have chili seasoning mix. so i made my own. here's what i put in mine:
1 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
1-2 tsp. chili powder
i put it all in a plastic bag and mixed it up good and then spooned out what i needed.


1. in a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef or buffalo and the onion and saute for 10 minutes. drain grease.
2. add everything else and mix well. reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.

hope it turns out as good for you as it was for us!
~have a good weekend~

project life--week 3

well, i'm 3 weeks into project life. it really is a neat thing to document your life in such an easy way! i love it!
linking up to the mom creative.

we had our yearly clothes swap party this evening. i was so busy looking and trying on clothes that i didn't get a shot of the racks and racks of clothes downstairs. but i did sneak up to the girl's room and took a picture of mck and her friend going through mounds of clothes!

after the swap, a bunch of us went to an exotic tea & smoothie place.
here are some of the girls with their drinks.

and here are us moms with ours. i got the coconut milk smoothie and it was delicious!

the next day we had off from school and it was supposed to be a nice, warm day. so we made plans to meet at a park for lunch and to play.

well, it was not sunny and warm. it was windy and cold! all the moms huddled together freezing--while the kids were peeling off their jackets because they were so hot!

tonight i made a new recipe for chili that we just loved. i substituted buffalo for ground beef and it was delicious.

mck one morning as she studied for a test before leaving for school.

i just wanted to remember what shows we are into right now. mck loves full house & the brady bunch and we are so excited american idol started again.

we loved that smoothie place so much that we went back for our after school friday treat.
mck got a pink lady with bubbles.
(it was a pomegranate soda with the huge tapioca balls and it was amazing!)

i got the coconut milk again.

decided to try something trendy i've been seeing online--painting one nail a different color. i kind of like it!

i had a lot of pictures for this week--so i will be adding some page protectors in my week to hold them all.

milk & honey

i heard about this little boutique in dallas called milk & honey and decided i just had to go!
i made plans with a few friends and we set out one beautiful, sunny morning last week.

it is so cool inside--very anthropologie-ish, but better prices.

decorated so pretty

i love that old weathered hutch displaying lotion and candles.

here i am just before trying on some stuff
(in real life, this blouse does not make me look pregnant!)

can you tell what i tried on the most of?
scarves!
as if i needed one more scarf. but i ended up with both chunky scarves--the mustard and bright blue. i've already worn them both and i love them!

how cool is this little display? so pretty.

love the lighting and the lettering

here we are with our purchases

boutiques tend to overwhelm me. i don't know...all those flow-y, a-line chiffon blouses don't really do it for me. even though i like the look of them, somehow they just don't look good on me.
but the store was beautiful and we all found some cute things and had a fun day!

michele and i were snapping away the whole time!
here she is taking a picture of me.

we went to a wonderful mexican place for lunch, to a few other fun shops and then stopped at society bakery for a sweet treat to take home.
my yummy cupcake inside a cute box.
i was in the carpool line waiting for mckinlee when i started eating it. it was so rich i could only eat a few bites at a time!

isn't it pretty?
pink champagne--yum!

have a great weekend--it's supposed to 75 degrees here today. cuh-razy!

what i wore wednesday

wednesdays sure do come around quick!
(as always, i don't do this because i think i'm some kind of fashionista. it's just a fun way to document what you wore, get cute ideas from other people & get out of yoga pants.)
linking up at the pleated poppy

jeans: vigoss
boots:dsw
jacket: thrifted
scarf: kohls
shirt: target

jeans: gap
shirt: jcrew
sweater: target--from my sister
shoes: sketchers--maybe kohls?

here's one of mckinlee
skirt: target
shirt:?
sweater:?
booties: kohls

skirt: target--from my sister
turtleneck & booties: target
necklace: jcp

cords: lc for kohls
both shirts: gap
boots: target
necklace: michele busch

skirt: walmart
shirt: target
boots: some daily deal online
scarf: milk & honey
jewelry: michele busch

jeans: lc for kohls
sweater: jcrew--from my sister?
mocs: jcp

skirt: gap--from a friend
shirt: forever 21
shoes: target
belt: piece of ribbon with felt flower made by me

jeans: gap
shirt: target
hat: disney world
shoes: asics (the best running shoe in my opinion)--jcp

and there you have it...what i've been wearing the last week.
so thrilling, right?

project life tuesday--week 2

here are my pictures from week #2 (highlights from the week--not necessarily a picture a day.) linking up at the mom creative.

cosmo found a cozy napping spot--mckinlee's viola case!

all of chris' prescriptions after his gum surgery

i spent forever cleaning and organizing my scrapbook room. my table is all nice and neat and i'm ready to finish my 2010 project life (i'm always a year behind, remember?)

some friends and i went to the cutest, anthropologie-esque boutique called milk & honey.

it was decorated so cute inside

we all found some cute things

while we were in dallas, we stopped at society bakery--here is my pink champagne cupcake. yum!

that's all this week!

finding the positive

i saw this in a book i was reading the other day about always trying to have a positive attitude and it absolutely cracked me up.

Dear Lord,

So far today, I am doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, cursed, or eaten any chocolate.

However, I am going to get out of bed in a few minutes, and I will need a lot more help after that. Amen

oh my goodness! i read that to chris and we just died laughing!

here were a few of the suggestions for thinking positively:

~say something positive in every conversation

~remove negative words from your vocabulary

~express gratitude to others daily


just some nice thoughts i thought i'd share...have a good (positive) day!

what i wore wednesday

it's time for another what i wore wednesday.
linking up with the pleated poppy.

jeggings: jcp
shirt, sweater, necklace: old navy
shoes: target
flower: made by me
purse: dillards

shirt & jeans: lc for kohls
sweater: old navy
shoes: target
same purse: dillards
flower bracelet: jcp?

skirt & cardi: jcrew
tank: ?
belt: anthro
shoes & necklace: target
same flower: made by me

if it wasn't apparent--i was trying to find as many outfits as i could to go with my new red purse so i wouldn't have to change purses for a few days!

and here's what happens when i ask chris to take my picture and "make sure it's a full length shot"
everything: from target (including the grey shoes that you can't see!)
necklace: macy's

thanks for stopping by!

project life--week 1

i'm starting project life again this year. if you've never heard of project life, go visit becky higgins blog. i think it's a wonderful way to scrapbook/document your life!
i've tried to do the picture a day concept and sometimes that gets overwhelming. so this year i'm going to focus on what our week is like rather than a specific picture to go with a specific day. (and just to clarify--i take pictures and journal for the current year, but i put my album together at the end of the year when i have the new project life kit. that's just what works for me!)
linking up to the mom creative.

here's week 1:

working on a recipe binder. getting rid of folders filled with recipes i don't use and organizing everything into a cute binder.

cosmo climbed up in the chair and was sitting at the table like he expected me to serve him breakfast! silly cat.

i found a cute red purse on sale the other day and have been trying to think of different outfits that would coordinate with it. today i put this old navy shirt and sweater with some skinnies, red flats and pinned a red flower i made on an old navy necklace.

a book i am reading right now, borrowed from my friend michele.
it is so good--very emotional. based on the true story of the tsar nicholas II and the bolshevik revolution.

chris really loves coffee made from a french press. we only had a little one, so i bought a larger one the other day at marshalls. i also got some yummy coffee at whole foods (decaf for me) and now we enjoy our freshly pressed coffee! that's the mug mckinlee made me for one of our anniversaries. i love it.

this girl is so into makeup these days. chris says he thinks she's going to be a makeup artist when she grows up! she used her allowance and money she had been given and placed 2 orders from elf. they both arrived on the same day and she was thrilled.

all of us gathered around the fire and chris' computer for our family worship evening we have every saturday night.

yay! week 1 is done. only 51 more to go!