Red Velvet Madness

I baked my first red velvet cake, and it was so good. We usually have a slice of red velvet cake each year for our anniversary. This year, we didn't have one because I was trying my best to eat right. Then the craving just took me over. My goal was to have ONLY one slice..well, I ended up having two slices (not in the same day though). I shared the cake with co-workers and took two slices to my nail tech. Aaron ate a lot of it, he loves this cake as long as there are no nuts in the icing.
I got this recipe from Bakerella, although I have had my mom's recipe since forever. I didn't want three or four layers and this recipe was just the right size for this household (even though I shared more than half). The recipe was really quick and easy and that's exactly what I like in baking. This cake will be baked again for the Christmas holiday or maybe for a bake sale..who knows.
Don't that look good? Now go get baking:)

My First Top

First of all I am sooo totally excited about completing my top. Wooohooo!!! Will I sew it again..mmm..not sure, but maybe being that this one has Flaws (with a capital F). lol

I did so well on this top, until I got to the collar. Either I was tired/felt rushed or the instructions were really screwed up..I choose the latter. The collar instructions did not may any sense to this beginner AT ALL.

Also, as you know I like pictures that are taken outdoors..well the day Aaron took this picture for me it was like SUPER cold outside, like unbearable. So indoors we did:)

What I sewed: B5247

The Good: I sewed my first top

The Bad: The collar is super wrong. I should have pinned the collar on from the "correct" side of the material. This is what it looks like around the entire collar. But it's not bad looking from the front, actually you really can't tell it's messed up. It's just the side and the back.

I figure if I wear my hair down and maybe put on a jacket, no one will notice. I will just have to remember to keep my jacket on.

See how that all works out:)

Happy Crafting Yall!

Soup of the Week

This recipe was simply fun to make. Or maybe it's Ree that make's if fun, with all the comedy she adds to her instructions and pictures. I find myself sometimes laughing at her commentary.
Aside from this being a "fun" soup it's also sooo sooo delicious. Chicken and rice soup for the soul is what it should be called:)

*Not the best pic I left my cord at home. This is my BB pic I used for tweeter..sorry. Please go take a look at The Pioneer Woman's pictures..please.

This soup was so good Aaron ate a little before eating his breakfast. Then he said he can't wait to get home from school. Oh yeah and I got a thumbs up, I hated to tell him that this wasn't my own recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup (before Cooking) White Rice
2 whole Chicken Breasts
8 pieces (to 10) Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 quarts (plus 2 Cups) Water
¼ cups Onion
¼ cups Green Bell Pepper
¼ cups Pimento (drained)
¼ cups Celery
6 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
Yellow Food Coloring

The Method:
Cook up some rice. Wash two whole chicken breasts (skin, bones and all) and place them in a pot; cover with 2 quarts of water. Add 8-10 bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is done, about twenty minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool for a few minutes. Cut all the meat from the bones and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Drain the can of pimentos. Finely dice the vegetables. In a skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. When it is all melted, make a roux by adding 4 tablespoons of flour. Stir until thickened and then add it to the pot of chicken broth. Stir well.
In a skillet, melt another few tablespoons of butter and throw in all of the diced veggies. Stir, then add the chicken. Sprinkle with a dash or two of salt. Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the chicken mixture to the broth.
Add in the cooked rice. (You can vary the amount of rice based on your preferences). Add in 2 to 3 drops of yellow food coloring.

Ladle into a bowl. Enjoy!


**NOTE** I'm not sure if I will have a new recipe to try for next week. My family has requested twice that I remake the taco soup..UGH! It is good, but that's why I hate making it, they always want it again and again like back to back. But, being the only cowgirl in the house..sometimes the cowboys rule:)

Soup of the Week

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I got this recipe from Adrienne, thanks girlie:). It's Adrienne's version of Loaded Baked Potato Soup, and it's good stuff. I was surprised that Aaron even liked it.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 medium baking potatoes, baked
5 bacon strips, diced
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
3 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese (I used half cheddar and half pepper jack cheese)

The Method:

Peel and dice the baked potatoes, set aside. Cook bacon till crisp. Remove bacon, drain, reserving 1 1/2 tsp drippings.

Add the soups, milk, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, onion powder, pepper and diced potatos to the drippings, cook uncovered for 10 min until heated throughly. Stirring occasionally. Stir in sour cream; cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated. DO NOT BOIL. Garnish with cheddar cheese and bacon.
* I also garnished with chopped green onions..I love those onions.

I hope you like this week's soup of the week choice. If you try it, please let me know and then maybe shoot a comment over to Adrienne and let her know you loved her recipe:)

Happy Hump Day yall!

Snow Day

Alabama received snow!! Hard to believe, right? And you know, if we receive a inch the city will shut down pronto. lol

As always, it's nice to have at least a day or two of real winter weather.


This is so funny..this is Aaron's version of a snowman or snow thing. I have no clue what happen to the baby carrot I gave him, knowing Aaron he probably ate it. I walked off for a minute and come back to this. Luckily my camera was already set, and just like a good mom..I took the pick first and screamed at him later. What was this child thinking?

I thought this was a pretty nice pic:)

Even the big kid decided to come out of hiding and go play in the snow. Instead of making snow balls, Karohn decided to make a snow boulder. But Aaron had one up on him, he added water to his snowballs while Karohn was pulling all this snow off his car..boys are dangerous. They both had a blast and that's all that matters I guess:)

It was really nice for the south to receive a white winter, although it was only for a day. I guess next week we will be back to our regular winter of 50 being the high and 35 being the low and rain is the only excitement. Well, I hope we can pass on the rain for a minute:)

How's the weather in your neighborhood?

Happy Valentineanniversary

First, I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine day; whether you had a night out on the town or spent the day relaxing at home, I hope it was the greatest.

Oh, and the title is not a typo..lol

Valentine's day is the one day of the year that people usually go all out to show the one they love just how much they love them. One day of the year that people, especially men, spend their hard earned money on flowers, chocolate and other special treats for their significant other. All for the purpose of expressing just how much, "I LOVE YOU".

Well, for us...The Walton's..Valentine Day 12 years ago, we expressed how much we loved each other in front of about 150 people.

February 14, 1998 was truly our special day..our day of love.

Throughout the years, we have grown, we have experienced things we never thought we would have EVER experienced, and we have had our share of ups and downs. But through it all, we are still in love and we are still together standing strong. We have our differences and we have our similarities. We have our likes and dislikes, we also have our share of disagreements. But through out it all, we have each other. I have always noticed and admired ourselves for one thing that sometimes we don't even know how it happens...but automatically, when one of us are weak, the other is right there standing strong. We have laughed at this many times, it's just something that happens, that's the way it's suppose to be. It's just funny looking back on times it has happened, how it's just automatic, without any thought.

We have shared many laugh's as well as many tears. We have lost very close family members, which include the illness then death of my mother in law (love you Rose) and the sudden death of my baby brother. If we had no one else at those moments, we had each other, either to talk to at the wee hours in the morning or just when one of us woke up in tears the other was right there to console. We have had what we thought was it all, and we have had nothing..truly nothing but the clothes on our backs. We have had so called friends to try to bring strife between us, and family to..well...do that thing that they do, but still we remain. There are so many stories we bare between us, so many mini struggles we have had. But in the end of it all, we always know that with God anything is possible.

People should realize that, when entering a marriage, that no one is perfect. Marriage is work, shouldn't be hard work, but it's work as is anything else in life. *Mind you I said work NOT a struggle.* I once heard a pastor say, marriage is: The joining of two imperfect people in a imperfect world joining together as one, that stuck with me.

In the end, LOVE has kept us, and we have kept love.

Ok..on to our wacky Valentine...my funny little valentine. Now we had agreed that we were going to not invest in this "holiday". We were going to go frugal and make each other our valentine and anniversary card and gift, but if a gift was purchased it had to be creatively $5.oo..ok..okay.

Why did this man go out of his way trying to surprise me by SPENDING?! lol

He was tired after he finished trying at so many failed attempts. First he goes and purchase me a movie and a box of M&M's with peanuts O_o. Who wants that?! I never even heard of the movie and the M&M's??? uh dude, you know I like jr. mints with my movies..UGH! And he gave it to me Friday night..our anniversary is SUNDAY. Ok..moving on. Saturday he was gone ALL DAY LONG, ticked me off, I had plans. But ok, I stayed at home with Aaron all day, yeaaa we had fun, but I had plans. Sunday, we didn't make it to church, moving too slow and ended up just not going..foiled again. Now the hubster is saying we WE need to go see Paw (my dad), ME: I don't wanna go anywhere. Don: let's go to Starbucks Me: NO SPENDING MONEY DUDE..UGH! I go to try to sew again..Don goes downstairs and comes back with two little bags and a card..oh with a huge smile and sad face all at the same time..Here you go..ugh..I love you. Now, I'm looking crazy. He purchased this novel I had been wanting FROM THE LIBRARY FOR FREE and the lipgloss I always wear (that explains why I couldn't find the one I already owned). Beautiful beautiful card though *tears*. Then he's back on going to my parents house..ugh. So he goes, I need to go to the grocery store with him, that was my final straw..aiight boy let's go! We go straight to my parents house, ok. I get in and my parents are looking and acting weird and my mom talking in announcement mode, looking at me but saying out loud: The Walton's are here, here is your daughter Virg. I'm like huh?? Who does that? At this point I notice...where is Don. Here he come, walking behind my dad with this huge thing of red roses..hmmm..ahhhh...smile.

Everyone laugh and say, you are the hardest person to surprise. Don had originally planned to have them delivered to me..but it snowed and we were sent home so the flowers were redirected to my parents house because he also was at work.

All in all, it was a funny, nice, sweet and most of all happy 12th anniversary day for us.

I Love U...

First of all, I have got to either get a better camera or take my time and take better pictures with my lil ole' trusty point and shoot.

Anyway, although I keep saying my cards are just too simple and too safe and that I should branch out a bit. Somehow, I ended up going right back to doing something simple.

This card only took about..hmm 5 min and most of that time was used on filling in the butterfly with color. I started off using Martha Stewart markers, but the colors were not rich enough for the cardstock I used. So I used my glitter pens instead.

This card was totally made of scraps, including the ribbon. I do not let any of my scraps go to waste if I can help it. The design in the center is not a stamp, it was cut from decorative paper (scrap). Simple and Quick...

And this last card was a card I made for my niece for her birthday. It was originally cut for a spring card, but my direction changed when I started trying to decide on which decorative paper to use. I love the soft colors in this paper. The gingham cardstock is Martha Stewart (scrap pack) and the butterfly is Brenda Walton's chipboard.

Ah well..that's all for now folk. Let's hope I have some SEWN items to show you next week..Properly sewn that is. lol

Happy Crafting:)

Bundle of Joy

These are two quick and simple cards I made to give to a very sweet mom to be. After I made them, I couldn't decide what to write inside or even which one to give her. But I ended up giving the extra card to her best friend that liked it so well:)

I made a couple others, but they just didn't make the cut, sorta speak.

This mom will receive another card and gift from me when the baby arrives.

Aaron is so excited, he loves babies, so of course I have to let him make his own card to give to the baby. There will be more baby card/LO/gift updates to come.

Happy Thursday to you all and happy crafting!

Soup of the Week

Turnip Green Soup

Hey Ya'll (said in my best Paula Deen voice)..Now ya'll know I love soup, right. It take my husband to talk about me and my soups. When we go out to dinner and the waiter ask if we want to order soup or salad first, Don will just look at me and smirk. Or he will answer by making a joke, "oh, my wife would love some soup" then laugh. I don't mind though, because it's true. Make me rock soup and I will taste it..jk

Anyway, in honor of myself, I have decided to host soup of the week on my blog. So each week by Wednesday, I will post my choice for soup of the week, along with a recipe...or a can. lol

This soup is so so SOOOO good! You must try it and let me know how you like it.

Ingredients:

1 package Knor vegetable soup mix

1 package frozen turnip greens, chopped

1 package Conecuh smoked sausage, sliced into small pieces (or your favorite link sausage)

1 handful long grain rice (Don may have used two hand fulls)

3 cans navy beans

2 cans chicken broth (Don used 2 boxes of chicken broth think it was the 16 oz box)

1 can water

*Note: Don also used a bit of onion powder in making his soup.

The Method:

Hold on now this may be a little difficult.......this is what you have to do...............

Combine all ingredients and cook until the rice is done. LOL yup that's it. This recipe should be the easiest soup you have ever cooked.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Make A Wish

I've been on a card making roll. The month of February presents lots and lots of birthdays for my family and friends. What can I say we are a family FILLED with love. This card was made for a co-worker, but the sketch was inspired by Card Patterns current sketch.

And here is another birthday greeting I created for a little girl. I love all the spring colors in this paper. Up next is a Easter Card with the same paper (I couldn't help myself).

Taco Soup anyone?? This soup is so very good. *Excuse the awful pic

Recipe:

1 Lg onion chopped

1 Pkg taco seasoning

2 cups whole kernel corn

1 can fat free chicken broth

1 can northern beans undrained

1 can fat free refried beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can rotel - mild (or your choice) I used rotel with cilantro and lime juice

1 pk ranch dressing

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

The Method:

Brown beef/turkey. Add onions and let sautee with meat. Mix all ingredients in a boiler, pot, crock pot (your choice). Let simmer 30 to 40 min.

Enjoy as is or top yours off with sour cream and/or cheese.

*The picture above does not include chicken broth..oops I forgot to put it in. But it was still good..mmhmm:)

Enjoy...

Happy Crafting

Challenge Time + One More

I have no clue why I have not participated in any challeges lately. But here we go, hope you like. This is Card Patterns sketch 49:

My take on the sketch:

I have a lot of birthdays coming up soon that I need to get busy making cards for. I figured this is a good time to get started. The ribbon and button used on this card is by Jillibean Soup. I used a basic stamp (actually I think I found this stamp at a local Dollar Tree Store). The mini buttons are from Michaels (I think). I can't seem to get rid of these buttons. lol

Second card, this is one of the cards I made for a co-worker that has been out due to surgery. I hope he like it, I'm sure he will though.

For this card, I used what seem to have been a lot of card stock, basic ribbon and the stamp is from Michaels $1.00 stamp collection.
Can you tell I love a bargain? I'm not hooked on name brands, now don't get me wrong I love Jenni Bowlin, Jillibean Soup, and several more. Especially My Mind's Eye...wooo I could lose my mind with their products. BTW have you guys gotten a sneak peak at the new items that are coming out? I have a list of stuff I'm just waiting to get my hands on:)
But as I said, if I see it and like it and it's pretty good quality..it's purchased. I think the name of my blog should be The Frugal Scrapper.

Anyway, that's all for now folks.
Happy Crafting...