Crazy Crazy Crazy!!!!

On top of trying to buy a new house, which has been very stressful, it has been piss pouring rain for almost a week. I hate rain. It's not supposed to stop until this weekend :( I hope it goes away soon or I'm going to have lake front property.

Finally back on-line

I have been without a computer for almost a week. I did not realize how addicted I was until I did not have it. Scary !!!!! Well it is up and running great now. My friend Brandon is a computer expert and took off 22 viruses... Wow I really need better protection on my computer. Well I'm keeping it nice and short tonight but enjoy your week and keep on reading. :)

Blog Help

Good Morning! It was a busy weekend but fun. Not ready to start this week. I'm going to be crazy busy the next two weeks and if we don't get this house soon I'm going to have a nervous break down.

So I need some help. I'm still trying to figure out this whole blog thing. I was able to post music but it's as a posting not on the side, does anyone know how to move it to the side?  HEEELLLLPPPP!
Have a great week!!!

Listen to this playlist: shanpclark's Playlist

Chili Cook Off

Every year Muskogee puts on a "Chili Cook Off" that is where people/ businesses in Muskogee make home made Chili and barbecue and have a contest on who's the best. For $6 a person you get a bowl and a spoon and you get to go around and taste everyones Chili/BBQ and put tickets in a bucket of whoever is your favorite. It is so much fun and you are so full it hurts. So my son, Husband and I along with my sister -in-law her son and boyfriend, my best friend and her daughters all braved the crowed in the hot sun ate until we could not eat anymore and had the best time.

The Mountain

The Mountain

To climb the mountain of your dreams is a hard journey to complete, but once you get to the top, the real journey has just begun. For a mountain is only a mountain and the overwhelming love you feel for it will NEVER be returned. For you are simply filling in the hole that was made in the core of the mountain and one day that hole will no longer be there and you will no longer be needed. A new journey will begin, but this time you will need to climb down without your heart. -SPC

Breakfast for dinner

Now below is the recipe I usually use to make pancakes but I was just not in the mood to cook, Which happens every once in a while. So this time I used Wal-Mart brand pancake mix where you just add water and fried up some eggs. Then I cooks Wal-mart brand fully cooked sausage on the stove making it a little brown and dinner was done. It took me all of five minutes, but I didn't want to leave you without a good recipe and some ideas :) Enjoy!!!

 

Pancakes: Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• Optional: To make them fun add chocolate chips to the batter, or Bananas and walnuts :)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Broccoli and Potato Soup

This was the first time I made this and It was awesome and pretty easy to make.  I did put my own little twist to it. I added bacon to give it extra flavor and more potatoes because my husband is not a big fan of Broccoli. I got the recipe off of one of my favorite websites www.allrecipes.com. I like it because not only are the recipes usually pretty easy but you can read people's comments as well. I hope you enjoy :)

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped onion (you know I usually use dried onion and it was just as good)
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 1/2 pounds peeled and cubed potatoes
• 5 cups boiling water
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 3 cups fresh broccoli, cooked and drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large stock pot saute onion in butter. Add potatoes, water and bouillon cubes. Cover, bring to boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove tough outer skin of broccoli stems and cook broccoli. Once cooked add to soup.
3. In a blender or food processor puree half of the soup and return to stock pot. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add cheese and heat soup through until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Chili Mac

Okay tonight's dinner takes an old classic and gives it a little twist. It's easy fast and loved by all:

• 1  pound ground beef
• 1/2  cup chopped onion (or dried onions which is what I usually use)
• garlic powder to taste
• 2  cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 4 ounces uncooked)
• 1  tablespoon chili powder (optional)
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1  teaspoon of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 1  (15-ounce) can  of your favorite chili (I use wolf brand chili with no beans)
• 1  (8 3/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Cook meat until done and Drain well. While noodles are boiling, in an oven safe pan add all ingredients except the cheese. Drain noodles and add to pan. Mix well. Top with cheese and bake for 15 min. on 375. Yeah what a meal!!!!

BoOk LoVeR

Most people who know me know that I am a huge book lover. I am always reading something. My favorite are fantasy books, you know, witches, vampires, werewolves etc. My favorite series right now are the "Vampire Academy" books by Richelle Mead. Now, Yes I read the Twilight books and I did like the books but the movies were TERRIBLE and when I think of Edward I did not think of some girly skinny British guy. So this is my blog for today.... Why do authors sell out and make movies? Now don't get me wrong if the movies were great then go for it but when the book is great and the movie was nothing like it, it ruins your magical world you pictured when reading the books like Twilight. I'm also a huge Harry Potter fan and I love the movies but I like the movies as a movie lover not as a book lover. The first two were identical to the books but after that JK Rowling went down hill. Just like Vampire diaries, great books but the show was AWFUL! Now I hear that Richelle Mead is in talks of doing a Vampire Academy movie. All I have to say is  STICK TO THE BOOK!!!!!!!!
*Funny, the damage a silly little book can do, especially in the hands of a silly little girl 
    -Tom  Riddle

Pulled Pork In crockpot

Ready for an easy but yummy dinner :)

• pork shoulder roast, about 4 pounds
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 bottle (16 ounces) barbecue sauce,
• 1 cup chopped onion( I use dried onions sometimes when I don't have a real onion)

Preparation:

Place half of the thinly sliced onions in bottom of slow cooker; add pork and water, along with remaining onion slices. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Drain liquid from slow cooker; chop the meat coarsely and discard excess fat. Put the pork back in the slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce and chopped onion. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours longer. Stir occasionally. Serve with warm buns and potatoes.

What I do is get it ready the night before, like right before I go to bed. Let it cook all night. Get up, get some coffee then add BBQ sause and onion then let it cook until dinner time. It's the best.

Then I sliced some potatoes and fry them up. Add ranch dip and your family will love you!!!

Busy Busy Busy

What a crazy couple of weeks. Between trying to buy a house, family , friends and my son. I just don't get to breathe very often but when  the opportunity came, I took it. See my husband is a huge fisherman and he 's been trying to get my son more interested in it. Being that it was beautiful outside on Saturday, we packed up the beat up old truck and headed to the Ft. Gibson Dam. my two favorite men fished and I sat back in my folding chair and did a crossword puzzle. Later on in the day my Sister and brother-in-law Barb and David and my nephew Brayden met us out there we started a fire, roasted hot dogs and just enjoyed the day. We didn't get home until 10pm. It was a fantastic day with all my favorite people.

You can't pick your family but you CAN pick your friends

Being 36 years old and with the life I have lived you meet a lot of people, some good and some not so good. Then you meet those people who change your life forever. Whether good or bad they changed the very core of who you are. I have a handful of people who have done that for me. First: the main person is my husband who is not only my soul mate but very best friend! I also have two very close friends that are always there for me no matter what. I even have an ex-boyfriend in there who is still one of my dearest friends. Some I talk to all the time and others I just reconnected with, but in the end they changed me and for that they will always be in my heart. As the saying goes "You can't pick your family but you CAN pick your friends.

What a Day

Today was an emotional day. My grandmother's funeral was today and I wasn't able to go. It was a rough and teary morning. I think knowing she is "home" with my uncle, grandpa and others before her finally gave me peace. It's funny I have always and still am today the black sheep of my family but my gandmother never treated me that way and today I was watching Oprah and she said something that got me thinking. She said "Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different." Those are some powerful words and something my grandmother would have said to me so here's to Forgiveness and to the most amazing woman in the world. Love you grandma!

Arizona Cheese Crisp

For dinner last night, I made Arizona traditional Mexican food dish: The "Cheese Crisp." Yummy and so easy. Then I baked chili burritos. It was an awesome dinner, easy and inexpensive.... For the burrito: I bought my favorite brand of frozen burritos, Defrosted them for 3 minutes in the microwave and put them in a pan. I covered them with chili and cheese then you bakes them in the oven on 375 degrees for about 15 mins. Add sour cream and your favorite salsa and you have an awesome meal for cheap.....

 

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

     An Arizona cheese crisp (often called simply 'cheese crisp') is an open-faced, flour tortilla covered in butter and shredded cheese, baked until crisp on top. It is similar to a quesadilla, but distinct in that a cheese crisp is not folded over, and that it is also baked until the cheese becomes crisp. Common cheeses to use include in various combinations are oaxaca, monterey jack, or cheddar. Cheese crisps sometimes are topped with onions, cilantro, or peppers.^[1] The cheese crisp is said to have been made famous by the "El Charo" restaurant in Tucson, Arizona.^[2]
Cheese crisps are ubiquitous in Arizona, but rarely found outside of the state other than places popular with Arizona tourists such as Puerto Peñasco and San Diego

Picture is from one of my favorite resturant in Arizona - Maycayo's

Left Behind

My heart is broken. My grandmother's funeral is Tuesday and I can not afford to fly to Arizona for it. It's hard to be the "poor" one in my family. My heart is in Arizona not just with my family but with my grandma who always believed in me and never judged me no matter what crazy thing I was up to. She loved unconditionally. I love you so much grandma and you will always be in my heart forever.

Snow Snow Go Away

It's going on a week now with nothing but snow. It would not be so bad if Oklahoma would clean off the roads but most people are literally stuck in their homes. The roads are extremely dangerous and we have still more snow to come. Stores like Wal-mart are out of milk, eggs & bread. I don't know about anyone else but groceries are getting very low in my house. My husband has been out of work since Tuesday which is not good cuz he's the "bread winner" in our house. My son has been out of School since Monday and it doesn't look like school will be in on Monday either.

I used to love the snow now I just want it to go away. :(

Steak in the oven

When I first got married I had to learn how to cook and now I'm pretty good at it, but for some reason cooking steak scares me so I always get online and look up ways to help me. This is "How to Cook Steak in the oven website is Tip Deck.com:

1. The oven is the best for cooking steak as it ensures that the insides of the steak are well cooked no matter what size the cut is. This is true especially when you have a very thick cut which can only get charred over an open flame without being cooked properly. For even distribution of heat in larger cuts of meat, you need the oven.
2. In order to make the meat really tender and tasty, you need to marinate the meat beforehand. If done overnight, then the juices can penetrate the insides of the meat making it really tasty after being cooked. Sometimes, you can buy the steaks from the stores which have already been marinated. Otherwise, you can use a mixture of onion powder, dark brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and vegetable oil. Cover the meat with the marinade and leave overnight.
3. As you know, the oven has to be preheated before you place the steak in the oven. Place the racks in the correct position for the cut of meat and make sure that the juices don’t spill out while cooking.
4. You have the option of searing the steak in a pan or broiler before putting it in the oven. Make sure that the steak gets cooked evenly on both sides. A broiler is a good way of cooking the meat as you don’t have to keep turning the steak over and over again on the container.
5. Adjust the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and place the steak in the oven. Allow the meat to cook for about half an hour so that the insides are also evenly cooked. It will not take very long to cook the steak as it has already been marinated overnight.
Amazing with potatoes YUM!!!!!

Life's little bumps in the road

I just lost the most amazing woman in my life, my grandmother. She was truly an angel from heaven and now she has gone home. My heart is broken for more then one reason: Her lost and the fact that I'm here in Oklahoma and her funeral is Tuesday in Arizona.  See Oklahoma has had the worst snow storm in history and there is know way I could make it to Tulsa safely to get on a plane. So I sit hear with tears on my face and tell you how amazing she was. She never had a negative word to say about anyone and she was always supportive and loved you unconditionally. My uncle passed about a month ago from cancer and I know he waited around for her to help take her back to heaven. This world is a darker place without such an angelic soul. Grandma I Love you and I will miss you so much.

Married Life

I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. Never thought that a crazy decision to move to Oklahoma would send me face to face with my soul mate, A true redneck, an "Okie from Muskogee" my husband Tony. It was love at first sight and we have never looked back. He has made me a better person and I hate to say it I'm slowly becoming a redneck :{.  After living in Oklahoma for almost 10 years I even have a twang to my draw. But I have to say Life is Good!!!!!