USS Hazard

World Baking Day Challenge

Wednesday was World Baking Day and since I was wanting to try my new tart pan, and since I wanted to recreate the Apple Walnut Tart we had in Colorado Springs I made this!

It was okay but not great! First I put two recipes together to get what I was looking for. The walnut mixture was a bit gooey. The crust was overdone and I needed more tart apples. But now I know what I need to change so I can try it again. And apparently I need to learn how to make my apples look pretty on top. I definitely do not have the patience for "fiddly" foods.

When I get this perfected I will share the recipe. Until then I guess if you want to try it you'll just have to experiment like me. :)

The Shadow on the Quilt

I just finished this book. I really like Stephanie Grace Whitson, but this book was so good! I wanted to dig in and get to know the characters for real. Delightful book, go check it out!

#iwanttoknowwhofelixis

A Little Something For Me

 My friend had a party. And it was 25% off! How could I resist?

A gal from my church sell this and if you are interested you can go to her site here and order.

An ALL NEW Plexus SLIM

This product has been rebranded and reformulated and we are seeing some pretty amazing results.

New key words are microbiome, XOS, Akkermansia and clinically proven!

A new flavor and it dissolves easily, even in cold water!!

 As a gardener I know that it's important to prepare your soil before you plant. Our gut has a microbiome that is easily related to soil. The new Slim has a pre-biotic in it that helps to nurture and prepare your microbiome to more readily digest and use the foods you eat.

As always I invite you to check out my shop and please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. The company has generously given me some samples to share so if you would like to try a sample then let me know and I will get it mailed to you.

A Little Getaway and a Whole Lot of Fun!

A couple of months ago my second daughter asked if I wanted to go to Colorado Springs with her for Mother's Day. Her best friend lives in Alberquerque and she thought it would be fun to get together and they invited the moms along too! How can one resist an offer like that?

 This is the view from the restaurant where we we had supper the first night. It was a gorgeous view!

A little shopping downtown. FYI- there is a neat little spice shop downtown! These girls make me laugh. They met on the first day of college where they shared a room and have been close friends ever since. It's so fun to watch them together!

 A little hiking at Garden of the Gods and we quickly learned that it's hard to find parking so maybe go on a weekday?

 Bye girls! Watch out for snakes and don't get eaten by a mountain lion!

The view from the hotel parking lot

Last stop in the Springs was Starbucks for a caffeine boost to get us all home!

We had a really good time! I highly recommend it for moms with adult daughters. I love to spend time with my grandkids but being alone with our children is so relaxing and watching them with their friends is so fun! We went with no agenda really. No schedule, no must do's, and it was fun to just relax and see where the road took us.

We talked a lot, stayed up late and laughed! 

My favorite stop was the Marigold French Bakery where we had a luscious apple tart. My favorite shop was probably the used bookstore downtown. So many little treasures to be found!

Struggling With My Reading Challenges This Year and Taking Myself Off the Back Shelf

I had such high goals in January and I was so motivated that I not only joined one reading challenge but two. And then because I was feeling really cocky I even created my own Nebraska reading challenge!  I was doing great the first couple of months. Then I found myself doing other things or reading for a short while and then losing interest and stopping. Seriously, this is so unlike me. Last week as I was trying struggling to thread the needle of my sewing machine I realized that maybe it was my eyes. My eyes have felt really tired and strained for quite awhile now and I tire quickly when I read. So I called and scheduled a check-up.
I really hope that all I need are some new lenses because I miss reading. Reading has always been my way to relax and escape for awhile.
I need to remember that as I get older I can't keep putting regular check ups off. Last month I went to the dentist and he asked me when was the last time I had seen a dentist. I figure it had to have been about six years.

Yeah... time to take Kris off the back shelf and take care of her.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

May 9, 1989
See our attendants? They got married a few years later! 

November 1981

This was probably about 15 or 16 years ago. I don't remember for sure. Apparently we don't get our picture taken often without kids because I couldn't find anything more current. Yesterday we celebrated 36 years of marriage. He asked me if I wanted to try another 36. I told him maybe 25 because I thought I was too tired for 36. ;)

The good thing is that after all this time he still loves me and I still love him. I can't imagine going through the day without sharing with him. We can still spend hours talking about our dreams and our struggles. The last 15 years have been hard. I mean really hard. I don't think either of us could have made it through without knowing we had each other's back. So if I have any advice for someone looking for a spouse it would be "to find someone who will have your back, all the time, no matter what!"

Sticky Orange Chicken- recipe

Seriously folks as I type this my house smells so good! Quite a few years ago, in the early years of the internet I belonged to a group that shared their recipes. This recipe for Sticky Chicken is so good and has been a family favorite for a long time. My recipe came from Robbyn Snider.

Here is the recipe:

Sticky Orange Chicken

• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme ( I use ground)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/3 tablespoons salt
• 1 roasting chicken
• 1 large orange

Mix together all of the spices.

Place rinsed and prepared chicken in a container and sprinkle spice mix over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, 12-24 hours later, remove chicken from refrigerator and fill cavity with orange. Put in large roaster with deep sides and roast chicken for 5 hours at 250 degrees. After juices have started to flow, usually about 1 1/2 hours into the cooking, begin basting every 30 minutes or so.

Note from Kris: If you don't have an orange you can substitute lemons or even an onion for a less citrusy flavor. The Pampered Chef  deep covered baker is perfect for this.

My husband loves these leftovers in a tortilla with some cheese. In fact he might prefer it this way.

My Goal This Week

Something has to be done about this!

My desk seems to be the place where everyone puts things when they don't know where they go. Then I have to figure it out. The other night I needed to get my sewing machine out and I decided it's time to get busy tidying up in here! The tote and box are full of pictures that we brought home from my father in law's. Our plan is to scan them and make digital copies so that everyone in the family can have copies. But after looking at them and realizing just how many pictures there are I decided that this is a job for after we finish school because it's going to take awhile~. But there are some pretty neat pictures and family history stuff in there so it will be fun.

 Why is it every surface seems to  collect clutter? The sad thing is that I put a bunch of stuff away already. :( I need to find a nail to hang up my new plaque over the printers.

Piles and boxes going to Goodwill or needing to be sold online. New home school catalogs to be perused through and some new fabric that needs organized and put away. So glad the Goodwill truck is in town so I can get most of this out of the house today. Anyone have good tips on how to store wrapping paper?

Like the quilt? This is one made my great- grandmother. I love the bright colors and it looks great on my yellow walls. I have another one that I usually hang there in the summer so it will be changing soon.

Okay, time to get school finished so I can get to work in here!