Organized

I decided to write about being organized for this week's ABC Emotion Challenge. As I love to organize items, parties, and my home. I know some people can live in a chaos order. However, I can not. I believe it has to do with my OCD about having to have clean and organized order.

Such as my computer desk. I have it organized. I have my notebook I write my writing ideas in. I also have my planner and my Mickey Mouse journal my daughter bought me for my birthday last year. I have a place to store my pens and markers. It is a clay vase one of my sons friends made at school and no longer wanted. I also have a coaster to place anything I drink on.

It is very important to me to be organized as a writer and photographer. As both require a person to be able to organize their thoughts or images.

Challenge : How do you get organized?

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You are more than welcome to link up as well.

An InLinkz Link-up

WW : Just A Swing'n

In celebration of today's Wordless Wednesday blog post. I choose to share photos of my grandson being pushed in the swing at one of the local parks. It is my grandson daddy's birthday today. My son remarked that his son was the best birthday gift he could ever receive. My heart melted.

Kj loves the swing

If he could talk, he would tell grandma higher.

Someone's falling asleep

Yep, he is out like a light.

See those cute little toes

Uh oh, grandpa is helping to push now. Kj better hang on.

Grandpa that's not high enough. Push me again.

I hope you enjoy this short photo essay for my turn at this week's Wordless Wednesday blog post.

This post has linked up with Noner Says Wordless Wednesday Blog hop. You are more welcome to stop by her blog and join in. If you have a Wordless Wednesday post.

Western Cowgirl Theme

My daughter will be turning 15 yrs old in two months. She wants a western cowgirl party theme. I have been looking for ideas on pinterest. I started a board on Pinterest to add any pins I come across that goes with the theme. You are more than welcome to join the board and add ideas to it. As I am looking for DIY party favors, recipes, games, websites to check out etc. with a cowgirl theme.

Last party I had for her. I had a Beach theme where I created alot of beach theme foods and served them in plastic buckets. I want to do the same with a western cowgirl theme for my daughter.

I thought I should serve chili as one of the main courses. As I tend to use black and red beans to make it. I either use deer meat, hamburger meat or ground turkey. Do you think it would be a good thing to serve for a western cowgirl theme? Or possibly my Red Dressing Chicken on the grill? Served with Peach Cobbler?

It took me a week to organize the last party I thrown. As I start doing party favors and decorations with the theme to have them out of them way. I start cooking the day before and preparing if necessary. I also plan on having the party out at the Independance damn. As my place is to small to host for a bunch of people.

I would love for you to share any ideas you may have. Whether it be games, DIY projects, recipes, party favors or something else I am missing for a western cowgirls party theme. It would be much appreciated.

What is something you would suggest for a western cowgirls party theme for a soon to be 15 yr old? (All suggestions welcomed).

#western #cowgirl

Black and White Sunday Blog Hop for Pets

I came across a blog hop for black and white photos of your pets looking through my Google + account. 

If you do not know what a blog hop is, Please check out what one is : Here

I decided to share two black and white photos of my pets.

This is Rascal my 1 yr old Chihuahua mix. My boyfriend surprised me by bringing him home. He received him from some friends in Texas.

This black and white beauty is of my Chihuahua mix and Chug Chihuahua / pug mix. The Chug's name is Moose. He is a three year old male.

What is an ideal roommate?

Through out the years I have had different roommates in my home. Either because they needed a place to stay or I needed help to pay the rent. I have also been roommates to other people.

The ideal roommate is different for everyone. It depends on someone living situation and what they want out of a roommate. I had a roommate who paid me $100 each month. Which helped pay my water bill. I know now I should have charged her more.

Another set of roommates cleaned my house and brought their own food in the house. As I worked many hours. They did not. It was great to come home to clean house. Not have to worry if my home would be trashed when I walked in or not. Nor did I have to worry about strangers running in and out of my home.

I have had some really bad roommates. One lady refused to pick up after herself. She would use my food to cook for her man at the time. Refused to do the dishes afterwards. She broke any rule that was in place.

My ideal roommates include :

1. Paying rent.
2. Clean up after themselves and kids.
3. Buy own food, toiletries and hygiene products.
4. Do not lie or steal from my family, friend or me.
5. Pick up after and take care of their pets. Do not leave dogs in cage all day.

I could even go as far as :
1. Taking turns on cleaning house on different days
2. Taking turns doing dishes
3. Taking turns making meals
4. Taking turns watching each other kids

I would not have a preference if someone was male or female. Nor if they had kids or not. However, their pets would have to get along with mine.

Challenge : What is your ideal roommate?

Photos from Pixelbay.com

Shopping for the dogs

I have been looking for something to store my dogs food in for awhile. As I only have a small container. I buy a 50 lb bag of food once a week. The container I have is not big enough to hold it all. Part of it stays in the bag. Another bulky item in the way. Luckily at Marshall's while shopping for new shorts for my teenage son. I noticed some aluminum containers in the pet area. I bought the biggest one. It had some small dents in it. Nothing noticeable from the front. However, I was able to get a discount for the small dents and paid less than $20.00.  I love it. No more bag sitting in the way in the kitchen. Moose is checking it out. he knows where the food is being stored now.

While I was out shopping. I stopped in TSC to pick up the dogfood. While I was there, I was able to check out the food and water bowls in the dog area. I was able to pick a huge metal one up for the English Mastiff. I placed it on the chair to take a picture of it. To show it size. It is almost as big as the kitchen chair. It is so big I could sit in it and still have room. English Mastiffs are a huge dog. They need big bowls to hold all their food and water. Otherwise you will be constantly filling them up.

One of the things I look for when out shopping for the dogs, is looking for different treats. As all my dogs like to chew on theirs. I noticed an assortment of different flavors of rawhide basted sticks.

Something all three of my dogs loves. They will do little tricks to receive their treats. Such as sit, down (lay down position), roll over, and fetch.

My family and friends say I like to spoil my dogs because I will buy them extra things. Such as different kinds of treats. Neat items to store their stuff. Many different toys. Clothes for the little dogs. Soft beds for each dog to have of their own. I don't think I spoil them. I think of the dogs as part of my family and treat them as such.

Do you have animals you consider part of the family?

I am in charge of how I feel

I am doing my second post of Quotography. I used one of my own photos in a photo website called Muzy.com. I transformed my original French Dressing photo to my newest Quotography photo.

If you have been following me on Facebook or my other blogs you will understand where this Quotography is coming from.  I am taking one day at a time. That is the best I can hope for.

Photo take by rusty2rusty aka Sandy KS.

ABC Emotions Challenge N

I really do not feel up to writing the ABC Emotions Challenge today. I have been up and down most of the night being nauseated. Which has left a nasty taste in my mouth. It seems no matter how many times I drink water or brush my teeth. That nasty taste is not going away. 

If it isn't the nauseated feeling. I am running to the bathroom for the other end not letting up. I have a slight headache and am tired. Otherwise I feel fine. I am not sure what is going on. I am hoping whatever it is will pass quickly. I do not like feeling like this.

Feeling not so well makes me feel needy. I am not normally a needy person. I am the one who tends to help others. I am not very good at asking for help. Feeling like this makes me nervous. I would rather be left alone. However, I hate being alone. See what I mean. I am not making any sense.

One day soon I will feel normal again. Until than I feel like I am going nuts. I have no interest in being sick, being needy or having others care for me. I have never really had it. I am uncertain what to do. As I don't think I make a very good patient.

Photos from Pixabay.com

If you would like to check out the rest of my ABC Emotions Challenge blog series. You can read them : HERE

An InLinkz Link-up

Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

Sometimes when creating a meal. I must get creative. As my teens have a habit of using items up for their lunch. That I have planned for meals. Plus the fact at times my pantry and fridge is running low on food supplies. I must use what I have in stock. The other day was no exception.

So, I have created my version of Chicken Spaghetti. I cooked the spaghetti noodles per the directions. I sat aside when done. At the same time I was frying up chicken. I took several boneless pieces of chicken. I sliced them up to smaller pieces. When done. I placed them to the side. I used the dripping in the pan to make a gravy to go over top of everything.

Chicken Gravy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chicken dripping
1 can of cream of chicken
milk
1/2 sea salt
1/2 black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 garlic salt
flour

I mix the can of cream of chicken with the chicken droppings. I bring to a boil. Everything else I mixed in another bowl. I added water and whisked it together til it was the consistency of the gravy that I wanted. I pour in to the pan with chicken droppings and cream of chicken soup. I use my whisk to mix everything together at the same time. As I am pouring the mixture in. It is complete when I get it to the thickness of the gravy I prefer.

**Chicken drippings are what is left over in the pan after frying up the chicken. Use that same pan to create the gravy.

Place spaghetti noodles on plate. Place chicken slices on top. Cover with gravy and your plate is done.

You can serve this with mash potatoes. You can also add different veggies in your gravy mix. I like adding onions and mushrooms with mine. However, I was out. So, I served canned green beans and carrots on the side.

Have you ever made chicken spaghetti before?

Salisbury Meatloaf Recipe

The other day I wanted to make salisbury steak for my family. However by time it was to make the salisbury steak patties. My wrist was hurting. I had a hard time finishing up dinner. Instead to save face I placed all of the salisbury mix into a glass pan. It worked out great. When carpel tunnel affects your wrist. It comes to a point where you need to stop what you are doing. As your wrists will not allow you to do anymore. Many times I have had to circumvent a recipe to complete a dinner on time. This recipe was an overall hit with my family.

If I rated it on a scale from 1 to 5. 5 being the top rating. I would rate it a 4. Why a 4? I would choose a 4 because the onions were not cut down small enough. Onions in large pieces tend to turn many people away from dishes like this. I will make sure to cut them up smaller next time. I will allow myself enough time to allow rest for my wrist. Instead of trying to hurry.

I made gravy out of the hamburger drippings. I used the same species in the gravy as I did the salisbury meatloaf. It went over well over the salisbury steak. It was a nice blend. I will do this again.

Salisbury Meatloaf Recipe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/2 package of saltine crackers
1 egg
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 small onion diced
2 lbs hamburger
1 lb of Lipton Beef onion mix

Heat oven to 450 degrees to 475 degrees. Mix all ingredients together very well. Place ingredients in a glass pan. Shape to have an even look across the glass pan. Bake for 1/2 hour or until golden brown.

Note ** You can choose to shape the mixture in to salisbury steak and place in glass pan. Or do what I did and place it all in together like a meatloaf. Your choice.

Brown gravy recipe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Use same pan you browned the hamburger in. Use the hamburger dripping to make the gravy.

1 package of Lipton Beef Onion mix
2 TB flour
1 can of beef broth
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika

Mix till all is blended together. Pour over pieces of salisbury steak meatloaf when done.

Can be served with mash potatoes. Green beans, carrots or corn on the cob.