Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday: Winter Glow

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Ice, Ice & More Ice

For those who have never experienced an ice storm, here is a little glimpse of what we woke up to this morning - here in Northwest Indiana. The photos have not been touched up nor have they been turned black and white - shows just how colorless our world is today. Beautiful from the inside - dangerous on the outside.

For those of you following on Twitter, here is my poor tree situation. Here is the tree after the top snapped off.


Here is the tree after the right side fell - squashing the apple tree and pulling down the power lines (see it laying on the ground?) Fortunately, we still have power, but our inlet broke away from the house cracking the siding.


And see this looming over the garage - we're keeping a VERY close eye on it. We've pulled our cars out of the garage *just* in case.

I almost feel sorta, kinda bad. All summer, Kurt was talking about having this tree cut down. I kept saying no, no, no! I fought to keep it alive because I just couldn't imagine how bare the yard would've been without it. Now - it's a huge threat. Whatta ya gonna do?

Wordless Wednesday

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Wordless Wednesday: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells...

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Wordless Wednesday: Midwest Christmas

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Tackle It Tuesday: Happy "People-are-starving-use-up-your-leftovers" Day

Looks yummy, doesn't it?

Do you have Thanksgiving leftovers that need to be used up? Can't stand the thought of throwing out ALL of that turkey? My answers were yes...and yes. That is why I just HAVE to share this recipe with you.

The "People-are-starving-use-up-your-leftovers" Turkey Pot Pie

*Just to let you know, I always tweak recipes. So, this is my version of another recipe. Of COURSE it's better than the original. :)

• 1 recipe pastry for a 10" double pie crust - I use the Pillsbury roll out type - you can find a coupon for them here. In my opinion, they are the best flaky crust next to homemade.
• 4 TB butter (or a little more)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 (leftover) green onions, sliced
• 2 (leftover) stalks celery, chopped
• 1 c. frozen mixed vegetables (maybe a little more, I didn't really measure)
• 3 TB dried parsley
• 1 t. dried oregano
• salt & pepper to taste (if it matters to you, I use fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground pepper)
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 c. water
• 1 med-large (leftover) sweet potato, peeled and diced (the original calls for 3 white potatoes)
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups cubed (leftover) cooked turkey (you can even add more if you like)
• 3 TB flour
• 1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 425. Spray 10" pie dish with non-stick spray. Roll out first pie crust in pan. Set aside.

Melt 2 TB butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onions, celery, mixed veggies, parsley, oregano and salt & pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Dissolve the bouillon in the [hot] water and add to the vegetable mixture. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes and cook until tender but still firm.

In a medium saucepan (or skillet), melt the remaining 2 TB butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened (doesn't take long.) Cool slightly, then pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust and place on top of filling. Flute the edges and make a few slits in the top crust to let out the steam.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350 and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

What a tasty dinner! Such a comfort to sit by the light of the Christmas tree, watching the cold snow blowing outside and filling our stomachs with such a warm, slice of home.


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Look What We Found...

...when we woke up this morning! There appears to be about 7 or 8 inches out there and it's still heavily coming down. Here in Northern Indiana, we tend to get a little something in the winter called "Lake Effect Snow." For those of you who don't live in the Great Lakes region, I'll let you goog it. For those of you who do, I know you can sympathize.

This is about what it looks like.

"When it snows, ain't it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling.
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way
Walking 'In-di-ana' Wonderland."

Tackle It Tuesday: A Soldier Christmas

For those of you who are couponin', savin', cvs-game playin' freaks...ever wonder what to do with all of that "stuff?" Would you like to get rid of some of it all the while putting it to VERY good use? Take a visit over to Anysoldier. Beware...as the website says, it really IS addictive. I have been following this site for about a year and a half. Each and every story touches me in some way. I usually end up crying the whole time I'm reading.
Anyway, here is my Tackle It Tuesday.

Does any of that look familiar? Cheapo probably paid very little to nothing for each of those items! I put together two boxes: one for a male and one for a female. They were shipped off yesterday...and I can't WAIT for someone to open them. Here are a few pointers that can make packing a box very easy:

• Go to the Anysoldier website - click around to get familiar - go to "What to Send" and then get an address (or 20) from "Where to Send."
• The requests are from real soldiers needing real items - so each one will request something different. Though, many just want a little taste of home, regardless of what is in the package.
  
• If you plan to send heavy items, pick up flat rate boxes at the post office. It's $9.80 to send regardless of the weight. Also, make sure to have clear packaging tape to re-enforce the box. Remember, it's going to take a lot of handling before it gets to the right place.
  
• Have magazines laying around everywhere? Toss a few into the box! (no nasty stuff!)
• Put anything you can into baggies. The soldiers can re-use the baggies, plus it helps in case something leaks. Also, it keeps the "soap smell" out of other things- especially food.
  
• No home made baked goods.
  
• As you are packing the box, make a list of items that are in it. When you get to the post office, you will have to fill out a customs form, which includes: sender name/address, recipient name/address, detailed list of contents & package value.
  
• Anything with a pop up lid, like shampoo or lotion, tape shut. Elevation changes can pop those right open. Mine used to open every time I would fly back and forth to Colorado.
  
• Include something hand written: a note, a letter, a Christmas card - just some word of thanks. I included a small picture of our family as well. Also, add your email address! The soldier may not have time to send a written thank you, but many have email access. Though, don't expect a thank you - they are doing enough over there as it is. :)
  

From what I understand, the soldiers get a lot of packages around Christmas, though the program is year 'round. So, don't forget our brave men and women throughout the entire year!

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Wordless Wednesday: Farm Memories

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