Halloween Pictures

I know this is over a month late....but whatever. Here ya go...pictures of my butterfly and spiderman. :)

Thanksgiving Menu and Recipes

Turkey
Ham
mashed potatoes and gravy
stuffing
orange creamsicle salad
cranberry salad
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
deviled eggs
potato rolls
pumpkin pie
pecan pie

recipes:
turkey-

Ingredients

• 1 (12 pound) whole turkey
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 cups warm water
• 3 tablespoons chicken bouillon
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 2 tablespoons seasoning salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if they are anyone's favorites.
2. Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. Put 3 tablespoons of the butter on both sides between the skin and breast meat. This makes for very juicy breast meat.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the water with the bouillon. Sprinkle in the parsley and minced onion. Pour over the top of the turkey. Sprinkle seasoning salt over the turkey.
4. Cover with foil, and bake in the preheated oven 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). For the last 45 minutes or so, remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely.

ham-

Ingredients

• 1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham
• 1/4 cup whole cloves
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 cups honey
• 2/3 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.
3. In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.
4. Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.

stuffing-



• 2 medium onions, minced
• 2 -3 stalks celery, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I use Bell's)
• 2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups turkey broth or 2 cups vegetable broth
• hot water
• 2 (6 ounce) packages stove top-style seasoned stuffing mix

•  

• Directions:

  
  

  1. 1
     Saute onions and celery in butter.
  2. 2
     Sprinkle with poultry seasoning.
  3. 3
     Set aside to cool slightly.
  4. 4
     Toss this mixture into your favorite dry stuffing mix.
  5. 5
     Heat broth and set aside.
  6. 6
     Read directions on your favorite stuffing mix box.
  7. 7
     Add enough hot water to the broth to make up the required liquid needed.
  8. 8
     (Omit butter the recipe calls for as it was already used to saute vegetables.)
  9. 9
     Pour over stuffing/vegetables mixture and mix well.
  10. 10
      Stuff your chicken or turkey. For a side dish place stuffing in a baking dish; cover and bake for 15 to 25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  orange creamsicle salad
  

  Ingredients:

  1 (3 1/4 ounce) package tapioca pudding

  • 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
  • 1 (3 ounce) package orange Jell-O
  • 2 1/4 cups water
  • 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
  • 2 (10 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained

  Directions:

  
  

  1. 1
     Combine pudding mixes, Jello and water, stirring well.
  2. 2
     Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
  3. 3
     Cool to room temperature.
  4. 4
     Stir in Cool Whip and oranges.
  5. 5
     Chill well.
  6. 6
     NOTE: Even though this recipe is cooked, the vanilla pudding mix is instant.
  7. 7
     It is not a mistake.
  
  sweet potato casserole

Ingredients
5 sweet potatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1/4 cup butter, softened 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

potato rolls

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water (105 to 115 F)
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1In large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast.2In small mixing bowl combine warm water, potatoes, butter, sugar and salt.3Add to dry ingredients in mixing bowl.4Beat with electric mixer for 30 seconds on low, scraping side of bowl.5Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.6Stir in remaining flour with a dough hook (or knead by hand), as needed (with most bread recipes the actual amount of flour required depends on humidity, etc. so add slowly until dough pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball).7Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.8Punch dough down.9Turn out on lightly floured surface.10Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.11Grease 13x9-inch baking pan.12Shape dough into 24 rolls.13I divide by cutting dough piece in half and then each of those pieces in half--continuing until I have 24 pieces.14That helps to get a more uniform size.15Make balls by holding dough in both hands and gently smoothing by pushing the edges towards the back.16Place rolls in prepared pan.17Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size (about 40 minutes).18Bake at 400°F for 16 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.Print This Recipe

pumpkin pie

Ingredients:
Serves: 10-12
Yield:
2 2.02.0Servings Size
pies
Update
pies
Units: US | Metric
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin (or fresh cooked equivalent)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 well beaten eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 unbaked 9-inch pie shells
Directions:
1Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well.2Combine the evaporated milk and the heavy cream in a small saucepan.3Heat the milks to the scalding point.4Add scalded milks to the other ingredients, mixing well.5Pour equally into the two UNBAKED pie shells.6Bake 350 degrees for about 1 hour.7Pie is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.8Top with desired topping.

pecan pie

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups corn syrup (I use 1/2 dark and 1/2 light)
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely broken
1 unbaked deep dish pie shell
Directions:
1In saucepan boil sugar and corn syrup together for 2 to 3 minutes; set aside to cool slightly.2In large bowl beat eggs lightly and very slowly pour the syrup mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.3At this point I like to strain the mixture to make sure it's smooth and lump free.4Stir in butter, vanilla, and pecans and pour into crust.5Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 to 60 minutes or until set.

Mickey D's

The other day I took the girls to McDonalds for breakfast. After I place my order, and the girls are playing in the play land, the manager, who is ringing me up, gives me the total and I go to grab my debit card.  After looking frantically for my card, I realize that I left it on the kitchen table. I tell the manager to forget it, that I don't have my debit card...ya know what she did...she comped my whole meal. She gave me 15 dollars worth of food for free......all she asked is that I come back, which, with it like one block from my house and service like that...how could I not.

10 Reasons to love your xray tech

This is a t-shirt that is out and about and if you are an xray tech, it's AWESOME. Here it is...and to follow the explanation- 10 reason to love your xray tech:

1. We do our best work in the dark

2 We can see through your clothes

3 We know all the positions

4 We are well developed

5 The chemistry is always right

6 We know what buttons to push

7 We have all the right techniques

8 We know how to warm up a tube

9 We know how to get the best penetration

10 When you need it now, we make it wet

So to explain some you may not get or know:

#3- when we get ready to take a xray, we "position" you for your exam.  We have to get at least two pictures usually, at 90 degrees of each other...so it is true...we know ALL the positions

#4- when we used film we would develop our pictures

#5- this also has to do with developing the pictures. The chemicals in the developer had to be justp erfect to ensure a good radiograph

#7- technique referes to how much radiation we dose you with.

#8- the xray machine is actually called a tube...and it has to be warmed up so that you dont blow up the bulb.

#9- pentration refers to giving enough radiation to get through the body part but not too much so you burn it out

#10- a "wet read" is a STAT read. basically as soon as the images are done, the radiologist looks at them and calls the ordering physician with an immediate result.

Next Step

Well, I guess we moved from the dating stage up to the next stage...Louie has officially referred to me as his girlfriend....woohoo!! I seriously don't know how I managed to luck out and meet such an awesome guy. He is amazing. Plus he makes me feel amazing. He is my biggest supporter, and guess what guys....I'm not taking my pills anymore. I don't need them. I'm not friggin' bipolar...I was just miserable. I look back at my life 6 months ago and what it is today, and the difference is astonishing.  I dont take meds, I don't do stupid stuff, I dont associate myself with lame people anymore, I'm totally back to the old me...the way I was 10 yrs ago...the real meg. She is awesome. She is fun. She is spunky. She is outgoing. She laughs all the time. She is sporadic. She is a cool chick if I do say so myself, and its all me baby. I can't wait to introduce you all to my man....he is a keeper. I will get some pics of him one of these days and post them up.....hopefully before thanksgiving....speaking of turkey day...who is excited? I am I am. I am ready to grub. It's going to be at my house this year since the house my parents are building in harris ranch wont be done till after christmas.  it is just going to be my parental units, the ladies and me and louie...and im sure it is going to be a blast. alright well im going to take my love drunk behind to bed now- i just had to share the news that we are making progress here folks...big moves people, big moves.

The Happenings

So a lot has been going on lately that I just hvent had the time and or motivation to to blog about. So here it is-

SCHOOL: Isabella is now going to public school. We had her in a private Christian school, but opted out of it for financial reasons, so now she goes to the local school. Next year it will be a magnet school so I guess thats ok, but I was more than a little disappointed that we had to do that.  Zoe is also no longer in preschool, that will ahve to wait till next year.

HALLOWEEN: The girls had a blast on Halloween. We went to a nearby subdivision and just let them roam for about an hour before we decided it was too cold and we called it quits. They still made quite the haul.

PAPERS: I filed the divorce papers one week ago. Idaho is one of the easiest states to get divorced in- 20 days and it will be final. I'm so ready for this all to be over- it has been such a hassel from the day I asked jason to move out till the day the papers are finalized are just insane....absolutely insane. Few more days and I will be an officially free woman! Child support has also been calculated and all I have to say is that Jason lucked out there....only a few hundred a month, but it's good enough to help out with the food and clothes and stuff. Custody is split, but I have them from Sunday nights at about 8 to fridays at 6. he has them on the weekends.

DATEING: I've been dating a guy named Louie now for about a month, and I really really like him. We have a lot of fun together. He is 35, has a 6 yr old daughter, just moved here from Seattle about a year ago, is stable in his career and is totally awesome. I might be just a little smitten.....

ANNIE: Annie went back to the pound-after she caused several hundred dollars in damage to my house both inside and out, chewd through one kennel and busted the door out of another, I decided that maybe she wasn't the right dog for me.

HOUSE: One more month and the house will officially be out of foreclosure! I am so excited. Woohoo. It feels good to not only have saved it, but to have done it by myself. Way to go me!!!!

Well, I think that sums up my life in a nutshell for the past 4 weeks or so. Hope all is well with everyone, and I will try to get some pictures up here pretty soon.