Sick, Simple, Sinful and advise for the Season

I had to skip my Thursday GW trip last night...I've been sick and I felt like shit.  However, I did get there earlier in the week and picked up this Banana Republic sweater coat for...are you ready...$1.99.  Just so you know, I get the whole bed bug scare so nothing I purchase anymore, either from GW or a regular store, gets brought into the house until it has been washed and in the dryer at high heat.    Here's my cute sweater coat and my cute photographer!


I'm sick of being sick.  I went to the doctor on Monday but haven't picked up my prescription for the Z Pak.  I just don't think I'm THAT sick!  I don't mind taking medicine but I just don't think it helps, especially OTC meds...you just cover up the symptoms and not very well at that!  The symptoms change day to day anyway; Sunday and Monday, sore throat, Tuesday, uncontrollable coughing, Wednesday thru today, nose running like crazy...expect when I sleep, at which time I can't breath through my nose.  Plus, for some reason all I want to do is eat and I have no energy to run...it sucks.

But I had enough energy to host Thursday night dinner and test 2 recipes in "The Stack".  Both were easy and keepers.  For our main course, we had Tex-Mex Pork in the crock pot.  When I showed Martha the recipe, she noticed I originally  printed out the recipe on April 23, 2002.  That gives you an idea of how old the recipes in "The Stack" are...8 freakin' years ago I printed out the recipe and never made it! I served it as suggested except I forgot the lettuce and since people generally have a love/hate relationship with cilantro, I served it on the side (btw...I'm a lover in that relationship!)  It was good with tortilla chips too!  I revamped the leftover rice from Joe's chicken/rice dinner from the night before but gave it more of a Tex-Mex flair (added tomato sauce, cumin, garlic and chili powder).

The black plate at the bottom says "Chow" and was a 25 cent Target buyout from GW!

Because I wasn't feeling too hot, I forgot to take picture of dessert, but it was very visually pleasing.  It tasted good too.  I must have got this recipe from Pampered Chef because it calls for a "Bar Pan" which I took to be the stoneware bar pan they sell so that's what I made it in.  If you don't have that, just use a jelly roll pan. Oh, this recipe was printed out in 2001.   Here is the recipe:

Simply Sinful Brownies
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 box instant chocolate pudding (4 serving size)
2 cups milk
12 oz package of mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients by hand, spread in greased pan, bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Simple is right.  Sinful?  Well, I don't know if I'd go that far but the brownies were good but if you dont' like cake-like brownies, this recipe is not for you.  I served mine with a scope of ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, whipped cream and some Butterfinger pieces sprinkled on top.  It was picture perfect but you won't get to see it!

Oh, and I got a lot of my Christmas shopping done for the kids yesterday too!  I took advantage of a lot of free shipping and some coupons too!  As many of you already know, I don't go overboard for Christmas.  I got this advise from a friend when my kids were young and it has served us VERY well.  Here it is:

Jesus only got 3 presents at Christmas...so do my kids.  It really does help put an emphasis on "the reason for the season" for them and they understand and don't expect anything more (they do get stocking stuffers too).  Problem is, as they get older, the presents get smaller and more expensive!  Also, Santa doesn't wrap gifts.  They are under the tree, piles separated by kid, batteries in, ready to be played with.  And Joe and I don't give gifts to our kids from their "parents".  Christmas in the house is for presents from Santa.  They get more than enough with gifts from aunts and uncles as well.  Harsh?  You may think so but it saves me from having to run around because I have 12 things for Izzy and only 8 things for Isaac so I better go out and get 4 more things for him because he may count and figure out he has less.  Not for me!  And I'll be honest, we are a 1 income family and make a lot of sacrifices for the things we give our kids, this helps keep finances in check during this season as well.

And I had to put this picture in here, Wilson is getting VERY bad, getting up on the table...but look why...

Swimmy the fish doesn't seem to mind !

That's it for now...looking forward to the weekend, as always...