Life is busy. This post is late..from 2013, to be exact!

It seems I would have all the time in the world since I only work 3 nights a week (12 hours though!) but I honestly don't know where my time goes. I would love to keep this blog better updated but *sigh* stuff happens. Anywhoo, I am just now posting my crafty projects from the 2013 holidays!!

I love those collages I see all over Pinterest, so I decided to make a few for my sisters. I took a little trip to our local Archiver's & got my hands on some 7 Gypsies goodies. I decided to make one Christmas themed & the other more antique looking. I know my local sister's home decor better, so I customized hers to match. They only had brown, so for one I did a quick spray paint of antique white.

 I tried to use stuff I already had in my craft stash, but I did buy some items, like the mini bird cage & the canvas flowers. I used some scrap paper I already had for the background, and purchased a 12x12 sheet of burlap for the middle lower square & as an accent to the upper space. The small letters are from Bottle Cap Inc (I found them at Archiver's) and the mini bird cage is Tim Holtz (I found it at Hobby Lobby, but his product line is sold at numerous places.) The clock sticker came from a 4 pack of 3D stickers from Jolee's boutique (Hobby Lobby) and the gems (bird, upper space, lower left; and the key, lower left corner) were my own. I also used some craft twine & button stickers I had on hand.

All that is left to do is cut and fit. Pretty easy. The hard part is deciding what to put where and when to stop!! These were small, approx 7 x 7 so I didn't want to clutter them up too much and take away from the look. I do think they turned out cute!

Taco Soup on a windy, dreary, rainy day!

I love to cook. I like to try new things, using whatever I have on hand. Tonight, since it was a dreary, rainy, windy day I decided to make Taco Soup for supper. There are many variations of this recipe, and I have tried many and liked them all, but tonight I opted to experiment. Of course, feel free to experiment and make your own "version!" ***Also this soup, as far as I know, is Gluten-Free, which is good for our daughter's diet.

Taco Soup

1.5 pounds lean ground beef (turkey or chicken would work as well)

1 package Taco Seasoning, or if you have larger containers, 1/4-1/2 cup

32 ounces beef broth

1 cup corn (I used up leftover corn from a previous meal!) I used frozen; if you use canned, drain first

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & chilies, original flavor, dump entire can in!

1 package Knorr (formerly Lipton) Mexican Rice (bagged instant rice with seasonings) or 2.5 cups instant white rice

1 cup water

Cheddar cheese, sour cream, crackers, chives and other garnishes to taste

Brown ground beef, drain off fat if present. Add meat to large stockpot, add all ingredients except the garnishes, and cook on medium heat for approx 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with your choice of garnish. Serve with your choice of side dish, if desired, but this soup is filling just on it's own. 

There you have it, a perfect soup, in my opinion, for a day like today!