Life in the Slow Lane

Against my better judgement I am going to share this recipe with you. In the spirit of giving, and since it's an awesome appetizer for New Year's Eve, it's here for you. But I think this may be my last recipe Monday for a while. Part of who I am is being a good cook, and if I keep sharing everyone will be just as good lol. A bit selfish yes, but I've worked hard over the years to create my personal cookbook! But anyway, you will love this easy to make, filling recipe. You can have it as a meal or as an appetizer. It is on my New Year's menu this year and it's always a Super Bowl favorite. Enjoy!! Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-Up 1 lb chopmeat 1 small onion chopped 8oz velveeta 4 slices bacon 1 container refrigerated pizza crust Directions: 1. Brown beef with onions and bacon in skillet. Add velveeta and cook until melted. 2. Let cool about 10 minutes. In the meantime preheat oven to 400 degrees. 3. Spray cookie sheet with Pam and unroll pizza crust cove...

I watch Inside the Actor's Studio a lot. Of course my favorite part is the 10 questions asked to every guest. If I were on the show this is how I would answer the questions!! 1. What is your favorite word? Hodgepodge 2. What is your least favorite word? Quagmire 3. What turns you on? The smell of a hard working man 4. What turns you off? Cigarettes 5. What sound do you love? A content sigh 6. What sound do you hate? Whining. Suck it up and deal. 7. What is your favorite curse word? I say fucker alot 8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? Architect. Equine vet. 9. What profession would you not like to do? Bridge repair, panic attack overload 10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Huh, you’re here? Really? Let me double check my list….

Hope you all had a merry merry! In the spirit of giving, I'd like to give someone one of my cowl neck crocheted cuties. This one is a french blue and has an infinity twist to it. Wear it high on your neck, over your hair, however you'd like. Give it to a friend or your mom, or wear it to work next week! Find more info here on Etsy . Leave me a comment and I'll put your name in the running. I'll be picking on New Year's Eve. Merry Merry! ~ Mama:)

As a teacher I am always looking for interesting lessons and ideas to spark student interest, whatever the topic of the day may be. And sometimes those lessons carry over to my own boys. The internet is an awesome resource for teachers and saves us tons of money! So the other day I was looking for story starters, either quotes or pictures. My older boy loves to write and draw so I thought we'd make a book. Anyway, I came across this picture: A wonderful story starter if you ask me! I instantly thought of my younger son when I looked at it. For over 2 years now it feels like some days he's just like any other boy around, but then there are those days when he is so very different. So that was my first idea when I found the picture. But then I looked at it again, and thought of my older son. Sure, he's a 'typical' 1st grader, but he's got his own quirks too. I don't like to brag about my kids too much, because we all know how those moms are, but he's s...

Sunset on Lake Wallenpaupack. Winter is just starting, but it's always nice to look at pictures like this and think ahead to the beautiful weather and scenery we have here. Life doesn't get any better than getting a chance to sit with a cup of coffee and someone you love and take in something like this.....now count down the weeks of winter with me....15.....

I could ask for important stuff like a responsible grownup would. You know, health, wealth, job security, blibbity bla bla. I like stuff. I'm not a materialistic girl, but I like stuff. Pretty stuff, fun stuff, gadgety stuff. So far this Christmas, even though it's not Christmas yet, I've ordered for myself or have gotten: Yup, all fun fun goodies! I'm sure I'll get more and buy more over the next few days, but if you ask me that's a fine start. So now onto my birthday wishlist. How about these hotties...Michael Kors you've rocked my world yet again....

Yes, of course this is supposed to be the hap-hap-happiest time of year. It’s Christmas! The snow is falling(well, for many of us), the songs are playing, the fire is going. People are a little kinder to each other, the kids are all being on their best behavior, and love fills the air. But I always have a few thoughts that go through my mind to remind me that sometimes it’s not always the happiest time. Sometimes it can be downright depressing. I am a C.C.C.. I always have been. I start off just fine, then before you know it the rain comes. I walk away, but find it hard to catch my breath. My mind swirls and I see flashes of my life. The day he made me spaghetti for breakfast. The day she yelled at my sister for coming home at 6am. The day she taught me how to play Pokino. So I leave it for another time, but I know I just have to jump back in there and get it done. How hard can it be? Read them and be done. Well, maybe another day. A week or so goes by and I try again. I try t...

Go ahead. Just say it. You know you want to. I haven't been the ray-o-sunshine blogger I usually am. No great recipes. No happy mommy tips. Not even some yay I'm skinny Wii updating. Bad Mama blogger. Bad. Life has gotten in the way of everything over the last three weeks. The family is dealing with something rotten and of course why at any time other than the holiday season? But yesterday, amidst the grey clouds and gloomy thoughts, a phone call came my way. One that brightened up my day and could possibly change my new year. Mama's got a job! I've thought about working again for a while, but was really waiting for the right position to open up. And it did...Middle School Math Support Specialist. Ahh, doesn't that just roll off your tongue? Just what I've been waiting to do after 6 years of being home full time. So yes, I suck at blogging lately, and I need some happy good vibes thrown my way for the fam, but as I said a few posts ago when talking about ...

That crap mood has followed me into this week, and I thought I'd take a few minutes today to share some groups of people(or kinda people) that annoy me. I went Christmas shopping last night, and even though I tried to just keep my head down and get from point A to point B without even noticing other people, it's quite hard when you come across some types. So here's a few people, groups, or whatever that I find annoying: 1. Women that wear way too much perfume. Happened when we went to the movies a few weeks ago and my friend and I were gagging and sneezing for about 20 minutes. Uck. 2. People who talk real loud on their cell phones . I don't care what you're making for dinner or where you spent last night. 3. Parents that let kids run loose in stores . I've always wanted to throw some peanuts at the kids since they are acting like wild animals and parents could care less. Then they cry if someone takes them, but who wants to take unruly kids anyway? 4....

Want to impress your holiday company with a quick yet delicious dessert? This recipe is one you will make for many years to come if you enjoy these flavors, and you know what the best part is? NO BAKING! Yup, you read correctly. Fudge Balls 1 lb confectioners sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup melted butter toppings of choice Directions: 1. Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls(I make them like one inch) 2. Roll in topping - maybe colored sprinkles, peanuts, cookie crumbs, drizzle melted chocolate.....totally up to you! 3. Refrigerate. Eat. Awesome. They can be cutely displayed in tiny candy papers or just stacked into a pyramid. I promise if you like chocolate and peanut butter you will love these. Happy non-baking!

Well, it's weird to just call the post 'My Pet Peeve' because I do have a few doozies that drive me crazy. But no one wants to sound like a complainer on a quiet Sunday afternoon, so for your reading pleasure I'm choosing my top peeve. Punctuality. I was taught to be on time as early as kindergarten. I can remember my dad triple checking his watch, and telling me to get a move on. He'd be counting backwards from the time we'd have to be somewhere to the current time to see what time we needed to leave the house. Sound confusing? It used to be. But now it's just a way of life. A way of life that is a true courtesy that too many people don't give to others. I had a boyfriend in high school that chose to be 2 hours late to pick me up one night, and I decided to not speak to him for the next 2 hours. He was never late again. Just thought I'd share, people think I'm nuts when I tell them that lol. I've also fired therapists in the last few ye...

Well, there's no way to sugarcoat it. I'm homesick. Terribly. I wanna just get in my car and drive home. Now. I've been here in the Poconos for about 10 years now. We've built a great life here. Built a great home with a heavenly porch. Made great friends. But even after all this time, I cannot bring myself to call this home. Yes of course this is and will continue to be our permanent residence, but home is still a word that's hard for me to call it. It's almost like if I call it home, NY is just part of my past. No no, I'm not ready for that. But in the meantime, I'm homesick. NY homesick. My family homesick. Good food homesick. My mom homesick. My sisters homesick. Is it Christmas Eve yet so I can go home? :(

Everyone knows I love U2 and of course Bono. Their music has gotten me through lots of different things over the years and today when thinking of some different songs, I came back to one of my favorites, Walk On. I love it for many reasons and it makes me think of many different things. Not the lyrics alone, but the powerful, subdued way Bono sings it as well. I thought I'd share it here with you, maybe you'll love it too:) U2 - Walk On And love is not the easy thing The only baggage you can bring... And love is not the easy thing... The only baggage you can bring Is all that you can't leave behind And if the darkness is to keep us apart And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off And if your glass heart should crack And for a second you turn back Oh no, be strong Walk on, walk on What you got, they can't steal it No they can't even feel it Walk on, walk on Stay safe tonight... You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been A place that has...

I know it's freebie Friday, but I didn't find any fantabulous deals out there today, and I really wanted to share my Wii Active update instead! Earlier in the week I thought to myself, 'hey, why don't you try on that pair of jeans yet again.' We've all had a pair, you know, you buy them, then they don't fit but you keep them for 'someday'. Well, this pair was my some day pair, a pair of jeans that I bought almost TEN years ago. Lol, I loved the color and cut, so I just kept them on the bottom of my pile for someday. I'm here to tell you today that SOMEDAY IS HERE!! I have lost a considerable amount of weight this year, but it just wasn't going away in the right places. Until I started exercising! Yes, it's still sucky. Yes, it still yells at me. And as much as I want to yell at the Wii and tell it to shut the F up, I'm not doing any more squats , I will continue to work on completing the program it has set for me. Hopefully withi...

Rotten mood is an understatement of how I was feeling the other night. Life had given me a swift kick to the throat, and sometimes you just don't have the best reaction to that. But now it's two days later. I've calmed down. Deep breaths. Happy thoughts. Life is good. Life will be better. So I'm reposting my post from the other day about everything happening for a reason, because I'm thinking this current bump in our life road is happening for a reason too. I'm not sure why yet, but hopefully it will become apparent as time goes on.... A while back I wrote about karma , of course on a day that I was in a rotten mood. I just couldn’t comprehend how things so bad could happen to people so good. But, as time has gone on, those windows have opened a bit more giving me a better glimpse, and I’ve slowly begun to understand why SOME things happen. Good or bad, sometimes they just need to happen. Life needs to go on, evolve, change. For the Better? No, not always. ...

I've been meaning to write down my list of life things to do for quite some time now. I did jot it down quickly in a notebook a few years back, then I lost the notebook. Good job mama. So today I'd like to share my 'Things to Do in Life' list. I'm sure there's plenty else I'd like to do, but these are the top things, the ones that come to mind first. Some are totally within my reach, and some will take some more time. With the new year quickly approaching, seems like a good time to share it! In my lifetime, I would like to..... 1. Learn to play chess well 2. See Italy and Greece 3. Learn to weld 4. Drive an 18 wheeler 5. Swim with the dolphins 6. Seek out the best chicken mole` 7. Sing backup for anyone that will have me 8. Write and publish a children's book 9. See the Grand Canyon 10. Get into the Guinness Book for something redonkulous 11. Send my kids to college without having loans 12. Buy a boat to enjoy this beautifu...

Some of you may notice that a post I wrote yesterday afternoon about karma and everything happening for a reason is gone. Silly me trying to be in a happy place. It lasted about 3 hours. Today is a different kind of day, the statement 'I'm having a bad day' would be considered a major understatement. Crap on karma. Ok, but back to what I had planned to post today, baby wipe wonders! I've been buying baby wipes at Sam's Club for 6 1/2 years now. It's about 600 wipes in a case x 12months x 6.5 years = approximately 47,000 wipes I have used in this house to date! During the years there would be mishaps here and there, and when looking for the closest thing to help, baby wipes would be right in my reach. And wouldn't you know it, it helped! So I want to share with you my favorite things to use baby wipes for(of course other than the obvious!). If you have other great uses please share. Wipe up a quick spill of paint - we have hardwood floors, perfect! Cle...

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I'm not much of a meat-eater myself, but if it's served in small amounts I will actually have a little. So today's recipe is just that. A nicely portioned steak dish. It doesnt take long to make, and you can do a few of the steps ahead of time which always helps! Sirloin Steak in Parmesan Peppercorn Sauce ½ cup italian dressing 1 Sirloin steak 1/3 cup sour cream 4 tsp parmesan ½ tsp pepper 1 onion thinly sliced Directions: 1. Marinate sirloin steak in about ¼ dressing. For me this is the most important step in order to have a tender steak. Marinate up to 24 hours. 2. Combine sour cream, cheese, and pepper, cover and refrigerate 3. Heat the rest of the dressing in a pan and add onions, cooking until soft. Set aside 4. Cook steak as you’d like(pan or bbq) and slice into thin slices. 5. Serve a few slices topped with refrigerated sauce and onions. Serve with anything you’d like, I usually do a twice baked potato and a green v...

I generally don't blog on Sundays, but this just made my day! I've been nominated for a Hottest Mommy Blogger Award lol! Sure I'm a small, feisty Italian loudmouth, but never have I used the word 'hot' in a sentence while talking about me, unless it's about my baking oven!! So if you'd like to vote for me, and I know you all will, click the badge above and give me a shoutout. Tomorrow I might just be nominating you for another award. Have a great Sunday - if you have snow like us, enjoy the beautiful scenery:)

I started thinking about making a list of top 10 something, but nothing was really popping into my head that was interesting enough. Then, I found myself singing a theme song and realized how simple my quest is! Today I bring you my Top 10 favorite theme songs of the 70s(in no particular order!). Each of the next few Saturdays will bring a new decade and another trip down memory lane. I was going to write a bit about each and why I love them, but it just gets too wordy:) If you’re too young to remember some of these, not only do I feel old, but I’ve linked them to give a listen. I hope they make you smile and think of simpler times. If you don’t see your favorite listed, please share it! #1 - What's Happening! #2 - All in the Family #3 - Sanford and Son #4 - The Jeffersons (theme song was disabled everywhere!) #5 - The Match Game #6 - Welcome Back Kotter #7 - WKRP in Cincinnati #8 - Dukes of Hazzard #9 - The Partridge Family #10 - CHIPs

Hey person on the long holiday line in the store. The person that waits until they get that absolute final price from the cashier and THEN decides to dig out the wallet, and THEN decides to dig for exact change. I've tried being patient and understanding, and most difficult for me silent. But today I'm here to tell you I'll be quiet no more. I'll huff and puff and tell you to move it or lose it. I'll tell you to just give the gal some bills and take the change! I'll tell you perhaps you'd be better off doing some online shopping. A common courteousy of shopping is to be ready when it's your turn. Ok, whew, I feel better now. I'll step off the box, but be ready if I see you in a store :)

Freebie! Friday! Two great words both alone and together! Here's a few pretty good ones for today. The creamer one is limited time on Facebook, so get moving. Have a great weekend!! Benefiber Orange Powder Full Size International Delight Creamer Aveeno Tote Bag

Yes, a few days ago I posted that I'm Christmas'd out. But you can't deny the greatness that is the music of the season. Even though I'm tired of hearing it, I do truly love Christmas music. While not my all-time favorite Christmas song, I do love Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me by Elvis. Caught myself singing it a tad too loud in the store yesterday. It has a fun beat and cute lyrics. Elvis has been part of my regular rotation for as long as I can remember, and add to it Christmas and it's a perfect mix! If you don't own the Elvis Christmas CD, or live in a cave and never even heard it, give it a try. What's one of your favorite Christmas songs? I don't need a lot of presents To make my Christmas bright I just need my baby's arms Wound around me tight Oh oh santa hear my plea Santa bring my baby back to me The Christmas tree is ready The candles all aglow But with my baby far away What good is mistletoe Oh oh Santa, hear my plea Santa...

So I am another week into the EA Active and still enjoy it just as much as day one. In the 30 day challenge I think I've now done 8 out of 20 workouts(usually two days on, one day rest). The exercises have gotten much easier, I can run for a longer period of time, and it gives me that little pick-me-up I need at the end of the day. The workout is still set to easy, but I've decided to leave it at that level until the end of this first challenge. It does add reps each time though, so I do still feel challenged! The only exercise I don't enjoy is side to side jumps. Silly really, sounds easy enough, but the little lady trainer voice doesn't like the way I do them. I probably could try a little harder, but they are just awkward and yuck. But all in all I'm still happy with the purchase and the workouts, and still recommend you put it on your Christmas list!

I hold my pencil wrong. Well, wrong in the eyes of my first grade teacher Mrs. Collins. I held it the way I was comfortable and stuck with it. Unfortunately it makes my ring finger sore on that little upper knuckle part. Thank goodness for typing! But I crochet. A lot. And with that comes holding the needle 'wrong' as well. I do it very different than anyone else I've watched. That's ok, I'm good at it, so my way is just fine. Anyway, crocheting gives me an even worse sore finger because of the constant pressure in that spot from the needle. Well I found the solution!! I always knew a rubbery thimble would do the job, but had a hard time finding one. Until a few weeks ago when I stumbled on a set. Yesterday I finally tried it out and hooray! No sore finger today! They do look a bit funny, even though a cute shade of pink with some flowers etched into the rubber. This picture isn't the best quality, but you get the idea. It's very soft, you don't eve...

The tree is up. There's 3 ornaments on it so far. It's hard enough to put it up so early no less have to decorate it. But being that our whole life revolves around Christmas all year long, why wait another moment to put the tree up. Heck, I'm shocked it didn't go up earlier! I don't know if all kids with Autism go through 'obsessions', but I know many that do. Sometimes they can last for a few weeks, and sometimes, as in our case, well over a year. It started with something simple I'm sure, maybe a book or a tv show, but it snowballed. Fast. Uncontrollably. At first it was fun, who doesn't love Christmas?!? And, I was ok with it because Alex was actually interested in something. It kept his interest, encouraged pretend play, and made him happy. What more could I ask for? And here we about 14 months later. I just looked at this post and realized just how long it has been. Funny how at that time I really thought it would just fade away. That same...

With Thanksgiving and Black Friday here, there aren't too many great freebies around this week. But I did still want to stick with money-saving item for today, so I thought I'd share one I recently found. Baby Einstein has been in the news alot lately, with parents complaining that the dvds do not make children as brilliant as the company claims. Shocker. If you are not satisfied with your dvds, you can return up to four titles, in orginal box, for either exchanges or better yet full refunds of $15.99 per dvd. My kids enjoyed them over the years, but we are done with them, and what better way to recycle and make some money back? Here's the link to the refund offer. Happy Friday!

Some lists I come across are very serious, some are silly. Mine is a happy combination of the ridiculous and sane. I can think of tons to be thankful for this year, but I've chosen my top things to showcase. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm Thankful For.... The boys – they keep me laughing even on days I feel like crying My Hubby – for working hard, driving far, and providing us with everything we need Michael Kors – he has supplied me with a few really pretty things this year Facebook –  it's fun to catch up with so many friends from years ago that I would have never contacted otherwise My Sister – watching her overcome huge obstacles this year shows me anything can be done if you work hard enough Miss Mary – my little one would not be growing and learning half as much without her. Our lives have truly been blessed with her help My Mom and Dad – they are my go-to people. If I need anything, they are no farther than a phonecall a...

We learned very quickly the other day just how fast someone or something can be lost. Thankfully for us everything turned out ok, but I'd like to share the little tale with you. Mr. Bear was a gift for Alex from my mom when he was born. Chris got one from her too when he was born. Both bears have been through everything, and yet they still cling to life. Alex relies on his bear way more than Chris, so his looks like it's been dragged behind the car for a good amount of time. While still cute, he shows his age. Over the last few months we've tried to lessen the use of bear. He went from coming everywhere with us, to staying in someone's pocket while out, then just a picture of him would come with us, and now he stays home. Of course Alex takes him to bed with him, and getting ready for bed is when our near death tale occured. Alex was going through the nightly routine in the bathroom, and somehow Mr. Bear fell in the potty. Ew yes, but it gets worse. Not only did h...