Archives for May 2007

Corn Bread Layered Salad

May 22, 2007 by Maren 3 Comments

I put this as a comment on my friend’s site, but then thought I’d share it on here, too, because of the yummi-ness factor—I always enjoy it when ya’ll share different recipes… Recently, my Nana made this from Taste of Home Magazine. It didn’t sound very appetizing, but when it came together, my whole family enjoyed the variety of flavors in one dish… It’s a keeper! It’s also a pretty colorful because of the layered-ness factor…

Corn Bread Layered Salad

1 pkg (8 ½ oz) corn bread muffin mix

6 green onions, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 can whole kernel corn (15 1/4 oz), drained

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans rinsed and drained

¾ cups mayonnaise

¾ cup sour cream

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare and bake corn bread accoding to pkg directions. Cool on a wire rack. Crumble corn bread in a 2 qt. glass serving bowl. Layer with onions, green pepper, corn and beans. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream; spread over the vegetables Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Refrigerate until serving.

Note from maren: This weekend, I made this just for Michael and me. I didn’t have all the ingredients, but used the recipe as a springboard. I put the beans (also added a can of black beans), frozen corn (which thawed by the time we ate it), cheese, red onions, a little bit of cumin seed (a personal favorite), a few various spices, then tossed it with the corn bread (I left out the sour cream/mayonnaise combo). If you like corn bread…it’s just something different and good! Hope you like!

Real post to follow later today…

It’s kind of like “Two Truths and a Lie”…

May 17, 2007 by Maren 7 Comments

So for today, I’ve joined the bullet bandwagon. The only thing is that amongst the 10 bullets, I’ve added 3 lies. Can you figure out which is which? It may be too challenging for some of you…

We’ve been working on our landscaping–isn’t it amazing when it comes to owning a home how fast everything adds up, and how expensive little dinky- home improvement trinkets are?

Michael and I are saving as much money as we can to pay off our house– One way we’ve found to save money, is to bring our own bread to fast-food drive-thrus, we only order condiments and then make condiment sandwiches. This drastically cuts on costs!

This past weekend Michael and I drove up to Indianapolis where he competed in a regional speech contest. He came in SECOND and did a FABULOSO job! The guy who won had a style completely different than Michael’s, so it was obvious that the judges preferred the winner’s style over Michael’s. I know I’m biased, of course, but he did a GREAT JOB (deserving of first) and I’m so proud of him!

Another way we’ve discovered to cut corners is to siphon our neighbors gas at night–cuts down on the rising gas costs considerably–and all-in-all averages our gas prices out to only $1 a gallon!

I just took mail up to the mail room for work–yep, I ran all 66 letters through the meter for $.39. Got a call from a couple ladies who noticed my mistake– SO I had to go back up, run $.02 meter stickers, and place them on the envelopes in addition to the already LARGE postage mark. The size of the postage mark now takes up about half of the envelope. Hopefully the people who receive the mail will just attribute it to the ditz in the mail room. OOPS.

To save more money for the next year we’ve decided to go to the bathroom elsewhere because tp is so expensive these days…

Tonight, we’re having a cookout at our place to celebrate a couple from church’s upcoming wedding! Whoohoo! Then, tomorrow night, Michael and I are doing something to celebrate 6 years of marriage! He keeps dropping me clues that I have to figure out, but has not revealed where we’re going for sure– I do have a hunch because I begged him to go to see OKLAHOMA. This is the last weekend the show runs, so hopefully my hunch will be accurate!

There’s still 2 more spots in the walking challenge if you want to join! You just have to do 2 things–it’s pretty easy–set a weekly goal for yourself and complete it, and do a little something every day! It’s great accountability to be moving! If you want to join, you’re still invited!

One more day until weekend!

OBVIOUSLY, the ‘cutting cost’ statements are not for real. However, we are always looking to cut costs and pay down our house aggressively…Wouldn’t Dave Ramsey would be proud??? … I’ve been recently thinking of some not-so-serious ways to do so, and thought I’d share the just-for-fun-but-I’d-really-never-do-it-ideas. 🙂

Let’s walk to Cleveland, Folks!

May 14, 2007 by Maren 5 Comments

Hey friends! Wanna join me? I’m doing the WOMAN Challenge (what an original name, eh?) a virtual exercise group where we log our exercise activity to try to reach a goal–I’d like to gather a team and walk the virtual route across the Plains and the Midwest Route! We don’t have to get together to exercise–you do it individually, then log your activity online, and goes toward the group goal. How fun is that?!?!?! By being a part of a team, I figure it will help ME to stay accountable. So, that’s why I’m asking YOU! So, you want to join? Check it out at http://www.womenshealth.gov/woman/woman-fs.cfm. It’s of course, free, though the pedometers they were giving out are all gone–but you can still track your activity by miles or minutes! Feel free to register and join my team, Marenator and Friends, there is a limit of 10 people; BUT if you join, make sure you’re willing to help us finish our group goal! We don’t actually walk the distance of the Plains and Midwest Route, but it keeps track of your progress as an individual and as a team- it’s more about goal setting, and achieving your own personal goals…What are you waiting for? The challenge runs from May 13, and ends on July 8, 2007! SO sign up and let’s get going! The challenge started yesterday, so we’re already a day behind!

I struggle with accountability in exercising, but figured this would be a fun way for us to Get GOING! and to KEEP MOVING! Let’s walk to Cleveland, Folks! If you’re interested, sign up today, and start walking ‘ with’ me!!!!!!

THANKS, KATIE, for the idea! She’s blogged about doing this, too! Feel free to join her group instead! Looks like a ton of fun!

Looking forward to walking together!

maren

MEETING YOUR INDIVIDUAL GOAL: For each of the eight weeks of the WOMAN Challenge, you’ll have the opportunity to accumulate up to two points. You can earn your first point each week if your average physical activity is at least 90 percent of your weekly goal. You can earn your second point each week if you record some physical activity for every day of the week. If you earn both points every week, you will accumulate 16 points by the end of the WOMAN Challenge and will successfully complete your virtual route.

MEETING THE GROUP GOAL: How the Route is completed: For each of the eight weeks of the WOMAN Challenge, your team will have the opportunity to accumulate up to two points. The team can earn its first point each week if every team member’s average physical activity is at least 90 percent of their individual weekly goal. The team can earn its second point each week if every team member records some physical activity for every day of the week. If the team earns both points each week, it will accumulate 16 points by the end of the WOMAN Challenge and will successfully complete its virtual route.

Coffee Punch Recipe

May 8, 2007 by Maren 5 Comments

Now that I’m home…here’s the recipe…

Coffee Punch Recipe

½ cup Instant coffee

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 gallon milk (2% or whole)

½ gallon chocolate ice cream

½ gallon vanilla ice cream

½ of an 8 oz. container of whip cream

Mix 1^st 3 ingredients in a saucepan on stove. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, cool mixture. Right before serving, put coffee mixture in punch bowl and add milk. Add the chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream by spoonfuls. ( She had purchased Dreyer’s half chocolate/half vanilla…I didn’t know they made such a thing.) So easy, but MMMM good.

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