Soup

Brrrrrrr... It's cold outside baby! Soo cold in the Northwest tonight, so I made soup!!! Hmmm and it was such good soup, barely had any left. Everyone had at least two heaping bowl fulls of this goodness!! I do have to say that soup is one of my comfort foods, its a full meal in one and filling, warm, hearty and almost always good for you. So how can you ever go wrong with a good pot of soup boiling away on the stove top.
When I found this recipe, I was Sooo happy!! I love broccoli cheddar soup but it doesn't have a lot of protein, so I end up feeling hungry rather quickly... This is Beefy Broccoli & Cheese soup, like seriously total Yummmm!!
Now when I made it tonight I quadrupled the recipe, mainly cus well ground beef mainly comes in 1lb increments in the store and I don't have a scale.. so I made food to take out to my parents, while my sister and her husband and mom and dad rebuild the kitchen. Food was greatly appreciated!!! Also took all the fudge to them that I made last night, hahaa Sooo forgot to take picts of it all cut up.. Trust me though I can tell you it was fabulously good!!!

Here's the recipe for soup

Beefy Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
Yield: 4servings

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1 package (10oz) frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 lb ground beef
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup (4oz) shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper to taste

*don't use preshredded cheese, as it has a caking agent to keep cheese from sticking to each other. It its all you have it will work, but it won't be super smooth

Instructions:

1. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add broccoli and onion; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef 6 to 8 minutes in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat, if you want. Gradually add milk to flour in a small bowl, mixing until well blended. Add milk mixture and ground beef to broth mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

3. Add cheese and oregano; stir until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, black and hot pepper sauce.

Throw some oyster crackers or saltines on the side and Oy soo yum!! And make up some of that fudge for dessert, Fabulous!!!

Have a wonderful New year!!!

Making fudge!

Tonight I figured was a good night for fudge! That and my sister gave me six bags of mini marshmallows and it was make fudge or rice krispies.. fudge is Sooo much better! So first I made peppermint fudge and then I taught my son to make fudge. With him we made rocky road fudge, cus it is manly fudge heheee :) in our rocky road we used pecans instead of walnuts, mainly cus its all I had.. and pecans are Sooo good and yummy!

Foolproof fudge

Yield: makes 24 two inch pieces

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, cooking spray
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, packed
3 cups semi sweet, dark or white chocolate chips
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

* for peppermint fudge 1 cup crushed peppermint candy, sprinkle half cup on bottom of pan and the rest on top of fudge

* for rocky road fudge 3/4 cup of each nuts and marshmallows, sprinkle both on bottom of pan

Directions:
Line a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with two sheets of waxed or parchment paper in a crisscross manner ( one lengthwise, one crosswise ) so ends overhang sides of pan; coat evenly with cooking spray.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, cook sugar, salt, butter, cream, and marshmallows, stirring, until butter and marshmallows are almost melted, 5 to 6 minutes.
After this the mixture will come to a boil; cook for 5min at this boil, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Add the chips and vanilla; stir until chips are melted and mixed in well. Pour mixture into lined pan.
Let fudge cool in pan at room temperate, 3hours. Use edges of paper to lift out fudge; place on cutting board, and remove paper. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters if you want or cut fudge into bars.. enjoy and if you want share :)

I haven't cut mine up yet so I don't have any finished pictures.. once I cut them up, I will share. :) hope you make some fudge and share with friends and loved ones !!

Destruction

Today we are starting demo on my mom's kitchen. For the past 12yrs she has lived with a microwave, electric skillet, table steamer, crock pot and a hot plate hahaa.... Yea not ideal but the stove and oven before would arch, not exactly safe. So this year as her Christmas present, we are demoing the rest and then building it out this weekend..
My husband is starting tearing out everything, so my brother in-law can build in cabinetry this weekend. It will be amazing to have an actual kitchen in my mom's house!!!
I will post images of when its all done, hopefully by the weekend!!! :)

Cupcakes

I was up till 2am making cupcakes for my little girls class for her birthday.. with so many allergies rampant, I figured Snickerdoodle cupcakes we a safe bet. Don't worry I'll post recipe and all later. :) All the cupcakes were eaten and I made extra!!! So I didn't even get to try one :/ Haha guess I will have to make them again, oh bummer.... Heheee

Wednesday or Humpday?! ;)

I love Wednesdays!! The week is almost over and then I only have a day and wake up till I see my honey!!! Another reason why I like today is cus, if the pool isn't too crazy with boys swimming, I get to swim some.. Which I did today!! Ahhh felt so nice even though now my thighs hurt even more from doing laps with a crazy little 4yr old.. Feeling the burn, from doing legs yesterday in my work out and then basically just doing legs today in the pool, hahaaa... Everyone LOVES sexxxy legs!! So I be working on them! :) Today I have a little poem for you all that I kind of threw together tonight, so I hope you like it :) It's still a bit rough but I did a quick couple redrafts on it.. :)

Stockings
By Ginger

Gently rolled down
Into a golden, silky
Donut like hole

A beautiful, manicured
Foot sliding
Into the center
Gliding over
Smooth heel

Up with a gentle
Tugging, careful
So no tares
Appear in your
Golden silkiness

Fingers gliding
Straightening seams
Smoothing band

As a gorgeous
Silver clasp
Grabs, nice and
Snug against
The thigh where
You will stay.

Busy Busy :)

The last few days I have been super busy and haven't had a time to sit down and do a few things like do another entry :) Tonight I had finish a short bio for a magazine I am going to be published in :) I will be in the January issue of Delicious Dolls, I hope you go to www.magcloud.com and check it out and buy a mag.. Since I hadn't done an entry though I was thinking I would share with you my little bio I did for them, I hope you like it.. When you buy your magazine and see the images, never before seen before.. I think my bio might make just a bit more sense :)

Bio:

The sweet acid smell of antifreeze tingles my nose as the earthy chemical smell of oil entices, memories of being a little kid out in the yard helping my Dad on a car. Grease and dirt under my nails and smeared over hands, getting rubbed across my face as I push stray strands of hair out of the way. Not doing much, other than handing wrenches as they are asked for. Does it really matter?! Nope, cus I am working on cars with my Dad! 

Later getting to ride shotgun to the part store for parts or car fluids. Always a joy and treat! While out we might run across a car show and without hesitation we stop. Checking under the hoods, looking inside, getting ideas for our classics. While getting to hear stories about cars my Dad had or about ones he saw when used to put on his own car shows. And some of the crazy stuff he or his buddies did to the cars and the amazing paint jobs on them. 

With the smells of the working on a car still lingering on us, we stroll through all the gorgeous classics hand in hand. On our way home we might grab a slurpee before we head back to work. 

Even to this day I still LOVE the smell of a good working shop. Oh, yes! I still get grease and dirt on me, even when I am trying not to! I take my kids to car shows with my Dad so they can hear the stories too. They each have their own classic out at my parent's and when they go out there, they get the chance to work not only on cars but their own classic. That one day they will get to drive, until then they get to learn the joys of creating and making a gorgeous piece of machinery run like a well oiled machine that it is. I am soo glad that they get to have this opportunity and learn how hard work can be rewarding, plus learn from my Dad.  

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies :)

Soo I know I said I would do this Saturday and now it's Sunday hahaaa... ehh life got the best of me on Saturday. But I did have a good day!! Went to church and then came home and chilled with my little monkeys till my good friend Pandora and came and visited.. LOVE that girl!! Totally made my day to have at least a little girl talk...
    I did prep stuff for my cookies though yesterday hahaaa... Today I was like I am making cookies!!! This recipe I double it and it makes a good amount, but they are very addicting, just warning you!!! That is why I doubled the recipe cus last time I barely got any, since everyone devoured them!! This recipe I got out of a mystery novel by Joanne Fluke from her Hanah Swenson series.. Each of her books have amazing recipes and good stories so I am hooked on them :) I hope you enjoy this recipe cus I know I do!! I am giving you the recipe NOT doubled, so if you want you can double it or not :) Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies 
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, rack in the middle position

1C softened butter ( 2 sticks, 1/2lb) ****
2C white (granulated) sugar
3 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 beaten eggs ( just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 C crushed and salted thin stick pretzels (measure AFTER crushing)
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour ( Pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1 1/2 C Dark chocolate chips ( you can use any kind of chocolate chips you want but I like dark)

****The butter should be at room temperature unless you live in an igloo

Mix the softened butter with the sugar and the molasses. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, and the molasses is completely mixed in.

Add the vanilla and the baking soda. Mix them in well

Break the eggs into a glass and whip them up with a fork. Add them to your bowl and mix until they're thoroughly incorporated.

Put your pretzels in a zip lock plastic bag. Seal it carefully ( you don't want crumbs all over your counter) and place it on a flat surface. Get out your rolling pin and run it over the bag, crushing the pretzels inside. Do this until there are no large pieces and the largest is a quarter-inch long.

Measure out two cups of crushed pretzels and mix them into the dough in your bowl.

Add one cup of flour and mix it in. Then add the second cup and mix thoroughly. Add the final half cup of flour and mix it in.

Measure out a cup and half of chocolate chips and add them to your cookie dough. If you're using an electric mixer, mix them in at the slower speed. You can also put the mixer away, and stir in the chips by hand.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased (or sprayed with Pam or another non-stick cooking spray) cookie sheets. You can also line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat, if you prefer. (this is what I prefer ) Place 12 cookies on each standard sized sheet and
BAKE for 10-12 min..

Making cookies!!!

I will post the recipe later today after I have made all these glorious cookies!!!!
Ooh and sorry not the greatest picts ever but its from my phone hahaaa :/

Normal day :)

   I am glad that today is Friday!! My honey came home and he came home with no more nasty mustache on his face, thank God, Movember is over!!! :)
   Not much happened today, just got some house cleaning done and grocery shopping. Wayyy exciting ;) heheee But there was more gorgeous liquid sunshine today, my son came home looking like he fell in a puddle.. When I asked him about it he said he was drier than he had been earlier.. hahaa Silly boys!!
  Tomorrow we are going to make cookies!!! One of my fave cookies of late too, and I hope you try out the recipe I share with you.. For today though, here is another poem :)


Emotional Circle
By Ginger

Let me feel
Your emotions
Flow steady
And fast
Quick and hard

Taking my soul
Feeling every curve
Of my soul
Letting emotions
Spill and flow

Don't let go!
Not yet
Till this turmoil
Has released
And all that is
Left is Elation

Head spinning!
Heart racing!
Slowly, ever
So slowly
Release me.

It's cold out, baby!!

   Today was your A typical cold rainy day in the Northwest! I know for me when the days are like this, I kind of love it but I also just really want a HOT cup of coffee and a nice big warm hug. And I mean a hug that lasts a bit to warm me up from the inside out, not a quick hug.. Ugghh those are soo short lived and just no fun!! Hugs should be nice and firm and long enough to feel heart beat to heart beat :) Yeaa I like hugs!! Who doesn't?!
     So I know right now I am flooding you all with poems and such BUT as time goes on I really want to have a day where we get to know a beautiful lady who has just had her first photo shoot and if she will let us see one of her sets. Absolutely LOVE helping other ladies find their inner Goddess and I would love to share with you what inspired them and such. Might do some interviews with up and coming ladies also.. :)
    I promise that we will have recipes too, cus for those that know me know that I LOVE to cook and LOVE to eat good food and I make only GOOD food!! So I will share my recipe with you and short cuts I found or used while making that recipe. Ooh I have soo many ideas to share with you guys!!! It is going to be an amazing journey!!! For today another poem, I hope you enjoy!!

Embrace
By Ginger

Hold me tight
Crush my chest into yours
Heart beat to heart beat

Can you feel the
Thump of my heart?
Hold it closer just
A bit
Longer, Please!

It's thump is heavy
With sadness known
And unknown

Please hold just a bit
Tight, Please!
Don't let go!
Hold tight without crushing.

Liquid Sunshine

      Today I am going to go swim, it's one of the ways I work out.. For me to say I am going to swim is still a novel idea to me! Up till two years ago, I did not know how to swim not even tread water. Was actually a bit terrified of being in water lol yea actually a LOT!! A few almost drowning experiences in my life, and I was good with NEVER learning to swim. Then wouldn't you know it, I enrolled my kids in swim class and for them to not be terrified I had to lead by example...
     So I enrolled into swim classes too, my first day was terrifying!! But now I can't wait to feel the sweet caress of the pool water! Even though I now love to swim, I still will not swim in a river, lake or ocean there are creepy things down there that I can't see!! I am good you all can have that!!
    Reason why I talk about swimming is well cus I am going to do it and LOVE it now!! I think everyone should try to conquer their fears, but also my poem today is about water. I hope you all enjoy it and have a wonderful day!

Liquid Sunshine
By Ginger


What is this!?
Cooling and refreshing
Harsh and smooth
Gently tapping on my
Face, seeking and soaking
My Hair and everything
Dampening, Drenching me!

Running to hide from this
And yet I wish to run
Open arms and face up
Drinking this wonder in!!

Running and finding
Small pooling lakes
Feet first, diving IN
Clean and dirty!

Oh the joys of it
Jumping from baby Lakes
Letting you seize my legs
And feet
To glide and slide
Back to where you
Will settle for the day.

Laying down in a baby lake
Just for me!
Letting this wonder from
Above
Trace and trail
It’s way down and over
My nose and lips
Catching in my lashes.

Reluctantly I will find
Shelter from your
Cold and wet
Magnificence

With a warm cuppa
In hand
I will watch you
Swallow and form
The land around me

DON’T fret
We will play
Again soon!!

Back to writing

I have finally gotten back to writing and it has opened the flood gates! Love when my thoughts roll into poems and awesome ideas, makes me feel less crazy. Some days my thoughts run a muck soo much that I was starting to get overwhelmed! I must thank my new good friend Edson Carlos for encouraging me to write again!! He himself is an amazing artist, go check him out at www.edsoncarlos.com !! :) Here is one of my newest poems, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Autumn Wind
By Ginger

At first you are
So gentle
Pushing against me
Barely lifting my
Hair, brushing against
My face with a
Gentle Caress

Then you abate...
For a bit
Slowly pushing
Against me harder

This time grabbing
The hem of my skirt,
Blowing it
Up and around my thighs

Pushing my skirt
Down, doesn't discourage
You!

With more force
Than before
Pulling at my hair
Tossing it in my face!

Before I am able
To take shelter
From you and your
Play....

I find my skirt
Lifted and swirling
Around my thighs
Feeling you blowing
On my knickers

With your Autumn chill
I shiver from your
Cold Autumn kisses
I hurry to warmth
To hide out from
Your bursts of
Autumn play