Hot Tuna Buns

  Doesn't that sound good?!  I absolutely love Hot Tuna Buns!!!  It is a recipe from my aunt and when ever I have them, it brings back so many memories of childhood.  My sister and I use to spend a lot of our summers at my aunt and uncle's house; we had a lot of fun there.  This was one of my favorite meals. There is just something about it that is comforting and reassuring.  Best thing of all it is easy to do.  I would bet almost everyone has the ingredients in their cupboard and fridge.

HOT TUNA BUNS
INGREDIENTS:
1 can tuna
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup cheese, diced (Velveeta)
1/4 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
2 tbsp catsup
1 tbsp lemon juice
dash of salt
hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:
  Combine all ingredients.  Fill hamburger buns with about a tablespoon of mixture and wrap in aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  (Leftover chicken or turkey may be used instead of tuna.)  Makes about 12 buns.

This is what the mixture looks like after everything is added and stirred together.

 

The bun assembled and ready to be wrapped.

 

 

All lined up and ready for the oven.  Yum!  Yum!

 

 

The finished product!  So Good!!!!

 

 

 

Cattle Show

  This last weekend the family went to a cattle show where a friend of ours daughters were showing their steers.  We really had a good time.  You would never think that sitting in a cold arena watch people lead different breeds of heifers around would be fun, but it really is.  You can really see the work that this young people put into their heifers and also the ones that don't put as much work into theirs.  You appreciate all these farming families do to foster the love for these animals.  I think the steers got their coats styled more than I do my hair.  It was great.  If you ever get a chance to go to a cattle show or pig or lamb for that matter, I would definatly do it!  It is something you and your kids will find very enjoyable.  I hope you like the pictures I shot.  They are not very good.  It is hard to capture the heifers while they are moving. 

 

Walking the heifer through it's paces, to see how it walks.

 

Judging it's stance.

 

Doing a little grooming.

 

Getting the heifer into it's final judging position.

 

And the best thing is mini donuts to snack on!!!

 

 To make things even better is our friend's daughters both won Grand Champion in their division and one won Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer. 

 

Love to all,  Sara

 





Turkey Tortellini Soup

 

 Do you ever start out with a new recipe and then as you are cooking it start to change it?  Eventually you end up with a completely different recipe, that is how this recipe came about.  It started out as a simple tortellini soup and by the end I had added a bunch of different stuff.  All I know is, it was delicious.  So here is the recipe that I came up with as best as I can remember.

Turkey Tortellini Soup

5 Cans Chicken Broth
1 10oz pkg Frozen Chopped Spinach
1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
1 lb bag of Frozen Cheese Tortellini
2 cloves galic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked turkey (great use for leftovers)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

  Saute garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes.  Add frozen spinach and cover until thawed.  Add tomatoes and seasoning, bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add broth and turkey, simmer about 40 minutes.  Add bag of frozen tortellini.  Cook until pasta is done. 

Serves:   4

I hope you like it as much as my family did!

Love to all,   Sara

Girl Scout Cookies

  How many of you out there have a girl scout in the family?  Is it as hard to get child to go out & sell as it is mine?  Maybe it is because she is a little shy or maybe because she doesn't like to ask people for help, especially someone she doesn't know.  Maybe it is because she is in the 7th grade and it isn't cool anymore.  I am the troop leader for my daughter's troop.  We have a very small troop with just 4 girls in it.  The troop was going to disband after last year, because their former leader just didn't have the time anymore to put into Girl Scouts.  The only problem was that some of the girls still wanted to be involved the organization.  So what was I to do but step up and volunteer to lead the girls.  Since taking over, my girls have earned their Bronze Award, bridged over to Cadettes, gone on a camping trip to the state capital, 4 field trips in which to earn patches and are well on their way to earning their Silver Awards.  It has been a very productive year.  What I can't get the girls to understand is that all of this takes money and the way our troop earns money is through the sale of cookies.  I think it hit home, when I said we would not be able to any field trips because of the balance in our checking account.  It is still hard to get the daughter to go out and sell, but once we are out she understands the importance of it. 
  Do you know there are a lot of different recipes you can make using Girl Scout Cookies?  Just search the Internet and you will come up with dozens of them.  Also experiment and see what you come up with on your own.  Thanks-a-lots, the shortbread and chocolate, cookies make great s'mores in the summer, just add roasted marshmallows.  Thanks-a-lots are also really great for homemade ice cream sandwiches.  Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream between to cookies and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refreeze and Enjoy!  I think I buy a case of Thanks-a-lots just for summer alone.  Thin mints also make great crusts for mini cheesecakes.  It adds that something extra.  Delish! 

Don't they look good?  I have even found a lot of recipes to use them in!  

 

Love to all,  Sara 

Help Around the House

  Do you get help around the house?  Does your kids or husband pick things up off of the floor or put away the dishes with out being asked?  If the answer is YES, please tell me what that is like.  The hubby will help out with the dishes, if I causally tell him that the dishwasher is empty.  He also will help with the laundry, so I can not complain there, but I try to limit to sweats, his work clothes and towels.  The daughter is a different story.  I have to almost beg to get her to do anything.  We have even come up with a system of payment for certain chores.  She would just rather not have any money.  As an example, her sweatshirt fell on the floor on day, right in the line of traffic, and I left it there to see how long it would take for someone other then myself to pick it up. 

 

Well it is going on two weeks now and no one has picked it up yet.  They both have walked around it, stepped over it, have even told the cat to get off of it, but it is still laying on the floor.  I am thinking pretty soon it will be laying in the garbage.  Stuff like this drives me insane.  Now, I have never ever claimed to be a neat person.  I have always been messy, but to actually walk around something because you don't want to bend down and pick it up; it is CRAZY!  Thanks for letting me blow off steam.  I think I needed it. 

 

  Do you all have a busy weekend?  Is it going to be filled with work or fun?  Mine is a mix of both.  Tomorrow, we will be having a Girl Scout cookie booth at a basketball tournament in town and I will be the leader for that.  On Sunday, the whole family will be going to a stock show in the morning and a rodeo in the afternoon, if the weather cooperates.  If we are able to make it, I will post pictures next week.  It should be a lot of fun.  We haven't been for a few years, so I am really looking forward to it.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and get to spend it with family and friends. 

 

 

Love to all,  Sara

 



Craft Room/Office/Pantry

 

  Do you have a room in your house that is just always a mess?  That you can never find anything in?  Is the family dumping ground for everything?  Or you are just tired of the way it looks?  I do!  It is suppose to be my craft room/ office/ pantry and IT IS A MESS! 

 

 

 

What did I tell you!  It is terrible, but this month is the month that it is going to get organized!  I am entering a challenge over at I'm an Organized Junkie.  Wish me luck.

 

 

 





The Daughter

  I would like you to meet the daughter.  She told me I could not use her name in this blog.  When I told her I wanted to write about her, she just rolled her eyes at me and said "Mooommmm!  Why?"  She doesn't really like to be the center of attention.  It is kinda hard not to be the center of our world since she is our only child.  A little about our darling daughter, she is now in the 7th grade and is doing very well.  She has discovered that she likes Math this year.  Who knew!  Math had been a sore spot for her the last few years so this a HUGE accomplishment.  She is also involved in dance.  She has been taking classes since before kindergarten and absolutely loves it.  She was so excited after her last class.  The instructor told her that next year she would be in pointe class.  I guess this is a big accomplishment.  I personally have no idea.  She is also involved in volleyball and has for 3 years.  She has a great time being involved with the team.  This last year, she didn't go out for basketball.  She thought she was in enough activities and wanted to be in dance the whole year verses half.  She is also in Girl Scouts and is working on her Silver Award, takes piano lessons and voice lessons and is involved with our church.  Our church has an amazing youth program, not just confirmation students but also right up until they are graduation from high school.  The kids go on mission trips, retreats, have lock-ins.  Our daughter is really enjoying her time there.  It makes both the hubby and I very happy, she is taking such an interest in church.  During the summer, she participates in a summer theater program.  She loves it!!!!  Last summer they put on "The Apple Tree" and it was wonderful. 
  Well those are her activities, is it any wonder I say my rump is super glued to the front seat of my car.  Now to really get to know her.  She can be very shy and at the next minute loud and outrageous.  I just don't think she is sure of her place in life yet.  I see a lot of myself at that age in her.  I am glad she has found an outlet through her music and acting.  She is a very caring and compassionate child.  One thing I really like is that she respects us as her parents.  Yes, she sasses us once in awhile and doesn't clean her room enough, but she knows when we say something then that is the rule.  No questions asked.  I see so many kids know today where it seems like the kids are running the household.  I just don't agree with this.  I can be friendly with my child but I don't need to be her friend right now.  I need to be her parent.  She knows that and I think she likes that.  She knows no matter how much she whines, if I or her dad say no to something it means NO.  We can be friends when she is an adult, but not now. 
  Every once in awhile, I will be giving you updates on the daughter.  Auditions are soon for the summer musical so I will let you know. 

 

What a cute kid!!!

  
   Love to all,    Sara