My Lucky Day

Today was one of those days when the design/thrifty/frugal stars aligned for me,I just happened to stop by one of my "go-to" second hand stores.You may remember reading about one of my other finds here. So back to the goods, lookey at what I found...

Sorry this photo is a little blurry, what you get for holding a baby and trying to take an iPhone photo inconspicuously

The first is a lovely microfiber couch I scored for $100, seriously people it is brand spankin' new it might as well of been wrapped in plastic. They were asking $150 for it but thanks to the encouragement of my hubby {the seasoned pro at negotiating} I offered 100 bucks and they took it. :)

  

just envision me doing any variation of one of these dances {on the inside of course} a.k.a. my happy dance. 

On to score #2 a very cute shabby chic table that was perhaps used as part of a vanity set, but will now become a console table for our living room. EEK! I'm so excited, yes it is missing a drawer (bummer) but I'll figure something out I'm sure. Best of all, it was $5! Yes no typo there, $5. See what I mean about the design/thrifty/frugal stars aligning for me today. Aaamozing! *whit that last line was for you, hope you can guess the show ;)

Wordless Wednesday

WTF? why the funk?

Well if you've been around me lately and thought, "Gee, Amber just doesn't seem herself". There is a very good explanation for that. This may enlighten you on the lack of blogging, cleaning, hygiene, being sociable, pretty much anything that involves me leaving the house.  

 if you've been blessed to have one of these growing inside your belly, then you know the toll it takes, especially in the very beginning. Extreme exhaustion,sciatic flare-ups {in my case}, nausea, all around feeling like butt everyday.

 Pretty much you don't want to get off the couch let alone do every day things. Thankfully me and my peanut are slowly getting better I can feel the fog of the first trimester lifting, wouldn't you know it, right around 13 weeks. I have already had my first appointment and the doctor said it is a very healthy looking fetus and that my due date is October 11th. I'm very excited and scared to have another little one in the house so soon. But it's all in God's plan, and I feel very blessed to be a vessel to one of his heavenly creation's. E has brought me an insurmountable amount of joy, and taught me the blessings of motherhood. I can't wait to open my heart even more and let the love of this little one wash over me too. 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday-A not so wordless day...

E was F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S; fearless at the beach, the ocean, sand, sticks, shells, water touching his toes, everything excited and intrigued him. He was in heaven, I on the other hand was terrified of his infatuation with running to the ocean waves every 2 seconds. We played cat and mouse back and forth, he would run to the water, I'd scoop him up and dangle his toes in the waves and then I would walk back to the dry sand, which produced tears {his, not mine} every time, then I would let him down again and it would begin all over again. Unless, I could distract him with a stick or shell, for one fleeting moment. In the last few weeks I've discovered  a new dimension to my son's personality I have a very adventurous, daring, at times fearless little boy. He loves  being outside, dirt, rocks, sticks, water, stomping in mud puddles, climbing, he is ALL BOY and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

FINALLY A NEW POST!!!& a recipe- Homemade beef stew

Well, well, well... Look who decided to crawl out from the rock she's been hiding under. ME! Finally a new post, yes it is another recipe but that was all the energy I could muster up for the time being. This weather has inspired me to make a yummy, warm, fill your tummy to the brim, soup. Homemade beef stew: yum, yum.

slashfood.com

Homemade Beef Stew
yields: 6 servings
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1hour 15 minutes




5 cups water
1 can beef broth
3 packets of brown gravy
1 lb. beef stew meat, thawed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 potatoes,  peeled and diced
salt and pepper to taste


Bring water and broth to a rolling boil, add onions, garlic, and beef. boil for 25 minutes. Then add celery, carrots, and gravy, reduce to medium heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the temperature once again to low and add your potatoes let cook for another 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, enjoy! *Also adding peas, and paired with some homemade cheddar biscuits would be a great addition to this meal.


*Tip: if the gravy packets haven't thickened the soup enough to your liking, you can always add roux to thicken it. {equal parts flour and butter, mixed together prior to adding it to your soup.}

Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole:
yields: 4 servings


1 lb. ground beef or (turkey)
1 package of taco seasoning
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 can re-fried beans
2 cups Doritos Chips
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
shredded lettuce
fresh tomatoes
shredded cheese
sour cream
guacamole 
olives
cilantro




Brown hamburger meat, remove excess grease. Add taco seasoning, tomato sauces, and add cornmeal to thicken. Line baking dish with chips add beans, meat mixture and cheese. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, olives, cheese. sour cream, guacamole, cilantro. Enjoy!


Such a tasty meal, this one is a crowd pleaser! Love it when I try a new recipe and the family is scraping the dish to get the last little morsels out of it. :)