Meatball Tacos

If your kids are like mine they seem to love Meat balls. There is just something about them that the kids just always ask for them.  So one day while making my list for dinners I thought hmmmm, kids love tacos and love meatball how about put them together.  So it went up on the menu and a few people asked about them so I did take photos and here it the how to.

I use 2 lbs of ground beef cause I have boys that eat like there's no tomorrow.  If you want to just do

1 lb this will still work just cut back on some of the mix ins.  

For every lb of meat I use 1 cup of oats, ( so mine I used 2 cups) then I added a packet of taco seasoning (if you do 1 lb use 1/2 of taco seasoning) then I dump (I don't measure much of anything I like to dump and pour and guess) some red enchillada sauce in a small can of green chilies and 2 eggs.  

Mix all together, if seems a bit to mushie then add more oats to soak up some moisture.  

Next make them in to balls (you can pick the size you like for your family) and then roll in flour.

Then when you have a full tray you fry them in some oil not a lot but about enought to coat the pan about 1/4 inch or so, just to brown the outsides

Then put them in a pan and cook in oven at 400 for about 30-45 minutes

 (make sure cooked all way through)

then you just assemble them and enjoy.

They were a total hit.  Now that I have thought about it

you could still do 2 lbs and freeze the ones you don't use and have them next time so no need to wait just pop in microwave and enjoy.  Could also use them on taco salad.  

Hope you get to try them let me know if they worked for you.

Joy of TEETH

                           That moment you realize you have put it off far to long 

and it needs to happen…yup that is me and the DENTIST!  

I have to admit I am not good at making sure my not so little ones make it to the dentist every 6 months.  There are a million and one reasons but I won't list them cause it doesn't make it any better why we haven't gone.  

When my sister started her career I thought cool now we will go and go often. 

Then she changed jobs and so I changed my mind.  (bad mom)

When we moved out here to "boonie land" 

I took them that first year all the way back into Mesa, 

the place had just opened and they were awesome.  Then it got to be the "all the way into Mesa" was just to much for me (another bad mom).  Time ticked away and baby teeth started to become permenant teeth and they weren't as straight and white as those cute baby teeth.  Then Bug~a~boo hit his tooth with a skate board I thought nothing of it he said he was ok, but as the years when on we noticed the front tooth turning inward and getting a tiny black spot on it.  Next Eminem was noticing that all he front teeth were just a mess.  But again I thought it was ok.  (way bad mom).  When 

Dude got his new job and we got dental insurance again I was like ok lets get this done.  

And NOW…

Bug~a~boo had to have a root canal and a crown and some fillings

This is fillings and root canal day

Now Bug~a~boo is set with his new crown and a reason to smile!!!

Next was Eminem

She has a serious over bite and the roof of her mouth needed so expanding.

She is now in braces for the next 3 years maybe 2 so just in time for graduation pictures.  I have to say she also smiles alot more now. 

Next was Bugs, who needed fillings and his top wisdome teeth pulled but we are waiting on that till after school to due during the summer before he leaves on his mission.  Bugs is also not good at the dentist, his brain tells him he feels everything even with pain meds so this time we asked for gas!!  And he loved it!!! Says he will go all the time now.  

They are all such troopers considering all that had to be done.  And yes I have learned my lesson, Everyone has their next 6 month appointment already scheduled.  

The amazing "NAKED" Roman sandwich

There was this place I use to eat at when I worked at the flower shop it was

called the Picnic Company.  They had all these cool names for all the sandwiches they made.

The one that was the best ever was called the Roman.  

ROMAN PICNIC 

sliced pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, sliced hard salami, Romaine lettuce, Roma tomato, red onion, olive oil, cracked black pepper, mayonnaise and hot honey mustard on a roll

HOWEVER!! 

I always left things off of it.  

(I have never been one to have a "salad" on my sandwich)

The guy who always made it for me laughed 

when he would make it cause I left 

things off of it to the point that he renamed my sandwich 

to the "NAKED ROMAN"

Then they closed (sad face) and I was like what am I going to do with no way 

to have that sandwich.  So I did what I like to do,  I made my version of it better and cheaper.  

My kids and Dude love them, it's become a staple of our dinner menus.

Here is the way I make them...

(if you find you like the stuff that I leave off add them back on)

I use any type of roll and some times I use sour dough bread.

I butter the rolls and sprinkle some garlic powder on them and put them face down on the panni grill.

Then I take the pepperoni and hard salami (the kids like ham on it too) and mozzarella (sometimes I also use provalone cheese too) and layer it in

a bowl and put in the microwave to heat the meat and melt the cheese.

Next I take the mayo and the italian dressing (if you don't have olive oil the dressing works great) and mix them together. 

Then I brush the roll with the mixture and then the honey mustard.

Then I place the heated up good stuff on the roll and oh YUM! 

There you have it "NAKED" ROMAN sandwich. 

We eat it with chips or salad or even mozzarella sticks 

and sometimes all of them!

I hope you all give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do here!

It's Marching Band Season!!

For most people this is what is considered FOOTBALL season.

But here in our home it is MARCHING BAND season.

Since the 8th grade our Eminems has been in the high school marching band. 

8th and 9th grade she played the clarinet in the band and then 

10th and 11th grade she switched to the color guard 

(which she loves doing)  

8th grade year the band was only able to preform at the football games, since the 8th grade was in the band it wasn't allowed to compete in competitions.

When 9th grade came the band was able to finally and compete.   

They did awesome.  They didn't make it to State Festival or STATE. 

but they did so good and it was just their first year.  

Then last year 10th grade they made it State Festival and then STATE! 

They got 9th place but hey for only being in their seond year of competing that was awesome!

Then we come to this year 11th grade, so far they have competed in the Basha Invotational (got second place) and then the Gilbert Invatational (got second place).  These two competitions qualified them for State Festival and from there they hope to go on to STATE!  

Thank heavens for Little Girls...

Remember the movie GIGI!

and that oh so cute and endearing song.....

Thank heavens, thank heavens, thank heavens for little girls!

16 years ago I thought that very thought.

My "Eminems" was born.  She was so beautiful and perfect.

The day she was born was the episode of the show "Mad about You" when they 

name their daughter Mabel, we went with Emalee.  

I choose to spell it the way I did leaving off the other M cause I didn't want her to go by EMMA.

I know you may think I don't look happy in this but I was just really tired.  This was our third trip to the hospital too.  Dude told the nurse when we go there that this time we weren't leaving!  

We knew she was going to be a girl and were so very excited.

This was the day of her blessing.  She was given the name Emalee Marie.  We called her "peaches" for the longest time cause she was so well peach compared to her brother Bugs.  Then as time went on we started to call her Eminems, yes I know it is the spelling for the rapper but she didn't like the candy version of spelling it, and we say it with an "s" on the end.  

My wonderful SIL, I call her TexasRose (phone list contact), and her mother gave me a baby shower for her.  It was so helpful cause I had nothing girlie even though we knew she was going to be a girl.  

This is 4 generations...my great grandma, my mom, me and my grandma

This is Eminem's the 4 generations....

grandma (my mom,) mom (me), Eminems, and great grandma (my grandma)

  

hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

 Happy birthday Eminems! I love you so much and very proud of you!

18

Today was the day that 18 years ago 

I became a Mommy for the first time!

That's right BUGS turned 18 today. 

Me and Dude were so young back then.  

Thank goodness Bugs was 

a great baby cause we were so nervous! 

We always get the kids a early morning cake and a gift for just them to enjoy.

We started doing it when we took on the paper route.  

It was easy cause we just picked it up on the way home and left it out 

for them for when they woke up!  I remember one year we 

didn't/forgot and the kids were upest, and rightly so.  

Every one wants their cake right.

Well it so happens that I thougth it would be fun to change it up a bit. 

So I got 1 long john and 2 rounds, and TAADAA I have the #18!

It must have been a hit cause I was even hash tagged 

by Bugs on his Facebook and InstaGram. 

It was wonderfuland amazing

It is a tiny bit sad cause I am another day closer to seeing my son 

leave on his mission for our church but I am excited all the same/

I know he will make an great missionary.  

Happy 18th Birthday Bugs!!!

Day 1

      Ever heard or seen any of these phrases...

or

how about

 this one?

Yes all of these are ROCKIN'

but here is 

the best pic in this post.....

Yup it's me.  I am on day 1 of doing the C25K.  I am pretty sure it means "couch to 5 k".  It is an app on my iPhone.  It was free if you want to try it.  I like it because it talks to me.  It tells me when to run and when to walk.  I need this kind of help cause for one I know I can't run and count to 60 at the same time and also listen to music.  I am a blonde you know!!

Deep breath......

Any way the main reason I am starting this is because 

I suffer from depression/anxiety/panic attakcs.  

I know you maybe thinking "What YOU?" or maybe you are thinking "At least she is finally seeing what I have seen for a while now" At times I am unable to even get out of bed and I sleep for 18+hours.  

It affects my family, my house and well me!  I have always heard that running is great therapy and I long to be the me I was so long ago that didn't have this hiccup.  I have tried therapy to and I loved it.  It helped with a lot of things but other things it just wasn't for me.  I have tired medications too.  They helped sort of, but I felt more out of sorts than anything.  

So I stopped the therapy and medications 

and have turned to my feet for help. 

I would rather walk/run ALONE but my wonderful daughter has offered to go with me.  She is such an anchor in my crazy life which is good.  

We laugh and beg for it to be over at the same times and we push each other to keep going too.  

So I hope you all enjoy seeing my trails through all this walking/running that I plan on doing.  

Heres to beating depression and getting my sexy back!

I have also added a button to my blog it is for bloglovin'

it is a quick and easy way to keep track of all 

the blogs you love to read.  

So please feel free to click that cute little button and follow me

(you can have bloglovin on your computer or your smartphone)

14!

Nikolas turned 14 this past July. He is the youngest and the tallest. 

                                         

I call him gigantor cause compared to me well he is!  That's me standing flat footed behind him. I love this boy so much. He can push my buttons and drive me insane with always saying "Hi Mom" when ever I walk by him in the house. He is a great kid. Always thinking in the what if this or what if that mode, another thing that drives me crazy too.  

This last month we were able to get his teeth taken care of. He had a front tooth that was not straight from an accident he had with a skateboard about 6 years ago. It also got a cavity in it. So was black and bent as Nik would say. But now...

He can smile all day long, and he does. He looks great. 

The dentist did an amazing job.  

So my baby is growing up and doing great. I am a blessed mom.   

And yes in my phone he has a nickname is it "bugaboo". 

He has had it since he was little. 

So happy birthday Bugaboo, I love you!!!