WINNER!!

Thank you to everyone who entered to win the YUMMY Spooktacular Goodness from Taija's Sweet Shoppe . I used random.org to choose the winner and I am thrilled to announce that lori from mommy's take on things won. This is actually the SECOND time Lori has won a giveaway on my blog, random.org must love her! These cookies will arrive at her home at the perfect time since her darling daughter has been in an isolation room for a few days with pneumonia...so a little sugary spookerific goodness might just be what the Dr. and Mamarazzi have ordered. Congrats Lori and Thank YOU Taija for the fun and delicious prize!

Taija's Sweet Shoppe Giveaway

It just feels like a good time for a giveaway! Right?


My friend Taija has a FABULOUS new blog where she features recipes and sells her incredible baked goods. You must check her out at Taija's Sweet Shoppe

Taija is awesome and she is trying to build her bloggy following and her sweet shoppe business. So he has generously offered to bake 2 dozen of her darling and deeelicious Halloween Cookies to one of my readers. AWESOME right? Imagine your kid's faces when this goodness arrives in the mail...


And just look at the CUTENESS of these sugary sweets...ADORABLE!!
OH the spoooooky sugary goodness...
So...want to enter to win 2 DOZEN Halloween Cookies? It's easy really, you do not have to be a blogger to enter, just leave your email address in your comment...and there are a few ways to add to your odds...




MANDATORY entry...go visit Taija's blog Taija's Sweet Shoppe and come back and tell me what has your sweet tooth aching in a comment. Be sure to check out her Cupcake Parade...oh my!

want more chances to win?



Earn 5 extra entries for FOLLOWING Taija

Earn 5 MORE entries for following me (remember, i host a monthly drawing for fun prizes EXCLUSIVELY from my list of followers JUST for following my blog)

Earn 10 MORE entries for posting this giveaway on your blog.

That's 21 TWENTY-ONE possible entries...how do you like those odds? Random.org will select a winner!!!



***IMPORTANT***leave ONE comment for MANDATORY entry, ONE comment if you follow Taija, ONE comment if you follow me and ONE comment if you posted about the giveaway on your blog...this is the ONLY way your extra entries will be counted (gotta stay organized to keep things fair y'all) Unites States shipping only!

Cooking with Jordan! #24 Turkey Meatloaf

Time for another Cooking With Jordan Episode. I am so behind in posting that the next 3 recipes are from MAY, June and July...followed by some from August and September. Sheesh, what a loser blogger I am. AND the reason I am posting this one is because my friend Kristi (holla!) requested it...YES J's fans have spoken, more recipes to come soon!

You can view earlier episodes by clicking on these links Preview, One Dish Mexican, Grilled Chicken, Cooking(?) with Daddy, Tortellini Soup , Teriyaki Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Bites, Parmesan Chicken Pasta With Broccoli, Garbage Casserole, Cheeseburger Pie, Golden Crusted Chicken Asparagus Lasagna, Baked Rigatoni, Tuna Noodle Casserole, BBQ Beef Crumble, Feel Better Chicken Noodle Soup, Faux Sushi,Chicken Pot Pie on the Fly, Chicken and Dumplings, Egg Nog Pie, BBQ Beef Cups, Beef Pot Pie w/ Corn Bread Crust, Dill Crusted Lime Salmon, Grandma Lynn's AWESOME Dip, Cream Cheese Chicken and Chicken Enchiladas On The Fly . The whole point of the cooking lessons for J is to show her some basic easy meals, teach her how to plan a menu, learn how to follow a recipe and help her become more comfortable in the kitchen...this is not anything totally gourmet or culinary school worthy. We hope you enjoy Cooking With Jordan and try these recipes with your kids. They are totally J approved!

Today's recipe is Turkey Meatloaf...this is one of our favorite things that Big Daddy makes. He is a great cook and loves to teach J what he knows, check out Cooking(?) with Daddy, fantastic!!

Turkey Meatloaf

1 pound ground turkey, 2 eggs1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
fresh ground pepper and garlic salt 1/4 cp BBQ sauce or marinade of choice(we like Dale's but can only get it in the south, we have connections)
we have used regular BBQ sauce before and it's yum
mix well using your hands...ew squiiiishy
pat firmly into loaf pan
pour 2/3 cp milk over top (this keeps it moist)
I swear these two are nuts...total hams!
cover with foil and bake @ 350 for about 1 hour (or until instant read thermo reads 160)

take off foil and cook for 10 min uncovered. Allow to rest for 10-15 min before serving. we also love to add carrots, bell peppers and even brocolli and squash, great way to "hide" veggies from your picky eaters...so glad I don't have one of those!!

I totally forgot to take a picture of the finish product...guess we were hungry. Trust me it was YUMMY!!

Randoms 'round Here...

I have received so much wonderful and thoughtful email this last week. Thank you for that, your love and support makes my heart swell with gratitude.

Life has been busy. I cannot believe October is here already. There is so much I want to get done before 2009 comes to an end. I am trying not to dwell on the things and goals I did not accomplish. This is hard to do, I know many of you can relate. I am doing EVERYTHING in my power to just celebrate what I did get done. I have even written a new list starting with things I completed JUST so I could mark them off as done. I like to play games with myself...it helps me cope. Myself doesn't seem to mind too much and it's a good boost.

I was going through pictures and found TWO "Cooking With Jordan" posts i need to put together from JUNE and AUGUST...wow this was a crazy busy Summer. Blogging most def took a back seat. I felt guilty about it off an on for a while, but I am glad to know I can always come back to my blog when time allows. Anyway I will get those up sometime soon.

I just renewed my contract with Fishful Thinking as a returning Faculty member. I am out there in schools and parenting groups sharing this amazing message. If you want to learn more click on the link or on the Goldfish on my sidebar. It is an amazing website filled with valuable tools and lessons for parenting today's kids. Trust me, you are going to love it!

Jordan is thriving in 8th grade. She is especially loving her Spanish class and is bringing home A's. Big Daddy is enjoying the extra time they spend together studying Spanish and I LOVE hearing the laughter and the accents coming from the other room...too cool.

Big Daddy loves his new position as Sergeant and enjoys the place he is working. It's been a bit of an adjustment getting his schedule to work just right for our family and it will most likely change after the first of the year, but we will adjust then too. We know that even with the state of CA doing furlough days and pay cuts in Law Enforcement that we are blessed beyond measure to be employed.

This is AWESOME! FUN is an attitude. OH and.... Optimism can be taught AND learned...life is beautiful... enjoy it...savor the big and little things!


I am hoping to make some time for a little blog jogging...I feel like there is sooooo much to catch up on. I miss y'all.

Get It Straight #3

Here is the update for Sept (yeah yeah I know it's October) and Jordan's braces progress. They seem to be moving quickly. This time she got hot pink and "plain" pink. They also added bands and she is mixing it up with a whole rainbow of colors. For being a major matchy poo kid I am surprised by her color choices...but she is making it fun for herself and that is really all that matters..well that and straight teeth I suppose. So even though it looks like maybe she has food stuck in her teeth that bit of green and orange are just bands.

September 09 August 09
July 09

Looking GOOOOD J-Dizzle! Keep up the good work of brushing and flossing!