Tipster Tuesday - Be Repulsive!

It's summertime and that means mosquitoes! They are mean little blood suckers and it seems like they are especially bad this year....of course, I think I say that every year! Here are some tips to encourage them to keep off and stay away!

• Vanilla - mix two parts real vanilla flavoring and one part water in a spray bottle and use on skin, this has worked well for us and it's our favorite "bug repellent" 
• Some say that mosquitoes do not like onion and/or oranges so get some and rub on your skin. It could make for an interesting evening with friends! 
• Avoid wet clothes.
• Avoid dark clothing.
• Plant Tansy and/or basil near doors...they don't like the smell. 
• Keep "rain barrel" covered to keep it from becoming a breeding ground. Also, empty any items that have standing water in them...if it's bowls for animals, refresh the water daily by emptying the dish completely and refilling.

Do you have any tips that have helped you avoid becoming the blood donor for local mosquito clans? Leave a comment and share them with us. Hopefully these ideas will help for a scratch free summer!

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

My friend, Shelly, shared this recipe with me and it's wonderful. I hope you like it as much as we did and the best part....it's a crockpot dish! Well....mostly. :)

2-3 pound beef roast or steak, as lean as possible (cheap cuts can be used for this dish)
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can GOLDEN Cream of Mushroom soup - this is a name brand soup
2 packages onion soup mix
3 T. flour
3 T butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
16 oz package of egg noodles

Put the beef, soups, onion soup mix all into your crockpot. Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Basically, you want the meat to fall apart. 30 minutes before dinner, cook noodles to directions...you want them a little undercooked. Drain and rinse them with cool water so they stop the cooking process.

Make a paste with the butter and flour, set aside. Remove the meat and shred it and toss with noodles, set aside. Now using a whisk, mix up the stuff in the crockpot and add the butter/flour mixture and mix it together well. Now add the sour cream and mix well. Pour the "sauce" over the noodles and beef and mix well. Serve warm.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Menu Plan Monday

Since it's gotten so hot here in Arkansas I am trying really hard not to use my oven. Instead, I've been using my crockpot for a lot of things and adapting some "oven" meals to the crockpot....most of the time, they turn out pretty well!

I haven't planned our menu in some time and it's really showed. We've also had pasta a lot lately so this week we're having some potatoes a little more. So here is our menu for this week!

Monday - Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday -Taco Salad
Wednesday - Scalloped Potatoes with Turkey Ham
Thursday -  Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob
Friday - Family Pizza night

What are you having for dinner?

Huggies Little Movers!

Hi Everyone...have you seen the "Huggies Little Movers" video? It's so cute and the kid belongs to a friend of ours. Go watch it!


BLISS TV - Our Busy Lives with Little Movers from Blissful Media Group on Vimeo.

It reminds me of the day we "lost" our little mover! He was hiding...behind the door and on the bookshelf! You can imagine my surprise when we found him clinging 5 foot above the floor. If he'd been wearing red and blue I would have thought he was spider man! LOL! 

Salisbury Steak Perfection!

I love Salisbury steaks smothered in brown gravy...oh my but my old recipe had a little to be desired so I've been playing with it. Let me tell you, I think I've found the secret! Melt in your mouth tender with just the right amount of kick! Try it yourself and come back to tell me what you think!

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 packs of crackers, crushed fine (you know, 4 to a box...use two of them)
2 eggs
1 package onion soup mix
1/4 cup steak sauce (like A-1 but use your favorite brand)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix that all together well and make into patties (mine made about 10 patties) and grill them. I use my indoor grill. Now make up your favorite brown gravy recipe....I cheat and use the packages.....you'll need about 3 cups of gravy. Right before serving, pour your gravy over the top of them.

Oh Yummy! My mouth is still watering!

Chocolate Granola

A friend (thanks Vail!) gave us a bunch of rolled oats that she couldn't use fast enough so I thought I'd whip up some chocolate granola. It turned out great so I thought I'd share the recipe.

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (your favorite)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can sweeten condensed milk

You can also add some cranberries if you like....I don't like them in my granola so I never add them. :)

Mix all this up and put it into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour...depending on how dry you like yours. You'll need to stir about half way through which will mix the chocolate in a little more....don't worry, it's supposed to do that.

Let it cool for awhile in your pan. Then you can break it apart. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Tonight I tried a new dish on my family...actually, it was more like an experiment. :) I had read a few different recipes for "Chicken enchiladas" but had never tried any of them. So....with a rough idea I jumped in feet first and it was a HUGE hit. It probably does fit up there with the least expensive meal we've had because of the cheese but it was really good and we'll be adding it to our regular menu. So....here it is:

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2 pounds of chicken (cooked and deboned and cut into small sized pieces, I shredded mine)
2 cups jack cheese, grated
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg taco season mix
Corn tortilla rounds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your chicken, soup, sour cream and half the taco seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well. Then add a little over half of each of your cheeses (basically you'll reserve enough to put on top) Mix it well. Using a medium to large sized spoon put the mixture in the middle of a tortilla and roll it up. Place them into a 9x13 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Keep rolling until the mixture is gone or you pan is full....you know, which ever one happens first. Spread the remaining cheese on top and bake for about 30 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve with refried beans and a salad if you like.

This made a lot of enchiladas for our family so if you have a small family you might want to half the recipe. Another option would be to make two of them and freeze one for later.

They were simply yummy and almost knocked their favorite casserole off it's thrown!

Have a great day!
Mavis D.