Happy Thanksgiving my family and friends

Just a special little note to say that I am thankful to have you and you and you too as my family and friends.  We are blessed in so many ways, I just wanted you to know how special you all are to us.

May your day be filled with love and happiness, and most of all, with full bellies.

From our home,

Andy and Jeanine Sturgeon

Make your own Firestarters!

 

For years I have complained, (yes, I do that from time to time) about this one thing over and over again.  It seems that when I go to make a fire in our fireplace we are ALWAYS out of firestarters.  I hate buying them, due to their cost but their convenience is worth its weight in gold. 

So,  off to the internet over the summer to see if I could make my own firestarters, nothing lost, nothing gained. 

This “recipe” is so simple I kick myself that I didn’t do it sooner.  Without further writing,or um, talking, here is the best firestarter recipe I know…..and did I say it is almost free except for the cupcake paper?

A package of small cupcake wrappers (I mean small, they will work great, you don’t need bigger, trust me, you will use way too much wax and the smaller one will do the trick just fine.

Wood shavings ( I gathered wood shavings from Bertha aka the HUGE tree Andy cut down.  You could even use wood shavings from any pet store.

Used candles (See, REUSE, how cool is this? Now I never throw away my candles anymore)

A vegetable can (rinsed out )

A pot (filled 1/3 way with water)

Mini muffin pan (convenient but not imperative)

Now, melt the candle wax in the can over medium heat, remember that candle wax is very flammable, so always use caution, pleeaassee!

I put about 1/3 of the shavings in the cups and when the was is melted I Andy  wrapped a thick cloth around it as to not burn me Andy and slowly pour each cup until they were 3/4 way filled.

Once it dried, I removed them from the muffin pan, that’s it!

To use, just add one to your fireplace and light the paper on top and VIOL A you have a GREAT firestarter!  They will burn for about 15 minutes, plenty of time to get your fire going good!

 

I was so excited about this that I just had to start it while I had my candles in the fireplace. 

Only in Big Bear

I loooove this town for many reasons, the small town mentality, the closeness of this community.  We have blessings of saying “only in Big Bear”.  It is not too many time that you can walk through the village and see a lady walking her ?horse?  Or a miniature horse pulling a lady on a cart, waiting at the light for it to change.  Makes me just laugh with the uniqueness of this town.Isn’t this guy so darn cute?  Check out the person looking outside the window of Chad’s Bar. 

 

This team is waiting for the light to change, awwww such good manners (do you see the person in the Suburban checking them out! 

LOOK WHO'S COMIN TO BREAKFAST!

I was sitting here playing on my computer and Andy was getting ready to cook breakfast. He went out to get a dozen eggs from the refrigerator outside. He walks in with it and opens the carton he let out a laugh that stopped me in my tracks! This is what he saw:


I got up and walked over to see what the hoopla was, good morning! I actually remember doing this a couple of months ago for a surprise and it worked. When Andy closed the carton to put it away, he let out another belly laugh. He walked over to me and showed me this!


I laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my face! What a happy little egg! Now for the third pictures, doesn't he look like he is looking a you and saying "I see you!" Or "Hey does this carton make my egg head look big"?



I crack myself up! Ha ha heee hee! I'm on a roll! Ha haaaaa!

I CAN'T believe I am posting my winning chili recipe! But for you...anything!

I have been hounded for my winning chili recipe. So after much thought, I have decided to post it. After all, I wanted to have this blog with recipes so what would be better than my chili?

I hope you love it as much as everyone else did! Let me know your thoughts!!!

1.5 lbs hamburger meat
1 large onion - chopped
1 can red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
2 cans tomato sauce
2 pkgs taco seasoning
1 can of Rotel tomatoes (regular)
1 can cut up tomatoes
1 pkg of dry ranch dressing (not fat free type)
corn chips or corn tortillas
(I added extra cumin and Cheyenne pepper) did I spell that right?

Fry up meat then add onions to soften
In crock pot or regular pot
Add the meat
Add the beans with the juices
Add tomato sauces, cut up tomatoes and Rotel
Add taco seasonings, ranch dressing
Medium heat for Crock pot and simmer for stove top.
After a while I added tortilla chips because I didn't have corn tortillas. That is one of my secrets, it makes the sauce velvety and smooth, it also thickens it up too. Don't know the amount, I just took a bunch and crushed them. With the corn tortillas, I cut them into strips and add a little at a time until I like the consistently. DON'T use flour tortillas, it puffs up like a blow fish and floats on top, it's an ugly thing!

Taste and add salt if needed, I don't. I add extra cumin and Cheyenne pepper. You can also put frozen corn in it, I do but didn't because I forgot to buy it at the store. Good thing, because someone else did at the cook off and people commented that chili should not have corn in it. But I like it.

That's it! Boy is it fun to make, when people hear that you use Dry Ranch Dressing, they go yuck!! But that is what makes the flavor so good! Trust me as I adjust my crown...

I wonder why they have them..Llamas

I had the funniest thing happen, actually I laughed so hard I fell down!

Remember what I had posted about being glad that I was not raising llamas?

See, I had a couple of friends over for the weekend as they were driving down my road, he sees a llama in one of my neighbors yard. (Actually, a lot of neighbors own these creatures). The wife asks her husband, I wonder why they have them? The husband replies "For their eggs?" She was still laughing when they drove up to my house and tears were rolling down her face! When she finally caught her breath and she told me what he had said, I really thought he was joking, but alas he was SERIOUS!

So to all my city friends, llamas are not kept for their eggs!!!!! I will never look at these animals the same again!!!!

Ode to a Chicken

My favorite chicken is gone! I went out today to give them water and food and there was always one that jumped up on the table so I could pet her back and rub her neck.

I noticed that she didn't jump up immediately and thinking "She is probably outside" then I tapped on the table she didn't run in. I counted seven girls and even walked out to the back to she if she was there, NO CHICKEN! She's gone! How did that happen? Who took my chicken?!!! I am very sad tonight and wanted to write some words for her.

Ode to a Chicken
Little girl I knew you when you were a pullet.
You grew as fast as a bullet.
Hunting and pecking through the goodies
I never thought of you as a foodie
Our time together was not enough
I just wish you were still here for me to fluff
I will always remember you attacking my pinks pajamas
I am just glad I wasn't raising llamas!
(Give me a little slack I am grieving over here)


God bless you little chicken!

RIP - March 15, 2009 to November 3, 2009

Look what I just ordered!

I am soo excited! I guess I should have waited for Christmas but I just couldn't! I kept looking at it and looking at it, my mouth watering Ok I just had to have it, what is it, you ask? Well its, its....OK here ya go!



Don't cha just love it! I bought 2 more for Christmas gifts, I told you I was addicted to her, I am even thinking of going to one of her books signing maybe in Arizona, ok maybe I can wait but HURRY up to come out to California!!!!

Now when will it get here????

They're blowin SNOW!

Well its that time of year, I was going into town yesterday and saw what I thought was smoke (I am still in high fire danger mode). Which it was NOT! It was snow!

We are not in Denver where they were thinking they were going to get 4 FEET of snow, but hey we'll take what we can get for now, because in a couple of days it will be constantly cold!

Boys we have SNOW! Where's Andy's Beanie?