M.O.M. Knows Best (Motor Oil Matters)

Did you know?

* According to a study by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, nearly 9 out of 10 female motorists are involved in their household's vehicle maintenance and repair

* According to a national survey that polled 522 women, 46 percent incorrectly assumed simply switching from conventional engine oil to synthetic oil enables the number of miles between oil changes to be safely extended

* Using a quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy, and help save money by preventing costly engine damage

*Off-brand, no-name or discount oils that do not meet industry standards or the vehicle manufacturer´s requirements could cost consumers in the long run by potentially damaging the vehicle´s engine or possibly voiding the manufacturer´s warranty

* Jiffy Lube Survey Conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, 2006

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Did I know? Probably not. I admit to being pretty naive when it comes to matters of car maintenance.

True story: During our first year of marriage, I had to pick CandyMan up from work one afternoon and I stubbornly decided to wait until after I picked him up to fill the car up with gas. I hadn't gotten two blocks before we were stopped by a traffic light. And the car didn't start again. I was completely out of gas.

Luckily my new husband was easy on me (mystified, maybe, but kind) and we were only 5 minutes away from my Grandparents' house, where we lived in the basement. Grandpa rescued us with the spare gas can he kept in the back of his truck.

Why did I let the car run out of gas? Simple. I was terrified of putting gas in the car. I had never done it before. I was married and had never filled a gas tank. When I was learning to drive, I lived in Portland, Oregon, where it was illegal to pump your own gas. I comfortably drove up to the gas station, handed the attendant my money while I stayed buckled up in my seat, and watched him fill up the tank.

When I went off to college, I walked or bummed rides off friends (or dated guys with cars). I didn't have a car until I got married. And I conveniently let my cute husband fill it with gas. Every time.

Running out of gas cured me of my gas-pumping phobia, but I don't know if I have ever felt fully comfortable with car dealings.

Luckily, places like Jiffy Lube make it easy on everyone--even people like me--to maintain a well-running and healthy vehicle. MyBlogSpark pointed me to MotorOilMatters, where there was a wealth of information on oil, oil changes, and car maintenance. I even took their 7 question M.O.M. (Motor Oil Matters) Game. I scored better than I was expecting (maybe I've picked up a thing or two during the last 15 years?).

Shell Lubricants and MotorOilMatters.org (through MyBlogSpark) provided me with a $35 gift card to JiffyLube and a second $35 gift card to Jiffy Lube for one of my readers. Who needs an oil change? (ME! ME!). Really, this couldn't have come at a better time for me. Over the weekend, we made the decision to drive down to Florida to stay at my in laws' house for Christmas. I will sit more comfortably knowing that our van is prepared for the 18 hour drive.

How would you like to win a Jiffy Lube gift card? All you have to do to enter to win this gift card is to visit MotorOilMatters.org and play the M.O.M. (Motor Oil Matters) Game and come back to tell me how you scored.

* For extra entries, you are welcome to tweet about this giveaway (please include link to your comment), stumble this post, follow me or subscribe, or add me to your blog roll. If I'm already on your blog roll or if you have my button on your blog, then I'd love it if you could update your info to my new url. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry.

This giveaway will run through Sunday, December 6, at midnight EST and a winner will be chosen at random shortly thereafter. If your email is not accessible through your blogger profile, please leave your email with your first entry so that I can contact you if you're the winner. Good luck!

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Shell Lubricants and MotorOilMatters.org provided me with a gift card and MyBlogSpark provided me with information and this opportunity. Embarrassing stories are 100% mine.

Top Ten Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals of the year. I love to cook it, and I love eating it even more. And strangely, I seem to enjoy day two of Thanksgiving food even more than the first (could it possibly have something to do with the fact that I haven't spent the entire day cooking on Friday? Hmmm.....). Friday's Thanksgiving leftovers are fabulous, and Saturday's leftovers are decent, too.....but by Sunday I have definitely had enough of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

I have a problem, though. I always buy a bigger turkey than I need. I like it that way. Honestly, for the $8.00 that it cost to buy my 19 1/2 pound turkey, I love the feeling of thrift as I figure out how to stretch the meat into as many meals as possible.

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Here are a few turkey tips to keep in mind:

* Buy a larger turkey than you need for the number of people you are serving. Turkey is cheap this time of year, and there are so many things you can do with the leftover meat!

* Refrigerate your cooked turkey within 2 hours of cooking.

* Leftover turkey can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

* Leftover turkey can be frozen for up to 4 months.

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Beyond the traditional turkey sandwiches on rolls (which are still one of my favorites), here are a few of my favorite ways to use our Thanksgiving leftovers:

* BBQ Turkey buns:

Throw leftover turkey into the crockpot, cover with a bottle of barbeque sauce and about half a cup of water, and slow cook (on low) for about 2 hours. At the end of the 2 hours, break the turkey apart with a fork and serve, warm, on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls.

* White Chicken (or turkey) Chili (click for recipe)

* Chicken (or turkey) Pot Pie (click for recipe)

* Chicken (or turkey) Caesar Salad Wraps (click for recipe)

* Turkey Quesadillas (simply fill 2 tortillas with cheese and thinly sliced turkey. Heat in a skillet with a small amount of melted butter. Serve with Spanish rice, salsa, sour cream, beans, etc)

* Turkey Taco Salad (heat turkey in a small pot on low with a package of taco seasoning and water--according to directions on package. Add the seasoned turkey to a salad of lettuce, corn, black or kidney beans, and tortilla chips. My favorite dressings are salsa, Ranch, or Thousand Island)

* Turkey Salad (I am still searching for the perfect chicken/turkey salad recipe. I'd love to have yours!)

* Sour Cream Turkey/Chicken Enchiladas (click for recipe)

And, finally, my favorite way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and gravy (on the menu for tomorrow night):

* Shepherd's Pie (click for recipe)

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipes?

I Heart Tooshies

As Angie and Amy from I Heart Faces put it so cleverly...

"After all these weeks of entering face photos, we are going to take a break from them and focus on something completely different instead. How about some butt photos?"

This may not be an award winning photo, but it makes me smile none the less. AJ was showing me the "Red Popsicle Dance" this last summer, and threw in some pretty groovy moves, including this one:

I think it has everything to do with the cowboy boots. I mean, who can resist dancing when wearing cowboy boots and shorts?

And who can resist a cute tooshie like that?

I'm a little nervous to go blog hopping over at I Heart Faces this week....what do you think?

It's Official Now....

Officially the Christmas season, that is!

Mama M from My Little Life has 5 Christmas-themed questions for us today. How would you answer these questions?

1. Do you do a real or fake Christmas tree?

Not only do we buy a real tree every year, but it can't be just any tree. It must be a douglas fir. No, it's not me that has strong feelings about this....it's CandyMan, and I happily roll along with it each year. I love the smell of a fresh tree in the house. I hate the mess that it creates, but I put up with it and vacuum 3 times a day just to enjoy our full, wonderfully smelling tree each December.

2. What is your favorite Christmas tradition with your family?



My favorite tradition is making caramels with my kids, because that's what I did with my mom and brother and sisters every Christmas when I was growing up. I can't wait to start making candy again!

I am also a Christmas story collector. I love reading a different Christmas story each night, and collecting Christmas story books.

3. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in your neck of the woods? And, if so...how many calories do you think you consumed yesterday?

I do celebrate Thanksgiving and I spend two days cooking the food for the feast. I refuse to count the calories, because I really want to be able to enjoy the meal (for three days in a row, at least). There is no guilty eating on holidays!

4. Have you started decorating for Christmas, yet?

We are pulling out the Christmas boxes on Saturday. I can't wait to transform my family room into a Christmas wonderland. Ok.....maybe not a wonderland. My decorations are not THAT good.....

5. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?


My favorite Christmas cookie is the peanut butter cookie with snickers inside. Yum! I only make them once a year (I save all of the snickers from trick or treating just for these cookies!) and they are worth waiting all year for!

A Penny In the Ocean, A Penny in the Sea

Ring Around the Rosie

Pocket full of posie

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!

A penny in the ocean, A penny in the sea.....


UP! Jumps the little fish,
And UP jumps ME!

Yes, I do know the story behind the old children's song. Regardless of it's origins, you can't deny that it's fun. While on a photo shoot last weekend, we were trying to distract the kids for a few minutes and get them all in a happier mood. Ring around the rosie came in very handy...and these shots ended up being some of my favorites. Why? because they are real kids doing what they would do if I wasn't around with a camera on my neck. ;)

Give Me Your Best Shot is simply a fun way to share your favorite shot from the week. What has inspired you? Made you smile? What emotions, personalities, and details have you caught? It is not a photo contest or critique, but a way to look back on your week with a few friends.

What have you been photographing this week? Have you tried anything new? Read to find out more about Give Me Your Best Shot....And come back to leave the link to your best shot below (please link to your actual Give Me Your Best Shot post). And grab my button below or link to me so that we can get more people to stop by!

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In The Spirit of Thanksgiving

This video makes me smile.



I am thankful for so many things. But mostly I am thankful for a strong family, good friends, and faith in God. Those are the things that last. Those are the things that can't be taken away by tough times.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your day.

1-2-3 Bypass

Last night, I came up to my bedroom to head to bed and found CandyMan at my computer, watching silly old videos of the kids when they were small. What memories these videos brought back! And how much my kids have changed.

In this short clip, KitKat was 7, Necco was 4 1/2 (the same age that AJ is right now), and Twizzler was 3. Twizzler had just started speaking....he was a little slow to say words. And it cracks me up that he is a full phrase behind the girls during their performance.

Ahhh....the memories!

And in this second video, Twizzler gets a horsey-back ride from his big sister, and then does a very cowboy-esque walk across the room. I couldn't help but laugh at his staggering.

And that's it for today. I am itching to get back to my book (Forest Born - one of the Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale) and then I need to get ready for our big Thanksgiving dinner and finish editing all of the pictures I have been taking this week (three photo shoots since Saturday!).

It's been a dang busy week. But it's a good one. I can't wait to jump right in to the Holiday season. Both feet. Here we come!

A random code I need to post: SGU4DDBNYAN8

Thanks. And Giving.

I have spent much of the last few months feeling stressed. I got to the point last month where I felt like I had been dished all I could take. I was done with the stress and anxiety.

As I'm sure most of you would agree, it's tough to see blessings through the cloud of stress. I have had to mentally force myself to concentrate on the good things these last few weeks. And it really has made a difference.

This year, we (or should I say I?) made the decision to merge a yearly tradition to do a gratitude project of some sort during the month of November with two new ideas. First of all, the Fishful Thinking program has a Grateful Sayings poster that we did last Spring that I thought would be perfect for November. I've been saving it up. And then when I heard about Chocolate on my Cranium's traditions to make a Thanks and Giving poster each year, I knew I had to make that adjustment.

So the kids and I set out to make our own Thanks and Giving - Grateful Sayings poster. We started out with two blank trees on a large poster board and lots of colorful leaves cut out of construction paper. The kids quickly filled up and covered the entire "Thanks" tree.

Note to self: Either we need smaller leaves next year or we need a bigger poster.

The "Giving" tree, full of ideas of service that they could give others, or ways that they could make other people, in and out of the family happy, required a little more effort, and the tree wasn't quite so full, but they made some fabulous suggestions.


This exercise was a blaring reminder to me of all of the ways we continue to be blessed, even in times of trial. This year, more than any other, we have witnessed incredible acts of service on our behalf. It is humbling and miraculous. People are good.

Our list brought everything back to the basics. Among other things, the kids listed their faith, scriptures, family members (the individual mentions, rather than general "family" shout outs made me happy!), special toys, friends, talents, etc.

And my list goes something like this:

~I am grateful for a husband who works hard to support us and is dedicated to following a dream. I am grateful that our marriage has stayed strong through tough times, and that despite our stress and lack of time together, we still like each other.

~I am thankful for children who don't complain. Who look out for each other, and sometimes even tired old Mommy. I am grateful that they have been healthy, that they are doing well in school. And I am thankful that they can still find many things to be thankful for, and that they don't complain about what they don't have.

~I am thankful for good friends who are supportive and patient with me.

~I am thankful for all of the people (anonymous and otherwise) who have helped us and supported us along our journey to start a new business.

~I'm thankful for this silly old blog to give me something to keep my mind focused on happy things. And I'm thankful everyday for the few people who stop by to read (and especially for those who take the time to leave a comment!)

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What are you most grateful for this year?

Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup

When the box containing my new Cuisinart’s Rice-Plus™ Multi-Cooker arrived at our house, we were in the middle of dinner. The kids, as to be expected, immediately left their seats to come see what was inside the enormous package. I assured them that they would not be as excited about what was in the box as I was. CandyMan was then intrigued. "What IS in the box?" I told him about the free Rice Multi-cooker that Cuisinart sent me just to try a new recipe. His response? "We already have a rice cooker."

By the next morning, HE was singing it's praises. This is no ordinary rice cooker. Sure, you can cook rice in in. But it also has the ability to saute or steam vegetables, slow cook, cook oatmeal, and soups. It's a one-stop kitchen tool that I am loving. Last week, I tried my Arroz con Pollo recipe in the Multi-cooker. I was able to saute the onions and peppers, brown the rice, and then add all the additional ingredients (including the chicken on a steam tray on top of the rice). I hit cook and walked away. I ran a few errands and came back home to perfect arroz con pollo. (I'll be sharing this recipe on my recipe blog soon!)

The recipe below for Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup was developed specifically by Chef Keller, one of the top three finalists in Bravo’s recent Top Chef Masters, using the Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. The inspiration for this dish came from the two years in which Chef Keller worked in Brazil with Master Chef Roger Verge at Cuisine du Soleil. There, he began to integrate some of the bright, bold flavors of Brazilian cooking that make this soup so unique and flavorful: combining chicken and jumbo shrimp, while using coconut milk and lime juice to deepen and enliven the stock base, and ultimately, adding a final flourish of cilantro.

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Brazilian Chicken and Shrimp Soup

A medley of aromatic spices, chicken and shrimp gives this hearty, Brazilian-inspired soup a burst of flavor; great as a one-pot meal.

Serves 8

5 chicken thighs, skinned
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 small)
1 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted peanuts
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
8 ounces raw shrimp (medium size), peeled and de-veined
10 ounces frozen peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice for serving

*Prepare rice using the long-grain directions on the cooking chart for Cuisinart’s Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker. Rice can also be prepared the day before.

*Place the chicken in a medium mixing bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and rub chicken with minced garlic. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

*In the cooking pot of the Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker, add the olive oil. Set to Quick Cook and press start. Once the olive oil is hot, after about 3 minutes, add the onions and peppers and sauté for about 4 minutes until soft and fragrant.


*Stir in the canned tomatoes including juice, peanuts, jalapeno, bay leaves, salt, pepper, broth, and coconut milk. (Note: be sure to stir the coconut milk prior to pouring from can). Add the chicken and marinade and stir until well combined. Turn the unit off. Close the lid and select the Soup function and set the timer for 5 hours.



*15 minutes before the timer is done, rinse the shrimp well and pat dry. Place in a mixing bowl with the remaining lime juice and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 5 to 8 minutes; no longer or the acid of the juice will begin to cook the shrimp.

*Once there are 5 minutes remaining on the timer, open the lid and add the frozen peas and the shrimp, with the juices, and close again to finish cooking.

*Once the timer tone sounds, open the lid. Discard the bay leaves. Take out the whole chicken pieces and place on a cutting board. Remove the meat from the bone, cut into bite size pieces, and return to the pot. Stir in the cilantro to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.


*To serve, place some warm cooked rice (approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on portion size) in the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and/or chopped peanuts.

Final verdict: The family loved it. KitKat said she hadn't tasted anything so good in a LONG time. CandyMan had 3 servings. It was very flavorful without being spicy-hot. And, best of all, it was fast and easy to prepare. We're definitely keeping this recipe!

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A little bit of information on the Multi-cooker: Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology, everyday retail price: $149

The Multi-Cooker features pre-programmed menu options, a 24-hour programmable finish time and an automatic “Keep Warm” setting that activates after cooking is complete. Cuisinart’s new kitchen appliance is also equipped with an easy-to-read control panel and backlit blue LCD display; pre-programmed menu options that include White Rice, Sushi Rice, Brown Rice and Risotto (which is most often made with Arborio Rice); and additional options for Soup, Oatmeal, Slow Cooking, and Steaming. In addition, the unit has Quick Cooking and Reheat functions.

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For the rest of the week, we're going to be eating left overs and random things out of the fridge to make room for all of the Thanksgiving foods that we'll be making later this week. I can't wait!