Finally

 Today was gorgeous.   I actually kept my sweater on the entire day.

Finally 
it feels like autumn! 

I love the change in seasons.  

(though small they may be here in Houston) 

Don't you just love to have the wonderful aroma of something simmering in your crock-pot when you've been away all day.  

Do you need some good crock-pot recipes?

Well, look no further!

My dad (aka Frog) sent these recipes to me today.

Go ahead click away.

I'd love to hear about which recipes you try.

Crock Pot - Beef

All Day Crock Pot Beef	Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry	Beef and Pasta Casserole	Beef Diablo
Beef Fajitas	Beef Ragout Over Rice	Beef Tips	Beer Braised Beef in Crock Pot
Burritos Crock Pot Style	California Tamale Pie	Cattleman's Beef and Beans	Cheeseburger Sandwiches
Cheesy Meat Loaf	Chili Beer Brisket of Beef	Classic Swiss Steak	Complete Crock Pot Dinner
Corned Beef and Cabbage	Country Swiss Steak	Cowboy Casserole	Cranberry Pork Roast
Crock Pot Beef Burgundy	Crock Pot Beef 'n Peppers	Crock Pot Beef with Mushrooms	Crock Pot Beef Roast
Crock Pot Cabbage Rolls	Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage	Crock Pot Creole Steak Strips	Crock Pot Delight
Crock Pot Easy Swiss Steak	Crock Pot Enchiladas	Crock Pot Fajitas	Crock Pot Fajitas II
Crock Pot Italian Beef	Crock Pot Meatballs	Crock Pot Rump Roast	Crock Pot Sauerbraten
Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce	Crock Pot Swiss Steak	Crock Pot Taco Casserole	Fiesta Tamale Pie
Glazed Corned Beef	Glazed Corned Beef #2	Harvest Dinner	Harvest Pot Roast with Tomato-Wine Sauce
Hot-and-Spicy Sloppy Joes	Lean Crock Pot Beans	Nina's Beef and Beans	Pot Roast Dinner
Old Time Beef Stew	Pot Roast with Noodles	Ranch Style Beef	Reuben Casserole
Roast Cooked with Coke	Roast with Veggies	Sage Pot Roast	Salsa Swiss Steak
Savory Pepper Steak	Savory Stewed Beef	Slow-Cooked Beef Stifado	Slow Cooked Pepper Steak
Slow Cooked Steak Rolls	Slow Cooked Swiss Steak Supper	Slow Cooker Italian Spaghetti Sauce	Slow Cooker Lasagna
Slow Cooker Swiss Steak	Slowly Deviled Beef	Smothered Steak Strips	Spaghetti Sauce Italiano
Spicy Wine Pot Roast	Stuffed Cabbage Casserole	Stuffed Pasta Shells	Swiss Bliss
Swiss Steak	Teriyaki Steak	Three Pepper Steak	Three-Way Beef
Yankee Pot Roast and Vegetables

Crock Pot - Pork

Casserole in the Cooker	Chicken Lickin Good Crock Pot Pork Chops	Chinese Style Country Ribs	Country Pork with Mushrooms
Cranberry Pork Roast	Crockpot Apricot Pulled Pork for Sandwiches	Crock Pot Festival Sausage	Crock Pot Hawaiian Pork
Crock Pot Pork Chops Supreme	Crock Pot Sausage & Potatoes	Crock Pot Sausage and Egg Casserole	Crocked Cherry Pork Chops
Polish Kraut and Apples	Pork Chop Delight	Pork Chops and Mustard Sauce Potatoes	Pork Chops with Corn Stuffing
Pork Stew with Vegetables	Rosemary Potato Pork Chops	Sauerkraut Supper	Slow Cooking Pork Chops
Soy-Glazed Spareribs	Super Easy Pork Chops	Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa or Polish Sausage	Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs
Sweet 'N' Sour Sausage

Crock Pot - Fish & Seafood

Bayou Gumbo	Bouillabaisse	Cheese-Shrimp Chowder	Cioppino (Fisherman's Stew)
Crock Pot Bouillabaisse	Crock Pot Citrus Fish	Crock Pot Clam Chowder	Crock Pot Clam Chowder #2
Crock Pot Crab Soup	Crock Pot Fish Stew	Crock Pot Manhattan Style Clam Chowder	Crock Pot Shrimp Marinara
Jambalaya	Louisiana Gumbo	Mediterranean Fish Soup	No Clams Clam Chowder
Oyster Bisque	Seafood Naples	Shrimp Creole for the Crock Pot	Shrimp Creole
Shrimp Curry Macaroni Salad	Slow Cooker Seafood Chowder	Sweet and Sour Shrimp	Swiss Crab Casserole
Tuna Casserole	Tuna Noodle Casserole

Crock Pot - Soup, Stew & Chili

Barley Soup	Bean Soup for the Crock Pot	Bean Soup Italiano	Beef-Barley Stew
Beef Chowder	Beef Ragout	Black Bean Chili with Beef	Busy Day Stew
Calico Ham and Bean Soup	Chicken and Vegetable Chowder	Chicken Vegetable Chowder	Chili
Chili con Queso	Confetti Yellow Pea Soup	Cowboy Sausage & Beans	Crock Pot Bean Soup
Crock Pot Beef Barley Soup	Crock Pot Beef Stew	Crock Pot Beef Stew #2	Crock Pot Beef Stew #3

Need more Crock-pot inspiration.... 
visit here, here and here.

My Favorite Deja Vu

 I can't believe it is November already!

 Last Sunday we had a family get-together to celebrate my cute dad's birthday .

(aka Frog)  He chose Hansen Tacos for his birthday dinner. Yay!

Great-Frog and Preston

( Preston is wearing his little frog outfit for the celebration....so cute.)

 

Hansen Tacos

 Marci ~ thanks for always letting me steal your pictures!

THANKS!

Thank You  to all of our VETERANS!

In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.

♥ My Favorite Veterans ♥

My Dad, Del Partridge

and

Our son, Mark P. Miner

Mack will be going to Iraq again in January. 

"But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye.

~Thomas Dunn English

Flag-Patterned Fence Swag

via Martha Stewart Living

Tools and Materials:
8-inch-wide bunting, apolloflags.com or flagsexpress.com

Scissors

Straight pins
Sewing machine Flag-Patterned Fence Swag How-To:

1. Measure desired length of your swag. 
2. Cut 1 3/4 times this length of bunting.
3. Pleat the fabric: First, lay the fabric down, wrong side up. To make a single box pleat, crease both edges of a block of blue, and fold both creases so they meet in the middle, covering the blue; the red and white stripes will line up (H). Pin in place. Repeat along length of fabric. Remember to spray with starch and iron the folds as you go.
4. Sew along the top using a straight stitch. Remove pins, and flip fabric

Great Links:
Mack - Mark Miner Military Blog

American Legion National Headquarters

AMVETS National Headquarters

Department of Veterans Affairs

Disabled American Veterans

The Official Moving Wall Website

Military.com

www.silverandgoldandthee.com:80/Holiday2/Rem.html

www.sherylfranklin.com/holidays/veterans_day.html

www.fathershands.com/finalinspection/

REMEMBER
It was the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press.
It was the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It was the Veteran, not the lawyer,who has given us the right to fair trial.
It was the Veteran, not the campus organizer,who has given us freedom to demonstrate.
It is the Veteran, who salutes the flag, who served under the flag,

and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag.

Written by Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC

All Gave Some - Some Gave All

Thought for Today

"A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life and your ult.imate success depends on the choices you make."


~Denis Waitley

If Only

If I lived in Utah I would be going to

and using this COUPON

Print the coupon, bring it in to the Bake Shop and get a

FREE Double Fudge Cake Bite

Sweet Tooth Fairy Gourmet Bake Shop

1227 S University Ave Provo, UT 84601

#801-375-3484

http://www.thesweettoothfairy.com/

Offer Expires: November 31, 2009--one coupon per customer please.

I would definitely be tempted to disguise myself.

 After all, I DO wear a lot of different hats.

Would someone, anyone, please go there and have one for me?

Thank You Thursday

Baking with the Cuties

Saturday Hope and I thought it would be fun to have Ella and Addie over to make Halloween goodies. 

First things First....

Halloween Tradition-Window Stick-ONs

Aunt Hope helping the girlies.

We decided to make and frost some circle cookies before they arrived.

We had all the extras ready to go.

Little hands busy at work.

Miss Addie fell in love with the sugar sprinkles and couldn't resisit their yumminess!

Grandad brought McDonald's Happy Meals for lunch.

Nutter Butter Ghosts Cookies

Ghosts, Witches Hats, and Dipped Pretzels

 Sweet girls with Nana

Ella and Addie

(Notice cute little Addie is about to grab another cookie :)

Next year, we'll try these....what do you think girlies???

Pumpkin Candy Bar

via Amy Atlas

Candy Buffets are so fun.

Remember this

and this

What better time for a "candy" ...bar, than 

Halloween!

From The Martha Stewart Show

  Tools and Materials:

• Good & Plenty
• Miniature marshmallows
• Twizzler licorice bites (Black)
• Gummy teeth
• Licorice wheels
• Candy corn
• Neapolitan licorice
• Ball pin
• Glass canisters
• Scissors
• Small pumpkin

Halloween-Candy Face How-To

1. Secure the candy to the pumpkin with ball pins that match the color of the treats so they aren't too noticeable. Tip: Chewy candy is easier to bend and snip.
2. Place pumpkin on glass canisters or reuse large glass jars for candy.
   

More Eye Candy

(sorry for the pun, couldn't help myself)

Candy Jar Labels to Print

from Martha Stewart

Photo: Laura Fenton via Shelter Pop

 

Martha Stewart Living

Candy Globes

via All You

via Woman's Day

Amy Atlas as pictured above

via Pottery Barn

  

via Woman's Day 

 

  via Martha Stewart

 

via Parents Magazine

via Southern Living

via McLellan Style

What a Scream

Don't these crack you up!

Strawberry Ghosts

 

Strawberry Ghosts published in Simple & Delicious September/October 2007, p14

Ingredients

• 30 fresh strawberries
• 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon shortening
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Wash strawberries and gently pat with paper towels until completely dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract.
• Dip strawberries in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts' tails. Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze for 5 minutes.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each face. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Mark

 "30 reasons why I l♥ve Mark"

(in no particular order)

1.  I love that you have a great sense of humor. It was one of the first things that attracted me to you. You are hilarious. You kept me laughing when we first met and you still keep me laughing today. I love it.   
2. I love your beautiful blue eyes.  
3. I  love that you are an amazing father. You are involved in their lives, show them affection, lead them, teach them, and always love them. I couldn't have dreamed of having a better man to raise children with than you.   
4. I love your kind heart. You have a genuine love for people and a have always had a spirit of generosity. 
5. I love that you are gifted at ironing clothes and still iron everyone's clothes for church.
6. I love that you are a very hard worker. You do so much for our family. 
7. I love your eternal perspective.  You help me to see the big picture when I start to worry about the little things.  
8. I love that you are the patriarch of our home. You are a protector.    
9. I love that you are a wonderful granddad. I love to watch you tenderly rock a sweet baby to sleep.  I love the way you are playful and fun and always make time to make little ones feel special.
10. I love that you honor your priesthood.
11. I love that you are understanding and know when it's been a crazy week.  You never complain when I let things slide. 
12. I love your cute legs.
13. I love how you drive all the carpools you can when you're in town to lighten my load.
14. I love how you are the life of the party. 
15. I love the way you support me in all of my endeavors.  You are always my biggest fan
16. I love the way you look in your suit every Sunday.  
17. I love that you are a family man.  It is always so exciting when you manage to get an earlier flight.  I love that you'd rather be home with us than away.
18. I love watching YOU watch football.  
19. I love to talk to you.  Thanks for listening to me.  I know you are always there for me. 
20. I love that you want to provide opportunities and experiences for your kids to learn and grow. 
21. I love that you have sacrificed things you wanted so your children could have what they wanted. 
22. I love the way you float in the pool after doing yard work on Saturdays. 
23. I love that you always know just what to say when I am teary. 
24. I love how you sing Christmas carols all year long.
25. I love how you think everything I cook is delicious. 
26. I love that you are proud of your children and are always their advocate. 
27. I love your voice. 
28. I love that you love me. You are the first person I want to talk to everyday.  You love to make me smile. You really are my best friend.
    
29. I love all of our memories together.  I love them all. The sad ones, funny ones and sweet ones. We have learned so much together and I love who we have become together.   

AND  

   30.  YOU.  I love you. Simply YOU. 

Happy Anniversary Mark!

Thank You Thursday - Mooyah

Have you heard of Mooyah?

Kayley and Scott first told us about it.

They originated in Dallas Texas and now have locations in Houston and Austin as well.

I'm not a huge hamburger fan, but I was in heaven!

They have the best hamburger in the world, seriously.

And the fries, well there are no words to describe them.

Cinco Ranch Location

 Check out the menu  HERE

and

( ♥ isn't this thoughtful )

Mooyah loves Moms!

Every Monday Night from 5-10pm, Mooyah MOMdays 
is coming to all Mooyah locations.

Get a FREE Kids Meal* with purchase of Mooyah Burger, Turkey Burger, Black Bean or Veggie Burger.

This is what they had to say.

"Why are we doing this?
We want to show our appreciation for all you hard working Moms out there.
What better way than offering some FREE Mooyah?"

*Limit one Free kids meal per burger purchase. Free kids meal valid only for children ages 10 and under. Not valid with any other offer, promotion, or discount. Fathers are welcome to enjoy this deal too, we don't discriminate.