Lasagna Soup....yum!

One of my favorite things about fall is soup! Homemade soup.....yum! I know weird huh....but I absolutely crave it. This past winter we tried lots and lots of different soups. After much trial and error...lol! Not really so much error as much as likes and dislikes we found a few that we really REALLY liked. One of them was Lasagna Soup. I couldn't tell ya where in the world I got this recipe from. Somewhere online...lol! Anyway.... I wanted to share this one with everyone because not only is it delicious but it is also very healthy. It has nothing bad for you in it. If you love lasagna as much as I do but want a healthy alternative that has less calories here you go. I would love for you to leave a comment if you try it to let me know what you think.

1 pound of ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32 oz.) box of chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 ( 8oz.) cans roasted garlic tomato sauce
2 cups of Egg Noodles
2 cups mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a skillet combine your ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. While your beef is browning in a large stock pot, bring the broth, tomato sauce, petite tomatoes, and remaining spices to a boil over medium-high heat. When the beef, onions, and pepper have been completely cooked and drained add them to the stock pot. Next reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add noodles, and continue to simmer until noodles are tender.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 4-8 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups until cheese is browned and bubble. If you do not have oven proof bowls you can do this in the microwave but the cheese won't brown it will just melt. It is yummy both ways.

Enough Said!

Our backyard Chubbuck November 2009

Netflix Review: Ghost Town

Okay... so this movie is very much like the movie "Ghost" with Whoopi Goldburg BUT.... please don't let that stop you from watching this movie. Okay....well maybe a cross between "Sixth Sense" and "Ghost". Only it is not scary at all... and not quite such an emotional roller coaster as "Ghost" was. It held its own. I definitely kept seeing the similarities to both. You know the whole seeing ghost thing..... Please don't misunderstand this is not a spoof on either of those movies.

Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited results. Written by Studio Approved Synopsis @ IMBD

There were several times during the movie I got a little bit teary and some of the scenes were sweet and yes... maybe... a little tiny bit emotional. lol! lol! lol! I also found myself actually laughing out loud during many scenes. Rick Gervais is HILARIOUS! It has been a while since I have seen a really good movie. I guess probubly since I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince this summer. This movie doesn't have the action Harry Potter does but you just couldn't help but smile after watching it. It would definitely fall into the "feel good movie" category. It was so good that I actually clapped at the end which I only do for really good movies and in the privacy of my own home. lol! lol! lol! Rick Gervais who plays the main character is.... sooooooooo funny. Wait.... I think I already said that... lol! lol! I would have to definitely give this four stars. It's not a buyer but it was a really truly good movie. I hope you will put it in your Netflix que and see what you think. This movie is rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references.

2009 Bannock County Fair!

I have been looking forward to going to the fair since last year at this time. Last year I just wasn't up to going. It was to much walking for me. Amazing what the difference a year makes. This morning I slept in a little bit because work lately is just about to kill me. Tis the season in apparel with back to school in full swing.

I made us a nice lunch of taco's, refried beans, and rice and then Mom and I played Webkinz for thirty minutes or so until we decided to head out. I wasn't sure what to expect at all. We were ready. Mom had a hat. We had water bottles and I remembered the camera. If I had only taken more pictures. lol! lol! I can't believe I didn't take MORE pictures. What a nut I am. Here are the couple of pictures that I did take. lol! lol! lol! Next year Mom and I are going to enter several of our things in the fair. We weren't sure how it all worked but next year we will be prepared. lol! Next year... I will take more photos. lol! lol! lol!

This is the singing group Resemblance. They were a very very good female quartet. They were very very good. And they passed around lemon candy's in a basket. lol!





Here are some horses I met while Mom was in the ladies.





Mom was really really sad because she wanted to see this show. We didn't get to see it. She was so looking forward to it. Oh! Well! Maybe next year.lol! lol! lol!



After the Fair we went to Lowe's and checked out the sale they were having on their perennials. Mom did so good she got so many plants and they were all 50% off. She was finally able to use her gift card that Dad got for her as a Mother's Day gift. Here grand total for six plants in gallon pots $1.42! lol! lol! We made a haul. Then we headed for home and some Lemonade Ice Box Pie. YUmmmmmmmmmmmm! Oh my gosh it was heaven. It was very refreshing and a nice treat. My friend Jan had the recipe on her site and I had had had to try it. They best part was that it wasn't even that bad for ya. I used sugar free whipped cream, and no carb ice cream. Mom wanted to go to the library so we gathered up all our books and headed out. They didn't have the ninth in the Janet Evanovich series but I grabbed up ten and reserved nine. Next we headed back home to veg for a while until it cooled off and we could mow. I mowed the front yard while Mom racked limbs and dead headed all the plants. Then we headed for the back. Mom mowed the back and I started cutting the sod away from our new bed and putting the rocks around the edge. I got about half way done and then pooped out. I will have to finish on my next day off. lol! Anyway, if you haven't gone to your local fair and it is not to late. I highly recommend that you do. It is lots of fun. I am off to hit the hay bales. I am pooped. Have a great night!

My 500th Post.... I can't believe it! WOW!

I wasn't sure what I wanted to write for my 500th post but it just so happens that it happened to fall right exactly on the day of my one year anniversary of moving to Idaho. Yep... one whole year. I can't believe it. Oh what a difference a year makes. So much has happened since I moved here a year ago today. I don't remember very much of it those first couple of days. I was very very sick and very much in need of doctors care. It is amazing for me to think about really.

We made it. We are home. I was beginning to think we wouldn't ever get here but we did and we are here... and oh how sweet it is. Mom and Dad and Emily and Jamison are my heroes. My super duper duper heroes. I never would have made this move if it weren't for them. I just can't... couldn't financially and physically. It took every bit of my strength to get the apartment packed up. And then every last ounce of it to clean. I am in a world of hurt and compared to what all they did I look like a big fat baby. They totally and completely rocked. They were all amazing. Emily and Jamison didn't even break a sweat! and they were smiling and laughing the whole time. Everybody was so up beat and positive. Emily even stayed after Mom and Dad and I had left at the apartment to do the final checkout with my landlord so that we could get on the road a little earlier then planned. We still had a six to seven hour drive ahead of us before we got home. I was a little teeny tiny bit worried because after all it was my lease not hers that he was doing the final checkout for. I was so afraid he wouldn't give me my deposit back. Or that he would need me to sign something or who knows with that man. However, to my surprise I did get my deposit back minus $100 for carpet cleaning which was to be expected. All that he made Emily do was touch up paint a few places, clean ONE tile that had soap scum on it in the bathroom, and dust the mantel! lol! lol! Apparently my anal retentive landlord stayed and watched her do it all to make sure it got done. And she laughed about it. She also had him as a landlord several years ago so she understands. The really really frustrating part was that he made us fill nail holes and touch up paint even though he was having a painter come in to do a one coat before the new tenants moved in. I wish he would use my hundred dollars to go towards "NEW" carpet for them. Watch he will probubly come up with some lame excuse to have to use my deposit for something else. I won't believe it's mine till it's in my hot little hands. lol! Anyway... all the happiness and positiveness was truly good for my heart. I feel very very very loved all around. My Mom is .... well there are just.... there are no words. She is one amazing lady that is for sure. She practically had most of the boxes loaded into the truck Friday night and she practically had it all unloaded today when it went to storage before the guys they hired showed up. SHE is superwoman! I hope I turn out just like her someday. Dad has been a champ too. He has worked really really hard and I am afraid he has worn himself out trying to get everything done. He did so much and he just kept going and going and going. And then he drove the whole way to Idaho. When we got home he had put a ceiling fan in my new room which is absolutely wonderful. Even right as I type he is working on getting my bed together so I can have my very own bed to sleep on, in my very own room... and did I mention with my very own ceiling fan.*SQUEE* I am so excited. There is still lots to do but we have lots of time. We are here now so we can slow down... Tomorrow I start my job at my new store and I am nervous. They are making me go through orientation even thought I have been with the company for 10 years. Please cross your fingers for me and think happy thoughts. I will update again soon!

It is amazing to think about that time. Since then I have gotten my health back in check after many many MANY doctor visits. I lost 76 lbs. I hit my 10 year anniversary with the company that I work for. My sister got engaged AND married.... I have so much to be thankful for. I am so blessed to be here. I can't tell you how many times I look at my Mom or my Dad and I am so thankful to be here with them. To be able to spend holidays with them. To be able to just be sitting in the same room with them makes my heart swell. I can't tell you the joy it gives me to do things like go to the mall shopping with my Mom. To be able to watch the birds with my Dad. To be able to garden with both of them. To be able to go to the movies together or watch a DVD together. My cup is full and overflowing with happiness. What a difference a year makes.

A really fun last couple of days.

FRIDAY

These last couple of days have been such a blast. My work schedule has been kind of wacky and it has been so nice. I had off tues. and wed. and then I worked on thurs. and had fri. off. THEN I worked Sat. and had today off. It has been really really nice.

Fri. morning I got up and Mom wanted to go to Idaho Falls and get a new monitor and asked if I wanted to go and of course I did. Shopping is my favorite thing in the whole wide world. lol! As if there was a question about that. So after much research online we found the best deal was at Best Buy and we were ready to head out. First we went to lunch at Craigo's which is a wonderful all you can eat salad, pasta, and pizza buffet. We had a leisurely lunch and oh my goodness the food was so good. There Oreo dessert pizza is to DIE FOR! We made sure and saved room for that. lol! lol! Then we called all the Wallgreens in the area and asked if they still had the Webkinz Cares Lil Kinz pets buy one get one free. We found one out of three that actually had them in stock. We were shocked actually that any of them still had them because the Walgreens here do not and they are not going to carry them any longer. We wrote down the address on a napkin and headed for Walgreens.

We were able to find them but they only had one kind. We already have the ones they had but we went ahead and each got one since it was such a good deal and they had them. Then we headed for Hastings the reason being AGAIN that they have Webkinz items... lol! Specifically figurines which we are searching for. They did have them and they had all the newest pets but thier prices are really outrageous. $4.99 for a figurine. I don't think so. We have gotten all the ones we have for $2.50. We are hoping we can get in on a good sale.

Next we headed for the mall. Since we were already on a Webkinz search I figured I would be mad at myself if we didn't stop buy Hallmark just to check. I would really like a mouse Kinzclip. Unfortunately we spent more time looking for a parking spot then actually in the mall. They only had pets and stickers. Bummer! Oh well... moving on. Target was next on our list. We don't have a Target so it is a special treat that we always indulge in when we go to Idaho Falls.

I LOVE TARGET! It is one of my favorite box stores. They have such elegant things. Even if you can't spend an outrageous amount you can buy from Target and feel like you spent an outrageous amount and still get cute things at bargain store prices. They also have Webkinz.... of course. lol! DUH! lol! They have great prices on the too. We found that out the last time we went. We were able to get Lil Kinz for only $4.99 which are usually around $9.99. lol! lol! We didn't get any this time but we did find some pretty cool things in the $1 bins. They had SUCH fun summer things... and only a $buck$. AMAZING! By that time we were both pretty wilted so we headed for Best Buy.

I love Best Buy more then I like Target. I feel VERY fancy going in especially when you know you are going to get to make a big purchase. We headed for the monitars and it wasn't two seconds before an employee had tracked us down and was asking if he could help us. Customer Service in Best Buy is the absolute BEST. Mom told him she was interested in a monitor he told us all kinds of useful information about the best monitors and blah blah blah... lol! No offense to the guy but we had done our research and we new which one we wanted way before we went in. After a thorough inspection my Mom told him we wanted the 23' Acer monitor. She had checked and double checked consumer reports and had read dozens of reviews and knew it was the one for her. So he put it on our cart and we headed for the geek squad. The only negative thing that either of us had read while perusing through reviews was that occasionally the screen could have one or two dead pixels. We wanted to make sure before we headed home that there were none on the screen. He suggested that we take it over to the Geek squad to have them check it out. So we did.

We were not sure after a few minutes if it was the right thing to do. The guy who took our monitor acted very very strange. It was like he had never seen a monitor before. To make a very long story short and less painful let me skip ahead almost 40 minutes LATER he had the monitor attached to the computer and called my Mom over to check it and sure enough.... yep there it was ONE DEAD PIXEL! My Mom was so glad she had it checked despite the 40 minute wait and the sweating as the guy laid it down on its face on the counter and presided to lean on top of it.... oh! wait! I promised I wouldn't tell you about that. SORRY! lol! So they brought over another one which another girl checked for us. Thank goodness! PHEW! She took all of ten minutes to have to completely hooked up and ready to check. This time it was perfect. Not a dead pixel among the millions. Happy Happy day! We exchanged the old for the new and were out the door and on our way home in no time flat. YAY! We were excited to get home and try it out for ourselves.

As soon as we got home we hooked up the monitor to Moms computer and it was working great. It looked amazing. She was trying to think of all the things she could do to test it out. She ended up watching the season finally of the office ... again! lol! lol! The color on this monitor are so amazing and she doesn't have any problem downloading games to play. So far so good. What a truly amazing day.

SATURDAY

We got up really early Sat morning... well... early for me anyway. lol! We got dressed emptied our piggy banks and headed for some garage sales. We didn't find anything. Actually Mom did she found a really pretty crystal hordevores plate that was perfect and the lady even threw in an Idaho potato hat pin for free. lol! lol! lol! I saw a few things that I was interested in but nothing that I had to have. After three or four garage sales we decided to head for the farmers market downtown. It was amazing. Oh how I wish I would have had my camera. Such amazing sites to see. All the veggies seemed ginormous. Zucchinis as long as my arm.... onions the size of softballs.... buckets and buckets of beets, preserves, fresh from the hive honey, and basket after basket of fresh homemade bread. Oh! and the flowers. The beautiful fresh flowers.... such beautiful flowers. It was truly a site to see. An affair for the senses. Everything smelled so good. There were also lots of craft booths. People were selling jewelry, hand made doll clothes, blankets and so many truly neat things. What is really neat is that almost all the product is local. Did I mention I wished I had had my camera. It was great. So much fun. There was one man there and he had his John Deer riding lawn mower with a trailer on the back filled to the brim with Idaho red potatoes. I can't wait until next Sat. to do it again. Next time we are going to buy something... anything... just because. I hate onions but the onions were so amazing I felt like I needed to buy one. Maybe so I could prove how amazingly HUGE the onions were. I don't know. lol! lol! lol!

SUNDAY

Today is a lazy day. It has been really nice so far. I slept till 11am. I didn't intend to sleep that long and I was shocked when I woke up and looked at the clock. lol! Then I came in and finished a really fun computer game with Mom. Next we ate lunch and watched a movie. It was called "New in Town" and starred Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. Mom and I had never heard of it but we somehow found it on Netflix and added it to our que. lol! It was a really really good movie. I highly recommend you watch it.



It is so good. I actually clapped at the end. It was good clean family movie that was so so so funny. My Mom was laughing out loud through the whole movie. Here is the plot summary for IMDB.

A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami lifestyle is sent to a middle of nowhere town in Minnesota to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant. After enduring a frosty reception from the locals, icy roads and freezing weather, she warms up to the small town's charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. When she's ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she's forced to reconsider her goals and priorities, and finds a way to save the town. Written by anonymous

After the movie Mom wanted to work on her rose bed for the rose that Em gave to her at the wedding. She cut the sod with the edger and I loaded it all into the trash can. Next... after it cools off a little bit later tonight we will go and dig down about a foot and take out the soil and rocks so that they can be replaced with good rich fertilized soil. She has already called the Home extention office and asked about how it should be cared for and planted here. I am so excited because it has a new bloom on it. I can't wait to take some photos of it to show everyone. It is truly a beautiful bush. I think it will be very very happy where it is going to live. Well! Now that I have bored you all to tears... lol! I hope you all are having an excellent week as well. I am off to pull laundry out of the washer and get it to drying. Thanks for stopping by! See you again soon! I hope! lol!

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince *SPOILER*

* MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* CONTAINS SPOILERS*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* READ AT YOUR OWN RISK*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

*

* BEWARE OF SPOILERS COMING UP *
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* OK! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* LAST CHANCE! *

YAY! Finally I got to see it. Oh! Man! Well first off I definitely can't wait until it comes to the $2 movie so Mom and I can see it together. It was AMAZING!!

There were a couple of scenes that I thought they could have done away with totally that I hated. For example. The scene in the DINER! If you have seen the movie you will know what I mean.

My friends who had seen the movie told me to take tissues but did I listen PSHAW! I was not going to cry... I mean after all. I knew what was going to happen. I had read the book 9million times. WRONG! Oh... was I ever wrong. I had tears streaming down my face at the end. I bit my cheek and my tongue and tried everything not to let the tears slide down but... oh well. Gosh! I never expected that to happen.

It was well done as I said before there were a few scenes that to me as a "reader" that were questionable. They director kind of took some artistic liberties... but the main storyline was there. I can't imagine what this movie must have been like for the "non-readers". It must not have made a whole lot of since. It was very random and there was not a lot of explanation for some of the things that happened. I would love to sit in a discussion group of "readers" and "nonreaders" and hear their thoughts. It would be very interesting.

Here are my likes and dislikes....

I didn't like the scene in the Diner. It was stupid and totally pointless. I would have rather them spent the time used for that scene on something actually from the book.

I wish it had started raining at the end when all the students and teachers held up their wands after Dumbledore died. I am not sure why... just my preference. I think it would have been even more dramatic... maybe not. I don't know. I thought the scene was very well done though. I totally lost it when Jenny ran over to comfort Harry. It was gut wrenching and I relived Dumbledore's death all over again. Seeing it actually happen was perhaps more real to me then reading it had been. It was devastating to say the least. I had to hold my breath and bite my cheek and still the tears came swimming down my cheeks.

I felt like the movie was rushed at the end. For example... ok here we are telling a nice story... action here.... explanation there... la dee da... oh my gosh look at the time. This movie is way to long we have to end it NOW. The END!

I didn't like Christmas scene at the Wesley's.... ( this scene was never ever in the book) and where did the trees go. I hate hate hate when locations that have already been established change in sequels.

How in the heck are they going to have a wedding for Fleur and Bill. They never introduced the characters and that is how the seventh book begins... with their wedding. I have actually thought of ways it could work but I promise you it won't be at all the way the book portrays it.

I absolutely loved the Weasleys Shoppe. It was the coolest part of the entire movie. I couldn't get enough of it. To bad that part was so short.

I wish they would have explained the "half blood prince" part of the movie better. It was like they forgot about it and then just threw that line in at the end to resolve it all. Dumb dee Dumb Dumb! It wasn't explained well at ALL!

I loved Slughorn! The actor they chose to play him was amazing. Just perfect. When he first came on the screen my very first thought was... hey it's Bridget Jones dad! lol! lol! lol! He was excellent. I loved his first scene with Dumbledore and Harry it was amazing. I am glad the director kept that scene in.

I didn't like the script in the same scene though. I felt like Dumbledore was talking to the audience and it was weird. It sounded very fake or something. I can't quite put my finger on it but it was odd.

I loved the scenes with Rupert Grint he... is hilarious. He has turned out to be a truly amazing comedy actor. The scene with the chocolates made me laugh out loud.

I loved the last horcrux scene when Harry and Dumbledore go to retrieve the locket but I have to say it was a little bit like the "Ten Commandments" Dumbledore looked very much like Moses and when he parted the water with fire.... I thought oh! look! it's the parting of the red sea scene but with fire! ... lol! lol! lol! It was very well done though and the special effects were amazing. Phenomenal even.

I was sad that the director chose not to do the final battle. I thought that would have been cool to show old Dumbledore's Army back together again. In the book Harry does not drink all the the Felix Felicity he saves some and when he knows the battle is beginning he give a small sip to everyone right before they fight. I am not sure why that was not left in there. To bad they didn't show that rather then the diner scene. BLECH!

I can't think of anymore tonight. It IS a good movie. I highly recommend it. I will probubly see it more then once in the theater and I will definitely be buying the DVD. I hope you will go see it too. I promise you will get your money's worth.