The best Beer.rocks - A family tradition

Thought I would share the recipe for a family favorite. At my house, we call them "cabbage burgers" but they are known to others as "beerrocks". I make this recipe with the help of my kids, they are fun to work on together and very delish! I'm thrilled that my kids love them.

The best Beer.rocks start with Bridgeford frozen bread dough. Thaw the bread dough and let it rise per the package directions. I use all three loaves that come in the package. Each loaf makes about 7 or 8 beerrocks. I cover the dough as it rises with a clean dish towel, just so the tops of the dough don't form a hard crust on them.

Use 3 lbs. of hamburger meat

1 large yellow onion

1 large head of cabbage

salt

pepper

garlic powder

Brown the hamburger and onions. (using part mild german sausage is optional, I usually just use hamburger)

Salt, pepper and add garlic powder to taste.

Chop the cabbage like you would a rough cut slaw. I like chunky larger pieces of cabbage, but thinly sliced is fine too. You really can't mess this one up.

Add all the cabbage to the cooked hamburger mixture and cover w/ a lid. Let it steam and cook down, stirring (and tasting) occasionally. Season to taste.

Let the mixture cool completley.

While it's cooling you can split up the risen bread dough into smaller pieces, usually 7 or 8 smaller roll size per loaf. Flour your surface well and your rolling pin well. Roll out into small circles, stuff with the cooled mixture, gathering them on the bottom and pinching them closed - shape them into small round roll shapes.

Bake in the oven at 350* for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

My kids like these served with ketchup or honey bar-b-q sauce.

Enjoy

These freeze really well. Just pop them into a ziplock bag. They are perfect for game nights when we don't have time for a huge dinner, but need to grab something quick and filling. Just pop them back into the oven to warm for about 10-15 minutes. You'll need to cover them with foil when you rewarm them in the oven so the tops of them don't get too brown. I like to serve them with another veggie like corn on the cobb.

Taking a little Homework Break.....

In between math problems and the list of 20 spelling words, we take a break....have a little fun in the backyard. We take 15 minutes in the day for each other. It's nothing spectacular, just a chance to run outside, throw the football, help Dad w/ a project. It's our little piece of quality time together. We try to have just a little bit everyday, sometimes we all watch Wheel of Fortune together. That's perfect for us. No it's not a walk thru the park or a trip to the zoo. It's just a simple way of being together.

When I was little it was a drive to Merced. It was actually 30 minutes in the car when we would talk, argue, laugh. It was our only time that we could bond w/ Mom. I loved it, still think about it. We used to drive to Merced on Saturday mornings for shopping. Sometimes we'd come home with nothing. It took me a very long time to figure out that it wasn't always about the shopping, it was more about the drive and time we made for each other.

How do you make time for each other? Do you have your "Wheel of Fortune" moments...where you turn to each and smile because you both guessed the same puzzle. Corny? maybe, but it's our time :) our little break from the world to just be in the moment.....together.

Welcome Fall!

Celebrating a new season! Sprinkles on the back patio, kids thinking of Halloween, mini pumpkins to decorate.

Happy Fall Colors Everywhere!

Maintenance Mode

We have been working non-stop to keep our little cabin in the woods maintained. Thank God for men that know how to use power tools and for good work friends. Glenn and Scott took on the side job of restoring our cabin and giving it a fresh new coat of paint. We are finally in the finishing stages of the project. Rich and I just need to put a fresh coat on the front of the lower level basement. I'm excited that we'll be able to kick back and enjoy the Fall days soon!!

Before and after pictures for you to see what we've been up to. We used all Behr paint for the job and the orangy color is called "ground nutmeg". It's a deep, rich pumpkin color and so pretty in a mountain community. Exactly the look we wanted. Trim paint is "hampton" and a dark olive green. I love the green! So happy with the results to far!!

Why do you carry that camera in your purse?.....

It's a question that I've heard at least 100 times over the years. I've been taking picutres since I was 12 yrs. I've been carrying my camera with me everywhere I go for decades! It's a part of me....my camera is like an extension of me, who am I...what I love!

Well, Never more thankful for the silly habit, when Arnold and Bubba showed up at work yesterday afternoon!

The Govenor came to Children's Hospital to talk about his platform for healthcare reform, Alan Autry to support his position on creating "affordable healthcare" for all of Californians. His plans for health care changes would have an impact on all of our lives, the lives of the children we serve, and maybe one day...all of Americans. It's an exciting time to witness the changes that will happen in our community and in California.

Could Universal healthcare be the answer? The answer for serving families that go years without coverage? The answer for children that go unattended by a physician, because healthcare is unaffordable? Maybe we'll find out in our lifetime, for today....just happy to be able to capture the moment :)

"I'll be Back"!

Spit Shined for picture day....

These photos cost me $10....I had to bribe them to sit still this morning. LOL! No lie!

I think it's a classic out in front of my truck. It will bring smiles to me in years to come, as it does today! Well worth $10 bucks don't ya think?

Journal Tag Book

There is nothing more fun than staying up late and scrapping. I haven't done it in a long time, but decided I would stay up late and keep Mellie company the other night. While she stayed up working on her 60 little ablums for her class, I made this "journal tag book". My modern version of a "Diary".

I really wish I had time to keep a real journal or daily diary. I don't have that kind of time in my life right now. I'm VERY realistic....... I know that my life is hectic and I won't keep up on a traditional journal. I can, however, take a few minutes during a break, or while waiting to pick up kids, to jot down a favorite memory of my day. This little journal tag book is 3.5 x 4.5" and just big enough for a little note. I use the tag to remind me of a special event, a favorite quote, or even use the tag itself on a layout.

I think it's important for us to cherish something special and wonderful about each day. This little book will help me do that.

Have a sweet, memorable day!

reen

Whoooooo....Whooooooooooooooo!!!

A little owl crazy today! So sweet and so very wise! Had some fun scrapping and making this cute little owl tag for my layout. Who makes tags anymore? I think the tag craze died w/ the paper dolls. Tags???? They seem to have gone out of style on layouts, but I'm going to revive them.....at least for this layout anyway. I still love tags....still collect them...lots of them.
This one inspired by Erikia Ghumm in Scrapbook Etc. Sept. issue.

Hope you are loving the 3-day weekend

Back 2 School

One of these boys is not like the Other!

Can you guess which boy loves school? The other...well, not so much!

Not every kid loves school and not every kid has a smiley face on the first day. Not every Mom has the perfect shot of that first day of school. Some of us will deal with the reality of the kid that doesn't like the first day of school so much. But why does it have to be me? hahahaha!!

My friend Rene....says that her son will pose for pictures and turn his head so she can get the profile shot! What? I'm astounded when she tells me these things. Rene...has the perfect scrapbook Mom's dream kid! Every event, every occasion...becomes the perfect scrapbook page! *sigh* un-be-liev-able!!

So my kids....although not the perfect scrapbook kids, although not the cover layout kids that most Moms dream about.....they are mine and I love them just the same! They are just real...not perfect....not always in place....kinda wonky, kinda squirmy, kinda loud, kinda kiddish....and so not perfect! I wouldn't have it any other way...that's just life...real life around my house.

Happy First Days of School!!

reen

The last days of Summer

It's no secret that Summer is my favorite time of year. I love the hot sunshine, swimming, short hair cuts, flip-flops, and watermelon. I was happy to have a long 3-day weekend to enjoy the last few days of Summer vacation w/ the boys. I was more relaxed than I have been in months, happier than I've felt in weeks....soaked up as much Summer as possible!!

Disneyland....."Where Dreams Come True"....

Still....one of my most favorite places in the world, such a magical, happy place for children and family. The best times of the Summer!

Signs of a Busy Life.....

What can I say, I knew that going back to work would make my life busy....I knew that juggling a full-time job, family, hobby, cabin, house, guinea pig would leave little time for attending to details. The day before we left for vacation, I saw these two things that made me realize..."I need a break". It's August! My calendar still on the month of "May"? It's Summer.....stale peeps from Easter in my cupboard? Yep! It was time for a little vacation.....

Decided to take the boys to Disneyland and it was just what this busy life needed! We enjoyed our time as a family, enjoyed relaxing, fun at the park, fun just being together.

Here's to a great, busy, but fun Summer!

Meeting Chase

This is Chase, my friend Jen's 5th little baby. I'm so in love with him!

He's just precious and sweet! Hours into the world, so perfect!

Mommy and baby are doing fine.

Thanks be to God for this Gift of Chase in their lives.

For blessing our lives with the friendship of this family.

a little stash*****

I just love finding the perfect paper for making a quick stash of cards to have on hand!

I made these tonight and thought I'd share them!

Friends and a Mini Book

My friend Sally, whom I've known for more than 20 years is in town. She and I go way...way back to the 80's. I'm so excited to get to spend time w/ her. She has two boys that are just about the same ages as my boys and they are getting along famously. Like family! I'm looking forward to impromptu dinners, swimming, just hanging out at the moments notice. I'm really going to enjoy her as much as I can the next couple of weeks while she's around.

This is a little mini book that I made for my Grandma's 94th birthday! I think she might love it.

I dropped her a little note just to tell her that I love her and so do Rich and the boys. Hope it makes her smile!

Have a happy day!

I'm Baaaaack!

Back to share.....back to stay in touch......back to inspire.......back to being me!

An Open Book

That's pretty much my life...."an open book"... I've always been open and honest about my relationships, my hardships, my blessings, my beliefs. There isn't much that I hold back, it's all out there, in the open.