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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Happy Fall Meals

Fall is by far my favorite season of the year.  Despite horrid allergies, I love the cooler weather and the changing of the leaves.  I think one of the benefits to living in northern mid-Michigan is that the fall weather makes for some beautiful drives.

With cooler weather and greyer skies, my head immediatly turns to warm belly food.  This is the food that fills you up and warms you from head to toe.  My favorite kind of food!

Today I'm sharing my famous pot-roast recipe.  It's super easy (even for a busy working mom mid-week) to throw together and super yummy too! 

Jenn's Pot Roast
1 rolled rump roast
1 pkg buttermilk ranch dressing powdered (I use Hidden Valley Ranch)
1 pkg Italian dressing powdered
2-4 medium potatos, peeled and diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and chunked
1 med sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 med onion, diced

Layer veggies on bottom of roasting pan.  Place meat on top and cover meat with ranch dressing and italian dressing mixes.  Cover with foil or glass lid.  Bake at 375 for between an hour and an hour and a half or until meat is done.  Cut and serve with veggies, pour some "sauce" from bottom of pan over top.  Yummy!

I usually serve broccoli or some other green veggie on the side and a salad and rolls as well.

Follow this dinner up with warm apple or pumpkin pie and you've got the perfect fall meal!
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Oh-bla-di, Oh-bla-da, Life Goes On.....

As a running theme in this blog....Life goes on.....

Late summer happened and with it the taking apart and putting away of the garden.  We froze many a green/yellow bean, corn kernal and broccoli tree.  Not to mention the berries that were frozen and put away.  Or the mushrooms, berries, onions, and apples that were dried.  The onions that were braided and put into the cistern for storage.  The peaches canned.  The apples sauced.  The tomatos juiced and sauced.  BBQ sauce made.  Cabbage fermented and frozen as sauerkrat.  Busy times.

Then school started.  Thing #1 began second grade in the gifted and talented program.  She's doing grade level work in science and social studies and working one grade ahead in math and language arts.  She is in a magnet classroom, so all the children are at the same level and working at the same degree.  Thing #2 began first grade and is having all the challenges that come with being a spirited child in this world.  He just doesn't fit into the box of a "typical" first grader and has a teacher that wants all her kids to fit neatly into that box.  It's a struggle, but he's coping well and we're working with him on respect and expectations.  Things #3 and #4 began doing preschool with Auntie CrazyLife, who comes to our home each morning at 6:45 to watch the children.  Having her around has been a lifesend.  Mornings are so much easier and the big kids don't have to ride the bus anymore.  I'm not rushing around to get out the door and everyone is happier in the home setting than a daycare setting.  Mr. CrazyLife and myself both started teaching in new schools this fall and are adjusting as well as we can in the situation.

Add afterschool dance classes, college classes and church activities and well, we're pretty much on the go all the time!

So that's life....I'm trying to be more productive with the blog and keep it updated more; life just seems to step in the way.  I haven't been online at home in almost 3 weeks!  And at school during my prep time I'm actually planning and prepping (amazing, I know).  So time has been limited.  I promise to update, but expect like 5 posts in a day and nothing for like a week!

Thanks for sticking with me and being loyal followers and friends!
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Monday, September 6, 2010

Hello, Fall!

What a perfect weather way to end summer for us here at CrazyLife!! 

We all head back to school tomorrow...Thing #1 will be a second grader, Thing #2 will be a first grader, Things 3 and 4 will be having preschool.  Daddy CrazyLife goes off to High School and the world of biology and advanced biology.  And Momma CrazyLife heads back to the elementary school and preschool music world.  It's going to be a crazy year with both adults in new school buildings and so much going on outside of school.

However, fall weather appears to be upon us and boy and I ever happy!!!  This summer has been one of the hottest ones on record here and I don't do heat.  The past few days have been perfect - breezy, cool, and partly sunny.  My jeans came out of hibernation along with their friend, the sweatshirt.  Ahhhhh, how I've missed them!!
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