Creamy round steak slow cooker

I try not to use that much red meat but sometimes I just need a little bit to satisfy that inner cave women I guess. When I crave red meat I have a few recipes that I go to and this is one of them.

Creamy round steak

1-2 lbs beef round steak or stew meat

1-2 Tablespoons canola oil. ( can use vegetable oil I just never have it in the house)

4 tablespoons onion soup mix (or 1 packet of store mix)

2 cans cream mushroom soup

Hot pasta to serve with or rice. 

Cut the meat into cubes. I use stew meat for this so it's usually always cut for me.  Heat oil in a pan and brown the meat on all sides. 

In the slow cooker combine the dry soup mix and the canned soup then add the meat. 

Cook on high for 6-7 hours.

Days off

Don't you just love days off???

Well I happened to get a Saturday off which for me is rare and I'm sure once I start my new job will be even rarer, but it was nice to be able to deep clean my house today. Catch up on laundry and basically just get the house organized.

As my regualr readers will know I like to have a clean house, but due to working so much I haven't been do get as much done as I want, or at least to my standards.

For me there's something relaxing about having a clean house.which for me is weird as I like clutter to a degree and then it gets to much and I just have to organize.

Daily Posting

Like most new years resolutions they tend to last a month if we are lucky, and it seems that my daily posting of my blog also gone.

I will try very hard again to start posting something every day again. Even if its just a quick hello.

As so often happens life gets busy and things happen and we forget about some of the things that bring us joy.

Writing my blog is one of those things that helps bring me joy. I like writing as you know and although I doubt anyone ever really reads my posts I know from the stats that someone out there does at least view my blog. Even if it is by accident.

I hope my posts help someone in someway. Even if its just hearing about my day and what I'm up to, or finding a recipe that I love and making dinner a little easier.

That's my hope any way.  Even if people don't get anything out of this blog I write it for me. Thats why i write this blog. I hope you like it to. :-)

My new haircut.

Having had nearly 6 inches cut off the bottom. I love my new haircut

Happy 30th to me

Yesterday was my 30th birthday and I have to say its not as bad as I thought it would be. At this time there is a lot of change going on in my life and maybe that's a good thing.

Today as my treat I got a new haircut. So in a break with tradition for me and my blog I will at the bottom of the this post, add a picture of my new hairstyle. Also today I'm spending time with my family.

It wasn't a day full of fun. The morning was quite nerve wracking waiting around to see if my husband still had a job or not. I am glad to say that he does still his job. Which means that is a load of stress of.  I also went to my new job and filled in some of the paperwork which makes the job offer official and I start next Friday. So looking forward to that.

It also meant that I handed in my resignation at my current old. Which was nice to be able to do.

I would love to say thanks to all my friends who came to my birthday luncheon on Wednesday and a huge thank you to Lisa for putting on an amazing spread like you always do.

Chocolate truffles

So a break with what has seemed to become a tradition with me and not posting pictures. Not done intentionally but I'm that person who always forgets there is a camera on my phone. 

But as I have a picture of this recipe I thought I would share. 

So chocolate truffles. I made these to celebrate Imbolic a Wiccan sabbat at the start of February. But these are so good that I would make them for any occasion or even as a gift just put them in a cute little bag and tie them up with some ribbon and a fancy tag. 

8oz semi sweet chocolate, coarsley chopped. ( I used chocolate chips)

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 tablespoon amaretto

Then to cover the truffles 

1/2 cup milk chocolate melted. ( I didn't make any with chocolate on them)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup finely ground almonds.

Put the semi sweet chocolate in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until hit but not quite simmering. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 3-4 minutes. Stir until smooth. 

Using a hand held electric mixer, beat in the butter and amaretto until the mixture is light and creamy. Refrigerate until firm which is about 45 minutes. 

Using a teaspoon or melon baller ( I used my cookie scoop) scoop up the chocolate mixture into heaping teaspoons and then roll them into balls using your hands. 

Then roll the balls in which ever one of the topping you want, either the melted chocolate, almonds or cocoa . Place them on   baking sheet lined with baking paper. Refrigerate until firm, which is about 39 minutes. 

The truffles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to several weeks. But mine never last that long.

Ranch chicken slow cooker

This I think may be one of my husbands top five slow cooker meals that I do. It has the ranch dressing mix in it that I make which he adores.

4 chicken breasts
4 tablespoons ranch dressing/dip mix ( or 1 packet of store mix)
1 stick butter,.

Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Then in the last 30 minutes if on high turn to low and add

1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 can of cream of mushroom soup.

While the cheese is melting down I take the chicken out and shred it with two forks. And then place back into the slow cooker to mix with the sauce.

Slow cooker chicken and cream cheese chili

My sister in  law Michelle made this once for a family gathering and after 2 bowls of this I just had to have the recipe. She kindly gave it to me and here it is.

2 chicken breast
1 can rotel
2 8oz cream cheese
2 cans corn, undrained
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 tablespoon ranch dressing mix ( or 1 packet store mix)
1 teaspoon onion powder.

Cook chicken in the slow cooker for 2 hours on low.

Add all the other ingredients and cook for 2 more hours.

Just before serving shred the chicken with two forks. Add back to slow cooker and mix with rest of chili.

Thus makes a ton of food and I usually end up putting a load of leftovers in the freezer.

Since my reminder to myself

Since I posted that reminder to myself I have managed to be less stressed and a bit more relaxed. I still have a ton of things going on but I'm dealing with them better. I'm trying to allocate things to the girls that work for me more and just to be calm.

I'm working really hard to not do everything myself. And things have been going better. Stuff is still getting done. Maybe not as quickly as I want but they are getting done, so that is really all that matters. So things have been pretty good.

I'm hoping that's things can continue that way.

Work work work

Since December all it seems I've done it work, work and work. It's like I'm always there and always have a ton of stuff that needs to be done. This week is no acception. 

Monday I did an 11 hour shift, Tuesday was a small 5 hours, Wednesday and Thursday were also 5 hour shift and then Friday the big day of moving the store I did a 15 hour shift. 

Can we say that I'm a little tired right now. Little guy did amazing with all the hours he was at work with me. Looking forward to a little chill time and possibly a day off or two in the near future but might be waiting another week before that can happen as this week I am training my new person, let's hope that goes well. Need them trained so I can get them on the schedule and give me a day off sometime soon. 

Sorry I didn't post last week but as you can see I was a bit busy. 

How I try and deal with my depression without meds

I'm not expert, I will never claim to be an expert in anything. I go by my own experiences and that's all I can really go by. I have suffered with depression on and off for years since my teens. I do the best that I can to deal and cope without taking medications. I have never needed to take medication for my depression but they may change. In the past I have always been able to find ways to cope and deal when my depression starts showing it's ugly head. But recently it's been getting harder to cope and to deal and keep my depression at bay and I may need to talk to my doctor about starting meds, but until that day comes when my depression really starts to overtake my life I will put off taking meds. Not because there is anything wrong with taking meds it's just for me I want to try everything else that I can  for me as a personal thing taking meds is my last resort.

So the ways that I try to deal with my depression and have worked for me in the past. 

Writing. I find that writing expressing my true feelings in someone way helps me to sort through all my emotions and can help me find out why I'm feeling down. In the past I used to feel up notebook upon notebook of just random stuff. These days I actually try to write constructively. I do this blog as much as I can and I write for hitRECord as well. I always used to be scared to share my writing as I always worried what people would think about it, but then I realized you can't please everyone and maybe someone out there will what I have to say or even find comfort or inspiration from it so now I write for me and for anyone who may like what I say. 

Running. I still count myself as a new runner but for me it does help to ward off the demons that I call my depression. Exercise really does help. The more I move around the less I feel down, I mean I still feel down but i feel that I'm not as bad as the days I sit on the sofa and do nothing or the days I try to spend in bed. 

Carry on as normal. I try to do the best that I can to carry on as much as I possibly can. It's hard some days. Some days u do just want the world to swallow me up, but the more you try to do the better it can be. Get up and have a shower. Get dressed, try to but jeans on and not your comfy clothes. Make the effort it's hard but it will make you feel a bit better. Cook something anything which can be a problem. For me when my depression hits my eating can go one of two ways. I cad neither not stop eating the problem however is it's all junk food and that's all I want to eat, cookies, chocolate, chips the usual comfort food. Or it can go the opposite way and I don't want to eat at all. However your eating goes try to eat something that you fancy, if your on a junk food kick try to eat something a bit healthier. If not eating eat something that you really want. I also try to do some housework or just spend sometime playing with my kid. 

Sometimes doing something nice for yourself can help. For me it can just be having a long shower and washing my hair, it could be wearing makeup one day. I never wear makeup so the days I do wear it helps pick me up. Just do something nice for me.

There is no set way to help make sure self feel better. In fact there are times when even all these fail but the point is sitting on the sofa or lying in bed all day is just going to me worse so I try to do as many things as I can. 

This is how I try my best to deal with my depression. Everyone is different and what works for one person won't work for everyone. This is my guide. If it helps you great 

Reminder to myself

Today I need a personal reminder that I am doing the best that I can. Everyone is. I have many things going on right now and giving myself a guilt trip and allowing my low self esteem to take over is not helping.

I need to remember that I am a good wife, I am a good mom and that at work I need to let other people actually do some of the work instead of doing it all myself. I mean that is why you have employees is to let them do some of the work isn't it?

I need to ask for help when I need it and actually let people help me. I basically need to learn to let go, ask for help and to trust people. I am not superwoman. I can not do everything by myself, sometimes we need help from people. I need to remember this more often. My problem is I try to do it all myself and then I get frustrated that I don't get it all done and that in turns stresses me out.

It's perfectly fine to admit that you can't do it all. Asking for help is not weakness. Asking for help is a strength. Just don't take advantage of people, which I don't because people know that when I ask for help I really need help, and it takes a lot for me to ask for help.

So I'm writing this today as a reminder to myself. Stop stressing. Your doing the best you can. Just let go. You can't do everything and you know what that is totally fine.Your doing what you can that's all that anyone can ask of you. Stop being your own worst enemy and give yourself a break, you deserve it.

Tator tot casserole.

I am big fan of Tator tots. The little round plump potato things. Crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. I thought the only way to eat them was fried and coated in fry sauce. Until one day a friend told me about Tator tot casserole. And a new kind of love for the Tator tot happened. Here is my version of Tator tot casserole.

2lbs of Tator tots
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
 1 lb ground beef
1 can green beans
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

I cook up the ground beef making sure it's nice and brown and then drain off any fat that there might be. While the meat is cooking in a big mixing bowl I add all the other ingredients then add the meat once cooked. I mix everything in the bowl and then place it into a greased casserole dish. I tend to add an extra 1/2 cup of cheese on top of the whole thing.

Place in oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I actually made this for dinner tonight.