Miss Bella

Thanks for all the emails asking about Miss Bella!!
I should have known to include a little note about her :)

She's doing very well .. we've had lots of snow this year and if you follow My Chic n Scratch papercrafting blog you've already seen what I'm about to share.

Miss Bella was on the Weather channel during the Winter Storm Q.  I was able to DVR it and I crack up every time I hear the weather man say "Miss Bella loves snow". 

Since the weather has been nasty .. no new pictures to share .... but I'll give you the link to the weather channel where you can see the video I submitted (I wish I could find the actual video of the weather guy talking about her).  Click here to see the video I submitted.

See ya!
p.s. sorry I have been all over the place with my posting.  I wish I could just have one blog and post all this on my main site .. but I've heard from too many people that they never read what I write .. they are just there for the pictures and the videos (and I appreciate their honesty).

New arrangement for table

We're on Spring Break this week and I was on a mission today to find a Herb Garden Starter Kit.

I looked online for a while .. and then I headed to Olathe Glass .. now that I think about it .. I'm not sure I've ever seen flower pots there ...but you never know.

I bought the mirrored tray on Amazon last week and the plants and bird I bought at Olathe Glass.    

So back to my original search .. I went to Lowes and found a white pot for my herb garden  ... but I'm going to return it since I found what I was looking for on Etsy...I was really looking for something a little distressed .. that would match my house.

  The herbs I ordered were .....  Basil, Cilantro and Parsley.  (Cilantro for salsa, parsley for chicken noodle soup and basil for my hubby.)

See ya!

Update:  turns out the Herb Garden Kit I ordered on Etsy was never delivered and I was totally scammed (she took my money and ran).

Final Cut Pro X

I did it!!!

Another item on my Bucket List was to learn how to use Final Cut Pro.  I bought Final Cut years ago .... never could figure it out .... then I bought Final Cut Pro X because I was determined to learn it. 

Signed up for Lynda.com for the training videos  .... but still couldn't figure it out.

Ask a friend for help .. timing was an issue.

Road block after road block.

So, yesterday I got soooo upset that I decided when I got back from my doctors appointment I would just sit and play...with something that would make me feel good.

But first .... let's talk about why I was so upset.

I woke up yesterday realizing that my shopping cart service was not charging my recurring customers.  I watched their training videos and set it up exactly as they showed me.  And no where do they say "oh by the way if you use Paypal to handle the credit cards you need to do something else".

After paying for support ... two phone calls later .. it still doesn't work.  I've done everything they said and I have no clue where to turn for help. 


Well .. enough about that .. I will keep on trucking and try to find out the problem... let's get back to my excitement!

I say .....I learned how to use Final Cut Pro ..... I think I spoke too soon.  I have no clue how I did  it and if I can duplicate it.  I still can't figure out how to import videos from my camera. 

But I'm still excited!  I posted my first final cut pro video last night and it was My Chic n Scratch Bloopers #9.  It's not perfect .. but it's done.

I was thinking yesterday .... do I want to share this story ...what good could come of it?  and then it came to me ..... all my blog posts do not have to be uplifting .. I have to share the good with the bad or the bad with the good. 

I wish I had a picture to share with you today .. but it's been soooo cold that we can hardly go outside ......and Miss Bella is a dirty dog from playing in the rain and snow! (she's gets a bath on Wednesday)

See ya!

Miss Bella and Photography

I could not resist sharing this funny picture with you today!

I'm working hard to catch up on my Photography Class and Miss Bella is the subject.

It was quiet windy this morning and she was squinting!

By the way .. she's doing very well on her electric fence training .. I'm happy to report she's not ran through the fence one time this week. 

I sure wish the shock collar was prettier!!!  Maybe I should write the company and suggest that girl dogs would prefer any color over black  .... for a box around their neck... we need choices!

See ya!

a simple hello

I always say ... things happen for a reason.

Although .. I'm not sure I always believe that!

For example the hotel issue in Orlando... still scratching my head trying to figure out the good that came out of that.

Since I've returned from Orlando .. I've not felt 100% .. and I'm pushed myself to much!

And ... it backfired... or wait .... I'm not sure that's the problem.

My word for 2013 is ...

Delegate

Here's my story .... 

I tell my kids all the time .. you can do anything you set your mind to.  You have to Believe it to Achieve it.  

And I'm a prime example of that all the time!

But .. I will say .. I'm a little tired of the constant struggle to make things right.

That sounds so awful .. let me explain.

In November I went to a meeting ...where it was decided I would do Online Classes. 

So, I launched my first one in December.  Everything went well .. only had one negative comment (thank God) from a paying customer and one negative comment from someone that did not pay.  I say that alone is SUCCESS considering how negative and entitled people can be.

Now for the hum dinger ... 

I set up my Sale-a-bration Class (2nd online class)... it looked beautiful .....everything worked.  But ... I worked like a dog ... for days and hours on end .. (no joking .. even at 11pm .. watching a movie with hubby ..still loading videos .. he was ready to kick me to the curb).

Then the sky falls .. videos stop working .. I tried everything .. and I was sick .. (still sick .. been up all night.. probably why I'm pouring my heart and soul out on this blog).

I spent hours making changes ... trying to figure out what happened.  I still don't know!  The thing that did happen is the company I use for my videos had a big upgrade (that was NOT cheap) and I'm thinking .. it has issues.

So ...the end of the story is .. I hired my website hosting company to add my online classes to My Chic n Scratch site.  They will set up everything ...and all I have to do is add the content (you and I both know I also have to create, film, edit, type, take pics, edit pics..the list goes on).  But what excites me the most is IF ...or WHEN (cause we know I always do) ..all I have to do is ask them for help.  Granted .. I'm paying a lot of money for it... but I think in the long run ... I'll see a return in my investment (how'd you like that I went from talking emotional to talking like my hubby... he would say .."when can you expect a return on your investment" and I say "don't ask me about numbers").

The whole point of this long post .. is I ask Alec in November about setting up my online classes .... and I didn't want to pay the money .. I'm kicking myself now!  

Now you see why my word is DELEGATE .. don't ya?

I gotta run ... need more advil!!

p.s.  if this post is gone later .. you'll know I started feeling better and decided I said too much.

Miss Bella and her toys

My house looks like I have a toddler again!!
We call Miss Bella the eating machine!!

When she gets a new toy .. it takes her less than an hour to shred it completely.

In fact some of them only last five minutes (like the lamb I gave her at Christmas).

If you look real close at the 2nd picture .. she's chewed the dog feet off the plastic toy... this toy is currently in the trash .. it only had two feet left on it.

While I was in Orlando last week ... Dave was training her on the electric fence .... she's doing pretty good .. except when she sees a live body (neighbor or other animal)....she runs right through the fence ..shock and all!

 The whole house is giving me grief because I can't train her.  I'm so afraid she'll get hit by a car ..... once you've had that happen to you ...you never get over it! (Even if you were only five years old.)

Get this .. Dave trained her to come running when we bounce the tennis ball.  So, I stand at the door .... watch her go potty and the minute she's done .. I bounce the ball several times and she comes running.  Only catch ..make sure no one is outside... she ran after the meter reader dude today and I had my hair in a towel ..... was in my pjs and had no makeup on.  All I could say was Sorry!!
She only chased him because she LOVES everybody and everything .... she wouldn't bite a flea.

Now for some TV talk ...

The Bachelor was on last night .... I can't help but love it.  I usually pick my favorite .. but I'm having a hard time.  I liked Sarah .. his first one on one date... then I LOVED Desiree ... but I also like Kacie and Lesley (blond chick).  Like Sean said ..once he talked to them ..he saw potential in all of them.  So, I guess I'll hold off on my predictions .. for at least another week or so.  I can say "Tierra and Amanda need to go".  

Justified is on tonight ....I'm looking forward to week two of Season four!!  When I watch that show it reminds me of home (Tennessee and Kentucky accents are very similar).

Gotta run .. I haven't felt good since I got home from Orlando and its time for my daily nap (seriously .. it is ..when I'm sick .. I take naps).

Later!
p.s. Stampin' Up! announced several promotions at Leadership and one of the things that really struck me afterwards was how negative some people get .. before they know anything.  I sure hope I've taught my children to think positive until there's a reason to go negative.  I personally... am going to find a way to work all of it ...into a benefit for me and my business.

Leadership in Orlando

Just checking in real fast ..... It's been a CRAZY week!

If you know me well ..... You know that I have incredible good luck ....and incredible bad luck and when it's bad I FREAK!

So, I arrive in Orlando ....to be told that my hotel overbooked .....and they transferred me to a hotel over two miles away from all my friends ... A hotel right off the interstate (those always scare me for reasons I won't go into ....yep I've seen too many movies). Not only that ..... But I'm traveling alone.

I've had the help of many friends .... But being so far away I've not seen many.

Enough of the boo hooing (I know it could be a whole lot worse).....

One of the positives is ...... I got to help a few of my friends and they helped me.

Here's a picture of us at breakfast our first monrning (ignore my looks ....I'd only had two hours of sleep and had zero eye makeup on).

Now back to the hotel situation ..... Dave (wonderful husband that I couldn't live without) called the hotel and got me ....my room .... For the last two nights ....so here I am ....where I was supposed to be.  Although ....why unpack when I'm leaving tomorrow am?

I'm off .....to our last day of Leadership and I can't wait to get home and process everything ....and STAMP!

See ya!
P.s. please ignore any typos!

Photography Class

Today is day one of my Online Photography Class and I'm soooo excited!

I'm also scared to death!

How the heck am I going to fit this in .. with work?  And I leave for our Stampin' Up! Leadership meeting this week.

I told my assistant earlier today that this has been on my bucket list for a long time.  In fact I've tried to get in the class for a few years now.  Jan - March is not the ideal time ... but then again ... looking at the calendar ..when is?

So, I'm jumping in .. with two feet.  I'll either sink or swim. 

I printed all my material and it should give me something to read during the times the airline won't let me turn on my iPad.

I took my first picture on manual mode today .. it was too blurry to post .. so I snapped another with the auto mode.

Here's the unedited picture of Miss Bella (sorry she needs a bath after playing in the snow).

Here's the picture after I edited it in Photoshop Elements 10 (I cropped it and increased the contrast)

Amazing at what two steps can do to a picture!!


Isn't she so stinkin cute?
By the way ... Miss Bella is a Cavachon.
Half King Charles Cavalier and half Bichon Frise (she doesn't shed either).


See ya!

Bean Bag ..... Dog bed

We laugh out loud every time we find Miss Bella snoozing on the bean bag.

Such a large bed .... For such a little dog.

Chase & Dave

My two boys ... well one is ..... the other is my hubby.

Over Christmas break ..... Dave and I did most of our shopping together.
That is not the normal .... but since I was so behind he really stepped up to the plate. He told me after every day of shopping "I'm not going to be your chauffeur anymore" ...but the next day came ... and there he was!

A few days before Christmas we went to the Best Buy where Chase works .. and he happened to be on break .. so I snapped a picture of him and Dave with my iPhone.  He hates the picture .... but oh well I think he looks so cute!! Both of them.

See ya!
p.s. have you noticed ... I've posted 5 days straight?

How to make Gumbo

Lets start with the meat ... 

I typically use a whole chicken 

but during the holidays I'll use left over turkey

Looking at it now .... 

that is not enough turkey in the bowl labeled Turkey for gumbo 

I should have taken all the white meat too.  

(But Dave would kill me ..that meat was for his turkey sandwiches.)

You learn every time you make gumbo!

I've been making it since 1997 and every year I change something.

So, let's getting started!

 Cook a whole chicken and debone it.  Saving the chicken broth for your gumbo.

If you're using leftover turkey meat .. have fun deboning it!  I think it's little harder because the turkey has a bunch of muscles in his body (or something .. not sure what those body parts are... just throw them away).

You will want all the dark meat .. it's a must!!

When I first started making gumbo I had to use gloves to debone my chicken.... it no longer bothers me because the end result is very yummy!!

 Add chicken to a very large stock pot.

I fill it about 3/4 of the way with Chicken broth ... the picture below already has the can of diced tomatoes added.

 Add diced tomatoes to stock pot

Cut up all the veggies .. truth be told I usually cook the chicken and cut up veggies the day  before.  It's such a long process that it helps cut the work in half.

You need a good knife!

I use 5 celery stalks

Here they are chopped up ... 

One green pepper

I slice it into strips 

Then I chop it up 

Two bunches of green onions

Green onions .... chopped up

Two bunches of Parsley (not Italian parsley)

Parsley all chopped up 

One yellow onion 

Onion chopped up 

It's a beautiful site when it's all done!

After it's said and done .. this too is not enough veggies based on how much broth I used.

Had I used less broth ...the taste would have been richer ....in other words less watered ..or even a better word .. Thicker!

Don't get me wrong .. it was still very yummy!!

Cut up the Beef Smoked Sausage. You can use any sausage you'd like.

In the old days I just sliced it .. but my family really likes a lot of sausage.

So, now I add three packages instead of two ..and I cube it.

Set aside and let's work on the main ingredient ... 

Roux

There are a lot of ways to do this ... you can add more oil ... you can add less oil.  

This is how I make it and everyone loves it.

Cooking is like sewing .. or anything in life .... 

there are several ways to do things ..

 and experts (otherwise known as know it alls)

 want to tell you that you're doing something wrong.

It may be wrong .. but it sure is GOOD!

(Sorry!!! I had to add that because you know someone is going to email me and tell me I'm doing something wrong .. or I could do it better.)

 How to make the Roux .....

2 cups of Vegetable Oil

the picture slows less than two cups ... I added more.

3 Cups of Flour

Dump the oil in Large Skillet

Add Flour

Proceed to stir until you feel as if you're arm is going to fall off. 

About 45 minutes ... 

and don't step away 

or you will burn it

I cook it on medium heat .. maybe a little high because I want to get it done!!

Here's what it looks like ...right now 

After cooking for about 15 minutes

30 minutes later ... 

It's ready ... 

doesn't it look like canned dog food?

The whole house is now smelling like roux 

and your smoke alarm may go off ....

if you have the temp too high.

You want it to be thick like Peanut Butter and look the color of a penny.

WORD of WARNING ... 

Never add more flour to this mixture ... once you start cooking it ...  if you think it's not getting thick enough .. be patient .....it will get there.

I made the mistake of doing that once and my gumbo tasted like flour .... bummer!!

Once the roux is ready .. you want to add your veggies.

I start with celery

Add the green peppers

Add green onions

Add onions

Add Parsley

Stir and add about two or three cups of the broth

Let that simmer for 30 minutes.  

It cooks the veggies perfectly .. make sure you turn the heat down and continue to stir it occasionally.

While the Roux is simmering .... lets cook the sausage.  My advice is ...always cook the sausage ......even if you only have time to cook it five minutes.

Drain the fat .. or not ... this time I did .. but sometimes I don't.

Sausage is ready .. add to Stock Pot

  Add the veggies and roux to Stock Pot

Add spices -
4 tablespoons of cajun seasoning
1 tsp of cayenne pepper

you may like more or less of these spices ..
start out with less and add more after you do a couple taste tests

Add LB Jamisons soup base  - I add 2 or 3 tablespoons

Get your spices right before you add the shrimp!!!

Taste test ..   this time it took me three times and I got it.  We like it so spicy that you can't eat it without rice!!

 Boil 2 pounds of shrimp.... let cool and remove the tails

Cut them into bite size pieces 

Add the shrimp to the stock pot

   Cook the Rice

The picture below is the Gumbo before we added rice to our bowl.

We usually add our rice and then pour over the gumbo .. ..

but I wanted to take a picture of it without the rice first.

Dang I wish I had used my pretty dishes!

 we were so eager to eat it we took out whatever bowls was closest to us.

Gumbo with Rice added ...

YUMMY!!

Recipe:

1 whole chicken

5 stalks of celery

1 green pepper

1 onion

2 bunches of green onions

2 bunches of fresh parsley

1 large can diced tomatoes

2 pounds pre-cooked shrimp

2 package smoked  sausage (I use beef)

Chicken Broth

Roux .. see recipe below

2/3 Tablespoons chicken soup base (LB Jamisons)

3/4 tablespoons cajun seasoning

1 tsp cayenne pepper

garlic is optional (I add it about 25% of the time)

Serve Rice separately.

No need for salt or pepper!!

Roux Recipe:

3 cups Flour

2 cups vegetable oil

Equipment Needed:  

Large Stock pot 12 to 15 quarts

Large Skillet (2 of them)

Sharp cutting knife

Wooden spoon to stir roux.

Large Ladle to serve gumbo

Large spoon to stir gumbo while cooking

Rice cooker is nice but not necessary

  

The only question I see that you may have is ..... how much water to boil the chicken and how much chicken broth to add.  The answer is what ever you go with ... you'll be fine.  I add more because we're okay if the gumbo is not quite as thick or rich in flavor.  I always go for volume so we can freeze some for later.  

Speaking of freezing some ... do it!  You'll be glad you did!

And .. Gumbo is a dish that always taste best the next day after cooking it.

Thanks to my friend Tracey!! She taught me how to make gumbo .... back in 1997.  She had us over during Christmas and served us gumbo ...the funny thing is .. they taste completely different!!  Even though we have the same recipe.  She adds peppers and sometimes okra .... I don't.

Sorry my pictures aren't better.... next time I'll use my Nikon D90!!

p.s. if you make gumbo from this recipe ..you'll have to let me know what you think.......  and if you need any additional tips let me know.  

p.s.s. Every recipe I share with you ... was given to me by someone .. I certainly don't stay in the kitchen long enough to dream these up.  I say "I know good food when I taste it"!