Believe in the Magic Traci Diary
Recipes, Travels, and Stories
Welcome to Day 27 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
Here are other recipes that can be made into freezer kits. Please check out my previous blog post for other recipes that can be made into freezer kits.
Slow Cooker Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
Spanish Style Chicken Noodle Soup
I am behind with the 31 Days of Slow Cooking. Last week was crazy busy with parent teacher conferences on Monday and Wednesday nights. I did not get home from work until almost 8:30 on those nights. Then I had activities with the boys on Tuesday and Thursday evenings so I was gone on those nights. Then my Hubby and I went on a weekend trip to Louisville, Kentucky so I was busy during the weekend.
Continue reading “Freezer Meals (Day 26)”
Welcome to Day 25 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
We are almost to the end of this series.
Since Halloween is next Monday, I’m going to play This or That – Halloween version.
I’m partial of chocolate candy. I have always said since I was born near Hershey Park, I must have chocolate in my blood.
Witches, hands down – Especially if they are good witches.
Treat – Yum!
I dislike scary movies, so Halloween party would be preferred.
Skeletons
When the boys were younger, I would go trick or treating. Now that they are older and go out on their own, I hand out glow sticks not candy.
I seem to get so lost in corn mazes so I prefer hay rides.
I like funny costumes.
I prefer pumpkin seeds. The Imaginative One loves pumpkin pie more than pumpkin seeds.
I wouldn’t want to do either of those two choices. However, I would prefer to walk alone.
Bats
I love pumpkin spice.
We celebrate in my neighborhood.
Click here for the recipe for Peach Cobbler.
Welcome to Day 24 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
Today we are going to continue with the photos from the Donut Trail.
After Kelly’s Donuts, we went to downtown Hamilton. We found the mural dedicated to Robert McCloskey.
Here are other photos of downtown Hamilton. Some of the architecture is interesting so I quickly snapped photos as we drove by the buildings.
Next up was Martin’s Donuts in Trenton.
It was a cute pink building.
Our last stop was Milton’s Donuts in Middletown. It was the closest donut shop to our house.
The boys wanted Buckeyes instead of donuts, so we allowed them to get the Buckeyes.
We had a lot of fun doing the donut trail.
What a wonderful way to enjoy a beautiful fall Saturday.
Click here for our menu for the week.
Click here for the Lemon Bar recipe.
Welcome to Day 23 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
Yesterday we got early to finish the rest of the Donut trail. We were successful this time.
Now Hubby is going to get my free shirt for completing the Donut Trail.
During the next few days, I’m going to be sharing some of the photos from the Donut Trail. If you are ever in Butler County, Ohio, this is one trail you should do. It took us two mornings to get it completed.
Butler County is located just south of Dayton and just north of Cincinnati.
Our first stop took us back to the donut shop located next to the pumpkin farm. In the small town, there is an antiques shop. While we were waiting at the light, I was able to capture this shot.
The first stop – The Wee One was willing to pose by the sign.
Afterwards we traveled to Hamilton, Ohio. Hamilton is known for two things. It’s the birthplace of Robert McCloskey who is the author of Make Room for Ducklings and Homer Price. Also the high school is where President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2004.
This is Mimi’s Donut Shop. She had cool seats that were recycled barber chairs. The Wee One was a brat so he did not get out of the car.
Then we drove to Kelly’s Donut shop. We ended driving up and down the street looking for this shop. Hubby was suppose to turn left instead he turned right. That’s why we couldn’t find the shop.
The Wee One got out at this stop. He wanted a bouncy ball from the gum ball machine instead of a donut. We allowed him to get that ball.
Across the street from Kelly’s was a prepatory school. They had some cool statues so Hubby stopped so that I could get some photos. The Wee One refused to get out, but the Imaginative One was more than willing to pose for me.
Join me tomorrow for the rest of the photos from the Donut Trail.
Click here for the recipe for Corn Casserole.
Welcome to Day 22 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
Your pets least likable character trait.
It’s thundering outside. The rain is pouring. Suddenly lightening lit up the sky.
No one’s home but the dog. He needs comfort from the scary storm outside. So what he does he do?
Does he run and hide in the bedrooms of the family members?
No, he decides to run through the doggy door into the backyard where it’s wet, loud, and dark and then bright when lightening lights up the sky.
He goes to his secret hole in the fence that no one can find.to patch up.
Then he runs to grandma’s house.
Either he finds a little hole in the fence and runs into her backyard to her doggy dog. He escapes the bad storm.
Or he stands at the side door whimpering until someone lets him.
Meanwhile, his owners get a call from grandma telling them that their dog is at her house.
This is one of our dog’s least likable trait. We can’t believe that he doesn’t run and hide during thunderstorms. Instead he will run over to my mother-in-law’s house.
When we leave for the day, we have to check the weather before leaving. If the weather calls for rain, the doggy door will be shut so he doesn’t run to grandma’s house.
It’s early in the morning. People are trying to sleep. All of the sudden you start to hear squawking coming from the living room.Or you hear “Nich-o-las,” “”Get off the Computer,” and “Beak Bump.”
You can not sleep because the bird is insistent someone come and pay attention to him.
Then there is the mess all around the stand. He thinks there are imaginary birds sitting on the ground. So he throws food to those imaginary birds.
This is my son’s bird’s least likable trait. He likes people to pay attention to him. If they don’t, he will either start squawking or talking up a storm until someone pays attention to him.
What is your pet(s)’s least likable traits?
Click here for the recipe for Cashew Chicken.
Welcome to Day 31 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
Today’s prompt
Share a childhood memory that makes you smile.
I could write about my trip to Walt Disney World in 1990. That trip brings a smile to my face. But that’s what most people expect from me.
So what childhood memory makes me smile the most. It’s the trip to Boulder, Colorado when I was 10. My grandma was suppose to go on the trip. However she had back surgery so she couldn’t go. My family decided I was going to fly to Boulder from Dayton by myself.
Once I got there, my aunt and her first husband picked me up from the airport. I was going to be staying with them.
We traveled through a national park. So I got to the Rockies. We then went to a friend’s apartment. Uncle Mike drank a beer. I can remember telling him that “you are not supposed to drink and drive.” (We must have been talking about it at school.) I also remember eating olives for the first time while visiting them.
My aunt was going to be travelling home to Ohio so I was going to be her riding companion. Because of a snow storm, we were delayed a day leaving for home. We drove through Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana before getting to my house at some ridiculous hour in the morning.
Since I fell asleep while we were driving through Illinois, my family made me go to school the next day.
So why does this memory make me smile, I think this trip started my wanderlust. I love exploring new places and even places I’ve visited before.
In fact, next week Hubby and I are going to take a small weekend trip to explore a new city. Then next month, we are going on another trip.
I sometimes will travel different ways to work because of that wanderlust.
What is a childhood memory that makes you smile?
Welcome to Day 20 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking!
I decided to Google a writing prompt for today because I was coming up blank on what I should write. I found a website called Massive Sway that had writing prompts for each day in October. So I’m using today’s writing prompt.
What do you like to do on a dark and stormy day?
Last night as soon as the Wee One had soon left for his acrobatic lesson with his grandma, the dog decided he was going to jump on me. He was breathing on me and shaking like crazy. Why was he doing that? It was getting ready to storm.
I was working on progress reports at that time so I finished working on them. Then I took a bath and just relaxed.
The rest of the night was stormy. It made for good sleeping weather. However I kept getting interrupted by the dog walking into my room, jumping onto my bed (something he’s not suppose to do), walking around my head, and then jumping off the bed. He did that a few times before finally settling down for the night.
It continued raining throughout today while the temperature was dropping. I wish I wasn’t at work because it would be a good day to just relax, read a book, and cook some cookies or brownies. On a rainy day, it’s nice to make soup in the slow cooker.
In fact, I had made taco soup last night. We had more of the soup for dinner tonight.
What do you like to do on a dark and stormy day?
Click here for the recipe for Cranberry Chicken.
Welcome to Day 19 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking!
I’m a day behind with the Write 31. Life has gotten a little crazy around here. I ended up having to write an Individualized Educational Plan for one of my students. Then I had to get ready for a meeting with my principal. Finally I had to write detailed progress reports for each of my students. That’s only on the work end of my life.
My mom ended up moving out on Monday. She is within three minutes driving time from my house. That is if the weather is nice. I can walk there in 15 minutes. Having her close is so much better than the previous situation. She used to live 40 minutes from me.
So I helped her out with moving out on Monday. Actually I used the Imaginative One’s strength to help get the tv, microwave, and other boxes out to her car. He and I ended up walking to her apartment so he could help get some of the stuff out of the car.
Last night I took her shopping so that we could get a tv. The one she took to her house ended up not working. It was manufactured in 1996 so maybe it was time for a new one. LOL! So my life has been CRAZY for the last few days.
With the crazy came a writer’s block. I couldn’t figure out what to write and I didn’t want to write. Now it feels better to have some of my inspiration back.
I’m going to attempt to have the next recipe up later tonight.
How’s your last few days been?
Click her for the recipe for Chinese Pot Roast.
Welcome to Day 18 of 31 Days of Slow Cooking.
This a bittersweet dinner recipe for me. I cooked it for the second time on the day my sister passed away. I got the call from my mom when I was about to sit down with my family to enjoy the dinner I prepared.
I attempted to eat some of the meal but was so worked up that I could not enjoy it what so ever.
The rest of my family enjoyed the flavor of the pork. The balsamic vinegar lends a bit of sweetness to the pork but is not overpowering.
Stars of the Recipe:
Steps:
