Tuesday at the Table

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky almost 28 years ago, though I don't remember living there too much! We moved away to Ohio when I was about 4yrs old and we lived there for like a month before my father’s job decided it would rather open a new shop in the Reading, PA area. So there we go off and moving to Reading, PA (well the surrounding boroughs of.) A great deal of my childhood was spent there and I have many, many fond memories of our time there. When I was about 11yrs old my father’s company (the same that moved us to PA) decided that they were going to expand and that the man for the job was none other than my old man! So we once again packed up shop and moved where they told us too! Where to you are asking huh?!

THE CAROLINA’s

Charlotte, NC to be exact…I was in love with our new home as much as my 11yrs allowed me to love it! I loved everything about our new home! The neighborhood was full of children my age and younger…that meant lots of babysitting opportunities. The elementary school was bike riding distance (I thought that was the best thing ever…but now that I think back I don’t think I ever actually rode my bike to school!) and even better I was going to be in the 5^th grade! That excitement lasted all of about 2 min LOL!

About 2 years later my parents made the decision to buy a home in Rock Hill, SC (it was only an extra 30min to the commute for them but it destroyed my world LOL! As anything severe like that happening in a 14yr olds life does! This move was a wonderful decision that to be honest at the time I couldn’t see! But now that we move every couple of years for my husband’s job I can totally see it from both points of view! I do think I may do things a little differently when it comes to explaining to my children the ins and outs of moving! I think Moving so much as a child prepared me for the moving as an adult though now the question I ask my parents is why did you never use moving companies?!?!? Especially for the big state to state moves! Ugh they make life so much easier LOL! Now that we live the Nomadic Military life people are constantly asking where are you from and when they do my response is always… South Carolina! I may not have been born there but that place for me is Home! It holds the best and the worst memories! But I wouldn’t change a one of them!

But anyways moving south developed my taste buds into new and exciting things!!! There are so many things that I miss about the South and the culinary genius that is SOUTHERN cooking!! Now don’t get me wrong the Northern region had some wonderful food as well but IMHO nothing compares to a good down home cooked southern style comfort dinner!!! So a couple of things I miss the most are Sweet Tea (everywhere there…3places here!!), and REAL Carolina style BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches!!! YUMMY!!!! I have found a recipe that is AMAZING...and the best part about it is …a Crockpot Recipe!!! I found this while perusing the wonderful Recipe Applications on my iPhone technology is wonderful!!!

Ok so these are the ingredients you are going to need:

2md-lg onions, quartered

2tbls brown sugar (I used Dark Brown)

1tbls paprika

2 teaspoons of salt (I used Hawaiian Sea Salt)

½teaspoon Pepper

4-6lb boneless Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast (I use bone in)

2/3 cup Vinegar

4Tsp Worstershire Sauce

1Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 ½ tsp Sugar

½ tsp Dry Mustard

½ tsp Garlic Salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Hamburger Buns

Cole Slaw (Optional)

Directions

1. Place quartered onions in the Crockpot

2. Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub entire surface area of the roast. Place Roast fat side up on top of the Onions.

.

3. Combine red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt, cayenne, cider vinegar, and worstershire sauce. Stir to mix well. Drizzle ¼ of the mixture over Roast Cover and Refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture.

4. Cover roast and cook on Low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6hours. Remove meat and chop or shred. Chop onions.

5. Serve meat and onions on Hamburger buns, if desired top meat with coleslaw. Pass the remaining vinegar mixture to drizzle over sandwiches!

ENJOY!!!!!

(P.S. I forgot to take finished pictures!! I promise it was delicious and beautiful LOL)

I Heart Faces: Week 13- Dramatic B&W

Every week over at I Heart Faces they do a weekly photo challenge of some sort! These challenges encourage the individual as a photographer to seek out new techniques to broaden the individual's horizons so to speak! You may have gathered from the name of their blog Amy and Angie (the owners of iheartfaces) like to see...FACES...Baby faces, kid faces, grown up faces and I have even known them to look for animal faces LOL!! I love entering these challenges not because there is some wonderful prize in store but because I like to showcase what I have done! It isn't always the best (I am SOOOO far from it LOL) but I like to think that some of it is good! I know I said this in last week’s post but I am still so proud (even a year later!!) My very first entry ever took 6th place in the Week 8 Challenge-Messy Faces last year! My friend Matt had just gotten done doing Swamp Romp (it is a Race they hold for Active Duty over on the Marine Corp base) and boy was he a mess! You can kind of get the idea from the mess on his face but that was HEAD TO TOE!!! He got back to my house so energized (well until we started spraying him with the cold water from the water hose! It was great!

Ok so anyway back on subject now that I have done a little reminiscing!! This week’s challenge is Dramatic Black and White!! First let me just tell you that this challenge by far was the most difficult for me cause I 1) don't have a wonderful bells and whistles type photo-editing program and am simply using the Picasa that came on my computer (which isn't horrible might I add I have learned to do some fun stuff the last couple of days!!) and 2) dramatic to me means some type of moody! I just can't seem to bring myself to use a picture of a smiling person (mainly children in my world) convert it to B&W and call it a Dramatic B&W! For me the expression has to describe the emotion in the picture and then the conversion just highlighting that expression! (This honestly is why I think most “sad” pictures you find are in B&W Color just makes things happier!!!) So honestly it is nothing short of spectacular that I found this photo in my plethora of shots! As I was concerned that I wouldn't have anything ready on hand for me to toy with! Not that I am not willing to go out and set the shot for what I am looking for I just like to utilize the abundance of shots I already have (I typically take A LOT of pictures of my children and their friends.) before I go out and try to manipulate the general public into a shot that is worthy of the challenge!!

Again with my Ramblings (Please excuse them as I do have a picture to showcase for you!) This is my friend (and fellow Sub Wife) K's DD (dear daughter) L! She is a wonderful girl (growing just a little too quickly into a young lady) and such a good kid (when she wants to be as most are!!) So anyway this shot was taken (pure luck) at my daughter Cami's 4th birthday party it was a tad bit windy and I couldn't tell you why she doesn't look happy and excited (all of the children were playing on Slip n slides, and in the sprinklers!) But lucky for me she wasn't cause I think her expression makes this picture! Even without the B&W conversion it was a moody and interesting shot!! This is by far one of my favorite pictures I have ever taken on L!!!

So I think I have Rambled enough for one posting LOL! Please feel free to leave me some comments and Constructive Criticism! If anyone knows of an AWESOME Photography course on the Island of Oahu please feel free to let me know as I have decided to go back to school for Photography!!!

Check back for a TatT tomorrow!!! BBQ Pork Carolina Style!!! YUMMY!!!!

A couple new adventures and a Picture Show

My first adventure may very well turn out to be a flop as I am going to try to teach myself

how-to make Bows! And yes I did say bows as in little cutesy keep my daughter little as long as

possible Bows! I am thinking some of it is going to be VERY easy But I do foresee a bit of an issue

when it comes to making the Traditional style double loop boutique style Bow! But I think I will get it eventually!

I actually found a REALLY cheap Ribbon store online and am currently waiting on my first of two

orders! I am currently just going to make them for my girls and maybe a few of the neighbor girls!

Time will tell and if it is meant to be an adventure I am supposed to take! Please just pray that

the right path reveals itself soon!!

So my second Adventure is my Camera! My Loving DH purchased my first DSLR for me and

I am in love!!! I feel inspired to seek out new pictures daily so I think that it is time for some

formal education on the subject! I have decided that I need to Look into going back to school and I think I wanna go for Photography! Learning the ins and out of my camera and how to edit photo's is something I feel I could do and enjoy for a long time! Like everyone who turns a hobby into a job I am afraid I will lose the love for it but only time will tell!!!

So it has been a while since I posted any new pics and with the permission of some of my friends and neighbors there may be few children who don't belong to me LOL!

My oldest... She Turned 4 the end of last month!

She is a spirited little girl with all the umph and gusto of a Sumo Wrestler!!!

Oh and She has Daddy WRAPPED!!!! LOL

~Camille Sierra~

My Beautiful 17month old Daughter

A seizure disorder diagnosis in August has not slowed her down and I think she is out to set some Medical record or something!

A new Diagnosis of Mild Autism won't get her either!!

She is currently Seizure free since the beginning of January!!!!!!

Currently weaning off of Toprimate suspension!!

~Addisyn Makaia~

His Mother (Kissy) and I have been friends since we met when Ernie and I married! Her Husband and Ernie were in Sub School together and then parted ways as "Sprocket" went to his "A" School and Ernie went straight to the boat! Long story short after Sprocket was done with "A" School he wound up on the same boat as Ernie! Kissy and Sprocket were married a mere 6months prior! Kissy and I became pregnant at just about the same time (about a month apart) and Cami and The Boy were born 39 days apart! So we were stationed on the first boat together and then we parted ways (a little prematurely) and went to VA while they finished their time in Hawaii (that go around LOL) a little over a year later they were in VA with us though Ernie was just on a different boat and Sprocket had managed to make it to Shore Duty! It was great being able to be somewhat close again! On Superbowl Sunday we went to their house to watch the game and enjoy some friend time when Kissy and I told each other we were pregnant again LOL! But Sadly Ernie and I were moving again!! Back to Hawaii! Even though we were apart we still stayed in touch LOL! Good thing to because less than a year after we parted with them in VA Spocket decided it would be a wise decision for them to cancel their shore duty billet and head to back to a sea command! (It just happened to be the boat we left LOL) Well the cool thing about the new command for them was it was due for a homeport relocation....but where?? You guessed it right back her to Hawaii! We were blessed that they were able to move in not directly next door but a couple of houses down! These people have become our family and I would have been lost without them while Ernie was gone to Afghanistan!!! Sprocket fed me and Kissy kept my chin up and a smile on my face as much as possible!!! These people are AMAZING!!! We couldn't ask for better friends!!

So this is the Boy!!!

Isn't he a cutie!!

I love him!!!

And he is smart as smart can be!!!

He is Cami's Best Friend!!!

This is Menace!!

(That is said with all the love and heart an Auntie can give!!)

Don't let her cute facade fool you she is T_R_O_U_B_L_E!!! She very much reminds me of Cami when she was this age!!

And because I have just been messing around on Picasa lately (hence why everything is in Collage form today!) One more Collage for the road!

These are from our most recent trip to the Zoo!!

Honolulu Zoo

March 2010!!!!

Ok so that is it for tonight folks I am going to head to bed because unfortunately I am feeling a bit under the weather as I feel a Sore throat coming on!!

God Bless

I Heart Faces Weekly Challenge!!!

entered the IHeartFaces weekly challenge a while back when they were looking for messy faces! I didn't place in their children's category but in the adult category I placed in the top 10!!! Woo hoo!! i have also entered a few others since then but haven't placed since then!! But I learned a lot from Angie and Amy and all of the WONDERFUL Photographers over there! This weeks theme is Focusing on Angles and I think I have a good Shot! My picture was taken with my new I have taken several pictures over the last few months with my friend Chrissi's Nikon D3000 that she got from her hubby (He is a good Man!!) for Christmas!!! I seriously fell more in love with the DSLR than I ever was before! I knew I wanted one but I had never felt the pure rush of shooting with one! For our anniversary this year my husband surprised me with a Canon Rebel EOS and an extra lens!! He is AWESOME!!! So anyway on with my ramblings! My entry for this week is a picture of my daughter Addisyn (17mnths) playing in the Garage/ Playroom! Good Luck to Everyone who is entering in the fun this week!!!

I guess I should get back into the swing of things with a ...

Today's TatT is

Buffalo Chicken dip!

1 bottle Franks Red Hot Buffalo sauce (or you can use the buffalo sauce of you own preference!)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 8oz package of Cream Cheese

1 package shredded cheddar cheese ( I use pre-shredded but you can totally shred your own)

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375degrees

Boil the chicken till done and finely shred.

Step 2

Combine 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, 8oz cream cheese, shredded chicken, and Buffalo sauce in a mixing bowl. Blend ingredients well

Step 3

Pour mixture into a baking dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Step 4

Bake for approx 15-20min until cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbly!!!

Serve warm with Tortilla chips!!! Enjoy!!

This week is going slow and it is only Tuesday LOL!

Ernie started back to work yesterday and it was bittersweet for me! this last month for me and the girls was amazing just having him home! And even though I know we were both ready for him to return to work I don't think I was 100% ready! I never am LOL!

So for our last weekend before he had to return we spent it as a couple and as a family! Friday was our Anniversary! We have now celebrated 5 blissful (ha ha had to laugh) ok so maybe not blissful they have been crazy and wonderful nonetheless. Friday morning Ernie surprised me with the 2nd best gift he has ever gotten me A CANNON REBEL DSLR!!! I am in love with this Camera and am enjoying learning to use it! That night we went out to one of our Favorite places Dixie Grill ! We enjoyed a laid back dinner just the 2 of us (our wonderful and amazing friend Chrissi watched the girls). Saturday we went and spent the afternoon at the zoo With some wonderful friends!! I got some great shots of the kids and animals! Sunday I hosted a soy candle making party and it was a lot of fun!

OMG I am back LOL!!

I am back with no promises! Only a hope of future postings! Last time I posted was to far back to give a detailed summary of past events so I will give a quick review if you need any elaboration on anything just ask and I will try to return with an answer of some sort! In late July early aug my baby girl was diagnosed with a rare seizure disorder (Infantile Spasms) we have been working since then on controling the seizures and working on the developmental delays that are a side effect! Cami has been almost as healthy as a horse just helping me get through the craziness! Ernie Came home for R&R the end of Sept beginning of Oct. and was able to celebrate his birthday as well as Addisyn's first with us as a family! It was wonderful and I missed him very much! Nov flew by and then we spent December in AK visiting with my family!! We ventured back to "warm " climates the beginning of January and things were a whirlwind of un packing and trying to get the house and girls ready for the arrival of the bestest present ever!!! The Daddy man came home the beginning of February ending his IA tour!! It was a wonderful, exciting day for us! The best part was Daddy was FINALLY HOME!!!! 3 weeks later My BIG BABY GIRL TURNED 4!!!!! Cami is turning into such a big girl I can not believe how quickly time has flown! Now that February is done and Ernie is returning to work next week we will settle back into a routine! Cami has started gymnastics and is loving it and Addi has been seizure free since the first week of Jan. We have started weaning her off of her seizure medicine!!! i will do my best to keep the posts coming! But you can be my friend on FB to get a more up to the min play by play of our CRAZY life LOL!! Thanks everyone!!!