Summer Cooking

Last year around Thanksgiving time I pick up this 18 quart roaster for about 25 bucks. I am quite sure it has paid for itself by now.

This summer has been a scorcher and who wants to cook when its 90+ degrees outside. I do know a bunch of people who still like to eat no matter the temperature outside though.

Our house is rather confined and if you turn the oven on it heats the whole upstairs, not a bad thing in January but not a good thing in August. Our air conditioning would run constantly if the oven was on in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day. The hubby is not into the idea of coming home to a blazing hot house and I cringe at the air running constantly so the roaster to the rescue.

I pulled our patio table over to the corner the deck where our one outside outlet is and tada I just created a summer kitchen.

A 9 x 13 pan will fit in here on the rack so you could even bake a cake or brownies or whatever. Pictured is just some seasoned chicken for baked chicken. Sorry no after picture, like I said I know some people who like to eat.

So between our grill and this roaster we are still eating but without heating up the house. The roaster has been left on the deck all summer, it fits under our overhang and as long as its unplugged its seems fine.

P.S. you must use the cover when using your roaster to bake with. I know you know that but just in case you didn't:)

This is linked to Tammy's Kitchen Tip Tuesday.

Letties new swim suit

So I finally conquered my fear of sewing swimsuit material and here is what we ended with. We both like it so win win! I used this pattern minus the skirt and added the ruffles.

The ELFF Report

So it's been awhile. Five months actually. Weight loss is a a slow and tedious process. If it were quick and easy everyone would be thin right?

So the scale says I'm down, drum roll please...16 pounds!! Yippee!!!! But things still aren't as the once were. I don't think they ever will be either. My hind end has atrophied and the midsection is still intertubeish. Yes I make up my own words to please myself.

So how did I do it?

Well I have a family riddled with food sensitives so without them I would weigh more than a smidgen more. The hubby was on a no sugar and no starch diet for couple months, this diet is a sure cure for weight loss. I still ate sugar and starch but I'm into making life easier on myself and so I ate a lot of what he was having.

I have taught the kids about the dangers of junk food so unless I'm shopping alone, hahaha alone what does that mean, I can't sneak some sugar laden food like substance into my cart without six million questions.

Also I'm nursing and the babe keeps breaking out. So in effort to figure out what is causing her to break out I'm on a wheat free, dairy free, egg free, and coconut free diet.

I also exercised a few times in there. If you know me this is a remarkable feat. I'm far from being on a exercise schedule because every time I exercise I'm so cotton pickin' sore I can't hardly move for days. I have found that crawling out of bed and putting workout clothes on in contrast to my comfy bath robe also helps:)

So after all this I should be down to a size 2 but alas I have lost a measly three inches from my waist.

Really!! Really!! Such is life.

Well happy carrot munchin' to all you other dieters out there.

E.T. phone home

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

Okay so their not quite clothed with scarlet but at least one of them will be warm:)

Garage saling, is that a real word?, earlier this year we scooped up this very nice coat for Lula. Score- $4!!! Not bad well until we got home and she tried to zip it, ughhhh the pull was broken. Well way back when I faintly remember hearing that the dry cleaner replaced zipper pulls. So a quick stop in confirmed that for five bucks they could fix it.
So nine dollars total for a Columbia coat not too bad!

White Trash Waterpark

Here is what the kidlets came up with the other week for their own "waterpark". At one point the cooler was the pool and the hose was hooked on the basketball hoop and raining water down to run under. You could also take a dip in the wheelbarrow.

Future Pyro's

Well daddy knows that all boys love to blow things up so why not start them young? Don't worry Lettie has her floatie to protect her from harm:)


Ready
Set

TADA!!!!

Wasn't that awesome!!!!

Okay smoke bombs are total lame, unless your nine and you're wielding a lighter!!

(Daddy was the one wielding the lighter with anything that went boom so no worries -kay?)