A Gaiser Favorite

In our house, tacos are somewhat a regular meal (a couple times per month). So last night happened to be one of our taco nights but this time I decided to twist my taco variation into a taco salad. The ingredients I used were:

Plus 2 lbs. of deer meat

For my salad, I made my grandma's taco salad dressing recipe. It's a very simple recipe that consists of 3 ingredients:

Sugar, Taco seasoning, & Thousand Island dressing

Mix 1/3 of the Thousand Island dressing with 1/2 of the taco seasoning (I prefer the regular, original taco seasoning but this is all I had). Add sugar to your taste, mix well, & refrigerate until use. When all was said & done, our meal was delicious!!

January Update

I stole this idea from a dear friend of mine's blog. Haley always seems to post very fun, cute, & interesting blogs (haleylogann.blogspot.com). I think this is a neat way to update on the things that are taking place in our life--so here I go:

Outside my window . . . it's gloomy & cold

I am thinking . . . about the list of places I need to go to today

I am thankful for . . . my family's health FINALLY getting back to normal after 5 days of the stomach bug.

In the kitchen . . . I have a pile of dishes to put in the dishwasher before leaving

I am wearing . . . pj's

I am creating . . . a list of 'Gaiser Goals' for this year that both Brian & I agree to work on

I am going . . . do my weekly shopping today at: Target, Pet Food Center, Wal-Mart, & Schnuck's. I may try to sneak Kohl's and/or CVS in the mix if Logan allows :)

I am wondering . . . how in the world Stanley Steamer will get this awful smell out of our couch!!

I am reading . . . Courageous

I am hoping . . . to get back on track with work this week

I am looking forward to . . . the next couple weeks--we have a lot of fun things happening!

I am hearing . . . Cars 2--the only movie Logan wants to watch

Around the house . . . there are toys scattered throughout

One of my favorite things . . . is to host mini get together with friends

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . get my errands ran today, clean tomorrow, work my normal schedule later this week, enjoy the church service this weekend, & discuss possible vacation destinations for the summer

At a Loss...

This past week has been a difficult one for our family. Brian's cousin (and best friend), Bud, passed away last Thursday very unexpectedly. This news hasn't been easy to deal with especially since he was only 33 years old.

I was in awe at how many people came to the showing & funeral service. The number of people showed how loved, respected, & adored Bud is. During the service, some friends spoke about their memories of Bud & it was remarkable to hear how much Bud has touched so many lives. One thing that was said during his service was 'this isn't good-bye, it's I'll see you soon'.

Life is too short! Say 'I love you' every chance you get. Accept the Lord into your life. Have fun. Do something you never thought you would. Enjoy life. Make each day as if it were your last. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow so please make sure you live your life to the fullest.

R.I.P. Steven 'Bud' Gaiser

10/30/1978 - 1/5/2012

So Upset

I'm very upset with myself because I'm not able to download the pictures from our camera onto our computer. We bought an awesome Canon Rebel a couple years ago & with it came software that allows the camera to automatically upload the pictures from the camera. Somehow our computer no longer has the software on it & I can't seem to find the software CD anywhere!!! If anyone has any suggestions for me, I would appreciate it.

Bad, Bad Blogger

Obviously, it's been a VERY long time since the last time I posted a blog. The Gaiser's have been extremely busy over the past 2 months & it doesn't look like it'll slow down until after the New Year. Here's a look at what our crazy lives have been like:

• October: Fall Festival, Football games, 2 birthdays, & Halloween camping @ Lake Rudolph
• November: 5 birthdays, Family camping @ Harmonie State Park (in-law's Thanksgiving took place there too), 2 Thanksgiving get-togethers (fewest we've had in 7 years!), Black Friday shopping, REAL Christmas tree picking & decorating, preparing invites for Logan's 2nd birthday party, & re-organizing my scrapbook & Thirty-One supplies

All of this took place while Brian works 10-12 hours/day, 6 days/week. Our calendar for December is already filling up quickly but I wouldn't have it any other way because that means we are able to spend a ton of time with our wonderful family & awesome friends!

I promise to stay more up-to-date on our lives & lots of pictures to come! In the mean time, stay safe & enjoy the Christmas cheer!!

Couponing

Some of you may not know it but I LOVE coupons. I love the idea of getting something my family needs/wants at the cheapest price possible. What I love the most is getting essentials we need for next to nothing--and when I find those deals, I stock up! One of my favorite shows is 'Extreme Couponing'. Now I don't take my couponing as far as they do but I now understand the 'rush' they talk about. Let's face it, everyone needs toilet paper, dish soap, shaving cream, etc. So why not get it as cheap as possible?!? My most recent trip to Walgreen's resulted in coming home with this:

4 nail polish, 2 Pure Silk, 2 Barbasol, 3 Dawn dish soap, & 6 Halloween cadies

This trip retailed at $26.42 but I paid $14.16. That's a 54% savings!!! My trip to CVS this morning resulted in a trip that would've cost $74.74 but I only paid $35.68--a 48% savings!! Here's what I got, in addition to the 4 12-packs of Cokes:

2-16 rolls Charmin, 5-Dawn dish soap, 1 16-count Duracell, 2-Herbal Essence shampoo, & 4- 12 packs of Cokes products 

Needless to say I'm quickly growing a stock pile of many different items. Just because we aren't out of some of these items doesn't mean I don't need to get it. We'll always use these things so I get them when the prices are at their best!! My biggest problem now is where to put my stock pile so I'm on the hunt for a storage rack of some kind to put in our garage. If you happen to know of one--let me know!!

The Best, Cheap Dessert Ever!!!

I made a dessert earlier this week for a carry-in at work. I wanted to make something that didn't cost an arm & a leg but was still delicious so I went with a Jello Cake. Now let me tell you, I love Jello Cake not only because it's so good but also you can make it pretty much any flavor you want! The best part is it only cost me $2.56 to make it. That's $0.21 per piece (12 large pieces, that is)!!!! You can't beat that!

All of the ingredients you'll need (minus the Cool Whip)



A little slice of heaven! :)



 Here's the recipe:

1 box of white cake mix
1 large (or 2 small) box of Jello--flavor is your choice
1 container of Cool Whip

Mix & bake cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Let the cake COMPLETELY cool then poke holes all over the cake (I use the end of a wooden spoon). Mix your Jello packets with the amount of COLD water ONLY & mix it very good. Pour the Jello liquid into the holes & on top of your cake. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to set. Top cake w/Cool Whip & place back in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

Enjoy!