Slow Cooker Taco Soup

I've personally tried this recipe and it's one of my favorites. It's delicious!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion

2 cans stewed tomatoes, with juice

1 can kidney beans, with juice

1 can pinto beans, with juice

(if you don't like the starchy liquid at the bottom of the bean cans.. you can substitute chicken or beef stock for the drained liquid from the beans, I'm sure.)

1 can corn kernels

2 can black beans

2 packages taco seasoning (i make my own...)

2 packages hidden valley ranch mix

1. Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Drain.

2. Combine tomatoes, beans, and corn together and pour into crock pot.

3. Stir in taco seasoning and ranch mix.

4. Add browned meat and onion mixture to crock pot mix.

5. Simmer for 3 hours.

6. Serve over Frito Corn Chips and top each bowl with grated cheese and sour cream.

(I'd also ad a few chopped chives to the bowl as well)

Enjoy!

Doctor's Update

After I left yesterday, I had to head out to pick up the kiddo and decided to head to my husband's office to see if I could sneak him out of there early... (side note: he's the manager of the office so he can leave whenever he wants.. but I was trying to convince him that it'd be a good idea to leave early... it worked!)

While at his office.. I got a call from the Neurologist.. he reviewed my case and he does think that the herniation is causing an issue.. (ya think?!) so he does want me to come in to get it handled. How we're going to do that, I'm still not sure yet... but at least he took my case.

The only problem now... my left leg is starting to go numb every once in a while and I keep getting a shooting pain down the rear of my right leg.

I don't know if it has anything to do with the herniation but I am guessing it does as I've never had it happen before.

Please continue to keep your fingers crossed for me as I am not guessing that this is a good sign.

Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes that you've given so far, it really means a lot that you're taking time out of your already busy schedules (and busy HOLIDAY schedules) to think of me.. Thank you!

MRI Results

After waiting a couple days to get my results, they've finally come in.

I have two herniations on one disk, in my back.

It's the L5 disk which is the one right above your tailbone... and it's herniated, on both sides of the disk. So I have a herniation between disk L4 and disk L5 and between L5 and S1.

So... what to do, I am not sure. The nurologist that read my MRI isn't sure either. He wants a specialist to look at it to see what to do. So off I go, to the speicalist.

Problem is.. it's been at least a week and I haven't even gotten a call from the specialist to schedule an appointment yet.

Great.

My dr said it could be as easy as giving me sterroid injections in my back to relieve the pain and pressure or it could be as complicated as having back surgery to fix the issue.

So.. I wait.

Updating A Tradition

Everyone has their holiday traditions, I am sure, as do we. Every year for Thanksgiving AND Christmas we usually have the same thing for dinner. Most people probably have turkey on Thanksgiving and Ham on Christmas... but not us! We have both... ON both!! We usually have the whole set up on both holiday's, even if it is just Hubz and I.

We usually have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing (although we do NOT stuff our turkey with it - I know, I know, then technically it's dressing), hot buttered corn, cranberry sauce (jellied!), rolls, and candied yams.

This year, we've changed up a recipe of ours and boy am I happy!! Usually, every year, we use the can of yams and throw some butter and some marshmellows on top and throw it in the oven... done!

Well this year, we're changing it up!!!

Here's a new recipe that makes a WONDERFUL substitution to the "boring" tradition.

Homemade Candied Yams/Sweet Potatoe Pie

This is NOT an exact recipe.. I don't use measuring cups, unless I am baking, so do it to your taste and don't be afraid to taste it as you go, it's the best way to learn how to cook.

3-4 medium sweet potatoes (yes, the orange ones!!)
1/2 stick of butter (yes, real butter, and unsalted please!!)
1 tsp. salt (I use kosher)
1/2 to 3/4 cups brown sugar (light brown, please!!)

1. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Boil over medium high heat until potatoes are fork tender (easy to poke with a fork or knife)
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a mixer safe bowl. Add butter, salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
4. Use a blender, stand mixer, emersion blender, or a hand mixer to blend the sweet potatoes and spices to your consistancy.
5. Use a spoon to taste the sweet potatoe mixture. If it needs more brown sugar, add more, if not, don't. Also think about salt too, does it need any of that?
6. Place in an 8x8 baking sheet and top with mini marshmellows.
7. Bake at 350*F until marshmellows are golden brown.

Enjoy!

This recipe made enough for 4 people with not much leftovers so please feel free to adjust it to as many people as you need.

I freaking LOVE this recipe!

Cross Your Fingers

Last night before going to bed Hubz reminded me that I had a doctor's appointment this morning around 10. THANK GOODNESS he reminded me because I completely forgot!!

I was going to the doctor because I was in a car accident 2 months ago and was rear-ended by a lady who was NOT paying attention and to make matters worse, when she did finally see that I was stopped (in front of her) at the stop light... she went to slam on the breaks, her foot slipped off and she slammed on the gas, instead. Lovely.

Since then, I've had HORRIBLE back pains that have proceeded to get worse and it's not migrating into a daily migraine. No pun intended.. if that was a pun. I am not even sure at this point. After so much pain, my brain is shot.

You may think that I am retarded for waiting for 2 months but you see.. if you go to the ER right after it happens they just tell you that you pulled a few muscles and to let it rest for a few weeks.. total waste of time. I had the appointment set before the accident to establish care with my primary care (whom my husband has been going to see for a while) so it just made sense to keep the appointment and just give my back time to heal before going in and wasting my time.

So now my doctor sent me for X-Ray's... all which came back normal. Next step is an MRI to make sure there aren't any hairline fractures or slipped disks, or any of the like. If all results normal, then we'll proceed with sterroid injections in my back in hopes that it will calm down the inflamation and go away. If the MRI results come back abnormal.. we're going to have to do surgery!!! Yes, surgery on my BACK!! My spine!! The thing that holds my spinal cord that connects to my BRAIN!! Nervous, yes, you could say so, that'd probably be a good guess at this point.

We'll see what the MRI results show.... until then, I just sit, in pain, and wait.

Happy Holiday's,
Stephanie