Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Good Tuesday morning!

There is a little nature peeking out here and there, so I took a few pictures this morning. If we aren't going to have an official Winter, I guess I am ready for SPRING!

RANDOMNESS #1 - A new Dance Moms is coming on tonight. (If you are questioning your parenting skills, this show makes you feel really, really good about yourself. That's just another reason why I like it!)

RANDOMNESS #2 - In a few days, we will be having another City Adventure. (Some people call them Short Vacations, but I like my way better.) This time, our pick city is New Orleans! That's right. We're going to Louisiana, Baby!

And guess what? We're going on a train! With a conductor and a food car and bathrooms and everything.

I'll be posting the list of activities and restaurants we'll be choosing from in the next few days, so stay tuned.

(To read more about City Adventures, go to www.belindafaulkner.blogspot.com and click on City Adventures under Labels on my sidebar.)

RANDOMNESS #3 - I'm meeting a friend downtown for lunch today, which is always fun. Whenever I go downtown, I'm always hit in the face with dozens of memories of my time working in that area. Oh... my... goodness! It was a very interesting ten years. Yes, sir. Very interesting, indeed.

Here are just a few things I miss from that "season" of my life:

1. I miss dressing up every single day. I loved wearing dresses, suits and pumps five days a week (six, if you count Sunday). My wardrobe now consists of jeans, sweaters and of course, my bright blue mountain fleece... that refuses to die! And that's fine, but I did like to "doll up" back in the day.

2. I miss having lunch with the chicks in the office. Or going out to eat after work if something special was going on. I never, ever wanted for female conversation back then.

3. I miss doing all the mundane, daily tasks a secretary did way back when. (Time sheets, dictation tapes, making copies, etc.) Mundane was my forte'. And it still is, I guess. I like doing the mind-numbing, everyday tasks much more than tackling the new and exciting stuff.

Washing a sink full of baby bottles by hand vs. Teaching a teenager how to drive. (Guess!)

Vacuuming the carpet until you have vacuum lines just the way you like them vs. Painting/wallpapering/wiring/refinishing, etc., etc. (We all know the answer to this one, too.)

Having a VERY specific schedule every day (diaper change/breakfast/bath/play/nap/diaper change/lunch/play/nap/play/dinner/bath (if needed)/story/bedtime) vs. Never ever knowing what is being planned by the teenagers in the house until five minutes before it happens. (Oh, how I miss my preschool schedule!)

I think you now understand why this blog is called A Simple Life. A Complicated Life does not describe me at all, does it?

4. I miss having every color ever made in the Connie Pump. (I know. I already mentioned the pumps in the very first point, but I think Connie Pumps deserve their very own number.)

5. I miss walking to my car after work on Spring days or Fall days. (Not so much Winter, Summer or in the rain.)

Those are just a few of the many, many things. I need to finish this post because I need extra time to beautify this morning!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

This will be our Thursday night meal! I found it on Pinterest, and since The Faulkner Five does love some beef stroganoff from time to time, this is on top of my "must-try" list.

You will need the following:

2 pounds cubed stew meat
2 cans condensed mushroom soup
1 large onion, diced
2 to 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire
1/2 cup water
8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. In the slow cooker, stir in all ingredients (EXCEPT the meat and cream cheese.)

2. Once other ingredients are combined, add the meat and mix.

3. Cook on low for 8 hours.

4. Cut cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn slow cooker on high. Stir in cream cheese until combined. (Put the lid on slow cooker and leave for 10 minutes.)

5. Serve over egg noodles.

I know. It sounds good, doesn't it? I'll be giving you The Faulkner Five (minus one) Recipe Review Friday morning!

I hope you have a fun Tuesday. It's a beautiful day in Alabama. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. There is a cool breeze blowing. We all know how long that could last, so I'm going to get outside a little today and enjoy the good stuff.

I'll be back tomorrow with Wednesday Wisdom, a Seasonal Tradition or Party (I cannot decide which), Randomness and a little more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda