Findings Friday #15

TGIF! I love Fridays. This week I have some amazing finds for you. A few locations, some fall outfits, words of wisdom and some crack chicken. Check it all out.


  • I found a new location that I want to hike with the hubby, White River Falls. If only I had a baby sitter.
  • This outfit is great for this cooler fall weather. Check out the other awesome clothes this blog has.
  • I am proud to live in the great northwest. My husband works about a mile or so from the Saint Johns Bridge and its beautiful at night.
  • Some amazing words.
  • The blog says this is crack chicken. We will see when I make it how cracky it is...

My Favorite Shephard's Pie

My mother made a lot of hearty soulful foods when I was growing up. One of my favorites and siblings favorite still to this day, is Shepherd's Pie.

This is great to make with leftover mashed potatoes or ground beef. You can make it in individual helpings or one large casserole dish full of goodness. Anyway you make it, it's awesome!

This is the way I grew up making it, along with a little extra flavor that I've added over the years. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 pkg brown gravy mix
  • 2lbs potatoes
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 4 green onions 
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
  • frozen carrots and peas (optional)
Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Brown ground beef, onion, carrots and peas over medium heat. 
  3. Drain fat and add brown gravy mix. Set aside.
  4. Boil potatoes until tender and drain all water.
  5. Mash potatoes with sour cream until there are no more lumps.
  6. Place the ground beef mixture in a deep dish. 
  7. Top with mashed potatoes, covering completely.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes on 350 or until potatoes start to brown around the edges.
  9. Remove from oven and top with cheese and green onion.
Try this recipe out and let me know what you think.

Menu: Week 116

Its been another week of visiting with family, Halloween craziness, Tea party debacles and my kids getting kicked out of strange places. Lets just say, I'm exhausted.

This week though is going to be fun with Halloween on Saturday and dressing up at work.

I love this time of year and I can't wait for all the year end recipes coming up.

Enjoy this weeks menu!

Monday
- Lumpia

Tuesday
- Slow cooker crack chicken

Wednesday
- French onion beef stroganoff

Thursday
- Creamy parmesan chicken

Friday
- Creamy bruschetta chicken

Saturday
- Spaghetti

Sunday
- Tuna sandwiches


Findings Friday #13

Welcome to Findings Friday ~ Halloween addition~

Check out all the cool Halloween inspired posts for you to try out.



DIY outdoor table

I gave my husband a task last Sunday to build me a table for my tea party next weekend. I was planning on something simple that I could put a pretty table cloth over, but after I got a good look at what he spent all day on, there is no way I am covering that beauty up.

He used reclaimed wood from our backyard for the legs and bought some 8 foot fence boards for the top. The fence boards were sanded down and stained to make them look amazing. I love it so much, hubby!






Easy Buffalo Mozzarella Pork Chops

I'm always looking for quick and easy recipes for my end of the week slump. I hate cooking on Fridays and the worst thing is to pick a recipe that takes an hour from prep to finish.

Tried this little diddy last night and it was amazing and it only took me 15 minutes. There isn't a lot of prep and it cooks really quickly.

Pair it with a baked potato or some steamed veggies and you have a full meal.

You are going to love this!

Ingredients:

  • 2 TBS Olive oil
  • 2 TBS Butter
  • 2 TBS Wing sauce (We used Frank's red sauce)
  • Mozzarella
  • Thin cut pork chops
  • Salt/ Pepper
  • Montreal steak seasoning
Instructions:
  1. Combine the olive oil, butter and wing sauce together in a skillet over medium heat.
  2. Season both sides of the pork chop with salt, pepper and Montreal steak seasoning and fry in the pan for 2-3 minutes each side.
  3. Remove from skillet and place on a baking sheet. Cover in wing sauce and top with a nice layer of Mozzarella.
  4. Place under the broiler for another 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 
  5. Remove from oven and serve right away.
You may need to adjust the measurements depending on how many pork chops you do. We made about ten tinny chops last night and didn't have to adjust anything. I also made a few chops without the wing sauce on them and they were still deliciously amazing. Enjoy!

Menu: Week 115

Hello, and welcome to week 115. I'm your host Sara and this is my weekly menu:

Ok, enough with the formalities. Its been another long week with the kids going to school, me and my husband having to go to work and the baby kitty getting in the trash. Its a wonderful life.

I've reflected a lot this week on what it means to me to be an author. I know i'm not quite there yet, but I'm working hard at making that dream come true.

To me, being a writer means freedom. Freedom from being tied to a desk and freedom from the crazy world that we live in. It's not only a dream but a life goal to be able to provide for my kids and spend more time with them.

I want to be an author and I wont let anything stop me.

Here is the weekly menu and check out the new logo at the top of the page. Its awesome!

Monday
- Spaghetti

Tuesday
- Beef and Broccoli 

Wednesday
- Shepherd's pie

Thursday
- Sausage skillet

Friday
- Buffalo Mozzarella pork chops

Saturday
- Lumpia

Sunday
- Dinner with the In-laws

Findings Friday #12

ITS FRIDAY! another week is gone and Halloween is getting closer. I hope you all are well on your way to costume perfection. I still have a long way to go and not a lot of time, ah!

Check out what I found for you this week.


  • Now that i'm growing my hair, I've been doing a lot of searches for short hair styles. This one is awesome.
  • I'm 30 even though I don't look it (or act it) so t-shirts like this are right up my alley.
  • My immediate family is large and it's still growing. We hold a lot of family functions at our home in the summer because our back yard is huge. I think a long table for the family would be awesome. 
  • This outfit looks amazing. It says fall like no other and I wan't it so bad.
  • Still working on my boozy tea party, but I think this tea bag party invite would be super cool.
That's your findings Friday. Until next week. As always, if you would like to be featured in this post or want to suggest someone I should feature, comment or email me at shendersonphoto(at)gmail.com

Best Breakfast Ever: Toad in a hole

Everyone has their favorite go to breakfast that they love. Mine is the Toad in a Hole.

This is one that I remember eating growing up. My mom would make it often because of how easy it was and how little of ingredients you need. Perfect for a mother of eight children.

I've added a few things to it over the years to make it more my own, but it's still the same meal from my child hood.

Ingredients:

  • Your favorite bread
  • Eggs
  • Shredded cheese
  • Parsley
  • Salt
Instructions:
  1. Heat a pan on the stove over medium heat.
  2. Grease the pan with either cooking spray or butter.
  3. Cut a hole in the middle of a piece of bread. I use a shot glass or small cup.
  4. Place the bread in the pan and break an egg into the center. 
  5. Lightly salt.
  6. Let cook for 1-2 minutes. You want it nice and firm on the bottom so it wont break when you flip it.
  7. When its firm on the bottom, flip the bread with a spatula being careful not to break the yolk.
  8. Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top. 
  9. Cook for about another minute. The longer you cook it the harder the yolk will be, so if you like it runny for bread dipping, only cook it long enough to solidify the whites.
  10. Remove from heat and serve right away.
We eat this for dinner a lot too. My husband likes to put Tabasco sauce on it to give it a little spice. Of course the cheese and parsley are optional. You could also pare it with sausage if you want a more heart meal. Enjoy!

Menu: Week 114

The weather this week has been really strange. We've had sun and high temps and then the next day its been cold with torrential rains that caused a water fall on my hill. It was amazing to watch.

I wish though that Oregon would make up its mind and pick one or the other. Its either going to still be summer, or it needs to be fall so I don't feel weird drinking my pumpkin milkshake from Burgerville.

Been taking some time to myself this week to plan a boozy tea party for my friends. I want to have it in the back yard where everyone is wearing hats. My husband is super excited to participate and he is going to build me a table. I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

Enjoy this weeks menu!

Monday
- Toads in a hole and sausage

Tuesday
- Beef and cheddar sandwiches

Wednesday
- Philly cheese steak sandwiches

Thursday
- Baked chicken Parmesan

Friday
- Pumpkin french toast

Saturday
- Pizza night

Sunday
- Buffalo mozzarella pork chops and baked potatoes


Birthday Photography

Every year for my kids birthdays I snap a few shots of them and hang them on our wall. When I do this, I get to look back at how much they have grown over the years. I can't believe I'm a mom of an 8 year old, especially one that is this smart. He has over come so much, with being born with meningitis to having seizures and struggling through autism. I love you little man and I will always love you more with each passing day. Happy Birthday!







Findings Friday #11

Welcome back readers to Findings Friday. You know what that means right? Yep, its Friday. You're so smart. Anyway, I have some awesome things I've found this week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. On to the festivities!


  • Came across this little saying while searching for my weekly menu, so of course I wrote it on my chalkboard cupboard and used it for my menu blog post.
  • Who doesn't like pizza? This is one thing all my kids will eat a ton of without complaining. We are having home made pizza tonight thanks to this recipe.
  • I'e been putting together this idea of a fall boozy tea party for my friends where everyone wears hats and sweaters and we sip our drinks outdoors at a table under the trees just like this.
  • I can't help myself when it comes to treasure hunting at a thrift store. My bestie and I found some awesome jackets that you should check out.
  • Since Halloween is right around the corner, here is a simple DIY project that you can make with branches from your yard. I might just have to do this on Sunday.
If you would like to be featured on Findings Friday or want to suggest a blog post that you love, send me an email at shendersonphoto(at)gmail.com or leave me a comment below. Have a great Friday!

Grandma Gift

It is always difficult to pick a present for mom or grandma that means something and they can use often.

My mom and mother in-law are both big cooks and bakers. They spend a lot of time in the kitchen and they rely on their aprons to keep their clothes clean of flour.

At the end of last month my mother in-law had a birthday. They boys made her this apron and although my youngest's hand print looks like he has seven fingers, I know she will use it for a long time.

What you will need:

  • plain black apron.
  • White paint
  • white puff paint (for the words)
  • sponge brush

Directions:

  1. Lay the apron on a flat surface
  2. Paint your child's hand with the white paint using the sponge brush.
  3. Carefully place your child's hand on the apron where ever you want it.
  4. Repeat this step for however many children you have.
  5. Write their names over their hand prints using the puff paint.
  6. Let it dry before moving it from the flat surface so the paint won't smudge. 
The boys had a lot of fun making this present for their Nana and the cost was less than $10.








Second Hand Adventures

As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of second hand stores. It's like a treasure hunt to me. Every little corner or shelf holds a surprise. Some more than others of course but you never know what you will find.

This adventure was from a few years back. My best friend and I got a smoking deal on some jackets and a few name brand items too.

On the left:

Jacket: BB Dakota $12.99 Salvation Army. It's the same brand of jacket that Bella from Twilight wear in the first movie.
Skirt: $3.99 at the Goodwill. Not sure what brand it is anymore.
Gold shirt: $6.99 at the Goodwill.
Sandals: $a whopping $2.99 at the Goodwill.

Everything on the left was a total of $26.96. These days you can't even buy a shirt brand new for that little.

On the right:

Jacket: It is made by Matix and cost me $12.99. I was searching for one that was flannel lined but this was the exact jacket I had my eye on for a while now. Score.
Skirt: Old Navy, cost me $3.99. I love it!
Grey sweater: Was also $3.99 and would look great with a pair of skinny jeans and some flats
Black sued Convers: Really not sure how much they were but its been years and I'm still wearing them. Great find!

Everything on the left cost me a total of $20.97 minus the shoes since I don't remember how much they were.

I loved spending time with my sister by another mister searching for the everyday steal. Hopefully we can do it again some time soon and bring you some more awesome second hand finds.

If you have a thrift store story that you would like to share, send me an email and I'll feature you on the blog. SHendersonphoto(at)gmail.com







Menu: Week 113

I'm really loving my chalkboard cupboard. Its great for meal planning, grocery lists and fun inspiring sayings to get us through the day.

This weekend I had two photo sessions in the warm fall weather. I can't believe the sun is still shinning and the weather is still in the 80's in October. What is going on?

What did you do over the weekend? I hope you had some awesome weather where ever you are.

Enjoy this weeks menu!

Monday
- Pizza

Tuesday
- Pulled pork sandwiches

Wednesday
- Baked ravioli

Thursday
- Parmesan chicken bites

Friday
- Chicken tacos

Saturday
- Tuna sandwiches

Sunday
- Dinner with the In-Laws

Findings Friday #10


Happy Friday! Its been another week of craziness here in the house of chaos but we've managed to make it through without any terribly maimed extremities or loss of life. In the chaos I've found relaxation surfing Pinterest and I've found some awesome posts for you to check out.

  • First up, we have Angalina from Angalina is. She is from the bay area and she has this amazing post about accepting herself. She is also an amazing fashionista and you should really check her out.
  • You all know that I can't look away from a good meme. Here is a list of some funny ones to get you through your day.  
  • I love owls! This could possibly be a DIY project for next weekend. Check out this awesome DIY owl air freshener
  • I was trying to come up with a present for my mother-in-laws birthday and this is what I came across. We made something similar and it will be up on the blog sometime soon, but until then check out this DIY apron tutorial
  • I know I've posted something similar to this before, but I just love how cool and easy these DIY candle holders would be to make. I especially love the aspen wood.
That's all that I have for you this week. Now I must go save my middle sons Styrofoam airplane from the toddler. It's already a lost cause but I don't need him pooping Styrofoam for days. Have a good weekend.