Cheese and Rice Soup

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pic is of the Christmas Puzzle... which must be completed by December 31, 2010. I think we may have a shot at reaching this goal! Very exciting! (It takes so little to make me happy these days. It's rather sad.)

TOPIC OF THE DAY - RESOLUTIONS - I wrote this last year (almost to the day). I'm going to re-post it this year because I still feel the same way about New Year's Resolutions!

Since the year 2010 (or 2011) is in our very near future, I thought we might talk about goals. I'm not a big advocate of the New Year's Resolution. I never have been. I think it must be the word "resolution." It sets you up for failure. You can resolve to change something beginning January 1 and ultimately fail by March 1 of the same year. Yuck.

In my way of thinking (Code for I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THIS WAY IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE), the word "goal" is so much better. I can set a goal and if it takes two or three years to obtain the goal, I'm okay with that. I don't feel like a failure. I don't feel like I've let myself down. I just keep plugging away at my "long-term" goal and eventually, one day, I'll get there. (Or at least that's what I tell myself.)

Case in point, my Christmas card goals. It took years to get 65 Christmas cards. It took years to get 75 Christmas cards. It's going to take years to get 100 Christmas cards. I don't care. Don't get me wrong. I do want 100 Christmas cards at some point, but I'll be just as thrilled in 2021 to meet that goal as I would be if I met the goal in 2010 (or 2011... the count stands at 71 in case you're wondering).

I've had several goals over the years. Mike says my goals make absolutely no sense, and are therefore useless... but I enjoy them. I'm going to go against my better judgment and share a few with you today. Since I can't see you looking at me like I'm an idiot, it will make it easier.

I had a goal when the kids were little to NOT lock them in the car while it was still running... and they were buckled in their car seats. I know wonderful mothers who have done this. It's not a reflection on them. It's just something I wanted to shoot for... and I made it! (DO NOT ask me how many times I slammed my purse, hand and/or foot in the car door before it closed to help meet this goal!)

I had a goal my kids wouldn't have ear infections... ever. (I know you have that look on your face right now. You know the one. The "Belinda is an Idiot" look.) I realize this has nothing to do with my ability as a mother or nurse or whatever. I just thought it could be something to shoot for. And I thought I had made this goal... until one day when Josh was TEN YEARS-OLD.

"My ear hurts," he complained.

"Did you fall on it," I asked.

"No, it hurts when you pull on it and when I go to bed at night." Hmmm. What in the world could that be? I took him to the doctor.

"He has an ear infection," the doctor said, not even looking up.

"What? Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Well, what do you call it when a ten year-old has an... you know... ear thingy?" I couldn't even bring myself to say the words.

"An ear infection," he answered slowly.

"Is there another name for this 'condition' when they are this old? Something in Latin perhaps?"

"It is an EAR INFECTION."

"Could it be swimmer's ear?" I tried again.

"It's January. Has he been swimming?"

"No. So for it to be swimmer's ear it requires him to have actually been swimming... recently?"

"Is there a problem?"

"No. No problem at all. But technically, if he isn't running a fever, we kind of caught it BEFORE it actually became an ear infection. Right?"

"He has an ear infection." Goal not met. It took me a long time to get over that one.

Here are a few more goals I've talked about (at great length) on A Simple Life. Let's see where I stand in meeting these goals.

1. I want to go zip lining. (Nope. Not yet!)

2. I want to swim with dolphins. (Hmmm. I'm sensing a pattern here.)

3. I would like to create 500 scrapbook pages this year. (Wow! According to my checklist, I've only created 130. However, there are still a few days left in 2010. Don't call me! I'm SCRAPPING!)

4. Much like my "No car accident before I'm 50" goal (which was annihilated this past summer when the Big Gold Van rear-ended a car), I still have the "No ticket before I'm 50" goal. I've been stopped on five different occasions over the years, but I've always gotten off with a warning. I tend to cry very easily when I see blue lights in my rear-view mirror. And just so you know I'm not pretending, it really does upset me to the point of tears when a police officer gets out of his car to reprimand me for my sub-par driving skills. Those tears are real, People. (So far, so good. I'll be 50 in August, and still no ticket!)

I'll probably get one today because I put an exclamation point behind that last sentence. I don't think I'll ever be accused of being too cocky. Thanks to the local Police Department, I stay pretty humble.

Cheese and Rice Soup

I received an e-mail from Roxie's basketball coach, Coach Murray, with an attachment. A wonderful attachment! Mrs. Grissom, the home economics teacher, brought this soup to a school function and gave Coach Murray the recipe. If you're like me, you may be a little tired of Christmas food (turkey, ham, dressing, etc.). Also, if you're like me, this soup will be bubbling in your slow cooker this evening.

You will need the following:

1 box of Zatarain’s Long Grain and Wild Rice
1 can Campbell’s Select Potato Soup
1 small block of Mexican Velveeta cheese
1 quart half and half
Real bacon bits in a jar

1. Cook rice according to directions.

2. Put rice and all other ingredients into a crock pot.

3. Cook on low until cheese is melted about 1-2 hours.

When Coach Murray made this soup, she used Hormel Real Bacon Bits and Campbell's Select Harvest Creamy Potato with Roasted Garlic in the 18.8 ounce can. She said it was delicious, so I plan on doing the same! Pictures tomorrow!

Have a delightful Tuesday. I know many of you have already put away Christmas decorations and cleaned your homes. It takes me several days to decorate... and it takes me several days to un-decorate. I'm just kind of puttering!

Wednesday Wisdom, a New Year's tradition and some randomness awaits you tomorrow on A Simple Life. Don't miss out!

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda