The After Thanksgiving Tasty Turkey Soup Recipe

Ahhhhh, the festivities are over and you can now relax! Take a deep breath, you've made it through the Thanksgiving holiday in one piece! Now, if you only knew what to do with that left over turkey, right? You can only eat so many turkey sandwiches before you start getting bored and they start tasting just a little bit dry! Why not make a scrumptious turkey soup with those left overs? Making turkey soup has always been on my list of things to do but until now I have never had the opportunity to do so because there either weren't enough left overs, or there were enough left overs and they got sent home with family members as they left the family gathering. The wannabe chef in me always let out a little sob when I received my "doggy bag" and saw that I had enough turkey for about two turkey sandwiches, never enough for soup. I have been looking forward to this year's Thanksgiving for months.This year was the first time that I would make the turkey, and since my guests were from out of town, I would get to keep all of the left overs! It would finally be time to make my turkey soup! So today after scouring the internet for about forty minutes, not finding a recipe that peaked my interest, I decided to experiment and make my own. Here's what I did...

What You Need:

Left Over Turkey!! You may use as much or as little as you want
3 Stalks of Celery
2 Large Handfuls of Baby Carrots
1/2 of a Small Red Onion
1 Can of Chicken Broth
1 Can of Evaporated Milk
8-9 Cups of Water
1 Box of Long Grain Wild Rice I used a Herb and Butter flavored one, yes I know, I cheated a bit!
1 Tablespoon of Salt plus more to taste
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
Pepper to taste
Garlic to taste

The Ingredients

What You Need To Do:

Combine chicken broth and condensed milk in your crock pot. Chop up your carrots, celery, and onions and place them into the crock pot along with your box of long grain wild rice and it's seasoning (if you are cheating like I did!). Chop up your turkey into smaller pieces and place in the crock pot along with the salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and garlic. Finally, add your 8-9 cups of water (this will depend on your crock pot size) and cook on HIGH for between 4-6 hours depending on when you would like your meal.

Everything in the Crock Pot ready to be cooked!

 Serve with french bread and enjoy!

I made this today and we just had it for dinner, it was amazing! Mr. Hunky added more pepper to it (he's a pepper addict) and I added more salt and a little more pepper because I like overly flavored soups! This is the absolute perfect way to get rid of that left over turkey and have a tasty dinner (and lunch the next day!), even Baby A loved it!

Happy Cooking! 

My Holiday Weekend

Hey everyone! I apologize if I have seemed a little MIA these last couple of days! Mr. Hunky's parents and one of his sisters has been in town so we've been spending a lot of time with family! It was wonderful to spend these last couple of days with our family, I loved having everyone around, and Baby A just had an absolute blast with his grandparents and aunties!

On Wednesday we took Baby A to the park and spent a lot of time there, enjoying the nice weather, enjoying each other, and watching Baby A explore, move around, and learn.

Wednesday night my mother in law and I prepared for Thanksgiving by assembling the green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and making the pumpkin pie. On Thursday morning, we all took Baby A to the park again for some play time, then we took a drive and explored a local Canyon. Around noon we came back to the house and started cooking the Turkey and the rest of the side dishes! After our scrumptious dinner, my sister in law and I decided to be absolutely nuts and go check out the Black Friday scene! Walmart opened their doors at 8pm for Black Friday and offered a ton of great discounts. The amount of people was absolutely ridiculous so we did a lap around the store and left with out buying anything! Now that I've experienced that, I can wholeheartedly say that I will never do it again. My anxiety was through the roof just within the fifteen minutes we were in the building! Friday morning my in laws offered to take Baby A with them to go meet up with some extended family who was about an hour away, while my sister in law and I went and had a much needed girl day! We enjoyed pedicures and manicures, then went home and watched Eclipse and Breaking Dawn pt 1! My in laws returned with Baby A a few hours later and asked us to go pick up some dinner (Mexican food! Yum!), and while we were waiting for our dinner to be ready, my sister in law and I decided to go next door to Bealls Outlet and just kill some time. My sister in law found a gorgeous pair of Nine West flats for 60% off and I ended up finding a ridiculously adorable pair of shoes that I scored for only $6!! I was so excited.

After dinner I finally got to do what I have been waiting to do for months! I decorated for Christmas!!! We put up the tree, the lights, the candles, and the big red bow on the door! I was as happy as a clam to see everything out.

When we had finished decorating, my sister in law and I went out to a movie and finished up our Twilight marathon with Breaking Dawn pt 2! It was fun, but also a big reminder that I am a mother- I had a hard time keeping my eyes open during that late movie. Today saying goodbye was hard, but I distracted my sadness with a little bit of online shopping. I scored a gorgeous new bag from The Plum Pin Cushion who is running a fabulous sale! I've had my eye on this bag for quite a few days now and I decided to just take the plunge! Keep an eye out during the HGE, you just might see this shop again!

Main Photo Credits: The Plum Pin Cushion

I also picked up four new Flip (diaper) Covers for Baby A from Cotton Babies since they are running a BOGO sale!

Now I am relaxing while Mr. Hunky and Baby A nap, surrounded by the delicious smell of my cinnamon candle burning and my turkey soup in the crock pot. Life is good great.

Thanksgiving & Black Friday Deals

Happy Thanksgiving from MCO to you. I hope you all get to enjoy a nice home cooked meal with your family and/or friends. Today I will be having a tasty dinner with Mr. Hunky, Baby A, Mrs. Bow Jangles, Little L, Mr. Hunky's parents, and Mr. Hunky's sister. I am so grateful to get to spend time with family today!



Black Friday starts tonight at midnight, although a lot of stores have already started their sales now, or will start them early this evening. I typically do not do Black Friday shopping because most of the time (in my opinion) the deals/sales are not worth the chaos and stress, I do however enjoy looking and finding great deals for others who may be interested! Below are a few of my favorite deals I've found thus far. Throughout the day I will update this post if i find anything else!

Happy Shopping!

Large Companies

Kohls - is having over 500 Black Friday sales on items such as clothing, baby, appliances, luggage, & more! Kohls card members can save an extra 15% off when they use the code SHOPNSAVE (online code, or coupon for in store) PLUS for every $50.00 spent you get $15 back in Kohls Cash! Any orders over $50 will also have free shipping! I'll be doing some online shopping at Kohls this year!

Amazon - is having lightening deals all day on movies, video games, toys, clothes, electronics, & more!  Click on THIS  link to be redirected to Amazon's Black Friday deals!

Walmart - will be opening their doors at 8:00pm tonight and have tons of online only deals on electronics, DVD bundles, toys, items for your home, sewing machines & more! One great thing about Walmart is, they will price match anything! If you find a better deal on the same item elsewhere, bring in proof of price and they will price match on the spot. Walmart is also offering free shipping on eligible orders over $45.

Target - Target is offering TONS of promo codes and in store coupons off of toys! This is the perfect opportunity to get shopping done for your little ones! Free Shipping all day! The codes are as follows:

Play-Doh- $3 purchase of $12 or higher Play-Doh item with promo code TGMG8CWX
Barbie- $5 off $19 or higher Barbie Toy with promo code TGMYNLHU
Playskool- $5 off $19 or higher Playskool item with promo code TGVAYWST
Disney- $5 off $19 or higher Disney Bike, Scooter, or Toy with promo code TGMZ4ARN
Fisher-Price- $5 off $19 or higher Fisher-Price Ride-On or Toy with promo code TGRBSFRR
Star Wars- $5 off $19 or higher Star Wars Toy with promo code TGVDWW5P
Hot Wheels- $5 off $19 or higher Hot Wheels Toy with promo code TGMPXZ9E
NERF- $5 off $19 or higher NERF item with promo code TGRBSFRR
FurReal Friends- $5 off $19 or higher FurReal Friends excludes Baby Butterscotch My Magical Show Pony with promo code TGT3YLTW
LeapFrog- $5 off $19 or higher LeapFrog Item excludes LeapPad & Leapster GS Explorer hardware with promo code TGUPBX9N
LEGO- $5 off $29 or higher LEGO item excludes LEGO Friends Items with promo code TGURD63S
Razor- $10 off $29 or higher Razor Scooter with promo code TGVDZMMS

Petunia Pickle Bottom - free shipping AND free Wanderlust Wallet in Lively La Paz with purchase of $75 or more!

Small Businesses

This Love Is Ours Boutique - is offering customers 20% off of their entire purchase OR free shipping (US only on shipping)!

Scribblers Crayons - is offering customers 15% off of their entire order with the code ETSYHOLIDAY12!

Vianca Mercedes Collection - is offering customers 15% off of their entire order with the code HOLIDAY15!



That's all for now! If I find any more awesome deals I'll report back!!

 

  

Top Mommy Blogs

Hey Everyone! MCO is OFFICIALLY on Top Mommy Blogs now!! I would love for everyone to help me out and once a day just click on one of the various Top Mommy Blog buttons that I have on the blog to vote! All you have to do is click! Once you've been redirected to Top Mommy Blogs then you are finished and your vote has been counted. Help MCO get to the top!

Thank You So Much =]

Need Holiday Gift Ideas?

Who doesn't love a good movie! Especially kid movies!! Check out below for great movies to give as gifts that won't break the bank!

Photo Credits: Amazon.com

The Lorax is on sale for $3.99 at Amazon! The best part, I just printed out the "listing" for this movie and brought it into Walmart and they price matched it for me! Saved me on shipping!

Photo Credits: Amazon.com

Horton Hears A Who is on sale for $3.99 at Amazon!

Photo Credits: Amazon.com

The Diamond Edition of Cinderella is more than half off at Amazon! It's only $15! 

Photo Credits: Amazon.com

Brave is on sale for $15 at Amazon (half off!) and the Blue Ray + DVD Combo is only $19.99!

When I find more awesome deals, I'll let ya know!

Happy Family Baby Foods Review & Giveaway!

When you feed your little one, what do you feed them? Do you make your own food? Do you buy it at the store? Organic or non organic? How do you decide? With how many choices are on the market these days, it's nearly impossible to decide which will be the best option for you and your little one. I feel it's safe to assume that we all want the best for our babies, but how do you know if what you're giving them is really the best? With Happy Family and the many options of organic and natural foods available, you will never have to worry about if your little one is getting the best, you can feel confident that they are.

    

Happy Family is based out of New York and started in 2006 in hopes to give moms and dads everywhere a healthy alternative to jarred baby food. Happy Family has won a handful of awards including the 2012 Fast Company's Rockstar of the New Economy and the 2010 SheKnows.com Parents' Choice Award. Happy Families has over 12 different product lines including HappyBaby pouches, HappyTot pouches, HappyMunchies, and many other tasty treats for little ones!

Happy Family so graciously sent me seven (7) full value coupons for me to go pick out some delicious foods for Baby A to try out and for me to review! After receiving the coupons in the mail I planned a trip to Target to go grab our goodies (our local Target and Safeway do not have Happy Families unfortunately), and I ended up staring at all of the Happy Family choices for a good 10 minutes. I just could not decide what to try!!! I ended up going home with four HappyTot Plus pouches and three HappyMunchies Rice Cakes for the little man to snack on.

 I chose to get Baby A two Blueberry, Apple & Purple Carrot, and two Kale, Apple & Mango, food pouches. These pouches for him to try out because in the past he has been a fan of pouches with blueberries, apples, and mangos. As I anticipated, he sucked them dry in a matter of seconds.

Baby A Approves of HappyTot Plus Pouches!

 My absolute favorite thing about baby food pouches is that your little one can feed themselves (if they're old enough of course). They're small enough where it is easy for your little one to hold on to, yet has enough food to fill up little tummies (unless you're Baby A in which case you may eat two). HappyTot Plus pouches not only taste good, but they're packed full of vitamins such as Omega 3's, Calcium, and Magnesium. They have only 1 gram of fat and 60 calories per pouch and are relatively low in sodium and sugar. They also blend both fruits and vegetables together so you can feel great about your little one snacking on these throughout the day!

Nutrition Facts for Blueberry, Apple & Purple Carrot

Nutrition Facts for Kale, Apple & Mango

For some tasty snacks, I decided to get the HappyMunchies rice cakes since Baby A is a huge advocate for crackers, I figured he would enjoy these. I decided to grab Baby A two bags of the Apple Rice Cakes and one bag of the Carrot.

I loved that they were made out of brown rice and that they were only sweetened and colored from the natural fruit and vegetable juices used in the rice cake. There are only 20 calories per 3 rice cakes and there is essentially no sugar, no sodium, and no fat. This is the perfect snack for little ones who just want to snack! These little rice cakes also contain no gluten or wheat so you won't have to worry about your little one having an allergy if they are sensitive!

Nutrition Facts for the Carrot Rice Cakes

Nutrition Facts for the Apple Rice Cakes

The rice cakes are the perfect size for little fingers to hold onto and they dissolve quickly in the mouth so that your baby should not choke on the pieces. Although the rice cakes are naturally sweetened, I was still surprised to find that the Apple ones were a little sour! I  personally did not care for them, but Baby A couldn't get enough of them. My only warning to those who are letting their little ones snack on these is that they will have sticky hands after! Have a wipe handy!

Baby A is a Fan!

Overall I was very happy with my experience (and Baby A's experience!) with Happy Family Baby Food products! I felt confident that he was eating food that was healthy for him rather than other competitive brands that are packed full of sugars and are high in sodium. With the rice cakes the only thing that I wasn't 100% happy with is how sticky Baby A's hands got, but he absolutely loved them so I am willing to overlook the stickiness and keep buying them for his enjoyment! I would recommend Happy Family to any parent who is on the go and wants their baby to be having foods that are packed full of the healthy ingredients that they need.

Click HERE to check out the Happy Family website!

Click HERE to become a fan of Happy Family on Facebook!

But wait! Don't go yet! Want to WIN some Happy Family Baby Food?!

Happy Family and MCO want to give YOU a pack of full value coupons so that you can get some healthy and tasty food for your little one!

One lucky winner will receive seven (7) full value coupons for Happy Family!
Store Locator 

Here's How To Win!

 The Giveaway will close late on the evening of Sunday November 25th and the winner will be announced no later than the morning of  Monday November 26th . The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on the Rafflecopter as well as MCO’s Facebook. The winner's address will be emailed by MCO to Happy Family so that their prize can be mailed out.

*This review is 100% original and in my own words. Everything written is from my own personal view point and opinions. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Happy Family however I have not been compensated monetarily for this review.

Google Friend Connect

Well my mommy brain has sure been laughing in my face for the last six months of this blog being "alive". Up until some new blogger friends enlightened me on the beauty of Google Friend Connect, I had absolutely NO idea it existed. But guess what, it does!

Google Friend Connect will allow you to follow along with MCO much easier than having to add me to your reading list. Simply click on the "Join This Site with Google Friend Connect" button on the left hand side, and at that point it will prompt you to log in with Google, Twitter, or Yahoo! That's it! Such an easy and convenient way to follow along!

Since I had absolutely no idea about GFC I would love it if you would all be so kind as to follow me through it! It's time to MCO to play catch up!

The Graceful Mom GIVEAWAY!

So on Monday I review two Wool Dryer Balls from The Graceful Mom in my efforts to change some of my living habits, go a little bit greener, and save myself some money in the long run. If you missed my review you may catch up HERE. I absolutely love the dryer balls. Not only did they reduce static and eliminate all added chemicals from dryer sheets, but they cut down the amount of time you need to dry your clothes, which in the long run will cut down your utility bill as well!

The Graceful Mom & MCO want to help you get started on the transition from dryer sheets to wool dryer balls! The Graceful Mom is giving one lucky MCO reader a set of two (2) natural and unscented dryer balls!

Please remember that it is recommended that you use between 4-6 dryer balls per load of laundry to receive the maximum results!

Here's your chance to win!



The Giveaway will close late on the evening of Friday October 19th and the winner will be announced no later than the morning of Saturday October 20th. The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on the Rafflecopter and MCO's Facebook page and the winner will be emailed by The Graceful Mom to redeem your prize!

Have Fun & Good Luck!

Homemade Mexican Food

If you were to ask me what food I could eat every day and not get sick of it, I would say Mexican food. I absolutely love Mexican food. What I don't love about Mexican food is that it is hard to find a restaurant that you love, at least for me it is. I found one in our new town but unfortunately, they know that they're the best in town so they are a little on the pricey side. If we want Mexican food, we have to make it ourselves or be willing to spend the cash. While grocery shopping yesterday I made a split decision to make Mexican food for dinner. I was already at the store so it was easy to grab what I needed! For under $20 I was able to make beef tacos, Mexican rice, beans, guacamole, and homemade tortilla chips. We are a family of three (technically 2 1/2 since Baby A doesn't eat nearly as much as we do) and we had a ton of left overs, I would confidently say that you can feed a family of four (two adults, two children) and still have some left over to snack on the next day. Here's how to make Mexican food MCO's way.

Beef Tacos

What You Need:

Ground Beef (enough to feed your family, I got a little over a pound).
1 Tomato
1 Head of Iceburg Lettuce
1 8 OZ bag of Mexican Shredded Cheese
1 Package of Tortillas
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil (I already had it, so no cost in this dinner)

Total: Approx $13

Rice & Beans

What You Need:

1 Can of Black Beans
1 Box of Mexican Rice (I took the easy way out and used All Natural Farmhouse Mexican Rice, you could also use brown rice, wild rice, or even white rice depending on what sounds good for you and your family).
1 Lime

Total: Approx $3

Tortilla Chips

What You Need:

1 Package of Tortillas (I used the same package from the Tacos, so I didn't count it as an extra cost)
Olive Oil (I had it on hand so again I didn't count the cost)
Salt (I had it on hand and didn't count the cost)

Total: $0

Uncooked

Cooked

Guacamole

2 Ripe Avocados ( I would recommend 3-4 for a larger family)
1 Teaspoon of Mayonnaise (we had it on hand so I didn't count the cost)
Salt (To Taste)
Pepper (To Taste)
Garlic (To Taste)

Total: $2

What You Need To Do:

Preheat the oven to 425*. Take a stack of tortillas (make sure to leave enough for your tacos) and cut them into triangles.Spread them out on a baking sheet and spray light olive oil onto the tortilla triangles (or if you're like me and don't have a nifty sprayer, take a paper towel and dab olive oil onto your chips) and top with light salt. Bake for 7 minutes or until they are at a desired crunchiness. You will most likely do several batches. In a medium sized pot, combine a tablespoon of olive oil and ground beef, cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the ground beef is completely cooked (NO pink showing whatsoever). While your ground beef is cooking, dice your tomato and chop your lettuce. The rice may take the longest to cook so follow the directions according to the box for preparation. Open your can of black beans and drain the juice out of it. Pour the beans into a small pan and squeeze half (or the full) lime onto the beans. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally.While everything is cooking/heating up, combine your two avocados in a bowl and squish them with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir until everything is combined. When your ground beef is cooked, take it off of the heat and set it aside. Your beef tacos are ready to be assembled! Heat up your tortilla's in a skillet and add whatever ingredients you want! I personally put everything in the taco but you could eat your rice and beans to the side! This is a quick and easy dinner that the entire family will love, especially the tortilla chips!

Now you have a tasty meal that the whole family will love! Enjoy!