'Twas the Night Before School

Oh yes - it has come again - I have tried to resist - stomp my feet - cry - look the other way - and flat out refuse to recognize that my last day of freedom has passed me by. I must officially report tomorrow! Sure, I have have been to school many days preparing in advance - but that was on my terms - now I have no choice - the youngsters await!

Wishing everyone a great start to the new year.

Love, Tracy

Moving Tim's Stuff

What an adventure we had moving Tim's stuff yesterday from Lansing to Royal Oak!

Background: Tim needed to move his stuff out of his storage facility before the end of August.

Problems:

1. No truck,

2. no time,

3. no money,

4. no where to put the stuff,

5. Wrong size trailer hitch and a rusted-shut pin!

6. Torrential Rain

7. 90 degree plus weather

Solutions:
1. Genesis the Church lent us their crazy Dodge Ram (I think it actually had been rammed a few times)

2. We made time

3. UHaul trailers cost a lot less than their moving vans - sweat equity is cheap!

4. Our friend Alli has an empty basement

5. Leverage is beautiful - we managed to bypass the lock and actually remove the wrong size ball and replace it with the right size using various instruments/bars/hammer/wrenches from tracysbluehouse garage!

6. We got wet - very wet

7. We were hot - very hot

Tim: "Hmm - rain was not in my plan"

"Two girls and a boy are going to move all of this stuff in this truck and a uhaul - in the rain?"

"I wish my sister would stop looking back and saying 'good news the trailer is still attached' and 'Tim - I think I heard a noise' and 'Tim - don't the tires look like they are about to explode'"

"All the furniture in the back of the truck"

"Ta-da - we're hot and hungry - but the stuff is all in the truck"

Tracy: "Hey Tim - doesn't that tire look like it's bulging?"

A few hours later . . . we drove from Lansing to Royal Oak (55 mph!) to Alli's house!

There are exactly 10 stairs from the first floor to the basement. We didn't trip once!

But alas - the stuff has found it's home - at least temporarily!

Two Anniversaries and a Birthday!

Hello Everyone
Paul and I are in Florida celebrating two anniversaries: Our 37th and Yvonne and Dick’s 22nd and Paul’s 61st Birthday. We are having a really nice time. The picture is last night when we went to a wonderful dinner. The food was great and there was a small wedding going on there too. Made the evening very special that way. We got to dance a little and they played a special song just for us. We really had a really nice time. Weather is wonderful and today we are going to the beach just to relax and swim. See everyone soon I hope. Paul and I are flying up to Marquette for Labor Day!

Love
Emily

Happy Birthday - Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad! You are the best!

May God continue to overflow your life. May you continue to have improved health, cherished times with family and friends, and unexplained joy!

I love you, Tracy

Happy Birthday Debbie!

Happy Birthday Debbie!

I hope it is a wonderful birthday! May God bless you and keep you this year with joy, laughter, and hope!

Love, Tracy

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

I love you very much and so glad that you are my Grandma.

My prayers for you this year are for unexpected joy, strength in hard times, cherished times with Grandpa and the rest of the family, time to rejuvinate!

Love, Tracy

The Cart has arrived!

HI
Well the cart arrived today. Paul and I took it for it's first ride around the area. We went on the route we take for our walks. It was much easier with the cart (lol). We had it painted to match the Corvette. It was a lot of fun and how we are just waiting for all of you to visit and we can take you in all the fun places in Peachtree City. The end of this month on the 27Th will be our one year in Georgia. It has gone by really fast and I think we have made many good friends and really have enjoyed our selfs. Come on down and visit y'all.
Emily

Pete and Emily Visit Royal Oak

I thought you all might enjoy seeing a picture of Pete and his girlfriend, Emily. Pete is standing up in his friend Todd's wedding. I was glad because that meant he and Emily were able to spend a little time with us too!

Hotlanta reaches 104!

Hello Everyone

It has been HOT! It read 104 on the thermostat in the back yard and it is in the shade! I love warm weather but I am even sweating. I have some pictures of the birds in the back yard. We get a lot of cardinals and yellow finches. Thought you would enjoy seeing them. Hope you are all well and keeping cool. I like Tracy’s suggestion ice cream is just what we need to cool us down.

Love
Emily

Wordless Wednesday

Remedy for a hot summer day!

Sooner than Later: Nadeau Family Cooks

Well, thanks to Tim, the list is sooner than later! Please e-mail me with the additional recipes that you want to add! Thanks for all your contributions!
Love, Tracy

Almond Frosting
Apple Dip
Apricot Nut Bread
As Close to Grandma's Rye Bread as I Can Get
Aunt Ellen's Banana Bread
Aunt Penny's Lime Pie
Baked French Toast
Banana Cake
Bean Casserole
Beef Stroganoff
Best Loved Meat Loaf
Better Than Anything Cake
Big Martha's Meat Loaf
Black & White Cheese Cake Bites
Blueberry Boy Bait
Blueberry Hucklebuckle
Blueberry Shiver
Breakfast Club Baked French Toast
Broccoli Casserole
Broccoli Salad
Bruschetta
Burrito Bake
Butter Frosting
Buttercream Frosting
Candy Apple Delight Salad
Capital Punishment Chile
Caramel Corn
Caramel Filling
Cardamon Bread
Carol's Everyweek Chicken for Two
Carrot, Avocado, and Cream Nourishing Mask
Carrot-Banana Bread
Cheese and Egg Casserole
Cheesy Potatoes
Cherry Coconut Bars
Almond Frosting
Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken Casserole by Grandma Nadeau
Chicken Casserole by Grandma Ulrickson
Chicken Croquettes
Chocolate Chip Cake
Chocolate Chip Cake Bars
Chocolate Chippers- Light bake
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Chocolate Crescent Moon Cookies
Chocolate Muffins
Chocolate Oreo Pudding
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with dried cherries
Chop Suey Casserole
Chow Chow
Cinnamon Bread
Cinnamon Ornaments
Cinnamon Rolls
Parkerhouse Rolls
Cordon Bleu Casserole
Corn Bread Taco Bake
Country Peppers
Cranberry Bread
Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs
Cranberry Fluff
Cranberry Punch
Cranberry Relish
Cream Cheese Cookies
Butter Frosting
Crepe - the basic recipe
Crepe - the dessert recipe
Crepe - the basic recipe
Daisy Birthday Cake
Date Filled Cookies
Deedee's Salmon Mousse
Dijon Pork Chops
Doggie Bites
Easy Grilled Chicken
Emily's Stuffed Breast of Turkey
English Walnut Fudge
Evelyn's Chicken Casserole
Evelyn's Lasagna
Farmers Casserole New
Fluffy Frosting to go with the Lemon Filling
German Chocolate Cake Filling and Frosting
Good Eats Roast Turkey
Graham Cracker Brown Bread
Grandma Ulrickson's Chicken Casserole
Grandma Ulrickson's Patik Suppe (Potato Soup)
Grandma Ulrickson's Strawberry Shortcake
Grandma's Apps
Grandma's Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie
Grandma's Pumpkin Pie Crust
Grandma's Seven Layer Bars
Grandma's Sloppy Joes
Grandmas Zuc Bread
Grandsma Ulrickson's Lemon Dessert
Gum Drop Loaves
Ham Balls
Hamburger Pinwheels
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Hot Milk Frosting
Hot Spinach Balls
Joy's Favorite Sugar Cookies
Kahhelwin
Kellogg's Rice Krispie Treats
Key Lime Pie
Lemon Dill Turkey Pitas
Lemon Filling
Fluffy Frosting to go with the Lemon Filling
Lemon Herb Chicken
Light Chicken Parmesan
Low Fat Apple Cobbler
Low Fat Turkey Sloppy Joes
Lowfat Bisquick Muffins
Macaroni & Cheese 101
Make ahead Pizza Dough
Maltese Sausage
Mandarin Orange Cake
Marbelized Peanut Butter Dessert
Marnie Cain's Egg Casserole
Meatballs
Spaghetti Sauce
Meatloaf - Fast and Furious
Mediterranean Tuna Steaks
Merry Sugar Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes
Mint Stick Brownies
Mint Stick Frosting
Miracle Cabbage Soup
Molasses and Jam Cookies
Mom's Almond Bars
Almond Frosting
Mom's Toffee Bars
Muddy Buddies
Munising Tried and True Daffodil Cake
New York Cheesecake
Nieman Marcus Cookies
No Bake Cookies
Oatmeal Cake
Oatmeal Raspberry Muffins
Oatmeal, Almond, and Avocado Foot and Hand Scrub
Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
Orange Dream
Orange-Jicama Salad
Oreo Ice Cream Dessert
Oven Baked French Toast
Oven Fried Coconut Chicken
Parkerhouse Rolls
Parmesan Puff Pastry Straws
Pastitsi Dough
Peanut Blossoms
Peanut Blossoms II
Peanut Butter Cups
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Peanut Butter Yum Yums
Pecan Danties
Pepparkakor
Phyllo Triangles
Pistachio Dessert
Pizza Crust
Poppy Seed Bread
Pork Sausage Stuffing
Potato Sausage
Potatoes
Potik Kagel (Potato Pancakes)
Pride of Iowa Cookies
Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Cookie Frosting
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Snack Light
Quick and Easy Chicken Casserole
Reuben Balls
Rhubarb Bread
Roast Breast of Turkey with Apple, Apricot, and Currant Stuffing
Rob's Birthday Banana-Apple Bread
Rosemary Focaccia
Saffron Loaves
Sara's Chili
Saucy Chicken
Scotcheroos
Sheppard’s Pie
Sherbet Punch
Shrimp salad
Silly Putty
Skillet Cookies
Skillet Rice Casserole
Snack Pasties
Snickerdoodles
Spaghetti Sauce
Spam Buns
Spanish Rice
Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes
Spicy Gazpacho Soup
Spicy Turkey Chili
Spinach Bread Dip
Star Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Strawberry Spinach Salad Dressing
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans
Stuffed Cabbage
Stuffed Shells
Sugar Cookies
Susie's Cheesy Potatoes
Susie's Potatoes
Swedish Almond Drops
Swedish Cookies
Swedish Meatballs I
Swedish Meatballs II
Swedish Nuts
Sweet Potato Pie
Taco Dip
The Perfect Roast Turkey
Tira Misu
Toasted baguette slice with brie and pumpkin butter
Toffee Bars
Tom Yum Koong Soup
Torte Caire (French Pork Pie)
Tortilla Pie
Tracy's Couscous Salad
Tracy's Spinach Dip
Turkey and Cranberry Ravioli
Turkey Tetrazzini
Whipped Cream-Like Frosting
White Bean Chili (chicken)
Who Loves Ya Baby-Back?
Yummy Gyros
Zucchini Relish

Cookbook and a Spicy Gazpacho Soup

Wow - 218 recipes have been entered to the cookbook! I am going to post the list as soon as Tim can help me compile it! (sometime in the next week) In the meantime enjoy this Summertime Staple: Spicy Gazpacho Soup



Spicy Gazpacho Soup
Submitted By :Tracy Nadeau
Serving Size : 6


Amount Measure Ingredient
1 medium peeled cucumber -- seeded and chopped
1 medium green bell pepper -- seeded and chunked
2 whole celery stalks -- chunked
1 medium white onion -- chunked
1 clove of garlic -- peeled
1 1/4 cups low sodium vegetable juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce, hot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium plum tomato -- seeded and chopped

- - - - - Preparation Method- - - - - - - - - - -
In a food processor, combine the cucumber, pepper, celery, onion and garlic; pulse 8-10 times to break up. Add the vegetable juice, vinegar, pepper sauce and salt; process to a fine dice. Transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve, sprinkled with the chopped tomato.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 34 Calories; trace Fat (5.4% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 203mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : My modifications: I process the veggies much more than what they list so that the soup isn't chunky at all. I also add more of the vegetable juice/vinegar/hot pepper sauce mixture per serving. (I like the soup to be red, not green.) And if I'm making a batch to eat over a week, I generally keep the red juice mixture in a separate container than the green veggies and only mix the two right before I eat it.

the Deer are getting bigger!

And now there is four! Today the deer came to visit like they do all the time now. However, there were four fawns. I have seen three together but this is the first time there were four! what a surprise. They are really getting big too. It must be all that corn they get. They are so funny. They now snort or make noise with the dish to let me know they need more corn. When we are on the side of the house and the corn is gone they come around and start to stare at me until I notice them then the keep looking over to the empty dish. I am well trained by them. They really bring a lot of enjoyment to watch. I am enjoying the squirrels too. They now have corn cobs on a bungee cord and it jumps up and down when they get on it. It is reallllllllly entertaining. With the birds, deer , and squirrels I don't need TV. Well all take care

Emily

Happy Birthday Pete!

A Terrific 25

Happy Birthday to you - Happy Birthday to you - Happy birthday dear Peter! Happy Birthday to you! You are LOVED by all of us!!

May God continue to bless you and to watch over you. May you have a life that overflows with Joy and abundance. May you grow closer every day to God - and may you have His Peace that surpasses all understanding.

I love you Pete - Love CC

Wordless Wednesday

Say What?

Working on the Garage

Hello Everyone

Well this is what I have been doing all weekend. I decided that I was going to epoxy the garage floor for Paul for his Birthday. I have done one side the single stall side. I spent most of yesterday scrubbing the floor and getting all the stuff off. Today I got everything ready and trimmed the sides but because you only have one hour before the paint can't work anymore I asked Paul to roll the stuff on while I put the little chips of color on it. It really looks nice. You can't walk on it for 17 hours then up anything on it for 72 hours and you have to wait for 7 full days before you can put the car on it. Next weekend I will do the other side with the two stalls and the hall way for storage. That will take a little longer but now that I know what I am doing it should be a lot easier. Will hope everyone had a great weekend.

Love

Emily

5'ish miles at Island Lake Recreation Area

Yup, that's me! Carrie invited me to go on a quick 5 mile hike at Island Lake Recreation Area. It was highlighted in her guidebook as an easy 5 mile trail - sort of true - it wasn't a difficult hike - there were hills to climb but we were okay with that. Rather, the trail wasn't exactly 5 miles - more like six - which doesn't sound like a big deal - but my friend was coming over at 8 that night and we had to get home! So an extra mile was a big deal. We made it just in the nick of time. It took us a couple of hours - about 734 mosquito bites (I'm not exaggerating) - and 42 near death collisions with the mountain bikers to get back to the head of the yellow loop trail. It was a great time!

Here are few of the beautiful sites that we saw along the way!

Wordless Wednesday

Cookbook & Candy Apple Delight

Well - I am closing in on having the recipes entered into the cookbook. When I finish I post a list of all the recipes that I have so that you can send me the ones that you want to include but aren't listed. To keep you all excited about the cookbook - I am going to post a recipe each week! This weeks recipe is a BIG HIT at potlucks - I never bring any home! Candy Apple Delight Salad. I love that this dessert has "salad" in the name! At least it sounds healthy.
Enjoy

Candy Apple Delight Salad
Recipe By :Evelyn Nadeau
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient
8 ounces cool whip Lite® -- thawed
16 ounces crushed pineapple -- drained
3 whole granny Smith apple
3 whole snickers candy bar
1/2 cup peanuts

-- Preparation Method--------
Combine cool whip and pinapple in bowl.
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Cut snickers bars into small pieces. Chop peanuts.
Fold all into coop whip mixture.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 266 Calories; 12g Fat (41.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 60mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Fruit; 2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : From Grandma Nadeau

I think they call that a "Varmint"!

Oh yes - we have had a few encounters with another kind here at tracy's blue house. It's hard to believe that I am sandwiched in between two major highways, in the middle of the city, and I have Varmints! We have seen quite a few things lurking in the night: skunk, raccoons, opossums, mice, and an occasional rat - yes I said rat.

The question right now is "What on earth did I trap in the garage this week?" I certainly know it had teeth. Apparently, it also has the urge to exercise. Last Thursday I was hopping in my car which was parked in the driveway to go visit my friend Kathy. As I was climbing in I heard a very loud machine like noise - it was really loud and it sounded like it was coming from my garage. What could it be? I pressed the automatic door opener and much to my disbelief - my treadmill was running at full tilt - 10 miles per hour - I was expecting to see smoke come out from underneath the tread. I turned it off and checked the LCD display - it had been on for 3.5 minutes! Holy smokes - what on earth turned that thing on? I unplugged the treadmill to prevent any further events - I can't even imagine the look on that varmint's face when he turned that thing on. I proceeded back to my car and on to my regularly scheduled plan!

Yesterday - Saturday - I was in the garage and noticed a bunch of blue plastic shreds on the ground. I followed the trail to my heavy duty rubbermaid container - the one that had - I say had because there wasn't much left - had the birdseed and grass seed in it. I used the heavy duty container - to keep the varmints out - apparently - it the lid is closed - they'll just find another way in - eat through the container. So after that - I realized I really had a varmint - so Sunday I vowed to clean out the garage. After much procrastination - I started at 3:00 pm!

I parked the cars in the driveway and began tidying up. I love to get that industrial vacuum going - slurping up every cobweb, spider sac, and dirty and disgusting thing that it's path can cross. It feels so satisfying - see you later spider!!! I swept up the little blue shard of plastic and made my way around. Then I began thinking to myself, "who was doing a wood project in the garage - there are wood shavings all over the floor. Wonderful - I guess I'll just vacuum them up with the rest of the mess." I went over to the window to open it and low and behold - more varmint evidence. That varmint must have been trapped in my garage - because he ATE my WINDOW casing - or at least a big chunk of it. That varmint!!!!!!

The folks over here at tracy's blue house now think that the varmint was trapped in the garage, he tried to get out by the window, gave up, and started searching for food. He sniffed out the seed and ate through the container when he couldn't get through it. He felt a little full and decided to take a run on the treadmill until I decided to finally open up the garage door!! What do you think? Crazy, huh?

Raccoon (I saw one sneaking around tonight!), opossum, rat, or squirrel? Let's hope he doesn't return!