Teriyaki Ramen Noodles Recipe

I have never really been big on eating Ramen noodles. I know a lot of people really like them. Ramen noodles are just not my thing. I'm not sure if it's the water or what, I did learn how to make really good Ramen noodle recipe. Basically all you use is that stuff that comes in the Ramen noodle package but you add a bunch of different flavors to it. This is the only way I like to eat Ramen noodles. Its really easy and very flavorful. I learned this recipe from my friend Chris who sacrificed his life for our freedom in Iraq. Every time I eat this dish I think about Chris. It's a great way to meet something not only really delicious but also friendly affordable.

One package of Oriental Ramen noodles

some chopped onion

one cap of Teriyaki sauce

a spoonful of brown sugar

Cook Ramen noodles according to the package do not add the flavor packet. Drain the water and add the flavor packet, onion, Teriyaki sauce, and brown sugar. Mix and enjoy.

A special thank you to Chris for not only sharing your yummy recipe with me but for also making ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. I miss you more than you could ever know.

Creative Popcorn Toppings

We love to eat popcorn in my house. Thanks to Publix we always have some because of the buy one get one free sales they have. I don't always like just butter popcorn, even the movie theater butter microwave kind. I usually add something to it. The only time I really want butter popcorn is at the movies because I always get extra extra butter. I don't really go to the movies often.

Here are some of my creative popcorn toppings I have discovered through the years.

Parmesan cheese popcorn

You can use either the sprinkles or the shreds. I use both. It just depends because Noah likes the sprinkle kind. The shredded kind gets a little crunchy but its so good.

Jalapeño Popcorn

This is something I learned in Texas with my cousins and her kids. We went to the movies and they put jalapeños on their popcorn. I tried it with just the juice because I wasn't in to Jalapeños. Now I love them so I just throw them on top too.

Homemade Garlic Popcorn

I totally love garlic popcorn but I can't eat it very often because my stomach hurts after, but it's definitely worth it.

Popcorn and icing

This is something I used to do with my Grandma Rose. She had heart problems and was on a special diet and so she had an air popper. The popcorn was pretty bland so I would dip it in chocolate icing. It was surprisingly good.

Chili powder on popcorn is not good. I really like chili powder but never on popcorn.

How do you like to eat popcorn?

Clinch App Review

Noah is definitely a ham. He is just like his mama. I used to love being the center of attention on videos and in pictures. Noah is the same way. He loves when I make little videos of him on my phone or camera. He has his own camera that he produces episodes of The Noah Show on. It has a theme song and everything. I have so many little videos of Noah throughout the years; it is hard to know what to do with them all.  I recently learned about an app called Clinch. You can mix your photos and videos to make really awesome keepsakes and videos for loved ones. You can also mix them with your family or friend’s videos and photos.  I absolutely love this idea because when we have family get-togethers there are so many of us and it is hard to remember to send the photos or videos to 20 different people, this way it can be sent to just one of us, probably me, and I can email it or put it on Facebook for everyone to see.  Clinch is also really cool because, my sister and brother in law are horrible about sending me pictures and videos of Noah that they take when they are visiting.  I am hoping Clinch will give them more of an incentive.  I will include unseen footage of Noah too. The last video I received from them of Noah was from his third birthday, when they taught him how to beg for money. It was so cute and funny, until a police officer walked by. Thankfully he too thought it was funny, and didn’t say anything but smile and laugh. I think that Clinch would be great for wedding videos too.  Almost everyone has an iPhone or an iPod or an iPad to take video of the couple’s happy day during the reception or special toasts.

Here is some information from the developer:

Description

Clinch - My Video Butler. An automatic video editor that creates amazing short movies from all your best videos and photos. One of Clinch's coolest feature is that it helps you create a collaborative movie by mixing and editing your videos and photos with friends around you.

To make your movie even more stunning Clinch offers you to add the best related photos from Instagram, panoramic views from Google, nearby tweets and more cool stuff, all based on your location!

It all happens automatically:
Record or upload videos and photos from your camera roll. Add captions, choose a theme, a soundtrack and add more clips from your friends...

With a click of a button Clinch analyzes the best parts and adds more cool related stuff from around you. It then edits it all together (hands free…) with amazing transitions, filters and more.

Clinch is especially great when you and your friends go together to music concerts, sport events and parties… Capture it, and let Clinch do the rest. You can also explore movies by other users, see what’s trending around the world and what’s popular nearby. Follow other clinchers to add them to your movie feed and share movies on Twitter, Facebook and Email.

Features:
+ Automatic video editing (Everything is edited and stored in the cloud).
+ Clinch finds and combines all related videos and photos around you.
+ Choose how and who to mix your videos with.
+ You control the privacy of your content.
+ Unlimited uploads and storage!
+ Browse, Like and comment on friends and other clinchers’ movies.
+ Follow other users and get notifications when your video stars in other movies.
+ Explore popular and nearby movies.
+ Live feed of your friend’s best and favorite movies.
+ Instant movie sharing to Twitter, Facebook, and Email.
+ More cool stuff!

You can find Clinch in the iTunes Store for free. Great editing software for free!!

For more information and to download please visit Clinch

Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Sheila's Spaghetti with Meat Recipe

When you think about spaghetti, you know that it is a meal that is great for feeding a bunch of people. Spaghetti is cheap and easy to make for a meal where you have lots of guests.  When I think of spaghetti I always think of the book Strega Nona. I think of Strega Nona and Big Anthony because I either make way too much or not enough.  Usually, it is way too much. Luckily, Noah loves spaghetti and he will gobble it up, like it’s no one’s business. There are different ways to make it of course. Most of the time I just make it with just sauce poured on and parmesan cheese. I will call that traditional spaghetti, but sometimes I want something more than just the sauce.  Usually when I can find hamburger on sale, I will make this recipe. It is great for serving a group because it is so filling and good. It is also really easy to make.

Sheila’s Meat Spaghetti Recipe

One box spaghetti

One Can Spaghetti Sauce whatever flavor you would like. I use Hunts

One pound hamburger

One small onion

A few garlic cloves

Cook Spaghetti per the box directions in a big pot, while it is cooking, start browning the hamburger in a skillet;  chop up onion and garlic. When the hamburger is almost done add the onion and garlic and cook through.  Drain the hamburger mixture.  Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add the sauce and hamburger mixture and combine and  Enjoy!

Weekly Playdate with Friends

One thing I really look forward to each week is the weekly play date we have with one of Noah's friends from school. We both look forward to it for different reasons. Noah loves to go out and play with a friend and other children. He's an only child so he doesn't have the luxury of always having another child to play with.  Luckily this friend has many siblings and the park always has kids running around playing.  Noah really looks up to his friend's older sibling.

I really enjoy it because I get to talk to a grown up. Noah's friend's mom is really nice and really interesting. Both of us being first year transplants we don't know a ton of people here. Making local friends for me is a challenge since I work from home online. I have become friends with this mom. She is really a blessing to us and I am so happy to know her. She is interested in my blog too. She told me she spent hours looking at it. When she spends hours that is awesome because those are precious hours I am sure.   She is a great mom with an amazing heart.  I look forward to every week. I look at the weather and pray its not going to rain or be really cold, just so we can have the special park time with this family.

How to Make Roast Pork

I mentioned in my Cuban sandwich recipe that I roasted my own pork. I am sure people were wondering how to roast pork. I know when I was living in Indiana I tried finding it roasted at the grocery store and even Hispanic grocery stores and I couldn't find it anywhere. I had to figure out how to do it. It's really easy actually. You buy a pork tenderloin. I love a lot of flavor so I always coat mine with McCormick's Montreal Steak seasoning. I make a crust of the seasoning and cook it per the directions on the pork. You don't have to pay more for it already seasoned. It definitely has a kick but nothing too spicy. I have also had slices of this pork with potatoes as a meal. You usually get quite a bit so I just slice it and it freezes well. This is great for when pork is on sale you can just season it, cook it, cut it and freeze it which is great when you have to have a quick dinner or doing a fend for yourself night.

Saying Thank You with Flowers

Teacher appreciation week is coming up in April. As a daughter of a teacher I know firsthand how hard teachers work off the clock. I also know how much money they spend on supplies. Teachers get a small spending stipend to spend on materials. The other things they need come out of pocket. I love Noah's teachers. We were really lucky that his teachers are so awesome. I am definitely going to do something special for them.

I used to teach at different daycares. I was also a Montessori preschool teacher before I was a mom. I would occasionally receive gifts from my kids. One of my favorites was the year I received a bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day. The child's mother told me that I was one of his moms. Of course that sweet gesture made me cry. I will definitely get Noah's teachers some flowers from our local florist. I love to send people flowers especially if they are going through a rough time. It is a nice gesture to let someone know you care about them if you can't be there. 

My best friend Brandy's talented daughter was in a play. We were texting each other the night before her daughter made her debut. I mentioned getting her a flower or a bouquet of flowers to give her after her performance.  I used to get a flower after choir concerts and performances  from my mom. Brandy thought I was awesome for coming up with the idea.  I used to love it. I am pretty sure they sold them at the concert.  I was an orphan and a couple other roles in Annie and I even received flowers then. Flowers may not last for forever but the gesture lasts a life time.

When was the last time you received flowers and why?

Bath and Bodyworks Teams up with Matthew Robbins

Two things I love are candles and Bath & Bodyworks. It is no surprise that I love Bath & Bodyworks candles. I remember when they first started selling candles. I was working there and when they opened up White Barn Company part my heart melted. I was addicted. I had all kinds of candles. They used to sell candles in my favorite scents. I could light a candle and use the lotion and be lost in a land of Juniper Breeze. I still have some of those candles that I have had for 8 plus years. My mom said that she was lighting my Bartlett Pear candle. She said she would replace it and I said that's not possible because they don't make it anymore. I don't think she ended up lighting it. I have had many different candles from Bath & Bodyworks through the years. My current favorite scent is Fresh Bamboo. I cried when they stopped selling it. If they would have warned me, somehow. They could have emailed or tweeted I would have gone crazy and bought a lifetime supply. They ended up bringing it back and I got a couple candles. I even gave my mom one.  She loves Fresh Bamboo too. I look forward to when Bath & Bodyworks comes out with new scents each season. I can't wait to smell the spring ones. Yesterday I received a flyer in the mail with some coupons.

Everyone knows how great the scents are but did you know that Bath & Bodyworks White Barn Candle Company sells candle decorations. The candles are in beautiful jars with silver lids but sometimes you wanna add something special.

Bath & Body Works partnered with celebrity event designer, Matthew Robbins, to create some fun spring décor ideas as well as provide a few tips and tricks. From setting a table for Easter brunch to a casual get together with friends, the new Bath & Body Works White Barn Candle Collection and Accessories are sure to bring the scents and colors of spring into your home.

Candles: $20 at bathandbodyworks.com
Accessories: $5.50-$44.50 at bathandbodyworks.com

For more information please visit Bath & Bodyworks

I am working with Bath and Bodyworks on this post. I am receiving some samples of the products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.