Finally the Search is Over

Ranch salad dressing has long been my salad dressing of choice.

Over the past several months though, I've become very fond of southwest-type salads - the ones with grilled chicken, black beans, corn and tortilla strips in them. Yum!

In wanting to make a salad like that at home I have searched and searched for just the perfect salad dressing.

I've looked on store shelves many, many times. I've 'googled' for recipes. I've been unsuccessful. That is until about a week ago.

When there's something I really, really want I don't give up easily. On a shopping trip to the local Walmart I, yet again, went down the aisle I've searched before.

That day I found this - All Seasons Salsa Ranch dressing. It sounded pretty good to me and I bought a bottle.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Folks, we have a winner!

It's the perfect salad dressing for southwest salads, chicken wraps, dipping - you name it. It's Won-Der-Ful!

In the past it seems that - at least in my opinion - Wally World likes to get you hooked on something, then pulls the rug out from underneath you and no longer sells the item.

Determined not to have that happen this time I went to their website to send them a note. Not that my opinion would matter in the least little bit to them but I had to try.

And guess what?! There were comments from TWO years back saying what a great product this is.

WHAT??? How could that be? I have looked at bottle after bottle after bottle of salad dressings in more than one Wally World and I've never seen this one before. Am I blind? Maybe so. Regardless, I've found it now and I don't ever want it to go away.

But just in case it would - do you have a recipe for this type of dressing that you'd like to share?

I Find Inspiration In My Blog Friends

I'm always inspired by my blog friends who are consistent in exercising. I start exercising and keep it up for quite awhile, then things get in the way. This summer it was the awful heat. I do hope to start back up now that it's cooler.

Today after reading several blogs I was inspired to write this post.

Angela at Pickles on Pizza posted about a recent trip she made to Louisiana where she found an old Orange Crush sign. She didn't buy it but then, with the price that was on it, I wouldn't have either.

But that reminded me of a couple of scrapbook layouts I did some time ago.

Have you ever seen a car crusher in action?

And this one is one of my favorite layouts of G3 and G4. They don't often get to have pop with caffeine but I was able to get Son to o.k. some Orange Crush just so I could make this layout.

Lynn at For Love or Funny CLAIMS the only thing she cooks well is hot dogs. I don't believe that for one second but if it were true, this hot dog griller that I found at the Kitchen Collection store in Branson would be right up her alley. We have one and so does Son and Daughter. It grills great hot dogs!

LanyardLady was looking for a recipe for chicken parm or chicken cacciatore. I didn't have a recipe for her but it made me think of a wonderful little Italian restaurant called Brothers Railroad Inn in Independence, KS. They serve the BEST food! I'm not sure that chicken parm or chicken cacciatore is on the menu though. I'll have to look the next time we make a trip up there for dinner. Have you ever had Chicken Alfredo Pizza? Oh. My. Goodness! Theirs is to die for! Angela - if you're reading this, do ya'll make Chicken Alfredo pizza?

And finally, Joycee at Granny Mountain said in her post today that she was almost named Nola. She likes the name her parents did choose and is very glad that they didn't go with Nola. While I'm not crazy about my given name, one person in the family wanted me named Ernestine after himself. Although I loved that person dearly, I am SO GLAD that name didn't make the final cut. (Sorry to anyone reading this who has that name or has a loved one with it.)

So, if you're like me, in what way(s) do bloggers inspire you?

Fun Times This Past Weekend

Last week I told you I was going to the Creating Keepsakes scrapbooking convention in Tulsa. It was held at the Renaissance hotel in south Tulsa.

I might add that it's a very nice venue for the convention but while you can see the hotel from the highway, unless you've been there before, it's kinda hard to get to.


I was glad AD came with me because parking was at a premium. He dropped me at the door, then left to do some of his own shopping.

While I was at the convention he went to Bass Pro, Home Depot, Sam's, Best Buy, a couple of tools stores and a shop that sells racing parts. And that's only the places he told me he went to. There could have been others that he forgot to mention.


Lots of ladies - and a few guys - attended the convention for classes and the vendor show. I've taken classes in the past but this year I just wanted to go to the vendor show. Most of the vendors have pretty good prices on their merchandise.

I indulged. Enough said.


I was mainly looking for paper I could use to finish up my scrapbooks - yes, I meant to make 'scrapbooks' plural - of our 2006 trip to Disney World.

And yes, I did mean to type 2006. Between Daughter and me, we took something like 1800 photos on that trip. While I'm not printing or scrapbooking NEAR that many photos, it has taken me a long time to get the books put together.

I work on them - then get kind of burnt out on Disney (Whoa! did I just say that?!?!?) - and have to work on other layouts.

Eventually I make my way back to the Disney photos when I start thinking how nice another trip would be to "the World". Work on them some more - get burnt out again - well, you see how this goes and why it's taken me so long to get the books done.

I truly do love all my Disney photos and I would love to go visit 'the World' again someday. But not before I finish these scrapbooks.

Anyway, back to the convention. I was able to find enough Disney-type papers to finish the books up.


And get some other cute ideas for other projects.

Side note: I appreciate all the vendors who DO allow photos to be taken of the examples displayed. It really helps when you get home and want to re-create a page or project that you bought all the supplies for.


Several hours and quite a few dollars later I called AD to find out if he was in the vicinity. As it turned out he was just on the other side of 169 and it would only take him about 10 minutes to get back to the hotel.

Being the wonderful husband he is, AD asked if I'd like to go to Ted's for a late lunch. Ummm - let me think about that for just a . . .YES! (Like I'd ever turn down the opportunity for a trip to Ted's!)

For those of you in other parts of the country, Ted's Cafe Escondido (sorry, I don't know how to get that little accent mark over the 'e' in Cafe) is a Mexican style restaurant with the best chips, warm tortillas, salsa and queso served before the meal. Their food is so yummy and the service is always simply outstanding! Plus, there's a complimentary sopapilla for dessert waiting for you if you like.

If you're ever in the Oklahoma City / Tulsa area and like Mexican food - Ted's has my recommendation.

AD, G1 (in car) and his girlfriend.

Saturday night always finds us at the local dirt track to watch G1 and G2 race. Last Saturday both boys won their heat races.

This summer, on the majority of nights, the boys have placed 1st and 2nd in the feature races. There's been a bit of complaining amongst some of the other drivers about the boys' winning streak. NOTE: Some of the drivers are much older than either G1 or G2. In fact, back when I was a kid, one of them lived right across the street from my family.

The decision was made this past Saturday to invert the top 3 finishers of each heat race for the feature race. (My personal opinion is that the decision was made to try and stop the complaining. We'll see how that works.) That put the boys starting in the 5th and 6th positions.

Due to their driving skills, it wasn't long before the boys were running 1st and 2nd. This week G2 won and G1 came in 2nd. The boys are now tied for the points championship.

Who knows what will happen next week. It will be exciting to say the least.

Plus, I have even more excitement coming next weekend. Son is bringing G3, G4 and Girlie to our house for the weekend. So I need to get busy. Lots of plans to make!

Have a good week everyone!

Scrapbooking Wednesdays

Over the summer months, the closest scrapbook store to my house (roughly 21 miles away) has been hosting crops every Wednesday from 10am to 6pm.

If you attend the crop there has been a modest fee of $2 and everyone is asked to bring a snack to share with the group. That's a pretty sweet deal in itself. However the owner generously gives each attendee a small gift in the $2 range so the crop is basically free.

Plus she supplies water, pop and chocolate. And each attendee gets 15% off their (regular priced) purchase that day. WOW! Talk about a fantastic deal!

So that's what I've been doing most Wednesdays this summer.

Another activity that the store sponsors is a monthly layout contest. The store's customers vote on their favorite layout during the month, then the winner is announced and receives a small prize. This month I was the winner! WOO WEE! I was totally flattered.

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of my winning page. It's still on display at the store.

I can give you a peek at the layout I submitted for August though. I know I'm a little early in entering but Son had emailed me some pictures I'd requested and I couldn't wait to put the page together.

So I used the following 4 pictures with the title of " 'Girlie's name' found her Prince Charming and his name is Daddy."








Here's what the page looks like all put together. Although you probably can't see it, there's lots of glitter all over the page. For those of you who scrapbook - I think you might call me the queen of Stickles. I just can't get enough of that product!


Friday there's a scrapbooking convention in Tulsa. Guess where I'll be . . .