- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

Idea For Spending Your Christmas Gift Cards: Black And Decker Extra Wide Toaster Oven

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I received product from Black & Decker to review

Black and Decker Toaster Ovens — Black & Decker Extra Wide Toaster Oven

If you are like me, and received several Visa, Wal-Mart, or Amazon gift cards or codes, or cash gifts, as Christmas gifts, you are still trying to decide what you want to get for yourself with them.

You might want to consider getting this Black & Decker Extra Wide Toaster Oven. I have wanted a toaster oven for quite some time now, not just so that I can have toast, but also so that I can bake small things without having to heat up the oven (and the whole kitchen with it). Take a look at this Black and Decker 8-Slice Extra Wide Toaster Oven. It is unique in that it is a convection oven and a toaster oven. It actually has 4 functions, as it also broils and warms things too.

My favorite 9″X13″ casserole dish fits in this oven!

The Black & Decker Extra Wide Toaster Oven dimensions are 12.75″L x 21.13″W x 11.75″H. It will toast up to 8 slices of toast at a time. It also holds a 9″ X 13″ casserole dish or pan, and will accomodate a 12″ pizza. That makes this one of the most flexible small appliances I have ever owned. I love that I can cook a casserole and never turn my big oven on. That will save me a ton on air conditioning in the summer! You can get the Black & Decker Extra Wide Toaster Oven for $59.99 at Wal-Mart.com.

Your Dekalb Farmer's Market

Karen · 26 Comments

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Yesterday after my Cat Scan appointment at Emory, we drove over to Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market to have lunch and do a little shopping. I love YDFM for many reasons, but the herb, spice, and seasonings wall has to be the top one.

herbs from your dekalb farmers market — I Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market

I love that they sell their herbs and spices by the pound. They are packaged in these deli cups, and are really cheap as far as spices and herbs go. I bought 1o different herbs and spices and my bill was $13.87, a lot less than I would pay at any of the local grocery chains. Take a look at my list:

Ground Ginger $1.28 for .32 lb
Cumin .96 for .24 lb
Gumbo File 2.74 for .29 lb
Ground Mustard .70 for .23 lb
Mango Powder 1.14 for .28 lb
Oregano .66 for .15 lb
Cinnamon 1.33 for .45 lb
Sage 1.13 for .29 lb
Pumpkin Pie 2.58 for .43 lb
Golden Flax Seed 1.38 for .63 lb

Ground Ginger from Your Dekalb Farmer's Market — Ground Ginger from Your Dekalb Farmer’s Market

I love ginger in stir fried dishes. It just makes it taste better. At this price, I can use it every day, if I wanted to.

That is almost a half a pound of cinnamon. It’s not as good as Saigon Cinnamon, but it will work for most dishes. Where I want a more flavorfull cinnamon taste, I’ll stiff use the Saigon, but this is good for everyday.

I bought the powdered mango because I have never seen it before, or even heard of it. I am one of those people who love to try new things. So, I will be looking for recipes for using Mango Powder. If you know of any, please leave a link in the comments for me to check it out. Have you ever heard of Powdered Mango?

My Family Christmas Party

Karen · 11 Comments

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This was an historic day at the Fabgrandma household. For the first time ever in the history of the world, all six of my grandchildren were at my house for Christmas! I was so happy! We had such a good time. Everyone laughed and ate and hugged and kissed, and ate some more and hugged and kissed some more. What else could a grandma want?

The house was all ready, the gifts all wrapped!

Fabgrandpa played Far Cry 4 while he waited for the little people to arrive.

This is my brother-in-law, Alan. He has been married to my seester, Linda, for 35 years.

My son-in-law, Rafe with his lovely wife, my step-daughter, Becky. That’s Fabgrandpa’s daughter, but I feel like she is mine too. Love that girl!

My seester with her daughter, Stefanie. My niece.

That’s Adam, Stefanie’s husband, sitting back there. And Parker, my youngest grandson, in the front.

Had to block out people in the back that did not want to be photographed in public, but this pic of Parker was too cute not to publish!

Alan was the guardian of the storm door. Parker wanted to go outside so bad, but he is just too little to go out there by himself.

That pile of pressies is for the grandchildren. They would soon be ripping that paper open!

There is Miss Amelia–my four year old granddaughter. So cute!

Fabgrandpa spent a lot of time having secret conversations with oldest granddaughter, Sarah, who is 15 now!

There is Rafe and Becky again. They are so cute together. And so in love!

My son, Seth and my youngest daughter, Emily. They are both giving me the “Evil Eye”. I think they wanted me to stop taking pictures. But you know, someone has to document this historic moment!

Seth and Adam. Adam didn’t think I was going to take another photo of him. Hahahaha!

um, hmmm. Caught Michael in the act of eating again. It’s ok, that’s what the food was there for. With Aunt Linda, my daughter-in-law and his step-mother Sarah, and Stefanie.

And Fabgrandpa and Sarah still at it. They had a lot to catch up on. She hasn’t been to visit with us in more than four years!

Amelia opening the first gift. She was so intent on getting that paper off.

Parker was everywhere! He was still trying to get out the door.

Fabgrandpa, Michael, who is 18; Sarah, and Owen, who is 7.

This is Spencer, my 12 year old grandson. He was telling me how much cash he has received so far this Christmas. It was a lot!

Owen got a remote control car! Can I open it now Dad?

Look at my new books Granny! She is so cute!

Sarah again. Her goal in life is to be featured on “The People Of Walmart”, thus the wearing of mismatched Christmas stockings and a Bed Bath and Beyond plastic bag. Ah, to be 15 again.

Seth opened the Mosquitno mosquito repellant wrist bands in the Silly Santa Game. His response was “What the???” Owen is asking “What is that Dad?”

I think they want the Silly Santa to be over with since they didn’t get to play.

Parker trying on Great Uncle Alan’s glasses.

Fabgrandpa, Michael, Sarah the granddaughter, and Sarah the daughter-in-law.

Parker finally got to go out in the yard and run off all that energy.

Spencer carrying his little brother, Parker up the hill, being followed by Amelia. She follows Spencer everywhere.

It was a lot of fun, we laughed and ate and hugged and opened gifts, and laughed and hugged some more. I can’t wait to do it again!

PTSD: The Invisible War Injury. Support H.R. 5059 To Help Prevent Veteran Suicide

Karen · 4 Comments

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SUPPORT H.R. 5059 Clay Hunt SAV Act

PTSD is something we all have heard about but no one really talks about. It can be as disabling as a gunshot wound, but because no one can see the scars, even the person who has it, it is difficult to recognize and difficult to get help for.

Clay Hunt: courtesy of Anthony Pike with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America — Clay Hunt: courtesy of Anthony Pike with **Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America**

I think we have all seen movies or heard stories about people who have PTSD. The stories portrayed in the movies are usually the most dramatic, the worst case scenarios. However, there are many, many soldiers, men and women, who return to their homes from the battlefield with signs and symptoms of PTSD who are ignored by the medical profession simply because they don’t recognize those symptoms or relate them to military service. Our veterans can fall through the cracks due to the lack of the services available through the Veteran’s Administration Health Care System. There just isn’t enough access–not enough money being allocated for Veteran’s Health Care, and not enough doctors to handle the huge case load that the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan has created.

Clay Hunt, pictured above, was a United States Marine who returned from two tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Although he was diagnosed with PTSD, he only received mediation to help alleviate the symptoms he was experiencing. There was no counseling or psychiatric help available to him through the VA. In March of 2011 we lost Clay Hunt to suicide. And every day we lose 22 more veterans like Clay — someone’s daughter, son, parent or friend.

The key to curbing the epidemic of veteran suicides is improving the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health care available to our returning heroes — and the Clay Hunt SAV Act will do just that. The bill received bipartisan support from lawmakers in both the House and the Senate from around the country. One lone Senator- Tom Coburn of Oklahoma stopped it from passing this week so now we must demand that Congress immediately pick it up again in the new year. No excuses! The need is urgent!

Please sign our petition asking Congress to improve health services for our nation’s veterans and by passing this legislation within the first 90 days of the new session.

Tell Congress to make this crucial bill their top priority in January. Click here to read more about and sign the petition today. Let Congress know that taking care of our military veterans is of the utmost importance. They served us in time of war, now it is our turn to serve them.

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act or simply the “Clay Hunt SAV Act.” (H.R. 5059). This bi-partisan bill will increase access to mental health care, boost capacity to meet mental health care demand, improve the quality of care for troops and veterans, provide seamless care from the Department of Defense to VA and develop community support for veterans nationwide.

New Year, New Budget, New Food Processor From Hamilton Beach! Giveaway and a Free Printable Pantry Inventory Sheet

Karen · 224 Comments

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I received product from Hamilton Beach as compensation for this post

I have really enjoyed being a Hamilton Beach Ambassador. All good things must end, they say, and this is the last post I will do for them. This time, they sent me a Stack and Snap 10 Cup Food Processor. This baby is just the right size for me, as most of the time I am cooking for only two people, but on occasion, I make some food for a house full. I hosted a Christmas party for all of my 6 grandchildren, my son and his wife, my youngest daughter and her husband, my step-daughter and her husband, my sister and brother-in-law, and their daughter and her husband. That is a whole lot of people to cook for! This food processor was be able to handle it though.

Here is a list of the many features of this food processor:

Easy stack & snap assembly
Unique, patent-pending design requires no difficult twisting & locking
Simple function guide shows you which blade to use & which button to press
Big Mouth® feed tube reduces pre-cutting
Sealed bowl prevents leaks
Powerful 450 watt motor
Reversible slice/shred disk
Chopping S-blade locks into bowl and stays put during pouring
Dishwasher safe blades, bowl, and lid
Cord storage

Hamilton Beach Food Processor — Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap Food Processor

I think the things I like the best about the unit are that I didn’t have to cut things very small to fit into the feed tube, so it definitely saved me time in the kitchen. I also liked that the chopping blade locks into the bowl. I have had food processors before, both mini ones and full sized ones, and that dangerous “S” blade has never locked on any of them. You have to be so careful not to let that thing come out and cut your fingers while you are trying to get the food out of the bowl after you have processed it. Not anymore, though! With the Hamilton Beach 7020, that is no longer a worry!

Hamilton Beach Food Stack & Snap Processor

Another thing that I like about having a food processor is that I can save money and time. Instead of buying pre-shredded cheese, which always costs more, I was able to buy a block of cheese and shred it myself. Using the Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap 10 Cup Food Processor, I also saved time. In the past, it has taken me twenty minutes just to shred the cheese for making sausage balls for a big party. Using the food processor, it took me less than 10 minutes, and that included time for cleaning up the food processor when I was through with the shredding! Everyone knows that when you are prepping food for a party, every minute saved is valuable!

Here is the recipe that I used for the sausage balls for my party:

Gluten Free Sausage Balls

2 lbs pork sausage (I used mild, but you can use hot) any brand as long as it is gluten free
2 cups Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix (Or use your favorite brand of gluten free baking mix)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese

Let the sausage sit out of the refrigerator for about an hour to come to room temperature so it will be easier to mix. Place all sausage and Pamela’s Pancake and Baking mix in a large mixing bowl. Cut the block of sharp cheddar cheese into three pieces. Place in feed tube of food processor, and push with push tool until all cheese is shredded. Add cheese to mixing bowl. Squeeze all ingredients together with your hands until all of the cheese and baking mix is mixed in well. Pinch off pieces of the sausage cheese dough, and roll into balls about 1/2 the size of golf balls. Bake at 375° oven until browned, about 15 minutes. Makes 4 and a half dozen balls.

hamilton beach — Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap Food Processor

To help you get started out on the right foot in the brand new year of 2015, I am offering you two free printables: A Pantry Inventory Sheet and a Monthly Menu and Shopping List.Click the links below to download the printable forms.

2015 Pantry Inventory: To use the Pantry Inventory sheet, just go through your cabinets, pantry, freezer, refrigerator and anywhere else that you store food, and write down all the items you have on hand. That way, you will know what you have, and can “shop your pantry first”, especially during months when money is tight. I included a sample of how I filled mine in, adding in a stroke tally of duplicate items, so I know if I have 1 or 4 cans of tomatoes.

2015 Menu Template with shopping list: To use the monthly menu and shopping list, you use the calendar to fill to fill in meals your family likes, and make a shopping list for the month for everything you need to prepare all of those meals. When you have finished making your shopping list, look on your pantry inventory sheet, and cross off everything you already have that is on your shopping list, also known as “shopping your pantry first.” Also mark off the items you “bought” off your pantry inventory. Once you are finished making your menus for the week or for the month, and shopping your pantry, everything else left on your shopping list is what you will need to buy at the grocery store. I hope this helps even one person save money during the new year.

BUY A Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 10 Cup Food Processor:

You can purchase a Hamilton Beach Stack & Snap 10 Cup Food Processor at HamiltonBeach.com where it retails for $59.99

WIN IT!

One lucky Fabgrandma.com reader will win a Hamilton Beach Stack & Stack 10 Cup Food Processor! Just use the Giveaway Tools form to enter!

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Christmas Was Early This Year!

Karen · 6 Comments

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My followup appointment with Dr. Sharma, the gastroenterologist, on December 22, went very well. He said the pictures from the gastrografen enemas were normal. There was no indication of polyps, tumors, or other abnormalities. And, there was plenty of gut left to complete a reversal of the colostomy.

He told me he would refer me to Dr. Galloway at Emory University Hospital, who is a top notch surgeon, and who has done lots of research into abdominal wall reconstruction. To me, that was such a wonderful Christmas gift! I was so excited to just be able to be seen by Dr. Galloway. Dr. Sharma said that I should receive a phone call from Dr. Galloway’s office to set up an appointment.

On December 23, Gail from Dr. Galloway’s office called to discuss the appointment with me. She said that Dr. Galloway has looked over my records and agrees that I am a good candidate for abdominal wall reconstruction and ostomy reversal. He likes to schedule patients for a CT scan on the same day as the initial appointment, but that if we wait until there are time slots available on the same day for both the lab and the doctor, it would be January 3oth before they could schedule me. However, if I was agreeable to making the 85 mile one way trip twice, they could schedule the CT scan on Saturday, January 3 and then the appointment with the doctor on January 7th. I guess you know what I said!

So, between now and January 7th, I have to drive over to Carrollton to Dr. Griffin’s office to pick up the test results to hand carry to Dr. Galloway. Not that I am looking forward to the actual surgery, but I am so excited that this is going so quickly so far. I am really close to having my colostomy reversed and getting my abdominal wall reconstruction surgery.

I am trying to keep my hopes low, in case there is any problem that would cause me to not get this done. Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for me, and say a prayer if you are a praying person.

My First Christmas Tree in 15 Years

Karen · 3 Comments

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We lived in an RV for 13 years and did not have room for a Christmas tree. But before that, we did not have a tree for a couple of years. We just did not feel like putting one up. However, this year, I decided it I needed the festive feeling that a Christmas tree can bring. I went to Dollar General and found a pre-lit, artificial tree for $35.

When I took the tree out of the box and put it together, I have to say that I felt disappointed. It looked awful. I did not think I would be able to fix it or make it look good at all. I didn’t take a picture of it when it was just out of the box. I had to spend some time “fluffing” the branches, making it look fuller, and more like a tree than like artificial. The results, after decorating, were simply amazing!

I found my Treasure Box in the closet in my sewing room. I had hauled that box around in the RV for 13 years. I don’t think it had been opened since we put it in the trailer in 2000. It was like opening up a time capsule! Inside I found all my favorite Christmas ornaments. IN addition to the ones I had in the closet, I bought a boxed assortment of red and green ormaments at CVS for $10. There were 52 ornaments in that box, so with what I had and the new ones, there were plenty to decorate this six foot tree.

Here are my favorite ornaments:

I can not remember where I got this big golden sun, but it was in the box when I opened it up.

Three wooden stars that Becca painted for me

I have three of these wooden stars that my daughter, Becca, painted for me some time before 2000. I don’t remember exactly when I got them, but they were in the treasure box, too.

Brown craft paper gingerbread man, made by Becca in 1988

This craft paper gingerbread man has “Becca, 1988” written on the back of it.

This Dixie Cup Bell was made by my son, Seth in Kindergarten

My son, Seth, who is now 43, made this Dixie Cup Bell for me when he was in Kindergarten, circa 1975.

This snowman ornament came from the Texas Lottery in south Texas in 2004.

I participated in a blogger “Secret Santa” exchange in 2011, and this felt Christmas Tree was in the package I received from my swap partner.

I think that my youngest daughter, Emily, gave me this crystal dove ornament, but I can’t remember. I just know I love it and have kept it all these years.

I received this “Grandma Ornament” with the names of all of the grandkids on it in 2013 from Emily for a Christmas gift.

This cross-stitched “Christmas Cactus” was made for me by my ex-daughter-in-law in 1995. I have kept it because it was hand made just for me.

What do you have on your Christmas Tree that holds memories for you? Do you buy new ones every year? Do you have a favorite ornament or decoration?

Fight Bullying with Compassion Brands

Karen · 1 Comment

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Every so often you come across a company that makes a product that you feel good about buying. Instead of just something you need, or even a great product, the company stands for so much more than selling something.

Compassion Brands is one of those companies.

Compassion Brands was started as a way to make fashion mean more than just a trend. Fashion that makes a difference as a financial charitable donation and as a reminder to those you wear it, and those who see it, that you are not alone. Bullying is a cause that stood out to our company not only because of the large role it plays in our society today but because unlike other issues plaguing our world this cause has a solution; Be kind to yourself and the people around you!

Compassion Brands sent a couple of items from their anti bullying line. This lovely Love Necklace and a Love Your Selfie tank top.

The necklace is 18K Gold Plated with Swarovski Crystals. It comes in your choice of red, black or clear crystals. It features a sturdy lobster claw closure and looks great dressed up or dressed down.

The Love Your Selfie tank is comfortable and so cute. In this day and age of selfies galore, it is a fun play on words. This tank has a deep scoop neck and racer back. It is silicon washed for a super soft feel. The tank is very comfortable and is great for layering in the cold weather.

You can shop Compassion Brands online and help support a great cause. 33% of royalties derived from licensed sales are donated to charity.

WHAT YOU WEAR, CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE…