You'll soon find this will be one of your favorites!

It's easy, quick and just a can here and a can there. 

SIMPLE TACO SOUP

(simply delicious & easy)

 Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (15 ounce) can mild chili beans
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or large kettle, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Delicious Coca Cola Cake

           

Delicious Coca Cola Cake

2 c. unsifted flour

2 sticks butter

1 c. Coca Cola

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows

2 c. sugar

3 tbsp. cocoa

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. baking soda.

Combine flour and sugar in mixing bowl. Heat butter, cocoa, and Coca Cola to boiling, and pour over flour/sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add buttermilk, eggs, soda, vanilla, and marshmallows. Mix well. Will be a thin batter with marshmallows floating on top.

Bake in a 9x13 inch cake pan in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Ice while hot with the recipe following:

COCA COLA CAKE ICING:

1/2 c. butter

3 tbsp. cocoa

6 tbsp. Coca Cola

1 (1 lb.) box confectioners' sugar

1 c. chopped pecans

Combine butter, cocoa, and Coca Cola. Heat to boiling point, pour over confectioners' sugar. Beat well, then add pecans and spread over cake while still hot.

Pretty Peppermint Bark

Pretty Peppermint Bark

This not only pretty, festive and delicious it is soooo easy.

Only 2 ingredients

16 ounces of white or chocolate almond bark

crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Melt bark in a double boiler and stir until smooth.

Crush your peppermint and sprinkle into bark mixture.

Pour on to a foil covered cookie sheet.

Save some of your crushed peppermint for adding more color on top of bark.

When cooled , break into pieces.

That's all she wrote!

Yummy Butterfinger Cake

This ridiculously yummy cake is always a hit whenever I make it! It's VERY easy,and did I mention it's yummy? Chocolate cake mix, sweetened condensed milk, whip cream, caramel 

sauce and of course Butterfingers...did I tell you it was sinfully yummy?

It's not called the Yummy cake( though I like the idea it changing it to that)

I'll call it the Yummy Butterfinger Cake

1 chocolate cake(can use yellow if you prefer)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk 

1 jar of caramel sauce 

1 small tub of whipped cream 

                                                             2 Butterfinger candy bars

(Optional chocolate syrup)

 

1. Follow directions on cake mix box.
2. While the cake is still warm, poke holes through out cake with a wooden spoon.   
3. Pour sweetened condensed milk into holes pour rest of milk all over cake.
4. Wait 15 minutes then pour the caramel sauce into the holes and over the cake.
5. Refrigerate the cake over night so that cake is completely cool.
6. The next day frost cake with cool whip then sprinkle crushed candy bars over top of cake
7. If you like more chocolate, drizzle chocolate syrup over the cake at the end.

Enjoy the cake it is Yummy!  Will keep in the refrigerator for days.

Through all the Hustle and Bustle...

This time of the year so many of us get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

The rushing, shopping, pushing , shoving, grabbing and snatching brings us all to the point of

 total meltdown at some point in time.

 Being a retail employee we are all so mentally, physically, psychologically and emotionally exhausted by this time of year that many of us have been brought to tears at least once by now. The desperation that some people feel during their CHRISTmas shopping leads many to poor out their frustrations on we struggling retailers.  We all try to grin and bear it and go on with our lives but people can be just plain hurtful sometimes.

I've had 27 years of CHRISTmas's in retail. Every one of them I think to myself,

 " I can't do this another year!"...but I do.  

Set aside the craziness , there are a few bright points that seem to make it all worth while.

This year all of our bright point came this Sunday morning when an anonymous donor donated a substantial amount of money to pay off some family's layaway's for CHRISTmas.  Many needy families will have the best CHRISTmas ever because of the kindness of a stranger! There were many tears from the surprised layaway shoppers and employees.  It made everyone forget the craziness and remember what the real meaning of CHRISTmas really is.

CHRISTmas can be a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, CHRISTmas is when we celebrate the birth of the CHRIST child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. God gave us this GIFT... because he loves us.  This should be an example in our lives also giving our gifts of love.

My heart is overflowing with the giving and love of a stranger.  So many lives were brightened by a small act of kindness. 

This is what CHRISTmas is suppose to feel like!

Yes, there are Angels among us! And they are right here in Florence,Alabama!

Merry CHRISTmas to everyone!

I LOVE this song!! It makes me feel so calm,

 peaceful and relaxed!

They play it every year at CHRISTmas over the satellite radio at work, and that's where I found that each time it came on I could just take a minute out of all the retail craziness , briefly close my eyes, take a slow breath in  and listen...just listen!! Some how it just makes things a little better!!

 Try it all my fellow retail employees and all you frenzied shoppers that KNOW what real RETAIL CRAZINESS is really about!

( the words to the song are at the bottom of the page)

There is also a rock version that is just as great... a little more exhilarating but fantastic!

  Lyrics

Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas

The hope that he brings
The hope that he brings
The hope that he brings
The hope that he brings

This night
We pray
Our lives
Will show

This dream
He had
Each child
Still knows

We are waiting
We have not forgotten

On this night
On this night
On this very Christmas night