Friday Foto Finish Fiesta: On, Wisconsin!

Can Bucky Badger Basketball take Florida State tonight in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tourney? Jammin' and I sure hope so. Moker will be awfully difficult to live with if his Beloved Wisconsin Badgers lose in the first round.

The game's not 'til later tonight. I'm debating whether to wait up and watch. Might as well, though, since Dear Hubz will be making so much noise nobody will be able to sleep, anyway!

I know...I'll serve some milk with Cocoa POPrs in it. That will settle his stomach and give us strength for the battle to come.

Wisconsin might be playing FLA State, but I'm Playing Along with Candid Carrie today. Wish us luck!

Quilting with Candid Carrie

Here's a Friday Foto of Big Bear and one of Aunt Julie's latest creations. But before I explain, I want to remind you about The Great New Pop'rs St. Patty's Day Giveaway, featuring Pop'rs Prizes AND a $100 Target Gift Card! For more info on that, please Click Here.

Aunt Julie got in the mood to make another quilt a while back.

"It is the same pattern as College Boy's," Aunt Julie explains. "Called Texas Hold 'Em. My boys went through a poker phase, and I made the first one then. They are all the same pattern, with subtle differences. All three share the same plaids, with different borders and backgrounds.
Still need to make one more for Soccer Boy. And I have another one almost done and ready to photograph. All it needs is the binding!"

Thanks to Candid Carrie for hosting her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Our Pop'rs Pal Jammin' will be back tomorrow. And don't forget my giveaway!

Meet the Beatles!?!

Well, really, I want ya to meet Aunt Julie's side of The Pop'rs Family from a few years back. Auntie J. always does Creative Christmas Cards, and this was no exception. But somehow this little gem got stuck up on the fridge with a Beatles magnet...and you do see the resemblance, don'tcha?

In the phun photo on the left, clockwise (from left): Big Bear, Shark Boy, College Boy, Trouble Elizabeth, Moses and Soccer Boy. In the other phun photo, clockwise (from left-Geez Louise, I feel like this is a yearbook!): Ringo, John, George and Paul, sans dogs.

I don't know. Did the Beatles have dogs? Playing along with Candid Carrie today and her Phriday Photo Phinish Phiesta!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta: Meet Dave!

Remember the days when gas cost 30 cents? When you could pull up, crank down that window (yup, I'm not talkin' 'bout electric conveniences here!) and yell, "Fill 'er up!"? Well, Aunt Julie still has that luxury in her little ol' corner of Northeastern Wisconsin.

Meet Dave. He works at the Marathon service station in Neenah. Emphasis on "service." With a smile. His services, which as you can see are extensive, cost nothing. Just Fill 'Er Up, for the same price-per-gallon as the self-serves down the street, and you get your windows washed, your oil and window-washer fluid checked, and, of course, your gas pumped, don'tcha know.

Candid Carrie put me up to this. It's her day today. Please check out Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish. It's Freakin' Awesome!

Prescription for a Killer Cold

No, I can't take credit for this shot; a blogger named Shortie posted it last year. But the sign represents exactly the way I feel today. You know, all those Larry U. Swimmers were coming down with something last weekend. Probably picked up the sniffles from them. So, I ended up not only with Bleacher Booty, but a Killer Cold. Thanks, kids!

Here's to a warm down comforter, a good book, and perhaps several mugs of Aunt Julie's Hot Cocoa. With lots of teeny-tiny marshmallows on top!

Candid Carrie, and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, are my muses this morning. Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

The Pop'rs Family Gets Crabby for Candid Carrie

One of The Pop'rs Family's annual traditions is going to the beach at North Carolina's Outer Banks. The other tradition is ordering steamed crabs and then posing with the critters out on the deck of the beach house before we eat 'em.

This is a shot from a few years back. From the left, if ya really want to know...Back Row: Veggie Mom, College Girl, Moker, The Wild One, Uncle Lynn. Front Row: College Boy, Soccer Boy. Shark Boy and Big Bear have apparently Left the Building (a la Elvis!). Aunt Julie, of course, is taking the pic.

We've had such lousy winter weather recently, that we wanted to re-live warmer times in toasty climes. Candid Carrie put us up to it...Please join the Fun at her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. For real!

The Beach Trilogy, a Pop'rs Giveaway and the Winner Is...

Some of you were pulling for the puppy. He got pretty close last week. Candid Carrie , who's hosting her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta today, even thought the mystery of this trilogy involved another dog coming in and stealing the stick away from the two of them!

Well, you're all wrong. Moses won the stick in the end. But you can't blame Rowdy for trying! Aunt Julie really has a way of capturing emotion, doesn't she?

And, speaking of Winners, the winner of this week's Impromptu Pop'rs Bloggy Giveaway Carnival Giveaway is...Ryan Ashley Scott, of Optimistic Cynicism! Ms. Scott was selected by the Random Generator. E-mail me, RAS, at veggiemom@poprs.com, to claim your Pop'rs Prize!

Oh, and please don't forget Veggie Mom's Interview over at Katydid and Kid today! That Veggie sure gets around, doesn't she?

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta: Beach Trilogy

Last week you caught a glimpse of Moses and Rowdy racing on the beach in Florida. If you'll recall, Moses had the stick. Rowdy wanted the stick. Who was going to win?

Of course, Rowdy is just a puppy, and all. Plus, Moses has a few more pounds on him. And then, there's the experience to consider.

This is the second in a series of three Aunt Julie shots that I'm posting for Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. We in The Pop'rs Family proudly refer to these FLA Shots as The Beach Trilogy. Next week, we reveal the victor!

Fx4: Invasion of the College Students!

Now, don't get me wrong~I love both of my girls. They're just not cut from the same mold as, say, Martha Stewart.

After spending Christmas Break with my two, I'm beginning to think both their rooms look like pilots for Extreme Home Makeover. Perhaps we could start a new show...Invasion of the College Students?

Playing along, of course, with Candid Carrie and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. FYI, College Girl's room is on the left, The Wild One's on the right. TWO's room is bigger, so I guess she rates a higher score on the Mess-o-Meter?

Fx4: Bad Puppy!

As I have been lamenting this past week, The Pop'rs Family has Flown the Coop to FLA. They've got one more week down in more temperate climes, but wanted a share a Winter Puppy Story with ya.

If you'll recall, the Upper Midwest has been slammed by some Pretty Nasty Weather recently. Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn and the Crew decided to bug out early, ahead of the storm.

Well, they loaded up Vanna White and departed Northeastern Wisconsin in the late afternoon. As they reached Chicago's outer suburbs, they were pretty pleased, to say the least. Nary a drop of frozen precipitation! But it was a Trip of a Different Temperature by the time they reached Indianapolis. Since ice was falling from the sky, and Vanna was having a difficult time skidding all over the Interstate, our Pop'rs Pals decided to Call it a Night.

But Rowdy, the new puppy, had other ideas. Yes, he had to relieve himself. And, no, being the rascal that he is, he did not, even after repeated entreaties. Pee, that is. Julie Eliz, already in her PJs, had even donned her shoes and winter coat, and headed outdoors. Four of these trips produced, well, nothing.

Except for the condition of Aunt Julie's shoes...the only pair she had with her, since two of The Boys had her suitcase in other car. And they weren't planning on traveling Down South 'til the weekend!

Rowdy wouldn't pee, and, downright discouraged, Julie called to him to return to the room. That's when she stepped in an icy, mushy puddle...up practically to her knees!

The Bad Puppy eventually Did His Business, after College Boy took him out for the fifth time. Aunt Julie's shoes didn't dry out for another 24 hours...after the family had already arrived in FLA and was settling in for a Long Winter's Nap.

Julie has this to say about the experience: "What's the difference between a baby and a puppy? You can put Pampers on the infant; the puppy takes much more work!"

This message is sponsored by Candid Carrie, and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Hope everyone enjoyed Family and Fun yesterday!

Fx4: Christmas is for Children

The Pop'rs Family is headed for the Florida Panhandle tomorrow. Two weeks at the beach, returning in Early 2009. Wanted to get one more Cutie Pie in before they head South to warmer climes.

Eat Your Veggies! will remain online through the holidays, so never fear~Veggie Mom is Here!

Big Bear is sitting on Santa's lap, when the World Was Very Young. Aunt Julie calls Big Bear's Pal "The Best Santa Ever," and we agree!

Playing along today with Candid Carrie and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Click on over there and have some fun!

Christmas Kweelt!

Aunt Julie, known 'round These Here Parts as the Crafty Quilter, whipped this one up Years Ago, she says, to Celebrate the Season. The Kids called Julie's creations Kweelts when they were little. We love the Artistic Arrangement, Julie Eliz, but hope the Santa Quilt made it safely inside and out of the elements soon after the photo was snapped!

Please click on Links 1, 2 and 4 to see Each One of Julie's Recent Masterpieces. And Click Here to Play Along with Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish!

Fx4: Snow Angel

Remember Rowdy the Puppy? Well, here's R-Man enjoying his first snowfall. Aunt Julie says he relished this precipitation so much more than The Pop'rs Cousins, who had to be rescued by Big Bear during The Sunday Slip 'n' Slide!

As always, we're playing along with Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. Hope the weekend is a Fun One!

Fx4: More to be Thankful For

This is Ratchet, the Iraqi puppy who was adopted by Sgt. Gwen Beberg of Minneapolis. You probably remember reading about Ratchet and his plight over at Zander and Me back in October, and, of course at my place, Here and Here.

It was Gonna be Gonners for this Cute Little Ol' Pup until a group called Operation Baghdad Pups came to the rescue. More than 70,000 folks signed the petition to allow Ratchet to come home to the Twin Cities, where he's now cared for by Sgt. Beberg's family, until she can make it Stateside, too. That's Sgt. Beberg's Mom, Pat, greeting Ratchet at the Minneapolis airport October 23.

Playing along with Candid Carrie today, and her FanTAbulous Friday Foto Fiesta Finish...For Real! Fx4 is Far Out!

Fx4 Includes a Little Girl, a Cat, 2 Yummy Recipes & a Giveaway!

Dear Pop'rs Pals: Playing along today with Candid Carrie and her FanTAbulous Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, and also with The SITS Girls and their Linky Love Weekend! This shot shows The Wild One and Patch, snuggled up about 10 years ago on Lion King Sheets. Looks like a Long Winter's Night is ahead, doesn't it? I'm sure TWO had at least one mug of Aunt Julie's Hot Cocoa before hittin' the hay!

Lest you forget, I wanna remind you about The Great New Pop'rs Thanksgiving Extravaganza! To get started on the Giveaway Route, Click Here, and leave a comment. Then, don't forget to Click Here, Here and, of course, Here and Here, commenting merrily along, before, at last, Clicking Here! You get one entry for each comment, so the More Comments, The Better!

Then (Yes, there's more!), please E-Mail Me some of your favorite recipes. Just pull down your recipe box, pick out your faves, and send them to veggiemom@poprs.com For each recipe you send, you'll get another entry. Five Lucky Giveaway Participants will win a complete box of Pop'rs, that good-for-you seasoning that encourages One and All to Eat Their Veggies! Pop'rs come in 8 Delicious Flavors, and the Fun Factor. Can't. Be. Beat

Without Further Fanfare, we bring you Cheesy Corny Orzo and BBQ Chicken in a Biscuit, brought to you by Simply Anonymom, she of yesterday's Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting! Take it away, Anon!

Simply Anonymom's Cheesy Corny Orzo
1 can chicken broth
1/2 C orzo
1/2 C corn (I use frozen white corn)
pinch dried parsley
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 C sharp cheddar grated

Put chicken broth, orzo, and corn into pot on stove. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer, add seasoning and cover. Stirring occasional until orzo is tender and liquid is gone (like with rice). Stir in Cheddar and serve. Yumm-o!

Simply Anonymom's BBQ Chicken in a Biscuit
This recipe is so cheap, easy and fast. A perfect trifecta!
1-2 chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce
2 rolls of canned layer biscuits
Minced jalapeños
1/4 onion sliced, grilled
2-3 slices cheese (I used cheddar the size of sliced American cheese)

In sauce pan over medium heat, add chicken breasts and BBQ sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and pulls apart (about 25 minutes). Remove chicken from sauce and shred. Spray cupcake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Open one container flakey biscuits. Tear biscuits in half and put in the cupcake pans. Add shredded chicken to the biscuits. Top chicken with minced jalapeños, onion and cheese. Open second container of biscuits. Rip biscuits in half and top the chicken mixture. Bake in oven according to biscuit directions (mine was 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes).

OK, Bloggy Friends...Get those recipes to me! Veggiemom@poprs.com is the place to send 'em. I'll be lurking, waiting for your entry!

Aunt Julie's *Recipe Week*, Day #6: A Bipartisan Party, FX4 Style!

Obama and McCain took a few minutes off the Campaign Trail last week to contribute to Aunt Julie's *Recipe Week." OK, no, they really didn't, but we like to see our candidates smiling, and we do have a couple of politician-inspired recipes today for ya!

No, we didn't get these from the Elephant's and/or Donkey's mouth. We got them from ABC. Good Morning America, specifically. These Dishes sound Delish; plus, we'd like something Different for Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

Here you have it, folks. President-Elect Obama apparently is famous for his chili, among other things. Senator John McCain is not only a Maverick, but a Rip-Roarin' Ribs-Roaster!

According to ABC, Obama has been using this chili recipe since college and says he would bring it to any potluck party. He says he "can't reveal all the secrets, but if you make it right, it's just got the right amount of bite, the right amount of oomph in it, and it will clear your sinuses."

McCain, meanwhile, says barbecuing for guests is one of the few ways he relaxes, especially during the grueling campaign. He carefully honed his recipe on the gas grill: baby back ribs, using a dry rub that's a third garlic powder, a third salt and a third pepper. The trick to not letting the ribs dry out? Keep putting lemon juice on them.

Obama Family Chili Recipe
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Several cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or beef
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground oregano
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground basil1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
1 can red kidney beans

Saute onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown.
Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes. Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

McCain's Ribs
Dry Rub:1/3 part Garlic Powder
1/3 part Salt
1/3 part Pepper
3 lemons

Turn the grill down to low temperature. Mix together garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then cover both sides of the ribs with that. Grill ribs, bone side down, for 90 percent of the time. It will take about an hour to an hour and a half. Squeeze the lemon on it frequently, because that makes it taste a lot better. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce.

These Politicos obviously don't compromise on Good Taste. Wonder what the President-Elect will serve at his first State Dinner?

Why Enter Our Giveaway? 'Cause Mummy Says So!

Happy Halloween, Everyone! This shot will come as a Complete Surprise to Aunt Julie, who is pictured above. I think she was still in college when her Mommy wrapped her 'round and 'round like a Mummy for Halloween! Saved this especially for Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish!

Which brins me to our Great New Pop'rs Halloween Giveaway! You only have 24 hours, give or take a minute or two, to enter! Click Here to get started. For Extra Entries, please click Here. And Here. And Here. And Here. And Here. And finally, don't forget to comment on this post, too!

The Giveaway closes at 11:59 tonite. We will be announcing our winners in this space tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed!

F x 4: Run for It!

Another fanTAbulous Aunt Julie Shot for ya! Cross Country Season ended this week for Soccer Boy. He ran on the middle-school team with other members of his soccer squad. They all improved quite a bit. Now he can return to the Sport. He. Loves.

Be sure to Check Out Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta Finish. You'll be Glad. You. Did!

OK, SITStas! Time to Share the Comment Love!!

Today's Secret is in the Sauce Blogathon got underway at Midnight, and Heather and Tiffany--those Hostesses with the Mostesses--are going full speed ahead 24/7 today. They're out to prove that SITS--their site that Encourages Comment Love and Blog Support--is where it's at!

Veggie Mom her own self can attest to that very fact. Over the past few months, SITS has promoted my Pop'rs Giveaways (another one's coming up for Halloween, so stay tuned!) several times, and helped Aunt Julie plug her Recipe Week in September. SITS also helped me Celebrate My Bloggy Centennial a few weeks ago. I was a SITS Featured Blogger last Monday, and I'm still getting comments from that post. More than 100 Bloggers have Shared the Comment Love about those darned Goats on the Roof, and they're still comin' in--that's some powerful Comment Love, SITStas!

Heather and Tiffany started SITS back in June. It's a kind of Bloggy Clearing House for all kinds of info, including Recipes, Blogging Tips, Giveaways, Saucy Blogs, and a whole lotta other stuff that's impossible to mention...the List and the Love keep changing all the time!

So, who have I met on this Ultra-Cool, Très Chic (that's for Heather--she says "everything sounds fancier in French"), Uber-Happenin' Bloggy Rest Stop on the Information Super-Highway? All kinds of friends, is my answer! But the SITS gals wanted me to limit my list to five for this post, so here goes:

• Just Lisa, No Filler. Lisa, aka greedygrace, just adopted Baby Adam. She's still Blogging Strong, though, as evidenced in her latest post, Declare Yourself.
  
• Half-Past Kissin' Time. Mrs. 4444 is a fellow Wisconsin Blogger, a recent Pop'rs Giveaway Winner, a dedicated teacher, and a Family Gal, as you can see in yesterday's Contribution to the Cyberspace Conversation, My Momma Don't Dance.
  
• The Scholastic Scribe. Melissa B., or Mrs. Scribe, as her "Cherubs" call her, is another teacher and a former professional journalist who has So Much to Say on So Many Topics. She runs a Silly Sunday Sweepstakes every week. Check out the last S x 3 for more than a few chuckles!


• Zander & Me. Karla is another one of our Popr's Giveaway Winners. She has an adorable little boy named Zander, whom she profiles often, for good reason! Karla also has a soft spot for Critters of All Kinds. Everyone should follow her lead, and join in the Campaign to Save Ratchet.
  
• Candid Carrie. Carrie hosts her weekly Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, and it's so much fun! She's another Wisconsin Blogger, and a real Hoot-and-a-Half! Click on over to Now I Understand to understand why!

Nice Hair!

Alpacas

Alpacas are cool,

They have really warm wool,

Their favorite treat is grain,

But they don't like the rain,

They make a weird sound,

When something bad is going around,

They're so cute and cuddly,

Just like a baby puppy,

I love alpacas,

They are really cool.

~Cassandra (age 12)~

Borrowed from a site dedicated to Children's Poems About Alpacas. Another one of Aunt Julie's photos from Mark & Jan's place in Southwestern Wisconsin. You may recall the recent post that featured Mark and one of his Alpaca Buddies down on the farm. Or last Friday's F x 4 pic, of Big Bear and his Wooly Friend.

Speaking of Candid Carrie, we're part of her Friday Foto Fiesta Finish. Come along and join the fun!