Thankfulness

November has always seemed to be the season for thankfulness.  Fall is in the air, families are going on hay rides and carving pumpkins, people are preparing their Thanksgiving menus, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is starting up.  The trend this year is to list 30 things one is thankful for, one for each day of the month of November.  I'm not sure I will be able to keep up with all 30 days, although my goal is to try!

November 1:
I am thankful for the terrible twos! My son is incredibly active, opinionated, independent, and strong willed.  While it can be exhausting (most of the time), this is such a fun stage as his vocabulary is increasing by leaps and bounds, he actually plays with his toys, and can sit for multiple stories.

November 2:
I am thankful for my job.  I recently graduated in May 2012 with my second master's and was somewhat anxious about the job market and how long it would take me to find employment.  I am currently working as a social worker with an amazing team of co-workers and loving every day!

November 3:
I am thankful for my fellow military spouses.  Each one of us comes from a different location, different background, different lifestyles....but we band together through trainings, deployments, and PCS's. We forge strong friendships that withstand time distances and can call each other any time of the day or night.

Simple Recipe

This recipe is from Simple and Delicious. I'm not much of a cook so to post it means it's good!! It's quick to make, tastes great-even reheated- and uses basic ingredients.

The recipe is called Beef and Tater Bake. It calls for 25 min prep time and 25 min bake time.

Ingredients needed are:

4 cups frozen Tater Tots

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. (16 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed. (**I do not like frozen veggies especially broccoli so I use a head of fresh broccoli chopped up**)

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of broccoli soup, undiluted

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 can (2.8 oz) french-fried onions, divided (lots of coupons for this item!)

1 cup (4 oz) shredded colby-monterey jack cheese, divided

1/3 cup 2% milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp pepper

**Place tater tots in an ungreased 13 in x 9 in baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 10 minutes

**Meanwhile, in large skillet (I use a wok pan), cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. Stir in broccoli, soup, tomato, 3/4 cup french-fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, garlic powder, and pepper. Heat through and pour over tater tots.

**Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 12 servings.