John Wayne Casserole

Posted on by Mandy

Doesn’t cooler weather make you start craving hearty comfort food?  That’s exactly what this recipe is.  My parents recently took a trip to San Antonio and my mom came back all excited about trying John Wayne Casserole.  She made it tonight, and other than a few tweaks I’d probably make, it was really, really good.

john wayne casserole

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs. ground beef- cooked and drained

1 packet of taco seasoning

4 oz. sour cream

4 oz. mayonnaise

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1 chopped onion

2 cups of biscuit mix (Bisquick)

2 chopped tomatoes

1 chopped green bell pepper

4 oz. can sliced jalapeno peppers

Brown ground beef, drain, and add taco seasoning and water (according to packet instructions). In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, and 4 oz. of cheddar cheese, half the bell pepper and onions, and set aside.  Stir biscuit mix and water (per directions on box) to form a soft dough.  Press dough into the bottom and one half inch of the sides of an 11 x 7 inch casserole dish.  Sauté’ the remaining onions and bell peppers until slightly tender.  On top of the biscuit mix, layer the ingredients in the following order:  ground beef, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, jalapenos, sour cream mixture, and end with remaining shredded cheese on top.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the edges of the dough are slightly browned.  Yields 6-9 servings.

*Note:  The only thing I might do different to this is substitute banana peppers for the jalapenos, just because I like them.  I also thought it could use some salsa on top.  Otherwise, it was delicious and very filling!

Facebook Pet Peeves

Posted on by Mandy


When I first joined Facebook I thought it was an amazing thing. I was able to reconnect with old friends and see what people I hadn’t seen in a while were up to. Now, I have a love/hate relationship with the site. I love that at any given moment I know exactly what is going on in the world around me, but sometimes it’s just too much information.

Thanks to Facebook…

I now know what everyone is eating for supper. And? I don’t care.

I see why we were never close friends.

Realize some people must live sad little lives to have to constantly brag about their vacations/cars/houses/______ (insert material item here).

I see where your kid gets it from. The apple really doesn’t fall far…(And speaking of kids, one picture of them a day is enough. Really. I promise.)

I know where you are all the time. Some people really abuse the Check-In feature.

I know the score of any football/basketball/baseball game at any time and can tell if you are happy about that score. This also goes for little league stuff your kid participates in. Every once in a while…ok. Every day? No thanks.

I can only imagine how much time you spend on Facebook games. Your constant begging for animals/crops/food/etc. must be exhausting for you. Because it is for me.

Can see that snopes.com would be a real time saver for you. And save us all from the 20 OMG!!!!-crisis-in-the-making-OMG!!!! Everyone copy and paste this or zombies will attack us all!!!!!!!! posts you make a day.

I know you feel 98% sexy today. And. I. Don’t. Care.

I know what candidate you support, and I’m all for freedom of speech. But your over-the-top campaigning only gets you hidden or deleted on my page. Goodbye!

You never have an original thought. The fact that all your posts come from Status Shuffle confirms it.

I’m sure you might be wondering why I don’t just leave Facebook. Well, I like to read breaking news updates and I actually care about the things going on in most of my friends’ lives, especially those that live far away now. I have taken steps to hide/delete the repeat offenders of the things above that annoy me and it is getting a little better.

But surely someone else out there has felt this way at some point? What is YOUR Facebook pet peeve?

Now if you’ll excuse me…I must go upload pictures of my kid to Facebook while trying to level up in Farmville annnnnd cook a mouth-watering five course meal before we leave on our fabulous cruise. Mwah!

A Day Made Better For A Special Teacher-OfficeMax Giveaway

Posted on by Mandy

Can you remember your favorite teacher?  I have a few special ones I recall that made learning such an enjoyable experience.  The icing on the cake for me was getting my own teaching license and being able to work along side with a couple of my favorites from my elementary school days.  Talk about an amazing privilege!  It made me appreciate all they did for me that much more.

Unfortunately, along with teaching often comes the fact that teachers have to spend a good amount of money from their own pockets for needed supplies in the classroom.  I’ve joined the Max Moms For Teachers program to raise awareness and encourage support for teachers in every community.  The Max Moms are working in collaboration with the national “A Day Made Better” cause founded by OfficeMax and nonprofit Adopt-A-Classroom to help erase teacher-funded classrooms.

To support this cause, I had the great privilege of surprising a deserving teacher in my community who demonstrates hard work and dedication to her students with $110 worth of classroom supplies from OfficeMax.  I was so excited as the day neared!  I couldn’t wait to help make her day a little brighter.  Look at some of the great stuff in this box!

The teacher I honored was Mrs. Denise Parham.

Mrs. Parham is a third grade math and science teacher who is passionate about her work and gives her all each day in the classroom.  Just this week, her class suffered the terrible loss of one of her students.  It’s been emotionally tough on them all, but she has really put forth a tremendous effort to be there for her students and help them all cope with this devastating loss.  Presenting her with this box of classroom supplies did brighten her day and her class was so excited for her.

You, too, can also join in supporting this cause by purchasing your own A Day Made Better box of classroom supplies available for $25, $50, and $100 at www.adoptaclassroom.org/better and surprise a deserving teacher in your community.

A special thank you to OfficeMax for allowing me to bring some much-needed school supplies and sunshine to a deserving teacher and class.

GIVEAWAY:

How would YOU like to win a a mini cause box and $50 gift card to OfficeMax for school supplies to give to a deserving teacher you know?

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment telling me a little about the teacher you would give this to if you won.  PLEASE make sure you leave an email adddress so I can contact you if you are the winner!  Deadline to enter is Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 11 PM. Central, U.S. Only.

BONUS ENTRIES:

After you have left the mandatory comment for the above question, you can also earn up to 6 bonus entries by doing the following (but please leave a seperate comment for each):

1. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked in a reader by clicking here. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so).

2. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked by email and confirm the subscription. This option is in the sidebar. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so)

3. Tweet this contest and leave a comment on this post with your link on Twitter. (You can hit the Retweet button at the top of this post to make it easier.)

4. Click here to follow me on Twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.

5. Click here to become a fan of Mommy Cracked on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.

6. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. Just hit “Join” under “Followers” at the bottom of my blog.

That’s it! Good luck!

Happy Fall, Y’all!

Posted on by Mandy

fall

Wow!  I can’t believe it’s October!  I remember when the new year rolled around like it was yesterday, and here we are.  I can always tell when it’s that time of year just by the smells in our little Mississippi Delta town.  The farmers start harvesting and burning off their fields and if you aren’t smelling that, then you definitely smell barbeque!  Our town is host to Pig Pickin’ and OctoberFest, two events which include BBQ cooking contests that we are proud to call our own and look forward to each year.  Throw in the sounds of high school football in the crisp, Friday night air and it’s just one of the reasons I love where I live.

The cooler air has had me scrambling for weather-appropriate school clothes for E.B. and work clothes for myself.  It’s usually not this cool this soon, so we were a little unprepared.  I’ve also been dreaming up fall-related lesson plans and bulletin boards for my students.  I have big plans for pulling out our fall décor, lighting up the pumpkin scented candles, and cooking up some hearty soups and sandwiches.  We’ve already picked out E.B’s Halloween costume and he is anxiously counting down the days until he can wear it.

I hope you’re enjoying the ushering in of a new season wherever you are.  Happy Fall, Y’all!

Cottonelle/Kroger Giving Hope A Hand (And Giveaway)

Posted on by Mandy

Chances are, you probably know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.   It’s the most common form of cancer among women behind lung cancer. 

This October, the Cottonelle brand is partnering with Kroger to show support and raise breast cancer awareness through the Giving Hope a Hand® initiative. Through Giving Hope a Hand®, Cottonelle brand and additional partner companies will assist Kroger in raising $3 million for breast cancer awareness, treatment and research in the communities we share.

In an effort to raise breast cancer awareness, the Cottonelle brand will be offering pink toilet paper roll covers for a limited time. From September 25-October 8, you can visit Kroger to purchase specially marked packages of Cottonelle Clean Care, Cottonelle’s most care-worthy toilet paper yet, and receive a printout with instructions on how to redeem a free pink toilet paper roll cover.

GIVEAWAY

To get the word out about this wonderful cause, I’ve been provided with a $50 Kroger gift card to give away to one of my readers!

TO ENTER:

Please leave a comment on this post telling me how you support breast cancer awareness. 

Deadline to enter is Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 11 PM Central. U.S. Only.

BONUS ENTRIES:

After you have answered the question above, you can also earn up to 6 bonus entries by doing the following (but please leave a seperate comment for each):

1. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked in a reader by clicking here. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so).

2. Subscribe to Mommy Cracked by email and confirm the subscription. This option is in the sidebar. (Leave a comment on this post telling me you did so)

3. Tweet this contest and leave a comment on this post with your link on Twitter. (You can hit the Retweet button at the top of this post to make it easier.)

4. Click here to follow me on Twitter and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.

5. Click here to become a fan of Mommy Cracked on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling me you did so.

6. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. Just hit “Join” under “Followers” at the bottom of my blog.

That’s it! Good luck!

I received a gift card to thank me for my post.