Today I tried a new recipe I found online at Allrecipes.com. It was soooo yummy! Any recipe that includes cream cheese is ok in my book!

I added a little bit more water and some paprika.

• 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1 chopped onion
• 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2cup water
• 1 pkg cream cheese

1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.
3. Pour over egg noodles or rice. Hmmmm!
   

So yesterday Jeremy and I decided to invite some friends and check out McCall's Pumpkin Patch & Haunted Corn Maize. It was awesome!

It's in Moriarty – bout a 20 minute drive from Albuquerque. During the daytime they have lots of activities for kids and families such as hayrides, petting zoo, launch a pumpkin, corn maize etc.

During the evening hours they have the Haunted Barn and Haunted Corn Maize. These were the attractions we were there to see. It's kind of pricey, but if you reason that you'll only go out there once a year, it's not so bad. We opted to purchase the VIP wrist bands which lets you cut in line (sort of like Six Flags & Disney Land). This is WAY worth the money, and I highly recommend it. Otherwise, you could be waiting HOURS in each line.

Once we got to the pumpkin patch, the boys went on search for the perfect pumpkins. Jeremy found us the a good one to carve when we get home.

We went through the haunted barn first, and let me tell you, I screamed my head off and almost peed my pants! It various scenes that you usually see in haunted houses – people jumping out at you, creepy clowns, scary butcher rooms, etc. There was a very life-like scene of a fake doll getting his brains chopped up by this guy. The barn also had some intense visual elements like strobe lights, a rotating tunnel, walls that appear to be moving, and shrinking rooms. I felt slightly dizzy after walking through some parts.

At the end of the barn a guy chases you out with a chain saw. Even though there's no blade in it, it's still scary! On our way from the barn to the Haunted Corn Maize, we encountered this devil looking guy in costume on stilts. We named him the “Super Chupacabra.” Chupacabra – because he looked like a devil version of one, and Super – because he was on stilts and extremely tall.

The Haunted Corn Maize was not nearly as scary as the barn, but for me, more enjoyable. If you're the kind of person who gets claustrophobic or doesn't like strobe lights, the corn maize is better. It had a haunted trailer with ghosts of rednecks chasing you around, which was cool. It also had quick sand and a haunted port-o-pottie that spits water at you, GROSS!

We can't wait to check it out again next year!

Now that it's freezing buns, time to dust off that ole' crockpot and start making delicious stews and roasts to keep warm. Here's one of my favorite crockpot recipes, courtesy of my Aunt Ann:

Chunky Chicken CHili
Prep: 10 min Cook: 8 Hrs

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cans (14.5 oz) rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis mild version
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 envelope (1 1/4 oz) mild chili seasoning mix
2 cans (15 1/2 oz each) hominy (drained)

1. Spray inside of crockpot w/ PAM
2. Remove chicken from package & cut off most of the visible fat
3. Place chicken in bottom of crockpot
4. Mix tomatoes, sauce, and chili seasoning in bowl and pour over chicken in crockpot.
5. Set crockpot on low setting and cook for 8-10 hrs
6. Use two forks to shred chicken while still in crockpot
7. Add hominy and stir
8. Let cook for 20 min to heat hominy, then serve!

Makes 6 (1 cup) servings
331 Calories
13.7 g fat
25 g protein
19.3 g carbs

Send me your favorite recipes to try and I'll post them to my blog.

It's a little depressing coming home to falling leaves, blowing winds, and temperatures dropping after experiencing a fabulous week in Los Cabos, Mexico.


I highly recommend vacationing in Cabos for anyone – singles, couples, and families alike. On our trip we stayed at the all-inclusive Melia Cabo Real resort, located right on the beach. The resort was very nice, and not overpriced. Our room overlooked the ocean & pool! The “all-inclusive” part was awesome – free meals, snacks, gratuities, drinks, and alcohol. October is off-season, so it was not crowded at all. We saw mostly other honeymooners and couples, but also a few groups of friends and some families.


Customer service was superb in Mexico. The resort staff were all fluent in English and very good at taking care of their guests – quick and courteous. Even Mexican citizens outside of the resort, like the cab drivers and excursion guides were very friendly.

In Cabo, the food is amazing. We enjoyed buffet-style dining for breakfast and lunch. In the evening they had “themed” buffets such as Mexican, Oriental, Brazilian, etc. or you could eat at one of their more “fancy” resort restaurants. Authentic Mexican cuisine is to die for. They are sensitive to tourists not being able to handle really spicy food, so most of the dishes were very mild.

When we arrived, they were just getting over a tropical storm, so the beaches had some rough waves. Even with the storm, the rain was not cold and it was warm enough to swim and lay by the pool. In Cabo, not all of the beaches are good for swimming, so its a good idea to do some research. At the Melia, the beach is good for swimming and they have snorkeling gear and wake boards guests can use for free. I recommend taking a trip to the bay in Cabo San Lucas where the rock arches and lovers beach are. The water is great for swimming, boating, snorkeling, and kayaking.


Watch out for little blue jellyfish. They can wash up on shore, especially after a storm. Locals recommend vinegar on the stings and antihistamine. They aren't poisonous, but can hurt!

As far as excursions, we were able to do an ATV ride along the beach during sunset. That was truly beautiful, but if you're an experienced ATV rider, you may prefer the mountains over the beach. We also did a kayaking and snorkeling excursion. This was by far, the best part of our trip. You don't have to be an experienced kayaker at all. It does help to have some upper body strength. Snorkeling was really amazing as well. The water is so blue and warm – we were able to see a variety of beautiful fish.

Overall Cabo is a great vacation destination. If you are single, the best time to go is during spring break in March/April. Busy season is November – March. Locals say it's really hot during June/July/Aug. Hurricane season is July – October, so you have to watch out for that, but it also is the least busiest time to go. Cabo is inexpensive, and offers the “all-inclusive” option which saves a ton of money.

Today marks merely 4 days until Jeremy & I say “I Do”! We got engaged last year on October 5, and now I can hardly believe that the wedding is only 4 days away.

Everything is pretty much set to go. Just last minute cleaning, massage, manicure, etc. I am really excited, but at the same time nervous because a wedding is essentially a big event. Events are always stressful to plan, and the devil's in the details! Inevitably, I keep bracing myself that there may be a few little things that go wrong on the big day, but all in all, as long as the groom shows up, I'll be happy! I just have to keep thinking positively!

Throughout the planning process I had a couple of strange things happen. This left me wondering what other brides have experienced through the wedding planning process?

In August, I received a jury duty packet to fill out for being a juror on a federal murder trial! Not that big of a deal, except I was called to show up on October 14 – smack in the middle of my honeymoon! I followed the instructions and submitted my honeymoon travel receipts to request an excuse. I didn't hear back, so I figured I was excused.

Then I lost my passport. The bad part is that I realized I lost my passport two weeks before the wedding. I tore my house apart looking for it with no luck. In order to replace a passport within two weeks of travel you have to appear in person at a passport center. The nearest passport center is in Tucson!!! So I made an appointment and prepared to drive to Tucson this week. Thankfully, I had some family members praying to St. Anthony and my passport popped up last Wednesday at my mom's house! What a relief.

This Saturday I received a letter in the mail from the court saying I STILL needed to report to jury duty! I was mortified! Didn't they get my excuse? So I called their automated system and left an excuse request AGAIN. How is it that people manage to get out of jury duty for silly excuses, and I can't even get excused for a HONEYMOON? I was comforted by the fact that their automated system said they are still issuing excuses and to check back Wednesday. I am just going to stay positive!

So those are some really strange obstacles have popped up during my wedding planning... However, I am confident everything will work out beautifully!