I thought about posting my best posts and pictures of 2009 like so many other bloggers are doing.

But y’all. I didn’t get out of my pajamas until 2:30 p.m. yesterday. I’m working the lazy this week.

So, I thought a giveaway (a great one at that) would be just as good!

These pictures have one thing in common.

Can you find it?

Hint: Follow the red arrows.

Some good guesses might be…my pasty white skin, my love of denim and Disney…

(This has nothing to do with this post, but I have decided next time to actually watch my little girl open her presents on her birthday and to open my eyes during pictures. You could call them resolutions, if you will).

Answer: I’m wearing my favorite necklace from The Vintage Pearl.

It’s the Eclectic Necklace. (I traded it for advertising months ago).

Here’s a closer look, but I don’t know who those children are:

I also love this bracelet:

Leave a comment and tell me something you plan to do in the New Year!

Anyone else’s life hectic right now?

We have minimized, reduced and cut back Christmas this year, but with 2 birthdays and an anniversary this week of Christmas, we are busy.

The last thing I want to give up is our family dinner time. I’m not worried. Why, you ask? Because I’ve been stocking up my freezer with Homemade Gourmet! 

A few weeks ago, I was sent a huge assortment of dinner mixes and seasonings. I wasn’t really familiar with this system, but it’s easy to learn. There are several options, but my favorite is the 4 Meals in 4 Minutes.

These handy tubs hold the spices and the easy instructions tell you how to assemble the meals:

It’s so simple, my nearly 10 year old, prepared nearly two weeks worth of meals! (Each ziplock contains 3 pounds of meat (pork, beef or chicken). You can slow cook, bake or grill. You cook all the meat, but only use half.

Step 1: put meat of your choice in a ziplock bag:

2. Pour in a can of (broth/cream of mushroom-the recipe will tell you) into the bag:

3. Add a spoonful of the included spices and zip it closed, pushing all the air out:

4. Smoosh it all together:

5. Freeze:

So easy, a 91/2 year old girl can do it!

To learn more, visit http://aroundthetablewithtami.blogspot.com 

Would you like to win 20 meals (you add the meat, canned good)??

Here’s what one winner will get:

We’ve already eaten two of the meals from the freezer and they were delicious!!

If you’d like to win this, please leave a comment. This giveaway will end Thursday.

On our long, long trip home two weeks (from this trip) ago, we found ourselves speeding down a highway in the middle of swamps. I am not kidding. 

It’s called Louisiana.

My hubby decided we needed to learn more about this unknown-to-us land, only four hours from home, so he stopped at a fancy rest stop, complete with an Education Center. [Okay, it was really a complete accident we stopped there, or I should say we were trying to avoid an accident and took the first immediate exit.  Because. Y’all. This bladder ain’t what it used to be and I was doing a serious dance in the front seat. I even begged a little).

So, we potty’ed and took a quick tour–complete with a talking bird and turtle–it was like Disney all over again (I am not making fun of you, Louisiana, don’t be sensitive). It was really cool.

Anyway.

We hopped back in our car and do you know what The Hubby and I wanted in SOME KIND OF BAD WAY?

Cajun Food.

Because we may not be experts on Louisiana, but we know good food.

So. We stopped at Popeye’s. (Again, not joking, we’d been in the car eleven billion hours and I wasn’t about to do a sit-down dinner).  But this wasn’t any Popeye’s this one had a mighty strong Cajun flavor.

I have four words for you: Red. Beans. And. Rice.

And these weren’t your everyday red beans and rice. They had been Cajun-a-fied, I’m sure of it.

The day after we unpacked and I refilled our fridge, I pulled out this puppy:

What is that fine appliance, you ask?  It’s a Cuisinart Rice Cooker PLUS. It’s a mean, rice-cooking machine. It’s my first one in my 15 year marriage. I’m finally a grown-up cook!

The fine people of Cuisinart sent one to me to try out (for free!) And we had rice three nights in a row, cooked differently. Plus, it’s a slow cooker and you can brown meat in it! I’ve made soup too. As a matter of fact, I pretty much don’t need any other countertop appliances…good thing since my toddler knocked my slow cooker off the counter and dented is severely.

But, it also made this:

Cajun Red Beans and Rice.

Here’s the recipe (that came with the appliance):

Makes 4 cups

4 ounces smoked chicken or turkey andouille sausage* 

cooking spray

1 can (15-ounce) red beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon good quality olive oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

3 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 cup (Rice Cooker) long grain rice

••• teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

1••• cups (standard liquid measure) chicken stock

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley 

Tabasco® or other hot sauce

Divide the sausage in half. Finely chop half the sausage; cut the remaining sausage into •••-inch pieces. Lightly coat the interior of the steaming tray with cooking spray. Place the red beans and sliced sausage into the steaming tray; reserve.

Insert the cooking bowl into the Cuisinart® Rice Cooker/Steamer. Place the olive oil in the bowl, cover, and turn on for 1 minute. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; stir to coat with oil. Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and thyme. Stir until rice is opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Tuck in the bay leaf and add the chicken stock. Place the filled steaming tray on the bowl; cover. Turn the Rice Cooker on and cook until it switches to Warm, about 18 minutes. Let stand at Warm for 5 minutes. Transfer beans and sausage to a medium bowl; add cooked rice mixture to the same bowl. Remove and discard bay leaf. Gently toss rice mixture with beans and sausage. Add parsley and toss to combine. Transfer to a warmed bowl to serve. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

*Smoked chicken or turkey andouille sausage has much less fat than traditional pork andouille. It can be found in many well-stocked grocery stores. Smoked turkey kielbasa can be substituted.

Because I’m giving a Cuisinart Rice Cooker PLUS away today (over $150 value!)

Tell me what you’d fix in it–that’s your entry!

This giveaway ends soon!