Betty Crocker Giveaway

When it comes to cooking and baking, I take after my mom, I love kitchen stuff. I especially love stainless steel and baking cakes and cookies and brownies OH MY!

Me and my daughter made some delicious Betty Crocker brownies with our new gift set from Safeway and Betty Crocker made possible through MyBlogSpark.

Right now from March 24th through April 6th, visit the Safeway family of Stores to purchase Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake and Traditional Brownie Mixes at the special price of $0.69! check BakeSweetMemories.com for great coupon offers that download right to your Safeway Club card. This Spring, Betty Crocker makes life a little sweeter. You can also get some really great recipes to make some fun desserts for your whole family.



Safeway, Betty Crocker and MyBlogSpark are also giving me an extra gift pack to giveaway to one of my readers.

In order to win this giveaway, please leave a comment and share which spring recipes from the Bake Sweet Memories website you would most likely try or what your favorite part about spring is.

One comment per person, all duplicates will be deleted. Must be 18 and over, USA only. Ends March 30, 2010 10am Central. Winner will be chosen by random.org. Please include your email address in the comment if its not visible in your profile. This is the method you will be notified if you are the winner. Winner will have 24hrs to respond. Thanks!

Family

This weekend, started like any other, Saturday I got up, loaded the truck to go set up a yard sale. It was such a gorgeous day! Finished up aobut 2 and headed home. Decided my truck had a long over due wash to give it and I also, asked my cousin if she wanted her truck washed.....of course :).

Alonso showed up just as I finished cousin's truck up and told him he could help with mine :)

Afterwards headed to the store to find curtains for daughter's room, we headed to the thrift store seeing as they usually have some really great stuff for some really low prices. She found her a couple of school pants and shirts and her curtains. Next door to the thrift store is a new grocery store in the area, headed in for some basics for Sunday breakfast eggs, bread, milk etc.. Well, found a 10lb. bag of papas for only $1.00 and the bread for 2 for $1.00 and some pork chop end cut for only .77 a lb. OMGatos! So I turned to Alonso and said let's cook out tomorrow some chops. OK, said let's invite Daniela for dinner...ok, called her and in my head I'm like she may not feel up to coming over why not take it to her. Yep, anyway they were expecting company as well.

So Sunday morning got up did a couple of loads of laundry, hung them on the line, cleaned my kitchen, mopped, headed out to help Al look for some work pants, came back on beans on the fire, prepared meat, and all the fixins I needed, loaded up the car and headed to sister's. Of course I called my younger sister to join us and then Daniela invited her brother Albert and family.

Had a great time, we all saw the season premiere of Celebrity Apprentice with Sinbad, Sharon Osborne, Cindi Lauper, among other big names.

I hope we have many more weekends together as a family. I love my FAMILY!

To Dialysis or Not

I visited my sister this past weekend and she looked so much better.

Back in 2005 when I walked into my uncle's hospital room I saw my grandfather laying there and not my uncle. My uncle was the spitting image of my grandfather to the T. Last year, several times when I would walk into my mother's hospital room I saw my grandfather at times (she had his nose) and even though I don't remember my grandmother, my mom looked like her at times (I know my grandmother by pics).

This past weekend as I walked into my sister's room, I opened the door slowly and she looked just like my momma. She has my mother's mouth/lips, her hands. She was eating a tamale I had brought her and as she began to wipe her mouth I happen to turn to look at her and exact same movements as my mother.

I have never been told that I look like my mother but alot of people who know me and have met my sisters have always stated that Daniela looks like my mom. :)

My sister told me that the doctor wanted to insert a perm line for dialysis. She says no and wants to leave and see what happens. I asked her if she leaves and finds down the road that she doesn't feel right or something is bothering her, would she hesitate again to be seen? She said no but it wasn't a confidant no.

I feel that we have a second chance with my sister and I intend to make the best of it.

So to my sister I say.......if you feel bad and you mention it to me don't be surprised if I'm trying to drag you out of the house to take you to see the doctor :)

I love you!!!

My Inspiration

I called a company today to discuss a client renewal premium. While on hold the song "You're my Inspiration" happen to play on their hold music. I love Chicago and the songs they sing. I was singing along and realized that not once have I ever given thought to anyone or anything being my inspiration in life.

Many kids in school are asked to write an essay at some point as as assignment asking "Who inspires you?" I watch Ugly Betty without missing an episode. Yes I read her blog on their website (http://forums.abc.go.com/binspiredblog). I use to feel how Betty used to dress. Confused, mixed thoughts, didn't know where my life would go. Just the other day, I was thinking to myself and I realized that I never thought I would have a career so to say.

My first job was at McDonalds, making $3.25 an hour and going to high school. I worked for McD's for about 5 years, worked for Ace Cash Express, Print shop, North Texas Food Bank, Albertsons, Sears Portrait Studio, Construction, Fiesta, Cocktail waitress, office manager and Insurance agent.

Insurance is the one that stuck without looking for it. I just happen to pick up on it, researched, learned, and appreciated the fact that I worked with helping people understand a very important product to protect their investments in their lives.

During all the jobs I've had, I raised three children. At times I worked two jobs. I have been blessed for the past 15 years I have only had to work one job to make ends meet while raising my children. There were some very rough bumps along that road. But I made it and I admit there were several people who I have to thank that reached out a hand to help me cross those bumps. My sisters are two of them. One more than the other (not afraid to say it). Three sisters, I'm the middle. Daniela, my older sister helped by putting up with my kids while I worked. Of course mom taught me that if I could pay a total stranger to watch my kids then I could pay family, so I paid my sister and mother to babysit my children while I worked. She loved them in her own strange ways. Victoria was her Monkey LOL, I can't quite remember what she use to call Gabriel or Michael.

Mom of course was always there to lend a helping hand. But Mom and Daniela did inspire me. The fact that they didn't make it easy for me by watching my children as a 'favor' or mom didn't let me live in her apartment rent free is inspiration enough to make myself say "I can do this".

I see Ugly Betty and it inspires me as well. That no matter what people think of you or say, do you own thing. As long as you are happy with yourself then the heck with everyone else. :P Mom use to say the same thing but I never did listen but seeing it with my own eyes it hit me. Betty dresses to her liking not everyone elses, she does what she likes and eats what she likes.

Like mother like daughter

My sister is in the hospital to have a huge abcess removed. I have been bugging her to go to the ER to have it looked at but just like my mother did when she refused to go get her foot checked out, my sister kept refusing or making faces. Again, I feel a bit of guilt as I did with my mother. I am able to make them go by calling an ambulance and putting them on the spot that way but I don't because I'm afraid of what my sister my say to me or rather maybe not even speak to me.

Well, surgery was done to remove the infection and she was told that they would have to do surgery again in a couple of days to remove the remainder of it. WHAT?? yep apparently too much to remove in one shot. See if my sister had gone when I suggested or rather urged her to, she wouldn't be suffering as much right now. What makes it even worse is her being diabetic. Yep, just like mom she is diabetic.

So when it comes to any of us three being like mom, well I think we are all like her in one way or another but I think D takes the biggest part of refusing medical attention.

I pray that she heals, I pray that when she feels the least bit sick or sees the need to be seen by a doctor that she take one look at her daughter and says to herself, if for no one else I'm going and do it.

I know that this post may cause her to be upset with me but I'm glad she finally went and next time I think I'll just put her thru the embarrassment of calling an ambulance because i rather she be mad at me than not have her here at all.

I'm not ready to lose a sister and my big sister at that. :) I love you!!