Cowboy Beans and Hot Dog Budget

Well I have good news and not so good news.  I finally heard from my insurance adjuster and collision specialist after my deer incident.  The good news is my car is not totaled.  The not so good news is I now have to come up with $xxxxxx of deductible money by the time they are done with my car so I can pick it up.  Looks like my fireplace design is going to be put on hold for a few months.  To keep it all in perspective though, thank God I didn't have any medical issues from the accident, my insurance covers my rental car and everything will be okay.

In order to save our money to retrieve my car, looks like we'll be on a hot dog and beans budget for the next few months.  These beans are totally worth it though.  They are so rich, flavorful and delicious!  They are even better the next day for lunch leftovers!

Baked Bean Casserole

Adapted from Trisha Yearwood

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 small onion
(2) 16 ounce cans Bush's Baked Beans (any flavor)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbl dijon mustard
2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl soy sauce
4 Tbl brown sugar
8 slices bacon, cut into pieces and cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a large cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.

Brown the ground beef and onions.  Add the bacon pieces, baked beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar to the mixture.

Simmer for 5 minutes.  Cover the cast iron skillet with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Let the beans stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Two Years Ago: Surprise Quiche
Three Years Ago: Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast Bake
Four Years Ago: Creamy Artichoke Bruschetta
Five Years Ago: Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Sammy's Shark Bite...Halloween Dayz

You are not reading the title incorrectly and it is not a typo.  This Halloween has me in a dayz!!

Halloween is not my favorite day or holiday by any stretch.  It never has and after today, it never will be.  I have some friends who really get into this holiday.  They are planning their costumes months ahead of time and really do up their house interior and exterior decors.

I have never been a fan of it.  Growing up in Alaska, Halloween was always so cold.  We could never get our (back in the day) plastic costumes over our giant parkas.  We had to dress just for survival to score whatever candy we could, before frostbite started to show itself.  Our eyelashes would freeze and it just wasn't fun.

Then when I was young in elementary school, our classroom had a pumpkin seed counting contest.  We had to guess how many seeds were in the pumpkin before we carved it together...and I won.  I was so excited.  I had never won a contest.  The winner got to bring home the carved pumpkin.  Well, it was a really, really large pumpkin.  I heaved it onto my school bus and we drove home after school.  

Well, again...very cold and dark by that time of year after school.  I wrapped my little arms around that pumpkin and started to walk home from the bus stop, so proud of my winning accomplishment and couldn't wait to show my parents.  My little body couldn't hold out.  The large pumpkin was much too large and heavy for me to carry home.  It was so cold that day, that I ended up accidentally dropping my prize pumpkin.  Since it had frozen over, it immediately shattered in pieces...and so did my heart right then and there.

Today, my heart stopped again....

Driving to work this morning, out of nowhere a large deer or elk (not sure it happened so fast) with antlers like I have never seen jumped out of the bushes and rammed right into my car.  The entire side of my car....bumper to bumper.  It sounded like (and felt like) I just got t-boned by a freight train.  

By the Grace of God, I was able to keep control of my car and not flip it or drive off the cliff.  My Guardian Angel kept me safe, but my poor car has definitely seen better days.  Just another example why I will never be a fan of Halloween.  

When I delivered my broken car to the auto body for evaluation, they told me I was their third deer incident today.  What are these deer thinking?!?!  She then proceeded to take a large green marker and start marking every area that needed replaced and/or fixed.  By the time she was done, it looked like a kindergarten class had doodled all over the white paint and I wanted to cry...again...for the fifth time today.

I felt most sorry for USAA insurance, who have been absolutely amazing to me through all of this!  They had to listen to my hysterical blubbering when I had to call them and try to explain what happened.  Late in the afternoon, one of their agents called just to check on me and see how I was doing.  (I can only imagine what the notes in my file say about my emotional state this morning).

Since Mr. Giant Deer took a giant bite(s) out of my car, this evening I will be having Sammy's Shark Bite...or two...or??  

Sammy's Shark Bite

Courtesy of Sammy Hagar

1-1/2 ounces Sammy's Beach Bar rum

1/2 ounce Southern Comfort

1/2 ounce orange juice

1/2 ounce fresh sour

1/2 ounce simple syrup

1 ounce Sprite 

orange peel for garnish

Pour all the ingredients except the Sprite and orange peel into a shaker.  Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass.  Add the Sprite, garnish with the orange peel, and serve.

Two Years Ago: Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
Three Years Ago: Shortbread S'mores Cups
Four Years Ago: TyKU and Naughty Lemonade
Five Years Ago: Tamale Casserole