Online Crop

Trying to figure out what to do with yourself this weekend now that the harvest festivals are over, all your leaves are raked, and it's too early to start cooking for Thanksgiving? Come play at Crop Chocolate for a 48 hour online crop November 6 and 7, 2010!

All you need to participate in the Online Crop and to be eligible for the prizes is to have an active Crop Chocolate account with a valid e-mail address (if you're signing up for the first time, please let them know I sent you by leaving my e-mail address in the referral: jtaylorsmom at yahoo dot com). It will be part shopping, part crafting, part challenges, and completely fun! Come play to win some prizes, complete some projects (layouts, cards, altered items--you know, finally use up some of your stash, and have some fun! There will also be some fun mini-games and activities going on under the Sweet Talk section of the website throughout the weekend, so make sure to stop by Sweet Talk and check them out too.

Can't make it for the whole weekend? No worries! The main challenges will be posted beginning on Saturday November 6th at 10:00 AM on the main page and it will alternate a challenge, then a SWEET deal, then another challenge, etc. If you miss a challenge on the main page they are always accessible under the "past deals" section of the website. The deadline for the submission of projects to be considered for prizes for the challenges is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8th, 2010 11:59 PM MST (Crop Chocolate local time) unless an earlier deadline is stated. That is approximately 24 hours after the crop ends. The challenges will be posted between 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM on Saturday Nov 6th and 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Sunday Nov 7th.

Summer, Summer, Summer

Being a musical person, I relate my life to song lyrics. And, I tend to burst into song whenever those lyrics pop into my head. When I think about this summer, "Magic" by The Cars pops into my head....

     Summer, it turns me upside down
     Summer, summer, summer
     It's like a merry-go-round

So while I've been upside down on the merry-go-round, I've taken a little break from the blog world. As I see the end of summer break approaching, I'm itching to get back to some of the things I've set aside.

I thought I would start by posting my July card for a card exchange group that I'm in. I got the basic idea for this card from a magazine. I didn't purchase the magazine, and I don't remember which one it was in. I just stored the idea away in my mind. When my Tim Holtz embossing folders arrived in the mail, I knew exactly what I was going to do!

Prism cardstock, Ribbon FX and Ribbon Boutique ribbons, Decorative Trims ric rac, Colorbox and Close to my Heart Inks, Tim Holtz embossing folders

Enjoy this day!

Scenes from Texas

Just a few photos from my parent's place. Dad has donkeys to help keep coyotes and dogs away from their property. I don't know if the donkeys found a friend or if the deer adopted the donkeys. But, in the mornings and evenings you can usually find this deer with them.

Mom and Dad have a hummingbird feeder haging in their front yard. One evening when we were sitting outside, a hummingbird came to eat. There is actually a second hummingbird in the area, but the first one chases the other one away. I couldn't capture any of that on film, they are really quite quick!

If it's not raining tomorrow, maybe I'll be able to get some photos of the cards I made at craft night with Mom. If was difficult crafting without only limited supplies!

Signs of an Addicted Scrapper

I won't talk about more paper than I care to think about. I won't talk about embellishments that I don't even remember that I have. I especially won't talk about all the time I spend reading and perusing crafting blogs! I won't talk about all the photos waiting for a home in a scrapbook. I won't talk about using every inch of available storage for tools. I will remain in denial that those might be signs that I'm an addicted scrapper!

Instead of talking about those things, I'll tell you a story. I'll even go so far as to say, "It's the story of a lovely lady. (who didn't want to be bored all afternoon)" My son went to Adventuredome with his school. For those of you that don't know, Adventuredome is an indoor amusement park at Circus Circus. Since he had a friend with him, he didn't need Mom around to ride rides or hover. So, when I decided to plan a boredom-free afternoon...an afternoon in which I didn't care to leave any earlier than my son did. I thought about those long tables in the group area. I thought about how nice it would be to spend the afternoon scrapping on one of those long tables. It wasn't really feasible to drag a huge bag of supplies out to Adventuredome, so I decided to pack some card kits. I took some card kits, my paper trimmer, and some adhesive. I wish I had also taken an ink pad or two, but I'm still happy with the end result. These kits were quick and easy with easy-to-follow instructions. I must admit that I was surprised to see them at an LSS for $17 when Memory Works sells them for $10. Here is all that I completed in between checking on the boys, eating lunch, and getting a little exercise.

The next time you see waiting in your future, pack up a card kit and fight the boredom! If you're feeling really adventurous, you could make your own card kits! A few supplies and a little bit of space and boredom becomes productive!

Christmas in July Winner!

Thanks for all the kind comments and for sharing your handmade gift ideas!

That means the winner is Tracee! E-mail me jtaylorsmom at yahoo dot com with your info!

Edited to add: I tried to use the random number widget, but I couldn't get it working. I'm going to blame that on being on someone else's computer. But, the number that showed up was 22.

Christmas in July!

Welcome to the Memory Works Christmas in July blog hop! Be sure to visit each blog to have chances to win more goodies. If you arrived here from Noelle's blog, then you are on the right track. If you didn't or if you've gotten lost along the way, you can start at Sue's blog.

For my project, I decided to make a stationary box. I give card sets as Christmas presents, and I like the presentation of providing a box. This one even includes a small address book, a spot for a pen, and a pocket for stamps as well as cards and tags. If you are interested in making your own, check out the instructions here.

Basic Grey patterned papers, American Crafts and Prism cardstock,

Making Memories stickers, misc. stamps and embellishments.

If you would like a chance to win this project, please leave a comment telling me about a crafty item you've given as a gift. Be sure to check back Monday to see if you are a winner. This giveaway is open to U.S. participants only. Next, hop on over to Rosann's blog to see what she has in store for you! Don't miss out on any of the blogs and their giveaways!

Sue
Liz
Wendy
Lynn
Sharon
Noelle
Shelley (You are here.)
Rosann
Jenn
Maryann
Luisa
Lisa
Mariah

I hope you have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Coming Soon!

Coming soon to a blog near you! Be sure and check in over the holiday weekend (July 2 - July 4). Each person participating in the hop will have a giveaway on their blog. I hope you find the time to seek out some inspiration and get a jump start on all those Christmas projects!

Summer Purging

Since it's officially summer, I'll have to go with summer purging instead of spring cleaning! I get together with friends once a week for craft night. I have a huge stash of stuff that I share with them. There is definitely more than enough to go around! Each summer, while my children are visiting their grandparents, I pull out all of my stuff and purge. This year is no different. I am getting rid of all the stuff that I don't use and really don't even look through! My craft night peeps will be able to do some "shopping" this weekend! I have a little peek for them.

This is a photo of a TV armoire that I use for scrapbook storage. It holds most of my tools, and now it even has a lot of my embellies. Anway, enjoy the peek (you know who you are)!

Locks of Love

When my daughters were going through a Hannah Montana phase, they both decided that they wanted hair that was as long as hers. They didn't seem to understand or care that she was wearing a wig. My youngest found out that as her hair grew, it was more difficult to take care of. She has really thick hair, and she couldn't even come close to getting out all the tangles when it was long. So, she recently decided that it was time to get it cut. We discussed how short she wanted it. Then, it occurred to me, that she probably had enough hair to donate. We measure it, and she had more than the 10 inches required. I told her about Locks of Love. She decided to donate her hair. So, we I had to take some photos of the haircut and a picture of her holding her hair that will be donated. She is very happy with her hair now. She can brush it herself, and I think she even picked up a little sassy to go with the short hair!

Congrats Card #1

Here is the first of 3 graduation cards that I need to make. This one came together pretty quickly thanks to the June Express Kit . I was pretty happy that I was able to use the kit the same week that I received it! I haven't done that in quite a while.

I wanted to use chipboard letters for dimension, but I didn't have any that matched. So I took some letters that were way to bright and added some distress ink (olive) and Maya Mist in bronze. I used a paper towel to soak up the excess mist. I am quite pleased with the finished look!

I also made my own envelope since I made an odd-sized card. The card is a tri-fold type that was made to hold cash--the perfect grad gift!

Supplies used: My Mind's Eye patterned paper, Basic Grey ribbon and letter stickers (on the envelope but doesn't show in the photo), Pebbles Candy Dots, Pink Paislee chipboard letters, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Maya Mist, From my stash I used some misc. cardstock, unknown patterned paper and silk flowers for the envelope.

Summer

I guess I am in a summer funk as far as creativity goes. We have been busy these past 2 weeks, so that probably has something to do with it! Also, I'm hoping to have some organizing time while the children are visiting their grandparents. Nothing like organizing to get the creative juices flowing--I seem to always "find" things that I forgot I had in the first place. For now, I'll share the photo of my 8th grade graduate. It's proof that he (and I) survived 1 1/2 years of online school!

Color Me Creative!

I thought this Color Test was interesting. It predicts your personality based on colors that you like and don't like.

You are 48 % extrovert and 52 % introvert.  (I guess Scott is rubbing off on me!)


Independently of any order of importance :

You are creative, you always have new ideas, and your inspiration comes from the inside.

You are also strong-willed and active, your actions are determined by your own will, by the goals you settled for yourself, and by your need to act and to move forward.

Finally you are a manager and a structured person, you know how to take into account the needs of each person while leading them towards the set goals.

Your understanding of your environment :

At first, at 39%, you are attached to moral values and feelings, and you have an emotional relation with the environment.


Then, at a ratio of 33%, you are focused on the facts and on the reality, and your decisions are determined by your perception of facts.

Finally, at 26%, you are centered on your thoughts and your actions are determined by your knowledge and your experience.

How you assert yourself :


In your relations with others, your inspiration and your creativity, your artistic or spiritual impulse have an influence of 54%. Also your family and personal ties interfere (haha, they're getting in the way!) at 45%.
Also, your actions are determined by your will and your personal goals at a ratio of 59%. In 40% of the cases you take into account your own sensibility and your partner’s.

Finally, your point of view and your decision-making are motivated by your inner conviction at 59%. Dialogue and exchange of views with others are taken into account at 40%.


The qualities that characterize your personality at this time :
Your creativity: 22% you are creative, you know how to see beauty, you are intuitive and your inspiration comes from the inside.
 
Your energy: 20% you are strong-willed and active (who, me?), your actions are determined by your own will, by the goals you settled to yourself, and by your need to act and move ahead.
 
Your imagination: 20% you are a creative person, with always new ideas, and you know how to apply them.
 
Your management skills: 18% you are a manager and a structured person (can organized chaos be considered structure?), you know how to take into account the needs of each person while leading them to the fixed goals.
 
 
Your emotional intelligence: 17% you are thoughtful and capable of listening to others, you take into account the needs of others before setting up the defined objectives.
 

Finally, You are (I like this part) intellectual and intelligent, you wonder and you inquire before taking any action and setting your values, you are a manager and a leader, and you know how to organize groups of people and how to give them your energy.

Drumroll, please!

The winner of the recipe album is

ME... said...
so very cute!


The winner of the calendar is

naomie said...
im lovin the colors of the recipie book..especially that you used black..your an awesome scrapbooker.. i love the inspiration that you give to others..loving the calender..thats a conversation starter..


Thanks so much for all the kind comments! Winners, contact me with your mailing info, and I will get your prize to you.

Let's get hopping!

Welcome to the Memory Works Backyard Blog Hop! If you came here from Lynn's blog, then you are on the right track. If you did not, be sure to start at Sue's blog. You don't want to miss out on any great inspiration or giveaways!

For the hop, I decided to make a recipe album. Cooking/baking is me second love, so I thought it would be fun to have a small album that I could use in the kitchen. You could even add more index cards or make your own (like I did). I used one of my new favorite products, a 6x6 paper pad. This one happens to be Cosmo Cricket's Garden Variety. The papers are so sun, and I love the colors! I also used a Garden Variety cardstock sticker. The flower is Creative Imaginations and the letter stickers are Making Memories. The ribbons are just some from my stash. The cover I made from cutting down 2 pages of a Cosmo Cricket blackboard album. I still have plenty of pages left for another album!

I was feeling so inspired by this hop, that I decided to make another project! This one is also for a contest which I will post about next week. I really enjoy making calendars. They make great gifts at Christmas! This one is made from toilet paper rolls. The tags could be used for keeping track of important dates like birthdays and anniversaries or for journaling important facts from each month.

I used the Basic Grey Green at Heart 6x6 paper pad for this one. The 6x6 paper is perfect for toilet rolls because it will wrap all the way around, and it's a little wider. So when you cut off the extra width, you then have paper to use for layering or embellishing. When I started this album, I was regretting that I hadn't ordered any of the coordinating embellishments. One thing that I like about mini albums is that I can use all leftover bits and pieces that I already have. I cut several things with the Cricut too. For the flower on the cover, I took a white chipboard flower, misted it with Tattered Angels Mist, and then painted on the Rock Candy Crackle Paint. The mist wasn't quite dry when I painted it, and I like the resulting effect. I also used Tattered Angels Mist on some of the white Petaloo flowers. I misted in several different colors and those are on a couple of pages in the album.

Being inspired also makes me feel generous, so today I'm giving away both projects that I made! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment and be sure to check back next Tuesday to see if you are a winner! Feel free to become a follower so you don't miss out on winning! The giveaway is open to everyone--even our international friends.

Your next stop on the hop is Rosann . While you're hopping, be sure to check out Memory Work's own line Simple Stories. Scrapping has never been easier or so guilt-free! Have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Digging Around

As I was going through some of my treasures, I came across this envelope book. I made it for a challenge last summer, but I don't think I've posted it on my blog.

I used Fancy Pants patterned papers and journaling cards. The journaling cards are the tags inside the pockets in the book. This project is easy enough that I can make it with my daughters.

Family

I'm thinking about my family this week because Dad will get back some test results on Wednesday. So, I thought I would share this layout of my sister and I.

Several years ago, I realized that, as the photographer, I was missing from all our photos. With some inspiration from my sister-in-law, I decided to start taking photos of myself. My children fell in love with the concept of taking photos of themselves! Occasionally, I can get other family members to indulge me as well. I decided that my sister and I needed to do a self-portrait together. Apparently, she couldn't handle the flash so close to her face, so she had a couple of funny faces. My comment was, "Well, at least I look good!" Her birthday is in July, and I think she might need some photos of us!

I used the November 2009 and scraps from the January 2010 Express Kits and felt Thickers.

Amusing myself

It is no secret that I am easily amused. On a recent visit to a local stamp store, I found a stamp that amused me. It was only $1, so I thought I could surely get enough use out of it to justify spending a $1. When my friends saw this stamp, some of them were amused like I was and some were wondering why on earth I would ever buy a stamp like that. So, I had to incorporate this stamp into my card for our card club!

The inside reads, "Just for you! Happy birthday!" I used several different papers on this card: Little Yellow Bicycle, Crate Paper, and Basic Grey. The cardstock is from my stash. There's a paper clip and some twill ribbon that also came from my stash. The ink is Colorbox Chalk Ink. My friends were excited that I actually sewed on the card. We had a good laugh because I own two sewing machines (one is small so that I can take it with me for scrapping), and I don't know how to hem! Anyway, I feel I've already gotten my dollar's worth out of the stamp, so anything from here on out is just gravy!

Weekend fun!

I went digging through my stash and pulled out some things that I hope to use this weekend. I'm working on a project for the Memory Works blog hop (which starts next Friday). And, just in case you're worried, I actually have a few projects in mind, so I tried to pull out things to use on all of them. I hope all os us can have a creative and productive weekend!

A Weekend Away

It was a blessing to be able to attend a weekend crop! I was able to accomplish so much, and it is so relaxing to take a break from the responsibilities of home! Through the wonders of internet and a laptop, I was able to easily keep in touch with my hubby. On that Friday, I spent the entire day working on a project for church. I was able to complete everything that I had at that time. I'm still waiting on a few things to add to the book, but it will be out of my hands at the end of this month. It was a relief to get that all behind me!

Saturday, I worked on layouts for me. I was trying to use some kits I have neglected. I love the Memory Works Express kits! I enjoy the mix of patterned papers and embellishments, and it's really easy to complete a layout since I have everything I need in one place. (It also made it really easy to pack for a weekend of cropping!) This is the March 2010 kit. I made my own journaling block because I didn't have one that was the right size or color. The stamp is from Unity.

My son is quite the entreprenuer. He's always thinking of things he can do to make money. Of course he thinks all his ideas will be a fast track to lots of money. When he was younger, he really enjoyed selling lemonade at his grandparent's house. They lived in a generous neighborhood! Once, he even woke up early enough to sell Kona coffee to anyone who was on their way to work.

By Sunday, I think I was overwhelmed. I spent the day mounting some rubber stamps onto cling foam so that I could use them with my acrylic blocks. All in all, it was quite a productive weekend, and I'm happy that I went! Now, I just need to get everything unpacked!

Busy, busy!

May has been a busy month! I started off the month with a relaxing weekend of scrapping. I'm hoping to get those photos taken and uploaded this week.

After my relaxing weekend, we had a "Guys Craft Night". It was really a card making class for the men in our small group. They made Mother's Day cards for their wives. (They also planned a great Mother's Day lunch for all of us!) It was fun helping the guys get out of their comfort zone and craft. It was also fun to see them get creative and put their own touches on their cards!


Here's the proof they actually made their own cards. They are all working so diligently!

Joe's card and homemade envelope. (The Crafter's Companion makes those envelopes a breeze!)
Lawrence was so impressed with the envelopes, that he tore open his plain one and made one for his card!

I was too slow in photo taking and only got 2nd Scott's envelope.

Here is the card and envelope that I received. It was difficult trying to take a photo and not look at the card!

Here are the happy recipients of the cards. We are happy that we received handmade cards and especially happy that we didn't have to cook or clean up lunch!

May's Recipe

This recipe comes from Picky Palate . I love cinnamon rolls, so I definitely had to try this one. It also helps that I have a pile of bananas that are ready for being baked. I will have to admit that the French bread dough is not my favorite. My rolls came out looking nothing like hers, but they were definitely yummy! I think the next time I try this, I'll be using a homemade dough. Also, I was out of parchment paper, so I made sure that I sprayed my glass baking dish. The rolls didn't stick at all.

Roasted Banana Cinnamon Rolls

2 ripe bananas cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 roll Pillsbury French Bread Loaf
4 Tbsp. softened butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place banana slices and cut up pieces of butter into a small baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. brown sugar and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. Next, use a fork to smash roasted bananas until well combined.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Unroll French bread dough into rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Place dollops of roasted banana mixture evenly over top. Starting from long end, roll up into log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch slices and placde onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just turning golden brown. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk powdered sugar and heavy cream until combined; drizzle over top of warm rolls. Makes 12 rolls.

Card club

So, my friends and I decided it would be fun to start a card club. We were a little overwhelmed with the thought of too many cards, so there are 4 1/2 of us. (The half is really poking fun at one friend who only joins us on occasion.) I went a little Cricut crazy. After I cut everything out and glued it to the card, I didn't have room for much else. I tried adding ribbon--that didn't work. So, I gave up because I wanted it to be a card that could be used for guys. I did use Helmar Liquid Scrap Dots to pop up the stars. Love that stuff! Hopefully they will like them anyway!

Hello, Chick!

My daughters can be quite the cardmakers. They can craft and scrapbook faster than I can keep up with helping them! My youngest picked a card out of a magazine. We used some scrap papers we had, and I used the cricket to cut out the yellow parts of the chick. I thought it turned out really cute--especially for a seven-year-old!

A couple of projects

I've actually made some time to work on a few projects lately. The book is actually a calendar. It is my first time to use my Bind-It-All, and I am now totally addicted! I need to order some more o-wires, but I think my next project is going to be a 12x12 album.

I've decided that it's probably a good thing that I don't have a dedicated space for crafting. I don't think I would ever get anything else done or ever clean up my crafty mess!

I found some cute projects at U Create that I would like to try. They involve sewing, and although my sewing skills are not great, I think they might be easy enough even for me!

Hope you are having a great weekend! I think it's time to start getting ready for craft night!

Birthday Card

I'm finally getting around to posting a card I made two weeks ago. It was for a friend's birthday. She loved it! It is a total scraplift of a card in the CTMH Originals book. I use that book often for card ideas. It was already dark out when I took the photo, so the colors are a little off. The patterned paper (I think) is from a set I bought from Oriental Trading Co. The fastener has been in my stash forever because it's from Lil' Davis. The stamp is from The {Stamps} of Life . Everything else is just random stuff from my stash and scrap pile. I even pulled out the sewing machine for the stems! I hope to get a few more cards made this week, and maybe it won't take me two weeks to get them posted.

February's Favorite Recipe

This was a big hit at my house! I used Frank's Red Hot Sauce for the wing sauce. It wasn't too spicy for the girls. Everyone made sure that I knew they liked it!

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes

1 1/4 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/3 c. buffalo wing sauce
6 c. frozen (thawed) southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 c. ranch or bleu cheese dressing (I used the ranch)
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can condensed cream of celery soup (I had cream of chicken, so I used that)
1/2 c. corn flake crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/4 c. chopped green onions (left these off because of my picky men)

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.
3. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese, and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in single layer over potato mixture.
4. In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.

Other flavors: you can replace the wing sauce with teriyaki, sweet and sour, or barbecue sauce.

You can also omit the chicken and wing sauce for a side dish.

The recipe is from the Betty Crocker web site.

SEI Paper

So, I spend lots of time reading blogs. I guess you can tell since I'm posting about another giveaway! Obsessed With Scrapbooking has lots of great ideas about using your Cricut cartridges. She is giving away an SEI paper pack that is gorgeous! Good luck!

Prima

I love free stuff, and I guess that is a major motivator for me posting to my blog! Prima is about to make a big announcement, but in the meantime, they are having a great giveaway! If I don't win, it would be great if someone I knew won!

Finally!

I was finally able to sit down and make some scrapbook pages for me. These are a little simple, but it was a great feeling to get something accomplished for me! The first page was made with the February MemoryWorks Express kit and was made for a photo inspiration challenge. These are pics from the hospital when Allison was born.



The next one is made with the October MemoryWorks Express kit. I prefer coming up with "homemade" costumes rather than buying them. I guess I enjoy the creative process in many different outlets!




It has been so long since I've done any projects for myself, that I actually had 6 kits that I had just filed away to use later. I'm trying to get some of them used so I don't feel guilty keeping my subscription!

It's So Easy!

I just received My Simple Stories kit from Memory Works. The kit has so many different possibilities, and I am excited to get started. I'm hoping to get some photos picked out this week! In the meantime, check here for a video and explanation of the kit. On February 21, there will be a blog hop featuring My Simple Stories.

Now, I'm off to be creative!

Here's What's Cooking!

I try new recipes all the time. I probably average a new one a week. So, I've decided that I need to keep a list of our favorite recipes during the year. If I have a list, maybe I won't forget about them. And, they will be easy to access anytime someone asks for the recipe. If I'm feeling really productive I can put together a little cookbook at the end of the year!

So, this is the recipe that is Scott's favorite from January. I found it on RecipeZaar which is one of my favorite sights for finding new recipes! I did not put onions in it because Scott and Taylor don't like onions, but I bet it would be really good with onions! Also, you could make it spicier or less spicy depending on the kind of tomatoes that you use. Enjoy!

Ranch Style Beans (AKA Cowboy Beans)

1 lb. dry pinto beans
8 cups water
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles

Place beans in a dutch oven; add water 2 inches above beans. Bring to a boil, boil 1 minute. Cover and remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Drain. Bring beans and 8 cups water to a boil in dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours until beans are tender. Add onion and the next 7 ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes. Add tomatoes. Simmer 30 minutes and serve.