Author: ssgreenbean

Thrift store queen with 2 beautiful grown men and a life full of gratitude, fashion, and food
Misc Rambling · Recipes

1st annual homemade Tamales

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Prior to our move to another state, every year we would have our friends over to make homemade Tamales. We are now continuing the tradition in our new home state of Washington. Here are a few photos of the prep prior to everyone’s arrival. Pork for those who eat it and chicken for everyone else. The night before just get out the crock pots and season the meat and let it cook all night. The next day it is ready to go. Let’s talk Masa. I make my own and yes you need lard to make it taste good, everything in moderation as they say. recipe below: I also bought some pre-made from our local Taqueria. Let me just say make it yourself. flavor is so much better and so is the texture. Everyone went home with a bag of tamales and happy. Just another reason to get together with friends.

Masa:

6 cups masa harina

5 cups chicken broth (warm)

2 cups lard

2 tsp salt, 3 TBS onion powder and chili powder

2 TBS cumin

mix masa with spices first, then add chicken broth, and last the lard mix it well

Misc Rambling

For the love of wallpaper

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I love color, print, and home improvement projects. I had previously tried to update these old closet doors and needless to say it wasn’t good. Last week while shopping at my very favorite store “goodwill” I found this fantastic animal print wallpaper for 6 bucks a roll. I bought both rolls and came home to get busy. It took me 2 full days of scoring and scraping to get the old ugly wall paper off but now the doors are FANTASTIC, no one can say I’m boring. My decorating style is certainly bold. I hope you like it.

Misc Rambling

Happy Happiest Fall

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Anyone who knows me is aware, I live for eggnog and pumpkin season. Well guess what, I found my first batch of nog, yes. It’s a beautiful Fall day in the Pacific Northwest so I off course got up and put on the crockpot full of Mississippi chicken and yep Punkin Eggnog cake. You all need smell o vision because my house is where you wanna be today. Jason I’m thinking of you today 😃

Misc Rambling

Proud to be a STRONG woman

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I felt some kinda way today when I saw a woman I know post a video of her beautiful home with a view. So let me break it down for real. I have worked since I was 13, put myself through college while taking my 2 sons with me to night classes. I have accomplished so much, owned 3 homes and truly am so proud of being able to say I don’t need a man. I love my husband of 30 years but certainly would be a ok without him. This woman since i have met her has looked for ONLY men with money who could take care of her so she could just be cute with no job. And there have been lots. My question is how can you be proud when nothing you have belongs to you? Maybe I’m different but if I drive a Hyundai I paid for it is better than a benz that dude can yank at anytime.

Misc Rambling

Books to Read

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Let me just say I love to read. I truly can read a book per day if it is interesting. I thought I would share some of my favorites from the past year. A lot of what I have read is nonfiction, criminal justice reform, or self-improvement/educational stuff. I have provided affiliate links for each if you would like to purchase them, simply choose the link. I also included a short description to make it easy for you all.
Happy Reading
1. Mad as Hell, A Mom’s Journey– I wrote this book and yes I have read it at least 50 times. It is my journey through my son’s addiction and incarceration.
2. Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America– This is one of the best books I have ever read, it provides a comprehensive look at the history of addiction and corruption in this country. Beth Macy
3. Just Mercy– Bryan Stevenson’s commitment to justice reform and fighting for those wrongly convicted is amazing.
4. From Dope to Hope- Crazy story of Tim Ryan’s LONG journey through addiction, continued recovery, and hope
5. Total Money Makeover– Dave Ramsey really can get you out of debt
6. Unbroken Brain– provides an alternate way of looking at addiction and recovery
7. Born a Crime- Trevor Noah’s journey as a mixed child is eye opening and inspiring
8. The New Jim Crow– details the targeting and control over communities of color that truly exist within our criminal justice system today
9. Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration- details approaches to reduce mass incarceration
10. Infinite Hope- Anthony Graves details his 16 years in solitary for a crime he did not commit

Misc Rambling

Mad as Hell, A Mom’s Journey

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My son is home and for the first time in a year I have exhaled. The book I wrote to not go crazy on this wild journey of my son’s addiction and incarceration is available this Thursday, September 12th on Kindle and Amazon. My hope is that anyone who reads it will know they are not alone and that I can provide some laughter and hope along the way.

Misc Rambling

Oh the adventures we will have

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I have learned so much about an rv in the last month, I thought I would share the adventure Hooking up the truck to the camper is the hardest thing, first you have to back right up to the hitch connector and wait for the clamp to engage. Once this is done we have to pull it out of our steep ass driveway, hitch grinding the entire time into the street so we can get level enough to put on the stabilizer bars. These damn things scare the crap out of me so I simply stand back and watch. You have to put the trailer tongue down to take the weight off the truck then put on these steel bars in with a pry bar that makes a loud noise when on, good lord. Oh then there is two chain connectors that attach to the truck and the power supply for the lights to work. I’m tired just talking about it even though after the 3rd time we did the whole process in under 10 minutes.

On our first trip we learned that you need atleast a 4000 watt generator after we lost all power, oh n check your battery connectors to make sure they are all hooked up, another lesson as ours weren’t. Locate the gfi before you leave just in case it gets tripped you know where to find it, its in our bathroom, who knew.

The great part is we get to sleep in our own bed, no one bothers us, and we get to go to great places. The pictures below were taken at Mt Hood.

Family/Fun/Fashion · Misc Rambling

Book Adventures

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Congratulations! “Mad As Hell A Mom’s Journey” is available for pre-order in the Kindle Store.

It is available* for customers to pre-order here. 

Customers who pre-ordered the book will receive the content on the release date, 09/16/2019.

The paperback will be available on 9/16/2019 but cannot be pre-ordered.

I hope that anyone who has ever had a child incarcerated will find one thing in the book that makes them laugh. Thanks for the support.

All proceeds from sales will be dedicated toward the fight for the removal mandatory minimum sentencing for first time and non violent drug offenders. 

Misc Rambling

OMG really

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I was watching house hunter tonight on HGTV and I am amazed at the stupidity that I see from those who have endless money. So if you don’t have a door to close off the toilet is that is a deal breaker? shut up… Do you fart in front of your spouse? My husband knows that this is healthy as the doctor who did my intestine surgery 30 years ago stated that passing gas is essential so get over it, oh my god. If you have a place to sleep, people you love, I don’t care if it is a one room shack, celebrate… thats all