Continue to Channel Mary......Disney Trip Report - Day 2

Oh trying to get up this morning was a real chore! I just didn't want to do it. Every time we drive to Disney I think to myself, why did we do it....I'm always so tired. Where Chuck always springs into action like Tigger ready to start the day and get to the parks. Boing, Boing, Boing.....

Just put Chuck's face in place of Tigger's face 
and follow the bouncing Chuck!

Me, I just want to go back to bed or read while lying there thinking of sleeping, more like Eeyore.

I managed to get myself rolling....literally rolling myself out of bed, when I heard the children come barreling down the wood floors and stairs to get their breakfast. I couldn't help but start to get excited when I heard their excitement about what they were going to wear and what they wanted to do.

Of course, Zoey asked at the last minute if she could have a bun. NEWS FLASH FOLKS....I'm not a girlie girl except for my nails. Zoey knows this but she is always asking me to do something special with her hair. I did the best bun I could with complete expectations that it would fall out. Zoey of course loved it which did wonders for my heart!

Before I go any further....I have to say (and I may have said this before) that I teased Mary all the time about writing things down while we were on vacation. I just had to sit with Chuck and have us both review what we did in our heads because I couldn't remember! Now in my defense it could be that huge, wonderfully delicious, burger I just had from Tony Beef! For those that live in Atlantic County, NJ you need to check this place out!

It's Sunday, February 10, 2019, and day two couldn't be any better than spending it at the Magic Kingdom! We were surprised at how low the crowds were. It did get busy in the late afternoon but otherwise it was a fairly moderate to low crowd day.


As we first got to the Magic Kingdom we soared right through the Annual Passholder line! I love this line, well I guess I love it when everyone in the line knows what they are doing. So today I LOVE IT!

Our first stop was to get our memorial picture. This Photo Pass member knew exactly what we were trying to accomplish and I'm over the moon happy with this picture.  I can't wait to get it printed!

It feel like Mary is right there with us with a little pixie dust!

Our hugging picture turned out just as great! I wish I got the photographer's name. He was fantastic and I thanked him with tears in my eyes. I would have liked to go tell someone how much I appreciated him and how much he cared about what we wanted.

Family huggggggg!

Off to buzz light year! We were able to get on buzz twice before heading over to space mountain. I got to say this is the way to do it. Get a fastpass for Space Mountain and ride buzz while the line is short!

 

Just so you know, I don't think I'm ever looking at the camera on this ride! 

And these two always look picture perfect. By the way Chuck ALWAYS gets a perfect score on this ride too! I just don't know how he does it. I'm lucky if I get over 50K and that's only because I hold the button in the whole time and my score keeps increasing that way. 

SHHHHH! DON'T TELL ANYONE MY SECRET!

While Chuck, Zoey and I headed over to Space Mountain, Jesse got to ride Buzz a couple more times and then chilled on the People Mover.

Once again, Chuck knows where to look for the camera and I'm looking anywhere but. 

At least I have a smile on my face!

Once we caught back up with Jesse we were all hungry and ready for some lunch. However, we had to get in our Pirates fix before we could eat! But wait....There's Memento Mori (Haunted Mansion's gift shop). We had to go see if they had the Haunted Mansion themed back pack. I should have gotten this when we were there in October! GRRRRR! I might have to get it on eBay!

You never have to ask our group where we are going to eat lunch. We ALWAYS eat at Pecos Bills for lunch! You just can't go wrong with this place. It doesn't matter if you are watching calories, watching carbs, or watching that cheeseburger going down your throat (that might be interesting) this place is YUMMMMY! I can almost order everyone's meal without even asking!

• Chuck: Beef nachos, water and churros to share with me. 
• Karen: taco trio (beef, chicken, and spicy cauliflower)
• Jesse: Bacon cheeseburger plain, milk, churros to share with Zoey. 
• Zoey: Uncrustable kids meal with two apple sauces and an apple juice. 

By the time Chuck and I are back at the table with the food/drinks, Jesse has gone to the fixin's bar to get everyone a little cup of shredded cheese. It's a thing with Jesse and we just go with it. If you have not had this spicy cauliflower taco or side dish (from the kiosk just outside of Pecos Bills) you are missing out! These are delicious! 


After our fiddles we headed up to the Fire Hall on Main Street to get our Sorcerer of the Magic Kingdom cards. Have you played this game? We really enjoy it and are still learning how it all works. We have all but two of the cards and then tons of duplicates. We even have some of the party cards. We didn't get to actually play the game today. It was raining pretty heavy off and on today and we didn't want to get our cards wet.

So off to the Haunted Mansion we went for our next Fast Pass. I have to say I love going on this ride with the kids. We all recite the everything that is said for most of the ride. Most folks get a kick out of Zoey reciting the beginning part ...."there are no windows and no doors...." The evil laugh she gives is hilarious!

The rain wasn't too bad right now and we had a fastpass for Thunder Mountain railroad. I'm pretty sure this is Zoey's favorite ride. She loves reciting the safety speech at the beginning of the ride. One of these trips I'm going to have to dress her up as a cowgirl (in all pink of course) and have her recite this. And don't you know it was raining pretty good as we were going around the track. We were all laughing and having a really good time. The Asian couple behind us were hilarious about the rain and could have been our kin by the way they were hootin' and a hollarin' with us! As as we pull back into the station Jesse yells "It's now time for the symphony of UUHHHHH!" as the ride comes to a stop.

Chuck and Jesse were tired of being wet so Zoey and I waited for 30 minutes in the rain for Splash Mountain. I was hoping to get a really good picture with her on this ride. She rarely wants to sit with me and always wants to sit with Daddy on all the rides.

Well Splash Mountain you did not disappoint me in the picture department. What picture isn't complete without someone's hand being in your face!I think the only way I'm going to get a good picture is if I sit in the front seat and then there is no chance that I won't be looking in the wrong direction. LOL!

By this point I was getting really tired and said "a break would be nice". Just so you know Chuck doesn't believe in breaks while we are at Disney. He thinks we should be at the parks from open to close and even longer if he could. So while Chuck and Zoey went on Littler Mermaid and Barn Stormer Jesse and I relaxed in the circus tent. Do you know that they have actual comfy chairs in this area? I got to put my feet up and my head back, took probably an hour nap. Jesse laid on a lounge chair playing on his phone. But it was just the charge we needed to keep going.

Daddy's got really long arms!

 

He also managed to get a picture of where the new Tron ride is going to be!

We are all looking forward to this ride being completed. And also for the Speedway to open back up.


FOOOD, FEED MEEEE! I WANT DINNER, CAN WE EAT!!!! Ahh, the sounds of music! Or maybe just a hungry family. Traipsing all over the Magic Kingdom numerous times in a day will make you hungry. Chuck had seen that Cosmic Rays had a new burger that he was interested in trying. When we walked inside we were surprised to see Bay 1 open. Bay 1 is NEVER open, at least not when we have been there. We were also surprised to see that they were doing some type of construction on the other half of the restaurant.

The new Mickey cheeseburger with Mac n Cheese on it was pretty good. We partnered it with thee loaded fries. And yes before anyone asks Chuck and I enjoyed our heart attack meal just nicely! ;) At least we washed it down with a bottle of water. =)

It's been an extremely busy day and I am plum tuckered! For the last year and a half my life has not been my own. I haven't slept right in all that time. And the last two weeks before this day have been horrible, little to no sleep. So to say that I was exhausted is truly an understatement. I felt like I was walking on fumes. As we were heading out for an early night Zoey and Chuck both spot Merida. Merida is one of Chuck's favorite, of course she's a red head!

Being the good sport that I am we stood in line for 30 minutes waiting to see Merida.....I think it was worth the wait even if Jesse wouldn't get in the picture with us!

Any one notice that Zoey still had her bun?!?!? Not too shabby Mommy! Please don't ask me to do another one! PSST....I actually YouTube how to do this. Found a dad doing a bun for his little girl.

It's officially time for me to go to bed. I have yawned the whole time I was writing this part of the trip report. At the same time I was quizzing Jesse on his spelling words, yelling up to Zoey that she needed to hurry up in the shower, and listening to Chuck snore from his recliner in the basement. All in a night's work here at the Bown residence! BTW, Chuck had a huge burger too....might have something to do with the need for his nap. ;)

Channelinng Mary....Disney Trip Report

What better way to celebrate the life of a Disney fanatic than by going to Disney to remember her. To be close to her.  To remember all the happy times we spent together there. Some may think that we were wrong in coming to Disney so soon after Mary's passing.

That's your right, but we don't care! It's our right to mourn, rather CELEBRATE, the life of our loved one the best way we know how!

There's no better way to celebrate Mary's life than to do it at her happy place!

This picture from last October just shows how much our family loves Disney. 

And to be honest I feel like Disney LOVES us!

Taking a step back....Back in October 2018, Mary was here at Disney with us. She said over and over again that it was her last trip; she just couldn't do it anymore. We told her that we wanted to come back in February and she said "You should go, I would love to but I just can't do it anymore." It was so sad to hear her say that, but Chuck and I both knew she was right.

In all accounts, the doctors expected her to live til the end of 2019.  So we planned this trip, four months ago. Mary was still doing fairly well, even driving herself places; enjoying her life. We even planned on having someone stay with her to keep her company while we took a break.


When Mary started taking a turn for the worse in January, Chuck and I knew that our February trip might not happen. We were OK with that, his mom was far more important than seeing Mickey and his friends. Matter of fact, at one point, Mary said "I can't die yet, you have to go to Disney!". To say that I cried is an understatement. The trip was cancelled as far as I was concerned. I looked Mary right in the eye and said "There's no way we would ever think of going on that trip Mom. Don't you think twice about it!" Then she started crying, with the Hospice nurse joining in with her own tears. Mary said "I'm sorry, but I don't want to die alone." With most things over the past few months, I rubber here leg and said "there's no need to do anything alone mom, I'll be right by your side."

That weekend was one of thee hardest weekend's of my life! It was right up there with the 48 hours before my own mother's death. But there was no where I could have possibly been than right by her side. I did everything I could to make her as comfortable as possible. Everyone who came to see Mary, Chuck, and myself were so supportive and I couldn't imagine going through the without any of you. You all know who you are; Chuck and I are eternally grateful for your support and understanding.

When Mary passed on February 3rd, to be honest, we weren't sure if we were going to go on our trip or not. The more we thought about it and talked about it, we felt Disney was exactly where we needed to be. The kids felt the same way so we decided to take the trip.


Friday, February 8, 2019 - We're on our way!

I ran several errands today and finished all the last minute packing. We picked the kids up early and we were on our way by 3 PM. We weren't five minutes from the house when I thought I was going to have a panic attack. Not only did I feel a sense of loss in knowing wasn't going to be waiting at the rental house when we arrived I also realized that I had forgotten our Disney after Dark tickets. RUT RO RORG! A quick u-turn and we were headed back home. It took Chuck and I 30 minutes to get one of the PCs booted back up, into email, find said email, print said email, calm down, shed some tears, calm down again, take some Advil, and then get back on the road. The littlest things were setting me off and Chuck did everything in his power to help me realize that this trip was a good idea.

Saturday, February 9, 2019 - Our first day!

We made fantastic time and arrived more than an hour early to our rental house! Zoey was so excited that she got a Pink Princess room. She squealed with delight.

Zoey would have been in this picture but I just 

couldn't get her to stay still long enough to take it.

Jesse saw the minion room and thought is was super cool but when he saw "Grandmom's Room" that's where he wanted to be.

He loved the big bed and played it off that was the real reeason

he wanted this room. However, a Momma knows! He wanted

to be close to his Graham Cracker!

Chuck and I always take the master bedroom and Mary always took the second master bedroom. This one is always on the second floor and has a tub, which is what she always wanted. To be honest I can see why Jesse wanted to be in here. I do have to say though the kids took turns sharing each others room. I love that they always want to be together while we are on vacation.

For our first afternoon/evening we went to Epcot. I have to say Epcot is such a fun park. I like being able to walk around and not feel so cramped like I do at the other parks. This time Epcot was featuring the "Festival of the Arts" and we sure did enjoy it. It was fun seeing all of the sidewalk drawings.

They even had one where you could get in the picture!

It's kind of hard to see here but Jesse and Zoey 

are standing on the coffee spoon. 

One of the things that I told Chuck we had to do if we went to Disney was we had to get a memorial photo for Mary at each of the parks. I knew exactly what I wanted and hoped that the PhotoPass folks would be willing to do it. Here at Epcot was our first try and it didn't go exactly according to plan but you have to start some where!

 All in all I think it turned out pretty good.

As we walked through all the shops and Art Galleries I found myself picking up merchandise that I knew Mary would have purchased. In a couple of cases, I walked around the entire store holding said items before finally put them back with a tear in my eye. At one point, when I was walking out of Mouse Gears I teared up and said to myself, at least I hadn't realized I said it out loud until I felt Chuck rub my arms, "this is going to be harder than I thought".

During some of our walks throughout the afternoon Chuck and Jesse had to get in on some figment action. These two are just nuts over figment!

 Chuck and Jesse wearing their figment hats!

The Odyssey building was open for the Festival and we were to hang out for a while, watch an art show, and try some treats. The one Chuck got was a white chocolate painters pallet on none other than Figment!

Chuck's white chocolate masterpiece! 

On our way to dinner Chuck and Zoey wanted to get their pictures taken with the Living Statues! Look what one of them had???? Figment!

For dinner we went to La Hacienda, the outside Mexican restaurant. Of course, Chuck and I had the La Hacienda dinner for two. If you've never had this meal, oh boy, you have to try it! It is DELISH! Steak, who doesn't love steak....pst if you don't so sorry...more for me!, some type of BBQ or smoked chicken, chorizo, veggie medley, black beans, rice (we never eat it), and THE ABSOLUTE BEST corn you will ever have. The waiter looked at Chuck like he was crazy when he asked for a side of corn to go with this dish. He says "Sir the dish comes with corn." Chuck says "I know, it's that good!" LOL! I couldn't believe it but he ate every bit of that corn and couldn't wait to have more!

Zoey has like one bite of a chicken finger and Jesse had a 12 oz steak to himself. He was in heaven and LOVED IT! I love that my little man loves steak. Chuck isn't a big steak eater so I love it that Jesse will share some "cow" with me, as he puts it.

Our final ride of the night was Test Track. We absolutely love this ride and try to get it in two to three times a day when we are there. What a surprise I had my hands covering Jesse's face! It never fails when I put my hands up (high, low, medium), they are always covering someone's face! Next time I think I'll just fold my hands and try to be a good girl!

Just as we were heading out for the night Chuck spotted a special PhotoPass where they wre doing an artistic flare with the picture. To be honest, I really wasn't sure what he was talking about. All I knew is that I just wanted to find my bed, or the closet bench to fall fast asleep! When I saw what they were doing I was intrigued and said "FINE, you win, let's go". After several "Yeahs!' from the kids we were off to stand in line. Luckily the line moved rather quickly and 10 minutes later it was our turn to get our picture.

I'd say it was worth the wait!

Mary's Eulogy

Hello there sweet lady!

For so long I kept silent, per your wishes, so that no one knew you were sick. You said over and over again "I don't want anyone to treat me differently" and then with a tear in your eye "especially my Angels". You couldn't bear the thought of your grandchildren, Jesse and Zoey, treating you differently. 

Each time we went to the doctors you didn't show sadness, you showed true strength, warrior strength. You said time and time again "I'm going to beat this! I'm going to ring that bell!" 

Believe it or not, Mom and I laughed so much during these appointments and during her treatments. Some folks gave us a look of disgust, others laughed right a long with us. Many times, we apologized for laughing but continued laughing saying "This is just who we are....we have to laugh!" And laugh we did! There were times we laughed so hard, we had everyone around us laughing. Those tears of sadness became tears of joys, tears of living in the present. The nurses thanked us for our laughter. Many of the patients thanked us too! We were happy that we put a smile on so many faces. 

Many times we stopped to have lunch or dinner on the way home. This is where we had the infamous "yellow tissue incident", the "onion ring that was interestingly shaped", and so many more. The laughter continued unapologetic-ally!

I've heard stories over the years about bad MIL/DIL relationships. That they can be horrible but I have to tell you that I hit the lottery with Mary as a MIL. We became best friends before Chuck and I were married. This lady, this wonderful woman was not only my MIL, she was one of my dearest best friends. Chuck always said, and still does, that "She was an awesome mom. She did a great job raising me. She was always eager to help us out; especially when it came to her grandchildren."

Mary was so full of life, laughing, loving, and was a joy to be around. Her sense of humor was second to none! People say to us all the time "How do you stay so young?" All of us...Mary, Chuck, myself, and even Jesse and Zoey automatically reply "laughter!" 

Mary wrote in some of her last words just a week before she passed...

"I have had a good life and have been blessed with a wonderful husband and son. I have been blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law who is my best friend. Chuck and Karen have had me laughing 24/7, even through all of my medical issues.

They both have done everything for me so I don't have to worry about anything. I love you!

My angels, Jesse & Zoey have been my joy. They have showered me with hugs & kisses enough to last eternity. I love you!

My only regrets are having to leave my family. Have no doubt I will be looking down from Heaven to watch out for you all.

I have also been blessed with great cousins, Joan &Butch. Joan, my sister from my mother's sister. My "hat lady" and Mystery Tea Partner. I have always looked forward to our Friday fun days. I love you!

Butch, you are my "Partner in Crime" since childhood. Our Steel Pier days are my most cherished memories. Your support through my illness has meant so much to me. I love you!"

Mary's final written words were from Quentin's Theme...

"In this world that we know now, Love is here then gone. But somewhere in the afterglow, Love lives on and on! I will love you all to eternity and back."

Mom, we can still hear your laughter in the house, you snoring when you were "watching TV", your "hello" to the children when they came home after school. 

Mary had such a loving, funny, teasing, beautiful relationship with her grandchildren. One that most of us could only dream of having. She would call them her "Meatball and Lasagna", her "Angels"; in return they referred to her as their "Graham Cracker". Most may find that weird, but to us it was normal.

Up until this last year, Mary still got on the floor to play with the children. It didn't matter what they wanted to play, she say "Ok my angels" and off they went. Nerf gun battles, puzzles, laser tag, games of all kinds, dress-up, it didn't matter what they played. It only mattered that she was with them, making memories. Each night after the children were ready for bed we would find them snuggled up with Mary in her recliner watching TV. And even though they were all squished, Mary had the biggest smile on her face. 

Any one that knew Mary, knew that Walt Disney World was her favorite place to be. She has been to Disney almost every year since 1982; sometimes more than once a year. One of her favorite things was to have a romantic walk with Ron through the Countries in Epcot. After Ron passed, we took Mary with us to Disney on every trip. She loved visiting the princesses and riding all the rides with her grandchildren. 

Mary loved to read; mainly sci-fi and romance novels. She always had a book. One year we got her a kindle. From that moment forward she was never without that kindle no matter where she went, even Disney! I would always ask "why is your purse so heavy", she replied "well, I have my wallet, my lipsticks, glasses, kindle, and the kitchen sink....just the usual items."

She loved spending a few hours a night chatting with friends on FB, her Beanies Babies and the Disney (DIS) message boards. She started one thread almost 10 years ago after Ron's accident that turned into so much more. She wrote about life and her trips to Disney. After posting about Mary's passing on both of these boards I was contacted my countless people. All with wonderful words to say about how Mary touched their lives. About how they never met her in person but she helped them through so many tough times through her words alone, how they grew to lover her, cherish her, and ultimately watched our family grow. The heartfelt sympathy is overwhelming and unbelievably appreciated. 

Mom, you've touched so many lives. You've brightened our hearts with your smile and your laughter; we will all miss you immensely!

Mary's final two requests were to have her ashes spread with Ron's and for me to read this poem:

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

by Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004)

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sun on ripened grain.
I am the gentle Autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Instant Pot Recipes - YESSSSS Please!

As some of you may have noticed I am in LOVE with my Instant Pot! I'm thinking that the Bown Family, well maybe except for Zoey, are all in LOVE with the Instant Pot!

FOR THE INSTANT POT!!!!!!!!!!

With school starting tomorrow I have got to find some Instant Pot dishes so that I can have a great dinner for the family, since we will all be eating at different times. Chuck and Mary will be eating at a normal time whereas the kids and I will either be eating early or super late due to running, swimming, homework, and everything else going on during the school year.

I've been scouring the innerwebs in hopes of finding some great recipes that I can easily make in the Instant Pot. Of course I'll still be making my Keto/Low Carb dishes on nights when we are not swim bound or on the weekends. So many recipes the whole family loves; again except our little Zoey who refuses to embrace food of any kind. 

As with many healthy dishes I went straight to I Breathe I'm Hungry to see what Mellissa has available for the Instant Pot. She did NOT disappoint!

Here are some recipes I will definitely be trying over the next month. BTW, these were found on I Breathe I'm Hungry's post about the 35 best Low-Carb/Paleo Instant Pot Recipes:

• Belizean Stewed Chicken - I'll probably use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and legs as my gang does not like a lot of fat, skin, or bone in their chicken. I might even try this with chicken breast. 
• Easy Keto Balsamic Beef Pot Roast - This recipe has info for the Instant Pot as well as cooking it on the stove. Chuck is not a huge beef fan but I'm going to give this a try!
• Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip - I'm quite skeptical about trying this as it is very similar to the Chicken Crack recipes, but it does sound good!
• Chili - You can't go wrong with a good chili recipe and I've been trying a bunch of different ones this year! Maybe I'll do a post just on the different chilis we've tried. 
• Hard Boiled Eggs - Yeah I know this isn't a dinner per say, I mean I guess it could be, just ask Mary! 
• Ghoulash - UMMM, the name "Ghoulash" just doesn't sound appealing; however, take a look at the picture and you may change your mind!
• Jamaican Jerk Pork Roast - Oh Mellissa, this looks so good! I need to make a grocery list now!
• Spaghetti Squash - I'm in the mood for some spaghetti squash......I'm wondering if I made this the night before and then used it for the Chicken & Chorizo Spaghetti Squash bowls how it would turn out?
• Asian Beef Pot Roast - I bet you this would go great over some Shirtaki Noodles! I just got my latest order of Miracle Noodles in. Time to get cooking!
• Green Chicken Chili - Yep, I'm definitely on a chili kick!
• Rotisserie Chicken - Really? You can make this in the instant pot? Sounds like a winner winner chicken dinner to me! Wonder if I can cook potatoes in there with it?
• Meatballs??? Buffalo Chicken Meatballs to be precise! I'm trying to get away from everything red sauce and find different things to tickle the taste buds. These might do it! but sometimes you just need traditional meatballs with red sauce!
• Steamed Veggies; Chuck was just asking me about this last night...."Could we do more steamed veggies in the Instant Pot?" Well sure we can if I can find some recipes or directions! How about some Artichoke? Brussel Sprouts?
• Sausage and Peppers is always a good meal! Although I must say that nothing will ever beat the Sausage and Peppers we get at Dollywood. We dream about those!
• Mexi-Meatloaf anyone? Chuck loves meatloaf and I've made it a few different ways over the years. It will be interesting to try it in the Instant Pot. If it goes well I might try my other meatloaf recipes in there. 
• Curried Chicken with Potatoes! This looks so good! Although I typically am Keto/Low-Carb which means no potatoes I'm going to be splurging once a week with rice or potatoes so I don't go crazy! Sometimes a girl just needs her carbs!
• Zuppa Toscana - We were just at Olive Garden last week for Zoey's birthday and the adults at the table were loving the fresh pot of Zuppa Toscana. I've tried to make this soup in the past with no luck; I'm so willing to try this again!

While searching her site, I also found these lovely delectables that I'm eager to try:

• Keto Pistachio Pudding Pie - can you say yum!!!!!!
• Easy Keto Chicken Shawarma - I wanted to make this last weekend and just ran out of time!
• Keto Mexican Cauliflower Skewers - Still ran out of time last weekend!
• Keto Asian Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce - My mouth is watering!
• Keto Shrimp & Chorizo Spaghetti Squash Bowls - I've made this before with chicken instead of Shrimp...OMG delicious!
• Keto Crispy Pork & Noodle Stir Fry - YUP, I've made this a couple of times. So good!
• 5 Spice Chicken Skewers - These look yummy! Get the grill out!

Feel free to look through my "Recipes" label to for all the dishes I've posted over the years. One of these days I'll get my recipe book finished and will post it; not published, just posted for others to enjoy!

If you have a favorite Keto/Low-Carb or Instant Pot recipe that you love please share it! I'm always up for trying new recipes!

When I get some more free time, HA HA HA, I'm going to look at the email my BFF Jill sent me. There were several Instant Pot meals that caught my eye!

August 2018 KetoKrate Review

Well here it is September 2018 and I am just getting to post about my August Keto Krate. This summer seriously flew by in a FLASH! Flash Gordon???? Maybe not!

I mentioned to Chuck just yesterday that the September Keto Krates were on their way. He says "OOOHH, I love those krates! I really was skeptical but they are so good!" You can't go wrong when the hubby says that something like this is good. I replied with "It's really worth our $35 a month!"

Guess what folks? It really is worth it! When you have a family of 5 and everyone enjoys this monthly orange box of yumminess! You just can't go wrong!

I may be using A LOT of exclamation points today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, my pictures aren't the greatest this month. I' had to get a replacement phone and lets just say that I lost some pictures, found some pictures, got some blurry pictures, and eventually I think what was left was just some uncropped pictures. Such is life....

Without further adieu let's talk the August Keto Krate....

Look at all those fun treats in this bag! I jumped right in for the "Parm Crisps" and before I knew it Mary, Jesse, and Zoey were all leaning over my shoulder wanting to try them as well. YUMMY!

We've had the SmartCakes" before, I wasn't a huge fan as they tend to mess with my blood sugar levels. With that being said Mary enjoys them and was quite excited to see that another one made it into the box!

At the top of the Keto Krate pamphlet, handout, flyer, whatever you want to call it, was a wonderful treat! Curt's Classic Flax Crackers from Rad Food central were delicious! Mary and I really enjoyed these and it was hard to figure out who was going to finish the bag first. I ate these with chicken salad! YUMMY!

Next was the Sea Salt Pecans from Front Porch Pecans. These were very good however my family would have loved to have received the Habenero BBQ Pecans as was it pictured.

I already mentioned the Parm Crisps and had to fight off three smaller Bown vultures in order to enjoy these.....Yes, Mary is included in the "three smaller Bown vultures!" Tee hee!!!!!!!!

You all know how I feel about meat snacks of any kind. I'm a carnivore, there is no denying that, but don't dry my meat! I don't want jerky of any kind. HOWEVER, Chuck and Mary go BANANAS for pretty much any type of jerky. So Keto Krate, please keep sending these.

Zoey has been enjoying the Chocolate Hazelnut Syrup from Nekstella. matter of fact she asked just yesterday for the Nekstella on her peanut butter sandwich.

The Nekstella Waffle Mix wasn't in my krate; however, Keto Krate had sent out an email stating that there was an issue with production and that each person was only getting one or the other Nekstella items. Things happen, at least they told us what had happened.

The RECIPE!

I love getting a new recipe each month with my Keto Krate. There is typically something fun for the recipe and who doesn't love Chicken Fingers! I know I love them! And let's face it folks, there wasn't a typo, that I found, in this month's recipe! WHOO HOOO! 

I used a mixture of the pecans, and some almond flour as I don't like to use coconut flour that much. The hubby isn't a coconut fan and he can pick it out of the thin air when it is in a recipe.

I used the BBQ sauce we got a month or so ago from an earlier Keto Krate and these were delicious! BTW, We used the rest of the BBQ sauce and some of the ketchup from earlier Keto Krates to make meatloaf. That was really tasty too.....That may have been in July. I did say the summer went by in a flash didn't I? 

All in all the Bown family was quite pleased with August's Keto Krate and are waiting on bated breath for our September Keto Krate to arrive!!!!!!!!!!