FOR THE CANDY LOVERS, HELP WITH A CAMERA and POPPYSEED CHICKEN

Since most of my grocery store trips are comparable to the one I posted about this past week, I usually let Chris do the shopping.  I make out the list, he goes to the store, I put everything up when he gets home.  It works for us.  He doesn't mind it, and we all like it better anyway because daddy brings home the better stuff.  Being that Reid was with my dad, and Grant and Mac were with C at the hunting land, I decided to do the shopping.  Note to self (and you could benefit from heeding this advice as well):  NEVER go to the grocery store hungry. EVERYTHING looks good. One place in which I spent quite a bit of time was the candy isle because that's something I usually pass on one side as I'm trying to divert the boys' attention to something else on the other side. But we all know I'm a candy lover and since I was alone, I decided to peruse the candy section.  Actually it was more like stalking or hunting for prey but whatever.  It was much to my delight that I found these:

and these:

And let me tell you, they're as good as they look.  You know the best part of the Spree - the middle part, the sour part?  Well the whole candy cane is like that middle part. Yummy!  They had all sorts of good looking chocolate stuff too but my love affair with chocolate had to end when I discovered it was a major migraine trigger.  I still indulge every now and then in moderation because we all know a girl needs her chocolate.  Even as much as I love it, though, it's hard to justify a self-induced head-throbbing!

CAMERAS:  HELP!

I have had two cameras in the last few years, both of which the boys have broken. All of the pictures I've posted recently have been taken with my camera phone. I am in the market for a new one and want a really good one. However, I know nothing about photography and to be honest, am not really interested in taking the time to learn it.  I do, however, want something that is digital, takes good quality pictures, is user-friendly, and has an instantaneous (or near instantaneous) shutter speed.  I can't tell you how many photo ops have come and gone due to shutter speed (or lack thereof). I know it's an investment. I'm looking at the Nikon D3000 (it's a kit).  Anyone know anything about it? 

POPPY SEED CHICKEN:

I'm sure there are 1001 recipes for poppy seed chicken casserole out there, but C and I feel we have perfected ours (at least how we like it).  So I decided to share:

Ingredients:
2 Rotisserie chickens, shredded (you can get them at Costco for $4.99) - just one will work but we like a lot of chicken

16 oz sour cream (Breakstone is my favorite brand)

1 can cream of chicken & mushroom soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup sharp shredded cheese (it's not much but it makes a big difference!)

2 TBSP onions - minced (they need to be tiny tiny pieces - we just want the flavor)

salt and pepper to taste
about 2 TBSP Poppy seeds (I don't usually measure these, I just sprinkle until it looks "right")
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers*

Shred chicken and add to a large mixing bowl. Mix chicken with sour cream, soup, onions, and cheese. Spread in casserole dish. Crush Ritz crackers and sprinkle evenly on top of casserole.  Sprinkle poppy seeds on top of crackers.  Bake at 350° until bubbly. 

*C doesn't like it this way, but I like to melt about half a stick of butter and mix with the crackers before topping the casserole.

I have to go now so I can hide my candy canes. C is almost home with Grant and Mac! ;)