This is Who I Am

MOVING! Please Follow Me!

2011-06-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hello to my few faithful readers!

Due to some changes with google, I had to create a new blog.

I will leave this one up for about a month, then I will remove the site.

For my new blog, go to www.jlowesadventures.blogspot.com. I still have the same blog name, This Is Who I Am.

I hope to see you there!

-Jennifer

Feliz Cinco de Mayo (A Day Late)!

2011-05-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I wanted to share with you another favorite taco recipe of ours!

Pork & Pineapple Tacos

Click the link above for the recipe. The only change I made to this was that I marinated my pork in Italian dressing for about 30 minutes...and we cooked it on the grill instead of in the oven (tortillas, too).

I promise you will not be disappointed! Su delicioso!

Worst Spring Ever

2011-05-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

I love spring. Fall and spring are my two favorite seasons.

But, this spring, I think I have just about changed my mind.

Mother Nature must be going through menopause or something.

I have spent hours in the closet, scared that a Tornado was going to blow me away.

I have spent days worrying about my poor parents, who have not been able to be home for almost two weeks.

The house on the right side of the picture is my parent's house...thank goodness that water did not get in the house. Their neighbor, an elderly woman (house is on the left), was not so lucky.

It's been a rough few weeks.

But... the sun is shining bright, and there's no end to it in sight.

GreenWorks Products, House Party, and a Steal

2011-05-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know that one of my passions is "going green". We recycle almost everything in our household, as well as trying to implement other "green practices" into our everyday lives.

So, when I got an email from HouseParty about hosting a GreenWorks party, I immediately applied! A few weeks later, I got notification that I had been chosen!

I was so excited when I got my package in the mail! I have been using the multi-purpose disinfectant for some time now, and love it...mostly because it is 99% derived from nature, and also because it all smells great (unlike other natural cleaners), and is comparable to brand names, such as 409, etc. So, I was excited (as well as all my "green" friends) to try out the other products that they sent. We received samples of laundry detergent, as well as multi-purpose disinfecting wipes and samples of Burt's Bees lotion.

Let me tell you, I am a Tide fan through and through when it comes to my laundry detergent. Nothing else (to me, anyways) works as good. Every other detergent I've tried...especially with our bath towels...after we use the towels and they get wet, they just stink. So, I am always skeptical to try a new detergent. But, I am a convert! The GreenWorks detergent works just as good as Tide, if not better. Plus, it smells amazing! It's also comparable in price. (I do wish that I could find coupons for it as easily as I can for Tide, though).

On to my "steal". We were in Kroger the other day, and every time we go in there, we always have to check out their "clarance" shelf, as Brandon likes to call it. Well, I walked around to the other side, and there were 5 bottles of GreenWorks toilet bowl cleaner sitting there...marked down...because the plastic paper on the outside was contorted. So, I bought all 5! They were originally $2.75 a bottle ($13.75 for all 5), but I got them on "clarance" for $1.39 a bottle ($6.95 for all 5). That's a savings of $6.80! I won't have to buy toilet cleaner for a LONG time!

So, if you are looking for new, different ways to be green, give the clorox GreenWorks products a try. I am switching all of my household products over! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Covergirl Natureluxe Makeup - BzzAgent! Review

2011-04-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Recently, I signed up on BzzAgent! to have the opportunity to receive sample products to try out, then "create buzz" about by telling friends, blogging, sharing it on Facebook, etc.

For my first campaign, I received a sample of Covergirl's new NatureLuxe foundation and lipstick. I am always excited to try new makeup out...I love being a "girly-girl"!

The first few days that I wore the makeup, I loved it! It went on so smooth, and felt so light and airy. The lipstick was also a really pretty shade. (*disclaimer - I am not a lipstick wearer. Clear lip gloss is as far as I go). However, I did like the shade of lipstick. It was very sheer and iridescent, and looked so pretty with clear, shiny gloss over the top of it.

After about a week, I started noticing that my face felt really oily. At first, I thought that it was the weather changing, so I kept using the product. Then, I started to break out really badly. So, I immediately switched back to my old foundation, and my skin was cleared up within two days. I highly suspect this is because the foundation is not oil-free, while my "old" one is.

I give this product 3 out of 5 stars. I loved everything about it, except that it made my face oily/break out. I would definitely recommend it if you were not prone to oily skin or breakouts, but if you are, I would say you should probably avoid using this product.

*I was compensated for this review. Go to www.bzzagent.com for more details

Fabric Giveaway!

2011-04-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Check out the blog, Made On Maple! She has a fabric scrap giveaway going on! I hope I win....I have so many little projects running through my head!

Monday Five Countdown

2011-04-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up over at Bookish Penguin....go check out her blog!

FIVE THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR:

5.) A cleaned-up, leaf and gumball free back yard. Brandon and I worked for 7 hours straight on Saturday to get our yard cleaned up, and let me tell you.....37 lawn & leaf bags later...I. AM. SOOOOO. SORE.

4.) My health and mobility to be able to work out in the yard!

3.) A clean house.

2.) Being debt-free in 4 more days!

1.) Brandon.

FOUR THINGS I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT:

4.) The beach! We are going later this summer with our friend Adam and his family to Gulf Shores for a week! :) I've never seen the ocean, so I am totally excited about this! CAN'T WAIT!

3.) Money. We will pay our last credit-card-debt-loan payment on Friday! I still have student loans, but we will start working on those in about another year. Which means I also can't stop thinking about...

2.) A new car! We drive a '99 Tahoe, and it has almost 200,000 miles on it, plus the air conditioner doesn't work. SO, it's time. We are going to put back what we were paying on our loan each month until we can save back a few thousand dollars for a down payment...so around the first of next year, we hope to be driving a new Toyota Venza.

1.) Statistics. I have to give a powerpoint presentation next week...and I am SO NERVOUS about it. I kept dreaming about it last night, and in my dreams, I failed miserably when I gave my presentation! I am doing well so far in the class, but I just have to say....MATH SUCKS!!!!

THREE THINGS I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEK:

3.) Stay caught up on my homework....so far, so good.

2.) Finish reading True Grit. I borrowed it from a friend around the first of the year, and just haven't had time to read it! Hopefully I can get through it this week.

1.) Work more on my family tree. So far, on ancestry.com, I have gotten back to my 5th Great Grandfather! Hopefully I will have some spare time this week to work on that.

TWO THINGS I AM WORKING TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT:

2.) Just having a better attitude in general

1.) Math. I hate it, but I am doing pretty well. This chapter (and project) has been tough, and I am starting to doubt myself!

ONE RANDOM THING:

1.) It's a blah, icky, rainy day, and I am SOOOO sleepy because I didn't sleep well last night, because I kept dreaming about that stupid project and waking up in a panic! I am ready for Tuesday!

Fabric Rosette Ring

2011-04-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Fabric rosettes...those things are popping up all over "blog land"! I tried to make one a few times (a few months back), but just didn't like how it turned out. But, I kept seeing them everywhere, so I tried again, and I finally did it! (For a tutorial, just google "fabric rosettes").

So, the weekend before Spring Break, I cleaned out my closet. I got rid of alot of things, but after I went back through my piles of stuff to take to Goodwill, I realized that alot of my old shirts and things that I was going to get rid of would be great to use for making rosettes and "flower pins". So, during Spring Break, I made a bunch of rosettes, and cut up a BUNCH of shirts for my little craft projects. Most of the rosettes that I made were bigger, but I had a few smaller ones, and I thought that those would look cute as rings. So, when I got my package from Buttons & Badges, I was excited to use one of the rings to glue my favorite (small) rosette to...and I LOVE how it turned out!

Hopefully this fall/winter, I will be able to get a booth at our local craft fair. I would like to sell some of these rings, the flower clips/pendants, Razorback wreaths, and aprons, among other things. I just love to craft/sew (when I have a chance!), but I do plan on making more time for it, to be able to get some stuff made for the Craft Fair....'cause December will be here before you know it!

Grandad Tacos

2011-04-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Quite frequently, Grandad Pfeifer (Brandon's grandad) has us over for tacos. We love tacos of every kind in our house...from Tomatillo Chicken Tacos to a new recipe I am going to try this week, Pork and Pineapple Tacos. But our favorite, old reliable standby, are just plain 'ole beef

tacos...also known in our house as "Grandad Tacos".

It's so easy and simple, and so, so good. Here's what you will need:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
olive and/or canola oil
1/2 package taco seasoning
6-8 corn tortillas

Start off by chopping up about a half of an onion, and 2 cloves of garlic.

Then, heat up about a tablespoon of olive or canola oil in a skillet, and add your onions. Let them cook until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add your garlic. Only let this cook about 30 seconds before you add your ground beef, or it will burn!

While you are cooking your ground beef, heat up a skillet with canola oil, and cook your corn tortillas until they start to bubble up on one side, then flip and repeat. (about 45 seconds on each side). Drain on paper towels.

*I don't care to cook my shells this way...I think they are too greasy. So, I lightly brush mine with canola oil and cook them on the griddle, about 2 minutes per side, or until they are toasted.

When your ground beef is almost done, add about a half a package of your favorite taco seasoning, and mix in well. Drain your ground beef.

Fix up your tacos! Fresh-grated cheddar cheese makes all the difference in the world! Feel free to use any toppings you'd like...lettuce, onion, tomato, guacamole, salsa, etc. Enjoy!!

Buttons and Badges

2011-04-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I entered a giveaway over at Tatertots & Jello to win a $40 credit in an ETSY store called Buttons & Badges. I wanted to win so badly! There were soooo many cute little buttons and things to choose from! Well, a week or so later, I got an email from Elizabeth from Buttons & Badges telling me that I had won! I was so excited! I never win anything, but so far, this is my year!

I had the hardest time picking out what to get. If you know me at all, you know I love anything Owl-related. Well, she just happened to have tons of cute-sie little owl buttons! That was the first thing on my list! From there, I just mixed and matched a few buttons from almost every category. Then I added some size-adjustable silver rings to attach my buttons onto.

I went to the mailbox today after work to find my package! I was so excited, I came in the back door, dropped everything (but my package) and cut it open as fast as my fingers could work the scissors. I was so excited....and they were everything I thought they would be!

Aren't they so cute! I can't wait to start making my rings and other cute little crafts out of them. I also ordered some extra rings to put some baby fabric rosettes on!

Thanks, Elizabeth and Jenn over at Tatertots & Jello for this fantastic giveaway! Head on over to Buttons and Badges and check it out!

American Pickers

2011-03-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Has anyone seen the show American Pickers on the History Channel?

I LOVE THIS SHOW! These two guys have been best friends since middle school, and they drive around the country in their big van looking through people's junk in their yards, barns and sheds, hoping to find the buried treasure! It is amazing what all they find...then they sell it in their store.

If you love "antiquing", I guarantee you will absolutely love this show. Check it out...it comes on the History Channel at 8 p.m. (central) on Monday nights!

The Casserole With the Noodles and Peas In It

2011-03-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, my mom would make this casserole with butter & herb noodles, chicken, and green peas. It was always a favorite, except for the peas. My sister and I would both diligently pick through the servings on our plates to make sure that we removed EVERY SINGLE PEA. Then, after all the hard work, we still had to eat at least half of them! (I am pretty sure that my parents sat there laughing at us, knowing their evil plan the whole time)!

As I got older, I started to like this casserole better and better...even the peas. Now, it's a favorite of ours. It's simple, but the noodles are not that healthy, so we don't have it too often.

Here's what you will need:

2 bags of Knorr (used to be Lipton) Butter & Herb noodles
1/2 bag of frozen peas, unthawed
3-4 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked (either boiled or sauteed in a skillet)
chicken stock
cheese, for topping

-Cook your noodles according to the package directions, but instead of water, use chicken stock or broth...it makes it richer.

-Cook your chicken while your noodles are cooking..but be sure to stir your noodles often, because they will stick when it starts to thicken!

-When your noodles and chicken are finished, mix them in a bowl with your peas, then spread into a casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese (if desired), and pop it in the oven with a pan of "Sister Sweetpants" rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees just until the cheese is melted, and enjoy!

Fill In The Blank Friday!

2011-03-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

1. My biggest accomplishment in life thus far is starting back to school after being out almost ten years to finish my degree. I may not be able to take a class every semester because of work, and I may be 50 before I finish, but by golly, I am going to stick with it and do it!

2. My favorite place to sit in my house is a tie between the love seat in the front room soaking up the sunshine, or lounging on my new leather couch that is like a fluffy marshmallow!

3. My fashion philosophy is to try new things and mix it up. I love to look at the mannequins in the stores for inspiration! (and I usually buy the whole outfit...jewelry and all!)

4. Something every girl should have is great accessories. A great outfit is nothing without great accessories!

5. If you looked in my purse right know you'd find two sets of keys, Bath & Body Works antibacterial gel, my wallet, the "grocery" envelope, sharpie pen, hairbrush, miscellaneous receipts, Zyrtec, mentha lip shine, gum and loose change.

6. My favorite music right now is Glee: The Music Season 2 Volume 4! Love me some Glee!

7. My favorite part of my body is my hair. I have great hair! :)

Happy Friday!

The ABC's of ME!

2011-03-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

I know that I have done some of those little "get to know me" surveys/questionnaires on this blog, but I saw this one over at the blog "A Girl Who Loves Cupcakes" (cute name, right?!), and thought I would do another! So....here goes...the ABC's of ME!

AGE: UGH. Just turned the big 3-0.

BED SIZE: Queen, but would give anything for a King!

CHORE YOU HATE: Cleaning the bathroom.

DOGS: An almost 7 year old Cocker Spaniel named Freckles.

ESSENTIAL START OF YOUR DAY: COFFEE.

FAVORITE COLOR: Depends on my moods. Right now it's purple.

GOLD OR SILVER: Silver.

HEIGHT: 5'4"

INSTRUMENTS I PLAY: I played the flute in High School.

JOB TITLE: Administrative Assistant.

KIDS: None, but praying for one!

LIVE: Arkansas.

MOM'S NAME: Carol.

NICKNAMES: Jenn, J-Lowe.

OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: After I had my tonsils removed, in first grade.

PET PEEVE: When people drum, tap, slap, beat on anything. DRIVES ME NUTS.

QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you.

RIGHT OR LEFT HANDED: Right.

SIBLINGS: One sister.

TIME YOU WAKE UP: 6:35

UNDERWEAR: Yes......?

VEGETABLE YOU DISLIKE: Turnip Greens.

WHAT MAKES YOU RUN LATE: Brandon and/or Freckles.

X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: Pinkie finger, knee, lungs, teeth, ankle.

YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Everything! :) (except for a certain batch of blueberry muffins that we don't talk about in this house).

ZOO, FAVORITE ANIMAL: Monkeys, of course! (Brandon always looks forward to seeing his relatives whenever we go).

Craft Projects & Brandon's Flea Market Find

2011-03-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

**Head on over to Tatertots & Jello and check out the awesome giveaway to Buttons & Badges (ETSY Store)**

This year, Brandon and I both decided that we were NOT going to use our income tax return money to pay bills, like we have every year since we've been married. So, we decided to get new living room furniture! The only new furniture that we have had since we've been married has been our bed, which we bought when we got married, and our TV stand/entertainment center that we got a few years ago. It is so nice to have matching furniture instead of a Hines 57 mashup! We got a couch, loveseat, and a recliner...all brown leather. The best part about it all was that we paid straight up cash for it all! It feels so liberating to be able to do that. (AND..we will be credit card debt free in one month!)

So, while I LOOOVVVE my new furniture, it did make the room dark. So, I went to Hobby Lobby and got some cute fabric, and made some throw pillows to go on my couches! It has really lightened up the room! I only have three made so far, and can't wait to have the time to be able to make the rest. And they are SO easy! All you do is cut your fabric to the size you want. (20x20 makes a good sized pillow). Put the right sides together, and sew around with a 1 inch seam, and be sure to leave an opening to flip right side out, about 4 inches long. Then stuff it, and sew the hole shut! That's it! If you want to put embellishments on it, be sure to do that before you sew the two pieces together.

Another thing that's been going on in our house...Brandon's new hobby of traditional wet shaving. He has become a HUGE enthusiast, and even got our friend Adam on board....for about two days. Last weekend, we scoured the flea markets in town looking for vintage double-edge razors for the boys....and BINGO! We found a whole tub full of goodies! So Brandon and Adam both got a DE razor, took them home, disinfected them VERY well, and tested them out. You can read more about it all here and here.

I am so glad that Brandon has found a hobby that he loves! And, I am also glad that he has yet to hack half of his face off!

Bath and Body Works STEAL!

2011-03-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

No, not a five finger discount!

Today, Brandon and I decided that we would go to Bath & Body Works to pick up some hand soap for the bathroom since it was on sale. In case you didn't know, B&BW has a policy that if you don't like it, bring it back and exchange it, or get store credit for it! So, I had some lotion and body spray that I had just sitting in the closet, and Brandon had some cologne that he had gotten for Christmas that he just didn't like too much. So, we took all that back, and got $46 store credit!

The handsoaps were on sale for $3.33 a piece. So, we got 10 of those, and Brandon got a bar of their Mentha face soap. I had two different coupons for a free signature body collection with a $10 purchase. So, we broke our stuff up into two transactions, and I got a free lotion and body spray!

So, here's the breakdown:

-handsoaps, $5 (regular price. but they were on sale for $3.33)

-mentha bar soap, $7.50

-lotion, $10.50

-body spray, $11.50

That's $79.50 worth of stuff....and I paid NOTHING for it, and had about 4 dollars left on my store credit/gift card!! Love these kinds of "deals"!

Monday Five Countdown

2011-02-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

I like having this list to do on Mondays, which are crappy. It makes me really think about what I am so lucky to have, and makes my day more positive. I am linking up over at Bookish Penguin, so go check her Monday 5 out, too!

Five Things I'm Grateful For:

5. A roof over my head....especially last night during the monsoon that hit at 3 a.m.!

4. My family, on both sides...but especially my mom and dad. I love them so much and they are everything to me!

3. My job. LOVE where I work, and the people I work with!

2. My health. I always complain about how I have a headache, or I am tired...when so many people have it so much worse than me.

1. Brandon.

Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About:

4. Homework. Statistics. They are both LAME.

3. Money. Always.

2. Making curtains for my living room.

1. Our BRAND-NEW leather furniture that we paid for in CASH!

Three Things I Hope To Accomplish This Week:

3. Finish making throw pillows for our new furniture

2. Keep my housework/laundry caught up

1. Make at least a B on my Stats test on Friday! (Say a prayer for me!)

Two Things I Am Working To Be Positive About:

2. My Stats class. I HATE it, I hate math. But, I am trying to have a positive, *I CAN DO THIS* attitude.

1. Family stuff.

One Random Thing:

I got an email this morning from the Corporate Offices at Hill's Science Diet, saying that I won a drawing to receive free dog food for a whole year!!!!! We will get a 30 lb. bag of dog food once a month delivered to our doorstep! I am not going to have to buy dog food for over a year! I will save over $150 this year on dog food! WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!

The Past Week in Pictures

2011-02-25T08:47:00.001-08:00

Like I said yesterday, we have been really busy and on the go lately. If we aren't working or doing homework, we are out and about running errands and whatnot. Here's the past week for us in pictures:

Freckles taking a nap in the sunshine (on the bed where he isn't supposed to be) while I do homework

Coordinating fabrics to make an apron for ME!

Downtown Little Rock

DELICIOUS Petit Jean & Pineapple Pizza at ZaZa's

Grocery Shopping

Taking a break for afternoon tea

Driving home in a crazy thunderstorm!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Broken Promises

2011-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

I know! So much for that resolution, huh?

Honestly, we have been SO BUSY. So busy that I have two weeks' worth of Oprah's on the DVR, and don't forsee a chance to get to watch them anytime soon.

So busy that all we do is get up, go to work, come home, do homework, go for a walk, eat dinner, go to bed.

So busy that I have so many blog posts on my mind, so many pictures on my camera, but no time to do it.

So busy that my house is a wreck!

I promise...I will have a new blog post soon!

{PROMISE.}

Monday Five Countdown (on Tuesday)

2011-02-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

So, I didn't get around to this yesterday. Missing almost a week of work last week meant a lot of catching up yesterday!

Five Things I'm Grateful For:

1. Brandon. He will always be at the top of my list! He took such good care of me last week, when I thought I was going to die!

2. Cough syrup, Advil and Vicks Vapor Rub. I so would not have made it through last week without it!

3. A clean house. We are expecting company this weekend, so I wanted to get my house good and cleaned this past weekend, so I wouldn't have to stress out about it the night before. I don't think my kitchen has been this clean since we moved in three (almost four!) years ago!

4. Family.

5. My job. Even though money is tight (and probably will always be), I am so thankful for the great job that I am blessed with, and the great people I get to work with every day.

Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About:

1. Statistics. Statistics. Statistics.

2. My Birthday party this weekend! Even though I am turning the dreaded 3-0, I am looking forward to all of my friends coming down on Saturday and celebrating with me!

3. My wardrobe. I got a lot of new clothes for Christmas (thanks, Mamo!) and I still haven't gotten to wear them all yet...and I am constantly thinking, "What do I get to wear tomorrow?!"

4. Bills. Yuck.

Three Things I Want to Accomplish This Week:

1. Keep my house cleaned. So far, so good.

2. Continue to stay on top of homework.

3. To get all my coupons cut out and organized.

Two Things I am Working to Be Positive About:

1. My Birthday. Boo-Hoo....I want to curl up in bed all day and bawl my eyes out.

2. My Statistics class. I am horrible at math, but so far I have an A! I keep waiting for it to get incredibly hard, where I don't understand it, but so far, so good!

One Random Thing:

I almost had a wreck this morning (in the pouring down rain) backing out of my driveway this morning, because my neighbors have 3 vehicles, plus their daughter's friend's car was there...so I COULDN'T SEE! And, it has been pouring down rain all. day. long.

Update

2011-01-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I have fallen way behind on my "resolution"! But, I have been VERY sick, and very busy lately. I promise, the posts will resume in the very near future!

Homemade Christmas Presents

2011-01-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me, you have a hard time trying to figure out what to buy for certain people in your life for Christmas. Well, this year, I thought long and hard, and decided that I wanted to make some homemade presents! Besides being frugal, alot of love and care went into my projects. The whole time I was making them, all I could think about was the person I was making it for, and how much I loved them. To me, it made it even more special.

For my Sister-In-Law, Mother-In-Law, Mother, and Sister, I made an apron. I found fabric that I thought reflected each of their personalities, and got to work. I just found a basic pattern for a half-apron online. For my Mom and Mother-In-Law, I made a full apron, just using an apron that I already had as a pattern. It was so simple! The first one that I did, however, took the longest, as I was trying to get the hang of it. One thing that I have learned to hate: Rick-Rack. I bet I ripped that piece of rick-rack out of that apron 10 times! But, I perservered, and finally got it!

For my sweet niece, Sophia, I made some felt finger puppets. This project was truly a labor of love! I burned all of my fingertips off with the stupid hot glue, but it was worth it all when she opened them and started playing with them. For the pouch, I just kinda used my imagination on that one!

So there ya go! Sorry I don't really have any tutorials or anything, but like I said, you can find all sorts of patterns online...and if you can work a sewing machine at all, then it should be easy peasy!

Kitchenaid Mixer

2011-01-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

It finally came....and it is everything I have dreamed of. My first recipe that I tried were Alton Brown's homemade Cinnamon Rolls. FAIL. I made them twice. The first time, I made sure to follow the recipe EXACTLY. I got too much flour in them, and my dough was very dense, and didn't rise a bit. So, I chunked it. The second time, I got the dough just right. Fluffy, springy....just like he did in that episode. Well, it didn't rise in the 2 hours (even though I had instant rise yeast). So, I left it on the counter, and went to Memphis...came back 10 hours later, and it had risen to half again its size. So, I went ahead and kneaded, filled, rolled and sliced. Put them in the fridge overnight, got up the next morning.....NOTHING. I was SO dissapointed!

I am going to try them one more time. I think maybe I had some bad yeast. I am going to maybe try the rapid rise, even though he suggests not to.

Third time is a charm! (HOPEFULLY)!

*stay tuned for a craft post of things I made for Christmas!

Sugar Bowl - Not So Sweet

2011-01-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Well, we were rootin' for those Hogs last night in the Sugar Bowl...certain of a win.

It came down to the last minute of the game...and Ryan Mallet threw an interception with only seconds left in the game.

Such a letdown to a great season.

I still love my Hogs though...and there's always next season...and the hopes of a National Championship! Woo Pig Sooie!

Pie Lessons and Christmas Recap

2011-01-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

Now that things have finally settled down (somewhat), and the New Year is here, I am finally getting a chance to blog again! One of my ~~resolutions~~ goals was to blog more often. I am going to strive for posting ~~every day~~ at least three times a week! We will just seehow that goes! ;)

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! We are so worn out from all the traveling, but it was worth it to get to see our family. We had "Christmas" with Brandon's mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve here at home, and then Brandon and I spent Christmas Day (the first one since we've been married) at home, by ourselves, watching Christmas Movies. We did venture out to eat Chinese for our Christmas dinner. I think we may have started a new tradition!

The day after Christmas, it was off to Missouri to spend some time with my folks. It was good to see everyone, and we had a wonderful Christmas with my parents! We especially enjoyed watching our nephew, Blake, enjoy Christmas...the first one that he really knew all about what was going on!

On Wednesday, the day that we were leaving Missouri, I woke up with the stomach bug. NOT FUN having to ride in a car for four hours, needing to stop every 20 minutes! But, we made it. Thank goodness it was just a 24 hour bug, because the next morning, we left for Texas!

It was good to see Mamo and Grandad Lowe (Brandon's Grandparents)....we usually only get to see them 1-2 times a year. We had a really good time with them. The highlight of the trip for me...Mamo gave me pie lessons!

I made a coconut pie, crust and all, from scratch. And let me tell you....it was DELICIOUS! Thank you, Mamo, for the lesson!

We got home Sunday night, and crashed! Being in our own bed never felt better! I have still yet to take down my tree, but that will be my top priority tonight!

Oh, and expect alot more "recipe" posts this coming year, because this is what Santa brought me:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Shutterfly Christmas Cards

2010-11-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming soon! It is definitely my favorite Holiday, with Halloween coming in at a close second. I got my tree up last weekend, and am slowly getting the rest of my decorations put out. I have already done some of my Christmas shopping, too! I am also planning on making alot of presents this year, too. :) I plan to blog about that AFTER Christmas, since most of my family reads this.

One thing that says HOLIDAYS to me are Christmas Cards. We have tried to send out cards every year since we've been married. I love the tradition...I love writing little personal notes on my cards to all our family and friends. I've been looking for some really neat, unique cards this year, and I think I've found them! Shutterfly Holday Photo Cards are so cute! I love the traditional red and white, but also the white/blue snow scenes. AND, you can add your own picture! That is a definite plus for me.

Another cool product that they have are 2011 Calenders that you can personalize with pictures and layouts. These would make awesome Christmas presents for your family, especially grandparents! They also make big prints of your favorite pictures, and can turn them into canvas prints for your house.

If you haven't yet, check out Shutterfly. I promise you will love it.

Here are the cards I plan on getting!

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Monday Five Countdown

2010-11-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Candice over at Bookish Penguin hosts the Monday Five Countdown every Monday! Feel free to join in, but link up at the bottom of her post!

Five Things I'm Grateful For:

1. My husband. We have been dealing with some stuff lately (nothing bad, but personal) and through it all, he has been my rock! I love him so so much.

2. My puppy. He brings so much joy and laughter into our lives every day!

3. Thanksgiving Break. Even though we only get Thursday and Friday, it will be a quiet week at work, and I am looking forward to that!

4. My job. Even though we are poor, I am so thankful for what we have....a job, a roof over our head, a vehicle, and a family that loves us unconditionally.

5. My husband. He deserves it twice, especially since I talked him into putting the Christmas tree yesterday! ;)

Four Things I Can't Stop Thinking About:

1. Christmas! I am so excited about it...I love it, but at the same time, I HATE the shopping part of it! I don't know what to get for anybody!

2. Christmas Music. It is constantly playing in my head!

3. Money. Always.

4. Brandon.

Three Things I Want to Accomplish this Week:

1. Finish getting my Christmas decorations put out.

2. Get caught up on sleep.

3. Cook every night this week instead of eating out.

Two Things I am Working on Being Positive About:

1. Personal stuff.

2. My spiritual life.

One Random Thing:

Our friends Doug and Ashlee are expecting their first baby in just a couple of weeks! We are so excited for them and are praying that things go smoothly. We can't wait to meet Miss Kennedee!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things (Lately)

2010-11-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Sprite mixed with blueberry POM juice.

Drinking my Sprite mixed with blueberry POM juice out of my Tervis Tumbler.

My iPhone.

Warm blankets to curl up under while I've been sick.

Celestial Seasonings Complete Care with Echinacea tea...hot with honey.

Oprah.

Friday Night Lights.

Christmas Music.

My Husband. (Not just lately....all the time :)

CARRIE. UNDERWOOD.

2010-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

When we found out back in March that Carrie Underwood was coming to Little Rock, we ordered our tickets the day they went on sale. I LOVE her...she is my absolute favorite!

We knew Sons of Sylvia would be there with her. We didn't know anything about them except that they sing a song with Carrie on her newest CD.

I would have to say we were pleasantly surprised by them. They sang alot of 70's Rock cover songs. I would ~~definitely~~ probably buy their album on iTunes.

Everything was going great until the row behind us showed up. It was a row of about 20 girls that apparently came to the concert together...already drunk. They were loud and obnoxious the whole entire night. Up and down, up and down...always to get another beer. In between all the noise and movement, Billy Currington was our next performer, who we didn't know would be there, so it was a pleasant surprise. I knew he sang the song God is Great, Beer is Good, and was surprised to find out that I knew several of the other songs he sang. I don't like the above mentioned song particularly, but I would buy his CD.

Brandon found out the hard way that beer is actually not that good, since he ended up wearing a cupful on the back of his shirt, courtesy of one of the drunk chicks behind us.

Then, it was time for CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!! Hands down, the BEST concert I have ever been too! Lots of wardrobe/set changes. Elaborate sets. At one point, she was in the back of an antique pickup truck flying over the audience. She sang every song on her Play On CD, and several of her others. Her part of the concert lasted almost two hours! It was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

If she ever comes back close enough like that for us to go, we definitely will. And next time, we will splurge on seats that are a little closer.

If you get a chance, go see her! It will be well worth your money!

*Sorry my pictures are so blurry; I forgot my camera, so I had to use my iPhone camera. :(

Monday Five Countdown

2010-10-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

FIVE THINGS I'M GRATEFUL FOR:

5. My husband. I can always count on him for a laugh or an encouraging word when I need it. I love that boy.

4. My job. I work at an awesome place with awesome people. I am so fortunate to have a job.

3. Family. I wish I was closer to my parents, but I could be alot farther away. I also have wonderful in-laws.

2. My nephew, Blake and my niece, Sophia. I know technically this falls under "Family", but they deserve their own number! I don't get to see either of them very often, but Blake is my baby. We just went to Missouri this weekend to see my family, and he was hooked to my side the ENTIRE time. J.J. had to do everything with him and for him...and I wouldn't trade a second of it. Sophia has just recently started warming up to me, and I am so glad! She is just two, but such a sweet little girl! We had a good time a couple of weekends ago when she came for a visit.

1. Our DV-R. We are a week behind on our TV shows, and would have missed all of them if it hadn't been for the DV-R. Love that thing...don't know how we ever lived without it.

FOUR THINGS I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT

4. My mom and dad, and my nephew. I just spent the whole weekend with them, and they are coming down this weekend to stay with me while Brandon goes on a fishing trip with his dad, uncle and Grandad!

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy. I just finished the last one Friday, and they are SO GOOD!

2. Christmas. Can't wait.

1. CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!!! We went to her concert last Tuesday in Little Rock (blog entry about that coming soon.) It was a.w.e.s.o.m.e. Seriously the best concert I've ever been to.

THREE THINGS I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WEEK

3. Getting my house cleaned and organized, and getting caught up on laundry.

2. Having a definite schedule for Club Week set up between us sponsors, so I can quit stressing about it. (More on that later, too.)

1. Get caught up on sleep. When we were at my parents' this weekend, we slept on our air mattress, which we knew had a slow leak. Turns out it's a fast leak. We were up at all hours of the night having to blow that stupid thing up.

TWO THINGS I AM WORKING ON BEING POSITIVE ABOUT

2. Having to clean up other people's messes at work. Seriously. I don't get paid enough to do that.

1. Money. It sucks to be poor and not able to do what you want. It sucks even worse to have to plan months in advance to do something fun, like going to a concert, or on a trip to see parents.

ONE RANDOM THING

1. Because my nephew Blake is one of my favorite people (and vice versa), he tends to get away with alot more with me than anyone else. Yesterday, he kept pulling on my t-shirt, stretching it out, and after I asked him a million times to stop, I smacked him on his leg (not hard at all), and he looked at me like, "I can't believe my J.J. just spanked me!!" It was so sweet, but heartbreaking at the same time. I am counting down the days (3) until I get to see him again!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

2010-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last week, I saw a recipe over at Pirates & Princesses for Pumpkin Cupcakes, and I knew I had to try it. I love anything pumpkin, so I knew I would definitely like these.

Ya'll....these were so good even Brandon liked them! He does not like pumpkin all that much, and he said they were really good!

The only thing that I would add to the buttercream recipe is to cream your butter before you mix in the pumpkin and spices. The pumpkin and butter do not incorporate well.

This is a must-try recipe. These will for sure be made alot in our house this fall!

I Won!

2010-09-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

I recently entered a giveaway over at Bookish Penguin, and I WON!

I can't wait to get my goodies in the mail!

Thanks again to Candace for putting this together!

Flower Pin Tutorial

2010-09-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I shared a picture of a DIY-Flower Pin. Here's the tutorial!

You will need:

Felt
Material of your choice
Scissors
Needle and thread
Hot glue gun
Hair clip or pin

1.) Cut your out your circles. I don't measure mine; I do it free-handed. If I had to guess, I would say the pink circles were the size of a bottom of a drinking glass, and the felt base is a little smaller than that. I would estimate I used 20-25 circles; this all depends on how full you want it to look.

2.) Thread your needle, and make a double-knot at the end of your thread. Take your first circle and fold it in half like so.

3.) Tuck the sides in, and hold tight to the "base" of the circle.

4.) Using your needle and thread, tack down the base of your first "flower petal" with a couple of stiches. Make sure to tack down each fold, or your petal will come undone. Start on the outside of your felt circle, and work your way in. You want to make the outer edge of your petal stick out about halfway off the felt.

5.) Sew on those circles!

6.) Keep going, working your way inside. You will be able to judge how close to put them together. I like mine to be full and poofy, so I put alot on there, close together. Be sure to tie off your thread.

7.) Cut another circle of felt, and hot glue it on top of your original one to hide your stitching, since it's kinda messy. Then, glue on a hair clip or a pin so that you can pin it on your clothes.

8.) Perfect! Clip it on your purse, on your shirts, or on a headband for a cute accessory!

Pedigree Donations to Shelters

2010-09-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch, Brandon and I were watching Animal Cops on Animal Planet. Those poor dogs in those shelters...the other animals too. It just breaks my heart, especially because of what Freckles means to me.

Then I read this post, and I knew I wanted to do what I could to help too.

How often have you had a chance to have a 20 pound bag of dog food donated to a shelter simply for writing a blog post? It’s really that easy. Pedigree has upped the ante big time. And please spread this message: The food drive is not limited to pet blogs. Imagine if we could spread this message beyond our circles and see how far it goes? The numbers could be substantial. Here is the full scoop:

Each year, more than 4 million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations. Pedigree created The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs.

This year the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a “Fan” or “Likes” The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive on Facebook. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.

Special for BlogPaws West: For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive through September 19^th, PEDIGREE® will donate a bag of their new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It’s simple: Write a post, help a dog.

Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, September 19, the Pedigree BlogPaws Bloggers will host a Blog Hop, to help raise awareness for the "Write a Post, Help a Dog" effort.

It is so easy to make a big difference. Please set aside a few moments to write a post. Include the bullet points above. Copy the pics if you’d like. Add whatever you’d like in addition to help get the message out. Because this is not limited to pet bloggers, there is tremendous potential. Know bloggers in other categories that might be interested? Please share this post with them, write one of your own, and be here Thursday to leave a link to your post. Let’s make this huge. It would just feel great.

Giveaway!

2010-09-15T07:06:00.001-07:00

Go over to one of the cutest party websites for a chance to win a cute Halloween count-down "calendar".

SUCH a cute idea! I sure hope I win!

Top Ten Tuesday

2010-09-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

I saw a "Top Ten Tuesday" theme on a couple other blogs, so I thought I would do that today.

My theme this week is "The Top Ten Reasons I Love Brandon"

10.) He makes me laugh. Seriously. There is not a day goes by that I am not laughing at something that he says or does!

9.) He takes such good care of me when I am sick.

8.) He lets me pick movies (every once in a while).

7.) I know that one day, he will be an excellent daddy.

6.) He is the most patient, kind person I know.

5.) I never have a doubt in my mind of how much he loves me...and he makes sure that he tells me several times a day.

4.) He cooks. Alot.

3.) He works hard to help support us both.

2.) He secretly loves romantic comedies.

1.) He picked me.

What's Goin' on in My World...

2010-09-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

1. Brandon has had the stomach flu since Monday. FUN.

2. I am living in fear of catching it (I hate throwing up.)

3. Just got a new background for my blog...do you like it? I love owls!

4. Bought Katy Perry's new CD this weekend...LOVE IT. (And it smells good, too!)

5. It's been raining for 3 days straight. I am so glad...we needed the rain so bad, but it makes me want to be at home snuggled up with a good book.

6. I am addicted to 3 apps on my iPhone...Words with Friends, SkyBurger and Pizza Shop Mania!

7. I love homemade pumpkin muffins!

DIY-Flower Pins

2010-09-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

So, I've seen these little "flowery" pins, rings and headbands everywhere. Just little flowers made out of fabric. So, I looked really closely at them to see how they were made, and it is SO simple.

Here's my finished product:

CUTE, huh?! I made this one out of Brandon's old shirt that he was going to throw away. I made another one out of a lacy doily that turned out awesome.

I am hooked. I am headed to Hancock's to look for some more fabric to make others. I especially want to make a Razorback one. I have some cute little "jewelry" that I never wear that I would like to incorporate into one.

I will try to put together a tutorial sometime this weekend to share!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

The Cove

2010-09-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, Brandon and I watched The Cove.

It is a documentary about dolphin-slaughtering in Japan.

It is graphic, but you should watch it.

Then go here to see what you can do.

Why Do Bad Resturant Experiences Follow ME?

2010-08-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

First it was Arby's.
We went through the drive through one day at lunch...it was super busy and we were late getting back to work. We were sitting at the window waiting on our order. You could see inside the resturant where they were fixing the food...and I witnessed the nastiest white-trash guy fixing sandwiches. He had gloves on (thank goodness), but as he was fixing sandwiches, he got something on his hand, so he LICKED it off, and continued to make food. Of course, Brandon wouldn't ask for our money back, because at that time, they were handing our food out the window to us. So, after lunch, I called and talked to the manager (explaining to her that we threw our food away) and told her that we wanted a refund. Later that afternoon when I went back to get the refund, I witnessed this big ole sweaty guy behind the counter fixing food...stop and...adjust himself...then keep fixing food. I will NEVER eat at Arby's again.

Then, Brandon wanted to go to Waffle House for his birthday. Um...roaches. Right by my feet. 'Nuff said.

The last "experience" happened at Popeye's. When we first walked in, I noticed a girl licking her fingers to moisten them in order to pull apart a plastic to-go bag. I should have walked out right then and there. But, of course we didn't. We ordered...having to repeat it 3 times to the guy who apparantly had no clue what he was doing. Then, he brought PART of Brandon's order out...then mine, which was missing my beans and rice. Brandon had to remind him again that he still needed his beans and rice, too. I bit into my sandwich, and it was wrong..spicy instead of mild. SO, I took it up there for them to fix. They did, we got everything we were supposed to have, and it was good. Well, on the way out, I decided that I wanted a biscuit. When we got in the truck and unwrapped it, this is what I saw:

Look closely. Do you see it? It wrapped down around the side and all across the bottom. Yeah, that's definitely not mine.

I guess this is God's way of saying that we shouldn't be eating this food, huh?

Book Review: The Last Song

2010-08-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

So, I started this book when we were on vacation, and just read a page here and there. But I read the rest of it in a day. I couldn't put it down!

I will say this...all of Nicholas Sparks' books are the same. They have a twist at the end, but it's predictible. You know what's coming.

This was the case with this book, but I still couldn't put it down. The end was so heart-wrenching, I caught myself crying a few times.

Definitely a book I would recommend. I can't wait to see the movie.

I give The Last Song five stars.

My Day so Far

2010-08-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been an interesting day today...

1. I laid back down after I got out of the shower and fell back asleep.

2. My pants that I wanted to wear today were still wet in the washer this morning at 7:20. (They BARELY got dried in time).

3. When we were getting ready to leave, I remembered that I needed to drive today because Brandon is going to lunch with his office...thus requiring a switch of bodies and keys.

4. I also realized that we didn't take back our Redbox movie that was due last night. (It WAS a free rental until we kept it an extra night).

5. A combination of number one and number three made me ten minutes late for work.

At least I have my coffee this morning.

Oh, and it's only 8:22.

Corn on the Cob

2010-07-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Apparantly, Freckles LOVES Corn on the Cob!

But honestly, this dog loves any kind of food that you give him.

Fill in the Blank Friday

2010-07-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

So I found this idea over at Bookish Penguin...and thought I would give it a try!

1. My favorite thing about this week has been having this past Monday off work for our Fourth of July "Holiday". We spent the weekend in Missouri with my family, and I got to spend alot of quality time with my grandmother.

2. The weather this week has been HOT! Upper nineties every day with 100% humidity. You just step outside and you are drenched in sweat. Miserable.

3. The last (interesting) thing I got in the mail was my new Arkansas Razorbacks t-shirt! GO HOGS!

4. The last movie I saw was Grown Ups. HILARIOUS! I would give it 5 out of 5 stars.

5. If I could be doing anything I felt like today, I would be laying on the couch watching TV. All. Day. Long.

6. As a teenager, I was caught up in trying to be popular, and worrying about what people thought of me. I still struggle with the latter, but am getting better!

7. I wish I could trade lives for the day with anyone who has a pool! I'm tellin' ya, it is HOT!

ACL Surgery

2010-06-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

Ok...so this time, I really have a legitimate reason for not posting in so long. I had ACL Surgery!

Brandon and I were just goofing off at home on Sunday afternoon, and I fell, twisting my knee and tearing my ACL in the process. It was VERY painful.

A Doctor visit and an MRI later, I was sitting in the Surgeon's office, getting the news. Two days later, I was having my leg sliced open. The coolest thing about it was that Dr. Blickenstaff made me a DVD of my surgery! I got to see the torn ACL and got to see some of the repair that he did.
I just started back to work this week...and am only working half-days for now. PT is going good...I am SO ready to be off of the crutches and to get rid of this stupid brace!

Happy Birthday, Freckles Elvis!

2010-06-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Freckles,

Happy Birthday! I can't believe my baby puppy is already 6 years old! It seems like yesterday that your Daddy brought you home to me! We can't recall our lives before you, nor can we fathom them without you. You have been the best dog either of us has ever had...the sweetest, most playful, loyal companion we could ask for. Our lives sure would be a lot less fun without you....we have had 6 years of constant entertainment!

We have loved being your "mommy and daddy" for these 6 years...and we hope to have many more to come. We love you, Freckles Elvis!

Springtime Flowers

2010-05-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I have been working hard in the yard and garden this spring.

Unfortunately, our garden isn't doing all that great -- I attribute that to the 5-8 inches of rain that we had 2 weekends in a row. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it pulls through!

We have planted some pretty flowers this year, though!

Looking forward to our long Memorial Day Weekend!

Farmer's Market

2010-05-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday and this past Wednesday, we visited our Farmer's Market here in town.

I didn't get any pictures, but we got some organic spinach, fresh pork steaks, onions, 2 pounds ground beefalo, and a beefalo roast.

I love the Farmer's Market! Fresh food like that tastes so much better, and it's so much healthier, too!

Support your local farmers and growers!

Spring has Sprung

2010-04-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year.

We have been spending alot of time in our yard lately.

The weather has been perfect!

Our garden is planted.

Our flowers are starting to bloom.

Isn't this rose beautiful??

I Love My Puppy

2010-04-27T14:05:00.001-07:00

HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE THIS FACE?!!

Taking the Twilight Thing a Little too Far

2010-04-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

WHY ON EARTH would someone want to permanently tattoo this on their body?

(source)

I mean, I like Twilight and all, but this is bordering on ridiculous.

Talk about a mid-life crisis!

My New Favorite Taco

2010-04-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

As I have posted before, we eat a lot of tacos a lot of different ways in our house.

We have found yet another way, and I do believe it has become our favorite (for now).

Shredded Chicken Tomatillo Tacos with Queso Fresco, recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay.

It was easy to make, and delicious to eat.

You can go to the link above for the whole recipe, but I will list for you the ingredients in the tomatillo sauce.

6 Tomatillos
1 Serrano Chilie (we used Jalapeno)
EVOO
1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime (this is overpowering; I would just use the juice of 1/2 a lime)
2 Tablespoons honey

You basically roast the tomatillos and the pepper on the grill until they are blackened; then you de-seed the pepper. We didn't read the recipe right, and instead of blending and THEN sauteing the mixture in EVOO, we sauteed the tomatillos before we blended it. I might add...do this outside on the grill if at all possible! We didn't, and it about caught our house on fire.

Anywho, blend all of that stuff together in a blender/food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste and spoon generously onto your chicken tacos.

It was SO YUMMY.

Oh, and we didn't use Queso Fresco..we couldn't find it at the grocery store, so we just used shredded cheese.

I give this recipe 5 out of 5 stars!

3 Things...

2010-04-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

I got this forward in my email the other day, so I thought I would post it here for you to get to know me better (for those of you who don't know me really well).

Three Names I Go By:
-Jennifer
-Jenn
-J-Lowe

Three Places I've Lived:
-Bell City
-Paragould
-Searcy

Three Places I've Worked:
-JC Penney
-Dentist Office
-Terminix

Three Things I Love To Watch:
-American Idol
-Modern Family
-Parenthood
(This list could go on and on...)

Three Places I Have Been:
-Dallas, TX
-Canada
-Knoxville, TN

Three Things I Love To Eat:
-Cake
-Mexican Food
-Pasta

Three Things I Am Looking Foward To:
-Mother's Day Weekend
-Football
-Payday

Farmer's Market, Garden, and Iota Chi Formal

2010-04-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was crazy for Brandon and I! Friday night, we had our work banquet to attend. After that, we went to Wal-Mart to buy part of our groceries since a.) we wouldn't have time to do it all Saturday and 2.) because we couldn't wait until Sunday because my ads (what few I had) and some coupons would be expired. I am sad to say that since we have been trying to eat more organic and fresh, it's alot harder to save with coupons and ads. I think this is because the big companies always put the "junk" on sale...all the stuff that's unhealthy for you. But, it is a price that I am willing to pay. I haven't given it up completely, but instead of saving $40-$50 every time I buy groceries, I am now lucky to save $20-$30.

Anywho, our Farmer's Market had their soft opening this past Saturday, so we got up bright and early to go to that. Since it's still a little too early for fresh vegetables, there wasn't much there this week. There was a lady there selling Beefalo, although she didn't have the ground meat that we wanted. They also had fresh strawberries (WAY expensive...$5 a quart?!?) and organic, fresh milk from a local creamery. We bought a gallon of milk...and....oh my. Delish.

There was also a tent with fresh flowers and herbs, and another one with organic eggs and organic pork (which we would have bought a roast if we had brought enough money with us). The pork lady said that she would even have fresh, free-range chicken next week, so we plan to go back and get some of that. Even though there wasn't much there, it was still awesome, and we fully intend to support our local growers. We will be back! :)Well, after we left the Farmer's Market, Brandon and I, along with our good friend Adam, went back to our house, had a bowl of cereal with our fresh milk, and got to work in our garden. Our friend who owns his own lawn care business, brought us over a trailer full of compost. Adam shoveled it into the wheelbarrow, Brandon dumped it in the garden, and I spread it out. Then, we tilled and planted!

Here's what we planted, going by rows, left to right: 1st row...4 Roma Tomato Plants; 2nd row...2 Bell Peppers, 1 Jalapeno Pepper, 2 Thyme Plants, 2 Basil Plants; row 3...2 Strawberry Plants and 2 Zuchinni Squash Plants. We are really excited, and we hope it does good this year for us.

After we planted the garden and Adam left, we got cleaned up and went to the grocery store to get a few other things that we didn't get at Wal-Mart. Then, it was time to start getting ready for the Iota Chi Formal! We went to the Starving Artist Cafe in Downtown Little Rock this year. The food was awesome, and we all had a good time!

Sunday, we relaxed. Most of the afternoon was spent outside just sitting in the swing watching Freckles play in the yard. It was most definitely a relaxing day!

I am glad that busyness is over with, but I've got 4 more weekends in a row that are packed full of stuff...so no rest in sight for a while!

I Hope This Makes You Think Twice...

2010-04-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Check this out. (CLICK ON THE "PICTURE" TO ENLARGE).

I bet you think twice before eating fast food again.

Excuse me while I go barf.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2010-04-13T14:55:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged in almost a month! I just can't get the fire lit lately.

I love my iPhone.

Echinacea Complete Care Tea is my fave. (Especially with honey).

I have stuff to do but I just don't want to do it.
The next 4 weekends on our schedule are PACKED full.

I have the best husband in the world.

Chicken Tacos

2010-03-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite meals is homemade tacos. We try to switch up the meat so we don't get bored with it. We use beef (organic), chicken (all-natural) or ground bison (all-natural).
The other night we had (my favorite) chicken tacos.

YUM.

All you have to do is saute your chicken in olive oil until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. We season ours with our house seasoning...it's a lot like Emeril's Essence. You could also use taco seasoning (which we do in our ground hamburger or bison).

When your chicken is done, cut into cubes and put it, along with anything else you like, in a taco shell of your choice...we prefer corn or whole wheat tortillas.

My favorite choices for "toppings" are avocado, cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, and lettuce...but the choices really are endless!

Homemade Apple Chips

2010-03-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Ashlee sent me to this website yesterday, where I found lots of yummy recipes, but one stood out that I could easily make at home and was low-fat and healthy...apple chips! I remember when I was little and I would go to my Grandma's in the summertime and we would eat dried fruit of all kinds...especially apple and banana chips.

I had some apples that needed to be eaten, so I made homemade apple chips last night. It's a lot of hard work, but they are so good. I would recommend doing 2 things different:

1. Use a mandolin if you have one to get thin, even slices.
2. Use a food dehydrator if you have one.

I didn't have a mandolin, so my slices weren't very uniform. In her recipe she says you can "bake" them in the oven on the lowest setting for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until they are crispy, but I really think a food dehydrator would work much better. When I took mine out of the oven last night, the thinnest ones were crispy, but the thicker ones were still chewy. After they cooled, I put them all into an airtight container, and this morning, they are all a little on the soggy side. I guess they did that because some still had moisture in them? They still taste great, but the texture is lacking.

Anyhow, I plan on getting a mandolin sometime soon so that I can make these (often). It is a very healthy snack, and they taste so good!

HOMEMADE APPLE CHIPS

2 Gala or Granny Smith Apples (any kind work, but these have the most flavor.)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

1. Turn your oven on its lowest setting.

2. Fill a bowl with the lemon juice and water.

3. Slice the apples (as thin as possible, or use a mandolin), immediately placing them in the water.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, placing apple slices on the sheet after shaking excess liquid off.

5. Sprinkle with sugar (optional) and cinnamon.

6. Cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until chips are crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Mr. Wiggle Butt

2010-03-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

This is just the cutest thing ever!

Going Organic

2010-03-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, Brandon and I, along with our friend Adam, went to Little Rock for dinner and some shopping.

Dinner was good...we went to Red Lobster to treat ourselves for doing so well on our diet/new lifestyle. It had been a while since we've had a good, enjoyable meal.

After dinner and after Brandon got his new shoes, we headed over to the Fresh Market. LET ME TELL YOU.....I LOVE this store!!! It is so awesome...so much to choose from. They had fresh seafood, all kinds of fresh, organic veggies and fruits. It's a little on the pricey side, but it is well worth it. Everything that I have eaten so far that we got there has been exceptionally good. Another plus...did you know organic milk doesn't spoil NEARLY as fast as regular milk? For us, that makes up for the price difference!

I have wanted to start eating organic for a while, but haven't been able to talk Brandon into it. It is more expensive...I'll give you that. But after seeing what we saw this weekend, his mind was easily changed.

I HIGHLY recommend that you watch this film. You will be amazed at what you are putting into your bodies. No wonder the U.S. has such high obesity rates, among other things. Do you know what they put into hamburger meat so that the E. Coli Bacteria doesn't spread? AMMONIA. Did you know that people who work in chicken houses are immune to almost every antibiotic (when they get sick) because the breath all antibiotics in that's mixed with the chicken feed. And if the animals eat it, so do we.

It literally made me sick to my stomach to watch this, but it was very informative.

Do your part to stop this. Eat organic. Buy from local farmers when you can.

Biggest Loser!

2010-03-10T07:58:00.001-08:00

I was in the top 4 biggest losers at Curves this month! Yay me!

Photo Journal for the Week of March 1-5

2010-03-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Ever seen a pink orange?

It looked like a grapefruit, but tasted just like an orange!

My lunch looked like this all week:

Turkey and Colby Jack on toasted whole wheat bread with avocado slices. Yum.

I saw this today at lunch while I was running errands

Purple, sparkly car, anyone??

I FINALLY Got My iPhone!

2010-03-03T09:19:00.001-08:00

My life will never be the same. I don't know how I've lived this long without it.

Valentine's Weekend-A Little Late

2010-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

This year for Valentine's Day, we did the same thing we did last year - nothing.

My mom and dad did come down for the weekend, and brought my favorite little boy.

We had fun playing games and watching Toy Story...it's his favorite right now.

I also bribed him into eating good meals while he was here - with the vaccuum cleaner.
(He is obsessed with the vaccuum cleaner).

Brandon did send me (more) flowers and I got him a big collage of our "football" pictures.
It was a great weekend.

Here Lately...

2010-02-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry to my few blog readers that I haven't updated lately. The whole photo-journal thing has (apparantly) not been happening, though I hope to pick it back up here pretty soon.

Life has just been busy. About a month ago, I joined Curves with my Mother-In-Law. It's going great! I really enjoy it...and don't dread going. I have lost 6 pounds since I've been at Curves (14 pounds TOTAL). I have also lost 3.75 inches overall and decreased my BMI. I sure do feel better; I have more energy for sure!

Brandon is also working out at the local gym 3 days a week while I am at Curves. He has lost a total of 20 pounds since we've started our diets...Go us! :)

In other news....

In 4 days, I will be the proud owner of one of these...

I cannot wait! I am driving Brandon crazy!

More later!

Newlyweds Feature!!

2010-02-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Check us out! We are featured at Meet The Newlyweds today!

Sweet Pea's blog is so cute...full of cute pictures of her twin boys, and yummy recipies!

Check it out!

Photo Journal - February 5, 2010

2010-02-05T09:18:00.001-08:00

Friday, February 5, 2010Hot cocoa in my favorite cup.

Birthday Flowers from Brandon

2010-02-03T12:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to ME!

2010-02-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

This is the last one until the big 3-0!

Book Review - The Pact by Jodi Picoult

2010-02-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

I think I would have to say this was my favorite Jodi Picoult book to date, with Nineteen Minutes being a close second. I like how the author goes back and forth in time, so you get little bits of information at a time, eventually putting the story together.

This is one that I just really couldn't put down! Five out of Five stars!

One of My Favorite Things

2010-02-02T11:29:00.001-08:00

I am in love with this Hard Candy Blush.
Walmart. $7.

Photo Journal - January 31, 2010 With a Side of BOO!

2010-02-01T14:02:00.001-08:00

Today, you get a little story to go along with the photo journal!

Last night, around 6:45, the dog was letting us know that he had to G-O. So as usual, Brandon and I argued about which one of us would take him out. Because of Freckles' growing urgency, we decided whoever won the best-out-of-three games of Rock-Paper-Scissors would be the one to take him out. It was a heated match, and I got too caught up in the game making sure Brandon wasn't cheating. (Don't let him fool you...he always accuses me, but it's always him). ANYWHO...he ended up winning......

And of course, since I was the one taking him out, the dog took his sweet time piddling and smelling and chasing the sparkly snow. I was out there FOR-EV-ER freezing my tootsies off!

I came back into the house, and it was really quiet. I went into the living room, calling Brandon's name...no answer...and he wasn't in the recliner where I had left him. I knew right then and there that he was hiding from me.

(I have spent the last 5 1/2 years of our marriage making it my personal mission to scare him whenever I get the chance.)

So, I marched into our bedroom and checked the bathroom...no Brandon.
I checked the spare closet in our room...no Brandon.
Yelling, "I bet you're in here" while swinging open his closet door...no Brandon.
(I have to admit...I was expecting him to jump out at that moment...and I kinda scared myself when I opened the door).

Into the spare bathroom. Yelling, "I bet you're in here" while ripping back the shower curtain...no Brandon.

At this point, I looked at Freckles and said, "Go find daddy!"...and he went right to the coat closet in the living room.

As I put my hand on the door to push it open, I said, "I bet you're iAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

I found him. And the sad part was, I knew he was in there and he still got me.

It's sad that it's taken him this long to FINALLY get me back, but he did. But he better sleep with one eye open and the bathroom door locked when he's in the shower...cause he also brought a snowball in with him the other night and put it up the back of my shirt under my bra where I couldn't reach it. PAYBACKS.....

Revenge is on it's way.

*Below are reinactment photos. No animals were harmed in the making of these photos.

Photo Journal - January 29 and 30, 2010

2010-02-01T13:50:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 29, 2010

Snow Day!! It did this all day...we got between 4-5 inches of snow! We thoroughly enjoyed our extra day off of work!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Birdie Footprints in the snow

Photo Journal - January 27, 2010

2010-01-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Fresh pineapple for lunch. YUM.

Photo Journal - January 23, 2010

2010-01-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Dried Chilie aisle in the local Mexican grocery store.

Grocery Savings from January 22

2010-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

So I didn't do so hot this week. But, $23.63 is $23.63...ya know?

Here's my totals:

Savings from Ads: $8.38 (sad, I know)
Savings from Coupons: $15.25

TOTAL SAVINGS: $23.63

There just weren't that many sales this week. Hopefully next trip will be a lot better!

Photo Journal - January 21 and 22, 2010

2010-01-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Brandon waiting on me after work.

Friday, January 22, 2010My lunch. Turkey and Ham sandwich on wheat with spinach, cucumbers, onion, bell pepper and pickles. YUM.

Happy Birthday to My Dad!

2010-01-21T08:36:00.000-08:00

Today is my Daddy's 56th Birthday!
He has been the best Dad I could have ever asked for.
Here's to many, many more years of having him as my dad!

I LOVE YOU DADDY!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Book Review - Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

2010-01-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

My good friend Brenda lent me this book. I will have to say that it is one of my favorites by Jodi Picoult that I've read thus far.

I can't tell you about it because it will give everything away...but I would put it on my "must read" list.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I finished it 3 days ago and I am still thinking about it.

Photo Journal - January 19, 2010

2010-01-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 19, 2010Breakfast.

Photo Journal - January 15-January 18, 2010

2010-01-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we did nothing but sit on the couch and watch movies. We rented a total of 8 movies this weekend (thank goodness for credits at Hastings...we didn't pay for any of them!) These three were my favorite.

Friday, January 15, 2010I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars. SO FUNNY...in a dry sense-of-humor way. One of the best this weekend.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Also 5 out of 5 stars. My other favorite of the weekend. I would like to own this (HINT HINT...my birthday is coming up!!).

Sunday, January 17, 2010

4 out of 5 stars. I liked this movie, but there was just SO MUCH going on that it was hard to catch everything. Definitely a boy movie.

Monday, January 18, 2010

My Mother-In-Law called me bright and early yesterday on my extra day off and asked me if I wanted to join Curves with her. So I did. I think this is the exact motivation that I need.

That's my weekend in pictures.

And I lied about weighing.

I didn't weigh the first few days of my diet, so I just went on what it was the last time I had weighed a few weeks before. I am happy to report that in 7 days I have dropped 8 pounds. That is WITHOUT exercise people. Just imagine what's gonna happen this week since I will be exercising!! YAY ME!

Photo Journal - January 14, 2010

2010-01-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Thursday and Friday, January 14 & 15, 2010My desk. SO BUSY!

We caught the cat that was living under our house! YAY!

Photo Journal - January 13, 2010

2010-01-14T11:11:00.000-08:00

Freckles got a haircut yesterday!

BEFORE

AFTER

MUCH better!!

Grocery Savings from January 8

2010-01-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't done one of these posts in a LONG time!

I don't have pictures, so I will just keep it short and sweet with totals saved. I will have to look back, but I think this is the most I've ever saved in one trip!

Savings from Sale Ads (price match): $14.77
Savings from Coupons: $28.15
TOTAL SAVINGS: $42.92

WOW!!

This is another "resolution". I am going to try to get pictures and post savings for all my shopping trips this year!

South Beach Diet, Week 1

2010-01-13T09:33:00.001-08:00

So we are finally back in our routine, and have started on our diet (again). We have decided to stick with South Beach, mainly because it isn't a "diet" but a lifestyle change. Don't get me wrong...probably 80% of what we cook still goes along the guidelines...we use whole wheat pasta and try to eat non-processed and fresh veggies and fruit. Our biggest problem is eating out..which we do often.

Anywho, we are on day three and it's going pretty well. I haven't weighed - I really don't want to know what I weigh! Also, I feel like that makes me give up too easy. If I don't see progress on the scale every day, then I get frustrated. SO - I am going to try not to weigh very often - or at all for that matter.

I will keep you posted on how it goes! Wish us luck!

Photo Journal - January 12, 2010

2010-01-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

This is what we had for supper last night:

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

My mom sent some leftover ham hunks home with me after Christmas, so I put them to good use! We had a big pot of white beans with ham and a (*VERY) small piece of cornbread. It was DELISH!

Freckles is getting a MUCH NEEDED haircut today. I will have before and after pictures for you tomorrow. He is one hairy dude.

Photo Journal for January 11 and 12, 2010

2010-01-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

So can you tell from the last week that we don't have a life? LOL. We sit at home and play with the dog 90% of the time.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Freckles peeking over the window seal into the kitchen while I was sweeping.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Brandon worked late yesterday, so Freckles and I went to pick him up. He LOVES going to Daddy's office....so many new smells!
(*Sorry my dog looks like Chewbacca...he has a haircut appointment this week!)

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I did get out Sunday afternoon and go to the flea markets. I only got a couple of doilies and some old books, but when I got home I played around and re-arranged some stuff I already had. This is on a shelf by the back door over my washer.
(L to R: Old radio with little baby linen dresses folded on top with a jar of buttons; old washboard with pincushions and more buttons beneath; starch box with lamp on top.)

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Driving back to work after lunch. Not a cloud in the sky, but still pretty dang cold. The high today was supposed to be 48, but I don't think we're gonna make it.

Falling Behind

2010-01-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

I have no pictures to share today.

Nothing exciting happened this weeked.

Except that we have a tomcat living under our house and Freckles can smell it so it is driving him nuts (and us too) and the soonest that Animal Control can make it out is Thursday.

Oh, and I spilled about 4 eggs (beaten and in the skillet starting to cook) all over the cabinets, stove and floor.

At least Freckles helped to clean up most of what was on the floor. (I wish I would have had the camera for that!)

Troubles With DirecTV

2010-01-08T12:49:00.001-08:00

Ok, so we made the switch over to Directv about 6 months ago. Mostly because it was a little cheaper, and also because it offered more HD channels than Dish.

So far, we've been happy with it.

Well, today, I logged in to make my payment, and the amount due online was like $40 higher than what my statement said! I flipped out!

So I called (3 different times, getting ~~hung up on~~ disconnected twice). I finally got it all worked out and made my payment.

We went home for lunch and got an "error" on the T.V. So we reset it with no luck. By the time I sat on hold for 10 minutes, we had to get back to work, so I had to just hang up and leave the house.

It better be magically repaired by the time I get home or someone will ~~get a royal chewing~~ get an earful!

So far, I rate Directv's Customer Service 3 out of 5 stars.

Oh, another tip (in case anyone from Directv is reading this...) when you hire people for your Customer Service Department and their job consists of them being on the phone helping people out, MAKE SURE THEY CAN SPEAK ENGLISH CLEARLY!

Photo Journal - January 7, 2010

2010-01-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here's my photos from yesterday!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

We woke up to a light dusting of snow. Not enough to get off of work, but enough to make the roads a little slick. Freckles loves the snow...and he loves to go outside and watch the squirrels playing.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

When we got home from work today, he was in a MOOD! All he wanted to do was run and play! Tug of war is his favorite game.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Brandon fixed dinner last night. We had yummy Lemon Chicken. I have the best husband.
EVER.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Freckles finally got tired of playing. Even though he didn't want to play, he doesn't let that ball get too far away from him!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

We watched the Crimson Tide whoop up on some Texas butt in the National Championship Game!
GO BAMA GO!

Photo Journal - January 6, 2010

2010-01-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided this: Some days, there is just too much going on to limit these posts to one picture, so some days you may get more than that. ;)

January 6, 2010

I got some pretty little paper clips. The bright colors make me think of Spring, for which I cannot wait!

January 6, 2010

Even though you really can't tell, I stood in a ridiculously long line at Kroger today after work to get a few things for dinner. I tried to take a picture of all the long lines around me, but I was getting weird looks!

We had home-made spaghetti last night (a.k.a. not nasty sauce from a jar), and it was delish!

2010 Photo Journal - A Little Catching Up

2010-01-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

For those 5 of you who follow my blog...you ~~probably~~ ~~didn't~~ may have noticed my absence. I had a great Christmas Break off of work, and I didn't do much in my spare time except lay on the couch and play games on my new Wii.

(I did get a few loads of laundry in there, promise.)

Anywho, I saw a cute idea on one of my friends' facebook pages. She is doing a photo journal of 2010...where you take a picture every day of something that is going on in your life. So, I have decided to do the same...only here on my blog. I will still try to post regularly, but hopefully every day (except Saturday and Sunday) I will have a "journal entry". I will catch you up on those days on Monday.

So, I am pretty behind. I will start with this past Sunday:

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Brandon wears his snuggie that Leah got him for Christmas. I have enjoyed "borrowing" it, too. Thanks, Leah!

Monday, January 4, 2010

This is the tragic state I found my plant in when I got back to work after Christmas Break.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

See that bench to the right? That red can has sat on that bench with those berry twigs in it for a year and he has never bothered it. I came home from work yesterday to find this.

and since he was so adorable telling me "sorry", I thought you deserved to have a "bonus" picture!

Lisa Leonard Designs Giveway

2010-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Head on over to the Tidy Mom...she is having an awesome giveaway for some beautiful silver jewelry!

This one is my favorite!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday!

Book and Movie Review: My Sister's Keeper

2009-12-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

I have been reading on this book for the better part of 3 months now. Sometimes I get into a reading groove and read 2-3 books a week; then I get busy with other things and put them down for a while...

I actually saw the movie while I was in the middle of this book. Both the movie and the book were REALLY good...equally good in my opinion. Usually, that's not the case; the book is always better than the movie. But, they both had totally different endings.

I would recommend the book and the movie both. They both get 5 out of 5 stars from me.

White-Chocolate and M&M Pretzel Rods

2009-12-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick and easy treat to make for Christmas Parties or just as cute little gifts. I made these last year for our office party, and was asked if I would make them again.

You will need:

1 bag pretzel rods
1/2 package white almond bark
1/4 package chocolate almond bark
1 bag M&M Minis (you can find these in the baking aisle, or even by the candy).

Heat your white chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or so until it is melted smooth. Dip your pretzel rods into the white chocolate, about 2/3 of the way down. *I have to use a spoon, then I twirl the pretzel rod as I am spooning it on. Place on parchment/wax paper. Let the almond bark just start to harden, then place your M&M's on. You really can't do them handfulls at a time...just two or three at a time. *The reason you wait for the bark to start drying is because if you don't the M&M's will slide off.

When you are finished with the dipping and M&M placing, melt your chocolate bark. Just take a spoon and drizzle all over the white chocolate and M&M's. I usually put mine on a sheet pan in the deep freeze for about 5-10 minutes to make sure that it's thoroughly hardened before I package/store them.

This Weekend

2009-12-11T14:26:00.001-08:00

This weekend, I am finishing up my Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, wrapping presents, cleaning house and running errands!

What are you doing this weekend?

What I'm Getting for Christmas

2009-12-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

Brandon and I entered a contest at Tara and Company, our local jewelry store that we always go to. We got to design a ring online, and took a picture in and submitted it. We were chosen to be in the top twenty...then whichever one in the top twenty got the most votes from the public won the ring they created. Well, we didn't win...but we got a $250 gift certificate as a "consolation" prize. So.........this is what I am getting for Christmas:

Pretty isn't it?? Too bad I have to wait till Christmas to get it. Maybe I can persuade Brandon to let me have it earlier.... *wink wink*

Homemade Chicken Soup

2009-12-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

My poor Brandon has been sick this week, so he asked if I could make him some homemade chicken soup. His mom used to always make this for him when he was living at home and got sick. It is really simple...just a little time consuming.

1 young chicken, washed (also remove innards)
1 onion, rough chopped
1 small onion, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
4-6 carrots, minced or chopped (depending on how big you want the pieces)
chicken stock
1/2 stick of butter
rice or noodles; whichever you prefer
salt and pepper to taste ( I also put some of our homemade "Essence" in it for a kick)

Place onion, garlic and celery in the bottom of your crockpot. Put your chicken on top of the veggies...there's no need to add water..trust me, it will make enough juice on its own! Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. Remove chicken from crock pot and let it cool, then de-bone/de-skin. In a stock pot, melt a half a stick of butter, then toss in your carrots and "saute" them for a few minutes to remove the "raw" taste. Throw in your remaining onions and cook for another couple of minutes. Then, add in your chicken (shred it first) and about 3-4 cups of stock. I usually strain the juice in the bottom of my crockpot, but still have to add more.

When your stock comes to a boil, add your rice (about half a bag) and cook until tender. Beware though...the rice soaks up ALOT of the liquid, so don't get too much!

This is a great (and healthy) meal...and it makes alot. You can freeze leftovers for up to two months. Also, research shows that chicken soup helps your immune system heal faster when it's down!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

I love the holidays! Even though Christmas is my favorite, Thanksgiving is right up there with it.

This year, we had Thanksgiving at our house. All of Brandon's family except his mom was out of town (his dad had to leave on Thanksgiving morning for a ballgame in Alabama). We didn't want to just leave her by herself, so we invited my parents to come down for Thanksgiving, too.

This was the first year we've done the Thanksgiving meal. Let me tell you, it turned out so good. We had so many leftovers it wasn't even funny. Our menu consisted of: the best turkey I've ever had, Green Bean Casserole, Dressing, Homemade Sage-Turkey Gravy, REAL Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potato and Corn Casserole, Potato Casserole, hot rolls.....I think that's it! We did everything but the Sweet Potato and Corn Casserole. Then for dessert we had Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pies, Chewy Pecan Bars and a Pumpkin Roll my mom brought. It was such a good meal, and a good time, too!

such a sweet little boy

On Friday, my cousin Joe called to say he was in town...he is a semi-new pilot who recently bought his own plane! He flew his brother Jay down to look into taking lessons to fly a gyro-copter. Crazy, huh? So we spent most of the afternoon with them at the airport.

Joe's Plane

The Gyrocopter

Saturday, we wanted to take Blake to Chuck E. Cheese. He was so excited about it...that's all he talked about all weekend! When we pulled up in the parking lot and I got him out of his car seat, he grabbed my face in both of his little hands, wrinkled up his little nose and stuck it to mine, and said, "Jefiner, CHUCK E. CHEESE!!" It was so cute. But wouldn't you know, when we got in, he was scared to death of the "animals" on stage! At least he had fun playing and riding the rides!

Right after I took this, he reached down and slapped that little girl in the face...hard.

We had alot of fun that weekend, and was sad when Mom and Dad left Sunday morning...but we will get to see them again in a few weeks for Christmas.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend!

Easy Cheesy Chicken Soup

2009-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

I got this yummy recipe from my good friend, Amalie. It is SUPER easy and oh so good!

4-8 Chicken Breasts, sauteed in a pan, cut in cubes. (Use however many you want.)
1 Can Green Chilies
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream Corn
2 Cans Whole-Kernel Corn
2 Cans Rotel
1 Block Velveeta Cheese
Up to 2 cans Chicken Broth

All you do is cook your chicken and cube it, then dump it in your pot and cook until all the cheese is melted and it is hot throughout. This made enough for 6-8 servings, which is perfect for leftovers. If you are having lots of company, just double the recipe! I do not recommend making this in a crock pot, because it tends to burn and stick on the bottom. You do have to stir constantly. You can put in as much chicken as you like...and also as much chicken broth as you want, depending on how thick/soupy you want it.

*We also carmalized half an onion using the same pan we used for the chicken, and got some of the browned "yummies" off the bottom of the pan.