PSA to My Younger Self

Today we are going to take a detour and do a public service announcement. I have some younger and not so younger friends who have asked me advice on getting the life/ relationships/ status etc that they want. Why do they ask me? I have no effin clue honestly. It might be because they know I’ll tell them my honest opinion. This old girl won’t sugar coat that shiz. Oh well, they asked so here it goes.

I’ll start off by saying – these are my friends and I only want the very best for them in every area of their life. I’m no expert- but I have done a lot of stupid and crazy shiz in my day and messed my life up like a soup sammie on numerous occasions, been screwed over by a bunch of people, and learned a lot of tough lessons but have somehow managed to get the train on the tracks and am now headed full steam ahead to AwesomeTown. Pretty much what I’m about to say is what I wish I could have told my twenty something self.

#1) Give yourself a promotion to CEO of your own life. 

Quit waiting around for everybody else to make your ass happy or this or that or whatever. That shiz  ain’t never gonna happen.  This isn’t a Disney movie. Decide what you want, make a plan, stick to the plan-MAKE IT HAPPEN. The only thing that grows on trees is leaves and fruit so if there is something else you want go to work.  My own example of this is pathetic but I’ll share. I find personal finances somewhat overwhelming. I can spend the hell out of some money but retirement blahblahblhab and all that stuff EEEks! So after a major sh!tstorm hit my life for about 6 months straight (breakup, apartment fiasco, car broke down, got sued)  I realized that I was being an idiot. My retirement plan was find a man to worry about that crap. So I said to myself enough- I came up with a plan to pay back all my debt and I started putting at least what I could get matched in my 401k. I also talked to my Financial consultant aka my daddy-o  for advice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help- All great CEO’s have advisors/ consultants and you should too! The more action you take towards something the less stress you’ll feel towards it. You might hit some bumps along the way – regroup, make a new plan, and move on. Also, as CEO of your life please be advised that your personal happiness is a product of your attitude and not any of the following: a dream man, your goal weight, more money, or chocolate cake with a heap of ice cream. So what I’m saying is don’t put off your happiness until any of these are achieved.

#2) Stop being Man-Tarded. (**if you are a man and reading this please insert Woman-tarded)

It’s wonderful to have someone in your life and all of that stuff- don’t get me wrong. But stop giving so damn much of yourself to someone who doesn’t give a shit about you. If someone isn’t texting you, calling you, trying to spend time with you- stop making excuses for them. They aren’t interested. The End. There’s no amount of busy, work, or anything else that will stop a guy from seeing you or talking to you if he wants to ß(disclaimer: this statement has been hubs verified!).  Stop making your life about them –don’t rearrange your schedule when they suddenly are bored and want to see you. You know what happens when you make someone a priority in your life and they don’t return the favor? You work harder to make them like you and the truth is – they never will.  Shut that shit down and focus on making you happy. Stop going after unavailable men, actually or emotionally – it all ends the same way. They’ll go back to the girlfriend/ wife/ fiancée whatever or bounce back and forth between you for awhile but you will always be option B. And if it does work out with you two… pretty soon you’ll be the girlfriend/ wife/ fiancée and then it’s your turn for insecurity / heartbreak city. You don’t win. The end.  Ok, so let’s say you made some bad decisions, got screwed over, and are now stalking, semi-stalking, or trying to be “friends” with this Richard. Put your crazy away and find something productive to do. Showing up somewhere they are, texting them, doing a drive by, any of that stuff will only make you feel worse. Not to mention that you look creepy crazy lady to anyone who gets to witness this. I have never heard an awesome how they met story that started off… She was out stalking the shit out of her ex and I found those crazy eyes so alluring. I just had to get some of that.  If you are anything like me and add tequila to this situation just remember to line up someone to bail your arse outta jail when things get out of hand.

Remaining friends with these “situations” is tricky. From what I’ve seen- there is generally underlying motive for said friendship. To put it bluntly, they don’t really want to be your friend. Then this whole thing strings out and when you tell them they are in Friendsville you are no longer friends. Losing friends sucks. If this friendship consists of you babysitting his kid(s), buying him stuff, paying his bills, or doing favors for him on a consistence basis here’s a newsflash…he’s not your friend- he’s using you! I have never seen any cases of this leading to him realizing he can’t live without you and getting back together either. It usually plays out till you get sick of it and grow a spine or until he finds the next Ms. Hot Pants and replaces you.

3) Have your own back. 

 If you follow rule #1 then you are fully taking charge of your life then this will come naturally. What I mean by this is that there are people in this world that will stab you in the back every chance they can. This happened to me a solid 3 times before I finally realized that I was the common denominator. This is what happens – you meet someone -they seem nice. You become friends. They realize that you are loyal and give people the benefit of the doubt, and then they go to work. You get comfortable in your friendship. Their main goal in life is to get what they want. They don’t see the world the same way. They will manipulate, use, take advantage of, and lie their way to making you feel like you are 2 steps away from crazy town. If you keep these people in your life it will have more drama than an entire season of Bachelor Pad. Get these people out of your life. I’m telling you from experience that they won’t stop lying to your face, trying to take your boyfriend, or jeopardizing your relationships with other people. They will only continue to be out for themselves and crushing everything that gets in the way. I'm not saying don't have friends. I'm saying evaluate your friendships often and when people screw you over make them earn their place back in your life. If it was an honest mistake it will work out... good old Out For Themselves won't do the work and you'll have your answer. Don't second guess that answer ever- it's the right one regardless of whether or not you like it. 

4) Stop comparing yourself to other people.

The only competition you should have is to make yourself the best that you can be. People are only showing/ telling you what they want you to see. It’s easy to think that other people have this perfect life when you only see the best stuff- your everyday life will never seem adequate. It’s not a competition. Be thankful for everything that you do have and work for what you want.

This is getting long so I’ll stop for today. Again, this is just some of what I’ve learned from my life so if your therapist or licensed professional  is saying something different  please disregard any of the above word vomit. If you feel you need therapy and can't afford a professional, I have a couch and some wine...feel free to hit me up!   

Happy Friday and Goooo Cats! 

and Badgers for my homies....(until they have to play each other!!)

How very Pinteresting

Now that the wedding and holidays are over I’ve taken on a new project- de-baching this house. I guess we could just call it girling it up instead since there are a lot of empty builder beige walls. Thank goodness for Pinterest. I am pretty good at following directions and putting my spin on recreating looks I like. Not so good at coming up with shiz from scratch. What I’ve learned about Pinterest though – is that sometimes it looks really good in a picture or in my head and seems easy enough to pull off- can turn into a complete sh!t storm real fast. Patience is not one of my strong suits. I learned real fast that taking on projects is best left to when the hubs is otherwise occupado and not in the house. LOVE HIM but he is sort of a hard ass when it comes to doing stuff right and I can go from 0 to bitch face in about 3.2 seconds flat when I have someone bustin my lady balls. My goal is for it to look flawless- AT the END! He finds it hard to see the big picture when it looks like a stain crazy maniac just took a steaming heap all over the bathroom. The benefit to being older and wiser and it being 2.0? I’m smart enough to handle my craziness when he is gone and asking for his help when I need it and then going and drinking a bottle  glass of wine and letting him do his thing.

So here’s what happened in the master bath….

Before:

Now:

A little stain and some paint kick it up a notch. Paint is Behr- Mocha Accent (Home Depot)

I followed this tutorial from Pinterest for the vanity:

http://www.monicawantsit.com/2012/02/staining-oak-cabinets-espresso-color.html

If you should decide to take this project on here are a couple notes: mine took about 5 coats of stain and 3 of poly to get the look/ coverage I was going for. Be patient – it sucks but it will be worth it. Plan on having your bathroom chaotic for a good week or more if you get distracted from the project at hand.  Do not waste your hard earned cash on those stupid painters pyramids figure out some other way to hold them and just do one side at a time and allow plenty of drying time in between. I can’t tell you how many times my doors fell off those stupid things and how many cuss words I said. And at the very end when I thought I was done and turned my doors back over to start polying I had to sand and retouch a few where those suckers marred the finish- GRRRR! Don’t do it!

I removed the blah towel rack that we never used and replaced it with a shelf and hooks – that we may or may not ever use. I don’t remember the last time I actually took a bath over there- aint nobody got time for dat!

I need to figure out something cuter to put on that shelf too… I had a candle thingy but I had that shelf being much wider in my head…

   

 *please disregard all the dog toys in the background- my little crazy lady insists on them all being on the floor and not in the basket. 

And here is what I did to a big empty wall in the living room…

Pinspiration:

http://www.justthejensenfam.blogspot.com/

My edition:

Well that is all – Happy Monday  and don’t forget:

Sunday Funday

It's the SuperBowl wooohooo!!! To be honest about it... I don't really care who wins... I just love that I have a great excuse to attend a party at Al's and eat appetizers for dinner!! This weekend has been crazy busy...
I'm working on redoing the master bath... needless to say my OCD is fully raging right now because everything seems like a giant mess... Will post pics once its complete... and if it turns out good...haha!
These I made in honor of the host with the most:

So Hubs was giving me a little shiz this week that I'm so funny cuz I always have to cook him "fancy" dinners. This man would be happy with peanut butter sammies every night. I am not that way but it got me to thinking... turns out I was brought up that way. Here's a little Schroeder Family secret.... We don't show our love with hugs... we show it with food. Turns out a good dinner or a tasty treat is our way of saying I love you! Get in my bubble and I may just throat punch you like Senor Holyfield... or turn red and start crying...whatevs... but give me some cookies and you'll have my heart forever! The reverse is true too... you'll get the akward back pat from me... but don't judge our friendship based on my hugging abilities... if i really like you... you and your belly will be rewarded. It's funny but i think most of the fam is like that... when we were kids my dad always made us breakfast when time allowed and everyones arse at the family dinner table was a rule unless we were off being awesome in a organized sport or activity. Even if we couldn't be home for dinner my dad or stepmom would make a plate of food and leave it in the fridge. This is true even with my older brothers I think... when I visit they are always making their deliciousness (with the help of their beautiful wives of course!). My mom is the same way. That woman- bless her heart- cooks for an army every.time. When I go to visit its pretty much elastic pants and baggy tshirt city because not only does she cook her socks off... it is in large quantities. Anyways... moral of the story is... nothing says I love you more than a warm meal so hubby is gonna have to suffer through me making him dinner. I can't help it- that's just the way it is. Poor guy!
I may be semi retarded but I can't figure out how to attach docs to this damn blog - so if you want a printable version of recipes and the grocery list email me at melschroeder32@hotmail.com and I will send it to you! Sorry I'll work on getting more bettah at this! Here's is what the hubs has to look forward to this week:
Sunday: SuperBowl baby!!!!
Monday: Crunchy Black Bean Tacos
Tuesday: Beef Stew
Wednesday: Chicken Chow Mein
Thurday: Spinach & Artichoke Chicken
Friday: Chicken Pot Pie

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos


From: http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2012/04/04/cornerstone-cooking-crunchy-black-bean-tacos/#more-33746

Makes 8 tacos (serves 4).

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 C. black beans, cooked
½ C. red onion, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well.

2) In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

3) Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1?4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

4) Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

5) As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.

6) Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.

7) When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

8) Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

Note: Corn tortillas are resilent to heat. Don’t worry about burning them. They are very flexible. Just be sure to cook them on each side long enough to get them really crispy.



Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Stew Meat – I usually buy 1-1.5 lbs for two of us plus leftovers
Bag of Baby carrots
6 small-medium red potatoes cubed
Large onion chopped
1 pkg sliced mushroom
1 Packet of Stew Seasoning (or make your own)
Tablespoon of flour or cornstarch

Put meat in bottom of slow cooker. Put Veggies on top. Mix seasoning packet with water as directed on package and put in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Before serving mix 1 tbs flour or cornstarch with 1 tbs water add to sauce in crockpot and mix well to make gravy. You may need to repeat this if it doesn’t thicken up.

Chicken Chow Mein

Adapted from: http://www.hwtm.com/recipe_box/vegetablechowmein

Ingredients:

1 pkg of your favorite flavored ramen noodles
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 bag pre-shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix)
1 medium-sized green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp light cooking oil
1 tsp pure sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt, to taste

Directions:

BOIL noodles, drain and toss in sesame oil (and seasoning packet if you like). Set aside to cool.

HEAT oil in a wok and garlic till fragrant. Add onions, bean sprouts, and mushrooms, and fry till mushrooms give out moisture and cook through.

ADD salt, black pepper, white pepper, cabbage and green peppers, and stir-fry for a minute.

THROW in the pre-boiled noodles and soya sauce and toss to coat evenly with veggies.

Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

from: http://www.emilybites.com/2013/01/skinny-spinach-artichoke-chicken.html

Ingredients:

8 (4 oz each) raw boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets (2 lbs total weight)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped onion
14 oz can artichokes packed in water-based brine (not oil), chopped
10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (the kind that comes in a can)
½ cup shredded 2% Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Lay the chicken breast cutlets across the bottom of the dish in a single layer (see photo above). Sprinkle them with salt and black pepper and place them in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.

3. While the chicken bakes, combine the yogurt and softened cream cheese in a large bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir together until everything is well mixed.

4. Remove the chicken from the oven after the 15 minutes (it will not be fully cooked yet). If the chicken has released a lot of excess liquid at this point then drain it out or soak it up with paper towels and discard. Using a large spoon or a spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken in a nice thick layer. Place the dish back into the oven and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Yields 8 servings. WW P+: 6 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 232 calories, 6 g carbs, 8 g fat, 35 g protein, 2 g fiber


Bobby’s Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

From: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/print_view/1736/

Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 cups cooked cubed chicken
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cooked cubed all-purpose potato
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup fat-free milk
8 (12 x 17-inch) sheets thawed frozen phyllo dough
Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.

Combine the chicken, mixed vegetables, and potato in a large bowl. Stir in the soup and milk until well blended. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups chicken mixture into each of 4 ovenproof bowls. Place bowls on a jelly-roll pan.

Stack the phyllo sheets. Roll up, starting at a long side, then cut into 1/2-inch strips. Place the strips in a large bowl tossing to separate the strips. Spray the strips with nonstick spray and arrange over the chicken mixture. Lightly spray the tops with nonstick spray. Bake until the filling is hot and the phyllo is browned, 25 – 30 minutes.

Cake balls and What's for Dinner

Shocking news... cake ball mel actually made balls this weekend!! I was honored when a friend of mine asked me to make cake balls for her birthday party- even though they were in KU colors.

Happy Birthday Kerri- hope you had a great one!!
Friday night I tried Zumba with my friend Debbie. It was interesting. I am probably the most uncoordinated person I know and to try to do dance moves without any booze was not so awesome. This white girl has NOTHING!!! =( So when that was done I figured it was time to go have a couple drinkys...Thankfully I didn't get to the point where I thought it was a good idea to bust out my new found dance moves!!

PS I'm not really sure what is going on with that little pouf of hair... might be time to get it cut... On second thought - its looking goooooood compared to that pic I shared with you a couple days ago....haha.

One of my non resolutions is to not eat out so much. So I've been working on my meal planning so I'm not running to the store everyday. Generally I try to make a combo of the hubs favs and try some new recipes- and I'm always on the lookout for tasty nuggets that are reasonable calorie wise. I spent some time with a good friend of mine today and she mentioned that she finds the whole process a little tedious as well. So I thought I'll share my plans with ya. Maybe make someones life a little easier. For today I'm just gonna post it  here but i will try to figure out how to attached a doc to this so you can print out the plan/ recipes and a shopping list. Also this is for 6 days... I figure the it isn't toooo much to ask for the hubs to treat me to dinner 1 night a week if I cook the other 6. I am spoiled like that! So here's whats on the menu....

1. Steak Fajitas
2. Chicken and Rice Casserole
3. Salmon and Veggies
4. Pizza
5. Bourbon Chicken
6. Taco Pizza

Steak Fajitas
appropriate amount of your favorite cut of steak
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. lime juice
1/4 c. taco seasoning
2 green peppers
1 large onion
tortillas
cheese
sour cream
feel free to add any other fixings you like.

Put olive oil, taco seasoning, and lime juice in a gallon size ziploc bag and smoosh around until mixed. Place meat in bag, seal, and place in fridge 4 hours to overnight. Slice green peppers and onion and add to frying pan sprayed with Pam. Saute over Medium heat. You can add a little lime juice if you want. Cook steak as desired while veggies are working. Once steak is done let rest on a cutting board 3-5 minutes then slice into bit sized strips. Add into pan with veggies and toss to mix.
Make fajitas with desired toppings on warmed tortillas.

Chicken and Rice Casserole- recipe from: http://thisladyshouse.com/content/10-freezer-meals-1-day

1 6 oz box Long Grain & Wild Rice (6oz Pkg)-I use Uncle Ben's
1 cup Cooked Chicken, shredded or chopped (can use rotisserie chicken or boiled boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz can Water Chestnuts, drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup Mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
1 10.5 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cook rice according to package directions. Lightly sautee celery and onions in a tbs of olive oil in separate pan while rice is cooking. Combine rice with chicken, water chestnuts, celery, and onion; place in a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. In a separate bowl, stir together mayonnaise and soup spread over the top of chicken. Bake, covered at 325 for 1 hour.

Salmon and Veggies
pre-portioned frozen Salmon fillets
steamable frozen veggie of choice

For Salmon I just buy the individually frozen fillets, season them, then broil them until they flake when you put a fork in it. I serve with a side of veggies.

Pizza
1 boboli crust
pizza sauce
turkey pepperoni
veggie toppings of choice- my favorites are onion, peppers, mushrooms
cheese

Whip out the boboli crust and top that sucker with your favorites - bake as directed on the crust package

Bourbon chicken- recipe and picture from http://realmomkitchen.com/10700/honey-bourbon-crock-pot-chicken/

Ingredients

•1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
•salt and pepper
•½ cup diced onion
•1 cup of honey
•½ cup low sodium soy sauce
•¼ cup ketchup
•2 Tbsp. canola oil
•2 cloves of garlic, minced
•¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
•1-2 Tbsp cornstarch
•hot rice
•sesame seeds, optional

Instructions
1.Salt and pepper chicken and place in your slow cooker.
2.Place onion on top of chicken.
3.In a medium sized bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pour mixture over the chicken in the crockpot.
4.Cook on low for 3-4 hours
5.Remove chicken from crock pot and slice into strips.
6.In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water. Pour into sauce remaining in the crock pot and stir to combine. If sauce is not thick enough repeat with another Tbsp of the cornstarch/water.
7.Place the chicken back in the sauce and stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce.
8.Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top (optional).

Taco pizza  - recipe and picture from http://realmomkitchen.com/5301/taco-pizza/taco-pizza/

•1 lb. ground beef
•1 envelope taco seasoning mix
•1 (8 oz.) cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
•1/2 (16 oz.) can refried beans
•2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend
•1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
•1/4 cup sliced black olives - I omitted these because we don't like them
•4 green onions, chopped

1.Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the package directions.
3.Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Press dough over the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Bake at 375 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or just until golden brown.
4.Microwave beans in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.

5.Top with cooked beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives and green onion. Return to oven for 3-6 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.


here is your shopping list- ( i arranged it in the order of the departments at my store to make it easier for me) a couple things... i had some of the items needed so be sure to check out your kitchen and mark off whatever you don't need- i tried to include ALL ingredients needed on this list. Pick whatever brands /varieties of the ingredients you like - i use a lot of reduced fat/ whole grain/ or store brand stuff depending on what it is...

SHOPPING LIST:

Produce:
4 Onions
2 Green Peppers
mushrooms
tomato
celery
green onion
garlic

Meat:
Steak (for fajitas- choose cut/ amount that works for you)
1lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg boneless skinless chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken)
Turkey Pepperoni

canned/boxed:
mayonnaise
cream of mushroom soup
8oz can water chestnuts
1 small can black olives (bleck!! =) )
refried beans
honey
soy sauce
pizza sauce
sesame seeds
2 pkgs taco seasoning
Uncle Ben's long grain wild rice
Boboli crust
olive oil
ketchup

Dairy/fridge:
crescent rolls
mexican cheese x2
pizza cheese
sour cream
tortillas

Frozen:
rice
broccoli
salmon fillets



Please leave a comment if you try this and it was helpful or if there is a way to organize it better to be easier. Or feel free to just leave a comment and tell me how ridiculous i am - that will work too.

The Monday Dread is starting to set in so I'm off to watch some baaaaaaaaaaaad reality TV in my land of Honey BooBoo and Real Housewives rainbows and lollipops!
'Night Suckas!!!!

hot.mess.express

Hot.mess.Express.


That is today’s post… get ready for some serious ADD biznaz because that’s whats about to go down…

First, I learned this week do NOT ever watch the bachelor with the hubster. Love him, but he’s way too realistic/ analytical/ rational to watch that show with. Seriously, I just want to be left to my own world of sunshine, unicorns, rainbows, hearts, and bon bons for this two hour period. Yes, deep down I know that these things never work out in the end and I do realize it’s a little effin cray cray that ol Stubbs McGee is professing her love for him after 2.3 minutes but I like to spend that two hours just enjoying the show.

Speaking of reality tv and the hubster- he got me hooked on Catfish about 2 hot minutes before the whole Manti Te’o scandal broke out. It’s a good show for making me feel better about my life. I am not judging but seriously… some of these people have been in relationships for as many as 4 years and NEVER met?!?!?! And then they act all surprised when the person isn’t who they say they are? If you haven’t met someone in that long THERE IS A REASON!!!! My dad always says if it sounds too good to be true…then it is… And Poppa sure as hail didn’t raise no fool! Sorry nerdly, chances are the real Ms. USA isn’t trolling the internet for a boyfriend…just saying! Anyways, back to the hubster… he gets me all hooked on this show and we even dvr’d the movie. The day after we watch it- he researches it and it’s not EXACTLY a documentary. Dear Hubs, I realize that “reality” tv is very loosely based on reality. Don’t ruin everything for me please. I like my sunshine and lollipops. Thanks! Love, Wifey.

So my BFF from high school text me on Saturday night asking me about this one girl we went to school with… She was out with some other girls we went to school with. Of course its Saturday night and I may or may not have been a teensy bit tipsy. So I get home and run upstairs to my chest o’memories and pull out the yearbooks. HOLY EFF! I had a blast looking people up that they were asking about and sending them pictures of stuff I came across… Also I may have questioned said friendship with those girls for letting me rock this poodle cut… no wonder I look so pizzed!

A) You're welcome for that taste of AWESOMENESS and B) I like to think I'm like wine- better with age... EEEEEEEEEEEEEK

So I’ve been trying some new recipes this week…

Here are a couple you need to try from Emilybites.com:

Chicken Alfredo Pizza-

got a text from the Hubster when I was at Bunco that this was UHHHMAZING!!! Upon further review…. He was sooo right!

http://www.emilybites.com/2012/01/chicken-alfredo-pizza.html#more

this is super delish… I used frozen ready to heat and use chicken from Tyson…seriously took 10 minutes to whip up!!! DO IT!!!

Enchilada Bubble up Casserole:

From the same supa’star!! So good… next time I might try refried beans instead of black beans so the sauce is a little thicker… just my preference… it was still super yummy… and was excellent as lunch the next day –even though I generally don’t really like leftovers

http://www.emilybites.com/2012/01/recipe-makeover-bubble-up-enchilada.html

Have a fan-freaking-tastic weekend!

My non-resolutions and a recipe!

Well it’s officially back to the grind time. I had an amazing holiday season and bowl game adventure but it’s nice to be back and settling into a schedule. The complete craziness of the last few months has left me a little exhausted. I’m not sure about you but there is something about getting into an everyday routine and sort of putting life in auto-pilot for a bit that I like. I think that it also makes the trips/adventures more exciting too. I am also looking forward to focusing on some things that are important to me but have taken a back burner to wedding/thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year/ Fiesta Bowl craziness that has been my wonderful life lately. Quick word on the Fiesta Bowl…. It was sooo fun to be there in person- the atmosphere was electric. I’m still not far enough into therapy to discuss the outcome of the game though =(.
 And even though I was secretly cursing my phone because apparently all those people in a small area on their phones = mine doesn’t work/drains the battery and dies… I was glad that I didn’t get some of those sh!t talking texts till after I had a chance to drown my sorrows dry my tears. I haven’t even had the chance to think about New Years resolutions (I Know!!! CRAZY!!) my goal right now is to go back to basics. I’m going to refocus on getting all my debt paid off and Hello student loan!!! I seriously need to focus so I’m not still paying that sucker when I’m 92. I’m sure I’ll need dentures and a new hip by that time so best to clear the way now. I’m also going to refocus on being healthier. As always, this includes losing some weight…and getting healthier / stronger overall. My weight has been a constant struggle for me…pretty much since the first time I got picked on for it in first or second grade- there hasn’t been a day that has gone by where I haven’t thought about it. I’m coming to realize that will probably be with me my entire life and instead of thinking I wish I was skinnier or this or that I’m also grateful that this old sturdy body has held up this long. So no ultimate goal weight for this year or anything like that – just make good decisions regularly that help me feel better about myself and hopefully look a little better too. I guess how I feel right now about resolutions is that its good have goals but I need to get out of the mindset that I have to make resolutions that I probably won’t keep anyways just because it’s a new year. I have in my head a goal…and I plan on checking my progress every month or so to see where I am at and changing my plan if necessary. I’ll let you know how that works out!


In completely unrelated and shocking news…I have a recipe for you…and it’s not from Pinterest!!! This cookie recipe is actually my stepmom’s Grandma Marie’s recipe. The hubster, who unlike me, is not really a cookie monster could not stop raving about how delicious they were. He might secretly be a little pissed we’ve known each other this long and he’s only just now been introduced to these delicious nuggets. I won’t make that mistake again now that I have the recipe!!!

Grandma Marie’s Yum-tastic Cookies (sorry I am not sure of their official name)

1/2 c. butter 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. salt 1/2 c. white sugar

1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 c. shortening

1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. flour

Cream butter shortening and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill. Form into walnut sized balls. Dip half of ball into additional sugar (Jan uses festive colored sugar for this step). Flatten slightly and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for about 8 minutes. Enjoy!!

Well that’s all for today!
Laters tators!!
p.s. sorry about the lack of fun pics - i was having trouble downloading them... no purple Elvis for you!

2012- The Year in Review

Whoooa! I seriously can not believe this year is over already!! I feel like it went by so fast - a classic sign of getting closer to riding the ol' rascal and popping geritol like its my job. I vaguely remember sitting on the beach in Hawaii last Christmas with my Cali fam contemplating what 2012 might have in store for me.... turns out I couldn't have even imagined it in my wildest Pina Colada induced dreams.
here's a brief rundown of the highlights I am actually able to remember:
January:

rung the NY in with my bro, SIL and nephew after an amazing Hawaiian Christmas

March:

totally hijacked J's trip to Orlando for a conference, got some R&R and made a splash as the best wingman ever to a friend of J's by picking up chicks for him in the bathroom (thank you open bar) and then proceeded to St Augustine where I got all hopped up on margaritas and lost a bunch of drinks to some Duke fans - i dunno its still hazy but thats the story J is telling.

May:

Got to go home to Wisconsin and see my two adorable nieces dance recitals. It was about that time i realized that those little mamas are growing up so fast and i feel like a) im super old and b) i've missed out on a lot...and am going to try to be a better aunt.

June:

got engaged to the most awesome guy in the world

July:

threw my own birthday party - yeah i'm awesome like that

saw Magic Mike- there's a lot of lawbreakers up in huuuurrrr

August:

became full blown crazy dog lady when my princess got sick. I can't live without my furbabies and I am now fully aware that I might be psychotic about it.

Sept/ Oct:

Spent most saturdays of both of these month cheering on the CATS!!! and planning 2.0. Started losing my hair

November:

2.0 - good times and many a pudding shot were had. got to see the fam and celebrate Hannah's and Jason's birthday with them. My heart nearly exploded from all the joy. happy. happy. happy.

(cats lost but we still aren't talking about that)

hosted thanksgiving dinner without burning the bird and had plenty of wine! great success!

December:

managed to finish all my christmas shopping in front of the rush without killing or maiming anyone during the holiday season- yay me!

got to spend the holiday in Las Vegas with the fam- including twin brother... he does exsist people i'm not making him up!! =)

i am not sure how i got to be so lucky in life but i am so thankful for it. i feel like the storm that followed me around over the last few years has finally passed and now i get to enjoy the rainbow.

thank you friends - i am so lucky to have you in my life. i appreciate your friendship, support, and everything you add to my life.

thank you family- for everything you have done for me and continue to do for me. Ya'll know i'm crazy and love me anyways. I appreciate your honest feedback and sarcasm =) it helps me stay on my game.

(CHEESE ALERT) thank you j- its been a whirlwind year- i don't even know where to start. thank you doesn't even begin to cut it. you've seen me at my worst and love me in spite of it. you let me go off about whatever it is. you make me laugh. you talk me down off the ledge...regularly. you are always the practical sane half. you tell me how beautiful i am everyday. you work hard on making our relationship better. i am the luckiest.girl.in.the.world!!

i am so excited to see what 2013 brings for all my friends and family - i hope it brings you all nothing but happiness and good things!!