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!! 

random thoughts

Holy Schmokeys! I seriously cannot believe that October is almost over with!! I have been meaning to post for a while… but then I always find something way more exciting (ha!) to occupy my time. That’s a complete lie but truth is I have been pretty busy. So I’m going to make it up to you today with a bunch of randomness.


First off…

Lets talk about Pinterest. Yep, still slightly obsessed.  Here are some successes and fail whales for ya….

Great Success…

These cream cheese bars… delish!!! I took them to a tailgate brunch and they were a complete hit!

http://myellowumbrella.blogspot.com/2010/10/sopapilla-cheesecake.html



sooo easy to make and sooo scrumptious. PS- I used reduced fat crescent rolls and 1/3 less fat cream cheese and cut back the butter a little bit and they were still uhhh-freaking-mazing!!!

I’ve also had great success in finding some wedding décor ideas—y’all will have to wait til after the big day to check out that action though – soooorrry!!!! I don’t want to give everything away!!

Now on to the Fails:

Pumpkin brownies….

Basically you take a brownie mix and instead of oil/ eggs/ water you add a can of pumpkin puree….

People, don’t waste your time. I ended up throwing about ¾ the pan out. If you’ve ever met me… you know that I consider throwing brownies away a crime against humanity. It hurt my heart to chuck the chocolate but not even worth the reduced calories.

A much better plan… do this little pumpkin trick with a spice cake mix…. That’ll make you holla honey boo boo child! Good stuff!

This is neither a fail nor a success- just an observation I guess. A while back I mentioned liquid ayhole (aka apple cider vinegar). Apparently that shiz is also good to use on your face for acne. In the last few months crazy pubescent mother nature fairy has blessed my chin with a serious case of pizza face, so I figured what the heck… obviously I didn’t keep drinking that shiz so there was plenty of it left. Well turns out all you can smell after putting it on your face is ummm…liquid ayhole… This is very exciting news if you happen to be one of my furry children… seriously they are all over it like white on rice… Once we got over the initial sniffing of my face like dog park booty buffet I seriously kept thinking that one of them turded all over the floor. Good times.

In unrelated news…here are some products that I’ve been using lately that I seriously dig:

Covergirl BB-about $6 at Walgreens

I have been using this in place of moisturizer now that it isn’t summer. It’s sort of like a tinted moisturizer. I do use a cream foundation over for a little more coverage now that my age is starting show.



Ulta Ultimate Styling Volume & Texture Hair Powder- $8.99 at Ulta

This stuff is dyn-o-mite if you have thin/ fine hair like this girl. An added bonus that the only other comparable product I found was about 3 times as much as the Ulta brand. Anyways, this stuff is a little weird the first time you use it. You shake it out on your roots like powder but it feels almost like liquid on your scalp. Then you smoosh it around till the powder is gone and you get a nice little lift. My hair falls some during the day but I bring it right back by smooshing it back up. Yes, smooshing is a technical term =).

Well that’s all for today. Happy Monday!

Awkward turtle back pats for everyone!!

Hi! For those of you who don’t know I am socially AAAAWKWARD!! This is nothing new to me… frankly I’ve always been a little…ok a lotta different. I don’t know how I turned out like this although I have several theories. One area this impacts in my life is friendships. Let’s talk about this for a second if you don’t mind. Don’t get me wrong- I love my friends and like to spend time with them. Everything goes great, good times are had, and then…. The awkwardness commences at good bye. For some reason I manage to have a LOT of friends who are huggers. I, however, am not one of those people. PERIOD. It creeps me the eff out. I have a bubble and anybody that enters the bubble my whole mind and body go on high alert. INTRUDER!!! INTRUDER!!! INTRUDER!!!! This is not something I can control. It’s natural instinct baby.  So, back to my hugger friends. I have heard on several occasions that people think I don’t  like them or I’m a big stuck up biznatch because I give them the ol’ awkward turtle back pat when they get all up in my biz for a hug. I’m sorry for those of you this offends, but honestly count yourself lucky that I don’t reflexively kick you in the junk, because that is probably what I’m holding back right then.  No joke. Luckily for me, there are some people who find this little defect hilarious and jiggle their lady lumps on me when giving me the biggest hug goodbye ever.  That makes this girl turn red…every.time.  Moral of the story friends…if I fist bump you instead of giving you a big ol’ hug don’t take it personal. It’s not you – its me…. Really.