• Oatmeal Cookies {Soft & Chewy}
    Cookies - Recipes

    Oatmeal Cookies {Soft & Chewy}

    March 18, 2015 - By 

    The other night I had an itch to bake. I knew that Oatmeal Cookie Day was coming up, so I decided to make some! After making them, I had to look up and see what day in March it was. I was chagrined to find out there appears to be 2 different dates; one being today March 18 and the other bring April 30. I decided to post today, because it’s earlier. I love the way these Oatmeal cookies turned out. They are soft and chewy, but not so much that they become crumbly. Love that about good cookies! Servings:…

  • Recipes

    Fat Free Honey Mustard Sauce

    March 16, 2015 - By 

    Often we think our chicken sandwiches or chicken fingers are to die for without the sauce. However, this sauce add another amazing layer of flavor that makes it totally worth the few minutes it takes to make. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Ingredients: 2 tsp. dijon mustard 2 tbs. honey 1 tbs. fat-free mayonnaise 1 tsp. vinegar Directions: Mix together this ingredients and chill before serving. Fat Free Honey Mustard Sauce   Print Prep time 5 mins Total time 5 mins   Author: Lysha @ A Camera & A Cookbook Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 tsp.…

  • Life

    Alex’s 11th Birthday Party

    March 13, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday {Alex’s 11th Birthday Party} Alex turned 11 last Saturday. Here he is on his birthday, long hair and all. Being that he’s the 2nd child, it seems as though we fail to allow him to do many of the things we let Drew do at the same age. We have really started to make sure he is not slighted from all the opportunities that kids should be allowed. It just happens that his birthday usually falls the weekend of the Cub Scout Blue & Gold banquet so for many years that was always our excuse. This year the…

  • Travel

    Fort Myers River District

    March 10, 2015 - By 

    After eating a lovely dinner at Capone’s, we went back to the hotel as the kids were itching to swim in the pool. We stayed at Hotel Indigo, which located in the beautiful River District of Fort Myers. The pool is on the roof of the hotel, and Rob and I enjoyed looking around, as there are some great views from there. The pools are clean and safe for the kids because of the Two Brothers Luxury Pool Service that maintains them. The pool closed at dark so the kids got out of the pool, got dressed, and then we…

  • Mini Breakfast Pies
    Pork - Recipes

    Mini Breakfast Pies

    March 9, 2015 - By 

    Looking for an easy breakfast that you can take on the go? I love these Mini Breakfast Pies. They’re are easy and can easily be made, refrigerated in a ziplock bag, and warmed up every morning. Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Servings: 12 Ingredients 1 pound breakfast sausage, shredded ham, or shredded bacon (or combination) 1 small minced onion 1 (12 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough 6 eggs, beaten 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese salt & pepper Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 2. In a large, deep skillet over…

  • Life

    Alex’s 11th Birthday

    March 6, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday {Alex’s 11th Birthday} Tomorrow is my lil’ one’s birthday. I know I say it all the time, but time if flying by. He’s no longer little, but still sometimes sweet…sometimes!

  • Beef - Dinner

    Shepherd’s Pie

    March 4, 2015 - By 

    It’s about that time to pull out all those Irish meals to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day. One of my all time favorites over the last few years has been Shepherd’s Pie. It’s so easy and such a great comfort food. Perfect for those still chili nights! Servings: Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2-3 cups of mashed potatoes 1 large egg yolk 1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan 1 3/4 pounds ground beef or…

  • Dinner - Recipes

    Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup {Crockpot}

    March 2, 2015 - By 

    Looking for an easy soup? This Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup is cooked in the crockpot and will be ready to eat when you get home from work. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 6-8 hours Ingredients: 1 diced onion 1 cup diced celery 1 tbs. minced garlic 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 large can of pureed tomatoes 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 1 small can of green chilies 5 links hot Italian Sausage 8 cups chicken stock 4-5 large potatoes; diced Directions: 1. Remove sausage from the…

  • Happy Peanut Butter Lovers Day
    Recipes

    Happy Peanut Butter Lover’s Day!

    March 1, 2015 - By 

    How many of you knew it was Peanut Butter Lover’s Day? Well, this year I’ve following along with National Food Days just as a fun way to bring new ideas in to my menu. When I saw that it’s Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, I couldn’t help but write a post for it. I gathered 25 of the yummiest recipes that have the beloved Peanut Butter as one of the ingredients. Give these amazing blogs a shout out! Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Bars Peanut Butter Lover M&M cookies Peanut Butter Chocolate Macarons Peanut Butter Fudge Peanut Butter Marshmallow Brownie Cups Peanut…

  • Memories of the Month - Taking time to document the important memories from January.
    Life

    Memories of the Month {2.2015}

    February 28, 2015 - By 

    This month I was happy about: getting to eat good food in Texas. This year I’m going to rate the books & movies. Here’s my rating system: ♥ ♥ = Love it! A must read/see! ♥ = Really good! Highly recommend. ✓ ✓ = Good, not great ✓ = Not much to talk about X = Awful. Total waste of time Movies I watched were: Non-Stop TV Shows I watched were: CSI – Can’t believe it’s over! The Mentalist – Great end to the series finale NCIS NCIS LA NCIS NO Scandal Person of Interest Hawaii 50 The Bachelor The…

  • Life

    Granny’s Funeral

    February 27, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday {Granny’s Funeral} Before the funeral the church prepared a lovely lunch for us. We enjoyed fellowship with family as well as the church members. We went to say goodbye to Granny one more time before they closed her casket and then we gathered in the parlor. Rob was a pallbearer and then we all rode in Cadillacs with motorcycle police escorts over to the grave site.

  • 10 Tips for Better iPhone Pictures - Here's a few simples things to remember to make your iPhone pics better!
    Photography

    10 Tips for Better iPhone Pictures

    February 26, 2015 - By 

    It’s Thursday, so I’m looking back at my New Year’s Resolutions. Today I’m getting real with one of my resolutions. #2…There are just some days that I can’t for one reason or another carry my big camera with me. In most situations, I at least have it in my car, but again, there’s just some places and times, I can’t or don’t feel like lugging it along. So with that being said, I think most of us these days have a decent camera phone. If you have an iPhone 5 or greater, they take really darn pics, considering. Today I’m…

  • Cajun Chicken Pasta
    Chicken - Dinner

    Cajun Chicken Pasta

    February 25, 2015 - By 

    Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into bite size pieces 4 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Slap Ya Momma) 4 tbs. Olive Oil 2 cups heavy cream (more if needed) 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1 box Penne pasta Grated Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Cook pasta as directed. 2. While the pasta is cooking, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and coat evenly. 2. In a large skillet…

  • Next time you're in Fort Myers and looking for a unique place to eat, I highly recommend Capone's Coal Fired Pizza.
    Life - Travel

    Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza {Fort Myers, FL}

    February 24, 2015 - By 

    On our Florida Tour, on Sunday after leaving Myakka River State Park, we drove the rest of the way down to Fort Myers, Florida where we were staying at the Hotel Indigo. We checked into the hotel, got settled in and then decided to walk around and find a cool place to eat. We ended up at Capone’s Coal Fired Pizza. Many of us weren’t in the mood for Pizza. However, after examining the menu that was displayed outside we decided to give it a try, because it had pasta and paninis. Drew and Caitlyn both got the Fettuccine Alfredo,…

  • Dessert - Recipes

    Chess Cake with Pecans

    February 23, 2015 - By 

    Chess Cake with Pecans is just one of the yummiest desserts I’ve ever had. Now I’ll admit when I indulge on dessert, I usually want it to have chocolate in it. However, on occasion I crave something more like this and I also know that some people don’t care for chocolate as much as I do. I enjoy making this recipe for church potlucks for that very reason. Next time you’re looking for an amazing, non-chocolate dessert, you should give this a try! Servings: 18 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup…

  • Life

    Granny

    February 20, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday {Granny} Last week, it was kind of quiet around here, because my Granny passed away and we spent part of the week in Texas. She entered the gates of Heaven on Sunday, February 8th. Rob and I flew out to Texas on Wednesday for the funeral on Friday. Granny was my last living Grandparent, so not only was it hard to lose her, it was hard knowing I now have no Grandparents and I have just 1 parent: my Mom. I never realized when people start losing family members how that really feels. It’s kind of a scary…

  • This Week I Will...(Printable)
    Life

    Keeping Up with Your Goals

    February 19, 2015 - By 

    Remember back when we brainstormed about the new year? Many of you expressed you’d like a way to keep yourself accountable, so I finally came up with a printable sheet to help you with that! This printable sheet can be used for 2 weeks, just cut it half. I like that because I can easily fold it and keep it in my purse to refer back to. I keep one of these Crayola 5 Count Washable Triple Tip Markers in my purse to make the 3 different colors depending on how I feel I’m doing with these things throughout the…

  • Margarita_ChickenSQ
    Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Margarita Chicken

    February 18, 2015 - By 

    This Margarita Chicken Recipe is just so easy and full of flavor. Great for those busy week nights. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 1 hour (marinating time) Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes Ingredients: 4 bone-in chicken breast halves 1 can (10 oz.) thawed frozen margarita mix 2/3 cup tequila 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning Directions: In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients except chicken. Put the chicken and marinade in a large ziplock bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Directions for Outdoor cooking: 1. Remove the chicken and allow it to sit…

  • Myakka River State Park
    Travel

    Myakka River State Park

    February 17, 2015 - By 

    On Sunday morning of our Florida tour, we got up and took Gramma and Granpa out for breakfast at Susie’s Grill. We dropped back by their house to finish gathering up all our stuff before to Fort Myers. We got a couple family shots as well. Here’s a few scenes along the way including a couple shot of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. When we were looking for things to do between Spring Hill and Fort Myers, both Caitlyn and I suggested going to Myakka River State Park, which is one of the oldest state parks dating back to 1942 when…

  • Travel

    Weeki Wachee Springs

    February 10, 2015 - By 

    On the 2nd day of our Florida Tour 2014, we took a little break from visiting with Gramma and Granpa and went to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, home of the Real Live Mermaids! That morning Granpa told us the story of Newton Perry and how he invented the breathing hoses that are used for the show. This is such a neat invention because they don’t have to go to the service for air during the show. There’s 1 mermaid show that they do 3 times each day. I would recommend looking at their website or calling to get show…