• Recipes - Sides

    Praline Sweet Potatoes

    November 22, 2015 - By 

    One of my all time favorite holiday recipes is this recipe that my Granny passed along to me, Praline Sweet Potatoes. So amazing. I was never a fan of sweet potatoes/yams until I tried this. I have people beg me every year to make this, so it is no doubt a must try! Servings: 10 large servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 40oz cans of mashed sweet potatoes 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup margarine, melted dash of cinnamon Topping: 1/2 cup flour 1 cup chopped pecans 1/2…

  • Travel

    Day Trip to Columbus, Ga

    November 21, 2015 - By 

    We live about 35 miles from Columbus, Ga and we used to travel there quite a bit to shop and for different places to eat. However, now that the Auburn-Opelika area has grown so much we really don’t have a need to go there like we used to. This past Sunday Alex had a friendly soccer game there, and it was so last minute we ended up having to get people to substitute for several church obligations we had, so just ended up heading over to Columbus after we had breakfast. I suggested we park downtown and walk along the…

  • Travel

    Afternoon in Cocoa Beach

    November 20, 2015 - By 

    After leaving Fort Lauderdale, we continued north towards Cocoa Beach. We checked into the hotel and ventured across the street to the beach. I was feeling quite nostalgic knowing Dad used to live right near there on a condo in the beach. It was quite breezy and a bit cold, but that didn’t stop the kids from getting in the water. Rob and I walked along the beach enjoyed watching cruise ships pass by in the distance. There was also several flocks of birds to keep us occupied. Carnival ship in the distance Disney ship in the distance Lots and…

  • Life

    Drew’s Eagle Scout Ceremony

    November 19, 2015 - By 

    A couple weeks ago we celebrated Drew’s accomplishment of earning Eagle Scout. Rob and I really wanted to make it special, so we spent a great deal of time. I hope to write some posts about Eagle Scout Ceremony planning, etc. in the future. Planning this Eagle Court of Honor was much like planning a wedding, so many little details. Our day kinda went like this; 8am church, 9am went to Golden Corral for a big breakfast since we weren’t going to eat lunch, 10am head back home so guys could pick up uniforms and any last minute things we…

  • Dessert - Recipes

    Praline Pumpkin Pecan Cake

    November 18, 2015 - By 

    I’m always on the lookout for different variations of holiday desserts. I get bored with the normal pumpkin or pecan pie. This Praline Pumpkin Pecan Cake is a true crowd pleaser. Pecan Pie + Pumpkin Pie = this delicious dessert! Servings: 12 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes Ingredients: 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 box yellow cake mix 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted Whipped cream…

  • Life

    Senior Night

    November 17, 2015 - By 

    Friday night, Oct. 30th, was the last regular season Auburn High School football game, which brought Senior Night. Before the game, all the seniors from the marching band line up on the field with their parents to get their name called and receive a medal. We had family in town that weekend to watch Drew march possibly his last time at home depending on the outcome of the game. Being that we’re the season of “lasts” with Drew, I’m really surprised I’m not a bumbling mess. I think I was more of a mess with all the senior stuff last…

  • Life

    GoodnessKnows Snack Squares {Product Review}

    November 14, 2015 - By 

    Influenster recently sent me a complimentary box that included GoodnessKnows Snack Squares. They currently have 3 flavors; cranberry almond dark chocolate, apple peanut almond dark chocolate, and peach cherry almond dark chocolate. I got to try the apple variety, which contains 4 square bites of dried apples, crisp rice, toasted oats, and almonds with a dark chocolate coating on the bottom. While I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate, I found this dark chocolate on these squares to very tasty and not too overbearing or sweet; a great way to get in a little bit of that healthier dark…

  • Life

    Exciting News!!

    November 13, 2015 - By 

    It’s the time of year when seniors in high school apply for college. Drew applied at the end of the September and has been anxiously logging in everyday to check his application status. Over the last month or 2 many of Drew’s friends have been getting accepted. One of our friends, who’s a professor at Auburn, warned us based on Drew’s scores, he probably wouldn’t get accepted till after the New Year. Well, yesterday Drew was home sick and he got a text from one of his good friends, JR, saying he had logged in on his phone (at school)…

  • Dinner - Recipes

    Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers

    November 11, 2015 - By 

    I don’t know about you, but I occasionally get a serious hankering for stuffed peppers. Lately I’ve been wanting to try something a little different. I found a recipe by Martha Stewart and I while I’m not a huge fan of hers, I decided to give it a try with a few alterations. This turned out so good. I like cutting the peppers down so that you don’t have as much pepper to eat in one sitting. Servings: 4-6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 3 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings…

  • Travel

    Fort Lauderdale Riverfront Cruise

    November 10, 2015 - By 

    After spending the night in Fort Lauderdale at the Comfort Suites Airport & Cruise Port, we grabbed a quick breakfast snack from the hotel and then headed down to the river to inquire about a Fort Lauderdale Riverfront Cruise. Here’s a few pics from the drive. Since we were there in January during peak season, we were lucky to get a spot on the next cruise. After Rob purchased the tickets [23/adult, $13 children (4-16)], we had a few minutes to kill before getting on so we walked around before boarding. The cruise lasted about an hour and took us…

  • Recipes

    Crockpot Meatballs with Ragú #simmeredintradition #ad

    November 8, 2015 - By 

    Being married to an Italian decedent, I’ve heard stories of Rob’s great grandparents who came over “on the boat” from Italy to New York. With little money and lots of hope, the one thing they were armed with was tons of delicious recipes passed down from their family. This is much like the story of Assunta Cantisano, Ragú’s originator, who left Naples, Italy to immigrate to America in the early 1900’s. After arriving in the U.S. and getting settled in Rochester, New York, she planted a garden and began using those fresh vegetables to make her family’s pasta sauce. With…

  • Chicken - Recipes

    Spicy Chicken Veggie Soup

    November 5, 2015 - By 

    In the morning before I left for work, I threw the raw chicken (each chicken breast cut into 4 or 5 big chunks to help them cook quicker) along with the chicken broth, carrots, onions, and garlic. I allowed that to cook for about 4 hours on high. When I came home and lunch, I pulled the chicken it, which by the way was fully cooked and cut it into small bite-size pieces. Then I threw in the everything else except the zucchini and squash because I didn’t want them to get soggy. I bumped the crockpot down to low…

  • Travel

    Alabama Coast Top Casual Seafood Restaurants #StayAlBeaches

    November 4, 2015 - By 

    When I’m planning a trip, I always like to have a list of great restaurants so that when we’re starving and don’t want to think about where to eat we cazzn just refer to the list. When you travel to the coast, if you’re like me you have to have some seafood. Lots of seafood! Today I’m sharing with you some awesome casual seafood restaurants in the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area. When we travel to Gulf Shores for a soccer tourney, one of our team’s favorite place to go after a game LuLu’s. Fun atmosphere and a with a large…

  • Cheesy Potato Soup - prepare in the crockpot and come home to a nice warm meal!
    Dinner - Recipes

    Cheesy Potato Soup {Crockpot}

    November 3, 2015 - By 

    The weather here is getting colder (at least a few days each week) and I love that because that means its soup weather. This Cheesy Potato Soup can be prepared in the crockpot and who doesn’t love that! Servings: 12 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 5 and half hours Ingredients: 5 pounds russet baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup butter 1 cup half and half 12 oz. bacon, cooked until crisp, drained on paper towels, and crumbled (easiest way to cook bacon here) 6 green onions, chopped Salt and freshly…

  • Life

    Memories of the Month {10.2015}

    October 31, 2015 - By 

    I can’t believe another month has FLOWN by. I guess that’s the story of my life. I feel like I’ve neglected my home away from home here, but it’s been a crazy, busy month. With Auburn Thunder Soccer league pictures to take, edit, and order on top of planning Drew’s Eagle Scout court of honor, I’m exhausted and stressed! Sunday is the court of honor and I’m so glad it’s almost here. It’s kind of like planning for a wedding, so many details and components to planning I’m just ready for it to be here. I have so many things…

  • Cookies - Dessert

    Butterscotch Apple Toffee Cookies

    October 22, 2015 - By 

    I’ve been wanting to try a pudding mix cookie. When I thought about mixing apples with a butterscotch flavor, I thought there was no better recipe to try it with. Cookies with pudding mix in the batter becoming quite soft and more cake like, so keep that in mind if you decide to do this recipe. Servings: 24 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 12 minutes Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups flour 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 1 package of Instant Butterscotch Pudding 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1…

  • Travel

    Alabama Coast Activities for Guys #StayAlBeaches

    October 20, 2015 - By 

    Planning a mancation or Father-son trip to Alabama’s Gulf Coast? Here’s a list of fun activities for anyone of the male species. 1. Want to get away from it all and spend it on a green? Golfing is quite popular in the Gulf Shores/Orange beach area because there are countless golf courses. The options are unlimited when it comes to golfing in our great state of Alabama and there’s definitely not a shortage when your on the coast either. 2. Visit Fort Morgan & the U.S. Alabama are great spots to visit for those history/military buffs. 3. If fishing is…

  • Dinner - Pork - Recipes

    Low Fat Garlic Honey Marinade Recipe

    October 19, 2015 - By 

    This marinade is great for pork tenderloin, pork chops, chicken, or shrimp. Can’t wait to try it with shrimp! It is so easy just whip up the Low Fat Garlic Honey Marinade the night before and grill the next day. Servings: 1 cup (for 2 lbs. of meat) Prep Time: 5 minutes + marinade time Cooking Time: 0 minutes Ingredients: 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 cup honey 2 tbs. paprika 1 tbs. olive oil 2 crushed garlic cloves 1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper 1/2 tsp. salt Directions: Combine in ingredients and place in ziplock bag. Marinade for 8…

  • Beef - Dinner - Mexican - Recipes

    One-Pot Southwest Skillet Beef & Rice

    October 14, 2015 - By 

    If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love Mexican food of all kinds. Mexican, Baja, Southwest, Santa Fe…I adore it all! This Southwest Skillet Beef & Rice is a meal I’ve made for years, but I decided to try it as a one-pot meal. I was so glad I did. So easy and just as delicious. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb. ground beef 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice 1 can of chopped tomatoes and green chilies 1 can black beans (drain and rinse) 1 large onion, diced 1/4…

  • Life

    Homecoming 2015

    October 12, 2015 - By 

    This past weekend was Homecoming. It was just Drew and me and home. Drew got dressed and we went over to the Baird’s house for pictures and then dinner. I prepared Buffalo Chicken Meatballs for an appetizer that I served with ranch, celery, and carrots. I’ll be posting that recipe soon. Anyway, I got lots of great pictures. The guys looking quite dapper. And lovely ladies… Drew & Caitlyn Kyle & Hannah Brannen & Lindsay The homecoming dance theme was Masquerade, so a few of the kids brought masks. We had lots of fun taking these pics. Two of these…