• Travel

    Noccalula Falls {Gadsden, Alabama}

    June 30, 2015 - By 

    A few weeks ago, we were near Gadsden, Al looking for something to do, so I went old fashion and pulled out the atlas. I found a place called Noccalula Falls and wondered what that was, so we pulled out our phones and Googled it, where we found this link: Noccalula Falls Park We decided to head that way and check it out. If you view the falls from the top, it’s free. However, I highly recommend paying the park fee to go inside the park. When you enter the park, you’ll see the Pioneer Homestead which is comprised of…

  • Travel

    Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge

    June 28, 2015 - By 

    Another must see and do while in the Florida Keys is to visit the The National Key Deer Refuge, which is located on Big Pine Key and No Name Key. We made a stop on Big Pine Key on our way back up to Marathon from Key West. click on map to enlarge click on map to enlarge The National Key Deer Refuge is a 9,200-acre National Wildlife Refuge that is inhabited by about 800 animals. This refuge was established in 1957 as a haven for Key deer as well as other wildlife in the Florida Keys. Many of the…

  • Travel

    Everglades National Park

    June 16, 2015 - By 

    After an exhilarating airboat tour in Everglades City, we headed towards Shark Valley, which has an observation tower that provides amazing panoramic views of the heart of the Everglades. click on map to enlarge Right before arriving at Shark Valley (Stop #1), we stopped at Miccosukee Restaurant for lunch. This is a restaurant on the Miccosukee Reservation. The restaurant menu provided lots of variety, which included some traditional Native American dishes, like Frybread, alligator nuggets, and Indian tacos. I’m still kicking myself for not trying their tacos, but I was a bit concerned about having that sit on my stomach…

  • Life

    Water Skiing on Lake Martin 2015

    June 9, 2015 - By 

    Over the Memorial Day weekend, we continued our tradition of going up to the lake with our friends. Last year they added boat riding and tubing to the fun. This year they got water skis. Drew tried water skiing a couple years ago with some other friends, but was limited to just a few tries, none of which were successful. He was anxious to try it again. Joe’s Dad, Ben, gave Drew some advise about what to do. However, Drew’s 1st attempt was short lived as you can see from this picture. The 2nd attempt was more of a success.…

  • Travel

    Lake Martin Memorial Day Weekend 2015

    June 7, 2015 - By 

    This past weekend we enjoyed another great weekend at the Farrow’s Lake House. We didn’t go Friday night like usual because Caitlyn’s Graduation Party, so didn’t get to the lake till Saturday morning. Even with a shorter trip, we still had lots of fun and made more memories with some of our favorite folks. Swimming Playing in the yard Boating and Tubing Caitlyn got to tube for the first time And a family selfie to wrap up the weekend Already looking forward to next year! Click the link below to read more about the weekend. Water Skiing on Lake Martin

  • Life

    James Baird Honor Scout Award

    June 5, 2015 - By 

    Last night the boys’ Scout Troop held their end of the school year court of honor. Many merit badges nad rank advancements were handed out, as well as the swearing in of new leadership. The final presentation of the evening was the troop’s inaugural presentation of the James J. Baird Jr. Honor Scout Award, which was awarded to Drew! This is an award that will be given out every year at the spring court of honor to the troop’s “top Scout” based on participation in troop activities, demonstration of Scout skills, continuing advancement success, and a vote of his peers.…

  • Life

    Caitlyn is a Graduate!

    June 5, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday {Graduation Edition} Drew’s girlfriend, Caitlyn, graduated from AHS last week! We are so proud of her. Graduation was held at Auburn University’s Auburn Arena where they play basketball, as well as where Auburn University graduation takes place. We can’t wait to see her walk across the stage there again in 4 or 5 years. The next night, Caitlyn’s grandparents hosted a lovely outdoor graduation party for her with family and friends. The party started at 7, so there was probably about 30 minutes of daylight left. Caitlyn had candles leading to the backyard, white Christmas lights, as well…

  • Dessert - Recipes

    Southern Banana Pudding

    June 4, 2015 - By 

    One of my all time favorite desserts is my Granny’s Southern Banana Pudding. It is so easy and is yummy. I’ve thought of some variations to change it up, but every time I start to make it I find that I just have to stick with the original! Servings: 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 0 minutes Ingredients: 4-5 bananas, sliced 2 boxes Vanilla pudding Nilla Wafers 1 tub Cool Whip (12 oz. container) Directions: 1. In a bowl, mix together 2 boxes of pudding following box directions. 2. In a round baking dish with a lid, line the…

  • Dinner - Recipes

    One-Pot Chili Mac

    June 3, 2015 - By 

    Servings: 6 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 lb. hamburger meat 2 tbs. of minced garlic 1 small onion, diced 1 can of tomato sauce 3 cups water 10 oz elbow macaroni sprinkle of salt and pepper 1/3 cup of Chili Powder 1 can of black, pinto, or kidney beans (rinsed/drained) Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 2 cups of shredded cheese (Mexican blend) Directions: 1. Brown meat with chopped onion and garlic in an oven safe pan. I use Calphalon Contemporary Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Cookware, 12-inch Set When it’s cooked through drain grease, and add…

  • Travel

    Everglades Airboat Tour and Gator Show

    June 2, 2015 - By 

    We arrived at Captain Jack’s to get tickets for our airboat tour. Before going there we stopped at the convenient store for some breakfast. I saw Zinger’s and was quickly taken back to the times my Dad and I would stop at a 7-11 and I would get Zingers. Anyway, we got over to the loading place for the airboats and soon our names were called and we were off for an adventure of a life time. You can take a look at this product which is suitable to repair any works while riding in the boat. The tour started…

  • Life

    Memories of the Month {5.2015}

    June 1, 2015 - By 

    I can’t believe we are already almost half way done with this year and it’s already June! What? The end of the school year is always so busy, so it’s over in a blink. This month I was happy about: that Alex is done with elementary school! I loved the first elementary school that he and Drew went to, but then the district decided to have sister schools. This is where they have K-2 at one school and 3-5 at the sister school. This happened with Alex was going into 4th grade, so he had to attend the new school…

  • Lunch

    Pizza Monkey Bread Bites

    May 29, 2015 - By 

    Alex and I were home one night and I needed to make something quick and easy for dinner, because he was wanting to watch a movie. I thought it would be fun to get him in the kitchen and these Pizza Monkey Bread Bites were a perfect recipe to have him help with. Monkey bread is just the quintessential kid food! Servings: 24 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 3 (12 oz) packages of refrigerated biscuit dough – I used homemade dough recipe found here. 3 cups Mozzarella cheese 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 package of…

  • Recipes

    Hash Brown Casserole

    May 28, 2015 - By 

    If you’ve ever had the hash browns at Cracker Barrel, these are very similar to those. Just absolutely yummy! Servings: 10-12 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Ingredients: 1 package 26 oz. frozen hash browns 2 cups shredded Colby cheese 1/4 cup minced onion 1/2 cup beef broth 1 cup milk 2 tbsp melted butter 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground pepper Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. Mince the onions. 3. In a large bowl, combine the frozen hash browns, cheese, and onions and mix well. 4. Combine the milk,…

  • Appetizers & Snacks - Recipes

    Chicken Bacon Ranch Bites

    May 27, 2015 - By 

    A while back I made Sausage muffin bites and they were so easy and delicious. I had some cooked shredded chicken and some bacon that needed to be eaten. I decided to try substituting those instead of the sausage. These Chicken Bacon Ranch Bites make for a savory muffin bite that’s great for a brunch or snack or a savory breakfast. Servings: 24 muffins Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Mexican Blend) 1/2 lb. bacon (browned and crumbled) 1/2 lb. chicken (browned and shredded) 1 cup Bisquick All Purpose Mix 1…

  • Travel

    Everglades City

    May 26, 2015 - By 

    We left Naples and arrived in Everglades City a little after 2 p.m. and checked into the Everglades City Motel. When we were looking for places to stay in Everglades City there was only 3 or 4 motels, none of which seemed super nice. We booked this one, because it had really good reviews and the price was right. Our room was recently renovated. The furniture was nice and water pressure was good. I loved that they have bikes you can use and the staff was really helpful. We also got a discount on our airboat tour because we stayed…

  • Beef - Dinner - Pork - Recipes

    One-Pot Pasta Bake

    May 25, 2015 - By 

    Hope y’all have had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. Even though it’s a long weekend, I’m still going to need a quick and easy dinner resolution for this week. This One-Pot Pasta Bake is an awesome recipe. Dirty up one pan and have dinner ready in about 30 minutes! I’m also going to be having a frozen dinner I made last week, which was this easy peasy Lasagna. Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 8 oz. of pasta 1 lb. of hamburger meat or Italian Sausage 3 tbs. of Oregano 1 can of tomato sauce…

  • Recipes

    Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

    May 24, 2015 - By 

    Servings: 12 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 tbs. Poppy Seeds 1 tbs. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 10 tbs. softened butter 1 cup light brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar or honey 1 tbs. grated lemon zest 2 large eggs 1½ cups plain low-fat yogurt Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice Directions: 1. Preheat over to 400°. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray or if you prefer you can use cupcake liners and spray those with non-stick spray too! 2. Pour in flour,…

  • Dinner - Pork - Recipes

    Red Beans And Rice With Andouille Sausage {Crockpot}

    May 23, 2015 - By 

    I was happy to find this recipe, because I’ve been craving Red Beans and Rice for awhile. While I love Zatarain’s, eating stuff out of box just isn’t healthy. You know, it’s hello, SODIUM! This recipe offered a more authentic taste, like what you get in New Orleans with much less sodium. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 3-6 hours Ingredients: 1 lb. Cajun style Andouille sausages, diced 2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes (with onions and green peppers) 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 cup of uncooked…

  • Cookies - Dessert

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bacon

    May 22, 2015 - By 

    The recipe for Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, and Bacon Cookies is a total treat. Who doesn’t love bacon and when you put it in a cookie, especially peanut butter with chocolate chips? Good gracious! Servings: 24 cookies Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup creamy peanut butter (you can use crunchy if you prefer) 3/4 cup sugar + more for rolling cookies 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 large egg 1 tbs. milk 1 tsp.…

  • Chicken - Lunch - Recipes

    Bar-B-Que Chicken

    May 21, 2015 - By 

    The other night I had planned to make Buffalo Chicken wraps, but then I realized I was out of Buffalo sauce. I had already cooked the chicken and had already shredded it, so I was kind of left to figure out what to do with the shredded chicken. I had a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce waving at me from the pantry and then I got super excited. I also had some buns that needed to be eaten. It was a meal of destiny that ended up being a family favorite. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking…