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

    Memories of the Month {4.2015}

    April 30, 2015 - By 

    This month I was happy about: that something miraculous happened and now my blogs are working normally. *fingers crossed* 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: Flight – X – It’s rated high, but we were totally mislead by the reviews. This is a move about addiction and very little of it is about the…

  • Recipes

    Breakfast Roll-Ups

    April 29, 2015 - By 

    As busy Moms, we find ourselves often scrambling around trying to whip dinner together. These roll-up recipes are such an easy answer to hectic evenings. Every Sunday, I throw the ingredients for pizza dough in the oven, so throughout the week I have it ready for homemade pizza or these easy roll-ups. If you don’t have a bread maker just get some refrigerated dough, which is just as good and easy. I like these because they can be made for breakfast ahead of time. And for those of us who like dinner for breakfast, this is a great option! Servings:…

  • Beef - Dinner - Pork

    Lasagna

    April 27, 2015 - By 

    Lasagna has been one of those dishes that I have struggled with and finally quit trying. Drew gave me a cookbook for Christmas called Gooseberry Patch 5 Ingredient Family Favorites and it has the recipe in there, so I decided to give it a try again. I did have to improvise, because I didn’t have any pasta sauce on hand. I am so glad I decided to give Lasagna! It turned out amazing. I’m not sure what my hang up was before, but whatever it was it seems this recipe resolved it. I’m curious to know what dishes you avoid…

  • Recipes

    Recipe Bucket List

    April 25, 2015 - By 

    I am a list lover. I love making lists of all kinds. I thought it would be fun to have a running list of recipes that I want to make. This way when I’m looking for a recipe to fill a spot on my weekly menu, I can refer to this list for ideas. I will add a link to them as I complete them. So what recipes are on your list to make? Appetizers Mozzarella Cheese sticks – I’ve made these, but didn’t document. Desserts Chocolate cake roll Donuts Gingerbread cookies Texas Sheet Cake Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies or…

  • Life

    Prom 2015

    April 24, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday A couple weeks ago, my heart cringed with angst as I took pictures of this handsome young man and his beautiful girlfriend before releasing them into the jaws of the Junior/Senior right of passage called PROM. In the back of my mind, I feel like it was just a couple years ago that was me going to prom. Anyway, the plan for Drew and Caitlyn was to meet over at a friends house with their group for dinner before going over the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center for the main event. I offered to meet up with them…

  • Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Buffalo Chicken Casserole

    April 23, 2015 - By 

    As a busy mom who works full-time, I’m always trying to come up with new recipes that are quick and easy. My family loves Poppy Seed Chicken and Jalapeno Popper Chicken, so I’ve been thinking of similar recipes. This Buffalo Chicken Casserole is so good and can be ready to eat in under 40 minutes. How can you not love that? Servings: 8 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups cooked and diced chicken 2 tbs. garlic powder 1 cup Buffalo Sauce 2 stalks of celery, chopped 1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup 1…

  • Cheez-It Breaded Chicken Fingers - Looking for a new way to bread your chicken fingers? This Cheez-it Breaded Chicken is so easy and makes for a wonderfully crunchy batter.
    Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Cheez-It Breaded Chicken Fingers

    April 22, 2015 - By 

    Looking for a way to get crunchier chicken fingers? These Cheez-It Breaded Chicken Fingers are so easy to make and are truly delicious. The first time I made these my family was upset that I didn’t make more. Next time I’ll be doubling the recipe. Oh, the life of a house of full males! 🙂 Servings: 4 Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 lbs. of chicken Breading Ingredients 2 cups of Cheez-Its 1 tbs. garlic 1 cup of flour (I used wheat flour) 1 tbs. Cayenne pepper salt and pepper Egg Wash Ingredients Tabasco sauce 2…

  • Fort Myers, Florida
    Travel

    Before Leaving Fort Myers, Florida

    April 21, 2015 - By 

    On Day 4 of our Florida tour, we woke up from our restful night at the Hotel Indigo got packed up and got ready to site-see the area and then, head further south. While we waited on our car to be brought up from the valet, Drew decided he wanted to climb the large Mangrove tree across the street from our hotel. Here he is after he started coming down. I love this picture of Rob and I, because it shows how mammoth this tree really is. After watching him climb as high as he could go and getting a…

  • Recipes

    Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Spinach

    April 20, 2015 - By 

    The other night I was craving something fresh and I had an Italian loaf that needed to be consumed. I also had some grape tomatoes and spinach on hand. Bruschetta came to mind. It was one of those weekends where my guys were camping, so I was home alone, which means I can eat whatever I want without complaint. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: Italian loaf olive oil Roma (diced) or Grape tomatoes (cut in half or in fourths) fresh spinach leaves (finely chopped) Parmesan Directions: 1. Preheat oven to °375. 2. Cut bread…

  • Beef - Dinner - Mexican - Recipes

    Taco Soup {Crockpot}

    April 18, 2015 - By 

    I am always trying to figure out easy Mexican dishes, as well as meals that can be made quickly or in the crockpot. This recipe fits the bill for all 3 of those requests. I make this in the crockpot, but you could easily put this in a pot and cook on medium-high for 30 minutes or so and it would be just as good. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 4 hours Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef, browned 1/2 cup taco seasoning 1-1/2 cups beef broth or water 1 can chili beans, drained and rinsed 1 can…

  • Life

    Alex’s Arrow of Light Ceremony

    April 17, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday Last Friday night was big night in the life of our family for 2 reasons. It was the Arrow of Light Ceremony and for those who are not familiar with Scouts, Arrow of Light Ceremony is the highest award you can receive as a Cub Scout, so it’s kind of like the Eagle Scout for Boy Scouts. Alex earned his Arrow of Light Friday night. This was a big deal for 2 reasons, 1st being after receiving the Arrow of Light it is then time to move on to Boy Scouts and secondly, our family as been a…

  • Life

    Katniss

    April 10, 2015 - By 

    Family Friday {Katniss, the Kat Cat} Today, I thought I’d update you on the newest member of our family. Our Cat, Katniss, fits right in. If you missed all the drama we had with her after adopting her, you can read about that here. I’m glad to say that things are normal now. Katniss has fit in quite nicely. For the first few months, we were scared to let her out at all, for fear she would run away. Then, there came a day that I was sick and tired of having to deal with the litter box, so out…

  • Beef - Dinner - Mexican - Pork - Recipes

    Chorizo Empanadas

    April 8, 2015 - By 

    Happy National Empanada Day! Celebrate by trying these easy Chorizo Empanadas. Servings: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Ingredients: 1/2 lb. ground beef 1/2 lb. Chorizo 1 onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, well drained 1 box refrigerated pie crusts 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Egg Wash: 1 beaten egg with 2 tbs. of milk Dip 1/2 of Greek yogurt or sour cream 1/2 of cheddar cheese 2 tbs. Green Chilies

  • Chicken - Dinner - Recipes

    Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole

    April 7, 2015 - By 

    My family loves the Poppy Seed Chicken recipe that I make and I’ve been trying to think of a spin off of that. I decided that Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole could be made similarly. I love both of these recipes because they are both great make-ahead/freeze-ahead meals. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Ingredients: Mixture 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast; cooked and finely chopped, shredded or chopped to bite sized 1 (4 oz.) can of jalapenos or 2-3 fresh jalapenos (cleaned, de-veined, and diced) 1/2 cup diced onion 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1/2…