Dial "M" for Memoirs

out of the loop

2012-01-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

I have been terrible about blogging lately, I find myself lacking motivation after a long day at work and then playing with Tristan, getting dinner ready, bath time, story time, bed time...WHeW. I am one worn out mama. I will be beyond glad when Jake is done with academy and is home with me to help out a little bit. There really hasn't been too much going on since the holidays. Tristan is still a total boy and is always wanting to wrestle or climb on something. The sweet cuddly moments are few and far between but I relish them when I get them. I got the nasty flu bug this past weekend and felt like doing nothing at all. My house looks like I haven't cleaned it in a month with toys everywhere and laundry everywhere. The only thing that is clean is the bathroom and the kitchen. I managed to get half my clothes hung up today before Tristan stole my sweet tea and reminded me he is getting to the toddler stage as he laid in the floor and screamed after I took it away from him. Of course there are exciting things happening as well as Tristan grows. This month Tristan has learned "bye bye" and also how to blow kisses and brush his teeth. He no longer cries when I drop him off at day care and he is trying his best to say "duck" since that is his favorite bath toy and he thinks pictures of ducks are funny...go figure.

Peter Rabbit Birthday party!

2011-12-27T17:27:00.001-08:00

Since we couldn't be at our extended families homes for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year we decided to throw Tristan an early birthday party in Durham so we could see everyone and celebrate at the same time. It worked out really well and Tristan had a blast! I decided to go with a peter rabbit theme since Tristan is so cute and sweet but at the same time mischievous. I channeled my inner martha stewart and made a Happy Birthday banner, home made vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting, coconut "grass" and home made candies that looked like garden vegetables! I also made cupcake toppers that were SO easy!! Here are some pictures and how to instructions so you can interpret the ideas and use them at your next party!

1. Cupcake toppers

you will need:
toothpicks
hot glue gun & glue sticks
Photo paper
Scrapbook paper

How to make them: First, find a picture that matches your theme online, then save it and print it off on photo paper in wallet size( i used picasa photo software to edit and resize my pictures). You can usually get 6-9 wallet size photos on one piece of large photo paper (which they sell at the dollar tree). Cut out the pic's in whatever size and shape you want and then glue them onto your scrap book paper which is cut in the same shape but slightly larger so it peeks out from behind your picture. Next, flip them over and glue a toothpick to the back leaving enough so that you can stick them into the top of your cupcakes! Couldn't be easier.

2. Birthday Banner

You will need:

Scrapbook paper
Glue stick
Embroidery floss or yarn
Hole punch
Computer paper

Cut your scrapbook paper into large squares, circles, or triangles. You will need one piece for each letter plus two pieces for a picture on each end. Using Word or some other program find a font and color you like and print off the words "Happy Birthday" onto plain computer paper. Cut out the letters however you like and paste them onto your scrapbook paper. Print off two pictures that match your party theme and cut them out and paste them to your two extra pieces of scrap book paper. Punch a hole in the two top corners of your paper and thread through your yarn, making sure to leave a few inches at each end so you can tie a loop to hang the banner.

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5 uses for used baby food jars

2011-12-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

1. store home made baby food in them- perfect tool to measure your home made baby food into portions for your little one

2. make butter- just pour heavy whipping cream into a large baby food jar until it is about 1/3 of the way full. Shake, shake and shake some more. You will notice it turn into whipped cream but keep shaking until it turns into a ball and then shake some more until some liquid starts to come back out. Pour this liquid off and you should be left with a semi soft ball of fresh butter! Yum

3. Store thumbtacks, nails and screws-helps keep that Junk drawer organized!

4. Store dried spices- when winter comes instead of letting your herbs die out in the garden chop the plant off and dry the leaves in your oven (warm oven to 250* then place your herbs inside in a single layer on a cookie sheet and turn oven OFF, leave herbs inside without opening oven until oven is totally cool. Repeat if needed until herbs are dried out)

5. Make votive holders! To make votive holders: paint the jars with glass paint from your craft store, fill bottom of jar with sand or salt (you can even dye your salt with food coloring) and add a tea light or small votive!

A Single Stay at Home Mom

2011-12-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Since Jake has been gone to academy during the week I feel like I have been thrown into the world of being a "single mom" mon-fri and to top it off staying at home has made it even harder. Moving to a new area and not being connected with any other moms here yet has made my life so hard! But we have gotten through it and I start work tomorrow morning and Tristan will go to day care. I think it will be great for both of us. I just don't have the personality to stay at home day in and day out with my little one and be all alone while doing it. Also, Tristan is so very active and stares at other kids when we go out and loves the nursery at church and I feel like he has been deprived of play time with other babies and that he needs the interaction of day care. I honestly have to say I have no idea how my mother did it and how many women today are stay at home moms while their husbands are away at work. It is certainly not for me right now. Maybe when I am older if we have more children it may be an option, but now is the time to get back on track and try to get a career started for myself! I can't wait!

Tristan's favorite books

2011-12-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

Tristan loves books. He will sit for a long time and just turn the pages, look at the pictures and "read them". However, he doesn't like just any book. Tristan is a little picky about his literature. So far he does not like "Goodnight Moon" or "Guess How Much I Love You?". As a mom I love these books because they are so cute and geared towards bedtime, but maybe Tristan will like them when he is older. Here are a favorite baby books as picked by Tristan.

1. "Moo, Moo Brown Cow"- Tristan loves this book and it has been his favorite since he was about 4 months old. He will now make the animal noises and point at the animals (of course all of his animals noises sound like "ooo", but its still super cute.)

2. Are Lemons Blue? My only complaint about this book is that it is really short and after reading several times over it can get very repetitive for the parent. Tristan never seems to tire of it though.

3. Pajama Time Tristan really loves this one mainly because it rhymes very well and we have made up a little song so it is more like a song than a story now. He adores it and tries to sing along. http://www.amazon.com/Pajama-Time-Sandra-Boynton/dp/0761119752/ref=tmm_other_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1322807130&sr=1-1

4. Theodore mouse goes to sea. I have to be really careful with this book because it is not a board book, but Tristan is in love with the pictures in this book.

5. Daddy Hugs . Tristan really likes this book and it teaches counting as well as the word "daddy". A great book for dads to read to their baby.

6. Thats not my bear Tristan's favorite touch and feel book.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

What a great thanksgiving weekend! This Thanksgiving we spent with Jake's dad and his wife Lorri. We had way too much food (as always) and enjoyed some good times talking and relaxing. On black Friday Jake ventured out to get a new game on sale and also a new blu ray movie. I decided to stay at home since we are doing a small Christmas this year and I wasn't super excited about any of the deals I saw in the multiple ads I looked over. Friday was also my grandmothers birthday and it was nice to get to go to Hickory and see my aunts, uncles, and a few cousins. My mom and dad came home with us and spent the night. We drove them around downtown Greenville (which is AWESOME) and then they had to go back home. I was sad not to have more time to visit but I will see them soon at Tristan's birthday celebration. Now Jake is out hunting, the house is decorated for Christmas and I am enjoying the peace and quiet of Tristan taking a long afternoon nap after his super busy weekend. I am thankful for such a great weekend and for catching up with my wonderful family.

my thoughts on unplugging

2011-11-23T15:09:00.000-08:00

**after re-reading this post I decided to edit the content. It was a bit harsh at first I believe.**

I'm not a huge fan of the no technology kicks some people go on, but at the same time I also don't like the overflow of technology I am seeing in a lot of peoples homes and lives. I just don't feel that an iphone, ipod, ipad, laptop, desktop, e-reader, multiple tv's and game systems are really necessary. I'm noticing that a lot of people my age are obsessed with having it all when it comes to technology. Why not just pick and choose your electronics and be a little more economical while at it? I have fallen into this WANT of new shiny things when the things I already have do the job perfectly. Here is my list of things we have and things that are just really overload.

1. Laptop- This is the piece I use the most. It is my gps (google maps), internet browser, coupon printer, e-reader, word processor, etc. It is portable and I feel like it does all I need. No need for an extra desktop which just takes up space and is bulky!

2. Smartphone- yes, I have a smartphone and no it is not connected to the internet and I do not pay extra for it to have a dataplan. I purposefully got a touch screen "smart" phone that I was not required to have a data plan on. Why? because it saves me lots of money, it does everything a phone should do and everything else I can go to my laptop for. I have no desire to have an iphone and as a previous iphone user I can honestly say I don't miss it at all.

3. Books bought on e-bay, Amazon, or half.com- I read a lot and I have no problem buying used books for super duper cheap online and having them delivered to my door or getting them for free from the library. I have no desire at all to have an e-reader. Can you imagine the frustration of the battery going out while reading or having to charge your book or not taking your book to the pool or beach because it is an electronic that could get damaged? No thank you! There is something about turning the pages and smelling the paper of a real book that is just magical to me. I will never have an e-reader.

4. multiple game systems- we have a ps3 and a wii. We never use the wii. So we have a pointless game system laying around. We keep it because we figure one day Tristan will like it and it has a lot of kid friendly games and it is fun to play with a group of friends. It is not really needed but we bought it before the ps3 so there ya go. We did also have an xbox360 but when we got the ps3 we got rid of the xbox because it would be just another game system and that would have been pointless! My point is choose your favorite and go with that. I would say choose a system that is also a blu ray player so you can consolidate that way as well.

5. ipad- don't even get me started on these, lol. To me if you want the technology of an ipad just get an iphone, that way you have your ipad gadgets as well as your phone and you can cut down on an electronic. I know they are different things but I just don't get the point of these.

6. multiple tv's- not a huge fan of a tv in the bedroom. To me a bedroom is for sleeping, romance, and relaxation.

I guess my point is this: Take a look around you at the gadgets you have and ask yourself if they are really necessary. What else could you be devoting your time, money, space, and electrical bill to? Unless you are a business owner, serious gamer or programmer then more than likely you don't NEED the overflow of electronics.

Back to Work and Giving Thanks

2011-11-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

Starting Dec 7th I will officially be going back to work. After being a stay at home mom for 6 months I can honestly say I have a greater level of respect for stay at home moms. Let me tell you it wears me out! I love love my little man but I will be glad to return to work and our finances really really REALLY need it right now. I will be working 34hours a week so there will be some flex time hopefully to spend some time with Tristan during the week. There is an awesome church near here that has a fantastic day care which had ONE spot available and will save us 30-40$ a week. I keep seeing God working in our lives and it never ceases to amaze me the way he has taken care of our needs this past year. As Thanksgiving rolls around this coming week (Tristan's first Thanksgiving!) I can honestly say the thing I am most thankful for is the many prayers said for our family and the many blessings God has given us this year as we moved to a different state and have started new jobs. Also, I am thankful for my little boy who is walking! Actually he also started climbing and is now in the sofa chair...guess I should go rescue him.

9 months

2011-10-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Tristan at 9 months is a handful. Here are some of the things he has been doing this month!

-he has 6 teeth
- he can cruise around the living room by holding onto the furniture.
- he is finally crawling instead of scooting everywhere!
- he stopped nursing on his own. One day he just wouldn't take it and we haven't looked back since.
- He has decided he loves apple juice
- The doctor says he needs to gain some weight by his 12 month appointment so we are working on feeding him a little more but it is a struggle because his reflux has come back with the increased feedings.
- he took his first very wobbly and very short step!
- he is a climber
- he loves to play peek a boo
- he loves to scream and really enjoys the sounds his voice can make
- he is learning the meaning of no
- his new favorite food seems to be blueberries and baby oatmeal.
- he says "dada" and "mama" to us now instead of just saying it to everyone.
- he loves his toys and will happily play in the floor for hours

Easy fall dinner

2011-10-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and as the end of October approaches the fall recipes come out! This year I decided to try my hand at butternut squash soup and pumpkin filled crescent rolls. Both the recipes I came up with were inspired by ones I saw on the web and in magazines. I ended up doing my own recipes because none of the ones I saw online were exactly what I wanted, but they were good jumping off points. Here are the two recipes I ended up with. Enjoy~

Butternut Squash & Sage Soup

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
1/2 large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
8 fresh sage leaves minced
2 cans chicken broth (all natural&no msg)but not low sodium
1/2 cup milk or cream
salt and pepper to taste

Place enough oil in bottom of large pot (I used an enamel coated cast iron dutch oven)to saute your onions, garlic and squash over medium heat. Saute until the onions turn translucent,stirring often so your garlic does not brown. Once your onions are done add both cans chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20min or until squash is tender. Using a slotted spoon remove squash from broth and place in a food processor or blender. Add milk or cream and blend until smooth. Pour broth from pot into a large bowl. Place squash puree back into pot and add ladles of broth until you have the soup the consistency you are looking for. Salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh sage and serve hot. Would be great garnished with Crispy bacon!

Pumpkin Maple Crescent rolls

1/2 can Pumpkin
cinnamon to taste
sugar to taste
2 Tbsp melted butter
2tsp maple syrup
dash of salt
1 can crescent rolls
4 marshmallows

Combine pumpkin,sugar,cinnamon,melted butter,syrup and salt in a bowl and mix well. Unroll crescent dough and divide into triangles. Flatten each triangle with your fingers until they are a little wider. Add one spoon full of pumpkin mixture at the base of the triangle and top with half a marshmallow. Roll up triangle starting at the base and fold ends over to seal in pumpkin mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake according to package directions until browned. Let cool a few minutes before enjoying this treat! You can add pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin pie spice to these if you like!

The natural look...AKA, the mom look

2011-10-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm happy to say the natural look is back. At least according to magazines and television. I'm personally more than happy that my stay at home mom makeup is considered in style now, haha. Its kind of nice that you can do this look without spending a lot of money. I have always believed that being pretty doesn't have to be expensive anyways. Also, if you are a stay at home mom you owe it to yourself to get dressed and at least put some mascara on during nap time!!! Now, I don't profess to be a master at makeup or know what I'm really talking about but here is my "stay at home moms guide to the natural look".

1. Get a good moisturizer with at least spf 15. I like Biore Nourish. AND it is under 10$

2. Use Tinted moisturizer as your foundation for a more natural look. I LOVE Aveeno postively radiant tinted moisturizer. But I do add the Biore underneath first because my skin is really dry this time of year. You can also use Neutrogena healthy skin enhancer . It is actually a bit lighter weight than the Aveeno and goes on super easy. Also, they are about the same price.

3. Use a lightweight powder to hold it all on. I like coverGirl clean powder Under 10$ bucks for one and it lasts a long time and won't break you out!

4. I skip blush because when I'm bumming around the house with the little guy I don't need it and it doesn't really go with the natural look.

5. Skip the eyeliner girls and go straight for a nice neutral shade all over your eye lid and brow area. I really like Mary Kay mineral eye color in moonstone I then use the Silver Satin color lightly just ABOVE the crease and blend it in well. Best part about this eye color is it is 6.50$ for 1 and it has lasted me since December of LAST YEAR.

6.Add some black mascara. If you want to go for a more subtle look you can use a brown or whatever shade you normally use. When I buy my mascara I use maybelline great lash because it is super affordable and has always gotten great reviews. However, I currently have Lancome Hypnose Doll lash mascara which was given to me and I love it. It is budget buster though but if you splurge on one thing it should be mascara. ... right?

7.Add some sheer color to your lips. I am in love with burts bees pomegranate lip balm. For about 3 bucks, who can beat that?!

For hair I am in love with this style!Super easy, fast and great for those little hands that like to grab any hair that is hanging down..and it needs day old hair which is perfect for us mommies!

My mom must haves 6-9 months and up

2011-10-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

In honor of Tristan turning nine months today I decided to do another post with a few of my favorite items for the 6-9 month range. Some of these items are more appropriate for 8months and up just depending on how your baby is developing and what activities they like. Here are my must haves

1. Plastic "tossable" toddler spoons.
LOVE these for feeding baby food! They hold the food better than the rubber coated baby spoons so there is less spillage and less mess! Plus, I just wash them and reuse them instead of tossing them but if one gets lost (or melted in the dishwasher) its no big deal.

2. Minute Maid frozen juice bars
Perfect for letting your little one chew on while teething, plus mom can get a nice snack in while sharing with little one.

3. Walker- Tristan loves his walker! Plus I can put him in it when I am getting ready for the day and not have to worry about him getting into things while my back is turned because the bumpers on it keep him away from things he shouldn't be in. (word of caution- if you have stairs PLEASE use caution and keep your baby away from them while in the walker)

4. Baby Mum Mum- I love these snacks! Perfect way to teach self feeding and they help with teething.

5. Grocery cart/high chair cover.
Once your little one is old enough to ride in a grocery cart you should get one of these! Nice and cushy so those little legs don't get hurt on the rough metal and sanitary in case they decide to chew on the grocery cart handle ;)

6. Sippy cup/ bottle holder-
This is a must have once your baby learns what I call the up/down game. Tristan loves to toss his bottle down and watch me pick it up. This was causing problems in stores and restaurants because I would not give him his bottle back because of germs. Now I just strap this onto his chair and he can't throw it on the floor any more! I even use it in the car and strap it to his car seat so he won't lose his bottle in the floor board.

7. Overalls
Yes, Overalls. I have come to believe that these are the best invention made for a little boy who always takes off his pants with elastic waists! They stay on and Tristan is not tripping over his pants or pulling them off because he can. He is in a weird stage and 6 month pants are too small in the butt and 9 months are too big in the waist. My solution is overalls!

8. Board books- If your baby loves to be read to but is drooling and teething on everything then board books are a perfect solution. Tristan's favorite is currently "Moo, Moo Brown Cow", which is a great book that teaches farm animals, animal noises, and counting!

The Outer Banks was...

2011-09-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

AMAZING! We stayed in the town of Duck which is quaint and has lots of cute shops and a sound side boardwalk. We visited the aquarium (Tristan LOVED it!) and sat on the beach a lot. I read a whole book and took two wonderful bubble baths in the jacuzzi tub. The only bad part was that Jake could not come, but I returned home nice and relaxed and motivated instead of stressed!!

Goodbye world

2011-09-17T18:17:00.001-07:00

after a busy weekend at a friends wedding (which turned out awesome!) I am off to the outer banks to relax and hang out with family. Goodbye world. I'll see you in a week.

Pictures with T-Max

2011-09-15T12:07:00.001-07:00

Tristan + mommy+ laughing at self in bathroom mirror =
....note: he was pulling my hair in the first picture, I don't normally have that expression!

New town

2011-09-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in forever! We have been busy getting settled in our new home. I just have to say that I love our new town. Everywhere I go people are so nice and the church we went to on Sunday was the friendliest church I have ever been to. We will certainly be going back to church there! I'm not saying I don't miss our friends and family in Durham, because I do miss everyone there. However, it is nice to be in a more friendly town that feels a lot safer than where we were living and where people will stop and talk to you in the grocery store instead of shuffling you along with the rest of the crowd because they are too busy to help or are afraid you are a mean spirited person. I guess I should say I miss our friends and family but I do not miss Durham AT ALL. I have started my job search again and have high hopes for finding something soon. Our new apartment also has lots of room and Tristan is thriving with all of the space he now has to play. Family vacation is coming up right after our good friends wedding and I am excited for both events! Lots of pictures will follow :) Here is a cute picture to leave you all with today, Just look at those teeth!! He has 4 now. ...ps. Tristan won the cutest baby contest at the mauldin drug store!! :)

on a roll

2011-08-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Tristan has changed so much in his seventh month! The biggest development is that he is cutting three teeth....THREE. Now I'm just waiting on that fourth one to poke through, won't that be fun? Actually he is doing really well with teething and is just a little grumpy. Tristan is also saying "mama" but will only say it when he is tired or upset. He can also self feed now, yesterday he was sitting happy as a clam in his high chair eating yogurt bites all by himself! As I write this he is trying to climb up the stairs and yesterday he started pulling up on things and climbing onto anything within reach. He can push himself into a sitting position but will not crawl yet. I guess he is so efficient at scooting that he doesn't see the need to crawl. It is kind of funny to see him with teeth and pulling up on things when he hasn't crawled yet. Maybe crawling will come during the 8th month :)

A Lesson in Faith

2011-08-12T07:44:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you feel like you are never going to get a break. Sometimes life gets harder instead of easier and sometimes you feel like you want to just give up. But, somehow it always seems like when these moments come God nudges me and reminds me to have faith. He has always taken care of us and we have never wanted for the essentials. We have never resorted to fighting and bickering with each other or with family because of the stress. God has kept us together as a family unit to get through tough times together and our extended family has always been a bigger blessing to us than they will ever know. I had to tell myself earlier this week to take a leap of faith. Our apartment HAS to be sublet and Jake HAS to start his job in South Carolina on the 22nd. So, we took the leap knowing that God would provide and rented a storage unit, moving van, and paid the deposit on an apartment. A guy is coming today to fill out the application to take our lease. Us moving depends on him passing the application process. But, even though it is all up in the air I know in my heart that if for some reason he doesn't pass the application that it will be okay and someone WILL come along to take our lease. Even if we don't move this weekend I feel like I have learned a valuable lesson. I know that when I get stressed out and feel like there is no hope I am just being silly. God doesn't leave His people, He takes care of them even if taking care of them means teaching us to rely on him by giving us hard situations to get through.

moving on

2011-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Thats right, soon we will be moving! Our destination will be Greenville, SC and I am excited to find a new place to call home. Of course it will be sad leaving family and friends and we are moving further away from my parents, but the opportunity really is too good to pass up. As a family we have prayed that God would give Jake a job that would take us to a better place financially and also a job that would help advance Jake's career and give him more opportunities. After many many months a position in Greenville opened up at the PD and they really like Jake and have offered him the job. Can't say how excited we all are as a family! Jakes dad does live in Greenville and of course my brother and sister in law are near Charlotte so they will be close by. I will probably try to blog a little bit more in order to keep grandparents and friends updated once we move out of town and of course there will always be lots of pictures of Tristan on facebook for you all to see him grow. We are going apartment shopping this weekend and if we can get someone to lease our apartment in Durham then we will be moving around the end of this month!

food snob

2011-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

My child is a food snob. Tristan no longer likes baby food unless it is sweet potatoes, carrots, or butternut squash. He used to love bananas and peaches but lately he has decided to boy cot fruits because he likes them better if they are fresh. I mean who can blame him really? Baby food bananas have a weird tart taste to them and the peaches are oddly orange and also tart. I have been using a mini food processor to puree his fresh fruits and he loves it. His favorite has to be peaches! What I do is start with a super ripe peach that is slightly soft to the touch. I wash it, peel it, and cut off the fruit leaving the area around the seed as a snack for me. Then into the food processor it goes for a quick pulse. The summer peaches I have found at the grocery store are so soft and juicy they don't need to be cooked or have any water added to them. Tristan would eat the whole processor full if I let him. I discovered he also likes zucchini. I just peel it, seed it, boil it on the stove with a tad bit of water and then puree it up. He ate it yesterday and I think he is in love. If you have a baby at home make sure to take advantage of produce sales or produce from your garden this summer. It is so much better to feed baby fresh foods and they love it to boot!

Tristan @ 6 months

2011-07-01T12:30:00.001-07:00

Today my baby boy is 6 months old! I never believed how fast time flies until I had a little one. Tristans ear is healing nicely from his surgery a little over a month ago and his personality is really starting to show. Here are a few things about Tristan at 6 months:

- he loves to be tickled

- he can push up onto his hands and knees but doesn't crawl yet

-he is a master at scooting around on his belly

- he LOVES tasting popsicles

- his favorite baby foods are bananas, butternut squash and sweet potato

- he doesn't like apples, peas, or rice cereal

- he hates nap time

- he likes swimming in the pool

- he thinks dogs are hilarious

- he has started to teethe (lucky us!)

- he is a ham! He loves to giggle and smile and loves it when he is praised or if you clap your hands for him

Totally worth it

2011-06-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday after waking up at 12:30, 3:30, and then 6:00 I thought for sure Tristan would nurse and fall back to sleep for another hour or two...Nope! He was ready to play at 6am and did not want to take a nap or nurse. I was a little frustrated so I groggily made a pot of coffee (makes everything better at 6am!) After I fixed my cup of coffee I sat down in the floor to watch Tristan play while I drank my much needed caffeine. Before I knew it Tristan was scooting towards me and when he reached my leg he held on and rested his little chin on me. Luckily the camera was sitting right on the table so I was able to get a few pictures before he went back to playing. It was like he knew mommy needed a little cuddle at 6am. His personality is so sweet, it makes even late nights and early mornings totally worth it!

scrumptious squash casserole

2011-06-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

Squash casserole is one of my favorite summer dishes. This week I found yellow squash on sale for 79cents a pound, so squash casserole went on our menu! This recipe is easy and delicious, but know it is not really a low calorie dish :) I adapted this dish from my moms recipe which is amazing. I wasn't sure her exact process but i knew all the ingredients. Here is how I put it together and it ended up tasting great! You can also add cheese to it if you like, but I like it without.

4-5 small or medium yellow squash washed and cut into slices or cubes
1/2 large onion diced
1 bag herb seasoned stuffing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup chicken broth (home made or low sodium)
80z sour cream
salt and pepper

First saute your onions and squash in a large non stick skillet until they start to turn soft. Once they are getting soft add 1/2 stick butter and salt and pepper to taste. Next mix soup, chicken broth, sour cream and 1/2 stick melted butter together in bowl. Add the bag of stuffing mix and mix well. If it is too thick and you need to add more chicken broth you can do so(if you add too much liquid you can add an egg or two to help it set up as it bakes). It should be a thick mush consistency, but not too dry. Mix this with your squash and onions and add to a large glass casserole dish and sprinkle with pepper. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 20-25min or until golden brown.

Grumpy Pants

2011-06-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

The past two days Tristan has been super grumpy! There seems to be no cause for his grumpiness which is strange to me. He will be happy for a few minutes playing on the floor with his mirror and toys then he starts crying. He will be happy in his jumper for a few minutes... then starts crying. I keep changing his diaper and nursing him thinking maybe that will make him feel better, but it doesn't work. He won't nurse well so I know he is hungry but he won't take a bottle or baby food either. Last night he devoured some sweet potatoes and today he wouldn't touch them (I tried three separate times). He has no fever and no gas (although I did give him gas drops just in case). He has been drooling a lot so I thought maybe it is teething, but I see no signs of teeth. hmmmm. I bought him three new teethers at Target yesterday but he is not too interested in them. He napped for three hours this morning and is now napping again. Maybe he is just tired? who knows. I was able to keep him happy for about 40minutes earlier today by sitting in front of the big sliding glass door and reading books to him while he sat on my lap and looked outside. I'm not sure why is so grumpy, maybe something will happen soon to let me know why he is having these bad days. I sure hope I can figure out how to make him happy soon because it is wearing me out. We are going swimming this evening before dinner, he LOVES swimming so maybe that will work for awhile. :)

perfect side

2011-05-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Since I am on a budget I often find myself bored with the same old vegetables out of a bag or can as a side dish to our meals. I like to make balanced meals, but does that mean you always have to have the same old frozen or canned vegetables? No! One of our favorite vegi dishes is great for you and doesn't break the bank at all. Here it is:

Roasted Vegi's

4 carrots- peeled and chopped into chunky pieces

2 medium sized red potatoes- chopped into chunks

1 large sweet potato- peeled and chopped

optional: 1 onion peeled and chopped into large chunks

4 cloves of garlic peeled and left whole

You want to make sure your vegi's are all chopped to about the same size so they cook evenly, Then simply toss your vegi's in enough oil to coat them so they don't stick to your pan and they get a nice golden color to them as they roast. The two must have spices for this dish are celery salt and pepper, but you can also doctor it up with whatever herbs and seasonings you like. Some extra add ins we have done are:

rotisserie chicken spice

seasoning salt

thyme

oregano

Roast on a cookie sheet, glass pan, or (my favorite) a cast iron skillet. Roast at 350 or 400 until soft and slightly golden. Stir after first 20-30 min to insure even cooking. Yum!

Ear Surgery

2011-05-24T07:12:00.001-07:00

The surgery to remove the growth on Tristans ear went very well yesterday. We were originally scheduled to go in on the 31st but they moved us up to an earlier appointment which was fine, but it meant that I had to go to the hospital alone. I convinced myself it was okay and I could do it on my own just fine. However, by the time Jake got home from work yesterday I was a ball of nerves. Never again will I take my little one to have surgery without having Jake with me! Luckily Tristan had no problems with the anesthesia or pain meds, but it did take him a very long time to wake up from the anesthesia and now he has a hoarse throat and raspy cough from the tube they put down him. It makes me so nervous every time he touches his ear or rolls over onto it. It doesn't seem to bother him to touch it, but it makes me cringe so I broke out the little newborn mittens and put one on his hand because he kept grabbing his ear and stitches. The surgeon sewed a little roll of gauze onto Tristan's ear which they will remove tomorrow morning. I am hoping that the removal of the gauze doesn't cause him too much pain and that the stitches under it look okay!

Triple coupon week!

2011-05-18T13:03:00.001-07:00

Thats right, Harris Teeter is doing triple coupons this week! Coupons with a face value up to 99 cents will triple at the register. A few good deals I found were:

McCormick spices- several of them are bogo this week and combined with a .75 coupon they are free! (luckily I had two of these saved from several weeks ago!)

Huggies and Pampers Wipes- huggies were 1.99 and pampers were 1.79 after coupon (not too bad)

Kikkoman soy sauce-1.15after coupon

planters nut snack bars-1.24 after coupon

Jello pudding, yoplait yogurt, frenchs mustard and Worcestershire, luigi frozen ices, texas toast, and duncan hines brownies are also all good deals if you have your coupons! Another good deal is crest prohealth rinse which is on sale this week so combined with the coupon you can save a good deal on this expensive product. Also, 12packs of soda are buy 2 get 3 free! I have five 12 packs in the car just waiting on jake to get home to help carry them up 3 flights of stairs :) All in all I spent $64.24 and saved 61.14! I did have some items in my cart that I had no coupons for (milk, produce, dishwasher detergent,tortilla chips) If I didn't have those items I would have spent less.

The Third Floor

2011-05-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we moved into our new place! The new one bedroom is a big difference from the 2bed, 2bath town home we were in. However, I have not had one moment of sadness about moving into the smaller place. I am just so thankful to have a clean start where I am forced to get everything organized and clean! We have been blessed with so many things but still found a lot of things that we just dont need to get rid of at our family yard sale in a few weeks. I am hoping to get enough money for a bouncy seat for Tristan and maybe a night out for me and jake (they are re-releasing lord of the rings extended version in theaters and we really want to go see them!) The new place has a large living/dining area which is actually bigger than the living area in our old town home. We also have a covered deck, so we put our table and chairs outside and put Tristans changing table/dresser inside where the dining room normally would be. It may sound weird, but it actually looks pretty good and last night we ate dinner on the deck and Jake said it reminded him of the beach. Even though I really like our new place I am hoping that by the time Tristan starts running around we have a bigger place for him. We may be moving out of state but won't know for sure for awhile. If there is any news on that I will be sure to post it!

A long hospital day

2011-05-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had two appointments at unc hospital. The first appointment was with the pediatric plastic surgeon for Tristans ear. Tristan has a hemangioma on his ear that has to be removed because it is growing bigger and is growing into the ear tissue. The surgery is supposed to only take an hour and he can come home after they make sure he is okay. I am a little nervous about it just because it is my baby boy, but I am thankful that it is nothing serious. Our second appointment was several hours later in the childrens ultrasound department. At Tristans regular check up the doctor noticed a lump while inspecting his genital area and wanted it checked out. It turned out to just be a hydrocele which is very common in baby boys and the dr says it will resolve itself and cause no problems. Our day was a little nerve racking being with our little one at the hospital but he was a champ and our family is so very thankful that nothing serious is wrong! I am hoping that at his 6month check up Tristan has a totally clean bill of health and we won't have to make any more trips to the hospital!

first bites

2011-05-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Tristan had his first try at rice cereal today. He just turned four months on Sunday and today at his regular check up the doctor said to go ahead and feed him one bowl of rice cereal a day. For a first try I think the feeding today went well, although we had kind of a rocky start. A four month old eating out of a spoon is quite a learning experience for both the baby and parents! The first bowl of rice cereal we prepared ended up being flipped out of my hand by an excited Tristan and landed all over him and his seat(it was actually quite hilarious). After our little mishap Jake took Tristan and cleaned him off while I made a second bowl of cereal. I had to make the second bowl with formula because I didn't have any milk pumped or thawed so I was a little disappointed about that. The formula mixed with the rice cereal may also have contributed to the many sour faces that Tristan gave me during the first few spoon fulls. It took awhile for Tristan to get comfortable with the spoon in his mouth but near the end of his feeding he was doing a good job eating out of the side of the baby spoon and actually opened his mouth a few times for more bites. When we were almost to the end of the bowl the inevitable spit up occurred and Tristan got very mad because he had wet stuff on his skin since he was only wearing a diaper and bib after the first bowl spilled on him. He started fussing and wanted nothing to do with the leftover rice cereal (which was pretty cold by this point) so I went and gave him a nice warm bath which made him super happy! After his bath he didn't want anything other than to nurse and go to bed and after his experience tonight he seemed awfully happy to have his regular food source back.

Best Classic Movies on Instant Netflix

2011-04-30T20:16:00.001-07:00

Since we know so many people out there, both friends and family, that have netflix and enjoy old movies I thought I would make a quick list of my favorite classic films that are available on instant play!

1. Charade- Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn and don't forget an oscar nominated score by Henry Mancini....need I say more? This zany 60's thriller will have you laughing and sitting on the edge of your seat!

2. Arsenic and Old Lace- I can't think of enough good things to say about this movie. The Netflix summary states,"Two dotty spinsters (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair) have a peculiar avocation: helping lonely old gents by poisoning them and burying them in the cellar"...and that pretty much says it all. A hilarious movie!

3. It Happened One Night.- This used to be on instant netflix but now it is not! Maybe it will come back, because it is one of the best romantic comedies I have ever seen.

4. Harvey- James Stewart plays a man with an invisible friend who happens to be a giant bunny rabbit. A heartwarming must watch classic!

5. War and Peace- I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw this! Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer. This movie is FANTASTIC!

6. Happy Go Lovely- This is one of those movies you will love if you are a fan old movies, but if not then it may not be the movie to jump in on. I usually fast forward through some of the singing and dancing because i really love the story but not so much the musical parts. Still it is worth watching!

7. Young and Innocent- Early Alfred Hitchcock thriller about a young man wrongly accused of murder and his quest to clear his name.

8. Meet Me in St. Louis- Yes, this is a musical, but please don't go running off from this movie! It is worth watching even if you traditionally don't like musicals. It is a love story starring Judy Garland and is one of my favorites!

My List of 5 Mom Must Haves (birth-4months)

2011-04-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of my five favorite products to have around since having our first child. Remember to keep in mind that I have a little boy and I am breastfeeding so both of those have played a role in my list of must have products. Also, I have excluded the must have essentials such as diapers, wipes, rash cream, Vaseline, changing pad, nursing pads. The reason I excluded these is because everyone usually has their favorite brands of these products and everyone also always has them. This is a list of things that you don't have to have, they are just awfully nice!

1. Manual breast pump

Why? Breastfeeding is really hard at first and having a breast pump allows you to get the extra milk out and also gives you the flexibility to bottle feed your baby when in public or if your baby goes to day care. I like the manual pump because you can take it anywhere and you don't have to worry about batteries or finding a place to plug it in.

2. Sheet savers

Why? Drool, leaky diapers, spit up. Changing a crib mattress is hard enough without having to do it several times a day. Tuck in a sheet saver and lay your baby on it, then all you have to do is stick it in the wash! So much easier than changing the whole sheet.

3. Boppy pillow

Why? Because you can do so many things with it! Perfect for breastfeeding and for propping baby up during play time.

4. Sleepers with Zippers

Why? because snaps are so hard to deal with in the middle of the night! My baby boy is so wiggly it is way easier to do diaper changes at 3am if his sleeper just zips up.

5. Infant rocker

Why? Many of these have toy bars that attach so baby can play with them when he starts to reach for toys. Also most of them have a "calming vibrations" feature. I don't use the vibration because my son doesn't like it, but I love this rocker because it is lightweight and can be carried from room to room and also fits in the back of the car for when we go to friends and family. This way baby has his own place to sit and play while we eat dinner or hang out!

attack of the slobber monster

2011-04-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Tristan has started slobbering SO much. Toys, blankies, shirts, arms, fingers, it is all covered. Nothing is safe either, anything that comes within reach automatically goes into his little mouth. I think we have entered the land of teething. :/

Easter wishes

2011-04-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

As Christians we tend to put a lot of emphasis on Christmas and Easter. It is not a bad thing to remember and celebrate both of these holidays, but a lot of times we forget to even think about the gift that God gave us through his son Jesus during other times of the year. I am challenging myself and I challenge fellow Christians to actively focus on the birth, death, burial and resurrection of Christ every day. Remember to give thanks to God for giving us His son and for blessing us in so many ways through His sacrifice. Our lives and our world would be drastically different without Christ and it does us good to focus on the blessings we have been given. I hope everyone has safe travels this Easter holiday and that you are able to spend time with both your family and church family.

Allergies

2011-04-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am pretty convinced Tristan has allergies. The question is, just what is he allergic to? He has puffy red and watery eyes that he keeps rubbing and a runny nose and sometimes a low fever and he is sneezing. They cut the grass this week and the car has been covered in fine yellow dust so it could be an allergy to pollen or grass. Also I found Callie in Tristan's crib and on his play mat this week several times. I wonder if he could be developing an allergy to the cat? I feel like all I have done the past several days is wash, wash, wash! I keep washing his blankies and changing his sheets and clothes. I keep giving him a bath and wiping his snotty nose and I keep washing his puffy eyes with a cool wash cloth. We stayed inside all day today and I think it was worse(maybe it IS the cat...or dust?). He went to the doctor yesterday who said it could be a virus as well, but the signs are more like allergies. Sigh. Also I found out that kids with light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes have more allergies than other kids. Kind of interesting.

a new chapter

2011-04-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

This week we realized we have been PAYING for me to work. Part of this is due to the fact that I use a tank of gas every week because my day looks like this: home> daycare> work and then work> daycare> home. So starting May 13th I will be a temporary stay at home mom! I am hoping to pick up an odd job here or there (maybe baby sitting another child part time during the week to earn some extra money) but we will see how it goes. God has really given me a peace about staying home with Tristan and I am starting to feel excited about it instead of sad. I have really loved my current job but since Tristan has been born I really have not been able to get back into the swing of things at work. I think God was just nudging me to notice that financially and emotionally it isn't really worth it right now. Our house has looked terrible since I have returned to work and I have maybe cooked once or twice for my husband since Jan. I feel like being a good wife and mother right now is the most important and for me the way to do that is to take a break from working. Financially I really need to get a full time position, but that will have to wait until I am done breast feeding Tristan because I don't want to tackle breast feeding AND working full time...no thank you!

glorious sleep

2011-03-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

tristan slept for ten hours last night! He woke up twice to eat for about twenty minutes then it was right back to bed! I didn't get out of bed for good until after nine!!! I know it won't go on like this for very long so I had to chronicle the one night that I got this much sleep with a two month old baby :)

Saturdays with Tristan

2011-03-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

I love Saturdays! Since I have had to return to work to help keep our little family afloat Saturdays are my day to spend with Tristan. While dad sleeps or goes to work we have cuddle time, tummy time, and baby talk time. Tristan's little eyes light up when I place him on the changing table and talk to him and he has just started staring and "talking" to his toys which is just adorable. Today we opened up all the blinds and let the wonderful spring sun come in while he enjoyed tummy time and watching himself in the mirror. We enjoy all these moments during the week as well, but the time is so different when there is no running around to do to try and get everything ready in time to go to daycare and then off to work. Sitting around in comfy clothes and cuddling with a sweet baby is THE best way to spend a saturday!

Longest week ever

2011-03-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

this week felt like the longest week ever. The week started out fine, but on Tuesday I woke up with pink eye and the cold i have been fighting for a month now had moved into my chest. So, it was off to urgent care while Jake took care of Tristan. To make the day worse the doctor told me I was really contagious....wonderful. It really was a miracle that Jake and Tristan did not catch pink eye, but Tristan did catch my cough. It is so pitiful to hear him cough I think I might go get the antibiotic filled that the doctor gave me. He said not to fill it unless it was really needed, but I am tired of my little guy being sick so I think I will break down and get it filled. Hopefully that takes care of this stubborn bug that just won't go away! I hate to kill all the good stuff in my body right along with the bad, but such is life.

Grab that bargain!!

2011-02-15T21:52:00.000-08:00

My great friend Amanda found this awesome store in Burlington, NC where bargains abound. It is a scratch and dent kind of store which means the goods there have either damaged boxes, missing parts, will soon expire(or are already expired), or have been returned to a store and cannot be resold by that store. However, some of the products are perfectly normal, have not been opened and are not expired. Almost everything there is priced at 1.00 with some items ranging a little lower or higher just depending. Wading through the dirty boxes and crowded shelves and bins is totally worth it for the bargains you will find....just make sure to bring along your wet wipes and hand sanitizer!!

My favorite bargains of the day?

hair dye-$1
Pampers diapers- $4
playtex bottles- $1
Cover Girl mascara and concealer- $1
Quantum dish washer tablets-1.50

Here are some pictures of the great finds! All in all I spent 53 dollars and some change. Can't beat that!

back to work

2011-02-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

I go back to work on monday. I will have to leave Tristan for the first time at day care and it is such a scary thing to think about! I found a good day care center and he will only be there for the four hours that I am working, but it still is nerve wracking to leave such a little baby in the care of someone else while I leave him. It is not an option for me right now to stop working. Working is the only way I can keep my health insurance and Tristans health insurance. We applied for medicaid for Tristan but we have not heard yet whether or not he is eligible. I think he may not be because we have too much money in our savings account from when Jake was in Iraq. BUT the money in that savings account pays the extra bills right now since Jake and I both only have part time jobs. On another note (which makes me feel guilty sometimes) I don't want to stop working. I think I would go crazy if I stayed at home all the time. I know it is great for children to be raised by a stay at home mom, but I can't imagine not working. I have realized over these six weeks at home with Tristan that you have to have a lot of patience and be super organized in order to be a stay at home mom. Needless to say patience is the least of my virtues and the independent feeling i get at work I really enjoy. I also feel like I learn so much at work every day I can't imagine not learning new things and improving my resume! If we were in a better place I would probably stay at home with Tristan until he was older, but my husband and I both believe that you should not live off of the government if you can help it and that you should work to avoid taking advantage of the system. I don't think getting medicaid is taking advantage because most working people cannot afford health insurance right now. However I don't want to be forced into food stamps and welfare because I'm too selfish to work. You have to make your own way in this world and if you can take care of yourself you should.

New Year, New Baby

2011-01-16T17:24:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy and exciting new year so far. We kicked off the new year with the birth of our baby boy Tristan Maximus Smith. We headed to the hospital at 2:30am on the 31st of December and at 1:57am on Jan 1st Tristan was born! Here is the story of how it happened :

On December 30th I woke up feeling normal but tired. I started having contractions off and on all day but nothing consistent. That night my contractions started coming every ten minutes apart and were getting painful, but not enough to go to the hospital. I went upstairs and took a shower and laid down to read a book. Nothing happened. I came downstairs at about 2:00am and told my husband I was going to bed and as soon as I laid down and started to relax the contractions started coming really close together and very painful! I came down the stairs and told Jake it was time to go. We packed our car up and headed out to UNC and called our parents to let them know the first grandchild was on the way! I was 4cm dilated when the doctor checked me at the hospital so they checked us into a labor and delivery room, got me started on the iv and gave me morphine for the pain so I could sleep. The next day not too much had changed. I wasn't dilating much at all so the doctors broke my water and gave me pitocin to get things going. After my water was broken I got an epidural which was a life saver! Even with the pitocin and breaking of my water things progressed very slowly. The baby started to have some drops in heart rate, but the doctors gave me oxygen and turned me different directions which seemed to help. At about 12:30 my nurse let me know it was time to start pushing and about an hour later Tristan was born! He was the first baby to be born at UNC in 2011. Tristan had some bruising and had to have his lungs suctioned out because he had swallowed some meconium which happened because he was born after his due date and the labor took so long. But, everything worked out and I had no problems other than a minor inside tear which the doctor gave me three stitches for. We stayed in the hospital for two days and then brought our precious little boy home. It was a great new years and even though we missed the new years celebrations and dropping of the ball, I will always remember 2011 as the being the best new years ever!

christmas time is here

2010-12-21T06:50:00.001-08:00

As Christmas approaches I hope you all have had time to celebrate the wonderful gifts that God has given to all of us. We have all been blessed with the gift of Jesus and it is encouraging this time of the year to remember that no matter what changes await us in the new year He will always be there guiding us and showing us His will for our lives. I hope that you are all able to spend time with your family enjoying the simple joys of being together during the holiday season and our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who are unable to be with their families this year. I am blessed to have my husband home this year and to be living in our own home and expecting our first child. This year has been laced with trials (especially related to jobs and income) but through it all God has brought us closer as a couple and this Christmas really reminds me of all He has done for us this year. So, take a few minutes to reflect on all the awesome things that have happened to you this year and enjoy your Christmas with family and never forget that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas!

Swedish tea ring

2010-12-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

I got bored today and I started searching Christmas recipes. This is always a dangerous thing to do because you will end up making things that you do not need( but hey, it IS the holiday season). Anyway, I had a good excuse to be browsing the Christmas breads because we accidentally bought a big bag of flour when we already had an unopened one in our cabinet. After browsing awhile I found this recipe for something called a "Swedish Tea Ring". It looks complicated when you see a completed picture of it, but the recipe sounded fairly easy and it was! Let me tell you right now that these things are amazing. They have been out of the oven less than an hour and I have eaten two of them. Instead of simply linking the recipe I used I am writing it down here because I made several changes to both the ingredients and the measurements.

Almond-Orange Swedish Tea Ring with Orange Glaze

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 small clementine oranges, juiced and zested
1 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup halved or slivered Almonds
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 15 minutes. Zest and juice the oranges; set juice aside for later use.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, orange zest and 2 cups of the flour. Stir until smooth and well combined. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 12x24 inches. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, 1/4 cup white sugar. 1/4 cup brown sugar and Almonds; spread this mixture evenly across the dough. Roll the dough into a long roll and press the seam closed. With the seam turned downward, seal the two ends together to make a ring. Use a little water to help you seal the ends.
Place the ring on a cookie pan you have sprayed with non stick spray. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, make cuts every inch or so along the ring, cutting only three quarters of the way through. Twist each piece slightly so that the rolls fan out from the center of the ring. Cover the roll with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake the tea ring at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Remove the ring from the oven, place on a rack to cool.
Place the orange juice in a small bowl along with the vanilla. Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Continue adding powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is fairly thick but still pourable. Drizzle the orange-sugar topping over the ring.(if you add too much powdered sugar or want it more sour add a teaspoon or two extra of orange juice)

Here is a picture of the final product(tastes so much better than it looks ) so you can see how to cut and twist the roll. The hardest part to me was getting the roll from the counter onto the pan and then off of the pan and onto a big platter.My ring broke when i put it on the platter which is why there is no picture of a whole ring. I used a whisk to drizzle the glaze over the ring while it was still hot then let it set up and cool before covering it with plastic wrap. I can't wait to wake up in the morning and stick one of these rolls in the microwave for a few seconds....MMMMMM.

A free christmas

2010-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

I am always on the look out for free things to do that are equally geared towards adults and children. Being a young adult with no children (well, one on the way in a few weeks) it has always been hard to find free things to do around the holidays that are not geared towards children only. But, the candlelight tour at Duke homestead is something that everyone can enjoy and is not really geared towards young children. The event is free, but get there early if you don't want to be waiting around in the museum for more than thirty minutes. You will be taken on a guided tour down a path lit only by candles and the tour guide holding a lantern. Once you reach the old tobacco barn you will be treated to the scene of an old barn dance and fiddle music straight out of the 1800's. After the dancing they guide you to the old homestead house where there is caroling, hot cider, and a man reading "the night before christmas". Every hearth in the house is lit with a warming fire which is nice before you head back out into the cold to enjoy some sugar cookies by the bon fire. You can stay around the bon fire as long as you want, but after you finish your hot cider and cookies you will be ready to walk back down the candle lit path to your nice warm car :) I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice quiet holiday event. The candle light tour will put you in the Christmas spirit and who doesn't enjoy singing a christmas carol or two and sitting by a bon fire? Also, check out other historic sites in your area, many of them offer special holiday tours or events!
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/duke/duke.htm

Thanksgiving festivities

2010-11-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was great this year! I am so thankful that my husband was home this year and that we got to spend thanksgiving with friends and family. On Thanksgiving day we ate a dinner time meal with jakes family and a few of our friends. The next morning we got up early and did a little black friday shopping, but only went to one store. We got some great deals and ended up getting people what we wanted to get them all while staying inside our budget which is pretty tight this year. After shopping we headed off to Hertford. Every year when I think of Thanksgiving and Christmas I think of hertford and the nice crisp breeze, the waterway, and mom and dads house out in the middle of farm land. It is so nice to escape the crazy town we live in and sneak down there for awhile. My brother and sister in law were there as well and it was awesome to hang out with them. We discovered the new trivial pursuit card game which is a blast to play if you ever get the chance and had some good bonding time with mom and dad as well. After a nice long weekend it was kind of a bummer to return to work, but I have my vacation days coming up in a week or so and then maternity leave so i'm not complaining, especially since we really need the money right now.

Thanksgiving Recipes

2010-11-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite recipes my mom makes at Thanksgiving. For the cornbread dressing make sure you use home made, crumbly, non-sweet corn bread. If you try to use a sweet corn bread like jiffy mix or a recipe that calls for sugar it just tastes weird.

Corn bread dressing

6 cups corn bread, crumbled
6 cups dry bread crumbs
4 medium onions, chopped
½ cup celery, cut small
1 tsp. poultry seasoning, or to taste
3 cups chicken broth or more
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs, beaten

Saute onions and celery until just tender. Mix with bread crumbs. Add poultry seasoning. Stir in beaten eggs, chicken broth and Worcestershire. Bake at 425 Degrees for 30 min. or until done.

Corn Pudding

2 C. corn
2 or 3 eggs
1 C. milk
¼ C sugar
¼ C butter, melted
1tbsp. Flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix dry ingredients. Add corn. Beat eggs; add milk and stir into corn mixture. Pour into buttered casserole. Bake in 350 degree over for ½ hour. Serve hot.

Chocolate nut pies

1 stick margarine
4 cups sugar

Cream together first then add rest ingredients and pour into three pie shells

5 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 c chopped nuts
3 unbaked pie shells
1 large can evaporated milk
1 c. coconut
½ c cocoa

Bake in preheated oven at 350^ for 50 min

nursery and other stuff

2010-11-18T08:56:00.000-08:00

Tristans nursery is starting to look good! The crib is all put together and every thing is hung on the walls. All we are missing is the changing pad which I will pick up when I go make some exchanges this weekend. I went to the doctors this week and it looks like Tristan is getting big! I was just barely 34 weeks when I went in on Tuesday and the doctor measured me at 35/36 weeks! The doctor also said that at this point Tristan can come any time he wants and he would be perfectly fine, so if I go into labor they will not try to stop it because the baby would be fine! I don't want to go into labor this early, I would rather stay pregnant until about 38 weeks or so but we will see what the baby decides to do. My hips and lower back are getting more sore every day so I hope that as he grows my body will adjust and it won't be so painful to move around.
On a totally different note, next week is Thanksgiving!! I love Thanksgiving and this year we get to spend it with both sides of our family which is really nice. We will spend Thanksgiving day with Jakes family here in Durham and then the weekend we will spend in Hertford. I am most looking forward to my moms dressing, it is soooooo good. I will post the recipe if I can find it, truly amazing stuff.

Letting go

2010-11-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we let our dog Lela go to a new home. God really answered a lot of prayers by sending us the perfect christian family with two kids (ages 10 and 13) with a fenced in yard in a nice neighborhood. I couldn't be more happy about the family she went to, but it is really hard to let go of a dog you have had for 2 1/2 years. It is for the best that she is in a new home because we were having a lot of problems giving her the time and attention she needed and she was like a ball of energy caged up in our little town home! Still, every time I walk in the door I miss her smiley face and tail wagging furiously, I miss taking her on rides and seeing her sleep in her chair and buying treats for her. The first week she was gone I confess I really enjoyed it because all of her bad habits were fresh in my mind and I was enjoying not having to take her out every day a million times. However, the second week is harder because all I think about are the good things about her and that makes me sad :( . On the other hand, the cat is REALLY happy and has been playing and rolling around in the floor now that the dog is gone. I know it is a win-win situation for us, Lela, and her new family, but I sure do miss that stupid dog.

Halloween

2010-10-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

This halloween is going to be pretty quiet with no parties and no crazy costumes. The more pregnant I get the more I like just sitting around at home or going out with just the hubby. Last night we went to see the carolina ballet perform Dracula. It was nice to get out and do something so adult together. We had a quick dinner out at applebees which was just okay. Applebees is always a hit or miss for us, sometimes it is great and sometimes it is just so so. After dinner we headed to down town Raleigh and the ballet. The ballet was great and they shortened the story to a good length so that it was not boring or overly long for a ballet program. They also narrated the ballet which was a nice change from your classical ballet and the music and singing for the ballet were live which was another surprise. Tonight we are staying inside, making a nice dinner of chicken Parmesan for our selves and jakes mom and handing out candy to any trick or treaters we may have. Even though this has been a quiet halloween with no parties and no costumes, it has been really nice to just hang out and enjoy the weekend.

pregnancy...30 weeks!

2010-10-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

This week has brought some adventures. I didn't pass my first glucose test so I had to go for a second three hour test on Wednesday. I warned the nurse that my veins can be hard to find but when she drew the first test she found my vein right away with no problems. I drank my lovely glucose drink and left for an hour. When I came back for my second test it was harder for them to find my vein and they only found it after poking me three times in three different spots. It went on like this for the other tests as well and at the end of my appointment I had been poked seven times for four blood draws. The nurses apologized to me so much that there is no way I could be upset at them but I am very upset at my body and just wish it would cooperate when giving blood! However, I did pass my glucose test this time so I do not have gestational diabetes! God is truly amazing and has blessed us with so many good things this week and it just amazes me everytime.

NC state fair

2010-10-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

As our second fall ritual Jake and I headed out to the state fair yesterday. We mostly go for the food and to see the exhibits. We have only ridden one ride at the state fair in the five years we have been going and it is really nice to save money by not riding the rides. State fair food is expensive so you will certainly spend enough money on the food and entry fee alone without having to worry about ride tickets. Since Jake still has a valid military id we went on military day and both got in for free! We then headed straight for the roasted corn and jake enjoyed a steak sandwich. The other fun food we found was our traditional honey cotton candy, hand dipped corn dog and hot apple cider. The new things we tried this year were a fried pecan pie and a muscadine cider slushie. Needless to say the fried pecan pie was AMAZING and will be added to my list of favorite fair foods. The exhibits were also great this year and we strolled around the fruit and veggi exhibits, checked out the huge cattle and pigs and of course the flower exhibit which I love because I always see new plants and flowers that amaze me! Overall it was a great day at the fair and even though we spent about 50$ it really wasn't that bad for everything we got. Here is a list of all the things we bought with that 50$.

- 1 Large bag of kettle corn
- 1 bear squeeze bottle of NC honey
- 1 honey cotton candy
- 4 ears of roasted corn
(yes 4, we each had one when we got there then had another when we were leaving)
- 1 steak sandwich
- 1 foot long corndog
- 1 fried pecan pie
- 2 hot apple ciders
- 1 bottle of water
- 1 small coke
-1 muscadine cider slushie

renaissance fair

2010-10-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

The north carolina renaissance fair is a staple in our fall festivities. This was actually only our second year making it up to the fair since it is held near huntersville, but it was as good as the first time we went. This year we went with my brother, his wife, and my cousin allie and her husband. It was great to spend time with family and see jousts and wander through the "village" where merchants were selling many cool things. We saved money this year and didnt buy anything other than our tickets and food for lunch (okay, okay, we did sneak in some chocolate in there) .
With adult tickets being $19.00 a piece you really want to take advantage of everything the fair has to offer so you get your money's worth. There are a butt load of programs going on all over the fair. This year we saw the joust, and a comedy show, walked by the pirate show, jugglers, belly dancers, and black smith but didn't stay for the whole shows. There are also sword swallowers, fire eaters, and falconry shows and don't forget the glass blowing demonstrations! You can really make a full day of it if you sit down and plan out which shows you want to go to before you get there. However, if you are like us you may just want to wander around the fair and take your chances on what is going to be playing on certain stages as you walk by. It really depends if you are the organized outing type of people or not. Personally, I like just walking around and seeing what I see.
Interested in going? The fair runs until the end of november!

http://www.royalfaires.com/carolina/

October

2010-10-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

One of the best months of the year is here! I can't explain how much I love the cool, but still sunny weather, the tastes, sights, and smells of the state fair, the decorating for halloween, the pumpkin carving, and of course the renaissance faire in Charlotte! This year we are going to be very busy in October. We have a trip planned to go to charlotte and stay the weekend with my brother and sister in law, carve pumpkins and go to the Ren faire. After that we have the NC state fair in Raleigh!! Next, we have tickets to go see the carolina ballet perform Dracula the night before Halloween. Then of course, we have halloween and are hoping for lots of trick or treaters! Our three front facing windows are decorated with a huge Dracula vinyl window sticker that I found at michaels (made by martha stewart) and orange, purple, and green lights. Hopefully our decorations will attract some trick or treaters because we will have candy ready. I hope that you all have some plans for this wonderful month as well :)

25 weeks pregnant

2010-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the 25 week mark! Not too much has changed, the belly is getting bigger and I have had to utilize my maternity clothes more and I have some trouble breathing if I slouch so I have to sit up straight and not slouch on the couch which is no fun. Im still wearing my high heels to work and I hope that my feet don' t swell so much that I have to go buy new dress shoes. I also changed insurance carriers this week which kind of stinks because I don't think the doctors office I have been going to is in network anymore. Not that it is a huge deal because I never see the same doctor when I have my appointments anyway but the hospital at UNC seemed really nice and I didn't really want to switch doctors in the middle of my pregnancy. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Awesomely easy fruit salad

2010-09-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not a huge fan of canned fruit cocktail and making home made fruit salad takes a lot of cutting, peeling, and coring. So, taking some hints from fruit salads my mom has made in the past here is a super easy fruit salad that tastes amazing and.....it all comes out of cans!

1 can mandarin oranges(drained)
1 can pineapple in its own juice (undrained)
1/4-1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 small jar maraschino cherries and a few spoons of the juice

Mix this all together in a bowl and let sit for awhile in the fridge so all the juices and flavors get mingled together and it gets nice and cold and there you have it! Super easy, super fast, and super yummy.

A day out

2010-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

The weather has cooled down enough to get outside and really enjoy being active without getting so hot that you feel horrible. Yesterday we took advantage of the nice weather and took a walk around Duke Gardens. As always, it was beautiful and we had a great time. We walked for an hour which left me a little too tired but we will make up for it by relaxing on the beach Monday :).

Six months pregnant!

2010-09-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

I can't really complain too much about my pregnancy. I know there are a lot of women out there that have tons of complications and sickness so God has really blessed me in that area. But, I am getting tired of all of the aches and pains. My hips hurt every time I lay down or walk too much and my back is just achy and gets sore in the same spot every night when I sleep. My last year of college I moved a ton of stuff into my dorm room and lifted one too many heavy boxes which left me out in my back and on the couch for two days. Ever since then when I lift too many things or bend the wrong way I get crazy bad pain in the lowest part of my left back...and guess what? Thats the spot that hurts every single time I lay down at night or sit on the couch for more than ten minutes. Oh well, only three and a half months to go! Hooray! In the mean time I am trying to make things better, especially since my doctor told me last week that I should only gain ten more pounds and I was gaining weight too fast. So, I switched to oatmeal every morning for breakfast, I walk with the hubby and the dog, do pre-natal pilates, and swim. The exercising part hasn't been that hard, but the eating right part is really hard to do when I am craving things like rocky road ice cream instead of the grapes and apples I make myself eat. But, I really don't want to end up with a huge baby or a huge amount of weight to lose after the baby or gestational diabetes. So, the oatmeal and exercise will continue until December...or until I give in to the ice cream in the freezer.

a new look

2010-08-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

well, after keeping my hair a light color and pretty long for about a year and a half I was ready for a change! I got out the scissors and started cutting until I was happy, then I dyed my hair using a semi permanent, ammonia free dye. I never use semi permanent hair color, but the doctor said while dying hair is fine, the ammonia fumes are not super healthy while pregnant. So, I went with the ammonia free which happens to all be semi permanent. I decided after looking at old pictures that I really like the darker brownish red colors I have done in the past so this is what I aimed for. I think I may have gotten my hair a little uneven in the back when I cut it, but once the hubby get home from his trip he can trim it up for me :). Here is a before and after picture. The before one is better because i have make up on and am not dressed in my pajamas. :)

Happy 25th

2010-08-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

I would just like to say a happy 25th birthday to my hubby-dad to be Jake. I thought it would be fun to dig up some pictures of his great personality , which is one of the many things I love about him. HAPPY B-day :)

family weekend #2

2010-08-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was able to spend some time with my family and this weekend we spent time with Jakes. On Thursday night his mom came over for dinner and to see the nursery, we had a good time looking through the baby clothes I got last weekend and adding to our diaper and clothes collection (I think this is going to be a spoiled grand baby). I am not complaining though, the less diapers I have to buy the better! Friday I still had to go to work so Jake and I got a late start driving down to South Carolina to see his dad and Lorri. We stopped at Travis and Sara's on the way to drop off a forgotten french press (surprised Trav made it through the week without it!). We met their new cat Riley who is a sweet cat with huge paws!! We finally made it to Mauldin and enjoyed a weekend of shopping, too much food, and some good games of rummikub. I am so thankful to have a family that loves us and takes care of us. My family and Jakes family combined has done more for us than they will ever realize, and being first time parents in this economy we certainly appreciate it. It is just another example of how God cares for his children through many venues such as family.

Nursery update

2010-08-09T18:55:00.001-07:00

Jake and I got the accent wall in the nursery painted last week and I also painted the dresser/changing table one evening. The paintings I was working on are done, the curtains are hung, the futon is made up as a bed with a navy blue comforter, beige flannel sheets, and a red fleece blanket. I also hung a shelf for books/ the new blue teddy bear from Grandpa and an ultrasound picture. The dresser still needs a touch up here and there as well as a changing pad and baskets for diapers/baby wipes etc. and of course, the crib will have to be put in there as well!
Before picture of Dresser/Wall
After :

baby thrift clothes

2010-08-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was fortunate enough to get to spend time with my sister in law and mom. We got up early Saturday and set out to do some thrift store shopping. I was looking for all sorts of baby clothes up to 12months for Tristan. I got lucky at the durham rescue mission store on 70 by digging through a bin of baby clothes on sale for 50 cents. I also found some of these at the Goodwill in Briar creek for a little over a dollar a piece. All in all I estimate about 20-25 dollars spent between my mom and I on all these clothes! Some of the brands we found were carters, baby gap, and osh kosh. The only thing I don't have a picture of are the three pairs of pants I found. One pair of baby jeans, a pair of blue cords for fall, and some red athletic baby pants. Here are some pictures of what I got,sorry for the poor quality I didn't have the flash turned on :)

Here are my favorite finds. Seersucker overalls for next summer, 1.99
Baby Gap reversible jacket .50
carters onesies .50
baby pants

shirts, jacket, carters and osh kosh overalls and two beanies

Shirts for next christmas.
Onesies
Two sleep sacks and two body suits with footsies

"B" is for Boy

2010-07-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

After I found out last week that we are having a boy I couldn't resist the urge to start decorating the nursery! In fact, I ran out and bought navy blue curtains and a rug as well as art supplies. I did take "before" pictures so when the nursery is done I will post those with the "after" pictures so you can get the full effect. But, in the mean time here is what we have going on:

First we have the paint choices. The lighter blue is a satin finish for the walls, the dark blue is a high gloss for the dresser which will become the changing table/dresser for Tristan.

Secondly we have the decor. We chose to go with a star theme which I am hoping will turn out not super patriotic looking, but maybe more on the side of nautical? So far I have made a mobile for over the crib. I already had the mobile which was a gift from a friend in college and is supposed to be used for hanging pictures. It served its purpose as a cool picture display for several years so I took all the pictures off and went to the craft store for some heavy weight scrapbooking papers. I cut these into star shapes using a template and voila! A baby mobile specifically for Tristan. Also, I bought some canvas and am trying my hand at painting. The picture here is not the completed work. I am adding a few more stars and another coat of paints then it will be done. Also, I have included a picture of some sheets I bought at Target. They were just too cute to pass up!

Its a boy!

2010-07-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Today we had our comprehensive ultra sound at UNC. The ultrasound tech was really great and explained everything thoroughly because there was a med student there observing. It was great to see and know that the baby is super healthy, but a little behind schedule. I am supposed to be right at 18weeks, but the ultrasound read 17weeks, 3days so my due date has been pushed back to December 28th! Im not worried about it, I think the baby will come when he wants to, either near christmas or new-years, just pick a holiday! There was no doubt from the ultrasound that we are having a baby boy! My husband Jake does not want me to post those pictures online though. In his own words, "I don't want my baby's junk posted on the internet" HAHAHA. The things husbands say sometimes just make me laugh. The ultrasound tech kept saying our baby was being a show off because he would just not sit still. He kept flipping from side to side and waving his arms around, but she managed to get some great pictures. The baby's name is going to be Tristan, unless we happen to change our mind in the next few months. The middle name we don't have yet, but it will come soon im sure! So, there you have it. Our baby boy is doing well and is going to be active just like his daddy. :)

Two things Im Excited about this year

2010-07-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

I get excited about these two events every year, mainly because you can pay a base price to get in, then decide how much money you want to spend on food, rides, and extra things. I don't do any rides and just pick my favorite foods to eat so the day of fun is relatively inexpensive and you get entertained! I chose the Carolina Ren Festival over the Ren Faire in Raleigh simply because it is so much better than the one offered locally. Yes, you have to drive a few hours over to Huntersville area, but the Renaissance village they have set up and the jousting events as well as the many vendors and other free entertainment(with purchase of ticket) makes it totally worth it. So, plan a trip, mark your calendars and start saving your pocket change. You are not going to want to miss these two Fairs!

I have included links to the event web sites, just click on the event name and check it out!

1. The Carolina Renaissance Festival

2. The State Fair

I wonder

2010-07-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

I wonder how much the new addition to our family will resemble us as children? Jake and I both had white blond hair until we were about three, I had big brown eyes and Jake had big blue eyes. We both have thick, kind of funky hair so I'm sure the baby will inherit lots of hair. But will it grow up to be tall or short, to resemble a Clark or a Smith? I wonder about these things a lot, but only time will tell!

Pregnancy update

2010-07-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Things seem to be going well. I haven't had a doctors appointment for awhile, but my comprehensive ultra sound is coming up on the 23rd!!! My belly is poking out for sure, but the odd thing is I don't really have cravings yet. I keep waiting for them to show up but I have more food aversions than anything. No morning sickness anymore, but the tiredness and headaches still come around now and then. The only other thing going on is joint pain in my lower back and hips to the point where I look like an old lady getting off the couch or it hurts to walk. Not sure if this is normal or not, but I will talk to the doctor about it to make sure, maybe its just a regular pregnancy thing.
Well, this week is week 16/17 ...I have a hard time keeping count. I will be back with another update next weekend!!

choices choices

2010-07-15T16:04:00.001-07:00

Well, the time to enroll in classes for fall semester has come around again. I am still in the paralegal program and am really enjoying it. However, one of the downfalls of going to a community college after getting your four year degree is the lack of course offerings. I already have all of my required general education classes such as math, english, foreign language, etc. so the only classes I am taking are strictly the paralegal ones. This semester there were only two classes I had the option of taking and they both are semester long classes. This makes me so nervous because the classes do not end until December 15th and my due date is....drum roll please....December 24th. This is cutting it really close, so I chose to just take one online paralegal class. I figure that if I am in the hospital or at home with a new baby I can still take my final, do quizzes, etc. without having to worry about showing up in person for a class. I am a little disappointed because I want to get done with my paralegal classes so I can be a paralegal, but this will just have to work for now. I don't really mind making sacrifices for the baby, its just something every parent does. Other sacrifices that will be coming are, downgrading to basic basic cable, and getting rid of our phone plan for a cheaper one...(bye bye iphone)

a quiet fourth

2010-07-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

this year we decided to take it easy and enjoy the fourth at home. Saturday Jake had to work, so i went swimming for a few hours with our friends chris and amanda. Jake and I decided to cook out early so saturday night we had hot dogs (hebrew nationals....SO good). We actually made it to church on Sunday, we went to a church right down the road from us, but the pastor was not so great. We aren't sure if he was the regular pastor though so we are trying it again before we stop going there. Since we hadn't eaten out in a week (which is a thing we are doing to save money and be healthy) we went out to johnny carinos for lunch(beats out olive garden EVERY time) and then I took jake to see Eclipse :) . He liked the battle scenes but I think he could have done without all the love triangle stuff. Jakes mom invited us over to his grandparents for dinner and home made ice cream so we went over and spent the few last hours of our fourth with them and his aunt Kim. We didn't see any fire works this year because we just didn't feel like dealing with the crowds, but we did light sparklers :)
This year honestly had to be the best fourth I have had in a long time. Granted it was absent of a huge family gathering, fire works, and cook outs, but spending the whole day with my hubby doing things that we love was better than any of that. Plus, it was calming and not hectic at all. A great, quiet fourth.

pimento cheese

2010-06-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

this pimento cheese is bangin! Its my moms recipe with an added twist of pepper jack cheese.

12oz shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
4oz shredded pepper jack cheese
hellmans or kraft mayo (the real stuff) to taste
pepper to taste
2oz diced pimentos and juice
dash garlic powder

I think it is better to buy the blocks of cheese and shred them yourself, the taste is just so much fresher! I use 8oz blocks and shred them with my food processor attachment.
Next, dump the cheese in a large mixing bowl and add several spoonfulls of mayo until you have it the consistency you like. Add the pimentos and however much black pepper you want. if you feel it needs salt you can add some, but be careful. Also add a quick dash of garlic powder. If you add too much mayo you can fix it by adding more cheese.
I feel like pimento cheese is best served on white bread and grilled until the bread is lightly toasted....MMMMM.

mongolian beef

2010-06-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

i love mongolian beef. I found this recipe and it is really good, but of course i made changes to it such as serving it with rice instead of noodles and i added broccoli and hot chili paste instead of the actual chiles. Also, I used vidalia onion instead of green onion

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Mongolian-Beef-192408

doughnuts and zucchini

2010-06-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Thats right, this weekend has been full of several things including doughnuts and zucchini. First came the zucchini. Amanda and I were examining our garden, when what do you think we found? One lone zucchini sitting amidst the blooming plants. It was the only one and I was so excited it had to be picked! It has not been cooked yet so here is a picture to show you our first garden vegi. Also, our garden is doing very well and some lima bean pods are out there, just the little beans in them have to grow before they can be picked.

After the zucchini came the doughnuts. Krispy Kreme bread pudding to be exact. This is what happens when you sit down with your husband to watch paula deen on the food network. It is jakes grandpas eighty something birthday today and everyone is making a desert so this was our contribution. Please disregard the missing corner in the bread pudding, but it was SO good we had to have a bite! We tweaked the recipe a little bit and didn't add the raisins and put in a can of peaches instead of fruit cocktail and this thing is wicked good. Here is the link if you are interested and also know you can just put in water and some vanilla extract to substitute for the rum!

blogging from a better place

2010-06-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Jake and I finally got moved into our new place! I cannot explain how happy we both are to have our own home again and the move wasn't too stressful at all. Instead of being on the north gate side of durham we are now a hop and a skip from RTP, briar creek, and southpointe! I can tell already we might have a hard time finding room for everything and my motivation to unpack is already dwindling which has left our downstairs nearly finished and our bedroom somewhat of a wreck. My job starts on Monday so I hope to knock out the rest of the unpacking and organizing before then, but being pregnant I always feel like i'm either stopping work for a snack or to rest on the couch! Jake came home from work the other day and we had a meal at our dining room table together, it was so nice Jake even mentioned how much he loved going to work and coming home to his wife and eating dinner together. It made me so happy to hear him say that! Switching notes, there is good news on the pregnancy front. I'm 11 weeks today!! :) All of my clothes still fit because there is only a teensy tiny baby bump right now and my morning sickness is pretty much gone, although I still get sick in the car more than I used to. My next doctors appointment is not until the end of June but im certain it will go well. I will keep everyone posted!

budgets are depressing

2010-05-17T13:22:00.001-07:00

In our never ending quest to move out of our mother in laws house and into our own home again we decided it was important to make up a budget with our income and expenses laid out. Maybe we have just gotten too comfortable with the fact that we haven't paid rent in a year or maybe we just don't have as much money as we used to, but our budget is rather depressing. I just snagged a job part time at fidelity (thank you Lord) and Jake is working full time at Honda, but still the money coming in and the expenses going out leave only a tiny bit of money for spending and grocery shopping. Our days of movies, extended cable, and eating out seem to be coming swiftly to an end.
I am a little worried about all of the baby things we need to buy for the future, but we have already decided for storage we are sacrificing our long dresser and painting it a nice cream color and turning it into a diaper changing station/dresser for the baby. The townhome we are trying to move into has some awesome walk in closets so I am confident we will not miss our dresser and it will be much more efficient in the baby room. We also plan on buying most things gently used except for the car seat which we really want to get new simply for safety reasons and to put our minds at rest.
God always provides as seen by the recent jobs my husband and I were both able to get despite the economy right now. Also, we did save a large amount of money while Jake was in Iraq so when unexpected expenses come up we can use that to pay for them instead of credit cards which is always good. So, I know we will be okay, but the budgeting is going to take some getting used to, and scrupulous grocery shopping and coupons are certainly in my future. But, I guess several hundred dollars left at the end of every month IS better than nothing, plus since we are not buying a house we know we will not have unexpected expensive house repairs to do which will be super nice until we are in a better place financially.

So my advice to anyone either just starting out on their own or starting out on their own AGAIN, would be to make a budget and no matter how depressing it gets remember you can sacrifice on some things to make money stretch and always save a couple of dollars a month because sooner or later you're going to need it.

sweet tea

2010-05-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Southerners,

I have become aware that many of you do not know how to make our favorite beverage. Many of us have fallen to the plague of ready made tea from the grocery store or Bojangles, leaving us ignorant of the fine skills our mothers and grandmothers possess. Or perhaps you just realized how much money you are spending on store bought tea and realize that you can make it much cheaper yourself. So, to the rescue I come! Here is an easy, efficient way to make sweet tea.

4 Lipton family size tea bags OR 8 regular size tea bags
1 1/3 cup sugar
gallon of tap water

Remove your tea bags from their paper wrappers and place in a small pot filled 2/3 with water. Place on medium high heat, keeping a CLOSE eye on them and removing pot right when water shows signs of boiling. (You do not want your water to boil because it will burst your tea bags. This should take several minutes and your water should be a dark brown tea color. ) Place sugar in bottom of gallon sized pitcher and pour hot tea over sugar. Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Run cold tap water into the same pot which should still have your tea bags in it. Make sure to swirl the pot around so the tea infuses into the new water. Pour this into your pitcher. Continue doing this until the tea bags are no longer coloring your water, at this point you can throw your tea bags away and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with just plain water. Give your tea bags the toss and stir your tea one more time. Your tea should be a nice dark amber color and will probably be warm, so add ice and enjoy!!

bbq beef

2010-04-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this recipe from HERE,
But I have made my own changes to some of the ingredients based on what I had in my kitchen. The lemon juice has been swapped out for vinegar and the amount of onions have been changed. Also, instead of ketchup I have swapped it for leftover spaghetti sauce from dinner last night. Always remember that as long as you have the basic flavors you can really make a recipe your own based on what you have, don't be too hasty to run out to the store to buy things you don't need!
oil to coat the bottom of the pot
1 (3-4 lb) boneless beef chuck roast
seasoning salt or white salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup left over spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
dash red pepper flakes

Set oven to 325 degrees F.
In a bowl combine all the sauce ingredients together until smooth and well combined
Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat (use enough oil to cover the bottom of your Dutch oven).
Season the roast liberally with seasoned salt and fresh ground black pepper; add to the pot and brown well on all sides, then remove to a plate or bowl.
Add in onions and bell pepper; saute for about 3-4 minutes or until softened).
Add in the sauce; bring to a medium simmer.
Add the roast back to the pot and turn a few times to coat in the sauce.
Cover with a lid then transfer to oven.
Cook for about 3 to 3-1/2 hours turning the roast over every hour of cooking or you may turn halfway through cooking (cooking times will vary depending on the size of your roast).
Remove the roast to a cutting board and slice thinly, transfer to a serving platter.
Remove any fat the has accumulated on top of the sauce, then drizzle some on top of the beef slices.
Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Growing Garden

2010-04-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the progress of our garden. The zucchini is looking best so far, right along with the cabbage. The lima beans are growing a second set of new leaves, but the watermelon and cantaloupe are taking awhile to grow, possibly due to the cooler weather. Hopefully it will warm up soon and the plants will continue to grow instead of being stunted.

Cheap night at the movies

2010-04-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

We are all looking for ways to save money. Im sure most of you know this tip as they have been doing it for awhile but Carmike Cinemas has what they call "recession Tuesdays". You can go to any movie during the day (go to a matinee to save extra bucks) and get a $1 small popcorn and $1 small drink. The small popcorn is just enough to share with my hubby and the small drink is actually a good size! While most Carmike theatres are not the best theaters they do present their movies digitally which makes the picture MUCH clearer than other nicer theaters. So, get your kids or husband or friends together and go see a movie on Tuesdays!!

"Real Leaves"

2010-04-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

No pictures from this week...yet. But lots of things have been happening in the garden! The zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe are getting their "real" leaves! Pumpkins and butternut squash were planted yesterday! Don't worry, the pumpkins were placed well away from the rest of the garden!! The carrots are also starting to get their frilly leaves and the tomatoes are trying their best to break out their grown up leaves!! It is really starting to look like a garden out there. We did not till up our garden in a large section but rather turned over individual rows. While it took me awhile to get used to the look, I now LOVE the rustic look of our rows with our rock signs. Had there been more grass in the yard we probably would have had to till a large section to keep the weeds out, but Im glad there wasn't!

Garden day

2010-04-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Since the weather was so nice today we decided today would be our garden day. Our day started early, at a bit after eight. We headed out to Lowes and picked up 8 bags of organic compost and a bag of sand. We mixed our soil, and used the sand for our melon rows(watermelon and canteloupe) and carrot bin so they would have good drainage and the proper soil. After a long day(about seven hours) of composting, mounding, and mulching here is what we have as a start to our garden!!

Some garden tips learned: for melons and other hot weather plants place a black ground cover over your mounds then cut slits and plant your plants, on top of the ground cover place a nice layer of mulch to help keep in heat and moisture.

Give beans or cucumbers something to grow up! Place dowels at each end of the row and one in the middle, string garden twine across the bottom, middle, and top of the dowels giving your plants a good structure to vine up. Also, place some twine diagonally so they can grow up to the next level of string easily. You dont want to try this for heavier vegi's such as squash or melons because they will break off!!

Need a simple gardening website? There are plenty out there but this one I like because it is so simple and straightforward.

ever had one of those

2010-03-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

I currently have the worst teacher I have ever had in my whole education "career". This is the third college I have attended and I have completed my BA so I have had my share of college teachers. This teacher will not answer students questions, help them with difficult questions on the study guide, let them leave class early without harassing them, cannot pronounce two words correctly in the same sentence, uses terrible grammar, constantly brags about how qualified she is because she taught in georgia public schools, yells at students when they raise their hands while she is talking, yells at students who are quietly whispering (not bothering people around them) because they are interrupting class, and is the most disorganized teacher I have ever had. Our mid term is tomorrow and part of me just doesn't care. I would almost rather take the class over again just so I can actually learn something than do well on the test tomorrow. It is too late to drop the class because it is a mini mester session. I simply cannot wait to tear this teacher apart when the evaluations come around at the end of next month. I hope to god they get rid of her, it is a waste of my money to have someone like this in the class room.

Leaves and Garden expansion

2010-03-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Did I just say "garden expansion"??
Why, Yes I did!!
I know you are thinking, "didn't they just plan out their garden and start digging?"
Yes, but that familiar itch to plant a good variety of veggi's in our garden hit both of us this week.
Amanda was tempted to buy cabbage and I was tempted a bit further and bought pumpkin, green pepper, and butternut squash seeds. The pumpkin, green pepper and squash seeds cannot be planted outdoors until it is slightly warmer so I have started them in their own indoor "greenhouse" where they will stay for a few weeks.
On another note, I came home today to find that seedlings grow very fast in just three days! Jake and I left for the weekend to go visit my parents and by the time we got back today my sprouts had grown three times the size they were when I left! As of now at least two of each plant has sprouted and many of them have leaves. These plants we are hoping will be ready to plant outside by friday. Here are the pictures of the new plants, can you believe this all happened three days since the last pictures and one week exactly since planting?!

we have sprouted

2010-03-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning disappointed that I did not have any new sprouts. I was at school and then at work until late tonight so I did not get home until almost 10pm and had no time to set the plants out for some sun today. I was feeling bad about this so I brought the plants upstairs to sit under our super hot floor lamp.(its one of those metal ones with three separate bulbs on adjustable things like a huge desk lamp) Well, there is a florescent bulb in one and then just plain bright white bulbs in the other ones. I thought that this would give it some good heat for today so I set them on the dresser and aimed the warm lights onto the plants. I took the lid off to allow them to get some air and what do you think?! New sprouts! The Carrots, Lima beans, Corn, Watermelon and Basil are all showing signs of sprouting. The only thing that shows no sprouts is the zucchini and tomatoes. I took a few pictures so you could see and hopefully be inspired to start your own seedlings!

Garden time!

2010-03-24T21:19:00.001-07:00

Ah yes, it is that time of year again! For the past four years I have attempted to grow plants outside in containers which has not always worked that well. This year as I was shopping with my good friend Amanda we came to the conclusion that we should half the cost of supplies and grow a garden in her back yard! I cannot say how happy I am to have a friend that has volunteered her yard as a spot to garden! So, we headed to wal mart and picked up some jiffy mini greenhouses. They are plastic "greenhouses" that have sections in them to start your seeds. We purchased several seed packets each and have planted our seeds! So far this is what we have:

cucumbers
zucchini
tomatoes
watermelon
cantaloupe
corn
basil
oregano
carrots
spinach
strawberries
potatoes
and lima beans

Yes, it is quite a lot, but we picked so many different plants so we will have a good variety even if some of them do not work out. Tonight Amanda and I went out and dug shallow trenches about five feet long and two feet apart. We are going to mix the dirt from these trenches with fertilizer and make mounds for our plants to grow on. This should give us plenty of walking space between our plants when they start to grow. Our goal is to keep the garden as organic as possible and we are going to try not to use any miracle grow or pesticides. Our garden may end up with miracle grow and simply be pesticide free (esp. considering that we did not buy organic seeds) but we will see how it goes. The tomatoes we are growing in their own row against the fence so they can vine up against it and the corn has its own section on the back of Amandas property. Hopefully our plants will start to grow soon and we can transplant them to the garden the week of Easter sometime. I will take pictures once we have the soil mixed and placed in our nice trenches. Oh, did I mention that Amanda had tons of rocks just sitting around so we took them and painted the names of each plant on them? Now we have cute little rock tags for our garden rows!

The New Car

2010-03-12T15:32:00.001-08:00

Yes!! We finally got a new car to replace the old 1990 pontiac!! We had considered getting a used car for cheaper than a new car, but decided that we enjoy the warranty we got with our new one and all of the features it has for our ipod. We were able to get both a military and recent graduate discount from Hyundai and brought home a black elantra touring. We had test drove the Touring about a week ago and then test drove the Nissan Versa. We almost bought the Versa, but after going back to Raleigh we found a Touring that was in our price range and we realized that we just liked it better! It is a hatchback style car with TONS of room, fold down seats, and a ton of features that come with the basic model. Our car is equipped with a popular package which just gives it roof rails and volume controls on the steering wheel. Since we want to have a family sooner than later, and we travel a lot currently with our 52 pound lab-mix the space is really great for us. The monthly payments are manageable and even our interest rate is reasonable! Over all it was a great car buying experience and Jake and I both love our new car!

recipe time

2010-03-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

I know I tend to post a lot of recipes on my blog, but cooking is one of the things I love to do! Here is another recipe I made up spur of the moment for dinner, it is a chicken casserole.

1 package sliced mushrooms
1 small onion diced
2 large stalks celery diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can full of skim milk
1 box low sodium all natural chicken broth (you won't use the whole box)
2 Cups peppridge farm seasoned stuffing
2-3 garlic cloves diced
3 tablespoons sour cream
salt, pepper, and sage(or poultry seasoning) to taste
1 1/2 cup rice cooked with 1 cup water and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3-4 chicken breast, boneless skinless

Set rice on to cook (usually takes about 15-20min for rice to cook, follow directions on bag)
cut chicken into small cubes and place in pan to saute with dash of olive oil, Salt and pepper chicken as it cooks. Once chicken is cooked set it aside in a large mixing bowl
Once chicken is cooked place mushrooms, onions, garlic, and celery in pan and saute with a dash of salt and pepper until they start to get soft.
Once your vegi's are done your rice should be done cooking as well. Dump cooked rice, and vegi's into the mixing bowl with chicken. Add can of cream of chicken soup, then one can full of milk and one can 3/4 full of chicken broth. Mix well, then add salt pepper and poultry seasoning or sage to taste. Place in large glass casserole dish and bake in 350^ oven for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and thickened. At this point mix dry stuffing with two-three tablespoons of sour cream (it works really well if you mix it with your hands) Carefully spoon this evenly over hot casserole and place back in oven for 5minutes or until topping is hot. Remove from oven and enjoy!!

p.s.--You may also add sour cream to the chicken mixture before you bake it, or you may choose to add cheddar cheese to your casserole. Be creative!

car shopping

2010-02-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

ah yes, we have been traversing the car lots and have been accosted by our fair share of car sales men. But, this is all part of looking for a new car. After jumping into several quick decisions we have regretted, (moving to raleigh, me working at the credit union, the apartment we chose to live in, etc.) Jake and I have decided to take things slow and be wiser about the choices we make. This means lots of research, talking, and praying about things. The research for the car started by making several choices. First, we narrowed down the field by agreeing what we wanted to pay each month for a car payment and what type of car we wanted. We have decided we can't afford more than 250.00 a month for a car payment and we want a hatch-back or suv/crossover type vehicle. Jake loves the murano(wayy out of our price range) and I like the Hyundai Sante Fe(also out of our price range) So we have started to compromise and have looked at Hyundai Elantra touring, Jeep Patriot, Nissan Versa, and Kia Rio5. So far we have only test driven the Elantra Touring and a jeep compass(terrible blind spots in the compass). We have taken a break due to the fact that we are so tired of car salesmen, but we will hit the car lots again next week to test drive the other vehicles we are thinking about!! Hopefully we can make a good choice so that when we both have jobs lined up we can go get another car and stop driving around the 1990 bucket of bolts! :)

chicken n dumplins

2010-02-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

A cold rainy day calls for southern comfort food. Today it called for chicken n' dumplins. :)

Here is our favorite recipe, unfortunately it is one of those recipes where I eye the ingredients and don't really know all the exact measurements(a classic southern cook). However, I have done my best to write down the recipe here!

2 tablespoons Crisco
3 tablespoons green onions chopped
3-4 tablespoons white all purpose flour
Low sodium-no msg chicken broth (2 cans or 1 box)
1/2 Cup milk
Pepper to taste
dash poultry seasoning
1 garlic clove minced
1 can pilsbury butter flavored biscuits (NOT the flaky ones!!)
3-4 cups coarsely chopped chicken(the rotisserie chickens from the grocery store are the best, they are already cooked, tender and taste great! )

Melt crisco on medium heat in large pot
add onions and garlic and saute until soft,but not browned
sprinkle flour on bottom of pot and stir with wisk until bubbly and very light brown
Slowly add chicken broth while whisking constantly so your broth does not get lumpy
Add chicken broth, milk, pepper, and poultry seasoning until you have a good creamy broth you like the taste of.
The broth will thicken as it cooks, so keep an eye on it and add broth or a splash of milk as needed to keep your broth the consistency you like
Stir in the chicken and let the broth come up to a simmer and let it thicken a bit
Cut biscuits into bite size pieces (5-6 pieces per biscuit)
drop biscuits into broth and press down with spoon, but DO NOT STIR!
Place heat on med.low, cover and simmer for 12min.(do not stir til time is up!)
Stir broth, test a dumpling and see if it is done,(it will be moist and the consistency of a dumpling not a biscuit, but should be done) it may need a few extra minutes to simmer. You may also need to add more broth or milk if broth has become too thick.
Serve up in a bowl with a good side of veggis!!

This recipe may take you a few tries before you get it like you like it. But, these are the bones of a good dumpling recipe. The biscuits are so much easier than making your own dumplings and I think they taste better than the flat noodle like dumplings from the freezer section, but it is up to what you like. Also, I really do suggest using the rotisserie chicken, it is a lot easier than making your own and it is seasoned perfectly.

Two great pet products

2010-02-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

if you have pets then you know you are bound to run into messes with them. Personally, my two biggest challenges are getting my dog clean after a run at the dog park and cleaning the cats litter box. Luckily, there are pet safe cleaning wipes out there now that really help with these two tasks!
The first product I love is 8in1 brand cleaning wipes for dogs. They come in a plastic container just like baby wipes and I found mine at Target for cheaper than petsmart. Just toss them in your trunk or backseat and they are ready to clean those muddy paws!!
The second product I love are litterbox wipes. These wipes are available almost everywhere now, even from the dollar store! After emptying the litter box you just wipe out the dust and any left over particles stuck to the litterbox. This is SO much easier than worrying about making a safe cleaning solution for the litterbox and way easier than hosing it off and then waiting for it to dry. I know this sounds a little gross, but just wipe out the litterbox, toss the dirty wipe in a plastic bag and wash your hands really well!

Snow Day!

2010-01-31T20:11:00.001-08:00

Well, we did in fact end up getting 6 inches of snow here in Durham. We were also the lucky few who got only a drizzle of sleet so things were pretty much nice, white, and fluffy. Here are a few pictures to commemorate the rare Durham, NC snow!!

cold weather fare

2010-01-30T01:55:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the impending snow fall, I decided to make a hearty lunch today that I could easily heat up this weekend when I knew I was going to be unable to get out to the store. So, I broke out the trusty southern corn bread recipe and made a batch along with black bean soup. I usually make black bean soup with whatever I have in my pantry and today this is the recipe I ended up with.

1 can black beans
1 can rotel tomatoes mexican style with lime and cilantro
1/2 large green bell pepper cut into small chunks
1/2 white onion
1/2 large tomato

Drizzle bottom of pot with olive oil, place peppers and onions in pot and saute until slightly soft
Add can of black beans and can of rotel tomatoes.(do not drain liquid from cans) Add 1/2 to 1 full can of water to pot. Add diced tomatoes. Season lightly with Garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin(use a light hand on the cumin). Also, add salt to taste. Let this simmer together at least an hour before serving. Sometimes I will mix in a cup of shredded monterey jack cheese before serving, and sometimes I add ground italian sausage (brown this before vegetables if adding this). But, if you omit the sausage and the cheese then you end up with a simple, healthy, chocked full of vegi's soup!!

Old Navy

2010-01-28T15:05:00.000-08:00

most of you know I LOVE Old Navy. I went down there today just to grab some jeans and realized that if you have an Old Navy card and use it the 28th-31 then they are offering 25% off your whole order. This includes items on the clearance rack! I found two T-shirts for less than $4.00 on the clearance rack and they had a lot of nice pants, etc. Also, you can get this deal shopping online with them if you enter CARD25 when you check out. Thought I would share the love, and hope you find a good deal!!

car news

2010-01-28T11:59:00.001-08:00

So, I took the Honda to the transmission shop on Monday. I didn't drop it off until 5pm, and they close at 5:30 so im guessing they wouldn't have started work on it til Tuesday. The bad thing is, I haven't heard anything from the car shop at all and it is now Thursday....hmmm. Im hoping this just means they are working on it and that nothing is wrong with it. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow afternoon to see what is up with it. Hopefully everything is going well. I was really impressed with how nice the people at the transmission store were, and it was recommended to me by AAA so lets hope they get it fixed!

now that puts me in a good mood.

2010-01-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been searching for things to put me in a good mood. Here are my top ten things, complete with pictures and links, so you can discover them too!

Caution: this is a very superficial list, I did not put things like : family, friends, Christ, or my hubby on here, all those make me extremely happy, but this is my list of physical things that make me happy :)

1. Breyers Fried Ice cream flavor ice cream

(which was buy 1 get 1 at harris teeter!!)

2. Regular Mt. Dew

3. Vampire Novels...(okay maybe this one is cheesy, but I LOVE them!!)

4. Music by The White Stripes and Maroon 5

5. Watching Lost, Heroes, or TrueBlood

6. Tennis Shoes and Comfy Jeans

7. Chinese Food...especially beef and garlic sauce from The Golden China or home made Red Curry chicken....yum

8. A nice walk at Duke Gardens

9. A trip to Nags Head, NC

10. Going out to the dog park with Lela. Or Shopping at AC Moore :)

Already tired

2010-01-25T21:30:00.001-08:00

This is my "I'm sick and tired of army crap" face :) No idea where Jake is at in his travels back home (no news from him since Saturday) and rumors are traveling around that it might take them even longer to get home than expected. Sigh.

my two favorite shows

2010-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

okay, so im a little behind on holly wood and have no idea who is married to who or who arrived with whom at the golden globes. So, I was surprised to come across this bit of "old news"....two actors from my two all time favorite shows are married! Carrie preston and Michael Emerson,
(This is "Ben" from LOST and "Arlene" from TrueBlood )...anyway, I found this interesting, they are rather cute together.

Healthy Baked Apples

2010-01-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

okay, so I'm always looking for a good dessert that won't take out all my calories for the day! I have found that calorie counting is the most effective method of dieting for me. I keep a nice little white board on the fridge (from the $1 section at Target) and I write down every single calorie on the board as I eat it. So as I sat around craving sweets this afternoon I decided to make baked apples since I had only consumed about 350 calories so far. What prompted the baked apples idea? Well, I was reading Charlaine Harris...surprise surprise...and in her book From Dead to Worse the main character was baking apples, which just made me want some. So today I baked apples. To make the recipe 200 calories or under here is what I did:

1 apple
1tsp. white sugar
1tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp. heath bar pieces
dash of cinnamon

Core out middle of apple with paring knife, and scoop out the seeds with small spoon if needed. Do not cut all the way through your apple, you want to leave the bottom of the apple intact, just get the seeds and main core out. Once you have your apple mostly cored and all seeds removed pour both sugars into apple. Next, press heath bar pieces into center of apple and sprinkle the top with a bit of cinnamon.( I also added about a tsp of water on top of the heath bar pieces so it would not get dried out. ) Wrap apple tightly in foil and bake at 350^ for 35-40 minutes. Carefully remove apple from foil and let cool for a minute or two before digging in! Apple should be so soft it is falling apart, and save the juices from the foil to pour over your apple ...yum!

To make this recipe even less calories you can add only the brown sugar, or omit the heath bar pieces (1tbsp of heath pieces is 80 calories). You may also wish to stuff the apple with raisins or dried cranberries instead of heath bar pieces.

you know there is a problem when ...

2010-01-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

So you know there is a serious problem when your 2001 honda accord is driving worse than your 1990 Pontiac Grand Am. So, I took the honda to the AAA car care center here in Durham. And, (not much to my surprise) there were several major issues. The first issue was that all of our brake rotors are warped, the second issue was that the transmission is apparently shot. AAA does not do transmission work, the only thing they will do is entirely replace the transmission. So, the lady at AAA is sending me over to a transmission shop with the hopes that we can fix the transmission instead of replacing it. The brake rotors, labor, an oil change, and the state inspection for the Honda came out to 490$ which I don't have a problem with. The bad part is the transmission. IF we have to replace the whole thing we are probably looking at well over $1200, probably more. Jake and I were so frustrated, but then we came to the conclusion that we shouldn't be. Why not, you ask? Because the car did not break down on the side of the road, we have been safe driving it with these problems for a couple of months, and we do have the money saved to get it fixed. In the midst of stress and worry we found something to be Thankful to God about. And, my wonderful husband was the one to point this out to me. I am blessed.
Although...I did have to go from driving thisTo this.....ohhh welll

A love/ hate relationship

2010-01-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

If you're like me you love TrueBlood some of the time and hate it others. The books by Charlaine Harris are much better than the TV show, but its so nice to see it in person. Its just too much to resist! So, for all of you who wish TrueBlood was better, or who dont like it because it does not follow the books, I have compiled a list of You Tube videos so you can watch only the good parts of the series. Of course, these clips do not encompass all of the series as I didn't see the need to include everything. Some of the clips have some bad acting as well, but you get that with almost every tv show now and then. So, here we go:

p.s. I apologize for any language that may be used in these clips, it is hard to find clips that do not include bad language in True Blood, and the first few are especially bad. However, I have left out any scenes containing nudity.

An Abridged Version of HBO's True Blood, Season 1 (minus the bad scenes and most scenes that are not included in the novels by Charlaine Harris)

REMEMBER TO RIGHT CLICK AND OPEN A NEW TAB TO VIEW VIDEOS :)

Sookie meets Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W261uHRCFQs

Sookie Rescues Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxp4zjq5u3M&feature=related

Bill Rescues Sookie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNryOk1GrI0&feature=related

Sookie meets Eric
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOh7xsnuLq8

Sookie finds out about Sam
(there is a clip in the middle of this one with Jason, Sookies brother, that is not in the books)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3eUrOz-O70&feature=related

Sookie kisses Bill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nOa07y6Xho

Sookie Kisses Sam
--no video found

Sookie Finds Gran dead

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDkO72w3Sdc

Jason Hits sookie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg9ItPJlV7M

Sookie Helps Eric/Longshadow gets killed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lx44IBaA1Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka1IHbloy5Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJoaY7t7yoA&feature=related

Killer comes after sookie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pL8UEAfA_I&feature=related

Perfect Ending to Season 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4cT8X3uFXQ

...and a few extra ones for those who like these characters!
Sam:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHS0tt6VuM0&feature=related

Pam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvUJEdor2zw

Andy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUmKeYEjcwE

Merlottes Staff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz3zi8sweYA&feature=related