2009. In Pictures.

I can't believe that we are already a month into the new decade. 2009 went by way too fast, the whole past decade went way too fast. At the beginning of the last decade, I was just a little freshman in high school. Fast forward 10 years and boy has life changed. I have graduated from college, gotten married, and have become a fully responsible adult...well sort of. I thought I would share my favorite pictures from 2009, no not the entire decade because I do not have the energy to choose my favorites. Hope y'all enjoy.

Patrick and Megan's gorgeous wedding in Birmingham.

It is so easy to hate LSU

Anna, Ashley, and I at Ashley's sister's wedding. Ashley made a beautiful maid of honor.

Our favorite time of the year, Football season.
Hotty Toddy! After we beat Arkansas.

Happy 1st Birthday Kinsley!

Mama and Kinsley being silly.

Happy Halloween! Octomom and Baby #8

Celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary. The cake was so yummy and the champagne bottle was from our wedding night.

Sweet girl.

Hannah & Anna came to spend a weekend with me in Hattiesburg.

Springtime in Oxford. New additions to Oxford-University Stadium.

Sitting at the Backporch in Destin

Pioneer woman.....sort of

Ben and I like to eat...alot.  We were both raised in the South and well meals are the focal point of any social gathering, therefore, we are lovers of all foods.  And since we love food so much, we also love to cook.  It is a great way for us to spend time together, from planning the trip to the grocery store to preparing the meal.  We have our list of favorite dishes that we can always turn to, but we are always looking for new recipes to try.  With the star\t of the new year, we have a list of new recipes to concoct.  I thought I would share our 2 favorite recipes from last week.  Now remember, we are not fancy chefs and tend to stick with ingredients that can be found in the middle of nowhere South MS.

E-Z Chicken Tortilla Bake

1 can Tomato soup

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup milk

2 cups cubed cooked chicken (we like ours grilled)

8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup shredded Fiesta blend cheese (cheddar is yummy too)

Preheat oven to 400.  Stir the soup, salsa, milk, chicken, tortillas, and half of the cheese in a 2 qt. shallow baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for about 30 mins.  Remove foil and top with remaining cheese.  Place back in oven to melt cheese.  

We added a bag of frozen mexi-corn and a can of drained black beans to add some very healthyveggies :)  The corn tortillas are the key. They are what gives this dish a very authentic Mexican taste.  Ben and I both agreed that this dish tasted way better the following night.  

We LOVE anything buffalo, Buffalo wings, buffalo tenders, buffalo shrimp, you get the idea. When I came across the following recipe I new we had to give it a try.  This dish will definitely become a regular.

Sloppy Buffalo Joes

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey or ground chicken

1 carrot, peeled and grated

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt & pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup hot sauce (our favorite is Frank's)

3 oz. tomato sauce

1/4 cup chicken stock

Heat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil over med. high heat.  Add meat and break it up with a spoon.  Cook 5-6 mins.  Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, cooking 7-8 minutes more.  In a bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and stock.  Pour into the pan and stir to combine.  Simmer for 10-15 mins. to let liquids reduce.

We serve ours on onion rolls.  We diced up a dill pickle spear to put on top of our sloppy joe and drizzled it with ranch dressing.  For those who like blue cheese, a few crumbles might be good in place of the ranch dressing.  Get out your napkins for this dish!  

Bon Appetite!

Hooray for another Monday

Hello all!  Hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday.  I start classes this week so I am enjoying my last day of laziness for quite some time.  Did everyone have a good weekend?  We spent the weekend watching NFL playoff games, hanging out with friends, and eating yummy food.  Our friends, Robert and Amanda, had us over to watch the Saints game and I got to try deer meat for the very first time.  It was quite delicious. It's hard to not like something wrapped up with cream cheese, jalepenos, and bacon.  Good job Robert, I can now say that I have tried deer and do indeed like it.  

Here are a few randoms for the day in total presentation style:

•  A day early but Happy 1 month anniversary to Patrick & Megan!  
• Hooray & Good luck to my sister, Heather who started school last week
• The rumor is true.  Tiger Woods is in Hattiesburg. He is in town seeking treatment from a sex rehabilitation facility.
• Sandra Bullock won a Golden Globe last night for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side.

Have a fabulous Monday everyone!

HAPPY 2010!!

Happy New Years everyone! Its a few days late but tardiness never hurt anyone. I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and New Years holiday. We spent Christmas in North MS with my family and the new years holiday in FL with Ben's very large family. It was great to see family that we only get to see once or twice a year. It was unsually cold in FL, much like everywhere else in the southeast, so we spent a majority of our time indoors. I learned how to play Puppyopoly, Clue Agents & Spies and I kicked my newphew, Harrison's butt in a snowball fight on the Wii. And there was LOTS of football watching. We saw some very interesting and crazy games and watched our Rebels pull out a sloppy win over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl! HOTTY TODDY!

Now on to New Years' Resolutions. I typically dislike coming up with these things and never stick with them. However, this year I am trying to keep a positive attitude about them. Here are my resolutions:

Stop worrying. This one is a tough one for me. I worry ALOT. I mostly worry about things that are completely out of my control. I just have to remember that God is in control.

Be healthier. Every year my resolution is to lose weight. Well this year I decided it should be be healthier instead of lose ___ pounds. I decided that being healthier is much more beneficial and in the long run more rewarding. Hopefully, being healthier will just bring about weight loss :)

Just be grateful and thankful for all that God has given me.

Share your resolutions!

Decade of Music: 2000-2009

Christmas, work and general laziness has consumed Mrs. Magnolia and myself over the past couple weeks.

We apologize.

Actually, she does, but I do not. Christmas is by far my favorite holiday, and I'll make time for our adoring fans(see: mostly family) afterwards.

Last time, I took a look at the best movies of the first ten years of the new millenium. Let's jump into the world of clefs, codas and middle C by examining the best songs of the 2000's to date.

In a particular "High Fidelity" fashion, it's a top fiver for a few selected genres. Add more if you must.

RAP/HIP-HOP
1.) Outkast- "Hey Ya!"- Seriously, who didn't shake it like a Polaroid picture at least once during the 2000's?
2.) Kanye West- "Gold Digger"- Combined Ray Charles ala Jamie Foxx and an addictive beat, loved it.
3.) Jay Z- "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"- Go to a club, bar or just anywhere music is being played loudly for an hour. If someone doesn't pretend to brush dirt off their shoulders, you're probably in a foreign country.
4.) Outkast- "Ms. Jackson"- Two albums in this decade(Stankonia, Speakerboxx/Love Below) were among the best. Well done, ATL-iens.
5.) Eminem- "Lose Yourself"- The track from the mediocre movie "Eight Mile" was a summation of the things this artist wants you to know about his beginnings.

COUNTRY
1.) Brad Paisley- "Alcohol"- A song nearly everyone can relate to across genres.
2.) Alan Jackson- "Where were you when the world stopped turning"- Unbelievable connection to feelings and emotions held by many after the 9/11 attacks. Lasting value for the song will last for decades.
3.) Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss- "Whiskey Lullaby"- Another song about booze? What are you, a drunk? No, that's just country music. Great sad story and absolutely made top 5 due to Krauss.
4.) Toby Keith- "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue"- Keith wrote this in light of 9/11 attacks in memory of his veteran father and what his dad would have thought about the terrorist attacks. Some people are offended by some of the wording but not me.
5.) Brooks and Dunn- "I Believe"- Choir accompaniement, spoken-sung lyrics and great story made this a favorite for country music fans. Good to see this long-standing duo continuing to put out great music.

ROCK/ALTERNATIVE
1.) Franz Ferdinand- "Take Me Out"- Lead riff is like crack. Addictive from the first time...not that I would know from first hand...just what I've been told.
2.) Coldplay- "Clocks"- Might be the best band of the decade.
3.) The Killers- "Mr. Brightside"- I still don't really understand some of the words in the song, but I've made up my own to make up for it.
4.) Coldplay- "Viva La Vida"- See numero dos.
5.) Gorillaz- "Clint Eastwood"- Just different from everything else but well executed and gets stuck in the noggin.

DANCE-Y, GIRLY, TWIRLY MUSIC
1.) Beyonce- "Single Ladies"- Women be dancin' to this all the tiiiiime.
2.) Kelly Clarkson- "Since U Been Gone"- I'm fairly certain I heard this blasted from every Benz and Beamer at Ole Miss whilst I was there.
3.) Rihanna- "Umbrella"- RELEASE A SONG ABOUT RESTRAINING ORDERS NEXT!!!11!! OMG I LUV U RIHANNNAAAA MYMANISCRAZYYYTOOOOO. /sarcasm
4.) Beyonce- "Irreplaceable"- To the left, to the left.
5.) Britney Spears- "Toxic"- No comment.

There you have it. Enjoy and discuss amongst yourselves.

Favorites of the Decade(2000-2009)

There's been some publicity of late where the Associated Press or Rolling Stone or some other worthy, ink-stained wretches choose the best movies, albums, athletes, cheeses, wines, shoes and Kardashian of the decade.

First, let's get this straight: 2000-2009 is the decade. The 1990's were from 1990-1999. 2010 is the next decade, and it would make no sense to start at 1 rather than 0 for the beginning of a ten year span. 

Obviously, these selections bring up hours of debate, or sometimes just minutes depending on the company you keep. Here's a few of my best of the decade selections with brief reasons why:

MOVIES

Best action movie: Gladiator. Russell Crowe is phenomenal in this historical fiction piece bringing to life Ancient Rome and the bloodbaths of gladiator battle. There's a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain, a disgusting villian and he KILLS A TIGER. Cha-ching. Honorable mention: Munich.

Best geek movie: Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers. This is my favorite of the three movies, and I have to admit I enjoyed the trilogy. There were corny parts in all three, and you have to really throw yourself into fantasy world to get into these movies. Great battle scenes and unbelievable story-telling though. Honorable mention: Spiderman.

Best mystery/crime/thriller: The Departed. Martin Scorsese is fantastic. I would imagine the payroll for this movie was larger than Black Friday spending. South Boston accents all over the place, dead bodies flying off rooftops and the classic undercover cop flushing out a rat story. Honorable mention: Traffic.

Best drama: A Beautiful Mind. Russell Crowe, go back to drinking a lot and acting well. Gladiator in 2000, A Beautiful Mind in 2001. Daggum. Honorable mention: Million Dollar Baby.

Best musical/movie: Ray. I'm a Georgia boy, through and through. Jamie Foxx, amazing. Music in this should shake your soul. Honorable mention: Chicago.

Next post, we'll go further into my best of 2000's selections with some music. What's your opinion on my choices? What movies did I miss out on?

Butterball is turning 1...

Hello all!

My sweet niece Kinsley is turning one year old one week from today. It was one year ago that we were wondering if she was ever going to join us...My sister's due date was December 12. December 12 came and went with no excitement, so finally after being induced on Dec. 22, little Kinsley came into the world on 12-23-2008 at 10:47 p.m. Each day since has been such a blessing! I never knew it was possible to love something so much, oh but it is. Sorry family, but seeing her is what I look forward to most when I am traveling home. She brings so much joy to my life and I can't imagine life without Butterball. I am so excited to see what God has in store for her life. I have a feeling she is going to amaze us.

We celebrated her 1st birthday last weekend and boy was it fun! She was so fun to watch as she tore open her presents and devoured her banana smash cake. I am posting a few pictures of the celebration so each of you can have a smile today :)

I love you Butterball!
LuLu

Let's Go Caroling...

I wanted to share my top 5 favorite songs of the holidays. Well it was really hard to keep the list at 5 so there are a few honorable mentions.

5. White Christmas
4. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
3. Wonderful Christmastime
2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
1. Silent Night

Honorable Mentions:

Baby, It's Cold Outside
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Have a Holly Jolly Chirstmas

Please share your favorite Christmas carols!

Road rage – why I love it

Mrs. Magnolia and I live in marginally sized south Mississippi town. It has most of the chain restaurants people enjoy. There's a six lane highway running through the city(old people would call it "the strip," which sounds like the place to be, but it's not).

Along with the six lane highway comes an expected amount of traffic. Now, I grew up in Atlanta(see: bad traffic = three or more hours), so it is fairly difficult for me to call what we normally see in our town as traffic.

However, whilst I steer my SUV swiftly through the avenues of asphalt to get to my desired location a bubbling vat of anger awaits for any stupidity I encounter. I'm the guy changing lanes often, talking on his cell phone and randomly yelling at my steering wheel in frustration. 

For example, the good Lord put blinkers on your vehicle for a reason. Mainly so I wouldn't plow my huge vehicle into yours as your leisurely turn into Blockbuster to most likely return a movie with late charges. Seriously, who still uses Blockbuster? Join the 21st century and get Netflix.

If your blinkers don't work, wave your arms to let me know you're turning. I'll appreciate it even though you look like an idiot. 

Then, there's the motorists who are from absolutely the middle of nowhere. I'm talking about the cast of Deliverance comes to your town to head up to the Wal-Mart and get their monthly rations. They generally drive 10 miles under the speed limit and slowly ease into other lanes as if they don't know about keeping it between the mayonnaise and the mustard. Usually I enjoy yelling, "The accelerator is on the right" or "Go back to your shanties."

Now, I don't know why I enjoy getting upset while I'm driving, but it's just cleansing...that's all I can say about it. I generally try to be incredibly nice to everyone I come into contact with except when I'm behind the wheel. 

Maybe I have anger issues, but at least I'm not this kid.

Okay, that video is most likely fake, but you gotta admit. It's freakin' hilarious.

I don't think I've ever been that upset about anything. Not even when someone pulls out of a church parking lot causing me to honk my horn and then I get the middle finger waved at me. Now THAT is the church I need to join. 

HOHOHO!

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