Happy 2 Years!!

I'll start by apologizing for the lack of posts lately.  I am also going to apologize for the length of this post.  Ben & I celebrated 2 wonderful years of marriage yesterday.  It's amazing how much my love for Ben continues to grow after all these years..haha.  As I told you in an earlier post that we had originally planned to take a long weekend and go to DisneyWorld but thanks to a SURPRISE! car repair, we could no longer afford it.  God does work in mysterious ways.  Let me explain in a short, conscise manner.  2 weeks ago today, my mom was admitted to the hospital because there was fluid surrounding her heart and lungs.  After running multiple tests, they couldn't determine where the fluid was coming from but they did discover that my mom has a weak heart.  They did a cathader and to my mom's surprise they found no blockages. She was sure being a Southern-bred woman who doesn't enjoy healthy foods, they would find some blockages. However, her heart is just a weak pumper.  Praise the Lord this can be treated with meds.  After a week in the hospital and 62lbs lighter (all fluid baby) she finally got to go home.   So instead of go to see Mickey, we went home to see my already healthier mama and spend much needed time with family and friends.  

Saturday, we took Kinsley to Cedar Hill Farm to partake in fun fall activities.  When we first pulled up I thought this is going to be super lame, but I had a change of heart after I saw Kinsley having an absolute ball.  She got to ride a pony for the first time, ride on a tractor-train mobile, pet farm animals, enjoy a hayride & pick out a pumpkin!  Enjoy the pictures.

 Thanks to our day off from work, we got to spend our entire anniversary together.  It was such a relaxing day.  We slept in and enjoyed coffee in bed.  We went to Saw's BBQ for lunch which is definitely the best BBQ in Birmingham.  We strolled through shops and drove different parts of the city admiring all the beautiful neighborhoods.  We finished the day by cooking dinner together.  It was the most simple, delicious meal and it was perfect dish to celebrate our marriage.  We had leftover taco meat from a few nights before so we threw together Nacho Bread Pizzas, which is by far the best thing you could do with leftover taco meat and French bread.  The recipe follows below. 

End of the day, Don't Hate.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

Nacho Bread Pizza
1 loaf French Bread, cut in half and then cut in half lengthwise
1/2 lb. taco meat
1 can black beans, drained
1 can Rotel tomatores or 1 fresh tomato diced
Jalepeno slices
1 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese
Shredded lettuce, sour cream, & black olives for topping

Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium saucepan, heat the black beans and meat together until thoroughly heated.  Hollow out the center of the bread  (feed to whatever 4-legged creature is hanging around) so the 2 halves look like miniature boats.  Sprinkle a thin layer of cheese and pop into oven for about 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread meat mixture over melted cheese.  Next, add the Rotel tomatoes and jalepeno slices.  Add any other "Mexican" toppings that you would like.  Top with the rest of the cheese.  Bake in the oven for an additional 7-8 minutes to melt the top layer of cheese.  Top with sour cream, lettuce, black olives, and fresh tomatoes.  Enjoy!

I'll end this post by sharing some of my favorite pictures from our wedding.  Looking at these never gets old and they are a great reminder of the day Ben & I started our lives together. 

731 days &counting!

We're Nomads....& A Recipe!

I have been a major slacker when it comes to blogging lately.  For the most part, our lives have been pretty routine.  We have just been doing the usual, working for the weekends and watching the weekends slip by way too quickly.  We have spent the last 5 weekends traveling to watch the Rebels play and its been a roller coaster so far.  This week has been the first one where I have felt exhausted throughout the entire week, I guess it's finally all catching up with me.  No worries though, I can rest when Spring rolls around.  Last weekend, we had an early game so my mom graciously drove to Oxford to pick Ben & I up (we carpool with our friends from Birmingham) so we could spend the evening with them and I could visit my little obsession, Kinsley.  It was a quick trip but hearing "Hey lulu" and "ubs you" (love you) from that sweet, enthusiastic little voice never gets old.  This weekend we are heading to Georgia to see Ben's parents and grandmother.  We are also going to the UGA/UT game on Saturday...GO DAWGS! SIC EM!  We haven't had a trip to Ben's parents in almost a year so we are really looking forward to it.  Patrick & Megan are going with us and we are very excited about getting to share the weekend with them and be a part of their first trip to Athens. 

We've got a few adventures coming up in the upcoming month.  My best friend Anna and her husband, Nathan are coming to visit us next weekend!  She is expecting and I haven't seen her since Lucy Kate was a little peanut and now Anna's halfway through prenancy!  I can't wait to rub that little baby bump and see them.  Anna & I are going to go to the Junior League of Birmingham's The Market while the boys spend the day watching football.  I am very excited to show them our new city, a place we truly love.  The following weekend Ben & I will celebrate our 2nd anniversary.  I  can't believe how fast its gone by, but it has been the best 2 years.  We had planned a trip to Disney World but God had other plans in store for us (we had to use our savings for Disney on an unexpected car repair) so we are going to keep the days we had taken off and just spend time together.  Disney will always be there and I'm sure Layla won't mind a weekend away from camp and home with us.  Also, in early November I have to take comps so I can get a license to practice Audiology when I graduate in May.  Totally not looking forward to this, I have been out of the study mode for quite some time.  Prayers are greatly appreciated :)

Here is one of the yummy goodies I took to the Grove last weekend.  They were a hit and were gone before the 11:21 kickoff.  The recipe says it makes 24+ pinwheels, but thats a lie.  I'd double the recipe if you want at least that many. 

Creamy Spinach Pinwheels

1 package of Crescent Rolls

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese (softened)
1 package of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup parmesan Cheese (Shaky Version)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl mix together the softened cream cheese, drained spinach, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper.  Pop open can of Crescent Rolls. It will be divided into 2 sections. Carefully unroll 1 section and pinch together the seams so it is one piece of dough.  Spread ½ of the spinach mixture over the dough leaving ¼ inch around the edge.  Roll the dough long ways, and slice into pieces 1 inch thick.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Kinsley on the ride back to Oxford

Have a great weekend!!

Holy Masoli!

My husband informed me Sunday as we were returning to Birmingham that college football season was a quarter of the ways through.  It is pretty crazy that we've already experienced 3 weekends of college football.  These weekends weren't what we were expecting as far as football goes but they have been just as fun nonetheless!  It has been a blast being back in the Grove and seeing so many old friends.  The weather has been delightful and the food super delicious.  We traveled to the Big Easy for the 2nd weekend to see the Rebels take on Tulane.  We had a grand time down there and the French Quarter transformed into Oxford for the weekend.  We stayed with one of our new friends, who grew up just outside NOLA and still lives there.  She really did a fine job of showing us a good time.  I have a few pictures to share of the first few weekends.  Most are from cameras not belonging to me which is why there is only one of me and the Mr.  I promise that will change as the season progresses and I remember to start bringing it with me :)

Chowing down on beignets at Cafe Du Monde

 

The ladies on Bourbon

Our Season Ticket group, minus a few!

Vanderbilt

Jeremiah Masoli, Our pretty darn good Samoan QB!

Those are just a few of the snapshots of our amazingly fun weekends in Oxford or wherever the Rebels lead us!  We saw Jeremiah Masoli on the Square Saturday night following the loss to Vanderbilt.  I gave him a fist pump & then asked for a picture, knowing he wouldn't tell a Southern girl no.  I wish I would have asked who his dental hygienist was since they have clearly done a fine job on his pearly whites.  Anyways, I still have some hope left in our team.  They are a hard-working bunch and I will continue to support them through good times and the bad times (me and the Rebels have our own little vows).  This lady will always have a good time on Saturdays in the fall whether its a "W" or "L" in the results column!  Y'all can find me under the red tent with a red solo cup in hand. 

Hotty Toddy, Y'all.

My Beauty Bag

One of my favorite bloggers does a weekly post every Wednesday sharing what she's loving.  She always finds the most rad items.  She has some amazing internet searching skills and I am jealous that I can never find that cool of stuff on my own, I always need some guidance.  Well I thought I'd do a little spin-off of "What I'm Loving Wednesdays" and do my own what I'm loving.  Only I'm gonna share my favorite getting pretty products.  Now I am a no frills type of girl, or so I think.  I usually stick to the basics.  I don't use 829 products when getting ready in the morning.  My make-up for a night on the town is the same as the make-up I apply to come to work testing little kiddo's hearing.  Sometimes, I might add eyeliner to my lower lashes and maybe even extend it all the way to the inner corners...exciting, I know. I am just pretty darn simple.  HOWEVER, there are a handful of items that I cannot live without.  I for one think that every woman should use every single one of the following products I am about to list, with the exception of maybe one.

Up first we have, Bare Minerals Prime-Time Primer.

I must admit I was slightly skeptical when I first tried it. I really thought it was a gimmick to spend more money in the Bare Minerals store, but after one pump, I was in love.  One little pump is all it takes to make your skin feel like a blank canvas ready to be beautified.  It feels oh so wonderful and really does give your makeup something to grab hold.  BM even makes a version for you ladies that have oiler skin types. 

Next up is CoverGirl VolumeBlast Mascara

Don't mascara commercials make you want to jump in your car to run to Walgreens to purchase the product that makes you look like you have stilettos growing out of your eyelids?  Well the VolumeBlast commercial sure had me running to the car.  I haven't tried another mascara since I started using VolumeBlast, not even the free samples BM gives me when I spend way more than I should while in that store.  Seriously, this stuff is awesome.  No clumps or flaking and I think it makes my eyelashes look volumelicious!

Next, Bare Minerals 100% Natural Lip Gloss in Iced Coffee

I know, another BM product but there makeup is great.  Besides being super awesome because its 100% natural, its NOT sticky!  Thats right ladies, not sticky.  It doesn't feel like I just applied a glue stick to my pouter.  This might just be my crazy self, but I swear it even has an "iced coffee" taste too it.  This little baby is always in my bag.  She is the perfect topping to BM lipstick in "bread pudding."  Makes you hungry doesn't it?

Now for the night time, Target's Up & Up Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

Note:  Not my hand.

I heard about this stuff from someone who said they loved this stuff, best eye makeup remover they had ever used.  Now, this was someone I would normally not take advice from but against my better judgement I decided to try.  I was pretty amazed that this person was on target (no pun intended, ha.)  I dont lose half of my volumelicious eyelashes attempting to take my makeup off.  Although it's oil-free, it still feels oily but doesn't break the area around my eyes out like other products had.  It is a little tricky to travel with, as it tends to leak so I have to put it in a ziploc but still love it.

Finally, Bumble & Bumble Thickening Serum

This is the one product those of you who were blessed with gorgeous, thick hair would not need.  An awesome hairstylist and owner of Bloom Salon & Spa recommended this to me when she did a (fantastic) job on my hair in July.  You use it at night and it works over time creating a build-up that does something magical that makes your hair look fuller.  It is super concentrated, your only supposed to use one pump but my hair is as fine as it comes so I double it up with 2 pumps.  I can really tell a difference after a week or so of consistent applications.  The best part is the scent.  It's a cross between spearmint and something else.  It makes me want to sleep with my hair cascading across my face so I can have sweet dreams.

Well, those are the few products I obsess over.  Nothing too outrageous but still girly enough.  

Our Little Houdini

As you all know from reading previous posts, that we spent this past weekend away in Oxford for Grovin' & football.  Unfortunately, for Layla, this means she has to go to the kennel, or as we lovingly refer to it as "camp."  Well this particular weekend at camp was quite adventurous for our child. 

Saturday, as the football team is running out of juice and the fans are running out of excitement, I get a call from the vet.  Of course, the whole stadium is yelling and the old men behind us are yapping about what play they would have run, so all I can make out is that "This is Dr. So&So at Standifer and Layla has had an accident," to which I explain to him that we are at a football game and I am passing the phone along to my husband who can hear better.  Better hearing or not, Ben cannot make out what Dr. So&So is saying so he tells him to call our number back and leave us a voicemail letting us know what is going on.  However, unknowing to either one of us, I did not have my voicemail set up on my rad new Iphone.  Immediately, following the game, we give the vet a call back only to learn that we were being answered by a calling service because the vet's office had already closed for the day.  While we were worried, we knew it couldn't be too terrible or the calls from the vet's office would have been persistent.  Finally, on Sunday afternoon we get the "accident" from the doctor.  While our little angel was out during her run on Saturday, apparently with little or no supervision, she was able to get the "difficult to manuever" latch open and escape into a large area that is on the property of the vet's clinic.  In the process, she managed to rip, according to Ben, " a large, jagged L-shaped tear" in one of her ears that required stitches.  Of course, while Ben is on the phone with the doctor I am sitting beside him in the car getting little bits of information from Ben's responses and drawing my own conclusions (Thank goodness mine were way worse than the actual event).  Ben gets off the phone and explains the situation (no, not the Jersey Shore situation (WT))  My doggie motherly instincts kicked in and my first thoughts were what if she had been hit with by a car or someone dognapped her??  Our seconds thoughts were, I sure hope they don't expect us to pay for the medical services she needed. We had to wait until Tuesday to pick her up thanks (graciously) to Labor Day.  Ben decides he will do it since he is the man and all...As soon as the receptionist heard his name she paged the Dr. Standifer, not Dr. So&So but the Dr. Standifer.  He gives Ben a tour of where it the accident happened and explained that they don't master lock the latches in case there is a fire or accident.  He was extremely apologetic and said that Layla had been staying inside the receptionists office that day.  He showed Ben the tear and gave him antibiotics to give Layla twice a day.  He also offered for us to bring Layla in everyday this week so she can have supervision while we are away at work.  And no, he didn't mention a cent to us, this doctor knows how to run a business.  And while I hate my Layla had to endure this pain, she is a super smart girl and knew this was the weekend to try it since it would be the most expensive weekend of boarding we will have during football season due to the holiday.  While we were gung-ho about never taking her there again when we were told the story over the phone, we have since had a change of heart after seeing how it happened and all well they treated Layla and us during the whole ordeal.  Everyone deserves a 2nd chance right?

The meds were kicking in..

Ben says she looks like a Nun

Our Little Houdini

Just a Quickie..

Of course this quickie is about Ole Miss.  Yes, it was a terrible & shocking loss this past weekend to Jacksonville State, but they wanted it more, so congrats Gamecocks.  Let's just hope we don't have the same outcome in NOLA this weekend.

So this commercial aired last night on national television on ESPN during the Boise State/Virginia Tech game.  It is a great commercial and paints Ole Miss in such a fun, ,light-hearted way.  The dorky Ackbar nerd is one of Ben's fraternity brothers who started this whole "Admiral Ackbar for Ole Miss" campaign a few months back.  He's not that nerdy in real life, only just a little bit. Anways, follow the link above, it is worth it.

Hotty Toddy, Y'all.

There's a Spot That Ever Calls...

Can you feel it? The chills and sheer excitement of football season? I sure can!  We started the grand season of football last night like we always do by having a little get together with tailgate food, refreshing beverages, and good friends.  Like always, it was a good ole time.  We provided boneless buffalo wings and artichoke bread.  Others brought spicy pretzels (I'm sharing the recipe below), redneck caviar, tomato bacon biscuits (yum-yum), and blondie brownies.  We tuned in to the Southern Miss/South Carolina game which didn't have the outcome we had hoped (USC won 41-13) but we still had a blast talking about the upcoming season.

Spicy Pretzels
1 cup vegetable oil
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bag (20 oz size) round mini pretzels

 Directions:

Mix together all ingredients except pretzels. Place pretzels in large roasting pan such as used to roast a turkey. Pour mixture over pretzels, stirring very well to coat completely. Bake uncovered at 200 degrees for 2 hrs. stirring well every 20 min.

In just a few short hours, we will be heading to one of our most beloved places, Oxford.  I am almost too giddy to even type this post, hah.  We have our cooler packed and a huge tubberware bin full of our Grove supplies.  We are playing Jacksonville State and they are the gamecocks so naturally we will be serving up chicken dishes at our tent.  There will be a smorgasboard of yummy food to devour tomorrow.  Ok, I feel like all I have blogged about in this post is food so I'll move on. Oh the Grove, How do I love thee.  I'm sure plenty of people think Ole Miss folks are crazy for cherishing tailgating like we do. It's been said many times, but there really is no other place to experience a finer tailgate.  It sounds silly but there are many times on Saturdays in the Fall that I experience goosebumps in the Grove.  Frank Everett said, “There is a valid distinction between The University and Ole Miss even though the separate threads are closely interwoven. The University is buildings, trees and people. Ole Miss is mood, emotion and personality. One is physical, and the other is spiritual. One is tangible and the other intangible. The University is respected, but Ole Miss is loved. The University gives a diploma and regretfully terminates tenure, but one never graduates from Ole Miss.” and it couldn't have been said any better.  There is a big ole spot in my heart for Ole Miss.  I had some of the best times of my life there. I made life-long friends and I even found my honey there, and so yes that little spot continues to grow.


So  tomorrow, when I am seeing old friends and watching our hard-working football players making their way down the Walk of Champions,  I will count my blessings and thank God for making me a Rebel.

Hotty Toddy Y'all!

The Calm before the Storm.

August has been a really slow month for us.  It just seems to be dragging on, I wonder if the anticipation of football season has something to do with it?  We haven't been up to much since the last post.  We have mostly been relaxing and getting stuff prepared for Saturdays in the Grove. When we were living in Oxford all we had to do on Satrudays was show up to the Grove with a dish and we'd migrate from tent to tent.  Now, that we are alumni, we actually have to plan (Oh, the joys of being an adult).  We had to find someone to set up & take down our tents, plan and assign menus for every weekend, gather all the tables, chairs, coolers, serving pieces, etc.  It has been so much work and football season hasn't even started!  I am not complaining, I am loving every bit of it.  In 10 days,  I will be in the most incredible place to experience college football and life will be complete again.  Dramatic? Sure, but it makes life oh so sweet.

This past weekend was Ben's first weekend off since we moved to Birmingham in May.  Although he started his job with the BBJ in July, he has continued working as a server. Why? Refer to previous paragraph. Football season is a major expense and we have been saving all of the money from serving to help fund the next 4 months of our life.  I am so grateful that Ben was willing to sacrifice his whole summer (withouth complaints) working 7 days a week so we could have the extra funds.  Anyways, he decided to quit serving a couple of weekends before the season started so he could have some relaxation.  And boy did he relax!  We spent the entire weekend at the pool with a cooler full of refreshing beverages.  It was exactly the weekend we both needed.

The weather is finally starting to cool down here.  I am hoping it's not a tease from Fall, but a steady progression into the best season of the year!  There hasn't been much of anything going on.  My mom is coming to visit this weekend.  She misses her oldest baby and wants a weekend away.  I am very excited to see her, but it requires me to take a day off from work (and still get paid...aghhh!) which is super exciting.  We are going to have a blast.  We are gonna do lots of shopping and I'm going to take her to yummy eateries that are going to make her wonder how she functions without them.

Happy Humpday Y'all!!

Bunco Night!

I recently joined a bunco group that gets together once a month for a good ole game of bunco.  Being  new to the area, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to meet a group ladies that are full of conversation and love sharing a bottle(s) of wine. Last night was only our 2nd meeting and I was the hostess.  Everyone brings a bottle of wine and $5 to play and the hostess serves dinner.  Last night, I served Caesar Chicken Salad Squares with a side salad and roasted asparagus.  For dessert, we had strawberry freeze pie (recipes below).  The meal was delicious and well we never actually got around to playing bunco.  We were missing several members due to sickness and just bad timing so we decided to have a business meeting instead, although we didn't really discuss anything related to bunco.  I don't think there were any complaints though, we had a good meal, shared great company, and all got to go home with our $5.  Anyways, I'll get to the good part and share the recipes now.

Caesar Chicken Salad Squares
2 c. cubed or shredded cooked chicken breasts
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. cooked and chopped bacon (I usually cook 2-3 pieces)
2 tbsp. Caesar dressing
1 tbsp. mayo
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice

Crust:
1 can crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375.  In a medium bowl, mix all the filling ingredients until well blended.  Unroll the crescent rolls and seperate into 4 rectangles.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and press preforations to seal.  Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto centor of each rectangle.  With knife, cut each corner of each rectangle from edge to within 1/2 inch of filling.  Bring the 8 points of each rectangle up over filling; firmly pinch to seal, forming a square. Bake 16-21 minutes or until deep golden brown. 

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.  Since I was cooking in a limited amount of time, I made the filling the night before that way all I had to do was fill the crescent rolls and bake.  If you make the filling ahead of time, you probably want to add a little more mayo and Caesar dressing to the mix before you spoon it into rolls.  I like to serve with a side salad of Romaine lettuce and mozzarella cheese.

Strawberry Freeze Pie
12 Chips Ahoy cookies
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 can frozen berry juice concentrate ( I like Bacardi strawberry daquiri mix)
1 c. crushed stawberries
1 tub Cool Whip

Place cookies on the bottom of a 9 in. springform pan forming a crust.  Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the juice concentrate, beating well after each addition.  Stir in the strawberries.  Gradually fold in Cool Whip until well blended.  Pour mixture over cookies and place in freezer for at least 8 hours.  When ready to serve, remove from freezer and place in refrigeratore for at least 15 minutes to soften. 

I found this recipe several years ago when I was browsing through an issue of Cooking Light at Ben's parents house.  It quickly became one of my favorite summer desserts and I look forward to strawberry season every year so I can make this yummy pie.  And, it came from Cooking Light magazine so it has to be somewhat heatlhy right?

Happy Friday!

50 State Bucket List...My Turn!

So now it's my turn to share my bucket list.  My list is pretty pitiful compared to Ben's, his family was able to travel a lot more than mine growing up (Ben's dad worked for Delta Airlines).  I am so thrilled that I married someone who likes to travel.  I condsider myself a lover of traveling, but Ben begs to differ.  Unlike most, I have no desire to travel to many places around the globe.  Quite frankly,the thought of traveling to most foreign places scares the living daylights out of me.  Still, there are plenty of places I'd like to see before I kick the bucket (hah). 

Here's my slightly less exciting list:

States I haven't been to (ranking of where I'd like to visit):


Washington--5

Colorado--4

Maine--6

Nevada--2

Hawaii--1

Massachusetts (sp?)--3

Vermont--7

New Mexico--8

Arizona--9

The following are the states I haven't been too but not really sure if I'll ever have a desire to visit them:


West Virginia
Delaware
New Hampshire
Conneticutt
Michigan
Indiana
Ohio
Iowa
Idaho
Kansas
Nebraska (only if Ole Miss ever makes it to the College World Series)
Oklahoma
Wisconsin
Minnesota
North/South Dakota
Oregon
Utah
Alaska
Wyoming

I might have left 1 or 2 out, at my age, its hard to remember all 50 states.

Most beautiful state visited:

Kentucky---Random, I know but the hills & trees, It really surprised me.

Ugliest state visited:
Tie between New Jersey & Louisiana- Both make me proud to be a Mississippian (and that says a lot, haha)

State I'd most like to visit again:
California--I want to visit the vineyards, and San Diego, and see more of LA & Hollywood.

State I'd least like to visit again:
Missouri--these folks don't know if they are yankees or southerners...plus it's just an extension of Arkansas

Southernmost point visited:
Sarasota/Tampa, FL---whichever is more southern

Northernmost point visited:
Kalispell, Montana

Coldest place visited:
Chicago, IL---I would love to live there if it wasn't for their wretched winters

Hottest place visited:
All the places in Florida

State with the best cuisine:
California, hands down.

State with the worst cuisine:
New Jersey--I can't imagine anything from that state being edible.


See? I told you it wasn't very exciting.  This was a fun post to write and it brought back many good memories.