What is your favorite drink?

My favorite drink right now is sweet tea.  I'm a southerner though and through.  I think un-sweet tea is just colored water.  (I don't like water.)  Sweet tea is great at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as all throughout the day.

I also like juices and smoothies.  I'm not a tart flavor fan.  I tend to stay away from most berries.  I have a smoothie place near my house, and it's not a good thing for our bank account.  Oops.

I have another love that I enjoy in the afternoons.  Moscato D'Asti Wine!  It's my favorite wine.  I love how sweet it is, and that it's a bubbly kind.  I drink regular Moscato, but the kind from the D'Asti region of Italy.

What is your favorite drink?

What are you looking for from life?

What are you looking for from life?  Wow.  That's deep.
I guess I'm looking for happiness and love.  I know this life isn't all that's available to me.  I believe in Heaven, and that this life is just a temporary thing.  From my life, I hope to please God and to do His will.

The 45th Presidential Inauguration

I just got though watching the Inauguration of President Trump. As a Christian, I'm totally excited for our country right now!  I feel like if the other candidate had won the election, I'd be scared to death today.  I have to admit that I don't fully understand ALL of what Pres. Trump said at that podium, but I liked the gist of it!

The thing I don't understand about people is, why would you hope, or wish, our president to fail?  If that were to happen, we'd all fail as a nation.   Which means YOU would fail.
I also don't understand the ridiculous protests.  So your candidate didn't win, try again in 4 years.  Friendly, kind, peaceful protests to try to voice your opinion are a wonderful thing that we've been given privilege to through the Constitution, but not the protests where people burn the flag, or disrespect the nation.  You're just making yourself look childish to damage things and hurt others in protest because you didn't get what you wanted.  I blame parents.  I hope my kids understand that when things don't go your way, you hold your head up, and make the best of what you're dealt with.

Last thought: Facebook.  I'm really not liking it right now.  People share things others have posted, with a feeling of, "yea, take that Trump fans".  Others post stuff like "stuff it Democrats, how do you like it now".  Really, people?  Where's the love and compassion we're all called to show the rest of humanity???

My prayer for this nation is that it would become united Under God!

I will step off my soapbox now.  I have had this on my heart, but I didn't feel that Facebook was the correct platform to lay out all I wanted to say.  That's why I have this blog.  As far as I know, I'm the only one reading this, and that's completely fine.

My current favorite website is _____________.

My current favorite website is ___________.

I have to say it's Pinterest.  I am in the process of planning my son's birthday party AND my mother-in-law's retirement party the same weekend.  I need all the Pinterest tips and ideas I can get!!  I've got the most delicious recipes from that website, and I've even uploaded some of our favorites to the site too!
  It can get a little time consuming.  Sometimes I don't realize just how long I've been on the site until I reach the bottom of the page!
What is your favorite website?

The Best part of today was _________.

The best part of today was ____________.

It's still early, but  I have to say that the best part of today was that Bubba started his Gifted and Talented Class at his school!  I'm so proud of him!  When he first started classes at this new school (a few years ago), I pursued the Gifted and Talented (GT) program.  They said "he's not ready for this program at this time".  Last year, I did the same, and got the same response.  I decided that this year, I will let it go and not push it.  Before Thanksgiving, we got a letter saying he's a candidate.  I had to write a paper on him, fill out forms, he was interviewed, and they took his CogAT scores.  We got the letter Friday that he was accepted.  We returned the forms, signed, yesterday.  Today begins a new journey for him!

I cannot WAIT for him to get home from school to tell me all about it!!!

The only bad part, is that my daughter (Bug) is feeling a little bitter that her little brother is getting to be in this program and she's not.  I have to remember that she's MY daughter.  I wasn't ever in classes like these.  I had friends that were, but it was never ME.  My husband, however, was always in these higher level classes.  I guess Bubba got it from his daddy!

What are you grateful for?

So today isn't the 17th, but I was SUPER busy yesterday.  I will catch up today!

What am I grateful for?  Funny, last night I remembered the old song "Count your blessings, name them one by one..."  I thought to myself, "I really should do that!" And now, here's my entry with the question What am I grateful for?!  God's got humor!

So I will name by blessings today, one by one:
1. God and his gift of Jesus  2. Jesus and his gift of salvation and eternal life   3. My husband   4. My babies   5. My parents and brother   6. My grandparents   7. My in-laws   8. My home   9. My car   10. Clothing   11. Electricity/heat/air   12. Food and water   13. My kids teaches   14. That I can stay home   15. My husbands job   16. I earn $ watching my friend's kid   17. Pets that make us feel extra loved   18.My bed   19. Bug's hobbies   20. Bubba's new found hobby   21. The friends I have though my kids hobbies   22. Medicines to keep me alive    23. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant!   24. Changes in weather   25. My glasses/contacts

I feel like I could just keep going and going. A top 25 is a great start!

What are you grateful for???

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner?

I found some HUGE pork chops at Costco a few days ago - and they were on sale!  SCORE!!  So, I pan fried those giant puppies with Lawry's seasoning (and that's it!)  We also had bacon and cheese mashed potatoes, and corn. I made crescent rolls to go with it.  Y'all, my kids are extremely picky, but they ate more than me and my hubby!!  I'd say it was a total hit!!

We have quite a few "normals" in our dinner rotation, and we typically stick with those.  When I try new things I risk my kids not eating.  This dinner, however, will become a new normal!

What's for dinner at your home??  Comment below.

What makes you mad?

What makes you mad?

You know, it takes a lot to make me mad.  I'm not exactly a passive person and I do hang on to things probably too long.  But there's really not a whole lot that gets under my skin.  So, what makes me mad?   I'd have to say anything that makes the Mama Bear in me come out.  Don't mess with my kids and don't mess with my husband.   I'm sure most mamas feel the same as I do.  You can hurt me, but don't you dare hurt my kids!  My kids are still in elementary school, but I know this feeling last long into their adulthood, maybe even their whole life.

This image is a sticker from Cafe Press: http://www.cafepress.com/+mama-bear+bumper-stickers#

What is your favorite accessory?

What is your favorite accessory?

 Since I'm writing this in January, I'd have to say my favorite accessory is my jacket.  It's medium gray, so it goes with just about every outfit I have (I'm a jeans and tennies kinda gal). It's light weight, but solidly made at the same time.  It has a hoody and zips for the cooler days.

As for what others call an accessory, I have to say my Fitbit.  I have a Charge HR that was a gift last Mother's Day.  I have a wonky heart, so the HR part is great for me.  I know when my heart needs a break! My Fitbit is the purple one, so it doesn't go with all my outfits (ex: my navy blue formal... but I wore the Fitbit anyway!)  I've had a few people notice I'm wearing a Fitbit, and ask me questions about it, only to end up wearing one themselves!  I hardly ever meet my 10,000 step goal -- I think I've only surpassed it maybe 10 times in the 8 months I've worn it -- but it's real fun to keep up with what I accomplished each day!  They don't sell my old model if Charge HR, but they have a newer (better) version out now.  I'm not being paid for this... but still, here's the website to check them out yourself!   Check out the Fitbit Charge

I would also say my wedding ring, but I don't feel that it's an accessory, but a neccessity.  It's part of me, and in a sense, glued to me.  :)

Do you have a favorite accessory?

What made you smile today?

1/10/17
What made me smile today?

I'm blogging around lunch time, so that effects how many smiles I've got today!
1. My son, Bubba, is always a goof ball!  He cracks jokes all the time.  This morning he ate the middles out of his pancakes to form smiley faces.

2. At the gym this morning, all the right songs came on!  I ended up dancing on the treadmill!  Yes, dancing! I was born in the early/mid 80's, so all the 90's songs are my childhood.  Every time a new song would come up, I'd smile, remember the friends who used to sing along with me, and walk a little faster.

3. I had to go to the pet store to get shampoo for my itchy pup.  As I walked in a lady was at the checkout with a large dog.  The smile came when I saw the huge bow tie he was wearing.  It looked fancy like he was about to head out for a special event.

I'm a fairly happy person, and like Buddy the Elf, smiling is my favorite.  It doesn't take a whole lot to make me smile!

Comment below what has made you smile today!

Favorite Snacks?

Hi! So, I'm going to try this new thing called "digital journaling". As with all new things I try in January, it may not last long... hopefully I'm wrong. I found through Pinterest a website that has 365 journal prompts.  Link to 365 Journal Prompts
 So, since today is NOT the 1st, but the 9th, I will be starting on that!

 My current favorite snack: Well, I have to preface this with if I was writing this 2 weeks ago, my answer would be different. My husband and I have started a no-sugar/low-carb thing. My favorite snack RIGHT NOW would have to be spoon of peanut butter. (Shhh... I know it's sugar.) I have a crazy sweet tooth, and I've got to solve my cravings somehow. I like peanut butter with bananas, apples, and honey.

 I've also been drinking a TON of green tea and honey. I've had a sore throat for a little while now, so this helps, and it helps to keep me full between meals. I do NOT like water, and I LOVE sweet tea. Green tea with honey will have to do for right now.

 If I had been writing this post a few weeks back, I'd say my favorite snack was hummus and crackers. I really like hummus. I like the roasted red pepper kind I get from ALDI best! The garlic one is a little too much garlic for me. I've bought the black bean hummus from Sprouts, and it tastes more like Frito's bean dip to me, but my son LOVED it! I guess I could still have hummus while on this horrible weight loss trip, but on what? It's not the same on a spoon (like peanut butter).

 Weight as of starting this whole thing: 158lbs. We'll see how this goes............

Till next time friends!

Mini Sopapilla Cheesecake Pockets!

Happy Star Wars Day!  May the 4th be with you.

I've never been a Star Wars fan exactly, but my husband and son are fanatics!  In fact, my son is wearing Star Wars apparel from head to toe today.  I let them indulge today and quote the movies all they want without eye rolls, or nagging them to quit.

So, my mom has made Sopapilla Cheesecake for as long as I can remember.  It's her go to dessert whenever someone asks her to bring a dish.  Everyone I know loves the sweet, cinnamon-y, cheesecake flavor with the flaky crust.  Which brings me to today's dessert.  I was looking through my refrigerator for something sweet to satisfy my children's sweet tooth, and I noticed I had crescent rolls. Once I found all the other ingredients I would need, I knew it was ON!

MINI SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE POCKETS

Here are the ingredients you'll need to collect:
2 Crescent Rolls tubes
4 tbsp.Sugar
1 8oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tbsp. Cinnamon

1. Cream together cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Make sure it's nice and creamy!  I won't tattle on anyone if you taste test a little :)

2.  Unroll and separate your crescent rolls.  Using a tablespoon, put a dollop of cream cheesy goodness on the top part of each crescent roll.

3. Fold the corners of the crescent just over the cream cheese mixture to hold it in while baking.  Then, loosely, roll it into a crescent roll pocket.

4.  Once you've got your crescent rolls on a baking sheet, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon (or more than a pinch if you're like me) to the tops of each roll.

5.  Bake at 375* for 11-13 minutes.  My oven is finicky, so I usually bake a minute longer than suggested.

My kids and husband devoured these within 5 minutes!  When they were finished, my daughter asked me where I got the recipe.... I told her I came up with something with what I had in the fridge.  She told me, "well, I REALLY hope you wrote down what you did so you can do it again soon!"  I'd call that SUCCESS!!!

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Mini Sopapilla Cheesecake Pockets:
2 Crescent Rolls tubes
4 tbsp.Sugar
1 8oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tbsp. Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. Cream together sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon
3. Unroll and separate crescent rolls from packaging. Place 1 tbsp. size amount of cream cheese mixture onto each crescent roll.  Loosely, folding in top corners, roll up the crescent roll.
4. Sprinkle desired amount of additional sugar and cinnamon over the tops of the rolls.
5. Bake for 11-13 minutes.  Serve, and enjoy!

The Best Grilled Ranch Zucchini

I LOVE Zucchini!  I haven't found very many zucchini recipes I don't like!  I even grow my own zucchini in my backyard, and my husband likes it too! Everything is wonderful in my zucchini loving world. The only problem is... my children do not like zucchini.

As I mentioned, I do grow my own zucchini, and when my plant is in full steam, we pretty much end up with enough to have a zucchini dish on a daily basis.  My Pinterest account has a ton of recipes to help me use it all in different ways (even though my son refuses to like any of them - my daughter will eat some).  Our favorite way to enjoy all the zucchini is to grill it!

Grilled Ranch Zucchini

For this recipe, you'll need:
2-4 medium zucchini (depending on how many you have dining with you)
Olive Oil Spray
Minced Garlic
Dry Ranch Dressing packet

1. Some people like to use a vegetable peeler on their zucchini, but I prefer to leave it on.  You will need to rinse off your zucchini, then cut off the tops and bottoms.  Cut your zucchini long ways as close to 1/8" thick as possible.  In my family, only 3 of us will be eating the zucchini, so I used 3.  You'll have to adjust how many you use to how many will be enjoying the meal with you.

2. Unroll your aluminum foil to about 18".  Fold up the edges a couple of times to make a tray.  It doesn't have to be a perfect tray, just good enough to hold your veggies.  Spray down the foil with the olive oil spray to prevent the zucchini from sticking.

3.  Lay out the zucchini slices on the tray in a single layer.

4. Spray the tops of the zucchini with more olive oil.  Then sprinkle just 1 heaping tablespoon over the tops, making sure each slice has an ample amount of seasoning.  Then, sprinkle the minced garlic over the tops.  And now,  they are ready for the grill!

5.  My husband does my grilling for me.  He enjoys it, and I'm not that good at being around all the smoke.  He uses a charcoal grill, but if using a gas grill, they should cook on medium/high heat.  He let's them cook about 4-5 minutes on one side, flips them over and cook another 3-4 minutes.  Don't they look absolutely delish!!!!

Once you pull them off the grill, put them on a serving dish.  My family likes to dip them in ranch dressing, but I like to eat them straight off the grill!!  :)

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Recipe for GRILLED RANCH ZUCCHINI

-aluminum foil
-2-4 medium sized zucchini (my family of 3 requires 3 zucchini)
-1 tbsp. of dry ranch dressing packet
-1 tsp. minced garlic
-olive oil spray

1. Rinse zucchini, and cut off ends.  Slice the zucchini long ways to around 1/8" thick.

2. Using the aluminum foil, create a tray to use on the grill.

3. Spray the olive oil on the foil to prevent sticking.

4. Lay the zucchini on the tray in a single layer, and spray the tops with more olive oil.

5. Sprinkle the dry ranch and minced garlic over the tops of the zucchini.

6. Place zucchini tray on grill (medium/high heat).  Grill for 4-5 minutes, flip them over and continue grilling for 4 more minutes.

7. Remove from grill, put zucchini on serving plate.  Enjoy with friends and loved ones!

Grilled Parmesan Asparagus

I didn't grow up having experienced asparagus.  I asked my mom the other day why that is, and she said, "because your dad isn't a fan."  Isn't it funny how families eat that way? If mom or dad doesn't care for it, you grow up not knowing if you like it or not.

I recently joined a group of folks who are trying to "eat clean" and exercise more.  My idea of eating clean didn't start off too well, mostly due to the fact that I'm just NOT a vegetable person.  I was challenged to try more veggies on this challenge, or try cooking them different ways until I found something I liked.

I came across many different Asparagus recipes on Pinterest, and I played with a few until I came up with a recipe my family enjoys.  My husband LOVES when I come home with asparagus now, because that means he's going to be firing up the grill soon! :)

So, (drum-roll please....) here is the recipe for:
GRILLED PARMESAN ASPARAGUS

Mmmmmm..... Ready for my plate!!!

All you need for this recipe is:
aluminum foil
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 tbsp. coconut oil (or any oil you prefer)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced garlic

1.  Rinse off the asparagus, then cut off the tough bottoms.  I cut a little more than necessary, only because I didn't cut off enough ONE time, and nearly ruined my self forever on liking this wonderful veggie!

2. Make a tray/pan out of aluminum foil.  My foil tray is about 18" long.  Just roll out a little more foil than you think you need, and fold up the edges a couple of times to form a lip on the ends. Take your 1 tbsp. of coconut oil and spread it around (using the back of a spoon) to coat the foil and keep the asparagus from sticking to it.

3. Try to lay out the asparagus so that it's mostly just one layer.  They will cook faster and more even that way.  Top them by sprinkling the Parmesan and minced garlic.

4. Grill time! My husband cooks on a charcoal grill, so he has to really watch them cook.  If we were using a gas grill, I'd say cook them on medium heat!  He turns the asparagus over after about 3-4 minutes, then cooks another 3 minutes.  He's so good at grilling -- working on bonus points. :)

Looks delicious, right!?!  Right before serving, I add a little more Parmesan.

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FULL RECIPE for GRILLED PARMESAN ASPARAGUS

-aluminum foil
-1 lb. fresh asparagus
-1tbsp. coconut oil
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (plus a little before serving)
-1tbsp. minced garlic

1. Rinse and cut hard bottoms off asparagus
2. Make a tray out of aluminum foil to place on the grill
3. Use coconut oil to coat the foil to prevent asparagus from sticking.
4. Lay out asparagus in single layer on foil.
5. Sprinkle Parmesan and minced garlic on asparagus
6. Grill 3-4 minutes, then flip asparagus over.  Grill another 3 minutes.
7. Remove from grill and place on serving dish.  Sprinkle desired amount of extra Parmesan on top.  Serve and enjoy!

Making Easter Bunny Kisses

This year for Easter, I found a recipe (and tweaked it for my own liking).  I gave the instructions to my tween daughter, and she proudly made them by herself.  Super easy, and a quick dessert/snack idea!

You will need:
1 bag of square shaped pretzels
1 bag of M&M's
1 package of Hershey's chocolate candy (since it's Easter time, Hershey's is making egg shaped chocolates)

Steps to follow:
1.  Preheat the oven to 250*.  Line a pan with the pretzels laid out in a single layer.

2.  Unwrap all the Hershey's chocolate candies.  Place one chocolate carefully onto each pretzel.  (And of course, enjoy eating a few chocolates too.)

3.  Heat the pretzels and chocolates in oven for about 8 minutes.  You don't want them to completely melt, but you do want them soft enough to hold onto the candy you'll put on top.


4.  Press one M&M gently on each little chocolate square.  My daughter picked only the M&M's that had the cute little Easter prints on them.

5.  Either let them sit out a few hours to cool, or to speed the process up a bit, they can be refrigerated for an hour.  



Our family really enjoyed these little pop-able desserts.  We ate most of them while coloring eggs.  Happy Easter to you and yours!