Tall Cheese

We moved! Well, not really, but it felt like it!

2012-01-20T23:06:00.000-06:00

We've been saving for a while to replace the 60 year old parquet floors that infested the back of our house. Old, yellowed and worn out, they were well past needing to go! So, we bit the bullet after Christmas, and started the demolition process. We're horrible about getting before pictures, but I'll post the ones I have... some are "in between" photos instead of before. =D Don't judge me!!!

But before I show you those, here's your fair warning, should you decide to take on such a remodel of your home... A whole house full of "stuff", crammed into the already full garage, kitchen and living room. I'm so glad it's over... I've never been so happy to be able to CLEAN!!

The new soon to be "Media Room", or some Zombie Somethingorother, as Josh calls it. ;-)

BEFORE:

BETWEEN:

The old floor... she did not give up the ghost easily! What a job!

AFTER:

None, yet! =D hahaahahahaha! Stay tuned!

Bedroom, BEFORE: (well, closet before, and bedroom BETWEEN... I told you... I always forget before photos! Don't be a hater.)

AFTER:

Craft Room BEFORE:

None, again... This is getting a bit depressing, really... 0_o

AFTER:

(Craft, and other junk to be added later =D)

New office BEFORE/BETWEEN:

AFTER:

(You see my little brown shadow in a lot of these pictures...)

Hallway BETWEEN:

The tile you see in the kitchen there, was over the top of the parquet. Initially, it was going to be temporary, until we could replace all of our floors. The contractor said he'd never seen *that* done before... That's something, right?? (we didn't tell him we'd done it. Ha!!) ANYway, "temporary" turned into almost 8 years. =D Done now, though!

AFTER:

Tadddaaaaaa! For what it's worth. LOL It feels like a brand new house, especially with the bathroom remodel a couple of months ago. Of course... now the half bath is looking a bit dingy... ;o)

Potty Time!

2011-08-24T08:21:00.001-05:00

Our house was built in 1966. So, coincidentally , was our bathroom. It's 45 years old, in case you don't want to do the math. I think it's time for a little change, don't you? I know, I know, that the peach tile with brown freckles is just lovely, but I need a change, ya know? Sometimes a girl needs a little change.

Ok, these before pictures are embarrassing! It looks so nasty, but I scrubbed this tile with a toothbrush to try to get the black gunk off, and this is as clean as I could ever get it. I had to scrub the tub with an S.O.S. pad! Which is exactly what this bathroom was crying out---S.O.S.!!!

Lovely brown, peach and semi-white mosaic tile floor. Excellent for hiding peach, brown and semi-white dirt! Paint drops, not so much. Homely (though very sturdy!!) cabinet that's been painted approximately 8 times. Old metal medicine cabinet, complete with razor blade slot and knobs that will slit your fingers open if you're not careful when opening. Fun times in this bathroom! Fuuuun tiiiimmmmees.

I'll spare you all of the "during" pictures. There are tons. First big project, you see. It's like a first child. Tons of pictures taken, no one cares to see them... next kid gets fewer... you get the idea. =D

*drumroll* And now! The moment all 2 of you have been waiting for!...Meet our new bathrooooooommmmmm!!!

....I'm kind of scared to use it!

Dishwashing-Pioneer Style

2011-07-18T17:54:00.000-05:00

As you may or may not know, we have a very nasty drain clog in our kitchen. Like, standing water in the sink for two days nasty. Running the dishwasher is a no-go, since the water backs up into the sink... and stays there! And since Roto-Rooter was a no-show for us today, we're still clogged, and waiting on another plumber, who will hopefully at least have the decency to call if he can't make it. ANYWAY!!!

The dishes have been piling up! Today I was off for two doctor's appointments. When I finally got home, I decided to tackle the dishes... But HOW...? Tub? Eeew, no way! Outside with the hose? Ok... maybe... but how would I keep the clean dishes clean, and how would I corral a little water and soap for the washin' up?? See below for the how. =D

Done!

Just like the pioneer days!! You know... if the pioneers had plastic laundry baskets... and fluffy white towels... and Dawn dish soap. Other than that, just like the pioneer days! =D Either way, it worked pretty well. Wouldn't recommend it if you have back issues, though. =p The hose water was nice and warm, and when I needed an extra burst of water power, *WOOSH* Full blast, Rudolph! I may just wash my dishes like this from now on! ....NOT! LOL

Spa Pond: The Saga

2011-03-21T08:42:00.000-05:00

I've had a goldfish pond in my backyard since I was a young teen. Hobby ponds were pretty new back then and not much info was available to me and my dad at the time. So we did our best, and our best was pretty awesome to us. =) Josh and I decided, though, that now it's time for a lower maintenance pond, since the old one has expanded over the years, and is more work than it is the relaxing place it was intended to be. Daddy built his pond from an old hot tub shell, and it's worked REALLY well for him, so we decided to go that route. Twenty bucks and a ride out to the deep boonies later...(Dueling banjos, anyone?) our pond project had begun. This is our story. =D

DAY 1

A wonderful friend saved us 3+ days of work and 3+ broken backs by digging the hole for us! Woooo! To quote B, "You wrooool!"

Once the hole was dug, we (and when I say "we", I mostly mean Daddy. =D) slid the tub into the hole and added 4x4s to support and level it.

Daddy loved not having to dig the hole in our "dirt" by hand!! (and by "dirt", I mean clay/concrete mixed with rocks.)

We then proceeded to toss the dirt back INTO the hole it just came from. Crazy, right?? A little water went into the tub, then we washed (and by "we" I mean ME. Daddy was still shoveling dirt. I took the hard job.) the dirt around the edges of the tub down into the hole and under the tub for support. Then the tub started to float, so we had to add MORE water to it, and stop for the day, to let the water drain down into the surrounding soil.

And it's a good thing, too, because I was BEAT!!

DAY 2

Second verse, same as the first! More of the same today. Shovel, water in, shovel, water in, shovel, water in, shovel... well, you get the picture. And here's the progress! Looks like yesterday, doesn't it?? It's NOT, THOUGH! This is 3 hours of work here, people! LOOK AT IT!!!!

And here are the muddy boots to prove it.

Judah decided he liked the dirt pile to lay on. The picture sucks because my phone takes sucky pictures.

DAY 3... and the rest... I lost track, ok??

The weight of the tub and water started to make the 4x4s bow, so Daddy had to dig down and add more support to the beam.

The decking has begun!! (Hi, Daddy!)

The roof, the roof, the roof is... on the deck!

Almost done! Daddy laid the foundation for the porch deck while we were at work. Actually, Daddy did almost ALL of this by himself while we were at work! =)

Judah wasn't allowed out because the kitties were having outside time, and he annoys the snot out of them. So he watched from the inside and pouted because Cassie got to be with Josh, and he did not. =)

FINISHED!!! Well, almost. We still have some detail work to do, fill in the old pond and add our banana trees and walkway, but the construction is FINISHED!!! Woot, woot! =D The fish are in their new home and I keep looking out the window, staring at our awesome new deck. Now we just need some furniture to put out there. LOL

BEFORE

AFTER

You Gotta Be Pullin' My Leg!

2011-02-07T21:15:00.002-06:00

"Pulled pork this delicious from a crock pot?? Noooo way!", you'd say.

To which I'd reply, "Yeeeessss waaaayyyyy, duuuuude!"

Boston butts are on sale at Publix (oh, glorious Publix! How I love thee!) this week, so I had to grab one for some variety, since most of our meals consist of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or various forms of deer meat. =) And since I love to Rawk the Crock, I wanted a recipe that would knock your crockin' socks off =D

1 Boston butt
2 TBS salt
1 TBS black pepper
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 c. paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1 TBS (or more, if you're like me =D) ground red pepper
olive oil, as needed

Combine all ingredients. minus the butt, until well combined. Add olive oil, as needed, to make a paste. Cover butt in paste and marinate in the fridge overnight. (Sounds more like a cure for diaper rash, doesn't it??)

In the morning, before work or church, place the butt and sauce in the Crock Pot and set on low. Cook for 6-8 hours or until cooked through.

(This is the uncooked version, just in case you couldn't tell. =D)

Remove butt from C.P. and shred, removing fat and bones, if any. Plop a big heaping helping on a toasted Publix French hamburger bun and serve with jalapeno ranch slaw on the side! (Or on top, if you're into that kinda thing.... which I am!)

Cowboy Up!

2011-01-01T21:48:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday, Outlaw Jose Wales! (AKA David Tyler.) =) Our little cowboy is 3 now! He wanted me to put Outlaw Jose Wales ON the cake, but I'm not talented enough for that, buddy! This'll have to do. =) Love you, Little Man!!!!! (Click pics for a larger one.)

Baby Steps

2010-12-29T14:31:00.000-06:00

Well, Christmas is over and done with and decorations are coming down at a rapid pace all over our town... We've taken down some of ours, but our *lights* still come on rebelliously every night at dusk. I've always enjoyed Christmas, and the decorating that comes along with it every year. It just makes you feel all ooeygooeygumdroppy inside, doesn't it? No? Well, it does me. =) And I'm blessed to be married to a man who enjoys it all, too. So this year we took baby steps to having a Griswold Christmas! (Minus the squirrel in the too-tall-for-our-house tree. We're saving that for next year. Baby steps!!!) Here are a few pics of our yard this year. We're pleased with it. Especially the fact that you can see our yard glowing from the end of our very long street. But the plane that tried to land that one night was a bit of an inconvenience...

So while the sadness still lingers from losing our sweet Moses, life goes on. (Though it's missing a little 19 pound "something".) My little blog limps along... And Christmas is approaching again at a breathtaking pace. =D Get ready! Itsacomin'!!!! Here's to a merry 2011! =) Enjoy yours!

RIP Baby Boy

2010-10-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

I came home from work today and found our snuggle kitty, Moses, asleep in one of his favorite spots-in front of the sunny living room window. Only he wasn't asleep... He was only 5 years old... The only thing we can think is maybe heart failure. It didn't look like a painful death, thank God. Just that he was here, and asleep one moment, and the next... not. We buried him in the back yard, next to a spider lily. We've never had spider lilies in the backyard before, and it wasn't there this morning. It seems appropriate our big love should be laid there. We love you, Moses. Rest in peace, Fat Boy. *huge hugs*

The Calendar Says Tuesday...

2010-08-24T08:09:00.001-05:00

But my morning screams MONDAY! =D

First, Ivan apparently got locked in our bedroom last night. So I woke up to a kitty chewing on my fingers and sticking his butt in my face. Thanks, Ivan. Appreciate that, buddy.

Then, Judah stabbed me with his newly clipped (and apparently newly filed to a point...) nails. Was he secretly getting me back for not giving him a Bully Stick last night? Hmmm... The jury's still out on that one. Hide your eyes if buckets of blood and grody toes makes you queasy...

Just kidding! It's not that bad =D (The blood, anyway...)

Then I burnt the sausage. =( Poor turkey sausage.

What will the rest of the day bring? Will Publix still be out of my Hefty, Hefty, Hefty! (wimpy, wimpy, wimpy) bags?? Will the LaCroix water be discontinued?? Tune in next time to find out!

LOL I'm such a dork.

Shhh! Silent Auction in Progress!

2010-08-02T09:29:00.000-05:00

The Elmore Humane Shelter's Wags and Whiskers Bone-a-Fit silent auction was Friday. I dropped off these during the worst pop-up thunderstorm I've seen in years!

But apparently it was a good night for an auction-they raised over $14K for the shelter! Woot, woot! Heaven knows our shelters need the help. People are *so* irresponsible with the lives of creatures that depend on us to keep them safe and healthy. Sweeties like these:

Did you know that black animals, especially large black dogs, are less likely to be adopted? It's true. It's called Black Dog (or, I suppose, cat...) Syndrome. What is Black Dog Syndrome? I was at the HSEC last Saturday, and they have an over abundance of all animals, but there were so many black kitties in the cages. It's heartbreaking! Our Ivan has to be the sweetest cat we've ever known. And while it was a horrible experience for him to be dumped out in the middle of a hurricane, we're very glad someone did, because our lives are more enjoyable with him in it!

This weekend will be my first day helping out with some photography at the Humane Society of Elmore Co (HSEC). If you'd like to help out, there are lots of ways! Check out their volunteer page here. And of course, if you're able, ADOPT!!!!! =D

A Boy and a Bat, er... Dog.

2010-06-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

B looooooves dogs. And although he's decided he doesn't want to actually OWN one, after Judah got so carsick a few weeks back (Every possible bodily function a dog can do, he did in the back of my car. It was wonderful. Really.), he does still like to play with them. =D

Is this a dog, or a bat? The jury's still out.

Judah has a mean left hook.

Either he's telling him he loves him... orrrr, telling him to RAWK OOONNNNN, YEAH!

On another note, I got in a bumper crop of giant jalapenos last night. Looks like I'll be making these this weekend!

Judah is not looking forward to them as much as we are, though. I don't think he's a fan of spicy foods...

M-I-C-K-E-Y....M-O-U-S-E!!

2010-05-07T23:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Alex!!! =)

And yes, the song has been stuck in my head all night!!

Me Love Cooookiiieeeess!

2010-04-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Whenever I put words on a cake, I'm always checking and rechecking my spelling. How embarrassing would that be, to misspell something on a cake you're giving away!! Family? OK, it would still be mortifying, but you'd get over it. Someone else? Eeep! Bury me now. LOL Anyway, sorry to disappoint, but I didn't misspell anything on this cake. (Did I? *checks* No? OK! Phew!) It's just a little peek into what my jumbled up mind is thinking while I'm decorating cakes ;-) Here's the Cookie Monster cake I made for a coworker's little boy. He'll be 2. Yep, that 2 CM's holding means something, it's not just randomly placed there =D Though I AM a random person sometimes! (Pickles.) See?

Chocolate cake, cherry filling, vanilla BC. You can't tell really well in this pic, but the icing is actually a very pale blue. Ignore the dark spots on some of the letters, please. This camera picks up more than I'd like sometimes. LOL It's just the water I used to stick the letters to the icing. It'll dry and look normal. In theory... 0_o

Happy birthday, Tristan! (Did I spell that right?? *bites nails*) LOL

The topper by itself:

The finished product:

Publix Trip!

2010-04-08T20:50:00.000-05:00

I've still got to make a Walmart trip tomorrow for about 10 things, so this week I should still be under my goal of $100/week. Woot, woot! Spent $65.74, had $26 worth of manufacturer Qs and $9.70 worth of store Qs. Not pictured here (because I was too lazy to take them out of the trunk just for this picture. LOL) are 3 bags of Meow Mix we're donating to the shelter next time we're up that way. The 4 bottles of Airwick air freshener are also for the shelter. =) The tissues for B's school and the rest for our menus and stockpile. I'm lovin' this couponing thing! =D (We've also used the Qs to get cheap stuff for the OCC boxes. $.49 toothpaste, for instance!)

Until next trip!

I Love Publix!

2010-03-24T21:19:00.003-05:00

No really, I do! Since a couple of people are interested in my savings via coupons via Publix each week =D I thought I’d post them here, instead of on Facebook alone. So this will, unless I get lazy, be a regular post. =)

And since sometimes I find deals (and impulse buys… things I just can’t live without!) while I’m there that were not on my list, I’ll post the list I’m starting with here:

salad
Campbell’s cream soups (4)
Kraft shredded cheese (4) Mozzarella & cheddar
Idaho potatoes (1)
Philly cream cheese (5)
Stacy’s Pita chips (2)
Bird’s Eye Frozen Veggies (1)
Ore-Ida Steam ‘n Mash (2)
Sister Schubert’s rolls (2)
Mt. Olive jalapenos (2)
Hellmann’s Mayo, 30 oz (2)
A1 Steak sauce (1)
Hunt’s Tomatoes (3)
Duncan Hines cake mix, lemon (multiple)
Gold Medal flour, 5 lbs (4)
Cascade Actionpacs (1)
Playtex Gentle Glide, 18 ct. (2)
DelMonte veggies (8)
hot dog buns
Oscar Mayer bacon (2)
Tropicana orange juice, 64 oz (2)
Sarah Lee Dessert

It may not make sense, but it’s my own little shorthand in some cases, and I know what it means!! LOL

Now, I do have a stack of coupons for things that may or may not be included in this week’s sales so the cart may be fuller than planned. =) NOW, on to Publix!

*flash forward* (LOST fans, anyone?)

Here's what I actually purchased tonight. Keep in mind, any coupon (except store Qs), that are .50 and less, Publix doubles.

2 Playtex (TMI, I know. Sorry, just keepin' it real folks!) 3.49 ea, $1/1 (x2)= 2.49 ea
3 Bird's Eye Steamfresh veggies 1.19 ea, 1/2 store Q+ .35/1 (x2)= .39 ea
2 Sister Schubert's dinner rolls, 2.50 ea, .50/1 (x2)= 1.50 ea
4 Kraft shredded cheese, 1.67 ea, 2/2 (x2)= .67 ea
1 Sara Lee pound cake, 1.89, 1/1= .89
2 Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash, 2.00 ea, 1/1 (x2)= 1.00 ea
1 Keebler Cheesecake cookies, 1.75, .55/1= 1.20
2 Oscar Mayer bacon, 3.00 ea, 1.50/1 (x2)= 1.50 ea
5lb bag of potatoes, 2.50, no Q
4-5lb bags Gold Medal flour, 1.49 ea, .75/1 (x4)= .74 ea
2 Hellmann's Light Mayo, 2.42 ea, 1/1 store Q + 1/1 (x2)= .92 ea
4 Classico jars pasta sauce, 1.30 ea, 1/2 (x2)= .80
2 cartons Tropicana orange juice, 2.50, BOGO coupon= 1.25 ea
A-1 peppercorn sauce, 2.05, no Q
4 Campbell's cream of soups, 1.00 ea, 1/4 = .75 ea
3 cans Hunts diced tomatoes, .70 ea, 1/3= .37 ea
2 Stacy's Pita chips, 2.50 ea, BOGO Q= 1.25 ea
1 Cascade Actionpac, 3.99, 1/1 Q= 2.99
2 Chocolate Cheerios, 2.15 ea, 1/1 store Q (x2)+ 1/1 (x2)= .15 EACH!!!
4 Duncan Hines cake mix, .97 ea, no Q
1 salad mix, 2.00, no Q
1 Glade spray freshener, 2.99, 1/1 store Q + 1/1 = .99
1 Scotties tissue, .99, 1/1 Q= FREE!
Deli hamburger buns, 2.59, no Q
1 Lays chips, 2.00, no Q

For a grand total of $63.43! Thank you I Heart Publix! She makes it SO much easier to save money! Check her blog out! Lots of tutorials and helpful tips!

Phew, that was a lot of work! I don't know how they do it! Makes me appreciate IHP that much more =D I think I'll just post pictures and the grand total of my hauls from now on. LOL Speaking of which, here's the pics of the booty! (Not that kind of booty. Get your mind out of the gutter, perv!) LOL

(Click the pics to get the full view. It cuts off a smidgen of the items with this size pic.)

My full cart!

My full stove. LOL

Annnnd, my full island. :-)

I love Publix!

Six Down, Eighty to Go!

2010-03-06T00:06:00.000-06:00

For me, Josh was the literal “guy next door”. But that was all, for quite some time. Just the guy next door, living with his parents that always wore a hat, white shirt and jeans. Always. LOL

I cut his parent’s grass one weekend while they were away, having NO clue how handsomely (and I DO mean handsomely =D) I’d be paid for that little act of kindness. His parents took me out to dinner shortly after as a thank you, and because Josh was hungry, and broke, he came along with them.

One day shy of six months later, we were married and headed to St. Augustine, FL for our honeymoon!

*WARNING: Sap ahead. Avert your eyes if it makes you gag-a-maggot*
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*Are they averted? Yes? Ok, good.*

Every day with Josh is a pleasure. He is truly the best man I’ve ever known. Other people may not always get to see it, but he’s a sweetheart--a thoughtful, sensitive, patient, SMART, giving, devilishly handsome and often goofy, snuggly teddy bear that I love with all my heart. (And a hotty to boot!)

Oh yeah, and freakishly flexible. LOL

Moses thinks he's cuddly, too. Back off my man, Moses! Back off and no kitty paws get broken!

*Ahem* Sorry about that. I get jealous sometimes. I’m sure given all of Josh’s stunning qualities, you understand.

Happy anniversary, Baby! Six down, at LEAST another 80 to go! =)

Told you he was patient.

ILYTTMABBNBH

Bad Beginnings, Happy Endings

2010-02-23T08:22:00.001-06:00

Sometimes bad beginnings can have happy endings. About 9 months ago, an upstanding citizen decided the kitten they owned had become more of a burden than a pleasure. Take him to the shelter? Nah, too much trouble. Throw him out of a moving vehicle? Yeah, that's the ticket! ... And they did.

Luckily for this little orange tabby kitten, someone saw this heinous act, and stopped to pick up the tiny, broken body from the side of the road. He was still alive, but paralyzed. The good samaritan took him to The Ark, where he's been nursed back to health and living until last week, where he would be united with someone who has also been on the receiving end of similar abuse.

My nephew is Downs, but that didn't stop certain people who were supposed to love and protect him from abusing him emotionally and physically. B is healing from that, just as the orange tabby healed from his wounds. We were told that "Fury" doesn't know he's disabled, even though he still bears the scars from his abuse. Neither does B. To B, he's just B, and he can do anything he wants to do, including be a cop and work at Pizza Hut "when he grows up". Two similar stories, two little boys; finding each other, loving each other, each giving the other what he needs.

So, really, this isn't the end at all, but rather a happy beginning. Both for "Fury", now Gus, and B. Here's to many, many years of happy, healthy companionship!

Please, adopt!!

Add a Little Spice to Your Life!

2010-02-07T22:25:00.001-06:00

We're not football fans, so we didn't NEED these to watch the game today, but I WANTED these again, so I made them. Ha! =) They're wonderful!! And you need to make these ASAP. You won't regret it, I promise! I got the recipe from Ree's blog (who I looooove). Her recipes (which I loooooooove) are amazing! And she's too funny to boot! =)

Ree's Jalapeno Bacon Thingies

I edited it a little bit to make it even easier. Sometimes I'm lazy like that. =D

Ingredients:

Fresh jalapeno peppers
Reduced fat cream cheese, softened
Peppered bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

(I really recommend going to Ree's blog --link above-- if you're going to make them. She provides much more detailed instructions.)

Wash and dry the peppers. Slice off tops, then slice each pepper in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and you're left with these little beauties:

**Oh yeah, major word of caution! WEAR GLOVES when handling the peppers! If you don't... well, now that's something you WILL regret!! Yeeouch!**

Mix together the cream cheese and crumbled bacon. Stuff each pepper with the mixture. I'm not neat with it, and I like mine FULL, so I just plop it in there and let it overflow. =)

Toss them all onto a cookie sheet, lined with foil for easy cleanup.(And I do mean toss! I wasn't interested in making them look pretty this time. It was allll about getting my yum on! =D)

Bake them at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until the peppers look a tad soft and wrinkly and the cheese gets just a touch of golden on top.

That's it! Super easy and oh my gosh, they're so good! Try not to eat the whole pan before your husband gets up from his Sunday afternoon nap. Not... that I've had any personal experience with that or anything... Noooo, nothing like that... *shifty eyes*

Enjoy!

A Good, Stiff Drink

2010-02-02T08:13:00.001-06:00

Happy birthday to my boss, happy birthday to my boss! Happy biiiirrrttthhhdaaay toooo BiiiiIIIIILLLL, happy birthday to YOU! Tadaaaa! *beams* Today's my boss' birthday (if you hadn't gathered that from the off key singing). So last night I whipped up some chocolate fudge cupcakes and dunked them in my new favorite icing, dark chocolate ganache.

I was going to fill them with whipped ganache, but it just didn't want to cooperate last night, so two of them are filled and the other twenty-two are not. Someone will get a surprise, I guess! :-D

I made tiny coffee cups and doughnuts for the top. We at the office loves us some G&S doughnuts and we'll often have them instead of cake for a birthday, so doughnuts were a gimme. And everyone here is addicted to the coffee, and it goes oh so well with the doughnuts, so again, another gimme. :-D Josh pointed out that the coffee was VERY dark, so veeeerrry strong. And another indication it's strong stuff?

...It stands up over the edge of the cup. Now that's a stiff drink! *ba dump CHING*

I topped 12 with the coffee cups and doughnuts, and the other 12 I topped with chopped salted peanuts. I thought it would be a nice combo with the rich chocolate ganache and cake. :-)

We eat at 10! And unlike the retirement cake, I'm going to get a piece of this!

Retirement tastes gooood.

2010-01-28T20:24:00.001-06:00

I just wish it were me retiring! Ha! :-) A lady at my office, who's been there for, oh... 30 years? Something crazy like that... is retiring effective tomorrow. Yay, Dale! Congrats! Here's the cake I made today for her party:

The cake is chocolate fudge, filled with strawberry pie filling (YUM!). The icing is chocolate buttercream, made with dark chocolate cocoa powder (DOUBLE YUM!!!) and then drizzled in dark chocolate ganache. *dies* I hope she likes chocolate... 0_o ...

HA! Just kidding. She does. :-D

Annnnd, here are the cupcakes. We're expecting a lot of people. I really hope they show up, too, because I'm not taking any of this home with me! I'm tired of cake! *gasp* Yeah, I said it. :-p So there! I always am after spending 6 hours in the kitchen smelling ooey gooey icing and cake. (yes, and snitching some from time to time. What?? I have to taste it, don't I??)

These are vanilla cake filled with strawberry, and coated in white chocolate ganache.

I had some chocolate batter left over, so I made some chocolate cupcakes, too, filled with chocolate buttercream and dunked in dark chocolate ganache. I actually like the way the chocolate ones turned out better. The cupcakes themselves rose a lot more, and the white chocolate ganache was not as WHITE as I envisioned it, but looks ain't everything! They'll still taste good! :-D

Chicken 'n Dumplings

2010-01-17T18:33:00.001-06:00

I thought I might post some of the meals we have frequently around our house. I'm always looking for new recipes to make weeknight meals easy and weekend meals yummier, as I'm sure many other working gals are (and guys, if you're the main chef in the house!) :-)

Here's how I make my chicken 'n dumplings. Just an apology before I start... I don't measure anything when I make these, so I have no clue what quantities I use. It varies every time I make them. But that's ok! It doesn't make it any harder to MAKE, just harder to TELL you how to make them :-) You can't mess them up. Worst case scenario you make too many dumplings and waste a little flour. Meh, no biggie, right?

Basic ingredient list:

Water
Chicken bouillon cubes
Chicken breasts, cubed (2-3 breasts)
Self rising flour
More water
Pepper, to taste

Fill a large pot about halfway up with water and add bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Toss in chicken breasts and boil until done, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix up the dumplings. Pour some of your flour into a large bowl, and add enough water to make a dough that looks something like a drop biscuit dough. Or like the dough in the picture below! :-D

When chicken is done, start dropping in small bits of dough.

When all the dough is in the pot, reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes.

Give them a gentle stir as they start to cook, making sure none are sticking to the bottom. Add as much pepper as you'd like.

After 10 minutes, reduce heat to low, cover pot and cook for another 10 minutes.

Voila! Chicken 'n Dumplings! See, wasn't that easy? And cheap, too :-) This is more of a weekend meal for us. It's just a little too time consuming for me to fix after we get home from work. But leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day! This is a common Sunday supper for us. :-)

***A couple of notes: if you add too much water, just add a little more flour until it looks right. If your dough is too stiff, add a little more water. When dumplings are nearly done, taste the broth and see if you think it needs salt. Josh and I don't add much salt to most of our meals, but your family might find them a little bland without it. :-)

Christmas Fever

2010-01-12T08:52:00.003-06:00

Yes, I know that Christmas is over, and there are 347 days until Christmas 2010. BUT, Josh and I decided while we were putting up the lights after Thanksgiving, that next year we'd have an even better yard - the best yard in the neighborhood, even! For years I've had a Christmas obsession with all things sweet. My tree has been done in Christmas treats since we've been married, and the one year I swapped to snowmen, my second Christmas love, it just didn't feel the same. Josh requested we go back to sweets this year, and I happily acquiesced. SO, for my first post to this blog thingymajig, I'll post one of the projects I've already started on for this year's Clark Griswold-ish Candyland. We're shooting for a picture in the paper! (Hey, Prattville's a small town. Maybe we'll get it on a slow news day *grin*) I bought these shatterproof (read-plastic) ornaments at BigLots during their after Christmas 50% off sale. I got the cellophane at Michael's with a 50% off coupon. The cable ties were freebies :-) So for this project, I spent a total of about $15. Plus I got to spend an hour or so with Josh, watching him play Fallout 3. Moses "helped" me with the ties and cellophane, too. Overall, it was a pretty nice evening, excepting the mutant chunks being blown around the screen. Eeew. Can you feel the Christmas spirit?

I reinforced the hangers with a piece of tape, so I can slip a hook through the cellophane without (theoretically) ripping it to shreds. We'll see how it works come November.

I also got quite a few giant candies at BigLots after Christmas. Woot! They're so expensive online, but I got some for $6 a box. Double woot! (You can see them toward the back in the picture below.)

Here are a couple more bargains we snagged during after Christmas sales. We've got quite the collection of Christmas decorations going, and all at awesome prices! I'm so excited! *grin* Please excuse all the other junk. This is our very messy garage. It's on my list of things to organize. Promise!