Let's start this blog by showing you a glimpse of what was going on outside of my house at 10:00 am this morning:
Yes. That's the park across the street from our house. Yes. It's packed full and it's 10 o'clock on a Wednesday. Don't these kids have school? Don't these parents have work? They can't all be homebodies like me & Cash.. This picture was taken while looking through my window, might I add.. I felt like the nosey neighbor from Bewitched..
I don't remember her name but she sho' was nosey!!! "Abner, come look at this.. I'm gonna bring over some chicken soup & check out Mrs. Stephens next door. She's a witch, I tell ya!"
Anyway, the park overload that halted our weekly trip there, resulting in this face:
If he could talk in sentences, this face would probably be saying "MAAAMMAAAA WHY CAN'T I PLAY WITH THE OTHER KIDS?!" But other than that, things have been grreat. Cash went to claim his Cutest Kid Contest photo shoot prize with Lacy Hampton Photography, and the outcome was FLAWLESS. She didn't snap very many pictures, so I was sure there wouldn't be too many good shots, but it turns out EVERY shot she captured was brilliant. Here's a couple of them:
PERFECTION. I love the Cuban "Little Ricky" feel that the Fedora gave. She truly captured his personality in these..LOVE! Oh, and P.S, she ended up bumping Cash up to a 1st place prize rather than a 2nd place prize, due to the "nature of the competition" aka HE'S THE CUTEST KID EVER. So instead of getting just the CD with images, I received a $150 print credit. I"m thinking "Wow, $150 towards pictures? That's like 4,000 prints at CVS." But in all actuality, a 4x6 was running at $20. This blew my mind (considering they're like 20 CENTS at CVS/Walgreens HOLLLLAAAA!) but the photographer explained that these are NOT like the quality we receive from the picture kiosks at drugstores. You know those museums with framed "art" from photographers? This is basically where they print their photos. They are the clearest most professional looking pictures in all the land, and with my $150 credit I snagged two HUGE 10x10 photos for my house. I'm ECSTATIC. I can't decide whether to just frame them, or make them into some seriously high-dolla canvases like these:
Those cost me a whole $20 total, by the way. They are 5x5's so imagine how HUGE these 10x10's are going to be. I may have to pull a Beyonce & kick these canvases "to the left, to the left"...they'd totally look good in the guest bath though. ;) So I woke up this morning with a weird feeling.. One reason was because Cash had come into our room at some point, climbed into our bed, and fell asleep horizontally across the headboard at the top of my pillow. The other was because I had a dream that all of my ex's died in tragic accidents. Although, as crazy as this was, it wasn't so tragic at all. I know I'm awful, and you probably see me as a demon possessed version of that Carrie girl now, but it's the truth. One in a car accident, another shot. Not gruesome gorey dreams that show the blood..I just hear about it on the news or something and I"m like "Oh, okay." This is strange because 1) I NEVER think about my Ex boyfriends and 2) I don't have "hate" towards them, or wish them dead. I've yet to have a dream where J gets killed, so I'm assuming I've found the "One." Don'tjudgeme & moving on...
HOT MESS OF THE WEEK ALERT! Let me PREFACE by saying that I'm not a hater, and I think her style has totally evolved into something beautiful over the course of her husband's "reign." She started out, (in my eyes..opinions, people!) as an ill-figured, chip on her shoulder, un-lady like, unstylish drag queen. Not to mention that when she started talking, (over her husband, of course) I was totally taken aback by her testosterone-fueled voice. Slightly manly, and I just can't get down with that. Unless you're a lesbian, then by all means "do yo thang." That was my opinion of this woman BEFORE. Now, I think that she's a great example. She's a mother of two children, has an impeccable preppy, JCrew type style that says "I could afford something pricier but I'm down to Earth" and has even been seen sporting a smile lately rather than this face:
You guessed it..HOT MESS OF THE WEEK goes to MICHELLE OBAMA. Again, let me say that she's growing on me.. I respect all of the good in her heart & the action she has taken for various charities..but girlfriend has GOT to work on her posture:
Good LORD! Every time I have seen her on the News this week, she looks like she's carrying dumbbells on her shoulder blades. Get it together, Michelle! You've got the look, but you're the freakin' FIRST LADY for goodness sake! Always walk with your shoulders back! Okay, there's my rant..Hopefully she reads this, since she has so much free time being the wife of the President. (sarcasm) Also, I want her to keep in mind that it's hard to follow up in the "poise" department when THIS was in office before you. See left:
Just sayin'.
So I've been looking for the perfect beach bag, because although I have a canvas diaper bag, I want something straw, structured & more functional to bring to the pool/beach this summer. I've found the perfect Tory bag, but it's a couple of seasons back..so I'm going to have to search for it on Ebay or something..LOVE!
What do I carry in my bag to the pool/beach might you ask? Or you may not ask.. but it's worth a shot. Here's the skinny:
1) HAWAIIAN TROPIC DARK TANNING OIL (for Mama!)
Yes the old fashioned kind...because I want to look like this when I leave the beach:
2) CASH-Y SUNSCREEN:
I've got a couple of favorites (California Baby, TropicTan etc) but you can NEVER go wrong with Aveeno...ever!
3) SEDU BEACH BEAUTY SEA SALT SPRAY:
This was not my first choice. For years I used "John Frieda Beach Waves" during the Summer, but it's now discontinued :( I'd spray it all over my hair, throw it up in a messy bun, and by the time I was done splashing around & took it down, I was a real life surfer girl. I may have even sprayed it in indoors when I was 13, watching TRL "Spring Break" countdown, and pretending I was there with my "tousled waves", instead of in my room. So cool. Anyway, Sedu's version is the closest I could find to John Frieda's, and the coconut smell is even better than the original! It's fortified with sea salt and all natural extracts, so it's perfect for when you're out by the water. LOVE! Oh, and it's under $10..DOUBLE LOVE!
4) This hat wouldn't be in my bag, it'd be on my head. Obviously. But I've got to get it..ASAP! If you didn't already know it, I'm the hat queen.
5) BEACH FOOD:
Is it always about food with me? The end of this blog in it's entirety is solely based on food..so if you made it this far, you're lucky. First off..here's a couple of foods that I pack for a day in the sun. I like something light, healthy & weather resistant.. like these:
1) Mozzarella String Cheese..aka Heaven.
2) Watermelon! My fav.. However, I'm too lazy to cut it myself, so I buy it pre-cut in the plastic container at the grocery store, pop it in the fridge, and carry it along! Oh, and don't forget the salt.. It brings out the sweetness of the watermelon.
3) Nutella..God's Gift to me. I've always been a Nutella fan..much more so than with Peanut Butter. It's perfect on crackers or bread, and it stays fresh. If you're not familiar with Nutella, It's a Chocolate/Hazelnut spread that is similar to peanut butter, but so so so very much better. Try it. Love it. Bathe in it. (Kidding..I don't do that.)
4) "Go To" Tomato Salad. My mom has made this for us since I can remember..with EVERY meal. It's amazing, fresh & so easy. Cut cherry tomatoes in half, (and cucumbers, but just tomatoes will do too!) cover in Italian Dressing, Lemon Pepper & Feta Cheese. Toss. All of the flavors combine SO well, and it can be eaten at room temp. I put it in a Tupperware, pop it in the fridge, and take it with me when I'm ready to go. If you love tomatoes, you'll LOVE this. If feta cheese is too fancy for your palette, do NOT make this salad, because it just wouldn't be the same.
Today I was watching Paula Deen, and I fell in L-O-V-E with three recipes that she highlighted on this particular show. Even J was watching in amazement (he didn't go into work until 1 today) and said "WOW, THOSE LOOK GOOD." Coming from the man that thinks Spaghetti should be a twice a week meal. Anyway, enjoy all 3 and create a fabulous meal tonight. The Crock Pot Mac & Cheese is what I'm most excited about. I've been looking for ways to use my Crock Pot more, and this seems SO easy. I wanted to jump through the screen when she was making it on today's episode because it looked so yummy. PS, In reference to the chicken nuggets.. PAULA USES PANKO JUST LIKE ME! Twins.. Enjoy!
RANCH CHICKEN NUGGETS:
NEED:
1 package dry ranch seasoning mix
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 boneless skinless chicken cutlets, cut into 1-inch cubes
Vegetable oil, for frying
STEPS:
1. Pour oil to a depth of 2-inches in a large Dutch oven or deep-fryer. Heat oil to 360 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine ranch mix, panko and salt together. In a second bowl add the egg mixture and in a third bowl add the flour.
3. Dredge chicken cubes in flour, dip in beaten egg, and then coat in panko mixture.
4. Fry chicken nuggets, in batches, for 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Serve with dipping sauce of choice.
CROCK POT MAC & CHEESE
NEED:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
STEPS:
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally
DUTCH OVEN PEACH & BLUEBERRY COBBLER
NEED
2 (16-ounce) cans sliced peaches in heavy or light syrup, or in fruit juice, your choice
1 pint fresh blueberries, optional
1/2 cup baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/3 cup sugar
Ground cinnamon
NEED FOR TOPPING:
2 1/4 cups baking mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
Cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar combined with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; store in an empty spice shaker jar; shake well before each use)
STEPS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a Dutch oven with vegetable oil cooking spray
3. Drain 1 can of the peaches. Combine both cans of peaches, including the juice from the undrained can, the blueberries, if using, the baking mix, sugar, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Place this mixture into the Dutch oven.
4. To make the topping: Combine the biscuit mix, sugar, butter, and milk in a resealable plastic bag. Drop bits of dough, using your fingers, on top of the peaches. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
5. Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crusty.
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