It's raining, it's pouring..& Cash is snoring. Yes, after what seems like 100 days of 100 degree weather, it is finally POURING outside. I can hear our grass cheering outside as I type ;) To explain Cash's snoring, the combination of the rain & him just getting out of swimming lessons has caused him to settle into a deeeep sleep. Swimming lessons has been FABULOUS, by the way. It's nice to feel confident knowing that he's being taught by the same woman who taught me! Mrs. Gigi is soo great with the kids, and she even has Cash-man going under water. This is a HUGE FEAT because he'd much rather spend his hour there clinging onto her pretty teenage girl assistants. Such his father's child.. Anyway, here's a picture of Mr. Fishy swimming underwater on his second day!
Go, baby, go! I'm not too concerned with him becoming the next Michael Phelps this year, but it's nice to know that he's catching on and learning well. He's never seen a day of daycare in his life, so it BLEW MY MIND to watch him work with a group of kids for the first time, without being the center of attention. Such a cool experience! In other news, my little sister graduated from High School, and it's somewhat bittersweet!
I feel like it was just yesterday that we were this age:
Anyway. Summer is in full effect & I'm working on getting this house in tip-top shape. I've organized every bin & nook, thrown out anything "extra" that was unnecessary clutter, and dropped a ton of clothes off at S.O.S. Clean house = happy mama! Since I've been on a cleaning mission, and looked a bit like this for the last couple of days..
I treated myself to these two things:
Mason Jars that I found at Target.. I think they're the most Summer-y cute way to serve drinks & I love, love sipping out of a straw with them!
My mom got me hooked on Circle E Candles..They're FABULOUS & last forever. Don't try to sell me a Scentsy because I'm an old-fashioned CANDLE kinda gal! ;) My favorite, Buttery French Vanilla scent is TO.die.FOR.
Along with cleaning, I also did a little decor rearranging around the house. The HUGE prints from Cash's "Cutest Kid Photo Shoot" came in, and I'm in LOVE with the end result of my project:
I also finally managed to convince J to put up my "collage wall" in the Dining Area..Seen here:
So glad to finally have all of those frames UP & off of the living room floor. Cash had created his own "Survivor" challenge entitled the "Step on Each Picture Frame without Stepping on the Floor"..Challenge. P.S. See that little shelf in the collage? That's camoflauging an ugly air conditioning vent.. I may be a little OCD..Only a little..
Remember how I wanted to plant a garden? Yeah, no time for that. Especially since my sweet grandparents have their own freakin' PRODUCE ISLE garden in their backyard! They loaded me up with enough
and
to last a lifetime! There is NOTHING like freshly-picked fruits & vegetables.. Blackberries are one of my very favorite fruits to cook with, and they remind me soo much of my childhood! I remember going to pick them every summer out at my grandparents farm, and enjoying the warm Blackberry cobbler with ice cold vanilla ice cream as the end result. O-M-G dying!
That was random, but it DID get you craving, huh? ;) Here's another cool but random story..I LOVE TURQUOISE JEWELRY! If I was cool and had a "signature look" (which I'm not) two things I don't go without are 1) Pale Pink Nailpolish and 2) A piece of Turquoise Jewelry. I think this love came from pilfering (do other people use this word, and IS it even a real word?) Anyway, pilfering through my mom's jewelry. She always had the most GORGEOUS genuine Turquoise jewelry, and I like to add a little piece to most all of my outfits.. Most of my everyday turquoise is f-a-k-e costume jewelry, because I'm constantly losing it, and it's better that way. The other day I was passing through a nearby town and I saw an understated sign that said "Estate Sale." I typically don't stop at garage sales, but I have a true love for them, and always have. I was feeling a bit adventurous & Cash was in a good mood, so I parked the car, and got out to do a little snooping. There was one older woman (probably in her 60's) running the show, and she had the most INSANE jewelry collection I'd ever seen! I asked her why on EARTH she would be selling it all, and she she simply said she "had too much." Long story short, I ended up snagging the most beautiful antique turquoise ring that I've ever laid eyes on for $10..an absolute steal. I'm probably going to be too scared to wear it for the rest of my life, but I'll at least cherish it forever!
Sorry for wasting your time..ON TO FOOD! :) This is the Neely's Version of a "Beer Can Chicken" and the one I like the best. It tastes the closest to the one my dad used to make during the Summer, and you can't go wrong with ANY grilled recipe from the Neely's! I haven't checked into whether it's safe for babies/kids because of the beer, or if cooking it dilutes the alcohol content or not. You'll have to look it up and see, but it can't be THAT bad, can it?
BEER CAN CHICKEN:
NEED:
Beer Can Chicken Rub:
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
NEED:
For the Chicken:
4 pounds chicken, washed and dried
Vegetable oil
Beer Can Chicken Rub
1 (12-ounce) can beer
STEPS:
For the chicken rub:
a) In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and use for the grilled chicken. You can store extra rub mixture in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
For the chicken:
1) Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
2) Rub the chicken and its cavity down with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with rub mixture, remembering to season the cavity. Pour out 1/4 of the beer and sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grill and cover. Cook the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Once cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
These are the cutest Summer cupcakes.. Oh, and the easiest. And the most functional. Anything with a Toddler "handle" has my vote..
ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES
NEED:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare mix
24 flat-bottomed ice cream cones
Prepared vanilla and chocolate frosting
STEPS:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Prepare cake mix according to package directions..
3.Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each ice cream cone.
4.Stand cones in 13X9-inch baking pan or in muffin pan cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpicks inserted into centers come out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
5.Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired.
Since it's still raining, I'm feeling reflective so this blog is turning into my diary in 5...4...3...2.. When I was little, like any other child, I'd dream of what I wanted to be when I "grew up." I could enter any field that I could imagine., and my possibilities were endless. Doctor..Lawyer..The world was my playground! Of course, my "future job" selection changed every year, as I grew & matured. One minute I'd want to be a Lawyer, the next minute I wanted to be a Doctor.. I was forced into believing through the morals society had set that the job going for was the "highest paid job." On the other hand, I was constantly being schooled on choosing a job that I "would love to wake up & go to every day." This can be a very confusing situation for an 8 year old, who would "soon" step into the work force. By High School graduation, I had decided that I wanted to become a Broadcast Journalist. 1) I loved to talk 2) I loved talking to people 3) I loved listening 4) I loved asking questions and 5) I'd have a hairstylist. GAME TIME! I went to one of the best Broadcast Journalism schools in the state, and began my journey.. but after a couple of semesters there, I realized that it was NOT my dream. My dream had been the same my entire life. I wanted to be a mother, and I wanted to coach Cheerleading. I love working with kids and seeing them passionate about something.. I knew the Mother part would come, but the Cheerleading part I completely put back in the furthest cave in my mind. This was more of a "dream" rather than a realistic ambition, and it was nothing that I could make a living doing. This is now the time that you should scroll down to my Music Playlist (if you're reading this blog on PC with speakers) and turn it to the song "When you Believe" which I firmly believe is my life anthem.. It'll make for perfect background music for what I'm about to say.. I wish I could go back to that 8 year old girl, worrying about a "career path" far to early, brush back her long black hair, and show her these two things:
1.
2.
Yes, I can finally say...I'M OPENING UP MY OWN BUSINESS! SO SO BLESSED :)
And that's how I beat Shaq..
I should really stop using that classic Aaron Carter jam for every emotion. Before I go, I want to express to the 200+ viewers that I'm going to get today how much I LOVELOVE writing this blog! It's a creative outlet, a way for me to document Cash's toddler years, and it allows me to write which is one of my passions. I wish that there wasn't an option to view how many views you've had overnight, because it gets preeeettty disappointing when I only have 1 or 2 comments, but 200 views. Please please, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE, please please PUH-LEEZ do not be afraid to comment! We do not have to be best friends or even acquaintances. My VERY favorite comments are from the people who I'd least expect to read this, and comments/feedback really keep writers thriving. (I'm no writer, just sayin..in smaller terms, ha!) Without feedback, it can get a bit redundant, so pleeease, again, don't be scurred ;)
I'll leave you with THIS. This is one stylin' Summer baby.. Check out that tan!
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