Filofax Tour

This year for our 1st anniversary I got a black Cuban Filofax. I guess you could consider that as paper.  It was on sale for around half off. I LOVE it so much. I am a list person and it totally enables me to organize and keep track of my whole life. 

-On the right side of my dashboard I have my "wallet," debit card, rewards cards, money. In the zippered pocket I have small sticky notes and labels.
-On the left I have 2 sizes of sticky notes. On the small size I have December goals and immediate blog goals. On the large size I usually have a grocery list, but it being December I have Christmas shopping that still needs to be done.

-In my diary section I use small post it notes for lists: to do, blog, etc. I also have things color coded and I highlight the dates accordingly. Blue is a holiday, green is a payday, pink is AF. 
-When I write in these sections I try to color code as well. Light blue pertains to Michael, orange for deaths, purple for birthdays, green for work, red for bills.
-In the space on the bottom page I write reminders of occasions for the upcoming week.

-I have 2 groups of tabbed sections. The first is for expenses, blog, blank,  (seasonal) bucketlist, long term to do, and Christmas stuff. 
-The second is for addresses and phone numbers.

-On the back side I have a clear zippered pouch with bigger post it notes and tabs. And on the right a notepad with more lists!

Aunt Joy's Caramel Corn

Aunt Joy's Caramel Corn
-1 cup Margarine-not vegetable spread, it has water whipped in that deflates the popcorn
-2 cups brown sugar, light or dark
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 heaping tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-11/2 cups peanuts-add more or less according to taste
-6 quarts naked popcorn (24 cups)


-Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place popcorn in shallow roasting pans pour peanuts over top of popcorn. Do not stir.
-In a medium/large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. The soda will cause the caramel to rise. Be extremely careful, this is HOT candy and it will burn if you get it on you. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat.
-Bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

Winter Bucketlist

Winter Bucketlist

1. Holiday embroidery hoops
2. Listen to Elvis
3. Decorate Christmas tree
4. Set up Christmas train
5. Hide Christmas pickle
6. Decorate house
7. Cookie/treat swap
8. Decorate moms tree 12/11
9. The Great Dickens Christmas Fair
10. Donate to Toys For Tots
11. Decorate Grandma Sallie's house/tree
12. Christmas Eve jammies/movies/hot chocolate
13. Bake Christmas cookies for Santa
14. Fill stockings
15. Prime Rib dinner

Chicken Scaloppine

Chicken Scaloppine 

-4-5 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

-Poultry seasoning

-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-2 tbsp. canola oil

-4 tbsp. unsalted butter

-1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth

-4 tbsp. lemon juice

-2 tbsp. chopped garlic

-1 tbsp. parsley leaves

-1 tbsp. cornstarch 

-Pound chicken breasts until they are about 1/4 inch thick. I used my damn big skillet.
-Season breasts with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. butter and oil in a skillet.
-Cook chicken 6-8 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove to warm oven.
-Mix cornstarch into COLD broth. Deglaze pan with chicken broth. Add garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and adjust seasoning.
-Cook sauce until bubbly and thick. Then add remaining butter to make the sauce silky and delicious. Serve over rice.

Nail Polish of The Week

Visited Sephora yesterday and picked up this new nail polish. It took 3 coats to be opaque.

 

Grilled Portobello Pizzas

Grilled Portobello Pizzas

-2 Portobello Caps
-1/2 cup Spaghetti sauce
-Pepperonis
-1/2 cup Mozzerella cheese
-3 Garlic cloves, chopped
-1 tbsp. Butter
-Parmesean cheese
-1 tbsp. Olive oil

-Remove mushroom stem and gills. Chop then sauté with butter, garlic, and salt.
-Brush caps with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
-Grill 4 minutes on each side. Then start building your pizza.
-Sauce, sautéed mushroom stems, cheese, and pepperoni.
-Return back to grill for 4-5 minutes or until bubbly and melty.
-Remove then add Parmesean and red pepper flakes, if you like. 

*You can add any combination of toppings. Spinach and sundried tomatoes would be very good!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

I love spicy food, like a lot! And who doesn't love buffalo wings? I decided to try something new in my crockpot. I made spicy-ish buffalo chicken sandwiches.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
-6 Chicken Breasts
-1 Bottle Hot Sauce, I used Crystal
-1 Ranch Packet
-8 chopped cloves Garlic
-Rolls
-Havarti Cheese, Provolone would be yummy too!

Add chicken, ranch packet, and garlic to crockpot.

Add hot sauce. Cook 4 hours on high.

Shred with a fork or in a stand mixer. Serve on a roll with cheese.

Nail Polish of The Week

This week I let Michael pick out my nail color. He picked OPI in Miami Beet.

Coffee Porn

I don't think I have to say much. White Mocha Frappuccino with Salted Caramel topping. DELICIOUS.

Beef & Pepperoncini Sandwiches

Beef and Pepperoncini Sandwhich

-3 pound Chuck Roast
-16oz jar Pepperoncinis, stems removed
-6 cloves chopped Garlic
-2 Beef Bouillion cubes
-Salt & Pepper
-Sourdough rolls
-Provolone cheese 

Add roast, bouillion, garlic, salt and pepper,& pepperoncini's including juice to crockpot.
Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Use 2 forks to pull apart meat.
Serve on rolls with cheese.

*This can also be prepped and frozen in gallon bags to double as a freezer meal! 

GABI Collaboration!

Pumpkin Carving

Halloween is, in my opinion, the most fun holiday! There's candy, pumpkin carvings, and best of all dressing up in costumes! Michael and I spent some quality time together listening to Halloween music and carving our pumpkins. This year our pumpkin patch picks worked well with our ideas. But next year I think I'm going to brainstorm carving ideas before we go to the pumpkin patch and pick out pumpkins.

Above is Michaels ZOMBIE pumpkin

Above is my Jack Skellington pumpkin

Butterbeer Latte

Last night I was craving some creamy coffee, but alas Starbucks is so expensive! Then I remembered a pin I saw on Pinterest. It was for Butterbeer Lattes. It sounded amazing and even better, I had all the necessary ingredients! Never fear, it doesn't normally look greenish. During October we add green food coloring to our milk to make "witches brew." This recipe was very good and very sweet, bordering on too sweet. We tried it hot, then Michael chilled it and we drank some over ice, I also used some as creamer. It was delicious each way we tried it.

Butterbeer Latte

-2tbsp Butter

-2tbsp Brown Sugar

-1tsp Vanilla Extract

-1 1/2 cup Milk

-Dash Cinnamon 

Melt and whisk butter and brown sugar in a sauce pot. 

Add milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. 

Bring to a slow boil. Stirring constantly.

*Please watch your milk, it boils very fast.

GABI COLLABORATION

Monster Munch

Super delicious Halloween treat! My husband's wonderful grandma Sallie gives us a gallon bag of this every Halloween. It's tasty, easy, and tastes just like a Payday candy bar.

1 cup salted Peanuts
1 cup Candy Corn
Cute Halloween/Fall candy dish

Pumpkin Patch

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

I visited the pumpkin patch with 2 of my best friends and my momma. We showed up early and beat a lot of the crowds there. We rode the train and hay ride, navigated the maze, picked flowers and pumpkins! We had an amazing time.

How Tall This Fall? with Brittney

Shannon and Momma on the Train

Momma and Me

Posing with the Giants!

Enjoying a hay ride to the pumpkin field

GABI Fall Bucketlist

1000 Views

Wow! I'm already up to 1000 views. Thanks to everyone who has been following regularly. This month was really just an experiment, the overwhelming support has convinced me to keep going with this. I really enjoy sharing my recipes, tips and tricks with everyone. I love the comments from people saying they tried this or that and loved it! I don't have any special thank you posts planned for 1000. But at 2000 views I will share a very special and very delicious recipe! It is something that everyone who eats it LOVES. I always get rave reviews on this recipe. Thanks for the support and please continue to follow.

Freezer Meal #1

Chili
4.20 lbs ground beef
4 packets McCormicks chili packets
1 chopped yellow onion
2 chopped green bell peppers
29 oz can Pinto & Kidney beans
29oz can crushed tomatoes
2-29 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper

• In the biggest pot I own I browned all the meat. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Drain and reserve the fat. 
• Return the fat back to the pan. Sauté the onions and bell peppers until soft and translucent. Drain again, discard the fat.
• Drain and save the bean juice into a bowl. If your chili needs liquid I add this. Tonight I needed half the bowl.
• Add meat, veggies, beans, seasoning packets, diced and crushed tomatoes back into the pot. Everyone in the pool!
• Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until hot. About 20 minutes.
• Serve with cheese or sour cream.

To make this a freezer meal: Cool completely then portion into Tupperware. 

To use: Thaw then reheat in a pot.
The 3 square containers are about 2.5 pounds and the 2 round containers are about 1.5 pounds.

Ghetto Febreze

Ghetto 'Febreze'

2 tablespoons Baking Soda
2 ounces or tablespoons Fabric Softener (pick a smell you like!)
Spray bottle
Water

Add baking soda and fabric softener to a clean spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with water.

Removing Glitter Polish

Every girl that has ever used a glitter nail polish has had this experience. 

I'm browsing thought the drug store, something sparkly catches my eye. Oh my, what pretty sparkles you have. I MUST have you. I take my new treasure to the register. Driving home I'm thinking what colors I have that would look fabulous under my new glittery prize.
I get home and get all the crap I need to get done before I paint my nails. There's nothing worse than painting your nails then remembering you have to do dishes or cook dinner. It's finally time. Base coat, base color, GLITTERY magic. Depending on your top coat your naiolish looks stunning for 1-2 hours.
In my case, Sunday rolls around and I start my football routine. Eat breakfast/lunch, start a crockpot dinner, remove nail polish, and paint your nails red and gold! GO NINERS!! Today that routine was thrown in my face. That beautiful sparkly glitter nail polish that I loved so much all week did me dirty! For all you ladies that love glitter nail polish but dread removing it, here is my tip!

I know this looks ridiculous, but trust me it works. Tear or cut 10 long strips of tin foil, soak 10 cotton balls with polish remover. Put the wet side of the cotton ball on your nail. Then wrap your finger with the tin foil. Do this x10. Let your fingers marinate for 5 minutes. Once your 5 minutes is up, rub the cotton ball from cuticle to your nails tip. Usually there is still some residual polish in the corners. This is the only way I can remover glitter nail polish without wanting to cuss and return the polish. Enjoy ladies and polish on!

Fall Bucketlist

Here is my 2012 Fall bucketlist...

1. Visit Bishop's Pumpkin Farm
2. Scratch make an apple pie
3. Monogrammed pumpkin
4. Try all Starbucks holiday drinks
5. Bonfire with friends
6. Make pinecone bird feeder
7. Corn maze
8. Donate canned goods to food drive
9. Caramel apples
10. Watch Hocus Pocus
11. Costume party
12. Go to a Niner's game
13. Cookie swap
14. Plant Spring bulbs
15. Pumpkin bread
16. Renaissance fair
17. Caramel corn
18. Make crockpot applesauce
19. Carve pumpkins
20. Start Christmas shopping
21. Play in leaves
22. Give thanks!
23. Hay ride

Please post your bucketlists below!

Creamy Mustard Pork Chops

I think I found this recipe on Food Network a few years back. Hubs really likes it and I love how easy it is. This week the grocery store had a really good deal on pork chops, so I pulled out this old favorite.

Creamy Mustard Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops, 3/4" thick 

1 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1 tbsp. butter

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

2 cartons sliced mushrooms

3 cloves garlic diced
**Cayenne pepper, about 1tsp

-Sprinkle chops with lemon pepper seasoning and cayenne. Heat butter in skillet. Cook chops 10 min. or until browned. Remove from pan.

-Add garlic and mushrooms to pan, cook 3-5 minutes.

-Add soup, milk, and mustard. Stir well then add chops back to pan. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 min. or until chops are done.

We normally serve ours over rice. But this week we had mac and cheese and corn.