Spring Bucketlist

1. Plant a garden
2. Participate in a Relay for Life event- June 27th
3. Go to the farmers market
4. Fill the bird feeders
5. Bonfire with friends
6. Play tennis
7. Barbecue
8. Go fishing
9. Flea market
10. Make homemade jam
11. Go to the batting cages 
12. Paint 

Weight Loss

Sorry I've been gone so long followers. I've been so busy and focused on my health. My husband and I joined the local gym in January and we have been spending a lot of  our spare time there. The weight loss started about last year in January but it was very touch and go. Losing and gaining. Losing and plateauing. In all Michael has lost 70 pounds. And I have lost 30 pounds. 

I've been overweight most of my teenage and all of my adult years. It's been great to see steady progress since January. At times it's slow going and it's always a struggle. Michael has much more self control when it comes to food than I do. I'm a typical comfort eater.  Anyways, I have found a lot of exercise quiets my stressed mind. And lifting weights makes me feel accomplished. Here's a picture of my progress thus far.

Laundry Detergent

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Borax
• 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (NOT baking soda)
• 5.5oz Fels-Naptha Soap (you may also use Zote or castile soap)
• Water
• 5 gallon bucket

1. Grate Fels-Naptha bar. Measure out all other ingredients.

2. Bring 6 cups water to a low boil. Add a handful of Fels-Naptha shavings at a time. Melt completely before adding another handful. Add borax and washing soda, stir until dissolved.

3. Add 4 gallons warm water to 5 gallon bucket. Then stir in soap mixture. Cover overnight, the detergent will gel up. 

4. Break up the gel by mixing it very well. If necessary get in there with your hands! You can leave the detergent in the bucket or you can funnel it into milk jugs or empty detergent containers.

• Before using your detergent give your container a good shake to mix everything together.
• I use about 1/2 cup per load.
• You may add essential oils, I have never done this because I prefer the fresh soap smell.

Filofax Frustration

I'm going to keep this short since it will be whiny! I ordered a new Filofax with a gift card I received for Christmas. I'm planning on using it to track weight loss/exercise/food intake. It arrived at the post office on Friday but I was unable to pick it up because of work. So Saturday afternoon I visited the post office, they were closed early!! Oh no, such disappointment. I looked up the tracking information to see if it could possibly be redelivered to the house but that service is unavailable in our small town. On the door at the post office I notice a red sign. Closed for New Years Day!! What?! Yes, I have to wait until after I get off work at 2 on Wednesday to pick up my long awaited new Filo-companion. So glad the wait is almost over. Why is New Year's Day a government holiday?

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