Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

For the Chicken:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 canola oil

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt (we just used 1 tsp. garlic powder)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse chicken breasts with water and cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken in cornstarch to coat, then dip into eggs. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Mix all of the sweet and sour ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk and pour evenly over chicken. Bake for one hour, turning chicken every 15 minutes.

Yeah, this was awesome. Courtesy of life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com (again!), this was our first try at Chinese, and it was so so so so good! I kind of freaked out when I started cooking the chicken because it looked like the coating was starting to turn into scrambled eggs, and I knew that the dish was doomed. I am just here to say that everything is going to be ok if that happens to you. It will turn out perfect! Seriously, perfect. Oh, and the vinegar in the sweet and sour sauce will smack you in the face when you first mix everything together, but once it cooks it is wonderful. We have a great Chinese restaurant here in Birmingham that delivers, but they have been unreliable at best when it comes to accurate delivery times...and they have been known to not bring all of our food. This tastes a million times better than anything we have ever gotten from a restaurant, and it doesn't come with a side of guilt. Best of all, the leftovers were delightful, which I have NEVER been able to say about Chinese restaurant leftovers. Inexpensive, relatively quick to throw together, and delicious.

Taco Cupcakes

1 lb. ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 can black beans, drained (we used pinto beans)
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
36 wonton wrappers
Favorite taco toppings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain grease. Stir in taco seasoning, water, black beans, and Rotel tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil,and then reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Spray 18 regular muffin cups with cooking spray. Place on wonton wrapper in each muffin cup. Divide half of the meat mixture between muffin cups. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the meat. Repeat layers with another wonton wrapper, taco meat, and cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and wrappers are golden brown. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

While playing on Pinterest, I came across a pin that eventually led me to life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com. She has amazing recipes on there (which I have quickly added to my Recipes To Try folder!), and even though it was hard to decide exactly which one we were going to try, I finally chose this one. And holy cow am I glad that I did! These were absolutely wonderful, and extremely quick to throw together. The only thing that I added was the can of Rotel tomatoes (actually, Great Value tomatoes and chilis....Great Value tends to be a lot cheaper and just as good, if not better, than the original.). But anywho, I was looking to add a little bit more to it since Vann can't eat cheese since he gave it up for Lent, and it was a wonderful addition. We both happily agreed that next time we make these, it will either be on a Sunday or once Lent is over, and we will roll with the Cheesy Taco seasoning, add a little Velveeta to the meat mixture, and maybe add a little rice to the "cupcakes". This is one of those recipes that you can tweak to make it exactly how you want it, which is always a bonus. Can't wait to have these again for lunch tomorrow!

Panko Cheddar Chicken

1 lb. boneless chicken tenderloins
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup (a little over,actually) Italian Style Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. dijon butter

Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Add dijon to butter and mix well. In a large ziploc bag, mix both bread crumbs and shredded cheddar cheese, making sure everything is well blended. Dip each tenderloin in butter mixture, then place in bag and shake well, lightly squeezing tenderloins to ensure the bread crumbs and cheddar stick well. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once.

Yesterday I put out some chicken for us to have for dinner. When we got home, we decided to make parmesan-dijon chicken, but I quickly realized that we didn't have any parmesan. Bummer! So I decided to try cheddar instead, and then thought I would add some panko bread crumbs to the mix as well to add a good crunch. Needless to say I was VERY nervous when I threw this in the oven because I didn't know how they would turn out. And to be honest with you, I didn't measure anything, I just threw it all together and went from there, so the measurements above are total guesses. Anywho, it turns out that they were WONDERFUL! The cheddar was a great addition, the panko gave them an amazing crunch, and the chicken was extremely moist. I also threw together some Homemade Guthrie's Sauce to dip these in.....oh yeah! It was awesome! I'm actually kind of sad that we've had these this week, because I would totally make them again tonight! I'm tellin' ya......delicious! Feel free to add more Panko and certainly more Shredded Cheddar!

Buffalo Wings

Wings:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
20 chicken wings

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce
Garlic powder, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, mix together flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Place chicken wings in a large bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1.5-2 hours. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. Place wings on the cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once. Broil for 2 minutes, turning once. Toss with sauce. For the sauce: combine butter, hot sauce, pepper, and garlic powder in a bowl and microwave until melted. Stir for a couple of minutes until well blended.

This is also another recipe that I found on food.com (I seriously have a problem). Vann and I had a couple of friends over for the Super Bowl last night, and when we talked about all of the appetizers we were going to have, I found this recipe listed as one of the best 10 wing recipes on the website. We had to try it. I have never made wings before, and these were wonderful! I actually prefer boneless wings over bone-in, but these really were awesome. We bought a 4 lb. bag of Tyson chicken wings (that were GIGANTIC by the way), and followed the directions pretty much as stated. I did add some cayenne pepper to the sauce, because the boys like their wings hot. And instead of just coating the wings in the sauce and serving them, we poured the sauce over them, lightly shook them, and then threw them back into the oven to allow the sauce to bake into the wings a little bit. It was great! We love having appetizer nights every once in a while, so this is something that we will make many more times to come!

Chili Mac

16 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 pound Velveeta cheese (optional)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, for topping (optional)

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet cook the turkey, onion, and jalapenos in olive oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain excess fat. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper sauce, and seasonings to turkey. Drain macaroni; stir into turkey mixture. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Serve with a dollip of sour cream if desired.

I got this recipe from an email sent to me by Taste of Home. Vann loves chili mac, and as soon as I saw the recipe I knew that we had to try it. We did not have any of the seasonings on hand except for the pepper and minced garlic, so the original trip to the grocery store to get everything we needed for this was a little more expensive than I thought it was going to be. However, we have made this so many times that it has more than made up for the cost! I add 1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese to the mixture and let it melt, which is wonderful! It makes it taste more like a chili mac and cheese, and it adds great creaminess to the meal. With this recipe alone, we easily get several meals out of it. It is absolutely incredible leftover! I will say that if you choose to add the Velveeta, you probably won't need the sour cream. However, it does add a great flavor to the recipe! This is a great quick and easy meal that is especially delicious on a cold night!

Stove Top Baked Pork Chops

1 (6 oz.) box chicken flavored stuffing
5-6 pork chops
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a dash of milk
Flour, for dusting
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Place stuffing mix in a bowl (I crush the stuffing a little bit so that it's easier to work with). Lightly salt and pepper pork chops. Dust chops with flour, dip in egg mixture, and coat with stuffing mix (make sure to really press the stuffing into the pork chops so it sticks). Place pork chops in a baking dish coated with the 3 Tbsp. of olive oil on the bottom. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once halfway through.

My favorite website to get recipes from is food.com. I could literally spend hours searching for new recipes. It's sad, I know, but it's true. A couple months ago I was in Walmart and ended up getting a pack of beautiful pork chops. I have never made pork chops before, mainly because Vann doesn't like them and I didn't feel like fooling with trying them if he wasn't going to eat them. I was bound and determined to find a recipe that he would actually like, though, when I found these puppies in the store. I came across this recipe on food.com, and I KNEW that it was one that he would like. He was skeptical, but his attitude was quickly changed after trying these. They are incredibly quick and easy to throw together, and the stuffing is wonderful! Reviews for the recipe also said that this also goes well on chicken, which we are definitely going to have to try soon!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 pinch salt

Preheat skillet over medium heat. Mix all of the ingredients together until combined, making sure not to over-mix. Melt a little bit of butter in the pan. Pour the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5-inch circles. Cook until golden brown on each side.

I have always wanted to make pancakes from scratch, but never really took the time to do it. I also never thought that I could find a recipe that would just blow us away. This recipe blew us away! They came out soooo fluffy, and the fact that I whipped them together in no time was an added bonus. It is very safe to say that we will NEVER make pancakes from a mix again! When we decided to make the sausage quiche for dinner, I thought that it would be nice to have something else breakfast-like to go with it. Pancakes seemed like the perfect addition. And they really were! The sweetness of the pancakes along with the saltiness of the quiche made for a wonderful dinner. I can't wait to make these again, though next time I will probably make them a little bit smaller so that we have more. This is a personal problem, and has nothing to do with the recipe. I just had the big eye on the size of the pancakes!

Southwestern Sausage Quiche

1/2 lb. sausage
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes, drained
2 eggs
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1 9-inch unbaked deep dish pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, cook sausage until well browned. Drain off grease and set aside. Whisk together eggs, ranch dressing, sour cream, and milk. Add sausage, cheese, and Rotel. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake 1 hour. Allow quiche to rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

I wish I could explain how fast and easy this recipe was to throw together. I have actually always been afraid to make quiches, mainly because I didn't know how they would taste, and also because I thought that they were extremely complicated to make. There was the small factor of not knowing which one Vann would go for, either. If I was going to make a quiche, it had to be easy, and it had to be something I knew Vann would love, or at least be willing to try. When I told him about this recipe yesterday before he went to work, he was excited about it. I couldn't believe it! I definitely had to give it a whirl.


Seriously, it was so so easy. I just got a Marie Calendar's deep dish pie crust to put it in, and it worked out great! The flavors of this dish are absolutely wonderful. I did add just a little bit of pepper to the egg mixture, only because we like pepper in our eggs, and I wanted to give it the smallest kick, and it was perfect. I also made buttermilk pancakes to go along with this (recipe to come), and the sweetness of the pancakes combined with this was to die for. If you get a chance, head over to Plain Chicken's website (www.plainchicken.com). She has an amazing blog, and I have gotten several recipes, including this one, from her website. Everything she posts will make you drool!

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 small pkg. white rice (we use Great Value boil in a bag)
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning with Cheese
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilis, drained
Dash of milk
Tortilla Chips
French Dressing (or whatever dressing you prefer)
Diced tomatoes
Diced onions
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Jalapenos

Brown beef in a pan; drain fat. While beef is cooking, prepare rice according to package directions. To the beef, add taco seasoning and a dash of milk, stirring until mixed together well. Add Rotel, and allow beef mixture to simmer so tomatoes and chilis can warm. (At this point, you can also add some shredded cheese and even a couple slices of American cheese if you wish. We did this the last time we made it and it was wonderful!) To assemble (there is no particular order): Crush desired amount of tortilla chips on a plate. Top with beef, rice, cheese, dressing, and any other toppings you prefer. Mix together. Enjoy!!!

When I was younger, I remember having this dish what seemed like once a week. To me, it is comfort food in the simplest form. I even remember always being so excited when my Mom made this. I don't know why, I just absolutely loved it, and still do! Cheap, easy, and quick to throw together, this is a dish that we now have at least twice a month. I know what you're thinking. "That looks disgusting." Quite understandable. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with a clever way to make this dish scream delicious. But I promise you, it is! Vann had never eaten Taco Salad before we met, and it was even a couple of years after we were together that I even thought about making it. Once he tried it, though, he was hooked and I was so glad to have it back in my life! And I know that French dressing seems like an odd topping to include in the mix, but it is so good! Vann prefers Taco Bell's Creamy and Bold Spicy Ranchero, which is equally as delicious, so don't feel limited with the dressing options! I have even put both on my salad and it is wonderful. This recipe is perfect for just the two of us, so if you have more mouths to feed, I would definitely double it. This is one that is nice to have when you've had a long day at work, come home starving, and just want something quick and delicious to throw together. Unfortunately that is us almost every night....so....that's why we have it often! Ha! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture. Chill both dough and an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in fridge (I put them in the freezer for 10 minutes). Meanwhile, mix 3 Tbsp. sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon together in a small bowl. Scoop 1 inch balls of dough into the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.

I came across this recipe on food.com a couple of days ago, and I saved it to my cookbook. Last night while we were watching tv, I decided that I wanted to make something sweet, but something that I could make with everything I had on hand. I came across a snickerdoodle bread on Pinterest (also going in my Recipes To Try folder), and then remembered that I had this recipe saved. Holy cow!!! I love snickerdoodles, but every single time we have gotten them at the store, they are hard as a rock, and the flavor is always lacking. These were the absolute BEST snickerdoodles I have ever tried! They definitely held true to their name, and straight out of the oven? Gasp and swoon! Vann said that he took some to work today and they went like hotcakes. There is no greater compliment than that! They are extremely easy to throw together, and I promise you that you will not eat just one. The batter alone is addicting. I know, I know...raw eggs, blah blah blah. The threat of consuming salmonella or some other disease did not push me away from trying the batter. It was delicious. If you are looking to make something quick, easy, and sweet, give these suckers a try. You will fall in love :)

Pigs in a Blanket

1 pkg. Crescent Rolls
1 pkg. Chicken Hot Dogs with Cheese
Honey Mustard for dipping (or any other sauce you prefer)

Unroll crescents; separate into individual triangles, then cut each one in half. Remove hot dogs from package and cut in half. Take each hot dog half and place on crescent half; roll. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, or until crescents are golden brown. Serve with favorite dipping sauce.

I know that this is a ridiculously easy recipe, but it is one that we adore. Great for appetizer nights or football games, these puppies are cheap and easy to make. And they go so fast. Our favorite dipping sauce is Rotel cheese dip, but I have found that honey mustard is a great choice as well. Vann picked up some chicken hot dogs with cheese one night, and we had a few cans of crescent rolls in the fridge, so I decided to whip these up. You can't even tell that they are chicken hot dogs. The cheese adds a nice little kick. Cutting everything in half makes them bite-size, which is great. I would definitely suggest doubling this recipe, especially if you are making them for a crowd. They will not last long at all!

Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese

8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef
1 large (26.5 oz.) can spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
8 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. milk
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (we topped it with Italian 6 cheese blend instead)
1 small can French Fried Onions

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Brown ground beef; drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to beef and heat. Combine onions, peppers, and butter in a small bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft. Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well. (If cream cheese is not soft, microwave for 20-30 seconds to make it easy to spread.) Using a 9 x 13" casserole dish, assemble in the following order: 1) Thin layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom of casserole dish 2) Spaghetti 3) Cream cheese/ vegetable mixture 4) Spaghetti sauce 5) Parmesan cheese-amount subject to your own taste 6) French Fried Onions (add during the last 5 minutes of baking). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried Onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Make sure to not let them burn.

I found this recipe on pinterest, which led me to salad-in-a-jar.com. It just looked so amazing in the picture. So, for my birthday, Vann said that he wanted to make me something for dinner, and this is what I finally decided on. I am so glad that I did! It is amazing! Even better, the leftovers are incredible! Which, in our house, it is a MUST that leftovers are just as good as the meal, if not better, in order for a recipe to stay in constant rotation. I got that from my sister, Christy, and it has been a great rule-of-thumb. A night in the refrigerator (like all pasta dishes) allows for everything to mingle, and it is glorious. The meat-to-pasta ratio was perfect for us, as we love a good sturdy and hearty sauce, not too runny. Once you let it cool for a few minutes, it can been served like lasagna. With a salad and garlic bread, it makes for an outstanding meal. Definitely give it a try! Should you prefer a healthier version, I imagine that it would be great with whole wheat pasta (add a chicken bouillon cube to your water while the pasta cooks, and it makes a huge difference), ground turkey, and low-fat cream cheese. I don't think there is any way this meal could disappoint!

Pizza Crescents

1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
40 pepperoni slices
8 sticks string cheese, each cut in half
Garlic powder
Pizza sauce, for dipping

Unroll crescent rolls and separate into 8 triangles. Place 5 pepperoni slices on each crescent, then half a stick of string cheese. Roll up as you would a crescent roll. Sprinkle each with garlic powder. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes, or until a light golden-brown. Serve with warm pizza sauce.

I came across this recipe on pinterest a couple of weeks ago, and they just looked so easy and so good. I am game to try pretty much anything with a crescent roll, because it seems to always be delicious. And I am so glad that we tried them! These didn't even take 5 minutes to throw together, and they are wonderful! I did make them with turkey pepperoni over Christmas, and I have to say that we weren't a huge fan. They were good, but there is something about the regular pepperoni that makes it for us (probably the grease. Sad, no?). Anyway, Vann liked these so much that he requested that we have them for dinner one night. And that we did. These make for a great appetizer and will be sure to please!

Sausage Balls

1 small package Bisquick
1 lb. uncooked sausage (we prefer hot)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Mix together the Bisquick and sausage until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients. Form balls from tablespoons. Bake at 400 degrees until slightly brown, about 7 minutes.

This is a recipe that my Mom has been making for a long time, and it came from an old Methodist Church cookbook that she has (old church cookbooks are the best!). We used to make sausage balls with just the sausage, Bisquick, and cheese. They were good, but these are oh so amazing. The worcestershire sauce and sour cream add a great dimension to them. I like to let them cook for a little bit longer than suggested. By doing so, it creates a crispness to the bottom that is out of this world. Dip these in some good French Onion Dip, and you have one of our family's favorite appetizers ever. They never make it at Christmas!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb. chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 8-inch flour tortillas, softened
1 1/2 cup Mexican Blend Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
4 oz. sliced jalapenos (or more to taste)

In a small pan, cook onion in vegetable until transluscent. Mix onions with shredded chicken. Divide chicken mixture evenly between 8 tortillas; add 1 1/2 Tbsp. cheese to each tortilla. Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in lightly greased 9x13" baking dish.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly. Gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and jalapenos. Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce near edges of baking is bubbly.

I was lucky enough to have all of last week off, which gave me the opportunity to try a few new recipes. Even Vann got to try his hand at a new recipe for my birthday dinner. All of the recipes that we tried came out great! I was really sad, actually, that I didn't have more planned for the week. But between getting ready for our Christmas, and then our trip to Nashville, we really didn't have a chance.

This recipe was so easy to throw together, and I can definitely say that it will become a part of our regular rotation. This year has definitely been a crazy one, and I look forward to starting the New Year off by consistently keeping up with our website!

Nickles and Dimes, Baby!

Since I moved into Vann's place, I have been trying to find as many ways to save money as humanly possible. Sharing a house is a money-saver in itself, but with it comes preparing meals for two....toiletries for two...and, well, everything for two. I absolutely love living here, but I have brought it upon myself to find as many deals as possible, especially in the grocery department. I will say that I have become especially good at checking out Kroger's weekly deals online. And the wonderful thing about Kroger is that they ALWAYS have great stuff on sale, even items that they don't advertise. Add some coupons to the mix, and you have yourself an even better deal! If you hate cutting out coupons, I would highly suggest checking out www.cellfire.com. They allow you to load their coupons onto your Kroger Plus Card, therefore cutting out the need to clip some coupons (no pun intended!).

I have also found that in order to save money, you have to spend a little money to get ahead. For example, if you check out eBay, you can search for grocery coupons that people are selling for cheap. I paid $1.35 the other day for over 100 coupons. It may seem silly to spend that kind of money for small pieces of paper, but it could also save us A LOT of cash... and in my opinion, it's worth a shot! And speaking of eBay, Vann and I have started an account on there in hopes that we can sell a few things that we no longer want....fingers crossed that we make a little bit of mulah!

If you are someone who enjoys getting samples in the mail, check out www.pgeverydaysolutions.com. You can sign up for free, and they have some great samples and coupons that they can send you in the mail. Not only are samples cool because you get to try them for FREE, they eliminate having to buy the full product just to find out that you HATE IT. Been there, done that...it's no picnic! Also, Dove is offering a sample of their conditioner right now. They give you two choices. I thought that I would be able to try both, but they make you choose. But it's free, so I'm not complaining!

Once things calm down at work, I am going to start working on a budget for us so that we can really save up some money. On top of that, I am going to start working on a binder that show the rotation of the items on sale at different stores. I saw this idea on Oprah I believe. She had a woman on her show who literally paid nothing for her groceries for a family of 6. And in some cases she got money back. Uh, yes please! My brother said that it takes a bit of time to get everything organized (per what one of his co-workers said), but once it's done, it's a breeze. I'm pretty sure I can put the time in to spend little to no money on groceries! My only issue is that I can't find the woman's website to save my life. If you know what I'm talking about, please let me know!

Thursday Date Night...At Home!

Ever since Vann and I went to the beach a couple of weeks ago, I have been wanting to try my hand at making some fish at home. I have only tried making fish one time, and it was a disaster. The fish wasn't as fresh as it should have been, and the cooking method was supposed to be on the grill. But considering at the time we did not have a grill to cook said fish on, I settled for cooking it in our toaster oven...DI-SAS-TER. It ended up taking forever to cook, and even after what seemed like a million years in that poor little oven, it was still all soggy and the coloring was more than a littly funky. I consider myself to be a pretty awesome cook, and usually will try a recipe more than once if I fail the first time (which is rare....haha! Cocky much?!?). But my fishy failure was more than enough to discourage me from making anything from the sea for years now. However, I have decided to put my big girl pants on and take a new recipe head on. So, below is our Thursday In House Date Night Dinner Menu...best of luck to me!

I would also like to mention that I am a little nervous about the banana daquiri. I have absolutely no recipe to go on, just a description from the Fudpucker's menu. A creamy vanilla milkshake infused with banana rum... yeah, it was delicious! So delicious that I am ready to come up with my own recipe to knock Vann's socks off. Let's hope it works :)

* Banana Daquiri
* Dijonnaise Tilapia
* Wild Rice
* Green Beans cooked with onion, chicken bouillion, and bacon
* Dinner Rolls

White Chicken Chili

2 lbs. chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 packets McCormick White Chicken Chili Mix
4 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans, not drained
2 (11 oz.) cans White Shoepeg Corn, not drained
2 (10 oz.) cans Original Rotel
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Boil the chicken until done. Let cool and shred. In a large pot, combine all ingredients except for the sour cream and shredded cheese. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 30 minutes. Place in serving bowls, and top with sour cream and shredded cheese. Mix until thoroughly blended with the chili.

When Vann and I went to the beach, his sister and brother-in-law watched our two little fur babies for us. So, after I got off work on Friday, I headed to Birmingham with the pups in tow, and had a girls' night with the hopefully-one-day-sister-in-law :). For dinner, Michele made this, and it was love at first bite! I know that the picture doesn't look extremely appetizing...and I wish that I could take another one, but my camera has been quite the little turd lately and this is the only one I could get. Please do not judge this meal based on my poor picture taking. I couldn't resist going ahead and posting this recipe, so you will just have to deal with the picture I have given you :) I wasn't sure if Vann would like this, but he LOVED it, and has requested that it be added into our regular rotation. I love to put tons of sour cream and cheese in with mine, while Vann likes only a hint of sour cream in his, but tons of cheese. Either way it is absolutely incredible, even if you just want it as is! I would also like to note that the recipe above is double the original recipe given to me. This meal freezes amazingly well. It's the perfect dish to have on hand on a night you just don't feel like cooking. Pull it out of the freezer, stick it in the microwave and defrost, then cook to desired temperature. And, it goes great with a grilled cheese sandwich! There is nothing easier than boiling and shredding some chicken, and then opening a few cans and throwing everything into a pot! Thank you, Michele!

On a different note, I have not had a chance to work on the toilet paper holder as planned. With a meeting every day last week, along with 2 banquets, I never had the energy by the time I got home. And when I finally had a night off, I got to spend some quality time with my brother, which was much needed and thoroughly enjoyed! I'm hoping that I will have a chance to work on it this weekend, but again, I will see what work has in store for me before making any promises!

Project #2

Each September the Syrup Soppin' Festival is held in Loachapoka, AL, and it brings in a crowd of about 20,000 to the small little town. Anything that you can imagine is sold there. Purses, hot sauces, sweets, paintings, etc. You name it, they probably have a table set up with exactly what you are looking for. This past year we stopped by tent where an old man was selling different wooden crafts and furniture. He had dressers, rocking chairs, key holders, coat holders, everything!



We actually purchased a small rocking chair from him the year before last and painted it in Alabama colors to give to Vann's Dad for Christmas, because he LOVES rocking chairs. This year we were able to purchase an out house that is actually a toilet paper holder. When you open the door to the out house, you will find a place to store about 3 or 4 rolls of toilet paper, and on the top is where the roll that you are currently using is held.



I fell in love with this when we purchased the rocking chair, but I didn't bring enough money to buy both, and the rocking chair was top priority. So this past September when we returned, it was all I could think about on the drive to the festival. I just knew that he wouldn't have anymore left. But low and behold, when we walked up on his tent, there they were! I just have to put about 2 or 3 more coats of white paint on it (and finish painting a couple of things on there period...I ran out of white paint and it is too messy outside to go to Walmart!), and then Vann is going to do some outlines of the items I want to paint on it in pencil, and then once I paint it we just have to put a clear coat on it and it will be complete! I should be done in about a week or so, but I will just have to see what work has in store for me before I make any promises. However, once we are done, I will post the pictures on here so that you can see the finished product!!!

French Dip Sandwiches and the New Adventure

2 lbs. rump roast
2 beef bouillion cubes
1 packet onion soup mix
1 (12 ounce) can dark beer
6 French rolls
2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. provolone slices
Horseradish mustard

Trim excess fat from the roast and place in a slow cooker. Add bouillion cubes, onion soup mix, and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split rolls, and spread with butter, mustard, and provolone slices. Bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through. Slice the meat on the diagonal and place on the rolls. Serve the au jus for dipping.

So for my birthday, I had originally requested to go out for dinner, considering it is rare that Vann and I get a chance to go out on a date. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity while I could! But the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to try this recipe that my sister gave me. So plans changed, and I am SO glad that I decided to stay in to celebrate the big day. This is the best French Dip Sandwich that I have ever had, besides Phillipe's in Los Angeles. Given the fact, however, that we are nowhere near Phillipe's, this comes in a very close second, and I'll take it! I apologize for not having a picture. We were so excited to eat when the meat was ready that I didn't even think about taking a picture...we do have one more serving leftover, so I will try to remember to take a good picture so that everyone can see. Stay tuned for another dog treat recipe! And Vann, thank you so much for such an amazing dinner, and a wonderful 23rd birthday! :)

Now then, for the New Adventure! Yesterday was so incredibly boring at work that I decided to go to Hobby Lobby (I could spend all day in that store!) and get some yarn and a crochet needle to occupy my time. Big beautiful blanket, here I come! I love to crochet, but I just never think about doing it. There is a picture of the yarn below. Plus, when I crochet, I only do a few rows, and then I get distracted and forget about it. Not this time! I am just loving the yarn that I got, and I am thinking that it is going to turn out to be really cute. I can't wait to show off the finished product...if it looks good.