Warp Speed :-)

Wow. Where do I even begin? It's been over a year now since my last post, and so much has happened: we've made our house a home, God led me to a new job, we found out we were going to be parents, my dad moved to be closer to us, and most importantly, our good and gracious heavenly Father blessed us with a sweet baby boy named Cade August...

 

...who is already almost 6 months old...

 

...apparently whenever you have a baby, time moves at warp speed. Literally. Warp. Speed. So no guarantees I'll be any better at posting here{considering most nights I'm doing good to remember to brush my teeth! :-) }, but I'll sure guarantee I'll do my best! Since our little blessing arrived, I haven't had much time to craft or cook, but we're finally starting to get into a bit of routine and I'm beginning to get back into those hobbies. The last big project I really worked on was Cade's nursery. When we found out we were having a boy, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for his nursery theme! I come from a hunting family, and I married into a hunting family. The answer was simple:  lots and lots of Camo! A cute nursery that Cade can grow into without us having to change things up too much!

Here are some photos of the finished product!

 My sweet and creative sister-in-law, Shae made the awesome Camo letters as a shower gift with some wooden Hobby Lobby letters, scrapbooking paper, and a little Modge Podge! The rocking chair was actually my grandparents, and we were so exicted when it matched the nursery set so well!

 The rocking horse was actually mine when I was little, and the letters on Mr. Cade's door were made by my friend Lauren's sweet sister Shannon with her Cricuit!

 Lauren also gave us the amazing sign that she bought for us on Etsy. :-)

I've gotten camoflauge curtains put up since these pictures were taken. I'll be sure to take some updated photos soon and share the somewhat final product with you! I'm hoping to eventually find a set of 3 alpine Christmas trees and a little tent to put in the corner of the room for an awesome reading nook! I know it will be awhile before Cade can enjoy it, but I would have loved to have a get-away like that in my room when I was his age! I'm always on the look-out for finishing touches to add to my sweet boy's room!

 

We are so thankful for the many blessings our good Lord has given us this past year, and can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the new year! May you and your family have a blessed 2014!

 

Summer Recap!

August?! How is it already August? Summer has just been one big, awesome, fun-filled blur this year! From our cousins, Cadyn, Lance, and Megan's graduations (we were able to make 2 of their ceremonies)...

to our anniversary trip to Arlington for a Ranger's vs. Astros game...

...to family reunions, to baby showers, to successful antique shopping with the girls...

(you'll notice they can't move for all the furniture in their laps!)

...to keeping these two out of trouble while they're looking for trouble...

(this did end okay by the way...nothing was underneath the boat, but I was worried for awhile!)

...to my old roommate, Jennifer's, sweet wedding in beautiful Alpine...

...we have barely had time to take a breath! But even amidst all the craziness, I have found some time to get some craft projects completed! :-) I'll try to share them with you over the next few weeks. Here's the first one...

for my youngest cousin, Cadyn's graduation, I made her photo coasters! They're super simple and easy to make! First, buy some plain white tiles (about 12 cents at Home Depot) or find a cheap coaster set on clearance (I found this set at Wal-Mart).

Then, use spray adhesive (I used Elmer's) to attach the photos to the coasters.

Then top with several coats of ModPodge (allow drying time) and spray with several coats of high-gloss acrylic sealant (I used Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Glaze). Be sure to let the glaze dry overnight before spraying again!

And there you have it! :-) For the final touch, tie the tiles together with some pretty ribbon and gift wrap 'em! Hope you have a blessed week! I'll be back soon with more craft projects!

Meat, Potatoes, and a new Home!

Wow! Life has been crazy lately. Not the usual everyday craziness, but the usual everyday craziness times one hundred. The reason for my husband and I running around like Energizer bunnies during the day and crashing like marathon runners at night is because...drum roll please...we bought a house! :-) A very sweet first-time home-owners house with good bones that just needed a little cosmetic TLC. I'm talking painting 8 hours in one day 'til 1 a.m. cosmetic TLC. Finishing-the-tile-underneath-the-stove-and-refrigerator-that-the-previous-owner-forgot-or-chose-not-to-do-so TLC. And the list goes on...but we do like the house and are anxious to get to move inside!

....that's just a taste of how crazy our life has been for the past several months! So crazy in fact that the first part of the post is one that I actually started on January 23rd...and the post that I'm just now finishing up on May 8th! So here's a bit of an update...after much cosmetic renovation (and all of our spare time spent) we are finally moved into our new house and it's finally starting to feel like home!

 It's amazing how good our God is and how quick we lose sight of it when times get busy(which unfortunately I have been extremely guilty of lately)! God has blessed my sweet husband and I in some amazing ways during the first part of 2012, and we can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the coming months!

After an almost 4-month hiatus from posting recipes and craft projects ...here are a couple of our new favorite recipes!

Simple Salisbury Steak (tweaked from an original recipe found here)
1 can (10.75 oz.) mushroom soup (I used Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup)
1 lb. ground meat
1/3 c. Panko Bread Crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c. chopped onion

Mix 1/4 c. of the soup, beef, bread crubs, egg, spices, and onion. Shape into 6 firm patties. Cook patties over medium/high heat until brown. Drain any excess fat. Stir in remaining soup. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes

Aaaaannnddddd....what is salisbury steak without some form of mashed potatoes?

Restaurant Style Smashed Potatoes (tweaked only slightly from the Pioneer Woman's recipe)
5 whole large red potatoes
1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces (I used a little less)
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 whole green oniones, sliced
3/4 c. Plain Yogurt (or sour cream)
salt to taste (add plenty)
black pepper (ditto)
3/4 c. french fried onions (and more for topping)

Bake potatoes in oven until fork-tender. Add to a large bowl and smash with potato masher. Immediately add softened butter, green onions, bacon, and sour cream and stir with rubber spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add french fried onions and fold in. Serve hot, sprinkling on extra french fried onions and green onions.

Sorry I don't have any pictures of these recipes either, but trust me...they are incredible and are both now permanent residents in our family recipe file! :-D

May God bless you in everything you do this week!

Overdue Sweet Treats!

  What a wonderfully crazy-busy holiday season we've had! Our first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs. flew by and we got the chance to make a lot of wonderful memories with both of our families! From gag gifts with my husband's family (next year should be interesting!) to catching up with my mom's family, to successful hunting trips on my dad's place, we've had a very exciting week and a half!
    Celebrating the new year and my birthday last night as a married couple was also so much sweeter this year! We were so blessed in 2011 and we have many exciting things to look forward to in 2012!

But on to the recipes! As promised, here is the hot pink zebra cookie recipe! These were perfect for my sister-in-laws bachelorette party, and I was so excited when I first spotted them on Pintrest!

1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. shortening (I used regular Crisco)
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. milk
1 egg
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. milk
about 6 drops of hot pink food gel coloring (I actually used more)
pink sugar sprinkles
Hershey's Hugs


Cream together butter, shortening, and peanut butter. Mix in sugars, egg, and milk. Add the remaining ingredients (except for sugar sprinkles and Hershey's Hugs). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls and dredge through pink sugar until fully coated (for one batch of cookies, this took an entire container of the sprinkles). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart. Bake 9-10 minutes. After the cookies are finished baking, immediately place a Hershey Hug in the middle of the cookie, pressing it down half-way. The hug will keep it's shape as long as it isn't touched. Once the cookie and chocolate cool completely, the hug will become solid again and the cookies can be transfered to the airtight container of your choice. If you move them too soon, the Hug will droop to one side.


I also have another recipe to share with you! This one is another of my father-in-law's favorites! I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com where it was called "Lemon Lover's Pound Cake," but I've adaptaed it to be a little more digestive system friendly for the lactose-challenged like me! (I am still able to eat butter in dishes, so I'm not sure how well margarine or another butter-substitute would do with this recipe, especially since the recipe said "no substitutes" on butter. The yogurt worked great in place of the sour cream through!).

 Lemon Pound Cake

1 c. butter (no substitutes), softened

3 c. sugar

6 eggs

5 Tbsp. lemon juice (I used between 7-9 small lemons)

1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel

1 tsp. lemon extract

3 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. plain yogurt

Icing:

1/4 c. plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, peel and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat until combined. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for at least an hour before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. For icing, in a small bowl, beat the sour cream and butter until blended. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Beat in lemond juice and peel. Drizzle over cake (you definitely won't need all of the icing!)

I pray many blessings for you and your family in 2012 and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas season!

Better late than never...parte dos

I wasn't kidding when I said we had a crazy Thanksgiving weekend! :-) On Saturday (after all of the tear-jerker football games and turkey-induced comas) we had my future sister-in-law's bachelorette party! We had a great time and enjoyed shopping main street before heading back to our friend Lauren's house for snacks and a lingere shower! The sweet bride-to-be got some beautiful gifts, and we all ate way too many snacks! (My sister-in-law, Shae made incredible "Crack Dip" and my friend Lauren made awesome Pumpkin muffins, both thanks to Pinterest recipes)!

My brother-in-law's beautiful bride-to-be, Brittany

Snack table! :-)

I also got the chance to try out another awesome Pinterest recipe- Hot Pink Zebra Print Cookies! They turned out really great (even though there was some nail-biting when I was trying to get them to look"hot" pink with food coloring, and my sweet husband was pointing  out that they were looking more red than pink ...) they did turn out hot pink in the end and actually tasted really good! I'll be sure to share that recipe in my next post! Hope you have a blessed weekend! :-D

Better Late than never...

I'm only about 2 weeks late with this post, but here are those Thanksgiving recipes I promised to post. Unfortunately in all the craziness (we had two huge family Thanksgiving parties in two days), I forgot to take pictures of the dishes! :-( But, here are the recipes:

Corn Casserole

2 cans whole corn (drained)
8 oz. cream cheese
small can green chilies

Cut cream cheese up in corn. Add about 1/4 can green chilies. Heat in oven at 350 degrees until cream cheese melts. (Stir halfway thru cooking time). Serve hot.

This was my Nonnie's recipe and has been a family favorite for years! I love it because when you have a huge family (and you're having to do a lot of cooking), this is a fast and easy side dish!

The other dish we made is from my Aunt She're, and has always been one of my favorites!

Country Club Squash

2 lb. yellow squash, sliced
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. water
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. basil
1 c. bread crumbs (I used Panko)
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/3 c. butter (or margarine)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 c. grated cheese

Cook squash and onion in 1/2 c. water until tender. Drain and mash squash, sour cream, salt, pepper, and basil. Pour into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Combine butter, cheese, and paprika. Sprinkle over squash, then sprinkle bread crumbs. Top with bacon crumbs. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

I love squash any way that it's fixed, but this recipe is hands down my favorite one!

 We had a great Thanksgiving with both sides of Lyle's family, but unfortunately he was on call, so we didn't get to go see my family. Luckily, my dad was able to come down and celebrate with us on Friday! :-) We ate way too much :-) and watched some very depressing football on Thursday... :-(  But good times were still had by all! Here's some proof of the turkey comas... :-)

Lyle's Aunt Mary also had a craft project ready for the girls to do when we got there! We all thought it would be a great tradition to start, and we are planning on taking turns planning some type of craft each year! :-) She taught us how to make these really simple table runners with just a few stitches on a sewing machine! They would be so easy to make for any holiday! Here's a picture with the Christmas table runners we made!

Hope you and your family had a blessed Thanksgiving!

Best Ever Breakfast Muffins

As I'm sitting here on my lunchbreak, mentally preparing both myself and my shopping list for my mad dash to the grocery store tonight (for Thanksgiving feast supplies of course), I realize I've had a couple of recipes I've been meaning to share with you for a few weeks now! What better way to kick off the Thanksgiving feeding frenzy than with some easy-to-make, autumnish apple breakfast muffins? This recipe actually came from one of the Hannah Swenson murder mystery novels, and my husband and I loved them! They just taste like fall! These sweet muffins are perfect for those mornings during the holiday season when you're scrambling to feed all your hungry, jet-lagged, don't-even-look-at-me-until-I've-had-my-coffee house guests!

Best Ever Breakfast Muffins!

1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. apples, cored, peeled, and shredded

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. In another bowl, blend the sugar and melted butter, cool to room temp. Add the egg, milk, and shredded apples to the butter mixture. Stir well. Then, add dry ingredients. Fill well-greased muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and turn out.

Topping:
1/4 c. melted butter
combine in a separate bowl:
1/2 c. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Roll muffins in butter and sugar mixture.

The topping was almost a little overwhelming when I rolled the whole muffin in it (although my husband liked it better that way), so I decided to just dip the top of the muffin in the butter and then sugar mixture. Hope you enjoy and have a blessed Thanksgiving with your loved ones! I'll have some of those Thanksgiving recipes on the way in the next couple of days!