Weekend Plans

It's already another weekend! Don't these weeks just fly by??! Sure seems like it to me!

Friday- No plans. I do want to work on some of my crafts that have been sitting on the bar waiting for me to get to them :)

Saturday- Going to the craft sale in the morning. And then hopefully heading to the zoo!

Sunday- Church in the morning. And then no plans!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Our New Pet!

I was washing dishes last night, and then appeared this little frog on the outside out the window!


I ran outside to get a picture of the little guy!

I hope Tyler always loves nature as much as he does now. Nature sure is a beautiful thing!

October!!

Another month has flown by again! I can't believe how fast this year has been! Before we know it, it will be Christmas!

Here are some plans for October!

*Tyler's first trip to the zoo!

*Tour of the old prison with my court house friends!!!! I can't wait!!

*Iron Works (planning on going, but not 100% sure yet)

* A hayride! The court house (where I work) started doing an annual hayride last year. It was so much fun last year, and this time I'm taking Tyler! It will be his first hayride!!

* A State Holiday- Columbus Day!

* Brinktown's church dinner- this one is probably my favorite!

* Getting family pictures done! Some with my family, the three of us, and just Tyler! Hopefully they turn out great!

* A wedding dance.

* Two auctions. One for Matt's uncle, and one for a family friend.

* The church Halloween party!

* HaLlOwEeN!!!

I hope everyone has fun plans for October!

Cake Batter Rice Krispies

I found this recipe on Pinterest (are you all tired of me talking about that yet?!) I decided to make them last night. I am trying to not eat as much junk food, so I sent them all to Rata's this morning for the kid's snack!!

Here is the recipe!!

Cake Batter Rice Krispies

Recipe From: Gimme Some Oven!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter
1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows
1/3 cup yellow cake mix
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Method:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

Help in the Kitchen!

Tyler and I made Rice Krispie "balls" for Rata's birthday party last week. I was wanting to make Rice Krispie treat cut outs, but for some reason, mine are always too sticky to do that - anyone else have that problem?!- anyways, we decided to roll them into balls! And I think the kids ended up liking them a lot!

Tyler sneaking a bite of- butter???- yes that's right, it's butter- but I took it away once I got a picture of him eating it!!! Trust me, I don't feed my son straight butter!! haha

Although, it does look like he likes it..

Matt- right where I like him! haha- just kidding, honey!

Ignore my messy kitchen, my messy hair, and well, ignore anything but Tyler :)

He was such a big help! Until he decided to take the rice cereal out of the bowl and onto the counter!

The end result! Sorry for the blurry picture!

Just a few pictures..

Mose- less than thrilled with me taking his picture :)



An up close shot!!! I think he looks just like me (or at least my side of the family).

what do you all think??!

Look how tall he is getting!!

He loves his trucks & tractors!

Chillin' with Daddy!

Must of been something interesting on tv!

I need to do more little 'snapshots'!! I kind of gotten out of the habit of it- I will add that to my list of 'must dos' :)

Fun on the Four Wheeler!

Tyler loved sitting on the four wheeler by himself last night :)

You see those teddy grahams ?? He stole those from Granny & Gpa's house! : )

He loves watching trucks drive by!

Cool dude!

What Pinterest Has Done To Me...

I will be 30 before I get all these amazing craft ideas done that I've found on Pinterest!! :)

Chicken Taco Cups

One night last week I made chicken tacos for dinner. I had some wontons, so I decided to make some chicken taco cups too! And they turned out great!

I just made some chicken taco mix (with a McCormick packet- really easy!). I sprayed the muffin tin, placed a wonton in each cup, topped with chicken, and cheese. I baked until the cheese was melted and the wonton was a little crunchy. And then topped with sour cream and green onions!


Yum!

Dreamy Apple Pie

Here is the apple pie I made for the dinner. It is also from The Pioneer Woman (can you tell she's my idol?! :)

Dreamy Apple Pie

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust




• Filling
  


• 3 whole Large (4 Or 5 Small) Granny Smith Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Sliced Thin



• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar



• 1/2 cup Sugar



• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour



• 1 cup Heavy Cream
  


• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract



• 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon



• Topping



• 7 Tablespoons Butter



• 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour



• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar



• 1/4 cup Pecans (more To Taste)



• Dash Of Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out pie dough and place it in a pie pan. Decorate the edges as desired.

Add apple slices to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over apples. Pour apples into pie shell.

In the bowl of a food processor (or you can mix by hand) combine butter, flour, sugar, pecans (chop if you're not using a food processor), and salt. Mix until everything comes together in clumps. Pour topping over apples.

Attach foil to the edges and lay a piece of flat foil loosely over the top of the pie. Place pie pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for one hour. At the end, remove foil and allow to finish baking and browning. Can bake for up to 15 or 20 minutes more if necessary.

Remove from oven when pie is bubbly and golden brown.

Serve warm with hard sauce, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Peanut Butter Pie

I looked at my pictures on my camera, and realized I didn't have one of the peanut butter pie I made :( ... but it really did look like hers (The Pioneer Woman). It turned out great! And I wish I could of seen what it looked like cut up, and tasted it too!


Here's the recipe and picture from her blog!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 7 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8

Ingredients

• FOR CRUST





• 25 whole Oreos





• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted





• _____





• PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:





• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter





• 1 package (8 Ounce) Softened Cream Cheese





• 1-1/4 cup Powdered Sugar





• 1 package (8 Ounce) Cool Whip, Thawed
  

Preparation Instructions

Crust:

Crush the Oreos until they’re fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Filling:
Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before servings.

Warning: This is ultra, ultra-rich. Cut small slivers—your guests will thank you!

Randoms

* Matt went to the doctor on Monday. He has had a fever off and on since last Friday. They had him go get a chest x-ray and blood work done. The end result is they found out he has tick fever. He has to take antibiotics for two weeks, and should be fine. I'm glad the tick didn't bite Tyler!

* Tyler's swing set still isn't set up. With Matt sick, and no one to help me get it set up, it hasn't been touched since they brought it home. But I'm hoping this weekend they can get it set up!

* I will post pictures and recipes of the pies I made over the weekend. They turned out great!

* I have been walking at least 2 miles every night. The weather is perfect!! Tyler stayed with mom and dad on Monday while Malinda and I walked (since they hadn't seen him all week while they were on their trip). It's amazing how many people ask where your your kid is when you don't have him. Good grief, it's not illegal to leave him at home once and a while.

* The zoo is still on as of right now for Saturday afternoon! I hope Matt stays feeling okay and we can go!!

* Malinda created a site on facebook for used stuff for sale in our town. Last week I posted lots of AE jeans- and I think I'll have most of them sold after Friday! One of Matt's cousins is coming over to try them on, and then I have another girl coming over to try what she doesn't want on! I plan to post a few more things. It really is a good way to get rid of stuff!!

* I have been calling Tyler 'Ty' a lot lately. Not sure anyone else does though, maybe I do because I say his name about 100 times a day- give or take : ) ..but I like the 'nickname'!

* My car brakes didn't cost as much as I thought they would- which was a good thing!!

* Speaking of cars, I have been on the search for a used SUV. It is so hard to find a nice one, that is priced good, fairly low miles, and not 100 miles away! I've never had a car payment, and never will, so I'm trying to find one that won't cost me too much out of pocket when I sell my car. So if anyone knows of one for sale- let me know!

* That's pretty much all that's going on with us right now! I hope everyone is having a great week!

Wordless Wednesday

Play Workbench

This was pinned by one of my friends on Pinterest. I. Love. It. I already mentioned to Matt how we ARE making one for Tyler for his 2nd Birthday!

The directions are here. And it really does seem easy!

You can really find so many neat ideas on Pinterest. I can't believe I just found this site a few weeks ago!

Although, I do have to admit that my binder of craft ideas is WAY too full now!! But there's no rush on getting any of them done. Just ideas for when I'm feeling crafty! :)

Scentsy Buddy

Here is the Scentsy Buddy I ordered for Tyler! No other than a CAT! Does this surprise you people?!

He is called Scratch the Cat! I am going to save it for Tyler for Christmas (which I am only two gifts away from being done with- and both are his gifts!).

They have Scent Packs that you put in the back of the animal (there is a zipper pouch). It comes with one, and then you have to replace them after that. But I doubt I'll get another scent pack- he won't care what it smells like!

I can't wait to get it in!

Weekend Recap!

Friday- we went to the bank appreciation dinner after work. That evening Tyler and I went to get together. My guacamole turned out great!

Saturday- I made one pie in the morning- plus two pumpkin rolls for the country store. That afternoon, I went to mom's house to let some girls try on some of my clothes I'm selling. One girl never showed up (how annoying is that??!) but the other girl found some things. I've got another girl coming over some night this week- crossing my fingers she buys a lot!

That afternoon, we didn't do too much. Matt was sick ALL weekend. Just a fever and felt like crap. So it was basically me and Tyler all weekend- lucky for me he is so much fun to be around :))

For dinner, Tyler and I went to the Eagles. We met Malinda and Julie there. Tyler behaved and we had a good dinner!

When we got home, I put him down for bedtime, and I started making my second pie. I was going to make it in the morning, but I couldn't find my other pie pan, so I had to borrow one from mom. And of course I forgot it when I left there in the afternoon! So I stayed up late baking and watching Criminal Minds!

Sunday- Tyler and I were at church long enough to get a bulletin, my parent's newspapers, and mail, and we left. I was planning on staying, but didn't feel like trying to go at church alone with just Tyler and me. So we headed down to mom and dad's house to get Malinda to go to the Visitation Dinner. The food was great & I was full all day!

That afternoon, Tyler and i went to a friend's house for a Scentsy party. I ordered Tyler a Scentsy Buddy for Christmas- I'll post which one later.

When we got home, I mowed the lawn. Afterwards, we went to town to walk. It was such a nice night!

After our walk, we went to mom and dad's- they had just gotten home from their vacation!! They have been in the mountains since last Friday! We've missed them a lot!!!

As for this week....

Monday- I want to walk after work with Tyler.

Tuesday- I am getting my brakes looked at- they are squeaking.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday- no plans! I am planning on taking advantage of the nice weather and walking as much as possible after work this week!

Saturday- I am planning a trip to the zoo!

I hope everyone had a great weekend

Weekend Plans

Friday- After work I'm going home to get a few things done. Tonight , Tyler and I are going to a friend's house. It's a nacho theme- I'm making fresh guacamole to take to it!

Saturday- I am going to get up early and get my pies & pumpkin rolls for the Visitation's spring dinner on Sunday.

That afternoon, I am meeting a few girls to try on some of my old jeans! I posted them on Facebook for sale- and immediately had three people wanting to try them on! I'm so excited to sell some stuff that has been in my closet forever!!

That evening, I might be going to dinner with some girlfriends at a local restaurant.

Sunday- Church in the morning. Probably going to eat lunch at the dinner. That evening I am going to a friend's house for a Scentsy party.

I hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Thursday Thirteen

This weeks topic: my thirteen favorite people!

(these are in no order- well, except for the first one, of course!)

1. Tyler Jay. Of course Tyler is going to be #1. He is my everything, and I can't imagine life without him. I love him to pieces.


2. Caleb. He is the best kid ever! He is ALL country! He loves to rope, fishing, hunting and just being a boy! I hope Tyler is the same way when he's his age!

3. Jesus. And no, I'm not an over religiously person. I think a lot of people don't express their love for Jesus, because they are afraid of sounding like that- or that's how I am anyways. I find myself asking him for help a lot lately. And unlike any other person- he never judges.

4. Mose. OKAY- so maybe Mose isn't a person- but to us, he's family! Can my cat lovers agree??!

5. Lauren. I couldn't of asked for a better niece! It has been neat to watch her grow up- I can't believe she will be 5 this December!

6. Rata (aka: Rae Rae). I can't imagine not starting and ending my day with my daily visit from Rata. When I first took Tyler to her, I never thought we'd be as close as we are now. I am so glad I can call her a close friend. There isn't anything I won't tell her!!

(PS. It's also her birthday today :)

7. Malinda. She is my only sister, and I can't imagine what it would be like without her! We didn't get along too well in high school- well, sometimes we did, but I remember rather being away from her a lot of the time :) ... but now we're so close it's crazy! She's the best sister anyone could ask for!

8. My Mama. She is the BEST mom- ever!! Our relationship has really turned into a great friendship over the last couple of years!! So glad that I have a mom that I look forward to seeing! I usually go down to her house every day after picking Tyler up. We really enjoy our visit/play time!! Is it odd to anyone else that in movies/on TV people pretend they aren't in the office to take their parents calls?!- who would want to do that??! I would never do that!!

9. Jake. He's such a sweet little boy! I see many years of play between Tyler and him!

10. Grandma Mozelle. She may be miles away, but it feels like she's still here. Thank goodness for email, blogs, letter, and phone calls. She is absolutely the best Grandma. I remember many evenings after school playing at her house, and kid's night out at the cabin .... I couldn't even tell you all the memories I have of her, and still memories to be made. I love you, Grandma!

11. Matt. I used to be the 'bad boy' type. So glad I got away from that! Matt is the best husband ever!! Tyler and I look forward to him coming home everyday!! Life is good with him.

12. Karen. I find myself missing her a lot. I like our new pastor- but I think it's only normal to miss her. She is an amazing lady. People don't get much better than her!

13. Dad. Last but not least! We have a lot of good memories between us two!! We went to the drag races for years together, went to rock concerts, he tried taking me hunting once- but I couldn't sit still long enough :) ... and so, so much more! He had always taught me to be a strong person & to stay on track with everything. He is so good with Tyler. They are like two peas in a pod :)

Pecan Pie Bars

Here is the recipe for the pecan pie bars I made last night!

I wish I liked pecans- because they looked awesome!!

Here is what happens when you leave your pecan lovin' husband out of your sight!

So this is the picture I was able to get of it! Next time I'll have to be quicker! :)

Pecan Pie Bars

Recipe From: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter (10 2/3 Tablespoons)
Filling:
3 eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups chopped pecans

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13 baking dish with heavy foil and spray with cooking spray.

2.In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in 2/3 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can use a pastry blender or just two knives. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the prepared pan, and press in firmly.

3.Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

4.While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.

5.Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. I usually like things on the rare side and a little gooey but these you want cooked all the way through so make sure the middle is set. If the top starts getting to browned cover with aluminum foil. 6.Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars with a sharp knife.



Matt and I don't really do gifts, but I did make him a little something. I stumbled across it on Dating Divas (I found the site on Pinterest). It was an easy idea of something nice to make. I made it at work and it only took me 10 minutes!

ALTHOUGH- I thought it was an anniversary "gift" ... but it ended up being a gift for a person who had a bad day. Because all the colors have different meanings to make you feel better. I just assumed when I saw Husband Survival Kit that it was an anniversary thing! lol. .oh well, the M&Ms will still taste the same :)

Randoms!

* Matt still has a little fever. I think he is planning on going to work this afternoon though. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Tyler and I don't get it!

* I made pork chops baked in the oven with mushroom gravy on them for dinner. I also made mashed potatoes and had some green beans with it. Dinner was great! For dessert, I made pecan pie bars- only for Matt- because I hate pecans! We gave Tyler a piece thinking he wouldn't eat it, and he ate a WHOLE piece! I couldn't believe it!

* I printed off these budget sheets a few weeks ago, but never got a chance to actually get started on them. I think it might be kind of fun to keep better track of where our money goes. I'll find the link to the budget sheet I'm using and post it later so you all can give it a try- if you want to :)

* I am going to be on a pie making craze this weekend! Okay, so I'm just making two pies, but that's two more than I usually make every weekend :)

I am making peanut butter pie, and apple pecan pie- both recipes from Pioneer Woman (can you tell she's my idol?!) and both are also new recipes! I can't wait!

I am also going to make two pumpkin rolls for the Country Store (at the Visitation Picnic).

* I am loving this weather! The night before last, Malinda and I walked 4 miles! And last night we walked 2. Wish we could have this year round :)

* Tyler has really changed over the last month or so. He seems more aware of what is going on -get what I mean??!- not that he was slow before now, he just is more aware of where stuff goes, what we're saying, etc! It's neat!

* I finally figured out how to 'pin' something on pinterest! Thanks for the help, April! :) ... but I'm afraid you created a monster- now that I know how to pin it's hard to stop!! I had to control myself to only pin a few things yesterday! Because I could of pinned lots more!! Too many cool things out there!!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Wordless Wednesday

Need Help Pinterest Users!!

I joined Pinterest. I have been trying to 'pin' things on there, but nothing actually gets pinned! It acts like it pinned it, and then I go and check to see if it pinned and it still says I have no pins. I'm so confused!!!

I'd appreciate any help in the matter!

Thanks!

The Bread

I tried one other new recipe this weekend. It is called "The Bread" from the Pioneer Woman. Very original name, huh?! :)

It was really good! But I think I would of liked it better if I wouldn't of known how much butter was on it! That's all I could taste!

Here's the recipe!

The Bread

Recipe By: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 loaf French Bread, Split Lengthwise
2 sticks Regular (salted) Butter, Softened

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread one stick of softened butter on each half of the loaf.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until butter is melted and starting to soak into the bread.

Crank on broiler and broil bread for 3 to 5 minutes, watching the whole time. Remove when butter has started to brown and blacken. Don't under-broil it! The flavor really kicks in when the butter's color changes. (I don't think I let mine get black enough, I was scared it was burning!!! I think next time I will let it blacken more).

Slice into strips and serve immediately.