Funnies

Here are a couple of funny things a little boy ("C") said to me recently...

* During lunch we excuse each of the children to go to the bathroom to alleviate the inevitable trip back in during after lunch recess. After having their turn to "potty" they finish their lunch. When I excused C to go potty he told me couldn't go because he was "stuck to the chair".

* When we come back in from being outside a teacher reads from a chapter book while the children take some time to lay down and rest. While I was getting the children settled C tells me that I can't read the story today. When I asked why he told me he is allergic to stories!!

* This is the same boy that told a substitute teacher last Friday his name is Julian (it is not!) and told a parent that my coworker is his Mom (she is not!).

Kids are the BEST!

Feeling Better

I'm not sure if there's anything family can't fix...

I got to spend the evening with my family...

and while I am not back to 100% - I sure felt like I was for the few hours I spent with my husband and family tonight.

Today is my sister's 32nd birthday (Happy Birthday Kyle!!!) and we had the opportunity of spending the evening with my Mom, Dad, Nephews, My Mom's Parents, and my Sister and Brother-in-Law.

While my Sister and Brother-in-Law went to dinner we helped my Mom watch the boys - so fun!!

Then we got to celebrate my sister with presents, cake, ice cream, and time together!!

My Mom and Grandma listened to me vent...

I got hugs and cuddles galore from my nephews...

I forgot about the bad things...

Was reminded of what is truly important in life...

And I feel better!

Pity Party - Table for One!

I'm down this week...

I'd rather not get into the details...

Not yet at least...

Maybe someday...

So pardon my lack of blogging the last couple of days.

I'm focusing on me and focusing on the positive.

It's times like these I keep reminding myself that God has a plan...

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

- John 8:12

Ryan also reminded me that he would be at the table with me - he makes me smile...

Few Words

To be honest I'm extremely tired and don't have much to talk about today.

Ryan cleaned when we both got home (I'm telling you - he's a catch!), I'm going to make an easy dinner, and then I think I'll take a bath and go to bed.

Hopefully I'll have more words tomorrow, until then...have a great rest of your Tuesday!!

Figurine or Firearm??

My husband...

He works hard, plays hard, and is an amazing man!!

So amazing that he took a day off to spend time with me on my day off - what a guy!!

Since we moved about two months ago we have been "cleaning out our closet" or you know...trying to get rid of stuff we don't use anymore.

Stuff like the flute I played in high school, decorations, clothes, etc. You get the idea!

Well today on our day off together we decided to take some time and try to look into possibly selling said stuff. We have tried Craigslist and so far have had no luck so we decided to directly call some stores to see if we'd get a bite.

The first item we called on was the flute and we have a lead!!

The second item was a Hummel figurine. Do you know what that is? Well it's one of these...

We got this after a family friend passed away years ago and have decided we really have no use for it and it does not go with our decor.

So my wonderful husband got on the phone and called the first store. Here is how the conversation went.

Ryan: "Hello, I found your website and it says you buy antiques and collectibles. Oh... ok... Really? So it's mostly firearms then?"

I don't think that's the person who will be buying our Hummel figurine :)

And after that...we're headed to the pool!!

Summer So Far...

On top of trying a ton of new recipes and couponing (I will have a post on this VERY soon!), here is what we've been up to so far this Summer....

Spending time at the pool...

Getting ready for a new school year - organizing papers!

"Gardening" - we are growing cilantro, chives, dill, oregano, and peppers!!

Watching and enjoying the thunderstorms we've been having!! I love our daily storms!!

And the best of all...spending time with family and each other!!

Hope your summer has been a blast so far!!!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Another Recipe!!

I made this (well Ryan grilled) chicken for dinner tonight! It was very yummy! I found this recipe in the June 2011 Food Network magazine. When planning meals I saw that I had all the ingredients on hand so I wouldn't have to spend any money to make this meal and I love trying new recipes! This was a definite winner!!

As you can see from the pictures below I paired the chicken with some rice, fruit, and salad.

Delicious!!

Carolina Style Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (I had dark on hand)

1 1/2 tablespoons mustard powder (I only used 1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Cholula)

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I used salted)

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2 to 2 1/4 pounds) (I used 4 chicken breasts)

Vegetable oil, for brushing

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium. Whisk the yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the butter.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then toss with about 1/3 of the mustard sauce in a large bowl until coated. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

3. Brush the grill grates with vegetable oil. Put about 1/4 cup of the remaining mustard sauce in a small bowl for basting and reserve the rest for topping. Grill the chicken, covered, basting occasionally with the sauce, until well marked and cooked through.

4. Serve the chicken with the reserved mustard sauce.

Enjoy!!

I'm Back!!

I really hope this time I can keep up with blogging! Please stick with me!!

Now...before I continue blogging about couponing, my adorable nephews, and more I have decided to first share a recipe! I found it on the Taste of Home website.

I made this recipe for a 4th of July BBQ we had at my sisters this last weekend. I volunteered to bring the side dishes and one that I brought was this delicious pasta salad. I highly recommend you try this - it will now be my go to for BBQ's and potlucks. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) bow tie or small tube pasta
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 
  DRESSING:
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl; add cheese, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and onions. In a blender, combine vinegar, sugar, garlic, onion, mustard and salt; gradually add oil, blending until smooth. Add poppy seeds. Pour over pasta mixture and toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Yield: 16-18 servings.