A Glimpse at Halloween

Hey y’all. Hope everyone had a great Halloween.

I know I’m a couple of days late, but I’ve been so crazy {as usual}. Eric’s parents came in to town for a visit. We were all super excited to see them.

They were delayed one day before coming down due to Sandy and the driving bans up north. Luckily they did not get any damage in Delaware  where they live…thank goodness.

They made it in time for the Halloween festivities…and even participated in dressing up. We made up an awesome team of super heroes.

What a fun night!

Just take a look at these two cute Supers!

And together we were going after those bad guys!

Our old neighbors and good friends, the Gross’, came back to the hood for our annual Halloween trick-or-treating fun.

It’s also Ella’s birthday, so we got to celebrate with her. I love having that special time with her and her family, and cannot believe she’s 9 years old.

But the night was a success, and lots of candy was received!

Another great Halloween is down and we all had a blast.

I hope all y’all had a great time and made great memories too.

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

I wanted to share with y’all this morning the oh so yummy supper I made last night.

The cool weather has set in, and I was ready for some yummy comfort food.

Now, it is a well known fact that my daddy makes the absolute best ribs in this entire world. Well, maybe not everyone knows that, just everyone in our family.

Anyway, his are the best…like fall off the bone good. But you see, in order for him to get his ribs this good, it takes him all day {or almost} of babysitting the grill, the temperature, and all that goes with it.

I don’t have time for that and frankly don’t even want to mess with “his” ribs. I say all of this to say, last night I made up my own ribs…busy mama style.

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

1 slab baby back ribs

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp. mustard

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. minced garlic

Spray your crock pot with Pam.

Cut your slab of ribs in half and lay them in your crock pot.

Chop your onion and place on top of ribs.

In a bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.

And pour on top of the ribs.

Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours.

So, these might not be my daddy’s ribs, but I’m telling you they are fall off the bone good!

Need a good side dish for these yummy ribs…try these:

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I have to tell you, I l.o.v.e. sweet potatoes. They are one of my favorite fall foods.

But…

my husband doesn’t like them,so I don’t get them very often. {Bless his heart, he doesn’t know what he’s missing.

Last night things changed around these parts. I made sweet potatoes that my husband actually liked, and said they were good. Yay me!

So, if you’re looking for something savory and a little sweet, you have to try these:

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes

3 Tbsp. Butter

2-3 oz. 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese {do this to taste}

salt/pepper

Rosemary

Thyme

Parmesan Cheese

Peel your sweet potatoes and chop. Place them in a pot and cover with water.

Boil potatoes until tender and drain.

Mash with a potato masher.

Mix in butter and cream cheese until melted.

Add a pinch or two of rosemary and thyme. I did not measure this…just let my taste buds figure out the right amount. But, I did 2 pinches of both.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add about 1Tbsp. or so of parmesan cheese…again to taste.

I’m telling you…these are off the chain! You have to try them.

Candy Pumpkin Bracelets

Hey y’all! Happy Friday.

So, are you looking for something to do with the upcoming rainy weekend; something fun, crafty, and maybe even a little yummy? Or are you having a little party for Halloween for a sweet girl in your life? This is the best little thing to make Halloween a little extra sweet. It’s pretty quick and very easy, and if you have little helpers, that always makes it more fun.

Candy Pumpkin Bracelets

I got the idea from another blogger, Simply Kierste, and just loved the idea. I thought I’d share it with you. {SOURCE}

Here’s what you need:

A bag of candy corn pumpkins

dental floss

a fairly good-size needle with a large opening

ribbon

First, take the dental floss and measure how long you want the bracelet. I used my daughter’s wrist since I was making them for her and a couple of her friends.

When you get how long you want it, double it over. I found that having a single layer was too thin and broke easily.

Thread your floss through the needle, and tie it off at the end {the end pieces will make a knot} – you know threading a needle like you’re getting ready to sew on a button.

Place the needle at the bottom of the pumpkin and carefully push it through. This is a “mama” task….don’t want to poke those cute little helper’s fingers.

When you thread the pumpkins you want to take it slow and be careful. Pieces will come off, but that’s ok.

Thread along and leave a little space between each piece.

I used 9 pumpkins total for the bracelets.

When you come to the end, measure again to make sure you have enough room for the bracelet to slip on and off.

Now, keep in mind that it’s dental floss so it’s not very “givey”. Be careful putting it on and off.

Cut your ribbon to the size that you want. I used 9 pieces of ribbon per bracelet.

All you have to do is tie the ribbon in a knot between each pumpkin. This is a good time to have your little helper help.

And that’s it…a Candy Pumpkin Bracelet

The girls will love them…and I’m sure the boys would too {maybe without the girly ribbon though}.

But I will tell you, they won’t last long.

Thanks, Kierste for the great idea!

Happy Friday!

S~

Mummy Juice boxes

Halloween is but a mere week away, and this starts the rush of parties and trunk or treats.

Looking for a cute, fun touch for that next Halloween party or trunk or treat?

How about making mummy juice boxes?

They are so super cute and easy to make…and the best part, they’re inexpensive.

I got the idea last year from a fellow blogger. {SOURCE}

I thought it was such a great idea and made them this week.

All you need are juice boxes {the box kind not the pouch}, googly eyes, glue, and white duct tape.

First, carefully take the straws off the backs of the boxes. Keep them handy because you will reattach later.

Take pieces of duct tape, and tear them in half length wise.

{If you have a little helper, it makes all the more fun.}

Take the pieces and start at the top of the juice box and wrap the top. Be careful to leave the hole open for the straw.

Once the top is covered, wrap 1-2 pieces down and glue on your googly eyes. I used craft glue, but hot glue would work too. When you glue on your eyes, set the box aside and work on another top. I did this to let the glue dry a little so the eyes could set.

Once all the tops are done, start wrapping each box with pieces of tape. You want to lay your tape criss-cross and overlap them so they look like a mummy.

When your wrapping, it’s fun to cover the eyes a bit with the tape to give it the real “mummy” look.

After you’ve wrapped them all, re-attach the straws {in the wrapper} with a dab of hot glue to the backs of the boxes.

They are they cutest things and will definitely be a hit at your next Halloween party!

 

Happy Monday, y’all! Thanks for stopping by.

S~

No-Bake Energy Bites

I have to share this little Pinterest find with you. It’s been my lifesaver.

I’m always looking for a good, healthy snack that will satisfy my hunger but not be slammed pack with calories, much less all those additives out there today.

A few weeks ago, my bff sent me a link to a Pinterest find she found. I was so intrigued…No bake energy bites.

Energy? Yes please! I need that everyday. A little push to get me through my witching hour and hungry hour all at the same time.

One thing that sold me was that they taste a lot like no bake cookies or even better, peanut butter balls. YUM!

But, the best part, they only have 6 ingredients and are SUPER easy to make.

Here you go in case you want to make some for yourself:

1 cup dry old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup ground flax seed or wheat germ

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes {optional}

Mix all ingredients together. Let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll into about 1 inch balls. {I used a 1 inch cookie dough scoop}.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

They make about 24 balls.

I put all the ingredients in my “Lose-it” app on my phone and found that 2 balls equals 1 serving. 1 serving is only 170 calories.

Not too bad. And I have to tell you, they really do suppress my appetite {and that can sometimes take a lot } and are packed full of protein.

I’m excited too because there’s also a recipe for pumpkin energy bites. I can’t wait to try those!

You can find the Pumpkin No-bake Energy Bites HERE.

New Beginnings

Hey there friends. I’m so excited to share some news with y’all.

Most of you know this by now, so I’m really sharing it with my non-personal Facebook friends.

Southern Girl with a Northern Boy has joined Facebook!

Super yay!

I’m still learning all the ins and outs of having a page on FB. But, we’ll get there.

So, if you’re on Facebook, please go check out my site. I would love to have you like my page and join in the fun.

And Mama, that means YOU!!! Yep, I’m talking to you. I mean how can a girl get any “likers” if her mama won’t even like her page?

It’s not hard my friends. All you have to do is while your into your Facebook account you can either search for my page or click:

http://www.facebook.com/shana.lentz?ref=profile#!/southerngirlshana

Well, hopefully that’ll take you there.

If not, just search for “A Southern Girl with a Northern Boy & 2 Kids in Tow”.

Once you join my page, you will be able to get all of my blog posts on newsfeed. How fun is that?

I always love hearing from all my fans, so please keep joining in the fun!

Thanks so much.

S~