Beer Bread

This is so easy and so delicious...

1- 12 oz can of beer
3 cups self-rising flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the flour, beer, and sugar until blended. Pour into a greased bread pan.

3. Pour the melted butter on top of the bread dough.

4. Bake for 45 minutes.

Cheeseburger Soup

This is one of our favorites when it's cold outside.

1 pound ground beef (could use ground turkey)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 cup flour
12 oz Velveeta cheese cubed
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

1. Brown beef in olive oil, drain, and set aside. In same saucepan, saute onions, carrots, basil, and parsley in 1 Tbs. olive oil until tender.

2. Add broth, potatoes, and beef. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Meanwhile in small pan, melt butter and add flour. Cook for 3 minutes on low until bubbly. Add to soup and bring to a boil. Stir for 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low.

4. Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Cook until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Enjoy! I like to serve with warm Beer Bread.

Mississippi Mud Cookies

It's Cookie Friday...hmmm, I like the sound of that. Maybe a new tab on the old home page is on the way...we'll see.
But for now, here's a recipe for some really yummy cookies.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans (optional - I don't use them)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (if you don't have them, you can use semisweet)
miniature marshmallows

1. Microwave semisweet chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.

2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each egg. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.

3.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended.
Stir in chopped pecans {if desired} and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips.

4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Press 3 mini marshmallows into batter.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

***Sometimes the marshmallows will melt and run off the cookies. I have found that if you bake the cookies and then add the marshmallow about 3 minutes before they're done, they get toasted and they don't melt all over the place.

Door update

Just as promised last night, our front door is finished...

Here is it's reveal.

Before...

After...

So, what do you think???

I love it.

I especially love how my UGA wreath stands out now.

If only it could bring my beloved bulldogs some good luck.

Now let's see how long before our lovely HOA catches wind of our yellow door from our neighborhood HOA bully.



All in a Day's Work

It's been about a month since we last we really spent some time on the yard. Yes, we've cut the grass and Eric took care of some weeds, but I mean really spending time on the yard - mainly the front beds. Remember this...

This was the last time we spent time on the bushes, shrubs, and overgrown trees.

Well, the other day Eric tells me that he is going to be filming a commercial here for his new pest control product he's launching in October.

Wait...What?

He wants to bring people over here and have them film around the front of my house when it looks like this...

Uh, no!

The plants are all dead from the heat of the summer, the front bushes are overgrown, and the mulch...what mulch - there's none left.

So, this morning after dropping the kids at school, I took a trip to Home Depot.

I got home and got to work.

I trimmed up bushes,

ripped out plants and bushes,

planted new plants,

and re-mulched.

It was really hot and I was dripping with sweat.

I didn't get enough mulch and had to go back to Home Depot after picking up Hunter from school.

I worked again, and sweated again...grossly {Is that even a word?}.

And here you have it...the new and improved front of our house.

Now, is it complete...not by a long shot.

There are still plants and bushes that need to be taken out, but I only have so much strength and couldn't do it all.

But, I am pleased with how it looks, at least for the shoot for tomorrow.

And speaking of projects, I'm not finished.

I've been talking about repainting the front door for over a year now.

Yes, it's been a year and I haven't done it...only talked about it.

See, that's a couple of my flaws {to your utter dismay, I do have flaws}...

I'm a procrastinator,

and I'm a very impatient person.

And, when you put the two together, they don't make a good pair.

Like I said, I've been wanting to re-paint the front door, but haven't - procrastinating.

And, today seemed like the best day for it - impatientness is starting to reer his ugly head.

So, Hunter and I went to Home Depot after school {remember I had to get more mulch?}.

My little helper at Home Depot.

We picked out some light yellow paint and had it mixed up.

Yellow???

Yes, yellow.

I love yellow and love red, yellow, and black together.

The house is red brick, the shutters are black,

and now the door is yellow.

It's kind of hard to see because it's late and dark.



I will re-post a picture of the complete door tomorrow, but didn't want to leave this hanging. So, here you go for now:

Outside Before



Inside Before
Yes, the U on my wreath fell off and hasn't been fixed yet, but not to worry it will be as good as new tomorrow.

After...
Now, it's not complete, but I will reveal that later.

In the meantime, I am pooped and my eyes are crossing. I must go to bed.
Hope y'all had a good day and a great night's sleep.



Kids...

Hello there! I know it's been almost a week since I've last written, and I'm sorry. And I know you've all been on the edge of your seats {or computer screens} just waiting to hear from me and see what we've been up to, and I've left you hanging. What can I say, life has been crazy. 

We had a great weekend with Eric's parents, Grammy and Poppy, here. They are so wonderful and we always love when they come to visit.

But I have to admit I am pretty embarrassed by my children's behavior, and that's why I'm writing you today. 

OK, take a minute and look at these faces...

 What do you see?

Do you see innocense?

Do you see happiness?

 Do you see contempt?

 Do you see total and utter sweetness?

I remember taking this picture and loving it. They were giggling and all was happy in our home and with the world.

I have to tell you though, I wouldn't have wanted to take a picture of my children this weekend.

Why you ask?

Because if I had you would not see these pure, sweet children...you would see monsters.

And I'm not talking cute, cuddly, little monsters like Elmo and Abby Caddaby from Sesame Street. I'm talking about the monsters you see on the Halloween Isle these days in Wal-Mart or Party City.

Now, I will tell you they weren't monsters the whole weekend, just 98% of the time.

We did have glimpses of fun and laughter, but they were few and far between.

Most of our weekend was full of..

whining,

fussing,

fighting,

bad attitudes,

interupting,
sass mouthing,

and just plain not being nice.
At one point in the weekend I felt like Minny Jackson from "The Help" approaching her daughter {like I did my own}..."Don't you be sass mouthin' me ".

On Monday I found myself really beating myself up about their behavior. I was completely embarrassed. I couldn't believe they showed out like they did, all weekend. And for some reason, I think their behaivor reflects me as a parent. I kept trying to tell myself, "thank goodness it was just family".

So, here's my question to you...
Do your kids show their bad sides when family {or guests} are around?
Sometimes {and I know it's not true} I feel that my kids are the ONLY kids who act like this. Meaning, nothing is ever right, and when they don't get what they want at the exact second they want it they either pitch a huge fit, or they look at you and say you're "not nice" to them.
Really?!
Because last I checked, I live to make them happy.
Yes, I have boundaries and rules to follow and expect them to do the right thing and be nice, but I also try my hardest to make them happy...always.
But apparently because I didn't let them stay out 5 minutes longer one night because it was a school night, I'm "never nice" to them...
I guess I'm the Wicked Witch of the West....maybe that's why there's a new wart on my nose.

But, the weekend is over, and the past is in the past. I'm trying to let it go and really focus on the fun we had while Grammy and Poppy were here, like all of us going on the bumper boats at a birthday party and totally soaking Grammy.
Or the yummy dinners we all got to enjoy outside on the deck because the evenings were so nice.
The Phillies looked good, and the Eagles looked good. My poor Bulldogs looked better but didn't win {which was pretty tough to take}.
We had a fun potluck after a great church service on Sunday,
and Dallas had a good soccer game on Saturday morning.
Yes, there were some good, fun times we shared with Grammy and Poppy as we always do, and I guess I just have to chalk the kids' behavior up to the fact that...
Kids will be Kids.
{and they're good at embarrassing their Mamas.}

 

Wednesday

So here it is...Wednesday

a.k.a "Hump Day".

I would love to sit here and write and talk about the picture frame I've finished for the dining room.

Or the canvases I've painted to go inside the frame I want to finish for the
 dining room.
I would love to tell you how I fixed the one chair leg {that's missing a piece} or how I bought the two end chairs to finish the dining set for the
dining room.
I would also love to tell you how I ordered and hung the floating shelves from IKEA for the dining room.
 {and even how I've decorated them}
I would love to tell you how I got to see my good friend and neighbor {not for much longer} on her birthday today.

B.U.T...
It's Wednesday, September 7 and I hate to tell you that none of those things above have been done.
My canvases sit in the bag in which I purchased them.
The shelves have yet to be ordered.
The frame is a working project in my garage.
{and I'm sure my husband would love for me to get it out of there.}
The chair is still missing a leg and lying in the corner of the room.
Yes folks, the room I've been working on since mid July is not finished...
And it's starting to really get to me!
I just want it DONE.!

And, I'm a really bad friend!

But, that will have to wait until another day I guess. Today is Wednesday.
I can report though that it's been a very busy day at that.
Thank goodness for good friends because I had three friends come over today to help me put water bottle labels on 236 water bottles...
Yes, that would be two hundred and thirty-six water bottles.
Like I said, thank goodness for help!

If the water bottles weren't enough, I also played carpool to and from schools for the kids,
ran to Staples and Target, and finished laundry {from yesterday}.
Not to mention fight with Hunter about his stupid shoe strings on his tennis shoes...
don't even get me started.
Dallas had soccer practice this evening.
And I did manage to sit down for a few minutes to catch up on Design Star from Monday.

Which on a side note, I must admit I'm a bit shocked that Meg is in the final two.
I like her, but honestly I think she's struggled throughout the season and not really sure I see why she's there...but that's me.

So, tomorrow is Thursday, and I'm sure it will be filled with another busy day of kids, kid stuff, the gym, cleaning, the arrival of Grammy and Poppy {yay!}, and the dang shoes strings.

For now, though, my hamster wheel is slowing to a halt.
{I am not a nocturnal hamster.}
Tomorrow is another day and maybe, just maybe another day closer to my dining room getting finished.
Nah!