MIA.

Yeah.  Sorry about that.

To be honest, I haven't really cooked anything new in a while and got 4 whole days off from cooking at all thanks to Thanksgiving!  We ran around like NUTS all weekend and I came to work Monday more tired than I was before the break.  How does that happen?

I have also have a little BIG project in the works over here that will hopefully get my sister, Helen, to Brazil to spread the love of Christ.  You can catch me and my Scripture Scarves over at The Shine Project in December, but here is a little sneak peek:

Oh, and how 'bout those Skins?  I mean, next season is THE season (see this if you want to understand the mind of a Redskins fan).  And for your viewing pleasure, here are some scenes from the Cowgirls game:

FYI: 24 days, 14 hours, and 24 minutes until Christmas.  But who's counting?

I am Thankful.

I am thankful that I get to wake up to these faces.

I am thankful for laughter and silliness.

I am thankful for the love of a wonderful man.

I'm even thankful for the hardships and struggles in our relationship that have made us rock solid.

I am thankful for God's love and work in my life - making me a better person and a better mama.  I'm thankful that one talk with Him makes me feel like I can do anything.

I am thankful for the support of my family, especially my siblings.  There's no greater feeling than knowing that I can do anything and still have a giant support system.

I am thankful for encouragement from positive friends (including the incredible friendships I've formed this year) and the means to go back to school.

I'm thankful for my job and the kindness of my boss who, I believe, genuinely wants good things for me.

I am thankful that Brittany, Matt, Maggie, and Brandon (in the womb!) are going to make their family official!  Happy engagement!  We love you so much and I always knew you guys would be just fine.

I'm thankful for this blog and the opportunities that it will bring for me to share my heart and passions with others; I'm thankful to those of you who read on a regular basis and share some of the kindest words ever.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM MY LITTLE FAMILY!

I'm a survivor...

...barely.

This picture sums up how things have been going for us over here since 12:30am.  Little Steven is horribly sick and hasn't slept longer than 20 minutes at a time since then.

Last night was not one of my best 'mom moments.'  Today is not looking good, either.  I am not at my best when I'm tired and I've slept about 5 hours in two nights.  I actually yelled at my sick, mucous-puking son last night.  Who does that?  Who yells at a toddler who is miserable?

Somehow, I have to get some work done; assuming Stevie stops crying at some point.  Right now he's attached to me and I think he'd go back in my belly given the choice.  I've had my nervous breakdown of the day, so now I'm working on making up for yelling at him.

Why does my son need 4 spoons?  No clue, but they have only added to the misery; every time he drops one, it's pretty much the worst moment of my life.  Not sure why it's up his nose, either, but I'm not really questioning his choices at this point.

I gotta get this child to sleep.

Awkward & Awesome Thursday.



[shirt: f21, leggings: f21, hair feather: f21, socks: homemade, boots: somewhere in TN?]

Awkward:

- The only thing more deliciously attractive than adult braces is wearing the rubber bands with them.  fortunately, I only have to wear them at night right now; unfortunately, Big Steven doesn't find it sexy.
- Eating.
- Big Steven taking this picture of me; we aren't really that kind of 'blog couple.'
- Little Steven crying hysterically when he sees his Dr.  Every time.  Before she touches him.  She's super sweet, I swear it.

Awesome:

- I should have my braces off by the time my twin gets married.
- The 'skinny angle' Big Steven got of me with no diretion what-so-ever.  High five!
- The New Girl.  If you arent watching it, you should; she named her turkey 'Hank,' short for 'Hanksgiving.'  BAHAHAHAHA.
- Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK!  I love food.
- This trip to CVS:

My total OOP was $17.65 with $9 Extra Bucks back and a $10 Old Navy Gift Card.

Mrs. L's Super Not Secret Delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.

Mrs. L's Super Not Secret Delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Mrs. L, aka the best babysitter ever, made me some fantastic Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.   She's letting me share it, so it's not a family secret and it was DELICIOUS - hence the name.  We ate half of it the first day and someone in my house ate some more just before bed.  So this is all that was left:

And, she shared the recipe with me:

I will definitely make some, though I think it tastes better when someone else does...hint hint :)

Peanut-ty Steak w/ Sesame Noodles

Peanut-ty Steak w/ Sesame Noodles

For the Steak:

1 lb Boneless Steak

2 tbsp Crunchy Peanut Butter

2 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Preheat your skillet on medium heat with 1 tbsp of EVOO.  Add your Steak when it's hot and allow to cook through - about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove Steak from pan and set aside.  Using the same pan, add your Peanut Butter, Rice Vinegar, Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil.  Allow this to simmer together on low heat for a minute or so; then put your Steak back in the pan and spoon sauce over top of it.

For the Sesame Noodles:

1 package Spaghetti/Linguine Noodles

6 tbsp Soy Sauce

4 tbsp Rice Vinegar

6 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Red Pepper

This is a super basic recipe that EVERYONE should have in his/her back pocket because it's super easy and super flavorful.  Boil the pasta until al dente; drain.  Add remaining ingredients in sauce pan and toss with pasta.

Partake :)

Awkward & Awesome Thursday.

Awkward:

 - My son mistaking every man who wears jeans and boots with his back turned toward us for his father when we go to the store.  He gets excited...and loud...when he sees 'his dad.'

- My boots have the worst traction ever.  Every un-carpeted surface is a new opportunity for me to slip.

- Luke Bryan's dancing last night on the CMA Awards.  He's hot, so it basically cancels out, but I literally LOL'd last night.

- Luke Bryan's moves remind me of Big Steven.

Awesome:

- My shirt!  See for yourself:

Wearing a GLEE shirt to work is acceptable if you pair it with a really nice fitting blazer...but only if you work in one of your boss' houses where the dress code is 'clothes.'

- Jason Aldean won Album of the Year!  Totally deserved.

- My brilliant brother in law, Jason, is taking our Christmas pictures down at the Lake this weekend.

- My future sister-in-law's first baby shower is this weekend!

- The Gingerbread Latte is back at Starbucks.

- The coming of Thanksgiving brings about much more optimistic Facebook status updates.

And The Winner Is...

Sarah!

Congratulations, lady, you get a SHINE Necklace and a $25 Starbucks Giftcard.  My giveaway over at the Shine Project also went to a different reader named Sarah, what are the odds of that?

You don't find that cool?  I do.  Happy Holidays to the Sarahs!

Stay tuned for November's Giveaway and my super secret 12 Days of Christmas.

Cherry Pork Chops.

The best part about this is that it requires 2 ingredients to make the sauce.

Cherry Pork Chops

- 1.5 lbs Boneless Pork Chops

- 1.5 cups Cherry Preserves (1 cup per lb of Pork)

- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

-S&P to taste

Preheat a skillet on Medium heat for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, S&P your Pork Chops on both sides.  Add to the pan and cook each side for about 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness of Chop).  Remove your Chops from the pan, reduce heat to low, and add your Cherry Preserves and Balsamic Vinegar.  When it starts to bubble, add your Pork back into the pan and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

I served mine over not homemade polenta (you can find my homemade version here).

Happy Eats!

oh, the things you can do with coupons + sneak peek of goodies for stevie!

When I ventured out on my bloggy dreams,  I was a new couponer and a new baker.  The blog has opened up many avenues for creativity, but I don't forget where it all started: coupons!  Afterall, coupons have allowed me to save money to do things I wanna do and to cut my working hours in half!  YAH!  I am a serious believer.

I still get excited when I go to the grocery or CVS with coupons in hand.  For coupon nay-sayers, I just want to put out there that not all 'couponers' are like the ones on TLC's Extreme Couponing.  We don't all:

-spend 40 hours a week clipping coupons - that would sorta defeat the purpose of working part time.

- get free things just because they're free - if I don't use it, I don't buy it.  I'm lookin' at you, giant bag of maxi pads...

- save 90% each trip.  not sure where these stores are that allow you to use 342989 coupons in one transaction, but mine don't.  50% is fine with me.

- have a stock pile that has taken over our home - my house is small, so I stick with the designated pantry/kitchen areas.  My son doesn't need toilet paper stored under his crib, TYVM.

Having said that, I think it's awesome that coupons have become so mainstream.  It's a great way to live on a small budget and, perhaps my favorite part, it's a great way to stick it to the man.  Harris Teeter (my fav. store) had Super Doubles, so I took advantage and ended up with this:

Total OOP: $81.93

Total Saved: $179.55

BOOM!

The moral to the story is: use coupons.

And Stevie has been enjoying these for his birthweekend:

Cake pop recipe/tutorial coming this weekend!

2.

Dear Two-Year-Old Stevie:

I cried a lot last night.  Then I cried a lot on my way to work.  I thought I only cried last year because you were 1 and I was still hormonal; turns out I'm a huge sap and will cry every year on your birthday for the rest of your life.

A solid 20% of the time, you make me a complete basket case.  I can't remember the last time I remembered something since you were born, but I probably wouldn't remember if I did remember.  Maybe you have me wrapped around your finger and maybe I give into you sometimes.  Some people think I shouldn't give in, but I decided that it's not so bad.  If you want me to hold you, I will.  I'll hold you because I know you're one year closer to being embarrassed by me touching you at all.

You always say 'please' and 'thank you.'  You say 'hi, Mommy, how you today?"  This time last year, you barely said 'Mama' and it was mostly when you were crying.  You kiss me ALL the time and they're the sweetest kisses I've ever had.  You get really excited when your Daddy comes home and you always tell him you love him - even when he's not around.  You've given my heart so much joy and my life so much meaning.  You are my main man - tied with Daddy, of course - but that is some seriously good company. 

I know that God has used you to change me; you've changed the way I treat others and the way I tolerate being treated.  You get upset when another baby/kid is crying and I hope you never lose that.  You are reluctant to share your toys, but you still do.  Don't lose that either.

You prefer jammies to real clothes and Redskins jammies over any other kind.  You still like to have two of the same objects, one in each hand, but you don't care about color.  Spoons are your favorite right now, you are very particular about where your toys go (you get that from Mommy), and you are ice cream's biggest fan (that comes from Daddy).

I literally cry ever time I hear that song.  Please stop growing.

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, LITTLE STEVEN!

Our Pumpkin Day + Oreo Truffles!

I was very festive in my orange top (Forever 21) and skull scarf (from my black hair days).

And Stevie was the most adorable little pirate EVER.  I dare you to say differently...

Big Steven worked all night Sunday night, got home early evening on Halloween and took Little Steven Trick-or-Treating in his dirty ol' work clothes.  He farts, burps, and leaves his nasty socks all over the place, but he is one heck of a dad and boyfriend.

We got back home pretty late after making the rounds to see family and we were BEAT.  Poor Daddy had to go back to work, but I took advantage of the snuggle fest by capturing a post-Halloween picture.

Wanna know the best, most versitile treat?

OREO TRUFFLES!

- 1 package Oreos (or generic brand)

- 1 8oz package of Cream Cheese

- White Chocolate for piping

- Festive Sprinkles

Use a food processor to crush up your Oreos.  Add the Cream Cheese and mix it all together (use your hands, it's more fun).  Pipe some White Chocolate over the Truffles and add some super fun Sprinkles.  Easiest.  Treat.  Ever.

Plus, I got the best hug ever from Mrs. L's (sitter) son for making them.  That's my favorite part.