grievances & sayonara.

After work yesterday was interesting.

And by 'interesting,' I mean 'hell.'

My allergies this year are absolutely ridiculous.

I started with seasonal allergies a couple of years ago and they gradually get suckier and suckier.

I can deal with the congestion and stuffy nose, but my eyes both itch and hurt.

So, I finally gave in (like I've done for the past few years) after 3 weeks of this nonsense and went to the store to get some allergy meds.

I took a sleepy Stevie to the store with me.
Worst.Idea.Ever.

My biggest regret is that I didn't video/photograph the lovely episode because, surely, this will be funny someday.  I'm still not laughing today, but someday I might.
Stevie saw some trucks/buses/car that he just had to have.

The stupid things were $6 each (holy inflation), so I told him he could have one just to get him to stop crying.

Normally, I would never have given in to this type of fit over a toy, but my eyes were on fire - much like right now.

So, we paid for everything and Stevie noticed I'd only bought him one bus.

He was NOT happy and proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs,

"I WANT MORE!!!"

I might have been embarrassed if my left eye wasn't swelling to the size of a balloon and I CERTAINLY would have returned the toy on the spot if I wasn't anxious to pop some pills.

He cried the whole way home, which is only like a minute and a half, but felt like an hour.

When we got home, I had to usher (read drag) him in the door as he kicked and screamed the whole way,

"GO BACK TO STORE!  I WANT MORE!"

Again, I would have gotten this on video if I wasn't about to flip totally out because I can hear my mom saying, "he would never do that, Suzie Q."

Annoying.

Big Steve realized that I was at the end of my rope and stepped in to calm Stevie down.

He even took him out of the room to play and closed the door behind him, which either means he's a considerate lovely man or that I was being a complete lunatic and he was scared.

Either way, the 10 minutes of silence and waiting for meds to kick in did the trick.

In other news, Big Steven and I are going white water rafting tomorrow.

I know.

I am both excited and terrified.

My sister's story about how she witnessed someone go overboard and thought it was so funny didn't reassure me at all.

Pray I don't drown.

If I do, it's been real.

Sayonara, folks.

wth is in my purse?

I was reading up on/stalking Lindsey (from the Pleated Poppy) over on Kate's blog today.

I kept thinking two things:

1.  She is so dang cute!

2.  Her purse is super organized.

Then I thought it would be fun/terrifying to show you what's in my purse.

Here she is:

She weighs about 100 lbs and has multiple huge rips inside, likely from bearing such an enormous amount of crap.

Here are a few things that I consider for use in emergeny situations.

Miscellaneous toys given to Stevie that end up in my purse for ages and a bottle opener juuuust incase.

Toiletries.

No, I'm not joking and yes this is all really in my purse.

I have eye issues during the Spring in that they swell up like crazy, so all of that eye stuff seems necessary to me.

Rubber bands for my braces (sexy) and floss for my braces (also sexy).

Tissues, hair brush, lotion, chap stick, breath mint, smell good stuff, and a stain remover pen. 

Completely necessary.

Plethora of meds.

Yes, those are diet pills of a sort and no they don't magically make you lose weight.

They do give you tons of energy in a pinch.

Allergy stuff that I try not to take because I know it just makes the following Spring worse.  Plus, the ones in the bottle are expired.

Excedrin bottles that are filled with all kinds of things, none of which are actually Excedrin.

Tums?  These aren't mine.

Now I shall wait for my all natural amiga, Ott, to tell me to stop taking this stuff.

And I will tell her I will.

And the rest of it...

A planner that is still in the month of February, an file with coupons, misc. coupons for free or cheap stuff, pay check stubs, a notebook w/ pen, a heavy-a wallet stuffed with receipts I can assure you I will do nothing with, random papers that include, but are not limited to: info for our white water rafting trip next weekend, requests for transcripts, medical paperwork, and more.

And there you have it.

I promise I am organized in other areas of my life that do not include my purse or closets anywhere in my house.

Now go off and feel better about your cleanliness...

Confessions of a Real Life Mom.

I will never be a morning person.

I get up when I need to, but I sure don't like it.

If I had it my way, I'd sleep until 9-10am every single day. 

They didn't call me 'Snoozin' Susan' when I was younger for nothing.

I've accepted it.  In fact, I'm embracing my love of sleep; I decided that I will go back to lazy Sundays.  'Lazy' is my least favorite word and I will punch anyone who calls me lazy, but I took a nap while Little Steven was napping on Sunday and I feel so refreshed!  Take THAT morning wake up call!

Maybe the giant bags under my eyes will finally disappear.

Here's hopin'!

Let's focus on the positives, shall we?

I've successfully cut down on my caffiene intake, I work out regularly (brag: 80 min. cycling sesh/800 calories burned/23 mi.  BOOYA), and I have stepped up my game in the clothing department - dare I say I look dang cute?  I dare.

So, now that we've established my single flaw (HA!), finish this sentence...

I will never be...

Chocolate Banana Muffins.

I don't have any Fall themed cupcake liners yet, but these are cute, no?

The only change I will make the next time around is adding some Chocolate Chips.  I knew something was missing!

Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 cup Mashed Ripe Bananas

1 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Milk

2 cups Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

Mix together your Butter and Sugar until totally blended.  Add Eggs, Bananas, Milk, and Vanilla.  My friend, Sarah, gave me the hint that Bananas are easier to mush when they're frozen first, so you might try that.  In another bowl, combine your dry ingredients - Flour, Cocoa, Baking Soda, and Salt.  Mix the Banana mixture with your dry ingredients well.  Fill each cupcake liner about half way and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).

Smilings My Favorite + Awkward & Awesome

Do you even see that picture?!  I just die!  Every time I have a camera, he is ready to smile.  Of course, I love when he smiles in general, but smiling is so contagious.  In pictures, I smile with my mouth shut because I have adult braces; however, in real life, people get the real deal - hardware and all.  It's pretty incredible how much a person's mood can change just by smiling - and how much we can change other people's moods by smiling, too!

I used to work for a hospice company.  I absolutely loved the job itself and am super passionate about the industry; it's the reason I know my calling in life is to be a nurse.  For the most part, I was surrounded by some of the most beautiful people I've ever met, including my Mama, and continue to be so inspired by them.  In contrast, there were a couple of people that rubbed me the wrong way for various reasons.  While I know now that responding back in a negative way was a horrible idea and only cultivated worse feelings, they made it difficult to really enjoy my job and smile.  It occurred to me that I wasn't really proud of the person I was at work in some instances; while I gave and received a lot of encouragement and kindness from the the majority of my coworkers, it bothered me that I wasn't giving and receiving the same encouragement from the minority - specifically two.  So, I decided to move on.  My job now isn't necessarily the most positive working environment, but it allows me to go to school, be a mom, and make money; even if I have my complaints, I'm seriously blessed to have an opportunity to do all of these things and am incredibly grateful for my boss and his kind (albeit, stubborn) heart.  What's not to smile about?

Awkward:

- Snorting.  I snort when I laugh sometimes, which is common knowledge to my friends and family,  but it's always really uncomfortable when a 'new' person experiences the snort.

- Being told by more than one person that Zooey Deschanel's character in The New Girl reminds them of me.  I thought so myself, too, but the realization that everyone else knows me to be that awkward is...awkward.

- My two pack.  I have successfully developed a two pack in my belly, but the part where the other 4 are supposed to go is still a little bit like Jell-O, so it's in a really strange looking stage.

- Giving the neighbors and accidental 'show' this morning in my nighty letting Bella out.  I didn't think anyone would see me!

Awesome:

-GLEE started this week!  While the premiere wasn't all that great, I know it's gonna be a good season.

- The Redskins being 2-0 for the first time in 4 years.  HOLLAA!

- A two pack > A keg.

- Big Steven's cousin had her twins this morning.  Two very big, healthy baby girls!  She's one of the sweetest people I know and has a GIANT heart, so this blessing for her makes me ultra happy.

- Crockpots.  'Nuff Said.

- My Chocolate Banana Muffins.  To be continued...

Chicken Shepherd's Pie w/ Homemade Mash + Harris Teeter Trip.

Shredding chicken in the crock pot is the easiest, yummiest way to make virtually any type of chicken dish.   I really wanted Homemade Mashed Potatoes, so I decided on a pseudo Shepherd's Pie.

You Will Need:

1-1.5 lbs Frozen Chicken

1 cup Chicken Stock

2 cups Frozen Corn

2 tbsp Garlic Powder (if you love it like I do)

2 tbsp Parsley

S&P to taste

8 Small Potatoes

3 tbsp Butter

1.5 cups Milk

1/2 cup Parmesan Shredded Cheese

2 cups Shredded Cheddar

S&P to taste

For the Chicken Part:

Add your Frozen Chicken, Chicken Stock, Garlic Powder, Parsley, and S&P to the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  Stir in Frozen Corn in the last 30 minutes or so.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

Peel and dice Potatoes and add to a big pot of water; allow to boil until soft.  After draining your soft Potatoes, add them to a large bowl with your Milk and Butter.  I use a cheap-o hand mixer to get the job done faster and then add the Parmesan and S&P at the end.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Using a large spoon with holes to transfer 1/3 of my Chicken to a baking dish - you don't want it runny, but a little moisture is delish.  Layer 1/3 of the Mashed Potatoes on top of the Chicken and top with 1/3 of the Shredded Cheddar.  Continue until done and pop that baby in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

And then, you nom.

And then you go shopping at Harris Teeter for Triples and get some solid items that'll last a whiiiile.  Like so:

{click on the picture to make it larger - I mean, if you wanna see all the goods better.}

 What You May/May Not See:
3 Cambell's Chicken Chicken Noodle Soup
2 Whole Wheat Penne Noodles
2 Whole Wheat Spaghettie Noodles
2 Rigatoni Noodles
2 Domino Powdered Sugar
4 Campbells Chunky Soup
3 Spaghettio's w/ Franks
3 Cambells 'Great for Cooking' Soups
2 HT Brand Orzo
4 Smart Ones Meals
3 Totinos Pizzas
1 Gallon Vitamin D Milk
1/2 Gallon Almond Breeze Almond Milk
3 Chicken Helper
2 20pk Frozen Burgers (for the games!)
3 Green Giant Frozen Veggies
3 Yoplait Frozen Smoothie
1 4pk Yoplait YoCrunch
6 Yoplait Greek Yogurt
2 6pk Yoplait Kids
2 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
2 Pillsbury Pizza Crust
2 Pillsbury Crescent Rounds
1 Pillsbury Orange Cinnamon Rolls
1.5 lb Round Steak
4 1-1.5 b Ground Beef
1.5 lb Pork Chops - Country Ribs
1.5 lb Pork Butterfly Chops
2.74 lb Bananas
2.79lb Grapes

Total OOP: $112.26
Total Saved: $92.30 + $58.40 VIC Savings
Over 50% Savings!  WAHOO!

Holy Sleep Deprivation.

Hey friends!  It's Tuesday and I haven't even thought about what I'll be cooking this week.  Actually, that's not true, I did think about it and decided to stop thinking about it immediately.

This means that Little Steven had Macaroni and Cheese for dinner and Big Steven walked to Subway.  I was too tired to eat dinner last night, so I opted for a banana protein smoothie instead.  We had a great time this weekend with our friends (pics to come!), and I can't wait to do it again.  Even if it means getting very little sleep...

As for feeding my family, of course I'm gonna.  It's going to be a week full of easy, but delicious.  The Closet Cook has inspired me with some fantastic sammies, which is one of my fav foods btw.  The possibilities are endless!

I will add Ham to this Caramlized Apple and Grilled Cheese Sammie inspired by this yumminess:

{source}

And perhaps a Fried Tuna Ball Po Boy?  I die for the Remoulade Sauce.

{source}

At least I have some inspiration for this week; I was seriously lacking until I wandered upon Closet Cooking.  I also want to try a Shredded Chicken Shepherd's Pie, so we'll so how it turns out :).

Happy week and stay tuned for recipes from last week and a Shred update.

Photos of My Day So Far...

Stevie + Time Out Chair = BFF today.

He has had a few visits to time out on this yucky rainy day.  Usually when he's in a mood on my work at home days, I just take him for a walk or run and he snaps out of it.  That wasn't an option today and I'm super swamped with work, so I couldn't give him as much attention as he really needed to get out of the funk.  Instead, I had to put him in time out, which is my least favorite thing to do.  He makes the saddest faces and all I wanna do is hold him.

After two minutes, I go over and explain to him that it's not nice to throw his baba at mommy (I gave him water and he was NOT happy).  I told him he could get up, but he was still very upset that I had the audacity to put him in time out again.

After a few of these faces, I just had to love on him.

This may or may not have suited my needs more than his...

Now that he's napping, I get to go shred/die and work on spreadsheets for a few more hours.  I'm not sure which situation is more fun...

Lovely Things + Menu.

Well, last week was less than pleasant for a couple of reasons, but mostly my attitude was in the dumps.  

Things that have really turned things my 'tude around include:

- getting a B+ on my Psych. exam; though it wasn't the A I'd hoped for, I am now only 3 pts. from an A in the course, which is my goal - obvi.
- 3 day weekend.  this needs no explaination because we all love a 3 day weekend.
- looking forward to having some beautiful souls over this weekend for a nice gathering.
- REDSKINS FOOTBALL!!!
- logging on and noticing a HUGE jump in pageviews and finding out I was featured on Make Ahead Meals

The weather is crappy and I'm away from my boy, but today is a good one.

My menu looks something like this:

Chicken w/ Portobellos
Chicken Parmesan w/ Creamy Pasta Bake
Shrimp Pasta w/ Feta Cheese
Country Fried Steak w/ Homemade Mashed Potatoes

The plan for the party includes:

BBQ Sliders
Fried Ravioli w/ Marinara Sauce
Cheddar & Shrimp Crostini
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Some Delicious Cocktail
Smores?  Necessary.

GAME DAY requests:
Buffalo Chicken Bites w/ Blue Cheese Dressing
Oreo Balls, Redskins styled

I have a loooot of cooking to do this week!  I hope yours started as awesome as mine.

30 Day Shred VLOG tonight!!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Fake Out.

I'd planned to make this recipe, but forgot a key ingredient and didn't want it to take as long, so I basically eliminated the Ricotta and Egg.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Fake Out

1.5 lbs Chicken, cut into cubes

1/2 cup Flour

8 slices Ham

2 cups Shredded Colby Jack

1 jar Alfredo Sauce

1 cup Shredded Cheese (for topping)

1 cup Milk

2 cups Chopped Brocolli (I used frozen)

12 Lasagna Noodles

S & P to taste

Ready for the speedy version?  Okie dokie.

Boil your noodles until al dente - set aside.

Dredge your chopped up and SEASONED Chicken in Flour.  Season more, if desired; I always desire.  Add to a HOT pan drizzled with some EVOO on Medium Heat.

Meanwhile, mix your Cheese, Alfredo Sauce, Milk, Brocolli, & Ham into a GIANT BOWL :)

When the Chicken is all browned and cooked through, add it to your GIANT BOWL.

Now, begin layering, starting with a little of the mixture on the bottom of your baking dish.  Layer 3 noodles on top, some more mixture, 3 more noodles, etc.  Top that stuff with your additional Shredded Cheese and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes!

Toddler Aproved:

cheesin' the whoooole time!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops w/ Buttered Shells.

I will be loading you guys with two recipes today.  You. Are. Welcome.

The Buttered Shells part are just how they sound, but with a touch of Garlic Salt added.  Garlic makes many things taste yummier.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

Bone-out Pork Chops

1 Slice of Bacon per Chop

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 tbsp Butter - softened

S&P to taste

Salt and Pepper your Pork Chops first, then wrap your Bacon around each Pork Chop - securing with a toothpick. Place Chops in a HOT pan drizzled with EVOO on Medium heat for about 8 minutes per side.

To make the garnish, mix together your Dijon and Butter.  Drop a bit on top of a steaming hot Chop and devour promptly.  I trust you will have no problem.

Yummy PIzza Cups.

I take these pictures on Friday mornings when I'm busy putting off work:

{I believe this showcases my most attractive qualities}

But for realz, these Pizza Cups were bomb.

Last week, I was going to make Pizza Biscuits, but decided to do a combo of those and Easy Peasy Cheesy Beefy Biscuit Cups, thus the Pizza Cup was born.

{I have many friends who are fantastic photographers.  Maybe one day they'll teach me the ways.}

You Will Need:

10 ct Refrigerated Biscuits
6 Large Pepperonis (or 12 small) - cut up into small pieces
6 slices Bacon - cooked and cut up into small pieces
Pizza Sauce ( I used Boboli - or you could make your own)
1 cup Mozarella Cheese

This is super easy, folks.  Grease a muffin pan and smooosh a Biscuit into each cup, covering all sides of the cup.  Pile Sauce, Pepperoni, and Bacon in each cup and top with some Mozarella!

Bake those bad boys according to your Biscuit package and be done with it.

Awkward & Awesome.

Awkward...

- Literally rolling out of bed this morning.  Thanks, Jillian.

- Not having the will to get real pants on because the effort was too much for my aching body; therefore, wearing yoga pants to work.

- Walking like a 90 year old woman.

- Saying "what the hell was that?" then rambling on about something I don't quite remember in the middle of the night half awake/half asleep.  I think 'that' was the east coast aftershock at 1 am this morning.

- Still blaming my extra lbs on my son...who is almost 2.

Awesome...

- Finding a $15 Starbucks gift card in my wallet this morning!

- Acknowledging that all this soreness means something is working...YAH!

- Knowing the names of every muscle that hurts in my body.

- Catching a glimpse of Big Steven's pride in me underneath his snickering at my wobbling around the house.

- It's a Redskins game day!

- Little Steven waking up and saying "bye bye Nelle" and "bye bye Buddy" even though we left them last night.  He is so dang cute.

Shreddin'.

First and foremost, I gotta give a shoutskies to my FMOH, Whitney, and tell her I hope she feels better.  FYI, a little Suzie is usually the best medicine.

On to the topic at hand...

An informal proposal was made by Alycia over at Crowley Party to her readers to join her in doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Video.  I have not-so-exitedly decided to it for a few reasons:

1.  My weight gain that y'all read about last week.
2.  In hopes of kicking some sort of plateau in the arse.
3.  Challenging myself.
4.  I've had the video for about a year and never done it.

Like I said before, I have been really working hard on getting fit and feeling strong; my ultimate goal is to feel good and be able to keep up with my boys, so I try really hard not to focus on the # on the scale,  but that's been my mentality for YEARS now.  It's a work in progress.

Truth is, I do feel super strong, so I am working on focusing my attention there.  Losing weight without activity is possible, but it's pointless.  I've done it all from starving myself, fad diets, and other unspeakables to lose the weight, but it always comes back. 

After learning so much about the human body, it's so clear to me that physical activity is the key (thank you, Dr. Ma!).  Calories in v. calories out, folks.  Simple math.




{bring it on, Jillian}

I hope to do 30 consecutive days, but I'm not sure that's entirely possible; 30 almost consecutive days is pretty good.  This on top of the running should really kick my butt.  At least that's what I'm hoping for!

Updates to come!

Confesh Sesh.

Disclaimer:  I completely adore Big Steven.  I just have some questions, that's all :D.

P.S. My expressions are out of control!  Evidently I've been this way my whole life, so I appreciate those of you who still love me.

The Menu.

I lucked out again last week and only had to make dinner 3 times!  We went to my mama's house one day, the county fair on another, and spent time at Lake Anna for the weekend.  It was wonderful!

This week, I plan to make:

Chicken BLC's
Breaded Pork Chops w/ Mushroom Risotto
Crusted Haddock w/ Gnocci
Summer Cobb Salad
Easy Shrimp Dish (Good Earth boxed meal)
Chicken Wings (for the Redskins Game!)

And a TREAT:
Banana Bread!  It's my first time, so I hope it turns out beautifully.

Walking is Good For the Soul.

I woke up this morning feeling like it was a great day to go for a walk to the grocery and finish up some shoppin' for the next couple of weeks.  Let me tell you, carrying groceries back and pushing them on the stroller is a really great workout!

The goods:

What You See:
2 10pk Frozen Hamburgers (B1G1 - helloooo tailgatin' season)
4 Assorted Pasta (B1G1)
2 Aunt Jemima Waffles (B1G1 + FB coupon)
2 Chicken Broth
1 Sugar Free HT Syrup
2 Budding Sandwich Meat (website coupon)
1 Ortega Taco Sauce
1 Ortega Refried Beans
2 Ortega Taco Seasoning (website coupon)
1lb Frozen Haddock
70 ct Frozen Shrimp
3 Romaine Hearts
1 Baby Bella Mushrooms
1 Cremini Mushrooms
4 Jello Instant Pudding
2 Arnold Bread
1 Maple Extract

Total Saved:$40.09
Total OOP: $56.67

With the exception of produce and milk, I am done shopping for a couple weeks!

Now, off to Lake Anna to enjoy a relaxing weeked with  my boys :)

VLOG: Why Using Coupons Doesn't Mean You Feed Your Family Chips and Cookies for Dinner.

Quick Tripsies.

Little Steven woke up prepared to cry forever.  So, we went for our run early and decided to keep on going and ended up walking to Harris Teeter to get our non-coupon deals.  It was 2 hours of straight up activity, so my body is happy.  Talk about an all-around WIN!



What You See:

2 6pk Lenders Bagels (B1G1)

2 Hormel Bacon (B1G1)

1 2lb bag of Frozen Chicken Tenderloins

2 1lb Cubed Steak (B1G1)

2 1.5lb Pork Chops

1 Gallon Vitamin D Milk

2 HT Virginia Ham (B1G1)

2 HT Honey Turkey (B1G1)

2 HT Pepperoni (B1G1)

1 HT Swiss Cheese and 1 HT Mozarella Cheese (B1G1)

1 HT American Cheese Singles

3 Sargento Assorted Shredded Cheeses (B1G1)

4.7 lbs Bananas (hellooooo Banana Bread!)

Total Saved: $49.70 (with VIC savings and a few coupons in store)

Total OOP: $51.65

The coolest part about HT B1G1 is that you don't have to buy 2 to get the deal.  I usually do, but sometimes I don't really need 2 and each item rings up half price!

Just Keep Moving.

Frustration.

That about sums up this whole running experience for me right now.  I am so proud of myself for sticking with it and pretty amazed at what my body can do, but I am also incredibly frustrated with the 'results' I'm getting.

At first, I lost a couple of lbs, so I was excited, but then...

...let's just say that my weight now compared to my weight before I went to the beach (I started running the week I came back) is 10 lbs heavier.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  Everyone keeps saying that it's muscle, and I believe some of it is muscle because I feel incredibly strong, but that wouldn't really explain why my jeans are too tight. 

H O R R I B L E.

Yesterday was my best run to date; I finished my one way trip to the school - a little over 1.5 mi. - in 20 minutes.  Now, that may not seem impressive, but it's 10 minutes faster than I usually go and I only walked 2 minutes of that time, which is considerably better than my first run less than 4 weeks ago where I could barely run 5 minute intervals.  On my way back home, I couldn't run as much, but I kept telling myself 'just keep moving.'  So I did.  I ran when I could and walked when I couldn't, but I just kept moving.

I decided this morning that the only way to counteract this weight gain and start seeing results is parallel to my individual runs.  I gotta keep moving.  What I really want to do is sit on my butt for a few days, eat some cheeseburgers, and call it a day because I'm frustrated, angry, and super upset, BUT I won't.  I'll just push myself harder and surely the results will come, right?

Essentially, it's my new fav slogan:

Just Keep Moving.