We couldn't wait!

Josh and I were too excited to wait for our Christmas (yes, we're like little 5 year olds:)), so we had our impromptu Christmas last night! It was lots of fun! We opened presents, ate finger foods and then drove around for almost 2 hours (yes, we wasted gas, but, it's cheaper than going to a movie) looking at Christmas lights in OKC and Edmond, while drinking peppermint mochas and listening to each of our new collections of CDs that we got for Christmas! I think that will be our new tradition! It turned out to be a great evening!

Just a few pics of opening presents (we decided to take pics of each gift we opened, because I always forget what I have gotten Josh from year to year!):

Josh is a wonderful shopper and fulfilled my list and then some! Thanks, Josh! I couldn't wait to use my new Deceptively Delicious cookbook, so this morning I made the doughnuts. I didn't have a donut pan, so I used mini bundt pans instead, and cut out the middle of each, after baking. Josh really liked them and thought they tasted more like pumpkin bread, which I agree, they were tasty!

Here's what they looked like:

Being Tacky

Well I just got back from a fun night out with the girls from school for our staff Christmas party! We had a yummy dinner at Ted's, with the bill picked up by the school...thank you!!! Then, we headed over to one of my co-workers' homes for desserts and Dirty Santa. After a large Sonic coke, a peppermint mocha from Starbucks (thanks, Josh!!) and tons of sugary treats all day, I was a little crazy tonight! I couldn't stop laughing all night and was just delirious! When we played Dirty Santa, I was number 19 out of 19 players and I of course didn't want to open the last gift, so I snooped around at the gifts that weren't "frozen" and remembered the bucket that included the Blockbuster gift card, popcorn, movie candy and Christmas hand towel. Without thinking, I leaned down and asked, "how much is the gift card for", not even thinking that I was being tacky or that anyone would think twice about what I just asked. But, everyone on that side of the room was laughing hysterically and couldn't believe that I asked such a question. I think they thought I was pretty tacky. But, hey, I was just being a "smart shopper". It's all about a good value:) And, I ended up with a great present that I can share with my husband!

Anyway, it was a fun evening of food, laughter, good times and both arms filled with presents from our directors, the host and the Dirty Santa gift, of course!

I think I'm going to head to bed now, unless I'm too geared up on caffeine!

This is what I woke up to this morning....

The first pic is the view from our front window. It is of an ice-covered tree that is just a bit close to our house and sagging very low.

The second pic is an upclose pic of the huge limb that now resides in our pool, followed by the 3rd pic, which is the same thing.

Yay for big trees, coved in ice, that now reside in our pool! (please note the extreme sarcasm!)

I'm back!

My MESSY kitchen (worse than the pictures capture)

while working on my orders.

Church Christmas banquet-Friday Night

Gran came in town and we had a family dinner on Thursday night. She got to hold Viv for the first time!

Babysitting Viv on Sunday night

Vivian's Baby Dedication at church-Sunday night

(she looked SOO cute!!)

It's been a crazy week! Rather than go on and on about the week, I'll just hit on a few highlights and post pics.

My business and new website (Blessings and Bows) kept me extra busy this week with several holiday orders to fill. It was fun, but time consuming.

Sunday was Vivian's baby dedication at church and we got to babysit her Sunday, too! Monday was chorus practice, Tuesday was school, Wednesday I taught class at church and had chorus practice, Thursday was school and family dinner with my grandmother, Friday I kept Aidan and performed at our church's Christmas banquet, and today we had a chorus performance in Guthrie. I took a 4 hour nap this afternoon and am feeling revived!!

I hope to post more often now! Enjoy my "week in pictures".

By the way, you'll be pleased to know that my kitchen is now cleaned up:)

My Christmas Wish List

I usually have no idea what I want for Christmas. But, this year I handed Josh a list, even though he has done GREAT every other year, without one! Here is what I've asked for so far....

1. Black and Decker Scumbuster
2. Day planner
3. Deceptively Delicious cookbook
4. Real Simple magazine subscription
5. Coffee maker w/ thermal caraffe...ours is a hotel-sized 4-cup coffee maker that drips every time you remove the pot and scorches the remaining coffee...yuck!
6. Yankee candle
7. Clothes
8. Bath and Body Works Jasmine Vanilla lotion

I can justify my selfishness with the fact that "I'm just trying to make our house run more smoothly!" These are all the things a housewife needs...right?!?

Happy Thanksgiving!

100 People and Things I'm Thankful For: (not in particular order)
1. Josh
2. Mom
3. Dad
4. Joe
5.Matt
6.Mandy
7.Vivian
8.Grandma
9.Gran
10.Pam
11.Gene
12.Reece
13.MawMaw
14.PawPaw
15.Aunt Laura
16.Uncle Philip
17.Aunt Susan
18.Aunt Mary Fern
19.Cousins
20. 2nd cousins
21. House
22. Job
23. Food
24. Clothing
25. Faith
26. Church family
27. Education
28. Marriage
29. Grace
30. Children
31. Opportunity
32. Technology
33. Car
34. All extended family
35. Chocolate
36. Mexican Food
37. Target
38. The adventures of this year
39. Life's lessons
40. Running water
41. Air Conditioning
42. Heat
43. Electricity
44. Comfy bed
45. A husband who loves me
46. Having a husband to love
47. Happy childhood
48. Big brothers to protect me
49. A dad who sill heats up my car on a cold night (thanks, Dad)
50. A mom who is my best girl friend
51. Music
52. A musically and artistically talented family
53. Seeing my big brothers on Thanksgiving
54. A healthy and beautifu new addition to the family
55. Friends
56. Friends who are in the same phase of life
57. Morning television shows
58. Inlaws who accept you into their family
59. A husband who is so thoughtful and nurturing
60. Health
61. Clean laundry
62. Clean dishes
63. Clean house
64. Family gatherings at my house
65. Hosting friends at my house
66. Teaching
67. Babies
68. Friends/family who allow me to keep their babies weekly
69. Traveling
70. Dates
71. Holidays
72. Christmas music...coming soon:)
73. Turkey
74. Dressing
75. Mashed Potatoes
76. The dessert table!
77. Green Bean Casserole
78. Women in my family and Josh's that are great cooks!!
79. Clean sheets on the bed
80. Bubble baths
81. Christmas decorations
82. Birthdays
83. Blogs
84. Blog-stalking
85. Clearance racks
86. Fritos w/ onion dip
87. Christmas stockings
88. Cold nights
89. with hot chocolate or coffee
90. Makeup
91. Winter coats
92. Hair products
93. Warm feet
94. Hugs
95. Kisses
96. Movies
97. Eating out, on occasion
98. A fun and crazy family
99. Snow....when I don't have to leave the house
100. My whole life

She's Here!!!

Vivian Mae Stansberry:

Happy Birthday Vivian, Mom and Josh!!

Aunt Aubrey and Viv:

My beautiful new niece (my one and only) arrived today and I'm SO in love with her!! She is absolutely precious! She decided to come the day before her schduled C-section to be born on the same day as Josh and my mom, pround new "Nan-Nan". She was born at 4:22pm, weighing 8lbs 6oz and 20"long. She has darling chubby cheeks and a headful of dark black curly hair!! She is gorgeous!! I'm so happy she's here! Happy birthday to Vivian, Josh and Mom!!! Congrats, Matt and Mandy!!!

hahah

I just noticed my profile says that I'm from Afghanistan...that's hilarious! I guess I ought to change that:)

Happy Birthday!!!

Today my precious husband turns 26!!! Woohoo!! Have a very happy birthday, Joshy!!! You are AMAZING!!!

Happy b-day to my mom, too! She'll turn 50 today!!

I love you both!!

A few new faves

I have a few new (and a few old) favorites that I've encountered lately:



-Starbuck's peppermint mochas...THE best!



-Coffeemate's Peppermint Mocha creamer (because let's face it, I can't afford Starbuck's everyday!)



-Tresseme hair products....especially the hair spray, straightening gel and root boost: they smell great, are cheap, and work well, too!



-Suave shampoo (Clarifying) and conditioner (Refreshing Waterfall Mist)...remember, I'm frugal!



-Restoration Hardware's Sheet Spray in Fresh....at least I can pretend that I just washed my sheets.



-Neutrogena's 3-in-1 Concealer for Eyes: This actually helps my eyeliner glide on much more smoothly.



-My long time favorite: Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Makeup in Classic Porcelain...Yes, I'm THAT white!!!



-The White Barn Candle Co. Concentrated Fragrance Spray for Home (at Bath and Body Works) in Creamy Nutmeg, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin or Spiced Cider. I just counted and I have at least 7 or 8 of these in my house. They are GREAT!! They actually smell more like candles than cheap room fragrance! And, you can beat it at $5. It lasts forever! I used ot use Kitchen Spice in my classroom and loved it! It is much better than the smell of sweaty children after recess!



I'm sure I'll think of more favorites later. Now I'm off to bake and freeze some banana bread with my overly-ripe bananas for this weekend.

Cranana Bread part II

The Cranana Bread was really good! I had another slice for breakfast this morning. I changed a few things, not much. I will say the cranberries are very tart, so you may wish to slice them and mix them with sugar, first. I actually liked them tart.

Cranana Bread (recipe from Wilson's Farm, Lexington, MA)
-1/2 stick butter, softened
-1 c. sugar
-2 eggs
-2 small bananas, sliced (I mashed mine...I don't like chunks of banana)
-1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
-1/4 c. water
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 3/4 c. flour (I used 1 c. white and 3/4 c. whole wheat)
-1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-you could probably add walnuts to this, too

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan(s) (I used 3 mini loaf pans)

Cream butter and sugar together. Add in eggs, one by one, mixing well between each addition. Add in bananas, cranberries, water and vanilla. Mix until blended

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to batter and mix until combined...do not overmix.

Pour batter into pan(s) and bake one large pan for about 55 minutes or 3 small loaf pans for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let rest 10 minutes, run a knife around edges to loosen and turn out on a rack to cool completely.

Cranana Bread!

Well, I'm currently waiting for some Cranberry Banana Bread or as I like to call it, "Cranana Bread", to come out of the oven. I found a recipe for it, because I had cranberries and bananas that I needed to use. If it's good, I'll post the recipe:) I will say that it smells really good! It may be a weird combination. Who knows!

Oh, it gets worse!

Okay, so I felt bad about the cell phone. Thanks to Josh, it is now taken care of! I got a cute red one WITH a leather protective case AND insurance! Hopefully that will help! Also, my teacher retirement check came in the mail today, too, which helped with the guilt factor.

But.....I feel guilty today again. Much MORE guilty than yesterday. Why? Because I bit a beautiful and precious 4 month old's finger:( While babysitting today, I was playing on the floor with the baby and talking to her and was in her face talking and smiling and she stuck her finger in my mouth, without me realizing, and I bit down while talking. Poor baby, she was VERY upset with me and it made me a little teary too, because I felt ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! Thankfully there were no marks, it wasn't red and it wasn't bleeding! I think if anything I scared her terribly, because I gasped when I realized what happened and I freaked out!

Sorry, baby Aidan!!!!! I promise not to bite you again!!

So, if anyone is looking for a babysitter, you know who to call! I bite...FREE OF CHARGE!!!

Feeling Guilty

So, I am horrible at taking care of my cell phone. I try. I really do. But, it seems that at least once a week I drop my cell phone and of course it's always on the concrete in a parking lot or on tile floor in a store. Needless to say, my phone is cracked and not so cute. But my phone has still worked....until now. Tonight my phone gave up it's struggle to survive. I can still make a phone call. But, it has absolutely zero display. So, it's impossible to see what I'm actually dialing. You just never know if you're in some other mode or setting or in a different menu. For all I know I could be texting someone in China.

So, I have to buy a new cell phone and I'm feeling guilty. I'm so used to getting cell phones for free every 2 years or so that I had no idea that they were $130+. Maybe this time I'll get a protective case for it. I'd like to say that I'll quit dropping it. But, I can't be so sure.

R.I.P ugly Motorola phone!

Pressed Shirts and HO, HO, HO

Today was a very satisfying day! I got everything on my "to-do" list completed!!!! That is a very rare occasion, considering I've had ironing on my list for at least 2 months (yes, I hate ironing)! I got laundry, dishes, ironing AND Christmas shopping done!!! I have very little left to do! I had a lot of fun getting Josh and the rest of our family shopped for. My goal this year has been to have all of my shopping done before Thanksgiving and before the holiday rush. I'm proud to say that I have accomplished that! Sadly, I have a new set of "to-dos" to make! I better get to that right now!

You've got to be kidding....

So I thought I had a new favorite product. But, it only made my "favorites list" for one day. I tried the Neutrogena anti-wrinkle/anti-blemish cream, hoping that maybe I could be proactive and clear up my face all at once. However, it made it WORSE!!!! Not only am I actually noticing smile lines now, I also am having MAJOR breakouts!!! Not so cute! So, I sit here with a mask on my face, hoping to get rid of the mountains on my face! I'm hoping that this is just one of those "it gets worse before it gets better" creams, or it's a complete waste of money! Meanwhile, I'm on the search for a cheap ($10 or less) anti-blemish cream type thing. We shall see! Maybe that's my problem...I'm a cheap-skate!!

Life is flying by....

Caution: This blog entry may bore you to death, but then again, this is my life, as boring as it may be!

We had a fun and busy weekend. Josh will be celebrating his 26th birthday on the 19th. So, everyday, starting November 1st, I have been surprising him with mini birthday gifts/activities. Yesterday I took him to Full Cup for breakfast. It was fun to sleep in a bit and get out for breakfast, do some shopping and go to the bookstore. We had a crazy week, so it was great to just enjoy the beautiful fall day. After that, I went home and baked 4 dozen cupcakes for a baby shower and got things (decor, dishes, etc) ready for that. We caught an early movie and then went for dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise! It was very yummy! We ran to Jessica's after that to drop off all of the shower food, decor, chairs, etc. and got that all set up. Back at home, I made a chocolate silk pie for Sunday night, while watching SNL. It was a full day, but a great day, because I actually got some time with Josh!

This morning we were up on time and were going to be early to church, but then my blow dryer decided to go out. So, Josh ran to Walgreens and bought me a new blow dryer and luckily we did make it on time to church. We almost thought we would have to skip...heaven forbid me go to church with wet hair! We were the monitors for "toddle time" during second service and it was fun. The 2 year olds are so cute!! They were very calm and quiet. I was actually quite surprised! We grabbed a 20 minute lunch after church with John and Jessica and then headed to Jessica's to get ready for the shower. The shower turned out really cute and was fun! After that I came home, changed clothes and went to small group. Now I'm finally home and blogging and relaxing.

I will say that time really is flying by! To think that we're already on the 4th day of November is crazy!!!

Steamy Success!

I was at Target yesterday and randomly decided to buy some of the new Ziploc Zip N' Steam bags. I didn't actually know what I'd use them for or when, but they sounded fun.

I tried them out for dinner tonight and I made steamed chicken, steamed vegetables, along with salad and grapes and the whole very healthy dinner only took 15 minutes tops to make! It was actually really good, too! I was a little iffy on the whole idea of steamed chicken at first, but it tasted like baked chicken and was much simpler. As an added bonus, no dirty dishes!!! They offer different sizes of bags, so you could even make dinner for one easily!

For the chicken I placed a very large frozen boneless skinless chicken breast (big enough to split) in the steam bag with EVOO, kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. I microwaved it for 7 minutes and it was done...perfectly!

As for the veggies, I put frozen broccoli and carrots along with seasoned salt in the steam bag and microwaved it for 3 minutes and they were done perfectly, too!

I may never use a pot or pan again:)

Happy Halloween!

Well, Halloween is not nearly the same as it used to be! Growing up, October 31st felt like a completely different day. Filled with candy, costumes, parties, pumpkins and fun. Today, it was filled with errands, cleaning house and other chores.

I did try to throw me and Josh a little "Halloween party". I decorated our kitchen counter, had pizza, orange soda, popcorn, candy and decorated sugar cookies (thanks to my darling pre-k student!). It was fun and it did help make it feel a little more like Halloween! And, yes, I did get a tummy-ache after all of that wonderful junk food!

I do hope that excitement comes back when we have kids or something....I miss the excitement that comes with holidays. I still love holidays and love celebrating, it just doesn't feel the same anymore. But, I did have a very happy Halloween and I hope you did, too!

Much better than the brownies....

In my pre-k class this week, we learned about pumpkins, fall, etc. So, today we made pumpkin muffins. It was fun and the kids got to do a "taste test" and tell us what they tasted like! It was cute! It went much better than the roasted pumpkin seeds from Tuesday which had comments ranging from "they taste like bugs" to "YUCKY!!!". I'm sure their parents have gotten a kick out of their papers this week!





Well, the recipe for the pumpkin muffins was VERY simple and much healthier than my mom's pumpkin bread, although I still like regular pumpkin bread the best! I found this recipe in our church cookbook (thank you, Janet!) while rummaging through.





Pumpkin Mini Muffins


-1 small can pumpkin


-1 box spice cake mix


-1/2 cup water





Mix together (batter will be thick) and put in greased muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.





By the way, the some of the kids said that they tasted like everything from blueberries, to chocolate milk, to corn! I bet you're just DYING to try them now!


___________________________





Sorry for my lack of posts the past few weeks! It seems like there is constantly something filling my time! And it's not even TV or dirty dishes or even laundry!! I'm staying very busy, but everything is going well! I'm enjoying my more flexible schedule this semester, but it seems to almost be busier than when I was teaching full-time....is that possible??? I've told Josh for the past few weeks every Sunday night that my Mondays and Wednesdays are completely open during the day and that I AM going to keep them that way and that I'm NOT going to commit to anything on those days. Has that happened yet??? Of course not!!! So, I guess I'm a liar:)





I'm going to An Affair of the Heart on Saturday with a good friend and I'm very excited!! I'll post if I find anything exciting! I am excited to look for baby bows, clothes, etc. for my niece (arriving soon!!) and maybe a Christmas gift or two!

I'm happy to say that I finally have a home for all of my "new" wedding glass serving dishes! Thanks, Josh, for putting together the shelves!! Now the empty boxes in the "baby's room" are another story.....

Pam's Sour Cream Chicken Enchilladas

Here is a great crockpot recipe from my mother-in-law:

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilladas (serves 4-6)

A ingredients:
3 chicken breasts (cooked, chopped)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16oz sour cream
2 small cans diced mild chiles


tortilla Chips
grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Mix together "A ingredients". Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Layer twice: chips, mixture, cheese. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Lowfat version:
-reduced fat soup
-fat-free sour cream
-baked tortilla chips
-reduced fat cheese

Happy Fall Break to Me!

Pictures of wedding gifts yet to be opened that are

now in the "baby's room"!

Tonight's dessert...yum!

Well, here's what my fall break looked like today:

8:00 alarm goes off-hit snooze

8:15 get out of bed/start coffee brewing

8:20 hop in the shower/get dressed

8:40 make cinnamon rolls for Josh and his old college buddy who spent the night last night

8:50 finish getting ready

9:00 take cinnamon rolls out and serve

9:15 guys leave for OC, where Josh taught today; eat my cinnamon rolls, clean up breakfast dishes, load dishwasher

9:45 re-clean house, start two loads of laundry

10:00 go to Target to shop for chocolates for school auction basket

10:30 got to Hobby Lobby to shop for school auction basket

11:00 go to Mimi's Cafe to p/up gift certificates for school auction

11:15 get home, unload car, heat up bowl of leftover chicken enchillada soup

11:30 clean up kitchen, get grungy clothes to take to my mom's, start another load of laundry, check email

12:30 leave for Edmond errands-p/up donations-gift certificates at Goldies and painting at art gallery

1:00 get to Mom's and start cleaning out my closet, bathroom, bedroom and garage w/ all of my old stuff from when I was a kid AND all of my wedding gifts that we have yet to use!

2:00 take a load of old junk to the thrift store; do more cleaning out/loading up

3:30 realize there still is tons of junk and the old antique furniture that I had planned on taking to my house is disgusting, so we make another trip to the thrift store w/my Mom's SUV filled completely

5:00 finally done sorting, cleaning and loading...head to my house

5:30 finsh unloading massive amount of wedding gifts into the "baby's room" ; check email

6:00 start cooking dinner (grilled chicken...thanks Josh!, roasted veggies, salad w/ homemade dressing, grapes, garlic bread)

6:30 start eating:)

7:00 eat leftover apple pie (a la mode, of course)!

7:30 Josh is good and heads to the gym, Aubrey is tired from manual labor today and decides to blog and take a hot bath instead:)

Now, doesn't that all sound like so much fun?!?!?

I will say that I'm VERY excited about all of the serving pieces that I get to use 31/2 years later!!! It felt like Christmas everytime we dug another gift out of the giant box in the garage! Yay for great wedding gifts!!!!

We're Back!

Josh and I just got back from a fun and relaxing extended weekend trip to Kansas City. Oddly enough, neither of us had ever been there before! Here is what we did, don't worry, you don't have to read the whole thing. I just wanted to be able to look back and remember what we did!

We left Friday night for Wichita and stayed at the Hyatt there, which was really nice. We went downstairs to one of the restaurants and had a tasty molten chocolate cake with raspberry sauce, which we devoured in under 3 minutes. We just watched TV the rest of the evening and relaxed.

Saturday morning we went to a different hotel restaurant and had a big breakfast buffet, which was really good! They had tons of different toppings for your cereal, even. They had dried fruits, nuts of every sort! We then packed up and headed out for the remaining 3 hours of drive time to Kansas City.

It rained the whole way to KC, so we were thinking that the rest of our trip would be ruined, but fortunately, the weather was great! We checked into our hotel, an old renovated apartment building w/lots of character and a great view of the city and then headed to the most over-rated BBQ joint ever! We went to Arthur Bryant's, a nasty hole-in-the wall place that was supposed to be the best ever, but wasn't. It was hyped up with celebrities, presidents, etc. all over the wall. We were not impressed. After waiting about an hour in line to go up and get our greasy BBQ, we were pretty tired. It was, however, an interesting experience.

We spent the rest of Saturday going to Union Station, which was beautiful, the Crown shops, an art museum w/ performance and going for gelato (not the best ever, but still good).

We woke up Sunday and actually went to workout downstairs...yay for us! Sunday was gorgeous! We stayed in the Country Club Plaza area, which was really fun! We were able to walk everywhere from our hotel, which was nice. We went to a fun coffee shop, Scooter's, for lattes and pastries for breakfast, shopped at all of the fun stores, had lunch at Mi Cocina, shopped some more, had a wonderful strawberry shortcake at the Cheesecake Factory, went to the contemporary art museum, took pictures at the WWI memorial and then ate at The Mixx for dinner, a fun local slightly more upscale sandwich and salad shop. We went back to our room and crashed!

Monday we woke up, went back to the Crown Center Shops for some fudge to take home with us. It was the only fudge that even comes close to my mom's fudge. My mom's fudge is still definitely the winner! Then we headed to another local BBQ joint, Gates. It was much cleaner and nicer and we actually liked it better. Plus you could get your BBQ on a bun, not just Wonder Bread, and it tasted much better! We then headed out of town. We stopped off in Wichita to shop and stretch.

That about sums up our fun-filled, relaxing weekend! I'll try to post more regularly now:)

Lifetime Supply

I remember staying up late in college snacking, watching movies and laughing it up with my great friend, roommate and maid of honor, Kara. One recipe she gave me in college, that she would make often, was for "cookie salad". Although the name is odd, it really is tasty!

I of course still have buttermilk left from two weeks ago and it still has another week before it expires, so I made Kara's Cookie Salad for small group tonight. So, thanks, Kara for your recipe and the great college memories!

Cookie Salad (or as Shanna renamed it tonight, "cookie delight")
-2 cups buttermilk
-2 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
-2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained
-1 16oz tub cool whip
-1 pkg. fudge striped cookies, broken or use the minis

Mix the buttermilk with pudding mixes. It will look like a thick pudding. Fold in cookies, cool whip and oranges. Cover and refrigerate.

So I went against my usual "makeup policy" and did not wear any makeup today! I showered and left my hair to air-dry, too! (No, I'm NOT posting pictures! )Wow....I'm getty brave! But, luckily I've been home all day, so I guess it's okay! I must say, I've been very comfy all day (in my workout pants) and I've enjoyed not having to fuss over hair and makeup.

Josh was doing yard work, so I needed something that didn't require a whole lot of timing for dinner. I couldn't figure out what to do, so I improvised with my own off-the-cuff version of chicken chili with what I had on hand. . I pretty much just threw everything into a pot. But, Josh seemed to like it. He went back for seconds, if that's any indication:)

Chicken Chili (for 2)
-1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (cooked and chopped)-I used frozen and cooked it in the microwave
-chopped onion (approx. 1/4 cup)-I used frozen
-cumin (to taste)
-chili powder (to taste)
-minced garlic (to taste)
-salt (to tasted)
-1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
-1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I didn't have any, but they would have been good)

Cook the onions in saucepan until transparent. Add rest of the ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve over brown rice and top with shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.

Roasted Vegetables

Yay! I finally got to cook tonight! It has been a weird week, so I haven't cooked much. Tonight Josh grilled chicken for us and then we had roasted veggies, roasted potatoes and apples for sides. It was a pretty healthy and tasty meal!



Roasted vegetables are my favorite go-to side! They're always flavorful and a great way to get my veggies! Fresh produce always goes bad at my house, so I prefer frozen!





Roasted Vegetables (serves 4)


1/2 bag frozen brocolli


1/2 bag frozen carrots


1/2 bag frozen non-breaded okra (optional, but good)


1/4 bag frozen pepper stir fry mix (r,y,g peppers and onions)


2 squash or zuchinni, sliced (if you want to use some fresh veggies)


1/2 cup (or enough to liberally coat veggies) Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)


Kosher Salt (or regular salt)- to taste


Pepper-to taste


1 tsp. dried rosemary





Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss until well coated. Add more seasonings and EVOO as necessary. Pour onto large cookie sheet and spread into a single layer. Bake for 1 hour, tossing veggies occasionally, or until veggies are nicely browned.





My quick version: combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are nicely browned.

Easy Cookies

Today was a great day of nothingness! I did a little early Christmas shopping, slept late, ate Chick-fil-a for lunch with Josh, worked out, went to church, had McAlister's Deli for dinner with some friends, and had Starbuck's with Josh for "dessert". It was a great day!! I love Mondays and Wednesdays! I'm getting a little spoiled! I didn't even work a wink today, and yet I didn't have to cook...wow! That's the life!

Now for tomorrow....back to the real world! Work, cooking, cleaning, etc....



Here's a very easy and inexpensive recipe for ya! I pretty much always have the ingredients ready to make them.



Easy Cookies



1 cake mix (any flavor---I use yellow or devil's food usually)

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips (optional...I always use them:))

nuts, coconut, m&m's, etc. (optional)



Mix all ingredients and spread into ungreased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. These can also be dropped by teaspoon and baked for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Cool on a cookie sheet and serve.

I love to put extra chocolate chips and m&m's on top! These aren't healthy, but quite the easy treat! The guys in our small group always laugh and call these "Aubrey cookies" because they are always LOADED with lots of chocolate and m&ms!!!

These are a few of my favorite things....

I have a few new favorite things that I've discovered lately:



Harry and David's Dark Chocolate Maltballs!!!

These are SOOOO good!!! I am following in my mother's footsteps and really loving dark chocolate! I found these on clearance today at Target (no, they weren't expired) and they were wonderful!!! I've had at least 8 so far....I keep craving more! The chocolate on these is very good and very thickly coating the malted center, which is also perfect! YUMM-O!!! Now I'm just hoping they don't discontinue these!



Bandaid's Blister Block

I am constantly buying cheap shoes that are cute, but VERY uncomfortable and always getting horrible blisters. Not anymore!!! Thanks to this product, which is like a miniature deoderant stick you can carry in your purse, I no longer get blisters from my cute ballet flats! YAY!!



Starbuck's bottled Frappucinos

I no longer have to put cream and sugar in my coffee, because I just dump 1/2 a bottle of mocha frappucino into my hot coffee and my coffee is now perfectly sweetened, creamy and not so hot!



Oil of Olay Daily Regenerist Face Wash

I am trying to get my skin back in shape, and this cleanser is perfect! It exfoliates, cleanses and leaves your skin very soft! I love this product! Even my mom and sister-in-law use it, or at least they have in the past!



Target's Apricot Scrub

For $2.09, you can get gentle exfoliation! I bought the kind for blemish-prone skin. I love using it in the shower and it's gentle enough to use every day! How can you beat a $2 product?!?



Vitamin Water

I've been trying to stop my coke addiction and so far I'm surviving! I still will have the occasional Coke, but now, thanks to these Glaceau Vitamin Waters, I don't even crave cokes very often! They come in many great flavors like strawberry-kiwi, fruit punch, blueberry-pomegranate, orange and more! I have actually made it the entire first month of school without caving in and getting a coke, thanks to these waters that last me all afternoon, due to the size. Yes, they still have calories, but they aren't nearly as addictive. And, I'm getting vitamins....that counts, right?!?

Nice and Sweaty!

Josh and I just got back from our kickboxing class. It's really fun, but very intense! It was nice tonight because we basically got a free 1 hour personal training session, since we were the only ones to show up! We try to go every Monday night. It's something fun we can do together and he (the trainer) pushes us much further than we would push ourselves in our other weekly workout sessions.

On another note, one of the great perks to working part time right now is the ability to have more time to help my family and spend valuable time with them. Last Wednesday I was able to drive Gran with my mom to Enid. It gave me the opportunity to visit with my grandmother and have lunch with her. It was also fun to do a mini roadtrip with my mom, which we rarely do! Today I was able to spend the afternoon taking Grandma to the doctor here in OKC with my mom and aunt. Once again, I was able to spend some valuable time with my family. I don't get to see my grandmothers very often, so I was so fortunate to have my days free to be with them.

While I don't mind working at all, I love the opportunities my "new life" is allowing me! I can now spend time lunching with friends, spending time with family, and I can be a better and more attentive wife! I thank God every day for my "new life". I am so much happier and less stressed now than I have been in our 3 plus years of marriage. Thank you, Josh for allowing me to quit my full-time teaching job to teach pre-k twice a week, keep babies and be a wife! You are AMAZING!!! Also, thanks for letting me drag you to the kickboxing classes! Speaking of....I've GOT to hit the shower!!!

While I Wait...

Well, I'm a little bored. I am baking some pumpkin bread for Josh to take to his classmates tomorrow morning for his gradschool class. He's studying, so while I wait the 75 minutes that it takes to bake, rather than empty the dishwasher, I'd rather post a few pics of my "fall decorating". The reason that it's in quotes is because there really isn't much to it this year. I only decorated the dining room because I hate it when everything in the living room gets cluttered.

I guess I'm in the "fall spirit" today! I baked a Pumpkin Crisp for small group tonight, had an afternoon cup of coffee and I'm now baking Pumpkin Bread (recipe below)! This is my favorite pumpkin bread recipe thus far! I LOVE FALL!!!

Mom's Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. nutmeg

dash of salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2/3 cup water

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Blend well, then add water with soda dissolved in it. Bake at 325 degrees in greased and sugared loaf pans (makes 3 small pans) for 60-70 minutes.

I usually bake it in one bundt pan for 75 to 80 minutes. I think it's easier to slice and easier to make in a bundt pan. Plus it looks nice on a cake stand.

Pardon my 1970's oven! Here's the pumpkin bread baking:)