Miscellany Monday

I am linking up with Carissa at lowercase letters today for Miscellany Monday.

It's is already after 7.

I had a VERY boring meeting after work.  Like so boring to the point where I wrote notes back and forth with my friend Kara.

Madison is still working on a project that is due tomorrow.  I told her she cannot have her frozen yogurt until it is done...hoping that would motivate her.

When I finish this post I am going to eat my Skinny Dip frozen yogurt.  We love Skinny Dip.  Most of the yogurts are fat-free.  You serve yourself and then load up your frozen yogurt with a bunch of tasty toppings.  They have this peanut butter topping that is TO DIE FOR - I always squirt a ton of that on there.

I was a crafting fool this weekend - although both of my projects are still unfinished.  I hope to have at least the Lukas sign done by Wednesday.  It is for my cousin who has a new baby.  The other sign (I posted a tiny peek of it) is for my friend Erin and it is a work in progress.  Her baby isn't due until the summer so I still have some time.

I am REALLY looking forward to watching Bethenny Frankel's new show on Bravo tonight.  I am obsessed with most reality TV.

I am taking a sick day on Wednesday.  Madison has to have a tooth pulled.  As horrible as it sounds I am looking forward to having a day off in the middle of the week.

Baby Boy Shower Favors - A How To

There is a baby shower at work on Monday for a teacher having a baby boy.  I offered to make favors. 

Today I went shopping for the materials - 2 bags of Cookies and Cream Hershey's Kisses, card stock - I went with a blue, scrapbook paper - I went with a brown with stripes and buttons (which I chose to coordinate with the saying I chose), ribbon (which I ended up not using), and little baggies - that are 3 x 4.

I used Word to make the little tags. They say "A baby boy is so very sweet, from his cute button nose to his tiny feet! If you are interested you can send me an email and I can send you the PDF file to print out your own.  I printed the tags on the blue paper and cut them out.  Then I cut the patterned card stock paper.  I glued the blue paper on to the patterned paper.  Then I folded the paper in half.

Next I used a glue gun to attach the baggies of candy (which my daughter filled for me...while eating some of the candy) to the inside of the flaps of paper.  I think they turned out super cute and I think they will be a hit at the shower.

If you have any questions regarding how to make you own candy favor bags, please post a comment below.  I will be more than happy to help.

Friday Night Tidbits

• I made this fabulous cake this week.  I got the recipe from one of my new favorite go to blogs for great recipes.  It is very RICH.  I let Madison bring some to school today to share with her friends.  I sliced little slivers of the cake and wrapped them in little foil packets.  I enclosed little plastic forks. All the girls at the lunch table enjoyed the cake...except for one who had just a bite.  Madison offered it up to another girl who loved her slice.  This little girl ate TWO slices of this RICH cake and licked the bits of frosting off of the foil pieces.  Madison told me after school the little girl left science class early...she was sick from all of the chocolate...and puking...and had to be picked up by her mother.  Its amazing but a small slice is plenty.

• Madison's favorite teacher is having a baby.  She is having a baby boy.  Tonight I took Madison to the Carter's store and let her choose a present for her teacher's baby.  She chose these super cute outfits.  Being in the Carter's store...made me long for my own baby # 2 to shop for... I guess for now I will have to just buy many cute gifts.

• Speaking of babies...my cousin Lauren had a baby.  I have been meaning to send him a gift.  Tonight after dinner I headed to AC Moore and bought these things to make baby Lukas a fabulous gift.  I plan on making it this weekend and mailing it out on Monday.  No more procrastinating.

• I love Kevin & Amanda's blog.  She was a lifesaver last year when I was DIY our summer beach wedding.  I love her free fonts...seriously they are the best.  This week she had a recipe for Chess Squares...also known as Gooey Butter Cake.  I made them last night. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and only 5 ingredients!  I didn't take a photo of these, but check out the recipe on Amanda's blog - she has a beautiful photo of them.

GROTI - Great Recipes on the Internet

I started a new Facebook page called GROTI - Great Recipes on the Internet.  Each day I will be sharing a link to a recipe you can find online.  Some of the recipes will be my own and others will be ones I found online and enjoy.  If you have a Facebook, please LIKE the GROTI - Great Recipes on the Internet page so some great recipes will pop up in your daily feed.  Thank you.  If you have a great recipe on your blog that you would like featured on GROTI - please let  me know.

Easy & Yummy Peanut Butter Truffles

I made these yesterday.

{I cut this one open so you can see the inside}

We brought them to a friend's house we were going to for dinner.

They were amazing...tasted like peanut butter cups...and were the EASIEST thing to make.

They only require 3 ingredients -

1 large package of Nutter Butter cookies



1 brick of plain cream cheese



1 package of Wilton milk chocolate candy melts


1) Use a food processor to crumble up the entire bag of cookies, or you can put them in a large Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

2) Mix the cookie crumbles with a softened brick of cream cheese until a dough forms

3) Roll them into small balls.  I used a small ice cream scooper to make even proportions.

4) Place the balls on wax paper and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

5) Melt your bag of chocolate discs.   I used the microwave to do this.

6) Use a toothpick to dip the balls in the chocolate and then place them back on the wax paper to cool/harden. 

7) Store in the refridgerator.

Grocery Shopping HELL

How do people feed their family on $30 or $40 or $50 a week? Are they packing lunches? What are the making for dinner?

I try to read those websites and blogs.  I do a weekly meal plan.  I make a grocery list.  I try to use coupons and shop sales.

Tonight I waited until the Super Bowl had started before heading to the grocery store.  The place was empty...SCORE! My plan worked.

This is what I spent...

$82.31

I don't even want to tell you my husband and daughter did some shopping Saturday for a get together he was hosting Saturday night (after I made tons of yummy food....nobody showed up) and some other random stuff and managed to spent a little over $70!!

This is what I got - Like a blogger crazy I carefully arranged EVERYTHING I purchased to take this photo -

It seems like a lot of $$$ to me for not a lot of food.  I want to be the woman who feeds her family all week and only spends $50 at the grocery store.  I guess I just need to keep trying to be a better more frugal shopper.

Miscellany Monday

I am linking up with Carissa over at lowercase letters for Miscellany Monday.

1. Friday morning was a teacher workday.  I didn't have to go in.  I woke up with my husband around 6 am to 4 text messages.  They caught me off guard.  I immediately called my friend, Erin.  Our friend, Kelly Parsley Jackson was dead.  Kelly had been shot Thursday morning in her home...by her husband.  Her sweet, beautiful, and innocent daughter, Brynn, age 9 witnessed this horrible event.  Her tiny, handsome, unsuspecting son, Baryck, age 2 was in the house when it happened.  I sobbed.  I still cannot grasp what happened...how can it be true? Kelly was a GEM of a person...an amazing mother, supportive friend, and just a rarity of a soul.  {HERE} is one of the news articles about this unnecessary event.  I am heartbroken and weep daily for my friend who will never see her children grow up and for her children who will never be tucked into bed by their mother again.

2. I had a coupon for a free Peanut Butter Snickers.  I picked one up at the grocery store tonight.  I thought it was pretty good.

3. It is supposed to be in the high 60's here on Wednesday.  I am super excited for that.  I wonder if I will look CRAZY if I wear a sundress and sandals to work? I sure am ready for spring.

4. I picked up The Social Network at Redbox this afternoon.  I love Facebook and have been looking forward to watching this movie for some time.  Has anyone else seen it? What did you think?

{Source}

5. I picked up the ingredients to make my husband this chocolate ganache cake that I saw over at Keeping up with the Jones.  I plan on making it tomorrow.  I think he will really enjoy it. Kendall has some fabulous recipes that I cannot wait to try.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today, I'm linking up with Jamie at This Kind of Love to share 3 things I'm loving this week-

I'm loving that I stayed home from work today and got to eat my favorite yogurt with granola in bed while watching last night's Teen Mom 2 epsiode.  On the other hand I feel terrible I have missed so much work recently and plan on attending work EVERY day in February.

I'm loving that Friday is a teacher workday and I have enough attendance cards to stay at home.  My grades are done and will be submitted before I leave Thursday.  I need to plan something fun to do with Madison since we will both be home.

I'm loving that we have been doing much better with cooking and eating at home.  The other night my husband (while eating dinner) looked over at me and said "This meal is so great...its a shame we are always going out to eat".  This week I made fabulous Lasanga Roll-Ups and Spicy Oven "Fried" Chicken Breasts.  I still look forward to our weekly dinner out...it is nice to not have to prepare and clean up every meal.  Last night I made grilled cheeseburgers and oven baked potato wedges.



Yummy Dinner Recipe - Lasagna Roll-Ups

I love to cook.  Lately we have been eating out way too much.  It's easy and there are no dishes.  I am trying to cook more at home.  My Aunt Kris gave me a Quick Cooking cookbook for Christmas.  The Lasagna Roll-Ups were the first recipe I tried.

Here is the original recipe -

I tweaked it though.  This is what I used-

10 uncooked lasagna noodles

1 package ground spicy Italian sausage* (I used this because it was on sale at the grocery store)

1 package (8 ounces) of chive and onion cream cheese **(I thought this would give it a better flavor)

1 jar (26 ounces) Vodka sauce ***(I picked this up at Trader Joe's last week and thought it would be good in this recipe)

1 bag shredded Italian mixed cheese

*You can use hamburger, ground turkey, or turkey sausage

**You could probably also use veggie cream cheese

***Your favorite pasta sauce will work

Cook the noodles according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in softened cream cheese and 1/3 cup of the pasta sauce.  Drain noodles; spread 1/4 cup of the meat mixture on each noddle.  Sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese; carefully roll up.

Spread 2/3 cup of pasta sauce into an ungreased 13in x 9in baking dish.  Place roll-ups seam side down over the sauce.  Top with remaining sauce and cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Uncover; bake 150-20 additional minutes longer or until bubbly. 

Note - I struggled with rolling them.  It was pretty messy.  In the end it was worth it.  Both my husband and I really enjoyed this meal.

Miscellany Monday

Today I am doing Miscellany Monday with lowercase letters. 

I was off of work today.  WOOHOO.  It was also 75 degrees today. Woohoo.  Madison and I had lunch with my friend Kara and her son, Connor, and then went to Old Navy to get Madison some summer clothes..   I was able to pick up a ton of new summer clothes for Madison.

On the way home we stopped at Sonic and I got a diet cherry Coke - my favorite...although they put too much ice in it and I could barely taste the cherry flavor...which just means I will need to go back tomorrow for another one.

I made a meal plan/grocery list for the week...but have yet to go to the store.  I plan on making this Chili Honey Chicken, homemade pizza, Beef and Cheese Foldover , and Chicken and Dumplings this week.

{I promise it tastes way better than it looks}

I have a HUGE love for GROUPON.  I would say I buy at least one a week.  Today I used my Groupon for Canvas on Demand and had this wedding photo made into a 16x20 canvas.  It was a great deal.  I think I only paid $35 or $40 for the Groupon.