Thursday, February 11, 2010

Happy Birthday Lance!

On this day, 35 years ago my hubby was born! 
This year we kept it a bit low key and had a few people over for Super Bowl Sunday and this YUMMY cake! 
I am a FIRM believer in celebrating birthday's for days and days!  You ARE the most amazing person in the world!  You MUST be celebrated!
Happy Birthday Baby!  I love you!
*Coming tomorrow! 
My burlap clipboards and "Pottery Barn Eat Your Heart Out" message center!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

The Pioneer "Women" Cook!


Dear Ree,
You have done something in a little town on the outskirts of Houston that has taken all of our hearts and tummy's by storm!  You have awakened the cook in all of us!  Some of us have already been cooks, some have not.  Some of us have never baked before (like me) and some have never made a meatloaf.  But, what you have done with your cookbook and blog is nothing short of AMAZING!  My family now asks me on a weekly basis for more "Good Ol' Chocolate Chip Cookies" when a year ago my cookies for a cookie swap were NOT FIT FOR DOGS.  My husband called from the deer lease and told me he made "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich" and it was a HUGE hit!  We, (a playgroup I have been in for almost 5 years now) have turned into some "Pioneer Cooking Women" and we have you to thank for it.  You have made cooking look, FUN and EASY, even if it's not.  You have made it OK to mess up!  It doesn't have to look perfect like most cook books and you have given us the tools to go on and cook whatever we want for our families!  We love you Ree, and our hubbies and "Punks" love you too!  At least their tummies do! 

Thank you from some Pioneer Women in South Texas!
*Below you will find pics from our monthly "Mom's Night Out" that I decided to host at my home and turn it into a
"Pioneer Woman Recipe Potluck"
all recipes HAD to be from your new cookbook or blog.  We had a BLAST! 
Our best Mom's Night Out yet!



The One Pic I let my Daughter take didn't quite turn out but it works!
Bottom: Julie (me), Rebecca, Michelle
Top:Stacy, Heather, Viv, Kristie, Anna and Tiffany

Spicy Pulled Pork
Apple Brown Betty
Raspberry Cobblers and Good Ol'Chocolate Chip Cookies
PW's Beans
Penne Al a' "My Punk Ass Little Sister Betsy"
Stuffed Jalepenos
Guacamole
Artichoke Dip
Stuffed Mushrooms
Sangria
(the pic doesn't show all the amazing fruit on bottom or the KICK this drink had)
It was Yummy!
Plate full of HEAVEN!
I turned it into a "Romance" themed night!
The table was set for a fun night with friends!
Each place setting had a question that we went around the table and answered!
Candle holders numbered 1-14 lit up the party!
We also exchanged "love" gifts!  Things like mix cds of love songs, wine, bubble bath and a coupon for champagne and chocolate covered strawberries was a huge hit!
Food, Fun and Friends!

Me and my new chalkboard! 
Thanks P'dub!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

They have arrived!

My Family Rules Board has arrived!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  I need to get a frame for it but for now I am liking it on my microwave for all to see every day!  ;o)
And........................... Drum Roll Please!
My New Chalk Board is here!  As soon as it stops raining long enough for the sun to come out here in the South, I will take some better pictures with some natural light!  My camera is sensitive and doesn't like to be used!  Ha!

HINT! Pioneer Women Dinner Party Pics Coming Soon!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Blueberry Drops!

My family is SLOWLY turning 2010 into a year of healthy, MOSTLY organic, natural foods!  We are reaching for grass fed meats when we can and trying to do a total overhaul on our bodies and minds!  With that said DO NOT get ready to be seeing a COMPLETELY Organic family here!  We are trying, I repeat, trying to live a healthier life!  For me that means getting more fruits and veggies into my kids bodies each and every day and doing WHATEVER it takes to achieve that!  There I said it!  WHATEVER it takes! 
So, I have decided they need blueberries any way I can do it!  I told my daughter the other day that we are reaching for foods that have a face or come from the ground!  She about flipped! But then she calmed down when I said instead of candy we will be reaching for chocolate when we need a fix! 
You just dip some blueberries in chocolate, set them on wax paper and when they are completely dry (un-gooey) you put them in little baggies in the fridge for a quick snack for the kids or put them in lunchboxes or all natural, organic yogurt in the morning tastes, OH SO GOOD, with these little surprises! 
Now, can anyone point me to a healthier chocolate? Should I just melt some baking chocolate chips and do it that way? I was thinking of going with dark chocolate morsals.  HELP you healthy eaters out there! 
EXTRA: I bought two sets of these heart sticks from the dollar tree and tied a black bow around them to use as part of my decorations for a dinner party I had the other night (blog coming soon). I am still not a good picture taker, so this pic doesn't do it justice!
But afterwards I used it in my every day decorations in my home until Valentines is over! 
I must say my family is SO excited about the
homemade decorations I have put around the house this year! 
Well, my hubby is excited about the low amount of funds that have been needed!  HA!
This is me, Then!

Friday, February 5, 2010

This and That

To Do List and This and That all in One!


  1. Make a Craft Closet
  2. Organize my office
  3. Organize Kitchen Cabinets
  4. Clean out and Declutter Den
  5. Clean out and organize Pantry
  6. Clean out and organize Master Closet
  7. Pick up new dresser for Tay and rearrange her room as a surprise
  8. Finish painting Cash's room so the poor child can move back in there
  • Those are just some bits and pieces of what I need to get done around here in the midst of two online classes that actually have more homework that I ever had on campus. SIGH! I am also in the midst of fullfilling my spiritual journey and praising God for opening the door to a Sunday School class put together at the local Baptist Church we have been visiting more off than on.  I am excited that not only has my hubby agreed to go, we know just about every couple that has also committed to attending!
  • I see GREAT things in our future! Oh, and we are booking a CHEAP Family Trip for next November to Disney World!  WOOHOO!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

I promise more blogs are coming!

I am SUPER behind on my blogging this week!  I have had a HUGE week of here and there and a dinner party at my home, then a brunch with friends and wedding shopping with my brother's fiance and HOMEWORK!  URGH!  I thought I would jump on really quick and show you some pics from my daughter's birthday party last December and the final pics of the "sugar scrub" they made!  ENJOY!  I PROMISE more blogs are coming!
Remember it's:
1 cup of oil
1 cup of sugar
1 drop of extract of your choice or perfume oil.
(we used peppermint extract. AMAZING!)
They put on dark makeup so they would not be recognized by our neighbor!  I wouldn't let them "wrap" his house so they dropped balloons every where and used silly string!
Great group of girls and a wonderful daughter!

Monday, February 1, 2010

WINNER WINNER WINNER!

We have a winner of the Hobby Lobby Gift Card!  #15
Annette @ Designs By A Rose
Send me your mailing address and I can't wait to see what you do with the gift card! 
Congrats!

*Lots of new blogs coming this week!