I've Waited 8 Months for This Day....

Since becoming a momma, I'm trying to also be more "domestic." Actually, if you've noticed, for the last year or so, I've been more motivated to cook. I'm calling it "nesting." You call it whatever you want. :) But Honky Tonk Hubby, is enjoying it. I've been cooking and baking so much lately!

Months ago, I found Made It. Ate It. Loved It. And I LOVE it! One of the recipes I really wanted to try, was this bread. But I was pregnant, and didn't want to eat. Was sicker than I'd like to remember. But I printed it out. And knew, in a few short months, it would be cool enough to bake again. You know, not triple digits!

8 months later, I'm baking bread! I know!! I shocked myself. :) But this recipe seemed easy enough! I just had to try it. And my house, smells AMAZING right now!! Mouth watering, OMG-ing, I can't wait until the bread is baked....GOODNESS!!

I'm telling you, if I can do it, so can you! It's not that bad. And what is better than fresh bread and butter? When it's cool outside. And there's stew making in the crock pot. I can't wait for dinner! If you don't hear from me in days, I'm in a bread coma! ~Chels

Taco Tuesdays in a Crock Pot!!

I can't lie. Around here, "Taco Tuesdays" are a MUST!! I tell you, don't mess with our Tuesdays. When my hubby and I first met, we were poor college kids. Man, money was so incredibly tight! Most of the time, we'd hangout at the 4H house. Because everyone would just bring a few things, and we'd cook up a meal.

But on Tuesdays, it was "Taco Tuesday." We'd sometimes splurge, and go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. But most of the time, we'd go to Taco Bell. Get us a few cheapo tacos, and sit and talk. Some days, we'd head to the local park. Other times, we'd head to one of our houses, and catch up on our favorite shows. And when one of us was pulling an "All Nighter" at the library, the other would bring dinner. :)

When we got married and moved in together, not much changed. Other than, it's been a heck of a long time, since we went to Taco Bell! Now hubby has a better job. But we're still a 1 income family. Cooking is not just something I should do....it's almost necessity. To cut down on costs. And I'm totally cool with that. It's my way, to provide for my hubby. Since he works so darn hard!

I've been pretty good. We still eat our tacos every Tuesday. It's that one thing, that makes both my hubs and I, very happy!! Almost 90% of the time, we have ground beef tacos. I'm just not too skilled in cooking. Once in a while, we'll have leftover roast. I'll shred it, and cook it up with onions, peppers, and jalapenos. And if I'm being really lazy, I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken. I shred it up. And those tacos, usually get more "fancy" toppings than the rest. :)

But I feel like I'm in a rut! I want to keep our "Taco Tuesdays" going. But I wanted something a little different. And honestly, I haven't been wanting to cook much. I know I say this a lot, but it is so HOT here!! Living in the desert, sorta sucks the life out of you at times.

Well, you know what? Good friends are awesome! And not long ago, Rach blogged about this blog. She was working on a craft, for her boys. And had tried out some recipes. I thought, that this recipe sounded good. And super easy! Heck, Rach has 3 kids. Under 3!! And Mike is away, fighting that fire. If she can make these, so can I!

Life changing folks! So good!! I almost NEVER use my crock pot. I just don't know what to cook in there. And it takes up so much space. That it spends 98% of the time, tucked away under our kitchen sink. I know. Weird huh? But my hubs refuses to put cleaning supplies under there. Like most people. We've never had anything under there, except all the appliances, that we rarely use.

Thanks Rach! For sharing this blog with me. And helping me find this recipe. Something tells me, these are going to be regulars in our meals. They're easy, cheap, and so tasty! Heck ya! Things that we have on hand, all the time, chicken breasts and salsa. This is what we ate on Tuesday night. With fresh corn tortillas.You have to LOVE the local Mexican bakeries. :) Try this out! You won't regret it. Plus, clean up was super easy!! That's always a bonus in my book. ~Chels

Fruit Fun!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We had so much fun! We had a bunch of friends over. And then, late in the evening, we headed over to J's house. For a little swimming and fireworks. :)

J had told a bunch of friends, that he was going to have fireworks. So we all planned on it. And I wanted to make some yummy treats. It was totally last minute. Since hubby came home Tuesday, with the news. :) But I knew, there just had to be something out there, that I could make.

Oh yes! Made It. Ate. Loved It. didn't disappoint! I'd seen these fruit pizzas a while back. And really wanted to make them. They look and sound so delicious!!

I was on a bit of a time crunch. Not going to lie! So skipped making the cookies. I actually used the mix in a pouch. You just add water. :) But I made all the rest. And these sweet treats were so good! I need to make them again. And soon! But this time, I'm going to follow this recipe. All of it! Who knows, I might just gain 10 lbs this week!! ~Chels

Can't Wait!!

My hubs and I decided to have some friends over. For the 4th of July. Which means I need to figure out something to cook. Oh my! I've been hunting down some good recipes. I thought maybe some kabobs would be good. But when I started thinking about that, it's a lot of cutting! My expanding pregnant belly and I, figured we'd like a much simpler route. Maybe for baby girl's 1st birthday...we'll do kabobs. :)

I kept hunting. And hunting. Hubs wanted to do burgers and hotdogs. But I wanted something much easier. I didn't want for my hubs, to have to be at the grill all day! Who wants to cook that much, when you have company over? Not me! That's when I found this recipe!!

Yes, it all sounds AMAZING!! The oven does most of the work. Oh, and I did buy the bagged coleslaw mix. 3 bags! Our fridge is now full of pretty ribs....waiting to be cooked. :) Pretty much, I just need to make the dressing for the coleslaw...and the sauce for the ribs.

Easy peasy. No? We also bought lots of fruit! Some hotdogs for the kids. And a few friends are bringing a salad or dessert. Man, I'm getting excited for Wednesday! Who's with me? Oh, and you have to check out this cooking blog. AMAZING recipes my friends!! ~Chels

New Favorite Meal

It's been H-O-T!! I've been getting fatter. I know I'm pregnant. But what never crossed my mind was, that I'd be this pregnant, during the HOTTEST time of year! Oh. My. GOODNESS!! I'd tell you to come and murder me. But really, that wouldn't solve much....

With all this heat, and expanding belly, I'm not doing much. Can't lie! From about 2pm on, I just want to lay down, turn up the AC, and nap!! I have absolutely no appetite whatsoever!! But I'm forcing myself to eat. For the sake of my daughter.

When I do eat, or cook, I want it to be easy. Simple. Light. Nothing complex. Nothing that is going to keep me in the kitchen all day. Or that is going to have me doing dishes all night. That's why I'm so happy, that Ashley posted this recipe!!

I've essentially taken the idea, and made similar pasta dishes, 2 or 3 times a week. All month long! We're talking, any veggies I can find in the fridge, are quickly sauteed. Then angel hair pasta is added. Then we eat. Some nights, I sprinkle some cheese on top. Other nights, hubs will grill up some chicken to go with our pasta. He eats it, I don't. One night, he even made us some fish. That was yummy!

I can say this much, I'm having a hard time with protein at the moment. Mornings all together are still tough. Food wise. But I can manage some eggs, and light protein. After that, it's a struggle for me to eat protein. I know it's important. But I just can't deal. So I try to eat peanut butter or beans for lunch. But this idea, is really good. Lots of veggies=lots of good vitamins!! ~Chels

I Surprised Him!!

My hubby totally surprised me for Mother's Day. I wasn't expecting anything. For real!! Because I'm pregnant. I know that I feel like a momma. But I'm not really a momma yet. Anyway, my hubs totally surprised me. And completely spoiled me on Mother's Day. I knew immediately, that I wanted to do the same for my love. :)

Weeks ago, I started thinking of what I could do. And I started planning. Ultimately, we went on a long drive to the mountains. Were I surprised my hubby with a new fishing pole, and a new tackle box. Jammed with all kinds of fishing stuff. We spent the day in the mountains. He fished. I enjoyed the quiet time. It's so great to connect with nature. Oh, and I cooked us up a big 'ol picnic lunch! We did end up, stopping at the cutest steakhouse, in the mountains. For dinner, on the way home!

But I know I surprised my hubby. First, that I was able to plan, and pull off the entire day! Second, because I cooked. And it was darn good. Most of what I made, were my hubby's favorite foods. I called my MIL weeks ago, and begged her to help me. Which wasn't a tough thing to do. She was happy to help!! :)

The one thing that I totally did on my own, was I made these ginormous cinnamon buns. For breakfast! I'd seen this recipe, months ago. And I'd been wanting to try it. But to me, it seemed like a "fancy recipe." Something you make on a "Special Day."

I'm pretty sure, that my hubby wondered why I crawled out of bed...at midnight. But I whispered to him, that I was having trouble sleeping. Lately, that has been true. It's just hard for me to sleep now. I'm guessing that it's due to my expanding baby belly. But I told him to go back to bed. I quickly made my way to the kitchen. And started these sweet treats. Knowing that they needed some time, to "do their thang!"

Then I went back to bed. On Friday, I'd prepped all the other food. Things were good to go. And I got up, extra early, on Sunday morning. I put the cinnamon rolls into the oven. With our main course. And headed back to bed. My hubby actually slept through all of this. I was shocked! After 15 minutes, I got out of bed. Pulled out our yummy goodness!! And grabbed my hubby's card.

He was shocked! I'm not sure if he was more shocked that I was celebrating him on Father's Day. Or that I had baked a batch of these sweets. And they were so good! I swear to you, 1 roll, was bigger than my hand!! OMG!!

After our sugary breakfast, we got ready for the day. Headed out to church. Then hit the road. It was a really WONDERFUL day! And I hope that we can turn this into a family tradition. Next year, having our baby girl with us! And these little guys, are going to be a regular for all our "Special Mornings!" ~Chels

Tastes Like Summer!!

Let me just say 3 things. One, my sweet tooth is so intense right now. Two, I blame it all on my pregnancy. And three, I've made these sweet treats 5 times, since Shay posted the recipe. Just over a week ago!

I know, right? It's insane!! But I keep craving sweet treats. This one is sweet, has ice cream, oh and it tastes like summer! My grandma used to say that a lot, when I was little. When something just reminded you so much of summer...."It tastes just like Summer!"

Come on! This cookie has it all! Ice cream, strawberry, pineapple. coconut. And it's super easy to make. Run to the recipe....and don't blame me when you've gained 10 lbs. It's Shay's fault. I'm just passing along the great news!! ~Chels

For My Lova'

This week, my hubby and I celebrate 4 years of wedded bliss! On Thursday to be exact! Man, time does fly by! Now, we're just months away, from becoming parents. It's just crazy, how fast life moves.

Back to our anniversary. I wanted to do something special for my Lova'. Ya know, he's been so wonderful, during our pregnancy. Actually, he is wonderful all the time! That's why I married him. Ladies, I wasn't that crazy! I knew, this man was special. :)

I want to do something extra special. Take into account, it's like a million degrees here! We have had horrible smoke, from a fire that's a couple hours from us. Outside stuff, just ain't gonna happen. :( And here I had had my hopes on a starlight picnic. Maybe next year! Instead, I figured I'd make my hubs a special dinner. Inside. With the AC blasting!

And like any normal pregnant woman, when I think of food....I think of desserts!! I know, I shouldn't. But it's all I crave these days. And then I remembered. Those "no bake" cheesecakes. In a flippin' jar! Dang it, they look so good.

So I hauled my pregnant self down to Wally World. This morning. In nearly 100 degree weather....at 10AM. Ugh....the "Dog Days of Summer" are here!! I must have spent, 2 hours looking for those cute little jars. Then I gave up. My feet were getting all swollen. My belly was rumbling. Baby girl and momma were hungry. I bought my ingredients. Then hopped over to Subway. :)

One, I can't find any cute jars. To me, they make this dessert. I'll keep hunting. I've got a couple of days. Two, what the heck else am I going to serve? Honky Tonk Husband likes to eat. And until about 20 minutes ago, I hadn't realized, I don't have a menu planned! I need to get on that! ASAP!!

On a good note, I got my hubby's present. And it's all wrapped up! Yay for me! That rarely happens this early in the game. Maybe pregnancy is getting me more "on the ball." Do you have any dinner suggestions? Or plans. Any ideas? I'd LOVE to hear them! My hubby really is a special guy. And I want to show him on our special day! ~Chels

Thin Mint Heaven!!

Every year, I count something down. Something that you won't expect. Girl Scout cookie time! And let me tell you, it's tough to find those little guys. Around here anyway! We must not have a troop around here. I'm not sure. But without fail, my hubby brings home 10 boxes. Every year. Bless my Lova'!!

Right now, those sweet delight, are long gone. I'm a little ashamed to admit, that hubs only got 3 cookies. 3 cookies people!! I ate the rest. Me and baby girl. :) And they were darn good! But I got real sad, when I found this recipe last night. Oh. My. Goodness! What am I going to do now??

Well, nothing gets by the man I love. We're completely out of thin mints. Hubs took to hunting out something similar today. Didn't even know he was going to the grocery store. I would have asked him to pick up some ice cream. And maybe some bagels with cream cheese. :) Can you tell what I'm craving?

Hubs did find a yummy cookie. I think they're made by Keebler. I'm not even positive. And a little too lazy to go look right now. But as we speak, I've got a batch of these in the oven. And our home smells AMAZING!! I can't wait to try them out.

On a side note, hubs bought 3 packages of those cookies. And I've already eaten 6 cookies! It's bad. And the Andres mint chips....from the baking aisle....are so good! Darn Lola!! You got me hooked on eating them, with vanilla ice cream. And by themselves. :) Can you tell that I like chocolate and mint? ~Chels

Our Easter Treats :)

How was your Easter? Ours was nice. Actually, it was just what we needed!! It was totally "low key." My hubby and I went to church. And then had a fun afternoon with friends. It was so nice to see Lola again! Glad she came out for a few days.

And because Lola and her man hosted Easter, no one had to worry about cooking. Lola is the best cook I know! Sorry to my momma and MIL, but it's the truth! I still wanted to make a little something. So I took to my new favorite blog. And made a triple batch of these sweet treats!! Which were gobbled up in record time!! :)

Oh, yes. They were delicious!! Not only were these Rice Krispies treats delicious. But they were fun. Last week, while buying some groceries, I found some Easter Sprinkles. And that's what I used. So fun! The kids really enjoyed them. Most of all, we just enjoyed the good times, with our dear friends. When you live so far away from family, good friends are so important! Not only did God give us his son. But he's blessed us, with some AMAZING friends! ~Chels

What the Peep??

O-M-G!! I saw this picture on Pinterest, and it made my heart just stop! Peeps and smores? It can't get any better!!

Oh yes it can! We made a quick stop at Albertsons on the way home from church. Bought our supplies. And recreated this happy little treat. Thank you Pinterest!! You made our Thursday night, so much happier, than we could have ever planned! ~Chels

Life Changing...and Sweet and Sour Chicken!!

This is blog post, that we've all been waiting for. The one when I tell you, I'm really enjoying cooking. Oh, and I found a blog that will change your life! Because it's got the most AMAZING and DELICIOUS recipes around!! Go immediately here, and follow Made It. Ate It. Loved It.

Back to the post. Around here, we enjoy oriental food. Probably a little too much! But in this small town, there's not really a place to go. And you know, get good food. There is a place, on the college campus. But it's only open Monday-Friday, from August-May, from 11am-2pm. Not really making for the easiest place to dine. If you know what I mean....

Other than that, you can drive an hour away, end enjoy PF Changs. But for us, that's just not going to happen. It's like a once every 6 months, kind of thing. We do have a local place. But the only thing that is good, is the beef and broccoli. Oh, and the prices!! But we crave sweet and sour chicken, lo mein noodles, and good egg rolls.

When we dive up north, like once a year, we also eat at Panda Express. Like 5 times, in 2 days!! I know, we're crazy. But I so wish, that we had a Panda Express near us. The closest one, is 3 hours away! Can you see why, I need to learn how to cook? And why this blog, is making me so excited.

Well, not only have I found good egg rolls, at Costco! I can't remember the brand, but they're in the freezer section. Oh, and I've seen small packages at Wally World. But you pay less, if you buy the big box. Then I found this good lo mein recipe. I know! The stars were lining up. Lastly, I found this recipe for sweet and sour chicken!!

Can you tell what we're having for dinner? Um, hello! Look at this picture!! I just have to make this. I've already been to Albertsons twice. And it's not even lunchtime. Can I make it to dinner? Oh, the Honky Tonk Hubby is going to be so excited!! ~Chels

Oh. My. Goodness!

It's October. How did that happen? I still feel like it's May. And that I just graduated! Life is just moving so fast! And I still don't have a job. :(

But don't get to sad. My hubs likes to tell me....turn that frown upside down. :) With all this spare time, I've been trying to be a better wife. You know, take care of my hubbys, take care of our home, do more home projects, clean, laundry, and cook. The last one....is definitely the toughest! And I hate to admit it!! What's worse, I had to take a handful of cooking classes in college. Apparently, I didn't learn a thing!! My "go-to" recipe is still the English muffin pizzas, that I learned how to make in middle school. With a salad! :)

Thank goodness for Pinterest and blogs! I'm learning a little from both. Honestly, I've been a little down lately. A "pick me up" is definitely in order! Today I decided that I was going to bake something yummy. When I found this recipe on Classy Clutter....I just about died with excitement!!

There's a cake in there. With Kit Kat's all around. Then M&Ms on top! Are. You Serious? Yes, I am! We just happened to have lots of candy. I spent about an hour in the Halloween candy aisle Friday. We also have a cake mix, and frosting in the house.

Yes, this is what I'm making in 5 minutes!! I just can't wait. With a different bow, I think this would be perfect for Halloween! Heck, I might make one for the Halloween Carnival at church. Because how can I mess this up? Candy and cake....does it get any better? ~Chels

Like Heaven!!

It's Fall. I've been ready for this glorious season....since July!! Heck ya! I'm tired of triple digit temps. And I'm ready, to just enjoy life again. :)

Along with that, comes a little laziness. Sitting outside, with my laptop. Catching up on blogs. Like one of my new favorites! Mix and Match Mama! Um, hello, where have you been all my life? Now there is even hope for me. The woman that can't cook. :) And this recipe....OMG!

I decided to bake up a batch....or 3!! This was a few nights ago. And it's still hot outside. I can't lie! Our freezer is well stocked with frozen treats!! But what my hubs did next....was life changing! He placed a scoop of brown sugar ice cream....in between 2 cookies. Life changing!! Oh, you must try this recipe out! ~Chels

Mexican Cornbread Bake

I tried out a new recipe today. Lola is always blogging about these yummy Gooseberry Patch Free Recipes. And there is a free one every week! I seen this one on Wednesday. And finally made it to the store today. To buy a few of the things I really needed to make it.

It's been really hot around here. So my hubby grilled up some chicken, I made a Mexican salad, and this yummy cornbread bake. Dinner was heaven today! A little much. But I really think you should try it out too! I will definitely be checking the free recipes from now on. ~Chels

Mexican Cornbread Bake

1 lb. ground beef
4-1/2 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 onion, chopped
2 t. Mexican seasoning
1 T. chili powder
8-oz. can Mexican-style tomato sauce
8-1/2 oz. pkg. cornbread mix

In a skillet over medium heat, brown beef and drain. Add chiles, onion, seasoning and chili powder; cook until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and simmer. Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions; pour half the batter into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Spoon beef mixture over batter; top with remaining cornbread batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cornbread is golden. Serves 4 to 6.

Cupcakes in a Jar

I was searching through flickr today. And I found this picture. It lead me to this blog and the recipe for these yummy goodies! Don't they look good? I'm not a baker. But I might just have to try these. It would make my Wednesday a lot better. Do you think I can get the same result from a cake mix, a container of frosting, and some Mason Jars? ~Chels

The Garden Set Giveaway

Lola is the best friend around. She finds great blogs and people, and then she shares them!

Enter in, Newly Wife. Right up my street. Gals, I'm just dying to make this chocolate cake they keep posting about! But this is the best part of it, Newly Wife is hosting a giveaway. For this cute little package of goodies. There's seeds, an apron, some starter soil thingys, and even some sticks to mark your garden.

Man too bad, I'm 2 days late for this giveaway! I just love this necklace! It would go with my new boots. :) Anyway, go to Newly Wife and enter for your chance to win too! Oh and Happy Birthday Megan! ~Chels

Much Needed

Lately, we've been all stressed out. You know, tax season. And we're first time homeowners. And I think you can say it, we're still "Newlyweds." Plus this stupid Census! Life has just been a little stressful lately. But we're holding it together. Our taxes are pretty much done! Yay! And I've filled out the 3rd Census. I'm pretty sure it's the 3rd. What's with all these papers?

Anyway, I was feeling stressed out. And desperately in the need of a laugh. Or some good news. So I googled "Longhorn food." OK, I was also in need of some good food. And you can't deny it. Football food is good. And very comforting. Insert these gems.



Aren't they cute? They're cake pops. Just decorated like Longhorns. OK, so I'm not all crafty. My Longhorns probably would look horrible. But, I would like to try and make plain cake pops. After doing a quick search, and calling Lola, they don't sound too hard to make. Basically, you bake a cake. Then you mix together the frosting and the cake. And roll into balls. Insert a stick and dunk in chocolate. Sounds yummy! ~Chels