A Bunch of Random Strung Together

This weekend has been a little busy thus far.  And yes, I know what you're thinking... You don't have kids; you don't have a job; how can your life be busy?!  You probably sit around all day and eat bon-bons.  And well... you're actually pretty close!  Being a stay-at-home housewife with no kids right now does offer me quite a bit of time to do things I want to do, but that doesn't necessarily mean I sit on my couch all day watching t.v.

Actually, I watched most of my t.v. from the kitchen this weekend.  (lol)  For real though, the weekends are busier because Thomas is home from work and the rest of the world generally uses the weekends for hang out time too.  The weekdays offer a lot more free time.

But let's start out with Friday afternoon.  Thomas decided to work late, and that worked out really well for me because of this... some of my afternoon was spent on the couch because I was pinned there by an adorable sleeping kitty!  (And can anyone guess what show the credits on the t.v. belong to?  Here are 2 tiny hints: I was watching this show on Netflix because it is on break right now; and this episode is from season 5.  I'll tell you at the end of the post in case you are incredibly awesome and guess it!)

 

 Another reason I was happy that he came home late is because this is what my kitchen/dining room looked like at 5:00 pm.

Yeah, so due to some unforeseen delays (i.e. Netflix being mean so that I had to mess with it and not warp the loom as quickly, and realizing halfway through warping it that I wanted to use a yarn that still needed to be wound into a ball), my new weaving project was not out of the kitchen until about 5:30, which is usually about the time that I'm setting the table for dinner.  However, since the hubs was coming home late, fortunately, my project didn't interfere with getting dinner on the table!

But anyway, here's a quick snapshot of the warp for the new project!  I'm really excited about this one.  I'll post another sneak peek when I get the weaving started.

Saturday, in the morning, we went to see "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters".  And it was pretty good.  Just keep in mind that if you have read the books, the movie is nothing like them.  Basically they went with the same characters and a similar main plot, but everything else if different.  That being said, it was entertaining as a movie.  I just always find it a little disappointing when filmmakers change so much about a book just to "make their mark" on it.

Then, Saturday afternoon, I attended my very first baby shower as an adult.  *Gasp*  I know, right?!  I've "never" been to a baby shower before.  (Never is in quotes because I'm sure I've probably been to one as a child, but I just don't remember.)  And it was surprisingly not terrifying or horrifying or anything (lol).  It was a really fun time hanging out with the girlfriends! 

And of course, today, Sunday, we have church in the morning and Life group at night.  The only thing I don't love about Sundays is that I see all my friends a lot on Sunday and then very little throughout the week.  I just wish I could space out my human interaction a little more!  Lol.  

Next up:  I did the count today, since the summer blockbuster movies are pretty much petering out and school starts this week.  (Backstory: every summer, I make a list of all the summer movies I/we want to see so that I can keep track of all of our movie activity.  Even though, really I do this all year long because I keep every movie ticket ever.  But summer's always a great time for movies.)  So, this summer, Thomas and I saw 10 movies in the theaters.  (Now you can tell how we spend all of our free time and money!)  So here are the ten (organized by release date), with a very quick review of each!  (Note: please do not go see a movie just because I said it was good.  I like almost everything.  Also, these reviews also mention nothing about MPAA ratings, so please research that before taking my advice.)

1. Iron Man 3 - awesome; definitely on the same caliber as the first two
2. Star Trek Into Darkness - awesome; loved it; comedy, action, suspense
3. Fast and Furious 6 - amazing; I love these movies so much.  Not great acting, predictable and outlandish but so so amazing
4. Now You See Me - very entertaining; kept me guessing the whole time; really liked the cast
5. Man of Steel - amazing; best Superman movie ever; best Superman ever; props to a super buff Henry Cavill
6. World War Z - very interesting and original; Brad Pitt is great; another new zombie movie with a different twist
7. White House Down - intense with some humor thrown in; a good two hours
8. The Wolverine - dark and different; a step away from the more "traditional" X-Men movies; really interesting
9. 2 Guns - loved it; Marky Mark and Denzel are great together
10. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - entertaining; very, very different than the book

So there are the summer movies from my line-up.  And as you'll see, there isn't a bad review in there.  So remember that just because I loved it doesn't mean it's a movie worth your time and money.  I have very broad, unrefined taste in movies, and I love it that way!

So, that brings you up to date in my oh-so-fabulous life!  I'm a little excited about this week because I just had an idea while I was doing the dishes... this week is going to have a theme here on the blog, and you'll find out what it is tomorrow!

*** The credits on the t.v. belong to season 5 of Doctor Who.  Best television show in the history of mankind.  (Just sayin)

This One's For You Mom and Dad

Ok, sorry, but this post is going to be sentimental.  So, if that's not your thing, feel free to just stop reading.  It won't hurt my feelings; in fact, I won't even know!

 I just want to publicly declare that I have the best parents in the world.  (I know, I know, you think yours are better than mine.  That's ok; but just know that you're wrong.)  Since growing up, getting married, and moving to Florida, I have come to love and respect my parents even more than I did when I was younger.  Part of this is because, when you're a teenager, you love your parents, but you mostly respect them out of duty.  Another part of this growth is getting to speak to my parents as adults.  Of course, I'll always be their little girl, but I've really enjoyed the friendship and companionship I have felt with them in the past few years.

Being 1100 miles away certainly has something to do with these feelings.  I miss my parents a lot.  Somedays it's almost unbearable that I can't just meet my mom for lunch, or go over to their house for dinner and board games, or just talk to them face to face.  But, it's not just that.  The past two years in Florida have been so wonderful and so difficult for many reasons.  And every step of the way, my parents have been there, on the phone with me, sending emails, listening to me cry, encouraging me, praying for me, loving me.  And I could not ask for better, more patient, more Godly, more wonderful parents.

Mom and Dad, I miss you so much.  I know that I am always in your prayers, and that means so much to me.  Thank you for everything that you've done for me over the years.  But mostly, thank you for guiding me into a life that, above all, seeks to follow the Lord.  I am always working on becoming the Godly woman you've taught me to be.  And I couldn't do it without your love, support, and guidance.  I love you both.

Ok, so I feel the need to end on something funny to get the lump out of my throat.  So for everyone else out there, here's the short version of how I convinced my dad to let me get a dog when I was a little girl.  (Side note: I don't actually remember this happening, but I've heard the story told so many times that I have fake memories of it.)

So, I really wanted a dog.  Really bad.  And there wasn't really a reason why we didn't have one except that Dad did not want one.  So one day, I went to find Dad to ask him if we could get a dog.  He was in the bathroom (but as a toddler, that obviously didn't matter to me).  So, I stood out in the hallway, and asked (I'm sure in the best adorable voice I had) "Daddy, can we get a dog?"

"No honey, we can't get a dog," came the reluctant reply from the other side of the door.

But apparently, I had a back up plan.  "Then, can we get a baby?"

"Ok honey, we'll get a dog."  (Haha!  Cute toddler logic wins!)

So, soon after that, we got Bridgette, who was a wonderful family dog for many years!

The end.  Now I feel like I need to go bake something!  Lol.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

You probably wouldn't be surprised if I told you that I had to make myself write this post.  The reason?  It's not about dessert.  Lol.  It's true though.  I most enjoy baking and blogging about breakfast and dessert.  We've tried some new dinner recipes recently, and some of them have been genuinely, really good.  But, I just don't feel the need to blog about them like I do about desserts and breakfasts.

But, this Buffalo Chicken Dip deserves a blog post.  It's really good and so incredibly simple.  Not to mention that it's also easy to personalize and to adjust for a couple or a crowd!  Even though it's called "dip", we've eaten it on wraps, sandwiches, and as a dip.  I really, really love a chicken wrap from Buffalo Wild Wings, so every once in a while, we buy a bottle of their sauce so that we can make chicken wraps at home.  So I wanted to branch out and try a new recipe with it.

So, here's a new dinner or party recipe for you that has nothing to do with dessert!

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Adapted from several different recipes put together...
Note:  Basically all of the amounts are approximate.  You can add more or less of anything to adjust the flavor to your liking.  I just sample it a couple of times until I'm happy with the flavor.  I don't like spicy, so I usually throw in more ranch than called for.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked chicken (I use chicken breasts that I boil and shred)
• 6-8 ounces cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat for... less fat.  You could try it with fat free too.)
• 1/2+ cup ranch (I used fat free, and we couldn't tell a difference from regular.)
• +/- 3/4 cup sauce (Most people use Frank's, but I used BWW.)
• 3/4 cup of your choice of shredded cheese (I used cheddar and then put mozzarella on my wrap.)

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients together in an oven safe bowl.  Sample a few times to adjust the heat and flavor to your tastes.
2. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in 350 degree oven.  Stir every 10 minutes until heated through, about 30 minutes.  You can just as easily microwave it; just make sure you stir it a few times during the process.  Or, throw it in a small crock-pot to keep it hot if you're going to a party.

Enjoy in any style you like!  P.S.   Sorry about the horrible pictures in this post.  It's insanely hard to try to take good pictures when your husband is already chowing down and all you want to do is eat your dinner!  Lol.

Um... YES PLEASE!!!

So, I'm planning on getting a recipe posted some time today, but Thomas showed this to me last night, and I can't resist reposting it.  This is quite literally the BEST IDEA EVER!!!!  (Note: I do not own this picture, nor do I know the original source.  If you do, please feel free to let me know so that I can give this genius the credit that is due!)

Um.  Yeah.  Life=solved!

God knew I needed a win today {Lundi Little Lovelies}

So... now band camp is over, I should get back to being better at this whole blogging thing!

Today, I'm having such a good day so far that it would be a big shame to not blog it!  Seriously, band camp went pretty well, but last week was just exhausting in so many different ways.  Today has gone a long way to make up for all that exhaustion!

Back story: I still have (had) some birthday money to spend, and I also had some coupons that were getting ready to expire.

So today I went shopping and out to lunch.  It was just a peaceful day of walking around, and what made it better was that I had a little bit of money to spend.  (I just hate shopping when I don't have any spending money.)  I started off the afternoon at Charming Charlie, and seriously, it is a HUGELY good thing that the closest one is about half an hour away.  I can barely contain myself in that store.  If God made heaven just to fit my tastes, there would be a Charming Charlie there!  Lol.  After scouring the clearance and adding a coupon, I came out with an a-dor-able fedora and a super cute, summer dress for $14!!!

Next stop was Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  And this is more of a funny story: I'm pretty sure all of the employees thought I was crazy.  Probably because I stumbled around the store about three times muttering to myself, picking things up and putting them back down.  See, I had a coupon but no idea what I wanted to spend it on.  So, I ended up with a 2-pack of whisks (until today, I did not own a whisk.  Crazy, right?  Anytime I needed a whisk, I just used a beater from my electric mixer.  Lol.) and this pack of sprinkles.

I know they say money can't buy happiness, but dude... LOOK at these sprinkles!  There are cookies and cream sprinkles in the middle there!  (Another thing they would have in my personal heaven.)

Then I hopped over to Panera to redeem my birthday pastry and sip on a smoothie for lunch!  Yummy!

My other productive stop was surprisingly Old Navy.  I don't usually shop there because I feel like a lot of the clothes just aren't my style.  But, I happened upon a pair of black shorts that happened to fit and were only $12!  I was super excited since I've been shopping for black shorts all summer.  *Side note: another reason Old Navy perplexes me is that I had to buy the shorts two sizes smaller than my normal size... which basically tells me that no one who is really skinny could ever shop there because they'd have to shop in the kids section... weird.

Last little lovely... even Pandora Radio was pretty nice to me today!  I'm not a huge fan of Pandora; yes, it is free, but you definitely get what you pay for: basically nothing.  But today, I created a Superchic[k] station, and Pandora actually did a pretty good job of playing similar songs and artists!  Yay!

One last thought for today:  Some Relient K came on, and this quote really struck me today.  From "Be My Escape" by Relient K:

"The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair."

Isn't that wonderful?!  Because if life was fair, we'd all be in trouble.  I am so glad that God chooses to show grace instead of giving me what I deserve!

Inconsistency...

...When it comes to blogging, I've got it!  My birthday/anniversary week, I did so great, tons of posts.  And then I just magically fall off the face of the planet for two weeks.  Boo.  I annoy myself.

In my defense, this week has been busy.  Last week though, there's really no excuse; I just read a couple of really good books.  Band camp started on Monday.  Yes, I'm a nerd.  I'm twenty-five years old, and I still go to band camp.  In fact, I just counted, and this year marks my 14th band camp.  Wow.  I'm such a nerd!

Anyway, other than sweating my butt off in the hot Florida sun everyday this week, not much is going on. Band camp is pretty exhausting.  However, here are a few minor updates.

• I finished The Book Thief (a while ago), and I really liked it.  The storytelling was so interesting from "Death's" point of view.  It was an interesting story about what one little girl's life could have been like during World War II.  It was a very enjoyable read.
• Thomas and I just went to see "The Wolverine" today!  And it, of course, lives up to the X-Men tradition.  It was a truly enjoyable two hours!  And there's an Easter egg at the end!  (Those are always one of my favorite parts!)
• Also on the movie front, I cannot wait to see "2 Guns" this weekend.  Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg are both stellar actors, and this movie looks like the perfect blend of action and comedy!
• We're having some new friends over for lunch tomorrow!  Woot woot!  I love having people over.  It's so fun, and it really brings out my "Suzie Homemaker" side.
•  During the busy days this week, these verses brought me comfort.  Here, the Lord is speaking to his people, Israel, during a time of rebellion, and yet He loves us.

"But now, this is what the Lord says-- 

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you. O Israel:

'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; 

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,

I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you"

Isaiah 43:1-5 (NIV)

Hopefully it won't be two weeks before the next post!!!

Oatmeal Cream Pies {Lundi Little Lovelies}

 Ok!  So these oatmeal cream pies are AMAZING!!!  I made them about a week ago for Bible study and they were a big hit!  I mean really, it's an oatmeal cream pie, of course it was a big hit!  Who doesn't love these things?!

I'd had a version of these pinned forever, but I hadn't made them because they seemed really time consuming.  And not to lie, they kind of are.  But I divided up the process into two days, so that really helped.  On Saturday afternoon, I mixed up and baked all of the cookies.  Then on Sunday afternoon before Bible study, I whipped up the filling and assembled the pies.  So, even though it's time consuming because it makes so many, doing it in two days really made it manageable.  And trust me, they are TOTALLY worth the work!!!  You absolutely MUST try them!

 

The original recipe comes from Macaroni and Cheesecake.   I kept her cookie recipe and then used the Oreo Filling Dip recipe that I've blogged before.  The main reason that I combined the two recipes is because Macaroni and Cheesecake's filling recipe required a double broiler and whipping eggs until they formed soft peaks, etc.  And I'm just not that patient.  I knew that the Oreo dip was amazing, so I figured I'd stick with that!

 

Oatmeal Cream Pies
Adapted from: Macaroni and Cheesecake (cookies) and Cookies and Cups (filling)
Makes about 24 pies (48 cookies)

Ingredients for Cookies:

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until light.  
3. Add in eggs, honey, and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Do not over mix.
5. Stir in oats until mixed throughout.  (I used old-fashioned oats and pulsed them in the blender a few times before adding them so they would be chopped up a little bit.  This step isn't necessary, it's just a consistency thing.)
6. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes.
7. After dough has been refrigerated, drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.  (Cookies will flatten and spread while baking.)  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges just start to brown.
8. Allow cookies to set up on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Ingredients for Filling:

•  1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Using a hand mixer, stir until smooth.
2. Spread filling onto the bottom of an oatmeal cookie.
3. Top with another cookie.
4. EAT!!!

*Note on the filling: I used almost all of the filling for my 24 oatmeal cream pies.  You may need more or less depending on how generous you are with the filling.

Like I said, it is time consuming, but baking the cookies one day and assembling them the next really made it seem like it wasn't that much work!  Enjoy!