My Additions to Things Parents of Athletes Should Know

While scrolling thorough my Facebook news feed this morning I came across 10 Things Parents of Athletes Should Know by Stefanie Mullen.  Having been a player, spectator, referee, assistant coach, head coach, coach's wife, and now a parent of a future athlete the 10 rules given by Stefanie are something I think EVERY parent should try and abide by, but after reading I got to thinking that there are several other points I wanted to make in addition....

Here are the original 10, with some highlighted additions I think are relevant :

1. It’s not about you, its about them. Do not live your own sports dreams through your kids. It’s their turn now. Let them make their own choices, both good and bad.  This may include them not playing a sport you'd like them too (even not playing at all)....don't force them, the combination makes the worst type of player and worst type of parent to deal with.  Let them do what they love, not what you love.

2. Never talk to a coach about your child’s play time after a game. Actually you never should. You should have your kid do that. That said, if you just can’t help yourself, send an email the next day and ask for some phone time. If your child isn't playing, there's a reason...and more likely than not it has less to do with their actual ability and more with their attitude and how they've been performing in practice.  If your kid is truly upset about lack of playing time use this as an opportunity for them to develop their communication and maturity (You won't be able to fight their battles about things like deadline dates for projects when they enter the workforce, so let them learn how to do it early). 

3. NEVER yell at referees. They are trying. How would you like it if someone came to your job and screamed at you? Not. So. Much. If you have a real issue file a grievance the next day.   I don't mean to be blunt, but parents......most of the time you don't even know the official rule. I'd like to give a short shout out to coaches on this one too....the Referees are trying to do the best they can, just like you.  Unless a situation arises where their actions, or lack there of, are putting your players in danger or at risk for injury then pipe down......You aren't going to lose a game because the ref didn't call a turnover when the other team stepped out of bounds in the 3rd half.  If you lose it will be because Player Suzi Q missed 4 out of 5 free throws, or a million other reasons besides poor calls.

4. Do NOT coach your kid from the sideline. Your job is to be a cheerleader, not a coach. If you wanted to coach, you should have volunteered.  Most likely you've been teaching Jack and Jane their whole lives about the sport they are playing...it's time to take a step back and let them learn from someone else...I promise you don't know everything there is to know.

5. It is EXTREMELY UNLIKELY you are raising a professional athlete. I promise you. Relax, let them have a good time and learn the lessons they are supposed to be learning in sports.

6. Kids should play the sport that is in season until they are in middle school. Then they can decide which one or two sports they want to play and become more focused. Cross training prevents injuries and burnout.

7. If you have nothing nice to say, sit down and be quiet. Don’t be “that” parent.

8. If you are losing your mind on the sideline of game, it’s time to look in the mirror and figure out why. It’s not normal to care that much about sports. Put that energy into something more productive.

9. Let them fail. Forgotten equipment, not working out, not practicing at home? Let them suffer the consequences of that. It will make them better.

10. Your kids are watching you. Make them proud not embarrassed.

Mainly I think that parents should keep in mind that coaches, referees, volunteers, other players, players parents, and other school employees are people too.  They have families, lives, and plenty of other things to do other than be at practice and games, but they do it because they love the sport, or the community, or just love helping people.  Don't bad mouth a coach/ref/volunteer/other player/parent/school employee in front of your kids, other parents, administration, etc.  How would you like it if your boss bad-mouthed you to your co-workers or to your kid....You're teaching your kids it's ok to be a jerk and keeping them from buying into the "team" aspect their coach is trying so desperately to teach them (a skill they will NEED later in life).

Just at little rant, but I was really happy to see an article from a parent that 'gets' it! 

T

DIY: Quick, Cheap, and Easy Fall Wreath

I love wreaths! I think they add such a homey feel to any place and now-a-days you can get so creative with what you can do with them.  I recently made our front door wreath for fall! It took me all of about 20 minutes and turned out super cute! (At least I think so anyway!)  I used a grapevine wreath from Michael's (they run them on sale for 3.99 most of the time!) and some flowers they had in fall colors for 60% off.  For the "S" and bow I used items I already had around the house.  The great thing about wreaths is that with a little floral wiring and hot glue you can pretty much get whatever you want to on there! When adding flowers I typically cut the stem a little longer and bend it to stick it in the wreath (to anchor it a bit) I always arrange the flowers how I like and then hot glue any places that need more support.  I then attached the "S" with some floral wiring to the bottom portion of the wreath and attached the chevron bow with wiring as well.  I can always add/change the flowers later on if I want to.  So for this cute front door addition I spent a whopping $6.51!

T

Delicious Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

I had originally pinned this recipe on Pinterest almost a year ago and had been wanting to try ever since.  The original recipe came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe who has lots of scrumptious looking recipes available on her site.  One thing I'll change for next time is making more sauce, I just like a little extra on the side for dipping.  If you aren't feeling rice this would go well with Asian noodles or even a salad with mandarin oranges and crunchies in it!

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS
Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
Sauce:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating, cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.


Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the recipe instructions; pour the other half in a small saucepan and cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

T

From Scratch Biscuits and Gravy

Since I fell behind with the meal planning post I decided to to post the recipe's with the picture.  First up is biscuits with sausage gravy, all homemade mmm! Next time I will definitely add more pepper and maybe some hot sauce!

Ingredients

Biscuits
3 cups All-purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1-1/2 stick (3/4 Cup) Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
1-1/4 cup Buttermilk

SAUSAGE GRAVY
1 pound Breakfast Sausage, Hot Or Mild
1/3 cup All-purpose Flour
4 cups Whole Milk
1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
2 teaspoons Black Pepper, More To Taste



Preparation Instructions
BISCUITS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor (or a large bowl.) Add butter pieces and pulse until butter is completely cut into the flour mixture (or use a pastry cutter if using a bowl.) While pulsing (or stirring) drizzle in the buttermilk until dough just comes together and is no longer crumbly.
Drop in clumps on two baking sheets, then bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. (Optional: Brush with melted butter when biscuits first come out of the oven.)
SAUSAGE GRAVY
With your finger, tear small pieces of sausage and add them in a single layer to a large heavy skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir so that the sausage soaks it all up, then add a little more until just before the sausage looks too dry. Stir it around and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk, stirring constantly.
Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. (This may take a good 10-12 minutes.) Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick and luscious. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Another yummy recipe from the Pioneer Woman, she really knows what she's doing!

MP Day #4 & 5

No recipes for today! Thursday night I had planned to make Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken, but my chicken hadn't thawed, Spence and I were both tired and I got an email deal on pizza and breadsticks, so we decided to opt for that deliciousness (and boy it was good)! We had enough left over for both of our lunches Friday so that worked out well.  Friday night's we usually always meet my parents for dinner, Spencer had to be a at football game so Dad and I went to Firehouse and had some delicious barbecue! Mmmm!

T

MP Night #3: Comfort food, Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday was a dreary evening.  It was very dark, cloudy, and on the verge of raining....this however made it a perfect night for some warm comfort food! On the menu for Wednesday was meatloaf and mashed taters (I also had a wedge salad).  I hadn't picked out a recipe for meatloaf so I got some ideas from my co-worker Sherry (who is a wonderful cook) and the kind of just threw some other stuff in and voila! a meatloaf was made!  Spencer gave high praises and I enjoyed it myself!  I am going to have to work on my photography skills in posting the meal pics, they don't look nearly as good as they taste!  Recipes below picture.....

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground beef (I used 85/15)
• 2/3 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 egg (whisked before adding)
• couple splashes of milk
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce (I eyeballed it)
• 1 tbs mustard (Eyeballed it)
• Salt, pepper, garlic salt (just added some dashes of these, whatever your preference)
• SAUCE: For tonight I only used ketchup, but a mustard, ketchup, brown sugar mix would be yummy as well! 

Combine all these together in a bowl with your hands (it's much easier than a utensil), form into a loaf and place in a loaf pan.  Bake on 350 for 1 hour (After 30 min take out and add on sauce)

Mashed Taters

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes (This was the perfect amount for just Spencer and I, add more if you want to serve more than 2)
• Milk
• Garlic Salt
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper

Wash and peel potatoes, quarter, then boil (with lid) potatoes for 45 minutes in salted water.  Drain and add milk, butter, and seasonings.  Now the amount of these depends on personal preference.  For example, milk makes it creamy, but the more you add the less thick the potatoes.  I usually do about 1/4 cup milk and 2-3 tbs of butter.  Add sparingly, you can ALWAYS add more if you'd like but you can never take away!  Once everything is added you can mash with a masher or use a hand-held mixer (if I'm making a lot then I use my hand-held).  For my sour cream lovers out there, sour cream would taste great in this! (I just don't use it because hubby hates it!)

I also made my yummy Ms Fields cookies and they were/are delicious!!! 

T

Meal Planning Night 2: Pasta alla Vodka

Yet another recipe from Pioneer Woman was in the works for Tuesday night.  Pasta alla Vodka is something that I've made, but looked yummy when I saw it on an episode of Pioneer Woman (yes I record them and watch them when I get home from work).  I mean who doesn't love marinara and heavy cream?!  And vodka of course, but since I can't currently drink it I can resort to cooking with it.  This meal turned out pretty decent, Spencer of course wished it would have had meat but loved it otherwise.  My only qualm was that there were too many onions! Onions lovers you would be fine with the recipe as it stand, but I just am not a fan.  Next time I would only use about half an onion and maybe use a grater to make the onion into a less bulky consistency.....

Spencer had a football game, so this was thrown together quickly after and served by itself! Some chicken in the mix would probably be yummy! Here's the recipe......

Ingredients

• 1 pound Pasta

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 2 Tablespoons Butter

• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped Finely

• 2 cloves (to 3 Cloves) Garlic, Chopped

• 3/4 cups (to 1 Cup) Vodka

• 1 can (About 14 Oz.) Tomato Puree

• 1 cup Heavy Cream

• 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon (to 1/2 Teaspoon) Salt

•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

• 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, being careful not to overcook.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in chopped onion and garlic. Stir and allow to cook for two minutes. Pour in vodka. Stir and cook for three minutes. Add in tomato puree and stir.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Allow to simmer, being careful not to overheat. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water in case sauce is too thick. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine. Splash in a little water if it needs it. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Pour mixture into large serving bowl. Garnish with more Parmesan cheese.

T

Meal Planning: Beginning with the Basics

I have decided that I want to start meal planning so that I'm able to (hopefully) only hit up the grocery store once or twice a month.  Sunday I sat down and planned out our dinner meals for the next 2 weeks and made a grocery list.  I only planned dinners because we typically have cereal/waffles/bagels for breakfast and sandwiches/leftovers for lunch, so there was no need for me to cook meals at those times (not that I would even have time to do that ha!).

Last night was Fried Round Steak from my favorite The Pioneer Woman...I had planned to do a potato dish as a side, but ended up just going with macaroni because I was in a time crunch...It turned out to be pretty tasty and most of all VERY simple! Although next time I think will use some cream of mushroom and milk to make a gravy, then simmer steaks for about 30 min in the gravy so they are nice and tender.

Recipe below (macaroni was from a box)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Cube Steak (round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper, Or To Taste
•  Salt, For Seasoning Meat
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil (more If Needed)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Mix together flour, seasoned salt, and pepper.

Season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece in flour mixture, pressing to coat with as much flour as possible.

Add butter to pan right before frying.

When butter is melted, fry pieces of steak in butter/oil mixture. Flip when sides are deep golden brown and cook about 1 minute on the other side.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately

For tonight, Pasta alla Vodka....also from The Pioneer Woman (if you can't tell, I LOVE her!)

T

A Street Surprise!

It's been announced on FB but haven't updated the blog! The Street's will soon be a family of 3! Spencer and I our expecting Sawyer Ellen Street (It's a girl) on December 31, 2013!

Cool Running's: How My First Half Marathon Quickly Came and Went!

Lazy blogger as I am, of course it has taken me a couple months to write this post! But here goes....

As I stated in previous posts, I have been training for a half marathon.  As the week of April 27th closed in I was starting to get excited, a bit nervous, but mostly in awe of the fact that I had actually paid money to run 13.1 miles (Who does that right?).  I left work early Friday the 26th, ran by the house to pick up Spencer and then we headed to Nashville.  I had to pick up my packet by 7pm that night so I wanted to make sure I was able to do that! When we finally got to Nashville it was MUCH busier than I thought it would be, but with over 30,000 people signed up for this race I guess the high traffic makes sense!  We found a parking garage within walking distance of the Convention Center and paid $15 to park (We only parked for about an hour, Boo!) and headed in to pick up my gear.  After we got my bib and t-shirt we meandered around the expo checking out all the nifty running items and picking up some free swag!  The expo was great and I found out about a ton of cool running accessories! One of the products I really loved was called Huma Gel.  You runners know the importance of refueling during long runs and this stuff does the trick!  Most importantly it's ALL natural and it doesn't make you want to gag! You can check them out here http://www.humagel.com/ (Apple Cinnamon is delish!).  We tried to quickly be on our way since we still had to drive to my friend Mandi's condo where we were staying to meet up with Mandi and her husband Colby. Once we got there we all decided that we were quite hungry and need to find some grub quickly! Mandi knew exactly what I was thinking to pre-race fuel and suggested we go to Buca di Beppo's Italian Restaurant.  I had never been to one of these, but let me tell you I would definitely love to go back!  It's family style dishes so one order serves 2-3 people.  Mandi and I split spaghetti and meatballs while the boys both ordered their own dish!  After we had eaten probably more than we should we headed back to Mandi and Colby's where we chatted a bit before we said our goodnight's.

Race Day: Saturday April 27, 2013

4:30AM: Yes it was early, but I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to eat, dress, use the facilities if need be, and get to a shuttle by 6AM.  I knew it was supposed to rain a bit, but all of the weather reports I read said it would die down around 8:30-9AMish so I dressed in compression shorts with nike shorts over them and my St.Jude's race day tank.  I had a lightweight jacket as well that I had planned on taking off about half-way through the race.  I ate some peanut butter on a large half of a white bagel and drank some green tea to give me a bit of caffeine as well as some water.

Around 5AM I left Mandi's to head to LP Field to catch my shuttle to the start line (Spencer was still asleep and was getting a ride to the finish line).  I had Google mapped the drive and it took about 17 min to get from Mandi's to LP, so I was confident that I would have plenty of time.  At this point it was still misting outside as I approached my exit, which turned out to have a lot more traffic than I expected.  I ended up sitting in traffic for about 30-45 minutes, causing me to freak that I would miss the bus to the start line.  Thankfully I managed to park at LP and make it to a bus with plenty of time to spare.  I decided to keep my jacket on and forgo carrying my water belt, I knew there were quite a few water stations intermingled throughout the course so I just took one of the belt bottles and stuck it in my jacket.

When I arrived at the start line, it was PACKED! I knew that there was going to be a ton of people at this race (around 30,000 I believe!) but you don't really imagine all those people in one place until you see it.  That's when it began to rain....just a sprinkle at first, then transitioning to a steady drizzle.  Slow and Steady as I am, I was back in Corral 27, a long way from the start. So I didn't actually cross the start line until about an hour and 15 minutes had already passed.  At this point soaking wet....literally.....every piece of clothing shirt, shoes, socks, underwear was wet from the rain.  I had honestly contemplated calling Spencer to come pick me up and take me home, but penny pinching Millie had spent a decent amount of money come down here and by gosh that money was not going to go to waste!  BANG, the shot sounded for my corral and I was off.  A nice lady kept with me for the first couple of miles and we made some nice conversation, but then she had to stop and tie her shoe so I didn't see her again...Now I will just mention this once (even though it happened several times to me throughout the race)  but there was just some point where my eyes welled up and I could just not help crying like a big baby!  Not because I was mad or tired or anything like that, solely because I was just so inspired...Double amputees with their prostheses busting their butts to run this race.  Moms, Dads, Siblings, Children running with shirts announcing their loved with cancer that they were supporting.  To be a part of something that is so important to so many people...just left me in awe (Maybe this was the pregnancy hormones I didn't know I had that caused all the boo-hooing).

I had originally planned to write a much more detailed post then this, lol but the fact that I'm actually getting this one out is a miracle!  I finished in 2:47, not under the 2:30 that I wanted, but hey I finished my FIRST Half-Marathon!  I also found out a month later that I am pregnant, so I ran/finished a half marathon PREGNANT! Take that running!

Cool Runnings

If you are my friend on Facebook you know that I along with a couple of girlfriends are training to run the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville on April 27, 2013.  For me it started out as just 10K training for a local race.  I have never been much for running, yeah it's a good workout but goodness who wants to run for more than 10-15 minutes at a time! So boring! I have always told myself I would NEVER run more than 5K (I guess I'm eating those words now!).  I started training in December for the 10K and that turned into well lets all do a Half Marathon together!  I'm not really sure how 'never' turned into 'Ok I'm going to do this', maybe it's because I have a wonderful support system of family and friends that keep me motivated with SnapChats and group-chat texting, who help me figure out what to eat and what to push myself to do next....Either way this journey has definitely changed my mindset on running!  When I started out in December let me tell you I hated it, I mean H-A-T-E-D it! It was cold I was tired and my running days just seemed like such a hassle! But to my surprise I stuck with it....And each week I was able to run father and faster and I was even starting to enjoy it (Can you believe?! Because I sure can't!).  This past Saturday I ran 10 miles, 10 MILES!!!!!! Did I have some amazing time record, well no, but I ran 10 MILES without stopping and without walking.  I'm still questioning if it really happened, I'm thinking maybe I just dreamed it...but no I have proof! 

I wish I would have chronicled more of this adventure, but at least starting this late we are almost to the exciting part! I'm so glad that I stuck with my running plans because I have grown to relish the moments during a run where you just feel so powerful so free, like you could accomplish anything in the world! Corny I know, but so true!  I saw this picture the other day that pretty much describes it completely.

I have had a couple of friends ask about what plan I have been using, so I will post the link(I started the 10K and went right into the 1/2 when I was done with it)

Women's Health 10K Plan here

Half Marathon Training Plan here

I'll leave you with this quote from John Bingham, 

"If your run, you are a runner.  It doesn't matter how fast or how far.  It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years.  There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get.  You just run"

T

Foodie

Ok guys, so I really suck at this whole blogging thing and have been trying to think of ways to work on that.  So I decided I could start posting recipes.  I usually try to incorporate some Pinterest recipes, some are my own.  I also work with some ladies who are absolute whizzes in the kitchen! So here is what I have tried out this week...

First up was cube steak, Spencer has been asking me to make it forever but I have never made cube steak before so I was a bit intimidated to try.  I found a wonderful recipe from The Pioneer Woman, who I will definitely keep in mind for future meals! She has some good recipes!  Here's the link:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/fried-round-steak/

  I think mine turned out well, they were thick so I cooked them for a bit longer than the recipe (about 3 minutes on each side) and made some gravy with the leftover.  Served it up with some sweet potato chips (they were quite crispy, but they tasted delicious)  that are super easy to make, just toss them in some olive oil and spices (whatever you enjoy, I usually add some chili powder for a kick) and bake them!

Tuesday night I made Chicken Parmesan, a recipe originally from Pinterest but the link has since been disabled.  But it's a pretty easy recipe, 2 chicken breasts (I usually cut them in half, but it's whatever you prefer), and flatten them out- I punch them haha but any method will work!  I dip them in flour, then egg, then Italian bread crumbs (I mix in some shaved Parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs).  Grease your pan with butter and bake breasts on 400 for 25-30 minutes until they are done on the inside(I have a hot oven).  Take them out and cover in your favorite pasta sauce, then I do a slice of provolone over each breast and then sprinkle some shredded mozzarella over that (if you can't tell we love our cheese!) and bake for another 10 minutes.  I serve with angel hair pasta because it's my favorite, but regular spaghetti works great as well! 

Also got a little wild this Sunday and made some Soup Beans and Cornbread! Whooo I'm wild I know! 

Those were super easy and turned out great! I just soaked pinto bean Saturday night, put them in the crock-pot with some water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes around 10 AM on Sunday and cooked them on low for 10 hours.  For the cornbread I just used a Martha White mix, it was pretty good for mix! I think as soon as I get some cast iron I'll try to make it from scratch!  

This week will be a busy week, so hopefully I'll get some cooking in! 

T

Food, so much food!

This weekend we celebrated the engagement of some close friends by throwing an Engagement Party at our home.  It was a great success and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves! There is now enough leftover food in our fridge to feed a baseball team.  I'll post some pic's below!  We also picked up our new king size bed this weekend and can I just say it's amazing!!

Long Weekend Part Deux...

Once again we were out Friday for snow! At this rate I'm going to forget what a 5 day work week is...

It was crafty time once again at our house! I finished my Coffee Table Revamp (ignore the green pillows, that's my next project!)....

I added some decor to the entertainment center

 and I found an S for my collage wall!

I also started on a new wreath for spring, pics when I finish! 

All in all a very enjoyable weekend! Hope this week brings you all blessings! Much love!

T

Long weekend

Snow hit Tennessee and you know what that means...everyone's out! Because of all the rain then snow I think Spencer worked maybe 2 full days last week and I thankfully was off Friday for snow and Monday for MLK day! 

There were many things around the house I could have worked on, however I chose to enjoy my last days of no school work before the semester begins by vegging out on the couch.  However I did get a couple of things accomplished! We tried a new recipe for Breakfast Casserole, it was so good we made it twice! (The recipe calls for mozzarella cheese, cheddar works just as well.  Next time I'll go half and half!)

http://www.culinary.net/recipes/RecipeDetail.aspx?ID=6141&CourseName=Breakfast+&+Brunch&CourseID=4

I also started another furniture projects, here's a sneak peek, can't wait to show you the finished product!

Have a happy, healthy, blessed week!

T

DIY, thank you Pinterest !

I have never been really into diy projects, but with the invention of Pinterest I have actually gotten pretty into, but more from a foodie aspect.  Over Christmas break I was able start a furniture project.  Turns out I love it and can wait to start my next project!! For my first project I turned a bedroom dresser into a Entertainment Stand!

T

A Christmas of First's!

Had a wonderful Christmas break! We were blessed enough to both have a long break! (I was off for a week and a half!) During this time we also celebrated Spencer's birthday! We had dinner at Carrabba's with our families where Spencer got his 'special' cake....

If you can't tell it's a dice with poker chips and cards on it, this symbolized my birthday present to him, a trip to Harrah's Cherokee Casino (making a first for both of us)!  We made our way to Cherokee, NC to play the slots and eat at the famous Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, a first for both of us as well!  The drive was beautiful, the food was even better! We didn't win big, but we sure had fun! 

We celebrated our first Christmas as a married couple 

We both got our first 'Grown Up' Christmas present, a new sink and faucet! Courtesy of both parents! (Thanks Moms and Dads!)

And I got to hang out with my lovely sisters with all of us there! Especially excited that Mandi and Jaymie could join us! Nashville and Connecticut are the two longest distances among us!

I also started my first DIY project, but more pics to follow on that! I'm not quite finished! ;)

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

T.