Oreo Dipping, Adult Style

I sat down to plan out my Breaking the Code blog series; I'm really excited about it & excited to see so many of you also excited...that's a lot of excitement.  I think it's going to be good.  It's mid-afternoon and I don't know about you but I always get hungry in the afternoon and need a little snack.  Sometimes I choose a healthy snack but today was not one of those days; maybe because it's Friday.

I opened the fridge to find my coffee that I didn't finish this morning and I immediately thought to pair it with something sweet.  I NEVER buy Oreos and if I do it is to make a pie crust, not to eat by themselves.  I broke one of my cardinal rules this week and bought Oreos because they were such a good deal.  (The cardinal rule is: don't buy something you don't normally buy just because it is a good deal...oops)  I got them for $1.13 a package when they're normally $2.50+.  Come on, you'd do it too, right?

Okay, so here I am with my coffee and a package of Oreos.  I thought, hey, why not dip the Oreo in the coffee?  So, I dipped the Oreo in the coffee.  It was AMAZING!  Don't get me wrong, I love dipping Oreos in milk too, but dipping my Oreo in coffee feels much more age appropriate.  My all time favorite Oreo combination is peanut butter + Oreos (I got the idea from Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan, anybody remember that?).  What's your favorite Oreo combination?

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalms 118:24

Breaking the Code, Part 1: A Deal is a Deal

In March I became a mom.  In April I slowly started doing some work from home.  In early May I started getting back into the office for a few hours at a time.  In late May, I quit my job.  It was a tough decision that I wrestled with for weeks on end.  After several discussions with my husband, we both felt it was the best decision for our family.

Abruptly changing to a one income family meant we needed to evaluate our budget and find more ways to save money.  Before that time I had never paid much attention to our food bill but once I started breaking it down I was shocked at the amount of money we spent monthly at the grocery store.  Granted, not all of that money was on food but also bathroom essentials, paper products, etc, nonetheless, it was shocking.  I think I was most shocked because we hardly eat out so I guess I magically thought that meant we didn't spend much money on food.  A change was needed.

As I tend to do, I over corrected and decided that we needed to put a cap on the food bill, cutting it by about half of what we had previously been spending.  We were not to go over one cent and if we were out of food money, then I guess we were just going to have to starve.  Well that obviously didn't work well.

Then I started to realize that when I shopped for food, I didn't really know what a "good deal" was.  The ads suggest something is a good deal by using words such as "price cut", "save", and "clearance" but were they just trying to fool me?  A deal is a deal right?  Turns out, it's an advertisement so yes, they are trying to convince you to buy their product and they will do everything they can to accomplish that goal.

To break the code and find out what really was a deal, I started to record prices of common grocery items.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love any excuse to create an Excel spreadsheet, so that's just what I did.  Here are the categories in my spreadsheet:

It's a pretty simple strategy.  Item refers to what you are buying.  Price is what you paid for it.  Size would be the weight or quantity.  Column D is not necessary but I was just curious to know what I was paying the most for in terms of price per ounce (to calculate that, you simply divide the Price (column B) by the Size (column C)).

Here are a couple of examples of how you would fill out the sheet.  If you buy a dozen eggs, you would fill it in like this, Item: Eggs; Price: $1.98; Size: 12 count; Price per oz: $0.17 each.  If you buy a box of Ritz crackers, you would fill it in like this, Item: Ritz Crackers; Price: $2.50; Size: 13oz; Price per oz: $0.19/oz.  If you buy grapes, you would fill it in like this, Item: Grapes; Price: $2.00; Size: 16oz (= 1 pound); Price per oz: $0.13/oz.  Get the picture?  This can be a long process if you only take information from your store receipts, so I decided to speed it up and start buying newspapers to get prices from the ads (Tip: Sunday newspapers have the most ads).  

**Once I started to fill the sheet with several items, I chose to sort them alphabetically.  You can do this in Excel by going to Data in the top toolbar --> Sort --> Sort by: Item; Sort On: Values; Order: A to Z --> OK.  This will put all of your items in alphabetical order so they are easier to find.**

I quickly began to see that I had consistently been paying 2-3 times more for an item than I needed to.  For example, the box of Ritz crackers that I mentioned above, it normally would cost $2.50 for a 13oz box but now I pay no more than $1.30 (that's half the price).  At Walmart (the place with all the deals right?!), you pay $2.58 for an 8.9oz box; I now pay $0.88 (that's a third of the price!).

I was shocked to find how much money I had been throwing out the window.  There are more strategies involved with how to get deals like this and I plan to reveal them over the month of March.  I hope you stay tuned, and in the mean time, start paying attention to what you're paying for items at the grocery store.  It might shock you.

A Go-To Recipe: Cuban Beans & Rice

I am a planner, especially in the kitchen.  I like to plan out my dinner menu for the week and actually write it out on a dry erase board.  I can simply look at the menu board in the morning and decide what time I'll start prepping dinner that day based on the amount of time the recipe takes to prepare.

My strategy has changed a little bit over time.  Back in the days of the honeymoon phase when it was just the two of us, I used to pick recipes I wanted to try and buy groceries based on those recipes.  Now I watch store ads, buy groceries based around the sales and then choose recipes based on what I already have.  Its much more cost effective and easier on our budget.

Most weeks work like how I described above but there are weeks like this week where we just got back from a trip and I have yet to go to the grocery store.  That means I don't have much in my fridge and I'm relying on pantry items.  For days like today I have some recipes that I always turn to, one of them being Cuban Beans & Rice from The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites cookbook (page 117).  It's hearty, it's easy, it's cheap and the ingredients can be flexible.

When I don't have bell peppers on hand, I swap those for chopped carrots.  The flavor doesn't change and it still adds a burst of color.  I don't always have broth on hand but I always have bouillon (my current favorite is Better than Bouillon, it's the only bouillon I have found to not contain MSG), so in place of the broth I add an extra 2 cups water and the equivalent amount of bouillon (2 tsp in my case).  You probably don't have all the necessary spices but it's an up front cost that will pay off in the end.  One jar of spice will last you a long time and it is necessary for flavor in this recipe (especially the fennel seeds!).  I often forget to add the vinegar and diced tomatoes & green chiles after it cooks.  I have had it both ways and don't notice much of a difference in flavor.  The tomatoes & green chiles do add some vibrant color though (the picture above does not include the tomatoes & green chiles).  I personally enjoy mine with a dash of hot sauce (okay, several dashes).  The recipe in Cooking Light does not recommend the peanuts, that is my addition; I love the added crunch.

If you don't have the Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites cookbook, feel free to save the recipe card below.  This is a no-fail recipe, full of flavor!  It's one of my husband and I's favorite recipes and I'm proud to say that even Baby J scarfed it down tonight.  Bon Appetit!

My Top Ten for Traveling with an Infant

Baby J turns one next week.  There have been several times over the past year that I have wished for a handbook on parenthood.  Just one book with all the answers, is that too much to ask?  If there were such a handbook, one of the topics I would have looked up is “how to travel with an infant”.  In the first year of his life he has taken 7 trips, 4 by plane, 3 by car, and been to a total of 13 different states (AL, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, MN, NE, OK, SD, TX and WI).   

Since there is no one handbook with all the answers, I did what every other good parent does: I went to the internet for answers and asked friends who are parents for any tips they might have on traveling.  I overloaded my brain with information and then jumped in the pool of parents traveling with babies for the first time.  Sometimes we sank, sometimes we swam, but there were definitely some items that helped keep us afloat. 

1. Pacifier Clip + extra paci -  A pacifier clip is essential for keeping the pacifier off the floor and in safe keeping.  Although it's pretty good, the clip is not 100% foolproof at keeping the pacifier germ-free so when it does make contact with something dirty, just switch it out with the backup paci.  *I bring multiple backups because you never know when one might get lost and in my experience you NEVER want to be without a paci.
2. Snap N Go Universal Infant Car Seat Stroller - If you are traveling with an infant car seat, this is essential.  It is the easiest way to get through the airport with a baby and the easiest stroller to travel with in the car because it takes up so little room.  I also found it useful to run errands around town.  This has been one of our most used baby items and I can't emphasize how essential it is for traveling!
3. Ergo Carrier - If you are flying but not bringing an infant car seat, a baby carrier is a must.  It's an easy way to carry baby through the airport while keeping your hands free to roll a luggage bag.  My baby is a squirmer (his nickname is Wiggle Buns) so I need something to reign him in while I'm walking through crowds of people.  Although he sometimes fights the carrier, he eventually gives up the struggle and enjoys the ride.  *This is also helpful if you are traveling alone with a baby, don't have a stroller and need to go to the restroom. I learned that the hard way one time but luckily the janitor lady held Baby J while I quickly went potty. When you have to go, you have to go.
4. Car seat/Stroller Gate Check Bag - If you are traveling with a car seat or stroller, you won't want to be without these bags.  They are useful for many reasons.  First and foremost, they keep your car seat and stroller clean (luggage compartments on planes are far from clean).  Two, they identify your car seat and stroller (there is a place on the bag to write your information in permanent marker).  Three, they are obvious as to what they hold and bright red so the plane attendants often unload them first which means you don't have to wait as long on the jet bridge.  We considered several types of car seat bags, some with wheels, some $100+, but in the end we were very happy with these and according to my husband they are easy to carry with the handle that is attached.
5. Backpack with easy access side pockets - We have an over the shoulder diaper bag that works for every day occasions but when it comes to traveling, I need something bigger and with more pockets.  For flying, I particularly like to have secure side pockets like the netted ones in the picture.  The back pack needs to be able to hold diapers, wipes, clothes (see #10), bottles, food (see #8), entertainment (see #7), wallet, phone, etc.  When flying, I try to have Baby J sucking or swallowing on take off or landing to help his ears deal with the pressure changes.  Sometimes that meant nursing (see #9) or sucking on a paci, but sometimes it meant taking a bottle.  The netted side pockets were perfect for bottle storage!  I could get to them fast, put them away easily and if they were to spill, it wouldn't get on anything else in the bag.   
6. 2-sided blanket - I quickly came to the conclusion that diaper changing pads that come with diaper bags are just a waste of space.  For traveling I would much rather have a 2-sided blanket because it can be used for comfort, warmth, privacy (see #9) and diaper changes.  By 2-sided I mean that it has sides with two very different prints of fabric.  I like this feature because then I strictly reserve one side for germy surfaces (diaper changing stations) and the other side for Baby J to touch & cuddle with.  
7. Phone or Tablet - Every time I saw a parent letting their child play with their phone or tablet I immediately judged them and thought they were using it as a cop out for entertainment so they wouldn't have to play with their children.  That was before I became a parent.  I have now walked in their shoes and have resulted in the same decision.  Although it's not a toy that I let Baby J play with often at home, I will use it in public places to spare others the sound of a crying baby.  To the parents who came before me and did the same thing, thank you.  
8. Favorite snack - Once babies reach the age where they can eat solid foods, you should never go anywhere without snacks.  Baby J started with puffs and Cheerios, then transitioned into bananas, yogurt melts, Goldfish and Ritz crackers.  Snacks keep a tummy full, a baby occupied and help pass the time.
9. Nursing Camisole + Cardigan - If you are a nursing mom, this is the most convenient clothing to wear for travel.  To make it even easier, wear a nursing camisole with built-in cups so that you don't have to wear a bra.  The nursing camisole provides the easiest and quickest access for nursing while the cardigan acts as a cover up and extra privacy.  Sometimes the nursing cover wasn't always convenient to grab or added too much bulk in an airplane seat that is already cramped.  Instead I would choose the window seat so Papa J could help provide privacy and just use my cardigan or the blanket (see #6) to prevent any exposure.
10. Extra change of clothes (baby & mom) - A friend gave me this advice and I'm glad she did.  The first time we flew with Baby J he pooped and had a blowout.  Unfortunately the blowout leaked on to my lap and we both needed a change of clothes.  Although we couldn't do anything about the mess until we got off the plane, it was nice to have poop-free clothes to change into.  Since we're on the subject, it's also good to bring a grocery sack or trash bag to put the poopy clothes in, and maybe a Tide pen or Spray-n-Wash wipe because baby poop has been known to stain.  

Below is a summary of the travel we have done, what type and at what age.  It also states whether I would choose that method of travel again or if I think the other type would have been better.

Bon Voyage!!

Award for Best Valentine

The award for best valentine this year goes to my husband.  Hands down.  No contest.  He is always gracious and giving but this year he went over the top.  It all started Wednesday night...

Wednesday:  A surprise announcement that Papa J had a 4 day weekend.  Even 1 day off over a weekend is hard to come by in the life of a college football coach, let alone a FOUR day weekend so that put me on top of the world.  

Thursday:  This year we opted to make our cards instead of buying them at the store.  We take different approaches to this.  Papa J made mine on the computer, very digital and perfect with a twist of humor.  Baby J and I made ours for Papa J with pieces of scrap paper, glue, an ink pad, thumb prints, well, you get the idea, very kid friendly and cute.  Next to my card was a beautiful bouquet of flowers from none other than my baby boy.  He already has a keen taste for floral arrangements I must say.   

His gift: a surprise trip to El Paso, TX in June to see our good friends and their new baby girl.  My gifts: one was to be revealed Friday night and the other on Saturday afternoon.  How exciting, I love surprises!!

Friday: I woke up with anticipation for what the day would hold.  I even painted my nails pink glitter on top of pink just to show my excitement for the Valentine's holiday.  The day was relaxed, full of time to run errands, cross things off my to do list, and generally be worry free because Papa was home and there was an extra set of eyes on Baby J.  I have been known to be late to many functions over the years and can still be found guilty of that, but not when it comes to a date night with my man.  I start getting ready hours in advance and when the time comes, I am ready to hit the door because when you have a baby sitter lined up, you take advantage of it.  After dropping Baby J off, we made our way to the nearby town of Flandreau, SD to try a local joint called Mad Mary's.  

I love trying new restaurants and this one had been on my radar for over a year so bonus points to Papa J for making it the restaurant of choice.  They are known for their steaks so we both indulged in filet mignon wrapped in bacon.  It was delicious and perfectly cooked!  With no curfew from our baby sitter we made our way to the local movie theater (which recently turned digital, woot woot) and watched The Lego Movie.  It was very funny but something I'll have to watch again because I slept through 1/3 of it.  I just can't do movies past 9pm anymore (man that makes me sound old).  

Saturday:  This day started with my surprise for Papa J, the final Valentine's treat: chocolate covered strawberries.  They are his favorite!  

The afternoon surprise was a trip to the spa for an ultimate spa pedicure, 45 minute facial and 60 minute massage, oh and lets not forget the most important part, 3 hours of no crying babies.  Awwww, bliss.  It was spectacular!  The service was great.  The environment was relaxing.  I just wish I could have stayed longer, but I'm glad I didn't because there was another surprise waiting for me at home.  While I was gone, Papa J had cleaned the WHOLE house, even scrubbed the toilet and shower.  I was blown away.  

Even if he had asked me what I wanted for Valentine's Day I don't think I could have come up with all of this.  It was beyond perfect.  It was exactly what I needed.  HELP WITH BABY J + QUALITY TIME WITH MY LOVE + HELP AROUND THE HOUSE + ALONE TIME all risen to the power of a bouquet of beautiful flowers = one happy mommy who will be cherishing this Valentine's day for years to come.  Thank you honey!!!

Since I became a Mom...

I could finish that sentence many ways, but today I finish it with..."I have never been so sick."

I have been sick more times since Baby J has been born than I have in the last 5 years, and he's not even 1 year old yet.  It's no exaggeration.  I have had colds that linger on for weeks.  I have had fluid in my ears.  I have had sore throats.  I have had sinus infections.  I have vomited for days.  I have passed out due to dehydration and even went to the ER.

I naively thought that I had the two weapons that would keep myself and Baby J free from all illness:
1) Being a stay at home mom.
2) Breast feeding.

In my head, this is how it worked - I had an army of millions of antibodies that knew how to fight every germ on the planet.  As soon as Baby J started breast feeding, he immediately absorbed all my antibodies (leaving some for me of course) and automatically knew how to fight off any germ that he came in contact with.  And of course the germs that he would come in contact with would be very few because I am staying at home with him.  Wrong and wrong.

Although most of our days and hours are spent together at home, Baby J and I, we still get out every week to go to church, to the grocery store, to the library or children's museum, to visit friends, etc.  Germs are everywhere and as much as we fight them, babies put their mouths on everything and put everything in their mouths.  In turn, they love on us with their sweet slobbery kisses (which we can't turn down because they're so cute!) and the germs spread.

I humbly lift my white flag and surrender to germs and the illnesses they bring.  They have conquered my whole family this winter and I'm ready for the war to be over.

To leave on a more positive note, these are places I dream of being, places that look like germs would never touch.

1) Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States.  It's been a dream of mine to hike it.  I even bought an official hiking back pack years ago.
2) The Crooked Forest, Poland
3) Tahiti
4) Santorini, Greece
5) Blue Caves, Zakynthos Island, Greece

Virtual Valentine's Party

Happy Valentine's Day!  Although I don't need much of a reason to make sweet treats, holidays definitely do the trick (even the man made ones like V-Day).  My treats of choice for this Valentine's Day:

1. Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction (recipe)
2. Valentine Pretzel Buttons from g*rated (recipe)
3. Chocolate Valentine Cookies from Pioneer Woman (recipe)
4. Chocolate covered pretzels w/ sprinkles
5. A secret sweet treat for my husband that I can't reveal yet b/c it's a surprise! (*you'll get it sometime this weekend honey*)

Just like everyone else, I like to scavenge Pinterest for recipe ideas.  The pictures always look amazing, but I wonder...Can I make it look that good?  Does the recipe taste as good as it looks? I'm here to do the dirty work for you.  When I make a recipe from Pinterest I will give you all the details and let you know if it's worthy of making.

Before we jump into that, prepare to be amazed.  I'm linking up with my friend Hillary today from the blog All. The. Things..  She is an expert when it comes to table decorating and pulling all of the components together for a beautiful and inspired party setting.  If we lived closer we would probably be having a Valentine's party together, but since she's in Oklahoma and I'm in South Dakota, we're going to have a virtual party and you're all invited!  The picture below is how the table will be set at our party.  And of course we'll be having all the Valentine's treats that I've already shown you above, plus the ones that Hillary has made.

Pop on over to her blog to see more pictures of the party and find out exactly how she created these spectacular Valentine's decorations.  Now on to the dirty work...

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Directions:  I followed Sally's directions here.

Things I learned: I was hesitant to not flatten the cookies before baking, but Sally was right, they flatten on their own so there is no need to squish them; baking & cooling times were perfect too.  Just make sure the cookies are all about the same size so they will cook in the same amount of time.

How did they taste?  The texture was perfect: chewy with an added crunch from the sprinkles.  I used the devil's food cake mix this time but the flavor wasn't as "chocolatey" as I was hoping.
Would I make them again?  They were very easy and simple; a no-fail recipe to follow.  I was not impressed with the taste but maybe that's because of the cake mix flavor.  Perhaps a regular chocolate cake mix would be better.  In conclusion, yes I would make them again, but more for presentation than flavor.

Valentine Pretzel Buttons

Directions:  I followed g*rated's directions here.

Things I learned:  They were out of Hershey Hugs at the store so I opted to use white chocolate melts instead (these are found in the craft area of the store, near the cake decorating supplies).  I would have used regular Hershey Kisses but I wanted the white color for contrast.  They worked great!  They were also out of regular chocolate M&Ms in the Valentine's colors so I chose Valentine peanut M&Ms and Valentine red velvet M&Ms.  Although I love red velvet cake, never again will I buy red velvet M&Ms.  They were disgusting, and rarely do I turn down chocolate.

How did they taste?  Very good, but only the ones topped with the peanut M&Ms.  If you love a dessert with a salty sweet combination then you'll love this one.  Just stick to regular or peanut M&Ms.
Would I make them again?  Yes!  By far this was the easiest and fastest recipe of them all.  I think its very appealing to look at too and can really add something to a party.  Next time I'd like to try the Hershey Hugs with regular M&Ms.

Chocolate Valentine Cookies

Directions:  I followed P-dub's directions here.

Things I learned:  This recipe is probably best for a baker with intermediate experience (that's somewhere between novice and experienced).  I say that because you need to be able to identify a fluffy texture when mixing the brown sugar & butter, as well as use a steady hand when applying the powdered sugar & removing the stencils.  I have four sifters of different sizes; I think it was easiest to use the smallest one.  

How did they taste?  They taste wonderful and are definitely worth a try.  I love the flavor that the powdered sugar adds to the chocolate cookie.  I was suspicious about adding cinnamon to the dough, but after tasting them I must say: well done P-dubs, I will not doubt you again.

Would I make them again?  Most definitely!  This is another one of P-dub's amazing recipes with a beautiful presentation.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

 Directions: I used white almond bark as well as a mix of milk chocolate & semi-sweet chocolate chips for the dipping.  I melted them in a modified double boiler on the stove top (glass bowl over a pot of simmering water).  Holding the pretzel with my fingers, one at a time I dipped them in the chocolate, going about half way up the pretzel.  I applied the sprinkles then laid them on wax paper to solidify.

Things I learned:

• Chocolate chips coat the pretzel better than the white almond bark.
• Preferred method of applying sprinkles is to literally sprinkle them on the coated pretzels (vs dipping the coated pretzel into sprinkles).
• Almond bark solidifies faster than chocolate chips (put them in the fridge to speed up the process).

How did they taste?  Our favorites were the chocolate covered pretzels rather than the almond bark, but it's simply a matter of preference.  

Would I make them again?  Yes, keeping in mind the things I learned above and only using the chocolate chips since those were preferred (my husband and I might or might not have fought over the chocolate ones).

**Thanks to my friend Cassie for helping make these sweet Valentine treats.**

Don't Be Something You Are Not

Don't be something you are not.  Lesson learned.

Although I am sometimes lucky enough to pull a good outfit out of my closet, by no means would I ever say I have an eye for fashion.  I follow a couple of fashion blogs just to see what's trending and to give me some ideas on how to style my current wardrobe.  One of my favorites is J is for Jessica.  She has a unique style and is not afraid to try something out of the norm.  I like her style and I like her.  She just so happens to be my sister-in-law too so I'm pretty lucky.

Here are some of my favorite styles she has featured on her blog.  And my all time favorite post, the 7x7 Challenge.

Four years ago I won a pair of Steve Madden black combat boots.  I had no idea how to style them so as soon as I found out I had a fashionista in the family, I gave her the challenge of 'how to style combat boots'.  She took the challenge (here).  That was September 25th of last year.  It wasn't until last week that I finally wore the boots for the first time.

When I finally stepped foot out of the house I was so proud to introduce the boots to pavement.  It's about time they see sunlight.  They even got to meet snow.  I was so excited to finally be wearing them that I pumped my ego up to the point of wanting to take a picture of myself in the outfit.  I love all the outfit pictures that fashion bloggers take so I thought, why not take one myself?  Hindsight is 20/20.

Old camera + bad lighting + bad poses = super awkward outfit pictures that do no justice to the outfit.  I even tried the 'selfie outfit picture' (lower right) that Shanna pulls off so well in her Instagram photos.  How do they do it?

I am happy that I finally wore my combat boots and I hope Jessica is proud of me for trying to style them.  With that said, I am taking home a big lesson today: although I enjoy reading fashion blogs, I will never be a fashion blogger.  I should stick to what I do best - Faith, Family, Food and Football.  Fashion is just not one of my F's.

The F of Food

Food.  I love food.  It not only sustains our bodies but it feeds our souls.  It can warm a person's heart.  It can jump start conversations.  It brings families together around a dinner table.  It can even stir up feelings of love.  In fact, I probably wouldn't be on this earth if it weren't for my mother's biscuits.  My dad always said that he fell in love with my mom the first time she made her biscuits.  They are really good biscuits, but I think it's also the act of love behind the cooking that makes them special.

Food & memories go hand in hand for me.  When I think of a certain food, it automatically brings back a memory.  For example, the smell of real bacon cooking in a skillet automatically brings me back to my grandma's house.  When we would visit her, she would rise early in the morning before everyone else and start cooking the bacon.  The smell of the bacon penetrated our noses and forced us to rise out of our beds and make our way to the kitchen.  It was hypnotic.  We had no choice but to follow the smell of the bacon.  It was like Monterey Jack from Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers and his reaction to cheese.  I mean "ccchhhheeeessseee".  Do you remember that show?

I have a simple philosophy on food - keep it natural, mix it up, listen to your body and enjoy!

1. Keep it natural. I think God made this earth with everything we need to survive - water, plants and sources of meat.  The more we change a food from its natural state, the less beneficial it will be for us to eat.  Is there a soda tree that grows cans of soda pop?  Not that I'm aware, so it's probably not the best drink to consume regularly.  
2. Mix it up. Don't eat the same foods all the time, or another way to think about it is, everything in moderation.  It's common sense that junk food in excess is bad, but food or drink of any kind can be bad, if consumed in excess.  For example, carrots are very good for you, but even if you eat too many the palms of your hands can turn orange (a condition called carotenemia; I met a kid in college who had it). Have carrots this week, then buy a new veggie next week that you've never tried.  Don't know how to prepare it?  That's what Google and Pinterest are for.
3. Listen to your body.  We eat and drink to supply our body with the necessary ingredients to keep it going.  Therefore, since we are consuming for our bodies, we should listen to what our bodies are telling us.  If your body doesn't feel good after eating something that's a good sign that you probably shouldn't eat it again, or not in the same quantity.  I can get down on some chocolate chip cookie dough, but afterwards my stomach just feels sour.  My body is obviously trying to tell me that raw chocolate chip cookie dough is doing me no good.  {slap on the forehead, duh}  If your thirsty, drink water .  Then take that as a sign that you should drink water more often because thirst is a sign of dehydration.  God made our bodies intelligently.  They know what they are doing, we just have to be aware of what they're telling us.
4. Enjoy.  Although we should eat to live and not live to eat, there is nothing wrong with enjoying food.  Take some time to prepare a dinner.  Throw a little love and creativity into it.  As with anything in our life, the more we put into it, the more we will get out of it.  I personally think God had chocolate in mind when he invented the cacao tree and I am very thankful He did!

As Julia Child would say, "Bon Appetit!".

There's No Weather Like Summer (click, click)...

Dorothy just had to click her pretty little red heels together and repeat "there's no place like home; there's no place like home; there's no place like home..." and voila, she was back in Kansas.  Here I am, clicking my snow boots together and saying "there's no weather like summer; there's no weather like summer; there's no weather like summer..." but nothing is happening!

Is it just me or has this winter been worse than normal for most everyone in the country?  Oklahoma is even getting inches of snow that sticks around for days!  That never happens.  Although the snow has not been terribly bad here (yes we have a couple of feet frozen to the yard but that's just South Dakota), it's the temperatures that are brutal.  In the blog post describing my daily routine (you can find the post here) I wrote that I take the dogs for a walk in the morning "if above 0F".  Believe it or not, that means I have not been able to take the dogs out in weeks!!!  I wake up, check www.weather.com and we're lucky if the high for the day even gets to the teens.  Today when I woke up it was -16F with a wind chill of -30F.  That's cold people!  The dogs are going stir crazy, so is Baby J and SO AM I!!

Complaining about the winter weather is not going to change it though so I figured I'd better change my attitude.  With a better attitude in tow I tried to come up with a list of "Why Winter is Wonderful".  Here's what I got so far:

1. The dogs shed less in the winter therefore I have less hair to vacuum/sweep up every day.
2. Below freezing temperatures = less bugs in the house (I hate spiders!)
3. Winter weather means I can make soup for as many meals as I wish; it never gets old (our recent favorites - lentils and potato soup).
4. Winter is the only time my hubby is willing to cuddle/snuggle with me while we watch a movie or at night (otherwise he gets too hot).
5. I love drinking coffee while watching the snow fall outside.  There's just something about winter and coffee; they go together like peanut butter & chocolate (I prefer that combo over the classic PB&J).

Well that's all I have folks.  Do you have anything to add?  We're trying to keep it positive and enjoy the outdoors any chance we get.  One day it got up to 40F and we loved it!  Well maybe not so much Baby J, but I'm trying to convince him that snow can be fun.  

Bathroom Drawer Reveal

Happy Friday!  I made a goal for myself on Monday.  That goal was to organize my bathroom drawer only using products I already have in the home.  I am really happy with how this project turned out and how little time it took me.  In fact, I was done with it Monday night but I wanted to keep you on the edge of your seat until today.  I know you've been thinking about this moment all week!  

Without further ado, the Before and After picture: 

Let's break this down, shall we?

Time: 1 hour

Cost: $0

Materials: 

• 1 tinyprints shipping box
• 2 pimento jars (sans lids, I'm keeping those for another project, DIY Jar Lid Labels)
• 2 moisturizer jars
• 1 moisturizer box
• Packing tape
• Knife (box knife would have been better but I couldn't find ours)

Steps:

1. Take everything out of the drawer & throw away unusable items (i.e. stretched-out bobby pins/hair ties)
2. Wipe down the drawer with a wet paper towel (because that is what my mom would do)
3. Find materials around the house small enough to fit in the drawer (I keep most of my food jars & shipping boxes so those collections come in handy for projects like this)
4. Breakdown the tinyprints box and tape it back together in a usable form (making sure to show the pretty silver/white stripes and turquoise color), and tape down the flaps of the moisturizer box
5. Organize the drawer contents into the various chosen containers
6. Put everything back in the drawer

Since I organized my bathroom drawer it has motivated me to organize even more drawers and cabinets in my house.  In fact, I organized another bathroom drawer and the cabinet behind the mirror (My side of the cabinet that is.  I leave my husband's stuff out of it.  He wouldn't want me messing with his stuff and we have different ways of organizing.  Don't we all?)  The most challenging of the drawers will be the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen.  It's full of rubber bands, stamps, paper clips, trash, coins, twist ties, batteries...the list could go on.  I'll get to that drawer one of these days.  Life wouldn't be the same without a junk drawer though so I am happy to have it.

If you have any questions on the project please leave a comment.  Although I didn't use it here, another item I thought could be useful for drawer organization would be baby food containers (jars or plastic containers).

For those of you who joined in on this project with me, I'd love to see pictures and hear what ideas you came up with.  {cough, cough, Emily & Kathryn, cough, cough}  Have a great weekend!

The F of Football

Today is a big day in the football world (especially for us coach's wives), so today is the day I share with you the "F of Football".

This day means different things to different people.  To the athletes being recruited (although I've never been in their shoes), this is the day their athletic fates are sealed and their future is planned.  To the college coaches, this is the day they no longer have to spend days on the road, nights in hotel rooms and hour after hour on Facebook, Twitter and phone calls talking to high school boys.  To the coach's wives, today is the day they get their husbands home for dinner, home on the weekends (or at least some weekends) and they become a little less like a single Mom.  Can I get a woot woot?!  WOOT WOOT!!!  Congratulations to all you football coach's wives out there.  You have made it through another recruiting season.

Football has been in my life for as long as I can remember.  As the song goes, "I'm a Sooner born and Sooner bred, and when I die I'll be Sooner dead."  The first two parts are true for me, I was Sooner born (well 1/2 Sooner, my Mom is actually an OSU Cowboy) and despite my Mom's alma mater, I was Sooner bred.  I have fond memories of going to the OU football games with my Dad since I was just a wee chap.  He had 2 season tickets so we took turns going to the games with him (I'm the youngest of 3 kids).  It was always a special day because you got one-on-one time with Dad; your food for the day was an Army hot dog (those are better than regular hot dogs), popcorn and Coke; you got to see Boomer and Sooner in person (the OU mascots); and if you were lucky, you might even get to see the baton twirler up close after the game (she was always my favorite part of football growing up, they even had twin twirlers at one time!).

OU football will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was my first job in college, which led me to meet my husband and some of my best friends.  It is my alma mater.  It was my husband's place of employment for 5 years of our relationship.  Despite all that, I cannot say that "when I die I'll be a Sooner dead," because not only will I be a Sooner, I will also be a Jackrabbit and time will probably reveal me to be something else as well.

You see, 2 years ago this month, my husband accepted his first full-time coaching position as the offensive line coach at South Dakota State University.  Home of the Jackrabbits. This place already holds a special place in my heart as my husband's first coaching job.  The first place we lived outside of our home state of Oklahoma.  The place where our first child was born.  And another place that has led me to meet some very good friends.

So for now, when I die, I'll be a Sooner/Jackrabbit.  Boomer Sooner!  Go Big, Go Blue, Go Jacks!!

Super Bowl + A Goal

Super Bowl Sunday, what does it mean to you?  To me, it's all about the food and fellowship.  It gives me a reason to make a dinner out of snack foods, hang out with friends and drink a soda.  I like to have a reason to drink soda rather than drink it just because...I'm odd like that.  My soda of choice last night: caffeine-free Coca-Cola in a frozen mug.  Yum!

Here was our Super Bowl menu:

• Cheddar Ranch Potato Skins w/ bacon (my recipe)
• Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno Poppers (my recipe)
• Pepperoni Bread (friend's recipe)
• Potato-Bacon Bites (recipe)
• French Onion dip w/ chips
• Kicked-up Queso (recipe) & Salsa (friend's recipe) w/ chips
• Veggies w/ ranch dip
• Chocolate Chip Pecan cookies (courtesy of our guests)

**If you're interested in trying any of the recipes above that do not have links, leave a comment and I'll be happy to share them... although I'd have to ask my friend's permission to share theirs.**

I'm a little impatient when it comes to food.  When it's done, I like to eat it.  So, that means I didn't get a photo of the whole spread, only the leftovers.  It all looked so much more appetizing when it was hot out of the oven.  One of these days I'll remember to take a photo pre-chow down.

Clockwise from top left: Potato-Bacon bites, Veggie tray and Cheddar Ranch Potato Skins.

I am a planner and an organizer.  I am a much happier person when items are stored neatly and in a way that is easily accessible.  When I stumbled upon the blog IHeart Organizing I was immediately sucked in.  Not only does she have an organizing solution for almost everything in the home, most of them are also budget friendly.  I have big plans and dreams for sprucing up my home and many DIY projects, but to give myself a confidence booster, I figured I'd better start with an easy project.  

Here in lies the goal for the week: organize my bathroom drawer.  Dah, dah, dah {insert scary music here}.  Does anyone else have a bathroom drawer that gets over taken by bobby pins, hair ties, combs and every other girly bathroom product?  Guilty as charged (photo evidence below).

Oh goodness, that's embarrassing.  I'm sure I'm not the only one out there though so let's do this together.  

Goal:  Organize my bathroom drawer only using products I already have in the home.

Cost: $0.00 

Start: Monday, February 3rd

Due Date: Thursday, February 6th (blog post with results on Friday, Feb 7th) 

Faith-Family-Food-Football

Someone shared this piece of advice with my husband about 4 years ago, "To be happy and successful you must focus on the F's and in this order specifically, Faith, Family and Football."  My husband is a college football coach so this was great advice.  And that's how the F's of life all got started.

We're a lot alike my husband and I, so that's why our F's are almost the same.  Just add in some tasty food and you've pretty much got me figured out.  Well, almost.  I will spill more of the beans later but for now, I just wanted you to know the reason behind the title of my blog.  I didn't feel right ending the week without explaining the title.

I like pictures with blogs (darn dyslexia, I've never been diagnosed but I think I have it), I mean blogs with pictures, so here are some from WAY past, past and present.  Awww, such good memories.

Almost 9 years ago - so young, so innocent, so full of sleep.

On our wedding day - BEST DAY EVER!

The whole family: Papa J, Mama J and Baby J (9mo).