Party Like It's Your Birthday, Everyday!

Probably the most important thing I've learned from this whole med school experience is to party.  And there is ALWAYS a reason to party.  There's birthdays, holidays and so much more.

Super Bowl is a tradition in my family.  I don't remember, ever, not celebrating Super Bowl.  My family mostly watched it for the commercials.  Anyone remember the Budweiser Frogs?  Best commercials of all time! 

 Anyway, we would get together with friends and sit around the television chowing down on hot wings and other crap.  Good times I tell ya.

Mav comes from a sports family.  They watch the game.  And the commercials.  They actually watch the whole season and do a fantasy league.  Did I mention I was second this year?  Yup, the first loser.  All of us get to hear Mav's old man brag about it for a whole year.  

So what happens when you put Mav and I together?  You get one heck of a Super Bowl party.

When we moved to St Louis, we started a tradition for a lot of our new friends.  Some of them knew of football and a few weren't even sure when Super Bowl was but none of them had been to a Super Bowl party.

Our party rocks.  You'd be surprised how many friends you make when you put together food and football.  In years past, we've had probably 20 adults in our home.  This year there was 13.  It's a new tradition for a lot of our friends now. 

My advice, find every good reason to have a party.  And don't forget the food.  Good food is a must.


If you want a super, top secret recipe that the guys always request, read on. 

A Quiet Christmas

This was my first Christmas away from home, family and my dearest friends.  It was different.  I've never had a quiet Christmas before.  Mav has but I've always been the "off to grandmother's house we go" kind of girl.  Yeah, I was totally singing that song...

About 75% of me was excited to stay home.  I didn't have to worry about outrageous plane fares.  I didn't have to weigh my luggage a million times to make sure it was under 50 pounds.  No plane rides with a two year old!!  We didn't have to ask someone to drive us to the airport or to grab our mail.  I didn't have to try to fit everyone and everything into the short two week stay.  We didn't have to drag our two-year-old from one grandma's house to another in addition to two great grandmothers' houses.  Can you see why I was kind of excited to stay put this holiday season?  Stress free! 

Now.  What about the other 25% of me?  It misses home.  It misses our families.  It missed going to my grandma's house.  It missed feeding my horses their extra special treats on Christmas morning.  It missed the eggs and cheese casserole my dad makes every year.  It misses playing cards with my brothers.  It misses our friends.  It missed the snow.

I'm very appreciative of our quiet Christmas though.  I learned something from it.  During the quiet day, Mav and I both commented on how much we missed our families.  Oh.  How we missed them.  Christmas isn't about the gifts under the tree but rather it's about those who are around the tree with you.

In the Spirit of Christmas

My Christmas Treat to You

Hello friends! 

If you were my neighbor, this is what I would give you for a Christmas treat: Peppermint Popcorn. 
I assure you it is a yummy treat.  If you're not a fan of peppermint, don't let the name throw you off.  It really is a good treat and it's just the right combination peppermint, popcorn and white chocolate. 

Since I'm not your neighbor, I'm sharing my recipe treat with you.  Give it a try.

2 bags of popcorn, popped.  Try not to use a buttered up popcorn, it doesn't look as pretty with the bright yellow.  Slightly buttered is okay.  But whatever you have will work fine too. 
1 lbs Vanilla Almond Bark, melted.  Follow the directions on the package to melt it. 
6 oz package of candy canes, crushed.  Bob's are the best!! 

Pop the popcorn and put it in a big bowl.  Melt the chocolate and pour it over the popcorn.  Dump the candy canes on the chocolate and popcorn.  Mix it up.  When it's mixed good, put it on a cookie sheet to cool.  You can melt some chocolate and drizzle it over it to make it look real pretty.  Tadah!  Wonderful, beautiful, tasty and festive treat. 

Merry Christmas, y'all!!

A Good Crowd

We had an awesome Thanksgiving.  I hosted.  I'm amazed at how good my turkey tasted.  I'd never done a turkey until this year.  We had a total of 10 adults, 6 kids and 3 newborns at our house for dinner.  For dessert, we had two more adults, three more kids and another newborn join us.  Our house was full!  I love a good crowd. 

To me, that's what holidays are all about; having a good crowd around me.  It doesn't matter if it's family, friends or strangers.  My dad taught me this, everyone should have somewhere to go for the holidays.  Everyone.  He told me the story of my Uncle Byron.  He came to Thanksgiving dinner with a friend named John.  No one had met John before.  Someone asked Uncle Byron where John was from and how he knew him.  Uncle Byron looked up from his plate, "I don't know him from Adam.  I picked him up from the side of the road.  I just thought he'd like a good meal."

I've heard this saying time and time again, "Strangers are just friends waiting to happen."  I'm not sure if Uncle Byron and John are friends today.  But for a moment John's belly was full and I'm sure Uncle Byron made an impact on John's life. 

I'm at the perfect stage in my life to meet some strangers and turn them into great friends.  And this Thanksgiving season, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do so.