Pretty Spoiled

Mav is on outpatient pediatrics.  It's sweet.

The weather here has been glorious.  It was 90 today.  Squeaks and I, along with our neighbors, blew up the pool in the backyard and played all day long.

Spoiled, huh?

Around five this evening, I felt horrible.  I thought I had tunnel vision.  I was woozy.  It felt like my brain was swollen and could possibly blow out of my head.  I was hot but cold.  Maybe dehydration or heat exhaustion.  Who knows.

Well, I laid on the couch and told Mav I was going to die.  Dramatic, I know.   He asked me what was for dinner.  I didn't even raise my head to stare at him but I told him I was going to make tater-tot casserole.  Now, I was doing nothing but dying!  I told him that he and Squeaks were on their own.

Mav told me to go take a nap and he'd make dinner.  I refused.  I needed to do my homework.  I only have two weeks left and I have to pass this blasted math class.  I tried to listen to a lecture.  I tried for about two minutes but couldn't manage.  I got up slowly and walked past Mav who was starting dinner.  I told him to wake me up in 45 minutes or so.

And I crashed.  I woke up 45 minutes later to dinner on the table.

Spoiled, huh?


Want the recipe for my tater-tot casserole?  Click below to see it.  My two year old and picky husband love it.  Best of all, it was easy enough to explain to Mav how to make it, all by himself. 

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. 

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!!

Crockpot + Me = LOVE

I have a love-hate relationship with evenings.  I hate it because it's the end of the day.  My house is a trashed.  Squeaks gets cranky.  I'm worn out.  Dinner.  Bath time.  Bed time.  I love it because Mav gets home.  But like I said, I'm worn out by this time and I try to muster up any possible left over energy to be the peppy, happy wife he deserves.  

But dinner usually gets in the way of my chipperness.  I'm not a great cook.  I'm not what you would call handy in the kitchen.  Cooking stresses me out.  Remember my last rave about dinner.  If you don't you can read all about it here.  Now I have a toddler that needs to eat her veggies.  Sure.  I can make spaghetti, tacos, top ramen, and mac-n-cheese.  Who can't?  

But I'm not about to spend my last drop of energy trying new meals.  So, bring on the hot dogs!!

And then, I discovered my old friend.  My crockpot.  My crockpot just might have changed my life. 

It's almost three in the afternoon and my dinner is cooking itself.  How awesome is that?!?  And my dinner is loaded with vegetables!  I can now enjoy my evening a little more.  

So what's for dinner, you ask.  Taco soup.  I made plenty to either feed an army or have left overs for a couple days. 

Wipe the dust off your crockpot and give it a try.  I'm willing to bet it might change your life too.  

Wanna try my recipe for taco soup?  Read on...