November 1 - I am starting this post at the very beginning of November and it won't be posted until the end of the month. Last night, my sister, Sarah, texted me and suggested that she, Natalie and I share one thing each day for which we are thankful. Thus this post. (edit: we only made it a couple of days)
November 30 - Admittedly, I've always struggled with forgetting to be thankful for the things that I have and focusing on things that I wish I had. I feel that it can be partly attributed to social media and the huge role that it plays in our lives. If someone goes on vacation, you can look through all their pictures and think about your week at work. If someone gets a new car, you begin you resent the fact that your car has hit the 100,000 mark. Someone gets married, engaged, pregnant, a new job, a fabulous house, shiny jewelry...you get my drift. People love to share their amazing lives with the world. And that's great, unless it begins to make you feel like maybe your life/husband/family/"stuff" doesn't measure up. I did say partly contributed. I also think it's just human nature. Call it what you like; envy, jealously, coveting. It's all the same and it's an ugly thing.
Over the past thirty days, I've tried to set aside a few minutes each day, usually before or after I eat lunch, to reflect on how much I have been given. Some of it, I've worked my tail off for. Some of it is just luck. Most of it, I probably don't deserve.
Without further ado, I present to you my Thirty Days of Thankfulness.
1. Impromptu date nights
2. A warm, comfortable bed
3. Auburn victories (be they few and far between this year)
4. Sunday night dinners with Robert
5. Layla
6. The right to vote (even when your candidates don't win)
7. My job
8. The HB's (my sisters and cousins)
9. Fridays
10. War Damn Fam Jam
11. Our veterans and troops
12. Extra Classic Bubble Chewing Gum (rough day)
13. Hot soup on cold days
14. Wine (again, rough day)
15. My parents
16. Roadtrips
17. The ability to run
18. Naps
19. Short work weeks
20. Unplanned lunches out
21. Leaving work early
22. Robert's family
23. Vacation days (You'll notice a trend in the last few days)
24. Christmas Decorations
25. An Awesome God
26. Modern medicine
27. My education
28. Good books
29. Snail Mail
30. Waking up each day with a fresh start.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Bullpen Recap
Friday, Robert, John, Samara and I made the trip to Bullpen in hopes of killing something. Supposedly, they've had hundreds of pigs up there this year. I've been hunting a couple of times with Robert and I have never had any luck. Unfortunately, this time was no different. I think we saw a raccoon, a possum and two small does. No pigs and nothing with antlers. At least the beer was cold and I got to wear my favorite rain boots. Better luck next time.
Happy first day back at work after Thanksgiving weekend. Something tells me it's going to be a long day!
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| Glittery camo. |
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| Add caption |
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| Practicing shooting intruders. |
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| Clearly, I didn't kill this pig. Mr. Hunter did.
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Sunday, November 25, 2012
Color Run/NOLA
Last weekend, Robert and I traveled to New Orleans with my parents so that Mom and I could take part in the Color Run. They arrived from Jackson on Thursday night and we enjoyed some burgers at Callaghans here in Mobile. We got a bit of a late start on Friday due to some plumbing/alarm issues at the house that had to be taken care of but we managed to hit the road shortly after lunchtime.
Friday night, explored Bourbon Street and ate some delicious oysters at Acme. We also got to witness some of the ever-present Bourbon Street antics.
On Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to the University of New Orleans for the run. I'd read that they expected 10,000 to 15,000 runners, so we knew we wanted to try to be in one of the first "shifts" out of the gate. The race is casual, and rather than start runners according to predicted finish time, they start 1000-1500 runners every five minutes from 9:00 a.m. til 10:00 a.m. We were in the 9:05 group. The run was awesome. The weather was perfect and there was a great breeze off of the water. Mom and I both managed to get fairly "colorful".
After the race, we ventured over to Magazine Street in search of Martin Wine Cellar and chocolates from Sucre. We had a quick lunch at Mahony's Po-Boy Shop and then rested up for a bit at the hotel. After a quick nap and shower, we left in search of a bar broadcasting the Ole Miss/LSU game. Sadly, Ole Miss just couldn't hold off the Bayou Tigers. We had a bit of an adventure trying to find a place for dinner. We decided on Mr. B's and I'm happy we did! The food was great and the service was excellent. After a quick stop for an after-dinner drink at the Ritz, we all crashed.
It was a wonderful weekend all-around. What a blessing to have such fun-loving parents!
Friday night, explored Bourbon Street and ate some delicious oysters at Acme. We also got to witness some of the ever-present Bourbon Street antics.
On Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to the University of New Orleans for the run. I'd read that they expected 10,000 to 15,000 runners, so we knew we wanted to try to be in one of the first "shifts" out of the gate. The race is casual, and rather than start runners according to predicted finish time, they start 1000-1500 runners every five minutes from 9:00 a.m. til 10:00 a.m. We were in the 9:05 group. The run was awesome. The weather was perfect and there was a great breeze off of the water. Mom and I both managed to get fairly "colorful".
After the race, we ventured over to Magazine Street in search of Martin Wine Cellar and chocolates from Sucre. We had a quick lunch at Mahony's Po-Boy Shop and then rested up for a bit at the hotel. After a quick nap and shower, we left in search of a bar broadcasting the Ole Miss/LSU game. Sadly, Ole Miss just couldn't hold off the Bayou Tigers. We had a bit of an adventure trying to find a place for dinner. We decided on Mr. B's and I'm happy we did! The food was great and the service was excellent. After a quick stop for an after-dinner drink at the Ritz, we all crashed.
It was a wonderful weekend all-around. What a blessing to have such fun-loving parents!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Happy Early Thanksgiving!
Well, the big day is almost here. Tomorrow, we'll all attempt to figure out how much turkey and dressing a human can consume in a twenty-four hour period. I'll give it my best shot.
For the first time in my life, I'll be hosting Thanksgiving lunch here in Mobile. It's actually sort of bittersweet. On one hand, I'll miss seeing my family up in North Alabama. On the other hand, I'll enjoy not driving anywhere and hanging out with Robert's family in Mobile. Robert and I are in charge of the turkey, cranberry sauce, bread, salad, brussels sprouts, pecan pie and an appetizer. Once the work day ends, you'll find me in the kitchen.
In honor of the Nash's, I present to you a look into Thanksgivings of yesteryear. We've had some fashion/hair/makeup highs and lows along the way, but I think we turned out alright! Miss and love you all! Wishing you the very happiest of Thanksgivings!
*Color Run/A&M and Thanksgiving recaps and recipes to come on my days off! As for an Iron Bowl preview, we'll have to see how much energy I have left come Thursday evening.
For the first time in my life, I'll be hosting Thanksgiving lunch here in Mobile. It's actually sort of bittersweet. On one hand, I'll miss seeing my family up in North Alabama. On the other hand, I'll enjoy not driving anywhere and hanging out with Robert's family in Mobile. Robert and I are in charge of the turkey, cranberry sauce, bread, salad, brussels sprouts, pecan pie and an appetizer. Once the work day ends, you'll find me in the kitchen.
In honor of the Nash's, I present to you a look into Thanksgivings of yesteryear. We've had some fashion/hair/makeup highs and lows along the way, but I think we turned out alright! Miss and love you all! Wishing you the very happiest of Thanksgivings!
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| 2005 at Gail and David's |
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| 2006 at Gail and David's |
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| 2007 at the Wayward Home |
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| 2008 at Gail and David's |
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| 2009 on Mell Street |
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| 2010 at Gail and David's |
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| 2011 on Mell Street |
*Color Run/A&M and Thanksgiving recaps and recipes to come on my days off! As for an Iron Bowl preview, we'll have to see how much energy I have left come Thursday evening.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Gameday Grub: McMuffin Casserole
I rarely eat fast food. If you ever catch me in a drive thru it's usually because I'm purchasing an Egg McMuffin after a long Friday or Saturday night. There's just something about the combination of english muffin, egg and canadian bacon that will put a little pep back in your step. Diet coke and advil don't hurt either. Needless to say, when I ran across this recipe for McMuffin Casserole on Plain Chicken, I knew that I had to try it. The Georgia tailgate was the perfect opportunity and it was a hit. It was great because you can make it the night before and just stick it in the oven to cook while you scrounge around trying to find the perfect burnt orange and navy outfit. This would also be the perfect casserole for a busy holiday morning when you're getting ready to pull your hair out as you multitask. Sadly, I don't have a pic of the finished dish but you can click over and check it out for yourself.
McMuffin Casserole
4 English muffins, split (Bays)
6 oz Canadian bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
salt
pepper
Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Cube English muffins and chop Canadian bacon. Add half of the cubed English muffins in a single layer. Top with half of the Canadian bacon and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Layer the remaining English muffins and Canadian bacon and 1/2 cup more cheese.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap and place refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.
Bake at 325 degrees 45 to 50 minutes.
As usual, I made some substitutions to the original recipe. I used skim milk, 2% cheddar and substituted 1/2 cup of egg beaters for two of the eggs. I'm sure it would be more delicious as written but the holidays are just around the corner so I'll cut back where I can!
McMuffin Casserole
4 English muffins, split (Bays)
6 oz Canadian bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
salt
pepper
Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. Cube English muffins and chop Canadian bacon. Add half of the cubed English muffins in a single layer. Top with half of the Canadian bacon and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Layer the remaining English muffins and Canadian bacon and 1/2 cup more cheese.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap and place refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.
Bake at 325 degrees 45 to 50 minutes.
As usual, I made some substitutions to the original recipe. I used skim milk, 2% cheddar and substituted 1/2 cup of egg beaters for two of the eggs. I'm sure it would be more delicious as written but the holidays are just around the corner so I'll cut back where I can!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Recap: Auburn v. Georgia
We lost. There was no homeboy. No suprise there. On the upside, we still won the tailgate. It was a beautiful day spent with family and friends and it doesn't get much better than that. We went Mexican themed for the game and I have several recipes that I'll be sharing over the course of the week.
I do have to admit that, as much as I love Auburn, I am very tired of driving up there. The last game is always bittersweet. Even more so during a season like we've had. I'll certainly miss the WDFJ but I'm happy to have a few weeks closer to home and get to spend some time with Bob and Layla.
I'm also happy that my parents are coming to visit on Thursday before we head to NOLA on Friday! Woohoo for houseguests.
I'd also like to give a standing ovation to all the Veterans and troops out there. I am so thankful for your service and blessed to live in this great Country. Hoping that everyone has a great Monday!
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| How it all begins. |
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| Yay. We love unloading. |
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| Cousins. Laurie, Em, Julie, Amy, Nat, Me |
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| Panoramic Shot |
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| Another Auburn sunset. |
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| Cadets marching. |
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| Nat and I at the game. |
I do have to admit that, as much as I love Auburn, I am very tired of driving up there. The last game is always bittersweet. Even more so during a season like we've had. I'll certainly miss the WDFJ but I'm happy to have a few weeks closer to home and get to spend some time with Bob and Layla.
I'm also happy that my parents are coming to visit on Thursday before we head to NOLA on Friday! Woohoo for houseguests.
I'd also like to give a standing ovation to all the Veterans and troops out there. I am so thankful for your service and blessed to live in this great Country. Hoping that everyone has a great Monday!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Preview: Auburn v. Georgia
Well folks, tomorrow will mark the end of my 2012 tailgating season. We only have one more home game, Alabama A&M, and I'll be in NOLA running. Thus, tomorrow's it for me. Hopefully it will go out with a bang! (or at least a semi hard-fought attempt on Auburn's part)
Of course, the rumor mill has been active. It seems like every other day I'm hearing that Jay Jacobs resigned, Jay Jacobs was fired, Chizik resigned, Chizik was fired and so on. At the end of the day, I have no idea what's happening and that's fine by me. I trust that there are people who are far more aware of what's really happening that am I and they can handle it. Until we know for sure, I'll just keep on cheering.
Of course, the rumor mill has been active. It seems like every other day I'm hearing that Jay Jacobs resigned, Jay Jacobs was fired, Chizik resigned, Chizik was fired and so on. At the end of the day, I have no idea what's happening and that's fine by me. I trust that there are people who are far more aware of what's really happening that am I and they can handle it. Until we know for sure, I'll just keep on cheering.
As for a game prediction, all I want to see is a good effort from our player's and coaches. At this point in the season, it's all we can ask for. I will, however, predict that we have one heck of a tailgate and I expect full participation and effort from all WDFJ members this week! Get your head in the game and a drink in your hand!
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| Auburn Sunset - Georgia 2010 |
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| Nat and I - Georgia 2010 (makes me want to chop my hair) |
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| One of my all-time favorites. Georgia 2010. |
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| Admittedly, not our best. Georgia 2008. |
Country Chowder
Mom actually told me about this recipe as we were headed home from the Texas A&M game. The cold front was moving in and soup sounded like the perfect Sunday night dinner. A former co-worker of my mom's, Christy Jordan, is the author of the hugely popular cooking blog, Southern Plate. Her first cookbook is already out and she has a second on the way. According to mom, this recipe will be featured in the second cookbook.
Country Chowder
Auburn/Georgia preview coming later today!
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| Image from Southern Plate |
Country Chowder
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth (see post on economical ways to get this)
- 1 pound mild or spicy pork breakfast sausage
- 4 Russet Potatoes, washed and cubed with skins on
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 12 ounce bag frozen pepper and onion blend - (or 1/2 cup diced onion & 1 diced bell pepper)
- 2 cups corn
- 2 cups chopped turnip greens (fresh or frozen, can substitute spinach)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup instant potato flakes
- Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1+1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (Go easy here if you use hot sausage)
Instructions
- Place chicken broth in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes, carrots, and corn.
- In a large skillet also over medium high heat, chop up and brown sausage until fully cooked and no longer pink in the center. Move sausage to side of the skillet and add in frozen pepper blend to the other side. Cook for three to four minutes, or until fully thawed.
- Stir together sausage and pepper blend and cook for another three or four minutes before adding to stock pot. Stir well.
- Add in turnip greens and all other seasonings and bring to a gentle boil.
- Allow to simmer fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in cream and add potato flakes. Stir well. Simmer five to ten minutes more.
Serve hot with a hearty bread. Leftovers are even better the next day.
Auburn/Georgia preview coming later today!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Weekend Recap: Fall Back Edition
Admittedly, our weekend didn't get begin gloriously. Robert's had a very busy month at work and we had a bit of a late start hitting the road on Friday. Before we could leave, we had to unload some chairs that we had ordered from New Orleans and they hadn't arrived in the condition that we were expecting. We sort of forgot about finding care for Layla and decided that she'd have to survive in the wilderness for the night. Things could have been better. Looking back now, I have to say that the weekend made a 180 and turned out wonderfully.
We hit the road for Auburn, made a trip to the grocery store and arrived at Laurie's a little before ten. After a good night's sleep, we were up Saturday morning and ready to tailgate. This week's tailgate was an abbreviated version, but set up and take down were a snap. I told Laurie that I guess this was how "normal" people felt when they tailgated. It was nice.
The weather on Saturday was beautiful, if a little hot. I think we all managed to get a bit burned while sitting in the stands. Auburn actually played well and I'm thrilled that Daren Bates was homeboy of the week.
After the game, we went back to Laurie's house, packed up and enjoyed a few pieces of pizza and some dip. Around 4, we hit the road for the drive back to Mobile. We pulled into the driveway a little after seven, unloaded and Robert left to go watch the Bama/LSU game with some friends. Layla and I settled in with an hour or two of my new guilty pleasure, ID tv. At some point, Robert came home. He said that Layla didn't even wake up. So much for her serving as my guard dog.
The extra hour of sleep on Sunday was much appreciated. We were able to wake up and get a few things done around the house before heading to church to watch sweet Lillibet's baptism. After the baptism, we drove over to Fairhope to attend the Austin Lacey Blues Brunch. They had a great turnout for this awesome cause! After a QUICK (by my standards) trip to Publix, we drove back over the bay and had a quiet night at home. Such a hectic/fun-filled/quality weekend.
Now it's Tuesday and I'm already starting to get geared up for my final trip (this season) to Auburn on Friday. Happy Election Day! I hope your favorite candidates win and the amendments you support are passed*.
*if we like the same candidates/amendments
We hit the road for Auburn, made a trip to the grocery store and arrived at Laurie's a little before ten. After a good night's sleep, we were up Saturday morning and ready to tailgate. This week's tailgate was an abbreviated version, but set up and take down were a snap. I told Laurie that I guess this was how "normal" people felt when they tailgated. It was nice.
The weather on Saturday was beautiful, if a little hot. I think we all managed to get a bit burned while sitting in the stands. Auburn actually played well and I'm thrilled that Daren Bates was homeboy of the week.
After the game, we went back to Laurie's house, packed up and enjoyed a few pieces of pizza and some dip. Around 4, we hit the road for the drive back to Mobile. We pulled into the driveway a little after seven, unloaded and Robert left to go watch the Bama/LSU game with some friends. Layla and I settled in with an hour or two of my new guilty pleasure, ID tv. At some point, Robert came home. He said that Layla didn't even wake up. So much for her serving as my guard dog.
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| Happy Homecoming! |
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| Drive Home |
The extra hour of sleep on Sunday was much appreciated. We were able to wake up and get a few things done around the house before heading to church to watch sweet Lillibet's baptism. After the baptism, we drove over to Fairhope to attend the Austin Lacey Blues Brunch. They had a great turnout for this awesome cause! After a QUICK (by my standards) trip to Publix, we drove back over the bay and had a quiet night at home. Such a hectic/fun-filled/quality weekend.
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| Benefit for the Austin Lacey Fund and the Mitchell Cancer Institute |
Now it's Tuesday and I'm already starting to get geared up for my final trip (this season) to Auburn on Friday. Happy Election Day! I hope your favorite candidates win and the amendments you support are passed*.
*if we like the same candidates/amendments
Monday, November 5, 2012
Homeboy Challenge: Week 9
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner. Not sure exactly what that saying means but I'm super excited to announce that Daren Bates is Homeboy of the Week!
Here's why:
I can only hope that Auburn's play against Georgia warrants another homeboy for week 10!
Here's why:
I can only hope that Auburn's play against Georgia warrants another homeboy for week 10!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Preview: Auburn v. New Mexico State
This is guaranteed to be a win, right? Right? Please someone tell me that we're going to win this game. The silver bullet (my trusty Honda) is getting exceptionally tired of making these long drives every weekend to watch us play astonishingly poorly.
Will tomorrow be the day? We can only hope. We've only played New Mexico State twice and both times we've won, scoring 55 points. I'm hoping with a new starting qb tomorrow we'll score at least 21. At least if we lose I won't have to make the trip home alone. Robert's joining me this weekend and he is absolutely thrilled to be attending (meant somewhat sarcastically). His family is actually from New Mexico. No word yet on which team he'll be cheering for.
Now for a Halloween wrap-up. Below are a couple of pictures of Layla in her Halloween gear. We had an interesting assortment of trick-or-treaters over the course of the night. One thing I know for sure is that next year I'll have a sign out reading, "Candy only for kids in costume". I can't tell you the number of adults that accompanied their kids and were holding a bag of their own. Also disappointing are the teenagers in school uniforms. Give me a break. If I'm going to spend my hard earned money on candy, the least you can do is throw on a sheet and cut two holes in it. When all was said and done, we had a great night and gave away most of our candy.
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend. Happy November. Remember to be thankful!
Will tomorrow be the day? We can only hope. We've only played New Mexico State twice and both times we've won, scoring 55 points. I'm hoping with a new starting qb tomorrow we'll score at least 21. At least if we lose I won't have to make the trip home alone. Robert's joining me this weekend and he is absolutely thrilled to be attending (meant somewhat sarcastically). His family is actually from New Mexico. No word yet on which team he'll be cheering for.
Now for a Halloween wrap-up. Below are a couple of pictures of Layla in her Halloween gear. We had an interesting assortment of trick-or-treaters over the course of the night. One thing I know for sure is that next year I'll have a sign out reading, "Candy only for kids in costume". I can't tell you the number of adults that accompanied their kids and were holding a bag of their own. Also disappointing are the teenagers in school uniforms. Give me a break. If I'm going to spend my hard earned money on candy, the least you can do is throw on a sheet and cut two holes in it. When all was said and done, we had a great night and gave away most of our candy.
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend. Happy November. Remember to be thankful!
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