Random

Does anyone else think it's weird that Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for playing a person who is real and living now? So what does that lady get? Because it's her real life.

I'm sorry if this doesn't make sense. I just felt the need to get that out there.

Yummy Goodness

Fat. That's what I am. But who can resist all this yummy goodness? Here are a few meals that we've enjoyed recently.

Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo


Balsamic Chicken Noodle Bowl (This is Rick's current favorite.)


Coconut Curry Chicken (I add pineapples to this one.)


Beef Stew


And a very happy dessert.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake


Okay. I have to go exercise.

This is for Rick

Rick told me that he missed my blog updates so here is one. I was thinking of stopping it altogether but I will continue for my one fan.

Since Christmas, Lucy:
-got her two bottom teeth.
-said both dada and mama (not that she knows what they mean).
-sits up all on her own.
-tried many new foods and has grown to like (tolerate) green ones. I think her favorites are peaches and sweet potatoes.

I've started making homemade baby food. It's way easier than it sounds! Buying frozen fruits and veggies have made it pretty easy on prep. The only thing I haven't made successfully is any meat. The chicken was horrible. Any suggestions?

Rick is keeping busy helping his dad finish work on a condo so that they can sell it. He's putting in 2 nights and most of the day on Saturday. I am so proud of him and thankful for him and the way that he provides for Lucy and me. He is a hard worker.

I am still adjusting to being a mom. It has it's challenges for sure. Yesterday was a rough day... one that led me to eat a few too many carbs and chocolate. But when I put Lucy to bed that night I remembered, "God has been faithful and He will be again." He has not brought me this far to leave me now.

A few pics:

Christmas Traditions: Food

Surprisingly we don't have too many Christmas traditions surrounding food. I will have to work on that. Our first Christmas together (all of one year ago), I knew I wanted to have something particularly yummy and amazing. So my dear friend Reenie helped me to find a good recipe for monkey bread. You can find all sorts of recipes out there but as long as it has sugar, pudding, cinnamon and butter, you are good to go. I do not put raisins in mine but you can if it floats your boat.

Monkey Bread
20 dinner rolls (I use the Rhoades kind in the freezer section)
1 cup brown sugar
1 pkg. of vanilla pudding (the cook and serve)
2 T cinnamon
1 stick of butter

Place the rolls in a greased bundt pan (or a 9x13 if you don't have a bundt, Meghan). Sprinkle the sugar, pudding and cinnamon over the rolls. Pour the melted butter over the top. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and go to sleep for 8 hours.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Christmas Traditions: Movie

Another post! I'm a blogging maniac nowadays. Hopefully this week I will post about the Christmas traditions that Rick and I are (hopefully) starting as a family. I had many grand plans for an advent calendar, but as Rick said the other day, it was too "ambitious." So instead, we are doing a little at a time. I am glad that we still have a year or two until Lucy understands what's going on (in life in general). It gives me time to get my act together.

Anyways. I love watching movies that center around Christmas. Or at least have a scene that makes a big deal about Christmas. I'm not hard to please. Some of my favorites are:

White Christmas
It's A Wonderful Life
Elf!
The Holiday (I watch it for Jack Black)
Little Women
Sleepless in Seattle
Home Alone (a good one to watch with Rick)
Home Alone 2

How about you? Anything you would add to the list?
And just to make you smile:

Julie and Julia

Last week I watched Julie and Julia three times in two days. I loved it. Meryl Streep was brilliant. Julia Child must have been one amazing lady. After I watched it I went to the library and checked out "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" (see Sarah, this is the kind of stuff you get at the library). I glanced through it but I hope to try at least one recipe before returning it (probably late).

The movie inspired me to do many things:
1. Buy colored lights... accomplished (on sale at Target). My plan is to put them up in our house for birthdays.
2. Stop being so dramatic... Julie drove me a little nuts. I'm still working on this one.
3. Go to Paris.
4. Make something from the cookbook.
5. Buy "A Bushel and A Peck" by Doris Day.
6. Have more dinner parties like this...

Good Deals (Thanks mom!)

Today was a long day of errand-running. Lucy again cried at the Giant, but the old ladies still loved her. Her favorite place was Acme. I only had to get 2 things so I took her out of her car seat and held her (she needed a break from the car seat). The way that she was smiling and looking around you would think she was the Queen of Acme.

Mom tipped me off to this good deal. If you buy $20 worth of Proctor & Gamble products at Acme then you get $5 off your next purchase and 5 free redbox codes! Major deal. I use Tide detergent so I bought 2 of those and I had a $1 off coupon.

At Giant this week there are $1 Doublers but you can only use 4 of them per purchase. Using all my coupons and the bonus card savings, I save about $30.

Shop Rite has 1.99 bacon!! Must buy.

And finally, the best find of all. There are all sorts of bloggers who put the best deals at grocery stores. To find the grocery store near you go to Be Centsable. You can search by state and then grocery store. This has helped me to match the deals with my coupons. Hope it works for you too!