Taco "cupcakes"!

Dinner tonight:

Taco "cupcakes"!  These little beautes are made with wanton wrappers, taco beef, taco seasoning, black beans, and cheeeese (my fav)!  Recipe here.  (P.s.  This website has some awesome recipes.  Definitely check 'em out!)  I made the salsa as well.  Recipe here, and it does actually taste like Chile's salsa!  Just a little note: wanton wrappers are normally found in the produce section near all of the organic salsas and vegetables.  They normally come in a pack of like 50.  You only use about 25 for the taco cupcakes, so with the rest of the wrappers, I suggest you make these Pizza Rolls.  Delish!
Sorry I was MIA for a couple of days.  Had a nice and relaxing weekend, but am now battling a little cold.  :(  Bought some orange juice and hot tea, so hopefully that will change soon!  Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Chicken Parmesan

Just made this for dinner:

Husband gave it 2 thumbs up.  :)  Pinterest recipe for the win!  I even made the sauce from scratch!  You should make it this week.  Quite simple, and could be somewhat healthy (since it's not fried), as long as you don't add as much cheese as I did (have I mentioned I love cheese).  Recipes for the chicken parm and the sauce are here and here.  I cut the spices for the breading in half, and I still think it was too much.  Husband doesn't like spices very much, and after tasting it, I think it would've been better with even less than half.  Other than that, delicious!  Hope every one is having a good weekend!

Bargains!!

Anybody that knows my family knows that we are nothing if not thrifty shoppers.  We each have a hard time spending more than $15 for a piece of clothing, brand new.  If it’s used (a la thrift stores, yard sales, or antique stores) that price cap drops to about $2.  I realize that I may not always look like I stepped out of Vogue, and I might not always take part in the newest fashions, but I feel like my purchases are always decent and hopefully flattering to my body shape.  I figured today that I would talk a little bit about how we shop. 

Of course there are always the clearance racks.  Whenever I go in a store, I always head to that rack first.  Yeah, some of the items are damaged, some don’t fit right and that’s why they didn’t sell at the regular price, and some items are just ugly.  But occasionally there is that gem that just works for you.  And if that gem only costs $4.97 (here’s lookin’ at you Old Navy) all the better for wearing my dear.    

The second place to look is outlet stores.  I was blessed with growing up about 7 minutes away from the Locust Grove Tanger Outlet.  When males ask where I’m from, I reference the Atlanta Motor Speedway.  With females, Tanger Outlet.  Pretty much always does the trick.  Now the whole sewing malfunction is most commonly present at outlet stores, but most of the times surplus or seasonal items end up at the outlet stores.  While some fashions fade from year to year, there are some fashions you know will be around the next year, so why not buy it at a discount during the off season? 

Most recently, my big finds have been online though.  Most commonly I use Slick Deals, a website that posts big deals and coupon codes.  Like today, I haven’t bought anything non-grocery related for myself since way before Christmas (and still have Christmas monies!!), and when I saw that Target is having a huge clearance sale, with free shipping, with 15% taken off at checkout, plus a 10% coupon code, I just had to browse.   I ended up getting 3 dresses and 2 nice sweaters delivered to my door for under $50.  The best thing about these items is that they can transition from winter (with tights and boots) to summer (with flipflops or flats).  I felt pretty proud of that deal.  I was so excited that I told my husband, “guess what I just got?” and repeated exactly what I just told you…and he started laughing!  Now, shopping is something I take pretty seriously, as any female would.  So with my ruffled feathers, I demanded “why are you laughing?!  Do you think that’s not a good deal?”  And he said, “oh yes!  I’m laughing because whenever you tell me you just bought something you list out like 10 items and then say it costs like 50 cents.”  You know, that’s something I’m pretty proud of, thankyouverymuch! 

A couple of other good places to look for deals:

Groupon has daily deals (like $20 of merch for only $10) and also escape packages. 

Living Social is pretty much the same thing.  Husband and I just got a two night stay at a historic inn on the coast, with welcome cookies and 2-day kayak rental for $115.  My mom also just got a deal for our girls trip to Hilton Head!  These companies also have good customer service.  After a business closed, my mom got a refund on her Groupon coupon, no questions asked.

I’ve also heard that Southern Savers is awesome for grocery couponing.   

So now, little ones…shop away!  Oh, and if you have any other good discount sites or ideas, or have any stories please share!

(Sorry no pictures in this post!  Maybe tomorrow I'll put together my favorite clearance outfit and take a picture.)

You remind me of a man…

In this ridiculously long post I mentioned that my background in swing dancing and my love of swing music inspired me to choose the name Bing Clawsby for my newest kitten.  So today I figured I would talk a little about dancing!  As a freshman at the University of Georgia, my roommate and I stumbled upon a flyer on a student billboard advertising free swing dance lessons on campus.  During high school I had been in a couple of musicals and always loved learning the choreography, so I figured “hey, why not try it”?  The next week my roommate and I attended a lesson on the Lindy Hop, and from that point on, I was hooked.  Not only did I enjoy the physical exercise you get while dancing, I also enjoyed the social aspect as well.  Because I didn’t want to feel pressured into the typical scene of drinking and partying during college, this entrance into the swing dance scene in Athens was a welcome option for socializing and meeting people.  The people who typically swing dance are respectable and outgoing people who understand that even though swing is considered outdated in today’s bump and grind dance scene, it is a very fun, creative, and appropriate form of dancing.  Of course, there are always a few creeps who don’t understand that most swing dancing is not supposed to be all-up-on-you physical, but for the most part the guys are chivalrous and respectful, and the girls have class and grace.   

When I think of all of the adjectives in that last sentence, I think of a certain group of swing dancers I met during my tenure at UGA.  After about a year of attending lessons, Tuesday night swing nights, and Friday night ballroom dance nights, I was approached by Swung, a group of Athens students, staff, and residents who choreograph and perform pieces all around the south.  I felt so honored when asked to be a part of this group, considering that most members had been dancing for years and were way better than I could ever hope to be.  Within 6 months, I was performing pieces with them. 

This is us!  You can see me on the far left in the black dress. (you can click on the image to make it larger)

 This is the first piece I was in, for Ballroom Magic at UGA.   I am on the far left of the frame, in the same black dress.

This is the last piece I did with Swung, also a UGA Ballroom Magic performance.  Again, I am on the far left of the frame (seriously, why am I always on the left?!?), closest to the front (but not the girl in the middle), in the green shirt.  

For the next three years I not only danced with these people, but became friends with them as well. They are the kindest, most accepting, encouraging, creative, amusing group of friends I could have found.  Their acceptance was appreciated more than I could ever explain.  They helped me transition into college and helped me feel like I belonged somewhere.    

This is how I feel about these people: (justification: this was like hour 3 of waiting backstage for the show to start)

The last year and a half of college I was a little more tied up in my boyfriend/fiancé and didn’t spend as much time dancing as I had in the previous years.  While I certainly do not regret spending that time with him (I mean come on, that turned out pretty great.  I am married to him after all (:  ), I certainly did miss those friends.  Not only did I miss the dancing, but my body missed it as well.  The physical exercise I was getting definitely helped prevent delay the freshman 15, and was a heck of a lot funner than running. 

Now that I have moved even farther away from my swing friends, I find myself missing them and dancing even more.  Any time I hear the beginning of “Hound Dog,” “Foot Stompin’”  or any of the other songs we danced to, I still have a moment of panic.  Where is my partner?!  Is the third move a basic Lindy or a Texas Tommy?!  I hope that reaction is something that never goes away, as it brings back great memories.  My only hope now is that I can convince my husband to dance with me a little more in the living room…he is, after all, the only partner I ever want.  :)

P.s. Ten points to whoever can tell me what the title of this post means.

I tried to kill my husband last night….with corn.

So last night for dinner, I made this:

 I know your reaction to that picture was probably “oh gross, that looks like throw up!  No way I would cook that!”  Trust me, it is actually delicious!  It is such a simple meal that the husband and I eat it quite often...You throw 2 frozen chicken breasts (I love this part, because I usually forget to thaw meat), and a jar of salsa in a crockpot, cook on low for about 4 hours.  Then add a package of cream cheese (use 1/3 less fat if you want it to be healthier) and let the cream cheese sit on top while on low for about 30 more minutes.  Stir all together, shred the chicken, and serve over rice.  If you want to mix things up, add some corn and black beans and use less salsa. 

Now, usually when I make this here meal I just use regular Picante Great Value salsa, but this week while grocery shopping I was feeling a little adventurous and got some delicious looking corn and black bean salsa.  It was even better than normal….until husband decides to have an allergic reaction.  See, husband here is allergic to corn that has been frozen.  Canned corn? Fine. Corn nuts?  Great.  Frozen corn?  Not so much.  I read articles about it (this has happened more than once) and apparently frozen corn has a larger amount of sulfite than fresh or canned corn.  Well, I didn’t think about the possibility of our harmless little corn fellas in the salsa I bought causing a problem. But, they did.  Don’t worry though, he didn’t really almost die and he didn't go all Will Smith in Hitch.  Just a little facial swelling, nasal congestion, and stomach pain.  I still kinda feel bad though. 

Moral of the story?  Make this meal. But only if you know it won’t kill you. 

The Honorable Martin Gecko and his crooner brother Bing Clawsby

Today I thought I would post about my pets, since they are kinda in the name of my blog! 

This is the honorable Martin Gecko.  He is a Leopard Gecko who has been with us for 1 ½ years.  A friend of Timothy’s mom had a Jumbo Leopard Gecko and after meeting the big guy (rest his soul, he had to be put down about a year ago), I just had to have one!  I’ve never liked reptiles, so who knows what was going through my head, but I’m glad I got Martin.  He is a cool addition to our family and an extremely easy pet.  They can go months without food.  Believe me, I’ve tested that theory, and it’s totally true. (Maybe not months, but definitely a month. At least.)

He was really little when we got him.  See?  (Yes that is my giant hand, no I do not have man hands…he was just that small!)

 And another

 

Martin has now matured into a strapping young lad and now looks like this:  

He is a very tame gecko.  He’s not skittish, and I think he actually likes being held now.  My sister told me that he’s gotten depressed since we moved into our house.  He used to be in the living room with us (you can see his terrarium beside the tv in this post), and now he’s tucked away in his own little room.  He subsists on a diet of crickets, meal worms, and his own skin.  Gross!  I know!  When geckos shed they eat their skin so it doesn’t lead predators to them to make a nice little afternoon snack.  I used to be paranoid that I was going to kill the poor guy, but he’s actually been a pretty tough fella!  They can live to be 30 years old.  Yeah, I could possibly have this little reptile in my 50s. 

And now, one of the sweetest cats I know, Bing Clawsby!  After reading in a blog about a lady's 24 fingered polydactyl cat named Ferris Mewler (yes I did just use 8 words for a hyperlink), I knew that my next cat MUST have an awesome celebrity name.  Since I used to swing dance, and love old music (especially this gentleman), I knew Bing Clawsby would totally work.

Enter, Bing as a kitten.

Isn’t he the cutest?!  He's much bigger and MUCH fluffier now, I kind of feel sorry for him, cause it's still so warm down here.

Bing as a grown cat.

And even though this one is not very focused, I like that you can see his tag that I got him.  He's the only cat I've ever had who is fine with a collar.

 In the past, I have gotten pretty cats that are ridiculously ill tempered, but I totally scored with this one.  He is pretty AND sweet!  Seriously, this cat has never been in a bad mood, which is pretty much unheard of in cats.  Bing’s favorite activities include: sitting in Timothy’s lap (yes my cat hating husband lets him sit in his lap, that’s how ridiculously sweet Bing is), roll around on the floor attacking his stuffed duck, and grabbing at my legs while I play my Wii Just Dance game.  He totally goes nuts while I’m trying to play that game, and I’m going to try to get a video of that soon.  

(Oh and for those concerned about my combination of pets...they don't know each other exists.  So we're safe for now!)

In this post I feel like I should also give a shout out to my main man Budgie and my sweet Lucy girl.  Budgie and Lucy still live at home with my parents, but they have both been around longer than Bing and Martin.  Lucy was the first dog my parents ever got.  She is 12 years old (seriously, she is that old?!), and still runs around like a puppy…well, when her arthritis is not bothering her.  :)  She has been a great dog and has more lives than a cat.  She has survived parvo, drinking termite poisining, jumping out of a moving vehicle, being trapped for 2 weeks with no food, and many more possible game enders.  I dare say she’s an even tougher cookie than Martin.

This is Lucy.  And buddy, she has earned that grey hair!

And Budgie…oh sweet Budgie.  Budgie weighs about 20 pounds, cannot meow, and drools more than a new baby.  But he. is. the. bomb.   My family refers to him as a “friend to all animals” and anybody who has met him could attest to his mild mannerdness  (I know it’s not a word) and overall awesomeness.  Did I mention that he can stretch like superman?  Yup legs out straight behind him, arms straight in front.  Pretty cool kid.

This is Budgie Pudge.

And now for my last and greatest pet.  Timothy.  Baha!  Just kidding, he’s great :)

 Happy Tuesday everybody!  Hope your week is going well!

Food!

Growing up, I absolutely hated the idea of cooking!  I always had a problem with raw meat, and actually didn't like eating meat as a kid. (Don't worry, I got over that eventually.  Me and fried chicken are best friends now.) One of the stories my mom loves to tell is of her coming home one day after asking me to cook some bacon for dinner.  Not only had I almost gagged all over the raw pig, I had on elbow high rubber gloves, tongs, and a knife, attempting to saw through the plastic wrapping to cut the bacon in half.  I wish I could say I was only about 12 when this happened....nope, 19.  Possibly older, can't really remember, which is crazy because it was a pretty traumatic moment in my life.  Fast forward a couple of years, and you see an engaged Julie Anna and her mom who kept offering cooking lessons.  But I would have none of it!  Fast forward just a few months, to when I became a wife.  A wife!  I can't really explain what happened, but something just clicked in my female brain and I began  actually tolerating wanting to cook and clean and iron and do all of that wifey stuff women are supposed to be offended by in this day and age.  In the past year and a half, I cannot count how many times I have called my mom for cooking advice.  Now I really wish I had taken her up on those cooking classes, she's a great cook with a lot of experience.  Also in the past year and a half I have asked for some type of kitchen appliance/utensils for every gift giving occasion.  For Christmas I got an awesome deep fryer, some beautiful vintage cookbooks, and a gorgeous professional grade KitchenAid stand mixer.  Needless to say, I have definitely broken out the deep fryer; can't wait to use the other things I got as well!  So anyways, I hope that food will be another aspect of this blog, to share recipes and food successes and failures.  To start this out on a high note, I'm going to post a picture of mine and the husband's dinner last night.  Phyllo wrapped chicken stuffed with spinach and cheese (I adore cheese!), honey baked tomatoes, and wild rice: all courtesy of my Southern Living cookbook (that my awesome sister gave me!) Enjoy the pictures!  And as Julia Child would say, Bon Appétit!

Sorry it's such a crappy picture, I am definitely not a food photographer!

Aaaand a crappy phone pic, but look!  Tots!

Cookbooks!  And a week old cookie!  Yay!

And my pretty mixer!  Here she is!