a good time was had by all

So, readers, how was your turkey day? Kell and I spent Thanksgiving day with his family and headed to Starkville to see my family and to go to the Egg Bowl game. And what a wonderful game it was. The Bullies were on fire – the stadium (literally) rocked, Anthony Dixon was unstoppable, and tears of joy were shed. In fact, I’m still a little hoarse from all the squealing. And the “From Dixon with Love” reference? I want to shake the man’s (or woman’s) hand who came up with that beauty. Truly poetic.

It seems to me that once Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas is on me like a lightning bolt. I have something going on every weekend until Christmas, and I’m grateful it’s fun stuff – family visits, a wedding and general merriment. If you have parties to attend, this Delicious Dish is totally excellent party food.

Bacon Tomato Cups

8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese (I couldn’t find shredded Swiss, so I used Mozz, and it was great)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl, and mix with tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.
Separate biscuits into halves horizontally. Place each half into cups of the prepared mini muffin pan. Fill each biscuit half with the bacon mixture.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven , or until golden brown.


Enjoy!

thankful thursday

(photo courtesy of you are my fave)

I spend so much time on this blog on things that I want and wish for, I would hate for the blog community to think I was completely self-absorbed. So, I felt it only appropriate to celebrate my favorite holiday with a Thankful Thursday A to Z. Here goes…

America. How fortunate to have been born in a country where people clamor to enter every single day?
Buddies. What would life be like without friends? I love you all – you make me who I am.
Church. I feel very fortunate to be able to worship wherever, whenever I want.
Dogs. No human will ever love you in the same way a dog does. I believe it!
Education. Thanks to my parents, I got a great, debt-free education at a university I love.
Family. The older I get, the more I appreciate my family. It’s hard to understand as a kid or a teenager, but being an adult has really opened my eyes.
Grandparents. I knew some better than others, but whether I saw them monthly or just a few times, I am so proud of who they are and were, what they stood for and what they taught me and my parents.
Health. I probably take this for granted most of the time, but especially now, I am so glad to be healthy.
In-laws. They feel like just an extended version of my own family. I could not have hand-picked better ones.
Job. Not only do I have a job, but I have one that I really like. It’s afforded me more opportunities than I could have ever hoped for.
Kell. I hope he knows how thankful I am for him – he gives me such balance.
Liberty. We have luxury of everyday freedoms many countries only dream of, and we owe it all to the courageous soldiers that keep it that way.
Music. I remember the first time I was in Japan alone, nothing made me feel as close to home as music. Truly portable therapy.
Naps – the take-your-contacts-out-and-get-back-in-pajamas kind.
Ore Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots. The best frozen tot out there. Bar none.
Portico Jackson magazine. They gave me a chance to write for a real magazine! Check it out – it’s a really cool publication.
Quiet time. Sometimes nothing heals me more than a few hours by myself to decompress.
Renaissance. The shopping center, not the European cultural movement. Although I guess I’m thankful for that, too.
Sister. Like my parents, I had to “grow up” to realize how lucky I am to have a sister. Not to mention one as kind and thoughtful and fun as mine is.
Travel. I’ve said it a million times – there is no better education. Do it. Anywhere you go will be well worth the long plane trip. Trust me.
UPS. I saw the truck in my neighborhood last night and thought about how hard those guys work. Here’s to you and your cute brown socks!
Vehicle. Another blessing I take for granted – I have my own mode of transportation to take me wherever I need to go.
Work friends. Sometimes they are the only thing that gets you to 5:00 in one piece.
Xerox machines. (ya like that one?) I mean, how much to we take a copy machine for granted?
Years in Greenwood. I feel like I grew so much in the time I spent there. And the friends I made are still so special.
Zippers. Although I’m bad to accidentally leave mine undone for hours at a time, cheers to the man (or woman) that invented them. Without you, the world would be button-fly all the way.

Happy Thanksgiving, loyal readers!

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

Psalm 100:4

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* That I was actually friends with all the celebs I follow on Twitter.

* That I had something new and cute to wear to Thanksgiving.

* To bring the Golden Egg back home on Saturday!

* That my appetizers are tasty tomorrow. Perhaps a potential Delicious Dish?

* A happy (early) 33rd anniversary to my dear mom and dad. Love you guys!

What’s your wish?

they say it's your birthday!

Happy Birthday, Olive and Charlie!

Here are a couple of pictures from the day you moved in with us...

Olive

Charlie

And what's a birthday without cupcakes? I made "pupcakes" for the twins last night, and thus this week's Delicious Dish. Here is the recipe for all you pet parents out there:

Peanut Butter Carrot Pupcakes


1 cup flour
1tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Mix flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8" round cake pan* and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool. Decorate with more peanut butter and carrots.


* I made these in mini muffin tins and baked them for 12 minutes at 350. Perfecto!

love is in the air

Happy wedding, Morgan and Matt!
Wish I could be there!

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* Another win for the Bulldogs.

* The new Harry Potter Spells app for my iPhone. Expecto Patronum!

* A good “pupcake” recipe for the twins’ birthday next week. Three years old – they grow up so fast (hehe).

* These lovely little Christmas gift labels.

* A snow day!

What’s your wish?

take a bow?

Ok, so the Prez bowed to the Emporer and Empress of Japan while visiting the country this week (look how cute she is in her traditional kimono!). And some people seem to think that's a big, hairy deal . I don't know a lot of things, and I'm certainly no expert on Japanese culture. But I have been there, and I bowed about a million times (I still do it sometimes accidentally). Like shaking hands in the West, it's just what you do there in much of the East. I've heard that the President of the United States bows to no one, but would you rather him have not bowed and made waves in the very tradition- and decorum-minded Japan? I happen to think there are a few more important things going on stateside than worrying about the President's body language. And let's keep as many friends overseas as we can. I hear there are a few countries out there that don't care for us very much.

What do you think?

dogs love america, too

I love America, I love mentalfloss, and I LOVE dogs. If you think pets aren't a member of the family, just check out these pups welcoming home their "dads" from tours of duty.

God bless America, and God bless our soldiers!

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* That you all could have seen Amy on stage at her wedding reception singing “Fancy.” Yes, the Reba “Fancy.”

* That I didn’t love delicious snacks so much.


* To get my glam on with Kim K!


* That Thanksgiving would hurry up and get here.

* That each and every service man and woman knew how much I appreciate their dedication to this country! Happy Veterans’ Day!

What’s your wish?

wedding weekend

Hooray for weddings!

This weekend, my dear friend Amy got married in her (and Kell’s) hometown of Greenville. We spent the entire weekend eating and hanging out with friends old and new (shout out to Melinda! Thanks for following the blog!). She was exactly the bride I expected her to be – cute, hilarious and running just a tad late. The happy couple are living it up in Negril on their honeymoon while I’m in Shawshank at work. Love you, Amy Lou!

OK, readers. It stops today. This eating-whatever-I-want-and-pretending-like-there-are-no-consequences business. Fistfuls of chips and Mexican corn dip? Of course. Chocolate cobbler? You bet. An enormous piece of wedding cake (the one with the most icing)? Bring it on. But you heard it here first. I’m back on the wagon, and I’m starting from the very beginning with what I know works. My trusty Moleskine notebook is now my WW journal, leading me back into the world of points Nazi-dom, and I need your support. I’ve got my (now chubbier) game face on.

Have a good week, friends! I'll be eating rabbit food!

nice day for a white wedding

(photo courtesy of super-cute website Green Wedding Shoes)

Happy Friday, friends!

I'm off to the Delta this weekend for my dear friend/former roommate/sorority sis/all-around fun gal Amy's wedding. I can't wait to see her in full wedding regalia and stand with her when she marries the love of her life. Ball and chain, here she comes!

Have a great weekend!

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* You all could see me running in my reflective vest. H. O. T.

* That Jen Lancaster’s new book, My Fair Lazy (love the title, Jen) was already in stores.

* Some cool wall sconces for my foyer.

* To have been in Japan yesterday for their National Culture Day. Konichiwa!

* That I had an “eye” for interior design, ala Jenny at Little Green Notebook.

What’s your wish?

tea for me

Hello, readers. How was Halloween? Even though we didn’t have any trick-or-treaters, we enjoyed the Bulldogs’ win and snuck a few treats from the candy bowl anyway.

I’ve started to drink hot tea (with a little honey) in the mornings, and it makes me feel so grown up to be drinking a hot beverage from a mug (maybe from a super cute one like this from Etsy!). I haven’t experimented with many flavors or blends or whatever, but I’m open to suggestions. What tea do you like? (PS – I hate chamomile and green tea…I think they taste like dirt).

Happy November!