Cute, Cussing Cocktails

Sometimes you need something that makes you go "*squee!*Daaawwwwww!"
Some times you need a comical pick-me-up.
Sometimes you need a drink.
Maybe all three? Got you covered.

Today's Link Love features websites that don't really need boosting. This is more for me and helping me deal and get myself out of my head. The sites are already popular and have followers like whoa.

You're welcome. Every time. EVERY TIME I think of Keanu, I think of Bill and Ted and WHOA.

Extremely Qte Stuff!

• The first one is Cute Overload featuring terribly adorable animals being their natural, adorable selves. Sometimes I need to see squee-worthy animals and to gigglesnork at their antics. My students brought me animals pretty much daily and they'd get to hear my lovey-baby voice when I was talking to the non-humans. The kids loved it. I love animals. That's all there is to that. 

Seriously, how can a smiling puppy NOT cheer anyone up?!

image credit: Submitted image to CO.com

Cuss Away, Sailor!

• One of my friends Tweeted the link to a hilarious Tumblr - Thug Kitchen - a while ago. Then my husband found it again today. To my surprise, he thought it was funny. Beautiful pictures of beautiful food ... covered in profanity. Plus a the recipe and an additional helping of colorful language. Majority of the recipes are vegan.

image credit: Thug Kitchen of course!

Stick a Pin in it!

• I'm not going to deny it. I've even said it before. Pinterest and I... we go waaaay back, my friend. We all know and have read my posts about finding recipe pins and cooking them up. I am a PinWin. Get ready for Pinception! Are you ready? Ready?? Are you sure? Here it comes!!
• Pinterest Fail - Because people just can't figure out that some of the junk they see (especially foods and recipes) are done by professionals and foods are done by food artists. Some photos are also "doctored." No, women aren't the only objects of photoshopping
• Here's a story. My girl friend wanted to do the Fishbowl drink for her birthday. She saw the PinFail and asked me what I would do to avoid the mishap.
1. Premix the drink - with the exact ingredients.
2. Nerds ahoy!
3. The following in quick succession: Ice into the cups; Swedish Fish between the glass and ice; Pour the premix. 
4. Straw and garnish
5. Enjoy drink.
• Instead of a giant, shared fishbowl, girl friend purchased stemless wineglasses.
• Result?

Why, yes, I am amazing! Image credit: mine. Be jealous!

And that, my friends, is some Link Love! Enjoy your day!

Menu Plan Monday: Just in Case

Child In Flight

We are still visiting family. I'm certainly not complaining! We have been having a relaxing time. And my child has been learning to fly!

I mean, look at that kid! When we first got here, PawPaw almost had to be holding her hands and waiting close to the edge of the pool before she would jump in. Even then, she would have to wear her life preserver. However, she has since given her PawPaw her full trust, stripped off the life jacket and is thrilled to jump in and even go under the water.

The bad thing though is that our car is still in the shop. We should have been making our way back home today because Hubby had a training tomorrow. Whoopsies!

Menu Plan Monday

I am creating a menu plan that may or may not happen. We aren't sure when we will be going home. Even then, we don't know what day we will go to the store. We'll definitely need to stock up on some things.

• Monday - Eat out
• Tuesday - Eat out?
• Wednesday - Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes
• Thursday - Chicken nachos
• Friday - Mock lasagna
• Saturday - Tilapia & smashed potatoes

Menu Plan Monday @ OrgJunkie

Do ya want to smell delicious?

Then get on over to Fortune Cookie Soap! I first heard about the Fortune Cookie Soap company through YouTuber Jennifer Ross (myhousewifelife). I was seeing such awesome reviews of their bath product samples and began anticipating being able to purchase a sample box or get a subscription.

My opportunity for a box purchase came in October - they were selling extra Halloween themed boxes. Shortly after that, their subscriptions opened and I immediately ordered my subscription. The sample boxes are sent out every three months and are based on the current holiday/season or fun theme. Every box usually contains a hand sanitizer, a fortune cookie shaped soap, and a lotion sample. The rest of the contents vary. Perfume, mud mask, bath fizzy, solid lotion, candle, etc. there is also a little extra - a packet of seeds, paper umbrella, candy.

FCS Summer 2013 Soap Box Review

• “I Scream, You Scream” Sugar Scrub - scents of chocolate covered strawberries and coffee. This is a gentle exfoliator. My skin feels moist and a bit more smooth in trouble areas of dry skin.
• “What? It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere!” Whipped Cream - this is the thick lotion. I absolutely love this product. To me, this lotion smells like a blueberry tasty-drink!
• “One In A Mellon” Fortune Cookie Soap -holy moly! This is a cute cute watermelon soap! It smells just like watermelon candy. It was the first thing I smelled in my box!
• “Aquaholic” Sea Salt Hair Spritz - I haven't used this product yet. I am a lazy person. I don't really do my hair. Especially during summer. I'm a low maintenance kind of gal. My hair is either up in a bun/ponytail or braided. Although I am very interested in trying it out because I love what being at the beach does to my hair.
• “Mother Pucker” Shower Steamer - this was supposed to fizz and scent up my shower? It instantly disappeared and only gave off the slightest lemonade scent. I may have used this wrong? 
• “Do You Salsa or Mango?” OCD Hand Sanitizer - another trusty hand sanitizer! This smells mostly of mango to me. It's not my favorite but I will still use it.
• “…Where The Sun Don’t Shine” Sunscreen Stick - I haven't used this product yet either because I haven't even thought about going outside so far. It's just too hot and humid. It smells like a banana candy though and it seems to not be greasy. I can't wait to use it.
• "Body Shot” Don’t Be Jelly - this was totally awkward. How are you supposed to use it? It looked like jellied liver! Ok, ok... It smelled amazing! Like raspberry Koolaid. I heard someone just slapped it in their hand and soaped up. So I tried that and nearly wasted the whole thing. And I knew it would tear apart and get lost in the sponge thing. So I finished off my shower with a bath and ran it under the water. The perfect solution, a bubble bath. 

I really love this box. Spring 2013 is still my favorite though! I am so thrilled I have a subscription to the FCS Soap Box. There are other subscription services that just wouldn't work for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to subscribe to these other things, but I'm not into those other 'things'. I have to take baths. I enjoy bubble baths and relaxing in the tub. The Soap Box is perfect for me.

I really enjoy FCS products. I've only made one non-box purchase so far. Trust me, I have been very tempted. I would actually love to take a mini-road trip to Oklahoma just to go to the store.

Why am I dreaming about this?!

We were going to have a garage sale today - but we all agreed to forgo it because its just so dang hot and humid. It's better left for the fall.

So I had an amazing dream about it even though I wasn't even thinking about it. It started off with the decision to not have the sale. Instead there was this weird breakfast and we were served some pink sloshy gelatinous goo. No thank you! My uncle Danny magically appeared and helped me to escape the horrid breakfast. We waled outside to see a huge mass of people descending upon the house to score some valuable treasures. I was turning them away in the snow.

Go away old people! Freeze for all I care!

I climbed into the car and he suggested Chinese for breakfast. Uh, ok? Chinese ended up being Dairy Queen which doesn't even serve breakfast. So we are there waiting for breakfast that doesn't exist and then I'm over it. I don't want breakfast anymore so I encounter a lot of former students as I leave. I just start walking back home. And by home, I mean DFW. By the way, it is instantly summer again. I am walking and trudging through all kinds of strange terrain for the area and I have to stay by the main thoroughfare which is easy because my brain is equipped with Google Maps. 

My brother shows up and has become all religious and starts walking with me and eventually gets me lost and meandering through groups of homeless people, his friends! I eventually leave him there with his folk and come across some building that is like the optical illusion.

I'm trying to get out of this stupid house and the magic contained within. I am somehow transported through walls and speaking to statues in French. The magic key to leaving is Grumpy Cat.

So I have to carry her throughout the rest of my dream. After I make it out of the house of weird, I am flung instantly into some strange playground and not only do I have to walk myself home, Ryan and Ivy have appeared along with a whole slew of daycare children that have to follow me. Not only do I have to tote Grumpy Cat (who is amazingly sweet and kitten-like), but I also have to carry around some dumb glass of water.

Poof! I wake up.

ANALYZE THAT!

Week in Review Friday

Happy official First Day of Summer! The longest day of the year. Although if you lived anywhere near me, summer started back in May! Well, another hot and humid week has slowly crept on by. It is exactly how I love vacation days to go by - slowly. I'm just going to jump right into it. Short and sweet. And if you can't tell already, my WIR covers Saturday through Friday.

Last Saturday was girls beach weekend. We had a full house. One of the girls didn't make it for Friday. I cooked my "famous" nachos. I also made some pretty awesome breakfast tacos, artistic cupcakes and equally artistic beverages. We walked on the beach and picked up shells and beach glass. We mostly stayed at the house though.

Sunday was time for me to leave. I made breakfast again, packed up and headed out. However, I raked the front end of the car on one of the piers under the house. Oh my word. This is the first time I have ever caused damage to a car. I was ultra angry at myself. Ryan was really level-headed about everything. I'm still so thankful for that. We ventured out to Aunt Wanda's for Sunday lunch. Ivy and the kids swam and had so much fun. I, on the other hand, was wound up over the car. On a side note, Aunt Wanda had her last chemo treatment this week. I am so proud of my strong, survivor, aunt!

Monday, we took care of business by calling our insurance about the car. An adjuster was sent out to total the damages. We also heard a great deal from our lender and realtor. 

On Tuesday, we took the car into the shop and spent time indoors. We consumed our time by napping and fiddling around on our respective technologies.

Wednesday, we took Ivy for her first dentist appointment. She has a chipped tooth but from what the dentist could see, since Ivy wasn't too cooperative, there wasn't much concern. Maybe next time will be better - hopefully with a female dentist.

Thursday, with three people vying for one car, we opted to stay in again. I have been feeling pretty cooped up. I kept thinking, "Oh! Lets go do something! Lets go somewhere!" Uh, nope. So instead, we just watched Falling Skies that we DVRed and the DIY network. Ryan also made soft pretzels from scratch.

And this brings me to today, Friday. We were supposed to get out car back from the shop today. We had not heard from them so Ryan called. Come to find out, the new parts were damaged and they were not going to fix new parts. We are still in SETX through the weekend. 

Maybe I will have a good weekend post!

Have a wonderful long summer day!

Book Review: The Moon and More

I enjoy Sarah Dessen's books. They are an easy read with realistic characters in realistic settings. I don't have to sit and interpret or puzzle out the real meaning of the book. It is there, right in front of you. I always look forward to Dessen's books in the summer. Her fictional setting is a beach community on the southern east coast.

The Moon and More is a look at summer flings. Our main character, Emmaline, is the product of one such fling. She resides in the beach community, as her mother did, working in the family business. One day, a small film crew rents a beach house and Emmaline finds herself assisting with the film being made. Emmaline 's paternal father is a recurring theme, as he is the summer fling that left her mother in the beach community. She discovers the type of relationship she is destined to have with him. Emmaline also wrestles with longing to have the type of summers that vacationers have. She is a local and any touristy location is nothing new to her. She longs for escape. 

A quick and easy read. Fairly predictable. Dessen writes similar conflicts in all of her books: a parent is missing; how will I make it in this world; what do I do with this love? The setting makes it a great vacation/beach book. Her main characters are well written, but minor characters seem pretty vague. It is almost as though there are too many. I found myself asking "Who is that, again?" 

I really like the book. 

4.5 out of 5

TCOY Thursday - Why Collections are Meaningful

Why do people collect things? Do collections somehow define people? Does a collection determine value? How many things constitute a collection?

When I was a young girl, I never really collected anything. Well, nothing that I considered my own "thing." My mom tried to get me into collecting Barbie dolls - she started the collection for me but our house burned down. I didn't really pick the collection back up. I collected them to play with them, but I wouldn't consider that a real collection.

In middle school, I had a friend who collected pencils and Troll dolls. In order to become more independent and find my own path, I started collecting pencils and Trolls too. I don't think those ever went too far. I was tired of dusting the dolls nappy hair. And honestly, I needed something to write with. Later on, I followed the example of one of my cousin's and started collecting Venetian masks and clowns. I don't know what prompted me, but I decided to start collecting frogs while I was in high school. Every frog I saw, I wanted. The frogs led into a Beanie Baby collection starting with the frogs then spreading from there. I also collected postcards, stamps, stickers, and coins. The collections stopped once everybody added to the masses of things with low quality pieces. 

Question: Collect for consumption or collect to acquire/admire?

I realized that I was amassing too much stuff. I was growing up and I really wanted to simplify. I did what sentimental people dread doing - I got rid of things. I really had to assess what was really important to me and which pieces meant enough to me to keep. 

Looking at family, I noticed that we all have our collections. 

For my maternal grandparents, it was salt and pepper shaker sets. 

One of my aunts collected cameos and candles.

Another aunt collects (or collected) butterflies.

My husband used to collect knives, old cameras, and found photos.

My mother-in-law has a Santa collection.

Ivy has "forced" collections. Bunnies... It really wasn't intentional. She seemed to prefer stuffed bunnies over other stuffed animals. Her other collection is from her Grandma. It's one of those yearly porcelain girls that commemorate each year of her life. It is currently my collection until Ivy is old enough to keep it herself. I wonder what she will find interesting enough to collect?

My current collections? Christmas ornaments (meaningful), salt and pepper shaker sets, owls, refrigerator magnets from places we have been, pressed pennies, and beach glass. I believe my collections now are manageable. They are small collections of special pieces and they are displayed. 

Why do I think collections are important enough to dedicate an entire TCOY post on the subject? It may help if I answer my opening questions...

Why do people collect things?  I cannot answer for other people. For me, I am currently collecting memories. "Oh, that shaker set? I remember admiring it at my grandparents house and I remember..." 

Do collections somehow define people? Maybe yes, maybe no. My collections define me and reflect my randomness and sentimentality. My husband's knife collection in no was defines him as a homicidal murderer. Although, Stimpy collected boogers and we all know he was one gross cartoon cat of the 90s. 

Does a collection determine value? Some people collect for monetary value, it'll be worth so etching when you're older. Some things evoke a valuable memory. Some collections are worn absolutely nothing at all.

How many things constitute a collection? I Have heard that the answer can Be as small as one piece. i collect owls. i only have one - I just haven't found any that suit my needs to purchase another (so not a true statement!). I will not purchase just to fit my collection, I look for the meaning or memory in the piece.

Where I am going with this, is that you should do something that you like to do and helps to possibly define you. People around you should understand certain aspects of you. If your loved ones know something about you and cherish you as they should, they take the time to help cultivate that in you. My husband knows I love strawberries and that I was starting to collect shaker sets. He gifted me that combo one day. He is also extremely patient and helpful with me in my pressed penny searches. Most recently, my girlfriends helped me collect beach glass.

Take Care of Yourself. If that means collecting something for value or for sentiment, so be it.

Wordless Wednesday

What would be a better Tuesday theme?

When I decided to "reformat" my blog, my intentions were to help me focus, to help me write, to give myself ideas, and to potentially drive up readership. That is really the least of my concerns. Well, the question is really "why blog if you aren't concerned with readership?" Currently, I want to improve my writing skills and then worry about readership.

There are articles that I have read to help improve blogging skills: 

1. How to title your posts to entice people to read your post.

2. Focusing on a single topic for your entire blog so you aren't picking up readers because of one topic and them losing them because you change your topics.

3. Include photos because people are visual readers - break up the paragraphs. 

All of this is meant to help people want to read what I write. However, it becomes less personal. When does my blog become more about you and less about me? Personally, I read blogs to look into the windows of other people's lives. I am a bit of a voyeur. I like reading memoir-style books. Yes, I do look at other websites that have a general focus because I'm looking for something specific.

So, with that, today is Tuesday and with my blog reformat I am considering Tuesday as "LinkLove" day. I'm not certain how long I will keep this Tuesday format. I am honestly not someone who searches for or frequents new websites. I have been a reader of the following blog for well over a year. I would say that the blogger an I are acquaintances. We were never close during childhood though we grew up in the same city and schools. We know each other through mutual friends. She allowed me into her life as a friend on Facebook but she made the decision to release her life from that social media website. Facebook is how I learned about her blog. Ever since then, I became a follower of her blog.

She writes about her mostly daily life. She is a strong young lady - she has faced some challenges in her life that I would not be able to see myself through. 

This is Joy. Her blog is Brand New Day.

Where is my Menu Plan Monday?

We are on vacation. we aren't really planning what we are eating. I am fresh off of my mini vacation-within-a-vacation to the beach with my girlfriends. So, in lieu of Menu Plan Monday, I am listing out my favorites and not-so-favorites of beach weekend.

Favorites
"Early" morning solitude and being able to read and relax
Slightly salty tinge to the air and the cooling breezes in the shade
Being with friends and enjoying food, drinks, & laughter with them
The cocoabutter scent of sunblock
Strangers willing to help out & friendly animals
Walking along the beach, wading in the water, and collecting shells, beach glass, and sand
Stars, clouds, sea birds, dolphins, & small sea cretures

Not quite as awesome
Mosquito bites
Sore feet
Hot & sticky sand
Pink skin and sunblock that doesnt seem to work when and where it should
Bathing suits that no longer fit

Pinterest recipes: Beach Cupcakes, Fishbowl drink; Pinnacle root beer "slush ice"; Austin street-style breakfast tacos. Look for links and recipes soon!

I finished my book yesterday morning and the last line resonated with me. "[...] I would always feel at home when I touched sand."  The Moon and More, by S. Dessen. Look for a book review soon!

MenuPlanMonday @ OrgJunkie

Week in Review Friday

I am currently at the beach and not very sure if or when this may actually upload. 

Last Friday was my and my husband's 10 year wedding anniversary. We packed up pur things and headed to Southeast Texas for our annual vacation to visit our family. Out of nostalgia, we had dinner at the restaurant we got married at. The flavors have not changed. Such memories!

Things that have happened since last Friday, 

On Saturday, we went to my cousin's wedding at a historic Masonic temple. We even got a tour and small history of the building and some Masonic information. It was rather nice to see and experience such an old building. 

Sunday was spent at an aunt's house for a weekly family lunch/dinner. We had hoagies and i made some yummy cheescake-stuffed strawberries.  

The majority of the week has been really low-key. Naps and reading are my favorite summer vacation activities. Ivy has been swimming every day. I am so happy the incident last fall did not deter her from swimming - she loves it so much. Her PawPaw is even starting to teach her how to swim. 

Thursday, we took Ivy to the Houston Zoo. Ryan and I had not been there since before we got married. It was really hot, especially since factoring the humidity that we are no longer used to. There was a small, childrens' splash/sprinkler park within the zoo. Since Ivy was hot and we had a spare change of clothes for her, we let her play and cool down before we headed back to our home-away-from-home. 

Today is girl's beach weekend getaway. I made cupcakes and got groceries and drove to the beach. I am currently pn the deck, alternating between sitting in the sun and shade, sipping a cola and reading my current book - The Moon and More. 

What do you have planned for the weekend?

Have a wonderful weekend -whatever you do!

PS: Welcome to Mommyhood, Joy! (She had a bouncing baby boy during the wee hours of June 11.)  I am posting from my phone and lacking a nice "easy button" to post a link to her blog. 

TCOY Thursday

What do you do to take care of yourself? Do you need to recharge? How do you do it?!

TCOY = Take Care of Yourself. Sometimes I need a reminder to take care of myself. I get so wrapped up and stressed that I don't do anything for myself to calm down. I started TCOY when I actively used LiveJournal. I am amazed it still exists! I had a set list of things to include in my TCOY posts.

I welcome you to TCOY Summer Edition!

Book: I am currently reading "The Moon and More" by Sarah Dessen. The plot takes place in Colby, the fictional beach town of South (or North?) Carolina. As I haven't fully read the book, I cannot review it yet. But the story is that a girl is working for her family's beach property rental agency the summer before she goes to college. She meets someone making a documentary film and she starts to question her "permanent vacation" life. Dessen is one of my favorite authors. I like her writing style and that all her stories, while separate, all fall in the same universe. I think some of her characters find themselves in other books. This book is perfect right now because it is a summer/beach theme.

Music: I usually have a summer playlist. But right now, I'm totally digging on the original songs that were featured in Pitch Perfect. Titanium and Bulletproof are at the top of that so-called list.

Movie: I haven't seen any movies lately. The new Superman is coming out and I don't know if I'm seeing it. I will probably end up watching Dirty Dancing at some point before August. So, this category is a bit of a bust. So I'll throw in a random!

Food: Tomorrow, I head off to a weekend beach getaway with some girlfriends to celebrate our birthdays. My role is host, bartender, and chef! I will me making beach theme cupcakes, build your own nachos and hot dogs. As far as tasty beverages go, I am looking forward to piña coladas! 

Random: I love to do my nails. I may have a small, yet growing, addiction to fingernail polish. I am currently sporting Naughty Nautical by my favorite brand - Essie. It is a soft turquoise with a minuscule glitter shimmer. It is perfect for this time of year. 

How do you Take Care of Yourself?

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Vacation Part I

Ten!

Things get lost in Internet space. I had this post written and published. I don't know where it went.

Our ten year anniversary was on the 7th.

We look so young! We were young!

(We still look and are young.)

Oh the many events in our ten years!

College graduations and certifications.

A major move.

Three careers.

Two new cars.

One child.

And one... house on the way.

I cannot say it has been easy. We have had our rough patches. But we came through them.

We met through high school. We hung around the same group of people but we didn't interact much. I knew he was the quiet type. He was a year older than me and was in the same graduation class as my brother. Right after they graduated, we started dating in 1997. However, I had known him since 1994.

We got married in 2003. And the rest is... history

I don't think I would be who I am without him. 

I Have this.... Thing

I have a thing for lists

I am a list maker. I thrive on writing things down. I am bombarded with things that I need to do or to remember. Writing a list helps me remember what has to be done. I take pride and joy at completing the tasks. I feel accomplished when I physically mark items off the list. It's almost a thrill seeing my pages scribbled like this. And a bunch of scribbled paper wrinkles ever-so-satisfyingly in a spiral. 

Technology is helpful in that I can have a small, legible list in my hand/pocket/purse. It's also helpful to have the gentle reminder of a chirp or a buzz on my phone. I just don't feel the sense of excitement of tapping a check box that I do with scratching items off on a pen/paper list.

The only complaint I have is that it hurts to write. I don't know what happened but my index finger on my dominant/writing hand hurts. It feels as though it is in constant need of popping.

Thinking Ahead

There are things that I want to get out of my head. Just so I can clear it out and focus on something. Today, I'm thinking about summer. It's a week away. And like every summer, I plan things out. You'll see a few lists pop up here depending on what's happening in my life at that point.

Today I'm thinking ahead about chores. I really fancy the idea of tackling chores on scheduled days. I think it would really help me out in the long run to have scheduled chores instead of one big cleaning day every month or so.

I've seen a few blog(gers) that have similar ideas or schedules. I will include my references at the end of my post. I'm also adding in blogging days as well. I'm trying to rev up my writing skills. Those are indicated with this dark blue color.

Here are my plans...

• Sunday - Laundry & kitchen deep clean; Get ready for the week ahead
• Monday - Linens & towels laundry; Bedroom cleaning; Menu Plan Monday
• Tuesday - Floors & bathrooms; Resources
• Wednesday - Public areas (living room, entry ways, etc), Wordless Wednesday
• Thursday - Wrangling day (put everything it's place);  T.C.O.Y. 
• Friday - Plan following week's menu; Process paperwork; Week in Review
• Saturday - Grocery day; Errands; Family day

• Dailies: Make beds, wipe-downs, dishes, quick pick-up and laundry as needed.

Blog Planning Explanations:

• Menu Plan Monday - Linking up with OrgJunkie on a weekly basis to share menues with others
• Tuesday Resources - A few of my favorite blog posts or videos that I think deserve a bit of recognition - as small as my blog is.
• Wordless Wednesday - A few photos without explanation.
• T.C.O.Y Thursday - Take Care of Yourself - I used to write a weekly journal of things that help me take care of myself and thought they would be helpful to others. Inspiration for me and you!
• Week in Review Friday - I guess things that happen during the week. A more personal check in.

My Resources:

• HomeEc101: Weekly Chore Schedule
• 5-Day House Cleaning Schedule

Wordless Wednesday - A Day at the Lake

Counting Chickens

House Hunting

We are looking for a house. We put an offer on one house but it wasn't accepted. We've put an offer on another house, and it was accepted. We are starting to line things up! Next up comes the inspection and whatever else is next. Appraisal. Lots of finger and toe crossing. I really hope everything goes through and we get this house. I am ready for my own home. I am ready to paint and decorate and put my own personality into my living space. I want Ivy to have her own space too! And Pinterest. Oh, Pinterest. We have a lot of quality time together. I pin all kinds of DIY and decorating ideas.

I am not a believer in superstitions. I don't feel that if I announce things to the world, that everything will fall apart. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I am not at fault. Yes, I am hopeful. Yes, I am daydreaming. Yes, I am planning. But my hopes, daydreams, and plans are not solidified on the one house. I would have these hopes, dreams, and plans regardless. It does not depend on the one house. I am a planning person. I thrive on lists and having 90% of things lined up in order and planned out. Don't worry, I do have a spontaneous streak. Sometimes I like to get up and go and do without having a plan.

Favorite Food!

Our favorite meal at the moment is salisbury steak. I don't know what got me in the mood for it, but I wanted salisbury steak. I found it on Pinterest, of course! I have modified the recipe and it was delicious!

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• ⅓ cup bread crumbs 
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 egg
• 14 oz condensed beef broth - ish, a standard can
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp reserved beef broth
• 1 pkt brown gravy mix

Directions

1. Mix the beef, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and egg together and shape into 4-6 oval patties about ¾ inches thick. Cook patties in a skillet turning once until brown.
2. Add beef broth heat to boiling. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove patties to a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
3. Heat mixture until boiling. Mix broth and cornstarch together to make a paste. Add to boiling mixture with a wire whisk and whisk until gravy begins to thicken. Then add the packet of brown gravy that has been mixed with one cup of water and add to the beef broth mixture in the skillet. Using the wire whisk again whisk the gravy until it is smooth and thickened.
4. Pour the gravy over the patties. Bake in the 9 x 13 casserole dish at 350 until bubbly.

(Recipe adapted from realmomkitchen.com)

Menu Plan Monday

We've been doing really well with menu planning. We have been doing what we can to reduce our food costs so we can save more money for a house. I haven't been posting every week, but we do it every week. That's what matters most.

Memorial Day is considered the start of grilling season and the unofficial start to summer. I really love having bar-b-que but since we are living in a strict apartment complex, we aren't allowed to have grilling equipment. I hope by next year that we will have a grill at a house. I also love fresh squeezed lemonade.

What are your favorite foods for summer?

Sunday - Leftover salisbury steak

Monday - Memorial Day treat - We picked up fried chicken

Tuesday - Buffalo chicken hashbrown casserole

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Ranch chicken

Friday - Salisbury steak & mashed potatoes

Saturday - Leftovers

(For more menus: Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie)

Blackberry Cheese Danish

Yesterday's berry picking led to today's berry-filled recipe. If you don't know this by now, I really like Pinterest and I find a lot of recipes there that I like to test out. I wanted to make a cobbler, but I don't think I will have the time to make it - unless we do another round of foraging!

Probably not the best photo of it, but we ate the whole thing, it was so good. I probably could've smashed the berries a bit but I wanted to see the berries as they were.

My recipe was adapted from http://www.laurenslatest.com/easy-blackberry-cheese-danish/

1can crescent rolls

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup fresh blackberries

Icing:

1/2 cup powered sugar

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/8 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F.  Mix together cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla and flour. Open can of crescents and align the dough into a rectangle. Press the edges together. Spread the cheese mixture along the center of the dough. Top with berries. Fold the sides of the dough over the cheese and berries. You can get fancy and slice the sides of the dough to make pretty designs or you can be lazy and just flap it over. Either way, it gets done.

Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes.

Combine powdered sugar, cream and vanilla. Once the Danish is fully baked, drizzle the icing on top. Then hold on to your seats because you're going to finish the whole thing before it even has the chance to cool down. 

My modifications: I halved the Danish recipe because we are just two people (Kiddo isn't into eating this type of stuff yet). We don't need that much. I just baked the rest of the dough as they were intended. Maybe I would mash the berries a bit next time and reduce the cheese mixture ratio. It's very rich. 

Berry Nice!

Last week we went to the lake. The weather had been sunny and breezy so I suggested that we take a picnic. Husband agreed so we set about our business of picking up our mostly weekly lunch from Five Guys and headed out to the lake.

I spied a mom with her two kids with plastic bags bending over picking stuff up off the ground in the bushes. At first I thought they were being awesome by picking up trash but I didn't see anything and they were still picking. My gears started turning.

So we ate our lunch, nearly being blown away by the strong gusts of wind. Afterwards, we started walking and as I was looking down, I found them. Wild blackberries. My mind wrestled with me for a moment. "Are they safe to eat?" Let's see... They're growing naturally in their season without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, steroids, chemicals, chemicals or other chemicals. What about bugs? What about them, flick them off. So I picked one, inspected it, popped it in my mouth, then proceeded to have a food-gasm. Yum!

I ran and took care of business... I threw away our picnic trash and found a bag. I started picking and just could not stop! Even Husband and Baby started picking them! Once we got home, I washed them and put them in the fridge.  I made every excuse to visit said fridge. The berries were gone the next day.

A week later, today, was a repeat of last week except no picnic. We planned to pick berries today and went out early to beat the heat. It was cloudy, a little moist from recent rains, a breezy. I was prepared with a decent bag and we just started picking. The berries this week were even better and bigger. The bushes grew and the berries ripened some more. I'm going to make a Danish in the morning with these berries. I am also sharing some with my co-worker. 

After our berry-picking, we went to the store. A single cup of blackberries is about 4 dollars! And I bet they taste horrible! Mine were free and in abundance and organic. I also saw some strawberries being grown in a planter at a restaurant. This has gotten me thinking... If they grow here naturally, can I grow them myself? I've been researching this and I plan on trying it when we get a house.  

All of this reminds me of when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was outside playing at the church I went to and I remember I picked blackberries and brought them home. My mom let me have some biscuit dough in my attempt at making a personal pie with the berries. It didn't turn out so good. I had no idea how to make a pie. I also remember picking berries at Aunt Carol's house too. Good times.

Go pick some wild berries!