Homemade Mac and Cheese

Hit the road, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese!

Because my Homemade Mac & Cheese recipe is so much better.

(This is what it looked like before baking in the oven.)

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni (I used penne pasta)

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 pinch paprika

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
3. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.

Mmmmm. Who doesn't love Macaroni & Cheese!
We served this with BBQ Pork Tenderloin sliders, which made the perfect combination! (CV made the sliders so I don't have a recipe, but if we make it again, I'll be sure to watch carefully so I can post it!)

My Day of Birth!

Today is my dreaded birthday!

Another year older, more gray hairs (yes, seriously, I have them!) and another year closer to 30!

Yikes!

*be back soon with a more exciting birthday post*

New Recipe Link!!!

Dear people who like to cook/bake/eat,

I added a new Recipes link on my blog for a one-stop-shop of all my recipes I've published thus far. Are you excited??? And I plan on adding more recipes every week! (You can thank my "start cooking more" new years resolution for that!).

I hope you stop by and make something scruptious! Happy Cooking!!

Braised Balsamic Chicken

CV made me an amazing balsamic chicken dinner last night. We served it with sweet corn, salad, and a few dinner rolls. A+++ (and no I'm not just saying that because he may read this!) Allrecipes.com had over 1,600 comments and the rating was 4 1/2 stars. See recipe here.

Need more proof???? Then why don't you just make it yourself!!

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
 
Directions
 
1. Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.
2. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes

Happy Plate Club!! :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving...my new Brother Sewing Machine! That's right after one sewing class, I decided to buy my own machine and give-it-a-go. I have no idea what I'm doing yet, but when I create something, you will be the first to know. (Send me some easy sewing ideas, please!!)

I'm loving...that a bunch of my friends came over last week for a Girls Game Night. A shoutout to Sara, Ashley, Amanda, Samantha and Amber. It was nice to have the girls over for snacks, margaritas and Scattergories!

I'm loving...that CV and I ate at Carlo & Johnny's for dinner Monday Night.
I had the Steak Collingsworth (filet topped with asparagus & crab) and we split a side of Seafood Risotto. AND they gave us a complimentary Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake for dessert for my birthday. (It's the 30th) :) So delish!!!!
(Props to my boss for the giftcards there!)


And I'm loving...these "in the home" Pinterest finds this week:
Follow me on Pinterest here!

Paisley would LOVE the first two:












What are you loving today???

Deal of the Day: Colored Iphone Charger

Bored with your standard white Iphone charger???

Well, I am here to help.

Right now, everbuying.com has these colorful 2 in 1 charger kits (US Standard USB Power Apdater + USB Cable) for iPhone 4/4S/3GS/3G  FOR ONLY $2.06 +FREE SHIPPING when you use the promo code XMASWISHES8OFF.

(Code is good until February 7th.)

I just bought the purple one and I'm pretty excited about it! Let me know if you buy one! :)

More colors are available

The Lovers of Valdaro

Has anyone heard of the "Lovers of Valdaro"?
 The Lovers of Valdaro, is a pair of human skeletons discovered by archaeologists at a Neolithic tomb in S.Giorgio near Mantova, Italy in 2007.

Scientists believe that the pair is a man and woman no older than 20 years old and approximately 5'2" in height. They were removed from the ground intact and are currently undergoing tests.

I wish I knew the story behind the photo, don't you?
It speaks volumes.

And apparently, Fall Out Boy, knew about the Lovers of Valdaro as you can see from the cover of their albulm Believers Never Die - Greatest Hits.

A picture is worth a thousand words.
In this case, millions.

Deal of the Day: Shape Magazine

Reading health & fitness magazines is a great way to get motivated to eat healthy & workout. So, why not read the thrifty way.  Right now, discountmags.com is offering a year subscription to Shape Magazine for only $3.76! All you have to do is add "KRAZY" to the discount code. 
Click here to order.

This special rate will be live today only (1/18) through midnight (EST). This is such a great price for this magazine that will also inspire and encourage you! But you have to ACT FAST! (I just ordered mine!)

P.S. You are welcome.

#ShortPeopleProblems

I found these little "Short People Problems" on Pinterest and just had to share.

I'm 5'1'' so I've ofcourse experienced all of these "problems".

My BFF (who lives in Austin) is 6 feet tall and there have definitely been days when she opts for heels and I opt for flats. It makes me look like a small child.

Ha. This actually happened last week at Kroger. The pasta I wanted was on the top shelf (which I can usually reach) but the first 10 or so boxes were gone, so I couldnt reach the ones all the way in the back. So...I ofcourse had to stop the next tall person who walked by. I wasn't embarrased until I heard him laugh when he walked away.

This is hilarious because I always hug this way. I like to hug with my right arm on top of the person's shoulder and my left arm around their waist. I guess it is kinda weird since most people have to completely bend over to hug me. Ohwell. I've been hugging like that for years, and I'm not changing.

You are 5'5'', that means when you wear regular heels you are around 5'8''. Which is Amazing. I'm 5'1'', that means when I wear regular heels I am 5'4'' which is still SHORTER THAN YOU.

Unless you are a dude, 5'5'' isn't that bad. (*Sorry short dudes!)

Just a little fun post for a Friday. :)

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! 

Do It Yourself: Coasters

Everytime I hear the term "do it yourself", I think of the line in 40-year Old Virgin when Andy is in the bookstore and asks the girl "Do YOU like to do it yourself??" Haha. Anyone remember that?

ANYWAYS, speaking of DIY, I did craft up some holiday coasters for my coworkers last year. (It feels weird saying "last year" when it was a few weeks ago!)

Here's the play-by-play on the DIY Coasters:



Materials

-4 1/2" square ceramic tiles (I found mine at Home Depot for $.16 cents each.)

-Mod Podge

-Paper (I used Christmas Scrapbook paper, but you can use cardstock, photos, etc.)

-Foam Brushes

-Felt

-Paper Cutter

-Paper Cutter - Rounder (optional)

-Waterproof Acrylic Sealer (spray or paint)

Directions

1. Clean the tiles. I sanded the sides of mine down and wiped them down with a damp towel.

2. Cut your paper into 4" squares. *I used a paper rounder on my edges to have a smooth corner feel.

3. Brush the tile with Mod Podge and center your paper on the tile. Press it on tightly and smooth out any air bubbles. Allow 10 minutes to dry.

4. Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the top of the tile. Make sure your brushstrokes are clean because you can slightly see them when it dries. Allow to dry 15-20 minutes.

5. Apply a layer of waterproof acrylic sealer to top of the tile.

6. After tile is completely dry, cut 4" square of felt and apply to the bottom of the coaster with Mod Podge.

7. After tiles are done, stack and package to give as gifts.

I mixed/matched most of my Christmas coasters. I thought it would be fun for everyone to get 4 different ones that all complimented each other nicely! :)

And just for fun, I also made some "Breakfast themed" coasters for my friend.

Being crafty is fun, isn't it! :)

Thanks to Pinterest for the Coaster Idea.

Follow me on Pinterest here!

Cheers to 2011

Let's backtrack to 2011, shall we:

We ended the year with a few celebrations.

On Friday the 30th, a bunch of us (17 to be exact) met up at our favorite local Mexican restaurant to celebrate CV's 30th birthday. The night was filled with friends, beers, margaritas, tacos and the occasional shot of Tequilla.

His birthday is actually on the 31st, but since NYE is such a hard day to get everyone together, I decided to throw him a little mexican fiesta a day early so he could celebrate with all his friends.

On NYE/CV's Birthday, we started the day with brunch at The Pancake House in Montgomery, then I ran around running last minute errands, made & decorated a birthday cake, then we met back up for dinner with four other couples for our NYE dinner at China Gourmet in Hyde Park.

Here we are right after he blew out his candles...see the smoke?!

And doesn't the chocolate fudge cake I made look scrumptious!?

After dinner, we all hopped in the limo (compliments of CV's best friend) and went to Turfway Horse Races in Kentucky to bet on some horses.

The Naylors were the big winners that night...winning $228!

After the races, we headed to our friend KS's house for drinks and we were just in time for the NYE celebration on the Square where I kissed the birthday boy at midnight. :)

And there went another year...CHEERS 2011!

My Belated "Happy New Year" Post

I'm 5 days late to the "Happy New Year" blog party. Oops.

I know it's only day five, but I haven't really started the year on the right foot.

So far: I haven't eaten anything healthy. (My meals have consisted most of cake, pizza, hot wings, chinese food, pasta and cookies!) And I have only worked out once (which was today).

So, I think I'm going to start a Belated Happy New Year. That's right, the healthy eating and workout starts TODAY! (Which is why CV and I are making Turkey Burgers for dinner!) Yumm. :)

Here are my 2012 Goals:

Eat Right & Exercise Regularly

A realistic amount of exercise for me is 2-3 times per week. Hopefully I can keep this up all year.

This week I worked out today (walked up and down 35 flights of stairs) and I already signed up for a Pure Barre class for Saturday morning. Two Times...check! 

Oh, and if 35 flights (up and down) doesn't sound like alot. Here is a picture of my building.

My legs were shaking the entire time.

Lose 5 pounds

I've lost about 10 pounds in the past two years and I have 5 more that I would love to lose.

Sooner than later, please!

Take Paisley on a walk as much as possible

I wish I could walk Paisley every day, but with the frigid weather and the fact it gets dark by 7pm makes it hard. (And she hates the cold!) But hopefully I can find some daylight hours to take her during the winter...and obviously take her daily in the summer months!

Save at least 20% of my income

Financial Advisors say that you should save atleast 20% of your annual income. Well, I'm going to make it happen! I only saved 13% last year, but since I no longer have student loans and a car payment, I should be able to meet this goal!

Cook More

I really want to put on my Food Network apron & get back into the kitchen. I'm hoping I can cook 1 new recipe a week. I'd like to add alot more (healthy) meals to my recipe book.

Decutter

I am actually quite a simplist. So why is this one of my resolutions?

Because simplist or not I still have alot of unnecessary junk (mostly in boxes in the basement). I need to sell these items or give them to charity. And I need to not purchase things I don't need. It only adds to clutter.

Finish More Furniture Projects & SELL THEM

I actually LOVE my new hobby of redoing old furniture. But instead of investing the money & time in redoing them to only have them sit in awkward places in my living room, I need to get my money back (with a profit ofcourse) and SELL THEM. I'd really love to make this a casual little side business. I just need to find a BUYER! :)

Master the Skill of Couponing

I started casually couponing last summer and I love it. It definitely saved me alot of money on toothpaste and other necessities. I need to get back on the coupon train and save more money.

What can I say, I love a good deal!

That's my 2012 List for now. All seem pretty reasonable, right?
Again, Happy Belated New Year everyone. :)

Another Homeless Chair

CV found another perfectly great chair tossed out like garbage on the side of the road. Poor little thing has probably been in the basement of someone's house for years and never used. It was just dying for some fresh paint and new seat cover.

So, I granted the chair its last dying wish.

With a little sanding, priming, painting, glossing, and a little fabric...this chair looks brand new.

Doesn't he look happy now?

Now it can live happily ever after :)

Sew Me

I attended my first sewing class a few weeks ago and look what I created:

Yes, a cute little throw pillow. I don't know if you are impressed, but I sure am.

I see a sewing machine purchase in my near future.

Do any of you sew? If so, please send me some tips & easy ideas to get me started.

So far, I just know how to make pillows.