Instant Cash Sweepstakes

Switch Flops Giveaway!

So I follow this blog, The Sweet Jelly Bean

It is a friend of mines blog. We went to school together back in Athens. I have several memories of this friend. Preschool..when her dad was standing down the hall yelling her name and I swear I thought he was calling for me and I took off after him like it was my dad calling my name (and yes our dads did look somewhat alike, at least from a distance). And another memory is when we were in 4th grade, inventing a product and trying to sell it to our class. I remember I was the "energizer bunny" running into the room several times, one time even going down on my knees and getting severe carpet burn. But we got a good grade so that's all that matters right?!

Anyways, enough reminiscing..that's not why you are here, you saw the word "GIVEAWAY" in my blog title and that's why you are here!

So, all you have to do is follow click the link to go to my friends blog and read her entry. Its really her giveaway. Read her entry HERE It is her review on the SwitchFlops Then follow her directions on how you can be entered for the giveaway!

Kirklands Weekly Coupon

Here is Kirklands weekly coupon.

$10 off $50 or more.
Valid 3/26-4/1

They are having a big sale this weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

CLICK HERE FOR COUPON.

Oatmeal for a Buck!

Go try Jamba Juices Oatmeal for a buck!

Can't beat a deal like that!

CLICK HERE FOR THE COUPON.

Jacob's Baptism

This weekend we went to Lumberton to have Jacob baptised at Danny's home church.

We had the other kiddos baptised at the same church.

Jacob did fantastic. He didnt make a peep....well ok he made his usual "grunting" noises but he never cried! Not even when they put the water or oil on his head.

It was a great day!

Jacob and his godparents: Aunt Linda, Nicole and Josh

Family Pic

Taylor Swift!

DH came home one day last week and said he had been giving 4 tickets to see Taylor Swift at the rodeo. We had not planned to see her since the show was sold out and we had already been to the rodeo a few times, but who can pass up free tickets! Especially when its a sold out show!

Madison wanted to see her so badly that it just made sense to go ahead and go.

So we head to reliant and the traffic was unreal! I have never seen traffic like that in my whole entire life! We turned down Main and then found a sign that all lots were full, telling us to go to some Metro Park and Ride that we had never heard of. We ended up paying a arm and a leg to park at some storage lot and they had those people who ride the bikes pulling the carts take you up to the stadium.

Our seats were great! Madison had a blast! Poor Christopher was sooo tired and his poor allergies were acting up that once the rodeo was over he crashed. I dont think he saw any of the concert. Jacob was being watched by my good friend Tiffany.

Taylor does put on a good show. I think she does too much talking though, but it was a good show.

Pat Green and more Rodeo fun!

I went to see Pat Green at the rodeo last week with some girlfriends. Talk about a awesome time! I also needed this girl time like you would not believe! It was nice to get out and have a few drinks and let lose!

And Pat Green is awesome, as always!

Crispy Parmesan-Ranch Chicken Breasts

Wednesday nights dinner was delicious! Well, I thought so at least. Madison ate the chicken, Christopher did not touch it. Big suprise. He ended up eating 3 cans of Cars Soup! Poor guy is sick with a sinus infection though so I wanted to give him what he wanted for dinner...who knew it would be 3 cans of soup!

So I did a search through my recipe and I found this recipe that I had gotten off the trusty cooking board on Babycenter.com

It was really good. I used breadcrumbs instead of corn flakes because I didnt have corn flakes and I used egg and milk instead of melted butter to try and make it a little healthier. I also used Chicken tenders instead of Chicken Breasts.

I give this recipe 2 thumbs up. It was easy and yummy! I served it with rice with green peas mixed in, garlic parmesan asparagus, and cresent rolls.

Crispy Parmesan-Ranch Chicken Breasts (Strips or Tenders)

Katie (Katiedid) from Recipezaar

1 cup crushed corn flakes

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 (1 ounce) package hidden valley ranch dry ranch dressing mix

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup melted butter

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Set oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow dish mix together the cornflake crumbs with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder (if using) black pepper and dry ranch dressing mix. Place the melted butter in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken breast or strips into the melted butter, then roll into the cornflake mixture. Place in prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (strips or tenders or chicken strips might take less time).

Katie's Notes: I used plain bread crumbs instead of corn flakes and egg substitute instead of the melted butter. I cut my chicken into large nugget size pieces. I baked them for about 20 minutes, turned them over and then turned up the heat to 400 for about 5 minutes and finally broiled them for a few minutes to get them a little crispier.

Contain Yourself!!!

Just wanted to share another coupon with you all!

This time its from The Container Store.

Save 25% off your entire shopping trip now through April 13th!

All you have to do is print the coupon or you can shop online.

To print the coupon and/or get the code to get the discount online, just CLICK HERE.

I just love The Container Store!

Kirklands Coupon

Just thought I would pass along this coupon for Kirklands

It is for 10.00 off your purchase of 50.00 or more.

To print the coupon, just CLICK HERE.

Keith Urban

So we went on a date night with some friends of ours, Jennifer and Donny.*waves at Jennifer and Donny*

My wonderful friend Cheryl kept the kiddos over night! Thanks again Cheryl! Wish your night had beeen better though! ;)

We went to Pappasitos for dinner. YUM-O! We ended up eating 2 bowls of chips though before we even got our food! Good thing we didnt get a appetizer! My friend Jennifer got the appetizer sampler and it was on the biggest plate I have ever seen! You can kinda see the plate here in this pic...and aint my friend just too purty for words! :)

After we ate, we headed over to watch some rodeo. I love to watch the rodeo. Its amazing to see what those cowboys can do with those big animals!

Keith Urban was amazing! I love him to pieces and love his concerts. He is such a true entertainer! He even walked around the whole arena and even jumped the fence and sang right infront of these people, they could touch him even! Jealous!!!

Granola Bars

Here is a recipe for granola bars I made. I really liked them. Christopher hasnt touched them. I guess cause they look different than the boxed kind. And oddly enough at the time of this post, Madison isnt hungry. So I cant give any input on whether the kids liked them, but I do. I actually think I would like them better as a fruity and nutty bar that just chocolate chips.

I added a tablespoon of ground flax seed too, and used white and milk chocolate.

Granola Bars

via Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan.
In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, butter or margarine, honey and brown sugar. Stir in the 2 cups assorted chocolate chips, raisins, nuts etc.
Lightly press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.

New Recipes and Menu Planning coming soon!

Just wanted to come let everyone know that my menu planning and recipes will be back soon!

As you all know, I went on bedrest back on December 30th, 2008 and since then I was on bedrest for 3 weeks and then my little guy came at 37 weeks. I have since been adjusting to life as a busy mom of 3 kiddos.

And now that my little man in 6 weeks old and I have the clearance from my doctor to work out and get back in shape I will be doing new menu plans for myself and for my family. I plan to get back into Weight Watchers and working out more so my recipes and menu planning will be more healthy and also give you points values in case you are a fellow weight watcher! If you are, lets cheer each other on!

Look for a new menu plan(weight watcher friendly) starting in April!

Rodeo and Jonas Brothers Madness

On Sunday we took the kids to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We love when the rodeo is in town and try to go as many times as possible. Well this Sunday we went for 10 hours! We were one of the first people into the carnival and it was great! No lines! They even have a new area called "Kids Country". In this area we watched a magic show and a doggie stunt show. The kids really enjoyed this.

We also went inside to Reliant Center and did Agventure which is a great oppurtunity for the kids to learn about all the farm animals and how to care for them and what they can do for us. They learned about milking cows, chicks hatching from eggs, and even saw some animas who had just given birth! There is lots of shopping in this area, a petting zoo, and pony rides as well.

In the afternoon the rodeo competetion started. Here is where we watched the bull riding, barrel racing, etc. Christopher especially loved this! He loved watching the horses! He kept yelling "cowboys cowboys!" And man did he try and wave at everyone who went by on a horse!

After the rodeo they always have a concert, different genres of music. Well, last night happened to be the Jonas Brothers. I have never heard so many girl screaming at one. They were hysterical over this boy band! I guess I can't talk, I remember screaming and being obessed with New Kid on the Block back in the day. Madison was in heaven. She was dancing and singing and just had a blast!

Madison's Bear Float Trail Ride

So, we had a letter sent home that we had a week to prepare a "shoe box size" float with a bear(since thats the school's mascot) inside for a trail ride float the kindergartners were going to do throughout the school last Friday.

So we took the idea of a trail ride and made ours look like a little farm. As you can see from the pics, we made our bear a cowboy and put him on top of a float!

Madison loved it and it was a hit!

Jacob is 1 month!

So we took Jacob for his 1 month appointment last week.





Little man is up to 9lbs 1 ounce and 20.75 inches long! He is growing like a weed and is absolutely perfect!





The pediatrician is saying she would not be suprised if at his 2 month appointment he is 12lbs! Which she said is perfectly fine and healthy!





He recieved his 2nd Hep B shot while we were there and took it very well. Such a big boy!





Unfortunately at the 2 month appointment he will be getting 2 more shots as well. But since he is such a big strong boy, I am sure he will be fine!

Steakhouse Steaks and Rings!

I have been meaning to make this post since Valentines Day! I am so behind!

So for Valentines Day I made us a awesome dinner here at home since we couldnt find a sitter, and I really didnt want too since Jacob was just 2 weeks old.

So I searched for recipes and found Ina Garten's Steakhouse steaks and rings, and gorgonzola cheese sauce. WINNER!!! We had this with roasted veggies, garlic parmesan orzo and then I made a cheesecake for dessert.

Steakhouse Steaks
via Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
2 (10-ounce) filet mignon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fleur de sel
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with vegetable oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides.
When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes.
Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)
Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Cornmeal fried onion rings
via Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
2 cups buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
1 quart vegetable oil

Directions
Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remain crisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Gorgonzola Sauce
via Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
4 cups heavy cream
3 to 4 ounces crumbly Gorgonzola (not creamy or "dolce")
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions
Bring the heavy cream to a full boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then continue to boil rapidly for 45 to 50 minutes, until thickened like a white sauce, stirring occasionally.
Off the heat, add the Gorgonzola, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt and serve warm. If you must reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

Triple Chocolate and Vanilla Cheesecake
via All Recipes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups finely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 large eggs
1/3 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, melted
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly on bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs, flour and vanilla; mix well. Divide batter in half. Add chocolate to one half of batter; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Top evenly with vanilla batter.
3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until center is set Cool. Top with Chocolate Glaze. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
4. Chocolate Glaze: In small saucepan over low heat, melt 2 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate with 1/4 cup whipping cream. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat; spread over cheesecake. Makes about 1/3 cup