Random Recipes...

Sweet Chicken & Bacon Wraps

I made these little guys for a Christmas party and everyone loved them (good thing since this was a first time recipe for me). Anyhow, they are SO easy and SO SO yummy, just pop 'em in your mouth.... sorry, I dont have a pic...i know, bad blogger...

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

Note: if you do not have a broiler pan, use a wire "cooling rack" placed on a cookie sheet (with sides, as the coating with get carmelized and make a drippy mess)

Puttin on the Ritz

You may have seen these, or something similar, but they are such a crowd pleaser and a great midnight snack I might add..

Ingredients:

Directions:

Spread creamy peanut butter onto a Ritz cracker and top with another Ritz (making a Ritz PB sandwich) and place them on a cookie sheet.

Place them in the fridge for about 20 min (helps the PB get firm for dipping)

While they are firming up, melt your Almond Bark Milk Chocolate (you shouldnt have to add anything, as it normally has the perfect consistency for dipping). How many Ritz you are making will depend how much chocolate to melt...I guess guesstimate...I melt mine in the microwave or you could use a double broiler on the stove.

Dip one side of the Ritz in the chocolate Almond Bark and place on another baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place in fridge when done.

While that is drying, melt your white chocolate.

Give the little guys a good 45 min or so to dry, then dip the other half in the white chocolate almond bark. I dip about 5, then stop and sprinkle to make them festive with whatever makes you happy!

The finished product..... Enjoy!!

Christmas Frenzy

Okay, I have been reading all my favorite blogs, and reading of everyone's baking/decorating/entertaining frenzy, and feel super excited about the week to come. The Spirit of Christmas is Upon US!! As a full time working mom, I am at that moment where your list of things to do overrides your need for sleep, and you feel as if each day holds a mere hour in which you have to complete all your tasks. I honestly dont know how working moms of 2 or more kiddos get it all done! I have tried to stay ahead of the holiday hustle and bustle, by getting Christmas shopping done early, which was a HUGE accomplishment for me! Now, I just have to finish up wrapping everything. Heck, I even had our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving for fear that if I didnt do it the minute after I finished eating turkey dinner, it just wouldnt get done...and I am certainly NOT the type who trims the tree on Christmas Eve.

I LOVE to bake and make special goody packages for friends, family and co-workers, which I have come across many wonderful recipes from fellow bloggers and my favorite chefs over at Food Network, but finding the time to make everything that I would like is hard to do! I will still be making my annual treat bags, and I finally decided on what will be in them. I am keeping it simple this year:

-Peppermint Bark ( I have made this before and it is super simple and so pretty)

-Loaded Oatmeal Cookies (1st attempt at this particular recipe, courtest of Paula Deen)

-Puttin on the Ritz (this is my signature Christmas cookie that everyone begs for in July!)

I will be sharing all my recipes and feel free to share recipe links, ideas, etc. I also decided to create a Gingerbread Train with my son this year. He is 3 now, so I figured he would enjoy this! He loved it, as he was popping candy in his mouth!! Haha, I wonder where he gets his sweet tooth from???

I am planning on staying home ALL weekend to get baking, wrapping, and cleaning done. This past weekend I also helped my in-laws do all the food for their church Christmas Party, which was at their home. It was a huge undertaking, but everything turned out wonderful. It was a casual menu:
Autumn chowder with cornbread
Sweet chicken and bacon wraps
Spinach Artichoke dip with bagel chips
Turkey Pinwheels (recipe from Katie at Good Things Catered)
Stuffed Mushrooms (compliments of our sweet neighbor)

...and a few other appetizer type dishes...I will be posting a couple of my favorites from the party, as some of the recipes I had never made and they turned out fabulous!
Stay tuned....

GOALS-Nov. re-cap & Dec. goals

Since I havent been doing well getting my goals and projects up to date at the start of each new month, I decided I would do it early for December!! I know, there will be alot to accomplish with the holidays in full swing after the next 72 hours....
I simply cannot believe that we are coming to the close of 2008 and will begin fresh thoughts and plans for 2009....everyone always says how fast time flies, but for a reason unknown to me, I have truly felt the effects of it for 2008.
Christmas is my favorite time of year-to celebrate our Lord Jesus' birth, family and friends, colder weather (not cold, just colder...we are in Texas you know?) visiting Santa, holiday parties, decorating the house, and SHOPPING...by the way, I am getting close to being done with my list this year-whoohooo, gotta love getting Christmas shopping done early!

OK, back to the task at hand: GOALS...
Here is a re-cap of my Nov goals and what I did or did not complete:

1.) Finish "Nights in Rodanthe" by Nicholas Sparks...I also cant wait to see the movie, but have to finish the book first! COMPLETED!

2.) Start "The 5 Love Languages of Children" when finished with #1. NOT COMPLETED

3.) Sort & file away 1 bag of receipts that my wonderful husband placed on my desk (this is 1 0f 2 big WalMart sacks FULL of receipts). *background:he runs his own company and I get to do the books! YEA.. NOT COMPLETED

4.) Finish 1 month of inputting entries for Ryan's company-I designated Thur nights each week to complete this duty. NOT COMPLETED

5.) Pay off loan at CU COMPLETED!

6.) Pull off a great 3rd Bday party for my precious son! (I love party planning, so this is no chore!) COMPLETED!

7.) Post at least 1 blog each week SORT OF COMPLETED

8.) Finish the last part of organizing my "Personal Recipe Binder" *background: as I sort through blogs, mags, cooking websites, I collect/tear out recipes, cooking tips, etc and I placed them in a binder in clear sheet protectors,-the last part is to organize them by category...SORT OF COMPLETED

Upcoming Events to Work on:
1.) Planning all events for son's party..10/25 SUCCESS

2.) Schedule a small weekend get away..mid-Nov SUCCESS-went to San Antonio w/ hubs

3.) Figure out menu for the church's Christmas Party...12/13 STARTED...


Well...wish I had gotten a little more completed, but before you know it, time has completely disappeared...and then you just have to start again the next month, SO...here are my Dec Goals:

1.) Finish reading "Oceans Apart"
2.) Completely finish organizing personal recipe binder.
3.) Finish buying Christmas gifts by 12/9.
4.) Sort & file away 1 bag of receipts.
5.) Complete 2 tasks off my organizing list.
6.) Have Christmas decor up and finished by 12/1.
7.) Get carpet cleaned.
8.) Organize at least 1 week of meal planning.
9.) Turn the TV off if we aren't watching it.
10.) Post items on Ebay.
11.) Wake up early 3x per week (weekdays) to do cardio.
12.) Wake up early the other weekday mornings for "quiet time".
13.) Organize Hawaii '07 vaca pics.
14.) Take family pic and send out Christmas cards by 12/17.

Projects:
1.) Complete menu and pull off a successful Christmas Party for church staff.
2.) Bake Christmas treat bags for co-workers, friends and family.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

My New Favorite Gadget

Well, I happened to catch Oprah and she shared her new favorite gadget, which she received as a gift from someone. I believe it has been out for about a year or so, anyhow, I had never heard of it until now. This awesome new piece of technology is called an Amazon Kindle. It was created by the founder of Amazon. You download books/blogs/newspapers WITHOUT connecting to your PC-LOVE THAT! It works the way a cell phone does, but without paying monthly fees. You can "Shop" the Amazon Kindle store (from your PC or straight from your Kindle) and download any book...it appears on your Kindle within ONE minute! All the books available (over 190,000) on the "Kindle Store" are $9.99 and under, so you save money on books AND it's saving paper. You must check it out. I ordered one and I am completely addicted and reading alot more!

The MOST Important Thing U Can Do TODAY!!

Please make sure you VOTE today, if you havent already. This is such a crucial election, and living in a country where we have the opportunity to vote for our leaders is KEY! Take a book or magazine to read while you stand in line...OUR country is WORTH THE WAIT!

Also, prayerfully consider your choices, we NEED Godly men and women in leadership. Above all though, REMEMBER-GOD is our place of HOPE and TRUST! Jesus, we trust in you, and you alone!

Be safe out there.

Happy B-Day John Deere Style

My son turned 3 on 10/25 and he had a fabulous birthday party! Here are the pics of the festivities....

Here is the "Candy Bar"...I took some pics before the party got started...

It was a big hit, the kids loved it!!! (and I didnt mind the left over candy)

These are the JD party favors...like little happy meal boxes-so CUTE!

We set up a table and each child got to decorate a pumpkin.....

I decided to make cupcakes this year, instead of a traditional cake. Perfect size for the kids and ofcourse the adults didnt turn their nose up!

Me (and everyone else) singing Happy Birthday
to Clayton...notice my niece in the background plugging her ears-lol..she does that every time!

My brother in law painting Payton's face..this is a scary thing!

We had a surprise guest...Clayton LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...he was so excited to have Mickey at his party. In fact, he is still talking about it!

Kudos to Granny!

Opening gifts...he had a wonderful b-day!

Clayton's buddy, Karrter, stayed after so they could play!

It turned out great, but I am glad to have that behind me...now it's time to start thinking about the holidays!!!

Getting Caught Up

It's been a little while since I last blogged. I am definelty not the blogging Queen, but I am making an effort here! Anyhow, I have been busy planning, partying and getting caught up with work, having gotten WAY behind after we were greeted by Hurricane Ike. Thankfully, we had minimal damage, but I dont know if I would call having no power or water for 5 days, minimal. We were actually more fortunate than some though, whose power was out for 10+ days. Even though it is already mid-Oct and fall is in full swing, I took some time to re-evaluate my goals a few nights ago, so now I can post my Oct goals, even if a little late! I am determined to accomplish a few things these last few weeks.

1.) Finish "Nights in Rodanthe" by Nicholas Sparks...I also cant wait to see the movie, but have to finish the book first!
2.) Start "The 5 Love Languages of Children" when finished with #1.
3.) Sort & file away 1 bag of receipts that my wonderful husband placed on my desk (this is 1 0f 2 big WalMart sacks FULL of receipts). *background:he runs his own company and I get to do the books! YEA..
4.) Finish 1 month of inputting entries for Ryan's company-I designated Thur nights each week to complete this duty.
5.) Pay off loan at CU
6.) Pull off a great 3rd Bday party for my precious son! (I love party planning, so this is no chore!)
7.) Post atleast 1 blog each week
8.) Finish the last part of organizing my "Personal Recipe Binder" *background: as I sort through blogs, mags, cooking websites, I collect/tear out recipes, cooking tips, etc and I placed them in a binder in clear sheet protectors,-the last part is to organize them by category...

Upcoming Events to Work on:
1.) Planning all events for son's party..10/25
2.) Schedule a small weekend get away..mid-Nov
3.) Figure out menu for the church's Christmas Party...12/13

This should be an adventure..I will re-cap beginning of Nov, but ofcourse I will be blogging before then... (see #7)

Everything Fall

I am so excited that fall has arrived and brought all of its wonderful little pleasures that come with it! From yummy spice candles to pumpkin quick bread and golden leaves around us (just in the decor down here in the south!)....it puts a smile on my face. Being the shopper that I am, I have found some fall goodies that I think deserve some recognition! These are a few of my favorite finds.... (so far....I mean we still have 2 months of this, and I can fit ALOT of shopping in!)

1. Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Spice handsoap & lotion.

This stuff is fabulous, and I have tried many-a- pumpkin scents!

Best thing is that it's "pure and green"

2. Crate & Barrel Pumpkin Tureen.

I love, love, love to make soups when it starts to get chili outside and this is the perfect pumpkin to serve it in! We actually have a C&B here in Houston, so I immediately ran down and purchased this!! Since there is no slot for a ladle, this is also great for decor, cookie jar, etc.

3. Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Quick Bread

I do love to bake, but with a 3 year old, it is sometimes hard to find the time, so I love to use this mix and bake it in small individual loaf pans and take to friends & neighbors!

4. Ann Taylor Loft grey cardigan

This is my absolute favorite store and I have made friends with grey this season! I love anything grey, especially clothes. This is the perfect cardigan for a chili day (no snow here, so we can get away with this)

5. Bath & Body Works Oils

Autumn Leaves is a new scent that is so yum! I burn the oils and also buy the scented wallflowers to match! Your home will smell like a crisp fall day!

Hope you enjoyed my Fall Finds, feel free to share your faves too!!

Blast From the Past

Well, the Reunion wasnt quite what we expected, but we had fun with the folks who came!!

This is Ryan (hubs) Clay and the "reunion crasher!"

This guy seriously just came into our party from off the streets-nice, hu?

Busy, busy busy...will post more later!

10 Year Reunion!!

So, Saturday night is my husband's 10 year HS Reunion (wow I feel old saying that!!) We went back and forth whether we wanted to go or not since we really dont keep in touch with many people from HS (he graduated 98 and I in 99). SO, the verdict is in-we're going! I am excited now that we're going. It's at the Hyatt downtown, so I am looking forward to getting all dolled up. I already have my outfit picked and I have to take Ryan's to the cleaners. I will post pics after the weekend-this should be eventful.

Party Planning

My son's 3rd bday is next month (10/25) and I am trying to get some ideas together to figure out all the details for his party. I think we are going to have a more simple party this year- at a park. Clayton would be outside 24/7 if we would let him, so I think he will like having his party at the park!! He is really into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and tractors of course (John Deere to be exact) and I asked him, "Do you want a Mickey or a tractor party?"...although I dont completely think he understands that I am referring to the "theme" of the party, his quick response was "TRACTORS"!!! So, this weekend I will be on a mission for John Deere party accessories!! I havent yet decided how I will do the invitations. Here are the main decisions I need to make:

-location:

-food served:

-invitation:

-theme: John Deere

-cake or cupcakes:

-date & time:

Yikes! i better get to plannin' if I wanna stay on top of things!

New Blog spot

Hi bloggers/readers! I have wanted to create my own blog for some time now, and I DID IT!!! Yea...It may take some time to figure all of this out, but I hope to start getting some pics and posts up soon. Wish me luck-thanks!! :)