Gingerbread Houses!

This Christmas my mom decided to revive a tradition from our childhood... Gingerbread houses!  I was, of course, very excited... baking and decorating... two of my favorite things!

The boys were apprehensive... but they came around... and dare I say, I think they kind of enjoyed it.

Before...

About halfway done...

Here are our finished products... each one unique...

Guess who... Patrick put an AU on his roof...

My colorful side... yes, it looks like my roof might cave it... but it never did!

Lastly... my brother Patrick added a chimney... very creative!

This is such a fun and tasty Christmas tradition... I'm glad we brought it back this year!  I am off to take down my Christmas decorations... Happy New Year everybody!

So much to see...

We had a super busy Christmas break... but I wouldn't trade it for anything!  Patrick and I got to see both of our families... so it was very very special!  I decided rather than write about all our stops, that I would just share some pictures... the problem... I don't have pictures of all the events... so a few words will be necessary.

We left Atlanta early Monday to head west... we stopped in Birmingham and had lunch with Patrick's brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Sarah.  (I was so excited to get out of the car... I left my camera in the trunk.)  We ate at one of their favorite restaurants, from Auburn, Momma Goldberg's, who would have thought that nacho cheese Doritos with pepper-jack cheese could be so tasty!

Then it was off to the Shoals where we visited with both sets of Patrick's grandparents, and spend some wonderful time with his parents!

Wednesday morning we were off again... we made a pit-stop in Birmingham again... this time we had lunch with Patrick's other brother and sister-in-law, Sid and Libby.  We ate at Full Moon BBQ... YUM!

Slight side-note:  I am so grateful we got to see Paul, Sarah, Sid, and Libby while we were in town!  It is tough to get everyone's schedules to match up (between the 6 of us we live in 4 states... that doesn't include all of Paul's travels.)  I hope we can all get together again soon!

Now back to the travels... after lunch we headed to Florala.

Christmas Eve we attended service at Mackie's church, then we went to my Dad's parents house to eat dinner and exchange gifts.  When we got back to Mackie's that night we opened a few more...

Now Christmas morning... after a our traditional breakfast burritos... we got to see what Santa brought...

... man I looked rough that morning... Yikes!

Finally we packed up and headed to Troy to have Christmas lunch with my mom's family... we did take plenty of pictures that day... but they are all on my mom's camera.

Back in Atlanta Christmas night, Patrick surprised me with such a thoughtful present... every southern lady should have some...

(I guess I just looked rough all day :-)... I was so tired that night!)

I am so blessed!  What a truly AWESOME week!

What a week!

I had a fantastic (and very busy) Christmas week!  Patrick and I were able to visit both of our families over the holiday.  We spent some time in Birmingham, Muscle Shoals, Florala, Troy, and Atlanta.  I told you we were busy!

I tried to make sure I took some pictures to share...I will post those soon... I promise.  I have an adjusted work schedule this week... I have gotten so used to getting up without an alarm... so I am still a little sleepy...

For now... it's back to the laundry, and maybe The Sound of Music.  I hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas!  And, I pray you have a wonderful New Year!

So long... to a legend

Last week Atlantans said "so long" to a local sports legend.  A legend that I had the privilege of calling a friend.  I grew up watching his sports reports on T.V.... and I will never forget the first time I really talked to him when he came to visit my station in Orlando.

(Yes, they had a life size cut-out to take pictures with)

Chuck Dowdle and his photographer came to Orlando for Braves spring training.  The were feeding their video from our station... I was star struck!  He stopped by my desk to say hello, because one of my coworkers told him I was from Atlanta.  When he stopped to talk he noticed that I was following the UGA basketball game... we bonded instantly... he is a serious Dawg fan.

(Here we are looking at a picture I took with him when I was in Redcoats at the Sugar Bowl...so funny!  I was so nervous to ask him back then.)

He is such a genuine guy... the real deal to everyone he meets.  Every time I ran into him at the station we would talk UGA sports.  He knew so much about everything!  I could even talk to him about the Gymdogs.  A testament to his friendliness... people from all different places attended his retirement luncheon.

(John Smoltz, Evander Holyfiend, and Tom Glavine at the lunch.)

Good Luck Chuck... we are going to miss you!

Foodie Friday: Oreo Balls

These are FANTASTIC!  They are also so easy to make!  Only three ingredients... what could be better?

Oreo Balls

Ingredients:

-1 pkg Oreo Cookies (I saw someone used mint Oreos... I will have to try that too!)
-1 block cream cheese, thawed
-1 pkg white almond bark (or a pkg of white chocolate chips)

Crush the Oreos.  They should be very fine, I put mine in the food chopper.

Mix the crushed Oreos and the cream cheese.  *Hint- Let the cream cheese thaw before mixing.  Also whip the cream cheese before you add the cookies... it makes it easier to spread around.*

Roll the cookie mixture into small balls.  Place the balls on wax paper and let them chill in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

Melt the almond bark in the microwave.  Dip each ball, to cover in the chocolate.  Put back on the wax paper to dry.
*Hint- Melt the chocolate in small batches (I did four pieces each time).  Use a small bowl, like the one pictured.*

Finished product...YUM!

A little ketchup...

One of my teachers in elementary school used to have "ketchup" days every few months... I thought it was funny, so I thought I would continue it.  I have had a really busy few days... but I will give you the quick version.

-Patrick and I celebrated our one year dating anniversary over the weekend.  We had a wonderful time!  We went back to the place we had our first date and we got ice cream again.  This year though, it was in the thirties.. so so cold!  I am a terrible blogger because as soon as I got to the restaurant I realized I left my camera in my other bag... so no pictures.  I promise I will try harder at Christmas.

-I planned to write a much more in depth blog entry this morning... but for some reason I decided it would be a good idea to grab a hot pan with my bare hand (not really, but it's a long story and I am tired).  Needless to say my hand did not agree.  I got a pretty bad burn, so my morning plans were altered.  Don't worry though, I got some burn cream and it's wrapped up... so all is well.

-I have so much to do to prepare for Christmas next week... I feel like it snuck up on me this year!  I am excited though because I invested in The Nativity on DVD.  I'm not sure when I am going to watch it... we will see...

OK, that is all I have for now... I need to get my beauty sleep!  See you on Foodie Friday!

Christmastime in Georgia

Welcome to Christmastime in Georgia... I have a one bedroom apartment... and I have two full size trees.  What can I say?  I love Christmas decor!  I am so excited I get to share it with my blog friends this year!

This is my Georgia tree...

Here is is at night... without the flash... to showcase the lights!

You might ask, "How is it a Georgia tree?"

Because it is covered with ornaments like this...

They are all red, black, or silver...

Most all of them are associated with special memories and people... the UGA landscape above is from my mom (from our favorite craftshow)... the UGA ball below was a gift from my precious friends John and Cassie

This cross stitch one was a gift my freshman year of college from my dear friend (and future roommate) Rebecca Ruth...

Jesus is the reason for the season!  This is my favorite part of all my decor.  It helps keep my attention focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

I have two of these angels... my mom and I got them at a craft show we attend every year... I think they are so neat, each one is handmade.

Last year my mom and I saw similar centerpieces at Michaels... we decided we could make them... and we did for about half the price... I love it!

My second tree... this one is in my bedroom... it has all my crafty ornaments... so it is very colorful!

I also use the ornaments from my childhood on this tree... there are so many memories... like when we went to Disney World.

Or all the ballet classes I took... there are lots of ballet ornaments!

Thank you for spending a little Christmastime in Georgia...

The Dawgs were nestled all snug in their beds... while visions of bowl games danced in their heads...

Merry Christmas Y'all!!

Ice Cream in December

As soon as we hung up the phone, these words ran quickly through my head..."What did I pack?  Is anything in my bag date appropriate?"  Luckily, I had packed one cute outfit... so I decided this would have to be the one.. good or bad it would in my mind forever be known as "the blind date outfit."

The next day was pretty laid back around Dana's house.  We hung out and watched movies, as I tried my very best not to let my nerves show.  When it was finally time to get ready, my hands were shaking so badly I'm surprised I did not end up with mascara all over my face!!  I was more nervous than I have been in a very very long time!

As night fell, Dana left for the dance recital... and I was left, all alone in her apartment waiting for the determined hour when Patrick would pick me up.  I paced, prayed, paced some more... I'm telling you I was nervous!  Then it happened, the phone rang, he was at the gate I had to buzz him in.  So I buzzed... and waited and waited and waited!  It felt like it was taking forever, then my cell phone rang.  It was Patrick, Dana forgot to tell him which apartment she lived in.  Fortunately, I could hear him outside the door...

When I opened the door... I think I lost my breath for a minute.  After we said hello, I grabbed my coat and we headed out.  We went to Macaroni Grill for dinner... we sat outside while we waited for a table.  I sat on one end of the bench, and he sat on the other... I remember thinking that 3 people would fit between us...

We ate dinner and talked about all kinds of things.  Family, career goals, we even talked a little about our opposing views on football teams.  I was eating my dinner, but it was almost like it was multiplying in the bowl... I just kept saying to myself "EAT, EAT, he's going to think you are not grateful for this delicious dinner."

Since I had ruined his movie plans, we ended up just driving around for a little while after dinner.  We looked at some Christmas lights, and somehow the next thing I knew we were at NC State.  We were talking so much that I wasn't really paying attention to where we were... all our conversation flowed so naturally.

Now comes the part where you are going to question our sanity... it was December 13, and freezing outside... so what do we do?  We decided to go for ice cream.  We ordered our ice cream at ColdStone, but it was getting late and they were about to close, so we had to eat it outside.  I tried to be tough... and disguise the fact that my body was shaking pretty violently, needless to say, we finished our ice cream in the heated car... thank goodness!!

That is pretty much it... we went back to Dana's and hung out for a little but...he asked if he could call me again... and I said, yes.  I suppose the rest is history!

*This is the third in a 3 part series... to start from the beginning go to "The Story Behind the Story"

Excuse me...

I-pods are great for car trips; I learned this on my trip to Raleigh.  You don’t realize how hard it is to find a good radio station, until you are driving through three states. As soon as you find a station you like it either goes to commercial, or you drive out of their coverage area.

So driving up I-85, I was rocking out and singing out loud with the songs on my I-pod.  I was so excited and carefree... time for my girls’ weekend.  Then, my phone started ringing… it was a number I did not recognize.  Normally, I would send this kind of call straight to voicemail, but, I had just started working in the visitor class at church and I was afraid it was one of our visitors calling with a question.  So, I answered…

“Hello.”

“Hi, this is … Patrick… friend.” 

The connection was terrible!  I couldn’t understand what he was saying… is this my brother Patrick’s friend?  Has something happened to my brother?  Isn’t 256 and Alabama area code?  In all my confusion, the best I could say was, “Excuse me?”

“This is Patrick, Dana’s friend from Southeastern, she gave me your number.”

No way, could it be??  I felt my face growing warmer, and I’m pretty sure if you had seen me in that moment my face was a lovely shade of Georgia red.  I was in shock!  I just kept thinking don’t say anything stupid.

We talked for a few minutes.  Patrick asked if he could take me to dinner Saturday night.  I told him I would have to check with Dana to make sure she didn’t have plans, because I thought we were supposed to go to a dance show.  He asked if I knew any movies playing in the theatre… get ready for a foot in mouth moment… I said, “I don’t really go to movies too often, I have a pretty short attention span.”

Then came the long pause, followed by, “Oh… I can find something else for us to do.”

Wow, way to go Elizabeth… way to ruin his plans.  The poor guy had to call this random girl and ask her out, and then she ruins his plans without the blink of an eye.  This is not a good way to get started.

The call was pretty quick… we made plans for the next night, he would pick me up at Dana’s and we would head out.

When we hung up thoughts came rushing through my head!  Did I say the right thing?  Did I say too much?  Did I pack anything to wear on a date?  But most importantly, Dana didn’t tell me she gave him my number…

*This is the second of a 3 part series... to start from the begining read "The Story Behind the Story"... to read part three go to "Ice Cream in December"  

Foodie Friday: Peanut Brittle

This is another of Mackie's recipes (my grandmother).  Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, she has made brittle for friends and neighbors.  Often, a large part of our time at her house was spent munching on this tasty treat.  It has a distinct smell when it's baking, (not a bad smell, it is sweet tasty smell) each time I make it, the smell takes me back to Mackie's house at Christmastime.

Peanut Brittle 

Ingredients:

-1 cup raw peanuts

-1 cup sugar

-1/2 white corn syrup

-1/8 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 teaspoon butter

-1 teaspoon baking soda

Stir peanuts, sugar, syrup, and salt in a two quart mixing bowl.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes.  Stir.  Microwave on high for 3 more minutes.

Add vanilla and butter, blend well.  Microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds.

Add baking soda, gently stir until light and foamy (you will know when it is foamy... I promise... it's like magic)

Pour out on aluminum foil.  Cool.  Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

This is one batch of brittle... (an artistic batch at that)

This is a morning of making brittle...

*Helpful Hint... use a large glass measuring cup type bowl to make this... the handle is important because the bowl gets VERY VERY HOT!  Also use either a wooden spoon or a synthetic one that can withstand high temperatures... this is what I use...

The Story behind the Story

This weekend marks one year for Patrick and I.  So, I decided this would be the perfect time to chronicle the beginnings of our relationship.... because everyone always asks.  So today, I start with the story behind the story of how we met...

One of my best friends from UGA, Dana, goes to school at Southeastern Seminary in North Carolina.  For months, she had been telling me about this guy she met who was "perfect for me."  When I inquired more about why he was so "perfect" all she would say is, "he just is."  I was determined the only reason she thought this, is because his name is Patrick just like my brother... personally I thought it was a little weird (he also went to Auburn, just like my brother)... so I resisted, waiting for more explanation on why we would be so "perfect."

Last fall (a year after she first mentioned him to me), after much thought and prayer, I decided to go for it... I sent Dana a message telling her that if she thought it was appropriate she could give him my e-mail address or Facebook... what is the worst that could happen?

For weeks there after each time I checked my e-mail I secretly hoped I had a note from this mystery man named Patrick.  I also tried, to no avail, to search for him on Facebook.  After about six weeks of nothing, I decided it probably wasn't going to happen, so honestly, I put it out of my mind.

I had been to visit Dana once before, but other than that we really had not seen too much of each other.  We missed getting together, so I planned a quick weekend visit.  We decided on the weekend of December 12, she had a bunch going on... but if you know Dana, you know this is pretty par for the course.  I was to drive up on Friday and meet her after work, then I would drive back VERY early Sunday morning, before I had to go to work.  It was a fun getaway weekend for me, and I was so excited about getting to see my faraway friend.

The last thing on my mind that weekend was meeting this mystery man.  It had been a few months since I told her she could give out my information... and still no communication.... I figured it was just another of Dana's matchmaking schemes that never really came to fruition... I had a girls weekend on the brain, and I was totally pumped about hanging out with an old friend... that is, until my phone rang...

*This is the first of a 3 part series... the next part is entitled "Excuse Me"

Green E

What did I do tonight... that's a very good question... I did a lot of standing... and sitting... and standing... and looking... and waiting... it looked a little like this...

What are all these people waiting for??

That's right!  Today the Pioneer Woman stopped in Atlanta... and she drew a HUGE crowd!!  When I arrived more than an hour early for her book signing there were already at least 350 people in line ahead of me!  (They bumped the signing up an hour and a half, there were so many people.)

They handed out wristbands when you walked in the door... then you had to wait for them to call your color and letter... THEN and only then could you get in the line.  I was "Green E."  So I had to wait for all the Orange A-I's and all the Green A-D's before I even got in line.  (30 people per letter, in case you were wondering.)

But after 5 hours... this happened... and it was so fun!  She is so sweet!  She had been signing books for more than 5 hours, but she said she would stay until the last book was signed... and I believe she will!

The sad part... she was giving away free shirts to everyone who came... we all wanted a shirt so badly... and guess what... they ran out 5 people in front of me... oh well... maybe I'll win a mixer or something.

One more thing...Bakerella was there tonight too... she had to get her book signed... everyone loves the Pioneer Woman!