Special Visit!

Look who we got to meet yesterday...

Touchdown!

Our sweet niece Reagan is home from the hospital and we got to hang out with her family all afternoon yesterday.

This is pretty much how I spent the whole day... just holding her as she slept so sweetly!

She is a such a sweet little girl... and she can sleep through anything!  We had a great time visiting with her parents too!  Sorry we didn't get a picture with them!

We can't wait to come back and visit... really soon!

Christmas Cards!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere I go…  One of my favorite Christmas things are photo Christmas cards.  I have been looking all over the web for fun designs, there are so many to choose from!  I think I found my favorites on Shutterfly.com, they have such a great selection and their prices are great… plus they are offering 50 free cards to bloggers!  You certainly can’t beat that!

I have been looking forward to sending out cards since I found out were were going to be married by Christmas 2010.  It is such a fun way to share a special picture with friends and family all over the country.  We have so many pictures to share this year, I am so glad that so many of the Shutterfly cards have space for multiple pictures.

I am a sucker for anything with a monogram, that is why I love these two cards.  They are so classy and sleek… but for such a great price!

Found here.

Found here.

I also love the simplicity of this card.  It’s not too fancy it’s just classic and elegant! 

Found here.

There are so many colors for each design!  This makes choosing a card great for us, because I know that no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to get away with a red and black card this year.

I am also thinking about making a wall calendar with some of our wedding pictures.  I think that would be a fun way to remember our special day all throughout 2011.  The prices are fantastic… you really can’t beat this personalized keepsake!

We have not decided on our card yet; however, I will be sure to share it when we do!

Coupon totals...

Did you guess?  Here are the totals for this week...

2 Boxes Mueller Spaghetti: Normally $1.29 each; On sale B1G1 free, had a $1/2 coupon - Total $.29 for both boxes

2 Packages Ziploc containers: Normally $3 each; On sale 2 for $5, had a Publix coupon $1/2, had a manufacturer's coupon $1.50/2 - Total $2.50 for both

2 Boxes Nabisco crackers- Triscuits normally $2.99, Pretzel Crisp normally $3.09; On sale B1G1 free, had a $1/2 coupon - Total $2.05 for both

5 Boxes Betty Crocker muffin mix: Normally $2.59 each; On sale B1G1 free, had 5 $.50/1 coupons (which all doubled!) - Total $1.50 for all 5 (that's $.30 per box!!)

1 Bag Fresh Express Salad: Normally $3.99; On sale B1G1 free, had a $.55/1 coupon - Total $1.45

1 Bag Sister Shubert's Rolls: Normally $3.45; On sale 2 for $5, had a $.75/1 coupon - Total $1.75

6 Cans Rotel (YES... we eat of lot of Rotel!): Normally $1.39 each; On sale B1G1 free, had two $1/3 coupons - Total $2.17 for all 6 (that's $.36 per can!!)

1 Package Nestle Tollhouse cookies: Normally $2.95, On sale B1G1 free, had a $1/1 coupon - Total $.48

1 Can cranberry sauce: Normally $1.55; On sale for $.89 - Total $.89

2 Bottles vitamins (one Vitamin D, one Vitamin C): Normally $4.99 (for Vit. D) and $4.49 (for Vit. C); had a $6/2 Publix coupon, had a $3/2 manufacturer's coupon - Total $.48 for both

Total... without tax... $13.74 (this is what I was charged... although when I add it up I somehow get $13.54, close enough) for $57.35 worth of groceries for a total savings of 76%

Still a GREAT week!  I'm excited that I think I am getting the hang of this whole coupon thing...

Foodie Friday... Plus

Whew... what a week!  I have had the best intentions about blogging... but yet again it is Friday and I haven't posted all week!  Next week... hopefully I will be better... hopefully...

Today for lunch I threw together my mom's chicken pot pie... it is simple to make and it tastes wonderful!  Here is her recipe...

Chicken Pot Pie

-1 Pkg frozen Deep Dish Pie crusts (2 per pkg)

-1 Can Cream of Soup... you can use mushroom or chicken

-1 Can mixed veggies

-1 large can Chicken Breast, in water

Drain the veggies and Chicken. Mix the veggies, soup, and chicken in one of the pie shells. Flip the other pie shell and place it on top of the mixture. (It works best if you put it on top then remove the metal pie plate... it is harder if you try to take the pie crust out beforehand). Cut and "X" on the top to vent the pie.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown.

Yummy! I took a picture after I had eaten a piece... ooops!

*If you are watching your weight... put the veggie, chicken, soup mixture in an empty pie pan... then just put the pie crust on top.*

Now for the plus... I did my crazy Publix shopping again today... time to guess how much I spent... not as many freebies as last week but still very good!  I often buy more than we need (if the price is right)... but then I can donate the rest to the food bank.  A win win for all!

I will post a breakdown for this trip in the next few days!

Coupon totals...

Alright... here is the breakdown... If you didn't have a chance to guess go ahead and take another look... how much do you think I spent for all of these groceries...

The Grand Total...

2 Boxes Betty Crocker Cake Mix: Normally $1.83 each, 2 Cans Betty Crocker Frosting: Normally $1.57; On sale B1G1 free, had two $.50 off coupon (when you buy mix and icing) which doubled -Total $1.40 for all four things

2 Boxes Honey Nut Cheerios: Normally $3.99 each; On sale B1G1 free, had a $1/2 coupon -  Total $2.99 for both boxes

1 Bottle Maries dressing: Normally $2.99; On sale B1G1 free, had a $1 coupon - Total $.50

1 Box Ronzoni Quick Cook Pasta: Normally $1.39; On sale B1G1 free, had a $.50 coupon which doubled - Total FREE plus $.30 overage!

1  Package Wholly Guacamole: Normally $2.99; Had a $4 off coupon - Total FREE plus $1.01 overage!

1 Tub Heluva Good Dip: Normally $1 (it is on sale $2/2 not sure normal price); Had a $.50 coupon which doubled - Total FREE

2 Packages Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta: Normally $1.39 each; On sale B1G1 free, had a $1/2 coupon - Total $.39 for both

1 Publix Whole Sub - Total $6.39

Total... before tax... $10.36 

Foodie Friday...

I have been busy this week!  So... I haven't really cooked anything new.  Ooops... I know I am letting everyone down!!

I will post a link to a recipe I posted more than a year ago... in honor of the Georgia vs Auburn game... here is the recipe for Patrick's favorite... Chicken Spaghetti.

It does not disappoint!

A few weeks ago I posted about how I was trying to dip my toes in the land of couponing... I have done a few more trips with coupons and I am quite pleased with my savings.  Patrick is starting to think we might need a bigger pantry with all the stocking up I am doing.

Today I took a quick trip to Publix to pick up a few things and a sub sandwich for lunch.  Before I post how much I spent on this trip... I want you to guess... Here is what I got... *note the total WILL include our whole sub that we got to each for lunch.  Happy Guessing!

Go Dawgs!

This is it...

So this is it... the one week a year when we cheer against each other... the week where we probably shouldn't watch football games together.  It has been an interesting year for both our teams.  Auburn is having a great season... 10-0 in fact.  My Bulldogs are not fairing quite so well... it has been a rough season to say the least!  So this weekend will be interesting either way the game comes out.  We are trying to come up with a tradition for this week every year... if you have any ideas feel free to leave them in the comments.

I have kind of fallen behind doing my Disney posts... I am going to work on finishing those up... so hopefully I can post them in the next few days.  

Have a great week y'all!

Foodie Friday: Apple Dumplings

This is the final installment of my Pioneer Woman cooking series.  I made these wonderful tarts when my parents came over for dinner... I also made them for Patrick's birthday this week.  They are Fantastic!  I cannot recommend them highly enough.

As with before... this is just the recipe... plenty of beautiful pictures and step-by-step instructions on her website...

Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings

-2 Granny Smith Apples
-2 sticks of butter
-2 cans Crescent rolls
-1 1/2 cups of sugar
-12 oz Mountain Dew (1 can)
-1 teaspoon Vanilla
-Cinnamon to taste

Peel the apples.  Core them and cut each apple into eight pieces.

Wrap each apple piece in a crescent roll... and place them in a greased 9x13 pan.

In a small sauce pan melt the butter.  After the butter is melted add the sugar.  Stir just enough to mix it... don't stir it until it melts etc.  Mix in the vanilla.

Pour the buttery mixture over the apples.

Now pour the Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake the dumplings at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Heaven in a bowl!

Happy 30th Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my dear husband...

I cannot believe God has blessed me with such a wonderful man...

 

 He is adventurous...and he pushes me out of my comfort zone...

He is always looking for ways to make me smile...

He pushes me to grow closer to the Lord...

He truly is my Prince Charming...

He takes care of me whenever I am down...

 I look forward to following his leadership for the next 30+ years

I know it will be an exciting ride...

I love you Patrick... Happy Birthday!

Go Dawgs!

GO DAWGS... Beat the Gators...

This picture was taken after our 2004 win... hopefully tonight we will be smiling this big again!!!

Foodie Friday: Pumpkin Bread

We had a great time with our friends the Childs yesterday.  It was such a blessing that they were able to stop by on their way through Atlanta.

It has FINALLY started to feel like fall in Atlanta... so I thought I would post my favorite pumpkin bread.  I have already made this recipe several times this year.  I must admit that when I heard there was a pumpkin shortage I got nervous and stocked up... but it looks like the shortage is over so you should be able to find plenty of pumpkin.  This recipe makes three loaves... perfect to share with a friend!

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

-5 cups all purpose flour

-4 cups sugar

-4 tsp. baking soda

-1 tsp. salt

-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*

-3 eggs, slightly beaten

-1 cup oil

-1 large can (29 oz.) pumpkin pie mix*

-1 to 2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

-1 cup dates of raisins

*If you cannot find a can of pumpkin pie mix (this is a highly seasonal item) you can use one large can of pure pumpkin.  If you use the pumpkin pie mix you do NOT have to use the pumpkin pie spice, the mix already has spices inside.

Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice).  Add eggs, oil, and pumpkin.  Stir in nuts (optional) and raisins.

Pour the mixture into 3 well greased loaf pans (I used two full sized loaves, and 3 mini loaves).  Bake at 325  degrees for for 1.5 hours.  I usually start watching the bread at about 1 hour... sometimes it bakes more quickly than 1.5 hours (and of course the mini loaves cook quickly).

Here we go again...

Just when I vowed to be better... I find myself in the same place... I haven't posted since Friday... sorry!

We had a great... but pretty busy weekend!  So I have not really had time to blog any... and we are expecting some company to come through on Thursday so I will be cooking and cleaning in anticipation of their visit... along with a staff meeting at work... all this means I won't really be back until Friday...

Until then... here is a little bit of what we did this weekend...

I roasted the seeds with a little cajun spice... I would highly recommend that... they are a great snack!

Hope everyone is having a great week!  Be back Friday...

Foodie Friday: Apple Cake

As I mentioned, we made the trip to north Georgia last week.  On the way home we stopped by this little roadside stand to get some fresh apples.  It was so neat to see all the various types of apples.  We got 1/2 a peck... I searched through many different recipes until I finally landed on this apple cake.  It is very flavorful... and not too hard to make.

I got the recipe from The Cookie Shop Blog.

Apple Cake
Recipe From The Cookie Shop

-1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
-3 cups flour
-1 tbsp cinnamon
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. salt
-2 cups sugar
-3 large eggs
-3 to 4 apples, peeled, cut into small pieces
-1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a bundt pan with non stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Put in a bowl and set aside.

Combine oil, eggs, and sugar with an electronic mixer until the mixture is lemon yellow.

Gradually mix the flour mixture into the sugar mixture.

Mix in apples, then vanilla until all is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, bake for 75 to 90 minutes... You can dust with some powdered sugar if you want... I did, and it was wonderful!

This is a great fall recipe... it is not too dense... perfect for a light dessert.

Thoughts for Thursday...

A few thoughts for this Thursday...

-Today is our two-month-aversary... we have officially been married two months!  It has been such a great time... it truly feels like just last week we were getting everything prepared for the wedding.  We are so blessed!

-I mentioned this on Tuesday... but we are now the proud Aunt and Uncle of our second precious niece.  Reagan Mackenzie Hearn surprised everyone by arriving 6 weeks early this week!  Reagan will have to stay in the hospital for a bit, but she is doing great... we can't wait to meet her! We could not be more excited about our new niece!   I see lots of hairbows and Princesses in my future...Aunt Eliz is going to spoil these girls for sure!

-It is a really awkward weather time right now... when we wake up the temperature is in the 40's... then by the afternoon it is in the upper 70's.. a 30 degree shift in a matter of hours...  geez!

-I am loving baking for fall!  Just this week I made pumpkin bread and apple cake... there are so many delicious fall flavors!  I will post the apple cake on Foodie Friday tomorrow.

That is all... no pictures today... just some thoughts about our life right now... we are so excited about what lies ahead!

Wedding Wednesday... Sneak Peak

This week I am going to take a break from posting about showers... luncheons... flowers... etc, I am going to give you a sneak peak of some of our professional pictures!  They are fantastic!!  James and Lindsay at AD Photography did a wonderful job!  Here are just a few of my favorites...

We have more than 1300 pictures... literally... so I am finding it difficult to narrow it down to just a few...

This is the only time I cried all day... I love my girls!

We decided not to see each other before the ceremony... we could not see each other on the other side of the door... a very precious moment before the ceremony!

One of my absolute favorites!!

I'm one lucky girl!

Sweet Anna...

All the girls...

 All the boys...

 We're married!

 Sealed with a kiss!

There are so many more AWESOME pictures!!  I would love to share them all... but I think they might explode my blog memory...

If you want to see the rest... leave a comment and I will e-mail you the password for our website!