Heard in Room 3

A few months back, while on playground duty, I had to deal with an altercation between two little boys with the same name. We'll call them both Cooper. I knew one of their last names (we'll say Smith), so I referred to him as Cooper Smith while dealing with the issue. I didn't know the other one's last name, so I did the smart thing and referred to him as Cooper Curly Hair because-- you guessed it-- he has curly hair. I try to be really sneaky and elusive with nicknames. Anyway, I saw Cooper Curly Hair last week while I was on playground duty. He went running by me and I decided to be friendly.

Me: Hi, Cooper!
Cooper: Hi, Mrs. Long Hair!

And that, my friends, is why I do what I do. Kids are awesome.

Heard in Room 3

While everyone is in the bathroom except for two of my boys. I am sitting at my computer desk next to one of their desks. He leans over and says...

"So, what did you have for breakfast this morning, fine lady?"*

*A quick disclaimer. I love talking life with my kids, so often times, we'll discuss what we had for dinner the night before or what we have for lunch on any given day. We also discuss TV shows, music, sports, and so on. I love learning about what makes them... well, them. I also consistently refer to them as ladies and gentleman. I think hope that a combination of these things is what prompted this question. Carry on.

Bunco Night!

When I was in college, I had a high school friend who would host a Christmas party every year. It was a great way to reconnect and see my friends who were spread out all over the country. At these parties, we would always play Bunco. It was always so much fun and provided a lot of laughs. A few months ago, I started hearing about women who get together and play Bunco once a month. After talking with my friend, Caitlin, we thought it would be fun to get a group of girls together to play. We worked through some logistics, sent out an email, and I'm thrilled because tonight is our kick-off! I'm really looking forward to it because I don't know all the girls and it is always fun to meet new people. Something else that I love about Bunco is that you can do theme nights! I love me a good theme. Some fun themes include pajama night, a Mexican or a luau theme, camoflauge, etc. If you have any good ideas for themes, let me know! My creativity can be a bit limited at times.

Tonight, I'm making two new appetizers for Bunco that seem really easy but delicious. I'm also making my old standby, bruschetta. That always seems to go over well. I wanted a cold and a hot dip and I am pleased with my selections. The Internets haven't failed me yet! I also figured that everyone likes dip. What is not to love, I ask? I could eat dip every day and be the happiest camper on the block. I think that's why Trader Joe's Three Layer hummus makes me so darn happy. The only problem with said hummus is that I might be known to get a little hostile when someone else tries to eat it. Some might compare it to a mother bear protecting her cub. I just love it so much, almost with a motherly love. I may have some issues. Yet to be determined. Anyway, here are the dips!



White Bean Roasted Red Pepper Dip

• 1 15-ounce can of white cannelini or navy beans
• 1 small jar roasted red peppers, or about 1 cup, drained
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice from half a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Puree everything in a food processor until smooth. Serve with baked pita chips and veggies.



Spinach Artichoke Dip 

• 4 cloves roasted garlic (I am using preminced roasted garlic from the supermarket)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.

Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm with pita chips.

 
I don't think I'll be disappointed. What are some of your favorite appetizers?

A fun night with friends

One of the great things about living far from home is when the people you love come to visit. Such was the case last night when our friends the Zajacs came for a visit on their way home from Florida. We had such a good time just hanging out, eating tacos, talking, laughing, watching Colton run like the wind, and of course, watching Dancing with the Stars. I actually think that was Jared and Ty's favorite part of the evening judging by the fact that they left halfway through. My powers of observation and assumption are obviously at an all time high.

I really enjoyed having our house full of good friends. I love Kate like a sister and it did my heart so much good to just hang out and relax last night. We love you, Zajacs, and hope you come back this summer when our pool is open!

I believe that I captured Colton at just the perfect time when he was discussing why he should be allowed to have his fourth cookie. It is with great sadness that I tell you that he did not get that cookie. He sure gave it a good try though.

There are no words for how much I adore this child. She is the sweetest.

Colton is such a stud. He is going to break the hearts of many women someday.

It took us many tries to get a good boy's picture, but alas, I think I failed. Kate, if you have a good one, you're going to need to send it to me. We were so close on that last one... so close.

And here was our attempt at a good girl's picture. I think we did better than the boys. I'm just saying. I love the one at the top where Brinn is looking at her momma and big sister. Reese and Colton are so sweet with Brinn. I also like the last picture where Brinn looks like she is saying, "Woman, please. What are you doing?" Hilarious. We miss ya'll already!

Etsy and Babies and DWTS, oh my!

I fall more in love with Etsy every time I browse the website. Genius idea, I tell you. I'm not crafty enough to offer anything for sale on Etsy at this point, but I hope that changes someday. Just a few of my favorites as of late...

I love this pillow from Iviemade. I love the fabric and the bow and think it would look amazing on a white wicker chair on my porch. I actually may attempt to make this myself... hmmm. We'll have to wait and see about that one.

I just realized that this is another pillow. Duh. I must have some hidden affinity for pillows in my subconscious mind. That actually doesn't surprise me considering I usually sleep with two or three every night. I have been drooling over this Provence Monogrammed Grain Sack Pillow for quite sometime now. We are revamping our bedroom this summer and I have a feeling that this might find a new home in our household. I am a sucker for anything with a monogram.

I feel like I might have found this "You Are My Favorite" Reproduction print on Krysta's blog, but I honestly can't be sure. My brain has lost most of it's ability to think for some reason. I think this would be such a sweet piece of artwork for a baby room or a bathroom. I love it and it just makes me smile.

The KF Everything Wallet in Sophie's Garden is so pretty and fresh. I also like that it holds money, credit cards, and your checkbook. I like a wallet that can keep all of my junk in one place.

These wheel thrown monogrammed mugs would be such a sweet shower or wedding gift! I love that they put your wedding date on the mug and the colors are perfect. I want these for myself! This would also be a really sweet anniversary gift no matter how long the couple has been married.

This Hand Smocked Dress is my favorite piece of baby clothing on Etsy. I'm not going to lie; I've seriously considered buying it and saving it for when I have a baby girl because it is absolutely timeless. This is the type of dress that could be handed down for generations. I am obsessed.

When I saw this, I fell in love with the outfit and the concept. I am in love with this newborn gown with your state or country. The second I find out I'm pregnant, I'm ordering a gender neutral one with Michigan on the front. Come on, you didn't really think I'd spend money on an Ohio one, right? ;) Maybe I'll do both. Either way, this is an amazing and unique baby shower gift.

No, you cannot buy this baby on Etsy. She is not for sale, nor is any other baby on Etsy (hopefully). She is the reason why I have Etsy baby fever. This sweet girl, Lola Pearl, was born to our dear friends Grant and Emily on Saturday morning. She took her sweet time getting here which was perfect, since she is a little peanut! I was a little busy oohing and ahhing over her yesterday to take any pictures myself, but you can bet that I'll be snapping some shots the next time I get to snuggle with her. Emily was a champ and is a great mom already. She had a natural birth and I feel like I need to give her a standing ovation every time I see her from now on. I am also borderline obsessed with Lola's name. She is a pearl for sure. Congrats, guys! We love you.

This picture has nothing to do with Etsy, but it brings me so much joy. These are two of my besties (Meg on the left and Kate on the right). Kate is coming through Cincinnati tonight with her sweet family on their way home from Florida. They are staying with us overnight and Kate and I are finally going to get to watch Dancing with the Stars together! I have been smiling all day; I seriously can't wait. We are NOT fans of Kate Gosselin. In fact, Kate Gosselin terrifies me now. She is honestly the worst person I have ever seen on DWTS. Way worse than Buzz who I happened to LOVE. I am pulling for Chad & Cheryl, Erin & Maks, and Evan & Anna. Kate won't win, but it is kind of entertaining to watch her make a fool of herself every week. However, if DWTS had been on a few months ago, I would have compared Kate winning to Jake picking Vienna on The Bachelor: On The Wings of LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE, and we all know how THAT turned out. I guess I can't rule out Kate just yet. I am so compassionate that I astonish myself. Who are you rooting for? Hope you're having a great Monday!

Heard in Room 3

S: Mrs. Haney, five years ago, my dad had a mullet for his whole life.

During prayer requests...

S: Please pray for my mom's friend. She just got a divorcement.

B: Pray for my family. We're all still pretty sad that my rat died.
--I'm sorry, but for me, that would be a PRAISE YOU JESUS, HALLELUJAH! The rat, not the divorcement.

A New Recipe (for me, at least)

We're back from Florida! We had a wonderful time with some of our best friends, Chad and Meg, and were so sad to leave them. It was a glorious ten days filled with fun and I'm absolutely going to blog about it once I get my pictures uploaded. I actually left my camera battery charger in Florida, but Meg grabbed it for me and is going to hold onto it until I see her in about a week and a half. It was much easier saying goodbye knowing that I'll see her in a few weeks!

We got home late Monday evening after the flight from HELL. United Airlines, you are officially dead to me. If I walked by you in the desert and had a full water bottle, I would give you NONE. The flight from hell left me rendered absolutely speechless as well as starving, so for dinner, we enjoyed some Taco Bell and KFC from the drive-thru. We are nothing if not classy. Last night, I got home from work and cleaned out the fridge from our vacation and proceeded to go a little too far and really clean out the fridge. I'm horrified to say that there were a lot of expired items in there. I threw away a lot of stuff and wiped down my fridge and I feel like the world is a better place today. We went to the supermarket and got a lot of the basics that we needed as well as the fixings for our dinner-- QUICHE!

Believe it or not, even though I love to cook, I'd never made quiche! It was surprisingly easy. I took the Pioneer Woman's recipe and modified it a little bit. Even though it took awhile for me to make (read: we ended up eating at 9:45 PM-- AWFUL), it was amazing. T and I both took it for lunch today and I am already looking forward to having it. Here is my recipe that is based on PW's recipe. I really can't take any credit. 

Pioneer Woman's Quiche-- Rachel Style

          {Image from Tasty Kitchen}          

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into fourths
• 1 frozen package of spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
• 1 large onion, very thinly sliced
• 16 oz lump crab meat
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 whole pie crust (I used Pillsbury)
• 7 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cayenne pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Melt butter in a skillet. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for a few more minutes. After the spinach is thawed and squeezed of all excess water, add it to the skillet and cook for a few minutes. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 20 minutes.
• Roll out your pie crust into a deep dish pie pan. EMPHASIS ON DEEP DISH!! A regular pie pan will NOT work. I got a deep dish pie pan at Target a while back and it has been a great addition to my cookware.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream. Add the grated cheese, some salt and pepper, and just a dash of cayenne pepper. Set aside.
• When cooled, add the vegetable mixture to the egg mixture with a slotted spoon. Stir gently to combine. Add in the crab meat and stir again gently, just to combine.
• Pour into your pie pan and press to submerge the ingredients. Cover it loosely with foil and put it on a pie pan to bake. Check it at about an hour, but mine took about and hour and twenty minutes. Just make sure it's not too jiggly.
• After you take it out of the oven, let it sit for about ten minutes. Enjoy!

You could do so many things with this quiche! I'm hosting our Bunco group in a few weeks and I think that this will be something that I'll make for an appetizer-- hey, I could make mini quiches in muffin tins! Since it has eggs and vegetables in it, I feel like it is something you can eat at any time of the day. I left out the bacon (as well as some other things), but I do want to try this with some sort of meat the next time I make it. T really enjoyed this and said that he couldn't wait to take it for lunch. I would say that my mission was accomplished.

I hope you're having a great week!