cinnamon roll cake.

first, i can't take credit for the recipe. 

i found it at rumbly in my tumbly thanks to ashley.

second, any recipe that calls for THREE sticks of butter is bound to be good.
can i get an amen, paula deen??
{i know, i know, she's got diabetes now.}

third, you will promise not to hold me responsible when...

a) you eat your first piece - covered in glaze - warm & fresh from the oven,

b) you eat your second piece minutes later, and

c) you wake up the next morning to find that the cake is gone.

 it's THAT good, y'all.

because hurricanes require carbs & chocolate.

here in southeastern virginia we are bracing for irene's arrival. and, because it is hurricane eve, i figured the kids & i deserved a fun breakfast. yes, chocolate for breakfast.


my friend, lis, posted the recipe on her blog. i've made it many times {most recently for a girls brunch}. my kids love nutella crescents & you will, too. well, unless you don't like chocolate or nuts or carbs.

four ingredients:
refrigerated crescent rolls
nutella
sugar
sliced almonds*

*nuts are optional. you also don't have to use sliced almonds. i've made this using chopped pecans & it's just as yummy!

preheat your oven to 375 degrees {per the instructions on the crescent roll package}.

open the crescent roll package, break into individual triangles and coat one side in sugar {not pictured}.

then, arrange on a baking sheet {ungreased} and coat with nutella. careful: this is a messy job!

sprinkle with sliced almonds. or, you can leave them plain.

then, roll 'em up like you would when making regular crescent rolls.

bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

i have a gas oven and this seems to make for the perfect golden brown color without burning the bottom {remember, the outside will have a coating of sugar on it}.

transfer to a plate.

enjoy while warm.

be warned, they are scrumptious!!

---

hurricane eve.

irene arrives tomorrow. some of her clouds are already here.

our home is as prepared as it will ever be. i double checked the flood maps to make sure we were okay. {we didn't flood during isabel, but you never know.}

the evacuation notices are causing panic with my mother. she keeps hearing that all of virginia beach is being evacuated. no, it's not. never mind the fact that she's also worrying about my sister who lives in boston. they're supposed to feel the effects of irene later this weekend.

we are choosing to stay. foolish? perhaps. but, we're not the only people making this decision. this is also not the first hurricane we've been through nor will it be the last, i'm sure.

i'll do my best to keep you all updated on what is going on. the plan, as of now, is to leave the computer on for as long as we have power {because i don't want to run down the charge on my cell phone if i don't have to}. i have a blog post scheduled for tomorrow, but your best bet is to catch me on the twit. 

peach enchiladas.

do you subscribe to southern living? i do. it's the best magazine ever. really,  it is. but, maybe i'm biased because i grew up reading it. my parents had a subscription for as long as i can remember.

anyways, i became a little antsy & jealous when this fabulous lady said she was baking a peach pie thanks to july's edition. i panicked. where was my magazine? was my mailman holding out on me? no, he wasn't. my mail is just slow. okay, so maybe my mailman was holding out on me. but, i digress...

peaches.

they're crazy plentiful this time of year. there was a peach festival not long ago a little bit south of me on knotts island, nc. {my friend, laura, went.} the grocery stores & farm stands in my area are overflowing with peaches. and, if you're like me, you buy peaches at the store only to find that the very next day you need to eat all two or three pounds of them because they're going bad. that can get you can get a bit flustered...and sick of peaches.

have no fear. this is where the peach enchiladas recipe steps in.

first of all, let me give credit where credit is due. this is the creation of {according to southern living} hettie wilkerson of mcbee, south carolina. this recipe won first place at the 2004 south carolina state cook-off in columbia. sounds like a winner, right? it is a winner. trust.

peach enchiladas
2 {8 oz.} cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2 lb. fresh, firm, ripe peaches, peeled & quartered {about 4 large}
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 {12 oz.} can citrus-flavored soft drink {like mountain dew}

preheat oven to 350*. unroll crescent rolls; separate into triangles. place 1 peach quarter on wide end of each triangle; roll up triangles around peaches, starting at wide end. place, point sides down, in a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.

stir together sugar, butter & cinnamon, and drizzle over rolls; pour soft drink over rolls.

bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until golden brown & bubbly.

just so you know, i halved this recipe. easy, peasy. the first time i made it, i kept it true to the recipe. the second time i made it {we had this for dessert two nights in a row last week}, i added pecans, pitted cherries & i didn't use mountain dew at all {the version in my pictures}.

the only thing missing was vanilla ice cream.

valentine's day...

...should be every day, right?  i mean, it's nice to be caring, loving & wonderful all year long, but the real reason is because everybody needs a few of these in their lives:

good thing {our local} strawberry season is just a couple of months away!

gastronome.

my kids are not picky eaters.  well, unless you try to serve them frozen peas or brussel sprouts {this makes me sad}.  i take pride in the fact that my kids will try most anything once.  if they like it, they'll ask for it again.  in our home, you eat what is served to you or you go hungry.  but, i think a lot of what my kids eat is due to the fact that adam & i are not picky eaters ourselves.  in fact, we're very daring when it comes to food.  apparently, so are my kids.

here are just a few favorites that my kids - ages 7 & 9 - enjoy:

pho, more specifically chicken pho:

{via}

mochi with red bean paste: 

{via}

peking duck:

{via}

kimbap:

{via}

dan tat: 

{via}

okay, okay...everything pictured is some sort of asian treat and, yes, i grew up on all of this stuff so maybe that is why my kids like it, too, but here are some other things {in list form} that my kids love that might surprise you:

• greek yogurt
• blue crab {they can pick the hell out of some crabs}
• clams
• sauteed spinach {heavy on the garlic}
• blue cheese dressing
• prunes
• fish of any kind
• couscous

this certainly doesn't cover everything they love, but it does give you a good idea about how atypical their palates are compared to other 7 & 9 year olds.

do you have some quirky food favorites?  what about your kids {if you have any}?

psst...don't forget to enter my scentsy giveaway!

chicken bellagio.

we don't go out to eat very often, so it's a real treat when we do.  for christmas, we received a gift certificate for the cheesecake factory.  i can count on one hand the number of times i've eaten there.  yep, not often.

we used our gift certificate last month.  we enjoyed a great meal.  the kids loved bringing home a slice of cheesecake.  i, however, was completely smitten with my dish:  chicken bellagio.  the chicken bellagio was two crispy, thin cut chicken breasts served over a bed of pasta with a basil cream sauce.  a couple slices of prosciutto and peppery arugula topped the chicken.  it was divine.  it's not on the regular menu.  i'm guessing it's a special or seasonal thing.  regardless, it was good.  so good that i had to recreate it at home.

there are numerous recipes for chicken bellagio on the internet.  if you want to see a picture of what the cheesecake factory's version looks like, click here.

this is my version:

i swapped the chicken breast for chicken thighs {because that's what i had in the freezer}.  yes, that is pasta roni!  why not take a shortcut when you can, right?  and, since the store did not  have arugula, i substituted by using baby spinach.  the hardest part of recreating the recipe?  not eating all of the prosciutto while the chicken was cooking.  this recipe-recreate was a hit, especially with the kids, and will certainly be a part of our meal rotation.

a serving of veggies.

i've told y'all about pat before.

i don't know who pat is, but i love pat. i love pat for sharing her {or could pat be a dude, i don't know} award winning carrot cake recipe on all recipes.

i used this recipe twice in the past week - once for a bake sale at work benefiting relay for life & once {for work} just because. i didn't bake a cake, however. instead, i made cupcakes* and not a 10" bundt cake** as the recipe calls.

behold, the beautiful crackberry photo {because i still haven't fixed my camera yet}:


for the carrot cake recipe, click here {i'm too hopped up on allergy meds lazy to type it out for you}. i did add some nutmeg & pumpkin pie spice to the recipe...just a dash of each.

as for the cream cheese frosting, yea, that is homemade, too. i used this recipe {again, from all recipes} and it hasn't failed me yet. my only advice is to whip, whip, whip the cream cheese first & then add the butter in small chunks. whipping the mess out of it makes a lighter, more enjoyable frosting in my opinion.

y'all this is a good carrot cake/cream cheese frosting combo. every time i've baked this cake, i've heard nothing but wonderful things. people love it. even people who don't like pecans or coconut {yes, both are in the cake} like this cake.

bake it. you know you wanna.

*the batter makes approximately 36 'regular' cupcakes or 24 'regular' cupcakes and 24 'mini' cupcakes.
** if you don't want to make a bundt cake or don't have a bundt pan, this batter makes a lovely two-layer 9" round cake.

eclairs are evil.

evil

chocolately

lucious

awesomeness

indulgent

ridiculous

sweet

{source}
since sunday, three boxes of these evil things have been consumed in my home. three whole boxes. of the mini variety, though, i might add.
three boxes.
obsessed much?
nah. just feeling a little self-indulgent, that's all.

chocolate + sheet cake = ♥

i'm hanging my head in shame because i've held out on y'all. i can't believe i'm just now sharing this with you.

sometime after thanksgiving, but before christmas i baked this little gem:

you know, ree drummond's the pioneer woman's chocolate cake. not just any cake, but the best chocolate sheet cake. ever.

sorry about my fancy, schmancy cookbook set up...this was before i gifted myself with a cookbook stand. but, a sugar pourer & a magnetic clip did the trick, right?

it was good...and easy to make. while i still prefer black magic cake as my 'go to' chocolate cake recipe {it's darker & more mysterious...it also has coffee in it}, i thoroughly enjoyed the pioneer woman's cake. it was moist. it was chocolate-y. it had nuts in the frosting for God's sake {although you could omit them if you didn't like nuts}!

you can find the recipe by clicking here.

i had all of the recipe ingredients in my fridge & pantry. i even made my own buttermilk so i wouldn't have to go to the grocery store & schelp out a few dollars for something that i would only use to bake one cake. pretty cool, huh?

i definitely recommend that you try this cake. if you're already a fan of the pioneer woman & her cooking {as i am!} then you won't be disappointed with this cake. promise.

january 1, 2010

happy new year, y'all!

we had a lovely time last night celebrating the coming of a new year with some good friends in the comfort of our home. everyone had a great time. unfortunately, i must now shampoo my carpets, scrub the heck out of my kitchen floor & search for one of my painted wine glasses that has turned up missing, but what the hell. we had fun.

i nearly missed the ball drop. i was in the bathroom, um, emptying my bladder of what felt like three gallons of wine. i could hear adam calling for me. it's hard to buckle your belt & wash your hands in a hurry. i made it out just as the countdown went, "3-2-1...happy new year!" whew. there was a lot of hugging & kissing in my living room. pictures were taken. people were smiling. it was a perfect moment.

miraculously, i am not hungover.

we're celebrating again tonight. this time with our kids {who are coming home today} and my parents. we're planning on gorging ourselves on delicious "lucky" foods like black-eyed peas & collard greens. we're also going to have a chinese feast - peking duck, roast pork, turnip cakes. adam's going to attempt to make some homemade dim sum dishes, too. i'm already looking forward to dinner & sharing the yummy goodness with the people i l♥ve. besides, new year's day isn't complete until you've noshed on some fabulous grub that brings good luck, right?!

---

today's the first day of a new year. a fresh start. a new beginning. i'm welcoming 2010 with open arms & i look forward to the possibilities of what lies ahead...whatever they may be.

forget gumdrops & sugarplums...

i've got cookies, cake balls & marshmallows!

i went on a little baking binge last weekend. it was nuts.

i baked a batch of coconut macaroons:

{the photo is crackberry-licious}

the macaroon recipe is courtesy of ina garten {you know, the barefoot contessa} from the food network & you can easily follow along to the recipe by clicking here. it is, by far, the easiest cookie {?} recipe ever...the hardest part is whipping the egg whites & even that's not too difficult! try them because if you cuckoo about coconut {like we are} then you'll love these!

i also made snowballs, er, mexican wedding cookies again. this time, i added an almond hershey's kiss to the center of each cookie for some added oomph. you can find the recipe for the mexican wedding cookies here.

and, i made chocolate chip cookies done the nestle toll house way. yes, i took the recipe straight from the back of the bag of chocolate chips. they were crispy & perfect. i omitted the nuts because i was out. i plan on making more tonight...this time adding pecans and using both semi-sweet & white chocolate chips. mmm! click here for the nestle toll house chocolate chip cookie recipe.

yeah, that first picture is sideways. just tilt your head to the right. i'm too lazy to edit the photo so you'll just have to make do with my crackberry pics.

okay, so onto the next portion of my baking binge...homemade marshmallows. i have been wanting to try making marshmallows for a while & i finally did last friday. they were so easy to make & they taste so. much. better. than the store-bought kind. trust me. we loved them so much i made a second batch last night. i have yet to attempt to flavor them {i'd like peppermint flavored marshmallows} but i will try that soon. promise.

i used alton brown's {♥ ♥ ♥} marshmallow recipe & you can get it by clicking here. like i said, it was super easy. i didn't use a candy thermometer {because something bad happened to it on thanksgiving...i mean, really, why are you going to use a candy thermometer to gauge the oil temperature in a turkey fryer. silly boys.}. i timed things by the recipe & it was perfect. some advice, though...don't smell the marshmallows while they are in the mixer 'fluffing.' it is stinky. like "i can't believe i'm actually going to eat that" stinky. once you add the vanilla and spread it in the pan, it will smell fine. trust. it's still...good eats.

remember, don't sniff while fluffing!

it's going to be hard, but it's best to let them sit overnight

hmm...somebody was up past his bedtime, but i suppose it was alright because it was a friday and momma was making homemade marshmallows. how could you pass up licking the mixer's whisk?

all you need to add is cocoa! be sure to use some restraint...it's way too easy to pop one {or five} of these bad boys into your mouth. i took a few of them & dipped them into melted chocolate almond bark & holiday colored nonpariels. delicious.

cake balls. oh, yes...cake balls. earlier this week i made two batches. i'll be making cake balls again today. i am a sucker. i know.

cake balls are super easy, but really time consuming {and, kind of frustrating sometimes}. for some really great cake ball & cake pop ideas, please visit bakerella. she's fabulous. also, my friend, lis, is just plain awesome at making these and she's got a great tutorial on her blog...here.

here is the rundown on making cake balls:

• bake boxed cake as directed. let cool.
• crumble cooled cake in a large bowl & add up to one jar of frosting.
• mix well until you get a 'doughy' consistency.
• form into balls & place on parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
• freeze cake balls for up to an hour.
• melt whichever candies you prefer {i prefer using almond bark} using whichever melting method you prefer {i use the double boiler method}.
• dip cake balls.
• decorate.
• gobble them up.

below are the cake balls i made for malia's third grade class holiday party:

we gave out ten teacher gifts this year & each teacher recieved an ornament, four cake balls & four marshmallows:

and this...this, my friends, is the platter of misfit cake balls. i had every intention of making santa hat cake balls like i saw on bakerella's site. yeah, that didn't turn out so well. i resorted to making balls...so. much. easier.


whatever holiday treats you make for santa, i hope you have fun in the kitchen! be sure to share the recipe, too...i'm always on the lookout for a yummy new treat to make!

happy holidays, y'all...and remember to brush & floss your teeth really good after eating all of these sweets!

chicken & dumplings...soup.

foreward:
as i opened up the cookbook to type out this recipe i came to the realization that this was a soup recipe. somehow, yesterday as i made this, i neglected to read the word 'soup.' if you ask me, it's more of a stoup {if you have ever watched rachael ray you know that a stoup is a stew/soup combo}. anyways, it's delicious and i want you to get out your crockpot and make this, please.

i'm really sorry about the sloppiness of this photo. i didn't think to take a picture until my SECOND helping. whoops.

chicken & dumpling soup
{from stephanie o'dea's book, "make it fast, cook it slow"}

ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken - i used just over 2 lbs. of good sized chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped - i used 1 package of already sliced white button 'shrooms
16 oz. frozen veggies - i used a carrot, corn & green bean mix
2 (10.5 oz.) cans of cream-of-something soup - the actual recipe lists an alternative soup recipe if you're so inclined to make your own but i used two cans of cream of chicken & mushroom from that "mmm, mmm good!" brand.
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits

method:
use a 4-quart slow cooker {mine is about 6-quarts and it worked just fine for this recipe}. put the chicken & the veggies into the bottom of the stoneware insert. add the cream-of soups. cover & cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

an hour before serving, shred the chicken with two large forks and drop in the biscuit dough. cover & cook on high for another hour. the dumplings are done when a knife is easily inserted and comes out clean. the dumplings will be spongy and will brown a bit on the sides & top. serve in bowls with a dumpling or two per person.

---

this was a HIT! this couldn't have been any easier to prep. the house smelled yummy while it cooked. and, the end result was - by far - the best slow cooker chicken & dumplings recipe i've ever tried. mine did not have a soupy consistency, but it was still delicious nonetheless. i do recommend seasoning before serving as it did have a bland taste, but it was nothing a little salt & white pepper couldn't fix. like i said earlier, i had TWO servings. aidan did, too. we're a family of four and we got six servings for dinner and one very generous serving for lunch out of the whole dish.

snowballs of fun.

it doesn't snow here. not much, at least. when it does, an inch will shut the city down. seriously. sometimes, it doesn't even take an inch.

since it doesn't snow {much} here & considering that i now have all the time in the world to bake, i made these little gems last week. they're called mexican wedding cookies, but i call them snowballs of fun.

i paired my cookies with some coffee flavored with coffeemate's peppermint mocha creamer & you, too, can serve your holiday cookies on a personalized polka dot plate by ordering one from molly lou gifts.

---

mexican wedding cookies
{from martha stewart's baking handbook}

ingredients:
1 cup {3-3/4 ounces} pecan halves
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks {1 cup} unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

the method:
preheat the oven to 350* f, with racks in the upper & lower thirds. line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. in a food processor, combine pecans with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar; pulse until nuts are finely ground. in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar-nut mixture, flour, and salt; set aside.

in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter & 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar on medium speed until light & fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. add the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until the dough just comes together.

roll dough into 3/4-inch balls; place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are pale on top & lightly browned on the bottom (lift with a spatula to check), 10 to 12 minutes. transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

place remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll cookies in it to coat completely. cookies can be kept in an airtight container, layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

---

the cookies were a hit. the kids loved them. adam loved them. of course, i loved them. next time i make them {which will more than likely be this weekend} i am going to put a hershey's kiss in the center for some added oomph.

crock pot goodness.

i've owned a crock pot for as long as i can remember {i even scored a new 4 qt. crock pot for $3 at target's black friday sale!} and we l♥ve to cook with it. we will get out the crock pot a few times during the spring or summer, but we really try to use it as much as we can during the cooler fall & winter months. and, when i was working, the crock pot was a lifesaver because it's always nice to come home & have dinner warm and waiting for you.

anyways...

if you have a crockpot, please get it out and use it. there's a lot you can do with it. seriously. a lot.

a while back, i happened upon a blog called 'a year of slow cooking.' perhaps you've seen it? if you haven't, please check it out. or, perhaps you've heard of the fabulous woman behind the blog, stephanie o'dea. or, maybe you've heard of her book - yes, book:

{source}

i own this cookbook {and, maybe, just maybe there will be a giveaway for a copy in the near future...}. i love this cookbook. i adore this cookbook. it's not your conventional cookbook because there are no pictures, but everything in this cookbook is made in a crockpot {2 qt., 4 qt. or 6qt.}. and, we're not talking just stews & roasts...

we've made a couple recipes {including super easy dulce de leche that our kids like to dip apples in}, but last night i made the pineapple pork tenderloin.

{sorry for the crackberry pic quality!}

The recipe is as follows:

3 pound pork tenderloin - the tenderloin i used was just under 3 lbs.
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning - i used an asian seasoning blend instead
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, chopped - i used the 'already minced in a jar' stuff
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced - i cut my peppers into a large dice rather than slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce - we have gallons of kikkoman in this half-chinese household!
1/2 cup apple juice
16 ounces frozen pineapple - i used canned pineapple

Combine meat, sugar, spices, and cornstarch in a plastic zipper bag. Seal and shake well to coat. Pour contents of bag into crockpot. Add garlic and peppers. Pour in soy sauce, apple juice, and an entire bag of frozen pineapple. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6.

{recipe adapted from 'make it fast, cook it slow'}

i sort of strayed from the recipe's directions. i added all of the ingredients - except for the peppers & pineapple - to the large plastic zipper bag. after all of the wet & dry ingredients were combined, i dumped everything into my crockpot - i used our 6 qt. i added the peppers & pineapple on top and i also added one chopped onion. halfway through cooking, the hubs added just a touch of chicken stock. we cooked everything on low for about 7 hours. the peppers & onions broke down, but the pineapple was still whole. we served our pork over steamed rice and, as you can tell from my picture, we shredded the pork.

the hubs is enjoying some of the leftovers as a sandwich today. i will be heating up a bowl momentarily.

we really enjoyed this recipe & i cannot wait to try more of stephanie's crockpot recipes.

enjoy!

p.s. sorry for the wonky font...i'm tired of fighting with blogger. grrr....

worry & cuppycakes.

you wouldn't be surprised if i told you that things have been quite stressful lately. just when things seem ok, they get worse. but, whatever. i can't do anything about it except to try not to worry about it, right? {did that even make sense?}

i watched dave ramsey the other night and he was quoting dale carnegie. basically, what i got out of the program {which happened to be on bankruptcy - not something relevant to us...i just like to listen to dave ramsey talk about finances} was this:

80% of what we worry about will never happen.

so, where am i going with this? absolutely nowhere. well, except for the fact that i have it drilled into my sweet little head that i have to stop worrying. because, honestly folks, worrying could be considered one of my talents.

therefore, in light of the stress & the worry, i decided to treat myself to something sweet. i would just like to say that i had every intention of only getting ONE cupcake, but i left the store yesterday afternoon with a DOZEN.

of course, there are a couple missing in the picture...

during lunch, i ventured over to just cupcakes. i went for a pink ribbon cupcake {they call it the cupcake for a cure}. i got one four {they were done two ways - vanilla with pink ribbon sprinkles & chocolate with pink sugar}. oh, and two pumpkin spice. and two frankly scarletts {a.k.a. red velvet}. and two m's cupcakes. AND, two choco-coco. they are delicious. such a sinful treat for someone who is watching her budget and is perfectly capable of baking her own yummy goodness at home.

but, who could resist?

of course, now what am i doing? worrying. i'm worried about how i can justify having a cupcake at every meal. yes, even breakfast. i'm staring at a pumpkin spice cuppycake right now.

oh, boy.

What do you call a fish with two knees?

A tu-knee fish!

Get it...a tu-knee, er, tuna, fish.

Har har har! My kids told me that joke.

Anyways, that's what the hubs is grilling right now. Yes, at nearly 9:30pm. We've still got a ridiculous amount of yellowfin tuna vacuum sealed in the deep freezer and he decided that we will have tuna fish salad for lunch tomorrow.

The celery, onion and other deliciousness is already prepped & waiting on the kitchen counter.

I just hope I give myself enough time in the morning to actually make myself a sammich.

P.M.S.

I suppose that I am fortunate because due to my {preferred} method of birth control - Mirena - I am most like a woman who has gone through "the change." Of course, I don't have the hot flashes, mood swings {wait...yes, I do} or the crazy hormonal thing going on...

If you haven't already guessed - and, yes, this may be TMI for some of you - I don't get the regular monthly visit from Aunt Flo. I haven't for the last five years. Are you jealous?? I'm sure you are.

BUT...and there's always a big but...the lack of Aunt Flo's visits have not done SHIT for my freakin' P.M.S. I guess I'm one of the unfortunate IUD users {or is it wearers?} who still gets a raging case of P.M.S. ever y month. Of course, in my case, P.M.S. does NOT stand for premenstrual syndrome. No, no...instead it stands for...

PASS MORE SNACKS!

I swear I have eaten nothing but trash for the last week. Trash, I tell ya! Cokes for breakfast isn't healthy. Neither are marshmallow cookies. I went to Trader Joe's with every intention on getting healthy stuff for lunch...I came back with a smorgasbord of crunchy, salty things. I've been binging on wine {but it IS a serving of fruit} and if I can put hot sauce on it, I will. I found the stash of Halloween candy today...it's terrible & sad all at the same time.

This is ridiculous.

I almost wish Aunt Flo would just visit so then maybe my glutton-like ways wouldn't seem as scandalous. OK, no, I really don't. But, seriously, somethings gotta give...besides my waistline.

Chicken of the Sea

When the hubs goes fishing we eat like kings!

(gosh, that sounds awful...like I'm starving my kids we don't have any food in the house or something)

A few weeks ago he went fishing with some friends and we reaped in the bounty that was their day because, out of the three guys, only the hubs (and *ahem* his family) eats fish!

The Gorton's fisherman's got nothing on this feast...behold:

Fresh flounder - right from the Chesapeake Bay - fried (yes, fried) to perfection and served with home-made tartar sauce, leftover (I'm not ashamed) pasta salad and hush puppies.

God bless House-Autry for their Seafood Breader and their Hush Puppy Mix {with onions}...my pantry would be incomplete without either item.

FREDNECKSBURG

Edited this post to add pictures!!

After driving through torrential down pours and crazy wind on Friday night, we finally made it to my parents' house in Fredericksburg - which I lovingly call Frednecksburg. This is the house that I moved into in the late 1990s after my sister graduated from high school and my mother finally moved so that our family was whole once again (a long story that included a retirement from the Navy, a job in NoVa and a family split by 200 miles for nearly 5 years). This is the same house I lived in after returning to school at Mary Washington College (granted, I lived in the dorms for one semester after I returned to school, but it was cheaper and just made sense to live at home after that). This is the same house that I came home to after giving birth to Malia in 2001. This is the same home that I finally left when Adam & I got married in 2002. I come back from time to time...not often enough according to my parents, but when they seem to be at my house all the time, well, you know why!

It's been a great weekend so far -- but we've got to head home today. I do have pictures to share and they will be uploaded once I return home. We've been busy...

We went to a home & garden show at the Fredericksburg Expo Center and I got to meet Vern Yip (the kids also got hopped up on sugar thanks to the ridiculous amount of candy being passed out...worse than Halloween...and the Fudgie Wudgie stand that sold the chocolate-covered strawberry kabobs).

Us - me, Malia & Mom - with Vern...sorta looks
like a family pic, doesn't it?! LOL

We got our drink on at the Fredericksburg Pub...hooray for the beer sampler! It's a newer restaurant that is located at the Spotsy Mall (that's Spotsylvania for those who don't know the county F'burg sits in)...well, not IN the mall, but out back in the new "village" area they are building (go figure that all of this is happening well AFTER I leave the area).

Queen Malia & King Aidan (drinking his Abita Rootbeer)

After coming home and dozing off, we decided NOT to head to Falls Church for a Peking duck dinner at Mark's Duck House and, instead, opted for some yummy Korean food at Choi's Korean Kitchen. Mmm...nom, nom, nom. I think I have some leftovers...it's not too early for some Jap Chae is it??

Aidan enjoying KimBob and Malia having some tempura shrimp

This is how we roll...

So, a trip to Bruster's didn't happen last night after dinner, but I'm hoping that we'll make we made it to Carl's at some point before we leave. I'm I also hoping to get got to see my friend, Becca, before we headed southbound on I-95 today. It's been a busy weekend...busy, but fun. Anytime spent with family is always fun and, if it's time spent with my family, then you know you will never go hungry!

Waiting in line at Carl's...

My friend, Becca