find a recipe

i randomly get emails from the nest.  i was a huge "the knot" user when we were planning a wedding 5 years ago (wow!) and now i even advertise on the knot for my photography business (b real photo)!!!

anyway, this particular email was incredibly interesting in the variety of topics it covered so i thought i would share some of them over the next few posts...

the first thing to catch my attention was 30-minute chicken recipes.  there is a whole selection to choose from, pages as a matter of fact!  click here to see them.  but it gets even cooler....


scroll down on the page to find the Find A Recipe search box... you can choose your main ingredient, cooking time, and type of meal!  what an awesome search!!  hope you enjoy!


and please comment and let me know if you use any of these recipes... i'm sure we'd all appreciate the feedback.  feel free to email me a picture too!  :)


happy cooking!

get your chocolate fix

i've had a few folks ask for this recipe so i thought this would be a great one to share first!  i usually make these treats every Christmas, but they are great for any occasion you need finger foods or just gotta get your chocolate fix.

reese peanut butter cookies

1/2 cup margarine (melted)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

mix together the above ingredients and stir in:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

make approximately 40 balls.  bake in mini muffin pans 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.  remove from oven.  immediately press miniature peanut butter cups in each.  dough will come up around edge.  let cool before removing from pan.

tip:  it's a race against the clock to get the wrappers off the peanut butter cups while the dough is in the oven.  sometimes i unwrap before i bake!

i have to thank my aunt faye for the recipe!!!  you rock!!!  ;)

hey did you stick your finger in the electrical socket?!??

  

some of the joys that come with winter are the hopes of beautiful snow, two hour school delays, snow cream, hot chocolate (with marshmallows, duh!), comfy soft sweaters, glamorous scarves, cuddling under a blanket....

but that one thing that can ruin a great day is STATIC!!!!  grrrrrrrrrrrr.

ever pull on that awesome diva sweater with those jeans that make your bootie look absolutely delicious!?... your eye makeup went on perfectly that day... those earrings totally rock... and your new shoes make the outfit... then you do one last check in the mirror only to find your hair is standing straight up?!!?!

or you have the perfect outfit picked out for your kid... they have a birthday party to go to and you just know the other moms will be asking you where you got that amazing outfit for your kid... and then you overhear someone asking your little one, "did you stick your finger in the electrical socket?!"

i know right!?  the static seems to show up at the most inopportune times!  and then you see those ladies on tv commercials flip their hair and every single strand falls back in place... can we say jealous!?

so let's change that right now!!!  i told you in my first post that your life was about to change... so let's start with the static!  haha!

in my quest to find the best solution... i came across hundreds of suggestions... some a little out there!... 

touch something metal, rub with an ice cube, hair spray, dryer sheets, body lotion, rub silk on your hair, water on your brush, smoothing milk, leave in conditioner, antistatic spray, static guard, Joico Kpak serum, lots of gel and mousse, olive oil, weekly conditioning mask, mashed avocados, use a milder shampoo, blah blah blah blah...

so i'm sharing my top 3 (easiest, inexpensive, lasting, and safest) suggestions, which have seemed to work for yours truly:

#3  It's in the brush.  Literally.  When you comb or brush your hair, use a wood or natural bristle brush and avoid any synthetic fibers.  The wood and natural fibers do not hold a charge like the synthetics do!

#2  This just may be the easiest one of all three.  First, be sure to use conditioner during the cold months.  But furthermore, don't quite rinse it all out!  Stop rinsing your hair just a tiny bit shy of getting all the conditioner out!  Oh yes.

#1  We see static mostly in wintertime because of dry air.  Put a humidifier in your home.  This will help balance the moisture level in the air thus, reducing the static in your hair and clothes.  Why is this number one on my list?  Because a humidifier does sooooo many other things for you as well... relieves the physical discomforts of dry nose, throat, lips, and skin... alleviates common nuisances brought on by winter heating, such as peeling wallpaper, cracks in paint and furniture, wood floors warping... need I go on!?

**if you have an emergency situation and need to temporarily get rid of the static immediately, spray water or hairspray on your hair.  remember this is just a temporary fix!


I hope this article helps you feel wonderful!!   :)


suzanne

show her she is wonderful - jeanna

one thing i'd like to do with this blog is give us an opportunity to help each other with things we may be struggling with, in specific situations, whether that be emotional, physical, financial... so this is the first of a post series i'm calling show her she is wonderful...


a dear sorority sister of mine is going thru probably the most difficult trial of her life as i type this...

jeanna is a beautiful, energetic, upbeat lady. i've hardly ever seen her without a smile on her face! while i have not personally met her husband chris, they seem to be perfectly paired!

they were expecting twins and were documenting the journey thru a blog that has quite the following! chris & jeanna excitedly went in for an ultrasound on thursday. no one could possibly be prepared for the news they received that day.

i'm sure one of the things an expecting mother looks forward to on those ultrasound visits is hearing her baby's heartbeats, but on thursday chris & jeanna were devastated that none could be found. jeanna was admitted into the hospital on friday and in the early hours of saturday morning delivered her identical twin boys.

i can only imagine what this couple is going thru. i have spent a lot of time praying and crying for them as my heart just breaks for chris & jeanna. i've not experienced anything close to this myself, but i know many of you have so you understand what they are going thru.

how do i show her she is wonderful?

jeanna's sister was gracious enough to post a way we can all help on jeanna's blog. as you'll read, the insurance will not cover the delivery of their angels. please read the post and find it in your heart to give financially to help cover the medical bills. whatever you can give is much appreciated... $1, $20, $1,000... let's shower them with love!!

(even if you can only give a few dollars, that is better than nothing, and lots of folks doing that will add up!)

not only will chris & jeanna be dealing with this emotionally and physically, but also financially. can you imagine having a lingering medical bill from such an unfortunate event? let's rally together and help take care of this one detail so that they can move on with healing and living.

prayer is powerful, so please pray for this family.

i also encourage you to visit jeanna's blog and leave her a sweet note to know that she is amazingly wonderfully made and loved.

sincerely,
suzanne

what is this?!!?

so i've played mental ping pong for a while now about beginning a blog.  at this point i'm not going to make any crazy commitments to blogging every hour, but i'll do the best i can!

why am i starting this blog? 

well because of the many things going on around me recently... a friend becoming a miracle after a horrific car accident... a friend's disappointment of hearing no heartbeats when going in for an ultrasound of her twin babies... a friend's fight to keep her marriage... a friend's struggle to conceive a child...

all these things going on around us that make us question our life, the plan for our life, this crazy world we live in, all the questions that we come up with during trials.

i want to inspire and educate the women in my life to know that you are amazingly wonderfully made and realize things you never dreamed possible or at some point were convinced you didn't deserve can be yours.

what is this blog about? 

well, who knows where we'll take this journey!?  i've got a lot of ideas running thru my head.  some posts i'm sure will be comical stories from my life and yours.  some will be advice.  some will be about the books and movies i've read.  some will be ideas for your marriage, your children, your friendships.  beauty tips.  cleaning tips.  recipes.  crafts.  so many things packaged into one simple blog.

so you, reading this right now, know that you are loved.  get ready... your life is about to change.