Thankful for 5 Wonderful Months!

Today is our 5 month anniversary! I'm still getting used to my new last name and still getting used to saying "my Husband", but I smile every time I do. I love saying those words!! We had the most perfect wedding day and so far it's been a perfect marriage! (so far being the key words :) haha) Here's some of my favorite pictures of us from that amazing day! 

Linking up for Thankful Thursdays with:

Black Tag Diaries

First Day of My Life

The Ramblings of Mrs. Hargrave

Brown Eyed Belle

The Fontenot Four

A Punk, A Pumpkin, and A Peanut

Kate Says Stuff

Pindiculous Link Up!

Everyone link up with my friend Lindsey at Sensible Nonsense  with all of the crazy pins you've seen!
Oven out of order??

I can tell she likes oreos.

What? I dont even understand this?

Happy Thursday!!

Wedding Savings- Candy Station

One of the most popular wedding trends today is to do a Candy Station for your Wedding Favors. I was watching 4 Weddings not too long ago and one of the Brides had a very elaborate Candy Station and one of the Guest Brides said "I didn't like her Wedding Favors because Candy doesn't count". She obviously has no idea how expensive they can be! Why wouldn't that count? Who doesn't like candy!

Since the cost can really begin to add up, I'd like to share some ideas to help save you $$$, something I think every Bride out there is looking for!

1. Favor Bags
You don't have to have a bag for every person. Couples can share. You can either make a sign stating this or you can tie the bags into your escort cards, or even use them as your escort cards!
I purchased these bags off of Etsy. You can also purchase them online and use your own stamps. This will save you major money! I had 2 different sizes and paid $1-$1.50 per bag and here is a website for 16 cents per bag!! Muslin Bags. I guess I should've done a little more research on these!

2. Candy Station Sign

This was also purchased on Etsy. My sister actually ordered it for my shower and it didn't come in time so we wanted to make sure we still got to use it. Again, something like this could easily be made from home. 

3. Candy Containers and Scoops

I looked EVERYWHERE to try the perfect containers to go with a Rustic theme. Most Brides purchase glass containers in different shapes and sizes, but I knew I would never use those again. Finally a light bulb came on and I decided to use what I already have. My Mom and I each have a variety of Pottery and this went perfect with my Rustic theme! She also had some small wooden spoons and tongs from Pampered Chef. 

4. Candy!

I did a variety of Chocolates, which I ordered from Dove Chocolates. I had no idea you could order online and they have so many yummy choices! I also purchased Candied Pecans and Caramel and Candy Apples from the Candy Store in the mall. I also had my Aunt make a family recipe, Chocolate Bon Bons, one of my favorite childhood desserts! If you have helpers that can help make Candy Apples and other desserts this can save a lot of money as well!

Happy Planning!

Mini Thanksgiving Dinner

If you're like me and having a Thanksgiving meal once a year just isn't enough, here's an easy/mini version to try! Turkey, Cornbread Dressing, and Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Those are my 3 favorites!

Crock Pot Turkey: 

I have found a whole Turkey before that can fit into the Crock Pot. This time I bought 2 Turkey Wings. The only downside to this is we ate it all, and everyone knows the only thing better than a Thanksgiving meal, are Thanksgiving Meal Leftovers! 

Place your Turkey in the Crock Pot. I added 1/2 Tablespoon Butter, 2 Pieces of Celery, 1 Large Onion cut in half, and Salt and Pepper. 9 Hours later on Low, this is what I got!

Cornbread Dressing:

Click HERE for Recipe

Creamy Mashed Potatoes:

If you want the fluffiest, creamiest mashed potatoes ever, instead of milk use Sour Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream. It's not the best option if you're trying to eat healthy but they will be the best mashed potatoes you have ever had!

Cornbread Dressing

If you're from the south you know there's nothing better than Cornbread Dressing! This is one of the things I look forward to most when it comes to Thanksgiving. We usually only have this delicious dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas because it's not the easiest dish to make and usually a 2 day process. Last month I decided to make it on my own for the first time and I came up with my own recipe, making it a little easier. It's still somewhat time consuming so I decided to make a large batch to freezer leftovers. We;ve already gone through our frozen leftovers and they were just as delicious! So I decided to make some more yesterday.
The great thing about Cornbread Dressing is you don't have to stick with a recipe. You can use what you like and how much of what you like.
Here's what I did:

STEP 1- Cornbread:
Preheat oven to 425
Coat the bottom and sides of your Skillet with Vegetable Oil and place in oven while pre-heating.
In Large Bowl Mix:
3 Cups Cornmeal (there is a recipe on the back that you can follow as well)
1 1/2 Cups Milk or Buttermilk
4 Tablespoons Sour Cream
5 Eggs
Whisk together. Add to Skillet (I have a small skillet so it took 2 batches).
Cook for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
After it cools crumble in a large bowl.

STEP 2- Veggies:

I used 2 pieces of Celery, 2 Onions, 1 1/2 Red Pepper, 1/2 Yellow Pepper, and 1/2 Orange Pepper. 

Sautee in large pan with 2 Tablespoons Butter. Salt and Pepper to taste. Let cook for about 10 minutes on low.

STEP 3- Combine

Add the veggies to the bowl. Mix in 3 Cans of Cream of Chicken and 2 1/2 Cups of Chicken Broth. I added some Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper, and Sage. Mix all together. Don't be afraid to use your hands! 

I got 4 servings out of this. I covered one dish and placed in the fridge to make the next day and made 3 bags to freeze. 

Place in the oven at 350 and cook for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Tuesday Link Up Party!

It's Tuesday and I'd love for you to share some of your favorite things! It can literally be anything! Your favorite book, movie, pins, recipe, products, services... Tell everyone what they are missing out on!
 MelatoninI tried this for the first time a couple weeks ago and every night I've taken one it's been the most restful sleep I've ever gotten! What's even better is you don't wake up groggy and feeling drugged like with other sleeping aides. 

Clinique Post Acne Solutions Post Blemish Formula

I actually use this anytime I get a breakout and it is usually gone in a day or two. It dries it up really fast!

Keurig

I can't live without my Keurig! I make a to go cup every morning. I love how fast it is because I am always rushing out the door!

Freezer Meals

I decided to spend a few hours on Sunday putting together some freezer meals for days I just don't feel like cooking! For most of these I will dump them into the crockpot in the morning before work. (Please excuse my blurry picture!) Once I pull these out of the freezer I'll share the outcome and if I added any soups or anything else to them. This is an experiment for sure!

I used Ziplock freezer vacuum bags:

Here's what I made:

POT ROAST: 

Small Roast with sliced Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots

Porkloins: 

I took 1 large Porkloin and cut into thirds. They are the perfect size for 2 people.

Chicken Fajitas: (click to see how they turned out!)
3 Chicken Breasts with Sliced Onions, Red, Yellow, and Orange Peppers.

Chicken and Veggies: 

3 Chicken Breasts with Sliced Onions, Potatoes, and Carrots.

Plain Chicken- 

3 Chicken Breasts. I will probably make something with shredded chicken out of these. 

Cornbread Dressing: (Click for Recipe)

 I made a large batch and got 4 servings out of it. I may experiment and try this in the crockpot. 

Friday is here!

Happy Friday! I have a great job that I love but every week I still feel like I'm working for the weekend! 

Last weekend we kicked it off at the Braves Home Opener! We had such a great time with all of our friends and made lots of special memories! 

Josh got a Big Green Egg table for his birthday! We have been staining it this past week and hope to have it ready for the weekend! This is what it will look like!

This week I didn't feel like doing much cooking, probably because we didn't have anything to cook! I made Lasagna, one of my signature dishes, a couple months ago and I make a 2nd small one to freeze. I've never been one to freeze meats and other foods before. This was a first, and to my surprise it really didn't taste any different. I loved coming home and just sticking something pre-made homemade meal in the oven with minimal clean up. I started thinking about other meals I could freeze. If I have the time this weekend I'd really like to put together several freezer meals. I'll let you know how they turn out!

This weekend I was hoping to get some yard work done. Our poor yard desperately needs it! My husband may be off the hook though since it's supposed to be raining! I can at least get my Cilantro going!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!