I'm a horrible blogger and I apologize! Life has certainly gotten the best of me the last month! Shortly after making that post I started a new job that I have come to love and when it's not that, I've been busy with the every day life of keeping up with my son, our two dogs, my husband and my Scentsy business, so I'm a bit of a busy girl!
Anyway, I'm hoping to be back at blogging, if nothing else but to share some recipes and crafts with you all... Maybe even some of the ramblings in my life! I have some projects I plan to be doing coming up as well as many, many recipes to share with you all so stay tuned!
Until next time,
Amanda
Friday, August 2, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Snicker Salad
Well, now it's time again to share another recipe with you all! Today's recipe is PERFECT for all the family get-together's that will be starting to take place (Mother's Day, Father's Day, summer bbq's, reunions, etc.). I made this salad I think a year or two ago and it was a huge hit at a family meal, so naturally with summer just around the corner, I must share!
(Not my picture or recipe)
Snicker Salad
Ingredients:
8
oz. container cool whip
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 c. milk
5 green apples, diced
5
regular sized snickers, frozen (makes it easier to chop)
Directions:
Add instant pudding to a mixing bowl and pour in milk. Mix well and let chill while chopping candy and apples.
Chop snickers into bite-sized pieces.
Chop apples into bite-sized pieces.
Fold cool whip into pudding mix until well blended. Mix in snickers and apples.
*You can adjust the apples and snickers to your liking in how much you want in the salad.
Thank you for reading, hope your family enjoys it like we have!
Amanda
My Apologies...
I am so sorry to those of you that still read my blog. It's been about a month and a half since my last post and I feel terrible about that, but life has been all over the place and due to a bit of a tragic event I'm finally ready to come back to this blog.. To catch you up...
I started a new job the beginning of April and was rather unsure of it when I started and for the first two weeks or so of working there. I didn't see it being much of a long-term thing once I was there, even though I was optimistic and hopeful before starting. I decided to stick it out until I could maybe find something better because I still needed a job, so I sucked it up and went with it, then things in my life took a huge turn...
On April 23 (yes a month ago today), I lost one of the most important men in my life. My maternal grandpa passed away after a 4-year long battle with cancer. My life instantly stopped and came crashing down all around me. Now, I know many people will lose a grandparent and it's sad, don't get me wrong, I'm not downplaying this AT ALL, but for a lot of people they see it coming. I'll be honest, we did get a warning about a week before that things were not good and that we had 2-3 months at best with him. Two days before he passed, my mom sat me and my siblings down and told us all about it and that it was our choice if we wanted to spend the time we had with him. I wanted nothing more than to do that, but was unable that time to go with her, so I said I would go down the next weekend I was off (the following weekend), but I never got that chance.
I received the call from my dad at 6:40 am just as I was getting ready for work and was about to head out the door for the day. I remember being in shock, but the second I hung up the phone, I dropped to the ground and began sobbing. See, what makes it so hard is that my mom's side of the family is incredibly close. My cousins are as close to me as siblings, my grandparents are literally like another set of parents to me, I even lived with them for a year in the 8th grade. We're a very tight-knit group that loves each other endlessly and everyone knows each other's business before it even happens. At times it's annoying, but we wouldn't have it any other way. My grandpa was the glue to this family. Losing him is like losing a father and a best friend. He was always so supportive over us all in anything we chose to do and never once gave up on us. My heart is still so broken and I miss him so dearly.
After that happened, I ended up losing my job. It was a huge mess involving time I took off for my grandfather's death and funeral, among other things, but honestly I wasn't all that upset. I can get another job and I really wasn't too keen on it anyway. I was only working there for about 3 or 4 weeks when my grandpa passed so I knew this was a possibility. I've been a stay-at-home-home since and so far it's been okay. I think I've really needed the time anyway so I can deal with the loss of someone so important in my life.
After everything, I feel like it's time I come back here and start writing again, if nothing else but to have a place to discuss my feelings. I've wanted to come back but I just wasn't ready to throw myself in just quite yet, but I am now. Thank you all for being so patient and sticking by me and this blog even though I wasn't around!
Amanda.
I started a new job the beginning of April and was rather unsure of it when I started and for the first two weeks or so of working there. I didn't see it being much of a long-term thing once I was there, even though I was optimistic and hopeful before starting. I decided to stick it out until I could maybe find something better because I still needed a job, so I sucked it up and went with it, then things in my life took a huge turn...
On April 23 (yes a month ago today), I lost one of the most important men in my life. My maternal grandpa passed away after a 4-year long battle with cancer. My life instantly stopped and came crashing down all around me. Now, I know many people will lose a grandparent and it's sad, don't get me wrong, I'm not downplaying this AT ALL, but for a lot of people they see it coming. I'll be honest, we did get a warning about a week before that things were not good and that we had 2-3 months at best with him. Two days before he passed, my mom sat me and my siblings down and told us all about it and that it was our choice if we wanted to spend the time we had with him. I wanted nothing more than to do that, but was unable that time to go with her, so I said I would go down the next weekend I was off (the following weekend), but I never got that chance.
I received the call from my dad at 6:40 am just as I was getting ready for work and was about to head out the door for the day. I remember being in shock, but the second I hung up the phone, I dropped to the ground and began sobbing. See, what makes it so hard is that my mom's side of the family is incredibly close. My cousins are as close to me as siblings, my grandparents are literally like another set of parents to me, I even lived with them for a year in the 8th grade. We're a very tight-knit group that loves each other endlessly and everyone knows each other's business before it even happens. At times it's annoying, but we wouldn't have it any other way. My grandpa was the glue to this family. Losing him is like losing a father and a best friend. He was always so supportive over us all in anything we chose to do and never once gave up on us. My heart is still so broken and I miss him so dearly.
After that happened, I ended up losing my job. It was a huge mess involving time I took off for my grandfather's death and funeral, among other things, but honestly I wasn't all that upset. I can get another job and I really wasn't too keen on it anyway. I was only working there for about 3 or 4 weeks when my grandpa passed so I knew this was a possibility. I've been a stay-at-home-home since and so far it's been okay. I think I've really needed the time anyway so I can deal with the loss of someone so important in my life.
After everything, I feel like it's time I come back here and start writing again, if nothing else but to have a place to discuss my feelings. I've wanted to come back but I just wasn't ready to throw myself in just quite yet, but I am now. Thank you all for being so patient and sticking by me and this blog even though I wasn't around!
Amanda.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Valentine's Pretzel Buttons
I've seen these things done several times for Christmas and other get together's, so when I was looking for a cute and simple idea for Valentine's Day, this was perfect and so cute!
These pretzel buttons are so easy and nearly impossible to screw up. They're also incredibly yummy and make the perfect snack for this day or to give away with Valentine's!
These pretzel buttons are so easy and nearly impossible to screw up. They're also incredibly yummy and make the perfect snack for this day or to give away with Valentine's!
(Not my image or recipe. Click title for original.)
Ingredients:
A
bag of small square pretzels
Bag
of Hershey’s Hugs (striped ones)
Valentine’s
M&M’s (red and pink)
Directions:
Preheat
oven to 200F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place
the pretzels on the cookie sheet and top them with hugs.
Bake
for 4-5 minutes until the chocolate is shiny and soft, but NOT melting – they
should still hold their shape.
Carefully
place on M&M in the center of each hug and press it down to spread the
chocolate.
Allow
to cool completely and enjoy!
Until next time,
Amanda
Pumpkin Pie Smoothies
I love me a smoothie and so does my son. One of my favorite things to do when I was a stay-at-home mom was make us a smoothie every morning. It was little ritual we'd have while we sat and watched some cartoons together. Now that I'm not at home, we're kind of limited for this kind of stuff to weekends and lately we haven't had the time, but it's always a great thing to do when we can fit it in.
I was unsure about this recipe when I made it because it sounded good but in smoothie form, a Pumpkin Pie seemed weird for breakfast. I also wasn't sure the kiddo would like it. I was pleasantly surprised to find it both delicious AND that my son loved it! So here I am, sharing it with you wonderful people!
I was unsure about this recipe when I made it because it sounded good but in smoothie form, a Pumpkin Pie seemed weird for breakfast. I also wasn't sure the kiddo would like it. I was pleasantly surprised to find it both delicious AND that my son loved it! So here I am, sharing it with you wonderful people!
(Not my original image or recipe)
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Ingredients:
½
banana, peeled, frozen, and diced
1/3
cup pumpkin puree
1/3
cup Greek yogurt
¾-1
cup soy milk
Pumpkin
spice
Cinnamon
Pinch
of Ground Cloves
1
tsp. vanilla
4-5
ice cubes
Directions:
Blend
all until smooth and sprinkle with cinnamon, pumpkin spice and cloves.
Until next time,
Amanda.
Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup
I've said it before that I love quick and easy meals. If they happen to be made in slow cooker to make my life that much more easier, LOVE them! So when I came across this recipe a year or two ago, I knew it'd be a hit. And of course it was! My husband loved it and I've made it a time or two since and it's gone over well again!
(Not my picture or my recipe. Click title for original source.)
Ingredients:
5
lbs. russets, washed, not peeled, diced, into ½-inch cubes
1
large yellow onion, diced
10
cloves garlic, whole
8
cups chicken stock
16
oz. cream cheese
1
Tbsp. seasoned salt
Garnishes:
Crumbled
bacon
Shredded
cheddar
Green
onions
Directions:
Add
potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
Cook
on High for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
Remove
and puree garlic cloves along with ½-1/3 of soup, and reintroduce to crockpot.
Stir
in cream cheese and allow to melt. Stir every 10-15 minutes until soup is well
blended.
Top
with choice of garnishes.
Until next time,
Amanda.
It's Been Awhile...
I've realized it's been about a month and a half since my last post and I don't have much of an excuse except that we've been really busy. I started a new job recently and my brother-in-law was getting married, alongside us dealing with some medical turn up's, holiday's, and the all-around craziness of life!
In the time I've been gone I haven't stopped trying new recipes and doing a couple crafts though! Now I'm back to share said recipes and crafts with you!
I'm a person that likes to store recipes I've tried if I like them, so once I'm done I like to type them up and save them on my computer. I also print them out and put them in a categorized and organized binder or "recipe book" for future reference. I know it's a not a crazy idea, but I've got over 500 recipes so I'm sure that it's a bit excessive ;).
During my break away, I sat down and actually typed out all the recipes and whatnot and now they're all prepared for you lovely followers!
Stay tuned for new posts!
Amanda.
In the time I've been gone I haven't stopped trying new recipes and doing a couple crafts though! Now I'm back to share said recipes and crafts with you!
I'm a person that likes to store recipes I've tried if I like them, so once I'm done I like to type them up and save them on my computer. I also print them out and put them in a categorized and organized binder or "recipe book" for future reference. I know it's a not a crazy idea, but I've got over 500 recipes so I'm sure that it's a bit excessive ;).
During my break away, I sat down and actually typed out all the recipes and whatnot and now they're all prepared for you lovely followers!
Stay tuned for new posts!
Amanda.
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