My Life as a Mrs

Happy 2010

2010-01-02T11:44:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful New Year's Eve with some fabulous friends & family... Here are some photo's to document the fun & festivities :

"Prom Pictures" hah

The Decor/Food:

Fabulous people...

Fun Times with friends, Old & New--- we love our new friends: The Vanderploeg's ;)

Oh the good times we had playing some Dance Dance Revolution... (Mike / Sarah / Court tearing it up on the game!)

That about sums it up... I can't even believe it's 2010, ALREADY!

Baked Potato Soup Recipe

2009-11-19T04:16:00.000-08:00

I discovered this scrumptious recipe a couple weeks ago from COOKING LIGHT. I was shocked at how good it was. It certainly didn't taste like a "lightened version" of my beloved baked potato soup. Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions)

Ingredients

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (i used a little extra! hah)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash (I just broke them apart with a fork). Discard skins.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Pot or Dutch Oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Monday: Taco Salad

Tuesday: Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (Crockpot Meal)... Bible Study night

Wednesday: Grilled Marinated Chicken Kabobs, Caesar Salad (Aunt Kathy's Homemade Dressing- THE best), & Lemon Butter Orzo Rice.

Thursday: Leftovers (Mike is Umpiring)

Friday: Rancho Chicos (My in-laws are coming in town for the night & we all love Mexican food!)

Saturday: Teryaki marinated London Broil with a Baked Potato Bar (SC, Butter, Cheese, Bacon) & Caesar Salad

What's been happening (Photo Edition)

2009-11-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so i've been a terrible blogger as of lately... here's an overview of what's been happening in the last few months of my life:

A couple Renovations to our house:

New backsplash in the kitchen...

-Knocked down a wall... (THANK YOU UNCLE BRUCE & DAN for the help!)

-Bought our little Puppy, Maddie...

- Labor Day Road Trip to Birmingham with the Keslers

- NYC girls trip :)... saw Jimmy Fallon & also Guy Fieri!!!!!

Meal Plan Monday!

2009-11-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a lil' hiatus from the blogging world... I've seriously missed my meal plans (They make like SO much easier!):

Monday: hitting the gym after work... then doing the grocery shopping for the week so we will probably pick up a Rotisserie Chicken and some veggies... Easy Peasy...

Tuesday: Grilled Lime/Garlic- Marinated Chicken over Salad (Lettuce, Craisins, Chopped Pecans, Blue Cheese Crumbles) with some homemade Honey-Lime Vinaigrette (Honey, Lime Juice, Garlic, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar)... YUMMMM I can't get enough lime juice these days (no- i'm not preggers)

Wenesday: Grilled Steaks, Sauted Mushrooms & Onions, and a Greek Side Salad (Lett/ Tom/ Cucumber/ Red Onion w/ Greek Vinaigrette).

Thursday: The Wiley's take on Casa Cuba's 'Chicken Julianna'. Mike always helps me with this one... (Chicken Saute'd with peppers and onions in lime juice and garlic -Surprise Surprise haha) served with Black Beans and Rice

Friday: Left-Overs (the restaurant)... we have a giftcard!!!

Saturday / Sunday... ??? My mom is in town for the weekend so we'll see :)

A page is turned...

2009-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, those of you that know me & know me well, know that I am NOT a reader. I have never been one, and assumed I never would be one. Well, about two weeks ago, my sister in law was talking about the Twilight series. I sort of rolled my eyes at the thought of a story about vampires. I've never been interested in the mythical/fantasy type genre of movies. I didn't get into Harry Potter... Never like Lord of the Rings... it's just NOT my thing. Anyhow, Heather kept telling me how good it was and I saw that she had the movie, so I decided to give it a shot (since there was NO way I'd ever read four 500-600pg books- NOT A CHANCE. Well, I LOVED the story in the movie, and decided, I should give reading a shot. I bought the first 2 books at Costco about a week later & started reading. I finished the 1st book: Twilight in about 2 days. OBSESSED! Then I just finished the 2nd book last night, and am 1/3 of the way through the 3rd. I love it. I can't believe I'm actually reading... and ENJOYING it! I never thought I'd see the day! Go out and get it...

Show Us Your Life: Wedding Dress Edition

2009-07-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

So each week over at Kelly's Korner, Kelly hosts a little "Show Us...(insert weekly topic)". I've been wanting to take part in the Show us where you live portion, but never got around to it. So, this week is: SHOW US YOUR WEDDING DRESS! So... here is mine- from March 8, 2008 :)

FRONT:

BACK:

The detailing (my favorite part!):

That's it... :)

The Blues...

2009-07-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see by the pitiful look on Bishop's face... we had an interesting night tonight...

So Mike got home from work and went outside to throw the ball with Bishop, as he does every single day. It is literally Bishop's favorite part of the day... and he knows when it's coming.

As soon as i walk through the door he grabs his ball and lays down facing the doorway, knowing that Mike is only minutes behind me.

The second the door opens, Bishop FLIES down the stairs with his entire butt shaking (since he has a nub for a tail). Anyhow, Mike took him out in his usual routine, however since the grass was wet, he decided to throw the ball on the tennis court with Bishop. He'd done this before, and it worked just fine.

Well, after Bishop ran his little heart out, he and Mike came back upstairs. Bishop was panting and hobbling around and all of the sudden my eyes focused and when I looked around and saw

blood... everywhere. All over the tile... all over the carpet. Bishop was trying to walk on his

little claws to avoid the bottom of his feet pads to touch the ground. He kept falling on the tile, hitting his face on the ground. It absolutely broke my heart. Mike started to freak out a little

bit, and I did too but i made sure I didn't let Mike see that. Well, after a phone call to the vet, he advised we take him to the doggie ER, because what happened to him was very painful and they would need to give him pain medicine, clean the wounds out & wrap them up.

Well, $300 (UGH- what a rip-off) later... our little boy is back at home... panting all crazy from the meds. He's pretty drugged out right now, and knowing that he's okay... it's pretty funny to watch him now! He's got some cute blue boxing gloves now (how appropriate) and a clear cone around his head, & he absolute HATES them both hahaI'm glad out little buddy is okay now. I have NO idea what we're gonna do when we have kids... YIKES! haha

It's what's for dinner...

2009-06-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

The meal plan for the week:

Monday: Whatever I pick up at Publix. Mike is Umpiring Tonight... and I have to get my grocery shopping done- so it may be a Microwaveable meal haha

Tuesday: Sesame Teriyaki/Yoshidos Marinated Chicken Kabobs w/ Pineapple, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Onions (w/ Rice on the side)

Wednesday: Shake-N-Bake Pork Chops w/ Green Beans & Baked Sweet Potatoes (didn't get to make this last night)

Thursday: My secret Chili Garlic Mojo Marinated Chicken (Kabob-style) w/ Black Beans & Rice

Friday: Masa Sagami w/ the family... We're celebrating my B-day early (which is on Monday).

Saturday: 4th of July!!!!!! I'm not sure what I'm cooking yet... but we'll probably have some sort of cook-out at the house... BBQ chicken & ribs maybe? or Hamburgers & Beer Brats... hmmm... DECISIONS!!!!

Sunday: Left Overs from whatever we eat on Saturday... cause we always cook too much on Holidays! :)

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-06-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

I'm on an 'eat healthy' kick right now- trying to lose some extra lbs that i don't need... So that explains the menu. I have to plan it out or it won't happen, ya know?

Monday- Taco Lettuce Wraps (Tacos wrapped in Lettuce shells instead of tortillas)

Tuesday- Teriyaki Style Grilled London Broil w/ Fresh Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday- Bison Burgers with Grilled Corn on the Cob - Using these little babies! Arnold's Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins- I've heard they are delicious so i'm trying em' out! Only 100 calories for the entire bun! Yum Yum!

Thursday- Breakfast for Dinner... Omeletes

Friday- Grilled Marinated Chicken w/ Rice

Saturday- Shake-N-Bake Pork Chops w/ Green Beans

Sunday- NADA!

A Whole New World...

2009-06-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago my computer crashed. It had been acting up for some time (probably had something to do with the lugging it around in a bag throughout my college years- it got pretty beat up!) Luckily, I was able to get my pictures off of it and stored onto an ipod before it happened (... I just had a feeling that the inevitable was coming).

Anyhow, Mike had a computer that he had purchased a few years ago. It was harldy ever used- but let me tell you this computer has been a complete "lemon". UGH! The worst computer ever. It's crashed on us, multiple times, for no reason. We've brought it to the computer store and paid $400 dollars to have it fixed... only to have it crash -once again- weeks later. Unbelievable! Anyhow after months of loosing pictures/data stored on the darn thing due to the constant reformatting of the computer... I was at my witts end! I had been DYING for a Mac Computer since... well... as long as i can remember. So I hinted at Mike that my birthday is in 2 1/2 weeks haha He said that we couldn't get one right now... they are expensive. Well, we went out of town for the weekend and came home to find his computer FRIED- this time, for good. I guess I caught Mike in a week moment and he said with a cranky attitude, "Happy Birthday early- lets go to the Apple store." haha So, my friends, I have officially joined the 21st Century and jumped on the Mac bandwagon!

Holy goodness- I don't know how I lived without it. It is SO easy to organize pictures on this thing! Also, there are so many neat features, just in general. I'm in love... haha It gets me so excited since I'll be signing up for a photography class this summer- I CANNOT wait.

The best part about our little purchase, was that I was able to use my mom's "School Faculty Discount" and get a discount PLUS a free iTouch!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!

Look forward to seeing more pictures posted since it's going to be so easy to do now! Woo Hoo!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!! (Well, Mike benefits from my present too haha- kind of a "Household gift" but i'm SOOOOOOO THRILLED!)

New Obsession

2009-06-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

So You Think You Can Dance.

I have to say- I was amazed at this show last night. I've never followed SYTYCD... until this season. Now I know what all the fuss was about- These people can DANCE! Man, when I watch this, I wish so badly that I took dance lessons when I was younger. I don't know what it is about it, but I just love watching talented people dance. It's absolutely mesmerizing. So here are my early favorites this season (Top 2 Guys & Top 2 Girls):

Phillip Chbeeb (Style = Popping / Hip-Hop):

I have to say, I doubted that he could do any other style of dance other that Popping, but he definitely proved himself last night! This guy has talent- and a VERY unique style!

Evan Kasprzak (Style = Broadway):

He and his brother ROCKED in auditions, but only one "Broadway" Style dancer could make it... He's amazed me with his versatility- I'm pretty sure he can dance any style he tries- it's nuts!

Kayla Radomski (Style = Contemporary / Jazz):

She drew Latin Ballroom and had to do the Samba last night- a dance she's never done- INCREDIBLE! You'd have thought she was born in Cuba. Seriously.

Caitlin Kinney (Style =Contemporary Ballet / Gymnastics):

This girl is amazing! I think she's my favorite. We'll see if she continues to impress me throughout the season. See her 1st dance- MY FAVORITE dance last night- they ROCKED IT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zphq10WIW6k

Okay, so I pretty much like a bunch of the others... but these 4 really stand out to me so far. What are your thoughts SYTYCD fans?? Who are your early favs?!

ABC's

2009-05-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'm bored, so I thought I'd steal this from Katie :)

A – Age: 22... I'll be 23 in 1 1/2 months!

B – Bed size: KING- I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE our bed... it's really tough to travel now haha

C – Chore you hate: Folding the Laundry! UGH...

D – Dog’s name: BISHOP

E – Essential start your day item: Brushing My Teeth!!!!

F – Favorite color: hmm It was always pink... but I also really like Red now... and Purple... and Green... i'm decisive like that.

G – Gold or Silver: silver

H – Height: 5'8"

I – Instruments you play: VERY LITTLE Piano & Guitar

J – Job title: Customer Service/Sales Rep

K – Kid(s): Just Bishop haha

L – Living arrangements: 3/2 three-story town home. I love our place... don't think I'll ever want to move (at least I say that now).

M – Mom’s name: Barb

N – Nicknames: Tina, T (as if Tina isn't short enough), Tina Beana, Teener, Tina Bomber (long story), "Tina fabulous"

O – Overnight hospital stay other than own birth: Never.

P – Pet Peeve: When "someone" squeezes the toothpaste in the middle!!!! Also, I hate when the shampoo & conditioner aren't used in equal amounts haha I like them to run out at the same time... i'm OCD like that hah Mike has seperate Shampoo from me...

Q – Quote from a movie: "You are a breathtaking reflection of God's love for me, of how He pursued me and loved me. When I look at you, I know there is a God- and that He loved me so much that He took the time to create you just for me..."-Madea's Family Reunion

R – Right or left handed: righty

S – Siblings: 1 Brother- Dan (& 2 Sister In-Laws: Heather & Megan)

T – Time you wake up: 7:20

U- Underwear: Pink

V – Vegetable you dislike: Gonna have to agree w/ Katie- i have never met a veggie that i didn’t like... I love em!

W – Ways you run late: I'm a pretty punctual person...

X – X-rays you’ve had: teeth, lower back, arm (2x)- I broke my arm twice, rib cage (i cracked a rib & tore cartilidge... from coughing... yes i'm serious.) worse pain I have ever been in in my life. Think that's it... i may have missed a few haha I've been a clutz my whole life.

Y – Yummy food you make: Mike says everything I cook is good (but he's partial...).

Z – Zoo: haven't been since elementary school. I honestly don't even remember what it's like.

Meal Plan this week

2009-05-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Homemade Lasagna w/ Spinach thrown in for the heck of it :)

Monday: Asian Noodle Salad by The Pioneer Woman. If you haven't tried it... DO! The hastle of cutting everything up is SOOOO worth it! It's delicious!

Tuesday: A frozen Stir-Fry in a bag... gotta be quick!

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken over salad (Romaine, Grapes, Candied Walnuts, Gorganzola Cheese, and sliced celery w/ Balsamic Dressing)- Kinda Copying CPK's Waldorf- YUM!

Thursday: Left-Overs

Friday: Raindancer!!!!!! OUR FAVORITE!!!! We only go on special occasions (Anniversary), but Dan & Heather got us a giftcard there for staying w/ us... So we're gonna hit it up. I CAN'T WAIT!

Saturday: Dinner at Bruce's

Why is 6 afraid of 7?

2009-05-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Because 7 ATE 9 (7-8-9)... hah okay... CORNY!!

Katie tagged me to do this a few weeks ago, and I'm FINALLY getting around to it:

8 Things I’m Looking Forward To:

Putting Wood floors/stairs in my house... I hate how nasty the carpet has gotten w/ the dog (this is a pipe dream... prob not happening for a while)
Going to the beach this weekend with Mike & the dog
Doing some Biking this weekend!
How about... I'm just plain excited for the WEEKEND!!!!!
Lunch with Jess on Sunday
Starting up our next ladies Bible Study
Having a day off of work- MEMORIAL DAY!!! Woo Hoo!
Date night with Mike tomorrow night!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

Worked all day
Got to leave work an hour early!
Tried on 3 dresses, only to end up wearing the one I originally intended to wear! (Why do we do this ladies??? why??? hah)
Went to the AHF showroom grande opening w/ Alyssa
Watched a gay man hit on my husband... SERIOUSLY dude... i was standing right next to him... didn't you see the ring? and didn'y=t you hear Mike keep saying "... my WIFE... this... my WIFE... that" over and over. haha
Got to watch Mike's Commercial that he made for Absolute!
Drank some really yummy iced coffee drink w/ Baileys in it... hey it was FREE :)
Finally watched some DVR's shows I've wanted to catch up on

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

Get a Pedicure every week
Go to Europe (Italy, Ireland, Greece & Switzerland)
Do a Fiji / New Zealand / Australia trip
Get my college body back (i'm seeing a trend ladies...)
Hire a personal Trainer/Nutritionist (this would make the previous wish easy to obtain hah)
Buy a MAC computer... ONE day... ONE day
Devote more time to learning how to work my camera
Get rid of my fear of Flying (it would really help w/ my #2 & # 3 wishes)

8 Shows I Watch:

Dancing with the Stars
House, M.D.
Burn Notice
Bachelor/Bachelorette
Amazing Race
Biggest Loser
Castle
The Office

I'm Back...

2009-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Okay... so I'm back after quite a LONG hiatus... YIKES!

Here's what's been going on in my life as of lately (in a nutshell):

My Brother and S.I.L. moved in with us for about 3 months starting at the beginning of February.
Yes that equals 4 adults + 2 dogs (Boxers... which w/ their hyperactive personality is basically like having 4 dogs hah) in our small place.
It was a little chaotic to say the least. Blogging went on the back burner for a while.
They just got an apartment and got all settled in about 2 weeks ago.
I got my Bike fixed and Mike bought one over at Target (Surprisingly CHEAPER than Walmart- makes me a little skeptical about the WALLY MART "lowest prices")
Mike & I have been biking our little hearts out- and LOVING it! It's probably one of my favorite things to do...
I discovered SciFit MCT Oil (i actually don't purchase it through this website... so i can't verify the validity of it... but that's the info on the product). One of our Doctors that we consult with recommended it & everyone at work has the craze. I even got Mike onto it! I take a teaspoon right when I get home from work... and then Mike and I go biking- it TOTALLY gives me energy. I can bike way further... LOVE IT! Maybe its psychological? Who knows hah! Somedays, I'll even take it before breakfast to jump start my day! It's pure UNsaturated fat... so it's not bad for you (AKA doesn't store as FAT on your body)... it's just ready for your body to immediately use as energy (or something like that). Not to mention it curbes your appetite slightly, so when I get home from my bike Ride... I don't scarf down my dinner like a wolf. haha Anyways pretty cool stuff. Between the biking and the MCT OIL, I'm hoping to drop the extra pound-age that i've put on since I got married. BLAH! I'll let ya know how it works...
Mike finished our new travertine Backsplash & also put custom wood molding around the windows on the main floor (he want's to eventually do ALL the windows in the house). I'll have to post some pictures... i love it!!!!
Next project= Tearing out a wall, framing out a closet, and installing wood floors/Stairs. It will be a little while before we start this endeavor.... I HOPE! haha
I discovered this tasty little treat this week: Cinnamon & Brown sugar almonds
Tonight I've got the grand opening of AHF's new showroom... scurried around like a maniac trying to find something to wear, and I settled on a simple black coctail dress (dressed up w/ heals & chadelier earrings)... hopefully it'll be the "appropriate attire" hah If not... oh well!
Oh- also- I'm going to sign up for a 6-week online Photography course... and I'm totally excited about it! I'll post pictures as the class goes on! It starts in the middle of June SWWEEET! :)

Alrighty... that's about all I can think of. I'll be back to start my regular Meal Plan's on Mondays...

Better late than Never...

2009-03-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Meal Plan for this week (err... a little late...) haha

Monday: I got a call at 4 pm from my mom saying she was going to the E.R. So, OBVIOUSLY, we drove down to Boca to meet her there. My mom had found what looked like a blood clot in her leg (she just had her gall bladder removed a few weeks ago & could be related to the surgery) Thank the Lord it was in a Superficial Vein (The D.V.T's- deep vein thrombosis'- are the one's that can kill you b/c they can break loose & travel to your heart, brain, or lungs... REALLY BAD). Anyhow, after we knew she was okay- we all took a little trip around the corner to eat at Pei Wei's- I LOVE Pei Wei... if you've never been there- GO!!!! It's owned by PF Changs, but it's WAY cheaper... and it's semi-fast food. You go up to the counter & order. Then they give you a number that you set on your table & they bring your food to you. Enough about it... just go try it (there's one in Wellington). Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl is the way to go!

Tuesday: We had Cheese Raviolis (Costo has a big bag of them- they are SO good) in marinara sauce with Caesar Salad, and Garlic Bread.

Wednesday: Growing up my mom used to make this Chicken in a pan w/ Cream of Mushroom Soup, Mushrooms, & Cooking Sherry. I'm doing my own take on that in a Crock Pot:

6- Chicken Breasts (frozen)
2- Cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Cooking Sherry
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Onion Powder
1- Package of Fresh Mushrooms

Throw it all in the crockpot & cook on low all day. I serve it over Wide Egg Noodles... the Sauce is really yummy (I'll let you know how the Crock-Pot version of this dish turns out)

Thursday: Mike is Umpiring... so I'll prob just grab something on the go.

Friday: Possibly a Chili's night :)

Saturday: Filet, Caesar Salad, Asparagus, and Baked Potatoes. My mom & best friend are coming up from Boca. Jess's mom found this place in Boca that sells filet mignon for 3.99 per lb- I know- RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP! That's cheaper than Chicken! haha They cut the filet fresh for you and then grind the trimmings into Ground Beef. Holy Moly I'm excited!

Sunday: Homemade Pizza Night I think...

FIRSTS...

2009-03-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

1. FIRST Prom Date? Sophomore year- Troy Kemp

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? negative

3. FIRST alcoholic beverage? hmm... maybe a smirnoff? i can't even remember...

4. FIRST job? in highschool I worked at my dad's office and also at Chik-fil-A...

5. FIRST car? VW Passat... I LOVED that car...

6. FIRST person to text you today? Mike

7. FIRST person you thought of this morning? Mike... I always call him to make sure he made it to work safe- for some reason i wake up all panicy, wanting to know he's safe.

8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs Capparelli

9. Where did you go on your FIRST airplane ride? gosh... i have no idea? my parents have travelled with us since we were babies... probably Ohio or something?

10. Who was your FIRST best friend... and do you still talk? Jess Scharmann- and YES we still talk! She was my Maid of Honor & we're still best friends... clearly! :)

11. Where was your FIRST sleepover? umm probably Jess's house... ironically her house was my last sleep-over too :)

12. FIRST person you talked to today? see question 7

13. Who's wedding were you in the first time? I was a flower girl in a bunch of weddings when I was little... not sure who's wedding was my first? But the first wedding I was a Bridesmaid in was Jon & Christa's wedding.

14. FIRST thing you did this morning? scratch Bishop's big fuzzy face & tell him goodmorning... he's been sleeping on our floor since Dan & Heather moved in.

15. FIRST concert you ever went to? Celine Dion with Jess- 2nd row baby! :)

16. FIRST tattoo? none

17. FIRST piercing? my parents got my ears pierced when I was like 6 months old so people would stop complimenting their cute little "boy" haha - HELLO - that had me dressed in pink... wasn't that a tip-off people?!

18. FIRST foreign country you went to? Brazil

19. FIRST movie you remember seeing? i have absolutely no idea... a Disney movie... maybe Little Mermaid? i rembemer me and my cousins singing like arial and playing in my pool when i was like 4...

20. FIRST detention? I only had 1 detention ever- 10th grade... Mrs. Cork gave me a detention for being late to class 3 times... SERIOUSLY that was retarded! Her class was right after lunch & if you were in her class but not seated- she still counted you late... UGH i'm still bitter about that one!

21. FIRST state you lived in? FLORIDA baby... born & raised!

22. FIRST roommate? my brother- we lived together my freshman year... then Heather moved in with me for the summer when dan went home haha & now they are both roommates again... Ironic...

23. FIRST instrument you learned to play? piano... but i can't hardly remember anything

24. FIRST pet? Muffin... our 100 lb Rottweiler... haha yes, that was REALLY her name

25. How old were you when you had your FIRST kiss? 15 i think

Meal Plan Monday

2009-03-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Okay... so i've been out of the blogging loop for a few weeks. My brother and sister-in-law moved in with us a little over a month ago. 4 people... 2 dogs.. .and 1 computer. hah So needless to say- Blogging hasn't been my top priorty these days. Hopefully I'll be getting back into the swing of things here shortly. We re-did our backsplash in our kitchen this past week so I'll be putting a post up with pictures this week... :) Anyhow, on to Meal Plan Monday:

Monday: Enchiladas - I've been wanting to try this recipe & am finally getting around to it.

Tuesday: Corned Beef & Cabbage in the Crock Pot- HELLO! It's St. Patty's day! :) My Great Grandfather was from Ireland... so i've gotta make him proud and celebrate!

Wednesday: My sister-in-law is making Chicken Tetrazzini... mmm can't wait to try it (i've never had it before)

Thursday: Chicken on the grill over a salad... GOTTA make up for all the heavy meals this week!

Friday: Mike & I are off to Orlando for the weekend... no meals planned!!!! :)

Michael Wiley

2009-02-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Katie tagged me to do this... and well, I love bragging about my hubby so I couldn't resist! :)

How did we meet: On an airplane headed for Mexico (see previous post... it's a LONG but good story... definitely by God's hand!)

How long we dated before we got married: 13 months in total... we dated for 8 months, got engaged, and were engaged for 5 months before we got married.

How long we have been married: 1 week from this Sunday will be our 1st Anniversary (March 8th)!

What is my favorite feature about him: My husband is stinking HOT! He has amazing blue eyes... and I absolutely love how masculine and rugged he lookes when he has some scruff on his face! And Katie... I'm gonna have to steal your answer w/ saying that my husband has a fantastic butt. Yep... I said it. It's true too :)

What is my favorite quality about him: His heart. He is always thinking of me first and is so helpful around the house.

What is his nickname: Oh gosh... with his friends he has a bunch... to name a few: Wiley, Y-Man, Sweet Mike, Won-Ton Chop...

What is his favorite color: umm i don't know- For furniture, he's drawn to Red Items... but in clothes he wears a lot of Blues... Not sure that he has an OFFICIAL favorite... He likes mixing things up.

What is his favorite food: My husband is sweet- he always tells me that whatever I've cooked for dinner is his favorite :) But I'd have to say he LOVES when I make Caesar Chicken, Black Beans & Rice, and Caesar Salad... He also loves this salad i make "Charlottesville Salad" (that's the sweet dressing one w/ Candied Pecans, hunnay...) I'll post the recipe the next time I make it.

What is his favorite sport: He played baseball his whole life- so I'd say that's his fav to play, but he also loves playing flag football w/ his friends.

Who said the “L” word first: I probably felt it first... but I held out and waited for him to SAY it. He waited a while (like 6 months into our relationship... and then started ring shopping right after that hah!)

First kiss and where: Beginning of Feb 2007 (not sure the actual day)... on the couch at my mom's house haha- we were watching a movie "The Illusionist" (i think)

Favorite “couple thing” to do: umm... We love just relaxing together and doing nothing (as sad as that sounds)... but we're always so busy that it's nice to just RELAX! We also love to go shopping for house stuff (Homegoods is our FAV!!!)

How many kids: No kids right now. One day... just not now.

Hidden Talent: He's an artist and can paint & draw extremely well (although he's very modest about it), He can surf, Drum, and he's SUPER handy w/ fixing things around the house, he can build skateboards, and build lots of other things too! (he built the table wooden top to our tv table), he can drive a boat really well for people to ski/tube off the back of, okay... he can do A LOT more things too... but those are just a few!!

Favorite Music: umm he likes a good mix... loves a little rock and roll (he wants to be a rock star)

What I admire most about him: he is very humble, always quick to help me, and loves to help others, he is extremely loving, loves the Lord, he's a great listener, patient with me, he's an incredible husband and best friend... shall I continue?

Favorite past time: Surfing, Playing Pool, fishing, traveling, relaxing...

Will he read this: yes- i'm sending him the link!

now i’m tagging Kathleen, and Sarah to do it too.

Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe

2009-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

So I kinda combined my Monday & Tuesday meal plans... and ate them on Tuesday night. My infamous Ritz Cracker Chicken Tenders & Strawberry Brie Salad. So I thought I'd take some pictures and post them here. :)

First Line up an assembly line with Chicken (i used tenders but you can use chicken breasts too- just pound them out first), Ranch Dressing, and Crushed up Ritz Crackers. Coat the chicken in ranch and then the Ritz Crackers and place in a Pyrex dish (addition: make sure you spray the dish with cooking spray- thanks for pointing that out AP! :) I totally forgot to type that step!).

Bake in the oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes

While chicken is baking, put salad together: Romaine lettuce (sometimes I'll add Spinach too), Brie Cheese, and Strawberries w/ Poppy Seed Dressing

This is the salad all mixed together... it's SO yummy!

And LASTLY... the end product... Ritz Cracker Chicken tenders and strawberry Brie Salad- you seriously have to try them both. SO easy and SO good!

Ta Da!!

Meal Plan Monday

2009-01-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Monday: dinner at Bruce's

Tuesday: Ritz Cracker Chicken Tenders (i wrote about this in another blog- except this time I'll use Chicken tenderloins- i tried it recently and it turned out GREAT!) Also we'll have Broccoli Cheese Soup (The V8 Soups are on sale... so i take them and add some fresh steamed broccoli and some grated Cheese... mmm)

Wednesday: TACO night

Thursday: left-overs

Friday: Celebrating Kruse's birthday in Stuart

Saturday: Probably going out- my sister will be in town!

Sunday: Some sort of Pasta Dish... not sure yet

Meal Plan Monday

2009-02-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

So I missed this one last week because our schedule was so crazy with Mike's Birthday and all. We weren't home most of the week. Anyhow, here's the plan this week (Although the days on which we eat what may get shifted around since Mike just got his Umpiring schedule for the month.) I'm thinking I may take pics of each meal this week. We'll see if I remember :)

Monday: Grilled Chicken over Strawberry Brie Salad w/ Poppyseed Dressing... MMMM Mmmm (Mike's umpiring tonight... so I'll save him a plate of left overs)

Tuesday: Bible Study night- so I'll be making Ritz Cracker Chicken Tenders & Broccoli Cheese Soup (It's my go-to meal when we don't have a lot of time)

Wednesday: Casaer Chicken Kabobs (Marinated Overnight in Homemade Caesar Dressing- Aunt Kathy's Recipe, of course) and on the side: Mojo Black Beans & Rice, and Caesar Salad (w/ the same Dressing).

Thursday: Nutramedix Bowling Night- we'll probably be eating some munchies at the bowling alley...

Friday: Mike's Umpiring again... so It'll probably be a Left-Overs Night

Saturday: Penne a la Betsy- Trying this one out... Kathleen's recommendation! Can't wait!! :)

Sunday: Dan & Heather will be arriving w/ a U-Haul and all their belonging after a long treck down from Ohio- So I'll be making dinner for them this night: Sesame Teriyaki London Broil (I made up a new marinade this past week and it turned out SO good that I'm doing it again!), Baked Potatoes, and Caesar Salad (When I make this dressing... we eat it all week long haha)

25 Things about Me...

2009-01-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

Erin tagged me in this on Facebook- thought i'd post it over here too since I'm over-due for an entry.

1. I've been seeing this thing going around and secretly hoped someone would tag me so I could join in the fun! (Thanks Erin- you're my hero! haha)

2. My thumbs are double-jointed. I can bend them all the way backwards and forwards to touch either side of my wrist. yep- i'm a freak show!

3. I was Captain of the Cheerleading Squad in 8th grade. (I cheered for 4 years)

4. I absolutely LOVE to cook. Really I do... for some reason it's therapeutic to me. I secretly dream about having my own cooking show. yep. it's true. Move over Rachel Ray.

5. I was on the Crew team my sophomore year (Yes, as in Rowing)

6. Mike and I keep our thermostat on 71 when we sleep- we can't STAND being hot when we sleep. We even sleep as far away from each other as we possibly can in our King size bed haha

7. I am currently obsessed with the show "Burn Notice"! I actually sometimes I wish I was a secret spy (this desire started when i got hooked on ALIAS back in the day- i wanted to BE Jennifer Garner... Seriously)

8. I worked at Chik-fil-A in 9th grade. Mike's friend, Neil Hannon trained me & I didn't even know it (i figured this out this year haha... crazy how small the world is)

9. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but we tuck our dog into bed before we go to sleep. We take him to his room, cover him up with a blankie, put his stuffed duck under his paw, tell him he's a good dog and that we love him, and turn the light out and tell him good night. Yes- we are THAT couple. Bishop is like our son.

10. I have a notebook saved of all the e-mails Mike & I sent back and forth on Myspace when we first met. It's HILARIOUS to go back and read how cheesy we were haha

11. I'm a neat freak. I'd say bordering on a little bit O.C.D.

12. The one chore i absolutely HATE doing is Laundry. Thank goodness I have a wonderful husband who helps me do it...

13. I'm normally really good at sharing, but when it comes to ice-cream... back off! haha Ask Mike. It's my one weakness.

14. Photography intrigues me & so does Photoshop. I wish I knew more about them. I keep slowly teaching myself.

15. I am really competitive when it comes to playing Wii Mario Cart. I get a really bad attitude when I lose a race. (and I'm embarrassed about it)

16. I've chewed my nails since... well... since I learned how to chew. I wish I could stop. I've tried the bitter polish and everything. Anyone have any suggestions?

17. Most people know this already, but I met my Husband on an airplane (on our way to Mexico)... I hearing Mike tell the story. If you haven't heard it yet---> go to my blog: www.kristinawiley.blogspot

.com it's the first post i ever did. I'd love to write a book about it. Maybe I will.

18. I closed off a lot of people after my parents divorce, and because of it, I regret not being better about keeping in touch with some of my high school/college friends.

19. I absolutely LOVE snow skiing & am pretty decent at it.

20. I can't stand Sushi. It makes me gag. I like my food cooked thank-you.

21. I love board games.

22. I am terrified of flying. My uncle was killed in a plane collision the summer before senior year, and then a few years later was the kicker. i was on a TERRIBLE plane ride home from Brazil and we hit a pocket of air and dropped over a thousand feet. the flight attendant fell to the floor and passengers were holding her down b/c we were dropping so fast. All of the lights were flashing and dinging. I literally thought I was going to die. (Chad, Linda, and JP can attest to this one!) Now i get a sick pit in my stomach any time I hit turbulence on a flight. It's really bad- I get really clamy, sweaty, palms and I sometimes cry. Yep. I admitted it, I cry on airplanes b/c I'm terrified. Again, just ask Mike. haha Poor guy...

23. I hate watching the news. It scares me. I hate how the media spins absolutely everything. They twist everything & make it seem like the world is coming to an end. And like I said- it scares me. hah So I just don't watch it. I'm the last person you want to ask about current events.. Sad, I know.

24. I picked my sister in-law. Yep, not many people get to do that, but i did!!! I told Dan to date Heather... a few months later they started dating. And now they've been married for over a year. I'm such a good little matchmaker :)

25. I never dated until College. My guy friends in high school always told me i was the "marrying type"- not the date right-now girl. I'll take that as a compliment now... I love marriage and I couldn't be happier.

Scattergories!!!!!

2009-01-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Rules: IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! COPY THIS TO YOUR BLOG, ERASE MY ANSWERS, & ENTER YOURS. USE THE1ST LETTER OF YOUR NAME TO ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE TO BE REAL PLACES, NAMES, THINGS- NOTHING MADE UP! TRY TO USE DIFFERENT ANSWERS IF THE PERSON YOU TOOK THIS FROM HAD THE SAME 1ST INITIAL. ALSO- YOU CAN'T USE YOUR NAME FOR THE BOY/GIRL NAME QUESTION.

Have Fun!!

1. What is your name: Tina
2. A 4 Letter Word: Tape
3. A boys name: Tim
4.A girls name: Tara
5. An Occupation: Teacher
6. A Color: Teal
7. Something you wear: T-Shirt
8. A non-alcholic beverage: Tea
9. An alcholic beverage: Tequila
10. A Food: Tacos
11. A Candy: Taffey
12. Something found in the bathroom: Tampons
13. A place: Tahiti
14. A Reason for being late: Time Change (spring forward/fall back)
15. Something you shout: TOUCH-DOWN!!!!
16. A body part: Tounge
17. A holiday: Thanksgiving
18. A movie: Tarzan
19. An animal: Turkey
20. A Celebrity: Tina Turner (double points!)

Now I challenge YOU! :)