Merry Christmas

I hope you all took time to stay home and leave work at work over the past 2 days. I have learned this year more than ever that family is everything. I enjoyed spending time with my grandparents on the 23rd. That was my grandfathers 88th birthday. I could not get enough time with him. He told me stories of him going to war at 18 when he joined the Marines! What a precious soul that fought for our country! He is still in charge of their "class reunion" from his marine corps group.. He said they wouldn't do it this year because there were less than 9 of them left on Earth... What?? That was terribly sad for me to hear! He is such a sweet man and has such an amazing heart! We opened a HUGE box that was sent from my parents.. accompanied by a cd that had to be playing while we opened our gifts.. only my parents would think of that! we are a music lovin' family!! I loved this new tradition but it also made me miss my parents terribly. I know it is going to get easier as the years pass.. but not being able to hug them on Christmas is very hard. I guess it is just a part of growing up! We had a wonderful time at my in-loves.. We were both under the weather but started to purk up as the day went on.. I love how the Dawkins make me feel like I was born into their family! They treat me like my parents treat Chris and I love it.. we are all so very close! I hope each and every person that reads this takes the time to tell their loved ones how they truly love them. Life is short and we don't share our feelings enough.. oh... and a plus!! we all got to talk to Uncle Bubba. Please keep the family in your prayers as Uncle Bubba continues his fight against cancer. He is such a precious soul and such a Godly man! we all love him dearly!!!!! hug your babies tight tonight and tell your spouse and family that you love them!

Until next time,

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

A Day of Silence

On Tuesday, December 18th, there will be a blogger day of silence. We will post the button and that's it. Please try to not post anything else that day if possible.

 We are also raising money that will go to an organization in the memory of this tragedy. The organization is called The Newtown Family Youth and Family Services. Here is the official description of the support service we are donating to:

"Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.

ANY DONATIONS MADE TO NEWTOWN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES WILL BE DONATED DIRECTLY TO THOSE EFFECTED BY THE SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING."

Please visit THIS PAGE to make your donation.

 We can't imagine how they must be feeling, especially this close to the holidays. We would love for you to spread the word on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let's make a difference and use blogging in a positive way. Thank you in advance for participating.

 Love,
The Blog World

p.s. If you would like to, copy-paste and repost any part of this, please do. Share on

Welcome to the Wild Wild West!!!

Well.. if you read the title, then you guessed it.. I made a very last minute trip to Colorado to visit with some wonderful folks.. I was there Saturday til Saturday! It was such a nice trip and little get away! I am so thankful to have parents who will change their plans at the drop of a hat for their kids. I needed to get out of town! Every once in a while you just need a break before you break! I cried at the thought of having to leave. I am so close to my parents and sometimes.. phone calls and facetime just don't cut it! I met their great friends Jim and Laurie oh and Anna and the crew at Good Company.. we went to some of their favorite places to eat, and I got to meet all of mom's friends at work.. they are all great people.. We also went to the Garden of the Gods.. This place will take  your breath right out of your body. It is amazing to see it in person.. I cannot forget to mention my long lost bestie.. I got to see Cortnie! I haven't seen her since my wedding. We had so much fun hanging with her and Kas Kas! I miss her dearly! Well.. Saturday eventually came around and I was taken to the airport by my dad. I cried giving my mom a hug as I walked out the door.. quite frankly.. I am getting teary typing it.. I didn't let my dad see me cry but I let it all out when I knew he was not looking anymore! I miss them so much. I feel like a part of my heart is missing :(
Well.. here are some pics to last me until the next time I see them.. that is another gut wrenching part.. I have no clue when that will be!!! OMG.. Can't believe I almost forgot to tell you.. it SNOWED while I was there.. Awesomeness!!!

One for your sweet tooth...

How do I always start my blogs??? Answer: I know it has been forever since I blogged last. I am going to make a promise to try and get one out a week.. believe me.. I have TONS of recipes to share. We have been eating way to good not to share! This one is going to be short and sweet though.. sweet literally.. I baked yesterday and brought a batch of these cookies to work.. I can say that the bag is now half empty! That's a sign of a good eat! Here is the recipe.. Don't be afraid of this.. it is a simple scratch cookie recipe.. I even got my little brother to help out!

Oreo Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar

1 Cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

10 oz. bag chocolate chips

1 bag Oreo Cookies

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in eggs (one at a  time) and vanilla until well combined.

3.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough.  Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes.

Oh My... Pizza Pie!!! BBQ Ranch Chicken Pizza

Here's some good news! if you follow my blog and made the awesome pretzels, you are one step ahead of the crowd! I used the same dough recipe to make homemade pizza dough! I will post the recipe again in case you missed it! This time.. we rolled it out onto our pizza stone! I would highly suggest you pick one of these little gems up at the store next time.. they are amazing! we made sure to poke the pizza with a fork so that the air would be able to escape(shout out to Hunter) we baked it for 10-15 minutes with no topping so that it would be good and crispy! Once it game out, we slathered it with awesome KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce... We cheated and purchased a rotisserie chicken at the store.. shredded the meat and had it waiting in a hot tub of BBQ sauce! After making sure my ADHD self had the sauce perfect, we piled on the chicken.. literally.. we piled it on! we used a whole chicken for one pizza.. then came my favorite part.. the cheese! We used shredded mozzarella! WOW.. We put that puppy back into the oven and salivated for the next 20 minutes while it baked! I think we each checked the oven window 4 times while it was baking. Below is the finished product.. Enjoy!!! I almost forgot.. you drizzle the top of the pizza with Ranch dressing when you are ready to eat! I could only eat one piece because it was so big! for those of you who read this first.. i am an dummy for not putting the dough recipe.. duh~

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 quarts water
• 3/4 cup baking soda
• 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• Coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 
3. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
4. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil.
5. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
7. Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.
8. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. 
9. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. 
10. Roll each piece into a long rope and shape into the lengths or shapes that you want (sticks are easy and tasty).  
11. Boil the pretzels in the water solution in batches. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. 
12. Place pretzels on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. 
13. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. 
14. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
15. Add additional toppings immediately after they come out of the oven.

How does Homemade Cheddar Cheese Sauce sound??

Disclaimer: Chris has already asked for this recipe again! It was super easy and really really really yummy! This is one of those go to recipes that you can make on a busy night after work. You can all thank Ms. Paula Deen for this one too!

Pretzel-crusted Chicken with Cheddar Cheese Sauce (my mouth is watering already)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels (make sure to crush them really good)

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

1 1/2 poundas chicken cutlets ( we cheated and used tenders)

1/4 cup olive oil divided

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. in a shallow dish, whisk together egg and mustard until smooth. in a separate bowl combine pretzels and thyme

2. dip chicken into the egg mixture letting the excess drip off then dredge in the pretzel mixture coating well

3. in a large nonstick skiller, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. add half of the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. remove the chicken from the skillet and put under foil to keep warm. repreat proceedure until chicken is all cooked.  

4. in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. add the flour and cook by whisking constantly. this generally takes a few minutes. once cooked, slowly add the milk whisking until smooth. cook for about 6 to 8 minutes until the sauce is thick. slowly add the cheese and continue to whisk... and boom! you have whisked your arm off but you have made a darn good cheese sauce that can be used on anything! (caution.. your arm may be sore tomorrow)

we ate this awesome chicken with fresh corn off the cob and of course.. Texas Toast!! 

Dawkins' Diner.. don't mind if I do!

I am a sucker for a good Patty Melt. I love the buttery crunchy bread, the ooey gooey cheese, and the sweet crunch of the caramelized onions.. yumm-o! I found this recipe on Pintrest but it came from one of my hero's... The Pioneer  Woman! This woman is a true inspiration to all women! I am going to get right to it! Chris was a big help in the kitchen as we embarked on this diner journey. We did say that next time we make this.. because... there will be a next time... we are doing to patty the meat thinner! you will soon see what I am talking about. Here is goes peeps!

Pioneer Woman Patty Melts:

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Halved And Sliced
• 1-1/2 pound Ground Beef
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 5 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 8 slices Swiss Cheese
• 8 slices Rye Bread

Preparation Instructions

In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Throw in the sliced onions and cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and soft.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, salt & pepper, and Worcestershire. Form into 4 patties.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties on both sides until totally done in the middle.

Assemble patty melts this way: Slice of bread, slice of cheese, hamburger patty, 1/4 of the cooked onions, another slice of cheese, and another slice of bread. On a clean griddle or in a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and grill the sandwiches over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the sandwiches and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Turn the sandwiches to the skillet, flipping them to the other side. Cook until golden brown and crisp, and until cheese is melted.

Slice in half and serve immediately!

using a cast iron skillet is the only way to go for this recipe

no fancy side dish for this monster sandwich. just plain shells and cheese with rotel drained and added