"Make it work."

I think I have decided that's my moto for 2011. I'm once again trying to lose weight and I started about last Thursday, and I've lost 2.8 pounds so far! It was jump started by a sore throat, which made me feel like eating nothing, so I took advantage of it! The stomach shrinkage began and I've been trying to stick with it. I've been eating a lot less, and healthier things. I don't think I've had anything fried since Thursday! I'm pretty proud. It means more effort on my part (cooking at home a lot more), but that's okay by me if it means losing weight! Do I feel like I'm starving 75% of the day? Yes! lol I'm hoping that gets easier as I get used to eating the smaller portions. It sucks though! But as Tim Gunn says, "Make it work!" and I'm determined to do so this time!

On another note - northern Georgia where my dad lives got like 5-8 inches of snow! I'm PISSED! It's to freaking warm here and we just got ICE. And lots of it!! Brandon was off work yesterday, thank God, and my school cancelled yesterday and today so I've been cooped inside. It took like 20 minutes to get the ice off his car this morning though, and it was thick! Here are a couple pics so you can see:

Icicles!! Pretty!

Looks like snow. WRONG. It's super thick ice.

That's all I've been up to lately! No class for me tomorrow, so maybe the semester will start on Thursday!

Hungry Jack Casserole Recipe!

I mentioned a few posts ago that I want to learn how to cook more stuff and expand my recipe collection! Well I got this recipe from a fellow Marine wife and I thought I'd share it with you all! All *50* of my followers!! Yay!! This casserole is super easy to make, affordable and VERY yummy!!

Start out by browning a pound of lean ground beef.

These are the next ingredients you'll mix in with the ground beef. The recipe also calls for a tsp. of minced onion. I couldn't find it at the store, so I left it out. I'm not crazy about onions anyway, so I thought it tasted fine without it. If you like onions, go for it!

My quality control inspector verifying the ingredients.

And begging for the attention I was paying to the cooking!

Alright, now you'll add...

3/4 c. Kraft BBQ sauce

1 15 or 16 oz. can of pork and beans

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Stir until combined and heat until bubbly!

Next, you'll pour the contents of the pan into a casserole dish. I used a deep 8x8 glass Pyrex dish and it fit nicely!

Then you'll take a container of canned biscuits and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and top the casserole.

Just cut them up and arrange them the way they fit best.

And top with the cheese!

Bake at 350 degrees, until the biscuits are done! It only took mine about 15 minutes.

Here's my result:

It was super yummy and I'll definitely be making it again soon! Here's a link to the recipe if you'd like to print it!

Hungry Jack Casserole

Thursday Five - 12/30!

It's Thursday Five time again! This week has been a doozy, it feels like! Decompressing from the holidays, I guess, but here are things that made me...

Happy
Delighted
Grateful
Totally Stoked
Thankful

I was really Happy to get a book shelf today! Simple things in life. Haha. I really think I'm getting old because I get excited about new lamps, book shelves, etc. I also got Bakerella's book CAKE POPS!! I'm super excited to try out some more of them!

I was Delighted to get our present from my MIL yesterday! She crocheted me a headband and scarf that are so cute!! I love handmade presents; they're much more meaningful!

I'm Grateful that I got to spend a nice evening with my brother and his family Monday! They're so much fun and it's nice to get out of this little town every once and a while!

I'm Totally Stoked for my new plug in warmer and scent that I won! I got it in the mail today, and it's so cute and the fragrance (You Go Girl) smells SO freaking good!!

I'm Thankful that my dad helped me buy a new laptop charger today. I don't know what it is, but they only last me about a year and a month. Long enough to not be under warranty anymore, basically. But I was pleased to see that Mac has redesigned them, so hopefully the problem that always happens will not happen anymore!

My Christmas!

I don't know where to start! I feel like it's been so long since I posted, but we've been pretty busy! So here goes my Christmas update!

I made reindeer cake pops for a few of my friends! I think they ended up okay! You can see how Bakerella (my hero) makes them HERE.

My aunt and cousin came to stay with us at my dad's over the holiday! Danielle, my cousin, loved Charlie! Charlie...well, you can see his reaction. hehe

I made some yummy red velvet cupcakes to take to Christmas dinner at my other aunt's house! Can you tell I love baking?

Charlie and Addy had lots of fun playing together too! They always have a good time and when Charlie gets home he sleeps for at least 24 hours straight!

We didn't get maaaany actual presents, but we got a good bit of cash, gift cards and a few things for me to bake with!

But one of the most awesome things was....IT SNOWED!!! I'm in Georgia. It hadn't been a white Christmas in Georgia, since 1882!!! So this was a big deal!! It wasn't a white Christmas to wake up to, but it snowed a good bit by the end of the night!

And I got to see Kelly! One of my best friends and bridesmaids who is preggers! She lives in VA so I don't see her much. I didn't get to feel the baby kick though, but there'll hopefully be more chances!

When we got back to our apartment, there was no snow. :( Such a downer. But we woke up to some the next day!! Just a little, but enough to make me happy!

I hope everyone else had a very Merry Christmas!!

Thursday Five is back!

Thursday Five is back!! I'm excited that Nicole @ Flip Flops and Combat Boots is taking it over! I've missed it the last few weeks! So here are things that made me...

Excited

Joyful

Thankful

Happy

Pumped

1. I was so Excited to get all my packages this week! I got our Shutterfly cards, prints that I ordered for our wedding frames and my swap package from Diana all this week!

2. The whole Christmas feeling is making me so Joyful! Hot cocoa, shopping for presents, decorating the tree - I love it all!

3. I'm so Thankful that I have wonderful friends and family to enjoy all Christmas has to offer with! I'm truly blessed!!

4. I'm super Happy that I got pretty good grades this semester! I've had a rough time since my mom died back in 2008, but I finally feel my focus coming back! 3 A's and a B is the best I've ever done!

5. I'm Pumped for Christmas!! Can't tell though, right? lol My aunt comes down Monday and I'm hoping to be able to spend some time with her and my cousin, and just have a good time Christmas day with the rest of the family!

Expanding my cooking horizon...

I'm 21. I'm married. I need to know how to cook. I have the basics down, but I get tired of cooking the same stuff over and over. Here are the things I do know how to cook:

• Crock Pot Roast
• Spaghetti
• Baked pork chops
• Chicken casserole
• Crock Pot Chili

And that's about it. I know the basic stuff too, like hotdogs and burgers and all that, but I'd like to add more dishes that last a few days, don't have a million ingredients (I'm not Ina Garten, if you haven't noticed) and doesn't cost a lot to make. Soooo if you have any that you'd like to share, or links to posts about it, pleaseeee share!!

Life is weird sometimes.

So it's like 4:30 AM and I can't sleep. This blog will be minimal, but I just wanted to share an odd occurrence that just happened! I hopped on blogger to check the feed, when I saw a new post from one of the blogs I follow that I really like. Hereeee is the first one I clicked to open. Earlier, I had read something a friend had posted on Facebook, about being in the mood to bake. I've been wanting to bake really badly lately and I've been wanting to try out Smores brownies for quite some time. They look absolutely delightful. So while I'm off thinking about Smores and reading the first post about the new blog, I had opened the link to the Bonjour's new blog in another tab. Hadn't looked at it yet. I go to look at it, and what is the first image on the post?

That's right. Smore's brownies. It was like the internet read my mind! I know it's not a big deal, but it just makes me smile when little things like that happen! I'm going to try to get some sleep. I apologize if this post makes absolutely no sense at all. :)