Mini-BLT Sandwiches

Ok, it had been a long weekend and I was looking for something quick and easy to cook on Sunday evening.  So Jared and I pulled out the cookbooks. Well I pulled out a Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book and he pulled out my Black Binder that hold the receipes I've found and printed off-line.  I've only cooked probably 40% of these and he found Mini-BLT Sandwiches.

Cheesy Mini-BLT Sandwiches

 INGREDIENTS

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1/2 cup Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend, shredded (2 oz)

8  slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled (1/2 cup)

2  tablespoons chopped green onions (2 medium)

1/3  cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2  cup shredded lettuce

8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll dough on work surface; press into 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut into 24 squares; place on ungreased cookie sheets. 2 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to cooling rack. 3 Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix cheese, bacon, onions and mayonnaise. Place slightly less than 1 tablespoon lettuce on bottoms of 12 crescent squares. Top each with 1 heaping tablespoon bacon mixture and 2 slices tomato. Top with remaining crescent squares.

My Mamaw always use to write little notes on recipes like "good", "Angela's favorite", "good, but takes work".  This dinner was "Easy and Delicious"!

Memory Monday:Trip To North Carolina

The summer of 2003 - was Emily's 21st birthday.  Earlier in the year our good friend Candace had gotten married and moved to North Carolina (husband in Army/Militiary).  This was such a special trip for a few reasons. 
-my first plane ride
-only like 2nd or 3rd trip not taken with parents
-the fun we had!

After half a day of flying we get to North Carolina.  Eddie and Ace pick us up from the airport and proceed to drive another 2 hours to their house. Eddie started grilling out while Ace, Em, and I made a beer run.  Emily challenged Eddie to a toe to toe battle with crown and coke.  Not the best plan, however I have to say she held her own for most of the night.  *most*...well the next day Eddie took us to a water park at a lake.  We climbed tall wooden towers in the middle lake and swung out on ropes and zipped down ziplines.  This was by far my favorite day.  Later we went to a little hole in the wall bar where laughed and drank and played darts.  Needless to say the next day we slept in and re-cooped.  That night we went to a dance club.  One side of the club was hip-hop and the other country. We danced and took shots.  When we were leaving this guy just kept calling out, "angel, my angel".  The order and exact details are a little fuzzy....due mainly to alcohol at the time and the fact that its been almost 10 years.  I was so happy to get to see our dear friends.  Eddie- by far one of funnest people ever!  A trip I will never forget...

Is it too late to have a resolution??

Ok, I know today is March 22 and I should have made a New Year's Resolution months ago.  But here it is...Finish! Finish whatever it is I start...and not half A*# it either.  So to hold myself accountable I'm going to put some of my goals for the year on here. 

-Plan and EXECUTE Corbin's 7th Birthday Party.  I have the list and ideas...just need to make it happen and not 2 days before. 
-Start eating healthier and working out.
-Make my house our HOME - i.e. curtains, table settings, wall art, ect.
-Activities with Corbin
-Learn to cook many dishes!
-Learn to use my sewing machine
-Complete atleast 10 pinterest projects (about 1 a month)
-Keep blogging about my life!

Thanks!

Paralyzed Parent.....

I remember being a little girl and having sleep overs and getting dropped off at the roller skating rink on a Friday night. Many great memories are from these nights.... Nights my son may never have.

This thought came to me about 10 minutes before Corbin walked in the Christmas parade Tuesday night. One of his best friends in his class is also in cub scouts, so I had the opportunity to meet his mother. Of course I said how much Corbin talks about this other boy and we laughed because her boy does the same with Corbin. Then I suggested that maybe one night they can have a sleep over, either at our house because Corb has a bunk bed or maybe theres... We both agreed this would be great and to exchange numbers. Well the parade started shortly after and we just didn't get around to getting each others numbers.

It wasn't until the car ride home and talking with my mother that the panic set in. "I can't let him stay the night," I said. "who knows if she has a husband/boy friend, or older child, that may be mean, hurt, or touch my baby." My mother quickly agreed and proceeded to recall the days top stories on the news.

A terribly grief came over me of memories my child may never have. But I can't risk the opportunity for predator to find my child. There will not be Friday nights dropped off at a skating rink and then on to a friends house for my child. We are paralyzed with fear....because everywhere there are monsters that prey on innocent children. And the sad thing....the other mother probably thought the same thing....

2 sides of Hope...

For my dear friend...follow the path to a happy heart..."Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man."
It's easy to see why this quote can sometimes be heartbreakingly true.  The hope that a lost loved one will be returned can almost be crippling.  You weap, but cannot move on.  Empty, but refuse to be filled.  How many times hoping for the phone to ring?  Hoping to see their face-to be welcomed home where you belong. Hope can paralyze.  You can focus on not moving forward in hopes that something will come instead of making it happen. 

But hope can move you forward.  It can make you get out of bed, learn something new, open yourself to be hurt again.  It's the hope for happiness.  The new day.  That first deep breath that ok, I have to get up. I have to pick myself up.  I cannot live this way.  That's hope.  Because you know something will change. 
"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all."

101 Things I Love...

1. Corbin 2. Scrapbook Pages 3. Quilts 4. Perfume 5. Pizza 6. Sweatshirts 7. the Mavericks 8. PINTEREST 9. taking pictures 10. Modern Family 11. crikket's Cosmos 12. laughing 13. lipgloss 14. the Rangers 15. Candles 16. a soft blanket 17. singing in the car 18. playing video games 19. shopping 20. quoting movies 21. baking cookies 22. getting a pedicure 23. scrabble 24. the rain at night 25. Halloween costumes 26. re-arranging furniture 27. staying in hotels 28. swimming 29. the Rangers 30. picture frames 31. learning a new recipe 32. weddings 33. cuddling w/ my husband 34. giving gifts 35. getting dressed up 36. watching a sad movie 37. pretty lingerie 38. camping 39. family game night 40. Hobby Lobby 41. Emily doing my hair 42. going to concerts 43. birdcages 44. pretty paper 45. reading a great mystery 46. Edward Cullen 47. Christmas decorations 48. back massages 49. flip-flops 50. SCARVES 51. baskets 52. the Cowboys (although sometimes I don't like to admit it) 53. bulldog puppies 54. painting pumpkins with Corbin 55. pianos 56. BREAD (any kind) 57. playing Volleyball 58. Sunday afternoons 59. new music 60. Superhero Movies 61. play wrestling with my husband 62. making people laugh 63. DIY  projects 64. Calvin & Hobbes 65. Mexican Food 66. magazines (fashion, home decor, cooking and scrapbooking) 67. planning a vacation 68. playing blackjack 69. picnics 70. the smell of freshly cut grass 71. sunglasses 72. The Jersey Shore 73. Date Night 74. Sex and the City 75. moscato wine 76. God 77. bubble baths 78. getting flowers 79. going to the beach 80. watching Friends 81. my Husband 82. Banana Pudding 83. sweatshirts 84. cowboy boots 85. getting compliments 86. watching Corbin sleep 87. the Longhorns 88. planning a party 89.  night with the girls 90. laying out by the pool 91. Sale Ads 92. The Holidays 93. breakfast 94. Harry Potter 95. kisses 96. Dr. Pepper 97. napping 98. Shark Week 99. acustic guitar 100. stars and moon 101. Canasta   (list could go on and on)

what do you love? 

If I had 3 wishes...the first would be....

One would be to have a beautiful singing voice.  I've just gotten addicted to Glee...and all I can say is, "Why can't my life be a musical...atleast some days...oh yea I can't sing."  What a bummer to know that even if it was sociable acceptable to just bust out in some random awesome song...I couldn't do it...because I sound like Lucille Ball when I sing.  But I love it.  There's nothing better than driving by myself and hearing Simon Cowell tell me that he's never heard a Cher song sang better.  (I like to pretend I'm on American Idol on these solo car trips...) I mean if I was a mermaid- no prince would fall in love with me because I sing like an angel (an actual angel...not Will Farrell angel).  I wish I had a voice that could make even the hardest heart shed a tear.  I think my son must have inherited my tone-deafness (not sure that is a word...but it makes sense), because he actually likes me to sing him a lullaby at night (To Make You Feel My Love).  I've been singing it to him since he was a baby...so really he doesn't know any better.  I've sang karaoke...and both times I felt like Cameron Diaz singing, "I just don't know what to do with myself"- truly awful.  So, if you are one of those few gifted people - I hope you appreciate your talent.  I know I'm not without gifts...and I'm grateful-truly.  But to sing without dogs whining would be amazing.