What I'm eating Wednesday-Super bowl Sunday yummy dips to try!

 Today I'm sharing two of my favorite dips I have made for parties or family gatherings. Although Super Bowl Sunday may be spent at home this year, we can still enjoy some yummy food! I'd love to hear of any dips or appetizers you enjoy on Super Bowl Sunday! My sister shared both these recipes with me and they have been a hit every time I've made them!

Taco Dip 

Ingredients

-1 lb ground beef cooked

-1 bag of fritos scoops

-1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese

-1 tomato

- 1 bag of shredded lettuce

-1 cup of mayo

-1 carton of sour cream

- 1 pkg of taco seasoning

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, taco seasoning.

Add ground beef and mix

Put shredded cheddar, lettuce and cut up tomatoes on top

Enjoy!

The second dip is Chicken Wing Dip!

Ingredients:

-1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked

- 1 bottle of Nancy's buffalo wing sauce or your favorite buffalo sauce!

- 8 oz of cream cheese

- 1 bottle of blue cheese dressing

- 16 oz shredded Mozzarella

Directions:

Cook chicken and shred

Spread cream cheese in 13 x 9 pan

Mix chicken with sauce in a pan on medium heat for 5 minutes

Mix 1/2 mozzarella cheese with chicken and sauce

Spread on top of cream cheese

Spread blue cheese over top

Top with remaining mozzarella

Bake @ 375 for 20 minutes

Serve with tortilla chips!

Please let me know if you try these and enjoy them and if you add anything to them!

Family adventure-visit to Waco, Texas!

 A week before Christmas, my husband surprised me and booked an overnight stay in Waco Texas for the 4 of us! I have been a big Fixer Upper fan for the past 5 years and have always wanted to see the Silos and their new businesses. Living in Northwest Louisiana, we are only about 3.5 hours away from Waco.

We left the Monday before Christmas early and was able to have lunch from one of food trucks at the Silos and sit on the infamous lawn and have a picnic which my kids loved. Then we walked around the shops there. I got a chai tea latte at the Magnolia Press which was worth waiting in line to enjoy. I also had a couple other places I wanted to see that I had seen on their tv show. We were able to see Harp Design Co's building and house they renovated on the show. It wasn't open but even driving by it was nice! Then we stopped at the Magnolia (little shop on Bosque) and looked around at how Chip and Joanna began their journey.

We lucked out and we had beautiful weather that day and enjoyed the sun and mild 60 degree temps. We stayed in a super cute air bnb a couple blocks from the Silos which was great! Tuesday morning we woke up bright and early in hopes of eating breakfast at the infamous Magnolia Table restaurant. I had looked online to make reservations but they were all booked up. We got there at 7am when the doors opened and were able to get a seat and have some delicious breakfast. I had the eggs benedict, my favorite breakfast
dish and it did not disappoint! 

After breakfast we drove around a bit, then headed to the Silos Baking company to get in line for some chocolate chip cookies. They closed early on Monday and we weren't able to stop in then. The bakery is rather small but perfect for a delicious baked good. Our kids were troopers, as well as my husband, as they let me enjoy all the sights Monday and Tuesday morning. We decided that Tuesday before we headed back to Louisiana we would check out the Cameron Park zoo in Waco. It was a bit chilly that day but we all enjoyed seeing the animals up close. I would definitely recommend a visit to Waco, Texas if you are a fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines and the Magnolia brand. It is a trip I will treasure and I'm so glad I was able to experience it with my family.

Here are some photos from our adventure!

Family Yearbooks!

 A couple years ago I decided to reorganize my photos. I had some in albums that had been torn as well as some one different websites (shutterfly, mix). I also had so many on my phone. I came across the idea of a family yearbook and loved it!

I started with 2013, the year our daughter was born, and the first 5 years I was able to make shutterfly books with our favorite photos from those years. The photos were already saved as I used to print all my photos monthly. Instead, I decided to only print out photos that I was going to put in frames instead of using photo albums. I bought some great clear containers from amazon that I filled with photos of each of my kid for their memory boxes as well as for myself and husband. I did declutter some of the photos that were duplicates or scenery of places.

In 2018, I came across the website Artifact Uprising, and loved the look of their photo books. I downloaded their app and chose the template I liked and was able to fill in the book through out the year and then order it in January.

Last year I listened to a podcast that talked about Amazon Photos. I have be an Amazon prime member for 10 years and this was a feature that was free that I hadn't used yet. I downloaded the app and was able to save all my current photos and whatever photos I took going forward.

This is a tradition that I will continue and I think it would be a great gift idea for family members as well. Once I was able to simplify my photo storage on my phone via Amazon photos, chose to only print photos for frames, as well as created the family yearbook, I felt less overwhelmed with all the photos I had and felt more in control of the process.

I have actually tried to not have my camera on as much and started living a little more in the moment instead of trying to document everything which I think my kids enjoy as well!

What I'm eating Wednesday-Meatloaf!

 I have always loved meatloaf! Hot or cold, made by my parents or at a restaurant! I haven't attempted it until now because I was afraid I would be the only one eating it. The week between Christmas and New Years-aka the lost week-I got ambitious and decided to try Magnolia Table cookbook's recipe for meatloaf. 

It did not disappoint and my husband even ate it! Whether it was served warm with a baked potato or cold with ketchup, it was a hit!

Below is the recipe! Let me know if you end up trying it out!

Ingredients

2

tbsp salted butter

1/4-1/2

cups chopped onion

3/2

lb ground beef

1

sleeve saltine crackers

3/2

cups grated cheddar cheese

2

large eggs, beaten

1/2

cup tomato sauce

1

tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/2

tsp salt

1/4

tsp pepper

2

tbsp ketchup

Directions

1.

Preheat oven to 350

2.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat-low heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

3.

In a large bowl, combine beef, cooled onion, saltine crumbs, cheddar, eggs, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients together well blended. Try to keep a light touch and not overwork the mixture.

4.

On a 9x13 inch pan, form the mixture into a loaf and brush it over the top to cover (I used a loaf pan).

5.

Drizzle ketchup down the center of the loaf and brush it over the top to cover

6.

Bake until firm (170 degrees) about 1 hour. (Mine took 1.5 hours in loaf pan). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Between the lines-The Four agreements book review

 At the end of 2020, I read The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz.  I enjoyed this book thoroughly and ended up finishing it in a day as it is less than 200 pages. This was a book I could see myself reading yearly as a reminder of the four agreements or principles to adopt and live by to free myself from doubt, unhappiness, guilt and loneliness.

The first agreement is to be impeccable with your words. In other words, speak honestly and avoid speaking ill of yourself and others (gossip). Think of your words as a powerful tool for truth and love.

The second agreement is to not take anything personally. In a world of social media messages and text messages, we can easily misinterpret another's language or subtext as abrasive. Understanding that nothing others do is because of you and what they say is a projection of their own reality or dream. The ability to be immune to the opinions and actions of others can save yourself time and unnecessary suffering.

The third agreement is to not make assumptions. Have courage enough to ask a question and communicate clearly to avoid misunderstandings and drama. This can be so hard for those, like myself, who do not like confrontation but it sounds so freeing. To be able to have little to no drama, self induced in that respect, by just asking a question and communicating openly.

The fourth agreement is to always do your best. If you always strive to do your best, no matter your circumstances, you can avoid self-criticism and judgement as well as regret. I have always put very high standards on myself which can be debilitating at times. This agreement with yourself to always do your best can avoid any internal struggles that you may wrestle with.

These four agreements are part of my new years goals but also habits I hope to create permanently in my life going forward.

I would recommend this book to every person. I think it could be a life changing book for those who are looking to be released from self-inflicted drama, regret, and guilt.

2021 goals

 Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and were able to find joy in the little things even if you weren't able to visit with family or your normal traditions felt different.

I chose to focus my goals on my hobbies that I enjoy and that help me battle the anxious and stressful moments that arise.

This year I hope to read two books a week for a total of 104 books in the year.  In 2020, I read 100 books and my goal was 52. Reading, both fiction and non-fiction, brings me joy and peace. 

I hope to run 200 miles this year. After getting back into running in August, I ended up running 85 miles in 5 months. I try to run 3 times a week about 2 miles so I thought 200 was an attainable and motivating goal to set.

Another hobby I enjoy is cooking and baking. This year I hope to try one new recipe a week. I got two new cookbooks for Christmas that I hope to try out some of their recipes.

I hope to continue with my goal from 2020 and write daily gratitude and consistently read the bible. I have been writing daily gratitude since the spring of 2019 and it has brought so much contentment to my life. In 2020, I enjoyed reading different books of the bible and gaining wisdom and increasing my faith.

I'd love to hear about any of your goals or resolutions for the year! In an upcoming book review, I will be diving in deep into some introspection that I hope to consciously work towards this year as well.

What's cooking Wednesday-Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

 This Thanksgiving I decided to try out a new side dish recipe. In the past, I have made thanksgiving dinner for just my husband and I as well as for my kids, who, to be honest, maybe ate a roll, when they were little. One of the traditions I started for Thanksgiving when I got married was having a chocolate dessert. I wasn't the biggest fan of pumpkin or apple pie and I felt like chocolate was needed!My daughter helped me make oatmeal chocolate chip bars for this thanksgiving, which I have shared the recipe for a couple months ago!

I decided to crack open my Magnolia Table volume 2 cookbook by Joanna Gaines and try out her Southern Sweet Potato Casserole. It was a labor of love and a bit time consuming, cooking the sweet potatoes first then combining the other ingredients and then topping it off with marshmallows and corn flakes but it was a crowd pleaser! Below is the recipe and I hope you try it out and enjoy it as much as my family and I have.

Ingredients 

• 5 lbs sweet potatoes
• cooking spray   
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 tablespoons butter 1 stick, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping

• 1 cup crushed cornflakes
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted 1/2 stick
• 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• For the sweet potatoes: Poke each sweet potato a few times with a fork, wrap them individually in foil, and roast until tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool about 20 minutes. Leave the oven on, but reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. 
• Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• When the sweet potatoes are cool wnough to handle, peel them and place them in a large bowl. Break up the potaotes slightly with a fork. Add the sugar, cream, butter, milk, eggs, vanilla and salt. Using a handheld mixer, whip the potato mixture until well combined, 3-5 minutes. 
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it our evenly.
• For the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together the cornflakes, pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. sprinkle the mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and position the rack 4 to 5 inches from the broiler element. 
• Sprinkly the marshmallows on top of hte casserole and broil until marshmallows begin to brown and bubble, about 1 minute watching carefully. Serve hot. 
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or in a microwave for 3 to 5 minutes.