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Hearty Cheese Soup

This soup is amazinggg!
In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled potatoes, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup celery, 1/4 cup sliced carrots, 2 tbs chopped onion, 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules, 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp salt & a dash of pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover & simmer 10-12 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine flour & milk until smooth. Stir into vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook & stir for 2 minutes (until thickened). Reduce heat to low & stir cheese until melted.
This makes 2 servings. I usually double the recipe so I can freeze some for later. Enjoy. :)

Black Bottom Strawberry Cream Pie

Make this for your man when he comes home. :)
Heat oven to 450*. Make Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust as directed on the box using a 9-in glass pie pan. Bake 9-11 minutes (lightly browned) & cool completely for about 15 minutes.
Spread hot fudge (about 2/3 cup) in the bottom of the cooled & baked shell. Refrigerate this for an hour.
In a small bowl, beat 1 8oz. package of cream cheese (softened) & 1 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed (or by hand if you choose) until smooth. Spread this over the fudge layer in the shell.
In a medium bowl, gently stir 2 cups fresh quartered strawberries with 1/2 cup strawberry pie glaze. Spoon this evenly over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for about an hour.
Enjoy. :)

Garlic-Basil Chicken

Super simple chicken dish...
In a pie pan, mix 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbs dried basil leaves, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tbs lemon juice & about 1 tbs of olive oil. Coat 2 chicken breasts with this mixture.
In a skillet, heat 1 tbs of olive oil on medium heat. Add the chicken & cook for 5 minutes on each side (until browned).
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover & cook 10-15 minutes (until chicken juice runs clear remember!)
You can pair this dish with buttered noodles & steamed vegetables! Enjoy. :)

Chicken-Ramen Soup

The ultimate comfort food.
Making soup is a habit my grandma has passed on to me. It's just something about the aroma it gives off that makes me feel instant comfort.
One of the easiest soups to make is Ramen soup.
Add chopped carrots (1 cup), chopped celery (1 cup), chopped onions (1/2 cup) & garlic (2 cloves minced) to a dutch oven over medium heat & cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in 2 cups of cut up rotisserie chicken as well as 6 cups of water & the seasoning packet from the ramen soup bag. Add salt & pepper to taste & reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in the ramen noodles & simmer uncovered for about 3 more minutes.
Doesn't your house smell amazing? Tastes good too! :)

Simple Syrup & Sweet Tea

Another summer staple, whether your southern or not, is Sweet Tea.
First, you have to make simple syrup. Super simple, hence the name. Bring 2 cups of cold water to a boil. Bring the heat down to low & stir in 2 cups of sugar. Stir constantly until sugar dissolved. Cool to room temperature & then keep refrigerated.
Once you have your simple syrup, sweet tea is even easier. Make a pitcher of Iced tea. Then mix about 85% iced tea & 15% symple syrup & you're done.

Frozen Citrus Slices

Just tried this today! I'm a huge fan of lemonade & iced tea, but one thing I hate is using ice cubes to keep it cold. If I don't drink it right away it gets too watered down. So, today I made citrus slices. I cut a couple lemons & limes into slices & lined a baking dish with wax paper & layered them. I popped them in the freezer for a bit & then poured myself a glass of lemonade & instead of using ice cubes, used one of the frozen lime slices. Tasted better & didn't get watered down!
Great ideas for parties & what not as well as a cute decor for drinks. :)

Grilled Chicken BLT Sandwich

Just a little bit of a twist on such an old favorite & let's face it, everything tastes a little better on the grill.
Heat the grill for about 5 minutes. Place 4 slices of bacon on the grill & cook for about 4-6 minutes, turning once. Set the bacon aside to drain on a plate with paper towels.
Place 1 chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound the chicken with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it's 1/4 inch thick. Remove the wrap & do the same thing with one more chicken breast. Sprinkle the chicken with about 1/2 tsp of dried Italian seasoning. Now, place the chicken on the grill. Cook this for about 4-6 minutes as well, or until the juices run clear (no salmonella please).
Spread toasted sourdough bread slices with mayo. Layer the slices with lettuce & tomato & then the chicken & bacon.
Yummmm! :)

Things to do TODAY!

1. Download the song You & Tequila by: Kenny Chesney. Soooo good!
2. Take the stairs! Quickest way to burn calories.
3. Download the song Ain't Nothin Bout you by: Brooks & Dunn. It will definetly make you think about your man!
4. Go for a brisk walk with a friend. You have chance to burn some serious calories & vent. What could be better? Exercise also relieves stress & anxiety. Keep in mind, stress & guilt feed of one another as well. Remember this for deployment ladies! If that's not incentive enough, imagine your man's face when he comes home & you look fit, healthy & happy! That's reason enough for me!
5. Get enough sleep! Go to bed early & get up early.
6. Check out militaryonesource.com & try to find a CD or booklet to order. They have so many amazing resources for military families! Take advantage of it! Civilians WISH they had this kind of support available!
7. Set priorities & make compromises. What would you like to get done this week? What should you get done this week?
8. Act as if you're happy, successful & fulfilled, even when your man is gone. Over time, you really will be. :)
9. Clean out your fridge! Freeze anything you can that may be going bad or about to expire. For example, eggs? Beat them with a little bit of milk. Freeze them in an ice cube tray & then transfer to bags & keep in the freezer until ready to use. 2 cubes = 1 egg. Vegetables? Peel 'em, cut 'em, freeze 'em. When you're ready to make soup, you have stuff already prepared to throw in.
10. Start a military scrapbook for your man. Not only will it help you cope while he's away, but it will give him something cool to look at when he gets back & will maybe be able to add to after deployment.
11. If you haven't already had pictures done with your man or your family, it's starting to get pretty close to deployment ladies! Don't worry about the money. Make your Operation Love appointment today. It's FREE & they send the album overseas to your marine!

Hope you can try at least one of my ideas! Enjoy! :)

Ways to work out with your kids

One of the problems I have is not only finding the time to work out, but how to work out with my 3 year old son. I hate just sticking him in the gym daycare center while I go work out, I'd rather get him involved too! If you are in the same boat, here are some ideas:

1. Frisbee or catch
2. Go for a brisk walk
3. Cartwheels
4. Playground
5. Dance
6. Mommy & me work out videos
7. Kids yoga
8. Crunches

All of the lists I make, if I ever come up with, or find new ideas or tips, I will add to. So, make sure to check back on anything that you have had an interest in!

5 Mantras of the Pain-Free Back

I have the worst back pain at times. I swear it comes out of nowhere. I used to have such an athletic body & build until I got pregnant with my son. Even now, 3 years later, my body is still trying to fight back. My husband, thanks to the military, has excrutiating back pain. Unfortunately for him, nothing we've tried brings him relief. My pain is a bit more mild however, so if you're anything like me, here are some easy ways to help kick the back pain.

1. Exercise! The cure for everything.
2. Quit smoking! Smoking can affect the blood flow to your spine or change bone mineral density.
3. Make sure you're getting your Vitamin D. Things like tuna or fortified dairy, OJ, or cereal can help you with this. Even sitting out in the sun will bring in your vitamin D for the day (wearing sunscreen of course).
4. Watch your weight.
5. Be as active as you can! Resting for long periods of time will usually make pain flare up.

Basil

One of my favorite summer ingredients is Basil! If you've never worked with basil, here's some tips to introduce you to something great!

1. If you're growing your own basil, pinch the top leaves off the basil plant. This way, it won't flower (flowering stops the plant from producing leaves).
2. Too much basil, or basil going bad? Puree 2 cups of basil w/ 1/2 cup of olive oil & freeze it in an ice cube tray. Afterwards, bag it & store in the freezer.
3. Make basil butter. Mash minced basil & lemon zest to softened butter. Spread over toasted ciabatta bread or Italian bread to pair with a meal.
4. Make pesto! Drizzle some over pasta or swirl it into soup.
5. Basil turns black quickly when chopped with a dull knife so make sure yours are sharpe!
6. Don't like the taste of basil? Put some in a vase next to your bed to help ward off mosquitoes. 

Cinnamon Sugar Toast

Quickest breakfast ever...
1st, make cinnamon sugar. 1/4 cup sugar mixed with 1 tbs. cinnamon. Make some toast & brush with melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the toast. Done. Pair this with coffee & it's a new guilty pleasure. :)

10 Money Saving Tips

Who doesn't love saving a few bucks? Here's 10 simple ways to get you started...

1. Use ebates whenever you can to get up to 25% cash back.
2. Always get your books from the library. Honestly, are you really going to read the same book twice?
3. Try to rent DVDs from the library. It's free! 2nd best thing, netflix (if you have a membership). If not, REDBOX! Just don't forget to return them!
4. Subscribe to magazines that are a MUST read. You will save so much money this way then buying them separately off the stand. Also, many magazines are offering free online content now.
5. Shut vents in unused rooms. Saves on heating & cooling.
6. Agree to limit gift giving on holidays or get crafty. Honestly, i'd rather have a gift that had a little effort put into it, then something someone ran out to the store last minute to buy. Making the gift by hand makes it more personal.
7. Pack lunches & drinks whenever you can. Saves trips to fast food places, starbucks & the gas station. EASY money saver here ladies!
8. Stop smoking & stop drinking alcohol. QUICKEST way to save money (notice how I didn't say the easiest).
9. Make a list before heading out the the grocery store. Stores bank on the fact you'll go down every aisle trying to remember the items you needed. They love having the, "oh, this looks good", the "oh this is on sale!" or the "do I have enough of this at home?" effect. Writing them down gets you focused on specific items & makes you want to target them & move on to the next thing on your list.
10. Consolidate & pay off debt ASAP! Also, don't be late on payments if you can help it. This is the quickest way to lose out on monthly income. Interest rates will kick your butt!

As usual, if you have anything to add, please feel free! :)

14 Things to do together to make for a happier family

1. Sing. Singing will always lighten the mood.
2. Cuddle up together & read a book.
3. Read food labels when grocery shopping. All it takes is one, "there's how much in that!?" to break the ice & make for a smoother trip. If you have kids, it also starts introducing them to the concepts of nutrition & what the "little numbers" on the side of the box mean.
4. Garden.
5. Cook. Too many cooks in the kitchen? Nonsense. Teamwork & tight working spaces is a beautiful thing.
6. Reward good behavior & make sure everyone feels valued. Celebrate one another.
7. Snack smart. You'll feel better & in time look better.
8. Stick to a schedule. Don't go crazy & plan your day out to the minute, but have a plan set in place to keep you busy everyday.
9. Play games.
10. Laugh.
11. Keep the spark alive.
12. Always take 10 minutes for ourselves. This gives us a break & a chance to reflect & recoup.
13. Make kids contributors. They want to feel like a part of something. So next time your child is "bugging" you, give them something to do so they feel like they're helping you. Who knows, they might surprise you & might actually be of some help!
14. Maintain balance. MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER!

If anyone else has anything else they'd like to add, feel free! :)

Open Face Caprese Sandwich

Here's a healthy lunch or snack for you to try...
Grab a loaf of Italian bread or something similar & cut it into slices (not too thin, but not too thick). Pop the slices onto a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray at about 350. Bake the bread for a few minutes, just until you see the top looking a bit toasted. Take out the slices & brush with olive oil.
Wash some fresh basil & put it on top of the bread slice along with a fresh slice of tomato & a fresh slice of mozzarella. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar overtop & voila! Done. Quick, easy & healthy. :)

T-shirt Pillowcase

One of my biggest problems after my husband leaves is having trouble falling asleep! I am sooo used to having to share a tiny little bed with him, so used to his scent, the feeling of having him next to me, that when he's gone, it takes me literally hours to finally trick my mind into falling asleep. Bedtime is the moment I feel most lonely & him being gone really hits me. Even if you make it through the day with a gold star, bedtime still kicks your ass...
I've recently come up with a solution. One of my husband's t-shirts that he insists on wearing, though it's completely falling apart, I have since turned into a pillowcase. I know this may sound a little weird to some, but I swear it totally helps! I cut his t-shirt & sewed it onto a pillowcase & then sprayed it with axe (his artificial sent) & I make sure it's next to me every night. I'm sure you can do something like multiple parts to a t-shirt & make it look "quilted", but just make sure you don't go crazy & your man still has some shirts to come home to. ;)
It's just something comforting that I have found that works for me. :)

Something I forgot...

I forgot how nice it was just to have a picnic at the beach & play with my son on the playground. We walked around the park & walked by the water & looked at the fish. It was wonderful. If you have the opportunity to do this! DO IT! You forget for a minute how much you miss your man!

Just not the same

I swear I am so depressed when my husband is gone. I'm not even close to the same person I am when he's around. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when he deploys. I can't even handle 3 weeks of training. How am I going to handle a year? I don't know if it's a good or bad thing to love someone this much. I need to be able to fully function on my own. I just really want him to be proud of me & what I accomplish while he's gone. This kind of puts a lot of pressure on me too. I want to be perfect & when he is home I want to make him extremely happy. I feel like a wreck right now & I know I'm not even making much sense. I feel bad for my son. We don't do much together anymore. I feel like I have so much to do, but no energy or motivation to get up & do it. I feel so lonely & useless right now. I think I would be better if I could hear my husband's voice, but I barely get a couple texts a night. Don't get me wrong I'm greatful for those texts, but I'm craving his voice! It really does take an absence to truly realize just how much someone means to you.

Starting tomorrow I need to start being more active & more positive. I can't let my husband's absence ruin me. He wouldn't want that. I need to be stronger for my son too. That poor baby has done nothing for days. I feel like a terrible wife & mom. I need to get out of this mood. I'll give myself until tomorrow morning & then that's it. Things have GOT to change & I'm the only one who has the power to do that...

First Day!

My husband has been getting on me about finding new hobbies & stuff to keep me busy while he's gone for training & eventually deployment; Here's the start of my effort to keep busy!
I'm newly married; 3 days to be exact. :) We have 2 kids (not together) & just got an apartment together. We've had so many big life changes these past few months of our lives & looking back these past months have felt like years. My goal for while my husband is away with the marines is to perfect my housewife skills & to get everything together to start my own home daycare. I'll also start my nanny job in a couple of weeks with a 2 year old & a newborn, so I'm hoping that will give me something to pour myself into as well as my kids & keep my mind off the countdown until my man returns!