We got a puppy!

So.. As I stated earlier.. I am terrible about blogging.. I forget/say I don't have the time/don't think anyone wants to read, but truly I'm working on it!

Exciting NEWS!!!.......

WE GOT A PUPPY!

Her name is Lacy (after Eddie Lacy, Alabama's best RB). Dylan picked the name since I got to pick that I wanted a girl dog instead of a boy!  I feel like a new mom (as lame as that sounds) with her.. I'm smitten! She has been EXCELLENT so far, no accidents in the house/slept through the night, keeping our fingers crossed it continues!  She is an AKC registered boxer so we could breed her/show her but we aren't going to do either I don't think.. just have her as our good ole companion dog!  As I type this she is currently snuggled up right next to me with her "Ellie" the elephant that her sweet Aunt Jess got her! I have been begging my sweet boyfriend for about 4 years to get a dog.. We have almost gotten one about 5 different times and something has come up and the timing has been off.. but I am SO glad we waited and I got this precious little angel! 

Lacy with Ellie

Dinner Tonight.

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. I got three posts in and then had major writers block and didn't know what to write about! But I am back and hopefully going to stay with it.  I have a few things to blog about that have gone on in the last couple of weeks but for tonight I'm going to make it short and sweet and give you an amazing recipe that I just cooked. Yum Yum!

Baked Chicken Parmesan. 
From Skinnytaste.com

Let me just say, I am a huge chicken parmesan fan, I literally will order it wherever they serve it. CAN'T GET ENOUGH! But I have tried about 4 different recipes to make my own, and this is by far the easiest and I personally think it taste better! It's not fried, like most are, and is healthier!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast, sliced in half (like through the center of the chicken)
3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I just used panko breadcrumbs since I already had them and it worked!)
1/4 cup graded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I use way more than this but its just a guideline)
1 cup marinara (I again use more than this, just use what you feel like using!)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 and spray large baking sheet/pan with cooking spray!

All the ingredients! For those of you on a budget like us, it's a pretty cheap dinner to make!

First, mix breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl.

Next, melt the butter.

Brush butter onto chicken and then dip and coat in breadcrumb mixture. (Side note: I didn't take a picture of cutting the chicken breast in half because quite frankly I think it's gross! So ladies, if your man or roommate or whoever is around, get them to cut it! But it's definitely necessary to do, because it makes for a thinner chicken patty and less cook time, and I personally like a thinner patty.)

Lightly spray a little cooking spray onto the chicken before it goes in the oven for a crispy golden color.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes, then take out and turn chicken over and bake for another 5 minutes.

This is the chicken when I took it out the first time

Then after you've turned it and let it cook for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon sauce onto chicken (I just put enough to cover majority of the chicken, I don't follow the instructions here or for the cheese. To me more=better!) Then add some cheese!

Now I didn't get a picture of the final product because we ate it immediately since we were starving! Dylan loves this one! And it makes for good leftovers too :)

I served it with some ziti noodles (because I don't like spaghetti noodles very much) and used the leftover marinara to top those!

Delicious. Easy. Cheap.

A Tribute

As you (whoever reads my blog) probably already know I have lost both of my grandmothers in the last 11 months. To say it's been a difficult, well that's an understatement. I am so blessed to have had such genuine, loving, beautiful women in my life for as long as I did and I will cherish all of our sweet memories forever. Although the loss is so hard for us left behind here on Earth, it is SO comforting knowing I get to see those beautiful women (and my grandfather) again one day because of eternal life through our Lord! Can I get an AMEN?! AMEN! 

In the past few years it's crazy how I've noticed, I am so much like the both of them it's a little creepy! There is no way anyone could say I was adopted because I am both of them mixed together then spit out.

Betty: Sweet "Memom," what a fun, fashionable, loving lady. She was the last living of my dad's parents, so she got to go home and not only be with Jesus, but also with her sweet husband and my "Poppie." She passed on August 3 and it was a shock to us all. She appeared to be in good health right up until the week she died. This lady, for those of you who don't know her, was a DIVA (in a good way)! Cleaning out her things these past few weeks I have found so many great things that only she could pull off! She was ALWAYS dressed to the 9's. When I left, I was at 135 scarves and counting.. She always had a scarf on. Also she loved LOVED purple! (Hence why I am writing this post in purple). She will be missed dearly by everyone who met her!

Lola Neil: My sweet "Nana," she would not be happy about me writing Lola, she dropped that name as soon as she got married but I LOVE it. It will be my first daughters name! I personally think it's great! Nana, so so sweet, loving, gentle country woman! She passed last September 23. Her hubby, "Grandaddy" is still alive and the last of my grandparents. Her death was also a shock to us, 1 week to the day from her diagnosis she passed. Her passing was a little different then Memom's. Nana had 4 children (3 children-in-laws?) 9 grandchildren (not including their spouses) and 4 great grandchildren. WOW that's a lot of us. Not to mention, she was 1 of 13!! (It could have been 1 of 20, but 4 were half children, 3 died at birth). NUTS! No thank you. She was a simple southern lady. My favorite thing to do with Nana was to play cards, oh my did we play some cards! ALL THE TIME! She is so missed.

Memom in her purple with a scarf!

So now there you have it, the low down on both of my grandmothers. I may have bored you, but I enjoy getting to reminisce on their lives. 

Good Food, Great Company!

So last night I officially felt like an adult, not that I haven't before, but this just really put the icing on the cake. We (Dylan and I) hosted one of our favorite couples (Jenna and Tim) over for double date dinner and game night. I cooked spaghetti, had ceasar salad and of course Italian bread! Not to mention the best part, VINO (wine). Jenna brought more wine (always a plus) and strawberry shortcake for dessert! (On a side note completely random: sometimes I get dessert and desert mixed up, yes I still do that, but how I remember is STRESSED is DESSERTS backwards. And who doesn't like desserts when they are stressed?!) Back to our night. While we were visiting I told them about me taking up blogging, they were enthused about the whole idea to say the least. After dinner and visiting, Jenna and I took to the Wii. We played Just Dance 2 and it was so much fun, not to mention a GREAT workout! All in all a fun night. Until next time..

I'm turning into my mother with pictures at the dinner table.

The Grub

Sweet Friends!

Again, I apologize for my lack of blogging experience. Bear with me and we will get through this together!

Hello.. Check Check!

I can't believe I am doing this. I finally caved in and got a blog. I might not be good at it, or have anything fun or interesting to share, but I have too many thoughts going on in my head for my own good so I need to write. Well at least that's my reasoning for starting this blog. I will share all my ramblings and unusual happenings (which are more than you would think) and just write about life I suppose. So here it is, me caving in and blogging. Here goes nothing. Until then my fellow friends.