Christmas Dinner Grocery List

I know a few of you out there are making Christmas Dinner. So, I wanted to post our grocery list. Some things are listed multiple times, but it helps me out, so that I make certain to get enough of that ingrediant. Have fun in the kitchen, try new things and good eating.

1. Cinnamon Rolls
a. Milk, 1qt
b. Veggie Oil
c. Sugar
d. Active Dry Yeast
e. 9 cups all-purpose flour
f. Baking powder
g. Baking soda
h. Salt
i. Butter
j. Sugar
k. Cinnamon
l. Powdered sugar
m. Maple flavoring
n. Coffee
2. Roasted Turkey
a. Stuff to Brine Turkey
i. 2 gallons water
ii. 2 cups apple juice
iii. 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
iv. 2 cups brown sugar
v. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
vi. 5 bay leaves
vii. 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
viii. 1 tablespoons dried rosemary
ix. Peel of 2 oranges
b. Stuff to Roast Turkey
i. Brining Bag
ii. Brine
iii. Turkey
iv. butter

3. Mashed Potatoes
a. Potatoes
b. Butter
c. Cream cheese
d. Milk
e. Lawry’s
f. Pepper

4. Stuffing
a. PW’s cornbread
b. Crusty French bread
c. Onion
d. Low sodium chicken broth
e. Butter
f. Celery
g. Fresh parsley
h. Dried basil
i. Fresh rosemary
j. Thyme
5. Turkey Gravy
a. Turkey Organs
b. Turkey Grease from Roasting Pan
c. Flour
d. LOW SODIUM Chicken Broth
6. Sweet Potato Casserole
a. 4 Sweet potatoes
b. Sugar
c. Milk
d. Eggs
e. Vanilla extract
f. Brown sugar
g. 1 cup pecans
h. Flour
i. butter
7. Oven Roasted Asparagus
a. Asparagus
b. Pepper
c. EVOO
d. Kosher salt
8. Blackberry Cobbler
a. Frozen Blackberries 6 cups
b. Sugar
c. Lemon juice
d. Lemon
e. Flour 2cups
f. Salt
g. Baking powder
h. Shortening
i. Butter
j. Egg
k. Milk
l. Vanilla Ice Cream
9. Cranberry Sauce
a. Can of cranberry jelly
b. Orange Juice
c. Pure Maple Syrup (not pancake syrup)
d. Cranberries
e. Cranberry Juice
10. Angel Food Cake
a. Angel Food Cake
b. Cool Whip
c. Crushed Pineapple
d. Strawberries
11. Rolls
a. Flour 9 cups
b. Sugar
c. Milk
d. Baking powder
e. Baking soda
f. Veggie Oil
g. Salt
h. Active Dry Yeast

So, there you have it. My Christmas Dinner Menu and the ingredients needed to make it. UGH. I hate the grocery store.

Happy Holidays,
The Southern Sass!!

Do the Truffle Shuffle!!!

In anticipation of the extended family's Christmas Dinner on Monday, I've made truffles. We live a bit of a ways away from the rest of the family so I always make a dessert. Something that travels easily. These truffles/cake balls certainly fit the bill. I made Red Velvet Truffles and Oreo Truffles. I did deviate from Bakerella a bit. I just drizzled the bark over my truffles instead of fully coating them. What's the difference? Well, mine need to be refridgerated cause otherwise they get kinda mushy when warm for a long period. Still edible and still very good, just sticky. I did an oops though and had to come up with an alternate idea. I only bought 1 package of bark instead of 2. OOPS!!

These truffles are a fairly simple process and I grabbed the ideas from Bakerella. Just click the links above and you'll get her fabulously posted recipes. I just love her baking ideas and vow to give a few of the more complicated posts a try of my own.

Living Rooms

In my search for my personal style, I've run across a few living rooms that I, L-O-V-E, love.

I love this room. The windows are awesome, as are the fabrics and furniture. This chandelier is magnificent. I love the fireplace, too. This one seems very tranquil, but I think the grays would be depressing after awhile. I really like this one, but Country Boy says he hates the artwork. I kinda hafta agree.

How you like that southern rednecky phrase? LOL!!This one just doesn't seem finished to me, but I like it. It just needs SOMETHING!!

I don't care for the flowers on the ottoman, but otherwise, not too bad.

I love this one. Those chairs look so comfy and I'm salivating over the rug. I want it now.

I've also found a few that I hate.

The chair in this one reminds me of Big Top Pee Wee's chair or Blue Clue's chair.

NO THANKS!!This one is horrid, in my opinion. It looks like someone threw up orange juice all over the place.

All these pictures came from BHG.com and they even sell some of the items in the pictures. So, go check them out. I did. The rug I want is $450. OUCH!! That one will have to be put on hold for, um, EVER!! I'm too frugal to spend that much on something my kids are going to spill juice all over. LOL!!

So, there's the living rooms I like. So far, that is. I'm sure to find more in the days, weeks and months before our move, so I'd love to see pictures of your living room or even pictures of living rooms that you'd love to call your own. So, post them in the comments or on your blog and link me to it.

Happy Holidays,

The Southern Sass

A Kentucky Dinner Staple

Pinto beans, fried potatoes and cornbread. YUM!!!

A dinner that southern moms turn to on busy days. Especially, if you have this...

A crockpot is the way to go on busy days. I love mine. Overlook the greasy fingerprints on the stainless. That's what happens when you fry bacon and pour the grease into a stainless crockpot. Why do I love this crockpot so much? If you can see the writing on the lid, it's the Stay & Go model and it's spillproof. Just latch it down, unplug and go.

The only thing that would have made this meal better is this...

Collard Greens!! UMM UH!!!

Now we're talking!! Collard Greens are the DEVIL'S WORK!! I love them.

Kimba's Holiday Open House IS TODAY!!!

Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land is having a holiday open house TODAY. Be sure to stop by and check it out. She's even giving away some prizes. YAY!! I seriously want one of her tablecloths. They are too cute. Maybe I'll win one? LOL!!

Anyway, get your blogging butts over to A Soft Place to Land and tell Kimba I said HEY!!

Schedule? What's that?

Why is it when I have LOADS of things to do, my darling little pooper decides it's the perfect time for a nap just as we are getting ready to leave the house? It never fails. She does it to me nearly every time I have an appointment or need to be somewhere. She throws a fit and begs to go "nigh nigh", but on days we are home she won't take a nap to save her life. LOL!! Kids, gotta love 'em.

OMG!! THEY WERE FABULOUS!!

Picture borrowed from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has Cinnamon Rolls that are to die for. I mean it. They are absolutely the best Cinnamon Rolls EVER created. I posted the link before, but because they are so absolutely wonderful I've added it to this post as well. To quote my dearly departed grandmother, "Lawdie mercy. Those are so good that your tongue will beat your brains out trying to get just a bite."

My hat's off to you, Ree, The Pioneer Woman. You sure know cinnamon rolls.

BTW, my crew devoured them so quickly I had to borrow a pic to show you all their awesome yummy goodness.

The Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummond is a Godsend. I'm cooking my very first holiday meal and I want it to be the best meal anyone has ever had. So, I've turned to Ree's website, The Pioneer Woman, for tried and true recipes from a down to earth homemaker, like me. As much as I can claim to be like Ree. Oh, how I wish I were more like Ree. I'll just have to live vicariously through her website. So, with my deep dark secret wish to be more like Ree revealed here's my Christmas Day menu.

Christmas Breakfast

Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas Dinner

Roasted Turkey

Stuffing

Turkey Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Cranberry Sauce

Rolls

Desserts
Blackberry Cobbler

Christmas Rum Cake

Christmas Cookies

So, there you have it. What The Southern Sass is cooking up for Christmas Dinner. This year we'll be celebrating on Christmas Eve, so our kids can open presents as home and know what it is to celebrate around THEIR Christmas tree. I'm so excited to be celebrating at HOME this year. I'm excited to have them run into our bedroom and jump on our bed, excited to see if Santa came. That's all I want for Christmas. To cook for the family and see my kids faces in front of our tree on Christmas morning. Oops, Christmas Eve morning.

Here's hoping that y'all get all you want for Christmas!!!

Kimba's Holiday Open House

Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land is having a holiday open house next week. Be sure to stop by and check it out. She's even going to give away some prizes. YAY!! I seriously want one of her tablecloths. They are too cute.

I love Kimba and A Soft Place to Land. Her blog is always so creatively inspiring and full fun easy ideas to bless your home. Add her to you blogs to read list. You won't regret it.

Happy Holidays,

The Southern Sass.

One of THOSE days

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the one I'm talking about. Where absolutely NOTHING goes as planned and bad news is the only news you get. Today was that day for me.

1. I overslept and was told the middle rugrat has 4 cavities. It was her first dentist appointment. OUCH!!
2. The cable guy shows and spends an hour lounging in my chair doing the same things I did and then leaves after telling me that I'll have spend untold amount of time with my laptop HARDWIRED to my modem and I'll be fine. UMM, YEAH RIGHT!! I'm still not able to maintain a steady internet connection. It's starting to get very annoying.
3. I called a store to check the status of the middle rugrats Christmas order and was told the product was unavailable and could take up to 28 days to ship.

I did, however, manage to get a workout in. YAY!! Here's hoping tomorrow is just a bit better in the bad news department.

New SpringWidget

Give Thanks

As Thanksgiving is only a day away, my mind turns more fully to the things I'm thankful for. God and life has been really good to us this year, so there's much to be thankful for.

I'm also trying to establish a few traditions in my young rugrats' lives. At dinner this year, the older 2 rugrats will be telling what they are thankful for. I'm hoping to get the whole extended family to take part in my new Give Thanks tradition.

Then, on Black Friday, I'm taking the rugrats out shopping. Only this year we won't be shopping for ourselves. We'll be picking a Christmas Angel and shopping for someone less fortunate. With the state of the economy, I believe that those of us that can afford to be generous should. I urge everyone to be generous this year. If you can't do so with your wallet, then be generous with your time. Food banks and shelters are overwhelmed at this time of year. I'm sure they'd welcome a few extra sets of hands.

My Give Thanks List

1. My Health~I'm healthy and happy.
2. Work~As all you know, Country Boy has a new job and it's slowly bringing forth the changes we were hoping for.
3. Home~While it may not be MY home, I'm thankful that we are able to put a warm, comfortable roof over our heads. A home of my own will come it God's time.
4. Country Boy~I love that man. More and more everyday. I'm thankful for the last 10 years and look forward to the next 10.
5. The Rugrats~Kids are kids and misbehave, but they are awesome kids that I love more than anything.

So, there's my list. I have a lot of other things I could add, but thats the just of it. I'd love to hear what you all are thankful for and what traditions your family observes during Thanksgiving.

Happy 10th Anniversary

Today is my 10th wedding anniversary. It will also be the first weekend my husband and I since before our 8.5 year son was born that we've gotten a hotel room and stayed over night away from home for no other reason than to spend some much needed quality couple time together. When I told this to a girlfriend of mine, she nearly fell over in shock.

I think we deserve it. LOL!!

Dining Rooms

While, I would never call myself a decorator or designer, I do consider myself a pretty good mimic. So following yesterday's post of Dream Kitchens, I've moved on to my second favorite room. The Dining Room. I have to say I LOVE a well put together dining room. I'm looking forward to having a separate dining room. It's on my list of requirements for the new house. Along with the dishwasher, but I promise I won't go there again. LOL!!
A "formal" or separate dining room is, in my mind's eye, a must for family gatherings and holidays. I want to set the table in beautiful dishes, cutlery, fabrics, flowers and candles. I want to sit at the end of a long rectangular table and look at the faces of my loved ones enjoying a fabulously delicious meal. It's long been a dream of mine and I'm determined to find just the right room to mimic, in my case. Here's my favorites that I've found so far.

Versailles by Ameri

Rate My Space

I'm not sure where this one came from. It was just in my Dining Room idea folder. I love the textures and coolness of it.

I really don't care for this room overall, it's just too americana country for me. What I love about it is the wall treatment. It's an argyle look. Very interesting, in my opinion.

Pottery Barn

Pier 1 Imports

Fine Dining without Reservations
*It's the 7th room in the studio

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn

Haverty's

Haverty's

Rate My Space

At least I think that's where it's from.

Now, don't ask me which is my favorite. I really haven't narrowed it down, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ones here or post a link of your own.

Dream Kitchens

I love to cook and the kitchen is my favorite room of the house. As you all know, Country Boy and I are house hunting since, we are moving soon. So, it really doesn't need to be said that I normally make a bee line to the kitchen. I'm not overly concerned with the cabinets or appliances, other than the dishwasher. There MUST be a dishwasher. I've been without one for nearly 4 years and well, to be honest, IT SUCKS!!! I hate to clean and do dishes so, needless to say, my kitchen is a disaster at times with all the cooking I do, so there MUST be a dishwasher already installed. Oops, sorry!! Dishwashers always make me go off the deep end. I'm back in the kiddie pool again.


Since, I'm house hunting and so interested in what my new kitchen COULD be, I've been searching the magazines and internet for pictures of kitchens so I can get design ideas. Here's a few that I like. I just thought I'd share them with you all.

Jamaican Villa Kitchen

HGTV Tuscan Kitchen

I'd love to see the ones you all like!! Leave me the links in my comments section and keep checking back as I'm sure to be adding more when the house isn't so rambunctious. Oh, who am I kidding my house is never rambunctious. LOL!!

~Much love to you all, SOUTHERN SASS!!

GooooooBAMA!!!

I'm so excited that Barack Obama won the election. I'm very hopeful and optimistic of the changes that are coming to our country. I love the democratic process and I'm glad to be an American.

I always feel elated when my candidate wins, but then again I always feel bad for the underdog as well. LOL!!

Trick or Treat 2008

Ghosts and Goblins; Ghouls and Fools. I always loved Halloween as a kid. I remember going Trick or Treating for HOURS as a kid. We'd have yard trash bags in the back of our parents car to empty our bags into when they got too full or heavy. Now, kids get 2 hours. Thank GOD!! LOL!! Fun was still had by all and they got a haul.

My girls are still little and get tired easily. Hunter would go on forever normally, but this year he got a stomach bug and was sick most of the day, so we didn't even spend the entire 2 hours out. I did get some pictures though.

Kids say the darnedest things

Today, Emily looked at Hunter and said, "Hunter, when I was a little baby, I was BORED!" Hunter looked at Emily and said, "WELL, OF COURSE!! YOU WERE JUST A BABY AND YOU'RE MIND WAS BLANK!!!" LOL!! Gotta love the rationale of an 8 year old.

Hunters, house hunters that is!!

Because Country Boy and I are making a move in the next 6 months or so, we've been house hunting. This will be our first home purchase. We've always rented before, but despite the mortgage crisis we've decided to take the plunge. This is a scary proposition, but I've done my research and trust that we will be alright.

I know the perfect house is out there. It's just so hard to find it. Plus it's a HUGE decision and it scares me that we'll chose the wrong house. I'm hoping for divine intervention when I walk through the front doors of the perfect house. Do you hear me, GOD? When we walk in the perfect house, give me a sign.

With that said, I know there are others out there house hunting for the first time and I wanted to share something I found with you all. It's an article from Move.com about house hunting. Happy reading and good luck in your search.

Making the most of a house-hunting trip

Checklists For House Hunting

Brought to you by: Moving.com

For some people, looking at open houses is a fun, leisure-time activity. Checking out what is available can be an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. However, when you are relocating to a new city, a much more business-like approach is appropriate. You may have to complete your research and come to a decision in the space of one or two weekends. The secret to a successful house-hunting trip is to be as informed and organized as possible before you go.

1.Make a list of the critical requirements for your new neighborhood. These include:

-commuting time to your employer.
-school requirements
-community demographics (age, education, lifestyle)
-population density (urban, suburban, or rural)
-community institutions that are important to you (being close to entertainment, places of worship, or other amenities)

2.Obtain a map of your new city, and try to become as familiar with it as you can.

3.Get an idea of which neighborhoods are likely to meet your requirements -- use our School Reports information. Try to talk with other employees who already live in your new city to gain their perspective.

4.Determine a price range to look for a home in your new city. By using our City Reports, you can see how much of an increase or decrease to expect in home prices compared to where you live now. It is important to arrive on your house-hunting trip with a realistic expectation of what you will need to spend in order to afford a home in a neighborhood that meets your requirements.

5.Interview Realtors® by phone before you make your trip. Decide on a realtor and work with that realtor to plan your trip.

6.Make sure that the realtor understands your neighborhood requirements and your price range, and that the realtor believes that your price range is realistic.

7.Tell your realtor that you only want to look at houses that are priced to sell. Some home sellers over-price their listings. You do not want to waste time or confuse yourself by looking at houses with unrealistic asking prices.

8.When you go on your house-hunting trip, take along your map, your research notes concerning communities (schools, amenities, etc.) and a house-hunting checklist. This checklist is a list of key features of houses, so that you can take organized notes on every house that you visit. You can use the map to mark locations of houses.

With good planning and the right realtor, you can accomplish a lot on your house-hunting trip!

Also, you can find even more information on House Hunters' website on HGTV.

MSU Homecoming 2008

I loved college. I was a Delta Zeta and Country Boy was a Pi Kappa Phi. MSU Pi Kapps and DZs just seem to always graviate to each other. In the last year, I think we've had 2 or 3 Pi Kapp/DZ weddings and we have a few more coming up in the next year. Anyway, when Homecoming rolls around it's a massive DZ/Pi Kapp reunion. This year was no different.

Country Boy and I have so many wonderful friendships from college. Whenever we get to attend Homecoming, it's like time has reversed itself and nothing's changed. Yeah, so a few of us are a bit heavier and balder and grayer, but it's like once we are all together again we are all 10 or 12 years younger and we are back at the house on Main Street at the annual Pig Roast munching down. That reminds me, I seriously need to get Doc's recipe for baked beans. Good stuff, people, VERY good stuff.

Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers

I just had one of these for the first time today. I had Grilled White Meat Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo sauce with linguini and broccoli Florets.

I must say, this was FABULOUS!! I was VERY pleasantly surprised. I normally hate microwaved food, but this wasn't bad at all.

Now, I'm not a food snob, but I was raised by my grandparents and my Mommy (yes I called my grandmother Mommy)cooked 3 hot meals a day. FROM SCRATCH!!! So, I didn't get a lot of microwave stuff until I was out on my own and realized my mistake in racing from the kitchen everytime she tried to teach me to cook. You could tell the Cafe Steamers was a micro meal, but it was as close to gourmet/homecooked as a micro meal can get.

The meal was filling and not too hard on the budget. Now, I only bought it for today cause I have 4 kids at home for Fall Break and they ALL like PB & J sandwiches and that's just not a favorite of mine nor is it on my diet. So, this isn't something that I would normally buy, but on a rare occasion when the schedule demands quickness, I'll know that for less than the price of most kids meals at the local drive thru fat factories I can have something nutritious, delicious and FAST!!!

Window Inspiration

I hate curtains. Really I do. I have a serious aversion to them. I think it's because my mommy, God rest her soul, LOVED those horrid frilly curtains. You know the grandma curtains. We had them EVERYWHERE in our house. So, that's lead to my house have ZERO curtains. Well, 2, but they are just plain white sheers. Mommy had LAYERS upon LAYERS of curtains. So my 2, in her opinion would equal zero.

Now, I know. You all are sitting there wondering why I've gone off on such a tirade over curtains. Well, today I flipped it over to HGTV and saw the neatest idea for window treatments.

Shutter Valances

Here's the link. There's a video to show you the steps on the link, but I've pasted the directions below. If you scroll down to the bottom of the link they also give you instructions on making a pot rack valance, but I don't care for it.

http://www.hgtv.com/dc-windows-valances-swags/unique-valances/index.html

Materials:
paint (Cinnamon Sprinkle #SW1348 for base coat, Rare Wine #SW1279 for middle coat and Leatherleaf #SW1167 for top coat)
paintbrushes
2" x 2" pine piece
table saw
3" drywall screws
3/4" thick pine boards for sides
brad nails
hammerdrill

Steps:

1. Apply the base coat by starting at the slat edges on about 10 rows of slats. Brush across to fill in the slats. Do a final stroke across to lay them off nicely. Paint the shutter frame carefully and let dry.

2. Apply the second color sparingly using little paint and a dry brush. Don't cover the base coat completely as this is a highlight color.

3. Apply a heavier layer of the top coat. In order for the other colors to show through, don't paint over some of the areas.

4. Make a cleat to secure the shutter to the window and to establish its pitch. Cut the 2" x 2" piece to the width of the window. Rip it on a vertical bias at a 45-degree angle using a table saw. Attach the cleat to the wall just above the window frame with screws. Put the shutter in place and temporarily secure it with a single center screw into the cleat.

5. To create the side support pieces, hold the 3/4-inch thick pine painted in the same manner to the side of the shutter and trace a profile of the side angle. Cut out the triangular shape and repeat for the other end.

6. Remove the shutter and attach the side supports to it with brad nails. Then secure the entire assembly to the cleat with more screws.

Tips:
Be careful that the angle is sloped enough in corners where two shutters meet to avoid hitting each other.
Mount the shutters high enough so that people won't hit their heads on them.

I just love this idea. It's a great way to salvage old shutters. Reminds me of the girls at A Soft Place to Land and Behind the Picket Fence. I'm definitely going to give this a try soon. I just have to find a table saw and the shutters, as I refuse to buy either. At least at full price. LOL!!

Working Out!!

It's working!! Imagine that. I weighed in last Saturday with 4.6 lbs of weight loss. Yesterday, I put on a pair of pants and noticed that they fit much better, but the best thing has been the Country Boy's comments. Since, this is a PG site we'll leave it at that. LOL!!

It can happen so, if you need help getting started, let me know. I'll tell you where to start!!

New Job

My Country Boy has just started a new job. He's left the stress of a retail management position behind and has joined the Boilermaker's union. He's loving the rugged, work hard for your money new job. I'm really happy for him. Yesterday was his first day. After an hour and a half drive home, he arrived and to me he was more relaxed and happier than I've seen him in awhile when he's first arrived home from work. This tickles me. I love my man and I want him happy.

And just one more picture, cause I love him so much!!

Please overlook my rugrats and their love of making faces at the camera.

The Biggest Loser

I know I've been MIA for a bit, I'm sorry, but the Country Boy and I are trying to turn over a new leaf. We've both been out of shape for quite sometime. The Biggest Loser is one of my favorite shows. So, I've taken the plunge, along with the Country Boy and my baby group.

My new mantra is you'll always get what you've always got, if you always do what you've always done. So, I'm changing. If you are looking for a place to start, try watching The Biggest Loser and check out www.SparkPeople.com.

Spark People is a fabulous site. It has the Spark fitness plan and the Spark diet. The diet has REAL food and easy to follow demos of the exercises. The thing I love about the Spark diet is this...YOU CAN PRINT OUT YOUR GROCERY LIST!!! You can even customize the list based on the number of people you need to feed. It's truly fabulous. Give it a try and tell them DZmom76 sent you!!!

A Soft Place to Land

Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land is my kinda girl. LOL!! She describes herself as a work in progress. What I really love is how she feathers her home and tries to make it A Soft Place to Land for her family. Isn't that every mother's goal? She also takes pieces of not so great furniture and revamps them. She feathers her nest with these finds and she seems to be the frugal type when doing so.

Recently, she foregoed making this...

This gorgeous entry way piece is from the front of Lowe's Creative Ideas catalog, but instead of breaking the budget, Kimba made these cute little topiaries, instead.

I love them. I think they're FABULOUS. I really do love them. I think they'd be fabulous on the mantle or on your dining table with a large hurricane vase and a nicely fall scented candle.

So, go check out Kimba's ideas on feathering a soft nest. I'm sure you won't be disapointed.

Em turns 4!!!

Isn't she gorgeous?

I'm not the least bit biased either, so don't even go there!!! LOL!!

This picture was taken by me and edited in Picasa 3 Beta!

That's Emily, my middle child!! She personifies everything a middle child is. She's certainly a sweetheart, though. She turns 4 in less than a week and it just doesn't seem possible. This year she wants a Backyardigans party. Now, here's the conundrum. Long long ago, on her very first birthday, I made the mistake of BAKING HER BIRTHDAY CAKES!!! No, I don't think this is a mistake, but it is a lot of work when I could just buy one. I've made her birthday cake every year of her life. I'd planned to not make anymore just cause it's a HUGE time and energy commitment. I didn't make Zoe's this year, but it just seems wrong to NOT make Em's cake, so I'm going to take a stab at it.

Now I'd show you a picture of Emily's 1st birthday cakes, but unfortunately I learned the back up your computer lesson the hard way. Serious tears were shed over those pictures. I did have them extracted, but the computer guy lost the cd. I do, however, have pictures of cakes from years 2 and 3. If you have any questions let me know.

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

Wish me luck that I don't lose it at her party. I'm an emotional mess when it comes to my kids and them growing up.

Pasta Weesie

Saturday nights are reserved for my husband and I to reconnect. My mother-in-law normally picks up the older 2 rugrats and we keep Zoe. Sometimes we hit a restaurant and the Redbox, but last night we stayed in. Terry and I LOVE Carrabba's, but with us living in rural Kentucky our nearest one is over an hour and a half away. Much too far for a normal Saturday night. So, after little miss settled down for the night I started cooking. Pasta Weesie was my aim and I think I hit it spot on.

Carrabba's menu describes Pasta Weesie as Shrimp sauteed in a garlic, lemon butter, white wine sauce with sauteed mushrooms and scallions, served over fettuccine Alfredo. Now cause I'm a mom on a budget I buy CHEAP stuff and improvise. I also didn't do the mushrooms, well cause I HATE mushrooms. Sorry Ree & Pastor Ryan! You just can't make me love them!!

The Southern Sass's Pasta Weesie

1 bag of pre-cooked small shrimp (In the freezer section.)
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 tablespoons diced onions
Lemon Butter Sauce
1 pkg Knorr Alfredo sauce
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
heavy hand of fettuccine (I used a WHOLE box)

Directions: Saute the shrimp until nearly done. Add garlic, and onions. Continue sauteing until shrimp is cooked completely. (Since I used the precooked shrimp I had to drain the water off.) In a separate pan, make a package of Knorr Alfredo sauce. Add the Alfredo sauce & lemon butter(below) to the shrimp. Stir well to combine. Then add the grated Parmesan. Plate pasta and top with shrimp mixture.


Donna's Lemon Butter Sauce (I'm too lazy to clarify the butter like I'm supposed to.)

1 stick of butter
4 T finely chopped yellow onion
4 T finely chopped garlic
Juice from 1 large lemon
4 T dry white wine
Kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 T cold butter

To make sauce; Melt butter over low heat, add onion and garlic, and saute until transparent. Add lemon juice and white wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to reduce liquid. Remove from heat and swirl in cold butter until sauce is smooth and emulsified.

This recipe is enough for 4 regular servings, but what you see in that bowl is HALF this recipe. Yes I know I'm going to die if I don't stop eating like this, but at least I'll die HAPPY!!!

MY FIRST AWARDS!!!

Cara over at RockSTARRMom has blessed me with my first awards.

She's the QUEEN of all things Beauty. If you're a dismal mess at beauty products such as I am, then she's your girl. Ever wondered if that department store eyeshadow is worth the MONEY, then go check out Cara's blog. She won't lead you astray. THANKS, CARA!!!

The Inspired Room

If you haven't already, then you REALLY need to check out Melissa's blog The Inspired Room. She has some FABULOUS ideas for feathering your nest. The picture to the left is one from her blog and I just LOVE it. It's a beautiful picture.

Her latest blog is about Seasonal Nesting. She has 10 great and easy steps to get your home and yourself ready for the Fall and Holiday Season. Check her out. I know I'll be putting those steps to good use, myself. I don't know about you, but I could use ALL the tips and tricks I can get.

Give her a shout out and tell her Donna at Southern Sass sent you. OH! Subscribe to her blog, as well. She gives out some great advice about not only feathering your nest but getting it ready for that feathering.

SO, since Fall is nipping at our heels, check out Melissa and The Inspired Room and get a head start on all your girlfriends. Finally it will be them clamouring to follow you instead of vise versa.

Much Love from the Southern Sass!!!