playing martha

Take a look at my creative way of displaying my pretty Christmas cards! Yup...go ahead and call me Martha Stewart!! :)

10, 9, 8....

10 days till VEGAS!!!!

Ben and I are going to Las Vegas for New Year's Eve with Ryan and Jen (Ben's brother & wife (my brother/sister in law)!  We are so excited to ring in the New Year! We are staying at THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay. WhoooHoo! 10 days and counting....

Blizzard of '09!!

SNOW DAYS!!! We got over 21 inches of snow -- it was crazy!! It was soo much snow!!

So, we made the best out of the situation since we were completely snowed in ... Ben and I made a snowman, watched over 4 movies...just a perfect lazy weekend! :)

Enjoy the photos!! :)

recipe girl

Some favorite sites to find recipes!

http://www.recipegirl.com/

http://www.delish-blog.com/

countdown begins....

10 days....


till HALLOWEEN!!

chicken and dumplings

A great soup recipe for a chilly weekend...

Eppie's chicken and dumplings soup:

1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken (This can be white or dark meat, but it needs to be pulled and shredded. I suggest just buying a roasted chicken at the grocery store.)
1 can refrigerated biscuit dough (Don't use butter flavor or "flaky layer" dough. The dumplings will not work.)
8 cups chicken broth

2 cups water
1 tbsp parsley leaves
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp creole seasoning
1 small pinch white pepper

baby carrots

celery

Shred the chicken by hand, taking care to remove bones and skin.
Cut the uncooked biscuit dough into small pieces. I suggest cutting each biscuit into eighths, but you could do fourths or sixths for even larger dumplings.
In a large pot, bring the broth to a strong boil over high heat.
Add the cut biscuit pieces to the broth. They will immediately puff up. When they're really big and airy, reduce the heat on the pot to medium high. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Don't stir.
Add the shredded chicken and spices. (I also added baby carrots and celery.) Stir and reduce heat to a simmer.
Give it some time to thicken (45 minutes to an hour), stirring occasionally, and serve.

wine and bluegrass

This weekend we are going to Northern VA to Leesburg to stay with some friends! Tomorrow we are going to my favorite winery, Chrysalis Vineyards for the ...

9th Annual Norton Wine & Bluegrass Festival
October 3 and 4, 2009 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m

http://www.chrysaliswine.com/nortonfestival09.htm

I am super excited! I'll post pictures from the event on Monday! :)

last time we visited Chrysalis ... such a beautiful sunset!

taco night

Last night Ben and I made tacos and they were absolutely delicious!!

Here's our ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey meat

1 pack taco seasoning

chili powder

soft tortillas

hard shell tortillas

Toppings:

chopped fresh cilantro

onions

lettuce

sour cream

tomatoes

shredded cheese

black beans

A little bit of grace

You should always be kinder than necessary to people because everyone is fighting some kind of battle.

It's time for FALL!

It's finally here.... FALL ...which means.....summer is officially over. :( However since I'm not in school/college anymore and I don't get the summers off...I'm beginning to enjoy the fall season more and more each year! Some of my favorite things in fall....college football, Hokies, VOLS, pumpkin farms, apple cider & apple butter, chili, tree leaves changing colors, boots with jeans, and of course Southwest VA mountains.....

Our family pumpkins two years ago... Bailey, Huck, Sarah & Ben! :)

Steep and Cheap

looove this website...

http://www.steepandcheap.com/

Huck & Bailey

Mum craaazy.

We went mum crazy around our house. We decided to rip out our butterfly bush at our mailbox and plant mums. Then, I decided to plant some more mums in pots around the house and on the deck! We are landscaping pros now....

I'm so excited ... It's definitely time for FALL!! :)

Labor Day

We went to Blacksburg this past weekend for Labor Day. Natalie and Todd came in town from Chicago and we were able to meet our niece, Alison, for the first time! She was absolutely adorable! It was a great weekend having the family together....Ryan and Jen were visiting from Arlington, Nate and Sarah came up from ATL, and everyone was able to get off work to spend time together. Ohh and we watched a lot of college football....too bad the Hokies lost but at least the VOLS won -- they killed Western Kentucky! :)

A few photos from Labor Day....

The family -- Todd, Natalie, & Alison

Ben with his niece

me holding Alison

Nathan, Sarah, Macy and Hobbs

Ryan, Jen, me, Bill, & Ben at the baby shower

College Football is Here!!

It's time for College Football Season!! I'm super excited for the season to start this weekend!! :) Virginia Tech plays in ATL vs. AlaBAMA!! Tennessee plays Western Kentucky ...big games this weekend!

A classic and favorite tailgating appetizer recipe:

Buffalo Chicken Dip:

1 Rotisserie Chicken (shredded)
1 bottle wing sauce
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Ranch
1 cup or more shredded cheddar

Mix together and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

**Hooters mild wing sauce is the best!! I get this at Kroger.

*thanks Joy for the amazing and yummy recipe!! :)

19 Kids!

The Dugger Family prepares for Baby #19

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s next child is due after their first grandchild..... this is so crazy! I am in shock...

weekend

Being that it is the last weekend of August and the 'unofficial' end of summer.... what are your weekend plans?? Barbecuing with friends? Going to the lake or beach? Laying out at the pool? Playing some golf? Hiking or camping outdoors with the dogs?

We plan to... enjoy the hot summer days of August...

Hike Tinker Cliffs

grill the finest bbq ribs

and enjoy the weekend with some friends!

p.s. enjoy your weekend! :)

Goal

our new goal... http://blueridgeparkwaymarathon.com/

1 Month Old!

Alison Emily is 1 month old today!! She was born on July 27th. Ben's step sister, Natalie and Todd are coming to visit Labor Day weekend!! We are super excited to meet our first niece!

July 27, 2009 -- 8lbs. 12oz. 21.5 inches

August 21st ... she is so cute!

Wine Country!

Last May, my sister and I went on our annual sister/sister trip to San Francisco and Sonoma Valley. We started out wine tasting in Sonoma Valley visiting 6 different wineries ... Ledson, Chateau St. Jean, Benziger, Imagery Estate, Arrowood, and Bartholomew Winery! Then we toured San Fran ... Lombard St, Fishermans Wharfs, Pier 39, Union Street, and the Golden Gate Bridge...

Nicole and I overlooking the San Francisco Bay

Ledson Winery...our favorite!

Lombard Street in San Francisco

Here's our sister/sister trip in review:

Year 1: San Diego
Year 2: Del Ray, Florida
Year 3: Boca Raton, Florida
Year 4: Charlottesville
Year 5: Salt Lake City / Park City, Utah
Year 6: New Orleans
Year 7: San Francisco / Sonoma Valley
Year 8, 9 ,10.... :)

YUM!

This past weekend, Ben and I went home to Blacksburg for my dad's birthday! On Sunday morning I made a breakfast casserole for my family. It's perfect to make the night before and bake it right before serving. Recipe below... It's delicious, easy and soo yummy!

Breakfast Casserole

1 package shredded seasoned hash brown potatoes
1 lb sausage (cooked and crumbled)
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tsp dried mustard
salt/pepper to taste
diced sweet onion (optional)
diced red pepper (optional)
2-3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Spray non-stick spray on bottom and sides of casserole dish. Put potatoes on bottom of dish. Top with sausage, diced onion and pepper. Mix eggs, milk, and spices in bowl and pour over the layers in the casserole dish. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 55 minutes.

VEGAS!

Ben and I went to Las Vegas for our 1 year anniversary! It was our first time out to the desert and first experience gambling! We had a blast! We're going back for New Years with Ben's brother and my sis in law! Countdown begins....... :)

Our first time on the slot machines!

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas!!

Viewing the water show at the Bellagio!

Relaxing at the pools and THE hotel!