How does a Florida girl handle being snowed in?

We are snowed in here in NC. I have to admit that it is beautiful, but FREEZING! I have lived in NC for about 7.5 years, but I am still not used to it. Thank goodness, it doesn't snow or get this cold very often!

My husband thinks I am crazy. I had him go to the grocery store and stock up on everything- just in case we were stuck inside for a week. We have about 5 gallons of water sitting on our counter and our bathtub is filled up with water (he is a smart alec and keeps asking me when am I going to take a bath). Thank goodness we have not lost power (my biggest fear). I am a Florida girl... and I seriously don't know how to handle this weather (besides staying inside where it is warm).

We did take Kate out in the snow today (for about 10 minutes). She liked being outside, but didn't know what to do. Justin pulled her in her car and we let her stand in the snow, but she was terrified to move her feet.

Here are some pictures... and video... enjoy!

Kate standing in the snow... watching her daddy to make sure he doesn't leave her.

Kate riding in her car.

Kate and her daddy.

Kate and her mommy (me).

Our house.

I hope you are staying warm and dry! Have a great weekend! (We will be snuggling up inside!)

Recipe Wednesday - Turkey & Black bean Chili

As you know, I am trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon.. so I thought I would pick back up with my Recipe Wednesdays and this one you will love! I arrived home in NC yesterday to FREEZING cold weather!! This Florida girl seriously can't handle the cold.

Since it is cold in Florida and all over the US.. I thought this recipe would be perfect. It is so fast to make and really delicious. I am not a big Chili fan (mainly because of those huge kidney beans found in most chili), but I love this recipe. We make it a couple times of month when the weather turns cold. My husband requested it last night.. so it is what we are having for dinner tonight. For those of you who started your New Years diet.. this is a healthy meal (if you omit the cheese).

Here it is.. Enjoy!

Turkey / Black bean Chili

10 ounces lean ground turkey

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 (14 oz) cans Stewed Tomatoes (We don't like big tomato chunks, so I put them in a food processor or chopper to chop them up)

2 (14 oz) cans Black Beans (drained.. FYI - I don't usually drain them, I just dump the whole can in)

1 can tomato paste (you can use the whole can or less depending on how you like the thickness of your chili.. we like it thick)

1/4 cup of Taco Seasoning

2 Cups Shredded Mexican Cheese

Sour Cream (for garnish)

Chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Chopped Red Onion (for garnish)

Directions:

- In a large resealable bag, toss raw ground turkey with flour until it is absorbed into meat.

- Heat oil in a wide 2 quart pot over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

- Crush the tomatoes and add tomatoes and liquid to turkey.

- Add beans, tomato paste and taco seasoning.

-Simmer over medium-low heat until chili is slightly thick, about 8 minutes.

- Add 1-2 cups of shredded cheese until melted.

Serve warm with a side of cornbread or corn chips.

Why am I so excited about this? / New Years Recipe

I don't know why I got so excited about this, but I did. I have to confess that I always thought I would have all boys because that is what I wanted, but little girls are so much fun! Her clothes are so cute, the girly toys and everything about her is amazing. The Lord definitely knew what he was doing and we are so blessed with our little one!

One thing I had been looking forward to since day one, is doing my little girl's hair. It was a struggle, but one day before school I was able to get her hair in pig tails. I had forgotten about how excited I got until I was looking through my pictures for my previous blog.

Trust me, this was not easy.. she said several times.."mommy, hurts". I wish you could hear how she says hurts (she doesn't say her "r" good).. it is cute. We both survived and with the help of a lot of hair spray we got pig tails. {Don't worry, I won't turn into one of those Toddlers and Tiaras moms.}

Here was the result...






Now, how cute is that? I hope you have a wonderful New Year! If you need a recipe for your party tonight, here is my favorite dip...

Bacon and Blue Cheese Dip

Ingredients
7 slices bacon
1 Tablespoon Bacon grease
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup half-and-half
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Directions
-Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon from skillet, drain on paper towels and crumble.
-Place garlic in hot bacon grease. Cook and stir until soft, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place cream cheese and half-and-half in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in bacon, 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease, garlic, blue cheese and chives. Transfer mixture to a medium baking dish.
-Bake covered in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
-Serve with warm crusty bread.

It is so good, even for those who are not huge Blue Cheese fans.

Be careful and have a Happy New Year!

Miss Me??

I actually have a few faithful friends who have asked me to start blogging again. We are a couple days away from the New Year and I promise to not go three months again without updating this blog on my exciting life:).

Wow.. how time has flown. I went out of town and the Holidays happened. I have not written about so much that has happened and I am disappointed with myself and will try to get caught up. This blog is mainly for me.. and my terrible memory. I want to remember this amazing time in my life with my babies and my best friend.

A recap of the past few months.. and pictures to follow...

September is a blurrrr...

Half of October was spent in Florida on the beach... celebrating my Grandma's (mom's mom) 80th birthday and having a fun "girl's weekend" with my friends from college otherwise known as "feminazis". My husband was so sweet to let me go home for so long!

November was busy for me and my little store (http://www.chicgiving.com/) getting ready for the holidays, doing shows etc. We also went to Missouri to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with Justin's family (I am such a dummy and forgot my camera). Then my aunt and dad came up to NC to spend Thanksgiving with us.

December.. wow it went by in a blink. I can't believe that Christmas is here and gone. Kate loved it. She opened up all her gifts (very slowly).

Now here comes January 2010... we are expecting Child #2 - a little boy in March and we are SO EXCITED and SCARED!! Seriously, I don't know how I am going to handle 2 kids, but I know I'll figure it out.

Here are some pictures of my precious little one.. over the past three months...

Kate and Silas at our party for the FSU / Miami Game. He is the cutest little boy and truly a miracle. He has been through several surgeries and is the happiest baby I have been around!

Kate swinging at Beckham's birthday party. She loves to swing.

Kate with my mom and grandma at the beach.

We spent Halloween at my uncle's house. Kate dressed up as Tinkerbell. That look was the look on her face the entire night.. I could not get one smile out of her...I guess she was taking it all in.

My cousins Katie and Chris took Kate around the neighborhood. My uncle's neighborhood was definitely the place to be. They had over 500 kids for Halloween. I had never seen anything like it.

Kate made a costume change into a Buccaneer Cheerleader. October in Florida = HOT! Here she is with her Papa (my dad).

Kate with her Princess Pumpkin.

Kate picking out our Christmas Tree.

This is a little recap for now... more to come later. Thanks for being a part of our little life.

What's the second step to being an efficient wife?

This is the final day of the efficient wife theme on my blog.. I got one encouraging comment from the last post.. so I thought.. OK.. I'll keep it coming. Obviously I am not an expert.. and need a lot of work in this area. But... I thought I would share that I am currently updating my IPhone while writing this blog.. so, multi-tasking = efficient.

Man, I have ADD - That is not the second step.

The second step is getting on a SCHEDULE and STICKING TO IT! Especially when it comes to housework. Meal planning is definitely easier than this, trust me. If you saw my house right now, you would immediately tell me to STOP BLOGGING and CLEAN. Well, I am doing laundry while blogging - so, again I get stars for multi-tasking.

The expert in the area of making and keeping a schedule (specifically housework) is Fly Lady. If you haven't been to her site.. GO, READ, LEARN...DO. She recommends to start with baby steps (which I love). Two things I try to definitely do are... clean the sink / run the dish washer every night and unload it in the morning. Secondly, put one load of laundry in each morning. I think those are two things that can pile up.. and most women HATE doing. I also love how she breaks up the house into sections.. her plan would even work well for women who work, not only SAHMs.

Here are her 11 Commandments.. we all need to go by!

1. Keep your sink clean and shiny.
2. Get dressed every morning, even if you don’t feel like it. Don’t forget your lace-up shoes.
3. Do your morning and before bedtime routine everyday.
4. Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked by the computer.
5. Pick up after yourself. If you get it out, put it away.
6. Don’t try to do two projects at once. ONE JOB AT A TIME.
7. Don’t pull out more than you can put back in one hour.
8. Do something for yourself everyday, maybe every morning and night.
9. Work as fast as you can to get the job done. This will give you more time to play later.
10. Smile even when you don’t feel like it. It is contagious. Make your mind up to be happy and you will be.
11. Don’t forget to laugh everyday. Pamper yourself, you deserve it.

I do so much better when I put myself on a schedule and stick to it... so I thought that would help us all. When your home is in order.. life is so much less stressful!

BONUS - FREEBIE FRIDAY - over on our giveaways site, we are giving away a Beaba Babycook - Babyfood Maker. It is valued at $150 - enter at http://www.chicgiveaways.com/.

Have a great weekend!!