summer goal.

summer goal.
i'm publicly sharing this in the hopes that it happens.


create my own cupcake recipe.
or two.
or ten.


my first goal:
vanilla cupcake.
salted caramel filling.
vanilla buttercream frosting.
caramel and chocolate drizzle.


i'm thinking tomorrow's the day for this creation... i'll be sure and fill everyone in as to how it goes.


i'm so excited i could pee.
wish me luck!

turn away for one second...

i turn away for one second...

and this happens.
bailey got a lick of a plate of beautiful cupcakes.


to punish her,
i let her lick the rest of the frosting.
it's okay... she lost 6 pounds, so she's not fat anymore.
she's allowed.


(we went on a long run later to make up for it.)

food. finally.

it has been forever since i've posted about food.
but we have, in fact, still been eating over here.
and i have been finding and creating new recipes.
enjoy!


homemade ravioli:
i posted about it earlier.
but a great way to cook it:
egg white wash. bread crumbs.
bake that trash with a little bit of olive oil on the outside.


dip in tomato sauce.
it's like heaven.


lime chicken tacos:
taken from here
but edited: white wine vinegar instead of red.
it's DELICIOUS.


balsamic-glazed chicken breasts:
glaze: 1/3 c balsamic vinegar, 1/3 c brown sugar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary.
let chicken marinade in it.
then, brush it on while cooking on top of the stove.
we made it with baked potatoes.
YUM.


no-bake raspberry lemon bars:
a summer treat! we made them last week and devoured them.
plus they're not super fatty.
here is the recipe.


and a new one for this week!
get it here.
sweet BBQ chicken kabobs.
i'll let you know how it is.

also: news of the century.

i'm getting good at couponing.

this week? 

meijer: spent 70, saved 40 

cvs: spent 9, saved 13

i'm loving it!

okay. that's it. and i'm back in blogging action now... no more school to hold me back!

other things.

since i haven't been around lately, i have much to share.


first, a book.
susan told me about it.
and it changed my world. (she told me it would. smart girl.)

you should read it.
it has completely changed my perspective on things, and i've started making a list of things i'm thankful for--blessing the Lord has given me in my life.


a select few of my list (working my way to 1000):

16. Toothless smiles.

44. Watching my students attack Matt.

56. Bowls of crunchy cereal.

72. Getting into a warm car when I’m cold.

74. Cheap furniture that looks more expensive than it really is.

80. How cute Bailey is curled on a pillow.

i mean, seriously. she's crazy cute.

in honor of 74, matt and i went shopping to do some upgrades in our apartment... (plus one big splurge).

you guessed it.

we splurged on the lamp.

just kidding. it cost $12.

but we did splurge and got a new TV. we've been talking about it for ages and we just went for it.

so, that's that. big changes up in here.

oh, and in case you wondered...

school just ended.

and yes, i bawled like a baby.

and i don't even care.

i love those children.

st. louiaaaay.

well.

it's been 20 years since i've posted.

but man, have i been busy!

end of the school year.

plus, a trip to st. louis!

this post is dedicated to the greatness of that trip.

check it out.

 dinner in st. louis.

 the cute baby i spent my time with. baby taylor.

family reunion. they had cotton candy and snow cones! i was in heaven.

 am i going to feed it to taylor? (is amanda going to let me?)

 not a chance.

and there he is. in all his glory.

thank you, st. louis. for a great trip!