Last night I found baby kitties hiding under a tarp in my little fenced in patio area.  I had no idea how they got there as the fence is quite tall and there weren't any holes in the ground.  I put out a bowl of milk because I figured they were hungry.  Then the mother popped out of no where and proceeded to stare and hiss at me.  I hissed back.  I mean, come on, its MY patio.  David was working the night shift, so I decided I'd let him deal with it in the morning as I am not an animal person.  He went out there this afternoon with protective gloves (I had warned him that the mother would scratch his face off), lifted up the tarp and there wasn't a cat to be seen.  Thank goodness she got her babies out of there.  I wish I had taken a picture though, they were pretty darn cute.


*Cherise

A few tidbits from today:

1. Yeast extract is a sneaky little jerk.  In order to avoid the negativity associated with MSG, companies list yeast extract in the ingredients which sounds more natural.  It is still a flavor enhancer and chances are if you react to MSG, you'll react to yeast extract.     
2. Organic toaster pastries exist!  I don't think I'd feel nearly as bad eating those as I do Pop Tarts.  Mmmm, I love Pop Tarts.  This stinkin diet needs to be over.

*Cherise

June Bugs

Dennis, Margo, Jennee, and Myself

One of my favorite nights last summer was spent with friends in my backyard having a BBQ.  We played bocci ball, which was a fun and new experience for me.  We struggled to BBQ using an electric grill that never quite warmed up (good thing we were having Greek veggie burgers).  The warm St. George night ended with an impromptu long-exposure sparkler fest.  Who knew it would work so well!  The final highlight of the evening was a drink I had been dying to make.  The "June Bug."  When I saw the recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine I thought, "Cutest name award!"  Now, couple that with the bright coral coloring and the June Bug becomes the most quintessential sip of summer.  

June Bug
* 3 Cups Ginger Ale
* 4 Tablespoons Grenadine
* 4 Tablespoons Orange Juice
* 3 Scoops Orange Sherbet

Blend the ingredients together.  Serve in a cocktail glass over ice and garnish with a wedge of orange.

 

My dear friend Jennee & Myself

June Bug in hand

What's your sip of summer?

LOVE

Jessica

Menu Board

April...spring is in the air, actually in Texas its more like summer.  And as well as bringing the heat, April is also the start of red cycle for David's platoon.  What is red cycle?  I do not know.  There are so many terms in the military and I'm still pretty new to all this stuff.  What I do know is that David has gate guard duty for the next 3 months.  Its been a little frustrating because there really is no set schedule and we just hope that he'll get at least one day off each week.  This is where not having a job is a very positive thing.  Some wives barely get to see their men.  With these odd hours and disrupted schedule I decided I needed a project to focus on.  I've been planning on getting my apartment more organized to make life and eventually moving easier.

My first and to be honest, probably the most unnecessary project is a menu board.  My mom always planned out a weekly menu and I like to as well, but putting a piece of paper on the fridge just wasn't cutting it.  I looked up some menu boards on Pinterest for inspiration and this is what I came up with....

You'll need:

• 8x10 (or larger) frame- $1
• scrapbook paper- $  .26 
• sticker letters- $2.39
• 4 magnets (6 strength level)- $1.99
• any ribbon, stickers, buttons or whatever embellishments you want
• strong glue

                   = this only cost me $5.64

Gather your supplies

  

Make any embellishments your little heart desires.  I am not an artist so I drew the best coffee mug I could and cut it out before tracing it on the fun kitchen appropriate paper I had on hand.

Figure out your layout.  I cut out the stickers so I could really see how they would fit.  To make this craft even cheaper cut out your own letters from scrapbook paper.

Before attaching anything make sure it all fits in your frame how you want it to.  I used hot glue to attach the ribbon, mug, and buttons.

 

Once you have it all put together glue a magnet on each corner of the frame.  I used gorilla glue and let it sit over night.

Get yourself a dry erase marker and plan away!

*Cherise

Beautiful Things

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

 

 All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

-Gungor 

[Thoughts about Easter]

LOVE,
Jessica

Coffee Coffee Coffee!

In my little kitchen its hard to decorate.  And its impractical to put effort and money into working with this specific space when I know we'll be moving in a few months.  My theme is coffee, so other than the matching coffee calendar my mom buys for herself, my sister, and me each year, all I've got is a a pot brewing daily.  I decided to do something cheap and practical that can be used in whatever kitchen I'll be in next.  

Tea towels.  I like to embroider tea towels.  I embroidered my first tea towel in middle school I think, and I have no idea why.  I only know one kind of stitch and my creations never turn out crazy awesome, but its relaxing and just plain fun.  I googled some coffee images to get some ideas and this is what I came up with....

*Cherise

Pizza! Pizza!

Who doesn't love a slice...or two?  

My go-to pizza is Papa John's BBQ Chicken Bacon pizza.  As of late though, Anna and I have been searching the wonderful world of pizza for the perfect Bacon Cheeseburger pizza.  I know, I know.  Do pickles really belong on a pizza?  Yes, is my emphatic answer!  My local pizza place growing up had the most delicious rendering of a bacon cheeseburger pizza.  It was the perfect combination of melted cheese, crisp hamburger, tangy pickles, and salty bacon.  Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.  Back to the task at hand, here is a quick and fun recipe to make yet another form of this tasty American favorite. 

[It is so easy that I'm a little embarrassed to share it. But, it was just so fun I couldn't help myself.]

Pizza Pockets

Ingredients

1.  Store Bought Croissants

2.  Pepperoni

3.  Mozzarella String Cheese

4.  Parmesan, garlic salt, basil, crushed red pepper flakes

5.  Your favorite pizza sauce for dipping

 Step 1:  Line a cookie sheet with foil - clean up will be a cinch.  Roll out the croissants.  Sprinkle them with the Parmesan, basil, garlic salt, and a bit of crushed red pepper.

 Step 2:  Layer six  pepperoni at the top where the croissant is the largest.

 Step 3:  Now this is the fun part!  Take your string cheese, break it in half, and place it at the top of the croissant.

 Step 4:  Roll those little guys up.  Sprinkle with a bit more parm and garlic salt.  Throw into a 375 oven for about 11 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the bottoms are brown.  Serve alongside your favorite dipping sauce.

LOVE
JJ