happy halloween.

i was all excited for halloween this year. the whole dressing up thing isn't my fav, but i love handing out (and eating) candy and carving pumpkins. so i guess 2 of 3 isn't too bad.

but i am so sad. i bought lots and lots of candy. we have had 5-           yes f-i-v-e- trick or treaters....and 2 of them are our neighbor kids who weren't even dressed up. huge let down. but i guess it's only 8:30, a whole lot could change between now and the end of the night :)


here are some pics of our halloween weekend.

i did the scooping.

justin did the carving.

boo. really scary right?

our cute little place.

update: we closed shop at 9:45. got one more trick or treater. this lil one was a 4 year old who said please and thank you, so you better believe he got a mound of candy.

chicken philly.

Didn't get a chance to post this earlier...but here is what we ate with the fries.

I saw a recipe for Cheesesteak Kebabs in Rachael Ray mag and a recipe for a cheese dipping sauce. I knew it was going to be good and Justin was going to love it. That's really all I look for in a recipe :)

Anyway, I cooked the chicken and green peppers in the skillet. Then started the cheese sauce.

I accidentally had 4 tbsp of butter in the picture, but only used 2 tbsp. Healthy.

Melted the butter, whisked in the flour, stirred in the milk and it looked like this.

Once it came to a boil, I stirred in the cheddar cheese.

After the cheese melted, I seasoned with salt and pepper.

I toasted bread and spooned the cheese over the chicken and peppers. Served with the double baked fries.

Seriously yummy.

For dessert, Halloween brownies!

EDIT: Forgot to post the recipe the first time :)

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Lower the heat and slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture thickens and starts to boil. Stir in the cheese until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm!

double baked fries.

Usually we do date night on Friday nights, but last week we ate out so much that I was craving to cook something at home.

I saw these fries on the Rachael Ray show and I knew Justin and I would love them. So we based our menu off them :)

I peeled 4-5 potatoes and cut them in strips.

Then put them in bowl and tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Then put them in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes. 

I baked them on a cookie sheet, covered in foil, with the fries on top of a cooling rack. Rachael said they get nice and brown this way!

(Almost forgot to get a pic of this step...almost)

When they were cooking, I chopped up herbs and garlic. Completely unsure how much I ended up using.

This is what they looked like after 30 mins in the oven.

Then I tossed them with the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper.

And put them back in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes. Until they looked like this amazing-ness.

The official recipe is...Double Baked Crazy-Crisp Oven Fries.

• 6 starchy medium Idaho potatoes
• EVOO, for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• Optional flavorings (my fave is garlic and rosemary):
• Minced garlic and lots of minced fresh rosemary
• Old Bay or Cajun Seasoning
• Chipotle chili powder
• Minced garlic, Parm cheese and oregano

Preheat oven to 400.

Arrange cooling or wire racks over baking sheets.

Peel potatoes lengthwise, living a patch of the skin on each end of the potatoes. Cut each potato into very thin fries lengthwise no more than 1/4-inch thick -- the thinner they are the crispier the end product will be.

In a large bowl, dress the fries very lightly with EVOO – a couple of turns of the bowl ought to do the trick. Season with salt and pepper, and arrange fries in single layer without crowding either baking sheet.

Place fries in oven and roast 30 minutes. Remove fries and increase heat to 425°F. Toss fries in large bowl again with seasonings, garlic and herbs of choice. Return fries to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes until very crisp and brown.

i'm a proud wife :)

Justin got his first opportunity to teach at Bama Crusade's weekly meeting. He did such a fantastic job and I am so proud of him!!

We were going through a series on the book of Hosea. This was the 3rd (of 4 messages) on the book...so we are flying through the book.

The Lord has really used this series in my life, as well as in the students' lives. I encourage you to listen to Justin's message on the Bama Crusade podcast!!

disaster zone.

I kept on forgetting to share this story with ya'll.

So, you saw the post on Apple Fritters...well, Millie was my assistant in the kitchen. Since she was being good enough I gave her a few chunks of apple. She ate them up and loved every second of them.

Fast forward under 10 minutes, Millie had disappeared. I walked into the other room to see this...

Yes, that is a whole roll of toilet paper she snatched from the bathroom (and we can't use the holder on the wall since she attacks it, so this was on the counter of the bathroom)

After getting disciplined, she ran in circles around our apartment. Hitting the couch at full speed then hitting the sliding glass door at full speed. It was then that I called Justin in extreme frustration. I begged him to come home and of course in the time it took him to get home...she crashed.

As I was complaining to Justin about Millie's behavior, I told him all I did was feed her some apple pieces. His response was "apples have just as much caffeine as a diet coke"

So her terrible behavior was all because of me trying to be sweet...never doing that again!
 I was so mad and frustrated, but now I can only laugh.

fall outback tuscaloosa

Last weekend, we volunteered with Outback America at the Outback in Eutaw, AL. I posted about it a little bit before we went.

Claire and I coached a group of three mothers and their teenage daughters. I was blessed to be the coach for the mothers! (at first I was super intimidated, since I am not a mother--Millie doesn't count, but they were so sweet and open) I got to pray for their families, get to know these Godly women and hopefully see their relationships with their daughters strengthen!

We went on the high ropes course called the Odyssey, which is always a treat. I watched and encouraged from the ground!

Outback Tuscaloosa is held in Eutaw, AL at the McRae's farm/vineyard...which is absolutely gorgeous!

Look at how cute my friends are :)

Outback Tuscaloosa

This weekend, we are excited to be volunteering with Outback America for the Outback in Tuscaloosa. It is an outreach ministry of JH Ranch and they have these weekends in many cities. We have been so blessed to get involved with Outback America in Tuscaloosa and can't wait for this weekend. JH Ranch and Outback America's mission is to see parents and children reconciled through the Gospel. I will update ya'll after the weekend!

If you see this in the next couple of days will you join us in praying for:

• The campers would be open to hearing the truth about God and seeing their need for Him.
• Camper safety as they travel as well as during the weekend (we do high and low ropes)!
• I will be coaching a small group, so pray the Lord would use me to minister to them and give me the words to speak!

Thanks for your prayers :)

apple fritters

when I first saw this recipe, I was intrigued. I have never heard of/nor tasted a fritter of any kind, but the pictures looked too good not to try.
i forgot to take pics of the beginning process...so take a good luck at our counter. i'm just so organized.

The batter was very good, there might a little bit too much cinnamon (so if you aren't a huge fan, cut it back a tad) but other than that yummm. I used three apples, which was a great proportion of apple to batter.

After frying the batter, I sprinkled them with powdered sugar. They tasted exactly like funnel cakes with apples, which they are so this shouldn't have been such a surprise for me :) Anyway, they were fantastic and we really enjoyed our new treat!

The recipe made a ton! Pioneer Woman suggests that you reheat in the oven, can't wait to see how they will taste in the morning.

Pioneer Woman's Apple Fritters

• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2-¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-¼ teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• ¾ cups Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 2 whole Granny Smith Apples, Peeled And Diced
• Powdered Sugar (optional, For Dusting)

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla.

Gently fold dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not overmix.) Fold in apples. Add enough apples to make a very chunky batter. You want the apples to shine though!

Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium to medium-low heat. When it gets hot, drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, turn down the heat.

Drop teaspoons of batter into the hot oil, six or eight at a time. Sometimes they’ll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don’t get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter’s cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.

Remove and drain on a paper towel. Dust very generously with powdered sugar, or dip fritters in a light doughnut glaze (mix all glaze ingredients together, then dunk warm fritters).

Serve warm!

**May be heated up the next day in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

day at the water.

justin and i decided to take millie to the arboretum again today. she loves it there and we needed some time outside.

i'm just going to post a few pics. i'll share what the Lord showed me later.

look at this fierce animal in action...

please take note of her eyes, she is focused.

yes, the water is truly that nasty strange color. but she loves it, i personally will never get in.

seriously, i am so in love with this dog.

family time.

we had such a jam packed (but still fun) weekend. we were able to hit most of the tuscaloosa highlights.

on friday night, we went to Cypress Inn--delish. The weather was perfect, so we were able to walk down by the river and rock in the rocking chairs as we waited.

Saturday was homecoming for Alabama, which is a WAY bigger deal than UGA's. Bama Crusade had a tailgate on campus, so we tailgated before the game. We also walked around the sorority houses to look at their boards (I wish I had taken pics of them, they were amazing...!) before heading back to our apartment to watch the game.

Obviously, we dressed pretty neutral for the game :)

Our pastor asked us to share our testimonies at church on Sunday, it was special to have my parents there in the congregation! The Lord spoke through us and it went well....until the microphone quit working. Oops. 

Anyway, it was so refreshing to have my parents come visit and meet some of our Tuscaloosa friends. I'm glad we got to see them, but I'm already counting down the days until our next visit to Atlanta.

weekend.

i am seriously so excited to see my parents this weekend. 

Daddy got here today to do some business and Momma J is coming down tomorrow morning. Dad has been here a couple times on business, and Mom hasn't been since we moved...so I am excited to show them our little life here in Tuscaloosa and campus since neither have gotten a chance to see much of it.

 Tuscaloosa friends! Come tailgate with Bama Crusade (and my parents!!!) on Saturday. We are planning on getting to campus around 3, hopefully our spot will be on the quad across from Bid Good and Graves Hall.

Even Millie is pumped to see her grandparents!

potato soup

i am really trying to be intentional about planning out our menu for the week on sundays. and i was anticipating it to get a little bit cooler outside (i was sorely mistaken) when i planned tonight's dinner.

but it was delicious, even if it is still 80 degrees outside....well, i just checked the weather it's currently 61 degrees. so ignore most everything i just said...

where was i? oh yeah, tonight's dinner!

I found this recipe online, with a name like The Best Potato Soup You Will Ever Eat--how could I resist giving it a shot? (You can go directly to her blog post here)

And I have to say, it was pretty darn fantastic.

I changed up the original recipe a little bit...

5-6 whole potatoes.
3 cans cream of potato soup.
3 can milk (use soup can to measure).
1 cup mozzarella cheese.
1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
3 cloves garlic (minced or grated).
salt and pepper to taste.

-Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and mash, leaving some chunks.
-Add soup and milk. Mix in cheese (save some for topping) and garlic.
-Stir over medium heat until soup comes to a low boil, then move to low heat. Salt and pepper to taste.
-Serve in individual bowls and top with additional cheese and bacon pieces (plus whatever you choose).

Linking Up at:

Serenity Now

birmingham.

on saturday, we did a day trip to birmingham. we had to wanted to get out of town and it's less than an hour away...so perfect destination!

First stop was Wildflower Wax--the cutest lil store in Helena. They have homemade candles...seriously, how precious! They also have a pretty good sized selection of cowboy boots. I got the cutest pair, a little bit of a splurge for me, but totally worth it!

Then we were off to Mountain Brook to hang out with Allen, our friend and worship leader for Bama Crusade. Allen's friendship has been such a blessing to Justin! He has a black lab (Harvey) who Millie adores. We had such a fun afternoon letting the dogs play and watching football. Allen's family has cockapoos. 5 dogs in total, I was in dog heaven. I wasn't able to get a good pic of all 5...they were just too excited and having too much fun to sit still for the camera.

I missed the photo-op of all 5 slapping up water. Dang it. But this is still adorable.

If you look up puppy love in the dictionary, this picture is what you will find. Look at Harvey and Millie!

waffle. waffle.

lately justin has decided he doesn't like cereal (don't worry, he will back on the wagon soon enough.) so i decided to whip up a batch of waffles tonight, so he can have waffles in the A.M. since he (and millie) are up before me.

I adapted the recipe found here.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I did the milk and vinegar trick, since I didn't have any buttermilk)
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients. Pour in waffle maker. Enjoy, or wait until cool to pop in the freezer.

 The recipe made 6 for us...even though the pic doesn't look like it :)

garlic knots.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE any version of garlic bread. My parents always make knots from Publix dough (so good, try it!) But I dumbly forgot to buy their dough the other night, so the search was on for a great recipe. And I found one...where else than Tasty Kitchen?

The Garlic Knots recipe is so so simple and the knots turned out so so yummy (and precious).

I followed the recipe to a tee to make the dough, times for rising, and baking.

But for topping, I used melted butter, garlic and fresh basil.

Also, after baking I sprinkled kosher salt on top...I might have gone a little bit overboard, since you can see it in the pic. Forgive me?

We enjoyed them with chicken parm. 

coffee treat.

shhh. i'm posting this one in secret :)

i made justin and i frappucinos. yum. yum yum.

the reason i am posting in secret is because he doesn't think they are manly...but let's be honest, they really aren't.

I got the recipe idea from Savory Sweet Life!

Ingredients (I changed it up a little bit for our tastes):

1 1/2 cups ice

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cream

3/4 cup strong coffee (I used double the coffee grounds as usual)

1 tablespoon sugar

Blend and Enjoy!

family photos.

after a disappointing loss to colorado last night, we masked our frustrations by waking trying to wake Millie up and take pics.

after looking at this picture, how could you still be upset? Millz was so tired from being at the lake with Justin earlier...she refused to even open her eyes for the photo shoot.

i love my little family.

finally finished.

what seems like ages ago, i got this chair at the thrift store. i posted about it so that i would fell the urgency to actually finish working on the chair...and it worked. i have felt like i let my blog readers down. BUT i finally finished TODAY!

Here is the "before"

And the "after"...SO excited about the chair :)

I got some frustrations out while sanding...

Then used our sewing machine for the first time to cover the cushion...

And got my spray paint on...

Thank you clearance aisle of Hobby Lobby for the $2.00 spray paint. Seaside Green--not very green, but I adore it :)

Now the hard part, trying to figure out the best place to put her!