Bye Bye Boxelder Bug

The bf and I came home the other day to the entire front of our entryway covered in Boxelder Bugs.

Being totally grossed out and not wanting them around next time someone comes by I googled a remedy to try and get these assholes to either die or go away. Surprisingly there were not a lot of links to remedy recipes but we finally found one and it's probably the most simple thing on the planet that everyone can make! All you need is

-about 3 tablespoons of dish soap
-spray bottle

fill completly with tap water, shake a little and boom.... go get 'em!

Keeping a close eye

Easiest thing ever, just like the homemade febeeze Fake & Practically FREE home made Febreeze!

Different Kind of Mac & Cheese

As a Southern gal I love me some serious mac & cheese and usually make Mrs. Paula Deen's recipe because well, it's the best. I decided to switch things up tonight and make something a little different since it's Valentine's Day, the boyfriend is out of town and no one can judge me for eating only mac & cheese for dinner. jk

This recipe is a little different than most because it has you cook the pasta IN the milk instead of make the pasta in water then adding the milk once it's drained. It makes it over the top creamy. I tweeked the recipe a little and added garlic, used 1/2 chedder and 1/2 white chedder and added a little butter because...

With that said, I hope y'all enjoy it...


Different Kind of Mac & Cheese
Source: Cate’s World Kitchen adapted from White on Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups dried pasta (I used a fun twisty kind)
2 cups 2% or skim milk
1/2 cup of shredded chedder
1/2 cup of shredded white chedder
1 tsp of crushed garlic (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dijon mustard


Directions:
In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.

Turn heat off, add cheese & salt & and stir to combine. Stir in the mustard a little at a time to taste.

milk will evaporate and start to thicken

Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes, then stir again and serve. If not creamy enough, add milk a little at a time, and gently stir.

*Also I have some extra broccoli  & jalapeno left in the fridge that I might add as I eat it for lunch to give the mac & cheese a little more zing and amp upthe  flavor. Also, I read on the blog I got this from that you can add in a bit of cream cheese or yogurt to help with the creaminess.

Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

It's a chilly night here in Minnesota and nothing sounded more amazing tonight than a yummy thick warm soup. What better way to find a great recipe than on the one and only Pinterest. If you're not among the gazillions (real #) that are a part of this new amazing pin board site then you must join asap! If you need an invite feel free to comment under this post with your email and I will send one :) It sometimes takes long if you request one on your own.

Ok so back to the soup... This one looked beyond delicious so I looked it up on another blog called Pinchofyum.com. I didn't have all of the ingrediants at my home so I improvised and I think I did a great job! It's still simmering on my stove top but I've been tasting as I go and I will say I'm pretty stoked to try it in a little bit.

I didn't take a ton of step by step photos because at first I wasn't going to blog it (in case it didn't turn out) but as I was cooking and smelling I pulled out my camera.

I'm posting the original recipe with  my changes in ( ) next to it.

Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

Author: Pinch of Yum, from Cambridge Medical Center cookbook

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed chicken broth (I just used regular chicken broath & added 1/2 can of Cream of Chicken soup)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed (I forgot to rinse & after soup cooked for an hour I added some brown rice I made last week for something and needed to use)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (didn't have any so I used: cumin, ground oregano, tumeric, paprika, Mrs. Dash original)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cup cubed or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
• 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento (our grocery store didn't have this)
• 2-3 tablespoons dry sherry, if desired (did not use)

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes or until rice is tender (Mine took about 25 mins because it took awhile to go from boil to simmer). Once the rice is cooked, there will be some additional broth – do not drain.

fogged up my lens a little but it smells amazing!

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, stir in flour, salt, seasoning, and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. (mine was THICK and I mean thick so I wasn't sure if it was correct...hence the no picture. OH and I also used the pan I fried the bacon in so it soaked up all of the bacon crumbles at the bottom).

Gradually stir in half and half with the butter/flour mixture and cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. (it was really lumpy so I used a whisk and stirred it on low and it loosened up find.) 

Add this creamy mixture back into the saucepan with the rice/broth. Add chicken, bacon, pimiento, and sherry (didn't use pimiento & sherry). Heat on low, stirring every once in a while, for at least a half an hour. Do not boil. The mixture will look thin, but the longer you heat the soup, the more the flavors merry and the more it will thicken. This soup is best served after gently heating for an extended period of time (even a few hours) or the next day! For extra flavor, add more poultry seasoning and/or bacon.

Just because a pile of bacon is always a gorgeous sight.

what it looks like an hour in the pot.

Happy Birthday Charlie Parker: Peanut Butter Carrot Pupcakes

peanut butter & carrot pupcakes

Yield: 30 mini pupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 4025 minutes

I promise you! Your pups will scarf these up and love them to pieces!!

What you need:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I added a little drop or two at the end after everthing was mixed)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping cup shredded carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 ounces cream cheese, softened (I put it in the microwave for about 10 seconds)
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons honey
shredded carrots, for topping

Directions:

Pupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line standard muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, vegetable oil, vanilla, honey, and eggs. beat together with a whisk until smooth.

Fold in the baking sofa and flour into the mixture with a spatcula (it says to sift the two into the mixture but I didn't) is dissolved and the mixture just comes together. It will look really thick, wet and a little sticky & that's okay! (this is when I added a tiny bit of extra oil)

Once you have everthing mixed fold in the shredded carrots until they are dispersed evently throughout the mixture.

I pinched about the size of a small ice cream scoop off and rolled them into balls before I put them into the cupcake pan.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350.
**If you are using a standard muffin/cupcake pan you you bake for 35-40 mins

Remove pan from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Place aside on a wire cooling rack if you have one and if not just place them aside on plate (that's what I did)

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and they will last for up to a week.You may also want to freeze these to be able to keep them for around 6 months so place the frosted pupcakes on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for about an hour or so until they're frozen. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Frosting:
Put the softened cream cheese into a medium sized bowl, add the flour and honey, and stir together using a rubber spatula mix until smooth and fluffy.

Frosting the pupcakes:
If you want fun fancy frosting you can transfer the frosting to a pastry bag with any tip you like attached and pipe the frosting onto the pupcakes. You can also simply spread the frosting on with a butter knife, whichever is easiest for you.

I frosted some pretty and then was over it. (as you can tell) It made 30 so minus the FOUR I gave my two boys this what is made. (and I tried one)

The birthday boy snuggling with his new toy while he patiently waits for me to finish baking. (I turned around and saw him immediately grabbed my camera)

ALL DONE!

One of his tricks is called "cry baby" and he lays down and pouts but he was so excited he wouldn't lay out all the way so his boobit (butt) is still in the air. So cute

Source: Foodpluswords.com

Sammy's Cave

So since I moved up here I've wanted to take some serious time and decorate the basement/mancave up super snazzy for my special guy. The walls were this yellowish beige that was the most uncomfy color to have in a room where you want to relax so it had to go. Since he's having a huge Super Bowl party and a lot of friends and family over and he wanted it to look really great. This past week I've busted my tail painting, finding fun little items and getting everything put together so when he came home this weekend it was all set up and ready to go for him.

Last week was the week of deals for this chick. I couldn't strike out when it came to finding an steal at all of the places I went. Between Craigslist to the Goodwill, I was racking them in like a champ. I found some awesome beer mirrors for him of his two favorites (Coors Lite and Budweiser) on Craigslist for around $80. He had them listed for $120 but I just threw $80 out there to see if he would consider and he said yes. Next venture was the coffee table/end tables. I was hours away from picking up a coffee table I found on Craigslist for $50 when I decided to head over to the next city by us and check out their Goodwill. Well luckily I did because I found a coffee table on sale for $9.99 and then TWO end tables each on sale for $6.99. I was so excited I couldn't believe it. Most of the frames you see were purchased at Home Goods for between $7-$10 each (including mats).

I can never express enough how important it is to look around your home for things to decorate with because you can really find some amazing treasures. I found two of Sam's buck horns (whatever their called) and one was his first. I hung those at the very end it really gave the room a finished look. Now I'm opposed to hunting but they are his and this is his space so I had to display them :) Another find was his old ski maps from when he worked in CO. (they're in the corner by the horns). As far as the lamps...they were bought at Home Goods for $50 (for both!!!). I wasn't going to put lamps in the room because it was just another added expense but these were the most perfect masculine touch I had to get them.

One thing I splurged on were the pillows. There are two large sectionals in the room and I could have cut the price in half but I felt they needed a softer touch so I just went for it. The plaid ones were from Target for $12.99 for TWO! and the rest were Home Goods finds for under $20 each. A few of them were ours and went well with the room so I stuck them in there.

I've been wanting to hang my Uncle Jonnie's old 70's Quietflight board for YEARS it feels like but finally found the perfect room to do it in. This whole room is all about him with a few touches of Newbrough to make it sparkle a little.

The collage wall was my idea because well they're my favorite things to do on a wall and I'm so glad I did it. Between the autographs to the pics with the boys (and skanky Carmen Electra I surprised him with of course) I feel it adds a warmth to the room that it didn't have before.

As far as paint... I scored AGAIN on another oops can and it was only $7. It was the exact color we wanted and I couldn't believe I landed another great one. For the black paint I used for the furniture I got the last flat interior they had of the Martha Stewart paint that they were clearancing out. The full gallon was only $11!! I went with more of a dusty black rather than a dark dark black and I'm really happy with the choices. I used the same techniques I used for the dresser makeover post and was done painting all three pieces at the end of my CSI episode.

The only thing that's missing that will complete the room is a extra large 6ft by 5 ft beer mirror for behind the bar. Once we get that bad boy, I won't have a thing left to search for.

I really hope you guys love the finished product because we sure do. He even had a buddy come over all ready to show it off :)

Coffee table before and after

End tables before and after

The picture Sam took when it was first finished.

Before picture after the couches were put down there (remember one of those was upstairs)

After

After again

Before and After from the other side of the room. Yes there are two of those big sectionals

Before and After of the TV area

After of the colage wall. Before it was just blank

That's my Uncle Ronni bull riding :) Such a stud

Baller flash/slang card seemed fitting :) (definition is on the back)

Josh Freeman was one of my old clients in Tampa so before I moved I had him sign something for my guy.

Framed picture from the lake where he caught his HUGE Walleye.

Before picture of the bar area when it was finished.

Sammy(blue shirt) and Bill breaking it in with a beer. (Pardon the mess, that area is still a work in progress)

Make Your House Your Home

I wanted to post these few before and after photos of our home. You see, my boyfriend lived here all alone before and works out of town so he never felt the need to decorate this place. There was an oversized chocolate brown leather sectional in the middle of the livingroom when I moved in and I immediately had to ask if it could be moved into the "man cave" downstairs.  He agreed and the rest is history. (in the photos it's already downtairs)

I'm adding this post to show the difference a can of paint can do for 1 and the only things I purchased after moving are, the coffee table (craigslist $35), dresser and bookcase from the previous post, and the sofa table. The rest are items I already had and have had for many years and just found new ways to display them. Instead of going out and buying new things all of the time, try and reuse the items you already have and just move them around a bit. You'll be surprised.

I move rather quickly and I had this place painted and decorated the day the movers came. It's been since August and I've changed things around probably 4 times already (I get bored) but the way I have it now it the way I love it. It's a great unisex mix and I find it to be quite cozy. I hope you enjoy :)

The wall right when you walk up the stairs

The bedroom before I actually decorated. This was just after I moved in

The bedroom now... so crisp, clean and sleeps like a charm!

Livingroom before and after