Confessions Part II

I went home (to my parents' house) last weekend. When I packed up to leave I raided their pantry and freezer and came home with enough groceries for the week. I feel like this isn't ok considering I am a "grown-up" now.

I run a Twitter handle for work. Every time a business/organization follows my on Twitter I wonder, "What human is behind this Twitter account reading all my tweets??"

I cut five inches off my hair last weekend.

Speaking of haircuts, my nephew got his first haircut last weekend. If this isn't the cutest thing you've ever seen, I don't know what is.

I am now a contributor to Lubbock in the Loop! You can check out my posts here and here. Right now I've done solely wedding-related posts, but there are more things coming soon!

Happy Friday! Pin It

On the Menu: Fourth of July

Reagan and I spent our holiday hosting friends for a barbeque.  Reagan manned the protein portion of the meal with our new grill, and I of course handled all the (mostly gluten-free) sides.

Our Fourth of July menu included: slow cooked ribs, BBQ chicken, pepperslaw, baked beans, rolls, and skinny margaritas.

I tried out a new coleslaw recipe from Cooking with Paula Deen, and it received rave reviews! To be exact, it was described as "fresh and not swimming in mayonnaise." Can I get an amen?

Pepper Slaw (from Cooking with Paula Deen)
makes 6 servings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced bell peppers (about 4)
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cups matchstick carrots
1/4 thinly sliced sweet onion
**I used one pre-packaged bag of coleslaw instead of the cabbage and carrots.
In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salts.

Stir in bell peppers, cabbage, carrots, and onion. Toss to coat.  Cover and chill at least one hour, or until ready to serve.


Like any good barbeque, we had to have baked beans. These came straight from D'Ann Wiley's recipe book.  Although, I think most southern moms have their version of this recipe!


Mom's BBQ Baked Beans
makes 8 servings

1/2 onion, chopped
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 can kidney beans, drainded and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red pinto beans OR pork 'n' beans, undrained
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Saute the onion (in the bacon drippings if you're brave!) Stir in the other ingredients. Spoon into a baking dish and bake for one hour.

Since Reagan was using the oven to cook his ribs, I put the beans in the crockpot on low for about three hours, and they still turned out great. 

Happy 4th of July! Pin It

Look who's visiting...

My favorite six month old is coming to Lubbock tonight! Pin It

Life in Lubbock

ESPN posted this article yesterday spotlighting Baylor's "home turf" of Waco. The article definitely made me miss Waco, and made me even more proud to be a Baylor alum. While I haven't visited Waco near enough since I graduated, living in Lubbock has its perks.

When I headed off to Baylor almost five years ago, I never dreamed in 10 million years that I would move back to the West Texas area. That's what happens when you meet a cute boy in college. Granted, I grew up in New Mexico, but Lubbock was the "big city" where we came to shop, watch college sports, and attend concerts.

Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to be in Central Texas where almost all of my friends live. However, Reagan is here, so Lubbock is home. For those of you who have never (and probably will never) live in Lubbock, here's an idea of what Lubbock life is like.

·        Its 90 miles from my hometown. After living in Waco for four years, it is so nice to live close to my family again. Reagan and I get a lot of free dinners from my parents this way. Not to mention, I have a nephew that I love to spoil!

·        It's not humid. I think I've had more good hair days in the past eight months than I did my entire four years in Waco.

·        It's a college town. If I'm completely honest, Lubbock has more of a "college town" vibe than Waco. Everyone here eats, sleeps, and breathes Texas Tech. There are hole-in-the-wall restaurants, concerts, free activities, tons of young people, and plenty collegiate sporting events to watch.

·        There is no traffic. I'll say it again. There is no traffic. None. Even when all 30,000 students return from summer vacation, it doesn't take more than eight minutes to get to work.

·        Lubbock is our first home. It seems that Lubbock is mine and Reagan's own little world. We made friends, found a church, got married, and first lived together here.  Wherever we move from here, Lubbock will always be special for that reason!

Now that I’ve confessed that I actually like living here, I will tell you – we are always those people wearing green and gold on Friday’s. Sic ‘em.

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