Help Alabama Moms Affected by Tornados

Want to make a donation to the tornado victims from far away? Go to diapers.com and buy something from a registry set up to help victims! Look under the names Brooke Rhind and Kate Fix. There is no shipping fee and the items will all be sent to Birmingham. Kate Harvill Fix will be delivering them next week! (This is a friend of a friend that is doing this, and I have already done it...so it is legit!) There are so many people that need your help, but as a Mom I can't imagine not having diapers, wipes or food for my child. Please help.

Dip Recipes

A friend of mine compiled a lot of our favorite dip recipes and emailed it to us awhile back. I've been sharing the email today with some of my twitter friends and since I've had so many requests, I figured I would just post it here. I hope you enjoy these great recipes! Happy New Year and Happy Dipping!

Buffalo Chicken Dip #1:

reg. size casserole dish (9 X 13)
here goes:

ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breast
1 bottle (16 oz.) of buffalo hot sauce (there are several brands)
1 bottle (16 oz.) of ranch dressing
1 bag of Mexican cheese
1 block of cream cheese
1 bag of corn chips (Fritos)

directions:
bring chicken to a boil until done (10-20 mins.- depending) heat and mix package of cream cheese and ranch dressing strip chicken into bite-size pieces and spread in casserole dish pour buffalo hot sauce over chicken pour cream cheese and ranch mixture over chicken and hot sauce sprinkle package of Mexican cheese **may add jalapenos, etc. for extra taste and/or appearance serve with Fritos (corn chips)

Buffalo Chicken Dip #2:

Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing

3/4 cup hot sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot® wing sauce)

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces

Directions:

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through.  Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm.  Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly.  Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Hot Artichoke, Crab & Chicken Dip:

Ingredients:

2- 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. mayonnaise

2 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. parsley

16 oz. crab meat (can be artificial)

1 c. Kraft Italian Style Five-Cheese Shredded Cheese

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1c. shredded Romano cheese

2 cans artichoke hearts (in water, not marinated)

1 can diced water chestnuts

2 lbs. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained

Directions:

In a large bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add all other ingredients, and transfer to 3 qt. crock pot.
Heat on high 1-2 hours, until hot. When ready to serve, sprinkle extra cheese on top, and garnish if desired. This is good for hours! Just turn down crock pot to low setting.

Sausage Dip:

1 tube sausage

1 can green chilies - drained

1 package cream cheese

1 package shredded cheese

1 bread bowl

brown the sausage, drain

add the chilies and cream cheese in the pan

stick mixture in the bread bowl and bake until warm - add the pieces of bread from middle of bowl to pan last few min to get them crispy for dipping

Corn/Black Bean Dip:

2 cans black beans – drain and rinse
2 cans white shoepeg corn – drain and rinse
1 bunch of green onions
1 tub of feta cheese
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
a couple of packs of Splenda- add them until you like it!
salt and pepper

Serve with Fritos

 Apple Dip

1 pkg cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 bag Heath Bits of Brickle   

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

  

Put the cream cheese in the microwave just long enough to soften it.  Mix everything together and let it get cold before serving. 

If you are slicing the apples to serve at a later time, you may want to put in pineapple juice to keep them from turning.  

Spinach Balls:

2 packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 stick of light butter, softened

2 cups of Pepperidge Farm herb-seasoning stuffing

1t garlic salt

1/2 cup of grated parmesan

1 small onion, grated in food processor

1T of olive oil

8 oz feta cheese

combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. stir well. roll mixture into 1-2 inch balls and place on a lightly greased cooking sheet. bake for 20 minutes.

Cocktail Swirls

3 ounce package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
2 teaspoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon milk
8 ounce can Pillsbury Quick Crescent Dinner Rolls
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 375. Combine cream cheese, bacon, chopped onion and milk.  Separate crescent dough into four triangles, press perforations to seal.  Spread about 1 and a ½ tablespoons of cheese mixture on each triangle.  Starting at long side, roll up and seal.  Cut each roll into 8 pieces.  Place pieces cut side down on ungreased cookie sheet.  Lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  This recipe makes 32 appetizers.

This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated up t o two hours before baking.

Captain Rodney's Cheese Bake

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped (optional)
8 crushed Ritz crackers

Mix the above four ingredients and place in a greased quiche or tart pan or anything made for baked dips. Top with the crushed crackers and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

8 slices of crispy cooked bacon, chopped.
1/2 cup Captain Rodney's glaze (Boucan glaze is the same as Mango Pepper glaze) (You can buy Captain Rodney's Boucan Glaze at Whole Foods)

Top baked cheese with crumbled bacon and drizzle the 1/2 cup glaze over the top. Serve with crackers or any chip you prefer.

Spinach Casserole:

4 packages of creamed spinach

About 2 cups of mozzarella shredded cheese

Defrost spinach, add cheese, microwave

1 package of filo dough.  Make sure it is completely defrosted.

Melt butter into a cup

Spray Pam in casserole dish (large)

Place 3 layers of filo dough, brushing butter between each layer

Add layer of spinach mixture

Place 3 layers of filo dough, brushing butter between each layer

Continue until spinach mixture is all gone

Place final layer of filo dough

Cook at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until top layer browns and looks crispy. 

Ribs:

place the rack of ribs in tinfoil - might want to do 2 sheets of tinfoil to double wrap them

pour a 1/2 cup of water right on the ribs and sprinkle whatever seasoning you want on them - salt/pepper/whatever

wrap them up and bake the ribs for 2 hours on 350

take the ribs out and pour bbq sauce on them

then wrap them back up and stick them back in the oven for about 5 min or so

they are so tender and just fall off the bone w/out any effort!!! enjoy!!!

Roll Tide Roll!

Hard to believe this was just last year...where has time gone!

Ready to Roll!

Here are a few pictures from our Bama gameday in NYC! 

Ready to Roll (J can say Roooollll, but he hasn't caught on to Tide yet) We'll get there! 

Future Bama boy?

Wishing he was driving to T-town to watch the game...

A lil' Bama fan and a red velvet mini cupcake = happiness!

Daisy is not so happy. She wants a cupcake too (and some of our wings)!

J drinking a little gameday milk and rocking with his Little Al

Smile, it's gameday! 

 Loving on Lil' Al (and his milk)

My heart!

So, y'all want to talk about number 14?

One of my friends said this picture looked like a future frat boy in the making. He's doing his Roll Tide and drinking his milk with no hands!

Happy Gameday to all of our friends from all teams! Looking forward to a great football season!

Pasadena Bound

We're booking our tickets to the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Pasadena, here we come! Congrats to my boys, they played their hearts out last night.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Thank You Grove Gals

This is months and months belated, but so goes my life these days with a crawler/cruiser/almost walking TEN MONTH OLD (today) who has a passion for dog food and opening toilets! =)

The Grove Gals never cease to amaze me with their generosity. They did not ask for a product review, only thought of my sweet Baby J and his Mama's love of the Alabama Crimson Tide and decided he needed this sweater to add to his crimson/white collection. How great is this sweater? And since it is in our last initial it may be the only thing that a future boy child can wear since everything else is monogrammed J. =) So, even though they didn't ask...please check out Pineapple Grove Gifts today! It's a great little online store and I'm sure you can find some holiday gifts there. The link has been in my sidebar for awhile, because they also offer MMM readers a discount of 15% with code MMM15!

One More Down-Roll Tide Roll!

The Tide pulled off another victory today! RTR! My sister is in town this weekend and we enjoyed watching the game and having a BBQ lunch at Brother Jimmy's. I love Saturdays during the fall. We've been watching football all day long!

Last night we got a babysitter and went to saw Rock of Ages. It was AMAZING! We can't quit singing 80's music today. Has anyone else seen it? Constantine from American Idol is one of the main characters and it was such a fun musical.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

If you were wondering about Baby J's cute t-shirt, it's from Sweet Pea Tees. Check their website out here to buy one is your favorite team and Check their blog out here.

Sweet Tea Bama Style

Black and White Houndstooth Ice Tea Glasses from Girly Twirly

1 for $14.00

4 for $28.00

8 for $66.00

Baby J's Friday Tide Predictions

I sent the below email to my family and friends today and will post it each week for y'all too! =)

*************************************************************************************

Good morning fellow Tide friends (and Baby J lovers). Our little buddy has asked us to send you a weekly picture with his predictions. Since this is his very first season he feels like he has a good perspective on things. J's first prediction is: Crimson Tide-70, VA Tech-0. We like the way he thinks.

Roll Tide Friends and Family!

XOXO,

J

PS. If you can not keep your love for J and your love for one of those "other" teams separate, you can request to be removed from this list.

Let's Get Ready to ROLL TIDE ROLL!!

Tomorrow is a BIG day for Tide fans. It's the SEC Championship! I wish I could be in Atlanta, but we are making the best of it and having a party at our apartment with new and old friends! I have no doubt this will be the hardest game Alabama has played this year. Florida is a wonderful team, but I would love nothing more for the Tide to pull through and go all the way to the National Championship. Wish us luck!! ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Have a great weekend and don't forget to sign up for my Amy Grant Christmas CD Giveaway. Today is the last day to sign up and I'll announce the winner either tonight or tomorrow. Good luck! Click here to leave a comment!

Here are a few of the dips that I'm making:

Bacon Cheddar Dip

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix1 (3 ounce) can bacon bits or use real ones1 cup shredded Kraft Cheddar cheese. Mix together and serve with Ritz Crackers


LA CAVIAR

They serve this at LuLu's in Gulf Shores and it is one of my favorites. I cut the recipe down for my smaller group.

2 #10 cans (114 oz.) drained black eyed peas

2 lbs diced green bell pepper

4 diced red onions

5 pints of quartered cherry tomatoes
2 cups olive oil

2 cups balsamic vinegar1

½ cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons black pepper

I mixed my oil, vinegar, sugar (or splenda, or half of each), salt and pepper in a separate bowl and blended it real well before I put it into the veggies.

Place the black eyed peas in a colander, rinse and drain. Dice green peppers and red onions into ¼ inch squares. Dice Cherry tomatoes into quarters. Place all ingredients into large bowl. Wearing gloves, hand mix all ingredients Cover, label and place in cooler. That's it!

Fajas

8-oz sour cream1 package of cream cheese - 8 oz

12-oz of shredded cheese

1 tbsp of sugar - can use a few packs of splenda - don't want it to be really sweet
1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies

1 tbsp of graded onion
1 package of tortilla shells1 jar of salsa

Strain the chilies. Mix all ingredients together. Spread mixture in a line on the tortilla shells. Roll them up. Place in the refrigerator over night - or at least several hours. Slice them into bite size, dipable pieces Place them on a platter and serve with salsa. Enjoy!

Woodfern Drive Sausage Dip

1 roll of sausage (any brand)

1 small can of chopped green chilies

1 block of cream cheese

1 package of shredded cheddar cheese

1 loaf of Hawaiian bread (or similar bread to make bread bowl)

Preheat Oven to 350F. Cook Sausage in skillet, drain fat. Drain chilies, and add to sausage. Add cream cheese and mix everything together. Place mixture in your bread bowl and cover with cheddar cheese. Cook in over until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

For Bread Bowl:Cut in a circle around top of bread. Take top off and cut and spoon out inside of bread. Leave about an inch of bread at the bottom. Place bread bowl on a baking sheet and place bread pieces all around it.

Three Tigers Down, One Gator To Go!

Atlanta Bound!

Buy this shirt here.

Baby Shower Dress Options

A group of my friends from the South are throwing me a shower back "home." Now for the perfect dress. Should I wear the one I already have (I'm not sure it will still fit in a few weeks though--I'm already running out of "wrap") or go for a special new number? After the shower we are planning to try to make it to the Alabama Homecoming game so that is why there are a lot of crimson options here. I have to admit, I'm not very impressed with the selection of cute fall maternity dresses. Have any of you preggo preps seen anything better? I think the 1st two are my favorite.

Sasha Maternity Dress from Neiman Marcus for $128.00.

T-Bags Maternity dress from Neiman Marcus for $118.00.

Milly Maternity from Neiman Marcus for $225.00

Olian Cinch Dress at Baby Center for $81.60.

Olian Green Dress from Apple Seed Maternity for $128.00

Wrap Dress from Saks for $99.00.

Faux Wrap Red Dress from A Pea in the Pod for $195.00.

Maternal America Houndstooth Dress from Pickles and Icecream for $139.00

Olian Colorblock dress from Nordstrom for $128.00

Maternal America Dress-$118 from The Swanky Stork


***Don't forget to sign up for my Lauren Goessling Designs giveaway for 50 enclosure cards. You have until Tuesday to pick your favorite item off their website and leave a comment on this post. ***

Roll Tide Roll!

I'm searching for my perfect maternity shirt for the "white out" to combat UGA's "black out." We'll be at the NYC Bama Bar cheering on our boys (come join me for a--water)! Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend!

It was a good weekend...

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1144910/index.htm

Birthday Gifts

My best friends S and C both just had bdays last month. I got them the same cute gift from Preppy Monogrammed gifts. A monogrammed pencil holder and a monogrammed koozie (in Alabama houndstooth with crimson monogram for my Bama girls!) S just sent a cute thank you with a picture and I wanted to share.

What I've been buying...

Here is an Alabama mug (houndstooth and crimson) I got for my husband as a surprise from So Pretty.

Surprise Box!

I received a wonderful decorated surprise package from my old friend S. We went to high school together and then we lived together for 3 years and she was in my wedding. She sent it as a late bday, happy, happy present. Inside the package were some familiar treats from the South including Golden Rule BBQ Sauce, Big Bob Gibson's BBQ White Sauce and Big Sky Bread chocolate chip cookies! I love all of this stuff and we actually made BBQ chicken on Sunday with the BBQ Sauces! S also was the one that tracked down my pink calendar I was looking for. Thanks! One of the things I loved about living with S, (besides the freezer full of her Mom's turkey tetrazzini she shared regularly and the fresh flowers she always put in my bathroom) was that she and another one of my friend have a business called Two Girls and a Glue Gun. They make hand painted plaques with cute quote on them. They are a small operation and sell to few local stores. Anyways, S was always on hand to paint me a last minute plaque for a birthday or baby gift. She also filled our house with cute plaques during the holidays. I told her I needed a "holiday set" and sure enough...here are some pictures of what else was inside my surprise box:

For Thanksgiving... And Easter...
And Birthdays...
And Year Round...(I already had this one)

And Halloween...
And Christmas (perfect for my new Yankee friends)...

And Mardis Gras...
She also sent Daisy a Daisy toy...more about this tomorrow!

My Golden Rule BBQ Sauce...mmm good!

My pink planner!
Big Sky Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies!

All my loot!!
Thanks again S for the fabulous treat. I miss you so much! Come visit us! Daisy says hi too and she has a special post later about her Daisy treat!

**You can find Two Girls and a Glue Gun plaques at the Private Gallery stores in Fairhope, AL and Birmingham, AL and at More Than Words in Memphis, TN. They don't have a website yet, but it is coming soon!If you want a special order plaque like mine, let me know and I'll put you in touch with S! Or, you can email her at their work email: twogirlsandagluegun@gmail.com!