Some favorites in our Kitchen!

Yesterday, I shared a photo on my Insta/FB accounts of one of my husband's and my favorite recipes - No Bake Energy Bites. Lots of friends asked for the recipe, so I thought it would be fun to blog about some of our favs.

Find the recipe for these Energy Bites here. They are so tasty, super easy to make and are packed with protein.

We have a few dinner staples on rotation all of which I have found on Pinterest.

1) Grown Up Mac & Cheese *our absolute favorite*

Recipe here. All in one pan (hopefully you have a cast iron pot!) and easy to make in 30 minutes.

2) Ground Beef & Cheddar Casserole



Recipe here. My personal opinion - use half as much sour cream with the noodles. I've done the research in case you care, each serving (1 1/4 cup or 1/8 of the 9x13 pan) is 7 WW+ points if you use half cheddar half WW cheese - I used WW mexican shredded cheese. Not bad for a delish dinner.

3) Baked Chicken Fajitas

Recipe can be found here. Easy and healthy. 6 WW+ points excluding tortillas or toppings.


4) Easy One-Pan Chicken Parm Bake



*Please note, this is NOT my picture. This is the picture from the recipe's website which can be found here. Make sure to watch the video for the step-by-step directions. Very interesting use of croutons and SO delish.



And a few of our favorite side dishes:

5) Homemade Mac & Cheese

*Please note, this is NOT my picture. This is the picture from the recipe's website which can be found  here.

One of my favorite foods. Should be its own food group, really. Not healthy, but creamy, comforting and yummy.

6) Cheesy Bacon Potato Bites

*Please note, this is NOT my picture. This is the picture from the recipe's website which can be found  here.

I love making these. They're incredible and make the house smell amazingggg. 100% unhealthy, especially when you dip them in sour cream. Oops! 

And there you have it! Some of our favorites. Leave a comment and let me know if you try one and what you think! Or if you have any great recipes to share, please do. Hope you enjoy!

Big plans for 25!

Tomorrow, I turn 25. A quarter of a century! I have big plans for this year. I'm not a big New Year's Resolution kinda girl, but I do like to set goals for myself and what better time than at the beginning of a new year and as I officially reach my mid-twenties? Here's my list:

- Eat less. Like a lot less. I'm actually going to join Weight Watchers next week as I'd like to drop 2 dress sizes. I want 25 to be my most healthy, most fit year. When I'm in my 40s and 50s, I want to talk about my "25 year old body" not my "high school body". I'm writing this here on the blog to hold myself accountable. I know it's going to be hard. Breadsticks and pasta are SO good. Chips and queso? Don't even get me started. But, I can do it. Moderation, right? I WILL do it.

- Give more. I want to give more of my time for others. I want to give people thoughtful gifts just because.

- This year, I will find a church home and get involved there. This part of my life has been lacking the past couple of years and it's time to get it back to where it should be. Church shopping is exhausting and hard, but I'm committing myself to finding the right one.

- Pray more.

- Sell a lot of houses. :)

2013 Recap

You know that feeling the morning after your birthday or Christmas where you're like "It's over? That was it? I have to wait another whole year?!" ? Well, I was pretty sure 2013 was going to be that for us. 2012 was full of the most incredible things like becoming first-time homeowners, wedding showers, exciting preparations, the big day itself and an amazing honeymoon. 2013 was set up to be good but how could it top 2012??

But it was a great year. Full of lots and lots of changes. Starting with the "what do I want to do with my life" thought that led me to pursue a completely different career path. In February, we adopted our 1 year old black lab. Bosley has brought so much joy to our lives and changed us for the better. We got to skip the potty training, the whining and crying in the crate and just jump right in to cuddling him and teaching him tricks. Spent some time taking him to training classes too so we could learn the basics and make sure he's a good pet.

The spring is sort of a blur because of some family stuff that happened. Happy we are all on the other side of that!

Summer was fun. Thanks to the help of my aunt, we did some landscaping and spent quality time making our yard a more beautiful place. Even put in a patio just the two of us but that was absolutely not even a little fun! Spent a really fun weekend cabrewing with college friends and had a blast at a lakehouse with some friends from around here. I did a lot of classwork and studying over the summer so I could get my license at the end of it.

Got my license in September and started my real estate journey. Went on a lovely anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island where we enjoyed time away from our everyday lives. Christmastime is always a little hectic given my husband's work schedule but like last year, we made it work and got to be with our families and extended families. I just got back today from a ridiculously fun 2 day trip in Louisville where two of my closest college friends and I rang in the New Year.

I'm really excited for this next year and whatever it will bring. I anticipate a lot of change again. Probably a lot of penny-pinching and maybe some tears as I work hard to get business or on deals that don't close. Whatever's in the works for 2014, I'm ready for it!

Happy New Year!