Madness

I watched a lot of basketball this weekend - some good, some not (ouch).

Other than that...

I did some shopping on Saturday.  

My boyfriend has to wear a shirt & tie to work, but he can get really dirty, and doesn't like to spend a lot of money on work clothes.  So...

Saturday

I found five shirts (JCrew, Ralph Lauren...) for a grand total of about $15.

(He said he'd wear all of them!  Perfect!)

Then, of course...

Sunday

For dinner, I made a really easy chicken dish (put chicken in a shallow baking dish, cover with cream of chicken soup, slices of swiss cheese, and dried bread crumbs then bake), and this...

Smoke Stack Cheesy Corn Bake 

(courtesy Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue in Kansas City)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons flour

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 3 oz package cream cheese, diced

3 10 oz packages frozen kernel corn, thawed

3 oz diced ham

Directions

In a large pot, melt butter

Stir in flour and garlic powder

Add milk and heat until thick & bubbly, stirring occasionally

Stir in cheeses until melted

Stir in corn and ham

Bake in a 2qt casserole for 45 minutes at 350

It Ain't Easy Being Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's been a whole year since Winavie from Lemons & Chambray and I held our first Goodwill Hunting challenge.

This year, I found a cute little jacket from the Gap at a Goodwill in Madison, Wisconsin.

It was, I think, half off of $3.99.

The best part?

It has a fleece lining, which is perfect because it's 30 degrees today.

Hopefully, Winavie found a good deal too!

Next month: April Showers!

Get Smart

My weekend was consumed by...

and...

I was inspired to (finally!) get an iPhone after seeing a recent presentation by Mark Hirsch, a photojournalist based in Dubuque, Iowa. 

After purchasing his first iPhone a year ago, a friend commented on the quality of the camera.  Being a professional photographer, he (of course) scoffed. 

But he was curious, so one day he took a photo of an old burr oak tree located in a field in nearby Platteville, WI.  

He posted the picture on Facebook. 

Then he posted another one. 

Then a friend challenged him to take a picture of that tree every day for a year (using only his iPhone!), which eventually lead to That Tree.

I have no interest (AT ALL!) in taking a picture of anything every day for a year.  But, Bellevue is a beautiful town that I'd love everyone to see!

Charleston 2013 (Part 1?)

As mentioned in my previous post, I recently took yet another trip to Charleston.

I first wrote about Charleston in March 2011, then again in July 2011, then again this time last year.  (Hopefully it won't be another full year until I get back there!)

Like last year, this time I went to visit my good friend Gypsy Girl (who doesn't update her blog EVER).

Gypsy Girl (aka Traci) and her husband woke up one morning and decided they just couldn't spend another winter in the Midwest (understandable).  Since Traci's family lives in Delaware, and Dave's family lives in Florida, they chose to focus their search in the southeast.

I suggested (strongly!) that they HAD to check out Charleston.  They did, and after spending three months on Folly Beach, they decided to stay.

(YAY!)

The back yard

a neighbor

Home Team BBQ

East Battery

Folly Gras!

steamed seafood bucket at The Crab Shack

on the Folly Beach boardwalk

Angry Bird

Ravenel Bridge 

The Yorktown

All You Need is Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

To be honest, I'm not really feeling it.

But this past weekend, I was in Charleston, South Carolina (yes, again!), and found this at Consign Charleston...

(OK, that's not exactly a thrift store, but the concept is the same.)

Anyway, it's perfect for Valentine's Day...

It's red!  

It has a heart on it!

And, it's Brighton, and was only $25.  (Similar wallets are well over $100 when new.)

Now I just need to find out if 

all you need is

LOVE

is all you need

I hope Winavie at Lemons & Chambray found some good Valentine's Day deals (and is more into it than I am)!

Next month - the one year anniversary of "It Ain't Easy Being Green"!

New Year's Resolutions

When I moved home last year, my salary dropped by about 90%.

I'm not complaining (really!), but I have had to adjust my lifestyle a bit.

(Ok, a lot.)

So this year, my primary New Year's Resolution is to implement "The Austerity Plan".

According to dictionary.com, austerity means "strict economy" (which is what I desperately need!).

So when I saw the book Dining In by G. Garvin in a thrift store in Ft. Madison, Iowa for $2, I grabbed it.

The recipes look delicious (and easy!).  And it got really good reviews on Amazon.com!

And "dining in", then taking leftovers to work, will definitely help with The Austerity Plan.

My first attempt at keeping this resolution, though, didn't come from this book (but someday it will!).  Instead, I found this recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Chili from the Budget Savvy Diva.

My official taste tester said it's one of the top 3 meals he's ever eaten!  I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chicken breasts
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 8 oz package light cream cheese

Directions
In a large skillet, heat oil and cook onions for 8 minutes
Add garlic and cook for one minute
Set your crock pot to low
Add chicken, onions and garlic, black beans, corn, Rotel, seasonings, and ranch mix
Stir
Add cream cheese on top, cover and cook for 6 – 8 hours
Shred chicken before serving using two forks

Enjoy!

My friend Winavie at Lemons & Chambray made some resolutions I might try to keep too!

Next month - All You Need is Love (Happy Valentine's Day!)

From One Extreme to Another

Last weekend I was at an art museum.

This weekend I was here...

The Bronco Inn