Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Casserole - 4 ingrediants!

     No, you don't need to read that again, it says Biscuits & Gravy Casserole! I absolutely knew the moment I saw this that I needed to make it and try it out! I probably don't even need to tell you where I saw this recipe at, but I will just in case you don't know. I found this idea on Pinterest, originally posted from For the Love of Food  as I looked over the recipe there were several ingredients and the cream cheese was something my husband would not have been having any part of. I decided to try making it my way, simple southern cooking! I decided to make this the very basic way by using;

                                        

 

     Country Gravy
     Sausage
     Crescent Rolls
& County Style Big Biscuits or Flaky (either will do)
  

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the Country Gravy as directed (we used store bought, you can make it your self and its simple, if you wanted). Cook the Sausage and drain. Mix together the Gravy and Sausage, set aside. Spray your casserole dish to make sure it is non stick. Place the crescent rolls in the bottom of the pan to make a crust. Spread the gravy and sausage mixture on top of the crescent rolls, evenly. Place the Biscuits around in the top of the gravy, however you would like. Bake for 25-30 min. or until Biscuits are completely done and tops are golden brown.

     This turned out to be an amazing dinner, better then I thought. My husband even liked it, which he is the real critic of my cooking, so if he gives it a thumbs it, you know its good! Let me know how it turns out for y'all, if you try it. This is one for those holiday breakfasts too!

Manic Monday - I wish it was Sunday -

     Every Monday always seems to be manic and I always wish it was Sunday! That is our family day! Our weekend was an amazing one! My husband and I stayed in and watched movies on our Friday with no kids! (Does that mean were getting old, because we like to stay in? lol) Anywho, We stayed real late Friday night and slept in Saturday morning. It is very rare that we get to sleep in because we always have something going on or something that needs to be done. This past Saturday we slept till 10! That is crazy for us! It sure was nice though because even though I dont get much sleep I still consider sleeping one of my favorite things to do.

                       

       

     Saturday was a Lazy Day for the most part. Saturday evening I went to dinner with some of my girlfriends that I had not seen in over 2 years. We went to dinner and caught up. Its so nice to have friends that know and remember where you came from and who you are and they remember the little things such as, me not liking my food to touch. Things never change with these girls and in our friendships. We went through, what I consider, the roughest part of growing up together. Those teenage years. These two girls were there for it all and right by my side. We have so many memories together, good and bad. Things I am sure we all look back at sometimes and think WTF were we thinking and also praying that our children dont do some of the stuff we did. I wouldn't change any of those memories with them! After Dinner we decided to come back to the house and hang out for a little longer and take pictures! I hope we can all keep in touch more & do more with our families! Old friends are always the ones that know you the best.

                       

      When I came back on Saturday evening from dinner, my husband told me we were going to be spending all Sunday on the river with my sister in law, brother in law, nieces and nephew. It was suppose to be rainy on the coast, and we live on the beach. Whenever its rainy on the coast, go North to the river!

     

     

     We were getting up early on Sunday to get there at a decent time and make sure we got a good spot on the river. It takes a little over an hour to get there from where we live, but it's always worth the drive. We arrived at the river about 10am and the guys had to go look for a good spot for us. They found one and we had to hike there. lol.. Once we got there it was an amazing day after that. The kids played, swam, and floated on the river. We cooked out and had hotdogs and cheeseburgers. It was a great day. Once of the best family days we have had in a while. The kids are already looking forward to and asking when can we go back to the river.

     

                                 

         

      

                                               

       

     

   

                  Hope Everyone had a great Weekend & Your have a wonderful Monday and week!!

Throwback Thursday

I love throwback Thursdays. It's wonderful looking back and at all the memories! <3

Wordless Wednesday - #4

Techy Tuesday - #3

                                                       

     For Techy Tuesday this week I want to share with everyone a game that has had my son and I hooked! I usually don't get into the games. I never got into the farm game on FB, temple run, angry birds, or the latest, candy crush. I do like to every now an then on a rainy day, ( which is how this game was discovered) go shopping through the App Store and see what new apps they have released. The best thing about this is I can go on a shopping spree and not spend a dime. My kids love this too. 

     I downloaded Minion Rush because the new Despicable Me 2 movie was out, to see if it was something the kids would like. This game is identical to temple run but in a Despicable Me world. You race as a minion through the factory and town to defeat different missions that are go inf to you. I knew the kids would love it and turned out Momma loved it too! 

     I absolutely recommend this game for anyone that loves Despicable me or even just the cute little minions! 

Another School Year has Began, ALREADY!

     As we have been talking a lot lately about Back to School, the day is here: The First Day of School!

    This year I will have a 4th grader, which is considered Middle School, and a 1st grade. As a parent we always ask ourselves, "Where has the time gone", as I got up and started making lunches I asked myself where did Summer Vacation go? I can't believe that its already time for school. The kids I think are asking their selves the same thing this morning!
   
      I must admit I am a little nervous about my son going to middle school. It makes him seem so big too soon because its 4th grade. We live in a very small town so they are able to put 4th-8th graders all in one school and offer Pre-k at the Elementary School, which is Pre-k to 3rd grade. This morning I
made our normal first day of school breakfast, Cinnamon Rolls. The kids got ready and did their morning routine with no problem and happily(we will see how long that last). My daughter was even excited about school. As we left I wondered how long before my daughter started crying because she didn't wanna go to school, but so far so good.
    
We took my son to school first, his school starts about 15 min before elementary. As were driving there he tells me to just drop him off. EXCUSE ME? Just drop you off? Really? :( That was my response when those words came out of his mouth. I couldn't believe I was no long allowed to walk him in, I couldn't even get out. As a mom, I know this day is coming because
we all did it to our parents. It still made me sad. We did exactly what he asked us to do, we just dropped him off at the usual car rider line, and he went in and didn't look back. He is getting too big too quick. I, of course, were very teary eyed. This is the year he matures a little bit and really becomes more of himself. I pray let middle school be good to him!
     My daughter was still not crying, even after we dropped my son off. We headed to her school. She was telling us we could walk her in, and she didn't want us to sit in the car, little did I know it was just apart of her plan. We walked her in and headed towards the gym. She was excited as we looked for her teacher, and she saw her Kindergarten teacher and gave her hug; she was still happy. The we found her teacher and the crying began. She was fine and happy about seeing everyone and everything but when it was time to go sit down and be with her class, then it changed. She was very upset and didn't want to stay, and I knew I would take her with me if I stayed. So I told her I loved her and would see her this afternoon, and turned and ran. It would have only been worse, if I would have stood there. I guess you can say it was a great start to school because she didn't cry to the very last minute!
     I spent the rest of the morning with my momma. Some much needed time! We went to breakfast and did a little shopping and came on home. It didn't hit me completely till I got home that it was the first day of school. The house was so quiet. I really didn't know what to do with myself. All I could do was hope they had a great day and watch the clock.
     If you had children starting school today, I hope they had a great first day and are excited about all to come this year. I know we are!

Bloggy Moms- Blog Dare- What are you doing?

     Today's Bloggy Moms- August Blog Dare topic is What are you doing?, and the only real way to answer that is to say what I am doing. Today is Saturday and were heading away with the kids for a staycation before School starts! We had plans to go to our local water park but its storming out and will probably rain all day. We chose to drive to Mobile, AL and spend the day at the Children's Science Museum and have a nice lunch out somewhere. We had a nice surprise from my husbands job because he works hard, takes initiative, and makes sure that things are done the right way, that allows us to also sleep over in Daphne tonight, at a hotel with the kids. They will really enjoy it. We chose to take the scenic drive on the way to Daphne, all the way down Hwy. 98. There are several places  that I didn't know about such as the Farm and the Horseback riding stables. I look forward to taking the kids out there sometime.

      Hope everyone has a great Saturday! Its going to be a rainy one for us. Stay Safe if its raining in your area.

Back to School Countdown - 3 days left- School Lunches & Lunch Station

      3 days let till school starts!!! WHAT?? WAIT!!  Where did Summer go?? Don't get me wrong I am ready for a little breathing room from the thousand of questions and times I have said settle down, calm down, and don't aggravate your brother/sister. I am going to miss them though when they are gone all day and I only get to spend a few hours with them each day.
     Along with all the school supplies and the worry of making sure that they have all the clothes and shoes that they need, You also have to worry about what they are going to eat, especially if you're a parent of picky eaters like me. During the school year I  get up every morning at 5:30 to make my husbands, son, and daughters lunch. They wont eat their lunch if I make it at night because they want "fresh" sandwich. I completely understand because I wouldn't want a unfresh sandwich either. My daughters first year was last year and she isn't as picky as my son is. My son for lunch usually only wants PB&J, Just PB, or just cheese sandwiches. My daughter went along with those types of lunches unless they were having something she liked at school. This year I wanted to spice things up for their lunches. Instead of me making them, I want them to make them.  This will also help teach them to make good healthy choices and portion control.
     We talked about different ideas and options for the kids to take to school and also we looked through pinterest for back to school lunch ideas. My son decided that the only differences he would have in his normal lunches is he would add hot dogs and chicken sandwich's. My daughter however said she would have all kids of things, whatever as long as she likes it. This makes my job difficult because I want to make sure that they get a healthy and fulfilling lunch that they will eat.  I then decided that they should pack their own lunch's, and began brainstorming! I also did some research on my favorite site Pinterest, which is where I found the perfect solution. A Lunch Station!
     When I saw this on Pinterest, from blessingsmultiplied.com, I knew it was exactly what we needed and had to make it.

This is our Lunch Station:

    
     Here the kids will find everything they need for lunch and snack and should be able to get it ready themselves. Each morning, I am going to make them their main part of their lunch, sandwich, hot dog, tacos, etc.
 The kids will then go ahead and get their sandwich containers out of their first drawer, they will pick out some pretzels, chips, chex mix, etc. and then to the goodies drawer that will have their fruit snacks, little Debbie snacks, a cookie, whatever dessert type goodies they can take to school. 

LOOK AT ALL THE SANDWHICH CONTAINERS ^^^^^^^

& ALL THE GOODIES! >>>>>>>

& DONT FORGET ABOUT ALL THE CRACKERS, CHIPS, PRETZELS, ETC.
(BELOW)

Onto the fridge they will then go to get a juice, milk, or water and grab a fruit. Their lunch is then good to go, and the best part is they took the responsibility to get their lunches. :) 

     This will really help me out too, while I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off making sure The husband has everything, every one's brushing their teeth and hair and have everything for the day.  I think all of moms feel a little rushed in the morning, no matter how prepared and organized we are.

   Hope all your little ones have a great beginning of the school year!!

Bloggy Moms- August Blog Moms - Am I in the wrong place?

    I think this is a question many of us ask ourselves, Am I in the wrong place? We all have dreams, goals, wants, etc. that we want to achieve in our life. Whether it is in our personal lives, jobs, school,etc. we sometimes question ourselves, if we are doing the right thing and is this what we truly want. Everyone has these moments. To me, these moments where we ask ourselves this question are times we are doubting ourselves. Doubt in ourselves is never anything we should have because each of us can do whatever we want in life. Everyone says you can't have it all but I believe you can have it all and do it all, you just have to want it bad enough. Time management really is the key, and we all get caught up with one thing, or focusing on something more then the other. As long as you know the track you need to be on, don't let anything fall behind, and always focus on what is important to you, you can have it all and do it all. I believe this anyway! Never doubt your self and always believe you are in the right place and on the right track; if you know what you want, have a plan, and are working towards that plan, regardless of the obstacles in your way, you are in the right place.

 - What motivates you to strive to reach all your goals and obtain all your dreams? Is it hard for you to stay on track? What techniques do you use to be "superwoman" and get everything done that need to be?

Wordless Wednesday

Bloggy Moms- August Blog Dare- Our Destination

      This is the perfect topic for today. The end of Summer weekend is upon us and every year we like to do something special with our kids, a staycation, it's a day where you do some thing in your local area you wouldn't normally do, just not a full vacation. This year we decided to go to Waterville, it is a water park and amusement park in our local area. We were all very excited when this was the place we all agreed on. As the weekend approached we started watching the weather, living here on the gulf coast you know there is going to at least be afternoon showers this time of year. This particular weekend they were expecting flooding rain, REALLY???, err.. Waterville is outso we started thinking of where our destination was now going to be.            
                              
      My husband came up with the great idea of going over to Mobile, AL and visiting The Exploreum and spending the day in the "city"( this is the nearest city to us that has large buildings that are mini sky scrapers). The kids love this place and it would be nice to enjoy some time out of our small town. I checked into prices and they had an AWESOME special going on for just 10.00 per person and this included the whole museum and a IMAX show. That really was a price that couldn't be beat. So we had our destination! We talked about getting a hotel, just a regular room. Our kids love staying in hotels, just as all kids do, its a new place with things to do and things to touch. However, it wasn't in our budget so we decided that will be something we will plan next time and just spend the day at the museum, have some lunch, and stop by our favorite store while we are out that way. It's going to be a great day!

Techy Tuesday - iPad Mini

     Okay, I know that most of us techs already have an iPad or some form of a tablet but this is my first, and let me just say I am soooo excited and so in love! Who thought you could LOVE and electronic lol. I mean, I love all types of products but I kinda feel like its my second brain!

   
     My iPad was so unexpected! My mom and grandmother purchased it for me for my birthday(Aug 11). I was beyond excited when I got it. My husband and I have been wanting one because we love our iPhones so much, but there are other things that are important right now so we pushed it off to the side! This was one of the most amazing gifts I have ever received and couldn't wait to get her home. 

        I got everything uploaded and started exploring! I love that everything is all linked up and I have everything from my phone on my iPad. Now the apps and games are great! The technology of course is still just as amazing as it is on the iPhone but the fact of how far the iPads can take the world is what is truly astonishing.

My children both have "iPod touches" ( our previous iPhones with no service- if you didn't know, you can use your old iPhones as iPod touches for your children. They can play all the apps

and even connect to the wi-fi- and the plus is you don't have to spend any additional money!) the learning games that we download for them are not only teaching games but are also fun for them and have their favorite characters in them! There are so many educational games and apps available for all ages, there are even apps that will help them in school and keep them organized. 

Check out the apps available to you and find some new ones to try!

Here is some of our favorites:

-Feel Electric; The Electric Company from PBS Kids

-ABC Letter Tracing 

-Starfall ABCs

And our family calendar app that allows everyone to be separate and have an all in one calendar is:

- Cozi Family Organizer; Calendars and lists

All of these apps are FREE! what could be better then that? We will add more of our favorite apps as we find them!

What are some apps you think we should  try out, or are your favorites? 

Bloggy Moms - August Blog Dare - This is a fact........ (for all the teen parents)

     This is a fact, It is so important to my husband and I that we don't become more of a statistic. Yes, I said, " a statistic". Let me explain. I was starting my senior year of high school when I found out I was pregnant-17 and pregnant, and scared out of my mind, like any other girl would be. At that age I think the scariest thing is having to tell you parents, and of the unknown. The unknown of what's going to happen, where are you going to go, how are you going to take care of yourself and a baby...There are so many emotions and thoughts running through your head. At 17 your not grown, I may have thought I was, but in no way was I grown and ready for that life. At 17 your "in love" and you think he/she is the one and you will be together forever. Well that is true for only about 20% of teens who actually do marry the childs father and then you are 2 times likely to divorce then if you married later.

    The shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom show the struggles and hardships of of teenage couples who thought they were ready for love and thought they were ready for the responsibility that comes with having sex. Everything they show shows is the true struggles or teen moms and couples. It's hard trying to grow up, raise a child, and be in a relationship. None of the couples except for Katlyn and Tyler, stayed together, and they gave their baby up for adoption, because it was what was best for Carly. I can relate to all these girls even though I am 5 or 6+ years older them. Being a teen mom, even if you have support, is hard. It's one of the hardest thing I have ever been through. It's a lot of learning about yourself, who you want to be, what you want out of life, what you want for your baby, and most of all what is important for the child(ren that you are bringing into this world because they didn't ask to be here and deserve the best. All of the decisions fall upon a child, And those would even be hard for any of us adults to make. All of us teen mothers automatically become a statistic when we get pregnant, and then with every move we make we add to another statistic on the list.

 

In the United States, there are nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies each year, that's about 2000 a day! This means that about 30% of girls get pregnant at least once. 

That 30% is heavily skewed towards minorities. It's estimated that about HALF of Latina and African American teenagers will be pregnant at least once before they're 20.

Teen girls have a hard time supporting their babies. Raising a baby can cost up to $10,000 in the first year ALONE. 

About 80% of teen fathers don't marry the mom. They also contribute very little to raising the baby. On average, teen dads pay less than $800 a YEAR on child support. 

That 80% number can mean trouble. It's estimated that children who live apart from their dads are 5 times MORE likely to be poor than if they live with both parents. 

Teen pregnancy greatly affects education. Only 51% of teen moms have a high school diploma. The number for those who didn't have a teen birth is closer to 89%.

Parenthood is the leading cause for teen girls dropping out of school.

Teen moms are extremely UNLIKELY to go to college. Only about 2% of young teen moms ever get a higher education degree. 

Having a baby in your teens can also affect the baby: The daughters of teen moms are 3 times more likely to become teen moms themselves. 

Sons are also affected. The sons of teen moms are twice as likely to become incarcerated. 

Read more at http://www.omg-facts.com/Sex/The-10-Most-Shocking-Facts-On-Teen-Pregn/53548#Kh5g70oFLtO6ZGvf.99 

 

     I can say that my husband an I, even at 17, and he was 18, had a struggle and a lot of up and downs, but we made it through all of that for two reasons, it's what we wanted and its what was best for our child. Looking back now on things I see what possibly could have been if I wouldn't have got pregnant with our son. 

      So this is a fact, if your a teen mom or your pregnant and a teenager, remember this your life can still be exactly what you want it to be!! Yes, it's going to be hard raising a baby and trying to go to school, work a Job, or just be a mom but trust me, it will all be worth it. Even though its very cliche to say, " the struggles will make you stronger", but they truly will! Also, don't become just another pregnant teen, raise the standards and show everyone your more then just a pregnant teen. You need to know, that just because you got pregnant young does NOT mean that your life is over(maybe your social life ),you will never accomplish anything, or succeed at anything because you can still have an amazing life, you just have to work a little harder then everyone else. Life is truly what you make out of it. 

Manic Monday~I wish it was Sunday!

      I absolutely wish it was Sunday again, on this Monday! Yesterday was my birthday and we spent all weekend celebrating it!  It was a very good weekend! This year I turned 27- I absolutely do not feel like I am 27,in my mind I feel older. I am a very responsible 27 year old. A lot of people I went to high school with are starting their careers and getting established with husbands and having babies and I'm over here like "Hello-almost done with with school!" but really my husband and I chose to live life backwards. We graduated high school, had a baby, got married, had another baby, bought a house, and now that we're settled we both can focus a little more on us and our careers and what we want out of life and for our family.

       Friday is my husband and I's date night. I look forward to this night the moment Saturday gets here. We were high school sweethearts and had our son 5 days after graduating high school, so we never were able to just be a couple. Thanks to my mom for making these nights happen because they are zoo important to us. Even if we don't go anywhere we have a great time. We went and got the final touches of what was needed for our tubing trip & my hunny bought me anew pink cooler! Yes I said Pink, and he didn't care that it would be tied up and floating with him. He also bought me a awesome FL gator football koozie  ( only 19 more days till football season starts! We were 100% ready for the river!

This year we planned a tubing trip with my sister in law and brother in law to celebrate my husbands birthday, my brother in laws birthday and my birthday! We love tubing down the river and haven't in a very long time, so it was the perfect thing to do. It was a beautiful day until the bottom fell out and we were stuck, on the river, in the rain, & with the lightning. We made the best of it and got through the river. It was fun and we had a lot of good laughs. Hopefully we can get out there again before the seasons over, maybe September sometime. 

    
     Sunday was my actual birthday day, all I wanted to do was have a normal quiet, peaceful, and productive Sunday with my family, and that's exactly what we had! It was a wonderful day! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday!! Oh and not to forget to mention the gifts, cake, and cheesecake was pretty amazing also!


     Hope y'all had an amazing weekend as well!! Not onto a productive week!! Got a lot I wanna get done and a lot of work for school! 

Throwback Thursday # 2

 

 

-Left Upper Corner - My daughter at her 1st birthday!
- Left Right Corner- My husband and I, with our son when he was 2 weeks old..  We were 17 and 18 years old
- Right: My husband first Fathers Day with our son! :)


I love looking at all these pictures! Special memories!

Yogurt Bites

HEALTHY FROZEN TREAT --- I WANT ICE CREAM!

 

 

When it’s hot, all I want is ice cream and as much of it as I can have. Of course, I feel horrible after eating it constantly, so this frozen yogurt goodie is a wonderful treat to try and it actually is a perfect solution for that ice cream craving. You can have any flavor you want and there are many flavors to choose from. I first saw this on my favorite site, Pinterest, and it was one of those, “ Why didn’t I think of that?” moments.  The pin on Pinterest was not a link, it was only a picture. The picture showed the yogurt, the yogurt being dropped onto the cookie sheet and placed into the freezer.

ALL YOU NEED IS:
-Yogurt
-Ziploc bag
-Cookie Sheet

- Put the yogurt into the Ziploc bag in one of the corners, close the Ziploc bag and cut the corner of the bag to make it a piping bag. Place drops of the yogurt, as big or as little as you would like, onto a cookie sheet or a similar pan. Once you have the pan full, leaving space in between the drops, place the pan in the freezer for an hour. After frozen, remove from pan, store in a Tupperware container, and then place this back into the freezer. Enjoy these whenever you want and however many you want!!

This is my favorite new thing! I can’t wait to get some new yogurt to try out some other flavors. This  is a yummy treat for the kids and the adults! These will also be great for the kids as part of their breakfast when school starts!  An ice cream treat but without the ice cream guilt.  I love it.

 

Baked Apple Chips

Baked Apple Chips

 

 

      Need a healthy yummy snack? These are absolutely going to be a go-to snack. I have been watching what I eat and trying to make sure that I am eating in the healthiest way possible. I want to find foods that I like and actually want. I think that is the secret to healthy living --  finding healthy food you love!  I love to cook and the kids are into trying new things. We have a new rule that you must try everything once, at least one bite.  I am not a fan of apples. I love apple pie, apple sauce, and apple juice… and that is about all I love about apples. When I saw this concept on Pinterest I thought it would be great to try because they are “chips” and would be a good snack to munch on.  I did some searching, but I could not find a recipe I liked. So I took the recipe and added my own flavorings. Sprinkling a little cinnamon and sugar on them before you bake them adds a little sweetness and that is what makes this perfect for someone like me who loves sweets!

 

WHAT YOU NEED:
-3 apples

 

<For the simple syrup:
-2 cups of water
-2 cups of sugar

For the cinnamon sugar:               >>>>
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon

    
     Heat oven to 250 degrees. Mix 2 cups of water and 2 cup of sugar, and heat until all of the sugar is melted, making a simple syrup. Slice the apples to a very thin width. This is important because you want them to be thin enough  to become chips. Once all of the apples are sliced, place them in the simple syrup and allow to soak for about 10 minutes. You do not have to stir just make sure that they are evenly covered.

     While the apples are soaking, mix together in a small bowl the brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon, and set aside. Remove the apple slices one by one ( I use tongs) and place on a nonstick cookie sheet evenly, do not overlap.  Use a second pan if you need to.  (If you don’t want to waste the simple syrup, use it to sweeten tea or lemonade rather than discarding it.)

 

     Take the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle over the top of the apple slices as much or as little as you would like.  Place one pan on the top rack (if you needed 2 pans) and one pan on the bottom rack.  Bake for 30 minutes. Switch the pans around by placing the one that was on the top to the bottom, and the bottom to the top, and bake for another 30 minutes.  At the end of the second 30 minutes, remove them from the oven and begin removing the apple slices from the pan into a separate dish so that they can cool.

     Now I know I can add apple chips to the apple things I love because these things are amazing, if I do say so myself!  If you love to dip your chips, like I do, add a little peanut butter to the side and ENJOY!




MY PICKY EATERS SAY:

LOGAN: "He doesn't like them. I just don't like the cinnamon on them." He's the hard one to impress and doesn't like much but I can at least say that he is branching out and trying new things, even if it is just for me to get his opinion on it.

LAILA:>>> She can't voice her opinion right now the princess is asleep. I know she liked them but we will get her opinion in the morning.