Sunday Southern Days

Its that time of year again! The Buffet-mobile gets packed to the gills with everything for a 10-hour tailgate and Jimmy Buffett's 2010 Chicago concert. With preparation and anticipation, we gead to Toyota Park with the other Parrothead faithfuls and set out to get the front row of tailgating parking to allow for optimal space and fun for the day. As every previous year, we are victorious. Our Tailgate The New Addition - Pirate's Treasure Chest Cooler Zach and Libby came in for the weekend from Alabama (Fun Fact: We met them on our honeymoon in 2007 in St. Lucia!) Crazy Hat - People wear the wildest outfits at Buffett! Kyra and Libby ShotSki!!   Sam's Stanley Cup Patrick Kane brought the REAL Stanley Cup to the concert The Blackhawks take Jimmy Buffett!    I turn around and Sam had brought in his Stanley Cup Champions Flag to wave for Kaner Fins to the Right! Us at the concert This summer's tour: Under the Big Top 2010 ...

I've been waffling on the subject of whether or not to attempt P90X for some time. With my husband's purchase of the DVD set, I no longer had any excuses. For those unfamiliar with this, it is a series of 12 DVD work outs that you mix into any order and complete 6 per week, one per day with one day off. Each DVD works various muscle groups and the only equipment you need is a set of bands, two free weights (I have 5 lbs.), and things from around the house, like a chair. For the record, I don't look like any of these people. This week, I jumped right in: Wednesday - Shoulders and Back Thursday - Yoga Friday - Legs and Back Coming this weekend: Saturday - Pylometrics Sunday - Yoga Overall, I'm sore, but a 'good' sore. It hurts to cough, bend, reach, breathe .... but I forsee it getting better. I'm already physically feeling better, though results should rear sometime in the next few months. The idea is to stay with this program for 90 days to s...

This has to be the easiest recipe I'll ever share with you. Seriously. You can keep all of these ingredients on hand readily for the night you just don't feel like cooking. I'm sorry there isn't a photo of this one -- we finished off the pizza before we could shoot the photos! Ingredients: Three 5-6 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2/3 c BBQ sauce (I used the Jim Beam BBQ sauce) 1 bag of mixed shredded cheese (to your preference -- I used mild and sharp cheddar mix) 11" whole wheat pizza crust Cook the chicken breasts in a stovetop grill or saute pan until cooked through. Transfer to cutting board and dice up. Pour BBQ sauce over chicken and toss together. Spread chicken mixture over room tempurature crust. Top with shredded cheese and bake to crust instructions (ours called for 6-8 minutes in a 450 degree oven; 6 minutes was perfect). Enjoy!

For those of you privileged enough to have been previously introduced to the infamous blog, "Cake Wrecks" , a little smile just came across your face. For those of you who have not yet had the honor, please take this opportunity to let the hilarity ensue as the good people at "Cake Wrecks" blog about professional cakes gone horribly wrong. The Cake that Started It All Sorry, You Can't Have Any I Said I Wanted PINK! Gee, Thanks "Kids" I'm not really sure what the "20th" denotes: 20 years of being a "dad"? 20 "children"? Or maybe the cake is for the 20th "dad" to come along? Eh? Regardless, any cake decorator who thinks the title Dad deserves quotation marks probably needs therapy. Or an English lesson. One of those two, anyway.  For more enjoyable cake catastrophes, check out their blog!

This weekend was the wedding of my college roommate and sorority sister, Jennifer, to her long-time sweetheart, Nathan. It was a beautiful wedding, held at Holy Rosary Church in downtown Washington, DC. The church has some beautiful, ornate architecture, and was a fitting setting for their formal wedding. The details Jennifer planned, with the assistance of Jamie Spears from Simply Chic Events , made the day personal and unique. Here are a few details from the ceremony and reception. The reception was held at the stoic Carnegie Institute for Science , also in Washington. Cocktails started in the Rotunda while the bridal party took photos among Corinthian columns on the Institute's front steps. At cocktails, guests were greeted with Specialty Cocktails in addition to a full bar, aptly named "The Jennifer" and "The Nathan." (Note: After the wedding, the bridal party went for nightcap at a nearby hotel's bar. Apparently, you cannot order "The Jennif...

This is my little spin on Panera's Fuji Apple Salad. I had a hankering for this tonight and thought I'd try my hand at creating my own version of it. Entree Salad: 5 cups diced iceburg lettuce 2 ounces crumbles fat-free feta cheese or Gorgonzola, crumbles 1/3 c chopped pecans 8 ounces of grilled chicken breast, sliced or diced 2 small Fuji apples, cored and sliced thin (1/8" or thinner slices) White Balsamic Fuji Apple Dressing: 1 Fuji apple, cored, peeled 2 T honey 2 T white balsamic vinegar 2 T apple cider vinegar 1 t dijon mustard 1/4 t garlic powder 1/8 t salt Dressing: Put all ingredients in small Cuisinart and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use for salad. Salad: Combine all salad ingredients, plus 1/2 of the dressing, and toss in a large mixing bowl. Divide into two servings for entree sizes, or without this chicken this makes a great side dish for 4. Refrigerate remaining dressing for up to 3 weeks in airtight container.

One of our awesome neighbors captured our Blackhawks-inspired Christmas Card pic outside of our home this past weekend: