Superbowl Sunday

My parents were in town for the Superbowl this year.  We had planned on stopping by a friend's house but decided that we wanted to just hang out.  I didn't change out of my pajamas all day and it was glorious.

Since we decided to stay home, I got to cook.  I was inspired by the Pioneer Woman and decided to make my first ever brisket.  I also made a hashbrown casserole and two different dips.  All the of the recipes besides the brisket were on Pinterest and I think that all the found turned out perfectly.

Here are the recipes that go along with our Superbowl menu.  Oh, and even though I am on Weight Watchers, there is nothing skinny about any of these recipes.  Consider yourself warned.

Artichoke Bread

I pinned this recipe a long time ago and I have been dying to try it.  It is essentially artichoke dip served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread.  It was really good but I think next time I may make it the traditional way.  It was a little bit messy.

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 loaf Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions

Mix the artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano reserving some of the cheese.

Hollow 1/2 an inch out of the center of both halves of the bread.

Spread the mixture into the hole in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven covered in foil for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Charleston Cheese Dip

This recipe is from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook and was also on her show a few weeks ago.  I didn't have high expectations for it but that was a mistake.  It was good.  Real good.  So good that we ate half of it before I remembered to take a picture.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish.Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, bagel chips or crackers.

Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

Tangy Tomato Brisket

This is the recipe that got my wheels turing and inspired the whole menu.  I had never made a brisket before but let me tell you, it was so easy.  All I had to do was dump a few ingredients in a pan and six hours later dinner was done.  Plus it makes a ton of food.

Ingredients

5 to 8 pound brisket, trimmed of all fat

1 (24 oz) bottle of ketchup

1 package of dry onion soup mix

A few dashes of hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Place the brisket in an oven-safe pan. Combine the ketchup and soup mix in a bowl, and then stir it around to mix. Pour in 1 cup water and stir to combine. (You can add more water if needed!)

Pour the sauce all over the brisket, and then flip the brisket over to coat the other side. Now just cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and test the brisket to make sure it's fork-tender. The brisket should fall apart if you look at it! Slice the brisket into thin strips, then return the beef to the sauce and keep it warm until you're ready to serve.

Recipe from The Food Network

Hashbrown Casserole (or Crack Potatoes)

I had made these potatoes before but when I was trying to think of what side dish would go well with brisket they were the first thing that came to mind.  They are definitely not healthy.  My mom and I started calculating the Weight Watchers points and got to 102 points before we decided it was best not to know.  Aren't some of the best things in life the worst for you?

Ingredients

2 (16oz) containers sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits

2 packages Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, shredded 

Directions

Combine the first four ingredients and then mix in the hash browns.

Spread into a 9x13 pan and cook at 400 degrees F for 45 to 60 minutes.

Recipe from Plain Chicken

That was our Superbowl.  Like I said, it was nice to just hang out.  Beyonce was amazing and my crazy hormones had me nearly in tears when the rest of Destiny's Child came out.

And now time for a token picture of Beckett.

New Year's goals

2013 is here!  I don't know about you, but I have big plans for 2013.  I am not usually one to make New Year's resolutions but this year I am.  I want to lose the little bit of baby weight that has stuck around.  Finish these crazy remodels.  Meet my savings goals for Beckett's college fund and our emergency fund (we are so close to having our 6 month goal met).  I also want to continue to grow my relationship with Christ and be the best mother I can be.  I don't think any of those goals are out of reach.  Wish me luck!

Christmas at the Browns

It's Christmas Eve so I thought I would share some pictures of our decorations from this year.  I am a slow and steady type of gal when it comes to most things.  It took me about two weeks to get all of our decorations up and will probably take longer to take them down.  I also try to buy a few new decorations each year.  As much fun as Christmas decorations are, who wants to spend thousands of dollars on items you'll only have out for a month or so?  Not I.

I decided to display our Christmas cards in a new, Pinterest-inspired way this year.  I love getting Christmas cards and thankfully we get a lot.  I decided to hang ribbon and clothespin the cards to our kitchen cabinets.  I love how it turned out.  It's so fun to come into the kitchen and see all of our friends and family's faces!  After Christmas I plan on making a card album like I did with last year's cards.

Our new decoration for the kitchen was a Christmas-inspired floral arrangement that I commissioned.  Okay, I had it made but I have always wanted to commission something and it sounds fancier than saying I went to a local shop and had them throw it together. 

The family room is decorated the same as last year with garlands on the table and console.  I bought a painting of Santa Claus last year but I was never brave enough to face Hobby Lobby so it didn't get put out.  My goal for post-Christmas sale shopping is to find Christmas china.  I don't want anything too cute or too traditional so I have had a hard time.  Hopefully this year is the year that I succeed.

We decorated the living room a lot like last year as well.  The tree is different because I did it myself.  I am super proud of how it turned out.  It was my first year decorating my tree on my own because my friend Jennifer had a newborn.  We added a driftwood nativity.  A good, traditional nativity is also on my wishlist.  I would love a hand-carved one.  Maybe a Christmas market cruise is in order?  A final idea I stole from Pinterest was doing initials instead of gift tags.  I love a monogram in any form so I liked bringing that into our decor.  

Our tree at night

So that is our home this year.  I am so excited to see how it evolves over the years.  I have a feeling that next year's decor will be much more child-friendly since Beckett should be up and moving.  

Merry Christmas Eve from the Browns!

Recipe round up: sweets edition

Before I was pregnant, I was not much of a sweets eater.  I am a carb lover.  I've always said I would rather eat a plate of mashed potatoes than a piece of cake.  Well, all that changed during my pregnancy. I couldn't get enough sweets.  They were all I thought about and I had to have at least one serving of ice cream a day.

This new found love of sweets caused me to spend a lot of time exploring the sweets board on my Pinterest.  I tried many new recipes and I thought I would share my thoughts with you.  This way you can skip the bad and head straight for the good.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Shockingly, I have been cooking since Beckett has arrived and last weekend, I even baked.  What could have motivated me to get so wild?  This recipe.  I give it an A+ (so does Daniel and my mom).  It was pretty easy and contains three different types of candy.  Apparently I am still hooked on sweets.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This is a very popular recipe in our part of the world.  I had never made it until this summer and let me tell you, it is easy.  There are only a handful of ingredients and it takes about 5 minutes to put together.  I give it an A.  It's not my personal favorite, but if you need a quick dessert for a group, this is a solid bet.

Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies

There was a lot of excitement when I made this recipe.  It was the Olympics opening ceremony and Jack's stitches started to bleed while I was waiting for the cookies to bake.  Maybe all the excitement tainted my experience with the cookies.  I give them a B-.  They were soft, too soft.  I like cookies with a little more firmness.  I was definitely disappointed because I love pumpkin and I love macadamia nut cookies.

Perrini Ranch Bread Pudding

I love this recipe.  Let me repeat, love.  We had this at a dinner at our local country club and I was hooked.  I lived near the Perrini Ranch restaurant and this recipe made me sad that I have never eaten there.  I give it an A++.  My one tip is to make sure you have a good loaf of sourdough bread.  We did not and had to use pre-sliced packaged bread and it wasn't quite the same.  It was almost too thin.

No-Bake Cake Batter Truffles

I like cake balls and this was my first attempt at making them.  They were a lot of work, but I think they were worth it.  Dipping them and not making a mess is a challenge and a half but one day I will figure it out.  I give this recipe an A and think it would be great for a party where you don't want to make a whole cake.

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

And speaking of cakes, meet the first real cake recipe I have ever attempted.  I've made box cakes before, but I had never made a cake from scratch until this beauty.  It was a lot of work and time consuming, but the results were so worth it.  I knew it was good when Daniel said he wanted to have it for his birthday cake next year.  Obviously this recipe is another A+.

And here are a few of the recipes that I plan on trying next.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

Cream Cheese Banana Nut Bread

Caramel Pretzel Magic Bars

I'll let you know how they turn out!

What's old is new

I have had a certain nursery project on my to-do list for months.  It was a special project because it meant a lot to my husband.  When Daniel was little, his family's house caught on fire and they lost almost everything they owned.  For this reason we have pretty much nothing that was his when he was growing up.

A few months ago we were at his parents and his mom mentioned that she had a rocking chair that had belonged to him.  When she asked if we wanted it, I did not even hesitate.  We brought it home and it has been sitting in our spare room ever since.

Where we started

Now I am not the craftiest person, but I have been getting better thanks to Pinterest.  The rocking chair was a little worn and the finish didn't really go with my vision for the nursery.  Thanks to my deep love for Pinterest, I was feeling empowered and decided that I could easily sand and paint the chair to match our nursery decor.

After a coat of spray paint (Don't worry, I wore a mask)

After months of avoiding the project, it was finally completed this weekend.  I have to say that I am very proud of myself.  I think it turned out perfectly and Baby Brown has little something of his dad's in his room which I know means a lot to Daniel.

The finished product (and a sneak peek of the nursery)

Nursery problems

I thought we were having a girl.  Girl nurseries are easy.  90% of everything you see is for girls, so there are so many options out there and the possibilities seem endless.

Boys nurseries are hard.  Everyone wants to push you into a theme when you are having a boy.  I don't want a nursery that looks like a jungle or a football field.  I don't think white is practical and that is another common option.

I am having a really hard time figuring out what I want.  I like bright colors, but our home is traditional and I like the flow we have.  Thankfully, I have a professional interior designer in my life who will hopefully put me on the right track.

We do have a crib so that is a starting point.  We also have Pinterest.  Here are some of the ideas I am currently tossing around.

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Gray and green (or gray and any color)

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Calming colors

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I love navy and lime

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This is super sweet but probably not practical

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Beadboard is my fave

Green houndstooth

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Loving alphabet walls

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Blue and red

If anyone has any great ideas, please let me know.  I am totally open to suggestions.  The crib is white and I like traditional.  Those are my only requirements.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I will have an epiphany and everything will come together.  Here's to hoping.

Spring cleaning

My husband loves a lot of things about me, obviously, but I have to imagine that one thing he does not love is my affinity for list making.  I make lists about everything.  My newest list is a list of all the around-the-house projects we need to do but have been putting off.  There is a greater sense of urgency now that our whole world is going to be turned upside down in November.  So I have a list of all the projects we need to get done and every month he gets to pick one and then we do our best to get it done.

A month ago or so we decided to tackle our basement.  Our house used to belong to my husband's grandparents and there were lots of "treasures" that used to belong to them that still lived in the basement.  I'm talking old engines, wires, a birdcage, a boot, and lots of other crap (because this is the nicest word I could think of to describe it).

This is how terrible it looked before we cleaned

Years worth of trash

During our cleaning, I found a bunch of old baby food jars.  I had seen on Pinterest where someone took old jars and put paint in each, so they had paint handy for touch-ups.  I thought this was genius.  When I saw the baby food jars, I immediately decided to make my own touch-up jars.

The expiration dates on the jars went all the way back to the 1920s, so they were a little dirty.  I sanitized them in the dishwasher and was ready for business.

The jars pre-sanitizaiton

Then we filled each jar with paint and labeled them by room.  This was a little tedious and a lot messy.

We labeled each jar with the room where the paint was used

The colorful finished product

I give this project two thumbs up and think it was the worth the time and effort.  I used to stare at spots that needed paint and think that I would get around to fixing them one day.  It is so much easier and I have put almost all of the jars to use.  And on that note, I need to go touch up the paint in the guest bathroom.

Recipe round-up: healthy edition

I have been trying to slim down for summer and improve my eating habits in general. I love fried food in an unhealthy way. I would fry just about anything. I am not a big sweets eater but I am a dedicated carb lover. This is not good for my waistline. So I have been searching Pinterest for recipes that will help me meet my summer goals. Here are my reviews on what to try and what to skip.



Broccoli and Italian Sausage Egg Muffins

This recipe is super easy to whip up during the week. I give it a solid A and will definitely make it again. A shortcut I would try next time is to use a steam bag of broccoli instead of trying to sauté the broccoli. This would save time and the broccoli would be even more tender. I refrigerated the leftovers and we had breakfast for the rest of the week. Next time, I think I'll try spinach.



Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I am not going to lie and say that I love Brussels sprouts because they are definitely not my favorite. This recipe actually made me like them a little more. I give it an A-. It has vegetables, starches, and protein all in one dish. It was very easy to make and is the perfect dish for a weeknight meal.



Shrimp Quesadillas with Tomato Avocado

I love shrimp and I love avocados so I thought this recipe was a match made in heaven. I have made a few recipes from Skinnytaste and really enjoyed them. This recipe ended that streak. I would give it a D. It was super bland and I just don't think that any recipe can make low carb tortillas taste good. If someone knows of amazing low carb tortillas, please share. They tasted like cardboard and made me sad I wasted my shrimp and avocados.



Buffalo Chicken Bites

This recipe was another fail and I had really high hopes for it. It sounded like such a great idea. Who doesn't want to eat a healthier version of buffalo chicken wings? I think it was the corn flakes that ruined it for me. They tasted out of place and didn't make sense. I give it a C and think I'll be sticking to my fatty wings.



Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

I am not sure how healthy this recipe actually is, but it is a vegetable so I am letting it count. I give this a B because it was good but I'm not sure that is that great for you. It definitely did not replace twice baked mashed potato casserole in my heart, but it is a nice alternative.