Girly Birthday Cookies

Over the last several months, I have been in charge of the Athletic Department's hospitality room at every home basketball game. I have had so much fun cooking and decorating for our coaching staff, administration and school board members. Although a little overwhelming at times, it is a nice change up from the football field.

This past weekend was the District Tournament for Basketball and I recruited my mother to come help me cook. She graciously agreed and when she showed up at my house, she had birthday cookies in tow! Woo!!

My husband was gone at a football coaches clinic all weekend so friday night was a girls night at our house. Mom, a dear friend and fellow coach's wife, Jade, and myself had dinner out and then came back for some birthday cookie decorating. They weren't perfect as the icing was a little persnickety due to the humidity {or rather lack of} in my house. Baking is more of an art rather than a science... and now next time I know to factor in the humidity into my icing recipe.

Here is a look at the cookies I decorated...

Love Jade's Blue dress!

I loved our girls night and look forward to many more!

Another Year Down

I can't believe another year has come and gone... pretty soon I'm going to stop celebrating birthdays and stay the same age. That's acceptable, right?!

Birthdays around our house are never forgotten! And this year was no exception.. my husband just might be awarded the sweetest husband award... 

He started working on my birthday present last FALL! Yes, you read that correctly... 4 months before my birthday month even came... he was already on the ball with getting me the perfect present. 

Last football season, a mom of one of our players had the most adorable hand-stitched Beggs Demon quilt. It was not only gorgeous but so warm!! And those of you who share in the friday night light experience with me in Oklahoma, you know how important warmth is once the playoffs arrive! This past year we had one game that I seriously thought my feet might not regain feeling... ever again. Thankful that was not the case.

Anywho, Lee remembered how much I loved the mother's quilt and went about finding how to have one made specifically for me. The grandmother of this same player gracious made me a gorgeous spirit filled quilt. 

Hand-made quilting is a dying art and I am SO excited to be able to have one of my own to pass down for generations.

This beauty will most definitely be frequently visiting baseball and football games!

That night, Lee took me out to my favorite restaurant and a movie. We had a fun date night and a great ending to a special birthday. 

Root of the Problem

Over the past year, I have noticed a huge gap in society. Humanity as a whole puts incredible emphasis on careers and "making it" at a young age. So much so that I believe our children are the ones paying the consequences of our actions.

The news is overloaded with crazed maniacs who go on shooting rampages and have thoughtless acts of violence for no found reason or cause. Everyone has their outlet to blame for the behavior and many think it's an issue of lax laws.

Now I am by no means stating that the parents of those who have committed crazed crimes are to blame; I am however proposing that our generation as a whole has lost track of what is truly important.

We get so wrapped up in ourselves and our own name and accomplishments that we forget what is around us. We spend hours upon hours advancing our careers, but at what cost? Our children are being raised by daycares, strangers, & extended family members. Children ride buses home after school to empty houses for hours on end. They have friends that no one acknowledges or cares about because we are too wrapped up in our own advancement that we don't have time to worry about those "petty" things. They will be just fine, we say... Or my favorite, "I turned out just fine."

Statistically, it is not fine. Teenage birth rate is at an all-time high in my state. Emotions are rampant in and out of the school system and our children are the ones that face the long-term consequences.

Stay-at-home moms are shunned for not being in the workforce. They are labeled as "spoiled" or "pampered" by a self-seeking generation.

Yet I see it completely differently. I see stay-at-home mommas as the real heroes. Without mothers who care enough to take their own agendas off the table in order to establish their children, our world would have already self-destructed. Biblically, women were created to be man's helper. No, I am not being sexist or medieval. I am simply stating scripture.

"Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make

 him a helper suitable for him." 

Genesis 2:18

Yet we live in a generation where if you are a housewife or a stay-at-home momma, you are shunned and deemed lazy. 

The past 9 months I have been a housewife. Although I have my bachelor's degree, my husband and I both feel like our house would run smoother if I was at home to take care of what needs to be taken care of. I am by no means lazy or spoiled, I simply am a wife who CHOOSES to be of aid to my husband. Being a coach's wife is often times a full-time job. Yet, over the past 9 months I have received SO many opinions on the decision my husband and I have made. I am always shocked and appalled when someone references the choice I have made as if it affects them. 

Now granted, some mothers do not have the luxury of a choice and need the income to support their family. I GET THAT. There is no shame in that nor should there be. I am talking about a generation where choice is an option, yet is overlooked in order to advance themselves. Is it possible to be in the workforce AND still be an involved parent? Absolutely... yet more often than not, that doesn't happen.

When looking out over the America that has risen up in today's society, I see one that is self-seeking. I am saddened by outcome and the consequences we are leaving behind for our younger generations. Yet all I can do is pray. Pray the Lord puts someone in the paths of these young people that is able to guide and lead them on a path of righteousness. For although my heart is constantly heavy for those children, His hands are forever faithful. 

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations." 

Deuteronomy 7:9

Miss Kay's Chicken Chow Mein

At Christmas, my mom gave me Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen Cookbook. I've made several recipes and they are all DELICIOUS! Really. If you like southern comfort food or cajun cooking, order the cookbook NOW! Your husband will thank you.

With that being said, I decided to try another recipe from Miss Kay last night. Pork & Chicken Chow Mein. 

At first I thought, a cajun making Chinese? But then realized it was the second recipe in the cookbook and surely she would have put some of her better recipes in the front, right? Her sweet notes on the bottom (love this about her cookbook) said that it was one of Phil's favorites. So off I went to the grocery store and grabbed all the ingredients to make her Pork & Chicken Chow Mein. 

This is where it gets ugly.....

I did everything as directed, yet the end product was NOTHING like I was expecting. Apparently my interpretation of what "chow mien" should be and what her idea of what it should be are completely different! 

I kept smelling, stirring and adding more seasonings, yet no amount of seasonings was going to fix this... 

I took a quick picture with my phone and texted it to my husband. 

He responded with "umm no. Pizza?" haha. So pizza it was for dinner! 

Although he never actually tried the Chow Mein, I'm confident that pizza was the correct decision last night. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches when it comes to cooking. 

[Note to self: always stick with your initial instinct when it comes to picking recipes.]

If you do have Miss Kay's Cookbook, here are some of my favorite recipes:

Melt in Your Mouth Biscuits

Mac & Cheese

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Fettuccine Alfredo

When Lee and I got married, my grandmother hand wrote an entire cookbook for me filled with all of her favorite family recipes throughout the years along with a few recipes from her dear friends. The sweetest shower gift any grandmother could give their granddaughter! I cherish and love my cookbook and use it oh so often.

There are so many recipes inside that I haven't even cracked the lid on all the wonderful goodness that it holds. 

My grandmother filled the empty pages with her favorite scriptures. =)

Last week however, I tried a Fettuccine Alfredo recipe that my grandmother had received from her hairdresser way back in the day... {I love all of her little notes at the bottom of the cookbook... something to treasure for generations!}

A little bit of our engagement story inside the cookbook

I was skeptical of the recipe, because it seemed too easy to be so good... So the doubting Thomas in me also grabbed a bottle of alfredo sauce at the grocery store just in case; however, that bottle is stored away in the pantry for all time! This recipe is TO DIE FOR!!!! Seriously, if you love alfredo sauce, this is for you! My husband thinks this recipe is better than any restaurant alfredo sauce... and thats saying something!

So lets get to the nitty-gritty and see how to make this heavenly sauce...

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

8oz cream cheese

3/4 cup of parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of milk (or as needed)

Pasta

Grilled Chicken (optional)

Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Melt butter & cream cheese together. Add 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best). Add 1/2 cup of milk (or as much as needed to achieve the desired consistency). Blend well and stir over medium heat until all ingredients have melted together. Pour over your cooked pasta of choice.

**I recommend doubling the sauce recipe if you are making this as an entree instead of a side dish.

Now sit back, turn on some of your favorite Dean Martin music, and enjoy a delicious Italian dinner in the comfort of your own home. Buon Appetito!

Medical Cookies

I just have to share these ADORABLE cookies my mom made for my brother who is in medical school for Valentines Day. I love how she combined his medical background with hearts for a little love gift sent straight to his condo.

We are definitely blessed kiddos to have such a sweet and thoughtful momma!

The RN in her came out on these heartbeat cookies. =) 

My favorite!

Valentines Cookies

As you all well know, my mother is the queen of cookies! But not just any kind of cookies, she likes to make what my husband calls "fancy cookies" that taste just as good as they look!

Soon, she will be starting her own cookie blog(Sweet Southern Sprinkles), but until then I'm excited to let you all see a little glimpse into her cookie world.

These are pictures of cookies that she and I decorated yesterday to send out with my dad and husband to work... if only I realized my husband's offices were closed today-- looks like it will be a late valentines gift for our sweet admin office!

Hope you all have a blessed and loving Valentines Day!!

Remodel: Part 1 {The Kitchen}

I spend more active hours in the kitchen than I do in any other room in the house. Lets be honest, cooking and dishes takes time! Consequently, I always love a pretty and functional kitchen. In every remodel Lee and I have done, we've spent the most attention and expense in our kitchens. I've been told its an investment that is always returned when/if you ever decide to sell. I know for me, when looking to buy a house the kitchen is a big determining factor.

When we bought our house, the kitchen needed dire attention. The house had been sitting empty for several years and time had taken it's toll.

So first up on our remodel list was the kitchen! This is the second kitchen remodel Lee and I have done; however, this was more like a total overhaul rather than a minor face lift.

BEFORE PICTURES

Alterations/Additions:

One thing I disliked immediately was the fact that there was no bar area. It felt as if there was no divider between the living room and the kitchen. I love an open floor plan, but this seemed a little too open… So we raised the bar and extended the countertop to make the esthetics more appealing. While messing with the cabinetry, we also went ahead and raised some of the upper cabinets in specific areas to create a custom feel.

Finally, I had a pull-out trash can added. Best. Decision. Ever. I hate to see trash cans sitting out in a kitchen. I don't know why, but it is a major pet peeve of mine. Who wants to look at trash and smell it while your cooking and eating anyways? So, to fix this dilemma, we had a pull-out trash can worked into our design. I added a heavier pull to this cabinet so that it was easily pulled out even with a full trash can. Very pleased with this little gem. I would HIGHLY recommend anyone who is remodeling their kitchen to find a place to add this idea to your design. Add a hydraulic soft-close cabinet hinge and BAM, pure genius.

Once the cabinetry work was finished, we had all the cabinets painted. I chose White Dove by Benjamin Moore to be my cabinet color throughout the house as well as my trim color. The wall color in the kitchen is a customized version of Grey Moire by Pratt and Lambert and the ceiling color is Refined AF-75 by Benjamin Moore. [A big thank you to Sharon at Kolor Key for helping me pick the perfect coordinating colors.]

Next up was my sink. I debated and debated on which sink and what finish to go with for my kitchen. After visiting with several friends who had experience with the different options I was choosing between, I ended up deciding on a ROHL Shaws Sink.  I absolutely LOVE my sink!!! It is by far one of my most favored remodel items. I would highly recommend this sink to anyone in the market for a new kitchen sink.

I chose the Brizo Solna Kitchen Faucet and have been very pleased with it. I have found that the sprayer is not nearly as strong as they are when they are separate from the spout, but I love the fact that it is hidden as well as a single handle pull-down. It definitely falls more into the modern category but it fit in perfectly for my style. I added a built-in soap dispenser as well to keep a minimalistic appearance. To finish off the look, I added a marble tiled backsplash.

Once the sink was installed then came my quartzite countertop. I was able to cut out the middle man when it came to my granite. I found the granite that I wanted directly from a granite yard (I used Verona Marble Company). The general public is not allowed to buy directly from the granite yard, but the installer that you hire is able to directly purchase. After much research and many recommendations, I chose my installer (StoneTec) and granite (Super White Quartzite). This way I only had to pay the installer rather than having an up charge to purchase from a granite company. Thanks to my dear friend Nikki for that advice!

Finally after all the cutting, sanding, and painting of the cabinets, our hardwood floors were installed. Although the floor salesman thought I was crazy for wanting dark hardwood floors, I am very pleased and happy with my choice.

Now that all the "hard work" was finished, it was time to accessorize. New appliances and hardware from Restoration Hardware was added. Additional can lights were added, along with under cabinet puck lights and above cabinet lighting.  The finishing touches on our kitchen remodel is now complete! I love how it turned out and wouldn't change a thing!

LOVE my crystal knobs for the cabinet doors!

Stainless pulls for drawers

The pulls and knobs put together

AFTER

The curved architecture of the house was a favorite that we kept throughout the remodel

Coming soon-- Living Room Remodel

NLI Signing Day

Well 2014 National Signing Day has come and gone! Three of my husband's football players signed National Letters of Intent to play at various universities. I am incredibly proud and excited for these young men. Hard work pays off and they are seeing that in a big way this week.

After several offers from schools across the state, our Beggs players chose to divide up between NEO and Northwestern Oklahoma State. Yesterday, we had their official signing day at the high school with their families and friends.

Although our team and town will miss our seniors, we are excited for what the Lord has in store not only in there lives, but also for the future of the Beggs Demon Football program.

Remember Seniors, always keep first things first and the rest will fall into place.

DoLee Wolf Signing with NEO

Shaliamere Rentie Signing with NEO

Patrick Cantrell Signing with Northwestern Oklahoma State

Families, Coaches, and Admin with those signing

Football Coaches and their Signing Seniors

My Husband (Coach Blank) addressing the underclassman

For more pictures of the Beggs Golden Demon Football team, click here.