December

December has been full of awesomeness. Yes, I know that is not a word but it is what I wanted to use to describe this month. This month started out with a huge Bedlam win! The next day we attended a lovely Christmas party at the Oaks Country Club where Kyle, Tyler and Austin are members. Tyler's wife Lilia and Austin's girlfriend Christy are both great golfers. I am the only non-golfer so I sip club specials and read by the pool. Although I feel that time is ending because Lilia and Christy are determined to make me into a golfer.

The weekend of the Dec 8th, we had our annual Christmas book exchange in OKC. I got The Help and plan to start reading in on the plane tomorrow. The next weekend was a Christmas party at Tyler and Lilia's and our kickball party. Both were a rockin' good time (you like that saying?).

Then came Christmas. We spent Christmas day at my brother's house. Watching the girls excitement over Santa and what he brought is one of the joys in life. I look forward to the day my children will do the same. The big girls were already awake when we got there (we left Tulsa at the crack of dawn!) and Jordyn came out looking adorable with her crazy bed head. We unloaded our presents and let the girls see what Santa brought them. Then we had breakfast and went to church for a Christmas morning service. We came home and prepared lunch and started handing out the rest of the gifts. I am so lucky to have a mom and a sister in law that give great gifts! Erin got me the cutest OSU shirt that I can wear in Pittsburgh this weekend during the bowl game! I was back home at Kyle's by dinner time and we cooked a cute little Christmas dinner and opened presents in the dining room floor by the tree. I was exhausted since I stayed up til 1 AM the night before and my alarm had gone off at 5:50 AM. 
Kyle got new carpet on Monday so we cleared out all the rooms first thing that morning and then went upstairs to the spare bedroom and watched a movie while the carpet was installed. I finished the Christmas break with dinner with Amanda. We tried to go to this new place downtown, Edward Delk's, but it was closed. Then we went to Mi Cocina, my new obsession, and they were slammed. So we walked across to White Owl, which was also packed.

Back to work yesterday, and I used a Groupon for a shellac. Let's hope it lasts longer than the last one did.

Tomorrow we board yet another plane for Pittsburgh. This long weekend in Pittsburgh will consist of massages for me and Kyle, rehearsal dinner, wedding, brunch after wedding, OSU bowl game. I have made my packing list, detailed by outfits worn for occasions. I will have to wear a coat to the airport cause there is no way 2 coats will fit in my bag. Kyle is so excited about the wedding, all of his high school and college friends will be there. I'm also excited about the wedding, but also about the food and champagne :)

Happy New Year, blog friends. See you in 2012!

Sullivan Christmas Party: the golfing ladies!

Pajama Kickball Party

Billy, Claybrook and Brandon's Christmas card photo

The mother of twins!

Scooter and leg warmers

Evil Knievil on a bike

Scooter girl

Jordyn's new backpack 

You know this won't be complete without food pics/recipes!

Hershey's Chocolate Cake

Christmas Eve dinner by Kyle: Buffalo chicken salad topped with fries!

Kyle grew up eating these every Christmas but his mom is "out of the buckeye business" so I fulfilled the request. 

I also made a breakfast casserole but was so tired by this point that I forgot to take a pic. You can find the recipe here.
Oh, and I made this dip:

Chili Cream Cheese Dip

1 can Hormel Chili with or without beans

1 block cream cheese

2 dollops of sour cream 

Fritos 

Heat everything up, mix together, serve with Fritos. So easy. It tastes a lot like the skillet queso at Chili's, if you have ever had that.

Shopping, Wrapping, Cooking, Baking

Hey everyone! 4 days until Christmas and I finally have all of my shopping finished! I need to wrap everything but I plan on doing that when I get off work on Friday. They let us know that we get to leave at 2 on Friday, which is a huge deal because most of the time they keep it secret until 30 minutes before they let us go. I greatly appreciate them telling us ahead of time that we get off early.

I have felt under the weather for the past week. I am not sure exactly what it is, but I want it to go away. I got into bed at 8:45 last night and was dead asleep when Kyle called me at 10:15, went right back to sleep and slept all night. Hopefully that great sleep will put me on the mend. Also, I would really like to visit the gym sometime soon since I will be in a strapless dress in a little over a week.

This past weekend was filled with activities including lots of food. I made cranberry cream cheese dip, spicy pretzels, corn dip, and peanut butter fudge. Everything turned out great! We attended a Christmas party at Tyler and Lilia's Friday night and played all kinds of couples games and we had enough food to eat until Spring Break of 2012. Saturday night we went to the Christmas Kickball Pajama party. I have some great pics from this but left my camera sitting on my dresser. Kyle and I both wore adult size pajama onesies and he accessorized with a terry cloth robe and slippers. Most comfortable party ever.

We are headed to my brother's house for Christmas this year. I always love spending this time with them and seeing the girls enjoy Christmas. Next week, I will only work two and a half days and then we are going to Pittsburgh to enjoy NYE at a wedding. I got some great earrings from Bauble Bar (fuchsia boho drop) for the wedding. 

I have no idea what the food plan is for Christmas day but I want to make this dip: chili cream cheese dip and serve with the always tasty Fritos. Yum.

And I just had a light bulb go off in my head for a recipe I could try. Make my super easy peanut butter fudge, and then dip into chocolate almond bark for my own twist on Reese's. Oh my...now I have to make this.

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil until your thermometer reaches 234 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 4 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners' sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Add the rest of the 5 oz can of evaporated milk if the mixture is too dry. Scoop into 8x8 inch dish and press into form with a spatula. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Mine actually came out a little oily, and I am not sure if it was the extra evaporated milk or what.Maybe I can try just adding a little regular milk to the mixture next time. But the mixture was definitely too dry once I mixed it with the powdered sugar. 

Spicy Pretzels

What You Need
15 oz Bag of Small Pretzels
6 oz Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (may use less and then add more if you want them spicier)
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1.5 tsp Lemon Pepper

Directions
Mix together seasoning and oil. Place pretzels in large ziploc bag (the gallon size works for one batch), add seasoning mix, and toss periodically for 12-24 hours before serving.

Merry Christmas!

Elf Yourself

Bored at work this morning:

Heather and Kyle as elves 

Lauren, Allison, Jordyn as elves 

 Merry Christmas!

Basketball

This past weekend we got the treat of watching my nieces play their first game of basketball. And let me tell you, it was a treat! We started off the day with lunch at Red's Southern Diner , a newly opened diner located at Danforth and Kelly and it was delish. There is nothing healthy about it, so don't go if you want to eat lightly. There are 7 menu items to choose from and it comes family style with all the sides. The food was great. I ordered the chicken pot pie and it was the best I have ever had. My favorite part was the massive amount of fried okra I shoved in my face.

After lunch, Grammy and Pappy and I  went to watch Lauren's tennis lesson. She is quite the little athlete! And she looks so cute and feminine and graceful while she does it. Below are 2 short videos I took towards the end of her lesson where she got to play a match with another girl. I didn't want to make her nervous with the camera so they are short.

Then we were off to basketball. Both of the girls were so nervous and we kept telling them they would do great! I didn't get any video of the basketball, dang it! I was busy watching and playing with Jordy. We were racing from wall to wall and she won everytime :)
Anyway, Allison had a sheer look of terror when she stepped foot on the court. She was wringing her little hands and looking back and forth to Erin and Bryan. Lauren and Allison both dribbled the ball better than all of the other girls on the court. Lauren even scored a basket! Allison did this awesome quick feet move when she went to defend her girl. It was the cutest thing ever.

This weekend I plan to make at least 5 recipes of Pinterest. I have 3 parties to attend and I need to take food to 2 of them. I am hopefully going to knock out some Christmas shopping tonight and maybe even get some wrapping complete. Seriously, where does the time go? 

Big 12 Champs

It has taken me entirely too long to post about my alma mater being Big XII Champs for the first time EVER!!!!!! This has been the best season of OSU football in the history of OSU football. And I am so so so glad that we had season tickets this year. (Thank you, Mom and Dad!)

So Bedlam was last Saturday night and the weather forecast really put a damper on any plans we had. We wanted to go up early and eat in Stilly and get the whole "game day expereince" but it was raining. So we ate in Tulsa and then went straight to the game. Side note: I wore running tights for warmth and comfort and it was the best decision of my life. I may never wear real pants to a game again.
I was nervous all week about this game. Everyone knows we have been dominated by OU for years. And while we were clearly much better this year, anything can happen when it comes to Bedlam. But not this year, folks.
Walking up to the stadium I said to Kyle, "I know this isn't gonna be a blowout, I just want to win." Man, was I wrong? I won't go over the game in detail. If you want that, you can visit Pistols Firing Blog. 
We took a fairly early lead and just kinda ran with it. I didn't relax until the 4th qtr when it was clear that we were going to win. And then the excitement set in. We had been yelling and cheering and jumping up and down all game. Students starting filing down the stadium to rush the field. And then I saw my 34yr old brother leave his wife and head towards the field. Yes, he and a friend rushed the field. Hilarious. It was an unforgettable night. Here are some pics from Kyle's iPhone:

Taking the field

Fans rushing the field

Dad, Mom, Erin, Me. Pistols Firing. Go Pokes. Bedlam victory is ours!

I have always been proud to be a Poke, but this season took it to a whole new level. 

Some say we got screwed in the BCS standings Sunday night. We ended up #2, behind Bama. Which means we don't get a shot at the national title. We will play in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan 2 against Standford. 

Best part of the Bedlam game besides winning: Not hearing Boomer Sooner 50 times. They (whoever they is) did a great job of playing speaker music or talking, or our band played, or whatever needed to happen happened the very minute they tried to play that awful song.

Cyber Monday Deals

I love online shopping. And usually the only thing keeping me from purchasing everything that I put into my bag is the shipping. But on Cyber Monday, free shipping is often offered with no minimum purchase. Here is what I scored:

ASOS Fuchsia Clutch for $16 and free shipping!

*Gap Lambswool cable sweater for $21

* I actually got the Gap sweater last night after work. They were having 50% off sweaters and I had a $10 reward that was about to expire. $59.95 sweater for $21....ahthankyou! This cable knit, jeggings, and my beloved Steve Madden boots will make the perfect outfit.

I also ordered some cheap jewelry from Forever 21 but it is all sold out now so I can't pull pics from the website. I bought bangles in all different colors (kind of like this) so I can layer them with regular bangles and a watch. I also bought these earrings and tall gray boot socks that will show out of the top of my boots.

I wanted this vest:

Cable knit vest

With a black undershirt and my black skinny belt to tie it all together. So cute. It's on sale online but not in the store so I am just gonna watch it and see if I can get a deal on it after Christmas.
Kyle and I have decided to not buy each other presents this year and save money for a trip for his 30th birthday which he will celebrate in Feb. Although the money should probably be saved for my 30th birthday in Jan of 2013 cause I plan on doing something epic. Yes, I am already thinking of my 30th birthday trip when I am still 28.

Shameless Plug

I have mentioned the site Dear Wendy on here before, and over the weekend she published an article I wrote for her while she is on maternity leave. Click here to read my post. I don't think you will be surprised at the topic I chose to write on...seems I have a little too much experience in this area! Despite a few commenters that think my article was too cliche, I hope it gets good feedback.

Soon my friend Elaina will be featured on her site and I will link her article as soon as Wendy posts it.

Joe's Retirement Party

Last Saturday, Kyle and I headed down to Dallas for my uncle's retirement party. Surprise retirement party. My aunt has been planning this for months, and was even able to keep it a surprise from him although family members had to come into town and stay at their house. She told Joe that Erin was receiving an award from some dental association, which would explain why my whole family was there.


The party was held at my cousin's husband's art gallery in downtown Dallas. She had it catered and also used the same DJ from Katie's wedding. We all assembled around 5:45 and Joe arrived a little after 6 to a loud "Surprise!" from about 50 people, including family and colleagues. He was genuinely surprised! We ate mexican appetizers, drank margaritas from a machine (best rental ever!) and ate a delicious Arkansas Razorback cake. Once we got some food and drink, it was time to tear up the dance floor. I loved this DJ at Katie's wedding and was so glad to see her back again. She played some great tunes and everyone danced...even my mom and my 78 year old grandma! Kyle's dance partner was Allison. All night. She would barely let him take a breather. When she got home, she told her Aunt Monica that she "danced her face off" and that Kyle taught her some "funky new moves."

"Offended"

Several times, I have mentioned a site I frequent called The Frisky. While this site is entertaining and links all kinds of articles, they also find a way to drive me nuts with all of their "offended" "feminist" talk.

For many years, I have dislike the word "offended". I think it is misused and overused. Maybe it is just because I don't tend to get "offended" very often. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of offensive things happening in the world. I just think our society has a gone a little overboard. Public figures, celebs, political candidates can barely open their mouth anymore with a group of people claiming they are "offended" by their comments. Here is a story that drives me nuts. PETA is mad at Mario Brothers (yes, the video game) because Mario wears a raccoon suit and has special powers and they think it send the message that it is ok to wear fur. Story here.
Come on, PETA. I seriously doubt that the people that are playing Mario Brothers are thinking, "well I should go get a fur coat made out of raccoon because Mario wears one in the game". Just seems so over the top to me.

There is a particular writer on The Frisky that finds something "offensive" in almost every article she reads. I realize that is her job as a feminist blogger, and maybe I should just stop visiting the site, or stop reading her stories. But I just can't help but get annoyed at almost every one of her articles. She once posted a link to an article about a college women's soccer team that had won the championship for the first time in school history and in her own comments in italics next to the article said "Can someone explain the importance of this to me?"

Are you kidding me?! You gripe constantly about how women aren't treated equally, and them make an idiot comment like that on a story that you linked and should clearly make sense to you, if you had a brain. (end rant). Anyway, she got grilled in the comments section, which I was happy about.


Now onto the next. Here are some recipes I plan on trying during the Thanksgiving holiday.

I plan on taking these to Katie and Louie this weekend:

Cake Batter Cookies

I making this for work on Friday. Already made it once and it was divine. And easy.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

How festive does this sound?! I can't wait to try this next week

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

We are headed to Dallas this Sat to attend a surprise party. More details on that after we attend. Friday night we will be watching OSU stomp Iowa State. We are staying with my love Katie and her hubby Louie on Sat night. I wish she lived closer so I could see her all the time. Sunday Kyle's parents arrive and will be here through Thanksgiving. Looking forward to lots of family time this weekend and next week!

Pittsburgh Steelers

Last weekend, Kyle and I went to Pittsburgh. His dad scored us tickets to the Steelers vs Ravens game, and his brother and sister-in-law came in from Montana with their bundle of joy, Henry. I have posted a pic or 2 of Henry on here, but let me tell you, he is so much cuter in person. And he has the best little baby personality. He is so easy going and relaxed. Not one ounce of stranger anxiety either, which was great for me since I wanted to get all up in his face and kiss on him and be his best friend.

We arrived just after midnight and his parents picked us up and carted us back to their house, where I was happy to find a wide awake baby. Kyle gave him some hugs and kisses since he had not seen him since he was born in June and passed the little fella on to me. After a quick midnight snack since we never got to eat dinner, we were off to bed. I woke up around 2 AM wandering the bedroom trying to find out where I was.

Friday we had lunch with Kyle's best friend Dante and then went to a Sip and See party for Henry at a family friends house. After that, we went to a neighborhood called Shady Side to meet up with Dante and his wife Erin.

Saturday we lounged around and watched college football, took a nap, and then showered and met up with the rest of the crew for dinner at Lidia's in downtown Pittsburgh. This meal was 3.5 hours long and Henry did not make one peep. Unfortunately, dinner was during the OSU game, so I had to check it on my phone every few minutes. After dinner we went to Duquesne Incline and took a cable car up and down the hill to see downtown Pittsburgh all lit up at night. It was really cool, and there is so much history at this site. I was bummed I didn't have my camera so I had to take a mediocre iPhone pic.

Kyle and I went across the street after the Incline and caught the last 10 min of the OSU game in a tiny little hole in the wall bar on a TV that my grandma probably had in the 50's. What a nail biter ending! I'm sure those Pittsburgh people were glad to see me go once the game was over.

Sunday we woke up and had a great breakfast at the Gatewood house. The time change gave us an extra hour of sleep and I woke up feeling great at 8 AM. We lounged around til early afternoon and then got ready to go cheer on the Steelers. The game was at 8:20 and we got to the tailgate a little before 5. Justin, Kyle's brother, asked me what the main difference was between OSU tailgates and Steelers tailgates. My answer: OSU tailgates are prettier. The people, the setting, the food, the clothing. Steelers fans all wear jerseys.
We went into the game around 7:40, and it was pure madness about 10 min after we got in. Kyle was so excited. He screamed like a nut during the whole game and was a sad little puppy after they lost the game with 10 sec left to go.

Monday we ate at the famous Pamela's. I ignored my low-carb lifestyle during the whole vacation and ordered their famous crepe pancakes. OMG, they were so good. Thin and had crispy edges. Mary Lou, Kyle's mom, and I both ate the edges off of our pancakes and left the middle. Kyle and I caught our place back to Tulsa at 3 and came home exhausted and Kyle had no voice left from his screaming at the game.


I am finally recovered from the trip since I got my back completely unpacked last night. My laundry still isn't done but I assume the laundry fairy will take care of that.

Kickball finals tonight! Mom's birthday Sat and OSU vs Tech at 11 AM. 9-0 baby and ranked #2 for the first time ever!!!!!

Downtown Pittsburgh from The Incline

Henry taking a Sunday nap

Just settled into our seats

The crowd coming in the gates

Tailgating with Stacy and Kyle

Shady Side with Dante and Teara (Erin's bestie)

Dinner conversation and Lidia's

Erin and Teara

Heinz Field

The entire tailgate group

Rolled out of bed and grabbed lunch. She's so cute!

Stacy and I before the game

The Steel Man!