Lent 2013 :: Day 5 ~ Celebrating My Sweet Kristie B!

Good morning my Dearest Sweets!!

Today is a very special day for this blushing bride, my Sweet Kristie B!!

As y'all know Kristie B. {aka ~ Boodie} is my best friend circa college years, and I am very blessed to call her one of my longtime and forever friends. From the first day we met during our Journalism 101 class, I knew she had a special spark that would fill my life with happiness and bestfriendness. The icing on the cake is that Our Loves {aka ~ The Hubbs & Bradley} have total man crushes on each other. That friendship makes Kristie B. and I so thankful for each other and for Our Loves.

So today, we are celebrating Kristie B. Bride before her and Bradley make it official and become Mr. & Mrs.!! Big Boodie {Kristie B.'s sister}, Kitty Kat {Kristie B.'s cousin} & BonBon {Kristie B.'s mother, the matriarch of these lovely ladies} have planned a sweet little wedding shower to honor and celebrate Our Boodie!!

Cheers to you my Sweet Kristie B!! I am beyond blessed and forever thankful for our amazing relationship!!

 

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Lent 2013 :: Day 4 ~ Cure Those Winter Blues

{Note: I had technical difficulties with my Internet yesterday while I was traveling...Enjoy}

Happy Saturday, Sweets!!

As I posted yesterday, I totally have Spring Fever!! But when The Hubbs and I woke up this morning to get our day started with me heading to the airport and The Hubbs heading to Baytown, the 29* cold air made me realize February is still considered Winter. Waa Waa!!

With that realization, I know the one thing to cure these Winter Blues... Cookin' up some Don't Be a Chicken Chili! A good chili or soup always makes Winter seem so much more delightful or more bearable...haha!!

You can either click on then link above to my Pinterest page for the recipe or check it out on Sweet Home South...

{Don't Be A Chicken Chili}

Serves 6 guests. Enjoy this recipe from Gooseberry Patch Halloween Cookbook!!

Whatcha Need

1 T. oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 onion, chopped

14-oz. can chicken broth

2 (15.8-oz.) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 (4-1/2 oz.) cans chopped green chiles

1-1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. dried oregano

8-oz. container sour cream

1 c. whipping cream

2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cookin' Time

~ Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat & Add chicken and onion

~ Saute 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through; set aside

~ Combine broth, beans, undrained chiles and seasonings in a large Dutch oven

~ Bring to a boil over medium-high heat & Add chicken mixture

~ Reduce heat & Simmer for 30 minutes

~ Add sour cream and whipping cream, stirring well

~ Top each serving with shredded cheese

I have a few homemade changes & helpful notes:

*I do not use beans. Per The Hubbs and my request we are anti-bean chili peeps!!

*Instead of sautéing my chicken, I boil the chicken breasts first, cube each breast & then sauté with the onions.

*I always make this recipe times 2. The recipe notes it feeds 6 guests, but everyone always wants seconds, and it is. Great chili to freeze and reheat.

*The consistency of this chili is more soup-like. So don't fret because the taste sure is pleasing to the palette!!

I hope this delish dish warms your soul & belly!!

Enjoy Sweets!!

{P.S. ~ Get excited about Sweet Home South Posts for the next couple of days. My weekend is filled with celebrating my most amazing Kristie B. & Bradley, so I will be blogging from the Nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C. for the next couple of days!!}

 

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Lent 2013 :: Day 3 ~ Spring Fever

Happy day, Sweets!!

I don't know about y'all, but lately I have been experiencing major SPRING FEVER!!

Green grass is growing in our disheveled back yard... Target is stocked up on polka dot bikinis and fancy flip flops... Daylilies are blooming one by one... The Hubbs and I are awakened in the morning by birds singing their sweet tunes... Last but not least, I have finally thumbed through my Southern Living ~ February Spring Edition which mos def can bring on symptoms of Spring Fever!!

Maybe I love Spring so much because it was the season I was born in or maybe all those long, cold Windy City Winter days that I experienced for 5 years makes me truly appreciate seasons changing and Spring knocking on the door!! Or maybe it is all of those things and more like hotdogs at the baseball park... Bike rides over the Big Dam Bridge... Of course, the ending to Rue Girl's shedding extravaganza!!

Spring also brings new beginnings and new attitudes. I look forward to sharing new additions from Our Sweet Home South with y'all, too!! Don't go crazy Sweets, it's only additions to our backyard not our family!!

Have a lovely day, Sweets!!

 

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Lent 2013 :: Day 2 ~ Love The One You're With

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweets!!

Today is coined as a day to show your love for that special one or if your single then it is a day to get together with friends and celebrate each other because who needs somebody to love?! Right?! Haha...

However, as a rule in Our Sweet Home South, The Hubbs and I treat everyday as Valentine's Day. Sappy maybe, but totally true. On the day we got married, we pledged and promised to love each other no matter what. Now, it is our wanting and duty as husband and wife to let each other know how much we love each other every morning when we wake up, every day when we have a free second and every night before we go to sleep.

...To The Hubbs...

My Love, thank you for your unconditional love day in and day out. You love me for me and that kind of love is once in a lifetime. I am thankful every day for you, for Rue and for the life we have been blessed with. I admire your work ethic and could not be more proud to call you My Hubbs. You never settle for Second's Best and always want tomorrow to be better today. I love how you make me laugh. I love how your patience is steadfast. I love how you love me. Forever and always, I love you to the maxx!!

I challenge y'all to love someone and show it every day of your life. You should not let just Valentine's Day be an excuse to show your love for your right-hand man or that special loved one!! Every day you should love the one you're with!! Thanks Crosby Stills Nash for those catchy lyrics :)

True love doesn't just fill your heart, it overflows into your whole body and soul.

~Anonymous

 

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Lent 2013 :: Day 1 ~ Say a Little Prayer

Good morning Sweets!!

Today marks the first day of the 2013 Season of Lent. Unlike most God-loving people who fast or give-up luxuries like chocolate or fried food in their life for 40 days, I like to add something to enhance my life and my friends & family that surround me.

For me, today marks Day 1 of my Season of Lent where I will challenge myself to blog 40 days sharing love, laughter and new ideas to help your everyday life!!

Today's post is about saying a little prayer and sending happy thoughts to someone in need. Just take 5 minutes to let someone know you are thinking about them or just take 5 minutes to say a prayer for someone. 5 minutes could change someone's day because just when you think life is tough there is someone around the corner who has it worse.

This morning I prayed for our sweet friends, The Smith's and their nephew, Ryan. Here is his story. Rallying for Ryan has spread to all 50 states in the great US of A.

The power of prayer is amazing, y'all!! Your words could change someone's life for just today or even forever.

Enjoy today Sweets because you will never get it back!!

 

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Southern Lovelies Coming Soon...

No, you're not seeing things...I promise!!

Yes, I have been a total slacker at keeping Sweet Home South updated with the newest happenings, but what can I say, the Holidays and the New Year got the best of me!!

I would like for y'all, my sweetest of Sweets, to know that many lovelies will be coming your way. As in what you might ask? For starters a new website with Sweet Home South branded!! This has been my biggest task this last month with purchasing the website rights for Sweet Home South and designing the actual website. Meaning, this blog will be redirected hopefully sooner than later!!

With my new world wide web adventure, I will be bringing new Southern lovelies for your viewing and reading pleasure!! Hip hip hooray for sleepless nights contemplating "What honestly makes me happy? How can I roll that passion and energy into motion?" So, Ta-Da!! Sweet Home South the website was born and will soon come to fruition!!

With all my heart and happiness, I am honored to have Y-O-U as a dedicated reader and one of my lovely Sweets!!

See Y'all soon!!

PS ~ Thank you my Bestie Brookie for the above pictured pillow!! It was one of my inspirations to get me in gear and answer the question, "What makes me happy and How am I going to get it done!!

 

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25 Days Till Christmas...Umm, For Real?!

Hard to believe, y'all, but Christmas is 25 days away!! Where did 2012 go? Better question, how did 2012 pass by oh so fast?!

Nonetheless, it's time to get in the Christmas Spirit, Sweets!! Today marks my official day to start decorating our Sweet Home South for The Holidays. Why today? Well, first of all, I forbid doing A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G before Turkey Day. Secondly, I feel December 1st is most fitting to mark deckin' the halls with green, red & gold and twinklie white lights galore!!

With today being December 1st, Rue Girl and I listened to the sounds of Bing Crosby while cleaning house and bringing out Our Sweet Home South's Boxes-O-Christmas!!

Happy Holidays, Y'all!!

The wreath at top was hand-crafted by Yours Truly from freshly picked Delta Cotton, Natural Burlap Ribbon, a hot glue gun, Twine Wreath and lots of patience with placing each cotton bowl in its perfect place!!

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