Recipe: Cheesey Zuccini/Squash

In our first year of marriage, Hubster introduced me to these yummy little zuccini slices and we have since expanded them to include yellow squash as well. They are a nice little snack, appetizer, and even side and SO simple!





Ingredients:
1 zuccini or yellow squash, sliced
butter, melted
mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese (both super yummy)



Cook Time: 10 min, until cheese is slightly browned
Preheat Oven: 350*-375*


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Lay out slices of zuccini and/or squash.
Using a pastry brush, coat with melted butter.
Sprinkle with cheese.
Put in oven, 10 minutes or until cheese is browned.

We used to make these on the grill, however we currently can't use the grill due to apartment complex rules.

Iiiiittttt'sssss raffle time!

Are you ready for a makeup raffle?? Go to my makeup blog for more information on the prize and how to enter!

Recipe: Panko Breaded Chicken

My friend, Nicole, gave me this recipe for Panko Breaded Chicken at one of my wedding showers and it's SO yummy! So I'll share it!

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Preheat oven to: 375*

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/4 milk

2-3 C. Panko Bread Crumbs

1-2 C. all-purpose flour

 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (or 6-8 chicken tenderloins)

1/2 tsp. pepper

Morton's Nature's Seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*F. Line a baking sheet or shallow dish with foil (makes for easy clean up!).

In 3 shallow, wide bowls fill each separately with (1) flour, (2) panko bread crumbs, and (3) beaten egg and milk.

If not already 1/4-1/2 inch thin, gently flatten or pound chicken until flat (place between sheets of wax paper) using a mallet or rolling pin. 

Coat each strip with four, then egg wash, then bread crumbs.

Place each strip on foil lined sheet leaving a little space between each one.
Sprinkle with pepper and generously with Morton's Nature's Seasoning.
Bake 20-25 minutes (flip 1/2 way through) or until fully cooked. Bread crumbs won't necessarily be browned, so be careful not to overcook.

**adding garlic to it is yummy too!

Before they went in the oven:

After - unfortunately my little kitchen timer didn't go off so these were a little over cooked, but they were still very yummy:

They're really good served by themselves, but we like to add a sauce to it. Hubster likes to eat them with a ketchup/hot sauce concoction. Ketchup is good or orange sauce/terriyaki/sweet and sour... pretty much asian inspired sauce is great!


Enjoy the yummy-ness!



-S

Fire!

So I started a fire in our living room the other night. It was thrilling. Don't worry - it wasn't intentional. Scared Pocket though. Ok, it scared me too.

See, now I've got you reading and interested, so you have to keep reading. muahahaha. Don't worry, I really DID start a fire in our living room. It was a bit ironic too as we had just bought fire extinguishers either that day or the day before. Only took one small fire while Anthony wasn't home to decide we should do that... and then a month or so after that small fire to actually buy it. But hey, I haven't build the apartment complex down yet. Woohoo! 
Now you're wondering how I did started a fire in our living room - it's really quite brilliant. And by brilliant, I mean it's really quite ridiculous how I couldn't have thought the whole series of events through and seen this was a possibility.  I was cleaning all my makeup brushes and tools and I had some eyeliner stuck in the sharpener and I couldn't get it out so I decided the most logical way to get it out was to melt it out -- not even thinking that this was not my metal sharpener. No, it was in fact plastic so any type of flame, while it would probably successfully melt the liner out of it - it would also probably melt the whole sharpener along with it... anyways. I decided to use the lighter in the same location as I had been sanitizing everything just seconds earlier... so the fumes were still in the air. I light the lighter and wooooooooosh! Fireball in the living room - caught the towel I had been using and almost my skirt. Anthony was on the couch and felt the heat from it. He thinks I moved pretty quickly, I however disagree - as we both kind of stared at it and I yell "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" and run to go get the fire extinguisher.... in the mean time, he put the fireball out by smothering it blanket.

And all of this got me thinking about our perspectives on things - and, mainly, how hard I am on myself. Anthony thinks that I acted very quickly and had a good plan of action to prevent it from spreading and to put it out. And all I can think of is how I just stared and yelled at it as it got larger. I should've done _________ or I shouldn't have done ________. Trust me, there are plenty of things I can put in those blanks, and most of them are probably twisted to make it seem like I am so much worse than I am. Don't get me wrong, I am the queen at failing at things and messing up, but I sometimes, by the grace of God, I do get things right. I think out of the whole experience, apart it being ridiculous that I would light anything around alcohol fumes [dumb], that it just amazes me how I am so quick to put myself down and get hard on myself and my wonderful, amazing, fantastic, loving husband is so quick to encourage me and build me up. God has truly blessed me with this marriage! Thank you Lord!!

Houses

Yesterday we went and looked at model homes - it was fun, but we both agree that it was a bit underwhelming. These particular houses have gotten a lot of hype, so when we went we expected it to be some big wow factor and it really wasn't. A nice neighborhood set in between a couple really bad neighborhoods was the first thing we weren't fans of and while the models were nice, they were upgraded which would be an extra cost for any of the homes in that neighborhood. The lady at the seller's office was not very friendly or helpful either - in fact, she was a bit rude which was annoying. She couldn't have acted more like she didn't want us there. But it was still fun :) We're not actually looking to buy a house right now, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon after my photo shoot had been cancelled. Nothin' wrong with looking at what's out there for the future :)

Early Morning Tuesday!

Gooooooood morning! (It's technically morning, but I SHOULD be saying goodnight!)
I feel like I haven't been writing as much as I normally do - but things are just a little bit busy at the moment, so I guess here's a little bit of an update.

We now have TWO bunnies, count them....

There are 2! #1 is Pocket, which you probably know already. And #2 is Hershey. Pocket is a girl. Hershey is a boy. They are both fixed, so you don't need to tell me how rabbits multiply. Pocket has been much more happy since we got Hershey, however Hershey is VERY skiddish and sometimes I wonder if he is EVER going to like us. :/ I know he likes us, but it's discouraging when he has days were he's SO afraid of everything that if I move a piece of paper he gets startled. Hopefully he'll grow out of it - he just needs a lot of patience.

Other than that, we're just work work workin' away. A is continuing to work hard on building up his clientell here and it's working. He still has a lot of business from his groupons and he's getting return customers along with lots of nice things being said about him on the groupon webiste! Woohoo!  I have been hired on for 2 fashion shows coming up. One is being put on by Angelic Magazine and the other one is being put on by Us Entertainment. I am super excited to be apart of both! I've also been able to work on quite a few brides and models and just launched my monthly newsletter (sign up here!) along with a revamped website (check it out here) ...revamped because I accidently deleted the whole thing, launched a mobile site, which is still kind of a work in progress (check it here), and launched my business blog ( www.makeupbysc.blogspot.com). And all of this with the WONDERFUL support of my amazing, awesome, godly gift of a husband!. 

Other than that, I think everything is pretty much the same - I think we have both agreed that we need to find something else to get involved in so we can meet people; it's been especially hard on me lately feeling like we still don't really know anyone and there's really not anyone I can call up and say "hey let's go do lunch" or "let's go walk around the mall" or "come on over!". I trust that God will provide, I think I've just been super homesick lately.

Hope you're all doing well!
Loves to y'all! <3

I don't want to give away what I named this little gem, so go read on and see what this is about!

     I have come up with a BRILLIANT beyond brilliant idea! Here it is...

You might thinking that this is just evidence of my enormous sweet tooth. You might be wondering, what is this all about? Well, have no fear because I am here to tell you!
The Hubster and I were talking last night about the fact that he sometimes has to go on business trips and how I have a hard time the first couple days (ok, let's be honest - I FINALLY adjust and come to terms with him being away the day he comes home *giggle*) . Anyways, thinking that I am sure there are lots more wives out there than me who deal with the same thing I decided there should be some type of "Husband Business Trip Survival Kit" and then this was created! I can't honestly tell you why there's Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme included, it just seemed like a good idea as I walked through Target.

Now this isn't the ENTIRE kit - as I forgot to grab a book and bubble bath to include with the other goodies, but I figure it's a good start. And maybe you know a [newlywed] wife who's husband is going on a business trip for the first time and you want to try and help the transition (it's not easy saying good bye to your spouse, even if it's just a short trip!), you might want to make her a little "Survival Kit" like this one.

Ideas of things to include:
Brownie Mix (or already baked brownies)
Cookie Dough (or cookie mix or already baked cookies)
Marshmallow Creme (again, don't know why it just sounds good right now)
A chick flick or two (or if she's not into chick flicks, some movie that she would like)
Bubble Bath
A Book
New Nail Polish
A Starbuck's gift card perhaps
A journal with encouraging notes already in it




An encouraging bible verse

Put it in a cute basket and tie it with a bow and you've got the "Husband Business Trip Survival Kit" and hopefully a wife that has a bunch of distractions while her hubby is away!

I know the Hubs and I came up with it (ok, I came up with it - he agreed it was a good idea), but I think it's an absolutely brilliant idea and I think it would be a nice little thing to do for a wife who's struggling with her hubby being gone!