mom, grab your tissues!

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone when I say I LOVE my mom.  I mean, I really, really like her.  But then again, who doesn't?  I have never met anyone that has met my mom that doesn't rave about her every time I see them.  Especially those crazy horse people!  She seems to be a bit of a God at MacNair's, probably because she's totally obsessed with all horses.  She treats each of them like they're her own (ok, so they don't all get warm mushy hay cubes with carrots mixed in twice a day like Snowy does, but they understand he's number 1).  She's the best "Grammy" Scout and Parker could ever ask for.  In fact, when Scout won't listen to me, all I have to say is "Grammy's here!" and he comes-a-runnin'.  Is that mean?  Anyways, we have always had a really great relationship because we have a huge passion in common.  I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been to the barn by myself, without her.  She was the BEST "horse show mom" I have ever known.  I'm talking professional status.  She was (and still would be if we were still showing) the best grazer, boot cleaner, sweat brusher, nose wiper, crop runner, rat catcher ironer, stall picker, trailer cleaner, and SO much more.  All I had to do was get up at 5am to bathe my poop-stained horse in the mornings and dress myself, and she pretty much did everything else if I let her.  I was one of the lucky girls who had a mom that actually had a clue about horses before going into the crazy world they call horse showing.  Ok, so she knows a hell of a lot more than I do.  Whatever.  She can't braid or pull manes like I can!  But, she can out-wrap me any day.  And she can give shots.  I can't do that.
Don't get me wrong, spending that much time with your mom between the ages of 10 and 21 doesn't come without fights.  My favorite fights were the ones that included the phrase, "You're too much like your father."  Shout out to my daddio- we got her!
It's amazing what moving out does to a mother-daughter relationship.  Sure, I only moved 10 minutes down the road, but since then we have become best friends.  In fact, she's the one I usually want to hang out with on the weekends now.  I couldn't wait for a free weekend so I could hang out with my friends when I was a teenager, now I can't wait for a free weekend so I can hang out with my mom.  I used to get embarrassed by her loud bubbliness, but now I'm exactly like her.  They say that can happen...
I could go on and on about how incredible my mom is.  She is ALWAYS positive, no matter what is going on.  She has been the most amazing partner in this wedding planning process.  She has been supportive of every single thing I have chosen and has not once pushed anything on me.  She's HELPING me plan MY wedding.  I am so beyond thankful for that.  Weddings can make moms crazy, but that is so far from the truth in our case.  We are just having so much fun!
I really just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to the woman I strive to be like every single day.  Eric and I (and now Payton) are so unbelievably lucky to have a mom as wonderful as she is.  I hope I have and will continue to make her proud and I hope she always knows how much we love her!

What are the chances that she doesn't cry after reading this? :)


On another note...
Here are a few of the recipes we've made recently.  All of them are absolute repeats!

Buffalo Chicken with Grilled Romaine Salad

http://www.food.com/recipe/buffalo-chicken-sandwich-105888

We didn't feel like having sandwiches, so I just made the chicken breasts according to the recipe and we ate it with our favorite grilled romaine salad.  I'm telling you, if you've never had grilled romaine or grilled cabbage- try it!  It's easy and so, so good.  You'll need:

1 package romaine hearts

Sesame Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 onion

Cut each romaine heart in half.

Drizzle each half with sesame oil and balsamic vinegar.

Sprinkle each half with salt and pepper.

Quarter your onion.

Throw it all on the grill until edges of romaine begin to brown and onion is soft.

Chop the romaine and the onion and toss together.

We add grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese and a little bit of salad dressing (blue cheese or balsamic vinaigrette are great on the salad - a little goes a long way).  It's also great with avocado.

I also made these yummy cinnamon rolls for Payton because anything cinnamon is his favorite.

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/pasta-with-pancetta-and-leeks/

Baja Pork Tacos

3lb. pork roast

4 cans chopped green chilies

1 package taco seasoning

1 Tbsp. cumin

Cut pork roast in half and place in crock pot.  

Mix chilies with taco seasoning and cumin, pour over pork.  

Cook on low in crock pot for 8-10 hours.  

Serve on corn or flour tortillas with your favorite taco toppings, and enjoy!

1 year

Everyone looks forward to the last day of classes, but they don't tell you how bittersweet your LAST last day of classes will be!  I can't believe it's already been an entire year since my last last day.  Of course I was thrilled to be closing a chapter in my life and starting a new one, but it was so surreal.  I really never have to open a text book again?  I really never have to wake up at 4am to finish a paper again?  I really never have to go back-to-school shopping again? (bummer).  It's so hard to wrap your head around this concept until August arrives and you REALLY don't go back to school.  Since I have the privilege of working at a school now, I still get to feel the energy on campus- but it is in a completely different way.  It's been a year since I graduated from the greatest place on earth (I'm talking about Meredith College, not Disney World).  That place, just like Disney, is purely magical and I can't believe I ever questioned going there.  There is no other college like it in the world and I am one of the lucky few that got to EXPERIENCE IT (See what I did there, MCGs?).  One of my biggest dreams in life is to send my very own daughter there some day.  I know, that's a stretch, but that's how much Meredith means to me.  It makes me cry just thinking about it, but then I remember that I will never really leave Meredith.  It's in me forever and that is one of my biggest blessings in life.  

PS- It's hard enough to believe it's been a whole year since college graduation... but that also means that it has been 5 YEARS since high school graduation!  I still remember that like it was yesterday.  What an amazing high school experience I had!  The class of '08 had to have been the best class ADHS has ever seen :)  So, when's our first reunion?

June 2008 - ADHS graduation

May 2012 - Meredith College graduation

Class of 2008 Student Council

My 2012 MCGs

 Moving on... Things have been pretty boring in our house this week.  Payton planted a garden last weekend (peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers), so I can't wait until we get to have fresh veggies!  I did some spring cleaning (boooo), but I still have some more areas of the house to tackle before I can say I'm done.  There is nothing worse than cleaning baseboards and windows...
I have been completely updating my work wardrobe this week.  It's expensive, but necessary.  I guess you can say it's part of my spring cleaning routine since I'm getting rid of the old stuff and get nice new things?  Yeah, that sounds good.

We finished up our menu last week with the following:
I splurged and got burgundy wine steak tips and cheddar biscuits from The Meat House on Wednesday.  I could live in The Meat House.  We had steamed broccoli with it and it was the perfect meal!

Friday we had frozen pizza because we were feeling lazy, and Saturday we made burgers at our friends house.  Payton makes the best burgers!  We put roasted pablano peppers and bacon on them.  And now my mouth is watering...

Thursday:
Crunchy Black Bean Tacos
http://www.endlesssimmer.com/2012/04/04/cornerstone-cooking-crunchy-black-bean-tacos/

This is one of our favorite go-to's.  They are quick, easy and so good.  We like to have meat-free meals at least once a week, and this is the perfect option!

Sunday:

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

http://myfridgefood.com/viewrecipe.php?recipe=20547

Ok, this is a MUST.  Payton made it while I shopped so I don't have many tips, but we did double the sauce and served it over brown rice.  It might be harder to do this one on a work day since the timing is a little weird, but it is SO good!

So far this week we have had coney hots (coneys with texas pete cili) with salad, and a couscous and shrimp dish with grilled nappa cabbage.  The couscous and shrimp with nappa cabbage takes a total of about 10 minutes to make - score!  

1 cup plain couscous

1 lb. shrimp (I thawed raw frozen shrimp)

olive oil

lemon juice

salt & pepper

parmesan cheese

Cook the couscous according to the package and set it aside.  Sautee shrimp and garlic in olive oil.  Add S&P to taste.  Add 2 tsp. lemon juice.  Add couscous to shrimp along with additional olive oil (plain couscous can be a bit dry).  Add parmesan cheese, stir, and serve!  Couldn't be easier.  For the nappa cabbage, we quarter it, drizzle it with sesame oil and balsalmic vinegar and sprinkle S&P on each piece.  Grill until slightly brown on the edges but soft in the middle, chop, and enjoy!  My dad grills cabbage or romaine all the time and it has turned out to be one of our favorite sides.

Happy May!

wife-in-training

Sometimes I feel like I'm already a wife.  Actually, I have felt like a wife for the last 2 years.  I actually enjoy doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms and cooking and grocery shopping, so I have no problem doing those things for myself and for Payton.  Some people get the wrong impression when they find out that I've been doing those things for him for years now, but I am quick to correct them.  Payton does things for me every single day that I probably don't appreciate enough or give him enough credit for.  He takes out the trash every single week, no questions asked.  He takes care of our yard- he mows, sprays weeds, waters plants.  He can fix anything- the TV, the internet, the faucet, the dresser, my car.  He builds furniture- a beautiful bar, a big matching pantry with custom spice racks, stairs for Scout so he can get on our bed... I could go on all day listing the things he does for ME.  After hearing that, what's so bad about me doing his laundry or packing his lunch?  Payton takes care of me.  He has taught me how to be smart with my money (those of you who know Payton know what I mean...), which is something I am eternally grateful for.  I am so lucky to be marrying a MAN like him.  A man exactly like my dad.  They think the same, act the same, and take care of me.  Sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming- like when they team up on me and make fun of me- but I am so glad that I found someone to spend my life with that is just like my favorite guy in the whole world!  And I'm sure my dad feels better knowing he'll be giving me away to someone just like him...

I had so much fun this past weekend visiting with my family!  Mom and I drove to Burlington to watch my cousin's lacrosse team win the semi-final round of the Conference Carolinas championship on Saturday, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon with them, laughing non-stop.  We drove back to Burlington with Payton on Sunday to watch them win the whole thing!  I was so impressed with my cousin's coaching and with the team.  Being a lacrosse fan is in my blood, I suppose!  Oh, and PS.. my cousin was named coahc of the year.  Just saying.  

Although it's been years since we've all been together like that, it felt like no time had passed at all.  I just wish the rest of the Fisk Clan could have been there with us!  

Aunt Donna sent us home with some Hoffman Coneys (pork hotdogs).  Hoffman's is a hotdog company out of New York and my parents grew up eating them.  My mom has always told me stories about going to "the stands" in Oswego to get her "coney hot" and chocolate milk after track practice in high school.  I can't believe I had never had one before this weekend!  They are delicious and I'm going to demand my NY family bring us some for our wedding - just don't tell my mom because she'll eat them all.

I put mustard and coleslaw on it.  Don't disown me, I had to bring the south to my coney! 

I also made this delicious reeses cookie pie for my mom's birthday.  It speaks for itself... "Recipe" here: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/peanut-butter-cookie-pizza

We ate junk all weekend, so we have been eating good this week.

Monday:

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

http://www.ommynoms.com/2008/11/mongolian-beef-stir-fry.html

I got to use my new wok!  Our first wedding gift from my wonderful Aunt Nancy :) 

I couldn't find beansprouts, but other than that I didn't change a thing!  I served it with rice noodles, which I have never had before, and they were soooo yummy.  I soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes and finished them with the rest of the stir fry in the wok.  It turned out perfectly and this is a must re-do!

Tuesday:

Turkey Chili

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-turkey-chili/

Super easy, and really delicious!  I've made a bunch of different chilis, but nothing compares to my dad's.  This actually stood a chance up against the best!  It was really flavorful with almost no fat.  I followed the recipe exactly and I will definitely be using this as my family chili recipe!  I had a simple salad with it.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/05/lemon-blueberry-yogurt-loaf/

Oh my.  This is sinful.  I have made muffins very similar to this before and they were a huge bust.  This turned out PERFECTLY and it is unbelievably good!  It's a bit time-consuming with a lot of steps, but oh so worth it.

This week is triple coupon week at Harris Teeter (triple all coupons up to$0.99 face value), so maybe I can actually report on some good couponing next week.  That gets me very excited!  I haven't been getting my big impressive deals lately, so I can't do much bragging...

Thanks for reading!  

food & family

Typically I don't cook every single night of the week, but this week was an exception I suppose!  I need to remember to take pictures of my meals for a more aesthetically pleasing blog!  But anyways, here's the menu:

Monday:
Grilled Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches
http://livinglight58.blogspot.com/2012/03/our-favorite-sandwiches-ever.html

Now these are delicious! I trimmed and pounded out 3 chicken breasts and then cut them in half so they would fit on the buns better.  I used pineapple slices from a can, but I would definitely recommend going with the fresh stuff!  On a side note, the first can of pineapple I opened was jet black on the inside.  It was the weirdest thing!  It still smelled like pineapple, but it looked like motor oil!  Needless to say, I threw it out and got a new can that was the appropriate color...
I used a mandolin on thin to slice the onion.  This was a really easy recipe and it is perfect for a summer barbeque! *note to self*

Tuesday:
Mushroom Risotto
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/gourmet-mushroom-risotto/

It turned out great just as it was written, but I wish I would have cut the recipe in half.  It makes a ton and we're only 2 people!  I also didn't love it as leftovers (bummer).  It's much better the first day.  Warning: If you don't like mushrooms, you will NOT like this!  And remember, risotto is always time consuming.
I served it with roasted asparagus, which I make by laying it on a cookie sheet, drizzling it with olive oil and soy sauce, sprinkling it with Camp Mix (or S&P) and roasting it in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning once.

Wednesday:
BBQ Ribs
1 rack baby back ribs
1-2 onions, chopped
1 bottle BBQ sauce of your choice
1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Combine spices and rub on both sides of ribs.  Cut rack in half.  Place ribs in a crock pot and cover with BBQ sauce.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Talk about easy and delicious!!  I found this recipe in my crockpot booklet.  The ribs fell off the bone before I could even get them onto a plate!  Payton and I devoured them and we can't wait to make them again.
We made steamed broccoli and sweet potato tots with this, but we kind of filled up on the ribs before we got to the sides.  Oh well!  Good for lunch the next day!

Thursday:
Super Easy Buffalo Chicken Tacos
http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/979683/buffalo-chicken-taco-recipe

I'm a sucker for anything with buffalo or hot sauce.  This recipe could not be easier and it was absolutely delicious!  I cubed up 3 chicken breasts and followed the recipe as is.  We topped our tacos with avocado, celery, chives, red onion and shredded lettuce.  I put some more blue cheese dressing on top, but you really don't need it.  These are definitely a repeat!
Payton roasted some zucchini and squash slices to have with the tacos that were also yummy!


That takes care of the food portion of my blog - now onto family!  I had a fun Saturday planned with my friends, including a tailgate lunch and watching NC State's spring game.  I live for days like that because we all have full time jobs and just don't get to spend as much time together anymore.  There is really only one thing that will pull me away from my friends on a weekend, and that's family.  The 4 of us (mom, dad, Eric, me) are the only members of our semi-large family that live in NC.  The rest are spread out from Texas to Massachusetts.  I envy my friends that get to see their grandparents, cousins, Aunts and Uncles on a regular basis.  I'm SO thankful to be joining a family that has that luxury - everyone lives close!  That's one of my favorite things about Payton's family.  I love our get-togethers at Momaw and Popaw's house.  It's so refreshing and fun, but it makes me miss my own family that much more.  It's really funny to think about how much my priorities and my definition of fun have changed in just the last few years!
Anyways, my mom called the other day with the best news!  My Uncle Bill and Auntie Donna (one of her 4 sisters) are driving from Oswego, NY to Burlington, NC this weekend!!!!!!  Their son/my cousin Scott coaches women's lacrosse at Limestone College in SC and they have a tournament in Burlington!  As much as I wanted to hang out with my friends on Saturday, nothing is more important to me than spending time with family that I get to see once every 5 years (if I'm lucky).  And I know my mom is so excited to share all of this wedding joy with her sister face-to-face, not just over the phone.  Donna has 3 boys, so wedding talk from a girls perspective is much more fun :)  I just can't wait to spend time with the Tuckers and enjoy some damn good lacrosse!

Flashback Friday - The Tuckers, the Fisks, and the Camerons.  

I'm the blonde with the white cowgirl boots...

Have a wonderful weekend!

spring is here to stay!

Boy, am I glad we can finally say that spring is here- and it looks like it plans on sticking around!  What a beautiful weekend it was.  I made Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese on Friday night and it was a big winner!

http://nutritionella.com/2013/01/butternut-squash-mac-cheese/

This recipe is rather time consuming, but it is so worth it!  We've been eating it non-stop since it came out of the oven.
I cheated and bought the already cubed butternut squash at Harris Teeter.  Hey, it was on sale!
This dish has a really great texture and the flavor is out of this world.  Those 3 cheeses are magical, I swear.  Don't skip out on them!  And did you know that HT sells fancy cheeses already shredded now?  Finding a bag of shredded Gruyere for $3.00 made my day.  It's the little things...
I don't have an immersion blender, so I put the squash mixture in my food processor after it cooled down for a bit.  I had to do it in 2 batches because it would have overflowed otherwise.  It worked just fine!
Definitely follow the broil step.  It gives it a perfectly crusty cheese layer to top it off.  Yumm!

I could chat about food forever, but the rest of my weekend was even better than that mac&cheese, believe it or not!  My MOH and I took a quick road trip to Fayetteville on Saturday to visit another one of my bridesmaids and her daughter- my flower girl!  We went to the spring fling at her school and had too much fun watching her play (and playing a bit ourselves...) and I even won a cake at the cake walk!  Talk about a good day!  I just love getting to spend time with Libby and Ava since they don't live close!

Me, Meredith (Libby's sister), and sweet Ava!

Payton and I spent Saturday night watching episode after episode of Walking Dead on Netflix.  They aren't kidding when they say that show is addicting!  We kept saying "one more" until it was 2am.  We finished the season on Sunday night, so now we don't know what to do with ourselves.  Pathetic?  Now when I see people walking on the side of the road, I automatically think they are walkers.

Sunday was like, the best day ever.  Payton and I took Scoutie for a long walk, which is when I remembered how much I love spring time.  We also went to Diamonds Direct Crabtree to take advantage of their big designer showcase sale!  We got out WEDDING BANDS and I also got my wedding jewelry!  I love it there.  We both got exactly what we wanted - maybe even more, and for a fantastic price!  Then we had lunch in the mall while we talked for a long time about our future and kids.  I love that Payton likes to talk about kids.  Some guys are terrified of it, but he's just excited.  And the good news is, we're on the same page about everything (for now...)!  I really can't wait to be married to him.  But don't worry, we're many years away from being ready for the little ones!  It's just fun to talk about it :)

From the time I was about 12 until Snowy moved to New Hill in November 2011, I only lived about 10-15 minutes away from him.  At one point, I only lived a mile from him!  I was spoiled with the fact that I could go visit him whenever I wanted.  I miss that luxury SO much that it actually makes my heart hurt sometimes.  There are days when all I want to do is throw my arms around his neck and hug him.  He is 35 minutes away from me now and with my work schedule, I only get to see him on the weekends.  Most of the time, I only get to see him for 5 minutes when we have Sunday dinner with my parents.  I finally had the chance to go spend some time with him yesterday afternoon.  I called his name and he whinnied at me just like he always has.  He hadn't forgotten about me!  Mom had given him a bath the day before, so she got to be the bad guy for once!  I did pull his mane, which isn't his favorite thing, but he took it like a champ and I rewarded him with an hour of grazing on the bright green clover.  I curried him and shedded him until my hands were numb.  The ground looked like it had a fresh layer of snow (ha, get it?).  It's amazing how much hair comes off of those animals when spring time hits.  It's never ending!  I was covered from head to toe in white hair, but I didn't care one bit.  I was so happy to just be with him and I felt better than I've felt in weeks when I left.  It's hard to put into words how much joy he brings me, but all I can say is I'm lucky to call him mine.

And we can't forget about Mason the donkey.  He and Snowy are fence friends :)

Happy Spring!