Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos...

These little guys are to freaking die for!! They took my about 10 minutes to make and 20 min to cook!! Perfect for football season or cocktail parties...

Or you can be like me and make them for the hell of it on a Tuesday night!! 

-Enjoy!

What you need:

bacon (1/2 a slice per jalapeno) 

1/2 packet of cream cheese

1/2 shallot

1 garlic clove

salt and pepper

a little olive oil
some season salt

Directions: 

• Mix all your ingredients (minus the bacon) in a bowl until all mixed well and smooth! 
• Cut you Jalapenos in half and de-seed.
• Use those pretty little hands and stuff the jalapenos with the cream cheese mix.
• Cut your bacon strips in half (I used a apple wood smoked bacon from Trader Joe's).
• Wrap your jalapenos with bacon.
• Use a tooth pick or just tuck the bacon to keep it in place while cooking.
• Drizzle some olive oil over the tops and some fresh black pepper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min

Right before they went in the oven

**I use a baking rack so the bacon doesn't sit and cook in its own grease.... cuts down on the fat (haha) but most importantly make the bacon nice a crispy!

finished product!!

Sooo good and so easy!!  They were a big hit at my house!!

I hope you like them & I love you for reading!

xoxo 

MDG

Things I'm loving at the moment...

Here are some fun, random things that I am IN LOVE lately and to be honest... can't live without!

I LOVE (more like obsessed) with the sent of this stuff!! Nothing better then a clean and amazing smelling baby to cuddle with! 

Cinnamon Broom from Trader Joe's! Makes my house smell SOOO yummy and super "fall like".

Cinderella Pumpkins!! So pretty!! I love them for my dinner table and center pieces!! A new spin on fall!   

My Halloween Gel Manicure!! It looks black but its a super dark purple!! I <3 it!

 (Don't mind my man hands!)

Just got this phone last week!!! LOVVVVE it!! So worth the $$

We all know I am obsessed with water!! I take this thing everywhere with me!! @ 24oz. I drink 4 a day and hit my 94 oz. daily goal!!! 

For the price (about $7.99) you CAN NOT find a better red wine!! Yummy!!!

MaxFactor 2000 Calorie Mascara... NOTHING IS BETTER! Trust me I have tried them all!!

There you go! My favorites things right now!! 

 If you LOVE any of these things or have something you think is better!! Contact me and tell me all about it!!

tamaralynnwillis@gmail.com

I love you for reading!!

xoxo

MDG

Normal Friday and a NOT so normal Friday...

Normal Friday and a NOT so normal Friday...

I have way more “normal” Friday’s then “Not normal Fridays” these days but, when I get the rare chance to be the 25 year old, good time loving, vodka drinking, total goofball, don’t give a shit what you think Tamara… I take full advantage!

So I decided to let you in on one of my “Normal Friday’s & Not normal Friday’s”. Since I am usually just seen behind these words on my blog entry’s,  I thought a photo filled blog would give you a better idea of who I really am… what I REALLY look like and so on…

Normal Friday:

This is just another Friday night... same as Monday, same as Tuesday... We are more then likely in bed before 9:00pm and we just do our daily duties and just hang as a family! It 's great, its mellow, its full of love and hugs, little kisses, poopy diapers and time outs! Its our new life, the best life (in our option) and the kind of life we wouldn't trade for anything in the world. 

And her is what it looks like....

We play "Hair Salon"

We go to bed  before 9:00pm

Daddy gives Emma a Pedicure

Emma... Well she is just being Emma

Emma make us dinner... 37 times

Have a popcorn and watch "The Little Mermaid" for the 127th time.

And that's it... fun, easy, mellow and completly 100% all about that cute little blonde girl above!! I LOVE my "normal" life

Not normal Friday:  

This particular not normal Friday was my Birthday! My AMAZING friend Elena planned to take me out on the town and to "LIPS" if you don't know what lips is, Its a Drag-queen dinner and show type of place. It's a freaking BLAST!! I had the BEST time ever and the pictures below will prove it! 

On these few and far between "Non normal Friday nights" I let loose, I find that 25 year old shot loving, dancing like a dork, laughing till I have tear rolling down my face Tamara. The one that doesn't have to watch her mouth, cut up someones chicken and make sure the waitress did in fact mix the juice 50/50 water to juice for Emma!  I'm FREEEE!! It's like I forget how much of a good time I am! haha 

WARNING: If you do not want to see Men in woman's clothes DO NOT look at the photos below!

And here is goes!

Me and my Lovely ladies

The car ride.
( I guess I thought that display of my hand would make me look cool?... I was wrong.)

Bathroom photo time!

Elena making a move on my husband

Yes... that is a man

that too!

idk....

Big Mama


Yep, there you have it. My Normal Friday and a very far form normal Friday!
hope you enjoyed taking a look into my life...
P.S. Elena and Jessica, please done hate me for posting these pictures! I <3 you guys!

And I love you for reading!
-Tamara xoxo

Is this O.C.D? Nope, I am crazy... Nope, It's my husbands fault!

I have been called a "neat freak" once or twice... But, last night after a busy weekend I went in the kitchen to start dinner... At that very moment, I almost lost my damn mind. The sink was full of dishes the counters had shit on them... AHHHHHHH! So, here is my problem, I CAN NOT cook in a dirty kitchen! If the rest of my house is a mess it will all be OK as long as the kitchen is clean! And if there is anything in the sink, then its not clean. It really. really bugs me! Crazy? 

Maybe a little...  

I fell kinda like a freak... I mean, just cook and clean later, right? NOPE! Not going to happen. Its almost like I think the food will not be as good if the kitchen is dirty or I cant enjoy the process of cooking when its not just the way I like it! How do you expect em to enjoy a nice meal when all I can think about when I am eating it is, How dirty the kitchen is!! 

You know what would be nice... If my husband would notice the kitchen is dirty (vs ignoring it) and actually did something about instead of waiting for me to either do it myself or yell (i mean) ask him to do it!!! 

OMG That drives me nuts!! (So if you are reading, honey...) Lets be honest, If I could get some help with out asking him to put down the video games, pause the football game or put down the guitar etc... Not only would I be so happy but just imagine what he could get in return. :)  Yes, I use my lovely lady lumps as a reward or to get what I want... So what! 

WOW! This went form a "Could I be a little nuts/ O.C.D" to a "My husband is lazy" blog!! HAHA I have realized two different things in this entry... I AM crazy and my Husband makes me that way! :)  

So, how inappropriate would it be to make a "Daily Chore Chart" for the adults in the house? That way my husband can be held accountable and he can see everything I already do! Or we can get our house keeper back?! Oh, this could be the answer to so many of my problems!! Clean house, More energy cause I am not doing everything and I don't resent my hubby! Oh, this is going to be gooooood!! 

I mean... Men do really need to be told what to do and not expected, right? Or are they just that damn smart? I'm thinking the 1st one...

Wish me and my new "chore chart" luck! 

Clean kitchens and Love,

Tamara

Feeding your family for 1 month under $200.00!!

So, budgets are tight for most us right now, right?! Why not save a buck, or for me $800.00!! Yes, I use to spend abut $200.00 a week on foods! 

After cleaning out my refrigerator and cupboards last night I found myself depressed at the empty sight and thinking..."I really need to go to the store... ugh that will be $300.00 to stock backup!" I almost had a panic attack when I saw that all my usual "staples" were gone! Ahhhhhh what are we going to eat?! 

So, My "non-dramatic" self kicked in and said "TRY SOMETHING NEW" mix and match things that you have and DO NOT go to the store!! So I sat down with a list of everything I had. Somehow I had to make these few random things (that are left over for a reason) last me and my family of 3 till November 9th!! 

I am a cook! I LOVE to cook and by cook I mean REALLY cook! So this is going to be hard!! But, if I can pull this off, my wallet will not only thank me but it will change the way I shop from here on out! Now because of the contents that I had (aka bottom of the barrel) this by no means going to be our healthiest month ever... But, it will be our cheapest!! So don't judge!! 

The only thing I will be buying in the next month is milk, a couple fresh veggies and bread... everything else is already there!! Also, this means that I have to use left overs... SO NOT use to that! Not to mention this is not the best meal plan if you are on a diet! :] But I promise every meal will be yummy!! 

Here is my list of what I have to work with!!

2 bags of elbow noodles

2 steaks

2 chicken breast

2 bags of eagle eye chicken veggie pasta

1/2 gallon of tomato basil soup 

2 loafs of garlic bread

10-15 red potato's

1 large corned beef from Costco

1 bag of black beans

1 pkg of tortillas

1 block of cheddar cheese

1 tube of Chorizo 

1 family size orange chicken meal

4 onions 

2 cucumbers

1 head of broccoli

1 head of Cauliflower

1 stock of asparagus 

2 loafs of bread

1 pkg of bacon

1 head of garlic

and all my normal spices and so on....

So wish me luck!! This should be fun!! I will post my foods everyday along with recipes!!

Love you for reading -Tamara

Easy homemade Sangria...

Sangria is one of my favorites!! It's more of a summer drink and I prefer it with white wine but, because of it being fall I decided to make it with red and it was to die for!!! I really just put whatever I have in it most of the time so there really is no correct recipe... But, I wrote down what I put in it last night and since some of you commented I decided to post!!

This is what I used:

• 1 bottle of red wine (I used a Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 1 can of sliced peaches (syrup and all... It will add some sweetness with out having to add sugar later)
• 1 green apple sliced (the trick is to slice them as thin as possible!!)
• 1 orange sliced whole (I like to slice them in whole circles that way the fruit's are not only different textures but different shapes)
• 3/4 - 1 cup of vodka (most sangria has Brandy in it eww! I prefer vodka... and that's what I had on hand)
• 1 lime sliced in wedges
• 1 can of tonic or soda water

TIP: *The biggest tip and trick I can give you is.... When making a Sangra don't go by a nice expensive bottle wine!! Save that for sipping with your cheese or a nice steak. I use the cheap kind for sangria!! How cheap you ask? Last night was made with 2Buck Chuck and it was amazing!! Why? Well, By the time you are done adding all the different ingredients its going to taste the same as if you used a $20.00 bottle of wine!! Its about the whole flavor of everything put together! 

Also, if your making it for a party... Use a box wine and double the ingredients to how many bottles are in the box!! Cheap and good! You friends will be so impressed and love you for bring this to any party!!

TIP: *DO NOT put ice in your pitcher!!!! The acids in the sangria will break down the ice so fast you will be drinking water wine in no time!! Put ice only in the glasses and don't over fill your glasses with sangria so it takes a long while to sip!! Keeping the right sangria to ice combo is key!!

.

finished product

I love you for reading!! Wine buzz and hugs!! -Cheers! 

Tam xoxo