Brown Bagging It Today!

If you don't care where I'm going or where I've been then scroll to the bottom for an awesome homemade cocktail sauce!

Come Saturday, I am going to be chilling out  here!

For how long? Well, for 21 ziploc bags worth of dog food = 63 cups of food = 7 days

'Cuz this little guy is going to his own pet resort while Tucker the Lhasa Apso goes to my parents.

Now, on to show you some overdue 20 year high school reunion pictures in NY a couple of weeks ago. I haven't posted pics of myself in quite some time so it was about time as well. 

One of my favorite people from high school ~ Frankie (that's me on the left)

Good friends, especially the one next to me. We were BFF's in 8th grade.

Great times were had by all!!! Not bad when everyone tells you so adamantly that "OH MY GOSH, YOU TOTALLY LOOK THE SAME."

Now on to the saucy stuff:

COCKTAIL SAUCE

2 tblsp ketchup
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp horseradish
3-4 drops tabasco
1/4 tsp worcestershire

Mix it all up & serve with shrimp! 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dip & Dinos

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SASSY STEPHANIE!!!!!

I have shared this dip with you before but with the holidays coming up & because this is the first time I have my own pictures, I wanted to post it again. It is a family favorite, my sister & I have been making it for years. And since it is so easy, I never even factor it in to my timeline when entertaining. It always has a spot. Even those who don't love artichokes have loved this dip!!

(2) 14oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained & cut up (2) can original Rotel (diced tomatoes & chiles), drained (1) cup mayo (1) cup grated parmesan cheese (2) tsp garlic powder (1) tsp worcestershire sauce Preheat oven to 375. To minimize cleanup, drain artichoke hearts in one side of the colander & the Rotel in the other side. Let sit for a few minutes. Roughly chop up the artichoke hearts in half. Pour into a shallow baking dish. Add mayo, parm cheese, garlic & worcestershire. Combine well. Bake for 30-35 minutes until nice & bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with Scoops!!!

My Thoughts: Too easy. This dip tastes perfect warm or at room temperature so it's perfect for taking right out of the oven & bringing somewhere. Even people who don't love artichokes have loved this dip. It's a must try. While it's not spicy at all, it does have a little kick. So, if you are on the cautious side at all, just buy the mild Rotel instead of the original.

Click Here to Print Recipe

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Here's pics from last weekend when we saw the live show Walking with Dinosaurs. It was an awesome experience & worth the money. It's based on the award winning BBC TV series & depicts the evolution of these dinos & their daily interactions with one another. I was amazed at how incredibly real they looked.

Click on pics to make larger.

We went with Tristan's girlfriend Emily who he has known since he was 8 months old, and her mom. How cute do they look together?

Spongebob Want a Chicken Sausage?

Check out the pictures from our one night stay at the Nickelodeon Hotel here in Orlando. My sister is in town with my niece Jordan & nephew Adam. We don't have too many cousins & ALL of them live a plane ride away so when these kids get together it's extra special. They all adore each other!

Click to enlarge

While we weren't crazy about our room except for the painted mural in the kids room (middle right) the pool area is the main attraction with their huge slide complex. As a local, one day was good enough for me! Don't miss the slime that pours out of the Spongebob bucket (middle left). People actually wait in line to get slimed!

We also enjoyed a show in one of the studios that evening where families dual one another & loser gets either slimed or pie thrown in their face.

And because I am all about the food, check out the awesome open faced omelet I made night before last for dinner. It looks like a pizza!


I sauteed 1/2 of a chicken apple sausage by Aidells, with spinach & tomato. I then poured 3 egg whites over the top & let it sit for a few minutes on low heat to cook through. Sprinkle on a little mozzarella with salt, pepper & my new fav in eggs - garlic powder. It was delicious. Check out the sausages here. The first 2 ingredients are chicken & diced apple. They sure are better than hot dogs & I only used half of one for this very healthy dish!

Vacation Wrap Up

I have been pre-occupied with a lot of good stuff on the home front this past week that I never got a chance to really talk about our vacation and post more pics. I also had a hard time putting the pics into a fun mosaic sort of fashion I have seen on other blogs. I couldn't move on with other posts until I wrapped this up so finally here are just a few other pics and a review of our vacation.

It was incredible!! Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort was beautiful. The food, the condo we stayed in, the weather, all simply exceeded our expectations. Tristan was the perfect travel companion. One morning while in the middle of us in the big bed, and half asleep, Tristan extended his arms out to both of us and pulled our heads into his shoulders. Our hearts melted. He also went into the ocean water for the first time as well as took a shower with Daddy for the first time ever. So, we had some special moments.

I also remained extremely motivated while on our trip. One morning I went jogging on the beach, another time I jogged from the beachside of the resort all the way to the bayside. I even woke up one morning at 6am to jog before Terry had to leave for golf at 7am!! While I had a few indulgent meals, I didn't go crazy just because I was on vacation. So, the healthy feeling stayed with me and made our trip even more awesome! I cannot wait to go back to Sandestin sometime in the future!



Terry & I at Baytown Wharf




Tristan building a sand castle



These were the best oysters I ever had in my life. Chargrilled and then drizzled with seasoned butter and romano cheese.



This was our view from the room



Beach Fun the Right Way. We would go to the pool during the day when it was stifling hot and then go to the beach about 4:30 when it was more comfortable.



Look at that beach-kissed face



Me by the Pool with a Michelop Ultra. Tristan's favorite thing about the pool - the waterfall.



Handsome Hubby with a Hole In One

Back from Vacation!

Tristan's 1st time in the ocean water

Tristan and I ready for our last night out on vacation.

And oh what a night we had. I guess Tristan left me no choice but to finish his Chocolate Martini.