Shepherd's Pie

Comfort foods. Everyone has them and this just happens to be one of mine. My dad used to make this for me when I lived with him during high school. It's super easy and and modifiable to your own personal tastes, but here's how I make it now.

Ingredients:
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 can Corn (no salt added)
2 Pkg of Idaho Baby Reds Mashed Potatoes
2.5 cups of Shredded Hash-browns
1 - 1.5 Cups of Shredded Cheese
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Casserole/Baking Dish

Serves: 6 at about 435 calories per serving

Sunday Social

8 Things I Learned From Failed Relationships

If I were to write a letter to the men I've dated (before Philip) it would go something like this:

Dear Ex-boyfriends, Ex-fiance, and various men of my past,

Lets skip the polite greetings and get to the point of this letter cause you probably don't even care how I'm doing and how much better off I am without you. Really, you're just curious as to why I would even address you at all.

I want to thank you. Yep, THANK YOU.

I learned a lot from our relationships: the ones that weren't good for me, the flings that never really meant anything, and the ones I knew deep, deep down weren't really going to work out in the long run. Each one of you brought a new perspective to my life and taught me different things about men, relationships, and, most importantly, about myself. Here's a list of the lessons you unknowingly taught me that have shaped who I am and how I am still able Love.


1.Patience. I was never a patient child, and an even less patient adult, but I have and still am learning to be patient when it comes to other people who are important to me.

2.Sex does not equal Love. While sex is an important part of an intimate relationship, no matter how amazing it is, it's not the only thing that should be holding it together. A solid relationship is built on a foundation of trust, honesty, and communication.

3.Actions speak louder than words. You can talk my ear off with promises of change or being a better person, but that doesn't mean you will actually hold up your end of the bargain. Without the actions to back it up, "I Love You" is just another sentence.

4.If a man wants you in his life, he will make time for you. We all have our own schedules and routines, but when you care about someone you make room for them. Hang out with your friends two days a week instead of three; go to the gym in the mornings instead of after work (or workout together!); include your girlfriend in your group outings.

5.You aren't going to like everything about someone. Don't get me wrong, you should like most things about the person you are dating, but no one is perfect. I learned what I can and can't live with in a man, and it's helped me accept the things I cannot change.

6.Skip the "Honeymoon Phase". Be straight forward with the person you are dating from the beginning. That way you don't waste time, energy, and money on someone who just wants to bang you a few times, gets "scared" (a.k.a. bored), and dumps you because they "don't want to hold you back."

7.Don't stick around if you are truly unhappy. Every relationship has hard times, but if I am resenting him, angry all the time, and not giving or receiving any affection, it's ok to admit the relationship isn't working.

8.Listen to the people around you. If all or most of your friends and family are telling you that he is definitely NOT the one for you for legit reasons (not race, religion, sports team preferences, etc.), they are probably right. Trust me, you'll totally look back and see it later.


So you see, you've taught me some pretty good life lessons that I am putting to good use in my current relationship. Now, I don't want you to think this is an open invitation to be a part of my life again; things didn't work out between us for a reason. And I don't require a reply of any kind. Just know that even though most of you were huge dickwads, I still appreciate our time together and what it has taught me. Thanks again!

Throwback Thursday Stories: High School Graduation

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<a href="http://peachesinmo.blogspot.com/p/throw-back-thursday-stories.html" title="Throwback Thursday Stories w/ Peaches in MO"><img src="http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o740/Seraffine/Blog/341f15dc-388a-4ae9-9ea1-ab0347c368e2_zps1ba6d966.png" alt="Throwback Thursday Stories w/ Peaches in MO" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

This week we are reliving our High School Graduations.

Project Painting: Phase 3, Finishing The Bathroom

It's been a while since I've primed the kitchen and bathroom. We have had the paint, but I just haven't been in the mood to paint, especially the bathroom. Moving the ladder around in that tiny space is a challenge, but I think I have mastered each spot to reach every corner. I was just about to be done trimming in when Philip came home a bit early. And like last time, he helped me roll. It came out quite nicely and feels so bright and airy and clean in there now. It's not as purple as I thought it would be, but I still like it. I can't wait to get some art and maybe some shelves in there.

Tough It Out Tuesday: A Fresh Start

I'm trading my TMI Tuesday posts for Tough It Out Tuesday Posts. 

Sorry TMI Tuesday Blog! I love you, but I think TIOT will be a better fit for my blog and lifestyle at the moment. Plus, Allie and Kay are huge inspirations for me lately.

100 Happy Days

Sometimes we are going so fast we forget to appreciate the good things in our lives. We just breeze past the little things while we try to get ahead at work, get dinner on the table, and laundry put away. I know I often time forget to stop and smell the proverbial roses and, instead focus on all the things that aren't going my way. After reading about a nifty, potential life changing project from Amanda at A Pinwheeled Wilderness. I decided to check it out for myself.

Sunday Social

But First, Let Me Take A Selfie

Every generation has their own set of popular words and phrases. Each of them seeming absolutely ridiculous to the next and previous generations. I'm an early Millennial, and we said/say things like "Duh!" or "Whateveerrr!", and looking back at movies and TV shows that I watched as a kid, I realize, now, just how ridiculous I sounded saying those things. 

But the younger group of my generation is taking it to a whole new level and I find it particularly amusing. This new lingo of theirs is quite possibly the worst of them all. At least when I was saying trendy things as a tween or teen, though they may not have been complete sentences, at least they were complete words.

When did shortening words like crazy to "cray cray", totally to "toats", and adorable to "adorbs" become a thing? I don't think these kids know how uneducated they sound when they speak this way. The  Sprint commercials, featuring screen legends James Earl Jones and Malcolm Mcdowell, are a hilariously perfect example of this bizarre word amputating fad. If you haven't seen them you are missing out. Seriously. Lizzy and Kim's call is, by far, the best.

I was talking to my friend Melissa the other day, and she told me about this song called #Selfie by The Chainsmokers. Yes, the hashtag is a part of the title. While the beat behind the absurdity is pretty freaking awesome, the spoken lyrics, if you can even call them that, are hilarious to me and I applaud The Chainsmokers for this epic mockery of the late Millennials. 

One word in particular started a conversation about the weird things kids are saying now and we weren't quite sure what it meant. I've seen it used by my younger family members a couple of times now while browsing Facebook, but WTF does "Ratchet" it mean? They couldn't be talking about the wrench-like tool my dad uses to work on his truck, so I turned to my trusty friend, Google, to enlighten me. The first entry on Urban Dictionary is fantastic, but really long (Read that here). The entries a bit farther down, however, gave a more concise definition.

Here are numbers eight and nine.

8. Ratchet 

A word that people use to call something "ghetto" or the equivalent of "ghetto". 

The irony lies in that 95% of the time, a "ghetto" person is using the word. 

Example: 

Person 1: She so ratchet gurl.
Person 2: Oh the irony.

9. Ratchet 

a tasteless, classless individual (most often a female) who does vile and off color things on a frequent basis while still maintaining diva status in her own mind. 

Example:
Context: In the workplace 

Girl One: "I was waxing my butthole."
Girl Two: "Damn! Didn't that burn?"
Supervisor: "Ya'll are ratchet! Get back to work!"

I'm not entirely sure when the meaning shifted to this, but no one told me about it. I guess I'm not as up with the trends as I thought. When did I get old and out of touch?

Throwback Thursday Stories: My First Memory

This week we are going way back to the beginning of your conscious mind. 

Your FIRST memory.

Wasn't I adorable??

My first memory is of my mother.

She is singing nursery rhymes to a two year old me while I play in the bath tub. My favorite is Old King Cole, and I insist she sing it again and again. Then she dries me off, helps me with my pajamas, and puts me to bed. I make sure I have her slip (pictured above), I liked to rub the silky material in my fingers, then I concede to being tucked in.

"Book, pwease, mommy," I manage to say around my the finger in my mouth.

She knows which one I mean, and slides it off the shelf across my room. Sitting cross legged on the floor beside my bed, she recites the familiar words of Dr. Suess's "Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?", and soon I am asleep.

What is your first memory?

Breakfast Casserole

I love breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day. As I have posted about before, Philip gets up far earlier than I do, but I still want to make sure he eats well at breakfast. So here's another pre-made breakfast option I make for him to heat up before work.


Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. I like a butter flavored one for this recipe.

Step 3: Sprinkle a thin layer of shredded hash browns in the bottom of the pan. Then a light layer of shredded cheese.

Step 4: Whisk 8-10 eggs in a bowl with a splash of milk to make them fluffy.

Step 5: Pour eggs over hash browns and let settle evenly for a moment.

Step 6: Sprinkle in some ham, bacon, sausage, or any other breakfast meats you want.
*note: you can also add any veggies you might prefer as well.

Step 7: Layer the top with shredded cheese.

Step 8: Bake for about 20-25 mins or until firm.

Step 9: Slice and serve with toast, biscuits, or bagels.

This was a huge hit with Philip. It's a lot easier for him to make a sandwich with the slices. And casseroles are super easy to make and clean up after as well. Just one pan!

My mom makes a variation of this recipe. I'll have to get hers and post it up here sometime.

Sunday Social

Source

1. How much time do you spend on Social Media a day?…be honest
I would say 2-3 hours collectively throughout the day.
Mostly on my phone out of boredom.

I Made This!

It's finally finished!

You can see my original post about the start of this project here. 

Thowback Thursday Stories: When I was 6

This week we are going back to the early grade school years. Age 6!

Shit My Boyfriend Says While Playing Skyrim

He gets a little "help" from Misty sometimes

Boys play games. From time to time, they shout things at the TV or to their buddies online. Hearing this one-sided conversation can be either super annoying or super amusing and since I'm not going to be that bitchy-girlfriend-who-doesn't-let-her-boyfriend-play-games, I choose to find his ramblings amusing. And, really, they are.

After a fit of laughter that left me in tears with a stitch in my side, I informed Philip that his outbursts were going to be a blog post. His response? "Yay, I'm going to be famous..."

School and Money Go Hand in Hand

Source

SQUEEEEEEEEEE!

I got accepted to Columbia College, Lake of the Ozarks!! 

Sunday Social: Pinterest!

I'm trying this out since I saw it on Kathy's blog this afternoon and it looked fun!

This week is all about Pinterest. And everyone knows I love me some Pinterest! So here it goes.

Throwback Thursday: When I was 10

This week we're going back to the glorious beginning of double digits! Age 10!

"How ARE you today?"

Emotions! RAWR! (Source)

I've not been having a very good couple of weeks. Nothing terrible, just my emotions running rampant through our house causing havoc in my boring life because I'm stuck here all day with no one to talk to or see, nothing to do, and nowhere to go. Movies, TV shows, articles, and even commercials are causing me to cry at the drop of the hat. The only person I see daily is Philip. Occasionally we visit with his parents and of course we nod to strangers at the grocery store. I'm trying to remedy this, as the chances of me finding a job here are bleak, by going back to school.

Sitting on the couch, like every night, with a cat on each side watching something on Netflix and browsing Pinterest I came across an article, The Daily Check-in and Why It Matters by Maggie Reyes on Modern Married. In the piece, she stresses the importance of telling your spouse, or significant other, what's happening in your life with enough detail that they understand why you might be extraordinarily grumpy, unusually quiet, or down in the dumps sometimes. Her point is that if your Someone knows what you're dealing with outside of your relationship, then they know that it's not them causing the mood fluctuation.

I love this idea, but have no idea (without sounding naggy or needy) how to implement it into my own relationship.

I'm Starting a Thing... Sorta

I've been seeing this thing on my social media accounts, mostly Twitter and Instagram, called Throwback Thursday. And I thought, what a good weekly blog theme.

I was thinking I would write a story from my childhood, teens, and early twenties. The good, bad, funny, and ugly stories that will wow you! I don't know, maybe they will. Most likely, though, you will just stare at your computer screen with a wtf face then move on to the next blog on your feed. But I'm hoping you will at least chuckle to yourself on the inside or shed an imaginary tear. I won't tell anyone, we'll keep that between us.

Anyways! I am starting this week so come back on Thursday to read about the shenanigans I got into as a youth.

Back to School

College was always something that seemed natural but a little out of my reach, mostly for financial reasons. However, I did attend one lonely year at a Baptist school in North Georgia right out of high school. I started out studying music, then decided that I wanted to be able to enjoy it, not nitpick it to death, so I changed my major to nothing and finished the year with core classes and a fabulous art class. After that school year, I jumped into my string of menial jobs, one even paid for a certificate course that taught me everything I already know about being an admin.