and the winner is ... {an oscar party}

So y'all I'm not actually having an Oscar party, but if I was here's some things that I would have ...

{cupcakes}

{cheese spread}

{deviled eggs}

{popcorn}

{champagne punch}

Isn't this bingo game a great way to keep people entertained if the show seems to be dragging {ahem, for the men in our lives}!?

While I won't be hosting an Oscar party tonight, B and I will be watching! I am so excited to see Anne Hathaway and James Franco host ... The promos that I've seen with them are too cute and I think they'll be perfect for tonight's award show!

And let's be honest, as excited as I am for the actual awards ... I'm PUMPED to see the fabulous dresses on the red carpet! :)

{via}

Remember these GORG numbers from last year? Oh man, I can't wait! :)

So what's everyone else doing for the Oscars? Big party plans? Low-key couch evening?

Menu Monday {1st edition}

Ok I'm going to preface this post with a big MAYBE ... 

As in, this MAY  BE something that I can stick with ...

 I'm hoping that if I post it to my blog y'all will keep me honest. But this seems like  A LOT of planning ... And I'm so not good at sticking to a plan! 

But here goes ... 

Y'all remember the little budget cookbook I picked up yesterday? Well I'm going to try to use it and/or the $5 Dinner website {one of my girlfriends turned me onto it} AT LEAST once a week! 

This means I'll be trying new things AND be sticking to our food budget ... FOR ONCE! The hubs will be so happy! 

And hey, maybe if I'm sticking to the budget I can get that Cynthia Rowley handbag I am SO SO coveting?! Good behavior deserves rewarding, right? Right! :) 

Ok enough about bags ... Onto to FOOD! 

Menu for Jan 31- Feb 4: {but first, can y'all BELIEVE that it's ALREADY Feb?! geeeeees}

Monday: Veggie Soup & Grilled Cheeses {in hopes to heal the SICK hubs}

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken pizzas {using leftovers from Sat's Wii Party}

Wednesday: Slow-Cooker Creole Chicken {I'm going to use chicken breasts because I already have them}

Thursday: Tortellini with a Bolognese sauce {I'll be sure to post the recipe on Wed so if you want to join you sure can!}

Friday: Burritos & Spanish rice {hoping to use the leftovers from Creole Chicken to create them!}

Oh my gosh y'all! If I can pull this off, we may just have a new series on our hands! {cue HEAVY PRESSURE & deep breaths}

Ok ... gotta go check on hubs ... And by check, I mean serve him his soup & grilled cheese with a side of Nyquil ... Poor thing! 

XO! 

{new & fabulous} cookbook!

So B & I are really trying to cut back on our food expenses ... I know that some people are good at coupon shopping {y'all remember I told you I was NOT one of those people} and I'm also not a very good menu planner. 

So one of our resolutions this year is to try to cut the grocery bill D-O-W-N! So far, hasn't been going well ... 

Until TODAY! 

I was at TJMaxx this afternoon just wandering around {desperate to get out of the house after feeling a little under the weather all week} and came across THIS

It was on clearance and was $3! You read that right ... THREE BUCKS! 

As I flipped through the pages, I got REALLY excited and REALLY hungry! {and of course realized I'd forgotten to eat lunch} 

So this little guy came home with me and I've been reading the recipes since getting home! 

They sound so good! 

{maybe I can get B to share my love for Indian food with this?}

{12 servings! SO great for a crowd!}

{sounds SO yummy for a summertime get together!}

So for now ... I'm menu planning and writing up a grocery list! 

Thinking of doing a new Menu Monday series ... Thoughts? Would y'all be interested? 

Hey! Maybe we can share menus for some of you who like me {until 2011} just aren't too good at it? 

Hope y'all had the GREATEST weekend! :) 

wii party {and some food}

So we got a FABULOUS black wii for Christmas and have absolutely been LOVING it ... {such kids at heart!}

So tonight we decided it'd be TOO MUCH fun to have some friends over for a low-key dinner and wii partay! 

And I am excited MORE than you could imagine! I love very few things more than cooking and hosting parties ... {ok, the hubs & the pup definitely rank pretty high up also!}

So for tonight I was trying to think of things that would be filling, but also fingerfoody {def just made that word up}

Here's what's on the menu: 

{I also need to apologize in advance for my lack of recipes ... I very RARELY use them!}

~ sliders: BBQ-pulled chicken & hamburgers

~ sweet potato fries: totally cheating and using Alexia's frozen ones {which are OH.SO.GOOD}

~ deviled eggs: probably one of my all time favs

~ fixins' for the sliders: sweet pickles, slaw, cheese, chili, and then your usual condiment line-up

~ blondie cupcakes: hello, yummy goodness {recipe here}

~ magic hat variety pack: easy for everyone to find something they like

So what do you think? I'm excited! And it'll be easy so I won't spend my day slaving away and I won't have to worry about being stuck in the kitchen once everyone gets here! 

The game line-up {in no particular order}: 

~ Dance Dance Revolution ... and yes, we have the mat & all ... hysterical to watch! 

~ Big Game Hunter ... the boys LOVE it {and I may have tried my hand a time or 2 at shooting the big buck}

~ MarioCart ... harder than you would think, but awfully fun steering a TINY wheel! :) 

So that's what I'm doing on this GORGEOUS NC Saturday! What are YOU doing? 

*** Also wanted to send a BIG THANKS to everyone who commented on my The Bold & The Beautiful post ... Your comments were so SWEET & so HELPFUL! XO! ***

Boredom = Avocado

So for those of you who know me well, you know that I LOVE food ... and by love I mean I'm OBSESSED with food. All kinds. I don't discriminate.

So as I was waiting around for my girlfriend to pick me up (we're carpooling to Tybee) I got REAL hungry bored. So I decided to make a sami to enjoy while I was watching Paula Dean whip up some delicious goodies on the Food Network.

It was then that I realized I still had 1/2 an avocado in the fridge! Y'all when I say it made my day, I am not exaggerating! I love those ugly little green things! On everything! So I made a chicken salad sami with avocado, tomato, and of course cheese! It was so delish!

So after I finished this delightful mid-afternoon snack (Bryan thinks I eat the biggest snacks of anyone he's ever met!) I decided to look up some recipes featuring avocado!

Check this one out... It includes so many of my FAV things: avocado, mango, black beans & cilantro! HELLO!!!!!

I am hosting a going-away cookout for a friend of ours on Sunday evening and y'all THIS recipe will be featured!

Ok ... Heading to Tybee! Hope everyone has the BEST weekend! :)