Easy Appetizers

One of my best friends (and former big sister in my sorority) and I were chatting yesterday afternoon and she said she needed a couple of quick and easy recipes for some appetizers for a party she is going to. So I gave her two of my favorite (and REALLY easy) ones and figured I would share them with you too :)

The first one is just a corn salsa and all you do is mix the following 4 ingredients: 

1 can black beans (drain and rinse)

1 can yellow corn

1/8th cup of italian dressing (I like the zesty italian dressing) 

and then add salsa, I start with about a 1/2 cup and then usually add a little more as long it doesn't make it too runny. 

Then serve with fritos scoops. 

(like I said, super easy and really cheap to make!)

The second is one of my personal favorites and every time I take it somewhere I always gets lots of compliments. I actually made it last night for a game night we had at our house, so I have a picture of it too. 

Wasabi Dip: 

start with a block of cream cheese and cut in half (the long way) 

then spread a layer of wasabi** on one half and then place the other half on top like sandwich

cut a cucumber in really thin slices and put in a circle around the cream cheese

pour soy sauce on top of the cucumber slices (so that some of it runs down onto the cream cheese too)

Then sprinkle some seaseme seeds over everything

Serve with water crackers. (put some the cream cheese/wasabi on the cracker and then place the cucumber on top of that) 

**For the wasabi, there are a couple different types and you can really use whatever you want, but I have tried it a few different ways and this is the type that I like the best (you can usually find it in the Asian food aisle of any grocery store) 

It really is SO good, definitely give it a try!

Ty's Favorite Things

I was looking through my camera tonight and I realized that about 90% of my pictures are of Ty. (I can only imagine what it will be like when I have kids!) Since I really have nothing else to do with all of these pictures, I figured I would share some of them on my blog. (lucky you, lol)

So, here are some of Ty's favorite things to do ;)

lounging on the back of the couch

 

giving daddy kisses

barking at the scary stuffed dog

playing with his favorite toy... an empty water bottle (at least it's cheap! haha)

getting his belly rubbed

watching the neighbors

and relaxing with mom after a long day (being a puppy is a really hard job..)

And all of these are just the past week or so (imagine how many I actually have!).. 

Hope you all have had a good week! I am sure we are all glad tomorrow is FRIDAY! 

I will be on a ski trip for work so since I wont be posting tomorrow I just wanted to say HAPPY WEEKEND blog friends, hope you have a good one :)

Wishful Wednesday

This weeks Wishful Wednesday topic:

'I wish' .... I could spend three minutes in _____'s shoes!

This was actually a pretty easy choice for me...

I wish I could spend 3 minutes in KELLY RIPA'S shoes! 

I have always really liked Kelly Ripa. I think it would be so much fun to live her life even if just for a little bit.

I mean come on, she is gorgeous, she is married to Mark Consuelos (that alone should be enough of a reason!), they seem to have a really happy family and she gets to have a talk show and interview celebrities every day.

What could better than all of that? ;)

gosh, he really is pretty..

Now it's your turn, join in the Wishful Wednesday posts at http://kelseyandgabriel.blogspot.com/ and tell us who you would pick :)

Not Me Monday

I am not a little grumpy today because it is a rainy Monday. blah..

I did not have a really good time this weekend with Vince and some of our friends. We did not get a little competitive while playing video games at Dave and Busters until 1am. We did not use our points at the end to buy Ty a stuffed dog that is 3 times his size. He did not growl and bark at the stuffed dog the first half hour we bought it home. 

Vince and I did not spend Saturday afternoon shopping, looking at houses, and driving around singing loudly to old rap songs (ex. Nelly's air force ones). 

We didn't spend the rest of the night at home watching 2 movies, drinking wine, and playing games either. It was not the perfect and relaxing alone time we needed after usually having weekends packed with random things we have to do. 

I do not have a very thoughtful mother-in-law who showed up at my house yesterday with 4 dresses she got me on sale at Lord and Taylor, I was not super excited when they all fit perfectly. I will not be wearing them for all of the different weddings we have this summer. 

I am not looking forward to the ski trip I have been planning for work on Friday. I will not be making a big pitcher of bloody mary's for everyone riding the bus to the mountain. I do not think that it is awesome that this is the kind of thing I do for a living. 

I am not a little nervous about the new workout routine Vince and I are starting tomorrow morning. (mainly because I know I am going to be pretty sore the first few days haha)

I am not glad that Monday is almost over so that it is one less day until the weekend rolls back around ;)

(join in the "not me! monday" posts at MckMama's blog)

Oh Friday, I love you.

I have come to realize I really do live for Fridays. Counting down to the weekend is what gets me through every week. (kind of pathetic, I know.) Thankfully though, this week went really fast (and I didn't even have off on Monday like most people!). I have been really busy at work planning a ski trip for some of our clients next week and going to some luncheons and other events lately, so that has helped make the time fly by!

This weekend is going to be pretty relaxing... tonight there are 8 of us going to Dave and Busters which should be a good time, and then Saturday and Sunday we have NO plans and I LOVE it!

Well anyways HAPPY FRIDAY to all of you, hope you have a great weekend!

Also- I saw one of my favorite bloggers Carrie @ Laugh, Love, Eat Ice Cream posted this couples survery, and I always love surveys so I figured I would fill it out too!

So here are some little facts about Vince and I if you're interested ;)


1. What are your middle names? Nicole and James

2. How long have you been together? Since October 2000 (almost a DECADE!)

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating? I met him freshman year in high school, so I guess about a year, but we weren't friends until the very end of that year.

4. Who asked who out? He asked me to homecoming our sophmore year.
 
5. How old are each of you? both 24 (his birthday is in April and mine is in June)

6. Did you go to the same high school? Yes

7. Are you from the same town? Yes

8. Who is the smartest? I think we are both smart, just at different things. (I lack in the common sense area sometimes)

9. Who majored in what? I majored in Marketing and he majored in Sociology.

10. Who is the most sensitive? Definitely ME.

11. Where is the furthest you 2 have traveled? we have traveled to Mexio/Dominican/Virgini Islands together, but I guess technically california was the furthest from here.

12. How many children do you two want? hmm.. not too sure yet. I used to say I wanted a huge family with like 5 kids, but now I am thinking more like 1. haha, who knows!

13. Who does the cooking? Mostly me, but Vince cooks for me occassionally too.

14. Who is more social? Vince, he can make friends with anyone.. it's actually one of my favorite things about him.
  
15. Who is the neat freak? Both of us kind of. I am a little crazy about the house being clean and things being organized, but he gets weird about everything in the garage or basement having to be organized just right.

16. Who is the most stubborn? That would have to be me.

17. Who wakes up earlier? Usually Vince, but it really depends on the day.

18. Where was your first date? Well we were 15 so we couldn't even drive (that's a little embarrassing haha), so his parents dropped us off at Chili's and we had dinner there and then walked over to the movie theater. LOL :)

19. Who has the bigger family? Vince, his mom was one of 9 kids so there are lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins

20. How do you spend the holidays? Well both of our families used to live here so we would go to both houses, but since my family moved we will have to start spliting up holidays here and there.

21. Who is more jealous? Actually I would have to say neither of us. We both USED to be jealous (especially when we were going to colleges in different states for 4 years), but honestly that has changed so much over the years. Guess we finally grew up! haha

22. How long did it take you to get serious? thats an interesting questions... I mean how serious can you be in high school? We didn't really talk about marriage or a future until our senior year in college, so I guess that's when it actually became more than just dating.

23. Who eats more? Vince  

24. What do you do for a living? I am a marketing rep (I am not allowed to put the company name online), I plan all of the events for the offices in PA (there are about 70 a year!) and go to a lots of events for other clients companies. Vince works as a clerk at the courthouse, but is actually in the process of changing jobs. (more on that later!) 

25. Who does the laundry? We both do

26. Who's better with the computer? I would say me, but Vince may disagree. 

27. Who drives when you are together? Almost always Vince

28. What is your song? "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney.

It's the little things..

..that matter the most.

The past few weeks I have really been trying to be grateful for all of the little things in my life, especially all of the simple and sweet things my husband does for me...

He knows just how I like my hot tea and makes it for me at night when I'm cold.

He cleans off my car when it snows and washes it when it's dirty.

He lets me tuck my freezing cold toes under his warm legs when we go to sleep.

He watches the bachelor and project runway, and even picks favorites just to pretend to be interested because he knows I like it.

He doesn't complain if I come home after a long day and want to lay on the couch all night watching one tree hill episodes... (and went to buy me the next season when I finished the last disc, without me even having to ask)

He knows my favorite foods to get if I'm hungover on a Saturday morning. 

Or like tonight when he remembered from a couple of weeks ago that I saw a commercial for yoga pants on sale at old navy and picked them up on his way home from work, just because he knew I wanted them.

It's not about big gifts and money, it's about finding something to be happy about on a day to day basis. No marriage is perfect, and it sure as heck is not always easy. There are always going to be ups and downs, good days and bad days.. but in the end it's about knowing what's important and learning to cherish all of the little things <3

Wishful Wednesday

'I wish' .... I could have worn the gown that Olivia Wilde wore at the 67th Annual Golden Globes Award!

I really like this sparkly Gucci gown that she wore with Tiffany's jewelry and Jimmy Choo shoes. (I also wouldn't mind having her body too!) I think it's fun, sexy, and glamorous all in one. Plus my FAVORITE part of her dress is that she auctioned it off after the event and the money she gets for it is all being donated to HAITI. So it's fashionable and charitable... can't go wrong with that ;)

Now it's your turn, join in the Wishful Wednesday posts at http://kelseyandgabriel.blogspot.com/ and tell us whose dress you want :)