Oatmeal Cream Pies

I have been so into reading the Pioneer Woman's blog lately that I have wanted to bake nearly every recipe she has! I sat on the couch the other day and watched every episode of her new show on comcast demand and was sad when I finished the last one! I only hope to be like her one day! I dream of living on a bunch of land one day with my pretend cowboy (Justin)! :P

All dreaming aside, I brought these oatmeal cream pies to realittyyy babyyy!  Credit is given to Ree Drummond for this recipe on her cooking blog!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

1. 2 C brown sugar
2. 1/2 C butter, softened
3. 1/4 C shortening
4. 2 whole eggs 
5. 1/2 tsp salt
6. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
7. 1 tsp baking powder
8. 3 tbsp boiling water
9. 1 tsp baking soda
10. 2 1/2 C flour
11. 2 C quick oats

Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix together. After these ingredients are mixed, put ingredients numbers 5, 6, and 7 in the same bowl and mix that together. In a small bowl put the baking soda and boiling water together and mix until baking soda is pretty dissolved then add that to the other ingredients and mix well.  Lastly add the flour and oats and mix up well.
(these are simple, unprofessional instructions... don't hate please)

the oatmeal cookie dough.. when I finally realized I needed to take a picture of this it was almost gone!

Bake these on 350 degrees for about 10 mins. Don't bake too long because you want them chewy and good! At least I do!

Freshly baked oatmeal cookiessss!!!

Because I like everything to look nice and I have a slight case of OCD, I used a shaker cup to cut my cookies all the same size! How red-neck, huh?! I couldn't find any cookie cutters. I think they may all be in my hope chest at Justin's grandma's! I don't want to use a lot of my things and mess them up just yet. Those are special to save for when I have my own home one day! Don't cha think?

My version of a cookie cutter! :P

if you pick the cup up and it sticks in there, that means success. You could always stick the cup to your eye and pretend you have a cookie eye. I mean... I would do it.

Lastly, once you get all of your cookies cut (if you choose to do that part), then you but a small scoop of marshmallow cream in the center and mash two cookies together! You could always make your own cream, but I took the shortcut! It might be more tasty if you make homemade cream to put in the middle. Marshmallow cream has a strong marshmallow flavor to me and is not really whats in the inside of little debbie oatmeal cream pies I don't think!

then you stack them on a plate to see how many high you can stack them before they fall over and take them to the living room with an extra large glass of milk and go to town!!!

YUMMMM! These are best eaten the night you make them just like every other homemade cookie, but are still tasty days after.

My cookie dough was much more runny than hers and the cookies spread and flattened on the parchment paper I baked them on. I don't know the reason behind this. If you can make these without the cookie dough being so runny and small fluffy cookies, please share the information! Now get in the kitchen, people!

xoxo,
Lauren

Trip to Tennessee!

Back in the end of July/beginning of August I made a trip to see a dear friend from elementary/middle school! We grew up together and spent the summers walking to and from each other's houses and to the snow cone stand down the road. They were .50 cents back then! All I can remember is digging 50 cents out of my parents change jar and making our way to the snow cone stand! Man, those were the days!!

She moved the summer before 7th grade and I had seen her once since she moved, but only for a weekend. It had been about 10 years since we had visited each other and it was time to make a trip to Tennessee! I wasn't getting to make many vacations during school and now that I'm taking a year off due to unfortunate events, I figured what better time than now! So I headed east Sunday morning to go to the great state of Tennessee!

My packing technique! What a girlllll..

A cool picture I got of downtown Birmingham!

and finally.. a welcome to TN sign!!!

too bad I didn't have anyone to bug with the "are we there yet?" saying! I was all alone on my 6 1/2 hour drive!

Brittany just had a sweet baby boy back in February and that was another reason for me to go visit! His name is Kaden and he is the sweetest thing ever!!!

and I fell in love! What a sweet face!

then I fed him suckers..

and he screamed when we took it away! Whoops!

and he smiled like this constantly! (sorry about the toe!)

Brittany had to work a few days that I was there, so I found my way around East Ridge, Chattanooga, and Ringold GA! I made my way out to the Cracker Barrell to visit her mom who waitresses there for some yummy lunch! Also I made my way to her sister's restaurant, Rain Thai Bistro one day for lunch as well!

naturally, I ordered delicious sushi! .. and ate it with a fork proudly!

One of the days that Britt was off, we went into downtown Chattanooga to the aquarium and sadly missed a whole floor of river monsters! Perfect floor for my Mississippian upbringings, dernit!

stingray and funky looking shark petting pool! I DID NOT PET.

an extremely large sea turtle!

The penguins, my fav! I wish they were available to pet! I could "pet" them all day! There were some babies behind another glass cage inside this one that weren't too visible.

We also saw lots of jellyfish, a butterfly garden, some parrots, a large hideous snake, and several different types of small fish. It was fun, but nothing that I haven't seen at nearly every other aquarium I've been to! Sad that I missed the river monsters floor!

Those are my brothas and sistas, y'all!

Brittany's dad took me on a ride up to Lookout Mountain on his motorcycle one day. It was such a beautiful sight. We don't have mountains here in Mississippi, so it's always nice to see such beautiful nature. I had thought that we were going to stop once we got to the top, so I stuck my phone in the little box on the back of the bike and didn't get to snap any shots. I saw out over the whole city of East Ridge and it was breathtaking. There is a little fun place called Ruby Falls and Rock City up there that would be fun to visit next time I go. When I go on vacation I always like to eat and do/see things that I'm not able to do back home. I really would have enjoyed white water rafting and hiking... but the money runs out at some point, right? Can't do it all in one trip! 

One morning I offered to keep Kaden with me so that Brittany could save a little money by not having to send him to the baby sitter.. boy was that something else. It taught me a couple of things about selfishness! That's for sure. He is teething, so he was dying for attention and very fussy. I couldn't even blow dry my hair without him fussing for attention. I would step out the bathroom and he would stop hollering.. then I would step back in and here he goes again. My patience were tested quite a few times that morning and then offered for her to take him back to the baby sitters the next few days. Is that horrible or what! I'm just not used to that kind of responsibility! One day will be my turn, but not any time soon! 

It was so nice to catch up with my old childhood friend. We reminisced on old times and laughed until we cried. We got lots of sonic happy hour drinks and watched some movies. We made a trip to the mall like old times. We had so much fun! I miss her and that sweet little boy already! I wish distance and funds didn't keep us so far apart. I often miss the old days.. Responsibility and growing up isn't the best of things, but I do catch myself looking forward to being out of school, having children, and starting my career! What a crazy, fast-paced life we live! Stop and enjoy the little things sometimes! 

and after that whole week vacation, it took me a while to get back into the swing of work! But I'm back in action and staying busy!

xoxo,

Lauren

Hey baby won't you look my way

...I can be your new addiction.
Hey baby what you gotta say
all you're giving me is fiction..


This song is so catchy! I love it! It has been on the radio non-stop lately! I'm ok with that though! It's not one of those songs that you hear a billion times and get tired of.

anyways, hey guys! I've been away for a while! This little blog got put on the back burner! I'm back for now though, so get excited! I spent the day trying to find new organizing tips when it comes to cleaning on certain days, and downloading some cool apps on my phone that could be helpful in those situations! Now I'm washing clothes and just baked some cookies that I found a recipe to on the Pioneer Woman's cooking blog! Love her!!!

I've been a little blahh about this blog lately. I read a ton of blogs daily on my phone and notice how neat and organized their layouts are... only to find out they pay money to get someone to create it. This blog will not be something that I will be making money from, so why would I want to pay money for that? Anyways.. I've caught myself wanting my blog to look like others only to realize how dedicated they are to theirs and mine kind of comes and goes when I feel like writing! I don't think it's worth paying money for!

I'll try to come back into the blog life now since i'm not taking up school this semester! Kind of sad, but It's nice to have some free time here and there.. because of the fact that I'm not used to that, I'll be trying to find something to do every second that I get. I like to keep busy!

Hopefully I'll have a better post for tomorrow!!!

see ya,
Lauren

Indecisive.

Good Morning!
I decided to wake up extra early this morning to get a jump start on my day because there is always way too many things to do and never enough time! I have work at 9:30, so I am catching up on some clothes washing, new teen mom watching, and breakfast eating.. because I need breakfast and all. It actually feels good to be able to sit around in front of the tv and get some things done without having to rush around getting ready for work and miss breakfast and not have enough time to pack a lunch! Sorry, I'm rambling!

On to the topic of this post. I recently received my associates degree in arts(general studies) from a small local community college. I had applied at two different radiology schools because I was planning on becoming an medical sonographer. (funny note: computer tried to correct sonographer into pornographer...) Anyways, I will not be a medical pornographer, that's for sure! My computer has a mind of it's own, but on a down note, I did not get accepted into either one of the radiology schools even though I had a 3.4 gpa and my last semester that i completed I held a 4.0 (even though I only took one literature class...which is my worst subject!) I have managed to juggle working a nearly full time job, cooking and cleaning house constantly, and a full time student for all of my semesters except one. I think I've done a dern good job.. but this is what I'm left with.

I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason and I believe that God is trying to tell me that there are bigger and better things in store for me! I have thought and thought and thought about it and come to the realization that I was only choosing to be a sonographer because It was in the medical field (stable job in the future) and the income was decent. I need to figure out what will make me happy. What do I want to do? What am I interested in? It's so hard to answer all of these questions because I have never really had the time to get involved in something that I am truly passionate for. I worked two jobs during high school, was in the national art honor society, key club, and played soccer for most of those years..and was an honor student! I have always lead an extremely busy life! So I know no different.

I've been trying to make a decision soon so that I can get started on my future. My favorite subject is math, and I absolutely love all things artsy! I thought of being a math teacher, interior designer, or an architect.. maybe an accountant. Can anyone think of any other careers that involve math and art?! Still trying to make a decision, but I know that it will come to me soon. Just doing a little researching here and there and hoping for an answer from God. I know he will lead me in the right direction.

My uncle reminded me that he didn't finish college until he was 27 years of age.. It gives me some reassurance that it's okay to not rush things. I need to figure out what I want to do and what will make me happy. In the meantime, it's working a ton and enjoying the summer.. because I have gone taken summer classes through college every summer until now! I needed a break and that's what I'm taking. Catching some rays and loving the Mississippi weather along with my fresh vegetables from my small garden!


xoxo,
Lauren :)

A trip to the country!

Oh how I love the country! I always dream of being a Ree Drummond one day! I would love to live on a Ranch with horses and cows and chickens and billy goats, and don't forget: AN EXTRA LARGE GARDEN! There is nothing better than fresh vegetables/fruits from your very own garden!

Thursday I was off work and Aidan wanted to make a trip out to my brother's new place. They have just moved onto 115 acres of land and it is beautiful out there! There is a pond and boats! So about an hour after we arrived Lane and Aidan took the small john boat out and I took the canoe! Our intentions were to catch some fish, but.. I lost 2 fish because of my extra old, girly, piece of mess fishing pole... and Lane missed one! Aidan did catch a bass, but he was too small to keep!

Do you like my pink pole?

While we were on the pond, Lane spotted this huge nest looking thing! Inside of it was a large egg! We don't really know what kind of egg this was, but all we could think was maybe a goose egg?

Do you see the egg in the center?

I had been hearing about this extra sweet billy goat Lane got and named Chesters. I finally got to meet him and fell in love. I remember as a kid going to the "blueberry farm" and picking blueberries.. and then at the end we would always walk over to the fence and see the goats. These goats were not very friendly and I remember being quite scared to stick my hand in the fence to feed or pet them! Chesters completely changed my mind about how I felt about goats! He also has another goat named Billy, but he is very skiddish.

Look at sweet Chesters!!! Sorry about my finger! ha

For lunch we went out to this little hole in the wall place on the Canton Square. I absolutely love the Canton square! My grandpa lives and works right up the road from it and it is always full of events and all things fun! Have you ever heard of the Canton Flea Market? It is just fabulous! I have only been once, but boy we spent the day there and I loved it! Today they are having a BBQ Cookoff thing.. maybe a competition and my brother is there now.. in the rain and all! haha! On Thursday he took us to this place called Hammontree's and it was delish. He raved about the burger, so that's what I got. He claimed they made homemade buns that were to die for which made the whole burger 10x better, but apparently they were out of homemade buns that day. Kind of a disappointment, but it was still very good! When I saw the plate come out with homemade fries, it completely reeled me in! My mom always made hand-cut homemade fries for my brother and I growing up and they tasted just like hers! LOVEEE!

outside of the restaurant, on the square

The cute rinky-dink sign!

This is what happens when I ask Lane to smile! Pretty scary, huh?

Lane had been complaining all afternoon about how long it was taking the chickens to lay an egg. I read up about it online and it said that their eggs are produced all according to the amount of sunlight they get a day. Anyone want to give a little more advice so that I can help him? Later on that night he sent me this picture!

Lane and his first chicken egg! He was proud!

I failed to take pictures of the food, the chickens, or the small fish that Aidan caught. I have got to get better at this picture taking!!!! I need a nice camera! Anyone want to contribute? haha! Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday! I will be sitting around watching food network channel until I have to go to work at 4! It is raining here in the Sip!

xoxo
Lauren

Gardening update!

The other day I was complaining and complaining about how it seemed my squash and zucchini plants just weren't doing much. Last year I remember my flowers just falling off and never making any vegetables! well I went out there and spotted a couple of zucchini's and just one squash. Today I went out there to check and I was able to pick a squash, a zucchini, and a banana pepper!! It's pretty weird that it's almost June and my garden is just now producing. I guess I need to plant it a little earlier here in Mississippi since the weather is so hot and humid!

you may be thinking, who the heck is this going to feed?!! Well Last spring was my first time to plant a garden and I was determined to make it work. Some things made, some things didn't. I was given many seeds for gifts for a fall garden and so I planted carrots, radish, lettuce, and broccoli. None of them made.. It was kind of upsetting. When Justin and his grandpa tilled my garden for the spring this year, I went out and found all of these baby carrots all over my dirt/soil! Aren't they precious? I wish Mississippi weather would make up it's mind and allow me to have a fall garden that doesn't exist of turnip greens! I dislike turnip greens/kale/mustard greens.. whatever. I don't like greens!

This is a picture of my small garden before I left for my week long trip to my grandma's and to Texas for a wedding. It was nice and moist and I was ready for some blooms!

This is a picture of my garden when I came back! My man took good care of my little "ranch" while I was away! Thanks hubs! I'm one of those people who wish to live on a bunch of land with lots of space to garden and other things. I want to live like the Pioneer Woman one day! Love me some Ree Drummond!

zucchini, straightneck squash, banana pepper

These are my three little vegetables that I was able to pick today! Hooray!!! When I picked this zucchini today, I saw about 10 more mini ones. We will be having zucchini for a side dish here soon! I love fresh vegetables and I'm quite excited to find many different dishes I can use my home grown vegetables in!

And I'm leaving y'all with this beautiful geranium that is in my front flower bed!

Maybe one day my green thumb will strengthen like mom Mom's!
happy gardening,
Lauren

Failing squash and zucchini plants...

Hey folks!
It's been so long since I've been on here it feels like. Well, actually.. I check others' posts nearly everyday, but I have no clue why I haven't just written something on my own blog! Well, actually I do know why.. but that's besides the point! I'll have to do some major updating with all of the things that have been going on!

For this post, I will stick to my garden! I remember last year was my first gardening experience and some strange things happened to say the least! I planted late and so my harvest wasn't as large as I would have liked it to be. My bell peppers didn't make until October! I left the plant in the garden because they had not produced anything by the end of the summer. I didn't want the plant (and money) to be a waste, so I left it up and it produced in October! I have found out that bell peppers like cool weather instead of the incredibly hot Mississippi summers. Also, my squash last year never made. My plants would bloom and then the flower would fall off before it ever was able to make anything. I couldn't find out what the heck was wrong with it. They never produced any squash. Me being me, I tried again this year and the same thing is happening! The leaves are way too large and they are covering up the flowers and the flowers aren't getting enough sun.

I mentioned this issue to one of my bosses at work and she explained that maybe they aren't getting enough sun and the flower isn't getting dry enough to perk out and open up for the bees to pollinate them. This makes total sense! I went out and worked in my garden for a small amount of time today before work. Dug up some weeds and hoed it up to stir the dirt. I realized how extra large the leaves are on the plants and the flowers are down in the bottom. THE LEAVES ARE COVERING UP MY FLOWERS AND PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING ENOUGH SUN! This has got to be the problem. So to my dear gardening friends, what do I do? I love squash and zucchini and would really like a harvest this year! Pretty please?

On a side note, I planted banana peppers, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumber, speckled butter beans, zucchini, and squash. All of my other plants are doing well! Especially my cucumber! They did great last year! (they don't have so many leaves on them and the flowers are out in the open since they vine!)

This is my little garden!

Do you see those extra large leafs right there? I need help.... or my zucchini and squash need help!

a wannabe green thumb,
Lauren

PS. I am going to try and get back in the swing of updatinggg!! Much love for now!