Just A Little Hiatus...

Hey guys! So as you might know I have the next 2 weeks off for Holiday Break. I wanted to take that time to really relax and enjoy my family time. Which, I have decided, means no blogging. 

I might jump on here a few times and I'll prob post a recipe next week but...truth be told...sometimes blogging is something that stresses me out. I love to do it and enjoy it so much, but when I don't have anything to write about I worry about not posting anything to the blog.

So for the next few weeks I'm going to really take my break as time to relax and hang out with the fam and friends without anything hanging over my head. I'll probably jump on here a few times, like I said, but I'll be back in the new year!!

Don't forget no Thursty Thursday for this week and next. If you end up writing a post anyway, just save it for the 8th!

Enjoy your holiday and RELAX!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

one.
Today is the last day before break!! My coworker and I dressed up so we looked awesome, as usual. I love making myself look like a fool in front of the kids. They love it and think it's funny and it's no better sound in the world than children's laughter.

two.
Book Club Christmas party is tonight!! Gettin' drank!! We usually eat out at a nice restaurant and then bar hop around town. By the end of the night we're usually dancing with random old men and women and letting all our inhibitions go!!

three.
I have two whole weeks off of work. That means lots of drinking, lots of sitting around....and hopefully, I can't believe I'm going to say this....lots of gym time!! Get it!! I've been trying to go on nights where Mike is home from work but that also means he has stuff planned for us, too so I don't always make it. Hopefully I will get there every day with him over these next few weeks.

four.
We're making Christmas cookies tomorrow!! We like to get drunk while we do it just in case we mess up a recipe. Then we have an excuse. :) so be on the lookout on Instagram for some yummy delicious cookie posts!! Here's one from last year!

five.
The next Friday post will be the day after Christmas so........MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!!

Thursty Thursday Cocktail Linkup: Rudolph's Tipsy Spritzer

It's Thursday!!! Are you Thursty yet?!?! God knows I am! This week has been brutal!! Just a quick announcement....next Thursday there will be no Thursty Thursday. I figure everyone will be busy, and so will I so....

I have to admit that I slacked off a little this week. I didn't end up making this drink, but I know for sure it's going to be delicious when I take a big old gulp of it tomorrow night. And...it will be much needed so I'm sure that will add to the deliciousness.

I'm pretty sure my entire Christmas break is going to be made up of drinks. 2 weeks seems like a ton of time and I know it is, but I'm also pretty sure it's going to go by really fast. If it's anything like this week, however, it's going to seem like 2 months!! I definitely need some down time and time to relax, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Anyway...here's the drink of the week!! I found it here and it looks divine!!

RUDOLPH'S TIPSY SPRITZER

• 5 cups orange juice

• 2 cups cold Sprite

• 1.5 cups vodka

• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

•1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Stir ingredients together in a large pitcher. Serve over ice. Eat, drink, and be merry!!

I don't have a cohost this week but I would like to wish you all a 

Merry Christmas!!! Happy Kwanzaa!! Happy Hanukah!!

1. Follow Hopelessly Ever After via GFC or Bloglovin'.
2. Write about your favorite DRANK (alcoholic beverage).
3. Grab a button from below or Kristin's sidebar and put it in your post. 4. Come back here and link up!!!
5. Get some new recipes or drink ideas for the weekend and make a new friend!!

6. Send a tweet with #ThurstyThursday and include @leggs532 so we can see it!!

Anyone interested in co-hosting next week email Kristin at: hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com

An InLinkz Link-up

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What's your favorite Christmas song??

Here are a few of mine!!






Merry Christmas!!

Dear Yahoo, You suck!

Is anyone else having trouble making comments on posts? I feel like for every 5 posts I comment on, 3 of them come back saying I can't send the message to them. I mean I know it makes the comment but apparently it doesn't send it to their email inbox. Wtf? So annoying. I've been thinking of switching my email but I know its a pain for the people who regularly email me outside of just comments.

Im also sick and tired of them asking me for my cell phone number. Like I need one other thing out there to possible get hacked. Pshyeah right. 

Ok, so a short post today...but...a post. Which is better than yesterday. 

Thursty Thursday Cocktail Linkup - The Grinch

Is anyone else ready for Christmas Break as much as I am? Or maybe I'm just ready for Christmas to come....and then go just as quickly. lol. Yup...you caught me!! I'm not that big of a Christmas fan. It's just always so stressful and I have to spend a ton of money I don't have.

Nonetheless I try, but the anticipation is just so hard. And then BOOM! All that stress and craziness is over within an hour.

With that being said I can totally use a drink this week. So, I decided I might as well try out a new cocktail for Thursty Thursday and kill 2 birds. And...I have to admit the name of this fits perfectly with my mood at the moment. :) And I may have cheated a little and made the bartender make it for me rather than buying the ingredients myself. haha.

The Grinch

• 3 oz. peach schnapps

• 3 oz. Bacardi 151

• 3 oz. Blue Curacao

• 4oz. Sprite

• 12 oz. Orange Juice
cherry for garnish

Mix together in large pitcher and serve cold!! Just like the Grinch's heart!



My cohost this week is Jess from Livin' on Sweet Tea!! If Jess and I lived closer I can imagine we would be some crazy weekend warriors and definitely the life of the party. She is my alcohol equal and the day I get to have a drink with her will be a memorable one for sure! It almost happened in October when I cruised to her lovely home of Key West and we tried to meet up but I was a stupid hungover loser and I couldn't even hold it down long enough to have a drink with her. I suck. Anywhoooooo, definitely go stop by her blog and check out the delicious drank she has prepared for you! Make sure you leave her a comment!!

1. Follow Hopelessly Ever After and Livin on Sweet Tea via GFC or Bloglovin'.
2. Write about your favorite DRANK (alcoholic beverage).
3. Grab a button from below or Kristin's sidebar and put it in your post. 4. Come back here and link up!!!
5. Get some new recipes or drink ideas for the weekend and make a new friend!!

6. Send a tweet with #ThurstyThursday and include @leggs532 and @livinonsweettea  so we can see it!!

Anyone interested in co-hosting next week email Kristin at: hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com

An InLinkz Link-up

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Christmas is in the Air: A Foodie's Christmas

First off, don't forget to join us tomorrow for Thursty Thursday!! I have a mean cocktail that will leave you cold in the heart! lol. Confused?? Don't forget to stop by!!

This week on the Christmas is in the Air linkup the theme is A Foodie's Christmas. We usually get stuck bringing the same thing, either macaroni and cheese or corn pudding, every year. I have to admit I have tried a few recipes throughout the years and let's just say they were less than successful.

This year we are doing Christmas Eve with Mike's family at our house. Christmas Eve is usually an entire day dedicated to appetizers and then we try to stuff in dinner and dessert at the end of the night. But only because that's what you're supposed to do.

I've been search around Pinterest for some new apps I can make this year. Hopefully they turn out great and I can add them into my growing list of go to recipes. :)

What are you favorite Christmas appetizers?!?

Head on over and linkup for Christmas is in the Air!!

Recipe: Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

This past weekend we had our annual Framily Christmas. This is the 3rd time we have done it and we get together with all of Mike's childhood friends and Eat, Drink, and Be Merry. Everyone brings a dish and we provide the ham. Really, it's just an excuse to get together and have a meal.

My friend Lenny is notorious for bringing the only thing he can make.....Frito Pie....and it's not exactly the best compliment to ham, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, and all the norms for holiday meals. So, this year Mike told him to come over early and took him to the store to get everything I needed to make Bread Pudding. Then we agreed that would be his contribution. lol.

I have to tell you this is THE EASIEST recipe for Bread Pudding you will ever come across. And...it's so delicious. I made it one year for Mike's birthday and ever since he has requested it for every time we need a special dessert. The best part is that you can make it ahead of time and then just bring your muffin tins or ramekins and prepare it there if you have to travel. And it will literally take you 5 minutes to prepare. I would recommend making the sauce on the spot, but you could probably prepare that ahead of time and heat it up later if you wanted to.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

for the pudding

• 1 loaf Pepperidge Farm cinnamon raisin bread

• 1 1/3 cups milk

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the sauce

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1 pinch ground cinnamon

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 1 1/4 cups milk 

• pinch of salt

• tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375º and spray muffin tins or ramekins with non stick spray. In a LARGE bowl, mix together milk, sugar, and eggs. Slice bread into cubes and add to egg mixture. Fold through to coat all of the bread. Put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Scoop into muffin tins or ramekins. Bake for about 30 minutes.

While bread pudding is baking. Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan. Mix together and heat over medium heat whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Pour over bread pudding. Enjoy!!

Ridiculously Neccesary Holiday Gifts for Men

I'm not sure this post really needs much of an introduction. Your man needs these things. Buy him them. It will make you both happy.

So...I'm pretty sure my husband could get use out of all of these and none of them are that expensive. You're welcome ladies....you're welcome!!

This one is clearly my favorite.

What's your favorite?!?

Thursty Thursday Cocktail Linkup

It's Thursty Thursday!!! For anyone new this is a cocktail, beer, or wine linkup. All you have to do is either post a recipe of your favorite cocktail or the name of your favorite beer or wine and tell me a little bit about it. I do love my dranks and am always looking for something new. So...I invented this linkup party to have a few new suggestions and see what everyone else likes to sip on!!
My drink this week is holiday themed. I hope to do holiday themed drinks every week this month to help get me in the holiday spirit!! I found it on Pinterest....of course...and it looked super easy and delicious. The write of the blog mentioned that her family makes it every year and it wouldn't be a complete Christmas without it so I figured it must be delicious and it did not disappoint!!
You may need to go to the store for some of the ingredients but it's totally worth it. She recommends making it in large doses...like in a pitcher...but since it's the middle of the week and I have been tired enough I just made myself one little drink. And since I'm too lazy to come up with my own name I'm going to steal hers.
Christmas Punch

Christmas Punch • 3 parts cranberry juice • 3 parts Sprite • 1 part Limeade concentrate, thawed • vodka lime for garnish
Stir all ingredients together. Add ice and garnish with lime. Enjoy!



My cohost this week is Emily from Martinis and Bikinis blog! I'm super excited to have her cohost with me. If you're ever in the market for a new recipe you have to check out her page. I'm pretty sure I'm going to leave Mike and go live with her so I can eat all of her delicious food. Be sure to check out her Tuesday Recipe Swap linkup on Tuesday's. Even if you don't have a recipe to link up you have to stop by just to check out everyone else's recipes. I find myself pinning almost every one!! Everyone say hello to Emily!!

1. Follow Hopelessly Ever After and Martinis & Bikinis via GFC or Bloglovin'.
2. Write about your favorite DRANK (alcoholic beverage).
3. Grab a button from below or Kristin's sidebar and put it in your post. 4. Come back here and link up!!!
5. Get some new recipes or drink ideas for the weekend and make a new friend!!

6. Send a tweet with #ThurstyThursday and include @leggs532 and @TriniEmz  so we can see it!!

Anyone interested in co-hosting next week email Kristin at: hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com

An InLinkz Link-up

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<a href="http://www.hopelesslyeverafter.blogspot.com" title="Hopelessly Ever After"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l54/leggs532/thurstythursdaybutton_zps8b8d412b.jpg" alt="Hopelessly Ever After" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Christmas is in the Air - Holiday Movies

One of the best things about the holidays are the Holiday Movies. This week on the Christmas is in the Air linkup the theme is Holiday Movies so I get to talk about my faves!!

Actually, I'm currently taking a break from decorating my house for Christmas, so this is perfect!! It's going to totally get me even more in the Christmas spirit, which I might need right now because I'm so not motivated to finish.

I wouldn't say that I have a favorite holiday movie, but I have a few that I love to watch every year.

Let's start with the staple in our house...this is one that we turn on every tv in our house and it runs for 24 hours straight. It's actually a tradition that my husband started and I can't say I'm always a big fan. Mainly because I can recite the entire thing in my sleep.

Drumroll please..........



That's right....A Christmas Story. And this is my favorite scene of course!! Why?? Because it's hilarious and has probably caused a ton of people to check to see if it really works. Like this brilliant woman right here...

#RHOOC

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Another favorite Christmas movie of mine just has to do with my childhood. Every Christmas Eve my family would sit together in their jammies and listen to Liam Neeson read this story to us. Every time I hear Santa speak I get chills even now. And...when it came out in movie form...and 3D at that...I was stoked. That's right ladies and ladies.....The Polar Express!!

I forced Mike to buy this for me in 3D last year so we could watch it from the comforts of our own home. I have to admit, however, that we have never officially gotten arpund to it. But this year it's on. First night of Winter Break I'm loading on the vodka and dragging Mike upstairs to the theater to get some Polar Express on.
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And last, but certainly not least is an old favorite that I only seem to see on tv during the holidays. Which is probably typical so I'm not sure why I mentioned it. haha. But it's a chick flick feel good movie and one that you can't pass up when you're flipping through the channels during this time of year. Love Actually. And this is one of my most favorite scenes. What can I say...I'm a sucker for love.
And I totally just fucking realized that's Rick Grimes. Walking Dead betches!! WTH? Ok so I love this movie even more now. And he looks so hot in this movie!! Now I'm totally On Demanding this 'ish and watching it tonight. Sorry Mike. :) Love You!!
So that's my list. Of course you can check out last years list for the classics because there are so many more Christmas movies that I love. But I figured I would add a few more this year. Well...besides A Christmas Story but honestly. How can I leave that out when I know it by heart. lol.
If you want to link up next week the theme is A Foodies Christmas so come and link up all your favorite holiday recipes!!! Hey if you want you can make them drank recipes and do a double link up for Thursty Thursday, too.

Recipe: Inside Out Stuffed Pepper Casserole

So last Friday on the way home from the gym.................yes, the gym y'all!! Trying to get back on that grind after last week...............Mike and I were trying to get straight on what we needed to make Chicken Corn Chowder for dinner. This week has been super insane and truth be told I really didn't feel like putting the effort into making soup. Luckily we had everything we needed to make stuffed peppers in the crockpot, however, unfortunately it was 3:30 in the afternoon. But Mike, being the amazing person that he is, remembered this meal from a few years back where we made a stuffed pepper casserole.

This is probably one of the easiest things I have ever made and you should have most of the ingredients in your house already. If you like stuffed peppers you will love this dish and I totally recommend you trying it.

Inside Out Stuffed Pepper Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups cooked white rice

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2 peppers, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 cups shredded cheese of choice

salt and pepper to taste

sriracha to liking

DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat oven to 350º. Brown beef in a skillet with peppers and garlic. Add salt and pepper and any other spices you typically brown beed with. Drain grease from pan. Add in spaghetti sauce, rice, sriracha, and about half of the cheese and mix together. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle cheese on the top. Bake for about 25 minutes or until heated through.

Naked and Afraid - possibly NSFW

I'm not quite sure what it is about this show, but I'm so intrigued. I mean seriously....can you imagine walking up to a complete stranger butt ass naked and not trying to get a glimpse of their junk right from the jump?? Pshyeah right!! I'd be all awkward and 'ish like trying to make eye contact but checking out the goods in my peripheral hard core.

And the ways they have to position their bodies in order to do whatever it is that they have to to "survive" and all. Like b-hole spread wide to the heavens sipping water out of a stream....yeah.

Plus, here's the best part ladies...the boys are pusses!! Half the time it's them who have to tap out and leave the ladies alone to fend for themselves. I mean really?!? What can be worse then getting your period naked out in the middle of a jungle? Pretty sure anything else is minuscule compared to that. Suck it up!! Like this guy who got sunburned on the first day and pretty much laid around for the first three days leaving the lady to do all the work.

P.S. I also just happened to find out he was in a Playboy show called
 "Foursome" doin' the nasty.

I was a sceptic at the beginning I'm not going to lie. Then Mike just happened to have it on in the background one day...and it ended with us setting the DVR to record all episodes. lol. It's like a train wreck, I tell you!!

Oh...and you have to watch this trailer for the Seth Rogen and James Franco Naked and Afraid episode. Haha yup, you heard that right!! I'm down. Although I'm sure they will both tap out within the first few hours. I know it's just to promote their new movie but I'm sure it's going to be hilarious.

Anyone else out there willing to admit they are fans of Naked and Afraid??