Weekend Recap and a Recipe!

It always seems like my long weekends go by faster than a normal weekend. Maybe it's because I'm just having too much fun. Maybe so but I don't regret a minute of it. One thing I do know is that I am so not ready to be back at work. Let's put it off a little longer by reminiscing the weekend and clogging our arteries with a delicious baked bean recipe shall we? 

Friday evening was quiet, a much needed break from the hectic week both Kevin and I had. Saturday morning, I was up bright and early to meet my gals, coined the "real housewives of Harrisonburg," for some wine tasting up at our local resort. 

Heather, Michelle, Lindsey, me, Katie and Charlie.
(Charlie was an honorary member of the real housewives for the weekend.) 

Lindsey and Michelle

In true blogger style, I pressured my friends into posing for a few pictures and I'm glad I did because my camera battery died although it did force me to enjoy the day. As hot as it was outside, a few glasses of wine was all I needed to loosen up and not care that we all looked a hot sweaty mess.

Sunday afternoon, the hubs and I headed out for a cook-out at my best friend's house. We arrived around three and started with a few games of cornhole (or bean bag toss, whatever you want to call it.) while Katie's dad fixed the burgers on the grill. 

Katie and I

Kevin, David and Charlie

Katie's mom spectating

Fixing the burgers

By the time it was ready to eat, we came inside just in time to catch Katie's grandmother taking Jell-O shots. 

All in all, it was an excellent few days with excellent friends, as usual. I'm a lucky girl to be surrounded by so many amazing people. Why can't we do this every weekend?

Now, as promised, I have the most delicious baked bean recipe for you and all you need are a few simple ingredients. I prepared a crock-pot full of these beans for the cook-out and came home with none so what does that tell you? 

You'll need the following:

• 28 oz. can of your favorite brand baked beans
• 1/2 package of bacon
• 1/2 pound of ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2-1 green pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Keep in mind, I doubled this recipe, that's why you see two cans of beans pictured and an onion the size of my head.

First things first, you'll want to prepare your ingredients. Dice your onion and pepper

Then dice up your bacon. Tip: to make it easier to cut, pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes!

Once prepped, cook your bacon until it's crisp then set it aside to drain on a paper towel.

In the same pan you just cooked your bacon in, go ahead and sauté your beef and veggies. You can cook them together or separately, I've done it both ways and it's turned out just fine. We're not on Food Network here, it's all getting thrown together in the end anyway.

Note: ground beef is hard to take a picture of and kind of ugly.

Drain your beef if needed and then go ahead and combine all of your ingredients together in your crock pot, adding in your brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper.

And, of course - the beans.

Action shot. 

Stir vigorously. Set your crock pot on high for a few hours or on low for several hours. I know, this recipe is very precise but I trust you can figure it out. Basically, once the stuff is hot, you can eat it.

Finally, devour and enjoy.

I'm not sure where this recipe originated, it was given to me by Katie's mother and I know she received it from a friend of hers. They both prefer to make their version in the oven while I like to let mine simmer in my crock pot, either way, you won't be disappointed! The other day, I did spot a similar recipe on Kevin and Amanda's blog only they layer their bacon on the beans whereas my recipe calls for it diced and cooked. 

The way I see it, bacon is involved so all is right in the world. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day and as the daughter, niece, and friend of military personnel, I have to take a moment and thank all those who have served for our country. We wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for you. 

Fun Fridays and Vlog Friday!

To join in on the fun and share your weekend plans, click below and head to Jen's blog!

The week has flown by in a whirlwind! It feels like I've been running around like crazy, but this evening, I think a date night is in order. I haven't cooked Kevin a real meal since Monday which I'm sure he's not happy about. However, that gives him an excuse to eat dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets so he can't be that upset. 

Tomorrow, my sister has agreed to be my designated driver (her being pregnant has perks!) to Massanutten Resorts annual beer and wine festival. 

Every year, Valley Fest is held on Memorial Day weekend and we always have so much fun. They have live music, food, and countless beer and wine samples. Then on Sunday, my best friend, Katie, is having a cook out at her parents house. It's going to be a busy but fun weekend all around and I'll finally get to kick back and relax on Monday. Or shop. Whatever.

I know I should have a vlog for you but like I said, it's been a hectic week and I didn't have a chance to record but I still wanted to touch on todays topic which is: What 3 people from history or your life would you invite to dinner? Why?

This is the part where I insert some educated explanation on why I would just love to have dinner with Stonewall Jackson or George Washington or Betsy Ross but I have to be honest, History and Social studies were never strong subjects for me. Give me a book and I can read it in a day but don't ask me to memorize dates and locations of historic war, it's just not how my brain works. Shoot me but it doesn't interest me in the slightest. 

On the other hand, if you say I can have dinner with Harry Potter and Mr. Darcy, I'm on that like white on rice. 

{Source: Google images}

Keeping with the movie theme, I've become fascinated with royal ancestry after watching The Other Boleyn Girl several years ago. I'm sure that parts of the movie were exaggerated but the history behind the royal family is something I've been curious about even before all this royal wedding madness. So if I had to pick a real-live person from history, I would want to pick the brain of Henry VIII. Also, I just read that entire Wikipedia page and am even more curious. It's like a ridiculous soap opera where everyone gets beheaded. 

So, in conclusion, I watch too many movies and don't know enough actual history. Who would you choose to have dinner with?! Happy Memorial Day weekend my loves!!! WAHOO. 

DO YOU VLOG FRIDAYS? BECAUSE THESE AWESOME CHICKS DO:

Kate at Marshmellow Goodness

Steph at forget me {not}

Cole at Adventures in Love and Happiness 

Erica at Of Food and Friends 
Folly Life
Amy at Life's Journey With A Smile
Ann at The Little Things
Julia at Dr. Princess

Blog Buddy Appreciation Day!!!

It's Blog Buddy Appreciation Day, didn't you know? You didn't? Well, then you obviously don't read (one of the most fantastical blogs) KJPugs.

And it's completely true. Blog buddies and twitter pals really do make up a large percentage of my friends. If you blog, you know that this is normal. If you don't, you think I'm off my rocker for talking to my "friends inside the computer" several times a day. They're why I go to events carrying my DSLR, why I think in 140 characters or less and why I watch half of the shows I've come to love.

Let's kick this Blog Buddy Appreciation thing off with a blogger that I've known since I hit "publish post" for the very first time - Maria of Procrastination Station. I've talked about her a million times, I know, but it's only because she's awesomesauce.

{Image courtesy of the fabulous Anni, who has more photography talent in her pinky nail then I have in my whole body. }

Please ignore my face, it's drunk. But how adorable is Maria? I'm not quite sure how we got to following each others blogs, I probably saw her comment on someone elses blog and stalked appropriately until she fell in love with me. We procrastinate work by gchatting and finally, a few weeks ago, we finally met. Not only did I get to meet my BBF (that's Blogging Best Friend), but I got to meet some of the other bloggers I've come to know and admire like  Emily, Claire, Anni, Steph and the always hilarious Megan, whose gchats also get me through my boring day. 

There are so many amazing people to note but I can't leave out my number one, who I affectionately call my hoaa, JeeYoung of Conventionalbliss. She's actually one of the first blogs I found through twitter. We had many friends in common through the interwebs so when we finally found each other, we just clicked. There's never a dull moment with her and I can't wait for the day that we finally meet!

Two more wonderful bloggers who I've come to know and adore are Jennifer of Starving, Insatiable. and  Rachel of Mrs. Adventure. Jennifer and I share a love of Harry Potter and the movie Stepbrothers. So clearly, we're soul mates and have the most interesting conversations which mostly consist of movie quotes. Rachel and her hubby are adorable and sweet and are so creative. They DIY everything and have the most delicious recipes. We got to know each other through email and I'm counting down the days until she gets twitter so we can chat it up!

I know I'm starting to get carried away and there are so many fabulous ladies that need mentioning but I can't forget Layla, of Wish Fulfillment Every Day. She's is gorgeous and funny and she tells it like it is which is so refreshing. Plus, we both like bald guys so there's that. All in all, she's pretty much the tits. 

And this brings me to the most important blog pals I have, my in real life friends. We have my best friend since high school, Michelle of Left on Wishing Well

my good friend, Kristin of Halfway a Housewife

 and my beautiful cousin, Nicole, of Knocked Up.

Not only are these three my confidants and my closest friends, but they're now part of the blogging community I've come to know and love. Want to know who else I stalk on a daily basis?? Hit up my link love page. However, now I feel like I have to add that I adore all the blogs I read and comment on. If I'm commenting, you should know that I'm a loyal fan and reader of yours. 

Don't think I don't love you, because I do. Pinky promise.

Who would you like to recognize on this happiest of days,
Blog Buddy Appreciation Day?!

Weekend Recap

Another wonderful weekend is behind us folks. I hope you got a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather like we did! Friday afternoon, my cousins Kristin and Nicole drove down from Philadelphia to spend some much needed quality time with my sister and I. It's always fun when they're around and this weekend wasn't any different although it went by way too fast.

Friday evening, we kicked back at my sisters house and Saturday afternoon we spent some time grilling and chowing on some delicious burgers and red velvet cupcakes. Okay, fine. The boys did the grilling while all the girls watched the Glee marathon on Oxygen and I'm not telling how many cupcakes I ate. 

That evening, we headed out to dinner to catch up with a few friends in town. We had dinner on the rooftop at one of our fave local spots, Dave's Taverna. Even if the service was sub par, we were in good company so we had a good time.

Natasha, Angela, Kristin and Meagan.

Pregnant sandwich.
My cousin Kristin is in the yellow followed by the two that are expecting: my cousin Nicole and my sister, Heather. (Who by the way will be having a GIRL! We found out last week! Yippee.)

Then after dinner, we decided to walk a few short blocks to Kline's Dairy Bar to indulge all the sweet teeth in the group, not just the mom's to be.

Who doesn't love a waffle cone with some chocolatey goodness? 

PS - Kristin, you're lookin tan. I'm jealous.

And, of course, there had to be some gratuitous baby belly rubs. Watch out though, Nicole's little one kicks back. That sucker means business!

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye on Sunday and send our cousins back to Pennsylvania. Thankfully, we'll be headed north to visit them in a few short weeks for Nicole's baby shower. Her baby boy will be here before we know it!

How was your weekend? 

Fun Fridays and Vlog Friday!

What's your fun for the weekend? Link up with Jen by clicking below. 

We have lots of fun going on this weekend but first, I would like to congratulate our Fun Fridays hostess, Jen, on her new baby boy, Carter. He was born early Thursday morning and is the cutest little thing. You are going to be a great mom Jen! I'm so happy for you and your hubby on your new addition. 

Now, onto my weekend plans. Tonight, my cousins are coming into town from Philadelphia to visit for a few days. I'm so excited to see Kristin and Nicole, even if that means between my sister (who is twenty-something weeks pregnant) and Nicole (who is 7 (!) months pregnant) there will probably be a lot of junk food. I'm willing to take one for the team and eat as many French fries that I need to.

Saturday night, my ladies and I will probably hit the town to celebrate our friend Lindsey's birthday! 

I met Lindsey a few years ago when my roommate, who worked with her, suggested she take the open bedroom in our townhouse and we've been inseparable ever since. I'm so lucky to have an amazing group of girlfriends and I'm even more lucky to say that Lindsey has become one of my best friends. Today is her actual birthday and I hope she has an amazing day!  Love you Lindz! 

Okay, enough mushy stuff, it's Friday and I actually have a vlog for you. It has been a few weeks since I vlogged last so please accept my sincerest apologies. But, to make up for it, I talk about last weeks topic, how Kevin and I resolve our differences, and this weeks topic which is on our favorite childhood toy. Double whammy.

Untitled from Jessica T on Vimeo.

I had a brain fart this morning and couldn't remember the name of those damned flying fairies that I loved so much as a kid but I turned to my trusty friend Google and found out they were called Skydancers. Um... and I also found out there were a million recalls on them.

I guess my mom had good reasons for not letting us play with them in the house. 

DO YOU VLOG FRIDAYS? BECAUSE THESE AWESOME CHICKS DO:

Kate at Marshmellow Goodness

Steph at forget me {not}

Cole at Adventures in Love and Happiness 

Erica at Of Food and Friends 
Folly Life
Amy at Life's Journey With A Smile
Ann at The Little Things
Julia at Dr. Princess

Top Five

I'm a little behind on reading my blogs today but as I was scrolling through my Google reader, I caught a glimpse of some serious eye candy. My girl Amy posted her "Freebie List" - a.k.a. the five celebrities you can sleep with and not get in trouble for. This idea stems from one of my favorite Friends episodes where Ross and Rachel make their "Celebrity Freebie List." And like Amy, I'm a huge Friends fan. I have all ten seasons on DVD and was heart broken when they went off the air. 

But back to the business at hand, we're talking about those hotties that are on my laminated list and I know you're dying to find out who they are. So, in no particular order, my top five: 

{ONE}

John Krasinski/Jim Halpert

He's cute, quirky, funny and sweet. Whether he's John, Jim, or even Ethan (in Something Borrowed) I just melt. Is it sad that I'm jealous of both his real wife, Emily Blunt, and his TV wife, Pam? 

{TWO}

Mike Rowe

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm obviously not going for looks alone. Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs and narrator for countless others, is hilarious, a hard worker and of course, not afraid to get dirty. Me likey.

{THREE}

Channing Tatum

Need I say more? Le sigh. 

Ever since the first Step Up movie came out, I've been twitterpated. Then they had to go and make a Nicholas Sparks movie starring him? I die.

{FOUR}

Ryan Kwanten

Um, wait, what was I saying? Must. Form.Words.....

If you watch True Blood, you know that the entire cast is made up of some hot hot hotties but my leading man has to be Sookie's brother Jason Stackhouse, played by the gorgeous Ryan Kwanten. 

{FIVE}

Ryan Reynolds

Just Friends is one of my all time favorite movies so I have to throw Ryan Reynolds into the mix. He's hilarious and I mean, look at him. Duh.

There you have it folks. The top of my must have celebrity crush list. I say "top" because my list may actually be a full page of names that also includes Dane Cook, Matthew Broderick, Taye Diggs and Jennifer Aniston. (I only wish I could rock a pair of jeans like that chick.) 

Side note: if you end up posting your five freebies, don't do it at work because when you Google image search for Ryan Kwanten, your boss will most likely come out of her office and catch you. Consider yourself warned.

Tail Wagging Tuesday!

To link up and join in on the fun with your furry friend, click below to head over to CMae's blog!

This week for Tail Wagging Tuesday, we were asked to share a quick video of our pet! Now, if you've been a follower of mine for a while, you've probably seen this first video before. To set the scene, the noise you hear is our telephone. Yes, our telephone sounds like wild animals when it rings. It's awful and it confuses Bodie. Watch.

I didn't really mean to catch Kevin's ass in the entire clip but he was laying tile by our front door and he was too stubborn to move. So there you have it.

The second short clip is from when Bodie was a teeny pup and I had just brought him home. It's a little dark but he's chasing my roommate's Yorkie, Lady, around the house. They were so in love. He misses his best girl.

So, do you have a clip of your pet? Link up this week and share!!

DC Blogger Meet Up!

When I started my blog about a year ago, I had no idea what it would turn into and that I would start relationships across the internet I never thought were possible. Blogging can open doors and introduce you to an amazing community of friends you wouldn't know otherwise. People that live across the country or ones that live a mere hour and a half away from you.

Well, I've got news for you, those people you've met through blogs and through twitter? They're ten times more awesome in real life. This is the truth. I know because on Friday evening, I had the pleasure of meeting six fantastic ladies that I've known through the internet for a while now.

Emily, Claire, Anni, Steph, Megan and Maria. Oh, and me. 

Since Anni was visiting Washington D.C. (from her hometown of Chicago) for a few days with her fiancée, the other girls and I took advantage of this and decided we should all meet up. This is the first time I've met any of my blogger friends in real life and truthfully, it felt almost as if I were going on a first date. While Kevin and I were walking to the restaurant from the metro, I felt a surge of excitement and nervousness wave over me. What would they sound like? Would I make an awful first impression? Wait, how do I look? (What? All valid questions.) But by the time we arrived and sat down, all my reservations left.

Anni and her fiancée Ross.

Megan, Maria  and her fiancée, Ale.

Emily's husband Josh, Emily, Steph, and the newlyweds Elliott and Claire

Dinner was so much fun that we decided to keep the party going and go dancing. But first, we had to make a  quick call to our dear friend Layla! 

Smile Ross and Anni! Seriously though, these two were soooo sweet. I die. 

Myself with the charming and beautiful Claire.

My blogging BFF! How awesome is she? Well she brought me a pink Snuggie so I'm going with effing awesome.

The gorgeous Em and Steph, posing for another photo.

And from this point forward, the evening went downhill for me. My last glass of wine kicked in and as poor Kevin watched from a dark corner, the rest of us busted a move on the dance floor.

The hilarious and awesome Megan showing off her sweet moves

Maria trying to convince Ale to dance. Get it girl!

Josh and Megan doing the robot? Or the sprinkler?

Fun fact: Josh knows every word to every song ever made. Truth.

The gorgeous Steph and Em posing for another picture.

It was an amazing night with some really awesome people. I knew all my blogger friends were great but this just solidified that fact. I can't wait to meet more of my friends "inside the computer" - even if it is in Vegas next year. ;)

PS - I realize I didn't get any good pictures of Kevin but I promise, he was there. See:

Even though he got up at 3 a.m. and worked twelve hours, I think he was curious to meet all the bloggers I ramble on about all the time. And it may not look like it here but I swear, he really did have fun. I know because he admitted it to me.