I'm a BOSco sticks

Today I wanted Bosco sticks from Joe's Pizza.  Joe's is a locally owned & operated pizza place and our families favorite restaurant in town.  My Daddy is good friends with Joe, and for a time ran deliveries.  My baby sister worked there all through high School, and even I for a short time worked for Joe too.  To say we love their food would be an understatement.  We even love the current delivery guy, and he loves us…..but Joe's is not in the budget!  The Budget is written in stone and we are not deviating from it. 

We have tried the store bought Bosco sticks and YUCK!  

What is a girl on a budget to do? 

Could I make them myself? 

Hmmmm  

How hard could it be?….

It’s just garlic bread wrapped around some cheese and rolled in garlic butter and Parmesan right? 

I got this….I Make bread all the time….and we just happen to have some of those Mozzarella cheese sticks in the fridge! 

I definitely need to work on my photo taking skills I KNOW!!!

Photo of a real bosco stick :( Not from Joe's but the same.  
yeah well their photographer gets paid and I don't :D

bare in mind I stink at pictures and don’t remember to take them until it’s too late but I’m working on it, and no I haven't taken the time to get my nails done either.

While preparing the spaghetti and bosco sticks we discovered we didn't have enough spaghetti noodles for dinner.

 (we improvised & went with elbow noodles, & remaining spaghetti noodles) 

I melted the butter  for the bosco sticks in the microwave added some garlic salt because I am a not perfect and totally meant to buy garlic powder but instead bought garlic salt…..not once but 3 different x’s.  Then I went to get some Parmesan cheese out of the fridge only to find we didn’t have any…..so again I improvised and mixed garlic salt into Parmesan herb seasoning.  (Whose Idea was it to have spaghetti??) 

I was trying to show you what the yeast looked like when it was ready.....FAIL  Sorry

add 2 1/2 cups of flour.....Fail again

while the dough I didn't take a picture of rests for 10 mins Melt your  butter and add  Garlic Salt

Yeah the flash is too bright but the natural lighting was terrible  

Then I divided the dough into 10 equal pieces.  Rolled the dough into a rectangular shape just a little bigger than the cheese stick, brushed a little garlic butter on put a frozen cheese stick in the middle and sealed it up. 

Then I threw a little flour on my board and rolled the stick to get a nice uniform shape.  Brushed on a little more garlic butter, and sprinkled some garlic Parmesan herb seasoning on the outside and put it on the cookie sheet.  

this is what they look like all rolled up.  Don't hate on that really old pan....She was My Mother in laws, she's a Wilton and has proven the test of time.  I don't know for sure how old she was when I got her but I know I have been using her for  20 years!! and she may not be pretty anymore but SHE IS one of 3 of the best pans I own, all Wilton and all 3 inherited from my mother in law 20 years ago.  

Let them rise for 10-15 minutes and pop them in the oven.  

THEY SMELL GOOD!!!  

10 min first pan(tiny bit of cheese was oozing out)  ….second pan we took out at 8 min and they were perfect and no cheese was trying to escape.  Brushed on another coat of garlic butter and 

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!  

Kevin and Shania both agreed they were better than JOE’S!!!!!!  SCORE yeah that’s right WE AVERTED THE PIZZA GUY again! 

Here is the recipe

Momma’s Bosco sticks

• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 1 c. very warm water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. olive oil
• 21/2 C.  All purpose flour
• 10  mozzarella cheese sticks
• garlic salt
• 1/3 c. melted butter
• Parmesan herb

1.       Combine yeast, water, and sugar.  Let set a few minutes to activate yeast.

2.      Add flour, salt and olive oil to yeast mixture

3.      Knead into soft dough.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.

4.      Separate dough into 10 equal parts.  Roll each part into rectangles just bigger than a cheese stick.

5.      Cut Cheese Sticks length wise.

6.      Brush garlic butter down the center of dough

7.      Lay cheese stick on breadstick

8.      Fold dough around Cheese Seal well.

9.      Roll to get shape and ensure that the cheese is sealed inside of dough. 

10.   Brush melted butter on each breadstick and sprinkle Parmesan herb garlic mix.

11.    Allow to rise 5-10 minutes

12.   Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes

13.   Brush on more garlic butter.

Serve warm

Super Sunday'

Not going to make a habit of posting our Super Sunday but since today is Super Bowl Sunday and we just started our blog I thought it was fitting.  Every Sunday at our house is Super because it is a day of worship and being lazy together here.  We enjoy each others company and we do what we can to not do any kind of business on Sunday.  We try not to eat out or do any shopping and avoid working on Sunday as much as we possibly can. (sometimes working is unavoidable, if you want to keep your job)  But you never have to do business on Sunday that is a choice and yes it can be avoided (plan ahead) Even if Sunday isn't an option for your family I hope you take one day a week to enjoy each other and rest.  Quality time is the best time.  

Being that today was super bowl Sunday and our team wasn't playing we weren't much into the game but we wanted to see the commercials.  This discussion was had with the boy child on Saturday evening and we came up with an impromptu Commercial party.  (NO PICS sorry I was spending time with family and friends and new to blogging so I honestly didn't think about it until I decided to blog about our Super Sunday)  The kids invited a few friends and I made munchies :)  the kids picked up around the house with out fighting.....LIGHT BULB MOMENT....we should entertain more often!

I already had a pork roast in the crock pot for BBQ pork and was planning on making sweet potato fries and Mississippi sin.....SO I just added a few other things and Walla!  Food and friends and 2 happy teens at home with their parents enjoying some commercials and quality time!  Thank you GOD for happy healthy God loving children.

I added fritters, healthy mozzarella sticks, and queso dip as well as a zuchinni and carrot bars and strawberries and whip cream to make it a Commercial Party!

Family fave was hands down the M&M commercial "I'm sexy and I know it wiggle wiggle wiggle"  Bahaha come on it was pretty funny and besides nobody likes the brown naked M&M any way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn3mktl30iw

My second fave was the Dead kitty Man's best friend Doritos commercial.... OK so it wasn't in the best taste but you know you laughed too!
http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/?finalist=10925

Hubs and favorite son were both huge fans of the baby and grandma Doritos commercial!
http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/?finalist=13253

Baby girl really liked the Reinvented Toyota commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9L-8372A3w

How did you spend your super bowl Sunday?

Painted Paneling

Have you ever lived in an old house?  Yeah me too, I wish I could say it was our first home but nope it's our second home and we still have paneling :(

This sweet Angel baby wanted her room redone

So we called and got an estimate for dry walling her room.......EEEK!!!!  yeah that isn't going to happen sweetie.  

Her room is in the upstairs of a very old, outdated house w/ some really cool angles however having the room dry walled is way expensive so paint the paneling…..eeek I LOATHE PANELING!!! Loathe it…unfortunately I have not lived in a newer home w/ drywall thru-out in my adult life so I am pretty good at painting paneling!  So good that I have had people ask where I bought the stuff.  The gasp when I tell them it was ugly paneling that I painted still cracks me up.  

Here is a before

See what I mean…EEEEEK  I hate this paneling….It is was all over this house.  Slowly but surely I will conquer the paneling and replace it all w/ drywall and or paint!  I will even if it kills me. I know it looks dirty but I assure you I washed it. (our home was a rental for a long time…it was very very abused but cheap)  

1.  Start by washing down the paneling with warm soapy water.  allow it to dry 

First we did our homework and since this is our second OLD  well loved home we knew it could be done, and we could do it better.  We did learn a few tricks from our old old house.  The biggest thing we learned was TINTED PRIMER and how it is your friend.....No really get the primer tinted.  I don't care what you have been told or by who get that primer tinted it will save you a coat of paint later and it is way cheaper than the paint.  besides tinting is free so tint it already.  

2.  TINT your primer 

(note to self take a picture of the container next time)  

We started by using a tinted primer….I bought the 5 gallons of primer from Menards way back had it tinted a khaki…light brown beige color (covers the lines better than plain white)  If you are gonna paint over your ugly paneling, face it you know it's ugly you need primer.    For her room we only used about a gallon and a half .  I use  Kilz brand Primer just my preference.  

3.  gather painting supplies

cheap brushes and rollers

throw away paint trays

I do not use good paint brushes or rollers on my paneling projects.  I buy the cheap paint kit from the cheap store….for $10.  It comes w/ 2 regular rollers, a trim roller, a trim brush, and a couple of foam brushes.  It is cheap and you don’t feel bad throwing it away when you are done.  It really is all you need to get rid of that ugly paneling.  

4.  Start by using the trim brush to fill in the paneling lines like this. 

I usually try to 

5.blend/dry brush in diagonal pattern after I have filled in the lines.  It seems to help when you roll the primer to keep it even.

  

.It takes time…but be patient it is worth it.  

This is the wall between the bedroom entering the hallway and the doorway to the walk in closet.  It's about 4 foot wide.  Now that you have all the lines and holes filled and feathered/blended it is time for the roller

6. Roll primer over the whole surface

This is a shot of that same 4ft wall completely primered….Hubby forgot to tell me he was getting ready to roll the paint on….so I was a bit late.

I have to say that I could live with just the primer….it is wayyyy better than the paneling and already so much brighter.  Now for our daughters room we were trying to go cheap…and since we don’t have a Lowes, or Home Depot, or Sherwin Williams nearby or even a Menards …Yep we went with  elcheapo from the cheap big box store.  

7.  Pick a paint color and type of paint We used a semi gloss  

(S. wanted YELLOW and I wanted white, so a white with a yellow base was used)

8. Roll away one coat will do but 2 coats is best

to save $ you can use elcheapo first and finish with a coat of 

$$ paint

we didn't bother with expensive rollers here either    

 See how it turned out!!!  Make sure you Check out those angles! 

Ok I know I should have painted that ceiling before we started on the walls but really…I hate painting the ceiling and Hubby wasn’t home when I started so we did it last.  Here is a close up. 

See the lines still showing up in this pic…above? 

Yeah that is because the paneling was hung over old plaster walls and isn't tight.  Take your sponge brush and fill it in and or use some caulk to fill the gap.  It takes time.  Just like when you paint drywall you will need to trim it all up with the brush.  The first time is really frustrating….I remember it and I was frustrated beyond words with  those pesky lines.  I have painted paneling and used the pesky lines as guides for striped walls and they also turned out fantastic but that was in our first house, and I don’t have pics. :(  Be patient, turn up the music, and remember the after is soooo worth it!!  

Yeah yeah I know Start with the ceiling!  Someday I will learn this.

and someday I hope to do better tutorials but I think you get the idea :)  

I'll do a late post with how we finished her room and the $$ saving stuff we decorated with.....

YOU WILL BE AMAZED 

Journey to healthy

One of the things that is changing in 2012 is ME!  

I am changing and growing in more than one way so Friday posts will be about ME.  

Why Friday and not Monday or any other day?  Because that is the day of the week I  chose to weigh and measure myself.  I don't want to be thin I want to be healthy, and right now I am not healthy.  I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe but know that I will have to.  I don't think I need a reward for doing what I should have been doing everyday for the last 10 years but I may need one to keep me motivated.  I just want to be the best version of ME I can be and that means inside and out.

I actually started this journey on Jan 1st but decided to stay on track I needed to blog about it.
MAKE ME ACCOUNTABLE PEOPLE!!!!!  Please don't be mean though.

Since January 1st I have lost 7 pounds with little to no effort but that isn't cutting it. (I need to lose 2lbs per week to be where I want to be by my 40th Birthday.   I am 5'9" tall and according to the Ideal Weight charts etc I am approaching morbid obese.  height of 5' 9" your ideal healthy weight is 152 pounds. Your recommended weight range is between 135 and 168 pounds.  

That was the easy part........Here comes the hard part. 

As of today I weigh 213 pounds.

  

There I said it, GASP!  EEK!  OMG!!!!  IKR?  

It is absolutely not acceptable!  

I would like to be in the recommended range for my height so I need to lose  45 pounds.  But this isn't about the weight,  this is about being the best me I can be.  I am not healthy and I KNOW IT, there are a lot of other things I need to change also including my personal relationship with my Lord and Savior but that is another post!  

There is no excuse and I will not make one.  

Our sweet children are planning a 20th anniversary cruise for us and I WANT TO ENJOY IT!  I am about to turn 40 in September and I WANT TO look my age and not like an old lady!  More importantly I want to feel good!  I don't want to starve, and I don't want to give up the things I love....I mean lets be real....I ALMOST NEVER eat out, and I ALMOST NEVER drink soda.  What I do is drink to much coffee with 1% milk and yes sugar.  Another thing I know is that I DON'T   Have not worked out.  That Changes NOW!!!!            Thank you Shari for selling me the recumbent bike so cheap!!!  

So in keeping it real fashion here are the rest of the numbers.

My Measurements
Where	2-3-12	2-10-12	Total loss for week	2-17-12	Total loss for week	2-24-12	Total loss for week	Total inches lost for the Month
Neck	15.5
Above bust	42
Bust	43.25
Below bust	39.25
Natural waist	43.5
Actual waist Where pants fit	46.5
bottom	46.5
Right thigh	25.75
Left thigh	26.24
Right above knee	19
Left above knee	18.5
Right below knee	16
Left below knee	16
Right calf	18.75
Left calf	17.75
Right ankle	11.5
Left ankle	11
Right bicep	14.5
Left bicep	14.5
Right forearm	12.25
Left forearm	12
Right wrist	7.25
Left wrist	7.25

Remember to be kind with your comments.  Cheer me on because like I said I don't need a reward for doing what I should have been doing all along, so instead of rewarding myself For losing 2 pounds a week!  I will reward one of you!   every Friday that I meet my goal I will give away something I have made to one of my followers.....(stay tuned for more details)