Fake 'n Bake Dilemma

I'm not the palest person around, but I do like having a good glow.  Since it's gotten warmer, I've been wearing more skirts and dresses without tights or leggings and I've noticed that I've started looking a little scaly.

Last year around this time I was getting ready to get married and I was all about the self-tanner and sunshine.  This year I'm old and married and I have a real job (aka I'm too lazy to apply self-tanner every day and I'm too busy to lay outside).

I've used a few self tanners, but they were mostly cheap Hawaiaan Tropic ones that were a little orangy.  I want to be tan, but I don't want to look like this:

I'm looking for some legit self tanners that not only won't make me look like Xtina, but also 1) don't have to be applied every day 2) aren't nasty and gloopy (if that's even a word) 3) won't rub off on my clothes or sheets 4) aren't super expensive.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Guilty Pleasure

While being lazy on Sunday and watching mindless MTV shows, I renewed my love for this little gem.  I could watch hours of this show.  Even though I'm not a huge fan of the lady MCs, I even like Lil Mama on this show.  The dancing is insane and something that I could never do.

Here's a little snippet of my favorite crew from a few seasons ago:



I think it's the fros that get me.

Menu Sunday

Menu Sunday will be a little boring this week.  I have all of these great cookbooks, but I forget about them all the time.  This week I was determined to cook everything out of some of my favorite cookbooks.

We'll be eating various and assorted goodies from these bad boys:

The slow cooker book is the best.  It's made me love "feasting with my slow cooker".

Thoughts on a Thursday

It's time for Thoughts on a Thursday (once again....my brain must be empty because I don't have that many thoughts).

Link up with Carolyn to play along!

• I watched TLC's Extreme Couponing last night.  While I'm all one for a deal these people are crazy.  This one lady bought 150 bottles of mustard and 35 bottles of Maalox and ended up paying $2 for it all.  That's great, but what do you do with 150 bottles of mustard?  In my life I don't think I've used 150 bottles of mustard.
• Speaking of crazy people who have their own reality shows, I can't wait to watch this little gem:

 

 VH1's Mob Wives looks so delightful.  A part of me thinks it would be really neat to be a mob wife and to be super Jersey fabulous, but then the whole KB would have to be a mobster and in jail and crazy part kicks in.

• We've been able to take the puppies on a walk everyday this week!  The weather has been pretty nice all week so we've been getting the little fatties some exercise.  Rosie has gained so much weight that she's outgrown her harness and Panchie's collar is getting a little tight.
• KB finally did our taxes!  Taxes scare the bejesus out of me.  I'm paranoid that I'm going to miscalculate something and I'll end up on a JK Harris & Co commercial talking about how the IRS was hunting me down for tax evasion.  Luckily I have the hookup on the tax situation since KB deals with taxes (not really the personal income kind, but still) everyday for his job.  After months of nagging, he finally did them and I'm pretty sure the IRS won't hunt me down.

What are your thoughts on Thursday????

Granny Bread

After a few requests, here is the bread recipe from my grandmother.  This is from a cookbook that she wrote for me when I got married.  She put some weird things in the recipe and I'm not one to edit for content, so here goes:

Basic White Bread
This recipe sounds complicated, but it's not & you can use this dough for lots of things

3 C of unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
2tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt I just fill the spoon really full
3 T. sugar
4 T. softened butter
1/4 C non-fat dry milk
1/4 C instant potato flakes instant mashed potatoes
1 1/8C luke warm water

Combine all ingredients in your large mixer bowl and put in your dough hook.  Beat on med. speed for 6 min.  Dough should clean bowl sides.  If dough is sticky, add flour in small amounts.  This dough should be smooth and soft. It's my favorite dough! Put in a greased glass bowl - one side first and then turn it over so both sides will be greased.  Cover with a light cloth and let rise about an hour.  Transfer to a lightly greased surface (I just use my counter top and some Crisco).  Punch down and shape in an 8" log and put in a grased loaf pan.  Cover with sprayed plastic wrap for about an hour or until the loaf is about an inch above the edoge of the pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 min.  Tent with foil for the last 15 min to prevent over-browning.  When it comes out of the oven, turn out immediately and cool bottom-side down on a wire rack.  If you want the crust to be soft, place a clean dish towel over hot breast ast it cools.

There you go....you can now make this:

Compliments of this crazy lady....

Please excuse my lovely bikini bod in the background!

Ode to a T-Shirt

Oh Gap Cap Sleeve V-Neck T how did I ever live without you.  With your super comfy, super soft and super tissuey self, I can do the dishes, sleep on the couch, workout, go to work, and never take you off.  I've never had  a t-shirt quite like you and I probably never will.  I'm thinking about buying you some friends of your own kind this weekend.  Don't be jealous.....I have enough love for you all!


Seriously people.....buy this shirt.  It's so comfortable you'll never want to take it off.

Menu Sunday

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week:

Mon: Sausage, Egg and Vegetable Casserole
         Eggs were on sale at the grocery store and I had a coupon.....so we're eating lots of eggs.  I'm a big frittata fan and this looks pretty similar, just in casserole form.

Tues: HG's BLT Pizza
        I'm becoming a HUGE fan of the Hungry Girl.  This recipe looks really easy and delicious.  I will be using a leftover pizza crust from the last time we had pizza and cooking my own bacon.

Wed: Slow Cooker Veggies and Meatballs
         I never want to cook on Wednesdays.  All the good shows come on and I need to workout before I watch them AKA I'm too lazy to cook by this point in the week.  My crock pot is my best friend on these days.  I'll be making my own meatballs though because ground turkey was a lot cheaper than the premade meatballs.....seriously people, how hard is it roll up some meat!

Thurs: Turkey with Bacon and Swiss
          I successfully made my own bread this week!  I ended up using my grandmother's recipe and it turned out much better than last time.  I'm itching to use up my delicious homemade bread and who doesn't like turkey and swiss!

Fri: I'm lazy!!!!!
      I could really get used to this whole no cooking on Friday thing.  KB will be camping out at my parent's house (literally....he's camping in the woods) to go turkey hunting on Saturday morning, so who knows if we'll even be here.

What goodies are you eating this week???