Coffee CubBuster

Matthew's "little brother" through Big Brothers-Big Sisters is adorable! Every other week they spend a whole day together, and it's been so fun to see Matthew become a big brother for the first time. He is a natural mentor! I've never seen someone so happy to hold a slimy, wet animal before! :)

Fresh new herbs beginning to grow as the spring weather is upon us. It's like May here not March. The pollen stinks, but the weather is amazing! I planted some tomatoes too! I hope my little hanging box can contain the amazing "beefsteaks" we got comin! Who needs a yard anyway!?!? I'm so ready for my first spring break as an educator! I definitely can say that if there weren't breaks for teachers, no one would teach! We are all getting a little frayed at the edges and need a break from the school halls. Don't get me wrong though, I love it, and I'm truly blessed! ~SpringBuster

I'm not usually a baker, but Matthew was really excited about these buttery, sugar Shamrock cookies for our small group. They actually turned out great! I usually don't like baking for two reasons: 1. You have to be exact with the ingredients- so mine don't turn out great 2. I love sweets, so I don't want to torture myself or gain 100 lbs. I know this looks a bit like the old Nickelodeon Gack, but it's actually JELLO's newest creation- dry vanilla pudding that changes colors when you add milk to it! Perfect for St. Patrick's Day with some homemade Angel food and kiwis on top! Looks gross, but tastes great! This one looks great, but didn't taste as great. It's a coffee, almond cake I made for a friend's birthday. She said it tasted great, but I think it was too dry (I have very high standards when it comes to my own cooking). It's those "exact" measurements that mess me up! This will definitely be a Smith family repeat ...

I finally figured out what I'd call my Food Network show. I figure once Giada catches wind that I have a great show idea, she will want to produce and sponsor it. Then, we will be lifelong friends and take trips to Italy with our families. "Authentic Adjustments" Adjustments because I make adjustments to others' recipes based on my likes, dislikes, opinions, and what I have stocked in the fridge or pantry at the time. Plus I don't really like to follow recipes to the "T". Rather, I prefer to add a dash of this or that and a handful of something else. I end up with pretty interesting, (and in my opinion) tasty, new recipes. Authentic because I strive to bring authenticity in everything I do, but also because the adjustments made do not use anything artificial, but real, yummy, and often times organic ingredients. Alliteration in the name because... well... I'm an English teacher. I love alliteration! Giada, I'm available to answer any a...

Brittany's (a.k.a Pink's) wedding is less than a month away, so all her girls (minus a few) headed for a weekend getaway in the mountains of Asheville, NC. It was like 75 degrees when we arrived on Friday and 32 degrees when we left on Sunday! Other than our bodies not understanding the outer temp changes, we had a blast!  Eating, chatting, getting lost with our "blue dot" disappearing on iPhones, window-shopping, eating, talking (I think the talking in the car added to the blue-dot senario above), and showering Pink with gifts- it was a blast! I wish we all lived in the same zip code! What a blessing it is to be a part of Brittany's and James' big day! Yet, I was so excited to come home to my own hubby. After almost a year, I still can't stand to be apart from him. (This is where you hear an "awwww" in the background and some of you sadly might give the eye roll or gag just a bit.) :P P.S. Sorry about the quality of the following pics. They ...