Fresh Fish

We spent our Memorial Day Weekend in Orange Beach at my brother-in-law (and soon to be sister-in-law)'s house in Orange Beach.  We had an absolutely fabulous weekend of fun, sun and fishing! --->more trip details to come later.....

The boys went out really early on Sunday to catch some Amberjack, so Tera and I decided we would sleep in that morning and get in a run and some beach time.  Apparently we missed a pretty good trip.  They limited out on Amberjack, caught some White Snapper and Trigger Fish, but their best catch was a 20lb Mahi Mahi. It was so pretty!  I almost hated we had to eat it.  Almost, but not quite.

Bobby, Eric (both with Amberjack) and Michael (with the Mahi Mahi) 

with the rest of their catch on the table.

The boys cut it into steaks for us and Tera and I went to work deciding on a recipe to use on it.  We didn't have to look too far, and found a real gem in the latest Taste of Home magazine issue.  It was for Teriyaki Mahi Mahi, and it was really quick and simple.

We sprinkled pepper and garlic powder on both sides of the steaks and pan seared them in a little bit of oil for about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Then we added 1tsp of fresh grated ginger to 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce (we used Garlic and Green Onion Teriyaki Sauce from Kikkoman's Takumi Collection) to the fish and heated it through.  It was absolutely fantastic!  We decided to hold on to that recipe for another day since there were no leftovers!

We didn't get a picture of it because it was eaten as soon as it came out of the skillet, so here is the picture from Taste of Home's Website:

Teriyaki Mahi Mahi

We served ours with Rice Pilaf and Broccoli Cassarole instead of whatever that is on this plate.

This is the sauce we used (from the Kikkoman's Website).  It had a $1 coupon on it so naturally I gravitated toward it =)  I will definitely buy it again!

Peace and Quiet

May has flown by in a hurry.  I can't believe it is already the end of the month!  I feel like it just started.  Between dance recitals, wedding showers, work, and softball we have barely had a spare moment to relax.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to be busy and have things to do, but I am ready for a break. Yesterday was one of the busiest days we've had.  I got to work early (7:15am-did I mention I have a 45 minute commute?) so I could leave a little early to get my oil changed, got home and Eric needed me to ride to the river with him to get his boat--yep, I drove the boat to the ramp =)--, we got home and grabbed a quick dinner of BBQ nachos (YUM!), went to the softball field to play (not the best game ever but we managed with 8 players....), we got home from that late and still had to get packed up for the beach this weekend. See what I mean?  Whirlwind!

In all of the craziness yesterday I did find some peace and quiet. We had to get Eric's boat out of the river and since this was the first time we were pulling the boat with the Jeep he was not taking any chances having me back it down the boat ramp, so I got to drive the boat from the river lot to the ramp.  I know I have mentioned before how pretty it is down there....it is absolutely beautiful! Here are a few shots I took on my phone.  I was quite peaceful being down there all by myself.  It was about the only calm moment I had yesterday!

This is the deck the boys have been working on for the past couple of months.  When they started, there was nothing but trees on the bank.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Wedding Season Begins!

I love weddings.  Period.  I love the dresses.  I love the decorations.  I love that it means we get to see friends we have not seen since the last wedding or whatever random event we had last (since most of our friends from college all live in different places now).  I love seeing families merge together and new families beginning. I love seeing how each couple interprets what the perfect wedding is to them.  It blows me away how each wedding we go to is different, but how each one seems perfect.  We are at that age where all of our friends are getting engaged and married (and have been for the past 3 or so years) so we have grown accustomed to being busy in June.

I spent last summer planning my own wedding, which was the best day of my life.  I would do it over again in a heartbeat and I wouldn't change a thing--except for maybe move it back an hour so we wouldn't have to get up so early =).

Here are a few pics from our wedding last year:

Mr. and Mrs. Cagle!

Our first dance. 

I am very excited for the upcoming year, because my brother-in-law just proposed to his girlfriend who coincidentally happens to be one of my closest friends. It is such an exciting time for them!

My soon-to-be Sister-In-Law and I

Mother's Day Cards

I had to wait a couple of weeks before posting these because we were a little late getting our mother's day cards in the mail....sorry Mom!  Better late than never I guess.

I had fun making all of these and actually used the same Stampin' Up stamp set--Sweet Summer--for all 3 of these cards.  I got some inspiration from the Splitcoast Stampers Gallery, and used what I had for the paper and other details.  It amazes me how many different cards can be created by one 7-stamp set.

So here is #1:

#2:

and #3:

Couponing Correction for this Week

So I was going over my receipt from my trip to the grocery store on Wednesday and I noticed a terrible mistake on my part.  I was supposed to purchase 2 BIC multi-purpose lighters (for the grill), which were BOGO, so I should have gotten 2 for $3.49. However, I was not paying very close attention when I picked them up or when I was checking out and I ended up with 2 lighters that were some other brand that were $3.99 each!  In my defense, the BOGO sign was attached to the box that the lighters I picked up were in, but had I double checked, I would have figured it out.

So I took the full price lighters back this afternoon and exchanged them for the BIC lighters and re-configured my receipt to show my new totals:

There is a lot going on in this picture of my receipt, so let me break it down: I actually paid $28.51 and I saved $62.60 on all of my groceries.  Therefore my actual savings percentage this week is 71%, which is my absolute best trip yet!  Lesson learned, from now on I will be double checking my products when I am picking them up, and at checkout.

The View is Amazing!

Eric and I went up to the lake last night to have dinner with one of his best friends and to check out his new condo.  It is on a point right in the middle of the lake and the views are absolutely breathtaking.  We were all inside watching American Idol so we missed the best part of the sunset, but here is what it looked like right after the sun dipped below the clouds...

It doesn't get more beautiful than that!  I don't think you could paint a more beautiful picture.  I am officially ready for summer to begin!

Coupon Savings 5/18

Another week, another great savings trip!  Our grocery sales around here start on Wednesdays, and because we  live at least 30 minutes from Montgomery (and since I work in Montgomery every day) I usually try to get my grocery shopping in at the end of the week so I do not have to make an extra trip to Montgomery on the weekends.  Up until this week I had gotten into a routine of grocery shopping on Thursday afternoons because A-I would rather do fun shopping on Fridays and take my time going home which is hard to do with groceries in your car and B-the dance class I have been teaching was on Wednesday nights so I always had to hurry home.  But since we had our recital last weekend my Wednesdays are free for a little while.  Grocery shopping on Wednesday (AKA the first day of the sales) has a couple of advantages: 1) fewer people have had a chance to scour the store for sale items which means I will have a larger selection to work with and 2) Publix (my store of choice) has a penny item each week that you can only get on the first day of their sales (Thursday here).  So I was able to get everything on my list this week, plus the penny item, plus a couple of other items I did not realize were on sale but we really needed.

So without further ado..........here it is:

Please excuse the photo quality, had to take the photo with my phone because I did not have time to get my camera out.

My total savings this week was $59.11 and I spent $34.49, which is a savings percentage of 63%!  Not too shabby if you ask me.  As long as I can keep my savings above 60%, I am a happy girl  =).

This week's haul included: 2 boxes of breadsticks for $.45ea (they went great with the spaghetti I made last night), 2 bags of shredded mozzarella cheese for $.75/bag, 2 bottles of bbq sauce for $.40ea, 4 bottles of Wishbone salad dressings for $.40ea, 4 cans of almonds for $.60ea (this was an amazing find because almonds have been our snack of choice for the past severals months and the place we usually get them from has been out for about 3 weeks and I was starting to go through almond withdrawl), 3 cans of tomato sauce for $1, 2 boxes of pasta for $.20ea, a 6 pack of Popcorn Pop-Up Bowls for $1.45, and 3-3packs of the soap we use for $1ea.  I also got the penny item this week which was a jar a Publix Pasta Sauce, and they had a deal where you got a bag of potato chips for free if you bought a pack of hotdogs and hotdog buns (with coupons I got the hotdogs and the buns for $3.45).  

All in all a pretty good trip.  I may have to go back and take advantage of that hotdog deal again before the next sale starts up because I have some more coupons and I know we will use all of that stuff up this summer!

Salsa Garden Update

My salsa garden is coming along nicely!  I have several buds on my tomato plant, including this little gem:

It is about the size of a golf ball right now, so I am thinking  hoping we will have a full grown tomato in a couple of weeks!  I have several more flower/buds on it, but none of them are bigger than a gumdrop yet.  I can't believe how big the plant itself has gotten.  It is maybe 6 inches from the top of the 50" cage I have it in.  I am hoping that means we will have lots and lots of tomatoes for salsa this summer!

My jalapeños are growing like crazy, too!  They are about the size of a mini gherkin right now.  But they are probably closer to being ready than the tomatoes.  I did notice yesterday that I have several more mini-peppers starting to sprout already that will be ready to go when the tomatoes are.

Look closely at the picture above and you can see Hawk laying no his back chewing on his ball in the back ground.  He does this all the time. That's my boy!

CRIM 2011

While we have not officially registered for the CRIM, yet we are officially going to be in MI for CRIM weekend.   We have our tickets booked and as soon as I get around to it we will be officially registered for it.

What is the CRIM?  Why it is the Coolest Race In Michigan!    It is a 10 mile race through downtown Flint, MI.  Mom started running it when they moved there and a couple of years ago I decided to run it with her (if she can do it, surely I can, right?).  I thought that I would have an advantage running in the heat all summer.  To my surprise, it was 55 and misty when the race started that morning.  It was without a doubt the coldest run I had done that summer (did I mention it was AUGUST!?!).  I finished under my goal time of 2 hours (by 3 minutes) and was pleased. Nevermind that my knees felt like someone was hitting them with a hammer the rest of the day :-)  [So why did I decide to do this again?]   The race itself is a blast.  The route goes through downtown Flint, the U of M Flint campus as well as neighborhoods.  People literally line the entire race route cheering the runners on; bands set up and play along the route; and in addition to water stations there is a beer station and a Krispy Kreme Doughnut station along the way!

 I am only smiling at this point because I can see the finish line!

I am looking forward to the race, if nothing else it will get me back in shape.  I was in the best shape I have ever been in that summer and have since slacked off .  I am excited that Eric is going to run it this year, too.  Part of the reason I ran it last time was because he was in Kuwait for a tour with the Air Force Reserves, and I figured running would be a great way for me to release some of my stress and anxiety with him being over there.  I have already accepted the fact that he is going to beat me, but it will still be fun to train together.  

Mom and I after the race with our medals. Yes I was still FREEZING.

I guess this means I need to get out and run this weekend!

Great Read

I just finished a really great book, recommended by my mom, called The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. It is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960's and is the story of 3 women, one white the other two black maids and a book they decide to write about the experiences of the maids of Jackson, Mississippi.

from Amazon.com

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and can't wait to see the movie, which is due to come out in August of this year!

from IMDB.com

Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day I decided to post this wonderful picture of my mom and my grandma and I.  This picture was taken at my PEO initiation ceremony in 2005.  Since my mom and grandma are both PEOs it was very special to have both of them there.

Look carefully, I will look just like these 2 women when I reach their ages.  I promise.  I wish I had a picture of my grandmother's mother, because the resemblance would continue.   You know there is a strong resemblance when boyfriend (now hubby) picks your grandparents out of a crowd because he can see it in your grandmother eyes.  It happened.  The first time Eric met them was at one of my basketball games in college.  I didn't have a chance to introduce them before the game but when Eric scanned the crowd during the game he said he knew who they were the minute he saw my grandma because I have the same eyes as her.  Lucky for Eric he has a look into the future of what he has married.  =)

I could not have asked for a better mom. We are just alike and even though she is 14 hours away from me we stay close through our nearly daily phone calls.  I am sure she gets tired of my venting at times, but she has never let me know it.  I know I can always count on her for anything and I think of her as more than a mom.  She is a wonderful friend, too.

So Happy Mother's Day to all of the mother's, and especially to my own mom, and grandmothers!  Love you all!

Savings Success

So I hit up Publix yesterday afternoon for what became my biggest couponing shopping trip to date.  I don't usually get nervous at the check out but for some reason I was really anxious today.  I think it was because I had a card FULL of groceries (normally I have a few items--certainly no where near a full cart). When the clerk finished ringing up everything my total was nearly $85--side note: at Publix the store deals are automatically applied to items when they are scanned so the $85 was WITH store sales applied already--like I said I was a tad panicked.    When it was all said and done with my total was $49.50 with a total savings of 63%!  I was pretty stoked, considering that $49.50 included $10 for steaks and $6.73 was sales tax.

The proof!

As I said, this trip included $10 in steaks, 4 Healthy Choice frozen lunches, several frozen steamer bag veggies all for $ .50- $ .80 each, I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray for less than $ .75, Kraft Mayo for $1.75, Newman's Own Salsa (one of our new favorites) for $1, a Voila! Frozen Dinner for 2 for $1.50, YoPlait Frozen Smoothie Mix for $ .60, 3 Crystal Light mix Canisters for $2, Ghirardelli Brownie mixes BOGO, Knorr pasta sides for $.50 each, and 2 bags of Pretzel Chips for $1.25 each, and some Propel Zero Fitness Water 2 for $1!  I also had a couple of coupons for FREE items: a Stouffer's Soup and Sandwich Meal, and an Uncle Ben's Ready Rice pouch, plus a $5 off a $30 purchase. All in all a great trip, and a great way to start out my May savings!

I don't think I mentioned it but in the month of April I saved and average of 55% on all of my grocery purchases.  My goal is to up that to 60% for the month of May.  I have improved by nearly 10% every month since I started keeping up with this in January and I don't want to let up now!  Since the beginning of the year I have saved over $775 on groceries, more than half of that total was from April and (the very beginning of) May alone. I am starting to amass a small stock pile of items I know we will use, especially for cookouts this summer.  I am trying to talk Eric into putting in some shelving units in our laundry room so I can expand it--not to the extent of those Extreme Couponing people because frankly I do not have the time or energy to track down all of those coupons--I just want to be able to de-clutter my cabinets.

Garden Update

My little garden that I planted a few weeks ago has expanded in both size and number of plants.  I have pretty much run out of space in the beds around the house, so unless I want to start pulling things up, I am going to have to keep putting plants in pots.  However, it is working out because I never get tired of seeing pretty flowers around the pool!

Here is an update on the plants I planted about a month ago:

The herbs (basil, rosemary and thyme)

Tomato Plant (had to get a cage for it)

Jalapeño Peppers and Cilantro

I've also added several flower pots around the pool (and will probably add more before the end of the summer).

Impatiens

 Hanging baskets with verbena, petunias, etc.

Petunias

Dahlias

 Mandeville

(the plan is for it to climb on the pool fence to give us some privacy).

Zinnias and Salvia

No idea what this one is but I thought it was so pretty!

(if you know what it is please let me know)

Tennis Balls and Puppy Dogs

I realized this weekend as Hawk was trying to find a toy he had not chewed a hole in yet to play fetch with in the pool that we do not have ANY tennis balls.  I guess I did not think about them because he has played fetch with the frisbee lately (it does not float in the pool).  We do not keep any balls in the house because Hawk will stop and nothing to retrieve a bouncing or rolling ball, and he does not care what is in his way.  He also has a habit of throwing his toys to himself and a ball gets away from him very quickly.  If he were a person he would be a fantastic soccer player because he kicks his toys all over the house when he plays with them.  I went by Walmart this weekend and picked up a value pack of tennis balls that will (hopefully) get us through the first part of the summer.

Happy boy with his tennis ball.  Notice Peanut waiting to make his move.

 He saw an opening and took it.

 He chews the fuzz off of the tennis balls, strange I know.

Look Mom!  I got it back!

"Wanna throw it for me?!"