Down with the Dearmore's: January 2013

{tasty tuesday} oreo icebox dessert

I'm so excited to share with you a Pinterest success recipe {at least in my book}! I made this dessert for our cousin night this past Friday and it was delicious {and simple to make...my favorite kind}!

Oreo Icebox Dessert

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) package Oreos, crushed

6 T. butter, melted

1 (oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 c. confectioners' sugar

1 large box instant chocolate pudding + milk to prepare, as specified on the pudding package

1 large (16 oz) container Cool Whip whipped topping

Directions:

1. Set aside about 1/4 cup crushed Oreos. Mix remaining crushed Oreos with the melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Combine cream cheese and confectioners' sugar; mix well. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip until well combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crushed Oreo layer. Chill for 20 minutes.

3. Prepare chocolate pudding according to package directions. Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill for 20 minutes.

4. Spread remaining Cool Whip over the pudding layer. Sprinkle reserved Oreos on top. Chill for 8 hours or overnight before serving.

And there you have it! P.S., I didn't mine made in time to chill for 8 hours, so I kept it in the freezer for a few hours then put it in the fridge until it was time to serve. It tasted great!

Eat up and Happy Tasty Tuesday!

{how sweet it is}

It's hard to believe we're just days away from the month of February! Didn't we just celebrate New Year's last week?!?! Josh and I have never really "gone all out" for Valentines Day. Yes, it is a sweet day, but I would rather us save our $$ for Little Miss or on our current house projects. Now don't get me wrong, I love receiving flowers every now and then{which my husband has been great about}, but for me, they're much more special when they're out of the blue! With that being said, I created a fun little board with some Valentine's Day inspiration gifts for him, her, and the mini. I am especially loving these little pink TOMS. Hmm...I think it might be time to check into these! ;)

Wishing you all a Happy Monday and productive week ahead!

{friday fancies} black + white

Happy Friday! I'm so excited about today's {friday fancies}! If you know me, you know I've always loved the black+white combo. It is simple, yet classic. So....if money grew on my trees, here are a few things I would purchase! :) Hope you enjoy!

Wishing you all a very happy weekend! We have a fun full weekend ahead. Let the festivities begin!

{tasty tuesday} super bowl addition

It's hard to believe we're a little less than 2 weeks away from the Super Bowl! Even though my team didn't make it as far as we hoped {GO TEXANS}, it is still a good excuse for good food and fun! Here are some tasty recipes I have seen recently {and hope to make this year}.

1. Pimiento Cheese Rolls

2. Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

3. Pizza Sticks

4. Warm Gumbo Dip

5. Colby-Pepper Jack Cheese Dip

All of these recipes can be found at Southern Living. Happy Tasty Tuesday!

{16 months}

Happy 16 months to the most beautiful baby girl I know! It really feels like yesterday I was writing E's 3rd, 4th, 5th....month updates! And here we are today, my sweet girl is 16 months old. Really?! I could go on and on and on about our Little Miss. I found this quote {song} on Pinterest the other day, and thought it was so very fitting.

She has truly brightened our world! I am so very thankful God chose me to be her mommy.

At 16 months...

Weight: 23 lbs. Height: 31 inches

Size: You are still wearing 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Favorite food obsessions: Strawberries, yogurt, hot dogs, cheese, crackers dipped in hummus.

Least favorite food {actually a drink in our case}: Milk!

Most favorite activity: Playing babies!

Favorite TV show: Yo Gabba Gabba

Favorite song: Animal Sounds by Choo Choo Soulz

You also love chasing Finley{dog} around the house, listening to music, reading books, and as always, being around other kiddos! You are learning new words everyday and starting to put 2 words together "hi dada", "bye mama". You love being outside. You love splashing in the bathtub and pouring water all over your head! We love watching you grow and grow. You are the sweetest, most loving, determined, independent little girl I know! Everyday, your daddy and I look at each other and say, "I can't believe that is our little girl".

We love you, sweet Ella!

{friday fancies} outfit crush

Thank goodness it's FRIDAY! Once again, I'm linking up with Friday Fancies {which by the way I'm loving every Friday}! This weeks feature is an outfit crush. Wow....it was so hard to pick just one.

The inspiration outfit I found was from Pinterest {where else these days?!}. I especially love the mint/navy/hot pink combo. Enjoy!

Until next time, have a fabulous weekend!

{tasty tuesday} taco soup

Today, I'm going to share one of my favorite soup recipes {thank you, Sarah}! It is simple, quick and delicious....the perfect "go to" meal on a chilly day.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

2 cans Ranch style beans

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can rotel

1 medium onion

1 can corn, drained

1 pkg. Taco seasoning

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing

Directions:

Brown meat. Add all ingredients into pot. Stir and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with fritos & cheese {and sour cream if you desire}. Enjoy and eat up!

{this & that}

And another week begins! Weekends fly by too quickly if you ask me!

1. Operation Organization has begun in our household! We were able to accomplish some big projects this weekend. Yeah! My hubby completely cleaned out our garage and made room for me to park my car again. I was especially thankful this weekend since a monsoon decided to pass through.

I'm in the process of creating our family memo board. I'm liking it much better than taking up half of the fridge with pictures, invites, announcements, etc. {can you tell I cleaned out those as well?!}.

2. I'm loving my most recent purchase from GroopDealz {that place is addicting especially with such low prices}. I bought the green one {for $6.99 I might add}. My favorite! I've already got the perfect outfit in mind.

3. My baby is not a baby anymore. This past week, I took her in for her 15th month check-up. Time is flying! She walks like a big girl, "talks" like a big girl, takes care of her babies like a big girl, loves, hugs and cuddles with her mommy and daddy like a big girl. Tear!

4. I love everything about the holiday season, but there's something about getting back into the swing of things. Speaking of, I'm so ready for my MOPS {Mothers of Preschoolers} group to begin next week! I love getting together with other mommies, chatting, listening to awesome speakers, and crafting. I do have the best table, I must say! ;) If you're not familiar with MOPS, it is a wonderful organization. Let me know if you have questions!

5. Wishing you all a happy week. Here are a few of "inspirationals"!

{friday fancies} emerald city

Happy Friday! I'm loving this weeks "friday fancies". It is one of my favorite colors and had fun putting this little ensemble together! Hope you enjoy!

In other news, we're excited for a "plan free" weekend! We've been on the go lately, so it'll be nice to just be around. I'm thinking we're gonna start on our "spring cleaning" a little early. Here's to the weekend!

{tasty tuesday} nutter butter-banana pudding trifle

It's that time again...yummy recipe day! Who doesn't love a good banana pudding?! This is a recipe I came across in Southern Living a few years back. One word...divine!

Nutter Butter - Banana Pudding Trifle
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Cook: 20 min, Stand: 30 min, Chill: 2 hrs.

Ingredients:
3 cups milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 medium-size ripe bananas
1 (1-lb.) package peanut butter sandwich cookies
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
Garnishes: peanut butter sandwich cookies, dried banana chips, fresh mint springs (optional)

Directions:
1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place saucepan in ice, and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly chilled.
3. Meanwhile, cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Break cookies into thirds.
4. Spoon half of pudding mixture into a 3-qt. bowl or pitcher. Top with bananas and cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over bananas and cookies. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Garnish, if desired.

Enjoy and Happy Tasty Tuesday!

{new goals for a new year}

Happy 2013 {a few days late}! Don't you just love the beginning of a New Year! I love getting to reflect back on the past year, all the good {and yes, some not so good} things that have taken place. 2012 was a great year for us and can't wait to see all that 2013 has in store.

So, as far as my New Years Resolution...or new goals, I've come up with several for this year. And I really don't want them to be something I do for just the first 30 days of the year, but something that will continue throughout the year. Here's to wishing, hoping and praying!

1. Be consistent in my daily quiet times. These are the two devotional books I have for this year and am excited to read them.
2. Take more video footage of our Little Miss. I'm good about the pictures, but I know one day I'll regret not having lots of footage if I don't get better at it NOW.

3. Learn how to use my new Adobe Photoshop {thanks Jess}! I've been wanting this for several months now and was suprised by my sister at Christmas!

4. Manage my time wisely!

5. Cook more....if you know my husband, you know he is a fabulous cook and absolutely loves it. For me, it's not as enjoyable {baking, yes!}; however, I want to be in the kitchen more this year {cooking that is}.

Here's to a new and wonderful year! Bring it on 2013!

{friday fancies} new year new you

Happy Friday! Today, I'm excited to link up with {long distance loving} for Friday Fancies for the very first time! The theme this week is new year new you. I've decided to create a classy, yet bold theme board. You can never go wrong with classics, but everyone loves to step out with some fun and different bold pieces. Hope you enjoy! Wishing you all a happy weekend! Hubby and I are off to celebrate our anniversary tonight! Cheers to the weekend!

{you + me}

On this day, four years ago...

I was preparing to walk down the aisle of a beautiful church to marry not only the man of my dreams, but the love of my life.

In some ways, it feels just like yesterday and in other ways, it is really hard to even imagine that there was a time of my life that Josh never existed in.

I remember the second I turned the corner and saw Josh's face looking at me. It was the sweetest subtle smile I had ever seen.

One of the most special parts was having my dad and grandad officiate as well as have my sister and Josh's dad stand right next to us serving as the Maid of Honor and Best Man. We cherish the long love legacy our family has set before us.