Slice of Life Saturday’s ~ Time Flies!

It’s Saturday already? I can’t believe it; this week flew by! I’d like to take a moment to apologize for my lack of posts this week. I had a busy week working, going to concerts, and enjoying lunch dates with family. Honestly, I only intended to take the weekend off from cooking. I blinked and the weekend turned into an entire week. Oops! I hope you forgive me.

I started working full-time again in January and, crazy me, decided to take a night class on Tuesday’s to finish my degree (and hopefully graduate in May). Trying to find balance has been a bit of a challenge. My week is packed, leaving only the weekend to cook, photograph, and blog. Last weekend I just needed a break, and since it was Squirrel’s birthday weekend, I decided to cease all baking and spend some much needed time with family. I promise I’ll be back to posting some yummy dishes this upcoming week.

This was an exciting week. I bought Squirrel Shinedown tickets for Christmas, and the date of the concert finally rolled around on Tuesday. Let me just tell you, Shinedown is AMAZING in concert. I’ve never seen a more grateful band perform live. They thanked the audience after every song and really expressed their appreciation for our presence at their show. They’re really a humble group. The lead singer, Brent, sounds just as good, if not better, in concert as he does on my iPod. The man can sing! I fell in love as I was watching him perform in his black vest. Oh, boy!

I ended up taking off the Wednesday after the show. I wasn’t planning on it, but I’m pushing thirty and can no longer hang. The combination of loud music and two glasses of wine caused me to wake up with a piercing headache. Three ibuprofen and a gigantic burger later, and my headache was cured. Thank goodness for greasy food.

My amazing Mom-mom sent some pretty awesome Valentine’s Day gifts home with my parents on Sunday. She bought me a super cute teapot to add to my collection, piggy measuring cups and spoons, a new coffee mug, and a piggy statue for my garden. I may be pushing thirty, but I’m never too old for V-Day gifts from my grandmother.

Here’s what I pinned this week:

Chocolate Risotto by Savory Simple
Creamy Dutch Oven Chicken by Bev Cooks
Magenta Explosion, Quiet Orange Sunrise, and Green Machine Juice by Total Noms
Espresso Brownies with Espresso Frosting by Roxana’s Home Baking

Here’s what I’m craving:

Brownie Pudding by Fake Ginger- Seriously, I can’t stop thinking about this pudding.
Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mousse w/ Coconut Cream by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz- Guilt-free snacking? Heck, yes!
Open-Faced Balsamic Chicken & Goat Cheese Sandwich by Treats & Trinkets- What do you do when this sammie shows up in your dreams night after night? You make the darn sandwich. Oh, it’s going to happen!

Look what I made:

Ikea’s Swedish Meatballs by Or So She Said- Believe it or not, I’ve never had Ikea’s signature Swedish meatballs before, so I really can’t compare this recipe to the original. However, I can say that this recipe was a hit in my house. They were easy enough to make after work, and they were tasty. I served them over egg noodles. Squirrel gave these a thumbs up.
Asian BBQ Country Ribs by Chef Billy Parsi- I decided to cook these ribs in the crockpot, and they would have been good if my crockpot decided to function properly. The sauce was absolutely amazing, so I’ll definitely be giving this recipe another try once I invest in a new crockpot.

On the menu:

Crockpot Chicken Corn Chowder by A Kitchen Addiction