Anniversary weekend | 17 years

I am so excited about celebrating my 17th Wedding Anniversary with my favorite husband in all of the land ♥

The sting of food prices

Lately I have been feeling like I go to the grocery store and get some great deals yet I come home with nothing. I am a coupon user and a sale watcher but yet I feel like I am still not coming out on top. I did a little research and it turns out that the average family of 4 (although we are 5) spends about $500-$1,000 per month on groceries. The $500 side is for the thrifty families who use coupons and shop sales. This is all so crazy. I am sure most of you feel the same way. If you want to eat healthier you really have a lot of work to do. I love to have salad with meals but have you seen the cost of produce lately?? A bag of lettuce costs about $4 and you get mostly air! I have learned that my local grocery store marks down that kind of stuff according to expiration date. If I make a salad that day I often can get the same bag of lettuce for about $1-$1.50. I sat down yesterday for about 30 minutes clipping coupons according to a sales paper and once I did my shopping trip I got $110 of food items for about $70. Sadly I still feel like I got very little and I will still end up going to the store by Saturday. I almost wonder if ordering out a few days a week would work out to the same cost. Hmm. What about you, are you feeling the sting from the cost of food?

Re-post | Things that have kept us in love

*Sorry, long post*

I often have people ask what has kept Dwayne and I together for so long and how can we still love each other? 20 years is not long for some of you veterans, but it is for those that could not fathom even 5 years. There are no secrets that will work for every marriage but I will share some things that have worked for us.

• Respect each other. Hateful words or actions are not allowed in our relationship.
  
• Communication is key. Dwayne and I have an agreement that we discuss things and if an agreement can't be met then is it a "No". Chances are we either agree or I get my way so it works out :)
  
• Sense of humor is very important especially when your husband is part Bernie Mac meets Jay Leno (funny and lame at the same time). There is NEVER a shortage of laughter in the Ismail house. I also think it is important to know how to laugh at yourself. Everything does not have to be that serious!


• Understanding and Forgiveness. This has to be one of the hardest things of all. Nobody is perfect and things happen. Almost anything can be worked out or worked on.


• Appreciation is very important. Taking time to say "thank you" between a man and wife is something that should never be overlooked. I thank Dwayne all the time for providing for our family and never making me feel guilty about my choice to stay at home to raise our children. Dwayne thanks me for even the tiniest things that I don't even think matters. Everything from ironing a shirt, sweetening his coffee or telling him not to worry that everything will work out.


• Encouragement is HUGE. We encourage each other to become even better. I love Dwayne so much because he never allows me to doubt myself or not give myself enough credit. It's a great boost for both sides!


• Unconditional Love ...do I even have to explain this one? I love Dwayne for the good, bad, sneaky, naughty, sincere, strong, arrogant, hardcore, sweet, smart and 'Dwayne' things that makes him who he is...The man I married and will eternally love.

Dwayne and I are from 2 totally backgrounds, worlds, planets, and everything in between, but there is this magic that can't be explained. We just mesh together well. If he is out and I am expecting him home I will stand by the window like a school girl and wait. Of course as soon as he drives up, I race to couch and when the door opens I will say "Oh, I didn't even hear you drive up". I think the fact that we have stayed the same people we have always been but have matured together it really keeps the bond going strong. We always have each other's back. If you have a 50/50 relationship, then you have a great chance at a lasting and loving relationship.

Stuffed chicken breast recipe

I am posting this recipe per Tanyetta's request. I don't generally cook anything with by an organized recipe, I just sort of add stuff and see what happens. I purchased 3 pounds of bone-in and skin-on chicken breast on sale for 89 cents a pound. I don't really like chicken breast all that much but it was such a great deal that I decided to pick up a pack anyway. What I did was debone the chicken breast but leave the skin on. Next I took a sharp knife and butterflied the breast being certain not to cut all the way through. You should be able to open the breast and lay it out flat. I seasoned the chicken lightly with my favorite spices on the inside but only with a little cracked pepper and kosher salt on the outer part (where the skin is). The reason for that is I did not want my spices to burn when I seared my chicken on high heat. Next step was my filling. Although I wanted spinach, garlic, shallots and feta cheese I did not have those ingredients. I did have a half box of seasoned stuffing mix. I prepared it with a little minced onion, garlic and cilantro as well as some chicken stock. I then spread maybe two heaping tablespoons of the stuffing onto the inside of the chicken breast (skin side should be down). I then folded the breast over and stuck a couple toothpicks through the side to securely keep the breast closed. I heated some pure butter and a little canola oil in a large skillet on high heat. You could use olive oil but I don't always care for the flavor of it on everything. Once your oil and butter are really hot you want to place each chicken breast skin side down and sear for about 5-6 minutes until really brown and then flip them over carefully and brown the other side. I finally transferred them onto a baking pan and baked them on 390 degrees for about 15 minutes to finish the cooking process. I served them up with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. I was not sure if my family would like it but they all asked me the same question: "When are you making this again?!" It was a thumbs up from my crew. The entire meal cost me about $7.50. Not bad for a frugal dinner huh?

I know I can't be the only one

So, we are in potty training mode with Will. He has not shown signs of readiness although he does go pee pee in the potty when you tell him to. He still wets his diaper during a nap and saturates it at night. I stop giving him anything in liquid form by about 5:00 and he still soaks a diaper overnight. I swear the kid is a pee pee machine. He is not a big drinker either. So what do I do? Am I pushing potty training to early? I don't even think Will can comprehend when he needs to go to the potty. He turns 3 at the end of March and I feel like such a loser mom. Please tell me that someone else has gone through this. I try not to always go with the theory that boys are harder or take longer than girls but it is really looking that way. Help please...