CINNAMON CHEESECAKE PUDDING PIE


Remember a few weeks ago, I made and posted about the 
Well, that creation got my little head spinning about what else to make with the blonde Cinnamon Bun Oreos and thus this Cinnamon Cheesecake Oreo Pudding Pie was born. Get this, my husband even said it was so good that it may replace his Reese Peanut Butter Cake request at his birthday. WOW, major praise.
And Cinnamon is gooood for you!! Cindy Wilson over at Nutri Inspector has a great article on the 23 Health Benefits of Cinnamon
It is so creamy and tasty. Everyone in the house was in love and that makes me happy especially when they save mama the last sliver...

What you'll need



CINNAMON CHEESECAKE PUDDING PIE
Ingredients
1 package Cinnamon Bun Oreo Cookies
1 stick butter
1 package Vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 8oz brick cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup skim milk
1 8oz tub lite cool whip
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions
Break apart all the cookies (save out a couple for garnish) and scrape the filling into a medium sized mixing bowl, set aside. Place all the cookies into a large gallon ziplock bag and crush with a meat mallet or hammer. Mix with 1/2 of the stick of melted butter. Press into a pie plate and refrigerate. To the mixing bowl, add cream cheese, 1/8 cup milk and tsp vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, set aside. In another mixing bowl mix the pudding per mixing directions with 2 1/2 cups milk. To that fold in half of the tub of cool whip. Bring crust back out of fridge. First lightly spread the cheesecake mixture. Next layer on the pudding mixture and finally, spread the rest of the cool whip on top. Garnish as desired with left over cookies. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.


ODE TO MOTHERHOOD.....YES YOU CAN!!

It doesn’t get easier. It’s gets different. As the years pass it becomes less physically demanding, my teenagers rarely insist that I carry them around anymore, but the exhaustion remains. The protective instinct you feel toward your baby from the second it emerges from your body does not dissipate as they get older. In some ways, it grows stronger the more you have to let them go. I'm letting go this year...Senior Year and it's tough. I don't know if I can do it. I've told you on the blog how much we love raising teen boys but man, over the years, there have still been stressful times. There are for us all. I wrote this post as an ode to the hard parts of motherhood over the years and just when I thought I couldn't do it anymore.....

There's no way I can have another gut wrenching contraction with no pain meds. Nope, I'm done. I can't do this anymore! Then a voice says yes you can. 

Middle of the night, when you're rocking, rocking, rocking, and pacing, pacing, pacing, staring out the window at other quiet, dark houses and thinking, "Everyone out there is sleeping, but me." I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 

There is vomit in my hair, I haven't gotten a shower today, purple crayon needs cleaned off the wall, there is clutter everywhere, why is there glitter on the dog?, how can I get dinner ready? I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 

I am sitting on the floor of Target with a child who is thrashing, screaming and calling me names. I can't do this anymore. Abandon the cart, Abandon the cart. Then a voice says yes you can.

Stop fighting over one Lego. One stupid Lego. Screaming "It's one Fricken Lego!!!!" Ugh, I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 

"He has more presents than me, you like him more, why can't I have one?" Whine, whine, whine. I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 

"Mom, I'm gonna die, she's in love with someone else. Why did she say she'd be mine forever? I'm never dating again mom, she broke me heart." Now, my heart is breaking because my baby's is aching. I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 

Drivers license in hand, what if he gets in an accident, what if he gets a ticket, it's 11:12pm, he was suppose to be home 12 min ago. What is he doing? I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 

Didn't get into first college choice despite great grades, application after application, FAFSA forms, scholarships, fee after fee, saving and saving. I can't do this anymore. Then a voice says yes you can. 


1997, first time mom

Yet after 18 years, you did it!! Yes you could and you did!! Although the days will come when your heart is aching and you look out the window in the silence missing them so saying I can't do this anymore. Yes You Can and so will they.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika for the Let's Talk Series  // Thoughts for Thursday



xoxo

FRIDAY FAVORITES...Easter Weekend



I literally cannot believe the Easter Weekend is here, not to mention, the last weekend in March. Crazy. This week has been another yo yo weather week and yo yo brain functioning for me, lol. We saw a son get awards at his last ever High School Sports banquet, booked a weekend in Chicago in July, husband and I talked whether or not to buy Moscow Mule Mugs (so random), consumed a Cadbury Creme egg and I found my coveted orange fluff recipe to make and take to moms Easter dinner and fixed my orange hair after a brassy self color job. 
Today I'm off to shop for a Birthday outfit for next Saturday and any other Spring goodness that catches my eye. 


1. Easter Cocktail

Ingredients


Lemon wedge
Colored Sugar
1½ oz. Cherry Vodka
½ oz. Triple Sec
3 oz. Half and Half
Dash of Grenadine
1 Marshmallow PEEPS®

Instructions
Rim a martini glass with the lemon wedge and then dip the rim into colored sugar. Set aside.

To a shaker filled with ice, add the cherry vodka, triple sec, half and half and grenadine until chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with the Marshmallow PEEPS®. Serve immediately.

2. Fannie May
Fannie May Vanilla Buttercream's are my all time favorite candy....ever!! The ones in the egg shapes for Easter are especially tasty because the ratio of cream to chocolate is even grander!! 




3. Easter Dress
I'll be way more casual this year, but last year I was already in floral mode and this is what I wore to an Italian Easter Dinner in Grand Cayman.
Post on this dress along with a Funny Zipper story HERE

4. Bunny Pancakes
Wow your family Easter morning with these easy Bunny Pancakes

5. Random Sweetness
Easter Cards to Grandma
My 93yr. old Grandma is in a nursing home down south so we don't get to celebrate many holidays with her. I love Sending Cards so you can bet I was super excited to find an Easter one with a Hummingbird (Her Favorite) on it to send her. 

Decorative Carrots from Pier One

 Pom Puff Bag Charm Buy Here
I just got this bag charm from Shopbop and the colors of this just make me think Easter Eggs so I think I'll put this on my bag for Easter


This CUTE meme I saw on my friend Katie's Blog Preppy Empty Nester
Cadbury Creme eggs are the bomb. I limit myself to only a couple each year, but boy are they tasty. I've loved them for as long as I can remember. 

Happy Easter Weekend Pretties!!
After you've eaten your ham and hunted for eggs, make sure to stop back Sunday afternoon for a Special post of mine called 
"Ode To Motherhood" as part of Momfessionals 
"Let's Talk" series

Linking up with  Amanda // Friday Favorites  // Oh Hey, Friday  // High 5 For Friday // 5 on Friday // Fashion Friday


SLOW COOKER ISLAND KIELBASA



I love making this in the Spring and Summer months. The flavorful mix of the kielbasa and pineapple just brings to mind sunshine. Best part, well lots to make this recipe super fantastic: Slow-Cooker, 4 ingredients plus rice and it's even better as a left over!! Yum

While our favorite way to have this is over rice for dinner, I have also doubled the recipe and kept it in the slow-cooker for a party app. Just put a little container of toothpicks beside it and its a pineapple and kielbasa party Hors d'Oeuvre

You can use a smoked sausage but we prefer the taste and less fat factor of a turkey Polska Kielbasa with this. The Butterball brand has the best flavor!! I use it in all finds of dishes.  

What you'll need

SLOW COOKER ISLAND KIELBASA
Ingredients
1 package Polska Kielbasa, cut into rounds
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks in their own juice
1 cup Ketschup
1 cup brown sugar
brown or white rice, cooked

Directions
Brown sausage on both sides in a large skillet. Place in a crock-pot or slow cooker. In a medium bowl mix the pineapple juice from the pineapple, the brown sugar and the ketchup until well blended and our over the sausage. Cook on low for about 4 hours. Serve over rice if desired or as I mentioned as Hors d'Oeuvres.
What I like to do is brown the smoked sausage pieces a little on both sides to really bring out the flavor, then I add all the ingredients and transfer skillet contents to the slow cooker.

So flavorful!! For some reason when I eat it, I think I'm in Hawaii, lol. A girl can dream!!

Linking up with Tasty Tuesdays // Tuesday Talk // Wonderful Wednesday's Blog Hop // Full Plate Thursday // Recipe Sharing Party~YUM // Thoughts on Thursday// Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday // Two Uses Tuesday // Creative Muster Party // Wow Us Wednesdays // Thursday Favorite things Blog Hop //Best Of The Weekend Wake Up Wednesday // Handmade Hangout // Simple and Sweet Fridays // Throwback Thursday // Share It // Too Cute Tuesdsy // Sweet and Simple Fridays// Grace At Home // Inspire Me Monday // Recipe Club // Friday Favorites  // Creativity Unleashed // Two Cup Tuesday // The Alder Collection // The SITS Girls  Clever Chicks Blog Hop // Snickerdoodle Sunday // Table It // Wordless Wednesday // Creative Monday's Blog Hop // Feathered Nest Friday // Weekend Potluck
xoxo

MY LIFE AS A MIXTAPE

You all know I'm an 80's girl, so of course my life consisted of cassette tapes! I always longed for someone to make a mixtape for me. I sure made enough of them for various boyfriends but no one ever professed their love for me in song. Instead, in 88' someone stole my beloved Steve Miller Band, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith tapes! Boy, did that tick me off!! 

Through the years it was always hard to part with my cassette collection. I would put them in Garage Sales only to tell a buyer when handing me 2 quarters for a Guns and Roses cassette that it wasn't for sale, lol. Quickly I took the box in the house. Hard to part with music that touched us so deeply. I love all kinds of music and I would need at least a 10 volume set for the songs related to times in my life but for narrow down purposes.....

My MixTape from my life would consist of these tracks:

Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker



















My parents bought all kinds of music but they were specially big into country and must be why I still love old-school country to this day! Tons of Vinyl records and a Turntable had their own special cabinet in our house. Many of you won't remember this song but Delta Dawn was the first song that I could belt out myself as a three-year-old and funny thing is I'm still belting it out today. 

Love Me Tender by Elvis



















I took guitar lessons as a girl. What I learned is totally lost, I cannot read music anymore. Except one thing; I can still strum out the first 3 Stanzas of Love me Tender. And just like that I'm transported to 4th grade Music class where I gave my first and only guitar recital with this song. Slayed it!! 

Suspicious Minds by Elvis


















Love Me Tender evokes a favorite memory and time in my life, but Suspicious Minds will always be my favorite Elvis song and get this, as Elvis's biggest fan; my mom, I never knew that this is also her favorite Elvis song but I do remember the day he died and how she cried.

I Wear My Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart



















Middle school magic right here! Corey Hart was indeed the heartthrob of the early 80s to me and that cool vibe he gave off with this T-shirt and sunglasses made me want to sleep with my sunglasses on all night!

Waiting For a Girl Like You by Foreigner
















Picture this: a freshman girl at a school dance waiting on the side of the gym when a slow song came on, only to be asked by the senior she had a crush on for a dance. I still remember he was wearing tight Levi's and a button-down pink shirt and Polo cologne. We would continue to flirt my whole freshman year and I kept his senior picture in a little frame on my desk and when at the end of the year I finally did get the chance to kiss him: Bam the fantasy was ruined; he was a terrible kisser!

Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi



















Hello, Jon Bon Jovi, need I say more? The song of my teen years that I know every single word to and could hear it over and over and over again and never tire of it! Another cool story that would happen later on regarding this song, my husband and I were driving into Saratoga Springs, New York when the song popped on the radio, we were in a long line of traffic outside a huge concert venue and I said to my husband wouldn't it be funny if Bon Jovi was playing here tonight? We got to the hotel only to see a poster that said you guessed it: Bon Jovi concert tonight!! If only we had had tickets. 

Dress You Up by Madonna












The Material Girl made a huge mark on all girls lives in the 80s. This song was always one of my favorite dance songs and I felt like I could dance just like her when this came on!


Genie In A Bottle by Christina Aguilera


















Later 20's, trying to act like I'm 18 and dancing in the club like crazy when this song would come on, in fact screaming: "OMG it's Genie In a Bottle, Come On girls, let's dance!"


Me and You by Kenny Chesney


















My husband and I are huge Kenny Chesney fans and this has to be our favorite of course, because it was our wedding song. Here's a really neat story about it: we had tickets to see Kenny at Soldier Field in Chicago one summer, he had not sung this song in years and only usually does one slow song each concert. Lo and behold as if he was singing only for us amoungst 80,000 people it was "Me and You!"

8 Second Ride by Jake Owen













As I have mentioned before, my husband and I love a good day date as I mentioned Here and cruising around belting out tunes. This is one of our favorites and Mr. Nine makes sure it gets played for me on all our trips. We know every.single.word!

Fancy by Iggy Azalea

















It's no secret if you've read my blog before that if I had a daughter I would want it to be Iggy Azalea! After I heard the song and dedicated it to myself, I decided that the world might need a middle-aged white female rapper as in moi but it drew objections from my family, so I better stick with my day job, LOL! Despite my kids saying this song is so over being cool, it is still one of my current jams, big time. 

What are some tracks on your life's Mixtape??


xoxo


FRIDAY FAVORITES....Spring Has Sprung Edition

Mother nature gave us one nice day here this week, one! So Happy Friday is finally here. Morning Blog pictures, then taking oldest son and his sweet Prom date to tux shop for fitting and lunch, then lots of blog commenting topped off by Friday night Movie night with Mr. Nine. Gonna be a good day and good weekend and wishing ya all the same. Spring is Here friends even if some days it doesn't feel like it. When the birds chirp, I know the countdown to Summer is on.

1. Spring MeMe's
This, my friends, is Indiana. Mother nature's favorite state to tease...

This is hilarious but I am one of those....those ladies who still shaves in the Winter, maybe not every day but I have to at least every other.

We Sprung Forward last weekend and while it threw my clock off like always, I am happy about this evening light...

2STAY FANCY Wine Glass
How fun is this glass? This is another ShopBop sale find but you can also get this at Nordstrom HERE
Now that Spring has Sprung, A little wine on the patio anyone?




And this Kimono "Fancy" set from J.C.Penny is still one of my favs...


3. Week's Attire
Eclectic Mix....
 
Nordstrom Astr dress, TJ Maxx sweater vest, American Eagle necklace 

Kohl's Elle top and Vera Wang scarf, Target tank, Charming Charlie necklace


Target boyfriend Cardigan, Charming Charlie scarf, Anne Klein flats

American Eagle denim shirt, charming Charlie necklace, Payless leopard flats~running errands


4. Floral Inspirations
Nothing beats the softness of Florals in the Spring. I am loving what I am seeing, especially in skirts, dresses and even pants.
Look..... there's my new Rebecca Minkoff Clutch I mentioned Last Friday






5. Signature Scent, can you Smell It?
My signature scent is Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue. People from my husband to my mom to my BFF have all gotten me bottles of this divine scent. However, I have always been one of those people who wants other people to think I smell good, like a "Man, she smells good." However no one ever tells me that. Do I even smell at all? Maybe it's a good thing, lol. Anywho, imagine my delight this week when 2 people, yes TWO people not only told me I smelled good but said "Is that Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue?" Why yes it is friends, yes it is!! Happy you smell me!!
Happy Spring-LikeWeekend Pretties!!

Linking up with  Amanda // Friday Favorites  // Oh Hey, Friday  // High 5 For Friday // 5 on Friday // Fashion Friday

xoxo


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