Yummy Spinach Dip!

So as everyone (well most normal people who aren't living under a rock) in North America probably knew...two weekends ago was the Super Bowl. I am VERY happy to announce due to my total dislike for anything New England Patriots (sorry Jen!) that the New York Giants rallied late in the game to pull off a 21-17 victory against New England in Super Bowl XLVI!! GO GIANTS!

I will admit that I am not a die hard Giants fan. Growing up in Southwest Florida my whole life I am a through thick and thin Miami Dolphins girl so much so that it is represented not only on the front but on the back of my car as well! With that being said, as much as I LOVE my fins...I dislike (I'm saying dislike because I am trying to be polite!) the Patriots just as much along with there QB Tom Brady. So I will pretty much route for whoever they are playing against! :)

Anyway, I get side tracked easily! So two weekends was the Super Bowl and we ended up going over to some good friends of ours house to watch the game and I decided to bring over Spinach Dip. Now this isn't my original Spinach Dip recipe that I have used for several years this is actually a dip that I started making after my cousin Kasey brought it over one time to a party that we were having at our house and it was so good (and I don't even like spinach!) that I had to have the recipe! People like me who don't even like spinach or spinach dip really like this dip that's how GOOD it is. Trust me!

The original recipe comes off the back of the Lipton Vegetable Soup mix box with one little alteration which I am positive is what makes this dip as fabulous as it is. First let me give you the recipe and then I will tell you what we do differently....

Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS

1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Vegetable Soup Mix
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream or 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl; chill 2 hours.

Serve with your favorite dippers.

Now as I stated before I do a few things different (not anything I came up on my own mind you but its still different.) I don't use the optional water chestnuts because I don't care for them but if you like them by all means give it a whirl! The one thing different I do and I believe Kasey found this out on accident because she bought the wrong ingredient one time but I could be mistaken about that, is we use frozen CREAMED spinach instead of just regular and it makes it a million times better in my opinion. It just adds this extra creaminess that is just simply heaven! Another thing is I don't cook my spinach. I'm not sure what Kasey does but I just never have since frozen spinach is already cooked anyway I just let it thaw out then add it. I don't even squeeze dry it because since you aren't cooking it it doesn't get all that extra liquid and I don't want to loose any of the yummy creamy part. 

I do usually double the recipe when I make it because a) it goes SO fast at parties you really want the extra dip and b) I usually place my dip in a bread bowl right before serving and after I have hollowed out the crust If I make just one batch of the dip it usually doesn't fill the whole bowl like I like it to! :) 

So there you have it. At your next get-together try this easy and inexpensive dip. I know you will love it as much as we all do! 

As always if you end up trying it let me know what you think! 

Have a good week!

Jen

80's Party

Saturday night our good friend Jimmy had his 30th birthday party...which was 80's themed! Now I love me some 80's (pop) music but Danny really LOVES the 80's. LOL

Whenever there is an opportunity to dress up 80's style my husband is the first one in line to ride that train! If you knew Danny you would know that he loves 80's hair bands with his favorite band of all time being Motley Crue. I myself have become somewhat of an expert on all things hair metal not because I want to but because what choice do I have when I have been dragged to every Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses and countless other bands concerts that come to our area? I do have to say though that over time I do find myself enjoying them too! :)

Anyway...I digress. So my husband who also suffers from a bad case of pack rat syndrome, doesn't throw ANYTHING away. So when it came time to dress up for the party and my little sister needed something to wear Danny pulled out his box of t-shirts and found his 4th grade Poison t-shirt and VOILA Jessie had a costume and believe me he had a lot to choose from! Now that's what I call vintage!! LOL

We had a blast but it was SO hot that night that my bangs that I worked so hard to stand up (I barely could remember how I used to do them) were flat by the end of the night. :(

Me & Danny

My cousin John...he is hilarious!

Me and Danny again

Danny and Jessie (his jeans are tight-rolled at the bottom too!)

Sunday, was our nieces birthday party. It was fun but Danny hurt his back. They had the party at this indoor bounce house place that kids AND the adults could go in. They have this obstacle course where two people can race and needless to say Danny and his brother were racing and he thinks he pulled something in his back. I asked him what he was thinking....he isn't 20 anymore and probably shouldn't be running around bounce house obstacle courses! LOL Oh well, I think he learned his lesson. I just hope he feels better soon he keeps walking around like he is an old man and only one of us around here can walk around like an old person!! :)

Busy Weekend

Last weekend was pretty busy for us. Danny's brother Sean had his 30th surprise birthday party Friday night. It was a "Vegas" style party with poker and blackjack tables set up along with a DJ that played great music along with a karaoke machine for all those who dared to get up and sing! That alone was worth going for! LOL :)

Then Saturday night, Danny and I went out to dinner at my one of my favorite restaurants for Father's Day with my family. I was STUFFED by the time we left I could barely move! I do that to myself every time I go there I just can't help myself! I must have eaten 3 loaves of bread alone not to mention my seared tuna appetizer and my dinner, I had no left overs to take home! I am SUCH a little piggy!! Oh well...hehe.

Sunday was Danny's dads day to see us. We went over for brunch and ended up staying over there most of the day. We swam in the pool a little bit and then proceeded to play a game of Phase 10 that NEVER seemed to end! All in all it was a good day though.

Here are a few pics from Sean's party and dinner with my parents:

Mom & Dad

Me and Mom

Me and Danny

Likness Family 2010

Me and my friend Cat

Me and my love :)

Nothing really to report on my end. Still no call. More and more everyday I feel myself getting a little more discouraged with not getting my call. I mean I am doing EVERYTHING I am supposed to. I go to yoga, I try and take the best care of myself that I can, I try and live my life to the fullest everyday despite having to lug an O2 tank with me and I thought I was doing all this with a positive attitude knowing that my time is coming soon but after 2 WHOLE YEARS of waiting and seeing countless CFers be put on the list after me and receive there lungs before me its really hard to not get discouraged and feel like this is never going to happen.

Even though I am over the moon at how well my Cyster Piper is doing (which I had know doubt she would do so well she is a fighter) I can't help but be a tiny little bit jealous because I so badly want to be over that hurdle and also be working on my way to getting my life back! I feel horrible even putting it in writing that I feel this way but its true.

I know that when my perfect set comes I will get the call and I know it WILL happen its just hard waiting. OK enough of the poor me section of this post! I am going to go eat dinner now and watch some boob tube with the hubby....thanks for listening to me pout for a minute! :)

Graduation/Birthday Party

This past weekend my parents threw Jordan a combined Graduation/18th birthday party. My dad roasted a whole pig in the backyard (a very redneck but YUMMY thing to do) along with sweet corn on the cob on the grill and a ton of other fabulous food. It was all really good...believe me I had like 2 plates of food and 3 ears of corn!! I was stuffed!! LOL

They had a great turn out with lots of family and friends coming to celebrate Jordan's milestone. The kid made out like a bandit too....to bad my mom is making him save all his money for when he goes to school! I know I know its the responsible thing to do....try telling that to an 18 yr old who just got a load of cash and gift cards!! :)

Good Bye Bears, Hello Yellow Jackets...

blowing out his candles

Jordan and I

So excited to be getting a laptop

Me and my BFF since 6th grade! :)

and of course the old self portrait!

The rest of the week I haven't really done much. I was feeling kind of crappy yesterday and was hoping I wasn't getting a cold that has been going around. A few people I know haven't been feeling good. Even my dog Brodie was sick yesterday, he threw up twice and when he went #2 it was not his normal #2 (dont want to give tmi its kinda gross!) But he seems to be doing better so far today. If he still wasn't acting right today I was gonna call the vet.

Pool day tomorrow with my fab sister-in-law and some old girlfriends (love that I am finally getting some color!!) and then yoga on Friday!!

I also wanted to mention my Cyster Piper who after many dry runs and one "damp" run as she likes to call it FINALLY got her lungs and she is doing great just like I knew she would! She is a real champ and I can't wait till she is fully able to enjoy her lungs and let us all know how great it can be post-tx. Now if I could just get my stupid phone to ring we would be in business!! :)

Happy 2010!!

I hope everyone had a great New Year! We had our 3rd annual New Year's eve party at our house and it was a blast. I didn't go to sleep until 6:30am (and yes that is after doing my treatments/vest!) my in-laws live next door to us and my MIL was actually getting up and going to work and we were still sitting by the fire at 5. We had a ton of laughs and as always had a great time with all our friends.

Here are just a few pics...

Me and Danny

Me and my sister

My SIL Steph, Me & my good friend Amy

Tuesday, my mom and I are driving to Gainesville for a transplant check-up. I have blood work scheduled for 9:30am on Wednesday but we decided to drive up the night before and get a hotel instead of getting up at a VERY unreasonable hour to drive all in one day!

It makes more sense to go the night before but I hate sleeping anywhere other than my own house...I have to pack/bring so much crap just for one night it is ridiculous! I like being home where all my things are in there usual spot. :)

Have a great week everyone and I will let you know how my appt goes when I get home!

Last post for 2009!!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!!

We are having our 3rd Annual New Year's Eve party at our house tonight so I will probably post some pics tomorrow sometime for everyone to see!