Bring Back the Banana Pudding Milkshake!!

This is very serious, people.  If Chick Fil-a doesn't soon announce IF and WHEN they are going to bring back the Banana Pudding Milkshake I am going to lose my ever-lovin' mind.

I am not usually willing to waste 700 of my daily calories on something that comes in a 16 oz styrofoam cup, but during Banana Pudding time I do so on a twice weekly basis - it is that good.  By far my favorite shake out there (and I know my milkshakes.)  But enough about my needs, let's think about what this period surely means for the company:  it's super popular, and I know milkshake sales must skyrocket during the precious Banana milkshake month. I mean, when I google search to look for a date (which I do daily) I can tell you there are many like me who are begging and pleading for CFA to BRING IT BACK.

Thanks to such google searches, I have ascertained the following information:  in 2011, they came out in April.  In 2012, they came out in April.  Now, we are...what...20 days into the month, and not one dang word???

And the people at Chick Fil-a - although as sweet as can be - are not very helpful.  When I ask them at the drive-through or call them (which I have been known to do regularly this past month) I get very vague and incomplete answers.  One person says they normally come out in May (which is not true).  Another person says they think it's one of their Fall drinks (which is not true).  Another person said they think they come out after the Peach milkshake (which is, again, NOT TRUE).  Come on, Corporate, don't you know you need to train people to answer such important questions???

About the only thing that is keeping me from actually calling up the corporate folks is the following:  Zaxby's must have wised up to all the crazy people (like me) and have now come out with their own Banana Pudding Milkshake.  That's right - I can now whip in to Z's for a limited time and enjoy a shake.  Is it as good?  No.  Will it do?  Oh, heck yeah.

And for that 5 minutes all is right with the world again....

...until I drive out of Zaxby's, drive pass the Chick Fil-a across the street, and decide to give them a call - just one more time! - to see if they have any new information on the ETA of my favorite shake.  :)

Planting and Dancing

Ah, how do the weekends seem to go by SO QUICKLY, when you are having SO MUCH FUN!? Well, sometimes we were having fun this weekend.  Other times one (or both) of us was grumbling.  I'll break it down for ya:

Saturday - Planting
James and I decided that Saturday would be devoted to working on our yard.  UGH.  I hate yard work with a passion. But, I do like the way it looks when there are plants and colors, so I obliged and agreed to help.  We were off to a great start early Saturday morning...until James' truck decided to cause problem after problem.  When we finally broke down - YES, broke down, like had to push it off into a parking lot - right before getting to Home Depot, we decided that maybe it was time to get it checked out.  It had to be towed across the street (for an obscene amount of money), and then worked on for the better part of Saturday.

Once we FINALLY got all that mess settled (and got James an unsweet tea and Ice Dream from Chick Fil-a to calm his nerves), it was time to start working.  James blew off/washed off all the yellow pollen that has invaded Georgia this week, pulled up all the ugly monkey grass in the front two beds so we can add some 'pop' to the front of our house, cut the dead limbs off the cherry blossom tree, mowed the grass, cleaned out the storage shed, added a border to the front flower beds...and probably a few other things I didn't even see. What did I do? Well, I played the very important role of supervisor, and spent a good deal of time watching James and complaining about being itchy.  Yep...he is one lucky dude to have landed a helper like me...

No More Monkey Grass - YEA!

Now, I did contribute something to our yard day - I planted flowers in all our pots.  This is about the one piece of gardening/yard work I actually enjoy, and don't mind the small effort it takes to plant a pot. It means I get to stroll around Pike's Nursery for a while (thanks very much to Aunt Wyllene and Ms. Leron who have given me some generous gift cards the last few months), and come up with a creative vision for our patio.  I play around with different combinations, seek out plants that advertise "requires little maintenance", and usually settle on whatever I managed to keep alive last year for more than a month.  (This means we buy a lot of coleus, begonias, zinnias, and geraniums.  Truth be told, I don't even like begonias or geraniums, but they seem to thrive off our backyard environment and constant neglect.)

A little glimpse of my handiwork.  Well, the beginnings of my handiwork (by the time I actually had the plants in the pot, it was too dark!) 

Oddly enough, this FREE ivy someone gave me early last Spring has survived all this time in two of my pots.  I let it stay another season, because obviously it has a resilence that should be rewarded.

Sadly, there is still a lot left to do before our spring planting it complete.  Onward to next Saturday! 

Sunday - Dancing

So if I was out of my element on Saturday, James took one for the team on Sunday to do something for me - go to the ballet!  The last time we went to the ballet was several years ago, and James quickly proclaimed that was the LAST TIME he would ever go.  Ever. Ever, ever.  Because he loves me so much and is really just a great guy, he decided to retract his strong proclamation and agreed to go with me to Atlanta Ballet's spring performance.  (Which happened to take place at 2PM on Sunday, right smack dab in the middle of the Masters.  Which he enjoys watching. Seriously, best husband ever, folks...)

The ballet was really lovely.  Of course, Atlanta had to take some creative license during their performance, set to the music from Carmina Burana and performed live by the orchestra and Georgia State Choir.  (If you think you don't know the music, I promise you do (click here) - very famous AND powerful.)  Both James and I, admittedly, had a hard time following the story, but near the end it all became clearer and wrapped up very nicely.  I was impressed.

And, even more impressed with my honey for saying that he enjoyed the show.  :)  So much so that I treated him to some Menchie's fro yo afterwards. And then made him take a cheesy picture with me. 

Fortunately, we made it home in time to still lounge on the couch and watch the Masters - including the very exciting sudden death play off round.  It was hard to figure out who to root for - the Latino (since I think of myself as a "Latina") or the really cute Australian guy - but, in the end, I went for the cutie because he had never won.  James thought it was sad that he didn't have a wife or girlfriend to give him a hug afterwards, but I don't really think that will be a problem for him in the future... ;) 

Busy, but productive weekend. Now here's to a productive week!

Love this Nail Product!

Full disclosure - this is a post about NAIL POLISH.  If you are male or could care less, feel free to just catch up with us later in the week.  (My editor will also likely not approve of our blog being used for a pure beauty discussion, but I just had to do it.)

A few weeks, I (non-chalantly) mentioned this new nail polish product that I was enjoying.  I got a few questions about its efficacy, and heard a few needed clarifications about how it actually works.  Well, after several more weeks of enjoying 10 days of no chips - SERIOUSLY - I decided to lay out very clearly why and how every woman who paints her own nails should invest the $5.99 in this wonderful product.  I am not a paid spokeswoman, just a person who likes to paint her nails. And, someone who loves the look of a gel manicure, but doesn't enjoy the price or time spent at Nail Talk and Tan up the street.

So, as a reminder, this is the product that you're looking for at your Sally's Beauty Supply:

Source: Sally's

And, honestly, this is the only product you need (in addition to your normal color polish and favorite top coat.)  There is no need for a lamp of any kind.  NO LAMPS.  Who really needs to give themselves age spots and extra doses of UV rays for no reasons, ladies?  NO ONE.

So, here is the process I use to paint my nails, based off of user reviews and a couple of blogs I read on the subject:

1. Paint one coat of the Gelous polish on dry, clean nails.  Let dry pretty well.
2. Paint one coat of a good color polish (I'm an Essie fan myself).  Let dry for just a minute.
3. Paint one more coat of the Gelous polish over the colors.  Let dry for just a minute.
4. Paint one more coat of the color polish. Let dry pretty well.
5. Paint one coat of a good top coat. Let dry REALLY WELL. 

That last step may be the one disadvantage of the Gelous polish over the gel manicure you get at the salon - it doesn't dry hard immediately. It still requires you to be careful and sit still for a while until you reach that "safe zone" of not ruining your manicure.  BUT, I would say it's worth in the end.  

I got a couple of questions about removing it, because that is definitely one of the downfalls of the gel manicures.  This stuff comes off SO EASILY with pure acetone.  One swipe and it's off.  No soaking or peeling or sawing or other terrible things I have to do to remove the gel polish.  Voila.

I also read a couple of negative reviews that it dries out your nails.  I can only speak for  myself, but I have not noticed this with my nails after 2+ months of continuous use.  In fact, I think having un-chipped polish on them all the time protects them and makes them stronger (my opinion).  Well, it's that or the fact I've been on prenatal vitamins constantly for a heckuva long time while trying to produce a Sassy baby.

So, everyone just consider this your little beauty PSA for the day.  Happy Painting!  :)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

We had some good friends in town this weekend from out West (Albuquerque and Denver) who made a quick stopover in Atlanta while en route to the Masters this week. Overall it was a great time, and included a LOT of eating (which, what else is new - guests should just be prepared to wear their stretchy pants when they come visit the Sassers!)

We are usually the most terrible Atlanta hosts when it comes to actually doing Atlanta-ish things.  I mean, this is a really cool town with other things to do besides eat.  Fortunately, our friends came prepared with tickets for the Braves game.  You can't get more Atlanta than a game at Turner Field!

So, getting there was quite a disaster (that I'm sure my husband would rather me not write about...)  Traffic was absolutely terrible.  A few factors working against us:   it was the first pretty day in Spring and 90% of the city wanted to be outside; it was one of the first games since Opening Day with a sold out crowd;  AND the NCAA Basketball Tournament was in Atlanta, along with 200,000 game go-ers (and people who didn't even know about the tourney) taking advantage of free concerts in the park....  And everyone felt the need to drive on I-75 and I-85.

This meant that we got stuck, stuck, STUCK in some terrible traffic from our house to Turner Field.  Once we finally got to the ball park, parking was even a bigger disaster than the traffic! Every parking lot was already full, and there was zero help in trying to navigate around the mass chaos of fans and cars and (unhelpful) parking attendants.  After circling a few times, getting lost in some rather sketchy areas, getting back on the interstate and then back off the interstate a few times...we were a bit frazzled. Especially James, who was driving.  An actual Sasser quote: "I was only going to have 1 beer at the game, but I am changing that number to 2."  And they were two well deserved Bud Lights.

Finally - THANK YOU, ALL THINGS HOLY! - we found a "parking lot" in an abandoned building (right next to the field) that would accept two more cars.  For a small price of $40 a car.  Which was gladly paid at this point.  Can you really put a price on your sanity?  It was debatable if our car would still be there upon return, but at this point I would have given up my favorite little hybrid to actually not be sitting in it anymore.

It was still there when we got back - yea!

Once we made it into the game, we had a fantastic time!  It was very sunny (but not too hot), and the seats were great.  We munched on some yummy game food, watched quite a few innings, saw a home run from the hometown team AND a Braves' win - you can't ask for much more!

The Sassers (in plenty of SPF)

The Gulley's and the Bacas

We were sad to see everyone leave this morning, and even more jealous we weren't headed to the Masters with them. It's gearing up to be a lovely week, weather-wise.  (About time, Georgia!)

Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Enda!

I haven't obsessed about the dog child on the blog for a while, so figured an Enda post was about due...

Enda went to the vet today for her 1 year check up. She did surprisingly well, without jumping or barking or any of the other crazy antics we see from this Vizsla. I think the vet tech even referred to her as "chill". Um, wow...

Everything looks great....except her weight. I had been commenting for a while that Enda was getting a little thick, but James kept saying she was just "stocky". Well, folks, we got confirmation today: girlfriend's not stocky. Girlfriend is just FAT. (And that is not with a "ph" as in "phat". She's a regular little porker.)

Of course this is upsetting to me. I think being fit and trim and lean is super important for a healthy lifestyle. (I mean, I practically make it my life's mission to personally annoy most everyone I love about working out and eating right!) So now my high energy dog who walks 5 miles a day and eats this all natural expensive crap is chubs? Nooooooo. Of course I was all about how to remedy this. Only feed snacks of carrots and green beans? Done! Less food and let her whine if she is hungry. Her cries don't affect this pet mama!

Poor little gal...her days of licking away at a peanut butter Kong are over. Carrots, Enda girl?

Easter Baskets - Never Too Old

In my last post, I forgot to mention that the Easter Bunnies (there were two of them) did visit our house on Sunday.  The bunnies obviously know us too well, as both James and I were quite pleased with what we got.

James' basket is on the left:  it includes a bottle of Oregon Pinot, a couple of bags of beef jerky, and a gift card to Starbucks.  Ms. Bunny must have known how James gets the stink eye if I see Starbucks on the credit card (especially when we have coffee at home), so this allows James to fill his Starbucks addiction without having to deal with me.  :)  Let's be honest, he probably needs to wine, too, to deal with me on an ongoing basis.  HA.

My basket is on the right:  it includes Godiva (love it), a People Magazine (my secret obsession, although I refuse to break down and buy them myself), and See's jelly beans.  I had been talking about See's Candies every since I read about it in Fortune.  Very interesting company and history, but, unfortunately, you can't find it here.  Mr. Bunny was sweet enough to remember during his trip out West last week.  

There you have it - proof you're never too old to get (and enjoy) an Easter basket!

Happy Easter 2013!

Happy Easter, everyone!  I know I'm a little late, but we were super busy with Easter festivities up until the last possible moment.

Overall, it was a wonderful Easter day - which ended a very reflective Lenten season.  Our church did two things this year that we participated in throughout Lent:  first, a church-wide devotional (written by church members and church clergy) that really kept me focused day-after-day; second, a church-wide study of a fantastic book that I highly recommend (during Easter or throughout the year).  24 Hours that Changed the World (written by a Methodist minister from Kansas, Adam Hamilton) focuses on the last moments of Christ, starting with the Last Supper.  Each week, our pastor would both preach on a chapter and we would then study the chapter in our Wednesday bible study.  I can honestly say that the book brought a totally new perspective to the Easter story, and I probably won't go into another Holy Week without more clarity on what was transpiring in that last day.  In fact, I might read it again every year at Easter.  It was THAT GOOD.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

Amazon

Based on the fact that the past 40 days had been very reflective and somewhat somber, the celebration at church on Sunday really brought alive the message and joy of Easter.  The congregation even broke into applause when the choir finished after the Benediction; and, people, I heard someone yell "AMEN!"  Yes, even at our METHODIST church!  When us Methodists demonstrate emotion, you know people are really feeling the Spirit!  :)

After that great morning, we spent the rest of the day preparing and hosting family for our Easter lunch.  I had been a very busy bee on Saturday doing most all of my prep work, carefully storing all the food in our (overcrowded) fridge.  This meant that Sunday I had very little left to do but cook the ham and reheat the sides.  In fact, I actually complained about being BORED, and obsessively checked the clock over and over again to see if it was time to do something else.  Now, James insisted that he preferred "bored hostess" over "crazy hostess", which is usually what he calls me when we host large events.  But, I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a proper soiree without a little drama or a cooking disaster five minutes before your guests arrive...

A few shots of my tablescape for Easter.  Seating for 12 means I set two different tables, but still allows me to put out my wedding china.  It's the perfect number.

I made some cute little name cards that required me to use paintpens, a glue stick, and a straight razor.  All fun things to liven up your crafting.

I also stole a fun idea from Pinterest for the center bouquet.  Turned out fairly cute, and wasn't too hard to make:

And finally, a few shots from the feast.  Appetizers this meal had to be green to land on the platter (just kidding).  This does not show the fabulous crab and artichoke dip that our cousin-in-law brought.

I also didn't get a picture of her Spring spinach salad, which we started out with.  It was DELICIOUS.  After the salad course, we got to dig in to this:

YUM.  In case you're wondering what everything was:

1) My dad's famous Asparagus and Pea Casserole, an old recipe from Southern Living.  He always makes it for Thanksgiving, but I feel it's very appropriate for Easter.  2) Tangerine and Sage Ham.  Tyler's Ultimate recipe that is the first ham I ever made (and only recipe I ever use).  3) Deviled Eggs.  Because can you really call it an Easter feast without these babies?  (FULL DISCLOSURE - I ruined my first batch of boiled eggs on Saturday.  It required me to buy pre-boiled eggs.  PRE-BOILED.  It's shameful, I just had to confess it.)  4) Carrots.  These little guys soak in the tangerine glaze, and were oh so good.  5) Twice Baked Potatoes.  Where have these guys been all my life!?  Not only are they yummy, but they are not that hard to make. I used Pioneer Woman's recipe, swapping Greek yogurt for sour cream and adding in a packet of Ranch mix instead of the season salt.  Oh, and a swiped the inside of the potatoes with bacon grease (a Cuisine at Home tip), because it's Easter and a good, modern Christian likes to overuse bacon and ham.

I got a little resourceful for dessert, and decided to get out all the various cakes that were sitting in my freezer.  (Ms. Leron and Aunt Wyllene make these delicious cakes every birthday and holiday.  I can't bear to throw them out, BUT can't possibly eat in a week.  Helpful hint: cakes freeze beautifully).

You can see, no one left hungry.  And, we have no left overs.  SUCCESS.

Now, I'm so stinkin' mad about this, but our annual Easter Family photo did not turn out.  I'm not sure if it was the bad lighting, the autotimer, or the fact I had it propped up on our fence post, but these cute photos are blurry.  :(  I'm still going to include them, though, just don't judge the quality:

"Hold me, Dad!"

(Most spoiled dog ever...)

HAPPY EASTER!