We like to entertain here at Boystown. Even if we’re only having a couple of friends over for dinner, its still an occasion to whip up something awesome- not just order a pizza.

Not that there’s anything WRONG with pizza. I’m a big pizza fan- huge! And -if we’re being honest here- [...]]]>

We like to entertain here at Boystown.  Even if we’re only having a couple of friends over for dinner, its still an occasion to whip up something awesome- not just order a pizza.

Not that there’s anything WRONG with pizza.  I’m a big pizza fan- huge!  And -if we’re being honest here- there are times when pizza just sounds DANG good and nothing else will do.

But when I’m having friends over, I aim to impress them with my culinary skills- not my INSANE ability to order out.

Sometimes, though, it can be a pain and OH-so-expensive to go all out with homemade goodies, and, the more the people, the more expensive.

Like New Year’s.

It was SUPPOSED to just be a small thing- just a couple of friends.  Nothing big.  It was practically an after thought, anyways.  Why go through all the trouble of making a lot of food for a couple of people?

But the problem is, we don’t just HAVE a couple of close friends.  We have what we like to call “our crowd”.  They’re the people that we invite to everything, and you can’t invite just a couple of them without inviting the rest.  What makes it better (or worse?) is “our crowd” keeps growing every year.

So, what do you do for a huge crowd, that isn’t pizza, that doesn’t break the bank, but that stills calls out “Made from scratch!”?

I didn’t know either so I went on -that’s right- Pinterest.

After scouring the boards, I came up with the conclusion that everyone likes dips.  Its one of the favorites to order at restaurants, they’re usually the first things that disappear at get togethers, and *BONUS* they’re usually cheaper than buying tons of meat appetizers and other food items.  Plus, they aren’t hard to put together.

The dips I chose were all pretty easy to do and, just like I figured, they were a hit.  Hopefully they’ll be a hit for you, too.

Hot Spinach Dip (check out the original HERE)

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.
3. In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
4. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.  I made some herbed foccacia bread, but only because I have a bread maker and it did all the work for me for the most part.

Hot Corn Dip (check out the original HERE)

This was a FAVORITE among everyone, and it tasted great reheated the next day, too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chedder cheese
• 1 cup shredded Montery Jack
• 2 tbs chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced small
• 1 small can (4oz) diced green chilies, undrained
• 1/2 cup Mayo
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 11oz can of corn, drained
• 1 small tomato
• 2 tbs cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbs green onions, sliced thin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the cheeses, chiptole and green peppers, mayo, garlic powder and corn together. Pour into an oven safe dish.
3. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly
4. Top with diced tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips

Spicy Chorizo Dip (check out the idea for this HERE)

Ok, so this dip was SUPPOSED to be a Taco Dip, but a funny thing happened on the way to my pantry- I realized I’d forgotten to buy the ingredients I needed.  No worry, though- I switched it up a little and made a HUGE hit.  I had one of our friends gushing… repeatedly… over and over… how I needed to give his wife the recipe.  And I could have written off his compliments as due to the vast quantities of alcohol he was consuming, but everyone else seemed to love it, too.  Its a bit on the spicy side, so if you are sensitive to that sort of thing, you might want to steer clear.

Ingredients:

• About a pound of chorizo (I used 2 links that had 9 oz. each)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup light ranch dressing
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2- 2 cups of refried beans (if you have pinto beans on hand, you can always follow this recipe HERE, without adding all the spices it calls for.)
• Tortilla chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

In a skillet, cook the chorizo until completely done.  I just followed the directions on the links which said to cook the meat for about 10 minutes, but see what your package says.  Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, ranch dressing, chili powder, and ground cumin.  Add the chorizo and half of the shredded cheese.  Stir to combine.  Add 1 1/2 cups of refried beans and taste to see if you want to add more.  The beans just cut through some of the spice.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie plate, and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips.

White Pizza Dip

This was -by FAR- the favorite of almost everyone.  Its gooey and cheesy and completely drool worthy.  Just make sure you have a mini-crock pot or something that you can put this in to help keep it warm, because its MUCH better when its warm and gooey and… I might have to make some more tonight.

Ingredients

1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half (if you don’t have grape tomatoes, I’m pretty sure you could just diced a couple of tomatoes into 3/4 inch chunks (enough to make a pint) and roast that.)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 (or more) garlic cloves, roasted and minced

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

crackers, bread or chips for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish (mine was 6 x 4 round). Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chips or toasted bread.  I actually served this with the same foccacia I used for the Spinach Dip.

There now!  4 dips that you can break out at YOUR next get together- or anytime!  Let’s celebrate Tuesday with a mini party and some dips!

Happy Tuesday!  I’m off to eat- let me know what you think!

I’m making myself hungry.

Anyways, since you all know I’m a Pinterest junkie, [...]]]> This has a longer name- one that points out all the great reasons to eat it- but when you break it down, this name just kind of sums up.  I mean, really now, who wouldn’t love something with garlic, chicken, roasted tomatoes…

I’m making myself hungry.

Anyways, since you all know I’m a Pinterest junkie, I found the idea for this off there.  The problem I encountered, though (which, I’m sure you’ve all been in this situation), was I saw the picture, started to drool, and when I clicked on the link, it led to that person’s front page of their blog.  I looked for the ACTUAL recipe everywhere, but all I saw was the picture.  Not cool.

So, I started to mess around and came up with something that made me happy, and -BONUS- it made all the rest of Boystown happy, too.

Heavenly Spaghetti

Ingredients:

~12 oz spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)

~1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks) (or 2 large b/s breasts)

For the chicken marinade:

~2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

~2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)

~Zest of 1 lemon

~Juice of ½ a lemon

~2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

~1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)

~½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

~1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

~2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if you need this dish right away) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).

Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside

For the garlic gravy: (Preheat over to 400 degrees)

~½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

~4 large cloves garlic, finely minced

~2-3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

~2 ½ cups chicken stock

~1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

~salt and pepper to taste

~¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)

~½ cup grated parmesean cheese

~3 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved, or 3 cups of tomatoes, cut into 1 in. diced pieces

Toss the tomatoes lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper on a sheet pan. Spread them out into one layer and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and slightly carmelized.

Place sauté pan (you used for the chicken) over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to make up 2 tbsp of oil in the pan (if there wasn’t enough left over from cooking the chicken) and add butter.

Saute garlic until fragrant. (About a minute. You don’t want it to burn.)

Add the flour and cook for a minute. You want a 1-1 ratio of oil to flour, so if you think you need to add a little more flour than 2 tbsp to keep that ratio, then do so.

Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.

Season with salt and pepper (if needed).

Add the sauteed chicken and tomatoes in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this  sauce.

Finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

Now, I’m not one to pat myself on the back, but…

Oh, wait.  Yes I am.  Try this, though, and you’ll be sending me a virtual pat on the back, too.

And, hey- if you like it, let me know and PLEASE pin me.  Tell the world that this recipe rocks!  Yummy goodness like this shouldn’t be hidden.

I know. I know. I thought it was weird when I first heard about them, too, but the reviews on Pinterest intrigued me and I knew it was something I had to try.

Of course, once again, I encountered… issues.

Why in the world do people pin these [...]]]> Yes, you read that right.  ’7-up biscuits’.

I know.  I know.  I thought it was weird when I first heard about them, too, but the reviews on Pinterest intrigued me and I knew it was something I had to try.

Of course, once again, I encountered… issues.

Why in the world do people pin these FANTASTIC looking recipes from sites that ONLY allow you to post pictures?  Its a tease!  Its wrong!  Its oh-so-very wrong.  Food -pardon the expression- is my *ahem* porn.  I LOVE watching the Foodnetwork the way some people watch XXX videos.

However.

I’m one of those people that actually DOES read the magazines for the articles.

The food magazines.  Not those other ones.

Anyways, all that to say that I hate when I see a tasty looking recipe and there’s nothing else.  Not that it deters me, but it just causes more work for me before I can devour something yummy.

So, I looked online, and -wouldn’t ya know it?- this is actually a really well known thing!  I tried it out, and now I’m hooked.  I would eat them with gravy.  I would eat them with butter and honey.  I would eat them by themselves.

I would eat them in a box.

I would eat them with a fox.

Sorry.  Dr. Suess moment.

So, for all you food porn junkies, here’s a pic AND the “article”, if you will.  Enjoy, and you’re welcome.

7 UP (or Sierra Mist) Biscuits
4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7-up
1/2 cup melted butter

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix. I used my stand mixer, but you can use a fork. You just want to keep the sour cream from scooting around the bowl instead of mixing in.

When its mixed in, it will look kinda crumbly. Add 7-Up. This will bring it all together and make a very soft dough.

Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out.

Pour melted butter into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Place biscuit dough in the pan, pressing down SOFTLY a little more (it helps to sprinkle a little Bisquick on top to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers). It won’t fill the pan completely but that’s ok. It will spread out as it bakes.

(Doesn’t it look pretty already?  And this is pre-baked!)

And, because I’m not healthy in the LEAST, I basted the whole thing with melted butter.  Yes, I did.

Bake at 450 degrees until golden brown. (about 12-13 minutes)

Now, go.  Flee to your kitchen and make a batch.  Or two.  Or 10.  They’re so easy that the only problem you’ll encounter is you’ll eat them all in one sitting.  I promise.  I couldn’t even wait to take the picture before tearing into them- hence, the missing square.  Actually, these would make a GREAT delivery system for all that leftover turkey you have from Thanksgiving.  Maybe later I’ll post a recipe for sausage gravy to go with these.  In the meantime, go get a check up from your doctor to ensure you won’t die from all the amazing pork fat.

Oh, and if you try these and you love them, PIN ME!  Yes, I’m a little bit narcissistic.  Just think of it as you saving the world from pointless pictures of food that go nowhere.

Ok, I’m over the worry.

Today I spent a good portion of my day cleaning and organizing and -surprise, surprise- trying out a [...]]]> Day two of this fabulous virtual feast, and only 2 days left til the real Thanksgiving feasting can begin.  I’m highly excited- so much so, that I’m worried about my food addiction.

Ok, I’m over the worry.

Today I spent a good portion of my day cleaning and organizing and -surprise, surprise- trying out a new craft I got off Pinterest for making my own basket for rolls.  Now, THERE’S an addiction I’m worried about.

Now that I’ve had a moment to kick back and relax, though, I started thinking about what other sides I wanted to share, and I think I’ve made a decision.

Marvelous Mashed Tators

I always thought that mashed tators are easy.  I never had a problem making them- ever.  So, when people made comments about how good mine were, I thought it was weird- I mean, they’re mashed potatoes.  When are mashed potatoes anything less than amazing?

Ok, maybe when you use boxed instant stuff. *shudder*

Sorry if that’s your go-to.  Seriously, though, try these out and you’ll see its not hard.

Anyways, if you’ve been clueless in the starchy tuber category, here’s my recipe:

5 pounds potatoes, RUSSETS, washed and cut in 2 to 3-inch pieces

1 cube butter

1-1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons freshly minced rosemary leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Ooo!  and bacon bits, if the spirit moves you, lol.

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover by about 1-inch with cold water (or milk, if you want them SUPER creamy). Place over medium heat and simmer (do not boil) potatoes for 15 minutes or until fork tender.

Strain your tators, and set aside. In same pot add butter and rosemary.  Saute over medium heat until you can smell the rosemary becoming fragrant.  Add your tators back to the pot, and mix them with the butter/rosemary.

Remove from heat and add your salt and pepper to taste.  Add a cup of the buttermilk and mash with potato masher.  Add more if you want it tangier/creamier.  And, of course, if the bacon has been screaming your name, let it join the party.  Why not?

***Don’t have bacon bits?  Slice and dice some bacon, throw it in a pan, and cook low and slow on med heat til crispy.

Sensational Stuffing

Seriously, now- what IS Thanksgiving without stuffing?  Its just not right.  Even college students can afford Stovetop and microwave it.

We’re not doing that here, though.  Nope.

I first saw a version of this recipe from Paula Deen.  God love that woman.  Her love for butter leaves me breathless.  Some people want to meet Tom Cruise or some other well known celeb- me?  I want to meet Paula Deen.  She.  Is.  Awesome.

Anyways, per the norm, I changed it up a bit.  I can’t help it- its a sickness.  I just can’t leave well enough alone.  I messed with her recipe- I’m sorry, Paula, if you’re reading this.  The thing is- my version is FANTASTIC, if I do say so myself.  Actually, though, I don’t have to say so- everyone else does.

Man.  I’m sounding HIGHLY egotistical.

I’m up for criticism, though- try it and let me know if you love it, too.

1 batch of bread crumbs or 48 oz. of Mrs. Cubbison’s Cornbread dressing (yes, you read that first part right- batch of bread crumbs.  Sometimes I go a little nutty and I make my own.  One day I’ll share.)

1 stick of butter

2 cups of onion, diced

4 stalks of celery, 1/4 in. pieces

2 granny smith apples, skinned, cored, and diced small

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp sage

1 lb breakfast sausage/sweet sausage/bacon

2 1/2- 3 cups hot chicken broth/stock + more, if needed

3 eggs, beaten

Cook the sausage until browned or the bacon until crispy.  Remove the meat and set aside, leaving the fat in the bottom of the pan.

Add butter and let it melt over med heat.  Add veggies and apples to the pan and saute til tender.

Put the Mrs. C’s dressing in a bowl large enough for everything.  Pour veg and drippings over the top.  Add pepper, sage and bacon or sausage.  Mix well.

Temper the eggs with a little bit of the hot broth/stock so they don’t turn into scrambled eggs once mixed in.  Add to the bowl and mix WELL.

Add stock.  Mix to incorporate and ensure that everything is moist.  Add more broth/ stock if you need to.  You don’t want your stuffing soupy, but you also don’t want it dry.  Dry stuffing is yucky.  Remember- its going to dry out in the oven.  If its on the really moist side when it goes in, it’ll be fine.  Don’t worry.

Pour stuffing into 2 greased 9×13 pans and bake on 350 until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes or so.

Please let me know if you try this and you like it!  And -by all means- if you do, PIN ME!  Add to others Pinterest addictions!

In just a couple of days, most of us will be stuffing our faces with an assortment of Thanksgiving dishes, and -might I say- that is one thing to be thankful for, for sure.

Honestly, Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays- I love [...]]]> Yeah, I know- its not Tuesday.  Its still tasty, though!

In just a couple of days, most of us will be stuffing our faces with an assortment of Thanksgiving dishes, and -might I say- that is one thing to be thankful for, for sure.

Honestly, Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays- I love the reason we celebrate it and, of course, I LOVE the food.

Who doesn’t?  Turkey.  Stuffing.  Gravy.  Mashed tators.

I think I’m getting pre-holiday giddiness.

Here at Boystown, we celebrate this tasty holiday a few times a year, one of which we call ‘Thanksgiving in May’ and we dine on all the Thanksgiving dishes in honor of my birthday.

See, I love cooking (have I mentioned that?), and I love Thanksgiving, so my present from my husband is to be able to cook Thanksgiving dinner for all our friends and family (since its not the cheapest meal to put together).

Yes, you aren’t the first to point out that my birthday is spent cooking for others, but -like I said- I love cooking and I love the holiday.  In my mind, this is the best present EVER.

Anyways, whether you’re celebrating the holiday with your family in November or cooking it because its worthy to be celebrated mid-year, here are some of my favorite recipes for my holiday favs.  I’ve honed them over the years, and I hope you love them as much as we do here at Boystown.

And since I didn’t want to write a novel for this entry, I’m going to split up all our fantastic favorites over the next 3 days, so please check back!

Splendid Sweet Potatoes

I used to think these were called yams, but apparently I was wrong.  Yams are normally white, I think.  In any case, I’m almost positive the veggie police won’t show up and arrest you for calling these root veggies by the wrong name.  I was originally given this recipe from my mother in law (who’s yams/sweet potatoes are AMAZING), but, well, you know me (or maybe you don’t, but you will)- I had to tweak it.  So here’s my version:

4 lrg sweet potatoes

2 sticks of butter, melted

brown sugar, to taste

cinnamon, to taste

1/2 cup chopped pecans

mini marshmallows

Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends.  If you got REALLY big sweet potatoes, you can cut them in half if you’re having a hard time getting them to be fully submerged in the pot covered with water.  Bring to a boil and add about a teaspoon of salt to the pot.  I know- its supposed to be “sweet”, but salt brings out the sweetness, and I’ve always just done it this way, so I’m stickin’ to it.

Boil around 40 minutes (until fork tender), and rinse with cool water.

When they’re cool to the touch, remove the skin.  You don’t want to rush this- unless you don’t value your skin.

Slice the sweet potatoes in 1/2 in to 1 in slices.

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.  Like I said, its to taste, so if you like your tators REALLY sweet, then measure out a lot of brown sugar.  Just make sure you don’t add SO much cinnamon that it tastes bitter.

Place a layer the tator slices in a baking dish, drizzle butter over the layer and cover with some of the brown sugar mixture.  Repeat until all the sweet potatoes have been used or until you run out of space in the dish.  It doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty.  If you place broken pieces into empty spaces in the dish, no one will know or notice.

Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes at 350.

Cover with marshmallows the last 10 minutes and bake until the top is golden brown.

Kickin’ Cranberry Sauce

1 8 oz. bag of cranberries

1 can of crushed pineapple

1 apple, diced small

Juice and zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar, or more if needed

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Drain liquid from pineapples into a measuring cup. Add water so that you have a total of 1 cup liquid.

In a small saucepan combine pineapple/water mixture, cranberries, diced apple, orange juice and zest, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmering/medium heat and cook until cranberries are tender, stirring occasionally, until thick (about 10 minutes).  Add crushed pineapple to cranberry sauce and cook one more minute.

In a small cup make a slurry with cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk cornstarch mixture into cranberry sauce and cook, whisking, until sauce thickens. Taste and add more sugar, if necessary.

Allow to cool then place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy!  I’ll be back on tomorrow with more Thanksgiving dishes!

I’m sure, by now, you understand that I meant it when I said we were done. I know you’re probably feeling a little out of sorts because we’ve been so close for so long. I can truly say that I’ve never known anyone to stick as close to me as you’ve been, but [...]]]> Dear Fat,

I’m sure, by now, you understand that I meant it when I said we were done.  I know you’re probably feeling a little out of sorts because we’ve been so close for so long.  I can truly say that I’ve never known anyone to stick as close to me as you’ve been, but while I’ve seen our friendship grow, I’ve also noticed other things.

Remember that time in Junior High- with the ice cream cup?  That was when we first became really well acquainted.  You were so sweet.  Form then on, what started off as a simple sundae turned into daily lunches.

And High School!  Oh how our friendship grew.  I started wondering if you were really bad for me then because my pants size grew, too, but every time I was ready and determined to call it quits, you reminded me of why I fell for you.  You’ve always had that kind of hold on me.  Even when- and I know you’ll be jealous hearing this, but I’ve got to say it- I cheated on you with Volleyball, Track, and a pretty healthy lifestyle, I still couldn’t let you go completely.  I think you knew deep down, though, because you seemed to hold on tighter to me, too.

We could’ve been happy together, you and me.

And then you had to go and ruin it by bringing ’round your friends and family.

The first sign our friendship was nearing its end was when I got pregnant with Camo.  I don’t know why you thought it would be a good idea to introduce your pregnant, hormonal companion to all the other lipids in your life, but that was the first moment I caught a glimpse of the real you.  Pants that used to fit nicely over my hips now struggled to make it past my knees; my cheeks took on a chipmunk-ish appearance; and my once smooth thighs now showed dimples.

What had I don’t that you felt the need to abuse me so?

I vowed then and there that I would distance myself from you, and -while I didn’t shut you out completely- I was content in the fact that our friendship didn’t blossom further.

It didn’t, that is, until I met your cousins lard and pork fat.  Sneaky move, bringing them in to meet me.  They seduced me with Mexican food and teased me with Paula Dean cookbooks.

Suddenly, our friendship was closer than ever.

I know, from our history, that our relationship has been on again/off again, so maybe you think this is just a phase- lots of people go through fads; maybe you think I’ll become an Atkins fanatic.

Let me assure you, this will not happen.  It CAN NOT.

Please don’t be sad.  Its not you- its me.  You’ve stuck by me through thick and thicker; I’m just feeling the need to see who I am without you.

So, this is goodbye.  Please don’t try to look for me- its no use trying to get me back.  Honestly, chances are, you might not recognize me in a couple of months anyways.

I want you to know, I still love you deeply.  You’ll probably always have a place in my heart.  I want the best for you, though, so if you find yourself feeling lonely, please don’t hesitate to make new friendships.  You won’t hurt my feelings.

In fact, I was JUST watching TV the other day and I noticed how many actresses could really use a friend like you.  TELL me that having a Hollywood bud wouldn’t just make your year.

So, that’s it.  I’ll miss you.  Have a great life- I’ll see you in the tabloids!

(Sorry- if you don’t get this pic, you need to watch Dr. Who more.)

~Amber

Lately we’ve been acting as hosts to ghosts. They’re actually very well known ghosts- perhaps you’ve heard of them? Their names are “Not me” and “I don’t know”.

Not me and I don’t know have been extremely busy spirits, doing everything from tearing up the boys’ room to finishing off 3 bowls [...]]]>

Lately we’ve been acting as hosts to ghosts.  They’re actually very well known ghosts- perhaps you’ve heard of them?  Their names are “Not me” and “I don’t know”.

Not me and I don’t know have been extremely busy spirits, doing everything from tearing up the boys’ room to finishing off 3 bowls worth of cereal in one sitting.  Its extraordinary.  I know if I had died and had time on MY hands, I’d kick back and relax, but not these guys.  They’re constantly up to something.

Just recently these pesky poltergeists have even started to follow the boys to school!  I had naively thought that MAYBE the ghosts would take their own Summer vacation-

-yeah, I know its not Summer anymore, but its still Summer-y weather.  I thought they might be as confused as me and take a late vacation-

but there was no such luck.  If anything, they seem to have increased their activity!  I’ve almost started to wonder if our home is the newest spot for the ghost dimension- like Fort Lauderdale for the netherworld.

Rather than take an extended holiday, though, Not me and I don’t know started school with my boys and began a new year of shenanigans.  When asked why he was lying under his desk instead of sitting in his chair, Bug replied,”I don’t know,” which -I’m assuming means,”I don’t know” told him to do it, the naughty spirit.  And when asked who’s fault it was for Camo not being able to find his PE clothes, both boys answered,”Not me.”

I’ll admit, I’m a little worried that we’ve gotten so much supernatural interference in this house, but I’m hopeful that sooner or later, those restless spirits will find their peace and leave this place.

Until that day, though, its very apparent that Boystown will be hosting travelers from the Great Beyond.