Salsa

Since college and especially since we've been married, I have become quite comfortable in the kitchen! Sean and I try to cook every night since it is cheaper and healthier than going out to eat! Here is one of my favorite recipes! Try it and you'll NEVER by a jar of salsa again! Sean hasn't always like Mexican food, but partly because of this salsa, it is his favorite! It has been a hit at every party since our Sophomore year of college at SHSU!

 

1-2 jalapeños (start with one and add bits of the second if it isn't spicy enough)

1 can of tomatoes (14.5oz)

Cilantro (handful)

1/4-1/2 onion

¼ clove garlic or spoonful of minced garlic

Lime and lemon juice (about a tablespoon of each)

Salt, garlic salt, possibly onion powder

Blender or food processor

I don’t measure anything, just put some stuff in the blender and keep tasting until ya like it!

1. Pour canned tomatoes into blender

2. Chop up garlic, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño and throw it on in there

3. Squeeze some lemon and/or lime juice in

4. Season it with salt, garlic salt, possibly onion powder

5. BLEND and Taste….just add to it if you wanna.

Lollipop Girls

Nicki, Allison, Pam, and Mary

I grew up with these girls. We've known each other since Kindergarten/early elementary! We met through church and ended up becoming best friends who also sing together :) These girls have been there for me through the good and bad times through the years...they even remember what pre-Sean life was like! haha! One day at a church talent show, we sang the song "Lollipop" with a stupid little dance (pretty much all jazz squares)....and then the older women at church started calling us "The Lollipop Girls"...and it stuck! Now two of us are married! It is so crazy to think back on all we've been through together! I am so thankful to have such a close-knit group of girl friends! Gotta love 'em!

Mary's 16th B-day!

Our last Sunday singing at St. Barnabas before college

The College Years....

Sean and Mary's wedding

Allison and Michael's wedding

Christmas 2009

Dream Vacations

Sean and I love to travel....who doesn't? We've been to many wonderful places together, but here are five things on our "to do list":

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Trip to the Vineyards....California, Washington, Italy.....somewhere :)

We should totally do this while it is only 5-6 hours away!

Beach Bungalow house

Paris...really we'd like to backpack several places in Europe sometime soon :)

Saving Money

Sean and I have learned a lot about saving money in the last few years. Our first year of marriage, we were in a small town called Pampa, TX. We didn't really have the poor newlywed life, which was AMAZING! Sean had a nice job as a youth minister that paid well (considering the cost of living was nothing in the little town)! We had a 2 bedroom house for $485/month and people in Pampa considered that to be expensive!!

We moved to AZ in August 2009 and THEN started to feel like the "poor newlyweds"....Sean is a full time masters student at ASU and I am a music therapist here in the Phoenix area. In March 2010, all of the music therapists in the entire state of AZ received a 51%pay cut....yep...it has been tough, but now we are having fun laughing at ourselves in the ways we try to save money! We have figured out that it is the little things we do that add up the most savings.A couple of my good friends have asked me for some money saving tips....so here are the things we have been doing to cut costs:

• Shopping at Goodwill for lots of stuff and also Costco--CHEAP gas, coffee, cereal, computer ink, paper products...it is worth the $50/year if you live close by! 
• Using the TV antenna...no cable
• Using less toilet paper and paper towels
• re-using notebook paper...don't just write a list on one side and throw it away....use the other side next week
• cooking at home every night....duh....BUT only use one package of meat and make it last the whole week! OR cook a roast or whole chicken on a Sunday and use the left-over meat for the next week or two.
• make a dinner list for the week, then a grocery list for the week and stick to it when shopping!
• using gladware when we pack lunches every day to save $ on plastic zip lock bags
• Setting the air to 80 degrees....stinks, but it helps
• Netflix-the cheapest form of entertainment! $9.64/month gives you movies to watch instantly online, plus one movie at a time in the mail! 
• Staying with friends and family when traveling! We've been able to visit many neat places(such as Hawaii and San Diego) and haven't had to pay for a hotel!
• Walmart price matching program
• Hate those annoying grocery ads that come every week in the mail? Try searching for the good deals on meat, produce, milk, toothpaste, etc....take them to Walmart or Target and show the cashier what other stores are selling items for....you'll save so much $!

Money is tight, but we are still able to have so much fun :)

If anyone else has some $ saving tips, send them our way! 

First Blog Post

Hello Friends,

This is my first time ever trying to do a blog....can't say I will keep up with it, but I'll try! I have enjoyed keeping up with friends through their blogs, so why not join in?

Sean and I have been in Arizona for a little over a year. I have been working as a music therapist and Sean will be graduating ASU with a masters in vocal performance in May!! We're enjoying our second year here very much! Already, we've had so many more get-togethers with AZ friends! This makes it so much more fun since we REALLY miss our Texas friends and family! We've enjoyed having the adventure out here....California road trips, Grand Canyon, and other beautiful AZ sights. The Summer is finally cooling down....we're still in the 100's but we're almost to the beautiful resort style weather that lasts most of the year :)

I'll try to update with funny stories and pictures soon :)

Mary (and Sean)