Mandii's Muse

 Today's post is a breakfast casserole. I think this would be great for Christmas morning. I know that it is what I plan on making on December 25! The best part of this recipe is that you can make it the night before. So whip it up before you head to bed and you can wake up to breakfast already being prepared! Plus, if you do your heatless curls and prepare this casserole, Christmas morning will be a breeze! I am going to link the recipe here !  I omitted the pepper and the onion, but you can use the meat of your choice as well! I hope you enjoy this recipe, I know I have!

 I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! I can't believe that it has come and gone and we are well into the Christmas season! Here was a quick recap of my turkey day! My dad wanted to take some meals to a few of his customers, so on Wednesday I had a chiropractor appointment, and my mom stayed back and started prepping the food. She made a whole meal, but we were only going to eat the green bean casserole. My dad and I helped when we got home. On Thursday morning, we got the meals ready, and my dad went on to deliver them. Meanwhile my mom and I got ready. We loaded everything up we were supposed to take, and headed to my aunt and uncle's house.  We ate, had too much food as usual. We had the usual, turkey and chicken, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, and corn. For dessert we had chocolate, pumpkin, and rice pies.  It was a nice day! How was your Thanksgiving? Did you end up in a food coma after dinner? Let me know in the co...

 I have been really babying my hair lately. I had "rona" 3 years ago and lost a lot of hair about 6 weeks after I recovered. Ever since then I have been trying to do my best to take good care of my hair. My mom got me a heatless curling set last Christmas and lately I have been using it all the time! I absolutely love the curls it produces, and I'm using less heat on my hair. Here are some of my tips that I've learned along the way. Start with damp hair. I will partially dry my hair until it is about 85% dry and roll my hair. You hair is more fragile when it is damp, so be careful.  The next day, you can finger comb through your curls. I add a little bit of hair oil on my hair. Especially on the ends, sometimes they can get a bit wonky when you tie the scrunchies on.  I add a little bit of Navy Haircare Pebble Beach texture spray, and hairspray to help hold the curls.  Sometimes I need to fix a curl, usually my front bang section. So I will use a hot tool on that. He...

 Here is a post I shared on this date many, many years ago!  https://mandiismuse.blogspot.com/2013/11/high-five-for-friday_15.html Friday I am going to do a heatless curls tutorial. I’ve been loving them lately, and finally found a technique that I love. I’m excited to share that with you! 

 This recipe is going to be perfect for Thanksgiving! It's called pumpkin butter, but there is no butter in it! It's very similar to apple butter, but equally delicious! I think this would be absolutely perfect on a Fall themed charcuterie board with pepitas, cheddar cheese, honey, and fancy crackers. Or on a piece of pastry wrapped brie cheese. Yum! This would also be great on an English muffin for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. If you are attending Thanksgiving somewhere and want to have a hostess gift ready, this would be absolutely perfect! If you need some jars, lids, or labels, here are a few on Amazon !  I don't think you will be disappointed if you make this!

This summer I decided that I was going to make a new recipe every Thursday. A lot of times we can get in a rut with our cooking, and this helps us break out of it. I tried this recipe as my very first one and it was surprisingly delicious! My mom was hesitant at first because of the name, but she ended up really enjoying it.  The sauce was really easy, and I can totally see this being put over pulled chicken and make sliders out of it, or even sandwiches!  Apricot Chicken 1 cup apricot jam 1/4 cup diced onions 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 Tablespoon honey 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I left these out because my mom doesn't like spice, but they would be good in there!) 4-6 chicken breasts Put all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the jam is melted and heated through. I put my chicken breasts in a roast pan and spread the sauce over them. I put th...

 I think to start off, I am going to be blogging on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's. I think that is a good schedule to start with that won't be overwhelming, and you readers won't get bored.  So in my time off in the blog world, I worked at a clothing boutique and absolutely fell in love with it! I found that it is something that I am really passionate about. I have learned so many tips and tricks while working there that I can't wait to share with you! I mean we also have lived through a worldwide pandemic. Add that to the list of things you never thought you would type! Haha! I have continued to cook and bake, take short little trips here and there. I truly do lead a very boring life. Haha!  If there are any topics you'd like me to cover, just let me know and I will try to see if I can cover them!  Don't forget you can follow the Mandii's Muse Facebook page here ! You can also follow the blog's Instagram page too! Maybe one day I can go live and we ca...

 Hi! Do you remember me and this little blog? I've been thinking about starting this blog back up again, and I am just going to jump in with both feet and go for it! In the past what, 4 years since the last post, I have learned a lot, and have a lot to share! So if you'll bear with me, I'd love to share some fun tips and tricks and recipes with you here on this little space on the internet.  I will give you a little reintroduction of myself.  I'm Mandii. I'm a small town girl full of random information. Sports facts, check. Fashion tips, oh yeah, I've got those a plenty! Recipes? You're speaking my language. I love all things faith, family, fashion, sports, and food related. Which is exactly what you will find on this space. I love to travel even though I don't do it nearly enough.  I don't know if I am going to commit to a full 5 days on here yet. I'll play it by ear, and if you'll stick with me, I think we can do some great things here!  I...

Did you know that today starts Lent? (*I'm not Catholic, but still like that challenge of giving something up!)  I usually give up something like pop or sweets, and while I think I am still going to do that, I have a different plan in mind. First of all, our Women of Faith group is going to be completing a 40 day devotional on the Bible App. It gives us a short devotional, a piece of Scripture to read, and then a question prompt for us to discuss. The best part of it, is that is all through the app, so we can complete the days reading at our own pace. I am pretty excited for this! One thing that I have decided to do for Lent is to commit to working out every day except Sunday's. I know this will be a struggle, I know I'm going to have to get up early, but I know it will be worth it in the end. Summer is coming, ya'll! I have some videos already prepped on YouTube, and I bought some exercise bands and sliders I will use as well! I'm giving myself a rest day on Su...

My mom has gifted me the Pioneer Woman's cookbooks for the past several Christmases. I can typically be found Saturday mornings on my couch at 10:00 watching her show. I don't think I've ever said "I don't think I'll like that" with one of her recipes. Instead I'm usually drooling over what she is cooking. Her cookbooks are just fantastic. They are step by step, which I LOVE because you know exactly what you dish should look like at a certain point. I've made many things of hers, and they never disappoint. This dish came out of one of her very first cookbooks. I had to tweak it a little bit because I didn't have the ingredients to make homemade pesto, but I had a jar of prepared on hand. It was a simple swap, and one that you can easily do yourself! Let me know if you like this recipe card format. It might be easier for you to read while you are cooking! I served mine with a piece of breaded chicken, but grilled chicken with this would be abs...

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week and has something fun planned for this weekend. This week was pretty good. Anytime your Monday starts off with a 2 hour delay, it is always good. We had some crazy wind in our area Sunday night and into Monday morning, so lots of trees were down and people without power. Somehow we managed to keep our power, and have limbs down and no trees. Thank God! Another favorite of this week was getting our Women of Faith group together. I so, so, so look forward to these get togethers. We had a great discussion about our fear and faith. It is such an amazing feeling to be surrounded by like minded women, and I strongly encourage you to find your faith tribe. So far we’ve made plans to do a 40 day devotional on the Bible app for Lent. Another favorite has been that I have consistently stuck with reading my Bible. I have tried in previous years and fizzled out, but I have remained consistent so far. Now that I am in the book of Leviticus I have b...

I thought I would share some of my recent dinners with you! Sometimes finding something for dinner can be a chore! I mean how many times has your family asked “what’s for dinner?” You have no idea, and end up with a grumpy family because no one got what they wanted! So here’s a glimpse of what I’ve been eating lately! Tacos are my love language, so I try to have any type of Mexican food once every two weeks or so.   Soup is always great for winter, and while I was sick, this potato soup was a lifesaver for my throat and head.   This is a recreation of a restaurant item! We call it a chicken wedge-a, but it is simply a flatbread with cheese and chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, fries, and Italian dressing. We love it!  A staple in any house is fried chicken! We have ours with a baked potato, broccoli, and coleslaw! I hope this gives you some ideas for dinner! If you want recipes for anything, leave me a comment, and I will make sure to post one for you!...

I hope everyone had a nice long weekend. Mine was just ok, nothing too spectacular. On Monday of last week, I came home with a scratchy throat, and my voice was starting to go. When I woke up on Tuesday, I could hardly swallow, and had no voice. I went to Urgent Care, and while I tested negative for strep, I did have a bad case of laryngitis. They put me on steroids, and I just kept drinking tea. My voice still wasn't back on Wednesday, and I developed a cough and runny nose in the meantime. By Thursday my voice came back a little bit, so I pulled myself together to go to a concert that I had bought tickets for. My mom, aunt, and myself are really big Karen Carpenter fans. A small theater was putting on a tribute show, so we spent Valentine's Day listening to her. It was absolutely fantastic! Her show was approved by Richard Carpenter, and she took us along on a musical journey throughout their career. There was a lot of TV watching while I was sick, so watching my Blue De...

I meant to post this last week, but never did! So you are getting to see it today! This is just a little "what's up" on this Wednesday! 1. What I’m Eating this Week: I am thinking some soup, pasta, and baked chicken with a baked potato! 2. What I’m Reminiscing About: It has to be my recent experience at the Duke game , and all my trips to North Carolina to Cameron Indoor. I absolutely love basketball season! 3. What I’m Loving: I’m loving all the cozy winter wear I get to wear! Now, it doesn’t have to be below freezing, but I’m enjoying the sweaters, cozy robe, and warm fuzzy pajamas I get to wear. 4. What I’ve Been Up To: Not much! Just working, doing the usual grocery shopping/Costco runs, family time I get to have! 5. What I’m Dreading: I think I say this every single time, but I dread the Winter to Summer clothes switch over! It is such a chore that I dread every season. 6.  What I’m Working On: I’m working on upcoming blog posts for you! I’m a...

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! It was nice to be above freezing, and see the sunshine for a little bit! Did your team win the SuperBowl? Here's a little glimpse into my weekend!  My mom made this delicious chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. It was as good as it looks, and we can't wait to eat some after dinner tonight again!  Can you tell who we were rooting for based on our table decor? We had meatball sliders, kielbasa, mini tacos, spinach/artichoke dip, pimento cheese, and potato salad. Yummy!  Since it was going to be nice most of the weekend, my dad was nice enough to wash my car off at the car wash.   I have been doing a #girlreadyourbible challenge for February, in addition to my normal daily readings. I'm doing the book of Philippians. Starting off this week right with a Patriots win on Sunday, and hopefully a Duke win on Tuesday! How was your weekend? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Today is Friday and I am still thawing out from the Polar Vortex. My parents and I braved the cold Thursday, and I stepped outside to pump gas, and I was FROZEN when I got back in the car! I linked up with Andrea to share with you some of my favorites with you.  I made this Creamy Pesto Pasta from the Pioneer Woman, and it was absolutely delicious! Don’t worry, recipe coming soon to the blog! You’ll want to add this one to your collection!   This is the reason why I braved the Polar Vortex. You’ve heard me say it before, but this is absolutely my favorite pizza. It’s in Ohio, and I use their cheap gas as an excuse to go and get my pizza fix. Haha!   This was on my TV Tuesday night before the cold blew in. I thought it was fitting, and funny!   I made my first chai tea latte, and it was pretty good. All I did was make a decaf tea bag, then I added some chai latte powdered mix and use my milk frother to blend it and make it foamy. Then I spri...

Well guys and gals, I headed into “enemy” territory and rooted on my Blue Devils while they played Pitt. I bought the tickets for my Dad for Christmas, and agonized whether or not I should get them or not. My mom was a big help in convincing me. I was a researching fool getting seats, I had multiple seating charts pulled up, multiple ticket companies pulled up, it was quite the process. Luckily, I was able to get seats on the first level AND on the Duke side of the court! Score! My dad and I knew going into this season that we really wanted to see this team play. We especially wanted to see Zion Williamson play. The dude is crazy big, and crazy athletic. The game was a 9:00 game on ESPN. As soon as I left work on Tuesday, I ran to Dunkin’ and got a latte to help keep me awake. Luckily we had a 2 hour delay that morning, so I was able to sleep in a little, and I had adrenaline going, so it wasn’t hard to stay awake at all. My dad and I opted to eat at home, so we hurried up an...

 I think that if y ou have been following this blog for any length of time, you know my love of buffalo plaid. I’ve wrapped my Christmas presents in buffalo plaid paper for the past 2 years, I have a purse with that print on it, my aunt got me reusable shopping bags with the print on it, and I have about 5 different forms of the print in my closet. Obsessed. This shirt was gifted to me by my parents for Christmas, and I have had my eye on it for such a long time! This came from Wal-Mart, and not only is it cute, but comfortable as well. It is almost like a lace material with an underlay . I paired it with my favorite Lane Bryant leggings, and simple black flat boots. I accessorized with a long tassel necklace and earrings, also from Wal-Mart.  Do you have a print that you gravitate towards? Plaids, florals, stripes? Leave me a comment, I’d like to hear about them!

Hallelujah, today is Friday! I’m linking up with Andrea today to share with you some of my favorites for the week! I;m keeping it short and sweet today with my favorites. It’s the little things that make me happy. Up first, today is payday! I have not gotten paid since December 23, due to the holiday’s. I’m looking forward to it, but I know that my bills are going to take up a nice chunk of my paycheck. #adulting Next up is the weather. We are expecting some record snowfall here in Western PA, but I will believe the numbers when I see it for myself. I will say this, it will be nice to see some snow, and be able to stay nice and cozy with lots of coffee and warm drinks. It’s a three day weekend, so that will be nice to have a Monday off. This next week will be busy and fun at the same time. Tuesday is the Duke game, and I am hoping the weather holds off, and it is decent weather to travel down and back to Pittsburgh in. What are your plans for this weekend? I’d love to hear wh...

I wanted to give you all an update on life so far in the new year! I am doing really well on my resolution of reading the Bible every day. I am doing it on the Bible app, and while some days I read it on the app, I usually just use the app to see what I am supposed to read and then actually open my Bible to read it. Then I just check it off when I am done! The one thing I like about using this particular one year study, is there is a devotion before each days reading. By reading this before I begin, I have understood what I am reading so much better! I am waiting on a few new products to get here, but when they do I begin my quest to lose some weight. Once they get here, I can go ahead and begin! I have some quick workouts that I pulled off of YouTube that I am going to use to get started. Then I actually have P90 that I’d like to use to continue the weight loss. Starting small, then going big. Haha! (P.S. P90 is the less hard version of P90X. The workouts seem effective, and not ...