Mandii's Muse

I usually don’t do anything worth blogging about on the weekend, but this weekend was an exception! My mom’s side of the family  all got together and celebrated my Grandma’s 93rd birthday! You guys, she is so spunky for her age, completely has all of her marbles, and isn’t afraid to voice her opinion. She just recently gave up the crown for being the Queen of her nursing home, but she will always be the queen of our family! She is also on the food committee for her nursing home, and they had better watch out because girlfriend has got OPINIONS on the food.   We kept it really simple, and had pizza and salad. Everyone brought their own drinks and chips, and we had a party! The birthday gal requested white cake with chocolate icing, so Sam’s Club created that cake for us! She had a great day, and it was nice to see all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins who I don’t see all that often.

Hey All! I had a super busy weekend, and didn’t get to write a post for today! Sorry! I will be back again on Wednesday! Enjoy this little funny Lady Gaga meme in the meantime. 🤣

Hi everyone! I’m currently writing this from my iPad, so if my pictures are all jumbled over the place you know why. Haha! (P.S. Getting a keyboard for my iPad was a great decision.) I’m linking up with Andrea today to share with you some of my favorites for the week! First favorite, when you just go in to buy a lottery ticket and end up being on the front page of the newspaper. I went in to grab a Powerball and MegaMillions ticket, and a reporter asked me some questions and took my picture. I thought it would be a small article on page six. Instead, I wound up on the front page. My phone and social media accounts were going a little crazy on Tuesday. Haha! Next favorite is celebrating my Grandma’s 93rd birthday. We’re having a party for her this Sunday, and it will be fun to get together with my cousins and aunts and uncles. As usual, I went to my favorite pizza place this past Sunday. It never disappoints! I also made a wine slushie for the first time and it turned out reall...

The first weekend in October is OglebayFest. If you have never been to Oglebay , it is one of the most beautiful places in West Virginia. Nestled on a mountain steeped in West Virginia history, Oglebay is a year round center of activity! Oglebayfest has a section for the Ohio County fair to show off their award winning produce, flower arrangements, and livestock. When my family and I  went, we were lucky enough to be in the livestock tent when a downpour happened. On the hillside by the mansion, is where all of the crafters set up. There are also lots of food vendors that you can sample wine, dips, and even some local honey and maple syrup. Next year, we decided that we are eating at the German food area! The food sounded so good! Here is a little more information about Oglebay: Oglebay is home to the Good Zoo, a zoo that has a cheetah exhibit and other animals. If you want to make a weekend out of it, Oglebay is known for their Festival of Lights, where the entire park is d...

I.LOVE.This.Recipe! I have made this recipe several times, and it is the perfect quick side, or lunch option. It is super easy to make, and with only a few ingredients it comes together in about 15 minutes. Here's what you need: 2 Tbs. butter 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta 1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth 1/4 tst salt 1/4 tst pepper 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup drained oil packed sun dried tomatoes-patted dry and sliced (I use scissors!) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (I've made it without the mint, and used a little dried parsley and it turned out fine!) Directions: In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add orzo and cook stirring occassionally until lightly browned. (About 5 minutes) Next stir in chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover. Over medium heat  cook until liquid is absorbed. (Depends on your stovetop!)  Remove pot from heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes, and fluff with a f...

I want to share a few favorites with you on this Friday! The weekend is near, readers! My first favorite is that I had my favorite Wedgewood Pizza recently, and I think this might have been the best one ever. Now, I've had this pizza MANY times, and all of them were delicious, but I really think this particular pizza was the best one I've had. I also wanted to share that I did not pay this much for this book, but it took a lot of searching on Amazon to find. I needed the third book to finish my collection. P.S. This is such a great read, and book series if you like Christian books! It's Karen Kingsbury's Above the Line series! One non favorite is how my Cleveland Indians played in the playoffs. We looked like a completely different team. Maybe next year!  How are you enjoying your Friday? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks for the linkup Andrea !

If loving this is wrong, I don't want to be right! I have not made this dip in ages, but I wanted to make it for my Faith Group that I hosted! I could definitely eat this until I was sick, so I wanted to make it where other people were going to eat it with me! It's like a cannoli, only more sinful! Trust me, you'll want to make this! Chocolate Chip Dip Ingredients: 1 package cream cheese 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 Tbls brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup mini chocolate chips Directions: Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. (I made this the night before to let all the flavors mesh together, and it turned out great!) Isn't this easy? I served mine with windowpane pretzels, but you could easily serve this with animal crackers or mini graham crackers. Just so you know, I take no responsibility for the 5 pounds you will gain while eating this dip...