Easy Peach Cobbler

For those of you who don't know me and don't feel like going back to read my first few blogs (I don't blame you), my name is Courtney. About a year and a half ago I found my great-grandmother's handwritten recipe notebook. I decided that I should type up the recipes and share them with my family so that my Mammy's memory could live on through her favorite activity, cooking. Soon the idea came to me that I should make a blog out of it. Sort of like "Julie and Julia". I quickly found out that Mammy had some complicated recipes in that book! She also tended to leave out key ingredients, oven temperatures, and times. I don't think she ever intended for anyone else to use the book so what she didn't write down was in her head. I soon ventured away from the notebook and the blog.

I'm back now! I'm ready to tackle this cooking blog. Oddly enough, this recipe did not come from Mammy's notebook. My boyfriend, Cory, asked me to make him a peach cobbler. Unfortunately, Mammy didn't have a peach cobbler recipe. I turned to my second favorte cookbook instead.

If you don't know me or don't know me very well then we need to get one major fact out of the way. I am in love with Garth Brooks. I love his music, him, and anything associated with him. So naturally I had to buy the Trisha Yearwood cookbook with a foreward by Garth. This is an awesome cookbook. I have made several things out of here and that Trisha knows what she is doing.

I digressed a tiny bit! I'll do that from time to time so just stick with me. Anyway, here is the recipe for a fantastic peach cobbler!

2     15-ounce cans sliced peaches in syrup
1/2  cup (1 stick) butter
1     cup self-rising flour
1     cup sugar
1     cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain 1 can of peaches; reserve the syrup from the other.

Place the butter in a 9 x 13-inch ovenproof baking dish. heat the butter in the oven until it's melted.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour and sugar. I'm sure if you only have a large bowl or a small bowl that will work too. The recipe will not be ruined by the size of the container you decide to mix it in. I've never understood why people get so specific with their recipes! (See I digressed again.)



Stir in the milk and the reserved syrup. As a side note you should have 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of syrup. This part was frustrating because it took forever to get all the clumps out. Just keep stiring and crushing the clumps of flour.

Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter. Arrange the peaches over the batter. Most of the batter will flee to the outside edges of the pan. Don't get discouraged, there is no way around that.

Bake for 1 hour. The cobbler is done when the batter rises around the peaches and the crust is thick and golden brown. The picture does the cobbler no justice. The lighting was terrible in the kitchen.

This cobbler was so easy to make. I had never made one before so I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it turned out to be! Cory loved it too so I'm putting this one in the "win" category.

41 Reasons I Stay Motivated...Yes 41...50 was going to take too long

Hello readers (if I have any left)! I think today's post might be a little more serious than I normally get. I hope I don't lose you somewhere along the way. I'll try to make it interesting.

If you read my October blog then you know I go to the gym quite a bit. It's kinda my newest hobby now. Cooking was too expensive, I have no musical talent to speak of, and underground dancing lost it's appeal after I realized I had the rhythm of McLovin.

I've been working out for about 6 months now, and I LOVE it! One of the most commonly asked questions I get is "Wow, you are a sexy beast!" Oh, that was a statement not a question....awkward. Okay seriously the most commonly asked question I get is "How do you stay so motivated?" I can never answer this question because there is no ONE answer. There are a ton of things that keep me motivated to go to the gym day after day! Here is the list I have so far. Maybe a few will apply to you?!

1. I eat like a sumo wrestler in training. I have to keep it off somehow!

2. Summer 2012
3. My New Year resolution was to have abs by the end of this year. (cute abs, not scary abs)
  

Yes



No

4. Draw more attention to my super flat stomach rather than my super flat chest! (you can laugh, it's okay)
5. Skinny jeans
6. My boyfriend makes me (He goes and I feel like a fat slob if I don't lol)
7. Space in between my thighs
8. My arms don't keep waving after I stop saying goodbye

9. The hip-bone "v"
10. Gives me energy
11. I feel better
12. My health is better
13. It's fun (especially when you have a good partner)

14. It's time away from everything else
15. The compliments from Cory
16. The compliments from other women (you'd be surprised how much a compliment from the same sex really means)
17. The satisfaction a good work out provides
18. The confidence
19. The challenge
20. Be a good example for others
21. To one day be confident enough to work out in a sports bra and shorts so I can stop burning up in the gym
22. To be "that" girl at the pool
23. Play with my nephew and not die of a heart attack
24. See what my body is capable of
25. To be in the best shape I've ever been in
26. I want to be remembered as looking like this
27. I enjoy seeing the changes in my body
28. I'm tired of making excuses
29. To be able to say "I did it!"
30. I've never been the "hot girlfriend" in the group lol
31. I sleep better and longer
32. I don't want any regrets
33. I worry less about how clothes look on me
34. I want to be able to wear shorts and not have my thighs scream in agony
35. It doesn't bother me to have my picture taken
36. Still working on the "pooch" (girls know exactly what I'm talking about)
37. I want to master the pencil skirt!
38. I am more proud of myself now than I ever have been
39. Instead of competing with others I compete with myself now
40. I can be totally selfish. This is for me.

I realize I stopped using pictures at the beginning of the list, but the rest of them seemed like examples where I needed to put up a picture of myself and that wasn't happening!

41. Show people what I look like...

Hot chicks...they are overrated.

Women can be irrational! *Gasp* I am a woman so I can say that. I got to thinking the other day how we women tend to hear things differently than how they were told to us by a man. Now don't get me wrong, men say some stupid, stupid stuff, but sometimes women read way too much into what was said. Here are a few examples of men sticking their foot in their mouths and women being crazy!


Disclaimer: Only a few of these have actually happened to me, for the most part they are made up!


1. What he said: "Don't worry about me flirting with that hot chick at work. I would never date a girl who gets hit on a lot."

What she heard: "Don't worry about me flirting with that hot chick at work. I like to date girls who are hideous. I don't have to worry about her cheating on me because no other man will have her."

2. What he said: "We'll talk about moving to a different city when your job makes more than mine does."

What she heard: "We'll talk about moving to a different city when I start to care about your job."

3. What he said: "It's not cheating if I think you are dead!"

What she heard: "Of course I'd start dating three weeks after you are lost at sea."

4. What he said: "_________(name of ex) use to put tomatoes in the chili."

What she heard: "This chili sucks and _______(name of ex) puts yours to shame."

5. What he said: "Is that really what you are going to wear?"

What she heard: "You look terrible and I want you to change before I leave you."

6. What he said: "Did you see the way that girl's boobs were hanging out of her shirt?"

What she heard: "I was staring at that girl's boobs and noticed how flat chested you were."

7. What he said: "I don't feel too good. What was in that chicken pot pie?"

What she heard: "I don't feel too good. Did you try to poison me?"

8. What he said: "Mom thinks you should ____________"

What she heard: "My mom knows best and she hates you."

9. What he said: "I was talking to Mom the other day and she said we need to ____________"

What she heard: "My mom knows best and she hates you."

10. What he said: "We are going to be late if you don't hurry up."

What she heard: "My mom was never late, she hates you, and you are slower than Christmas."

Why I Go to the Gym

Let's just completely ignore the fact that I have not written a new post in months.

So, I joined a new gym! This is your typical man's gym. It smells like testosterone and sweat, no one cleans off the machines after they are done, and everyone has to talk louder than the person they are with. Despite all of that, I absolutely love it! Let me tell you why...it's entertaining!!! This place provides better people watching than Wal-Mart. I feel like Steve Irwin when I'm there. Let me tell you about some of them...

1. Mirror Hogs - The mirror hog can be found anywhere there is a rack of dumbbells and a mirror. They generally wear sleeveless shirts that are cut down to their waste, and always seem to have a camera or camera phone with them. It is not unusual for the mirror hog to take a picture break. It is also not unusual to catch them admiring themselves in the mirror while lifting the weights. If you watch long enough you'll catch the encouraging head nod they give to their reflection.

Story time: I was doing my "thang" (that's how they say it, "thang") anyways, I was working out and I looked over to this bench press where 4 guys were standing around this huge guy (let's call him Muscles) lifting weights. Muscles put the bar back on the rack, stood up, and took his shirt off. I figured he was hot. No, Muscles began posing in front of the mirror. What were the other 4 guys doing? Taking pictures. Muscles then pulled his shorts up to his groin and more pictures were taken. He did a 360 turn and then everyone clapped. I was mid-rep and did the open mouth stare. I felt like I was watching the "Sexy and I Know It" video. Now every time I see Muscles this is what I am imagining....

  

2. The Hairless Wonders - These guys are similar to the mirror hogs, but they are actually more into working out than they are posing. The hairless wonders are the body builders who shave every inch of their skin with a woman's Venus razor. They are well on their way to competitions so their skin must appear baby smooth at any given moment! I am actually secretly jealous of these guys because I envy their child like smoothness. Some hairless wonders cross the boundary into mirror hog like Muscles did, but generally they keep to themselves in the bathroom with their shaving gel.

3. The 15-year-olds - Every afternoon around 3:30 the gym is flooded with pimple-faced, gangly teens in search of muscles. They generally travel in packs dressed in sweat pants and sweat shirts trying to disguise the fact that they do not have what they are seeking. There is always one head 15-year-old leading the other lost looking teens. He is probably 16 and has been going to the gym for 5 months longer than they have so he is looked to as the expert as well as the ride to the gym. Their conversations are usually loud and consist of what girls they intend on making their girlfriend that week. I am pretty sure their moms come and pick them up from the gym if the 16-year-old lost his driving privileges that week. Thankfully I am rarely at the gym at this time so I am not subjected to their presence as often as the others on the list.

4. The Screamers - Far worse than the mirror hogs are the screamers. The mirror hogs command your attention by awkwardly flexing behind you because you dared to stand in front of their mirror. The screamers command your attention by frightening you every time they lift a weight. Each screamer has their own distinct sound. There is the excessive breather. He always sounds as if he is on the verge of a asthma attack with his loud inhales and exhales. There is the grunter. He sounds like a caveman wooing his mate each time he lifts a weight. Then there is the flat out screamer. He is in pain 99% of the time or it at least sounds like it. He yells things such as "ahhhhh!", "grarrr!," and "ONE MORE!" The screamers tend to travel alone for one obvious reason...no one wants to work out with them.

5. Dumbbell Divas - The female population at the gym is scarce. The females can mostly be found in the aerobics room and on the treadmills. However, there are a select few who venture away from the treadmill and find themselves in the land of the mirror hogs. I like to call these women the dumbbell divas. They generally wear stretchy shorts that are considered underwear outside the gym and a wife beater type tank top. In the winter months they will be found sporting their velour jogging pants. Their presence in the land of the mirror hog is quite entertaining. The mirror hog's focus is no longer on himself but on her. The dumbbell diva notices the attention and in turn ends up doing some sort of distracting exercise that is noticeable to everyone within a 20ft radius.

Now, let me end this blog by saying that this list only consists of 20% of the gym population. They just happen to be the most noticeable!

McDonalds is McFrustrating!

Does anyone else have difficulties ordering at McDonalds? I always have one of the following things happen:

Scenario 1:  Courtney mistakenly thinks the person is indeed ready to take her order when they say they are ready.

McDonalds: "Thank you for choosing McDonalds. Today's feature is an extra large heart attack. Go ahead with your order when you're ready."

Me: "Yes I'd like a..."

McDonalds:"Hold on a minute, please!"

Scenario 2: Courtney gets interrupted.

McDonalds: "Go ahead with your order."

Me: "I'd like two sweet teas, and..."

McDonalds: "Anything else?"

Me: "Yeah, I'd also like two apple dippers, and..."

McDonalds: "What else for you?"

Me: (sigh) "And, I also want two Grilled Chicken Wraps."

McDonalds: ..........

Me: "And that's all"

McDonalds: "Okay thank you pull around!"

Scenario 3: In order to not be interrupted, Courtney decides to say the entire order at once.

McDonalds: "Go ahead with your order when you are ready."

Me: "I'd like two apple dippers, two sweet teas, and two grilled Ranch wraps."

McDonalds: "You want two apple dippers and what?"

Scenario 4: Courtney apparently mumbles.

McDonalds: "We are featuring our McGreasy McGriddle today. Go ahead with your order when you are ready."

Me: "I want a McDouble, cheese only, and a small fry."

McDonalds: "Two double cheeseburgers and a small fry. Anything else?"

Scenario 5: All the scenarios combine!

McDonalds: "Today's McSpecial is a triple McBurger. Go ahead with your McOrder when you're McReady."

Me: "Yes I'd like a..."

McDonalds: "Hold one a minute please!"

McDonalds: "Okay go ahead with your order."

Me: "Yes, I'd like two apple dippers, two sweet teas..."

McDonalds: "You want two apple pies and what else?"

Me: "No, I want two apple dippers, two sweet teas..."

McDonalds: "Two apple dippers, a sweet tea, and is that all?"

Me: "Two apple dippers, two sweet teas, and two grilled chicken ranch wraps!"

McDonalds: "Okay your total is $7.38. We are only taking cash at this time."

Me: "I'M GOING TO TACO BELL!"

It was just supposed to be a 3 hour tour!!

Is it weird to go back and read your own blogs? I did this last night and I have one question for you people. Why are you still reading this crap?! I am the most random person, ever. I started the blog out as a "cookbook" thing, and we see how far that got. Then I decided I would do a daily list of random. Yeah, that lasted like a month. My final decent from my original plan was when I dropped Reader of the Week. What does that leave?? It leaves me typing away about useless random things. However, my last blog garnered 51 views so apparently I am doing something right! Kinda like Taylor Swift. Her voice sounds like a dying cat mated with an angsty teenage moose, but people still listen to her.

My dislike of Taylor Swift has been my only constant throughout the blog! This last joke was kind of hateful though.  I am convinced that her song "Mean" was written about me. Does that make me vain? Let's ask Carly Simon. Carly, your thoughts?

That spiraled downward pretty quickly didn't it? I'm just gonna move on to the topic I had originally planned to talk about.

Guys, have you ever completely crashed and burned when trying to talk to a girl? I have created a list of reasons as to why you probably got slapped, laughed at, or received a fake number.

1.) Poor hygiene - Showers, take them. Regularly. Toothbrushes are your friend. Toothpaste on the toothbrush is extra bonus points. No female wants to be hit on by someone who thinks showers after the gym are overrated. No female thinks that your "natural scent" is attractive. And no female will ever tell you that your long fingernails are a turn-on. Buy some fingernail clippers and start hacking.

2.) The background on your phone is a picture of yourself - Strategically setting your phone down in front of her so she will see the mirror picture of your abs will not impress her. It will weird her out. I promise.

3.) Within the first 5 minutes of the conversation you referrenced your ex-girlfriend - This is never a good idea. I don't care if your ex-girlfriend died in a tragic shrimp boating accident, don't bring her up. No girl wants to be compared to some dead saint who was saving baby shrimp off the coast of Africa. However, if you bash her you will come off as woman hating a-hole. Just don't bring up any ex. Ever.

4.) You forgot to hide your "trophies" - Asking a girl to come over to your house to watch a movie is a good idea. Asking a girl to come over to your house to watch a movie and forgetting to take down the women's underwear on the wall is a bad idea. This really happened to me. I didn't just make that up. I don't really know how to elaborate on this one. Just don't hang up women's underwear I guess is the moral of that story.

5.) You mentioned your wife - First don't go trolling in bars if you are married, second don't say things like this "She is in a coma at Vandy. It's not cheating if she is pretty much dead right?" or "She beats me and I come here to escape."

6.) Your ringtone was set to "Let's Get It On" - If you are going to choose a ringtone that is not a standard one that comes with the phone make sure it is not creepy. Also, make sure it does not reference "sexing" anyone up or "slapping hoes". Surprisingly enough a ringtone says a lot about you.

7.) You referred to your mother as a "female dog" - Calling your mom terrible names usually indicates you have some sort of issue with women. If you hate your mom just keep that under wraps until the girl thinks you are perfect. Spring it on her then.

8.) You made no eye contact at all - C'mon guys at least try to look at her face.

9.) You used a pick up line - Pick up lines can be clever and will sometimes work. However, if the pick up line is not delivered correctly or is just bad to begin with it will never end well.

10.) You asked a really really dumb question - I know that guys sometimes blank out and they have no idea where the conversation should go next. This is no excuse to ask stupid questions though. Silence is almost better. Let's say you see a pretty girl at a gas station pumping gas. You want to strike up a conversation. Do not ask her "Is that your car?" Of course it is her car idiot. Did you just hear yourself?

There are WAY more reasons guys strike out but my attention span started to lose steam around #8. I hope in the near future you will remember this list and thank me.