02 03 R & R and lack thereof: Holiday Wrap Up, Part 2 - Going Bowling & (un)eventful New Year's 04 05 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 32 33

Holiday Wrap Up, Part 2 - Going Bowling & (un)eventful New Year's

We just got back from the Independence Bowl where our little alma mater, ULM, played in the game against Ohio. This was the school's first ever bowl game and we could not be prouder! My husband and I met while attending college at ULM, where he was in a fraternity and I was in a sorority. I was also a member of several spirit groups for my first three years. (Very cliche, right?) Growing up, I always knew I would go to school there. My Dad would take me to football games and I'd tell him one day I'd be dancing on the field as a member of their dance line. (And I did). So back to present day - the Independence Bowl is conveniently located just about 2 hours east of ULM's campus in Shreveport, Louisiana. Louisiana is my home state and my in-laws just happen to live in a suburb of Shreveport. (Free babysitting - score!) Even though we had very nice (and free) accommodations at my in-law's, my husband and I decided to stay at the El Dorado Resort and Casino and make a day and night of it with friends. The day of the game, it was freezing and even though we bundled up, we almost froze to death as the game wore on. But I lived to tell the tale. Long story short (this is not a sports blog) - our quarterback couldn't get his rhythm and we lost. (Insert sad face). I think he must have been really nervous. But it was a great experience and our fans really showed up. I was so proud of us! Way to go Warhawks!

Since our friend couldn't figure out how to use our camera, here's a video of us thinking we were having our picture made at the Independence Bowl (from our front row seats, I might add).

After our really cold loss at the Independence Bowl, we went to check into our hotel. I was so pleasantly surprised at how nice the hotel was - including the spacious rooms and beautiful lobby. I won't go into our stay in detail here, but you can see my full +TripAdvisor review here.

After we got home to Texas, it was even colder here, so I decided to make a pot of chili and some cheesy jalapeno cornbread muffins. It just sounded like something yummy to eat while watching the Cowboys game. Both of these recipes can be found on my "Tried & True Recipes" Pinterest board here and here. Let me say that these muffins taste just as good as their photo; better even.

Our New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were really uneventful (such is life with kids), but I did make my one black eyed peas recipe that I love. Believe it or not, I'm not much for eating vegetables, and this recipe by none other than Southern Living tastes great - even to a non-veggie eater! The secret ingredient is....wait for it...pepperoni! You should really try it, and don't wait until January 1, 2014. Here's the recipe.

What did you do for New Year's? What are your resolutions? I have a few that I've been mulling over and I think I'll do a blog post on those soon.

Currently listening to +Pandora Laid Back Beach Station. (Dreaming of my place in the sun...)

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