The Dapper Dachshund: May 2013

Friday, May 10, 2013

Return of the Mack

It's funny how things in life can remind you of memories long forgotten. When I heard that Target was going to be carrying a Sam and Libby line of shoes- that immediately made me think of one person- my friend Becki. I knew that only she could appreciate this fact. I didn't even know that this brand of shoes was even still around! Granted, I am liking what I am seeing. They have some cute sandals in this Target line. A far cry from my younger days.

Image via Target

Back in the day, Becki and I knew that we could rock some Sam and Libby shoes. We probably had every color they made between the two of us. Every Sunday, it was matching your S&Ls with your dress. That's just what was up. I mean, see the picture below. They are pretty sweet. Ha!

Image via

It made me think of another brand of shoe, long forgotten, but proudly sported by me and my friends back in the day. In my early middle school days, it was all about the Eastlands. And bet your bottom dollar that your laces had better be tied up like below. If not- you were sooo not cool.

Image via

I would actually sport some of those again today. These other ones that I also had- um, yeah. Not so much.

Image via

Then of course in my later middle school days, it went from Converse shoes and plaid (the Nirvana/grunge era), to Timberlands (both the yellow and the leather kind). It's been kinda funny to watch the clothing trends cycle through. My mom always talked about when bell bottoms came back in style again and her generation. Now I am old enough (eek!) to see some fashion trends from my younger days come back around. Can I get a "day glow" shout out? Not to mention all the old school floral print shirts and shorts that are hot stuff these days. Let's hope the bicycle shorts, skorts, and silk shirts never see the light of day. And the day these bad boys come back in style- I'm out.

Image via

And yes- I had several pairs of jeans with zippers at the bottom and plenty of bows on them. Sigh. But I am happy that good ole Sam and Libby are making a comeback!

(Return of the Mack) it is

(Return of the Mack) come on
(Return of the Mack) oh my God
(You know that I'll be back) here I am
(Return of the Mack) once again
(Return of the Mack) pump up the world
(Return of the Mack) watch my flow
(You know that I'll be back) here I go

PS- Thanks Mark Morrison for some epic lyrics. lol

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Easy Weeknight Meal ~ Mexican Lasagna

This recipe isn't the most healthy recipe out there, I'm pretty sure. But man, it's a yummy one! I made this on Saturday for David in honor of Cinco de Mayo. It was the first time I had made it and it was so good, I made another one for myself yesterday to enjoy.

It's a recipe from Southern Living. Here are the ingredients, my modifications are in blue:

1/2 pound ground mild pork sausage (1 pound)
1/2 pound ground beef (1 pound)
1 (15-ounce) (21 ounce) can jalapeno ranch-style pinto beans, drained
2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles aka Rotel (Used whole can)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese (I found a package that had the two cheeses mixed together, so I used that)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (omitted)
1 medium avocado, chopped
Shredded lettuce
Jalapenos, sliced
Sour Cream

Notes: I upped the meat content only because that is how the meat is sold, same goes with the can of beans and I had no other plans to use it any other way. If there is some magic jalapeno ranch-style beans out there- they aren't sold at Publix and definitely not at my poor, little Harvey's close to my house!

The recipe is really, really simple and quick to do!

First up -brown your meat and drain.

While that is browning, mix up the following in a sauce pan.

Cook soups and enchilada sauce until everything is warmed through and incorporated together. Place aside.

After meat has been browned and drained, add the following ingredients:

Add both cans to the meat (I did drain the pinto beans just a little to get some of the chili sauce off, but that is optional). Then add the garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer a few minutes until heated through.

Now it's time to assemble!

Spoon a thin layer of the soup mixture on the bottom of your pan. Then layer tortillas, 1/2 meat sauce, 1/2 soup sauce, and top with cheese.

Keep adding layers until you fill your casserole dish. Top with cheese. Then bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Then it's time to enjoy! Add your favorite toppings and you have a wonderful Mexican dish that tastes way better than most things you can get at a legit Mexican restaurant.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

The Thomasville Tourist, Part 2

Welcome to the second installment of my journeys around my town. Sunday, David and I went down to Pebble Hill Plantation to tour the grounds.

Main House

Original Main House before burning

If you are ever in the Thomasville, GA area, I suggest you put Pebble Hill on your places to visit- especially if it's a beautiful day outside. We opted not to do a tour of the Main House, which was fine by me, because I mainly wanted to see the beautiful landscapes!

The table and chairs are out because there was a wedding there the night before

Pebble Hill is truly a turn of the century plantation. That's when most of the buildings were added to the property by the Hanna family. I will spare you the history details today! Mainly because I don't have the time! So I will let the pictures do the talking :-)