Today the madness begins!

MARCH MADNESS that is!

It's been a busy few days! Wednesday night I had the pleasure of spending the evening with my grandmother while my Grandad and aunt went to see Alan Jackson at the rodeo. We had just finished eating dinner and were sitting down to watch tv when my mom showed up and surprised us! It was a great night of visiting and taking a few strolls down memory lane. Thursday I went for my last run before another 5K race I have tomorrow morning. I met my friend and neighbor, Amanda for lunch, and then took my car to get an oil change….which is one of my top 5 LEAST favorite things to do! Something that shouldn't take long at all, for some reason takes an hour and 45 minutes! This morning, after several days of having to smell Carly, I called the vet to see if I could get her in. She pretty much stunk for days, which isn't like her at all. We thought maybe she had an ear infection, but turns out her ears look perfect. After a $152 vet visit, we came home with indigestion meds, and a mouth rinse. How do dogs use mouth rinse you ask…..well you have to massage it into the back corners of their mouth……WHICH I'M SURE IS GOING TO OVER SOOOOO WELL and will be LOTS OF FUN for me! 

Today is March 1st, which begins one of my FAVORITE months of the year!!! It's called March Madness because the NCAA men's basketball tournament starts towards the middle of the month! Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Kansas Basketball! I may have only attended KU for two years, but I will always be a Jayhawk! Some of my best memories are attending games at Allen Fieldhouse. There's so much tradition and history there. The inventor of the game of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, was the school's first coach. In fact, he's the only KU coach with a losing record. If you've never seen the documentary on ESPN called "There's No Place Like Home," I would STRONGLY suggest you watch it. It shows just how dedicated and CRAZY KU fans are. It's the one team that I have NEVER given up on. They rarely have bad years, and some would say the bad years are when they lose to small schools in the first or second round of the tournament. Those losses are HARD, but no fan ever gives up on the 'Hawks! I hope one day I'll be able to take Mike to a game in 'the phog' because it's an experience unlike any other!

Here's a recipe I made a couple game days ago. I'm sure I'll be making it again in the next few weeks when the tourney starts and the true madness begins! 

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK GO KU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Potato Skins 

(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 whole Russet Potatoes
• 4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• Salt To Taste
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 8 slices (or more!) bacon, fried and chopped into bits
• 2 whole Green Onions, Sliced (I UNFORTUNATLEY, forgot these at the store….they would have been much prettier with them!)
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub potatoes clean and allow them to dry. With a paper towel (or just with your hands) rub the skin of the potatoes with 2 tablespoons canola oil so that they're nice and moist.

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until skin is crisp and potatoes are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove the pan and allow to cool until you can handle the potatoes.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, leaving a little bit of potato in the skins.

Melt the butter with 2 tablespoons canola oil, then brush both the outside and the inside of the potatoes. Sprinkle the inside lightly with salt.

Place potato halves face-down and return to the oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn the potatoes over and continue to bake until the edges of the potatoes start to turn golden brown.

Remove from oven. Sprinkle the insides of the potato skins with cheddar, then sprinkle on the chopped bacon.

Return to the oven long enough for the cheese to melt, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve immediately with sour cream and green onions. Yum!

I hope you all have a blessed and safe weekend! I'm looking forward meeting up with friends for dinner tonight and tomorrow when I run another 5K race and cheer Mike on at the finish line when he finishes his 3rd half marathon!

BTW, for the past few days, Carly has plopped down in the sun every time I've told her it's time to come in!

PS- Please keep our Uncle Al in your prayers as he undergoes surgery today, and my Grandad as he goes through shoulder surgery on Tuesday! Thanks!

pups & kisses,

  Tiffany