Pesto Panini

I made the best dinner the other night. It was so easy and I just made it up on the fly because we didn't have much food in the house. I got the, "mmm, mmmmmmm, MMMMMMMMMM," from Josh, so that's always a good sign. (I know I know, go ahead and say it!)

Ingredients:
yummy, fresh, crusty bread (I used a round loaf)
pesto (I made my own using this recipe, but Trader Joe's also has good pre-made pesto.)
chicken (if you don't eat meat, substitute fresh mozzarella)
1 garlic clove
mozzarella cheese
tomatoes- I used cherry tomatoes b/c that's all I had
salt and pepper

1. Put some olive oil in a pan and warm it. Mince the garlic into the pan. Cut the chicken into small strips. Cook the chicken in the garlic and oil. You could also grill the chicken.
2. Get out your handy George Forman grill.
3. Cut the bread and layer pesto, cheese, chicken, tomatoes, and more cheese. You want the cheese to hold the sandwich together.

4. Spray your grill with cooking spray.
5. Load it up! Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until brown.

Yummy, cheesy, pesto-y goodness! Serve with whatever you feel like serving it with!

Why I'm called Snails

I've had a few requests recently to enlighten you all on why I am called "Snails." But I fear you will all be very disappointed. Because there's really not a whole lot to it. So don't complain if you get bored with this story. Here goes.

My real name is Abigail. When my sisters and I were little, they called me Abisnail... merely because it rhymes. My friends tried other things, like Abbawhale, Crabby Abby, and my sister Rachael sometimes referred to me as Rotten Abble. (We had apple trees growing up, and the rotten apples REALLY smell when you step on them). Oh the memories, the hurt, the pain, the tears.... **sigh**

So anyway, none of them really stuck except for Abisnail. When my older sister Bekah's boyfriend, now husband, started coming around a few years ago, he shortened Abisnail to Snails.

And the name is now fitting because I am quite "snailish." You can read about that here.

And that is why I am called Snails! See? I told you it's not a great story!

Tomorrow is recipe time. It is a YUMMY, easy, dinner idea. We could all use more of those.

My weekend

I had a fun weekend, so I thought I'd share it with you all.

First, my sisters, Aunt Janice, Mimi (grandma), and my cousin Julie went to Color Me Mine and painted pottery. It was PJ night, so we all wore our pj's to get a discount on the sitting fee! $1 instead of the normal $8! Well worth it to me.

Here are some pics from our night:

Bekah and Rachael, sisters


Rachael tried to copy the colors and design of this Sangria pitcher she got in Spain.


Sister Lydia


She also likes to eat the paint


Julie


Bekah


The whole clan


I did a welcome sign for our house. The "Welcome" is not very centered, but I can't complain because I didn't write it! A girl who worked there did it for me because I was too scared I'd mess it up. I used lace to get the texture- fun! We'll see what it looks like when I get it back.


Then yesterday, in the spirit of Fall, we went apple picking with some friends.

Me, reliving the memories from my childhood (we had apple trees growing up)




Some of the guys- Pulkit, Bill, Josh


Love these two! Pulkit and Emily


Cute! Ariah and Ella


Then we went home and had an apple party and made yummy apple pies!


Fun weekend!

I have lots of ideas for blog posts this week, including a yummy recipe, the grand opening of my etsy shop specials, and the requested "Why I'm called Snails" post. Check back! Hope you all had a fun weekend filled with fall activities!

Stuff that makes Snails happy

Snails- that's me.

1. This man is so good to me.

The other night I told him that I didn't have time to make dinner, so he would have to make something. He had everything ready when I got home from work- grilled chicken, grilled veggies, cous cous. He even made banana bread... he forgot to put the sugar in... but it's the deed that counts!!

Ok, enough mush.

2. This flower that I made.

You can find the tutorial here.

3. Ric Rac. Where have you been all my life, ric rac?? I just used it for the first time last night. It adds charm and cuteness to anything.





I can't show you this entire picture because it is a gift for someone and I haven't given it to them yet. But this is a sneak peek, and I will show it off later. I LOVE how it turned out.

4. Rounded, pleated pockets. I'm not really sure if I did this right, but I think it is really cute.


Plus, I added ric rac so it makes it 10x cuter.


The pleat makes the pocket a little puffy.

5. Birds on people's shoulders while driving.



Sorry it's a little fuzzy and hard to see. The light literally changed to green as I took this from my car.

Isn't she afraid she'll get pooped on??

6. Twenty-five.

What's so special about the number 25, you ask?
That's the number of violin students I have this year. Twenty-five! That's very good for Snails. And very good for our bank account.

7. My little Sammy is purring on my lap and is making it very hard to type this. No, not a sandwich, my cat Sammy.



What are you happy about today?

**I have no idea why the text all of a sudden went all huge on me. This does not make Snails happy.

BIG NEWS!

No, I'm not pregnant.

There is other big news! I decided I am going to open an Etsy shop. Wahooo!!! I'm very excited. This is pretty much how it goes: the hubby and I are broke, and being broke is not good for the seamstress. So, I need to sell my things if I want to continue to make things. Make sense??? I'm also hoping it will bring in a little extra mulah for ourselves. I'm not expecting a lot, but a little would be nice.

My shop will be called "Sewing Snails." I plan to be officially open for business by October 1. And all you Musings of a Snail followers best check back because I just might have a special deal for you. Just sayin'. I might. You never know.

Speaking of followers, I have 10! Ten! Welcome, new people! This is the place to be, I can tell you that much right now.

Ok, so anywho.... I've been trying to write my Etsy policies- payment, shipping, etc.- and it is HARD! (that's what she said) I am not good at this. (that's what she said) If anyone has any tips on policies, please let me know.

I feel like I can't do a post without putting a picture in it, so I leave you with this adorable picture of my kitties when they were babies. We just passed their 1st birthday.

And yes, they still cuddle like this!

Four years ago today...

Today is September 17, 2009. That means it has been four years since my mom died on September 17, 2005. I just can't believe it. I can't believe it's been four whole years since I've seen or talked to the woman who birthed me and raised me.

Four years ago I had just started college.

Four years ago I was 18 years old.

Four years ago I wasn't married, I didn't have my own house, I didn't have my two cats, I didn't own my own business.

Four years ago I had this amazing boyfriend named Josh.

Four years ago my mom told Josh, "Take care of Abby." He promised he would.

This morning I woke up with a pit in my stomach because I knew today was the day. It seems harder this year. Four years, to me, feels like so long. Four years ago I was starting a new chapter in my life- college. And now that's all over. My mom missed a whole chapter of my life. I missed out on having my mom's support throughout all of my college years.

I miss her dearly. I miss her gummy smile, quiet spirit, and wisdom. I know she's in heaven now, dancing and singing with angels, Jesus, and my two brothers. But I really wish she would come back here.

I love you and miss you, Mom.

Lake Wally

Dear Bloggy friends,
I am very sorry for my lack of blogging commitment. Life has gotten busy for the MacNeills. We were away two weekends in a row, and I haven't quite caught up yet. But I will tell you about this past weekend.

We went to Lake Wallenpaupack, affectionately called Lake Wally (by me) in the Poconos (that is, Pennsylvania, for those of you reading from afar).

It was our family vacation this year.





We stayed in this big lodge house right on the lake. It had a lot of dead animals.





And a very big dining room table.


(yes, we really ate dinner like this)

My Uncle Danny and cousins Travis and Tanner came to visit. They live close by. Where, we'll never be quite sure.





We made s'mores on the stove because it was raining. Boo.







We borrowed Travis' boat when it finally stopped raining.




Lyd looks thrilled.

But we couldn't all go on the boat at the same time because it wouldn't move. So we had to leave some behind.



I wore a wet suit because it was cold. No, I didn't even get in the water. But it kept me warm.


(if you're wondering where my boobs went... so am I)

The brave ones went tubing.







And just for kicks, here's a funny video of Josh's wipeout. Watch all the way to the end.

Aprons!

Lately, I've been into aprons. Ok, well, I only made two. But I plan on making more. Lots more.

Here is my first one:

I gave this one away with this gift exchange I did. I liked this apron because it was my first one, and it was so easy! It's reversible, too! I'm sad because I didn't take a picture of the other side. I forgot. I made it so that the tie wraps all the way around to the front, or it can just be a big bow in the back. I hope she likes it!

Then, I received some GREAT fabric from Kaley, the person who sent me my gifts. It's Amy Butler, and I love love love it. It's SUCH a better quality than what I've been buying. You can just tell by feeling it- it's stronger and doesn't wrinkle as easily.

So, I made this!
(don't judge my messy cabinets. I sew, not clean)

Thanks, Kaley!!

I have a half apron already, so I wanted a full one because I always get my shirts messy.

I also made these mini pies, which were amazing. I made peach.

(this was before they were cooked, so they don't look that good, but.... mmmmmm they were)

Well, that's what I've been busy doing. What have you been busy with??