I mentioned a few posts back that we are contemplating a move to the historic district of the city near us. Indeed – we’ve put a contract on a house, which was accepted, and we were waiting on the home inspection to move forward. Unfortunately, the inspection turned up a few surprises. Now Casey and I are sitting on the fence – we have until Monday to say yeah or nay, and I honestly can’t say that I know what’s going to happen. The issues that have come up are expensive, and we are suddenly wondering how good is a good deal as the price creeps up. We also just found out that the person who was going to rent our house for the next several months has backed out. That would leave us with two houses instead of one. How did we end up here??
We went to the house today with a contractor to poke around and start putting some price tags on the issues at stake. As I walked through the house with Cooper in my arms, I daydreamed about where to put what furniture, and what color to paint the boys’ rooms. But some of the glow was gone as I realized that we may not move in after all.
If only this as one of those decisions that could be solved by a coin toss…
On a lighter note – Don’t Forget the Pepsi Contest!! I’ve only received about 10 entries, and the deadline is tomorrow night. It’s a great prize pack and I’d love to have a huge pool to pick from. Get those Super Bowl party recipes in for a chance to win!
Comments
6 responses to “Flipping Coins”
Hot Corn Dip
Preheat oven to 350
2 T butter
3 1/2 Cups Frozen Corn kernels
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 Cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 Cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 jalapeno – finely chopped
2 tsp minsed garlic
1/2 – 1 cup mayo
4 oz. monterey jack cheese – shredded
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese – shredded
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Melt 1 Tbs. of butter in lg.skillet – add corn, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until kernels are golden brown – about 5 minutes – Transfer to round baking dish – melt remaining butter in skillet – add onions, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno – cook until veggies are softened. Transfer to dish w/ corn, add Mayo, 1/2 pepper jack cheese, 1/2 cheddar cheese and cayenne – mix well. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly/golden brown – 10-12 minutes. Serve w/ tortilla chips
I love the idea of you being in the part of town you’re dreaming of, however, I think the overall cost in an older house and lack of space will haunt you down the road. If you want more kids down the road, you will run out of room. Your blogs in the beginning have been happy and through the moves have been less and less. Why rock the boat? You have been so happy where you’ve been and moved back to it… don’t mess with a good thing. JMHO. 🙂
For what it’s worth, when the inspection on the house I absolutely loved turned up three or four big ticket items, my husband and I decided to back out of the sale. It was disappointing and frustrating, but every time I drive by the other house, I feel such a sense of relief that we didn’t go through with buying it. We ended up finding something that was better in every way.
I love this recipe because it’s so easy. The amounts are all approximations; how much you need, particularly of the produce, really depends on the size of the pan you decide to use. You could probably get away with half the sour cream (and half the taco seasoning), and of course, it works well with low-fat or fat-free ingredients.
Seven-Layer Dip
1 can refried beans
1 can sliced or chopped black olives (buy 2 cans if you use chopped–I’m not sure 1 would be enough)
~ 1 cup guacamole (can use store-bought or make your own)
1 16 oz. container sour cream
1 package taco seasoning
1 package shredded cheese (monterey jack and chedder blend works well)
Chopped green onions (5 or 6?)
2-4 tomatoes, chopped
Spread the beans in a thin layer that completely covers the bottom of a casserole pan (I use one that is oval shaped, and not quite 13 inches at its widest point). Spread the guacamole on top of the beans. Mix the taco seasoning into the sour cream, then spread the mixture on top of the guacamole. Top with the shredded cheese. Next comes a layer of olives, then green onions, and finish with the tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (I usually make this the morning of the Super Bowl or the night before).
Serve with tortilla chips and salsa.
4 cloves garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8×8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
I would enter if relatives could!!! hee hee About the house; I remember our historic house draining us financially every year, until one year we said “is it worth it??” Just a thought.
I say stay where you are. A nice house on the water, with plenty of room for more kids. It would be nice to be in “town” and although the dog park, and playground will be close, there is nothing like sending your kids outside to run around as you stand at the kitchen window watching them while making dinner, or cleaning up. When it is warm, my kids go out in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Not easy if you have to walk a couple blocks to get there! And the older the house, the more expensive to maintain. They are nice to look at, but you could end up with major problems!