My goal of being a better blogger in 2013 is not going so well. Life is just so busy. Being an adult is hard y'all. And I don't even have a husband or kids. Although if I had a husband he could help out a little (just saying)
I don't have much time so here are some things that have been occupying my thoughts lately in good 'ole bullet fashion:
- I have become obsessed with Dusk Dynasty. I seriously have watched about 20 episodes over the last 2 weeks. Si and his tea cup are my favorite. I mean HEY he just says the craziest things. I also love Phil. Watching the Roberson family makes me hap-py, hap-py, hap-py!
- Y'all if you are tormented by having a crush on someone, wait it out and spend as much time as you can around the person. Slowly you will start to see their faults and the crush will go away and you won't be tormented by the longings of your heart anymore. At least it worked for me and I am so glad!
- I'm going to give blood tomorrow for the first time and I am really nervous about it. I hate needles. I'm afraid of passing out. It supposed to only take 15 minutes. Hopefully I will survive.
- I need a vacation. If I had a travel buddy I would be planning a trip to Europe right now. I want to go to Paris and Italy. In April I have a beach weekend planned and there has been talk of a trip to Austin, TX. All I know is I need to get away ASAP.
- I need a maid. I seriously suck at housekeeping. I can keep things tidy and organized, but I hate cleaning. In particular vacuuming. Pretty much anything having to do with the floors I hate. And that is a problem when you have a dog that sheds two tons of fur a day. It has taken over my house and follows me on my clothes everyday. Oh if only I had a money tree!
- I still want to find movie love. I want some prince charming sweep me off my feet and cuddle on the couch and make out. Oh how I miss making out.
-I've been trying to cook more and not eat out. I read an article about how off calorie counts can be and so I have just been trying to eat healthy. Remember how I said I wasn't giving up anything for Lent? Well, I decided to give up diet soda. Or soda in general I am more tired and have had a few headaches, but I feel much less bloated and it's forced me to drink a lot of water which is always good.
That's it for now. I will try to post some of the Pinterest recipes I've tried recently tomorrow.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Pinterest Inspired Dinners
I have TONS of recipes pinned on Pinterest. I doubt I will ever make it through them all, but I got to try out two new ones last week.
First up...Mexican Lasagna!
Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/4 cup milk
1 package (about 1 ounce) fajita seasoning mix
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, crushed
12 corn tortillas (5-to 6- inch)
Chopped tomatoes (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)
Preparation
Stir cheese soup, milk and half the fajita seasoning in medium bowl until mixture is smooth.
Cook beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.
Now here is where I had to improvise...
Stir mushroom soup, water, chili powder, oregano and remaining fajita seasoning in skillet and heat to a boil.
Well I realized I did not have chili powder after I was already in the middle of this, so I had to find a substitute. I used cayenne pepper! I was nervous this was going to make it too spicy but it really didn't at all. In fact when I make this again I am going to try a few things to make it even more spicy!
Reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Place 3 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart shallow baking dish, overlapping slightly.
I took the third one and tore it in half to fit the dish better.
Spread 1 cup beef mixture over the tortillas. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining tortillas. Spread the cheese soup mixture over the tortillas.
Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the tomatoes and onions, if desired.
I didn't have any green onions so I used diced chilies.
Here's how mine turned out...
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This was pretty good and really easy so I think I will probably make it again. But I might tweak this and add some corn and black beans and maybe more cayenne pepper and chili powder. Any other suggestions?
I also tried this:
The pin said Spaghetti Aglio... Garlic, chili flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper. so simple.
Well I didn't have any garlic so I substituted oregano and I added Parmesan cheese.
Here's how mine turned out..
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This was very light and easy. Although I do think I went too heavy on the chili flakes because it was a little spicy!
What's been your favorite Pinterest Inspired meal?
Linking up:
First up...Mexican Lasagna!
Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/4 cup milk
1 package (about 1 ounce) fajita seasoning mix
1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, crushed
12 corn tortillas (5-to 6- inch)
Chopped tomatoes (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)
Preparation
Stir cheese soup, milk and half the fajita seasoning in medium bowl until mixture is smooth.
Cook beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.
Now here is where I had to improvise...
Stir mushroom soup, water, chili powder, oregano and remaining fajita seasoning in skillet and heat to a boil.
Well I realized I did not have chili powder after I was already in the middle of this, so I had to find a substitute. I used cayenne pepper! I was nervous this was going to make it too spicy but it really didn't at all. In fact when I make this again I am going to try a few things to make it even more spicy!
Reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Place 3 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart shallow baking dish, overlapping slightly.
I took the third one and tore it in half to fit the dish better.
Spread 1 cup beef mixture over the tortillas. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining tortillas. Spread the cheese soup mixture over the tortillas.
Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the tomatoes and onions, if desired.
I didn't have any green onions so I used diced chilies.
Here's how mine turned out...
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This was pretty good and really easy so I think I will probably make it again. But I might tweak this and add some corn and black beans and maybe more cayenne pepper and chili powder. Any other suggestions?
I also tried this:
The pin said Spaghetti Aglio... Garlic, chili flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper. so simple.
Well I didn't have any garlic so I substituted oregano and I added Parmesan cheese.
Here's how mine turned out..
.JPG)
This was very light and easy. Although I do think I went too heavy on the chili flakes because it was a little spicy!
What's been your favorite Pinterest Inspired meal?
Linking up:
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Ten Ranodm Thoughts Tuesday
1. I saw this movie on Friday and it was awesome.
I didn't think the torture scenes were too bad. And I think Bin Laden would be rolling over in his grave if he knew it was a woman that found him and was the driving force behind his death! Oh and I don't know how accurate the actual mission to capture/kill him was, but I loved watching the portrayal. Seal Team Six was HOT! Two thumbs up!
2. I tried out this hot new place Rise in Durham. I had heard a lot of buzz about it and a lot of people had experienced 30 min.+ wait times just to order. We went Monday for lunch and it wasn't too busy at all. There were two of us and we each ordered a biscuit and a donut and split everything. It was all yummy!
From front to back: Fried Chicken Biscuit, Peanut Butter Cup Donut, Myer Lemon Bomb donut, Apple Braised Pork biscuit
3. I listened to this sermon on how God made Eve to be a helper for Adam. In it the pastor talks about how men and women interact in the workplace and how a lot of relationships and affairs happen in the workplace because when women and men are working together this reflects God's original design. It makes sense to me because I do think when you are spending so much time together and working as a team it can form bonds and cause attraction. Thoughts?
4. I am loving The Bachelor! But is it just me or does Sean seem too perfect sometimes? I gave in and looked at the spoilers at who supposedly wins. I can tell you she would not even be on my radar if it weren't for seeing that. Here are my favorites right now:
Sorry for the randomness today, but it's been kind of a random month so far.
I didn't think the torture scenes were too bad. And I think Bin Laden would be rolling over in his grave if he knew it was a woman that found him and was the driving force behind his death! Oh and I don't know how accurate the actual mission to capture/kill him was, but I loved watching the portrayal. Seal Team Six was HOT! Two thumbs up!
2. I tried out this hot new place Rise in Durham. I had heard a lot of buzz about it and a lot of people had experienced 30 min.+ wait times just to order. We went Monday for lunch and it wasn't too busy at all. There were two of us and we each ordered a biscuit and a donut and split everything. It was all yummy!
From front to back: Fried Chicken Biscuit, Peanut Butter Cup Donut, Myer Lemon Bomb donut, Apple Braised Pork biscuit
3. I listened to this sermon on how God made Eve to be a helper for Adam. In it the pastor talks about how men and women interact in the workplace and how a lot of relationships and affairs happen in the workplace because when women and men are working together this reflects God's original design. It makes sense to me because I do think when you are spending so much time together and working as a team it can form bonds and cause attraction. Thoughts?
4. I am loving The Bachelor! But is it just me or does Sean seem too perfect sometimes? I gave in and looked at the spoilers at who supposedly wins. I can tell you she would not even be on my radar if it weren't for seeing that. Here are my favorites right now:
AshLee- but really? how can you make a living as a personal organizer?
Lindsay- I know she was a little coo-coo for wearing the wedding dress, but I like her and she's from NC!
Lesley- I loved her awkwardness with Sean during her 1-on-1 time because that would totally be me!
I also really like Kaci B. (although I don't think she is really out of the "friend zone") and Sarah (but I think she could find a better match than Sean. She wants someone more exciting than him I think.)
5. I just got my first paycheck of 2013 and I want to cry. I spent months working on my 2013 budget and now I have to figure out how to cut $80/month out of it. I seriously hate taxes.
6. I didn't think I would, but I am totally loving this Mark of the Lion series I am reading. A friend had let me borrow the first book and last night I just ordered the whole series from Amazon because I think this series will end up being one of my all time favorites!
7. Apparently Scotty McCreery came to our church on Sunday. I did not see him because I go on Saturday nights. Our campus pastor wrote a blog post about how to respond when a celebrity comes to your church. I'm kind of glad I wasn't there because I probably would have been one of those to point, stare and whisper with my friends. Who knows? The closest I've ever come to a celebrity was one summer the guy that played Minkus from Boy Meets World came to work where I worked. It was right when One Tree Hill had just come on the air so he wasn't too famous for being "Mouth" yet. His dad worked there and he was on break from Wake Forrest that summer. I actually had to train him and acted totally normal, but that didn't mean the day before I wasn't pointing and staring and whispering with my friends.
8. I need a maid. But that will not happen anytime soon. (see #5)
9. I feel very blah and "stuck" lately. Frustrated. I can't seem to get myself out of this general funk.
10. Yesterday we had most of my team and a bunch of people from Worldwide Marketing in a room at work testing some new webpages we are getting ready to launch. One of the guys in the room said "this is definitely Susan in this video." and people started joking about "was I moonlighting as an actress??" Of course my heart dropped and I was scared to see what this girl looked like. Do you guys kind of freak out when people say you look like someone? The video is below and I do see some resemblance but that girl is way skinnier, younger, and prettier than me. I said "Haha yeah maybe me when I was 16!"
Sorry for the randomness today, but it's been kind of a random month so far.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Dame's Chicken & Waffles
I had been wanting to try Dame's Chicken & Waffles for a while now. I had plans to go a few times but they always fell through. Finally on Saturday I got to try it out!
Dame's is in downtown Durham kind of near the DPAC and ballpark. I love downtown Durham. I would rather go to downtown Durham than downtown Raleigh any day. Every time I go it seems to get cuter and cuter and has so much more of a laid back feel than Raleigh. Yes sometimes I take a wrong turn and feel like I am in the hood and fear for my life, but I think most of that is all in my head due to Durham's bad rep.
We made reservations but were about 20 minutes early so we had to wait. I highly recommend making a reservation if you plan on eating here. Dame's space is tiny. We had to stand in the back hallway near the bathrooms for our wait and it was very cramped with a big family with two young kids waiting back there with us. I was claustrophobic and so thankful when we were seated.
Dame's menu is mainly all about the chicken and waffles. They did have a few other options but very limited. They are famous for their shmears. Shmears are this wonderful butter concoction that has been whipped with different flavors.
The food was so good!
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Top left: What a Classy Hen? For the mo’ distinguished! A chicken cutlet, a Classic waffle, Vanilla & Almond Shmear
Bottom left: A Quilted Buttercup. We “sandwiched” a Chicken cutlet b/w two petite Sweet Potato Waffles w/ Maple-Pecan Shmear
Top Right: Triple Cheese & Macaroni. This was slap your momma good!
Bottom Right: You can't see it but their logo is super cute. It is a waffle that looks like a chicken.
I also tried their Spicy Mean Greens which were really good too.
One thing I will say is that service wasn't the best. I think they only had two servers working so it was a long wait before anyone even came to our table and a few times we ran out of water and had to flag someone down. I don't think it was the servers fault because he had so many other tables, but they should probably up their staffing so people get prompt service.
Dame's is in downtown Durham kind of near the DPAC and ballpark. I love downtown Durham. I would rather go to downtown Durham than downtown Raleigh any day. Every time I go it seems to get cuter and cuter and has so much more of a laid back feel than Raleigh. Yes sometimes I take a wrong turn and feel like I am in the hood and fear for my life, but I think most of that is all in my head due to Durham's bad rep.
We made reservations but were about 20 minutes early so we had to wait. I highly recommend making a reservation if you plan on eating here. Dame's space is tiny. We had to stand in the back hallway near the bathrooms for our wait and it was very cramped with a big family with two young kids waiting back there with us. I was claustrophobic and so thankful when we were seated.
Dame's menu is mainly all about the chicken and waffles. They did have a few other options but very limited. They are famous for their shmears. Shmears are this wonderful butter concoction that has been whipped with different flavors.
The food was so good!
Top left: What a Classy Hen? For the mo’ distinguished! A chicken cutlet, a Classic waffle, Vanilla & Almond Shmear
Bottom left: A Quilted Buttercup. We “sandwiched” a Chicken cutlet b/w two petite Sweet Potato Waffles w/ Maple-Pecan Shmear
Top Right: Triple Cheese & Macaroni. This was slap your momma good!
Bottom Right: You can't see it but their logo is super cute. It is a waffle that looks like a chicken.
I also tried their Spicy Mean Greens which were really good too.
One thing I will say is that service wasn't the best. I think they only had two servers working so it was a long wait before anyone even came to our table and a few times we ran out of water and had to flag someone down. I don't think it was the servers fault because he had so many other tables, but they should probably up their staffing so people get prompt service.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Block Party Baby Shower- Pinterest Inspired!
One of my best friends is having her first baby in the next few weeks so my friend Kristin and I threw a little shower for her last week. She is having a little girl so we stuck with a pink theme. A lot of the things we did were Pinterest inspired. Kristin and I made a secret board to share ideas for the shower where Stephanie couldn't see. Here are some of the Pinterest inspired foods we served:
Super easy! Low fat and yummy!
Again..super easy, semi-low fat and yummy!
These were melt in your mouth delicious!
Kristin had actually made these before for something else and I requested she make them again!
The pin said they were supposed to taste like Samoa girl scout cookies...I didn't think they tasted like Samoas but still super yummy!
Kristin adapted these for our pink theme and used vanilla oreos with pink eyes and noses!
So much more festive than a veggie tray and easy to hold/carry.
The recipe for the punch seemed like it made a lot so basically we did half of everything- 2 cans of lemonade concentrate, 1/2 liter of ginger ale, 1/2 can of pineapple juice, 1/2 liter of Hawaiian Punch, 1/2 container of diet cranberry juice with sliced lemons and ice. We then asked people if they wanted to add champagne to theirs. It was yummy!
We also did this cute idea:
Our version:
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At first we were planning on decorating onsies, but Steph had already had a shower earlier that month and got a ton of clothes (apparently that is all people want to buy you when you have a little girl. I'm guilty of it too because little girl stuff is just so darn cute!!) So we scrapped that idea.
My work friend told me they had decorated blocks at a shower she had thrown and it was fun, easy and cute, so we decided to go with that instead. She sent me this tutorial to watch and I purchased the following supplies:
- 1.5" and 2.5" wood blocks (I ordered them online from here)
- Mod Podge
- Tons of scrapbooking paper options
- stickers (baby type stuff and letters & numbers)
- foam brushes
- sand paper pads
- wax paper to use as work area place mats
Before the party we sanded the blocks and tried to pre-cut some squares of the paper (getting them just right was a little hard, but if you just sand the edges a little after you have mod-podged the paper to the block it looks ok) The girls were so creative! One even wrapped the block with ribbon and it came out perfectly after the mod podge dried. I think they all came out pretty cute! Here are a few examples of the finished product:
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And here are some more pictures from the shower:
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Steph has to be the cutest pregnant girl I have ever seen! I will NEVER look that adorable if I'm ever pregnant. So jealous!
It ended up kind of being a name reveal to most of us too because they had not decided on a name until Christmas day. They had gone back and forth and each of them had their favorites. They were kind of at a stand off and I had even joked with her to hold out until she had it and there would be no way he could say no to hers after watching her give birth!
But her husband had done all these nice things for her the last few weeks and surprised her with an iPad mini on Christmas Eve and she was trying to think of something big she could do for him to show just how grateful she was for everything so she decided to give him "his name". She took a pic of her belly wrapped with a bow and the name he loved attached, framed it, wrapped it up and gave it to him on Christmas. How sweet is that??
The shower ended up being a small group and was kind of hectic since it was so close to the holidays, but it was such fun, so pretty, yummy, and just perfect!
Finally linking up to this link up Stephanie and Katie do each week. It's one of my faves so I may move my Pinterest Inspired Wednesday posts to Thursdays.
Super easy! Low fat and yummy!
Again..super easy, semi-low fat and yummy!
These were melt in your mouth delicious!
Kristin had actually made these before for something else and I requested she make them again!
The pin said they were supposed to taste like Samoa girl scout cookies...I didn't think they tasted like Samoas but still super yummy!
Kristin adapted these for our pink theme and used vanilla oreos with pink eyes and noses!
So much more festive than a veggie tray and easy to hold/carry.
The recipe for the punch seemed like it made a lot so basically we did half of everything- 2 cans of lemonade concentrate, 1/2 liter of ginger ale, 1/2 can of pineapple juice, 1/2 liter of Hawaiian Punch, 1/2 container of diet cranberry juice with sliced lemons and ice. We then asked people if they wanted to add champagne to theirs. It was yummy!
We also did this cute idea:
Our version:
At first we were planning on decorating onsies, but Steph had already had a shower earlier that month and got a ton of clothes (apparently that is all people want to buy you when you have a little girl. I'm guilty of it too because little girl stuff is just so darn cute!!) So we scrapped that idea.
My work friend told me they had decorated blocks at a shower she had thrown and it was fun, easy and cute, so we decided to go with that instead. She sent me this tutorial to watch and I purchased the following supplies:
- 1.5" and 2.5" wood blocks (I ordered them online from here)
- Mod Podge
- Tons of scrapbooking paper options
- stickers (baby type stuff and letters & numbers)
- foam brushes
- sand paper pads
- wax paper to use as work area place mats
Before the party we sanded the blocks and tried to pre-cut some squares of the paper (getting them just right was a little hard, but if you just sand the edges a little after you have mod-podged the paper to the block it looks ok) The girls were so creative! One even wrapped the block with ribbon and it came out perfectly after the mod podge dried. I think they all came out pretty cute! Here are a few examples of the finished product:
And here are some more pictures from the shower:
Steph has to be the cutest pregnant girl I have ever seen! I will NEVER look that adorable if I'm ever pregnant. So jealous!
It ended up kind of being a name reveal to most of us too because they had not decided on a name until Christmas day. They had gone back and forth and each of them had their favorites. They were kind of at a stand off and I had even joked with her to hold out until she had it and there would be no way he could say no to hers after watching her give birth!
But her husband had done all these nice things for her the last few weeks and surprised her with an iPad mini on Christmas Eve and she was trying to think of something big she could do for him to show just how grateful she was for everything so she decided to give him "his name". She took a pic of her belly wrapped with a bow and the name he loved attached, framed it, wrapped it up and gave it to him on Christmas. How sweet is that??
The shower ended up being a small group and was kind of hectic since it was so close to the holidays, but it was such fun, so pretty, yummy, and just perfect!
Finally linking up to this link up Stephanie and Katie do each week. It's one of my faves so I may move my Pinterest Inspired Wednesday posts to Thursdays.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Pinterest Inspired Wednesdays- Food & Drinks
Even though I haven't been keeping up with my Pinteresting Wednesday posts, I have still been trying things I've found on Pinterest. Here are a bunch of random pins I have tried but did not slow down to document.
Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti- it was pretty good and pretty easy to make. I wasn't in love with it, but I'd make it again.
Pumpkin Soup. I was not a fan of this. I really wanted to be, but I just didn't love it.
Kickin Collard Greens. I LOVED this! I had never made collards before or even eaten them, but this was sooo easy and sooo good!
Dirty Shirley. I pulled up pinterest at the bar and asked the bartender to make me this. It was sooo good! I think I drank 5 or 6 that night!
Peanut Butter Banana French Toast. It was good, but not as good as it sounded.
Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas. Easy and Yummy! I have made these more than a few times now!
Do you have any amazing things you've been cooking or concocting from Pinterest??
Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti- it was pretty good and pretty easy to make. I wasn't in love with it, but I'd make it again.
Pumpkin Soup. I was not a fan of this. I really wanted to be, but I just didn't love it.
Kickin Collard Greens. I LOVED this! I had never made collards before or even eaten them, but this was sooo easy and sooo good!
Dirty Shirley. I pulled up pinterest at the bar and asked the bartender to make me this. It was sooo good! I think I drank 5 or 6 that night!
Peanut Butter Banana French Toast. It was good, but not as good as it sounded.
Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas. Easy and Yummy! I have made these more than a few times now!
Do you have any amazing things you've been cooking or concocting from Pinterest??
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year, Same Goals?
Here are the resolutions I made a year ago:
1. Finish my 30 Before 30 list before my birthday in August. (2 years late but hey at least I will finish) In order to complete it here's what is left:
2.Run a half marathon (hopefully in April)
3. Pay off my car early. (I am supposed to be done with payments April 2013, but I would like to pay it off early if possible!)
So I did make some progress. 1.5 out of 3? In my defense, I thought my car payments would be done in April 2013, but it is actually April of 2014. Saving up 4 months worth or extra payments is a lot different from saving up 16 months of extra payments! So that will stay on the list.
Here are my goals for 2013:
1. Finish my 30 Before 30 list.
Only 3 things left! The hardest is #1- get in the best shape of my life, so I think I will concentrate on that.
2. Pay off my car early.
3. Make some upgrades to my house.
I want to re-paint the downstairs, switch out some light fixtures, re-do the counter tops in the kitchen, get a new kitchen sink and faucet, and possibly replace some appliances.
4. Be a better blogger.
This year I have sucked at blogging. I haven't replied to comments. I haven't even commented much on other blogs (although I have been reading!). I haven't been consistent with my posts and most of them have lacked substance. I want to get back to being a better blogger because it is something I really enjoy.
The past few years I have also committed to start, stop, and keep certain things in my life.
Here are mine from last year...
I would like to start eating healthy on a more consistent basis. FAIL!
I would like to stop complaining so much. FAIL!
I would like to keep running. FAIL!
I did pretty good with those for the first half of the year, but the second half of the year they all fell by the wayside. I would like to try to improve on those again in 2013 but also...
Start getting up earlier and going to bed earlier.
Stop eating so many sweets and processed foods.
Keep volunteering with Summit Kids.
So it sounds like 2013 is going to be a year to concentrate on my health and finances. I wouldn't LOVE to have some LOVE show up in 2013 for me, but I have all but given up on that. I am not good at the whole love thing and am totally leaving that in God's hands where it belongs. If 2013 is the year for it yippee, if not I will wait.
1. Finish my 30 Before 30 list before my birthday in August. (2 years late but hey at least I will finish) In order to complete it here's what is left:
- Get in the best shape of my life (working on it)
kayak- catch a fish
- kiss in the rain
read the Bible all the way through (almost finished with the OT)
2.
3. Pay off my car early. (I am supposed to be done with payments April 2013, but I would like to pay it off early if possible!)
So I did make some progress. 1.5 out of 3? In my defense, I thought my car payments would be done in April 2013, but it is actually April of 2014. Saving up 4 months worth or extra payments is a lot different from saving up 16 months of extra payments! So that will stay on the list.
Here are my goals for 2013:
1. Finish my 30 Before 30 list.
Only 3 things left! The hardest is #1- get in the best shape of my life, so I think I will concentrate on that.
2. Pay off my car early.
3. Make some upgrades to my house.
I want to re-paint the downstairs, switch out some light fixtures, re-do the counter tops in the kitchen, get a new kitchen sink and faucet, and possibly replace some appliances.
4. Be a better blogger.
This year I have sucked at blogging. I haven't replied to comments. I haven't even commented much on other blogs (although I have been reading!). I haven't been consistent with my posts and most of them have lacked substance. I want to get back to being a better blogger because it is something I really enjoy.
The past few years I have also committed to start, stop, and keep certain things in my life.
Here are mine from last year...
I would like to start eating healthy on a more consistent basis. FAIL!
I would like to stop complaining so much. FAIL!
I would like to keep running. FAIL!
I did pretty good with those for the first half of the year, but the second half of the year they all fell by the wayside. I would like to try to improve on those again in 2013 but also...
Start getting up earlier and going to bed earlier.
Stop eating so many sweets and processed foods.
Keep volunteering with Summit Kids.
So it sounds like 2013 is going to be a year to concentrate on my health and finances. I wouldn't LOVE to have some LOVE show up in 2013 for me, but I have all but given up on that. I am not good at the whole love thing and am totally leaving that in God's hands where it belongs. If 2013 is the year for it yippee, if not I will wait.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
30 Days of Thanks- Days 27-30
Remind me not to do this again next year. Yes, it is good to look for things to be thankful for everyday, but dang it gets boring around here on this blog and there are so many other things I want to talk about, but only have time to type out a post here and there. So I'm finally finishing up this 30 Days of Thanks and will hopefully get back to more interesting content on here ASAP.
Day 27 I was thankful for...
My Bible Study
I think I have already been thankful for this, but honestly I am so thankful for them that they deserve two mentions! If you aren't in a Bible Study, you should get in one. But it probably won't be as legit and awesome as ours!
Day 28 I was thankful for...
Loaded Tater Tot Burgers
(and someone to split them with!) We went to eat at The Busy Bee in downtown Raleigh and they are famous for their loaded tater tots. Apparently they are so famous they put them on a burger. Umm yum! And luckily my friend was cool with splitting it with me so I didn't do so much damage to ever expanding thighs and waistline.
Day 29 I was thankful for...
The Target Clearance Rack
I got a little sweater dress from the Target Clearance Rack last year and wore it today and got tons of compliments on it today! Sometimes you can find real gems!
And tomorrow on Day 30 I will be thankful to...
Have a 1/2 Day off Work
I have some vacation time saved up so I am looking forward to 1/2 day Fridays for the next 3 weeks, having a random Tuesday off, and the whole week of Christmas off! Thank God for vacation days!
Day 27 I was thankful for...
My Bible Study
I think I have already been thankful for this, but honestly I am so thankful for them that they deserve two mentions! If you aren't in a Bible Study, you should get in one. But it probably won't be as legit and awesome as ours!
Day 28 I was thankful for...
Loaded Tater Tot Burgers
(and someone to split them with!) We went to eat at The Busy Bee in downtown Raleigh and they are famous for their loaded tater tots. Apparently they are so famous they put them on a burger. Umm yum! And luckily my friend was cool with splitting it with me so I didn't do so much damage to ever expanding thighs and waistline.
Day 29 I was thankful for...
The Target Clearance Rack
I got a little sweater dress from the Target Clearance Rack last year and wore it today and got tons of compliments on it today! Sometimes you can find real gems!
And tomorrow on Day 30 I will be thankful to...
Have a 1/2 Day off Work
I have some vacation time saved up so I am looking forward to 1/2 day Fridays for the next 3 weeks, having a random Tuesday off, and the whole week of Christmas off! Thank God for vacation days!
Monday, November 19, 2012
30 Days of Thanks- Days 17-19
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I had a blast at The Color Run in Charlotte this weekend and hope to write a whole post about it soon. I don't have much time so I'm going to get to what I've been thankful for:
Day 17 I was thankful for...
Friends who are hospitable
My old roommate lives in Charlotte and she let us stay with her Friday night. I was so thankful for this! It was so good to see her and finally get to see her place and catch up with her. Friends who are hospitable are the best!
Day 18 I was thankful for...
The Summit Choir
Our church switched to a worship band instead of a choir a few years ago and I have missed the choir. Every once in a while they put on a concert and I go to go this Sunday to see it. They are so good and I can always feel God's presence in the room when they are singing!
Today I was thankful for...
Sushi
I love sushi! Our small group got together for our "Thanksgiving dinner" tonight at one of my favorite sushi places. We ordered so much we even got a boat! YUM!
Day 17 I was thankful for...
Friends who are hospitable
My old roommate lives in Charlotte and she let us stay with her Friday night. I was so thankful for this! It was so good to see her and finally get to see her place and catch up with her. Friends who are hospitable are the best!
Day 18 I was thankful for...
The Summit Choir
Our church switched to a worship band instead of a choir a few years ago and I have missed the choir. Every once in a while they put on a concert and I go to go this Sunday to see it. They are so good and I can always feel God's presence in the room when they are singing!
Today I was thankful for...
Sushi
I love sushi! Our small group got together for our "Thanksgiving dinner" tonight at one of my favorite sushi places. We ordered so much we even got a boat! YUM!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
30 Days of Thanks- Day 3 & 4
Yesterday I was thankful for...
My Job
I sometimes forget how miserable life can be when you are not happy with where you spend the majority of your waking hours (work...ugh! who came up with this work week schedule!?) Even though there are a lot of things at work that still drive me crazy and stress me out, I love my job. I work for a great company, have awesome co-workers (who are even awesome to hang out with outside of work on the regular!), work on a great team, enjoy what I do, and even love the products (using one to type this post actually!) So blessed in the work department!
Today I was thankful for...
Seasonal Food!
I love this time of year because there are so many seasonal foods to try! I've tried both of Pepperidge Farms Seasonal breads- Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple (love!), Eggo Pumpkin waffles (pretty good), Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Chai lattes (yum!), and my favorite- Apple Cider!!
This week I am going to try pumpkin soup! I will let you know how it turns out!
My Job
I sometimes forget how miserable life can be when you are not happy with where you spend the majority of your waking hours (work...ugh! who came up with this work week schedule!?) Even though there are a lot of things at work that still drive me crazy and stress me out, I love my job. I work for a great company, have awesome co-workers (who are even awesome to hang out with outside of work on the regular!), work on a great team, enjoy what I do, and even love the products (using one to type this post actually!) So blessed in the work department!
Today I was thankful for...
Seasonal Food!
I love this time of year because there are so many seasonal foods to try! I've tried both of Pepperidge Farms Seasonal breads- Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Apple (love!), Eggo Pumpkin waffles (pretty good), Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Chai lattes (yum!), and my favorite- Apple Cider!!
This week I am going to try pumpkin soup! I will let you know how it turns out!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Pinterest Inspired Wednesday- Frozen Banana Treat
I'm going to try to bring back my Pinterest Inspired Wednesday posts. Seeing as how I have over 2,000 pins on Pinterest, I need something to motivate me to DO a lot of the stuff I am pinning and doing a weekly post was a good motivator for that. So each Wednesday look for a new post about something I have tried, bought, made, cooked, or was otherwise Pinterest "inspired"!
This week I tried an easy one- these little frozen banana treats. The original used almonds, but since I didn't have any almonds I used granola. I didn't have a Popsicle stick to stick in them either, but they were just as tasty using a fork.
I also found this link to a neat little simulator where you can input your current weight and then your goal weight to see the difference in how you would look. For me I couldn't see a huge difference in the front facing ones, but saw a big difference in the side and rear facing ones. Pretty cool.
I'm linking up to the Vintage Apple's Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday where bloggers link to their posts about their favorite pins.
But I also want to know if you have actually tried something- how did it turn out?? If you have a Pinterest success or disaster please leave a link in the comments section so we can read your story too!
And as always
so you can see all the fun things I'm pinning and I can follow you and get more inspiration from your pins!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Need your help! What should I bring to cookout??
I am going to a cook-out/dinner thing with a bunch of work friends Wednesday and need to bring something. What should I make? Here are a few options from Pinterest. Vote for what you think I should make or if you have a go-to-knock-your-socks-off-amazing recipe I need to try please let me know!
Option #1- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip
Option #2- 2012 Side Dish Smackdown Best Pasta Salad
Option #3- the BEST hot corn dip ever (according to the original pinner)
Option #4- Mashed Potato Bacon Cheddar Side Dish
Option #1- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip
Option #2- 2012 Side Dish Smackdown Best Pasta Salad
Option #3- the BEST hot corn dip ever (according to the original pinner)
Option #4- Mashed Potato Bacon Cheddar Side Dish
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Yummy Food Around the Triangle
I have been so slack on blogging lately. Seriously bad blogger.
I tried some awesome restaurants recently and I didn't take any pics. BAD BLOGGER, I know! But here are some reviews...
First up Beasley's Chicken + Honey in downtown Raleigh.
It was so stinking cute. The drinks are served in mason jars and it has a distinctly Southern feel. Fullsteam has created an exclusive beer for Beasley's called Beasley's Honey White and it was delicious! We went during downtown Raleigh restaurant week and got the $20 special- it included a salad, 1/4 chicken, 2 sides, and a dessert. The salad was great. The chicken was amazing and I am not even a fan of fried chicken. It was perfect and drizzled with honey. YUM! I got the mac and cheese and collard greens for my sides and they were scrumptious too. Dessert was caramel pecan pound cake with vanilla ice cream. It was all so good!
Next up is Greer Street Garden in downtown Durham.
They have a cute little outdoor seating area that was perfect for the mild August night! To start I got the Jalapeno Cheddar Hushpuppies (so freaking good!!). I also got the grilled pimento chesse sandwich witch fried green tomatos on it and fries. The sandwich was huge! On Texas toast! It was as amazing as it sounds. But it was so filling! I only ate half and took the rest home for lunch the next day. The fish tacos also looked delicious here. I will have to go back and try them!
Finally, last night I tried Oro in downtown Raleigh.
One of my friend's husband is the manager here so it had been on my list to try. I went with a friend and we got a lot of things and split all of them. I love this because I love trying new things! They had a cocktail sampler where you got to chose 3 cocktails and get little 2 oz. samples of each. I got the Jamacia Me Crazy (good), Pleasure and 'Pagne (too strong tasting for me), and the Skinny Cucumber (my favorite!). For food we got the Caesar Salad (amazing!), Shrimp and Grits (to die for!), Mac and Cheese (ok), and the Fish Tacos (ok). For dessert we got the Banana Bread Pudding and it was so freaking good I wanted to lick the plate!
Oh and last Saturday we had a food truck rodeo at church and I was able to try an Only Burger. Sooo freaking good! And their fries were really good too!
Still on my list to try soon is Dame's Chicken and Waffels in Durham. Soon my friend, soon!
This weekend I might try out somewhere else new in downtown Raleigh because I am going to Hopscotch!
Lenovo is a major sponsor of this music festival. We have a VIP party that overlooks the headlining concert at City Plaza. I went last year and got to see the amazing show The Flaming Lips put on. This year's headliner is The Roots. I am going to try to get down there early and check out some of the day shows and hopefully get to try another yummy food place before heading over to the party! Any Suggestions?
I tried some awesome restaurants recently and I didn't take any pics. BAD BLOGGER, I know! But here are some reviews...
First up Beasley's Chicken + Honey in downtown Raleigh.
It was so stinking cute. The drinks are served in mason jars and it has a distinctly Southern feel. Fullsteam has created an exclusive beer for Beasley's called Beasley's Honey White and it was delicious! We went during downtown Raleigh restaurant week and got the $20 special- it included a salad, 1/4 chicken, 2 sides, and a dessert. The salad was great. The chicken was amazing and I am not even a fan of fried chicken. It was perfect and drizzled with honey. YUM! I got the mac and cheese and collard greens for my sides and they were scrumptious too. Dessert was caramel pecan pound cake with vanilla ice cream. It was all so good!
Next up is Greer Street Garden in downtown Durham.
They have a cute little outdoor seating area that was perfect for the mild August night! To start I got the Jalapeno Cheddar Hushpuppies (so freaking good!!). I also got the grilled pimento chesse sandwich witch fried green tomatos on it and fries. The sandwich was huge! On Texas toast! It was as amazing as it sounds. But it was so filling! I only ate half and took the rest home for lunch the next day. The fish tacos also looked delicious here. I will have to go back and try them!
Finally, last night I tried Oro in downtown Raleigh.
One of my friend's husband is the manager here so it had been on my list to try. I went with a friend and we got a lot of things and split all of them. I love this because I love trying new things! They had a cocktail sampler where you got to chose 3 cocktails and get little 2 oz. samples of each. I got the Jamacia Me Crazy (good), Pleasure and 'Pagne (too strong tasting for me), and the Skinny Cucumber (my favorite!). For food we got the Caesar Salad (amazing!), Shrimp and Grits (to die for!), Mac and Cheese (ok), and the Fish Tacos (ok). For dessert we got the Banana Bread Pudding and it was so freaking good I wanted to lick the plate!
Oh and last Saturday we had a food truck rodeo at church and I was able to try an Only Burger. Sooo freaking good! And their fries were really good too!
Still on my list to try soon is Dame's Chicken and Waffels in Durham. Soon my friend, soon!
This weekend I might try out somewhere else new in downtown Raleigh because I am going to Hopscotch!
Lenovo is a major sponsor of this music festival. We have a VIP party that overlooks the headlining concert at City Plaza. I went last year and got to see the amazing show The Flaming Lips put on. This year's headliner is The Roots. I am going to try to get down there early and check out some of the day shows and hopefully get to try another yummy food place before heading over to the party! Any Suggestions?
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Obsessed with Coconut!
It all started when Amber tweeted about being obsessed with these coconut popsicles. I LOVE coconut and they sounded heavenly so I asked her what kind. Ladies and gentlemen...these are awesome!
They are only 120 calories and so yummy! I also love the strawberry ones Edy's makes too and those are only 80 calories. I tried the Pineapple too but was not a fan of those.
I also have been rushing to work the past couple days and got lazy and stopped at Dunkin' Donuts 4 times in the past 2 weeks. Big mistake. I always get the same thing- a medium caramel iced coffee and a toasted coconut doughnut. The stupid doughnut has 300 calories and the iced coffee is 260 calories! Ouch! I don't even want to know how much sugar that lovely breakfast has. I need to rule out the Dunkin Donuts stops ASAP!
At home, I put some coconut air fresheners in my wallflowers and I swear for the first 2 weeks it smelled like walking in to a tropical vacation every time I walked in to my house. I can't remember if they were the Island Colada or the Vanilla Coconut ones from Bath and Body Works so I just ordered both because they were on sale for their Semi-Annual sale!
I also got 3 different kinds of coconut shower gel and a coconut air freshener for my car! Along with some other stuff. I got 14 things for about $50! Awesome sale! You should check it out!
Are you loving coconut too this summer? What other coconut things should I know about?
They are only 120 calories and so yummy! I also love the strawberry ones Edy's makes too and those are only 80 calories. I tried the Pineapple too but was not a fan of those.
I also got 3 different kinds of coconut shower gel and a coconut air freshener for my car! Along with some other stuff. I got 14 things for about $50! Awesome sale! You should check it out!
Are you loving coconut too this summer? What other coconut things should I know about?
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Sorry for being MIA
Hi remember me? I feel like it has been so long! I have been so busy. What have I been up to?
I read some books (full reviews coming soon on the Bookshelf blog):
I have been busy trying to figure out what to do with all the veggies I have been getting in my CSA box each week. It's only been two weeks but so far all the veggies have been things I would never buy at the grocery store.
Week one was kale, lettuce, turnips, and mizuna. I made kale chips (will post about that tomorrow) and ate the turnips raw with some hummus or on a salad with the lettuce. They were both yummy. I ended up throwing away the mizuna. It was supposed to be like arugula but it looked very wilted after about a week.
Week 2 I got beets, red leaf lettuce, scallions, and swiss chard. I already threw away the red leaf lettuce because it wilted after just 3 days. I have a recipe for the beets and scallions. Look for that on an upcoming Pinterest Wednesday post.
So far I am not loving the CSA. The way it works is you pay for the whole year (mid May-Oct). It comes out to be about $11.75/week and you get a grocery bag full of random fruits/veggies delivered to my work each week. It has forced me to eat more veggies and try things I would never buy, but can I get some regular old green beans or peas or something? And a girl can only eat (and store) a certain amount of lettuce each week. Enough with the greens!
I took a fitness test at work. It was for National Employee Fitness week. We had to run 1.5 miles, bike 1 mile, do as many sit-ups as you could in 1 minute, as many push-ups as you could do in 1 min, and a wall-sit for as long as you could stand it. We were supposed to try to beat the president of our North America Group's times/numbers, but considering he is a super in-shape guy who did the 1.5 mile run in like 9 minutes and I still can't even run a mile in 9 minutes I didn't come close. I did the 1.5 miles in about 15:20, the 1 mile bike in less than 4 min., the wall sit for 90 seconds, and about 25-30 of the sit-ups and push ups.
I have made progress on The List. It looks like I will hopefully be going on a kayak trip June 9, I only have 77 chapters left to read it the Bible, and I am on my way to the healthy weight range and beginning treadmill training to run a 9 minute mile so I can declare myself in the best shape of my life. Now I just need to find a cute boy to take me fishing and kiss me in the rain.
I finished my sewing class and made a pair of PJ pants.
I still need to hem them because we ran out of time. But due to a mix up and them only having 1 sewing machine for the whole class, we get to take another month long class in September for free!
I also went to see this for the second time and it was great even though they didn't do justice to my favorite song "I'm not the girl".
I've also been super busy at work. I just got to create a Pinterest account for Lenovo US! I love Pinterest and don't think twice about pinning things or setting up new boards on my personal account but for some reason I was so nervous setting one up for Lenovo! Would people follow us? What should I pin? Please do me a HUGE favor and FOLLOW US! I promise I will try to pin good stuff and not be annoying or overwhelming. PLUS we will be having an awesome contest on there in a few weeks for Back to School and you could win a new computer with accessories or an Android tablet!!
I'm going to try to get back to a regular posting schedule. Thanks so much for still following despite my silence lately.
I read some books (full reviews coming soon on the Bookshelf blog):
 |
| Fishbowl- 3.5 out of 5 stars |
 |
| Love Lies- 2 out of 5 stars |
 |
| Fifty Shades of Grey- 4 out of 5 stars |
I have been busy trying to figure out what to do with all the veggies I have been getting in my CSA box each week. It's only been two weeks but so far all the veggies have been things I would never buy at the grocery store.
Week one was kale, lettuce, turnips, and mizuna. I made kale chips (will post about that tomorrow) and ate the turnips raw with some hummus or on a salad with the lettuce. They were both yummy. I ended up throwing away the mizuna. It was supposed to be like arugula but it looked very wilted after about a week.
Week 2 I got beets, red leaf lettuce, scallions, and swiss chard. I already threw away the red leaf lettuce because it wilted after just 3 days. I have a recipe for the beets and scallions. Look for that on an upcoming Pinterest Wednesday post.
So far I am not loving the CSA. The way it works is you pay for the whole year (mid May-Oct). It comes out to be about $11.75/week and you get a grocery bag full of random fruits/veggies delivered to my work each week. It has forced me to eat more veggies and try things I would never buy, but can I get some regular old green beans or peas or something? And a girl can only eat (and store) a certain amount of lettuce each week. Enough with the greens!
I took a fitness test at work. It was for National Employee Fitness week. We had to run 1.5 miles, bike 1 mile, do as many sit-ups as you could in 1 minute, as many push-ups as you could do in 1 min, and a wall-sit for as long as you could stand it. We were supposed to try to beat the president of our North America Group's times/numbers, but considering he is a super in-shape guy who did the 1.5 mile run in like 9 minutes and I still can't even run a mile in 9 minutes I didn't come close. I did the 1.5 miles in about 15:20, the 1 mile bike in less than 4 min., the wall sit for 90 seconds, and about 25-30 of the sit-ups and push ups.
I have made progress on The List. It looks like I will hopefully be going on a kayak trip June 9, I only have 77 chapters left to read it the Bible, and I am on my way to the healthy weight range and beginning treadmill training to run a 9 minute mile so I can declare myself in the best shape of my life. Now I just need to find a cute boy to take me fishing and kiss me in the rain.
I finished my sewing class and made a pair of PJ pants.
I still need to hem them because we ran out of time. But due to a mix up and them only having 1 sewing machine for the whole class, we get to take another month long class in September for free!
I also went to see this for the second time and it was great even though they didn't do justice to my favorite song "I'm not the girl".
I've also been super busy at work. I just got to create a Pinterest account for Lenovo US! I love Pinterest and don't think twice about pinning things or setting up new boards on my personal account but for some reason I was so nervous setting one up for Lenovo! Would people follow us? What should I pin? Please do me a HUGE favor and FOLLOW US! I promise I will try to pin good stuff and not be annoying or overwhelming. PLUS we will be having an awesome contest on there in a few weeks for Back to School and you could win a new computer with accessories or an Android tablet!!
I'm going to try to get back to a regular posting schedule. Thanks so much for still following despite my silence lately.
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