Take Me the Way I Am

menu 1.29 - 2.4

2012-01-29T11:10:00.000-06:00

sunday
lunch - out after church
dinner - stuffed baguette (recipe found on pinterest but i will be changing it up a bit, naturally)

monday
leftovers on our own

tuesday
cheesesteak chimichangas

wednesday
chicken cordon bleu soup

thursday
pizza night: we still have two groupons to one of our favorite takeout places to use by mid-february, so we're having pizza out :-)

friday
slow cooker thai beef (new recipe)

saturday
lunch - pigs in a blanket
dinner - sausage ravioli lasagna

it's a great day to cook for the guys

2012-01-28T09:28:00.000-06:00

anthony had two friends spend the night last night after playing games well into the early am hours. i'm making brunch for them in the midst of their gameplay, and basically being a complete slug on the couch downstairs, catching up on my dvr...

i babysat last night and have another job tonight (yaaaay extra monies!) and tomorrow is church, etc. anything more exciting going on in your world?

honestly, i'm quite enjoying the weekend with little going on since the next two will be spent in a more normal fashion -- superbowl gathering next weekend and entertaining out of town guests the next.

have a good one!

recipe of the week: bbq chicken (irish) cheddar pitas

2012-01-27T01:45:00.000-06:00

anthony found this recipe a few months ago, and we decided to try it

it's definitely an easy recipe, very quick (less than 30 minutes start to finish)

i was pleasantly surprised by how much i liked it the first time!

however, the only way i could think (on the fly) of how to prepare the chicken before shredding was to boil it

and i HATE boiling chicken

so this time i did a couple of things different

barbecue chicken cheddar pitas

2 chicken tenders for each person eating

bbq sauce of your choosing (we have a split household between sweet and spicy, so i always make two batches)

1 cup (or more) shredded cheddar cheese (i used dubliner, so not a true cheddar but even.more.amazing)

3-4 stalks of green onion

1 pita for each person eating

begin by grilling (in a grill pan over med-high heat) your chicken strips in barbecue sauce until they are fully cooked

shred the cheese (i used all but a small chunk of the package)

shred the chicken.
(i decided to try what i had seen on pinterest, and found out that it works well! using the paddle on the kitchenaid, you can perfectly shred chicken in less than a minute! the exclamation marks just begin to show my excitement about this...)

place chicken in mixing bowl

add cheese and green onion

more bbq sauce if you wish

and mix together

cut the pitas in half using kitchen scissors

and top each half with the chicken mixture

heat oven to 400゜and bake for 8-10 minutes

serve up

add more bbq sauce if you like. smiley face because of your excitement about the dish optional (anthony)

enjoy!

i've linked up with "feed my family friday" again over at farmgirl paints. go visit her blog (click the button)!

thursday's ten: currently

2012-01-26T11:42:00.001-06:00

i ran across this post on one of my favorite blogs last week, and just had to use it sometime. what better time than for thursday's ten?

currently listening on repeat to
mostly pandora stations, but the new Jesus Culture album gets my attention each time. may have to be my next purchase with those gift cards i got for christmas!

currently planning to cook
in the next two weeks, new (to me) recipes will include slow cooker Thai beef, a stuffed baguette, gyros, bacon and caramelized onion tart, and some sort of garlic cheesy bread

currently reading
the lost symbol (dan brown)
and a book that i'll be reviewing here soon: close enough to hear God breathe (greg paul)

currently discovering
how incredibly handy my food processor is. i use that thing at LEAST every other day. love.it.

currently catching up on the trend of
big bang theory. we started watching season one on new year's eve and are now partly through season 3. if we didn't have to do silly things like sleep we'd probably be caught up to the current season!

currently organizing
guest rooms and closets. of course, the pantry/kitchen is ever-ongoing

currently dreading
cleaning out the garage and storage room or as they are known around here the "just put it in the..." areas

currently drinking
the usual suspects of water with fresh mint, daily coffee and the occasional stevia sweet tea, soda stream or diet coke. we've also discovered the carbonated zevia drinks at whole foods are are liking them too

currently desiring
a juicer...a good blender...more toms...uggs...a north face jacket...and lululemon yoga/dance pants

currently creating
mischief? i've been more creative in the kitchen than with jewelry or other crafting lately, but i think it's time to make a few fun pieces, even if they're just for me :-)

what's currently going on with you?

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 1.24

2012-01-24T12:04:00.000-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to not be surprised in the LEAST that paula deen has type 2 diabetes.
...(but to not blame it on the butter and heavy cream. those are real foods at least, unlike the processed crap that southern cooking is full of. done with the soapbox now).
...to not get the pioneer woman worship. i mean, yes, her recipes look good (and taste good from the one or two i've had) but why does everyone flock exactly? (seriously, can someone explain this to me?)
...to be sad about seal and heidi klum splitting. out of all the celebrity marriages, they seemed so much more grounded and solid
...to be writing this list waaaaaay late
...to have copycatted (kind of) a favorite dip from trader joe's to avoid having to buy it so often. way cheaper this way! (i'll share the recipe soon, promise!)
...to be a bit tired of the schizophrenic january weather in tn. tornado warnings twice in the last 5 days? and temperatures fluctuating between the 20s and the high 60s...no wonder we're all sniffling
...to drink way more water now that i have my OWN pitcher in the fridge (with fresh mint leaves in it). it's amazing what a slight bit of fresh flavor will do!
...to realize that you've used (a whole lot) of parenthesis in one blog post. (oh well)

(please visit amber's blog and post your own list of things that are ok)

menu 1.22 - 1.28

2012-01-22T19:50:00.000-06:00

sunday
- lunch: bbq cheddar chicken pitas (recipe to come, likely friday)
- dinner: anthony is cooking, hamburger helper is the rumor

monday
- on our own

tuesday
- takeout with our friend natasha

wednesday
- pastrami sliders (new recipe...will post if it turns out good!)

thursday
- pizza night! this week i'm changing it up a bit and making buffalo chicken stromboli. i'm tweaking the recipe slightly though, so watch for changes on how to make it healthier!

friday
- he's having a guys *weekend* so i'm not sure what they're doing. i'll be having food at the house i'm babysitting at, so who knows?

saturday
- i'm making brunch and dinner. brunch is tbd (likely several things since there will be hungry guys around), but dinner will be chicken burgers with garlic rosemary mayo

it's a great day to basically be a slug

2012-01-21T13:57:00.000-06:00

we had friends over until late last night and slept in this morning
which was a nice change of pace

in 2 hours i'll be leaving to spend the night at the house of the family i nanny for. they're going to a hockey game, but he's surprising her with a fancy dinner before and a hotel downtown after. i get to hang out with the kids while they have their getaway. :-)

tomorrow will be another lazy day once i get home...which i'm very much looking forward to. hope you're able to relax and have a wonderful weekend wherever you find yourself as well :-)

much love!

recipe of the week: gnocchi w/wild mushroom soup

2012-01-20T11:48:00.001-06:00

otherwise known as "the ragu that turned into a soup"

perhaps because i put in the whole can of tomatoes instead of the cup asked for?
who knows. i do know that i liked it as a soup, so chances are that's what it will be in my house from now on.

here's the recipe as i made it :-) (the original is here if you want to try it as a regular old ragu)

Gnocchi w/Wild Mushroom Soup

olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced,
1 stalk of celery, diced
2 pounds mushrooms, stemmed and diced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup white wine
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (i used the 365 organic brand from whole foods)
2 cups water
1/2 tsp of ground coriander (or 1/2 tsp of coriander that you grind yourself in a mortar and pestle because you refuse to go buy one.more.spice)
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds (see above)
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 tablespoon dried)
2 packages of good-quality gnocchi (i've had great luck at trader joe's and whole foods)

heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat
add onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft (about 5 minutes)

add 1 pound of the mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes

season with salt and pepper, then push to the edges of the pot

add more olive oil and the additional pound of mushrooms and cook another 3-5 minutes

add the cremini mushrooms and cook 1 additional minute then season with salt and pepper

add the tomato paste and cook while stirring for about 2 minutes.

add the wine and cook down for about 2 minutes.

add the tomatoes, water and spices and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes. meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to package directions.

serve by putting gnocchi in a bowl and ladling the soup over it. fresh parmesan on it won't hurt anything.

verdict?
i loved it.
anthony, who is not much of a tomato OR mushroom person finished a bowl.

so, this is going down as a girls night or "i'm on my own" type recipe.
(he did mention he would probably like it better with sausage...but we have my tortellini minestrone soup for that...)

(today i'm joining in this link-up since friday is generally when i post my recipe of the week...so visit this blog and link to one of your own if you like!)

monday's memory: the one that started long before me

2012-01-16T10:00:00.002-06:00

the little town i grew up in didn't have much diversity
and so, how this little white girl from farmland, usa
ended up with such a heart for inner city families from seemingly the other end of the spectrum
is truly God at work

but i did
i flirted with working in other much wealthier and prestigious systems
but knew for my teaching career
i would be happiest where i could pour myself into those children

i cried on my way home from work
for the first several weeks
because i could go home
to a cozy apartment on the lake
and these children?
were stuck

they didn't ask to be born into this
and yet...they were in their own way happy

i fell head over heels in love with those kids
and the next group, and the next
students joined my choir and gave me the utmost respect
who were nightmares for every other teacher in the building
they told me it was because i was different

i smiled the only time a student told me i was "racist"
because the rest of the statement was "toward white people!"
(at that point i reminded her that i too was white...
and every other student in that multi-colored beautiful classroom
burst into laughter)

i began to see Martin Luther King in a whole new light
and while so much of his dream, his vision
for equality and harmony
have been realized

so much of it has not

so here's to today
where we stop comparing other social injustices and issues
to the Civil Rights movement
because there is still much to do

most of my friends of every nation and color are in the same socioeconomic class as i am
it just so happens that most of the circles i find myself in these days
don't include the stark poverty that i immersed myself in day after day as a teacher
(and let's get this clear: i taught poor white kids too. they are included in this
after all, MLK's message of inclusion and equality
wouldn't exclude them either. right? :-) )

and i have to be honest
that while i know that i'm right where i'm supposed to be
i do miss being able to invest in that community

please don't hear that the other social injustices
the awful problem of homelessness that consistently tugs on my heart strings
the despicable treatment of portions of our population by people bearing the name of Christ
the abuse that spouses and children suffer at the hands of those who claim to love them most

please don't hear me say they don't matter
because they do

but a significant part of my heart is with my former students
and the families and homes they represent
what a beautiful heritage and culture of overcoming
may they truly overcome
the stigma, the poverty, the desperation

may God raise up more people who will invest and nurture these children
their parents and their grandparents
and let them know
that the dream is still alive

i'll dream that dream...
will you?

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 1.10

2012-01-10T12:23:00.002-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to plot your next cooking adventures with a friend all morning
...to leave the baby in her pajamas until noon on a chilly dreary day. i mean, it's not like we're doing anything. i'd be in my pajamas if that were possible!
...to be hopeful that swagbucks earnings can pretty much fund at least half of christmas this coming year. i have a plan, y'all. (and seriously, if you haven't signed up for swagbucks it's the easiest thing ever. if you click the link above and sign up i get a referral! and i'll be glad to share my tips and tricks :-)
...to plan your meals out monthly. it actually helps me budget wisely for groceries and eating out. and so far we've come in under budget for groceries since we've been married so *something* is working.
...to be glad that my regularly watched shows are now spread out over several nights. no boring evenings in the kitchen -- i can just turn on the dvr!
...to eat ramen and kimchee at any opportunity, which for me means when i'm at home for a meal and my husband is nowhere around. he can't stand cabbage, much less the fermented spicy stuff!
...to not be able to resist creamy goodness. my boss had ranch sour cream dip AND french onion dip in her fridge last week. she had a bit less after i spotted them!
...to be planning to somehow re-create one of my favorite dips from trader joe's. i'm tired of spending the money on it AND running out quickly. ha. i'll share it if it's successful.
...to apparently be hungry as i write this since over half of my points have to do with food. so i suppose i'll sign off and go make lunch!

(visit amber and share your own list)

menu (1.8 - 1.14)

2012-01-09T15:53:00.000-06:00

i'm not home a lot this week, so we won't be eating like royalty, but it is what it is. right? right.

sunday
thai coconut curry soup -- a pinterest find that my friend natasha and i cooked together. we also made thai tea...yummy!

monday
leftover night: tomato basil soup for me, along with a grilled cheese or something resembling that.
also, we're planning to pull out the breadmaker tonight and actually make some bread. i may be begging for help next week, or sharing what we did...it all depends!

tuesday
quiche -- my friend laura is coming over and we're making it together. i'll post my standard quiche recipe (which actually came from her) here eventually...

wednesday
on our own (i'm babysitting...i think he's doing hamburger helper)

thursday
pizza night--we are going OUT or at least getting carryout

friday
on our own (i'm babysitting again...)

saturday
bbq cheddar chicken pitas (which reminds me, i need to post that recipe! i have a lot of those to post apparently...)

it's a great day to tell you about my word for 2012

2012-01-07T00:19:00.000-06:00

i've been doing this word of the year for awhile now. and it's interesting to see how it's built. i think you'll see a bit of a theme if you read through...my word of 2009 was bless, 2010 was give, 2011 was more and this year just kind of builds on that!

i had no idea there was a "oneword" organization out there, but i think it's awesome that there is!
i've always felt that God gave me my word. and this year is no different.

it was pretty easy to grasp "bless" and "give". but as God stretched me and taught me more about himself the words have begun to be a little more...faith-building. when i heard "more" last year, i was a little off-put at first. after all, it sounded kind of greedy...like i wanted MORE of something. and i did...but not in the traditional sense.

(and boy did i have more! more of all that was on that list...and even MORE.)

this year is one of those words that seems off-putting. i struggled with it for a few days, to be honest. and then when i met with my cell group girls tuesday, everything just kind of...fit.

you see, the word i've been hearing over and over is lavish.
i even tried to change it up. "extravagant" sounded good, and i could get behind it. you know, loving extravagantly, being extravagant with my time, etc, etc.

nope. the word (He said again) is lavish.

and when i was chatting with my girls about the root of that word and realized a few things, it made a little more sense to me (although i am SO looking forward to finding out why He's been so insistent on this word!)

even webster's description of the word is rich: check it out if you like

you see, LAVISH is what Mary did when she annointed Christ (in john 12.1-8). the pure nard that passage speaks of was not only considered a lavish gift, but some translations speak of her lavishing her gift on Jesus

others who loved Jesus even criticized the lavishness--the expense.
but Jesus stopped them and praised her for the extravagance.

oh that my life will be so full of lavish praise, adoration and acts of love and devotion
that even others who love Jesus will think it strange

oh that He will equip me to be lavish with my time, my giftings and my gifts to others
that i will be filled with wisdom
but that i will be unapologetically lavish in what i do, what i say, how i serve.

i've no doubt that i will receive some lavish gifts from my Papa...after all, He's done it over and over for me

but i'm excited
because i get to be lavish this year
and i have no idea
what i'll be saying in 2013!

do you have a word of the year? please share!

recipe of the week: (rerun.revamped.revised) vodka pasta

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

i've posted this recipe before, here.

however, i've revised it and made it better as far as we are concerned...PLUS i have pictures this time around :-)

lora's vodka pasta

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 package hot (spicy) italian sausage (this is quite important!)
1 cup vodka*
1/2 cup chicken stock*
2 cans fire-roasted italian tomatoes
seasonings (salt and pepper, italian seasoning, etc) to taste
1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream

(*this is the ratio: if you want a thicker sauce go with 3/4 cup vodka to 1/4 cup chicken stock)

heat a stockpot or large saucepan over moderate heat. add olive oil, butter, onions and spices. gently saute 3-5 minutes and add garlic

saute another 3 minutes and add sausage to brown.

add vodka, and reduce for 2-3 minutes.

follow with chicken stock and tomatoes and any additional spices you may want to add. bring sauce to a bubble, and then simmer for about 20 minutes. i always use this time to prepare the pasta -- i use pennette.

after the pasta is cooked, add the cream. stir into the sauce and return to a slight bubble, then serve.

and enjoy!

thursday's ten: about 2012

2012-01-05T12:56:00.000-06:00

ten things i desire to do (or do more of) in 2012

1. drink more cups of coffee at home

this is deeper than it sounds...i have a collection of beautiful coffee mugs that i've collected or been given, and they are rarely used. instead, i'm usually running out the door with one of my travel mugs, racing to the next thing. the "coffee at home" is an invitation to be in the moment more. better sleeping patterns, which i'm establishing slowly but surely, will lead to more rest, getting up earlier, and being able to savor those early morning cups of coffee in the beautiful mugs.

2. go on more hikes

i ended 2011 with two in the month of december. i've begun 2012 with one on monday. these aren't just any hikes though. these are intentional gatherings with Godly girls...conversation is good, uplifting and inspiring. nature around us is breathtaking. movement is made, bodies are healthier. and there's never a limit -- 2, 3 or 10 can join in!

3. do the 365...er 6... photo thing

i pretty much did it last year, but didn't share. this year i'll be posting it here and possibly on facebook. i'm hoping to bring more meaning to the mundane in this way...seeing beauty even on a tuesday in sweatpants!

4. use my technology for good

and by that i mean, not getting as sucked in to facebook, pinterest, twitter, etc. multi-tasking is great, but once in awhile it's ok to close the laptop and read a book...made of paper :-) a and i make a habit of playing board games fairly often, but i seldom make time to keep electronics off and actually read.

also, if i'm not completely sucked into a tv show i'm more likely to keep a clean house, stay on top of the laundry, and make it to places on time. so while tv is GOOD, i need to make sure priorities are in place.

5. take advantage of opportunities to open our home

we've had one (well, two if you count my bachelorette party) big events in our home so far, besides having friends over for dinner, cooking with girlfriends, and having halo/poker nights (that's obviously more a than me). 2012 has the opportunity for many more. next week i'm hosting a fashion swap, we'll have a superbowl gathering, we ALWAYS have an oscar party, and i'm planning a st patrick's day bash as well.

we want to be very intentional about opening up our home and sharing in hospitality. we truly feel that we are called to this, and we've been given a wonderful platform for it!

6. find some good EASY & wholesome recipes

we've changed our grocery habits (mainly because i do the shopping) and are probably 80% whole foods and trader joe's, while staying in the same price range as we were when we were less than 50%. buying from these grocery stores don't mean we're automatically eating healthy--or that they are all low-cal, low fat foods, but it DOES mean that our ingredients are for the most part more wholesome and that at least *i* feel better cooking with them.

and i love, love, love cooking. however, i also love spending time with my husband, so i'm trying to find wholesome and delicious crock-pot meals to add to my arsenal and have at least once a month. i'm also expanding my soup recipes a bit. i'm definitely open to quick/one-pot/crock pot meals if you have them to share (and i haven't already stolen them from you!)

yes, we still have a stockpile (no, really) of hamburger helper. but having processed crap (that tastes pretty good actually) a couple of times a month isn't going to kill us. and having really.good stuff with fresh ingredients the rest of the month is helping at least me feel better.

7. "no. cuddles."

the little girl i nanny for two days a week climbed on my lap earlier today asking for cuddles. after she's been there for a few minutes i asked her if she wanted to get down and play since she seemed restless. she thought less than a second before saying "no. cuddles." and snuggling in. it was precious...and a reminder that i need to press in to the cuddles too...literally and not.

sweet moments spent with friends, settling into the couch with my husband to watch a movie, emi jumping onto the bed or couch with me, enjoying hugs and high fives from the children in my life...all these things i need to appreciate more! and when asked if i'm ready to move onto the next "thing" even if it's a good or necessary thing...sometimes i need to just say "no" and enjoy the "cuddle".

8. continue using financial wisdom God's way

which means giving it away and THEN paying our bills...i love God-math. i've certainly experienced it over and over and over and over again -- that when you tithe and give you are blessed in ways that just don't make sense to the average person. or to me, really. i've often looked at my finances at the end of a month and said "that shouldn't work..." but it DOES. i'm not saying you'll be richer than your wildest imagination or never experience financial hardship...but i AM saying that you'll be taken care of by your heavenly Daddy.

9. let my "yes" be yes

instead of agreeing to things that i don't necessarily WANT to do but feel i should, or feeling like i have to cancel plans because a family thing came up...i'm going to be authentic with my answers. not in a "um, i'd rather do anything BUT that" way, but in a "you know, that's a great invitation, but i already had plans to ___ tonight" or a "not this time, thanks anyway!" way.

it's harder than it sounds. but actually sticking to boundaries and saying only authentic "YES's" will not only allow my calendar to have some relief, but will make the time spent with friends both more plentiful AND more meaningful.

we started this with new year's eve. we had two invitations (two states apart) that were both fantastic...and craved the time spent with both the couples who had invited us. but since Christmas had been (wonderfully) spent with family, and sort of a whirlwind, we elected to spend NYE at our own house with just each other. we don't expect it to be tradition -- but for this year it was the authentic yes and the right choice.

10. continue to live in awe

i've mentioned the small pillow that has now hung at my last three residences at the bottom stair banister. it reads "delight in the unexpected" and it has become a multi-daily reminder that those unexpected gifts and surprises are FUN.

sometimes i think i'm continually in awe of what God is doing in me, through me, and around me. and then i catch myself...because i don't EVER want to NOT live in that awe. He is amazing, unexpected, extravagant and FUN.

that seems like a reasonable list to me...how about you? what are your desires for the year?

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 1.3

2012-01-03T09:56:00.001-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to like quiet toys much more than loud ones
...to be very excited about the new plush throw you are ordering for your living room tonight
...to be happy to go grocery shopping (probably has to do with the healthy fresh and good tasting ingredients i am buying lately. or maybe whole foods pumps happy essential oils into their hvac...either way...)
...to sometimes be tired of dealing with poop from small creatures
...to be reminded by that statement that the litter box needs attention. sigh.
...to be ready to plant seeds and grow herbs and veggies, not to sit through months of cold and yuck.
...to have had great memories of 2011, and to look forward to more goodness in 2012
...to still have your Christmas decorations up. it's still Christmas until january 6, after all :D
(but no guarantee that we'll take them down that day...)

visit amber to join up with your own list!

monday's memory: the one with the bachelorette party

2012-01-02T00:02:00.001-06:00

have i mentioned that i have amazing friends?
and they throw a pretty kick-awesome party.

my maid of honor asked if i wanted to know what she was planning or if i wanted to be surprised. i told her i trusted her completely, that they could use our house if need be, and the dates i was free.

that was IT.

since she was temporarily living a few states away, she recruited the other girls to help with the planning and execution. to this date, i don't know whose idea was what, so just know...my girls ROCK.

on the day of the party, i was asked to be out of the house for the majority of the afternoon, and to stay in communication with the girls on my way home. they literally came and met me in the driveway with a homemade iced coffee, and blindfolded me.

i was led upstairs (i'll spare you all the butt shots of this part) where i was able to change clothes and get ready (they also brought me some champagne...the beverages kept flowing so i was entertained and happy!) plus, the girls had to change and get ready too, so i was soon joined upstairs

at one point there were four girls in my master bathroom putting on makeup together. and one pissed-off kitty hiding from the mayhem!

the girls then disappeared down the stairs, and eventually i was led out of my bedroom.

i walked down the stairs and immediately was told to remove my boots

and given bracelets to put on

oh, and i had a "veil" to wear the entire evening.

the downstairs area of the house had been transformed

all furniture was covered in colorful fabric, and extra seating had been created along the window with huge throw pillows.

i even had a "throne" complete with canopy.

there was an amazing food table spread with all sorts of yummy looking things.

they had even incorporated anthony's glass animals into the decor, including this very hungry hippo!

people started gathering in, and once most people were there we were invited to dig in to the buffet. it was then i realized that these girls who know me so well had brought nearly all the food at my favorite grocery -- trader joe's. unfortunately, i discovered a couple of new favorite foods that night that are now staples!

we milled around, snacked and chatted for awhile and then i began opening gifts. i'll leave out the details there, but you can imagine...

gift time was interrupted by the arrival of "someone"...which was my only moment of slight panic.

but the person walked in and immediately started handing out scarves. she was a belly dance instructor, and that's what we spent the next bit of the party doing -- learning a few belly dance basics!

and took time for some group shots. fun group of awesome ladies!

she was amazing, and fun. now that laura (my maid of honor) is back in town we have mad plans to start taking her classes a couple of times a month. a fitness class that anthony supports fully, haha!

three of the girls stayed overnight, so there was much more fun (and other crazy late-night photos) to be had even after most of the guests left.

all in all my bachelorette party was exactly what i wanted -- time spent with amazing girls, and lots of laughter. the gifts were amazing (and all fit!), but the time spent with these girls who i dearly love was the best part of the night.

it's a great day to exchange one great year for another

2011-12-31T20:53:00.000-06:00

current status: living room couch, finishing an episode of suburgatory while possibly the best shepherd's pie i've made to date bakes in the oven
we have sparkling sangria chilling in the fridge
several episodes of big bang theory to watch
and a multitude of board games to choose from

we decided to spend the last few moments of 2011 alone together
for a few reasons
{1} we spent a lot of time with friends and family over the Christmas holidays...which was great, but
{2} we haven't seen a whole lot of each other between that and working and
{3} we're spending the first DAY of the new year with some amazing friends after worship, and we have plans to spend time with good friends several times in the next couple of weeks.

so we decided to decline invitations and just stay in

i'm sure next year we'll throw a party or attend one
but this year we kind of wanted to spend on our own

i hope your new year's celebration is a great one
that you reflect on the joys and sorrows of 2011
and look forward to similar moments in 2012

be blessed, be safe
i can't wait to spend another year with you all :-)

(easy) recipe of the week: potato leek soup

2011-12-30T12:02:00.000-06:00

i got this recipe from a friend

(actually, a former teacher of mine)

and filed it away at least a year ago

for the future

when trying to come up with an idea to feed my husband, one of his good friends and myself one friday

i decided to pull it out and see what happened.

the result?

it'll be a regularly made soup in our house

i think next time i'll make a double batch to freeze some

very simple

very light

nice texture

great flavor

potato leek soup

3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters or smaller

6 cups chicken broth

4 medium leeks, trimmed

2/3 cup sour cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

fresh chives for garnish

cook potatoes in the broth and salt & pepper until tender

add leeks and season again with salt and pepper

cook until leeks and potatoes are very tender

put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth

add the sour cream on top and drag into a design with a fork. add fresh chives to top

serve warm or cold...it's yummy either way! enjoy :-)

thursday's ten (er...twelve): about 2011

2011-12-29T14:55:00.000-06:00

i love looking back at the year, and reflecting. here's some links and pictures that sum up 2011 for us!

january
i decided (or rather, i'm pretty sure God decided) that the word of the year was more.
(little did i know...)
and i participated in a gigantic city-wide snowball fight (can't wait to make that tradition!)

february
we had a sweet valentine's day (which somehow i never got around to posting about...)

we started a marriage prep class
we got engaged

newfound recipes were buffalo chicken stromboli, creamy broccoli soup and sausage ravioli lasagna

march
i did a little reflecting
we had a scare with emi, but she turned out to be as healthy as can be!

i turned 30

i found and shared recipes for adults-only brownies and chicken burgers with garlic-rosemary mayo

april
more reflection
longed for the ocean
loved that earth day collided with good friday

may
i discovered instagram...uh-oh! (if you have it, i'm msmsctchr)
had a few moments where God reminded me He had this
wrote about professional vs nanny life (little did i know i'd be striking the balance between these two worlds within months)
cicadas came and went
and i found inspiration in a bowl of pasta

june
i shared a sweet story about a teenagers prayer for me (us)
i started a new nanny gig

i shared a starter dream list about a place to live when we started apartment hunting. little did i know...
i tweaked and made my own recipe for chicken cordon bleu soup

july
u2 came to nashville! (and we went. a-mazing)

i learned some stuff from the kids i nanny for
bought my wedding dress and selected the bridesmaids dresses
i went on hcg and started losing weight and feeling fabulous
we picked out our wedding rings

i started a new part-time office job that has turned into much more than that...which i have yet to share here. oops.

august

we had our first shower in indiana and took some time to hang out with friends while we were there :-)

we took our engagement photos

i went with my (future at the time) mother in law to atlanta to the women of faith event (which i recapped in september here)

i went to the beach with natasha (and never posted about it...oops!)

lots of wedding planning and hcg diet info...i ended up losing about 25 pounds!

september
i shared the amazing story of provision with our house
i also shared recipes for stuffed mushrooms, beef flank steak wheels and tabouli salad
and a lot of wedding planning and prep happened :-)

october
we got married :-)

and honeymooned

i shared my recipe for black pepper chicken

november
i shared recipes for spanakopita and creamy pesto chicken
we participated in the hike for the homeless again
we drove to birmingham for a burger

december
recipes were posted for blueberry crumb breakfast cake and peppermint joe-joe truffles (or oreo truffles)
we celebrated christmas (a week early) in indiana with my parents and some good friends
we had a great first christmas together, and got to celebrate with anthony's extended family as well

(and emi loves the tree)

2011 HAS been a year of more...more than i could have ever imagined. thankful to a generous Heavenly Papa who has covered every step of the way.

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 12.27

2011-12-27T00:45:00.000-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to get choked up while watching ellen. or the soldier appreciation episode of rachael ray.
...to see someone giving design/creative ideas on a talk show and thinK "she totally got that off pinterest"
...to toooootally have baby fever after cuddling our friends 11 week old for an evening
...to have paused everything to watch drew brees break the record last night, and to be genuinely happy for him.
...to talk about football (or hockey) in everyday conversation ;-) and your blog
...to have LOVED your Christmas celebrations, been totally overwhelmed by all the generosity given to you, and to just feel completely blessed by the whole season
...to be glad for a quiet day after Christmas to unwind a bit from ALL that family time, as good as it was
...to have been really spoiled over the long weekend by going to bed (too) late and still getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep
...to still not understand why people want sweet stuff on their meat. pass the spice and savory; keep your apples away from my roast

visit amber's blog and link up with your own list of what's ok in your world!

what i'm loving wednesday 12.21

2011-12-21T13:01:00.001-06:00

i'm loving the changes on the horizon (and already happening) on the job front for both A and i. we're both transitioning into new roles and figuring out what it all means...amazing to think that 6 months ago neither of us knew these jobs existed.

i'm loving this amazing lotion i found at whole foods body. i had this inexplicable rash that started a few days before my wedding and is located around my left collarbone. after being miserable itchy for a few weeks, i bought this $10 natural lotion and it cleared completely in a week's time. since then, another patch has materialized, but it's disappearing thanks to the lotion as well. yay for yummy smelling goodness.

i'm loving random texts from friends, impromptu lunch/dinner/coffee dates, or hikes with cell group girls. so thankful for the quality people God has surrounded me with!

i'm loving the cuteness i get to enjoy on tuesdays and thursdays. i often say my two jobs afford me the best of both worlds, and i stand by that. soon enough, this season will end so i am determined to enjoy it for what it is. :-)

i'm loving that emi loves this time of year :0). here she is laying on her favorite (tissue paper) in front of the tree (which she loves to nibble on periodically) while we watched hockey (one of my favorites).

i'm loving that gift shopping is DONE (except for the mailed gifts to family and some friend gifts...but those aren't going to be given ON christmas).

i'm loving that the budget was stuck to, and that we went WAY under for nearly everyone. Woo-hoo!

i'm loving the prospect of a few days off...and that my husband has one of those days off with me. suh-weet.

i'm loving that this is our first christmas together...such amazing blessings we've been given, not the least of which happen to be each other :-)

i'm just loving this time of year. as much as i can't wait for christmas, i'm going to be bummed when this precious season is over.

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 12.20

2011-12-20T01:51:00.000-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to have both discovered and watched the entire season (so far) of "once upon a time" in 2 days time
...to be very excited about the maggiano's gift card the family i nanny for gave us for christmas. yaaaay date night and warm italian food in the middle of winter :-)
...to bring my hair straightener to work with me when i nanny so i can at least leave looking more normal/less scary
...to realize when reading everyone's christmas cookie blogs that i still haven't made any peppermint bark this year. gotta get on that!
...to watch baby g VERY closely when she gets near the christmas tree
...to still have a few gifts left to buy, but only because we stretched them among several paychecks so we could still, you know, eat. ;-) all will be done by friday except for the ones we're mailing to some of my family members which will just be late. (and that's ok too).
...to be just as excited about wrapping all the gifts as buying them. it's one of my absolute favorite parts of this season!
...to have pretty much single-handedly polished off the pasta salad my parents had this weekend. it's nothing special--it's from a box. but i.love.it.
...to sometimes put aside your crunchy, organic preferring nature to enjoy some good food from a box. sometimes. :-)

visit amber's blog--she's awesome!

it's a great day to celebrate Christmas #1

2011-12-17T13:37:00.000-06:00

today we are in indiana
staying with my parents
and celebrating Christmas with them

in a few minutes we'll unwrap gifts
and hang around chatting for awhile

this evening we're headed to evansville
to have dinner and exchange gifts with our friends brian and angie
(these great people)

so happy to be here
enjoying "comfort food"
and our first official overnight trip as a married couple
:-)

have a great weekend everyone!

about a wreath

2011-12-16T14:59:00.000-06:00

i was typing an explanation of our wreath on a reply the other day and realized
i was talking about much more than a wreath.

you see, when we started talking about decorating our door for christmas
i wanted a simple berry wreath
you know, little red berries...nothing hugely fancy but something a little different
definitely non-traditional

it became apparent pretty early on that a berry wreath wasn't going to fly.
anthony only liked evergreen wreaths
"you know, the traditional kind"
uh-oh

i couldn't think of a way to make a traditional wreath look good
(to me)
until

i spotted fresh pine wreaths at trader joes
and not only did it smell amazing, i thought
"i can work with this"

and so
i went and bought my berry wreath at target
and tied the two together
and what happened
was kind of amazing

both wreaths on their own were perfectly fine
beautiful, in fact, in different ways
and many people would put them up just as they originally were
nothing wrong with that

but the two together made a wreath that
(to anthony and i at least)
is better than either original wreath
they belong together

it's kind of like us, really
anthony and i were fine on our own
but we're better together

and that's not where the similarity stops
see, we had to replace the original pine wreath
because it browned
because WE failed to water it properly
it needed attention
a bit of misting every day

just like us...we need to give our relationship
a bit of attention each day

when i think of it in terms like these
the simple wreath on our front door
means even more to me.

recipe of the week: those joe-joe truffles

2011-12-16T02:13:00.000-06:00

let's face it. everyone on the internet has the same recipe for oreo truffles. i've seen it a million times and drool each and every time.

however.

i've always made peppermint bark at christmas. and plan to this year (don't worry family!!). but when coming up with the menu for our holiday open house, i realized that having two time consuming desserts to make (oreo truffles AND peppermint bark) was a little ridiculous.

so i decided to combine the two.

i used candy cane joe-joe's from trader joes. they have flakes of candy cane in them. pretty much they are amazing.

if you don't have a trader joe's near you OR you want to make this during the off season, i recommend using oreos and then putting some peppermint OIL (not extract) in the mix. a very small amount will do.

here's the recipe, for those of you who don't know it by heart already :-)

1 box candy cane joe-joe's (or oreos)
1 block cream cheese
1 container of white chocolate bark/melting chocolate. i used kroger's vanilla bark...same difference.

- place cookies in food processor and process until they are just crumbs

- add cream cheese and process until mixed fully

- roll into balls and place on waxed paper on cookie sheet

- place in the freezer for minimum 10 minutes (i usually do more like 30)

- melt chocolate according to package instructions. i prefer the oven methods normally.

- using a toothpick or whatever you have on hand (cough, skewer, cough) roll each ball in the melted chocolate. place back on the wax paper and then into the fridge while they harden

- enjoy!!

(somehow i never get pictures of the final product...they keep disappearing!)

thursday's ten: our open house

2011-12-15T00:23:00.000-06:00

i'm being totally lazy today.

here's 10 things we served at our open house on saturday

:-)

we have several gluten-free friends, a couple of vegan buddies, and at least one person who is both gluten free and dairy free. since i wanted to have several options for each person attending, i had quite the challenge when it came to the menu. but i finally found a good balance, i think. not everything fit special dietary needs, but everyone had a few choices!

1. a veggie tray (in the shape of a Christmas tree. kind of)

*both gf and vegan. obviously.

2. deviled eggs
*gf and dairy free

3. my guacamole, salsa (herdez), and mexican spinach dip (his aunt's recipe)
*the guacamole and salsa were gf and vegan
the spinach dip is gf

4. fresh fruit (pineapple that i for real chopped up, blueberries, clementines and strawberries)
*gf and vegan
5. swedish meatballs (gluten free recipe found here)
*gf
6. pinwheels

7. stuffed mushrooms
*gf
8. mexican hot chocolate cookies (recipe soon)
*vegan
9. (vegan) ginger cookies (recipe soon)
*vegan

10. peppermint joe-joe truffles (omgosh, SO good. will post recipe soon)

add to this holiday punch, hot chocolate and coffee and we were good to go for several hours :-)

and between antiques from my grandmother and new wedding gifts along with a few other pieces i've collected over the years, we had the perfect serving piece for each dish.

the table decoration was a simple runner from ikea with turqoise felt tree ornaments from target interspersed and taper candles throughout. i didn't want it to be overwhelming amidst the food, but i wanted it to look *pretty*

unfortunately, i didn't get any pictures once the party started of our guest, or of the dessert bar or beverage station. oh well. there will be a next time.

we LOVE sharing and opening up our home to people, so there will be MANY next times :-)

have you had a party this season? are you planning one? what's your menu look like?

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 12.13

2011-12-13T14:55:00.000-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to eat a meal that resembles a 2 year olds for lunch. because, hello, i'm eating with a not-even-2 year old
...to have absolutely no idea what to get your father for Christmas...every.single.year.
...to not think it's cute when every status/tweet a 'friend' posts is negative and sarcastic and cuts others down. not attractive for a 35 year old, sorry to tell you. (off to hit the "unfollow" button directly after posting this...)
...to be oh-so-honored that people took time out of their busy holiday schedules to come to our open house last saturday. it's something i've done every year (except last year...but you all know that story) -- opened up my home on a saturday afternoon and enjoyed everyone's company. we cooked and cleaned for the latter part of last week, but it was SO.WORTH.IT. so grateful that God has placed us in this place...with these people...to share His story
...to forget that my new phone has the option to close apps...and so to have approximately 3000 running until i start wondering why the battery is going down so quickly!
...to never know quite what to say when a friend suffers a loss or is going through a hard time :-(
...to love the charlie brown tree my employers got this year. i'm looking at it right now and it's precious.

visit amber's blog and link up with your own list!

remember that brownie giveaway?

2011-12-13T14:09:00.000-06:00

betty crocker through blogspark

generously offered one of my readers the same package i received

and i decided to draw names in an old fashioned way

i wrote out names on slips of paper

and placed them in a pile

i had an adorable small helper who helped pick the winner

sorry, you won't see much of her face.

that whole "she's not mine and i'm respecting their privacy bit"

she took her job quite seriously...but finally picked up a slip of paper and handed it to me

amber is the winner! congratulations...enjoy the chocolate goodness!

monday's memory: the one with the rings

2011-12-12T16:59:00.002-06:00

it began with my engagement ring, so that is where i'll begin

anthony had researched (and researched. and researched)

and was going to a few local places to see some rings in person

(he and i strongly desire to support local businesses over national chains, so it's really no surprise that there were no nationally recognized jewelry stores on his list)

he walked in with his sister kat

and was initially shown a few rings

but none appealed (some weren't "right" and some were way too expensive)

the sales woman asked him what his budget was

he told her

she immediately went to a case and pulled out a ring

saying it was the highest quality ring he could get in that price range

there are all sorts of details

caret, clarity, etc

the fact that the side stones were cut specifically for the center stone

all that

all i know is...

it's gorgeous

and it's mine...a beautiful gift from my now husband.

picking out our wedding bands was something we were excited about

however, we were trying to stick to a very strict budget

so we were fairly certain it would be cheapo bands for each of us

mine was an easy pick

i tried on a couple and quickly narrowed it down

although my engagement band is platinum

we settled on a thicker white gold band for my ring

a band that was similarly sized to the engagement band just got lost

so this, to me, was the perfect complement

literally, took about as long as it took for me to type the sentences about it

to pick out my ring.

his ring was another story

men's rings are expensive!

but we finally found the PERFECT ring

he liked that my engagement ring had 3 stones in it

kind of a constant reminder of trinity

or of the relationship between our coupleship and God

his ring is cobalt.

it's a strong metal, much stronger than gold or platinum

(i don't think he's look at it this way, but i love the symbolism of strength there)

but his (and my) favorite part

is that the two rings are fused together with a gold colored braid in between

two rings...two lives joining

with a special thread...God...in the center

love them.

they're perfect for us

meal plan 12.11 - 12.17

2011-12-11T17:05:00.000-06:00

getting this up a bit late!

sunday
it was a fend for yourself night since we found ourselves going in two separate directions. i had kimchee with ramen, a particular favorite combo of mine that anthony will never ever taste. not a fermented cabbage guy, i suppose ;-)

monday
we're having savory stew (which is exactly what it sounds like) at the in-laws for anthony's sister's birthday celebration. i've also heard mention of derby pie. yummy!

tuesday
leftover tikki masala (ladies and gentlement it was GOOD. definitely remaining in the rotation)

wednesday
pastrami sliders on rye. (new recipe)

thursday
homemade pizza night, of course. we didn't get to do this last week after all, so i think we'll do a meat lovers pizza in our own way :-)

friday
we'll be in indiana with my parents...so whatever's on THEIR menu

saturday
still in indiana. likely we'll be either dining at our favorite german place or eating with our friends brian and angie.

monday's memory: the one with the flowers

2011-12-05T07:07:00.000-06:00

guess who's finally uploaded all the photos from our professional photographer?
so...on with the wedding posts...huzzah!

i knew i wanted something simple in the way of flowers for our wedding

first of all, hello seasonal allergies. who wants to spend their wedding day sneezing and hearing everyone else sniffle?

i began to look around for bargains on flowers and my friend Mandy told me about a place to go. basically a floral wholesaler (where all the florists in nashville get their flowers) that you order from 10 days before the event and pick them up a couple of days before.

since we were on a Budget we really didn't look past this. and we were able to get every single flower for my bouquet, the flower girls, all 7 bridesmaids, and all the tables for under $250.

considering i went with orchids and mini calla lilies (which incidentally were more expensive)...that's saying something.

we DID have to create our own bouquets. for my girls, i wanted a simple spray of orchids. i loved the classy simplicity!

for me, i also wanted the orchids with a bit of a red pop. Mandy and the other bridesmaids put my bouquet together and i was thrilled with the result

and my flower girl had a small grouping of white calla lilies...just a sweet little bouquet to set her apart :-)

i love how he's charming her with her own flowers. SO stinkin cute!

we also placed a bouquet of calla lilies in the front to honor our deceased grandparents.

i'll be showing you the flowers at the reception in the coming weeks...so that's it for wedding for the day :-)

happy monday!

(all photos in this post were taken by our amazing photographer and her assistant. if you're in nashville...seriously people...she's awesome!)

meal plans 12.4 - 12.10

2011-12-04T23:09:00.000-06:00

here's this week's food lineup!

sunday:
taco soup (anthony's making this while i'm at a birthday party...i'll eat leftovers monday night though!)

monday:
leftovers on our own (likely taco soup for me!)

tuesday:
enchiladas (a recipe anthony found here)

wednesday:
gnocchi with wild mushroom ragu (a new recipe that i have been itching to try. i'll post it here soon if it's good!)

thursday:
homemade pizza...something with meat, i'm thinking

friday:
slow cooker tikki masala (recipe found on pinterest and looks amazing!)

saturday:
it's our holiday open house, so lots and lots of yummy stuff :-)

3 in 30: and now for december

2011-12-03T22:45:00.001-06:00

first a recap of last month's goals:

1. have grandpa's house cleared of my stuff, except the freezer stuff that we'll keep there.
done.
2. have at least one meal weekly (preferably the evening meal) that is vegetarian or even vegan
i've been successful, and have usually done more than 1 meal a week, considering i bring a vegetarian lunch somewhat often. yay veggies :-)
3. MOVE. 500 minutes or more of exercise.
i didn't quite make it, but because i was sick for awhile i'm giving myself a pass here. i was about 50 minutes short of 500. frustrating because 500 is not THAT many, but i'll get there :-)

now for december's goals!

1. get both guest rooms in working order (read: guests don't have to sleep between boxes...) and the garage organized
2. MOVE. i'm sticking with the 500 minute mark until i make it, and then i'll increase it :-)
3. come in well under budget in at least 3 of our categories this month. this is clearly a combined effort with my husband, but we did really well this past month so i see no reason to not make it a goal!

recipe of the week: blueberry crumb breakfast cake

2011-12-02T21:36:00.000-06:00

blueberry crumb breakfast cake

you're lucky i took a picture before i devoured it... ;-)

a recipe on pinterest caught my attention a few weeks back

and i decided it had to be made

(even though i'm not necessarily a breakfast person)

i don't know as this is the original pin

but i basically found this post while searching "blueberry crumb breakfast cake"

and it looked amazing

trust me...it's worth every moment. i put everything together on a friday night and popped it into the oven saturday upon getting up. DEFINITELY worth the time waited while it baked.

i made a couple of (very) slight modifications, so i'm listing the recipe as i did it.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

zest from one large lemon

1 cup sugar, plus more for topping

1 egg at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour, measuring out 1/4 cup separately

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup buttermilk *

*to make buttermilk, use the ratio of 1 tbsp lemon juice to 1 cup skim milk (putting the lemon juice into the cup and pouring in milk to the 1 cup line...so technically it's 7 tbsp of milk...7/8 cup...whatever)

cream butter with sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy

add egg and vanilla, beat until combined

toss the fresh blueberries in a bowl with 1/4 cup of flour

whisk together the remaining flour, baking soda and salt

alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk a bit at a time

then fold the blueberries in

after lightly greasing, spread batter in a baking dish

add at least 1 tbsp sugar to the top (i'm pretty sure i'll be using about 1/4 cup from now on. we like a crunchy top.)

this is the point where i popped ours in the fridge overnight. or, you can put it in an oven heated to 350゜

bake approximately 40 - 45 minutes (the original recipe says 35, but allowed up to 10 minutes more for baking. i needed about 42 minutes.)

i test by using a chopstick, but you know...you can use a toothpick or fork :-)

it was ready. YUM.

worth every moment.

what are you waiting for? don't you need some breakfast? :-)

thursday's ten: the newsworthy edition

2011-12-01T11:46:00.001-06:00

wanna know what's NOT news?
anything to do with someone who's famous for being famous
pictures of a kiss
someone's clumsiness or accident while performing.

sometimes we get a little too caught up in that stuff. i have a tendency to care a bit too much about surface stuff like that. but people...it's not news.

wanna know what IS news?

1. people are doing good things. like this guy in pennsylvania who handed $100 bills to poor people in his city and insisted on being annonymous. (story)
that's news.
2. AIDS is declining, and it 20% lower in outbreaks from it's peak in 2005. there are so many great organizations out there giving help and information...that's news.
(story)
3. if you have a local food bank, chances are they could use a little extra in donations. (story)
4, a small "victory" -- a rape victim who was jailed for adultery was released. because she promised to marry her attacker. not sure which is the better fate there... (story)
5. there are really, really good organizations out there that are really really helping people. like Safe Haven, here in nashville (story)
6. teenagers are doing great things...like rescuing people from fires (story)
7. sometimes irony hits: a dog shot his owner while they were hunting. oops. (story)
8. too little too late? but at least it will do good in the future...Penn State is giving 1.5 million to sex crimes groups (story)
9. random acts of kindness DO still happen. in iowa, a woman paid over $1000 to make sure people had running water for thanksgiving. (story)
*i find it incredibly sad that this is characterized as "odd" news. what if we made things like this the normal news?!
10. if wer must talk about celebrities as "news" let's actually talk about what they are doing to contribute to healing and help in the world. yes, entertainment is it's own form of help...but people like bono who are continually using their fame to bring awareness to needs around the world...that's news. (one.org) or even rachael ray and her organization that has teamed up with former president bill clinton (yum-o.org) to fight childhood obesity. come on people. that's news.

so you'll pardon me if i don't get too excited about which kardashian is pregnant and which one says she'll probably never have kids. or worry too much about who j lo is kissing. or do more than say a prayer for and cheer on the celebrity who just entered rehab. all that is gossip, and while it may hold a fleeting interest for a few of us (and we shouldn't feel guilty about being *interested*) ...it's not news. just wanted to draw that line today.

i know we can't all afford (monetarily or with time) to do some of these things. but find something you care about...some good thing...and just donate what you can. you'll be amazed at what a tiny bit can do.

next week we'll be doing a favorite top ten list of mine -- Christmas/holiday movies that you love! please join me :-)

what i'm loving wednesday (11.30)

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000-06:00

i'm loving that emi has similar tastes to mine :-)

(spinach and sour cream dip from trader joe's)

i'm loving this sweet puppy who lived with us for about a week and a half while her family was visiting texas -- she's so much fun!
(emi was not so much loving her though...)

belle :-)

helping us decorate

i'm loving the holiday season, as i do every year.

one of our trees (red and turquoise)

i'm loving the new traditions we're creating while we combine good things from both our families and things we want to do on our own :-)

the wreath on our front door: pine for him, berries for me = perfection

i'm loving the boots i mentioned yesterday

i'm loving my cell group girls...such amazing Godly women...so important in my life

photo by our AMAZING wedding photographer

i'm loving friends i can simultaneously cook and be silly with :-)

i'm loving this, which i'll be explaining a bit more about on a monday soon!

i'm loving going to sporting events with my husband

football (go titans!)

hockey (go PREDS!)

i'm loving that he's my HUSBAND! :-)

i'm loving the sacredness that surrounds this time of year...or at least i'm loving the reminders that all of life is sacred

our advent wreath next to the nativity

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 11.29

2011-11-29T12:14:00.001-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to be pretty certain the new container store at the mall is going to be your new happy place
...to not kare about keeping up with kardashians or how everything they kreate has a k
...to be pretty certain that the previous statement will eventually disappear from your blog because the misspellings are gonna drive you crazy
...to be oh so very thankful for the uber-comfy faux-fur lined boots you picked up for $10. not only do they get compliments EVERY time i leave the house, they are must-haves for cold weather!

...to not believe baby g when the response to "what are you eating?" is "ummm....tongue."
*insert moment to go swipe the fuzz out of baby g's mouth*
...to be re-making the stuffing and potatoes tonight because we ran out of them first and they were the best.
...to be considering chucking the turkey after all the other leftovers are gone. it was good, but come on.
...to be excited that my friend michael logan's song is going to be on one of my favorite shows (parenthood) tonight.
...to once in awhile take a nap when the kid does. because it's just necessary
...to get this blog up approximately 10 hours past the time you meant to. oops :-)

go visit amber's amazing blog and make a list of your own!
also, brownie giveaway ends thursday :-)

meal planning: 11.27 - 12.3

2011-11-27T22:44:00.000-06:00

easiest.meal.plan.week.EVER.

sunday
thanksgiving leftovers

monday
on our own...it's an annie chun noodle bowl with a side salad for me

tuesday
cheesesteak chimichangas

wednesday
thanksgiving leftovers

thursday
on our own, anthony has a work party and i'm not invited.
i'm planning to make a cilantro tomato ranch pasta salad and perhaps eat some other foods he wouldn't like ;-)

friday
MY office Christmas dinner

saturday
orange chicken (from trader joes) with rice (cooked in our new rice cooker)

told you. embarrassingly easy this week, but since it was just the two of us for thanksgiving we have a few more leftovers to plow through!

(ps, don't forget the brownie giveaway!)

thursday's ten (on black friday): the giveaway

2011-11-25T16:53:00.000-06:00

i mentioned earlier that I had a giveaway for today.
sorry i've been black friday shopping and am just now posting!

here are ten things about this giveaway.

1. back in september...ish i signed up with myblogspark to do this

2. i heard back fairly quickly and received my package...about a week before the wedding

3. needless to say, the package sat opened but otherwise untouched for quite awhile

4. the package contained one fun red apron with the betty crocker logo on it, one wilton 9x9 square pan with a lid, one red spatula/stirrer thing, and of course the milk chocolate brownie mix.

5. on friday, anthony had a guys night with a good friend to play a new video game

6. brownies were requested. out came the kit.

7. it was rather late at night, which should somewhat explain the photos you're seeing. (i reaaaalllly liked the spatula stir thingy)

8. the verdict on the brownies was that they were your average brownie...except much more moist than your average brownie. so while the flavor was great it wasn't knock-your-socks-off...but the moisture was amazing.

9. i kind of can't wait to grab another box of these and attempt making my baileys brownies with them...

10. YOU can get an identical package to the one i received. simply post a comment to this post. if you want to tweet about it, just tag me in the tweet (@itslorab) and i'll make sure you get an extra entry!

make sure you are contactable, either by email attached to your blog or put your email in your comment. winner will be drawn december 1.

now, if you'll excuse me...i'm going to go eat a couple of brownies. :-)

*product, information, and giveaway were provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark

today

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

thursday's ten will post tomorrow (it's a giveaway edition so get ready!)

today, reflect
remember
be grateful

for what little you have
for the abundance you have
for the relationships you cherish
for the ones you long for

life is not perfect for any of us
and we on our blogs often forget to show a balanced perspective

so if today isn't ideal for you
if family gatherings are painful or nonexistent, or you simply can't go for any number of reasons

know that
i get it
(really, i do)

but there is always
ALWAYS
something to give thanks for.

and sometimes digging to find it means you find other treasures along the way

so today, be blessed
because you already are.

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 11.22

2011-11-22T07:39:00.000-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to lick the spatula when making brownies
...to be ready to black friday shop. i don't do it like anyone else i know...much more relaxed approach, and i still get good deals. without killing anyone or getting up ridiculously early. (amazon's online deals help a lot, but i actually DO get out and go!)
...to skip meal planning this week, as far as the blog goes. we have a "plan" but i'm not going to get stressed if we don't stick to it. hello holiday week!
...to, however, be planning out our open house menu. i'm including some gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options this year as well as the normal fare, so i want it to be balanced. (if you have favorite holiday finger foods i'd love to hear about it!)
...to love rachael ray, but to be really tired of the "smellavision" comment she makes all.the.time.
...to spend the entirety of baby g's naptime catching up on shows on demand so that i can delete them off the dvr when i get home :-)
...to have way too many photos stored on my computer. currently in the process of backing them ALL up to disk.
...to be ridiculously geeking out and excited that there's now a container store in my city. i'm planning on hitting it up on friday, actually!
...to be quite excited to put up our Christmas decor here in a few days. this will be our first year decorating together, and we have 3 trees planned as well as other fun stuff :-) we do need stockings though. nice ones. any suggestions?
...to be nearly ready to post the giveaway that' i've had for a little over a month and am just now prepared for. in fairness, it came RIGHT before the wedding. i've been a little busy.
...to have placed a clue about the giveaway in this list of things that are ok. extra entry if you correctly guess the right one BEFORE i post about the giveaway :-) (seriously)

visit amber's blog. mostly because she's awesome, but also because she hosts this weekly fun! join us!

thursday's ten: pinterest love

2011-11-17T18:30:00.000-06:00

have i mentioned i love pinterest?

today's list is compiled of ten ideas i've ACTUALLY used from the site! these are the first ten pins i've completed, but i'm sure there will be more editions to come :-)

(1) my very first one was this idea to use magazine racks for pantry organization. i did this pretty much when i moved in in august.

"pinspiration"

i started with one...

and ended up with a "few"

verdict: LOVE. our cans are no longer out of control!

(2) i FLIPPED when i saw the idea of the date stitched into hem of your wedding dress so i asked my friend who was doing the alterations if that was a possibility. she replied that she was already thinking of surprising me with that very thing!

pinspiration

unfortunately, my dress is currently at the in-laws and i can't post a picture of my result...but i'll try to remember to do that later!

verdict: loved making this my something blue, and love it being permanently on the dress!

(3) then i kept seeing a pin for a crock pot breakfast casserole. tried it one saturday morning...

pinspiration

actuality

even though it went IN looking good!

verdict: one time only. it was dry and even though it tasted ok, it's nothing spectacular.

(4) then i saw one using spice shelves for organizing the bathroom sink. since i was frustrated with our medicine bottle organization, i decided to adapt it.

pinspiration

our take on it

verdict: it's not perfect, but it's WAY better than before!

(5) then i saw this one. it was two dressers back to back to make a kitchen island, but that's not what drew me in. see, we had repurposed a similar dresser as our entryway piece, and i wanted it not to look like...a dresser! and i already had some fun bird and branch wall stickers...

pinspiration

result

i love the bird on top :-)

verdict: i really like i, and so does anthony! it's subtle, but just quirky enough to be "us" AND bonus: it makes the repurposed dresser "fit" more in the living area.

(6) i thought these crescent roll desserts looked yummy...

pinspiration

adaption

verdict: we loved them and experiment with other flavor combos when we make them :)

(7) i found another idea i thought was brilliant: sheets stored in their own pillow cases. i decided to try it out.

reality

pinspiration

verdict: it may not look as neat as the original but it definitely makes life easier!

just wanted to prove that the closet as a whole is neater than that shelf!

(8) natasha and i wanted to make one of the several recipes we have found on pinterest. we settled (easily) on buffalo chicken tacos.

pinspiration

we did a build your own bar

Anthony's plate was a work of art!

verdict: we loved them! definitely a keeper recipe

(9) the idea of wine cork journaling was intriguing to me -- basically you open a bottle of wine and have the guests who are there that night sign the cork.

pinspiration

our ONE example :-)

verdict: it's a great idea, but we don't open wine for every occasion that we'd like to remember...and some wine isn't corked! so we'll use it when we have a chance :-)

10) menu dry erase board

pinspiration

ours

verdict: we've just started using it, but so far i'm a fan!

are you a pinterest lover? have you used any of the ideas from the site? tell me!

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 11.15

2011-11-15T12:18:00.001-06:00

hey, it's ok

...to not put up a post yesterday. it was going to be another wedding post but i simply do not have the photos uploaded yet.
...to have JUST added to my to-do list: upload wedding photos
...to wish i could show you photos of the cuteness i just captured from baby g. suffice it to say, she's adorable.
...to be having WAY too much fun with siri on my new iphone
...to be considering putting up a "what i'm wearing" post every week or so BUT
...to then realize that i dress quite casually at least 2 days a week so that would likely be boring for you all
...to feel a sense of accomplishment for getting all my food boards on pinterest organized this morning #dork
...to use hashtags outside of twitter as long as it's not #allthetime #likethis #seewhatididthere
...to be ready to have our crap organized and the house looking GREAT
...to realize that is not going to happen in the next week or two based on our schedules
...to have to be ok with that

please visit this great blog to see the original and link up with your own list of things that are ok!

weekly meal planning 11.13 - 11.19

2011-11-13T11:30:00.000-06:00

unfortunately our week kinda went...crazy. i'm updating to what we are ACTUALLY having :-)

sunday
lunch out with friends
dinner: bbq chicken cheddar pitas (recipe coming soon: these were GOOD!)

monday
dinner: on our own, i'm working late. i'm having tortellini minestrone leftovers

tuesday
dinner: at the hockey game. brats anyone?

wednesday
since we both worked past 8, we met for dinner at ChickFila

thursday
italian shells hamburger helper and salad

friday
pizza, salad and brownies for dessert

saturday
breakfast: blueberry crumb breakfast cake
lunch: chili cheese dogs
dinner: french onion soup (new recipe)

it's a great day to go to birmingham

2011-11-12T07:26:00.000-06:00

so.

anthony is a nashville native. but he went to school in texas.
and while he was there, he developed a love for whataburger.

especially the chocolate malts.

a couple of years ago we drove down to texas for a friends wedding and i had MY first whataburger

and yes, it was very good :-)

fast forward: last year a couple of girlfriends and i went to the beach. destin, fl.
our hotel? right next to a...whataburger. which until then, i thought only existed in texas.

this year when natasha and i planned out our trip
i specifically planned in a whataburger run
and asked anthony if he wanted me to bring him back anything
his request?
"if you can find dry ice, could you bring me a malt?"

on the way down there, we noticed something.
from birmingham to florida, there were whataburgers in nearly every city along the way.

whataburger is only 3 hours away from nashville.

anthony had NO idea.
when i brought him his malt, i let him think it was from florida.
he remarked on how well it had traveled
(3 hours in regular ice...but he didn't know that!)

meanwhile, my wheels were turning.

i planned this in freaking AUGUST, people :-)

but long story short, he now knows.
(it took 30 minutes of guessing on his part before he said
"wait...there's a WHATABURGER in BIRMINGHAM?!")

we're heading out this morning and hitting up whataburger for lunch.
followed by a visit to birmingham's zoo
(because we love zoos, and why not?)
and dinner at...whataburger again.

hey, we may as well make the most of the trip down there, right? :-)

have a wonderful day!

recipe (challenge) of the week: creamy pesto chicken over fusilli

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

i should do this sort of thing more often. it most definitely stretched me to be a bit creative!

in mid october, we were freshly back from our honeymoon and i realized that although we needed to eat...we hadn't been to the grocery store since a week before the wedding. which meant at least 2 weeks.

oops.

so, i decided that i would create a meal using only things that were currently in the fridge/freezer or pantry.

it turned out pretty well! so...here's what i came up with. very simple, and few ingredients...obviously!

creamy pesto chicken over fusilli

1 cup combined freshly grated asiago and parmasen cheese (i used 3/4 cup asiago, 1/4 cup parmasen)
3/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons pesto
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
cooked fusilli or pasta of your choice

in small saucepan over low-medium heat, combine half and half with cheeses and stir until cheese begins to melt and mixture is creamy. add pesto and combine until well blended.

layer chicken tenders in a glass baking dish.

generously cover chicken with the creamy pesto misture, but reserve some of the pesto for pouring over pasta and chicken later.

bake at 350 for 30 minutes

serve over pasta, enjoy!

thursday's ten: the oops, i forgot editio

2011-11-10T09:09:00.000-06:00

well, the time change happened, much to my dismay.

i have been a little off-kilter since sunday. we will blame it on the time change at least ;-)

so at approximately 8.29 am, i realized that i forgot to write today's thursdays ten.

oops.

so today is easy :-) please join me and catch me up on your lives! today is ten things that are going on for you right now, ten things you've done this week, or ten upcoming things that you're excited about :-)

i am choosing the first topic: ten things about my life at this moment. in complete and total randomness!

(1) we have been married over a month! in some ways that doesn't seem possible...but in other ways i think i feel more "right" than i ever have in my life. :-)
(2) we are finishing up this week cleaning out grandpas house (where i lived the months between foreclosure and marriage). there's really not that much left to do, which is why we've been putting it off. ha!
(3) i got back from the honeymoon to find out that the office i had been working 10 hours/week in was asking me to work more hours. this was a huge blessing and gift from God...fulfilling my hearts desire. i now have 24 in-office hours and 5 at home hours per week. yep, my hours tripled!
(4) if i haven't mentioned what i actually DO there, the basic rundown is that it's a non-profit online university that literally gives away (to international students and prisoners in the US) a religious studies degree to those who wouldnt ordinarily be able to afford it. i work in student services/registrar most of those hours, but i also get the privilege of grading prisoners work.
(much more about that in another post!)
(5) i hate colder weather, but i do so love dressing in layers and wearing cute scarves and boots. i guess that keeps me sane this time of year?
(6) if i never have to hear the handy manny toolbox toy that baby g plays with again i will be so happy.
(7) next weeks list will be ten things from pinterest i have actually completed! i would LOVE to see lists from those of you who are similarly addicted... :-)
(8) i love children's books and definitely want to get a couple for the kids i nanny for as part of their christmas. do you have any recommendations? (they are 3 and 1)
(9) we have found a church that we LOVE. it's nearly an hour from our house. i have lots of time to apply my makeup and clip each weeks coupons though...
(10) about a month ago, i told A that i was taking him on an "adventure" this saturday--a one day trip out of state. he finally decided this past sunday night that he wanted to know what it was. so we played a (very long) guessing game until he got it. he's really excited about it, and i can't wait to share with you what it is! it's small...but it's one of those little things i can do for him that'll make him happy :-)

(look for a post on it saturday...and i will post pictures next week)

that's not all that's going on, but it covers some serious ground! what about you??