it's a great day to get more fingernail polish

today's agenda: cook, clean, go to target and buy a new shade of nail polish (because why not), play games/watch movies with anthony and his sisters (they're hanging out today and tomorrow with us), babysit for a family i used to nanny for (i haven't seen the kids for awhile so i'm really looking forward to that!) and just...chill.  i'm good with that plan.

how about you? anything crazy happening over your weekend?

monday's memory: the one with january's photos

this is pretty much a photo dump post, but i said i was going to post my daily photos here, so i'm following through :-)


i have discovered a couple of things through taking these
1- i take a lot of pictures of food
2 - looking back through my photos makes me hungry.  because of #1.


so.  here ya go.  january 2012 in photos

what i'm loving wednesday (2.1)

it's been awhile since i've participated, but not for lack of things to be loving!

so here's a very short list of what is making my heart full at the moment :-)

i'm loving my cell group girls...what an AMAZING group of God-seekers who daily inspire and uplift me. 

i'm loving my amazing husband who cleans the kitchen to surprise me on regular occasions, who won't let me touch the vacuum, who changes the litter box in rotation without complaint, and who will look at me at times and say "let's just watch big bang theory instead of organizing that room tonight".  balance, people.  we have it.

i'm loving intentional time spent with friends.  in my new year's post i mentioned that i wanted to let my yes be yes.  anthony is doing the same...i don't even know if he's meant for it to end up that way, but in looking back over january, we have had 12 separate occasions where friends have come over, shared a meal or conversation, and just enjoyed being with each other.  february is shaping up to be similar and we LOVE that.

(can i also just say i'm loving the creativity of those God lets me call "mine"?  cooking in my kitchen with my husband and/or my girlfriends makes my heart sing in a way i never noticed before.  and that's just one facet of the creativity surrounding me!)

i'm loving the warmer weather lately.  i mean, 64 and sunny yesterday.  come ON.


i'm loving opportunities to make some extra cash while loving on people's kids.  i'm so thankful for the opportunities to invest in their lives while at the same time put a few extra dollars towards non-necessities and paying off debt.

i'm loving being healthier and happier...i'm still slowly progressing in weight loss, but it's not necessarily about that.  i'm moving more, even if it isn't "true" exercise...staying active and having fully nutritious food 90% of the time makes those nights that i need to be a slug and consume chili cheese fries perfectly ok.

i'm loving great changes on the horizon...SO excited about what God is doing right now.

it's a short list, yes...but my heart overflows.

menu 1.29 - 2.4

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

thursday's ten: currently

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?

recipe of the week: gnocchi w/wild mushroom soup

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!)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 1.10

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)

thursday's ten: about 2012

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?

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

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

what i'm loving wednesday (9.21)

i'm loving that i got to spend last friday night with some of my best girlfriends.  my maid of honor and bridesmaids threw my bachelorette/lingerie shower and it.was.a.blast!  truly, i was just happy to spend time with some of my favorite people...the rest was a nice bonus!
i'm loving that my future husband makes a mean lasagna, and that we have leftovers to last us quite awhile!  can we say comfort food?
i'm loving that baby g's favorite thing right now is to grab the nearest soft blanket or stuffed animal and call for "snuggles?"
i'm loving the flex hours with my office job.  i get to take babysitting jobs, which means more income, and work from home, and pretty much waltz into the office when i feel like it.  i try to the majority of my hours in AT the office, but it does mean that most of the time i can go into work at 10 am and miss the craaaazy traffic.  and feeling professional 3 out of 5 workdays a week is A-MAZING.
i'm loving that pumpkin delights are back.  ahhh, and that the stores near me carry them! (last year i only found them in one store!)
i'm loving fitting comfortably into (most of) my size 6 wardrobe.  there are some outfits that just won't work yet, but i'm so happy to say hello again to some of my professional clothes...
i'm loving thrift store finds.  i have bought a gazillion glass pieces for the reception for less than $50.  bonus is that i don't have any sentimental "hold" if something gets damaged or lost!

what i'm loving wednesday .6

i'm loving snuggles with toddlers

i'm loving that the weather being 90+ and humid means it's perfect acceptable to wear a dress any day of the week for any event.

i'm loving chunky jewelry and mixing & matching different pieces i've made to feel creative again.  i'm about to revamp my etsy shop, i think and actually try selling a few things again!

i'm loving that i start with a new family next week.  sad to see this job end, but it was such a positive and perfectly fitting together transition that i'm excited about the future. :-)

i'm loving twitter.  i thought it was SO tacky for SO long, and now...i'm kinda addicted.

i'm loving times of worship and ministry...the last couple of weeks have been so amazing and God has been doing such great things in my life!

i'm loving that for a few moments life has slowed down and that i get to be creative in the kitchen again more often.  perhaps a few more recipes will make their way to these pages soon :-)

i'm loving times spent with girlfriends sipping cups of hot tea or trying new foods or just sitting in the car for an hour telling stories.

i'm loving my amazing fiancé who is willing to stumble down this crazy road with me hand in hand.

i'm loving that i know that i know that i know that God is our amazing provider...and is giving me more than i could ever ask or imagine!