Thursday 13: Favorite Snacks

Ah, I am late getting my Thursday 13 ready! Sorry! It has been a crazy week (more on that later), and a crazy morning! I started working on my list last night, but I just finished it. This week's topic is favorite snacks. In no particular order (and with a little regard to health):

1. Pretzels. Duh.

Source: google.com via Debra on Pinterest

Don't you love this pretzel painting?

2. Dried fruit. Expensive, but worth it. Maybe I will steal my mother-in-law's fruit drying thingy--what do they call those things?

Source: google.co.uk via Jack on Pinterest

3. Banana with peanut butter. All time favorite, especially in place of bad-for-me goodies that I am trying to stay away from.

Source: traintosweatt.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

4. Granola bars. I like the crunchy ones that make lots of crumbs!

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie.com via Emily on Pinterest

5. Trail mix. Granola, raisins and M&Ms: done!

Source: tasteofhome.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Just like my Momma made it!

6. Cheese. Another duh. If you don't like cheese, we can't be friends.

Source: theglitterguide.tumblr.com via Glitter on Pinterest

I love it ALL!

7. Kisses. Made of chocolate, that is.

Source: thetomkatstudio.com via Chrissy on Pinterest

8. Fresh fruit. Except apples. I'm sick of apples.

Source: goo.gl via Rowan on Pinterest

9. Yogurt. I mix vanilla with frozen berries.

Source: clinical-scientists.com via Pejman, on Pinterest

10. Chocolate milk. Filling. Sort of nutritious. Good substitute for the brownie I am craving.

Source: google.com via Angelica on Pinterest

11. Oatmeal. Sometimes it's all I need to fill my belly until the next meal. To bad it's supposed to actually be a meal.

Source: letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com via Ashlee on Pinterest

12. Carrots. Dipped in something delicious. Like blue cheese dressing. Or it's healthier cousin, hummus.

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via denissova on Pinterest

13. Ice cream. A third duh. And the death of me. Oh, ice cream, I love you.

Source: sodahead.com via Cindy on Pinterest

My favorite!! 

Go check out what Chloe's favorite snacks are, and link up!

Whoopie!!!!

You're allowed to go off your "diet" (I use that term loosely) when it is "that time of the month," right?

I sure hope so.

Because I just went grocery shopping and bought myself a delicious whoopie pie. 

Yes, I plan on eating that whole thing. Don't let the outfit fool you--I did not go to the gym today. 

Let tomorrow be a new day...

Benny's got a new pair of shoes!

I purchased my wedding shoes today!! Yay! They are flats (score!) and gold (double score!) and I love them dearly! I wish I could wear them tomorrow...but I won't.

Before buying my shoes, James and I had a very fancy dinner of hot dogs. Check out my masterfully applied mustard.

 {day 6}

And these are my wedding shoes! I don't have a problem sharing them early. They're special, yes, but not too special to give a sneak peek!

{day 7}

Aren't they cute as a button?

Holiday Traditions: Part 2

Welcome back for "Holiday Traditions: Part 2." Today I have the pleasure of introducing my friend Meghan to the blog! Meghan and I went to college together and graduated from the same program. I didn't even know she had a blog until I put out the request for guest posts! I guess I have a lot of catch-up reading to do! You can check her out here. But, for now, without further ado, Meghan's holiday tradition.

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A Can of Cherries, a Bit of Brandy, and the Perfect Christmas Eve

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Christmas Eve.  To me, it is the most magical moment of the whole holiday season.  The house is twinkling, the tree is sparkling, and there just seems to be excitement, wonder, and love in the air.  I cherish the way that this night seems to bring peace and tranquility, a stillness to the world, which is not seen often throughout the year.  It is just one of those nights that you truly believe you can hear the angels sing.  It is Christmas Eve which holds my most dear and beloved of holiday traditions.

The traditions of this glorious night always involved my Grandma.  Even as I write this, I can still picture her sitting in the rocking chair by the window in her warm, red turtle neck sweater, with a cup of tea and smile on her face, clearly loving her family and being loved by them in return.  Although she has passed, I cannot help but think of her when I think of Christmas Eve.  These traditions are her and to me they are Christmas.   I have many traditions of this night of which I could write, such as the unwrapping of one present from my Grandma, always an ornament, or the opening of the box from our friends in Germany, but it is the Christmas Eve dessert which holds a very special place in my heart.  

My Grandma was English through and through and so is our Christmas Eve dessert, Cherries Jubilee.  Cherries Jubilee was first made to celebrate Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations in the late 1800s.  It is a delicious and decadent dessert that will forever be a part of my Christmas Eve.  I am sure that each year, when it is lit on fire (yes, that's right) I will forever hear my Grandma going "ooo!"  How could I not?  That was part of the tradition after all :)

Well, I hope you enjoy my very easy recipe for Cherrie's Jubilee and that you have a blessed Christmas Eve filled with family, love, peace, joy, and a little bit of holiday magic.

Source: janessweets.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Cherries Jubilee

Ingredients: canned bing cherry pie filling (you could make the cherries from scratch but this is what makes it so wonderful!), brandy, vanilla ice cream

1.  Pour the canned cherries into a pot.  Heat the cherries on the stove, stirring occasionally.

2.  Transfer the cherries into a bowl.

3.  In front of your guests, pour a good amount of brandy onto the cherries.  (Remember, it needs to catch on fire!)

4.  Using a match or lighter, set the cherries and brandy on fire. 

5.  "Oooo" and "Ahh" while the blue flames dance around the bowl (not necessary but very Grandmaesque)

6.  Serve cherries on vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

*For a truly English treat, drink a nice cup of tea with a splash of brandy while enjoying your Cherries Jubilee!

my hand hurts and my sweet tooth is disappointed

I'm on campus right now. I just finished eating a tasty sandwich, prepared by James, and a juicy green pear. But, I was still in need of a little something sweet, so I scrounged my change purse for $1.25 and set my sights on a bag of peanut M&Ms from the vending machine. I'm sure you can guess the rest of my sad tale. My M&Ms got stuck and wouldn't fall down the slot. I gave the machine a few good bangs with the heel of my hand--to no avail. So now I have a tingly hand and an even more intense desire for peanut M&Ms.

Not surprisingly, I was having second thoughts about whether I should get myself a treat in the first place. You see, I've been paying little attention to what I've been eating lately. Case in point: we bought a package of Oreos on Sunday. James ate 6. The package is empty. You do the math. So, did I need M&Ms today? Definitely not! Do I still want them? Definitely yes! Is this a sign that I need to stop eating crap whenever I want to? I'm sure of it. Darn--I've been caught! I'm going to work on it. I am. I'll start right after tonight's dessert.

Day 4: favorite color

James and I had lunch at Giffy's Bar-B-Q today, and their name on the placemat just happens to be my favorite color! Good, old-fashioned green. Since green isn't the most exciting thing to talk about, how about we talk about the BBQ!!!! Amazing!!!!!! I had ribs, corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw and cornbread with delicious honey butter. Wow. James had chicken with a mashed potato and corn.

We said we'd share, but we didn't. We sort of sat there in silence and inhaled our food. And then we sat in more silence because we were too stuffed to talk. Then, we ordered a piece of chocolate cake (which we did share) and inhaled that as well. Needless to say, I came home and slept for about two hours. It was a beautiful Sunday!

Ryan's Farmers Market

I have a new favorite place to shop--Ryan's Farmers Market. I have driven past it a million times and I finally stopped in last Thursday after work. So glad I did! The owner, Mike Ryan, personally introduced himself to me and showed me around the store. It is the largest indoor farmers market in the Capital District, and they have been around for 93 years! I love that they are open every day (except Sunday, bless their souls), that they have produce and meats from as many local farmers as possible, and that (from what I can tell so far) they are some of the sweetest people I've met. Last week I picked up a pint of cherry tomatoes, a bag of red roasting potatoes, and a pint of strawberries for just over $5. Today I stopped in and got a head of leafy green lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 2 peaches, a red pepper, a bag of snap peas, a grapefruit, 3 apples, 4 slices of dried papaya, 2 pounds of organic chicken, and 2 bricks of local cheese for....$16.34! Honestly, that's insane. I feel like going to Hannaford tomorrow and trying to buy the exact same food--wonder what my price would be! Even if it does cost more to shop at Ryan's (which I doubt), I feel so good about shopping somewhere that supports local/small farms, strives to provide fresh organic produce, and does it all while a genuine smile. I can only say great things about this place, and I am psyched to make it one of my regular places to shop!

It all began with a "U-shaped" bean...

...inspiring me to play with my food and show a little love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Updating My Health Goals

So, I told you a few weeks ago that I joined a local gym. Wahoo for me, right? Ugh, I tell ya, it is a lot of work, but I am slowly but surely making it a habit! One of the perks of joining the gym is a free consultation with a personal trainer. I had my consultation about a week after I joined and it went really well--so well, in fact, that I decided to continue to work with my trainer once a week for three months. Yes, it is another expense, particularly when I am on a strict budget, but I feel that at this point in my life my health is really priceless. If hiring a personal trainer for three months to get my butt in gear is what I need to succeed in reaching a healthy lifestyle, then the price is really irrelevant. (But at $39 per session, I think I'm getting a really great deal!)

I met with Alexa (my trainer) on Thursday morning and she helped me to figure out my realistic goals for getting healthy.

1. Lose 20 pounds. This one is the hardest to swallow for a few reasons. First, when Alexa weighed me I found out that I weigh not 160 pounds (like I thought) but 170 pounds! Have I really let myself go that badly?! Losing 10 pounds felt do-able to me, but 20 pounds is daunting! Second, in my case losing weight means taking a much closer look at my diet. SCARY! I have never really paid much attention to my eating. I do chose healthy foods, and I love fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. But portion control? Monitoring fats? Umm...this is going to be a challenge. 
2. Get to the gym at least 3 times per week. This is something I feel like I can do, and once working out becomes easier and more of a habit, I can see myself really enjoying this time. The plan right now is to work out with Alexa once a week, go to yoga once a week, and make it at least one other day per week. So far, I have been able to exceed this goal, which feels great!

So how will I achieve my goals? First, I am keeping a food log so that I can visually see what I am eating each day. Alexa will take a look at it and let me know where I can make changes. This is only the third day I've been writing down my food intake, but it has already changed the way I eat. If I'm embarrassed to write it down, I'm less likely to eat it--that thought process has been a huge help to me. I want to impress Alexa and myself by being able to look at my diet and see all of the good choices I've made. Next, I'm buying even more fresh produce than I usually do and staying away from empty calories and fatty snacks. I would rather treat myself to a piece of cake when I go out to dinner than eat Oreos every day. So, if they stay out of my house, they stay out of my diet. Except for those treats, which I don't need to feel bad about if they are only once a week or so. As far as making sure I get to the gym on a steady basis, it just requires me to schedule my time a little more carefully and make working out a priority, right up there with doing my homework, spending time with James, and going to class. To help me with this, I took an inventory of all of the things I need to get done this week and literally wrote out a schedule for Monday-Friday. Being a student, I have a sporadic schedule, so I prioritized my work and school assignments, and fit in the gym as part of my week. As of right now, I'm going to make it to the gym every day except Monday (plus I went today), so I have already exceeded my goal!

I never thought that I would get excited about health and fitness, but the more I spend time at it, the stronger I feel about its importance in my life, and yours too! If you aren't taking care of your body the way you should be, like I wasn't, consider making a change. It is easier than it seems--take it from someone who (now) knows!

Hearts and Hands: Homemade Christmas

So, now that Christmas is over, I am officially able to publicly share some of the gifts I made for my family. I was going to post them on facebook when I first made them, but feared that someone would see them. I tried to go as homemade as possible this year with gifts. Of course, I had to buy a few things here and there, but it was fun to make gifts that were either sentimental, practical, or both! I don't have pictures of everything, but I'll share what I do and just tell you about the rest.

For Mom and Dad: photo/message blocks
I stole this idea from Yummy Mommy, and they came out pretty well for my first shot! I won't recreate the tutorial that Michele created, but I will tell you that I did a few things differently (mostly because I am impatient and impulsive, not because they weren't good ideas). I didn't sand/paint the edges--once they were done I liked the way they looked and I was afraid of doing what I so often do: too much. I decided with this project I would leave less as more. I also decided to paint one side of each of the blocks with chalkboard paint rather than putting letters onto the blocks because I wanted my mom to be able to change the message and the pictures as often as she wants. So, each block has 1 chalkboard, 2 photos, and 3 sides of decorative paper.

P.S. They loved it!

For the "other" men in my life (my brothers, James' brother, and my sister's beau): homemade salsa, a bag of chips, and homemade chip-clips
James took a day off from work and we baked a made salsa all day--it was a blast! I got the recipe out of my Ball canning recipe book, and it was delicious! I picked up really good whole wheat chips at $3 a bag, and threw in some decoupaged clothespins with magnets on the back (I'll have to throw in some pictures of these in a later post when I make more), and voila: a handy, yummy, crafty gift.


For my girls (one sister, a sister-in-law, and a someday sister-in-law): matching earrings with a twist
I had some beautiful turquoise beads that I've wanted to use for a while, and all of my girls are a little earthy, so turquoise makes a beautiful go-to stone. I personally think that turquoise matches everything, but I've been known to make some bad matches in my day. At any rate, each of the three ladies was made a pair of earrings with turquoise, but different accents. Kaitlin received a ring of freshwater pearls hanging from each ear from which dangled a turquoise disc. For Kelly, I repurposed gold leaves from an antique earring, again paired with turquoise. And Meg received earrings that featured a cluster of classic white pearls with the turquoise. I hope that each fit their personalities, and hopefully you will agree when I post pictures!

For my baby cousin: a no-sew fleece blanket
I'm sure you have all seen these. I followed a tutorial, which I can't find anymore, but just google it and choose one--you can't go wrong. Again, did I take a picture before wrapping it up and giving it away, no. But, I'm planning to make another one for baby's big sister for Valentine's Day, so I'll take a picture then (and even add my own tutorial).

For my cousins, I made a donation to Show Hope, an awesome organization founded by one of my favorite musicians, Steven Curtis Chapman and his beautiful wife and family.

James and I filled stockings for each other with little gifts, and we're instead giving the "gift of experience" by sharing a play and nice dinner out together.

Every year I attempt to simplify Christmas, get back to it's true meaning and, in turn, give meaningful and heartfelt gifts. I think this year was a success, and Christmas meant so much more.