Asian Broccoli Slaw

Thought I would share a really easy Asian Slaw I made this weekend. You can buy the bags of Broccoli slaw at the store. Looks like this....It has broccoli, carrots and red cabbage. You can make it yourself, but why? This looks delicious...

Anyways, threw that in a bowl and cut up about 5 green onions. Throw them in and add pepper. Roughly chop some walnuts (or any kind of nut) and add 1/4 cup of Brianna's Ginger Asian dressing. You've seen it before...they have all kinds of flavors to choose from.
Here is the French.











Try it out.

Much Love.

Vegetable Challenge

Look at all of those great vegetables!

Matt and I just started a December challenge (we do weird things like this sometimes). We were trying to think of something that would be a CHALLENGE. We do not eat enough vegetables so we have challenged each other to have a serving of vegetables every day. After doing some digging online, I found this incredible blog... http://greatbigvegchallenge.blogspot.com/ Check it out! You can hear about her "vegetable challenge" to get her son to like vegetables by eating through the alphabet! How fabulous?

So, I am going to try to keep you up to date on our vegetable journey which is definitely going to be longer than a month.

So far, we have been eating broccoli, carrots or celery every day. How boring is that? We need to pick it up a bit.

We are going to be adding asparagus, squash, and leeks over the next week. I will post pictures soon!

Much Love.

Christmas is here

Christmas is finally here and we have been so busy. We decided to do another live tree this year and I am so glad we did. They are not perfect, by any means, but they are so worth the imperfections. This one seemed too skinny and not very full, but it has made that little corner just explode with delight! I walk in my door and I get this amazing feeling! It is just beautiful. Last year, we received this ornament for Mabel. It's my favorite ornament. It is front and center on my tree, right next to Dusty's (RIP) collar.

As promised in my last post, I was able to make the Mexican Casserole from Janetha (Meals and Moves).

Here it is:

The list of exact ingredients are in my last post.

Saute your onions and green bell peppers in olive oil.

Make sure they are soft.

Then add Ground Turkey

Break it up and cook meat. Add taco seasoning and combine.

Once meat is cooked and taco seasoning is fully incorporated, add rice, tomatoes (I used can) and black beans (rinsed).

Add enchilada sauce and greek yogurt and stir.
Then add LOTS of cheese!

Then bake! YUM! It was beyond delicious! And the leftovers are even better.

Ok, next. While I was cooking the casserole, I realized I had a half of an onion left over and some leftover ingredients in the fridge. So, I made a greek salad. YUM.

Start with chopped onions (bigger than a dice).

Chop a seedless cucumber and add to the colorful bowl!
Add a couple of swirls of extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle a generous teaspoon of Greek Seasoning.

Stir together. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Cut up a handful of cilantro and add to salad.

Finish by taking a lime and squeezing half in the bowl. If you like ALOT of citrus, add the whole thing!

Enjoy!

Much Love.

A better blogger.....

She looks like a good blogger......

I would like to become a better blogger. You know, one that people want to read because it's enjoyable. How do I do that? Maybe I need to take a class. Or maybe I just need to become more dedicated to my blog. My posts are obviously boring because I don't even like reading them, so I need to step it up on that end as well. So, here is me trying to step it up.

Mexican Casserole

Matt follows this amazing blog called Meals and Moves. Janetha gives HEALTHY recipes and they really are good! We have made several. This one looked AMAZING and we are actually trying it tonight. I will blog tomorrow (see I'm trying here.....) and let you know how it goes.

<--- This picture is from Janetha's Meals and Moves website. I hope mine looks this good.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey, chicken or beef
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 (15 oz) can black beans
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 (11 oz) can green enchilada sauce
1 cup 0% plain greek yogurt (can sub sour cream)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chiles
avocado or guacamole for garnish
serve with whole wheat tortillas

Directions

In a skillet, sauté onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat.

When they soften, add your ground turkey.

Add the taco seasoning.

Once your meat is cooked, add rice, tomatoes and black beans. Mix well.

Pour in Enchilada Sauce

Add greek yogurt.

Add cheese.

At the very end add the chiles.

Pour it all into a 9×13 baking dish and cover with more cheese!

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until warmed through

Toast some tortillas

Serve with guacamole.

So, there it is. I think it's going to be delicious. YUM YUM YUM!!

Much love.

New addictions

Lately I have been finding fabulous new blogs that I am becoming addicted to. I wanted to share...

1. Ruby Press- a ultra chic boutique that blogs about their favorite finds.
http://rubypr.com/blog/

2. Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone-it's just great.....enough said.
http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/

3. What's up Whimsy- a girl trying to get into the interior design world describing herself as "contemporary whimsey, with a hint of vintage" <--- Exactly my style!
http://www.whatsupwhimsy.com/

Enjoy! And have a great weekend!
Much Love.

Singing In The Rain/Umbrella

I had to share this video. It was so great watching this on Tuesday. I bought the song on iTunes the very next day. Is there a song that resonates with you always? Umbrella was that song. It reminded me of college and everytime I hear it, I sing at the top of my lungs. Now, I believe I will be singing this song at the top of my lungs! Have a wonderful Thursday!!


Much Love.

Building a buffer...

My sister Robin sent this to me this morning. I had to share. It is exactly what I needed right now. I hope you have a great start to your week.

Build a Buffer Around Your Schedule by Rick Warren

Reverence for God adds hours to each day. Proverbs 10:27 (LB)
"Without margin in your life, you'll think, Oh, no! Another thing to do! Sorry, God -- I'd like to do that, but I'm just too busy."

In preparation for a decade of destiny, we’ve been talking about the need to be physically healthy – that God wants us to take care of our bodies. And I want to stress one more time that unrelenting stress harms our bodies. Why do we wait until our health plummets before we decide to create margin in our lives? The Bible teaches that your body needs downtime in order to heal and re-energize. Listen to why this is so important: when you’re overloaded by activity, you can only think of yourself. You’re in survival mode, just trying to make it through another day. And that limits your usefulness in ministry!When you have no downtime or margin in your life and God taps you on the shoulder, saying, “I’d like you to do this for me,” your first response isn’t joy. Your first response is, “Oh, no! Another thing to do! Sorry, God -- I’d like to do that, but I'm just too busy.” We end up resenting the great opportunities God brings into our lives. But when we deliberately and specifically add downtime into our lives, we become available for God to use us as we head into this decade of destiny. You don’t have to live on overload. You don’t have to live in survival mode. Begin today to build a buffer around your schedule. Then enjoy the benefits of margin -- and see what God does next!

It was so nice to see the MANY different types of people that came to support Robin at the benefit on Saturday. It speaks volumes about her and the way she has touched so many lives. It is just astounding. I know she is fulfilling God's plans by bringing people closer to Him and it is working!! He is going to heal her and allow everyone to be IN AWE OF HIM!

Just trying to stay above water....

Have you ever felt that you are sinking slowly and you are desperately just trying to keep your nose and mouth above water so you can breathe??

That is where I am right now. I am taking three graduate classes and up until this point it has been fine. I teach all day and then after school I work on my grad school material before going to class. Since we are getting to the end of the semester, the work is increasing and my teaching is getting more stressful. I have a breakdown once a week to Matt. I just sit and cry and say that I can't do it. I agreed to coach the Academic Team and the Dance Team again this year and it has been a lot of fun. But pairing those teams with 3 grad classes and full time teaching is WAY TOO MUCH and I feel as though I am on the brink of a nervous breakdown. I do not want to sit here and get people to feel sorry for me....but it is nice to just write this down and get it out. Ok, I'm done.

On to a much lighter note, my sister's benefit is this saturday and I am so excited about it. The girls have worked so hard and have done an absolute fabulous job. There are so many people coming to support Robin and show her love! Please come out and have some yummy food and drinks and get your dance on!! It is going to be a blast. It starts at 8:00pm @ Newport Central Catholic and it is $25 at the door.

It has come...

The time has come for Robin to return to MD Anderson in Houston and get the reports on whether or not the chemo has been working. I feel like this day has been drawing near for some time now. I cannot believe it has been almost 9 weeks since Robin was in Houston last time. I think back to that time when she couldn't walk, she looked 8 months pregnant because of the fluid and tumors in her ovaries, and the way she looked so darn sick. It makes me nauseous thinking about it.

Now, 9 weeks and 4 chemo treatments later, she walks a mile a day, plans birthday parties like nothing is wrong and plays with Mora and Lucia all the time. The chemo has to be working. I keep telling myself this, but I think that is where I am thinking wrong. No, I am not wrong about it working, I am wrong about the chemo. God is healing her. I know he is. And that is a big step for me to say, especially on my blog where anyone can read. I am such a public school teacher, where I know I have to keep my beliefs on religion to myself, as to not have an agenda toward anything. Well, this is not my professional career....this is my sister! I will not hold back when it comes to her, especially because it is her that has taught me to have this type of relationship with Him. I used to think that if I went to church and was a good person, I would be fine. Nope. I must have a relationship with him....this is not a one way street and I have learned to talk to him about my day and my worries (although He already knows them-but I like to say them out loud to make sure!). Since then, I have been calmer and feel as though he is showing me that there is nothing to be afraid of in this situation. He is protecting her and I know that He will not let harm come her way. He does and always has had a plan for her, and I am thinking now that it is to be an inspiration to others going through similar situations. She is just amazing!!!

Thank you to everyone who has been storming Heaven in her behalf. I really appreciate it and I know he is listening. If you have some extra prayers, please don't stop! Also, please send a few up there for my dear friend, Cassie, to be blessed with something she has wanted her entire life, a child. She is another one that God had another plan for her....she is an inspiration to those wanting a child. Her blog is amazing...and I know that God has His hand on her as well.

Much Love.

An Amazing Weekend...

Wow, where do I begin? This past weekend was incredible and was exactly what Matt and I needed right now. We arrived to Chicago at about 11:30pm on Friday night after a very long week. We headed straight to Boystown, an area in Lakeview, to pick up Matt's race information that our friend Chucky had picked up for us earlier in the week (so nice of him). I also got to see the lounge that Chucky works at and it was so cool. Very ultra chic and stylish. I wish we could've stayed longer but Matt needed to go to bed early for the race the next morning.

We woke up around 5:45am on Saturday and Matt stretched and then left and walked about 1.5 miles to where the race started. I was able to take my time getting ready and head to Starbucks and really enjoy walking the streets of downtown early in the morning. Our hotel was 1 block west from the Navy Pier and 1 block east of Michigan Ave so we were at a perfect area. On my way to the race, I caught this perfect picture over the river coming in from the lake. The sun was coming up and it was beautiful. I actually sat on the bridge for about 10 minutes just looking at the city light up by the sun. How corny, huh? When I finally came back to reality, I headed to the race. I met these lovely 2 women who come to Chicago every year for the Urbanathalon to watch their husbands and they knew the perfect spot to watch the runners to catch them at 2 different places. It was so perfect. So, I caught him running during his 2nd mile here (we were all cheering for him, that is why he is looking at me!) and then caught him again by the lake doing his 2nd obstacle (police barriers and construction barriers-see below for complete list of obstacles).

Mattis in all white. Matt actually did really well in the race. He finished 68/about 3,000. The numbers are a little off as to how many total ran because there were a number of relay teams and they count as 1.

I was so proud of him! Here we are as soon as he crossed the finish line. And guess what we did after the race?? SHOPPING! What a trooper. I did give him some time to shower and rest for about a half hour at the hotel, but we did not want to waste our time in Chicago in the hotel. So, we walked up and down Michigan Avenue and had a ball. We then headed to the Navy Pier and spent some time with Chucky, which was so fun!

Saturday night we went to Province Restaurant and we were so happy with our selection. It was delicious! If you are in Chicago soon, please try it! The chef really takes care of the customers and sends out a "taster" of his style right when you sit down. It is something that is not on the menu but a way to show you his type of cooking. We started with Goat Cheese Fondue with herb crisps! WOW! If I wouldn't have been afraid of being kicked out I would've licked the bowl. Matt decided to get a BBQ lamb with chorizo and cornbread and I got rare tuna with caper and red pepper vinaigarette. Umm, I cannot even describe to you how delicious it tasted. And to top it off, it was VERY AFFORDABLE! Gosh, I could really go on and on about it! YUM!

We drove back on Sunday and we were glad to get home to see Mabel. And I think she was glad to back to her home. She loves staying with my mom, but she curled up on our bed and did not move the whole night. We put this on her about 40 minutes before I took this picture. It looks like she enjoys it.

I hope everyone enjoys their week.

Much Love.

UrbanAthalon-This Weekend!

The time has finally come for Matt to run in the Men's Health Urban Athalon! I blogged about it a while back when I was still going to try; however, I have wimped out and now I will be cheering for Matt on Michigan Ave. He has been training his tail off for this and I am so excited for him. Check out below if you want to know everything he will be doing during the race.

We are staying at the Embassy Suites-Downtown and I am so excited for our little weekend getaway. Matt and I are great travel partners because we both hate schedules (which is weird because in our everyday life, we are all about schedules). When we are away, we do not want to think about anything but enjoying each other.

The last time we were in Chicago we were looking for apartments because Matt had just got a job offer from Chubb Insurance. How different this trip will be not worrying about where we would live and just enjoying Chicago.

The one thing we do think about before travelling somewhere is where we are going to eat. We do not care when we eat there, but we must eat there sometime during our trip. We research these places in the local city magazines or newspapers as "Must Eats." This weekend, we will be trying

Province on Jefferson Street. The place looks incredible to say the least. The building is made from all green sustainable materials and has a farm-to-table menu. I am so excited! Here are some views from inside the restaurant. It looks quite small, which is even better. I know I should make a reservation, but a part of me wants to just show up and sit at the bar and wait. Who cares how long.....

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend as I think this is one of our last ones with this AMAZING weather. I hope to be outside in Chicago most of our time there.

Much Love.

Time does not stop for anything.

It has been almost 4 months since my last post and I cannot believe how time has flown by. Time definitely does not wait up for you to catch up. So many things have happened over the past 4 months, it seems as if whenever I turn around, something else happens.

Teaching ended in June, but I was still going to school in the evenings at Xavier for grad school. I am absolutely in love with the administration program and I know that being an administrator is where I want to be. It has been amazing. I took a school law class and a principalship class in the summer and my professors were incredible. I know it is super expensive, but the connections and experience that you gain from your professors, it is worth every penny to me.

In late July, my sister Robin started feeling really bloated in her abdomen area. She went to the doctor and they found that she has a cyst in her ovaries. That day was the beginning of a horrific nightmare that we are still living. The cyst turned into her being pregnant. Being pregnant turned into impossible because her ovaries have been dead for months. Ovaries being dead for months turned into her have a malignant tumor from hip to hip in both of her ovaries. Malignant tumors in her ovaries turned into the cancer coming from somewhere else. The cancer coming from somewhere else turned into finding more cancer in her spine, ribs, pelvis and shoulder. The cancer in her bones turned into still not knowing where it was coming from. Still not knowing where it was coming from turned into getting a one year to live prognosis. Yes, you heard me correctly. She received that one year prognosis on August 31, 2010 and she has been fighting ever since. I wish I could pause time to spend every second with her. But it doesn't work like that. You must never take anything for granted. She lives 3 hours away in Evansville, Indiana, and I try to go down there every chance I can.
She began chemotherapy on September 2 and has since received 3 treatments. She is handling the medications like a pro.
So, that brings us to today. She writes on CaringBridge.org (search RobinEvernham) and is an inspiration to anyone she talks to. God is speaking directly through her to anyone that is questioning him and so many people are turning to him. It is AWESOME! I know that she can beat this and that prognosis means NOTHING. It is in HIS hands and no doctor can tell me otherwise.

Thank you to so many that pray every day for her. Keep storming the heavens for her!

Last Day of School

I cannot believe how fast this year has gone. It seems like just yesterday I was organizing my room and setting it up for the first day of school with my new students. Now, 181 SCHOOL days later, I am looking around my bare walls and boxed up bookshelves feeling nostalgic about this year.

I truly believe that 7th grade is hands down the hardest year a child has to go through, but it is also the year that you see the most growth. The kids that started at the very beginning of the year are not the same ones that just walked out of my door. Some of them have grown in size and some (not all) have grown in maturity. Some of the kids I had the most trouble with at the beginning of the year, I have a true respect for at the end. I could go on and on with all of the crazy awful stories from this year, but as I reflect right now I just want to think about the good times.

I am so excited about this summer and sitting by the pool as much as I can. I have a month off of my night classes and then in July I start those again. I am looking forward to hanging out with my junior league girls whom I have been MIA from the past few months! I want to read a ton of books and spend quality time with Matt on our back porch. I want to hose off Mabel and eat our delicious tomatoes in our garden. I hope to do it all.

Next year, I will bring so much more to the table of teaching because of this year. I have learned so much from my students. They have taught me the lesson of just laughing sometimes, of "that look," ipod mania, and telling really corny jokes.

I hope whatever anyone is doing this summer, they enjoy it. Whether it is a full time job, laying by the pool, shopping constantly, going to school, getting married, having a baby or travelling the world. ENJOY!

Much Love.

Every party must have...

Old Time Pottery in Florence, Ky is closing. The place for some great buys and also some great junk will be closing its doors on June 30. I went out yesterday with my mom and found some cheap glass plates for entertaining and also some chargers to match my china.

For some reason, I always feel like a better host when I have glass plates and cups during my parties. I love to entertain but it can be very costly if you're not careful. I bit the bullet and bought clear glass dinner plates and cocktail plates. They have a cute little design on them that I really liked. It was costly up front, but I will be very happy that I can just throw them in the dishwasher party after party.

Is there any must have for you before you have a party?

For me,

1. I must have flowers. How pretty is this arrangement with dark peonies and hydrangeas (reminds me of my wedding bouquet)? I think it is also neat when you are able to build your own bouquet. I sometimes go to Findlay Market and buy flowers and then put them together in a great bouquet. The possibilities are endless!

2. I like to have a WIDE array of drinks. I am not a beer drinker and I know many people are not liquor drinkers; so I always try to account for everyone. I usually have a white and red wine, 2 different types of beer, and a specialty drink (like a martini or slush). Even if beer is all that is drunk, I still feel good that I covered my bases.....and the next day I have a few things to sip on (hopefully it's warm and I can sit on my deck).

3. Meat-less Options for Food. Whether you have vegetarian friends or not, sometimes people just prefer it. I have noticed once I started entertaining that most snacks I munch on at a party are meatless. If you want to take this one step further, go no dairy either, but I usually just stick with no meat snacks (I like cheese WAY too much)!

Here are a few from the Food Network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/hot-spinach-artichoke-dip-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/grilled-french-bread-pizza-with-mushroom-pesto-and-fontina-cheese-recipe/index.html

4. This is a new one of mine. I recently was given a dock for my Ipod and before that I never had music at my parties. Although I put it on low, it changes the whole mood. The silences that happen at the beginning when only a few people have arrived are filled with good music. I will never have another party without it playing. I usually play the Michael Buble or John Legend channel on Pandora! It makes everyone happy!

I am so glad that I LOVE to entertain. It truly makes me happy. I hope one day I am in a position to have sit down dinner parties (my dream). For now, cocktail parties and picnics are filling up my calendar happily.

Much Love.

Fighting the Urge

Matt and I have had no heat or air on in our house for 3 months. Can you believe this? At first, I woke up with ice crystals on my eyelashes and nose and now I am waking up soaking wet with sweat.

I cannot complain about our bills, though. They have been NOTHING and this is definitely something I can get used too. I wonder how much longer we can survive this without totally going insane.

Matt has it easy because he is on the far right side of the bed.....all to himself. I wouldn't have it any other way, but I have a personal space heater attached to me all throughout the night. She cannot stay still unless she is on top of my foot or her head is on my pillow. I love it in the winter, but now that it is hot, I am dying!!!

UrbanAthalon

I think I am in over my head right now. This past weekend I was forced decided to particpate in the UrbanAthalon on October 16, 2010 in Chicago. For those that do not know me, I am the complete other end of the spectrum from a runner or obstacle do-er. Why did I agree to this? The UrbanAthalon is a 9 mile course; however each 1.5 miles you run, you must complete an obstacle course before you continue to run. Here are the obstacle courses:

OBSTACLE COURSE 1: NAVY PIER

You must go through tires (military style) and then walk across concrete barriers. Repeat.

OBSTACLE COURSE 2: DuSABLE HARBOR

You must go UNDER blue police barricades and OVER yellow traffic barricades.

OBSTACLE COURSE 3: SOLDIER FIELD

You must climb over 5 rows of cars and get up and over the marine hurdles and crawl under the cargo net.

OBSTACLE COURSE 4: McCORMICK PLACE

You must go across a HUGE monkey bar.

OBSTACLE COURSE 5: SOLDIER FIELD STAIR CLIMB

You must climb the stairs at Soldier Field.

OBSTACLE COURSE 6: UPPER HUTCHINSON FIELD

You must club across cabs and then climb up and over a bus. Repeat. Then climb up a HUGE wall.

I don't know about you, but just looking at the pictures gives me an anxiety attack. Thankfully, they do offer a relay option. I will be on a team of 3 running 3 miles and doing 2 obstacle courses. Still, that is a huge deal to me.

I am doing it for Matt. I want to show him that I can be healthy and active. That is all he wants for me. I might die trying, though. We are going to begin training this week and continue over the summer and through the fall. I am going to try to sign up for a 5k this summer.

If anyone has any advice on training or running, I would greatly appreciate it.

Much Love.

The quote that says it all.

"I was complaining about not having dumbbells at home when my girlfriend said,
'Too bad you can't lift yourself... you know, because you're a dumbbell,' and
went into hysterics. It was totally corny, but I couldn't help laughing at her
laughing at her own joke. I love how much she amuses herself." - Jim, 34,
Philadelphia

That quote explains my marriage completely. Matt says things like that all the time...usually he cannot get them out because he is already laughing so hard at himself. Sometimes, I try to act mad but I just walk in the other room laughing my butt off. I just don't want to blow his head up too much.

Much Love.

My little Lani

On Wednesday, my niece Lani, graduated from Pre-School. What an accomplishment! hehe. They dress them up in Tshirt graduation gowns and paper caps and gave thema diploma and class ring (Ring Pop). It was so cute. They sang songs to their parents and performed the ABC's with sign language. I looked around the room and laughed when I saw tears in the mom's eyes and the proud dad's video taping every move their child made. What an adjustment your life is once you have kids. What seems so silly to me now, will become the most important thing once I have children.

Matt and I talk about having children all the time. We want to make sure God is in their lives at all times.

Matt loves kids and I know he is going to be an incredible father. You can tell when a man is going to be a good dad by the way they interact with kids. My nieces LOVE him and can't get enough of him. It warms my heart every time I see him playing with them. We are not ready to start trying yet because of so many new things going on in our life (school, house, etc.) but we will not be waiting too much longer. Until then, we will live vicariously through our newest nephew, Benjamin.

Much Love.

Stop to smell the flowers

On my way to my School Law class last night, I walked past a house on campus that had the edge of their yard lined with peony bushes. My most favorite flower. It brings me back to my wedding day and my beautiful bouquet. (Thanks Kevin- Ford Ellington!) When I look at them, I feel so happy. They are so fluffy soft and their fragrance is amazing. Springtime will always bring Peonies and will also remind me of my wedding day.

Much Love.

Test

I'm testing this. I am hoping it will post straight to my blog from my phone.

Mobile Blogging

I am trying to set up Mobile Blogging so that I can send it straight from my phone. This is all so new for me.

When will it end?

Matt and I knew in buying an old house meant sometimes unexpected expenses. We did not realize it would be constant. We found this house in Fort Mitchell in October and we have enjoyed every second of making it our own. It has been so fun putting our special touches on different projects that we have done. So far, we have put overhead lights in our living room, mounted our TV above our fireplace, and added some landscaping (herb garden and azalea bushes). We bought a grill for the back deck and a new couch and chair. Recently, our dryer went out and it was a huge expense, so our living room decorating has been postponed. It looks so bare. Just a couch and chair. We need a rug, coffee table, side tables, lamps, and something for that back wall. Our couches are a slate gray color and I am torn over whether or not I like the paint color on the walls. I think I want something alittle more neutral. I would love to go antique shopping for some really funky accessories for the wall. My friend Cassie put an awesome piece on her wall made from an old window. It looked incredible. I wish I was that creative.

Much Love.