Oreo Fudge Cheesecake, Thyme Shrimp, & Egg Breakfast Wraps

Hey everybody, what are you all up to?
I'm totally getting excited for spring- I just CAN"T believe it's almost here!!! 
 I mean, I've never been so excited for spring in all my life- green trees, grass, daffodils, sweet- smelling air, getting out of the house, - FREEDOM!!
This past winter has been so long and I've been cooped up in the house doing stuff because it's too darn cold to go outside more than once a day- okay, okay, you get the point- I know I should stop venting to all of you about my rough life- lol.
anyway, I love spring, it's my favorite season and I am really pumped for March & especially April, my all-time favorite month of the entire year:)

Anyhow, I've got some great recipes to get you in the spring spirit and end a glorious, but long winter.

For breakfast yesterday, I made Giada's Egg Wrapes with spinach, tomatoes, and a little ricotta on the side( that was my choice) and they were divine- such a balanced meal. You've got your healthy carbohydrates, your protein from the egg and cheese, and your fiber and disease- fighting antioxidants from the veggies- does it get any better?!

Here's what you need
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 organic egg
1 or 2 oz. ricotta cheese
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. thyme

heat olive oil over medium- low heat. Add spinach and grape tomatoes( halved first) and cook until tender and soft. Add thyme and a 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, if desired. Poach an egg by bringing a panful of water( in a medium saucepan) to a roaring boil. You want to make sure the water comes up 2 in and is luke-warm. Crack the egg into a teacup, turn the heat off from under the pan, and quickly( but carefully) slide the egg into the water. Let it sit for about 3- 4 minutes while the whites spread out and the yolks firm up. Spread your veggie mixture on a tortilla, after toasting it. To do this- you simply turn a gas stove burner to high, carefully hold your tortilla over the burner with metal tongs, and scorch the edges for about 15 minutes per side. 

Then, with a slotted spoon, pick up your egg and put it on top the tortilla and veggies. If you want you can also top it off with some creamy ricotta:) Enjoy!




Oreo Fudge Cheesecake- the devil's food- lol!
this stuff is truly a treat, definitely only a once a year food for me, because of how overwhelmingly sweet it is and how it's all- out junk food!
It takes a while to cook, but the results truly are worth the hours it takes to cook and then refrigerate the cheesecake. 

Crust:
1 1/2 cups Oreos, crushed well (about 1/2 package)
1/4 cup butter

Filling:
3 packages fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup light sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teapsoons vanilla 
A whole package Doublestuffed Oreos, crushed( I just used regular oreos)

Topping (optional):
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 300º. Grease a 10 inch springform pan.
Combine the cookie crumbs for the crust and butter and press into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat just until combined. Stir in the remain crushed Oreos. Pour over the crust in the pan.
Put the springform pan on a cookie sheet and wrap it with a wet towel (this keeps the outside of the cheesecake from cooking too fast, you don't have to do it if you don't want to). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door about 4 inches, but leave the cheesecake in for about 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 more minutes. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

For the topping, you can mix together the sour cream and sugar and spread it on top or you can do whipped cream instead. Drizzle on some hot fudge (recipe below) and top with mini Oreos. 

Caramel Cappuccino Cheesecake 
Inspired by this cheesecake from Betty Crocker
Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed oreos (I used about 1 1/2 rows from the box)
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup caramel topping
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup caramel topping

Preheat the oven to 300º. Grease a 10 inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
Combine the cookie crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Combine the vanilla and coffee granules in a small dish until dissolved.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar. Beat until the sugar is dissolved (5 minutes). Add the coffee and vanilla mixture, caramel, and cinnamon and beat until combined. Add the eggs and beat just until combined. Pour over the crust in the pan.
Put the springform pan on a cookie sheet and wrap it with a wet towel (this keeps the outside of the cheesecake from cooking too fast). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door about 4 inches, but leave the cheesecake in for about 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 more minutes. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2011/11/caramel-cappuccino-cheesecake.html#xbLEjCTRCLtUUmC8.99

Caramel Cappuccino Cheesecake 
Inspired by this cheesecake from Betty Crocker
Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed oreos (I used about 1 1/2 rows from the box)
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup caramel topping
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup caramel topping

Preheat the oven to 300º. Grease a 10 inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
Combine the cookie crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Combine the vanilla and coffee granules in a small dish until dissolved.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar. Beat until the sugar is dissolved (5 minutes). Add the coffee and vanilla mixture, caramel, and cinnamon and beat until combined. Add the eggs and beat just until combined. Pour over the crust in the pan.
Put the springform pan on a cookie sheet and wrap it with a wet towel (this keeps the outside of the cheesecake from cooking too fast). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door about 4 inches, but leave the cheesecake in for about 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 more minutes. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2011/11/caramel-cappuccino-cheesecake.html#xbLEjCTRCLtUUmC8.99

Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge:
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 cup chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the condensed milk, brown sugar, and cocoa powder together in a saucepan. Cook until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Store in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2013/10/oreo-fudge-cheesecake.html#ZYcPTRtw0zRoZRFF.99

Thyme Shrimp:
Okay, so while i still don't like seafood very much at all, I will eat shrimp occasionally. Tonight it was because I have a whole package of frozen shrimp from the grocery store, left over from my vegetarian days. No one was eating them and I was afraid they'd go bad, so I decided to cook a bunch at one time. I did my own version of a recipe- but made it quicker and easier. In the recipe, you had to marinate shrimp for 2 hours in this pesto- but I didn't really have time to do that, by the time I wanted to eat it was 7:30, so... I just dipped them in this home-made, quick pesto, put them on skewers, and grilled them for about 6 minutes.
They were delis!
Ingredients for Pesto
1/4 cup olive oil
ten small deveined shrimp
1/2 tsp. ground thyme or 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 cup walnuts
1 cup spinach
salt & pepper( maybe like 1/4 tsp. each or however much you want)
blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined thoroughly.
dip shrimp until coated in a bowl filled with the pesto. Place them on two metal skewers and grill over medium-high heat on a grill. Enjoy!

Update: & Currently Digging: February 9th, 2014

Hey guys, how was your week? I had a great time with my grandparents- my parents just got back from their trip last night & we gave my dad his BD present. Today I'm planning to make a vanilla  cake & french toast for breakfast, his favorite:)  Other than that, we're just catching up on sleep after a busy, fun week.

But, anyway , we had a good time at my Grandma's. We got to just relax, watch movies, and take walks with the dog. I spent most of my time in the living- room watching" Gunsmoke" every morning and making edits on the 2nd edition of my book:) At night-time, we'd pick a movie everybody liked- so on Monday we watched" Jumper' a pretty neat movie about a guy who can transport himself from one place to another, like from Paris to Egypt! It had Hayden Christenen in it, who played Anakin in Star Wars, so we all thought it was pretty cool to see him in another movie. On Tuesday, we watched" The Big Year'' with Jack Black, Owen Wilson, and Steve Martin- it's a pretty funny movie that we've seen before where three guys are competing in this bird contest- to see who can take the most pictures of different species of birds on this bird expedition. Then, on Wednesday, the last night we were there we watched" Soul Surfer", which we haven't seen in quite some time, so it was fun to watch it again. It was just a good time to just relax, sleep in in the mornings, and enjoy doing nothing:) 
I was usually up pretty early though in the mornings, but I slept good- got a room all to myself, so I felt more rested than I do at home. The boys were up at 6am the first morning- lol! But I usually didn't emerge from my hide- out until 8am. I would wake up around 7:30am or later and do my pilates 10 minute workouts- they were such a good way to wake up and get my blood flowing. Then I'd ask Grandma to turn her computer on and I'd spent an hour watching  a Zac Poonen message on youtube, write a report on it, and then stay in my bathrobe for the next 2 hours( one time until 11am!) and play around on the computer, while the boys watched cartoons and Tom read the newspaper. Then, we'd all have breakfast- Grandma made us my favorite cornmeal pancakes on Wednesday morning- they were delish! After that, we were usually all on the couch for our daily routine of watching " Gunsmoke" , which started at like 10am and ran till 2pm. Then it was "Bonanza" with Michael Landon( who played Charles in Little House On The Prairie". Again, we thought it was neat to see one of our favorite actors in another movie- Karen Grassle( who played" Ma" or Caroline in Little House) was also in an episode of Gunsmoke as a saloon girl.
We had planned to go to the library sometime, but the snow was pretty bad and the weather was super cold while we were there. I usually took the dog for a walk once a day( when I got cabin fever) but they were usually just short walks, where I came back freezing and resolved to stay indoors for the rest of the day:)
Thursday, February 6th, Meme ( our other Grandma) came to pick us up ( her and Papa were going to be watching us for the last 3 days) Originally, we were going to stay at their house, but we decided it would be easiest if they stayed at our house( because our puppy gets sick on long car- rides & they live 1 hour away) We came home, unpacked our clothes, and then got Wendys for dinner- a real treat for me- I haven't had a Jr. bacon cheeseburger in almost a year! Then we watched Duck Dynasty, which I fell asleep halfway through- I was so tired. So I hit the sack early that night and got a good night's sleep( I'd been awake again at 6am the night before). On Friday, we cleaned up the house a little bit for Mom and Dad coming home- me and Meme had a nice afternoon just talking and hanging out while the boys playing Cowboys and did stuff on the computer. I finished up some homework Dad had given me before he left- practiced piano and tidied up my room a little bit. Papa left for work and then when he came home, we watched " Die Hard With A Vengeance" which was a pretty cool movie- really intense! 
On Saturday, we had a lot of fun. I made Giada's Buckwheat Pancakes for breakfast and took them to Meme in bed. Then Papa left for work, we cleaned up the house, and I made home-made pizza for lunch( cheese-stuffed:) ) and then we watched" Marley & Me' before heading to the airport to pick up Mom and Dad.

It's been a really awesome week- but now I feel like I'm ready to slip back into the routine of schoolwork, exercising, ballet etc.:)
I thought it would be fun to do another" Currently Digging" post,  to end this, since I haven't done one in a long time. 
 So here's what I'm currently into:
Books: Kisses From Katie
              

I read this one about 2 years ago & loved it. Well, recently I decided to delve into again= since I've been missing reading= I haven't done any in so long, just for leisure, because I've been doing a lot of reading for school. 

It's such an awesome, life- changing story- she is such an inspiration! Definitely encourage girls to read it in your spare time

Movies: Slumdog Millionaire

As much as I love India and the people there, and as much as I love good romance- this movie was just the perfect thing to watch the first time I saw it. 

It's been about a year, if not longer, since I saw some of it( I'd never actually watched the whole thing before)

It's such a beautiful story and a great film!

Eating: Mostly Quesadillas- lol:) 

I've always loved Mexican food, nachos and cheese, tacos, ahhh- it's all so good. But most of the time, when I order a quesadilla, it's on a white tortilla with lots of butter- and not very healthy. So, as I said on my food blog, I've found ways to make them healthy, so I can enjoy my favorite dinner guilt- free. And they're still yummy- I use whole wheat tortilla that are more filling and 1/2 cup of cheesE( 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup swiss) I know that seems like a lot, but it's what it takes to satisfy me so I'm not hungry afterwards and eating 1/2 bag of tortilla chips or pretzels- lol. 

 

Most of the time, I pair them off with some cooked spinach( not pictured here) and fruit( grapes usually) I prefer the nice big tortillas, that are healthy and filling. Most of the time I just use one( but if I'm really hungry  like after I exercise I'll use two to fill me up). In the beginning, when I first went vegetarian, I dipped them in a bit of light sour cream, but now I prefer ricotta over sour cream.

I did find a new recipe recently, for a sweet potato one, it looks divine= can't wait to try it. 

http://naturallyella.com/2013/11/10/spiced-sweet-potato-quesadilla/

Drinking: chocolate almond milk 

this stuff is just so good- it's 10 times better than regular chocolate milk- less calories, less fat, and it has 45% of my daily calcium intake in 1 cup- versus 20% in regular chocolate milk- how's that for a dairy free drink?!

Listening to: Carrie Underwood 

So, as you all know, I absolutely love Carrie Underwood! I mean I love her voice, personality, style, hair, everything! 

She's beautiful, talented, & truly amazing. But it all started, back when I was a hard-core vegetarian, and saw her on Sunday Night Football. From then on, my favorite part of the whole week was getting" Blown Away" by her performance on the Sunday Night Football song- lol and she always looked so cute & in shape on the stage in that little pair of jean shorts. Shortly before that, I'd discovered she was vegetarian too,( and vegan) loved animals,eating healthy, and working out- four things we had in common! I always got excited, back then, when I found out one of my favorite celebrities was a vegetarian/vegan, so I thought this was so cool! 

But I'd never actually heard any of Carrie's Music before- I know it sounds like a silly reason I had for liking her, since she is best known for her country songs and American Idol experience." Jesus Take The Wheel" was  the only one I'd seen when I was younger, but I'd never really given much thought to the lovely girl behind it:) 

So I checked out some of her music- I bought Jesus Take The Wheel, and a couple songs from her newest album, "Good Girl'' and " See You Again" ( released May 2012). I really loved the beat and words of " Good Girl", when I saw the music video and heard her sing it a couple times; so that's why I decided to buy that one." See You Again" is a great, whole-some song with a melody I really like too- I love it!

She gave an incredible performance of it in this video( from last year)- I absolutely loved this!

Update: January 31st, 2014

Hey everyone! How has your week been? Mine's been pretty good- it flew by like crazy( no surprise- lol!) The first month of the new year was pretty awesome- I just have to say. I mean, I just LOVe this time of the year- it feels so fresh and amazing; there's so many wonderful things waiting to be explored!! I love it. I'm still getting used to writing 2014 when i write the date on stuff though- lol! 

Anyway, on to some awesome highlights of my January- just little random things, you know but still things that made it cool :) 

First Week of January- January 1st- January 8th. 
The first week was pretty great- really just a time for me to relax and get back into my routine of school, exercising, eating right again- lol. Because, you see, I'd just gotten back from my Aunt and Uncle's the weekend before New Year's Eve- I spent it at their home in Virginia with my grand-parents who had driven me up for my adorable little cousin's baptism. It was a great time- I had a blast! but I really blew my diet & ate a lot of bad stuff- I'm just going to come out and say it, okay?!! And that's okay sometimes- I mean it was still the aftermath of  holidays- a time of indulgence :) One day I had a root beer & two ginger-snap crackers, another day I decided to have apple pie with vanilla ice cream- once I even went as far as eating 20 crackers and some fried sausage!!! I was a bad girl lol- but It was such a treat for me( I'm not ashamed to say that I don't regret it in the slightest!) I stayed true to my basic principles on eating( I tried to still eat a lot of salad& fruit) and that's really what's important during times like the holidays I think. 
But, at any rate, I had a great time, even though I was exhausted from christmas and thanksgiving:) 
The last night I was there we all watched " The Lone Ranger" together( The New version) with Arnie Hammer and Johnny Depp. It was like I was reliving my experience seeing it at the movie theater- it's so awesome, but it wasn't as funny as the first time I watched it. But I do love Johnny Depp's sense of humor- he's just hysterical!  On the Monday I left, we had a few problems with my grandpa's car, so we had to wait a little later than we wanted to to leave. My uncle and I had fun relaxing on the couch together and watching" Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" which was very intriguing, while my aunt and grandpa were getting the car fixed. My aunt and uncle sent us home with a ton of food- a whole plastic bag just jammed with cookies, sandwiches for the road, fruit, leftover slices of a quiche my aunt had made that I liked, and drinks- they were so nice. My uncle had made me a vegetarian sandwich on a croissant with mustard, swiss & cheddar cheeses- it was one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten! 
On the way home, I did some schoolwork, but I was really glad I had gotten most of it done the day before- because I was so tired- I mainly spent the drive home sleeping and listening to music instead of watching movies like I did on the way down. We stopped at a rest- stop once and I got treated to one of my favorite foods, a  " Auntie Anne's " pretzel. I was reminded of how much I love them- they're so buttery and soft and heavenly!
When I returned Monday, December 30th, 2013, to be exact, I had a little less than a day to plan my new year's eve meal ( well no, that wouldn't be true, I planned it about 2 months in advance). What I meant was I had to hurry up and make sure I had all the ingredients for the treats I wanted for one of my favorite times of year. The final day of a truly awesome year( 2013!) was epic( i mean it really was) if you call listening to Adele while I made lemon ricotta cookies epic- lol! But I had a lot of fun- I swung back a bit into the routine of school, made my " Sausage" stuffed mushrooms, finished unpacking, and then made my cookies. They were so flippin good( unfortunately though I was the only one who enjoyed them, other than my mom). when you mix butter, ricotta cheese, sugar, and vanilla together- you get this divine food that's too amazing for my tastebuds. And trust me, it's impossible to not stick your finger in the bowl more than once for this awesome taste!( at least for me anyway) They're really easy too. You just add the wet ingredients first( mentioned above) and then some flour, sugar, salt etc. Bake them and then if you want you make a lemon frosting( but they're sweet without it too) click on this link for the recipe, on my food blog. http://bakingandcookingthenaturalway.blogspot.com/
All my planning really was worth it though, I have to admit, when I at last got to sit down at the table and indulge in my favorite pierogies with sour cream( baked and drizzled in olive oil- I'm getting hungry just thinking of them), 1 sausage appetizer with spinach, and 3 mini lemon cookies( yes I said 3!- but they were pretty small to be honest- hehe-  my little excuses you know:) ) 
The sausage appetizers were pretty good- but they definitely took some time, however. I got them off the food network( a Rachel ray recipe) They're not complicated, just more steps than I'm used to in my lazy kitchen. Basically you just cook some mushrooms, after chopping and washing them, fill them with spinach, tomatoes, pepper, sausage, cheese, and chopped pieces( or dice) of whole wheat bread( buttered & toasted first), and stick them in the oven. The result is yummy- but satisfying and light! 
click here for the recipe on my food blog: 
http://bakingandcookingthenaturalway.blogspot.com/


Second Weekend= January 10th- January 12th
This weekend was just super unique in that it rained pretty much the whole time. It felt really strange like it was spring and we lived in the Florida Keys! I remember taking the dog out one night and remembering it feeling cool outside like Florida! For some reason the wet, chilly weather really reminded me of Florida!
Friday I made veggie calzones & avocado chocolate mousse( both which turned out so nice- I was just so happy:) ) I had a really fun time making dinner for my family- especially knowing it was healthy and easy at the same time! They really loved the calzones- I was really content with the final results. I cut mine in half & saved half for breakfast the next morning( I know I'm weird!)- but I was actually glad I did this. Usaully when I make something as delicious as a calzone, I'm tempted to eat the whole thing all in one sitting. and i would have if i wanted to- but I felt it was better to save half of it, so I got to indulge twice- I got some at dinner & some at breakfast:)) it worked for me! 

I was even more surprised with how much my family loved the mousse I made. ( No one but my mom and I ever found it it had avocados in it- our secret hehe). I mean- it really was divine( What Giada recipe isn't?!). Soft, creamy, and so addictive. It's a lot like chocolate pudding, if you like that. 
So we had a great dinner & then my mom said we could all sleep in the basement( which was a lot of fun!) 
I stayed up a little later with my dad & we watched our favorite show: The Daily Show With John Stewart, a adult comedy show that we both enjoy. He was doing an interview with one of my favorite actresses,  Scarlett Johannson, on her newest movie, " Her". It was really a great interview & funny too. She looked very pretty, in a long black dress & cute little ponytail:) 

Next was Saturday, Jan 11th. 
The epic, life- changing day the Patriots played the Colts in a sky-rocketing playoff game that made our day- they won!
mom treated me to Arbys, somewhere I haven't eaten at at so long. We brought home my favorite curly fries & I had an awesome turkey & cheese melt on this amazing bread( ahh..... I think i'm going to start drooling thinking about it, not an attractive sight for me lol )

Sunday- Jan 12th. was a fun day as well- we had Giada's baked fruit & ricotta for breakfast & my favorite orange creamsicle shake( I mean it's a classic in our house- my mom and I just love it- I must have made it like ten times!) 
If you haven't tried it- you have too- that's all there is to it! It's so creamy & refreshing- + it's healthy too! I remember drinking for the first time way back in what seems the" Stone ages" or May of 2013. I had just started to be a vegetarian and was reading all these health articles when I discovered it. I happened to have some oranges and milk in the house- so I gave it a shot & have been hooked ever since! 

    Recipe: 3 tbsp. organic cane sugar or stevia
                  1/2 cup low fat milk ( or almond milk)
                  2 tsp. vanilla extract
                 1 1/2 cups ice
               Blend 1 orange( split into little pieces and peeled first of course) in a blender until well combined. Add all the other ingredients and blend, blend, blend some more. It really makes a difference if you let the blender run for a while- it makes a creamier shake!
Giada's baked fruit:) 

To end this weekend, I asked Dad to record the "Golden Globes Awards". Usually I don't care much for all the awards shows that take place this time of year( January- April) but I'd found out that a few stars I like( Leonardo Dicapprio & Jennifer Lawrence) would be at the show( hosting, presenting) and so I thought it would be fun to watch. It was very entertaining, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who were really funny together! There was so many famous people there- Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Matt Damon, Emma Stone, & Emma Thompson( a actress I like from " Sense & Sensibility). She presented one of the awards and was all funny- she walked out on the stage in her bare feet! Jennifer Lawrence won an award & Leonardo Dicapprio also won a golden globe for one of his most recent films. I missed about 15 minutes of the show- but I got to watch the parts I really cared about( the good stuff) so it all worked out:) 

January 17th- January 19th. This one was a biggie also- mainly because there was 2 big play-off games going on. 1st: the Patriots Vs. the Broncos in the afternoon and then at 6:30am the 49ers vs. the Seahawks. I have officially become a Patriots fan so I was really excited for the game- as was my dad and brothers. Unfortunately, the Broncos beat the Pats, but it was still an intense, fun game. We had a few friends over and ordered Gionino's pizza for dinner. I got this really delish pizza ( a five cheese vegetarian one) with ricotta, mozzarella, feta, and parmesan all in one slice! It was so good! i had like three slices, but they were just small ones so I got to indulge guilt free:) 
then it was time for the 49ers and Seahawks game. Honestly, I don't know very much about either team- but I decided to root for the Seahawks, since my dad was and I also like Russell Wilson, the quarter-back. It was such an exciting game, which they won, to everyone's delight. 


January 24th- January 26th 
I'm going to say that this final weekend of the month had to have been the best one. I mean what else could you get but an awesome weekend when you combine The outsiders, dinner with my grandparents, a blizzard, and pizza together? lol. I'd been planning to go to this play, " The Outsiders"( based on a children's book by S.E. Hilton) for some time, ever since I auditioned for it in August 2013. I thought it would be exciting to see it on stage & so I asked my grand-parents if they would like to join my mom and I for it on a Saturday night. We went to Mike's Place for dinner before the play and I had a really good salad and an appetizer( my favorite pierogies with sauteed onions!) and we enjoyed some good conversations. It was snowing like crazy outside though- my mom and I drove one of my dad's newest cars right now, which we all call the" tank" because it really is like an army tank! It's big and high up too- it's a little rough climbing in the front seat without falling! Anyhow- we finished dinner and then headed to the play, which I was so happy hadn't been canceled due to the weather. More people braved the storm than we expected- it was a full house! 
On Sunday, the 26th the boys had their last basketball game of the year, which were so happy they won! I came home and had a nice, relaxing afternoon. Mom had found this funny SNL video with actor, Jonah Hill, who was hosting, with a surprise appearance from Leonardo Dicapprio( his co- star in the 2013 film, ' The wolf of wall street', which earned him an Oscar nomination for this year) where they  re-in acted my favorite" flying scene' from Leo's "Titanic( 1997). It was pretty funny! 

Here's the video

Then I made my cheese-stuffed pizza-  did I mention I had a blast making it?! It was so easy and turned out so well- even though the cheese leaked out of the top a little bit. We had a fun Sunday night- I set out tray- tables, served the boys and my parents the pizza, and then we watched one of my favorite movies, that I rented from the library," Slumdog Millionaire." It's been so long since I watched the whole thing- I was just reminded how much I love it! It's such a good story- line and the romance is so sweet too!

So now that January is over, it's time to move on to February- I'm so excited for what it has to bring as well! First and foremost, of course, the super-bowl is this weekend! I'm super excited- I can hardly wait! I've been planning a special meal with hearty entrees, tasty snacks, and decadent, light dessert. My mom bought me this frozen vegan mac and cheese that is supposed to be healthier than the store-bought, processed junk you find at most walmarts. It looks divine!

 So that we'll be my main course and then I'm making mini Auntie Anne's pretzels for my family. A real treat! 

Recipe( copied from Yammie's Noshery)

• 2 cups milk (I used 2%) or low fat
• 1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast (2 packets)
• 2 or 3 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature( or you could use 2 tbsp. olive oil; either works)
• 41/2all-purpose flour, plus an up to an additional 1/2 cup as needed
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 3 cups warm water
• coarse salt, to taste
• 4 Tbsp butter( 1/2 stick) melted

Warm up the milk in the microwave or on the stove for just about one and a half minutes. It should be about 110º. If it's too hot it will kill the yeast. You should be able to comfortably keep your finger in it. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes. Add the butter and sugar. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and the add the fine salt. Kneed for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand. Put it in a greased bowl and cover with greased cling wrap. Let rise for 1 hour in a moist, warm place until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 450º. Punch down dough and divide into 12 lumps (I like to divide it in half, then divide each half into three, and then divide each remaining one in half again). Roll them all out as thin as you can. Combine the warm water and baking soda in a wide bowl. Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then dip in the baking soda water. Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned.
Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2012/04/auntie-annes-pretzels-copycat-recipe.html#vZEGWkoDepfyxv9A.99

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To drink, there's Vegan Chocolate Almond milk- my favorite indulgence when I'm craving chocolate. It's healthier than regular chocolate milk, with 45% my daily calcium intake in an 8 oz. glass and only 100 calories! Plus- it's more natural   & totally addictive
  

And for dessert, there's low fat pumpkin ice cream! I was just so excited when I found some at the store- I didn't think they would have it in January!! 

This way I get to enjoy some of my favorite foods- with a slightly healthier twist- the super bowl is what I like to call" A day of indulgence" though, so I'm not going to try to eat super healthy- lol, but still light

and yummy. 

It's perfect, easy food to munch on while yelling at the Tv( depending on who's winning lol- hopefully the Seahawks!) Its going to be an awesome day- a lot of fun!

After the big day,my parents are going on a special vacation- and we get to spend a week with our grandparents just being lazy & having fun- an early spring break & breather from school:) We're all looking forward to it.
What are your Super-bowl plans? Who are you rootin' for in the big game? I would love to hear from you! 
Have a great weekend everyone & have fun!