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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Little Things

I wanted to take the time to share some personal things that have been on my mind lately. As I get older and experience and see more places and things, I learn and grow so much!
As someone who's usually very serious and contemplative( which can be both good & bad), I enjoy observing things tremendously and soaking in the beauty of the moment. And that's what I wanted to focus on today.

I realize, more and more, each day, each passing year, just how fast time goes. It's literally like a snap of my fingers between June and November! That's how speeded up it is- it's crazy and scary and it's what prompts me to enjoy and treasure every minute of every day. I never know when a special season in my life will be complete and I'll never again revel in the incredible beauty and uniqueness it held. My life will be over within a blink of an eye, and I want to get as much out of it before that day comes.

There's this lovely song that brings so much joy to my heart when I listen. It's from the movie, " The Young Victoria", which by the way is an spectacular film( watch it when you get time!), But, anyway, the song is called" Endless Beauty". There's no words and so while the breath-taking music rolls on, I like to play back every happy memory of the past year that I've had so far.

I have scenes frozen in time, both simple and complex, sad and peaceful, stored in my brain.
Personally, I've stopped taking so many pictures lately, because I'm a firm believer in the power of what I call " invisible photographs." You can't actually see them: there not tangible but there as alive as ever in your heart, plastered there along with the wonder that past moment contained.

It's these moments that bring me the most undefinable, uncontrollable joy I've ever experienced in my life! I feel as if I might burst. Although, I do understand some of them seem silly and not related to importance. Yet, to me, they are what I'll be the best reminisces from my teenagehood- ever! I intend to continue this as I grow older though, engaging in life with everything I am.
Then, by the day I die, I'll have hundreds of glorious times forever in my heart!

Here's just some of my cherished memories from the past year:
 . Blowing out the candles on my 15th birthday, with my family gathered around me on the front porch, feeling so much more grown up and ready to take on the world:)
. Talking nightly walks, with the sound of the frogs croaking and thinking about the day behind me.
. Laying out on a warm blanket in the sun, letting it's rays flood my skin, while I enjoyed reading " Mockingjay"
. Riding horses through the pastures with my trainer and his other students- listening to the soft, gentle noises they make and the relaxing quiet of the grasses blowing in the breeze around us.
. Feeling" infinite", " more secure" and " glad to be a teenager" while I watched the ending scene of " Perks Of Being A Wallflower" :)
. Walking along the beach with my mom, in early morning, on vacation. Just collecting shells, enjoying in depth discussions about life and my future, while the delicious, cool waters danced over our feet; and I felt the warm sand beneath my toes, the sunrise displaying itself with such unmatched greatness.
. My first day and week of sophomore year- tough, and still beautiful:) I'll be honest and admit I cried a lot, because I was tired and emotional about it. I'll tell you something funny- I accidentally turned out that I was doing way more work than I had to and there was that moment of relief, when I realized, " Oh. my. It's okay. you don't have to do an ENTIRE language arts lesson every day- just a page! lol! ) 'Fortunately, t it's turned out, now that I'm 3 months into it, to be one of the best years of school!!!
. Singing at the top of my lungs( literally) during a One Direction concert film, while I sipped on a pumpkin spice latte. They're nothing compared to  the happiness I get while singing my favorite songs, while I watch " my boys" ( As i fondly call them) sing their own passionate hearts out, by the way:) They make me so happy- sniff.. smile. Okay enough sentiment.
I hope you've enjoyed this post- have a lovely rest of your weekend! 

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Update: October 12th, 2014 + Currently Digging Post

Hello loves! Hope you all are enjoying this delicious fall weather. Now that it's almost the middle of October, the leaves are turning darker colors every day. My family is planning to go to apple picking today and pumpkin picking sooner than later. I like to call October, " Pumpkin Appreciation Month", a title I developed last year, while in the heyday of my obsession with everything related to this tasty vegetable:) Now, it's tradition to make pumpkin pastries and purchase a spice latte at some point in the month this time of year. I'm getting closer to the early end of it though, because I want to do a sugar cleanse before the onset of the holidays, the 1st of November. Which, as we all know is temptation city, with all the pies, cookies, and unhealthy food surrounding us at the table:)
"Pumpkin Scones"
  • 4¼ cup flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ¾ tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • ¾ cup butter, cold, cut in cubes
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 eggs
  • For the Vanilla Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • For the Cinnamon Glaze:
  • 1½ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Learn More From a BBQ Expert.

Instructions
  1. In small bowl, mix the pumpkin, heavy cream and egg with a whisk. Set aside.
  2. In mixer, using paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. Add in cold butter cubes and mix until crumbly. Slowly add in pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
  3. Divide dough in half, and form the dough into a 12x5 inch rectangle. If it’s too sticky, using hands, mix in enough flour so it is easier to shape.
  4. Cut dough into triangles by making three vertical cuts (you should now have 3 rectangles. Cut each of the rectangles by making an X, I use a pizza cutter. Then make ONE horizontal cut across the center. You should have 18 triangles.
  5. Place each triangle onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 13-15 minutes. Repeat with other half of dough.
  6. Cool on rack. Make sugar glaze by whisking the sugar with heavy cream. Using a brush, paint the tops of each scone with the glaze.
  7. To make the cinnamon glaze, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a ziploc bag and cut the corner. Drizzle the glaze over all the scones. Allow to dry (about 15 minutes). Eat and enjoy!
  8. (adapted from The Shoebox Kitchen)

Pumpkin Oatmeal: go to my other blog- Baking In The Natural.blogspot.com for this recipe:)
It's so simple, nourishing and divine! 

In other news, I wanted to share some verses that I've found to be encouraging lately.
Right now, I'm reading through 1st and 2nd Corinthians, which I"m really enjoying and getting a lot out of. 

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
( I  like to think of this verse as God's promise to help me to resist temptation and depend on him for support)

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won't last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God's richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us. But we look foreword to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."
2 Corinthians 4:16,17,18

But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him."
2 Corinthians 3:18
Comparison is the death of identity. To want someone else's life is telling God His plan isn't perfect. Embrace your struggles, love your story, it's literally the only one of its kind. 
This isn't actually a verse, just a quote from a singer from a band I like who puts encouraging things on his twitter, on a regular basis:) I really liked it, because I often struggle with comparing myself to other people, who I see as better, more intelligent, or good- looking. Too often I forget that every person is unique and beautiful in their own way!

And... lastly. here's what I'm currently digging in music, movies, books, food, and drink:)
I want to give a shout-out to Kelli Taylor, from the blog, " She Learns As She Goes.", for giving me the idea of this kind of blog post. Basically it means sharing what you are "into" at the moment. Some of you may know her from Messy Mondays, the Christian youtube channel that posts funny videos each week that discuss Christianity, dating, and the internet in a humorous, yet thought- provoking way. Kelli is the wife of Josh Taylor, the writer of these videos, whose brother Jordan is the main actor. She's really sweet,funny,  a great writer, and loves reading, healthy eating, and music like me:)

Check it out here!  http://www.shelearnsasshegoes.net

Currently In Music: 



Books: Melissa Gilbert: Prairie Tale
I've actually already read this before, but it's so good I'm reading it again:) It's the autobiography of actress Melissa Gilbert, who stared in the 1970s tv. show "Little House On The Prairie". Personally, I love this show and have grown up watching it since age 6. She is a wonderful actress and writer, I found after reading it. She kept me wrapped up in her intriguing, complex story, over the course of only 4 days. And it's a long book, but as Anne Shirley says, " So thrilling I couldn't put it down!Funny, sad, and interesting- four adjectives I would probably say best describe it.
Movies: One Direction: This Is Us documentary 
I finally got around to watching this and enjoyed it immensely, the other night with my brothers. It's informative, entertaining, and quite frankly hilarious! So glad the library had it for free! 

Eating: Everything Pumpkin! 
I tried pumpkin scones this year, as mentioned earlier, and loved them!! I would eat pumpkin things any time of the year, as some of you well know, but I have a legitimate excuse in October!

I'm also loving this incredible, healthy casserole for dinner on Friday- it pretty much changed my life!
Creamy sauce overtop chicken, broccoli, and quinoa- it was just soo good!
  • 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk (I used 2%)
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 cups water, divided
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • ¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon (optional... sort of)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons seasoning (like Emeril's Essence or any basic blend you like)
  • ¼ cup shredded Gruyere cheese (any kind will work)
  • 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
Make the Perfect Breakfast Burrito Panini
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and generously grease a 9x13 baking dish (seriously, be generous because it really really sticks to the sides). Bring the chicken broth and ½ cup milk to a low boil in a saucepan. Whisk the other ½ cup milk with the poultry seasoning and flour; add the mixture to the boiling liquid and whisk until a smooth creamy sauce forms.
  2. Assembly: In a large bowl, mix the sauce from step one, one cup water, quinoa, and bacon and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and lay the chicken breasts strips over the top of the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with the seasoning. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
  3. Broccoli: While the casserole is in the oven, place the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute until it turns bright green and then run under cold water. Set aside.
  4. Bake: Remove the casserole from the oven, check the mixture by stirring it around in the pan, and if needed, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to get the right consistency. When the quinoa and chicken are cooked and the sauce is thickened, add the broccoli and a little bit of water (up to one cup) until the consistency is creamy and smooth and you can stir it up easily in the pan. Top with the cheese and bake for 5 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese.

I'd like to attribute this lovely recipe to Pinterest, where I'm constantly finding and trying new recipes that I wasn't even trying to look up- it's so neat! 
Well, I've had a really nice weekend. I was allowed to stay home from the 1st two football games tomorrow and made the scones and cleaned- a lot was accomplished! Then, I went over to the field( my grandparents picked me up) and filmed my brother's game. Today I'm looking forward to seeing a 1d: Where We Are concert film with my mom and maybe getting a pumpkin spice latte- I'm super excited! It's a good way to compensate for the tragic fact that they won't be touring anywhere near Ohio,anytime soon. I'm being dramatic, of course!


Hope you guys have a great rest of your weekend!


Sunday, September 14, 2014

What I'm Thankful For

There has been a new trend on Twitter lately, for listing things you are thankful for- and although, traditionally, you have to be "nominated" to do it by one of your friends, I decided to spontaneously do it on my own. So here we go....
Here are 3 things I'm thankful for right now. 
1: Fall weather
2: Rain ... I LOVE IT! My melancholy artist spirit just eats it up:)
3: MUSIC! Glorious music flooding my soul, lightening my spirits, speaking thoughts I could never completely express like it does- Thank you Jesus for such a wonderful gift!
I really love how just thinking of these things each day can boost my mood and find me being so much more positive and happy. Thankfulness is the key....

Now it's you're turn:) Share some things you are thankful for. Have a wonderful night guys!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Currently Digging Post Sep. 9th

Watching & Reading: The Hunger Games! I've heard about these books and movies countless times, ever since they become famous back in 2012.  And now I'm finally getting around to watching & reading them! My mom and I enjoyed both the 1st one and Catching Fire last month. Let me just say that Suzanne Colins is an amazing writer- she makes me think. She is so smart and creative. The books are so suspicious and interesting, mixing love, excitement, justice, and fighting for what's right all in one. I watched the movies first & I'm now eagerly anticipating Mockingjay Part 1, ( November 21st!). Right now, I'm on the last one, Mockingjay, in preparation for the movie. I was most excited to read this one, as, of course, I have no idea what happens. The books do help you understand what's going on in the movies better, and I wouldn't recommend doing what I did and watching the movies first- lol! Which is the backwards way of doing this and not the best idea. I hope you guys enjoy these as much as I am, should you choose to read them. I also recently finished a wonderful book by the 4 Duggar girls, " Growing Up Duggar" This was so encouraging and I learned so much about their family and personalities as well. Definitely another book I would highly recommend.












Listening to: One Direction
I recently discovered this awesome band, by a pure stroke of what I like to call luck. And no, this is is not the reason that I like them. But, apparently, Taylor Swift dated one of the members, Harry Styles, and therefore, that is how I found out about them. I think they're pretty awesome! For a person who listens to deep, melancholy music 80% of the time, it's good for me to enjoy 20% of light-hearted, fun songs to expand my taste in music. They have some beautiful, serious love- songs too, not just pop songs that are fun to dance too. My adorable little brother has also taken quite a liking to them.  I love all of their personalities- funny, charming, smart & serious etc. The members are as follows, in the picture below, left to right, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson,  Niall Horan and Zayn Malik. Four of them are from Britain and Niall is from Ireland( I love their accents too- always loved English & Irish accents:) Although I love all of them, I have a soft spot for the curly-haired one and the cute Irish lad:)They also have some very nice, good voices. My favorite songs by them are " Little Things" and " You &I". Little Things really resonated with me, as I have struggled with an eating disorder in the past. the song is about a girl with a bunch of insecurities about her body, voice, etc and really touched my heart. 
I hope you guys like it as much as I did!


 Quotes From The Boys That I LOVE:

Eating: Peach Yogurt.
I recently found this healthy, delicious recipe for my favorite kind of yogurt.
It's over on my food blog & I hope you like it. Here's the link:http://bakingandcookingthenaturalway.blogspot.com/

Drinking: Lots of WATER!! I've never realized just how good water is for you!! It's incredible, althogh it took me lots of times being told this to start drinking the prescribed 8-10 glasses of it each day. It keeps me hydrated, refreshed, aids digestion- it's awesome! The only drawback is that it makes me have to go to the bathroom a lot- lol! 
Well, that's it for now. Have a great night everybody!


Updates: September 9th, 2014

Wow! It's been so long since I wrote on here! I've had an incredible summer, volunteering at Robinson, horse-riding lessons, girls movie dates, bike-riding, reading, babysitting my baby cousin for a week.... the list goes on and on:) But it's nice to have a schedule again, after 3 months of fun and relaxation! School is keeping me nice and busy and working hard! With the schoolyear, comes the exciting months of October & November, for me at least. And this month, a movie that I dearly love, " The Fault In Our Stars comes out on DVD! I went to see it twice, it was so good! One week from today- I'm exuberant with anticipation! Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week! October, of course is Pumpkin Appreciation month and November has 4 very exciting things taking place in it!
1: Jessa Duggar's wedding! 2: Thanksgiving 3: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and 4: One Direction releases their new album 4!

Have a great rest of your week everybody!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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!































Sunday, February 9, 2014

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!