Good Morning!!

I've officially turned into a morning person! Woo hoo! I get up every day at 5:30 and so far, I LOVE IT! I start my coffee, do my quiet time, go for a 30ish minute walk/jog, then shower and get ready for the day. It's a great new routine and I plan to stick with it!

Instead of trying fad diets and specific eating plans, I am simply starting to cook at home and not eat out. I can tell a huge difference in how I feel and look! Even if the recipe has butter or milk or cream cheese in it, eating small doses of that at home is healthier than picking up fast food. Every day my jeans fit better than they did the day before!

I also found a new workout website that I LOVE! It's called Blogilates. Google it and it's the first site. She is pilates based but she has all different types of videos. She has longer pilates videos that focus on the whole body. Or, shorter challenge videos that focus on one body part. You do your workout to the beat of a current pop song (call me maybe, what makes you beautiful, etc) so it's upbeat and fun! I just did the inner thigh challenge - holy moly.

This week has been a pinterest recipe win week! No pinterest fails!! (I'm about to eat what I made tonight. it could be a fail but it looks and smells great!) I made Jalapeno Shrimp Enchiladas tonight. Earlier in the week I made Broccoli Cheese soup. And, last night, I made Creamy White Chicken Artichoke Lasagna. I love cooking!!

Tonight, I'm going to brew some decaf coffee, sweeten it with Pumpkin Spice creamer, read, and prepare for this storm/cold front coming in!!

For Saturday: Go Hogs! Beat Ole Miss!!!!!

Out of Shape

It's amazing ridiculous what months of inconsistent workouts can do to you! I started Jillian's 30 Day Shred back up today and thought I was going to die (or throw up). Man, I'm out of shape. But....I'm back in the game! I've picked out all the recipes I'm going to cook this month & I'm challenging myself to 30 Days of Jillian. Then, a day of rest and a new 30 Day Jillian DVD in November.

Here we go!

2 weeks from today...

is my 25th birthday!!!! Wow! I can't believe it's already almost here.

Last year, I wrote out a lot of goals for year 24. Around my birthday, I'll do a recap post and see what goals I accomplished, didn't accomplish, and got started on.

I definitely didn't accomplish my weight loss goals. However, I did challenge myself a lot, made some progress, backtracked, and learned a lot of what works and what doesn't work for me in the weight loss department. So, year 25 will be the year for the get healthy switch...for real this time!

I just finished Day 2 of Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30. Gosh it is SO MUCH harder than 30 Day Shred. However, if I completed 30 Day Shred in 30 days, I can do this one 5 days a week! This one has 4 weeks of workouts instead of 3 and it's A LOT more intense. I might even stretch it out more than 4 weeks so that I can really improve on each week before moving on. This will decrease my risk of injury (since I'm old now! ;) ) and will increase my stamina, endurance, and confidence.

Welp, I'm off to figure out what's for dinner. What can I make with an egg, salsa, cheese, chicken, pork chops, and berries? haha that's about all I have in my apt...I just can't get myself to get back out into the 110* heat for the store tonight.

Back in the Kitchen

The above pics are a depiction of my Saturday...it was glorious. That was my plan for today too until my body decided it wanted to wake up the dizziest I've been in a long time. So, no sun & heat for me today :( but I did nap (twice) and plan meals for the week! (more on that later) So, it was an equally relaxing and enjoyable Sunday afternoon!

Now on to the main point of the post...the craziness of the past 2 months of my life (out of town ALL.THE.TIME) kept me from cooking. I've come to love cooking over the past 1.5 years of living on my own so 2 months without it is too long!! Well, I'm back! This afternoon, I spent a good 1.5 hours browsing pinterest & food websites for new ideas & recipes. I made my menu for the next 2 weeks and I'm heading to the store soon for this weeks list! I'm so so so excited to be back in kitchen! (my waistline and scale are also excited...)

Lifestyle update: The last 2 months led to little-no exercise and lots of fast food. The weight I lost....well, some of it has been found again. However, the next 6 months of my life look to be conducive to eating healthy and exercise. This girl is thrilled! I have 3 new Jillians I'm about to start (well, 1 at a time. Otherwise, I might die). I plan on nixing fast food and eating at home. I'm not going to cut out sweets or breads or drastic things like that. When I do that, I crave them. BAD. So, I'm going to eat fruits and veggies, drink water, practice portion control and smart eating...THIS will lead to a doable lifestyle change and to weight loss/control.

Also conducive to eating healthy & cooking at home is our new KROGER MARKETPLACE! Guys, if your town doesn't have one, visit Central Arkansas. We have 2 (1 in my town and 1 30 minutes away). LEGIT grocery store. The first few times you visit, your trip will be about 3 times as long as normal because you have to find where they put everything (oh, just me? whoops...) But, it's well worth it for all the  items they offer and the huge produce section. And, I don't mind the long trips. I enjoy my wal-mart and grocery store trips. I know I'm weird for this but something about it is enjoyable to me!

I'll leave you with this weeks menu and I'll post updates later:
Breakfast:
Cereal or Crockpot Morning Casserole

Lunch:
Leftovers
PB&J (my new obsession for another post)
Salads - spinach leaves, strawberries, blueberries, sunflower seeds, etc

Dinner:
Shrimp & Pesto Pizza
Ranch Chicken Tacos w/salsa & guac
Double Crusted Honey Pork Chops w/brown rice & steamed broccoli

Have a great week!

no motivation

i've been m.i.a. because i've had NO motivation to write a new post. life and work and sleep habits and eating habits have been crazy crazy busy and out of whack. so much so that i sleep in any free time i have. hence the no posts in a million years.

recap:
-i've been out of town the past 17 weekends (exaggeration but it's been at least the past 5)
-april staff training in tulsa 1.5 weeks ago for 6 days
-a million projects and to-do lists at work to prep our summer events
-finishing perspectives (it's over! i loved it but i'm pumped for the extra time)
-sleeping and relaxing all weekend at the lake this past weekend (to recover from april staff training sleep deficit)
-staying up 'til at least 12 or 1 or 2 every night at AST (i quickly found out i'm no longer a college student)
-still loving my macbook pro
-pumped to start eating healthy and working out again next week - will be using some healthy pinterest recipes now that i have a working computer
-love my fam - loved the time with them at the lake

random: i took a nap after work today and now i'm getting everything crossed off my home to-do list...at 9:30pm when i should be winding down

next post...my plan to switch all my makeup products to e.l.f. products. get excited! :)

Promised Pinterest Recipes

As mentioned in this post, I had a menu full of Pinterest Recipes. I've made them and I'm here to report.

Tomato-Basil Alfredo Pasta:
This recipe was great! It can be found on my pinterest "entrees" board. I used the 'lighter' version that's listed in the comments  under the recipe, so there would be fewer calories. I also used 3-cheese tortellini instead of ravioli, but that was just a personal preference. This recipe was easy and quick! I will definitely make it again.

In the Pan

Serve with Parm Cheese

  Orange Chicken:
SO GOOD! I made this last night with a revised recipe. I'm trying to stay away from fried foods, so I baked the chicken. I put the chicken in a bowl with some olive oil, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. I mixed it together with my hands, until the chicken was coated with bread crumbs. I spread it out on a cookie sheet and baked at 375* for 12-15 minutes. While that was baking, I cooked some rice and made the orange sauce. This made a good amount - I have plenty of lefovers for lunch and dinner again (I love leftovers!).


I definitely recommend! (sorry my pics aren't great...)

Nutella Cupcakes:
These had mixed reviews. We would definitely revamp them for next time.
Changes: layer nutella on the bottom of the cupcake liner, put batter on top, then more nutella to stir in.
How to eat it: don't pick at it...just bite down top to bottom.
I would try these again with the changes. If the reviews don't change, I probably wouldn't make them again.

In the process of stirring in the nutella

 

Finished product (don't know why the pic is cut off...)

I probably won't cook anymore recipes until next week. The next few days and weekend plans are crazy so there won't be much cooking. But, I will report back soon with more reviews! The Bible Study I'm leading is starting up soon so I'll have definitely have dessert recipes to report weekly :)

Happy Pinterest Cooking!

Labor Day Weekend

I think Labor Day weekend is my favorite 3-day holiday weekend of the year. Labor Day weekend brings with it fall, football, the start of a new semester, cooler weather, and freshness. I don't know why, but for me it breaks off summer and starts something new. And fall weather is so fresh and crisp that it just doubles the effect. My love for Labor Day weekend was no different this year!

It started off in Fayetteville with a Board Meeting on Friday. I got to go up Thursday night and spend time with a few friends! After a mere 2.5 hours of sleep, I started my long, 14-hour day of sitting. After the board meeting, I drove to LR, picked up Kenya (the adorable puppy pictured below) and headed to Hot Springs. I seriously spent over 14 hours SITTING DOWN on Friday - it wasn't extremely enjoyable. Once I got to HS, I ran around the driveway for a few minutes to loosen up a little. I'm too old to sit down that long! That night, it was just me, Cam, Andi, Nana, and Pawpaw hanging out. That was fun! I haven't hung out with Cam and Andi much since the wedding.

Kenya - precious puppy!

Normally when people go to the lake, they lay out, go out on a boat, etc. I didn't do that at all! I just relaxed, read, slept, and hung out. I'm kind of over laying out and getting tan (who would have thought I would have EVER said that?!?!) I think it's because it's just been SO hot. Anyway, Saturday, I slept in a little, spent some time with Jesus, played with Kenya, watched TV, and took a nap :) I also had some in.cred.ible cheesecake (my fave dessert) Saturday. Cam made some original cheesecake and brought leftovers to the lake. I took my piece and crafted a delicacy....I melted hot fudge & pb together (arguably the best food combo possible) and layered it between 2 small slices. Then, I broke up a reeses and put it on top. HEAVENLY.

That night, we watched the HOGS WIN! I'm so glad football is back-I love it! After the game, Chan, Cam, Andi, and I went to get froyo. I LOVE sibling time! Sunday was pretty much the same pattern as Saturday :) My cousins, aunt and uncle, and mom got to HS Sunday so we all hung out and grilled out for dinner. Burgers are one of my T5 fave foods. Monday morning, I slept in again, went to Bath and Body Works for their candle sale, then headed  back to Conway. I haven't spent a weekend at my apt in WAY too long so I needed some extended time at home. I went to the store, cooked some new recipes, and spent some much needed time relaxing in my home!

Parmesan Fish and Parmesan Asparagus

All of my foods over the next few weeks will be from pinterest! I love it! Monday night I made Parmesan Fish and Parmesan Asparagus for dinner. It was so good! The parmesan mixture made a cheesy layer on the fish and the parmesan added a nice crisp to the asparagus. I will definitely make this recipe again - it was quicky, easy, and delish! I also made mini-quiches Monday afternoon to eat for breakfast this week. I loaded them down with veggies - broccoli, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green bell peppers - to add to my daily veggie intake. I ate one this morning and it was really good! I paired it with a peach - yummy, healthy, filling breakfast!

Mini-Breakfast Quiches

Last week, I made Butter Chicken for dinner. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It was a different variation of the Butter Chicken I had in India but it was still great!

I <3 Indian food.

This week's menu: Tomato-basil Alfredo Ravioli and Orange or Honey Chicken.
I might also be having some UofA friends stay with me Friday night before Saturday's LR game. If so, I'm sure we'll make a yummy pinterest dessert!

In honor of the cooler weather, I will be wearing cardigans and getting Pumpkin Spice Lattes this week. You should do that too!

Buffet Style

This post is going to be buffet style....a variety of topics and you can read as little or as much as you like.

-I'm a fan of Starbucks Via. I was hesitant at first. One of the worst things in the world to me is the feeling of coffee grounds (or sand or dirt) in my mouth. I almost vom if I feel it. So, I was hesitant of Via for the icky grounds factor. "Will it dissolve all the way?", "Will there be big grounds?",  "Will it taste good?", "Will I vom?" You know...the normal questions for someone that could vom just thinking about sand in my mouth. sick. Anyway....I tried it this morning (woke up too late to make a real pot of coffee) and I'm a fan!
-If you're keeping track of the types of apples I enjoy (it's not hard...there is only 1), you can add a 2nd to the list! Pink Lady Apples. (of course I'd like them...they're called PINK LADY. It just fits.) Anyway, I now purchase both Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples at the store.
-God and I are going on an interesting journey this summer. He's teaching me a lot about myself. He's teaching me a lot about Himself. I'm being stretched. I'm being strengthened. I'm getting confused. I'm being humbled. I'm learning how dumb I can be. You know....the norm. Man, is it hard but fun.
-2 of my single friends have gone on 1st dates with new guys!! I am SO excited for them! Neither of them have dated in a while so I'm thrilled that guys are pursuing them!! :)
-I finished the HP books. When I read or watch a series, the characters become my family. It was definitely difficult to experience death and hardships along with the characters (I'm telling you...I get attached!) I can now start renting the movies and watch them! (looking into Netflix-any other services you'd recommend?)
-I just finished a small book by Ray Comfort called "God Has a Wonderful Plan for your Life." It was incredible! It is all about evangelism and discipleship. It's point is that we can't get people to convert by telling them God has a wonderful plan for their life. Then they follow Him for a bit, experience trial, and fall away. We have to lay the foundation that they are sinners (10 Commandments) and that Christ forgave them for that and they can experience hope. Once they see their depravity, they desire the hope. It made me want to go share the gospel right now!
-One thing I am pursuing now, after a full year on staff, is a personal ministry. I did DivorceCare4Kids last spring and loved it! I'm going to continue with that. But, I also want a ministry where I am discipling and pouring into young women, whether it be kids, youth, or college students. I'm in the midst of figuring this out. I plan on leading a Bible Study for girls/women in Conway through my church. I'm excited about this opportunity. I'm praying God would reveal to me if this is what He wants me to continue with or if He wants me to reach out into another type of ministry in my church. I'm also praying about opportunities to share the gospel. I just don't know where to do it! Since I work for a ministry, I don't have non-believer co-workers to share with. So, if you enjoy praying for things, ask God to give me wisdom in ministry and gospel sharing! Thanks! :)
-I now have a sister-in-law! Cam and Andi's wedding was unique, sweet, and God-glorifying. I loved being a part of their special day! They got home from San Diego on Saturday. Mom and I picked them up from the airport and they came back to mom's house to open all their presents. It was fun hanging out with them!
-Last night I went on a 40 minute walk that only felt like 15. I called my great friend Michelle and talked and talked and talked and it was great. We are in the same phase of life and it was so refreshing to talk through a lot with her. I'm so grateful for her friendship! I love quality time with deep convos with friends.
-Last Friday night, Macy, Kate, Christy and I went to Wild River Country and back to my mom's house for dessert (leftover wedding cake!). We hadn't all hung out since Macy's wedding so Friday was a great time!
-I've read a lot of books this summer. I LOVE to read. Here they are: HP 5,6,&7; God has a Wonderful Plan for your Life; Youniquely Woman; The IT Factor; Living Water and Indian Bowl; Spiritual Leadership; The Magician's Nephew. I'm currently reading The Lion,the Witch,&the Wardrobe, Counterfeit Gods, and In This Generation. Seriously, I love reading.
-I've made some good recipes lately. I'll try to make a recipe post soon. This week I've had Bar-b-cups (childhood fave), Southwestern Chicken Roll-ups (an improvised version), and tonight is Fish Tacos. Get excited!

If you've read all of this, you must be busting at the seams with upates. Thanks for being a part of my life! :)

Healthy Update

I've still been working out but I've been running less. For some reason it's getting harder. That doesn't make sense to me. But, I'm still trying for it! I've been doing the elliptical and lifting lots of weights. I can already tell a huge difference! My muscles are more toned and stronger and I've already lost a couple of inches in my waist. I am loving going to the gym every night and walking/running outside. It's so refreshing! I've been waking up at 630 every day no matter what time I go to bed - it must be from the exercise and change in energy. Because of this, I'm going to add in a morning walk. I read that 2 small workouts a day is great to boost your metabolism so I'm going to try this out. I'm going to go for a slow walk in the mornings while listening to a sermon and then do a more hardcore workout at night.

I've been cooking every night to try to avoid fried foods. This week I've had wheat pancakes, homemade pizza (best ever!), fish with asparagus and salad, and a burger with baked fries. First off, burgers are my all time favorite food ever! Second off, the pizza concoction I came up with is incredible. For the sauce, I mix pesto and alfredo. I put chicken, tomato, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese as the toppings. SO GOOD!
I used to eat super unhealthy cereals and other breakfast foods but I've also switched that up too. I now eat 1 scrambled egg and 2 pieces of turkey bacon for breakfast. If I decide for cereal, I eat Honey Bunches of Oats. I think changing my breakfast food is helping a lot too - the protein holds me over to where I don't need a morning snack. ( I read an article about this too! :))

Just for fun, here is a pic of the most comfortable pants that are so fun! They're from India!

Have a great weekend! If you need me, you can find me poolside at my apt complex :)

Menu Mania

I am LOVING making weekly menus. I'm enjoying new recipes and trying for healthier options. I haven't quite mastered the "combine-different-recipes-to-create-your-own" technique yet (I'll explain later). So for now, I'm sticking to the exact measurements.

Last week's menu:

• Monday night: Monkey Bread and Sausage/Egg Quiche - I know Monkey Bread is NOT healthy but it's so delicious!! This turned out great. And it makes great leftovers for breakfast for the next few days :)
• Tuesday night: Curry Lime Chicken, Sauteed Asparagus, Wild Rice - I created the curry lime chicken idea! Lime Chicken sounded so good to me but I wanted to add something. So, with my love for Indian food....I pulled out the Curry Powder. It turned out really great! I just poked holes in the chicken, put it in a ziploc, poured in Lime Juice and Curry Powder and marinated it in the fridge all day. Then, I grilled it on the George Foreman (incredible option for single people!) and it was delicious. I also marinated the asparagus in Kraft Tuscan Italian dressing and then sauteed it in a pan over the stove. This is a great, easy, quick option that I'll definitely add to my rotation!
• Wednesday night: Cameron, Andi, and Chandler came over because Youth group was cancelled due to the snow. It was so fun to make dinner for them! (Cameron was in the kitchen too - it's impossible to keep  him out). I made Lemon Pepper Tilapia and Green Bean Bundles. Cameron and Andi brought over homemade bread and chicken and made Cameron's signature "Mayonnaise Bread Chicken". I also made chocolate chip cookies and added peanut butter. These were yummy! (I hope the snow is over because it just makes me want to bake!!) We hung out for a while and had fun as siblings with the future sib/wife!
• Thursday night: White Chicken Chili and cornbread: [Disclaimer - I don't like broth-based soups. I only like cream-based soups.] This is a winner. It's my aunt's recipe and I LOVE it! It's super quick and easy and it makes for great leftovers (I cut the recipe in half and still had it for 3 total meals and froze some).

This week's menu"

• Monday night: leftovers. I ran some errands that night (that didn't include the grocery store), so I just had leftovers. I treated myself to a workout, tanning, and relaxation since it was Valentine's Day.
• Tuesday night: I made some baked Cajun Tilapia and had it with leftover Green Bean Bundles and Wild Rice. Fish is so good and it cooks so much faster than chicken! This is the night I went to the store so I made quick dinner before I left.
• Wednesday night: Potato and Corn Chowder. This is where I learn I am not good at the combining-different-recipes technique. Let's just say...it took a lot longer than I wanted to and it only tastes okay, not excellent. It's definitely edible and I'm freezing it for leftovers (I'll probably pull it out on the random day Arkansas decides to be cold again - let's be realistic, we know it will happen in like April). So, for next time, I'll definitely stick to one recipe and hopefully it will be better.
• Thursday night: Fiesta Chicken Casserole and guacamole. Tonight I am having 2 girls over that I discipled last year. They are super sweet! I am trying out a new recipe so hopefully it will be good. What can't be good about chicken, pasta, cheese, salsa, guacamole, and chips? I'll keep you updated!
• Friday night: My great friend Christy is coming over for a girls' night so we will probably make homemade pizzas and something sweet!
• Saturday night: Burgers and Fries. Cheeseburgers are easily one of my favorite foods. I am not one of those girls that goes out to a restaurant and orders a salad. My go to food at most restaurants is a Barbeque Bacon Cheeseburger cooked medium. My favorite ones have onion rings/straws on them. YUM! (I'm salivating just thinking about it). So, this Saturday, I'll  be pulling out my George Foreman, grilling me a burger, and baking me some fries! I even have seasoned salt to put on the fries. I think this will be my favorite meal this week.

Saturday night I'm having a Wedding Invitation Assembly Party for my friend! She lives in India and won't be home for a few more weeks but her invitations need to go out Monday. So, I'll be baking a cake and hanging out with friends to get these assembled!! I'm so excited to be helping with this (and it will give me great practice for if I get married one day ;)

If you have any delicious dinner ideas, I would love some feedback! :) I'm always looking for new recipes. And, if any of these sound good to you and you want the recipe, leave a comment and I'll get it to you! Happy Cooking!!