Extended Vacation

They say a storm's coming! My kind of storm, too...to the tune of 12 to 15 inches of snow. I love it. Bring it on!!!!

Does This Make Me Weird

1. We buy fresh shrimp when it's in season. I have 3 bags frozen in my deep freeze that I hesitate to use because it'll be awhile before I can get more. My plan for stocking up for the winter sounded good in theory, but the fact that I don't want to use what I have because then it will be gone wreaks havoc on the theory. This recipe may change my mind.

2. I love to eat healthy and always try to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into our meals. I have never met a veggie I don't like, honestly! I am also cutting out processed foods as much as possible and watching my sugar intake. However, I crave McDonald's double cheeseburgers frequently.

3. I am a clean freak and I hate clutter. I can't relax to watch a movie if I happen to look across the coffee table and see that it needs dusting. I have been known to freak out over unswept floors or dirty bathroom mirrors...but I NEVER make my bed (unless company is coming, so call first!)

4. The smell of popcorn used to gag me. I hated walking into a movie theater because of the overwhelming smell. In the last few months, I can't get enough popcorn.

5. I like well done hamburgers and very rare steaks.

6. I can quote Urban Cowboy and Grease word for word. I have had folks challenge me, but no one has taken me.

7. I often wish I had lived in a past era, mainly the 20's or the 40's. I could totally have rocked those clothes and hair do's.

8. I can't sing a lick, I mean, I'M BAD... yet I love to karaoke.

9. I love listening to 1980's country music. It reminds of my dad's "cowboy" phase. He was quite the rhinestone cowboy, right down to his Wranglers starched to a razor sharp edge. He also wore Aramis cologne and Consort hairspray...oh how the scent would linger in the halls (and oh, how I loved it!)

10. I'm terrified of frogs. My little sister used to chase me around with them when we were young. Once, I jumped into the pool to get away from her and she threw the frog in the pool. I about had a panic attack!

If it Weren't for Weekends

I'm thinking if there were no weekends, I'd be skinny. I am a creature of habit. When I am at work, I can eat healthy for every meal and snack. Then the weekend rolls around and all bets are off. I start out thinking I will have a cheat day, which turns into a nosh fest all weekend. I get to thinking since I already got off track, I might as well go all out until Monday when I can do good again. I know, I know! I should not have that mindset, I should get back on the horse, so to speak and not just blow the whole weekend over a couple of fattening meals. But hey, I love to cook and I like to enjoy the fruits of my labor...if only they were just actual fruits.
Since sticking with my healthy eating would require that there never be a weekend, I think I need to start working on my willpower...or be ok with the size of my jeans.

I Want a New Marriage

This is the name of a new series our church is doing. It is full of humor and practical applications that allow you to see how to use God's word to make your marriage be the best it can be.

IWANM - The Wedding from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

MMMMMango

I had a mango lingering in the fridge and it was feeling kind of mushy for my taste. So I chopped it up and threw together a yummy mango relish/salsa.

1 mango, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 of a red onion, diced finely
1 jalapeno pepper diced finely
a handful of chopped cilantro
about a T of rice wine vinegar
salt to taste

What a Wednesday!

For a short week, this one sure feels long. Is it really only Wednesday? The weather man is predicting snow. I, for one, am crossing my fingers and toes that it comes down hard! I had way too many of those "are you kidding me" face moments with my students today.

Too Pretty to Eat...almost

When I was little, my Mam-ma used to "put up" her own beets. They were pickled, and oh so delish. I used to eat them and eat them until one Thanksgiving I literally made myself sick on them. I didn't touch a beet for years after that. In the last year or so I have take to eating pickled beet slices in a can. I throw them in salads mostly, but have been known to just eat a few straight from the can. I ran across this recipe and had to give it a try. Fresh beets are pretty intimidating looking, they are dirty and have these super long leafy fraunds on them. The recipe made it look so simple to do that I thought I would give it a shot. The result: SO FREAKING AMAZING! The color was so unbelievable, like the perfect pink stain (can I wear it on my cheeks?) The balsamic and feta perfectly complimented the earthy sweetness of the beets. If you think you don't like beets, you need to try these.

A Gift We ALL Enjoy...maybe a little too much

For Christmas I got the hubs a Blu-Ray DVD player and signed us up for Netflix. I can't believe we are just now getting Netflix! Why did no one tell me that I really must sign up? I signed up for the option where we can instantly watch movies, as well as, have 1 DVD out at a time (not all the movies are available instantly.) Now I am not really a movie buff, and although I have some classic faves, I rarely watch movies more than once. The exceptions to that rule are Grease and Urban Cowboy, both of which I have watched COUNTLESS times. So anyway, back to my obsession with this new "toy". Yesterday after church the whole family settled in to watch Inception (too weird for me!) When it was over we were all just so comfy cozy we decided to watch another movie, THEN ANOTHER! Do you get what I am telling you? I watched 3 freaking movies yesterday! Did the laundry get done? Did the toilets get scrubbed? Did the floors get swept? NOOOOO! Can I tell you how cute Morgan Freeman was in Driving Miss Daisy? Yes. Can I tell you that Donny Darko kind of freaked me out? Yes. Maybe it was the freezing cold weather, or maybe it was the fact that both my kids were on the couch with me, or maybe I'm just lazy. I don't know, but it sure was fun. Steel Magnolias, anyone??!

Country Strong

I rarely see a movie on opening weekend, however I may make an exception for this one. Not because I think it's going to be a knock my socks off, change the world kind of movie, but because that bitch face Gwyneth gives Leighton as she comes off the stage is classic!

Take Time to Save Time

I work at a job where there is no time to go out to lunch. If there were time, there really aren't any great options close by. I pack my lunch everyday for a couple of reasons. I genuinely enjoy eating healthy, but delicious, food. Also, I can't eat fast foods and junk regularly because I have reached the fun age where I gain weight very easily. I grocery shop weekly and always have a plan for meals I can prepare that will allow for left overs. I don't really love sandwiches unless I am going to eat them right away. People have definitely laughed at my sandwich packing when I have gone that route. I pretty much wrap or store each component, condiments included, separately. It's quite a hassle for a simple sammy. Why not just bring a Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones? Well, mama needs to feel full. Have you seen the portions of those meals? Certain ones I can bulk up with fresh spinach or a salad on the side, but I much prefer fresh food that I prepare myself. I am not a morning person so I don't have tons of time in the mornings. However, my goal right now is to spend some time one day a week (usually Sunday) to do some prep and packing. I have a fridge at work that I can store things in so I can have healthier meals and spend lots less time in the mornings throwing things into my bag. That said, I just spent about an hour putting together some things and packing them up for the rest of the week. Here's a rundown of what I did:

chopped romaine lettuce and put in a Ziploc
made tuna salad
boiled some eggs
cut up carrots
made hummus
washed grape tomatoes
made a balsamic vinaigrette

Now, I can eat salads, snack on hummus, have tuna salad on tomatoes, grab a boiled egg etc...I'm hoping this new plan keeps me eating healthy all week with no excuses.