Baked Oatmeal, Ohhhh my!

Hello all! We eat A LOT of cereal at our house. We regard it as its own food group most of the time. For Michael, I usually end up buying several boxes a week. I also like oatmeal and this morning, I decided to try some baked oatmeal because this recipe calls for applesauce and I just made a DELICIOUS variety and this was a fantastic opportunity to use some. This was an absolute treat. It was so easy to make and the only problem is that even though I was full…I could have eaten the whole pan. Michael ate about half the pan and he doesn’t even like oatmeal that much. Yes, it’s that good.

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (I like a lot!)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup each of raisins and dried cranberries (I left these out)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup applesauce

1 ½ tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl an combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir well.

Pour the whole thing into an 8 inch square baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

I poured some extra applesauce over the top and it was literally the most wonderful start to the day that I could have ever asked for.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Well…my doctor tells me I have a sodium deficiency so I have been trying to find salty food that isn’t too fattening…I just know it’s possible. Soup seems to be a great way to get a lot of sodium in a healthy way. The recipe for this soup calls for low sodium broth but I’ve slightly modified it for more salt but I’ll note my changes for you hypertensive folks J This soup is so easy and quick but is also sooo delicious. The barley fills you up and keeps you full for a while. Mike refuses to try it because it doesn’t have meat in it but that’s okay because I have no problem eating this all week!

1 cup barley (I used instant, so much easier than boiling it for 40 minutes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 package of button mushrooms, sliced

3 cans low sodium vegetable broth (I used regular)

1 cup water (I added a chicken bullion cube to this)

2 bay leaves

(I added some Lawry’s salt with parsley for good measure)

Dry spices like oregano, basil whatever you had, I just dumped a bunch in.

In a medium pan add 1 cup barley to two cups boiling water. Cook according to package directions, set aside

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Add the vegetable broth, water (and boulion cube J), bay leaves, and lawry’s salt and any other herbs and spices you want. Simmer about 10 minutes. Add barley and cook another 15 minutes or so.

Remove the bay leaves and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste. YUM!

Homemade Applesauce

I confess, I don’t absolutely love fruit. For me, it’s a texture thing. I love all-fruit smoothies but eating raw fruit is difficult for me. The one fruit I don’t mind eating raw is an apple but I’m VERY picky about it having ANY bruises and the texture has to be extremely crisp. That said, I am always trying to find ways to incorporate more fruit into my diet. I go and off of applesauce kicks. I don’t usually mind the texture and it’s easy to store and doesn’t go bad quickly but a nagging part of me always felt guilty about it since the kind you buy in the store has preservatives, even if it has no sugar added. Then I found this recipe for homemade applesauce. It sounds daunting, yes, but it was surprisingly easy and DELICIOUS. I can’t get enough of it. I put some on a toasted whole wheat English Muffin yesterday and I was in heaven. Also, I then put it in my baked oatmeal this morning (Recipe to come) and it was a revelation. Here’s how to do it:

Homemade Crockpot Applesauce:

5 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped

2 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped (the flavor in these babies is very prominent in the end product. If you aren’t a huge fan of tart apples, I suggest only using one and substituting another type of apple)

2 medium Honey Crisp apples peeled, cored, quartered, and chopped (My grocery store didn’t have honey crisp so I used Fuji)

Fresh Lemon Juice – I juiced two lemons

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water.

If you are like me and work then you’ll want to do all the prep the night before.

I sat and watched a movie the night before and peeled all the apples, then sliced them using an apple slicer, then chopped the slices into small bits about the size of a dice. It was mindless and relaxing.

When that’s done, place all of the apple pieces in the crock pot, pour the fresh lemon juice over them and toss them until you are reasonably confident that they are coated. Add in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour water in the crock pot, stir the whole mess together. Now, at this point, you can turn the crock pot on and let it cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours but if you are me, you stick the pot in the fridge and go to bed and in the morning put it on heat while you go to work.

When you come home, your house will smell like apple pie and you should probably invite people over and act like that’s how your house always smells. I plan on doing this the second time around.

Makes about 4 cups of applesauce.

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

I realize that popcorn balls are usualy a halloween or Christmas treat...But if that is the case then why does the song talk about spring? Either way it's Summer, not any of the aforementioned seasons or holidays and I have stumbled upon a recipe for popcorn balls that is so delicious and easy that you will want to make them every day.

Popcorn Balls

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
10 marshmallows
1-2 bags unbuttered popped popcorn

Directions:
Melt the butter and brown sugar over medium low heat. Once they are melted together, add the marshmallows. It's VERY important you keep the heat medium-low because I have learned, once upon a failed rice krispie, that if you heat this stuff too fast, it will turn rock hard when it cools and be completely unedible. Sad face.

While this is melting, you can pop your popcorn. I have a fabulous popcorn popper so I don't use the bagged kind so I just sort of estimate how much I imagine 1 and half bags of popcorn would be.

Pour the melted mixture over the popcorn and stir it with a spoon - you don't want to touch it yet, it's like sugary LAVA. Once you have coate the popcorn reasonably evenly, form the popcorn into balls as big or small as you like.

This makes enough to make about 10 baseball sized balls or 15 ish slightly-bigger-than-golf-ball-size.

I heart my new dentist. A lot.

Okay so since I've moved out to SLC, I've been slowly trying to get doctors closer to me out here. About the dentist. Let's face it. I can barely schedule an appointment to begin with let alone arrange to drive out to Centerville. I used to go to Ford Huffaker who I love and if you live in the Centerville area I highly recommend him. Well, after asking around for recommendations, several people mentioned the Sugarhouse Dental Spa. I googled it and saw only positive reviews and it sounded like an interesting concept, a little pampering to draw you in never hurt anyone, right? (But I'll get to that in a minute) So I called and they accepted my new insurance so I made an appointment.

A week later, whether it be mental or not, two of my teeth started to hurt. Not bad but it DID remind me to call to ask for a prescription for antibiotics to avoid further nasty heart complications. While I was on the phone, I mentioned I was having pain and the receptionist immediately told me they would fit me in THAT DAY. She called me back a few minutes later and asked if I could come in at 1:00. Well, my teeth still hurt so I said yes.

After A LOT of run around (bribing a co-worker to take me to the pharmacy) leaving an hour early to get my car from the trax station, etc.) I finally made it. When I walked in I was greeted by the accomadating receptionist who gave me some paperwork, took me into the waiting room where she sat me down in a massage chair and asked if she could bring me a drink - tea, coffee, water. Dumbfounded, I asked for water. After 15 minutes in my massage chair, the hygeinist came to get me. She then gave me a paraffin wax treatment on my hands, covered my hands in warm mittens and asked if I preferred a hot or cold eye mask...Um...where am I? I shrugged and decided on hot. She put the mask on me and said, "I'm going to massage your temples with some eucalyptus essential oil before we start." Oookay. Yes. Allowed. Then she began to clean my teeth which normally makes me cringe but since my eyes were covered with a warm mask and my temples smelled of eucalyptus, I didn't care. The hygeinist was sooo nice. She talked to me the whole time but not in that awkward dentist way. I really felt comfortable. After my cleaning, a girl came in and gave me a neck and shoulder massage.

Then I waited for the dentist. When he came in, I was a little taken back for a few reasons. First, he was wearing an Abercrombie and Fitch T-Shirt and jeans. Second, he was GORGEOUS. I mean, the sight of him was a revelation. (Keep in mind, I went into this knowing he's openly gay. The office touts itself as gay friendly and a referral and mentioned he dated her son) Dr. Graham is one of those men that is so perfect they have to be gay...sigh..and he is. (Author's note: I am marrying the most perfect GORGEOUS straight man alive) In retrospect, it's a good thing that he's gay otherwise I would have been far too uncomfortable around him to function. He sweetly introduced himself and looked in my mouth and said, "Aw, you grind your teeth." A small argument ensued about this but he won...only to be confirmed by Mike when I got home...I apparently DO grind my teeth. And the pain in my teeth is from clenching my jaw. He put his hands on my jaw and said, "Well there's your problem. Your jaw is so tight, poor thing." Yes, I AM a poor thing!!! Finally someone acknowledges this. :) He gave me some advice and then finished his exam. He did find one cavity and I have never been so excited to get a cavity filled in my life. Then, yes, he met me at the receptionist's desk with a latte. Yeah, that DID happen. And my co-pay was the same as it was with my old dentist. Hooray!!!!! Then, I got a really neat packet of dental supplies. I can't wait to go back.

Chipotle Lime Quinoa Salad - Just Try It!!!

I got this awesome recipe off picky-palate.com. I have a new obsession with Quinoa (pronounced by hippies as Keen-Wah). It's a super healthy grain that has lots of protein in it. Men's Health calls it a super food because of how nutritious it is...and Men's Health is my bible so I believe it. This salad is GREAT for Barbecues and family get togethers because it is delicious but more importantly, you greatly impress people because you are fancy enough to know what quinoa is and how to use it. Just act like it's not big deal and you are just that awesome. Enjoy!

1 Cup uncooked quinoa

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt with parsley

1 teaspoon adobe sauce (from can of chipotle peppers)

1 can yellow corn, drained

1 can white beans, drain and rinsed

1/2 Cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves, chopped

2 chipotle peppers, chopped

1/2 Cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 Cup green onions, chopped (the green parts)

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. In a small bowl whisk the lime juice, olive oil, salt, parsley and adobo sauce. Pour into quinoa and mix in corn, beans, cilantro, chipotle peppers, red bell pepper and green onions. Cover and chill until serving.

8-10 servings

Recipe Box: Spaghetti Pie!!!

I love spaghetti pie...more than regular spaghetti...more than I should. This is my favorite recipe. Enjoy!

You Will Need:

6 oz. (about half the box) of spaghetti (I use whole wheat, much to Mike's dismay)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 small can of tomato paste

1 packet of Spaghetti Sauce seasoning

2 1/4 cups water

(You can substitute the previous three ingredients for a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, I just prefer the kind you make from the seasoning packet)

1-2 tbsp butter (optional but helpful)

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozerella cheese

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

What to do:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Boil the spaghetti noodles (I like to salt the water with kosher salt, it adds a nice flavor to the noodles)

2. At the same time, brown the beef. Once cooked, drain the grease (Author's note: I hate hamburger grease like I hate the Nazis so once I drain off the extra grease, I also spread it out on a few paper towels to get ALL the grease off) and set aside.

3. Mix the hot spaghetti with a little butter (maybe a tablespoon, I usually use less), the parmesan and the 2 eggs and put in a pie dish to form a "crust" for the pie.

4. Mix the tomato paste, water, and seasoning packet according to directions on packet. Then add the beef and let simmer for a few minutes.

5. Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti mixture

6. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the spaghetti and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

7. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the hot pie and bake 5 more minutes until the cheese in melted.

8. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving, it will thicken this way.

Since my fiance is a cop and works weird hours, I generally like to make stuff that I can put into tupperware to make little TV dinners for him to heat up when he gets home so yes, this reheats well. I served it (to myself) with steamed vegetables seasoned with nutritional yeast and a garlic knot breadstick that I made a while ago and froze. And I wanted to cry because it was so good. That is all!

Update on Tarte MultiplEYE eyelash enhancer

Okay, my camera isn't working right now so I can't upload the new pictures of my peepers. I will when I can figure out what the deal is with the camera. Until then, know this: Tarte MultiplEYE eyelash enhancer really does work. No, they haven't given me anything or paid me to say this. I don't even know anyone from Tarte...but wish I did. My eyelashes are so long and full. I have had three people, independent of each other notice. Usually something like, "Wow, I've never noticed before, but you have really long eyelashes!" Yesssss. The box says it takes 6 weeks to get full results but the three people that commented on my lashes did so after about 3 weeks. I'm well past the 6 week point and don't apply it as religiously as I should but I'm extremely satisfied with this product. It gets my stamp of approval. I can't wait to show you pictures!

Update on the Clinique Acne System

Siiigghhhhh, so as you know, I decided to give the Clinique Skin Care System a try because my adult acne, in 4 words, is ri-dic-u-lous. When I went to the counter, the lady recommended the acne system over the traditional 3 step systems because...well, acne is my problem. I regret to inform my reader (yes, one) that I returned it today. Not only did my acne not go away, it actually got worse. I was expecting this for a couple weeks but I've been using it over a month and, in my dear friend Ester's words, "It's worse, to tell you the truth" Ah, what would I do without honest friends? Anyway, I returned it today and since I bought it during some sort of promotion, I had to exchange it for something instead of getting a refund. So...I'm trying the 3 step system for combination/oily skin. Let's see if this does anything different. I will update you on THAT later.

Happy 2 Years!

Happy 2 year Anniversary to us! Our 2nd anniversary was on March 25th, 2010. I can't even believe it's been that long. But it's great. I never believed people had soul mates until I met mine. Mike and I are meant to be. Someone once told me (while trying to talk me into breaking up with an ex boyfriend) that I would know when I met the one for me because there would be absolutely no doubt about it. I never thought that would happen but now when people ask if I ever wonder if Mike is the one, I can honestly say no. I never wonder if there are other fish in the see or something better because there isn't. Mike is the one! I love him and I can't wait for many more anniversaries to come!

I'm back! With a new recipe!!!

So our internet hasn't been working...let me clarify our NEIGHBOR's internet hasn't been working :P and therefore, I haven't been able to update. But I wanted to post a recipe that I tried this last week and found to be delicious!!! Mike ate it up too, which isn't saying much since he eats everything. Anyway, it's called Chicken Burrito Bake. I know, the idea of pouring alfredo sauce on burritos is a little off-putting, but it's awesome, trust me!!!

As you may or may not know, I don't measure anything most of the time, I just approximate. Trust your eyeballs as measuring cups:

CHICKEN BURRITO BAKE

A little more than 2 cups shredded chicken (I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco)

1 Jar Tomatillo salsa (the green salsa)

1 container of refrigerated-type alfredo sauce (It's important to get the refrigerated kind as it has a different taste and is usually better quality than the kind in the spaghetti aisle. I used Butoni by the refrigerated pasta)

A few handfuls of mexican blend shredded cheese

4-5 tortillas

Sour cream and sliced avocados for seving

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Okay, in a large bowl, mix the chicken, half the cheese, and about a cup of the tomatillo salsa until the chicken is well coated.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture into the middle of each tortilla, roll each up into a burrito and place snugly in a baking dish.

In the same bowl that you mixed the chicken, mix the whole container of alfredo and the other half of the cheese and pour it over the burritos. If you want, pour a little more of the salsa over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. Top with sliced avocados and sour cream!

Beautiful dinner! This is grilled chicken with pasta in a tomato cream sauce along with some (burnt) asparagus. Mike loves this stuff and it's a recipe I consider a dish for "company" since it tastes sooo good and looks pretty impressive. Also, it's really cheap and easy to make. Don't believe me? Try it yourself! Amanda over at kevinandamanda.com has done a terrific job explaining step by step how to bust this out. Go here to see the recipe:

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/grilled-chicken-pasta-in-a-tomato-cream-sauce.html

I have made a few lazy girl and helpful modifications:

1. Any time I make chicken, I always let it sit in milk and lemon juice for at least a half hour. Ideally, I would do this before I go to work (or for 2-4 hours) but I never remember so I usually stick the chicken in a ziploc, pour milk and lemon juice over it and stick it in the fridge while I prepare other stuff for the recipe. The reason for this is that the milk and lemon juice (a quick and dirty sub for buttermilk) breaks down the proteins in the chicken and makes it more tender and also, for scientific reasons unknown to me, makes it sooo much more juicy.

2. I have made this recipe both with fresh basil and parsley and with dried basil. Both turned out great. If you don't have fresh basil on hand, dried works fine, you just feel less fancy.

3. If I am not using fresh herbs, I use "italian style" tomato sauce instead of plain.

4. Today, I didn't have tomato SAUCE but tomato PASTE. I just mixed it with 1 cup of water and it was fine but you DO need to add a little sugar otherwise it tastes a little bit bitter. Just pour it in a little at a time and taste it until you think it tastes good. Probably just a teaspoon or two.

Try this recipe, you will love it!!!

St. Patrick's Day Mini Cupcakes! Yummm!

A little baby cuppy cake!!!
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY, EVERYBODY!!! I made these little beauties last night to bring to work today and EVERYONE loved them. The recipe is super easy - it's just a box of white cake mix with a few additives.

Prepare the cake mix as it says on the box (I swap the oil for applesauce) and then ADD the following:

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup sour cream

(Oh yeah, LOTS of green food coloring)

These cupcakes will turn out to be the fluffiest most delicious things you have ever tasted! Tell everyone you made it from scratch.

Clinique Haul!!! Hooray!!!

Boo, bad lighting. Hooray Clinique Haul! For you fellow penny pinchers out there, Clinique is giving away this nifty sampler bag with any purchase of $21.50 or more. Decidedly, I am SICK of my skin giving me problems. For the last little while I have had wretched acne problems. The area around my chin and forehead are pimple fields and my pores are the size of dinner plates. Ack! I have combination skin meaning my T-zone is oily while my cheeks are relatively dry. After researching, I decided I was going to try out the Clinique 3 step skin regimen because of the nearly all-positive reviews online. I went to the Clinique counter, and after my consultation, the girl suggested I try the acne regimen instead of the Clinique level 3 set. I have yet to try it tonight but I will get back with you about how it's working for me. They were out of the acne moisturizer so for the 4.2 ounce bottle of cleansing foam and the 6.7 ounce bottle of clarifying lotion (which is more like a toner) I paid a little over $33.00. Yes, this is the MOST I have ever spent on skin care products at once. Wish me luck.

NOW, onto the sampler bag. I'm SUPER excited about this. The bag comes with the sample sizes of the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief, Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator, Lash Doubling Mascara, Different Lipstick in "Think Bronze", and Self Sun Daily Moisturizer. Because my skin is really self-hydrated (that's what I'm saying instead of oily these days) I think I'm going to see if the Moisture Surge will work for my ratty cuticles. I can wait to try the self tanner and the mascara. Reviews on all to follow!

Vintage Sister Lip Balms

Here are my NEEEEWWWW lip balms. I'm a lip balm/gloss/stick junkie. When I first moved out of my parents' house, I distinctly remember agonizing over buying chicken broth, but definitely HAD to have a new tube of lip balm (blistex raspberry lemonade to be exact) and didn't think twice. It's a disease of irrationality, I admit it. So, of course, when I got wind of vintagesister.com, I had to investigate immediately. Vintage sister specializes in homemade lip balm that is made with all natural ingredients and very interesting flavors. The balms sell for $3.95 a piece and shipping is $5.00 no matter how many you buy so I recommend buying at least three. The ones I bought were Gummi Bear, Divatini, and Cosmopolitan. Here are my thoughts: They come in cute little tins. Generally, I prefer tubes for sanitation reasons, but I'm willing to forgive. If anything, I just wash my hands more often and Lord knows that's not a bad thing. The flavors are to die for. My favorite is Cosmopolitan. All this said, it's not the most moisturizing balm I've ever used. I do find myself reapplying it quite often but I can't complain because the ingredients are all things I've actually heard of and can pronounce and the company makes the batches fresh every week. All in all, I recommend these fine folks. Go pick out a few flavors and enjoy!

Tarte MultiplEYE: It begins

I had a Sephora gift card and let me say right now that is the ONLY reason I splurged on this. I bought the Tarte MultiplEYE eyelash enhancer which sells for $65.00 per tube (ahhh!!!!). As you can see from the pictures (and please excuse the un-groomed brows) I am not lacking in the eyelash department. Now, before you slap me, let me just say I know I've got great lashes but hey, I guess I'm never satisfied. I took these pictures before I started using the product. It says to wait 6 weeks to see full results. So...I guess we have to wait until then. Here are my first impressions: some people say it stings. I haven't felt that and I have reeeaaaallly sensitive eyes. So maybe these people are poking themselves in the eye with it. It's clear and has no smell at all. It says to just put it on like eyeliner every day. I've used it for a week so far and haven't noticed a difference...but patience is a virtue. Stay tuned for more in a month.

Greatest Date Night!!!

Yesterday, I went up to Ester's for my monthly scrapbook-palooza. While there, Michael called and asked what my plans were later on. Well...I planned on hanging out with HIM. Turns out he planned a totally wonderful date for us. He asked if I'd rather go see a Jazz game or Daniel Tosh perform his standup at Kingsbury Hall. Well, I was good with either but Tosh was $40.00 per ticket and we decided, eh, we can watch Tosh.0 on tv for free. Then we found that the cheapest Jazz tickets were $17.00. Come on, $40.00 for a second rate NBA team? So we decided we would go to dinner with our friends Luka and Mandy and then go to see Alice in Wonderland.

Of course, I left Ester's house late so I was racing home to have some sort of time to change from the homeless-chic look I was rocking to a date look (rare for me since we don't really go on DATES very often anymore.) While I'm driving like I-15 is NASCAR, Michael calls me and says, "You won't believe it. My mom's patient at the hospital has two tickets to Tosh and can't go (since he's...in the hospital) and wants to give them to my mom for free." Really? Are whatever Gods may be smiling down on us or what? (Author's Note: My God apparently appreciates inappropriate humor and using other's medical misfortune to my advantage). So I get home with zero time left to get ready and yes, I looked awful. So I changed my clothes and carried my makeup out to the car.

Anyway, we made it to Marketstreet Broiler about 6 minutes late...not too shabby. We had an AWESOME dinner with our friends. If you've never been there, I suggest saving your pennies (if you are low-middle class...like me) and taking a trip. We happened to be there during crab festival. I got the crab ravioli in a tomato cream sauce (which tastes suspiciously like the cream sauce I made last month...recipe to follow.) and Mike got some sort of cajun pasta. I ate too much and by the time we had paid it was 8:00 which was the time the show was starting. So we jogged up to Kingsbury (I had a crazy side ache from the ravioli overload) and sat down, literally as the lights came down.

The show was amazing. So funny and I would say better than Tosh.0...if that's possible. Sometimes I wish I could be standup comedian instead of pretending to be one so that I don't kill anyone at my current job.

Afterward, we weren't really ready to go home so Mike suggested getting ice cream. After trying to decide where to go, he remembered his friend telling him about the secret menu at Jamba Juice. If you've never heard of this, it's a menu of smoothies not on the regular menu and there are some crazy flavors. Gummi Bear, Pink Starburst, Butterfinger to name a few. We'd never done this before and, at the risk of being laughed at, Mike said, "Can I have a Reese's Pieces smoothie." The girl blinked at us a couple times and finally reached into the drawer and pulled out a menu labeled "Secret" (no kidding.). That particular location didn't have Reese's Pieces so Mike settled for Banana Cream Pie and I got Sour Patch Kids. Since I harbor severe disdain for bananas, I didn't try Mike's so I can't tell you if it was good but he said it was. My Sour Patch Kids smoothie was delicious, although I'm not convinced it tasted like the candy but I highly recommend it.

If YOU want to try the secret menu at Jamba, I suggest either asking to see it or bringing the recipe from this link: http://jambaunderground.wordpress.com/the-smoothies/

Each location has a different variety so if you bring them the recipe, you can be sure to get the one you want.

I had so much fun last night. It's really great to splurge a little on the cash and go do something really great.

Beauty Review - An ongoing experiment!

Day 2 above. A little color but to be fair, I am wearing makeup (foundation and blush) in this picture and no makeup in day 1. The experiment continues.

Alright, I'm sick of being pale. It's the end of winter (I hope) and I feel like I have to pile on the bronzer just so I don't feel like a zombie. Then it occurred to me, self tanner. Duh. Well, I looked at reviews and ALMOST bought a fancy expensive kind off Sephora and then I remembered that I am one of those people who starts things and never finishes them so I don't want to waster money. So then I searched for drugstore self tanners and the Jergen's one got the best reviews. In the past I have used the kind for fair skin and never noticed a difference so this time I bought the kind for fair to medium. Aww yeah!!! Above is day 1.

Recipe Box: Japanese Chicken and Veggie Fried Rice

The other night I made this little beauty: Japanese Chicken with Veggie Friend Rice. The sauce for this stuff is SOOOO good. And guess what! The leftovers are awesome too! Keep reading for the recipe...

What you need:

2 eggs

1 C. flour

6 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp. oil

8 chicken breasts

3/4 C. soy sauce

2 C. vinegar

1/3 C. water

4 C. sugar

Rice:

1 egg

2 C. instant brown rice

1 small package of frozen veggies

soy sauce to taste

To make the chicken:

If I'm just making this for Mike and I, I half the recipe and it still makes plenty for the two of us.

(preheat your oven to 350 degrees)

1. Whip the eggs in a bowl and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour and sesame seeds

3. Dip chicken breasts in egg and then roll generously in the flour and seeds

3. heat oil in skillet over medium high heat and quickly brown the chicken, just a couple minutes on each side. The goal here is not to cook the chicken, just to brown the flour and make it a little crispy. (if I'm in a hurry, I skip this step)

4. Put in baking dish and make the sauce!

5. Mix the soy sauce and vinegar and water. NOW, for the sugar. If you are like me, you don't love putting a ton of sugar in stuff and you probably noticed that 4 cups is a lot of sugar. This is what I do. I pour the sugar in a half cup at a time and taste test. You can add as much or as little sugar as you want. Oh, and keep in mind, the majority of the sauce stays in the pan, so it's not like you are actually ingesting all that sweetness.

6. Okay, once you have your sauce the way you like it, pour the whole entire thing over the chicken. Don't worry, it's supposed to be swimming.

7. Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. MEANWHILE, let's make the rice

Rice:

First thing, scramble the egg in a skillet. When it is cooked, set it aside in a bowl. In that same skillet, prepare the rice according to the directions on the box (Very Julia Child, I know). When the water starts to boil, pour in the veggies and then put the rice in. Stick the lid on and let the rice do its thing. When the rice is done sitting, pour in soy sauce to taste

Then you are done. If there is still time left on the chicken, start on the dishes! I always like to start on the dishes while my food is baking because after I eat, I'm always too lazy to clean up. Ugh!

That's it! Hope you and your family like it!

Happy Almost March! And a commentary on my perfect life.

Happy Almost March to Everyone! This morning I was just thinking about how blessed I am. Normally, I cringe and avoid the word "Blessed" but my life seems more than lucky. I think of everything that led up to this point and I am amazed. I live in a house that we own. Well, the bank owns it but we aren't renting and I consider that a step in the right direction. We are financially secure. That's more than most people can say right now. We don't worry about paying for groceries and things we need. We both have jobs. We might complain about them but we have them and they are good jobs. We have each other. I never used to believe in soul mates until I met Michael. We are truly meant for each other. We have a dog that we complain about a lot but she's taught us so much about ourselves and each other. Don't know what I mean? Then you've never owned a dog ;). We have families that love us. I can never understand how I got to be so lucky with the parents and brother I got and the family Michael got. We live in America. With all the natural disasters going on, it's more apparent than ever that we are the luckiest people to live in such a wonderful country. I could go on but Mike wants to eat breakfast with me :) What are you grateful for? Think about your life and comment below.

A Wonderful Surprise

I came home from work today and found these waiting on the table for me with a note that said, "These are for you because you are wonderful. Love, Michael" I then noticed the fridge was cleaned out. I mean, what more could a girl ask for? But really, it turned my day into a fantastic one. I'm so lucky to have snagged this guy. Can't believe he's really mine.

I give up!

So I tried really hard to do a weebly webpage but I finally caved and came back to my safe, familiar, friendly blogger. Hello, buddy. I find I just don't have the attention span to write html code. I did it once when I was younger so I know I can, I just don't want to. Already checked off on my to-do list.