A Small Disclaimer

In case you all were wondering, my itching has stopped for the most part, so I have not had any more sleepless nights!  Thank goodness!!  Also, I should probably make it clear that when I mentioned I was sitting on the toilet while I was blogging, I wasn't using the toilet while I was blogging.  It was simply serving as a place to sit while I doctored my feet and waited for the Benadryl to kick in.

In the mean time, we've had a busy week so I haven't had time to post about our weekend yet (and our fun weekend projects) so here is something cute to look at until I get some down time!

It's 2:17 A.M...

...and I'm blogging from my bathroom.  I wish it was because I was keyed up about something or because I had something really great to look forward to, but its not.  The reason I can't sleep is because I have EIGHT chigger bites on my feet that are itching like crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!  Since Wednesday, I've battled mosquito and chigger bites in some fashion (yes, we're going on four days of this nonsense)!

In the past four days, I've tried the following treatments and haven't had much luck:

1. a hot, soapy shower after I got bit
2. clear nail polish (3 times)
3. baking soda and water paste
4. soaking in epsom salt and water
5. soaking in baking soda and water
6. Cortizone-10
7. Campho-Phenique
8. Benadryl (I just googled this so I'm waiting for it to work and I put some more nail polish on for good measure)

 I have never had this much pain and frustration with chiggers before.  It seriously is driving me crazy because who sits on their toilet at 2:17 a.m. blogging.  Ughhh!!  I guess I will add another layer of nail polish and pray the Benadryl works.  Or at least knocks me out...

New Recipes!

I think I've mentioned before that I love the Annie's Eats blog.  She has wonderful recipes, beautiful food and simple methods.  I have not disliked any of her recipes that I have tried and I've tried quite a few of them.  In fact, I tried a couple of her recipes last night:

This is her Chicken Ranch Pizza (if you visit her site she has a much prettier picture!).  This recipe involves two of her other recipes as well - Homemade Ranch Dressing and Perfect Homemade Pizza Crust.  Brandon was a bit skeptical about this pizza, but he said he really liked it, and I did too!

I made the ranch dressing and the pizza crust over the weekend.  If you click on the pizza crust link, you will notice that she makes batches of pizza crust and freezes it for later use.  So, I went ahead and made a double batch, divided it up into separate balls of dough and popped them in the freezer.  Then, yesterday before I left for work, I stuck one of the packages in the fridge and it was ready when I got home from work.  I also used a pizza stone to bake this crust and I do agree that it works really well!  My only complaint is that my crust didn't get as golden brown as hers did, but I might not have brushed enough oil on the edges.

We will definitely keep this pizza crust in our regular rotations, along with the ranch dressing.  To me there is just nothing better than homemade salad dressings (and I made this one relatively low fat using fat free mayo and reduced fat sour cream)!

So, if you need a new recipe, hop on over to Annie's Eats and browse around!  You won't be disappointed!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well, another weekend has come and gone and I'm dreading Monday, as usual.  There is just something so depressing about waking up on Monday morning and the routine starting all over.  Sometimes I thrive on a routine, but other times I hate it!! 

This weekend was pretty much consumed traveling back and forth to KC for the K-State football game.  We left Friday evening after work and got  to KC around 8:30, just in time to participate in "Fish, Fish, Duck", L's version of "Duck, Duck, Goose" and to play an instrument in her band!  We also had a healthy discussion about reality TV and were shocked to realize my dad is pretty in tune with the cast of Jersey Shore!!  Who knew?!?!

Saturday morning we got up bright and early since we had to leave for Arrowhead around 8:45 for the 11:00 game.  Since K-State was the "home" team this weekend, they had a lot of fun activities set up outside the stadium.  Todd and Natalie and Brandon and I got our pictures taken as old-time cheerleaders :)

{I spy the KSU President in the background!}

Doesn't Brandon look like a natural?!?!

{Just another pic from the game. Don't you love my shirt?!? I got it as a b-day gift, however I didn't realize until this weekend that my sleeves say LSU as in Louisiana State.  I think Von Maur got a bad shipment...}

It was pretty hot at the game and I didn't choose the best outfit to combat the heat so by the end of the game, I was pretty much disgusting!  We had great seats though and the Cats won so it was all worth it.

After the game we stopped by my sister's house to see her family since they weren't able to go to the game.  Her girls are so funny and little I is just as smiley and happy as could be!!  Once we left Tara's we had to stop by an outdoor furniture store to pick up an ottoman for my parents and then we headed back to Todd and Natalie's to pick up the Kobster and make our trek home.  The drive home seemed to last FOREVER, but it is probably because we had such a busy day.

Today, we got up and went to church.  It is so nice to be home on the weekends and not doing check-in so we can enjoy our church service.  After church we had to run to Target to pick up a few things and we ended up finding a panini press on sale!  I was so excited because I've been wanting one for a while and we got a really good deal.

After Target, we came home grabbed lunch and headed to the garden store.  We had some mania money that we needed to use so we got some fun fall plants to put in the pots (More on this later!  We decided to do something VERY different this year!).  While I planted the pots, Brandon mowed and then we trimmed all of our trees and hauled off the limbs.  We had planned to transplant a few bushes as well, but by the time we got home from dumping the limbs we were beat.  We came inside, showered and relaxed for a while before we started dinner.  I made double decker tacos (hard shell taco wrapped in a flour tortilla) using this homemade taco seasoning and they were delicious!  I also made this homemade pizza dough to put in the freezer to use for a couple of meals in the next two weeks.

While the dough was rising, Brandon helped me clean the house.  He cleaned the basement bathroom and dusted while I swept and mopped the floors.  I was supposed to get to our bathroom but I decided I would tackle that tomorrow.

I have an especially busy week ahead of me.  Our annual Expo for work is on Thursday so I will be busy getting ready for that all week and then our whole staff has to work the show that day.  We also have small group at our house and we are going to be having a doggy visitor starting Thursday (we are dog-sitting for Brandon's sister).  Hopefully the week flies by quickly and we can enjoy another weekend :)

Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm just doing a big ol' brain dump!  This would be inidicative of my week and it's only Thursday...sigh.

• Today, I wore a shirt with a pretty large flower embellishment and everyone kept asking me if I was wearing a corsage...
• We got quite a bit of hail last night during the storms and this photo made it on to Kansas.com via one of my tweets!  Brandon was a bit disappointed because I got the photo credit when he risked his life to get the hail

{excuse the dirt on the towel - the hail was dirty}

• Koby was supposed to go on a dog date last night, but the date got canceled due to the weather.  I think he thought she got cold feet...
• I went to lunch today with my co-workers and we went to the mall.  We were all craving our favorite meal from this little cart in the food court.  It is seriously awesome food!  It was also a good excuse to browse through Von Maur :)
• In one week, I have broken out on my face for some silly reason AND I have found a patch of gray hair on my head!!!  Isn't that some sort of oxymoron? 
• We had to go to the grocery store tonight and I was so excited when I saw a stand full of Honeycrisp apples!!  You know it is fall when the Honeycrisps arrive!
• I got my car back on Monday and today we had to file a claim for our roof.  Lucky us...

So, that has pretty much been our week.  We are definitely ready for the weekend!!



Stupid Human Tricks

I hope that phrase isn't copyrighted by David Letterman, but just in case it is, Dave I'm sorry...

Okay, now that I have that off my chest I can move on.  Some of you may or may not know I have a weird little stupid human trick of my own - I can turn my arm all the way around!  Don't believe me?  Take a look at this picture:

I was showing this trick off in my office the other day and for the first and probably last time, I was able to bring a grown man to tears (well, almost...).  At first I don't think he realized what I was doing but once he saw how contorted my shoulder looked, he couldn't look at me anymore!  In his defense, he has had shoulder surgery so I think it brought back some uneasy memories.

My boss took the picture above and has made me perform the trick for others in the office, including our president, who was thoroughly fascinated.  He even told me that he told his family about it and the next time I see his daughter I better be prepared to show her, too.  What is even funnier is he has a stupid human trick of his own that involves his nose that he was more than willing to show us.  It has been quite comical in our office as of late!

Well yesterday, I found this fascinating story and video on kansas.com and you better believe I sent the link to everyone in my department, along with a few other people in the office who have witnessed my trick.  If you are easily grossed out by bodies contorting, I wouldn't suggest you watch this video.  In fact, one of my co-workers told me she read the headline contained in the link and didn't even open the story!

Can you believe that?!?!?  I mean, I don't really know how I ever learned to do my trick, but how did he ever figure out his body was capable of this?  I also know I won't ever make it into Ripley's, but Dave, if you're reading this, I will gladly come to New York to perform my stupid human trick on your show!!

New Uses for Old Things

I have a subscription to Real Simple and each issue has a feature called "New Uses for Old Things."  In this month's issue, they suggest using a bobby pin to help get the toothpaste at the bottom of the tube squeezed up to the top or a safety pin to replace a broken zipper pull.  Other suggestions in past issues have been to use a wadded up piece of newspaper to remove odors in food containers; use a coffee filter to diffuse a camera flash; and use vinegar to kill weeds in the crack of a sidewalk or driveway.

So, after reading these articles over the past year, I've made a list of my own "New Uses for Old Things":

• Old coffee beans as vase fillers
• Egg crates or ice cube trays as a jewelry organizer
• I put a hanging shoe organizer over the hall closet door to keep track of scarfs, gloves, dog leashes, umbrellas, flash lights, etc.
• Use toothpaste as spackle (this was an old college apartment trick)
• Add a little Sprite or 7-Up to the water in a flower vase if your flowers didn't come with flower food
• Use steel wool to plug up holes that rodents crawl through to get into the house
• Pipe cleaner to remove pollen stains from clothes
• Paper clips as Christmas ornament hangers (this is an oldie but a goody)
• Altoid containers as pill boxes
• Line the perimeter of your garden or flower bed with human hair to keep pests from eating your plants (if you need extra hair, I always have plenty I could lend you)

What are some of your "New Uses for Old Things"?  Add them to the list!

Game Day

During the fall, we spend a majority of our Saturdays in Manhattan cheering on the Wildcats!  My family has had season tickets since I was a little girl and K-State was really bad - that is dedication!  The KSU traditions run deep in my family; seven of the eight of my dad's brothers and sisters went to K-State, my mom went to K-State (which is where my parents met), both of my siblings went to K-State, my brother's wife went to K-State and obviously Brandon and I went there, too.  Needless to say, we bleed purple!

This weekend, we tailgated with some friends prior to the game.  One of the tailgate traditions with this group is to play a game called "Stump."  Basically, everyone gets a nail and puts it in the stump.  Then, each player takes turns trying to hammer in the opponents' nails.  The winner is the player who's nail didn't get hammered all the way into the stump.  Of course, there are consequences if you try to hit the nail and miss or if someone hits your nail (hint: the consequences include taking a "drink"...)  Clear as mud?  Here is a pic of some of the boys playing.

As you can see, this stump has seen a few rounds of the game!

And, while the boys played Stump, us girls were doing important things like getting our picture taken with Willie!

{Me, Willie, Ali and Christy}

Here are a few other pictures from the day.  Most of the other people at the tailgate didn't have tickets into the game, so we had to leave the party a little early to get to our seats.

{Christy and Corey}

{Me and Christy inside the game. This was taken pretty early before the game started so the stadium did fill up!}

K-State won by a pretty good margin so I'd say we had a pretty successful day, at least until I dropped the brownies on our way back to the car!  Thank goodness Christy has good reflexes because she saved them from going into the grass!

We got home pretty late last night since we had a 6:00 p.m. game, but it was worth it!  And no, we didn't hit any coyotes this time.

Remembering 9/11

On September 11, 2001 I was in my college dorm room at OBU blow-drying my hair and watching Katie Couric and Matt Lauer on the Today Show.  I remember standing there in awe, not fully grasping what was going on and then I saw the second plane fly into the tower. 

I remember nobody really knew what to do or say.  Nobody knew whether it was an accident or a terrorist attack.  Frankly, "terrorist attack" wasn't really even in anyone's vocabulary at that time.  My how things have changed. 

Last year, we were in NYC on 9/11.  It was a somber day and it was rainy and dreary.  I remember feeling unusually safe walking the streets of the city.  I wasn't afraid that something was going to happen.  Yes, it probably crossed our mind at one time or another, but we didn't give it any more thought beyond that.  I remember we discussed how chaotic that day must have been, along with the following days/weeks/months.  Being at Ground Zero really helped us understand the complexity of the rescue and clean up efforts.  I think it is amazing how our country banded together during that time; the thousands and thousands of people who volunteered their time, our leaders who were courageous and determined to restore our country's security, the rescue teams who worked day and night and lost their lives try to save others. 

We will all always remember 9/11 because it changed our country forever.  My hope is that my generation can stand up and never allow it to happen again!

What are your memories of 9/11?

Product Review

It has been a while since I've done a review of new/favorite products that I've tried recently, but wait no more - I've got a few to talk about today!

Method Laundry Detergent

I have been using this detergent now for a couple of months and I LOVE it for several reasons!  First of all, it is a green product, made using 95% natural and renewable ingredients, it's readily biodegradable and non-toxic in use, for skin-friendly clean clothes (from methodlaundry.com).  It is also ultra-concentrated so a few squirts go a long way!

 And speaking of squirts, I love the pump packaging because it is so convenient.  I can pretty much do laundry with one hand and it doesn't leave the sticky mess that the traditional laundry detergent bottles and caps do.

So far, I've only tried the peony blossom scent, but I have no reason to try the others because I like it so much.  I also think the soap washes our clothes just as well as any other product as I have not noticed our clothes looking dingy.

My rating: ****


Method Home Dish Pump

Obviously, I love this product for most of the same reasons as I love the laundry soap - green product, convenient and nice smelling.  However, I can't say that it gets frothy or sudsy enough for my liking.  It seems I've had to use more than two squirts to wash dishes and by the end, I basically have water with a few little bubbles.  Maybe that isn't a big deal to some people, but for my personal satisfaction I like lots of bubbles.

My rating: **


Slice Solutions Brownie Pan

I received this lovely brownie pan as a birthday gift this year and so far I have been impressed with it.  It is obviously a genius idea because cutting brownies can be a bit tricky so this takes out all of the guess work.

I first tried the brownie pan with a new brownie recipe and the recipe ended up being a disaster, therefore the pan really couldn't do it's job.  I tried it again this week with a tried and true recipe and I was very pleased.  The brownies didn't stick, the little insert came out without any problems and the pan was surprisingly easy to wash.

My only complaint might be how fast the brownies dry out since they are pre-sliced.  This isn't the pan's problem, it is a consumption problem.  Next time, if I'm making brownies for just Brandon and myself, I will probably not use the pan because we can't eat the brownies fast enough, but if I make them for small group or a party, I will definitely use the pan!

My rating: ****

Semi-Homemade Pantry Meal Because I Was Desperate

 I was in a conundrum when it came time for dinner last night.  I haven't cooked all week (even though I have groceries and meals planned) and Brandon had softball so cooking a full meal was out of the question, but I was hungry for something warm and not out of a box.  So, I turned to my cabinets and whipped together what I call a "semi-homemade pantry meal because I'm desperate" meal.

I had diced tomatoes, tomato paste and pasta on-hand so I decided to make a quick marinara sauce.  Then, I peaked in the freezer and I had a few frozen meatballs leftover from meatball subs a few weeks ago, so I went ahead and threw those in too.  All in all, it was a tasty meal and satisfied my tummy!  And, it took less that 20 minutes from start to finish!


Quick Marinara Sauce
1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced)
2-3 T. tomato paste
1-2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
2 tsp. sugar
onion powder, salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of a medium sauce pan and add the minced garlic.  Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add in remaining ingredients and simmer until ready to serve.

*I added frozen meatballs and cooked the sauce for about 15 minutes while the pasta boiled.

It's not authentic Italian food, but it sure works when you are in a pickle and need something fast!

The Coyote Incident

If you follow me on Twitter or read my previous post, you know that we hit a coyote on our way home from the K-State game over the weekend.  Well, we are fine but the car...not so much.  It is currently at the body shop and we are currently waiting to figure out how many lunches we'll have to skip to pay for the damage (kidding! did you forget I'm married to the world's most conservative spender??).

Just in case you wanted to see the damage, here it is:

{notice the dried coyote saliva on the top, left-hand side?!?}

{side view}

{yep, that is coyote hair stuck between the wheel and tire}

While my car is being fixed up I'm rocking a pretty awesome 4-cylinder Hundai Sonata.  I'm seriously grateful though, because I don't really want to leave the house at the crack of dawn with Brandon and I also don't want to rely on my co-workers to haul me all over town.

So, there you have it.  Thankfully we didn't hit a deer and thankfully the coyote was dead and didn't try to attack us while we were assessing the damage on the side of the road.  Which come to think of it, probably wasn't our brightest idea since there weren't any lights on the highway, but we weren't really thinking about our safety at the time.  Things could have been much worse, so we are thankful we were safe and didn't cause anyone else to have an accident. 

S'Mores Anyone?

One thing we wanted to do over the weekend was put our new fire pit to use and make s'mores.  However, if you live in our area you will know that was nearly impossible since the wind was so strong all weekend.  So, tonight was the night and we even had the company of our small group (who are really our friends).

The boys got the fire started for us and then we all went to town with the marshmallows!  In my last issue of Food Network Magazine I found several different versions of s'mores.  We decided to try the Elvis (banana and peanut butter) and the Mint Chocolate (York Peppermint Patty) versions, along with the traditional versions.  I think the Elvis was a hit, along with our own version of peanut butter and chocolate.

Here is I am putting my peanut butter and chocolate s'more together.  I don't like to get my marshmallows too gooey!

And somehow, I'm the only one Brandon got a picture of stuffing my face.  But in an effort to keep things real here, I figured I should post the pic anyway...

The evening couldn't have been more perfect to be outside enjoying the fire.  We will definitely be putting the new fire pit to use a lot this fall.  I'm thinking wine around the fire sounds nice, too!  Anyone want to join me?

Labor Day Weekend Abbreviated

I have a few pictures that I haven't downloaded yet, so maybe I will post those at some point but here is an abbreviated version of our Labor Day Weekend:

• Sporatic dinner out on Friday night
• Go up early Saturday morning and headed to Manhattan for K-State's season opener against UCLA
• Lunch at So Long Saloon - one of our favorite Manhattan restaurants
• Purchased t-shirts for a KSU t-shirt quilt that Pam is making - shocked that the cheap t-shirt store didn't have more stock for the first game
• Fun game and KSU won!
• Hit a coyote on our way home from Manhattan
• Pulled over to assess the damage to my car and saw coyote saliva all over the front panel - gross!
• Made homemade biscuits and gravy on Sunday morning using the Pioneer Woman's biscuit recipe and a cute flower cookie cutter
• Ran a few errands and decided we wanted to just relax at home
• Watched one whole season of Entourage
• Decided I should cook dinner so we had fajitas using flank steak (one of my favorite cuts of meat)
• Slept in on Monday
• Took Koby for a walk
• Brandon mowed and I picked up the house
• Went to see "Going the Distance" - funny, but a bit vulgar
• Ate too many sweets at the movie but tried a new brownie recipe anyway
• Watched our Monday night TV shows and I started a little craft project (more on that later)
• Went to bed thinking about how much neither one of us wanted to get up for work today

Our goal was to just spend time at home and relax since we've had such a busy summer and we did just that! Now, I'm ready for Fall!!!!

This Really Crosses the Line

Only at the State Fair will you find these...

{Photo courtesy of The Wichita Eagle}

That is right! KRISPY KREME CHEESEBURGERS!!!  Bleck!!!  I can't even imagine the taste of this disgusting combination, but I didn't think chocolate covered bacon would be a hit either and apparently it is taking the country by storm.  Next thing you know they are going to fry up the infamous butter sculpture. 

We might have to take a trip to the fair this year, just to see these cheeseburgers with our own eyes!  But I will NOT be sampling them.  Now, the fried oreos could be another story :)

Thursday Thoughts

As I mentioned we've had a pretty busy week, but I can't really recall anything monumental that has happened.  But none the less, I still have a few thoughts to share:

• Today on my way to work, I got behind a lady who was smoking in her car.  Because of the cool weather, I had my air vent on, rather than my A/C and I could smell her smoke through in my car!!  Ughh...I just think smoking is so gross and I feel like I shouldn't have to smell other people's smoke in my own car.
• Also on my way to work, a flock of geese stopped four lanes of traffic so they could cross the road from the river to a neighborhood...stupid geese.  And to make matters worse, they took their own sweet time crossing the road.
• I purchased this new face wash this week and so far I really like it.  It creates a lovely, frothy lather and leaves my face feeling so clean!  And, I signed myself up for a complimentary facial in a couple of weeks :)

• I went grocery shopping last night and as I was walking into the store, my grocery list flew out of my hands and I had to chase it all over the parking lot.  I felt pretty awesome....
• We will be here on Saturday!!!!

• We are sooo looking forward to a nice long weekend!  Other than the football game, we don't have much on our agenda except to relax and do whatever we want to do.  We might catch a movie, do a little shopping for work clothes for Brandon, and enjoy our patio and fire pit.
• So today was 9.02.10 day!  How could anyone forget Kelly, Steve, Brenda, Brandon, Andrea, Dylan, Donna and David? 

• We are starting a new Bible study next week, but we still need to figure out which study!  Anyone have any good ideas?
• Tomorrow is Friday, jeans day at work AND my boss and I are having lunch with our former boss (my current boss and I used to work together at the advertising agency) at one of our favorite little Italian restaurants in Mulvane.  I'm not sure tomorrow could get much better!

Enjoy the long holiday weekend and cheer on the Cats!!

Cooling Off

Koby and I went outside to play ball for a little while after I got home from work.  It is still a little warm here, so he decided to cool himself off. 

I've got to give him credit for being resourceful!!

Weekend Wrap-Up on a Wednesday

Well, it is probably pretty obvious that I've had a busy week (and it is only Wednesday).  But never fear, here I am with our Weekend Wrap-Up!

Friday night we headed to GC to spend the weekend with Brandon's family and attend the CCR concert.  We stopped through P-town to grab tacos at my favorite fast food Mexican restaurant, and Brandon proceeded to dump half of his taco on his lap so we had to pull over at KFC so he could clean himself off.  I carefully unwrapped his second taco and all was well.  Once we got to GC, we unloaded our car, let the dogs play and took a ride in Brandon's parents' new car!  We suspected that they had bought a new car, but we knew they wanted us to be surprised.

Saturday morning the guys went to play golf and Brandon's mom and I got ready and headed downtown to a fun little coffee shop for breakfast.  After breakfast we hit up a local music festival at the park.  They had three different stages set up for music groups and then they had an arts and crafts tent for kids.  It was a fun way to enjoy the cool morning.  After the festival, we headed back to the house to get ready for the big pre-concert BBQ with family and friends.  We had a great time catching up with everyone and eating delicious food.  If I think about it, I will get Pam's pulled pork recipe to post here because it was yummy!

The concert started around 7:30 that evening.  The opening group was a local band who played some pretty hard rock music.  After the local band, the group Foghat played.  All I can say is that their music was definitely not my favorite style, but I do realize they are true musicians and can play a pretty mean guitar.  CCR was the main band and they took the stage around 9:00 or so.  I enjoyed their music much more, but that is probably because I knew more their songs.  The weather was perfect for the concert, so we couldn't have asked for a better evening.

Sunday was a pretty lazy day, but the highlight was (and always is) lunch at El Zarape and picking up two more jars of salsa.  GC has several Mexican restaurants but El Zarape is our favorite and we love their salsa!!  After lunch we pretty much loaded up the car and headed home.  It was a quick trip, but definitely fun!!

This week has been busier than we expected so we are looking forward to a nice three-day weekend and the first KSU football game!!  We will be in Manhattan on Saturday cheering on the Cats as they play UCLA.  There is just something about KSU game days that make me so happy so I can't wait to get there :)

Have a lovely rest of the week!

Recipe Update

Last week I posted our bi-weekly menu and so far I've made three of the of the new recipes and they have all been pretty good, but the Chicken and Veggie Tostadas have been our favorite.

Tonight, I made the Thai Lettuce Wraps.  I still can't remember where I got the recipe, but it is not my original creation so I can't take any credit for this.  The sauce was a bit spicy for me and I even took the author's tips and added extra honey and ketchup.  I might have added a little too much of the sweet chili sauce so that could have been part of the problem.  The only other alterations I made to the recipe were the addition of chopped water chestnuts and I eliminated the peanuts.  I don't really like peanuts and I also didn't have any on-hand.  So, since I didn't have a link to the recipe last week, I thought I would go ahead and share it tonight.

{Excuse the flash, but we didn't have very good lighting in the kitchen tonight}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thai Lettuce Wraps
(Serves 4)

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips (I only had a green pepper on-hand)
1/4 c. sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian food aisle)
1/4 c. honey
1 head of iceberg lettuce, washed and leaves removed
1/2 c. honey-roasted peanuts, chopped

Place oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in the pan until golden brown on all sides.

Add in the red pepper and cook until soft, about three minutes.  Add in the chili sauce and honey.  Simmer to reduce it and coat the chicken.

To serve, place chicken mixture in lettuce leaves and roll up to eat (or eat with a fork like I do).

As I mentioned, the sauce was awfully spicy so if you want to make it a little more mild, use less chili sauce and add in ketchup.

Brandon really liked this meal and I think I would have liked it more had it not been so spicy.  It was definitely a very fast and easy meal to prepare, perfect for a busy evening!

Reconnecting

I will be the first to admit that I am sometimes guilty of losing touch with old friends.  When distance separates us or our lives take off in different directions, it has been easy for me to get pre-occupied with the here and now and lose track of people.  But, thank goodness for Facebook, or I would probably really be out of the loop. 

In the past week, I have reconnected, via Facebook, with two friends I haven't seen in person in years; one from my childhood and one from college.  A silly status update has prompted each lunch date and I couldn't be happier to have gotten to spend an hour with each one of these girls.  It is amazing how we were able to instantly reconnect because we still have so much in common. 

It was really fun to have lunch with my childhood friend because we were able to laugh about things from elementary school and high school, but we were also able to share about our families (my sister dated her brother at one time), find out what other people in our class are doing these days and really just have fun and be real with each other.  I could have spent half a day visiting with her.

Catching up with my college friend was also fun.  It is crazy to see how life can bring you back together.  Neither of us ever thought we would be living in our town, let alone at the same time.  We both took very different paths to get here, but couldn't be happier with where we are. 

I know I have definitely learned a valuable lesson this past week and that is to not be afraid to take an initiative to reconnect with someone, no matter how many days/weeks/years have passed by.  Because in the end, it really isn't that akward and I will walk away feeling refreshed and happy to have spent the time together.