The Newlywed Naslund's!

We've Moved!

2011-05-31T07:28:00.000-05:00

Looking for new posts from The Newlywed Naslunds? You can now find us here. See ya there!

Heroin on the Mind : A repost

2011-05-20T06:34:00.000-05:00

It was a strange week in my hometown of Flower Mound. To give a brief background, 17 young adults (ages 17-24) were arrested in connection with a heroin ring. In, what my parents used to coin, "Crime Free Flower Mound". Of course, that wasn't true, there is no such thing. But, I digress.

Upon learning of this huge bust, the news circulated quickly, and before long I learned that I had a direct connection to one of the young adults arrested. I used to babysit for him. Of course, that was many years ago, but it didn't matter. My heart was so heavy - not just for his family - but for the families of all involved.

In the link directly below, you will find the blog post that prompted this one. My dear friend, Lindsay, who I link to often, wrote an absolutely beautiful post about the goings on this week. I urge you to read her post, because it closely reflects many of my feelings as well:

http://lindsayelise0527.blogspot.com/2011/05/heroin-on-mind.html

As I state in her comments section, I have known people who fought serious addiction, from both alcohol and drugs and have witnessed, first hand, the devastation left in its path when one cannot survive this addiction. It's so easy to judge addicts when you don't understand it and it saddens me that the majority do just that - judge instead of love.

Hippy

2011-05-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

Last night, two of my best friends & I had a fabulous movie night with Lindsay and two of her friends. It was such a fun, laid back night with a lot of laughter and love. Toward the end of the night, we were all trading stories and somehow got on to the topic of Lindsay and I being judged for our "free spirits". Lindsay's story is not mine to tell, but I will share mine.

I was at a local grocery store picking up a bundle of (organic) bananas. I was wearing a shirt with several peace signs on it and had feather earrings in. A lady walked up behind me, looked me up and down, turned up her nose and muttered "F---ing hippy." I was IN SHOCK. I could not understand how my standing there had caused her enough harm to spew those words. I gathered myself, gave her the biggest, cheesiest smile I could muster, threw both hands into peace signs and said "Peace" before walking to another line. Now here's the point of this story...lately I've been called a hippy a handful of times, and each time it was meant as an insult. I am still trying to wrap my head around this. Now, without stamping a "label" on Lindsay, I will just say that we are very similar in heart and spirit. She, too, has been called "hippy" with a negative connotation. So, after we left her apartment she sent me an email with the definition of "a hippy".

Here's what we think people, who are using is negatively, think hippies are: "The recent term hippy more commonly refers to drugged out dirty teenagers, or later joiners of the movement who just wanted to be cool and did not really care about all the issues. Most 'hippies' will not be offended by the term, because in its originality, it was interchangeable with the term 'flower child'... There tends to be a very misunderstood association of hippies with hard drugs." <- That right there could not be more wrong.

Here's what we think of as hippies: "The original flower child movement was made of people who promoted love over hate, wanted to end the war, were very intelligent and politically active, were unsatisfied with today's culture and wished to expand their minds and those of the people around them. They tended to be very liberal... They were very concerned with the world around them, not just war, but poverty, women's rights, civil rights, youth's rights, and the preservation of the environment."

Yup. That pretty much describes me to a tea. And you know what? I'm PROUD of my free spirit. I think it makes me a more open-minded, loving person. (And no, I am NOT saying that if you aren't of a hippy mindset that you don't have an open-mind or that you aren't loving.) So, call me a hippy all you want, lady at the grocery store. I'll smile and wish you "Peace" every time.

Why I Care About the Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T11:38:00.000-05:00

Over the past week, Facebook and Twitter have been bursting with comments, both good and bad, about the Royal Wedding. And it seems the US of A is split down the middle. I have a LOT of friends who couldn’t care less about today’s Royal nuptials. But I have just as many who, like me, got up hours before the sun to watch Wills & Kate tie the knot.

For me, this is a deep seeded "fascination" if you will, but not just of Prince William. It’s an obsession with Britain as a whole. I’ve always found the English to be so romantic and proper. I “mastered” the British accent in elementary school and often pretended I was British. (Yeah, I know, that’s probably weird. But I wanted to be an actress, so to me, practicing accents was tooootally normal.)

BUT, back to Wills. My bedroom walls were plastered with posters of “cute boys” from an early age. But none lasted the test of time like Prince William. Just ask my Mother. I think I was 11, maybe 12, the first time I hung a poster of the dashing Prince. And the collage à la Wills grew, updated and changed continuously until ALL the posters in my bedroom came down when I moved into my first apartment at 19. See, my 12 year old self truly believed that *I* could be Prince William’s wife someday. And come on. What girl doesn’t dream of being a real life princess when she grows up! I mean, his mother made it look so rewarding and glamorous to be a real princess. She got to do amazing charity work AND go to balls?! Sign me up!

This leads me to my next point. I LOVED Princess Diana. LOOOVED. In 3rd grade, for our annual “Parent’s Open House”, my teacher told us all we were to choose an icon in history and learn everything we could about that person. Then, for Open House, we would be dressing up like them, and doing presentations for the parents. I’m going to go ahead and let you guess who I picked - that’s right, Princess Diana. I poured over books about her, marveling, studying. My Mom let me wear my fancy Easter dress (complete with matching hat and gloves), my Sunday shoes and even took me to get my “hair done” like hers for the big night. I was SO proud as I told all the parents a million things they probably already knew about the Princess. Five years later, I also remember my Mom letting me get up in the middle of the night, and cry my eyes out, watching her funeral on TV. My love for William grew as I watched him walk in that tragic processional, being so brave.

But this is about a WEDDING! The happiest day of a girl’s life! (Until the birth of her children, I’m told.) I think by now I’ve proved my love for all things Royal and British. Even though I’ve never met Prince William, and probably never will, I still feel invested in his life somehow. (In Harry's too.) Like we’ve grown up together! So this morning, as I groggily turned on the TV just in time to see the gorgeous Kate take her first step into Westminster Abbey, I almost felt like I was at the wedding of a lifelong friend. And that, my friends, is why I care about the Royal Wedding.

Idol Wrap-Up

2011-04-28T09:04:00.000-05:00

It was weird watching Idol last night without Stefano. I had several contestants I really liked, but I didn't have that same excitement or commitment to one person. It was also a weird Idol night because I have some positive opinions about a couple of contestants I've not really liked much this season.

Jacob - I am still a fan. But I can certainly understand why people are starting to grow tired of him. He is not for everyone. But I thought he did a great job last night and I totally agreed with the judges that it was great seeing him let loose on stage.

Lauren - My Mom is not going to be happy. She is probably going to read this as a Lauren bash, but I assure you all, it's not. I still really love her. I still think she has the most potential to be great of any girl, maybe even any contestant, this season. However, her young age is becoming more and more apparent. Poor girl is terrified of taking risks. I felt like her performance last night could have been so much more, if she'd just jumped over her fear.

Scotty - I am SO glad he changed it up a little. While it was still true to his country roots, I loved the "softer" side of his voice. And can I point out that he DID NOT hold his mic like a flute?! YAAAAY! ;)

James - I really loved the first 1/2 of this song. I loved hearing his beautiful voice singing totally a cappella. I wasn't as crazy about the second 1/2, mainly because I felt like this was going to be the song when we'd get a "shriek free" performance, but alas, we did not.

Casey - I am still a huge Casey fan. I still think he is incredibly talented. And I liked his performance last night. I loved the scating, loved the showmanship, loved the jazzy feel but I wish he'd do his angry-barky-growly thing a tad bit less. Maybe he's been spending too much time with the Queen of the Over-Growl? ;)

Haley - Speaking of Haley...STOP THE PRESSES! No one is going to believe this...but I actually enjoyed Haley last night. I LOVED her duet with Casey (though Casey had a lot to do with that) and I actually didn't hate her solo performance. I do think she had some trouble hearing herself, though. I'd still be okay with her going home tonight, but I think it will be Jacob.

(On a related note, I am LOVING The Voice.)

It's Just What You Do

2011-04-22T06:04:00.000-05:00

Ryan started a new job at the end of March. He worked from 7am to 3pm. It was early, but he seemed to be handling the 5am wake-ups with ease. Well, at the end of last week, they announced that they were going to mandatory 12 hour days for a while. So, here's how our typical day would go:
Ryan wakes up at 5. Rachel rolls over and goes back to sleep until 6:30.
Ryan leaves for work at 6.
Rachel works from 8-5.
Ryan works from 7-7.
Ryan gets home around 7:30, showers, shovels dinner into his mouth.
Around 8pm, we finally get to sit down on the couch together and talk, watch TV, SEE each other for the first time all day.
Ryan goes to bed at 9pm.

Yeah. I was getting ONE HOUR of face time with my husband every day. That wasn't really enough for me. See, I enjoy his company...I did marry him, after all. So, I started getting up with him at 5am. I feel like we both start our days off better after getting a little time in the morning to talk, hug, have our coffee together. I was telling a friend that I'd started doing that and she asked me "Why would you do that?", seeming baffled that I would willingly get out of bed at 5am. I shrugged my shoulders and said "An hour a day just isn't enough for me. So, it's just what you do."

The plus side? I can get a lot of my chores checked off before the sun even comes up.

Idol Wrap-Up

2011-04-21T08:57:00.000-05:00

Not just a few weeks ago, there was a night on Idol where I thought pretty much everyone was amazing. This week was quite the opposite. I think it was one of the most underwhelming, boring nights of Idol this season.

Let me start by saying, the "cast offs" performance of "So What" was train wreck. For a second I thought, this has to be a joke. It wasn't.

Scotty - Wow. And I don't mean that in a good way. SO BORING AND PREDICTABLE. I get that every teenage girl in America is voting for him a bazillion times each but...I'm really over him. He refuses to branch out. The only positive? They poked serious fun at him for holding his mic like a flute.

James - Oh James. I just don't need all the shrieking. It's not the same as singing. I was okay with his performance (though no one can sing that like Matthew Bellamy) until he decided to take the octave during the chorus at the end. What was he thinking? Not good. On a related note, he always coughs a lot right after he sings which makes me think he is really wrecking his voice with those shrill screams. I'd really like just one week where he doesn't do that.

Haley - I texted my bff with the following words when Haley started to sing: "Dude. She is gonna get punched.in.the.face." *Disclaimer: I do not condone punching Idol contestants in the face...unless they ruin songs by Adele. Which is what she did. It was terribly pitchy and she just doesn't have the chops to take on a song like that. I think the thing that bothered me the most was that she didn't seem to "get" what the song was about. She performed it like a light hearted up-tempo jam. Maybe she's never gone through a break-up?

Jacob - The song he chose is another one that is extremely personal for me. I cried through the whole thing...but not necessarily because of how he sang it. Really, that song just makes me cry every time, no matter who is singing it. I thought Jacob was just okay this week...nothing special, but also not the worst of the night.

Casey - Several of his fellow contestants commented in the little pre-performance interview that he is "a genius". I agree. I think he does things with music that NONE of the others have the aptitude to do. Period. This week was no exception.

Stefano - So.Adorable. Oh, and he sings like a champ every week. I truly don't understand how he keeps landing in the bottom 3. He is so much better than a few of the others who are still around. I thought last night showed he has the full R&B package. Singing? Check. Dancing? Check. Stage presence? Check. Swooning fans? CHECK CHECK CHECK. Someone enlighten me...why isn't anyone picking up the phone for him?!

Lauren - I wish the glowing reviews could continue...but Lauren let me down a little last night. She is SO DARN TALENTED but last night's performance felt a little karaoke to me. It becoming clear she is really scared to take chances. Not that I blame her...she is only 16. But that's why she needs to stay on the show...because the longer she is around, the more she will pick up on.

For the first time since the season started, I'm really only worried about three (maybe four) people being safe. I voted, I did my part...we'll see what happens.

Taco Sense - My BIG Blog debut

2011-04-18T13:26:00.001-05:00

Something amazing has happened.

In the form on tacos.

The brilliant site Taco Sense asked me, yes ME, to spotlight from time to time with some of my Latin inspired recipes!!!!!!! (I could use about 20 more exclamation points there.) I am so honored, and SO stoked, to present my first post (of hopefully many). Check it out, then poke around the rest of the site...especially if you're a fan of tacos. And really, who isn't?! (Hey Lindsay - there is even a vegetarian writer!)

Turkey Taco Chili = WIN!

2011-04-15T09:00:00.014-05:00

It's been a little while since I've posted a recipe, so I thought it was high time! This is another circumstance where I found a recipe that looked good, then sort of...tweaked it. The was originally meant to be more like a soup than a chili, but I thought it would be better (in our house at least) with more of a chili texture. And I think I was right. Ryan and Frankie agreed. ;) And it could not be easier, which is a huge plus.

Turkey Taco Chili

1 lbs ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 can rotel tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 can corn, with 1/2 the liquid
1 can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz tomato sauce
1 can fat free refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can low sodium chicken broth
Adobo** seasoning to taste
Cayenne to taste

In a large pot, brown turkey on medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. When cooked through, drain and set aside. Add a pad of butter into the pot and add onions and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes. Add meat back in. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, tomato sauce, refried beans, taco seasoning, chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer about 30 minutes.

**I've had a few people email/Facebook me asking what, exactly, this "Adobo" seasoning I often use, is. I attached a link in the recipe, to show you the exact brand I use. They make many different types, we just stick with the original, which has a red top. Ryan has been cooking with Adobo for as long as I've known him, and I'd never heard of it before. Now, I LOVE it. It's just a really well balanced, very flavorful Latin-type seasoning that really brings any dish to the next level. And no, they aren't paying me for this...though I'd totally let them. ;)

Anyway, this turned out really, really delicious. Enjoy!

Idol Wrap-Up

2011-04-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

I've really enjoyed this season because no two contestants are alike! Everyone this season really has their own vibe going on, and I dig (most of) that! So, here's where I stand on Movie Week:

Paul - I love Paul. This is known. And I liked his performance, but I don't think he will win. I don't think enough of America really "gets" him. That being said, I'm not worried for his future. Like so many before him, I think the importance here was for people to see him and launch his career.

Lauren Alaina - I love her. Ryan doesn't. He hates most of her song choices. I think she is young, but really, really talented. I hope she stays around for a while because I think she could learn SO much from Idol.

Stefano - It seems like America is really split over him. After reading all the comments last night on Twitter, I've come to the consensus that you either LOVE him or your really, really don't. And like Paul, everyone knows where I stand. I think he is awesome. I think he is a classic R&B guy and I think he brings solid vocals every week. Lately, I feel like his showmanship has really improved and I do not understand why he keeps landing in the bottom 3.

Scotty - I might make some enemies with this one...Meh. I was not impressed. I did NOT hear the same thing the judges heard. Like, at all. I thought it was borderline terrible, in fact. There, I said it. BUT, I do think he'll be a successful country singer. I think its time for him to leave Idol and get picked up but a country label. And maybe someone at said label can tell him how ANNOYING it is when he holds his mic like a flute. Yup, I'm still on that.

Casey - This is a very, very personally emotional song for me. I was really excited to see what Casey was going to do with it. I wasn't loving it until about 55 seconds in. Then, all the sudden, he fell into his zone and it was fabulous. He is really so immensely talented. I've said this before, and not to toot my own horn, but I started vocal training at like 7 or 8 years old. I learned about all the techniques and theory and singing in majors and minors. He NAILED that. My worry? Because of my "trained ear", I fear America may not have seen the amazing talent I did. My own mother, who raised two kids with musical "abilities" had to watch it more than once to grasp that.

Haley - I don't even think I need to talk about her. Everyone already knows my opinion here. I hope she goes home tonight.

Jacob - Like Stefano, America (via Twitter) is really split over Jacob. I think he's fabulous. But I worry he is starting to be a little predictable, like Pia was. However, I think he, too, will be just fine. A gospel label will scoop him right up. That doesn't mean I want him to go home yet, though.

James - He's another one that I think is going to be just fine post-Idol. He really did own the stage last night, and I think he has proven that he knows who he is. I still could go without all the screaming but, apparently that's just me. ;)

To sum it up, I'd say there are a handful contestants that could go home TODAY and I think they'd be fine. Someone would sign them, and they'd put out a record...that I would probably buy. But...that doesn't mean I WANT them to go home yet.

Breakfast

2011-04-11T21:33:00.000-05:00

I. Love. Breakfast.

It's been my favorite meal for as long as I can remember. Pancakes are at the top of my list, followed by scrambled eggs with cheese, and bacon. And waffles. And biscuits. And bagels, oh bagels! I even love cereal, especially in bed - morning or late night. I love brunch and breakfast for dinner. I seriously love breakfast.

Breakfast is also an important meal for me. Being hypoglycemic, making sure I eat the right things in the morning is essential. Too sugary, and I fight glucose spikes all day. Not enough protein, I get shaky within an hour. I've worked for a long time on trying to find the right balance. In the past few months, I discovered that eggs are really great for starting my day/blood sugar off right. I looked for healthy recipes that I could make ahead of time and just heat up in the morning. I found one, and then (of course) I modified it to fit me! I give you...

Broccoli, Egg and Cheese “Muffins”

2 stalks worth of broccoli florets

4 whole eggs

5 egg whites

1/4 cup reduced fat medium or sharp cheddar

1/4 cup good grated Parmesan (the kind you shake from a jar won't melt well)

1 tbs olive oil

A shake or two of garlic powder

Kosher/sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Steam broccoli with a little water. (Or do what I do and cook the broccoli in a Zip-loc steamer bag.) When broccoli is cooked, mash into smaller pieces and add olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder. Mix well.

Spray cupcake pan with cooking spray and spoon broccoli mixture evenly into 9 slots. (I made it in all 12 and they didn't have enough egg in each "muffin".)

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites, eggs, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into the greased pan over broccoli until a little more than 3/4 full. Top with grated parm and bake until cooked, about 20-25 minutes. (I turned my pan halfway through.)

Enjoy!

Idol Wrap-Up

2011-04-06T20:41:00.000-05:00

Jacob – “Man In The Mirror”. First, I am a HUGE MJ fan, and this is one of my all time favorites from his discography. Second, Jacob did a really good job. And to have the lady who co-wrote it sing with him? Super cool.

Haley – “Piece of My Heart”. I LOVE this song. But dudes, I’m sorry, I just don’t like her. I haven’t from the beginning. Ryan gets a weird vibe “from” her, and her growls bugs the crap out of me. So…there ya have it, haha.

Casey – “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”. What a GREAT song choice for him. I loved it. And I LOVE when he plays his upright, and I totally agreed with judges – he’s making the upright cool!

Lauren – “Natural Woman”. To steal Randy’s phrase; she “slayed” it. I think she is incredible.

James – “Why My Guitar Gently Weeps”. In my top 10 favorites EVER. I think he did a really good job with it, though I could have done without the scream at the end. He was clearly very emotional during the song, and I think that always lends a lot to the performances.

Scotty – “That’s Alright Mama”. He holds his mic like a flute, and that bugs me. But, I thought he sang it well and I loved seeing him kind of all over the stage, really putting on a show.

Pia – “River Deep Mountain High”. The minute I heard her say she was singing this I got really excited. I turned to Ryan and said “She’s gonna KILL IT!” Aaaand I was right. ;)

Stefano – “When A Man Loves A Woman”. Goodness gracious I LOVE HIM. I am a serious sucker for R&B and Soul…and this dude delivers. I would stand in line for his album today.

Paul – “Folsom Prison Blues”. YES, YES, YES, YES, YESSSS! I’ve been waiting and waiting for Paul to do something totally amazing (cause I could see he had it in him)…and this was it!!!!!

Seriously, I really liked everyone by Haley tonight!! Now…how do I ever decide who to vote for?!

The Letter

2011-04-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

Growing up, my Mom worked really hard at teaching Frankie and I what it was to be a good friend. She taught me to befriend the new kid at school, to talk to the "uncool" kid on the play ground, that if you aren't going to invite all the kids in your class to your birthday party that you don't hand out invitations at school. She taught me that being a loyal friend meant that you were there even when it wasn't convenient. She taught me that to be "popular" meant that you had as many friends, from as many different social circles, as possible. For a few years of my life, I hung out exclusively with the "in crowd", until I realized that I was forgetting everything my Mom worked so hard to teach me...and that I was really missing out on some amazing friendships by limiting myself to one crowd. (One crowd of people who weren't even very good at being a good friend, looking back.) And as I got older (and got married) she taught me that staying close to your friends was almost more important once you started a family of your own, because they help you remember who YOU are as you get lost in the day to day.

So, what's the point of this? Well, it may appear to be a humble brag, but I assure you it's not. Today I got a beautiful letter via email from a friend who has always been present, but we're not as close as we were years ago. I asked the author of this letter if I could share it, and she agreed, as long as she stayed anonymous. And, while this letter is an overly-generous thank you to me for being there for her during a tough time she had recently, this letter re-instilled some really valuable lessons.

"Dear Rachel,
We hadn't talked in a long time other than the casual Facebook happy birthday salutation when you saw my status. And there you were back in friendship overdrive making sure I was okay. I don't even know how to say this the right way, but I'm going to try. You are a "crisis friend". You're the person everyone can trust and depend on to step up in the time of crisis. And you always do. Without thinking you helped pick up my pieces and without judgment allowed me to pour out my heart to you, then you did everything in your power to try and help me put my pieces together again. There aren't many people like you in this world, you know. The friend who walks directly into the fire instead of away from it. But that's what you do, and I really just need to thank you for that.
But the thing about being the "crisis friend" is that when the crisis is over, sometimes I am too quick to fall back into my routines and forget that you are just as awesome as an "everyday friend" as you are a friend in crisis. I imagine I'm not alone in that fault. I can't do anything about anyone else but I can say that I am going to try and be a better friend to YOU, because maybe someday you'll need a friend to walk into the fire, and maybe it can be me."

I must have read the email 5 (or 10) times. I might have cried through it once (or twice). All I could think about was the lesson(s) my Mom taught me. And then I thought...maybe I, too, should work harder to be a better "everyday friend". And that maybe if we all work harder to be better "everyday friends" this world would be a happier, less lonely-feeling place - not just on the bad days, but on the best days too.

And to my "anonymous" friend, thank you, again. You've inspired me to be a better...me!

Denton Women's Collective Hosts Clothes Swap in April

2011-03-31T10:14:00.000-05:00

Unless you are new to my blog, (if so - WELCOME!) you probably read my post about "My Cause". If you haven't read it, I urge you to. It's something very near and dear to me that I hope to continue to share it with as many people as possible.

As we grow and develop, we are exploring different ways to positively impact the community. Lindsay brought with her an awesome idea from her days in Norman, OK. And we have decided for our April meeting, THE DENTON WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE will be hosting a CLOTHES SWAP!

Ladies, clean out your closets! Any CLOTHES, SHOES, JEWELRY, BELTS, SCARFS, JACKETS, PURSES, SUNGLASSES...anything goes! A great rule of thumb - if you haven't worn it in a year, or if it’s something that keeps getting pushed to the back of your closet, you probably won't wear it again!

It will be held on Sunday, April 17, 2011, from 2:30-4:30pm in Lewisville, near Vista Ridge Mall.
(There will be wine and light snacks provided.)

It is a free-for-all, so when you come in, you will drop your items in the appropriately designated area...and then, you take whatever you want! Whatever is NOT selected, will be donated to the Denton County Friends of the Family in Denton.

This event will be FREE and is for WOMEN ONLY. You are not obligated to join the collective by attending the clothes swap (though obviously we'd love it if you decided to).

If you are interested in participating, or would like to know more, please feel free to contact me!

Heavy

2011-03-23T21:28:00.000-05:00

It's been a heavy couple of weeks in our home. I won't go into much detail, because not all of it is my story to tell, but it started almost two weeks ago and hasn't really let up. Several events have led to our current "heavy", and while I know everything will be okay, and all parties involved will make it through, I've struggled to keep my usually optimistic demeanor every day. Forgive my brevity in this post, and any absence I have from this blog I love so much...as I may be focusing my energies on other things.

Just a little update

2011-03-18T07:31:00.001-05:00

I realized last night that I hadn’t been keeping up with my blog (or Facebook) updates on my weight loss journey as much as I should be. One way I keep accountable is by posting everything for the “world” to see. So, I am here, and honest. I’m still at it, don’t worry, but February wasn’t kind to me. After many birthday celebrations (not mine), Valentine’s Day, other events out of my control, I did the best I could, and would lose a pound one week, just to gain two the next, etc. This was the battle all month long. I know, it’s my own fault. I certainly could have tried harder. Then I we went to Nashville for 4 days at the very beginning of March and this time, I just didn’t even pay attention to what I was consuming…and honestly didn’t want to. Ryan & I don’t vacation much, and when we do it’s usually a long weekend visiting family, so I wanted to relax and just…enjoy! And I did. We had a great time, but my eating habits are struggling (okay I’M struggling) to snap back. And because of it I haven’t felt 100%. I know what needs to be done, and I will do it. So, there’s the honest truth. I haven’t given up, or stopped caring. It’s still very much my goal to live a healthier (thinner) life; one I WILL achieve and continue to work at. So, if you are one of the many people loving and encouraging me…Don’t stop!! I still need you!! :)

Idol Wrap-Up

2011-03-17T21:17:00.001-05:00

Top 12

Naima – I like her, but this was not good. I don’t know what else to say about that.

Paul – First, how stinkin’ cute were his parents?! I really, really like him. It’s kind of refreshing having a singer who focuses on the softness in his voice, not the power, but at the same when he belts it out, I just love his tone!

Thia – I thought she sang really beautifully. But she comes off very jazz lounge-y to me.

James – He was born 20 years too late. If he were his age in the 80’s, he would have given all hair bands a run for their money. I could definitely tell he was sick, but he wasn’t the worst of the night, that’s for sure.

Haley – The thing I like most about Haley is her gorgeous hair, haha. That being said, I still think she’s over sings/does too much.

Stefano – When he announced what he was singing I yelled “SHUT UP” at the TV (and Ryan). One of my all time favorite songs and he KILLED IT with his cool R&B stylings. LOVE LOVE LOVE. And thank you, Fano, for not being pitchy for a single second.

Pia – Her little story about her Grandpa reminded me so much of my relationship with my Gramp. TEARS! And I still think she is the best girl this year.

Scotty – The way he holds his mic bothers me. Beyond that, he is a good, albeit predictable, country singer.

Karen – She is a fine singer, but I am always bored.

Casey – Nirvana?? YES PLEASE!!! I love that he brought “Casey” to the song instead of trying to sing just like Kurt Cobain. He was kind of an “angry singer” with it, but I dug it. Then again, I dig Nirvana. :) And I totally agree with Randy, I LOVE that Casey is fearless with his music.

Lauren Alaina – Her sweet crying Daddy was too cute. It was really clear she wasn’t feeling well, but she still sang her little heart out.

Jacob – Another of my favorite songs. :) And I just love him…but he was kind of a hot mess this week. Parts were delicious, and parts were disastrous.

The theme for the night was “pitchy”. Sadly, most of them were at some point. Also, props to JLo for finally being real with the contestants, and not worrying about just being sweet.

The Accent Vlog

2011-03-14T19:51:00.002-05:00

So, the fun little challenge, or game, or whatever you want to call it has been circling the web and until today I just enjoyed watching them. I first saw it on The Healthy Tipping Point and I loved it, then slowly but surely I had other friends (both In Real Life and just in the blog/Twitter world) start doing. So, today I jumped on the bandwagon.

Here is my Vlog: (That's Video-Blog if you've never heard of a Vlog.)

Now, here was the fun part for me. Ryan watched the video and started telling me all the words I pronounce "wrong". He refuses to make a video (because he knows I'm right) so I'm going to have to try and type this all out...

Like I joked on the Vlog, he said I pronounce SURE incorrectly.
He also said I pronounce MILK, BOTH and SYRUP incorrectly. All of those are in the video except for MILK...which is pronunce like it's spelled.

So, here's my best effort to show how Ryan's pronounce these words...you already know SURE. He says BOTH as "bowlth. MILK as melk. SYRUP as seer-up (mine is more sur-up).

There was only one way to settle this. We looked them up in the dictionary online, where they include an option to hear the word correctly pronounced. Anyone want to guess who was right on all four words in question?? Oh, right, it was ME! Now, I'm a gracious winner and I will say that SYRUP was pronounced both ways online. The speaker actually said "seer-up OR sur-up".

To reiterate what I said on the Vlog, I challenge YOU, my lovely reader, to participate. Here are the words and questions:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Have fun!!

Idol Wrap-Up

2011-03-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

Last night was the Top 13 - & Here are my thoughts.

Lauren Alaina – The song did NOTHING for her vocally. I still think she is a great singer, but last night was VERY forgettable.

Casey Abrams – Holy goodness!!!!! I LOVE this guy and this song was KILLER. He is THE most talented guy this year. Period.

Ashton James - I guess I’m watching a different girl than Jimmy, because I thought she was just okay. In fact, I usually just think she is okay. The end was definitely better than the beginning. Maybe she kills in rehearsal and then gets nervous on stage?

Paul McDonald – Ryan Adams is one of the greatest songwriters EVER, so the fact that Paul picked him was AWESOME. And he picked one of my favorite Ryan Adams songs. I really like Paul. I think he is SO different and has such a unique way of doing his craft. He is definitely more Indie (which means I am a huge fan) but I worry “America” won’t get it.

Pia Toscano – I won't lie, it bugged me that she thought her song was a Celine original (it was first done by Eric Carmen in 1975) but DANG can Pia sing! I love her voice…I think she is spectacular.

James Durbin – I have really enjoyed seeing everyone’s personal “Idol”. I found it interesting that James picked Paul McCartney, seeing as he kind of comes across as a 80’s hair band rocker. But THIS made me love him so much more. He did a beautiful job with the song…and you got to see what a wonderful voice he has.

Haley Reinhart - Sorry, I am just not a fan, regardless of her flawless palate flips. She does too much (growls, runs, palate flips, etc) and I start to become annoyed.

Jacob Lusk – Jacob is great. First, he picked “I Believe I Can Fly” from Space Jam. Second, he opens his mouth, haha. I will say, sometimes I think he over does it and I wish he would just hold a single note instead of running all over the place, but that's only sometimes.
Thia Megia – I liked the first half much better… when she picked up the tempo, she had some trouble settling into a few of her notes and in her case, I feel like 15 is too young for AI.

Stefano Longone – He picked a great Idol, really fits his style. And he did such an great job and the arrangement was SO cool. I love his smooth runs when he hits those money notes. “THIS DUDE!” is what I kept saying during his performance, haha.

Karen Rodriguez – It was just okay for me. It was rocky and predictable in my opinion. If she went home tonight, I'd totally live.

Scotty McCreery – Well, I do love Garth Brooks AND the Garth song he went with. Buuuut I was iffy about this. He slid into every note at first. The second half got better and he is still a huge potential country music star...I just don't think he is anything special. Sorry!

Naima Adedapo – I really dug this, even though she lost her breath a little in the middle. And I don’t there has ever been an Idol break into dance on stage! It was super fun and showed how versatile she is.

So...who did I vote for? A lot of people - Casey, Paul, James, Stefano, and Naima...and I threw in a few votes for Pia and Jacob.

Idol Wrap-Up - It's BAAAACK!

2011-03-02T09:50:00.000-06:00

BACK by popular demand! (And by popular I mean 4 Facebook messages...hey, I'll take it.) I kept most of them short and to the point since I am covering all of them, not just my favs.

It's American Idol Season 10...

TOP 24

Top 12 Boys:

Clint Jun Gamboa – He’s got a good voice, but the song ate him up until the end. Plus he’s a bully so I don't like him.

Jovanny Barreto – Odd song choice, a different song would have probably served him better. He has a nice voice, but it was boring.

Jordan Dorsey – He rubbed me the wrong way all through Hollywood week. I think he thinks more of himself than anyone else ever will, haha. He just hasn't ever really knocked my socks off.

Tim Halperin – At this point I was starting to lose hope. Tim didn't help. Love the song, but it was boring.

Brett Loewenstern – He gets on my nerves slightly but he’s a good singer.

James Durbin – He is so cute, his story is SO touching, and he has a really great voice…and I am SO glad he kept the lid on the screaming till the end. That will get old really fast.

Robbie Rosen – I love this kid. Another strange song choice and he was slightly pitchy, but I still think he's got the goods.

Scottie McCreedy – Some people are born into things. This kid was born into country music. I don’t think he could sing anything else though, haha. But, stick with what you’re good at…which he does. (For the record, I typed this before JLo said it. And yes, that means I take notes during Idol so I can blog it the next day. I'm cool like that.)

Stefano Langone – I’ve loved him from the moment he opened his mouth in the audition round. I think he is SO cute and so, so good.

Paul McDonald – He is just so awesome. SUPER cute with a smooth, unique sound and style. Love him!
Jacob Lusk – When he sings, I feel it deep within my soul. Yes, I know how cheesy that sounds. He reduces me tears. I don’t know what else to say.

Casey Abrams – This dude is super talented. When my brother, who loathes everything Idol, gives an Idol contestant props…he’s special. And WOW, is he special!!

All in all, I was pretty underwhelmed with the first half. If I had my way, I would have replaced the first four with Luke James, Rob Bolin, Deandre Brackensick (fast forward to :35) and Colton Dixon (fast forward to :35 again, ha!) who all got cut during the Hollywood rounds.

"My" Cause

2011-03-01T19:11:00.001-06:00

So, many of you already know all about this because you're either a part of it, or I've gotten on my soapbox around you and told you all about. But, I've decided to share this with my bloggy friends too. So, this is my cause...

Denton Women’s Collective
And What It Means To Me

If you know me very well at all, you know I’m a passionate being. When I find something I love, I dive in with both feet. And recently, a cause has struck me so deeply to the core, that its almost as if I didn’t have a choice in the matter…my feet jumped for me. At the start of 2011, I stated that one of my goals for this year was to volunteer more. In a way, this is fulfilling that for me…and so much more.

Ever since the Glamour article featuring Lizzie Miller, I couldn’t help but think, “Why is it causing such uproar, both good and bad, that this NORMAL, BEAUTIFUL woman is revealing her REAL, BEAUTIFUL body?” But I assumed, based on the reactions, that I was alone in that thought. Let me introduce you to the Denton’s Women Collective. A friend, who I’ve only recently started getting to know on a deeper level, Lindsay, sent me a simple Facebook message inviting me to join a FB group she was trying to get started. She touched on what the group was about and I thought, “That sounds an awful lot like what I’ve had running through my head lately.” So, I joined. Well, I couldn’t make it to the first meeting, but I emailed Lindsay and started an exchange of thoughts, and it was in that moment that I had a revelation. Lindsay and I could not be more opposite in appearance, but we are so very similar in heart and mind. And isn't that what makes us all so great? So, here we are. Committed to our cause. And our cause is this - Women.

It’s a hard world to live in for a woman. Especially a young woman. We are under constant scrutiny to fit into a certain mold. But why? See I think we are good enough, smart enough, strong enough and definitely beautiful enough – just the way we are. But the startling statistic is that in today’s world girls start dieting younger and younger; in fact 80% of 13-year-olds have attempted to lose weight. Why? Because they don’t feel good enough. And that, right there, is what I aim to change. I think we can do something to help women to realize that their self worth is SO MUCH MORE than what they look like. That being smart, strong and independent is even more important than fitting into society’s mold for “the perfect woman”. I have big dreams for this group. Dreams I'm sure I'll blog more about. But for now I'll leave you to digest that this is just me trying to do MY part to change the world we (women) live in.

Just a little Update

2011-02-25T14:03:00.002-06:00

Just a little update so you all don’t think I have forgotten my little blog existed! (PS. I really had to fight the urge to type “y’all” in that previous sentence.) Not much has been going on with us, hence the quiet blog. Just the normal every day stuff!

I will say that, though the past few weeks have been slow going, I have lost a total of 15 lbs! The running joke is that those last 2 lbs were all from my hair cut, haha. But, regardless, even though I don’t really feel much change, my clothes are definitely fitting better. My current frustration is jeans. I am “between sizes” so, one size is falling off my hips (so I am constantly pulling them up), while the next size is still a liiiiittle more snug than I like. I have a belt, but then I get the weird bunchy fabric thing around my waist. Not cute. And frustrating…in the best way possible I suppose. Man that turned into a whole paragraph about my weight (loss) when it was only intended to be a sentence or two!

Other than that, I am just getting amped up for a super exciting rest of 2011! I can now officially announce that one of my very best friends, Kim AND my cousin, Katie are BOTH getting married this year!!! And I am SO blessed and honored to be a part of BOTH of their big days!!!! And let me just say…bridesmaids dresses are also GREAT motivation to stick with Weight Watchers. ;)

We are also gearing up for a fun trip in Nashville, TN next week! Spending a few days in one of my favorite cities in the U.S.? YES PLEASE! So, Ryan, Frankie & I will load into the car and make the drive. I am really looking forward to spending some serious quality time (8+ hours in a car) with my two favorite guys. And then of course, equally excited about being IN Tennessee with my family! I'll post more on that after the trip.

That’s all I’ve got for now…Happy Friday!

The Story of Us

2011-02-14T09:16:00.001-06:00

WARNING: This post is LONG.

My “friend” Kara (her hubby & I went to high school together and though she & I haven’t actually met, I feel like I know her thanks to her darling blog) recently blogged their story and it inspired me. How lovely to have to have it all written out to never miss a detail and for their daughter to read when she is older. And while we don’t have children yet, we will eventually, and like my Maternal Grandmother and his Paternal Grandmother kept journals, this is pretty much mine. And since Valentine’s Day has a lot of significance for us, I decided today was a good day to post this. That was a lot of rambling to get to this…Here is our story!

Ryan & I both grew up in Flower Mound. (I was born in Dallas and moved to FM in time to start 2nd grade. Ryan moved from Wisconsin to FM in 4th grade.) The first time I met Ryan, I was in 7th grade, he was in 6th. His best friend at the time, Matt, had been known to come play flash light tag on Friday nights on my street. I saw Matt in the hall way so I walked over to say hello. Standing next to him was a lanky kid with jet black hair…and half of his head shaved. Yes, you read that right. He had a bowl cut on one side, and a buzz cut on the other. (You don’t forget a hair cut like that.) Matt introduced us, as well as middle schoolers do, and I remember thinking his dimple was cute (he just has one), but his hair cut was too weird. Matt and I stayed friends but I didn’t really see Ryan much. He played drums, which I thought was cool, but that’s as far as my middle school memories of Ryan go.

Fast forward to my senior year. I was in both choir and drama, and because of that, I occasionally had to take my core classes with underclassmen to get them all in. This was the case for World Geo. The first day of class, I walked in and spotted my friend Miranda, so I sat next to her. While unpacking my books, I glanced over and saw Ryan. He had filled out a little, but looked the same. I smiled at him. He looked at his desk. Through the entire semester, I’d try to talk to him and he’d look away. We watched a movie in class one day (Crocodile Dundee to be exact) and I sat next to him on the floor. He actually got up and moved! That afternoon, I tracked Matt down after school and told him I had a crush on Ryan but that he acted like I had leprosy! Matt assured me he was just shy. I didn’t buy it. That Friday, Ryan (very nervously) asked me out on a date. Our first date was April 27, 2002. We went to Chili’s for dinner, and he kept going to the bathroom. He told me later that he was so nervous, he was throwing up! (Which I found strangely sweet.) Things moved pretty quickly from there. We just “clicked”. We talked on the phone non-stop and at all hours, he made me smile until my cheeks hurt. And then, sitting on my parent’s driveway, we had our first kiss and he asked me to be his girlfriend. Things were perfect all summer and into the fall of 2003. I had graduated high school, and he was entering his senior year. I went with him to his homecoming dance, got to know his family, met him for breakfast before school. We said “I love you” with ease and spent many, many nights with Sonic $1 sundaes, swinging at Rheudasil Park.

A couple pictures of us then

At the beginning of 2003, things got rocky. Around Valentine’s Day, Ryan showed up at my house with a ring box. Inside was a silver band with “Ryan & Rachel” engraved on the inside. He told me it was a promise ring; that he wanted to marry me. He was moving faster than I was ready for and I freaked out ~~a little~~ a lot. In a panic that I was only 19 and too young to be this serious, I broke up with him. What he didn’t know was though I kept a strong front, I cried for hours. Almost immediately I regretted it, but I couldn’t just take it back. A few weeks later, my best guy friend was killed in an accident. I got the call at around 7pm. I couldn’t tell you the exact time…everything is still a blur to this day. I sat in shock for about an hour, after I called my parents. I was house-sitting at the time, and they offered to come over and stay with me. I said I was fine. (Lie.) I sat on the front steps of the house where I was staying, reeling. I don’t remember picking up the phone, or dialing his number, but I must have called Ryan and told him what had happened because twenty minutes later he was sitting next to me. What a site I must have been (seeing as I barely remember that night). He stayed until my insisting I was okay finally worked. I wanted so badly to call him the next day, tell him that I still loved him, but I was so embarrassed he’d seen me that way that I didn’t.

We didn’t talk for almost a year. Then, out of the blue, he called me to tell me he’d met someone else. I acted like I didn’t care, after all I’d been dating other guys since we broke up too, but when he hung up, I cried my eyes out. I decided it was time to swallow my pride and get him back. Clearly, I still loved him or my heart wouldn’t hurt like that. He was living in Denton, so when I knew I was meeting some friends at a bar in Denton to watch a band play, I called and invited him. He showed with a friend of his, and we hung out, casually flirting. I even wore the promise ring he’d given me around my neck, in hopes he’d realize what that meant. His friend asked me to dance, so we danced. I kept my eyes on Ryan the entire time. At the end of the night, I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek and said “call me”. In hind sight, I should have just said “I love you” but, at that point I didn’t realize that my sweet husband can be pretty dense. ;) And he never called. A few months later, July of 2004, was my 21st birthday. My parents were throwing me a huge party, so I decided I’d invite Ryan. I didn’t know if he’d show up. I was so excited when I saw his truck pull up…until he walked through my front door, holding the hand of his new girlfriend. It was as if I’d been punched in the stomach. But, I put on my big girl pants and acted unaffected. He only stayed for half an hour, and then he was gone. Really gone. He called me sometime later to tell me he was moving to DC with the girl he’d brought to my party and I accepted that I’d let the love of my life get away. (If I’d been smart, I would have realized he called to tell me so that I would try and stop him. Darn you hindsight!) I went through a string of bad “relationships” after that, comparing them all to Ryan. Not long after he moved, I was at home one night, talking to a couple friends on IM when his screen name showed up. And he messaged me. We didn’t do more than small talk but I had butterflies the whole time. A few months passed, and we’d talk online from time to time. (I will now openly admit to spending far too much time on the computer, watching for his screen name to pop up.)

January 2006, Matt called me to let me know Ryan was back. DC and the girl hadn’t worked out and he was home for good and wanted to see me. I was hesitant. And nervous. I told Matt I’d think about it. The next evening, there was a knock on my apartment door. I’d been out late the night before and wasn’t looking my best; sweats, hair up, glasses and no make-up. Without thinking, I opened the door. There was Ryan. I think I stopped breathing for a moment. He said “Hi.” That was it. He pulled me close and we must have hugged for a full minute before Matt cleared his throat. I hadn’t even noticed him standing next to Ryan! We sat outside and the three of us talked for hours. As was the trend with us, things progressed pretty quickly and we pretty much picked up where we’d left off. Matt & I took Ryan out for his 21st birthday on February 7th and after his fair share of “truth serum”, he told me he has never stopped loving me. I blew it off.

On his 21st birthday

We had our “first date” (round two) on Valentine’s Day 2006. A few nights later, we were on the phone and he told me he loved me again. I told him “Don’t say that unless you mean it, Ryan” and he said, “Okay. (Pause) But it’s always been you. (Pause) I love you.” He was staying with his parents, but could only stay there temporarily, so in April, he moved in with me. He slept on the couch every night, and was only going to stay until he was back on his feet and could get his own place. Eventually, he did, but we’d grown accustomed to seeing each other every day, so a few months later, he decided to officially move into the apartment.

Things were awesome and we began to talk about marriage in 2007. I’d known for a LONG time that he was The One, and I was ready to be his wife. He seemed to be on the same page. But, in mid-January 2008, something changed. If I mentioned marriage, he shut down, or changed the subject, or said he wasn’t ready. I didn’t understand what had changed but I tried not to bring it up again. He was acting so different, and I started to get worried. I was NOT going to lose him again. A week before Valentine’s Day 2008, he was being extremely distant, almost mean. I was a mess. I went to my Mom’s house and bawled to her, telling her I just KNEW he was dumping me. She tried to reassure me that she knew he loved me, but I didn’t believe her. The next few days were awful. I walked around on eggshells, just waiting for him to tell me it was over. Two days before V-Day, he told me he had made reservations at Dakota’s Steakhouse in Dallas and to wear something nice. I was more confused than ever. I called my Mom, freaking out again, telling her that he was taking me for a nice dinner to soften the blow of dumping me. She did her “Mom thing” again, just listening and saying nice things to me. Valentine’s Day arrived, and he was really acting odd. He barely smiled or even looked at me while he put on his suit, and I got ready. He hardly said two words on the drive to Dallas. We ordered our food and he picked at it. The waitress asked us if we wanted dessert, and Ryan quickly said “no” even though I’d told him I wanted to split some cheesecake. After our meal, I asked if we could take a picture in front of the waterfalls outside of the restaurant.

His forced smile had me 100% convinced this was it. He was done. We got back into the car and headed back to our apartment. I was fighting tears. Then, he took the wrong exit off the highway. I was confused but didn’t say anything. We were heading into Flower Mound. At this point I asked “Where are we going?” and he told me he was taking me to get dessert. Suddenly, we turned and we were headed toward Rheudasil Park. It was cold and sprinkling as we got out of the car and he led me to the swings. I sat down on one of the swings and Ryan paced in front of me. He starting nervously rambling about how much he loved me and that he wanted to be with me forever. That he’d always wanted to be with me forever. Then he started to cry (yes, I am PROUDLY married to a man who cries) and said “What would you say if I asked you to marry me?” I squealed “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” as he pulled a box out of his jacket pocket and opened it to reveal a 3-stone ring. He said “For our past, our present, and our future. Will you marry me?” He tells me I said “Are you serious” ten times before finally saying YES.

The next day, the planning began. We carefully discussed having the “normal” yearlong engagement, and that I’d always wanted a fall wedding, so that would really be a year and a half. It didn’t take long to decide we just wanted to be married and that it wouldn’t be TOO crazy to get married 9 months later. So, on November 8, 2008, we said our “I Do’s”.

Even though our road was long, and sometimes rocky, our paths just kept leading to each other…and I am grateful every day that they did. I love you, my forever Valentine!!

Locks of Love - The Big Chop

2011-02-13T11:10:00.000-06:00

I am blogging this morning with almost a foot less hair than I had yesterday...and I'm totally okay with that.

Yesterday afternoon was The Big Chop, so I nervously sat down in my stylists chair, handed her a ponytail holder and measuring tape and took a deep breath. I won't lie, when she handed me the detached ponytail, I had a moment of panic. My hair hadn't been this short since 5th grade...and seeing it now I wondered if I could pull it off. (I'm still not 100% sold that I can...) but then I shook it off remembering that this act wasn't about me. I reminded myself of the whole reason why I was doing this to start with...

Thinking back to my pre-teen and teenage years, I cannot even fathom what it would be like to not have had a full head of hair. My locks have been called my "defining characteristic" and my "reigning glory". (Dramatic, I know.) And there is a child out there who doesn't have that. How could I not use my "gift" of thick, fast growing hair to help them? So, as I stared, still in shock, at that ponytail, I remembered it was so totally worth it.

So, without further ado, I AM going to make this a little about me, and debut my new look...

BEFORE

The Ponytail

AFTER!!

Ready for my big "reveal" with my best friends

So, I leave you with this...If you have long hair, or think you have the patience to grow it long enough, I really encourage you to do this. It's so rewarding and worth every inch. :)

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

2011-02-10T19:12:00.000-06:00

This blog is going to be pretty short and sweet. American Idol comes on soon, and you all know how that takes over my life. BUT, I did want to share this recipe with you. I adapted it from a recipe I'd seen in Cooking Light. It turned out really good, even though Ryan opted to not eat his in the lettuce. (He's changed...just not THAT much.)

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Filling:

1 lb ground sirloin (sub for turkey if you’d rather)

3 cloves minced garlic

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 cup cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup matchstick or julienned carrots

Sauce:

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

A 1 inch strip of Sriracha, or to taste

8-10 leaves of Boston lettuce

In a large pan, heat a bit of olive oil, add onions and garlic. Once translucent, add meat. Cook through. Add in red pepper and cucumber. Cook for 5-7 minutes until slightly wilted.

In the meantime, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, sugar and Sriracha until sugar is dissolved and set aside.

Add carrots and toss in sauce.

This made about 8 lettuce wraps (or tortilla wraps for Ryan) of filling and calculated out to about 3 Weight Watchers Points per wrap! I will definitely be making this again.

Enjoy!

Snowpocalypse - Part II

2011-02-05T11:54:00.000-06:00

Well, the sun is out this morning and the temps are starting to creep closer and closer to the above freezing mark. It will be nice to be able to get out into the world safetly today!

I know my friends and family up north laugh at us, here in Dallas, as waves of panic sweep the city, but lets be honest here. Texas just isn't prepared for this kind of winter weather! We don't have snow tires, snow blowers or nearly enough sand trucks to handle ourselves when ice and snow clouds take over our skies. So, we lock ourselves inside and wait it out...venturing onto the roads only if completely necessary.

I'm a rare breed here in the Lonestar state. I loathe the heat and count the days for Spring, Fall and, mostly, WINTER! That being said, icy roads don't bode well for me. I panic. I'll admit it. But boy do I love when the ground is covered in white. It's just so pretty!

Monday night we got hit hard with a thick layer of ice coating this fine metropolis. The news stations all sang the same song - STAY HOME. So, both my boss and Ryan's boss closed the offices and we stayed put. Conditions were still icy, but more drivable, Wednesday and Thursday so back to work I went. Then, Thursday night, we got hit by another storm, this time snow. It was so beautiful, but apparently snow on top of unmelted ice equals danger. This time the news stations called it "the worst we've seen" and again, our offices thankfully closed. So, we stayed put. Again. Here are a few pictures I snapped of our conditions:

Day One, while I know it looks like snow, this was SOLID ICE.

Day One, another shot of the ice.

Day Four, snow covered ice

The snow was about 4" deep where we were, only a few miles away got as much as 6"

Ophelia (my Jetta) covered in snow and ice

No way I was going anywhere. My tired were all inches deep in the snow/ice mixture.

A few hours into our fourth day of Snowpocalypse, Brittany decided that since she was only a mile or so down the road, she was going to brave it and head over to Kim's apartment. Lucky for us, Kim & Jason live in the same complex, just one building over. So, when Brittany arrived, Ryan & I just walked over. Soon, Kim & Jason's apartment was brimming over with our friends and we made a whole day of it. (And I do mean a whole day...they hosted us for pushing 12 hours!)

We spent some time outside enjoying the snow. Kim and Brad thought it would be fun to try and walk on the frozen canal...except it was only frozen on the surface. No one was harmed in the taking of this picture.

So, in summary, Snowpocalypse may have made driving conditions extremely hazardous, but it made friendship conditions improve. :)

Whatever Wednesday!

2011-02-02T21:08:00.000-06:00

This post needs a subtitle. "Whatever Wednesday" just won't cut it.
Let's call this... "The Saga of the Rogue Tooth, Snowpocalypse and A Weigh In". Settle in, dear readers. This one might be long. ;)

It's been a dramatic week...not just Monday through today. Like LAST Monday through today. And I don't think it's over yet. This whole Tooth Saga really started in 2009. Ryan's wisdom teeth started coming in and they were bugging him. We got the x-rays, met with an oral surgeon, set the surgery date, and then...we both lost our jobs. And our benefits. So, we canceled the surgery. Well, the pain subsided so, we thought maybe they just grew in straight and they'll be fine. Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago...Ryan started complaining that his teeth hurt, which quickly turned into one particular tooth. He showed me and I could see half a wisdom tooth, but it looked okay. Boy did that change fast. Within a few days it was red and inflamed. And it only went downhill. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep and then Monday morning he woke up and the whole left side of his face was SO swollen. He looked like a boxer who'd lost a fight. One of my best friends called her Mom, who works at a dentist, and got Ryan in immediately. The report? Ryan's bottom, left wisdom tooth was partially exposed, partially impacted and super abscessed/infected. Ew. SO the race was on to find an oral surgeon who could fit Ryan in ASAP.

The problem? Enter part 2 of my crazy title...I give you, Snowpocalypse. Really, it was ice, but Icepocalypse doesn't have quite the same ring to it. So, Monday night we got some serious winter weather. Temps plummeted to well below freezing and DFW was coated with a thick layer of solid ice. The problem? Almost the entire metroplex shut down...including all the oral surgeons. Ryan was getting worse...the tooth infection was starting to make him sick...and I was starting to panic a ~~little~~ lot. So, being the good little wife that I am, I started leaving messages. And just as I was contemplating using the "page the doctor in the case of an emergency" option, one of the doctors called me back. He was SO nice, understanding and accommodating. The best part...Ryan is getting his tooth pulled TOMORROW!!

And for the last part of the title...Since I ended that story with good news, let's keep the trend going! It's also Weigh-in Wednesday...and I lost 3 lbs this week for a total of 13 lbs down!! Woo-hoo! It's so rewarding to see the pay-off on the scale. :)

Locks of Love Update

2011-02-01T19:03:00.001-06:00

So, we are in the middle of Ice-apalooza here in Big D (more on that later...like probably tomorrow) and while at home today I decided to snap a picture of my hair growth progress. After doing so I realized that The Big Chop will be here soon. Like, 12 days soon! Well, hopefully. :) I am so ready. The longer it gets, the more work it takes to care for it. And when I measure, it looks like I clearly have 10 inches to donate without cutting it above my shoulders (which I promised Ryan I wouldn't do).

Here is the picture from today...

Anyway, the appointment is set, and this should be my last post about LoL...until my "The Big Chop" post, of course.

Whatever Wednesday!

2011-01-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Wednesday! I’m going to jump right in here with a little confession…I was pretty lax over the weekend, and because of that, I didn't lose any weight. I didn't gain either, which I guess is a good thing? But, I didn't feel 100% Monday and part of Tuesday because of it, so if nothing else, I realize how putting that junk into my body truly affects it. I even had my first headache in 2 weeks, and I have to think it was food related. So, there ya have it. I mean, it is MY blog, so if I can’t be honest here…there’s no point, right?!

Moving on…I made a really delicious soup for dinner last night. If you know me very well, you know that Tuesday night is known as “Frankie Night” at my house. Every Tuesday, Frankie (my brother, if you’re new here) comes over for dinner, which is suuuuper important to me because as our lives get busier in their own right, knowing I will see my brother at least once a week is awesome. Anyway, back to the subject at hand…I introduced Ryan and Frankie to one of my (new) favorite things in last night’s soup. Quinoa! If you’ve never had quinoa, let me enlighten you. It’s from a grain originally found in South America. It’s nutritionally amazing because it’s packed with lysine, amino acids, protein, fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It’s also gluten-free and considered “easy to digest”. You can use this as a substitute for rice in just about anything, which is what I am doing these days. And, like rice, it doesn’t have much taste by itself, so it really absorbs the flavors of whatever you cook it in/with. After I made (and devoured) this soup, I really wanted to give it a name. I felt like it deserved something more than “Soup with Beef, Potatoes and Quinoa”. I knew I wanted the word “Hearty” in it but that’s as far as I got. I DID get some amazing suggestions though. ;) My always mature brother suggested “Hearty Poop Soup”…cause he is a boy and soup rhymes with poop. (Don’t let that suggestion fool you…he loved the soup and took home the leftovers.) And one of my bffs, Kim, suggested “Hearty Healthy Starchy Meaty Soup!” <- The exclamation point was included in her title. After telling several people that Ryan doesn’t like many soups because they never keep him full I decided to go with this for now…

“Hearty Enough for my Husband” Soup

Servings: 6(ish) • Size: 1 1/2 cups • WW Points: 8 pts
Calories: 308 • Fat: 14 g • Protein: 16 g • Carb: 31 g • Fiber: 5 g (<-these are all estimates based on plugging it into Weight Watchers Points calculator.)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 can diced tomato, with juice (you can add the whole can if you love tomatoes)
• 1-1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3/4 lb beef, cubed into small bite size pieces
• 6 cups water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced (I will probably use a whole pepper next time)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa*
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Sauté oil in a large pot, add onion and garlic and sauté until soft over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Add tomato with juice, cumin, and cilantro and cook another 4 minutes. Add beef, water, bouillon, carrot, bell pepper, and any other seasonings you might like and bring to a boil. (I added a dash of kosher salt, pepper and chili powder.) Cover and simmer on low about 1 1/2 hours, until meat is tender.

Add potato and cooked quinoa* and cook an additional 20-25 minutes, or until potato is tender.

*Cooking quinoa:
• Measure out 1 cup of quinoa grain into a fine mesh strainer/sieve. Rinse very thoroughly as there is a soapy-like residue on the grain. It will be very bitter if you cook it without rinsing.
• Bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil.
• Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed, similar to cooking rice.
• Fluff with a fork.
• This will make about 3 cups of quinoa.

My mouth is watering as I type all that out…this is definitely one I will make again. It would be a good one to keep on hand for lunches or quick dinners you can just pop in the microwave. And, for my non-red meat eating friends/followers, I'm sure you could easily substitute chicken, tofu or more veggies instead of beef. I hope you enjoy it!

15 Days - 8 Lbs

2011-01-13T16:11:00.000-06:00

It’s been 15 days since my “Day of Reckoning”. (I’m totally stealing that forever, Mandy.) For the past 15 days I’ve carefully watched what I eat, have been drinking much more water than I used to, and have been more active. And in 15 days, I’ve lost 8 lbs.

I started back on Weight Watchers on 1/3. They have a new Points system and so far, it’s really working for me. The first couple of days are always tough and my body kind of went into shock/detox mode but after a week it worked itself out, and let me just say…I feel really good. Better than I have in a while. I know - it’s only been 15 days. But I really think…maybe that’s all it takes? I'm not tired all the time, which I imagine will only improve the more weight I lose, and that's a big deal. 15 days ago, I'd be in bed by 9:30 and when the alarm would go off at 6, getting out of bed was a struggle, and then by 3pm I'd be dead tired. This week, I haven't gone to bed before 10:30 a single time, most nights it’s been 11, and I get up at 6 with no problem...and I don't have a 3pm slump. It's so crazy how just two weeks can make such a drastic change on the inside. Of course, I'm really ready to start seeing it on the outside too!

I want to thank everyone again for the undying support. This 8 lbs was so much easier because of it…and I know the next [enter an obscenely large number here] lbs will be easier because of it, too.

A NEW Year ... A NEW Me - Part 2

2011-01-03T12:41:00.000-06:00

“I used to be skinny. And fit. And confident.” That's one of the hardest truths I’ve faced through this ‘ordeal’...while I am still confident of WHO I am, I've lost complete confidence on the outside. I hide behind people in pictures; I don't go shopping with my friends because I don't want them to see the sizes I buy. It just plain sucks and I am DONE with it. I am SO BLESSED to have so much love and support. That love and support is going to be invaluable on this journey. I was truly overwhelmed by the emails, texts, phone calls and FB messages I received after my “Day of Reckoning”…and I will keep them all as a reminder of the amazing support system I have. I’m lucky to have a husband, family and friends who love me JUST THE WAY I AM…but who are all also willing to do whatever they can to help me reach my goals.

I’m doing a lot differently this time around. Before, I would look at pictures of myself from high school and think “It sure would be nice to look like that again”. I’m not doing that anymore. I just need to get to a healthy, happy weight/size for me. I don’t know what that exact number is yet. I’ll know when I get there. What I DO know, is it’s a long way from here. That’s not to say I don’t have a goal. I have a number in head of how much I’d like to lose.

So, what am I going to do to reach this goal? It’s got to be a lifestyle change for me, which is why I didn’t list it as a “resolution”. There is no room for me to slide back into old habits, ever again. So, I’m going to eat healthier foods, in more moderation and exercise. Sounds easy enough - NOT. It’s NOT going to be easy. It’s going to be a long, hard road. And there are days I’m not going to want to do it anymore. But I’m going to do anyway. It’s no longer a “want to”. It’s a MUST.

As far as the food is concerned, I did a lot of research over the weekend to pick the best plan for me. There are so many options out there. I knew I didn’t want a “temporary fix to a permanent problem” like Jenny Craig or Nutri-System. I’m not interested in eating microwave meals for the rest of my life. That left the Biggest Loser program, Weight Watchers and good old fashioned calorie counting. After much research, and listening to my “gut” (no pun intended), I’ve decided to go back to Weight Watchers, at least for now. It’s really the only thing that has ever worked for me.

And for the exercise portion? Well, I don't have a gym membership...yet. I WILL get one, but I am so out of shape, I am going to walk 5 days a week for a month, get some of the initial weight off, get some strength back and then I'll join a gym. Honestly, I'm too embarrassed to set foot inside one right now.

SO! That's my plan. And I feel good about it. I am really pumped so it's not that I need it, but I also have several "events" ahead of me to help keep me motivated, but I'm not quite ready to reveal those yet. ;) And THANK YOU again to everyone who is there to love and support me along this journey. I love you all!!

My New Year's "Resolutions"

2011-01-01T22:56:00.000-06:00

Happy 2011!!! I have to say, I was amped to wave good-bye to 2010...it was a bit of a roller coaster! And I am as equally amped to see what 2011 has in store for us. I feel like good things are headed our way this year, and a lot of it is based upon plans and goals we've set for ourselves.

Last year, I didn't really make an resolutions. I had a mind set that resolutions are just setting us up for failure because we lose momentum as the year goes on. And come on, who likes to fail?! But this year, I have this strange energy and excitement that I can't really explain, but I feel like maybe I'll give this whole resolution thing another chance. First, let's take a a look at what a resolution is:
res·o·lu·tion -

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made.

2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm decision to do something.

3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.

4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

Ok, I can get down with that. I'm making an intention, a firm decision, a course of action, a firm purpose. So, with those thoughts in my head, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to resolve to do in 2011 and I came up with this:

1. Volunteer more - Anyone who knows me very well at all knows I love helping people. It satisfies my soul. And when I was still in college, I volunteered for several local charities/organizations but when I started working full time I used the excuses "I'm just too busy" or "There just aren't enough hours in the day". What a cop out. There are plenty of hours and if I make the time, I won't be too busy for it. I haven't decided on a cause yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

2. Reduce our debt/increase our savings - This is a two-part-er. First let me say, I think everyone wants this. We just didn't really make it a priority in 2010. I think we were so grateful to both be working, that we just went with the flow. But, if we learned nothing from our stint of unemployment in 2009, it's that you can never have too much saved. I am really going to focus on paying down debts first, and then building our savings.

3. Produce less waste - This is a personal choice for me. While we already recycle most of our cans, glass, plastic and card board, I feel like I could really work harder on producing less paper waste. More research will go into this one, but I'll share what I learn.

4. See more of friends I've lost touch with - This one is pretty self explanatory. I have some amazing friends who I just don't get to see as much as I'd like...and I am going to change that. Period.

Now, I realize it might be a little overly ambitious to take on so much change, but I feel like several of those things won't take much effort, once I get a system in place. Man...I really can't explain it but I feel like this is going to be a really good year. :)

Oh by the way, you'll notice, I did not list "weight loss" as a resolution...but more on that later! For now, I wish you all a happy and healthy NEW YEAR!

A NEW Year ... A NEW Me

2010-12-30T19:55:00.000-06:00

Today, the inevitable happened. I've blogged about it many times before...but never in the state I'm in now. Never in my life have I felt the way I felt tonight, sitting alone in the Kohl's dressing room, silently sobbing. And then...not so silently sobbing. It's just like all of the sudden, in the florescent lights of that dressing room, I really saw myself for what I ACTUALLY look like...and I could not believe what I was looking at. It was a devastating blow, realizing just how over-weight I've become. The funny thing about this moment...this "moment of reckoning" as my dear friend Mandy calls it...in this moment I realized something else. The handful of times previous to this very moment that I've talked and talked about losing weight...I was never, not a single time, as committed, driven and determined to actually DO IT. And that made me cry even harder.

And as I sit here, still with my tear stained cheeks, I know that...
This Is IT.
For Real.
It's Time.

It's time to remember what its like to LOVE shopping. To LOVE being in pictures. To LOVE ME.

So, as we welcome in the NEW Year, I am also welcoming in a NEW mindset, a NEW outlook, and ~~hopefully~~ definitely a NEW me.

Whatever Wednesday - The Christmas & Locks of Love Edition

2010-12-29T13:43:00.000-06:00

What's this?! I'm posting a Whatever Wednesday post...ON WEDNESDAY?! Shocking, I know! I've really slacked lately...it's been totally unintentional, I assure you!

Down to business! Let's start with a Locks of Love update. My hair has officially gone from long to "Wow, you're hair is so long". And I am chomping at the bit to cut it all off!! Ryan is very particular about my hair and he really likes it long (though not quite this long, I don't think, haha) so he made me promise I wouldn't cut it above my shoulders. That's fine with me...except that it means the total length has to be that.much.longer. So, I measured from my collar bones, which is the length I plan to get it to, so I could see how many inches I had to grow. Just over ONE people!! ONE!! So, I set my next cut & color appointment for March and will do "The Big Chop" then. The end is in sight!!!! Can you tell how happy that makes me?! Don't get me wrong, I love my hair long...sometimes I even love it this long, but it's so hard to take care of! I wear it curly sometimes, but the longer (and heavier) it gets, the less pretty the curl is. So, I usually straighten it...which is a task. So, if you've done the math you know, the longer the hair, the more time and effort I have to put into it. And I'm over it, haha. Enough rambling...here is an update pic of the progress!

Sorry it's a little pixely.

On to Christmas! (This one is going to be a picture-free post because I don't have my camera with me.) This year we decided to do things a little differently. Every year we feel so rushed to get everything and everyone squeezed in that we end up blinking and Christmas is over. So, we decided to really spread it out and spend some time on Christmas alone. Just the two of us.

Here's how it all went down:

Christmas really started on the 22nd for us, when my Mom, Frankie, Ryan & I drove into Dallas to have dinner with my cousin Mike, his wife Kim, his amazing kiddos Steel & Akina, my Aunt Suzie & Uncle Frank, cousin John and Gam. It was so nice spending some time with them, while Suzie, Frank, John and Gam were all in town from TN.

One the 23rd, we went to Ryan's parent's after work for Christmas with them. We had a lovely dinner, great conversation and opened gifts. It was so nice to not be rushed...we could just relax and enjoy their company instead of checking the clock.

On Christmas Eve day, Ryan & I woke up and drove down to Stein's bakery in Dallas to pick up the Christmas Tree coffee cake - a tradition for Frankie & I growing up. After, we ran a few last minute errands then went to my Mom's. She is an awesome cook and pulled out ALL the stops for dinner this year. It was so, so good. There is just something about eating the food you grew up on that makes you feel so...HAPPY! (And full!) After dinner we went to church, then came home and played domino's. (I won...in case you wondered.) Then we packed up and Ryan & I went home for the night.

Christmas morning, we slept in (which is about 8am for us), got up, showered and headed back to my Mom's to open presents and stockings. (She only lives about 7 minutes away.) Oh, and eat our Christmas Tree coffee cake, of course. :) Then...an amazing thing happened...we spent the rest of Christmas at home, curled up on our couch, watching Christmas movies. It was wonderful. We realized that our days of mellow Christmases are numbered as we move closer and closer to the days of children, so we fully enjoyed our quite, low-key, "just the two of us" Christmas night. :)

The next day, the 26th, we celebrated with my Dad and his family. Frankie, my Dad, his wife Donna and her kids, Clancy and Ben, came over to our apartment mid-afternoon. We exchanged gifts with my Dad then went out to eat!

I felt so loved, so blessed, so lucky this Christmas. And now...we look ahead to 2011. We are so excited to see what it holds for us...

Merry Christmas & A Happy, Healthy New Year!

The Long Overdue Blog About Thanksgiving

2010-12-10T10:20:00.000-06:00

Well, since we are on 16 days away from Christmas, I guess I should blog about Thanksgiving, huh?

This is going to be a long post. You’ve been warned.

This year, Ryan & I traveled with his parents and brother to have Thanksgiving with his paternal Grandparents in Illinois. This was my first holiday away from my Mom & brother, so it was really bittersweet for me, but what a fun trip we had!

We left early Wednesday morning (and I do mean early) to catch the first flight out of DFW into Milwaukee, WI. Since Ryan did a good chunk of his “growing up” in a cute town near Milwaukee (Lake Geneva) we decided to make a pit stop there on our way to his Grandparent’s house. Lake Geneva was such a pretty area, and it was so neat to see the house Ryan talked about so much, in person.

Ryan, Susan, Richard and Scott

We had lunch in Lake Geneva at a place called Scuttlebutt’s, (Yes, I ate a place called Scuttlebutt’s) then headed towards the tiny town of Victoria, IL. Richard was born and raised here and the house his Grandparent’s live in is the house he grew up in. Grandpa Herbie built it with his own two hand 60+ years ago. It’s not often you have a piece of history like that in the family!

Here is "The House That Herbie Built"

On Thanksgiving morning, Ryan & I headed out for a walk before watching the Macy’s parade.

It was COLD! Ryan’s red nose is proof. ;)

Shortly after, family started to arrive. Richard’s brother Brian, his wife Gloria and their daughter Molly (and dog Jiffy) as well as Richard’s sister Sarah, husband Mark and kids Josh and Hope came over. It was so great seeing everyone. We ate, talked, laughed, some napped, then after dark, a few of us (me, Ryan, Josh, Scott and Hope) ended up in the dining room for a Battleship duel. We alternated playing each other and I am proud to say, by the end of the “tournament” – I DOMINATED! ;)

Ryan & I at the Thanksgiving table

Friday we had a lazy morning, then headed out to get Ryan’s Grandparent’s a new Christmas tree. First we stopped at Coney Island to have some special hot dogs that Grandpa Herbie has been eating since he was a kid, and that every generation since has eaten. Apparently, the recipe hasn’t changed in all that time, and the decor hadn’t either. It was a fun treat. After picking up the tree, Ryan got it all set up for Grandma Maxine, then we had dinner with Brian, Gloria and Molly.

Ryan & Grandpa Herbie inside Coney Island

Saturday morning we packed up and headed toward South Barrington, IL (on our way back to the airport). Susan’s brother Bim, his wife Ezia and their 3 boys (so, so cute) EJ, Nicky and Jonathan live there. We had lunch with them, visited, got a tour of the house (Well, I did. Everyone else had been there before.) then hit the road back to the airport.

Ryan with Bim, Ezia and EJ. I am SO mad at myself for only getting one picture there :(

It was such a great trip and I know it was especially great for Ryan to be able to see all the places that impacted his childhood! Thank you to my wonderful in-laws for the trip!

Our 2nd Anniversary

2010-11-09T13:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary. We are on a pretty tight budget these days so we decided ahead of time that we wouldn’t exchange gifts this year, but rather go to a benefit concert (for CF) to see The O’s & Ben Kweller and then go out to eat on our actual anniversary. So, on Saturday night Ryan & I headed to the Granada in Dallas with Brittany. (Brittany coming too was pretty appropriate since she was my Maid of Honor!) It was an amazing show – for a great cause. Here are a few pictures from the night.

Ryan & I

Me & Britt

The O's

Ben Kweller

On to our actual anniversary! I married a romantic guy…which is a good thing because I am a self proclaimed “hopeless romantic”. I am the girl who believes in fairy tales and happily ever after no matter how many times you tell me (or show me) it doesn’t exist. I can’t help it. Maybe it has something to do with our “story” as a couple…it feels like the plot to a Rom-Com. Anyway, when I got home from work, I walked in the door to find a dozen roses, in 4 different colors, and a bottle of champagne. Oh…and a card. Because my smart hubby knows I LOVE cards and expect at least two cards a year from him…my birthday and our anniversary. So, I open the card to find an explanation of the 4 types of roses. He is probably going to kill me for sharing parts of what he wrote in the card…but he should be used to it by now.
Here are the roses (& the champagne).

Please excuse my messy counter...

The red roses are for our romance and love.
The yellow and pink are for our friendship within our marriage.
The white and pink symbolizes our “perfect happiness”.
And lastly, the white ones are to remember our wedding day.

I know. He’s really good to me.

So after I dried the tears induced by his thoughtfulness, we headed to Chili’s to eat dinner. I know, it sounds so boring, but we had our first date ever in April of 2002 at Chili’s, so it felt appropriate to us. So, we've made it two years...and as I said to Ryan last night...here's to at least another 60. To which he replied, "That will make us really old." Yup. That's the plan. ;)

What Makes Me Southern...and What Doesn't

2010-10-28T10:56:00.000-05:00

Quite some time ago, probably at least a year ago, while sitting in a doctor's office waiting room, I was skimming magazines when I stumbled across an article with a title something along the lines of "Why I'm a Self Proclaimed Southern Belle". I cannot remember for the life of me what magazine it was. But it enters my mind from time to time when I do anything that gets labeled "a Southern thing". I will preface this by saying, I married a "Yankee". Not the New York kind (which I am especially thankful for during baseball season)...the born in Illinois, raised in Wisconsin kind. My sweet, loving, Yankee husband just looooves to point out my innate "southern-ness". If it weren't for this, I'd probably never be able to make such a list as this...

What Makes Me Southern:
- I say "y'all" daily. Sometimes I say "y'all" and I'm only referring to one person. Oops.
- I say "yes ma'am/sir, no ma'am/sir", but not in the usual sense, like answering an elder or peer, though I do try to do that too. This is one of those things Ryan likes to point out. Example, recently, Chloe (yes, our cat) was scratching the carpet. I scolded her by saying "NO MA'AM!" in a stern voice. Ryan laughed. Apparently, this makes me Southern.
- 1/2 of my genetics make me Southern. My Maternal Grandparents were born and raised in Mississippi. My Mom was born in Knoxville, TN and raised in Louisville, KY.
- I call my mother "Mama". She called her parents "Mother & Daddy". Ryan swears no one up north does that.
- I have random little make-up tips that my friends who aren't raised by "Southern Folk" think are weird. Oh, you want an example? Okay. I never leave home without lipstick. That may seem normal...but my reasoning may not. Need a little color in your cheeks? Dab some lipstick on your cheeks and smooth in. My friend Heather, who is from Mississippi, already knew this trick. My friend Ashley, who is from PA, looked at me like I had lost my mind when she witnessed me doing this.
- Even though I fight it hard, I say a lot of words with a drawl.
- I'm overly girly. That's putting it nicely...Ryan calls me "dainty". I know, there are a lot of Southern girls who hunt and fish...I guess my point is that I tend to lean towards the "Belle" in the term.

What Doesn't:
- I don't like Iced Tea...or tea of any kind really.
- My favorite city to visit in the US of A is Boston.
- The other 1/2 of my genetics. My Dad was born & raised in a suburb near Chicago. My Paternal Grandmother was from Minnesota.
- I called my father "Daddy" growing up, but as I got older, that has changed to "Pop". Apparently, this is a "Chicago" trait. Its a totally learned behaivor, because my Dad and his brother both called my Gramp "Pop".
- I LOVE northern accents like PA (see Bam Margera), Chicago and especially Boston.
-Even though it's totally odd, sometimes I say words like I'm from the northern states. Maybe this is from my Dad's family...or Ryan...or both? Who knows.

So, there you have it. I guess instead of being a "Self Proclaimed Southern Belle", I'm a "Self Proclaimed Mutt". And I'm good with that. Oh boy, are our kids in store for some confusion...

The Script – Concert "Review"

2010-10-21T11:38:00.000-05:00

Last night, Brittany, Kim & I saw Irish band The Script at the House of Blues in Dallas. As previously mentioned, I’ve been to a LOT of concerts/live shows in my life. It’s just something I really, really enjoy doing. Some concerts left me wondering why I ever like that artist/band in the first place. This was not one of those times.

First, the House of Blues is an awesome venue because even if you are midway back in the room (like we were) it feels very intimate. Second, The Script is one of my favorite bands, so I walked in with pretty high expections...only to have them blown right out of the water. Danny O'Donoghue (the lead singer) would ask every so often for the house lights to be turned up so he could see everyone, and then he would thoughtfully sit on the drum deck and just grin from ear to ear looking at all the people there for THEM. Not only were his vocals absolutely flawless, but the energy of all 3 band members never dropped for a second as they danced around the stage and shared stories between songs. But what stood out to me the most? They were humble and appreciative. Danny O'Donoghue took the time to step down into the crowd to hug and high five as many people as he could reach and when the lights would come up it was obvious that all three of them were trying their hardest to make eye contact with every single person in that room.

I know I’ve really harped on their personalities and stage presence, so I should probably talk about the music now! I first heard of The Script close to three years ago. They were on XM’s The Pulse doing a radio interview before their album dropped so I listened to their totally sexy Irish accents all the way home. After a good 15 minutes of chatting they played the first The Script song I ever heard. “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”. For me, this song felt SO personal…and I actually had to pull over on the side of the road because I was crying so hard. Yup. I’m THAT girl. I loved his voice from that very first moment…and I felt like that song embodied a very personal struggle that I felt when Ryan & I had broken up years before. At the time I first heard this song, Ryan & I were engaged and planning our wedding…but the song took me back to before fate brought us back together. Well, when they played that song last night…I’ll openly admit, I cried. In public. At a concert. For a few brief moments, there was no one else in the room. Hearing his pristine voice effortlessly sing every word, I couldn’t help but relate to Roberta Flack's “Killing Me Softly”…but in a good way.

I’ve really only talked about Danny, which is totally unfair because both Mark Sheehan (guitar) and Glen Power (drums) were also phenomenal. Mark Sheehan was hilarious and I don’t think he ever stopped moving! And I’m pretty picky about drummers…maybe because I’m married to a drummer (who has set his sticks down…for now), he always points out what makes a good drummer…good. Well, Glen Power was great.

Here are some pictures from the show:

Hugo - the opener

Me, Brittany and Kim.

We were SO ready for The Script!

The Script

Mark Sheehan

Danny O'Donoghue

(SWOON!)

Glen Power

My favorite shot of the night of Danny O'Donoghue

This was pretty awesome. When the lights went up, Mark Sheehan asked if he could take our picture. It was a really neat moment as they all stepped back to "appreciate" all of us. He then posted it on Twitter. :) Such a cool trio of guys.

So…taking this entire blog-novel into consideration, I think I can safely say The Script ranks in my top 5 best concerts ever. In fact, I think they have even broken into the top 3…

Pumpkin Pie Bars

2010-10-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

As promised, my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars!

Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter

Filling:
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 15 oz pumpkin (I use
• 1 can evaporated milk

Directions:

In one bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon and stir together. Break apart butter with your fingers and mix into the dry ingredients until mostly incorporated. Press firmly into a greased 9x13 pan.

In another bowl, mix all dry filling ingredients. Once mixed, beat in the 2 eggs then STIR in the evaporated milk little by little until fully incorporated. Pour evenly over the crust and bake, uncovered, until a skewer or knife can be inserted and comes out clean. Once out of the oven, I like to sprinkle with chocolate chips. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour and refrigerate.

Here is the crust pressed into the pan:

Here is the finished product!

They are so yummy and super easy! Enjoy!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

2010-10-11T13:46:00.002-05:00

This weekend, we (okay - I) went a little pumpkin crazy. I’ve been eagerly awaiting fall since…well, June, so it’s no wonder I have pumpkin on the brain. Over the weekend we purchased and carved pumpkins, and I baked an array of pumpkin goodies – Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Bars.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (or you can make 15 oz of your own roasted pumpkin. For time/ease I used canned organic pumpkin puree)
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease/Pam your pans. (I use disposable pans so I can give them away and not worry about getting my dish back. This time I made 2 regular loaf pans and 5 mini loaf pans worth.)

2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill 1/2 to 3/4 full. (I do mine at about 1/2)
3. Bake for time varies depending on your oven and pan sizes. I check it every 15 minutes until an inserted knife or skewer comes out clean. If you want to remove from pans, cool on wire racks before doing so.

Here is a picture of the finished product. It's not burnt, FYI. I sprinkled chocolate chips on top…and topped it with a little powdered sugar.

We also carved pumpkins, as I mentioned. I’m willing to bet you can guess which Newlywed Naslund made which pumpkin… ;) (In case you can’t…mine is the face, Ryan’s is the 7 legged spider.)

And yes - I'll post my Pumpkin Bar recipe later! :)

Whatever Wednesday - It's My Blog & I Can Write When I Want To!

2010-10-06T12:35:00.020-05:00

It's been a while. I've had bloggers block.

And now "It's My Party" is stuck in my head. Super.

FALL has finally arrived (or so says the calendar) and we couldn't be more stoked about that. The weather has been really mild (YAY!) though the end of this week it will almost be back into the 90's (sad face).

This past weekend Ryan & I along with Kim & Jason and Brittany went to our local Farmer's Market and I officially have a new obsession. We bought some veggies, cheese, grass fed beef and a few other items. The beef was SO much better than what we have been buying at the grocery store. We made Taco Soup amd used the grass fed beef and you could really tell a difference. It was such a rich flavor! I will definitely be buying our meat (and produce) there as much as possible. They also have free roaming chicken (and eggs) but they sell out of it very fast, so we will have to go earlier next time so we can try that too.

As it gets cooler out, I'll be able to start using my oven more, so expect new recipies soon! :)

What Sweet Husbands Do

2010-09-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

I am a lucky girl. I know this. I have a sweet husband. Don't confuse this with perfection, cause (I love you Ryan) he's not perfect, but he is usually kind, always thoughtful and definitely sweet. Here are just a few things I think sweet husbands do...

A sweet husband washes his wife's car when she is sick in bed, but REALLY wanted to wash her car that day.

A sweet husband brings home little surprises/treats out of the blue because he thought about his wife during the day.

A sweet husband lets his wife control the radio when he'd rather listen to anything but the Hits station.

A sweet husband bakes (& decorates!) his wife's best friend a cookie cake for her birthday, when said wife was sick over the weekend and wasn't able to (the same weekend he washed her car).

(I SWEAR Ryan made this.)

That's what sweet husbands do. That's what my husband does.

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-09-09T12:31:00.000-05:00

So, I’m late this week with my Whatever Wednesday post. In fact, I am thinking about changing this whole thing over to Forgetful Friday! ;) But truthfully, I blame the holiday on Monday. It has thrown my week off…in a good way. I could have sworn yesterday was Tuesday, but pleasantly to my surprise today is miraculously THURSDAY!

I still don’t have much to report. The past few weekends have been busy helping my Mom get her house ready to sell and during the week I generally come straight home from work (except the nights I babysit). But, I am okay with the “boring” routine.

I will do a quick Locks of Love update! It’s really getting long now, though I still have at least 4 inches to go before the big cut! I am getting excited. As much as I love my long hair, I am ready for much less hair to care for and fix every day. Here is a picture of my progress:

This week’s recipe is by request. We made BBQ Pizza this weekend, and I posted a picture on my Facebook which resulted in several comments and messages asking for the recipe. There isn’t really a “recipe” so to speak, but here is it anyway!

Ryan’s BBQ Pizza

Boboli thin pizza crust (We may make our own next time, which we’ve done before. We used Boboli for the sake of time.)
Beef brisket, flank or skirt steak (You can substitute chicken or pork, too)
Mozzarella cheese (we buy hunks of it and shred ourselves for freshness/creaminess – is that a word? Oh well.)
Your favorite BBQ sauce

Seriously, this could not be easier. Season the beef with seasoning of your choice (we use Stubb’s Rub) and slow cook it on the grill for 3-4 of hours on LOW HEAT. Once a crust has formed on one side, flip it and coat that side with BBQ sauce. Repeat until meat is done. Shred the cooked beef and set aside. Cover the pizza crust almost to the edge with BBQ sauce. Not too much or your crust can get soggy - that is key! Top it with mozzarella, then the beef, then a little more cheese. You can cook it in the oven until the cheese is melted, or do what we prefer – put the pizza on the grill (still LOW HEAT) until the cheese is melted. It makes the crust so crispy and gives it a nice, smoky flavor. (For added smoky flavor, Ryan makes a little bowl out of foil and puts hickory chips with a little water in it, then puts that in the corner of the grill.) Once it’s cooked, drizzle with a little more BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-09-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

So, I missed last week. Oops. Honestly, we've been pretty busy - yet I haven't had anything to blog about. How does that work?! Anyway, because we've both been so busy, I haven't tried any new recipes either. This is just one giant blog FAIL!

Just wanted to let everyone know, I'm still around, just busy...and boring. I'll think of something interesting to write soon. ;)

Breaking Bad Habits - Part I

2010-08-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

I am a woman of many great qualities, of this I am confident. However, I am also a woman of many bad habits, of this I am also confident. ;) I've decided recently to explore a few.

First, and possibly the worst, is my tendency to have a "junk drawer". If Ryan is reading this, he is laughing out loud by now because I said a "junk drawer". The problem is, it starts with one, and then when that one's full I expand. Over and over. This weekend I tackled the four, yes four, "junk drawers" that had taken over my house. I had one in the kitchen. One in the bathroom. One in the dresser and one in the bedside table.

I have an affinity for organizing. The problem is staying organized. For me to stay organized, it usually requires some hardware. So, first thing Saturday morning, I headed over to one of my top 5 favorite places to shop - The Container Store. I could spend all day and all my money in this store. I always go with a list (or I'll go nuts), and by the time I leave, I've crossed everything off the original list, but added twice as many things for 'next time'.

I got home and went straight to work. I started in the kitchen.

Before:

I snapped the picture after I'd started taking everything out, but everything you see on the counter was just thrown in the drawer. Not a pretty sight, and good luck finding anything.

After:

Next, the bathroom. Tiny drawer, lots of stuff.

Before:

After:

It's so beautiful I could cry!

On to the dresser. Before:

After:

And the worst of them all, the bedside table. Don't judge me.

Before:

After:

We also have a clutter problem in our pantry because it's really deep, which is great for storing lots of food, but things get easily lost and everything just get tossed in there. I got a few pantry baskets and they made a huge difference.
Before:

After:

The problem? Now that I've started, I want to re-organize every square inch of our apartment. This could become an expensive habit to break...

PS. I am not being sponsored by The Container Store...but if they'd like to, I'm totally in.

Gramp - One Year

2010-08-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe the words as I type them. It's been one year since Gramp (my grandfather on my Dad's side) passed away. Words cannot express how much I miss this man. I think I've mourned him the hardest because he was my last living (biological) grandparent. I don't think many people get as close to their grandparents as I did to him. Don't get me wrong, I was close to my Mom's parents too, my Grandmom on that side especially, but they lived in Kentucky so I only got the see them a few times a years. I saw Gramp a few times a month. Towards the end, I saw him every single day. We had good conversations, shared meals, spent hours walking around bookstores, talked on the phone. Wow - typing that one got me choked up. I can't believe its been a year since I've seen him smile at me, squeeze my hand, kiss me on the cheek, tell me he loves me....tell him I love him.

As I sit here fighting back tears, I am at a loss for words as to what to write next. (Shocking, I know.) So, I think I'll just wrap this up with one of my favorite pictures of Gramp (and Gram, who passed away when I was in 4th grade).

Jack F. Silverman

8/26/1920 - 8/21/2009

I miss you every day, Gramp, and I love you.

Whatever...Thursday? Again?

2010-08-19T14:09:00.002-05:00

Really? Again? I blinked past Wednesday without realizing it? It's not totally my fault. I’ve been sick. I felt it coming Friday, then by the time I got home from the Jackson Browne concert Friday night (more on that in a sec), I knew it was hours away from hitting me like a MACK truck. I woke up at 5am Saturday morning with an aching throat, unable to breath out of my nose, with a fever of 101*. S-I-C-K sick. I barely left the couch Sat-Mon. I went back to work Tuesday, still a bit under the weather. Yesterday, I felt much better, though I’m not yet 100%. Today, I am back in the game! I woke up feeling awesome. And I have to thank Ryan for a lot of my quick recovery because, when I get sick, Ryan steps up his game. He is a genuinely sweet guy, though he is occasionally a bit sharp around the edges, but when I get sick, he turns on the part of his personality that is super nurturing. When he got up on Saturday morning, several hours after me, he took one look at my pale face and swollen eyes and jumped into action. He made a list and headed out the door. A short time later he walked in the door, full grocery bags in hand. He had the essentials: OJ, Gatorade, Chicken Noodle Soup, cough drops and kleenex. He also had a few comforting extras, cause he knows his wife well: Velveeta Shells & Cheese, sourdough bread (don’t judge me, we all crave weird stuff when we’re sick. Right??) AND because I didn’t get to go the baseball game I’d been looking forward to for months, he got me Lemon Italian ice - my favorite ballpark treat! What a lucky girl I am to have such a loving hubby. :)

So, as previously mentioned, Friday night a group of us headed to Grand Prairie to see Jackson Browne with David Lindley! Even though I wasn't feeling great, I had an awesome time. Frankie really got me in to Jackson Browne probably in middle school and has seen him in concert at least 4 times now. It was always a "guy thing" with two of his best friends, Scotty and Justin. But, Justin is an umpire now and he was out on the road this year, so Frankie invited me, Scotty, his roommate and BFF George, George's girlfriend Lindsay and one of my BFFs/Justin's sister Brittany to come along with him. It was such a fun group! And I cannot even put in to words what an amazing show it was. Jackson Browne sounds exactly the same live (in his 60's!) as he does on his albums...if not better! I mean, this guy is immensely talented. I could listen to him sing all day. And David Lindley! That is a once in a lifetime kind of thing. This guy plays just about every stringed instrument on the planet. No kidding. Here are a few highlights of the night:

A really blurry shot of Brittany & I in which my head and nose look abnormally large.

Scotty with his new shirt.

Lindsay, George, Frankie and Scotty

JACKSON BROWNE!!!

DAVID LINDLEY!!!

Jackson Browne and David Lindley, making beautiful music.

Alright, that's all I've got this week. No recipe though...sorry!! See, the thing about trying new things is that sometimes, they don't turn out very well and you end up ordering pizza for dinner. I could give you the number to a great Domino's though! ;)

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-08-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

I don't have much that is blog worthy this week, so I'm just going to jump right in to my Recipe of the Week!

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
adapted from Gina's WW Recipes

2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
6 cloves garlic, minced
cumin, to taste
adobo, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1 can chicken broth (we use the low-sodium Swanson broth)
chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to taste (we used 5-6)
2 bay leaves

Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cut small holes sporadically in the pork and insert garlic. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crock-pot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. If the pork is not covered, add water until covered. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. (Our crock pot evaporates liquid fast, so you made need to add more liquid.) After 8 hours, removed the meat from the crock pot and shred using two forks. (Remove bay leaves and chipotle peppers prior to shredding.) Adjust salt and cumin (we had seasoned it well, so we did not need to add more).

We served this with low-carb tortillas, and topped them with reduced fat cheese, avocado and salsa.

Frankie came over for dinner when I made this and he and Ryan went nuts over it. They both request I make it again - soon - and my hubby who loves to send people home with all our leftovers, told Frankie he could only take half. It's THAT good.

Random Ramblings? Sure, why not! I finally got my new iPhone 4 yesterday!! That was my birthday present, and I used my birthday money to buy it. This thing is so great. I've had the iPhone 3G for a couple of years now, and will never use anything but an iPhone as long as I can help it. Well, the 4 puts the 3G to shame! It's lightening fast, I love the sleek new design, the screen is so clear and vivid and the features are unbeatable. My 3 favorite new features are, multi-tasking between applications, Face Time video chat between other iPhone 4 users and the video camera/camera with flash and zoom. As if I wasn't already obsessed over my phone enough, this has sealed the deal. Thanks, Apple.
Here is a quick little video of Frankie playing with Cooper that I shot last night while messing with the settings. The volume is low but Frankie is "baby" talking to Cooper. ;)

American Idol Concert - Season 9

2010-08-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

Last night, my Mom & I went to our 4th American Idol concert. As always, it was a great time, and I love having that special thing we do together. We were to the right of the stage, 7 rows from the floor, so we had an amazing view of the show. Here are some photo highlights of the night! (Click on the photos to see them larger.)

My Mom & I waiting for the show to begin!

Didi Benami - She really sounded great. I love her voice.

Andrew Garcia - He opened with "Straight Up" which was just as great as when he did it for the Hollywood round.

Katie Stevens - She hit a few bum notes but she sounded hoarse when she spoke, so she may not have been full voice. She's a little power house, though.

Tim Urban - Not a fan. He sounded better than he had on the show but compared the rest? Not so much.

Siobhan Magnus - She hit all her notes, though some made 1/2 the audience hold their ears.

Aaron Kelly - He was outstanding. He may be my winner for "most improved". He will definitely have a career beyond Idol.

The Bottom 6.

BIG MIKE Lynche - He is just a classy guy. He came out in his three piece suit, and started with "This Woman's Work", which may or may not have had me in tears. (Okay, it did.)

He is just sooo good.

Casey James - The hometown favorite! He tore it up. He schooled the Idol Band lead guitarist and sang his heart out. He was recently signed with Sony Nashville and I am really looking forward to his album.

More Casey

Casey & Big Mike sang "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" and it was awesome.

Crystal Bowersox - She was incredible. She sang with so much passion and her voice filled the entire place effortlessly.

She did "Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin without her guitar, which was kind of cool.

Who could that be, entering from the shadows...?

LEE DEWYZE!!!!!!!

Lee was stellar. The more I think about it, he and Aaron tie for most improved. Everyone in ear shot (and my Mom & I) were talking about how great he sounded. He had grown and improved so much even since the finale. He had so much energy and sang so, so well. I have been a fan of his since day one and even I was so impressed.

He showed us all why he won the title for Season 9. :)

All the boys.

All the girls, plus Lee.

Season 9's Top 10!

It was an awesome night and a fantastic show.

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-08-04T11:47:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday! Or "Hump Day" as some call it. I prefer Happy "Middle-of-the-Week" Day.

So, I've been cooking a lot more lately. Ryan used to do 80% of the cooking, if not more, but now that he is working later than I am, I am doing the majority of the cooking...and getting better at it as I go! (This makes Ryan really, really happy, by the way. I think he doubted my cooking skills.) Along the way, I've gotten a lot of recipes from friends and family. My friend Carie and I do a lot of recipe exchanging. This Recipe of the Week came from her, via The Biggest Loser cookbook, and you know me, I had to tweak it a little. ;) I probably added back in some the calories The Biggest Loser peeps took out, but I have to make it so that Ryan will eat it!

Baked Ziti

1 (14 1/2 oz) box fiber-enriched ziti or penne rigate
1 15 oz container fat free ricotta cheese
2 Large egg whites
8 Ounce (4 cups) finely shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1 jar of low-fat, marinara (I used Classico's regular marinara)
Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly mist a 13x9x2 ceramic or glass baking dish with the non-stick spray. Cook the ziti according to package directions until al dente. Drain and shake off any extra water. In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.

Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Add the pasta mixture and spread to evenly cover the dish. Top with remaining sauce then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the mozzarella is melted. Let stand 5 minutes.

It was SO super easy, and really tasty! It's definitely a winner.

Today's Random Ramblings from Rachel is an open letter brought to you in part by Rachel's Rules of the Road:
Dear Fellow Drivers,

I want to talk to you today about the LEFT LANE. It seems many of you have forgotten what we learned in Driver's Ed and The School of Life.
Here is a break-down of a few "unspoken" rules of the road:
Let's start with an easy one. If you are getting into the left lane to pass someone, don't cut off the person who is already in the left lane, forcing them to slam on their breaks. Wait until said left lane driver passes (cause they are going faster than you), then get over.
Next, if you chose the drive in the left lane, especially during rush hour traffic, please do not fluctuate your speed like a maniac. I use cruise control to maintain pace. When you are in front of me, it impedes my peaceful drive when you are going from 60 to 70 and every speed in between every few minutes.
Part two of the fluctuating speeds situation is when you are behind me. Because I use cruise control, I know what speed I am traveling at all times. When you get on my tail, then drop way back, then get back on my tail, I become confused. In an attempt to be a courteous driver, I move to the next lane in order to let you pass, and then you drop way back again. Please make up your mind. Are you going faster than I am, or are you just trying to give me road rage?
Lastly, the left lane is for passing. If you are driving under, or right at the speed limit, chances are you should pick a different lane. It's clear I am going faster than you. If you absolutely refuse to move over, I will pass you from the middle lane. Giving me the finger makes YOU the (slow) jerk. Not me. I'm following the rules. Perhaps you should to.

Sincerely,
Your Fellow Driver

**Note from the Editor (also known as...me): Some people seem to be offended by my open letter. An open letter's purpose it to express MY opinion. I am not stating law. Just my thoughts.

Email Drama

2010-08-01T10:01:00.001-05:00

So, last week, my friend Carie emailed me to tell me she had received a strange email from me with a random link and nothing else. That is not like me. If I send a link, I explain what it is. Thankfully she brought it to my attention so I could warn everyone else NOT to click on it. This began my email drama.

I've had Hotmail for my email account for about 6 years. Before that I had AOL, because that was the cool thing to have in the 90's, and I held onto it for a long time. I really loved Hotmail, but mine was the 6th account I knew of to be hacked. Yes, SIX of my friends have had their Hotmail accounts hacked. Of course I changed my password, but I couldn't shake feeling a little vulnerable to future hackers. (Plus, it did always bug me that they added little "ads" on the ends of all my emails.)

So, since we are recent Apple converts, I decided to give Apple's me.com domain a shot. On my MacBook it is set up similar to Outlook on a PC. I can also add it as a very user-friendly email account on my iPhone, which Hotmail never get quite conquer. AND, you can also access it via the web from any computer through a fancy-shmancy "secure connection" where it syncs up with the contacts and calendar on my iPhone and MacBook. I thought this was the perfect set-up!
On my MacBook at home, it runs just like Outlook would...fine.
From my iPhone, it runs like a dream.
But if I dare access it from the web, I get THIS:

THIS is the super annoying "loading" screen that haunts me. It will show me I have new mail, but once I click on a message to read...I get this at least half of the time. The more I use it, the less I like it.

I JUST emailed everyone on Thursday night to give them my new email address. And now everyone will be getting another email with another new email address. Yay.

In the meantime, Ryan is doing his "I told you so" dance in the background because he said I should have tried it out before I emailed everyone...and I offer my sincerest apologies for all the email drama.

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-07-29T10:08:00.000-05:00

*Note: I wrote this yesterday, but forgot to post it. Forgive me.

I haven't checked my Google Analytics in a few weeks, so I logged on today, knowing it was Wednesday.

Blog Stats
I have 205 hits this week, and 40 of them were from googling the TV shows or actors mentioned in my DVR post! I also had one person land here after googling "telephone ben naslund". Um...What? Who is Ben Naslund? Is he related to the infamous Chloe Naslund (who still gets me a hit or two a month)? Out of curiosity, I googled Ben Naslund. I found nothing. I do not think he exists.

"Recipe" of the Week
Last week I got an email and two Facebook messages asking me to post a quick, easy and tasty dinner idea. So, here is one of our "go to" dinners that fit all the criteria AND is budget friendly.
Chicken & Avocado Quesadillas

Low-Carb Tortillas
Avocados (1/2 an avocado per Quesadilla)
Low-Fat Mexican Blend Cheese
Chicken
Whatever seasonings you like on your chicken

I marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes in the mix we've "perfected" to our liking. For me, that's Fajita marinade, garlic powder, a little lime juice, a splash of tequila and adobe seasoning. Ryan is probably going to kill me for giving away our secret, but I didn't share how much of each we use. You'll have to decide what you like. ;) Then, I grill the chicken, and chop it.

To assemble my quesadilla, I like to do cheese first, then avocado, then chicken with a little more cheese to bind it all together. I "fan out" my avocado so I get a little in every bite. If you ask my close friends, they will tell you, I am slightly obsessed with avocado.

Here is the finished product!

Mmmmm...now I want one. Anyway, I feel super cheesy for typing this out in "recipe" form...but the people asked! Enjoy!

Random Ramblings from Rachel

This is dedicated to Ryan's Grammie. (His Maternal Grandma in AZ.) She emailed me recently about Ryan's current "look". She prefers a clean cut Ryan. And while I prefer the rugged Ryan, he wanted a change so I gave him a hair cut, and he saved off his facial hair. The rest of the night I couldn't stop looking at him cause he looked SO different to me! He did need a hair cut...it was getting pretty shaggy, but I miss the goatee. ;)

Here you go Grammie! Ryan's before and after:

What do YOU think?!

10 TV Shows You Will Find on my DVR - The Summer Edition

2010-07-23T11:43:00.000-05:00

So, Holly recently blogged about 5 shows you would find on her Tivo. Sometimes I have to steal Holly's ideas because she is a blogging genius. (Or a genius in general.) Now, Holly only listed 5. Good for her. That means she isn't a TV addict like I am. My DVR is always full. Ask my husband.

Because I am a self-confessed TV addict, I have to do a Summer Edition for now...and will do a Fall Edition in the Fall. I also have to list 10, because, well, I watch a lot of TV. That's not to say I only watch these 10 shows. Quite the contrary. But, these are the 10 you will most often find in my DVR during the summer:

Friday Night Lights - I came to the FNL party a few seasons in. My Mom had been bugging me to watch but I had it in my head that it was a stupid show about stupid Texas high school football. Then, one fateful day, she had me over for lunch and turned it on, telling me I wouldn't be fed until I watched. She may have also baited me with Taylor Kitsch. So, I watched it...and I fell in love.

The Closer - Holly picked this one too. Seriously, this show is everything that's great about TV. Great acting, smart story lines, and a great southern belle in Kyra Sedgwick's Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. I have to thank my Mom for getting me hooked on this one, too.

Deadliest Catch - I've never missed an episode of this show. I've been watching it since day one. Of course, this has been a tough season because my favorite fishing family, The Harris', are rocked by Captain Phil's death.

Hell's Kitchen - This show is a guilty pleasure. I don't watch much reality TV, but I love Gordon Ramsey. This season hasn't captured me like the previous season's have, but I still watch it every week.

Burn Notice - I think this is such a fun show. It's kind of a spy meets vigilante storyline and it hooked me from the first episode. This is one I'd say you kind of have to watch from the pilot though.

White Collar - There a million great things about this show...but none better than Matt Bomer. Also catch this one from the pilot, otherwise you might be lost.

Lie To Me - I learn important life lessons watching this show. No seriously. This one also has really smart writing. Plus I love every single actor in the cast.

Rookie Blue - This is a newbie. It's in it's first season, and I won't lie, I originally DVR'ed it because Gregory Smith is on it and I still miss Everwood. Plus, its actually pretty good.

Leverage - This is also a vigilante show. (I have a thing for vigilantes.) Great writing, great cast, fun show. Oh, and Timothy Hutton, who is brilliant.

The Glades - I should mention only one episode of this new show has aired, but I loved every minute of it. I love one-liners that deliver and I chuckled through this whole show. I don't think this show would have worked without Matt Passmore as the main character. He has perfect timing and makes this dramedy (that's a drama that also makes you laugh, FYI) really work.

What do YOU watch in the Summer?

Whatever Wednesday - The Birthday Edition!

2010-07-21T14:33:00.001-05:00

My birthday was Monday and I got spoiled ROTTEN, so today's Whatever Wednesday post is going to be 100% about my birthday!

The celebrations started Thursday night - one of my best friends, Kim, also has a July birthday so we had a little joint b-day dinner since we have so many mutual friends. We went to On The Border and just gabbed and grubbed for a few hours! I am so lucky to have such awesome friends!! Here is a shot of the whole group:

L-R: Heather - Our friend from work, Lauren - my BFF from high school, Bridget - one of my closest friends, Me, Brittany - one of our BFFs, Kim - the other b-day girl and Elizabeth - a friend of Kim's from HS who I am now happy to also call a friend :) I love all of these girls SO MUCH!

We had a laid back weekend, though Ryan worked A LOT, then Sunday, my Dad came over for a few hours to hang out and wish me a happy birthday since he was going to be out of town all week. After, we met Ryan's parents for a delicious lunch to celebrate with them.

Richard, Susan, Me & Ryan at Asahi in Flower Mound. It was SO good!

A cute one of just me & Ryan

Monday was my actual birthday. The big 2-7. (Yes, I know. 27 isn't that big, but somehow it feels WAY older than 26!) When I got to work, I opened the door to my office to find this:

THANK YOU Heather & Kim for the decorations :)

Then they treated me to a delicious Tin Star lunch and cupcakes after...

There was an icing incident that sent us all into a fit of giggles.

BUT, we pulled ourselves together long enough to snap a quick pic! THANK YOU girls for making such a big deal out of my birthday!! I love you both!!

After work, I headed home to meet up with Frankie; when I walked in the door he presented me with my gift. He prefaced it by saying he wished it was for him, so I knew it would be good. And it was...

Firefly, the complete series, on BluRay!!!!!

Then we headed to dinner with my Mom. She treated me to dinner at one of my favorite places, BJ's. And even though I told her NOT to get me a gift, she gave me the cutest Winnie the Pooh & Eeyore ornament for my collection! (I LOVE Pooh & Friends. Yes, I am 27 years old.) Ryan had to work late and sadly, he didn't get to join us for dinner :( but when I got home, he had some wonderful gifts waiting for me, even though I had also told Ryan not to get me anything!

Dublin Dr Pepper (DP from the plant in Dublin, TX so it's made with pure cane sugar, not high fructose corn syrup and is so, so good), This Is It and my favorite movie EVER The Princess Bride on BluRay, and the most beautiful purple phalaenopsis orchid!

In other words, it was an amazing birthday. I am so very blessed to have such wonderful friends & family. You all made me feel so very special. :)

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-07-14T13:33:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday! This week is creeping by and I feel like its been Wednesday for days now, haha. In fact, I actually started writing this yesterday until I realized it wasn't Wednesday yet! Awesome.

Let's jump right in to the Recipe of the Week! I really don't have much else to talk about so...here it is!

Barbacoa Beef
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 4 oz
Calories: 161.4 • Fat: 5.0g • Protein: 24.9 g • Carb: 2.8 g • Fiber: 0.7 g

3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
5 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1/2 lime, juice
2-4 chipotles in adobo sauce (I used 4)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground oregano
salt and pepper
3 bay leaves
1 cup water

Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano and chipotles in a blender. Mix in 1 cup water.

Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Place meat in crock-pot, and cover the meat with the blended mixture. If it does not cover the meat completely, add more water and mix well. Add the bay leaves. I cooked it on the lowest setting all day long while I was at work. Like, 7:30-5:30. Just make sure there is plenty of water so it wont boil dry.

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot and add some of the reserved liquid back.

This was SO flavorful and tender. I served this with low-carb tortillas, reduced-fat cheese, and salsa. I had my brother over for dinner when I made it and we all loved it! Definitely a winner and we will definitely make it again. Enjoy!

Locks of Love Update

2010-07-09T18:31:00.002-05:00

Because I promised to, here is a quick picture of my hair straightened to show the progress!

I also want to dedicate a little bloggy love to my friend Kinzie Roundy. She made "the big cut" herself recently and donated 12 inches!!! Way to go girl!!

What I Eat

2010-07-08T12:00:00.007-05:00

This post is by request. I've had a handful of Facebook & Twitter direct messages asking me what sorts of things I eat during the day while counting calories. So here you go...

Let me preface this with a little background info. I am hypoglycemic. If you don't know what hypoglycemia is, it's essentially low blood-sugar. This is caused by the over production of insulin which sends my blood-sugar plummeting. When my blood sugar drops, I experience an array of symptoms. It starts with the shakes, then morphs into a headache and nausea. If I let it go on too long (which rarely happens) my symptom progress into fatigue, faintness, dizziness, tingling in my hands & face and in rare cases I experience heart palpitations. Oh, and mood swings. Ryan & my parents wouldn't let me forget those. ;) All that being said - every single one of the food groups is important in my diet. In order to regulate and stabilize my blood-sugar, I need protein, carbs, fruits & veggies, good fats and, yes, sugar. (The one I probably don't always get enough of is dairy, but I'm working on it.)

I have a few "go to" foods that quickly and safely get my blood-sugar back to a normal level. For example, I eat a banana everyday. Another is a "trail mix" granola bar. My favorite is Nature Valley's. It's whole grain oats with almonds, raisins, peanuts and cranberries. This is an "all-in-one" snack; I get protein, carbs, fruit/natural sugar and good fat.

Lately, my food intake has been like this:
Breakfast: (Around 7am) Thomas Whole Wheat Bagel Thins
                 2 tbps Whipped cream cheese
                 6oz Simply Orange juice
                 Coffee

Morning Snack: One banana around 9am
                          Trail Mix bar around 10:30-11am

Lunch: (Around noon) This changes. Usually it's a SmartOnes meal (my favorites are: Rigatoni in Vodka Cream sauce, Three Cheese Ziti, Pasta with Ricotta & Spinach and Fettuccine with Broccoli.)
                                  Sometimes, I do wraps with Spinach Herb or Low Carb Mission tortillas, one 100 cal Wholly Guacamole pack, a couple slices of turkey and a sprinkle of cheese. (Hey! There's some dairy in this meal!)

Afternoon Snack: Grapes & a good handful of almonds OR an Apple w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter usually around 3pm. (See what I do there? I get one fruit/natural sugar with one protein/good fat.)
                            If I'm having a "hungry" day (I have days when I feel like a bottomless pit) I eat a mini bag of Smart Pop popcorn (100 calories for the whole bag).

Then, of course, dinner changes everyday. Many may read this and wonder, if I know "how" to eat, why did I end up over-weight? Well, knowing "how" and doing it are two very different things. Ryan & I love to eat and we tended to cook heavy meals, and I won't lie - I LOVE SWEETS. For years, we just honestly didn't think about what we were putting into our bodies.

So, for the few of you who wanted to know...there you have it. Also, as a little update, I've lost 3lbs since June 24th. That's an average of 1.5lbs a week. Considering I didn't count calories for two days over the 4th of July holiday, I am happy with a 3lb loss. Well, that is, until Ryan told me he's lost 9. Jerk. ;)

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-07-07T09:13:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone had a safe, fun holiday weekend.

Blog Stats
I had visitors from 31 states this week & an all time high at 272 unique hits! I must attribute many of these to Andrew Tinker & Blues Traveler re-tweeting the link to the post about them. So - THANKS GUYS! :D

I had a good laugh when I checked my google analytics this week. Someone got to my blog by googling "I married a younger man"! Nothing to be ashamed of, random googler! ;) I also had someone land here by googling "Chloe Naslund'. My apologies if you were trying to track this person down...and found my cat.

Recipe of the Week
Ryan & I have really been trying to trim our waistlines, so we've been trying recipes that are lower fat/calories. It can be a struggle to find low-cal recipes that are still tasty. I've been looking at several blogs and sites with "healthified" versions of stuff we love. So far, the clear winner this week is this one, which I've tweaked a little to my liking. Ryan & I both loved this, and will definitely make it again.

Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce
adapted from Gina's recipe

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 enchilada
Calories: 230 • Fat: 7.3 g • Protein: 20.4 g • Carb: 28.7 g • Fiber: 12.2 g

Chicken and White Bean Filling:
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
15.5 oz can Navy beans (or Cannellini beans)
3 cooked shredded chicken breasts
1/3 can water
1 chicken bullion
1 tsp cumin

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tbsp flour
1 cup fat free chicken broth
7 oz can chopped green chile, drained
1 jalapeños, chopped, seaded
1/2 cup light sour cream

3/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
8 medium low carb tortillas
chopped fresh cilantro or scallions (or both!)

For the Filling:
In a medium pan, heat olive oil on low. Add onions, garlic and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add beans, water, bullion, and cumin. Mix well and cover. Simmer on low 15 minutes. Remove cover, add chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until it thickens and liquid boils down. Set aside.

Green Chile Enchilada Sauce:
In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Whisk until the sauce becomes smooth. Cook over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Add green chiles and jalepeños. Cook another minute then remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a few good spoonfuls of the chicken/white bean filling. Roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling remainder of the tortillas.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and spread to cover. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum and bake 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro or scallions.

*My Notes: We seasoned and grilled the chicken then mixed it into the filling mixture because we love the flavor of grilled chicken. This also cut down on cook time, because while I was make the filling and sauce, Ryan was grilling the chicken, instead of waiting for it to bake in the oven. Also, I smushed the beans up, because Ryan isn't a huge "bean fan". It only needed about 20 minutes in the oven before the cheese was melted. Enjoy!

Andrew Tinker & Blues Traveler

2010-07-01T13:24:00.008-05:00

I feel really lucky. I live in an area rich with musical prowess and an abundance of great venues. Last night, I got to take advantage of both. Jack FM, a local radio station, turned 6 this week, and so they threw a giant bash at Gilley's in Dallas. Blues Traveler was headlining, and my friend Andrew Tinker was one of the openers. When Andrew first announced he was playing Gilley's, we immediately started looking into tickets. A day or so later, I got a tweet (that's Twitter, if you didn't know) about getting FREE tickets. I took the chance, and thanks to Andy Chandler of Jack FM/CBS Radio, I secured FREE tickets for 6! So, Ryan & I, Brittany & Jacob, Kim, Frankie and Richard (who already had a ticket) piled into cars and headed to Dallas.

Andrew was up first. [Disclaimer: I've already admitted that Andrew is my friend. His brother, George, is my brother's BFF & roommate, and we've known the Tinker family for 10+ years. Many will think what I'm going to say next is biased. Maybe it is, but I would like to point out that I have friends who are in bands that I would never post about because I like to lead people to good music. Plus, I consider myself one who knows a thing or two about music, seeing as I studied it for many years.] Moving on...there is just something about Andrew Tinker. For as long as I've known him, music is what he lives for, and it shows. If you've heard his album, It Takes the World, then you know he's good. But that's only the tip of the iceberg with Andrew. To see him live is a whole other realm. The whole band melds together perfectly to accentuate his amazing songwriting abilities, and his presence on stage is truly unmatched by any other I've seen that hasn't already "made it". Which leads me to this...he is |thisclose| to blowing up. I can just feel it. It won't be long before he's all over the radio, selling out venues. My point? Go see him NOW. Get in on the ground level. You will not regret it. Speaking of regrets...my only regret? That Andrew played before the second opener, Shurman, who is touring with Blues Traveler. I don't generally "bash" bands, but, they couldn't hold a candle to Andrew Tinker.

Andrew Tinker (click on any of these to see them larger)

By the time Blues Traveler the stage, I was really excited. I've loved them for a long time. I know pretty much every word to every song on their album 'Four'. And, since my dear brother plays a mean harmonica, I was excited to watch him watch them...because let's face it - No one does it like John Popper. Within minutes of them taking the stage, everyone was blown away. To hear his vocal and harp skills on an album is all well and good...but to be standing 10 feet away is something entirely different. Un-freaking-real. Watching this little boy grin on Frankie's face was awesome. At one point he looked at me and said "Can you believe we are seeing this?!" John Popper even tossed a few harmonicas out into the crowd between songs, and I so wished Frankie could have gotten one! I don't want to sell his band short...they were fabulous, too. You have to be, to stand next to Popper. Besides the harmonica legend himself, I really enjoyed the pianist. He was outstanding. And I think I counted at least 4 different keyboards around him. I also really liked the crazy bass the bass player was jammin' on. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I am so glad I can now say I've seen Blues Traveler live.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Me, Brittany & Kim, with a few creepers in the back ground ::coughWilliamTinkercough::

The Husband & I (he loves to make that goofy face...)

The whole group, minus Ryan. L-R: Frankie, Jacob, Brittany, Richard, Kim & me

I hate the look on my face...I was focusing so hard on getting everyone in the shot, I forgot to smile ;)

It was quite a night, and though I am crazy tired today, I am so, so glad we were there.

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-06-30T10:24:00.002-05:00

It's Wednesday!
Hi readers!! I am only two days away from a 3-day weekend for Independence Day! Hopefully you all have a 3-day weekend too!

Let's move on, because I am going to devote a lot of this post to MY READERS! :) (I so love saying that!) I try not to stalk Google Analytics, and I do my best to only check it once a week. So, this morning I logged in to check up on who is peeping my humble little blog. Last week (6/23-6/29) I had 171 hits! How exciting! Quick shout out to all the states who visited: TX, CA, CO, MO, WI, NC, KS, UT, AZ, PA, NY, IL, TN & MD! I'm feeling a LOT of love today - bloggy style! I also thought it was interesting some of the google searches that brought people here. This week, people googled "Rachel Naslund", "Newlywed Naslunds", "Emett Bolin", "Andrew Tinker", "Danny Gokey", "American Idol" & "Summer Salad" and stumbled upon this blog.

I want to give a Special Shout-Out to the fansite iheartdannygokey for the love they showed after my post about Danny. I especially want to thank users asics717, Lizzy & Ellen B. for the kind words, and for reppin' my little blog here. Your referral lead to 46 of my hits this week! Thank you!

How about some Random Ramblings from Rachel? I’ve been reading the final draft of a book my friend Kelly Riad wrote, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want to give too much about the story away, because it’s going to be published, and when it is, I want you all to read it for yourselves. What I will tell you is what a beautiful story it is. GLOW, the first book in a series, is a deep, crushing love story (x 2) that finds Emily, a "normal" teen, trying to figure out who she is, getting involved with some new kids in town who are not what they seem. (This is NOT Twilight...don't let the initial feel of the book fool you. There are no vampires or werewolves in this book.) I am enthralled and addicted to this story and these characters and hated it when I found myself coming close to the end of this first book. I slowed my reading, trying to draw the story out, making it last as long as possible, in fear that Kelly wouldn't grace me with the next book until it’s published as well. Well, she promised to let me read it as soon as it's ready, and I am counting the days!! If YOU want to check out the first few chapters of GLOW (and I know you do!), they are up on Kelly's website.

That's all for today! Have a great Wednesday!

Danny Gokey

2010-06-25T09:34:00.001-05:00

THREE posts in one week - what is going on here?! ;)

So, last night my Mom, my Mom's good friend Laura, her daughter (and my friend) Claire & I went to The Glass Cactus in Grapevine to see Danny Gokey in concert. If you don't know who that is, he was on season 8 of American Idol and made it to the top 3. He was 28 when he tried out and had lost his wife to a heart condition only a few months before, but she had always wanted him to try out, so he did and last night talked about how it literally saved his life. Anyway, the show was a lot of fun...despite the fact that he traveled from Nashville and his flight was delayed. He was supposed to go on around 9-9:30 and instead, didn't start until about 10:40!! It was disappointing because I didn't get to stay for the whole thing, since I'm a working stiff, but it was worth it anyway. He also talked a lot about the charity work he has been doing, including the foundation he started in memory of his late wife. He has done a lot in his home town of Milwaukee and in his now home, Nashville. You can learn more about the awesome work he is doing here.

Vocally, he was pristine. He hit every note, right on the money, which is a huge deal to me. Coming from a music background, I often find myself disappointed by an artist's live show. Too many times they are 1/2 of what they seem on their albums. Not Danny Gokey, y'all. (First time I've ever gotten all "Texan" on a post, but seeing as he made a country album, it seemed fitting.) I actually thought he was almost better live. Raw talent. And his stage presence is outstanding. So, if you are a country music fan (mixed with a lot of soul), I highly recommend you pick up his album. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the night!

This is me with Claire, super excited that Danny was taking the stage! I love this girl. I've known her since she was seriously like 5 years old.

Danny Gokey, singing his little heart out! (And by "little heart" I mean giant, loving, unselfish and giving heart, of course.)

This is my favorite of the night. How cute is he?! (Note to self: get Ryan some shirts like this.)

This is one is kind of blurry because he moves and dances around a LOT, but still a good action shot.

Danny, thanks for a great night! See ya next time you're in Dallas...or I'm in Nashville! Whichever comes first!

What It's Like To Be...Fat

2010-06-24T12:45:00.041-05:00

Roll your eyes if you must, but it's true. Over the past 4 years, Ryan & I (emphasis on the I) have gotten fat. Definitely me, more so than Ryan. Ryan is a big guy by nature. He was a scrawny kid, and then filled out through middle school, got scary skinny at the end of high school, then filled out again, sitting at about the same weight (give or take 5 lbs) for the past few years. Not me, faithful friends and readers. I was a normal kid, thin but not too skinny, until middle school. Then I got scary skinny, then through high school maintained a very healthy weight. I gained the "freshman 15" a year later, then 20 more. I maintained that until Ryan & I moved in together. He love to cook, and he's darn good at it. Delicious creations that I wolfed down without consequence...or so I thought. By the time we got engaged, I realized I'd packed on even more weight, and I worked hard to get as much of it off as possible before the wedding...and I did a pretty good job, dropping almost two sizes. (For the record Ryan also worked hard and dropped almost twice as much weight like it was nothing. Jerk.) After the wedding, we both "relaxed" and lost control again. Aaaand again, Ryan hit his "weight wall" which no matter how much he eats, he never seems to exceed. Jerk. Not me, folks. Nope, I kept expanding. Stopped paying attention. Stopped exercising. In turn, stopped shopping for cute clothes. Stopped being in pictures, if I could help it, or started hiding behind people in the shots.

I feel like "the boy who cried wolf" because I've been here before. I wrote about not wanting to be the fat girl who talks about getting skinny. Yet, here I am. Still fat. Still talking about "getting skinny". I looked in the mirror Tuesday and didn't recognize the person looking back at me. I've completely lost myself in this fat suit. My face doesn't look like my face anymore. My body doesn't look remotely like the body I was used to seeing. I. AM. FAT. When I fell off the wagon, I don't know. Why, I don't know that either. But I did, hard. I've gained every pound back, plus some, which is how it happens for me. So, I am starting over again, again. GAH it pisses me off to just type this. I want to shake myself and scream WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! I am NOT happy with myself. I have become this never ending cycle of self-loathing, then eating to fill the whole, then feeling worse, then eating more...its a vicious, never-ending cycle of terrible. Ryan loves me, I know, but I can't tell you last time he told me I looked pretty without being provoked; "Does this look OK?" He used to tell me daily.

This time, I am approaching this differently. I am not going to set crazy goals that seems light years away. When you have as much to lose as I do, the "goal weight" is terrifying and I become easily discouraged because I feel its unattainable. Like I'm setting myself up for failure. And I'm going to start small and work my way up. I will start by eating 1600-1800 calories per day, then cut from there as I lose. For fitness, I am going to start with a walking program called "Walk Away The Pounds". I feel like this will ease me into the world of work-outs and I'll be more likely to stick with it this time...when I throw myself in and find I am not physically capable of what I think I "should" be, I tend to want to quit. From there, I will start the Couch To 5K program. I've never been a runner, but I want to give it a try. It may not be the right program for me, but this time around I won't persecute myself for not being a cookie cutter "exerciser".

At the end of the day, my true goal is to look in the mirror and see the person I FEEL like I am looking back at me. I know I've asked for support before...more than once, and have not succeeded yet, but I will.

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-06-23T11:46:00.001-05:00

Well, another week has past and I haven't had much to report.

Weekend Wrap-Up!
We had a fun weekend. On Friday, I took my Dad to lunch for Father's Day and had a great time spending time with him, one on one. Then Saturday, we had Ryan's parents over and cooked them lunch to celebrate Father's Day with Richard. Saturday night we met up with some of our good friends, Brittany & Jacob, Jennye & Gavin, Frankie (my brother) and a couple of Gavin's friends to head to Deep Ellum for dinner and some good live music. We ate at Twisted Root burger, always a favorite of ours, then headed over to the bar where our friend Andrew Tinker and his band where playing. Sunday, I was parked on the couch all day with a migraine, so Ryan went to Frankie's apartment for a bit. Here is the Wrap-Up of Saturday in pictures:

Here we are on our way to meet everyone.

On our way to Dallas, Frankie, Brittany and Jacob crammed in the back seat of the Jetta.

At Twisted Root. L-R; Britt, Jacob, Danny, Cody, Gavin & Jennye.

Frankie, and Ryan were on either side of me so, they didn't make it in to the picture.

A friend of Frankie's (and kind of mine) Nate (far left) and his band, The Astronomers

Andrew Tinker (on the piano) and his band! They are so, so awesome.

I don't have any new recipes to share as of this very moment, but hope to be trying lots of new ones soon.

Random Ramblings of Rachel!

Ryan is home sick today. Potentially with the flu. Not good. I hate being sick, I mean who likes it, but I really hate when Ryan is sick. Its hard for me to see my big, strong husband like that and not be able to do anything to make him feel better! And then, of course, as a working person I enter this conundrum of, do I avoid him like the plague so I don't get sick, or do I tend to his every need! Haha. I usually do something between the two. Anyway, I am hoping and praying that a)he gets better fast and that its not the flu and b)that I don't catch it!

Well, that's pretty much all I've got today. So, so boring. Sorry readers. :)

Whatever...Thursday?

2010-06-17T11:49:00.001-05:00

Um, its Thursday. Oops. I've really slacked on the blog this week, and I have no valid excuses!

Overdue Weekend Wrap-Up!
Even though its almost to the new weekend, I'll give a brief wrap-up of last weekend. On Saturday, Ryan worked and I did house work until mid-afternoon. Then after dinner, our friends Brittany & Jacob came over and we went to my new obsession, Tappy's, for fro-yo. YUM! If you live in my area, I highly recommend it! After, we came back to our place and watched Sherlock Holmes. It was such a good movie! Ryan & I have a list of BluRays we want to buy and this one definitely made the list! The rest of the weekend was low key...just the way I like it!

This is the most boring 'Whatever' post ever!
I seriously have nothing fun to report. This has been a loooong, boring week. But, I will share a super cute picture of Cooper & Chloe!

Alright, sorry I sucked this week. I'll post again soon...

Whatever Wednesday - The Locks of Love Edition

2010-06-09T14:39:00.003-05:00

Wow! Blog entries two days in a row! What is going on here?! ;)

I was checking out my google analytics today and noticed that I had a handful of googlers land here when they searched "Locks of Love", so I decided I should update on my progress. I really wish I'd taken a better "before" picture, when I decided to do LoL one last time. But, here is one from the end of February, right before I started growing it out again.

I know it's hard to see in this picture, but my hair brushed my collar bones.

As of yesterday, it's been exactly 3 months. I snapped a pic this morning to track the progress, but my hair is in its "natural state" (aka curly) in this picture, so I don't think it does justice to the length. I'll take another next time I put forth the time/effort to straighten it. In the meantime, here is the curly hair pic.

See, I'm getting there! My mother-in-law, Susan, is also growing her hair for the cause, so its been neat tracking our "growth" together. I'm hoping before the end of the journey, I can convince some of my other long-haired friends to donate with us. :)

Saint Louis Trip

2010-06-08T14:49:00.002-05:00

Well, we are back from this year's Naslund Family Reunion in Saint Louis! It went by much too fast, but we had such a great time! I am just crazy about my extended in-laws! Here's a trip summary:

We left Thursday morning, around 7:30am, to make the drive. It only took us about 9 hours to get there. I think we only stopped once to fill up, grab lunch, pee and get back on the road. (We ate lunch in the car.)

Ryan was pretty excited, as you can see.

Pausing for the obligatory "car picture".

Friday, everyone else who doesn't live in STL began to arrive, then we caravan-ed over to Marissa's graduation party. Scottie (my bro-in-law) and cousin Josh rode with Ryan & I.

Saturday we celebrated Aunt Peggy's "Sensational 60"th birthday. The restaurant where the party was hosted was really neat, and the foot was amazing.

This is Ryan & his Mom.

L-R: Josh, Ryan, Scott

The Naslund's!

Ryan, me and his Mom

The Hubs & me (Saint Louis is pretty humid, so I had to rock the curls.)

After brunch on Sunday, Aunt Peggy opened all her gifts while the rest of us watched from around the pool.

Ryan getting baby Dublin up from his nap. This picture does not help my serious baby fever...he is such a natural with kids!

Ryan with his precious grandparents. (Clearly, he gets his height from the other side of the family!)

We left to drive home on Sunday afternoon. We had to make a quick pit stop at 17th Street BBQ, which we'd seen on Food Network and The Travel Channel. It was SO worth the stop. It was, hands down, the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. And I've had a lot...

Bye-Bye Saint Louis! We will miss you!

It took us a bit longer to get home. We were tired, and we stopped more but we made it home very late Sunday night, or early Monday morning, depending on how you look at it! It was an awesome trip, and we are already ready for next year's! :)

Now, to snap back to the "real world"...

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-06-02T11:10:00.005-05:00

Hello again faithful readers! Apparently, there were 119 of you from last Wednesday to today! YAY! Per Google Analytics, a lot of you got here by Googling "Lee DeWyze". See how I roped you in there? ;) I added some new states to my list of visitors this week, too. Welcome N. & S. Carolina, Oregon, Michigan and Vermont!

We are leaving tomorrow morning for the annual Naslund Family Reunion! It's my 3rd, and I am really excited to see everyone. I am crazy about my extended in-laws and its always such a fun weekend. Ryan & I are driving this year, so I am also really looking forward to some good road trip time. Its a crazy concept, but we actually really like being together so, 8+ hours in the car is appealing to me. :) Lucky me, my awesome brother is willing to stay at our place and keep an eye on the kitties (and the movie channels) while we are gone!

I will give a quick Weekend Wrap-up! We had a long weekend for Memorial Day, and I'm going to touch on that before I talk about the fun stuff. On Monday, I did some serious thinking about all the people in my life who have served this country. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII. My Granddaddy lost his leg when his Humvee drove over a landmine and Gramp, the Screaming Eagle, fought in the Battle of the Bulge. My Uncle was in the Air Force, my father-in-law in the Navy. My cousin Travis is in the Marines. I have countless friends in various branches of the military, and am fortunate to only know one brave solider who died in Iraq. I thought this little cartoon said it all. :)

As for the rest of the weekend, Friday night we went to one of my favorite places to eat, Sweet Tomatoes. It was Ryan's first time there and he loved it, just like I knew he would. Then we came home and relaxed. Saturday, we spent some time over at my cousins' Mike & Kim's house. My Aunt Suzie & Uncle Frank where there, and so was my cousin Steve's precious daughter Emma (and of course Mike & Kim's sweet little ones, Steel and Akina). It was so great seeing everyone, though it felt a little heavy knowing that Steve was in the hospital a few hours away, continuing his aggressive cancer treatment. After leaving there, we tried to go to a pool party with our friends...tried being the operative word. After leaving my family, I wasn't much in the "party" mood, so my sweet hubby brought me home. Sunday was the day I'd been waiting for. Gavin DeGraw, probably my favorite singer on the planet, was playing a free show in McKinney to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Ryan & I and our friends Brittany & Jacob headed out to watch the show. Holy cow was it crowded! I expected 1/2 as many people as were actually there. Because of my poor planning, we did end up really far away from the stage. But, I still enjoyed myself. Though, I must say, giant, outdoor venues do not do him justice. I'll hold out for this next appearance in Dallas, which will hopefully be smaller and more intimate so he can let his vocal prowess shine!

Everyone have a GREAT Wednesday! I will try to blog from the road, but if not, see ya next week!

Idol Finale Wrap-Up

2010-05-27T10:17:00.002-05:00

What a night! I am SO happy that Lee won!!!

I think it is so sweet and endearing that he is such an emotional guy. I've said for a long time (and will continue to say) that the only thing that "gets me" more than a musician, is a musician who CRIES! (YAY me for marrying "that guy"!)

I want to re-live this sweet moment (below) over and over. I love how close these two got. And I LOVE when they sing together, so can we get at least one collaboration on one of your albums? Please? KThanks.

But, can we talk for just a second about how long and drawn out the Finale was?! And was it weird to anyone else when Janet lip-synced [lip-sank perhaps? ;)] a Michael song?! And why do they consistently have "guest" singers who've lost their voices over the years?! (See Hall & Oates, the remaining Gibb brothers, Chicago.) I did think all the Simon stuff was cute...except for the crazies that Kayne'd the mic and Paula's bizarre "comedy sketch".

Anywho...CONGRATS to you Lee DeWyze! See ya in August for Idol Tour!!

Whatever Wednesday!

2010-05-26T12:26:00.004-05:00

It's Wednesday!
I have great love for this day of the week. Some call it "Hump Day"; the day in which we've reached the proverbial "hump" on the mountain that is the work week. I often find myself reverting back to childhood when my parents would make us paper chains counting down to special days like Christmas, birthdays or the last day of school. When my Mom or Dad would wake us up they'd say "10 more get-ups until school is out!" This morning when I woke up and realized it was Wednesday, I immediately thought to myself "2 more get-ups until the weekend". I do realize "get-ups" (days in which we have to wake-up early) is a weird thing to say...blame my parents. But, this Wednesday is especially wonderful, because it means I am just two "get-ups" away from a 3 day weekend! (More on that later.)

Recipe time!

This is not my recipe, nor did I discover it on my own. My friend Mandy shared it with me and it was soooo good, I just had to pass it along! We have been really trying to eat on a budget lately, and this is so easy on the pocketbook.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I salted/peppered before cooking)
1/4 cup Light Zesty Italian Dressing
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth (I had to add a little more because it was too thick)
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans), thawed, drained
1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)

Heat oven to 375°F.

Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat until no longer pink. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir until melted. Stir in flour until well blended. Add broth and vegetables; stir. Simmer 5 min.

Pour into 10-inch deep-dish pie plate (I used a regular pie plate); cover with pie crust. Seal and flute edge. Cut slits in crust to permit steam to escape.

Bake 30 min. or until golden brown. (In my oven, it was about 25 minutes.)

My thoughts: This is delish! I will probably add a potato next time, just because I felt like it was missing. You could definitely use left over rotisserie chicken, just heat it for a few minutes in a pan with the Italian dressing. This is slightly less fattening since you only use one pie crust and neufchatel instead of regular cream cheese but it still fills my "comfort food" cravings. Plus, it could not be easier. Enjoy!

Let's Talk Idol!
This Idol post is bittersweet. I know many of you will be relieved when it's over, but people searching Idol land on this blog so, I know I'm not alone! Anyway, last night was the final performance show of this season, and Simon's last night judging. Both Lee and Crystal did great, but if I'd been watching this show for the very first time, Crystal would have won me over. That being said, I think Lee should win. I think he has grown the most over the season, and possibly the most of any contestant ever. (Calm down, I said *possibly*.) SO, we find out tonight who will be [insert Ryan Seacrest impression here] the next American Idol! Then this blog will be Idol free...until next season! ;)

More Randomness & Ramblings from Rachel!
I have to brag on my hubby now. He really is such a catch, and I'm reminded of this often. Without getting too terribly mushy (but it is my blog, so I can do what I want!), there are moments when I think about my grandfathers and the kind of man they would expect their granddaughter's husband to be. My sweet Gramp knew & loved Ryan, in fact on our wedding video he says "he's like a son to me, but even better, he's now my grandson". [Oh my goodness, I miss that man. :'( ] Moving on, my wonderful Granddaddy (my Mom's Dad) never got to meet Ryan. He passed away when I was still in high school, and though Ry & I were dating then, he lived in Kentucky. But, he set a huge example in my life as I watched how wonderfully he treated my Grandmommy. The two of them were such sweet, southern gems. My point to all of this rambling is that I have moments when Ryan says or does something and I think to myself "Gramp, Granddaddy, did you see that?!" Yesterday was one of those moments. I had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. Nothing went right. Nothing was easy. Everything made me want to cry. Ryan knew this, so when he walked in the door after work, he had these in hand...

Beautiful, thoughtful, perfect Passion roses. He spoils me. Or maybe he just loves me a lot. ;) Either way, as I burst into tears (again) and thanked him over and over, I glanced at the Heaven's to seek my grandfathers' approval. I think he's got it.

Happy Wednesday all!

Its Whatever Wednesday!

2010-05-19T10:38:00.003-05:00

Hi Readers! I can say that now, because according to Google Analytics, I had 111 hits last week! I know, a drop in the bucket for many of my favorite blogs, but to little ol' me, it feels HUGE!

I also have to point out where my hits are coming from.

I get Texas, seeing as I live here. I know a few people in Colorado, California, Oklahoma & New York and I have family in Missouri & Kentucky. But, I can honestly say I don't think I know anyone in Washington, Jersey or Virgina. So, that's kind of cool!

So, apparently, 56 of my hits last week were for various recipes I've posted, so to keep the trend alive, I have more!

Tonight, I made Broccoli Beef and it was SO good! I have a lot of friends (and maybe readers?) who don't eat red meat, and I'm sure you could substitute beef for chicken, beef broth for chicken broth, etc. But, I'm married to a red meat lover so, we eat beef.

Broccoli Beef
adapted from Simply Recipes and My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
3/4 - 1 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
2 stalks broccoli (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oill
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
For the beef marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of Sriracha (you can adjust this to taste as well)
For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cooking rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
Method
-Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes ( I let it marinate for 2 hours)
-Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender and drain thoroughly.
-Prepare the sauce: Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
-Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan. Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and cook until no longer pink. (I drain about 1/2 of the juice that is created by the beef or my sauce gets too runny.) Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, this shouldn't take long.
You can add toasted sesame seeds the last 30 seconds of cooking, if you'd like.

Let me tell you, this dish is seriously delicious. If served with rice, this would easily serve 4.

So, moving along, Let's Talk Idol!

I've been rooting for him since day one. I think he is immensely talented. I've said how adorable and sweet I think he is about 100 times. Who am I voting for to be the next American Idol? Yup, Lee! He is this years most improved by leaps and bounds. Crystal is still so, so good and I still really like Casey, but they have been on a plateau for weeks. Lee just keeps climbing the proverbial mountain. And Simon definitely did him a huge favor by picking "Hallelujah" for him to sing last night. In the words of Kara, he "owned it".

Well, that's all I've got for today! If you stumble across my humble little blog here, leave me a comment and let me know where you are reading from!

Strawberry Summer Salad

2010-05-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

This is Ryan's very favorite dressing and my favorite salad to serve in the summer. Lucky for you, I'm going to share it. ;)

Strawberry Summer Salad

Dressing:
1 c vegetable oil
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 cloves finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp pepper

Salad:
1 pint sliced strawberries
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c sliced, toasted almonds
lettuce (you can determine how much lettuce is enough)

Mix dressing ingredients (I have a plastic dressing mixer, pictured below) and shake until combined. I make this at least 2 hours before so the sugar completely dissolves. Refrigerate until ready to use and then obviously shake well right before using.

Slice strawberries and place in a paper towel lined colander and allow to sweat. Meanwhile, roughly chop lettuce and toast almonds. Mix lettuce, strawberries, almonds and mozzarella. Top with dressing right before serving!

This is what the dressing should look like. As you'll see, we are running low. Hey, if this gets my carnivore hubby to scarf down salad, I'll keep making it!

This salad will not disappoint. I promise!

Taco Soup!

2010-05-11T21:08:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things that Ryan makes is Taco Soup. Last week, he gave me the sacred recipe. Shame on him...cause now, it's going public. ;)

Ryan's Taco Soup

1lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 can corn
1 can black or kidney beans, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 taco seasoning packet
1 ranch seasoning packet
1 can beer (any kind. if you don't consume alcohol, use O'Douls)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 a small onion, minced
4-6 Tbsp salsa
Cayenne to taste
Cilantro to taste

Cook and drain meat in a large soup pot. After draining meat, melt butter in pot, add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Add meat back in and stir. Add corn with 1/2 the juice from the can, beans, diced tomatoes, 1/2 the beef broth, beer, ranch and taco packets, and salsa. Stir well and let simmer. Add the rest of the beef broth as needed to get to your ideal soup consistency. Add chopped cilantro and cayenne to taste. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

It's a real crowd pleaser!! Enjoy!! :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-05-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we've had a weekend worth "wrapping up" but I'm happy to bring this segment back!

Saturday, we went to Ryan's parent's house for Mother's Day lunch with them. I made my "famous" Summer Strawberry Salad (I'll post the recipe soon) and Ryan cooked up steaks and salmon. I'd stayed up late Friday night working on the Mother's Day gift and dessert all-in-one. I have to give props to Amanda at i am baker for the inspiration. (She does the most creative things with baked goods.) I feel like I did a pretty good job, considering I've piped icing like twice in my life.

I wrapped Susan's up like a present...or tried to. And as you can probably tell, after she took it all apart to look at each cookie, the two on the very bottom got pretty smashed. It wasn't exactly how I pictured it, but she still loved it.

After lunch Ryan & I came home (and I took a nap) and got ready to go out to Denton to see our friend Danny's new band. They were GREAT. After we all came back to our place because I had recorded Betty White on SNL. It made for a really fun (and really late) night.

Ryan & I at our apartment before heading to Denton

With two of my best friends; Kim and Brittany

The band was rockin'!

Ryan is going to kill me for posting this picture of him about to blink ;)

So, when we finally got up on Sunday, I called my Mom to see what time she was coming over for dinner and she was really not feeling well so I insisted she stay home and rest and I brought over her cookie gift. Since I wasn't happy with the way they traveled all tied together, I just put hers out on a platter. They traveled much better that way.

With the exception of my Mom not feeling well on Mother's Day, it was one great weekend!

xoxo

Whatever Wednesday

2010-05-05T16:01:00.002-05:00

So, a blog I used to follow (it no longer exists) did a bit called "Whatever Wednesday". Pretty self explanatory; you blog about any random thing that maybe doesn't merit its own post. Quite similar to Holly's Monday Potluck only without set topics.

I have found recently that I have more and more I want to blog about, I even start to write, but then I feel it falls short of a full post, so I delete it and move on. Then, when talking to a friend about blogging, I remembered Whatever Wednesday!

Since American Idol is coming to it's season end, and since my wrap-ups have become the same old post every week (let's face it, we all know who I like by now) and will add my line or two here: I think Mike and Lee were the best this week. I think Aaron or Casey will go home. I think it should be Casey, Crystal, Mike and Lee in the top 4.

Moving on. Ryan & I are both iPhone users/lovers. I don't think I'll ever love another phone as much. Yes, I realize its silly to love a phone. If you have one, you understand. So, I've had AT&T for 11 years now and I am faithful. I've never strayed. Ryan has bounced around from plan to plan, well, until me. I vowed to be AT&T till I die. Or they do. Which ever came first. Back to the point, a few months ago Apple announced the release of the oh-so-amazing iPhone HD 4G for June. Ryan & I immediately freaked (in a good way) when we saw both our contracts would be up this summer and we could both get the new iPhone. Then, the unthinkable happened. Apple also announced that this oh-so-amazing iPhone HD 4G would be releasing exclusively with...VERIZON?! Break my tech-savvy heart, why don't you?! Ryan shrugged. No problem. We'll just switch to Verizon. Um, PROBLEM! I'm nothing if not loyal. This has proven to be a heated topic in the Naslund household. To date, we've yet to make a decision as to what we will do come June...

Next up. Lately, I've been really into old pictures. Especially of my parents. And recently, I've been given pictures of them I'd never seen before.
Here is one of my gorgeous Mom when she was a junior or senior in high school.

Seriously. How beautiful is she?!

And one of my super handsome Dad when he was 20. Sorry if the shirtless thing is weird.

That was his dog, Thor.

For me, its crazy to look at the features Frankie & I got from them. We both have my Dad's thick, dark, curly hair (which inevitably turns silver) and his chin. We both have my Mom's eyes, eyebrows, lips and smile. I have my Dad's nose. Frankie has my Mom's. I can't wait to see what my future kiddos take from that mosh of features!

So - that's about all I have to say in this week's Whatever Wednesday! Turned out to be a pretty long post, but I got out all the randomness I wanted! :)

xoxo

Cancer

2010-05-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing this word way too much lately.

I feel like it's surrounding my friends and family.

I HATE that word.

Yesterday, we celebrated my Dad's 59th birthday, and spoke briefly about his battle, and how grateful I am that he won and is now cancer free.

Today, my cousin Steve heads to MD Anderson in Houston to learn of options to fight his leiomyosarcoma, a very rare form of cancer. For anyone who would like to be kept in the loop, please see his Caring Bridge site.

Last night, Ryan received a phone call to let him know his Aunt Peggy has follicular lymphoma, also a rare form of cancer. She was a cancer survivor before this most recent news.

It makes me feel angry, sad, scared, helpless.

My Dad used to say "If you live long enough, everyone gets cancer." That used to be an acceptable rationalization for me, but now it seems out dated. More and more people, of all ages and health, are being affected by this heinous disease.

There was no real point to this poorly written post other then to vent...because cancer SUCKS.

Mini Idol Wrap-Up, Mini Update

2010-04-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

So, I'm not going to go into too much detail about this week's Idol because it comes down to this - I really liked everyone except for Siobhan. I am just not a fan of hers. I wish she'd go home tonight, but I don't think she will, which makes me really nervous about who WILL go home!

I've been unusually quiet lately. Due in part to me not feeling great. But I'm on the mend now, so I will try to post more actively. Ryan interviews for a job today that could be really great for him, and for us! Please say a prayer, cross your fingers, keep us in your thoughts - whatever it is you do - that he will get this job!

And a Happy Belated Bday to my brother-in-law Scott who turned 22 on Monday. And Happy Early Birthday to my Dad who celebrates his last year in his 50's tomorrow! :)

Idol Wrap-Up

2010-04-22T08:36:00.001-05:00

*Note: I could have sworn I hit "publish" yesterday...but apparently I did not.

I decided to do a Wrap-Up this week, since it’s been a few. Since we are down to the Top 7, I will just give my two cents on everyone, in the order they sang last night.

Casey James – I must have been watching a different show then the judges. I really like him. I know he is starting to be the same every week, but his “same” is GOOD! He just looks so natural on stage. I’d buy his album tomorrow.

Lee Dewyze – MY MAN! I just love him. Have I already said that?! Oops. Well, I do. He is SO good. I loved his song choice, because he was so emotional, and I thought he sang it so well.

Tim Urban – GO HOME! He is just not good enough.

Aaron Kelly – I thought Aaron did really, really well. He has so much raw talent and I thought he sang the shnikies out of that song.

Siobhan Magnus – I am not a fan. I don’t “get” her. I think she sounds nasally a lot. And I’m sorry, but what a terrible song choice.

Michael Lynche – My OTHER Man! ;) I really liked this performance. I appreciate how versatile he is and I think the judges were a little harsh. Vocally he is always really solid. And, can we talk about the size of his arms?! That man could probably lift a bus with one arm if he needed to!

Crystal Bowersox – She blew.me.away last night. As my brother would say, not only can she sing, she can SANG! So, so good.

I do want to take a moment to talk about my long lost Alex. He is on a show called If I Can Dream, which is online only but pretty cool! YAY Alex!

Overdue

2010-04-15T12:48:00.000-05:00

I've been unintentionally neglecting my blog lately.

I haven't done Idol Wrap-Up in two weeks, mainly because I have my clear favorites and I felt like my posts were becoming redundant.

I haven't updated on any personal happenings because things have been a little tough lately. I don't want to go into too much detail (for my private hubby's sake) but if you pray, prayers would be appreciated.

I will, however, try to bring a little Sunshine and Rainbows into this post with some cute pictures of our Chloe and Cooper. Cooper is settling in nicely, though Chloe still isn't sure she wants him around. ;)

Here is the Little Miss Priss, looking cute as usual, all snuggled up to Ryan.

Here is Cooper, snoozing. I love how his little "fangs" stick out when he sleeps. :)

Here they are, eating together. This is rare. Very rare. Chloe usually realizes he's next to her and bolts.

Yes, I know. Cats are not children. But for now, they are to me.

Updates!

2010-04-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

I leave tomorrow for a business trip, so I wanted to do a quick entry since I won't be blogging for a few days.

Cooper is settling in nicely. He is VERY hyper, and Chloe is still not sure about him, but we sure do love him!

Ryan, Frankie, Brittany & I went to a club called Trees to see our friend Andrew Tinker perform live for a spot at Edgefest (a local concert that features 10-15 bands). He did an amazing job, and was robbed of the spot! L-R; Frankie, Brittany, me, Ryan, Andrew.

This weekend, we went to Good Friday service with Ryan's parents. Saturday, Ryan helped a family friend with some home remodeling. Saturday night we went to our good friends' Jennye & Gavin's home for a BBQ. We had such a good time enjoying the gorgeous weather, even though my allergies just about killed me. Easter Sunday my Mom & I went to church, then met Frankie for lunch. (Ryan was home with a sinus headache.) After lunch, we did our grocery shopping, then vegged on the couch watching the Discovery channel "Life". Chloe loves shows about animals. Last night was an episode about birds. She didn't take her eyes off the TV the whole hour!

And that's pretty much what's going on with us! I hope everyone had a great Easter.

xoxo

Idol Wrap-Up

2010-03-31T10:50:00.000-05:00

Since we are down to the top 10, I will give my two cents on all of them and I will keep it short and sweet.

In order of appearance:
Siobhan – Yikes. I thought everything about her was a train-wreck last night.

Casey – He was on fire last night! He just continues to stand out as the most “natural” on stage. I loved it.

Big Mike – LOVED everything about this performance. I dug the guitar, loved the song choice and thought he sang it so well.

Didi – I don’t think she did as badly as the judges made her feel she did. I do agree with them; I miss the singer/songwriter Didi. I do think she is a little lost, but I still think she is good.

Tim – PLEASE tell me this kid is going home tonight! He’s cute as a button…but that’s all he has going for him.

Andrew – HE’S BACK! I LOVED his version of Forever. So, so great.

Katie – She just underwhelms me all.the.time.

Lee – My #1!!! He was always neck and neck w/ Alex for my #1 spot, and he owned it last night.

Crystal – Though I prefer her as 'the hippie with the guitar', I really liked her last night.

Aaron – I think he lost some of the intensity he had during rehearsal, but he still sang well. Was it my favorite of the night? Hardly, but I still like him.

Who did I vote for? 6 of the 10, in order of who I liked most: Lee, Casey, Big Mike, Andrew, Crystal, and Didi. I probably should have voted for Aaron too.

Chicken Piccata

2010-03-30T12:28:00.000-05:00

We had some delicious Chicken Piccata last night, so I thought I'd share the recipe we used from Jamie. [We modified it slightly.] It's such a light, tasty dish. Its not super Weight Watchers friendly, unless you exercise portion control. ;) This is one of those meals best served with a salad...so then, I eat more salad and less pasta goodness.

Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white whine
2 tablespoons brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
3. Immediately add minced garlic to the pan and mix until fragrant. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock, wine and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with basil.

Serve on top of angel hair pasta if desired. [We always do. When we plate, we put the pasta down, top it with chicken then pour the sauce on top!]

Enjoy!

Idol Wrap-Up

2010-03-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

I have to start this Idol Wrap-Up with the obvious elephant in the room. Miley Cyrus as the musical mentor?? Really?? I mean, I get that she is “current” to tweens, but what about the rest of us who watch?! Not ok, Idol.

On to the actual competition; I actually voted for 6 people last night, including one who is becoming a favorite that hadn’t been before:

Lee Dewyze – A lot of people out in the cyber world have compared him to David Cook and Danny Gokey. The raspy voice and adorable personality among the top reasons. But, I really do think he is good all on his own, without any comparisions needed. I loved his performance last night. I thought it showed some versatility and I actually really like the song choice.

Crystal Bowersox – I knew it was only a matter of time before she tackled a Janice Joplin song. She did well. I liked that she didn’t try to sing it like Janice did, she put her own [or apparently Pink’s] twist on it and I dug it. I also thought she showed more of her personality [which we’ve been missing] by asking Ryan to plop down on her carpet square with her for the interview.

Mike Lynche – Oh how I love me some Big Mike! He is the first legit R&B singer in YEARS. Probably since season 2, honestly. I know some of the judges think he dips too far into the Velveeta, but I think he is great.

Didi Benami – I am sticking by my girl Didi. I agreed that last night’s song was a bit cabaret, but I still love her vocally and I think she sang it well.

Casey James – I just think this guy is by far the best overall musician this season. He just looks at ease on stage. I think no matter how far he goes in this competition, he’ll be fine. I’d buy his album tomorrow.

Aaron Kelley – Here is my newbie. He proves himself more each week. I’m not a big Rascal Flatts fan, so when he was only channeling them, I wasn’t loving him. But he’s become more of his own performer and I like him more. I thought he sounded really good last night considering he has laryngitis.

On a separate note, since I’m still not over Alex going home…Can I just say, Siobhan’s weird Technicolor faux-hawk bouffant thing was just as horrible as Alex’s little “fashion mullet”.

Who should go home tonight? Paige or Tim. If I had to pick one? See ya Tim.

Meet Cooper!

2010-03-23T08:24:00.000-05:00

This weekend, we welcomed a new family member into our home. A new kitty! Chloe is wonderful and we love her SO much, but she gets bored and lonely during the day while we are at work, which results in unrolling entire rolls of toilet paper, scattering anything left on the bedside table around the house and, worst of all, pulling her hair out! So, we got her a playmate. She is still not totally sure how she feels about this "intruder" but I think she'll warm up soon.

So -- Here is little Cooper! He a 10 month tabby/Maine Coon mix [probably]. He has medium length hair on his body with the size and coloring of a tabby but the "M" on his forehead and big bushy tail of a Maine Coon. He is tiny - only 6 lbs right now - and the foster Mom didn't think he'd get much bigger then 10 lbs full grown because he was a bit of a runt. His name was Sean for the first 9 1/2 months of his life, but we thought Cooper [or "Coop"] fit him better.

A blurry shot of his sweet little face:

He curls up like Chloe!

He loooves having his belly rubbed.

Look how tiny he is! Ryan calls him "our little ferret" :)

Welcome to the family Sean Cooper Naslund! :)

A Birthday During Basketball Season

2010-03-18T08:29:00.000-05:00

My Mom's 29th and holding [for the 27th time] birthday was March 9th. I totally failed to dedicate a blog post to her that day. Consider me ashamed, Mom. BUT, I thought this was as good a time as any, since I finally got around to pulling the pictures off my camera.

So, my Mom LOVES college basketball. University of Kentucky basketball to be exact. She was raised in Louisville, KY and is a 2x grad of UK [bachelor and masters]. In Kentucky, college basketball rules all. In my house growing up, UK basketball ruled all, much to my father's chagrin, since he went to IU. My Mom carefully molded Frankie & I into Wildcat fans. I will admit, Frankie follows more than I do, but I still love my 'Cats.

Moving on...so, my Mom's birthday is in March. In fact, it falls extremely close to one of her favorite times of year. March Madness. So, this year, since Kentucky has had such an incredible season, I decided it was fitting to theme her birthday around that. We celebrated on March 7th, which was strategically chosen for two reasons; one - there was a UK game on, two - I needed free time on the weekend to help my talented friend Jennye create a Kentucky basketball cake masterpiece.

It was a total surprise to my wonderful Mom and she absolutely loved it.

Here are two shots of the AMAZING cake:

Mom's adorable reaction when she opened her eyes to see the cake

I can hear her saying "You guys, this is so cute!"

She is going to kill be for posting these because she "didn't fix her hair", haha.

So, I know it's a week+ late but - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MOM!!!! :)

Idol Wrap-Up

2010-03-17T15:23:00.000-05:00

I write this entry with a still heavy heart after last weeks eliminations. I lost 3 good soldiers; Alex, Lilly and Katelyn. One of whom I am still particularly bitter about...Alex! I am still in shock he got voted off! He has such an amazing voice...and I know he was like a little turtle afraid to poke his head out of his shell but...COME ON. He was one heck of a singer. Moving on...

Last night I was, well, bored. I am finding it difficult to even remember all the performances.

I'm just going to tell you who I voted for and why, in order to keep this from being super long.

Big Mike: He's just so good. His weird tippy-toe dance kind of drives me crazy, but I can look past that and see how darn hood he is.

Didi: I know she doesn't have that many fans [from reading emails, comments, etc] but I adore her. I think she is fantastic and last night, even though her voice cracked once and she flubbed the words once, I think she sang really, really well.

Casey: Last night he was who I "see" him being as an artist. I loved it. It was a perfect Americana blend of country, rock and blues.

Lee: He is my #1 now that Alex is gone. ::sob:: But he really is so great. Easy on the eyes and ears. I see him going all the way [at least top 3] at the rate he is going now.

So...there's this weeks little wrap-up!

Idol Wrap-Up

2010-03-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

Here are my Idol thoughts for this week…

Top 5 Guys:
Alex Lambert – 1st…the mullet is getting worse. Someone really needs to nip this in the bud…or pull a Jackass and take an electric razor to the back on his head. That being said…I’m still a fan. I thought “Trouble” really fit his voice and I still think he’s a great singer.

Andrew Garcia – I think Andrew is starting to lose me. I agreed when Kara said he peaked WAY early. Because of that…I think he will never out-sing “Straight Up”.

Casey James – I loved his song choice…but it didn’t blow me away. He sang it well, but for me, it was nothing special.

Lee Dewyze - I really love this guy. It was an…interesting song choice, but I kind of dug it. Parts were crazy pitchy but over all I appreciated the different spin he put on it. There were moments in the song where I think he really shined. I also heard little bits and pieces of what I thought sounded a bit like Counting Crows. Lucky for Lee, I love Counting Crows.

Michael Lynche – BIG MIKE!!! He is my big winner for this week. He did AMAZING. I had goose bumps through the whole song. He was by far the best of the guys AND girls this week. WOW. I don’t know what more to say.

Top 5 Girls:
Crystal Bowersox – She did well. But, we all knew she would. I still like her a lot but she is starting to feel a bit like Adam Lambert last season. We get it. You are great. You are 10x better at your craft [read: style] than anyone else this year. The judges love you, you are going to do great every week, etc. I guess for me, she needs to have a moment like Adam’s “Mad World” last season to really blow me out of the water. Otherwise, she’ll continue to do great, but it will become predictable for me.

Didi Benami – Way to go Didi! I know a lot of you [my readers] are not huge fans of Didi, but I really thought she did an amazing job this week. Her Fleetwood song choice was brilliant and she really showed off how talented she is. Love this girl.

Katelyn Epperly – Eh. She has a great voice, but this week felt sooooo piano bar. I hope she stays one more week to redeem herself.

Katie Stevens – Yikes. Horrible song choice. She did not sing well this week, however I still think she has huge potential…if she could get a little help with song choice.

Lilly Scott – I have to be honest…I kind of forgot about her until I saw her name just now. I had to go back and watch her song on You Tube. It was good. But obviously forgettable. I still think she deserves to stay in the competition…I guess everyone is just being a bit overshadowed by Big Mike right now!

[Note: For people new to my Idol Wrap-Ups, I don’t always talk about ALL the contestants. Usually just the stand-outs and/or disappointments. And I try to touch on my Top 5’s, which is the direction I went today.]

Locks of Love Challenge

2010-03-08T09:59:00.000-06:00

I’m blessed. I have a lot of hair. And it grows pretty fast. I’ve donated my 10 inches once before, back in 2006. My hair was the longest it had ever been and I just decided one day on whim…I’m going to cut it. I did my research and found out how much I’d have to cut to donate it to Locks of Love. Here is a picture of me, right before I donated:

Well, I grew it back out and then after our wedding in 2008, I chopped it off again, only it wasn’t long enough to donate this time. I’ve been wearing it at a medium length ever since. Anyone who has been following my blog for a while knows all about The Gray Debacle of my life. I am going to be 27 this year and I am going gray – fast. I come from a long line of Silver Tops, including my Dad and his Mom, my Gram. I really take after my Gram. I have her feet, her body shape, her height, her chin [thanks A LOT] and…her hair. Gram was 100% Swedish and apparently, upon further research, going “silver” is a Swedish thing. At 18, I started plucking them as they appeared but they were sporadic. By 25 I had a “skunk stripe” around my face. [Think Bonnie Raitt, or Rouge from X-Men, but slightly less dramatic.] I’ve been coloring it ever since.

What was the point to that whole shpeel? I’m rapidly becoming more and more “silver” and I want to donate my locks one last time before I become too gray and have to color so much that they can’t take my hair anymore. It’s pretty short [for me] right now, about 2 inches below my color bones in the front, so it’s going to take me some time. I plan to grow it even longer than the picture above…and then cut it all off for a sweet baby in need!

Anyone want to do it with me?!

Idol Wrap-Up

2010-03-04T08:13:00.001-06:00

BACK by "popular demand"! [No lie, I've gotten probably a dozen requests for this.] Let's talk Idol!

I felt hugely optimistic at the start for Season 9. I felt like there was an abundance of talent and I thought I'd have a hard time narrowing it down to my favorite 5 guys and 5 girls. Well...no. It's been really, really easy.

For anyone who hasn't seen my Idol blogs before [I used to have a whole separate blog for it] I pick my top 5's based on the performances and potential, but I also go to iTunes and listen to clips of their recordings, because I think how they record is important. Then, I pretty much just talk about it.

So - here you go! [In alpha order]

Top 5 Guys:
Alex Lambert - I know. He had a REALLY rocky start, but I really, really love him. He is my Matt Giraud this season. I see SO much potential in him and I think he has an amazing voice. And he records beautifully. I am even willing to over-look his TERRIBLE "fashion mullet" haircut. Will someone please tell this kid there is nothing fashionable about a mullet?

Andrew Garcia - This guy has more talent in his pinky then most people have in their whole bodies. His song choice this week was...unfortunate. But, I still think he is one of the best. He is extremely unique and I get excited to see what he will "do" to a song.

Casey James - I have been rooting for him since day one. And although I am REALLY over them harping on how freaking cute he is [which he is] I still think he is super talented. This week's performance wasn't as strong, vocally, as we've seen him, but he is well rounded. He plays the heck out of the guitar and I really like his presence on the stage.

Lee Dewyze - I have a serious crush on this guy, for several reasons. He is really cute, has a sweet personality and MAN can he sing. I really love his tone. He reminds me a bit of David Cook, but I hope he'll be able to show case what's different too. I do think his style is a bit "taste specific" but, I love it.

Michael Lynche - I've been a "Big Mike" fan since the first moment he was on camera. I know this is a "singing competition" but I do think his contagious personality is important. I loved his song choice this week, because I think that's the musical avenue he does best.

Top 5 Girls:
Crystal Bowersox - I love this girl. I think she is just awesome. I think she has the pipes AND the chops for this business. And, who doesn't love a girl who can play the harp?! [By the way, that's harmonica for anyone who may not know.] I was so worried that her diabetes hospitalization would eliminate her from the competition...but she came through and really nailed it.

Didi Benami - Didi is kind of like Alex for me...I see SO much potential in her. I think she is a beautiful girl and I really like her voice...when she sings the right songs. This week, sadly, her song choice was soooo wrong. I just hope I'm not the only one who sees how great she could be.

Katelyn Epperly - I love her voice. It's so rich and natural. I know it was a really slow song choice last night, but I got lost in it, in a good way. She can get a little pitchy but I think as she works with voice coaches, she will be really great.

Katie Stevens - When she sings, I forget she is barely 17. She has really struggled with song choice, but I think its partly because she is so young and hasn't had much [if any] real experience. Regardless, I think she has so much raw talent and I see her going far in this competition.

Lilly Scott - I think Lilly Scott is a name we should all remember. I didn't love every vocal choice she made in her song last night, but over all, she never disappoints me. She always stays true to the kind of artist she wants to be and I really respect that. I don't think she has the most powerful voice of the girls, but its really different. I'm rooting for her...even if I do think her grayish-purple hair is weird.

So - what do YOU think?!