Adventures in Cooking

Normally on my day off I like to cook a real meal because I have enough time to not feel rushed. For some reason a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to do a cooking extravaganza. I had recently found a menu in Self magazine called Cook once, eat healthy all week and thought it would be a good time to try it out. First I checked the cabinets for items on the shopping list, and then found the list to be very helpful at the store. Ross is an expert chopper so he helped me with the prep work. I got started later than I hoped, so I only got about half of the cooking done. I made three of the building blocks, the mini turkey loaves, and the shrimp enchilada bake.

Starting the next thing as the Adobe-Glazed Mini Turkey Loaves cool.

Layering the Cheesy Shrimp Enchilada Bake.

At this point it was now after 10 and we were tired and ready to eat. I used left over ingredients as a side and just dished out one loaf even though two are a serving. It worked for our late night meal since we had been snacking.

I promise I don't starve my husband.

As soon as we got home from work the next day I changed into my pjs and started cooking. I had to cook the sweet potatoes and make the ragout, thai soup, and shepherd's pie. It didn't take as long since most of the prep work was done the night before. However, I still felt buried under dishes.

We ended up eating the Spicy Thai Soup with Lime Shrimp since it seemed the least appetizing to reheat. I was so concerned about making sure the shrimp cooked that I over cooked them. Ross was glad there ended up being only one in his bowl.

Lessons Learned:

• Don't start this in the late afternoon. Especially if you plan on doing other things around the house that night too.
• Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are stinkin' hot. Either make sure there are absolutely no seeds or just half what it calls for in the recipe.
• Almond milk is not needed since it's just used to soak bread. (Although it's super yummy in coffee.)
• Don't buy the chives until you're ready to eat the shepherd's pie since they aren't in any other recipes and are a garnish.
• Only cook shrimp the recommended time.
• Keep trying and HAVE FUN!

Have you ever tried a week long meal plan? Do you have any recommendations?

"The Theme of Life"

The episode aired March 9, 1998 and I'm just now getting my answer. I don't expect you to know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't even know that information if it wasn't for Google. All I remember is that during an episode of Ally McBeal she was charged with the task of finding a theme song for herself. (I think my love for that show as a 14 year old could be it's own post.) It's supposed to be song that you play in your head to make you feel better. When she picks her song, she starts dancing down the street. I thought it was the best idea ever and wanted a theme song of my own.

Fast forward to this weekend, and I'm driving along in my car and Katy Perry's "Firework" comes on the radio two times in a row. Instead of being annoyed I was completely inspired. It sounds silly I know, but I really needed it. Today I have something that I've been anxious about for the past week. I'm interviewing for a job rotation that I REALLY want, but am doubting that I'm good enough. That's right, I just put something big and scary on the internet. And if I don't get it, you'll all know. Nothing like public failure. Instead of worrying about that I'm listening to "Firework" as many times as I can stand it. Read this portion of the lyrics and let me know if you can think of a better song. One that gets you inspired to tell someone why you're the best person to join their staff for a few months.

Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced

Ross and I heard the song later on Saturday and I think my enthusiasm for the song highly entertained him. Or it could have been my horribly loud and off key singing.

I think a part of me also likes this since I was almost a Fourth of July baby. I love my birthday because it's always full of fireworks. Last year I was so happy watching them with my family visiting from Indiana that I started crying. That's right, I was crying on the National Mall.

This was taken the year before when I wasn't crying

There are other songs that inspire me. Songs that make me what to live a life that matters. Songs that inspire me to love others more fully. But today I need a confidence boost, so today I'm a firework. What about you? What song inspires you no matter how silly?

Self portrait
(Actually this was taken by my skilled husband)

525,600 Moments So Dear

On this day last year I was on my way to Mary's Rock to go hiking with my super cool boyfriend.

Today I'm eating delicious waffles made by my thoughtful husband.

The difference a year makes.


If you had asked me what I thought January 30, 2011 would look like, I would not have said anything that resembles today. (Well, if I knew it was a Sunday I may have said I'd go to church.) You see, I was completely smitten with that super cool boyfriend of mine. By this point in our relationship we knew that we would spend the rest of our lives together. I just didn't know when that stage of life would begin. I had begun analyzing all of his plans and thinking, "Maybe today will be the day he proposes!" or "Does he know how much time we should have to plan our wedding?" I found myself having to try hard to just relax and enjoy the moments I had with him. Finally I decided to just confess my distractions. I asked where he saw us in a year. His answer, "I think we'd probably be engaged by then." And then one week later he proposed.

One year ago today we went on a beautiful, cold, slippery, snowy hike to the top of Mary's Rock. We had hiked a similar trail to this view at the beginning of our relationship, one of our favorite days together. When we were close to the top I thought, "This would be the perfect proposal." But immediately I decided to push that thought to the side and just enjoy the day. I liked being his girlfriend and was content. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when he dropped to his knee and asked me to be his wife.

It's crazy to think about all that's happened in the last year. Engagement was exciting and stressful. Marriage is amazing and hard at the same time. We've seen each other at our best and at our worst. We've shared tears of laughter and heartache. We've formed our own little family and gained new family.

It's been a big year for us. One full of adventures and challenges. It will be so much fun to look back in September on our first year of marriage and see the ways we've grown and changed. But for today, I'm going to enjoy being Ross' wife.


I was inspired to write this post by one of my favorite bloggers, Hollywood Housewife. And of course, by my love for my husband. Reading her blog just made me decide to put it on the internet.

Reverb 10 - Party

What is Reverb 10? See this post.

December 9 – Party

Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

Obviously the answer is my wedding, but I'm going to go with a different party.

The plan for the day was to go boating on the Susquehanna. We were going to stop by Ross' parents' house to pick up his brother and then meet his friend at the river. There was no set time, but rather an estimated arrival, since we didn't want to end up waiting at the river. I was running a bit late that morning and recycling my computer took longer than expected. And that's the story of how I ended up being an hour late and wearing a swimsuit and cover up to my own bridal shower.

SURPRISE!

Ross' mother, Deb, planned and was hosting a party for me. And what a party it was! As I looked around the room I saw women who would be come my family, friends of Ross', and even a friend from DC made the trip! But then, wait, THAT'S MY MOM! She flew in from Indiana and was going to stay with me for a few extra days. She even moved my wedding dress fitting appointment so we could go together when she was in town. Ross went ahead and cleared the time off with my supervisor.

We got the party started by playing the toilet paper dress game. I used the time to attempt to make myself a bit more presentable, but didn't have any luck. That morning I had let my hair air dry and not put on any makeup, since I thought we were going to the nasty Susquehanna. Then we got to business making me a glamorous bride. It was so much fun to see all of us brides together. Ross' grandma even got in on the action!

I've been to quite a few showers, so I knew how excruciating the gift opening portion can be for guests. I tried to move quickly and still show appreciation for the gifts. Especially since they'd all been there an extra hour waiting on me already. And as a favor, his grandmother gave everyone a picture of Ross and I tried with a piece of ribbon left over from his mother's wedding. I adore heirlooms and was a beautiful way to tie our love story in with theirs.

Deb had made all kids of yummy snacks, gotten a chocolate and coffee cake, and served up some mojitos. What more could a bunch of women want?

It was such a fun filled afternoon. I felt like I was walking around in a daze the entire time trying to mentally catch up with what was happening. It was great to visit with friends we don't get to see often. And best of all, it showed me how I had become a part of the family. Deb put so much time and energy into making this a great day. I'm so thankful I have such a loving mother-in-law!

The only lingering question I have is this, why did Ross think 'going to the river' was a good excuse? Couldn't he have come up with something else? Like anything that would have had me show up dressed properly? He did ask if I was going to wear a dress cover-up, so that at least got me to change out of my shorts and old t-shirt. But then again, it wouldn't be as good of a story and he could have ruined the surprise. Thanks for being awesome Ross.

I hope to add pictures at some point, but I only have printed pictures from the party. Maybe someday I'll get around to scanning those...

Reverb 10 - Beautifully Different

I recently came across #reverb10. “Reverb 10 is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. Use the end of your year as an opportunity to reflect on what's happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead.” At least that’s how they describe it on their website! In short, there’s a common writing prompt for the day. Let’s get this started!

December 8 – Beautifully Different.

Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

I’ve been thinking about this all day and I can’t come up with a good answer. Now before you start leaving comments on why I’m special (looking at you mom), hear me out. I could write a list of all my quirks or the random taste I have in movies, but I’m sure someone else in this world likes these same things too. It could also be argued that it’s the combination of those things that makes me different. But really, when I thought about it, those things aren’t “me”. Those are just things I like or weird habits. But as I thought about “me” I just felt oh so narcissistic. Maybe I’ll feel more inspired by tomorrow’s prompt.

There is one thing I can think of to keep this from being the worst post ever - my nose. It's one of the things that when I look in the mirror I celebrate it's imperfection. You see, it's the exact same nose as my sister, father, and late grandfather. And while it may be one of the reasons I'm not a model, I'd never change it. I love being able to see where I came from everyday.

Supporting the Siblings

This post is a month overdue, but it's so important to me that I'm writing it anyway. Ross and I were both blessed with amazing siblings and November provided the opportunities for us to show them our love and support.

Part 1: My big sister runs her first marathon!

This past Memorial Day we made the long drive out to Indiana and spent some time with my sister and her family. She told us at dinner one night she had decided to train for a marathon that would be in November. She'd train and run the race with her friend Stacy and then her friend Katherine would come up from Atlanta to run the half with her. I knew that I wanted to try and be there. Scrath that, I needed to be there. I went to PLENTY of my sister's events growing up - basketball games, cheerleading, swim meets, and school plays. All of this was because I had no choice. I would be there with my parents unless I had my own game or practice to attend. I was always a little annoyed that she would get a free pass from my events when she went to college. But the craziest thing happened - my sister would still make a point to come to see me as often as she could. And not begrudgingly, but with joy. I'll always remember how much it meant to me that she brought me flowers for my senior play. I was excited to finally in the same way express, "Sister I love and support you too." So the first weekend of November, Ross and I hopped on a plane and went to Indiana for the weekend.

We all met up in the hotel lobby to go over our game plan for the day. Ross was the official photographer, so that's why you won't see him much. Please note how happy she is before the race. And if you're wondering why she has on a sparkly skirt, click here.

And they're off! (She's still all smiles.)

Ross, Dad, Bryan and I all head to Monument Circle to cheer the girls on around the 2.5 mile mark...

...while mom stays with the little one in the hotel.

There they are! Still looking good with about 23.7 miles to go.

The cheering section drives across town to mile marker 14. The plan is that my dad will stay there and run a mile with them, and then Bryan will jump in and take his place. After cheering on so many runners that my hands hurt from clapping, Ross and I made our way closer to the car...

...so we could see my dad run by! We hopped in the car and drove like crazy for a few blocks to catch them again as they got to mile 15.

At this point, Bryan jumped in to run with a "convenience store" in his waist pack and a homemade shirt on.

Now I had the honor of trying to figure out how to get back downtown with all the road closings.

Finally we get to mile 22 and wait for our runners by cheering for all the others running by. I have to admit this was a highlight. At this point, they've all made it 22 miles and to see the joy when they realized how far they'd already come and relatively how little they had left was incredible. And then Bryan, Kandice, and Stacy arrived. The girls have ran 22 miles at this point and are STILL smiling.

And then it was my turn to jump in. Around mile 25, we passed someone playing music for the runners and our song just happened to be "Can't Touch This". Yes, there was some Hammer dancing going on. But then the theme music from "Chariots of Fire" came on and I couldn't hold back the tears. Running the last four miles with these girls was inspiring. Here they were just minutes away from accomplishing a goal they have been training months for. A goal that few people have the courage to try (me included). But it also reminded me of an even greater race we run, a life of faith. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

And while we were running, the rest of the family got in position to cheer at the finish line.

And there she is! Only a matter of feet from the finish and she is still smiling.

This is my favorite picture from the day. It's a beautiful picture of "fixing our eyes".

DONE!!!

The happy family at the end of the race.

Kandice, we are so proud of you! It was such an honor to be there with you. You are such an inspiration to me in so many ways. I always wanted to be like you and we have the childhood pictures to prove it. :) But I think even more important than that is I've seen you become this beautiful woman who is an amazing wife, mother and friend. A woman who loves Jesus and isn't afraid to run with perseverance. I think that's even cooler than when you wore your hair in a side ponytail.

And if you want my sister's take on the day, check out her blog here.

Just because she's adorable.

Indiana in October

Life has been busy for these newlyweds. Last month we went to Indiana to visit my family and catch up with friends. Thank you Christopher Columbus for "discovering America" and getting us a day off of work. There were two purposes to this trip: to experience harvest with my dad and to have a "Yay! We're married!!!" get together with Indiana friends. Well, everyone forgot to take pictures but it was so great to see friends and to introduce them to my HUSBAND. I love that word, and that man. And as for harvest, my dad was lucky enough to get his crops in early, but that meant no combine rides for me and Ross. Without further ado, this is what our trip looked like.

Ross got a wide angle lens just before the trip, and he had fun experimenting with it.

How cute are my parents? We went to Logansport for dinner and a movie. Ross caught this moment as we left the restaurant.

I am in love with this theater. So maybe it needs a little love, but it has such charm.

Sunday afternoon we visited the creek. This means we bounced around in my dad's truck as we made our way through the corn field to the woods along the creek. Of course, I was trying to get as much niece time as possible. :)

I think I could live next door to her and see her everyday and it wouldn't be enough. This little girl has completely won me over.

I wonder why she thinks Uncle Ross is silly.

Putting up a shock at harvest is a family tradition. For years, my sister and I helped my grandpa with it and have recently been helping my dad. Since the crops were in early this year my parents put it up themselves. But it brings me so much joy to see the littlest member of our family enjoying this tradition.

I joined the men for a little twilight croquet. I may not be good, but I look good doing it. Or not.

Enjoying the farm with the little one.

She's a farm girl just like her mommy. Let's just hope she listens when grandpa tells her to not go higher than second gear.

It's been a year and I still can't get over how beautiful my sister is as a mother.

I love my family.