Mrs G and The Goat

Stuff

2011-07-30T17:56:00.004-05:00

Friends, I am such an awful blogger. I'm barely averaging once a month now. How pitiful. I've been a complete slug, otherwise, too. While I'm loving my new job, it's really kicking my butt. I work through lunch and stay late MOST days. And that is starting to take a toll on my fun time. I haven't baked anything. I haven't really taken any pictures. My book reading is suffering. Oh well, here is what has been going on lately...

1. I've lost 15 pounds! The Jillian Michaels program is definitely a winner for me. I love the recipes in her books, I love her workout DVDs. I love that I can work out and be done in 25 minutes. I also love that I can make dinner, and most of my meals for the next day, in about the same amount of time. We also got a spin bike and have been using that pretty frequently and I love it! That 15 pounds has me down a dress and pants size. Go me! Still have more to go, but at least I've made it this far.

2. I start grad school in about 3 weeks. I'm nervous but excited. And nervous. I hope I do well. Did I mention I'm nervous?

3. We're having a baby...doggy! Haha, almost got you! We recently started the process of adopting a puppy from the Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue organization. We've passed the application and home visit portions, now we just have to wait to see which pup we get! I've got my eye on a gorgeous little golden girl, but it depends on how many people are in line for a puppy. Hopefully good news on that soon!

4. We're going to paint the house. We noticed that the wood around our windows needs some TLC. Which then led to our porch, and the brick columns, and then the porch floor, and eventually the actual siding of the house. Now we just need some time and to actually do it. Big job.

........I thought I had more to update on than that. I guess not. You probably don't want to know that I have bronchitis and have been hacking up a lung for over 6 weeks (thanks, Bonnaroo) and annoying anyone within earshot of me--like my husband and work people (sorry!!).

Anyway, that's all for now. Until next month!

Out in the backyard

2011-06-17T21:52:00.006-05:00

Hello strangers! Things have been busy around here lately. We've been tinkering around the house, working on little details and trying to get things cleaned up and decluttered. Part of this little operation included sprucing up the backyard a bit.

I knew I wanted more color out there and more lighting so I devised a little plan, and I didn't want to spend a whole lot of money.

Let me first say that I had THE best idea for a lighting solution in the history of the universe. I was so proud of what I had thought of, so we headed down to Home Depot to start picking up our supplies. We got some skinny wooden posts (2"x2", I think), some terra cotta pots, and those little bistro lights from Target.

My fabulous idea was to anchor the posts in the pots with pea gravel, then screw a small hook into the top of the post and hang my lights in perfect swoops across the patio...
This is where my idea went south. I had the posts in the pots and pots filled with the gravel. Everything seemed pretty secure. I placed my pots where I wanted them on the patio. We started to open the light packages and get ready to string the lights up. I get one in on one post and go to string the other end on the other post....and POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP!

...the weight of the strand of lights was too much for the top-heavy pots. The pots tipped over. My lights broke. Cue sad trumpet sound.

So then, my brilliant hubs, Mr. Goat, suggests that we string the lights in the trees! We get to work on this by drilling small holes into 2 trees and in the boards on the two corners of the house and screwing the little hooks into the trees and boards. We string the lights (carefully!!) and secure them with cable ties. A quick 2nd trip to Target and Home Depot and a few trips up and down the ladder later, the lights were hung!

Ta-da!

All in all, my lighting solution (well, plan b) worked out really well. Since we no longer needed the pots for stringing the lights, we put tiki torches (that we already had!) in the pots. This means MORE light!

Now to infuse some more color back there. Green grass + green house = A LOT OF GREEN. I need some pink! Some red! Something! Other! Than! Green! So I found some pillows and some flowers...

Here is the lounge area on the right side of the patio with the new pillows...nice eh?

Care to lounge?

And of course, the hammock. This is actually a new hammock net because some hood-rat in our neighborhood decided to creep in our yard and steal our old one.

Oh well, this one is new and clean! And it needed a pillow, too...

To add more color, I decided to use every piece of real estate I could. I put some flowers and other plants in the top of my pots! These are Petunias, the tall grass is Mondo Grass, and the other plant is Sweet Potato Vine. I have no idea if it actually grows sweet potatoes. I think it turned out rather nice!

I love my lights!

I don't think the billy goat minds them one bit, either...

I think we created a really nice little outdoor space. We had our friends over for a Memorial Day cookout they all seemed to enjoy the fruits of our labor. It was really nice being able to SEE...the only light we used to have out there were 2 motion lights on our house and our neighbors house. Talk about being blinded by the light...and then 2 feet away you couldn't see your hand in front of your face! This was a definite upgrade. I would say the whole project cost us about $150--I'm not that great at keeping receipts and that was two weeks ago so I've totally forgotten everything other than the fact that we fixed up the patio.

Bye for now, and I hope to not have another whole month before my next post. Stay cool!

She Works Hard for the Money...

2011-05-13T23:00:00.003-05:00

So hard for it, honey. She works hard for the money so you better treat her right!

And now that that's out of my system...

Wednesday marked the 1-month anniversary of being at my new job! I have to say, it is very challenging and very fulfilling. I definitely made the right choice in accepting that position. Everyone is great. Aside from all that and everything being great, we have been BUSY. So busy that I come home at least a few times a week and crawl straight into bed for a short nap. I's tired.

It's definitely been a transition, going from working at home to working in an office...8-5. It's a job in itself to get out the door and to work on time, but I'm making it work! I like being around people and it's nice to get out of the house.

HOWEVER...I must say that I can't help but feel behind in every other area of my life. I've been trying to do something to keep the house up at least every day, but like I said, I's tired. I'm so thankful to have a husband that keeps up with MORE than his share of the housework. I'm truly blessed, indeed. Also very behind in the blog world--reading and writing. But, as I check my Google Reader for what seems like the first time in weeks, I also notice that some of the blogs I subscribe to have only posted 1 or 2 times in my absence, so I try not to feel too bad. And then I decide I'll take a page out of my friend Jill's book and just subscribe to the belief that good enough is the new perfect. Fine with me!

One thing, however, that I'm happy to report that I'm NOT behind on is my health/fitness/weight-loss goal. I officially kicked Tony Horton out of my sandbox and invited Jillian Michaels over for a visit. And now we are BFF for real. I've been following the meal plan on her website and am on about a 1,250-calorie-a-day plan that was the result of a little quiz on the website. She breaks things down into different oxidizer groups (Slow, Fast, Balanced) and that determines what you eat and the breakdown of carbs, fats, and proteins of each meal. I was surprised to discover I was a Balanced Oxidizer and to find out what all that entailed since I was sure carbs would be banished from my life forever. I haven't really touched pasta or much bread since I started, but I eat a LOT of fruit. Fine with me, though. I'm always satisfied and the meals on this plan are GREAT! Most of them are 5-10 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to make. We do our best to prepare at least breakfast, lunch, and our snack the night before so there is no guess-work the next day. I've discovered that, left to my own devices, I make horrible food choices. This plan has been great. I work out a couple times a week (JM 30-day Shred), follow this meal plan....and I've lost 8 pounds so far, and 2 inches off my hips! A steady 2-pound-per-week weight loss. Color me a happy camper. I have a ways to go, but I've finally found a program that I love and that works for me, so I'll be sticking with it.

BG is pretty much eating what I eat, not working out, and has lost about 15 pounds so far. What an a-hole.

The garden is going well--still waiting for some things to mature a little more since most everything is being raised from seed. Billy brought home some blackberry plants the other day, so I'm excited to see if those will work out. Blackberries are my faaaaaaaavorite. Some people I know are already harvesting squash and zucchini, but my zucchini plants are not quite there yet, so I'm just trying to be patient.

And finally, not sure if you've heard, but we are having an emergence of the 13-year cicada. A cicada is a gnarly-looking insect...kinda like a grasshopper that doesn't jump, with wings. They come out of the ground every 13 years, mate like crazy, lay eggs, and are LOUD. They are all over the place here and it is GROSS. There were two in our house tonight, which led to my drinking two extra glasses of wine just to calm my frazzled nerves. If they're not dead on our driveway, their shells have been shed and are everywhere, and they are all in the trees. I contemplated relocated myself temporarily for this 6-week period. Why Nashville, why must you do this to me??

Time for bed. I's tired.

Hodgepodge

2011-04-06T15:54:00.005-05:00

So sorry to keep you waiting on pins and needles about the new job (ha). Turns out, just a day later, they extended an offer and...I accepted! I start this Monday. My mind is swirling with anxiety and excitement, not to mention worries of "what am I going to wear?!" and "I hope they like me!". Oy. New chapters are so exciting, but I can't help make myself sick with nervousness right before. I guarantee I will not sleep a wink on Sunday night. So very thankful, though, that I am able to jump right into a new position and not have the added fear of not being able to find a job in today's economy. Ack! That's just stress I'm so glad I don't have to deal with.

As for the clothes issue, since I can't really roll up to my new job wearing my trusty "work at home" uniform of yoga pants and Old Navy $5 t-shirts, I think a shopping trip is in order. I hate to shop. Especially while trying to lose weight and get fit and all that. Luckily, my BFF Kara LOVES to shop and personal shopping/styling is a service she provides to clients of her new business, she's throwing me a bone here and we're going shopping on Friday. I don't even want to think about the damage I'm going to do financially....I may have just given Dave Ramsey heartburn. I hope we find some good stuff.

Speaking of style, I was super lucky last night because I went to go see Tim Gunn lecture at the Langford Auditorium at Vanderbilt with Kara and our friend Jen. He is just delightful! He just has the greatest advice: be nice, never assume, always take the high road, etc. He mentions many other points like this in his new book Gunn's Golden Rules, which I plan on purchasing ASAP. Oh, and I smuggled my camera into the lecture and managed to take a picture of Mr. Gunn, even though I totally brought the wrong lens. Meet Tiny Tim...

In other uneventful news, I went to the dentist this morning and am proud to say I had great appointment and came out unscathed and un-cavitied. No cavities allowed!

And finally, a gripe...mainly to myself. I know a goal I set for myself this year was to do and FINISH Power90. Well, after some unplanned breaks in the workout program, I'm around day 60ish, and while I can feel a significant change in my body muscle-wise, I definitely cannot say that I've lost any weight. I weigh myself regularly and fluctuate a lot. I had a goal to lose 5 pounds by April 8, which is Friday. So depending on what my body plans on weighing that day, I may or may not have hit my goal. I'm just frustrated. I watch The Biggest Loser like it's gospel, and this people are amazing and lose SO MUCH WEIGHT, and I can't lose 20 pounds. REALLY. I know I need to cool it with the pasta. It is my #1 weakness. I've been out to eat twice since Saturday and got pasta both times, both time with a creamy sauce. I KNOW these are not good food choices. And today I was so hungry when I left the dentist that I picked up some McDonald's--which I rare. I'm sabotaging myself, I know.

So, I know I need to get real and just have some self-discipline. I know I need to make better food choices and maybe get to treat myself once a week (preferably not in a way that involves food...maybe a pedicure or new book?), and I think I'm going to switch up my workouts. I'm burnt out on the Power90 and P90X. I'm breaking up with you, Tony Horton. I'm taking my toys and going to play at Jillian Michaels' house. I plan on picking up her 30 Day Shred DVD today, and may even use her online weight-loss tool on her website. Enough is enough. I can do anything else...why can't I do this???

Sorry for the Debbie Downer moment, but I'm just in a rut and beating myself up about it.

I need to go take a chill pill.

What a week!!

2011-03-30T12:02:00.002-05:00

Holy cow, y'all. This has been a roller coaster week. To give a little background information, the company I work for is going through a bit of a transition. Let me walk you through my week...and it's only Wednesday!

Monday:

Talk to my boss, looks like my days are numbered. As in, less than 10...
As you know I've applied to an MBA program. I get a call from the admissions counselor. He tells me that my admissions test score was probably the highest he's seen since he's worked there. I aced the math and writing sample, and matched the highest-ever score on the critical thinking portion. He tells me on the spot that I'll be part of the program that starts in August. Hot diggity!
I started my job search early (a few weeks ago) with the anticipation that I wouldn't be around much longer. Got an email Sunday setting up a phone interview for Monday. I speak with the recruiter, she thinks I'm overqualified. The I speak to another person in another office. Not sure I like what I'm hearing about the job responsibilities. Email "no thanks", but get an email back requesting that I go ahead and come in for an interview...

Tuesday:

Have the interview and boy am I glad I did! Have a totally different understanding about the job. Love what I hear, love the people, love the office. Love!!
Current boss calls. My last day with current company will be next Friday. Not feeling so doomed after the good interview.

Wednesday:

Email back from owner of company setting up another phone interview with CEO (did I mention this company is small??). Very excited.

So that's where we are right now. I am a mix of emotions. Sad that my current job is ending. I adore my boss and the folks that I work with. Excited about grad school (holy cow I got into grad school! and I rocked my exams!). Nervous about finding another job. Excited that I might have found another job. Nervous about grad school. Sad that going back to work in a real office means I won't get to hang out with Murphy all day. In my pajamas.

So, my insides are knots. Cross your fingers and throw up a prayer that everything works out. I know it will. I always manage to land on my feet. I'm so lucky to have a husband that supports me in whatever I do, bless his heart. I cannot help but freak out a little bit though.

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Sorry, had to get that out.

The Nooky Nook

2011-03-20T11:20:00.008-05:00

Hi friends! I wanted to tell you about a project that Billy and I tackled last weekend. We have this very random nook thing in our kitchen. A real waste of space. We decided that before our house was remodeled back in 2004, it must have been a fireplace, because there is a chimney right above where the nook is in the attic.

Up until now, it's just been a catch-all for random kitchen objects. Here is that corner last Sunday morning...

Here's the nook close-up: There's a wine rack, the food processor, a basket of stuff that goes to my food processor and stand mixer, and some candle holders that currently have no home.

Something had to be done! I could stand it no longer. I've seen in magazines where people have made little appliance garages to house all of their kitchen gadgets. And since I'm the QUEEN of kitchen gadgets, I thought that was exactly what I needed!

Here's husband, after we removed all the junk, preparing to paint. We chose to go with the same wall color, Behr's Garden Wall, to make it cohesive with our pantry and the rest of the kitchen. And we had some of the paint left-over.

Here's the nook after it's all painted...looks a bajillion times better already!

Did I mention the nook also has random green tile?

It has random green tile. Not bad though, I don't hate it.

We are huge fans of the ClosetMaid white wire shelving at Home Depot. We've used it in our pantry when we redid it, and the closet in my office. Since it matched what we've already used in the pantry, we decided to be consistent and use it again here.

There are 4 components: the main support bar, the vertical supports, the shelf brackets, and the shelves. We measured the width and depth of the nook and decided that the 12" deep shelves would be best here. The shelves come in all different lengths, so we grabbed 2 4' shelves and they cut them right in half for us at the store. You could also cut them yourself, but we're nothing if not lazy.

So, you mount the main support bar in the wall above where you want your top shelf to be. We used some heavy-duty drywall anchors here since the shelves are going to hold somewhat heavy and expensive things. Then you slide in the vertical supports and screw those into the wall using more drywall anchors. Then you just decide where you want your shelves, hook on the shelf brackets, and place the shelves! Super easy! I think this project took us about 2 hours total, with painting and everything.

Here's the finished nook, will all of my goodies in there...

I use these items quite a bit, and this makes them super easy to get to

and also freed up a LOT of cabinet space for us.

Here's the nook, blending in nicely with the rest of our kitchen,

looking nice and neat and actually cute!

Oh, and one more thing...see that light fixture? We've named it "the squid lamp".

I've hated it since the day we moved in.

It's gone. We've replaced it.

And on that note, I'll say that West Elm is a very dangerous place for me.

I love EVERYTHING.

As far as cost goes for this project, here's the breakdown:

Paint: $0, we used leftover paint

Main support bar: $7.27

2 4' Vertical Support bars: 2 x $8.32 = $16.64

6 shelf brackets: 6 x $4.57 = $27.42

2 4' shelves: 2 x $4.86 = $9.72 (we only used 3 of the cut sections, so we have a 2' section leftover)

Shelf cutting was FREE

Total: $61.05

I'm sure there are less expensive options out there, like if you live near an Ikea (which we don't, the closest one is in Atlanta...boo hiss), but for the quality of the shelving and how easy they are to install, I think it's totally worth it. And since then, every time I pass our made-over nook, I yell out "I love my shelves!".

I hope everyone's had a great weekend. It's been just lovely here in Nashville!

The Best Baking Tip EVER!!

2011-03-14T14:50:00.007-05:00

Even though this is a month late, I definitely wanted to share with you a few things I learned while making Billy's birthday cake...

This was a recipe I got from Barefoot Contessa recipe for Pineapple Carrot Cake...which is pretty much just a carrot cake with a little more natural sweetness from the pineapple. Carrot cake is Billy's absolute favorite...and he actually bowed out of having a groom's cake at our wedding because he said he liked my cake more than any carrot cake we could get...tee hee. I just thought the fresh pineapple was an interesting addition, so I tried it out! I even "butchered" a pineapple!

While the cake looked and tasted absolutely delicious, the main thing I wanted to share is the little trick I learned recently. To take you back a little bit, I made a scrumptious chocolate-chocolate cake for New Year's Eve/our friend Blair's birthday, but I have been having a heck of a time getting my cakes to come out of the pan easily. I literally used my chocolate buttercream icing as glue to piece my cakes back together since they fell apart while I was getting them out of the pan. Arg. Talk about frustration. Was it my pan? The oven? ME? Color me perplexed.

Enter Martha Stewart. She has a new show on the Hallmark Channel called Martha Bakes--it's pretty much just her in an amazing kitchen sharing some of her secrets on how to get perfect baked goods. A definite must-watch for any baker. On the very first episode, I learned how to solve my problem...

First, grab the pan you're going to use, some parchment, a pencil, and scissors.

Trace around your pan on the parchment with your pencil. See my awesome tracing skills below. Make sure you trace a circle for each pan you have. 2 pans = 2 traced circles.

Next, cut out your circles! Side note, you can actually BUY pre-cut parchment circles for your cake pans. Who knew?

Next, butter your pan with softened butter and a pastry brush.

Place your parchment in the pan and shmear some butter on that, too.
Now flour your pans. Put about a tablespoon of flour in one pan, roll it around and tap out the excess into your other pan. Continue for each pan. Make sure they are coated really well.

Fast forward to cake removal. Enjoy your perfectly non-stuck cakes!

GORGEOUS!

I was so pleased with how my cakes turned out! Martha really does know her stuff, but we knew that already. No more wasting icing piecing things back together, although that was one of my finer MacGyver moments.

One thing I don't like is how my pans have a tapered side, so my cakes aren't perfectly squared off (I know, I know...where's your tiny violin...). I have my eye on some of these: Fat Daddio's aluminum cake pans. I've heard aluminum pans are the best and this particular brand got great reviews. I believe you can order them directly from the Fat Daddio's site, but I've seen them on Sur La Table's site and on Amazon. I will definitely be getting two 9" ones VERY soon.

So that's that. I actually have a pile of unwatched Martha Bakes on my DVR. They are REALLY informative! I have another tip about icing, but I'll save that for later!

28

2011-03-07T10:44:00.003-06:00

Hi friends!

Today is a bit of a day of reflection for me, as it is my 28th birthday. My facebook wall is flooded with birthday wishes (thank you all!!) and my heart is full of love. Part of me can't believe that I'm thisclose to turning the big 3-0, but at the same time, I find myself liking the person I've become more and more with each year that passes, and welcome each new candle on my birthday cake.

What did I accomplish as a 27-year-old?

Started a very fulfilling photography hobby
Quit a job that made me miserable and got a new job that I love, working with people that I adore (who knew it would be at the very same company!)
Celebrated 1 joyful year of marriage with Billy
Watched my little brother graduate from college AND get married
Improved my baking and cooking (because that's important, right?)

It was a great year! Honestly, though, I hope that 28 is somewhat uneventful. I'm so happy with how things are in my life right now, that I couldn't possibly think of a single thing to change. However, I will (hopefully) add another role to my growing list (wife, friend, daughter, sister...): Grad student! I'm applying to an MBA program and should start this August if I get accepted...

Speaking of school, this year will be 10 years out of high school and 6 years out of college as well as 6 years of living in Nashville.

As far as updates go, I've been a little busy these past few weeks and have to apologize for not sharing all of the things swirling around in my brain:

I visited our big office for a big team meeting in Herndon, VA last week. Surprisingly enough I had some GREAT Mexican food (I'm very picky about it since I'm from Texas), got some great feedback on the work I've been doing, and won one of these. It is super cool and would be a great gift, especially for a techy husband or dad. It's BG's fave new toy.
I learned a new baking trick while making Billy's birthday cake a couple weeks ago. It has changed my life! I promise to share SOON!
Still trying new recipes...like a Caprese Panini. OMG delicious.

So that's about it for me today! Time to finish up some work, maybe work out (I'm on day 52 of Power 90--and BG gave me a birthday pass for today so I could take the day off, but I feel like I should work out anyway...oh the guilt!) and then go have Happy Birthday Happy Hour at Eastland Cafe with some friends.

Did I mention that my husband, the man that does not read directions or pay attention or do things in order, is making me a birthday cake? This should be interesting...

Yummy Dinner!!

2011-02-24T20:08:00.003-06:00

Things have been really busy around here the last week or so--last week was Billy's birthday and we've just had a lot going on around here! But we just had the yummiest dinner and I just had to tell you about it.

I've been trying to plan our meals ahead of time and shop according to the menu plan, while also keeping things light and healthy to work with our fitness and weight-loss goals. Something we really like to eat is tilapia and we tend to buy it in bulk at Costco every few weeks, repackage it into 2 filets in a freezer bag, and just pull it out of the freezer a day or two ahead of when we plan to cook it.

I came across a tilapia recipe in Bon Appetit (I think in the January or February issue) and it looked easy, quick, and tasty so I gave it a shot tonight and BOY, WAS IT GOOD!! So good, I ate it right up before I could get a photo, but here's what it looks like:

Image from BonAppetit.com

Doesn't that look good? All you do is pat the tilapia fillets dry and sprinkle salt on both sides. Whisk an egg white until frothy, and brush the fish with the egg whites--I suppose you could dip the fish in the egg whites, too, if that floats your boat! Then you dredge the fish in the panko breadcrumbs. Cook in 3 tbs of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet for about 2-3 minutes until the panko is golden brown and crispy. Put on paper towel to drain any remaining oil on the fish. That's pretty much it!

I did a little steamed broccoli with our fish and the whole thing was done in less than 15 minutes. It was light and fresh, healthy, and EASY. Perfect for a busy night after work or if you really just don't feel up to the whole production of making a big meal.

I also made a little lemon aioli with it--sort of like a fancy tartar sauce. I don't really measure the stuff, but I guess it's about a 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (we use the light version), a bit of lemon zest, juice from half a lemon, a clove of garlic (minced), and salt and pepper. Some fresh dill would be good in there, too. Stir until combined and add more lemon juice if it looks too thick.

Trust me! Try it! It is so good!

Click here for the actual recipe.

My Valentine

2011-02-14T16:12:00.003-06:00

In honor of today's totally ridiculous commercialized holiday, I thought I'd share some pictures of my very special Valentine.

My Valentine is funny, goofy, quick to laugh...

My Valentine is kind, sensitive, caring, and thoughtful...

My Valentine is silly and fun and always puts a smile on my face...

My Valentine loves my family like they are his own...

...and loves my friends as much as I do...

Happy Valentine's day to the most amazing man, my best friend,

my husband, my partner in crime.

I love you!

And then there's this guy...

I love you, too, Murph!

Pasta with Pecorino and Pepper

2011-02-06T12:13:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I was at Costco and guess who hopped in my buggy?

The Barefoot Contessa.

I just love her cookbooks. She actually hopped in my buggy twice--I also got her newest cookbook How Easy Is That? One of the many things I love about her food is how simple yet elegant it is. So, I flipped through and decided to try:

The Pasta with Pecorino and Pepper. So, I got all my stuff ready...

This recipe actually calls for egg noodles. I've never cooked with them before and I can't recall that I've ever had them before, but you just cook them like regular noodles.

Now, if there was a tricky part, this would be it. Once you get the noodles back in the pan, you have to work quickly. Reading the recipe before hand, it seemed that having all of my ingredients ready to go would be super helpful here, so that's what I did, and it worked great. You throw in the cream, butter, salt, pepper, cheese!, and parsley and toss it all together.

And this is what you get...

The creamiest, most perfect and delicious bowl of pasta! The egg noodles were tender and definitely had a different flavor to them than the regular whole wheat pasta I normally cook with. A nice departure from the norm, and I think I'll cook with them more in the future. I've not cooked with Pecorino much either, and it seems to me like it's a softer version of Parmesan. Nutty flavor, kinda salty. Coming from someone whose favorite pasta dish is anything involving Alfredo sauce, this was definitely a very simple yet elegant (and yummy!) recipe.

That Ina doesn't disappoint!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday and a fun time watching the Superbowl! I don't really have a preference to who wins today, but I'm looking forward to our friends coming over and spending time with them. On the menu: Taco Soup (since it's easy and feeds a lot of people), spinach dip, and chocolate chip cookies!

And just an FYI--"buggy" in the south is the same thing as a shopping cart. ;)

The Best Tuna Salad.

2011-02-03T15:29:00.003-06:00

A post two days in a row? Someone check my temperature!

I wanted to share my lunch with you today. I made a yummy tuna salad sandwich. I grew up on them. They are comfort food for me, and probably for my brother, too. We ate so many growing up, I'm kinda surprised we didn't turn into a tuna sandwich at some point. Anyway, let's get down to the nitty gritty...

I make my tuna salad...in the food processor! I tried it once and it was so light and creamy that I will never make it the regular old way (in a bowl) again. Today, I started with 3 cans of plain old albacore tuna in water, and dumped it in the food processor.

Then, I add mayo a few tablespoons at a time and pulse until it's the right consistency. And here's my little secret: lemon juice. That's what really lightens it up and gives it a super fresh flavor. Keep adding the mayo and lemon juice and pulsing until it's the consistency you like. I used the juice from 1 large lemon.

Now for the goodies. Here are my favorite pickles. If you live near a Trader Joe's, go get some now. If you don't, let me know and I'll send you some (only kidding!). These are the best pickles! I even try to sneak drinking the pickle juice, it's so good. And I know it's pretty much just vinegar. Let's ignore that fact, shall we?

So, I like some onion in my tuna salad. I usually use red onion, but today I had a sweet Spanish onion. I dice it up real small because I don't like a surprise mouthful of onion when I bite into my sandwich.
Then I dice up a few of those pickles, about the same size as the onion...
Throw'em both in the bowl. Add a pretty good bit of salt and pepper...
Mix it up. It's ok to sneak a few bites while you're stirring. You're just making sure it tastes great, right?
And now it's time to make your sandwich. I did two perfectly toasted slices of Honey Wheat. And another trick: I spread on a little Miracle Whip on both pieces of bread before I put the tuna in it. I know, you're thinking "Mayo AND Miracle Whip? You're crazy!" Trust me! You get a little tangy zip from it and it is delish!

Apparently I couldn't control myself and had to take a bite.

It was worth it.

Reflection...

2011-02-02T16:12:00.004-06:00

First I want to start by throwing out a BIG thank you to Mother Nature for sparing Nashville in her latest little temper tantrum here in the US. I've had enough snow to last me for A WHILE. Either it's 2 feet of snow and blizzard conditions or solid ice and rolling black outs--which happens to be what my Texas friends are dealing with at the moment. I'm just really thankful that we didn't really get anything but some rain and colder temperatures.

Anyway, I fiddled with my blog design a little bit (which, honestly, I didn't even realize I could fiddle with and was about to curse blogspot for crappy templates...but duh!) and looked back on some old blog posts and it got me thinking a little bit about 2o1o. Let's look at last year's goals and take a look at how I did, shall we?

1--P90X--Ok, I tried. It's hard. I think the longest we made it was 60 days and I was EXHAUSTED. BUT as of today, I'm 26 days into POWER 90 and LOVE IT. It's night and day. Let's be honest. I can't commit more than 30 minutes to a workout. I'm not as fit nor do I care to be as fit as Jackie Warner (but love her show!). I like food and I like to eat food. Power 90 suits me just fine, and I know I can do it and I'm determined to finish. I might try Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred next.

2--Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University--Things are going well here! We paid off some things in 2010 but 2011 is going to be our big year to do some real damage. Good damage. I just paid off my car (and a year early! Booyah!) and that is going to give us some real momentum to pay off some other lingering debts that we accrued, oh from say buying a house and getting married. That stuff's expensive. Like with anything else, discipline is the key here.

3 -- Find a church we like and go regularly. We found a great church! Need to work on the going regularly part. Lucky for me, they record their services and have a podcast, so even if I'm too lazy to make it even to the 11:30 service, I can still listen. And you know you live in Nashville when your pastor is in a Taylor Swift video. Not kidding.

4 --For Billy and me to keep working on having a healthy marriage. This is always going to be a priority. I'm working on my patience and concentrating more on not letting things just fly out of my mouth.

5--Try at least 1 new recipe a week. Done and done. I have several new cookbooks and just love trying new things! I still want to finish my Everyday Italian project, but like I said, it's not going to be very consistent. But I will cook every dish in that book and my two new Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. Yum!

6--Eat locally. Easy. Nashville has a great independent restaurant scene. I couldn't tell you the last time we ate at a chain restaurant (yes I can, on our road trip) and the times we do are few and far between. I've already planned my SFG (square foot garden) and will be hitting up the Home Depot soon to get my seeds going. Fresh veggies here we come! Anything else I'm going to make it a point to get at the Farmer's Market. Since it's literally 2 seconds from our house.

7--Keep up the reading. Major success here!! I really need to keep better track of what I'm reading, so I've started a list to count all the books I finish in 2011. I've already finished 5 and should finish another this weekend. Current read: The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. It might be for teenagers, just like Twilight is but I cannot read them fast enough.

8--Learn to sew. Baby steps! I've watched the DVD and figured out how to thread my machine and even did a few practice runs on some scrap fabric. I have some projects picked out and cannot wait to get to the fabric store! Stay tuned, I might suck!

9--Take more pictures. We all know I got a new camera (thanks babe!!) and my photography is DEFINITELY improving. I only shoot on Manual mode, now I just need to shoot MORE and post the photos I take. Definitely enjoying this hobby. Want to up my badass-ness on my editing, but learning more all the time! Trying to not let myself get discouraged when I submit things in a Pioneer Woman photo contest and don't make the cut. One day...

10--Get up earlier. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yeah, right.

11--Get better at the housekeeping thing. WHO CARES. It gets done. Whatever.

So, all in all, not bad! 2010 was full of blessing, family, friends, and good food, and I know 2011 won't be any different. I'll leave you with, what I think, is a pretty cool shot from my brother's graduation in December. The kid wears his Converse with EVERYTHING. So, of course, I had to get a shot of them with his cap and gown. So here ya go.

Hibernation In Progress...

2011-01-18T14:30:00.003-06:00

Hello and (a very belated) Happy New Year!

So sorry I have been MIA--things have been crazy since Thanksgiving, with the holidays and all of our crazy cold winter weather. We've already had several multiple-inch snows here in Nashville, y'all! One of which was on Christmas Day, so I missed what would've been my very first White Christmas. Talk about bummed.

Other than holidays and freezing weather, here is a VERY short list of things that have happened lately:

Billy and I drove to and around Texas for Christmas break. We drove from Nashville to...
Nacogdoches, TX--My brother graduated from Stephen F Austin State University on December 18th with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in some sort of Graphic Arts somethingorother! Then we packed up his apartment (and all of his art crap!) and moved him and his fiancee to...
San Antonio, TX--I don't know if it was just because it was a few days before Christmas, but it was CRAZY there. The traffic, the crowded stores, ugh. Billy and I did get to spend a lovely little evening on the Riverwalk and stayed at La Mansion. The next day, we did a quick walk through the Alamo (way smaller than I expected!) and then picked my mom up at my brother's apartment and drove to...
Houston--Pretty much just relaxed and hit up some of my favorite hometown restaurants. We had our actual "Christmas" with the dinner and the presents on Christmas Eve, because on Christmas Day we drove to...
Midland, TX--Out in the middle of nowhere! But leave it to my brother to cram everything into one holiday break: he and his fiancee Sarah got married on December 27th! The wedding was gorgeous and I took a TON of pictures, but I'm too lazy to post any here now. Sorry. :( The next day, we drove...
HOME! That was the longest day of my LIFE! Fortunately, since we woke up so dang early, we hit Dallas about breakfast/brunch-time and got to have a quick meal and visit with my college roommate, Jenny, and her husband, Dane. We made plans to HOPEFULLY attend a Fightin' Texas Aggie Football game next fall. I really hope so! Then we made it through Texarkana, Little Rock, Memphis, and finally back to Nashville late that evening. Phew!

After all that we put about 3,000 miles on my car. All of that out-and-about-ing is fully to blame for my current state of home-body-itis. You could not pry me from this house if you tried! But, I've gotten a lot of reading and cooking done, started to plan this year's garden, watched my Aggies put on a good show against LSU at the Cotton Bowl (even though they lost, dang it!), and generally been a big slug. Oh, and we've watched almost the entire series of LOST on Netflix.

I have some great plans for this year, so bring it 2011!! First and foremost, we will be DEBT FREE by this summer, if Murphy's Law doesn't launch into affect and ruin all of my planning. We have already knocked off a big debt item: our car!

I hope everyone is staying dry and warm! I'll be curled up on the couch under a few blankets if you need me...

What's been cookin'...

2010-11-23T15:01:00.005-06:00

Here's a little bit of what we've been cooking around here lately...

Zesty Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe out of Real Simple

They are super good. Tangy and zesty from the tomatillos with lots of gooey melted Monterey Jack on top!

A favorite: Roasted Veggie Orzo

an Ina Garten recipe

I think this is all I ate that day. Really hard to stay away from it! Easy recipe and good for a crowd. My friends often say "bring the orzo!" if we're all bringing something for a party.

Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

A Giada recipe

Those were super tasty--would be great for a party, especially a Christmas/Holiday party since there is Rosemary in them. Mmm!

White Bean Dip

This was a recipe out of the Everyday Italian book I've been cooking from. A great, easy little snack to whip up. Just a few ingredients: White kidney beans, lemon, parsley, olive oil, s&p! I've also made the Marinara Sauce out of that book and it's really fresh and full of tomato flavor! I can't wait to try the fried calamari to dip in it. Completely different from the usual spaghetti sauce I make, which has brown sugar in it (somewhere, an italian woman just rolled in her grave...).

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in 2 days! BG's parents are coming up, so it'll just be the 4 of us...and 3 dogs. I'm making my mom's traditional turkey, dressing, and gravy, but I thought I'd mix up the sides and try some Pioneer Woman recipes. I'm going to make the Whiskey Glazed Carrots (had these at a friend's house once, delicious!), Creamy Herbed Potatoes (made these for Easter this year, delicious!), and Green Bean Casserole (this one's different...it has peppers! And bacon!). We got everything from Trader Joe's, even the turkey. Their cornbread is SO good and I can't wait to make the dressing with it again.

I plan on taking lots of pictures of our goodies, so I'll be sure and share them here! And Friday is Christmas Decoration Day! I got some new ornaments and a few other things to change up our decorations this year, so I'll be sure and share that too!

I hope everyone has a great week and a Happy Thanksgiving!

meg

Updates...

2010-11-13T11:43:00.006-06:00

Hi friends! It's been almost a month since my last post...tsk tsk. Things have been pretty busy around here, so here is a quick update on what we've been up to:

Work, work, work!
My mom came in town for her birthday and I made her some cupcakes. Happy Birthday Mama! I made her some mini cupcakes.

I haven't cooked my next Giada recipe yet, but I have been cooking a lot of new things...mainly recipes that I've pulled out of magazines. Some were good, some not.
Billy and I have been riding our bikes a lot more lately on account of the weather being so nice. So, we can blame the weather for my absence here, right?
I've been reading a lot. I've read 5 of the 9 Sookie Stackhouse books...and we've joined Netflix, so we're watching a lot of movies.
Here is something else I have cooked: Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting. The pumpkin cake is a recipe that my grandmother made for years. I'm currently obsessed with small things (mini cupcakes, small appetizers, etc) so I decided to adapt this recipe for smaller amounts. I also tweaked how you put the ingredients together, based on what I've been learning about mixing dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, and sifting your dry goods. These turned out so much lighter than the actual cake, and they were delicious! I'm not knocking my grandmother...what can I say, she was old school!

So that's about all I have to say right now. I'm considering pulling the plug on this little blog...I'm so AWESOMELY BAD at posting regularly. Should I just do a "picture a day" type thing where I just show you what I've cooked that day, or something that we've done? Not sure yet. I'm still working on my photos and cooking/baking. We'll see what I come up with.

Happy Saturday everyone!! Enjoy it!

New project!

2010-10-16T14:43:00.006-05:00

It is a GORGEOUS fall day here in Nashville, and I've started a new project. I was really inspired by Julie and Julia and decided that I, too, wanted to cook my way through a cookbook. I have a whole shelf of them that I rarely ever try recipes from, and decided that needed to change!

So, I'll be cooking through Giada de Laurentiis's book, Everyday Italian. We all know I'm a huge fan of hers: I DVR both of her cooking shows and watch them in my down time and I often try the things she cooks on her show. Our favorite pork recipe is actually a Giada recipe!

So here we go. My plan is not very strict. I'll cook when I have time, and try to do 2-3 recipes at a time until that gets too ambitious. The first section of the book is Everyday Antipasti and I've done 2 of those for today. I love that each section has a "cooking from the pantry" section how many of these recipes can be done with little or no special grocery shopping since these are items many of us have in our pantry already. I, myself, actually did have to pick up a few things, but not much. And I don't really feel right about posting the actual recipe, since I'm working from a book, but I bet you could find them on the Food Network website.

The first thing I tried was the Tuna and White Bean Salad.

This was very a light and refreshing, simple recipe. There are only a few ingredients: cannellini beans, tuna (it called for dark meat tuna in olive oil, but I had albacore in water, so sue me), red onion, red wine vinegar, s&p. I've never actually thought to put red wine vinegar with tuna, but I loved the tangy zip it gave the salad. This would be a great light lunch, especially over some arugala or romaine.

The next one I did was the Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Chickpeas.

I loved everything about this. The texture of the dip is very similar to hummus, which I love, and has the yummy flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes. I didn't have the dried basil or parsley that it called for, so I just used some herbes de provence and I think it tasted great! And then a little garnish with some fresh basil from my garden and some lemon zest. The crunchiness of the baguette complimented the creaminess of the dip very well, and it was easy to make. Who doesn't love just throwing things into the food processor and letting it do its thing? Needless to say, I'll definitely be making this the next time we have people over.

An added bonus to this project is that I'm trying new recipes, of course, but it's also giving me a way to practice with the photography. You can only take so many pictures of the dog.

I have the ingredients for the next one, so I'll probably try that tomorrow.

In other news, I'm down 8 pounds total with Weight Watchers, and Billy and I have started Power 90. The weight's not falling off as fast as I'd hoped, but I think this is really setting me up to live a healthy lifestyle from here on out and it's not so much about losing a bunch of weight quickly. Fad diets never work anyway, so I think this is the right program for me. I love that we are working out again and I feel stronger with every workout.

Billy and I also celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary last Sunday, the 10th! It was extremely laid back--we had friends over and hung out outside around the fire pit. I also made homemade marshmallows and graham crackers, but would you know I did not take a single picture! It was really laid back and we had a great time. We even had thawed out the top tier of our wedding cake and ate a slice for breakfast that morning and it was so good! We didn't do the traditional first anniversary paper gifts, unless you count the concert tickets we bought ourselves. Actually, a few weeks ago we went out to the Prime Outlets in Lebanon, TN and got our gifts together. I got a new Coach purse and Billy got a new Coach wallet and some new Oakley sunglasses.

So anyway, that's what's going on with us right now. Talk to you soon! Enjoy the day!

Our house in the middle of our street...

2010-09-30T17:04:00.002-05:00

Today, September 30th, is the 2 year anniversary of the day we closed on and began moving into our home...here she is:

I had no idea that you could fall so in love with a piece of property, but it's possible! Billy and I fell in love with this house the moment we walked into it in 2008 and never looked back. We know it was our "home" immediately.

House, here are a few of the many things we love about you:

How charming you are, in all of your 90 years (that's right, she was built in 1920!)
Your beautiful leaded glass front door
All of your windows
How you keep us safe and dry
How you sit up high on a hill
How you make our friends and family feel like you're their home, too

We also have another anniversary coming next week! Can you guess what that is?

Snack time!

2010-09-28T13:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Tuesday! I just wanted to share with you a little snack recipe that I found on the Weight Watchers website. It's for Roasted Red Pepper Dip--but I tweaked it just a bit because the original recipe called for cilantro and I don't really care for that. Whether or not your watching your weight or just want an easy, tasty snack, I urge you to try it! It's super good!

Mmmmmm! Snacks!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

15 oz. roasted red peppers

1 c. fat-free sour cream

1/4 c. basil

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Put all ingredients into food processor and pulse until smooth. Serve with Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips and enjoy!!

I think this would also be a great recipe to take to a party, which I might do in the future so I will have something yummy to snack on without wasting all my points...like I did the other day with our friends' queso dip. Oops! And I'm happy to report that even after a week in NYC, I still lost a pound! I am definitely stepping it up this week and it's been a lot easier since I'm at home.

I hope everyone is having a great week, and that the weather is nice where you are!

House Tour--Master Bedroom

2010-09-26T11:56:00.006-05:00

Hey y'all! It's a gorgeous Sunday morning here in Nashville. I LOVE fall here. Although the weather hasn't quite changed yet, I know it's coming and that makes me so happy! Time to get out my fall decorations.

So, I know I said I would write again "tomorrow"...but the very next day I got a crazy email from my boss that they needed me in New York for help on a project! So, all last week I was in NYC. We worked a lot and I actually got a chance to see a lot of the city and even New Jersey; it was a whirlwind to say the least!

Billy and I were talking and he thought it would be a good idea to have pictures of our house for insurance purposes, and it gave me a good reason to get off my lazy butt and take some pictures, and then post them here as promised. I'm actually going to work from the BACK of our house and move forward.

Today, let me show you our master bedroom. The fact that it was actually clean is a miracle in itself, so please enjoy!

Master Bedroom

Sitting area to the right of the bed

Area to the left of the bed. Door on the right is the walk-in closet;

door on the left is the bathroom.

View from the left side of the room.

Vanity and "throne" in the bathroom.

Take a shower, you smell like New Jersey!

- a funny quote from my new work friend from last week's project

Storage and stuff. I can't believe I put this on here!

The paint color is Behr's Quiet Moment, but my friends and I have affectionally dubbed it "Adult Blue". I'm seriously thinking about painting--I want the room to have a peaceful spa-like airy quality, and I'm just not getting that with the "adult blue", and it really doesn't flow with the rest of the house. Maybe I've been spending too much time in hotels, because I really want something light and neutral and clean, much like a hotel room. Some favorites right now are Martha Stewart's Spring Melt for the bedroom and maybe Whetstone Gray for the bathroom. I also like Behr's Ivory Mist. I think we'll try to pop over to to the HD today and get some samples.

The furniture (bed, side tables, and chest of drawers) are all from Haverty's, the Marseille bedroom collection.

The bedding is from Crate & Barrel, the Lindsey Paisley Bed Linens. It's actually on sale right now!

Accessories:

Lamps on the side tables, curtain rods--World Market
Curtains--JC Penny (I think! I've had them for a while so I don't really remember!)
Long mirror over the couch--TJ Maxx Home Goods
Small round table was my grandmother's
Metal candle-holder over the bed--Pier 1.
White shelves in bathroom--Target, from my college apartment.
"Art" in bathroom, small white bud vases--Ikea

So, there's that. Like I said, I have some plans to change things up in there. If we had the time and the money, I would gut the bathroom and start over--or at least fix some of the things that bother me. We fell in love with the slate tile in the shower when we saw the house and do still love it, but there are other things about the bathroom that are just not functional. Maybe the BG will let me mix it up a bit...yeah, probably not!

Brain dump...

2010-09-16T21:18:00.005-05:00

And here we are again...almost 2 months since my last post. Bad blogger lady!! We have a lot to catch up on, and I have a lot on my mind, so this post might be a bit of a brain dump. Here we go...

I've moved several things around in the house and I do so want to post pictures. I've almost gotten to a point where I don't want to touch another single thing around here, as I love the way it is THAT MUCH. Somewhere in Nashville, Billy's jaw just dropped...

That pesky 5% is still the adult blue in our bedroom. I just can't figure out where to go with it. I'll post some pictures of how it is now, promise, and then let you see what you think of some potential color choices. Definitely loving some of Martha's new shades.

And then there is work. I had a really good day today. Most of my job is learning and implementing Salesforce.com with some of the projects that our marketing team has been working, and I gave a training presentation today and had great feedback. Within minutes I had an email AND voicemail from my fabulous boss saying how great she thought I had done. Phew!!!!

In August I went with my two friends Kara and Jennifer to our other friend's wedding in Savannah, and it was the best time! BG couldn't go, but we had a great time, just us girls.

I took lots of pictures but honestly, I still feel a bit wonky with that camera attached to my face. But K and J reassured me that it is a MUST accessory on our adventures. I still have to thank them for making me lug it around as I got some great pictures! Here's one for you of us at Catherine's super-swank wedding. I fixed the color just a bit, but didn't crop because I love to see all the background people having as much fun as we did! Cheers!

Jennifer, Kara, and me at Catherine's wedding, 8/7/10. Love them!

And one more thing...I know how many times I've posted that I'm gonna do P90X and finish, or how I like Power 90, or recently that I've started (trying) to walk 3 miles a day, or even post on here once a day. Here's what I've discovered about myself: I have no self-discipline. And it really doesn't bother me that much, honestly. So, I've decided I'm going to do my best, at whatever it is I choose to do. Lately, especially after dress shopping and seeing myself in pictures, I've decided that the self-discipline thing definitely needs to change and I need to start taking better care of myself, so I put myself on Weight Watchers last Thursday. Today was 1 week into it and I've already lost 5 pounds. I'm hoping to lose 20 at least by the end of the year, and I think I've got a good chance of hitting my goal.

Part of me feels really embarrassed by admitting it, but the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. Truth is, I was so proud of myself when I weighed this morning and actually had a RESULT!! I love the accountability of the points and being mindful of everything I eat, and seeing that line go down on my weight tracker. And the fact that there is an iPhone app to help when I'm out and about or traveling for work REALLY helps. I don't feel deprived at all or that I'm even on a diet. I still get to eat the things that I love, although not as much, but it makes me appreciate it that much more.

As far as this blogging thing and self-discipline goes, I know I have to treat it just like a work project--do a little every day. And that's what I intend to do! I'll put it on my to-do list right up there with unloading the dishwasher. Baby steps!

Until tomorrow,

Time flies...

2010-07-29T10:03:00.004-05:00

Well, y'all. July has just been crazy for me.

As you know, BG and I returned home from Texas on July 5th, and obviously things have been hectic around here as I have not posted ONCE since we got back! Lots of things have been going on though:

I got a job! At my previous job, I was helping someone with a side project and she had been persistently trying to get me on her team since about February. Some how she managed to make that happen, and I have been working again since last Monday. I will be working as a contractor until the end of the year, and then we'll see where things go from there! Last week they had me in Minneapolis all week for training on a sales database, and then next week I'll be in Herndon, Virginia (near Washington DC) for a meeting.

I finished the desk! It is not perfect by any stretch, but I finished it. I built a desk! I'll post a picture soon--I'm still working on getting our "office" together and I want you to see it when it's all done and pretty! I took the color inspiration from a binder that I used when I was planning our wedding. Think: chocolate brown, turquoise, a light celery green, and white.

We've been working hard on the yard...we have new grass and everything! I have a few plants to shift around, and then I'll post pictures. PROMISE. And by "we", I mean Billy. He's the best.

I got an iPhone! Yeah, yeah, so what. But it's big news for me!

So anyway, the moral of the story is: I've been pretty busy. Since the beginning of June and then running through next week, I'll have been in or through 9 states! The girls and I drove to Florida, so that put me in Alabama, too. Then I drove to Texas, so that puts me through Louisiana and Arkansas. Last week's trip to Minneapolis, and had a stop in Illinois. And then next week I'll be in Virginia for work and then Georgia for our friend's wedding. Counting Tennessee, I've hit up a good 20% of the US!

Once I get settled in with work, I plan to get back on the workout wagon (I started Power 90 on Tuesday and it is so much better for me than P90X!), and finally put up some pictures of our house. I've been moving a lot of stuff around so it's kind of a disaster right now.

I hope everyone has a splendid weekend! I've got a birthday party to go to, and then week 2 of our card group...what about you?

We're back...

2010-07-06T12:01:00.002-05:00

We're back from Texas and I just wanted to show you how insane our kitchen looks right now.

It's pretty ridiculous.

I have lots of things to share: what we did to my mom's house, what Billy did while he was at home and I was gone, and what I'm up to now that I'm back.

Stay tuned!

Mama

2010-06-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

Here I am in Texas, and I guess it's been a while since I've been here during the summer months because OH. MY. GOSH...it is hot! It's not even 12 noon as I'm writing this and it's already over 90 degrees, with the heat index expected to be over 103. And don't even get me started about the humidity.

We've been doing our best to stay inside and keep cool and decided to have a little fun. And so, I wanted to introduce you to my mom. Blog, meet Marilyn!

She's goofy. She's funny. She's caring, opinionated, passionate.

And a barrel of fun and laughs.

Here's mama with the rugrats, Sophie (her dog) and of course, my Murphy.

Sophie just loves Murphy. Murphy, on the other hand, could take it or leave it.

There has been lots of growling in the past couple of days...

Sophie is such a cutie, but she is so mischievous!

And there's my sweet boy.

There will be many more pics from my little adventure in Texas, so stay tuned. On Friday I get to see my good friend Jill. We haven't seen each other in about 3 years, but we were super close when she lived in Nashville. I can't wait to see her and meet her sweet little girl Mia!

Stay cool, y'all!

Meet Victoria!

2010-06-16T13:00:00.004-05:00

Well, I've been a busy bee this month. How is it already June 16th?! On Sunday I returned from a quick little trip down to Watersound, FL to celebrate our good friend's bachelorette party weekend. And then this Friday I'm headed down to Texas to visit for about 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll get some of my beach pics up before I leave for Texas!

Anyway, Billy's best friend, Adam, and his wife, Ashley, recently welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world: Victoria Taylor Nelson. They were taking Adam's brother to the airport here in Nashville and decided to swing by for a visit, and we are so glad they did! Billy has been so busy with work, that we hadn't had a minute to run back to Billy's hometown to meet her.

Here are some pictures of her visit:

What is cuter than baby feet? Really!

Victoria with Uncle Billy

I can't even begin to describe how it made me feel to see Billy holding a little baby. It will definitely be a couple years before we start on Project Baby, but I know when the time comes, he will be such an amazing father! It was hilarious hearing him say "Hey little baby!".

It's time to go get ready for my trip! Happy hump day, y'all!

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

2010-06-04T15:54:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday!

I got bit by the baking bug today. Either that, or Billy kept asking me what I was doing with the butter on the counter that I was letting come to room temperature. We'll really never know.

In my folder of "Recipes To Try", I had a print-out from Tasty Kitchen, a complimentary website to our favorite Pioneer Woman where regular folks like me can submit their delicious recipes. It was a recipe for...Oatmeal Cream Pies. Now, I LOVE Oatmeal Cream Pies. But I also like knowing what is in my food, as opposed to buying treats like these from the grocery store. So I thought I would give this one a whirl.

Here is the link: Oatmeal Cream Pie Recipe. Oddly enough, it was posted by "whatmeganismaking"...sounds like this girl and I have a lot in common!

Here are a few pics I took:

Fresh oatmeal cookies, straight out of the oven!

Oatmeal Cream Pie!

After a pesky husband swooped in a took a bite out of my finished product...I won't name names.

I'm going to be honest here. I really did like this recipe, but I thought the oatmeal cookies were better by themselves!! I will definitely keep this recipe around, but probably just for the oatmeal cookie recipe. They were really easy to make and they made the house smell DELIGHTFUL!

**If you haven't checked out Pioneer Woman, I suggest you click on that handy little link above and give her a visit. Not only is she funny and delightfully quirky, but she has amazingly delicious recipes and even has a photography section--one from which I've learned quite a bit about photography and Photoshop. I've tried out several of her recipes and I'm rarely disappointed. I took these potatoes to our Easter gathering this year and they were a big hit!

Tata for now!

mrs g.

Martin's BBQ

2010-05-27T11:17:00.008-05:00

Last week, I got to tag along with my friend Jen Cook, who is one half of the very dynamic photographer duo Photographix here in Nashville. Jen and Ann are actually the ones that shot our engagement pictures, my bridals, and our wedding, and they do a fantastic job!! (If you have any sort of event coming up, you should check them out, for real!)

Jen was kind enough to let me tag along on her food assignment shoot for Southern Exposure magazine at Martin's BBQ Joint in Nolensville, TN. I had heard of this place before, mainly that the bbq is pretty legendary. They actually appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives last Monday!

Here are some my favorite shots:

I definitely have learned a thing or two from Miss Jen over the last few weeks that she's let me tag along with her and pick her brain:

How to use the light meter in my camera so I can get the correct exposure. This definitely takes the guessing game out of it, and I feel more in control of how good the shots turn out.
Take pictures of EVERYTHING. When she does shoots like this one, she says she takes hundreds of shots while the magazine will only use 4 or 5, but it's best to give them lots to choose from.
Some simple ways to enhance my photos in Photoshop, simply by adjusting the levels.

I'm getting a little more comfortable with both my camera and editing my photos, and seeing some of the ways Jen photographs stuff has given me a different perspective on how to shoot things on an angle or what to do in certain situations. Thanks so much Jen!

Yummy Pasta Salad

2010-05-22T12:07:00.003-05:00

Happy Saturday, everyone! I wanted to share with you the pasta salad recipe that Billy and I took for a spin last night. We wanted something light and fresh and this hit the spot!

I originally pulled this recipe from a magazine, that I'm guessing is Family Circle--the only clue I got was the familycircle.com on the bottom corner of the page. This was a reader recipe that was sent in and I LOVE any kind of pasta salad so I decided to try it out.

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

1 pound rotini

2 pounds thin-sliced chicken cutlets

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

1 large green pepper, cored, seeded, and diced

1 medium-size red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 scallions, trimmed and thinly slided

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup canola oil

1. Cook pasta following package directions. Drain.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat grill pan or broiler. Sprinkle chicken with the lemon juice and grill or broil for about 2 minutes per side or until internal temperature reads 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Set aside and let cool.

3. When cool, cut chicken into bite-size pieces and mix with cooled pasta in a large bowl. Add diced peppers, onion, scallions, and dill.

4. In a medium-size bowl, whisk mayo, vinegar, honey, mustard, sugar, onion powder, parsley flakes, salt and black pepper. Gradually whisk in oil.

5. Pour mayonnaise mixture over the pasta and chicken and toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Now I have to admit that I improvised a little on the recipe. I didn't have a red onion, so I used Vidalia onion. I did not have fresh dill, onion powder, or dried parsley flakes. I used dried dill weed in my sauce. And I only used half of the oil. I like how mine turned out but I'm curious how different it would taste if you follow the recipe exactly.

Things I liked about it:

The creamy yet tangy and light dressing.
The fresh crunch of the veggies.
The pasta--duh.

I'm not really a chicken fan, but I do like how it added some good protein in there. I think it would also be great with shrimp.

Billy mentioned this would be a good dish for a summer picnic, and I completely agree. This is one of those dishes that ABSOLUTELY tastes better the next day, when the sauce has had time to hang out and all the pasta is nice and cold.

Next up: Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies!!!

Quick one...

2010-05-17T15:01:00.004-05:00

I decided I needed to share two things with you real quick...

My dog.

My lunch.

That's all. So far this "freedom" thing is agreeing with me. :)

Here goes nothin'...

2010-05-15T11:03:00.004-05:00

Friends, I've recently been handed some lemons. At work I was up for a pretty decent promotion, which I did not get. I'm still trying to understand why that happened, because I looked back on that job description and checked off the requirements like you check off the items on your grocery list. While I have my own opinions about it, I'm not the type of person that's going to run my mouth (fingers?) because I didn't get my way.

I've decided to make something out of those lemons: I quit my job. I'm not sure what I'm making with those lemons yet, maybe lemonade? Maybe a cake? Maybe I'll take pictures of those lemons and sell them on Etsy? I dunno.

I've though a lot about this, even though things happened very quickly. I like to think that maybe the only reason for working there was so that I could meet Billy. Fortunately, our Dave Ramsey Debt Snowball has crushed many of our bills over the last several months, and with Billy working so much it has definitely afforded me this opportunity to jump ship and maybe pursue some things on my own.

Here are some things on my TO DO list:

Learn more about photography and SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!
Finish Photoshop Classroom in a Book, so I can edit my photos.
Restart P90X--we made it through Phase 1 and 2 last time. I'm going to do the Lean version this time and I'm determined to make it all the way through.
Cook. A lot.
Work on some things around the house. I plan on building myself a desk, and then tackling our laundry room with some help from Ana's plans on Knock Off Wood.
Teach myself how to sew finally.
Work up to at least a post per day.
Make a trip or two to Texas to see my mom in Houston and my friends Jill and Jenny in Dallas. Jill's baby Mia is soooooo cute, and I've been dying to squish her for MONTHS!

I'm not sure where this journey is going to take me. Maybe something with photography? Food photography? Catering? I don't know. I know there is a plan for me and I just have to wait and see what that is. I'm scared, anxious, excited. And scared. So, we'll see. Wish me luck.

Roast It Yourself...

2010-04-28T22:55:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite things to do on a quiet weekend morning is to get up and watch cooking shows--shocking, I know. A few years ago, I happened to be doing just that, and happened across Ellie Krieger's Healthy Appetite on FoodNetwork. On that particular episode she was making her Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce and it looked yummy and healthy, so I thought I would try it out.

Let me tell you, I completely fell in love with that dish. It is a staple in my repertoire and I make it often. But I always made it with the called-for jar of peppers. Until Saturday.

I had a big bag of sweet red peppers, rainy weather, and an empty house, so I decided to roast the peppers and play with my camera a little bit. It's really easy, and I totally have pictures of the whole process but for some reason my computer isn't cooperating with me at the moment.

I'll walk you through it anyway...

First, lay out your peppers in a single layer on a cookie sheet and stick it under the broiler. The peppers will bubble, blister, hiss, sizzle, squeal, and make all sorts of noises you didn't think they should make.

When they are all bubbly and brown on one side (about 10-15 minutes), flip'em over and roast the other side.

Then, put all the peppers in a big bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Leave them in there for at least 30 minutes or so. This way they'll be cool enough to handle, and being in that bowl under the plastic wrap will steam them and make it SUPER easy to peel them.

Finally, peel all of the skin off, pull out the stem, and clean the pepper of all the seeds. If you don't use all of the peppers right then, you can store them in olive oil in an air-tight container.

I used about 3 of my roasted, cleaned peppers and made my favorite pasta, and it was a million times better than with the peppers out of the jar...totally worth the extra effort! With that, friends, I leave you with this photo of my finished pasta:

And believe me, it was every bit as good as it looks.

I hope everyone is having a superb week!

Treasure Hunt.

2010-04-24T13:07:00.001-05:00

Last night, I came home and the Billy Goat had a little surprise for me.

It started at the back door, with a note that read:

“Ready to Play?

When I am visiting, I need to get clean...”

With that note was a 4G SD Card. Hmmm...

I thought for a minute and then decided that if I was visiting and needed to get clean, I would go to the guest bathroom. So off I went. Nothing in the sink. Nothing on the toilet. I checked behind the shower curtain...a-ha!

Note #2, taped onto a camera bag.

“What good is an empty bag? There has to be more.

You can say when I’m in the kitchen I’m TOP SHELF”

So I went on to the kitchen. Nothing on our top shelves in the cabinets looked out of the ordinary, so I checked the pantry...bingo!

Note #3, taped onto a ZOOM LENS...

“So you do agree I’m Top Shelf? I’m kind of pointless without my body...

I like to hang out in very dry places...”

DRY PLACES? DRY PLACES...DRY PLACES!!! THE DRYER!

Being the ding-a-ling I am, I looked in the washer first...oops. Nothing there. Look in the dryer next, and dug under some clean clothes I really need to fold...

Note #4, taped onto a CANON EOS REBEL T1i DSLR CAMERA!!!

“You found me!!! I’m all yours. Love, Billy and Murphy”

Swoon. Sigh. Grin. My husband sent me on a little in-home treasure hunt for the camera I’ve been gabbing on and on about for at least 6 months. My BFF Kara was there, and got to witness the whole thing. I was sort of in shock, and she summed it up perfectly when she said I was all “twitterpated”. You got it, girl.

So that lead on to lots of hugs, kisses, thank yous, beers, and the best darn burgers and potato salad I’ve had in months! I took a couple pictures but haven’t gotten very far in the manual yet to know how to upload them...haha. I’m working on it and will hopefully have some pics to post later today or tomorrow.

Now that I think about it, is TOP SHELF a play on TOP CHEF? Or could it be just that it is really good? Either way, I think it’s adorable.

I stinkin’ love that guy.

Mmmmmmmmuffins

2010-03-27T11:56:00.004-05:00

A few years ago for my birthday, one of my work friends gave me this cookbook: 500 Cupcakes!

While I haven't tried as many of the recipes as I would like, I have definitely found a favorite...for life. The Zucchini & Feta Muffins--these muffins are to die for!

I took a much needed "mental health day" yesterday and woke up yesterday morning and decided to make these muffins for Billy and me. He's been on night work lately and and working so hard, and I am in a bit of a mental funk--don't ask me why, it just happens--and thought these would be a nice treat. And I magically had all the ingredients...don't you just love when that happens?!

Billy mentioned that this was one of the ways I reeled him in...I think I brought one of these to him at work when we first started giving each other that sideways look...hehe. I try to make them for him every once in a while. He loves them. They are especially good right out of the oven with butter. Mmmmmmmm.

Dogs love them, too! Murph was very insistent that I let him sample a piece, just to make sure they were ok. They passed the test.

And for the record, I cannot WAIT to get my hands on a DSLR so I can take better food pictures...

So, if you happen to come across any of those 500 cookbooks, I definitely recommend picking up one or two. I have the appetizer one as well, and there are some yummy treats in there, too!

I want to go to there...

2010-03-23T21:47:00.004-05:00

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I watch a lot of Food Network. In particular, I'm a giant huge-normous fan of Giada De Laurentiis. At the moment, I'm watching some episodes of Giada at Home that have been collecting dust on our DVR. Have you ever watched the show?

I couldn't find many pictures of the house, but some of the images they have on her show are enough to make even the luckiest girl go green with envy. On the beach, the lawns are perfectly manicured, and I absolutely adore her kitchen.

You can see the waves from her little window there. And I just love how the bottom cabinets are dark while the top cabinets are white with glass fronts. And the tile backsplash. Everything is just so light and airy! Makes me want to go remodel the kitchen...JUST KIDDING, BILLY!!

Really, you should go watch it. You might learn how to cook something yummy, too!

Sorry...

2010-03-19T21:38:00.003-05:00

I have been a really bad blogger lately. Here's what's been going on:

On March 4th, my parents came up from Texas.
On March 7th, I turned 27.
My parents were here all through the next week until this Monday, the 15th.
Since the time change I have been ABSOLUTELY WIPED OUT! I know it's only an hour, but I have never been so tired in my life. No, I'm not pregnant.

I have made some developments in our living room decor though. I was somewhat perplexed about what else to put in here and the thought of driving to a bunch of stores absolutely puts me in a panic. So, I put together another mood board.

What we already have:

Our walls are painted Behr's Garden Wall.
The blue is the color of the curtains.
The rug is from Pier 1.
The couch is from Haverty's.

What is new:

The pretty flower print, also from Pier 1.
Some bright pillows, from Pier 1, in a pretty coral. I decided this room was too blah and needed to dial up the color a bit.
That pendant lamp is the awesome one at West Elm. However, Billy wrinkled his nose at the thought of wiring a light where I wanted it, so we got the one I've been keeping my eyes on from CB2. It came yesterday. It's perdy.
I already have a ceramic garden stool, but it's in a creamy ivory color. I'm contemplating spray painting it copper.
I really want that big Expedit shelf from Ikea. Maybe we'll use this as a reason to visit Atlanta!

I'll get some pictures taken this weekend and post up here for an AFTER moment. I'm definitely much happier with how things are looking around here compared to before, although my "I want to do this..." list seems to grow by the minute.

I hope everyone has had a great March so far!

It ain't easy being green...thumbed.

2010-02-28T15:19:00.006-06:00

Last week we were outside with Murph-dog when I happened to look down and notice the sore state of our herbs we potted last spring. They looked REAL pathetic. I have been pretty neglectful of these little plants, having left them outside for most of the winter so far, so I wasn't really shocked at how bad they looked. While not very surprised, it did make me a little sad. I decided to see if I could revive them. First, I brought in the chives, trimmed them down pretty short, cleaned out all the leaves and random debris, and gave them a good watering.

After a week, this is what we ended up with:

These little guys bounced back like champs! Seeing how quickly they grew back inspired me to see if I could revive the other herbs that were still pretty sad-looking. I re-potted the parsley and rosemary and brought them inside and put them in front of the window next to the chives. Here is what they look like now:

When I repotted the parsley, the soil was pretty much a frozen brick; however, there was some new growth so I thought there may be a chance. I cleaned them up real quick and added some more potting mix.

And here is the rosemary. Yes, I know it looks more like the dried kind you buy in the bottle than a live plant, but hopefully a little TLC is all it needs.

I was also pretty determined to do a better job at my indoor greenhouse than I did last year. Like I said, I'm pretty lazy at the gardening. I have a "set it and forget it" mentality with things like this that I know require more attention than a silly rotisserie chicken machine. Oops!

We stopped by Home Depot this morning and got two new Jiffy Greenhouses and a few other seed packets.

I also used some of the leftovers from last year's attempt, but when I went to plant the tomato and oregano seeds, those packets were empty. Back to Home Depot! How many times have we said that phrase...way too many, I assure you. Those will have to go in greenhouse #2.

Here's one greenhouse after I applied the correct amount of water to allow the peat pellets to expand.

Tiny little basil seeds.

Pepper seeds ready to be covered.

My jalapenos, bell peppers, and basil.

According to the packets it will take around 2 weeks for them to germinate and start growing into little baby plants.

I also picked up this magazine, Starting from Seed from the folks at Fine Gardening.

I can definitely use all the help I can get. I WILL have a fantastic garden this year!

A few things I learned so far:

Not all plants need to be started inside in a greenhouse. Some of them (like cilantro and green onions) need to be started in the ground after the last frost. So here in Nashville that means sometime around April or May.
Seeds need a humid environment to germinate.
How cool is that eggshell container! What a clever idea!
Starting plants from seeds is way more cost efficient than buying mature plants from the store. One packet of seeds can yield up to 20 or more plants for LESS than what it would cost to buy only one mature plant.
I have a lot more to learn!

From here there are several things we need to do to get a garden ready. We have learned that fill dirt was used in our backyard, so other than "growing" things like glass and old car parts that like to come out of the dirt in our yard, we probably can't grow much else back there. We are probably going to have to plant our baby plants in a container garden rather than directly in the ground. While we were outside today we took measurements of our backyard space so we can plan out material costs and keep in budget. Stay tuned!

images provided by yours truly. :)

Will you be my V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E...

2010-02-14T16:27:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I have to admit, I am a converted former V-day cynic. I would be in constant eye-roll mode as soon as the pink and red stuff hit the store shelves right after the new year hit every year. Until last year. Last year, Billy and I had our first Valentine's Day together and this year was our first as a married couple. Here's what I woke up to this morning:

And there was a sweet little card on my nightstand, too! As for my gift for BG, I'm goofy and like to make people things. So, I put together a little basket for him, including a calendar, a little coupon book, and the I Love You, Man DVD. This movie cracks us up...BIG TIME!

I also made what turned out to be the most funky looking heart-shaped sugar cookies ever made in the history of the world. I am clearly not good with the whole cookie-cutting thing. Do I stick to just "blob" cookies (cookies that you just put a blob of dough on the pan and let the oven do its thing) or keep working on it? We'll see...

I managed to arrange them artfully enough to hide the wonkiness. They were pretty tasty though. As for the calendar, I totally have to give credit where it's due. I got the idea from Young House Love's post Calendar Girl (& Boy). This was an idea that John put together for Sherry with some of their funny inside jokes, and I thought it was such a cute idea that I just had to do it. There's no possible way I could've figured out how to whip out a calendar like that, so it was a great thing for me that they posted the template. Billy just went nuts over it!! So thanks to John and Sherry for such a cute idea that was super cheap ($0!!) and one that we can enjoy all year long!

Today has been really great though. We've just been hanging around on the couch watching the Olympics and taking advantage of the cold, gloomy weather outside. We managed to venture out to grab a coffee and we'll have to figure out how to peel ourselves off the couch to get our daily workout in, but I'm sooooo not looking forward to that. Ugh!

And by the way...every day I come home from work and find the couch cushion in front of the window squished on one side and now I know why. I think Murphy has found himself a little perch...

Happy Valentine's and Go Team USA!

Evolution

2010-02-08T18:58:00.003-06:00

No, I'm not about to go on a rant about Charles Darwin. I'm talking about personal evolution. Today Billy and I ran to Costco around lunch to see if they had this month's book club book: The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow. They didn't. On our way to get a hotdog, I just happened to look at the price of that Canon EOS Rebel Xsi DSLR camera I've been salivating over for a while. It was $150 MORE than the last time I saw it.

Insert Homer Simpson's drooly sound here...

Not gonna lie, I kinda pouted for a minute. Just days ago Billy and I were talking about maybe treating ourselves to a few things if we did, in fact, get a bonus at work. This was on the short list. Until now.

As I was drowning my sorrows in my hotdog, I had an epiphany. A little voice inside my head said "Well, maybe I don't really need it right now." Holy crap. What was that? I just grew up.

That took me to what I learned in the most recent Dave Ramsey lesson from this weekend: Buyer Beware, more specifically the segment called Power Over Purchases. When making major purchases--which these days is anything over $100 for us--Dave Ramsey recommends you go through these 5 little steps:

Wait over night. Get over the high of a significant purchase. If you go back and it's not there anymore or not on sale anymore, that might be God's way of saying NO! You don't need that camera/puppy/Coach purse...
Carefully consider your buying motives. No amount of stuff will make you happy. Don’t let your stuff get you! Is it a need or a want? WANT. Next...
Never buy anything you don’t understand. I will admit that I know way more about photography than I did 6 months ago. I guess I was justifying it by saying Well, I can't REALLY learn if I don't have anything to learn on, right? WRONG. I still have a perfectly awesome point-and-shoot that I still haven't mastered.
Consider the opportunity cost on your money. What opportunity are you giving up by spending that money or saving that money? We would be giving up the opportunity to become $600+ closer to being debt-free. In my book, that's a lot more valuable.
Seek the counsel of your spouse. What does Billy think? "You don't need it right now anyway, really." Sigh.

I'm not really sure what to do next. Obviously, I won't be buying a camera. I've tossed around the idea of putting $50 away every month until I have enough to buy it but the idea of paying COLD HARD CASH for it is a lot sweeter. I may even get a better deal.

Time to go work off that hotdog.

Pork it over...

2010-02-07T16:26:00.004-06:00

My DVR is pretty full of cooking shows, mainly those by Giada DeLaurentiis and Ina Garten. Something about their shows relaxes me and I'll often plop down on the couch and watch a show or two to unwind. During one of those instances, Giada was whipping up a tasty pork recipe so I decided I'd print out that recipe and try it. Billy and I had a large package of pork chops in the freezer and we wanted to try a new way to cook them and boy were we pleased with this recipe!! I served it with whipped potatoes and it was delish!

Pork Chops with Fennel and Caper Sauce

Recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients:

1/4 c olive oil

4 boneless (2-inch-thick) pork chops (about 2 pounds total)

3/4 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning meat

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat

2 fennel bulbs with fronds, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1/3 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus 1/3 c

1/2 c white wine

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices

1/2 lemon, zested

2 tbs capers

Directions:

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add teh pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Add the fennel, shallots, and 1/3 c parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the pork back into the pan, nestling the chops between the fennel and tomatoes so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices. Cook until the fennel is tender and the pork is done, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining 1/3 cup parsley, capers, and 3/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.

We also tried Pork Chops Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach, also from Giada. They were super yummy! If your pork chops are really thick like ours were, stick them in the oven for a bit to finish cooking them so you won't burn the outside or any of the stuffing. The pork turned out perfectly and the stuffing was so creamy and flavorful. Mmmm!

Enjoy!

What's been going on...

2010-02-06T11:16:00.003-06:00

So here we are, a little more than a month into 2010, and I thought I would take a minute to grade myself on how well I've been doing on all those ambitious resolutions...

P90X: Billy and I are starting week 6 today. I have to admit I missed a few (really, only 3!) workouts when I was in Houston last week visiting my mom, but I jumped right back into it. It actually felt a little weird to not work out! I'm so proud of Billy: he can do SEVERAL pull-ups while I'm still hanging around at a half pull-up. I know, I'm lame. I can definitely see a change in my body and I feel great! We're totally finishing this time!

Dave Ramsey: Definitely doing some good things here. I really enjoy listening to the lessons. Not only is he funny but he makes you look at your money in a whole new way. We have successfully completely Baby Step #1 of having our Emergency Fund, and it was a good thing we had that too. Every winter our electric bill seems to be a bit on the ridiculous side, and this was one of those times. Had we not had our Emergency Fund to dip into, we would have been hurtin' this month. Now we just replenish what we borrowed from it and keep truckin' on Baby Step #2: getting out of debt.

Church: Haven't found one and haven't gone. Fail.

Healthy Marriage: There are some books I want to read and we definitely want to go see our Pre-marital counselor for a "check up" at some point, but over all things are great!

Trying new recipes: We are doing pretty good in this department. We've made our own bread and it was delicious! I've also tried out some recipes that I printed off of FoodNetwork.com. I'll post about those soon...you should try them because they were fantastic!

Eat locally: Fail on this one too...but that's not totally my fault. We will start on the Farmer's Markets in the spring, promise!

Keeping reading: I finished The Help and it was fantastic! I was actually sad when I finished. I haven't picked up the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle book again yet but that's because I decided to read To Kill A Mockingbird again. I know I read it in school at some point, but when I read it this time I just loved it. I finished it this morning. Our next book club book is The Girls from Ames, and my brother's girlfriend gave me her copy of American Wife. So we're ok here.

Learn to sew: Nope.

Take more pictures: Still figuring out my camera, but I definitely have been taking more pictures. And I have my eye on a Canon Rebel that we may treat ourselves to if we get a bonus at work. Yay!

Wake up earlier: Ha!

Housekeeping: Oy.

I'm definitely going to keep up with these for the rest of the year. And try to learn to knit. And blog more. See what I do to myself? That can't be healthy...

Snowy Day

2010-01-29T18:47:00.005-06:00

Here's a pic of our cute little house in the snow. Nashville has been getting dusted by a nice little blanket of snow all day. Being from Houston originally and only seeing snow like twice in my life before I moved here, I just can't get enough and think it's so pretty! --But only if you get to stay inside and snuggle with the sweetest guy and dog on the planet...

Here are some more pictures I took before I froze solid...

Hey, where's Murph?

I hope everyone stays warm tonight ! Happy Friday!

Idea Overload!

2010-01-15T20:57:00.004-06:00

I've had a busy week this week and I'm just now having time to catch up on all my blog reading. That, combined with some of the office redecorating projects my new boss has tasked me with has totally awakened a monster. I have so many ideas for projects that they are about to come spilling out of my ears and all over the dog.

#1. Build a desk.

For a while, I have been absolutely salivating over a Parsons Desk from West Elm. Until now.

Just a little bit ago I sat down to read my favorite shelter blog Young House Love. Lo and behold, today's post featured a site that teaches you how to DIY the furniture pieces you love to dog-ear from your West Elm and Pottery Barn catalogs. I do not know who this girl is, but I just want to give her a big hug. Honey, you just saved us about $250! The site is Knock Off Wood. You're welcome.

#2. Master bedroom upgrade.

I. HATE. THE. COLOR. IN. OUR. MASTER. BEDROOM. (and bathroom)

I feel better now that I've gotten that off my chest. I picked this color before we moved into the house and basically off of a computer screen. Bad idea, friends. I had envisioned this beautiful teal-gray. What did I end up with? BLUE. Or, as my friends have dubbed it, Adult Blue. They all like it. I hate it. I don't think Billy really cares. Either way, it must go. Enter design*sponge. I saw this redesign from a person that started with BLUE, and was blessed with this...

HOLY SANCTUARY, BATMAN! I absolutely love this. I think I can achieve something similar for not much more than a couple gallons of paint and by using a lot of what we already have on-hand. Yes, please!

#3. Let there be cake (stands)!

I think this idea is freaking brilliant. This came from a bride on a budget via design*sponge again. I love cake stands. If I had unlimited space in which to store them, I would probably buy every single one I see. Luckily for Billy and our bank account, I do not. This clever chick-a-dee got some textured plates and candle holders from her nearby Goodwill store, glued the plate to the candle holder, and then spray-painted the pair white. BRILLIANT. I'm gonna do this!

My absolute favorite part of all these little projects is that they are very wallet-friendly. As you know from previous posts, part of our goal for this year was to get down and dirty with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and turn our money frowns upside-down. I think we can spend less than $150 on all of these and stay well within our budget. I don't know about you, but I think that would get a big DR Seal of Approval!

OK back to reading. There are still over 200 new items in my Google Reader.

Workin' on my Fitness...

2010-01-10T11:45:00.002-06:00

Last night we started our second week of P90X. The first work-out of the week is Chest & Back, which includes lots of push-ups and pull-ups. I have struggled with the whole push-ups and pull-ups thing for a while but guess what: I have officially graduated to doing push-ups the REAL way and not using my knees!! I was so proud of myself! Granted, I wasn't able to do very many but any little improvement is good for me.

I'm also really proud of Billy. He's killin' those push-ups!

We were so wiped out that we skipped the Ab Ripper work-out, but if we're not feeling too puny today after Plyometrics I may try to go ahead and get it over with.

Now time to go climb Laundry Mountain...

Happy 2010!

2010-01-05T15:26:00.004-06:00

I know this is a little late, but Happy New Year!

I've taken a little more time than most do to reflect on the past year and what's to come in 2010. Mainly because I've been too lazy and sore to get off the new couch. Why am I sore? Well, because Billy and I have decided to do P90X. Again. More on that later though.

Overall, 2009 was pretty darn awesome. It didn't start off so great because my grandmother passed away, so we started off the year at a funeral. I still haven't taken her name out of my cell phone contacts and I think about her all the time, especially when I make her amazing Pumpkin Cake and whipped potatoes.

I turned 26.

Billy and I got engaged.

Billy and I got married.

So yeah, I think 2009 was a great year. I don't know how 2010 could top it, but if it doesn't, I'd be ok with that. I'm actually looking forward to just BEING. Last year seemed so crazy and full of excitement that I can't wait to just let everything sink in and enjoy it.

I do have some goals for 2010 though. Our two main objectives for this year can be complete by the end of March if we stick with them, and I hope we do!

1--P90X. If you have not heard of P90X you may be living under a rock. No, it's not a cult. It's a DVD-based workout program, but it is INTENSE! This is our 3rd go-round with it. The first time we started around September, then all the wedding excitement and busy-ness got in the way of us finishing. We started AGAIN shortly after we got back from our honeymoon in Hawaii, but then the holidays hit and, well, you know how that goes. We started on Saturday the 2nd, so tonight will be our 4th workout this week: the dreaded YogaX. It is like Yoga on Crack AND Steroids. I hate it. But I love it.

2--Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. My dad has barked at me to do this for I don't know how long. I actually enjoy Dave Ramsey. He makes learning about finances and how to take care of yourself financially quite enjoyable. We listened to the first lesson this weekend and filled out our Quickie Budget. We're in decent shape. We have a good grip on what our debts are and what we will need to do to be debt-free. The hard part of this is, like anything, following it and sticking to it. I really want Billy and I to have a very financially sound future, and I think if we start this now we have a good shot at it. Plus the fact that DR's office is around the corner from my office doesn't hurt. And it's across the street from the mall. Did he do that on purpose?? Sure, until we get a grip on things financially our fun projects around the house may be put on hold. The camera I want will have to wait. But those are sacrifices we are willing to make!

Say your prayers that we stick with both! Encouragement in the form of comments is greatly appreciated. :)

There are a few other things I'd like to accomplish this year:

Find a church we like and go regularly.
For Billy and me to keep working on having a healthy marriage.
Try at least 1 new recipe a week.
Eat locally. Nashville has a great Farmer's Market and our neighborhood has some great local food resources and we want to start taking advantage of them. I've started reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it's really shocking how much goes into getting our food from one place to another. I'm no tree-hugger here but I want to know where my food is coming from! Hopefully we can build some planter boxes in our backyard this year and do most of the gardening ourselves, but whatever we can't and don't grow ourselves is really less than a few miles away. I think we can handle that.
Keep up the reading. I average about 3-4 books a month--less during the holidays of course, but I just love to read. I'm in a book club and for that we're reading The Help. Yes, I read 2 books at once. If I don't get them mixed up, I'll tell you about both when I finish!
Learn to sew. My awesome in-laws Bill and Cindy (I really was blessed in that department!) gave me a sewing machine LAST Christmas. I've taken it out of the box once. Hopefully by this time next year I will have at least fired it up and figured out what the heck a bobbin is...
Take more pictures. I have a pretty decent point-and-shoot. I've somehow managed to jack up the settings on it trying to shoot in Manual mode, but I'll get it figured out. Pretty self-explanatory.
Get up earlier. Ugh. Not doing so hot in that department.
Get better at the housekeeping thing. Having a job really gets in the way of that, doesn't it? Really I would just like to get up early enough to make the bed for the day (see above). Stay on top of the laundry--which would actually require folding it after drying it instead of dumping it in the basket. I'd like to start making our own cleaning products, try to not kill plants, etc. We'll see.

So that's pretty much it. I will definitely update on how the P90X and DR stuff goes. You'll get some book reports. You'll of course see some pictures, of food and the house. House pictures will inspire better housekeeping efforts, so I think this all works together quite nicely.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Thoughts?

2009-12-30T18:19:00.004-06:00

Here's the rug at Pier 1. The camera on my phone isn't that great so the colors in the picture aren't as vibrant as they are in person, but it has the right colors in it. It has a similar green/blue as the curtains--just enough so it isn't matchy-matchy. What do we think??

And the couch is AWESOME!! It makes the room look so much bigger and is so comfy! I can't wait to have the room all done!

It's here...

2009-12-30T10:14:00.007-06:00

The new couch arrived this morning!! I haven't seen it yet in person, but here is the picture Billy sent me on his iPhone after it was delivered...

As you can see, the new curtains are up. I was ironing for probably 2 hours last night! I hate ironing!! We have a huge "needs to be ironed" pile in the laundry room to prove it. And while I was ironing Billy mopped the floors so they would be all clean for the new couch. Yes, ladies, he mops!

Hopefully when I get home we can make a decision on the rug. There was another (cheaper!) one we found at Pier1, and now that I think about it, I think I like that one too. It has more color to it, which I think will brighten things up more.

Now comes the dilemma about the right lamp to use. On the left side of the couch is a floor lamp that will more than likely stay in there. I've had my eye on this lamp from CB2 that has a base that fits under the couch so it can go in that corner and hang over the couch. It really isn't the right finish that I want for the room, but I figure I can spray paint the base and get some linen fabric to wrap the shade to bring in some natural textures. Decisions, decisions!

By the way, that's Murphy on the couch. Billy says he loves the new couch because he can check out what's going on outside both windows without having to jump down and back up. That's really all that matters, right?

Switcheroo

2009-12-29T14:06:00.005-06:00

I get bored. Easily. Especially with decor. I'm always thinking of ways to switch things up or add a little something extra to a room.

Recently, BG and I decided that since we seem to have more visitors at one time than we normally expected, we could use more seating in the living room, and more sleeping space in the house in general.

So we bought a new couch! It has not arrived yet, but is supposed to be planted safely in our living room by 10:30am tomorrow morning. We know how these delivery "windows" work, so we'll see if it gets there on time. I hope to be able to post some before and after pics of the whole house this weekend.

Until then, here is a basic idea of what the living room will have in it:

Our wall color is Behr's Garden Wall. We have it throughout most of the house, and it seems to be just brown and just grey enough to go with pretty much anything. And it makes the house seem nice and cozy! We love it.

I scored some pretty blue curtains on clearance through JCPenny.com. They are Linden Street's Grommet Top curtains in Lake Mist. I got the 95" ones because I like them to go all the way to the floor.

This couch is the one we have been anxiously waiting on for a while. It's a Haverty's sectional in Vanilla. We don't have kids yet and our dog, Murphy, is pretty low maintanence in the cleanliness department, so we are taking our chances with a white couch! We chose the reversed layout because Billy made the excellent point that the room would flow better if the couch was under both the front and side windows. You'll see what I mean when I get pictures up here...

And lastly is the rug that I found on Overstock.com. I'm not 100% sure that's the one we're going to get yet, but it is the front-runner for all of the ones we've looked at.

Then we'll need to find some lamps and a few more accessories, but at least we'll have most of the room together when the couch arrives.

Tonight's project is ironing all 6 of those curtain panels...

Rollin' and Whippin'

2009-12-22T11:50:00.011-06:00

This past Saturday, my fabulous friend Catherine invited me and the girls over for Girls' Night In Potluck--a night of good company, good wine, and of course, good food! I immediately knew what I was going to make: Asparagus Roll-ups and Whipped Potatoes. The girls loved them SO much that I'll tell YOU how to make them too!

ASPARAGUS ROLL-UPS

Ingredients:
White Bread (1 slice of bread makes 2 roll-ups)
8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
Asparagus
2-3 tbsp melted butter
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
Herbs de Provence

First, decide how many roll-ups you want to make. Like I said earlier, 1 slice of white bread makes 2 roll-ups. I decided 4 per person was a good number, so I would need 8 slices of bread. It helps if the bread is not super-fresh.

Once you decide how many you want to make, get your bread out and start slicing off the crusts. Aim to end up with a square-shaped piece of bread, or something pretty close.

Now, get your rolling pin out. Roll each slice of bread out until it is about 1/4" in thickness. It may end up a little wonky-looking...

So get out your paring knife and slice off those crooked parts. Then slice all the slices of bread in half DIAGONALLY!

Next, prepare your asparagus. If you are using canned, make sure you drain it really well or else everything will end up soggy. I used frozen, and you just throw them into boiling water for a few minutes. Don't let them boil too long or they will be mushy! You can also grill your fresh aparagus or flash boil them and then shock them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and retain their color. Whatever floats your boat! Then cut them to about 2-inch-long pieces.

Now prepare your cream cheese. I usually add around a 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper (you can use freshly ground black pepper or white pepper), and about a tablespoon of Herbs de Provence. I like HDP because it has a great mix of a bunch of herbs like Rosemary and Thyme. If that's not enough, keep adding seasoning to taste.

Now GET ROLLIN'.

Smear each triangle of bread with your cream cheese mixture.

Place 3-4 pieces of asparagus on the cream cheese-coated bread in the middle. Fold over the left side of the bread.

Now fold over the right side. The cream cheese MAGICALLY makes the roll-up stay rolled!

After you have rolled all of your roll-ups, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Make sure your oven is pre-heated to around 400.

Brush a little bit of the melted butter onto each roll-up and then dust each one with the Parmesan cheese.

Bake those little suckers for about 20 minutes, or until the tops of the roll-ups are golden brown.
Enjoy! They are great!

WHIPPED POTATOES

There's only one small trick to these. I just started these potatoes like you normally do: peeled and chopped potatoes in salted, boiling water and boil until fork-tender.

Now BEFORE you drain your potatoes, combine about a cup of your cooking liquid with about 1/3 cup dry milk. Mix it really good. Drain your potatoes.

Put your potatoes back into the pot and gradually add the milk as you beat them with a hand mixer. Adding the mixture gradually helps avoid ending up with potato soup!

Now beat the potatoes with your mixer on the highest speed, until they look soft and light. Add salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of butter and that's it!

Try them out, I hope you enjoy them!

Billy helped, too. Thanks babe!

Now off to go shopping with my mom and brother. Bye!

mg

Hello there!

2009-12-18T14:23:00.003-06:00

Hi!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Megan, and this little blog is about life with my new husband, Billy. My friends have hilariously dubbed him Billy Goat, hence the name of the blog! He even has a shirt that says "Billy Goat". I'll post a picture of it once I figure out how to do that!

This blog isn't about anything too terribly important, basically just about our little life, little projects we decide to tackle around our house (more pics of that later, too!), stuff I like to cook, our dog, our friends, stuff like that.

The short version of our story is that Billy and I work together, which is how we met. His boss decided that we would make a good couple, and the rest is basically history. We got married on October 10th of this year and have been living the happy newlywed life since, hopefully with many more happy years to come!

We moved into our little house in September of 2008, in what I like to call an "Urban Suburb" of Nashville. It was built in 1920, redone and added onto in 2004 (we think), and we landed there last year. We've had a great time personalizing it, although I tend to get bored quickly and easily, so I'm always dreaming up new design plans and playing the "What If We Did This" game. Poor Billy.

So anyway, this is our story. Please bear with me as I figure out and get used to this whole blogging thing!

Bye for now!

mrs g.