Live, Love, Learn: Journeys of a Green-Eyed Girl

It's Been Too Long....

2011-12-18T23:42:00.000-05:00

It's been forever since I last updated my blog; my life has been an absolute whirlwind...a nutty, crazy whirlwind. Rotations started in August and near killing me...so hard and so time consuming! However, that's not what today's post is about....I have some good news: BRANDON AND I ARE ENGAGED!!!!!!

We had been planning to attend a Red Wing's game for a while and it worked out that we could go yesterday. We planned to meet our friends, Chris and Kristin in Detroit for the game and grab some dinner after the game. Brandon threw me for a bit of a loop during the day and mentioned that I should dress up because dinner would be fancy; I'll be honest, I freaked out a bit because I had NOTHING to wear...such a snot, I know. Anyway, I figured out an outfit and we were off.

We met Chris and Kristin at the arena and Kristin mentioned that she forgot about work the next morning, and they couldn't join us for dinner. Brandon said we would go anyway, and that his friend, Tim (who works in downtown Detroit), had made a reservation for us at 10:30. The game was great and the final score was 8-2, in favor of the Wings.

We drove to the Renaissance Center and headed in for dinner at a restaurant called the Coach Insignia. It was stunning! It was on the 72nd floor and the whole restaurant is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows that looks over the river. We could see all the lights of Canada while big, fat snowflakes floated past the windows. The food was phenomenal and the ambiance was perfect: low lights, decorated for Christmas and quiet Christmas music playing in the background.

After dinner, Brandon suggested we see Tim's office on the 55th floor before we left the building. We got off the elevator and all we could see were hotel rooms. I mentioned that he might have the wrong floor, but he kept going, saying that it was up ahead. A few doors down, we came to a room with the door ajar; he started to go in and I had a fit thinking he was going into someone else's room. He opened the door and I walked into a room filled with roses, candles and a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of all the lights of Canada.
He pulled out a ring from his pocket, told me he has known for a very long time that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was so surprised; I had no idea it was coming! I of course said YES!

We stayed in Detroit last night, and today he had part 2 of my engagement surprise; we drove to Midland and stopped at the Tridge. We walked over the first arm of the bridge and he stopped, pulled out a lock and handed it to me. Engraved on the lock was our names, the date of our engagement and the word "forever." He had talked with my Mom about doing something special to make the day that much more memorable and she mentioned a river in Paris where lovers place a lock on the bridge on the river and throw the key into water for good luck. Well, his idea was to hide our lock on the Tridge and throw the keys into the water below.

I feel so lucky to have found such a thoughtful, sweet, caring man and can't wait to marry my best friend. Let the planning begin!!

Niagara Vacation Day 3: Niagara Falls, Canada

2011-08-18T23:44:00.000-04:00

We got up the next morning, packed up, checked out and headed back across the bridge to Canada. We parked the car and headed out to Clifton Street, the main strip in the area. We went to a wax museum of movie stars, and then walked down to the walkway along the falls. The view was spectacular! From there, we headed up toward the hotels and casino in the area to find a place for lunch. Along the way, we noticed the casino was offering a show that evening: Le Grand Cirque. It looked like it would be similar to Cirque de Soleil and we both have always wanted to see that, so we bought tickets. We grabbed lunch, headed back to the car and then made our way to the hotel. We got a free upgrade to a top floor room with a falls view....gorgeous! We checked into the room and took a quick nap. That evening, we had dinner and went to our show; it was very similar to Cirque de Soleil like we thought: acrobatics, feats of strength and types of dance. It was incredible! After the show, we got chocolate shakes at the Hershey store and headed back to the room. The view of the falls was so beautiful; they light up the falls at night so they were a mix of blues, greens, purples and reds. Perfect end to a busy, busy day.

The view of the Falls from the Canadian side

The Casino where we saw the show

The views from our hotel room

The next morning, yesterday, we packed up and started our long drive back to Michigan. We stopped back in Hamilton to go to the beach again for a bit and round of putt-putt golf. We finally got back over the border around 6pm last night. We were pooped; we crammed a lot of stuff in those four days. We had so much fun: beautiful weather, gorgeous sites, lots of entertainment....all in all, a great trip!

Niagara Vacation Day 2: Niagra Falls, NY

2011-08-18T23:23:00.000-04:00

The next morning, we drove back into the States over the Rainbow Bridge. We bought an "adventure pass" that allowed us to do five attractions in the state park: Maid of the Mist tour, Cave of the Winds walk into the falls, Imax movie about the falls, Niagara Aquarium, and the Niagara Gorge Museum. We also purchased trolley tickets that provided a scenic ride all over the park. That evening, we checked into our hotel, showered and cleaned up and headed over to the Canada side of the falls for dinner, some adventure golf and a ferris wheel ride. We then headed back to the NY side and to our hotel for the night.

On the observation deck above the falls

On the Maid of the Mist boat

Heading back from the falls

In front of American Falls

In our ponchos for the Cave of the Winds walk into the falls

Walking up into the falls.....so powerful!

Modeling our free sandals from the Cave of the Winds

Comfy sandals!

Lunch at the top of the falls

In the aquarium

The best Adventure golf ever!

In the Sky Wheel overlooking the falls

Kisses!

Niagara Vacation Day 1: Hamilton, Ontario

2011-08-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

Brandon and I went on vacation for four days earlier this week. We spent a night in Hamilton, Ontario, then a night on the New York side of Niagra Falls and finally, a night on the Canada side of Niagara Falls. On the first day, we headed out in the morning and drove over the bridge into Canada near Sarnia. We got into Hamilton around 2:30, unpacked a bit and freshened up. That evening, we headed out for dinner and then down to the beach. We were going to play some putt-putt, but it had started raining, so we headed back to the room, watched some TV, went back out for ice cream at a local shop and then headed in for the night.

At the beach

Overcast and Chilly

Like a GQ cover....so handsome

Bowl of Binder

2011-08-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

Showing his teeth...

Taking a bath...

Taking a nap....

No matter what he is doing, he just doesn't quite fit in there like he used to.

Refreshed.

2011-08-09T17:53:00.002-04:00

It's been just over a week since I officially moved in with Brandon. Things are going well and it already feels like "home" here. Our apartment is actually a townhouse style, so we have a full upstairs, full mid-level and full basement. Our townhouse is connected to 3 others in one long building and we have an end unit. I noticed early on, before I actually moved in, that the front and back of the building were looking a worse for wear. When I say, "worse for wear," I am actually being kind...it looked pretty run down; we had grass and weeds growing under all of our bushes, the bushes were overgrown and the paint was peeling off in large sheets from the wood trim around the doors. I mentioned it to Brandon and he said he forgot about it as soon as he was inside.....Not me.

Because we were having a big BBQ "come see the place" party with our friends this last weekend, and more importantly, because I couldn't sleep at night, I made it my mission to clean up the place a bit. I first asked the office manager here if we could add some patio stones to enlarge our patio a little bit; our grill was taking up a lot of space and was way too close to the privacy hedges we have around our patio. She basically told me I could do whatever I wanted as long as it was an improvement (HA....wasn't gonna be able to do much worse) and I took her words to heart.

Mom came over last week to help me get started and so we made a little trip to Lowe's. We bought paint, patio stones, and mulch and headed home to get started. We started in the front, cutting the sod away from the bushes flanking our entrance. She shoveled out the sod while I took hot bleach water and a scrub brush and attacked the mold and lichen growing on our front steps. We then filled in under the bushes with dark brown mulch. I added some potted mums in bright red and gold that I had planted a couple days before, along with a new welcome mat. The front was looking infinitely better, but still needed to be painted, which I saved for the following day.

We then headed to the back to work on the patio. As we were getting started, Brandon got home from work and came out to help us. We began pulling the mountain of weeds and morning glory vines that were suffocating our bushes and air conditioning unit. In the process, I managed to locate a rather large, in-ground, yellow-jackets' nest which derailed the work for a bit. Brandon and I had to go buy a couple cans of Raid because we were out and we wanted to let the swarm die down a bit. After we returned, we doused the nest and rested for a little while. It was getting late into the evening, so Mom headed home and Brandon and I got back to work. We cut out the sod from in front of our patio and laid down 3 rows of 1 foot square patio stones, 6 stones wide. This gave us plenty of space to move the grill out from the main patio and rearrange our table and chairs. We then put edging out in front of our bushes and filled the area with more brown mulch. To finish the space, I added two more large, orange potted mums to either side of the patio and solar lights along the edge to light the space at night.

The next day I put down sheets and painted all of the wood trim around our doors and the kick plates...what a difference it made! I was worried that the staff here might say something to me, but then what could they say... "Quit making our stuff look better!"? I didn't think so.

Unfortunately it rained on the day of our BBQ, so the festivities were held inside and we didn't really get to show it off. I guess that just means we'll have to invite everyone over again when the weather will cooperate.

Looking out from our screen door at left side of the patio with our table and grill

The view of the patio and back of the apartment from the back lawn

I cannot even explain how much I love this space! I am currently blogging about it while I sit out here enjoying the breeze and the sounds of the birds. I love to sit out here with a cup of coffee in the morning, when Brandon grills dinner, or with a glass of wine in the evening while enjoying the glow of the candles on our table. People keep asking why I put so much effort and money into an apartment, but for the time being, this is our home and I want it to be a space we can be proud of and, more importantly, enjoy using. So far, so good!

Nakie.

2011-08-08T19:43:00.001-04:00

Michael came over tonight to see the new place and have some chow. I made naked enchiladas and they were beyond tasty!

Naked Enchiladas
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1tbs EVOO
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 small zucchini, quarter chopped
1 cup frozen corn
Mrs. Dash table blend
Green enchilada sauce, small can
Colby jack or cheddar shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chopped tomato
Tortilla chips/Doritos

Saute the onion in the EVOO for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and Mrs. Dash seasoning and cook covered until chicken is no longer raw.

Add corn and zucchini with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until zucchini is soft.

Add green sauce. Allow to cook for 10 minutes on low. Dish up.

Top with cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and crushed chips. Viola! YUM.

And just as a side note, I saw this a while back and it has come in quite handy. To quickly and easily dice up a tomato, cut from the bottom and cut across both directions, but don't cut all the way through. Then turn the tomato sideways and cut slices....easy peasy dicing!

Your Highness.

2011-08-08T16:59:00.000-04:00

EW.

2011-08-08T16:12:00.000-04:00

Brandon and I headed out to my parents' house yesterday so Brandon could help them update their computer and clean their hard drive. I spent the afternoon visiting family and taking pictures because I am no help what-so-ever in the computer area. While out roaming in the field taking pictures, I happened to look down by my foot.....This BIG sucker was mere inches from my leg.

I nearly pooped my pants.

I took a quick picture before it tried to eat me, and then ran, squealing, back to the trail. That spider was monstrous....its body was about the size of an oblong half-dollar. I.kid.you.not. It wasn't enough that it was giving me the heebie-jeebies just for seeing it; I had also convinced myself that her like-sized friends were on my back and hair. For the rest of the evening, anything that brushed against me gave me a small coronary event. It was a long evening.

I did some research today (now I'm itchy and freaked out again) and determined that this is an Argiope aurantia. Some info if you care to know more...

"These spiders are found from occur from southern Canada south through the lower 48 United States, Mexico, and Central America as far south as Costa Rica. (Milne and Milne, 1980; Platnick, 2004)

As is true in many spider species, females of this species grow to much larger size than males. Adult female body length ranges from 19 to 28 mm (3/4 to 1 1/8 in.), while males reach only 5 to 9 mm (1/4 - 3/8 in.). In both sexes, the shiny, egg-shaped abdomen has striking yellow or orange markings on a black background. The forward part of the body, the cephalothorax, is covered with short, silvery hairs. Legs are mostly black, with red or yellow portions near the body. (Dewey, 1993; Milne and Milne, 1980).

Web construction is complicated. To start the web, Argiope firmly grasps a substrate like a grass stem or window frame. She lifts her abdomen and emits several strands of silk from her spinnerets that merge into one thread. The free end of the thread drifts until it touches something far away, like a stem or a flower stalk. She then creates bridge lines, and other scaffolding to help her build the framework of the web. She builds a hub with threads radiating from it like a spokes of a wheel. She switches to sticky silk for the threads spiraling around this hub that will actually catch her prey. It may take a few hours to complete the web, then she eats the temporary scaffolding and the center hub. Argiope spiders often add stabilimenta, or heavy zig-zagging portions, in their webs. A stabilimentum may or may not aid prey capture (see below). The entire web is usually eaten and then rebuilt each night, often in the same place. (Dewey, 1993; Faulkner, 1999; Lyon, 1995; Milne and Milne, 1980; Nyffeler, Dean, and Sterling, 1987; Zschokke, 2006)."
(http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Argiope_aurantia.html)

I don't care that she isn't poisonous...still creeps me out.

My Favorite Things

2011-08-08T15:43:00.000-04:00

Water, wine, chocolate and my loving man- all in one place? Perfect! On Friday night, Brandon surprised me with a special date...a chocolate and wine tasting tour on a boat! The tour was in Frankemuth, on the Cass River. The boat was small; it held ten people, the driver, the tour guide and a table in the center. Our leisurely ride lasted an hour and we got to try 5 different wines, 5 different chocolates and then were offered a glass of our favorite tried wine.

The ride was beautiful; our departure time was 8pm so the sun had gone down a bit and it had cooled down just enough to be the perfect temperature. The tour guide and the driver were so interesting and fun; they told historical tidbits, stories and jokes...the perfect compliment to the ride. The wine was delicious and the chocolates were to die for! After we got back to the dock, we headed up to their store where we were given 2 more free wine tastings and then were able to purchase both wine and the chocolate.

After our tour, we walked down Mainstreet to the Brewery restaurant where we had dinner (and more wine!) It was such a great evening! If you are looking for something fun and relatively cheap to do (20 dollars per person), I highly suggest this wine and chocolate tour!

On the dock before our tour

He Loves Me

2011-08-02T23:10:00.000-04:00

It has been a rather stressful last couple of weeks. I have been finishing up my last semester of class and trying to move into the apartment with Brandon. Mom and Dad helped me last weekend move the rest of my stuff into the new apartment. Brandon and I are finally all settled in and it feels like home.

Today was my last exam of my didactic year of school. Clinicals start in two weeks and the pressure has been on to pass everything to go on to clinicals. Today's exam was the BIG one....last exam, biggest exam, hardest exam...no pressure or anything. After the test, I went out to dinner with the girls and when I got back to the apartment tonight, I opened the door to find small bouquets of roses all over the entry way and a large "congrats" banner that Brandon had made and strung across the room.

The banner in the entry way ( already put the roses in large vases....on the counter)

My 9 DOZEN (!!!) roses!! So beautiful and smell so good!!

It was the perfect end to a really long day....and the (2nd) best part...I passed my test!

Zucchini Chips

2011-08-02T22:49:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what to do with all that extra fresh squash the summer season has to offer? Make chips!

Zucchini Chips
2 small zucchini
salt/pepper/seasoning

Cut the zucchini into thin slices...the thinner, the better. They will dry faster and will be crunchier when done.

Place all the slices in a bowl. Sprinkle with a very small amount of seasoning. I chose salt, pepper and garlic powder. I put the normal amount of seasoning I would use if I were to saute them, but it was about double what they needed; the dehydrator makes the seasoning so concentrated! I also drizzled with olive oil, but I really don't think it was necessary so I don't think I would do it again next time. Mix the spices and slices well so they are all covered.

Place all of the slices in your dehydrator and turn on. Leave running for about four hours or until all of your slices are completely dried and crunchy.

Enjoy!

Saucy Squash

2011-07-19T19:58:00.000-04:00

I love the fresh produce that you can get in the summer....so tasty and so good for you! Tonight I made a saucy, cheesy squash dish that is similar to a lasagna and deeee-lish!

Saucy Squash
2 medium sized summer squash or zucchini
2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded cheese
1 pound hamburger
1.5 cups spinach
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning

Season the burger with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and then brown in a skillet until cooked through. Slice the squash into thin pieces, 1/4 inch thick. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8x8" glass dish. Layer half the of squash over the sauce. Cover with the spinach, then a layer of the burger and 1 cup of the cheese. Spread with 1 cup of sauce. Cover with the rest of the squash. Spread the remaining sauce on the squash and cover with cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and put into a 350 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until squash is soft.

Lovely layers of color!

When it's done, it will be a bit soupy, so a bowl is recommended as is Parmesan cheese...just cuz it's yummy. Enjoy!

Pieces Pictures

2011-07-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

My little Reese's pieces is growing up so fast!

Fore!

2011-07-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

Photos of our recent golfing trips....can't say my scores are getting much better, but my tan sure is!

4th of July with Jenn and Dave

Saturday round with Chris and Kristin

Love Birds

2011-07-01T02:23:00.001-04:00

I joined StumbleUpon a couple of weeks ago. If you want an interesting time-waster, you should sign up to this site. It allows you to put in your interests and then everytime you hit the "stumble" button on your browser, it will search the entire web and pull up sites it thinks you will be interested in. I listed one of my interests as crafts/DIY and I have gotten so many cool ideas! The sites really got my creative juices flowing, so I did a couple projects....

Bird's Nest Necklace

I saw the original idea for this on another blog, but the girl used heavy gauge wire and large beads so the result was much larger. I liked the idea of a delicate charm, so I used very small gauge wire and tiny beads. I started by threading the beads onto the end of the wire; I then twisted the wire together to hold the beads in place in a group of three. I then began winding the wire round the beads to desired thickness. To secure the wire from coming unwound, I added three small wrappings at three points around the nest. I attached the bird charm and loop on the top with metal jewelry making rings (found in the bead section at our local craft store). Finally I created the chain by cutting the desired length and adding a clasp (all found in the jewelry creations area of the bead section.) The result was a nest about the size of a quarter. A little time consuming, but easy and I love the final product!

Love Painting

Oh boy, was this an adventure. To start with, I tried a similar painting on the canvas earlier this evening, and HATED the final product. I tried too many languages all hodge-podge in the background and it looked sooooo messy. I painted over the whole thing and started again. I started with my graduating color scheme of acrylic paint from light on the bottom to dark on the top; while the paint was still wet, I stood the canvas upright and misted the entire painting with a spray bottle, mainly focusing on the top row of dark color. I left the painting upright to dry. If you are doing this, put down plastic or do it over a sink/tub...it's messy.

I then chose three languages: French, German, and Spanish and translated the phrase "I love you" into each. I painted these phrases in rows in black acrlic paint and allowed to dry. Over those, I painted the larger English "I love you" with a heart in ivory with gray shadow.

I love the way it turned out....so much better than the first. I almost gave up and turned it into "dumpster art"; I'm glad I gave it a second chance!

Squabbling

2011-07-01T01:58:00.000-04:00

Indy and Reese are finally starting to settle in to living together. They play really well together, eat from the same bowls and even share toys. It's not always easy for him, but I think Indy is coming around to the idea of new playmate. Just like any siblings, however, they can get into some squabbles....

zzzz.....enjoying his nap

Play with me!

You just had to wake me up....

Now that's enough...

Enough I said!

Now you stay over there.....

Stay......good kitty.

Now let's nap....

Darn it! I said stay!

That tears it!

Reminds me of Michael and me when were growing up...

New Camera Photo Shoot

2011-06-27T22:44:00.001-04:00

Before Brandon and I went to Ludington this was weekend, we stopped in at Best Buy and he bought us a new camera. It is a Samsung digital with 14.2 megapixels and a 10X optical zoom...on sale for $140....I LOVE IT! It is so easy to use and it takes awesome pictures! We used it in Ludington (see the previous post) and I was experimenting with it this afternoon....Viola! Reese photo shoot!

Cuddling with Indy's catnip pillow

All stretched out

Tongue out

Rolling around with the pillow

The red fuzzy blanket is purrrfect for stretching out!

Haha....looking like she is giggling!

Tuckered out

Weekend Getaway

2011-06-27T22:22:00.000-04:00

This last weekend Brandon and I headed to Ludington for an impromptu romantic weekend getaway. We went to the beach, played putt-putt (I won!), went on a dune ride in Silver Lake and climbed up the lighthouse in Sable Point. Such a great weekend...sad it was over so fast!

On the Pier

Lighthouse way in the background

Beautiful Lighthouse

Sunset on the Ludington Beach

At the putt-putt course

In front of Lake Michigan on our dune ride

Mac Wood's Dune Rides

Sable Point Lighthouse

View from the top of the lighthouse- 137 steps up

Me too terrified to leave the wall on the observation deck

Pivoted away from the wall...about to pee myself

Loooong way down

Sweet Baby

2011-06-07T16:50:00.000-04:00

Dow Gardens Date

2011-06-07T16:24:00.000-04:00

Pretty poppies

Art in the garden- glass Poppies

More art...glass Willow

More art.......glass Morning Glories

Baby bunny in the garden

White Coat Ceremony

2011-05-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

Today was my official Physician Assistant White Coat Ceremony and we had our families and friends come help us celebrate the completion of our didactic year. There were speeches, slideshows, and presentation of gifts to our faculty; we were then "coated" and lead in the oath of the Physician Assistant. It was a really nice ceremony and a nice send off to our year of clinicals starting in August. Mom, Dad and Michael joined me for my special day and then we all went out for dinner afterwards, so a big thanks to them for helping me celebrate...THANKS!

Lisa, Me and Bry before the ceremony

Great friends make the program that much more enjoyable!

Mom, Dad and me in front of the stage

Michael and Me

"Coated"

Reciting our oath

Happy to be moving on to clinicals!

Love you guys!

Stolen From Mom's Camera

2011-05-22T00:05:00.000-04:00

Found this on Mom's camera from a couple months ago....

Sure snagged me a handsome fella!

In Need

2011-05-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

A little while back, some people decided to drop their three cats at my grandma's house. Two of the cats were pregnant females and now she is stuck with 10 kittens; However, we are working on finding them homes. They are so sweet and so cute; I'm just hoping we can find people to take them.

New Baby in the House

2011-05-08T22:20:00.000-04:00

I'm welcoming a new baby into my life...a baby kitty that is. She is a week and a half old, cute as a button and newly named Reese. I won't be able to actually bring her home for a few weeks, but I am counting down the days. I love her so much already!

Happy Spring!

2011-05-08T22:10:00.001-04:00

I went home for Mother's Day today. It was such a beautiful, relaxing day. We had a bonfire, rode the quad and basked in the sunshine.

It's finally starting to look like spring around here and all the flowers are in full bloom...

It was such a warm and beautiful day....the turtles were even out catching some warmth.

It was an absolutely perfect day; Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Love you!

Saying Goodbye

2011-04-26T17:52:00.001-04:00

He called me Honeybunch. He spent endless hours throwing a Frisbee with me in the yard. He played multiple games of "house" with me and my kitchen set and pretended to eat meals upon meals of plastic food. He watched me ride my bike around the neighborhood for hours. He lifted me up to climb the trees in their yard. He let me win every game of darts. He read me Ali Baba and the King of Thieves every night before bed when I stayed at their house. He taught me to fish and rowed me around the lake until I caught a keeper. He loved toothpicks. He had a great sense of humor, gave big bear hugs, and will be missed more than he could ever know. I love you, Granddad.

Ha.

2011-04-17T17:52:00.002-04:00

INSTALLING SPRING...

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Creative Juices

2011-03-28T18:29:00.000-04:00

It was such a beautiful day and my creative juices were flowing so I took an afternoon off to paint. I went and bought canvas from the craft store; it was my lucky day because all of my stuff was almost half off! I came home, set up my paints and plugged in my music and got down to work. It took me all afternoon, but they are finished, dry and now decorating my once bare dining room walls. I really like how they turned out!

Both: 12x12 acrylic on canvas

All 4: 10x10 acrylic on canvas

I'm So Lucky.....

2011-03-24T20:47:00.000-04:00

These were waiting for me when I came home today. It was a long day- 7 hours of lecture and a two hour exam. The note read "I'm so proud of you my sweets. Good job on the exam today. Miss you! Love Brandon." It completely made my day. He's in Texas until Saturday....can't wait for my sweet boy to get home!

Vegas Videos

2011-03-16T12:54:00.000-04:00

Here are some of the videos I took while we were in Vegas.....be prepared for the good, the bad and the ugly.

Jellyfish at the Mandalay Bay Aquarium

Fremont Street Light Show

Drunk lady dancing by herself to a saxaphone player on Freemont Street

And the real gem.....

Lady pimping herself out for pictures....ew.

What Happens In Vegas....

2011-03-16T11:47:00.001-04:00

First drinks of the trip: wild berry margaritas at the airport

1st night in Vegas at the C Bar in the Stratosphere

Bryanna and I sightseeing....

Our Hotel...The Stratosphere

Lunch view from the 108th floor- Top of The World Restaurant in the Stratosphere; shows panaramic view of Vegas by rotating while you dine

Bungee jumping platform was on the 109th floor...saw multiple people jump while we were eating lunch

Our pool

At the aquarium in Mandalay Bay

Wine Rack in Mandalay Bay...yummmmmy

Heading out to see Phantom of the Opera- AMAZING show!!!

More sightseeing...

Pink's Hotdogs- featured on the food channel as a "must-eat" hotdog place- Delicious!

Our answer to the crazy expensive drink prices...

Heading out to the Lion King- also a really great show

Bright lights of Freemont Street (Old Vegas)

All in all, it was an excellent trip....we saw so much and did so much that we are still exhausted and trying to get caught up on sleep. I'm glad we were able to go, but I (and my bank account) are just as glad to be back home.

Backing It Up a Bit...

2011-03-15T18:43:00.000-04:00

Let's get you up to speed, shall we? Valentine's day was nice....Brandon made me a beautiful, candlelit dinner, complete with a playlist of lovey dovey songs he picked out just for me. He also got me beautiful roses and made a framed picture page of us that is gorgeous. He's such a thoughtful, sweet guy.

And speaking of sweet and thoughtful, a couple of weekends ago, Brandon went to a golf show in Lansing. He came home with a little surprise for me...actually a big one: my own set of PINK golf clubs! Love, love, love them...and him! I can't wait for it to warm up so we can hit the course...or at least the driving range!

Midterms are over-ish. I had most of my tests a week ago...most of which I knocked out of the park. They split them up for us, so I have a couple this week and next, and then 8 weeks and this semester is OVER...thank goodness. This has been a jam packed semester...29 graduate credits will do that though. Ugh.

Anywho...this last week was our spring break and I took an AWESOME trip....but it deserves it's own post, so that's all for now. :)

For a Good Laugh.....

2011-02-28T19:56:00.001-05:00

Okay..I stole this off a facebook post and just had to share. I laughed so hard I was crying. Enjoy!

Casting Lab

2011-02-28T19:25:00.000-05:00

Today was a fun clinical procedures lab....casting, splinting, and phlebotomy.

I have SO much to share, but I have NO time currently...gotta love midterms. This little tidbit will have to hold you over for a couple more weeks...but don't worry, I WILL be coming back with lots of pictures of the bright shining lights of Vegas and my new shiny golf clubs....eventually.

Sunny Sunday

2011-01-31T17:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was such a perfect winter day; the sun was shining and it was warm enough to be outside without your eyes watering and nose running. I bought a set of cross country skis with my birthday money and because the weather was so perfect, Brandon and I headed out to hit the ski trails. The park was pretty quiet- very few people, and incredibly gorgeous in the winter sun. I had forgotten how much I loved to cross country ski; I can't wait for the next sunny day to head out again!

Lovely View....

Snot-sicle Weather

2011-01-31T17:26:00.001-05:00

Class has been clipping right along so far this semester; it's already the start of week four, but it feels like we just started back. I can't say that I'm surprised; our program added two classes to our total for the semester so we are currently taking 10 classes. Yep, that's 30 graduate credits. Time management is going to be an art form, that's for sure. Currently, my schedule consists of getting up at 6-630am to go to the gym, class till about 6pm and then studying until bed. It sure makes the day go by quickly! Thankfully, the semester doesn't seem to horrible because I enjoy most of my classes; somebody please remind me of this when it comes time for my 10 exam midterm week.

With my schedule being so nutty, I really have to plan ahead if I want to have free time during the weekends. This last weekend was one such occasion; Mom invited Brandon and I to "double date" with them at Zehnder's Snowfest in Frankenmuth. We arrived in Frankenmuth around 1pm, but it took us over a half an hour to get to the parking area; the area was absolutely packed with traffic and crowds. When we finally parked the car, we were able to catch a shuttle back to the main part of downtown where the majority of the festivities were being held. We wandered with the crowds admiring the snow and ice sculptures.

After a couple of hours, we had seen pretty much everything and had had enough of the crazy crowd and the cold. We hopped back on the shuttle and headed back to our parking lot at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. We then spent about an hours shopping at Bronner's...such an incredible and HUGE store! It was a nice ending to our afternoon in Frankenmuth. We all enjoyed the festival, but doubt we would go again simply because of the amount of people that were there; I think the best part of the trip was spending the time together.

On our way out of Bronner's, we happened to notice the lovely manger scene in front of the store...

It was cold, definitely booger freezing cold, but these are some serious snot-sicles.

For Pete's Sake, Somebody Let the Cat Out of the Bag Already

2011-01-31T16:53:00.000-05:00

New Favorite Quote.

2011-01-22T00:22:00.003-05:00

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways,chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body throughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, "woo what a ride!!"
-Unknown

Indy Update

2011-01-10T23:17:00.000-05:00

He loves new places to hide...this day, a shoe box.

"What you lookin' at?"

Snuggled up in my covers...

Such a handsome boy!

Things That Make Me Really Happy.....

2011-01-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

BOOKS! Oh, how I love me a packed bookshelf....I think it may be getting to the time to purchase another to hold more lovely books!

Double Date

2011-01-09T20:16:00.001-05:00

A few days before Christmas, Brandon and I met Mom and Dad and headed to Dow Gardens. Every year they put up lights and light luminaries in the gardens for a lighted night walk. It was beautiful! We stopped in to the greenhouse to warm up a bit, check out the beautiful Poinsettias, and snap a quick picture.

Dinner for Three...

2011-01-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

I got a Kitchenaid Professional 600 Series stand mixer for Christmas from Brandon and OMG, is it GORGEOUS! I have been wanting one of those bad boys forever. It is a color called Meringue....a lovely pearlescent white....so beautiful...so huge! It can make 13 dozen cookies or 8 loaves of bread at a time; Now, I seriously doubt I will EVER be making that many baked goods, but it's nice to know it will definitely be big enough to make anything I could ever want to mix up.

I have been dying to try the mixer since I got it, but haven't had the time nor the recipe to try. Today seemed like a good day to try out the beauty and do some serious cooking.....and cooking isn't fun unless you share the results, so I invited Mom and Dad for dinner tonight. I made apricot almond chicken with snow peas for the main course and espresso chocolate chip brownies for dessert...all low carb, and all pretty dang good!!

I made up the recipe for the chicken and was really happy with the result...makes 4 servings at 6.5 carbs per serving.

Apricot Almond Chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1tbs lime juice
2tbs sugar free apricot preserves
1tsp red pepper flakes
1/2tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ginger
8 chicken breast tenders
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cup snow peas

In a large bowl, whisk together apricot preserves, water, soy sauce and lime juice. Add red pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir well. No salt is needed for this recipe because the soy sauce with add more than enough; however, if you are using low sodium soy sauce, you might want to add a little salt, but it really isn't necessary. Place thawed chicken in the bowl and cover. Allow to marinate for 2+ hours. While the chicken is marinating, place the slivered almonds in a small skillet. Using medium high heat, toast the almonds, stirring often, until they are a golden brown. Set aside.

Pour the chicken and all of the marinade into a large skillet. Cook, covered, on medium high until the chicken is cooked through.

Cube the chicken. Add the snow peas and cook, covered, for another 3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the almonds. Turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking until the water cooks off and the sauce gets thick. This can be served with rice, but rice is definitely not low carb and actually isn't even necessary....this chicken is filling and tasty all on its own! I would have a picture to show you of the finished product, but we were so hungry I forgot to snap a pic before we gobbled it all down.

I have not done nearly enough baking in the low carb world to be able to wing it on my own baked goods recipes, so I used a recipe from a book called 1001 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender....she is a low carb genius!

Espresso Chocolate Chip Brownies
1 cup Splenda
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1tbs instant coffee crystals (decaf or regular)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
6 ounces sugar free chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate bars chopped to chip size in the food processor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix splenda, protein powder, almond meal, cocoa powder, coffee and salt. Cut in butter until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add water and mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Spray an 8x8 glass dish with cooking spray and spoon in the batter evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

The brownies can be cut into 25 pieces at 2 carbs per brownie, or 16 pieces at 3 carbs per brownie. I cut mine into 16 pieces; 25 pieces make for some small brownies! The brownies are not as sweet as normal brownies (duh) and taste more like dark chocolate than milk chocolate. I like the coffee flavor, but I think the full tablespoon was too strong; for me personally, I would like them better with about half the amount of coffee. I served it with a tablespoon of whipped cream (1 carb) for a pretty tasty dessert with total of 4 carbs.

The sweetness of the cream helps the flavor a lot, so I would definitely suggest using it. All in all, I don't think you will find a much better brownie for that low of a carb count....yum!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-02T19:06:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! and Merry Christmas too...seems I have been out of the blogosphere for a while. Let's see, where to begin....

I met a guy named Brandon at the beginning of November and we have been dating since. We really enjoy spending time together and he seems to fit in pretty well with the family. We're taking time to get to know one another and see where things go; I'm really happy. We have been quite busy during the last few weeks traveling and doing fun winter things. We went snowboarding a couple weeks ago- fun, but I literally bruised my butt. We also went to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland a week or so before Christmas and I got a few things to decorate my apartment....That place is awesome and has a lot of gorgeous stuff, but holy land of ticky-tacky Christmas crap.

Christmas was really nice. I went home Christmas Eve day and hung out with Michael for a while. Mom and Dad were visiting my grandparents and when the arrived home, we had pizza and wine...yummy. We finished the evening with some games of Scattergories and Pass the Pigs. The next morning, Aunt Joie came over and we all opened gifts. Santa got me an automatic car starter...wahoo! It will be soooo nice to be able to hit the button when I get up and have the car be warm when I am ready to go to class. I also got some great books and some dishes from Michael. We all sat down for breakfast and then Aunt Joie headed home. We spent the day watching movies and hanging out. Mom made a really yummy traditional dinner of turkey and all the fixings. The next day, Brandon and I headed to my Uncle Jim's house to meet up with the rest of the extended family. Uncle Jim prepared a great buffet lunch and then it was time for gifts; the younger kids all opened gifts from the rest of the family and then the rest of us did our traditional White Elephant gift game. It was a lot of fun and was really nice to be able to have everyone all together.

New Year's Eve this year was very low key and relaxing. Brandon and I decided not to fight crowds, so we went to Meijer and bought all the ingredients to make dinner. We made a Meatza....a pizza with a meat "crust", toppings, sauce and cheese...more carb friendly than regular pizza. We watched the first season of Glee- well, I watched and he kinda pretended to, while he played on his laptop and then we watched the ball drop at midnight....exactly what I was looking for....enjoyable, fun and relaxing and no stupid, drunk crowds. Perfect.

Today was a nesting kind of day. I cleaned my apartment, took down Christmas decorations and did some laundry. I also made dinner and holy cow, was it delicious! It was so good, I think I should probably share it with you....call it a late Christmas gift ;)

Crunchy Cabbage, Snow Pea and Chicken Lettuce Wraps
8 chicken breast tenders, thawed
garlic powder
sea salt
cracked pepper
1/2 cup snow peas, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup red cabbage, chopped small
2 medium celery sticks, chopped small
1tbs finely chopped onion
1/4 cup pecans, cut into large pieces
1/4 mayo
1/4 cream cheese, softened
1/8tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp lemon juice
Romaine lettuce leaves

Using a large a skillet, cook the chicken in olive oil on medium heat. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Allow the chicken to brown and then remove from heat. Place the cut beans in a microwave dish with 1tbs water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and drain. In a large bowl, combine the mayo and cream cheese with a whisk. Add the lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Place the cooled chicken on a cutting board and cut the chicken into small cubes. Add the chicken and remaining ingredients to the sauce and stir well. Spoon enough of the chicken mixture to fill each lettuce leaf. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

The above recipe is so yummy and so filling...it's a beautiful color and it is only 3 carbs..fabulous! I am starting the low carb eating plan again as my New Year's resolution. Happy 2011 everyone!

All My Favorite People...

2010-11-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T23:39:00.000-04:00

Whew! What a whirlwind my life has been this last week! Last weekend was our Octoberfest party with my class and professors. Everybody brought some really amazing food....we have some good cooks!

My costume for the party..Jail Bait. I was going to wear leggings, but I changed into jeans a few minutes before we left....felt like my bum was exposed.

MMMMM.....swedish meatballs....basted and slow baked for 4 hours. So. Flippin'. Good. (Thanks for the help Aunt Jules!)

This last week was HELL....soooo many exams. I can't even explain how happy I was to have the weekend come rolling in. Meggy came to visit Friday night and we went out to dinner, had some wine and just generally caught each other up on our crazy busy lives. Last night, I headed to Howell to see Christopher for some Halloween festivities. We got all costumed up and headed over to his buddy, Andrew's, house. We played some drinking games there for about an hour. Around 9, our ride for the evening arrived to pick us up....a big 'ol party bus! We rode the party bus into Royal Oak, drank like fish on the bus, bar-hopped until 2am in RO and went back to Andrew's to pass out. What a riot!

A pirate and a German

German Gentlemen

<3 you!

On the bus....seated next to an army man...

Oh so many jello shots....things are starting to get a little sloppy...

Hat trading.

This morning was a little rough, but my 6 hour nap this afternoon put things back in order. Another successful Halloween!

MAPA 2010

2010-10-21T12:08:00.001-04:00

Pictures from the Michigan Association of Physician Assistants conference in beautiful Traverse City.....

Katie and I

Maddie, Me and Keri

Love this! Maddie, Katie and me....Christmas card anyone?

Enjoying some Witch's Brew with Dave

Enjoying some adult beverages in the suite after the welcoming reception the first night

Me and Maddie getting ready to cheer on the quiz bowl team...FIRE UP CHIPS!

Never Too Old....

2010-10-21T00:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight was a girls' night....much needed. My friend Keri and I went shopping around town to find things to make Halloween costumes. We then came back to my apartment and invited our friend, Bryanna, over to have some Witch's Brew and watch Hocus Pocus. Witch's Brew is a seasonal spice red wine that is sooooo delicious. We have a long couple of days with tests and class and just needed a night to veg out.

While watching the movie, I worked on my costume for this year. This Saturday, our program is having an Octoberfest/Halloween party where we are all bringing a fall dish to pass and dressing up in costumes. Normally, this wouldn't require quite so much thought, but our faculty is also invited so my costume needed to be something cute, and more importantly, appropriate for mixed company. After much deliberation, I finally had some inspiration.

My costume for this year is.....Jail Bait! I decided to find a black and white striped shirt, add the numbers for a jail uniform and then add a hook, bobber and line...a play on words :)

I found the shirt for 4 bucks at Walmart and bought all the fabric and ribbon; total cost was about 10 dollars. When I got home, I got to work cutting and sewing everything together. I stitched each piece- hook, numbers, and bobber and then used fabric glue to attach them to the shirt.

The finishing touch was a bit of silver ribbon for fishing line and Voila! Cute and appropriate costume!

I plan on wearing the shirt with long black leggings and high heel boots. If I remember to take one, I will post a pic of the whole outfit. Happy Halloween!

Adventures in Dating-Land

2010-10-08T02:34:00.000-04:00

I had a date tonight....one for the record books, in fact....and not in a good way. To preface this story, you should know that I met this guy through match.com....that might have been my first mistake. No names will be mentioned to protect the strange.

He and I have been emailing back and forth for a while now, and decided to get together for some coffee to see how things went in person. We agreed to meet at 8:30pm and being the OCD individual I am, I showed up at 8:15 with a book to look "casual" and maybe even "smart." Well, it gets to be 8:30, then 8:45 and finally, 9pm rolls around. Now I'm pissed...that little f-er stood me up. I go home, get online and check to see that he is able to receive messages on his phone. I'm ready to rip him a new one and he shoots me a message that he is lost. The address he got online is wrong and he can't find the place. Well, now I'm less angry and more annoyed and little worried about the level of intelligence of this individual; he is 4 blocks down the street and he says the people he stopped to ask have no idea what coffee shop he is referring to. He apologizes profusely and I feel bad because he drove here specifically to meet with me, so I offer to drive back over (it's only a few minutes away.)

I tell him to park in a specific lot next to another coffee shop across the street from the one I was waiting at originally. Silly me, I assume he will enter this coffee shop of his own accord, so I head in, order a cider and see if I can find him. Well, I don't see him, but I do happen to run into my brother, who got a really good laugh out of the whole thing. I wait for about ten minutes and decide to see if maybe he is out in the lot. I step outside and a guy gets out of his car, waves and starts walking toward me....it's him. He apologizes profusely and which point I notice he has the worst lisp I have ever heard...ever. It was honestly hard to understand him.

We head into the coffee shop, he meets my brother and I direct him to the counter where he can order a drink. He promptly sits down beside me...without a beverage. I ask if he likes coffee; he says not really. I say there are other things to choose from; he says he's not thirsty. Good thing we met for a coffee-like beverage. He proceeds to tell me about how he still lives with his parents and plans to do so for an indeterminate amount of time because he is finishing his degree but has no idea what he wants to do. His current plan is that he is "hoping a job might fall in his lap." He also asks me about my schooling and how it is going, which is nice....the first time. He runs out of things to ask, so he asks me that again....3 more times.

I am finally so fed up with making conversation that I tell him I am tired and need to go home to go to bed. He says that he also has an early morning for work. Being polite, I ask where he works. He tells me that I don't want to know...shady, I know....but it gets better. He reveals that he works at Bob Evan's, which is awesome, great, fine, whatever, but then he drops the creeper bomb: we worked together and he has known the whole time. I worked there for 3 months....6 years ago. He tells me he recognized me right away from my picture on my profile.

When I asked why he didn't tell me, he says he didn't want to sound like a creepy stalker...which by withholding this info, he sounds like just that. I apologize because I don't recognize him at all and now I feel bad and awkward. We head toward our cars and he asks for my number; I tell him that I am weird about giving out my number and never do...he tells me that's fine and that he's heard that before. He gives me one of those awkward ass-out, double-back-thump hugs and tells me he'll talk to me soon.

Not if I can help it.

And just for you, Mom: I was safe and told friends his name and description and what time I would be home. Also, I took the longest, craziest route I could manage to get home so he definitely doesn't know where I live.

Apple and Pecans and Pumpkins...Oh My!

2010-09-29T20:49:00.000-04:00

Holy cow, what a week...and it's only Wednesday. I have been studying, studying, studying since Friday in preparation for exams this week...well, actually for exams today, because they happened to fall on the same day. My day didn't start out the greatest; I haven't gotten much sleep in the last few days and I dragged my near-comatose butt out of bed to find cat throw up in front of my door. Yummy. I cleaned it up, turned around, and promptly stepped into another pile. Good morning! Ugh. I talked down my up-chuck reflex and headed about my business to get ready for class.

Today's schedule consisted of giving a powerpoint presentation to my classmates about small cell lung cancer, followed by an exam in my Infectious Diseases class, followed by my midterm lab practical for History and Physical Exam. I knocked my presentation out of the park; almost all of my classmates stopped me later and told me how much they liked it and how clear it was. WAHOO! I hate those things...I get soooo nervous. I followed that with a 90% on my first exam and a 100% on my lab practical....I guess all that studying paid off!

I came home, and to celebrate my awesome day, I decided to bake some treats. I stopped by the farm stand I mentioned a few posts ago and bought some more Honeycrisp apples and a baking pumpkin. I've been craving something sweet all day, so here's what I came up with:

Apple-Pecan Pumpkin Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 medium apples, cored and chopped into dime-sized pieces

Blend together butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin.
In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, raisins, pecans and flour. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Add the apple pieces and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

It's All Downhill From Here....

2010-09-27T12:21:00.000-04:00

This may look like nothing, but is NOT nothing....it is a gray hair. MY gray hair. I came home after class to find this little f-er sticking straight out like "ooooo look at me!"

I blame PA school.

Harvest Time

2010-09-18T00:48:00.003-04:00

I went home for a bit today to target shoot with Daddy-o, and on my way back to my apartment, I stopped at a local produce stand. I looooooooooove fall for a million reasons, but the fresh produce has to be in the top 10. I bought a couple candy onions, a red onion, a couple acorn squash and 4 huge honey crisp apples.

I could smell the sweet scent coming off the apples the whole ride home...delicious! As soon as I got home, I got to work making myself dinner with my fresh produce. Here's what I came up with:

Honey Dijon Harvest Chicken
4 chicken breasts
2 small acorn squash, peeled and cubed
1 small candy onion, cut in slices
1/4 red onion, cut in slices
2 large apples, cubed
2 boxes stuffing
1 can chicken broth
4tbs Dijon mustard
4tbs honey
5 sprigs fresh thyme

Spray a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the bottom of the dish. Layer the apples, then the squash, then the onions, over top of the chicken.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, thyme, and HALF of the chicken broth. Evenly pour over the layers.

Pour the two boxes of stuffing into the dish, spreading evenly. Mix the other half of the chicken broth with 3/4 cup water and drizzle over the stuffing, making sure all is moist. Add pats of butter evenly around the dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. The squash should be soft, but the apples and onions should still have a slight crunch.

I loved this dish because it has the meat and sides all in one, and it was soooooo tasty! I love buying local produce...helps the farmers and it tastes so good. I served my plate up with a heaping portion and a glass of wine. Perfect fall meal!

Lunch with Dad

2010-09-18T00:16:00.001-04:00

I only have one class in the mornings on Mondays so I invited Dad over to have lunch with me this last week. Here's the recipe from our delicious lunch (if I do say so myself):

Pecan-Breaded Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
4 chicken breasts, hammered flat
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tbs garlic powder
1 cup spinach, chopped
I can medium artichoke hearts
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 sour cream
1/2 shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup pecans, crushed

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the chopped onions. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes and then add the spinach and garlic powder. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the cream cheese and sour cream. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add cheeses and stir. Spoon onto the chicken. Roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks.

Cover the chicken rolls in crushed pecans. Spray a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the dish and cover with the remaining pecans.

Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degree or until chicken is cooked through.

I forgot to take a photo when the chicken was done baking, but it was tasty, I can tell you that much. I served it with some garlic, sea salt and cracked pepper seasoned, fresh green beans.

Be Friendly!

2010-09-14T23:31:00.000-04:00

Hey girlwithredsuitcase,

I'd love to see what your blog is all about... :)

Easy Cheesy Dinner

2010-09-12T20:26:00.001-04:00

Italian Beef with Spinach
1lb extra lean ground beef
1 quart stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup onion, chopped
10 fresh sweet basil leaves
salt/pepper
garlic powder
1 cup spinach, chopped

In a large skillet, place the beef and onions. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. As the beef is cooking on medium heat, make sure to break the meat into small pieces. Tear the basil into small pieces and and add it to the skillet. When the meat is fully cooked and the onions are soft, drain the excess grease. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Also add the spinach and mix well.Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the spinach is cooked through. Serve topped with shredded mozzarella. Also good over pasta.

Egg-Cellent

2010-09-12T17:29:00.001-04:00

The last few mornings I have been trying to get up at a decent hour and make myself a well-rounded breakfast. Today's dish was so tasty, I just had to share it with you.

Spinach and Onion Omelet
2 eggs
3 tbs milk
salt/pepper
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
mozzarella cheese

In a small frying pan, drizzle about 2 tbs of EVOO. Add the chopped onion and cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk. Whip with a fork until blended.

Add the spinach to the onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes so that the spinach is soft and the onions are starting to brown. Place the veggies in a bowl and set aside.

Empty the egg mixture into the warm pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes or until the egg is well browned on the bottom and flips easily. Remove the lid, flip the egg and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Let the cheese melt, about one minute, and then spoon the veggies onto one half on the egg. Fold the egg in half and then transfer to a plate.

Enjoy!

It Sure Smells Like Fall....

2010-09-12T17:15:00.001-04:00

FALL IS FINALLY HERE! The weather is finally starting to cool down; it's been breezy and cool enough to wear long sleeves and be comfortable. My new Food magazine came in the mail last week and it was crammed full of fall recipes...Oh how I love fall!

I decided to make a couple recipes from the magazine, but true to my own style, I could resist changing the recipes. So, here are my renditions of some of the magazines fabulous fall dishes...

Loaded Butternut Squash Soup
2 medium Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbs sugar
1 stick salted butter
8 cups water
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt/pepper
1 loaf Pumpernickel bread
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic powder
Shredded Parmesan

Melt the butter in a large pot, add chopped onion and cook until soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the cubed squash and the sugar and stir until well mixed and the squash is glazed. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook for 25 minutes, making sure the squash is cooked through and soft.

While waiting for the squash to cook, turn on the broiler in your oven and take out several pieces of Pumpernickel bread. Using a bread knife, cut the slices into small cubes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and then place the bread pieces on the sheet. Drizzle with the EVOO, and sprinkle with a little sea salt and some garlic powder. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cubes are crunchy and toasted.

When the squash is cooked, while working in small batches, slowly transfer all of the cooked squash and water base to a blender or food processor. Blend of the soup until it is thick and creamy. Return to the original pan. Set to low heat and add the heavy cream and salt/pepper to taste.

Top the soup with the croutons and some shredded Parmesan.

In this picture, I also added some crispy prosciutto and fried onions, but found that the extra flavors weren't even necessary.

As a precautionary side note....don't put the squash peelings down the garbage disposal, or your sink will look like this:

Yummy.

Pinto Bean Pasta Fagioli

5 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 quart jar canned tomatoes
1 large jar pinto beans
1 cup water
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 box small pasta, like shells or macaroni
1 bunch Kale, stems and ribs removed, chopped
salt/pepper

In a large pot, place the EVOO and set to medium heat. Add the onions, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and rosemary. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until onion is soft.

Add the beans and the stewed tomatoes, including the juices from both. Add the cup of water and 1/2 cup of Parmesan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Add the chopped Kale and salt/pepper to taste and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.

I like this dish; it was a nice blend of cheesy and spicy. However, I am just not a big fan of the rosemary. I think next time I would definitely try sweet basil or oregano.

Classy, Oh So Classy.

2010-09-09T23:36:00.000-04:00

Pictures from our Labor Day weekend in the UP...

We stopped first at a really cute farmer's market to stock up on veggies for the weekend...

They also sold fresh picked golf balls...

and brussel sprouts, which I had no idea grew on stalks.

High-five!

Getting into a sassy, gun photo shoot...

Classy. Reeeeeal classy.

Using the guns properly....we're real snipers!

Andy, Me, Deirdre and Paul at the cabin....

Windy day at the lake.

More Quick Grilled Dinner

2010-08-31T18:36:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Lime Chicken
Chicken Breast, cut into cubes
5 strawberries, sliced
1tbs crumbled Feta cheese
3tbs lime juice
Garlic powder
Sea salt
Crushed black pepper
Olive oil

Place cubed chicken pieces on kabob skewers. Pour 2 tbs of lime juice over the raw chicken. Sprinkle with pepper, salt and garlic powder, to own liking. Place on the grill and cook through. Remove cooked chicken from skewers and place in bowl. Add the strawberries to the chicken and sprinkle Feta over the top. Drizzle with a small amout of olive oil and the remain 1tbs of lime juice.

Sweet strawberries, salty cheese, tangy chicken...nom nom nom!

Quick Grilled Dinner

2010-08-30T17:22:00.000-04:00

I have been busting my butt the last week now that classes have begun, and today was no exception. I had class from 9-10am and then was at the library studying until 4pm. I had to leave to go pay my rent...almost forgot!....and then come home to grab a quick dinner before heading back to the library. I was looking for something a little different..I'm sick of salads, etc; they are easy to grab, but not much imagination is involved. Tonight I decided to do some grilling and the results were deee-lish!
Grilled Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Spinach Relish
Chicken breast, thawed
10 cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup fresh spinach, chopped
5-8 fresh basil leaves, torn
Sea salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Place chicken breast on the grill, set to high heat, and cook through. While waiting for the chicken to cook, drizzle 1tbs olive oil in a sauce pan and heat to medium. Cut the tomatoes into halves and add to the oil. Add the basil, and spices to taste. Allow to cook on medium until the tomatoes are soft and they begin making a sauce, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and allow to cook through, about 2 minutes. Plate the chicken and cover with the tomato relish. Top with some shredded Parmesan cheese.

So yummy and sooooo quick!

Antique Tub Photo Shoot

2010-08-28T17:54:00.000-04:00

Thursday night was our PA Girls' Night at the Casino...we rented a room, got dolled up, had some adult beverages, and boogied down....oh and had a major photo shoot with the antique tub in our room. LOVE that tub!

All the girls....

Bry and I

Me in the tub...

Katie in the tub...

Maddie in the tub...

Bryanna in the tub...

Keri in the tub...

Party in the tub!

Such a great tub.

Survivor

2010-08-19T00:35:00.000-04:00

Well, I survived....I went camping the in the U.P. and was not eaten by a bear, nor did I fall off a cliff....though both things were possible. Keri, my friend from the PA program, and I drove up to Marquette to meet our classmates, Dan and Luke. Both live in the U.P., but Dan is from Marquette, so we met at his house. When we arrived, we dropped off our stuff and promptly headed out to tour the town and go hiking. The area is so gorgeous and the day was perfect for outdoor exploring. We hiked about ten miles back into the woods on hiking trails and then climbed a peak called Hogsback; the peak is about 1600 feet up...just a couple feet short of killing my sorry, out-of-shape butt. The climb, (and muscle cramps, profuse sweating, and near vomitting), were soooo worth it though...the view was incredible!

Looking back toward Marquette.

So glad to have made it to the top...loving the breeze!

Between Luke and Keri....Happy hikers!

Looooooong way down!

Almost rested enough to head back down....almost.

After we climbed, carefully, back down the hill and hiked back out to the car, we headed into town. We headed to a local microbrewery. We each had a beer and decided to do an impromtu bar crawl. We hit four more bars, having a beer at each, and then had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We then headed back to Dan's dad's house for a bonfire. When we got there and got all settled on the edge of the yard near the woods, Dan and his dad told us all about the bear they saw in the yard the morning previous; I spent most of the evening jumping at every noise. Worries of being a bear's midnight snack aside, it was a really fun evening. By midnight, we were all pretty pooped so we put the fire out and headed to bed.

The next morning, we got up bright and early (i.e. 10am) and packed up to head out. Luke drove and stopped along what looked like a nice wooded area. Dan and Luke marched us out into the woods to check out our camping spot. We followed along behind and stopped short when they showed us where we would be camping...a gorgeous beach surrounded by sandstone cliffs....the only problem: we had to climb down the cliff to the beach....a 1200 foot descent. We picked our way down the hill to check out the beach, without breaking any bones or sacrificing any dignity by tripping and rolling the whole way down. The beach was even more gorgeous than we thought....sunny and warm with just a little hint of breeze. The boys, gentlemen that they were, offered to climb back up to the car and transport down all of our gear while we soaked up some sun. Honestly, it was probably a smart move on their part, because two treks down the hill for me and Keri probably would have resulted in at least one broken ankle, but a sweet gesture none the less. They managed to haul our 50 pound duffel bags, sleeping bags, pillows, and other various crap along with their bags and our camping gear, down to the beach....even made it look easy. We set up camp, changed into our swimming suits and then Keri and I layed out towels to soak up some rays while the boys ran off to explore and swim.

The beautiful beach!

Loving the U.P.

Waiting for the boys...

<3 sandy toes <3

Yay for tans!

Hatchets and machettes...good for chopping firewood...and bear protection.

Dan gathering firewood... "I am man...hear me roar!"

Luke and Dan

Tucked in a hole in the sandstone cliff

We wandered the beach all day and enjoyed the sun. I was really nervous about the bug situation....I was warned that the bugs and flies were REALLY bad this time of year, but there were hardly any. I think the slight breeze was enough to keep the bugs at bay....or it might have been my super-de-dooper heavy-duty chemical-based bug spray. Either way, there were a few flies, but nothing to worry about.

We built a campfire on the beach and roasted hotdogs and made s'mores for dinner. We sat around the fire and chatted over some adult beverages, and took in the beautiful night sky....so many stars! We finally crawled into the tent around 1 or 2 and all promptly cashed out....busy day made for easy sleeping. We woke early this morning to a light rain, but waited it out and were able to pack everything up and head out by 11am. The trek back up the hill laden down with our stuff was quite interesting. We finally made it back to the top and took our dirty, greasy, unshowered selves into public for some breakfast. We went to a great little restaurant that makes all of it's dishes fresh from local sources; it was sooooo good.

After breakfast, we headed back to Dan's house, unloaded Luke's car and reloaded our stuff into our car. We exchanged goodbyes and Keri and I headed out. We took the scenic route home, along the west side of the state, hoping to stop off for the afternoon at a beach, but we left a little too late and had trouble finding a public beach. We finally scrapped the idea and headed home; we got back into town around 8 and I promptly hopped in the shower...mmmm hot, running water. I loved the U.P., but wish it were closer...I want to do some more hiking and climbing, but don't think driving 6 hours to do so is very practical. I'm sure I could do some hiking around here, but I don't think it will be the same..rather flat in these parts. I guess I will just have to wait for our next roadtrip to the beautiful upper peninsula!

Ping! Ping! Ping!

2010-08-14T21:51:00.000-04:00

On my way home on Friday, I stopped at Papa's Pumkin Patch...I love that place. I love that the produce is local, just picked, the prices are right, and the people are sooooo nice. I CAN'T wait for Applefest there again this fall...woo! Anyway, I stopped in to buy some tomatoes for canning. I bought 50lbs of tomatoes and canned half of them today. I still have lots and lot and LOTS of salsa and peaches left over from last year, but I blew through the tomatoes I canned last year within a couple months. I love me some stewed 'matos! It's been a hot steamy day here in my apartment and a lot of hard work, but it's so worth it. I love being able to pull out a jar of tomatoes in the winter and use them in sauce or chili or even just eat, and have them taste so fresh.

Some of the tomatoes...getting ready for their bath...

Bath time!

Even Indy wanted to help....checking out the produce

Cleaning up dishes...

Even though he knows he's not supposed to...

Napping on the job.

It got too late to can the other half, but it will give me something to do tomorrow. I'm now sitting here, watching a movie and listening to the "ping" of my sealing jar lids....man, do I love that sound!

The Art Of Brick

2010-08-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

Mom and I had a culture date yesterday. We went to see an exhibit, The Art of Brick, at the Midland Center for the Arts by Nathan Sawaya; he is artist who creates sculptures with Legos. The exhibit it's self wasn't very big, but the pieces were incredible. The pieces were so intricate that from far away, they didn't even look like Legos any more.

We also walked around the other art exhibits and saw a lot of really great pieces....and some not so great. I can't understand how people can ask for hundreds of dollars for a print that a four year old can do...dumb. Anyway, here were a couple of my favorite pieces that were up for sale...

We spent a couple hours taking in the art and then headed out for lunch at Ruby Tuesday's....yummy yummy salad bar. Perfect mother/daughter date!

A Girl Should Be So Lucky....

2010-08-12T20:16:00.001-04:00

Grandpa

Granddad

Daddy

...to have such wonderful men in her life.

Trip Down Memory Lane...

2010-08-12T20:07:00.000-04:00

I wen home yesterday to spend some quality time with Mama. We got pedicures and went to lunch...it was lovely. When we got home, we spent some time going through old photo albums; I just love looking through the old photos and seeing what comes up...

Such a good mommy....

And a babe too!

Scrumptious Summer

2010-08-09T16:23:00.000-04:00

Hooray for fresh produce! I guess the first harvest from my garden was only a hint as to what was to come; I'm up to my eyeballs in summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes....yum, yum, yum. I went out and picked all the ripe veggies this morning and when I came in to wash them, I noticed just how many I actually had. I was trying to think of a fresh, summery dish that would use a lot of zucchini and tomatoes, so here is what I came up with:

Saucy Summer Salad
3-4 ripe plum tomatoes
2 medium zucchini
6 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoon real mayo
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Mix the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice and spices together, and place in fridge to cool.

Cut the zucchini into thin slices.

Cube the tomatoes.

Place veggies in a bowl and cover with the sauce.

Stir well and serve chilled.

This salad is SO good! The zucchini are crunchy and the tomatoes are super sweet. I thought of using it as a side dish, but it with a small piece of garlic toast, it makes a great light summer dinner.

One word of caution however, this is not, I repeat NOT, a date night dinner....your garlic breath with burn the eyebrows off each other's faces.

"Promise me you'll always be happy by my side; I promise to sing to you when all the music dies"

2010-08-09T13:45:00.001-04:00

I have lost track of my days...I know it's Monday, but it feels like a Sunday. I finished class on Thursday, and things have been a whirlwind since. Classes didn't end as well as I would have liked, but I passed, and that's all that really matters. I now have two weeks off and I am going to enjoy EVERY minute of it. I have lots of plans: camping in the upper peninsula, hot tubbing, bar hopping, concerts, cabin weekend, tubing and just plain relaxing...ahhhhh.

It's such a gray day today, I kinda just want to veg out inside and watch movies...I haven't done that in FOREVER.....or maybe I will just sit on my computer all afternoon. Oooo the possibilities....it's weird not having class, or projects, or homework, or anything else class related that has to be done. I have woken up twice in the last few days in a panic that I was either late for something or I forgot to turn something in for class...ridiculous.

Anywho...because I finally have some free time, I wanted to share with you a couple of the things I am currently loving...

Cinnamon Spice Coffee: This coffee is so easy to make and the spices remind me of the holiday season, family and being snuggled up inside...delicious. When placing grounds in your coffee pot, add 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon and a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. Brew coffee as normal. Add 1 teaspoon Splenda, 1 tablespoon cream, and 1 tablespoon sugar free chocolate syrup to your mug. Add coffee and stir well. Yummy!

Train: Oh how I love Train. I forget about them for a while, and then a song pops up from them and I fall in love all over again. Current Train song obsession: "Marry Me"....check it out...you won't be disappointed.

It's almost 2pm and I'm currently still in my pjs, listening to "Marry Me" on repeat while sipping my perfectly spiced coffee. Ahhhh, life is good.

Blinded by the Light...

2010-08-07T20:49:00.000-04:00

Ha.

2010-08-04T00:33:00.001-04:00

Studying "Patient History and Physical Examination" for 10+ hours has led to my self-diagnosis of several really terrible conditions.....including Hypochondriasis.

Summer Enchiladas

2010-07-30T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today was the last day of normal class for my first semester of PA school. I have been studying for finals during this last week, but the crunch time is this weekend. Directly after my classes this morning, I went to the anatomy lab to study. I was there for about 2 hours, and needed a break. I came home to make lunch and remembered all the veggies I picked from my garden the other day. Because they were delicious, and because I want to push my procrastination just a little further, I present to you: Summer Enchiladas!
Summer Enchiladas:
8 chicken tenders
2 medium-sized zucchini

1 medium-sized summer squash

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup instant brown rice, cooked

4 cups cheddar cheese

2 cans (10 oz) green enchilada sauce

Tortillas

Sour cream

Cherry tomatoes

Cut the thawed chicken into cubes. Place in a skillet with olive oil, fresh black pepper and garlic powder, to taste. Begin cooking on medium heat.

Chop the veggies into small pieces and add to the chicken. Also add 1/4 cup of water to steam the veggies. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and veggies are soft.

Meanwhile, cook the rice. When finsihed, add to the skillet. Also add one can of the enchilada sauce.

Heat your tortillas for 15 seconds in the microwave; this makes them soft and easier to roll. You can use any type of tortillas (flour, wheat, whatever suits your fancy), but I like to use low-carb wheat tortillas. Spoon two heaping wooden-spoonfuls in a line down the center of the tortilla. Cover with a handful of cheese. Half the cheese (2 cups) should be left after filling the tortillas.

Pour a 1/4 of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Place the tortillas fold side down in the pan and pack them tightly.

Cover the tortilla rolls with the remaining enchilada sauce. Cover with the remaining 2 cups of cheese.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

To serve, place on a plate and spoon sour cream on top. Cut up the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle over the sour cream. Enjoy!

First Harvest!

2010-07-28T16:49:00.000-04:00

When I first moved into my apartment, Mom helped me create a little garden spot right off the corner of my deck. I planted a cherry tomato plant, a plum tomato plant, a bush zucchini and a bush summer squash...

Needless to say, it's grown a bit...kinda taking over the lawn....

And today was the first day I was able to harvest the fruits of my labor...

Yummy!

School Picture Day

2010-07-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

Physician Assistant Class of 2012

So Cheesy.

2010-07-11T19:33:00.001-04:00

Mozzarella-Tomato-Basil Medallions

3 plum tomatoes, cut into thick slices

Fresh sweet basil

Fresh Mozzarella

Coarse salt

Cracked pepper

Garlic powder

Place slices onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cracked pepper, salt and garlic powder, to taste. Place fresh basil on top of tomato one layer just wide enough to cover the slice. Remove mozzarella from container. Fresh mozzarella is stored in water, so be sure to pat the pieces dry with a paper towel. Place a piece of cheese on each tomato, large enough to cover each slice. Place baking sheet in a 325 degree oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and tomato is cooked through. Makes 9 medallions.

"Veggie" Cheese Burger

1/2lb extra lean hamburger

1 small zucchini, copped into small pieces

1/4 cup chopped red onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet red pepper

Coarse salt

Cracked pepper

Garlic Powder

Fresh Mozzarella

Using your hands, mix veggies and meat in a bowl with spices (to taste).

Separate meat/veggie mix into 2 halves. Flatten each half into a large, thin patty. Place two well dried mozzarella slices into the center of each patty and fold the edges up over the cheese.

The resulting patties should be thick and the cheese should be completely hidden.

I grilled mine on a George Forman grill, but a charcoal grill, or even a pan, would work as well. This recipe makes 2 BIG burgers, but I eat one (without a bun) as my entire meal....meat and veggies all in one! I serve mine with a little bit of mayo and honey mustard on the side and place a few spinach leaves on the top of the burger.

Yummy!

Contact J. Crew....

2010-07-11T19:05:00.002-04:00

This year's 4th of July celebrations took place in Traverse City....it was perfect weather, awesome people and lots of laughs....Perfect weekend!

On Friday, Deirdre and I got into TC and met up with her friend Lexy on Lexy's boat. From there, the weekend became a blur of beaches, sun, adult beverages, more sun, good food, fireworks, more adult beverages, and even more sun

Me and Deirdre...It was a little breezy...

Me, Lexy, and Deirdre

Hah. So here's the story....we felt that the boat plus the wind, plus the grey dress made for a perfect J. Crew modeling shoot. Keep in mind, we were several margaritas deep.

More J. Crew.....

Quintessential Deirdre and Michelle moment.

Lexy's Dad makes the best margaritas EVER. The look on my face is proof.

We went home on Monday, to a huge pile of laundry and an even bigger pile of homework. *Sigh* Oh real world, I wish you were more sunny...and full of tequila.

Itty-Bitty Bit O' Fame....

2010-07-11T16:19:00.000-04:00

Sooooo, Apprently people like me a little bit, (or at least one person does), cuz I was recommended for an interview as someone's favorite blog...
Check out my interview here: http://bloginterviewer.com/food/live-love-learn-journeys-of-a-green-eyed-girl-michelle#more-6718

Thanks a billion! Much love! :)

Sibling Shots

2010-06-27T21:07:00.002-04:00

RIDICULOUSLY happy....yup, we're special.

That's some excellent genes at work. Thanks Mom and Dad. :)

Life Update

2010-06-27T21:01:00.002-04:00

Geez! Where does the time go? I am more than half done with my first semester of PA classes....passed all my midterms woo! Not much is new, lots of studying, more studying and trying to jam as much fun in as possible.

Jelloshots at our picnic to celebrate the end of midterms!

Yummy food and more jelloshots!

Katie, Bry, Me and Natalie... <3 these girls!

A bunch of the girls continuing our midterm celebration at the bar

Me and Keri

More shots....work hard, play hard!

Bry and I at a carnival downtown...Tilt-a-whirl!

More rides...so fun!

Maddie, me and Bry at the carnival

Chris and Di came to visit for a day filled with tubing and laughs!
<3 Besties <3

Kitty Crack

2010-06-05T12:36:00.000-04:00

When I moved to my new apartment, I brought the dish of catnip that I have for Indy, but in the shuffle, I misplaced/forgot about it. Well, I found it the other night while I was moving some things around. Indy hasn't had any of it in at least a couple months, but I shook the dish once and he came running....apparently he remembers and was jonesing for a hit. He has a tennis ball that he loves to chase around, so rolled his tennis ball in the catnip and threw it into the living room...I'm an enabler....I cracked out my cat.

Chew, Chew, Chew....

Lick, Lick, Lick....

Kick, Kick, Kick....

Chew, Chew, Chew...

Contemplate, Contemplate, Contemplate....

Relax.

He lied there for about 15 minutes, limbs askew, pupils dilated....and then sauntered over to his food bowl; I guess the munchies set in.

Caution: Bad Pun Ahead

2010-06-05T12:18:00.000-04:00

"These aren't for me?? They fit puuuur-fectly!"

I Will Survive

2010-05-30T01:01:00.000-04:00

FINALLY....a free moment to catch you up to speed. I started Physician Assistant graduate school two weeks ago and I have been on the go every minute since. The program is tough, but I'm managing just fine. It is a LOT more studying than I have ever done for anything, but it makes the days go by really fast. I busted my butt the whole first week (and weekend) studying for my first exam; it was on Tuesday of this last week, and it was in anatomy, my hardest class by far. I earned at 89%, equal to the class average. It was nice to see I was on par with my classmates and that all my hard work paid off. Now I know what I have to do for the rest of the tests....lots of butt busting ahead.

I have also managed to make a lot of new friends and have some fun during the last two weeks as well. I really like all of my classmates; no one seems to be hard to get along with or unlikeable. Everyone is very friendly and outgoing. We have already gone on a tubing trip, organized a BBQ and attended another and played several games of beach volleyball. I have met several girls who I really enjoy spending time/studying with, but have made pretty close friendships (already!) with a girl named Keri and a girl named Bryanna. Bryanna lives across the parking lot from me, which makes it super easy to get together and study. Also, we have decided that to do a little stress busting; we are going to train for a 5K that we will run in July or August. I'm so excited! I am not a runner...AT ALL...but I found a cool web site that is a training plan called "couch to 5K"; it trains you slowly and is meant for people who are not used to running. Keri and I met at our first orientation and have really hit it off. It is nice to have a friend in the program who knows exactly how you feel. We have been doing a lot of studying/work on projects lately, so we took a road trip to the west side of the state today to relax and enjoy the sun. The beach was GORGEOUS, but we are both a little crispy around the edges.

Even with all this school and my recent activities, I have still found time to do some experimenting in the kitchen....I have three yummy new recipes to share!

Chicken Calzone
Dough for 1 pizza
6 chicken breast tenders, cooked and chopped
1 cup Colby Jack cheese

Tomato sauce:
1 small can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 tomato, diced
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbs fresh sweet basil, chopped
1/4 chopped red onion
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt/pepper to taste
Saute onions in butter in a medium sauce pan. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 1 hour on low heat.

Spread dough out on pizza pan . Pour sauce on 1/2 of the circle of dough, leaving 1/2 inch around the outer edge. Place chicken and cheese on top of the sauce. Fold the dough over the filled half and crimp edges shut. Brush top of dough with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

TOO Cheese Burger (Tomato, Oregano, Onion)

1/4 lb lean hamburger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup shredded cheese
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tbs red onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

Blend all ingredients into meat with hands. Form into a patty and place on grill. Cook to desired done-ness.

For toppings, I suggest spinach, mayo and honey mustard to give a slightly sweet zing. You don't need much...the burger has a ton of flavor!

Egg-cellent Breakfast Bun
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 slices Roasted turkey (lunch meat)
1/4 cup spinach
1 tomato, sliced
Mayo
Whole wheat bun, toasted

Fry the egg until cooked through and yoke is hard. At the same time, brown the turkey in a little bit of butter. Spread mayo on the toasted bun and layer with turkey, spinach and tomato. Shut off heat to pan and cover egg with cheese, allowing to melt. Place egg on bun.

With all this food, it's a good thing I'm going to be doing all that running!

Bon Appetit!

2010-05-11T23:07:00.001-04:00

MMM Food post! I've been doing all kinds of cooking in the new place and wanted to share the goods...well, at least pictures of the goods. First up, we have stuffed pecan chicken that I made for a dinner with my parents.

Stuffed Pecan Chicken

Chicken Breasts, hammered flat

1 pkg Pre-Cooked Bacon, chopped

10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 tsp. Onion Grass, chopped

1 tsp. Fresh Basil, Chopped

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1/4 cup Pecans, chopped

1 cup Pecans, crushed

Mix together tomatoes, herbs, and bacon.

Add olive oil, parmesan cheese and chopped pecans.

Spoon a thin layer of mixture on flattened chicken breast and begin rolling. Secure chicken with toothpicks and place in a greased, glass baking dish. Repeat with each piece of chicken. Drizzle chicken lightly with more olive oil and cover with crushed pecans.

And we can't forget dessert... Blueberry Sorbet!

Blueberry Sorbet

2 cups Frozen Blueberries

3/4 cup Water

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 tsp Splenda

Place berries and water in blender. Blend until smooth. Add cream and Splenda, and blend until well combined. Scoop into bowls and place in freezer until hardened. Remove and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Tonight, I felt like making pizza, from scratch. I even made the dough...yummy!

Pizza Dough (from Food Magizine)

3 3/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cup warm water

1 tbs sugar

1 packet yeast

3 tbs olive oil

Whisk flour and salt. Create a well and pour in warm water, sugar and yeast. When foaming, add olive oil and knead dough until smooth. Brush dough with a little more olive oil and then place in a dish and cover for an hour and 30 minutes. Dough will double in size within that time. Split dough in half. Recipe yields enough dough for two pizzas.

I made two pizzas: Pepperoni and Peppers and a Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed-Crust Pizza.

Pepperoni and Peppers

1 cup pizza sauce

1 cup green peppers

1 cup banana peppers

pepperoni

2 cups colby jack cheese

Spread dough out on a pizza pan. Spread sauce out on dough leaving one inch of space all the way around. Place pepperoni over top of sauce. Layer with peppers. Cover with cheese. Brush dough edges with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is browned.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed-Crust Pizza

8 Mozzarella cheese sticks

1 cup spinach

1 can quartered artichokes, drained

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Sauce:

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2 tbs butter

4 tbs cream cheese

1 tbs heavy cream

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

Spread dough out onto pan. Place cheese sticks along edge of the dough. Fold the dough over the cheese and seal the edges down. For the sauce, saute onions and oregano in butter. Add cream cheese and allow to melt. Whisk in heavy cream. Spread sauce over dough. Place a layer of shredded parmesan cheese over the sauce. Cover parmesan cheese with a layer of artichokes and then a layer of spinach. Cover with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Brush dough edges with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is lightly browned.

And my favorite compliment to any meal...

Delicious!

As Promised...

2010-05-11T21:46:00.000-04:00

View from the front door...

Looking down the stairs, back at the door (notice the cute curtain Mom made)...

Bathroom...

Bedroom, looking left from the door

Looking right....

Straight ahead...

Top of the stair landing looking left into the living room...

Other end of the living room, looking back toward the landing...

Dining room from the living room...

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room...

Home sweet home!

Blooms from Behind

2010-05-06T22:51:00.000-04:00

In Full Bloom

2010-05-06T22:41:00.001-04:00

Bigger and Better

2010-05-06T22:35:00.002-04:00

What a whirlwind month! Blogging has taken a back seat to cleaning, packing, unpacking and organizing, but things have finally calmed down enough to catch up. I finished working on the 27th of April and can’t even explain how happy I am to be done. I enjoyed working with my patients, but was pretty burned out. A full time schedule in that line of work really drains me and makes me enjoy going to work each day less and less. I appreciate the experience that I gained while working these past few months, but it was time for me to move on to bigger and better things.

And speaking of moving on, I have moved into my new apartment with Deirdre. I cleaned up and hauled all my crap across town with lots, and lots, and LOTS of help from Mom, Dad, Michael and one of his friends….I owe a lot of people “thank-you” dinner. We got everything moved in on Friday and by Friday night, I had everything unpacked and organized; I hate going to sleep with all that mess looming over my head. I was a little worried about the apartment to begin with; I wasn’t sure I was happy with the space. It is smaller than my last apartment and not as nice, but it is also about 500 dollars a month less in rent and utilities. However, after unpacking and decorating the space, I have really fallen in love with our place. Indy didn’t like the move to begin with, but we are both slowly adjusting.

Deirdre moved her things in on Sunday and we have been enjoying the apartment and each other’s company this past week. She and I lived together during undergrad at Ferris and got along very well, so I hope this year will be similar. We have invited several friends over for a “housewarming” BBQ tomorrow and I can’t wait for everyone to see the new place!

Pictures will be up soon, I promise!

I'll Buy My Own Dang Flowers.

2010-04-04T01:51:00.001-04:00

It has been absolutely GORGEOUS here the last couple weeks....so much sun and so warm! I had the day off on Friday so I did my usual errand running...groceries, bank, etc and then headed home to enjoy the beautiful weather. While out at the store, I happened to pass the floral section. I stood there thinking, "gah, I wish I had some nice man to buy me flowers." I then mentally kicked myself in the butt for being stuck in the 50's and grabbed a bunch of my favorite flowers. I don't need a man to buy me flowers; I love it, I'll be honest, but the point is, I don't NEED it. HA. So there.

After I got home and put my feminism, I mean flowers, in a vase, I called Michael and he came over for dinner.....what is the point of beautiful weather if you don't BBQ? Exactly. There isn't one, so we did.

I made seasoned onion burgers, baked beans and grilled corn....yummmy friggin' yummmy.

Doesn't quite fit in the low carb diet, but I need a cheat every now and again. Speaking of which, I have lost 14 pounds so far...two more pounds and I have hit my goal! YAY! Finally, that new swim suit I bought can be worn with pride!

In other news, I ended my relationship with Chris. I realized we wanted different things and felt differently for each other; I decided it would be best to end it now, before things became more involved and difficult. It was hard, because I hate hurting anyone, especially someone who cares for me, but we ended things on friendly terms and both want to remain friends.

More changes are coming my way, (part of my decision to end things with Chris too), and I can't WAIT. I am soooooo ready for some change....I have 17 days of work left; my last day is April 27th. Class starts May 17th. It's coming up fast! All of my classmates are meeting for the first time on April 16th for our own little "orientation", (pizza and beer at a popular local establishment), and we have an informal orientation the following day where we will meet our mentor and get a tour of the building.

I move into my new apartment on May 1st; it is taking everything I have not to start packing up all my stuff now....it will have to be done soon, but not this soon or I will end up digging through all the boxes. However, I already deep cleaned my apartment so that is one less thing to worry about; I even moved the couches to vacuum. Guess what I found?....a plethora of "cat toys": ALL of my decorative stones from the dish on the coffee table, a pen, a pencil, a dry erase marker, the screw covers from the base of my toilet, the cover to my Ipod Shuffle, a cap to a bottle of hairspray, a hair tie, a couple gum wrappers, a couple dried leaves and two plastic springs (the only actual cat toys in the bunch).

Boy, was dinglefritzer excited when I revealed that little treasure....he couldn't even stay out of the area long enough for me to snap a pic.

Gesundheit!

2010-03-12T20:44:00.001-05:00

Nope, I'm not redecorating. This is what happens when I realize I have no money left on my laundry card for the dryer....AFTER the clothes are already in the washer. Every available surface with a corner or a knob is currently in use....looks like my closet had a really big sneeze.

If Only to Get Rid of That Tongue....Numbered Lists!

2010-03-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

Weeeeeell, had me one heck of a dream last night/this morning.....I dreamt that my boyfriend cheated on me and then blamed me for pushing him to do it. I woke up during the part where he was telling me about all her friends facebook "friending" him because of her big mouth. I woke up angry with tears on my cheeks and a border-line migraine. I haven't woken up crying in YEARS and didn't particularly miss the feeling. This dream leads me to believe three things:
1. My brain is rediculous.
2. My dream self is a wussy.
3. I may need to take a break from Facebook.

I have taken some Excedrine Headache Relief and my headache is ebbing....my eye no longer feels like it is going to explode out of my skull and the urge to throw up has almost disappeared. In order to fix my poopy mood, I am going to list some of my current favorite things....look out, brightened spirits ahead!
1. Cherry Chapstick- It's a Classic!
2. Josh Turner's "why don't we just dance"- LOVE this song...and that man, that voice...yummy yummy yummy!
3. Sunshine- 62 degrees and sunny here today....Heeeeeelllllllllloooooo spring!
4. Silver nail polish- such a hard and industrial looking color, and yet so pretty on long nails....

My mood has improved already. Now, if you will excuse me, I am off to go for a walk while listening to Josh on repeat....you might see me, I will be the one with the fingernails glinting in the sun, smelling of cherries with a big, stupid grin on my face.

Don't Sugar-Coat It Now.....

2010-03-08T00:52:00.000-05:00

Today is "Be Nasty Day" as listed by this site. Hmmm...today may be the day to let all my idiot co-workers know what I really think of them.......

Birthday Hockey Date

2010-03-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

This last Friday, Chris and I headed to Detroit to go to a Red Wings game. I bought him the tickets for his birthday in February and we rode with some friends who had also bought tickets. Chris and I sat in row 4 of the lower bowl...holy great seats! Wings won, 5-2; it was a great game to watch and we had a blast.

Warm-ups...

National Anthem...

Happy fans...

Great game!