Thursday Highs & Lows

A blurry picture of cats. 

Highs:

- We upped our cable so that now we can receive so many more channels plus BASEBALL. We pay more, but I am much happier with our service and I don't feel like I'm being cheated out of money for literally 3 channels that I watch.

- My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are moving into their new house next week.  OH and it is a block down the road from us! I'M SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU. My sister-in-law and I are constantly texting about drinking lemonade and gardening and walking the dog and going out and visiting and eating dinner together and basically doing everything we can do because we live 2 seconds from each other now!

- I'm going to the salon to get my hair cut tonight and it has been a long time coming. My hair has gotten so long and ratty and I can't do anything with it. Not that I do anything anyway, but maybe now I will? Hint: Probs not.

- I'm really trying to get back on track with my weight loss.  I have exactly 23 days to lose 6 pounds.  I've lost 10 so far and really kept it off, so I feel confident I can do this. 

Lows:

- Being woken up with pain at 5:30am. Oh, and not being able to fall back asleep.

- The Baltimore riots.  It is sad and heartbreaking and devastating and uplifting at times and then I have these weird dreams about riots and blood and I can't sleep. It's affecting me in a way I didn't know I could be affected. So I pray.

- My iPhone 5 battery is going kaput. I've been using it for 2 hours now and I'm at 86%.  Yesterday when I left work, I was at something like 31%.  I don't expect it to last 2 days, but I do expect it to last at least 8 hours.

- So yesterday afternoon the Orioles played the White Sox in an empty stadium.  We signed up (and paid a hefty price tag) for MLB TV, so of course, I logged on to watch it. But then I get this message that we are blacked out. WHAT?! Apparently MLB TV does not have the rights to play the games for people who live in an area where the home team is. Which means I can never watch Orioles or Nationals games live. And I can't watch ANY postseason games live, no matter what team or where I live. Isn't that some BS? Why would anyone want this? Boggles my mind.

Sausage & Zucchini Soup

I love to cook. I love to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I don't cook a lot of lunches though, yogurt and quinoa chips FTW.

I made this soup on a particularly chilly day last week when I got home early because there was minimal traffic and I needed something comforting. Jesse ate two bowls! It's that good.

Sausage & Zucchini Soup

2-3 links Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage (or any sausage you like, including chicken and turkey!)
2 large zucchinis (I used regular and a yellow summer squash)
Half a yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme (but you can use rosemary, basil, oregano)
1 can diced tomatos, any brand (I used fire roasted with garlic, but use the Italian version, or just plain if you want!)
2 cups dry pasta (any shape! or substitute quinoa, brown rice or any other healthier alternative, pasta is just what I had on hand)
3 c. low sodium beef broth
1/4 c. sherry or wine

What To Do:

Start by browning your sausage in small chunks in a small bit of olive oil in a medium high pan.  The great thing about using this hot sausage, or a chorizo, is the paprika oil it gives off. It gives great color to the soup!

Don't be afraid of the brown bits! They're good!

Once your sausage is cooked, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate to cool and drain. Add a little more olive oil if you need it, and then your onions. Sprinkle them with salt to avoid getting brown. We want them sauteed and translucent.  Add your garlic after about 5 minutes and then inhale that scent immediately. Delicious.

Make sure your pan is nice and hot and then add the white wine/red wine/sherry and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.  These add unbelievable flavor!  Next add your canned tomatoes. I fill up the can with a bit of water and swirl it around and then transfer that to the pot as well, but you can leave that step out if you would like!  Add your beef broth in 1 cup increments.  I added 2 cups, then felt I really needed a third, and it came in handy! But if you're making this for 1 person, you may only need 2 cups. 

Ugh blurry picture.

Add in any spices or seasonings. I used fresh thyme, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. It's all to your preference though!

Allow the soup to come to a boil, then turn it down and cover it to simmer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime...

Gorgeous veg

Chop up your zucchini and summer squash. You can certainly add more vegetables if you would like, just bear in mind the cooking times. Things like celery and carrots should be added in with the onions. Mushrooms can be added in with the zucchini.

Once you have your veggies ready, and the 10 minutes is up, add them and the pasta. This is an assortment of leftover boxes of pasta I have. I just threw some in and hoped for the best!

Why can't they just make portions for 2 people!

This was after 10 minutes of simmering. It's thickened up a bit, but not too much. This is definitely a broth-y soup, not a thick stew.

Allow the soup to come back to a boil, and cook the whole mixture (veggies and pasta included) for an additional 10 minutes covered, or until your pasta is cooked to your liking and the zucchini has softened. 

Soup bubbling away!

I served mine with parmesan cheese on top and leftover garlic bread for dipping.  Even with the parmesan cheese, this is a total of 336 calories per bowl. Not including the garlic bread of course.

Perfect dinner for a chilly night!

The great thing about this recipe is, it makes wonderful leftovers. Just heat it up for 2-2.5 minutes in the microwave and voila! Lunch. 

Pray

I am close to tears every time I pull up my Facebook, turn on the news, or check a website. The riots in Baltimore, the looting, the arson, it is all useless.  

I am for peaceful protests. I am for equality and justice. I am for police officers, for citizens, for the end to racism.  

But I cannot stand behind the actions of those men and women that are terrorizing and destroying their own city. 

Please, I ask for prayers for the city of Baltimore. I ask that you pray, not only for the family of Freddie Gray, but the police officers, the firefighters, the national guard and all of the citizens of Baltimore, that they may know peace and calm in their hearts. That the violence ends. That no innocent lives are lost.

One Short Day!

Instead of doing a whole recap of the weekend, here are some highlights!

- Friday night's dinner with friends had baked tacos! I had never had tacos like this, but basically she filled up the taco shells with the meat and cheese, then baked them in the oven. Everything held together really nicely and the shell was crisp on the top and yet soft on the bottom. The perfect mixture.  I'll definitely be trying this trick next time I want tacos!

- This guy turned one and he was pretty ding dang cute about it!

- A pretty successful interview with a company that sounds great to work for! Now is the time to pray and wait!

- WICKED. If you have seen the show, no explanation needed. If you haven't seen the show, go see it. I shouldn't have to explain myself where Wicked is concerned. 

To add to my collection!

The sets are incredible!

- Jesse ordered a whole year of MLB TV.  We have been going back and forth between getting better cable, or ordering this. I was against it. I want good cable! I want HGTV  and TBS and Bravo! But he ordered it last night on a whim and I gotta say, I am loving it! No more missing baseball games because we are so cheap!

So that was sort of my weekend in a nutshell.  We spent time with family and friends. We hung out. I made pulled pork in the crock pot. An all around good old fashioned weekend.

High Five for Fridayyyy!

Did this seem like a super long week for anyone else?

Thankfully, finally, wonderfully, it is Friday!

1. This weekend I am going to see Wicked with my mother and future sister-in-law!  I've seen it twice before, but not in a very long time, and I have always loved it. It is so well written and the songs are to die for.

Wicked!

2. We are hopefully starting our bible study up again with a few couples who go to our church. We took a little break due to everyone's schedules, but I am hoping it starts regularly.  It is just such a shot of goodness during the week, Jesse and I really look forward to it.

3. I am reminded every single day of God's goodness.  Yesterday was particularly rough, but I got a phone call on the way home that makes me realize that God is always on our side.  

4. My belt is SO loose you guys. Like I need Jesse to either poke a new hole for me, or I need to buy a new one. Also, I can definitely tell the next day when I've eaten poorly.  Last night I was tired and just wanted pizza.  We ate pizza, garlic knots, and leftover cookies. Not my finest hour.  I woke up this morning thirsty and with a headache.  My body needs vegetables and lean protein!

5. Jesse has off work tomorrow! He originally was supposed to work the whole weekend, but his days got switched.  So now we get to wake up together, eat breakfast, go to our friends' son's birthday party together, and just hang out together. I love weekends with him!

Linking up with Katie, Della, Catilin, and Tif!

Wins & Losses

It's a beautiful morning. So I'm going to dump some wins and some losses here and then enjoy my day.


Losses:

1. Last night Loft was having this massive sale on their already marked down items, so I convinced Jesse to go with me. His reward was going to Lowe's afterwards. Anyway, I grabbed a couple of things I thought were cute, took them to the dressing room and looked at myself in the mirror. AHAHAHA. Yeah, no. 

2. After 6 days late, I started my cycle. FUN.

3. We went to Lowe's last night to look for a weed whacker for Jesse. Found one with a leaf blower included for $130.  Looked online and it was at Walmart for $97.  Get it together Lowe's.

4. I took my contacts out last night and one of them had a hole in it. No wonder my vision was blurry all day.

5. Big changes at work and change is NO fun.

WINS:

1. Ordered that leaf blower from Walmart. WIN.

2. Ordered a sweater and a necklace for $30 (including shipping) from Loft. WIN.

3. I'm officially down 11 pounds. Only 9 more to go in the next month. I can do this.

4. I had some cannoli cream leftover from our Italian potluck last Saturday so I dipped girl scout shortbread cookies into it and it was good.  This does not in anyway reflect the fact that somehow I am down 11 pounds as seen above. 

Enjoy your these last two days before the glorious, glorious weekend!

Recap//Weekending

We spent a lot of time with family and friends this weekend, which was very nice. Saturday morning Jesse and I woke up early and went to breakfast at Family Meal.

Blueberry pancakes, breakfast sandwich, pimento hoe cakes, and coffee. (Grits not pictured, but delicious all the same)

They have so much to look at, it could take you two hours at least.

We went shopping at a vintage barn sale that's held once a month. We didn't find much, everything has gotten kind of expensive. It was such a beautiful day though, I didn't really mind walking away with nothing.

That night we had everyone over for our Italian potluck night. My cannolis and tiramisu turned out delicious! I was very proud.

My brother-in-laws and their families stayed until pretty late, I was so happy to fall into bed that night.

The next morning we went to church, had lunch with my parents, then went to a mall with a Bass Pro shop because that is what my niece wanted to do for her 5th birthday. She loved looking at the big boats, the fish tanks, and the 4-wheelers.

Checking out boats we could never afford.

We had dinner and cake for her at my brother-in-law's apartment a couple minutes away and left around 8pm.  I was exhausted, let me tell you. All in all, a pretty nice little weekend.

My beautiful niece who is almost my height now. 

Now I'm just counting down the minutes to the next one.

H54F!

Good Morning!

I am exhausted this morning. But it's OK, it's Friday. High Five!

1. Tomorrow morning Jesse and I are going to get breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants, Family Meal. I mentioned it here. We have been there for breakfast only a handful of times before, and I thought, what a nice little impromptu date to get our day started? Reservations made!

2. Italian potluck on Saturday night!  Every now and then we do a potluck with Jesse's brothers, their significant others, and our friends. Most of the time it is Mexican, but this time we decided on Italian. It's always so much good food and so much laughter. 

Jesse loves his brothers

3. I've had the windows open the past 2 days. Yay for saving on gas bills!

Super old picture, but it accurately represents their excitement at the open windows.

4. I am officially down 10 pounds since one month ago today!!

5. Last night I made a pretty bangin' dinner. Sorry for the poor picture quality, but I was in a hurry to take the picture so I could eat it!

Scalloped potatoes, green beans, and sauteed sirloin.

So I realize that most of these are about food. Welcome to my life.

Linking up with Katie, Caitlin, Della, and Tif!

Cherry Blossoms//DC

A couple weeks ago my brother and I decided to plan a trip down to DC to see the cherry blossoms. We had always talked about going while they were blooming but never got around to it. So we all took the day off and I put it out of my mind for a little while. Then last week, as I was checking the weather, I saw that Tuesday was supposed to be cloudy, rainy, and cold.  We briefly discussed cancelling, but I held out hope, and we went anyway.

We ate lunch at Taylor Gourmet. It was DELICIOUS. Seriously, if you're ever in the DMV area (DC/Maryland/Virginia), eat here for lunch. They had super quick service, a funky interior, and everyone agreed their sandwiches were delicious. Plus, they were giving these Spindrift sodas away for free that day!

Jackson sandwich on wheat.

After lunch, decked with rain coats and umbrellas, we walked to the Tidal Basin, past the national mall and to the Jefferson Memorial. I got some good pictures, but I definitely wore the wrong shoes. They ended up getting soaked, dirty, and gave me a blister.  Not fun.

I'm artsy you guys.

Washington Monument

Jefferson Memorial

Then we went to the American History museum. We didn't have a lot of time in there, but I swear, I could stay all day. We saw Julia Child's replica kitchen and Judy Garland's ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz.

And Jesse fake punched a mannequin's back.

If you are ever in DC, definitely hit up the touristy spots. I know it's cliche, and there are probably a ton of trendy/cool/informative places. But it is worth a look!

Weekending//Manic Mondays

Good morning!

It is an absolutely beautiful morning where I live. I haven't been able to fully enjoy it until right this second though because I woke up extremely late, threw my hair in a pony tail, raced out the door only to sit in traffic for 20 minutes, arrive at work 15 minutes late and have my first sip of coffee at 10:15 AM. It's been a quintessential manic Monday.

Good news though! I have off tomorrow to explore DC with Jesse, my brother and his fiance. We're going to look at the cherry blossoms and have a lovely lunch. I'm very excited!

Our weekend was quiet in some respects and loud in others.

Friday night we went for our usual walk and had a healthy dinner of salad with grilled chicken and mushrooms. Then we wrecked it all for Bruster's ice cream. Have you ever been there? Everything is so delicious. I opted not to get the waffle cone as I didn't want to eat too much, but I won't lie. I got two scoops. One of chocolate chip cookie dough and one of honey graham. They are so yummy. Plus we always have coupons and they honor military discounts. It was a nice night to sit on the bed of Jesse's truck and eat our ice cream and swing our feet. Then we went home and watched Back to the Future part 1. A classic.

Saturday morning we woke up a little late. 9:15 is late for an old woman like me. We did some chores around the house and I tackled my closet. It was getting a tad out of control. I will be giving away a ton of old sweaters/shirts I never wear anymore and at least 3 pairs of pants that either don't fit, or I just don't wear. I also got rid of about 10 pairs of shoes. I bought some wedges about 4 years ago and I wore the heck out of them. They have holes where my pinky toes poke through. So those got the boot. As did a pair of boots I think I've worn 5 times in the 5 years I've had them. It's sad when I think about the money I spent on clothes that weren't perfect for me, but that I had to have when I was young. I was going through it and Jesse kept walking into the room and saying, "this is a mess!" at all the clothes I had lying everywhere. And I kept thinking, oh my gosh. Do I seriously have this many clothes?! So many clothes. So many you guys. I've forbid myself from buying anything else without making use of the clothes I already own.

I had so many clothes crammed in to this small space. And the top shelf? Don't even get me started.

See those yellow bins? FULL OF SHOES.

And then what did I do this morning? I looked at Loft.com and put things in my cart before I actually realized what the hell I was doing.  Don't worry, nothing was purchased. Yet.

Saturday afternoon we helped some friends of ours move into their first apartment. Then we went out for dinner and drinks just us and ran into Jesse's brother and his wife who invited us back to their house for wine (for me) and whiskey (for Jesse). We ended up staying until 2:30 and had a dance party. I haven't seen 3 AM in years.

Sunday was pretty chill. We slept until 10ish and Jesse went over to his Dad's to work on his truck while I stayed back and cleaned the house. I toured Jesse's other brother's new house (less than a quarter mile from ours!) and we went to Moe's for dinner.

Beautiful weather, beautiful weekend. All in all, this was the weekend I needed to recharge. I feel like we've been going, going, going for so long. I needed a weekend to just cool down. I think maybe next weekend, I'll focus on sleep?

High Five for Friday!

1. We have no plans this weekend. Hooray!  It is supposed to be a beautiful weekend where I live so I have a feeling I'll be opening windows and doing some major spring cleaning!

2. I got that pair of slip-on sneakers at Target for a total of $14.00.  Seriously! Less than twenty dollars for an awesome pair of sneakers that I am loving.

3. I feel good.  I have energy and even though I haven't lost a ton of weight, I feel like I look different.  Maybe it's just because I feel different, but good enough for me!

Red Sox dominated the Phillies 8-0

Baltimore owned the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2

4. Boston and Baltimore won their opening day games!

5. I have listened to Rend Collective for quite some time now, but have rediscovered this song. I love the words and can't get enough. "We will declare, over despair, You are the hope!"

Weight...maintenance?

This so speaks to me. I am forever a sucker-inner.

I'm supposed to LOSE the weight, alright body? Not MAINTAIN the weight I've been at for the past 4 years. 

Now granted, I'm not eating truly great and I'm definitely not exercising as much as I should. I have a tendency to eat small breakfasts and lunches and then large dinners. Which doesn't give my body enough time to digest. Or I totally blow my sugar grams in breakfast and I'm just trying (and failing) to limit my sugar the rest of the day. 

Or I just don't take my walk at night. It's been stormy/rainy where I live the whole week and unfortunately the walks (and squat challenges) have just flown out the window. 

But here's the thing.  My scale says a number. But I don't feel like that number. I feel pretty good. I look in the mirror and I'm liking what I see more and more. Not every part of me is perfect, but my clothes are fitting better. I even have to use the smallest notch on my belt loop and sometimes that's not even tight enough. I need to keep going.

I only have 44 days left until my beach trip. That gives me roughly 3 days per pound or 2 pounds a week. I'm not saying I can do it. But I am saying I'm going to try harder. I'm going to eat cleaner. I'm not going to cheat so horribly on the weekends (which has been my major downfall). I am actually going to get outside, even if it's raining, so that I can jog walk.  I will do my squats. I may even add arms! With my 5 pound weights mind you. I won't eat so many carbs. I won't eat so much sugar. I won't eat any desserts if I can help myself. 

Oh man, this is going to be tough. I am itching to go on a walk right now though and that has to be a good sign, right?

Four.

Tuesdays suck. So here's a rando-post!

I was pretty adorbs.

four of my nicknames
1. Jessa - My mom called me this when I was a baby.
2. Jessie - I hate this name for myself. I've never wanted it and immediately correct people when they say it. Also, it's my husband's name and please don't confuse us anymore. (He spells it Jesse)
3. Babe - Jesse and I have a habit of calling each other tons of nicknames.  The one most frequently used is babe.
4. Angel - my dad calls me this.

four jobs i've had
1. I worked for Best Buy when I was in high school.  My first and probably last time working in retail.
2. During college I worked for a real estate magazine.  I worked part time in this beautiful office with hardwood floors and lots of natural light. I loved it. Sadly, they went out of business, but I truly enjoyed working there.
3. I worked for a long time for a medical office. I loved this job. I loved the patients, the medical stuff, my coworkers. I left to go back to school.
4. I babysat a lot in high school and college. The sweetest gig I had was for twin babies. Their parents were fairly young and would put them to bed right before I got over there around 8pm or so. They NEVER cried while I was there, so I basically watched TV for 5 hours and got paid big money for it. It was AWESOME.

I could watch this movie over and over and over again.

four movies i've watched more than once
1. When Harry Met Sally - I watch this movie at least 3 times a year. I never get sick of it and can repeat almost every line.
2. It's A Wonderful Life - I watch this every Christmas with my dad. It is so perfect and Jimmy Stewart praying at the end just slays me.
3. Liar Liar - Jesse and I love this movie and watch it every time it's on TV. We can quote the crap out of this movie.
4. Field of Dreams - I try to watch this before every baseball season. It really gets me in the spirit.

four things in my purse
1. My Spartina wallet. If you've never heard of them, check them out! They're great quality and come in tons of colors and patterns!
2. Rosebud Strawberry lip balm. The best.
3. My iPhone 5.
4. Pepper spray. Jesse got this for me for Christmas. Interestingly, it is not the strangest gift he has ever given me.

four places i've lived
1. Frederick, MD
2. Walkersville, MD
3. Towson, MD
4. Olney, MD

Boston's gorgeous skyline. We went there in July 2013 and it was beautiful weather!

four places i've visited
1. Boston, MA - I've been to Boston twice in my life and will be going back this summer!
2. Savannah, GA - I went here with my girl scout troop when I was 13.  Such a cool city.
3. Los Angeles, CA - Visited CA when my girlfriend was living out there and it was quite the experience.
4. Cancun, Mexico - Our honeymoon!

four places on my travel bucket list
1. Charleston, SC - I have heard this city is gorgeous and I love the south.
2. Greece - Specifically Santorini. The pictures look so beautiful.
3. Grand Canyon - I can just picture myself standing at the top and feeling peaceful.
4. Key West, FL - I think this one, like Charleston, could be easily accomplished. I just want to bask in the sunshine and the warm sand and beautiful, clear waters.

four things i don't eat
1. Asparagus - I don't know, I just never cared for this vegetable. Plus it makes your pee smell! #ew
2. Twinkies - Never had one, never will.
3. Meatloaf - This always smells delicious to me, but then I see it and I think, no thanks.
4. Oysters - Apparently they're just supposed to "slide down your gullet". What. No.

Always and forever, OK?

four tv shows i watch
1. Friends - My all time, absolute, favorite TV show ever. Of all time. Absolutely. I can quote every single line, I think it's hilarious, I adore all the characters and all the episodes.
2. Sex and the City - I catch this every now and then on E! and I will watch an episode. I've seen every episode multiple times. There are definitely story lines I hate (um, Alexsandr Petrovsky anyone?) but the friendship between the 4 girls always rings true to me.
3. Parks & Recreation - We are at the end of season 6 right now on Netflix and I am sad it's ending. Andy Dwyer forever.
4. Will & Grace - I have always loved the dynamic of the characters on this show. I think Will & Grace's friendship, especially at the beginning, and their quick wit, is what keeps me coming back.

The day we left the beach last year. A sad, sad day indeed.

four things i'm looking forward to
1. The beach! We are going in May and it cannot come fast enough.
2. My brother's wedding. It's going to be a family filled, food filled extravaganza and I want to eat and dance my heart out.
3. Baseball season. Yesterday was opening day for the Orioles and the Red Sox.  I can't wait to see a couple games this year.  Maybe I can even convince Jesse to up our cable package so I can watch them on TV!
4. Warm weather. Like warm even when you walk out your door at 7:30 in the morning. I want to not be cold for a long time.


K! Back to pretending I care that I have to work today!

Waves

My husband's father owns a 6 bedroom beach house in Waves, NC on the Outer Banks. And it is the most peaceful, beautiful place. 

Every summer we go down to visit the beach with whomever in the family can come. Usually it's a couple of brothers, maybe some friends, and his dad and step mom.  Unfortunately, this will probably be the last year we go. (Insert super sad emoticon)

His dad has decided to put the house on the market and possibly purchase a house in DCL. While I LOVE DCL, I don't think I would trade it for the Outer Banks. There is something so peaceful and hushed about the outer banks that makes you feel like you're in a different world. We are leaving in a couple months to go and every year, we just have the best time. It's filled with tons of laughter, food, drinks, and beach time.

The place is an oasis. Away from every single problem you can imagine. Where I can literally read 3 books in one week because I feel so calm. 

The beaches are gorgeous, with dunes marking the tops.

The water can be a little cold, but nothing ever deters the boys.

The sunsets, good gracious.

Sun burnt and happy.

Lighthouse

Every year I come back feeling so refreshed. And yes, there can be hectic times, arguments among the siblings, but everyone just drinks another beer and gets over it. 

I can't wait.

Slip-On Sneaks

Am I totally slow to realize that the slip-on sneaker is the most perfect shoe? Have these been around forever and I am just now noticing them? Because holy cow. I love them.

A couple weeks ago Jesse and I were out shopping (one of our favorite hobbies) and he insisted we go to Gap. I was complaining because I was tired and it was 8:25 and the Gap closed at 9 and I just wanted to go home but he really wanted to, so I went.

I sort of looked at this and that, and after waiting in the dressing room for him to try on two ON SALE/CLEARANCE/DEEP DISCOUNTED button down shirts, one of which is so feminine I laugh, we were walking out of the store when he spotted these:

Gap $39.95

I tried them on and instantly loved them. I think I've worn them three times a week for the last month. I would wear them every day if I didn't want to totally wear them out. They are perfect with a cuffed jean, my long maxi skirt, and when it gets warmer, a casual dress. I have all these ideas for outfits that revolve around these shoes.

So now?
I can't get enough. I want these:

Target $13.59

These:

Loft $49.50

And oh good grief, these:

Nine West $59.99

How cute would that last pair be with some dark wash jeans, a plain white t-shirt and gold accessories?  I die.