Weekly Ramblings

Anyone else super duper excited that it is Friday? It is supposed to be pretty here, so Bryan and I have planned on riding a local mountain bike trail tomorrow afternoon and then checking out a lake with a supposed running trail and park after church on Sunday. How have your workouts gone this week? Feel free to post about them in the comment section if you need a little encouragement. I've got a few great smoothie recipes to share next week. For girls' night on Monday, Dr. Ash made a wonderful whole-wheat pasta dish that is packed full of good carbs. The original recipe did not call for chicken, but we added it. Also, this recipe serves two, and we found that making more requires a little more olive oil and lemon at the end. 

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

Ingredients:

4 oz dry spaghetti

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 lemon

2 tbsp pine nuts (we didn't use)

5-6 basil leaves, chiffonaded

Directions:

 Pour in olive oil and chopped up garlic into a small frying pan and let it cook over low, until the garlic starts to brown on edges. Immediately remove from heat and reserve. While that is going, boil your spaghetti.

Chiffonade some basil leaves.

Mix cheese and pine nuts in a large bowl, and add the garlic and its oil. Squeeze in lemon juice.

Add cooked spaghetti and toss until well combined.

Serve with freshly ground pepper.

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On Monday I paired my Max and Chloe necklace with a coral necklace that I tend to wear in the summer. It went nicely with a striped tank and olive green jacket. You likey?

Here is another random outfit picture from one day when I was running errands. I picked up a few goodies for my sister and went into the dressing room just so I could take an outfit pic. Seriously, their mirrors are so much better than mine at home. ;) My mom got me the cute burgundy silk shrug for Christmas and I heart it.

That is about all that I can think of interest to tell you today. Oh, other than the fact that I have the sweetest husband who saved me the last piece of my favorite See's Candy because he said I deserve it.

Super Simple Tacos

On Tuesday I completely forgot that I had planned on cooking a Mexican dish in the crock pot all day, so I was forced to get a little bit creative in a short amount of time before Bryan walked in the door. I am sure that a lot of us, myself included, have made some form or variation of this before while making tacos. It was super simple.

Super Simple Chicken Tacos

Chicken:

I chose to grill mine. I let the chicken breasts marinate for a few minutes in olive oil and a paprika, lemon and lime spice blend that I have among my spices. OR You can cut up slices of chicken and saute it in a pan. OR You can use the pre-cooked chicken tenders that come frozen or fresh. Basically, use whatever chicken you have on hand.

Veggie Mixture:

This is where it gets super easy. Instead of cutting up all of your taco toppings and placing them individually in a bowl or or a platter mix them all at once in a bowl.

1 can corn or I cooked some frozen corn, then rinsed it under cold water to chill it quickly.

1 can Rotel or diced tomatoes

purple onion, diced

fresh cilantro, chopped roughly

1/2 can black beans, rinsed

1 avocado

salt and pepper, to taste

squeeze 1-2 limes over the top, toss

cheese to top the tacos, I used Feta (sprinkle on the top of the tacos before serving)

tortillas

All of this can be mixed up and placed in the refrigerator until the chicken is ready. Wait about five minutes before slicing the chicken to seal in the juices.

Heated tortillas are the best. If you have a gas stove, just place them over the open flame, turning them so they do not burn or catch on fire. If you do not have a gas, place the tortillas in a pan to warm. If you want them slightly crispy heat some oil, get it really hot, then pop them in for about 20-30 seconds on each side.

*I have made this in so many different ways before. It can even be eaten as a fresh salsa with chips. An alternative is to use apple cider vinegar and a hot sauce (Tabasco) mixture.

Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!

A Pop of Pink

When I saw this picture on Pinterest, I knew that I had to re-create it. Being a lover of pink, the search began for a cute pink blazer. After reading the comments that go with this picture, I have gathered that the one shown is from Zara, but I cannot find it anywhere. Thus I came up with a couple of other options.

The Look for Less

I ordered this blazer from Forever21. Being less than $30, I figured it was worth a shot.

Shop Sosie has this 3/4 length dress that I think would be perfect for the upcoming spring.

I also like this sleeveless Tinley Road dress on Piperlime.

For Rich Folks

I guarantee that if I had an extra $1,600 lying around it would not be spent on this blazer, but it is very pretty.

This Tibi dress is my tippy top favorite choice for a white dress. You know the quality is amazing and it will last forever.

With all of the bright colors that are in style right now, I thought a pink blazer would be a nice touch to my wardrobe. There is no telling what Bryan and I will do for Valentine's Day, but I thought at some point it would be cute to wear with a black lace top and black ankle boots. I also like this version that Olivia Palermo is wearing.

A Chef of All Trades

My mother says that I began cooking when I was 18 months old. That being said, I can honestly say that I have made quite a vast array of dishes over the past 20-something years. Little did I know that when I married a hunter my cooking skills would be taken to a totally different level.

Since marrying Bryan, I have processed deer, filleted fish and breasted ducks. The all-time worst was when I had a pressure cooker explode in my kitchen full of squirrels.

I have put my foot down when it comes to rabbits. (Insert thoughts of one of my favorite childhood books, The Tale of Peter Rabbit.)

To spare you the details of my Saturday night rabbit hunt, I will say that it was a success lovely time with flashlights and .22s. (Honestly, I sat in the truck the whole time as my dad and Bryan pranced around like fools.) My head hit the pillow after midnight, with my dear hubby not crawling in beside me until after the end of their second round at 1:30 am.

Yesterday I did the thing I swore I would never do...I cooked rabbit. Oh yes, gasp and sputter and gag if you like because I did. For the record, it turned out quite nicely and only some pieces were slightly chewy. This has been added to my resume. ;)

If you really want the recipe I will share it. I think that it would be fantastic with beef since it has red wine and onions. Happy Monday!

Sunday Inspiration

 Our Lord is enthralled with your beauty. Not matter what the world's expectations are, know that He delights in you. Have a blessed Sunday, lovelies!

Five for Fashion Friday

Happy Friday, lovelies! Are you as glad as I am that the weekend is almost here? I struggled through the day yesterday. At noon I was looking at the cabinet and thinking it was 5 o'clock somewhere, but instead of opening it I got out a work-out video and burned some calories. Today I am linking up with Kori over at Blonde Episodes for her Fashion Friday series. Head over and check out some great blogs that are linking up!

1. Green is my favorite color. This Alice + Olivia bodysuit paired with their high-waisted pants are the epitome of sexy chic.

2. Animal prints always seem to suck me into their lair. I have more variations of animal print scarves than any other kind. And with green, they equal perfection.

3. If it did not get so darn hot in the south, boots might possibly adorn my feet year-round. Ok, so probably not...I do adore my McKims in the summer.

  

4. Have I posted this dress already? Hum...I do not remember, but I very possibly could have and just have forgotten. Tucker remains one of my all-time favorite labels. This dress keeps calling my name--you know the dots get to me.

5. Emi-Jay hair ties make me smile every time I use one. They do not pull or dent your hair, plus they are made in the USA! 

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Warm Pear Cider

I have sorta been on a roll with my days this week, Tasty Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, therefore I might as well continue on and do Thirsty Thursday. This warm pear cider looks amazing to me. Use your normal mug to serve them, or carve out the inside of pears like they did in the original post.

Warm Pear Cider

Ingredients:

3 ½ cups pear nectar

1-2 sticks of cinnamon

3 whole cloves

4 whole anise stars

¾ cup tequila gold

4 Asian pears (optional)

Directions:

Combine pear nectar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and anise stars in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add tequila and stir to incorporate.

To make the pear cups:

Cut off the pear top and with a sharp knife carefully outline a rim on your pear cup.

With a melon baller or a spoon, hollow out the pear making sure to leave about 1/4 inch at the bottom and around the edges, creating a cup.

Pour warm nectar into pear cups and enjoy.

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If you are a bloody Bloody Mary fan, head over to Sweet Southern Prep's Thirsty Thursday post today for a Bloody Maria recipe.

Wednesday Wellness + Semi-Wordless

One of my favorite things to do on Wednesdays is link up with Daph over at Flip Flops and Pearls. I have not done it lately, but I actually thought in advance this week and planned it so that I could link up with her today. Be sure to go over and tell her hello!

I wanted to do a post on wellness today, so I combined the wordless and wellness part. Let's get down and dirty, how is your New Year's fitness goal going? Come on, I know a lot of you made them. I did not exercise last week, but this week I am back on board and feeling better than ever. If you miss a week do not feel like you are a failure, pick back up and get on with it. Only you can make a difference! I only allow myself to by healthy foods at the store. You do not see me putting chips or cookies into my buggy. Except for that late-night run to the store with Dr. Ash on Sunday. If I have them, I will eat them, so therefore I just don't do it. If you eliminate the bad snacks, you force yourself to eat the good snacks that you have purchased. That in itself is a huge help!

This has been posted before, but I want to share it again with you today. When my mind draws a blank, I find myself going back to this to look for a new option.



I have found lots of motivational pictures, but when I stumbled across this work-out plan, I knew that it needed to be shared.

Get that body ready for bikini season...you've got plenty of time...it's only January, ladies!

One of the most important things to remember is to drink water. Drink water. Drink Water.

Have a great and healthy day!

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Trendy Tuesday: My Weakness

Since the first preview pictures of Tibi's Pre-Spring collection came out (last summer?), I had a hunch that this just might be one of my favorite collections. Possibly all-time favorite? Yes. Ahhhh, my love for Amy's designs has swooped me up into its arms again and carried me away. I am currently taking donations for my closet account. Is it really illegal to stand on the street corner?

Among the stripes, polka dots and cheetah prints it is hard to pick my absolute favorite, but I must be true to myself and go with the animal print.

And then there are the polka dots. Swoon. This dress needs to hang in my closet.

Cheetah, dots and stripes...my head is spinning.

Did I mention there is a horseshoe crab print?

Did anyone notice that I even like the pieces that have blue in them? Obviously I like the pink articles, too. I really could post every single piece that is new.

What are your thoughts? Have a great day!

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