2015's Recipe Quest: Update 1

If you read my new year post, you'll know that one of my resolutions from this year is to try fifty-two new recipes. That equates to one a week. 

In my magical list of made up rules, I'm defining new recipes as ones we haven't made before, not necessarily something we haven't eaten before. I'm sure there will be weeks when it's something simple and other weeks when it's more elaborate. 

So here's what we dished up:

1. Cabbage Noodles

Roughly adapted from this recipe, we had a four pound head of cabbage that we needed something to do with. We made this huge batch of it and had it as a side dish for days. Now, we still have two pounds left of cabbage.

2. Carrot Bread

Um...I freaking came up with this by myself. I was feeling carrot cake, but wanted more of a bread. I adapted the recipe for zucchini bread, adding here and taking away there. It came out pretty fantastic and was great for breakfast. Especially sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

3. Meatballs

Personally I loved the recipe. We mixed things up a bit and did a half pork, half beef combo but Ryan thought it needed something more. I think he was rooting around for onions mixed in. I really hate to say it, but I think we'll keep looking for that great recipe. (But seriously I love this woman's blog - you should totally check it out)

4. Strawberry Swirl Smoothie

I based it off of this Nestle recipe but substituted a banana for the yogurt, since it's not a staple in our house. My bananas weren't exactly ripe ,which I think took away some flavor but, overall I enjoyed the texture and taste. 

Two weeks in and we already have four new recipe tallies. Here's how I'm calling 'em:

Keepers
Carrot Bread

Keeping but Tweaking
Cabbage Noodles
Strawberry Swirl Smoothie

Weepers
Meatballs

Candy Heart Sign

Remember how I said I was determined to be on top of my holiday decorating this year? Well, guess who has their Valentine's Day mantel done?!

Yep, it's me!

I'm quite happy with it. Especially with the way candy hearts came out. I was inspired by this pin and couldn't wait to make it.

I bought the hearts each for 99¢ at Michael's but had everything else laying around the apartment. Here's a visual.

How are you decorating for Valentine's Day?

The instructions feature the following font: Connected. I used a picture from this website: Candy Hearts

Three and a Half Years

If there's one question I get most often it's, "How long have you been married?"

This time I got it after I commented that I'm always late because it's hard saying goodbye to that face in the mornings. I live seven minutes away from work and I'm always five minutes late. It's my daily struggle.

You'd be late too though, right? I mean, look at that face. Imagine it still sleepy and cute in bed. It's rough leaving it.

So I got the, "Aww, how long have you been married?" I'm accustomed to. My response earned surprise, as it generally does. Then I was promptly reminded that I am not the norm in the world.  

But why? When did it become normal to not be over the moon in love with your partner? When did it become normal that you don't feel less than whole and maybe just a little lost without your other half? Shouldn't we all long for the time we spend with our chosen ones?

I think we need to start a revolution. One that changes how love looks, how it feels, and show how it changes us for the best.

Join me? Let's be examples. 

Top Five Friday: Tunetastic

A colleague asked me yesterday if I'd bet my paycheck on the accuracy of a piece of information I gave him.

My response? "Sure, it's not that big anyway." Which kinda, sorta got me a job offer? Funny how things work.

Here's what's been on repeat.

1. Hozier's "Work Song." Let's be honest the entire album has been on repeat. This is one of my, if not the, favorite songs on the album.

2. Broods' "Four Walls." I think it's my favorite song on the album.

3. Louisa Wendorff's "Blank Space/Style (Taylor Swift Mash-Up)" with Devin Dawson since I saw the VS Fashion Show 2014 earlier this week and saw Taylor Swift perform "Style." I found this little gem and haven't stopped listening.

4. Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire" ever since I saw The Desolation of Smaug and realized what the song was about.

5. Knox Hamilton's "Work it Out" because I may have the teeniest, tiniest crush on Boots, the lead singer. But maybe I just have a thing for beards?

What've you got on repeat?

Every. Damn. Day.

I'm going to go broke buying ink. 

Honestly, my printer is utterly ridiculous. I print about four pages before one of the cartridges needs to be replaced! I even looked up how to reset the cartridges to see if that would work.

Well wouldn't you know it, I have such a new and advanced piece of technology it doesn't even have that option. What joy...

I'm thhhiiiiisssss close to saying "eff it" and selling the damn thing and printing everything at the UPS store for 78¢ a copy. 

The only thing that I've found to help extend the cartridge life, surprisingly, was changing the print quality to "best" rather than "normal." I still get color issues towards the bottom of the page, though. 

Black&White     Color

Hopefully you have more luck printing this out than I do!

What printers seem to work for you?

The printable is formatted to fit a 8.5" x 11" piece of paper and features the following fonts: KB Queeny Me, KG The Fighter, KBSticktoIt, and YummyCupcakes. 

Valentine's Day Candle Vases

Is it just me or have you, too, felt you fall behind on decorating for the holidays (aside from Christmas) and the season changes? Because I feel like it's just me. Or it could be I spend too much time on Pinterest. 

This year I'm determined to be on top of decorations. Like. ON. TOP. OF THAT. I even got my Valentine's Day Pinterest board going strong after Christmas. Overboard? Probably. Do I care? Nope.

I'm super excited though because I'm getting stuff ready slowly but surely. Starting with this candle vase I do every year. I got the berries off a Currant wreath I bought one year after they started falling out. I de-berried the wreath and put a bow on it instead. I got the vases at K-Mart when we were testing out centerpieces for my wedding. HELLO WEDDING-CYCLE. That's definitely not a word. But I feel like it could be. 

It totally could be.

Since I received the best gift ever for Christmas (my camera), I have been taking pictures like mad. To the point I'm dragging out chairs, climbing on step ladders, and laying on the ground in ridiculous positions to get "good" shots. I've been having a blast. Ryan? Not so much. I think of the 400+ pictures I've snapped so far, 200 or so are of him. Some of them may be while he's naked. But it's just for testing the light! I swear. Okay - they may be for blackmail later down the road. Right now I'm loving learning how to use the thing. 

Some other things I'd like to use...the freaking candles I seems to collect. I have about five dozen little ones, a couple pillar, and a dozen of the tall Yankee Candle jars. Yet I was still tempted to buy some at the store this past weekend. If only I didn't have to voice of reason standing next to me reminding me of my hoard...

Three down, countless to go.

What about you? Decorating for Valentine's Day yet?

Happy New Year!

I think I finally figured out some new year resolutions for 2015. Is it normal to have more than one? It is. I think it totally is. Right?

It is. I'm convinced. Anyway. Here's my list.

I think it's quite ambitious, especially considering I can't even run right now. Like doctor's orders, not allowed to run. It sucks but that's why I'm doing physical therapy. And it's not like all of those things are going to be done in January. Clearly. I mean a triathlon in January? In the Northeast? Can you imagine? I'd be a popsicle before my whole leg was in the water.

No, I fully anticipate taking the majority of the year to do these. I'm sure I'll go crazy with the recipes early on in the year, but I did fifty-two so it could be a weekly thing. I'm super excited for them already, I think I'll start planning them soon. 

What's your resolution for this new year? Any crazy ones?

[My resolution list was made using the following fonts and textures: Homestead Display. Sketch Serif. Autumn. Tree Bark Textures.]