Sara Bee

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2012-02-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

Apparently I love DIY projects that involve old t-shirts. This is the third one that I've done. So, luckily I had an extra t-shirt laying around from the previous flip-flop revamp that I attempted. That's all you need though! An old t-shirt (or some jersey fabric) and scissors...oh, and patience. Lots of patience.

You'll need to cut your fabric into strips. The original tutorial said to use three, but I found even three was almost not enough. Maybe I didn't read thoroughly enough though and I probably just didn't make the actual strips long enough.

You'll need a little slit in the end of each strip of fabric and you use these to knot the fabric into each other. A full explanation can be found at V and Co. Sorry, I'm not going to be much help on this tutorial. I had to follow it just as closely, so I'll leave the explaining up to the original source.

Then to make the actual braided part, you weave the fabric using your fingers. Again, the full explanation is over at V and Co. It's hard to explain and even somewhat hard to understand from the original tutorial. I think the key is to keep pulling the end of the fabric so that it doesn't get all bunched up. You'll see what I mean if you attempt this as well.

After awhile I had something that looked like a braid. I mean, it doesn't look bad, right? But it's so short and stubby! I mean, I was using some pretty long pieces of fabric. I guess I just need more...or just need to get better at this. I guess they don't have the saying "practice makes perfect" for no reason.

Cute, right? I hope I'm not scaring you into not attempting this. I mean, it still came out pretty good and not too far off from the originals. It just takes some getting used to and just took me awhile to get the hang of it. Psh, you will probably be way faster at figuring it out anyway.

Feel free to give me any suggestions on projects that you'd like to see me attempt on Pinterest Friday! I'm always up for new ideas.

Until next time.

Glitter Nails

2012-02-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

I know, this seems like a strange post just to have stuck in the middle of all of my other ones. I love painting my nails, but I usually don't really do anything spectacular or worth sharing. I thought this was a cute little idea though and definitely felt like someone else might like to see it. Maybe? I might be crazy.

You need two simple things to achieve this look. You need some glitter. You know, real glitter. Not the nail polish with little glitter pieces in it, but this big, chunky crafting glitter.

Then you'll need a clear top coat. Maybe go out and buy a cheap one for this project because you might end up with glitter in it.

Then all you do is pour of some glitter and use the brush with a little bit of top coat on it to apply it all over or just on the tips of your nails. It's actually fairly easy to get all of the glitter off of the brush if you don't want any floating around in your left over top coat. You can apply as little or as much as you want. Since the glitter is so big, it's pretty easy to move around and work with. The top coat and brush just help to make it stick.

Then actually apply a top coat to the top of everything and they're done! I was so scared that the glitter would just flake off, but they stayed put for quite some time. I washed my hair, did dishes, and went out with friends. They stayed put the whole time. I love glitter. I love nail polish. This was just meant to happen.

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-02-20T17:15:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. It sounds weird, but just go with me on this one. I came up with this recipe because I was listening to a discussion on pies and how most of them are fruit pies. Well, I got to thinking about all of the different fruits and thought, "Hey, avocado is a fruit. I could make it into a pie!" So, that's exactly what I did.

Ingredients

I started by making the crust so that it could set. Before you do that, you'll want to zest your lime and set the zest off to the side. You'll need the rest of the lime to make the crust though.

Add 1.5 cups of crushed graham crackers into your pie pan. Then add the juice of one whole lime. This will be approximately 2 tablespoons, depending on the lime.

Add in 4 tablespoons of melted butter.

Mix it all together and form it into a crust along the bottom and sides of your pan. I just used my hands, it seemed to be the easiest way to get the job done. Put this in your fridge to help it start to set.

In a mixing bowl, add in 2 skinned and diced avocados, 1.5 cups of sour cream, and 1 egg.

Mix this on a medium speed setting until it is nice and smooth. I mean, you really want this smooth. Make sure there aren't any lumps of avocado hiding at the bottom of your bowl.

Then you'll add in 1 teaspoon of your lime zest, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of flour (all-purpose unbleached). Mix again until well combined and smooth.

Pour your mixture into your pie crust and let it chill in your refrigerator for 1 hour. Once it has chilled, bake it for 10 minutes at 400 degrees then lower the temperature to 325 and cook for another 20 minutes.

Let your pie cool completely before cutting into it or else you'll just have a big mess. You want this to get nice and set up. Serve it with a little bit of whipped cream or just eat it plain. It's AWESOME! I loved it so much. It's like a mild key lime pie. It's super creamy and just delightful. I hope you'll give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I did. Oh, one more thing. Don't be alarmed if your pie starts to brown slightly on top after sitting for a day or two. It's an avocado thing.

Until next time.

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2012-02-17T14:40:00.001-05:00

Original Source

My Pin

I was so ridiculously excited to make this. I love little headbands and hair pieces that look like this. Once I saw this tutorial and realized it was so easy I knew I had to make one. You'll need some fabric, felt, glue, scissors, and elastic (not pictured). As you can see, I thought I would try to make this using a bobby pin, but I ended up following the tutorial and making it into an actual headband.

Cut your fabric up into a bunch of little petals.

Cut out a circle of the felt and then glue your petals to the felt. You're trying to make this look like a flower, so just glue them on in whatever way you desire to achieve that look.

Then add a little extra something to the center. I used a button, but the original tutorial also suggests using lace in the center. Check it out, it's a really cute idea.

Like I said, you'll also need some elastic. The original source had this cute elastic that had ribbon around the edges, but I couldn't find any. So, I settled for just some plain white elastic.

Measure a piece of elastic long enough to fit around your head. You'll want to make it a little shorter, since elastic stretches. Also, I noticed that the original tutorial had two felt circles cut out and I couldn't figure out why until now. You use the second felt circle to cover up this mess. So, you just glue it straight down onto of your elastic strips and the other circle. It would probably look more complete and well put together.

Make sure to let your glue dry and then it's ready to wear! I love this idea, seriously. This is something I definitely plan on perfecting and will be making quite a few more of them.

Until next time.

I - Want - It - Wednesday

2012-02-15T12:54:00.000-05:00

The Mr. and Mrs. hand stamped vintage cake forks - $41

ME plus COFFEE equals LOVE hand stamped vintage spoon - $12

I can't get over how cute these are. Simple, I know. They're just so dang sweet.

You can find these plus a whole bunch of other stamped items over at jessicaNdesigns.

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-02-13T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is such a basic recipe that everyone knows, right? You can kind of just make up this soup as you go as long as you include the necessary broccoli and cheddar. I'm still going to share this recipe with you because I think people sometimes don't realize how easy some recipes can be. Also, I wanted to share the delicious pretzel bread that I made to go along with this.

Ingredients

One big pot is all that you need for this. Start by dicing up 1 cup of celery and putting it into the pot along with 1 teaspoon garlic and 1/2 tablespoon oil. Let your celery saute for about 10 minutes or until it softens slightly. Add in 2 tablespoons of flour and stir to get it mixed with everything currently in your pot. This will act as thickener for the soup.

Then it's basically just a matter of dumping everything else in. I used a can of vegetable broth that was 14.5 ounces (approx. 2 cups), 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of diced broccoli. Of course, you will also want to season with pepper and salt to taste. Then you're going to let this all simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Look at this glorious pretzel bread. I love pretzels. Love 'em. If you want to make these, you'll of course want to start them ahead of time. The whole process took a little over an hour. I timed it to where the bread was done sometime during the soup's cooking process. Here's the recipe that I used for this bread. I did change a couple of things. Obviously, I made these into two large pieces rather than several small ones. I also baked these at 375 degrees for 30 minutes and added corn meal to the oiled pan before baking.

I wanted them done previous to the soup being done so that I could prepare them to act as bowls. Basically you just cut off the tops and then hollow out the inside. Save your insides for dipping or for a snack later on even.

Back to the soup. Once it has cooked for approx. 30 minutes then you can add in your cheddar cheese. I used 1 cup. Then just mix it in and let it melt. Give it a taste, add pepper and salt if needed.

Scoop some soup into your bread bowls and enjoy!

Until next time.

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2012-02-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is next week and I didn't really feel like making it a big deal on my blog. I've never been one to make a big production out of the day. Don't get me wrong, I love using that day as an excuse to spend with my husband, but I just have never done a ton of DIY projects for it before. I saw these little DIY bookmarks though and thought they were too adorable to not try.

Original Source

My Pin

You're going to need just a few different things for this project. A lot of these items you might already have in your home. Thread, needles, glue, scissors, paper clips, and fabric. You'll want a thicker fabric such as felt. I actually ended up using flannel.

Cut out two hearts. Of course, you want them to be identical, so you'll want to double over your fabric or pin two pieces together when you cut it.

Then just on the front piece you need to create little stitches. This just gives it that adorable sewn look.

Add glue to the heart that will be on bottom, stick your paper clip in between, and then press the top heart onto the whole thing.

After you let it dry, it's ready to go. These ended up being really cute. I was scared that the flannel would be too flimsy, but once the glue hardened it gave it some extra support. If you head over to the original source (Thirty Handmade Days), you can find some free printable valentines to go along with these bookmarks! Such a cute, simple idea for Valentine's day and also an easy way to give yourself a new bookmark whenever you're in need!

Until next time.

I - Want - It - Wednesday

2012-02-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

Schnoodle print by Lucie Sheridan ($102)

I saw this adorable print on Dog Milk a few weeks ago. If you don't know, this is the kind of mix that Molly is, so it was a pretty exciting find. Of course, as you can see it isn't the cheapest print. I probably won't be getting it anytime soon, but at least I can swoon over it.

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-02-06T14:03:00.001-05:00

I love Caprese salad. My goodness, I mean how can a combination of flavors get any better? I had thought about making little personal pizzas using mushrooms and then it turned into this because I had some fresh mozzarella to use. So glad that I ended up making this.

Ingredients

Cut off the stems on your portabellas. I actually used baby bellas because the regular ones were HUGE and the tomato seemed like it would be just the right size for the smaller ones. I mean, these are still a pretty decent size though. Put your mushrooms onto a cooking sheet (top side down) and bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

While your mushrooms are baking for that time, you can cut up all of your other ingredients. You'll need one slice of tomato and mozzarella per mushroom. Then just dice up however much basil you think you'd like. I love basil, so I probably add a little more than some do.

Once your mushrooms have baked for those 8 minutes, add your tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Then stick it in the oven again (375 degrees) and bake for another 12 minutes.

Top these with some balsamic glaze once they're out of the oven. You can buy balsamic glaze in most grocery stores, but you can also make your own by reducing down balsamic vinegar. I topped these with a little extra fresh basil after they were done cooking. So good. Oh, and there will be some excess liquid in your pan after they bake, don't be alarmed. Enjoy!

Until next time.

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2012-02-03T12:51:00.001-05:00

The past two weeks I've made food related things that I've pinned. The whole point of this was to try to work on my crafting skills. DIY projects are just so intimidating. I promise, I'll be trying more though. Oh, but I will also be trying more fun food ideas I find in the future as well. There are just too many not to try them.

Original Source

My Pin

I ventured away a little from the tutorial that the original source made, but for the most part it's the same. Just find an old shirt that you're not using or even go out and thrift some for this project. I think v-necks are preferable. Sorry about Molly's end. She just didn't want to move.

I cut the sleeves off right inside of the seam. After I did it I thought it would've been a better idea to have cut it on the outside of that line instead. It might have made for cleaner lines.

Then find the middle point of your shirt and cut straight down. It's especially easy to find with a v-neck, which is why I think they're preferable for this. Clean up your lines if you need to and angle the top edges if you prefer (see original tutorial).

Stop and take a cute picture of your cute dog.

Then it's ready to wear! So easy, right? The original tutorial cut the back a little more and added some ties around the shoulders and back. I preferred it the way it was once I cut it up. I plan on making more of these because I love vests and I want to perfect it. Next time I plan on going out and thrifting some tops that are larger because then they will hang a little longer. Easy and cute idea. Thanks again, Pinterest.

Until next time.

I - Want - It - Wednesday

2012-02-01T15:08:00.000-05:00

Cupcake Necklace - $24

How cute is this necklace from LePetiteBonbon? I know I posted something cupcake related last week, but are you seeing this right now? I have seen little baking items on necklaces before, but this is by far one of the cutest ones I've seen. Honestly, I was going to post something else from this shop before I saw this. Oh, what the heck. I'll share some of the other cute jewelry I saw! I know, I know. I've shared miniature food jewelry before. I can't help it. I just can't.

Birthday Cake Ring - $15

Cookies Necklace - $18

Teacup Ring - $15

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm crazy about popcorn. I love the flavor, the smell, and the crunch of it. The main reason I decided to come up with this simple, simple recipe is because of the way you prepare the popcorn itself. Are you excited? Get excited.

Ingredients

You're going to need some paper lunch bags. Go out and invest. By invest, I mean spend a dollar for 50 of these. Seriously, super cheap. I found 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels to be the right about per bag. Pour your kernels into the bag and roll the top down a couple of times. Then...

Stick it in the microwave! Are you as excited as I was once I realized you can just make your own microwaveable popcorn? Please, don't tell me that I was the only one that didn't know this. You don't need any oil or anything. Just throw it in there and set it for about 2 - 2.5 minutes (or until you hear the popping start to slow down).

See? It really works! So magical. I wanted to just keep popping popcorn all day. Of course, if you're not ripping open a bag for a picture then you could probably even reuse the bags.

Moving on to the topping. You'll need to make some simple syrup. This is just a simple (ha!) mixture of water and sugar. You need 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. I ended up popping 3/4 cup of kernels and used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Put the water and sugar into a pot over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.

Once you have your simple syrup made, toss it in with your popcorn and stir quickly. Get all of that popcorn nice and covered. Then toss on 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne and a little bit of salt to taste. If you're not a fan of heat, just use less cayenne (or just leave it out).

Let it cook at 250 degrees for 1 hour (stirring the popcorn every 20 minutes) and then you have a crunchy and tasty snack! It's basically like a kicked up kettle corn. I enjoyed it and I especially enjoyed being able to share my new popping technique!

Until next time.

My Week in Instagrams {Week 24}

2012-01-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

1. I love, love wrapping presents. I'm not sure if I mentioned that around Christmas or not. I am a freak about giving gifts. I just get so excited about every aspect of it. Making sure I find the perfect item to give, wrapping it so it looks adorable, and then watching the person open it.

2. I used to make fun of my husband for listening to audio books and podcasts while he falls asleep. Well, mainly audio books. Then I got introduced to some awesome podcasts and guess who now listens to some while she falls asleep? Yep, guilty. Lately I've been listening to Mike and Tom Eat Snacks. I love Michael Ian Black. He makes me laugh so much. Do you listen to any podcasts?

3. Yes, more soup. This week I made this recipe. It was absolutely delicious. It made for great leftovers too (and I'm not usually a fan of leftovers).

4. I did something fun with my nails this week! Well, I found it to be fun. I think I actually plan on sharing it sometime this week with you guys.

Crohn's Update:
Ugh, I don't even know if there is anything to say. I called the office of the doctor that I was previously seeing to see if they had someone else who I could switch to who might be easier to relate to or who was more specialized in Crohn's. Well, what ended up happening was that they were extremely rude to me and I ended up just letting them know that I would be seeking help elsewhere. So, I found a few different locations that my insurance covers. Then I called my regular physician to see if they recommended anyone in particular from those locations. She didn't really know of anyone from those places, so I guess I'll just be calling around again. Fun, right? I've been feeling up and down this week. A lot of anxiety for some reason which never helps when it comes to pain. Over it.

Until next time.

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2012-01-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

So, did we like this idea? I like it. Maybe that's just because this gives me an excuse to be more obsessed with Pinterest.

Original Source

My Pin

I love eggs. I try to be good at making eggs. I feel like it should be something that's incredibly easy (which scrambling is), but somehow I can still mess it up. I can never get the yolk perfect or I kill the whole thing when I turn it. This idea seemed to be an easy way to keep your eggs under control and it looked incredibly tasty.

I would suggest getting a smaller bell pepper. I think my rings were a little too wide, so the egg was spread out pretty thinly. Also, try to make your rings as even as possible. It was hard to get them to sit flat onto the pan, which resulted in some whites running out.

You basically just crack your egg into the inside of your pepper ring. Then cover it and let it cook until the whites are cooked all the way through. Of course, you could also cook it longer if you don't like a runny yolk (you're crazy if you don't).

Why do my two eggs look so different? I have no idea. I did the exact same thing each time. The one on the left turned out better than the one on the right. The left one was more attached to the pepper. The other one just kind of fell out and didn't really cook onto the pepper. I think this is still a great idea and it also makes for a yummy breakfast! The pepper stays nice and crisp since the egg doesn't have a long cooking time. Pinterest attempt number two was a decent success.

Until next time.

I - Want - It - Wednesday

2012-01-25T13:17:00.002-05:00

Cupcake Headband - $23.99 (shimrita)

Would you judge someone if you saw them out wearing this? Okay, let's narrow this down a little more. Would you judge me, a 25 year old woman, if you saw me out wearing it? I just can't help it, guys. My love for cupcakes has taken over. I think I need help.

If you love cupcakes as much as I do then definitely check out shimrita's shop. Not only does she have the adorable headband above, but she has a bunch of other adorable cupcake items.

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-01-23T12:12:00.001-05:00

Have I mentioned that I love making soups? I think we've covered that once or twice now. I do! I can't help myself. Especially when it's below freezing outside and all you want to do is get warm. Ugh, winter. Who's with me?

Ingredients

Dice your onion, celery, and carrots. You'll need 1.5 cups of each.

Put a little bit of olive oil into a pan along with 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (approx. 2 cloves). Heat that up for a little bit then toss in your diced onion, celery, and carrots. Saute those until they start to soften a little.

While your other veggies are sauteing, you can put everything else into a pot. I used two 14.5 oz. cans of vegetable broth (which is approx. 4 cups). Throw in 1 bay leaf.

1 teaspoon of parsley.

1/4 cup of barley.

1 cup of corn.

1 cup of peas.

Add all of your other veggies once they've softened a little and gotten that garlic flavor all soaked in. Bring the whole thing to a boil and then let it simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You definitely want to make sure that your barley gets softened completely. Stir often to make sure nothing sinks to the bottom and sticks. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I know this looks like a boring bowl of vegetable soup to some, but this really hit the spot for me. I ended up adding a good amount of pepper which gave it a little heat. The other seasonings just worked so well together and this was such a comforting soup. I also love the texture that the barley adds. We had no problem eating it for dinner AND lunch the next day.

Until next time.

2012-01-20T12:05:00.000-05:00

Pinterest Friday: This is a new thing that I am trying out. I've come to terms with that fact that I'm not as creative when it comes to thinking of DIY projects. I think it's because I see way too many projects through all the blogs that I follow that I end up only thinking about things that I want to try out. So, that's exactly what I am going to do. I'm going to attempt different projects that I have found and pinned on Pinterest. If you don't know what Pinterest is then please don't look into it. You'll lose too many hours of your life. I'm joking (kind of). Just click the link at the top of this page that says Pinterest and you can check out mine! Oh, sorry for another cheesy blog title. It's just the easiest way to get the point across.

Original Source

My Pin

Here's what we're trying out this week. Smoothie packets! Why the heck didn't I think of this sooner? I make smoothies quite often for my breakfast. I usually feel pretty queasy in the morning, so eating is usually not an option. Smoothies seem to work for me. Plus they're pretty healthy, right? My biggest problem was that I ended up wasting a lot of yogurt. When I saw this pin though, that problem was solved.

Get your preferred yogurt.

Place it into ice cube trays. Two ice cube trays held that whole container of yogurt. Then stick your trays into the freezer AND fuh-get about it! Well, for a while at least.

Then slice and dice your fruits of choice (or vegetables even). Showcase them off while doing your best Vanna White impression. Obviously, mine isn't very good.

Place those into a zip lock bag and into the freezer they go. I'm not going to lie, I bought several bags of frozen fruits instead of freezing more. Indiana's produce is pretty terrible in the winter season.

After awhile, you'll have these convenient little cubes of frozen yogurt. The original source for this idea suggests splitting up all of your cubes of yogurt into individual bags with fruit. Then you'd have ready-to-go smoothie packets!

I used about 4 cubes of yogurt in my smoothie. This smoothie also had some fresh spinach, frozen bananas, and frozen peaches. I also added in some water.

Blend, blend, blend. Then you have an awesome green smoothie. I'm so excited to quit wasting my yogurt. This is was such a simple and smart idea. Thanks, Pinterest.

Until next time.

I - Want - It - Wednesday

2012-01-18T11:57:00.001-05:00

This Wednesday I would love for you all to go out and get informed on the SOPA and PIPA acts. You can sign the petition. You can also contact your local representatives to let them know about your disagreement of these acts and to encourage them to vote against internet censorship.

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Salads have been on my mind lately. I don't know why, but they have been. As my mind started to wander into the world of salads, I begin to think of traditional ones. Then I began to think of ways that I could sort of revamp those salads. So, here's what I came up with.

Ingredients

Along with all of the marked ingredients, you'll also need this special guest ingredient. Liquid smoke. I think you can find it at almost any grocery store. You might just have to look a little harder.

Start by hard boiling your eggs first. This will take a little time, so it's nice to just get it out of the way. I use this technique when it comes to boiling eggs. Oh, and I used two eggs.

While your eggs are boiling, you can begin to dice all of your other ingredients. Chop up some romaine and spinach. I think I used 2 hearts of romaine and about 2 cups of spinach. Mix it all together in a bowl.

Dice up 1 avocado, 1/2 of a bunch of green onions, a handful of grape tomatoes, and 2 boiled eggs (once they're done and cooled).

As you might have noticed, there is no meat in the ingredients list above. Traditionally, a Cobb salad comes with chicken and bacon on it. I decided to cut out the meat completely and try to imitate it in a way. So, dice up your 6 oz. of portabella mushrooms and then soak them in about 2-3 teaspoons of liquid smoke. I didn't give myself very much time to soak them, but it would be nice to give yourself about an hour or so if you had the time.

Throw your mushrooms into a pan with a little bit of olive oil and saute them until they're done to your preference. They'll shrink up quite a bit, but I found 6 ounces to be MORE than enough for two large salads.

While your mushrooms are cooling (cause I hate putting hot food onto my salad) you can mix up your dressing! For this you will need 5 oz. of Greek yogurt, 4 tablespoons of light mayonnaise (I used the kind made with olive oil), 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of dill. You'll also need 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, a dash of pepper, and a dash of salt. Mix well. I guess you could consider this a lightened up ranch dressing?

Then you just assemble it all. Oh, make sure to throw on some of your crumbled cheese along with all of your other diced goodies. Everything worked so well together. The smokiness of the the mushrooms really helped to bring a nice rich tone to this salad. Loved it. Absolutely loved it.

Until next time.

My Week in Instagrams {Week 23}

2012-01-15T11:38:00.001-05:00

1. I found this cute little puffy vest for Molly. I think it's adorable and she reminds me of Marty McFly when she wears it. I always ask her if it's time to go back to the future when she's in it. I'm weird, I know.

2. Not the most attractive picture, I know. But what you're seeing is absolutely delicious, I promise. I used the mulled wine butter that I made on top of some raisin bread. Yummm!

3. I know, I have a problem. I love taking pictures of my food. I swear there's a purpose (most of the time). I made some turkey tacos this week and topped them with the leftover salsa that I shared with you on Monday. Again, yummm!

4. It snowed this week. Boo. It's been a fairly warm winter with little to no snow. We missed some of the snow while we were in California. Once we got back, I really didn't want it to snow again. I was totally content with it being oddly warm for the winter season. But, noooo. It had to go and get freezing cold on us and snow. Molly isn't happy about it either.

5. I received a package this week! I LOVE getting mail. It's one of my favorite things. This package came from my old roommate and best friend, Casey. It was full of items that I absolutely love and it was so thoughtful of her to send it.

6. Okay, one more picture of food. This is a little sneak peak for Recipe Monday! Yes, it's a salad. I hope you're excited. I know salad can be boring, but I'm hoping that you'll love this one as much as I did.

Crohn's Update for the Week:
Crohn's can be absolutely hilarious at times. The whole week that we were in California (Mexican food and all), I felt absolutely fine. The only thing that really bugged me was that I got fatigued very easily. As soon as I get back to Indiana though and eat a salad, I feel miserable. I think it's hilarious that Crohn's can work backwards in a way when it comes to what you eat. Like I mentioned before, I did get a sinus cold as soon as we got back as well. So, that didn't help me feel any better. My new insurance has finally gotten settled, so now I'm onto the process of finding a new doctor. I called one that I was extremely interested in, only to find out that she doesn't really take new patients. She only takes patients when a doctor goes to her specifically for a second opinion to help diagnose a patient. Bummer. Oh well, I'll keep looking I suppose. Oh, I've also had some joint pain. Yay, new symptoms!

Until next time.

What - I - Got - Wednesday!

2012-01-11T13:17:00.001-05:00

I felt like doing a "I Want it Wednesday" so soon after Christmas seemed a little weird. So, instead I've decided to share some of the gifts that I was so lucky to receive this year!

I got the Naked Palette by Urban Decay from my sister. This is an item that I have previously mentioned in a blog post. Look at those gorgeous colors! I'm so excited to use this. I didn't take it with me to California because I was too scared about it getting smashed in our luggage. Then we got home and I got sick, so I didn't really feel like doing my makeup. I'm feeling better now and will be pulling this out to use soon!

I got a Silpat mat! I had literally just mentioned this to Kyle not too long before Christmas, but had never said anything to anyone else. My dad and step-mom actually ended up getting this for me. So, I was really surprised. If you don't know what it is, it's basically a silicon mat that you can bake on. It helps eliminate mess by being non-stick and also eliminates waste by being reusable!

My brother and sister-in-law got me a gift card for a local cupcake shop in Indianapolis. I thought this was such a thoughtful and personal gift. I know you wouldn't normally think that about gift cards, but this is something I didn't expect. I was so excited. They also got Kyle a gift card for local brewery in Indianapolis, so now we can make a day out of it.

This is another item that I had previously mentioned in a blog post. Our friend, Jacque, had apparently secretly been talking to Kyle about making me one of her gorgeous pillows. She then gave it to me while we were in California for our visit. I was so excited! It's incredibly adorable and looks so cute in our apartment. I've officially given my old throw pillows over to Molly completely.

My mom and step-dad gave us this mini-photo studio. Our apartment is always awkward when it comes to lighting and finding a place to take photos. I am hoping this will help out a lot. I'm still trying to get used to the lights, so sorry if the photos seem a little off.

Kyle got me the purse that I am wearing in this photo. I was SO happy about it. Every time we go to California I always mention how I'd love to have a crossover purse like this. It gets annoying carrying around a purse when you're out doing so many things on vacation. So, Kyle gave me this adorable purse just a couple of days before we left and I love it. You can't really see the details in the picture, but it's perfect. He really surprised me with it.

What did you receive for Christmas this year?

Until next time.

Recipe Monday

2012-01-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not going to lie. I was a little nervous about coming back after doing 12 days of blogging straight. I felt like I had invested all of my thoughts into thinking of Christmas ideas and then I felt clueless on where to go once it was over. Luckily, our vacation gave me time to gather my thoughts and start thinking on where to go from here. This year I not only want to think of more original ideas, but I also plan on trying out more recipes and ideas that I find through blogs that I love.

Ingredients

I actually wanted this to be a butternut squash salsa, but unfortunately there weren't any at the grocery store my husband went to. Yes, I sent him out to do my shopping for this recipe. I've actually been sick since we've gotten back and haven't gotten out of the house at all. It's been miserable. Okay, let's focus on the recipe now. Scoop out the insides of your squash (and save the seeds to toast them if you'd like).

Dice up your whole squash. You'll obviously want to cut the skin off before you dice it. I don't think that I had a very ripe squash, which was disappointing. Look for one that is a little more orange on the skin. It will give it more of that delicious squash flavor.

Throw your diced squash into a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Add in 1 teaspoon of minced garlic as well (if you decide to mince your own, that's about 2 cloves). Then saute your squash until it is tender. I didn't let mine get too mushy, but you can prepare it to the texture that you most prefer.

Set your squash aside and let it cool.

Then you dice up the rest of your ingredients and toss it all into one bowl. I used 2 roma tomatoes, 1/2 red onion, 1/2 jalapeno, and a handful of cilantro.

Throw in your cooled squash and give it a good mix. Season with salt to taste.

This was so fresh and delicious. My husband really enjoyed it as well (it always makes me happy when he is impressed). I served this up with some homemade tortilla chips. Well, semi-homemade I guess. I bought some whole wheat tortillas, tossed them in olive oil, and then baked them at 400 degrees for 5 minutes on each side. Awesome. Delicious. Fantastic.

Until next time.

This post is part of Get Your Craft On Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog!

I'm Back!

2012-01-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

Did I say I'd be gone just a week? Well, I guess I meant a week and a few days. I hope I didn't stay away for too long. I had a very good reason, I promise!

Kyle and I got to take a trip out to San Diego, CA to visit his family and friends! It was an absolutely wonderful visit and I'm so glad we got to stay for as long as we did,

Previously I had mentioned missing San Diego in a post. Well, don't worry, I got in plenty of time with the beach, ocean, and the delicious food.

It was absolutely perfect weather. It snowed here in Indiana while we were away and I wasn't too heartbroken about missing out on it. Sorry, Indiana.

Okay, does anyone else get the creeps from seeing seaweed? Maybe I am weird, but it's looks like it's going to come alive and attack me when I see it on the beach. It's unreal looking when it you see it in real life. That sentence was confusing, wasn't it?

Well, we're back now and trying to get back into the routine of our normal schedule. The time change really throws everything off. I hope you all had a lovely New Year's Eve and Day! I actually was asleep when it hit midnight in California. Kyle woke me up to give me a quick New Year's kiss and then I was right back asleep.

I think Molly missed us just as much as we missed her. She is definitely excited that we're home.

Until next time.

12 Days of Christmas {Day 12}

2011-12-25T08:00:00.013-05:00

"The 12 Days of Christmas" has always been a special song to me. It is by the far the silliest song you could hear around the holidays and most of the time it annoys people. However, it makes me think of my family. As I was growing up, my Dad's side of the family would always get together on Christmas Eve. At a certain point in the evening, we would all sit together in a circle and sing Christmas songs and carols. "The 12 Days of Christmas" was a song that was an absolute must every year. Everyone would couple or group off and we'd divide the numbers to everyone. It was always a riot watching people forget when it was their turn to sing or to hear them sing their part in a ridiculous way. Most of us live in different locations now and we usually can't all get together. No matter how small the group is, we still sing every year. One year I wasn't able to be with anyone from that side of the family on Christmas Eve, but I still got a call when it was time to sing "The 12 Days of Christmas." I hope you have or develop some traditions with your family that remind you just how special they are each and every year.

Enjoy your day of goodies, presents, and (most importantly) family! I know I will be. I hope you've enjoyed the past 12 days (er, or 11) and I hope they have helped in some way or another. If they didn't help at all then I at least hope the posts were fun to look at. Now for the bad news. I am going to be taking a break from posting for this next week. If you really miss me that much, just work your way through my posts again and try something you haven't before! I'll be back before you know it.

Until next time.

12 Days of Christmas {Day 11}

2011-12-24T08:22:00.000-05:00

Whenever I tell people that one of my favorite traditional Christmas foods are pickle wraps, I often get weird looks. This is something that I've had on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. This isn't a difficult snack to make at all, but I figured we don't need any complex ideas since it's Christmas Eve! Can you believe it?

Ingredients

whole dill pickles

sliced ham

cream cheese

Dry off your slices of ham by placing them between two paper towels.

Do the same with your pickles. You want the pickles and ham dry so that everything sticks and it will roll easily.

Spread some cream cheese onto a slice of ham.

Place your pickle on the ham and roll it up. At this point you'll also want to wrap the roll into some plastic wrap and refrigerate it for awhile. This will help when it comes to slicing it. We usually make these the night before and then refrigerate them until the next day.

Slice up the roll into bite size pieces and you have a delicious snack! Most of the members of my family LOVE this little appetizer. The flavors just blend so well together. Maybe it seems silly, but it's a tradition that I look forward to each year.

Until next time.