I started this post a few days ago, but haven’t had the chance to finish it until today- SOoOooo I woke up extra early to get this sun-of-a-gun done once and for all!
Hey y’all! This is my last official catch up post before going back to school tomorrow. I looked over the curriculum, and it looks really intense this semester. I know it will be okay, but I’m pretty anxious to just get started and get back in the groove of things. I have to remind myself these first weeks with “syllabus shock” are always overwhelming. So with a big deep breath I will get us all caught up. Sorry if I am MIA for a little bit here while I adjust back to the crazy study schedule, but know that I will blog and read your blogs whenever time allows. Gonna always need a study break, ya know? 😉
December 29th was a must needed restful Saturday. We did a whole lotta nothing, and it was great! I think I worked on some blogging & for dinner whipped us up some mahi mahi I had in the freezer with veggies for dinner. We watched our Arrested Development in the evening, of coursee.
December 30th we went to church in the morning, and we food was scarce in the apartment at this point since I still hadn’t been to the store since we left. I had some frozen bison taco meat for DJ I had before hand (thank goodness) & I made a hodge-podge for myself of eggs, squash, and hummus for lunch. It weirdly worked!
I grabbed a See’s candy lollipop & headed to Trader Joe’s to get some real foood.
And that brings us to NYE- December 31st!! Woohoo! Last year for NYE we were in Texas with my mom and Pete. (PS. WHAT was I thinking with that type of falsies? Someone should have given me a stern talking to, lol!!! What a stage I went through. Oy to the veyyy). Anywho- we just stayed in, and it was so fun & relaxing. I suggested we do that again this year and try to make soufflés since we’ve been talking about doing that together after going to Cafe Jacqueline. We got all our ingredients together and got to work while listening to our ole’ buddy, Frank Sinatra.
While the soufflé was in the oven we enjoyed some yummy appetizers. Did I go overboard for just two people? Nahhhh, no such thing! Most everything is from TJ’s & I pulled out my homemade hummus. The artisanal bread was wonderful! I also made some roasted carrots & beets. I have never made my own roasted beets before, but it may become a staple- they crisped up so easily like chips & were just delicious!
^^ Fun fact: That was all frozen cheese (half regular/half vegan) from when we went to wine country a few months ago. Cheese freezes very well. You just defrost it & it’s good to go. (Just don’t let it melt- I accidentally let the pepperjack/some of the vegan provolone go a tiny bit too long).
I also saw these champagne gummies I could not help but resist! They were very tasty!
So when we first took out our soufflé from the oven it hadn’t quite risen all the way, but I think it eliminated the “rise” after we let the cool air in. We cooked it a few minutes longer and it puffed up a bit more and the cheese got all yummy & caramelized on top! (but that’s why there is a divide in it- from when we tried to get a slice the first time around).
The flavor was spot on- we tried to recreate the corn/ginger/garlic flavor, and it was pretty doggone close! Next time we are going to cook it a little longer & I think I’m going to whip my egg whites a bit more to give it more rise (isn’t that how it works?). It was still so light and airy, we enjoyed every little nibble!!! Once I perfect it I will share the recipe!
We then plopped on the couch to watch the NYE show. This year looked frigid in the ole’ NYC.
But ya cannot forget dessert. Believe it or not we still had room for this bad boy below.
We saw this recipe on Tasty and when is a better time to recreate this monster than NYE? Here’s the thing though- we like every baked good we eat at home severely undercooked- practically asking for salmonella (what’s life without living on the edge). So all cookies, brownies, etc…must only be kissed by the oven! This meant it didn’t all “compact” the way it did in that video and really was just a big glob, but man, was it ever a good glob! SO rich, but goood. (I may or may not have had my slice with some double fudge brownie ice cream too).
^^ haha, it’s so obnoxious.
Jan 1st was the last day off for DJ before he went back to work, so we just chilled at home, worked on Christmas “thank yous”, enjoyed leftovers throughout the day, and I went on a 12-mile run at some point. I also read a big chunk of The Hate You Give– I can’t wait to finish it- I could do a whole post on how it has challenged my perspectives & opened my eyes. Highly recommend this read to everyone.
The 2nd I spent nearly the entire day posting on Poshmark! LOVE Poshmark.
The 3rd I had a Facetime Dinner date with my best friend from Ohio, Rachel. MISS HER soooo much. My picture I took didn’t turn out, but she got one from her end!
After, I went to Sara’s to hangout and catch up after our holidays. We had some tea and gabbed away for hours.
Friday, January 4th- January 5th were another two days of just getting things off the to-do list and ready for school and shipping Poshmark sales. In the evening I made these bacon wrapped scallops for DJ since our leftovers were getting low.
He loved them! Definitely a two-thumbs-up recommendation!
Sunday, January 6th, we went early to church to help on the serving team (I’m so thankful I finally have a schedule that allows me to be a part of that again!). Since DJ “bumps out” (tears down the equipment, venue since it is a rental, etc.) after the 11:30 service we had some time between the two to grab some breakfast/brunch. We went to the table in Willow Glen that I’ve had my eye on for a while. I realized I kinda stalk restaurants- I’ll drive by a few times, look them up on YELP, go into a deep Google review dive, and then finally visit and introduce myself in person.
Since it was raining outside & somewhat chilly their outdoor seating area was freed up. I had my winter coat on and they had heaters, so we agreed to go ahead and sit out there to weather the storm. The temperature was actually just fine with the heaters! We did walk through the inside of the restaurant to get there- loved the vibe and how it was decorated.
The menu had such unique options & changes frequently! It was a bit on the pricier side, but it’s all seasonal locally sourced ingredients and everything was wonderful- the service, food, environment.
The coffee was yummy- but could have been a bit hotter (but that’s what I say everywhere 😉 ).
DJ tried their lemon ricotta pancakes and they were what lemony dreams were made of!! Sometimes when I order the lemon ricotta pancakes the “lemon” doesn’t quite come through, but the flavor was brilliant in these. Can you tell I snagged a few bites?
I had their avocado, crab, and egg toast that was considered a “snack”. This was not your average avocado toast- it had Dungeness crab & trout roe on perfectly cooked toast (very slightly burnt). Mmm!
Monday January 7th I met with my nurse friend Kim in the afternoon for coffee at Orchard Valley in Campbell. I am totally gonna have to come here to study! They had so many tables & it was nice n’ quiet.
It was lovely to catch up with Kim, I always leave our conversations refreshed and encouraged.
In the evening I made us Sriracha Shrimp Bowls with eggs & artisanal bread (still left from TJs!). It was a great combo, kinda reminded me of bibimbap!
We plopped down to watch the train wreck that was the premiere of Colton’s season of The Bachelor. Lemme say, it easily could have been an hour, not three. I’m going to watch every second, but I am beyond tired of the virgin storyline, and quite frankly, I think some of the girls need to check themselves because a couple were downright disrespectful about it. I know I don’t usually get heated up in hurrr, but I could go off! First night favorites: Cassie and Katie. I thought Bri’s entrance was gold (although she looks a lot like Lauren Bushnell which…….. ehhh… that’s all I’ll say). I also didn’t mind Erika’s entrance! I liked that it was simple & a play on her name. Demi’s trouble, but I’m here for it. I’m surprised Jane & Erin got sent home. Would love to hear your thoughts!!
Going from reality TV back to reality, I told DJ something I wanted to try this year was one recipe per week of his request to get me out of my own cooking comfort zone. One of his favorite soups is cream of veg from the Dixie Stampede. I made it a long time ago (probably four years), and he requested it to be his recipe of the week. I made it on Tuesday the 8th, and it was crazy easy, but he kept raving about how much he loved it.
Yesterday, the 9th, I started school. I don’t know why, but I was suffering from some severe anxiety that made it hard to even get through even a paragraph of reading. I thought I got it all under control after my residency ended, but it’s creeping back up. I think seeing the massive load of assignments we have this semester plus some big life changes (more on that to come) just felt overwhelming to think about (although it’s all great stress to have). And I know the anxiety is disproportional… I submitted an assignment and forgot to indent and space in a couple spots, and it nearly sent me into a full blown panic attack. I couldn’t stop thinking about it the rest of the day (It was a TWO point introduce yourself post). Coo-koo, I tell ya what! Maybe it’s hormones… is it a full moon?! I bet it’s a full moon. Nope, it’s not a full moon, I just checked. Scratch that. Hmm idk. I’m just gonna ride this wave out. I read some scripture in the evening which really helped put me at ease, and I already feel better refreshed this AM. Okay enough rambling- gotta get back to work. I get to see my third graders today too at B+G club that I haven’t seen since mid-December, so I have that to look forward to this afternoon!
Question for you:
- Any recipes you’ve tried lately that you love?
- Best book you’ve ever read? (I’m making my 2019 reading list now!)
xo <3
So, you like your cookies raw and your toast burnt. Gotcha! Hope your new year is getting more manageable! We’re doing yoga at our house. One of my favorite books from 2018 is The Tyre- a fable, enchanting story, real-life- all of that- set in India. Since you’ve been there, I thought you’d like it. I got to know the authors-who are amazing- and here is my blog that explains all about them and the book. You can get it on Amazon, etc. https://www.jenabooks.com/the-tyre/
Here’s the Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Tyre-C-J-Dubois-ebook/dp/B07CYXDDTL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547144526&sr=8-1&keywords=The+tyre
Perfect! Checking it out now! 🙂 Thank youuu!
Hah!!! That does sound like quite strange when ya point it out 😉
It is already feeling much better even just a couple days in!
Oh that book sounds SO up my alley! Thank you for sharing- I’m adding it to the list now 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Jena!
Don’t you love the meals you make right before and right after a trip? I like to call it the “Eat whatever is going to go bad while we’re gone” and “Eat whatever frozen food is available” diets.
Your NYE Seems perfect to me!! And the answer is no, you didn’t go overboard for just two people. I’ve only ever frozen shredded cheese and it tastes exactly the same! Honestly there’s not even a difference in the taste.
I’m not adventurous enough to make a new recipe every week but I have a goal to make 1 every month! Recently I haven’t tried anything new but if I stumble across anything good I will definitely let you know!
Hm..best book I’ve ever read is tough!! I just read The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah and really liked that. The Nightingale by her is also great. Honestly I could list a ton of good books so feel free to ask me for suggestions whenever! My coworker just asked me and I sent her an email with them listed out by genre lol.
YESSSS! It feels so satisfying to get creative & use up stuff that otherwise may have gone bad or that has just been sitting in the freezer. It feels like a win haha. I remember after one of your trips when you did the same — So glad you get it!!
1 a month is probably more realistic for me too. I was feeling pretty ambitious BEFORE the semester started 😉 Excited to see what you try out.
Ohhh I don’t know I’ve read anything by her, but I’ll add those to the list too. I have so many from your blog written down! Excited to have a big reading year (hopefully!). Thanks for the suggestions, Maureen!! xo
Oh girlll I don’t even have anywhere near your amount of schoolwork and I’m still anxious about starting up! The first month is always the hardest with getting settled into the schedule. I know I had a full-blown breakdown with tears my first day last semester because there was so much due (for me, it was a lot, that is) the first week. You got this girl! I try to tell myself that I don’t need to stress over these too much because I will get it done regardless of how anxious I am. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for sure. <3
Awwww okay you have no idea how much I appreciate you sharing this with me! It’s so good to hear I’m not alone. And that is so true- anxiety really doesn’t change a thing- and it all does get done!! I am feeling much better after only a couple days, so your prayers are working 🙂 Thank you, thank you, Courtney! xo
I’m so so so glad you are feeling better after only a few days!! You totally got this girl! You are amazing and your dedication and persistence are inspiring to me! Anxiety sneaks in and can be debilitating but just try remember that the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you. I read that quote somewhere and it’s very comforting to me. <3
Thanks girlie 🙂 This is SOOO encouraging. As I am about to face a whole new round of assignments I can’t tell you how much this comment lifts my spirits too! You are soo right & I’m thankful for your words of wisdom that truly provide so much peace to me! Thank youuu <3 <3
Aww yay, I’m so glad it was encouraging to you!! You got this girl. Good luck with starting this new week! I start school today and I’m feeling the nerves too lol.
Thank you!! Best of luck, Chica! You will do amazing!! 🙂
Aw thanks!! <3
<3
I always felt overwhelmed at seeing all the assignments at the start of semester. It wasn’t until I made myself a plan of how to tackle them all that I would feel better.
I have the same goal- one new recipe a week:) Wish I had someone to pick them for me:)
Yes exactly!!! I feel much better after knocking out a few assignments already- I think just getting those first few grades under the belt & getting in the groove of things is half the battle.
Cannot wait to see what you cook up! XO
I’m glad you’re feeling calmer:)
Thanks, AJ 🙂
Best book ever is a tough one. What genre are we talking about? That makes quite a difference 🙂
Haha- truly anything!! I love all genres. Just any book that stands out when you think of your best reads ever!
The best book I’ve ever read is a children’s book called Cranky Doodle haha. I don’t know why, but it makes me laugh every time.
hahaha- okay definitely adding that to my 2019 list. Can’t wait!
I may have embellished a bit when I said it’s the best book I ever read. The good news is, it’s about a 5-10 minute read haha.
haha, perfect! I will need help adding to my book count, so that works out great!
Anxiety is the worst! I know mine gets worse around that time of month. I hope you’re feeling a bit better :/ sending you hugs and love and good thoughts!
Thank you so much, girlie. I am already feeling sooo much better after just knocking out a few assignments 🙂 I really appreciate the sweet encouragement!
Gee, I can’t participate in the new recipes or new books read, but I can appreciate this tasty-looking food – your souffle looked perfect, and that bread – oh my, that artisan bread with the meat and cheese plate … I would be in hog heaven. 🙂
hehe that’s okay I appreciate your kind words alone!!
I think one of my ALL time favorite things is bread, cheese, hummus, marinated veggies & wine. So perfect!
Thank you for saying that Mackenzie … me too, we’ve discussed bread before … that crusty artisan bread is my very favorite thing to splurge on. I’m devastated … they quit selling Dave’s Killer Bread at my grocery store, so will have to hunt around and see if Kroger’s has it. They never stocked a lot of it and it was often past expiration – likely as they charged almost $6.00 for it if it was not on sale. Since it is just me, I got it, but a big family would likely be passing it by.
Nooooo! They can’t stop selling Dave’s!!! That’s an atrocity! I hope you find some soon. They recently stopped selling DJ’s favorite milk at our grocery store and it was a sad sad day!
Yes, I should have not have been surprised, but I have to go on their site and see if other local stores sell it – fingers crossed.
Let me know!!
I always felt anxious at the start of a new semester; it always seemed like SO MUCH. I just had to write everything out in my planner and take it a day at a time; if not I would have quit. lol. Also, your food pictures always look so good and make me so hungry!
Yes, you are so right! It is all about focusing on what we can do just here and now to be most effective. Thanks for empathizing girl- good to hear I’m not alone in feeling this way! I will say I am feeling MUCH better after getting a couple assignments under my belt. Glad you enjoy the foodie shots 😉 Have a great day, girl!
Okay so I don’t know their names yet other than demi. I don’t like her but I feel like shes “his type.” I like the miss Alabama girl and the girl he gave the first impression rose to. That McNut girl is gorgeous but I don’t like her personality. I’m not a fan of Colton or this season in general though.
agreeeeed.
I think I’d like miss Alabama as a friend .. but For some reason I felt like she never turned off her “pageant side”.. then again it was the first evening so I’m excited to see how everyone’s personalities develop!
yeah, for some reason this season feels more like we are watching MTV than ABC. It has become such a joke of a show, but I’ll never miss an episode haha.
As always your food pictures have left me hungry and envious! Roasted beets are something I want to try eventually! The Hate You Give sounds like a good book so I’m adding it to my Goodread “to read” list as I type this! I have been loving Poshmark! I feel so good about clearing out my closet while still making some money. A Facetime dinner date is such a cute idea! I may have to try this with my best friend who lives 2 hours away. The menu for the table sounds amazing. I’d want to order it all!
Hmmm I read a lot of books this past summer. Are you into thrillers? If so, I loved Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison, The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, and The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney. Other books that are long time favorites are Night Road by Kristin Hannah, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, and anything Nicholas Sparks.
Aw glad you enjoy, Em!! Roasted beets are delicious — but they do turn your pee pink, so be aware of that. lol!!! (is that TMI?!). I’m really excited to hear what you think of The Hate You Give- suchhh a great eye opening read.
Awww yes this was our first time doing a Facetime Dinner date, and I was like, “We gotta do this more often!”. Hope you and your best friend can plan one soon 🙂
I LOVE LOVE LOVE thrillers. I actually have the Wife Between Us downloaded on my kindle. Thank you for sharing these!! I am definitely adding them all to the list– I have heard great things about Kristin Hannah & Jodi Picoult is one of my favorites! I read 19 minutes a long time ago- but barely remember it, so time to read again!
Hahaha good to know about the beets! No TMI at all lol. I have actually considered rereading Nineteen Minutes again soon to see if I still love it as much as I did before!
haha- ok good!
And yeah I’m thinking the same thing! If you end up reading it again, let me know your thoughts!
I swear you always have THE BEST FOOD! It all looks so so soooo gooood!
Aw thanks so much, girl! That means a ton. Have a beautiful week 🙂
That is some really great looking food! Good luck with school, I’m sure you will do fabulous!
Thank you tons, Diane 🙂 I will definitely keep ya posted!
Very good post!
Thank you!
Your NYE feast looks beautiful! And that nice big chocolatey treat- whoa momma!!!! I would need a big glass of milk to wash it all down. I feel you on the syllabus shock- that was me each semester of grad school. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and you will feel so great when you’re all finished!!!! You are going to rock this semester!
Your homemade hummus looks awesome! Yum! & I’ve always wanted to try those champagne gummies. That’s so cute that you & DJ cook together. My boyfriend hates when I’m even in the kitchen while he’s cooking. 😂 What is in that big cookie thing?! Whoooa!! Looks crazy good!!
The food from The Table restaurant looks amazing. Your photos just keep getting better & better. ♡
My anxiety is through the roof lately but have no idea why. At least there is very good reason for yours! You are going to kill this semester, Mack. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing about your big life changes! ♡
Thanks, girl! It wasn’t terrible- but definitely needs improvement. I had to add a lot of spices to really enjoy it. The champagne gummies were seriously yummy!
lol! That’s so funny. When we end up cooking I usualllly end up just doing everything while we chat in the kitchen, but he actually did so much with these souffles! It sounds like your boyfriend gets in “the zone” … makes sense considering he makes some seriously good yumz!
Girl- that cookie thing is too much, that’s what it is, lol- it has brownie (2 boxes), cookie, cheesecake, and oreos. Diabetes on a plate. But it was good, hahah.
Awwwww thanks so much, Hunida!!! Okay, that seriously is so sweet because I was thinking my photography is getting worse, I feel like I’ve lost my “eye” lately- so that’s really encouraging!!
Thank you for the sweet words- girl, this year is gonna be nuts! Gonna try to get a post out soon about everything going on. Aw, I really hope the anxiety lifts up for you too- hopefully it’s just hormonal or something and will pass soon?! Keep me posted- Sending big ole’ hugs <3 !!
Aww I bet next time you make the hummus, it will be perfection now 🙂 & I better buy a bag of those gummies next time I see them!
LOL he really does in the zone. Our kitchen is pretty small, too so if I’m in there, I’m really just in the way! I’m always nosy about how the food is coming along hehe.
Oh my gosh!! How did you come up with such a thing? It sounds monstrous but amazing.
Nooo, your photography is still on point!! <3 You still got that "eye"!!
Sending hugs back!!! <3 <3
daw, thanks for the confidence!!! <3
haha- love that.
Oh so the crazy creation is actually from Tasty on Buzzfeed! We saw it and said we had to recreate it for NYE, lol.
Thanks, girl! xo
Ooo – I never made soufflé before I might have to try that. Right now I am experimenting with fermenting foods. I got a sour dough starter from a friend and baked a loaf of bread yesterday. It is okay but I need to practice more to get it right. I also have a jar of garlic fermenting. I started drinking kombucha and will probably learn to make it as well.
The book I am reading is called Younger Next Year for Women – Younger Next Year is the men’s version. It’s a very motivational book for healthy living. It’s target audience is 40 to 50 something’s but with the field you are pursuing you might enjoy it.
I am not sure at what point nervousness turns into anxiety or anxiety becomes a bad thing but I have told my daughters many times that if you are nervous about something it is a good thing. It means that thing is important and you will (hopefully) strive to do your best.
Have a great day Mackenzie. God Bless!
Hi, Ruth! Thank you for this awesome comment 🙂 I absolutely LOVE fermented foods- my mouth is just watering at the thought of the homemade sour dough too! YUM. I had a friend that made Komboucha, and it was sooo gooood.
Thank you so much for your suggestion! It actually does sound like a great read for the stage of life I’m in.
Oh my gosh, Ruth, I just LOVE your perspective!! I am going to remember that. After last week I got soo much done- the anxiety was my fuel to work really hard, and now to have learned so much & see the fruits of that and the anxiety has lessened. This just goes to prove your theory correct! The anxiety was just the precipice of learning a great deal & pushing myself to new levels. Thank you for sharing your wisdom!!
God Bless you too! Enjoy all your goodies, and have a great week! xo
Ohh I love this post! Such a fun idea. All of the food you made looks so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im drooling over here. 😉 Also I need those champagne gummies ASAP.
XO, Katie | http://www.meshkomoments.com
Hey, girl!! Thank you so much. So sweet of you to stop by 🙂 The champagne gummies were wonderful! xo
What a great post! Looks like you had a brilliant start to the year! (Gotta say that avocado on toast looked amazing)!
Thank you so much, Sophia!!! Have you had avocado toast before? It’s so yummy!
I love all of your appetizers, they look so delicious! I love meat and cheese trays, haha. We ended up staying in for New Year’s Eve as well. It was actually nice to say in for once, to be honest.
haha we are allll about the meat & cheese trays up in hur! I actually agreee- I think I’m gonna opt to stay in on NYE more often. it was maybe my favorite yet!
Ohhhmmmmgeeee all of your food looks incredible!! The souffle looks divine. I need to try to make one! I wrongfully got into a funk last night and started to question my cooking skillz. Matt sometimes can come up with wonderful sauces or finishing techniques to dishes that take it to the next level. I sometimes get it to a point and then he adds the pizzazz. But that does make us quite the team. All this to say I feel like I should tackle this souffle to boost my spirits and taste buds!
So I thought of you and your neighbor probs last night/early this morning. Two inconsiderate people woke us up talking and smoking outside…at 2:30. Ya girl took her bedhead self and told them to be quiet. I know I sounded so rude, but I didn’t care. I explained that we had jobs and were trying to sleep. They acted all shocked and sorry that I could hear them. I stated that I can hear them cough and hack too. “Oh she’s sick”. I wanted to tell them to stop smoking then. -_- They even aren’t the renters; they said they are, “staying with a friend”. Geez. Say a prayer, please!
Hi, Kori!! Thanks so much- this was a fun endeavor to share- I think your souffle would probably turn out way better than ours- we need to give a second go, flavor was there but the “poof” wasn’t as poofy as we’d like. Also, HOW could you ever question your cooking skills?! Girl, they are in-cred-ible. I aspire to cook as well as you! And like you said- that’s great that you both can tackle a dish together to make it top notch. I often get in “ruts” with cooking though- and trying a totally new recipe usually helps with that or doing a cooking meal service if there is a coupon! I feel like you are so creative on your own you wouldn’t need them though. Let me know if you give the souffle a go!
Oh GIRL. I feeel your pain. I haven’t made an update on the blog (actually I did but deleted it because it was one long complain fest)…. but they never moved out. Apparently they didn’t put a deposit down on the other apartment, and someone else bought it before they could move, and now they are being stubborn and refusing to move out at all. DJ bought me what I call miracle headphones to drown them out and we are sleeping in our guest room now. It’s been a mess. We are moving out when our lease is up though (July). Anyways- that is SOOO annoying & inconsiderate with those people- I would easily have done the same thing. The “oh she’s sick” reminds me of our upstairs neighbors because when I talked to them at 1:30 am about a week ago about non stop banging/slamming the guy said his gf broke her ankle and “the only way she could get around was to jump”! Not kidding. It’s ludicrous. I empathize like you would not belieeeve, and I am so sorry you are going through that too. Hopefully they are just staying with a friend and won’t cause anymore issues. Definitely will say a prayer— Keep me posted! xo
Thank you so much!!!! You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned getting into a “rut”. I think it just hit me the wrong way that evening, and I felt down. But I really plan to try this souffle soon, and I will share if it’s a success or a flop! 😉
Oh I am fuming for you all!!! They are breaking so many noise ordinances that they should be evicted right away! I am just appalled that people can get away with such disrespect. Your apartment group will be losing two amazing renters come July. Their loss! I hope for your sake it will improve before then at least to save you sanity, and I appreciate your genuine concern! Last night they were quite. Serves them right to be chastised by my grumpy early morning self. Have a wonderful Wednesday! XO
Aw I totally feel ya on those ruts- I’ll sometimes think to myself, “When is the last time I actually cooked something legit?” and start doubting my abilities. But then getting back in there and trying something new is always a sure way to instill back some confidence! <3
Aw thanks for always having my back- I agree- our managers said that CA is the hardest state to do anything about it all too. They probably would have grounds to kick them out if we were elsewhere :/ I will genuinely miss this place! And heck yaaa serves um' right! So glad they commented down- and I'm glad they didn't do it again to spite you- our neighbors stomp around extra loud at times and we are convinced they do it to basically give us the bird. have a great week, girl! Can't wait to read all about your weekend 🙂
Yes, your thoughts perfectly sum up my own! I love quick, throw-together meals, but then every now and then, a more complex meal feels so gratifying.
It is so wrong that you all will have to leave, and I feel so awful for you! I pray it will actually be blessing in disguise. <3
<3 <3
Sending love and prayers your way as you begin your semester! You have GOT this girl! And guess what? You aren’t alone! God is right there with you, holding your hand. So just give all your worries to Him – easier said than done, I know but YOU CAN DO IT!! I’ll be cheering you on from Kentucky!
Ummm….your NYE spread looked AMAZING. We have talked about this briefly, so you know I am a huge carboholic too! Lol! That bread caught my eye and almost has me running to the grocery store to snag a loaf. And that dessert…oh my word. My brother would LOVE that! I might make it for him just I can have a piece, hah!
My best book recommendation right now would be: The Miracle Morning! It is all about how setting the best intentions in the morning sets you up for the best day. You might enjoy it especially if you are experiencing a little anxiety and stress right now in your life.
Can’t wait to hear the big news you have!! I am here for ya girl, you’ve got this!
xoxo
Hey, girl! Thank you tons & tons. This was sooo encouraging <3 You are SO right. I needed this reminder. I have found really spending time in the word in the evenings has brought so much peace & so many truths have came at the right time right when I needed to hear them. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, love! <3
YESSSS, amen, sista! Carbs are lifeeeee. I hadn't gotten one of those large bread loafs in forever, but now I have to get one basically every time I go to TJ's.
That book sounds absolutely amazing & truly perfect for this stage of life. I definitely will look into it! Thank you, thank you again. Have such a beautiful week xoxo
Omg I so didnt know you can freeze cheese?! All of this food looks so amazing and is making me seriously hungry!xx
Yess! You can!!! I hate wasting cheese (because it sooo good and is $$$), so this is a great way to save up the leftovers. You can freeze in any form though- shredded, sliced, etc. Thanks for stopping by, love! Hope you had a wonderful weekend 🙂
Wait… did you have champagne gummy candies WITH champagne? (!!!!!)
hehe – we did!! (There was no actual alcohol in the champagne gummies though, otherwise we may have been in trouble! 😉 ). Thanks for stopping by, Jen! Hope you had a great weekend!
Do you love your Airpods? I have heard so many great things about them.
Your NYE spread looks INCREDIBLE! I would so split that cookie with y’all. Ooey gooey and so chocolatey. Mmmm mmm mmm
“And then introduce myself” hahahaha I love your commitment to research! It’s very important!
I always get SO bummed if I order lemon flavored food and the lemon is lacking. I love some delish lemon pancakes!
I am SO sorry to hear about your anxiety!! I am somewhat in the same boat: I think it’s mostly the unknown that gets me. Having your full curriculum in front of you, I’m sure your brain is immediately trying to process everything at once and the fear of what it will be like creeps up. I will send good vibes your way and hope for quick healing to your anxiety! and yes to hormones, always a good excuse 😉
xoxo
Okay reading your comments tonight has been SO much fun for me!!! Airpods: YES, I love love LOVE them. DJ kept wanting to get them for me and I always was like, “I don’t see the point, my headphones work great!”… and finally I tried his out and LOVED them.. so for Christmas he got me a pair as my gift! I am obsessssseeeed. Highly recommend!
I reallly wish I could share it with you!
bahaha all about the foodie research. Yelp is my ultimate love.
you would love those pancakes! They are super delish.
Aw I’m sorry you have to deal with anxiety too. The unknown is definitely a trigger for me too, girl <3 I empathize. Thankfully with school things are better- I think just getting a few assignments under my belt & getting that ball rolling helped a ton. Thank you TONS for your encouragement!! (and yess when in lost, hormones! haha!). xo
When I add back in some eggs, I really need to try souffle!! I don’t if I have a favorite right now, but I’m about to start reading Thirst by Scott Harrison, the CEO of the charity Water.
yes definitely!!! Ohh that sounds like a great read- let me know how you like it! Thanks for stopping in, Amy 🙂
I’m already over halfway through the book and it is really good!
Ah so good to know! thanks for letting me know! I can’t wait to check it out
It will be a big adjustment back to school but you can do it ! i am, not going to criticise your falsies , you look very pretty with them on (or off!) Ol blue eyes is so great to listen to when you are doing food prep or relaxing with a glass of wine. The apps look so good. The souffle came out good, Well done Lady! Cute selfie for your last couple photo of 2018! I will have to look for “The hate you give” sounds like it can give positive pointers. How nice to have a facetime dinner date with Rachel! That is so funny that you stalk restaurants. Do you wear a rain mack and dark sunglasses when doing so?! That soup looks yummy from here, I am glad DJ liked it! I feel for you being anxious , it cant be easy getting back into it. I know what you mean about indents and spacing totally. It will be nice to hang out with the B&G club! We just got a waffle maker and I was looking for a tasty recipe and found it on https://iwashyoudry.com/ . It is a catchy name and the Lady has a lot of tasty dishes to share. Take care Dear, Terri xo.
Awww thanks for not criticizing the falsies 😉 And we do love our Frank Sinatra. Thank you so much about the souffle! It was fun to make- pretty tricky to conquer! LOL!!! I should wear some dark sunglasses in my efforts for sure. Ohhh thanks for sharing that link! Enjoy your waffle maker- that is just so fun! I really appreciate you stopping & in taking the time to read 🙂
Aww I would never criticise your appearance Mackenzie! You are so welcome, I love reading your blog, Terri xo.
awww! you’re the sweetest! <3
I am just little old Me Mackenzie !! Happy Tuesday, Terri xo.
xoxo
You are welcome Mackenzie! It is a fun name for a website” I wash you dry ” simple recipes , easy clean up! I want to try some of her other recipes also. Take care , Terri xo.
Sounds good, thank you!! 🙂
Super late, but I wanted to say I get the same thing at the start of the semester! Mine starts next week and since I was traveling I didn’t get to read the syllabus for either class until this week and then immediately became overwhelmed. Both my classes this time are 8 weeks, so it’s basically two weeks worth of classes in one. Yikes! But we’ll get through it, you’re going to do AWESOME!
Thank you so so much for empathizing, Pamela– It’s good to know I’m not alone in feeling that way. I really hope everything goes smoothly- sometimes just getting a couple assignments under the belt is the hardest part. Getting in that “groove” ya know?! I am sending you big hugs because you have so much on your plate- you will do amazing too- this was so encouraging for me! Please keep me posted & you’ve GOT THIS! xo
Absolutely! It is hard when you don’t know what to expect even with the syllabus and rubrics. But we’re superstar students so we’re ready for the challenge!!!
Totally!!! I LOVE that outlook, girl!
I hope this semester hasn’t been too bad for ya! I’m almost caught up with your posts too 😉
I love that you guys tried to recreate that souffle, I’m itching to recreate some yummy looking dishes too but need to find the recipes that come close to them. I hope you’re able to perfect it so you can pass it along to meeeeee lol
I also love your spread by the way!! Everuthing looks so good I need to get creative with my hummus too like putting it on rice cakes for snack time
I’ll have to look into the hate you give. Lol.
Omg I’ve seen ricotta pancakes on pinterest and always wanted to try them!! I’ll have to look into making lemon ricotta pancakes, those do sound AND look good!
I’m trying to make one new recipe each week or maybe every other week. So far I’m failing hard but a lot of recipes call for ingredients that I would never use again so as good as they look I have to skip them until I find other recipes that use those ingredients.
I hope that anxiety has gone away for good. I was getting anxious a bit over here too not too long ago and yesterday I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown 🙄 I didn’t! But that means I’ll have to watch out for myself in the upcoming days to be sure I don’t have full on panic attack lol. The winter is the hardest for me and it usually comes and goes often between November and May. So I’m not quite out of the woods just yet lol. Anyway rant over haha I hope you’re doing well!
It’s been a more stressful semester than last, but I think mainly due to things going on outside of school itself. I feel pulled in so many directions- but it’s all good stuff! And I love what I’m learning. I get giddy over research methods, lol- such a nerd.
Ahhh! I will totally share it with you! I actually used Julia Child’s souffle recipe-the flavor is spot on, we just need to get it to “fluff” up more.
I usually don’t get pancakes when we are out, but if lemon ricotta is on the menu they tempt me! I was excited DJ wanted to order them because then I could have some of his, hah!
I have totally fallen off the wagon of one new recipe a week. Ohhhh well! haha- we are all just doing our best, right?! Food is food! I also get wary of things that I’d have to pay $10 for that requires like a TBSP in a recipe. Doesn’t seem worth it!
Rossy, I am with ya. I fight against that anxiety daily. I really started getting it when I started working as a nurse. I was in “flight or fight” for 12 hours a day, 3 days a week. My therapist says any stressor, big or small, is triggering that full throttle fight or flight anxiety because of habit for living with it for over a year. makes sense! So I just try to remind myself of that when it creeps up- try to ground myself in reality. The winter has always been the hardest for me too- I usually don’t get anxiety like this, but I do get seasonal affective disorder (especially when living in Indiana/Ohio)…Thank you for sharing with me, and girl, you are doing amazing– We’ve got this! I’m thankful for you to have these seriously honest chats & just knowing we’re not alone in this. Keep me posted- I’ll be praying your anxiety stays at bay too. xo
Aww when life and school causes stress it can feel like you’re not getting any breaks. I hope you are doing much much better now.
Did you get the recipe pinterest? Or why do I feel like I’ve heard of Julia Child before? Lol
If I ever see lemon ricotta anywhere I’m trying them!
That totally makes sense. I had theorized the same for me. Like being a stay at home is so stressful too, and it was so bad because sometimes CL would fuss and I didn’t know how to help him and that was my life day in and day out. I remember being stressed for months that at one point I started getting anxiety out of nowhere and it came as a shock to me. And now when stress builds up I’m at risk of anxiety and mental breakdowns and that sucks because that’s also very exhausting. I must have SAD too sometimes because there are times when everything is going good, I still feel a bit “down”.
And thank you for being so easy to talk to! I dont normally share this much about myself because it’s like… so much lol. Hope life is being good to you right now! Been thinking about ya! 💜
Thanks so much, Rossy!! This is the most stress free weekend I feel like I’ve had in a while, finally. haha. I believe this is the recipe we used… https://littleferrarokitchen.com/julia-childs-cheese-souffle/
I know people say being a stay at home mom is truly the hardest job in the world… and while I can’t empathize entirely with that realm I can tell ya I totally understand just feeling almost debilitated by the anxiety and blues. What I’ve learned is seasons in life ebb and flow so much, so when a bad day comes or a week comes I try to just remind myself, “This too shall pass” just like it has every time before! I send you big hugs, girl… we are almost in Spring then hopefully that will help our spirits too. Also, I know you aren’t fishing for this, but you really do amaze me with how great of a momma you are with Ciel (& your creativity is awe-inspiring!..) you are such an amazing person & I’m thankful to know you, girl. And it’s never “so much” to me!! I relate a tonnnn so I’m always here to chat about it. Thank you for your sweet words & making my night with our convos! xo <3
Yay thanks for passing the link over to me! 🙂 I’ll see if I’m able to recreate it lol.
You know, now that you mention it it does seem like the winter months are the hardest, and for good reason. I dont remember where I read it, but it said that we as humans also go through the motions that nature goes through. In winter the trees leaves fall, it’s like there dying but they’re not really dead, they’re just going through this transition, and so are we. And when spring comes, the trees and the flowers bloom once more and that apparently were no different. We come out from the other side with learned lesson and a fresh perspective of things. Its so weird to think of it that way, but it makes sense doesn’t it? I also love that one quote by Osho, “A certain darkness is needed to see the stars”. Such a beautiful quote.
But thanks so much!!! 💜💜💜😭😭😭 I have my bad days when I wish I was a better mom but I can’t be perfect all the time, and it’s all lessons that need to be learned. Patience for one, is a thing I’m still learning lol.
Hope you are having a great start to your week!
WOW oh wow! I am mind blown- I loveeee that theory about us too going through seasons like that. It makes soo much sense. The transition is so necessary to “bloom”. Gosh, thank you for sharing this with me! Just made my whole day. Just remember- no one is perfect all the time! <3 <3 Hope your week is off to such a great start too, Rossy!! xox
Glad I made your day!! You just made mine too! Lol. 💜💜
<3 <3