Christmastime has passed

We had a wonderful first Christmas!  Lots of time with family and even some time just for us.

I wanted to make sure we started a tradition our very first year, so I made a suggestion and Eric went for it.   I'll share what it is soon. I forgot my camera so I used my mom's and since she's on vacation, I'll post a picture once I have one.

To continue a tradition from my side, I gifted Eric pajamas (aka: basketball shorts and a thermal shirt) on Christmas Eve. He got also got the Hunger Games Trilogy (now I can read them again too!) and Armani Code (makes him smell so good!).  I got a spa day!  Man, my hubby's good! :)

Loaded Breakfast Biscuits

Original Pin     Recipe: Riches to Rags by Dori

For breakfast, I made Loaded Breakfast Biscuits.  They were super easy to make, very yummy and re-heat wonderfully!  Christmas Eve, I made the eggs, bacon and shredded the cheese so all I had to do on Christmas morning was assemble and pop them in the oven.  I waited too late to go shopping however because Target was completely out of hash browns.  Even without, they were still tasty!

I'm still working on my pre-New Year's non-resolution of making priorities.  Maybe I should say that my resolution is to establish priorities...hmmm....anywho, tonight I really just wanted to come home and sit and do absolutely nothing.  However, I really enjoy doing as little as possible on Saturdays so after a little bit of relaxing, I got up and took down all the Christmas decorations.  Pretty easy considering I went very light this year and I'm not replacing my normal decor - both due to an impending move.  I didn't really want to do it, but if I didn't do it tonight, it wasn't going to get done.  So, here's to relaxing tomorrow because of priorities today!

The Kindle and Water for Elephants

I recently acquired a Kindle thanks to a friend at work and I love it! Many of the girls at work have the Kindle Fire but I really just wanted the traditional Kindle since I only wanted it for reading purposes.  It's been awesome and I've loved being able to just put it in my purse and have it wherever I go.  So far, I've only loaded a few books, but I'm starting to build a wish list!

So, what was the first book I read on my Kindle?  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  It was a good story and quick read. It drew me in from the very beginning and gave me motivation from the very first to finish and find out the cause for the beginning scene (I actually went back and reread the beginning scene later and realized how cleverly it was written).  I enjoyed that the story flipped back and forth between the past and present. I've always found stories about circus life and things that are a little more eccentric interesting and that was partly what peaked my interest in this story.  It was an interesting and well researched glimpse into life in the circus in the 1930s.  It also peeked my interest in visiting some of the circus museums that are mentioned in the story. As a warning, there was some profanity and violence.

Crockpot Cinnamon Almonds

If you need a last minute treat to take with you to Christmas, this would be perfect!  I made it for Thanksgiving and it was devoured!  It does take time, but it's a simple process overall.

Cinnamon Almonds

Original Pin     Recipe from detrimentalbeauty

Gather:It appears detrimental beauty is no longer an active site so I've put the recipe below.
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 Egg White
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups Almonds
1/4 C. Water

Make:

• Coat the inside of your crock pot with something to keep the almonds from sticking.  I've used olive oil and coconut oil and they both worked well.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix together sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. 
• In another medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until it’s a little frothy. 
• Add almonds - make sure the almonds are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture.
• Add cinnamon mixture to the almonds and toss until coated.
• Cook on low with the lid on for 3-4 hours stirring every 20 minutes 
• In the last hour, add the 1/4 C. of water and stir well. This ensures a crunchy yummy coating. After adding the water, cook the nuts for an additional 45min-1 hour still stirring every 20 minutes.
• Spread the nuts on wax paper or a silicone baking sheet to cool.

Hints:

• When the directions say to cook 3-4 hours, I cooked them for 2 hours then added the water and cooked for an additional hour and they were perfect.
• Make sure to separate the large chunks when you lay them out to cool otherwise, they are harden together and are hard to break up.

They made the house smell amazing even in the crockpot

While I was watching Netflix and the almonds were in the crock pot, Eric was hard at work making venison jerky from the doe he got earlier this year.  It was incredible!  I think we may have brought the most popular snacks to Thanksgiving this year.  (Warning: there are pictures of raw meat coming up)

Accomplishment

Not only did I get both of my priorities done yesterday, I also went to look at a house (a last minute find and not the one), grabbed these lovely goodies for me and the Mr. and did some window shopping.  Love the Plaza at Christmas time!

A note so that "just in case" he spied them, 

he wouldn't eat them without me :)

Yes, that is bacon!

Do you live in Kansas City?  Have you had Cupcake a la Mode?  No?  Then you are missing out!  Big time.  These are hands down, the best cupcakes ever.  We had them at our wedding and someone actually told my mom they didn't know why we were going on so about cupcakes, but now they understand. You should come to an understanding too. Here's what I picked up this time:

Eggnog , Gingerbread Man (both flavors of the month) and "End of the World Cupcake" (It is a blueberry pancake cupcake topped with maple syrup buttercream and crispy pieces of bacon that was only available for two days.)  Saving them for tomorrow evening.  Excited!

I won't elaborate on the yarn photo because the current product is not in a photo worthy state so you'll have to wait, but here's a photo of the other accomplishment I had for the day.

The "G" is a gift from our cousins.  Our first Christmas ornament 

and it fits perfectly with the other glass ornaments!  Yea! :)

Our tree is a little sad this year...or very sad.  Last year, we cut down our own and it was so much fun but with everything going on (and two people living in a previously one person apartment), it just didn't happen this year.  It will next year though!  (Eric already bought the saw!) I also didn't pull out all the ornaments because, well, I was lazy.

Today I went to look at a potential house we've been admiring for a while and the more I think about it and look at the pictures, the more I think it might be the one.  We're going to go back next Sunday so Eric can see it.  Hoping that maybe all the research and leg work is getting close to an end. (And very excited!!!)

Hope you all are getting to enjoy some relaxation before Christmas!

Priorities

I've set new year's resolutions, skipped resolutions, tried a 101 in 1001, tried monthly goals.  You name it. I've (probably) tried it.  By now, I should be in great shape, only eat homemade meals, shop locally, have an Etsy shop, etc, etc.

This year, I'm trying something different.  I'm going to set priorities.  I have so many projects, plans and dreams.  Sometimes I spend a day not doing anything and I end up feeling guilty because I didn't do anything. But if I were to think about it, I got things accomplished, I'm just focused on the list of things I dream about doing. It ends up feeling overwhelming and I end up feeling...lazy.

I've actually "cheated" and started doing this already and it's been awesome.  Instead of thinking about all the things I want/have to do, I try to evaluate what actually needs to be done that day.  It's been great! This isn't just for big things.  It includes little things like getting gas on Monday because I have a meeting Tuesday night or grabbing groceries on Wednesday because I won't want to on Thursday if Friday's my day off.  I've felt much more accomplished and definitely not as stressed.

I'm off work for the next five days!  Woot!  Here's a peak at what my priorities are for today:

 

Well, this and Netflix :)

Triple the Thankfulness

This year, I got to celebrate Thanksgiving with three, yes, three families. Considering I only have one big combined family, it was definitely a change. All the families had picked different dates as well which allowed us to spend more time with each since we didn't have to hurry off to a different place.  Since Eric and I had a rather short dating experience, there weren't many opportunities to get to be with extended family so it was great to get to spend more time getting to know everyone.

Last Sunday, we went out with Eric's dad's side of the family and we went to Bravo (the food there is so good!).  Even some of Eric's family came from out of town!  It was my first official outing with the Green family as a Green and I definitely felt like part of the family.

Thursday, we saw my family.  Because of the wedding, our family from Texas didn't make it up and they were definitely missed.  The football game was much smaller too, but don't you worry, it still happened!  Eric and I sat with my cousins and it was fun sitting with the other young, married couple as a married couple (we were the fifth couple married in five years!).  They are expecting in January and I'm so excited for them!

Saturday, we went to have Thanksgiving with Eric's mom's side.  We played games after dinner and thanks to a certain cousin, I won big in Scrabble which is something that never happens! (Seriously, she spotted that I had the letters to spell spouse and get a triple word score! I was going to spell "jobs." haha!) I then taught them how to play speed Clue.

So this year, I am triple the thankful thanks to the two new families God has brought into my life!

Blessed

This year, I married my best friend. And the day was blessed.  Seriously blessed. Like, undeniably, this was what we were supposed to do blessed.

• Beautiful weather surrounded by two days of poor weather. 
• One Thing Remains (the wedding processional song) playing on the radio the instant it was turned on when we got in the car to go for breakfast.
• A friend from college who I'd lost contact with coming back into my life and then stepping in to put together a string quartet to play for the ceremony (and another college friend being part of the quartet). 
• My mom being the best "partner-in-shopping" to get so many amazing pieces of our day put together. She seriously treated me like a princess and made this the most special time in my life.  I felt so pampered and blessed.  I think I could put up an argument that I seriously was the most blessed bride-to-be ever.
• Amazing family and friends who put together the last minute details on our wedding weekend.
• Our incredible, amazing friends who we were blessed to have stand with us and support us on our special day.
• Fun pre-wedding celebrations from so many people who just poured on the excitement and love and well-wishes.
• Vendors who simply blew away our expectations and made every detail so perfect and our day flow so well.
• A never worn beautiful white wedding dress from the thrift store for $50 that had a price tag that read $1,395. And a second dress off the rack from the wedding store that was all "Pride and Prejudice" and exactly what I wanted even when I didn't know it before I put it on.  And an aunt who can do anything with anything who made the dresses "mine."
• The outpouring of love and support from everyone - family, friends, co-workers, our parent's friends - from beginning to end.

For everyone who made not just our day but the entire experience amazing, 

THANK YOU!

There is now more family in my life.  We celebrated with one side of Eric's family on Sunday at Bravo. We will celebrate with my side today. We will celebrate with more of Eric's family on Saturday.

My husband cooks. And hunts. Last night, he whipped up a yummy stir-fry with venison, broccoli, onion and rice.  He then informs me he "made up the sauce." Since I'm a recipe follower, I've always found people who can do that impressive.  You've impressed me, love.

There's so much more...this is what comes to me now though, so I'm leaving it at this...

Easy Cheese Crackers

I discovered the 100 Days or Real Food blog via Pinterest and really enjoy reading it.  I feel a little convicted, a little inspired and more then a little bit of there's no way I could ever really doing this. I like her creative (and often simple) recipes though and this easy cheese cracker recipe caught my attention a while back.  I decided it was finally time to give it a shot.  They were simple, quick and tasty!

Easy Cheese Crackers

Original Pin     Recipe: 100 Days of Real Food

This was the first time I used our new food processor/immersion blender.  Unfortunately, the ingredients did not fit well and was working a little too hard.  Next time I make these, I'll probably put in all of the butter but half of the cheese and flour to get the butter all integrated.  After, I'll move the mixture to my Kitchen Aid and add the rest of the ingredients to make the "ball."

Because it wasn't all well incorporated, It didn't roll very well and ended up a little crumbly.  I was excited to get to use my silicone sheet for the first time.   So much tidier than using the kitchen counter.

I ended up leaving the roll in the fridge for almost a week.  I think the combination of not getting the full result from the food processor and leaving it in the fridge for so long resulted in some crumbliness.  They were still tasty though!  One recommendation that was made was the sharper the cheese, the better the cheese taste.  Next time, I'll try sharp cheddar cheese instead of mild.  Because there will be a next time!

Simple Cream Cheese Danish

I made this easy cheese danish dish for breakfast and it was seriously easy.  Took hardly any time to complete!

Simple Cream Cheese Danish

Original Pin  Recipe: Food Lush

So simple, this recipe starts with packaged crescent rolls.  The filling and icing both took just a few minutes to make.  The slowest part was waiting for them to finish baking!

(Does anyone else see the face in the icing?  Kinda ghostly?)

Hints:

• It took me 3 Tablespoons of milk to get the icing to be soft enough to drizzle.  Otherwise, it was an icing that would have barely spread.  However, start with the recommended 1T and slowly add additional milk.  This was the hint I found online and it saved the icing for me!

Eric loved them and between the two of us, they disappeared in no-time flat!  I'm pretty sure some were enjoyed in the middle of the night :)

Surprise Bedroom Makeover

Monday night I ran by Target to get a few things and decided to pick up some lampshades, which is something I've been wanting to do for a while.  The ones in the bedroom were from high school and had remnants of hot glue from the flowers that used to be on them.  I wandered around for a bit as I enjoy doing and happened to notice a sale on some bedding.  I wanted to get some new bedding before Eric moved in, but wasn't able to.  This led to a couple of busy hours to create a bedroom surprise for Eric before he got home from work. (Sorry in advance for some of the poor lighting, it was late when I got started)

Before

After

Above the bed is the photo frame we had out for guests to sign at the wedding, two photos I took of flowers Eric gave me while we were dating and the vows we used on our wedding day. I changed out the old shade (that I've used since high school and used to have flowers glued to it) with a rectangular one.

On the dresser is now my wedding bouquet and a rectangular lampshade.

I had an idea a while back to frame our vows, my purity ring and a necklace that Eric wore until our wedding day so this was the perfect opportunity to complete this project.  At Target, I bought linen napkins and then used thread to make corners for the vows.  I attached Eric's necklace to his vows and my purity ring to mine.  I also drew and hand-stitched a heart on both of them.

Eric was pleasantly surprised when he got home and saw the finished result.  It was worth the work!  And now the bedroom feels just a little more like ours.

Marinated Baked Chicken

Daylight savings is great!  However, I woke up at 6:30am since I'd had seven hours of sleep.  What to do?  Well, I'll create a blog post!

When Mr. and I were dating, (okay, that's really fun to say!!!  He's my Mr. now! :) love it! okay, back on topic) I was terrible at taking pictures and documenting things we did.  I just didn't think about it I guess. So now that we're married, I'm trying to be better about documenting our lives together.  We're using a notebook from one of the showers to write down memories that we may forget otherwise.  For example, I filled three pages with things from the wedding day like the fact "One Thing Remains" played on the radio when we were headed to breakfast (we used that song for our groomsmen & bridesmaids to walk down the aisle to).  They are things that even next year, we might not remember but were special to us that day.  We also wrote things down from the honeymoon.  On Friday, I was called "The 'Lady of the Night'" by one of the servers because he said my dress was so beautiful.  How awesome is that?!

In continuation of that, we've been writing down "firsts." The first time I was called "Mrs. G" by someone who wasn't at the wedding, our first time taking communion together, the first meal we had together, etc.  It's made me more aware of the little special moments.

With that in mind, I'm going to share with you the first homemade meal we had! 

Marinated Baked Chicken

Gather:

2 c. Italian Salad Dressing

2 c. soy sauce

6 bone-in chicken breast halves

1/8 t. onion salt

1/8 t. garlic salt

Make:

• In a measuring cup, combine salad dressing and soy sauce.  Pour 3/4 c. into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken.  Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, turning several times.  Refrigerate remaining marinade for basting
• Drain chicken, discarding marinade.  
• Place chicken, skin side up, on a rack in roasting pan.  Sprinkle with salts.
• Bake, uncovered at 350 for 45-60 min or until juices run clean (170<), brushing occasionally with marinade.

I made Rice Pilaf and crescent rolls to go with the chicken.  The chicken was really good!  It's a recipe my mom has used for as long as I can remember and I've made it once before.  However, I forgot that I normally bake it and I put it into a glass dish instead so the chicken turned out pretty soft.  I was not impressed at all with the rice pilaf so I doused it in soy sauce.  However, it is partially my fault as the recipe calls for brown rice and I had the minute version so it was a bit soggy.  The flavor wasn't all that great though so even if the rice was firmer I still won't make it again.

Edit: Turns out, my mom made up this recipe.  I'm now even more impressed with her amazing cooking skills.

Now a Mrs!!!

I'm married!  And I'm loving it!!!!

It was so nice to take a break from everything and just focus on the wedding.  It got a little crazy as it probably does for every bride to be so I was glad that I wasn't trying to juggle a bunch of projects.  Now though, we're back and (mostly) settled in.  I've got a few projects (okay, a lot of projects) that I'm itching to start, including getting back to blogging.  I have a feeling being married and new wife will give me lots of new things to share...

Planning your wedding style

The state of me right now is happy! :)

I decided a little while back to not do anything but enjoy getting ready for the wedding.  I've been able to truly enjoy time with my friends and be fully present at the amazing (and generous) showers that everyone has done for me/us.  It's been wonderful!  I'm not stressing about a million projects like I normally would.

Knowing the wedding was approaching and Eric would be moving in after the wedding, I decided a while back to get everything organized, get rid of the stuff I don't need or use and even get rid of projects that weren't finished.  Best choice ever! I wish I had done it forever ago.  Hanging onto projects and paperwork that I wasn't ever going to use was something I should have taken care of a long time ago.  This doesn't mean my apartment has been perfectly tidy per se but I don't feel like I need to do a million things.

Something else that has helped was an article by Oh Lovely Day about Keeping Your Wedding Style Cohesive.  I love Pinterest (as is probably obvious) but there are so many ideas it gets overwhelming because you want to do a million things. After reading this article, I was able to get rid of a bunch of ideas that I liked, but wasn't as attached to.  When I first started planning, I was looking at country chic since we were having an outdoor wedding and I liked the chalkboards and pennants.  I can't pin point the exact moment that I changed my mind, but once I started looking at more elegant ideas - I knew I'd found my wedding style.  Instant relief, better focus, and I'm not even sad about the elements I let go.  Still several decisions to make, but knowing the cohesive style will make it easier.

My recommendation is to pick one picture or style that you really gravitate toward - the one you keep returning to and go with that.  Or maybe it's a decor piece that you just can't stop thinking about or fabric that caught your eye.  If you don't already own it, pick it up and then use that as your starting point.  It might even be helpful to start an idea board where you can put up pictures or scraps of fabric. 

All this to say, I'm really enjoying the process.  There are moments when I feel a little stressed or can't believe how much there is to do in so few weeks but for the most part, I'm just enjoying and loving this!  Can't wait for just a few weeks from now when I get to be his!

And since I talked about cohesiveness, here's a sneak peak at some of the decor for the centerpieces:

Eggs

I'm going to keep trying out new Pinterest projects.  It feels good to know that all the time in front of a computer actually leads to stuff happening in real life.  haha!

Boiling Eggs

Found here: http://its-fitting.com/2012/01/good-enough-to-eat-do-you-know-how-to-boil-an-egg.html

Apparently, I've been boiling eggs wrong for a very long time.  I used to put them in the water and boil them for 10 minutes.  What you actually need to do is bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat off.  I also have read in a few places to put a lid on the pot, take them off the burner and let them sit for 15 minutes.  Either way, the eggs turn out perfect!  After 9 years on my own, I can finally hard boil an egg. haha!  Next on the docket is learning how to peel them without loosing chunks of egg.  I resorted to running them under cold water and that worked pretty well.  Do you have a technique that works well?

Easy Deviled Eggs

Found here (tip 2):  http://www.aimlessdirection.com/2008/17-tips-to-make-your-life-easier/

Before discovering this simple trick, making deviled eggs was pretty messy and I missed out on a lot of the filling when transferring from bowl to egg.  All you have to do is put the yolks, mayonnaise and mustard in a big baggie, seal the bag, mush it all together, cut off the corner and fill!  I only got one spoon dirty to put mayo in the bag.  It was awesome!

Next time I need to make deviled eggs for something, I think I'm going to try making this.

I like my deviled eggs simple - just mayo, mustard and paprika.  What's your favorite way to make deviled eggs?  Do you have something you like to add in?

Flower Photography

I enjoy photography, but it's been a while since I took intentional photos.  I took some pictures in my mom's garden on Fourth of July.  The colors really popped since it was such a beautiful day outside.

Is there something you love to do that you haven't in a while?

Cleaning Pinterest style

Here are some more Pinterest Projects I've tried recently!

Cleaning your toilet with Baking Soda

Found here: http://lifehackery.com/2008/07/22/home-4/

The blog stated if you leave a cup of baking soda in your toilet for an hour, it will be sparkling clean. Maybe if your toilet is already clean, it will work to "freshen it" but it didn't seem to be significantly cleaner. There are 75 uses listed so I was hoping maybe some of the other tips would work?

Vinegar & Dawn for soap scum

Found here: http://lifecraftsandwhatever.blogspot.com/2012/01/dawn-vinegar-soap-scum-killa.html

Mixing equal parts Vinegar & Dawn and spray on the tub/shower.  Leave for an hour, wipe with a sponge and rinse.  WORKS!!!  I too have tried scrubbing with a brush and using multiple cleaners and my tub was still gross looking. I don't know that the person before me ever actually cleaned. I just assumed it was old and stained.  I mixed up vinegar and Palmolive since that's what I had on hand.  It was too think to spray through the bottle I had so I ended up pouring it on.  Wearing gloves, I coated the entire tub.  After an hour, I wiped it down with a sponge and rinsed it off and my tub was white!!! Clean!  Oh man, I was so excited.  As embarrassing as it is, I'm posting pictures so you can see the difference.  My bathrooms pretty dark so the picture doesn't really do it justice.  There was definitely still some permanent staining, but this mixture did a better job than any of the cleaners I'd tried.

Cleaning your lint trap

Found here (tip 17): http://www.aimlessdirection.com/2008/17-tips-to-make-your-life-easier/

To get your drier to dry better, clean your lint trap.  Don't just clean the lint off, clean the trap. If you pull out your lint trap and try to rinse it and water sits on top, the trap is plugged up and you need to clean it.  I used an old toothbrush.  Since then, I use a dry toothbrush to clean the trap when I'm done with several loads of laundry.  You can see all the extra lint coming off that you didn't notice before.  My dryer is back to working efficiently!

What are some of your best cleaning tips?

Book Review: Redeeming Love

I love to read!  I don't read nearly as much as I used to, but the girls at work have been reading a lot and so it's motivated me to pick up a book again.  I figured I could share my thoughts on the books I've been reading with quick book reviews.

I re-read a book that I absolutely love called Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  If you want to read an absolutely amazing love story about redemption and persistence, then pick up this book.  Francine Rivers is an incredible author who writes books that I can't put down.  Even though I'd read this book before, I stayed up until 5am to finish it.  It's that good.

You can click on the picture above to check it out on Amazon!

A Story of Love That Won't Let Go - No Matter What!

California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.  

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.  

Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.  

But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go.  

A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

Getting it done

I had a four day weekend last week since I took my birthday off and Tuesday was my day off.  I spent Saturday & Sunday organizing and cleaning my apartment and it felt great! I was able to just sit around and relax on Monday and Tuesday.  Granted, I lost motivation a few times, but I pushed through and now, my apartment is tidy and clean and it feel great! 

I didn't want to just get things picked up, I wanted to get things organized.  This has sort of been an ongoing projects as I've been getting rid of things I'm not using and wearing and moving things around to find the best spots and I was determined this was the weekend I would be finishing.  Friday night, before I got started, I was inspired to change things up a bit.  I decided to change the purpose of my coat closet.

I turned my coat closet into a craft/art/photograph closet.  The few things that were in there fit in my bedroom or outdoor storage closet.  I'm so excited because it worked out perfectly!  In the bottom, I have two sets of drawers that have art and gift wrap supplies.  To the side are bags and wrapping paper.  In the top of the closet I have a few more art supplies and all of my photographs and scrapbook book supplies.  I've also hung one of my crocheted bags to be able to hold my plastic bags.

This actually motivated me further because I originally wanted to make full on scrapbooks but everything has sat in one closet or another for years. Going through these pictures and supplies again reminded me that I am ready to get my pictures out so I can really enjoy them.  A little while back, I decided to try to make photobooks instead of scrapbooks. I love the look of scrapbooks, but trying to decide what to use and how to arrange things just takes too much time.  After much research, I downloaded My Publisher and have one book almost complete.  I'm excited to order it and see how it turns out.  It was definitely quicker than scrapbooking would be and I have a scanner so anything I was planning on putting in a scrapbook, I can scan and add to the photobook.

I definitely feels good to be writing this post, look around my apartment and see how clean and tidy everything is.  It makes me happy! :)

Garlic Spaghetti

Spaghetti with Garlicky Bread Crumbs

Original Pin     Recipe: FamFriendsFood

Simply toss pasta with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon juice, garlic powder salt, and black pepper.  I'm really bad about just tossing stuff together to make a meal, but I saw this recipe and thought, I can do that!  So I did! It was delicious! I didn't have the breadcrumbs or parsley, but it was still amazing.  The lemon juice really made the flavors pop.  Definitely recommend this for a quick meal.

Granola, Scones and Berries

I love Pinterest!  Great ideas and a lot of handy tips.  I'm trying to take advantage of Pinterest and use what I find, not just pin and not use anything.  The other day, I finally went grocery shopping (I'm really, really bad about keeping groceries) and bought items to specifically make some recipes from Pinterest.  I'm going to link back to the original blogs or websites but if you want to find the Pinterest link, you can find me by clicking the Pinterest button to the right.

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Original Pin     Recipe: how sweet it is

Oats, peanut butter, honey, peanuts (Chia seeds - I didn't use these and they're optional.) are the only necessary ingredients.  I added chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.  The pan I used was smaller so they were thicker.  I also didn't have spray so I had to use butter and the sides got a little, toasty.  It tastes good though!  I can even imagine it being good warmed up with some milk over it or maybe melting a little more peanut butter on the top.  This was quick and easy to make!

Easy, Irresistible Scones
Original Pin     Recipe: Southern Living

I LOVE scones.  Especially the mini ones from Target, so when I found this recipe, I got excited.  I decided to go with the savory bacon, cheddar and chive scones.  My batter didn't turn out quite right.  I think I mixed it for too long.  It was definitely crumbly when I made it into the little "mound" so I had to work it a little more to get it to stick together and the individual pieces fell apart a bit.  These are AWESOME though.  Especially heated up a bit.  mmmm!  The fiance approves too!

Rinsing Fruit in Vinegar
Original Pin   Idea: A Pretty Life

Finally, I tried rinsing fruit off with vinegar.  It worked!  It definitely left behind traces of dirt in the water and everything looked clean.  The strawberries still haven't molded. The skins are a little "stretchier" than usual, but they taste just fine.  I have a non-washed and washed strawberry sitting next to each other in my fridge to see how well it really works.

Can't lie, I'm kinda proud of these pictures.  I think they turned out nicely.

Update - The strawberries ended up looking about the same after a week.  I'll probably keep doing the rinse just to get them clean, but I didn't notice it extending the life any.

Have you ever made scones before? If so, do you have a recipe you would recommend?  I'm always on the hunt for good (and easy) recipes!