Fun Facts Friday

1. Work is so crazy busy right now and it will be for the next 2 months. I'm setting my sights on April 27th. Please bear with me in the meantime.

2. I'm so happy that The Voice is back on. I just love watching it. It is always positive and the witty banter between Adam and Blake keeps me entertained.

 

3. I went to the eye doctor earlier this week to get a new contact prescription. They dilated my eyes and getting back to work was quite the adventure. Why they let me drive is a mystery. I could see my computer screen though, so I spent the rest of the afternoon rocking my shades inside.

4. For Christmas, my mom got me a Nespresso Frother. I wasn't sure how much I was going to use it, but I have made a latte a day this week. Sometimes you just need a little afternoon pick-me-up.

5. "Can't Remember to Forget You" is my guilty pleasure song of the week. The video is a little much though.

6. If you are looking for an easy weeknight dish, make Bon Appetit's Chicken with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce. My only advice is to make sure you can open a window or turn on an exhaust fan. I used pretty thick chicken breasts that took a while to cook, so it got pretty smokey in my apartment.
 

7. Have you heard about Ben and Jerry's new core flavors? I can't wait to try them. I can't tell you the last time I had ice cream in the freezer but this will be making an appearance soon.

8. Sara and I started watching House of Cards this week. I had to laugh when I told someone that I used to work in DC and they asked if I worked for Claire Underwood.

9. I am obsessing over #FashionbyMayhem. I can't wait to see this girl on Project Runway when she gets older.

10. Happy Friday!

Thought on Thursday

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Fun Facts Friday

1. This week has flown by! That might have something to do with the fact that I had an event on Monday and went to Columbia on Tuesday afternoon/Wednesday morning. You can't beat taking a half day to spend the night with Mom.

2. While I was in Columbia, I stopped by Fleet Feet and picked up a new pair of tennis shoes. I always wait too long to replace my tennis shoes and am excited to have a new pair.

3. We also stopped in Hay Hill Garden Market. I am super excited about the orchid and fruit bowl that I found, especially because the bowl was 50% off!

4. I am loving this spring like weather. It is hard to believe that this time last week there was snow on the ground and yesterday it was 70 degrees!

5. On Sunday night, I experimented in the kitchen and cooked pork chops for the first time. I was impressed with how it turned out. I pinned a couple of recipes but decided to just season the pork with salt and pepper. After cooking it on the George Foreman, I topped it with a thrown together version of pepper jelly - peach jam and red Thai chilies. It was rather delicious.

 

6. The clock on the dashboard in my car has randomly stopped working. Talk about throwing you off. I get in the car to go somewhere, check the time, drive for a while, and glance at my clock only to realize it hasn't changed.

7. On Wednesday night, my small group went to a parishioner's house to learn how to make cheesecake. We had the best time munching on appetizers and just being together. The best part of the evening was when we put all the cheesecakes in the oven and our host proceeded to pull an already baked one out of his refrigerator for us to enjoy. It was a Food Network moment.

8. While we were at his house, I learned how to crack an egg one-handed. Another skill to add to my cooking resume!

9. Last night, Wofford played Furman in the second to last home game of the season. We had a great time cheering on the Terriers before heading to a young alumni after party.

10. Happy Friday! 

What I Baked on Sunday

Snow Day Edition Plus Some

On Thursday, I braved the elements to pick up some much needed baking supplies. After two full days inside, I was ready to be out and about. Thankfully it is a straight shot to Publix from my house and the roads were fairly clear. I still can't believe I ran out of chocolate chips and sugar during the snow storm.

Once safely back at my apartment, I started working on a batch of Puppy Chow at the request of my coworkers. I made it for the Super Bowl and took the leftovers to work and everyone was raving about it. Instead of regular peanut butter, I used some dark chocolate peanut butter that I picked up at Aldi a while ago. You can't tell a difference and it adds to the chocolate element.

I also wanted to bake cookies and decided on this recipe for Flourless Fudge Cookies. There are only six ingredients and they came together pretty quickly. The batter resembled brownie batter which made me a little nervous when scooping them out but the cookies held their shape for the most part. I can't say that they were the prettiest but they still tasted good.

On Saturday, I headed to Greenville to see Mary Loyal and Lash. They were in town for an engagement party that they were hosting. After grabbing lunch downtown, we headed back to Kent and Caroline's house to prepare for the evening. The party was southern themed and May Lo was supposed to bring chicken and waffles and brownies. I left her in charge of the chicken and waffles but told her that we could do better than just brownies.

I ended up making Iowa Girl Eat's Brownie Mix Truffles. They are super easy to make and look so fancy. May Lo said they were a hit.

I loved getting to spend so much time in the kitchen last week. If only I could get snowed in more often!

The Friday Five

Valentine's Edition

1. Watching:

Movie Title Breakup

2. Drinking:

My sweet mom gave me one of my favorite bottles of wine as part of my Valentine. 

3. Listening to:

Over the Rhine's "I want you to be my love"

I love this song so much.

4. Recipe I'm Bookmarking:

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Heart Shaped Chocolate Brownie Roll-out Cookies
Where can I find heart shaped cookie cutters?


5. Favorite cards:

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I gave the "Love you. Mean it." one to MayLo and Lash. I say that all the time.

 

Happy Friday!  

Snow Day

Wofford closed yesterday because of the winter storm. I know having a snow day shouldn't be such a surprise but I am pretty sure this is only the fifth time we've closed since the Civil War. I was honestly kind of shocked to get the text message alert.

Since I was already wide awake at 6:30, I figured I might as well take advantage of the day. I read my devotional and got up to get a workout in. I turned on Jillian Michael's 6 Week Six-Pack Abs video. This was the first time I'd ever done this video and I really liked it. I worked up quite the appetite, so I decided to scramble some eggs with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, and feta. It hit the spot for the second day in a row.

After folding a load of laundry and getting dressed for the day, I set up a make-shift desk at our entry way table to get some work done. My roommate is traveling this week and while I certainly miss having her around it was probably better for my productivity to have the apartment to myself.

I was surprised to hear all of the cars driving by on the street. I thought everyone would have been hunkered down for the day. I thought about going to the grocery store for some baking essentials but was advised not to. I can't believe I ran out of sugar, butter, and chocolate chips. Snow day baking fail!

I did find this recipe for Avocado Hummus that I had all the ingredients for. My waistline will probably thank me for making a semi-healthy snack instead of something chocolaty. (Semi-healthy relative to how many crackers/pretzel chips you consume with it).

I enjoyed being able to work from home although I definitely hit a slump around 3pm. I pushed through until 5 and rewarded myself with a glass of wine. I am still loving the Apothic Red. I wanted something hearty yet healthy for dinner, so I cooked a steak and made a roasted vegetable salad with brussel sprouts, cauliflower, peppers, and spinach.

This was the first time I've tried roasted spinach and it added a nice crunch to the salad. I ended the day with Netflix and snow cream. And now I get to do it again today!

Weekend Recap

On Friday, I headed to Charleston to celebrate May Lo's birthday. We kicked the weekend off with a champagne toast before heading to Xiao Bao Biscuit for dinner with some friends. 

Xiao Bao Biscuit is located in an old gas station and serves Asian soul food. They don't take reservations and the restaurant is pretty small. We ended up grabbing a drink at the bar while we waited. Anna and I tried the Sun Wukong - spicy sweet tequila, chili honey, ginger beer, and fresh pressed apple juice. It definitely had a kick to it. Once we were seated, it didn't take us long to decide what we wanted to eat - Jiao Zi (dumplings), Ribs, Yu Xiang (brussel sprouts), Okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake), Sticky Rice, and Boa Ji (chicken). This is definitely a place where you want to try a little bit of everything so it worked well going with a small group. It was all delicious but the favorite dishes of the night were the brussel sprouts and cabbage pancake with bacon and eggs. I could go back there tomorrow.

After dinner, we headed to the Belmont for another drink and their homemade pop tarts before calling it a night. You can't beat a glass of merlot and warm pop tarts - apple cinnamon and banana and nutella.

Saturday morning, we used Lash's breakfast sandwich maker and gave McDonald's a run for its money. I went the English muffin, Canadian bacon, egg white, Havarti, and fig jam route. It hit the spot.

After breakfast, May Lo and I put on our walking shoes and headed down King Street. We tried hard to shop but couldn't find anything. We ended up stopping at CO for lunch. This may be our new tradition and I love it. We tried the summer spring rolls to start and I had the green papaya salad.

When we got back to the house, we got into the Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars that I made for her birthday. You can't beat red velvet and cream cheese frosting. 

Saturday afternoon, I headed to Beaufort for the Valentine Ball. We went to a dinner party at a friend's house before heading to the dance. I had to laugh when we walked in and I saw that Second Nature was the band. We seem to be on the same circuit this year (they also played at the Hibernian). It was such a fun night and I loved getting to see everyone.

Sunday, we went to brunch with Charlotte and Tyler at Lowcountry Produce. I've had their granola but had never eaten there. You can't beat homemade and they do a great job with everything including donuts and biscuits. I decided that I want to work there especially when they started playing Taylor Swift. 

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It really was a great weekend and I was sad to see it come to an end.

The Friday Five

1. What I'm Reading:

From Amazon: Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most.

2. What I'm Eating:

I've always been a fan of Starboard's Miso Salmon. Last night I tried the Lemon Dill Salmon and was equally impressed. These meals are great for nights when I don't have time to cook.

3. What I'm Listening to:

"Difference Maker" by NeedtoBreathe
Shout out to May Lo for the recommendation.

4. What Recipe I'm Bookmarking:

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Skinny Mom's Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

5. Things I'm Loving:

This article about all the problems in Sochi.
 

Happy Friday!