Tuesday, June 28, 2011

A few random thoughts

I thought I'd dedicate this post to a few random things. I know you all care so much about the ins and outs of my brain, so I figured I'd save you the trouble of asking me and seeming desperate. I know; I'm too kind.

1. Matt Damon still isn't eating. I'm starting to get nervous.

2. Iced coffee is probably one of my favorite parts of summer.

3. I've recently started to be a high school girl again and re-watch The Hills and I've realized just how awful and excellent it really is.

4. I will always want to be Lauren Conrad no matter how old I get. 

5. I want to get a million and 1 tattoos, but that will never happen.

6. I'm pissed off that my nails suck. And that my hair doesn't curl nicely or easily. (you know the rest, Han)

7. I'm jealous that this girl is in London and having excellent adventures without me.

8. Blake Shelton and Adam Levine are people that I need to be friends with. Too bad they're famous and my connections (you know, the ones I don't have, but pretend to have) do not branch out that far. I guess I'll settle for tagging them in tweets and pretend they respond back. That'll do.

9. I'm in need of a weekender bag, so you guys should look for something for me. Good quality and decently inexpensive.

10. I am SUCH a wanna be baker. I need someone to teach me their ways.

11. Those Sperry's that I just bought? OBSESSED. I want to wear them all the time. Don't tell anyone, but yesterday I totally took a nap wearing them.

12. Erin Foster is great and definitely my new virtual best friend. She speaks to me.

13. I love the new show Whitney and it's not even out yet. It comes out in the fall on NBC and it looks absolutely hysterical. Pee-your-pants, stomach-hurting, face-crinkling funny.

14. I sometimes usually wish I had Go-Go-Gadget arms. I'm super comfy in my bed and freeeezinggggg, so I don't want to get up to turn off the air conditioner and leave my cocoon.

15. I'm really sick of going to the doctor. Like, scale from 1-10 I'm at like a 17 right now.

16. Beyonce is fabulous.


Sunday, June 26, 2011

Matt Damon

This weekend could not have been more perfect if it tried. Okay, maybe if I won the lottery and had delicious treats made for me. Maybe if I didn't have to pay any bills or met Matt Damon.....well, I kind of did the last thing ;)

Friday came along and it was an excellent day. I wasn't really having the greatest of days at first, then the boy came over to cheer me up. We went to Starbucks, chatted a bit, and then the greatest part of my weekend happened: I met Matt Damon. And bought him. And fed him. And stared at him. And obsessed (and I continue to obsess) over him.


Alright, alright, so he's not the real Matt Damon or the one you were thinking of, but he's as close as I'm going to get. After Starbucks the boy and I went over to Petco and he bought me this AWESOME Betta fish. I'm super pumped about it and want to bring him everywhere I go. I want to get a car seat and a travel bag and a leash and potty train him. Okay, now I'm getting a little crazy. I need a life.

My only problem with little MD is that he's not eating! The boy seems to think he's just adjusting to his new surroundings and he's probably right, but I'm a worrier by nature so naturally I'm freaking out mildly stressing over the situation.

Minor interruption and random thought: I read that Betta fish like PEAS. Weird, right? And houseflies and moths. Even more strange.

Anyway, yesterday I hung with the best friend which was good. We watched So You Think You Can Dance, experimented with bright red lip stain and ate coffee ice cream. Perfect.

Today? Also a fantastic day. Woke up, had some coffee, debated on running (which obviously ended with me eating a bagel and making excuses that it was too muggy and my lungs couldn't handle the humidity) and then went on a mall trip with the boy. We picked up season 1 of Criminal Minds for his mom for her birthday and then I encouraged him to purchase a few things - ONLY because they were great deals!

Onto DSW it was. Boat shoes? CHECK! We both ended up buying a pair! Not nearly the same style, but the same brand. We're disgusting, aren't we? Hate it. I have to say though, he definitely was a better bargain shopper than I was today! These are the Sperry's I picked up:

They're excellent. We had dinner with his fam at Houlihan's which was delicious! Then we decided to rent True Grit starring the REAL Matt Damon from RedBox! (the remake of course). Great movie - I definitely recommend it.

 I've been obsessed with Beyonce as of lately, but I'm going to save that song for tomorrow. As for tonight, I'll leave you with this:






Monday, June 20, 2011

I'm sorry....

This weekend was excellent. All of it. Friday was spent babysitting - which I could have done without - but a little extra money never hurt anyone.

As for Saturday and Sunday? Superb. Saturday, the boy and I had an exciting day. First we went to the Farmer's Market right around the corner from my house and got asparagus, scallions, string beans and nectarines. So fresh and green (and orange in the case of the nectarines).

After that we hit up the mall to get Father's Day gifts for our dads which then turned into this...


Mhm. Macy's Furniture Store. I'm pretty sure we tried out every couch and laid on every bed. We even had the sales guy come up to us and preach about the different sales they were having that weekend. We obviously played the part, telling him that we thought the 96 inch table would fit very nicely in our new dining room. We don't have a dining room. Obviously.

Anyway, that was a complete blast. We then went to....


I'm sorry. I really am. We went to an Oriental Grocery store. I have a serious issue. Someone get me help. We purchased Stir Fry sauce, Asian stir fry noodles, and baby bok choy.

We wanted to get broccoli, but the place was out! The boy went up to the guy and asked what was something like broccoli that we could substitute it with and he pointed us in the direction of the bok choy. We were pretty positive that it was going to taste nothing like broccoli, but we went with it.

Guess what? It tasted exactly like broccoli. Go figure. So we went back to my house and I decided to cook up some stir fry. Please don't kill me. I'll put the recipe and some pictures on here tomorrow.

After dinner we got into our bathing suits and headed over to the boy's best friend's house and enjoyed a nice hot tub night with him and his girlfriend. We had a beyond excellent time!

Alright, it's time to get myself together. Gotta do some running around with mom and then I'm headed to the doctor. Exciting, right? I know. Get excited for the stir fry recipe tomorrow!! 


Friday, June 17, 2011

Busy Girl...

I apologize that I haven't updated in a while. I know each and every one of you wait on my every post, but sometimes a girl gets busy.

And by "busy" I mean working minimal hours at BRU, trying to think about things other than Asian cuisine, trying to act like be a pro-runner, getting a rash, taking care of the rash and eating wings. Oh, and bitching about the lazy people I work with. I did a lot of that too.

I'm feeling less than creative today. Once again, I think it's the weather. I don't think I'd ever be able to live in Seattle, WA or Missouri. I'd most definitely go insane with all of the dreariness.

So in order to correct my lack of creativity, I'm going to watch How I Met Your Mother. You should too. It always makes me laugh no matter my mood. Maybe I'll take a nap too. That's a surefire way to boost my creativity. Who knows - maybe I'll be back later to post something witty and more useful.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Here I Go: Promoting City and Colour

I semi have music ADD, so I always love hearing new bands and artists. One minute I'm all about Blake Shelton or Eric Church, the next I'm onto Jessie J or Adele. Today I'm into Alter Bridge, tomorrow I might be into Lady GaGa. Just kidding. I don't think I'll ever be one of her "Little Monsters".

I was browsing the iTunes online store and checking out all of the featured artists and albums and I came across this guy: City and Colour. It sounds like the name of a band, but it's actually just one guy accompanied by random musicians.


Here I thought he was this brand new artist just coming onto the scene. Boy, was I wrong. He goes by City and Colour, but his real name is Dallas Green. Sounds familiar, right? He used to be a part of the hardcore band Alexisonfire. I had a feeling I knew the name, but I was never a huge fan of the screaming bit. Even while he was part of that band, he's been on his own as well since around 2005, having two albums debuting in Canada.

When I put two and two together, I was still completely baffled. His sound now is the polar opposite of Alexisonfire. C&C is kind of Coldplay meets Mat Kearney. Before you turn away, I'm not really a Coldplay fan so normally I would be immediately turned off. However, I am a Mat fan. .It's just folk-y and soothing enough without being too Jack Johnson. The perfect balance of calm and natural without being too boring where it would put you to sleep. Would I run to this music? Probably not. But I'd definitely listen to it as a cool down or if I was in a "chill" mood.


His newest album is entitled "Little Hell". He says that, “You have to go through those little hells to get to the really great parts of love and life.”(Source) I couldn't have said it better myself. Such a deep guy. Anyway, here is my favorite one of his songs off of this album. It's actually the album track, "Little Hell".



Deliciousness

Today I'm annoyed by just about everything. That it's disgusting out, that this room is a mess, that my hands still feel sticky after washing them about 13 times, that I don't want to go back into the kitchen and clean it after the mess I just made added to the mess that was left for me, that all I want is to eat ALL of the Oreo balls I just made for my sister, that I miss the boy even though I'm probably going to see him tonight. I'm annoyed by it all. I'm even annoyed by myself being annoyed. There's a new low.

Anyway, PLL premiers tonight at 8 which is excellent. Then The Voice at 9. I guess that's something I can't complain about.

What I can complain about is that I have yet another dentist appointment today. And that I cannot eat what I just made. When in a crappy mood - cook or bake. Except when you can't actually enjoy the aftermath; then it's just torture.

Today's recipe?

Oreo Truffle Bites.


Easiest. Recipe. Ever.

You can pretty much find this recipe online anywhere, but I figured I'd do you a favor so you don't have to go looking. It makes about 40-48 Oreo Balls, depending on if you make them the exact same size each time.

Ingredients: One package of Oreos (I use Double Stuf), One 8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature, and a bag of either semisweet or milk chocolate chips. Most of the recipes online say to use semisweet, but I prefer the milk. It's worse for you therefore tastes a lot better.


First, break Oreos up and put them in a food processor. Grind them up until it's a nice smooth and powdery texture.


Place in a bowl and add in the room temperature cream cheese. Mix it up until the cream cheese is completely mixed in. It should be a creamy, almost mud-like texture. It's probably better to just use your hands to work through this, but I'm just warning you: it's pretty damn messy.


Use a teaspoon to get the right amount and roll the dough into bite-sized balls and place on wax paper. Put them into the refrigerator for about a half hour, or until they become cool and almost a bit hard.

Next it's time to melt the chocolate.


Place about 2-3 inches of hot water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to where its still steaming, but not boiling. Place a heat-friendly bowl over the pot and pour in chocolate chips. Stir until the chips completely melted.

After chocolate is melted, coat the Oreo balls in the milk chocolate and place back on the wax paper. Put into the fridge for about an hour or so, or until the chocolate has cooled and hardened.


I obviously licked the chocolate bowl clean being that I couldn't actually eat any of the contents. It was the best/worst I could do.  

Clearly not the most healthy recipe for today, but either way I'm positive you'll enjoy it all the same...probably more.

Throwback:
(I don't know, I felt like it fit...kind of inappropriate, but just go with it)


Monday, June 13, 2011

Honestly...

Yesterday I went on my first ever long run since the mono. I brought my sister along with me and we ran/walked a little over 3 miles. My sister was less than happy with me, but she made it through. However, now she refuses to go on another long run outside with me. Well, ya win some ya lose some.

After this giant accomplishment, the boy came straight from work and picked me up. What did we do, you ask? We got sushi. Please don't judge me and my Asian problem. It was his idea! His delicious, tasty, Asian-y idea.

Today I decided to make something other than Asian foods. After I spent the morning with my computer and a cup of coffee, it was time for lunch. The boy and I were talking about my stir fry recipes and he suggested a more Mediterranean take on it, which I thought was a great idea. When I went to try out something like it, I found that there were no veggies! Pissed. So....


Homemade Fried Rice.

I apologize. Is there AA for eating too much Asian food? Asian food eater's Anonymous?

Ingredients
-Rice, already cooked
-Lite soy sauce
-Oil
-2 eggs
-Peas
-Salt & pepper

NOTE: this is all of the veggies I had in my house, but I would have liked to add in some snap peas, some broccoli, and maybe some chicken.

Directions
Cook plain white rice in a separate pot. While it's cooking, scramble two eggs and cook them to preference. After rice is done, coat the bottom of a pan with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil and add in rice. Stir fry for about 2-3 minutes, then drizzle lite soy sauce over the rice until a light brown color is obtained. Add in the rest of the ingredients (eggs and peas and whatever else you;d like) and stir for another minute or two. I'm a big fan of soy sauce, so I added a bit more of that. Salt & Pepper to taste, mix and serve!

Tonight my mom and I are baking for my sister to bring into school. Maybe if you're lucky I'll put one of my new favorite dessert recipes up here tomorrow! ;)

Sunday, June 12, 2011

I hate when it rains in the summer

I hate when it rains in the summer. Especially on weekends. I mean, I guess in the summer every day can be the weekend, but not when everyone has work, different schedules, things to do and what not. I've been realizing just how hard it is for everyone to get together. The "real world" sucks and I'm not even really there yet.

Anyway, yesterday I spent the day with the fam which was really good. Ran some errands with the parents, then had a sister movie night. I kinda love running errand - I always end up getting things that I really don't need (going back to my self control bit. I suck at it). Here are some of the things that I picked up while I was out:


I lost my Tide To Go recently and was distraught over it, so I had to pick up a new one (being that I just bought a new one I'll probably find my old one later today). I always like to keep one with me so I can be ready for a spill. Something like that always manages to happen to me. I also needed a razor, so there ya go. And I could not pass that magazine without picking it up. Especially after my newly found obsession with Blake Shelton.

When I got home I gave myself a little self pedicure. You know, trying to save some money.


Nice summery color, right? It's called Cute As A Button

After the self spa session, my sister and I had a little girls movie night. What type of movies you ask? WEDDING MOVIES. I've been on such a kick it's not even funny. I kind of need to get a grip.

Movie/Food #1:


Bride Wars and a waffle sundae with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. At least it was a whole wheat waffle, right? I'm disgusting.

Movie/Food #2:


27 Dresses and is that Asian-y foods again? I think so. Rice, snap peas and my little soy sauce creation. Little do you know, I had an Asian chicken salad for lunch. Once again, I have a problem. 

Today there's not much on the agenda. My sister and I are going to do a massive workout sesh after our awful eating so late last night. Maybe hanging with the boy later? He has to work on a Sunday. How lame, right? See what I mean about the real world?? Over it.

Loving this song. I can't stop playing it! These two lovebirds were on The Voice, but got the boot in the first Battle Round. They already have a single out and its beyond excellent. They kind of remind me of The Civil Wars which make me love them more.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Bridezillas need to get a grip

I just got home from work and changed out of my super cute khakis and white polo and into something a bit more comfortable and weather appropriate. It feels like it's about a million degrees out and my skin is melting off my body as we speak. Okay, so that was a bit dramatic but you get the point.

I've decided to put on Bridezillas. Every now and again I get on these wedding kicks where all I do is watch wedding show after wedding show. Last week there was a My Fair Wedding marathon on - I was in heaven. Anyway, this show just cracks me up. It's absolutely unreal how uptight and crazed these brides-to-be are! I mean come on: do you really have to kick one of your bridesmaids out of the wedding party because she asked to bring her sister to look after her son during the ceremony?? She's only trying to help YOU out so you have the wedding that you're killing everyone for. Let's be real.

(Image from Google)

The same girl also referred to her fiance as her "Sugar Daddy" after using his money to take her bridesmaid - and former bridesmaid - out for a spa day. Then, the next day she walked back into the nail salon and asked for a refund because she didn't like it. Are you kidding? That's touching.

I'm just baffled by how difficult and seemingly heartless people can be. Not only are you making everyone's lives around you a living hell, but you are shedding yourself in such a negative light. Honestly, it even baffles me as to why women would want to be on this show in the first place. Yes, this show is entertaining, but it just makes me feel so bad for these fiances. Well, I can't have that much sympathy; I suppose they know what they're getting into. Now that's love right there.

Alright, now it's time for a cup of coffee. Say Yes to the Dress is on next! :)

This is what those fiances should do:

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The 1st Live Show! #TheVoice

Alright, so I finally finished watching The Voice! In. Love. This week was Team Xtina vs. Team Blake. Xtina has a team of all girls including Frenchie Davis, Beverly McClellan, Lily Elise and Raquel Castro where Blake has a split team: two girls, two guys consisting of Xenia, Dia Frampton, Jared Blake and Patrick Thomas.


I'm not going to go into everyone's performance in full detail, just touch upon some of my favorites.


The show started off with a bang when Raquel came romping out in her little sparkly dress and GIANT voice. She sang Ke$ha's "Blow" and definitely stepped up to the plate. This little package of enthusiasm definitely belongs on Xtina's team. I think her voice matches Christina's quite well - strong and full of belt-it-out energy. At only 16, Raquel has one of the most powerful voices of the competition!


Then it was time for Jared Blake, another one of the top performers. Although he was conflicted between being a country guy or sticking with rock, last night he showed that he was a rocker at heart by singing Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody". This was the perfect song choice for him! It showcased his voice perfectly. He is proving each week that he most definitely deserves to be there.


Another one of my top favorites of the night was Dia Frampton. Naturally, Dia has a very smooth and "cuddly", as Xtina put it, voice but the problem is that it's not all that strong. When it was announced that she would be singing Kanye West's "Heartless", I was immediately nervous for her. When all was said and done she blew me away! She slowed it down and turned it into a sort of singer-songwriter ballad version of the song. It was refreshing and perfect.

Everyone else did absolutely excellent as well. You can check out their performances here.

I have to touch on the group performances for a sec. Xtina performed her own Lady Marmalade with the girls. Fitting, but a little predictable. Typical. It was good though; Xtina's voice was just as strong as ever and the girls did great. However, she should have re-thought her little outfit. Emphasis on the "little". Even though she looks great, she is not as small as she was when she originally sang it with Pink, Mya and Lil' Kim.

Now for Team Blake. I almost died when the music started playing to Maroon 5's "This Love". Throughout the show Blake and Adam constantly bust eachother's chops and this was just the icing on the cake. Adam's face was priceless! Honestly, it was pretty good too! The whole performance was just excellent. Also, Blake TOWERED over everyone on that stage. He is HUGE (that's what she said). Speaking of which, he definitely made a "that's what she said" joke at the end of the performance in reference to Adam's comment of "You're so big. I mean in LENGTH". Hysterical. Dear Blake Shelton, can we be friends?? Please??


Listen to how different this is:


Next week TWO members of each team will be voted off. TWO! This is getting intense. Then it will be Team Adam vs. Team Cee-lo. Tune in next week for my weekly update of #TheVoice!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Momma always said eat your greens...

Alright today I'm going really green, and no I don't mean I'm doing a lot of recycling. This is what I mean:


I know, I know. This looks kind of semi vile, but I can promise you that it's not. I'm a BIG veggie-lover and I was hungry today so I gathered up all of the veggies in my house (clearly there was not very much) and threw them together. I was about four seconds away from going to Asian route once again, but I decided to spare you all.

Snow peas, edamame, spinach. In a pan coated with some oil. Then for the seasoning: drizzle of Italian dressing over the top while its sizzling, some Italian seasoning, and some breadcrumbs. Mix it up and there you have it!

I'm going to apologize for my minorly depressing post yesterday. It was a rough day. Anyway, I feel like a million bucks today! Went to work, took a nap, got some vitamin D, cleaned up a bit, and now I'm watching One Tree Hill. Lame, I know, but totally a guilty pleasure. Probably one of my favorite things ever.

On the schedule for tonight? 
- Re-painting my nails. I'm thinking a fun pink?
- Going for a run. I was going to run earlier, but it's just so damn hot! I'm going to wait until it's NOT prime burning-a-hole-through-my-skin time.
- Wing Wednesday! Yep! We actually remembered this week. Go us.
- CMT Awards!!! I'm so unbelievably excited about this. Wings and the CMT Awards!? Come. On. Kid Rock is hosting. I'm not a huge fan of him, but I think it will be entertaining nonetheless. I was just looking at some of the nominees - I don't think I'm going to be mad if any of them win! I love it all.

Here's one of the videos that are up for nomination. Honestly, it was so hard picking just one song to put up today, but I figured this would be a good one. It's fun and sassy - just how I feel today :)



P.S. I know you're probably shocked that I did not post about #TheVoice just yet (the live shows started last night), but I did not get to watch all of it last night! I know, awful The Voice fan. Don't you worry. After I finish the episode tonight, you better bet that there will be a full review posted by tomorrow afternoon! 

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

This is how I feel today...

Tumblr_lihsysitja1qdrf4to1_500_large
Frustrated. Confused. Defeated. Stressed.

I borrowed this concept from my friend Hannah. I don't have any fun recipes for today or any bargains that I found (I'm exercising that thing called self control I mentioned in my last post). No funny work stories or sappy romantic dates. Just this picture.

Today after I got home from work, I sat down on the couch and decided to put the TV on for a change. I flipped to Lifetime, naturally, and How I Met Your Mother was on. Brief side note: if you haven't watched this show, shame on you. WATCH IT. NOW. You'll die - it's absolutely hysterical. Anyway, Robin invited Ted over to "juice" because she got a new juicer. AKA that was her excuse to have him come over because she wanted to see him. As soon as he got there, she opened up a bottle of wine and said something so excellent:
"Have you ever had one of those days where nothing 
at all that monumental  happens but by the end of it you 
have no idea who you are anymore or what the hell 
you're doing with your life?"

Ted came back with: "About once a week."

Okay, this doesn't happen to me that often, but today Robin hit the nail on the head. I'm going to blame it on the college student going through life thing. That'll work for now.

Robin's response to Ted: "I don't know, it was just a rough day and the only person I wanted to see at the end of it was you."

Corny. Vomitus. Perfect


Monday, June 6, 2011

Bargain Shopper

Being a college student, I, as well as my fellow peers, need to save every penny we can. It's not easy going to school full time and still find the time to balance our studies as well as a job. But we do it. Screw Spiderman and Superman - we should be the superheroes that people aspire to be. This is why the summertime is so excellent; we get to take a break from school (most of us, at least) and use this time to work and save as much money as possible. However, it's so hard not to spend the money we make with all of these ads for the newest dress and cute sandals, the bathing suits and tank tops, not to mention accessories. Especially  being that summer time brings the cutest things.

This is why we need to be Bargain Shoppers. Mhm. Cheap, frugal, coupon-cutting bargain shoppers. I try my best not to spend money on the things I don't need, but sometimes it's just impossible to say no. Or, I just need a lesson in self control.

Check out the bargains I came across this weekend:


All from Forever21:
Bathing suit top: $4.80
Bathing suit bottom: $4.80
Top: $12.80


All from Francesca's (a boutique in the mall by me):
Earrings: $12.00
Nail polish (Orange and Slate): 2/$2.00

Not too bad, huh? I think the only thing that I wasn't super proud of were the earrings, but they're adorable so I let them slide. I also bought a white bandeau from Charlotte Russe for $5, but I am currently wearing it so I couldn't take a picture. 

This is fun and the video's cute: 


What was your favorite bargain of the week?


CURE CYSTIC FIBROSIS!

This past Sunday, June 5th 2011, marked another annual Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Walkathon. The event took place in Hotsville, NY at the Holstville Ecology Site. It was a beautiful day for a walk - not too hot, not too cold.  Meet Tara and Tina Tumillo:


Beautiful girls, aren't they? Tara (right) and Tina (left) are both teenage girls living with Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. Every day these two girls win another battle against the awful disease. Being sisters both going through the same thing, they have a beyond excellent support system, not to mention an awesome family. Side by side they get through it. What's even better is that they don't let it affect their every day lives. Tara just went through cosmetology school and is a graduating senior in high school and Tina is going through high school every day, just as she should. 


Great Strides is an amazing organization. As part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, it helps to raise money for a cure by sponsoring Walkathons all over the U.S. Although there is no cure just yet, there is more and more progress being made each year. In the 1950s, children diagnosed with CF rarely lived past grade school. Now, in 2011, people can live up to there 30s, 40s and higher. If it weren't for organizations like this, I'm not sure if the numbers would be that high. This was the Tumillo's 18th Cystic Fibrosis walk, attending every single one from the time Tara was born. This was only my second walk, but I plan on being at every one from now on. It's a great opportunity to show your support for the families with children battling CF and all be together, supporting the same thing. Plus the fact that it's such a good time! Food, drinks, exercise, being with the people you love. What could be better?

  

Want to make a donation? Click this link and follow the easy steps to make a donation for the cause. Every dollar helps. I encourage everyone to be educated on the disease and find a walk near you. Take only an hour out of your day to walk a bit and raise money for a cure. Look at that: exercise AND supporting a good cause! Kill two birds with one stone!

Instead of a song, I thought I'd leave you with a short Great Strides video:


You Got a Fast Car

I thought I'd share my breakfast with all of you: coffee (obviously), Athenos Greek yogurt, and a glass of SUNNY D. Mhm. Going back to like the 5th grade right here. Its awesome.




This weekend could not have been more excellent. To start off my grandma, who lives in Florida, is here in NY to visit.Unfortunately my grandpa decided to stay in sunny FL to golf with his friends. Selfish old man ;) Just kidding, he's awesome. Anyway, she's staying with my aunt, so the boy and I decided to pop on over there and visit. She just got back from a Mediterranean cruise (jealous) and she was telling us all about it. It sounded beautiful! We hung with my aunt and uncle for a bit, saw the babies, then we were on our way to Port Jeff!

It was beautiful out on Saturday and we didn't have anything to do, so we thought Port Jeff would be the perfect event for the day. Port Jeff, for those of you who don't know, is a little town on the water with a whole bunch of little shops, restaurants, ice cream places, the whole nine. There's a dock, some boats, and a beautiful view. Could not be better. By the time we got there we were starving, so food was most definitely a top priority. After looking around for a bit, we decided on Danford's, a brilliant seafood restaurant on the water. We sat outside and enjoyed our dinner. Baked clams as an appetizer, salmon for him, Ahi tuna for me. Perfect.

Heineken Light for him. Water for me. 

After a beautiful dinner, we hit up the candy store for dessert.


Assorted Tootsie rolls, saltwater taffy, gummy bears, a Slushie and a milkshake. We're going to be300 lbs each one day.

We took our candy and sat down on the dock overlooking the water. Me, being forgetful as usual, forgot my camera and didn't think to take a picture of the dock. Maybe next time the boy and I go to Pt. Jeff I'll remember my camera. It really was a beyond beautiful day and I could not think of anyone better to spend it with.

Love this:


Friday, June 3, 2011

I Think I Have a Problem

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. I'm sitting on the balcony enjoying the freshly brewed iced tea once again.  I'm in my favorite hoodie, wearing my favorite slippers, listening to my favorite music (country, of course),  caught up on my favorite blogs, just got off the phone with my favorite boy, and I'm eating my new favorite  type of food: .Asian cuisine.

Ever since my post about the stir fry, I literally cannot get enough. I think I have a problem.

I made the stir fry for lunch, we got Chinese for dinner, I had left over Chinese for lunch yesterday, and here I am once again, eating Asian-y things.

Today I just put some white rice in a bowl, threw some edamame and broccoli on top, then drizzled some more homemade sauce right over it. Pure greatness.

I made a different sauce today: 2 packets of duck sauce, lite soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey. Sweet, yet soy-ey. I'm loving every second of it.


Certainly not the most complicated dish, but hey, I didn't feel like whipping up something fancy and it's delicious.


Some Quick Updates:


1. The boyfriend and I had Wing Thursday last night because we forgot about Wing Wednesday. We suck at trying to make things routine.

2. There is FINALLY coffee in this house again! YES! Mom, way to be efficient ;)

3. Go to this website. I'm still not 100% sure what it's all about, but people have been telling me about it left and right.


I'm not a BIG Rihanna fan. Actually, I always say that but I freakin' love all of her songs. So scratch that I guess. Love this song right now:

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Here I Go: Promoting Ben Saunders

I know I'm probably killing you with all of this talk about The Voice, but here I go again.

I was researching a little bit about it and the show actually started in the Netherlands, making itself known as  The Voice of Holland. After just the first season, which ended in late January of this year, it quickly became the number one watched show in the Netherlands (1). Shortly after it debuted in the Netherlands, the good ole' U.S. decided to pick it up and try it out here; we're all about the singing competitions. American Idol, America's Got Talent, Making the Band, and then there's the fictional shows and movies about singing such as Glee, High School  Musical, Hairspray, the list goes on. Why not try yet another singing show? Especially after it did so well in the Netherlands. It's a good thing we decided to try it out - it's already been picked up for another season! Here's one better: it airs in the spot following the Super Bowl!

Now, after a season in the land of the Dutch and a partial season right here in the States, The Voice is branching out all over the world. There are upcoming seasons in 13 other countries including the UK, Australia, Greece, Sweden, and India (2)!

Okay. Let me introduce you to the first ever winner of The Voice: Ben Saunders.


Doesn't look like your typical, in the public eye pop singer, huh? Well that's because he's not. Although his brother was the winner of the Dutch version of Popstars, for most of Ben's life he did not fully follow in his brother's footsteps. He was a tattoo artist and an MMA fighter before he decided to audition for The Voice.  I watched a TON of YouTube videos, which were mostly in Dutch, that kind of half-explained all of this to me. 

Literally seconds into Ben's slowed down, mellow rendition of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody", three out of the four chairs turned right around. The coaches were instantly floored by the smooth and unique tone of his voice. Abouts 30 seconds later, one of the coaches actually got out of his seat and pressed the remaining coach's button for him! He was THAT good.

On May 31st Ben Saunders signed a worldwide record deal (3)! You know what that means? We'll be hearing his amazing voice in no time! I could not be more excited about this guy. Just wait - he's going to be your new favorite artist (especially with that cool background of tattooing and MMA fighting!). Here's the clip of his very first, and in my opinion, his best audition.


Wednesday, June 1, 2011

This one's for you, Bri!

Okay so I have a lot to say today. I'm hoping that I can fit it all in without getting drawn out. That's what she said. I'm sorry, it was just too easy. That's what she said. I hate myself.

1. The boy and I had date night last night  which was absolutely excellent, as usual. We saw Bridesmaids, which was hysterical! Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph are just as funny and witty as always. Jon Hamm even plays a small, douchey role. What can be better!? This is most definitely a comedy, not even a Rom-Com. The boy thought it was going to be, but he was mistaken. We came to the conclusion that it was a Chick-Com, so that's what we're going with.

2. I tried the wavey hair for real last night and it looked great! It stayed put all night and was most definitely a hit.

3. I'm watching last night's #TheVoice right now and I'm LOVING it. This show is amazing. Everyone needs to watch it. Now.

4. I could not be comfier. AC blasting and in my favorite hoodie (stolen from the boy, obviously) while drinking my mom's freshly brewed Lemon Iced Tea. Excellence.

5. THE RECIPE!!!!

Okay so I have been thinking about what the next recipe would be and I've decided. I already did a breakfast food and a dessert. Why not a lunch? I've decided to do a Stir Fry! Now, I did a vegetable stir fry with some random veggies I had here, but you can basically put whatever you want in it. That's the great thing about a stir fry!


I used a Jasmine rice for the base. As for the actual stir fry, I used broccoli, carrots, snow peas, and edamame. 

Directions: Coat a pan with canola oil and add in onion flakes and Panko, which is a type of Asian breadcrumbs. Once it gets to be a golden brown color, add in the carrots and broccoli and stir it around for a bit. Then add in the snow peas and edamame. Lightly drizzle just a touch of soy cause over the veggies (I used Lite Soy Sauce). Turn the pan to a low heat and keep it sizzling while you make the sauce.



Sauce: I don't really have any measurements for this, unfortunately; I just eyeballed it all. But the ingredients are: lite soy sauce, rice vinegar, onion flakes, a dash of pepper, and a few squirts of honey.
Put the rice in the bottom of the bowl, the veggies on top, then drizzle the sauce over the whole thing.

Absolutely delish! Okay, now it's time to empty the dishwasher and take out the garbage before Momma B comes home. Then I'm off to get more blood work done -never a dull moment. The boy found this song and I cannot get enough of it. I love the original, done by Thompson Square, but something about this version just gets me. I want this duo to do more covers of excellent songs.





VERY Quick Update.

Just a little update....


There's still NO coffee!!!!


How am I supposed to do this when there is none!?



Mom, you're goin' down! ;)