Till Then Smile Often

April 7, 2014

Quarantine Zone

I wish I could tell you that I spent my first weekend off in forever by hiking and tip toeing out in nature but that would be oh so wrong. This virus is kicking my butt and not going away. It went from bad to worse. It moved from my throat into my sinuses and my nose won’t stop dripping. Sorry for the visual but welcome to my weekend. I went through a whole box of tissues in 24 hours. So to say my weekend wasn’t exciting is an understatement. I did get a lot of rest and a few other things done though.

Friday: I finished the book The Truth About Alice which was really good. It is the story of what rumors can do to a girls reputation and how she manages to live through it, told from those who helped spread the rumors and the one who helped her find her way. Loved it!

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Saturday: I tried to do some errands around the house but then got sucked into an HBO documentary called One Nation Under Dog – Stories of Fear, Loss and Betrayal. Seriously do not watch it if you don’t have a box of tissues handy! I bawled through the whole thing then realized I had to get ready for my hair appointment in 25 minutes. It pulled me in but was so sad. The first part was a dog bite story, the middle was on mourning the loss of a pet, and the third about shelters and euthanizing. Eye opening and so grateful I volunteered at a no kill shelter. I would have been scarred for life.

I headed out for my haircut and took a before picture of course. I had to wait till I got home since she really rushed the styling so I had to re-do it before I could take the after picture. I thought she would have recommended cutting off more but it was only about an inch. Phew. I am always traumatized when I cut my hair. It is finally getting to the length I want it. Then after a quick grocery trip I crashed on the couch for a nap. Seamus was a little too sassy pants so it wasn’t that restful. Clearly this is not the face of someone wanting to nap.

After I woke up I watched About Time and Dallas Buyers Club before passing out for the night.

Sunday: I cleaned around the house for a bit, I even washed the curtains and windows so I could open them up for some fresh air. I started a new book that I am almost done with and really liking it too. The book How To Fall is about a girl trying to find out what happened to her cousin who mysteriously died when she jumped or was pushed over a cliff a year ago. She looks eerily like her and her spending the summer in the town is bring out all the secrets surrounding her death.

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I also did some recipe testing with an Eggplant Parmesan which came out really well though when I make it again it will have less cheese. Can’t believe I am saying that but it’s true. I also made a garlic bread with smoked Gouda and bacon.

I then took another nap and read my book. Took Seamus for a walk and a little photo shoot for this week’s Picture Practice which had a prompt of animals. You know Seamus was getting the spotlight because a squirrel just wouldn’t cut it. I had a hard time picking a favorite so you get two.

*Aside from resizing I didn’t edit at all.

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and with Kelli from She Crab Soup

April 4, 2014

No plans, no problem

Happy Friday! This has been a rough week, with a virus knocking me down for two days. I am finally starting to be able to swallow food again. I did catch up on a lot of sleep though. This weekend I have NO PLANS!!!! Well I do have a haircut planned for Saturday but other than that nothing, nada, ziltch!! It shall be glorious! You know me though I will most likely try to shove 10 pounds of goodness in a 5 pound sack. Like hiking, reading, running, cleaning and purging, and baking. Oh boy! I will be in my PJ’s a lot too though.

So on to my 5 things this week so we get a little closer to this weekend.

One. Since I missed yesterday’s Random Acts of Kindness for the Be The Change post I am sharing a really cool RAOK that includes cupcakes!! An Auckland cupcake sweets company is giving away cupcakes via social media to help brighten someone’s day. They also place them on parking tickets too to help soften the blow. For the full story click here.

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Two. This week Morgan from Believe in the Sparks is getting a Virtual Mug. She is going to be a Mrs. in just under two weeks!! She loves her Southern roots and doesn’t take herself too seriously. Willing to tell “Bless Her Heart” jokes! 😉

Mrs mug – with red lipstick lips by inspirationzstore

Three. I just got a Vegetarian cookbook, and I am excited to experiment with some of the recipes. I love Chorizo and Bacon but I am getting bored of Chicken so I want to experiment with adding in some Vegetarian meals. Amanda I will be picking your brain. 😉

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Four. Even though this was a really rough week, I always try to find the positive. It has been really hard lately but Seamus helps. His grunting when he wants my food, his jumping in the air trying to “fluff” the blankets always gets me chuckling so it’s no surprise this one gave me a chuckle too.

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Five. I am excited to get my haircut since it has been a REALLY long time. Like I haven’t gotten it cut since August 2013. Yikes. My hair really needs it and I can’t wait. This is my inspiration picture though I really am only cutting like 2 inches off or I might cry.

What are you up to this weekend?

April 1, 2014

Cauliflower Soup

This weekend was a rainy one. From a really heavy downpour from Saturday night into Monday morning, and the perfect way to keep warm was this Cauliflower soup. It has a little bit of kick thanks to the Sriracha but if that is not your style simply half it or omit all together. A 1/4 tsp of chili or taco powder might be a good substitute as well. For the Vegetarians simply omit the bacon. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ~ 1 Tsp minced Garlic (2 cloves) ~ 1 yellow onion, diced ~ 2 stalks celery, diced ~ 1/4 cup Almond Flour (all-purpose flour, whole wheat or soy flour) ~ 4 cups chicken broth ~ 1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk (or milk) ~ 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower or (head of cauliflower, roughly chopped) ~ 1 bay leaf ~ Salt and pepper to taste ~ 4 slices bacon, diced ~ 1 Tsp Sriracha (Optional) ~ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions: In a stockpot or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium, high heat adding in the onion, celery and garlic until tender.

Approximately 3-4 minutes then add in the flour until slightly browned. Whisk in the chicken broth and Almond milk whisking constantly until slightly thick about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and bay leaf and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is fork tender approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon in the Sriracha and stir until incorporated.

Heat bacon in a skillet (or you can use the prepackaged microwave bacon to save time) until golden brown and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Crumble and garnish your soup with the bacon and the parsley. Serve.

Adapted from this recipe.

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter ~ 1 Tsp minced Garlic (2 cloves) ~ 1 yellow onion, diced ~ 2 stalks celery, diced ~ ¼ cup Almond Flour (all-purpose flour, whole wheat or soy flour) ~ 4 cups chicken broth ~ 1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk (or milk) ~ 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower or (head of cauliflower, roughly chopped) ~ 1 bay leaf ~ Salt and pepper to taste ~ 4 slices bacon, diced ~ 1 Tsp Sriarchi (Optional) ~ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

In a stockpot or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium, high heat adding in the onion, celery and garlic until tender. Approximately 3-4 minutes then add in the flour until slightly browned. Whisk in the chicken broth and Almond milk whisking constantly until slightly thick about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is fork tender approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired consistensy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon in the Sriracha and stir until incorporated.
Heat bacon in a skillet (or you can use the prepackaged microwave bacon to save time) until golden brown and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove bay leaf before serving. Crumble and garnish your soup with the bacon and the parsley. Serve.

March 31, 2014

Let There Be Cake

Happy Monday! I am really not ready for this week to begin but I am hoping it goes by quickly. I finally have a completely free weekend coming up and aside from a haircut I have no plans. Well I am jumping ahead so why don’t I get to what I did this weekend.

Friday: I spent the night making the birthday cake for the construction themed party. I did a base cake with a layer of Oreos and then baked another cake to use for the “mounds” and topped with Oreo dirt.

Saturday: I had to leave early so I was up at 6am so I could leave by 7 am so I could drop my car off at the shop. It was not good news and it was really expensive. I still have to do one side of my struts but since it was going to be like another $500 I decided to wait since the other side was actually broken and I needed the 3 new tires so I was already well over budget. Seamus likes to lay in my lap on the ride down. I took him to my Dad’s since it was going to be a long day and he gets to play with my Dad’s dog.

I caught a ride with my second Mom and Pop T. their Daughter in Law and her daughter and we had a lot of laughs on the way up. The birthday party was a lot of fun and Lynnie did such an amazing job decorating and even had a wrecking ball in the living room which was a huge hit! The cake was a hit and people told me I needed to open a shop. I ended up getting home at 6pm and since it was raining I was a little tired and may have taken a nap. 😉

Sunday: This was my day of rest and it was fabulous. I finished my book, cleaned around the house, and made some Cauliflower soup. Since it was a rainy day I spent the rest of the day watching movies and the Walking Dead.

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and with Kelli from She Crab Soup

March 28, 2014

Friday of Change

Oh Friday I am in love with you. I am so happy to see this week go and am hopeful that this weekend although still busy will be good. I have some cake to make tonight. I am dropping my car off tomorrow to get worked on, hopefully it is on the lesser side of expensive fixes. Dang potholes. I also have a birthday party for my nephew and where the cake will be delivered. It will be a long day but Sunday I have no plans other than grocery shopping. Woohoo! You know the drill it is Friday so here are my 5 things.

One. A wine bottle to go?! This may be on a whole new level of alcoholism, but no judgement here.

a whole bottle of wine fits into this safe and portable wine carrier.

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Two. It’s virtual mug time. This one goes out to Sharon from The Tiny Heart. She posts outfits that I can afford but also what I would wear. She may be petite but she has a big spirit. She also has two of the cutest pups, so obviously she is awesome.

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Three. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and I loved it. Plenty of suspense and a little romance. Not enough to take away from the story, it just added to it without being overly done. Gotta love a good book and for free no less.

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From Goodreads: To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI, and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series.

Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she’s on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She’d prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea’s search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems.

FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case.

Andrea must find a way to do what’s right while protecting her only sibling. As the clock ticks down on a deadly plot, Andrea and Jon race to confront a heartless killer who will stop at nothing to deliver a final, terrifying message.

Four. Steph and Marla are hosting another Spending Challenge. This one is a little more open but I want to try to be a little strict on myself. The challenge begins on April 1st and ends on April 30th.

My rules: No spending past what I budget for ahead of time. I have 3 birthday that month so gifts will be budgeted. Cancel any extra subscriptions I am not using or don’t use anymore (i.e. magazines, reduce Netflix DVD option, find lower cable and internet option etc). Put at least $200.00 in savings if not more. Stay on budget for all other items.

Five. After my post yesterday I was floored by all the support. Each and every comment helped, so thank you to every one who commented. I tend to get overwhelmed when I have too many things going on for multiple weekends in a row and it is at those times I need to remember to stop and smell the roses. I was surprised with an eCard to Victoria’s secret. Such an amazing gift and so very perfect for my Victoria’s Secret addiction. Thank you Liz for thinking of me and making my day a little brighter. Also a shout out to Lauren for sending me multiple Snapchats that got me giggling. You both helped me get through the day.

What are you up to this weekend?

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