Happy 1st Birthday, Bizzy the Dog!

Happy Birthday to my sweet puppy girl.

I can't believe how much you've grown since we met last March.

Thanks for always making me laugh!

And for taking me on walks.

And for making life just seem happier.

I'm glad you're cool with dressing up.

And that you like to participate in my antics.

Looking forward to every day with you.

I love you alot.

And yes, you are a dog and cannot read.  But I'll say these things to you and you'll get it.

Dogs are amazing anyways, but Bizzy, you are one of a kind, boo.

My Favorite Soups & Chilis

We turned on the heat last week.  It seems like most people try and hold off on turning on the heat, but I was kind of stoked.  Turning on the heat means it's officially soup weather!  My favorite!
I make at least a soup or chili once a week during the fall/winter months.  Here are a few of my most recommended soups/chilis!

This first one is my absolute favorite.  Can't get enough of it.  So decadent tasting, but hearty and wholesome at the same time.

Creamy Veggie & Bean Soup

I love any kind of tortilla soup, so this rocks my socks, as well.  Topped with avocado and tortilla strips, it will convert a soup hater to a soup lover.

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup

I think we all know that I am obsessed with buffalo flavors.  This soup gives me that slightly spicy buffalo flavor with veggies and shredded chicken.

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Soup

This one was based on an old Weight Watcher taco soup recipe and is by far my most pinned recipe of all times.  With good reason...because it's soooo yummy!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

This soup is a little different with a lovely creamy texture and a slight kick.  Sweet crab meat on the top just takes you to tastebud Nirvana.  It's a place.

Cajun Corn Chowder with Crab

This is an old favorite of mine.  Just regular healthy chili with some zucchini thrown in.  An easy weeknight meal that is so very tasty!

Zucchini Chili

Other favorite soups I haven't really shared the recipe for:

How Sweet It Is Smokey White Bean Chicken Chili

Shutterbean's Spinach Tortellini Soup

Skinnytaste's Stuffed Pepper Soup

I loved each of these so very much!  I've made the chicken chili 2 or 3 times.  It is always a winner.  The other two are new favorites that will likely repeat themselves eleventy bajillion times in the next few months.

Ok, well I hope you find a soup to make from my little soup round-up.  I kind of want them all right now!

See ya for What I Ate Wednesday ;)

30 Day Self-Portrait Challenge

I did it!  I successfully completed a photo challenge.

This was part of A Beautiful Mess blog's 30 Day Self Portrait Photo Challenge to promote their new photo idea book, which I just ordered here.

It was so challenging for me to take pictures of myself every day.  I know that sounds kind of crazy coming from a girl who takes approximately 27 pictures a day, but it started to get old towards the end-LOL.

Anyways, just figured I would share this collage of my 30 pictures.  They are not in order, just randomly shuffled in a collage.

Follow me on Instagram to see them in order and some of my other pictures of food, Bizzy the dog, Baby & Boscoe the cats...to name a few of my favorite photography subjects.

Have a lovely Friday and weekend, all!

WIAW: Currently

Good Morning, World!

Hope everyone is fine on this beautiful Wednesday morning :)

I'm doing good and had a fabulous 3-day weekend.

Before I show you all my food from yesterday, I thought I'd catch everyone on my life up with a "currently" survey (as seen on Carrots N' Cake blog).

Ready?

Let's go!

Current Book

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Ok, so I've been banned from the library.  I got a notice a while back saying I still had this cookbook checked out, but the thing is...I don't have it.  I'm pretty sure I checked it back in.  Buuuut, my procrastination has really bit me in the rear, because months and months have gone by and I haven't followed up on in :(  So, I'm sad about it.

What's funny is that I have always been an avid reader, but over the last year, it's really been tapering off and I've been sloooowwwwlllyy making my way through my Mom's copy of Water for Elephants.  I like it.  I just have not been in a reading mood.  Maybe that will change during lazy summer days by the pool?  We'll see.

Current Music

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Yes, that's Incubus.  Yes, I'm stuck in a time warp where I basically only listen to 90s and early 2000s music on Pandora.  But I truly love my Incubus Pandora station.  It soothes me.

Current Nail Color

I cannot keep polish on my fingernails.  Maybe because I wash my hands alot?  Well, my current toenail color is mint green with glitter.  Flip flop DIY here.

Current Drink

Coffeeeeee!!!  Always coffee.

Well, really that's my morning drink.  I drink mostly water otherwise.  Although I love diet gingerale, as well.

Current Food

Cherries are in season!  So they are in mah belly almost every day.

Also, fun fact for you mommas of fur babies.  Cherry pits are poisonous to dogs.  Not a fun fact at all, really.  But Bizzy got a hold of some cherries that she sneakily stole from my lunch bag last week.  She actually just nibbled the flesh and did NOT eat the seed, so we were very lucky indeed.  But, watch your pups, peeps.

Current Favorite Show

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I think I've seen every aired episode of Chopped.  I cannot get enough!  Love it!  So glad they are still making new episodes!

Speaking of new episodes, I just finished the season finale of Smash and it was awesome....but found out it's been cancelled.  It's so sad!  Any other Smash fans out there?

Current Wish List/Current Needs

I wish I had & currently neeeeeeeddd this ice cream machine!  It has got to happen.

Current Indulgence

I made a s'mores bar this weekend.  Nuff said.

Current Blessing

I don't want to get too sentimental, but this guy makes me so happy and I am very very blessed to know him.  Best boyfriend ever.

Current Outfit

Currently, I'm actually at work, so I'm not wearing cut off shorts, but everyday when I hit the door, it's cut off shorts for this girl!  See, I'm in a time warp.  Cut off shorts & Incubus? Perfection.

Current Excitement

Ducks in the pool!  Always guaranteed to make me smile :)

This is Miles and Maisy Duck and they come around randomly every year.

Those holes in the concrete are for the stairs...guess I forgot to put them out...

Ok, ready for some food stuff?

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Breakfast: PB Toast & Berries

I used to think bananas were the best fruit with peanut butter, but lately it's been strawberries that take the cake.  Mmmm, cake...
Anyways, had a high fiber, whole wheat slice of toast with crunchy natural peanut butter and strawberry slices for breakfast.  Coffee X 2 on the side.
Yum!

Morning Snack: Grapes

For a.m. snack, I squelched my hunger with some big ole grapes.  Such a sensible and delicious snack.

Lunch: Turkey Burger

For Memorial Day we made a million turkey burgers (not really) and have lots of leftovers.  So I had a leftover turkey burger (bun-less) with provolone and avocado.  Hummus and veggies on the side.  I put cherries on my plate, but I was too stuffed to eat them, so I saved them for later.
Somehow my dessert stomach still needed some food:

Afternoon Snack: Wasa, Cherries

I ate my lunch cherries with a Swiss cheese smeared Wasa cracker before heading to p.m. boot camp.

It was a doozy.

Dinner: Grilled Asparagus & Mushroom Omelet

My original plan for dinner was a frittata, but since the oven is out of commission (read: needs to be cleaned), I made a grilled veggie omelet.  I grilled some asparagus and mushrooms in my grill pan, then started cooking 2 eggs mixed with one egg white.  After the egg had cooked for a minute, I added the veggies and some reduced fat feta cheese and carefully folded over the eggs.  Extra asparagus and a slice of wheat toast on the side.
Such a perfectly satisfying meal.
A microwave s'more happened, as well.
Sooo messy.  Sooo worth it.

Wow, this post was long.  Thanks for soldiering on and reading the whole thing.  Here's a picture of Bizzy the Dog to make it all worth your while:

napping in the grass

Have a great rest of the week!!!

What I Pinned..Friday

Just popping in to say a quick hello on this lovely Friday.  I have so many projects swimming around in my head lately and not much extra time to do them in.

I've been trying to use a planning calendar for such things, but man...sometimes it just doesn't get done.

Well, these are some things that I've "pinned" to get done.

You can find the source for all on my Pinterest page.

These beautiful dip dyed napkins!

These are so bright and beautiful.  I think I need some cloth napkins in my life.  Or they would be a great housewarming gift!

Goat Cheese Guacamole?  Yes, please!

 

This guac has been on my mind for a couple days.  I love avocado and goat cheese together on sandwiches, so I don't see how you can go wrong with this appetizer!

A vertical flower garden!

I have a black (ish) thumb, but have a desire to get outside and make my yard beautiful.  I think this is just adorable.  Plus, it would make a cool gift for Mothers' Day, which will be here soon!

DIY Patterned Leggings!

This geometric pattern rocks my socks.  I was at Burlington the other day and they have whole racks of just leggings.  Methinks I need to buy a couple cheap pairs and make some running capris!  Oh, yeah...and start running again.  Yes.  That is on the list!

DIY Wall Art Using Instagram Prints!

I've been jonesing to make this little picture collage of sorts, so I just ordered some Instagram prints from Foxgram....only 25 cents a print.  Can't beat that!

Enchilada Pizza!

This can actually be on my "To DONE" list, because I made this pizza 2 or 3 weeks ago and it was even more delicious than the picture looks...and we all know that picture looks delicious.  Do it!

Cocktails!

Gin and tonics have been my favorite cocktail lately.  With lime...so much lime.  But, this spring-y twist on things must happen.  Soon!

You like how I overused my yearly quota of exclamation points?!  I'm just excited it's Friday!

Happy Weekend, All!

Photo-An-Hour from 4-20-13

Happy Monday, everyone!

I decided to do another photo an hour on my Instagram this past Saturday.

I thought I'd share the pics with you.

Because I like you.

8 a.m.

 Boscoe (the cat) woke me up with loud meows around 7:45 a.m..  By 8, I made my way to the kitchen to have some cuddles with Bizzy the dog.  She loves her morning cuddles (although the picture does not depict that).

9 a.m.

Every bone in my body wanted to hibernate on the couch, but I got my butt to exercise class by 9 a.m.  I was glad I did after it was all said and done.

10 a.m.

I had some outside time with my guy and enjoyed a cup of coffee before heading in to get cleaned up.

11 a.m.

Pretty spring weather and a planned trip to the farmers' market prompted me to put on a colorful maxi skirt.
I made this skirt by cutting the top part off a clearance maxi dress I bought last year.  Not exactly masterful sewing, but I liked how it turned out.
Here's another picture of it, although this was not part of the photo-an-hour posting:

Pay no attention to my hair that is sticking up ;)

12 p.m.

We stopped at a food truck after perusing the farmers' market and got some bison tacos and gourmet grilled cheese to split.  It hit the spot!

1 p.m.

We took a quick detour on the way back home to take a silly photo shoot.  We got some strange looks.

2 p.m.

Back home to change into walking gear, I had to seek out Baby the Cat.  She was sunning in the home gym. She loves any opportunity to get her picture taken.

3 p.m.

I love these white ducks at our neighborhood park.  They are so cute and love when people feed them bread.  I did not feed them...just took pictures of their cute little tails and sang the Duck Tales theme song to them.  They were not amused.

4 p.m.

I guess it's just a dog thing to take any opportunity to get dirty and stinky, because Bizzy has been rolling around outside all week.  She got her weekly bath in the sink.  She was thrilled.  Can't you tell?

5 p.m.

I had to include Boscoe in my pics, but he flat out refused to participate.  Oh well, he's cute sleeping in a ball...so there you go.

6 p.m.

We met up with some friends at a Mexican restaurant and I had a "margarona."  It was perfection.  I also had a salmon wrap and a million gazillion tortilla chips.  I did not photograph those.

7 p.m.

 My sweet friends, Amanda (above) and Brigitte thoughtfully got me tickets for my birthday to attend a reading by one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris.

8 p.m.

This is the worst picture ever!  Ha!  I snapped it just as the lights went out and the spotlight just made David Sedaris look like a ghost.  Oh well.

It was a great day!

Thanks for looking at my pictures.  I had fun taking them :)

See you for What I Ate Wednesday!!!