AlanandVal

2012-01-29T15:20:00.000-05:00

Why blog?

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend about blogging. She's a writer and just recently started blogging. We were discussing how so many people blog now, the "why's" behind it and what it really means. Personally I love the fact that so many people blog. I think so few people really write on a regular basis that it's nice for everyone to "stretch" that part of their brain and put their thoughts on "paper".

I thought about that conversation long after it was over and it made me wonder, why do I blog?
When we started blogging (in 2006) it was something that no one really did. Not many people knew about blogging and when I would tell someone "it's on our blog" or "you can see the pics on our blog", I usually got a funny look or a confused "uh, ok" in response. Blogging sites were very basic and archaic, offering very little creativity.

Originally I blogged as a way to communicate to our family and friends. Alan and I have moved a good bit in the past 8 years, and before the days of Facebook, sharing information wasn't quite as easy. So, I put all of our news in one place and sent out the link. That way, wherever we were, our family and friends could check in and see what we were up to.

A lot has changed in the past 8 years. We are more settled now and things like Facebook and Twitter mean that sharing information and staying connected is easier than ever, however we still blog. Well, I blog. In the beginning Alan contributed here and there. He doesn't contribute anymore but he gives me ideas and seems to routinely read the blog (probably to make sure his latest race pics are up!).

So why do I continue to blog when I could just post on Social Media? I blog because I love to write. At work I write, pretty much all day every day. I write so much that some days I feel like my brain hurts from finding the words and putting it all together so many times. However at work I write with constraints. I write about software or design, I write about machines and advancements, I write about people making announcements about software and machines. In other words, I write about what people tell me to write about. My writing gets scrutinized and edited by numerous people in various countries. The French corporate office corrects my English and I have to convince them (every time) that my use of the English language is correct, even if the French translation doesn't seem to be.

But, when I blog, I get to just write. I write about what I want to, things/people/events that are important to me. I can vent, be sarcastic and make jokes (even if they are only funny to me). I can incorporate photos that speak louder than my words can. Blogging is my writing and no one gets to make any changes! It's a form of expression, but it also serves as a type of scrapbook of our lives. Some days I scroll back through the previous posts and it's like taking a walk down memory lane.

So, I blog because it's a form of expression, it lets me write like I love to and it stores all of our memories in one place.

One day something new will come along and take the place of blogging. And I will probably keep blogging regardless. I'll get those confused responses again when I tell people I blog. It will just be like old times!

2012-01-19T08:09:00.001-05:00

New Year's, Savannah Style

Last year Alan and I had more than two weeks off work at the end of the year. We spent a lot of time relaxing, eating out and sleeping in. We also conquered a lot of those items on the to do list that we never seem to have time for. So, by the time New Years came around, we were ready for some fun and we were looking for somewhere warm! We had talked about Florida but as we kept watching the weather we realized we were going to have to go all the way to the Keys to get anything warmer than what we were expecting in Atlanta. And, as much as we love the Keys, we weren't looking at a trip that was long enough to let us to head that far south. So, Friday morning we woke up, and as we were enjoying our coffee and the morning news, we noticed that the weather on the GA coast was 10 degrees warmer than ATL. Alan made a few calls about hotel rooms, we threw stuff in suitcases and headed to Savannah!

It was in the mid 70's the whole weekend and we took advantage of every minute of warm sunshine.

We perused River St, shopped on Broughton, strolled through the beautiful architecture that is everywhere and enjoyed all the food and drink that Savannah has to offfer! We even rang in the NY at City Market.

Hanging out on River St.

However, the highlight of the trip was the way we spent NYE day. We rented a kayak and headed out to spend the afternoon on the water.

It was amazing to wind our way through the waterways and sneak up on all kinds of wildlife. We saw all types of birds and even a playful dolphin who loved circling the area.

The fresh air and sunshine were certainly relaxing.

And it was the perfect way to send out 2011.

2012-01-02T13:48:00.004-05:00

Holiday Wrap-up

As with every year, our Christmas was jam packed.

The festivities start off Christmas Eve with the Reed clan attending Mass.

Then it's off to MaMa and Papa's (Terry's parents) house for Christmas with everyone who can attend from that side of the family. Next it's back to Alan's parents house for family Christmas, which is kicked off with the traditional tequila shot! During the hours of opening presents, modeling them and getting good laughs out of creativity, we always have a good time.

This year we spent the night with the Reed's and first thing Christmas morning we headed over to see my Mom.

After some coffee we got down to exchanging gifts. Then it was time for some serious cooking! This year Mom made a completely Gluten free lunch and it was delicious! I attempted to make Creme Brulee, since it is the only Gluten free dessert that I know I like. However it was not nearly the success that Moms meal was! Oh well. By that point we were all stuffed anyway and didn't want anything but a nap!

That afternoon we headed over to Grandma Fisher (my dad's mother) and also my Aunt Donna, who was visiting from Houston. We spent the afternoon chatting, viewing the neighborhood Gingerbread houses and letting Grandma open her presents. Let me tell you between the puzzles, the sudoku books and the crossword puzzle books that woman is going to be busy for months!

By then it was time to head back to Alan's parents. We used to get both of our familys together on Christmas night and see a movie but things have changed and so this year we decided to do something a little different, we went bowling. It sounded like a good idea and we figured we would just see how it went. 2 games later and about an hour playing arcade games and it had been a great night.

Next we made a quick stop to see Susan and Travis's new house and then it was back to Alan's parents house to get some sleep.

The next morning we visited The Baileys, friends of our who had a baby on Thanksgiving Day and then we hit the road back to ATL.

It was a whirlwind Christmas but it feels normal to us!

2012-01-02T13:48:00.001-05:00

A Nutcrackin Good Time

We have now lived in Midtown Atlanta for just over 4 years. Every winter the Atlanta Ballet performs the NutCracker at the Fox Theater, which is exactly 2 1/2 blocks from our front door. Every year Alan says, "we should really go see the Nutcracker" and every year the show ends without us having gone. However, not this year!

During our December hiatus from work, I surprised Alan with tickets to the Nutcracker. We had dinner at the Melting Pot, which is also another closeby place (half a block) that we had yet to visit, and then headed over for the magic that is the Fox Theater at Christmas.

Everything from the set to the performance was perfect and we had a wonderful time. And while I couldn't use a flash I was able to get a few shots that give you an idea of how beautiful it was.

We're so glad we broke tradition this year and made it to the show!

2011-12-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

Caly the Mouser

Caly is living with Alan's parents right now due to our travel schedules and our home being on the market. He's been more than spoiled while there, but he is trying hard to earn his keep. He killed a mouse. Yep, that's right. This pretty, sweet, 11 year old kitty, killed a mouse! It's not his first, that one was about 10 years ago. And in fact, we had just had a discussion about how he was probably too old and spoiled to do it again. So, of course he had to go and prove me wrong.

He was so proud to show his kill to Jo Ann when she got home from work last night. And then he struck the pose in the picture above, waiting for his treat for being the great hunter!

2011-11-30T21:17:00.001-05:00

A week of Thanksgiving

Last year Alan and I stayed in Atlanta, somewhat boycotting Thanksgiving. We spent the day with friends who stayed in town as well and we had our own "island of misfit toys" Thanksgiving. So, this year, we did the exact opposite of last year. We packed up and headed to St. Louis for 6 days of Thanksgiving! We stayed with my Aunt Amy and Uncle Dean and their 2 girls, Avery and Emery.

The first couple of days it was just the 6 of us and we had a ball! We decorated their Christmas tree, played board game after board game, the girls introduced me to the world of Charming Charlie's and my uncle introduced Alan into the world that is his home theater.

Monday night my older sister and her 2 kids arrived. The next day brought my grandparents, another aunt and uncle, as well as a cousin and his girlfriend. The day after that my mom and her boyfriend arrived and the house was full! Tuesday night we had our first Thanksgiving, also known as the ham thanksgiving dinner. Thursday we had the traditional turkey dinner. The entire week was packed full of playing games, drinking wine, bracelet making, hair braiding, story telling, lots of laughter and tons of delicious home cooked food!

Here are a few of my favorites pics from the week:

Playing board games at 10 am

A little hair-doing assembly line

Annual Gingerbread house

My Grandmother, Mother and Aunt cooking up a storm!

It was great to see everyone and spend a week surrounded by laughter, fun and a little bit of craziness! Now it's a little too quiet at home!

2011-10-28T15:17:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

Last week Alan and I had one of my very favorite date nights - we went to the Ballet. The Atlanta Ballet performed "Four Seasons" and as always it was beautiful.

After intermission they performed a new piece called Eden|Eden, choreographed by Wayne McGregor, of The Royal Ballet in London.

Now, I have seem quite a few Ballets, done by numerous companies'. Everything from most the traditional to the very modern and I have loved them all. However, Eden|Eden was the most fascinating performance I have ever seen. From the lightening effects to the costuming to the stage arrangement I was mesmerized. It had me on the edge of my seat for the entire piece and it stuck in my mind for days. It was different, raw and seemed to break ballet down beyond it's core but it was absolutely amazing!

2011-10-27T16:42:00.002-04:00

Do 2 halves always make a whole?

Last month Alan completed his second Half Ironman triathlon in Augusta, GA.

It was a gorgeous weekend and his parents came down to help us celebrate the occassion.
We headed to Augusta Saturday morning so that Alan had plenty of time to get himself and all of his gear ready and checked in.

We've been to lots of races, big events, small ones, all female, new race companies, established race companies, all types and sizes, however going to an Ironman sanctioned race makes you realize why the name Ironman holds so much esteem.

There is something about an event with over 3000 athletes competing at that distance that alone could impress you, however get the Ironman name in there and it's quite the production! Almost like the races you see on TV. What? You don't watch Triathlons on TV?

Saturday was the typical race preparation and carb-loading for Alan, the rest of us just watched and took it all in. This was the first race where I have been solely a spectator and didn't race at all. Honestly, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as racing but I loved cheering Alan on and spending time with his parents.

Sunday morning came and brought cool temps. Right as Alan's group was getting in the water it started to sprinkle but thankfully it didn't last long. He finished the swim in record time and before we knew it he was out on the bike. That left us with the time span of 56 miles to wait for Alan to come back to where we could see him again. So, we had breakfast and wondered around downtown Augusta (which we were pretty dissapointed in). Before long Alan came through on the run and it started to get hot. I think it hit 90 that day, which combined with the morning rain, made for a steamy afternoon. The run course was a two loop through downtown, so we actually got to see him 4 times over the course of the 13.1 mile run. Then we ran to the finish line to see him come in.

He finished in 5 hours and 38 minutes, looking as strong as ever as he crossed the finish line. I've never seen him look so happy when finishing a race and I think the photo below is one of my favorite race photos ever.

Afterwards we spent a little time letting him relax and recover. Until it started to rain and then we headed off for a late lunch/early dinner and then we all headed home.

It was another great race day at the Reed house. It's such a fun thing to be part of and so inspirational to observe. It reminds you that anyone can do anything they put their mind to.

So now he has 2 Half Ironman's under his belt. 2 halves may not make a whole in the world of Ironman but they sure are pretty impressive!

Here are more of the photos from the day:

October 9, 2011

2011-10-21T12:02:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

2011-10-20T15:29:00.004-04:00

The Wild, Wild West!

A little over a month ago Alan and I spent 2 weeks exploring Utah and Colorado. We flew into Grand Junction, rented a car and took off.

Here is an overview of the route we covered:

We spent the days hiking (more like mountain climbing!), mountain biking on slick rock, learning how to fly fish, Canyoneering, learning how to paddle board, spending as much time outside as possible, visiting every brewery we could find and in general having an absolutely wonderful time.

It was so amazing to see the scenery that appeared around every turn and to experience the amazing geological history our country has to offer. This is the first time Alan and I have spent our vacation in the U.S. and even though we always think of our country as being "new" compared to other parts of the world, it was great to see something so amazing, in our own country.

While we missed traveling internationally for many reasons, we enjoyed this trip so much that we have already decided on another U.S. route we want to cover some day. However, it won't be next year, we're already itching to go abroad asap!

Click on the photo below to see our photos from the trip. There are some great photos, however I will warn you - it's a lot of pictures of a lot of rocks!

Utah/Colorado 2011

2011-10-14T15:57:00.002-04:00

Photo Friday

Saw this posted multiple places this week and just had to share:

Happy Friday!

2011-10-12T15:51:00.001-04:00

Surprise, Surprise!

Last Friday I wrote about how I "had" to go to Raleigh for an event at NCSU. Well, what I didn't tell you is that it just so happened that the event was on a Thursday and the following Tuesday was the 30th birthday of one of my best friends, Brook, who lives in Raleigh. Once I knew for sure that I would be going and could stay for the weekend, I got in touch with Brook's finance (Chuck) and we plotted to make the weekend visit a surprise for Brook.

My coworker dropped me off at a gas station near their house, where Chuck and I had arranged for he and Brook to stop by. Chuck and I texted all day finalizing times, etc and both agreed we were nervous about pulling it off.

So, there I stood, outside the doors of a gas station, all dressed up from work, with a suitcase, not out of place at all. In pull Brook and Chuck. I see Chuck say something to Brook and she looks at him with a confused look, looks back out of the car at me and then back at Chuck. Next thing I know the car door flings open and out comes one shocked and speechless Brook. I walk over, not really able to speak for laughing, and she and I hug and laugh and I finally get out "Surprise, Happy Birthday!". Tears flow as do the questions as we load up and head to their house. I think it took her a while to believe I was really there (and was really staying for 4 days!)

So, she thought she had really been surprised, she thought the rest of the weekend was for surprising Chuck. See Chuck's birthday was the day I came to town. Yep, that's right, 5 days before Brook's! And even though we had all been working for weeks to arrange a surprise party for Brook, she tried to ruin it all and plan a surprise get together for Chuck on Friday night. Needless to say it all got a little messy but we held it together. It was exhausting though. Try spending a day alone with someone you are lying to through your teeth about everything coming up! Also, how do you hide 100's of text messages?? Not easy. Finally Brook and I, along with a good friend Lauren, head to the surprise get together for Chuck. We step off the elevator and bam, there were 30 people yelling "surprise", with balloons and a huge sign that said "Happy 30th Birthday Brook!" Brook's mouth dropped open and she turned around like she was headed back out. Slowly the details of all of our planning came out. It was kind of fun telling her all of the details on how we pulled it off but kind of scary to hear how much we all lied! In the end it all worked out and it was so worth it. Brook opened presents, drank champagne and took in the sign up list for people to help her finish up her "30 Things Before 30" list. Then we spent the night hopping from nightclub to nightclub, doing our best to show Brook's 20's out in style.

Not only was it a great night of fun but it was a great weekend getting to catch up and spend quality time with one of my favorite people. It's a shame we can't have more times like that but it's nice that when we do it's a time I'll never forget!

A few photos from the big night:

The Birthday Girl and her "30 things by 30" list

Brook and Chuck - Soon to be the Beldens!

Some of the ladies.

Yes, that is Brook climbing a tree. It was on her list of things to do by 30, so it had to be done! Not sure that when she made the list she expected to do this in Downtown Raleigh in a minidress! Oh well!

2011-10-10T13:50:00.003-04:00

A new "Hobby"

Last week I came home to find this on my doorstep!

Can't wait to tell you all about it!

2011-10-07T10:22:00.001-04:00

Photo Friday

Last month I went to Raleigh, NC for a work event. The event was a career day and partnership celebration between the company I work for and NCSU. Those of you that know me, know that I love NCSU, I am a die-hard Wolfpacker! So, you can only imagine how exciting it was to be back there as a representative from my company, celebrating the partnership the two have and chatting with students about their education at NCSU and their future hopes in the industry.

It's pretty amazing when life comes full circle like that and even more delicious when it's on a cake!

2011-10-06T10:28:00.002-04:00

The Windy City

A few weeks ago Alan was working on a project in Chicago so I met him up there on Friday, we took Monday off, and spent a long weekend visiting Chicago. We tend to do these weekend meet-ups several times per year and I have to say, they end up being some of my favorite trips.

During the 3 days we visited the Willis Tower Skydeck, Navy Pier, The Chicago Zoo, Millenium Park, Wrigley Field, got the obligatory "bean" picture, took in shopping on the Magnificent Mile, visited Wicker Park and ate tons of amazing food!

The weather was nice, just cool enough for light sweaters and jackets, a nice change from the 90 degree weather we were having in Atlanta.

I have to say that Chicago reminds me of a European city more than any other city in the United States. I was surprised by that, I had always thought of NYC as being the city with that honor. However Chicago architecture blew me away. I loved learning about the architectural history of the city and taking in all the details.

The food was another thing that surprised me. WOW! Everything we had while we were there was amazing. From deep dish pizza, to sushi, to thai food, it was all wonderful. It must have something to do with the cold weather and being stuck inside that leads to such delicious dishes.

I truly fell in love with Chicago during our visit and I could totally see myself loving living there. However considering that I had a coat and sweaters on in September I'm pretty sure I wouldn't survive the winter! I don't know how they do it!

Photos from our weekend

Chicago

2011-09-21T16:30:00.000-04:00

Longer with than without

Last month Alan and I celebrated 15 years of being together. No, we haven't been married 15 years, we aren't that old, it's the anniversary of when we started dating and yes, we still celebrate that!

Alan and I dated for 8 years before getting married, so we kind of got use to the anniversary date and it hung on even after we got married. See, when we started dating we celebrated every month's anniversary, Alan would bring me roses every month on the 23rd, 1 for each month we had been dating. Even after we hit the 1 year dating mark we kept celebrating the months, I guess you could say we like anniversaries. However after a while I let him off the hook in regards to the roses, a girl only needs so many!

This year our anniversary came 3 days before our 2 week vacation. Originally we had grand plans for a fancy night out but when we realized it would be our last chance for a night at home for several weeks,
we spent it at home, working out, cooking, packing etc.

During dinner we were talking about the 15 years and Alan told me "soon you will have been with me, longer than you were without." It sounded funny and kind of hard to believe. But it's true. And I think that makes me pretty lucky!

2011-09-16T09:18:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

Coming home from vacation always means one thing to me, lots of photos to download! So, while I slowly get that done I thought I would share one of my favorites.

I'll explain this one soon, along with the other 1000 we took!

2011-09-14T11:02:00.003-04:00

Loss

This summer we lost a dear friend. Don Stout, Alan's godfather passed away after a long battle with cancer. Don was a dear part of the extended Reed family, you didn't know a Reed long without being introduced to Mr. Stout. He was by Alan's side as Alan was confirmed in the Catholic church, next to Terry at UNCC basketball games and the life of the party at most live music and sporting events in Charlotte.

I don't remember the day that I met Don (over 15 years ago) but I will always remember how, regardless of how long I had known him, that every time I saw him I felt as though I'd known him forever. He made you feel like part of his own extended family and you couldn't help but love him.

It seems as though Don knew everyone in Charlotte. And that fact was never more apparent that at his memorial service.

Flowers filled the church for a beautiful service in his memory.

After the service the afternoon was spent celebrating his life, just the way he would have wanted - live music and lots of people.

It was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful person who lives on in the hearts of so many.

And it's pretty amazing to know there's an extra special angel up there looking out for us all!

2011-09-13T06:21:00.000-04:00

Behind

No, I'm not getting ready to dedicate a post to the derriere, I'm referring to the fact that I have hardly blogged this summer and am so far backlogged on things I want to record here. I'm working on it though and am promising myself I will get to work on getting caught up this week. Hopefully the pressure will work and this won't just become another thing for me to fall behind on!

2011-09-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

Everyone's on Vacation

Alan and I are doing quite a bit of traveling for fun this month and with our place on the market that means leaving a cat home alone isn't the best idea. So, Caly is getting a little vacation of his own, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Reed.

Not only does he get treats of lunch meat (because he begs pathetically) and tons of lap time (his favorite) but now he's getting to explore the great outdoors.

Yep, he's on a leash and hanging out on the back porch. Not sure how he's going to like it when he has to come home and he finds a hallway outside the front door!

2011-08-05T09:07:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

A few weeks ago I told you about our weekend at the NC Coast and Susan's wedding. Well today's photo goes back to that weekend. Susan and Travis's professional photo proofs are in and I had to share one of my favorites.

(photo source - http://www.deannadevine.com/)

No, it's not your typical "sibling wedding" photo but let's face it, we really aren't that "typical". The large wheels behind us have a story, kind of a history, something that we reminisce about every time we drive by. So, it was only natural that when out and about taking photos between the wedding and the reception that we made a stop and used their perfectly appropriate coloring as a backdrop.

So, this is a photo with a little bit of story behind it and personally I think that is what photos are best at, capturing something that makes you smile!

Happy Friday!

2011-07-28T11:13:00.000-04:00

Stumpy Creek

As we told Jen, yep, Stumpy Creek is really a place.

A few weeks ago we were in Moorseville, NC for our first Olympic Triathlon of the year, the Stumpy Creek International Distance Triathlon. Jen came with us (not without a little arm twisting) and we were joined by 14 family members, it was quite the party!

We lucked out with unusually cold weather for late July, with the high being 81 and the sun never coming out.

It was a great race, lots of fun and we all did well.

It was also a day of many firsts! The first Olympic any of us have done this year, the first time either of my parents have gotten to see a Tri, the first time Alan's grandfather has gotten to join us at a race and the first Triathlon ever for Jen's nephew Arne, who at 4 months old was right there cheering with everyone!

A few photos from the day:

So lucky to have my own race stylist!!

Alan getting ready to head out

Big stretch

Jen and I are ready

Quick transition

a little traffic leaving transition

Jen and I head out on the run

There comes Alan to the finish line

Starting lap #2 of the run. Ready for a high five from Alan.

So happy to see my Mom at the finish line!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us at that crazy hour of the morning! You guys make racing even more amazing!

2011-07-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

#ReedGehrkeWedding

A few weeks ago (last month actually), Susan (one of Alan's younger sisters) got married in Morehead City, NC. We flew up for a long weekend so that we could take part in all the wedding festivities.

It was a wonderful weekend and fabulous wedding. And of course we documented it all in photos and kept a constant stream up on Facebook and Twitter with our designated hashtag, so that those who couldn't be there could feel like they were.

From the rehearsal dinner,

to the wedding,

and all the fun that followed,

until the Bride and Groom took off,

everything went smoothly and made for a picture perfect wedding.

Congrats to the new Gehrke's who are back from their honeymoon and enjoying married life!

Click here to see all my photos from the wedding!

2011-07-19T06:00:00.003-04:00

Slacker

I know, I know, I've been slacking when it comes to keeping up with the blog. I can't even use the excuse that I haven't had anything to blog about, cause man we've been busy! So, this is the best excuse I can come up with...

This is what our home has looked like recently:

Yep, that's it, covered in plastic. Just like something out of an episode of Dexter!

Thanks to a leak in the water heater line of the unit above us, we got a new ceiling and paint job, courtesy of their insurance. All we had to do was deal with living in plastic!

However, Alan's been traveling and Caly got to live in the bathroom, so really I was the only one who got to experience the fun.

Let's just say that I'm glad it's over and it looks wonderful!

2011-07-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

Photo Friday

Monday morning I walked in to work and noticed that the door was open and light was on in Alan's office. Knowing that he was out of town, this seemed very odd so I peeked in as I walked by and tada....

Turns out someone was either stupid enough to try and break in through the front of the building, or someone was bored and reckless. Either way it made for an interesting day of chatter in the office.

2011-07-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday (sorta)

Sort of a photo, sorta not.

Either way, a good reminder for the weekend!

2011-06-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

Photo Friday

A couple of weeks ago Alan was going to websites of races we have previously done to compare course to races we are considering doing, when he stumbled on this...

Yep, that's me, on the race website. When we started racing I always wondered how they chose the pics on these sites and promotional pieces, if the people knew, etc.

Now I know that they don't tell you and you have to hope your husband visits the site so he can show you what he found and wait for you to freak out with excitement.

Just the boost I needed as we prepare for our next race!

Needless to say, this will be printed, framed and hung somewhere!

2011-06-10T06:55:00.002-04:00

Photo Friday

A couple weeks ago we were in Anaheim, CA for work and I got the opportunity to visit Disneyland with one of my colleagues and our boss.

The park was closed to everyone except the group we were with, which meant easy access to everything (and everyone) in the park.

This is my favorite photo from the night.

We may work hard but we play hard as well and we have a great time together, we're pretty lucky!

2011-06-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

A Whole Half Ironman

Last weekend Alan and I traveled to Macon, GA to meet up with his Mom & Dad and Susan & Travis, for his first Half IronMan race.

It's been hot for the past 2 weeks in GA, I mean sizzling hot, and the high for race day was 99. So, if the distance he was racing wasn't enough the heat alone could do some damage.

Race morning was an early one, as usual. And it was warm even before the sun came up. We all prepared, Alan for his race and everyone else for a full day of cheering!

Alan did amazing coming in right under 6 hours and placing 15 out of 33 in his age group. Not only did he perform well but felt amazing after the race and even the next day, which means his training prior to the race and his precautions during the race were spot on!

It was amazing to see him swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 in weather that topped out at 97 during his run, and see him smiling and strong the whole time.

Best part of the whole day is that he had a great time and love the experience. Of course, the next day he was ready to start planning his next race.

Click the photo below to see all the pictures of race day!

2011-06-08T09:57:00.000-04:00

May Recipes

Honestly with both of us traveling for all of May, the closest we came cooking at our house for most of the month was ordering a pizza and wings. However, Memorial Day weekend came and thanks to a long weekend and the desire to eat something not off a menu, I managed to cook and bake.

#1 New Potato Salad - Let's just say this was a combination of mustard and vinegar, with your typical potato salad ingredients but it was bland and dry. I'm not even going to post the recipe because no one should try this!

#2 Strawberry Lemonade Pie - Not only was this delish but I think it also made up for the bad potato salad.
A combination of sweetened condensed milk, eggs, sugar and fresh lemon juice and zest. Topped with strawberries marinated in lemon juice and topped with cool whip. All in a graham cracker crust. I have to say that this is just about the perfect hot weather cookout dessert! Plus the filling is gluten free!

2011-05-27T18:19:00.001-04:00

Iron Girl 2011

A few years ago Alan and I were running half marathons and getting into the whole racing vibe. We started talking about doing triathlons and at first I wasn't sold on the idea. After a little research I found a race called the Iron Girl, held right outside Atlanta at Lake Lanier and I instantly wanted to participate. Little did I know that even though the race was all female and had a cap of 1500, it would sell out in less than a month from when registration opened. Needless to say, the first year I failed to signup before it sold out. Year 2 came and I had several sprint triathlons under my belt, even an Olympic triathlon, and I was determined to do the Iron Girl. Once again I waited one day too late and it was sold out. So...I was determined that the 3rd time would be a charm. As soon as registration opened, I signed up. I didn't know what our schedule would be like 6 months out but I knew I would be at this race.

While I've really been training for an Olympic later in the year I worked the Iron Girl into my training as a benchmark for the season.

As we got closer to the week of the race I realized I was going to be traveling to Canada the week before the race and it was going to be less than a restful, carb-loading, alcohol free week! It was going to be interesting to see how all of that factored in.

The morning of the race the weather was cold, rainy and windy, exactly the opposite of what you want for a Tri! Alan's entire family came for the event and he decked them out in "Team Valerie" shirts for the occasion.
The race went well and I finished 29th out of 150 in my age group, even with a flat tire on my bike!

It was a great race and so much fun to have everyone there to cheer me on! Can't wait to do it again next year!

Pictures from the day

Iron Girl 2011

2011-05-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

Canada, aye?

Last week I visited Montreal for work and my passport got it's first stamp from Canada!

I was in Montreal to visit our office there, attend meetings and serve as host for several events we had going on.

Monday night I attended the Foundation de la Mode event in Montreal.

The event was fabulous and the talent displayed in the fashion show was amazing!

Thursday night was the Cegep Marie-Victorin Fashion Gala.

Front row seats at the show allowed us to see every detail of the pieces being shown. The work at this school is fabulous. They aren't afraid to get creative with fur!

It was a great week and I had a fabulous time. The weather was beautiful and I got several opportunities to explore Montreal, visiting The Hill, Old Montreal, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Olympic Stadium, China town and St. Chatherine St.

2011-05-20T22:16:00.000-04:00

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I know, we've been absent from the blog for a while but we've been more than busy lately!
During the last month Alan and I have covered 6 states and 2 countries, seperately!
Things don't seem to be slowing down but we are having fun throughout it all.
Updates to come as soon as possible!

2011-05-04T23:45:00.000-04:00

Honeymoon #8

A few weeks ago Alan and celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary and took our annual honeymoon. When we got married we made a deal that every year we would try to "get away" for our anniversary, whether for a day a weekend or longer. This year we decided something a little longer was in order, made it in to a mini vacay and headed to Panama. That's Panama the country, not the city in Florida.

We spent a few days in Panama City, visiting the rainforest, kayaking in the canal, visiting the fish market, the locks, old town and lots of great restaurants. Then we hopped on a tiny plane and headed out to the Pearl Islands. A 15 minute flight (which I thought was going to be the death of me) and we were on Contadora Island. A 3 km long island that is home to only 30 people, with 1 market, 4 restaurants 8 beaches and 1 doctor who flies back and forth from the mainland. In other words, the best place to really "get away". And it was just that. We went from beach to beach enjoying the perfect blue water and the quietness of it all. We made stops at the market for beer and took our time wondering around and exploring this empty island. We went on a boat trip to see more of the islands that make up this group and spent some time snorkeling. Between the sun, the views, the fresh air, the noise of the ocean and great times with fellow vacationers and our innkeeper, I slept better than I have ever sleep anywhere in my life.

I was a great trip and we came back relaxed, sun burned and with way too many pictures (click here to see some of them). And to top it all off we kept our streak alive, 7 years and we still got asked if we were on our honeymoon. However, this year Alan's answer to the question was the best, "Yep, our 8th one", you should have seen the guy's face, talk about confused. I on the other hand, thought it was the perfect response!

2011-04-08T10:29:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

The new Legacy Fountain set to open at Piedmont Park this coming Tuesday.

It's another phase of the 53-acre expansion of the park.

Such an exciting time for a great community treasure!

2011-04-07T10:09:00.001-04:00

Making up for March

So, I pretty much missed all the marks for my list in the month of March, life just got too busy to keep up! That's ok though, I'm making up for it little by little. This week I completed 3 new recipes in an attempt to fill my new recipe quota.

#1- Enchilda casserole. This one was super easy. Layer enchilada sauce, cheese, green chilies, corn tortillas and your enchilada filling of choice until you reach the top of your dish. Then cover and bake at 325 for 15 minutes, uncover and bake for another 10. Easy and fast, just the kind of recipe I need for a week night! It was decent the first go round but the leftovers were pretty bland. Don't think I'll be keeping this in my recipe routine! I got the recipe from someone who loves it, so maybe I just didn't use enough of something to really do it justice!

#2 - Fish Tacos. Alan loves fish tacos, I don't ever order them when we are out but I love fish, so I figured I would try these out. Pretty simple recipe = count me in. Marinate the fish (white fish of your choice) in a mixture of adobo seasoning, jalapenos, cilantro, juice from a lime and enough oil to make a glaze, for 20 minutes. Grill the fish and set aside, grill the tortillas. Then fill tortillas with fish, top with salsa, cilantro, onions, red cabbage, sour cream, etc. Result - the fish was declicious, however I don't think I am a fan of fish tacos. Something about the topping and the tortilla with fish, I didn't like. Alan seemed to like them though (but he was proably just being nice) so maybe I will try them again. Find the recipe here.

#3 - Taco seasoning. I LOVE mexican food and love to fix it at home. It's pretty easy to take any dish free of red meat and gluten! However I hate the packaged seasoning mixes and the crazy things they are full of. So, I've been looking for a recipe to make my own. I finally found one that I think is a keeper. It's Alton Brown's Taco Potion #19. Simple to make and store for when you need it. Find the recipe here.

2011-04-04T10:43:00.001-04:00

New Recipe for April

So, I know, I missed my new recipe for March. What can I say? It was just one of those months! I will make up for it in April though, I promise!

This new recipe was something Alan tried out, which means I got to be sous chef and photographer all while sipping a "cold beverage", a role I enjoy much more than being the chef!

We were in the mood for something spicy and Alan wanted Indian, so Hot Chile Chicken was the choosen dish.

Lots of ingredients to be chopped, measured, mixed. They smelled delicous long before it was time to eat!

Hmm, smelled a lot better than it looks!

More measuring, more mixing.

Can't let the chef run out of fuel! (that's part of being the sous chef in our house!)

And finally dinner was served. (yes we eat on our coffee table, despite our dining table being about 5 feet away!)

Not the prettiest meal but absolutely delicious! It was spicy with a deep flavor I don't usually find in Indian food. Alan served it with an Indian bean salad (a mix of green beans, corn, kidney beans, red onion, peppers and lots of spices). I think I swallowed it all whole, it was so good. We will definitely be adding this to our list of at-home favorites!

2011-04-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

Do you think he loves the new iPad2 as much as Alan and I do?

Or do you think he just feels used?

2011-03-31T13:43:00.000-04:00

Georgia Marathon

A few weeks ago Alan and I participated in the Georgia Marathon and half marathon for the 3rd year in a row. Considering we had just run the ING Miami a month prior, we weren't too concerned, just interested in beating our GA times from last year.

Funny thing about racing is that you can spend months preparing, never miss a workout, eat right, push yourself to improve and then something comes along the week before a race and throws you off balance. I mean you still have all the hardwork built up, it's not like you lose it, but the week before a race is sometimes the most important when it comes to preparing your body. We are usually really good about getting in short workouts and stretching, eating good carbs, drinking lots of water and getting plenty of sleep. Well this time, life got in the way.

The week before the race we had 2 huge, week-long meetings at work. This meant early mornings at the office, days of drowing in meetings, catered lunches and group dinners (with cocktails and desserts!) that led to late, late nights. So, needless to say when Saturday rolled around we pretty much felt like crap and didn't hold much hope for anything great coming out of the race on Sunday.

We were up early and made our way to Centennial Olympic Park, split up to find out corals and took off. The weather was pretty much perfect - 60, overcast with a breeze. The course was the same as last year, for the most part, and the support stations and cheering sections were awesome!

Alan finished in 3:39:04 and I finished in 2:08:20. Both are improvements over our finishing times from last year and I managed to take 4 minutes off my PR!

A couple pics from the GA marathon site, non of our own!

So despite the lack of sleep, too much rich food, too many cocktails and way too much stress, it was a good race.

Good to know that good training efforts pull through when everything falls apart the week before a race!

Now, it's on to Tri season!!

2011-03-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

Photo Friday

Whew, what a crazy two weeks this has been. Between work and a race we've been stretched thin.

This week all I've been able to think about is spending my weekend doing this:

However, since the forecast for the weekend looks like this:

That isn't going to happen.

So, here's to a weekend indoors, catching up on rest and time with Alan.

Also probably a lot of this:

A little of this:

And some of this:

Now if Friday would just hurry up and start to move on out!

Enjoy your weekend!

2011-03-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

Photo Friday!

Today's photo is a couple weeks old but I still have to share it.

That's our Goddaughter, Maya, who is 4, putting lip gloss on me. Can you see the fear in my eyes? I just knew I was going to walk out of there with a shiny left cheek, but I just couldn't say no when she asked if she could do it. She actually did a great job as the applier, not so interested in wearing the lip gloss herself though. Oh well, I still have time to teach her to love it!

2011-03-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

March Restaurant

Alan and I have been on a Thai kick lately. I recently fell in love with Thai Basil Chicken and have sort of been on a quest to find the best version in Atlanta.

Last week we visited Spoon in West Midtown. Voted Atlanta's best Thai in 2010, we were excited to see what all the fuss was about. We started off with soup and salad and for dinner I, of course, ordered the Basil Stir Fry with Chicken while Alan tried the Green Curry.

We waited forever for the soup and salad and then the entrees came out before I was half way through the salad. After receiving our entrees we didn't see our server again until it was time to ask for the bill.

The food was good. Definitely not the best Thai in Atlanta but it wasn't bad. The service on the other hand was pretty bad. We didn't even stick around for dessert or another drink and if you know us, you know how much we like both of those!

I wouldn't say to stay away from Spoon, maybe they were just having and off night or we got a bad server, who knows. I can say that we won't be going back. I think we have found our favorite Thai place and are going to be pretty loyal. I'll tell you about it soon!!

2011-03-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

Photo Friday

Yep, that's Alan and yep he's in a calendar!

(He's the one in the red shorts to the right of the picture)

The calendar was sent to us by The Cooper River Bridge Run, they put it together with pictures from last years race. You can imagine our surprise when we were flipping through and found Alan! Now we call him Mr. March!

2011-03-02T12:36:00.000-05:00

February recipe #2

So the second new recipe for this month was something I have been waiting a while to make - Southwest Black Bean soup. This was definitely a recipe that Alan wouldn't have appreciated so I had to wait until he was gone and I was home to give it a try. See I love soup and Alan, well he doesn't. Also this soup is vegetarian and Alan doesn't really like anything that doesn't have meat, especially soup!

(photo source)

I found the recipe here and it sounded like the perfect combination of things I love that would give me lots of leftovers!

Ingredients
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Hunt’s® Original Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/2 cups cooked instant brown rice
6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

The recipe calls for you to saute some of the ingredients first but I like for the veggies to stay as crisp as possible so I altered the recipe. I threw everything into one pot (except the rice and sour cream) and brought it to a boil. Then I let it simmer for a good 30-45 minutes.

Then I made a few more alterations to the recipe. Instead of brown rice I crunched up some tortilla chips and added them, then I shredded a little Monterrey jack cheese to top it off. I just thought those two options sounded better than the sour cream and rice. (Plus we eat rice a lot since it's gluten free!)

It was delish and even better is that the leftovers are even better than the first night. I will definitely make this again!

2011-02-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

A full week in NYC

A few weeks ago I spent a week in NYC, while Alan spent the week in Minnesota (I definitely got the better end of that situation!). I love NYC and travel there several times a year for work since we have an office in the Fashion District. However this trip was a little different, I was in town for Social Media week. Part of my new job is to launch and oversee the pilot program of the company's Social Media. The North America subsidiary of the company is testing Social Media in an effort to determine how the rest of the company worldwide will follow. So, naturally I was eager to see what Social Media week held.

What is Social Media Week?
Social Media Week is a global platform that connects people, content, and conversation around emerging trends in social and mobile media. Delivered primarily through a network of internationally hosted biannual conferences and online through social and mobile media, Social Media Week brings hundreds of thousands of people together every year through learning experiences that aim to advance our understanding of social media’s role in society. A biannual event, this February the conference was held in New York, San Fransisco, Toronto, Rome, Istanbul, Paris, London, Sao Paulo and Hong Kong.

Throughout the 5 days I attended 23 sessions and with each being in a different location, not only did I have brain overload from all the information but I walked a million miles and took a million cabs getting around Manhattan.

Some of my favorite sessions were:
Pay Attention. Social Media listening done right.

Social Around the World

The New Normal

Building Brand relationships among the clutter

National Brand voices and Hyperlocal audiences

Corporate Social Media, avoiding pitfalls

The information was incredible and I've never taken so many notes in all my life!

There were speakers such as Head of Social Media for PepsiCo., President of Radian6, Marketing Director for IBM, SVP of Integrated Marketing at MTV, Head of Trends and Insights Marketing at Google, Vice President for Public Relations and Communications at Lancôme, President and Executive Creative Director at JCrew, Time Inc Chief Digital Officer, Features/Special Projects Director at Harper’s Bazaar and even Tory Burch - CEO, Tory Burch. The experience and expertise was thick enough to feel in some sessions.

The bonus to the whole event was the amazing locations I was able to vist when attending these sessions:

Google offices in SOHO

Hearst Tower

JWT Headquarters

Time Inc offices (and their amazing magazine wall!)

and even Sesame Street!

wouldn't you love your name on a Sesame St. sign outside your office?

On top of all that I got to attend an opening night party for New York Fashion Week, sit next to Katherine Heigl at Trump SOHO and literally run into Al Rooker.

It was a full week but I had an amazing time!

Now I just have to put all that knowledge to use...Yike!

2011-02-25T09:00:00.004-05:00

Photo Friday

Today is a 3-for-1 special!

As I mentioned a few days ago I was in NYC recently for work (I know, still haven't blogged about that trip!) And one of my favorite things to do in NYC is shop! Along with real shopping comes a lot of window shopping because store windows in NYC are pieces of art. My very favorite is always Bergdorf Goodman. The windows are always amazing and the store itself is absolutely magical, I love everything about it.

While I was in NYC they were redoing the BG windows and I was worried they wouldn't finish before I left. But they did and the finished product was worth the wait.

All the things you see behind the mannequins are balloons, the long skinny kind like you make balloon animals out of! In person it the dimension and color were stunning. What a great jump start on spring!

2011-02-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

February Recipe #1

To kick off another year of trying new recipes I decided to go all out and cook Indian food on a weeknight! Yep, to me that is all out. Indian food always has a million ingredients and either needs to marinade, simmer, be grilled or something just as time consuming. On weeknights when we don't get out of work on time and have to fit in training workouts, I just don't have time for anything more than a 30 minute meal! However for the past 2 weeks Alan has been in Minnesota and he came home talking about how he was craving Indian food. Since our weekend plans didn't allow us to quench that craving I decided I would surprise him with a weeknight Indian meal.

I chose Chicken Tandoori for this meal and found a recipe that had ratings higher than anything I have ever seen. However this, like all good Indian dishes, required time, so the night before I mixed up the marinade and left it to soak. The next night it was easy to grill up and serve.

Here's the recipe:

Indian Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Mix until smooth. Stir in yellow and red food coloring. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).

3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.

4. Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

We will definitely be having this again. Maybe with a little extra cayenne!

2011-02-22T14:45:00.001-05:00

February Restaurant

This month I spent some time in NYC (more on that later) and had a chance to enjoy some wonderful food. I finally got to go to a place called 4food. Last time I was in NYC it was just days away from opening, so I've been waiting to try it.

Their motto is "de-junking fast food" and they have a concept that is pretty different for the burger world.

Here is what the menu looks like:

You build your burger starting with a bun but not just regular choices like wheat, white, etc. They have everything from a multi grain option, to a bagel to a gluten free pressed rice option! Then you go down the line picking your add ons like mustard's, hummus, guacamole, even tzatziki sauce, then any type of cheese, then a slice (includes options from avocado to kim chi to mushrooms) then to your scoop. The scoop part is where the whole process takes a little different approach. See your burger patty (which you haven't chosen yet) has a hole in the middle of it, so you have to choose something to fill the hole with. Choices range from macaroni and cheese to spinach with pine nuts to hominy to avocado salsa. Then you finally get to choose your burger. And of course the patty options run the gamut of every type of meat and non-meat patty you can imagine. Craving a salmon or lamb burger? No problem. They even have patty's made out of egg.

My choices created a turkey burger filled with spinach and pine nuts, topped with tomato and hummus, on a pressed rice bun. I have to say, it didn't taste anything like a "burger" but it was awesome! Pressed rice is the gluten free answer to bread! I wasn't sure how it would be but it was the perfect compromise between wet rice and a fluffy bun!

Here is what it looked like, well this is my co worker's (note the hands that aren't mine) but he got the same thing I did.

From there you would think you were done with decision making. Nope, not so fast. I made the mistake of ordering a diet soda, (hello diet coke!) but no, they don't serve that type here. They do however serve White Peach Rose Hip Soda, Hibiscus berry soda and Mango Chai soda.

On this one I opted for the Mango Chai soda. I think I was feeling the pressure from the list of choices I was making and the growing, hungry line behind me. See, I don't like chai, so of course I didn't like this. Thank goodness they were nice enough to exchange it for some green tea.

Then for dessert I had to go for the Chocolate Mousse, complete with dark chocolate, siken tofu and soy milk. Can't say there was a bite of it left when I finished, it was delish!

The food was great and it was nice to have so much control over what you had eaten. However, the biggest surprise of the meal came when I checked out.

This was my receipt:

Yep, no total, tax and done with this one. It gives you the calories, fat, carbs and protein for everything you ate. Not only do you get to choose what you want from every aspect, you know exactly what you are putting in your body. A pretty novel concept for a fast food restaurant. (note - this receipt has 2 orders on it, I did not eat all of that!)

Overall, it's a great restaurant and I will definitely be going back. I would think that once you get the hang off all the choices it would be an easier process and a little less stressful. While this concept obviously wouldn't work for all fast food restaurants, it would be nice if they could learn something from 4food!

2011-02-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

Introducing Photo Friday

So, now that I am blogging more I find myself reading more blogs. One thing I have noticed is that the more committed I become to reading blogs is that by Friday I skim alot more than on other days. I guess my brain is just overloaded with words and starts to look for picutres. And, since I am trying to keep up with my "list item" from last year of taking more everyday pictures, I need something to do with them. So... I came up with an idea - Photo Friday. From now on friday's are going to be about pictures around here. Hopefully one I have taken during the week, sometimes probably just one I've seen and want to pass along.

Here's one to get us started:

(photo source)

This has been a week of beautiful warm weather here in Atlanta and after the winter we've had we couldn't appreciate it more! Best part is that it's expected to continue through the weekend.

We're planning to soak up as much of it as possible this weekend!

2011-02-17T11:13:00.000-05:00

31 Things by Thirty One

Here we go. My list for this year. Let's see how this one goes!

1. Spend a day in the park relaxing.
2. Visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
3. Make headway in my French lessons (get to where I can practice speaking with coworkers)
4. Eat at a restaurant, once a month, that I have never eaten at before.
5. Cook a new recipe, twice a month.
6. Run a half marathon in under 2 hours. (I've got 12 minutes to cut off! Yikes)
7. Become an "Iron Girl"!
8. Buy a lottery ticket every month. (what? you can't win if you don't play, plus it supports our schools!)
9. Relearn how to knit.
10. Start a "race" photo album.
11. Sell our place and move. (fingers crossed everybody!)
12. Read 6 books.
13. Find a cause to volunteer for.
14. Go hiking.
15. Visit a country I haven't been to before.
16. Learn how to use our camera.
17. Really learn how to use Photoshop.
18. Make a piece of clothing I will actually wear.
19. Attend a festival I haven't been to before.
20. Have more girlfriend dates.
21. Take a class on something that I'm interested in learning about.

22. Learn how to make Creme Brulee (it's the best gluten free dessert out there!)
23. Attend more local events.
24. Visit the spa more.
25. Fix all the items in the "mending pile"
26. Close my business and consider opening a new one.
27. Send more surprise gifts to family and friends.
28. Find a church we like.
29. Take advantage of the cultural opportunities in Midtown (High Museum, theaters, symphony, etc)
30. Learn how to use the zipper foot on my sewing machine. (the only thing on the sewing machine that frightens me)

31. Have a wedding album made that we actually like.

2011-02-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Recipes for February

February is the month of Valentine's and so I thought it would be only appropriate to share our Valentine's meal. With both of us traveling seperately the week before the holiday and Alan gone again the week of Valentine's we opted to celebrate on Sunday before Valentine's and do something we really enjoy, cook a new meal together. I chose the entree and desert, Alan chose the appetizer and salad, we made a trip to the market to gather all the ingredients for our feast, then we opened a bottle of wine and went to town!

Alan in preparation mode

Dinner consisted of Salmon Sashimi, Seafood Salad, Thai Basil Chicken and Chocolate Fondue for dessert.

Salmon Sashimi is one of our favorite things in the world and after spending time in Japan we are super picky when it comes to fish, this one did not disappoint! Next was the seafood salad, a combination of different seafood along with lemongrass, ginger, thai peppers, fish sauce, soy sauce and mint. Wow, what a combination, summer in a bowl! Next was the Thai Basil Chicken, a dish I recently fell in love with. We tried a recipe we found but made our own alternations to it. The sauce wasn't quite there but other than that it was spot on, delish! And who doesn't like Chocolate Fondue? Dark Chocolate with strawberries, bananas and marshmallows.

It was a great way to celebrate Valentine's and finally spend some time together!

Seafood Salad recipe is in Fresh Thai by Oi Cheepchaiissara and the Thai Basil Chicken recipe was based on the one found here.

2011-02-15T11:00:00.001-05:00

Catching up

This is what happens when the 3 of us have been apart all week

2011-02-14T08:40:00.001-05:00

MIA

No, not as in "missing" as in MIAMI!

A few weeks ago Alan and I, along with our friend Jen (of What's in Jen's Crockpot) headed to Miami for the ING Miami Marathon.

Let me tell you, Miami knows how to put on a race! With 21,000 runners registered, Miami's never seen so many running shoe wearing, pasta eaters on a Saturday night!

We go out and explored the city and made sure to get our fill of carbs on Saturday! Even Gluten free pasta!

And then it was up at 4 am to get ready to race.

This is what it looked like before the race:

The course was interesting and gave runners some great scenery spots along the way. Running over the bridge as the sun came up, South Beach in the early morning, the causeway coming back into Miami and the ING mile were my favorite parts. Miami spectators were great! Miles and miles of people with noise makers, signs, etc. Even firemen passing out beaded necklaces to runners. It was great to see the city come out and support the event.

Alan did the full, while Jen and I did the half. Jen came in at 2:00:32, I finished 2:12:53 (a new PR!) and Alan blew us away with a chip time of 3:18:37 (a new PR as well!).

The after party for the race was great as there was tons of food and drinks, even beer!

The view of the finish line from our room.

After a little rest and hot showers we headed to South Beach for some good food and an afternoon on the beach.

I think I could have stayed in this spot forever!

I was a great weekend, a great race and a great chance to get warm, even if just for a few days!

2011-02-09T20:50:00.000-05:00

Missing??

I know the blog seems as though it's been forgotten and Alan and I have gone missing. Well, no worries, we aren't missing, just super busy!

The past few weeks have been slammed full of fun personal and work events (can't wait to blog all about them) and this week is more of that craziness.

I don't see things slowing down anytime soon but I promise to get a blog post together over the weekend!

2011-01-26T10:32:00.000-05:00

Explanation

Lately I haven't been blogging as much, just haven't had the time.

So, here is a recap of what we've been up to:

Lots of this

In preparation for this

A little of this

To get ready for this

LOTS and LOTS of this (thanks to work)

And some of this (for work and fun)

Lots of this for our next vacation

Celebrating a few of these

(January is a popular birth month!)

Attended one of these

And have had more than our fill of this

All while trying to squeeze in a little of this,

this,

and this,

to keep us going!

2011-01-24T16:27:00.000-05:00

30 Things by Thirty - the final roundup

As you saw in my last post, I survived turning 30, actually really enjoyed it. I have to admit it's weird though. It's really just a number but writing it or typing it feels so weird, like I've become part of a new club or something. If that's the case, it must be the coolest club around, because it feels pretty good!

So I guess since I hit the big 3-0 it's time to tally up how I did with my 30 Things by Thirty list.

So here we go...

1. ~~Blog more! At least once a week.~~ More than accomplished this one!

2. Spend a day at the park, relaxing. Unfortunately I didn't get this one in. Our weekends were so packed with traveling or training it just wasn't possible. It will definitely be accomplised in the Spring though!

3. ~~Complete 1 Olympic Triathlon.~~ (done!)

4. ~~Learn how to bake Gluten Free~~. (done)

5. Visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden. I came so close on this one. Had a friend I was going with, a date on the calendar and then Mother Nature let it rain. You can visit the BG in the rain, we just didn't particularly want to, or think it would be much fun! So, now we've got this on the calendar for Spring!

6. ~~Take my vitamin everyday.~~ Thanks to digital reminders I've gotten really good at this!

7. ~~Sew one item (from a pattern) on my sewing machine~~. (done)

8. ~~Get all of my recipes recorded on the cards I designed and get a box to store them in.~~ Completed this one a while back and wrote a post about it, just forgot to publish it!

9. ~~Clean out my closet - get rid of everything from high school or earlier (at least move it to storage and out of circulation)~~ Completed this in the fall. Most of it went to Goodwill, some got packed up as keepsakes.

10. ~~Design and order our wedding album (yes it's been 6.5 years since we got married and we still don't have an album. Don't judge!)~~ I actually got this one done, only to be completely disappointed in the final product. So, now we have an album, that I think is horrible and will need to be replaced. However I guess we are now one step closer to having an album to hold on to.

11. ~~Buy a hat that isn't a baseball cap.~~ This one was completed a little differently than I expected. I had been looking at cute hats, trying to narrow down which type I liked and would actually wear and then I was given one as a gift! A friend of ours made me a hat (she loves to knit) and I love it. You can see it in my picture from horseback riding on my birthday. I added to my hat collection with something other than a baseball cap and even better than something I picked out, it's something someone made for me. I love it!

12. ~~Recreate and perfect the Turkish breakfast smoothie~~. (done)

13. Make headway in my French lessons. I didn't even come close on this one! I'm not going to lie, I don't think I even completed 1 lesson in the whole 5 months! However, I am renewing my commitment to this one and am going to start putting it on the calendar to hold my self accountable!

14. ~~Finally celebrate a 1 year anniversary at a job I love~~. (done)

15. ~~Find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.~~ (done)

16. ~~Learn how to change a tube on a bike tire~~. (done)

17. ~~Take more "everyday" pictures.~~ Hopefully you'll agree that I completed this one. I am trying to take more "unposed" photos, more photos of things that just happen in life rather than things we pose to remember. I'm also trying to learn how to use our camera more effectively, so that I can do a better job of taking photographs.

18. ~~Work on becoming more patient~~ This one has been the true test. And while I am no where near being a patient person, I have gotten to the point where I can take a breathe and step back (most of the time). Personally that's a huge improvement for me and honestly it's farther than I thought I would come in 5 months! It's a journey I will probably always be on!

19. ~~Cook a new recipe twice a month.~~ (#1, #2, #3, #4&5, #6, #7, #8, #9 , #10)

20. ~~Stop texting and emailing on my Blackberry when driving. When talking, only use handsfree.~~ I've gotten pretty good about this. It takes determination to not attend to that blinking red light on the Blackberry but I'm gonna stick with it.

21. ~~Make a gift for someone - unexpectedly.~~ (done)

22.~~Watch 1 of the "classic" movies Alan is appalled that I haven't seen.~~ (done)

23. ~~Write a letter to myself to open on my 40th birthday.~~ This was easier than I expected. It's sealed up and put away, I just hope I hang on to it and remember it in 10 years!

24. ~~Finish the scrapbooks for our "big" trips (I only have one finished)~~ This one was a doozy! I actually have one book left to complete. Yes, I finished 3 scrapbooks in less than 5 months. These books are typically around 60 pages, so that's no small accomplishment! Also, I already have the pictures printed and organized for the last book as well as the book purchased and all the extra pages I will need. So, while I didn't absolutely 100% complete this one, I am so close I say it counts!

25. ~~Go to a festival (art, music, homes, etc)~~ Alan and I attended the first ever Midtown Arts Festival during the fall. I don't know why I never blogged about it!

26. ~~Plan a trip somewhere "local" that Alan and I have never been.~~ (done)

27. ~~Start and use a Journey Journal.~~ This was actually the first thing I completed on this list. It's something I hope I will continue.

28. ~~Read a book that someone else picks for me.~~ (done)

29. ~~Once a month, eat at at a restaurant I've never eaten at before.~~ (August) (September) (October) (November) (December)

30. ~~Fall in love with turning 30!~~ And yes, I even completed this one. I realized that I'm wiser at 30 than I was at 20, I love my life and I have so much to be thankful for, who cares what # you are when you've got all that? Actually I'm starting to discover that 30 is kind of fun. I love getting carded and seeing people's shock when they see my age. It's like I told my boss the other day "As long as I'm getting carded I don't care how old I am. Once I stop getting carded, then I'll start to worry!" And that pretty much sums it up!

And there you have it. 27 out of the 30 things got crossed off my list, I'm pretty pleased. And the 3 that didn't? Well they are going to roll on over to my 31 Things by Thirty One list. Yep, that's right, I'm gonna do it again! I really enjoyed working on my list and loved that it "made" me try new things. It's easy to get in the habit of doing what's easy or comfortable or familiar, so a little kick to break out of that can be a welcomed thing. Plus, I like the idea of starting my own tradition the year I turned 30.

I'm going to give myself a few weeks to come up with my new list. I've already got a head start with the "leftovers" from the 30 list and there were a few things like new restaurants and recipes that I want to continue. So, I got quite a few things to come up with but I'm sure it won't take long. Get ready!

2011-01-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

The BIG 3-0!!

So it came and it went and I have yet to blog about it, can't believe it! Well, I can report that I survived it, I am still breathing, I turned 30 and lived to tell about it, so all is well. Actually I had an absolutely wonderful birthday from start to finish, I'm a lucky girl.

My actual birthday was on a Wednesday so I spent the day at work (bummer), however because I have great coworkers and family, it wasn't that bad. My office was decorated with streamers and balloons and the birthday cards and wishes came throughout the day. My boss took me out to lunch and when we got back I found this waiting for me on my desk :

(photo source)

Yep, those are chocolate covered strawberries and a chocolate birthday card - thanks to my wonderful inlaws! So, I was officially on a sugar high for the rest of the day.

After work Alan took me out to dinner at MF Sushi - best sushi in ATL, love it! And then we ended the night with desert and presents.

For the weekend I wanted to get away (within driving distance) to the mountains and really get away. I also wanted to go horseback riding, something I have always wanted to do just never took an opportunity to do it. So, I figured a birthday like this was a great time to check-off something like that!

So, that's what we did. We headed to Blue Ridge, GA. Don't know where that is? (don't worry neither did I) so here ya go:

We checked in to a beautiful cabin suite in a lodge and headed downtown to check out the heart of Blue Ridge.

The first stop was the L & L Bakery for a cup of coffee to warm us up. Cute little place that was full of local charm.

We also took in the shops throughout the main street downtown and took in the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway all while wondering through the snow showers.

Next we went up to Mercier Orchards. Of course, since it is winter, they weren't growing any apples but the assortment and products in their shop was amazing.

The highlight was lunch in their lunch shop, nothing like good ole mountain home cooked food. Ever had Baked Potato Salad? I have now and it's delish!!

Then it was off to the big event - horseback riding!! I was all ambituous beforehand but once I got there I was a little nervous. I was hoping to take it slowly at first and then I found out it was an "adventure" ride, so that was out of the question. We started out going straight up the mountain and then we were informed that our horses were going to "pick up a little speed". SPEED? I had just gotten on the horse, we weren't even comfortable walking together yet! But we did it and I proceeded to BOUNCE and BOUNCE and BOUNCE as my horse ran. Apparently "posting" is an acquired skill and I was not able to acquire it on this ride. We rode up and down the hils, through the woods and across a pasture.

The leader instructed us on how to steer the horse, slow them, speed them up, etc. and everything went pretty smoothly. Alan's horse (Teaspoon) kept trying to bypass my horse (Sampson) in our single file line so we had to keep him in check. about half way through the ride Sampson decides he doesn't want to walk throught water on the trail and tries to climb out of the trail and make his own way. Well, the leader told me not to let him and to steer him back down, Sampson didn't want to follow my pulls and resisted which caused his back legs to buckle and the two of us to almost fall back into the trail Thankfully Sampson's stubborness gave out at the last minute and he reluctantly kept us from falling and moved back down to the trail. Yikes! I thought I was a goner there for a minute!

We continued to get more and more comfortable on the horses as we made away along the route. We got almost all the way back to the barn and Sampson decided he needed a snack now and couldn't wait until he got to the barn, so he stopped and started munching on some grass on the edge of the trail. The leader quickly told me to make him stop but pulling back on him. I pulled and pulled and pulled, until I was practically laying down on the horse, before he pulled a mouthfull of grass out of the ground and proceeded to eat along the rest of the ride. He definitely gave me a run for my money on that ride!

I loved every minute of it and can't wait to do it again!!

We said goodbye to Sampson and Teaspoon and headed back to the lodge. We spent a couple hours warming up, resting and enjoying the quiet. The beautiful fireplace and HUGE bathtub were a big help!

Then it was time to pick a place for dinner, get dressed and head out.

We chose the Blue Orleans Bistro, located in the middle of downtown Blue Ridge.

Sunday we slept in and then hit the local doughnut shop before heading back to Atlanta.

It was a great weekend and just exactly how I wanted to spend my Birthday weekend.
Thanks to everyone tha made turning 30 so much fun, especially my hubby!!

2011-01-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

Freezer Soup

photo source

We had plenty of warning that this winter storm was headed our way and that it's stay would be less than brief, so we stocked up at the grocery store on Sunday. Typically everyone goes for the bread and milk but considering I can't eat either of those, we were forced to push that norm and find other things to fill our cart with. I had planned a couple of meals with leftovers and we had plenty of snacks and beer to get us through.

Funny thing about being stuck inside for 2 days, you realize how much you eat! Our leftovers were gone quickly and I was scratching my head trying to decide what to make with our ingredients. And, like all great things, a new great recipe was created, out of necessity!

I call it freezer soup. Basically I took chicken, rice and potatoes, added spices and then threw in all the frozen vegetables we stocked up on. I added chicken broth and some Srirachi and let it simmer. In the end we were left with a huge pot of spicy, warm yumminess!

Here's to hoping everything melts soon so I don't get over confident in my recipe creation. I'm thinking pantry jello might not be as yummy!

2011-01-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Snow Day #2

That's right, we are still snowed-in here in Atlanta! Actually, we are iced in! It looks beautiful and white, then you step on it and you slide. It's just crazy to see everything covered in ice. People in Midtown are getting creative though. We've seen rollerblading on the ice, skiing on the ice and even sledding down the street on plastic (plastic and ice equal speed!). However, the picture below takes the cake for how to navigate our new arctic terrain!

2011-01-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

Snow Day!

Here in Atlanta we are staying inside and enjoying something that is very rare this far south - a Snow Day!

A rare glimpse of an empty Peachtree St.

The only problem in our neighborhood so far. A car went off the road and hit our gate.

Even part of the swimming pool has ice on it!

We are still expecting sleet and freezing rain for the rest of the day and night. Tomorrow could be interesting but definitely not as pretty and peaceful!

2011-01-07T10:18:00.000-05:00

Pee-can or Puh-con? (and new recipe #1 for January)

photo source

Recently Alan brought home a bag of nuts from his Grandad's farm in NC. Of course I dug right into them and immediately said "these Puh-cons are delicous". Alan immediately followed with "the what? you mean the Pee-cans are good?" And so the pronunciation debate began!

Regardless of what we called them we had a whole bag and couldn't stand the thought of them going bad, so the recipe hunt began. I decided to work them into my Christmas baking (and my 30 Things by Thirty list) and quickly settled on a cookie called Danish Wedding Cookie. I have a friend who loves these cookies and since I had never made them before I thought it was a good opportunity to surprise her with some for Christmas break.

I have to admit, they are probably the easiest cookie I've ever made. Very few ingredients, bake quickly and come out delish! I took a plate of them to the friend who inspired the recipe trial and awaited her response. I warned her that I had never made them before or even ever had a Danish Wedding Cookie, so I wasn't sure what they were supposed to taste like. She quickly gave me her approval by stuffing them one after another in her mouth while talking about how much better they were than any others she had tried.

So there you have it, whenever there is a disagreement on what to call them, put them in this cookie and everyone's mouths will stay so full it won't matter how you say it!

Click here for the recipe.

2011-01-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

December Restaurant

Alan and I had quite a bit of time off over the holidays. Mostly we traveled for Christmas and New Year's, went out with friends and caught up on "veg out" time. We also took advantage of the free time to do things like try new restaurants for lunch, something we normally don't have time for. It also filled the slot for the December new restaurant from my 30 Things by Thirty list! One of the spots we visited was Pure Taqueria in Inman Park.

photo source

Everything about the place was great! The decor is a retro look with multi-colored tiled walls, old metal bar-stools and chairs just like the ones from your elementary school. The staff is great and very friendly, all of them wearing Chuck Taylors (we wondered if it was mandatory or coincidence). And the food is delish! We started with chips and salsa and then each tried one of the three taco plates. Everything was gone in a flash, we couldn't help ourselves! Next time you're in Inman Park stop in Pure, you'll love it!

2011-01-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Going Local

Alan and I have lived in Midtown Atlanta through 3 winters. Every year I say, I want to go ice skating at the park and every year the rink goes up and comes down without me setting foot on it. We run by the rink in Centennial Park almost weekly and I love seeing everyone skating and all the beautiful Christmas decorations that fill the park. I talk to people who live outside the city and make the drive just to ice skate, yet for some reason it just always seems out of the way for us. So, when I saw that a rink was going up in Piedmont Park this year, I knew we no longer had an excuse to miss out on the winter fun. And I finally decided what to do for #26 on my 30 Things by Thirty list.

During our time off between Christmas and New Year we made good on the desire to participate in the local attraction and we hit "The Rink" during adult skate one night. "The Rink" is the name of the rink at Piedmont Park, attached to Park Tavern. Adult skate is the best invention ever and let us skate without anyone shorter than me to trip over! Plus by 11 pm The Rink is like a nightclub on ice.

We started out a little unsure of the whole thing but by the end Alan was skating on one skate in the turns and we managed to get out of there without either one of us falling.

I even took the opportunity to try a Frozen Hot Chocolate (Alan stuck with an adult beverage!)

So glad we finally took the time to go ice skating, it was more fun than I even expected!

2011-01-04T09:48:00.001-05:00

Compromise in a bowl (and new recipe #2 for December)

We've had a cold beginning to the winter here in Atlanta, I mean snow on Christmas, who would have thought! So when it comes to cooking dinner I've been craving warm-you-up type of meals. And to me that means soups and stews. There's only one problem with that, Alan doesn't like soup! He says that unless it's extremely thick and hearty it doesn't count as a meal. So, when I'm craving homemade potato soup, that's a problem.

I have my mom's recipe for potato soup that I absolutely love however I knew it wasn't "hearty" enough to count as dinner for Alan, so I started searching for a new recipe (which also gave me material for a new recipe in December for my 30 Things by Thirty list).

I ended up making Ham and Potato soup. It was delicious, not to time intensive and met "meal" standards by Alan.

Go here for the recipe, next time you're craving a warm-me-up dinner!

2011-01-03T12:04:00.000-05:00

Divine Intervention

By now you probably all know that we are in the process of selling our loft in Atlanta. If you don't know I obviously have missed some form of promotion and need to figure out what target you are and how to reach you! Anyway, we've done everything we can think of on our end to move along the sale of our unit, however nothing seems to be doing the trick right now and so we continue on with our efforts. We also continue to give the same answers to everyone who asks about how long it's been on the market, how many times we've lowered the price and how many showings (or lack of showings) we have had and apparently, even Santa is tired of overhearing this story.

On Christmas Day Alan's stocking held this little guy

It's a statue of St. Joseph, yes the same Joseph that was the husband of Mary and the "foster" father of Jesus. Evidentally he is considered the Patron of a Happy Home, knew all about selling and buying homes. He protected and provided for Mary and Jesus and now he is going to help us sell our home!

He comes with a full set of instructions

Which include asking St. Joseph to intercede in the selling of your home, burying St. Joseph (upside down so his feet are towards the heavens) on your property (and yes there is an option for us non-yard owning condo dwellers!) and then sitting back and letting him go to town. And yes, there is a prayer that goes with the process.

Let me tell you, we followed all of the instructions, every little detail. We aren't taking any chances on missing out on St. Joseph's abilities, we'll take all the help we can get in this market!

So, if you happen to visit and you see feet sticking out of a flower pot, no we didn't bury an action figure, it's St. Joseph. And don't worry, once we sell we will be uncovering him and bringing hime to our new home with us so we can put him in a place of honor and remember to thank God for helping us. What? It's part of the instructions!

2010-12-22T23:31:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-20T13:45:00.002-05:00

One book, Four Agreements

As part of my 30 Things by Thirty list I decided to read a book that someone else picked out for me. See, my reading list range is a little stunted. I typically like books that are considered chick lit, think Sex and the City or Shopaholic. After being "called out" by my good friend Brook a few years ago, I stretched a little and started reading Autobiographies. I have really enjoyed the ones I have read but lets be honest, there are only so many people out there that are really interesting enough to have an autobiography, so the list of "must reads" is somewhat limited. Not wanting to settle back in to my chick lit ways I decided I would really push my boundaries and read something I didn't pick, give up all choice and step outside my box. Who better to pick this book than Brook herself. I asked her to do me the favor and she graciously obliged. She immediately recommended "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. Brook says it is the one book that she thinks all females should read. How could I say no to that?

(photo source)

At first I was a little unsure (sorry Brook) but I soldiered on and got the book. I started reading and despite my hesitations I pushed through. It was a little difficult at first. While it's not a self-help book, exactly, it comes across as such in the beginning. Slowly I started to get in to the book and began to realize it was about how to deal with complicated matters in life that affect you in ways you don't realize. It takes complex issues and breaks them down into how the appear in our daily lives, helping you figure out how to make small changes that affect the bigger picture. At first I thought, this has nothing to do with me. I don't have real stress in my life, I don't really need to change anything. But I kept reading (I knew Brook would be disappointed if I quit) and at times I felt like the book grabbed me by the ear and said "hello, I'm talking to YOU!".

It's a short book only 140 pages, however I didn't get through it as fast as I thought I would. Sometimes I had to stop and think or reread.

In the end, I'm glad I read it. I think in the long run it will be good for me. Check it out, hopefully it will speak to you as well.

2010-12-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

Busy Weekend - part 2: A perfectly Lavish day

So Monday I told you about Alan's part of our busy weekend, now it's my turn!

You may have noticed the button that appeared on our blog a few months ago:

Well this weekend it was a technical description of where I was...I was attending Lavish!
I stayed in Atlanta and spent Saturday at Lavish!, a blogging conference. My job has lead me into the area of Social Media, which means I've been doing a lot of research and this conference was part of that!

Lavish!, the invention of Atlantian Shameeka Ayers (AKA The Broke Socialite) was technically an "unconference" aimed at the lifestyle bloggers and was held right here in ATL. Lavish! was a weekend long event (I just attended Saturday sessions) and was a full day of sessions packed full of info. I attended sessions that focused on everything from how to write a good blog, to how to build a brand, how traditional media and social media can work together and how to use social media to promote your business.

From beginning to end (it was a 12 hour day!) it was a fabulous event! Not only did I learn a ton from the speakers as well as the other attendees, I had an amazing time. The event was held at the beautiful Mansion Hotel in Buckhead and every detail of the day represented the Lavish! feeling. With sponsors such as Sokenbicha providing samples of their products all day, to the lunch provided by The Foundary to the snack from Dreamy Gelalto to the wine suite hosted by The Wine Sisterhood, attendees were taken care of in style!

It was such an honor to be around the attendees and presenters. I mean it's not every day you have HGTV, Better Homes and Garden, General Motors and Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge in the same place at the same time! Not to mention the ladies from RUE magazine and all the attendees who are making their mark in Social Media.

It's going to take me forever to get through all of my notes and decompress from everything I learned but I look forward to putting it all to use. And I'm aready looking forward to Lavish!2011!

2010-12-14T10:18:00.000-05:00

Perspective

I was all prepared to post part 2 of our busy weekend but that's not what's on my mind today.

I woke up peacefully this morning, no alarm, just naturally woke up (that has to be one of the simple pleasures in life) and then it hit me it's Tuesday and no alarm = no good for a Tuesday morning! So, starting out 30 minutes late I jumped in the shower and started the race to get ready. During the process I realized I had forgotten to pick up items for a meeting today, so I would have to fit that in on my way to work, no sweat, that's what ponytails were invented for - saving time!

I get out of the house and make my pick-up, not running too far behind and I figure everything is fine. Just as I approach the interestate I realize, "I think I left the space heater on in the bathroom". See I have a space heater that I run in the monring during the winter, I hate getting out of a hot shower and being cold, so I keep it toasty. Today I was in such a hurry that I left it on so I would be warm while getting ready and hopefully move faster. Well in my haste of trying to get out of the house quickly, I wasn't sure if it got turned off. At first I thought I was just doubting myself and it wasn't a big deal, then I got images flashing through my head of the news stories where a family thinks they turned off a heater but didn't and the house burns down. Sooooo, I turned around and headed home to double check the space heater. I parked in the downstairs lot and then realized I didn't have the key for the lobby door. I figured housekeeping was there, since he does the lobby first in the morning and he could let me in. I get to the door and NO janitor. I stand there helpless, trying to decide what to do next and before I freeze to death. A few minutes later the janitor appears and I am in, frozen but in. I head upstairs and sure enough, the heater was off! Of course! All of that for nothing.

I make it to work only about 20 minutes late (well 20 minutes later than "official" start time, 40 minutes late for me). I go to drop off the things that I picked up for the meeting, finding out someone else already brought in the same things (didn't realize I was going to bring them) and I get a call from our neighborhood Property Manager that there is a pipe leak in our building and that multiple units are leaking and sprinklers are going off.

"I QUIT! I GIVE UP!" That was all I could think. How could so many things go wrong in such a few short hours? Can I please go back to bed and start over? Waking up with an alarm this time?

Almost simultaneously I get a text about a friend who's wife has cancer and how she's having complications, and I stop. Instantly I am reminded of the multiple people I know who are ill, the co-worker who's husband is leaving her and their two girls for Afghanistan this Friday, the friend who lost her Grandmother this weekend, and all of a sudden I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

I have life so good that the most I have to complain about is running late and property that can be repaired. I should be thanking God for such a good life where I have family, friends a home, a job, my health and more blessings than I deserve.

So, instead of posting about what I did this weekend or talking about how busy this holiday season is, I am taking some quiet time today to put things in perspective. Something that seems especially important today.

2010-12-13T17:39:00.000-05:00

Busy Weekend - part 1: A speedy run

This past weekend Alan and I were busy, as usual, but this time with separate events. Alan spent the weekend in Charlotte participating in the Amica half marathon. I know what you're thinking "Alan ran a half marathon, isn't that a typo?", nope it's correct. See he is in the process of training for the Maimi marathon and has a time goal in mind that would give him a great new PR. The Amica half marathon was part of this training and also a test to see how "on" his new pace time we was at this point.

Here he is before heading out into the cold of the race morning

And here he is approaching the finish line.

He finished in 1:32:37 and came in 14th out of 252 people in his group. Not only did he meet his time goal for Miami training, he surpassed it by quite a bit. Looks like he may need to start preparing himself for a little faster run in Miami than he expected!

I'm so proud of him. I know how hard he trains and I love it when it pays off for him. Just wish I could have been there to see him do so well and to run the race (behind him!). Thanks to his parents and my dad for meeting him at the finish line and supplying me with photos of the morning!

Why wasn't I there? More on that tomorrow!

2010-12-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

December new recipe

*DISCLAIMER - Let me just tell you, this is not only the best thing I have ever made but it might be the best thing I have ever tasted. Please don't blame me if you find yourself falling in love with these and making them multiple times. Not like I did that or anything!

Last week my partner-in-crime, AKA my co-worker in NYC, came to ATL for a visit. Along with our boss we are "The marketing team that likes to eat" (it's actually how we introduce ourselves to new employees!) What can I say, we are all far from overweight, yet when we get together our time is planned around food, it must keep us working hard or maybe it just keeps us motivated!

Back to the recipe. So this particular co-worker has a thing for cupcakes. It's a fairly new obsession and we don't really know where it comes from. But can you blame him? I mean cupcakes are like the most delicious and perfect creation! We've hit the hot local cupcake spots in ATL and NYC, so on this visit I decided I would provide us with our own supply of cupcakes! I searched and searched for a cupcake that would impress him. I found this recipe on KevinandAmanda.com and as soon as I read it I knew it was the one. The name says it all "Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcake", I mean it might as well say "Heaven in a cupcake tin". The best way to describe these is the world's best chocolate cupcake with a brownie inside, covered with homemade chocolate frosting. I know, it sounds too good to be true but I promise, it is real, really real.

Here's what they look like:

(photo source)

I brought these to work and within hours the word was out and they were gone. Even those who at first didn't want one, heard what they were and had to try one. All I can tell you is that you have to try these, they are phenomenal!

Go here for the recipe. Enjoy!

2010-12-08T09:49:00.000-05:00

Midnight Train to Georgia

One of the great things about living in Atlanta is the long list of activities and expereinces the city has to offer. It's a great place for tourist but living here just gives you more time to get through that list. We have everything from Stone Mountain to the largest Aquarium to the house where Gone with the Wind was written, not to mention all the restaurants we have that are either known for great food or great character! One of those restaurants is Gladys Knight and Ron Winan's Chicken and Waffles. It's on Peachtree St and has been featured on numerous Travel Channel and Food Network shows. It also just happens to be about 5 blocks from where we live. We run by there several times a week and it's always packed and pumping out delicous scents! Alan has wanted to visit since we moved to Atlanta but seeing as though I'm not supposed to eat fried food and am allergic to gluten, the combination of Fried Chicken and Waffles wasn't on the top of my list. Turns out he wasn't the only person we know that was itching for the combo!

For 6 months we tried to plan a dinner date with a couple friend of ours. Busy schedules eventually forced us to move it back time and time again. However, a few weeks ago the stars aligned and the four of us met up for the long awaited meal. The whole evening was quite an experience but great fun. Eventually we were sat and ordered Chicken and Waffles combinations as well as Fried Corn and Mac and Cheese. The food was absolutely delicious and left us wishing we had ordered more! It was definitely well worth the wait and much better than expected!

2010-12-07T09:22:00.000-05:00

And we have a winner!

photo source

As part of my 30 Things by Thirty list I have been searching for the "Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe". I wanted a good staple recipe for great chocolate chip cookies, a go-to type of recipe. I quickly learned that it was more complicated than I expected.

See the perfect chocolate chip cookie doesn't really exist, everyone has to find their own version of it. Some people like chewy cookies, some like cake like, some like crispy, some like nuts, some don't and the list goes on and on. So after trying a few recipes and getting input from my taste testers, I realized what I was really looking for was a good all around cookie, the one that got a thumbs up from most, if not all of my tasters. I mean you can't please all of the people all of the time!

I did lots of research when choosing the recipes that would be part of the "contest", I mean I didn't want to waste my time on a recipe that didn't stand a chance! So, I searched, I read and I asked around. Somewhere along the way someone at Betty Crocker found out about my search and they sent over one of their recipes for consideration. I was intrigued, I couldn't wait to see how they were all going to turn out.

Along the way our kitchen has been covered in lots of sugar and flour, we've eaten more than our share of cookies and plates of cookies have been delivered to everyone around us but I learned a lot about making chocolate chip cookies. Basically every recipe has the same ingredients, it's just the quantities that differ. It's really finding the perfect amount of flour, sugar, salt and chocolate that make the perfect chocolate chip cookie!

Well, 5 recipes later and we have a winner, one that all the taste testers agreed on.
The cookie is (in my opinion) the perfect combination of chewy and cake like, and it has just the right combination of sweet with a hint of salt. And it will be no surprise to them but it was Betty Crocker's recipe for the "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie" that won! It really is a great cookie and one that we will make in this house for a long time to come!

Here's the recipe! (or you can click here and get it straight from Betty!)
NOTE* I left out the nuts!

3/4	cup granulated sugar
3/4	cup packed brown sugar
1	cup butter or margarine, softened
1	egg
2 1/4	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	cup coarsely chopped nuts
1	package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)



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	About Concordance™

Heat oven to 375ºF.
Mix sugars, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

2010-12-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

Blogging about a blog

In the attempt to sell our loft, in what feels the worst market ever, we created a blog to house all the photos and details about the wonderful things our home has to offer. I mean blogging is what bloggers do!

Check it out (just click the photo below), tell everyone you know, it's the best home in Midtown Atlanta, I promise!

8513loft.blogspot.com

2010-12-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

A different kind of skirt!

After the success of my pattern challenge, I was ready to conquer another sewing project. I figured with Christmas around the corner and a few days off work for Thanksgiving, I could attempt something a little more challenging, so I decided to make a tree skirt. That's right, we don't have one. This will be our 7th Christmas living together, we own 3 Christmas trees and not a single one of them has ever had a skirt! See we've never found one that we like, that we felt went with our "style". They are all too frilly or traditional or some other genre that doesn't fit our taste, so eventually we just gave up the hunt and filled the area under our tree with gifts as soon as it goes up, that way you never see there isn't a skirt! We'll I figured sewing gave me the ability to make something we liked, and so the challenge began.

I found a pattern, read through the entire thing, bought my fabric, interfacing and notions like a pro this time. I set off to cut out all my pieces and took my time figuring out the difficulties that come along with making something that is technically a huge circle. Well, let's just say it wasn't as easy as I anticipated and I learned alot in the process. However, Sunday afternoon, right before it was time to wrap up the Thanksgiving vacation and think about heading back to work, I finished the tree skirt! Luckily our tree had gone up the day before, so the skirt went from the sewing table to the bottom of the tree, perfect timing!

It isn't exactly what I wanted but it's pretty close. I love the fabric and the simplicity of the piece together. Hopefully it is something that will grace our tree for years to come. And now we can take a lilttle more time in filling our tree with gifts.

2010-11-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

An anniversary of sorts

Today is the one year anniversary of when I started my job. Many of you know the "job hunt" that was my life for the past several years, and how reaching today was a long road! In this economy I feel fortunate to have any job but to have one that I love with great co-workers makes today a true celebration!

2010-11-29T17:18:00.001-05:00

November new recipe

Thanksgiving was a little different for us this year. With family going in every opposite direction, we chose to stay home. Ended up we weren't the only one's with that idea and we were quickly invited to spend Turkey Day with friends here in Atlanta. Of course we offered to bring pieces of the traditional dinner and that soon turned into "bring whatever you want". Alan has to have 2 things for Thanksgiving, green bean casserole and homemade mac and chesse. Well, technically he needs a lot more than that for his dinner to be complete, those are just two very important staples! So after a little begging on his part, I agreed, then I went on the hunt to find a new Mac and Cheese recipe. For the past few years I have made one certain recipe of M&C, however I never really thought it was the perfect balance of creamy-cheesiness on the inside and crispy-cheesiness on the top, so I figured this was my chance to find that perfect combination. I mean, if you're only gonna make one thing for Thanksgiving, it better be good!
Well, let me tell you, it wasn't just good, it was AWESOME! There were about 2 spoonfuls left in the huge serving dish when dinner was over and everyone was asking for the recipe! I have to agree, it really was the best M&C I've had, not to pat myself on the back or anything! It really was that good. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself, it's super easy!

Deluxe Macaroni & Extra Sharp Cheese Casserole - recipe by Pam Jones and Kerry Kruegler

Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package macaroni
2 cups cottage cheese
1 8-ounce package sour cream
1 egg, beaten
¾ teaspoon salt
dash pepper and paprika
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded aged EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese.
Topping:
1 -1 ½ cups shredded aged EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese
Paprika

Directions
1 - Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Cook and rinse the macaroni
2 - Combine the cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt, pepper, and aged EXTRA sharp shredded cheddar cheese. Mix the cottage cheese mixture with the cooked macaroni. Pour the macaroni in a 2-quart cast iron pan or casserole dish.

3 - Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Leave oven on and remove casserole. Finish off by topping with a layer of aged EXTRA sharp shredded cheddar cheese (8-16 ounces) and sprinkle top of cheese with paprika. Put back in hot oven. Watch and leave in just until cheese melts. Take out, and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings

I doubled the recipe and everything worked perfectly!

Let me know what you think!

2010-11-23T13:50:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving, Crockpot style

Last night we were lucky enough to be invited to dinner at the home of Jen, Queen of the Crockpot. Jen is a fellow blogger, who blogs about the thing she loves the most, Crockpotting (that's right, I made a new word) over at What'sinJen'sCrockpot .

This is Jen in all her cooking glory

And this is a little glimpse into the magic of last night's meal (double crockpotting!)

Every Monday night Jen features a new recipe in her Crockpot and invites people over to try out her dishes. This Monday we got an invite and of course we couldn't turn it down. This week was her Thanksgiving edition and it was a feast! The meal was delicious, the company wonderful and the conversation hysterical.

Head on over to Jen's blog and read all the details there!

2010-11-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

New Blogger!

Many of you know my friend Brook, I seem to talk about her alot! Well now you can get to know her for yourself, that's right, she's officially a blogger! Check out her site here:

Welcome to the world of blogging Brook!

2010-11-19T09:08:00.000-05:00

Black Friday Preparation

Have you seen the Target commercial with the lady in red "training" for Black Friday? It's a little disturbing but I love it. Maybe that's because I love Black Friday. Lots of people plan and "train" for this day for weeks. They get most, if not all their shopping done on this day and take advantage of every deal out there. I'm a little different, I go for the excitement. See, I don't like to do anything Christmas related until Thanksgiving passes. I like to celebrate each holiday on its own, I know, it's weird. So, Black Friday is officially the start of Christmas for me. It's when we put up our tree, start listening to Christmas music and all the festivities start to take place. So, while some people dread the long lines, crowded stores and never ending parking lot hikes, I love it!

In case you plan to head out and take part in the annual event, here are a few sites that will help you plan your day and score some deals!

And my personal favorite: Afullcup.com -

this is literally a forum for everyone to share and compare what they are finding!

So, if you plan to take part in the annual "day of shopping" good luck and have fun! I'll be out there somewhere in the sea of shoppers. Most likely I will be the one with very few purchases but a big smile, shouldn't be hard to miss!

2010-11-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

My first Rib

As you probably already read, we spent this part of this past weekend in Memphis, TN. I haven't been to Memphis since I was a around 12, so it was like seeing the city for the first time. It was also the perfect opportunity to mark #29 (Once a month, eat at at a restaurant I've never eaten at before.) off my 30 Things by Thirty list, for the month of November.

Friday night we went to downtown Memphis and straight for the lengendary Rendezvous. You can smell the restaurant as you turn the corner and that's where the experience begins. The place was packed, evidentally it usually is, but seeing as we were a group of 7 we got in quickly for one of the large tables. The walls are covered with all types of memorabilia and the wait staff wear black and white with black bowties. Everything is served on paper plates and with plastic utensils, not the most "green" practice but definitely adds character.

Here's a little info about the restaurant from their website

In 1948, Charlie Vergos cleaned out a basement below his diner, discovered a coal chute, and started a legend. The coal chute gave him a vent for his considerable talent over a grill, and allowed him to expand from ham-and-cheese sandwiches to ribs.Today, several thousand people on an average Saturday night pour into our basement and sink their teeth into a slab of what makes Memphis, well, Memphis. Presidents and potentates, the King and the Killer, Rolling Stones, *NSYNC, and everybody who’s anybody have all been down for a bite. We’re all about ribs, but our menu is as varied and interesting as the wide array of incredible stuff that adorns our walls and ceilings.Charlie’s kids run things now, and their kids are coming along, and their kids will follow. You see, ribs, restaurants in basements and Greek hospitality are Vergos things. And that’s a good thing. By the way, we still make a mean ham-and-cheese sandwich too.

We tried the cheese plate, the barbeque nachos (never heard of this before but delish!) and of course the ribs!

Here's what the rib plate looks like. Each with a side of beans and cole slaw.

(yes, that is what's in the small bowls)

Not being a big meat eater I've never had ribs before, so I figured this was the best time to end that draught! I have to say, I didn't know what I was missing! These were delish! I could have eaten a ton of them! However, I doubt all ribs are as good as Rendezvous, so I guess I'll have to go back to Memphis if I get a craving for good ribs!

2010-11-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

Memphis and Mountain View

Last week we took off early and headed west for a long weekend. Alan has been working in Mississippi and so we decided to take advantage of the location. We met up in Memphis, where Alan's Aunt and Uncle (Judy and Bob) live, as well as his two cousins and their families. We don't get to see that part of the family very often so we were looking forward to catching up and having fun.

We spent the first day in Memphis. We walked to breakfast and then set off for a ride on the Memphis Greenline. It's a beautiful trail built along an unused rail line. The scenery was beautiful and we stopped along the way for pizza and beer. 17 miles later, it had been a perfect afternoon!

After a little rest and refreshment we headed dowtown to meet up with Ashley, Boyd, Cole and Camp. We had dinner (more on where in my next post) and walked around downtown, stopped by the Peabody Hotel (you know, where the ducks swim in the lobby fountain),

and made our way to Beale Street. What a great place with so much great music!

The next day we were up early and headed to Mountain View, Arkansas. Bob and Judy have a house there and it's just a quick 3 hour drive from Memphis. We met up with the rest of the Memphis group there, Paul, Shelly, Reed, Isabelle and Luke, where we quickly packed up and headed out for a hike and picnic lunch.

We stopped at a look out for our lunch and enjoyed the view as well as the warmth of the sunshine. Alan found a large praying mantis and the kids were set with entertainment for a little while.

We spent the rest of the time visiting the shops in Mountain View, enjoying home cooked meals on the bonfire and chatting up a storm.

The weather was beautiful and it was just cold enough to feel like fall in the mountains.

We made it back to Memphis with enough time for a second visit with Ashley, Boyd, Cole and Camp, and a little basketball before it was time to catch my flight.

It was a great weekend and we had such a good time. Wish Memphis was closer so we could do it more often! Thanks to the Reeds, Harris' and Goebels for making us feel at home!

2010-11-15T10:27:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday

After an absolutely wonderful weekend it's a rainy and dark Monday morning. So it seemed like a great time to share a new find. This weekend I discovered Curly Girl Designs. They make all types of paper and gift items with great sayings and statements. Check out their website, they've got some cute stuff.

This one is my favorite (and the perfect mantra for a dark and rainy Monday!)

2010-11-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

Pattern Time!

Last year I got a sewing machine for Christmas. I've always loved making things, I mean I'm creative and love creating! But I've always focused more on things like scrapbooks or crafts that came together with a glue gun. Last year I started thinking abut all the great things I could make if I had a sewing machine. So I added it to my wishlist.

My mom filled that wish, which was very appropriate considering she is the only "sewer" I know and I was more than excited with all the possibilities. Now that was last Christmas, it's been almost a year and so far I have used my machine to make a table runner, just a simple one sided hemmed piece of fabric that runs in a straight line. It may not sound like much but it was my first attempt with my machine and my mom walked me through it. And I have to say, it came out pretty perfect!

So, now that I knew how to use my machine the question was, what was I going to make? I started looking at patterns for ideas and that is where I hit a wall. Selvage, Grain line, zipper foot, interfacing, darts, nothces, whoa! I just wanted to cut some cute fabric, sew it together and make something, I didn't want to learn a foreign language! So, I put the process on hold.

Then came my 30 Things by Thirty list! I decided this was the perfect time to bite the bullet and put my patience to the test (by the way, patience is also on my list of things to accomplish!).

A few weeks ago my Mom came to town for the weekend, I figured it was the perfect time to try a pattern! I lured her here with tickets to the ballet and then when she arrived I casually mentioned the pattern and asked if she would help (I would like to think I was that good but really the visit just happened to coincide with a sale on patterns at Jo Ann's Fabrics!) She graciously agreed and so the journey began.

Thanks to a husband who has a degree in Textile Apparel Design and Management, and the fact that I work for a company that makes software for the textile industry, I know a little about fabric, so I wasn't completely clueless.

Mom gave me lots of pointers, explained the pattern process and soon I had my pieces cut out!

I slowly worked on sewing the pieces together, ironing them, sewing the next step etc. Then I hit a wall, also known as a zipper. Oh wow, that one threw me. First I had to go buy a zipper. See there is this little section on the back of the pattern envelope that tells you what notions you will need. Well it would help to read this when you buy the pattern or the fabric. However, first it would help to know that it is there and then to know what a notion is! I learn something every day!

Then it was the challenge of seeing how many attempts I would have to make at this zipper before I was pleased with it. Alan and I took bets, let's just say we both lost. I got it on the first try. Alan and his design eye even approved! I was thrilled!

Then I kept working on all the finishing touches and before I knew it...I had a skirt!

Here you go, the first glimpse of my first piece sewn by pattern! Not only did it come out looking pretty good, it fits perfectly, which for me is a priceless feature! Even better, it's wolfpack red, so I have a new piece to add to my red and black wardrobe! It's not perfect by any means but you have to look pretty close (or inside) to find the flaws. In the pictures it looks a little bumpy on the left hip and a little longer in the front than the back but that is what happens when you don't have an assistant to take pictures for you or a full length mirror where you can make sure you have the skirt on straight! Oh well.

Front

Back

So I did it, completed #7 - Sew one item (from a pattern) on my sewing machine.

Now I'm ready to tackle all kinds of things. The problem is I come up with great ideas, it's finding the time to actually make them that's the hard part!
Stay tuned!

2010-11-08T12:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Social Media Week Atlanta!

Yep, that's right, it's Social Media week here in Atlanta!

Here's a little info from their site socialmediaatlanta.org:

As the #2 Most Wired City in the U.S. according to Forbes magazine, it’s no mystery why Atlanta is also one of the top cities in social media. Many multinational companies call Atlanta home and have fully embraced the power of this new medium using it to reach out to consumers and build communities around their brands.

For five days, all across the Atlanta metro area, participants will have the opportunity to attend events designed to showcase Atlanta’s involvement in social media across many different industries as well as state and local governments, communities, and cultures.

I'll be attending, for work, but am excited to learn everything I can and be part of this innagural event!

2010-11-05T13:14:00.001-04:00

#4 isn't as easy as I thought!

#4 on my 30 Things by Thirty list is Learn how to bake Gluten Free, easy enough, right? Wrong.
See, recently I found out that I am allergic to gluten, so being the novice gluten avoidee, I figured you just take find a substitute for flour and you are good to go, well that's kind of the idea but it's not that simple.

What I didn't realize is that more important than where the gluten is, is what the gluten does. Gluten makes your dough "doughy", it helps dough rise, and depending on what you are making you need different amounts of it for texture, stability, etc. So, see, it's kind of important when considering its roll in baking and finding a substitute that will do all those things, is well, a little less than easy.

So here is what I have found:
- Buy gluten free baking mixes. They have everything from desserts to breads. Let someone else do all the figuring and perfecting!

- Buy or make a gluten free flour mix. This means you can bake homemade goodies without gluten, however you will need different mixes for different types of baked goods. These include everything from rice flower to almond flour to sorghum, there a million options!

- Bake in walled containers. Without gluten rolls and bread won't hold their shape, so use pans with walls to help them form as shape.

- Add gum. The sticky effect created by gluten can be simulated to a certain extent by adding gums, for instance, guar gum or xantham gum. These gums are only added to recipes in small amounts (such as 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour) and are already included in some of the commercial gluten-free flour mixes.

- Add protein. Because gluten is a protein, it can help to add some protein to baking recipes when you're substituting gluten-free flours for wheat flour. Try replacing half a cup of water in your recipe with egg or liquid egg whites

So there you have it. See, it's not exactly cut and dry!

Making your own gluten free flour mix seems like the best option if you want to bake homemade goodies, if not, go for the premade mixes. Either way, being able to have baked goods with no gluten in them is a dream come true!

2010-11-04T16:51:00.001-04:00

Calling all Chocoloate Chip cookie recipes!

Thanks to my 30 Things by Thirty list I am on a quest to find the best chocolate chip recipe.

So if you have one please send it to me, I'll let you know how they all stack up!!

2010-11-03T14:46:00.001-04:00

We're away for the day but you can come visit

Our bathroom remodel is being featured today at Remodalaholic ! You can see it by clicking on the banner below.

Thanks to Cassity at Remodelaholic for choosing to feature us, we feel honored!

2010-11-02T13:17:00.000-04:00

October Restaurant

Last month my mom visited for a weekend and in an attempt to get everyone fed quickly we hit Felini's pizza in Candler Park. Pizza is one of my very favorite foods, so I've had slices from more than my fair share of places and let's just say, I'm pretty picky.

After much discussion we settled on a sausage pizza and of course a pitcher of beer. The wait time cut it close but our pizza showed up just in the nick of time.

I have to say, this was a great pizza. The crust is perfect flavor and texture, the cheese was almost creamy and the sausage was delicious, not your typical pizza sausage! I loved it so much that a few weeks later we hit up the Felini's in the Highlands. So there you have it, Felini's has my stamp of pizza approval and I marked another item off my 30 Things by Thirty list!

2010-11-01T15:16:00.000-04:00

Mystery solved

photo source

Number #12 on my 30 Things by Thirty list is Recreate and perfect the Turkish breakfast smoothie.
Well, let me explain.

This past summer we visited the beautiful country of Turkey. We started in Istanbul and drove down the western coast, ducking in to Aphrodisias and Pamukkale and ending on the southern side of the country in Dalyan. The country is amazing and we highly recommened it to everyone who asks. The untouched history there is absolutely unbelievable! However, it on our last stop of the trip, Dalyan, where we fell in love with Turkey. A quaint little beach town on the Dalyan river, with access to sulphur springs, natural mud baths, amazing historical tombs and Iztuzu beach. After being in the big cities and tourist areas we loved the laid back style and hospitable people.

Our first morning we stumbled on a breakfast shop called Lina's, down by the docks. It was early and already swelteringly hot, so we both quickly spotted the breakfast smoothie on the menu. After reading the brief description we were sold and both ordered the largest size they offered. After listening to the owner blend them up in the back, they were on our table and we both instantly fell in love with them. Needless to say, every morning after, we were back at Lina's for our breakfast smoothie. It didn't take long for one of us to say "we should make these at home" and so the journey began. We did our best to remember the description from the menu and as soon as we returned home we started the quest.

Every morning Alan would make smoothies and every morning we would discuss how close we thought it was and what we thought was different. After a while we settled on what we figured was close enough and then I had an idea. See when we are preparing for a trip I am glued to a website called TripAdvisor. I love it and really believe that talking to those who frequently visit or even live where you are visiting is the best resource you can have when planning. So, considering the number of people I had met on the site when preparing for Turkey I turned to them for help with our mystery. Sure enough someone on the site was preparing to visit Turkey for their 5th time and knew of Lina's shop. To make a long story short, my TripAdvisor friend visited Dalyan, had a wonderful, visited Lina's, talked to Lina herself, and brought me the entire ingredient list from the cafe! I was so excited!

Lina wasn't willing to part with the actual amounts of each ingredient in the smoothie, so that was still up to us to figure out but at least we had the ingredients, which it turns out we had most of them correct. So, now we've come up with our version of the Turkish breakfast smoothie! When Alan is home (which is close to never!) he makes them for us before we head to work. They are delicious, healthy and a great cool breakfast for our hot southern summers!

In case you want to make your own, here is the ingredient list. We'll let you decide on your own quantities as well!

- Greek yogurt (we like Fage Total 0%)
- lemon juice
- honey
- oatmeal
- banana
- orange
- apple

Sometimes we also add strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, just depending on what we have on hand. Also, we don't put the oatmeal in until the very end so it stays on larger pieces - more like the texture we had in Dalyan!

Enjoy!

2010-10-29T09:01:00.000-04:00

Christmas lists go electronic

I know, I know, it's not even Halloween yet and already we are talking about Christmas.

Yes, I'll admit, I have started my Christmas shopping, I can't help it, I love it! So you know what that means, if you expect a gift from me you better get your list in soon! List? Yes, your Christmas list, you know that thing everyone bugs you for so they have an idea of what to get you for Christmas? Well, at least that is how it goes in my family, maybe that is where my love of lists comes from? Anyway, a couple of years ago I found a great solution to how to tell those you exchange presents with what you would like for Christmas. It's called MyRegistry.com and it allows you to create an online "wish list"! It doesn't just make a list though, it links exactly what you want with your online registry, keeping intact all specifics of color, size, etc.

Here's how it works.

Once you sign up for an account you can download the web browser button

Then just go to any website and find the item you want to add. click the "add" button on the browser bar and presto, it adds it!

Once you have added items it will look something like this

Then all you have to do is send your list link to those who want to know what to get you!

Gift givers can go straight to your page, click the item they want to purchase for you and they get all the information and even have the option to buy straight from the site. Super easy! While it's not nearly as exciting as shopping the stores on Black Friday, it does make shopping simple.
Oh yeah and you can use it for things other than Christmas as well. Think of it as your evolving wish list! Have fun!

2010-10-28T09:08:00.000-04:00

On a roll

So, I know it's still October and I've already completed my 2 new recipes this month (as part of my 30 Things by Thirty list) however, I just coudn't help myself. This week has been rainy and dark here in ATL so it has me feeling like it's time for winter stews and soups, despite not really being cold enough to justify! Regardless, I tried Chicken Taco Tortilla soup and it was delish. It's super easy to make, tastes like a taco in a bowl and much less messy than taco night!

Here's the recipe, give it a try and let me know what you think!

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning - I make my own
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts shredded
Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

2010-10-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

Experiment

This past weekend I conducted a bit of an experiment at our place, I cooked a whole chicken in my crockpot! I had been thinking about doing this for week's and after a little encouragement from The Crockpot Queen Jen (check out her blog: What's in Jen's Crockpot) I decided to go for it. Saturday morning I got up early and got it started, it needed 10 hours to cook through, so I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time. I stuffed it with 3 garlic cloves and some sliced onion, filled the bottom of the pot with chicken stock and covered the chicken with salt and pepper, stuck him in the pot, covered with a few onion slices and put on the lid. I cooked him at high for 2 hours and then low for 8 hours. I was pretty good about not peeking until we were ready to eat! I poked him a little to see if I thought he was done and then I lifted him out of the pot and onto a plate.

Not only was he done but he was delicious! We had dinner for three Saturday night and tons leftover! I will definitely do this experiment again but next time I will get a little more creative with the seasoning, etc.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the chicken I have left.

2010-10-25T09:08:00.000-04:00

Confession

Yes, I admit, I am a scrapbooker (is that even a word?). It all started when I was in highschoool. Every year on Alan and my dating anniversary I would make a book that had a page representing each month of the year and the dates we went on each month. From there I went to making books for trips we took, or at least that was the goal. I did well at first, I mean I go the first one done within a year of going on the trip. However after that I started to slack off, but always keeping good intentions. Honestly our trips are usually around 2 weeks and we never come home with fewer than 1000 photos, so just sorting and printing the photos is a daunting task. So, I put these books as an item on my 30 Things by Thirty list and slowly I am working my way from trip to trip. Lots of people ask me how I go about making these books, so I thought I would share my process.

First, everything I save from a trip goes in one of these types of envelopes. Everything from hotel room keys to maps to menus, tickets, etc. This way everything stays seperated by trip and I don't wind up with a menu from Germany and a map of Tokyo in the same place!

Then once I order the photos they stay in their envelope and get marked with the country or trip they are from. Then they go in the envelope above.

I use post bound fabric covered scrapbooks with front middle cut outs. I like the way these look as you add to your collection and they hold up nicely. Plus they come in every color!

And I always use extra inserts for my books!

I keep it pretty basic when it comes to supplies. I have to have a paper cutter, I'm a stickler for straight clean edges! Then I use various colors and widths of Sharpies, a small pair of scissors and roll on tape.

And of course, my extensive collection of paper. Here is a sampling, mainly of the solid colors but I have every type of pattern you can imagine!

There are tons of great accessories when it comes to what to put inside your scrapbook, it's amazing! However I'm not much for the cut-outs and stickers, honestly I think they take up too much room! So I pretty much stick to quotes or words that have meaning in relationship to the place or picture.

Then I accessorize with all the things out of my envelope! Tickets and brochures make great explanations for pictures and sometimes even a map can make a great background. Then everything in your book has meaning!

I start out by grouping the pictures and putting them in order, usualy the order we traveled in. Then I seperate all the misc items from my envelope and group them by type of item or by city. Then I buckle down and get started.

It's a long process but it's worth it in the end. Traveling is a love Alan and I share, so I love the thought of being able to pick up a book or go back to anyone of our adventures.

2010-10-22T08:58:00.000-04:00

Totally tubular!

Last week I crossed another item off my 30 Things by Thirty list - #16. Learn how to change a tube on a bike tire. I figured that since we were about to do a Triathlon with the longest bike portion we've attempted which meant I would spend more time on out on the course and more miles mean more opportunities for a flat! So, it was high time I learned how to prevent a flat disaster!

Turns out its not that hard!

All you need are these two pieces:

You use the tire levers to undo one side of the tire, let all the air out from the tube valve, pull the flat tube out, arrange the new tube around the frame and under the tire and then put the tire back into place on the frame! Then you just add the air with a pump or CO2 cartridge and you're good to go. Hopefully it's as easy as I remember it but hopefully I'll never need to remember!

2010-10-20T11:14:00.000-04:00

October Recipe #2

So it's fall, I know here in the south it may not feel like it, but I promise it is actually fall! That means it's time to break out the crockpot and in honor of the event I thought a new recipe was in order. Turkey chili was the choice winner, not just any Turkey chili, this one had a little twist to it with green chilis, green pepper, marjoram and a bay leaf.

The best thing about cooking in a crockpot (in my humble opinion) is that when you walk in the door from a long day, the scent of a home cooked meal greets you. So, I was thrilled when I walked in and was wrapped in the delicious aroma, I was also very excited to see if this concoction tasted as good as it smelled! Well, no suspense here, it didn't. It wasn't horrible but it also wasn't anything special and I officially deleted the recipe from my computer! However, I paired it with a delicous red wine and magically the chili tasted much better!

2010-10-18T09:49:00.000-04:00

Another season comes to and end

In our house we have 5 seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter and triathlon! Triathlon season starts during the spring, continues during the summer, ends during the fall, so not only is it the longest of the 5 but it has the biggest impact on our daily lives. This past weekend marked the end of Triathlon season for us. We competed in our second Olympic distance Tri in Pinehurst, NC. It was a wetsuit legal race with the water at 71 degrees, which was nice and warm since the air was 52 at the start! With 650 participants it was a somewhat large event and extremely competitive as people were looking to finish the season with points, PR's and standings.

We all had a great time and were able to smile at the finish line, so it was a successful day! Now we get to take a little time off, rest and recover, and figure out our plans for marathon season. Oh wait, marathon season, that makes a 6th season! Yikes!

2010-10-14T11:10:00.000-04:00

Spring cleaning time! Oh wait, it's fall?

photo source

So what can I say, I admit it, I'm a neat freak!

I have all the symptoms:

1. I HATE clutter

2. everything I own has a place and when not in use should be in it's place
3. I am constantly "tidying" up
4. I swoon over places like the Container Store
5. I live by my to-do list and my calendar (oh wait, this may be a symptom of some other condition)

Anyway recently I've gotten into a cleaning spree, really more of a cleaning-out spree! Nothing is safe! I started with the refrigerator and then hit the freezer, then it was on to the pantry! It's sad how much I threw out due to expiration dates, etc, I need to keep a better eye on those! Next it's on to the closet - it's on my 30 Things by Thirty list, so I guess now is as good a time as any to mark it off.

Throughout all the digging and putting back together I have been thankful to have well organized areas, it makes the "put back together" part much easier. Hopefully the same will ring true in my closet!

Recently I found a great site that has everything you need for creating a more organized life, home, schedule, etc. Simple Organized Living is run by Andrea, a professional organizer (aka women after my own heart!) and she is all about clearing clutter! Every kind of clutter! Check out her site and join me in spring, I mean fall cleaning!

2010-10-13T09:03:00.000-04:00

October Recipe #1

Alan and I have been traveling like crazy, many times passing each other on our way back and forth. This past weekend we finally landed in the same place at the same time for 2 whole days! I was very excited to see him but knew he would be exhausted from his 2 long flights and 1 long layover so I knew we wouldn't be going out Saturday night. He had also mentioned numerous times over the last 2 weeks how he was missing food with "flavor" I think that was a hint! So Saturday I buckled down and made him some yummy food to welcome him home. Alan has a few things that he would call his favorite home cooked meals, so I picked one and went to town. I chose Stuffed Shells and decided to make a homemade sauce to go with them. Now, I have made homemade sauce before but have never been 100% happy with them, so I tried something new. This one is definitely a keeper and I encourage you to try it.

1. Heat Olive Oil over a low to medium heat.

2. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons each of basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
3. Heat until garlic starts to turn clear.
4. Add ground meat - 1 lb or increase other ingredients per lb of meat.
5. Separate meat and mix in spices already in pan
6. Brown meat
7. Once meat is done add: 3 large tomatoes (cut or diced), 2 cans tomato paste, 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon basil (Fresh), 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if you want spice!).
8. Combine thoroughly and bring to a boil.
9. Turn down to a simmer, simmer for 1 hour.

The consistency of the sauce makes it perfect for anything from Spaghetti to Lasagne (or even stuffed shells!)

Enjoy!

2010-10-12T09:26:00.000-04:00

An unexpected gift

Last month I marked another thing off my 30 things by Thirty list but I had to wait until now to share it! I completed #21. Make a gift for someone - unexpectedly.

First I had to figure out who I wanted to make a gift for, then I had to decide what I was going to make, and then I had to get up the courage to conquer it!

I chose my friend Brook, she's been supportive of my list since I started and her Birthday was in September, so it was a no brainer. Then I tried to figure out what she might like or even something she might use. Brook loves yoga and takes classes weekly, so once I found a pattern for a yoga mat carrier, I knew that was what I wanted to make.

So, I chose a fabric that reminded me of Brook, soothing, interesting and pretty. Then I laid it out and cut the pieces - see below.

I started sewing all the pieces together and everything went pretty smoothly until I realized I had to sew on a round bottom. It was interesting but a few pleats here and there and it came out pretty well.

And before I knew it I was done! Here you can see what the final product looked like.

Then I packaged it up and sent it to Brook.

I was pretty happy with how it turned out and hope Brook likes it, maybe even uses it!
Now I am ready to conquer the next sewing challenge!