It's Friday, Friday, Friday

It's Friday.  Thank goodness. 

Usually this is my slogan for a Friday afternoon.......

But recently things has just been crazy.  As much as I want to be a couch potato, life (and friends) grab me by the reigns and take me for a ride every weekend.  BUT, I and not complaining and NEVER will.  I have been so blessed with the most amazing boyfriend and friends that I cherish every evening I am not in my sweats catching up on the DVR. 

Over the past couple weekends, "Charleston" and I have managed to catch a couple Panthers games.  (Thanks again to Ryan Anderson for the tickets!)

We have also managed to host several gatherings at the house to have dinner, watch football and hang out.

R to L:  "Charleston", Adam Z., John W.

I have celebrated several of my fabulous friends birthday's!

Happy Birthday to Miss Laura Faust and to Miss Jenna Luck!

And we have been fortunate to attend the weddings of Ashley and Ryan Smithson and

Marla and John Wadsworth.  Congratulations you guys!  We had a blast and can't wait to experience with you what the future has to hold for the rest of your lives together!

...and the fun doesn't stop there. 

This weekend, my "since kindergarden" girlfriends are coming into town to celebrate the upcoming marriage of one of our bestest :  Miss Leslie Ann Routh!

Leslie and Zack's Wedding Website

Definitely expect pictures and a little more detail to follow next week!

Shabby Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Maybe it is a blessing in disguise that I dare not dabble in the lottery because if I were to strike it rich, I would buy a house, put enough away for my three unborn children's college education, take a trip to New Zealand and Bora Bora.....and.... buy every dress and accessory on Shabby Apple's website!

But thank goodness I am some what of a penny pincher, (and you can totally tell by my closet right now. sad times) because I have NOT struck it rich and am living off of an average American salary which, does not allow me to act out like a caged animal in Shabby Apple.  

In the meantime while I wait for the cash money, I will dream of sugar plums and fairies and of course one day taking my trip to New Zealand in this:

Trapeze

L'Artiste

Champs Elysees

Toe The Line 

Signed, Sealed Delivered Belt 



YUMMY YUMMY get around my tummy!

Peanut Butter Fudge

I scored the most amazing Peanut Butter Fudge recipe several weeks ago from one of my co-workers, Sara.  It is her Granny's "secret" recipe and I couldn't wait to bring it into my kitchen and get my hands on it!  Therefore the opportunity arose for "Charleston's" sister's birthday!  Happy Birthday to Lorene; lets celebrate with some fudge!

Granny's Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

5 cups sugar

2 sticks butter (don't cheat, use the real deal!  none of that low fat stuff.)

1 large can evaporated milk

4 teaspoons pure vanilla

2 cups peanut butter (again, don't skimp!  be real here!  after 5 cups of sugar your calories are already out the window)

1 - 7 ounce can marshmallow cream

Directions

Combine butter, sugar, and milk in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  When mixture reaches a full boil, cook 10 minutes longer (OR until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees).  Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, and marshmallow cream.  Blend thoroughly and pour into buttered baking dish.  Let cool.  ENJOY!

**Helpful Tip:  I line my baking dish with wax paper and then butter the wax paper.  Keeps things clean and a lot easier to remove fudge after it cools!

Let's Begin:

Gotta love a little bubbly!

And then because I was constantly stirring and adding ingredients after the bubbly was done, I didn't get a picture until this point. (and because I was a supper messy cook and I didn't want you to see the rest of my kitchen!)

After I let it cool for AT LEAST an hour (better be safe then sorry!) I pulled the wax paper out of the pan and cut each block into smaller squares.

Side Note:  I made two batches.....again, better be safe then sorry :)

It looks a little crunchy/crusty on top but don't let the pictures fool you; its really all melt in your mouth.  Honestly.  



Halloween Decorations

I want my house to look like this for Halloween this year.....anyone else totally feeling it?!

Totally sophisticated Halloween! 

Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners

You would have thought I had been living under a rock for the past 27 years. 

Last spring "Charleston's" sister Lorene had us over for dinner to enjoy a pot roast she had been cooking all day.  I mentioned in my post here yesterday that I LOVE my crock pot and I use it all the time.  Therefore, being myself, I thought I knew everything there was to know about cooking in a slow cooker. 

I WAS WRONG! 

(see, I can admit when I am wrong)

After dinner "Charleston" and I offered to do the dishes and to my surprise, we were denied!  Who denies a dish washer?! 

We were denied because there were no dishes to wash!  Lorene had used a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner in her crock pot and just dumped all the ingredients in.  All she had to do to clean up was to throw the liner away; vuala!

How in the world did I not know of these slow cooker liner thingy's? 

The one and ONLY reason I used to HATE cooking with my crock-pot was because it was so big and heavy to fit in the sink to clean. (And not to mention the fact you had to let it cool for three hours until you could actually pick it up.)

Therefore, last night when cooking my Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili I used a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner and I was speechless.  My brand new crock pot still looks brand new and my manicure still looks crisp;  no scrubbing dishes for me and more time spent catching up on my DVR! 

via

Mom, where were you on this! I give you all the credit for my cooking skills and my love for cooking but I think I missed one detail along the way!



A New Addition To My Kitchen

Last night I was like a kid in a candy store!  "Charleston" took me to Target to get a new crock pot!

                                   

Isn't she just the prettiest?!  It's fall and fall means chili!  Fall means pot roast and homemade soup and homemade spaghetti sauce and barbecued pulled pork and baked ziti and all things made in a slow cooker. 

About four years ago for Christmas my grandmother gave me a 5 quart crock pot.  I used the ba-jesus out of the thing!  It was still functional but was missing a handle, stained and the lid had a tiny crack.... and...it was only 5 quarts.  I wanted a big daddy! 

And there she is, 7 quarts of pure heaven!

(Tuesday nights for me include a spin class from 7:30 to 8:30 therefore, at 3:00 when I get off work today, my crock pot will be filled with the ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili.  Turn that sucker on high for 5 hours and bam, dinner is ready when I walk in the door from the gym!  Anyone want to come over tonight?!)

Anyways....After our trip to Target, I came home and tried a new recipe for dinner.  "Charleston" and I strive to eat healthy but tend to stray towards comfort food as the weather changes from summer to fall.  Therefore, in an effort to keep the meal hot and fulfilling, but low cal and inexpensive, I tried the Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps from Skinny Taste.

Overall rating:  Excellent but MESSY!  Lettuce just doesn't hold up as well as a tortilla or taco shell.  This is definitely not a "first date" dinner.  I have warned you; please don't embarrass yourself because I promise you that you will!

Other then that, I can't complain!  It was wonderful!

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

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Ingredients:

1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
3/4 cup water
4 oz can tomato sauce
8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce

Directions:
Brown turkey in a large skillet. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Wash and dry the lettuce. Place meat in the center of leaf and top with tomatoes, cheese and salsa or whatever you prefer.

 

*Helpful Tip:  I bought two heads of lettuce.  It's just really hard to get off enough "good" leaves for the cups from one head.

Just To See You Smile....I'd Do Anything

730 Days

Like I mentioned yesterday on my post here, "Charleston" and I passed the two year mark and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. 

We decided that we wanted to keep this anniversary low key so we treated ourselves to dinner, just the two of us (that hasn't happened in months!), at one of our favorite spots in Charlotte, 300 East. 

The Monday night drink special was half price glasses of wine (my lucky day) so I enjoyed a glass of the Hob Nob Pinot Nior and the guy had the Ballast Stone Shiraz.

We started with the appetizer of fresh guacamole and salsa.  Great way to start since we were both about to eat our arms from hunger!

On to the entrees:

"Charleston" had the Old School Burger with a Potato Cake on the side.  Very fresh and cooked to perfection!

                

and I enjoyed the Grilled Hanger Steak.

I will say this once:  this was absolutely the best meal I have had in my life.  O.M.G.  The steak was to die for, honestly.  It was tender and had sauteed onions on top.  I want another right now!

We also kept it really simple with no gifts....just cards; keep it sweet.

"Charleston" won best card this year, hands down.  His card was the sweetest thing in the world!

first page

second page

last page..
(and of course I am not going to show you his message he wrote me!  It was too sweet and brought me to tears.)

He's my buddy.  I love and appreciate him in every way.

Today Marks Two Years

When I look back over my short little life, I have never been one of those girls who has been lucky in love.  I've had relationships over the years some good, some not so good, but none of them deep in my heart ever felt very permanent.  I always had the feeling that they were one argument away from breaking up and I always felt like I was on my last rope to make it work.  They were always so draining and drama filled.  There was never the sense of "we will get through this together."

When I met "Charleston" everything was different from the very beginning.  To my own surprise, I acted nothing like what I had when I met guys in the past.  I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I had simply gotten to the point where I felt I had nothing to lose; maybe even accepted the fact that I might stay single for a lot longer then I wanted to be- and I  guess I was finally OK with it.  I feel this truly allowed me to be ME when getting to know "Charleston."

BUT, the biggest contribution to the making of our relationship came from "Charleston".  Where I would normally have analyzed every call, missed call, text or date like in the past, I didn't have to with him- "Charleston" always let me know where he was in his feelings and followed through with his every word.  For a girl that had been slightly scared from past relationships with trust issues, this key ingredient just added confidence to our journey.

I have never felt more safe and secure in the relationship that "Charleston" and I share. He's my buddy; my best friend.  I love him more today then I did yesterday and I can not wait to love him even more tomorrow!

Happy 2 year anniversary L.N.!

A quick picture from yesterday: 

After a long weekend of wedding festivities for John and Marla, we laid head to head on the couch and watched (slept through) TV together all day long!  Perfect Sunday!



Charlotte Radio Stations Get A Thumbs Down

I love the city I call home but it is lacking one thing.....good, solid, awesome, fresh radio stations.

We have Kiss 95.1, 96.1 The Beat, 96.9 The Kat, The End 106.5, 103.7 WSOC, 99.7 The Fox and several others but they all have one thing in common....they play the same thing over-and-over-and-over-and-over-and-over again; if its not a Top 20 in their genera, its not going to be heard.  No matter if they announce that they play "the best variety in Charlotte", its not hard to hold that title with the surrounding competition; play one old school Tim McGraw or Coldplay song in your line up and job well done, you have played variety!!

I wish there was a station that played smaller artists that might not have hit the billboard yet; artists who still use their given birth name.  Mix that in with classic hits and only a couple newbies.  I want a station that celebrates music and not just the top 20 artists of today.....

....Oh well, its wishful thinking.....

Until then, I will stick to my own play lists which right now include:


River City Lights -- Griffin House

Someone Like You -- Adele

Drunkards Prayer -- Over the Rhine

Farther Along -- Josh Garrels

Daughter -- Loudon Wainwright

Something Beautiful -- Need To Breath

Learning To Fly -- Tom Petty

I've Gotta See You Smile -- Leigh Nash

If Not For You -- Derek Webb and Sandra McCraken

My Love For You Is Real -- Ryan Adams

Timshel -- Mumford and Sons

Springsteen -- Eric Church


Anyone know of a station I am not aware of?!!!!

I Do Not Like To Write...But I Blog

I hate to write.

Never have liked it.

So many people thought it was funny when I said I was going to start a blog several years ago.

I really didn't want to start a blog for the writing aspect (and I am sure you can tell by the content of many of my posts and my grammar throughout the entire thing) but wanted to begin as a way of recording my life. 

It is just the tiniest glimpse into my thoughts, feelings and happenings but it is a recording none the less.

Therefore, I enjoy going back to previous years and reliving what I was doing at the time; the meals I cooked, the events I attended; my interests in fashion and design etc.  Also, it is cool to see the big milestones that have happened like meeting "Charleston", moving three times and welcoming a new member to our family:

My niece:  Olivia Claire Howard

I like watching Olivia "grow-up" on my blog and become her own little independent woman! 

I enjoy my blog and look forward to updating it not only to share with friends and family but as a reminder in a year or more how blessed and happy I have been throughout my life! 

HAPPY TUESDAY FRIENDS!

A Meal That Scored Big

"I think this is going to be my new favorite." - "Charleston"

Those were the words I was looking for.

"Charleston" and I have really only seen each other in passing this week so I asked him to keep his schedule clear for last night. I wanted to try a new recipe and spend some quality time with my b/f before another busy weekend. 

I scored big on this date night.  He LOVED dinner and I was excited because it was ultimately cheap and SUPER easy to prepare.  

My motivation for trying these particular recipes was that I am always in search for a meal that will feed many.  We have tons friends in Charlotte and love to entertain, but always have to keep in mind that we don't want to spend a fortune and I don't want to spend all my social time in the kitchen. 

Mission accomplished.  This could feed an army!  (If you are just cooking for two, you could easily cut the enchilada recipe in half and the rice recipe maybe into a third. I made the entire recipe and guess what we are having for lunch today!)

My Creation:  Sorry for the poor picture quality..."Charleston" was too hungry to wait for me to go get my camera so the Blackberry had to suffice.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

   Adapted from:  How Sweet It Is

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Ingredients
makes 8 enchiladas
8 large whole wheat tortillas (my favorite are La Tortilla Factory!)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
28 ounce can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (+ more depending on your taste buds)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour enchilada sauce in a bowl and begin by whisking in 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce. Taste and adjust according to your desired level of heat – I added in 1/2 cup total. Set aside.

Add shredded chicken to a bowl with 2 green onions and 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly. Stir until mixture comes together.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish, seam side down. Pour another 1/2 cup or more of enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining Monterrey jack cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Immediately after taking enchiladas out of the oven, add crumbled Gorgonzola on top. Garnish with the remaining onions and cilantro and serve. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and use if reheating enchiladas.




Good Ol' Basic Mexican Rice 
   Adapted from:  The Pioneer Woman

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Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1/2 whole Large Onion, Chopped
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cups Long Grain Rice
1 can Rotel (10 Ounce)
1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce)
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add broth, salt and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky.

Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top. Serve immediately.

I Am Me

I found this quote on another blog and it takes it back to the basics that I think everyone could remind themselves of once and awhile.  Too many times I feel that we blame things on our surroundings and situations instead of looking inside the reflection in the mirror.  I am guilty of it; not going to lie.  This is who I am and I am in complete control of engineering me.

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it -- I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know -- but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay.”

Like it?

Is It Really A Lunch BREAK?

Why do they really call it a lunch break? 

Is it really ever a break? 

Some week days I really need an honest break during my lunch "break".  I don't want to talk; I don't want to see anyone (which can be hard to do when I work downtown); I don't want to hear my phone ring; I don't want to even look at my computer for another second......therefore I truly take a legit break. 

I grab my current read and my packed lunch and head out of my building to a secret spot. There I eat and read.  I get in my own world and forget about the bustling one moving around me.  After finishing The Help and Firefly Lane I have finally chosen my third read for the summer with the help of a friend at work:

Can't wait to start this one!  It's on the agenda today during my lunch BREAK.





Girls ONLY Space

When I buy a house it's definitely going to have to have a HIS and HER wing, or maybe even be some sort of duplex would work for the time being.  Actually the duplex is a genius idea!

A. Because it would be so much easier to keep clean if we each maintained our own sides and

B.  I need this living room:

 via

and I definitely need this bedroom

via



A true girls space.  A boy would just not look good in here and I can only picture crumbs and stains on all my pretty!  Girls Rule, Boys drool.  You know the rules. 

Thursday Night at the Stadium

Is it acceptable to wear your sunglasses at work?  ("I wear my sunglasses at work...so I can...so i can)

No?  Really?     Ok

I guess I am going to have to find another way to hide the fact that I am 100% spent....tired....exhausted...weary....(and the list goes on and on)

BUT....

Feeling this way is TOTALLY worth it if it comes with the pricetag of hanging out with friends at the Panthers game last night!

Me and the Boyfriend

isn't he just the cuttest

My friend Laura asked me yesterday morning if "Charleston" and I would be interested in going with her and a friend from work to the game last night.  She had four free tickets to the pre-season game against the Steelers and of course we accepted the offer!  Who could pass up a fun night out?

After "Charleston" and I decided to go, he mentioned it to his friend Ryan, who works for the Panthers in the marketing department, to see if Ryan was working the game.  Ryan was working the game (lucky us) and he gave us 4 free media passes to go down on the field before kickoff.  Awesome!  Its nice to know people in high places!  Thanks Ryan!

Overall, even though the Panthers didn't pull through, it was a perfect night out in the Queen City with my hunny hunny and amazing friends!