Happy 101

Good morning and Happy Friday! The lovely Becky of Love Everyday Life gave me this award!! Thank you, Becky! Her blog is so lovely - if you don't already read it, go check it out! She lives in the D.C. area - an area that I have yet to visit. It's on the list so I hope to some day visit. I can imagine us chatting about books over warm drinks at Starbucks, and hopping in and out of bookstores!



The rules of this award:

List 10 things that make you happy.
Try and do at least one of them today.
Tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day.
Link back to the person that tagged you.

1. Starbucks lattes and the friendly barristas that serve them to me - and the fact that they are all learning my name, one by one!
2. Waking up without an alarm clock.
3. Being with my nephews - especially playing games like Chutes & Ladders, Memory, and CandyLand. Confession: I enjoy the games as much as they do!!
4. Going to Bella Lana and buying new yarns & patterns.
5. Knitting! It's so relaxing and it makes me happy when I create beautiful things!
6. Running
7. Sitting on the dock at my parents' cabin. Especially if I am sipping a blender drink that my mom makes - she makes the best daiquiris and always uses fresh fruit! They are delish!
8. Playing cribbage with my Dad. It's "our game" and he never turns me down when I ask him to play!
9. Buying plane tickets to visit friends, family, or a new city.
10. Reading your blogs & getting comments from you!

And so much more! I like that I've been focusing more on what makes me happy and thankful. Life is really all about perspective. And sometimes happiness is a choice - you have to choose to focus on the good things in life and let go of the disappointments and things that bring you down.

Now for my 10 - dang this is tough!

1. Abby of The Adventures of Abby and Ryan
2. Nora of Walking Through the Rain
3. Amber of Girl with the Red Hair
4. Mandy of Just a Small Town Girl
5. Lisa-Marie of This Girl...
6. Heidi of Cherry Blossoms
7. Nicole of My Life with a Crazy Puppy
8. Emily Jane
9. Kyla Roma
10. One Little Fish

Oh, that was tough. I read and love so many blogs!!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I'll be celebrating my best friend's birthday tonight! I can't wait!!

Sunday Night Dinners: Pork Adobo Chili

If you like the spicy, smokey flavor of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you are going to love this recipe!! I actually have never cooked with pork before and I am really not sure why - it's not any more difficult than cooking with chicken. If you don't care for pork, I am sure you could sub chicken in this recipe.

Here is the recipe in photos!

Brown the pork in 1.5 tsp. of heated olive oil.


Remove pork and set aside. Add 1.5 tsp of olive oil and cook the onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Stir occasionally and cook until softened (about 5-7 min).


Stir in the tomatoes, chipotle, chili powder, cumin, and salt; bring to a boil.



Add kidney beans and pork.


Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the pork is tender (about 10-15 minutes).

I served mine over a 1/2 cup of brown rice and it was delicious!!


And like all of the recipes I've shared with you, this recipe yields A LOT!!


I've been enjoying the leftovers all week and they might be even better the 2nd time around.

Here are the ingredients:

1 T. of Olive Oil
1 lb. boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 t. chopped canned chipotle en adobo
2 t. chili powder
2 t. ground cumin
3/4 t. salt
1 15.5 oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

What have you been cooking lately?

Book Review: Pride & Prejudice

November marked the second month of our blogger book club, hosted by The Many Thoughts of a Reader. This month we decided to read a classic - Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". I had actually read this before, but it was probably 5 years ago, so I figured it was worth re-reading it. I had attempted to read P&P when I was in high school but just couldn't get into it - I was actually inspired to read it when it was referenced in "You've Got Mail" (can you tell this is a favorite movie of mine!). When I attempted it 5 years ago, I had a much harder time compared to this time around. I would not say that it is an easy read - you have to really want to read it - but don't let yourself get intimidated by Austen. I've found that the end notes are worth reading as they give a lot of incite into things Austen mentions in passing, like rules of inheritance.

I am guessing that most of you have probably seen the movie, so I don't have to dance around what happens in this book. In the event that you haven't read it or seen the movie, read no further if you don't want the ending spoiled.

The book is basically about the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. If you read my guest post that I wrote earlier this month, you know that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy did not get off to a good start. Elizabeth overheard Mr. Darcy insulting her - she didn't have a great impression of him in the first place, so this didn't help and her impression of him was forever tarnished. Her impression of him got even worse after she spoke to a former friend of Mr. Darcy who had nothing but terrible things to say about him - which happened to be lies.

Throughout the book, Elizabeth realizes that Mr. Darcy is not the creep she thought he was. If she had listened to her level-headed sister, Jane, she would have figured this out sooner. But then Austen wouldn't have been able to go on and on about her misconceptions, like she did. This is Elizabeth's reflection after figuring out that she misjudged Mr. Darcy:

"Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself." (p. 205)

So what can we learn from Elizabeth Bennet? In my opinion, we should learn to not make rash judgment and don't believe everything you hear - especially if you barely know the source of your information.

I also think we can learn that love is not always linear. What do I mean by this? I think some of us have this fairy tale idea of love and think that if it's meant to be, there shouldn't be set-backs or miscommunications. But that's not always the case. Sometimes you misunderstand one another or sometimes you didn't have the best first impression - but that doesn't mean that a relationship isn't meant to be! I kind of struggle with this - part of me wants to give people the benefit of the doubt, but a bigger part of me buys into the "once someone shows you who they are, believe them" school of thought and wants to protect my heart. But it's good to read books like this that remind me that I don't have to pass judgment so quickly.

Click here to see what Pinkflipflops, author of The Many Thoughts of a Reader has to say!

And you should definitely join in next month! Anyone and everyone is welcome! The December book is The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Pinkflipflops is the host of this reading group - add her blog to your reader and watch for the book group related posts that go up throughout the month!

Happy reading!!

Ten on Tuesday

Y'all know the drill. Here goes:

1. What was the last concert you’ve been to?
I went to a Brandi Carlile concert in September and it was amazing!!

2. Is it easy to make you cry?
Oh yah. I cry very easily - always have, always will.

3. Do you ever feel like people underestimate you?
Hmm, I have never had to think about that - my gut instinct is no. Exception is running - I don't think ANYONE thought I'd ever run a marathon. And I did!

4. Name 7 completely random things that you like:
- Linen-scented wallflowers from Bath & Body Works
- Coffee table books - especially if they feature photographs of a city I've visited
- Cherry Pomegranate Crystal Light. I drink about a quart a day!
- Red, pointy toed shoes. I think every girl should own a pair!
- Kitchen twine - I love packages tied up with it. Gives it a vintage feel.
- Bananas on my corn chex. I used to eat them on Cheerios, but I can't have them anymore so tried putting them on my corn chex and it actually tastes great. I think you could probably put bananas on any cereal and it'd taste great!
- ironing - it's really calming for me

5. What’s your favorite reality TV show and why?
Project Runway. I am so impressed by what the designers are able to do in such a little amount of time! Plus I adore Tim Gunn!!

6. What is your favorite hair care product?
Probably this Aveda shine serum I use. Helps to keep the frizziness at bay. But really, there isn't a hair product that I use that I couldn't live without - I haven't found anything that spectacular!

7. What’s your favorite song at the moment?
Tough question! Maybe "Breakeven" by The Script?

8. What’s the number one thing on your Christmas wishlist?
Definitely a Garmin GPS. I get lost ALL. THE. TIME.

9. Have you ever lost your cell phone?
Yes. I lost it in Europe. Don't ask me why I brought a cell phone to Europe. It was 2004, so our cell phones didn't work there then. But I am going to cut myself some slack because I was ridiculously sick on this trip - maybe the sickest I've ever been in my life. So I was on a ton of cold meds and just not really functioning all that well so it's not surprising that I lost my cell phone during the trip.

10. Did you attack the hordes of shoppers for Black Friday?
Hells no. Even if they were giving stuff away for free I STILL wouldn't go out and shop at 5 in the morning. That just does not sound like fun to me.

November Re-cap

Current Book(s):
Finished - The Help (great book), Pride & Prejudice (great classic, review coming this week), Traveling with Pomegranates (great book, review coming later this month), The Christmas List (good Holiday read)

Currently reading: Outlander

Current Music:
The Script - love this CD!
Ingrid Michaelson's new CD
Buena Vista Social Club - thank you to my aunt Barb for introducing me to this Cuban band!

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:
Um is it bad to say Tylenol PM? I started taking it when I had a cold earlier this month and sort of kept taking it as an insurance policy against tossing and turning. I know I shouldn't be taking it every night like I have lately, but at most, I will get 7 hours of sleep each week night and I don't like to risk missing 1-2 of those hours tossing and turning... eventually I know I need to stop taking it though!

Current Colors:
Red & Green - Christmas is coming! :)

Current Obsessions:
Knitting. I got a few new patterns last month so I have been knitting up a storm. I'll post pictures soon!

Current Drink:
Those dang lattes - I love 'em!

Current Song:
"Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble - great song for a single gal!

Current Movie:
"The Holiday" - the holidays are approaching - I love to prepare for the holidays by watching movies set during Christmas/New Years!

Current TV Shows:
Top Chef! I am kind of in love with Brian, the nicer of the two brothers.

Current Wish-List:
Books, books, and more books!

Current Needs:
My condo to appreciate in value so I can sell it and buy a house. I am sick of sharing walls with people.

Current Triumph:
I'm really proud of myself for still working out despite the fact that I am busier than ever! Usually, when I get super busy like this, I cut out the workouts, but that has not been the case lately!

Current Bane of my Existence:
My grad school loans. They go into repayment on December 14th. Merry Christmas to me. The payment is the size of a mortgage, but I keep reminding myself that it all paid off since I landed an awesome job!

Current Goal:
Get my Christmas cards sent out within the next week!

Current Indulgence:
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Mmm...

Current Blessings:
Family, friends, a cozy home, a great job - lots and lots of things!

Current Slang or Saying:
"Holy Cannasta" - still clean, but more interesting than saying "Holy Crap" or something like that!

Current (Fav) Outfit:
A basic v-neck sweater, jeans, and the ruffly scarf I just finished knitting this month!

Current Excitement:
Christmas is coming! I can't wait! All 4 of my siblings will be home, including my sister that lives in AZ! Besides celebrating Christmas, we will also celebrate my parent's 40th Anniversary!! 40 years - isn't that amazing?

Current Mood:
Content & excited for Christmas! I love how this time of year is full of so much joy & happiness!

Thanksgiving Recap

Good morning & Happy Friday! I hope that all of my American readers had a fantastic Thanksgiving - I certainly did!

I bet that as I push publish post, some of you are already out in search of good deals! So I will keep this brief today!

My family has this arrangement where everyone is either home for Thanksgiving or Christmas - they spend one holiday with our family and the other holiday with their in-laws. This year everyone is with their in-laws for Thanksgiving, so my parents decided to visit my brother in Chicago and spend the holiday with them. Since I just started a new job, I don't have vacation time yet so I wasn't able to spend Thanksgiving with any of my immediate family. Thankfully, my aunt & uncle, Barb & Paul, let me crash their Thanksgiving! The best part is that Barb & Paul's daughter, Suzanne, also lives Gluten Free so the entire meal was safe for me to eat! And boy did I eat well!! I am too lazy to post pictures so you'll just have to take my word for it!

Before heading out to Barb & Paul's, I did a 10k race. This is the first Thanksgiving that I have done any exercise! I don't know why - I probably consume more calories on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year! The weather was perfect - in the upper 20s/low 30s with no snow or rain! Pretty fantastic for Thanksgiving in the Midwest.

After showering and relaxing on the couch for a bit, I headed over to my aunt & uncles for an amazing Gluten Free feast! I honestly believe that had people not known it was Gluten Free, they wouldn't have known the difference! Everything was just delicious! After dinner I napped for about the 2nd or 3rd time this year (I am so not a nap person!) and then we capped off the night with a game of trivial pursuit.

Unfortunately I was not able to stay until the end of the game since I had to head out to get home to bed. I hate leaving an unfinished game but knew I'd regret not leaving earlier when my alarm went off at 5:15 this morning.

So that was my day - how was yours? Any exciting plans for the weekend? Did you go shopping today? I don't think you could pay me to hit the stores at 5 am!!

Giving Thanks: Day 10

I am thankful for my amazing family.

It's only fitting that I end my 10 days of giving thanks by talking about my family!

I am thankful for my parents! They have always loved me unconditionally and have always believed in me - even at times when I haven't believed in myself. Their support, love, and friendship mean the world to me.

I am thankful for my grandparents! I lived just down the road from my paternal grandparents, and lived about an hour away from my maternal grandparents, so both sets had an active role in my upbringing. I have many great memories with both sets. My paternal grandma, Grandma Janet, is still living. I wish I lived closer to her so I could spend more time with her. Since we don't see each other all that often, we exchange emails to keep in touch - which I think is pretty cool! I look forward to spending time with her at Christmas when I'll be home.

I am thankful for my siblings! We don't all get together as often as we'd like since we are kind of spread out, but it so much fun when we are all together. When I was younger, I didn't love being part of a big family - mostly because of having to share the bathroom - but now that I am older I absolutely love it!! We are all so different, but there is still a common thread that runs through us and keeps us close.

I am thankful for my sisters- and brothers-in-law! My siblings couldn't have married better people! My siblings' spouses are all the perfect compliment to their personality. I confide in my sisters-in-law like they are my own sisters, and I tease my brothers-in-law like they are my own brothers!

You already know that I am so thankful for my beautiful nephews from my previous post!

Lastly, I am thankful for all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins! I love getting together with my extended family. Every single aunt & uncle was present at Abby's wedding - which is impressive since my mom has 7 siblings and my dad has 3!

***

It has been so wonderful to reflect on what I am thankful for the last 10 days. The 10 posts are just a tip of the ice burg - I could go on and on. I am so incredibly blessed and I am so glad I spent the last 10 days thinking about what I am thankful for instead of what I don't have. It's important to do this.

So when I sit down to eat a delicious Thanksgiving dinner today, I will definitely think of everything I mentioned in these 10 posts, and much, much more.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy holiday! I'll be back tomorrow with a Thanksgiving recap!