Blog Post #9 (of 30)

A Photo of the Last Item I Purchased

Caveat...The last things I have purchased are groceries, Christmas gifts, etc. So, I had taken a picture of a dress I purchased (in like October) to use for this post, but am just now getting to posting, but am still using this old purchase! :)

Sorry for the poor picture quality - the dress is super cute though (in my opinion!). :)

Hope to post again soon...so y'all don't think I've fallen off the face of the earth! :)

Blog Post #8 (of 30)

A Recipe

Shrimp with Mango & Basil (AKA - Yum!)

This was an easy post for me, hence the speed with which it has been posted! :) Let me start with a little story before I move into the recipe...

Jimmy and I have recently made some pretty big changes in our lives. With cuts to my hours/salary at work and Jimmy owning his own business, rather than getting a big salary from a firm, we've experienced a decrease in our income. I know most everyone is in the same boat with the state of our economy today. Luckily, Jimmy and I have been blessed with the ability to short sell our house and get out from under a financial burden that we could no longer carry. In doing so, we made the decision to move in with Jimmy's parents. They have a garage that's been converted into it's own little space, which is where we currently reside. It's been great to get away from some of the financial stresses, and focus on our debt repayment plan to get on top of things.

So, why the story? Well, since we've moved in I haven't really been cooking much. And I love to cook. I realized a week or so ago that cooking is something that makes me happy. I love to start with a variety of ingredients and turn them into something delicious that my friends and family can enjoy. I love the nurturing aspect of the cooking and social aspect of coming together for a meal. So, when I realized I'd been neglecting this thing that I love, I had a talk with my friend Tiffany (she's my go-to girlfriend). We made plans to get together this past Friday and make a meal (preceded of course by ice cream and shoe shopping).

After deciding to make a meal, I decided I wanted to try something new. I sent a couple of recipes to Tiffany for input and we decided on this yummy Shrimp with Mango and Basil. We decided to serve it over jasmine rice and accompany it with a yummy summer mango spritzer (mango sorbet with Asti Spumante). It was a delicious summertime meal that I am adding to my repertoire. I hope you'll add it to yours as well!

Without further ado, here's the recipe:

Shrimp with Mango & Basil

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large ripe, firm mango peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see tip)

1 bunch scallions, green tops only, thinly sliced

1/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Directions

1. Toss the shrimp with salt, cayenne (to taste), and turmeric in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes

2. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the shrimp in a single layer and cook until the underside turns salmon pink, about one minute. Flip them over and cook for one minute more.

3. Add mango, scallion greens and basil. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp is just cooked and starts to barely curl, 1 - 2 minutes.

Tip - How to Cut a Mango:

1. Slice the top and bottom off the mango revealing the long slender seed inside.

2. Set the fruit upright on work surface and peel with a sharp knife.

3. With the seed perpendicular to you, slice the fruit from both sides of the fruit, yielding two large pieces.

4. Turn the seed parallel to you and slice the two smaller pieces from each side.

5. Cut the fruit into the desired size/shape.

Recipe taken from fitnessmagazine.com. (Recipe and nutrition information can be found at: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/recipecomdetail.jsp?recipeId=25108685)

The directions above yield four servings. I doubled the recipe when I made it - three of us ate Friday night (Tiffany, Jimmy and I), with plenty of leftovers. We also eyeballed most ingredients as I couldn't find any measuring spoons! It turned out wonderfully though!

Enjoy!

Blog Post #7 (of 30)

A Song to Match My Mood and Why...

(Cheater Post)

Okay - so I'm selecting a song, but it doesn't really match my mood, just gets stuck in my head all the time lately! The reason I'm cheating on this post is because dang it, I can't seem to think of a song that matches my mood! :)

So, the frequently stuck in my head song is....

All These Things That I've Done by The Killers

See, I just got a Kia Soul a couple months ago. And, the refrain on the song goes "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier." And I personalized my plates to say "IGTSOUL" - hence the always stuck in my head song! :)

Here's a picture of my Soul...

Every time I walk out to my car, I sing to myself "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier!" And, now I'm just glad to have Post #7 done so I can stop thinking about what song could possibly match my mood! :)

Blog Post #6 (of 30)

A Photo of an Animal I'd Love to Keep as a Pet

I'd love to have a cutie-pie little monkey! I know they don't really make good pets, but if I could have any kind of animal and it would really be a good pet, I think I would pick a monkey. How can you say no to those precious eyes?

Blog Post #5 (of 30)

A Photo of Myself Two Years Ago

August 2009

Okay- this one was tougher than I thought! I don't have many pictures of myself. This one is one I took when I was playing around with a new toy - my remote control for my camera. :) Guess I need to get more photos with me in them! :)

Blog Post #4 (of 30)

20 Of My Favorite Things

1. Pedicures
2. Sleeping In
3. The Sound of Rain Falling
4. My Wednesday Night Bible Study
5. Sunday Afternoons
6. A Good Book
7. Trying a New Recipe that Turns Out Delicious
8. Family Get-Togethers
9. Road Trips
10. Barbecues
11. Weddings (Especially My Own)
12. Fall
13. Venti Iced Nonfact White Chocolate Mocha
14. Taking Pictures
15. Hair Day (i.e. - The Day I Get My Hair Done)
16. Ventano's
17. Finding the Perfect Book for a Patron
18. Dinner with Friends
19. A Good Workout
20. Spending Time with Jimmy - It Doesn't Matter What We're Doing, So Long As We're Doing It Together! :)

Blog Post #3 (of 30)

My Favorite Photograph of My Best Friend

Caveat - This is not actually my FAVORITE photo - I'm not sure I have one. But my best friend is definitely Jimmy.

He is everything to me - he is the one person who knows the good, the bad and the ugly about me and loves me in spite of it!

I can tell him anything and he listens. He always tries to solve my problems (which is not always a good thing!).

He is the one friend where I feel I ALWAYS get as much back as I give.

He is an amazing man, and I am thankful to call him my best friend, my husband, my greatest love.

Blog Post #2 (of 30)

A Picture of Myself and a Description of How My Day Was

I put this post off for awhile because I really wanted a current picture of myself for it. This picture is really current - as in I took it about an hour ago (more on that to come in my description of my day).

I am off from work this week, so my days have been pretty atypical this week. This morning I woke up relatively early, had a cup of coffee while watching the morning news, and I waited for my sweet little nephew, Calvin, to come spend the morning with me. Ashley dropped him off at about 7:30am. His big sister Layla was going for an MRI (prayers appreciated) for some eye pain she's been having. That meant Auntie Marcie got to play babysitter. He is a real sweetheart and was great. Corey and Abbey came over this morning to hang out with Calvin too. They brought maple bars and Cherry Cokes - which are two of my favorites! :) We had a fun little morning. Kelly came to pick Calvin up around noon.

Next I ate some lunch (Tomato Basil Bisque and French Bread) and watched Monday and Tuesday's episodes of my soap opera - All My Children (one of my guilty pleasures). Then I set up my little studio to take some pictures! I love photography and spent a little time doing some self portraits this afternoon. I think I ended up with a couple of good ones, but the joy is in the set up. AJ got me some new lights for Christmas so it was fun to play with those.

After picture-taking time, I loaded the photos onto the computer, paid a couple of bills and then edited the pics. Now I'm posting my blog! Tonight Jimmy and I will be heading over to Central Christian Church for First Wednesday. :)

I hope everyone else is having a great day too! :)

30 Days of Blogging - The Beginning

Good Afternoon! So I'm taking this idea from my sister, and committing to the 30 Days of Blogging! Let me forewarn you - while this is an effort to post more often, I will admit up front that my 30 Days will not be a consecutive 30 days! I can't possibly blog everyday - and I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, so I promise to complete all 30 Days in a somewhat timely manner! :)

So, without further ado, we'll begin with Day 1 - List 15 Things About Yourself

1. I have a wonderful husband who I've been with for almost 13 years -wow! We dated for three years, were engaged for two and have been married for seven and a half years. We have a wonderful marriage - I'll admit it isn't always easy, but it is always worth it. Jimmy is my rock - he keeps me balanced.

2. I have an almost-five-pound chihuahua named Hannah (though we call her Hannah Banana more than anything else). We butt heads terribly, but I love her nonetheless.

3. I love to cook.

4. Me and five wonderful others (Mae, Joan, Shannon, Bryan, & Michelle) broke a Guinness World Record for longest continuous reading aloud by a team. We read for 100 hours 33 minutes - it was great!

5. I danced with the Nevada Ballet Theater in The Nutcracker when I was seven. I was a gingersnap!

6. My family is the most important thing to me. I am lucky to have the most wonderful of families - both my blood family and my in-laws. They are all so supportive and I love to call them mine!

7. I am a Christian - I accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour and I know without His sacrifice I would not be who I am/where I am today.

8. I really enjoy photography. After I complete my 30 Days I might start a 365 Photo Project here. :)

9. I love to eat out - I love trying new places and new foods - as well as returning back to the favorite restaurants with their tried and true dishes.

10. I love word puzzles - crosswords, word searches, Text Twist, etc.

11. I can pick a lock.

12. I'm the middle child - I think your role in your family does affect who you are - I am forever the peace-maker. :)

13. I easily become hooked on awful reality shows - knowing this about myself I try not to let myself watch even one episode - that's all it takes!

14. I hate crowds - they stress me out. And, the more people there are in any given place, the greater the chance some of them are just going to be rude.

15. I wish on stars and birthday candles.

So there you have it - 15 Things About Me. Stay tuned for more to come! :)

(This list was adapted from a FaceBook note about myself.)

Question

I saw this post on Twitter about a month ago and I favorited it - I keep looking at it and thinking about it - here's what it says:

Here is a good question to ponder: What is in your life today that is not in line with what you want tomorrow? - Dr. Henry Cloud

If I'm honest, it's a hard question to answer. So, I keep thinking about it, pondering it, but haven't gotten up the nerve to actually answer it yet. It is a call for action - and change is hard.