Monday Meal Planning

Hey y'all,

So today I thought I would share with you my entire week's plans of meals. I have been trying to be really healthy as far as cooking and this is just another way to be accountable and make sure that I am not stuck in a rut with my meals. I tend to keep breakfast pretty simple and the same throughout the week so I mainly need to plan for lunch and dinners only.

Monday
Lunch: Shrimp Stirfry with Brown Rice
Dinner: Dinner at tPr's house--Homemade Pizza and Salad

Tuesday
Lunch: Lunch Loser Tuesday! *Tuesdays my work group always goes out to eat for lunch
Dinner: Lemon, Garlic & Herb Grilled Chicken with veggies

Wednesday
Lunch: Leftover Grilled Chicken and Veggies
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash & Homemade Meat Sauce(I made this for the first time ever Sunday night and it was really good!)

Thursday
Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup
Dinner: Breakfast Wraps: scrambled eggs, turkey sausage and cheese in a tortilla

Meatless Friday
Lunch: Cheese Quesadilla 
Dinner: Grilled Garlic Butter Fish Fillet with Couscous

Saturday
Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup
Dinner: Leftover Couscous and Fish Fillets

Sunday
Lunch: Breakfast Wrap or Brunch foods
Dinner: Skinny Chicken Pesto Bake

What's on your menu for the week? Do you have a specific website you go to for dinner inspiration?

Weekend Shenanigans....

Hey y'all,

Sorry for the bit of a bloggy hiatus over the past few days but my weekend was pretty non-stop. I would love a few extra days to lounge around but in the professional world, summer is a season not a vacation. 

Onto the re-cap. So, Friday evening began with leaving work and heading to downtown Raleigh for yummy Italian food at Cafe Luna with EC, LW, and CW from work. 

Cafe Luna
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After dinner, we headed over to watch a performance of Giselle by the Carolina Ballet. It was a great show and none of us had seen a performance of Giselle so when we spotted the Groupon for $20 tickets we grabbed them. 

Giselle

Saturday began with a trip to the gym since I am still working on running my first 5k NEXT MONTH! I am still not where I should be but I started training a bit late and in the middle of the busiest season of work but am running about a mile and I still have four more weeks to go! After a trip to the gym it was time to get some reading done as I finished the book, Burning Blue. 

It was an interesting story described as "How far would you go for love, beauty, and jealousy?

When Nicole Castro, the most beautiful girl in her wealthy New Jersey high school, is splashed with acid on the left side of her perfect face, the whole world takes notice. But quiet loner Jay Nazarro does more than that--he decides to find out who did it. Jay understands how it feels to be treated like a freak, and he also has a secret: He's a brilliant hacker. But the deeper he digs, the more danger he's in--and the more he falls for Nicole. Too bad everyone is turning into a suspect, including Nicole herself.

Award-winning author Paul Griffin has written a high-stakes, soulful mystery about the meaning--and dangers--of love and beauty."

After reading and some laundry it was time to head to church where I co-lead a class of 4&5 year olds while their parent's attend "big church." Typically I would go to the service following my class but my Mom and baby sis, kDi were in town to see Sister Act: The Musical  so I met up with them for dinner before the show at a German bakery/restaurant called the Guglhpf Cafe.It was great to eat German food together since it is so hard to find a good German restaurant.

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After a delicious dinner, it was an hour long chat with one of my best friends, some TV then off to a 21st birthday party for one of my sorority sisters. 

The Birthday Girl, JP, RM and I

Sunday morning began early with some babysitting at 6:30am-2:30pm. After that long morning with little sleep watching a four year old and an 18 month old (talking 5 hours of sleep) it was time for lunch and a nap. After that, it was finishing laundry, making some dinner and back on the road in the rain. I drove into Raleigh to visit with RM and her roomies to see Identity Thief. It was hysterical and I am glad I made the journey for the $2 ticket and fun times with friends.

Sunday night ended with watching some of the ACM's present Tim McGraw's Superstar Summer Night. I am a huge fan of Tim so it was great to relax for a bit and listen to some great music.

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And other news from the weekend, Caitlin and her sweet husband are expecting! There is so much joy and love going on with my friends it is such a fun time to log onto Facebook to see engagements, weddings, and little ones! God has blessed everyone so much and it is a constant reminder of the plan He has laid out for us.

What was your weekend like?

13 in 2013

Hey y'all,

For those of you that believe that world is ending tomorrow thanks to the Mayan calendar, I guess I will never accomplish any of these goals but, since I believe that we still have one full week left in the year I thought it was time to start thinking of goals for the coming year. Instead of resolutions I think goals are more attainable and I have all of you to keep my accountable!

So here we go:

1. Grow in my faith and my relationship with God. This is one of my goals every year and it is one that I feel can never really end. I have already bought my new devotional for the new year and I am really excited about starting it soon!
2. Read 113 books. I am such a bookworm that I know that I can accomplish this goal and the number thirteen makes it festive. Plus, my GoodReads account really needs some help since my to-read list is almost 300 books and I always love suggestions.
3. Try 113 new recipes. Another festive number but with living on my own I have gone to the staples of pasta a lot. Time to spice things up and with the help of Pinterest, cookbooks & TV shows like The Chew, I know that I can accomplish this! It breaks down to only 3 new recipes a week and I count desserts and side dishes in the number.
4. Run a half marathon. 13.1 miles see a trend yet? I need to get back into running and since running a half marathon is on my 30 before 30 I thought why not tackle it this year. We shall see how this all goes but I know that I can do it since I have set my mind to it!!
5. Lose 13lbs. I know I want to get back to eating healthy and I have gained back some weight since moving out of my parent's house so I need to get back to eating lots of veggies and not eating so much sweets (my office's love of baked goods doesn't help) but the goal is one pound a month at least. Completely reasonable especially with drinking more water and getting active again!
6. Craft 13 things. My pinterest has a million ideas and I need to take the time and complete some crafts and feel accomplished. Not to mention goal #10.
7. Meet 13 new people. It is tough to meet new people now that I work a normal schedule and spend my evenings at home catching up on TV and reading it is hard to expand your friend circle and meet new people especially since I still have friends in the area.
8. Keep a prayer journal for the entire year. This is one that I want to start and continue for years since I know that I would love to look back on days and see the power of prayer and the blessings bestowed on me by God.
9. Buy a car. This is not merely a goal but a reality. It is in my 30 before 30 but I know that my parent's blessed me with borrowing their car this year and I have to return it this summer. But I am excited for this financial adventure.
10. Finish decorating my place. I still have a long way to go including a trip to Ikea but I am excited to finish decorating my place and making it feel like home. Plus I love crafting and I know that some Pinterest crafts need to be completed to finish off my place.
11. Go two months without unneccesary spending. I am thinking March and April. This will help my budgeting and help with saving up for my new car!
12. Send out cards. Whether Birthday, Graduations, Weddings, Christmas, Thank Yous, etc. I want to get back to the tradition of sending cards and best wishes.
13. Have adventures. I am leaving this one up in the air but I think that my Kate Spade idiom bangle from last year says it all "loose yourself in a good book...add a twist...play your cards right...make sparks fly...be as curious as a cat"

What are your goals for the new year?

Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Sunday Social and Sayings

Hey y'all,

It's been a while since I have done a Sunday Social linking up with Ashley and Neely. This week's focus is all about food and since I love to eat I feel as if this week is perfect. As usual, I will include a few inspiring pictures and quotes to start your week off right!

1. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My mother's beef stroganoff. It is to die for! It is the one meal that everyone wanted for their special birthday dinners. I have tried many other versions of beef stroganoff but no one makes it  the right way. 

2. What is your guilty pleasure/comfort food? Mac and Cheese is my number one comfort food but guilty pleasures: chocolate, pizza, fries, grilled pineapple, sourdough bread, Dr. Pepper, Fanta & Coke mixed, Haribo gummi bears.

3. What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten? Everyone thinks I'm strange for eating Nacho Cheese Doritos with Cottage Cheese. I also eat Ranch with everything including turkey at Thanksgiving. I also eat French Fries with mayo thanks to living in Europe and my favorite kind of ice cream is chocolate with strawberries and gummi bears. Pretty much I still eat like a little kid.

4. What foods do you avoid at all costs? Lots of them. I am a really picky eater so here is a short list of things I refuse to eat: seafood (except for shrimp), cooked vegetables(except for corn, green beans and grilled zucchini), most asian food(I don't like lots of the sauces) and spicy food.

5. What meal reminds you of childhood? My mom stayed at home when I was young so we had lots of good home-cooked meals. I would have to say I love my Mom's apple pie, lasagna, meatloaf, fresh baked bread, tacos, homemade pickles and salsa, pork chops & sauerkraut, and so much more. That is one bright point of currently living at home while awaiting my stellar career is having my mom here to cook amazing meals all the time.

6. Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it. Mine would probably be my mom's Caesar Salad. It is so simple and quick to throw together to accompany any meal and if you add chicken you are set as a complete meal! It was also great because there is one bowl we always make it in my family so if you see the bowl you know salad is on the menu.

Caesar Salad:

1 head of Romaine Lettuce(washed and torn into pieces)
1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
1 1-minute Coddled Egg
1/3 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 cloves of Garlic crushed
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
Anchovy paste (can be omitted)
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 cup of croutons.

In a large salad bowl mix the garlic, pepper, lemon juice and egg, after rubbing anchovy paste in the bowl (we never use the anchovy) Add the olive oil slowly while mixing to combine. Add the lettuce and toss. Then add the parmesan cheese and croutons and toss again. Enjoy.

What could be simpler?

Sunday Sayings.

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I hope you all have a wonderful start to your week! Also, don't forget to keep entering my 100 Followers Thank You giveaway HERE.

Peace and Blessings,
jDl