Foxy Flores Fam

the one with 30 before 30: January update

2012-01-30T22:11:00.000-06:00

Here's the January update on my 30 Before 30 list!

Finish my wedding scrapbook. I made four pages, ordered all of the prints I need and have a list of what needs to be done. Progress!

Learn to bake bread from scratch.

Make digital photo albums for our honeymoon and recent trips.

Develop a recipe arsenal with good go-to meals.

Re-decorate our bedroom. We got a new dresser, mirror and bedside tables. I LOVE them! Pictures to come once we hang the mirror. Then on to lamps and other wall decor...

Invest in the stock market.

Move somewhere besides a one-bedroom apartment.

Join a Bible study. We joined a Bible study at our friends' church (Northwest Bible) and we're studying Islam and Christianity. I'm not sure what we'll do when it ends in a few months.

Take a class on how to use my digital camera.

Blog twice a week, including updates on my list. The poor blog was neglected this month. Hopefully February will be better!

Plan a 30th birthday trip with friends!

See Garth Brooks live in Vegas. We bought tickets for April 21st! Wanna come with?

Go to a drive-in movie. We got a Groupon and plan to go for my Birthday in March.

Join the Junior League. All set!

Complete a 30-day yoga challenge.

Read the entire Bible again. On track so far.

Run a 10-k (or at least a 5-k). Running also got neglected in January.

Visit Virginia.

Take family photos with Latte.

Get my wedding dress cleaned and stored.

Visit the Blue Bell Factory.

Go to the Dallas Farmer's Market.

Make a blog book from my first blog.

Sail the open seas (or a lake will do).

Eat at Austin's food trailers.

~~See Willie Nelson live.~~

Have a picture of Latte turned into art.

Touch my toes.

Read the other Jane Austen novels. Finished Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey. Four to go.

Master the art of homemade tortillas.

30 Before 30 honorable mention goals:

Take a Segway tour somewhere
Learn how to use a knife to chop things properly (and quickly).
Pay off Brian's school loans. We've got a plan to do that this year.

the one with January: the first half

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Is January halfway over already? How did that happen? We have been taking it pretty easy. Here are a few of the highlights:

1. Brian was sick for pretty much the first week of January. So we ate a lot of soup and rented movies - Sara's Key, The Constant Gardener and Beginners. Brian also found a new cold remedy - whiskey with lemon and honey. Ha!

2. On New Year's Day, the shelf and rod in my closet came crashing down. Maybe three big plastic bins of clothes was too much? Ha. Not fun to clean up!

I might have cried when I saw this!

3. We ordered new bedroom furniture! Our bedside tables arrived already and the dresser will be here next week. Before and after pictures to come.

Latte with the big boxes!

4. We went to dinner with the whole family at Rise No. 1, which has the most delicious souffles, to celebrate the New Year and the end of Mimi's radiation treatment! She went home last week and has a few months before her next check up. Things are looking good!

Scott, Michelle, Mimi, Celia,
Brian, Me, Mom and Dad at dinner

5. Brian turned 29! We went to dinner at Maggiano's with his family one night, out for a drink with his friends on the actual day and had tapas with my family last night. The third annual Beatnik Birthday is coming up soon.

6. We learned to play Agricola - a new game that Marcus and Amanda got for Christmas. It is pretty fun, especially if you are tipsy on sangria when you play.

Mmmm Sangria

7. We finally saw Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on Saturday! I read all three books, so I knew what to expect and that almost made it worse. The movie was good as long as you brace yourself for a few really intense scenes. Eek.

the one with a healthy pasta dish

2012-01-16T17:34:00.000-06:00

We made this dish last week and LOVED it. The roasted butternut squash was delicious and the perfect contrast to the sharp arugula. Lesson learned: cutting up a butternut squash will leave a strange orange film on your hands. Better to buy it pre-cubed at the store if you can!

Fettuccine with Squash, Arugula, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt, divided
8 oz fettuccine
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups trimmed arugula
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°.
Combine squash, vinegar, oil, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl; toss to coat. Arrange in single layer on rimmed baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions (but without salt or oil). Drain and reserve 1 Tbsp cooking liquid.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts, sage, and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until pine nuts begin to brown.
In a large bowl, combine pasta with reserved cooking liquid, pine nuts mixture, and squash; toss gently. Add remaining 1/4 tsp salt, arugula, cheese, and black pepper; toss again. Serve immediately.

From the Culinary Couple

the one with NYE

2012-01-16T17:00:00.002-06:00

On the eve of 2012, we ate dinner with my parents and Mimi at a nice Italian restaurant. We enjoyed discussing the highlights of 2011 and plans for 2012. Conversation centered on travel and food, of course. We planned to meet our friends and hop to a few house parties, but Brian started feeling bad during dinner. By the time we got home, he had a fever. So we popped in Water for Elephants and Brian took cold meds. I thought the movie was pretty good - not as good as the book, but entertaining! We flipped to the ball drop right before midnight and then went to bed! Maybe next year we'll do something more blog-worthy!

the one with leftover eggnog

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

My dear husband does this every year. He gets overly excited about eggnog and buys two cartons the first time he sees them at the store you know, in case they run out. Then he drinks one mug at some point over Christmas. So what to do with 1.75 cartons of eggnog? Make Eggnog French Toast and Eggnog Ice Cream! Both are ridiculously easy and delicious.

Eggnog French Toast: Simply pour some eggnog in a bowl and submerge slices of bread in the nog. Challah bread is the absolute best for thick slices of french toast. Melt some butter in a skillet, place the bread and toast over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side. Top with syrup and/or powdered sugar. Yum.

Eggnog Ice Cream: You will laugh at how easy this is. Did you get an ice cream machine as a wedding gift? Get it out and freeze the bowl according to directions. We have a Cuisinart that is super easy to use. When it is ready, just pour the eggnog in straight out of the carton. Add a tablespoon of rum if you want. Turn on the machine and in 20 minutes, you will have delicious eggnog ice cream!

Any other ideas for leftover eggnog? I still have another carton in my fridge...

the one with Christmas Cooking!

2012-01-03T21:49:00.000-06:00

Over the holidays, I cooked up a few good things that I wanted to share: Chocolate Snickerdoodles, Creamed Spinach, Au Gratin Potatoes and Cinnamon Rolls!

Au Gratin Potatoes - I brought this dish for Christmas lunch to go with my MIL's delicious brisket. The odds were stacked against this dish: the lid on my pyrex pan did not keep the cream from sloshing all over the car and then my mom's oven stopped working halfway through cooking, so I had to cook it on high at my MIL's. Despite those setbacks, it turned out really well! And it was really easy to make ahead of time. Another PW success!

Picture from Pioneer Woman

Creamed Spinach - We normally have green beans (not green bean casserole, just regular green beans) with Christmas dinner. I wanted to spice things up with a different green this year. Mom's criteria was that it had to be something cooked on the stovetop not the already over-crowded oven. PW's Creamed Spinach was pretty good, but maybe not my favorite. My dad said it had too much garlic. PS - Even if you are feeding 18 people, you probably don't need to double the recipe.

LOTS of spinach!

I wish you could see the oozing butter
and that I had taken a picture of the final rolls!

Cinnamon Rolls - On Christmas morning, we have Christmas quiche and Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. Since Christmas was over the weekend this year, I felt like I had extra time so I added PW's Cinnamon Rolls to my list. I made the dough on Christmas Eve's Eve, punched it down once or twice on Christmas Eve to keep it from over-rising, then got up early to roll out the dough and bake the rolls on Christmas morning. It was early, but they turned out SO yummy that it was worth it. A new tradition, perhaps?

Chocolate Snickerdoodles - Trust me, these babies are delicious. A bit time consuming to roll each cookie out, but SO worth it. I've been making these since I was a kid.

For the cookies:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla and eggs. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Mix flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Blend dry mixture into creamed mixture.

On wax paper, combine sugar and cinnamon for topping. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. If the dough sticks to your hands too much, try putting some flour on your palms. Roll each ball in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. If you run out of cinnamon-sugar, make more in the same ratio. Place balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 400 for 6 to 9 minutes (8 minutes is perfect in my oven).

the one where Baylor won the Alamo Bowl!!

2012-01-02T09:28:00.000-06:00

It's not every day that Baylor's quarterback wins the Heisman and leads the team to a bowl game! And when that happens, as a loyal Baylor Bear who has been a fan since getting a first down was something to cheer about, you GO! You take two days off work, pile in a car with your college roommates and drive to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl!! I didn't get to go to any games this season and I needed to support my Bears!!

We went to the game with the Massenburgs. Leslie was my roommate and sorority sister; Michael was Brian's roommate and fraternity brother. It was fun to spend time with them again! Leslie and I had seats in the upper deck. The boys were on the field as photographers - Brian's dad is a sports photographer and was able to get two extra media passes.

After half time, the boys took turns taking us down to the field. It was surreal to be right there - the players are HUGE! Don't I look official?

I'm a faux -tographer!

Brian with RGIII's Heisman!

Baylor was down at the end of the first half, but scored 43 points in the second half to win 67-56!! It was AWESOME!!! And so fun to be on the field when they won!!

YAY!!!!

Baylor Bears with the Alamo Bowl Trophy

Coach Art Briles and our awesome quarterback RGIII

Victory!! What an awesome game!!

SO proud to be Baylor Bears!!!

By the time the game was over and we got to leave, it was after 1:00 a.m.! Luckily, Leslie's grandmother lives close to the stadium and let us crash there. The next day, we slept in and then had lunch at EZ's before heading back to Dallas. It was a quick trip and I wish we had had more time to stop at the River Walk or eat in Waco, but I'm glad we were able to go. It was so fun!!!

Sic 'Em Bears!!!

the one with Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T09:23:00.003-06:00

This Christmas was wonderful! We were surrounded by family, friends and good food. Plus, because Christmas was on the weekend, my firm gave us Friday and Monday off so it was a nice long weekend!! Merry Christmas to me!

On Christmas Eve, we had a pretty relaxing day. I prepped my dishes that morning - au gratin potatoes and cinnamon rolls - and finished wrapping a few gifts. We ran to the mall to help my FIL get one more gift then had lunch with my family at Snuffers - all 12 of us - before Prestonwood's Candlelight Service. Brian's grandmother always has his whole extended family over for homemade tamales and presents! It's such a fun time! Every Christmas Eve we go to Midnight Mass with the Grahams. This year we picked a service at Highland Park Presbyterian and I really enjoyed the combination of scripture reading, carols and candles.

On Christmas Day, I woke up early to finish making Cinnamon Rolls. Then we headed to my parent's house for Christmas Quiche, Cinnamon Rolls and Wassail. YUM! Oh, and presents ( :

My cousin Clayton and Aunt Celia from California were here for Christmas, along with my Mimi, cousin Tom, Aunt Diane and her bf Gary. We had a full house and present time was crazy fun! Sweet Latte got overwhelmed by all of the noise, so she picked a spot on top of some presents under the tree and barked if anyone got too close to her perch. Poor pup!

My seastar Meredith was home for Christmas too! I miss her when she's in DC and I know she misses us, so I got her a Texas shaped waffle maker! She'll never be homesick again - ha! I got a purple Clarisonic and I'm so excited. I also most of the other things on my list, plus some cash which will be put to good use soon ( :

After present time at my parent's house, we drove up to Frisco for a delicious brisket lunch (with mac n cheese! and green bean casserole!) with Brian's family. Latte crashed in the backseat during the drive and then found a cozy spot on Aunt Amanda's lap. We had a good time at the Flores house opening presents, hanging out and watching part of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. LOVE that movie!

All too soon, it was time to drive back to my parent's house for Christmas dinner. My mom always does a traditional turkey dinner with dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls and this year I added creamed spinach to the mix. Dinner was so yummy. Plus, the Frisco Caldwells and Reynolds came too! We went home with a car full of presents, tummies full of food and hearts full of Christmas love. It was a fabulous Christmas!

the one with 30 Before 30: December update

2011-12-31T15:41:00.000-06:00

Three months down, fifteen months to go and I got to cross one thing off. Here's the December update on my 30 Before 30 list!

Finish my wedding scrapbook. Planning to get busy in January!

Learn to bake bread from scratch.

Make digital photo albums for our honeymoon and recent trips.

Develop a recipe arsenal with good go-to meals.

Re-decorate our bedroom. The furniture we want is on sale at Pottery Barn!! SO excited to place the order ASAP!!

Invest in the stock market.

Move somewhere besides a one-bedroom apartment.

Join a Bible study. Our friends are doing one in the Spring that we plan to join.

Take a class on how to use my digital camera.

Blog twice a week, including updates on my list. December was tough, but overall I think I'm doing okay.

Plan a 30th birthday trip with friends!

See Garth Brooks live in Vegas. We bought tickets for April 21st! Wanna come with?

Go to a drive-in movie.

Join the Junior League. All set! The provisional year starts in May.

Complete a 30-day yoga challenge.

Read the entire Bible again. Done with Exodus...adopting a better reading plan in January.

Run a 10-k (or at least a 5-k). Decided to wait for a slightly warmer race, but I am working on a training plan.

Visit Virginia.

Take family photos with Latte.

Get my wedding dress cleaned and stored.

Visit the Blue Bell Factory.

Go to the Dallas Farmer's Market.

Make a blog book from my first blog.

Sail the open seas (or a lake will do).

Eat at Austin's food trailers.

~~See Willie Nelson live.~~

Have a picture of Latte turned into art.

Touch my toes.

Read the other Jane Austen novels. Finished Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey! Four to go.

Master the art of homemade tortillas.

30 Before 30 honorable mention goals:

Take a Segway tour somewhere
Learn how to use a knife to chop things properly (and quickly).
Pay off Brian's school loans. We've got a plan to do that this year.

the one with a December recap

2011-12-30T15:00:00.000-06:00

December went by quickly, but it was full of Christmas fun!

In mid-December, we went to the annual Michael W. Smith Concert, which is always a favorite. The Meyerson Symphony Center looks beautiful and really helps get me in the Christmas spirit.

Smitty on stage

The Flores Fam (minus my FIL)

The Grahams and The Floreses

My law firm had a festive Christmas party at the Hotel Palomar. Brian got to meet several of my co-workers and we had a good time. We snuck down to the bar during the party to watch RGIII win the Heisman. Afterward, we went out for a nightcap at Hibiscus. It was fun to have a little date night!

My fancy drink at Hibiscus

The next weekend we were invited to an intern/volunteer Christmas party George and Laura! This is an awesome perk of Brian's internship at the George W. Bush Institute. Their home is beautiful - clean, modern lines with a soothing colors and a nice collection of art. They also have a gorgeous backyard with a fire place. We took a picture with W. and Laura when we arrived, then mingled and nimbled. We got to spend a few minutes talking with the President. His advice: shoot for your dreams, but be realistic and open to change. What a neat opportunity!

Our invite!
I'll post the picture whenever we get it!

Later that night, we had dinner with Matt and Nena at Coal Vines - a fun pizza place - before heading to my brother's birthday party. He turned 20 + 11 (aka 31) in 2011. The party was a re-do of his 30th birthday bash at the House of Blues with his friend Eric. We celebrated Scott's actual birthday with a family dinner too.

The Grahams and The Floreses

The Caldwell Family:
Scott, Mimi, Mom, Dad, Me and Brian

In the midst of the craziness, we couldn't forget our pup. Latte enjoyed a few hours at the park with her beloved ball on Christmas Eve's Eve. What would we do without this dog and her ball?

During December, we also went to a few Christmas gatherings with friends, drove around to look at lights and did lots of shopping and eating. It was a festive Christmas season - very merry and bright!!

I hope you had a fun Christmas season too!

My Christmas recap is coming soon...

the one with my Christmas List

2011-12-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Dear Santa,

I know you're on the edge of your seat with anticipation about what is on my Christmas List. So here you go! I have been very good this year.

Clarisonic Mia

Yogitoes yoga mat towel

Vera Bradley iPad case

Knife Skills class at Sur La Table

The Help on Blu Ray

Those are the main things. But Santa, I wouldn't mind a sweater or two from J.Crew, anything from Kate Spade, a pair of Hunter rain boots (in green or purple), and some Lululemon yoga clothes. Okay?

Love,

Elaine

P.S. What is on everyone else's list?

the one with a fanny pack

2011-12-15T20:37:00.000-06:00

Alternatively titled: the one with a girls weekend

Once or twice a year the stars align and I get to spend some time with two fun friends, Kasey and Emily. A few weekends ago, we were lucky enough to get two whole days together! The three of us met in Dallas and drove out to Canton for a full day of shopping. Canton has row after row after row of booths and shops - and we saw it all. Frito pies, ice cream and Cokes kept our energy up. Each of us came home with Christmas decor, a few gifts and a few treats for ourselves. It was so fun! Especially because Kasey brought her fanny pack! Love it!!

Emily, me, Kasey and the FANNY PACK

That night we headed back to Dallas to spend the night in the brand new Omni Hotel in downtown. The hotel was so nice! It has a great view of Dallas, a lively lobby and some schmancy perks. We stayed up late talking and enjoying the view.


There was a TV in the mirror in the bathroom - how cool!!

Our cute sitting area with a great view

On Saturday morning, we ordered spectacularly delicious room service - breakfast burrito for me, waffles for Kasey and french toast for Emily with a big pot of coffee to share. We watched some of the Dallas Christmas parade from our window while we got ready.

Our brunch spread. YUM.

We packed up and headed up north to old town McKinney to hit some more shops.

The trunk looked like a Vera Bradley ad!

Our main goal was to hit up Bloom - aka Kendi's new shop! Her shop was really cute (I got a navy polka dot dress) and Kendi was sweet. McKinney has a super cute town square and we went in all of the shops.

Bloom: Kasey, Kendi, me and Emily

After McKinney, we picked up In-N-Out Burgers and came to my apartment to watch Baylor kick UT in the rear. It was stressful, but so worth it to watch the game. Sic 'em Bears!!! We did a little bit more shopping at Northpark Mall before heading to Forth Worth to spend the night at Emily's house. On Sunday morning, we had bagels and played with Emily's sweet two-year-old daughter before we all headed home. It was so nice to spend so much quality time with my girls. I love the comfort of being with friends who know you and understand. Plus, it is always good to have two honest opinions when you are doing as much shopping as we did!!

the one with the Christmas Tree (version 4.0)

2011-12-06T14:51:00.000-06:00

Since we got married, Brian and I have enjoyed getting real Christmas Trees but we usually end up at Lowe's in mid-December. This year, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we went with the Dukes to a nearby Christmas Tree Farm where you can cut down your own tree.

They take you on a hay ride out to the tree field and hand you a little saw.

We walked around for a bit, but nothing struck us as being THE tree. The field mainly had Virginia Pines, which have longer needles and we were concerned about them dropping their needles more quickly than a Noble Fir or a Frasier Fir.

So we walked back to the main area and picked out a lovely pre-cut 7.5 foot Frasier Fir. The Dukes ended up doing the same thing. We felt a little bad about not cutting down a tree, but at least we gave our business to the local farm instead of Lowes!

We got the tree in its stand that night and decorated it on Monday. Brian always does the lights for us. We had Christmas music on and I worked on addressing our Christmas cards. Don't worry, we straightened out the star!

We collect snowman ornaments when we travel, and this year we added one from our trip to Maine for my cousin's wedding! He has on a yellow rain slicker and is holding a lobster and a lobster trap. He's pretty cute. We got an ornament in Jerusalem too - no luck finding a snowman there!

I love the finished product! It makes our home feel so Christmasy!

Have you decorated yet?

the one with Menu Sunday: Tortellini Soup

2011-12-04T15:21:00.001-06:00

Tortellini Soup is perfect for an easy weeknight meal on a cold night. The list of ingredients is pretty short, vegetable chopping is minimal and assembly is quick. It will be on our rotation this winter for sure! I cut the recipe in half which fed both of us twice, but the full recipe is below.

Tortellini Soup
(modified from Eat Live Run)

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large fennel, diced
64 oz vegetable or chicken stock
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 package fresh tortellini pasta (either cheese or spinach)
2 cans either white kidney beans
3 cups fresh spinach
Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Add the garlic and chopped fennel and saute for three-five minutes, until the fennel just begins to soften. Add the tomatoes and stock to the pot along with salt and pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil then add the tortellini and beans. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about ten minutes until tortellini are puffy and cooked through. Add the spinach to the pot and stir so that the greens wilt.

Serve soup with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and additional salt, pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.

the one with Thanksgiving Highlights

2011-11-29T21:47:00.001-06:00

1. Seastar! My sister surprised my family by flying in three days early! The look on my mom's face when she walked into the restaurant was priceless. Meredith had to leave on Thanksgiving Day to be a bridesmaid at a wedding in Arizona and I was sad not to have her there at our family dinner. Especially when my mom's oven stopped working and I had to single-handedly calm her down. Coulda used my sister then!

Surprise!!

2. Food! Lots of glorious, delicious food. Thanksgiving Part I was honeybaked ham, my homemade macaroni served in martini glasses, sweet-n-sour meatballs, and lots of appetizers. Thanksgiving Part II was a full spread with Brian's great-grandmother and extended family in Abilene. Three long tables full of multiple turkeys and every kind of side. Plus another tables of desserts! Thanksgiving Part III was the traditional dinner at my parent's house, complete with smoked turkey, homemade rolls, my favorite dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes and pecan pie. Thanksgiving Part IV was homemade enchiladas at my Uncle's house with queso and guac to start! All of it was delicious!!

Macaroni & Cheese!

3. Movies! I love to see movies over the holidays. This year, we saw The Descendants and Hugo. George Clooney was so good in The Descendants; a good mix of funny and sad. Hugo was good too - the cinematography was beautiful, the story was intriguing and the acting was perfect. I highly recommend both! And guess what is coming out in 3D next year?? Beauty and the Beast AND Titanic! So excited about that.

4. Football! OMG, Baylor beat Texas Tech for the first time since the 1990s. At 66-42, it was the highest scoring Big 12 game in school history. Even though our awesome quarterback RG3 got injured at the end of the first half, we STILL scored a ton in the second half. The announcers even said that Baylor had "depth of roster", which is definitely a new compliment for Baylor! We were so excited about the game!!

5. Starbucks! On Saturday, we had a little bit of time to kill after our movie and before Thanksgiving Part IV. I took my mom and my grandmothers to Starbucks for their FIRST visit ever. Ever! Mimi was so cute. I talked her through the menu and the different sizes (trying to explain why a small is a tall was a challenge). She ended up with a decaf mocha with whip and loved it. We stayed for about 45 minutes playing Apples to Apples and I think everyone had fun!

6. Shopping! We boycotted Black Friday but participated in Small Business Saturday. Who needs ridiculous store hours and crazy crowds? Not me! But I was happy to support our local pet store by buying Latte a new sweater on Saturday. I don't particularly like dressing up dogs, but Latte gets SO cold in the winter that she really need sweaters. She just sits and trembles with this pathetic face. So she has a few t-shirts and sweaters - absolutely no dresses or "outfits". It's a fine line.

the one with 30 Before 30: November update

2011-11-25T21:21:00.000-06:00

Two months down, sixteen months to go and I got to cross one thing off. Here's the November update on my 30 Before 30 list!

Finish my wedding scrapbook.

Learn to bake bread from scratch.

Make digital photo albums for our honeymoon and recent trips.

Develop a recipe arsenal with good go-to meals. Still working on a page to link all my recipes.

Re-decorate our bedroom.

Invest in the stock market.

Move somewhere besides a one-bedroom apartment.

Join a Bible study.

Take a class on how to use my digital camera.

Blog twice a week, including updates on my list. So far, so good.

Plan a 30th birthday trip with friends!

See Garth Brooks live in Vegas.

Go to a drive-in movie.

Join the Junior League. Attended the info meeting and found my sponsors.

Complete a 30-day yoga challenge.

Read the entire Bible again. I'm in Exodus. Still a ways to go!

Run a 10-k (or at least a 5-k). I'm running a 5k in January and started the Couch to 5k Program.

Visit Virginia.

Take family photos with Latte.

Get my wedding dress cleaned and stored.

Visit the Blue Bell Factory.

Go to the Dallas Farmer's Market.

Make a blog book from my first blog.

Sail the open seas (or a lake will do).

Eat at Austin's food trailers.

~~See Willie Nelson live.~~

Have a picture of Latte turned into art.

Touch my toes.

Read the other Jane Austen novels. Almost done with Mansfield Park!

Master the art of homemade tortillas.

30 Before 30 honorable mention goals:

Take a Segway tour somewhere

Learn how to use a knife to chop things properly (and quickly).

the one with menu funday: fall edition

2011-11-22T07:54:00.001-06:00

We have made some delicious fall recipes lately!

First up, Carrot Soup a la Pioneer Woman. Soup hits the spot on cold, rainy days!

There are so many soups that call for an immersion blender, and as an aspiring cook, I decided it was an essential kitchen tool. Carrot Soup was my first victim! The ingredient list was simple - carrots, broth and a splash of cream. We added fresh thyme and crushed pepper at the end, which definitely helped the flavor.

Next up, Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese! This was a fun twist on the traditional recipe. I forgot to add a little milk at the end and it stayed in the oven a smidge too long, so it wasn't as creamy as it should have been, but overall the recipe was great!

Ingredients

- 16 oz. pasta (I used spirals, but shells would be great)

- 3 T. butter

- 4 T. flour

- 3 c. + 1/3 c. milk

- 12 oz. cheese, grated (I used a mix of sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan)

- 8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed (this is 1/4 of the large brick)

- 1 c. pumpkin puree

- 1 T. rosemary, minced

- 1 t. salt

- 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

- 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I didn't have any so I added a little seasoned salt)

- 1/2 c. panko or breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in heavily salted water, removing from heat and draining 3 minutes prior to the specified cook time on the package.

Melt butter in a large skillet over Medium-High heat. Add flour, whisking for about 30 seconds. Add 2 cups of milk and the rosemary, whisking continuously until smooth. Add the third cup of milk and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

Turn down heat to Medium or Medium-Low. Reserving a handful for topping, add cheese blend and whisk until combined. Add Velveeta and stir until fully melted and combined. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and pumpkin, followed by the additional 1/3 c. of milk. Stir / whisk until smooth.

Toss cheese sauce with cooked pasta and pour into a greased casserole dish {9x13}. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs Cook for 30 minutes. If you're a Crispy Topping Guy or Gal, switch your broiler on at the very end for 1-2 minutes.

We served the macaroni with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, a new veggie for us. They were pretty okay but they probably won't be in regular rotation.

Ingredients

- brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, with outside leaves removed (We got the little mesh baggie of them at the store)

- 1 T. butter

- 1 T. EVOO (we used a Mesquite Flavored EVOO)

- 1/2 c. dry white wine
- 1/2 c. chicken stock.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and EVOO. Add brussels and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in white wine and chicken broth. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes before popping in the oven to roast for 15 minutes.

Finally, Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas! These were so good I forgot to take a picture. They might be even better than the other Black Bean Enchiladas that we love. Try them!

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 can black beans, drained
9 whole wheat flour tortillas (soft taco sized)
9 oz pepper jack cheese, grated (I used sharp cheddar instead because thats what I had)
1 can red enchilada sauce (I used Hatch brand)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss sweet potato cubes with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until soft. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Saute onion and garlic in remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil until soft. Add drained black beans in the last minute.
Place cooled, baked sweet potato back in large bowl and mix with black beans, onions and garlic.
Using a large spoon or masher, coarsely mash black beans and sweet potato together until combined.
Lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.
Spoon sweet potato mixture into flour tortilla and sprinkle about 2 Tbsp cheese on top of mixture. Roll flour tortilla and place in pan. (Reserve 1/2 cup cheese for sprinkling on top).
Pour enchilada sauce over the top of enchiladas, spreading out evenly.
Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top of enchiladas.
Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.

the one with a B+E weekend

2011-11-21T19:08:00.000-06:00

We went to Granbury last weekend to see Willie Nelson, but we ended up finding a lot more to do!

Granbury is an adorable Texas town with the Courthouse in the middle of a traditional town square. And it is barely an hour southwest of Fort Worth - so accessible!

We got to town mid-afternoon and enjoyed browsing all of the shops - we even bought a few Christmas gifts!

We checked in at our B&B before dinner. Our room was one of two guestrooms (with separate entrance and private bath) at a house a few blocks from the square.

A sweet little lady owned the house and the room was thoughtfully appointed. She even left homemade cookies and pumpkin bread for us! My kind of place. For dinner, we tried a place on Lake Granbury called Stumpy's.

We should have been suspicious because of the name, but we were expecting a casual sit-down restaurant with patio seating and seafood. Instead we got a counter-service taco/hamburger stand with picnic tables outside. We should have just gone somewhere else, but oh well! It wasn't bad, just not what we really wanted. At least the view was good. We spent the rest of the night with Willie Nelson at the Rio Brazos!

The next morning we decided to be adventurous and drive an hour further south to Dublin, Texas, home of the oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant!

The best thing about Dublin Dr. Pepper is that it is made with real sugar instead of nasty high fructose corn syrup. I don't like regular Dr. Pepper, but I love Dublin Dr. Pepper!

We took a tour of the bottling plant and museum. Their machines are old - like mid 1900s - and they only bottle once a month. It was pretty interesting to see the process. Did you know regular Dr. Pepper is suing the Dublin bottling plant? Its some sort of claim about Dublin DP marketing a different product that violates the licensing agreements. We were happy to support the family-run bottling company - its really the only business in that town - and I'm annoyed with regular DP for suing them!

Too bad we already have our Christmas card - I love this one of us (above, not below)!

We love small Texas towns so it was fun to go out of our way to see Dublin. Next, we made our way back to Fort Worth to visit the Kimbell Art Museum.

They have a special exhibit on Caravaggio, which was really well done. I always learn a lot at their exhibits. You should go be cultured if you live nearby!

To cap off our weekend, we got dinner at Joe T. Garcia's! The weather was perfect for enjoying their gorgeous patio! We split queso and fajitas and it totally hit the spot. I know Fort Worth has a several good Mexican restaurants and we want to branch out, but we love Joe T.'s too much!

After dinner my car wouldn't start and we had to jump it, which was not fun. Especially when a huge spider crawled out of my engine while we were trying to figure out how to hook up the jumper cables. Disgusting. I had to get a new battery on Monday morning, but it was worth it since we had such a fun weekend together. I highly recommend Granbury, the Rio Brazos, Dublin, the Kimbell and Joe T.'s if you're looking for a quick getaway from DFW!

the one where BAYLOR beat OU!!!!!

2011-11-20T16:01:00.001-06:00

Did you know that BAYLOR beat OU last night?!?!? For the first time in 20 games, BAYLOR beat OU!!! Our quarterback Robert Griffin was awesome. When the game was tied with 51 seconds left to play, he led a drive down field and threw an awesome touch down pass for the win!! We watched the game with some of our Baylor friends (actually our old roommates) and everyone was jumping and screaming. It was awesome. We were just kicking ourselves for not going to see the game live. I love seeing Baylor play so well. I love upsetting the #5 ranked team. I am proud to be a Bear everyday, but especially today!

SIC EM BEARS!!!

the one with #26: Willie Nelson!

2011-11-17T21:30:00.000-06:00

The Rio Brazos, a new music hall, opened in Granbury last weekend.

Willie Nelson played the opening night concert!

Willie is such a music legend. True to form, he came out with his grey pig tails. Willie played all the songs we knew: Whiskey River, On the Road Again, Crazy, Georgia, and Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. And he played several we didn't know, including a hilarious one called "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die".

The Foxy Floreses are big Texas country fans and

we were so excited to see him live.

Brian fit right in with a plaid shirt and boots.
The guy next to him has a RATTLESNAKE
around his hat brim.

The Rio Brazos is really nice. It has a big circular bar in the middle, a restaurant with some delicious smelling BBQ and then a big stage outdoors. The set up is similar to Gruene Hall, except this is a quick drive from DFW. We needed a good music hall in North Texas!

Chandelier of Jack Daniel bottles.

One thing I love about going to Texas music halls is the people. All kinds of people turn up. Including the BEST mullet I have ever seen: red and curly with a big party in the back. No joke.

Rumor has it that REK and Pat Green will play at the Rio Brazos in the Spring. We can't wait!

So excited to cross something off my 30 Before 30!

the one with Cabin Weekend 2011!

2011-11-09T22:21:00.000-06:00

Last weekend rented a peaceful cabin with the Dukes, the Grahams and the Massenburgs. We stocked up on essentials before we left: Doritos, cinnamon rolls, marshmallows, chocolate, Fritos, hotdogs, drinks, soda, Oreos... Our grocery cart looked so good!

We drove up to Davis, Oklahoma, on Friday after work (the Massenburgs drove up Saturday afternoon). The traffic on I-35 was horrible; it took forever to get to our dinner stop at Rudy's BBQ in Denton. Rudy's is so good; I had missed it!

We got to the cabin late on Friday after a stop at Walmart for more goodies. We stayed up late talking, snacking and laughing. It is so good to spend time like that with friends.

The cabin had two levels with a big kitchen, a loft, a deck and a fireplace. Oh, and a pretty view! The cabin was right on a small lake with a hammock and a fire pit.

On Saturday morning, we made breakfast tacos and cinnamon rolls before heading to Turner Falls Park in the Arbuckle Mountains. The park was just a few minutes from the cabin and it was B-E-A-UTIFUL! The leaves were changing colors and the air was crisp.

The falls were so pretty and we had a nice hike around the park. It made us all feel better about the junk food we were planning to eat.

The guys: Brian, Matt and Jonathan

The girls: Nena, Elaine and Jenny

We were such preppy hikers with our yoga pants, New Balance shoes and North Face jackets.

Brian and Jon climbed into a cave on the hike. No one else wanted to exert quite that much energy! Jenny had a pot of taco soup on the crockpot that was ready when we got back - perfect topped with cheese and fritos after our hike.

That afternoon Brian and I spent some time relaxing in the hammock. It was SO perfect and peaceful. We definitely need a hammock in our backyard someday!

Such a pretty view!!

We got out the UNO deck, turned on football (of course) and lit a fire that evening. I forgot just how fiesty UNO can be. Especially when somone forgets to say UNO!! Play it over the holidays if you haven't played recently - you won't regret it!

(Jonathan isn't picking his nose; it is just a bad camera angle!)

The guys ended up in a wrestling match. Some things just never change!

We were disappointed that the hot tub never got hot enough. We turned it on at 6 and at the rate it was heating, it would have hit the right temp sometime around 5 a.m. Oh well. Everything else was great.

View of the gorgeous sunset!

After sunset, we decided we needed more wood so that we could build a campfire. Brian, Nena and I drove into town in search of wood. This sketchy little motel was selling some so we paid and loaded up. Only to be chased off the property by an old man with a stick (thank goodness not a gun!) who thought we were stealing! When we were parked to get the wood, the car started swaying. We thought it was just the wind until two clerks from the gas station next door ran out saying that everything in the store was shaking!

An EARTHQUAKE!!

I'm glad it wasn't any bigger and that everything is okay! Still can't believe I felt my first earthquake in Oklahoma of all places. When we got back to the cabin, we got the fire going for s'mores! It was so windy, and probably a little unsafe, but totally worth it. Cabin weekend would not have been complete without a fire and s'mores.

We don't look tired at all. HA!

On Sunday morning, we cleaned up and headed south to the nearest Cracker Barrel in Gainesville. Have you had Cracker Barrel's breakfast lately? Those biscuits are SO yum. It hit the spot! It was the perfect way to end Cabin Weekend! I hope we get to do it again next year!

the one with the cabin menu

2011-11-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to give you a glimpse of what we are eating this weekend at the cabin! It will be glorious.

Friday - Rudy's BBQ on the road

Saturday - breakfast tacos and cinnamon rolls for breakfast; taco soup for lunch; hot dogs, chili, mac n' cheese, baked beans and s'mores for dinner

Snacking - queso, doritos, holiday oreos, BBQ ruffles, hot chocolate, sangria

Sunday - CRACKER BARREL for brunch!!! My mouth is watering at the thought of those biscuits.

I will definitely need to work out next week, but it will be so worth it. Speaking of working out, does anyone in Dallas want to sign up for the Too Cold To Hold 5k in January? That's my goal and I would love to have a buddy!

P.S. - I am sad to miss Baylor Homecoming this year! Hope everyone has a great time and SIC 'EM BEARS!!!!!

the one with five things on a Friday

2011-11-04T10:00:00.004-05:00

1. Is anyone doing NaBloPoMo this year? I guess I am so far, but I don't feel as excited or committed as in the past.

2. Vera Bradley finally has a tablet sleeve that fits the iPad!! Up to now, they only had sleeves for Kindles or laptops, which were too small or too big. This definitely has a spot on my Christmas list!

3. Can you tell Christmas is on my mind? I may or may not have already secretly listened to Christmas music in my car. I want to get my shopping done earlier this year and I am trying to get a list to my family early as well. I'll do a post soon with my wish list.

4. On Tuesday, I made mushroom risotto for my family to go with my mom's flank steak. I had forgotten just how heavenly that risotto is. Totally worth all of the stirring - especially when you have a sous chef named Brian who can stir for you!

5. And the best of all: we are heading out after work to Davis, Oklahoma for a weekend getaway with some friends. We rented a cabin and bought a bunch of junk food. The cabin has a hot tub and a grill and it is right on a lake. I cannot wait!

the one with comfort food: scones and tomato soup

2011-11-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

With the weather turning cooler, I can finally make soup and other fall treats! My friend from law school used to make these delicious scones. They are soft, sweet and perfect with a cup of coffee. I used chocolate chips, dried cranberries and chopped pecans because that's what I had, but you can mix in whatever you want.

Recipe (based on the Strawberry Shortcake recipe on the Bisquick box):
2 1/3 cups of Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbls melted butter
Candy/nuts/chocolate chips of your choosing

Preheat oven 425. Mix everything together. Plop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. The bottoms burn quickly, so be careful!

A rainy day last week was the perfect occasion for Tomato Soup. It was warm and so tasty - the hint of basil and sherry are SO good. Exactly what I needed! Making homemade tomato soup really doesn't take long either - the most labor intensive part is chopping an onion. Try it this winter!

My messy kitchen - keepin it real.
And Latte. She's too short to be a sous chef.

the one where I want your advice: the beauty edition

2011-11-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

The Clarisonic is getting a lot of buzz and I'm curious whether any of you have used one. If so, do you have the big one or the mia? Does it deserve a spot on my Christmas list? The promises sound so good - cleaner, clearer, smoother skin and smaller pores. But does it really work?

Oh, and what else is on your Christmas list?

Y'all always have good ideas.

the one with Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T09:35:00.001-05:00

For Halloween, we went over to my in-law's house. They live in a cute neighborhood with a much better chance for trick-or-treaters. Plus, his mom made burritos and his dad wanted to show us their new 3D TV. We scrambled to get off work early and then fought traffic to their house in the 'burbs. But the BEST part was Brian's costume. Check out his authentic Saudi Arabian thobe (that's what its called)! His Saudi Arabian friend brought this to him - complete with proper pants to wear underneath and the headscarf.

I was DYING laughing! It was hilarious to see him in a full length dress, especially when he tried to get in the car and couldn't move his legs. Hilarious!

I didn't have a costume, but Brian really wanted me to wear a headscarf for pictures.

And I obliged. I mean, the man was in a dress! It was the least I could do.

Brian's mom was a ghost, which all the kids loved. After trick-or-treaters, we ate dinner and watched Nightmare Before Christmas. Not my favorite cartoon (I really don't like it), but much better than any other Halloween movie option. I told Brian I want to watch Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin next year - that is my kind of Halloween cartoon!

the one with a royal Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:33:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love the Today Show. I have been watching since my senior year in college - back when Katie Couric was co-anchor. I grew to like Meredith Vierra and I'm sure I'll adjust soon to Ann Curry being co-host (I think Ann is a fabulous journalist but I want to see more of her fun side). They always do a big party for Halloween and I have been so curious about what their costumes would be this year. They did not disappoint!!

The Today Show family dressed up as the Royal Family! When Matt Lauer came out dressed as Prince William, I was so excited. And when Al Roker stepped out as Prince Harry (complete with a red wig), I almost died. And I love that Hoda and Kathy Lee were the crazy cousins. So perfect. Ann and Natalie looked great as Princess Kate and Pippa too. Brian and I were speculating about who would be Queen Elizabeth (he watches too, of course), and then out stepped Meredith! So fun to see a little reunion! A great way to start my Halloween. I was just sad that I had to stop watching and go to work.

Tonight we are heading to Brian's parent's house for dinner, a movie and hopefully some trick-or-treaters. Brian has a FANTASTIC costume...pictures to come soon. maybe even a video of his parent's reaction. It will be priceless.

Hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!

the one with punkins

2011-10-26T22:10:00.004-05:00

Fall means pumpkins. I just love them! Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head (name that movie)! We went to the Arboretum on Saturday for their pumpkin festival. The weather was perfect and the Arboretum looked so pretty! We had a great afternoon.

In front of one of the pumpkin houses

How many kinds of pumpkins are there??

Fairytale Pumpkins

So many sail boats on the lake.

We've gone on so many dates to the Arboretum
and its still fun.

Love this one!

That night we carved pumpkins with our friends. After I scooped out the innards, Brian carved a fancy leaf design. Jenny roasted the pumpkin seeds with salt and some olive oil - they were so good when they came out of the oven. On Sunday morning, we had pumpkin pancakes at the Original Pancake House and they were so good! I need to find a recipe to make my own. YUM!

the one with 30 Before 30: October update

2011-10-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

As of today, I am one month closer to the big 3-0 so it is time for a progress report on my 30 Before 30 list! I can't cross anything off but I have made progress...

Finish my wedding scrapbook.

Learn to bake bread from scratch.

Make digital photo albums for our honeymoon and recent trips.

Develop a recipe arsenal with good go-to meals. I started working on a page to link all my recipes and I should be able to finish it soon. I'm trying to break it down into categories and note which things work well for quick meals.

Re-decorate our bedroom. First step, furniture! We like our bed frame so we just need bedside tables, a dresser and maybe a chair? Or a bench? We love the Ashby Collection in Rustic Mahogany at Pottery Barn and I am almost ready to pull the trigger, but my mom convinced me to check out some re-sale / antique shops with her first. Hopefully we can check that off in November.

Invest in the stock market. I have a Schwab account with a little bit of money in it and I found out you can buy stocks that way! Now we just need to figure out which stock(s) might be good for beginners?

Move somewhere besides a one-bedroom apartment.

Join a Bible study.

Take a class on how to use my digital camera. I found a place in Dallas called Spot Studio that offers a class, but they are a little expensive, so it is on my Christmas list.

Blog twice a week, including updates on my list. So far, so good.

Plan a 30th birthday trip with friends!

See Garth Brooks live in Vegas.

Go to a drive-in movie.

Join the Junior League. I signed up to attend the info meeting on November 17th and found one of my three sponsors.

Complete a 30-day yoga challenge.

Read the entire Bible again.

Run a 10-k (or at least a 5-k).

Visit Virginia. I haven't been back since law school!

Take family photos with Latte.

Get my wedding dress cleaned and stored.

Visit the Blue Bell Factory.

Go to the Dallas Farmer's Market.

Make a blog book from my first blog.

Sail the open seas (or a lake will do).

Eat at Austin's food trailers.

See Willie Nelson live. We're going on November 12th!

Have a picture of Latte turned into art.

Touch my toes. Yoga will help with this!

Read the other Jane Austen novels. I read Northanger Abbey last month and I started Mansfield Park yesterday!

Master the art of homemade tortillas.

I'm adding the 30 Before 30 honorable mention goals:

Take a Segway tour somewhere

Learn how to use a knife to chop things properly (and quickly).

the one with the truth about yoga

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

In my Fall Wish List, I tried to justify a pair of fancy yoga pants based on the fact that I am doing yoga. Well, a few of my real life friends called me out on it. So here's the truth. At the end of May, I went to Uptown Yoga to try out their classes - they have a 10 days for $10 special for first-timers. I went to three classes and fell in love. The studio is light and airy; the classes are challenging and satisfying. So, after my trial was over, I bought a 10 class package, convinced I would go at least once a week.

And now, here we are in October and I have used exactly FOUR of those classes!! Four classes in five months. WHAT?!? I don't know. I lost my groove when we went to Israel and just haven't gotten into a good routine since then. I want to go, but things always seem to come up! Anyway, putting the yoga challenge on my 30 before 30 list is a real goal. I really want to get into yoga. It's a good workout and I feel so stress-free afterward. So, there you have it. The truth about me and yoga. And now that I have outed myself to you, maybe I will go!

And I won't buy the pants unless I use all of my classes!

the one with Pumpkin Poundcake

2011-10-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Poundcake and I just had to make it! I needed some pumpkin in my life (as if the Pumpkin Spice Latte isn't enough) and I wanted to use my bundt pan, which is apparently a kitchen necessity even though I had never used mine. The cake was really good - sweet with just the right hint of fall spices. A perfect companion for a cup of coffee, a good book, a porch and a chill in the air.

For the cake:

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (3.3 ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
1 (15-ounce) pumpkin puree

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3-4 Tablespoons water

Whisk together both sugar and vegetable oil. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pudding mix. Set aside. Whisk in the pumpkin, alternating with the flour mixture in three additions.

Pour the batter into a greased Bundt pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cake has cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and water. Start slowly with the water, if it too thick, add a few dropfuls until the glaze is the right consistency. Drizzle over the cake.

Notes: I put a little extra cinnamon in my icing and a little too much water. My glaze was pretty runny - still yummy but I might err on the side of thickness next time.

This is what happens when you ask your husband
to take a picture for your blog! Just keepin it real.

the one with the weekend

2011-10-17T21:53:00.002-05:00

Here's a run down of our weekend.

Met Brian's Bush Institute co-workers for Happy Hour at the Ice House.

Felt old and frumpy next to 23-year-old SMU/Vandy girls.

Watched Amy Grant play with the Dallas Symphony.

Accoustic El Shaddai was awesome.

Stayed up too late iPhoning.

Brunched with the parents and Mimi.

Cheered (and cursed) during the Baylor v. A&M game.

People-watched at Fearings. Dallas-ites to the max.

Chatted with Emily. Loved the comfort of a good friend.

Munched a pumpkin bagel before church.

Started a good book on the patio.

Enjoyed spaghetti with my two families on my parents' porch.

Started a movie, but fell asleep.

Monday came too soon!

the one where iExcited!

2011-10-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Oh Happy Day!

My so-slow-it-can't-do-anything iPhone 3g has sent its last text!

A super speedy and sleek iPhone 4s should arrive this afternoon!

I cannot wait.

To welcome and protect my new phone, I got it this cute case!

I'll be the girl with the cute green phone.

Yay!!

Are there any new apps that I need? I haven't downloaded anything in ages...

the one with dead dictators and our weekend recap

2011-10-13T19:23:00.002-05:00

A weekend recap on Thursday night?

Brian was holding the pictures hostage on his phone and this post needed the pictures!

On Friday night, we had a movie date night to see the Ides of March. We haven't done a movie date in forever and it was nice! I liked the movie too - it gives you a lot to think about.

On Saturday morning, I was whining because Brian had registered us for a morning lecture with Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, an author and game-theory expert. Not only did we have to get up early for a lecture, I complained, but it was going to be a continental breakfast - aka pastries, fruit and coffee.

WHY, I said, do breakfast meetings not serve taquitos?

Don't taquitos sound GOOD??

I almost talked Brian into a pre-lecture Whataburger run, but no dice. Good thing though, because guess what we saw when we got to the lecture? BREAKFAST TACOS!! Their so-called continental breakfast included completely delicious breakfast tacos - with pastries, fruit and coffee, too. If this is what is on the menu, I will go to as many Saturday morning lectures as my hubby can handle.

On Saturday evening, after an afternoon spent avoiding the UT-OU hoopla, we went to yet another lecture with Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. Why on earth did we go to two lectures with the same guy on the same day? Part II of the lecture was in the library/museum at Harlan Crow's mansion! Crow is a Dallas real estate developer who is rather wealthy and has an amazing collection of art, artifacts and rare books.

A pretty interesting guy!

Me, Brian and Gennea at Crow's house

He has a Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, a painting by Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln's desk, a picture signed by Queen Elizabeth - and that's just what I could easily recognize! Amazing.

THIS is his library! Can you even imagine?

And in his backyard, Crow has a collection of busts and sculptures of dead dictators - Stalin, Lenin and others that I didn't know about (maybe I should learn some world history). I wish we had gotten out there before dusk - maybe we could have read the plaques.

I think this is Stalin?

Love this nerd!

On Sunday, Josh McDowell gave a good sermon at church and then we moved back to our apartment after our Staycation! We spent the rest of the rainy afternoon at Starbucks with Marcus and Amanda playing Settlers of Katan. We are addicted to that game, but we might be in need of a new one soon lest we get sick of it! Any suggestions for a fun, slightly-competitive board game where you can chat while you play?

Mt. Fuji roll at Naan

We used a Living Social coupon for Naan Sushi on Sunday night - it totally hit the spot! Sometimes crab, avocado and soy sauce are all you need.

the one with our Staycation!

2011-10-09T21:41:00.001-05:00

My parents were out of town this week so we were house-sitting

and calling it a Staycation!

We hung out with these three rascals - Maui, Kuzco and Latte.

They have so much fun chasing squirrels together!

We enjoyed the house - their back yard is so peaceful,

especially with wine or coffee and a book in hand.

I also loved the steam shower and the big bath tub. Ahh, heaven.

Weekend recap to come - we had a good one!

the one with recommended viewing

2011-10-07T18:16:00.002-05:00

I love a good British flick, particularly ones with a historic setting.

So it should not be a surprise that I love these - both produced by PBS Masterpiece Theater!

Downton Abbey is a six part mini-series that centers on an aristocratic British family in the early 1900s. Because there are no boys to inherit, the estate will go to a distant third cousin who is practically a commoner. Perhaps the best part is the behind-the-scenes drama with the maids, butlers and cooks. Lots of British gossip and intrigue! AND they are doing a second season next year!

Northanger Abbey, which we just read for book club, follows the book pretty closely. Catherine Mooreland, a girl who has read one too many novels, has to navigate between two suitors, two friends and rumors about her inheritance. Love it. Plus, there is a young Carey Mulligan who is perfect as Isabella!

Although not British or historical, I thought Something Borrowed was a super cute chick flick! I finally got to rent it when Brian headed out for a meeting of the Angry Cardigans. I loved the book and the movie did a good job with it. Kate Hudson is perfect as self-centered Darcy and I love Ginnifer Goodwin in the role of Rachel, the lawyer who always gives in to Darcy but learns to follow her heart. I hope they make the sequel soon!

the one with the Angry Cardigans

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

My husband has started a club. A dart-playing, beer-drinking, J.Crew-catalogue-perusing, club. Brian, Matt and Jonathan have a weekly Pub Night at a local pub where they play darts and talk about who knows what - including watch straps, the newest J.Crew catalogue, their wives and, occasionally, sports. They call themselves the Angry Cardigans and this is their crest, which Matt designed. Each of their dart flights is represented - Brian's is the red and white one on the far left. Nena, Jenny and I think this is ridiculous, but we are all grateful for our free night. We're debating what we should take up as our "revenge hobby". Manicures? Shopping trips? Happy hours? Any suggestions?

Brian and Jonathan

Brian and Matt

the one with a weekend recap

2011-10-03T21:45:00.000-05:00

The Tempest

Can you believe it is already OCTOBER?? We had a great weekend! We started off with dinner at Sfuzi (half price pizza!) and then went to see The Tempest at the Wyly Theater. If you live in Dallas, you need to check out the arts scene. They have some really great productions that are so accessible, modern and fun! The Tempest was no exception. The costumes, scenery and acting were simply awesome!

On Saturday, we spent most of the afternoon watching Baylor make some really good plays (um, Kendall Wright and Robert Griffin? Wow!!), only to hand over the win to Kansas State. So frustrating to see the Bears play a great game and then let it fall apart at the end!

Our Route

The weather was beautiful this weekend, so we went for a long bike ride on Sunday with the Grahams. Matt mapped our route when we got home - 11 miles! That may not seem like much to my MS 150 friends, but that was a lot for me! I feel sore, but in a good way.

Marcus roasting a marshmellow

We are house-sitting for my parents this week (more to come on our Staycation soon!), so we spent Sunday evening on their porch with Marcus and Amanda. Brian built a fire so that we could roast marshmellows for s'mores. Is there anything better than a s'more? What a perfect way to start October!

the one with my fall wish list

2011-09-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

Fall Wish List

(or, really, my early Christmas List)

1. Hunter Rain Boots (in green and these are actually just on the Christmas List).

2. A cute navy blazer for casual outfits (not for work and not with pink pants).

3. Loafer heels. I love these tan ones from J.Crew, but I'm hunting for something affordable. Maybe the Banana Republic version?

4. Wunder Unders from Lululemon. I have started doing yoga, but I want these for weekend wear too!

5. Tissue turtlenecks to transition some of my summer clothes into cooler temps.

6. A black pencil skirt. Mine doesn't fit (and not in the way you want it not to fit).

7. Jeans for flats. Maybe skinny jeans. Jury's still out.

J.Crew is clearly dominating my fashion dreams this fall. BUT because of my shopping ban, I really have taken a step back to evaluate the gaps in my closet. Jeans, black heels, black skirt and the tissue turtlenecks are needs. The others are wants. Maybe next time I'll combine a shopping ban with a 30 for 30 remix a la Kendi Everyday.

What's on your fall wish list?

the one with a recap of September

2011-09-27T20:06:00.000-05:00

Where on earth did September go? We started the month in Disney World with Brian's family and here is a quick recap of what else we did. We've had a few relatively unscheduled weekends, which are the absolute best kind.

1. Enjoyed good patio weather with the Dukes at La Duni and Toulouse. Two bottles of vino made for a fun night!

2. Scott drank his 200th beer at the Flying Saucer and got his plate on the wall. In case you can't read it, his plate says "If we don't drink, the terrorists win." Inspired by Scott's success, my dad and Brian joined the club. Three beers down, 197 to go.

3. We saw the Lion King in 3D with Brian's family! It was so fun to see it again on the big screen and sing along. Plus, I loved seeing the faces of kids who were seeing it for the first time. Disney greatness.

4. Brian and I had a few patio date nights - Patrizio's, Katy Trail Ice House, Common Table, The Porch - Dallas has some pretty nice places to kick back with a glass of vino when the weather hits the sweet spot.

5. We gorged ourselves at the Greek Festival last weekend with Matt and Nena. Spanikopita, greek salad, kabobs, honey balls. Opa! The Grahams even bought an olive tree - so in seven years we can enjoy some home-grown greek olives!

At the Greek Festival!

6. Mimi had a successful lumpectomy. She is recovering and will go through six weeks of radiation, but things look good! Thanks for your prayers!

I feel like there's more that we did, but now I can't remember anything so you'll have to settle for six updates! Are you sensing a theme though? Patios and vino? That's how we roll when it gets below 95 in Dallas!

the one with 30 before 30

2011-09-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

I have exactly 18 months from today until I turn 30 and I want to make the most of it!

Here is my 30 Before 30 list:

Finish my wedding scrapbook. For real y'all, it has been 3.5 years!!

Learn to bake bread from scratch.

Make digital photo albums for our honeymoon and recent trips.

Develop a recipe arsenal with good go-to meals.

Re-decorate our bedroom. It is a hodgepodge right now.

Invest in the stock market.

Move somewhere besides a one-bedroom apartment.

Join a Bible study.

Take a class on how to use my digital camera.

Blog twice a week, including updates on my list.

Plan a 30th birthday trip with friends!

See Garth Brooks live in Vegas.

Go to a drive-in movie.

Join the Junior League.

Complete a 30-day yoga challenge.

Read the entire Bible again.

Run a 10-k (or at least a 5-k).

Visit Virginia. I haven't been back since law school!

Take family photos with Latte.

Get my wedding dress cleaned and stored.

Visit the Blue Bell Factory.

Go to the Dallas Farmer's Market.

Make a blog book from my first blog.

Sail the open seas (or a lake will do).

Eat at Austin's food trailers.

See Willie Nelson live. We're going in November!

Have a picture of Latte turned into art.

Touch my toes. Yoga will help with this!

Read the other Jane Austen novels.

Master the art of homemade tortillas.

I would love to know what is on your list! Please post a link if you do one!

the one with Mimi and the big C

2011-09-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

This is my Mimi on a camel last year in Spain. She knows how to have a good time and is not afraid to try something knew - always ready for an adventure. A few weeks ago, they found a small lump in Mimi's breast. Thank goodness it is small and only Stage 1. Today she is having a lumpectomy to remove it and then she'll do radiation. If you could, say a little prayer for Mimi's surgery, for the doctors who will work with her, for quick recovery, and for peace to surround her, my mom and my aunts. I am so thankful that they caught this early and that treatment is pretty straightforward, but it is still cancer and still scary, so I covet your prayers for her.

xoxo, Elaine

the one with toeing the line

2011-09-19T21:16:00.002-05:00

First of all, the word toeing is strange looking. It just is. But alas, that is what I did yesterday. I toed the line. Or did I cheat? You tell me.

On Sunday, we went to the mall. The mall is a dangerous place when you are on a Shopping Ban. I have been really good too - only 12 days to go. We went to the mall to:

(i) return a dress that I bought in August and decided wasn't really needed (that puts me in the negative spending-wise).

(ii) exchange a shirt (it was a gift so that doesn't count, right?).

(iii) use a $25 store credit at Sport Authority before it expired. I used it on a cute yoga tank but I did have to pay $8. Is that a cheat?

(iv) use a gift card at Sunglass Hut. There wasn't a time limit, but I have wanted the sunglasses all summer and I ordered a gift card with some Discover Card points back in August. It finally arrived and it isn't shopping (not really) if the gift card was free, right? Confession - I did spend a little bit of cash, but not much.

Cheating? Or toeing the line??

the one with menu sunday

2011-09-18T17:38:00.001-05:00

On Monday night, we made Pioneer Woman's Corn Chowder with Chilies, which is always good. On Tuesday, we made some seriously delicious Light Spinach Lasagna. I highly recommend it! Lasagna seems to fall in the category of cumbersome recipes, but in reality, it wasn't hard at all. We used no-cook noodles which cut out a step. Next time I think I might add some other chopped zucchini when I saute the mushrooms and red peppers.

9 dried lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and very well drained
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 24-ounce jar your favorite meatless pasta sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and mushrooms until soft. Add garlic and saute an additional 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant. Add roasted red peppers and heat through. Kill heat and set aside.

Squeeze spinach of excess water. Add to a mixing bowl, along with ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg whites, basil, oregano, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add mushroom mixture. Stir to combine.

Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles placed side-by-side lengthwise. Spread 1/2 ricotta mixture evenly on noodles. Layer with a little less than 1 cup pasta sauce. Layer again with 3 more noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, a little less than 1 cup pasta sauce, and last 3 noodles. Spread remaining pasta sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes, to firm up. Serve.

the one with Paint: the Results!

2011-09-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

And the winner of the Paint Debate is: GREEN! Your votes were split pretty evenly between green and yellow (with a few write-in votes for tan). After changing our minds about twenty times (and almost choosing a BLUE!), we picked Olive Branch by Benjamin Moore.

I. LOVE. IT.

Paint added instant sophistication and warmth to the room. I had no idea. Our apt complex also replaced our ugly vertical blinds with these nice wooden ones. Love.

This weekend we picked out the pillows at Pottery Barn - I love the green/yellow combo. Not only did we re-use our pillow inserts, but the patterned pillow cover was on sale too!

We also bought a new lamp shade. The burlap shade looks SO much better than the cheap Target one I've had since college (seen in first picture)! I also want a burlap lumbar pillow for the leather chair but I haven't found the right one.

What do yall think? Are you paint converts, too?

the one where patio cushions are impossible to find

2011-09-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

Since April, we have been on a quest for new patio cushions. We have two lovely wicker chairs from Pier 1 on our porch and we love to sit out there with Latte and a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. But ever since Brian pointed out just how faded and dirty our 3-year-old cushions had become, I couldn't sit down out there without thinking about how nasty the cushions are. And so began the quest.

First stop: Pier 1. They had some pretty green cushions on sale - score! But the green clashed horribly with our wicker. YUCK. Second stop: World Market. They only had really bright colors that weren't really our style.

Then we tried Target where we picked out some tan cushions with cute blue accent pillows. They were too small. So we ventured to Costco and found some nice striped ones. They were WAY too big. Next we hit up Lowes. Nothing. Then at Walmart we found some okay cushions that sort of fit. But after sitting on them for a few days, I could tell the foam was cheap and it would flatten out really soon.

So we made a pilgrimage out to Garden Ridge in Plano. I found some really nice blue paisley cushions, but they were too small (we really should have measured after the Target/Costco debacle)! In desperation, we ordered some online from Home Depot that were cute and the measurements should have worked, but they were too small too.

After three months of the buy-and-return game, we were back at square one. I mean Pier 1. After four months, we finally settled on some golden yellow cushions at Pier 1's Labor Day Sale. I'm not sure why we didn't see them before, but don't they look lovely? I think they were worth the wait and the hassle. Now if only the weather to cool down again so we can enjoy our patio!

Love our view! Brian keeps our plants so green
and Latte keeps watch over the neighborhood.

The yellow looks cheery!

the one with Orlando: Epcot

2011-09-12T23:13:00.001-05:00

There was a lot of debate about whether to go to Hollywood Studios or drive to Cocoa Beach or go to Epcot on our last full day. Not sure who's vote ended up swaying us, but we were all happy to be at Epcot since it has so much to offer!

Riding the tram from the parking lot - ready for another day of fun!

The whole Flores family!

We rode Spaceship Earth inside the iconic ball then spent time walking around the park.
We also rode Soarin' and Nemo.

Brian and Tim look so much alike from the back - except for Tim' Tinkerbell backpack.
My father-in-law kept getting hot, so he stopped to use the misters. Hilarious.

After eating by the water, we rode the Tres Amigos with the Tres Hermanos.

The girls got matching red and white Mickey Mouse earrings.

We got to meet Belle, Jasmine and Aladdin!

We also met Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and Marie from Aristocats.

Tim proposed to every princess he met - and they said yes!

So fun to meet Mickey Mouse!

Pluto showed us how to pose.

The whole family with everyone's favorite duck!

Epcot is such a fun park. I wish we had more time to explore the different countries, but that will have to wait until the next trip. We had a great trip and it was fun to spend time as a family. I flew back really late on Monday night and everyone else stayed until Tuesday evening. They spent the day at Cocoa Beach - I wish I could have done that too! I love Disney World and I can't wait to go back (or check out Disneyland in Cali)!

What is your favorite Disney park?

the one with that September day

2011-09-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago today, I was a Freshman at Baylor. I woke up in my Collins dorm room and started getting ready for my 9:30 a.m. karate class (yes, I took karate). We had community bathrooms, and I heard someone in the hall talking about a plane hitting the World Trade Center in New York. My roommate and I didn't have cable so we went over to the twins' room across the hall to watch the news. We all huddled around the TV, wondering what on earth was happening.

But, being brand new Freshmen, we were still too new to college to know its okay to skip class. So even though crazy things were happening, we headed to class. My karate professor (can you be a professor of karate?) told us that a second plane had hit the second tower and he sent us home. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember calling my mom to see if my dad was traveling; and I was so relieved that he was safe at home. All the girls on my hall gathered in the twins' room to watch the coverage. We bonded that day as the horror of what happened unfolded. I will never forget where I was and the people who died that day.

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?

the one with Orlando: Harry Potter

2011-09-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

Eating breakfast tacos

On Sunday morning, we were all moving slowly after our long day at Magic Kingdom. We slept in a bit and took our time getting ready but everyone was excited about Universal Studios Islands of Adventure - aka Harry Potter!

The park was really crowded!

The park doesn't have much to offer besides Harry Potter - a few Dr. Suess rides and a few big superhero-themed roller coasters. We beelined for the Harry Potter section and barely spent anytime anywhere else.

So excited to be at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

After some pictures in Hogsmeade, we were off to Hogwarts to ride "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey", which is such a cool ride! Its a 3D ride takes you over the castle grounds, through the Forbidden Forest, past spiders and dementors, and finally out to the Quidditch Pitch. So fun!

Next we waited in line for Olivander's Wand Shop. Groups of 15-20 go in and one lucky wizard gets chosen to pick out a wand. In our group, Amanda was chosen to pick a wand (although Olivander was quick to remind us that the wand chooses the wizard)!! The first wand Amanda tried set off thunder and the second wand made boxes come crashing down. But the third wand was clearly hers! It was a fun experience. And of course, she had to buy her wand afterward in the shop next door.

Amanda & Mr. Olivander

We went to the Three Broomsticks next for lunch where we feasted on turkey legs, roasted corn and shepherd's pie. It was delicious. After lunch, we needed to try some butterbeer! It tastes like a cross between rootbeer and cream soda. Its really sweet, but really good.

Two brothers with wands = a duel
(they never grow out of it)

Me and Timmy with some overpriced HP candy

In line for the Dragon Challenge

Is that Harry and Ginny?

The whole family in front of Hogwarts!
Everyone had a great time.

We left the park around 5:00 and it started raining right when we got in the car! Perfect timing. We found a nice restaurant in the Town of Celebration for dinner. Apparently Celebration is based on Walt Disney's ideal utopian town - very quaint town center around a pond with classic looking homes. After dinner, we made brownies at the house and watched Beauty and the Beast before we all crashed.

the one with five things on a Friday

2011-09-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

1. Why do shorter weeks always seem longer? I think three day weekends give you just enough time to realize how nice life would be without work - and then the reality seems even harsher!

2. How about my Baylor Bears?!? Let's hope they continue to play well this season and that they don't give us heart attacks every game! And I hope they do sue stupid A&M for bailing on the Big 12.

3. The Shopping Ban is going well so far. I only bought one t-shirt on our trip and a $5 pair of Mickey Mouse earrings to match my MIL and SIL. Last week, I went to the mall to return something, did not even go into J.Crew (aka my nemesis) and walked out empty handed. Success!

4. I'm not sure how I feel about the new Blogger layout. I'm still adjusting to how to layout my pictures! Am I the only one?

5. I am LOVING this weather! Enjoying patio lunches and looking forward to being outside this weekend. I am dying to get my bike pumped up and my porch tidied up. Fingers crossed that triple digit days are over!!

the one with Orlando: Magic Kingdom

2011-09-08T22:45:00.000-05:00

Riding the Monorail
to the Magic Kingdom!

Mickey Pumpin!

Over Labor Day Weekend, we went to Orlando with Brian's family for a quick getaway. We crammed a LOT into three days! We all arrived late Friday night, stopping to get groceries before going to the house we rented for the weekend. As we pull up around midnight, there is a light on inside the house and someone moving around! Everyone panics. Turns out, the rental lady had emailed us the wrong address and our actual house was one block over! We were all so glad to go to bed that night after somewhat frantic travel schedules. We got up early the next morning for the Magic Kingdom! The park was decorated for Fall - lots of cute Mickey jack-o-lanterns and fall leaves - if only the weather felt like Fall too!

After obligatory pictures with the Cinderella Castle at the entrance, we high-tailed to Space Mountain (one of my personal favorites) then battled robots on Buzz Lightyear's Space Spin. Because we're crazy, we rode the Tea Cups before lunch. Marcus, Tim and my FIL all crammed into one cup, not realizing that there is zero leg room! Hilarious!

We ate pizza and pasta at Pinocchio's Village Haus for lunch and then rode It's a Small World, the Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Snow White and Pirates of the Caribbean.

A highlight of the afternoon was Mickey's Philharmagic, a 3D show with Donald Duck and all my favorite Disney songs. Don't we look cute in our glasses?

Enjoying some magical espresso!

Mickey Ice Cream = AWESOME!

Brothers or Suckers? Both.

Dreams DO come true in Fantasyland!

The whole family with Goofy. He's an appropriate mascot for us!

We spent ALL day at the park! We took a break to ride the train around the park (which is pretty lame - you can't see anything) and then realized time was running short so we split up to go ride our last rides. I had to go on Splash Mountain! We didn't get too wet and had a great view of the Castle at night. Then we finished up with the classic Dumbo ride.

Brian and I did a bit of souvenir shopping before we picked a spot for the parade and fireworks. I seriously love Disney World! It is so fun - even for adults without kids. We're already talking about going back in a few years when the open new rides in Fantasyland!

the one with September's Shopping Ban

2011-08-31T10:00:00.002-05:00

After playing on Mint.com for a while yesterday, I was horrified to realize how much shopping I did in August. I used my new job as an excuse to go a little crazy. All of it was cute, most of it was needed and some of it was tax-free, but together it did some damage! I am putting myself on a personal Shopping Ban in September. I do not need to buy any more summer clothes and winter clothes will still be there in October. I need to evaluate my closet and see what I really need. Here are my rules:

1. One cheat item, but only if it is a really good sale!

2. One souvenir when we go to Orlando with Brian's family this weekend.

3. Household items don't count (i.e. I can still buy pillows for our couch and cushions for our patio).

Who's with me? There is strength in numbers!!

the one with a wino weekend recap

2011-08-29T09:00:00.008-05:00

We had a pretty relaxing weekend. On Friday, I met Brian at Cru after work for a little happy hour date. Cru has some awesome $3 happy hour snack plates. Goat cheese beignets and bruschetta? Yes, please! We each enjoyed a flight of wine (three samples of different wines) before meeting my parent's for dinner at Kathleen's Sky Diner.

We spent most of Saturday at home cleaning and organizing while the painter was there. Luckily he only had time to patch the cracks in our walls, so we have more time to finalize our paint selection (blue is now an option!). That night, we went out to Frisco for a wine tasting birthday party for Heather's boyfriend Duane. A wine expert led us through tasting 13 different wines. We had a lot of fun! The picture is us with Heather, Kim, Kate and Nicky - Scott's frends who are now our friends!

Sunday was pretty typical - church at Prestonwood, lunch with Brian's family at Jason's Deli, running errands, hanging out at Starbucks before dinner with my family. We finished the weekend watching the Bush 9/11 Interview, which was really well done. It was good to hear his perspective on the day and to see footage again and to remember. I recommend DVRing it when it gets replayed.

P.S. I realized I never posted the picture of us from when we met W at Christmas time. We have this framed in our living room and I just love it!

the one where you should set your DVRs!

2011-08-28T18:35:00.004-05:00

Tonight the National Geographic Channel will air an interview with George W. Bush about 9/11. Brian said the Bush Institute is all abuzz about the interview and the clip looks really good. I know Bush's presidency is controversial to some people, but I have so much respect for him. No president had dealt with anything like 9/11 before, so he had no precedent and I think he handled it with dignity and compassion. I will always be a fan, especially because he's Brian's boss (indirectly at the Bush Institute). So set your DVR for tonight at 9 p.m.!

the one with five things on a Friday

2011-08-26T14:57:00.010-05:00

1. At any particular time, I might have four or five cups on my desk. I rarely finish a drink so I can't just throw the cups away at my desk because I need to go dump them out. But the sink isn't super close and I usually forget to take the old cups with me when I get a new drink (i.e. when my coffee gets cold or I forget whether my water cup is from today or yesterday). It's complicated.

2. My Mimi found out yesterday that a small lump in her breast is Stage 1 cancer. I'm so thankful they caught it early, but it was still a shock. Prayers for a quick, easy treatment and recovery!

3. I can't believe everything that is happening on the East Coast! Meredith survived her first earthquake in DC and Julie is hunkering down in a hotel in NYC as Irene approaches. Crazy times!!

4. We haven't picked a paint color yet! We're going to Loews or Home Depot tonight to look at swatches, but if we don't feel inspired, the painter is just going to have to come back! I do like these pillows though...
5. I'm working on a 30 Before 30 list of things I want to do before I hit the next decade. I'm stuck at 24 items - so what's on your list?

the one where I need your help with PAINT!

2011-08-25T07:54:00.003-05:00

We have been re-negotiating our apartment lease for a few weeks now and finally agreed (Brian really put his Master's Degree to work!). The apartment is going to clean our carpet, give us wood blinds instead of the nasty plastic ones, touch up some cracks and paint a bonus wall ANY COLOR we want! BUT the painter is coming in TWO DAYS and we had not even considered painting before (they threw that in last minute). Basically, I need your help!! Here's what our living room looks like now (sorry for the bad iPhone pictures):

cream couch, green accents, copper-ish mirror
rustic brown coffee table/side table, reddish-brown leather chair
I would like to replace our pillows in the near future because I'm tired of these (the green is looking a little too apple-y to me), so don't let the pillow color influence your choice too much.

These are two paint swatches from Pottery Barn's website that I like - Princeton Gold and Providence Olive (which looks gray-ish on my computer, but is much more olive-y in person). Any ideas? Where have you gotten paint? We'd only have to live with this for a year, so it isn't a huge deal, but I do feel rushed!! I would love some decorating advice from my readers!!

the one with a weekend recap

2011-08-22T22:31:00.001-05:00

Oh my. I am so full! I feel like all we did this weekend - and all week - was eat!

Friday. We took advantage of Restaurant Week and went to Del Frisco's Steakhouse with some friends. For $35, you got a salad, a 6oz filet with potatoes and desert. Not a bad deal - unless the waiter talks you into adding a special sauce on your steak and ordering an extra side! I can't even imagine how expensive that place would be on a regular night. Still, it was fun to dress up and go out for a nice meal.

Saturday. We got sucked into Tax Free Weekend chaos at the mall for a bit. Then we went with the Grahams to check out Fuel City Tacos, which is a taco stand inside a gas station over by the county jail and you eat outside at a picnic table. People rave about the tacos. I thought they were pretty good, but maybe not worth the drive. Saturday night, we went out with my family for my aunt Earlene's 60th birthday! They reserved the wine room at Isabella's in Frisco, which was a really nice and had good Italian food. It was fun to spend time with my cousins who were in town also.

Cousins - Andrea, Amanda, Stacey & Me

Us with Stacey

Sunday. After church, we had lunch at Schlotzky's, one of my all-time favorite places. We spent the afternoon playing Settlers of Catan (our new favorite board game) with Marcus and Amanda. Its a good mix of luck and strategy, so we all like it and we're generally still friends afterward - unlike Monopoly where I can't talk to anyone for a few hours! That night we met my family for another meal at Gordon Biersch before Mimi left to go home. Needless to say our goal is to eat at home for the next several days!

the one with my Seastar!

2011-08-18T21:27:00.004-05:00

My little sister Meredith graduated from KU in May with a degree in audiology. So what did she decide to do? Move to Virginia without a job and try her hand at event planning! Oh, the logic of a 22-year-old! I dearly love my little seastar and while I wish she had moved back to Texas, I love that she is Virginia so that I can go visit (because after three years of law school, Virginia started to feel like home - I miss the seasons and all of the history). Meredith just started a BLOG about her adventures in DC!! Check it out and send her some blog love so that she'll keep posting! I told her Google Reader would blow her mind once she added links to all of you. Hope she entertains you as much as she has entertained me for the last 22 years!!

the one with The Help

2011-08-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday night, my book club went to see The Help! We read the book together last year and loved it, so of course we had to see the movie together. It was so good!! Usually I am partial to the book, but this time I think the movie was pretty equal. Each of the characters was cast perfectly - and several of the actresses are relatively unknown. I really loved how sassy Minnie was and how completely horrible Hilly was. Go see it!!

the one with Southern Cocktails

2011-08-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, the Grahams hosted a Southern Cocktail Party a la The Help.

Ironing in my pearls like a true 1960s Southern wife!

Brian wore a linen suit, seersucker tie and Sperry's.

I had big hair, a full skirt, red heels and pearls.

Nena had an impressive spread of Southern treats:

deviled eggs, homemade pimento cheese, ham biscuits and chocolate pie.

The men playing darts and drinking whiskey sours:

Michael, Jonathan, Baker, Matt and Brian.

The ladies gossiping and sipping peach sangria:

Jennifer, Nena, Me, Leslie and Jenny

The Dukes - check out Jenny's lace gloves and Jon's white linen pants!

The Massenburgs - love Michael's popped collar and sweater

Matt and Brian - true Southern gents in seersucker

It was a really fun night with our friends and I can't wait to see the movie!!

the one with Mimi's 80th Birthday

2011-08-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

We spent last week celebrating my Mimi's 80th birthday! We started out with dinner on her actual birthday at the House of Blues. Meredith flew into town for the weekend, along with my two aunts. We even got Mimi to take a birthday shot (but that picture doesn't need to be on the interwebs)!

Mimi with her Texas grandchildren

Scott's girlfriend Michelle joined us for the birthday dinner!

Last Saturday, my parents threw a big birthday party with lots of extended family. Cousins, second-cousins and long lost third-cousins (seriously) came from near and far. Lots of laughter and wine - just the way Mimi likes it.

Me and the Birthday Girl

Mimi's sister brought her a birthday tiara to wear during the party

Clayton, my California cousin, flew in to surprise Mimi with his girlfriend Cassidy. Mimi was shocked to see him because we had been telling her that Clayton couldn't get away. I rarely get to see him and it was really good to hang out and meet Cassidy. I was really jealous of their California tans!

Everyone signed this picture of Mimi on a camel from our trip to Spain last year. I hope I have some of her spunk when I am 80 years old!

Mimi and her sister Becky

Me, Scott and Mer

My aunts - Celia and Diane

My mom is a fabulous hostess. She threw a great party even though her foot is broken and she is stuck in a boot thingie.

Me and Dad - I love this picture

During dinner, Heather and I conspired to stick as many nametags on Scott's back as we could. I think we got four on before he noticed.

The whole family with Mimi.

I am so blessed by Mimi. She always has a story and wants to hear mine too. She gives the best hugs and loves to trade books with me. She is always ready for an adventure and loves to have a good time. She and my Papa were deeply in love - even through his 20 year struggle with Parkinson's. Her strength and faith during his last years are something I will never forget. I love my Mimi and it was so fun to celebrate her life!

the one with new beginnings and endings

2011-08-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will.

Friday was my last day at my firm. On Wednesday, I will start working at a new firm doing similar lending work but also trying my hand at some real estate law (which was what I originally wanted to do). I am really excited about the new opportunity, but leaving was bittersweet. I worked at the firm for three years (plus two summers as an intern) and I made some good friends. I know I'll stay in touch with them and that this new opportunity is the right thing for me, but the last few weeks were emotionally draining! I hate goodbyes.

So how did this happen? I have a friend at the new firm (who used to work at my old firm) who told me about the opening after we worked on opposite sides of a deal. I was not looking for a new job, but I had been feeling discontent for a while. This was perfect - I could explore a new opportunity without the hassle of job hunting. The people at the new firm are so nice and the work will be good. Also, my friend tells me that the new firm is not as high-pressure as our old firm. That is a very, very good thing.

I have today and tomorrow off so I am enjoying the finer things in life - sitting at Starbucks with no agenda and no blackberry. Tomorrow I'm treating myself to a new job mani/pedi and maybe a little shopping trip for a new work outfit (or two)!

the one with Menu Whateverday (Weeks 24-31)

2011-08-06T21:23:00.012-05:00

We didn't cook too much before our trip (does Pasta Roni or frozen pizza count?), but we are getting back on track and our main goal is to cook more vegetable-centered meals. I love finding new things to try - like polenta and quinoa.

Black Bean Enchiladas: A+ WOW. We LOVED these! We ate them for three meals in a row and were sad that the pan was empty. Seriously. Please make these.

Summer Ratatouille with Parmesan Polenta: A Ever since the Disney movie, we have wanted to try ratatouille and this crockpot recipe looked like the perfect thing. It was yummy, easy and healthy. The parmesan polenta was the perfect base for the tomato-y ratatouille.

Quinoa Spinach Bake: B+ With cheese and spinach, I figured this had to be good. I followed the recipe, but used frozen spinach and added a cup of feta cheese. I wish it had been a little gooey-er, but then I suppose it wouldn't count as healthy. Still, it is a good solid easy meal.

Overnight Oats: A- I had heard about these mysterious overnight oats for a while so I finally had to try them since I'm trying to be better about eating breakfast. I used the recipe below with plain Greek yogurt and dried cranberries. Overall, they were pretty good!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole rolled oats
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or flavored!)
1/3 cup milk
1 spoonful dried fruit

Mix all ingredients together, seal in an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight. Top with jam, nut butters, nuts, and fresh fruit before diving in.

the one with three things on a Thursday

2011-08-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

1. Because it is so dang hot here and Texas is concerned about blackouts, we have been warned to conserve energy. As a result, my office building has turned off 90% of the lights in the hallways and breakrooms. It is pretty dark and feels sort-of like a Saturday. Strange!

2. My book club (love these ladies) is reading Northanger Abbey this month and I am absolutey loving it! I downloaded it for free on my Kindle and have been so surprised by it. I expected a slow beginning as I reacclimated to Austen-isms, but I have been chuckling to myself from the very first page.

3. We just finished watching The Kennedy's mini series on instant Netflix and it was awesome! I learned a lot about the Kennedy family and JFK's presidency. Did you know that Jackie was pregnant while they were campaigning and had the baby right before JFK took office? The actors are all really good and even though some of it might be fictionalized, I feel like it is relatively accurate. So good!

the one with El Ranchito and Belmont Bar

2011-08-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

I've had the itch to try new places lately. Dallas has SO many things to offer and yet we seem to go to the same places over and over. This weekend, we conned our friends into exploring Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts with us - both are areas of Dallas that can be really sketchy if you make a wrong turn, but there are hidden gems if you know where to look!

First stop: El Ranchito

Too bad we didn't pick the Elvis night! Oh my.Crossing the threshold was like stepping into Mexico. The competing mariachi bands with singers in very tight pants were so loud you could barely order a margarita (but I managed).

Jonathan, Brian, Michael, Matt

I judge a Mexican food restaurant on five things: chips, queso, tortillas, margaritas and fajitas. El Ranchito scored high marks on everything except queso, which was a tad runny. The tortillas were amazing and everything else was really good!

Nena, Leslie, Me, Jenny

Second stop: Bar Belmont
The Belmont Hotel is an old boutique hotel in Oak Cliff that is becoming a hot spot! The chic bar has a big patio with an awesome view of downtown Dallas.

What's missing from this picture? The Reunion Tower Ball was not lit up! We tried calling over there to find out why, but couldn't get any answers.

Although the drinks were a little pricey and it was sweltering on the patio, we had a good time! We will definitely go back in the fall when the ball is on!

the one with Brian's High School Renuion!

2011-08-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe it is time for Ten Year Reunions! Class of 2001, baby! Brian's reunion was last weekend. He went to a small private school in Carrollton called American Heritage Academy and graduated with about 35 people. His school closed down last year, so they had an un-official reunion at a wine bar in Dallas. There is something really funny about their reunion being at a wine bar since their school was SO conservative. We hang out with Matt and Nena on a lot (they live in our apt complex), so we all went to the reunion together. Matt and Brian met their senior year and Nena was in the class below them, so everyone knew her too. I went to all of Brian's football games during his senior year, so I wasn't a total stranger either. Brian and Matt

Brian had a good time catching up with people he has not seen in years. He was disappointed that a few of his friends didn't make it, but they had a good turn out.

Brian and Audra

Someone brought jello shots in school colors. Hilarious!
Matt and Nena
AHA Class of 2001
Nena, Matt, Me and Brian These two are soulmates. Its scary.
Ten years ago, I fell for the shy football captain. I had no idea where life would take us, but it has been a fabulous ride! I need to pull out my high school scrapbooks and show you some pictures sometime of Brian in his cute uniform. Does it for me every time!

the one with Israel: the LAST day!

2011-07-30T13:35:00.027-05:00

On our last morning in Jerusalem, we got up early to walk the ramparts of the Old City. The ramparts were deserted and the views of Jerusalem were awesome.We came down from the ramparts right by the Western Wall and Brian wanted to put another prayer in the wall. You can see him at the wall with his little gray backpack and his hand up.

Our next stop was St. Anne's Church and the Pools of Bethesda.

St. Anne's Church is built on the spot where the Virgin Mary's parents supposedly lived - the remains of their house are in the crypt. Whether or not this is where they lived, the church was really pretty - not overly ornate like many of the religious sites. We were excited to see the Pools of Bethesda, which are on the church grounds.In John 5:1-15, Jesus goes to the Pools of Bethesda and meets a man who had been lame for 38 years. In those days, they believed the first person into the pools in the morning would be healed. This man did not have anyone to help him so someone else always beat him to the water. But Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your mat, and walk." And at once the man was healed. John 5:8-9It was really cool to be in a place where we know that Jesus performed a miracle. After site-seeing in the morning, we ate a light lunch and then shopped until I dropped. Literally! We didn't do much souvenir shopping during the trip because there wasn't much time so we had to make up for it on the last day. The pictures are from the markets in the Old City. I love this shop keeper who posed for me! Once we had all the souvenirs we could carry, we went back to our hotel to pack up and catch a bus to Tel Aviv.Oh boy, we had a rough time getting to Tel Aviv (or maybe it was just me). We decided to take a public bus to Tel Aviv because it was super cheap and a cab would have been expensive. At this point, I was hot, tired and not happy about lugging our big suitcases through a confusing bus station. There were several security check points that seemed really pointless. I appreciate security, but not when an 18-year-old punk makes me open all my luggage and then doesn't even look to see if I have a bomb inside while people are jostling me. I was NOT a happy camper by the time we got to our hotel in Tel Aviv. It was a low point for me. Poor Brian!

That night, after I showered and calmed down, we went to the old city of Joppa for dinner. Joppa is where Jonah goes instead of obeying God (see Jonah 1:3). We enjoyed a nice dinner at a restaurant called Kalamata, sipping a Joppa Breeze and eating delicious artichokes. I would love to spend more time there on the next trip!Our flight left the next day around 11 a.m. At the airport, we bought a lot of duty free Dead Sea Salts before we boarded the plane for the looooong 10 hour flight home. We had an awesome trip, but I was ready to get home to my own bed and Mexican food!

the one with Israel: Bethlehem

2011-07-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

After our day at Masada and the Dead Sea, the SMU group parted ways. A lot of our friends were leaving early the next morning, so they pretty much went to bed. We decided to go to Bethlehem because we had not seen the Church of Nativity and wanted to spend some time there. We took an Israeli-Arab cab, which meant our driver could go through the check point to the West Bank and drop us off directly at the church.

This mesh of old buildings is the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest churches in the world. Constantine and his mother built a church in the 4th century on the spot where tradition holds that Christ was born. Justinian destroyed that church and built this one in 530, but much of the original church remains.

There used to be a bigger door, but it was reduced to this tiny Door of Humility in the Ottoman times to prevent carts being driven in by looters.

Many of the limestone columns date back to the original church.

There are trap doors in the floor that reveal the original mosaic floor.

At the back of the church, there are steps down into the Grotto of the Nativity - a cavern beneath the church where Mary gave birth.

An elaborate altar area with lamps and incense surrounds the spot where Christ was born and you can touch - or kiss - the ground at that spot.

On the back side of the complex there is another chapel with yet another small door and a garden area.

We spent some time in the shops near the church buying souvenir nativity sets for our families. All of the shop keepers were glad to see us because tourism in Bethlehem is slow because of the tensions between Israel and the West Bank.

After our evening in Bethlehem, we went back to Jerusalem to eat at a nice Israeli restaurant called Little Jerusalem. The restaurant had a huge garden and we enjoyed a leisurely dinner.

the one with Israel: Masada and the Dead Sea!

2011-07-28T21:39:00.000-05:00

This was my FAVORITE day! Even though the Capstone Dinner was the night before, we had a group tour of Masada and the Dead Sea before everyone parted ways. We had to be on the bus REALLY early to beat the heat at Masada - and it was hot.

Masada is a mountain-top fortress built by Herod the Great high above the Dead Sea (you can see it in the background). We rode a gondola to the top of the ruins of the fortress. One desert hike was enough and we were glad not to take the snake path (that's what they call it) up the mountain.

When the Romans crushed the Jewish revolt in AD 66, Masada was the last Jewish stronghold. The Jews withstood the Roman siege in the fortress for over two years. When the siege finally came to an end, rather than become slaves of the Romans, the Jews committed a mass suicide. Can you even imagine??

You can see the remains of the Roman encampment over my shoulder.

We had so much gear! We had this awesome REI backpack with a camelback in it, plus our good camera with a camera bag and a small video camera. Brian usually shot with the good camera while I took video.

Herod built a synagogue in the fortress, which is thought to be the oldest synagogue in the world.

Our professors, Dan Rainey and Miki Kidron, spoke to us about the importance of Masada to Israel. Dan was one of Brian's favorite professors at SMU because he focuses on international conflict resolution. Miki teaches masters classes for the counseling program and her specialty is post traumatic stress. She is an Israeli citizen so it was really cool to get her perspective on things.

View from the mountaintop down toward the Dead Sea

After our tour of Masada, we went to the Dead Sea!!!! We stopped at a public beach with showers, food and shops with Dead Sea products. I don't normally post pictures of myself in a bikini (esp not a bikini and water shoes), but the Dead Sea is an exception.

I didn't really know what to expect - I knew you could float and that the water was good for your skin. But I was so unprepared for how unique the Dead Sea actually is!

The water is warm - like a hot tub. And floating takes zero effort. We walked out until the water was about knee high and sort of sat down. And you pop right back up. Just like that. We were just laughing the whole time with how strange it felt to be so buoyant!

Part of the SMU Group

You can only stay in for about 15 minutes at a time before it gets too hot, so we alternated between time in the shade and in the sea. Megan and Gennea and Jamie (not pictured) were my girlfriends on the trip (Brian is a great travel buddy, but it was good to have girlfriends too)!

We decided that we had to do the mud thing - once in a lifetime experience and all that! So we bought some Dead Sea mud and slathered up. (Please ignore the water shoes - I felt like such a tourist!)

Gennea, Megan, Me and Brian

Once the mud was dry, we waded in to rinse off. Trying to stay under long enough to rinse off was challenging because the saltwater keeps pushing you up. My skin felt so so soft and smooth afterwards. I can see why people travel to the Dead Sea for spa treatments - it was pretty incredible.

I loved the Dead Sea. If you go to Israel - and you really should - be sure to go! I can't wait to go back there someday. After our float, we headed back to Jerusalem and everyone parted ways. Even though I know we can see everyone in Dallas, it was sad to have the trip come to an end and say goodbye!

Two more posts and I'm done - I promise!

the one with Israel: Days 7 and 8

2011-07-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

Congrats if you've read all these Israel posts! Only a few more!

Day 8: Haifa & Akko

Before leaving Haifa, we stopped to view the Baha'i Gardens. The manicured gardens cascade down the hillside in beautiful geometric patterns. At the bottom is the Baha'i Temple, which is the main temple of the Baha'i faith. Before this trip, I had never heard of the Baha'i faith. They are monotheistic and believe in the spiritual unity of mankind. Whatever they believe, their gardens were cool to see!

From Haifa, we drove along the Mediterranean coast a bit to Akko. This is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in Israel - from Canaanites to Phoenicians to Greeks to Romans to Arabs to Crusaders to Ottomans and finally now Israelites. Akko was the main fortress for the Crusaders and the primary port for the Christian armies under Richard the Lionheart. Archeologists began to uncover Crusader ruins in the 1990s, which we got to tour.

This is the big Knights Hall. It amazes me that the Arabs just built their city on top the Crusader city and that it was buried from the early 130os until the 1990s. Crazy! In fact, they just uncovered some new stuff recently that hadn't been seen since 1291.

I wish we had gotten more time in Akko because there was so much more to see, but alas. On a group tour you don't always get as much time as you want in some places! So we'll just have to go back. After our tour we had lunch and time to peruse the Arab market, which was crowded and stinky with fish. There were puddles on the ground and I freaked out a little when I realized it was ice melting from the tubs of fish. Nasty fish runoff water. Ugh. And my lunch did not settle well (no hummus for me for a while) so it just was not pleasant.

We drove back to Jerusalem that afternoon and got back around dinnertime. It was Friday evening, which is the start of the Sabbath, so all of the kosher restaurants (i.e. most restaurants in Jerusalem) were closed. We ended up having dinner at a non-descript pub with most of our group. Ah well. You win some, you lose some.

Day 8: Oasis of Peace and Capstone Dinner

On Saturday, they took us to visit a village called Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam (which means Oasis of Peace in Hebrew and in Arabic). It is a cooperative village where Jews and Palestinian Arabs live together. Two men from the village - one Jew, one Arab - spoke to us about the vision of the community, the problems they have, how they aren't some crazy utopian society, etc. It was interesting, but the room was pretty warm and I still wasn't feeling great, so I don't remember very much. We finished off the afternoon with a wrap-up class session before our big Capstone Dinner.

Dinner was at a cool place called Chakra with modern Israeli food. They brought out tons of appetizers - roasted red peppers, grilled eggplant, salmon, mushroom risotto, salad - followed by two different kinds of beef and then some really really good deserts (we convinced our waitress to bring us two because they were that good). It was all delicious! We toasted the professors and a great trip with Israeli wines. Definitely a fun celebratory night!

the one with things I'm loving

2011-07-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

You're a Pisa Work

I got a much-needed post-vacation pedicure and I am in love with this hot pink color. Perfect for summer.

Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale

I got these lovely Cole Haan boots for a steal! Can't wait to wear them this winter. My old black boots were falling apart.

The Naked Palette

I'm not usually a girly-girly about make-up. I like a quick routine, but this is just fun! So many colors that all blend so well - definitely worth the money.

the one with Israel: Day 6 (Hiking & Haifa)

2011-07-23T21:00:00.000-05:00

Our day started with a hike in a wadi (a dried-up river bed) in the mountains around the Dead Sea near Jericho. We were expecting a short 30-minute walk in the desert area, but we were wrong! Our guides took us on a 2.5 hour hike/climb and we did not bring nearly enough water! At least we had our hats and tennis shoes on. I cannot imagine how terrible it would be to get lost in the desert - eek!

Us at the top of the cliff.

We hiked down a steep incline with slippery rocks into the river bed itself.

We spent a while down in the wadi. It got pretty narrow in some places. When it rains, the wadi is a dangerous place to be because flood water can come quickly! Good thing that doesn't happen very often.

After hiking down in the wadi, we had to climb out to get back to the bus. Some people in our group were freaking out, but I thought it was fun!

After our long sweaty hike, we were looking forward to swimming the Jordan River. Turns out you can only get in the water with a white baptismal robe at the place where we stopped - so no swimming for our group. We were really disappointed that we couldn't get in - but at least we got to see it.

We also got a great view of the Sea of Galilee. This is right where the Jordan River starts and the mountains in the background are part of the occupied Golan Heights (a disputed Palestinian territory). We also thought we would get to go down to the Sea of Galilee and get in but that didn't happen. We'll just have to go back on our own someday!!

Some sheep on a hillside near Galilee. Can't you just picture David keeping watching over these sheep? Or Jesus saying that He is the good shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep? Being there really made the Bible come to life!

After our hike and our no-swim stop at the Jordan River, the bus took us to Haifa, which is a city on the Mediterranean near the Israel-Lebanon border (i.e. in north part of Israel - Jerusalem is in the middle).

Our hotel was right on the beach so we finally got to swim! There was a shallow part right so we all basically just sat in the water and relaxed, which felt SO good after hiking all morning!! It was perfect.

After our swim, we walked down the beach and found a good spot for dinner with Jamie, Megan and Gennea. We had some really fresh crab and shrimp - yum.

Oh and a glass or two of Israeli wine!

We watched the sun set over the Mediterranean and it was beautiful. A perfect way to end the day!

For the blogging record, Brian caught a cold - sniffling, stuffy nose and partial sore throat. Poor guy. He skipped the swim so that he could find a pharmacy and start feeling better. The medicine definitely helped!

Also for the record, not getting to swim in the Sea of Galilee or the Jordan River was our biggest disappointment/complaint about the trip, but overall SMU put together a really great trip - and this was the first time they have taken a group to Israel!

the one with Israel: Day 5 (Yad Veshem and Tel Aviv)

2011-07-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

We spent the morning of Day 5 visiting a trauma center in Jerusalem (like psychological trauma, not ER-type trauma). We learned about how they are creating programs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in Israeli soldiers. Everyone in Israel has to join the army at 18 (3 years for men, 2 years for women) and they don't have any sort of state-sponsored programs to help veterans. The place we visited is trying to raise awareness and help people who develop PTSD. They also talked about the long-term effects of the Holocaust on second-generation survivors.

As an extension of our visit to the trauma center, we toured Yad Veshem, which is the Israeli Holocaust Museum. The museum was very well done and presented a lot horrific information. Even though it was so upsetting, I am glad we went - especially since the state of Israel was formed after WWII and many of its citizens left Europe to escape Hitler. Anyway, it was a long day of talking about hard topics and we were all emotionally drained.

And what better way to recoverthan to have another drum circle on the beach in Tel Aviv?? We had so much fun with our first drum circle that the group invited the drummer guy to meet us all in Tel Aviv for another session.

Me, Gennea and Megan

A group of three Muslim women in robes stopped to listen and wanted to play the drums too - so of course we had to get a group picture! We also had kids and other beach-goers stop to listen and dance.

Breathtaking views!!

This is the drummer guy Hidai with this cool percussion instrument made in Switzerland. Brian wants one now, of course!

Brian and Hidai

Hidai was impressed with Brian's drumming skills and now they are Facebook friends so its legit. Brian also might want to be a crazy drum therapy leader when he grows up. After our drumming session, we walked down the beach and found a restaurant with fresh Mediterranean food. YUM. We got back to Jerusalem late that night but it was worth it!