sammy's

my favorite place on this planet.

(to eat, that is.)

i'm not much of a burger-eating girl, but i do love their pie shakes. 

mmmmmm. 

i just can't say no!

(anyone that loves mustaches as much as i do is pretty legit in my book.)

next time you are in rexburg (or provo) make sure that you stop by!

(and get a delicious pumpkin pie cheesecake shake in honor of me)

toodles!

looking into my magic oracle... i see the future:

day 17:
i am looking forward to...

GRADUATION!


sorry, i don't feel like posting much today... i woke up this morning with a sore throat and feeling like my eyes were trying to explode out of my head... i didn't even get out of bed until noon (after a very sweet younger brother brought pride and prejudice in to keep me company while i tried to go back to sleep). he's actually pretty sweet on occasion!
i never get sick. i'm usually the family member that laughs while everyone else is sick in bed. not today apparently. so, i'm going to go and sit on the couch, drink some (more) herbal tea, and beat this! because i don't like being sick while i'm at home. 


but today hasn't been all bad (i was about to go crazy, but my younger sister saved me by taking me to the store... we found some sweet red mugs at d.i... which will be a project that will take place sometime within the next few days. it's gonna be sweet!) 


feel better!
yes, thanks. i will!

a castle on a cloud

day 16:

my dream house.

i tend to collect pictures, and i usually don't write down where i get them.

(so for the sake of attributing these... none of them belong to me... but i don't remember where i got them. oops.)

***

now if anyone else out there is like me - and LOVES hot chocolate... but for the sheer fact that i would sit and drink cupfull after cupfull... (calorie counters cringe at the thought)

i found this to be a good alternative.

and homemade. (gotta love that, huh?!)

homemade sugar free/ fat free hot chocolate

3 cups instant powdered milk

1 cup splenda

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 sm. sugar free/fat free jello vanilla pudding, instant

mix all of the ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag and close bag - mix. store in air tight container or the zip lock baggie. to make a cup of hot chocolate, use 1/4 cup of mix to 1 cup of hot water.

serves 18

i also have a fetish with mugs. i want this one.

...or for a single serving  (i mean... am i really going to make 18 servings worth of hot chocolate???)

1 cup non-dairy milk (you can also use unsweetened almond milk)

4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 packets stevia

Optional: pinch of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla 

first measure out one cup of milk, and then transfer 2 tbsp of it to a mug. Heat the rest of the milk on the stove top or in the microwave (it took me about one and a half minutes in the microwave) until steaming but not boiling.

while the milk is heating up, add the cocoa, stevia, vanilla and cinnamon to the 2 tbsp milk in the mug. stir it together until it forms a chocolaty paste.

once the milk is heated up, add it to the chocolaty paste and stir till combined. just whirl a whisk between your hands back and forth to froth it up if desired.

***

i bet there is no better remedy for a stuffy head and sore throat than a hot cup of chocolate and nice warm toes by the fire  errr... space heater? (we'll just pretend for imagination's sake, shall we?)

philippians 4

i've been trying to decide which one was my favorite. 
the next prompt for the (extended) 30 days is a bible verse... i don't know about you, but i think they are all pretty great. 


this one helped me through the last semester - especially the days and weeks that i was sure would overwhelm me! 


philippians 4:12-13
i know how to be abased, and i know how to abound: every where and in all things i am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and suffer need. i can do all things through christ which strengtheneth me.  




oh, by the way...
merry christmas!!!

ch-ch-ch-changes!

last year.

december 2010.

this year.

december 2011.

a little different eh?

***

i want a guy to say this to me.

:)

set a new goal and dream a new dream

day 13.


i am most definitely a "list person"
if you look through any of my stuff... my backpack, purse, even pockets - and you are going to find lists.

• shopping lists
• christmas present lists
• goal lists
• fun-things-to-do-lists
• to-do lists
• to-be lists (This quote from from Lynn G. Robbins is my favorite - probably because it speaks directly to the list-maker in me): Many of us create to do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish. But people rarely have to be lists. Why? To do’s are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done. To be, however, is never done. You can’t earn checkmarks with to be’s. I can take my wife out for a lovely evening this Friday, which is a to do. But being a good husband is not an event; it needs to be part of my nature—my character, or who I am.
• lists of places to go
• lists of things to cook
• lists of things to make
• lists of things i want to buy when i have money, when i graduate from college, buy a house of my own...

i basically make a list for everything. (seeing the lists my mom makes, i think i know where i got it from...)

so you would think that coming up with a "goal list" would be easy right?

wrong.

i have so many, it is almost impossible (finding) and condensing them all into a single list.

so here's the short, and highly incomplete goals list:

• go on a road trip
• bike down the oregon coast
• graduate from college
• get accepted to grad school (which implies that i have to apply... sometime soon...)
• cut my own hair. 
• do something that scares me every day. 
• get down to 155
• run a 10k. then a half marathon.
• when i graduate, be able to fit all of my belongings into my civic. (i'm gonna dieeeee!)
• buy a car of my own
• get a job
• purge my recipes. get rid of all of the unhealthy temptations that i will make and then regret ever looking at. 

i was reading about "effective goal setting" and it says that in order to be the most effective, a goal has to be time sensitive. i mean, how often do i set goals and then forget about them because i'm in no hurry to get them finished? a lot. pretty much. so this is a list that i want to finish before december 31, 2012.

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.

Bruce Lee

facial hair is not one of my goals.

this pic is just too epic not to share with y'all.

and if i've never told you all about the awesome-ness of being an amazon woman, you are missing out.

this might redeem myself.

my favorite???

does it take longer for you to shave your legs?

TWELVE

a smile.

i don't leave the house without it. 

:)

--------------------------------------

and while i'm up, i might as well tell you what i've been doing...

finals are done!

huzzah!!!

and i took a glorious 3-hour nap today.

so while i couldn't go to bed, i decided to make something.

apparently one of my hobbies is to cook late at night.

like at 3 am.

we didn't have any dill, but we substituted a whole lotta spices and goodness instead (mainly basil, rosemary and oregano).

and boyyyyy was it gooooood!

farmgirl susan's beyond easy dill & cheddar beer bread recipe 

basic beer bread mix:
3 cups organic all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 ounces beer

optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

heat the oven to 375°. combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, dill, and cheddar in a large mixing bowl. slowly stir in the beer and mix just until combined. the batter will be thick.

spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with the egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. remove from the pan and cool 10 more minutes. serve warm or at room temperature.

flavor Variations (also see the comments section at the end of this post for lots more beer bread flavor inspiration):

garlic & Herb: add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 minced garlic cloves (or 1 teaspoon garlic flakes) to the basic mix. for fresh herbs, use 1 chopped tablespoon of each.

dill & chive: add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried dill) and 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives to the basic mix.

rosemary & feta: add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary and 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces) to the basic mix.

italian: add 1 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano (or 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh basil and oregano), 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or romano cheese to the basic mix.

other additions: any dried or fresh herbs; 1/2 cup freshly grated asiago (or other hard cheese); 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped scallions; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or 1/2 cup oats in place of 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. or practically anything else you can think of—just use your imagination. 

ee-weben :)

if you can't already tell, i'm just a little tired.
finals week can do it to ya, i'm tellin ya! (i can't wait to be done!!! then guess what? more school....... oh joy!) 


today is about a pineapple.

it actually has absolutely nothing to do with pineapples. (hence the relation to today's actual topic.)
{tv shows.}
i am not really the kind of person that sits down and just watches tv. i actually rarely do it, and even at home (and the blessing of dvr) i still struggle sitting down long enough to watch an entire episode. there are just so many other wonderful things i could be doing with my life! ...wasting time on pinterest is not one of them...
but if i had to choose 5 tv shows that rocked my world, they would be:
1. psych. do you understand now?
2. monk (tony is my favorite...)
3. johnny quest
4. jimmy neutron... my family loved to watch this tv show after the movie came out. we still quote it to this day. 
5. anything food-network related. i have to keep a napkin and a notepad nearby just in case something sounds good. who knows, i could see something so amazing that it would change the way that i see food. that would be big. 

------------------------------------------------

i don't have much else to say.

but i like this:

in honor of finals survivors everywhere!

{ten.}

something i'm afraid of.

i am afraid of nothing.

and do you want to know why?

because i'm wonder woman.

(i'm in disguise of course!)

and. i have a group of SUPER friends. 

you know superman? yeah, we're BFFs.

(come to think of it, i think i have next year's halloween costume idea now!)

i've always liked superheroes. don't judge! just listen to me for a sec!

this is doing a little homage to my nerdy superman-loving days in high school.

of course, nothing like the tv shows or movies could ever happen in real life. duh. but (this may sound corny) everyone is a superhero. 

i think good 'ol aunt may had it right when she said, "i believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride. even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most...even our dreams." 

timothy dalton said that we can't relate to a superhero. "but, you can identify with a real man who in times of crisis draws forth some extraordinary quality from within himself and triumphs... but only after a struggle."

those are the kinds of heroes that i like. 

these people are the true heroes - the people that might not look especially interesting at first glance. the quiet individuals that you don't stick out of a crowd. the ones that go about every day, silently but stalwartly living their lives. they are true to their ideals, their goals, and they will fight for them when the cause is important enough. 

so what are YOU afraid of?

***

the major work of the world is not done by geniuses (or superheroes!). it is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner. 

~ gordon b. hinckley

i haven't done this in a while.

i think it's high time for some musica!!!

9.

not the movie.
(i've never actually seen it... i just heard it wasn't worth it.)


my best friend.
this is a toughie... i don't think of myself as having one "best friend". (unless you count my sister, because she just automatically gets first dibs on the position.)
so you get to meet all of my besties. 

i've kind of given up on just posting pictures that i look good in...

there are really too few, and you wouldn't see any pictures!

-----------------------------

i was only supposed to post one picture... but i just got so caught up in remembering all of the fantastic times that we've had together.

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

ocho.

so as you can see, my "days" have turned into... weeks. 

it's finals. 

deal with it. 

a place i've travelled to.

what a glorious thought. the only problem is that i keep dreaming about going back. and sometimes about not coming back... 

(i'm just kidding mom...)

looking back, going to Jerusalem was one of the biggest adventures of my life. i changed in so many wonderful ways, and i made friends that hopefully will last a lifetime. 

(i have the horrible propensity to get so caught up in my own life and problems that i neglect my friends that live more than a room away... i'm working on it.)

maybe i'll move to utah?

yesterday i made dal for dinner.

don't worry, i had no idea what it was either. but within about 10 minutes, my apartment smelled like one of the spice shops in the old city.... talk about a flashback! (it is one of the only good smells that i actually remember from living there... burning garbage isn't really my favorite thing in the whole world.)

from poppytalk

if the dal looks dry or if you want to create more of a soup, add in more water or vegetable stock. i left the texture here to be versatile - it can be eaten as a soup or stew and is perfect served over rice or alongside some naan bread.

golden lentil dal with ginger and orange
1 tablespoon coconut or canola oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2" knob of ginger, grated or finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large cloves, garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 tablespoons curry paste
large pinch of cinnamon
1 cup red lentils, rinsed & picked over
4 cups veggie stock or water
a couple of squirts of sriracha sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
1 tablespoon honey
juice and zest of 1 orange
greek yogurt (optional)

in a large pot, heat up oil over medium heat and add in onion, celery, carrot, ginger and salt until fragrant - about 5 minutes. add in garlic, tomato, cinnamon and curry paste and stir until combined. add in the lentils along with vegetable stock.

cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. stir in the honey and hot sauce and let it cook for another 10 minutes. just before serving pour in orange juice and zest and stir to combine.

serve over rice or alongside your favorite bread. add a dollop of greek yogurt to serve.

----------------------------------------------------------

school is almost over!

it has been a WONDERFUL semester, but all good things have to (and should) come to an eventual end.

especially ones that make me lose sleep.

but not all of it was necessarily bad...

day 7. possibly a little late.

{day 7.}

you might have noticed this one missing...

this one is pretty much impossible. 

favorite movies.

seriously?

i mean... there are just too many to possibly pick a favorite. (i feel like the brian regan joke.) grape is favorite...! cherry is a favorite too... but grape is more favorite!

it's like making me choose whether i like my right or left food more.

my go-to movie for years has been:

the count of monte cristo.

a. he's a stud.

b. the movie is fantastic (it has everything, ya know?! action, romance, mystery, revenge, justice, suspense... murder? ah, it just warms the cockles of my heart thinking about it.)

c. one of my favorite characters, basically EVER (aka dumbledore)

d. and last but not least...

be still my heart! 

(and guess what??? he's starring as clark kent in the next superman movie, man of steel, coming out in 2013!) i'm just a little excited. 

no, i did not just drool on my shirt...

{day 6}


...is supposed to be a picture of something that makes me happy.
i felt more like a movie instead.

this girl will capture the world.

{day 5}


this just fits today

mis padres

{day 4}

i just want to spend today talking about two of the best people that i know.

aka mom and dad.

i know that most kids think that their parents are losers, are still living in their glory days from way-back-when, won't mind their own business, yada yada yada... (there are occasions when i do wonder what planet they hail from, and if i really wasn't dropped off on the doorstep by a stork...) but i happen to think that my parents are the coolest cats since the invention of sliced bread. 

i'd like you to meet my folks.

aren't they cute?

i think i'll keep them.

when i think of my parents, i think of:

my dad teaching me how to box out after a free throw at 10 o'clock at night in jr. high.

making me read ender's game.

first introducing me to pride and prejudice. (yes mom, it was actually dad that first showed me that movie...)

my mom making me do chores every. single. saturday growing up.

the slave labor before christmas when we made tons of food. (and i'm not kidding about the tons part.) and then we gave it all away. what's with that?

teaching me how to cook. so that i didn't starve to death when i got to college. because top ramen wasn't gonna happen.

of hour-long talks when driving to school, california, or anywhere else (when it was my job to keep her awake)

and all my friends thinking that my mom was the coolest person ever...

i miss this.

but next summer = graduation!

(and more adventures with mom!!!)

i don't know why this picture ended up on here...

i just thought it was funny.

:)

i love my family.

and now for a little thanksgiving food-for-thought:

i so have to make this now.

pumpkin...