Category: FAVORITES

Surprise!

A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.

GLORIA STUART

I am not very good at keeping secrets, and I have been keeping a couple from you. I feel so guilty, that I’m about to burst. The first is that I wasn’t in Oklahoma last week.

Crossing off #25 from my 30 Things To Do Before Turning 30 list, I went on a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico with my dad, step-mom, step-sisters, step-brother, brother, aunts, cousins, friends, and Chris. There were 14 of us all together, and I couldn’t have asked for a more fun or relaxing week!

Hopefully it’s obvious what my other secret is by the photo above, but if you must-ask…I’M PREGNANT!

Yes, I am holding a stick covered in urine in front of my face like a mustache. Doesn’t everyone get one of those shots when they find out??? Technically, I guess the first picture I captured was more like this…

Babies were off our radar with a bachelorette party, wedding, 10-year reunion, and trip to Mexico all scheduled, so I was quite surprised when I realized I was six weeks pregnant. Chris was just as surprised since he had been gone for two weeks the previous month. Call it a miraculous conception or what you wish, there is definitely a baby in there.

In six weeks it had grown from that little blip into a kiwi sized baby.

A kiwi sized baby that is moving constantly. I was overcome by joy watching my baby do somersaults in my stomach. I can’t stop smiling when I look at this precious leg.

How did Chris take the announcement? He was overcome with joy and happiness. I’m now walking proof of what a stud he is!

You might be wondering what this means for my little food and lifestyle blog. Well I can tell you things are going to get interesting, from the ever increasing growth of my belly to the bizarre things I have been eating, I plan to share it all. Stay tuned because it looks like #5 should be crossed on the list in early January.

Do you have any secrets you want to share?

Mango Barbeque Chicken Meatballs

Stan Fields: Miss Rhode Island, please describe your idea of a perfect date. Cheryl “Rhode Island”: That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25th. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.

MISS CONGENIALITY

I would have to admit that April 25th is a perfect date! Around this day every year, I am reminded that summer is right around the corner. It is the start of lounging by the pool, vacations, day drinking, and this day just so happens to be my best friend Penny’s birthday.

Penny is my oldest child’s (well dog’s) Godmother, so naturally Nellie wanted to wish her a happy birthday. I mentioned her in this post, but she also did this piece yesterday on Pork Roulade for Sally Spins’ first guest post. I am hoping that her boyfriend will share some more recipes she will do another guest post in the future.

It is crazy that we have known each other since we were four.

What is even more crazy is that on Facebook when I click to view our friendship, this is the picture that shows up.

Facebook, why did you choose this ridiculous photo of us when there are so many better options? Do you think there is someone on the Facebook staff that manually picks which picture to have for the friendship page? “Oh yeah, that is definitely the worst picture of those two. Let’s use that one.” Gross!

What’s not gross is what I made Chris for dinner.

Mango Barbeque Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients:

½ cup barbeque sauce

½ cup mango jam

1 Tablespoon Sriracha

½ package chicken meatballs

Directions:

1. Over low heat combine barbeque, jam, and Sriracha.

2. Stir in chicken meatballs and continue cooking until they are heated.

3. Enjoy!

This sauce leaves you smacking your lips with sweetness and your tongue tingling with heat. The addition of jam and Sriracha do wonders for the barbeque sauce.

Plopping a few of these onto a bun turns this blissful appetizer into a nice little meal.

Nothing says summer like barbeque!

What is your idea of a perfect date?

Avocado Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers

A true love story never ends.

UNKNOWN

In a few short weeks my friend Emily, whom I have known since grade school, will be getting married. It was fun having an all girls weekend, but it will be nice having the guys at the wedding to help celebrate!

At her bachelorette party, one of the girls asked to see a picture of my husband. After bringing one up, they remarked how similar he looked to Josh Hartnett.

I would have to agree. He is pretty handsome.

Being the dutiful wife that I am, I wanted to share with Chris how hot he was, so I sent him a text message.

That same evening, one of my friends asked to borrow my phone to text her husband because her phone had died. He was in a tornado warning, and she wanted to check in with him. They were texting back and forth updates, so when I got a message I handed her the phone. She looked at me quizzically and asked, “Did you send this to my husband?”

Yeah, I guess I had texted her husband, thinking that it was Chris, that he was handsome. The expression on her face was priceless. She totally thought I had sent it to him, and she was a little creeped out. Whoops!

Handsome husbands deserve to eat delicious burgers like…

Avocado Blue Cheese Bacon Burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

½ cup blue cheese crumbles

½ cup green onions, chopped

1 avocado

bacon

hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Mix together ground beef, cheese, and onion.

2. Form into patties and grill.

3. Top with bacon and avocado.

4. Enjoy!

While shopping at the new Sunflower Market grocery store, I stumbled across some premade blue cheese and onion burgers. They seemed simple enough, so I tried my own version. I have to admit the green onions were a very nice addition. After being grilled, they turned out quite crispy.

These burgers were just dripping with melted blue cheese, and with the creamy avocado on top, there was no need for added sauce.

Alone blue cheese, bacon, or avocado would make a perfect burger, but to have all three makes this burger out of this world good!

Have you ever sent a text to the wrong destination?

How to Throw a Bachelorette Party

Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and answer to, all of life’s problems.

MATT GROENING

1. Find a bride and put her in something ridiculous.

2. Get some sweet decorations like the ones I found here.

3. Throw in some inappropriate paraphernalia.

4. The more sweets the better. Girls are quite fond of chocolate and cupcakes!

5. Stinky cheese is always a crowd pleaser.

6. Lingerie is usually a helpful gift to bring.

7. They sell some pretty crazy things for bachelorette parties…buy them.

8. Try and make some friends throughout the evening. Professional wrestlers are cool.

9. But avoid running into people you might know…remember you are at a bachelorette party. It is kind of like being in Vegas.

10. Take pictures early in the night because they just get blurrier as the night goes on.

*Note this post did not mention beverages, but plenty of champagne was indulged during this party. Drink up!

Do you have any tips for bachelorette parties?

 

My Perfect Day on a Diet

Saying “Oh, I’ve already ruined my good eating today. I’ll just eat crap” is like saying “Oh, I dropped my phone on the floor. I’ll just smash it til it breaks.”

UNKNOWN

I wanted to share with you my perfect day on a diet. In my perfect day, I would like to stick to around 1200 calories. The reality is that most days are not perfect, but the imperfections can always be improved through exercise. I also like Self’s Drop 10 Diet strategy of eating 1400 calories a day, with 200 going to whatever you please or being stored up for a special occasion day. Here is what it looks like…

PERFECT DAY TOTAL CALORIES: 1200 -1400

 

BREAKFAST: 150 – 200 Calories

Egg Sandwich: 100 calorie English muffin, two egg whites, reduced calorie American cheese slice, hot sauce

OR

Archer Farms Cherry Almond Instant Oatmeal with Chia seeds and a small apple

LUNCH: 300 – 350 Calories

Giant Salad: a much veggies as I want with 2 Tablespoons dressing, sunflower kernals, and two egg whites

OR

Easy Microwave Meal: Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, or Amy’s Kitchen

SNACK: 150 – 200 Calories

100 Calorie popcorn with spray butter and black pepper

OR

Banana Berry Protein Shake

DINNER: 300 – 350 Calories

Falafel Sandwich with Yogurt Sauce

OR

Margarita Pizza

OR

Vegetarian Chili Cheese Dogs

DESSERT: 150 – 200 Calories

Weight Watchers Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Cone

OR

Justin’s Organic Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup

Every time I have a day of eating like this, I wake up the next day feeling lighter and happier. Looking at it broken down meal by meal, it looks so easy and attainable. Just one day at a time.

What does your perfect day on a diet look like?

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