To-Do's

"No.  I will not let you fold this laundry that is currently serving as my bed."

Since I have started teaching, I am finding each day that I love it more and more. Way more than I ever thought I would. Sometimes, when you find something you love, it is easy to forget about everything else. I've started making to-do lists for myself so I don't forget about those other things. Other important things. Like, my masters degree. Heh...heh...

Thank goodness for to-do lists. I've been rather successful this week considering that I am still fighting off this yucky cold or whatever it is. I still blame it on the germs at school that the kiddos are bringing me, and I heard on the radio that it takes teachers two years before they are immune to most public school germs. This winter could be an interesting one. Fer sher. But there is no such stress that a good old-fashioned bedtime snack can't fix.

Chex + almond milk + banana = my childhood favorite bedtime snack.

I was in class today, and I sneezed so many times that after about five or so, the class stopped "blessing" me. Now, I think that the more the better - come on, people, I'm sick. Bless me!!! Anyway, if I could figure out how to input a sound file in here, I would because my prof records every lecture and when I went to re-listen to a portion from today's lecture that I didn't quite catch the first time, I could hear myself hacking away in the background. Lovely. I've been sucking down hot tea and honey all day. My vocal chords are done for and the tea/honey combo helps soothe.

Drinking out of my London mug makes me feel happy, too. I wanna go back...

Unfortunately, I'm struggling just a little with my workload. It seems like some days I am able to do more than others. Being a little under the weather, I'm more fatigued than normal. When I was a kid, I hated nap time. I had the option to either nap or read my book in bed, as long as it was "rest time." My all-time favorite teacher nicknamed me the "Reading Queen" on my first day of kindergarten and still calls me that to this day. Well, I had to live up to that title, so naturally, I chose to read my book during "rest time." I still love to read every night before closing my eyelids and I don't regret reading during my nap time as a kid - but I really regret not taking those naps. I would give anything to have daily nap time again. I took a nap yesterday and another one today and it was wonderful. But, it set me back a little. All well, I just added nap time to my to do list and then crossed it off so I feel more accomplished. It works that way, right?

One item that will always and forever be on my to-do list is reading. I always make time to read. Even if it means one less hour of sleep. Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies. Preferably in my cozy warm bed...

Yeah, this happens.

Currently, I'm reading the First Family by David Baldacci. On loan from the Viper Pilot's mom. She is yet to loan me a book I don't love, but this one is chart topping. It's one of those books where you glance at the clock, realize it is 11:00 pm and you've been reading for an hour and go, "Ehhh, just one more chapter." I cannot put this book down.

Source

My next read is something a little more unique. Even though I have been dating the Air Force for the past seven years, with the Viper Pilot entering the fighter pilot world, I figured it probably wouldn't hurt to stick my nose in this book. I bet I don't know nearly as much as I think I do.

Source

Another item on my to-do list is my workouts. I've been busting my booty to get in shape by our big day. The only way that is going to happen is if I start early. I was doing so well last spring and then I went to Europe and fell off the bus. 3-4 months later, post engagement, I decided I'd better get back on the bus rather than wait until a week prior to the wedding. Oh hey, Supreme 90.

Yes. Yes, I am ready. Er, I think...
Source

Glutes, meet jump lunges. Jump lunges, meet my rear end. Ooof...

This week has been busy for the Viper Pilot, too. He's been doing a lot of flying and studying. You know, as much as we hate this LDR, it's probably for the best because we are able to focus on our studying. When grad school and his training are over, we'll be able to [hopefully] settle into a happy normal routine as a newlywed couple, living in the same town and in the same house. Granted, I don't think there is anything "normal" about being a F-16 pilot and then you have me...weird, silly me....but then, define "normal." It's gonna be a good life.

Dinner tonight, was parmesan crusted tilapia, chipotle sweet potato fries and spinach with goat cheese + kalamata olives, and Annie's Goddess salad dressing. 

The little sense of taste I have was happy with this meal.

Well, I'm off to bed. Sleep is an essential for me these days. I can't seem to get enough of it. 

Of course, Elle will be snoozing as well, per usual. 

Oh, one last smile before bed. I thought I would share with you an excerpt from a recent text conversation my mom and I had...a feature on the iPod texting format that I couldn't resist taking advantage of. 

I can't stop giggling.

Have a good night! 

blame the stress and give me sleep.

I call this the down dog position.

I work in a public school now, so I've been taking some extra precautions to maintain a healthy lifestyle during these upcoming cooler months.

1. Eat right. Check
2. Make sure you get your daily dose of fruits and veggies. Check
3. Take your vitamins and pump up your vitamin C. Check
4. Get plenty of exercise because exercise helps build your immune system. Check (Supreme 90 5 days a week!!)
5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Check
6. Wash your hands often. Check
7. Get lots of fresh air. Check. The AC is off. When the weather is nice, the windows are open.
8. Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Uh oh....
9. Get plenty of rest. Shoot...

Talk about getting kicked when you're down. I had a stomach bug on Monday and not even a week later I've got a cranium cold. Boo...

It is a good thing that I love my cozy bed and chicken noodle soup. I really need to work on eliminating the stress and sleep thing, too. It's on my list of things to do. I suppose that the cooler weather hasn't helped my case either. It has been abnormally cold here lately. Cold meaning in the 30s at night and 40s/50s during the day. Since it is so damp down here, 38 degrees actually feels more like 13 to me. It makes my bones hurt. And Raynaud's season is in full swing. 

Pinky. Ouch.

I had a 6 day week so I haven't really had much time to blog. I haven't been cooking much. So I don't have any new recipes to share. I do have a new DIY project to share with - it is on my agenda for today. It involves the following: 

I did a trial run the other night and it didn't work out so well...

The streaks are artistic, right? 

If you can't guess, these are for the wedding. I have a few ideas on how to avoid streaks, but I'm not sure if they will work. It might just be that the jars are streaked and haters gonna hate, but that's just how they are going to have to be. I will just have to convince myself that the streaks make them more artistic. 

Wish me luck. I'll update you on how things go. 

Cheers!

Adventures of Elmer

After an intense and super stressful week, I took the weekend to relax. It felt so wonderful. Woke up Monday morning sickies. Yuck. Crash and burn.

stress --> relaxation --> immune system crash and burn --> sick
Not cool.
I took some anti-nausea meds and drove the 300 feet to Kmart-Fall-Apart (it's like three houses down from where I live and normally I walk there, but it seems like 300 miles when your sick) and stocked up on all my favorite comfort foods:

• 7-Up
• cherry jello
• tapioca pudding
• noodle and vegetable soup (sans chicken - it grosses me out)
• smashed tatoes (Kmart-Fall-Apart doesn't sell potatoes, sad...)
• chicken broth (they don't sell that either...)
• and of course, lots of tea

I feel a bit better today, though I feel like I got hit by a bus and solid food still makes me feel a bit queasy. I hate getting sick during the week. Why can't I ever get sick on the weekend when I don't have to work or things to do?!

The weatherman said the f-word today. FROST. (heh, heh...) Just when my garden started doing so well, too. I'll have to buy some cheap sheets or something to protect it. The broccoli also crashed and burned over the weekend - not exactly sure why, but that made me pretty sad. I think it had something to do with worms and Sevin dust that didn't work. Honestly, I've been too busy to figure it out. On the bright side, I have about enough green beans for a meal and I'm about to have a million tomatoes. 

That's all I have for y'all today. Sorry, but that is literally how exciting the past few days have been for me. A bit pathetic, no? So, instead, I'll fill you in on Elmer's weekend.

Elmer got a bath over the weekend. Every time I give her a bath I have to laugh at how sad and little she looks, so this time I decided to take a few pictures. Treats were given for her cooperation. And the only thing harmed in this process was her pride, the poor thing. 

Before.

After.

This is her I-really-don't-like-you-right-now face.

She loves the hair dryer part, though.

And then it's time for....

PUPPY TIME! Zoom, zoom.

One more Elmer adventure to share with you. I looked out the window the other evening and noticed this little white thing running around the neighbors yard. Methinks, 

"Weird. Did the neighbors get a dog?"

Then it hit me. Nope. That's MY dog. In the neighbors yard. What the...??? I went over to the neighbors' backyard hands and pockets loaded with "cookies" (dog treats). Catching Elle off her leash is like trying to catch a chicken (that's an all too perfect analogy). She may be all sweet and cute in the pictures, but when she gets loose, she's out of control. I'm not even kidding. She thinks we're playing. This dog can run at super sonic speeds.

Note: I did not take this picture as I was trying to catch her. This was taken last summer.

Well, Elle, we're not playing this time.

After playing cat and mouse for a few minutes, she surrendered with her tail between her legs because she knew she was a bad dog. I coaxed back into my arms and carried her back home. I think because she has her backyard to roam free, she doesn't understand what to do when she's off her leash. We'll have to work on that with her. I blocked off the dog door and went into the back yard to figure things out. She's not a digger, so I had no idea how in the world she got over to their yard, until I saw in the back corner where the fence is about half a foot off the ground. BINGO. She low crawled under the fence. Smart dog. I went and bought one of those little garden fence things (thank goodness Walmart still had some garden stuff left!!) and covered the spot up. Try escaping now, Houdini.

I had to laugh when I saw this picture. Because this dog and Elle have nothing in common.


I think I'll make pickled banana peppers or pepper jelly this weekend. Stay tuned.

Cheerio, friends!

Nutty for Nutella

The first day of fall was September 23....but don't tell my garden that.

Notice how the tomato plant has attached itself to the post...I lost count at 30 tomatoes. They should all be ready to go around the same time so it seems as though I will be making pizza sauce very soon...

Who needs a bird feeder when you have these beauties. The hummingbirds and butterflies love my petunias. I do too.

WATERMELONS!! (there is one more hiding behind the plant)

Elmer and I had a pretty lazy weekend. Got a few wedding things done, which is always fun. The materials for my DIY project did not get here before the weekend, so I already have plans for next weekend.

We received a really cool engagement present in the mail yesterday from the Viper Pilot's aunt and I've been relaxing on the couch watching Say Yes to the Dress and reading a book while enjoying the wonderfall smell of pumpkin marshmallows. 

Scentsy!

When I was taking this picture, I noticed Elle looking holding up the wall. I had to snap a quick pic of her. Little Miss Attitude...

Remember Thai Food Fridays? I totally brought it back. 

Green curry. Thai hot.

Enjoyed my green curry while watching a movie with the Viper Pilot over the phone. We call these "movie dates." Last night was his turn to pick the movie. We watched the first Die Hard movie. Don't waste your time. But that's just my opinion.

I made a fruit dip for my fruit (duh) and since I've been in a picture-taking mood lately, so the lucky little dip got a photoshoot. 

They were out of the regular size of plain Greek yogurts at the store and I had to buy a big thing of it when I only need about a tablespoon. I mixed the leftovers up with a little Nutella for my fruit dip. It's really good but I'm sure you knew that because who doesn't love Nutella, am I right?

Nutty for Nutella Fruit Dip

• 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup Nutella

Mix. Dip. Enjoy.

Super easy. Two ingreeds, three minutes.

Try it. Your strawberries will thank you.

Have you ever been to Mount Rushmore? I can't say that I have. Supposedly this is what it looks like from the Canadian side...

      Bahahaha!

the price we pay for love

The Viper Pilot and I are 3 months into our engagement and also 3 months into our 3rd LDR. When I moved to Mississippi in May 2010, we actually had a celebratory dinner because we thought we were done with LDRs. That all changed in March 2011 when we found out he would be moving away for F-16 training. That very same day, I accepted the teaching fellowship that ends May 15. Thus, this LDR we are currently in. I'm still in the "cope" phase of this LDR. I know that it will be over soon - this is the shortest one yet - but that doesn't mean it is always easy.

Things I've learned so far:

1. My social life isn't so good without my other half.
2. I really miss eating at restaurants.
3. Elmer is not as happy without her other person around.
4. I'm not as happy without my other half around.
5. My Little White Dress Eating Plan (no, not a diet) is much easier when you live alone.
6. Bluetooth headsets are the best thing ever.
7. Skype is pretty amazing, too.
8. I miss getting hugs. From anyone, for that matter. Sometimes I just need one.
9. Planning a wedding in a LDR is not nearly as bad as it might seem.
10. I thought we were LDR pros after doing it for 4 years...but it never does get easier.
11. LDRs have not gotten any cheaper...in fact, I think they're more expensive.
12. Killing spiders, bugs, oil changes, the weed eater (we aren't friends), the potential of a flat tire...
13. I hate living alone. Hate it. 

Days like today are tough when it is has been 3 weeks since I saw him last and most likely won't see him again until Thanksgiving. I see other couples together and they just look so happy - I just want to throw my shoe at them. It's so frustrating.

Going back to number 10 on my list, I thought that after nearly 4 years of off and on LDRs I knew all there was to know about them and how to make them work. Well, we don't have to make this work because it just does, but we do have to cope. We have overcome so many challenges and have even managed to grow stronger because of the LDRs. Our challenges are really something, or at least I think so. I mean, we may not be separated by oceans, but we are both incredibly busy, I'd say we're fairly successful people [though, I am biased], communication isn't always easy (broken cell phones, dropped calls and endless games of phone tag), and we go weeks-months without seeing each other. 

There is nothing like the high of hearing his voice and being in his arms after being separated for a long time. There is also nothing like the low of saying goodbye in a crowded airport and wiping away tears while going through security. (That's really not fun.)

I know that there will be deployments. Right? I mean, I'm marrying the Air Force. But rumor has it the spouse support system is phenomenal. I'm already really excited to meet all the people at our first assignment and we don't even know where it is yet. Additionally, I've found an overwhelming amount of magazines, books and blogs chuck full with advice and info about being a military spouse. 

Alas, this is the price we pay for love. :) It's really NBD as long as we're happy, right? :-D The best part is, when this is all said and done, I'll be Mrs. Viper Pilot and I, for one, can't wait for that day and the adventure it holds. 

I suppose that's all for today. Check back later for a post about my weekend. (A movie review perhaps?)

Laughing is my absolute favorite. I found this picture the other day and laughed out loud. In class. Oops...

Hee hee hee...

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Heyyyy guys. TGI(almost)F. I had a midterm today. I either rocked it or bombed it. We'll see. I HATE true/false question tests. And long work out problems when you make a mistake right from the git-go and end up having to go back and re-do everything because you realized your mistake way too late and then you run out of time. Blergh. A good Supreme 90 leg workout and a nice long walk with Elmer relieved some of that stress. 

Even though the temps are still in the 80s here, I'm craving soup. Chicken tortilla soup, to be exact. Even though I'm sitting in front of my tower fan as I type trying to dry the sweat after eating a bowl of my spicy (!!!) hot soup on a rather warm fall evening, I must say, it was worth it. And it is definitely blog-worthy.

You know what I miss the most about summer? The long days. Natural light is best for my high aperture photographs of food phood. It got dark before I was done photographing my soup. I hate when that happens.

I was watering my garden this afternoon when I realized I had probably pick a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? Seriously, there were a ton of peppers on that plant. I've been freezing most of the peppers because I can't use them that fast! The inspiration for chicky tortilla soup came to me as I was plucking cayenne peppers...I now have enough banana, jalapeno and cayenne peppers in my freezer to last me for a few years...or, you know, a lifetime. 

The big fat red ones are jalaps. Red jalaps. As it runs out, red HOT jalaps, that is. There are only a few of what I picked today! Funny that my pepper plants go crazy in OCTOBER.

I didn't really follow a recipe for this soup. I had one out as a guide, but ended up not using it. I'm blogging about it now so I don't forget what I did. Cause I may or may not have written it down. Oopsies...?

But it's rilly rilly easy.

I pinky promise.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
adapted from my nugget

• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced (seeds included)
• 4 cayenne peppers, diced (seeds included)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 1 can hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes 
• 3-4 tortillas, cut into strips (I used Ezekial 4:9 Sprouted Grain Tortillas) 
• juice of 2 fresh limes
• shredded mozzarella jack cheese for serving (I used Mozzarella Flavor Veggie Shreds)
• fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer for about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked thorough. Drain and set chicken aside to cool. Once cool, chop into cube-sized pieces.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a very large pot.  Once hot, add the diced peppers and cook for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the chili powder and cumin and mix until well combined.

Pour in the chicken broth and add the diced tomatoes, hominy, black beans, green chilies, diced chicken and salt. Bring to a boil.

Finally, add the tortilla strips and lime juice and cook until tortillas soften. Serve with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese on the side.

Serve with blue tortilla chips!!

Cilantro just happens to be the ONE and only herb in my herb garden that has bitten the dust. But I added it to the ingreeds because I feel like it is a necessity of this soup. 

Before I go, I am asking you to please take a few seconds to click this link, find John & Meghan and vote for them to have the wedding of their dreams. Salute to Love gives a dream wedding to a deserving couple. These guys deserve it. John is a classmate of Alex's - he graduated from USAFA in 2010. His bride-to-be, Meghan, is an Olympic swimmer. She is also a SURVIVOR of a rare form of lung cancer. Check out their amazing story on the website, watch their video and please don't forget to VOTE for them! 

Peace out, y'all. 

Birthday Bash

Hi friends. How was your weekend? Hopefully the weather is as nice where you are as it is here. No complaints! I'm on this new "lower my electric bill" mission and shut my air conditioning off a few weeks ago. Some days are better than others...some days I find myself glued to my little tower fan. I leave my windows open in the early mornings and evenings and that helps.

My Colorado friends told me it snowed there the other day. Seriously?! I miss cold snowy winters so much!! I can't wait to move back there...some day!!

This past Tuesday was my birfday. Yeppers. I made it to the big two-four. I never like having my day of birth on a school day because 1) you can't sleep in (which I guess I don't do anyway) and b) you um, have to go to school.

Fortunately, I have such wonderful friends and family that helped my make day wonderful. For example, my nephew, Cale, called me on his way to school. Henry, Maddie, Nick and Jack called to sing me Happy Birthday (which was adorable...). Henry told me,

"Well, that's kind of the good thing about by yourself birthdays. You get all the cake to yourself."

Bless his little heart. My heart was in a puddle on the floor. How sweet is he?

This past Friday, I was able to celebrate my birthday with friends. We went out to dinner where I was presented with the most delish piece of cheesecake (someone knows me well...) with a candle! Love it.

Wendy, Nathan, William, Shane, Molly, me + fish tacos + totally awesome Polaroid camera

Dunnanananana na na...they say it's your birthday...we're gonna have a good time.  

After that we relocated and played a game called Guess Who. It was so much fun! Okay, so here's how it goes. Everyone secretly writes down a famous person's name on a note card and they get passed around the table. Without looking at your card, you stick it to your fore-nugget. Like so:

Then, you ask as many yes or no questions as you can to try to figure out who you are. THIS IS NOT AS EASY AS IT SEEMS. I found out that I was:

• not born in this century --> really really old
• in the military
• from Great Britain, but not England or Ireland...so Scotland?
• famous for a specific battle
• threw spears
• was knighted...just call me "Sir" 
• painted my face blue
• they made a movie about me and my battle

Okay, think Emily, THINK....

Seriously, who the heck is William Wallace?! 

At one point, I thought I had it.

I've never seen the movie Braveheart (I dislike blood and gore in movies - my stomach can't handle it) and I don't know my Gaelic history well enough to know who this dude was. So, I lost the game. Totally embarrassing...do you know who William Wallace is? Humor me...

It was so fun watching people's faces as they were trying to guess who they were! Some were easier than others and I learned that it is all about asking the right questions. 

Ernest Hemingway and King Tut

Shane: "Do I have any distinctive facial features?"
us: "YES!"
Shane: "A beard?"
us: "No..."
Shane: "A mustache?"
us: "No..."
Shane: "Do I have a big nose?"
us: "YES!"

Winnie the Pooh!! Nope, you're not real, Nathan. Sorry.

It was so much fun, we're already making plans to do it again. This game is way too much fun. We had people stopping to watch us!

In other news, the Pilot is finally a real Viper driver!! He has flown the plane, ladies and gentlemen. Not the simulator, the actual plane. Aaaaand, I'm pretty sure he enjoyed every single nanosecond of it (that's like 10 to the minus 9 seconds). He will most likely be flying solo by the end of the week. Just in time for his birfday! Pretty cool, right? Right. Fer sher.

Oooh, and before I sign off, be sure to check out our photographer's blog about our "rather awesome" engagement sesh here.

Hope you have a great rest of your week! I have mah-jah DIY plans for the weekend...so we'll just hafta see how that goes, I'll be in touch. 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Check out this party animal...she's all fired up because it's my birthday.

Out of control.

How are you? Having a good day? I hope it is as wonderful as mine! I'm having a wonderful birthday - I've gotten many well wishes from friends and family that I am so blessed to have in my life! AND, more importantly, the Pilot had his first flight in the Viper today. He's a pretty big deal. I'm so proud of him and I am just sure he had a blast. I certainly hope he enjoyed it because it's kind of his job for a while...

My sister Alison emailed me this recipe the other day and I knew the minute I saw it that it was going to be blogworthy. I'm taking it to a meeting tomorrow to share with friends for my birthday. But, seeing how today is my birthday and since it was a new recipe, I decided it would be okay to have just one little bite to make sure it was acceptable. It it most certainly Emily-approved.

Fall = granny smith apples...among other things.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

THANK YOU FOR SHARING, ALISON! 

Crust:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened (I only used 1/2 cup)

Cheesecake Filling:

• 3 (8 oz packages) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup caramel topping

Apples:

• 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 inch baking pan lined with heavy duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.  

                                         

In a small bowl, stir together apples, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

    

In a small bowl, combine all streusel topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over apple mixture.                   

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool.

ENJOY!! (and photograph)

As you wipe up your drool, I'd like you leave you with a quote I heard recently. 

"You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way." 

- Jennifer J. Freeman