Five Question Friday

Whoo-hoo it's Friday!!! YAY! I plan on not studying or doing any homework this weekend! I have worked my booty off the past 2 weeks with school and my brain needs a break! Tonight is Mama's Night Out! No telling what we will get into ; )
This weekend is filled with all sorts of goodies, like we are FINALLY going home! It's been a year of us living at my parent's house and I appreciate everything they have done for us, but it's time to go home! We have been so homesick. Sunday, I have an out of town baby shower to attend for my cousin. It's going to be a good weekend.
If you have not already, you should join in on Five Question Friday!

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?

I have a passion for children and education so I would donate my money to Wilmer Hall Children's Home here in Mobile, AL. You can make a donation here or check out a list of needed items here.

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?

Well, we don't get much snow around here! AND if we do, you better believe schools will be closed and we will be playing in it- even if it's just a few flurries! LOL

3. What talent did you wish you had and why?
I would love to be able to play the violin or sing. I love classical music because it is so beautiful and relaxing. And the singing would just be flat out fun! Especially if could sing like that last girl who auditioned on American Idol last night. Did you see her? She was fantastic!

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?

I love all of it! I don't obsess over it, but I do find it interesting. I always read the newspaper, watch the news, listen in on CNN, and read my PEOPLE magazine!

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)

I love, love, love a good Vodka Collins with Grenadine! Tastes just like a pink lemonade.

Love, E

Motivation

Sometimes I just need a little motivation to get me moving! You know.. a little pep in my step, haha! I have always really liked tankini's and one-pieces so I have been especially excited the past couple of years that they have made their way back into the limelight. And a sexy limelight that is! I really do hope crimped hair is next ; )
So, here are a few swim suits that I really like right now- just gotta get ready for them! Hot weather, white sand, margaritas, and sun tan lotion are just around the corner :)

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What motivates you?

Love, E

WW Wed.

Man, have I got some yumminess to share with you! I have been doing great on my eating, but have not been able to exercise like I should. I have got to find time to do this for myself. Last night I cooked a lovely meal for my family. You should try these recipes- they really are delicious! I found the turkey burger on Oprah Winfrey's website- she quoted this burger being the best she had ever had. It is served at Donald Trump's private club "Mar-a-Lago" in Palm Beach. I have to agree with Oprah- I do believe this is the best turkey burger I have ever had! And what a wonderful way to hide nutritious veggies and fruit from your kids! They will never know what this burger is filled with. : )

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burger
Servings: Serves 8 ( I made 12 with this recipe)
1 burger= 5.5 points


Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt (only do 1)
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped

Directions
Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.
Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Note: I put all of my ingredients minus the saice and lemon juice in my food processor to make everything very small. I knew if the burger had chunks in it, there would be no fooling my husband. ;) Worked like a charm! I served my burgers on thin multi-grain buns. I believe the point value was 2.

Garlic Hummus
Makes 4 cups
1/3 cup= 1 point


Ingredients
15 oz. can chick peas
2 to 4 cloves garlic
1/3 c. tahini (seseme seed paste)
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. onion powder
3 tsp. water (add more for consistency if need be)
3 1/4 garlic salt

Puree in blender... warm if desired and serve.

Note: I served my hummus with Toufayan Pita Bread. Take one round and cut into triangles with pizza cutter. 1 round= 4 points. White and Whole Grain equal the same amount of points.

Don't forget to check out my sidebar for snack ideas and link up below for WW. Wed. Have a productive day!

Love, E
photo source- here.

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Hello all! School started back this week and I am for lack of better word, pooped. I'm ready to get some sleep this weekend. I'm hoping the little man allows me to do so. This week has been crazy at work and then to add the new semester into the equation- my brain is fried. Time to have a little fun- Five Question Friday!

1. Where did you meet your spouse and did you instantly know it was love?

I met him on MySpace. I sent him a comment because he looked familiar to me. Come to find out we lived within 3 miles of each other. After awhile of talking- we agreed to meet in person. AND yes, I knew in that few moments after meeting that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I knew there was no turning back.

On our honeymoon in Riviera Maya, Mexico

2. What is your favorite room in your house?

Our kitchen and dining room are combined, but my favorite part is in the dining area. I have an old china cabinet that holds all of my cook books, china, special collectibles, and on top sits a painting of bright green pear and a framed photograph of our family. The cabinet sits beside a window that overlooks our front yard and I just love it :)

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3. Can you wiggle your ears?
um.. I don't think I can. lol

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4. What is your evening ritual?

Usually leave work at 5 and if I don't have class or a chiropractor appointment, I go straight home and love on my little man. I then prepare dinner, clean up around the house, wash clothes if need be, give Judson a bath and get him dressed for bed, play with him and chit chat with the husband until Judson goes to sleep. I then get stuff ready for the next day- like Judson's bag, clothes, and lunches. Then the husband and I usually crash for the evening in our bed and usually watch "Three and Half Men" until we fade out. LOL HOW EVENTFUL!

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5. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?

Not enough! Well, I guess we do pretty good- usually 6 hours. Jimbo (my husband) starts his day at 5 and I start mine at 6. Judson sometimes starts his even earlier, but he has been sleeping good lately. We've officially made it to 7 a.m. on Saturdays! Hallalujah!

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Hope you have a beautiful, fun-filled weekend!

 

Love, E

Pink & Green Thursday

Hey sweetie-pies! Today is P&G Thursday and although my pics are not so much pink and green I wanted to focus on all God's beautiful creatures! It doesn't matter how many babies I see born into this world, I am still just as amazed every single time! Congrats to my friend Brea over at A Southern Girl with Curls on her new baby boy Lance Parker! I went by to see them last night and both mommy and baby are doing great! He is precious.

Have a beautiful day!

Love, E

P.S. All photographs via here.

WW Wed.

I have been doing so good the past few days. Here's the deal;

I lost 30 lbs. in 4 months on WW.

Then over the holidays I gained 5 lbs. of it back.

Since I got back on track, I've lost 3.5 lbs.

Leaving me with a weight loss total of 28.5 lbs.

I'm getting down to business for real- no playing around! Summer time is right around the corner and I want to feel good about myself when I lose the cardigans, turtle necks, and snow boots. I know you can relate. Please tell me you relate. :)

YOU are my support system so I've started a linky for my WW Wed. blog posts. Even if you are not doing Weight Watchers and are just trying to live a healthier lifestyle, link up on Wed and spread the word. I love reading what others are cooking, drinking, and what tricks they may have to making this lifestyle easier. You can also check out my side bar every week to see a different snack I have found and what's it's point intake is.

Speaking of cooking- over the weekend I cooked two new recipes and LOVED them. Actually, the entire family did! You must try these two recipes!

Chicken & Black Bean- Stuffed Burritos

By: CookingLight

Only 9 WW points per burrito :)

Total: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)

Ingredients
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in shredded chicken and green onions.
2. Combine beans and salsa. Spoon 1/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 burritos. Place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of burritos, and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, and repeat procedure with the remaining 2 burritos.

Nutritional Information: Calories:353 Fat:9.8g (sat 4.1g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.3g) Protein:30.9g Carbohydrate:33.1g  Fiber:2.4g Cholesterol:72mg  Iron:1.6mg Sodium:595mg Calcium:137mg

AND

Asian Grilled Chicken

(I served these with green salad)

by Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Only 3 pts per 2 cutlets

Servings: 3 • Size: 2 cutlets • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 55 • Fat: 3.0 • Carbs: 5.7 • Fiber: 0.6 • Protein: 1.9

6 thin boneless skinless chicken cutlets (3 oz each)
Marinade:
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken, turn the pieces to coat evenly, cover and place in refrigerator a minimum of three hours, but preferably overnight.

Preheat grill to high. Grill chicken top side down first until well browned charred, about 5 minutes, turn and cook on the second side about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.
 
Love, E
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Power of Prayer

I don't usually post on Saturday's, but I can't get something off my mind. I ran across a story the other day about a young couple who are overcoming a tragedy. I am from Alabama and so are they, so of course it hit home. Please click here and read their story. I can't get over how strong Katie and Ben have been and I have to tell ya- reading their blog makes me want to be a better person. The love they have for each other and the faith they have in our awesome God, is beautiful. I firmly believe in the power of prayer and today I am asking you to please lift this family up in your prayers. Good things are coming their way... I just know it.


  

Love, E

Five Question Friday

Ahhh- feels good to be back at work and back to blogger world. My Grandfather passed away last weekend and so we were out of town this week for the arrangements and life was a little chaotic. Now, it's Friday and then I get a 3 day weekend! That's what I'm talkin' about! : )

You should visit My Little Life and join in on the Five Question Friday fun!

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of?
I have too many movies that I like- but here are a few favorites that I don't mind watching over and over.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now?
Ohhh... I can't stand smacking. I understand that some children do not understand the concept of chewing with your mouth closed, but ADULTS? Come on now! It's so disgustingly rude.

3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say?
Let's see-------- quirky, beautiful, ballsy (lol), hilarious, and charming :)

4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living?
Oh the possibilities! Well, I have always wanted to go to culinary school and one day own my very own restaurant, so I would probably open it up and whip up some delightful treats for you! I already have the menu ready!

-OR-
I would become an interior designer like the oh so talented Miss Candice Olson

-OR-
I would open my own store showcasing my favorite vintage furnishings and paintings much like the items sold at the store, "Objects" located in the Eastern Shore Center here in Spanish Fort, Alabama. I truly adore that store.

5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost?
Anything by StriVectin. Magic in a tube I tell ya. ; )

Hope you have a blessed weekend!

Love, E