Sunday, December 29, 2013

Vegetarianism? A little can actually go a long way.

Ask any of my friends whether or not I would ever consider vegetarianism and you will hear a resounding NO WAY (if they say otherwise they probably don't know me very well).  In fact, I'm not even sure I would give up meat if you promised me I would have the body of a Victoria's Secret model. Don't get me wrong, many of my best friends and even my sister are staunch in their no meat views and that's great for them.  I'm a big believer in the Eat Right for Your Blood Type diet which explains that Type A blood types do better on a predominantly pescatarian diet (modified vegetarian diet that includes fish).  I on the other hand am an O blood type which is code for carnivore.  I do best with a high protein, high fruit and veggie, low grain and dairy diet (basically Paleo).  If you want to learn more about the Eat Right for Your Type diet you can visit Dr. Peter D'Adamo's website here.

With all of that being said,  I took an assessment of my diet not too long ago and realized that I was over-indulging in red meat (we're talking almost every day) and under-indulging in veggies, fruits and fish.  My solution?  Have at least one vegetarian meal per day and really change up my dinners to include more fish and chicken dishes. I even cook using a cast iron skillet so there's more iron released in my food (iron deficiency is a key reason our bodies crave red meat).  The result? I feel more energized and I've started to crave vegetables over meat.

Check out today's salad below.


What's in it: 
I opt for Organic Mixed Greens, they're more expensive than regular mixed greens but I find that organic fruits and veggies actually keep longer and are WAY better for you as they're devoid of nasty pesticides and preservatives. Plus, you can get them at an affordable price at Trader Joe's.

I added herbed goat cheese (also a Trader Joe's find, this stuff keeps FOREVER), beets (my favorite brand is called Love Beets and you can find them at Costco in bulk), sliced up baby carrots (Costco in bulk), sliced almonds, Trader Joe's Asian Style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (in the produce section....soooooo yummy), and just because you can't be completely good I add seasoned croutons.




Friday, December 27, 2013

Buh-bye Christmas, Hello Home!

After a week away from home, visiting my Mom's family in St. Louis and Steve's family in Houston we are finally HOME!

It was great to catch up with our wonderful families but there is nothing quite like being home after a long time away.

We spent the first couple of days in St. Louis and I got to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. My second cousins have grown so much! The last time I saw them they were babies!

My second cousins Peyton and Olivia

My cousin Tayler and I grew up together

One of the nice things about being at my grandmother's house is that I basically don't have to do much of anything. She does all of the cooking, all of the laundry, all of the dishes. She's one of the most energetic people I know.  She's also one of the most giving.  Basically she inspires me.

Grandma hates to have her picture taken.  This is one of my favs of her :)
We visited a store I had never been to before that I absolutely fell in love with: Altar'd State. Its a Christian owned and run store that sells women's clothing, home goods, jewelry, etc.  Right now the only stores they have in Texas are in Frisco, Allen, Midland, El Paso and Austin but you can visit their website by clicking here.  Other store locations are here.

I got this cute little number that I'm going to pair with my new black J.Crew Pixie Pants!



The day before Christmas Eve we headed over to Houston.  My brother in law Dave picked us up at the airport. He had driven in from San Antonio and had all of our presents in the trunk so I got to sit in the back seat along with all of this on the hour and a half drive to Montgomery:
Fun times.

Christmas at my Mother in Law's house is magical.  She kind of goes overboard on the lights but I love it!

Monday night we went on a nice walk/run through the neighborhood and were greeted by this:

Most gorgeous sunset ever!

I also discovered there is a Lyndsey drive and they even spell my name correctly!


Christmas morning was significantly quieter than what I'm accustomed to but it was lovely.  And I got basically everything I asked for. Including my Erin Condren planner.  I'm beyond excited about this.
They're a bit pricey but soooooooo cute!

Just look at it!
Planner Front
Planner Back
We watched tons of Christmas movies including Elf, Home Alone, Funny Farm and The Christmas Story.  We finished off the night by watching The Impossible.  The story is about a family that is in Thailand during the Tsunami that hit on December 26, 2004.  Not exactly Christmasy but it definitely reminded us that the important things in life aren't things.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Friday, December 13, 2013

Oh Christmas Tree!

Today Steve and I started one of our new Christmas traditions:
We went to a Christmas Tree farm, picked out and chopped down our first, real Christmas tree as a married couple.

The farm we went to is called Devine Acres Farm in Devine, TX, about an hour or so south of San Antonio.  This farm was FANTASTIC!  They have about 5,000 trees on their property so it took us a couple of hours to pick out the right one.  For each tree that is chopped down every year they plant an additional tree.  In addition to their Christmas trees they have tons of fun activities for the little ones: catch and release fishing, mazes, hayrides, farm animals, mini golf, etc.  Our plan is to continue to go back every year even when we have little ones.

I kind of liked this little fellow but Steve had grander things in mind. 


We settled on a nice 9-10 footer.  Since we have 14 foot ceilings in our place it works out pretty well.



 Once we picked it out we had a bit of a rough time getting it chopped down.  Apparently I was supposed to be pushing while Steve sawed. Oops!  Luckily a nice man who worked there came along to help Steve out.



And the same nice man gave us a hay ride back to the front with our tree in tow.







One of my very favorite things about Steve is his love of tradition. 
This is one of my new favorites by far.





Monday, December 9, 2013

Only in Vegas....

Today is my last work trip of the year and we're headed to Vegas!

Looking back on my calendar this will be my 18th work trip this year.  Kind of intense when you think about it.

Its a nice short trip (3 days/2 nights).  Just long enough to get some work done and have a good time.

My sweet husband woke up at 5:45am to take me to the airport.

Coffee was necessary. 

I'm always so shocked when I visit Vegas.  This is my 5th time here and it still blows my mind.

Things that amaze me (in no particular order)
1) There is a liquor store in the airport.  IN the airport!!!!  Just in case you can't make it from your cocktail on the plane to the hotel bar: 


2) Carousels made entirely of flowers (and yes it does go around in circles):

3) While we're at it, Hot Air Balloons made entirely of flowers:


4) Gondolas and canals inside malls. The gondoliers even sing for you:



5)  Incredible views from the bed of my hotel room (I didn't even have to stand up to move the curtains...its automated):


6) There is Fro-yo in the Walgreens...I don't have a pic of this but I PROMISE.

I didn't indulge but I really wanted to.

More to come...


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Curried Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry--Easy Weeknight Dinners

A few months ago I made beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction and whipped mashed potatoes,   on a Tuesday. Sounds delicious right?  Well it was but it was also the worst idea EVER.

Not only was the preparation & cooking time consuming, but the clean up was a beast and by the time I was finished it was time for bed.  I ended up having an emotional meltdown about "how all I ever do is work, cook and clean" (dramatic, I know).

Since then, I've started implementing some easy 10-15 minute, minimum clean up recipes during the week and saving the "fancy" stuff for the weekends or when friends are coming over. 

Here's one of my favorites that I made last night:
Curried Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry
Ingredients
Makes about 4 Servings

2-3 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Large Chicken Breasts (you can substitute for shrimp if you're more of a seafood person)
Spices (I use: Garlic Powder, Lemon Pepper, Truffle Salt, 21 Seasoning Salute, Cayenne Pepper and Cumin)
1 Bag of California Stir Fry Veggies (Broccoli, Carrots and Snow Peas)
1 Jar of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Simmer Sauce
Jasmine Rice (I like to use Trader Joe's or the Minute Rice brand is also excellent)

Step 1: 
Preheat a skillet and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to it.  Rinse your chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel.  Cut into cubes.


Step 2:
Add spices to the chicken.  I like lemon pepper, garlic powder and truffle salt.  I also added cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper (not pictured).  My absolute favorite spice is 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's.  When in doubt use it.

Step 3: 
Place the seasoned chicken into the skillet and olive oil.  Move to medium heat.  Cook for about 1 minute uncovered and then cover and cook for about 5 minutes.


Step 4: 
While the chicken is cooking dump one jar of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Sauce into another skillet.  Wait until it boils.
Add California Stir Fry Veggies and cook for 5 minutes on Med Heat.



Step 5: 
Transfer the chicken into the skillet with the veggies and curry. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Step 6: 
While the chicken and veggies are cooking together put the Jasmine Rice in the microwave.

Step 7: 
Serve the chicken and veggie stir fry over the jasmine rice and be prepared to fall in love.