
November 30, 2012
The Brutal Blogger

November 29, 2012
Are You Having A No Good, Awful, Very Bad Day? Good, I Am Too.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

November 28, 2012
Food Porn.
TJ and I didn't actually get to eat our Thanksgiving meal until Sunday because he was road tripping, so I was looking forward to this meal alllllllll weekend.
Texas Roadhouse Rolls - This recipe yields 30 rolls, which I did NOT need hanging around the apartment because I have zero self control, so I divided everything by 4 and ended up with eight rolls.
My favorite food on Thanksgiving is Green Bean Casserole, however I married someone who is "allergic" (cough, cough, bullshit, cough, cough) to mushrooms and onions, so plain green beans it was.
I'm going to share with you some slightly embarrassing information: I had to Google how to make mashed potatoes for two. Don't judge me, I've always relied on the boxed kind! The verdict? I'm never making those flakes again. I followed this recipe and doctored it up with sour cream, a little bacon and some shredded cheddar cheese. Perfect.
The puppies on the right are what I like to call Stuffing Balls. They look fancier than stuffing in a bowl, don't they? I make Stovetop according to the directions, form the mixture into balls and pop them in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
If you've never had Jalapeno Creamed Corn you MUST make this recipe. It's simple and incredibly delicious. I promise that it's not hot like a jalapeno - in fact, one person who commented in the original recipe said that her young children love this corn. I found pre-sliced jalapenos in the pickle/olive aisle - one heaping tablespoon was enough - and I cut the recipe in half which was more than enough for the two of us, plus leftovers.
I challenged myself to make cranberry sauce (mmm hi, it's cranberries, sugar and water), but I doctored it up a little bit as seen in this recipe. I cut the recipe in half and added a half teaspoon of ginger along with a few shakes of cinnamon. Even in cutting the recipe in half, it yields a LOT of cranberry sauce (if you're only cooking for two), but I've been adding the sauce to my oatmeal in the morning and it's sooo good!
I like stuffing my turkey with orange, onion and lemon. I chose to make a Brown Sugar and Mustard glaze as seen on Martha Stewart. Meh, I won't be doing that again.
The Apple Crisp recipe that I used is appropriate for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or a late night snack...trust me, we've tried it for all :) I followed the apple recipe exactly as it is, but for the oatmeal crumble I used 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of oats. It's delish.
What is your favorite dish on Thanksgiving?

November 21, 2012
Thanks. Danke. Merci. Gracias.

November 20, 2012
The Future Is Unwritten, So Write It Well.

November 15, 2012
First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes...
If there is one thing that I've learned in the past few months,
it's that no matter how much I paint this pretty picture in my head
of how I expect things to be,
I'm not in control.
I think I've realized
that I've been given a lot of silly little things to worry about this year
to better prepare myself
for the much more important things in life that are out of my hands.
After consulting with my blog editor/babymaking sexpert,
we've decided that I should write this out.
Because I know that at least one of you who reads this post will relate.
It should come as no surprise that TJ and I have been trying for a baby.
Since July.
I wrote somewhere in past wedding planning posts
that we wanted to start a family immediately after the wedding,
and that's exactly what we've been trying to do.
For the past three months.
And all of a sudden,
it seems like I'm the only female in Target
who doesn't have a bump or a baby sitting in her cart
...
and I mean that in the funniest way possible.
I'm not pushing the panic button quite yet.
it's that no matter how much I paint this pretty picture in my head
of how I expect things to be,
I'm not in control.
I think I've realized
that I've been given a lot of silly little things to worry about this year
to better prepare myself
for the much more important things in life that are out of my hands.
After consulting with my blog editor/babymaking sexpert,
we've decided that I should write this out.
Because I know that at least one of you who reads this post will relate.
It should come as no surprise that TJ and I have been trying for a baby.
Since July.
I wrote somewhere in past wedding planning posts
that we wanted to start a family immediately after the wedding,
and that's exactly what we've been trying to do.
For the past three months.
And all of a sudden,
it seems like I'm the only female in Target
who doesn't have a bump or a baby sitting in her cart
...
and I mean that in the funniest way possible.
I'm not pushing the panic button quite yet.
Life has been crazy and stressful these past few months.
I have faith that when it's meant to be it will be.
But as I was watching some dingbat on 16 and Pregnant
hit baseballs at the batting cage yesterday,
I couldn't help but wonder
...
Why is it so easy for some women and not for others?
Is there seriously only a golden sliver of opportunity each month to conceive?
Why are we missing that opportunity?
And is this only the beginning of a fertility problem?

November 14, 2012
This Is Happening In My Life.
Teej is off to Timbucktoo Somewhere USA for a weekend of roadtrips and I'm so happy I could do cartwheels. For whatever reason, it's very difficult for me to focus on much of anything while he is here.
(It might be the NHL '13 or FIFA commentators constantly talking in my living room, but I haven't quite pinpointed the root cause yet.)
Brutus and I are excited for our weekend together, it's going to look a little bit like this:
(It might be the NHL '13 or FIFA commentators constantly talking in my living room, but I haven't quite pinpointed the root cause yet.)
Brutus and I are excited for our weekend together, it's going to look a little bit like this:
Have you started to decorate for the holidays yet?
Do you have any plans for the weekend?

November 13, 2012
The People Have Spoken: Grilled Cheese Is Better Than Sex.
Clearly, the people have spoken.
It has been freezeballs in Texas the past few days,
and nothing says "Warm me up!" like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Right? Right.
When TJ asked what was for dinner last night and I replied with
"Grown Up Grilled Cheese",
he inquisitively asked "What is a grown up grilled cheese?"
My answer:
"It's a grilled cheese sandwich. For grown ups. Duh."
It has been freezeballs in Texas the past few days,
and nothing says "Warm me up!" like a grilled cheese sandwich.
Right? Right.
When TJ asked what was for dinner last night and I replied with
"Grown Up Grilled Cheese",
he inquisitively asked "What is a grown up grilled cheese?"
My answer:
"It's a grilled cheese sandwich. For grown ups. Duh."
INGREDIENTS:
Sourdough Bread
Crispy Bacon
Salted Butter
Gouda and Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Gouda and Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Avocado, mashed and mixed with salt, pepper and garlic powder
And, for the sake of allowing me to try out my new camera, in case you don't know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, I am here to help you:
And, for the sake of allowing me to try out my new camera, in case you don't know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, I am here to help you:
1. Spread softened butter on one side of bread and mashed avocado on the other side
2. Assemble cheese and cooked bacon on top of the avocado
3. Place sandwich butter side down on a skillet over medium heat - cook 3 minutes
4. Using a spatula, flip that sucker over and cook for another 3 minutes
5. Slice down the center with a knife to ensure that the cheesy goodness has melted
6. Devour. I suggest tomato soup on the side.

November 7, 2012
Turning It On In The Bedroom
Working from home is amazeballs - it provides me with great freedom and flexibility,
but it also requires a high degree of self-discipline and motivation.
I don't have a 9-5 schedule, but I still have to put in a set amount of hours each day,
and I'm usually juggling three to four projects at once.
I should probably mention here that I get easily distracted, too.
Last night was the first time in 10 nights that I'd been in a real bed with my husband
and I found myself turning it on - the computer, that is -
as I had three hours of work to finish before midnight.
but it also requires a high degree of self-discipline and motivation.
I don't have a 9-5 schedule, but I still have to put in a set amount of hours each day,
and I'm usually juggling three to four projects at once.
I should probably mention here that I get easily distracted, too.
Last night was the first time in 10 nights that I'd been in a real bed with my husband
and I found myself turning it on - the computer, that is -
as I had three hours of work to finish before midnight.
I then woke up this morning, laying on top of my cell phone
(It's getting really freaky in the Fox den, folks.)
to find an email from my boss asking if I could put in an extra two hours today.
My goal for today is to shut off both my computer and my iPhone alerts by six.
As important as it is to return e-mails and to finish writing and editing each day,
I need to find a balance between my work and family responsibilities.
I've found that in making myself available to everyone 24/7
I've made myself unavailable to the people who matter the absolute most.
Do you ever feel like you're actually tethered to your phone or computer?
They say that admitting that you have a problem is the first step.
I've admitted that I have a problem - can you?

November 6, 2012
Goodbye. Ciao. Tschüss. Adios.

November 5, 2012
Period Cookies
I was going to write about how I'd like to start testing and sharing dinner and dessert recipes that are intended for two people...but as I started pulling ingredients out of our pantry I realized that the only "two" these cookies were being made for were me and my period.

(sorry about that, and take note, husband.)
These cookies were exactly what I needed. I can taste a slight hint of the salt, while the oats and coconut give them a slight crunch, and the chocolate and sugars obviously give them a sweet kick. Deee-lish.

Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)