A Little Texas Charm

It has been a long time since I've posted, and a visit with good friends over the weekend finally pushed me to make the time to sit down and write. Over the last couple of months I have tried out new recipes, created art and furniture for the new apartment from scraps, and started assembling a decent portfolio of preschool art projects. I have also been crossing more and more off the list of wedding plans, such as making and collecting my own decorations for the reception! I plan to share all of this here with you. Hopefully something will be useful, or at least amusing. For now, I'll start with my first art creation for the apartment.

Being from Texas, it's only natural that I feel the urge to display an over-sized reminder of my heritage in my home! Creating this piece was very simple. First I painted an old frame with acrylic paint. Instead of trashing the picture inside, I used it as the “bones” for the interior. I wrapped the picture in fabric scraps that I had leftover from another project, all solid gray. Next, I went online and printed out a simple outline of the state, cut it out, and used it as a stencil. I sponged a heart shape with acrylic paint over the stencil. The whole thing took about 10 minutes (not counting drying time) and all of $2, for the paint. It was a very easy way to add dimension and color to a bland bookshelf, and it drives Eric nuts that he has a giant Texas in his home! (To make up for it, everything else is OU.)

The second easy project was this gem.

I found a glittery frame on sale for $10 and just printed the caption on shimmery scrapbook paper on my printer. Every time I see it I feel a little more at home.

These projects pretty much capture the spirit of our home. We want color, we want personal, we want low-cost. More to come!

A Move, a Job, and an Engagement!

If you can read a calendar you will notice that I haven't posted on here in a ridiculously very long time. It has been a crazy whirlwind of logistics, moving, getting settled into my job, AND getting engaged! So far I am loving my new location. Eric and I found a great apartment in a nice part of town, and unlike my apartment in Chicago, this one is larger than a closet! It has a fireplace, a balcony (which is already decked out with plants), and a washer and dryer. Also, it has a dishwasher. People, I didn't realize a person could be so excited about cleaning up after dinner until I finally got to clean up by putting things in a dishwasher, rather than washing them by hand! Plus, the fact that I can look outside and see grass, trees, birds, and watch storms roll in just makes my soul a little happy.

The new job is incredible, too. Every day I am completely exhausted by the time 5:30 rolls around, but the weird thing is... for some reason, I actually look forward to going back to work the next day! I teach 3-year old art in my class. We do things like paint, glue, learn how to use scissors... it's pretty cool. You might think that coloring and painting and doing "basic" art projects with 3-year olds could get boring because they can only do so much. On the contrary, a 3-year old will keep you guessing, and their art projects NEVER look the same. They have such cool perspectives on the themes we work on, and they are certainly not afraid to share silly and crazy ideas. It keeps me on my toes every day-- I love it!

And, yes, the best part of all of this-- being engaged to Eric! We've been engaged for almost 2 months and we've got our venue, the dress, the invitations, and the general theme all chosen and set up. But that's not the best part. The best part is that on my wedding day, my best friend will be standing at the front waiting for me, and we'll get to promise our love and friendship to one another for the rest of our lives.

So here is how it happened:
On June 20 I was dropping Eric off at FedEx to fly back to Memphis for work. As I was standing by the car waiting to hug him goodbye, he said he had to find something he had misplaced in his bag. I didn't notice at first, but he was on one knee as he was rummaging. All of a sudden he pulled something out of the bag, looked up at me and started talking. It took me a second to realize he was saying sweet things-- for the first few seconds I was thinking to myself, "What the heck is he talking to me for? I don't know where his thing is!" Once I realized that this man was proposing, I just started laughing. I was so happy. There we were, standing in the FedEx parking lot, the love of my life saying the sweetest things I've ever heard (including, "I'm sorry I'm doing this at FedEx, but I just couldn't wait"), and me just laughing because I was so overjoyed. As soon as he asked, I said yes!

Now, up until this point I hadn't really bothered to look at the ring. I was too focused on trying to permanently inscribe every word he was saying in my mind. But once I said yes and hugged him, I looked at the ring. You guys, Eric is the perfect man. He got on my Pinterest board and looked at all the styles I had pinned, he had his sisters go with him to the store, and he shopped at at least 3 different stores to make sure he'd found the perfect ring. And he did. He found THE. PERFECT. RING.
 

We got a couple of FedEx employees to take our picture, we hugged and kissed and laughed, and then he got on the plane and headed back to Memphis.

Some people might think that this story isn't that romantic. It's FedEx and he left right afterward. But you know what? It was the perfect proposal. I pick up and drop off from that FedEx each time Eric comes home. At least once a week I get to see the place where my boyfriend became my fiance, and every week I just get so giddy and happy and, yes, very cheesy. But isn't that the point?

As far as I'm concerned, Tulsa has been a terrific success so far!

Tunneling Out With a Spoon

As of today, I have 13 more days left here in Chicago. Some big changes have taken place, and I'm very excited about them! Everything has been chaotic, and I've waited for things to settle into place before writing about them. Now that they have, I'm so excited to share my news! There's a lot, so buckle up...

• This coming Friday my BFF is coming to visit. Aside from a brief 1-hour visit over Thanksgiving, I haven't seen her since I left Oklahoma, and we haven't had one-on-one BFF time together in years. I'm super jazzed. I expect many nights of wine, old movies ("She's the Man", anyone?) and lots of talking and laughing are in our future.

• I recently received formal approval of my Master's thesis for the Sociology department, and once I complete my last two classes (next week) I will officially earn my Master's degree in Sociology! Graduation is May 9, and my family and Eric are all flying up to celebrate with me. We already have some fun things planned. After the ceremony everyone is going to come back to my apartment (350 square feet of celebration!) for some snacks and drinks. Then we'll head out to dinner later that night. My family will be here for a few days, and since this is one of the very few times they'll ever have a reason to be in Chicago, we're going to make the most of it by visiting some museums and doing a boat tour of the city. After being so far away for 2 years, only seeing my family 5 or 6 times in a 12-month period, I'm very excited that we'll get to spend some time together. 

• I also recently accepted a formal job offer from Miss Helen's Private School in Tulsa. I'm going to be teaching preschool full-time, starting in June. Thanks to a dear friend who told me about the opening, I was able to wrangle myself an interview and use my charming face and sparkling personality to get my foot in the door for my ultimate career goal of being a teacher. For a little over a year now, I've realized that what I really want to spend my life doing is educating others, and even more, I want to inspire others to love learning the way that I do. Learning can open so many doors. It's not just about a good job and a good salary later on in life, but education can also be the stepping stone to pursuing your dreams. (An excellent example is the love of my life, Eric, who was able to pursue his dream of flying airplanes through OU's aviation program.) I can't wait to start working and spending my time doing what I love, near the people I love. Being in Tulsa means being close to friends and family, surrounded by wide open spaces! I can't begin to tell you how much I have missed having big fields, tall trees, and wide open blue skies (and the occasional thunderstorm)-- it's going to be so good for my soul to be back in that environment. 

These past 2 years in Chicago have been wonderful in their own way. I received a terrific education in the graduate program, and having the opportunity to get this degree while also not having to pay for it has been a gift for which I will be grateful forever. I learned that I am capable of taking care of myself, no matter what-- I moved across the country and built a life all by myself. There's something extremely satisfying and reassuring in knowing that I am capable of independence, although it's going to be nice to move back to where I have a support system so I won't have to do it all by myself. And I got the opportunity to see what this kind of life would be like. When I graduated college I didn't really know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. Now that I've had a chance to see what's out there, I feel like I can embrace these life changes completely, without fearing that I'm missing out on something else.

I have found my way to a new job in a familiar place, and I'm so thrilled to be able to start this new phase of my life. There are few things quite so satisfying as the moment where everything finally comes together. Let me tell you, I'm drinking that moment in.

Fancy Fish Cakes

Eric and I have been trying to find ways to include more seafood in our diets. One of the easiest ways we've been able to do this is by purchasing bags of frozen fish filets and eating at least one meal each week from that. However, eating the same type of fish over and over again can get a little repetitive, especially if it's fixed the same way each time.

So this week I tried out a new recipe I saw in my Real Simple cook book: Dijon Fish Cakes (like crab cakes, but cheaper!) Oh my gosh. It was a DELICIOUS meal, and so affordable! And it was so incredibly easy. You can use pretty much any type of fish you like. We used Swai because that's what we had on hand, but we're planning to try this recipe with Flounder, Salmon, and Tilapia. Each fish will lend its own unique flavor!

We ate our cakes with a side of broccoli and potatoes. There were a couple cakes leftover, and I used those to make little sandwiches on whole wheat buns for lunch the next day.

For this recipe you'll need:
4 8-oz fish filets
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayo
1 heaping Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh Dill
1 tsp lemon juice (or zest if you have it)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil for frying

Preheat your oven to 400 and bake the fish for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.

While the fish is baking, combine eggs, mayo, mustard, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk together. (Note: Start with less mayo, then add more once you've folded in your fish if it seems like the mixture is too dry.)

After you've pulled the fish from the oven, take a fork and flake the filets, then add to the mixing bowl. Fold in your fish. Once combined, use a large spoon to create little cakes on a plate. You should have enough to make 7-8. Let these cakes chill for at least 30 minutes before frying.

When the cakes are ready, heat your olive oil in a wide skillet until the pan is nice and hot. Add your cakes and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

After the cakes are all done, serve any way you like! Serve with a side of veggies, over salad, or on buns-- whatever you like! The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen in airtight ziplocks for up to 2 months.

A Little "Work" for Love

Being in a relationship with anyone is hard work; it takes maintenance, patience, commitment, and creativity. It also requires being tuned in to your partner's needs and wants. Being in a relationship with a pilot who is home only 2 days a week (on a regular week) is even more challenging! The added obstacle of distance can certainly present its own set of complications and difficulties, ranging from limited communication to just plain loneliness.

Eric and I are blessed to consider ourselves not only partners in a relationship, but best friends as well. We also tend to talk a lot more than normal couples, usually for a few hours every day, cumulatively. We've been together for a long time and are very familiar with each others' expectations and needs, as well as each others' gifts and special traits. But even with all of these things going for us, we still have to “show up” to our relationship every day and put in the time and effort to make it the wonderful thing that it is.

One of the ways that we work on our relationship (“work” meaning purposefully doing things for the strength and stability of our relationship) is by taking time at the beginning of each week to ask a few questions. I found this idea on Pinterest and I'm SO glad we tried it out. Here is what we ask each other:

1. What did I do this past week to make you feel loved and encouraged?
2. What does this week look like for you?
3. What can I do this week to make you feel loved and encouraged?
4. What can I do this week physically to make you feel loved and encouraged?
5. How can I pray for you this week?

We each take turns asking each other the questions and answering until we make it all the way to number 5. These questions are so simple, yet they are so powerful.

Question 1 gives us a chance to praise one another for things we appreciate-- very important! This starts us off on a good note and it gives us a chance to remind ourselves of how great the other person is.

Question 2 allows us to share what's coming schedule-wise with the other person. If I have a hectic Wednesday, Eric will know about it and that way he can understand why I may not be in the best mood that day. Being open about what's going on helps us mentally prepare for our needs and the needs of each other.

Question 3 literally makes us prepare ourselves for the other person's needs. It's also great because it gives us both a chance to explicitly ask for whatever it is we want to see from the other person, whether that means asking for patience on a particular day, a phone call, or even asking the other person to remember to do X, Y, Z so that we can focus on our stuff. Eric and I are not mind-readers, so asking each other for things out loud is a great way to avoid misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations.

Question 4 is certainly intimate, but again, it allows us to ask for what we need. On weeks like this week where we aren't actually going to get to see one another, this question reminds us to set a FaceTime date so that we can at least see each other on the screen and feel closer.

Question 5 helps us remember that we are not in this alone; God is always a part of our lives, and therefore a part of our relationship. Including Him in our relationship in an active way helps us to connect on a much more significant level, and it helps us to appreciate one another in a deeper way.

Eric and I ask each other these questions every Sunday, regardless of whether our weeks have been going well. On easy weeks, these questions are usually accompanied by a lot of joking and laughter. On weeks when it's been a little tougher, these weeks allow us to be vulnerable and honest with each other in a safe way, where we can speak to what we love and need from each other without arguing or belittling one another.

I recommend these questions to anyone in a relationship. It's a lovely routine to have and a terrific way to keep the lines of communication open, both between you and your partner and you, your partner, and God. Try it out and you'll see what I mean!

Ironically, A Chocolate Cake Recipe

Hello, world!

I'm still trucking along on the reduced-carb journey. So far I'm down 8 pounds! Things are going well, and I'm almost to the point where this diet is automatic. Though I originally planned to cut down my carbs by half, and then cut them down again, I've stayed at cutting them in half because the results have been so quick and it's been pretty easy. I don't really see the need to go further; this is a lifestyle I can embrace! Right now I'm on target to reach my goal weight by graduation! That's right, when I walk across the stage I'll be pretending that I'm walking down the catwalk to "I'm Too Sexy" and strutting appropriately.

That being said, living on 100 grams of carbs a day can be challenging when you find an amazing recipe for chocolate cake and you want to eat the whole thing in one sitting. But what is life without challenge?

I made this cake for Eric for our Valentine's Day celebration and we both LOVED it. It was so moist that frosting it would have been completely over the top (no pun intended!)-- this cake was amazing without the extra sugar rush. Instead we served it with strawberries and whipped cream: Heaven!

To make this cake you'll need:
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your pan with cooking spray or use butter. You can use any size/shape pan you want. I used a bundt pan to make the cake look fancy with absolutely no work whatsoever. I like to stay true to who I am.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and mix for 2 minutes with a mixer or a large whisk. Stir in the boiling water last. The batter will be thin. Pour evenly into your cake pan(s).

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you love the tingly burn of way too much sugar, throw some frosting on that sucker! If not, you can serve your cake like we did with a little fruit to help drown out your conscious as it scolds you for eating such an amazing treat. 

Whichever way you choose to go, I think you'll be pretty happy. Enjoy! 

Carb Cutback: Week 2

Get excited.

Since cutting carbs in half (which has become almost second-nature in only a week and a half!) I have lost 2 1/2 pounds! I don't anticipate (or want) to lose weight at this rate for much longer-- this is probably just the initial drop-off from making such a big change. Right now my goal is to lose a pound a week. Here are some things I tried this week that have worked wonders:

I allow myself to have a piece of toast with my breakfast (usually 1 scrambled or boiled egg) and I even allow myself to have a love affair with butter. But I no longer add jam (this has been tough). Instead, I add fruit or I save those sugars for later in the day when I know I'll be needing a boost.

I have hearty lunches. Instead of something light at lunch (which induces cravings and unnecessary snacking later) I go ahead and fill up! My lunches of choice have been tuna salad with crackers, hearty potato soup, and of course my leftovers from the previous night's dinner.

When it's time for a snack, or when I feel a craving coming on, I pour myself a glass of iced tea or fruit punch-- something that tastes sugary but is actually sugar-free. Then, only if that drink doesn't cut it, I'll have a snack. I've been a little limited by my budget, so right now my snacks are Nutri-Grain bars or cheese with a couple of crackers, but on my next grocery trip I'll be buying bananas to freeze in bite-size pieces with peanut butter, yogurt, fruit, and lunch meat (sometimes a couple slices of ham or turkey rolled up is enough to get by).

At dinner I've been cutting out breads and pastas almost completely. If I have a few carbs left to "spend" (referring to my goal number of course) then I'll have a piece of garlic toast or I'll put a couple of croutons on my salad. Otherwise, I ignore those things altogether. This past week for dinner I've had roasted fish with lemon, onions, and potato slices; thinly sliced zucchini sauteed with olive oil and garlic and topped with meat sauce; and chicken cutlets topped with brown sugar, paired with broccoli.

Since I'm eating alone most nights it's easy to have leftovers a couple of nights each week, which also keeps me from splurging when I try to think up a new meal.

While tracking my meals and watching myself reach that goal number every day has been awesome, by far the MOST rewarding part of all this has been seeing how FAST my work has paid off. After two days I felt more energized, less "ick" from eating junk, and very proud. After 12 days I feel slimmer (and I look it, too), it's much easier to stay on track, and even after being sleep-deprived for 3 nights in a row, I've been able to maintain my energy.

If you're thinking about making a change or you're in the process and you're struggling, I strongly advise you to take it slow like I did. I didn't completely eliminate carbs, I just cut back. I didn't deprive myself of food, I just replaced heavy calories (junk food) with lighter ones (veggies, fruits, etc.). I still eat the same amount and I even still eat things like chocolate and cereal and occasionally oatmeal. I just make sure I stay within the bounds of my set plan and it has been working like a charm. Right now I'm set to reach my goal weight in April. That's like. Right around the corner.

Like I said, get excited!