can't wait

I am beyond excited.

Why?

LOST is BACK! Tonight.

I can't wait.

I'm sort of giddy just thinking about it.

Girl Weekend with Ash and Izzy!

A couple weekends ago Ashley and sweet Isabelle came to visit. John was in Dallas for the weekend at a conference so it turned out to be the perfect girls weekend.

Friday night when they got here we were cooking dinner and Izzy kept pointing to the oven mitts and saying, "hot hot!"

Saturday we got up and spent the day doing lots of fun girly things. We ate lunch downtown. Ashley ordered a chocolate shake and of course shared with Izzy and me. Isabelle LOVED it!

I could take pictures of this sweet face all day long! (notice the chocolate shake on her shirt) :)

spending some time at home, reading magazines before dinner.

we went out for Mexican food and there was a mariachi singer. At first she was unsure.

But then she was completely enthralled with him.

Sunday we went to church and then out to lunch.

John was back by then so he got to soak up some Isabelle time.

Such a fun weekend! Y'all need to come visit again soon!!

MIA

This past week was insane. That is why I've been MIA.

John was in Grand Rapids, Michigan for most of the week at a conference he goes to every year. (it was crazy cold up there too!)

It was a super busy here for me while he was gone. I have a huge event at work on Tuesday. The last minute planning consumed my week.

My productivity at home was next to nothing though. I had great intentions of doing lots of things around the house (organizing, cleaning things out, etc.) yet was completely unproductive until yesterday.

I did a little rearranging (read: I moved a chair), cleaned out the pantry. That involved taking everything out, cleaning the shelves and then putting the food back in an organized fashion. I also threw away LOTS of expired food.

That happens when you pack up your pantry, move, and then throw everything into your new pantry without checking dates or organizing. You forget about food that is way in the back.

And all the food that has not expired but doesn't not need to be in our pantry (read: processed junk with high fructose corn syrup) I have in a bag to donate to the food bank.

I don't feel right about throwing it away and yet at the same time I feel bad donating it to the food bank. I'll take some healthy things also.

I still have some blog catching up to do. Happy Sunday Friends!

dinah

picture taken last summer

I'm missing this girl!!! I haven't seen her since October and now I can't even talk to her on the phone because she is in Africa!

Dinah and I go way back. We met almost 9 years ago (OMIGOSH has it been that long) when we moved in next door to each other in the dorm at Baylor.

Dinah...I MISS YOU!!

UPDATE! I got a text from her today!!!

2 different weekends, 2 different locations, exact same thing

The first weekend of January was spent in Sugar Land. The Broadduses got a fabulous new game that they had been talking about for quite some time. We learned how to play and became hooked.

We started the weekend off with dinner at PF Changs. Perfect.

Settlers of Catan was played for hours and hours. And it was very difficult to call it a night. But we knew the next day would be more game playing.

The very next weekend we got a call from Patrick and Courtney. They were on their way to Victoria and they were bringing Settlers! Actually, they said they were coming to spend the night and we told them they were only welcome if they brought Settlers.

So we played again. And I won for the first time. So did John but I was so happy that I won a game for once.

Patrick and Courtney...when are we going to play again?!?

Apple Grilled Cheese

I asked John tonight (as we were eating this sandwich for the 4th time in 2 weeks...so not like us) if he would rather eat this or The Ultimate BLT. He said he would eat one of each.

This is from the Clean Eating magazine and it is AMAZING. The sweet apple slices add so much to the sandwich and are a perfect pair with the cheddar. Then the coarse grain mustard gives the whole thing a kick that makes this the best sandwich. Serve with a yummy bowl of vegetable soup and this is a perfect, quick weeknight meal.

This recipe makes 2 sandwiches but you can easily double it for 4.

Apple Grilled Cheese

adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

4 slices whole grain bread
1 teaspoon olive oil
whole grain dijon mustard
2 ounces low fat cheddar cheese, finely grated
granny smith apple (I used honey crisp) very thinly sliced

Brush one side of each piece of bread with the olive oil. Turn bread over and spread mustard on each side.

Arrange 1/2 of the cheese on one slice then layer of apples and then the remaining cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, oil side up.

Heat griddle or grill pan over medium low heat. Place sandwiches in pan and cook until light golden brown on bottom. Flip and continue to cook until cheese has melted.

Calories 220
Fat 7g
Carbs 27g
Fiber 4g
Sugar 6g
Protein 14g
Sodium 450mg
Cholesterol 5mg

happy tuesday

I'm going to be playing catch up the next few days with things that have been going on. I'm a few weeks behind on blogging. In the meantime..here a few random thoughts for today.

*I had the day off yesterday. Yay! I didn't know until Friday at 5:00 so it was a great way to start my weekend. I started my day off with a trip to the dermatologist and then spent the whole day lounging and doing nothing. I enjoyed it and needed it.

*I am LOVING clementine oranges right now. Been loving them for a couple months now. I love that you can get them this time of year (when other fruit isn't quite as good) and they are only 40 calories each!

*The weather is supposed to be in the 70s this week. I am SO EXCITED! This little North Texas girl is quickly adjusting to the South Texas weather.

*One of my favorite things right now is an amazing website called Rue La La. You may have heard of it. I got several Christmas presents from this site. It is a sample sale site of all things designer. Everyday they have new boutiques to check out and you can get some amazing deals on their stuff. But it is By-Invitation-Only. But don't worry, I am inviting you to join...

Rue La La is a By-Invitation-Only Sample Sale site. Click Here to sign up using my personal invitation link. This link will grant you immediate access to the site after you sign up. (FYI - If you just sign up the regular way you will just be put on the waiting list.)

Happy Tuesday friends!