A&M v. Baylor

This weekend I went to Waco with Sarah, Michelle, Katie and Stephanie for the A&M v. Baylor game.  All four girls went to Baylor, so they knew the hot spots to stop along the way.  We visited the Czech Stop in West, Texas for kolaches, Bush’s Chicken for sweet tea, and Common Grounds for Cowboy Coffee.  

I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous about the game going into it.  Baylor has been playing well this year and our team can be a bit of a wild card at times.  I was certainly more nervous at halftime, but the Aggies pulled it out in the end.  I was so thankful to share the experience with four wonderful, funny, joyous, thoughtful, respectful and beautiful Baylor bears.  I had such a great time. I am hoping we all make a trip to College Station next year for the game.

I love college football so much.  Watching A&M play always brings joy to my heart.  Even when we lose, I LOVE my Aggies so.  I become nostalgic of a simpler time when I was carefree, career free, debt free and had so much free time.  I think of all of my dear friends that I met in college and how deeply they have impacted my life.  I know I cannot go back to college and even if I could, it certainly would not be the same, but I love the memories that flood back to me the second I see the Aggies on the field.  The feeling is delightful and indescribable.   

Breakfast with E and Will

Yesterday my best friend from college, Erin came over for breakfast and brought this little guy.  William is almost three months old now and looks like a miniature version of his father.  It trips me out.  He is so stinking cute that I could not help but share a few pictures.  Mainly for my mother and our other college roommates, but who doesn’t love a picture of a cute baby every once in a while.  Enjoy!   

Thursday Thoughts

I am so glad that the holidays are fast approaching. I am excited to see my family in one place. It has been a while.

I found out yesterday that my brother will get to fly into Dallas on Thanksgiving day instead of the day after. This news made my week! Though he only eats ham and mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving day, his presence would have been missed.

Thanksgiving is my mother's BIG holiday. Instead of going all over Texas to visit our family, they come to us. I love it. I hope to help my mother cook more this year than I have in the past. Maybe I will learn something!

I have been so good and have only had Starbucks once since the Red Cups came out. My pocketbook is rejoicing. I wonder if Starbucks will be harder to avoid after thanksgiving when all the holiday music is ringing in my ears...

Work has been BUSY lately. We brought on a new partner on November 1st, which is exciting, but I have been so swamped with work that the new partner is not assigning me tasks yet. I am kinda scared about being the support for 3 partners instead of 2. Needless to say, the next few months are going to be crazy.

I always seem to get ahead of myself. (See thought above.) I am trying to take things one day at a time, but sometimes that proves difficult. I am meditating on Matthew 6:34: "So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own." It is helping.

I picked up Crazy Love by Francis Chan again. I am really enjoying it. I don't know why I ever put it down.

I am going to the A&M v. Baylor game this weekend with 4 friends who went to Baylor. It is going to be WONDERFUL but I am a little sad not to have any maroon and white support. I asked my roommate to high-five me if the Aggies score. She said she would every other time. I am content with that. But if any of my fellow Aggies are watching the game, feel free to text me a Whoop every now and then... because I will be surrounded!

That's all I got. Thanks and Gig 'Em!

Week 3: Culinary Concoctions

This week I got a little more adventurous with my pictures.  I hope you like them!   I also made something without a recipe.  I cooked a spaghetti squash for 45 minutes on 375 degrees.  I then cracked it open and removed all the guts.  I used a fork to make the yummy part stringy and then ate it as spaghetti.  I topped it with a jar of spaghetti sauce but added sweet turkey sausage and parmesan cheese.    It was delicious.  I think I have a little crush on Spaghetti Squash.  It is so yummy and can masquerade as one of my favorite carbs.  What is not to love.

Pine Cove

This year Melissa and I only had two girls going to Pine Cove.  I really enjoyed getting more one on one time with the girls.  Meg is new to our group this year and it was great to get to know more of her story.  It was a great last junior high pine cove retreat.  I am looking forward to high school next year, but I am mourning the loss of commando.  It is my all time favorite.  I don’t know why I derive so much joy from stealing cheerios from junior highers but I do… At least I have flamingo football to look forward to instead.  I hear it is quite entertaining.

Week 2: Culinary Concoctions

I succeeded in making two meals again this week and it is only Tuesday!  I am a little shocked to be honest, but I will take it!  My brother came over for dinner last night and Sarah and I made The Pioneer Woman’s Caramelized Onion & Prosciutto Pizza.  I apologize for my crummy pictures.  I do not profess to be a food photographer and this is not meant to be a food blog, but I am adding pictures as proof.  Look what I made!!!  It was extremely good!  I highly recommend anything and everything from the Pioneer Woman’s blog.  Not that I have tried everything, but what I have tried has been delicious. 

Tonight  I made squash soup with an acorn squash. I used a recipe from Eat, Live, Run and modified it to replace the curry with cumin and cayenne.  But before you go praising my cooking savvy, know that I stole the idea from my roommate. 

Next week’s post will definitely include a spaghetti squash recipe.  Get excited!

Week 1: Coulinary Concoctions

So this week I managed to make TWO things!!!  Way to kick of my cooking challenge with a bang!  I am calling my cooking challenge copycat creations because I am certainly not talented enough to make up my own recipes.  Not yet at least.  Baby steps grasshopper, baby steps.

For my first meal, I decided to go with a soup.  It is getting a little colder outside and soup just sounded good.  So I made an Italian Sausage Soup. I used this recipe.  Mainly because I had a lot of baby spinach and I wanted to put it to good use.  I think I may start adding pictures of my finished product for proof, but I have not taken any pictures yet...  So for now, I give you the picture from the site.  I promise I made it!  Ask Sarah.

My thoughts on the recipe are: good relatively healthy soup, but definitely use spicy sausage!  I used sweet turkey sausage and that was a mistake.  The recipe was bland without the spicy sausage.  I added crushed red pepper and it helped.  On the whole, it was simple to make and pretty tasty once I added the pepper.  I would make it again.  Woohoo for recipe one!

For my second recipe, I went with my absolute favorite tuna noodle casserole.  I cannot find a picture of a casserole online that does not have peas.  And my tuna noodle casserole certainly does not have peas (yuck)! So no fake picture for this one. And no recipe either.  Not because it is super secretive, but because it is not already online and I don't want to take the time to write it out.  Lame, I know.  But I am sure you can find some TNC recipe online if you are dying to make it... actually, if anyone is dying to make tuna noodle casserole, let me know and I will write out and send you my recipe.  I think I may be the only person on earth that loves TNC, so I would gladly take the time to jot down my recipe if I found out I had company.

I heard my college roommate Tess's voice in my head the entire time I was cooking.  She HATES tuna with a passion and every time she would come home after I made tuna of any kind, she would always say "Ewww, Jen made tuna!" or something to voice her concern that our house smelled fishy.  The thought made me laugh and miss her so much (she lives in Baltimore)!  But just as I did in college, I enjoyed my tuna noodle casserole this week despite others thoughts or protests.  I love it ever so!

On to next week!  I am thinking squash of some sort... Spaghetti squash or squash soup....  Who knows!  Any good squash soup ideas?

Thursday Thoughts

I survived my first trial.  The first week of October, I was second chair in a four day trial and I managed to escape with my sanity.  We won a pretty big verdict, which is exciting, but have to survive the judgment phase and the appeal before we can actually celebrate.  My thoughts: Trials are crazy and I find them extremely stressful.  However, I felt more like an attorney during those four days than I ever have before.

I just renewed my health insurance and bought life insurance.  Both good things, I guess... but they make me feel old.

I have decided I need to cook more.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I made food.  I am making a goal for myself to cook one meal a week throughout the end of the year.  Hopefully I can manage.  Does anyone have a quick and easy recipe for a beginner?

I recently bought a nook from Barnes & Noble.  I am in love.  Though I still think there is something to be said for paper books.  Is it okay to love both?

Turns out my spiffy new workout clothes were not as much of an incentive to workout as I had hoped.  I have worked out once since my last post.

Since Starbucks discontinued the treat receipt for the fall, I have managed to exude self-control and I have not had my sweet pumpkin chi latte since.  I am proud of myself and yet feel strangely un-festive without my pumpkin pick me up.

Is it weird that I am already counting down the days until I can play Christmas music without being judged?  It is not even cold outside and I already have the itch.  "Santa's Lost His Mojo" wants to be played people! 

I am no longer a "wilderness woman" as my roommate is the proud owner of a Bosch dishwasher.  I will have to go visit Laura in Alaska after all to claim the title.

Alright,  I better get back to work. Have a good one!

Ft. Worth Zoo with the Family

The State Fair of Texas

I went to the fair with Erin and Jason this year.  It was their first outing sans William and it was a blast.  We tried fried Frito pie, fried cheese curds, a corn dog and a jalapeño and cheddar corn dog, and a fried Twinkie.  I washed it all down with lemonade and root beer.  We also saw the dog show, the bird show and went to the petting zoo.  I can’t wait to go next year!  Though Jason told me they were going without me next year, so maybe I am not so cool after all.  I think I lost the cool points because I ate the corn dogs funny… But in my defense I don’t like mustard and I was avoiding it!  I will do better next time.  I promise.  Give me another chance!  Please.