Looking for Love in all the Right Places

The Happiness Experiment: Sweetwater with Mr. Macking

2011-04-08T09:32:00.002-04:00

Thursday's weather was just perfect. Perfect for some Sweetwater and friends. And the best thing was that it wasn't even crowded. Look how happy we look...happy with beer!

Love spending some quality time with Mr. Macking: 7 out of 10

50 States: Arkansas

2011-04-07T16:46:00.001-04:00

The Happiness Experiment: Counting My Blessings

2011-04-07T09:25:00.003-04:00

Last night my goddaughter gave me such a beautiful rosary, which she got during her trip to Italy. It's hard to tell in the photograph, but each bead was hand blown with strings of glitter on the inside.

This past year, I've been sponsoring my friend, Jessica, who is converting to Catholicism. I haven't always been a religious person but it has definitely been an eye-opening experience that has made me grow closer to the Catholic Church. And I'm blessed and honored to be a part of her journey. She will be joining the Church this Easter.

Happiness Rating: 6 out of 10

50 States: Arizona

2011-04-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

Again, not the official state food, but a piece of fish you can catch, cook and eat in Arizona!

The Happiness Experiment: Danny's celebratory meal

2011-04-06T10:10:00.004-04:00

Because the Red Lobster across from the Augusta jail wasn't good enough for him, we went to French Market Grille to celebrate Danny getting out of jail for free with some raw oysters and some tequila shots!

7 out of 10

The Happiness Experiment: Mr. Bentley

2011-04-06T10:07:00.002-04:00

Mr. Bentley makes me so happy! We were reunited after a long absence from each other. We spooned the whole night, so I'm pretty much giving this reunion a 10 out of 10!

50 States: Alaska

2011-04-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Not the official State food, but I think the name says it all.

A State of Design: Alabama

2011-04-04T11:03:00.003-04:00

The first of a series of postcards representing state foods. Each postcard is supposed to be designed in a certain amount of time, every day.

Alabama: Pecans

What does a girl have to do to keep a blog going?

2011-04-03T22:16:00.005-04:00

It seems my efforts in trying to keep up with posting have failed me! ugh! BUT there are some new and exciting projects that I think will help me show some love for my blog. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep up with both of these projects in the next month or two!

My first project is a collaborative design challenge: A State of Design. Three girls and 50 states. The three of us will be designing a postcard for every state, every day. We each have a different category: food, animals and insects.

The second project just came recently to me (as recent as 10 minutes ago!). A high school friend started doing "The Happiness Experiment." She captured every happy moment every day for a month and gave it a rating from 1-10. It's a good way to appreciate the good times and to not take every moment for granted. Check her out!

Stay tuned folks!

Falling in Love Fridays

2011-03-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

Bathing suit season is just around the corner. I love these swimsuits from anthropologie. Hopefully I'll be ready enough to fit into at least one of these!

Parched Desert Maillot / Golden Days Bikini / Maine Event Bikini / elephant Ears Maillot

Toulouse Lautrec

2011-03-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorites from the Toulouse Lautrec exhibit at the High Museum.

Simply Sublime

2011-03-09T09:00:00.006-05:00

If and I do say IF I was a student at Georgia Tech, I would have gotten even fatter than I did when I was at Georgia because I would be at Sublime Doughnuts hungover every Sunday... okay, okay...every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And maybe Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday...

I guess I was either hungry or I didn't feel like choosing just one doughnut out of all the different flavors, but I definitely got a dozen. You would have gotten a dozen too if you were looking at their menu. It's so hard to pick just one or two but I got the following:

A-Town Cream

Dulce de Leche with Caramel Icing

Strawberry N Cream

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

Raspberry Filled Heart

Chocolate Banana Fritter

Cheese Danish

Smores

Nutella

Oreo

A-Town Mocha

Black and Tan

Each doughnut (yes I've already tried all of them in the same day!) was so light and fluffy that I didn't feel too bad going back for more! I think my favorite (and it's hard to pick a favorite out of this group) is the Strawberry and Cream. I just love the fresh strawberries!

So, what are you giving/taking up for Lent?

Pancakes for a rainy day

2011-03-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

Waking up to a rainy day on the weekend is no bueno. As I laid in bed Saturday morning and my stomach growling, I thought that this would be a great morning to make chocolate chip pancakes with bacon and maple syrup on top! Well...maybe just the syrup since my bacon was no bueno as well. :(

I love making pancakes because they're so easy and you usually have all the ingredients in the pantry!

Click on the image to get a larger view of the recipe! The recipe doesn't include chocolate chips, but I usually put in at least a cup.

Shoya Izakaya

2011-03-07T09:00:00.005-05:00

I'm always in the know about new restaurants popping up in the ATL, but when it comes to Asian restaurants I stick with the uge (short for usual. Just watch I Love You, Man and you will know what I mean).

Friday night, my friend Maggie took me to Shoya. She had gotten a gift certificate for her birthday from her Asian boss :) He described the restaurant as Japanese street food and said to order the ramen noodle soup. I'm not an expert in Japanese food, but ramen...I mean I love me some ramen.

As we were making our way to the restaurant, I realized that it was in the same shopping center as Super H! So I told Maggie that her and her dad were going to be the only white people in the restaurant and that I wanted to stop by Super H after dinner to buy some tofu. So Asian.

After we sat and looked over the menu, we realized that it was a "tapas" style restaurant. She of course asked me what I wanted (I'm thinking she had no idea what to order, but she did point out one or two items that she wanted). I'm glad she trusted my judgement on what to order because everything was delicious. The menu for the night:

Edamame

Koebi Karaage (Crunchy fried baby shrimp with sea salt and lemon)

Seaweed Salad

Georgian Roll

Pork Belly Kushiyaki (skewers)

Japanese Conch Kushiyaki

Saba Shioyaki (Grilled marinated mackeral with dashi soy sauce)

Asari Butter Yaki (Manila clams with soy butter sauce)

Unagi Kabayaki (Grilled eel with BBQ Sauce)

Tan Tan Ramen

It was a lot of food, but it didn't surprise me that it was just enough food for 3 people. Well, I guess 2 because Maggie and I ate most of it...

Who wants to join me and Maggie next time?

Falling in Love Fridays

2011-03-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

This Friday I'm falling in love with the one and only Adele. First of all, I didn't know she was 21 (hence the name of her latest album). She definitely has the soul of a woman who has lived a life. Sometimes I like to listen to her music to fall asleep at night...maybe I'm hopeful of a good night's sleep with sweet dreams.

All Aboard

2011-03-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love making kid's birthday invites because it allows me to to be playful with my design. I've had the privilege of creating invites for Henry ever since he was born! This year Henry turned 2 and is infatuated with everything and anything transportation. Happy Birthday Henry!

Big Bucks, No Whammies

2011-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Remember when Atlanta was snowed in for almost a week back in January? As I was sitting at home looking on my computer, I wished for warmer weather and knew that if I wasn't on the beach at some point in the next month or two, then I would probably die of frostbite.

It just so happens that a good friend from college is stationed down in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico for the Coast Guard. How convenient! So that same day, I booked a flight down to Puerto Rico over Valentine's Day weekend with a co-worker. We like to joke that we are in a relationship although she won't confirm our status on facebook. I have to put a "JK!" here because in my past experience my sarcasm doesn't come through and people believe everything I say.

Puerto Rico was just delightful! It's like an international vacation but not since we didn't have to use our passports and the flight was only 3.5 hours non-stop.

We arrived in Puerto Rico to 80 degree weather, fried food, blue waters and flowing Medalla!

PS. Another plus about Puerto Rico is that they have casinos. I won $20 after being down $60! Big Bucks, No Whammies!

Belle of the Ball

2011-03-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

This past February one of my good friends commissioned me to do a dog portrait of his girlfriend's dog, Belle. It was going to be part of his Valentine's Day gift for her. What a perfect Valentine's Day gift that she'll remember forever!

With that being said, I've officially opened up my own etsy shop for custom dog portraits! Visit my shop!

Wish I was back i paradise

2010-06-04T16:33:00.003-04:00

The view literally right outside of our hut.

Our walk down Mount Tapyas . It's a horrible picture, but I wanted to post it because of the little boy to the left of me. I sort of have a crush on him. He was so cute!! He followed us all 700+ steps and back down 700+ steps trying to get us to buy water and gatorade from him. I had to buy a couple because I could not resist his face!

The view of the islands on top of Mount Tapyas.

This was at the dock at Coron. We were waiting for our boat to get back to the resort, but the tide was so low and there were so many boats that it could not get to us. The boat guy had to swim and push this small boat to the dock and bring us back one (or two) by one. They said that they were scared to step on sting ray!!! What a sacrifice!

Kayangan Lake

2010-06-04T16:26:00.004-04:00

The cleanest lake in the Philippines: 70% fresh water and 30% salt water.

To get there we had to hike up a mountain and back down.

This was the view from the top.

To the left there are a couple of caves you can swim in where lots of birds' nests live. The Filipinos use the next to make nido soup. Yum-o!

The Twin Lagoon

2010-06-04T16:08:00.005-04:00

Our next stop was the Twin Lagoon, only accessible during low tides. I had to swim underneath the mountain to get to the lagoon.

I think I'm in Heaven

2010-06-04T15:59:00.005-04:00

After my bathroom experience, we finally made it to Malikyan Beach? Not sure of the spelling, but I googled it and two korean sites came up. Oh well. I know it started with an M and there was a K in there somewhere. I hope someone can correct me...again, the pictures...

Can you tell we like to take jumping pictures?

I'm feelin hot, hot, hot

2010-06-04T15:45:00.004-04:00

In Palawan, there is an area where the water flows from underneath the ground and out into the ocean, this is called the Maquinit Hot Springs. Oh yes...I did some research for you. Better yet, I googled.

My mom and I sychronizing..

My crazy Uncle, Tito Boy!

The walkway towards the hot springs from our boat.

This is a view from the hot springs towards the ocean. The best time to go to the hot springs is during high tide.

I don't know if I felt any kind of natural effect, but it was definitely cool to be swimming in naturally heated water!

Excuse Me, Where's the bathroom?

2010-06-04T15:06:00.004-04:00

[GRAPHIC STORY BELOW: Read at your own risk!]

While in the Philippines, we went to the most amazing island, Palawan. We went to all kinds of natural wonders. On this particular leg of the trip, we went to a very discreet island of white sandy beaches, clear water and not a person in sight (well not many people in sight).

This trip was a whopping 1 hour and a half boat ride in open sea. And if you see from some of these other boat pictures that the boat isn't your typical boat that you find in the states. But for this trip, we rented a boat that could carry more gas, more engine and yes a bathroom.

If you were waiting for the graphic part, wait for it, wait for it...

Apparently a virus was going around amongst my family members who were on this trip. The virus consisted of diarrhea a couple of times a day. And knowing my luck, I had the virus on this day. On this day of the trip. On this day when we had to ride an hour and a half to a beach in open sea!

Luckily, haha, and I do say luckily there is a bathroom on the boat. No, it's a toilet surrounded by four wooden walls. No top and one hole to drain the toilet into the ocean. The same water that I will be swimming in an hour and a half from this point.

I could see the islands ahead of us...

From the picture, it probably looks like we're going fast, but we probably had another good 15-20 minutes left and I just could not wait!

So, I ventured into the box. I did my business. where was the toilet flusher??!

The toilet flusher was standing right outside of the box holding a pail of water.

Yes. In order to flush the toilet you have to pour water down the toilet really fast. Umm, no way I was going to let this guy flush my virus down the toilet, especially since I realized during this trip that Filipino guys are attractive. Especially the ones who live at the beach!

So I politely declined the help and flushed that virus straight into the bright blue and green ocean!

Let me Ride that Donkey Donkey

2010-06-04T14:47:00.006-04:00

There really are no words to explain how beautiful it was, so I'll let the pictures do all the talking! These pictures were taken by my talented cousin, Marc. :)

My grandparents have a house up in Tagaytay, known for the volcano within a volcano. We drove down the mountain, albeit a very steep mountain, to the lake. We then took a boat ride to the inside crater of the volcano. I would explain how it became a volcano within a volcano, but I would probably butcher the whole story. It's best if you do the research yourself...sorryeeeee!

From there, we rode a donkey all the way up the crater...under the blazing sun. For some reason, a 10 year old boy was leading my donkey and thought it would be a good idea to make the donkey go faster.

Let's just say that my inner thighs were killing me for who knows how long. I did not want to fall off that donkey so I was holding on for dear life!

The ride, although rocky, was definitely worth it...

This is the water inside the innermost crater. It's still active so you can see bubbles in certain areas of the water. They say that you can go down there a bath in the water if you wanted to.

Actually, now that I think about it. I think I was riding a horse and not a donkey.

Happy 80th Birthday

2010-06-04T14:31:00.005-04:00

My family and I took a trip to the Philippines to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday! Whenever there is a celebration, there is a show! We all danced to the songs of Grease while the great-grand kids had their own numbers.

Sophie playing Happy Birthday on her flute...and many more...

Iggy Boy acting out the story of Up...Mikey (my cousin) was the bird. You can kind of see him behind the stand. He made some really awesome bird noises! Haha!

We'll be celebrating my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary 2012...what will we sing and dance to next? Sound of Music?

Time Flies When You are...

2010-06-04T14:23:00.004-04:00

Really busy...

Let's just not bring up the point that I have been MIA for two months. 2 months?

Things have been crazy around these parts, and I'm talking parts as in career and traveling and family.

So while I have been MIA, there ARE things to talk about.

For two weeks in May, my family and I took a trip to the Philippines to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday. The whole family was there: aunts, uncles, cousins. It's definitely a blessing to have your whole family in one place at the same time. We went to the mountains and to the beach. It was amazing! I will post more stories about my trip because there are some really embarrassing stories.

After we got back, my aunt flew back with us to stay two weeks. In between TJ Maxx and TJ Maxx, we took some time out to visit the Crescent City, New Orleans, for Memorial Day weekend. We saw some not so pretty things on Bourbon Street.

And for the kicker, while traveling, I managed to land myself a new job!

Stay tuned for more detailed stories and pretty pictures.

State-ly Love

2010-04-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

You would think that I have lost all my obsession for owls and turned over to "state" items.

I've been eyeing these state pillow cases and towels from Uncommon Goods. I'm loving these because they actually have Georgia and Atlanta ones.

The Heads of State

2010-04-01T11:09:00.000-04:00

To continue my love of city posters...

I came across The Heads of State

I just love the illustration and the colors...please can someone buy one for me? Maybe a housewarming gift when I fulfill one of my goals for this year?

An Ork Ork here, and an Ork Ork there

2010-03-31T11:05:00.000-04:00

My friend showed me this site: Ork Posters, City Neighborhood Posters.

I love the typography (everyone knows how much I love typography), the color combos and the fact that they can screenprint these!

Here are some of my faves:

This one isn't a city neighborhood, but I thought it was still pretty cool!

Now if they can create one for the ATL!

The Art of It All

2010-03-30T10:51:00.002-04:00

To add to the busy-ness that is my life at the moment, we've been having figure drawing class during our studio time on Monday nights. I guess this is more of relaxation time for me.

Last night was our last class so I decided to go all out and actually do a painting.
J. Wo has done several figure paintings for our class. This is my first figure painting. ha! I know I already signed it, but I think it's still a work in progress...her head might be too big for her body and I need to work on her right leg. Any other suggestions?

I Got Over It...

2010-03-29T22:28:00.006-04:00

The Cooper River Bridge that is in Charleston! Shaved off a couple minutes from the last time I ran it a couple of years ago..it's a slow progress. But I was actually pretty proud that I ran most of the 6.2 miles this year! It's hard to run up a bridge when there are 40,000 other people trying to run it as well. We started out in Mt. Pleasant and trekked across the bridge and ended up in downtown Charleston near Marion Square. We'll see if next year I can break an hour because every year as I get older, the more aches and pains I get...my knees, my hips, my back...what's next?

Me, Molly and McGee

2010-03-19T10:42:00.003-04:00

I have definitely not been looking for love in all the right places for the past month. I've been so busy with work and anything and everything outside of work. So how fitting is it that HelloRobert has gotten me addicted to watching a Live Owl Nest Box where Molly has laid eggs a month ago and should be hatching any day now!

Is it weird that I just related my non-existence on my blog to owl eggs?

Live Videos by Ustream

Keving Gillespie, You Light My Fire

2010-02-25T20:40:00.007-05:00

And oh baby, Kevin Gillespie (the head chef), who won third place on Bravo's Top Chef, lit my fire at Woodfire Grill

Excuse my photos. I really need to get my camera situated so you can actually see the amazing food that I have been eating.

Before our meals, we were surprised with a spoonful of something that for the life of me I cannot remember. All I remember was that it was light and it tasted like a bouquet of flowers. Very fragrant!

For my starter, I definitely wanted to try the Black Truffle Mushroom Risotto. I mean black truffle, mushrooms and risotto, how can you go wrong?

Gillespie is known for his slow-cooked pork, but I wanted to try his Sturgeon. And of course it was just out of this world. Not a single flake of sturgeon left on my plate.

I topped the whole meal off with no, not a dessert, but a couple of glasses of bodegas borsao garnacha campo de borja tres picos. Now that's some great Spanish wine!

On a sidenote, but I am so proud of the culinary talent in Atlanta. We've had several of our awesome chefs on Bravo's Top Chef: Richard Blais, previously from One Midtown Kitchen and now Flip Burger; Hector Santiago, head chef at Pura Vida; Eli Kirshtein, from Eno

I know I'm missing several other chefs, so sorry chefs, but I suggest you check these places out!

P'Cheen

2010-02-19T11:08:00.004-05:00

After Shopping Nights with Bodega at Studio 900 (definitely got some more good finds!), my friend Katie and I decided to get dinner and drinks at P'Cheen in Inman Park. I just love saying that word...P'Cheen..I could not stop saying it last night! It's just one of those words.

Photo from Savory Exposure

On a sidenote: What really bugged me was that P'Cheen was on Groupon the other day...I despised the table next to us as I saw them take out their Groupon from their wallet to pay for part of their meal. Groupon would be the end of my finances if I keep buying every groupon--that was my rationalization for the night and that was the end of my Groupon woes. End of sidenote.

And damn I didn't have my camera and you know how the iPhone cameras are...in times of darkness, I wish I had a blackberry so I could have some flash to my pics!

You think that as a Catholic I would adhere to my Lenten Season fasting: complaining

The dinner last night was delicious!

For an appetizer, we ordered the Drunken' Shrooms...boy, I could have made that dish into a soup. The broth was just out of this fungi world!

Main Entrée: Risotto du Jour
Oh yes, there was some pork belly with this dish. Pork Belly and Risotto are two of my many favorites things and put together...umm...yea...

I heart typography

2010-02-18T09:17:00.005-05:00

It's true...everyone has their own little quirks and for some odd reason, I don't know....maybe it's because I'm a graphic designer...every time I'm out and about I always seem to try and figure out what type of font I see. And I guess I'm not ashamed of my freak flag, I like to wave it in front of people and declare, "I know that font!" I get the rolling of the eyes or the I want to pretend I didn't hear what you just said in front of all these people. I think it's a gift.

To wave my flag around even more, I bought this awesome Sans Serif Typography Wood Wall Art made by PepperSprouts from etsy.com

image courtesy of peppersprouts

What kind of freak flag do you carry!?!?

I want my baby back

2010-02-03T14:57:00.006-05:00

barbecue sauce...

The baby back ribs were very tempting Monday night at DBA Barbecue in Virginia Highlands, but I chose to stick with the pulled pork with a side of deliciousness! Monday nights at DBA Barbecue they have great beer specials: $1 pint and $4 pitchers of Yuengling. So Natalie, Mr. Macking and I made our way to try it out! Conclusion: might be a regular place to hit up on Mondays, especially if Natalie becomes a guest bartender. Oh yes, they have guest bartenders on Monday nights.

Sorry for the terrible photos...I was sans camera that night

Pulled Pork plate with a side of red beans and rice and creamed corn

Mr. Macking's plate: Pulled Pork with potato salad and humungo onion rings

Natalie's Plate: Pulled Chicken with yummy macaroni n cheese and sweet potato fries

Did I mention that we had banana pudding and chocolate bourbon ice cream over a brownie?

Follow them on Twitter for daily specials!

http://twitter.com/dbabarbecue

I'm stuffed!

All You Need is Love

2010-01-28T00:22:00.005-05:00

So I'm sure you know by now that I'm just rethinking the name of my blog...argh! It's like coming up with your child's name but not I guess since I'm able to change the name with a couple of clicks of the mouse and some keyboard love. Hmm...thoughts? I'm trying to play off the fact that friends, family, food, design and wine are what I really love in life.

On another note, I'm not super big into coffee, but I recently bought two of the cutest mugs from Target. I can't seem to find them on the internet, so I took a picture of one. Makes me all fuzzy inside for Valentine's Day!

So I thought what other cute mugs are out there?

Of course, I mean I just had too...I found these Valentine Owl Latte Mug Set of 4 in Pink on Kaboodle.

I found these hooters through Two Girls, One Blog... from Pemshop.com

Last one and I'll stop...can't stop..won't stop...Art Effect - Yuki Owl Mug I found on This Next.

Shopping Nights with Bodega at Studio 900

2010-01-22T10:08:00.003-05:00

As a Daily Candy subscriber, I'm always on the lookout for awesome events around Atlanta, especially for shopping. Last month they did a feature on Bodega at Studio 900 Shopping Nights. Created by Rosa McWaters, it's a monthly event (every third Thursday of the month) of fashion and food. You can eat yummy food from Bookhouse Pub and drink beer while shopping for clothing, jewelry or handbags or getting your haircut by some talented hairstylists. Yes, I said it, haircut!

Last night I was able to go. I got my haircut for $25 by Christina McCarver from Bella Capelli.

I bought this really cute fish necklace from hot pink poo for $8

And my best buy of the night: Vintage Stuart Weitzman shoes for $25!

Now, you can beat that! I spent $58 for a haircut, vintage designer shoes and a necklace.

PS. If you are a local fashion artist and would like to be a part of Bodega at Studio 900 Shopping Nights, then contact Rosa McWaters.

Eat Your Heart Out, The Shed at Glenwood

2010-01-17T21:39:00.010-05:00

I'm so grateful to have friends who are just as adventurous as I am with food. This past Saturday night we drove to Glenwood Park (which PS is such a cute area with condos, restaurants and bars) and sat ourselves down at The Shed at Glenwood. We ordered everything and anything on the menu that sounded even remotely like it just came straight from the farm to the table.

The appetizers we wanted to try were the innards of the chicken...the liver and the heart.

Chicken Liver-Bacon Bruschetta
Sad that I never got a picture. It was practically all gone by the time I remembered to take a picture. I was hungry! Tasted like a glorious chicken salad sandwich...delicious!

Pan Fried Chicken Hearts, Egg in a Basket
I know it sounds like I'm a maneater and I'm just out there to eat any kind of heart (chicken or man). This is a dish I definitely would recommend if you ever eat at The Shed.

Butternut Squash Soup!

For my main entree, I had the pork belly of course!

Crispy Pork Belly, Polenta, Organic Baby Turnips
The meat was so tender ! (TWSS)

And obviously we had to end the meal with dessert. The dessert menu was practically staring at me the whole time we were there.

Sheep's Milk Yogurt, Medjool Dates, Orange Blossom Honey
It was good, but I think it would be more of a breakfast item than a dessert.

Oh! and I almost forgot the wine! It probably helped out with the innard eating.

Navarro Correas Malbec 2007, Argentina

Pants on the ground

2010-01-14T23:00:00.002-05:00

My godson's first baby steps! Such a Pellicer with his pants unbuttoned. Sometimes you just got to let it out!

Weight Watchers Three Bean and Pork Slow Cooker Chili

2010-01-14T22:50:00.001-05:00

I feel like I'm a chili whore right now because I think this is the third chili recipe I have made this year and maybe even in the past six months. What can I say? Throwing a bunch of ingredients in a slow cooker and creating awesome-ness makes me feel like I could maybe try out for Top Chef: Slow Cooker Style. Anyways, so, I've used three different types of meat: White Chicken Chili, Turkey and Sausage Chili, and now the Three Bean and Pork Chili, which by the way is a Weight Watchers recipe and it's only 5 points/cup...if you're counting.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 pound lean pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks

15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup tomato puree

29 oz canned diced tomatoes with green pepper, celery and onion, undrained

6 oz can tomato paste

Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, carrots, chili powder, oregano, jalapeno, salt and pepper in a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Stir. Add remaining ingredients. Stir again.
Cover and cook at HIGH setting for 6 – 8 hours. (Note: start the chili at a HIGH setting so the ingredients quickly reach a safe temperature. You can reduce the heat to LOW after 3 – 4 hours, if you prefer.)

Reindeer Games

2010-01-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

It's long over due, but I'm just now getting around to uploading photos from my camera. Back in November, I attended the AIGA Ink and Drink event at the Atlanta Printmakers Studio to print my own holiday cards. I didn't want to ruin the surprise and reveal the cards since I hadn't mailed them out yet when I posted back in November, so now for the big reveal (sorry for the dramatization if you got one in the mail!)...

Nan Lawson Giveaway via oh, hello friend

2010-01-12T12:53:00.004-05:00

I love giveaways, but this one is especially cool! oh, hello friend is giving away a $30 gift certificate towards Nan Lawson's etsy page.

Nan Lawson has some great artwork. Shop for Nan Lawson's prints! I love the Hipster Kiss!

Whoo loves owls?

2010-01-07T16:10:00.005-05:00

It's me! I know...I'm obsessed.

I just saw this featured on Design Sponge and I wish I would have seen it earlier today so that I could have bought it from here. Looks like it's sold out! Please someone help me find one for myself. You could quite possibly cure my owl obsession!

Crepe Crepe Revolution

2010-01-07T15:49:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure I can abbreviate the place CCR, but I can definitely say that Crepe Revolution is a pioneer by bringing a whole new dining experience with crepes galore. I was so overwhelmed with their wide variety of selections that I'm just going to have to come back to try all the other crepes I didn't get to taste. Last night was so cold outside I needed something to warm me up, so I chose the Chicken Thai Peanut...

And of course I had to try a sweet crepe...Bananas Foster. The waiter asked me if I wanted ice cream to go on top...Did I want ice cream on top? He obviously didn't get that I finished my plate of Chicken Thai Peanut and downed a bottle of Callia Alta Malbec (with Jessica). (Sidenote: half priced bottles of wine Wednesday nights). Anyways, did the waiter not know I'm so over-indulgent when it comes to dining.

Yes, I got vanilla ice cream on top.

Photos were taken from www.creperevolution.com

New Year's Resolution

2010-01-05T10:13:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Monina (graphic designer and 2009 Command X winner at the AIGA Conference in Memphis, TN) we don't have to pull our hair to come up with the perfect resolution. Some of them hit close to home! Sheesh!

What does your New Year's Resolution say?

Owl Invasion

2010-01-01T22:44:00.003-05:00

Look at this cute owl apron I bought from Anthropologie! Looks like I'll be doing a lot of cooking this year so that I can wear my owls.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T21:01:00.002-05:00

Hello, 2010! How are you? I hope you will treat everyone well in the coming year.

What is everyone's New Year's resolutions?

During Thanksgiving, I came upon the CSPAN channel because Ludacris was on there promoting his charity, The Ludacris Foundation. Sidenote: I was just so intrigued about this other side to him.

But the point of bringing this up was because he was talking about growing up with a single parent, his mother. At the end of every year, his mother made him create a goal list (I guess it's like the resolution list! ha!) and at the end of that year, they will look at the goal list and see if he was able to complete them. He accounted this as a part of his drive to be successful. I think it worked!

Goals (Resolutions) for 2010
1. Put away 15% into my savings each month (I may have gotten this one from Meg)
2. Move! :)
3. Run more (I have a 5K in Athens at the end of this month and a 10K in March. Hoping to run a half marathon as well)
4. Pay off my car

Hopefully a year from now, I will have done all these things!

Merry Christmas to all!

2010-01-01T20:24:00.005-05:00

It's been a hectic holiday for me, so sorry if I have been MIA with the posts. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope everyone's Christmas was fabulous and everyone got what they wanted. And even better, I hope everyone's start of 2010 is off to a great start. I know we all need a little hope and optimism in 2010.

What did everyone get for Christmas? Here are a couple of awesome gifts I got this year.

The Flip Mino HD so that I can record many great moments in 2010!

A new pet that lives in a lavarium. I still haven't named him yet. What should I call him?

A new addition to my owl fetish from Night Owl Paper Goods. This is Sylvia!

A Spanish cookbook with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow. The book takes them on their journey across the country tasting many of Spain's delicious foods. Look out for some of the recipes this year!

A Marc Tetro dog print of a "Beagle at the Beach" aka Murphy at the Beach. I love it!

Live Savvy

2009-12-23T13:49:00.002-05:00

Today, I received the cutest headband from my godson! They have so many cute designs...I want them all! The best thing of all is that my cousin, Barb, and my godson's sister, Bella were asked to model the headbands for their site. Aren't they so pretty?

http://shop.livesavvy.com/

My doggies have arrived!

2009-12-17T08:52:00.002-05:00

Kristin received her dog paintings yesterday and already put them up on her wall! She said she started crying when she opened them. I'm glad my art can make someone that happy, which is what it's intended to do!

I have a crush...it's just...a little crush

2009-12-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

Doggy Style

2009-12-15T09:23:00.002-05:00

I'm finally done with doggy style! :) Just a follow up to my Sammy, the Boston Terrier...here are the rest of the doggies!

Happy Holidays from Sellier Design

2009-12-10T16:37:00.002-05:00

I have a crush

2009-12-10T15:37:00.004-05:00

It's just...a little crush...

I thank my lucky stars

2009-12-09T09:25:00.004-05:00

I love the holidays when all the pretty lights come out! My parents bought these stars while they were in the Philippines and I couldn't help but take a picture last night when everything was dark. The only thing that brought any light or color into the house were these beautiful stars and their light's reflections throughout the whole house. It definitely set the mood for the holiday season!

Love, Your Secret Santa

2009-12-08T09:57:00.004-05:00

Technology these days is something else. Whatever happened to just picking a name out of a hat!?! But this is actually a pretty cool idea. Elfster is an online Secret Santa. They make group gift exchanges for Secret Santa easy! All you have to do is sign up, create a wishlist and they will randomly pick another person for you. It's so great because you can go online and add any items you want for Christmas on your wishlist. I think I'll be using this list for my family as well.

It's just a shame that I'll be missing the actualy gift exchange party, but I'll be there in spirit.

The Bucket List

2009-12-04T21:00:00.006-05:00

I recently watched the movie, The Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It was an alright movie, but the message was so much more meaningful. The story is about two men who have both been diagnosed with cancer and they were both told that they only had a year at the most to live. They created a bucket list of things they want to do before they die. I thought that I need to create a bucket list of my own. I'm pretty sure it will get longer as I go since, hopefully, I'll be crossing stuff off, but as for now I only came up with 35 things to do. What would be on your bucket list?

1. get married
2. have kids
3. hang gliding
4. travel the world
5. run a marathon
6. learn to play the violin
7. scuba dive in the great barrier reef
8. go to oktoberfest in germany
9. camp in the grand canyon
10. go on a safari in africa
11. watch my kids get married
12. have grandkids
13. buy a house
14. go to mardi gras
15. visit Ireland for st. patrick's day
16. camp in oregon
17. drink wine in napa valley
18. visit the statue of liberty
19. get my nose pierced
20. visit graceland
21. drive a racecar
22. go to hawaii
23. ride a horse
24. ride a horse on the beach
25. get my masters
26. teach a class
27. bungee jump
28. visit the great wall of china
29. swim with the dolphins
30. swim with sharks
31. own my own company
32. visit the eiffel tower
33. see the pyramids
34. shoot a gun
35. visit every state in North America

Vegas Vacation

2009-11-30T10:33:00.005-05:00

Viva Las Vegas...Viva Las Vegas...I kid you not there was an Elvis impersonator at the Las Vegas sign letting people take pictures with him but he only takes $10 tips. Ha!

My family and I had a very non-traditional Thanksgiving again this year (last year we went to Dauphin Island).

We spent 4-days and 3-nights in Vegas, baby! The first two nights we stayed at the Bellagio and the third night at Mandalay Bay, which both places took a lot of my money. It's all good...they were comp rooms any way, so it was like I really paid for my free vacation if that helps out my rationalization. Oh well! It's all about entertainment anyways. I think the only thing I won was my bet on Georgia to win the Tech game. Glad I could count on my Dawgs to win me some money!

PS. There always has to be some food involved in my posts/vacations always! Aren't these sliders so cute? For some reason I take pictures of every slider I get even though they all look the same. They are just so darn cute. Good finger foods for parties!

Gobble, Gobble, y'all!

2009-11-25T15:21:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm in Vegas this year, so hopefully I won't lose too much money!

There are so many things I'm thankful for this year:

1. Getting back to my artistic roots by taking up figure drawing classes and creating several paintings for friends and family: Sea Shells

2. Spending time with friends and family in Destin, Kansas City, DC, Athens, and Minneapolis

3. Working hard for the money and the awards! A website for the GPS, RoadNut, won a SEED Award and is featured on Cool Homepages

4. Listening to the music. I got to see BB King, Stevie Wonder, Journey, The Whigs, Ben Harper, Paolo Nutini and Amos Lee.

5. Experiencing new restaurants in Atlanta for Girl's Supper Club. My favorite: Watershed

I can't wait for the 2009 holidays. This year has gone by way too fast! Hopefully I can catch up!

AIGA: Ink and Drink

2009-11-25T15:10:00.004-05:00

Last week, I participated in AIGA's Ink and Drink at the Atlanta Printmakers Studio. During the event, we screenprinted our very own holiday cards while we drank! It was my first time screenprinting and I had such a great time! It was so easy and so much fun that I'm definitely going back there. I didn't even get one drop of ink on my nice clothes. I'm not gonna post pics of my cards because you'll just have to wait and see when you get yours in the mail!

Screenprinting my first color onto my card!

The second step after you screenprint is to flood the ink.

Looking at what I have created!

Am's Red Wine Beef Stew

2009-11-18T14:51:00.003-05:00

My BFF for life, Anne Marie, made this dish last year while J. Wo and I visited and I couldn't help but get the receipe from her for another comfort dinner this week.

2lbs Stew Beef

1 1/2 cups Red Wine

1 1/2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

1 pkg. dry Lipton's Onion Soup Mix

1 pkg fresh mushrooms

Splash of Worcestershire

Pinch of Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours.

I ate mine over rice but mashed potatoes are good too!

Hey, Ma! Can we get some meatloaf?!

2009-11-18T14:45:00.002-05:00

Such the ultimate comfort food for me on these cold rainy days: meatloaf with mashed potatoes. You can never go wrong no matter what recipe you use. I was gonna go with a Paula Deen recipe that probably called for 14 ingredients, but found this recipe on the back of a Lipton Onion Soup Mix box. Super Easy!

1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs*
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup ketchup

1.	Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2.	Shape into loaf in 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan.
3.	Bake uncovered 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Calories 320, Calories From Fat 70, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 3g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 125mg, Sodium 590mg, Total Carbohydrate 12g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 3g, Protein 28g, Vitamin A 4%, Vitamin C 4%, Calcium 4%, Iron 20%

For my mashed potatoes, I always just make it up as I go and just keep tasting until it's just right! But here is a mashed potato recipe from gourmet.com that I want to try some day because it looks so delish!

It's Saturday in Athens...

2009-11-16T21:58:00.003-05:00

I've been so busy lately that I haven't even gotten a chance to give a shout out to my Dawgs! No matter how awful we are this season, I always have a great time going to watch them play and hanging out with old friends.

Happy (early) Halloween!

2009-10-29T00:18:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to go ahead and share my pumpkin masterpieces!

Hoot! Hoot!

Goooo Dawgs!!

The House Divided....That's my brother's perfectly cut Georgia Tech pumpkin. What a dork!?

A BBQ Rendezvous in Memphis

2009-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

While Kriston, Julie and I were at the AIGA Conference in Memphis, we had to eat some BBQ! The first night we visited Neelys (From "At Home with the Neelys" on the Food Network) and let's just say we thought it would be a little bit more inviting. The food was good, but the atmosphere was just scary.

The second night we ate at the famous Rendezvous.

Kriston and I split the full rack of ribs!

All gone!!

White Chicken Chili

2009-10-27T08:00:00.004-04:00

Just had this for dinner Sunday night and it was delish! The perfect weather for some chili!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds white chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can chicken broth
2 medium onions, finely chopped
14 oz. green salsa (tomatillo salsa) or your favorite red salsa
48 oz. Great Northern Beans
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese

Directions
1. Saute onion in a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Transfer to crock pot.
3. In the same skillet, cook chicken in a small amount of chicken broth. Transfer to crock pot.
4. Add remaining broth, salsa, beans with liquid to crock pot.
5. Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours.
6. Add shredded cheese in the last half hour.

Bananas for Frozen Banana Bites!!

2009-10-25T22:19:00.007-04:00

I used pretzels, Butterfinger candy bars, chocolate graham crackers, m&m's and reese's pieces!

Jessica enjoying her bites!

Frozen Chocolate Dipped Banana Bites
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons canola oil
Assorted toppings (such as crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, toffee bits, Butterfinger candy bars, chopped salted peanuts toasted shredded coconut, crushed chocolate dipped pretzels, crushed pretzels, chopped hazelnuts)
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Directions

1. Stir chocolate and oil in heavy small saucepan over low heat just until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes to cool.

2. Place each topping in separate shallow dish. Line baking sheet with foil. Arrange banana slices on foil. Using fingers or utensil, dip 1 banana slice in chocolate, coating completely. Shake off excess chocolate.

3. Drop dipped banana in 1 topping. Using clean hand or utensil, sprinkle more topping over banana to coat; transfer to foil-lined sheet.

4. Repeat with remaining bananas, chocolate, and toppings. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours, then serve.

Makes 36 banana bites.

Sammy the Boston Terrier

2009-10-20T14:20:00.002-04:00

Sammy is one of four dog paintings I'm working on! Sammy is just as funny as he looks!

Stay tuned for the other three pups!

Girls Supper Club: Opa!

2009-10-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

This month's supper club was at Taverna Plaka off Cheshire Bridge. The food was delicious and how can you pass up The Chef's Special!! It was $25 and included three appetizers, a salad, three entrées and two desserts. Definitely a Greek Special! We even got to mash up our own hummus...I've got the hummus!

AIGA Make/Think: Hatch Show Print

2009-10-16T00:39:00.004-04:00

As good designers you have to have the ability to make and to think and you also have to have the ability to make people think...

I caught a couple of good sessions, but the main one that gave me some inspiration was the Hatch Show Print letterpress. They have such great artwork and most of the woodtype they use are originals since the beginning. It's amazing how timeless art can be.

My Baby Bro is 21

2009-10-16T00:18:00.002-04:00

and here's what was going on the day you were born...

President: Ronald Reagan
Vice President: George Bush

Top headlines:
"Smile Jamaica" concert for Hurricane Gilbert victims held in London
S Ueda & H Kaneda discover asteroid #5005 Kegler & #7751
Orel Hirsheiser, 1st to pitch shutout in playoff & world series (World Series #85)

Top Songs...aww man...good times when you were born....Rick Astely, Billy Ocean, MJ, Steve Winwood....I'm kind of jealous...

Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses
Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car by Billy Ocean
One More Try by George Michael
Roll with It by Steve Winwood
Man In the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Look Away by Chicago
Anything for You by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
The Flame by Cheap Trick

1988 Prices:
Gas: $0.96/gal
Stamp: $0.25/ea
Min Wage: $3.35/hr

On TV..I miss The Wonder Years...

The Golden Girls
Married... With Children
Murphy Brown
The Wonder Years
L.A. Law
China Beach
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Roseanne
The Cosby Show
Moonlighting

Hot New Toys:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures
Micro Machines
Super Soaker
Power Drencher
Dino Riders

It was a good day

Up, Up, and Away...

2009-10-05T14:51:00.007-04:00

I thought I would never ever ever be jumping out of a plane but I just did! It was such an unbelievable experience that words cannot do justice for the feeling of free falling for 47 seconds (which PS felt like 5 seconds) and 10 minutes of floating in the air looking out at the Atlanta skyline.

The four of us, me, Jessica, Maggie and Erin, set out on our what felt like a really long trip to Monroe, Georgia. Driving from Athens to Monroe hungover seems to make time longer for some reason. Tip#1: Don't drink and dive! (and no, we did not have any projectile up in the air...thank god!)

I don't think the situation had hit any of us until we were getting into our jumpsuits and the intercom came on and said "5 minutes for skydivers!" Umm what, I just put my jumpsuit on...But I do have to say, being in those jumpsuits makes you feel pretty awesome and important. Like I'm on a mission (which we were)! I feel the need...the need..for speed!

Jessica and I were the first jumpers and as we made our way on to the plane, the mood quickly changed from "I'm so excited!" to "What in the hell am I doing?" Jessica's face was priceless and basically said it all!

The moment got all too real when they opened up the hatch and you were kneeling right there in front of the open air amidst the clouds and ground below of what looked like a model of a small town. What is this? A center for ants?!?

1, 2, 3....

I free fell for 47 seconds with sleeting hitting my face. It was like little pricklies hitting my face, but that quickly wasn't important anymore as I could finally see the ground below me. I became used to the fact that I was free falling and stopped screaming and then tried to breathe normally. Tip #2: Dont' try to breathe normally. Just keep screaming.

Free-falling felt like 5 action-packed seconds of my life, but the ride afterwards felt like forever, but a good forever. It was just so peaceful floating and looking at everything around...the Atlanta skyline, Stone Mountain, Athens...

I would do this all over again! Thanks Skydive Monroe!

Real Simple's Guide to a Month of Easy Dinners

2009-09-30T20:06:00.005-04:00

I'm gonna try and take this on...we'll see how long it lasts. Get your appetite ready!

Week one:

Tilapia with Peppers and Olives

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 6-ounce tilapia fillets
kosher salt and black pepper
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish with 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers and onion, stirring often, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the olives, parsley, lime juice, and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the fish.

Spicy Orange-Glazed Drumsticks with Green Beans

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 15m Total Time: 45m

Ingredients

1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian section of the supermarket)
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound green beans
1 tablespoon butter
4 corn bread muffins, warmed

Directions

Heat oven to 400º F. In a small bowl, mix the marmalade and chili-garlic sauce.
Season the chicken with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, brushing with the marmalade mixture during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the green beans until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and toss with the butter and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken and muffins.

Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 20m Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
4 heads baby bok choy, quartered
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the steak with 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate.
Wipe out the skillet. Add the bok choy and 1⁄4 cup water and simmer, covered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and sugar. Add to the bok choy in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the steak and any accumulated juices and cook, tossing, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Umbrellas and Chairs for 6, please!

2009-09-30T19:53:00.003-04:00

this picture pretty much sums up the whole weekend!

me and 5 (let's just say) older women, including my cousin, trekked our way down to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida for their annual girls trip. i'm glad that i was able to attend this year. these girls can hold their own! i was right there with them eating, drinking and of course shopping!

what a way to end the summer!

Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili

2009-09-22T09:13:00.002-04:00

Courtesy of Mr. Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 12 ounces hot Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
* 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
* 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
* 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
* 1/2 cup chopped, roasted and peeled green poblano or Anaheim chiles
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 (12-ounce) lager beer
* 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with their juice
* 2 cups cooked pinto beans, or canned beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese, garnish
* Tortilla chips, accompaniment

Directions

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, sausage and Essence, and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, and chilies, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt, and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer and tomatoes, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the chili from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, ladle into large bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup of cheese. Serve tortilla chips on the side.

*NOTE: When working with chile peppers, always wear rubber gloves and be careful not to touch your eyes or skin. Wash all utensils and cutting surfaces well with hot, soapy water before proceeding.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Don't Stop Believing

2009-09-20T19:55:00.003-04:00

It was wet and we were surrounded by old fogies who thought they were still living the dream listening to Night Ranger and Journey in their El Caminos (and yes someone did bring out their El Camino for the night). You can only imagine the type of crowd watching at the show.

I was expecting more Filipino pride at the concert, but I did spot a Filipino flag in the crowd...that'll do donkey! And I definitely thought I knew more Journey songs...not so much...and didn't know that they had a new album out. That could probably explain why I paid what? $20 to hear about 5 or 6 songs that I could actually belt out and one song that I could lose my voice to...Yes, Don't Stop Believing...

Supper Club: Repast

2009-09-13T18:29:00.003-04:00

This month's supper club was at Repast. The food was okay..the gin and tonics were amazing and the company was (as usual) so much fun! I ordered the green plate special, which on Thursdays, was a burger with fries and it included a salad and a dessert. All for $15! I need to make it there on Wednesday nights when they have shrimp and grits. The burger was okay, but I should have ordered the scallops...so delish!

As always, it's so much fun seeing new faces at Supper Club and the smiling faces I love to see every day!

The Thrill is Gone

2009-09-08T10:15:00.003-04:00

I finally got to see BB King live! J. Wo and I got there late (due to the fact that we didn't know we were driving almost to Alabama to see him), but the 45 minutes we were there were great. Good wine, good food and good music!

I tried posting my voice memo on here, but there was an error so I found this 1970 performance on you tube.

I also got this pretty sweet poster designed by Hatch Show Print in Nashville, TN.

Castleberry Hill Art Stroll

2009-08-31T09:45:00.004-04:00

I always love doing new things in Atlanta (TWSS) and last Friday night I did just that! A friend and I strolled to Castleberry Hill for their monthly art stroll. We walked around and went in and out of the galleries that had some pretty amazing artwork. Below were my two favorite. I wish I could afford their work for my future new house!

Image from www.jacquelyngleisner.com

Image from http://mmars.myweb.uga.edu/

Sipping and Stroking

2009-08-28T16:46:00.002-04:00

For Jessica's birthday, Maggie and I took her on a new art adventure...Sips N Strokes! Sips N Strokes is a place where you can bring your own alcohol and food while you paint...definitely my kind of place. I probably did more sipping than stroking, but the sipping never hurts the stroking! Look at our wonderful masterpieces.

bootcamp.

2009-08-20T15:10:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure what day it is of bootcamp.
today was probably the worst day out of all the other hellish days of bootcamp. it could also be from the veggie chili and french fries (did I mention a pitcher of high life) and not drinking enough water the day before. umm..yea, these items will not be gracing my food log's presence. i could say that the pitcher of high life was in celebration of knocking 2 minutes off my mile run time, no?

anyways, i thought i was about to throw up, slip on my throw up and die this morning. race tracks and squat thrusts are to die for. that's all i have to say.

August 16, 1982...

2009-08-18T11:51:00.003-04:00

i was born. so i camp to celebrate....can anyone even tell that I lost 7 pounds?

marker at the top of blood mountain

sorority pose

group shot at the edge of a cliff...i'm hanging on for dear life. i don't think it was that sturdy of a tree. oh well. i'm still alive.

best friends a girl could have!

the love of my life...Bentley Tran

bootcamp.

2009-08-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Homework – Week 2, #1
PURPOSE: Sculpt firm glutes. Everybody wants a nice firm tush! Do these exercises to the best of your ability and be on your way!

Warm up: Jog in place for 1 minutes, jumping jacks for 1 minute, jump rope for 1 minute, squats for 1 minute, jog in place for 1 minute (5 minutes total)
Stretch hamstrings, glutes, quads and calves (2-5 minutes)
Begin a series of the following intervals: right leg step back lunges 30 seconds, left leg step back lunges 30 seconds, fire hydrants to the side right leg 30 seconds, fire hydrants to the side left leg 30 seconds, fire hydrant kick backs right leg 30 seconds, fire hydrant kick backs left leg 30 seconds (3 minutes total). In between each 3 minute interval jog for 1 minute and complete 30 bicycle crunches with opposite elbow to opposite knee and a crunch in between. Repeat 4 times.
Stretch for 5 minutes. Make sure to get a good glute stretch

Homework Assignment – Week 2, #2
Purpose: To increase cardio and burn calories. Also it is a change of pace from the jumping of our indoor workouts.

Complete the following:

Dynamic warm up of 30 sec each of jumping jacks, high knees, jogging in place, alternating lunges, pushups and squats.
Follow this with 5 minutes of stretching.
10 minute fast walk or slow jog on an incline. If you are outside, find a hill and start your workout at the bottom.
15 minute jog at an increased speed from the first 10 minutes.
5 minute slow jog or fast walk.
10 minutes of stretching.

Homework Assignment– Week 2, #3
Purpose: Try something new! Exercise is meant to be fun! Take a fast walk or job with your dog, go swimming, ride your bike. Take advantage of nice weather and be outside, or grab your friends and go rollerblading

Complete the following:

Tire run for 1 minute, high knees for one minute and jog in place for 1 minute to warm up your muscles.
25 jumping jacks.
Stretch for 5 minutes.
30 minutes of the cardiovascular activity of your choice! Have fun with it!
10 minutes of stretching.

bootcamp.

2009-08-18T11:43:00.002-04:00

i have been slacking on my bootcamp entries, but i have to say that i'm liking what i'm seeing. bootcamp has been excellent and i'm building up my stamina (ahem).

2 weeks of bootcamp + no rice=7 pounds lost + 2 minutes of my mile run

bootcamp.

2009-08-11T08:32:00.001-04:00

eighth day of bootcamp.
umm, I totally overslept. i knew it was bound to happen. BUT i did end up going to the gym...twice! I just did some homework.

Couscous

2009-08-11T08:12:00.004-04:00

Picture from foodnetwork

I didn't follow the recipe from food network, but it's pretty easy to put together. All I did was saute whatever I wanted or better yet whatever was in the fridge: zucchini, cherry tomatoes, parsley, onions, and red bell peppers. I topped the cooked couscous with this mixture and then added garbanzo beans and crumbled feta.

It was pretty delicious, especially the pieces of feta! Nice surprise in my mouth....TWSS

bootcamp.

2009-08-11T08:08:00.002-04:00

Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are our days off from bootcamp, but we're still supposed to work out. Here are the workouts from last week. They're pretty fantastic.

Homework – Week 1, #1
PURPOSE: To burn calories and begin to tone the body. Also to help build your cardiovascular endurance.

Warm Up: 25 jumping jacks, 20 squats, 20 lunges on each leg and then 5 minutes of stretching.
Perform at least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise means any type of aerobic activity, usually performed at moderate intensity level, which maintains an increased heart rate. Examples of these activities are running, swimming, elliptical machine or group fitness classes. Sorry folks, but golf is not an aerobic activity. Make sure whatever you do gets you out of breath. So if you want to head out to the park to enjoy the warmer temperatures with your dog or a friend, head for the hills and keep the pace up.
Additional exercises: 10 sit ups, 10 regular push ups (do regular push ups to the point of muscle failure and then do facilitated push ups), 1 minute of Ab Bridge for 5 repetitions. Do this after your cardio workout.
10 minutes of cool down stretching. Make sure to stretch your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, abs and arm muscles.

Suggested Ab stretches:

Sunrise salute: lying on your stomach, extend your arms straight lifting you upper body off the floor. Extend you head toward the ceiling or sky stretching the neck, chest and abdominal area.

Extension stretch: lying on your back, extend the arms over your head and stretch your arms and legs in opposing directions. Feel the stretch in your shoulders, chest, abdominal area and hips.

Homework – Week 1, #2
PURPOSE: To help resculpt your abdominal area. Intervals will help burn fat and rebuild lean muscle.

Complete the following exercises:

Jog in place for 2 minutes to warm up, then do 25 squats. Stretch for 5 minutes once your muscles are warm.

WORKOUT

This is an interval workout. The great thing about is that you can do it anywhere – home, outside, a hotel or gym. You will alternate between cardio and strength intervals of 1 minute, 30 seconds each. Complete this after the warm up above.

Cardio	90 Sec	Jump Rope (you don’t have to use a rope)
Strength	45 Sec	Push ups
	45 Sec	Tricep Dips (use a bench or a chair and your arms bend to 90 degrees behind you)
Cardio	90 Sec	Jumping Jacks
Strength	45 Sec	Sit ups
	45 Sec	Crunches
Cardio	90 Sec	Tire Run – alternate between narrow legs and wide legs
Strength	45 Sec	Single Leg Lunge – lift up your right foot, straight out in front and lower down on your left leg.
	45 Sec	Repeat Single Leg Lunge – lift your left leg out straight and lower down on your right leg.
Cardio	90 Sec	Jog in place – make sure to pump your arms.
Strength	45 Sec	Oblique ab bridge (superstar) on right side
	45 Sec	Oblique ab bridge (superstar) on left side
Cardio	90 Sec	Jump back and forth over imaginary line.
Strength	45 Sec	Flutter kicks
	45 Sec	Regular ab bridge
Cardio	90 Sec	Shuffle low from side to side. You don’t need much space, just shuffle from wall to wall.
Strength	45 Sec	Bicycles (crunch opposite elbow to opposite knee)
	45 Sec	Crunch up and hold for 5 seconds to burn out the ab muscles, lower back down and repeat.

Cool Down

Jog in place for 1 minute, then do 10 squats.
Stretch all of your muscles, especially your calves, glutes, abs, hamstrings and quads. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

Homework – Week 1, #3
PURPOSE: Again to build up your cardiovascular endurance. This is going to help you start to feel better about yourself as you can move faster and breathe easier when you workout. Also, regular exercise helps keep stress levels down and helps you sleep better.
Warm up: 25 jumping jacks and then 2 minutes of jump rope. You don’t need an actual jump rope, just use your imagination! Jump rope for 30 seconds, then switch it up to jump side to side and front to back.

Once your muscles are warm, stretch some before you run.
20 minutes of running (if you are able to do so) or a 20 minute run/walk workout. This is a BRISK walk, not a leisurely stroll. Try to run for several minutes, then walk for 30 seconds to catch your breath. Remember to concentrate on your breathing while you run.
30 sit ups – cross your arms on your chest and sit all the way up and lower yourself back down to the ground.
Flutter kicks – 1 minute. Put your hands underneath your lower back, tuck your chin into your chest, pull your belly button into the ground and flutter!
Bicycles – 1 minute. Twist your abs from elbow to opposite knee and repeat on the other side. Do this for one minute.
Ab bridge – 1 minute. Hold a plank position on your elbows for one minute.
10 minutes of stretching.

Supper Club: ATL Restaurant Week: Thrive

2009-08-08T14:19:00.003-04:00

This month's Supper Club was at Thrive and it just so happens it was Restaurant Week in Atlanta, which means certain restaurants have a prix fixe three-course meal for $25. You got to pick an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert.

Thinking about my bootcamp, I chose the baby arugula salad with carmelized pecans and goat cheese, Cold Water Salmon over risotto, and for dessert, bread pudding. If I wasn't on my diet I would have totally gotten the calamari or pot stickers for appetizers and the crab cakes for an entree...I'm just sayin!

Can't wait until next Supper Club, which will during another Restaurant Week.

bootcamp.

2009-08-08T14:15:00.002-04:00

fifth day of bootcamp.
don't know if it's getting easier or if I'm just a good kickboxer! :)
the weekend is here and i don't know if my healthy meals will last, but i will try. lots of festivities this weekend for some drinking, which is a big no-no for bootcamp. don't think i'll be logging that in the books!

Homemade Pizza Pie!

2009-08-08T14:06:00.002-04:00

Picture taken from foodtv

Quick and Easy!

Pizza dough from Publix
any toppings you want!

I used mozzarella and goat cheese, garden marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, leftover bbq pork, mushrooms, red onions...Cook in the oven for about 20-30 at 425º

bootcamp.

2009-08-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

fourth day of bootcamp.
strugglin, but got through the hour of football drills and a little bit of hell.
last day of bootcamp tomorrow...for the week. boo.

Fish Tacos

2009-08-05T09:51:00.002-04:00

Fish:
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* lime juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (1-pound) tilapia
* Cooking spray

Salsa:
* 1 cup diced peeled avocado
* 3/4 cup finely chopped tomato
* 1/3 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* half a jalapeno finely chopped

Remaining ingredients:
* 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1. To prepare fish, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub chili powder mixture evenly over fish. Cover and chill 1 hour.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Place fish on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Use a fork to flake the fish.

4. To prepare salsa, combine avocado and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl.

5. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon fish mixture evenly over each of 8 tortillas. Top each taco with salsa.

Calories: 353
Fat: 16g (sat 4.3g,mono 7.6g,poly 1.7g)
Protein: 27.9g
Carbohydrate: 27.7g
Fiber: 6.8g
Cholesterol: 40mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Sodium: 593mg
Calcium: 78mg

bootcamp.

2009-08-05T09:44:00.002-04:00

third day of bootcamp.
my day off. well from waking up at 4:45 am. still have to work out.
i think to myself as I was laying in bed. what the hell was i thinking?
tomorrow is another 4:45 am day. hooray.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Green Mango

2009-08-04T08:11:00.004-04:00

Picture taken from Cooking Light

bootcamp=no more eating white rice
solution: grilled pork tenderloin with green mango

it's the asian in me.

this was my dinner last night with some couscous.

Green mangoes are not fully ripe, and they lend sour flavor to Southeast Asian dishes. Their tartness contrasts with sweet carrot, refreshing mint and basil, and fiery peppers. Use an equal amount of unpeeled green apples if you can't find green mangoes.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 filled lettuce leaves)

Ingredients

Pork:

1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine) or dry sherry
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Salad:

1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large green (unripe) mango, peeled and shredded
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

Remaining ingredients:

8 Boston lettuce leaves
1 cup mung bean sprouts

Preparation

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. To prepare pork, combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove pork from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and black pepper.

3. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 22 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°, turning occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut each slice into thin strips, and keep warm.

4. To prepare salad, combine carrot and next 7 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a medium bowl; toss well.

5. Place about 1 1/2 ounces pork on each of 8 lettuce leaves; top each serving evenly with 1/4 cup mango mixture and 2 tablespoon bean sprouts.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 219
Fat: 5.5g (sat 1.8g,mono 2g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 24.6g
Carbohydrate: 16.8g
Fiber: 2.2g
Cholesterol: 65mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Sodium: 545mg
Calcium: 39mg

bootcamp.

2009-08-04T08:09:00.001-04:00

second day of bootcamp.
sprints, jumping squats, steps, running, and ab work.
all before 7am.
i think to myself as i was driving home. what the hell was i thinking?
at least i have a day off from waking up at 4:45 am tomorrow!!

One, Two, Brie!

2009-08-03T16:53:00.004-04:00

Picture taken from Cooking Light

bootcamp=healthy food
Solution: Cooking Light recipes

i had this for lunch today, but i used basil instead of arugula. it was pretty fantastic and super easy since i used my nifty panini grill.

i think my bootcamp instructors will be seeing this a lot in my nutrition log!

bootcamp.

2009-08-03T08:00:00.004-04:00

first day of bootcamp.
push-ups, sit-ups, mile run, ab workout, lunges, and 5 different kinds of squats.
all before 7am.
i think to myself as i was driving home. what the hell was i thinking?
i'm dreading doing it all over again tomorrow morning.

Mission Control: The Whigs

2009-08-02T21:00:00.003-04:00

Representin' Athens, GA! I had such a great time in Augusta listening to their new songs and drinking my Sparks and taking swigs of Evan Williams...yikes!!