30 for 30

I follow this blog, Kendi Everyday. She is a normal girl, living a very normal life. She blogs daily about her outfit. If you are needing some inspiration and help "remixing" what you've got in your closet already, this is the blog for you. What she does on her blog really helped me get out of my fashion rut working in an office each day. Creepster alert: I want to be friends with Kendi. But I'll settle with just checking her blog every day.

Anyway, she's got this thing that she does called the 30 for 30 challenge. You have to take 30 pieces from your wardrobe and remix those 30 pieces into 30 different outfits for 30 days. You can join her in this challenge and I'm thinking about doing it. It starts in February and I have to decide within the next week. Maybe this will be a good exercise for me? We'll see.

In other news, you should totally check out her blog. You'll love it.

What I Eat

So, I'm hypoglycemic.

What is that, you ask? It means that I have low levels of blood sugar. It's the opposite of being diabetic and it is not fun at all. Because of this, I have to eat every 2 hours to maintain a normal amount of glucose in my body.

What's interesting to me is that people are constantly asking me what I eat. I lost about 7 pounds when I began eating this way. So here's what I eat:

Breakfast: scrambled egg whites and half of a whole grain english muffin, 1 cup of coffee
Snack 1: greek yogurt, water
Snack 2: peanut butter granola bar, water
Snack 3: almonds (raw), water
Lunch: tuna sandwich with cheese, sunchips, piece of fruit, decaf tea with stevia
Snack 4: cheese and hummus, hot tea
Snack 5: almonds (usually the chocolate or cinnamon roasted), water
Dinner: whatever I cooked that week, usually a lean protein (chicken or lean beef) and a lot of vegetables, decaf tea with stevia
Snack 6: more almonds or natural popcorn or a spoonful of peanut butter

So, that's it! I don't eat many sweets anymore and I don't eat a ton of fruit anymore (I used to eat it all day long). I feel really good eating this way, so I imagine that I'll continue this pattern for a long time!

SHOES!

I really like shoes.

I have way too many in my closet and I have a really hard time parting with them. Is there therapy for that? Oh well...

I recently just purchased 2 pair with Christmas money that I think really have helped out my wardrobe. Let me share them with you!

I got his pair of beautiful black heels at Urban Outfitters (on sale of course). They are very comfortable and so far have proved to be one of my new favorite staples.

Then I got these awesome brown boots (per my friend, Katie's, suggestion). I was on the fence about them at first, but I could not be any happier with them. They are super comfortable and so warm! The have looked great with skinny jeans and tights with a dress. Best of all, I got them at Target!

These two pair of shoes could easily become my new very favorite shoes in my closet!

Well, it's been nice...

Our break is officially over. School starts tomorrow.

There are several things I didn't get done over the break, like completely organize my closet and read a book for class early. But we had a good time anyway.

We got to spend a good bit of time together, even though we both were working and Ethan took a winter term class for 2 weeks.

But this is it..we are entering our final year of our Masters degree! How crazy is that? We both graduate with our Masters in December. Ethan will continue on, and I will be done.

This whole experience has been wonderful and stretching and we wouldn't trade it for the world. Even all the crazy and frustrating and stressful times are worth it if you know you're doing what God wants.

The King Cake

I love King Cake. It's probably one of my most favorite sweet things, especially the cream cheese variety. However, in Fort Worth, it is hard to find a really really really good one. So, I decided to resort to making my own. And what better night to debut the creation than at the Cotton Bowl for a big Tiger Win? (Geaux Tigers, by the way!)

So, due to the flood of requests, here is the recipe. I channeled The Pioneer Woman a little bit by taking pictures along the way (not at every step, though). This was a process worth documenting for me. Anyway, here are the pictures. Full recipe at the bottom...

Ingredients. Not too bad.

First time using the dough hook.

Rolled out and smeared with melted butter.

Generously sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Doesn't it look amazing?

The ugly braid, before rising. It was my first time, don't judge! :)

Fresh out of the oven. Smelled seriously delicious.

Sprinkled with colored sugar in Tiger colors. This picture was right after I did the sugar, the color got more vibrant as it soaked up some moisture.

And we're done! I had a King Cake baby that I put in it after this stage and I was happy that it was found my an LSU fan at the party! (Ok, I rigged it. I gave that piece to the kid because I knew where the baby was. I couldn't help myself!)

Sweetie Pies' King Cakes (Recipe from Taste of the South magazine Feb/Mar issue, adapted from a recipe by Sweetie Pie bakery)

1 (16 oz) package hot roll mix (I used Pillsbury)
2. Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup cinnamon sugar (I made mine with 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp cinnamon, plus a little extra because I love cinnamon)
1 recipe King Cake Icing (Recipe to follow)
Colored sugar
*You will also need the ingredients listed on the hot roll mix in addition to this list

-Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
-Mix hot roll dough according to package directions. Shape dough into a ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, for 15 minutes. Punch down dough.
-On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12x16 oblong shape and brush evenly with the melted butter. Sprinkle liberally with the cinnamon sugar.
-Shape dough using one of these options:
1. Fold in half length wise and cut into 3 strips. braid strips. Gently pull to elongate the braid. Place on baking sheet in the shape of an oval. OR
2. Start with long side and roll into a jellyroll shape. Place on baking sheet in the shape of an oval.
-Cover with a dishtowel and tel rise in a warm place again, free from drafts, until almost double in size, approximately 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 375.
-Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cake cool completely.
-Spread King Cake Icing on cake and sprinkle with desired amount of colored sugar.

King Cake Icing
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp whole milk

-In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and milk, beaking at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.

Colored Sugar (this makes a lot of sugar, so adjust accordingly)
Sugar
Food coloring in yellow, green, and purple (or red and blue)

In a METAL bowl, mix together one cup sugar and 3 drops of yellow food coloring. Mix with a wire whisk until sugar turns yellow. You can keep extra sugar in a ziplock bag if it makes to much. This is a good excuse to make another King Cake.
Repeat process with green second, and purple third. If you do it in that order, you don't have to wash the bowl in between colors.

I promise, it's not as daunting as it sounds.

Enjoy!

Pork Osso Bucco

Besides having a fancy name, this recipe is wonderful.

My mom got it from a friend. She emailed it to me. I made it for dinner. It was a hit!

Thought I'd share:

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 lb bone-in pork loin roast, fat trimmed (I used two 1 1/2 lb pork rump roasts)
1 Large yellow onion, quartered
2 carrots, cut in strips
2 ribs celery, cut in strips ( I didn't use the celery, I just double the carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil (My homegrown basil that I dried over the summer was delicious!)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth

1. Coat 4 quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in small bowl, then rub mixture on roast.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
4. Layer onions, then carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs in cooker. Position roast on top. Add tomato sauce and broth.
5. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours, or until pork is tender. Remove from cooker and cover with foil.
6. Strain liquid from cooker into saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, until thickened.
7. Serve pork with sauce and vegetables.

Enjoy!

Origins

If you have known me for any length of time (and are a girl, probably), then you know that I love Origins. It seriously transformed my skin when I started using it. I shared this with several people and thought I would share it with you! These are three of my favorite products:


1. GinZing
This is an eye cream that is pinkish and a bit shimmery. You dab it under your eyes in the morning after you moisturize and it with brighten the look of your eyes and help them look less puffy. It's awesome.

2. Starting Over Oil Free Moisturizer

I love this stuff! I get the oil free kind, but they make a regular one too. This is for women like me who aren't really worried about wrinkles yet, but want to protect in advance. I didn't think my skin needed firming until I started using this. After a few weeks I could truly tell a difference in the firmness of my skin.

3. Zero Oil Cleanser

Seriously. This stuff is awesome. I have super, duper oily skin. So much so that I would almost need to wash my face by lunch. I don't like covering up the oil or applying a mattifier because they can make your face look weird. BUT this stuff keeps my skin from looking really oily. The amount of oil that I would usually have by lunch, I don't have know til well after dinner. It's a miracle!

Origins works. This is why I will spend the money to use it. However, being seminary students, we don't have a ton of money. The Origins products last for a really long time. I usually only buy 2 moisturizers per year about 3-4 cleansers. I've been using GinZing for a year now from the same little tub. Trust me. It's worth it. If you have an Origins near you, you can go in and schedule a mini-facial and find the products that are right for you. If you don't have one, you can shop at their website.

Enjoy!