blogger MIA

I don't think I've been on line since I left work on Thursday!! Craziness.
Well that just means I actually have things to update about, so I'm sorry if this post gets super duper long!!

Friday I moved boxes to Troy and hung out with Stephanie, we got yummy Panera and browsed a bookstore before hanging out and catching up with our friend, Rachel. It was a good night and more girls nights need to happen!!

Saturday my mom came down to load up her car with boxes and we also headed out to go a few places she likes that she only gets to go to when shes down here, since Troy lacks everything! A new little boutique opened at The Greene (out door mall) I loved everything in it and even bought a couple dresses but discovered one was ripped when I got home so I have to return in and I'm having second thoughts about the other!!
After my mom left, Monty and I went to the bark park but didn't stay long. There was a mean dog and mud puddles, Monty wasn't feeling either and hung out at the gate pretty after running around for only ten minutes.

After a HORRIBLE nights sleep I woke up early because Sunday is laundry day in Troy! I got done super early and headed back for a much needed girl talk/coffee date with Stephanie because the guy that broke my heart last year was coming down to hang out. I know it sounds dumb that I still talk to and hang out with him, but it makes me feel better about what happened and about myself that I can forgive him...forgetting what happened has proved not as easy though. Once he got here it was later than he thought he would get here so we got some food and then watched a few episodes of Weeds. He stayed the night which gave me great anxiety and I paced the apartment til 5 in the morning and woke up at 7!!

Yesterday we watched more Weeds and then headed out so he could run some errands and get lunch. We watched more Weeds when he got back (I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen that I couldn't stop watching) and then he headed home. All in all I am fine with how things went while he was here, there were things that happened and didn't happen that made me realize just what he and I are and what we will never be. What I really needed I didn't get (nothing dirty!!!) and I couldn't stop thinking about how much I needed it (again, nothing dirty!!) and it put a damper on my mood while we were out and about yesterday.
After he left I finished watching season 3 of Weeds (omg!!! soo crazy!!) and then ran off some of my damper mood. I'm glad I figured more out with he and I, I'm ready for new things in my life and I want someone to share them with and he is happy where is right now and that is fine. Ravi has an idea for me, Stephanie thinks I should join a new, bigger gym and Rachel wants to take me out on a girls night to possibly meet someone. I think its sweet that my friends are helping me and thinking up ideas when I'm ready to give up, it keeps me going.

Today, tomorrow and Thursday I have work and I have to have to have to find a book to read!! I didn't have one at all last week and the days were long and so very boring! Hopefully I'll find some thing at Half Priced Books on this visit, last weeks visits I obviously found nothing. I was a light, fun read and with Sex and the City 2 coming out, I think I'm going to pick up Sex and the City or maybe they'll have The Carrie Diaries!! If I don't find a book at least I have plenty of blogs to catch up on!

I'll leave you with an outfit picture, I got this super cute skirt a few weeks ago and wish I could wear it everyday.

You can't tell in the picture but the skirt has a tulip cut (if that is the right term) in the front...sooo cute! I love it! 

Have a lovely day everyone!!

walhalla

"Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name."

memories:

mountain roads. pop up campers everywhere. fire pits in the front and back yard. cooking and eating every meal outside. enchiladas. sweet tea. the heat. waterfalls. hiking. johnny cash. flannel. antique shopping. smores. cut off shorts. southern accents. new family. old family. late nights. early mornings. sun burns. roasted nuts being sold on the side of the road and how the smell carried for miles. bare feet. fire crackers every night. a dozen or more people sharing one bathroom. riding in truck beds. willie nelson. chicken and dumplings. catching a breeze on the front porch waiting for the rain to stop. wondering why it took so long to know I had a family like this.

and now wishing it could have stayed that way longer than a week at a time for a few years and that we all would have found our way back before it was too late.

update and recipe

Well no exciting news on my future. blah. I don't really want to get into it as yesterday was pretty emotional and I'd rather not cry again today. I guess I keep trying even though I found out more discouraging information today that is making it hard to keep going. blah again.

Yesterday my boss called and asked me to work today, so I was glad to have something to do today and got a lot of my book read. I am excited for the ending even though I'm sure it is going to make me cry.

Today is my dad's birthday, yesterday I took him a Sandy style german chocolate cake (meaning banana instead of eggs) and it was amazing!! German chocolate is my dad's favorite so I was worried it was going to taste too banana-y and he wouldn't like it, but you couldn't taste it at all and we pretty much couldn't stop eating it. I think I'm going to try out a new topping for my banana cake this week that I think will be amazing...if it is I'll post pictures and the recipe!

Here is a quick recipe that combines two of my favorite things, salsa and guacamole!!! More specifically salsa verde..yum!! I made it Saturday afternoon and had to stop myself from eating it all by the end of the day. I didn't get any pictures of it but you can't really mess it up so don't worry and if you've ever made salsa or guacamole before then it is pretty much the same thing!

. two haas avocados

. four tomatillos

. one garlic clove

. half a white or red onion

. a handful of cilantro (i don't measure things)

. salt

. pepper

.  1/2 jalapeno

. lemon juice

1. halve, seed and peel the avocados

2. de-husk the tomatillos and quarter them

3. peel garlic clove

4. peel and chop onion

5. wash cilantro

6. remove membrane from half or all the jalapeno, depending on if you like heat or not

combine all the ingredients along with the salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor if you want it to be a creamy dip, if you want it to be chunky chop the avocado (and mash them up a bit), onion, cilantro and jalapeno and only put the tomatillos and garlic in the food processor to quickly chop them and then combine everything. 

eat with tortilla chips or add it a salad with black beans and pineapple or add to scrambled egg whites or in yummy bean quesadilla!!

giveaway winner!!!!

Yesterday ended up being pretty busy and I didn't get around to picking the winner of my little giveaway but if all goes well I hope to have some exciting news in the next couple of days concerning my future!!! If it doesn't go well then I'll bore you with ANOTHER bummer post, yay!

Ok, now onto the giveaway!! Even though there were only eight entries...a much better number than my last giveaway where I had to count through all the entries and it took forever...I am lazy and used random.org to pick the winner.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: 

Result:

8Powered by RANDOM.ORG
(i don't know why it says 100....I put in 8 but when I copy the results to blogger it changes it to 100...weird!!)

which means DORIAN is the winner!!!

her favorite thing about spring is: 

"Favourite thing about spring is all the pretty bright colors after the cold dark season. Pretty colorful dresses and food with pretty veggies."

Dorian is one of my absolute favorite blogger ladies, she is hilarious and sweet and posts silly stories about her husband that make me laugh sooo hard. If you haven't checked out her blog, YOU MUST!!

DORIAN...check your email for a message from me!!

blah rain and giveaway deadline.

It is soo rainy here in Ohio and I am not a fan, I miss the sun and the bark park!! Monty is not a fan either, he is missing his lllooonnnggg walks. Yesterday the rain let up a bit though so I was able to spend a few hours outside with him after work so that he could get rid of some of his pent up energy.
Today they are calling for more rain and thunderstorms for most of the day...awesome.

I am so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe I posted yesterday and I am looking forward to sharing more!! I made an awesome "pizza" yesterday that I snapped some pictures of so I will definitely share that recipe in the near future!!

I also realized that I did not mention when I will pick the winner for my giveaway in the original giveaway post, so before I forget I will pick the winner Friday at noon (est) so if you haven't entered yet there is still time!

I have yet to hear back from any of the jobs I have applied for in Cincinnati and Columbus and I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than a bit bummed and losing hope that I will hear from any of them. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I do not currently live in the area but with each resume I have sent a bit of a cover letter saying that if I am interviewed/considered for the job I will give my two weeks notice asap and relocate. I understand hiring someone immediately is more appealing than waiting two weeks so I'm trying not to take it personally...

My toilet is leaking...ewwww. I told my landlord and his response was "ok, I'll check it out." Uhhhhhhh...when?! Today? Right now? Tonight? Tomorrow?! Holy vagueness. Whatever, I'm not waiting around for him. He has never been reliable so he can be the one to wait for once if I'm not here.

It has been so long since I've posted a picture of myself or Monty, not that we look any different but here we are!!!

It is a cozy cardigan kind of day!

He is not a fan of rainy days. 

Despite the rain I am not staying in all day, I will go crazy!! I think Monty and I may head to Troy for a puppy play date and so I can watching some silly shows on cable!!

recipe 1-sweet potato hash

This recipe is perfect for so many reasons, the flavors are great for warm weather, it is healthy, vegetarian and can be adapted to fit your own personal tastes!!!
I found the original recipe in Better Homes and Garden and changed a few things up to fit my personal preference...so I'll post the original and make notes of what I changed.

Sweet Potato Hash-better homes and garden

ingredients

• 1  large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 1 lb.) I bought Ore Ida steam and mash sweet potatoes because they are already cut into the right size and I don't have to do any peeling. Plus if you use these you can skip the first step in the directions below and go right to the second step.
• 1  Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1  11-oz. can Southwestern-style corn with black beans and peppers, rinsed and drained I used regular black beans that I rinsed under cold water to reduce the sodium and then I used frozen white corn because I think it tastes better than canned corn and just added some chopped jalapeno and lime juice to it. 
• 1/2  cup dairy sour cream I skipped the sour cream and added a sprinkle of taco blend cheese instead or leave it out all together to be made vegan or use vegan sour cream.
• 2  Tbsp. chipotle salsa I used tomatillo salsa but use whatever salsa you love.
• 3  medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced The first time I made this I just used guacamole but the second time I did sliced avocado, both tasted great so again do what you like!
•   Fresh cilantro leaves and chili powder (optional) I added both of these to the sweet potatoes as I cooked them and then sprinkled more of both on my meal before I ate it.
• I also added fresh pineapple, green onion and mexican cole slaw to it (recipe after this one) 

directions

1. Place sweet potatoes in a microwave safe dish; cover and cook on 100 percent power (high) for 5 to 8 minutes or just until tender enough to chop. Cool slightly; cut into chunks. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; cook until browned and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add drained corn to skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3. Meanwhile, stir together sour cream and chipotle salsa.

4. To serve, divide sweet potato mixture among 4 plates. Top with avocado and serve with chipotle sour cream sauce. Add cilantro and sprinkle chili powder. Makes 4 servings.

nutrition facts

• Calories 246, 
• Total Fat (g) 14, 
• Saturated Fat (g) 4, 
• Monounsaturated Fat (g) 7,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 2, 
• Cholesterol (mg) 12, 
• Sodium (mg) 463, 
• Carbohydrate (g) 29, 
• Total Sugar (g) 8, 
• Fiber (g) 5, 
• Protein (g) 4, 
• Vitamin C (DV%) 14, 
• Calcium (DV%) 5,
• Iron (DV%) 3, 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Mexican coleslaw-

. a bag of coleslaw mix

. cilantro (however much you like, I love the stuff so I add a bunch)

. jalapeno (same as above, I seed 95% of it and then leave the seeds in rest to add a little extra heat)

. rice vinegar- 1/4 cup

. lime juice- 3 tablespoons

. sea salt- salt to taste or 1/4 teaspoon

. olive oil- 2 tablespoons

chop the jalapeno and cilantro and then mix everything together and cool for 30 minutes before eating. 

For some reason I never took a picture of my own creation the numerous times I have made this, so the next time I do make it I will for sure get a picture and post it!! Even though it won't look pretty like the Better Homes and Garden picture it will be my version of it and I want to share it with you all!! If any of you make this let me know how you like it or do you have a similar dish you already make and enjoy?

weekend recap time!!!

My weekend ended up being a bit busy and I was thrilled it was, too much down/alone time and I start get down in the dumps.

Friday was eventful and I laughed more than I have in quite some time. During the day Monty and I went to the bark park, where he got attacked by a mean dog that won't share the water bowl. The dog has been there they last few times we have and every time it attacks sooo many dogs and then the owners grab their dogs and leave. Friday was Monty's turn to get attacked I guess and it was a bit scary. Luckily, Monty didn't get hurt but the other dog did and the owner had the nerve to tell me not to feel bad about his dog getting hurt...ummm, why would I feel bad when your dog started it?!
After that Stephanie and I got coffee and then hung out in her backyard with the dogs until Ravi got home and then we met up with a friend at Dewey's pizza. After that Luke picked up Micah (his brother) and we played video games for a bit, the game is hilarious and everyone is screaming and flipping out...sooo much fun!!

Saturday I headed up to Troy to do a bit of laundry so I didn't have to worry about it on Mother's day. My parents were out and about doing things so I went to Tipp City and browsed their vintage stores, went to Target to get giveaway goodies and had a very traumatic experience on the way back. I don't want to write about it because I'll probably cry again, but it involved a very lucky squirrel and a car.

Sunday I went back to Troy to hang out with my mom and sister for Mother's day, my sister got her a rose bush and I got her a cute hanging thermometer for their little outside hang out area. We went to get chocolate covered raspberries from a local coffee shop but they were out so we picked up stuff to make strawberry shortcake after visiting my Grammy at her place. Some other family members were there and my day would have been so much better if they weren't...they are so mean to me about how my life is or I guess how my life isn't and it makes me feel horrible. Strawberry shortcake outside at my parents made things a bit better and then hitting the gym hard did the rest of the healing I needed.

Today I did a lot of cleaning, met my mom at the bark park for some puppy play time, went to Trader Joe's to get a few new items to try and have gone on numerous walks with Monty. Now it is time to relax for a bit and then head to the gym!!

Have a wonderful evening!!

warm weather giveaway!!

A few days ago I made my 100th post!! I am glad it came during spring because it is probably my favorite season and there are such cute fun things for this time of the year.
For the prizes I chose items that have that spring/summery warm weather feel to them:

1. mango body mist

2. bubbles!!!

3. rimmel pink bliss nail polish

4. sour patch watermelon candy (it has taken all my will power not to eat these)

5. lip smacker pink guava lip balm

All you have to do to be entered is leave your name and email address and tell what your favorite thing about spring is!!

kashi cereal=favorite summer cereal

I've decided to start posting about some of my favorite things, whether it be food, shops, clothes, beauty products, magazines...pretty much anything!!!
Today I'm going to post about a cereal I recently discovered. When I was little I wasn't much of a cereal eater or breakfast eater and it stayed this way up until recently.
However combining my love of berries with cereal have made it one of my favorite things to eat now!
I stick to healthy cereals (nothing with cartoon characters on the box) and add whatever berries I have on hand.
This week Kashi cereals were on sale and there was a display of Kashi coupons up for grabs (!!!), this made the cereral only $1.99! Like I said before, I lllooovvveee berries so of course I opted for the GOLEAN Crisp! Toasted Berry Crumble and I must say I am very glad I did because it is amazing!!

kashi.com

I have been adding lots of fresh strawberries and bananas to mine and do only half the suggested serving size of the cereal...so its like 75% fruit and 25% cereal. This is a great cereal and breakfast for summer time because I hate eating heavy foods when it is hot out. I am for sure going back to the store and stocking up on those kashi coupon booklets!!

a little blogging at work

My dark day turned out to be not so dark. My mom came down and we went out to find a mother's day gift for her to give to her mom and then went to Kroger Fresh Fare because it has a lot of fancy samples and some unique groceries that normal Kroger's don't have.
Stephanie invited Monty and I over for potato tacos, so I picked up some ingredients and headed over after my mom left for Troy. Monty and Sabin had so much fun on their tie outs in the back yard and in then in the house and our tacos were super yummy.
I was still feeling a bit blue throughout the day but did my best not to let it ruin any of my time with my mom or friends.
I haven't heard back from any of the places I have applied at yet and unfortunately some of them said not to make any follow up phone calls and one didn't even have the name of the company so I couldn't call if I wanted to. It has only been two and a half days since I applied to the first ones so I guess there is still some waiting time before I can count them out.
Currently I'm at work doing a lot of nothing besides listening to NPR/World Cafe and browsing the internet. After worka who knows what, my mom left something at my place yesterday so maybe I'll head up to Troy and take it to her and perhaps finally get to ride on the Harley.
Oooohh I also failed to notice that my post yesterday (though it was a bummer post) was my 100th post!!  I won't have time today but tomorrow I'll find a few special items and do a little giveaway this weekend, so stay tuned for that!!
I also have a few recipes I want to post and some other cute ideas, I meant to do all this long ago but got into a blogging rut. This time though I am going to follow through with it, so stay tuned for those posts as well!!

my dark day

I am now in my last month here at my San Rae apartment, finally!!
This place seemed perfect when I first found it, no pet deposit, no extra pet fee per month and a short term lease...but the first night here was horrible!!
I learned how thin the walls were and how inconsiderate the other people that live in the building were, like leaving trash in the back hallway and stinking the whole place up, having knock down drag out fights at 3:00 in the morning, screaming at their kids, not cleaning up their dogs poop...I could go on and on and on and things only got worse as the months went on!
At first I was worried that my time was up, where am I going, what am I going to do job wise, moving back to Troy is not an option, am I going to go back to school, work full time?! Ah, so many questions!! But now I just feel ready for whatever is next, even though I'm still confused.
In the past couple days I have applied to a few places in Cincinnati and Columbus, I'm hoping a job will give me the direction I need and I'll pick a place to move to.
I'm hoping for an interview from at least one of them, I really need something to give me some hope.

I am back in a funk and am not happy about it. I keep it to myself though and am not letting it become a part of my "social life" (meaning hanging out with friends/family).
Today I feel is my equivalent of Luke's dark day...this day last year changed everything for me and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it seeing as it is obviously still a pang in my heart.
I was worried I'd be filled with energy today and I'd drive myself crazy with all the pent up energy and feelings, so yesterday I got some of the feelings out talking to Stephanie and I went to the gym for the first time in a week and did a pretty intense work out.
I just don't know what else to do, I am so scared life (mine and everyone else's) are just going to pass me by and I'm never going to have anything of the things so many people in my life have.
I don't mean what they have exactly, I just mean the experiences like having a home, a relationship, a family, an engagement or wedding, a real job, sharing experiences with someone, saying I love you and having someone love me...pretty much the life of an adult.
I realize I'm 25 and that is young, but I've never been anywhere close to having any of it and I feel like if it stays like how it is now for another year or so then it is just not going to happen for me. I can't keep waiting and getting my hopes up day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
It is hard spending every day alone and I just feel like I don't have anyone who truly understands, I am pretty much the only single person I know and everyday I am somehow reminded of that.
Bah, that was pretty blue but it is how I feel and I'm not sure how comfortable I am having all that out there, but it feels good having typed it all out.

It is Cinco De Mayo!! I want to celebrate with some La Fiesta...I just wish it wasn't all the way up in Troy, I don't feel like driving up there. Monty would love it so he could play with Toby and Newbie but he gets to stick his head out the window and not deal with traffic. Plus La Fiesta is the most popular restaurant in Troy and is packed on normal days, so today it will be extra packed...they need more than one location!!
Is anyone else celebrating Cinco De Mayo?