Starbucks 40th Anniversary!

Mmmmmmmmmm. How I do love Starbucks. Here's a look at their new logo as they kick of their 40th year anniversary. Did you notice they're just using the picture and took out the words "Starbucks Coffee?" The Starbucks brand is so huge that even a little kid who couldn't read yet, saw a Starbucks cup and said, "mommy's coffee." How cute! My little one's will be trained like that too. :) So, the company decided that the logo could just stand alone. I love it!

Here's a look at their new commercial...

If you love Starbucks as much as I do then try to stop by within the next couple days. Why? When you buy a drink you get a free treat! So take your friend out to chat or take your ipod and a good book. That coupled with a caramel macchiato sounds like a perfect day to me. Happy 40th Starbucks!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Parmesan-Crusted Tilalpia

For dinner tonight I decided to try a different recipe for parmesan-crusted tilapia. It was sooooo good! For me, the easiest way to defrost fish is to leave them in their packaging and put them in a large bowl filled with room temperature water. The fish defrosts in minutes and never get that "fishy" smell.

On another note, I used this grater for the first time! I felt like a pro grating fresh lemon zest. :)

However, cooking dinner is never complete without the assistance of Hootie. He's my sous chef.

The final product came out amazing and Brad said it was his favorite thing I have ever made! Win! 

This will melt in your mouth...

Here's the recipe from   http://tastyplanner.com 

INGREDIENTS

4 tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons Progresso® Italian Style Bread Crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Lemon wedges, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line 15×10×1-inch pan with foil; spray with cooking spray. Place fish fillets in pan.
2. In small bowl, stir mayonnaise, lemon peel and pepper until blended. Spread over top of each fillet. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Spoon evenly over mayonnaise mixture; pat crumb mixture lightly into mayonnaise.
3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

Let me know if you try this and how it turns out! 

Wednesday's Quick Tips

For some reason, the hardest meal of the day for me to plan is breakfast. It's so much easier to go to Chick-Fil-A and fuel up with some chicken mini's and hash browns, but let's be honest there's no diet plan that allows for that. So in my search for a healthy, but yummy choice I found this...

It's loaded with 10 grams of fiber per serving and hint of flaxseed. You can find this at any local grocery store, but it's easy to overlook because it's mixed in with some other major brands. My only suggestion is to add Splenda! Without it, it takes like pure birdseed. Well, what I think birdseed would taste like. :)

BREAKFAST TIP #2: Try adding a dash of  oregano to your egg beaters or omelette. It will add variety and a ton of taste!

Now, one of my favorite dinners to make is spaghetti. Mainly because it's so easy! I usually don't have time to make a homemade sauce, so I decided to spruce up my favorite bottled sauce.  Throughout college, I tried SEVERAL different kinds of sauces. By far this is the winner.

Classico's Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic. AMAZING. You just chop one large onion, 3-4 cloves of garlic and add 1 roll of Jimmy Dean's sage sausage. Saute it all together and add the sauce after the sausage has cooked through. Add a little bit of ground sea salt. 

Your house will smell incredible! The large chunks of tomato in the sauce is one of the best things about it. This is super easy and tastes just like homemade spaghetti sauce. Enjoy!

I love Sundays...

Brad being the amazing husband that he is cleaned the house for me today :) I have to admit that I was completely engrossed in the hit TV show called, "Who Do You Think You Are?" on NBC.  It's a show that uncovers the genealogy of various celebrities.  So I went on one my rabbit trails and decided I was going to track my ancestry. Sound boring? It was so fun. I know I'm a nerd, but I embrace it. If you haven't watched that show, I highly recommend it! You will be hooked and find yourself spending hours looking this stuff up.  I'm sure I'll be bored with this little project in a couple days, but for right now, I'm a little obsessed.
Side note, while we were doing laundry today, the dryer decided to breakdown. Brad came to the rescue, fixing the dryer, while Hootie supervised. I love my boys!

After that was done,  Brad and I were going to go for a run until it started raining like crazy. I like to run, but not in the rain! Oh and by the way, I REALLY need some new running shoes. Any suggestions? 

For dinner I threw together a little something. It's not the best picture, but you get the point. I pre-made some Creole seasoning and baked it on the chicken. Brown rice with leftover feta cheese and green onions, and finally a little broccoli. So yummy and so easy! If you want the recipe for Creole seasoning just let me know!

Have a great night and a great Monday! Keep looking forward to Spring!

Pure Beauty...

This is the view from our back porch one afternoon. I didn't mess with the color at all; it's simply God's handiwork for all to admire.

"The Heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1

I was reminded of God's favor, perfect timing, and unfailing love. 

Simply amazing, Lord. 

Run, Kristen, Run!

So I have to share that in my weight-loss journey, I have reached a personal record. Last Saturday I ran 4 miles! I've never done that in my life. It felt so good! Brad led the way and I plugged along with the iPod. More than just losing weight, I'm trying to become a runner for life. I'm following a 10k training plan to keep my mind off the pounds. Of course, pounds count, but this is something I can do (and you can too) for the rest of our lives!

Chronicles of Hootie

As you know we love our Hootie-boy so much! He has a very strict schedule. He usually wakes me up around 7:30 am, so I can take him outside. Then we come back in for breakfast, followed by a little tug-of-war action with his rope. Then he watches the kids get on the bus and takes his morning nap on the back porch. :) On a really nice day, he gets to go to the DOG PARK!!!!!!!!!!!

Here he is in action!! There's no one even chasing him! He just loves being free!

 Of course he comes to tell his mommy when he meets someone new. I like to know who his friends are!

Who's coming into the gate??

New friends!! Of course while he's having all this fun, I'm listening to a lady tell me about her physical therapy session earlier that day and about all her therapy to date. AHHH! Good times at the dog park!

Week 3 Self Portrait

So week 3 was a self portrait and yes those are my eyes. I really don't like taking pictures of myself, so I figured I would go with this. This is true to life with pores, crazy eyebrows, and all. I took this picture at sunset which explains the cool lighting.

And just for fun...

This is what I made for dinner! Baked catfish rolled in a homemade parmesan, garlic and herb breading. With a little lemon it was so good! And yes, this is coming for the girl who once cooked a turkey upside down.

Week 2 Food

So week 2 is a picture of food, but what you see isn't just any old pretzel. As you know I work in the mall, so there's always a lingering smell of delicious and delectable Auntie Ann's Pretzels. One night, Brad was so determined to have these pretzels that he made them from scratch using the Top Secret Recipe book. They were AMAZING. We had regular salted, cinnamon, and garlic pretzels all lathered in butter, of course. My husband is awesome! YUM-O.

Week 1 Black and White

To kick off Project 52, I took this picture of our dog Hootie. I know what you're thinking, he's a rockstar. I'm not going to lie, he loves taking pictures. Week 1 included a black and white picture and since we love our dog so much I decided to put his picture first. This is the window in our guest room and this is his favorite spot to sit. He watches the kids get on the bus every morning and waits here until we get home.  You will probably see him a lot this year!

New Life in 2011

Hello Friends! Thanks for visiting our new blog! As we are nearing the end of January 2011, we are reminded of the resolutions we've made (whether they're already broken not), things we want to do, and places we want to go in 2011. Brad and I hope to share our journey with you as we venture into another year. Starting this blog is one thing checked off my list, but now I just have to keep up. I've ventured into a project called Project 52 with my dear friend Cari where you take one picture a week, throughout the year, with a certain theme each week.  I will post pictures on here, but I don't claim to be a professional! Heck, let's all get creative in 2011! Journal, paint, take pictures, create your own art, or even write a new song or two! What are some of your aspirations this new year? With a new year, comes new life, so let's make it happen!