Violet, your turning violet, Violet....

I love summer because of what it does to the produce section at HEB. It doubles in size with all of my favorite fruits! Chris and I went to the grocery store a few days ago and I mentioned to him that I wanted to buy some blueberries. Chris doesn't really care for blueberries so I knew I would have to eat all of them(no big deal for me--I love all fruit). So since then, I have put blueberries in smoothies, salads, and pancakes, but still had some blueberries left, but no more recipes to use them in. I was at my mom's house on Saturday and was flipping through a magazine on her coffee table about fitness and healthy living, and came across a really interesting recipe that I would like to share. I tried it out this morning for breakfast and loved it!

Blueberry Slushy
3 green tea bags
1 cup blueberries
3 cups water
2 tbsp agave nectar (I used honey as a substitute)

Boil 2 cups water and then add tea bags to boiling water.
Let steep for 5 minutes.
Divide one cup of blueberries between compartments of an ice cube tray.
Cover with tea and freeze.
Puree in a blender with remaining tea(1 1/2 cup), half cup of water, and 2 tbsp agave nectar(or honey).
Serve garnished with berries.

This was a simple and healthy breakfast slushy with natural energy qualities.



Enjoy.

Happy Fourth!

Today is July fourth and I am 'patiently' waiting to get this show on the road. My favorite uncle lives in Boerne, TX and is having a bbq today that started a couple hours ago and Chris is just dragging his feet. Its not that he doesn't want to go--he has mentioned his interest in going a few times--he just keeps finding things to do around the house... ie: mafia wars(nerd), fixing the toilets in the house, laundry, snack breaks, etc... I am just ready to get out to Boerne and have some fantastic bbq and watermelon! ha ha ha. In other news, Nikki and I recently took a little road trip to Dallas to visit a friend of mine who is VERY pregnant and was having a baby shower. We had a really good time, and to my surprise Nikki and I even got closer on this trip. I didn't think that was possible considering how close we are already, but we still learn new things about each other. I imagine that is a good thing! lol The drives up there and back were so pleasant and really fun! The stay in the hotel was even better. We went out our last night in town and just made that trip soooo fun! I am so thankful to have an amazing friend. Oooookay, that's enough mush for now! lol I am gonna see if I can entice this silly hubby of mine to get a move on! Hope everyone has a great 4th!

On a positive note...

I really need to blog more often. It is so therapeutic. Writing is my passion and I've just let it get lost in all the life that's been going on. Today was a better day than yesterday. I confronted one of the things that has been bothering me---but instead of jumping into it and turning into a crazy diva about it (like I would normally do), I approached it gently and with lots of prayer under my belt. God is so good. He really is my Abba. As soon as I addressed it, He responded back with MORE gentleness than I could ever imagine. I am still not ready to share this because of the sensitivity that I feel when I talk about it, but God knows my heart and blessed me with a very understanding and loving husband who sometimes treats me better than I think I deserve. I guess just taking life day by day is really the best way to do things.

....

I have been a little distraught lately. I think sometimes I let my thoughts get the best of me. I am not ready to talk about this yet, but would appreciate prayers. Its probably just me over-analyzing things, but none-the-less it is affecting me. I guess I just need reassurance from God and Chris, but until I find that, I will be continue praying.

Work out

I recently got a membership at bally total fitness and am suuuuuper psyched to start working out consistently! My coworker bryan and I are going to be work out buddies and are going to work out everyday before work. Tomorrow is our first day and I can't wait! More updates soon! Wish me luck!

Six Word Saturday

From "The One-Minute Writer"--Describe your life in six words:

Day off, enjoying my alone time.



Have a great Saturday.

Little Changes

This weekend has been a fun one. Whenever I have the opportunity to buy stuff to decorate the house, I take advantage of it. I received a hefty payout for my sales performance last quarter at work, so Chris and I talked about using a portion of that to buy bedding and decor for our guest bedroom. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to be able to do this. I have been wanting to decorate that room since we moved in, but decorating the rest of the house took priority over the guest bedroom. On Saturday, I went shopping with my dear friend Sharai (who also found some great finds for her new house). I ended up getting a sweet quilt that was brown, cream, and red, some delicious red sheets to match, chocolate brown curtains, and a few wall hangings for the guest room. The only drawback was that I accidentally bought the twin-sized quilt, and when I went back today to return it, they didn't have the full-sized one. I thought I could just order it online, but no luck there either. So my search continues for a comforter (I would love a quilt) that is red and brown to tie the whole room together. Next on my list is paint. :)

Take a look at my cute finds so far.

Chocolate Curtains


Darling Wall Hangings




Lastly, for our wedding, a close friend of the family gave me and Chris a dresser, mirror, and chest of drawers for our master bedroom. It was a huge blessing at the time because we couldn't fathom paying for our wedding, our new house, and everything to make our house a home along with new bedroom furniture. So we have used that furniture in our master since we've gotten married. When I came home from my successful shopping day, I was showing Chris all the great stuff I found and was asking him if he thought I should buy some basic furniture for the guest room. He told me that he thought it was a good idea for us to move the furniture we have into the guest room, and buy brand new furniture for our master. I am super thrilled about that. I love that we have been able to decorate our house little by little. Anyway, that is what is going on right now. I will definitely keep ya'll updated on our guest bedroom.

Potato Soup

Today a cold front came in. It was humid all day long until about 4:30. On my way home, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees! When I got home around 6:00pm, Chris had every window open in our whole house. He loves cold weather and celebrates it! lol In honor of the cold weather, I decided to make potato soup. I haven't made it since our first summer together (which was cool enough to make it, because it rained everyday that summer. It was such a romantic summer, and perfect for us to learn each other...but that is another story ;)). Anyway, I found a great recipe, and it was delish!

1-1/2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Approximately 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced in thin chunks
2 to 2-1/2 cups water
2 cups milk
Extra butter and freshly ground pepper

1) In a 3-quart pot, stew the onion in butter until soft. Don't brown it, just let it soften while you peel and slice the potatoes.

2) Add the salt, potatoes, and water to barely cover the potatoes. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are just about done, 15 or 20 minutes.

3) Stir in the milk and simmer until the potatoes are really tender, another 15 minutes or so. (Don't' worry about breaking the potatoes as you stir. In fact you want them to break so they dissolve and thicken the soup.)

4) Season with salt and ladle into bowls.

***I also seasoned with garlic and freshly ground black pepper. I topped with (real) bacon crumbles and sprinkled some shredded cheese on top. My hubby also included a dollop of sour cream.

I

Lazy fun weekend.

I have had such a blissful weekend. I was blessed to have the day off on Saturday and did lots of fun things! Saturday morning, I woke up early and Mom, Mariah, and I went to get our hair cuts. I love the girl who does my hair--she is amazing--and I wanted to give Mom and Mariah an opportunity for her to cut their hair. So we all got our hair cut and we all LOVE our new dos. After that, we all stopped at Starbucks for some yummy fall lattes. Mom and I had pumpkin spice lattes (with soy milk), while Mariah had a white chocolate mocha something. After getting our drinks, we moseyed around a nearby Bath and Body Works. We had such a pleasant morning together and it made me realize that we need to start spending time like that more often.

After my special morning, I went back home and relaxed. I won't lie, I am a really chill person and I love laying around the house. This weekend was really rainy and chilly, so it gave me an excuse to cuddle up on the sofa and watch tv. Chris got home a little later that afternoon, and we decided that we wanted Subway for dinner. So we picked up our sandwiches and went home for our scary movie-a-thon....which ended up being two movies...really one and a half for me! ;)

Oh...on a side note, Chris and I went to the movies on Friday night and saw 'Couples Retreat'. It was freakin' hilarious!!!! We laughed the whole time! Now Chris will randomly walk by me and slap my bum and say "Encouragement". HAHAHAHA Go watch it! Its great!

So to top this weekend off, Chris and I went to church this morning and it was great! We love the church we are currently going to and are really blessed to be a part of it in this chapter of our lives. We don't know what God has for us in our future, but we are really trying to seek him and let him guide us....and right now, we feel like we are in the right place.

Tall Glass of Water

I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that Chris and I are trying to make a lifestyle change and become more health-conscious. Well, we are on week 2 and going strong. I have found that I can still enjoy the foods I love but in moderation and through the process of elimination. Chris and I ate at a burger joint this weekend and we substituted the burgers for grilled chicken sandwiches and shared fries. I know that's not a complete 180 but it is definitely better than us both eating cheeseburgers and fries of our own. We have also been drinking what seems like 46 gallons of water a day!! It's fantastic; this morning I poured myself a glass of apple juice and after the first sip, I decided that I'd trade my super-sweet (but 100%) juice in for a tall glass of water!

Tonight Chris prepared dinner (a salad, baked chicken, broccoli, and corn), we did yard work, and then went for a suuuuuper long walk. One bonus to this lifestyle change is that we spend sooooo much more quality time together. I am loving it!!! We are able to talk to each other and just spend time with each other without any distractions.

Now I am off to shower! I am all sweaty from our [brisk] walk.

Ta Ta!