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It’s been a little over a year now since I wrote my first Thankful Monday post. This originally started out as an experiment so I could see if practicing gratefulness would help make me a happier person. I think I can say that after a year, practicing gratefulness at least once a week has without a doubt helped me to be a happier and more positive person. As a result of this conclusion, I think I will continue to write my Thankful Monday blog posts indefinitely. So without further delay, here is the first Thankful Monday post of 2014:
- I’m thankful for a fun craft night on Friday evening with Amy and Sarah. It was Sarah’s birthday, so we celebrated her day and I made her this flourless nutella cake. I had so much fun just chatting with the girls, watching them make scarves, learning about different sewing techniques, and creating an ornament from the trunk of our first Christmas tree.
I always cherish these fun and creative times with friends. - I’m thankful for a nice long phone date with my cousin and best friend Megan! Whenever we have phone dates, we end up chatting for hours. It’s always so much fun to catch-up and talk to the people I love!
- I’m thankful for a very generous gift from my boss. She was about to donate some belongings to Goodwill when she found out that I would be needing them soon so she gave them to me! I’m so grateful to be surrounded by generous and helpful people!
- I always say it, but I don’t think it is ever enough – I am so thankful for my husband Ben! He is always helping me and taking care of me! This weekend, he stacked wood and continuously made sure the fire in our wood stove was burning to keep us warm (he even taught me how to operate it). He also did several things on my honey-do list including but not limited to changing all of the burnt out light bulbs in the house and helping me fold a tablecloth. I love him so much and still can’t believe how lucky I am to have found him.
- I’m thankful for my days off. Though I work in retail and don’t get as many days off during the holidays as I’d like, I am very thankful for the ones I do get. Last Wednesday was a nice day off spent celebrating the New Year.
Have a great week and happy New Year!
I had a wonderful holiday celebrating with my family and hope that everyone else did as well! Here’s how it went!
Saturday morning, I woke up early to finish cleaning before my family got here. My brother, Mikey, got in around 2 so he, Ben, and I decided to go have a late lunch at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza. Afterwards, we did a little Christmas shopping and then went over to my friend Collin’s house for a Christmas get-together with friends. After a fun night and a white elephant gift exchange, we headed home. My mom and Carrie didn’t get in until about 3:30 AM. Ben and I woke up to let them in and gave them the tour of the new house since they hadn’t seen it yet. After a short visit, we all went to bed to rest up for the next day.
Sunday morning, we got up and took it easy. I made everyone coffee and cooked bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast while Mikey made us all bloody marys. After breakfast, we watched our Texans play and hung around the house visiting and looking at the fun stuff that my mom brought from Texas that she’d been storing for years. We decided we needed to get out of the house for dinner and went to The Local since it is one of the few restaurants in Charlottesville that Mikey, Carrie, and Mom had never been to. We had a great dinner and all ordered something different so we could each try a few bites of everyone else’s dinner. Afterward, we stopped by our condo to show them how the renovations looked and then watched for Christmas lights on our way home.
Monday morning, we got up and all enjoyed some light breakfast and visited. After everyone had showered and gotten ready for the day, we headed out for lunch. We went to Basil to have some great Mediterranean food complete with tabouli, hummus, baba gannoush, lebne, grape leave, and complimentary baklava.
Complimentary Baklava from Basil
It was a delicious lunch and we were all stuffed! Then we went to see the movie American Hustle. We enjoyed the movie and then headed to Pier One to exchange some gifts and then to the grocery store to buy ingredients for Christmas dinner. When we got home, we all helped to make sausage balls and pralines. Then we sat down to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (one of my favorite Christmas movies).
Tuesday was my birthday and we headed over to one of my favorite restaurants, Beer Run, for brunch. I got my favorite dish, nachos, and we all enjoyed bloody marys and beers.
My Sister’s First Growler
We did a little Christmas Virginia wine and beer shopping before leaving and then headed home to make some baklava and caprese kabobs to take over to my in-laws house where we celebrated Christmas and my birthday. My mother-in-law Virginia Mom made the most amazing spread of food…she had everything and it was all so delicious! Then we ate some of this amazing cake:
Amazing Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake
My Virginia Mom made the cake out of black beans but it tasted just like chocolate and it had layers of chocolate and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups on the inside! It was delicious AND full of protein!
The family sang happy birthday to me:
And I blew out my candles making a wish (it’s a secret):
Making a very important wish!
Then we opened gifts and enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the evening. We went home and everyone scrambled to finish putting the last minute touches on their gifts and complete their wrapping. Our tree looked like this:
Our First Christmas Tree
Christmas morning, we awoke to this:
The Stockings Were Hung By the Chimney with Care
And my mom surprised Ben by hand-making him a stocking to match the ones she made my sister, brother, and I as babies:
A fishing Santa because Ben loves fishing
We all opened presents, enjoyed mimosas, and ate sausage balls and had a wonderful Christmas morning!
Mom and her kiddos
The kids
Then we went to work on dinner. Mom made augratin scalloped potatoes, tenderloin, creamy horseradish sauce, bacon-wrapped green beans, rolls, Granny Scott’s Wilted Leaf Lettuce Salad, and blackberry cobbler for dessert! It was all so delicious and she outdid herself once again! Ian, Sarah, and Phyllis joined us for dinner:
We finished the evening by spending time together and Skyping with some family in Texas. In was the most amazing holiday and now I am so sad that it is over and so sad that my family had to leave. However, I am so happy and grateful they could be here and can’t wait to see them again soon!
Merry Christmas everyone and happy New Year!
P.S. Thanks to Sarah, Mikey, and Carrie for many of the pictures!
Good morning and happy Thankful Monday!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Tuesday night, my friend Kristen came over to visit while I cooked this cranberry sauce recipe and my mom’s Broccoli Cheese Casserole. Wednesday, I worked from home and then we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with Ben’s parents, Ian, Sarah, and Sarah’s family. Everything was delicious and I ended up stuffed! I especially LOVED the citrus apple cider that Ben’s mom made…best apple cider I’ve ever had! Thursday, Ben and I watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and then I enjoyed a nap before heading over to have Thanksgiving lunch with his mom. Then I had a great phone date with my best friend/cousin Megan. I worked from home again on Friday and then went to Friendsgiving for more yummy food and fabulous friends at Collin’s house. Saturday, Ben, Sarah, and I went to see Hunger Games: Catching Fire which was much better than the first one and I splurged on movie popcorn. Sunday I was very productive and got some more boxes unpacked. Even though I had to work, it was a nice holiday filled with wonderful people.
Here’s what I’m thankful for today:
- I’m thankful that in less than a month, my family will be here to celebrate Christmas with me. I’m so thankful that they are able to travel to Virginia this year for the holiday, especially since last year was the first year the four of us were not all together on Christmas.
- I’m thankful that my dad, step mom, and three little brothers made it home safely from France and had a nice vacation.
- I’m thankful that my mom made it safely to Dallas last night and got to spend some time with family. I’m also thankful for a great opportunity she has.
- I’m thankful for loving family and friends that I was able to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with.
- I’m thankful for my new bookshelves and my husband who put them together for me.
Happy December!
Good morning and happy Thankful Monday!
Today, I am thankful for the following:
- I am thankful for a wonderful week with friends! Tuesday, I met some of the VGT girls at Brixx for dinner and catching up. Thursday, I made this crock-pot chicken taco soup recipe and we had all of Ben’s family over for a fun family dinner. Friday night, Sarah, Amy, and I had a lovely girls night just chatting and relaxing. Then, Saturday night, I went to Carolyn’s Halloween party where I laughed all night long at the outrageous costumes everyone had! It was a week filled with lots of the people I love.
- I am thankful for my cats. They have been catching mice left and right. I’m guessing we’ve been seeing more mice because it’s been getting colder and they are looking for a warm place to spend the winter. I’m thankful my cats are taking care of them before I have to deal with them. And I’m also very thankful for Ben since he is the one who takes care of disposing of the dead mice the cats have caught.
- I am thankful for free movies and date nights. Wednesday, Ben and I got tickets to a free advanced screening of the move About Time which was really good and we prefaced the movie with dinner at a new Thai restaurant, Bangkok ’99 that had really great food and wonderful service. I love date nights with my husband, especially when they involve free movies!
- I’m grateful for a restful weekend. I took two naps and spent a ton of time bundled up on the couch watching American Horror Story, my current Netflix obsession. It was the perfect activity for a cold fall weekend.
- Lastly, I’m excited for something very special that I can’t reveal on the blog yet as its a surprise. But I can say that it makes me very happy and I count my blessings for it every day!
Have a great week!
Good morning and welcome to my weekly Thankful Monday blog post!
Here’s what I’m thankful for today:
- I’m thankful for the opportunity to see The Book of Mormon musical with my friends Cris and Carolyn at the Kennedy Center on Friday. Thanks to all of us working together, the plans for the night turned out great! I’m cherishing these little trips right now as once I have kids they will be fewer and far between. The play was hilarious and the Kennedy Center was a beautiful venue! What a great night!
- I’m thankful for the generosity from my sister-in-law’s dad. He was cleaning out a storage unit this weekend and gave us several items that homeowners would need including a shop-vac and a miter saw! I’m so grateful for his generosity and the future spending he has saved us!
- I’m thankful for family. Sunday, we had lunch with my in-laws to celebrate my nephew’s 20th birthday. It was nice to spend time with the whole family and enjoy my mother-in-law’s awesome lunch, including her famous coconut raspberry cake! She and I also made bacon wrapped figs using the figs from our fig tree.
- I’m thankful for the cooler weather we’ve been having. Our air conditioner has been broken so the cooler weather in August has been a blessing!
- I’m thankful for a fresh start this Monday!
Have a great week!
Happy Thankful Monday!
Today, I am thankful for the following:
- I am thankful I was able to finish the Charlottesville Ten Miler on Saturday despite the rain and the difficult hills. I can honestly say that I think this was the hardest race I’ve ever run. I’m not sure if it was the rain, the hills, my mindset, or being exhausted from the time change and traveling the previous weekend, but I doubted my will to finish it several times during the second half of the race. I was so glad when I crossed the finish line and I am grateful that my body and mind were able to get me that far.
- I am thankful for a nice relaxing weekend with my family. Saturday, we made dinner, bloody marys, and Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes with Ian, Sarah, Collin, and Ben and then Sunday we had a nice dinner with Ian, Sarah, Brandon, Peter, and Phyllis. I’m thankful for wonderful loving people in my life.
- I am thankful to hear some good news from a friend last week. It’s not my place to say what their news is, but I know they have had a couple of years of trouble and they now seem to be past the end of that tunnel. Many people’s prayers have been answered!
- I’m thankful that I have a close family. My 2 aunts, 2 uncles, cousin, and great aunt visited my mom this past week at the beach for Spring Break and I’m so happy that all of my family makes the effort to spend time with one another. I’m also thankful I got to spend some virtual time with them via Skype!
- I’m thankful for a new week and a fresh start. Last week was a little rough at work, but I’m hoping my anxiety will subside and I will be able to kick ass and take names again in the office this week!
Have a wonderful week!
Saturday night, I was in the mood for some pumpkin themed activities, so we headed over to Ian and Sarah’s house for dinner, pumpkin carving, pumpkin seed roasting, and pumpkin beer tasting!
Sarah cooked the amazing dinner and I provided the pumpkin ales and pumpkins for drinking and carving. Sarah made white bean vegetarian chili which was delicious. It had the consistency of potato soup but the taste of chili and it was perfect for a breezy fall evening. I brought over Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale, Williamsburg Alewerks Pumpkin Ale (a Virginia beer!), and Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale which I picked up from Beer Run which always has an amazing beer selection! Rogue and Smuttynose were both kind of spicy with hints of pumpkin and nutmeg while Williamsburg Alewerks was more sweet like pumpkin pie.
After dinner, we carved pumpkins with the help of Amy, Joel, Collin, Ian, and Ben. Sarah opted for an awesome design created using the power tool pumpkin carving method. She used a drill to create decorative holes all around the pumpkin’s surface. I of course had to go with a Texas theme! Due to my lack of artistic ability, I had Ben draw the shape of Texas freehand. It looked great but we were worried it would be too difficult to carve, so he drew me a Texas Longhorns logo instead. It came out great and the Texas themed jack-o-lantern is now being proudly displayed outside our front door.
Sarah with her lovely pumpkin!
My Longhorn pumpkin!
The cool longhorn pumpkin cut-out.
We used the seeds from our pumpkins to roast cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds and garlic pumpkin seeds and ended the evening feasting on them while watching Netflix. It was a great night with great friends and the perfect way to celebrate Halloween weekend!
Have you ever heard of the Homesick Texan? The other one, not me…haha!
The Homesick Texan is a blog written by fellow Texan, Lisa Fain, who now lives in New York. Like me, I’m sure she had a hard time finding good Tex-Mex food outside of our beloved Texas, so she decided to make it herself and document it on her blog. She even wrote a cookbook, The Homesick Texan Cookbook, that my Aunt Connie and Uncle Mike gave to me as a wedding gift! It was such a surprise since I don’t think I’d mentioned to anyone that I read her blog. However, I’m sure it wasn’t difficult for anyone who knows me to see that I would love and identify with the theme! I mean I LOVE food, I LOVE Texas, and I’m constantly homesick for the great state and all of the wonderful people in it!
So, why am I bringing up the Homesick Texan all of a sudden? Well, besides the fact that she is awesome, right? My friend Cara is having a birthday party/cookout tonight and she asked all of her guests to contribute something edible for the evening. I announced that I’d bring chicken for the grill, but I also wanted to make some sort of appetizer or dessert that was new, exciting, unique, and personal. Well for me, what’s more personal than a Texas themed recipe? I headed over to my Pinterest “Cooking and Food” board to get some ideas for recipes I’ve found on the interwebz in the past that I’ve been saving for a special occasion. As soon as I saw the Homesick Texan’s Bacon-Jalapeño Cheese Ball, I knew I had to make it.
The recipe was really easy to make, the ingredients weren’t complicated at all, and it didn’t take me long to create the masterpiece. The finished product also looks very pretty and festive. I haven’t tasted it yet, as I’m saving it for the birthday party tonight, but I did lick the bowl when I was finished and it was quite tasty!
If you are looking for something AMAZING to make, head on over to the Homesick Texan’s blog and check out the recipe. The main ingredients are jalapeños, bacon, pecans, and cheese so it can’t be anything but awesome! If I remember, I’ll snap a picture of it before it’s all gobbled up tonight and post it here tomorrow.
Last night, I joined my sister-in-law/best friend, brother-in-law, and a friend for dinner at their house. I brought the wine (of course) and Sarah did the cooking.
When I first arrived, Sarah announced that she was making Tilapia for dinner. Upon hearing that, I thought that I would just eat mostly sides as I’m not a fan of fish at all. I really don’t like the smell or the texture of it despite how good I know it is for me. But I said I would try the fish at the very least because Sarah and Ian have raved about how wonderful it is plus I didn’t want to me a rude dinner guest either.
After lots of laughter and good conversation, dinner was finally ready and Sarah, Ian, Collin, and I sat down to tilapia with a creamy dill sauce, baked asparagus, and baked potatoes. It was a delicious dinner and I actually LOVED the fish. I even came home telling Ben (who is always wanting me to cook more fish at home) how wonderful it was and that I was going to make it for dinner in the future.
It just goes to show that if you try new things, you might just be surprised and find a new favorite!
A picture of the tilapia from scissorsandspatulas.com
If you’re interested in the recipe, check out Scissorsandspatulas.com.
Over the past few weeks, I have developed a passion for a new salad that I can’t get enough of.
The ingredients are:
- Baby spinach
- Craisins
- Crumbled goat cheese
- Pecans (chopped, halved, or whole)
I mix them all together and don’t need any dressing to enjoy it, although I have a suspicion that a raspberry vinaigrette would go well with it.
The goat cheese totally makes the salad, but of course it would not be so tasty without the spinach, pecans, and craisins to complement its flavors!
- Thankful Tuesday July 30, 2024
- Thankful Thursday June 6, 2024
- Thankful Thursday May 23, 2024
- Thankful Wednesday January 10, 2024
