Please Stand By....

I know this is a little early this year BUT I will be talking next week and a half off from the blog scene. Usually around Christmas I will announce that I will be missing in action for the following weeks due to holidays and vacation. A couple of months ago we made a rash decision to travel not only around Christmas but also around Thanksgiving. As you can imagine with being mid semester at school and trying to prepare for an early vacation, I am just a tad scatter brained. Please be patient and be sure check back the week of December 1st for some vacation recaps!

 

Happy Early Thanksgiving to ALL!

101 Things in 1001 Days: #26 - Add 50 New Amazing Recipes to My Recipe Book

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Chicken and Artichoke Panzanella

by: Paleoleap.com

Ingredients

 

2 cups skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced, cooked

2 cups artichoke hearts (frozen or fresh) 

3 large tomatoes, cut into small wedges

1 cup black olives, halved

3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

 

Panzanella Vinaigrette Ingredients

 

2/3 -cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. freshly pressed lemon juice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high.
2. Drizzle some olive oil on the artichoke hearts and season to taste.
3. Grill the artichoke about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. Then transfer them to a large salad bowl.
4. Add the chicken, the tomatoes, the olives, and the fresh basil to the bowl, and toss to combine.
5. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Season to taste and mix well.
6. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, toss, and serve.

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#26 - Add 50 new amazing recipes to my recipe book

42% Complete

Sunday Funday?

(this is all clean laundry)

Has this ever been you?

Before the weekend Joe and I both agreed that this weekend was going to be dedicated to chores. We have multiple vacations in the near future and we need to start preparing. Saturday we started off strong by making a hot breakfast and running to the bank, library, gas station, and grocery store. Then things came to a screeching halt. Joe and I decided to take a little break and catch up on a TV show or two. This lead to an afternoon nap and I did not get back on my feet until 6pm! Usually I would be embarrassed to admit I slept for hours during the day but we have no kids yet so we might as well take advantage.

Our sleep filled Saturday caused us to have a less than relaxing Sunday. Six loads of laundry and some house cleaning later it was 9pm on Sunday night. This morning I am still exhausted but feel great that I am going to be going home to a clean house. (Even if it's not until 11pm)

Now, I can focus on packing for vacation!

Friday Favorites: My Favorite Work-Out Video

My current work-out obsession is this video:

Bikini Ready - Cyndi Whitmarsh

This work-out takes only 20 minutes and requires only hand weights. I tend to get frustrated with home work-outs because I rarely feel “worked-out” afterwards. This video is the only video I have tried that truly makes me sweat! I have been doing this video three times a week and really enjoy it. In the beginning I made the mistake of doing it right before I had to drive to pick up Joe from the train station and I cannot explain how painful it was to get into my truck. I don’t consider myself out of shape but I need to condition my muscles more on a regular basis. The video really works your muscles and you will continue to feel it a few days after.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Halloween 2014 Recap

 Last Halloween was our first official Halloween on the East Coast (Our 1^st Halloween was cancelled due to hurricane Sandy) and we didn’t think we were going to get many trick-or-treaters. We didn’t buy any candy and turned out the lights for movie night. I cannot tell you how many knocks and giggles we heard outside the door and I have never felt so guilty. This year I started early and stocked up on candy, determined to make up for last year. 

The week prior I was in the Halloween mood and made countless snacks while counting down the days. On Halloween we had extra lights on, the door wide open, and waited. The final count was…… ONE trick-or-treater! 

Joe and I are unsure of what we will do next year but at least I don’t feel guilty!

How many trick-or-treaters did you get?

For recipes of the goodies shown above click below:

 Chocolate Chip Cookies
Halloween Bark