Self-Improvement Weekly Challenge: #2

Before I go into the Week #2 Challenge, I would like to recap how Week #1 went for me. Last week I challenged myself (and anyone who wanted to join in) to be more physically active. "Challenge #1: Kick your physical activity up a notch." I discussed how my busy life style (like many others) prevents me from consistently hitting the gym and being active. Honestly, I am not happy with my progress. I still could have done more. But you know what is great? Progress, even a little, is much better than no progress at all. I LOVED the cardio kickboxing class that I mentioned last week. Since I am way out of shape right now it was very difficult, but afterwards I felt much better. The instructor plays some great music and I am very excited to go again tomorrow. If I went to this class multiple times a week, I think that the pounds would melt off...but it is only offered on Mondays. I hope to find another class similar to add to my weekly schedule.

Challenge #2:

Have a positive attitude each day, even when you do not feel like it. It is not uncommon for someone (stranger or not) to ask me why I am so happy. The truth is, I am not always happy or in a good mood...but I make a conscious effort to smile and be positive about things. Even so, it does not always work. This is a challenge that I believe can make a huge difference in the world, and that works as a nice domino effect. For example, if I choose to be happy and positive at work then my customer's are happier to work with me and become more loyal, my co-workers are glad to be working with me and in return the environment is better. I do not even need to go into detail about how studies show that people prefer to be around a positive person. It seems like a small and simple task, but consciously waking up on the right side of the bed takes effort. I am going to list a combination of things I currently do, and new things that I would like to start doing:

1) Be sure to get plenty of sleep.

If I do not get a good 7-8 hours of sleep it is MUCH more difficult to put on a smile. Less than 7 hours and I am pretty irritable. Sometimes a good night of sleep just is not an option, but not only is it best for your attitude...also your health!

2) Start your day on a positive note.

Develop a routine to set the tone for a great day. I personally like to play upbeat music to get my day going. I just turn the Pandora app on my phone to my Justin Timberlake or Carrie Underwood station and dance around as I get ready in my room. Laugh if you want, but it helps me! If dancing around in the morning is not your thing, consider taking a few minutes to read a positive quote, scripture or chapter of a book. Be sure you wake up with plenty of time to get ready so you do not feel rushed.

3) Spend some time on your appearance.

You may wonder what your appearance has to do with your attitude. Think about it this way... have you ever been sick and you laid around all day in your pajamas without combing your hair? Then you decide to clean yourself up to go out and you suddenly feel a little better? I know that it happens to me when I am sick. Even the simple act of putting on a little makeup can make me feel better. So, it works the same with your attitude. In my opinion, this also includes taking the time to get some physical activity in and eating right. When you look better, it makes you feel better.

4) Don't be "the complainer".

It seems as if everyone is always complaining about something. Make an effort not to complain. Instead, make an effort to improve whatever you are complaining about. My good friend Mark is one of the only people that I can think of who almost never complains. I believe that it is a great strength of his. This is one that I can definitely work on.

5) Be mindful of your internal dialogue.

Some may laugh about this, but I always say to remember The Little Engine That Could. You know the story... "I think I can, I think I can, I THINK I can!" Keep negative thoughts out of your mind. If you have trouble doing this in your head, try writing down some positive thoughts. Don't be so hard on yourself.

6) Surround yourself with positive people.

Think of a person that you always enjoy being around. It is likely that the person you are thinking of has a contagious positive attitude, or makes you feel good about yourself in some way. I can only think of a select few people who truly have a contagious positive attitude. Strive to be one of those people, and strive to be around those people because they will rub off on you. Sometimes you cannot avoid a person who is frequently complaining or negative. If you can, bring it to their attention in a kind way. If you cannot, do not feed their negative attitude. If you reply to complaints, attempt to reply with a positive comment.

7) Make someone's day.

It always feels good to do something nice for someone, whether the act is big or small. The other night we were very happy with the experience that we had with our waiter at Maggiano's. I took the time to make sure that management knows how great our experience was because of Oscar. Doing so made me feel good because I know that Oscar will receive positive praise and he will feel better about himself. It was a small act that took little effort, and it positively effected 2 people.

8) Find humor in the simplest things.

Having a good sense of humor goes a long way. I have always loved that about my Dad, and about Kenny too. If you aren't finding enough opportunities to laugh throughout the day watch a funny movie, look up a joke on your phone, or ask the person you are with to tell you a joke. Take the time to laugh about things that are out of your control. I seem to be very accident prone and have odd things happen to me. For example, while driving past a golf course the other day a golf ball came flying at my new car and scratched it. I was not happy about it, but all I could do is laugh. Take the time to laugh each day.

9) Always be grateful.

Recognizing how "rich" you are with all we have been blessed with will make you feel great. Take time each day to see how good you have it. If you aren't feeling that way, consider how hard things are for others. Things could always be worse.

10) Remember that life is short.

Another thing that seems so simple, but we must remind ourselves of. Sure, we all have a really bad day occasionally. But, don't allow it to happen too often. We only have one life to live and it will be more enjoyable for everyone if we all adopt a positive attitude.

I hope that you all find these tips useful. I am going to make an effort to be more positive this week, and every week moving forward. I would like to end with the serenity prayer, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference." Have a wonderful week, everyone! Feel free to share your progress with me!

Self-Improvement Weekly Challenge: #1

I recently downloaded an app on my phone that gives me a daily challenge. These challenges range from smiling at strangers, to making an effort to eat healthier. In an effort to continually improve myself, and motivate my friends and family to grow as a person I have decided to post a weekly challenge. Feel free to follow along, and even comment with your progress throughout the week. I want these challenges to focus on things such as: relationships, having more fun, giving more to others, making more "green" decisions, family, expanding your knowledge, making healthier decisions, doing things you would not have done before, and etcetera. If we attempt these challenges (and hopefully continue them), then we should feel more accomplished as people, as well as make this world we live in even better. Lately I have done much better cooking and eating healthier, but I have not been exercising like I should. I always seem to have an excuse. So here is there first challenge...


Challenge #1:
Kick your physical activity up a notch. Not working out at all?...Try starting with walking twice per a week, or going to a class such as Zumba, Yoga or Kickboxing. Working out a little...but want to add more? Try doubling what you currently do. I once read that studies show it is best to exercise at the point of the day when you have the most energy. If it is in the morning, wake up a little earlier for some exercise. Middle of the day?...use your lunch break for exercise. Try to mix it up so you do not get bored. If you have trouble motivating yourself, ask someone to work out with you so you can hold each other accountable. And if you are in a time crunch...consider workout videos, or simple workouts that you can do at your own home (walking/free weights). If it is money...realize that you do not need a gym membership to do physical activity.


Personally, my schedule is the reason why I have stopped working out like I want to. Our busy lives allow us to make excuse, after excuse. I commit to getting around this by SCHEDULING to do my workouts in my planner, just like my work meetings and homework. If we make it a priority, it will happen. Also, I plan to encourage those close to me to join me in order to hold myself accountable to go and to help improve the health of others. Instead of going out to eat with family/friends... I am going to ask if they would like to join me for a walk, or a round of tennis instead.


Suggestion 1: Make a decision not to eat out at all this week. Use the extra money to go buy a new workout outfit, or workout shoes. The new gear will get you more excited about working out.


Suggestion 2: Have you considered adding a dog to the family? I read a recent study that states that dog owners live longer because of the activity that is added to their life. There are plenty of shelters with dogs that need homes...dogs that would LOVE to go on walks/jogs with you.

Benefits to working out:

• Relieve stress
• Control Weight
• Combat health conditions and diseases
• Improve your mood
• Boost your energy
• Cleanses your body
• Improve appearance
• Live longer
• Increase confidence
• Many more reasons

If you choose to join me, good luck! Let me know how it goes. :-)

Our Cozy Cabin

"Paradise Lake" on our family's property

We feel very blessed to have a weekend cabin to go to. My family (Hart side) has a large amount of acreage in Southern Indiana that has been passed down for years. The current owners are my Grandparents, my Dad, Uncle and two Aunts. One day this beautiful property will be passed down to my cousins and I, and then eventually to our children. It takes about 2 and a half hours to get out there; and while that seems like a long drive, it is totally worth it. We always try to leave on Friday evenings after work so that we have the entire weekend there. This time, I had so much homework due by Saturday night that I stayed up late doing homework on Friday and we left on Saturday morning. We got there around lunch time on Saturday and were excited for the weekend ahead.
Some weekends the entire family is there; but this time it was just my parents, my Uncle Dennis and my Grandpa. There are 4 cabins on the property. After years of having a trailer and campers on the property, my Dad built the first cabin a few years ago. This inspired others to build a cabin such as my Grandparents, my Uncle Dennis and Aunt Marcy and our family friend named Karl.

Dad and Mom's Cabin

Each time we went down we would stay in my parent's cabin. This year, Karl decided that he wanted to sell his cabin and we offered to purchase it. While we enjoyed staying in the same cabin with my parents, it is nice to have our own place to stay at and to personalize. The past few times that we have gone I have been slowly but surely decorating and deciding on improvements. On the top of the to-do list is: new bedding, new curtains, tile the counter and to hang photos. Kenny has other projects that he is working on such as building us an outhouse (don't laugh... when it is cold, you want it!), cleaning up the wood stove for winter and helping me with interior projects.
Our cabin is small, but cozy. It currently has 2 beds...but with limited space I think that we are going to replace one bed with a futon. Eventually we will add a television to watch movies, and maybe a small table that will fold out from the wall for eating or playing cards. It is the perfect little cabin for us right now. Maybe in the future we will build a larger one, or build on to the current cabin. So far Kenny has taken a couple of his friends, who really enjoyed it as well.
I can remember going to Southern Indiana as a little girl. My great grandmother "Mamo" lived just a few minutes from the property. The biggest tradition that I recall was going down there each Memorial Day weekend to watch the Indianapolis 500. Everyone would get out their folding lawn chair and sit around to listen to the race on the radio or a small TV with a large antenna. As I got into my teens I lost my appreciation for going. As a teenager who begins to experience freedom, going away for the entire weekend with your family can seem boring. I recall my Dad telling me on multiple occasions that I was missing out. I would go sometimes just to make him happy, but I did not appreciate it.
As an adult I have a ridiculous amount of appreciation for the property, and for this amazing gift that has been passed down in the family. This land gives my family a place to gather, a place to relieve stress, a place to have fun, a place for the guy's to hunt together, a place for everyone to swim together, a place to remember Mamo, a place to take care of God's beautiful land, a place to bring friends, and a place to make memories. I also feel very blessed that I married someone who has as much appreciation for the land as I do. Kenny not only realizes this blessing and appreciates that we have it, but he also goes out of his way to take ownership in the land and help with various projects to keep it up. I am so happy for that. We also cannot wait to bring our future children there one day, and continue on the tradition.

Hanging out by the fire and barn

Kenny shot his first Deer and Turkey on the property :-)

We make it out there about once a month...sometimes more. Working retail it makes it difficult to go out there as often as I would like to. This weekend was a very relaxing one. We spent a lot of time with Dad and Mom and the pups. Also, Grandpa and Uncle Dennis joined us for almost every meal and it was great to spend time with them as well. Saturday night we all watched a Will Ferrell movie called Everything Must Go. Honestly, it was the kind of movie that you keep waiting to become good and it never does. I actually fell asleep before it ended, haha. Today, Kenny and I drove to Ireland, Indiana to the "junk store". The "junk store" is a resale store that is actually called Ticked Pink. I love to go there during each visit to the cabin, especially now that I am making the cabin our own. I have found a lot of old trinkets to hang on the wall, or place on the shelves. They have great prices, and so much to look at.
Now, we are home again already. Dirty clothes are in the laundry, and Maya is already fast asleep on the back of the couch. The weekend came and went so quickly. How is it that the work day can drag on-and-on, and you go away for the weekend or go on vacation and it flies by? Can we reverse that, please? Back to the grind tomorrow... earlier than usual for my least favorite part of my job: physical inventory. And, tomorrow I am starting a 6 week Kickboxing Class at Hendricks County Hospital in Danville if anyone wants to join me. I will let you all know how that goes! I haven't done much cardio lately so this should be...interesting, haha! Have a great week everyone! I WILL have another recipe (hopefully good) for you tomorrow! :-)


PS...the Colts played at least a little better this week! Much better score than last week. Maybe there is hope?

Our Cozy Cabin

The beautiful lake

I still make cooking mistakes...

A year into marriage... I still make cooking mistakes. First, I must say that the combination of my crazy schedule last week (work and homework), going out of town this weekend, and my recipe that I was going to post up not turning out so well...I have not posted for a few days. At first I thought that I would not post my recipe from last week, but considering this blog is about learning along the way I thought it would only make sense. Last week I tried making one of my most favorite meals in the slow cooker... Chicken Noodle Soup. Usually I make it in a pot on the stove, but with so many slow cooker recipes out there I decided to try it out. I am not happy with how it turned out, but it was mostly my fault. I will share the recipe with you, and then I will review my errors.

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, diced

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 Tbsp. parsley

Sea salt to taste

1 rotisserie chicken

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

Whole wheat noodles

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker, except the noodles. Let it cook all day on low for 6-8 hours. Cook noodles and place them in the slow cooker as well.


Trying to fix my mistakes...
1.) I put extra thyme in to make the soup more flavorful.
2.) When I arrived home from work it tasted too strongly of thyme. I tried to correct it by mixing more water, broth and some cream of chicken.
3) When it still did not have the flavor that I desired I added some minced garlic.
4) The garlic only made it worse. :(


Kenny said that he liked the soup, but I felt that he was just being nice. Maybe I am being over critical because I have such high expectations for my chicken noodle soup, and so many of my recipes have turned out well lately that I was disappointed with this one. I watch my dad (Chef Ronald) randomly mix in spices when he cooks...and he will add an extra touch of this-or-that. Apparently I became over-confident, because it did not work for me this time. You win some, you lose some. If anyone has any great slow cooker chicken noodle soup recipes that they would like to share, let me know! It is definitely good weather for it. Fingers crossed for better luck with my recipes this week! :-)


I welcome anyone who wants to share their cooking mishaps. We can learn from each other!

God brings some great people into our lives.

What a wonderful evening! At the last minute, Kenny asked if a couple of his friends from work could join us for dinner. I said, "of course!" The company that Kenny works for has an international program that allows people to come from another country for 1 year to work. At this time he works with Jens from Germany, Adrien from France, and Gaelle from France. All 3 of them are wonderful people. So, so kind and fun to be around. And, the communication scholar in me loves the intercultural dialogue.


As I mentioned, I did not make it to the store yesterday so I had to make up my recipe for today. I found another roast in the freezer, still had lime juice, salsa, a can of tomatoes, garlic and taco seasoning. I also had some tortillas. So...I decided to slow cook the meat to make shredded beef for tacos. And I liked my Mexican Roasted Potatoes so much yesterday that I made them again! Dinner turned out really good! They kept going back for more, so it had to be good, right? I really enjoyed it too! And when I found out that we were having guest, I decided to run to the store to get stuff to make dessert. Strawberry pie, baby! Gray Brother's Style. Check it out...

Shredded Beef Tacos

3lb Beef Roast
1/2 cup lime juice
1 package of taco seasoning
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 package of tortillas (I use whole wheat)
Toppings of your choice (cheese, lettuce, salsa, onion, cilantro)


Place ingredients into the slow cooker and let cook on low for 7-8 hours. Strain the liquid (but not the tomatoes). Take 2 forks and pull the meat apart until it is completely shredded. Serve inside of tortillas with toppings on top.

Strawberry Pie

1 prerolled pie dough (by the biscuits and cookie dough)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 can of strawberry pie filling
1 regular size carton of fresh strawberries, chopped
Cool Whip


Unroll the dough and place it into the pan. Bake dough according to package instructions, or until golden brown. While the dough is baking, mix the rest of the ingredients. Let the pie crust cool. Put filling into pie, then cover the pie with Cool Whip.




You can make the pie recipe even easier by not adding sugar or fresh strawberries. I wanted it to seem like Gray Brother's though, so I decided to add them. I know the pie isn't the most healthy thing, but the rest of the meal was healthy, so I had to do it. And, they said that they had never had Strawberry Pie before so it made it worth the effort!


I am excited because next week, we are going to their place for dinner. From what I have heard, Adrien is quite the cook. When the guys went camping over the weekend Adrien made a quiche that was "amazing", as Kenny says. I need to try this quiche. Once I get my hands on the recipe I will share it with you guys. I am so thankful that God brings wonderful people into our lives. Jens, Adrien, Gaelle, and even our new friend Mason who just started at Kenny's company are all very enjoyable to be around.


I believe that we meet every single person that crosses our path for a reason. I always try to remember that by my actions I can make a positive difference in everyone's life that I come across. It can be as simple as smiling and maintaining a positive attitude, or as little as telling someone you love them and/or appreciate them, sending a kind card (snail mail is best) to make someone feel special, or as big as leaving a large tip for the waiter who just had a baby to make their day. It is not difficult to make a difference in someone's day and life. I challenge you to think, "Do I brighten up a room when I enter it, or when I leave it?" That is one of my favorite quotes.


God brings some great people into our lives. And we are very thankful for that. Jens, Adrien, Gaelle...Thanks for joining us this evening! It was a pleasure having you over! And thank you for bringing some delicious wine!

Tune in tomorrow for one of my MOST favorite meals of all time, cooked in the slow cooker while I am at work all day. SO excited! Good night, everyone. :-)

Salsa lime chicken for my FAVORITE people :)

Today was a great day. Mom and I went to church at Hazelwood, and I was very pleased with the sermon and their efforts to remember 9/11. I came home and cleaned up the house. And I cooked another delicious meal. Tonight's dinner was even better than usual because I invited my wonderful parents to enjoy it with me. I feel very fortunate to be close to both of them. And it makes me feel good to do something nice for them, since they are always doing nice things for me. The menu for this evening included Salsa Lime Chicken, Mexican-ish Style Corn and Mexican Roasted Potatoes. All are very simple, and all are very healthy.

Salsa Lime Chicken

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/4 cup salsa (it is a little less than a jar...so I just put the whole thing)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 lime cut into slices
• 1/2 lime cut into wedges

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker except for the lime wedges. Let it cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-5 hours. Serve with lime wedges and salsa on the side.

Mexican-ish Style Corn

• 1 can of corn (or corn on the cob for each person)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1/4 cup of skim milk
• 1 lime wedge

If you are using a can of corn, just mix everything together and let it heat up. I let it simmer for a few minutes to cook out some of the milk. The reason I call it Mexican-ish is because in Mexico they use mayonaise in their corn, and because I want to keep it healthier I tried a little bit of milk to make it a little creamy.

Mexican Roasted Potatoes

• 6 medium potatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (or some garlic powder)
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lime wedge, or 1 tbsp lime juice

Mix olive oil, oregano, cumin, sea salt, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Place diced potatoes in and mix everything around to cover the potatoes. Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Put ground pepper, salt and juice of the lime on top. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden.

This was a very good meal! I think that the potatoes were my favorite part. Since we have some chicken leftover, I made some mexican rice for us to take with it for lunch tomorrow. I ran out of time to go to the store today, but don't you worry... I came up with a plan for tomorrow's dinner. We had another beef roast in the freezer, and I found a can of diced tomatoes, whole wheat tortillas and some taco seasoning. So guess what we are having for dinner tomorrow? Healthy shredded beef tacos!


Since I don't have an exact recipe I am a little nervous, but I am becoming more comfortable with personalizing recipes and experimentation. I just love how versatile the slow cooker is. Pretty soon I am going to experiment with some breakfast options, and even slow cooker desserts. Yea baby! :-) Hope you enjoyed this Mexican themed dinner! If you like Mexican, don't miss my Aunt Susan's achiote chicken that I am going to make soon in the slow cooker. It is some very tasty chicken! Have a great night everyone!

We Will Never Forget 9/11/01

It is the 10-year anniversary of possiblythe biggest tragedy to occur during my lifetime. My heart breaks as I watch various shows ontelevision recounting the events of that day. It still seems likesomething out of a movie, as the thought of this occurring is stillinconceivable. But, watching storiesabout how these events personally effected people of all walks of life bringstears to my eyes and makes it a horrifying reality.

Within 102 minutes the United States was changed forever. Somewere traveling on the hijacked planes that day, others were working in the towers thatwere hit, some were Fire Fighters, Police Men/Women, Medics and other First Responders, others were ordinary citizens turned heroes. Many lost loved ones that day, and some arebrave souls that have contributed and/or continue to contribute their time to the War on Terror. You cannot turn on the radio, look through a newspaper, or flip through television stations without being reminded of the earth shaking events that occurred 10 years ago.

I cannot imagine...

• sitting there as an air traffic controller and watching as the plane descended towards the Twin Towers or the Pentagon, but not being able to stop what was about to occur.
• receiving a call from your loved one who informs you that they are on a hijacked plane, then watching on television as their plane hits the second tower.
• working at the office as you suddenly hear a deafening noise...you don't know where the sound came from and suddenly the building is burning around you, and the floor is collapsing underneath you.
• attempting to make it away from the wreckage safely, but being overwhelmed by fear and blinded by the smoke and debris to the point that you cannot see the hand in front of your face.
• hearing the news of the events that occurred and pacing with anxiety, wondering whether or not your loved one would return from work that day.
• possessing the courage and heroism of those on Flight 93, who even after the realization that their flight was being hijacked and that 3 other planes had already hit major landmarks in the US, worked together to stop the terrorists from hitting what could have been The White House.
• being one of the many responders working day in, and day out trying to clean up the daily reminder of death and destruction.
• having the courage to leave your family to go to a foreign country for months, and risk your life to fight the War on Terror.
• receiving the news that your loved one won't be returning from their mission overseas.
• having to explain to your children that their Mommy or Daddy has gone to be with God and the Angels.

Sadly, I could continue on with this list. My heart hurts just thinking about all of the people who greatly suffered and still suffer from the pain that these events brought on. As ground zero is being rebuilt, a decade later, they are still trying to mend their hearts and rebuild their lives. While it is difficult to understand how this could happen, I believe that everything happens for a reason and that God has a plan for each and every person effected. I would like to take a moment to remember the estimated 2,800 people lost on that day. I am also keeping those effected in my prayers; some lost loved ones or dear friends, others are currently suffering from serious illnesses and diseases due to their work cleaning up the disaster.

I would also like to take a moment to honor and pray for our troops; as well as pray for the leaders of this country. Even in our close circle, I would like to specifically honor our dear friend Brent who is active in the military and who went to Afghanistan for a year from 2009 to 2010 to serve our country. He left his wife and the rest of his loved ones, left the comfort of his home, was not able to be present for the birth of his beautiful baby girl, missed out on moments in the first year of his little girl's life, gave up many of the things we do on a daily basis that we take for granted; and performed his duties selflessly. I am so thankful for people like Brent, who do not think twice about accepting a duty to fight for his country...to fight for all of us.

I encourage everyone to read a beautiful story that comes out of these horrible events: The Survivor Tree. It is one that represents hope, strength, renewal and life. The link above is a video from a Washington news station, but if you have the opportunity to watch the episode of Rising-Rebuilding Ground Zero on the Discovery Channel that features The Survivor Tree, be sure to watch it. Over the next few years I hope to travel to New York to visit the gorgeous memorial that they have built at ground zero, and pay my respects where many lost their lives and many became heroes. We will never forget September 11th, 2001. God Bless America.

"Mmm, this is my favorite so far!"

It was a late but delicious dinner tonight! Got stuck at work 2 hours longer, and the rain on the way home did not help. I was starrrrving. By the time I walked into the door at 9pm, I would have eaten just about anything. This is the kind of night that I would usually just grab some fast food on the way home. But, in an effort to eat healthier and spend money on something other than food I am SO glad that I put the roast into the slow cooker this morning. To save time (and since I am not a morning person) I chopped all of my vegetables last night, so this morning I just had to throw it in as I walked out of the door for work.
I told Kenny that he could eat without me, but he was nice and waited. When I walked in the door I plated the food right away. It smelled SO good. Maya was sitting on the floor right next to me with her tongue hanging out of her mouth as I dished it out. I cannot believe she did not try to knock it off of the counter to eat it while we were at work today. The meat fell apart at the touch of my fork and the vegetables were tender and juicy. Could not wait to try it! After Kenny took a bite he said, "Mmmm, this is my favorite so far!" Success again! And some very tasty leftovers for tomorrow!

Mmmm

Beef Roast

• 2-3lb chuck roast
• 2 large sliced onions
• 2 1/2 cups baby carrots
• 3 cups potatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves

Let me know if you try it out! This one is DEFINITELY a keeper! It tastes as if I was slaving over the stove all day. And of course, I had a slice of leftover blueberry pie to accompany it. Since Kenny is going out of town to the cabin this weekend, I will post my next dinner on Sunday evening. I am going to make a very healthy Salsa Lime Chicken...you guessed it, in the slow cooker! By the way... no worries, Maya got her way and got to have a little bit of the roast. :-)

I hope you have a great weekend, everyone! I am working tomorrow and then going to spend some time with my best friend Ashley and niece Olivia. Then working again Saturday. Sunday I am spending some time with Mom. Cannot wait! Live, Laugh, Love & Learn.

-Amanda-

I Am Addicted To Savings Websites

LivingSocial: Four Games of Bowling and Two Shoe Rentals

In an effort to go on more fun dates I purchased this one. I'm also purchasing the mini golf deal on Group On so we can settle the war. :)

It's Lemon Chicken Tonight

For lunch today, I went to Gray Brother's in Mooresville with my Grandma Mary Vatter. It is always a great meal, and great company. We try to do this at least once per a month. She is one of a kind, really. She is always doing great things for others, such as going to Goodwill to buy clothing to take downtown to the homeless. Grandma has always been one of my biggest fans. She makes me feel like I can do anything in the world and today was no different. :-)

Grandma and I at my wedding

Anyways, after deciding to get the roast beef and broccoli with cheese, we decided to get dessert and they have BLUEBERRY COBBLER now! I LOVE blueberry pie, and I have been saying that they need to have a blueberry dessert at Gray's for quite some time. When I sat down to eat it, it tasted great but it was this huge bowl of what looked like blueberry pie filling. I could not find any crust. Soooo, I took it to go, and I decided to stop by Kroger and purchase some pie crust. For dessert tonight, I simply placed the crust into a pie pan, inserted the filling and then covered it with the second crust. Kenny was super impressed, and it was even better with the crust!

Pie Crust from Kroger

You can simply make a pie by buying a can of filling, or creating your own filling and buying those pie crusts at Kroger (or the grocery of your choice). We get the doughs that are pre-made (not pre-baked) and are in the isle with the can of biscuits. Super easy. Just don't forget to melt some butter and use a paper towel or a barbecue brush to dust some melted butter on the top, and sprinkle some sugar (browning trick that Chef Ronald taught me). Thank you Grays for the delicious pie filling today! Mmmm Mmm!

Finished Product

The full menu this evening included...

• Lemon Chicken
• French Style Green Beans
• Long Grain and Wild Rice
• Blueberry Pie

Another new recipe tonight. I cannot believe how easy it is! As I mentioned in a previous post, if you want to EASILY make delicious and healthy meals, dust off your slow cooker! I purchased a slow cooker from Target made by GE. I love this one. It is a GE Digital 6 Quart Slow Cooker. The bottom does not get hot at all (or the sides), you have settings for warm, low and high...AND you can pull out your dish to take with you to a gathering or to set out on the counter without the entire bulky slow cooker. Totally worth the $39.88.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 lemon sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp Thyme or Italian Seasoning

Lemon chicken, green beans, and rice

Simply throw in all of the ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. I chose to serve it with rice and green beans...but this would also go very well over pasta (fettuccine would be great). The chicken was juicy and just falls apart at the touch of your fork. YUM!

Side dishes

Kenny has been spoiled this week. I usually do not cook this often...but I am really trying to! We spend so much money eating out, and it is much more difficult to eat healthy while dining out. If you are interested, tomorrow I will post a simple slow cooker Chuck Roast recipe. I already have all of the ingredients chopped and ready to go to place it in the slow cooker tomorrow morning on my way out the door to work. We will see how it turns out!

Happy Husband

Until tomorrow,

Amanda :)

Our Gatlinburg Must See/Do List

After a few friends asked about traveling to Gatlinburg, I decided to share our "Must See/Do" list...

Restaurants:

Most Romance/Best Steak: The Peddler Steakhouse - A little pricey, but save this for your dress up/romantic night. It is the Ruth's Chris of Gatlinburg. Be sure to request a table by the window, and and if you are celebrating a special occasion tell them so that you get a lit candle. Great service, delicious steaks, awesome salad bar, and yummy desserts.

Best Meal Overall: The Old Mill - This restaurant is in the town outside of Gatlinburg called Pigeon Forge. This is the BEST meal I have ever had in TN, and one of the best EVER. It is southern cooking, and every single thing is awesome. I had chicken and dumplings...sooo good! The wait was 2 hours, but it was SO worth it. We would have gone twice if we had time to.

Best Breakfast: The Log Cabin Pancake House - BEST breakfast EVER. We went there 2 out of 3 mornings. There is always a line out the door, but it moves quick. Great pancakes and waffles.

Other Restaurants Worth a Try:

1) The Cheese Cupboard and Hofbrauhaus - Cute German store with cheeses and such. Upstairs they have a little restaurant with awesome Reubens. If you like them, go! Mmm!

2) Mellow Mushroom - This is a great pizza place. Cheap and yummy.

3) Cherokee Grill - A lot to choose from. We both tried the cheese steaks and loved it.

4. The Applewood Restaurant in Sevierville - This is the town you go through while going to Gatlinburg. Very good breakfast or lunch. My husband prefers breakfast, but you cannot go wrong either way.

Favorite Things to Do:

1) Ripley's Aquarium

2) Wax Museum

3) Hillybilly Golf

4) Circus Golf (Black light/3D)

5) Titanic Exhibit

6) Ober Gatlinburg Tramway

7) Old Time Photos

8) Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum

9) Smoky Mountain Winery

10) Chairlift

We hear that the Dixie Stampede and the Hatfield & McCoy dinner show are good...but we did not want to spend the money.

#1 Must: Stay in a cabin. So many people stay in a hotel because they don't realize that they can stay in a cabin for the same cost, or they think they need to be in town. It took less than 5 minutes to get from our cabin to town and was worth it to have our own hot tub, a heart-shaped whirlpool in our room and the privacy. Plus, the MOST beautiful views. We book through Cabinsusa.com. This time we stayed in Alpine Vista...views were great.

What did we learn during this trip?

1) Life is busy, but no matter what, make time for each other.

2) Decide how much money you want to spend on a trip, take that amount out in cash and only get more out if you absolutely need to. Plastic makes it so easy to keep spending.

3) Never travel home on a holiday such as Labor Day...it will result in spending 10 hours in stop and go traffic, versus the 7 hours the trip should have been.

Anything that we missed that you LOVE to do?

Gatlinburg is fun, but be prepared to spend some money to enjoy the attractions and good food! :-)