High Five for Friday... and Spring Break!

Not only is it Friday, but it's the start of my spring break!!!... as soon as I can get my online quiz out of the way...

Since I've started my New Morning Routine, the week has been pretty great, plus a little furry kiddo lovin' and spending time with my "Little Sis D" that I mentor!

1. Bowling (her AND my favorite!) with my "Little Sis D"
I picked up my Little Sis D from school on Monday (that was a HUGE deal too, she LOVED being able to tell her friends she was a "car rider" that day and didn't have to take the bus (oh the days of riding the school bus, can't blame her for being excited...)

Then we headed over to the bowling alley for an afternoon special of an hour of unlimited bowling, some snacks and a tokens for her to play in the arcade and she had a BLAST.  Her smile lights up the entire building, and I just love being able to spend time with her and realizing, even if in miniscule ways, that I'm helping encourage and mentor the life and future of a beautiful and bright 10 year old girl :)

When she was on, she was really on, but after an hour, both of our arms were sore!

Blast from the past picture... Felt like I was 10 years old since this has been my favorite sport since before I can remember!

   Find out how to be a Big Brother, Sis or even Big Couple in your area and change the life of a child (and your own!) 


2. My two favorite men spending some quality cuddle time together... Makes my  heart smile!

Our only boy... he needs some "guy" time with his Papa!

  ... and did I mention he's just so stinkin' cute.....

Good morning mom, I got a little chilly...

 3. We had a mini-winter wonderland come through on Tuesday, so my husband and I made made the best of it while the snow lasts 
.... but yes we are very ready to welcome some spring weather!

Sweet potato corn cakes with a garlic dipping sauce thanks to the AMAZING Budget Bytes blog and a side of green beans next to the warm fire :) Heavenly!

  
4. My Biostastics class and I have actually started to become sort of friends lately... Very weird...

Finally!

 
 HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

What are you up to this weekend?

New Morning Routine

Loving my new morning routine... It really has made a world of difference in so many ways. 

I've spent the past 2 weeks really looking into different ways to help minimize my stress level, better prioritize my time, get my sleep patterns on track and get cookin' again since I LOVE it and get some very needed exercise back into my routine....

For a long time, I always thought of exercise as needing to block of a good hour, get ready, go to the gym, spend X amount of time on cardio before doing so many reps of lifting weights that when my schedule became what it is now... Exercise has been pushed so far back on my list of things to do in the little spare time I have that I forget that I even used to exercise... (Pitiful, I know)....

After some research and fantastic resources, I come across a morning routine through the lovely world of Pinterest (duh!) that has brought me to several blogs with exercise tips, health tips and stress management with deep breathing and meditation and I have noticed an immense difference.  

My (Weekend) Morning Routine:

I'm trying to cut back on coffee and stick to de-caffinated green tea for mornings, but I've found that a replacing my mug of coffee with warm water with a good amount of lemon juice is a perfect start to my day.  It's refreshing, it has loads of health benefits from helping boost your immune system, aiding in digesting, flushing vital organs (liver and kidney) of toxins, hydrates, helps aiding in weight loss and even more. 

I usually have a cup either before or with a light breakfast since it's unusually filling in itself!  Since my digestive system is horribly slow, I also add some benefiber to make sure I'm getting enough fiber everyday. 

After a cup of lemon water and something in my stomach, whether oatmeal, cereal, yogurt with some toast, etc., I found a wonderful short and sweet workout routine to try and get as much as I can (physically and time wise) done before I need to get ready or start working from home thanks to A La Corinne's blog.  

• 25 push-ups
• 30 crunches
• 50 second wall sit
• 10 tricep dips
• 45 second plank
• 30 lungs on each leg
• 15 squats

If I can manage to get through all of this and have extra time, I try to see how much of a second time around I can do (I'm constantly sore, but it's an oddly nice reminder of my productivity in this new routine!)

Last on my list is trying to make it to yoga class on Monday nights (or more if I can swing it) at a nearby fitness center that I really love and have incredible prices and wonderful classes..... Very excited about this new phase and adventure of my life staying healthy and happy!

I found this through Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life and it's what I make sure to follow and remind myself of each and every day.  I hope it helps bring you some peace in a world that become so hectic so quickly...

  

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Do you prefer low key weekends or busy weekends spent with friends/errands/things you didn't get done during the week?

I usually prefer low key weekends so they don't slip by too quickly, but when the weather's right, I love some good outdoor time with Alex and our pups (and it doesn't hurt to get s-o-m-e things done before the next week rolls around)....
 

Super-Sloppy-Veggie-Joes

Sunday night, rummaging through our pantry, fridge and freezer....

I have various reasons for becoming and staying a vegetarian, but I can't say I don't crave some of my old, favorite meat-eating foods: steak, BLT's, hamburgers, BBQ ribs, chili cheese dogs or just hot dogs in general, meatloaf, pot roast, Thanksgiving turkey and.....

Sloppy joes!

In our sparse freezer, Alex found we had a few too many packages of "beef" grounds that is a perfect substitute for ground beef (except that it can't form into a hamburger patty, but serves many other delicious meaty, savory, flavorful dishes), and we (mostly Alex) which is why this is sans pictures (except an oldie) whipped up some homemade sloppy joe sauce (TOTALLY KEY!), mixed with meatless beef grounds for a perfect Sunday night comfort food dinner!

The best part of being a vegetarian is that 90% of my favorite foods have fantastic substitutes that had me fooled even before I became a vegetarian! 

I still remember my brother-in-law who has been a LONG TIME vegetarian coming home with veggie hot dogs and thinking to myself... WHAT IN THE WORLD?! so I dared myself to try a bite and was like.... HOLY GUACAMOLE, that is so insanely good....

Which then when I became a vegetarian, prepared veggie style "Pigs in a Blanket" to which were devoured to the point I had to save my mother-in-law, also a vegetarian, a couple.... and once the bowl was completely empty and various people shouting, WHO BROUGHT THESE?!... decided to tell everyone they very veggie "hot dogs" (which some people were, to my surprise, very upset about it)... but it just shows, even you non-vegetarians can be fooled!

Anyhow... here's another one to try a veggie version of a classic!

VEGGIE SLOPPY JOES
Slightly Adapted from Rachel Ray Sloppy Joe's

Serves 2-3

   In the line up folks:
1 package Quorn beef grounds 
(found in the freezer section of most grocery stores; Kroger, Publix, etc.) 
Extra virgin olive oil 
1 small onion, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14-ounce can) tomato sauce
1 Tabelspoon low sodium soy sauce or meatless Worcestershire
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  Several dashes of steak seasoning
3 Tablespoons brown sugar

Coach's Orders:

1. In a medium/large, non-stick pan, sautee diced onion and red pepper in heated olive oil over medium heat until tender.  Defrost beef crumbles in the microwave and add to the peppers and onions with the steak seasoning and brown sugar to brown for a couple minutes.  Add soy sauce or Worcestershire and red wine vinegar and let cook or "marinate" for a minute or two. 

2. Lastly, add tomato sauce to cover ingredients and tomato paste to thicken the sauce.  Make sure to stir consistently until sauce thickens to your liking.  If you like the sauce less thick, don't add as much tomato paste.  If you like extra thick sauce, add an extra Tablespoon of tomato paste (it's your preference!).

Poor photo quality taken a year ago when I first thought of this!

We personally like ours on an un-toasted whole wheat bun with a veggie side of some kind.. in this case some carrots and dinner is serve quickly and boy did it not only satisfy our bellies on Sunday, but even better for leftovers during our Monday lunch hours.  YUMM!

Quick, easy, healthy and even non-vegetarian's go back for seconds (.... even my step dad gave these a go!)

If you're looking for a meatless option for dinner one day of the week, give this a try and it won't even feel like a "Meatless Monday".... or whatever day of the week it is! 
 
 ENJOY! 

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You can find me on:

Twitter: @IndyCookinGal
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Instagram: IndyCookinGal

For better or for worse...

These past several weeks, I have been busier than I have in a really long time and I'm constantly trying to learn how to juggle my priorities while still making sure I leave time for Alex and myself in our marital journey.   





Also, my biggest challenge but at the top of my list is making sure I am being cognizant of how grateful I am for my husband, Alex, in being so patient with my not-always-so-great attitude about things going on with school or at work.  

Last Thursday, it hit me the hardest...

I hadn't been sleeping well that week, and Thursday's are always my busiest days at work, and also the only day I have to actually go to class, versus my other was being online.  Thursday's are just longggg days, but this one, I let myself start out on a really negative tone because of how tired I was, knowing I was in for a full 16 hour day with class and not prepared for the quiz I knew we'd be having in class and was texting Alex throughout the day, really just being a downer about either how tired I was, nervous about the quiz, frustrated with things at work...  Haven't been fair or nearly enough appreciate to my oh so patient and loving husband.

I'm driving home, exhausted, hungry, feeling defeated....

I walk in to a pleasant surprise!

My absolute favorite dessert and "cheer me up" food there is!

Alex dropped by store on his way home from work to get the ingredients, and had a whole batch done by the time I got home from class.  

It was that moment, I realized how not only did I have such a negative attitude all that day for such small, completely minute things I won't remember in a month, and Alex had been so patient in dealing with it all day and even took the time and the love to cheer me up with my beyond favorite "cheer up" food.  This day was one of his many test's of my "worse" side, and he did something so loving, unexpected, and largely undeserved on my part.

It was then... I knew I needed to start changing my mindset and attitude, especially for the sake of my marriage so Alex remembers I have the "better" in me too.  

I have so many things to be thankful for and I need to stop dwelling on little glitches in the present moment, and focus on the bigger aspects of the present.... the present moment...

And hey, how can ya' resist those good lookin' strawberries dipped in chocolate with pure love eh'?

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After a stressful week and/orday, what would be in your top 3 perfect surprises to come home too?

Mine:
1. Chocolate covered strawberries
2. HARD candy Sprees
3. Strawberry Cheesecake



 

TGIF!

FRIDAY!

Such a great day, minus the exam I have to take tonight, but again, that's life and it's still FRIDAY! :)

Whoa now, it's been just a hectic week, but I can't complain because it all came together in the end as it always seems to do!

Top Moments of the Week:

Too precious... and one very tired papa. 

1. Getting ready for bed and walking into the back office to find papa and pup nighttime cuddle. 

 2. January was National Mentoring Appreciation Month and Starbucks was gracious enough to give Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the program free, tall sized drinks of their choice. I'm excited to take my Little Sis D to the central library on Sunday to work on her reading skills with interactive computer games they have and grabbing a treat afterwards!

Enjoying my last (free) Vanilla Chai Latte -- THANK YOU TO STARBUCKS!

Cinema Grill will live on forever, torn down or not.

3. Got very nostalgic running across this across this picture when re-organizing my IPhoto library the other night -- the building where Alex and I met, fell in love, worked together and met so many amazing friends that have continued to be in our lives.  I was always excited to think of the day we'd bring our kids here to watch a movie and show where Mom and Dad met, but at least we have the pictures and the people to tell the story!  I'm so happy I captured this picture though, just a few weeks before it was torn down.  A building full of so many memories that will live on forever!

Keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers!

4. Holding in my prayers a new friend of mine whose father just suffered a heart attack last weekend, but is home and resting now after several surgeries.  I was happy that I was able to help my new friend stay up to date with school being in and out of the hospital all week, so I lent her all my notes/programming/things I got stuck on to help her finish her homework for this week and offered any assistance by phone and email while I was at work yesterday that she needed. With a few emails back and forth and with my coding, she was able to get it done and was so grateful. In the end, I'm just grateful her father is okay, she's holding up and I was able to help such a sweet new friend during a difficult time as I would hope people would do for me.  Always try and reach out to others, do a good deed, for new or old friends or even strangers!

What was the best part of YOUR week?

Crazy week! This pretty much sums it up...

This has been a crazy work and school week for me that I've done what I hoped I'd stick with, my beloved blogging friend and the friends I've connected with through it. 

We are going into active recruitment at work, so between getting all the materials ready for new subject's and hiring on + training the remainder of our staff, it's just balls to the walls craziness.  Then you add a mental breakdown from trying to figure out SAS to finish my homework for 6 hours on Wednesday and there you have it!

After writing my Saturday post about watching Environmental Health modules all day, I woke up to spend most of Sunday afternoon/evening going through the review packet for my upcoming test... with some definite long pauses to watch the Superbowl!

My beyond wonderful husband whipped us up a great Sunday dinner during Superbowl halftime to give me a nice and filling break from my studies :)

Sauteed frozen stir-fry style veggies under medium/low heat with enough butter/margarine to coat a medium sized pan // add in and sautee Gardein Brand "Chicken" Scallopini (meatless, frozen cutlets) // Season veggies and soy cutlet with complimentary spices // Lastly, add in some cooked white or brown rice (we use the 5-minute microwave rice to save time, since we have so little and only had white rice on hand) // Season to taste -- he ended up adding a bit more margarine, seasoned salt and cayenne pepper for a kick.

 YUMMY! It was DELICIOUS, a perfect break from a weekend on Food Safety and I am loving this new brand of vegetarian alternatives called Gardein -- great resource for vegetarians and can find in local grocery stores like Kroger or Publix with the "Organic" or "Natural" area/aisle.  

Adios amigos ;)

What is something small but important/meaning that your spouse/significant other/friends do for you when you need a "pick-me-up"?
An unexpected meal, my favorite dessert (there a very few), a back and/or foot rub, snuggle time... <3

High Five For Friday!

F.R.I.D.A.Y!!

This has been a beyond stellar week!  PLUS, I worked from home all week, so I avoided all the rain and then the snow and horribly cold temperatures and give some extra lovin' to our furry kiddos.  The downside to working from home is boundaries -- I'm not able to shut down like I am when I leave the office and blast some music in my car to deflate from the day, and instead find myself clocking in to answer emails or edit measures at 8:30pm.  Whoops.  Also, I procrastinated to the max on homework this week, but I fit it all in so I'm darn proud of myself!

My FANTASTIC week in a nutshell...

1. Last Saturday, I took my "Little Sister D" roller skating at the roller rink.  She was so scared of falling that in the 2 hours we were there until they closed public skating, we only made it onto and around the rink once, but I was proud and she still had fun! Brought me back to being a kid again and I love to see her smile!

Doing the Cha Cha after the rink closed for skating!

                                          

Just how I remember!

My souvenir glow stick!

 2. There is nothing I love more than waking up to a face like this on those cold winter weekends.....

How can you not love this face?

 3. My amazing husband found this super bargain deal on a new fireplace screen to replace our hideous gold one that came with the house.  We have been wanting to do this for a year, and he stumbled across this at Goodwill!!! You find the best things when you've not even looking!

YAY!

Before:After

 

 4. We love food, we both love to cook, we love each other and love spending time together.  Saturday morning breakfast is my favorite time of the week, because it's the one time we always make a meal, eat and spend time together and talk about our plans for the weekend the upcoming week. 

Alex made breakfast while I showering, one of our favorites! Omelet, veggie sausage patties, and a side of whole wheat toast. YUM!

5. I have the best parents.  My mom surprised Alex and me with an early Valentine's gift that I have been wanting for YEARS now, but never had the space in apartments kitchen or with roommates in college to store one.  So excited to put some miles on this bad boy and get baking! I LOVE making eating homemade bread, but that whole kneading thing... just no fun :\

Hello there lovely! Welcome to your new home!

Sadly, my weekend is filled with homework and preparing for midterms, but I'll surely be watching the Superbowl on Sunday and finding some time to do other things I enjoy :)

HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope you had a GREAT week!