Here's to the Ladies who Lunch

I teach on Saturdays and normally head home after my classes. Today I had plans to meet up w/ 3 of my closest gal pals from college for a Ladies Lunch.  We all live in the Atlanta area, kind of. At least close enough to meet up on a semi-regular basis which happened to be the Buford area(mall of GA area for you shopping peeps).  I've been lucky enough to have seen all of three of these ladies at different times since we moved back but this was the first time that we'd all been together since New Year's Eve of 2010.  We were missing our gals Kate(lives in LA) and Maggie(lives in Charleston) but we sent them our love!

(Andrea, Me, Kameron, Angie, Amy & Lola)

It was so great getting to see each other and catch up.  Between this group there are 5 kids and the youngest and the oldest of those joined us today.  Andrea's son, Seth, and Amy's other two, Grayson and Stella, all stayed with their daddies while we had girl time.  

(Kam cheesing for the camera.  She will be 6 in March and Lola will be 1.)   

It's nice to get together and catch up like this.  Everyone gets so busy with families, work, life etc., that we don't always get to see each other as often as we'd like.  

(Kameron had to jump in a pic w/ her "aunts.") 

(Kameron had to have her doll,Kelly, in the pic)

Love these gals and am very thankful to call them my sisters! It's nice to know who has your back : )

Thursday Thoughts

Here is what is going on in this ole brain of mine...scary, I know!

• The hubs and I started watching Breaking Bad this week....WHOA...that show is pretty intense.  Interesting premise but way too much blood for me. I definitely end up closing my eyes a lot....ha!
• I got some REALLY good grapefruit from the Dekalb Farmers Market last week. They are red, juicy, make me want to move to FL and I wish I'd bought more!  If you live in ATL go to this Farmers Market. It's a little to far for me to go regularly but it's the COOLEST place.  Veggie/Fruits/Spices/Meats/Cheese (the list goes on and on) from all over the world and VERY good prices. I highly recommend it but just so you know, you can't take pictures there....very interesting!
• Please keep a friend of mine in Charleston in your prayers.  She lost her husband last week in a car accident.  Drew and I performed in several shows with them over the years.  He was a wonderful man and is going to be missed.  My heart aches for our friend in the loss of her husband. 
• My hubs is in a show right now called My Way.  It's a Frank Sinatra revue and it only has 4 people in it.  Kind of cool b/c he gets to sing a lot.  I got to see his opening (makes up for missing his last show's opening) and I'm going again tonight with some of my closest ATL gal pals.  So excited to see him shine!
• Lately, every time I see palm trees on a tv show or in a pic it makes me want to move to FL or Cali....Maybe I just need to plant some in my backyard. 
• A family I used to babysit for moved to Seattle in Dec.  They gave us their house plants so they wouldn't have to move w/ them.  I was excited to grow our greenery in the house.  I think it was a BIG mistake for three reasons: 1. The cats keep eating and barfing them up, 2. The ficus tree has become a new litter box (thanks Artie and Harpo), and 3. The hubs thinks they are screwing up his allergies.  Well, POOP! I so liked having them. 
• The weather in Atlanta has been SO bipolar lately. It's driving me NUTS. 
• I saw New Year's Eve last weekend w/ my girl Denise.  It was a great chick flick movie. I was glad I saw it and now I want to see the Valentine's Day one...anyone see it?  Jane Fonda was going to HUGO at the same theater we were at.  She was right in front of me but I was so annoyed that she was SLOW that I wasn't even paying attention.  My friend pointed it out to me...I started laughing.  I told her how I was annoyed w/ the old lady who was dressed up like she was a movie star or something....HA...seriously! Explains a lot ; )

Hope you guys have a GREAT Friday!

When Hunger strikes...

This is what HUNGER looks like in our house when you are supposed to meet people for dinner at 6:45 or 7 and they push it to 8pm...and then 8:15pm.
                                       

  Please ignore the VERY messy bookshelf (see organization post from last night).

I asked the hubs what he was going to look like if he didn't eat soon.  I was hoping for a funny look. 

This is what I got. 

He said "I'm gonna grab a burrito from Trader Joes and throw it in the microwave."

Whatta a wise guy!

It's 7:54...I'm going to eat my hand if we don't meet them soon...will update you if said hand is missing!

Pipe Dreams

Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try to be organized and stay organized, you just can't? Today is one of those days for me.  I feel like I need a week or two ten just to get our life really organized.  Of course it takes two to tango so, I know it's not all on me.  For some reason I feel like it is.  

I bet if I had this I'd feel more organized.

Or This one....

But to tell you the truth, I'd rather just not worry or think about it all and just escape to here...

ANYONE WITH ME?

Soups ON!

Man-"What's the soup de jour?"
Waiter-"It's the soup of the day."
Man-"Mmmm...That sounds good. I will have some of that!"

Can you name that movie??? Anyway, I ramble, I love me some HOT soup on a COLD day. I've recently tried some new recipes that I wanted to share. Here are two very different recipes to wet your palate.

What I liked about this first one is that it was creamy...but not w/ cream so it made it healthier and not so heavy.

Creamy Broccoli Soup (Real Simple)
1 tbls olive oil
1 med onion chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups low-sodium veggie broth
1 bunch broccoli, florets roughly chopped and stems peels and sliced (about 7 cups)
l large russet potato (about 8 oz) peeled and cut into 1/2inch pieces
salt and pepper
2 oz shredded cheese (we used parmesan)
bagel chips for serving

-Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med heat. Ad the onion and red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.
-Add the broth, broccoli, potato, 2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp of black pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered until the vegetables are very tender, 18-20 mins.
-In a blender, working in batches, puree the soup until smooth, adjusting the consistency w/ water as necessary.  Top w/ cheese and bagel chips (we didn't use bagel chips).

This next one has definitely got a kick to it. The hubs loved it and I did too.  I will say the recipe in the book looks more like a stew and I adjusted to be more soupy.  I will explain as I go.

Chicken Fiesta Soup (Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Bible)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 3)
1 can (14oz) stewed tomatoes, drained (I used ones w/ chilis in them and didn't drain )
2 cans (4oz) green chilis (I used one b/c I forgot to buy two...uh oh)
1 can (28oz) enchilada sauce
14 &1/2oz chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin (I doubled)
1 tsp chili powder (I doubled)
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 cup frozen corn ( I used one can)
1 yellow squash diced
1 zucchini diced
(I also added a cup or 2 of water).

Add all to the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hrs.  Top w/ tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro, sour cream...really whatever you like. Supposedly serves 8...we've been noshing on for days : ).

ENJOY my friends!

5 Things I'm digging today (and one I'm not)

1. My hubs is in a new show (a Frank Sinatra review called My Way) that opens this week.  Yep, that's right, I had him home from rehearsal for one week before he jumped into another show. That's ok though! It's a great show for him and I will get him back a couple nights a week once the show opens.  B/c of this free time I've been searching for a new tv show to catch up on. Netflix has been giving me some gems lately. The most recent is Samantha Who?  This show is hilarious...why OH why did they cancel it after two seasons...I'm not going to tell  you that I started it on Saturday night and am already on Season 2.  I'm NOT a loser...I think (gulp).  What have you caught up with on Netflix?

2. I've made two new soups in the past week and they are definitely winners. Will try to post them tomorrow. One was a creamy broccoli soup (w/ no cream so it's actually healthy) and the other was a Fiesta chicken soup.

3. FB has been annoying me a little bit lately. I love a good update from people and seeing pics of events, fams, and fun...but I don't enjoy the dirty laundry people feel like leaving on the interwebs. There is a fine balance on what you post.  I guess that's the beauty of not having to read it : ).

4. I've been making homemade sourdough bread lately. My mama Deb gave me some starter in Nov.  My first batch was good but I had LOTS of trouble getting it to rise.  This has been my first foray into breadmaking.  I am happy to say I'm getting better!! I'm finding my technique, the right blend of ingredients and my kneading is getting rock solid. Nothing like warm bread right out of the oven.

5. Body Butter-I got some Almond body butter from the Body Shop a couple of weeks ago and I LOVE it.  Not only does my skin feel great but it smells SO good too.  I also love that their products are environmentally safe (and I got to spin the wheel and got 40% off...love a deal)!

6. Artie and Harpo-Our cats have been SO lovey and cuddley lately.  They just make me so happy.  I don't know if it's the colder weather...but I love it!

Goals for 2012

I normally don't really have resolutions in the new year.  Of course I do love the new beginning feel a new year has.  I am definitely trying to work-out more and eat better (like everyone and their brother). The new LA Fitness less then one min from our house helps!  But here are some goals I'd like to set for the new year and see how they go throughout the year.

1. Volunteer-I'd like to do something for someone else or a group this year that absolutely has no benefit to me.  Of course my friend reminded me of the Friends episode where Joey said that no one does anything w/out ANY benefit to them.  But I'd like the goal of my volunteering to not be for ME...if that makes sense.  Now to find how I want to do this.

2. Babies-The hubs and I have been dealing w/ infertility for a while now.  I've mentioned wanting a baby on here...but not really gone into much of our story.  I've tried to not focus on it all too much as I know God has a plan and purpose for us and any stress would not help the cause. The hubs and I are ready to move ahead in our quest for Baby A.  This is a goal in that I'd like more answers towards what's going on so we can make some decisions on routes to take. Thanks for any thoughts and prayers.

3. Stay Fit-not only would I like to keep my gym/work-outs solid, but I'd like to not loose the momentum I have right now!

4. Organization-Keep working on organizing our house.  I'm trying to keep the ways that work and start new methods to allow my husband and myself an easier time in STAYING organized.  I love to clean and get it all organized...it's the staying that's an issue.

5.  Bible-I'd like to read my bible...daily...not just think about it...but actually DO it.

6.  Learn a new skill or do something I've never done-It's always good to challenge yourself.  Let's see what I can get my hands in : ).

7. Chronicle-I'd like to take more pictures of our life.  We have a decent camera and I'd like to learn to use it better and remember to use it.

8. House-Continue updating and painting and creating.  This seems silly but I'd like to use wisdom and do this as economically as possible.

9. Dates-I'd like to have more date nights with the hubs. They don't have to be crazy special or anything.  But I'd love to have some creative and new date nights or date days. Even if they are stay at home nights...but I'd like to make an effort so that the time we do have together (where one of us isn't in a show) is spent not always in front of the boob tube ; ).

10. Better blogger-Kind of goes along w/ the pictures but I want to write more.  I really enjoy keeping this blog for some reason. I'd love to update, write and grow more this year.


Did you set any goals for yourself this year? How are you keeping them in check through the year?

A glance at our Holidays

I realized I never shared the few pics I did take over the holidays.  Here ya go.
                                 

Our Tree at night

 Our amazing stockings made by our Mama Janson

 My adorable Hubs and Artie

 My dear friend Trey from high school who now lives in Chicago.  We did theatre together and in our last show he was Joe Hardy and I was Lola in Damn Yankees.

 Tree during the day

 Our nativity and the Christmas trees I made (from pinterest...I made over 14 as gifts...never again, ha!)

 Christmas morning at Drew's folks house

 Their lovely tree and mantle...I love the big family!

 Our niece Mia w/ her new kitty

 Jack, our nephew, was so adorable to watch. He would get SO excited.

 Drew and Lindsey Christmas 2011

 New Year's with my dear friend Denise

 Welcoming a new year and new adventures

 And finally I leave you with the best Christmas/belated birthday gift EVER : )

Recipes-I'm a Pepper, You're a Pepper

For all of you bell pepper lovers, here are 2 yummo recipes that I tried this week, thanks to Real Simple.  Both were excellent and received the Hubs seal of approval. I don't have any pics...will try to remember to do that.

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of couscous
4 scallions
1 cup feta
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (I omitted b/c I didn't have any)
4 bell peppers (color of your choice)

Brown 1/2 lb lean ground beef. Cook 1/2 cup of couscous according to the package directions.  Mix beef, couscous, scallions, feta, apricots and season w/ salt and pepper. I used Garlic salt.  Stuff 4 hollowed out bell peppers (I used Red b/c I don't like green) and bake at 400 F, covered, until tender 45-50 min.  We served w/ a salad.

Tortellini w/ Eggplant and Peppers
2 tbls EVOO
1 med eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used one red and one yellow)
4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 lb tortellini-fresh or frozen.  (it called for cheese tortellini but I used spinach tortellini from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup parsley chopped (i didn't use this)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the eggplant, bell peppers, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften, 6 to 8 min. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add the broth & tortellini. Cover and simmer over med heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through and most of the broth is absorbed, 12 to 15 min. Fold in parsley and 1/4 cup of parm. Spoon into bowls and add more parm.  I skipped this and just added Parm on top after I put in bowls.  Regardless it was great and we added, once again, a salad to finish our meal.

Bye-Bye-Bye 2011

I've been thinking a lot about 2011. About how it was a hard, great, challenging, fun, and crazy year.  So in honor of my deep thoughts I will do a re-cap of 2011 for the Archers. I didn't blog about a lot of this but I'm sharing it anyway.

January- Nothing really crazy happened for us this month. We rang the new year in Charleston w/ my college best friends and their spouses.  It was a great way to start the new year.

February-Drew opened The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and it was one of my FAVORITE roles and shows of his.  He was really good and funny as usual : ).  We also traveled to Arizona on a whirlwind trip.  We both enjoyed our mini visit w/ Aunt Jean.

March-Drew started directing Tom Sawyer at one theater in town and I opened Farragut North (which is the play that the movie Ides of March is based on) at another theater.  We were very busy as we were also in rehearsals together for Xanadu. We also celebrated Christmas in March.

April- We welcomed the spring w/ more Xanadu, a trip to NYC for yours truly, lots of friends having babies a big announcement about our future move to Atlanta.

May-was pretty busy and I was a horrible blogger...but I did tell you about the month in one blog post.

June-We took a mini beach trip with Drew's family to Hilton Head Island, SC.  It was great to have no alarm clocks.   We celebrated our 9th anniversary and I shared some facts about my amazing hubs.  The big move also happened at the end of the month.  It was a hard, great, sad, happy, grumpy, silly time for us!

July-We took the first vacation together in a very long time to Los Angeles.  It was one of the most relaxing trips and times for us.  It was a great trip. It took me months to blog about it but here are the posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.   I also headed back to Charleston to work for 3 more weeks.

August-I said "SAY LA VEE" to Charleston for real this time and really started the new life in ATL.  I'm not going to lie, it was a difficult month.  But change is going to have ups and downs...and you just go with the flow. Drew was able to enjoy lots of Braves games which is always good.  We also got to spend a lot of great time with our friends David and Brance, both live in NYC, who were working at a theatre in ATL.

September-This was our first full month back in Atlanta together. I started to get into a groove with my new job in Atlanta.  I also tried lots of new recipes and several fall-centeric ones.

October-Always a favorite month of mine full of Pumpkins galore, Birthdays including the hubs and my own, lots of house renovations and craigslist finds, and lots of great time w/ family and friends.

November-The month of thankfulness was a sweet, sweet time for us. We were able to get to know some more people in our new church,we were able to travel to NC and visit my dad for Thanksgiving and it was nice. I shared some of the things (small, random, & special)  that make me a thankful lassie : ).

December-The most wonderful time of the year and it was WILD for me this year.  I got to watch my favorite movies,  Drew was in a wonderful show, we got to spend Christmas w/ most of our loved ones.  The week after Christmas my mom got to come back to ATL and spend time with us. It was pretty great!