Vivian Vana Stevens
  • About
  • Work Experience
  • Blog
    • Disclaimers
  • Academic Work

I'm Vana, and this is my blog.


Our Next Adventure

1/16/2021

0 Comments

 
It is no secret that the past 3-4 months Adam and I have been going through some big changes. For starters - we moved from Stillwater, Oklahoma to San Antonio, Texas to be closer to family and for me to pursue a new opportunity at the University of the Incarnate Word as a Residence Life Student Advisor. I have joined an incredible and fun team that is Residence Life and Housing Operations, and I have the opportunity to supervise an incredible graduate student, some great Resident Assistants, and to plan some fun events in these crazy COVID times.
Picture
Picture
With that - Adam and I were apart for the first time since we met over four years ago. It was a challenging month, with Leo and I settling the apartment in San Antonio and Adam and Ace wrapping things up in Stillwater, but it was not long before Adam came to visit for Thanksgiving. During that month I found a cardinal and was able to rescue it, which lead to my new involvement volunteering with the Wildlife Rescue in San Antonio. My office team and I also rescued the sweetest cat - a four year old grey tabby named Lily - and re-homed her with my sister.
Picture
Picture
While the month felt like forever, it was not long before Adam came for Thanksgiving and his  birthday (bringing a car full of another trip of our belongings). We celebrated with a run together and some tasty donuts - but the celebration came to a hault and our plans to see family were put on hold when we both came down with COVID-19. My parents and sister had it as well, so we went to Pottsborro to quarantine as a family. 
Picture
Picture
Adam (still not feeling well) made the trip back to Stillwater where Ace was waiting to quarantine/isolate on his own before fully moving down to San Antonio in December. Those plans were shaken when Adam's blood pressure shot up and he was taken to the emergency room. God is good - and we are so grateful Adam was released later that day. My sister and I drove up to Stillwater to take care of him. 
Picture
Picture
After a few days of bedrest I drove Adam and Ace back to San Antonio with me so that I could return to work and continue to monitor and take care of him. He continued to recover, but COVID is tricky and has symptoms that last longer than any illness I've ever had before. 

With the love and support of our friends and family we made solid recoveries before Christmas and have fully settled into our new home. We've had many other adventures in between and as we've settled that I am excited to write/post about (new food we've tried, our annual passes to the zoo, and so much more). In the meantime I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season and a wonderful new year! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Time Management In College

9/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
This is my 7th year working with college students, ranging from being a student employee working with peers to it being my full-time professional job, and every year I see students struggle in different areas. The area I see the most consistently is time management. The irony is, for me as  a student and student worker I also struggled a lot with time management. It was not until my senior year of undergrad that I finally figured out a system that worked for me, and it took a lot of exploration. I tried planners, I tried outlook/google calendars, I tried reminder apps, I tried wall calendars, you name it and I probably tried a form of it! 

Today I'd like to share a resource that helped me tremendously in college when it came to "figuring it out" in time management. Below is a link to a free downloadable pdf version and a free downloadable Microsoft Excel file version of a 24/7 calendar split up by 30 minute increments. Below those I will go into detail on how I used this with other methods to get organized and manage both my studies, my jobs, volunteer hours, and student organizations.
Time Management PDF
Time Management Excel
During a staff meeting as a Community Advisor, my supervisors did an exercise with this. They passed out this type of document, and had us define different tasks as various colors. We created a color key and defined different forms of time spent:
  • Sleeping
  • Studying
  • In Class
  • At Work
  • Time Spent Eating
  • In Organization Meetings/Work for Organizations
  • Volunteering
  • Exercising
  • Time with Friends
  • Time Cleaning/Laundry
  • Free/"Fun" Time
And any other category that might go along with our weeks. We were told to use this key to fill in our "dream" week. To start with class and work and meetings, since those are more set in stone, and then to fill in the rest to make the most ideal week when it comes to balancing our time. For some of us our weeks were unrealistic. There was no free-time, or time for meals, and the schedule would leave any person exhausted. For others, they were more realistic, and ideally consistent weeks that should be pretty manageable. For some they left a lot of space open for free time, and not a lot for productive activities like studying or cleaning or sleeping.

Our supervisors then gave us the task to use a blank version of the document and to fill it out with everything we actually did for a week. We were to record all of it, and bring both sheets back to staff meeting the next week. One week later, I could see how I was actually spending my time. I was in tears after that week, running around campus doing various things and not taking many breaks. Some of my team was asked to look at time wasted, and where they could improve their time management. But myself and a few others were asked to look at how much was necessary, and to try to find a way to make our weeks more manageable.  This involved adding in time for self-care, allocating time to get to various locations, and potentially saying no to new opportunities that we didn't have time for. 

For the rest of the semester I used this paper calendar template every week to try to find ways to better improve my time. Some weeks it was by taking "wasted" time and channeling it into productivity, where other weeks it was making sure I gave myself enough time to get necessary sleep. Now I am able to manage myself through a virtual Outlook Calendar, but I am significantly less busy then I was as a student. If you are in school and struggling to keep up with all of your assignments, projects, work, etc. Try this method out. It may not work for everyone, but it can certainly give you an idea of how to balance your time. You may even go more specific with it by adding in what assignments you do when, so that you can get an idea of the time needed to properly prepare for each class. I hope you find this helpful!
0 Comments

What to Pack for Oahu in February/March

8/12/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I have been working for a while on our best packing list (what we needed, what we didn't, etc.) and so far, if you plan to spend 7 days in Oahu, HI towards the end of February/start of March, here is what you should plan to bring:
  • Water Shoes
  • Sandals
  • Comfortable shopping clothes (shorts/short sleeves/tank tops)
  • Swim suits (I brought 3)
  • Short-sleeved rash guard shirt
  • A baseball cap
  • A sun hat (optional)
  • Nice-ish clothes (expect to walk in them)
  • Tennis Shoes/Comfortable Shoes for hikes
  • LOTS of sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • A Dry Bag for the beach
  • A good camera
  • Extra luggage space for fun souveniers!
  • Socks/Pajamas
  • Toiletries 
  • Lots of T-shirts
Picture
Picture
I worked to keep it pretty short/sweet and simple! The fact was, we brought a lot with us that we did not need or wear. It helped that we were able to do laundry, which is not a situation everyone has. If you are looking for recommendations, feel free to reach out to me through the contact information on this website and I'd love to help you plan!
0 Comments

Homemade Kolaches & Klobasneks

6/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Growing up in Texas, Kolaches were always a staple for Adam and I. From local donut shops to the Kolache factory, and our favorite stop the Czech Stop Bakery in West, Texas, we have grown up with the idea of Kolaches being Sausage or Sausage and Cheese in a roll, what others might call a pig in a blanket. It wasn't until recently that we learned Kolaches are actually meant to be the same dough recipe but filled with fruit, chocolate, and more dessert-flavors. Our "traditional kolache" was actually considered a klobasnek, which is when the kolache contains meat and cheese. According to some sources, Kolaches migrated to the U.S. with Czech immigrants, while it is belived that immigrated Czech Texans that created the Klobasnek, or the "sausage kolache", while already in Texas. In some areas of Texas "kolache" is the blanket term for all of them, in other areas it is a point of controversy. In fact, in some areas north of Dallas they are just called "pig in a blanket" to avoid ruffling feathers, while more Central Texas is known for calling them by the regular terms. 

With a rich culture and something so close to home, Adam and I have missed the classic klobasneks from Texas and make a point to stop by a donut shop (or the Czech Stop itself) and have been working to make our own. Below is a recipe we tried out this week (our 3rd attempt, and the best one yet!). We really tried to diversify our options by making a deli turkey and garlic cheese option, a BBQ chicken and Gouda cheese option, a Bacon and Cheddar cheese option, a coffee cinnamon option, and a mixed berry option. Check out how to make your own below.
Picture

Kolaches and Klobasneks

Ingredients for Bread (30 Kolaches):
6 to 6&1/2 Cups of Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt
4 Egg Yolks - room temperature
         (Keep egg whites in a separate bowl)
2 Packets Active Dry Yeast (1/4 ounce each)
​2 Cups Warm Milk (we used almond milk)
1/4 Cup Softened Butter
Ingredients for Fillings:
BBQ Chicken
         1/2 Cup baked/grilled chicken
         1/4 cup Diced Gouda cheese
         1 Tbs bbq sauce
Turkey
          Chopped deli turkey
          Diced garlic white cheddar cheese
Bacon
           Diced Bacon Cheddar Cheese
Fruit
            1/2 Cup Blueberries
            1/4 Cup Blackberries
             2 Tbs Strawberry Jam
             1/2 Cup Sugar
             1 Tbs Butter
             1 tsp Cornstarch
1. Pour the yeast into a bowl with 1 Tbs of sugar, then add warm milk and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
​2. In a separate bowl combine 2 cups of flour, butter, remaining sugar and egg yolks. As it finishes, add in yeast/milk and mix until smooth. We put it in our Kitchen Aid mixer with our dough hook at this point and then slowly added the remaining 4 cups of flour; but you can slow mix it in yourself and then hand knead it for 7 or so minutes.
3. Place dough in a greased bowl and grease the top of the dough as well. Cover and let it rise on the counter for 1 hour.
4. Punch and re-knead the dough, then re-cover and let sit for another hour.
5. After, on a clean and floured surface roll out dough until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch of thickness.
6.We cut and then re-rolled some of the pieces to make the pieces thinner but you can also leave it thicker and cut bigger pieces.
7. For the meat Klobasneks we placed them on one end of the dough pieces and folded in the corners as we rolled them up to make slightly longer and thinner rolls.
8. For the fruit kolaches we left them in their squares for the time being.
9. After all the Klobasneks were finished, we let them sit on the counter for another 45 minutes to rise. Then, we pre-heated the oven to Bake at 350F and prepared an egg wash with the egg whites by slightly beating them.
10. We used a small glass to press down the centers of the squares, and then added 1 Tbs of fruit filling to each one. Then, we went over all of them (fruit and meat) with a light egg wash brush.
11. We baked all of the warm and delicious kolaches and klobasneks for 15 minutes (or until golden brown) before removing to cool.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Balcony Gardening

6/18/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
In light of social distancing/quarantine Adam and I have gotten really into fixing up/beautifying our apartment. We recently re-signed our lease and this will be the first place we've stayed in for over a year together, so we are excited to not have to move this summer! One thing on the docket was starting a small balcony garden and fixing up our balcony in general. After a fun trip to Lowe's here are some of the things we decided to plant:

1. Summer Squash

Picture
Picture

2. Green Bell Pepper

Picture

3. Lemon Thyme

Picture

4. Basil

Picture
Picture

5. Watermelon

Picture

6. Country Park Pratia

Picture
Next I wanted to go over a few tips and tricks for making your own balcony garden at home! Especially for all of the apartment-dwellers. Check them out below:

1. Look for plants that grow well in your area

So some plants are pretty safe in most areas, one that I've found easy to grow almost anywhere is Basil, but other plants can be a bit trickier. One in particular is flowers - when it comes to selecting flowers looking at not just area and times of year they grow, but the minimum and maximum heats can also be valuable to consider. For instance - a lot of flowers we looked at told us that they should be planted after the last freeze of the year. So spring-summer is what we assumed.

What we did not realize until doing a bit more research is that the flowers won't live past the 80F temperature point. In Oklahoma we have been in 90-100F weather for almost a month now, so it is no wonder those plants weren't responding well! So make sure to double check your plants' temperature range when selecting what will grow best on your balcony.

2. Evaluate length of sunshine

A big part of our plants growing has been looking at how much sunshine they get in a day. Our porch gets little to no sunlight before 2pm, but from 2pm-8pm it gets partial to direct sunlight, so plants that can grow successfully in 6 hours or less sunlight a day are ideal for our balcony. A balcony on the other side of the building gets pretty active sunlight from 7am-1pm, opening them up to a different range of plants to choose from. 

3. Don't be afraid to re-pot

When our squash started to have problems we realized that the pot was not large enough. We had a similar issue with the basil and thyme, so we invested in some larger pots and re-planted a lot. The squash pictured in the left photo is 13 hours before the picture on the right was taken, meaning that after re-planting it to a larger pot improved dramatically overnight.
Picture
Picture

4. Pesticides are important

Picture
It started with our bell pepper plant starting to look a little dry and eaten. Our squash was coming out beautifully and growing at a rapid pace, then one day after putting the plants a bit closer together to hit a sunny spot on the porch, our poor summer squash started to take a turn for the worst. 

We started to increase the water (assuming it was because the soil was dryer with the increasing temperatures) and that helped a little, but not enough. We really looked at the leaves and noticed they were being eaten by pests. To combat it, we invested in a natural pesticide to help get rid of the pests eating our plants.

Picture
0 Comments

DIY Wooden Chest Refurbish

6/17/2020

0 Comments

 
I've always been a fan of do-it-yourself projects and making something found more personal through refurbishing it. This specific project came about this past May when helping a close friend move in to an apartment near ours. When moving she had this old, paint-chipped wooden chest that was her own DIY dream she never got around to. She asked if anyone wanted it, offering to donate it if not, and Adam and I decided to take on the challenge! We already know where we'd like it to go in our house, and we haven't had a big project together since building all of our furniture a year or so ago.
We found that, while not as cheap as we'd hoped to fix-up, the chest project was surprisingly easy! If you have your own furniture you'd like to refurbish or repaint, check out our process for ideas/inspiration of your own.
Picture
1. We had to sand it down. The whole chest was originally black, with some strips of white primer sticking out. We attempted to sand by hand with just sanding paper, but about 15 minutes and 2 back aches in we bought ourselves a Black+Decker electric hand sander to save ourselves some time. The picture above is after we finished sanding!
Picture
2. Priming the chest. This part was surprisingly easy. This is after the first coat, we ended up giving it 2 coats of primer but it was ideal! We also primed the metal parts since we planned to paint those as well.
Picture
3. Step 3, we painted the chest a bright turquoise! This is a color that matches our bedroom color scheme that we also felt could be versatile in the living room if we ever re-located it. The goal is to put it at the foot of our bed to sit on when tying shoes, etc. We painted this with 2-3 coats as well to make sure it was really one solid color.
Picture
Picture
4. The final product! We finished the metal with a few coats of black to really pop. While it took a few days this project was pretty simple and easy to replicate at home with furniture you find at a garage sale, thrift store, or maybe something you already own.
Picture
0 Comments

Summer Fitness Routine

6/16/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
For about 5 weeks now Adam and I have really changed up our work out regimen and diet. This is due to a lot of things, from cooking at home more, more time from working from home/social distancing, the weather being nice enough to run outside again, etc. We have had some progress towards both our goals and towards our weight-loss, so I wanted to share where we are with our progress right now, and what some of our end goals are. 

Exercise Routine

We currently run 3-4 times a week, as well as do 2 body weight work outs either after running or on non-running days. Our running routines have been:

Week 1 - walk 1 mile, run 1 mile, walk 1 mile
Weeks 2 & 3 - walk 1 mile, run 2 miles, walk 1 mile two days; 6 400m sprints another day
Week 4 - walk/run 3-4 miles one day, timed mile, 1-2-1 walk-run another day
Week 5 - 1-2-1 walk-run two days, 3 800m runs another day, 35 minute run another day

Our body weight workouts have included combinations of:
Dips, Push-Ups, Mountain Climbers, Squats, Planks, Glute Bridges, Leg Lifts, Donkey-Kicks, Sit-Ups, Side Crunches, Bicycles, Jumping Jacks, Quick Feet, and other strength-building exercises usually in sets of 10-25 in circuits of 3-5.

Diet/Diet Changes

Picture
Our diet has kept some habits - we are getting a lot stricter on our Intermittent Fasting and working to stick with our 12pm-8pm eating window, and sometimes even shorten it to 3pm-7pm if our schedules work out that way. This has made a big difference in helping us to avoid overeating because we are able to have our bigger/preferred meals on those days since we are looking at 500-800 calorie meals instead of the 300-400 we've always struggled to keep in the past when we at 3 meals a day. 

We have also really worked to eat cleaner. We eat way more salads than I ever thought I'd eat, and we keep our house stocked with fresh fruit and yogurt for quick smoothies or parfaits. We also eat in themes by week, for example - this week is very Southern Italy focused with lighter pastas, chicken, fish, capers, asparagus, cauliflower rice, etc. Last week we were really into trying somen and soba, with lots of fresh vegetables, and it lead into us making a veggie-heavy fried rice at the end of the week. Keeping it fun has made it really doable.

We also have started looking at what gives us heartburn/acid reflex and trying to cut it out. A big one for me is alcohol. After this weekend with family I realized how much alcohol gave me acid reflex and have decided to cut back a lot. Other areas are our guilty pleasure foods (Insomnia Cookies, Dominos Pizza, McDonalds Chicken Nuggets, etc.) If we need to eat out we really evaluate where we should eat and what we could order that won't leave us being so sluggish. Tropical Smoothie and local taco places have been a life saver as examples.

Our Overall Goals

Picture
So all of this started because on Saturday, May 16th I woke up in a really good mood and went for a run. I set a goal for myself to run 5 miles comfortably by the 4th of July. That has since been postponed to the end of the summer to increase my mileage at a pace that won't injure Adam and I, but it is coming along. We started with 1 mile and have increased from there!

We set a goal to be "active people" which we have always defined as people that always work out, make up days they miss, and actively think about the eating choices they are making. We are hopeful that if we can keep it up it will feel more natural by the end of the summer.

For our weights, Adam has a goal of 165lb  and I have a goal of 140lb with the hope to achieve them at an attainable pace over the next year. 

Our Progress So Far

Here are different weights and dates so far for that side of our goals:

Adam -> 194lb November 7, 2019 -> 186lb May 20, 2020 -> 180lb -> June 12, 2020
Vana -> 164lb November 7, 2019 -> 157lb May 20, 2020 -> 151lb -> June 12, 2020

We took photos for progress, but aren't comfortable posting them just yet since our goals are still in progress.

We do have pictures of our running progress; for our 1 mile running time we have improved by over 2 minutes, going from a 12:30 mile time to a 10:17 mile time. We also have increased from only being able to run 1 mile without walking to being able to run 2&1/2 miles without walking!
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Refreshing Soba Noodle Salad

6/11/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Adam and I are often inspired to cook based on food we see on TV. On Saturday we were watching a show and the actors were eating somen noodles in one scene and soba noodles in another. There was ice floating in the noodles for the somen and I wasn't sure why. I started looking up recipes for somen and soba, and discovered that there is more to soba than just the warm soup I'd had in the past. In Japan it is common to also be served cold as a light and refreshing meal. Additionally, since soba noodles are made with wheat and buckwheat they are less caloric than regular spaghetti noodles. We wanted to try it for ourselves so we found soba noodles on amazon and bam! We made a really refreshing 
Picture

Refreshing Soba Noodle Salad

1 Bushel of Soba Noodles
Cucumber Slices
Sliced Carrots
Spinach
​Sauce of Choice
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Cook the soba noodles for 4 minutes in boiling water.
3. Remove from heat, drain water, and rinse the soba noodles in cold water 2-3 times to get the starch off.
4. Let sit in cold water with ice.
5. Plate soba in a bowl, add in other ingredients as you like, then drizzle the sauce of your choice over the top. We used a soy-peanut sauce!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Hawaii Inspired Parfaits

6/9/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Coming back from Hawaii gave Adam and I a lot of ideas for fun food recipes and flavor profiles. One of our favorites was the fruit parfaits we had at Goofy Cafe, and we couldn't wait to make our own version once we got home and settled. With papaya, mango, yogurt, honey we brought back from Hawaii, and granola. 

Hawaiian Inspired Parfait

  • 1&1/2 Cup Vanilla Yogurt (we used light/greek yogurt but it is up to preference
  • Banana, Papaya, and Mango Slices
  • 1/4 Cup Granola
  • Honey Drizzle
We added in the order of:
Yogurt
Fruit
Granola
​Honey
Picture
0 Comments

Our Trip to Oahu

6/8/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
The last week of February and into the first week of March Adam and I spent some time in Oahu, Hawaii and had an absolute blast! I wanted to share our itinerary and some fun stops we had during our trip for anyone planning to visit Oahu whether in general or during those months.

Where We Stayed

We were very fortunate to be able to stay on the Hickam Air Force Base in Oahu with some very close friends from college. We stayed with them for all but one night of our trip, that extra night being at the Hale Koa Hotel, a hotel designed for active and former military members and their friends and families.

While this situation is not possible for everyone, if you are traveling to visit friends/family on the island and looking for a trip on a budget, I may have some good tips for you!

What We Did

We really tried to get a combination of local life, military life, and tourist life over the week we were there. There were still some things we just didn't have the time to do, but we didn't leave feeling like we missed out at all! Here is our rough itinerary:

Night 1:
  • Land in Oahu - Brian, Dahlila, and Will picked us up with fun real-flower leis!
  • We grabbed dinner at a Local favorite (Teddy's Bigger Burgers) and then headed home to talk and pass out for the night
Day 2, Pearl Harbor and Waikiki: 
  • First things first - Adam and I woke up a little early (the time change can be an adjustment) and walked with Brian to a Starbucks on base and back (we do collect travel mugs)
  • Once back we packed sunscreen and got our group ready to head to Pearl Harbor!
    • We watched the Pearl Harbor video
    • Took the boat tour to see the U.S. Arizona Memorial
    • Grabbed lunch and drinks at Restaurant 604
    • Went on a head-phones tour of the U.S.S. Bowin (probably one of the coolest parts of our trip)
  • We also went to the Pearl Harbor Aviation museum and got to see some really cool planes, helicopters, etc. 
  • After that we went home for a quick rinse-off after a hot (and very fun) day before heading out to Waikiki for some exploring!
    • We walked around Waikiki to look at the hotels, check out the indoor and outdoor shopping and made our first ABC Store stop 
    • We went to the Ala Moana Center and into the Waikiki Yokocho under the Ala Moana. It was AMAZING! It was a ton of Japanese and Asian food concepts for order like a cafeteria, so we grabbed dinner and dessert there.
Picture
Picture
Day 3, Waimea Valley, North Shore, Dole Plantation, Luau:
  • We got up a little early and headed to Waimea Valley for a hike in the botanical gardens and up to the waterfall swimming area.
  • That was followed by a North Shores beach stop to see some massive waves, and get our first official "beach time". From there we headed to the North Shore Food Trucks for lunch!
  • On our way back we stopped by the Dole Plantation, making our own tour past the pineapple plants to save money and only going into the gift shop once at the plantation. We were able to try the Dole Whips, candy, and all sorts of things.
  • After another packed morning/early afternoon we made the trek back to base to shower and change.
  • We drove back into Waikiki for a Luau at the Hale Koa Hotel. The Luau was plated, with a great show before, during, and after dinner! There were some wonderful moments to celebrate the veterans and active duty military members and the service they've provided; as well as some fun Hawaiian history education. 
  • From there we were all pretty exhausted and in desperate need of a nap, so we went back to Brian and Dahlila's house around 9:30 pm to get ready for bed.
Picture
Picture
Day 4, Relaxing, Beach Time:
  • We woke up a little early again to grab Loco Mocos (as well as a mochi guava waffle for myself) and drop Will off at the airport. Then Brian, Dahlila, Adam and I headed back to base for a nap. After a long first two days we were pretty exhausted and in need of a break!
  • What better way to continue a break day? We went to a military beach on the south shore that had very calm waters, lots of space for sunbathing, and a lovely restaurant next to the beach. We swam, read books, colored in coloring books, and gabbed about our lives.
  • We went over to have dinner at the restaurant and then decided to order a group drink. A 64oz punch bowl of Mai Thais that we did not successfully finish, but we did make friends at the restuarant that were able to take over in our stead.
  • We followed that by going home to shower, enjoy some Dole treats, and play Mario Party as a group.
Picture
Picture
Picture
 Day 5, Swap Meet, Dim Sum, Aulani Disney Resort: 
  • We all felt rested, refreshed, and ready to go to the Aloha Stadium for Swap Meet. Swap Meet is a lot like Trades Days in Texas, a lot of vendors set up tents for local goods, foods, and cheap whole-sale souvenirs. It was a great experience, and a fun place to get gifts for our friends and families.
  • Afterwards we headed to the Ala Moana Mall to eat in the Jade Dynasty Seafood Restuarant. Here we were seated in a back room at a traditional Dim Sum table. We met two of Dahlila and Brian's friends, Pua and Stephanie. They showed us what their favorite things to order were, and even brought us poi donuts to try. 
  • A mission of mine for the trip was to try poi donuts. Poi is a delicious purple sweet potato/yam commonly used in Hawaii for different dishes. A savory poi dipping sauce came at the luau, and many poi pastries, so when Stephanie and Pua surprised us with some I was so excited!!
  • We moved on from there to shop around the mall, we checked out TC Surf, the Morphe store, Adam and Brian sat in a Tesla, we grabbed coco-mocha iced coffees, and Adam and I found some really cool Hawaii exclusive hydro flasks.
  • Heading back to the house, we all debated what to do. We'd talked about different options, but Dahlila pitched going to the Aulani Disney Resort because she'd never been and had a purse there she really wanted. We found parking ($15 or free if you make a large enough purchase, which the purse was) and headed inside to explore. From there we got to see beautiful artifacts, a really neat gift shop, and all the Lilo and Stitch themed things I could have dreamed of (including a life-sized stitch carved from wood!).
    • We took some time to walk down to where the Disney and Four Seasons hotel beaches meet, took some beautiful pictures, walked up to a rock peak and watched the sunset.
  • As it grew dark we made our decent for dinner, heading back towards base and grabbing some pho to go. We played Luigi's haunted mansion and fell asleep a little early.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Day 6, Liliha Bakery, Date Night, Hula Grill:
  • We first went to Liliha Bakery for a sit-down breakfast as well as a grab-and-go pastry set. We grabbed several malasadas (a treat I'd only seen in Pokemon Alola before visiting) and french donuts.
  • We then walked around the Ala Moana mall a little, but really started to make our way back to base to do some laundry. Brian and Dahlila brought Adam and I back to Waikiki and helped us check in to the Hale Koa Hotel, where we had our own date-night.
  • After checking in and getting showered and settled Adam and I went exploring Waikiki on our own a little; stopping in some boutiques and eventually making our way down to the Hula Grill. We were able to watch the sunset on the beach by Duke's before heading inside for our dinner reservation. 
    • The Hula Grill was AMAZING! Adam's Uncle Bobby is the head chef at the Hula Grill in Maui, so he made recommendations, and we were able to meet a lot of the staff that knows Bobby and hear stories about him, and the food was incredible. We were able to sit at a table overlooking the beach and the ocean, the environment was great, it was an unforgettable night and place. We truly had so much fun.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Day 7, Parasailing, Makapu'u Point:
  • Our last full day in Oahu was a great way to top off the trip. Adam and I woke up early to scout out a local breakfast and coffee place called Goofy.
  • We then found some time and went parasailing before coming back to meet Dahlila and Brian for lunch. The three of us walked to the Hard Rock Cafe, then back around to Lappert's for ice cream and ground coffee to bring back with us.
  • After all of that deliciousness we made our way to the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse hiking trail. I won't lie, for something I looked forward to the most, it was a hard hike. But it was so beautiful, and absolutely worth it!
  • I truthfully have no idea what we ate for dinner that night. Leftovers maybe? I am unsure. All I know is we had some great conversation, did some major cleaning, and couldn't thank Dahlila and Brian enough for being such great hosts!
Picture

Follow-Up:

I will post more soon about what we ate, what to pack for Oahu in February, etc. soon! I apologize for my blogging absence for so long, with COVID-19, a crazy work schedule, and other life things happening it has been hard to find time/motivate myself to write; but I appreciate you for reading!

Pictures or it Didn't Happen:

Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Pesto Chicken Croissant Rolls

3/9/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture

Pesto Chicken Croissant Rolls

Ingredients:
  • 2 Packs of 8 Croissant Rolls (we used Pillsbury)
  • 1 Bag of Grilled/Fajita Frozen Chicken
  • 1 16oz Bag of Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 Small Bottle of Pesto Sauce
Picture
Picture
Instructions:
  • Pre-Microwave your Fajita/Grilled Chicken and allow it to then cool in the fridge for 10+ minutes.
  • Set the oven to pre-heat for 375F.
  • Pre-Grease one-two Baking Sheets (we did two 13inX18in baking sheets, but a larger one would also suffice).
  • Lay out one of the croissant roll dough triangles, and starting from the wider end spread a thin layer of pesto sauce to half way down the triangle.
  • Place 1-2 pieces of grilled chicken at the wider end of the triangle, then dust with mozzarella cheese.
  • Roll up the mixture (making sure the contents are being folded into/covered by the dough)
  • Repeat until out of croissant dough.
  • Bake for 12 minutes at 375F.
  • Put light spread of butter as soon as they came out of the oven on top of each one, let them cool for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!
1 Comment

Valentine's Day Themed Treats

2/13/2020

1 Comment

 
Every year I make it a mission to seek out all of the fun Valentine's Day themed menu items at various chain restaurants. I love purple, pink, and red colors, hearts are a blast, and honestly the excuse to get regular food in fun shapes is just delightful! So I combined a list of places I'd recommend stopping by if you are interested and some of the fun things they are doing at participating stores! 
Picture

Pizza Hut

Picture
Pizza Hut has their classic heart shaped pizza bundle. Perfect for a heart enthusiast, a Galentine's Night, or a romantic night in! This was my go-to last year since Pizza Hut does a great job allowing you to customize your sauce and toppings.

Chick-Fil A

Picture
Chick-fil-A has brought back their heart-shaped tins to serve chicken minis, chicken nuggets, and cookies this Valentine's Day! While we were sad to not see the heart shaped chicken biscuits make a come back these tins are still really cute!

Insomnia Cookies

Picture
Insomnia Cookies has not only brought back their Red Velvet cookies, but also added a Red Velvet heart shaped cookie cake.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Picture
It should come as no surprise that the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory would be a hot-spot for Valentine's themed treats. With chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries, candy coated apples, and many more, the chocolate factory now also delivers!

Red Rock Bakery&Deli 

Picture
Red Rock is a Stillwater, OK hot spot and this year they are letting you pre-order cake donut bouquets, a dozen individually wrapped cake donut valentines, and a dozen individually wrapped traditional donut valentines! So surprise your partner, friend, or office with one of these great treats!

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Picture
I am a big Krispy Kreme gal, and this year they have cake batter, chocolate filling, and traditional filling Valentine donuts! Yum! 

Dunkin'

Picture
Dunkin' is doing a themed donut collection as well as pink coffee drinks to get into the spirit! 

Papa John's Pizza

Picture
Not a big fan of Pizza Hut? Try Papa John's heart shaped pizza and brownie combo! 

Kolache Factory

Picture
Supposedly, if you go into Kolache Factory on Valentine's Day and say "Happy Valentine's Day" they will through in a second kolache for free! I don't have one nearby, but definitely worth a try!

Olive Garden

Picture
Olive Garden is not just a romantic "dine-in" spot, but also a great carry out dinner! They are doing bread stick bouquets and chocolate boxes to go with your romantic night in.

Hooters

Picture
If Valentine's day is not your thing or you are trying to get over a break up, stop  by Hooters with a picture of your ex! Shred it in fromt of them and receive 10 free wings with a purchase of 10 wings! (so a BOGO Free deal)

Starbucks

Picture
Who could forget Starbucks? Every year they come out with something fun and surprising, this year they have gone away from tehmed coffee to focus on fun milk based drinks!

Slim Chickens

Picture
Slim Chickens is making their waffles heart-shaped to go with the classic chicken and waffles dish!

1 Comment

Books to Read in 2020

1/29/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Hello All! First things first - I would like to apologize for my absence this past month. Life has been a bit busier but I also found out that several of my blog post links on Pinterest weren't connecting to the specific posts they advertised but instead to just the blog itself. When investigating I found that my website has been deleting several of them and the ones lost were ones I did not have saved/backed up in any way. I was a little discouraged, which left me rather unmotivated when it came to writing new posts. I will now be backing up all of my posts just in case, but I am excited to be back and writing again!

Now that that is out of the way, below are some of the books I've read/am currently reading during this new year and a little about each one. I have been keeping up through the free website goodreads.com so that I can keep track of my reading this year, as well as accomplish my goal of reading 26 books in 2020. If you are already on Good Reads or plan to join and want to be friends feel free to add me here.

1. The Wife Between Us

I bought The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen on Audible in 2018 and just finished this week. I am a slow reader (I typically read at the speed that I talk in), but apparently I also lack dedication as a listener since it took me so long to finish this 13 hour book. It is important to know that this is not the book's fault, it was a wonderful thriller with unexpected twists and turns, and an even more surprise ending. I found myself hanging on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next many times, and if you choose the audible version the reader does an excellent job of highlighting the suspense as well as the character voices. 

Personally, I am not a "thriller" genre book or movie person, but I still loved this book. the plot is well thought-out and exciting, and it is definitely worth the read! I want to tell you about it but even mentioning the person/persons the book is about could give away one of the first surprises.
Picture

2. Free Speech on Campus

Free Speech on Campus by Erwin Chemerinsky and Howard Gillman was lent to me during a project I was working on recently. It was extremely informative when considering the First Amendment on Campus, Safe Spaces, the history of free speech on university campuses as well as the current climate. I felt as though the book was written to be more neutral and informative and less politically charged which I appreciated. If you are curious about the First Amendment in reference to free speech on campus or just free speech in general this is a good and quick read.
Picture

3. Fence Vol. 3

The Fence series by C.S. Pacat, Johana The Mad, and Joana LaFuente is a graphic novel series I started after a friend loaned me the first two volumes. I quickly grew obsessed with following Nicholas Cox and the other members of the fencing team's stories. Nicholas comes to a private school in the U.S. in hopes of getting onto the fencing team to receive a scholarship to attend the school and to continue to practice fencing. He is not the only new recruit to come in, but his attendance at the school is reliant on him making the team once tryouts begin. It is a fun and very sweet story so far, the graphics are great, and I can't wait for volume 4 to release! 
Picture

4. Safe Enough Spaces

Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness on College Campuses by Michael S. Roth was another book used in a project I was working on recently. The first half of the book pointed out a lot of the concerns of safe spaces on campus and why there is controversy towards them. The third chapter opens up more to talk about how to move forward without ignoring the problems addressed by the students. One of my favorite points Roth makes is: “When people are getting their news from social media tailored to their own interested and values, their allegiances intensify and their toleration of alternative modes of thinking diminishes.” (pp 113). The book really works to put into perspective the importance of being challenged, but definitely comes from one political side more than the other.
Picture

5. Get a Life Chloe Brown

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is a book I am half way through reading right now. 

​I am fairly obsessed with it, as it is an adorable love story about Chloe, a girl who lives in England and suffers from fibromyalgia. This is a book I received in my Book of the Month a while back and am just getting the chance to read. The story so far is very light (with some deep pasts of the two love interests), fun, flirtatious, and everything you want out of a romance novel right before Valentine's Day. Hibbert tells a lively story that is quite tasteful, even with some of its' more "R" rated scenes. Reading from both Chloe and Red's point of views has also been a treat.
Picture

6. A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is another book that is taking me a while to read. The story is very heavy and impactful, so I often have to take breaks. I started this book in October, trading a student for my copy of A Woman is No Man so that we could both read them and then discuss the premise and impact on students at OSU that may be facing similar issues at home. So far I am half way through it, I am enjoying the different perspectives as well as learning about history in an area of the world I did not know much about. Hosseini also wrote a famous book called The Kite Runner from the perspective of men whereas this book is written from the perspective of women.
Picture
1 Comment

Best Brioche French Toast

1/24/2020

1 Comment

 
French toast is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. Its' heavy sweetness, as well as the wide variety of french toast outcomes make it a very versatile dish. Two weekends ago Adam and I bought an apple cinnamon brioche loaf from the Walmart Bakery section and really went to town. The results were phenomenal, so I wanted to share. Check out our recipe, and know that you can substitute the bread for any brioche loaf you have available.
Picture

Brioche French Toast

Ingredients:
  • 1 Loaf Brioche Bread (flavored if preferred)
  • 5 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Milk (we used almond)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/2 Tbs Cinnamon Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
Directions:
  • Pre-Heat the oven to 350F.
  • In a mixing bowl crack the eggs, add the milk, and beat them until well mixed. Add in the vanilla and cinnamon sugar and stir in.
  • Slice the bread into 1in - 1&1/2in thick slices.
  • Take out a baking pan and spray with cooking spray. You can use foil to wrap the pan for an easier clean up, and spray it with cooking spray as well.
  • Dip a slice of bread into the mixing bowl, flipping it onto each side to let it soak in the liquid. Then, move the slice of bread carefully into the baking pan. Repeat until you have done this with every piece.
  • Pour excess liquid over the top of all of the bread slices in the pan, then dust brown sugar over each piece until well covered.
  • Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid is fully cooked. 
  • Plate and enjoy! We liked it with and without syrup.
Picture
Picture
Picture
We really enjoyed it with a few slices of egg-bake on the side! That way we covered our sweet and savory fixes.
Picture
1 Comment

A Taste of Southern Italy: A Meal of Recipes

1/9/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
A holiday season does not go by without Adam and I trying to bring some of his Italian heritage into our kitchen. My favorite is the recipes stemming from meals in Southern Italy and the coastal cuisine! For our small break between Christmas and New Years we made a night at home to cook a delicious meal together similar to ones Adam and I have had when visiting his dad's family. We had a blast making it, and the leftovers were just what we needed to last until we left for our next adventure.

Oyster Linguine

Instructions:
  • Linguine
  • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 16oz Medium Shucked Oysters
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • ¼ cup White Wine
  • Capers
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 Tbsp Butter
Picture
Directions:
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat
  • Rinse oysters
  • Add in oysters and cook them for about 5 minutes
  • Season with Italian seasonings, and salt and black pepper to taste
  • Boil and strain pasta
  • Add 2 Tbs of butter to the bottom of a mixing bowl. Put pasta in on top and set aside
  • Add in lemon juice and white wine, and cook at a simmer until sauce becomes less watery
  • Add in capers, and continue to cook an additional 4-6 minutes
  • Mix in the linguine pasta, and add fresh parmesan cheese to your liking ​

Flounder and Asparagus

Ingredients:
  • 4 Flounder Fillets (frozen)
  • ​2 Frozen Steam-fresh Bags Asparagus
  • Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Olive Oil
  • Crushed Walnuts
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt & Black pepper
  • ​Walnut Oil
Picture
Directions:
  • Thaw flounder fillets and asparagus and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  • ​Microwave steam the asparagus as instructed on the package
  • On a large baking sheet, lay out the flounder fillets and spread out the asparagus around the fillets, making sure not to stack any of the fish or asparagus
  • Drizzle olive oil across all of this
  • Sprinkle with salt, pepper, panko bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese
  • Pour the desired amount of crushed walnuts over everything
  • Drizzle everything with walnut oil
  • Bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork

Butter Bread

Ingredients:
  • Spreadable Butter
  • ​Garlic and Herb seasoning
  • 1 loaf fresh Italian Bread
  • Tin Foil
  • Non-Stick Spray
Picture
Directions:
  • Lay out a piece of tin foil large enough to wrap entire loaf of bread in
  • Spray it with Non-Stick Spray and place the loaf of bread on it
  • Cut splices half way through the bread (making sure not to separate any from the loaf) 1 inch apart
  • Coat each exposed area of sliced bread with butter (in between pieces as well as over the top)
  • Sprinkle garlic and herb seasoning over the top
  • Wrap the loaf in tin foil and bake at 400F for 10 minutes
While we finished this meal with a tiramisu and a cup of espresso, we did not make the tiramisu ourselves. We are hoping to try our hand at it in the near future, so be looking out for a recipe post sometime this spring!
Picture
1 Comment

What to do in Portland, Oregon in January

1/7/2020

1 Comment

 
I am someone who consistently checks flight prices for places Adam and I are wanting to go, and this past July it really paid off! I scored really cheap flights from the Dallas Love Field Airport to PDX in Portland, Oregon, a place Adam and I have both wanted to go for quite some time now. It fell during a slower time for both of us at work and we were able to book a hotel in downtown/the pearl district so we would be in the middle of it all!

As we were planning we noticed a lack of things to do during winter months/the end of the holiday season. A lot of our friends asked why we would go somewhere so far north in January when it might snow or be really cold in general. After visiting I can say that January was a BEAUTIFUL time to visit, and if you are ever able I would definitely recommend! We had an absolute blast, and the weather was perfect. If you are looking to visit Portland, Oregon during January, or maybe just in the winter in general, here is a brief schedule of what we did and why you should check it out. It is important to note that we based a lot of things/scheduling on location and hours they are open, as well as our own jet-lag from the time difference.
Picture

Thursday, January 2:

We landed at 10:45 PM PCT, but we could not help but make a run to VooDoo Donuts before calling it a night. There was one within .2 of a mile from our hotel so we walked over and brought some back. We chose:
  • High Tea - earl grey frosting with hibiscus drizzle
  • The Homer - strawberry frosting with sprinkles
Both delicious! The Homer was a classic and the high tea was both tasty and original. It is important to note that our hotel was the Courtyard Marriott in City Center, so we really were at the heart of everything. It is a beautiful hotel and a great location for visitors without a car!
Picture

Friday, January 3:

Picture
Around 9:30 AM we headed to Blue Star Donuts! There are quite a few Blue Stars around Portland, so we settled on one that was on the way to a bus station. We enjoyed trying:
  • Blueberry Basil Bourbon
  • Traditional Buttermilk Old-Fashioned
  • Raspberry Buttermilk Old-Fashioned
  • Coconut Creme Brulee 
As well as a cup of Blue Star coffee! Wow-oh-wow were these donuts good! An agreed favorite being the blueberry basil bourbon for both its uniqueness and just how good it was in general.
Picture
We hopped on one of the TriMet buses after purchasing a day pass and rode it all the way to the Oregon Zoo drop off. This gave us a chance to sit back and really look at Portland through the bus windows and all the areas we went to. We passed even the Japanese Garden on the bus which was our intended end destination, so it gave us a pretty good idea of the general direction we would need to head in.
Picture
Picture
We looked up a trail through Washington Park that lead us from the zoo to the Japanese Gardens and took off! It was a 2 mile hike with a lot of beauty along the way. This was Adam and I's favorite part of the trip. It was a beautiful 50-55F outside, it was slightly overcast so the sun was not beating down all day, and the views were just beautiful. Going up and down the hills on a Friday meant there weren't many people out and about, and our hike took from 11am-1pm with all of the fun photo-stops we made.
Picture
Picture
Once we made it to the Japanese Gardens (maybe around 1pm?) we took a breather to meditate and really enjoy the gardens. From the bridge, the water fall, the zen gardens, peaceful benches, and a great view of Mt. Hood we both left feeling like we'd really gotten to see a small part of Japanese history. The garden is known as being the most accurate Japanese garden in the USA to a real garden in Japan, and it had a lot of spots to stop and read about why certain pieces were there or positioned in a certain way. 
Picture
Picture
Flash forward to about 3:00 pm. We finished walking around the Japanese Garden (and the gift shop), walked down to see the sadly empty Rose Gardens, and waited for our Uber to take us to our next stop. We landed on Boxer Ramen back in Down-town, and what a lucky find! It was incredible! The pork was so tender and full of flavor, the broth was delicious, Adam and I both agreed it was hands down the best ramen we've ever had. We both tried the Tonkatsu-Shio (our go-to) and I can't recommend it enough. For reference I've tried that same dish in Houston, Plano, Denver, and Disney's Animal Kingdom, but nothing hit the level Boxer Ramen's did.
After finishing the best ramen we've ever had Adam and I decided to browse a few stores. After grabbing a cup of coffee at Stumptown we popped into a local thrift shop, some of the stores in the same area as Boxer Ramen, and finally we made our way to the famous Powell's City of Books. Powell's is the largest book store in the country, taking up an entire block in the city of Portland. It is incredible, with so many different wings and an extremely organized system. They had every book I could have ever imagined and to be honest I was overwhelmed with both joy and indecisiveness. Adam found a book he came in hoping to look for, and on that first day I left pretty much empty handed.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
We walked to Deschutes Brewery from there to use the restroom and grab something to drink. Deschutes Brewery is a Portland treat with plenty of different brews to try, as well as wine, whiskey, and a hard seltzer. We tried the Garlic Fries topped with orange and basil aoili, a Black Butte Whiskey with ice for me, and a Brewer's Choice Tray for Adam. The tray included:
  • Couch Surf Kolsch
  • Swedish Coffee Break (even I liked this one)
  • Common Have a Pint
  • Altbierior Motive
  • Jolabokaflod
  • Dank Cake Stout
The Swedish Coffee Break was a favorite we both enjoyed, and Adam also really liked the Jolabokaflod. The whiskey was smooth and had a unique flavor. It was described to be a collaboration of a malt whiskey from the wash of Deschutes Black Butte Porter beer. The fries were a great addition but made for a pretty heavy side that we both had trouble finishing.
After a fun few hours out and about we made our way back to the hotel to shower and change out of our hiking gear. Once we were gussied up (and a bit less full from Deschutes) we did not know where we wanted to go or what we wanted to do. We debated the typical tourist spots like the Whiskey Lounge (very pricey), Doug Fir Lounge (pretty far away), Ground Kontrol, etc. As we were walking we saw a place lit up that looked fun and just walked in. That is how we found the Pine Street Market, a wonderful place with lots of different restaurants shoved in. It was like being back in college but with better food and alcohol! Adam grabbed a slice of marinara pizza from Checker Board Pizza and an Abiss Mimosa while I relaxed with a glass of wine. After he finished we tried some Pork Steam Buns from Kim Jong's Smokehouse and we ventured to split a Dream Sickly beverage. After some great conversation in a pretty fun atmosphere we capped the night with ice cream from Wiz-Bang, which exclusively serves Salt n' Straw ice cream. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Saturday, January 4th:

Picture
Picture
Picture
After breakfast we walked around the corner to Cacao, a fancy chocolate shop that features several different hot chocolates. Adam and I both tried what they described as their European Flight, including 3 small cups of very thick hot chocolate. The flavors were dark chocolate, dark chocolate with cinnamon, and spicy dark chocolate. They were all really tasty, but Adam and I both liked cinnamon the best! We browsed around the chocolate shop a bit and managed to bring home a lavender dark chocolate as well as a mango white chocolate bar to try later.
After leaving Cacao we made our way to Wild Roots Tasting Room. This was across the bridge so we took the opportunity to walk past China Town, see the Portland Stag sign, and really take in the view of Portland at the water front. It was absolutely breathtaking.
We slept in a little and left the hotel around 9:30 AM (mind you this translates as 11:30 AM in CST). We knew we wanted to go to Cacao, but we also wanted to stop somewhere for breakfast. Blue Star donuts was sort of on the way to Cacao, but we passed several places serving breakfast, including Stumptown coffee, along the way. We saw a place called Kenny & Zukes Delic... and thought it was worth a try. Little did we know it would end up being our favorite meal of the trip! Kenny&Zukes is a Jewish themed restaurant with a menu full of wonderful food including fresh bagels, matzah, flatkas, and so much more! The pastrami was insanely good, but truly all of it was really good! We ordered:
  • ​Matzah Brei - crackers soaked and re-baked in egg with cinnamon and sugar
  • 222 - Pastrami, Latkas (like a 'potato biscuit' is how Adam describes them), eggs over easy, and rye toast
  • 2 Coffees (of course)
They were also really nice and complimented my hat, so I couldn't help but try to get a picture in it. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Once we made it over to the Wild Roots Tasting Room we were in for a real treat! My dad's favorite vodka brand is Wild Roots and you can almost only get it in Oregon. He loves the Marionberry, which is a classic in our eyes because it is the first one we ever tried. It has a thick texture to it, which is not common for any other vodka I have ever tried. We took a chance and did a Spirit Flight and a Cocktail Flight, that way we could each try them stand alone as well as in a drink.The Spirit Flight Included:
  • Raspberry Infused Vodka
  • Marionberry Infused Vodka
  • Huckleberry Infused Vodka
  • Pear Infused Vodka
  • Dark Sweet Cherry Infused Vodka
The Cocktail Flight Included:
  • Hot Cobbler (Hot buttered rum mixture and Peach Infused Vodka)
  • Frozen Hot Chocolate (Frozen Chocolate Slushie and house infused Candy Cane Vodka)
  • Autumn Freeze (Frozen Apple Cider Slushie and Cranberry Infused Vodka)
  • Chai Cream (Smith Tea Chai, cream soda, and Apple & Cinnamon Infused Vodka)
  • Refresher (Club soda and huckleberry infused vodka)
Needless to say, they were all really good. Adam loved the pear infused vodka and my favorite drink was the Hot Cobbler. We ended up taking a few bottles home (although if I could go back I think I would get others just to have them).
After Wild Roots we headed back towards down town to give me another shot at finding a book or two at Powell's. This time I left with two books and Adam picked up a second one as well. It was less crowded and we had a better sense of which rooms held which books. We even took a second to stop by the Pearl room, or the "Rare Book" section. These books range in prices of $150 - Thousands of dollars. These we just wanted to look at out of curiosity, but we also made a point to go to every wing this time. I think we may have even spent over an hour there before we left to look at other shops!
Picture
Picture
Picture
We worked our way through the streets with rain off and on until we settled on grabbing lunch at Bamboo, a sushi restaurant in the area. We debated what we would do next there. Maybe see a movie at The Living Room Theatre nearby, stop by the Curious Comedy Club to see their improv group perform, or one of the many other interesting things we saw advertised on other blogs or in general. As we talked we ordered:
  • Chef's Choice Steam Buns (beef&kimchi)
  • Tuna Sashimi
  • Mackerel Sashimi
​And here is a picture of Adam with a statue of bikes we took before we made it to Cacao. Random, but I really like it!
Since we did not manage to get a picture of our ice cream the night before we felt like we could not miss a chance to stop by Ruby Jewel for another sweet treat. We ordered:
  • Double chocolate cookie sandwich with gingerbread ice cream
  • 2 Scoops caramel coffee ice cream
And holy cow were they good! The gingerbread ice cream had such a strong molasses flavor, it was awesome! 
Picture
Picture
As we wrapped up we headed back to the hotel room in a light drizzle and ended up talking, hanging out, and reading our new books in the hotel for several hours. By the time we looked up and realized what time it was, we knew we needed to start packing up for our early flight the next day. We didn't sweat it though. Feeling a little hungry now we ordered room service. Creme Brulee French Toast, Eggs, Bacon, a beer for Adam and a glass of wine for me gave us the perfect chance to relax and end what was already a great trip on a high note. The Courtyard Marriott in City Center's room service is impeccable if you are ever staying there.

Sunday, January 5th: 

A 6:45 AM flight had us leaving the hotel around 4:00 AM, but we really didn't mind. We even stopped by the airport Blue Star Donuts to get our fill before we left. A Pina Colada Old Fashioned Donut, a Chocolate Almond Ganache Donut, and an Apple Brandy Crumble Cake Donut left us feeling more full than I think we have ever felt. We also realized that there was a Deschutes Brewery and several other "Portland" or "Oregon" spots in the airport someone visiting could check out if they did not get the chance to during their main visit.
Picture
Overall we had an incredible time in Portland. With the fun nature-side (and honestly so much we did not explore) as well as the great food and fun vibes of the city itself I can't wait for the chance to go back. We didn't even do half of the things we could have, but I wanted to share for anyone traveling there, especially in the winter months, looking for fun stops and things to do. Coming from Oklahoma the weather was beautiful, a consistent flow between 40-55 Fahrenheit (much nicer than the 22-60 Fahrenheit fluctuations in Oklahoma). 
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

How My Husband Proposed to Me

12/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Two years ago today the love of my life asked me to marry him. Fast forward to now as happy newly-weds and I could not be more grateful for Adam and all he has brought to my life. Today I was reflecting on the proposal and how much it meant to both of us, and I wanted to share what the day was like as well as give a little context on why Adam proposed the way that he did. 

The night before we got engaged Adam and I had returned from lots of Christmas traveling and family visiting. We had been asked if we were going to get married, if so when, how serious we were, and all the questions that come up when a couple in their 20s has been together for a certain period of time. We sat down and I asked Adam where he saw our relationship going and if he had been thinking of getting engaged, we talked about our full plan and he said he might propose sometime after April. Little did I know that at that moment he had already decided he was going to propose the next day. 

Fast forward - we had breakfast that morning (egg in a basket and coffee) and I headed out to go pick up one of my very best friends from the Tulsa airport. During this time Adam already had the idea to use the video game Stardew Valley to propose.  He headed to Jackson Diamond Jewelers in Stillwater to put the final payment on my ring, and came back to start working on his plan on his farm in Stardew Valley.

For a little background: As kids we both enjoyed video games, and for Adam video games helped him overcome a lot of his personal obstacles in college. I fell off of the gaming wagon in high school and, other than the occasional Smash Bros tournament with our friends, had not played games in a while. It was Adam that re-introduced games to me by getting me a Nintendo 2DS for my first birthday with him with the games Fantasy Life, Pokemon Sun, and Animal Crossing New Leaf for us to play. We played those games so much that spring semester that Adam helped me set up an Xbox Live profile on his Xbox. His dad gave us an older Xbox he had in his house so that I could have my own to play with as well.  Then when we first moved to Stillwater Adam helped me set up our Xbox's side-by-side in the living room, so we could always play together.

We played a ton of games, but that first week in Stillwater Adam bought us both Stardew Valley because he'd heard good things about it online. We started playing together, and quickly grew obsessed with it! We probably played it 150+ hours from July-December, and that may be underestimating it. We both made respective farms, joined the subreddit, and bonded over how much we enjoyed playing it together. We would even plan stay-in date nights around it (something we still do on occasion). So Adam's inspiration to propose to me was to write out "Marry Me?" in tulips (my favorite real-life and in-game flower).

I remember walking in and him asking me to look at his screen because he was building something. It is a farming game, so I wondered if it was a new mill or a fun cabin, maybe the multi-player update had come out. So I scrolled through and was surprised to find "Marry Me?" spelled out, and looked over to see Adam on one knee. It was surreal; I was overfilled with joy and warmth. We both teared up, and even our cat Leo joined in our hugging. His proposal was so personal to both of us, and was planned around something we both really cherish and bond over. After that we went out to lunch, called our families from there, and the rest is history! 

I posted our story on Reddit, and it blew up! Well, more than any post I have ever posted before at least. PC Gamer Magazine's Luke Winkle even reached out and did an article about us and how great Stardew Valley is for couples. Since the multiplayer update releasing that has only become more true. 

As we get closer to concluding our first year of marriage I can't help but ponder on how fortunate we were to find each other. We have taken some time today to celebrate by going out to breakfast, and tonight will play more Stardew Valley.

The picture he proposed with:

Picture

The final result:

Picture
0 Comments

Pour-Over Coffee

12/29/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome Back! I apologize for going so long without posting, it has been a crazy and travel-filled holiday season. Today I wanted to talk about the pour-over Adam and I have been using for the past 2 months and what a great investment it has been. We got it as a lightning deal on amazon through this link, and it was only $16! It is really easy to use and comes with instructions on how to use it, how to clean it, etc. It is extremely user friendly and the shop selling it through Amazon even reached out to give us tips on how to use it properly. It makes an incredible cup of coffee and only requires the regular drip coffee grind (so any bag of pre-ground coffee at your local grocery store will do) and hot water. Check out some of our own experiences below!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
When using a pour over coffee maker such as this one you don't need to buy filters because the device is designed to filter the coffee itself. However, as you pour in the hot water, note that when it first fills up and takes a while to drain it is helpful to give it 30 seconds before trying to add more water. This process is called blooming; it adds to the flavor and I personally think helps the coffee start to filter more quickly after the initial pause. We have used the pour over for a stay-at-home coffee cup as well as an on-the-go tumbler and have not had any issues with it. If you love coffee as much as we do, this may be a fun avenue to check out!
0 Comments

Cafe Du Monde Brought Home

12/18/2019

1 Comment

 
Impromptu Date Nights are a way of life for Adam and I right now, and they are some of my favorite moments. On Saturday when we both got home from work I asked if he'd want to use the Cafe Du Monde mix and coffee we brought back from New Orleans to have breakfast for dinner. He pitched taking it one step further and using the Christmas Cookie Cutters to make the beignets in fun holiday themed shapes. Overall we had a blast! You can order the Cafe Du Monde Beignet mix on Amazon, as well as a tin of the Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory to make your own date-night and bring a little bit of NOLA home. Here are some fun tips (you can technically find on the back of the beignet box) to host your own Cafe Du Monde night at home!
Picture
Picture
Picture
You'll want to stir together in a bowl 7oz of water and 2 cups of beignet mix, but don't over mix the dough!
You'll want to heat up a pot of oil to 370F (we used vegetable oil in our cast iron dutch oven, but any pot will do!)
Roll dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/8in thick, then cut either 2 inch squares, or use cookie cutters to make whatever shapes you like.
Drop the dough in but don't add to many, as they won't cook properly if you do. We used a metal sifter to pick up the pieces once they were done!
It helps to add the powdered sugar while they are still pretty hot.
Picture
Picture
We were big fans of the final product! We made drip-coffee with the Cafe Du Monde chicory and coffee tin, and my favorite part is pouring the coffee over the beignet to let the warm dough absorb the bold coffee flavor, and to keep the powdered sugar from drying out your throat.
Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

S'mores Covered Pretzels

12/16/2019

1 Comment

 
This time of year always sparks my interests in chocolate desserts and with a ton of ingredients left over from our fudge adventure/general snacking, Adam and I decided to try out a new chocolate covered pretzel method. We have been on a big S'mores kick since making S'mores Fudge, so here is what we came up with!
Picture

S'mores Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:
  • 4 Cups Pretzels
  • 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2 Cups Marshmallows
  • 1 Graham Cracker (crushed)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Directions:
  • Spray cooking spray onto a baking sheet, then lay parchment paper on the baking sheet. Afterwards spray the parchment paper with cooking spray again. 
  • Spread out the pretzels evenly on the pan, although some will overlap.
  • Spread out the chocolate chips evenly over the pretzels.
  • Lay the marshmallows over the pretzels, then bake the tray at 350F for 10 minutes.
  • Check the marshmallows to make sure they are lightly toasted. If the toasting is uneven turn the pan to face the other way and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove tray and pour the mixture into a large bowl. Stir it all together while it is still hot, letting the pretzels get covered evenly.
  • Pour the bowl of ingredients back onto the parchment covered sheet and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs on top.
  • Enjoy hot like nachos or put in the fridge for 30 minutes for chocolate covered pretzels!
Picture
1 Comment

Venison Chili

12/14/2019

0 Comments

 
For the next few months we will be welcoming a guest blogger on occasion (Adam Stevens, my sweet husband) to post some of what he calls his favorite "bachelor pad" recipes. He says they are recipes he often eats when I am out of town and at more often while he was single. Here is a little more from him on the topic:
"Bachelor Pad meals are meant to be easy, simple, and hearty.  Last weekend while Vana was visiting her friend in St. Louis  I made this Chili and ate it all weekend. It was easy to cook and has a rich and savory flavor. I hope you all enjoy!" - Adam
Picture

Venison Chili 

Ingredients:
  • 2-3 lbs Venison (cubed)
  • 1 large white onion (diced)
  • 1 can of tomato paste (5 oz)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies (10 oz)
  • 2 packets of chili mix
  • 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
  • Diced garlic (optional)
  • 1 tsp finely ground coffee (optional)
Directions:
  • Pre-cut your venison and onion and place into the crock pot
  • Add your diced tomatoes and tomato paste and mix together
  • Mix in your seasonings and worcestershire sauce, and optionally add in your garlic and coffee
  • Cook on high for 4-5 hours in the crock pot
  • Serve warm with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream
  • Enjoy!
Picture
0 Comments

Holiday Fudge X3

12/13/2019

2 Comments

 
So I am pretty positive my grandma got the main base fudge recipe off of the back of a marshmallow creme container, but man oh man is it good! For the first time Adam and I made it Monday (well, Adam did all of the work honestly) and he made 3 versions of it. If you like smores, cookie butter, or just fudge in general check them out! We made a full 3 batches of fudge and have brought them to all sorts of parties and gatherings.
Picture

S'mores Holiday Fudge

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Margarine 
  • 2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)
  • 1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Graham Crackers
  • 2 Cups Mini Marshmallows
Picture
Directions:
  • Grease 9in X 13in pan
  • Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat (we used a dutch oven), stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Bring mixture to a full boil for 5 minutes, don't stop stirring.
  • Bring heat to low and stir in chocolate chips until melted and thoroughly combined. Beat in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
  • Pour a thin layer of fudge on the bottom of the pan. Then, cover fudge in a single layer of graham crackers.
  • Coat the top of the graham crackers in fudge, then sprinkle a single layer of mini marshmallows.
  • Bake in the oven on broil for 4 minutes, or until marshmallows burn. Then remove, scrape off the "burnt" part of the marshmallows, and bam!
  • Refrigerate for 2+ hours or until chocolate sets.
  • Enjoy a delicious campfire themed fudge.

Cookie Butter Holiday Fudge

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Margarine 
  • 2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)
  • 1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Cookie Butter ( 6 Tbs)
Picture
Directions:
  • Grease 9in X 13in pan
  • Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat (we used a dutch oven), stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Bring mixture to a full boil for 5 minutes, don't stop stirring.
  • Bring heat to low and stir in chocolate chips until melted and thoroughly combined. Beat in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
  • Pour half of mixture into a 9in X 13in pan.
  • In a sauce pan melt cookie butter on low and drizzle over the chocolate in pan.
  • Pour the rest of the fudge on top and refrigerate for 2+ hours.

Holiday Fudge (The Original)

Ingredients:
  • 3 Cups White Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Margarine 
  • 2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Chips (Semi-Sweet)
  • 1 7oz Jar Marshmallow Cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions:
  • Grease 9in X 13in pan
  • Mix sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat (we used a dutch oven), stirring until sugar dissolves.
  • Bring mixture to a full boil for 5 minutes, don't stop stirring.
  • Bring heat to low and stir in chocolate chips until melted and thoroughly combined. Beat in marshmallow creme and vanilla extract.
  • ​Pour into a 9in X 13 in pan.
  • ​Refrigerate for 2+ hours or until chocolate sets.
Picture
2 Comments

Practice Writing

12/11/2019

3 Comments

 
After feeling inspired to write something fun by friends and family, I wrote a few short paragraphs of a short story I have been working on. It would be the opening paragraph of a story about my grandmother and her childhood. She was an incredible woman who lived through a lot and was a true cowgirl, so if you would like feel free to read it over. Comments/suggestions are welcome as I am very new to this and it is just a rough draft of what could eventually be a short story.

The Adventures of Cici the Cowgirl

Picture
“Just take a deep breath … and go.”

    Cici could feel the movement of her horse beneath her as she trotted into the arena. She scanned the area, looking at the crowd and the calves before her as she took a deep breath. The smell of red dirt filled her lungs and it was then that she knew which calf it would be. A small hereford stood a little in front and to the right of the herd. With the judges now behind her Cici gripped the reins in her hands and moved forward. 

    Cici was only 4’9” at 11 years old. A beauty with a mop of curly black hair, jarring blue eyes, and a warm smile, but she’d never want you to know that. She kept her hair tied behind her head or braided underneath a straw hat most days, a look her mother was not particularly fond of. Cici was commonly teased for dressing and acting like a “tomboy”, but no one ever teased her when she competed alongside her father in cutting horse competitions. No, it was then and only then that she felt like she was part of something bigger, something greater than herself. Working together with her quarter horse Wilson to herd a calf was something as basic and traditional as a cowboy itself. 
3 Comments

Best Gifts for Friends in 2019

12/4/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Who doesn't struggle to find the perfect gift for your closest friends? Especially if you are on a budget! If you've read my post on how to be a better gift giver and you're still wracking your brain for ideas, check out my list below! I organized it by interest so that there are multiple options to look at for each of your friends. I will give a heads up - this list was created out of an age range of 20-38 year olds in mind so I guess you could say best gifts for your Gen Z and Millennial Friends?

1. The Work Friend

  • Rustic Wooden Office Organizer
  • Fancy Pens
  • K-Cups
  • A Planner
  • Newtons Cradle
Picture

2. The Friend Who Likes to Read or Write

  • The Novel Notebook
  • Journals
  • Book of the Month Subscription
  • Good Quality Pencils

3. The Harry Potter Loving Friend

Picture
  • Harry Potter Adult Coloring Book
  • Sorting Hat Candle
  • Harry Potter House themed Pajama Pants
  • Wand Replica
  • The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

4. The Anime Friend

  • Anime Body Pillow of Their Favorite Character
  • Pop Figures of Their Favorite Characters
  • Anime Movies/Blu Rays of Studio Ghibli (or other popular films)
  • Themed Items (For One Piece a Straw Hat, for Fairy Tail a Panther Lily Plush, etc.)

5. The "Cool" Friend

  • Gift Cards to Their Favorite Stores
  • Whiskey Stones
  • Fun Ice Cube Trays
  • SnoFlake Multi-Took
  • A Book Intended to Organize Passwords and Logins

6. The Basic Friend

Picture
  • Soft Blanket
  • Fuzzy House Shoes
  • Soft Socks
  • Reusable Straws
  • Mini Waffle Maker (Only $15!)
  • Candles

7. The Friend with Pets

  • Natural Elk Antler Chew (dogs)
  • Squeaky Chicken Toy (dogs)
  • Tower of Tracks (Cat)
  • Animal Bandanna
  • Pet Collar Bowtie

8. The Friend Who Like to Cook

  • A Stove-top Tea Kettle
  • Knife or Knife Set
  • Good Knife Sharpener
  • Avocado Slicer
  • Britta Filter Water Bottle
  • Fun Cooking Oils
Picture

9. The Friend Who Works Out a Lot

  • A Water Bottle for Running
  • A Pilates Socks
  • Shaker Bottle
  • Yoga Mat

10. The Friend into Super Heroes

  • A POP Figure of their favorite Hero
  • A T-shirt of their favorite heroes (Hot topic and BoxLunch have great sales)
  • A Stackable Snack Pack​
  • Wall Art (posters, framed pictures, etc. Hobby Lobby has a lot of great options)

11. The Friend Who Needs a Break

Picture
  • Zen as F*ck Journal
  • Face Masks
  • Dammit Doll
  • Herbal Tea
  • Oil Diffuser for Aroma Therapy

12. The Friend That Loves Sports

  • A blanket from their favorite sports team
  • Basketball or Baseball or Football Dammit Doll
  • Sports Glassware (Cups, glasses, tumblers, yeti's (or knock offs), etc.)
  • Sports Themed Office Trashcan

13. The Friend Who Likes to Travel

  • Neck Pillow
  • Wireless Headphones
  • Fun Luggage Tags
  • Portable Charger (less expensive) (more expensive)
  • Airplane Foot Hammock​
Picture

14. The Friend Who Likes The Outdoors

  • Field Journal
  • All Weather Pen for Field Journal
  • Portable First Aid Kit
  • Outdoor Waterproof Blutooth Speaker

15. The Friend That Plays Video Games

Picture
  • Animal Crossing New Horizons (maybe this one is just me)
  • Gift Card for Their Gaming System of Choice
  • Wall Hangers for Controllers/Headsets
  • Pop Figures or Figurines from Favorite Games
  • Game Controller Cuff-links
  • Gaming Themed Ornament

16. The Friend Into Art or DIY Projects

  • Art supplies (Paint, Colored Pencils, Sketch Pads, Canvas, etc.)
  • Glue or Wood Glue
  • Wall Stud Finder
  • Basic Tool Kit
  • Patterned Fabric Patches

17. The Friend That Plays Board/Card Games

  • On A Scale of One to TRex
  • Unstable Unicorns ($30 for game and all expansions at wish.com)
  • Ticket to Ride
  • New Phone, Who Dis?
  • Exploding Kittens​
  • Jenga
Picture

18. Best Friend Themed Gifts

  • Friendship Pictures
  • Long Distance Necklace
  • Key Chain with States
  • A Picture Ornament from Shutterfly
I hope these gave you some great ideas of things to get for your friends this holiday season!
Picture
0 Comments

Everything We Ate: November 2019

12/2/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
On November 7th I was done. I was following my "Last 90 Days" plan of drinking more water, cutting out candy, and all of the other things that go along with it. But as the work day on November 7th came to a close I was disgusted with myself. Then, I saw a reddit thread about Intermittent Fasting (IF). Adam has brought up the idea before, but we were thinking of it as something that would cut out dinner. We were eating breakfast every day so we figured going 7am-3pm or 8am-4pm to accomplish a 16:8 fast seemed impossible. I don't know why it never occurred to me before, but as I read through it clicked that we could limit ourselves to just eating from 12pm-8pm and it would work for our lifestyle. 

Now, I know the thought of skipping breakfast can be taboo for some, but for us the idea of skipping dinner and going to bed hungry or not refueling after a work out was worse. I can't say we have been perfect since starting the 16:8 IF cycle, we have had days where we are 30 minutes-an hour off, and one day we did not follow it all together, but we've also had days where we have made it closer to the 18:6 mark. While our weight-loss has been minimal/slow, it has been steadily taking effect without a ton of effort on our parts. We have been exercising alongside starting IF and it has not caused us to be tired or have any sort of muscle fatigue because we are still working to fuel ourselves within the set amount of time. 

The benefit I think Adam and I have appreciated the most is the simplicity of only worrying about 2 meals a day. Before when we would meal prep it felt like we needed to spend hours making 3 different meal options to mix up; but now that we are only worried about two meals a day we have gained a lot of free time back. Cooking (something we always have and still enjoy) has been even more fun because we can focus our energy onto one big dinner-like meal to spread out over the whole week vs. trying to make two or three. You can definitely see some of our good days and some of our bad, as well as where we missed out on our own training regimen. But for reference I also included the exercise we did on the days we did it with the lists of what we ate.
November 8th:
Black Coffee
Egg Bake Piece
Bagel
Thin Sliced Cheese
Soba Noodles w/ Chicken
-16:8 Fast-
November 9th:
Black Coffee
1/2 Waffle
2 Eggs
Bacon
2 Slices of Pizza
Gelato
2 Glasses of Pinot Grigio
​-16:8 Fast-
​*5K Run*
November 10th:
Black Coffee
2 Slices of Pizza
Asian BBQ Chicken
Cauliflower Rice
1 Tiny Cup of ​Sake
​-16:8 Fast-
November 11th:
Black Coffee
Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Asian BBQ Chicken
​Cauliflower Rice
​Small Cup Sake
​-16:8 Fast-
*Elliptical and Treadmill*
November 12th:
Black Coffee
​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Hawaiian Chicken
Cauliflower Rice
​2 Cookies
​-
16:8 Fast-
November 13th:
Black Coffee
​​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Cauliflower Rice
​-
16:8 Fast-
*2 Mile Walk*
November 14th:
​Black Coffee
​​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
Hawaiian Chicken
​Cauliflower Rice
​-16:8 Fast-
November 15th:
​​Black Coffee
​​Egg Bake
2 Pieces of Toast
Thinly Sliced Cheese
​1/2 Order Tonkatsu Don

2 BBQ Pork Steam Buns
1 Tiny Sake Cup
4 Small Cookies

Peppermint Tea
​4 Cookies
-15:9 Fast-
November 16th:
Black Coffee
Eggs Benedict
Hawaiian Latte
​1/4 a 3 Cheese Platter
Crackers
2 Chicken Pot-stickers
​2 Glasses Pinot Grigio
​2 Cookies
-15:9 Fast-
*4 Mile Walk*
November 17th:
Black Coffee
1/2 Peanut Butter Waffle
1/2 Pecan Waffle
1 Egg
1 Bacon Strip
1 Cup Green Bean Casserole
1/2 Cup Deer Nuggets
​​White Claw
​-
16:8 Fast-
November 18th:
Green Apple Tea
Black Coffee
Cheese Stick
1 Cup Green Bean Casserole
1/2 Cup Deer Nuggets
1 Cup Hunter's Pie​
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
November 19th:
Black Coffee
1 Cup Green Bean Casserole
1/2 Cup Deer Nuggets
1 Cup Hunter's Pie
15 Mini Pretzels
​1/2 Cup Berries
Chamomile Tea
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
*2 Mile Run*
November 20th:
Black Coffee
​1/2 ​Asian Sesame Salad
Cup Broccoli Cheddar Soup
2in Baguette Slice
1&1/2 Cup Hunter's Pie
1/2 Peanut Butter Sandwich
Chamomile Tea
​-16:8 Fast-
​*Work Out Class*
November 21st:
Black Coffee
Salmon Fillet
Bagel
Thin Slice Colby Jack Cheese
Fried Egg
1 Cup Hunter's Pie
12 Blueberries
5 Raspberries
Mini Package Fruit Gushers
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
November 22nd: 
​Black Coffee
Salmon Fillet on Bagel
Thin Sliced Cheese
Fried Egg
Mini Almond Joy
1/2 Cup of Panera Mac&Cheese
1/2 Turkey, Apple, Cheddar Sandwich
1/2 Short Bread Cookie
Coffee
​-16:8 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
*Walk 1.5 Miles*
November 23rd:
1/2 Turkey, Apple, Cheddar Sandwich
Black Coffee
​1/2 Cup of Panera Mac& Cheese
1/2 Short Bread Cookie
1/2 December Bokksu
Green Tea
Affogato
1 Cup Spaghetti Squash-Carbonara
​-16:8 Fast-
November 24th:
Black Coffee
​1 Waffle
2 Small Chicken Strips
1/2 Banana 
Syrup, Whipped Cream, etc
2 Soft Fajita Tacos
13 Tortilla Chips
Homemade Guacamole
Cheeze-Its & Cookie
Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
​Bowl of Ice Cream​
November 25th:
Black Coffee
2 Slices Small Pizza
2 Mac&Cheese Bites
1 Cup Carbonara
​1 Mini KitKat
8 Tortilla Chips
​Homemade Guacamole
​-16:8 Fast-
​*Work Out Class*
November 26th:
Black Coffee
2 Slices Small Pizza
1/2 Tonkatsu Don Bowl
1 BBQ Pork Steam Bun
1/2 M&M Cookie
-19:5 Fast-
*Work Out Class*
November 27th:
Black Coffee
Chips & Guac
1/2 Grilled Cheese
1 Wine Spritzer
​1 Granola Bar
-16:8 Fast-
November 28th:
1 Brioche Baguette
1/2 Gingerbread Cookie
Black Coffee
Egg Casserole
Veggies from a Tray
Mimosa
3 Glasses of Wine
​Thanksgiving Meal
​Pecan Pie
*5K Run*
November 29th:
Coffee with a little Cream
1/2 Sweet Potato Hash Bowl
2 Bites of Chocolate Pancake
Italian Ice
Turkey Sandwich on Baguette
​2 Old Fashions
November 30th:
Coffee with a little Cream
​​1/2 Sweet Potato Hash Bowl
1/2 Gingerbread Cookie
1/2 Chicken Mac & Cheese Bowl
​1 Piece Peppermint Toffee
2 Glasses of Sprite
Pesto Chicken Penne

December 1st:
Black Coffee
1/2 Gingerbread Cookie
Sesame Bagel
Egg
Thin Sliced Cheese
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Roll
Corn
Pumpkin Muffin Top
-16:8 Fast-
You may notice that there came a point in which our lunches started consisting of lighter foods. That is for two reasons: one is that our second week on IF we ate a lot of red meat and it caused me to have terrible acid reflux in the middle of the day. This was a huge issue and we also realized that it would not help us reach our goals of a 18:6 or the One Meal A Day (OMAD) Intermittent Fasting style if we kept having two heavy meals vs. putting more emphasis on one of the meals. 

You will also notice that as we hit thanksgiving week things got a little out of hand. We were not able to keep up with fasting but we went in to those 3 days knowing that would be the case. To show that this is not the end but only the beginning of our journey I included December 1st, which was our first day to really get back to intermittent fasting and today we are getting back into making overall healthier choices. I am grateful for what IF has done for me so far and I am excited to see how it continues!

Overall Adam and I have continued to follow the "Last 90 Days" to the best of our abilities! I think two things that have stuck with us the most are drinking more water and taking time to say what we are grateful for each day. IF has sort of replaced the cutting out a specific food, which has been helpful. Reflecting on the thanksgiving holiday and this time of year, what are things in your life you are grateful for?
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    I am a student affairs professional, an amateur chef, and an adventurer at heart.

    Subscribe

    Want an email every time I post? Click the Subscribe button below!
    Subscribe to blog

    Archives

    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
    Pinterest Mega tag
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Work Experience
  • Blog
    • Disclaimers
  • Academic Work