60th Surprise

Since the beginning of this year, my Mom has been planning my Dad's 60th Surprise party.  The party was this past Saturday and it was a hit and a major success.  Dad was COMPLETELY shocked.

As he is walking through the door...SURPRISE!!!!!

"oh.my.gosh.oh.my.gosh.oh.my.gosh"

tears...

It really was an amazing night had for an amazing man.  My Mom did a fabulous job with the planning of the party as well as all of the cooking.  This woman is pretty darn amazing as well.  We still don't know how she cooked tons and did all if this and was still able to keep it a secret from my Dad.  

On the menu:

 

Mom welcomed everyone (with her one and only grandson, James in tow):

Then we all munched on delicious appetizers and then watched the best.slide.show.EVER. made from my Mom's good friend who has a serious talent with slideshows.  My Mom gave her pictures back from when my Dad was born and the pictures went through his 59 years of life.  It was put to music and was so wonderful...so tear jerking...so meaningful...and so awesome to see my Dad through the different phases of his life. 

After the slideshow, dinner was served.  We had BBQ (my Dad's favorite), baked beans, slaw, greens and rolls.  

My brother with my sweet and adorable nephew:

Once we were done eating, Dad opened up a few gifts and cards.  The shirt he is wearing was a gage gift from a good friend of his...a joke that I won't get into now.  

Now, time for birthday cake!  How beautiful is this cake?  It was just as delicious as it was beautiful.  In fact, the hubs and I had leftovers last night...we wished the cake would never end...SO GOOD!

After cake...it was time for singin' and dancin'!  One of my best friends has a karaoke machine, so she graciously let us borrow it for the night.  It was a hit!  

 Dad and my brothers:

 Me with the hubs and my brothers!

Like I said before, amazing night for an amazing man.  Hard worker, heart of gold, funny, huge supporter and lover of his family...he is everything one would want in a son, a husband, a father and a friend.  

I love you, Dad...so, so, so much.  Happy Birthday!!!

Pumpkin Pie Brownies and other goodies

Happy November!  Wow, where has this year GONE???  My apologizes for my lack of posts lately.  Work and life has been busy and the last thing I've felt like doing here lately is blogging.  Lately I have more enjoyed reading all my favorite blogs than actually doing on myself. :)  Thankfully, the hubs and I are actually enjoying a weekend at home.  Ahhh, it feels so good.  I love traveling, but man, it is exhausting!

Last weekend I was in South Carolina with an old college friend at the AFPA personal trainer's conference.  It was amazing.  Seriously, the most fun and educational event I've ever been to.  I have always known that I am in the right profession, but after this conference I was even more convinced that I am where I'm supposed to be.  This is SUCH a great feeling.  The conference was at the beach and it went from 8 am to 5:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.  My friend Lindsey and I were wiped out at the end of those days.  She works for Verizon corporate in SC, so we enjoyed talking about corporate fitness and the perks of that.  Love, love, love my job.

The hubs has been a travelin' fool with work, so I haven't been doing as much cooking.  When it's just me for dinner I will eat leftovers or make eggs, a sandwich, a salad or some other weird concoction. haha.  We are going out to dinner with our neighbors tonight, but I had to work late last night, so I didn't want us to go out to eat when I got off work.  Therefore, yesterday morning before work I popped some chicken in the crock pot.  When I got home from work the hubs opened the vino (ahhh!), I made a side salad for us and voile...dinner was served.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion 
• 4 medium-size new potatoes (about 1 lb.) 
• 2 cups baby carrots 
• 1/4 cup chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided 
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 6 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs

Preparation

• 1. Halve onion lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place onion in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker; top with potatoes and carrots.
• 2. Combine broth, next 3 ingredients, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Pour over vegetables.
• 3. Combine paprika and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; rub over chicken. Arrange chicken on top of vegetables.
• 4. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

 *Sprinkle Garlic Salt and any other spices/herbs to your desire once served.

Also before I left work yesterday I made these amazing Pumpkin Pie Brownie 'Cupcakes' from a blog I love, "Oh She Glows."  I wanted something sweet for us to eat this weekend, yet didn't want it to be totally unhealthy.  At least these are a little better for you than the typical brownie. ;)  Plus, obvi. they have pumpkin in them....my little obsession.

Want to know my other latest obsession?  My new iPhone 4s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Totally LOVE this phone.  And, to make things even better, I just discovered Instagram.  If you have an iPhone and don't have this app GET IT NOW.  So amazing.  Both of these photos came from my phone.  Love it!  

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.  

*Do you use a Crock Pot?  I LOVE Crock Pots but don't use it enough.  If you have any favorite Crock Pot recipes, please send them my way.  

**Do you have an iPhone?  Let me know what your favorite app's are!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Date Bars

We had no cookies in the house (gasp!) and I had yet another craving for some pumpkin goodness.  With what we had at the casa, these bars were thrown together.  SO yummy and not horribly all that bad for you.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter (softened)

1/2 c. dark brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg or Egg Beaters = 2 egg whites)

1 c. puree pumpkin

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. quick cooking oatmeal

1/3 c. dates, chopped

Directions:

In mixing bowl cream butter, sugar; beat in eggs. Add pumpkin, vanilla, lemon; blend well. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon and oatmeal. Gradually blend them into batter. Stir in dates. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add batter in pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake until firm approximately 15 minutes and lightly brown. 

*Are you doing anything fun for Halloween this weekend?  Tomorrow I'm off to my first Personal Trainer's conference in SC for a few days, so no Halloween partyin' for me.  I'm really looking forward to my conference though!  I am also looking forward to handing out candy to the cute little trick-or-treaters on Monday.  Hope y'all have a great weekend....GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole

I have so enjoyed getting back in the kitchen now that my big exam is over.  Mainly, I have been making tons of recipes from my favorite blog: How Sweet It Is.  I mean, as I've said before, Jessica's recipes are AMAZING.  Not one has failed me yet.  Major win in my book.  Last week I made this perfectly crisp and sweet Bourbon Glazed Salmon.  It was to die for.  The hubs and I will DEF. be making this again soon.  Also, last week I made Jessica's 3 minute fudge.  Another amazing, quick and easy, melt in your mouth (literally) recipe from How Sweet It Is.  Love.  I made this fudge less than a week ago and it is already gone...true story.  The sad part is that the hubs was out of town most of last week...so...all fingers point at me.  Yowzers.

Tonight, I wanted to make a special Sunday night dinner tonight and it was so yummy!   I used some of the bourbon glaze leftover from the salmon to coat the chicken.  I cooked the chicken in the skillet and added the glaze for the last 5 minutes of cooking.  So delish.

Pictures from the hubs iphone, I left our camera at my parents house by accident

I also found this Broccoli-Quinoa Casserole on Pinterest.  (Have I mentioned I'm obsessed w/Pinterest???)  I knew I had to try it ASAP.  The hubs and I LOVED this dish...and, quinoa is so good for you.  Win, win, win!  We also had a side of corn for extra veggies.  :)

I adapted the recipe a bit so here is my version below:  Go make this!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

One 10 oz can low-fat condensed Cream of Mushroom soup 

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (I used soy-cheddar)

1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

.
2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)

Feshly grated Parmesan cheese

.
To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

.
Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear.  In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible.  Fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.
Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.  Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.

*For dessert I made Oatmeal Pumpkin Date Bars...another amazing recipe you won't want to miss.  I will have it posted soon!  Have a great week, y'all! :)

Ithaca is Gorges

Phew it's been a while since my last post and we have been busy bee's!  A couple weekends ago the hubs and I hopped on a plane and flew up to Ithaca, NY.  My Grandparents live here (my Mom's parents) and we were way over due with a visit to see them.  The hubs had never been to Ithaca, so we had a great time exploring as well as getting in some quality time with my grandparents.  While my Grandfather slept in in the mornings and when they took naps in the afternoon, the hubs and I headed off for some adventures.  My Grandfather has lost a lot of his energy so he was in bed a good part of our visit.  It is very hard to see this as he had always been a very active person, but he has always been so great at staying positive and we had some great conversations about life.  

Daniel and I went on a hike to Buttermilk Falls and saw many beautiful waterfalls.  Surprisingly, I had never been here before...it was so beautiful.

We also went to the Ithaca Farmer's market twice!  Oh.my.gosh, I LOVE this farmer's market.  If we had one as nice and wonderful as this in Richmond, I would do my grocery shopping there every week.  I could have gone crazy here.  They have everything from fresh organic fruit/veggies to hand made clothing.  Love, love, love.  The also awesome thing about this market is that it's open every day.  Amazing.

We went on a walk through the beautiful Cornell Plantation...took the hubs on a driving tour of Cornell...drove along a highway that overlooks the stunning Cayuga Lake...went to Wegmans (LOVE this grocery store...wish we had one in Richmond...) and indulged with sharing a gigantic eclair that was melt in your mouth amazing.

When with my Grandparents we enjoyed catching up with them and enjoying each other's company.  Daniel did a few house chores for them as well as some yard work.  They REALLY appreciated his hard work and help!  I made dinner both nights we were there and did some grocery shopping for them (I was more than happy/excited to go to Wegman's more than once!).  The first night we were there I made Black Bean soup.  My Grandfather can only eat soft foods, so I wanted to cook something that he was able to enjoy, too.  The Black Beans soup was sooooo good...and super easy to make.  We will def. be making this again soon.  Along with the soup we had broccoli, fresh bread and apple slices.

Black Bean Soup: Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided 2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth Preparation Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls.

The next night (our last night), we had my Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake and had my Aunt and Uncle and cousins (who live in Ithaca as well) over for dinner.

This was another easy food for my Grandfather to eat and another easy one to make...healthy too! :)  We had a very wonderful visit, but I found it very hard to say goodbye.  As my Grandfather held my hand he told me how happy he was that Daniel and I found each other and what a wonderful couple we were.  He went on to say a few more tear-jerking comments, but I was trying to hard to stay strong and to not shed a tear.  I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but fought hard (very hard) to hold them back.  I did not want to leave my Grandpa crying...I wanted to leave him with my smile...




*Stay tuned for more posts on recipes, fitness, why I've been wearing my glasses (ugh) and about how I'm going to be on TV again...

Soft Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Have you noticed that I'm obsessed with pumpkin????  I put pumpkin in my overnight oats this morning...I make pumpkin chili, pumpkin brownies, pumpkin bread and the list goes on and on.  I have not gotten the Starbucks pumpkin latte yet this year as I am waiting for the weather to turn colder so it will be perfect on a chilly Fall day.  I can't wait for this...Starbucks is a "special treat" for me as is so darn expensive that I RARELY justify spending that much on coffee.  Their pumpkin latte and the peppermint mocha are my two exceptions ;)

The hubs and I are heading to Ithaca, NY this weekend to visit my grandparents (my Mom's parents).  My Grandpa is 97...I think?  I have lost track, but he's up there.  He is really the most amazing man.  He is SO smart, with it and healthy for a man that age.  My Grandma is a few years younger than him but still doing well, too.  The still live in their own home...my Grandma still cooks and bakes and tends to the house and their amazing garden.  I definitely get my good genes and health from them (well and of course from my parents!).  Daniel and I are very much looking forward to a visit with them this weekend.  The hubs has never been to Ithaca, so I am looking forward to showing him around the pretty little city.  I am going to take my camera and hopefully practice on my camera skills!  It will be a very special and meaningful weekend with many memories made.

We are flying to Ithaca, but I still wanted to make some cookies to bring to my Grandparents.  Pumpkin it is!  I just had one of these cookies and another one is calling my name...they are SO yummy, moist, and bursting with "fall-like" flavors...a must try!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup  Pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.


COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture, then stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.


BAKE for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.


FOR GLAZE:
COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth. 

Tofu Pad Thai

I had a craving for Thai food.  Then, I was inspired by this posting to make some tofu pad thai.  Yummm.  I basically used the same recipe, although when the hubs and I took our first few bites, the taste didn't "wow" us.  Everything about the recipe was wonderful, except the sauce wasn't much of a sauce, so it tasted a little bland.

Thankfully I had this fabulous TJ's sauce in the fridge:

It was a life recipe saver!  TJ's always knows how to get it done.  I highly suggest that you go buy some pronto.  The hubs is out of town tonight, so I had leftovers for dinner and mmmmmm the sauce totally makes the dish.  Now, my Thai craving is fullfilled! :)

Hope ya'll are having a great week so far.

P.S.- Did you see that little Clemson napkin next to our meal?  That's right...GOOOOO TIGERS.  I am SO very proud to be a Clemson Tiger right now.  Let's just hope and pray they keep up the good work...

P.P.S.- The new iphone came out today!  I am so getting one...can't WAIT to get rid of my droid!