Our trip to D.C.

So, as you might have seen in our menu plan, last weekend, we took off for a few days to visit some of our very best friends who recently moved to the Washington, D.C. area.  We had lots of fun visiting our nations' capitol and are so excited that now we have both family (my uncle) and friends to see when we visit!

Leaving S.C. still a long way to go!

We started off the weekend with the long drive on Thursday, got to their place and settled in and caught up on life.  Friday, we started making plans for what to do during our long weekend, including cooking dinner, so we had to hit up their awesome grocery store, Wegman's.  I've never been in a place quite like this store.  Let's be honest, you just have to see it to believe it.  My uncle told me later on in the weekend that they are building a store in his town and in addition to all their full time employees, they are advertising 350 part time positions!  Go Wegman's - putting America back to work!  If you're up the Virginia/Maryland way and need a job, they're hiring!  (However, don't get a job there if you don't want to drool all day over their wonderful food selections!)

Washington Monument by Night

After a trip to the store, we hit the road to catch the Metro, and rode to Georgetown.  We ate dinner at an awesome restaurant, Founding Farmers.  If you're ever in the Georgetown area, I highly suggest putting this place on your tour-de-food!  All of our appetizers and entrees were delicious.  I love this quote from their website, "A collective of American family farmers owns our restaurant. We source our fresh products from family farms, ranches, and fisheries across the United States. We celebrate and share the longstanding connection between farmers — the first to lead the “green” movement — and their historic stewardship of natural resources."  And, wouldn't you believe, one of their hosts was a Clemson grad, and recognized right away that we were from the south.   After dinner, we shopped in Georgetown and then headed back to downtown D.C. where we really enjoyed walking the National Mall at night and took a few pictures at the Washington Monument.  The view of the city lights at nighttime is truly a sight to see!

Ryan & Me in front of the Washington Monument

Saturday, we headed back to town and met my uncle for lunch at Burger, Tap & Shake.  The burgers were rockin' and the milkshake straws as big as your finger helped make enjoying that fabulous shake all the better.  Yum!  Our next stop was the American History Museum.  We only toured a few exhibits, but some of my favorites included the original American Flag that inspired The Star Spangled Banner, and the Transportation in America exhibit.  By-the-way, I'm a little upset that a car produced after I was born, the 1986 Dodge Caravan, is in a museum.  Does that make me old???

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring more monuments, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, The Lincon Memorial (we also checked out the backside overlooking Memorial Bridge and Robert E. Lee's home on Arlington hill), and of course The White House.   We ended our day at The Old Ebbitt Grill, another fabulous meal in the city. 

WWII Memorial - South Carolina Column with view of
Washington Monument & American Flag in the background

Lincoln Memorial

Inside Lincoln Memorial

View of Washington Monument & Capitol from Lincoln Memorial

The White House (back side)

Outside the Whitehouse Gate

Sunday, we attended church with our friends and then had brunch, walked around Olde Town in Alexandria, and did some shopping at the nearby outlet mall, Potomac Mills.  By the time we got around to cooking dinner, we were all deliriously tired from our weekend of fun.  Somehow, not really sure how it came about, we ended up our night watching old re-run DVDs of The Cosby Show.  What a classic!  We have to thank our wonderful hosts and tour guides, Gray and Leigh, their little one A, and of course my Uncle Edwin who met up with us in the city and shared lots of great background info on all of the sights we visited.  Hopefully it won't be too long before we visit again!

In front of the Town Square in Alexandria

Me, Ryan, Gray & Leigh
photo courtesy of the sweetest 5 year old I know! 

To our friends....

Well, probably the few of you who still read this blog know that some of our very best friends are moving away this week.  While we are extremely excited for them to move to a big city, pursue their dreams and God's plan for them in a new place, we are still sad that we won't have them just a hop-skip-and-jump away anymore.  We have been so incredibly blessed to share life with this couple and  our friendship with them means more to us than we could ever describe.  Not often do you find the kind of friends where you never worry about how your house looks and whether or not appetizers are acceptable in place of a meal, where you show up in sweat pants and don't think twice about your appearance.  The guys are always willing to pitch in and share big projects around the house (including helping pack the Uhaul that will carry their stuff away this week), and usually the girls can be found taking in the latest bachelor episodes, figuring out whats to eat, and sharing all the latest happenings. 

During college, Ryan was friends with Gray from involvement with church and their shared interest in politics.  We all hung out and did double dates during college but I didn't REALLY get to know Leigh until after they got married.  (In fact, at one point, Leigh went from blonde to brunette and I thought Gray had a new girlfriend!)   Leigh asked me to join her Bible study group during the summer before we got married, and I cannot believe how much our friendship has grown since that time.  I remember clearly the night that they shared with us their heart for adoption, God's call in their life to bring a child into their family -- I thought they were going to tell us she was pregnant, but an even more beautiful story unfolded.  We have learned from them what it looks like to truly seek out God's will for your life and to be ready and willing to follow it when He unveils something that is known to be a difficult path.  We celebrated lots of ups and downs during their adoption process and it has been our joy to watch them grow as a family since bringing their little boy home.

I will miss our double dates and triple dates, nights by the fire pit, grilling out, tailgating & watching Gamecock sports, screaming over episodes of the bachelor while the boys hang out and shake their heads at us girls.  We'll miss their dog jumping into our laps when we arrive at their house, and the excitement of their little boy greeting us to show us his new favorite toy or a picture he has drawn.  Luckily, their family is still here in SC and we plan to visit them in their new town, too.  (Leigh's mom has already offered me a ride so she won't have to make the drive alone!)  Not to mention, all the silly emails I'm sure we'll continue to exchange on a nearly daily basis.

Now, for tonight, it's off to help them pack to get on their way, and hopefully holding off the tears because this isn't goodbye, it's only seeya later.  Gray & Leigh - we love y'all and know God has great things in store for you, and can't wait to continue to share life together, even at a distance!

Random...

Some random thoughts for today:

 

1. Why haven't I posted anything other than our menu plans for multiple weeks in a row?  I start blog posts in my head and then they never make it into writing.  So, I've taken to making notes in my email or my phone during the day so it can make it onto the blog eventually.

 

2. My sister and I are travelling this Saturday to meet someone important.  Well, perhaps not important to you, but important to us!  A daily staple in my life, actually.  We're going to see THE PIONEER WOMAN at her book signing in Evans, GA.  I am beyond excited.  I'm currently reading Black Heels to Tractor Wheels and can't wait to get it autographed by THE woman, herself.

 

3. Somehow in February, I got bogged down in Leviticus on my Bible reading.  OK, perhaps that doesn't require a SOMEHOW.  The laws that God set out for the Israelites to follow are COMPLICATED.  It is probably just a lack of understanding on my part, but wow, I don't know how they kept up with it.  So, I've got about 10 chapters to go in Leviticus before I can start on Numbers, and I'm going to have to double-time it to get back up where I need to be by the end of March.  Luckily, I've done pretty well keeping up with the New Testament readings and the Psalms, so I'm pretty much on schedule.

 

4. I'm scaling back on week-night activities starting this week.  For a two years now, I've been taking pilates two nights a week, and I absolutely love it.  But, I started to notice myself stressing over not having enough time to complete household chores, cook dinner, and spend time with my husband during the week, so I had to see where I could cut back.  Pilates is the only thing I do TWICE a week, so I felt like I could cut back one night and still be OK.  This is especially important because Ryan is about to kickoff softball season with a new team, and I need some HOME TIME in my life to keep my sanity. 

 

5. I've gotten back into going to the gym in the morning.  That's right, BEFORE WORK.  That alarm clock goes off EARLY.  I'm currently taking a class on Tues/Thurs at 6am and trying to figure out how I can make myself get out of the house slightly earlier so I can get in some running time because I'm planning to run in the Heart & Sole Women's Five-Miler at the end of April.  OK, now it's out there, I'm going to run, AGAIN.  Much prayer needed for that :)

 

6. Hosting a jewelry party next week, thinking about what kind of refreshments to serve.  Definitely want to make desserts, but haven't thought of what all I want to make yet.  Preparing all of that will be Sunday's project.  Oh, what's that you say?  You haven't heard about my jewelry party?  Well, please come hang out, and bring a friend!  Send me a message for more details!

7. Last but not least, you should head over to Leigh's blog and enter her 3-year blogiversary giveaway, featuring awesome creations from Like a Mighty River.  Head on over and enter to win!

 

OK, I think that is enough for today.  Hope you're having a WONDERFUL Mardi Gras! 

A Giveaway & Chili Goodness

First things first, head on over to Leigh's blog and enter the Seeking Love First Giveaway.  You can read all about Gray & Leigh's adoption journey on her blog as well!  This is Leigh's 500th blog post and she's celebrating by giving away a precious fabric wreath and one of their super cute fundraising T-shirts.  Head on over there to see how you can enter-to-win, and spread the news to your friends for a chance to have more entries!


Last night was our Sunday School Chili Cookoff..... I've never been a big fan of Chili, but Ryan has always raved about his mom's Chicken Chili and so I used her recipe for the cookoff.  And, get this, we won the SPICIEST category and tied for BEST ALL AROUND.   Not to mention getting to taste a whole bunch of other great chilis like this recipe and this recipe.   You can check out our recipe 


Ryan's Favorite Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds white boneless chicken**

3 (14 ½ oz) cans diced tomatoes with onions and green pepper, undrained

2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, undrained

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp ground cayenne pepper

**The recipe calls for chicken to be cooked & cubed, but I shredded the chicken and everyone loved it.  (I think it would probably also be good if you used shredded rotisserie chicken).

If cooking on the stove, cook/shred chicken, then, mix all ingredients in a pot and cook until mixture comes to a full boil.  Then reduce heat to low for 30-40 minutes.  

If cooking in crockpot, use cooked or frozen chicken pieces, mix all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low all day.  Remove chicken and shred, then re-mix chicken with other ingredients.

SERVE with cheese, sourcream, and crackers/chips/cornbread.  ENJOY!

2011 is here!

Well, the new year is finally here! We've had a crazy busy holiday season, and have enjoyed the first day of 2011 simply relaxing at home, enjoying the chance to simply do nothing. I've got lots of things I've got in mind for "resolutions," but want to really commit to them before I write more. Probably more to come on that as January moves in....

However, one thing we have already decided on for this year is to work on our budget and one major place we decided to focus was on food. In the last year, my checkbook register was filled with the MANY restaurants we frequent. We tend to do better cooking at home when we have a plan, so I've decided to get back to menu planning, especially inspired by Leigh, who posted 52 weeks of menus in 2010. (You'll probably be seeing a lot of links to her recipe blog, too, since she makes some fabulous food!)

My thought is that if I post my menu weekly, I'll be more likely to stick to it, and when I'm stumped as to what to fix, I can go back and look at past weeks for ideas. The girls from work are also starting back up with our supper-swap this month, so we'll have a good set of meals every few weeks to throw in the mix!

So, here we go for 2011.....

Week 1 Menu

Saturday 1.1.11 - Leftovers and sandwiches/soup

Sunday 1.2.11 - Venison cube steak, rice & gravy, salad

Monday 1.3.11 - California Turkey Burgers w/ Guacamole, Chips & Salsa

Tuesday 1.4.11 - Paula Dean's grilled pork tenderloin w/ Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday 1.5.11 - Taking dinner to friends... probably Lasagna Casserole

Thursday 1.6.11 - Cheesy Chicken & Corn Chowder with sandwiches

Friday 1.7.11 - Date Night Out and/or Date Night IN with Leftovers .... depending how we feel at the end of the week :)

Let me know what you're eating in 2011, so I can try some new stuff, too!

Monday, Monday..

Mondays are hard, aren't they? Luckily, my husband followed through with my plea to make me get out of bed for my morning workout today by leaving my phone alarm on the dresser and letting it ring and ring and ring while he got in the shower. Needless to say, pretty shortly thereafter, I was up and out of the bed to shut that awful noise off! I find that if I get up and get my Monday started with a workout, the whole week gets off to a better start! I'm happy now, that there isn't another Monday for 6 more days :)

So, I guess you're here to hear THE LATEST, right?

Well, first of all, this is the beginning of week #2 of my friend Jenny's half-marathon training. SO, why is that so significant for me? Well, I've decided that I will train with her by following her same training plan (we live in different cities, so we can't actually run together). I've been in and out of running for the last few years, and one of my goals for 2010 was to get back into it again. I joined a little late, so I only ran 6 of the total 12 miles for week #1, but the good news is, I made it through the entire "long run" of 4 miles on Saturday. I'll let you know how week #2 pans out after Saturday. My ultimate goal is to incorporate more long-distance-ish runs into my workouts. Once I've built up some endurance through this 16-week plan, we'll see where it goes from there.

The other new thing in my life is menu planning. I tried menu planning for an entire month in June 2009, before life got crazy with wedding planning, and it was a total success. I saved money and time and had lots of yummy leftovers for lunch (therefore, saved more money!) If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE to save money, so this is one key to my motivation. Another key is to share more meals at home with my husband where we can spend time one-on-one with each other without the distractions that eating out often brings. I'm trying new recipes left and right, and also, cheating a little bit off my friend Leigh, who is an amazing cook, and is also implementing menu planning more this year. Another related goal is to get my kitchen stocked up with staple items so I can whip up meals/snacks/etc on the fly whenever the planning falls through.....What are some of your go-to items in the kitchen??

Our menu this week:
Sunday - Three Cheese Beef Stuffed Shells (from Leigh's recipe blog... yummy)
Monday - Chili (a perfect dish for this CRAZY cold weather) - I was nervous about using half ground beef & half venison this time, but it turned out great!
Tuesday - Date Night!
Wednesday - Girls' night with Leigh!
Thursday - Pork Chops, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Black-Eyed Peas
Friday - Aloha Chicken & Rice
Saturday - TBA

You'll notice my menus are MAJORLY lacking in vegetables. My main go-to vegetable is a salad, because I have always been VERY picky when it comes to cooked veggies. My husband loves vegetables and is the complete opposite of me on the pickiness-spectrum, so I'm looking for suggestions. Can you help me out???

Lockslie