One of My FAVORITE Things!

I have a horrible habit of biting my nails...it sucks because I love all the nail art in current fashion right now. I refuse to go to a nail place to get tips put on for two reasons...one, the PRICE and two, they don't last. I am also not a big fan of using glues or anything that could damage my nails. It makes me thrilled when I am able to find a product that I can easily purchase, use and is not expensive. Enter Broadway Nails -literally the best fake nails I have ever worn!

I first stumbled upon these last October when looking for something to dressy up my nails for my best friend's wedding. I was a bridesmaid and needed cleaner looking nails. I stopped at Walgreen's before we went to get our makeup and hair done, and searched with the help of my mom and found these. I loved that they were quick, easy, inexpensive and best of all-no glue so no destroying my nails! I had a friend of the bride help me put them on and no one was able to even tell that they were fake! Best of all--I went out of town with my fiance almost a week later and the nails were still intact! They lasted about 10 days!


This year...my awesome mother painted sets of the nails in Miami Hurricanes colors, different variations, so that I could go even more extreme and decorated for the games! I placed my most current set on my nails on November 9th and 9/10 are still holding strong. The one I lost was a work incident, or else I'd still probably have all ten! Now, I usually buy them at Walgreen's, but they also sell them at Publix and I'm sure Wal-Mart would to!

Painting them is easy! The only suggestion I have, as my mom and I learned...is that the protective seal coat needs to be added so that the color doesn't chip off as easily. The nails fall off naturally when the adhesive (similar in texture to a gel-plastic) wears off. I love this product because it allows me to have the nails I wish I had, and keep them professional looking or painted to fit a situation (sports, holidays) and does no damage to my nails and lets them grow for once! Each set comes with 24 nails...so you have at least two full sets...which if you apply properly...can last you at least two weeks...one set has basically lasted me a week...and I popped on one replacement nail for the one that popped off after 5 days. I can see this set lasting me through Thanksgiving! I plan on removing them by then to place on Christmas decorated nails! Excited!

Tuna Salad 2.0! Yum Yum!

So I love making tuna salad...it's quick, it's easy and you can pair it with anything. Sometimes I make it into a wrap, other times an open faced sandwich and even with tortilla chips or crackers! Almost every time I make it..I switch it up based off what I have in my fridge. The only change is really the veggies I use, the rest stays the same every time. This recipe contains only 182 calories and whether making it into a sandwich and adding yogurt or fruit as a side...it still remains a healthy and balanced option for lunch.

Every once in awhile, I use mayo. I know people substitute it with hummus and plain Greek yogurt (neither of which I had at this time) and my brother even uses sour cream in place of mayo as a healthier, just as tasty option! For this recipe, I did use mayo, but instead of the full 1tbsp serving, I used 1/3 of that and with the other creamy ingredients it all came together.

Tuna Salad 2.0

 

 

Makes One Serving

1 can of tuna in olive oil (drained)

1/3 tbsp of mayo

1/2 tsp of horseradish

1 tsp of Sriracha Chili Sauce

1/4 tsp of yellow mustard

1/3 to 1/2 tbsp of onion*

1-2 lettuce leafs (rinsed and chopped)*

A dash of celery seed, sage and dill weed

 

 

 

 

 

I started by draining the tuna through a strainer and chopping the onion and lettuce (both of which you can use more or less of depending on tastes). I threw all three in a bowl and added the Sriracha, the mayo, the mustard and the horseradish. I mixed it together and then added the dashes of celery seed (which I use when I do not have celery in the house), sage and dill weed (gives such GREAT flavor to tuna salad or chicken salad!). It took me about ten minutes (mostly because of the chopping and picture taking!) I toasted two slices of bread and had two open faced sandwiches with kettle chips (Cape Cod Jalapeno) and a Dannon light and fit pineapple yogurt! So delicious!

 

Like I said, sometimes I change up the veggies...I also like to use carrots and celery and pickles! We do not always have, so I go with what I can, I am not a huge tomato in tuna salad fan, but if you are you could definitely add it! I love a good and quick meal. And I promise...you don't even notice that it's only a little bit of mayo (which you can even omit and it's still just as yummy), but I was just in a mayo kind of mood...but I usually make my tuna salad without it also.

 

Enjoy! What kind of ingredients do you like to add to your tuna salad? What are your must haves? I love onion and dill weed! Always got to have those two!

Wishing For Snow

Sometimes the hardest part about being a Florida girl is that I miss out on fall and winter. I could never give up the beach, the sun and the warmth for months of cold, but part of me always longs for the experience of the leaves changing and the snow blanketing the ground. I would never want to live permanently where this happens...but it would be nice to see what winter is REALLY like. I always consider planning a trip, but you never really know when to expect snow...so what if I plan the trip and it does not snow...that would suck!

Back in late 2005/early 2006 (New Years Eve and Day to be exact), I happened to go to New York City for New Years and while standing in Times Square...freezing and listening to Mariah Carey perform, the snow flurries started. It was more than just magical, it was breathtaking and captivating. We headed back to Connecticut the next day...and that very night, it snowed and amazed me. It was only the second time in my entire life that I had seen snow...and I enjoyed every moment of it...catching the snowflakes, making a snowball and even just laying in the snow.

I know I could never live where it snows....I get sick and tired of the cold weather VERY quickly. It makes me lazy and blah! My workouts usually stop, I stay bundled inside when the temperature hits anything below 70 for more than two days. My lips get chapped and I feel like I can never get warm enough. Plus, the whole...icy roads, shoveling snow and car not starting does NOT appeal to me. I am in love with the temporary and pretty factors of a white Christmas, so to speak.

Although my dreams of seeing snow for Christmas in Florida are basically impossible...I do hope for colder temps...at least for the holidays...it makes that warm cocoa and turkey so much better!

Chicken Quesadillas YUMMY!

I had a recipe for my breakfast quesadillas that I have made twice now for noon football game tailgates last week and now I want to share the recipe I did for chicken quesadillas. I made both for that noon game, because at some point...you stop wanting breakfast and start wanting lunch like food.

The recipe itself is simple because for football games, especially noon games...I like to keep it easy so I don't stress out. As I get more into this, I would love to add other ingredients and I think next time I want to make a dipping sauce (a mix between something creamy and spicy).

 

Ingredients-

 

 

Makes about 3 quesadillas

 

*About 6oz of fajita seasoned chicken strips

(I used Tyson Grilled and Ready)

 

*About 4oz of Shredded Cheese

(can be adjusted for taste)

 

*1/4 cup of chopped onions

 

*6 tortillas

 

*2/3 cup of bell pepper mix

(I used pre diced-yellow, red and green)

 

 

 

 

Instructions-

 

1. Using one frying pan, coat with butter and turn on to med heat and add the onions and bell peppers to heat, stirring occasionally.

2. Take the chicken out of the package and chop it up, place to the side.

3. Once the veggies start to soften, add the chopped up chicken to the pan. Stir as needed. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.

4. Take pan off of heat and transfer to a bowl. Butter a second pan for cooking the tortillas and turn burner to med-high heat.

5. Take one tortilla and place about a cup of mixture to tortilla and sprinkle with desired amount of cheese.

6. Top with a second tortilla and place in pan. Cook about 5 minutes (or until you notice cheese melting) and flip to cook other side.

7. Repeat steps 5&6 for two more tortillas- re-buttering pan as needed

8. Allow quesadillas to cool and cut into slices. Serve and Enjoy!

 

 

It's NOVEMBER! Goals and Other Randomness

I can't believe it's already November. Does anyone else feel like 2013 has just flown by? It is crazy that the Holidays are right around the corner. I really love the season from Halloween through Superbowl :) The food, the crafts and decorations, the weather, the holidays and the family time!

I failed horribly at my October goals. Well I wont say failed...that sounds so negative, but I missed my marks. Work really killed me this month. Between football and working out (when I could) and work, I had like no free time. I did not have my me day, I did not cook a healthy meal and I did not hit my goal for blogs or miles. This also means I did not get my mile to the 9minute or under mark. I never give up though! My November goals are going to be similar to some of the ones from October, but I am going to adjust slightly...November is VERY busy for where I work and it gets crazy as the holidays get closer. And this year Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are right on top of each other.

I sometimes wish I lived somewhere more North just for Fall because the leaves are just BEAUTIFUL! But I would not give up my breezy, sunny weather for snow at all. Being a Florida girl has made me prefer warm weather over cold any day!

November Goals-

 

*Run 22 miles

*Workout (weights) 3x a week

*Run a 9.05 mile

*Write 12 blogs

*Create something (recipe, craft, etc)

*Try something different (style, food, activity)

*Cherish every moment and spend time with family

 

 

 

What kind of goals do you have? Do you find yourself overreaching or setting reachable goals? How do you feel is you miss a monthly goal? What is your favorite part of this season?



Breakfast Quesadillas--Tailgating at Noon!

 

We had another noon game this past Saturday, so I wanted to make the breakfast quesadillas again and this time, make more (they were a big hit last time!). I also made a lunch like variation with chicken (will post tomorrow) and we had mimosas and jelly filled doughnuts too. One of these seasons, I'd love to get a portable grill and do the cooking on sight...but for now, I can only do it at home and keep it warm for the hour drive down.

I woke up at 6am and got everything ready. Last time, I only used one pan...so this time I decided the best solution for speed and time was to use two pans. I did two egg ones and three chicken ones. I usually like to buy my veggies and chop them myself, but I didn't want to feel pressed for time, so I bought pre diced bell peppers; yellow, green and red. I did however chop the onions. :)

I think if I made them again this season...I would also add some time in the oven to really get them crisp. They are loved the way I make them now...but I just think that will put them over the top!

Breakfast Egg Quesadillas-

(serves 3-4 people easily!)

 

6 large eggs

butter

3 slices of bacon (can use more or less)

1/2 cup of bell peppers

1/4 cup of onions

4 tortillas (I used don pablo corn/flour)

~3-4oz of shredded cheese (I used four cheese)

 

 

 

 

I started by putting both pans on med heat and placed three slices of bacon in the smaller pan. While the bacon cooked, I chopped the onions and scooped out about a 1/2 cup of the pepper trinity and placed to the side. I then took the six eggs and cracked them and mixed them, flipping the bacon slices at this time. Took a coffee break ;)

 

 

 

After the bacon finished, I set the slices on a paper towel to soak up extra grease. I like using bacon grease for eggs, so I tossed the veggies into the pan and let them soften for a few minutes (about 5-6 minutes)...I then poured the eggs into the pan and mixed everything. I let them sit to start cooking and continued mixing to break them up and scramble them. I turned off the heat and allowed the pan to continue cooking the eggs while I chopped the bacon and added it to the pan. I did one final mix through and moved the pan off the heat.

 

 

After the eggs cooled slightly, I began assembling the quesadillas. I placed a few spoonfuls onto one tortilla and then added some cheese. I placed the other tortilla on top and pressed it down. I buttered the second pan and turned the heat up slightly. I put the quesadilla into the pan and pressed down again.

After several minutes (once I could see the cheese melting), I used a paper plate to flip the quesadilla and heat the other side (also for several minutes). I moved the finished quesadilla to a plate to cool and placed the next assembled one into the pan (with more butter!). I was only using the one pan at this time because in the other pan, I was cooking the veggies and chicken for the other quesadillas (come back tomorrow for that recipe!). Once I flipped the second one, I used a bread knife to cut into the first one (next time, I want to try a pizza cutter). I cut six pieces and placed them into a Tupperware dish. Repeated this process when the second one was done and had cooled (another coffee break!). They were scarfed down super quick! Definitely seems to be a favorite! :)

 

 

 

Easy Crafty Gift Idea---Make Your Own Tickets!

Times are hard! And on top of that, it can be hard to shop for a guy! I like to balance out my gifts for my fiance. I don't spend crazy amounts of money, but I like to make the gift more personal and crafty. For Valentines Day, I bought a little stuffed lion and wrote 101 Reasons why I love him. I printed the list and decorated it with confetti hearts and marker. The list took me about two weeks to complete...mostly because of work and going out. The reasons aren't just the standard ones, but silly things that only we would understand and that's what makes it such a simple yet meaningful gift. You could even take the list and make it into a poster, with photos of the two of you and maybe add some mementos (like movie tickets or a clip from a menu or an empty candy wrapper- depending on the two of you).

I also bought Heat tickets (we are both biiiiig Miami Heat fans) and they were playing Atlanta for a VERY reasonable price (shocked me, since Atlanta was a conference game and were definitely going to the playoffs. Now, the problem with buying tickets online is that 99% of the time, you don't get the physical ticket...you print a ticket offline. I didn't want to just give him that...and I also usually hold on to our tickets for events because I don't lose them. And I didn't just want to tell him about the tickets...so I decided to MAKE my OWN tickets!!!

These tickets can be made for any team, for any event...I made these as Heat tickets because we are fans of the Heat and it was a home game for them!

The steps are easy....

1. You take the cardboard (you can use whatever type of cardboard you have, an old shoe box, a box from a package, the cardboard piece they place in cookware boxes to separate pieces...) *The best thing is you don't need a lot!

2. Cut out two ticket size pieces, as close to the same length as possible, or you can use a ruler and mark the lines to cut. Keep in mind, that you will need them to be slightly wider than an actual ticket, in order to write on them (unless you have REALLY good small handwriting!)

3. Next you cut out white poster board pieces to place over the cardboard (I only covered the "top" piece)  -I cut a single strip from the poster board, and cut it in half. I then cut it down to the size of the cardboard. I glued the poster to the cardboard and allowed the glue to dry before writing on them.

4. Next, I googled Heat ticket images and using red and yellow markers, created the lines on the top.

5. From previous games, I had the programs which had the Heat emblems in the perfect size. If you do not have something similar to this, you could google the emblem and print it and cut it out. I glued the images to the tickets and let the glue dry.

6. Finally, I wrote down the information for the game, just like a ticket has. The Section/Row/Seat...the date, time and location and who was playing.

I left them on a flat surface and put them in the lions arms for him for Valentines Day, along with the list! He thought they were real tickets at first glance but once he realized I made them he laughed and told me he loved it!!

 

 

 

Gift giving does not have to be expensive or difficult. I love making gifts! Even though, for this gift...you might have to buy the actual tickets...you could realistically...spend almost nothing on tickets...if you pick a game that isn't pricey and shop around on the various sites. The gesture in this gift is the time and effort you put into making the tickets and the fact that whether or not you are also a big sports fan of said team...you thought to buy him a ticket and one for you to join him, or send him with a friend!