Finding my story...

  Well with Thanksgiving under our belts...and our belt maybe loosened up a notch or two...it's already here!  Christmas, that is.  The Christmas Season is officially upon us.  It's hard to believe that another Christmas is here.  December 1 is just a few days away...and it's really hard to believe that an entire year has passed.  I think I always say this, but WOW this year has flown by!  2011 was by far the best year of my life so far.  I  ran my first 10K, had my first bridal shower and bachelorette parties, MARRIED the love of my life, took a beautiful honeymoon to a tropical place we'd never been before...see below...

Dragon Cay in Middle Caicos- Turks & Caicos

This year has been pretty great.  Sometimes I feel like I'm a little too lucky.  Like Charlotte said on Sex & The City, "no one gets to have it all.  Look at Miranda and Steve...look at Carrie and Big..."  How is it possible that someone like me can have a life so blessed?  It's pretty hard to fathom sometimes....

The past few Sundays at Buckhead Church we've been learning about "The Immeasurable Life"  The series of sermons focused on how we are always looking for more in life.  We want to graduate college, then we want to get married, then we want a bigger house, then we want babies, then we want a promotion, then we want to retire, then we want to travel....we always want more, more, more.  But...when are we ever satisfied?  When we reach the next level of more...it just doesn't seem as awesome as we'd imagined it.  Hence the reason why we are always wanting more.  Get it...? 

In light of this....it's got me thinking about my life and my more and what my story really is.  I feel like at this age (26) we really start to look at what we've done, what we've accomplished, and where we are going next.  It's got me thinking about who have I touched, who in my life have I really influenced in a positive direction? In all 26 years....what do I really have to show for it all...? 

So since this has been on my mind lately...it only was fitting for the sermon in church yesterday to be about stories.  The pastor issued a challenge for the month of December...to ask God to help us find our story.  This message really hit me so hard....what is my story?  What will my story for next year be?  How can God help me write my story...?  My challenge for not only December...but for the entire year....I need help.  I need to really let go of the reigns and let God show me the way.  I need him to help show me the pencil and the paper, metaphorically speaking.  I am hoping and praying for a really cool story.  I want nothing more than to help make someone else.  I want to help someone else feel as blessed as I do.

So there it is...that's my challenge and what I'm mulling over right now.  I hope that you, too, can find your story and your path.  We all have one...it's just a matter of finding it.

Until next time.......

xoxo

Batter Up...Almost Time for Thanksgiving!

I must say the eve before Thanksgiving eve...I'm getting pretty excited!  I love getting together with friends and family.  I love the smells in the kitchen, I love cooking new recipes for my loved ones to try....I just love all of it!  Some of our dear friends, Greg and Wendy Fry, are coming home with us for Thanksgiving.

The Frys and the Smiths- at our watering hole, Pub 71

Mrs. Wendy Fry is our resident vegan and a foodie just like me!  I've deemed this year's Thanksgiving, "Vegan meets Southern Cooking."  I am bringing two dishes to my mother-in-laws Thanksgiving lunch- both vegan friendly! Recipe 1:  Home made cranberry sauce with walnuts and green apples.  Recipe 2: Roasted brussel sprouts with pomegranates.  Yum.

Recipe Courtesy of Food Network

The original Bobby Flay (loooooove him) recipe calls for Vanilla Pecan Butter to be added at the very end.  While I think the words 'vanilla' and 'butter' sound FABULOUS together, I am going to omit those two and make this a vegan-friendy Wendy-friendly dish

Recipe:

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate
• 1 lime, finely zested
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Place the Brussels sprouts in a medium roasting pan and toss with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until lightly golden brown, 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, add the pomegranate molasses and stir to combine. Return to the oven and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes longer.  Transfer the sprouts to a large bowl, add the pomegranate seeds and lime and orange zests. Transfer to a platter and ENJOY! =)

I cannot WAIT to try this. I LOVE the color combination of the red pomegranates and the green Brussels! Very festive..

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

The second recipe I'm planning to make is an old favorite with a new twist!  I used to think that 'cranberry sauce' always came out of a can.  Sometimes my mom would forget to set out the cranberry until right as we were sitting down to eat.  She'd yell, "CRAP- THE CRANBERRY!  Somebody grab a can opener and get it out here!" :)  Last year I made this Barefoot Contessa recipe, and it turned out fabulous! This year I think I'll make 1 or 2 healthy swaps!

Recipe: 

• 1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 orange, zest grated and juiced
• 1 lemon, zest grated and juiced
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

*I think I will substitute Agave Nectar  for the sugar (sheesh....1.75 cups of sugar??)  Also, I think I will omit the raisins simply to reduce sugar even more.  I prefer my cranberry sauce a little more on the tart side.  As Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix says, "BYOC."  That means, Be Your Own Chef...make changes, substitute...you are the boss afterall! 

Anyways- here's what you do:  Cook the cranberries, sugar, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled.

This year's recipes along with Wendy's vegan pumpkin pie (stay tuned on a blog post about that later- yum!) and the mother-in-laws fabulous southern cooking....this will definitely be a Thanksgiving to Remember! :)

p.s. Take a look at my friend's blog about taking back control of Thanksgiving!  Great ideas on how to handle the mass amounts of calories: BLOG: Pieces of Me

Gobble gobble....

30 Before 30 Project

We've all heard the term, "mid-life crisis" or now a days "quarter life crisis."  While I feel like I'm pretty much smack dab in the middle of a quarter life crisis, I feel like it's time to take charge and set some goals in my life.

After marrying the love of my life this September (see below for awesome pic) , I feel like we have the world at our fingertips.  We are done with the wedding planning....the honeymoon is over...and after all the dust has settled...we're kind of looking at each other saying, "now what?"  We're not quite ready for babies, and it's not time to buy a home just yet.  So...what do to?  With Jay being 28 and me turning 27 in July, I think it's the perfect time to start the "30 before 30 project."

Photo courtesy of Sarah Esther Photography

I was inspired by two things to start my project.  This past January, I made a '2011 Bucket List' for myself.  I made 12 things that I could do (with or without Jay) one for each month of 2011.  All were pretty attainable, but I didn't quite complete my list just yet.  A few highlights of my completions are:  running my first 10K, running the Peachtree Road Race, planting an herb garden (although it may or may not be living still), Get Married, tour a few wineries in North Georgia....ok, that's all I can remember.  :)  I have decided to expand the list and carry over a few items that didn't quite get completed.  I've gotten a bit ambitious and created a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30.  I've got 3.5 years to get all of this done, and I'm looking at this project like an exciting challenge.  I am looking forward to tackling each and every one of these things with my husband. Here we go.....

30 BEFORE 30:


30 before 30...
1.  Run a half marathon
2.  Complete p90x (preferably with my husband)
3.  Marvel at the Eiffel Tower in Paris
4.  Take a professional cooking class
5.  Make pasta from scratch- just like in Italy
6.  Take a gondala ride in Venice, Italy
7.  Eat and drink authentic Italian food IN  Italy- pizza, pasta, vino....amore!
8.  Sip mai tais in Hawaii- and visit a volcano while we're there
9.  Become completely debt free (well...with the exception of those pesky student loans)
10.  Purchase our first home
11.  Go skiing in Colorado or Utah....or just sip hot chocolate in a fabulous mountain ski resort out west :)
12.  Live it up in LAS VEGAS....for play not for work
13.  Show Jason New York city and all it has to offer
14.  See a live fashion show in Bryant Park
15  Plant a garden- and make it live more than 3 weeks....
16.  Spend one Christmas or New Year's holiday someplace tropical
17.  Own 1 piece of Louis Vuitton
18.  Host a Thanksgiving dinner with both sides of my family present (complete with amazing servingware and pretty centerpieces)
19.  Visit the Grand Canyon
20.  Go para-sailing someplace tropical
21.  Visit the Louvre
22.  See the Hollywood Sign in person :)
23.  Find a career that I am truly passionate about (they say LOVE what you do and it won't feel like work)

24.  Finally buy a really really expensive camera- and learn to use it correctly
25.  Visit the Colleseum in Rome, Italy
26.  Go to 'The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party' aka- the UGA v. UF football game in Jacksonville.
27.
28.
29.
30.

As you see...I've left a few spaces blank.  I'd like to be able to add or edit this list along the way.  I can't wait to keep you all updated and post photos and awesome stories from crossing things off of this list!

Life's too short to not spend it doing things you love....so...

Cheers to the 30 Before 30 Project!!