Sister Visit

My sister, Katie, is coming to visit this weekend!  I can't wait.  I am planning on having a wonderful relaxing weekend full of shopping, baking, eating and laughing.  One of the things we plan on making is candy cane chocolate chip cookies.  They're one of Katie's favorite Christmas desserts.  The recipe is below (basically just the recipe on the bag of Nestles semi-sweet chocolate chips plus candy canes).  I hope everyone has a restful and fun weekend!  
<3, Alissa 

Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
• 3-4 crushed peppermint (red & white) candy canes

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and crushed candy canes. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Fall fun

Lyndsay and I went to Burts Pumpkin Farm in Dawsonville, GA today with our friends, Jen and Ashley.  It was crowded but fun.  Lyndsay got a big pumpkin and some cute little pumpkins including a couple albinos.  haha.  I got a beautiful gourd.  I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Inspirational Pig

http://dlisted.com/node/39083

Thanks to my own inspirational pig, Katie, who sent this to me.  Some pig! 

-Alissa

Workouts for the week-Alissa

•Tuesday: volleyball for 4 hours.  I was sore!
•Wednesday: ran at Sims Park with Meg and Lyndsay.  We did 3 miles.
•Saturday: Strides for Strength 5K!  I improved my old time by over 2 minutes!  I was really proud of myself.

The Challenge-Cutthroat

The new Real World/Road Rules Challenge starts this Wednesday Oct 6 10pm.  The way some people feel about sports is the way I feel about the challenges!  Joe and I are so excited!  We have decided to root for the red team! 

Which is:
Brad Fiorenza*
Brandon Drake Nelson
Camila Nakagawa
Chet Cannon
Dunbar Flinn
Mandi Moyer*
Melinda Stolp*
Paula Meronek*
Tori Fiorenza*
Tyler Duckworth*
* means I like them

Who are you rooting for??  For the team lists go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Challenge:_Cutthroat

Remember to watch!
-Alissa

Foodie Friday (on Saturday)-Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these last week and they turned out perfect!  They were really easy...I didn't even have to use a mixer.  I got the recipe from the Cupcakes and Cashmere website that I mentioned below on my love list.  I plan on making more of her desserts cause these were great.  Also, I used her picture because I thought it was cute!

Pumpkin Muffins
Letters, Gourmet, November 2006
Adapted from the American club, in Kohler, Wisconsin

1½ cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice (instead I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg)
1¼ cups (plus 1 tablespoon) sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional...of course I used them though.  haha)

Preheat oven to 350°
Put liners in muffin cups.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1¼ cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour and baking powder until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture (I added some flaxseed to make it healthier). Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Enjoy!

-Alissa

Thing we love-Alissa

1. Thunderstorms: It's been pretty rainy this last week and a half and I've really enjoyed it.  I looked out the window during work one day and the rain was coming down so hard that it looked like snow!  I wouldn't want it to rain all the time but I love rainy days where I don't have anything to do but curl up on the couch with a blanket and a book. 

2. http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/: My friend, Renee, who writes http://www.styleskinnyblog.com/blog/, told me I'd enjoy this website and she was right.  I love the dessert recipes and fashion advice.  I'm jealous of how well put together and stylish this girl is...and i love the blog name.  I recommend checking it out!

3. Joe: I was sick last week and I got into a car accident (minor and not my fault) this week.  Joe has been so sweet during everything.  Aw.  He really is the best husband <3.

Poll results

"Finally being able to wear your hoodies and jackets" came in first place as people's favorite part of fall! The rest of the order is:

2nd: pumpkin desserts
3rd: leaves changing colors
4th: Halloween
5th: Starbucks pumpkin spice latte

Thanks for voting! Make sure you vote in the new poll :)

-Alissa

Alissa's Great Idea... (like Kristy's. ha)

Last week's poll and a conversation with Katie Robert's has inspired me to do a Babysitter's Club post.  This what celebrities I think would play them in a movie of their adult lives.

Stacey McGill would be played by Kristin Cavallari.  I think K.Cav would jump at the chance to play the meaty roll of Stacey.  This could really launch her acting career.  All she needs is a bad perm and an insulin shot.

Kristy Thomas would be played by Michelle Rodriguez.  I don't care that one is white and the other is latino... this is a match made in butch heaven.  Put on your best turtleneck and visor, Michelle! 

Dawn Schafer would be played by Katherine Heigl.  She needs to start eating vegan and growing her hair down to her butt.  She's the perfect judgmental bitty to play Dawn. 

Claudia Kishi would be played by Jenna Ushkowitz (thanks Katie R).  Hopefully she's open to wearing some very weird outfits that of course "only Claudia could make work".  All she neds to do now is praktice making her speling as worrse as humanley posible and she's get the parrt!

Mary Anne Spier would be played by Vanessa Hudgens.  Vanessa's got a sweet shyness about her that channels Mary Anne.  If she doesn't want to be shunned by the whole group then she keep that hair long! 

Logan Bruno would be played by Zac Efron.  He is already dating Vanessa in real life so this on-screen couple would be natural.  Also, he's a little fruity which makes this perfect.  I've always pictured Logan being feminine.  I mean he was the only guy in the BSC... thats a little weird.  I hope he can do a fake southern accent that rivals Sookie Stackhouse. 

Jessi Ramsey would be played by Rosario Dawson.  They are both leggy and into the performing arts.  Also, they're both black.  Did you guys know Jessi was black??  Ann M. Martin can barely wait to tell us at the beginning of every book.   

Mallory Pike would be played by Taylor Swift.  She's always hated her red hair so she eventually dyes it light blonde, just like in "California Girls", to be cool like Stacey and Dawn.  She's still nerdy though.  Can't you just picture her singing "Teardrops on My Guitar"?!

Workouts for the week-Alissa

I was sick last week so my workouts were less than impressive.  I have a 5K to run this Saturday though so hopefully I'll do better this week!

•Monday: ran at Sims Park with Lyndsay, Meg, Cate and Ash.  I ran 2 miles without stopping and 3.5 overall
•Friday: ran at Sims Park with Meg.  We did 3.5 miles.

Things we love-Alissa

1. Joshilyn Jackson's newest book "Backseat Saints"- This novel, about an abused woman, is well-written and funny. She's one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend this book and all her others! She does a good job at adding humor to serious topics. Her other books are "Gods in Alabama", "Between Georgia" and "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming". Lyndsay and I had planned on doing book reviews on Mondays but we've changed our mind! It feels a little too much like an elementary school book report. Haha. So if we love a book we'll put it in our things we love column :)  

2. Excedrin Migraine- This is the best headache medicine ever!  I'm so glad that Joe introduced me to it.  I was sick this week and thanks to excedrin, I was able to get through my long work days.  

3. Victorias Secret ruched-back hiphugger undies- I got a free pair of these with a coupon and they are amazing! I love the way the ruchettes down the back look and I especially love that they don't give me a wedgie. Comfy and Cute!

Workouts for the week(s)-Alissa

I have been MIA this past week and a half!  Oops :)  So these are my workouts for the past 2 weeks...

•Monday: ran the 5K loop with Lyndsay
•Tuesday: volleyball
•Thursday: ran 2 miles with Joe
•Saturday: Suwanee Day 5K!  We finally did it!  I was so nervous when we were waiting by the starting line.  Once I started moving it was good though...it just felt like a regular run.  My goal was to complete it in 35 minutes and my time was 35:40... not too bad!  Joe gave me pink running shorts as a completion prize.  Aww.  I'd post a pic but for some reason my internet isn't letting me.  Ugh!

This week was really busy.  I only worked out a couple times cause most of my evenings were busy...

•Tuesday: volleyball
•Wednesday: run in Sims Park with Lyndz, Cate, Harley & Wendy.  haha
•Saturday: 2 mile walk for Huntington Disease

Hopefully this week I'll be a better exerciser and poster.

-Alissa

The people have spoken...

The poll results are in…..and running came in first place as people's favorite way to exercise! The rest of the order is:

2nd: biking and volleyball
3rd: yoga/pilates
4th: swimming
5th (no votes): walking and lifting weights

Thanks for voting! Make sure you vote in the new poll :)

-Alissa

Workouts for the week-Alissa

My workouts were decent this week.  I wish I would have ran on Mon or Wed though.  I can't believe the 5k is less than a week away!  Crazy...

•Sunday: ran 2 miles
•Tuesday: volleyball
•Friday: ran 2 miles with Joe
•Saturday: ran the 5k loop with Lyndz

Workouts for the Week

This week was a great workout week for me.  Check it out:

• Sunday: run with Jonathan (3 miles)
• Monday: workout at the gym (run 2.5 miles on the treadmill, various weight training exercises)
• Tuesday: volleyball
• Thursday: hot yoga
• Friday: run with Jonathan (3.5 miles) **this was a big day for me because this is the farthest I have ever run without stopping, yay!!**
• Saturday: run with Alissa (5k loop - getting prepared for the 5k next Saturday)

Things We Love - Lyndsay

Opening all the windows in the house at night and turing off the air conditioning: Ahhhh, what a wonderful night it was last night.  Because the temperature dropped so low last night, we decided to open all the windows in our house and turn off the air.  Not only does it air the house out nicely and cool it down, but we're saving money by doing it!  Awesome.

My running shoes: My running shoe of choice is a Mizuno.  I never knew what a difference a good pair of shoes could make when it came to my running.  I had no idea what I was missing.  I've been running in these shoes for about a year and they are the best thing that has happened to my running.  Super comfortable and plenty of support. 

Kernels Seasoning White Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning: Ok, I am addicted to this stuff.  I am a popcorn lover by nature - have been since I was very little.  But this white cheddar seasoning steps it up a notch for my in my popcorn eating experience.  Now, I've recently had some difficulty in finding this white cheddar seasoning at the stores, which was totally bumming me out.  But, my amazing husband ordered some for me and got be a box of 6.  Amazing! 

Top Model

America' Next Top Model cycle 15th starts this Wednesday, Sept 8th!  To get excited I've decided to post my top 8 favorite contestants and their best photo of the cycle.

1. Nicole Fox- Cycle 13 (Winner)

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2. CariDee English-Cycle 7 (Winner)

3. Nicole Linkletter-Cycle 5 (Winner)

4. Kahlen Rondot- Cycle 4 (Runner-up)

5. Brittany Brower- Cycle 4 (4th)

6. Allison Harvard- Cycle 12 (Runner up)

7. Laura Kirkpatrick- Cycle 13 (Runner up)

8. Katarzyna Dolinska-Cycle 8 (5th)

Okay, that was actually harder than I thought!  I couldn't find all the pictures that I wanted.  Oh well.  Comment if you agree/disagree or think I missed someone.  And watch Top Model Wed at 8pm!

-Alissa

P.S. I can't get the two pictures of Nicole Linkletter off!  I don't know why they are up there before CariDee.  Becky, can you help me with this??  haha.  When I click the picture it doesn't give me the option to delete... I'm giving up trying to fix it cause I'm getting so frustrated!  Ugh!

Foodie Friday (on Saturday...)-Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My last week's "things we love" list and Katie R. have inspired me to post the recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

-1/2 c. butter

-1 1/2 c. sugar

-1 egg

-1 c. canned pumpkin

-1 t vanilla

-2 1/2 c. flour

-1 t. baking powder

-1 t. baking soda

-1/2 t. salt

-1 t. nutmeg

-1 t. cinnamon
-1 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar until light & fluffy.  Beat in eggs, pumpkin and vanilla.  Mix and sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Add to creamed mixture.  Mix well.  Add chocolate chips.  Use a cookie scoop or a teaspoon and drop onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes  Remove from cookie sheet while still warm.  This makes about 3 dozen or less but it can be doubled.


These are the perfect cookies to make for the holidays.  They have a fluffy, cake-like taste to them and obviously the pumpkin makes them seasonal.  Also, they always are perfectly shaped.  I'm not ashamed to admit that some of my cookies end up looking weird...but not these :)

Things we love-Alissa

Happy September everyone!  There are a couple of notable birthdays coming up: Justin (4th), Katie Roberts (13th), Bella Swan (13th) and Lyndsay (27th)!  So happy that's its almost fall....which brings me to #1 on my love list....

1. My North Face Denali Fleece Jacket: Joe gave it to me for my birthday.  Since I live in Georgia, you'd think I would not have had a chance to wear it yet.  Buut work is freezing so I've been sporting it zipped to my chin.  So warm and cozy. 

2. "If I Grow Up" by Todd Strasser: I read this book in less than 24 hours.  It's about a good kid from the projects who gets involved in a gang.  It's one of those books that stays in your mind for days after you finish reading it.  I also really like how it was written...Strasser has an interesting style.  I'm planning on checking out his other books.  I'm pretty sure its geared towards high school boys but oh well!  I loved it!

3. Sushi: I've been craving sushi rolls on a daily basis lately!  I went tonight for a girl's dinner with Lyndsay and Cate at Mori House.  So good.  We got a spicy tuna roll, a rainbow roll, an alaskan roll and a california roll.  Delicious!

The people have spoken...

The poll results are in…..and Ann Tayor Loft came in first place, by over 50%, for people's favorite place to shop! The rest of the order is:

2nd: Express
3rd: Banana Republic and J.Crew
4th: The Gap

Thanks for voting! Make sure you vote in the new poll :)

-Alissa

Foodie Friday (on Monday...)

For my Foodie Friday (on Monday...) I thought I would give you a little glimpse at what Jonathan and I cook for dinner.  For those of you that know me, we rarely go out to dinner - I would say maybe once a month - we cook at home.  Every week we write on our calendar what we're going to make for the week and then plan a grocery list accordingly.  Here is what two weeks of meals in our house looks like:

Sunday - Grilled Chicken with Okra
Monday - Chicken Spaghetti
Tuesday - Pan Seared Fish (Mahi)
Wednesday - Baked Ziti Primavera
Thursday - Broccoli Rice Casserole
Friday - Turkey Burgers
Saturday - Dinner at friends house - Lasagna


Sunday - Chicken Pesto Pasta
Monday - Rice, Mushroom & Turkey Casserole
Tuesday - Italian Veggie Pasta
Wednesday - Chicken Casserole
Thursday - Tofu Pasta with Veggies
Friday - Grilled Fish (Tuna)
Saturday - Chicken Penne Florentine

And to give you a little more insight, anytime we make something with pasta, it is always whole wheat - the real whole wheat, not the fake kind.  Yes, there is a difference.  The real whole wheat pasta has only one ingredient.  We like Hodgson Mill brand.  Anything with rice is always brown rice.  Again, check your ingredient labels.  Real brown rice has only that, brown rice.  Let me know if you want any of the recipes.  Many of them I find in Cooking Light and then we just modify them to how we like it!

Workouts for the Week - Lyndsay

I had a pretty good week last week for workouts.  Check it out:

Monday - workout at the gym (ran 4 miles on the treadmill and then did some weights)
Tuesday - volleyball
Wednesday - running with Alissa at Sims Park
Thursday - hot yoga
Saturday - run in the neighborhood (quick little run, only about 1.5 miles)

This week I'm already off to a good start.  Getting ready for that 5k!!  Less than two weeks away!

Workouts for the week-Alissa

I made my workout goals and ordered my new shorts from sports authority.  yay!  2 more weeks til the 5k...

•Tuesday: volleyball

•Wednesday: 3 mile run with Lyndsay

•Friday: 2 mile run with Joe

•Saturday: practiced running the 5k loop with Joe

Oh and I was looking for a picture of my shorts to post (can't find a normal sized one...weird) and i realized they just went on sale!  not cool...  i just ordered them yesterday!

Things we love-Alissa

This wasn't a very good week for me.  Katie R and Kim went home on Sunday so I was missing them.  And on Monday my car broke down and my phone stopped working.  I just felt tired and grumpy all week and I didn't have the strength to post.  Buuut I'm better now so here's my love list :)

1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: These have to be my favorite cookies ever.  I made them for Kim, Katie R and Lyndsay this weekend.  They remind me of fall (I'm so excited for fall right now) and home.  My mom always makes them and her recipes are the best.  

2. Cheap car repairs: On Monday morning, while I was driving to work, my car overheated and my wheel locked up.  So I pulled into a gas station, tried to call Joe and work only to realize that my cell phone would not make any outgoing calls!  Luckily the gas station person let me use their phone and Joe came and rescued me.  Joe just signed us up for triple A last month so we didn't have to pay any towing fees.  Go Joe for thinking ahead!  I liked the place where they towed my car and I think we finally found a decent mechanic here.  It was only $210...which is amazing cause in the last 2 years I've paid over $3,000 in car repairs.  I was so happy once I heard the price...and now my car is as good as new.  Well almost...its still infested with ants but thats a story for another time.  haha.    

3. OPI nailpolish in "my private jet":  On Saturday Katie R, Kim, Lyndsay and I got manis and pedis.  I almost didn't get a mani cause mine always chips but a shoulder massage comes with it so I couldn't resist.  I got this color cause it's one of my favorites but its dark so I figured it would be chipped by Monday.  Well it stayed perfect for at least 5 days!  I got tons of compliments.  I love the dark gray with a little sparkle.  I recommend it to everyone!  Oh and I recommend Savvy Salon to everyone too.  They are great!

-Alissa

Things We Love This Week - Lyndz

Yay for Wednesday's!  This is my favorite day.  One: it's mid-way through the week, Friday is only two days away.  Two: I get to think about all the things I love this week.  Here we go:

My hair straightener - It is a Remington® 1" Teflon® Fiber Ceramic Straightener and it is amazing!  Because I go tothe gym after work, I have to take a shower in the evening.  Usually I even go to bed with my hair wet.  What?!  Yes.  I do.  So when I wake up in the morning, I have crazy wavy hair that is sticking up in all sorts of crazy places.  Let me tell you people, this hair straightener works it out!  By the time I'm finished, my hair looks awesome - like that morning's bed head never existed.  Love love love!

The public library - I will admit right now that I was never a library person. I love to buy books and keep them around so I can read them multiple times. My problem was when I bought a book that I thought I would like, but ended up hating. What then? Now I have bought a book that is going to sit on my bookshelf and mock me because I didn't like it.  But I have seen the light.  I love the library.  It gives me a little thrill to add books to my request list that I'm really looking forward to reading.  Then, when I get the email saying my books are ready for me to pick up I get so excited!  So do it people!!  Stop buying so many books and use your library.  Buy the book if you love it and know you will read it again.  And get some library fees too, so we can pay those sweet librarians that pull my books for me and have them waiting.

Royal Gala Apples - I eat one of these apples every single day without fail.  They are the perfect combination of sweet and tart.  And they're perfectly crisp - not soft and mushy.  You know what they say: "An apple a day..."

Workouts for the Week - Lyndsay

So this week was not very productive for me in working out.  I wish I could say it's because I was really busy with stuff...but really it's because I was lazy.

Tuesday - volleyball night
Wednesday - running with Alissa at Sims Park
Thursday - hot yoga

I know next week will be better - I really need to get ready for our 5k on Setpember 11!!!

Lyndz :)

Workouts for the week-Alissa

I'm proud of myself because I made my workout goals for this week!  I ran 3 times and each time I ran a little farther than I did before.  One more week til I can get my new shorts and 3 more weeks til the 5K!

•Sunday: 3 mile run
•Tuesday: volleyball
•Wednesday: 3 mile run
•Friday: 2 mile run
 
I didn't get the chance to work out this weekend cause Katie R. and Kim came to visit!  Expect a post on that this week :)  So much fun....
 
-Alissa

Foodie Friday- Black Bean Fiesta Dip

I got this recipe from my mom and my Aunt Suzi and it's amazing!  I recently took it to a party at Lyndsay's and it was a big hit.  I think it's one of Joe's favorite things that I make.  Enjoy :)

Black Bean Fiesta Dip

Combine:
2 cans black beans (drained)
1 c. frozen corn (thawed and baked with 1 T corn or olive oil @ 450 degrees 7-8 min.)
1 large tomato (diced)

2 large avocados (diced)
2 T red onion (diced)  (This is what the recipe says but Joe and I usually add more)

¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp. pressed garlic

Dressing:
2 T lime juice
¼ tsp. cumin
1 T cider vinegar
2 T corn or olive oil
1 ½ tsp. salt

Pour dressing over mixture and stir. Serve with frito scoops or as a stand-alone salad.  I love it with the fritos.  I mix everything ahead of time and put the avocados and tomato in just before serving. Otherwise, the salad gets soggy.  If I'm making it just for Joe and I and want it to last longer than one night, I just keep the avacado and tomato in separate bowls.  Let me know if you try it and like it!  Oh and the picture is taken by Jen :)

-Alissa

Things I Love This Week - Lyndsay

Ok, if you’re a big-time slacker that can’t blog on time, please raise your hand (picture me, here on my lunch break, raising my hand very slowly and looking sheepish). So here I am, with my favorite things this week:



My Toyota Prius (her name is Polly): Now that I’m living closer to work, my daily commute has dropped by like 18 miles! Amazing! The less time stuck in traffic in the mornings and evenings has made me beyond happy. And along those lines, I love little Polly because I made it almost four weeks without having to fill up my tank. Wow – talk about fuel efficiency! Every time I get in my car, it’s like a game to me to see if I can get better gas mileage than the day before. So here I am, saving the planet and saving some dough!

Yogi Toes Mat Towel: If you read my last post then you know that I love to take hot yoga classes. Although all that sweating is very good for me and makes me feel great, it presents a problem because my mat gets crazy slippery. When this happens I start to slide around on my mat and can lose or fall out of some of my poses – which makes me break my concentration and lose my Zen. But, my new favorite yoga accessory to help me with my problem is a mat towel. The towel has little rubber dots (the company calls them “eco nubs” – how cute is that?!) that grips my mat and prevents it from moving around while I changing poses. The top is a soft, towel-like material that is super absorbent. It also gives me a little extra cushion when I’m doing a lot of poses lying on my back or stomach.

Stila Eye Shadow Trio (in Champagne Gold): This is my go-to eye shadow for all occasions. I am obsessed with it. I wear the light pink shade every day. It has just a hint of color and is super sparkly. I sweep it over my whole lid. The taupe shade is perfect for work or daytime wear. It’s not too dark but is still noticeable. Finally, I wear the dark chocolate shade for evenings out, or if I want to look super fancy for work one day.

Things we love-Alissa

1. Grey's Anatomy Season 1: Joe and I just finished re-watching it.  So good!  I love the Meredith and Derek love story.  And I love when Addison sweeps in and ruins it.  Such a good show...

2. Ghirardelli Chocolate Syrup Brownie Mix: My favorite dessert.  I got to make them last weekend.  Yum.

3. My Mom: She has come so far in her computer skills.  And now she is following this blog!  How sweet :)  Go Meer!  <3.

                

Book Review-"Winter Garden" by Kristin Hannah

"Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist. But when their beloved father falls ill, these two estranged women will find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters. On his deathbed, their father extracts one last promise from the women in his life.

It begins with a story that is unlike anything the sisters have heard before—a captivating, mysterious love story that spans sixty-five years and moves from frozen, war torn Leningrad to modern-day Alaska. The vividly imagined tale brings these three women together in a way that none could have expected. Meredith and Nina will finally learn the secret of their mother’s past and uncover a truth so terrible it will shake the foundation of their family and change who they think they are."

I loved this book!  I definitely recommend it.  Reading about World War II from a Russian point of view was really interesting.  I got very involved in the mother's story.  I liked how this novel moved fast and had suprising twists.  But be warned: It's really sad!  As soon as I finished the book, I cried. 

Grade: A-

-Alissa

Workouts for Last Week - Lyndsay

Hello blog-ettes! :)  Here I am again, a day late on updating the blog, whoops!  Ok, so let's talk about my workouts this past week:

• Tuesday: volleyball
• Thursday: hot yoga
• Friday: tennis
• Saturday: kayaking/volleyball

Typical Tuesday, volleyball night with the group.  We met up at 7:00 and played until 10:00 - so a good three solid hours.  Now, what does that translate into calorie burning?  Somewhere around 200 calories an hour!  Awesome!!  

Thursday, again, typical Thursday.  Every Thursday night I take a hot yoga class.  I take both Birkram and Vinyasa Yoga.  Thursday nights are reserved for Vinyasa.  For those of you that don't know much about yoga, here is a little info.  First, hot yoga is different because, well, it's done in a heated room that's temperature sits somewhere between 103-108 degrees with about 30-40% humidity.  Ok, I know it sounds awful, but it is absolutely amazing!  For me, there is nothing better than getting a great sweat during a workout and this certainly makes you sweat.  Now, for the types of yoga.  There are so many varieties of yoga, but Bikram and Vinyasa and the two that I practice.  Both are done in the heat, but Bikram is more regimented in its practice.  In each class you do 26 postures and two breathing exercises - one at the beginning and the other at the end.  Vinyasa is a bit more creative and up to the person teaching the class.  It is often called a flow class and consists of connecting poses rather than just static poses (as in Bikram).  I love it!  So, if there is a hot yoga class available out there to you, go out and try it and let me know what you think!  Personally, it is my favorite workout I do each week.  

Alright, Friday night is tennis night.  My brother and his girlfriend were in town this past weekend so we decided to play tennis after dinner Friday night.  Great cardio workout for sure!  

Finally, Saturday morning we decided to go kayaking.  Umm, I'm still a little sore in my shoulders.  It was definitely all about upper body and abs.  And last but definitely not least, we played volleyball again on Saturday.  We played as part of the PCOM volleyball tournament - and won!  Woo hoo!  But we definitely put up a fight (physically and emotionally).  Our first match was the emotionally hard part as they were freaking cheaters!!  My biggest issue with that team was how they kept moving people around during the game. Ok, so the rules are, you rotate through the court.  You can't change places with someone.  Well, two points from winning Joe serves to a girl that had no skill.  Naturally, she missed the ball, making it one more point to win.  So, some guy (don't even know his name), told the girl to switch with him.  Ok, so uncool!  You know I called him out on it, but he was like, "we're not playing by the rules."  A-hole.  Well, I guess he didn't know that Joe could control where his serve went, so you guessed it, he sent it right to that girl again, now on the other side of the court.  She missed it.  We won that match.  Lesson?  Stop cheating!!  The next match went well, so we won there too.  In the final match it was us (team Dirty Sanchez) - three girls and three guys, versus five guys and one girl.  We were a little nervous, especially when they took an early lead on us 8-1.  Yikes!  Luckily, Joe and Travis (my brother) brought their A-game and both had good runs of like seven and ten points.  We ended up winning the tournament!  It only seems right that I now say: "We are the champions...of the world!!!"

Till next time,

Lyndz

layouts and exercise

I changed the layout!  I'm so excited.  Comment on how much you love it:)

I'm suppose to be writing about how much I exercised this week buuut it wasn't much :-/  Just volleyball twice (volleyball tues!  and on sat our team won the PCOM volleyball tournament!  expect a blog on that from Lyndsay soon...) and a band workout.  Lyndsay and I are training to run the Suwanee Day 5k.  It's both of our first 5ks and we're very excited!  Unfortunately I didn't run at all this week.  For motivation I just promised myself if I run 3-4 times a week for 2 weeks, I'll reward myself with a new pair of running shorts.  I hope I can do it cause I really want more shorts...and I don't want to finish last in the race.  haha.

-Alissa

Foodie Friday!

Ok guys, it's Friday which means it's Foodie Friday.  Foodie Friday is a bit of a grab bag - all things food can and will be covered.  From recipes to weekly meal plans to diets we're trying, we will touch on it all.  So, in honor of my brother's visit to Georgia, I am going to tell you about what we are planning to make Friday night for dinner.  When trying to decide what to make for my bro and his girlfriend, I wanted to make something relatively healthy, easy to make, and of course, delicious.  BBQ turkey burgers came to mind.  Now, let me preface this by saying that I am not a condiments person.  Not a fan of ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce...But this recipe just works for me.  The BBQ sauce is not overwhelming and gives the turkey burgers more flavor and more juice.  We found the recipe in Cooking Light and have modified it to our tastes.  Check it out:

• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce (we use Sticky Finger's brand, but definitely use what you like)
• 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (feel free to use less, or use powder - but we LOVE garlic)
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound of ground turkey (ok, every time I go to Publix they have 1.3 pounds, but we like our burgers a little larger)

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl and form into four (or three) patties.
2. Heat your grill (or George Foreman), spray with cooking spray and cook (about seven or so minutes on each side, just depends on how big your patties are.
3. Serve on a whole wheat bun with all your favorite toppings (sometimes my husband adds some additional BBQ sauce to his burger - too much for me, but he likes it)
4. Enjoy!!

Now onto dessert.  If you read my entry about my favorite things this week, then you saw that one of my favies this week is my husbands cookies.  Here is the recipe (which you can find inside the lid of most Quaker Oats oatmeal):

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened (we use salted)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (we use light brown sugar, seems to make the cookies more fluffy inside)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (we like the King Arthur unbleached flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups uncooked oats (quick or old fashioned)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (feel free to use raisins as a substitute)

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy
3. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well
5. Stir in oats and chocolate chips; mix well
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfulls onto an ungreased cooking sheet
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly brown (don't over cook or the cookies won't be as soft on the inside)
8. Cool on the cookie sheet; remove to wire rack to fully cool

Eat them warm with a nice glass of cold milk!

I hope you've enjoyed this weeks Foodie Friday.  Comment and let us know if you try either recipes and if you made any changes!  We want to know what you think!!

Things We Love - Lyndsay

1. 1000awesomethings.com – Everyone needs a little something to make them smile each day. I found this blog through an article on CNN about the top blogs on the web (maybe out little blog will be there one day). The blog is exactly what it says it is: 1000 Awesome Things. From # 982: Picking your nose, to # 445: Pulling a weed and getting all the roots with it, there is nothing left untouched. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

         # 446 – when your plugged up nostril just suddenly opens up with no warning
         # 476 – biting off the last piece of the popsicle without losing any of it
         # 501 – picking the fastest moving line at the grocery store check out

So go check it out and see what your favorites are!!


2. My husband’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – our little group of friends had a gathering this past Monday night and my husband and I were in charge of brining desert. I made homemade cupcakes and my hubby made is legendary oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I just don’t know what it is about these cookies but they make me so happy. They are the perfect balance of creamy chocolate, salty oatmeal and sweet brown sugar. In my opinion, it is the perfect cookie – crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside – the perfect combination. I’ll put the recipe up for Foodie Friday!


3. Finally getting the hair off the inside of your shirt that was tickling your back. This probably only happens to people with long hair, but don’t you just hate it when a hair falls down the back of your shirt (or the front) and starts tickling your skin?? Then you’re reaching back there to extract the one rogue hair and no matter how hard you try, you just can never get your hands on it?! But, after endless minutes and twisting your arm in unusual positions, when you’re finally able to grab the hair and haul it out it gives you a sense of joy. You feel liberated!! This happened to me today and when I finally removed that single strand of hair from my shirt my morning instantly improved.

Things we love- Alissa

1. Nars The Multiple- Portofino: Its a multi-purpose stick for eyes, cheeks, lips and body.  The color is amazing and it lasts forever! 



2. Prewrap: I've been wearing it while running and playing volleyball to keep my hair back. its a throw back to my field hockey days. ha

 
 
3. Martha Stewart's kitchen stuff:  I especially love the new tupperware I got.  It actually stays closed and the lids are in the cutest colors.
 

 

Times I talked to Lyndsay today:
-in the car on the way to work
-emails during the day
-texts during the day
-in the car on the way home from work
-at volleyball from 7-10.

haha. that's a lot.

-Alissa

Intro

It all started with a pedi…



Alissa and I first met through our med student husbands Joe and Jonathan. Both of our husbands are avid tennis players, so naturally the first time we met was on a tennis court. It must have been fate because neither of us had much skill when it came to playing tennis (we’re getting better though!). After bowing out of the “doubles” match which consisted of our husbands going after our wild shots, we discovered we both had great skill with words. We sat down and just talked – everything from our childhoods to college, our recent weddings and jobs – we talked about it all. It was then that we learned of each other’s love for pedicures. After our first pedi together our friendship was cemented. We are very much the same but also very different. One of us is liberal, the other conservative (we’ll let you guess who ). One is brunette and brown-eyed, the other blonde and blue-eyed. But we both love books, television, makeup, the library, food and so much more. So here we are, to write about life. From what we eat (Foodie Fridays) to our favorite nail polish colors to book reviews, we tell it to you straight. We hope you enjoy the journey, we certainly have! And we’re still having fun!

So this is how we will break it down:

Monday – book reviews

Wednesday – things we love this week

Friday – Foodie Fridays

Sunday – workouts for the week


We’ll also throw in some real life anecdotes from our day to day lives. There is always something going on that is worth mentioning that should add some entertainment to your day.


Welcome and enjoy!!!
-Lyndsay



“Seventy million books in America’s library, but the one you want to read is always out.”