Monday Sun-day

The sun is shining & it looks like it will be a beautiful day. Unfortunately, I don't have much for you except a picture of my indulgence last night.

Remember the recipe website I shared last week? Punchfork shared this amazing-looking jalapeno popper grilled cheese recipe. I HAD to try it.

While hubby sliced peppers, I buttered one side of the bread and smeared creme cheese on the other side. I layed the peppers on the creme cheese side, placed a piece of cheddar on top of the peppers, and covered with the top piece of bread. Hubbs cooked the sandwiches over medium heat on the stove & they turned out... well, not so pretty, but amazingly delicious. Next time I will use a thicker bread & slice the peppers thinner. I will be trying this again!

p.s. Aldo is having a 50% off sale! Check out the deals here.

xo

The Back Alley

The girls and I had a night out, and we spent it at The Back Alley. It's a dark dive bar behind a bowling alley (hence the name). It's not the nicest or cleanest, but we've claimed it as ours, and we visit often. The pizza is extra greasy, smothered with 2 layers of cheese and pepperoni. I refrained from eating a single piece, and after looking at the picture, I'm not sure how. I can still smell its heavenly aroma.

 The jello shots come in every flavor you can think of and taste like candy.

The accidentally vintage decor is not much to look at, and the stained glass fruit lamp shades are something only a regular could love.

But the shots are scrumptious-- especially the "applesauce" shots.

And my favorite Hawaiian, Leala, is always ready to dance the night away (and play air guitar).

My look for the evening (sorry for not getting a full outfit pic!!) was a black tank from Express, black leggings from Maurices. I got them for a steal at $11! And my outfit staple, black suede Lauren Conrad pumps adorned my feet. My black and gray Coach wristlet also made an appearance-- I just love that little thing!

Every Friday and Saturday night, The Back Alley offers karaoke. Yes, I have partaken. No, it was not pretty. A few of my friends are rockstars though!!

As for the jeggings (jeans+leggings), they turned out to be too much like jeans and not enough like leggings,so I returned them. And I'm not sad about it....

xo

21 Rules

I stumbled upon a page within the Michigan State University website that said "Advice From Somewhere". Personally, I think everyone should live by their own rules, but these are some great starting points.

ONE.

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.

Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE.

Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.

When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE.

When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX.

Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN.

Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.

Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE.

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN.

In disagreements, fight fairly. Please No name calling.

ELEVEN.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN.

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN.

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN.

Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN.

Remember the three R's:
Respect for self;
Respect for others;
Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY.

Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE.

Spend some time alone.

My own personal rule is when life gets hard, take a minute to think about a time or place when life seemed perfect. The beaches in the Dominican Republic are what I think about. I remember the happiness that came over me as we strolled down the board-walk and I first saw the ocean.

Enjoy the scenery of where you are, but don't forget to dream about the places you want to be.


xo

Dolce Vita

While hubby was stuck at work last night, mom and I went out to dinner. Dolce Vita was the place of choice, and it was the perfect time to debut a shirt I received on Christmas. I wore an F21 flower lace top, old skinny jeans, and my new L.Conrad black suede heels.

We started with bruschetta. We were expecting thin, crisp bread with cold mozzarella and tomatoes. We got this

Warm, melty, ooey, and gooey. It was delicious, like a light pizza, but almost a meal in itself. When our entrees came, we were almost stuffed. I had ordered the Steak Salad. It was topped with bleu cheese, dried cherries, and a hard-boiled egg, served with house dressing. The steak was cooked medium-well and oh so heavenly.

As for Mom, she ordered two sushi rolls. Tuna and Dolce (crab).

The restaurant was very dark, so the pictures didn't turn out great. The meals were savory, and we will definitely be going back.

The Kafta Pita

I may be an Italian-American girl, but if I had to choose just one type of food to eat forever, it would be middle-eastern cuisine. The menu for last night: Kafta pita, olive salad, and humous with pita chips. Delish.

Mix a pound of ground lamb with a pound of ground beef. Throw in some parsley, salt, and pepper and 1/2 of a grated onion. Make patties and cook however you'd like. I don't have access to a grill right now, so I made them in a skillet on the stove.

Cut large, fluffy pita in half to form pita pockets, and coat the inside with a garlic paste. Stuff the pita with lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Add a pile of olives and humous to your plate with some pita chips.

Enjoy!

Changes

Most of us make resolutions, and few of us actually accomplish what we set out for. I am almost 1/5 of the way done with my goal and it's only mid-Feb! yay! So what is my goal you ask? RUN

I'm running 500 miles in 366 days. It's perfect timing since it's leap year ;-)

My journey didn't start off great. I was running in these

I love them, but according to Dr. Scholl, I have flat feet, and these puppies caused me some serious shin splints. So I hit up Dick's, and these were recommended

(I know what you're thinking, and I agree. They're fugly!)

Goodbye shin splints!

Hello ankle trauma!

94.5 miles into my resolution and I'm in agony.

Maybe I'll take some time off and see if it heals itself. Otherwise, the next 405.5 miles are going to be painful.

Five days a week I run between 3 & 4 miles per day. This burns roughly 600cals/day, which allows me to eat some delicious foods on the weekends and not gain weight(and let's be honest, sometimes during the week too).

Get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and fit back into your skinny jeans. Start running with me!

EASY Roasted Veggies

I'm not a health nut, and I'm definitely not a chef, but I try to eat healthy most of the time. Here is an easy way to get your veggies in and love them. Start with these (1/2 an onion, 5 small redskin potatoes, and 3 large carrots)

Skin the carrots, then dice everything up

Throw them in a greased pan (any kind you've got). Add 1/2 tsp of garlic, a little salt, a little pepper, drizzle a tiny bit of oil over top, and sprinkle with rosemary

If it looks like this, you're doing awesome

Cook for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally. Then turn it up to 450 for 10 minutes. When it looks like this...

...it's done!

I told my husband I was going to make roasted veggies this week and he said, "could you make them healthier?" He couldn't believe that it was literally just veggies. The whole apartment (all 10 sq feet) is filled with the smell of deliciousness!

Enjoy!

Until I Get There

While I'm stuck where I am, I am envious of those who are out there exploring and living lives that seem so full. This is where I want to be...

or here...

or here...

But until I have the funds (and time) to enjoy a luxurious life, I will document my life from the tiniest apartment in the mid-west. Inspired by a Kate Middleton look-alike, The Londoner, I will share some of the details of my life as a wife, nursing student, and dreamer.