{cereal for dinner}

Happy Friday!!

Growing up, I remember Friday nights being filled with pizza and a movie... or a low-key meal and TGIF {Full House, Family Matters and Step-by-Step} on tv. 

When I got older, I started going out with my friends or boyfriend on Friday nights... In college, Friday nights meant parties or more nights out. I started working nights/weekends, but the goal was usually to get the night off so that I could go out and have fun. 

In the past few years though, I've started to re-learn the value and fun of a low-key Friday night. Even though I don't work Monday- Friday anymore, Friday night seems to be a natural lull night... a night to unwind from the week, take it easy, change into pj's and start spending quality time with my little family.  

No crazy gourmet meals, no long lines at restaurants {Friday is made for pizza, quick fixes, and take out}. Or, you could choose- read, adorably and persistently demand- to have cereal for dinner, like Ben did tonight.  I can't think of a better ending to the week!

{That is, unless I got to have this Friday Night! ...I love this video} 

{local favorite: halo farm}

Local, cheap and delicious. Halo Farm is a store/dairy/ice cream lover's paradise. I happen to be an ice cream lover.

When my husband was a kid, they apparently had a small petting zoo out front, where kids could see/touch an actual cow, goat, et al. I'm not sure when the real animals were taken away, but now you can see a few life-sized cow statues...

They happened to be up and running when I was there today. It is fun to stop and watch for a little bit... and reminds you of how fresh their milk really is. Smart.

I say I go for the fresh- and cheap- milk, but the real reason is the ice cream. Not-too-rich, creamy, great flavors {including Peanut Paradise, which is LOADED with chocolate covered peanuts}, made with their local milk... and cheap. Always on sale: $3 per pint, buy 2 get 1 free. {Is it sad that I have that memorized?} Every time you go, you can't help but stock up... and then go home, scoop up a bowl {or eat out of the container like my hubs}, so you can go back for more...

Mmmmmm...

Another one of my favorite ice cream places: Nokomis Groves, in Nokomis, FL. There is an ongoing "war" in my family about which is better. Orange/Vanilla or Lime/Chocolate. {I'm the Captain of Team Lime/Chocolate.}

{happy humpday}

Happy Humpday! 

IT IS SO COLD! This Polar Vortex nonsense with non-stop snow and perpetual freeze is really starting to get to me. 

Sure, there are good things about cold weather... I get to wear fuzzy socks; burrow into my cozy (synthetic) down comforter; wear fun, chunky scarves; curl up with hot tea; and enjoy one glorious day of sledding/snowman making/playing in snow.

BUT... enjoying the cool air is what fall is for... and snow is really only fun the first time of the season, when you don't have to shovel it or drive in it, and can really enjoy the look and fun of it. {Can you tell the awe of the first snow has worn off?} 

In celebration of a Happy Humpday this week, I thought I'd share my warm thoughts/dreams of summer and warm sunshine to help us all defrost... grab a beach chair!

Royal Caribbean Cruise to Bahamas with my mom: 2006

Not pictured: our crazy attempt at jet skiing with me in control... which I definitely did not have the experience or upper body strength to do without being happily terrified the whole time. We saw a ton of starfish, soaked up the sun in style, and did something new- It was a great trip!!

Ben at Siesta Key Beach, Florida

My favorite beach, and one of my favorite photos... To think, I used to live within 30 minutes of a beach that has made the Best Beaches list more than once... Sand like powdered sugar, sunshine, warm blue-green water... Mmmm... It was awesome to watch him take it all in and enjoy splashing around in the same water I grew up in!

I'm feeling warmer already... :-)

...If you have to return to a cold, snowy reality, here are some fun things I found to make it more enjoyable!

The must-have snowman kit... we have yet to bust ours out of the package!

My favorite Christmas present this year.... My manatea... Fred helps me enjoy my tea with a smile :-)

Slippers... really awesomely warm, soft, cozy slippers. I wear mine all the time!

{couch to 5k and beyond: a race to my 30th birthday}

So, in 346 short days, I will be turning the not-so-big 3-0. I never thought of myself as the type of person who would mind such things. I love my little budding laugh lines, can deal with plucking the occasional gray hair, and generally don't feel old. Sure: I prefer to stay in my pj pants at home, watching Hulu, sipping a glass of wine- or gin and tonic- as compared to going out clubbing- yes, I do think the music is loud... but that doesn't make me old. It's just my personality, right?

It wasn't until the other night at work when a pleasantly confused patient asked me what my goals were that I really started to think about what me being thirty meant. 

There are a lot of things that I thought I would have done by now. I haven't traveled hardly anywhere on my list of places to see; I haven't finished having kids- my goal was 2 by thirty and then done; I haven't obtained my ultimate dream job; bought my perfect house; obtained the wardrobe I dream of; lived the romantic carefree life you see in movies; finished graduate school- something, it turns out I don't really want to do anyway... the list goes on and on. 

The more I think about it, the more I come up with. Granted, some of the items on the list are silly or unrealistic, but some are completely reasonable and attainable. 

I've decided after some sulking- followed by some rational thought, and a self-inflicted kick in the butt- that sure, there are things that I haven't done BUT hopefully, I have time. Life is a work in progress, and I need to stop thinking of it as a "To-Do List"- yes, I am still keeping the list in the back of my mind for future motivation. 

So, rather than freaking out about what I haven't accomplished in my 29 years, I am going to celebrate and enjoy what I have done... and work on doing my best to send my 20's out with a bang... while running 13.1 miles through Disney. 

The Walt Disney World Marathon weekend has always been held on my birthday weekend in January. Traditionally, my mom and I would head to WDW to celebrate my day, and about 15? years ago during our annual getaway I took notice of the fun, and added running in the weekend-long event to my bucket list. There it has sat. Well, it's time to get off the bench. 

Once upon a time, I was athletic, I loved working out and did so regularly... then I got lazy- enjoyed college, got married, pregnant, busy- kicking into gear when I needed to [read, in order to lose almost 60lbs of baby weight] and then letting life get in the way of regular exercise.  

SO, after my aforementioned kick in the butt, pre-planning, and shoe shopping- I've started my adventure. First, I'm working on the well-known Couch to 5K program. Then, I will take on half-marathon training. 

I am going to turn 30, dressed as Minnie Mouse, running through the Magic Kingdom- with my Mickey Mouse costumed hubs running by my side. 

I haven't been this excited about something in a while... it has been almost as fun as planning my wedding was! Thirty is going to be thrilling!

I've already picked out my skirt.
... and my shirt.
Unless I decide to go really big, and wear a tutu.

{meatless monday: white bean soup and dijon grilled cheese}

So, yesterday was "Meatless Monday" in our house. I have to admit, I do not hold the tradition firmly, but I do attempt to make at least one vegetarian meal per week... perhaps writing about it here will help me stick to a routine, and keep it to Mondays. 

It's cold. Freezing or below freezing, here in New Jersey. I was never a soup person- growing up in Florida- but sometime in the last 10 years of living with "real" winters, I have found a soft spot for soups. I also have a love of grilled cheese. 

Last night, I decided to make some very simple white bean soup. Although I was nervous- at first glance, it resembled the baby food I used to make my son- it was very yummy... and warm... and easy to make (always a plus on a work night).

Here's my recipe:

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped carrot

3/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers

1 bay leaf

2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups (or so) of chicken broth *should've used vegetable broth, but didn't have any

Parmesan rind

salt/pepper to taste

Heat a pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Saute diced onion until translucent. Add garlic and saute about 1 more minute. Add rosemary, bay leaf, pinch of salt/pepper, carrots, white beans, chicken broth and Parmesan rind. Bring pot to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender. 

Carefully ladle soup into blender and puree until desired consistency. I tried to leave mine a little chunky. Return to pot, season with salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy and be warm. 

My grilled cheese was also super simple. I used Ezekiel bread- delicious and good for you!- margarine, one slice of white american cheese, and one slice of lacey swiss- folded in half because those slices tend to be big. The only "unusual" thing I did to spice things up was smear a little dijon mustard on the inside of one of the slices of bread. It was melty, gooey, nutty, and dijon-y... a great combination. 

Overall, it was a successful, simple, quick, delicious, vegetarian- minus the chicken broth- dinner. 

I hope that you try it and enjoy... and stay warm! What's your favorite soup?

{happy mornings}

Meet Ben. A little over two years ago, he became the most amazing thing to ever happen to me {and I daresay my husband Matt}. Many sleepless nights, dirty diapers, meltdowns, small victories and tickle fights later, he is even more amazing. 

This is what I got to wake up to this morning... his bubbly, carefree, stop-everything-and-be-happy laugh. I had been somewhat staring at him for about two hours when he finally woke up and squirmed to life {he spent from 1:30am on in our bed, kicking, rustling around and stealing the blankets as only a toddler can}. Not much of a morning person- something he unfortunately got from me- this morning he opened his eyes and smiled, then started demanding kisses, tickles and cereal. Within minutes, he was wiggling his way off of our bed, and running through the house in search of his train set. 

Someday, I will again have the energy and enthusiasm of a toddler.

In the meantime, I am going to cherish every moment of his toddlerhood and continue to foster my love and dependence on coffee.