April Has Been Cold So Far

Its already ten days into April; can you believe it?
The weather had fluctuated at least seven times
in the last two weeks and I can't keep up with it.
My friend Megan had her birthday at
the end of March and we celebrated at BB's Mongolian Grill.
It was my first time there and I absolutely loved it.
So delicious.

On a rare occasion, Ted joined us at Sundy's
and I wore this adorable heart shirt I purchased
at Kohl's. I normally don't shop there but this
was on sale and I could not pass it up.

I sent this fox to my friend June
on Draw Something. I think he's pretty cute.

My sister Kelli's friend Katie finally got hitched and
I got a new dress for the occasion. Unfortunately,
my legs were burnt all to hell from one eight
minute tanning session. It was a total fail.

My first Red's game of the season was their
last fake game before the actual games started.
It was against the Future, made up of the Red's best
minor leaguers. I had a slice of LaRosa's Pizza and
Ryan had a custom hot dog from the Food Network booth.

Neglected

I've been a bad blogger lately.

I don't have many followers or even many
people who glance at this blog, but I still
like to keep it updated.
PS my space bar is out of commission so
I'm cntrl v ing a space in for this post. That's
dedication.
I got bangs and went to the Contemporary Arts Center.

I got my septum pierced.

I tasted Swedish foods. Herring is gross.

First Shamrock Shake of the year.

Ryan and I bowled in another league
and I did pretty well.

Have a great day!

Green Smoothie Diet

I've struggled with my eating habits since I was in

high school. With any diet I was on, I always felt
hungry and tortured and hated everything. And working out has
never appealed to me, but I have somehow stuck to it this
past week. Usually eating is my favorite part of the
day, and believe me I still chow down when the craving hits me.For the past week, I've been making green smoothies with
soy protein for lunch. They have kept me full for most of the
day, usually until dinner. This works perfectly for me because I'm a
chronic snacker and anything that healthily curbs my appetite
is good for me.

Yesterday I included every fruit in my fridge
excluding the apples and oranges. Strawberries, raspberries,
blueberries, kiwi, a banana and my greens were spinach
and kale. I was nervous about those particular
ingredients because I didn't want the smoothie to
be something I dreaded having. I wanted to look forward to my afternoon
smoothie, and I am happy to say that I am still looking
forward to the rest of this week.

Wedding Style

Lovely pastel get up from Elizabeth at Delightfully Tacky.
I don't think I can pull off a hat, but maybe a cute hanky.

This would be a cute, simple outfit for
a casual wedding in the fall.

I have a blue dress similar to this cut, I
just need to find a teeny little belt and some
cute flats.

If you haven't heard lately, research
this man, the travesty he's caused in Uganda, and what you

can do to help the Invisible Children cause.

All This Happiness

One of the most image inspiring blogs I've found

recently is All This Happiness.

I love that her header is a bobby pin.I love this collar.
I love that sometimes she dresses like
the covers of books.

I love that scarf tie. And I love that fox pin.

Monday DIY

Very cute restaurant passport.
I think it would be fun to just find new
restaurants in my hood that I just don't know exist.

Craft

I love this little bar made from an awesome
retro TV! Its adorable and convenient. It came from
The Spotted Fox, a blog I'm sad I only now came across.
Here's what their process was:

gutted the insides of the TV (which can be a bit tricky
and sometimes dangerous) and cut a piece of glass down
to fit snug inside, as a shelf. Load it up with your favorite
liquors & libations, throw in some christmas lights, and DONE.

Such a great idea! I love the knobs and little
trinkets at Anthropologie but I don't have many
dressers that need handles. These wine stoppers
are easy and perfect.


Cute felt coasters. Perfect for a summer cookout or
citrus themed party. Another great DIY from The Spotted Fox.

Recipes for a Better Tomorrow

Evil Shenanigans

Queso Blanco Serves 4-8

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 Serrano chili, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
6 ounces shredded Monterrey jack cheese
Hot sauce to taste

A Cozy Kitchen

Blood Orange Lemonade

Simple Syrup:

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup water

Lemonade:

1 cup fresh blood orange juice, 6 to 7 oranges

1 cup fresh lemon juice, 4 to 5 lemons

3 cups water

1/2 blood orange for garnish

Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

My New Roots

Raw Salted Caramel Apple Dip
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups pitted Medjool dates
¼ cup raw nut or seed butter (almond, cashew, sesame tahini, sunflower)
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. sea salt (or more to taste)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
soaking water as needed


My New Roots

Four Corners Lentil Soup
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed very well
1 large onion, or a couple leeks, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. minced ginger root
1 Tbsp. Ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 15 oz. can of tomatoes; or 4 large, fresh tomatoes, chopped
4 cups stock
salt to taste
1 un-waxed, organic lemon