Week(end Shopping Spree) in Review

While I manage to never quite actually review a week like I’m supposed to, thanks to Meghan I’ve gotten pretty good at reviewing previews, goals, and gardens, so could you expect anything less than another bending of the rules this week?

If you’re at all familiar with me, you’ll know I’m just about as cheap as can be. If I can get it for less, get it on sale, or just get by without it, I will. But this weekend? I dusted off the ol’ credit card and got online–so it’s time for some shopping in review. A list of all things I agreed to the arbitrary monetary value of over the past few days!

Fancy chocolate.

Sunday was Mother’s Day, after all.

Clothes.

Because sometimes you open a dresser drawer and realize how grungy and lacking in elastic all your panties underwear have become. (Upon review, I’ve determined I don’t own anything even remotely sexy or delicate enough to be deemed “panties.” I’m an underwear sort of girl.) Also ordered: A pair of shorts and a jacket. Because nothing says “Spring shopping” like a jacket.

iPhone App.

I’ve had an iPhone for over 2 years. Yesterday was the first time I paid money for an app.

Tea Spree.

An Allie who runs out of tea is an unhappy Allie. An Allie who runs out of tea is also an Allie who goes a little bonkers and buys 8 boxes of tea from iHerb. Also ordered: Two new-to-me ingredients–Kitchen adventures to  come!

Books.

Sometimes you read well-researched nonfiction. Sometimes you read classic literature. And sometimes you read escapist YA fantasy novels. In one day. Also ordered: Cinder and River of Doubt. Because who doesn’t love of a good combo of fantasy books and nonfiction novels about Theodore Roosevelt?

Plane tickets.

Where am I going? OH-HO! Wouldn’t you just love to know!

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Been shopping lately? Grab anything good?

Budget, Link Ups, Reading, Week in Review

May 13, 2013

26 Comments

Strange Ingredients

Today’s #strangebutgood was inspired by Ingredients. That is, Sarah from Ingredients of a Fit Chick and her Sweet Potato Raisin Bread. While I was going to skim the recipe due to a disinterest in raisins-in-baked-goods, coconut-flour-in-general and baking-as-a-concept, her comment part way through caught my eye:

“It is also amazing toasted and turned into a turkey sandwich for a bit of sweet and savory…”

A sweet potato bread and turkey combo? I couldn’t get it out of my head.

So I faced it all, and I stood tall, and did it myyyyy way…

Sweet Potato Bread for Burgers

…Or really anything you want to put between the buns. That’s what she said.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and/or line a loaf pan.

• 1/3c oats, blended into flour
• 1/3c mashed sweet potato
• 2 egg whites
• 1t baking powder
• 1/4t apple pie spice (or cinnamon)
• 1/2t vanilla

Mix it all together, spread in a thin even layer in your loaf pan, bake for 15 minutes.

Cut in half. Put one half under burger, put one half on top. You could be classy and add veggies. Or be me, and not. And yes, that’s a square “bun” on a round burger. Deal with it. This ain’t no Krystals.

You could also probably make your own turkey burger for this, but it turns out that Costco sells giant bags of delicious premade frozen turkey burgers. Which limits the amount of time I have to touch raw meat. And gives you the perfect sweet vs. salty final ratio.

And the combo? Even better dunked in another sweet and savory favorite: Honey mustard.

What blogger/recipe has inspired you lately? Favorite sweet and salty food?

Protein, Recipe, Strange but Good

May 10, 2013

27 Comments

What (American) Food I Ate (Out) Wednesday

I used my last WIAW to reveal some of the stranger restaurant finds I’ve come across lately. This Wednesday? Forget strange, let’s celebrate some all-American classics. Brought to you by the letter B and an adoration of alliteration.

♫ I’m lovin’ this American food, American fooood… ♫

BBQ.

Pile of pulled pork with a pickle perched on top.

(Deliciously moist pork, collard greens and black-eyed peas from Edley’s BBQ.)

Burgers.

Healthy conversation with Heather at a new burger haven.

(“The Farm” burger at Burger Republic: Black bean burger topped with a fried egg.)

Biscuits.

Cream biscuit crafted with care, cradling a cheese content combo. Alternate title: Pre-eating prior to picking up my potential pup.

(I snagged an egg, homemade pimento cheese and ham biscuit as I raced out of the Franklin Farmer’s Market to spur-of-the-moment go get a dog.)

Brunch.

Yummilicious yolkporn.

(Hashed potatoes and chorizo sausage topped with smoked gouda momay sauce and poached egg from Wild Ginger.)

—

Best “American” food you’ve had lately?

Restaurants, What I Ate Wednesday

May 8, 2013

40 Comments

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Yesterday I teased that there was ONE MORE new addition to my backyard…

And here it is! So I’m NOT promising this fantastic face a forever home yet–but I AM promising to give this dog-ownership-business a shot for a week and see how the furry friend and I hit it off. Nothing’s official, so I’m currently at a “foster home” status. If I decide I’m *gulp* ready for commitment…great. If not? I’ll have given her a home and some socializing for a few days–win/win.

She’s the dog I was interested in a week or so ago but lost to a quicker-on-the-draw bratty 12 year old (who in all fairness I have never met and is probably very sweet and not bratty). The family decided it wasn’t the right time for a dog after all, so this young lady ended up coming home with me.

This feisty Mountain Feist is here for the week,  jogging by my side, racing around my yard (and already figuring out how to get out of my fence), and seeing if she can work her way into my heart–it’s a pretty solitary place, but I’m trying to give her a fair chance. Because, really, just look at her!

—

Do you own a dog? Ever fostered a pet?

House and Home

May 7, 2013

35 Comments

Gardening in Review

Someday I’ll hit a Week in Review right on the nose and actually review a week like I’m supposed to. But you know what’s more fun? Not following the rules. And celebrating a week of all things garden, list-style.

Monday

Was amazed at the size of the lettuce I planted in a pot last month.

Tuesday

Puttered around my small herb garden.

Wednesday

Tiller time!

Thursday

Planted seedlings.

Friday

Bought seeds.

Saturday

Gazed sadly out the window at the cold, rainy weather.

Sunday

Added one super-exciting new item to the backyard milieu…that I’m going to make you wait until tomorrow to learn more about.

—

Do you garden? Have anything planted?

Garden, House and Home

May 6, 2013

40 Comments

Dessert for Dinner.

Since getting back to eating meat, I’ve discovered that I just don’t like beef. Ground, regular, burger-ed, you name it. I find it (literally) difficult to swallow, unpleasant in texture and color and unappealing in taste. Regardless of whether I should be a good American and love my cow-meat, I don’t. But then I found organic grass-fed strip steak on Manager’s Special. So I bought it anyway.

So how was I going to choke down my fabulously-priced beef find? Go for #strangebutgood. Laura has a way with spices that I envy, and I took my cue from her and got adventurous. I pulled out a traditionally “dessert” seasoning combo and applied it to meat. The result? Well, it’s still beef, but, man, good flavor!

Lemon-Cardamom Strip Steak

• 1 lemon’s worth of juice
• 1 lemon’s worth of zest
• 1/4t ground cardamom
• 2 strip steaks

Yup, three (four?) ingredients. Put them all in a crockpot, on high, for 2-3 hours. While the hot and fresh version was good, I much preferred the cold leftovers, cubed and added to a salad. There was more time for the lemon-cardamom flavor to come through, plus cubed made it (slightly) easier to swallow.

Beef: It’s what (I probably won’t make again) for dinner.

But if I do? I’ll rock the lemon cardamom.

—

Ever gone dessert flavor for dinner?

Confession, Protein, Recipe, Strange but Good

May 3, 2013

33 Comments

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda

In January, I set a goal to do more.

In February, I finished more.

In March, I (tried) to be more kind to myself.

And in April, I was more like a chicken.

Now that it’s May, it’s time to reflect and reset!

May Goal: Be More Mindful.

I’m going to take a slightly more serious spin-off of the concepts behind my chicken goal, since I found that one to be a rousing success. This may?

Part One: Be aware and in the moment.

Taste what I’m eating, see what I’m looking at, feel what I’m touching–Just remember to take moments to be in the moment.

We pray for our life of tomorrow,
Ephemeral life though it be;
This is the habit of our mind
That passed away yesterday.
–    Ikkyu

Part Two: Meditate.

Take a moment to not be in the real world and be in my mind instead.

When the mind is at peace,
the world too is at peace.
Nothing real, nothing absent.
Not holding on to reality,
not getting stuck in the void,
you are neither holy or wise, just
an ordinary fellow who has completed his work.

-   Layman Pang-yun (740-808)

Part Three: Ignore all of the above and stop worrying about what I should be doing.

I spend so much time thinking about what I should be doing, so much time beating myself up about what I should have done and so much time obsessing about what my future should contain.

I should go to the gym, I shouldn’t sit and relax when there are things to be done, I should be worried about my leaky roof, I shouldn’t put off ’til tomorrow what I don’t want to do today, I should be eating this, I shouldn’t worry about having eaten that…But who am I to dictate what should be done? I’m going to start paying attention to when those shoulds take over, and I’m going to work on letting them slide off my shoulders.

When mortals are alive, they worry about death.
When they’re full, they worry about hunger.
Theirs is the Great Uncertainty.
-   Bodhidharma

Are you mindful? Mindless? Happily doing your thing without worrying about either?

There ain’t no answer.
There ain’t going to be an answer.
There never has been an answer.
That’s the answer.
-   Gertrude Stein

Confession, Goals, Me and Myself

May 1, 2013

29 Comments