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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Iced Coffee

I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE DAY OF SCHOOL!  

I'm a little excited.  Maybe I will try to pull an all nighter... Who am I kidding.  I haven't done that since freshman year of college, but if it happens I am prepared.  I still have half a pitcher of perfectly rich and cold iced coffee in the frig.  My Starbucks addiction always gets a little out of hand when the temperature changes.  In the fall all the sudden, I want hot lattes all the time, and in the summer I crave a big ol' glass of iced coffee to sip on.  This is a {Pioneer Woman} recipe so you know you can trust it.  I modified it so I could make it in our tiny apartment kitchen {trust me you'll understand when you see how much it makes}. 


Ingredients:

1 Gallon of Water {I am lazy and didn't want to use our tap water}
8 oz Ground Coffee

Directions:

1.   Grab the biggest bowl you own and combine the water and coffee grounds. Stir a little bit so the grounds are not all sitting on the top of the water. 

2.  Clean out your frig so you can fit the bowl in there.  Allow grounds and water to steep for at least 8 hours.  I allowed mine to steep over night.


 3.  Grab a pitcher and put a mesh stainer with a cheese cloth over the opening.  If you don't have a cheese cloth you can use a paper towel or coffee filter.  I had to use several different paper towels. 


 Enjoy!


I added some cream and sugar... I'm such a sissy. 


Pretty dang amazing.  Now I can drink iced coffee whenever I want!  Not sure if that is a good thing...

fjkr@@nfjknfje!!!rffrknfn**gwtjn!!gh

I might need to back off the caffeine.  Funny story.  The night I made this I had a "nightmare" that the water and coffee didn't mix at all.  In the morning I went and checked first thing that it was just a dream.  Alright lovelies, I am headed of to find a party dress in my closet because its my birthday this weekend!

{LJ}

Monday, May 26, 2014

Patriotic Jar Decor


Happy Memorial Day!  It is a beautiful day here in Denver.  I am so happy that it finally feels like spring!  My Texas mindset for spring and summer has changed drastically.  Yesterday while I was sitting around being lazy I decided our home needed some American decor.  This project only took me 10 minutes and the only thing I had to purchase was the flowers {I looooove hydrangeas}.  All you have to do is wrap your jar with lots of yarn.  I attached the yarn to the back of the jar with tape and hid the end piece by tucking it under other pieces of yarn.  Next I made a paper pin wheel.  You can see how I make them {here}. 


I hope you have wonderful Memorial Day.  I am so thankful for all our service men and women.  I especially want to thank my college bestie Brittany and her Marine husband Casey.  They are stationed over in Japan and I know they are making major sacrifices for our country!  

God Bless America!

{LJ}

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Whole Wheat Strawberry Pancakes


Happy Sunday to you!  :)  Tall Tan Man and I are having a very needed relaxing weekend.  For the last three weeks we have been helping his Grandpa move, and moving is hard work.  Yesterday I slept in, went to boot camp, fixed us breakfast and wondered around the mall for a couple of hours.  It was a perfect day.  We are still trying to eat healthy, but after my work out I was craving something sweet.  This recipe was made based off one I found at {Fifteen Spatulas}. 

    
Whole Wheat Strawberry Pancakes
Serves 2 {made 6 pancakes}

Ingredients:

1 Cup Milk
1 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Whole Wheat  Flour
2 Tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Egg
2 TBSP Melted Butter
1 Cup Chopped Strawberries

Directions:

1.  Combine milk and vinegar.  Allow mixture to curdle {i feel like that is a gross word...}.  

2.  In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, soda, powder, and salt. 

3.  In a smaller bowl mix together the egg, butter, and milk.  

4.  Add liquid mixture to the dry mixture.  Whisk until combined, it is okay to have flour chunks.  Lightly fold in the strawberries.  

5.  Preheat a griddle to 350 - 375 degrees.  Grease the surface with butter and scoop batter with a 1/4 cup.  The batter started a little lumpy but smoothed out while the pancakes cooked.  Flip the pancakes once you start to see bubbles in the middle.    



5.  Add some butter...



6.  And some syrup...



Now enjoy the pancakes! 




I thought these turned out so delicious.  The strawberries balanced perfectly with the whole wheat flavor.  :)



{LJ}

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Only...


Let the countdown officially begin!  I don't know about you, but I feel like a part of me is missing during the off season. 

BOOMER SOONER!

{LJ}  

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Ham Breakfast Bake


I am one happy lady because I got to sleep in this morning :)  We did not have school today because of senior graduation at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater.  If you are ever in Colorado I recommend you see it!



 Going to graduation is definitely one of my favorite things about teaching.  I get to see all these happy and proud students close a big chapter in their lives.  I almost cry about 7 times {I am a major softy}.  Graduation also means one other thing...SUMMER BREAK IS ALMOST HERE {I picked an awesome career}.  

With my extra time this morning I decided to bust out of my breakfast norm and make something totally different.  I found a new recipe on {Skinny Taste} last week and decided to give it a try.  I adapted the recipe a little bit so Tall Tan Man would eat it.  :)

Ham Breakfast Bake
Serves: 10

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Olive oil
1/2 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Cup Chopped Spinach
1 Cup Chopped Broccoli
9 oz Diced Lean Ham Steak
1/2 Cup Salsa
7 Eggs
5 Egg Whites
1/4 Cup Skim Milk
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread one cup of cheese along the bottom of your baking dish.  

2.  In a skillet heat olive oil then saute the bell pepper for about 5 minutes.  Add in spinach, broccoli, and ham.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in salsa.  

3.  Spread the veggie and ham mixture over the cheese in your baking dish.  

4.  In a medium size bowl whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour egg mixture over the veggies and top with the remaining cheese.  

5.   Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the middle.  




I added some fruit and iced coffee from Starbucks. It was a pretty fabulous breakfast.  




I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!  I had to go back for seconds... Thanks for stopping by :)

{LJ}

Linking up with the Blissful Bee.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips



Eating healthy is tough.  

It takes work, planning, and time.  It's sooo much easier to grab a bag of Tostitos and eat half of it before you blink twice.  Unfortunately, that makes buttoning your pants harder.  The following whole wheat chips are yummy, healthy, and you can make them in small batches for portion control {who has self control???}.  

Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips
1 Serving

Ingredients

2 Whole Wheat Tortillas {La Famalia, 80 calories} 
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.  Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2.  Brush tortillas with olive oil. 

3.  Cut tortillas into eighths and sprinkle with sea salt & pepper. 

4.  Bake for 7 minutes then flip the chips and bake for about 7 more minutes.  Make sure you watch the chips because different tortillas bake faster than others. 

5.  Serve with salsa or my favorite on-the-go guacamole {wholly guacamole minis}. 


Alright, fist bumps for tomorrow being Friday.

{LJ}

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Goodwill Chic {my "new" vase}



Hi there!  Are you a thrift shopper?  I am an ALL-STORE shopper, no prejudice here!  Our kitchen table is the first thing you see when you walk in the door.  It is also the drop spot for mail, remotes, crumbs, computers, and papers to grade.  I love when we have our table cleaned off, because it makes the whole house feel more put-together.  I spotted this blue vase at goodwill last weekend and I knew it would be prefect for our table.  With a price tag of only $7.00, I didn't think twice.  When I showed it to Tall Tan Man he said "what the heck is that? {me: a pretty vase} Do we need that? {me: yes, plllease}."  Men just don't get it sometimes... haha.   I had to work a little magic to make the flowers look decent because the vase was so big.  


 So I created this fancy contraption and put it inside the vase.  I am loving these sunflowers, they are helping me forget that it SNOWED last weekend... 






Have you found any thrift shop treasures lately? 

Hope you have a great rest of your week!  

{LJ}

Linking up with the Blissful Bee, The Thrift Home, and Seven Thirty Three

Monday, May 12, 2014

Chicken Tacos


Tall Tan Man and I have been talking a lot about the beach lately.  Unfortunately, we're not talking about toes in the water, tush in the sand, and a margarita in our hand...  We I decided a couple weeks ago that something drastic needed to happen in our diet, and we are currently 2 weeks into the South Beach Diet.  I wish I was just working on a summer swim suit body, but right now I just want my pencil skirts to fit.  South Beach is all about eating healthy carbs which can be a huge struggle for me.  I needed some low carb/no carb dinners and I stumbled onto {Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps} from Damn Delicious.  It was too good for me not to share with ya'll!  


If you are looking for dinner this week I promise this is good.  Enjoy!!!

{LJ}


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Decorating with Cacti


Happy Friday Eve!  If those words don't make you get up and do a happy dance we can't be friends.  If you read my previous post then you can probably tell I have been decorating with low maintenance plants lately.  I tried a fern last summer.  I misted and watered that thing like it was living in the rain forest.  It didn't make it...  Hopefully I can keep my succulents and cacti alive!  You might recognize the vase I used, because I posted last month about {how to reuse volcano candle containers}.  

You will need a cacti, a container of your choice {get creative!}, and some dirt.  


I first tried to pull the cacti out of the plastic container with an oven mitt, then my bare hands {I am real smart}, and then I finally shook it out onto our patio.  All you do now is put some dirt in the bottom of a vase and plant your cacti!


Another fast and easy project! :) 

Hope you have a WONDERFUL Friday and weekend!

{LJ}

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Succulents in Jars


Hi there!  I am sorry I have been MIA lately... My glass has been pretty half empty lately and I have been plum out of ideas.  I think going 0-9 on house offers has been a wee-bit depressing.  I'm trying to trust the plan God has and understand that where we live is not that big of a deal.  Our apartment has been a little neglected lately {you should have seen the dust} and it needed a little sprucing up.  I had a succulent "garden" last year, but it appears blogging in May has been a consistent struggle :)  I picked these cute little succulents up at the Home Depot, and I picked one other gem I will get to that on a later post.  

There is a good chance I can keep these alive, because they require barely any maintenance whatsoever! All you need is jars, soil, and succulents.  You can finish this project in under 10 minutes! :)





        Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful week!

{LJ}


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