365 Photo Challenge: Week 6.

Day 40.

Another week of navy is complete! I'm not going to lie... this week's pictures were pretty lame. About week 3 of the same color and I just hit this wall... I think I hit it this week. But I'm going to keep going. Don't you worry...

Day 39: my second favorite kind of pop to Diet Coke. Day 40: cookie cutters for the cookies for Julie's baby shower. Day 41: "window shopping" at Anthropologie. Day 42: flight to Houston for Valeria's bachelorette weekend. Day 43: the remnants of sushi and soy sauce. Day 44: pedicure with the ladies. Day 45: flight back to KC after a great weekend.

So... sorry if this week seems a little uninspired. I'll work harder next week.

Day 39. 

Day 41. 

 Day 42.

Day 43.

 Day 44.

 Day 45.

Try-It Tuesday: Baked Burritos and Fiesta Beans.

For tonight's Try-It Tuesday recipe I got to channel my inner Chipotle burrito roller. Did you know that I worked at Chipotle in high school? I wanted to be surrounded by Spanish speakers and I loved Chipotle, so it seemed like the logical place to apply when I was strapped for cash my senior year. There is an art to rolling burritos, actually. Maybe someday, if you're lucky... I'll teach you how. Anyway, I actually just wanted another excuse to eat the salsa that I blogged about yesterday and am trying to avoid those delicious yet unhealthy tortilla chips... so I went on the look out for a semi-healthy Mexican recipe. I looove Mexican food (yes, three Os in love, that's how much I love it) If only it were healthier... I'd eat it every day. Well, maybe every other day, alternating with soup (man, I'm ready for it to be soup weather again.)

ANYWAY (man, am I full of tangents today...) I made a recipe for Beef and Black Bean Baked Burritos with Sour-Cream Poblano Sauce (which I didn't make to cut out calories) and another recipe for Easy Fiesta Beans (aka Fancified Pinto Beans.) The burritos were pretty tasty. Not the best burrito I've had in my life. Definitely not Chipotle-good. And not quite as healthy as I'd hoped either. But it was tasty and healthy enough. The beans were surprisingly tasty and healthy.... also incredibly easy to make. So, if you're looking for a relatively healthy Mexican meal... these recipes may be for you.

Beef and Black Bean Baked Burritos (with Sour-Cream Poblano Sauce)

Easy Fiesta Beans

Dang Good Salsa.

I mentioned this in my Operation Bridesmaid post, but I've been quenching my thirst for baking with cooking. So on Saturday, I really wanted to bake something... so I made salsa instead. Salsa has no points in the world of Weight Watchers because it's all vegetables and spices. No points is a good thing. And I have a strange affinity for chopping things (only food, I promise.) So this recipe was the perfect way to spend my Saturday afternoon. I got this salsa recipe from my cousin Christina a few years ago. It reminds me a lot of On the Border's salsa, which I love. It's got a tiny bit of a bite to it and lots of cilantro. These are the things that make a good salsa, if you ask me. A little bit spicy. And a lot of cilantro. The recipe makes a lot of salsa. So I included the canning instructions, too (although we didn't have what we needed to can, so we just froze it... we'll see how that turns out.)

Dang Good Salsa (at least that's my name for it)

Ingredients
8 Ripe tomatoes
1 1/2 c. of chopped mild green Anaheim-type peppers (I used about 5)
1 c. minced jalapeno pepper (I used about 6)
2 1/2 c. chopped yellow onions (I used about 1 1/2 big onions)
6 cloves of garlic
2 1/2 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. of black pepper
2 Tbsp. of canning salt
12 oz. of tomato paste
15 oz. tomato sauce
1/3 c. white vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup fresh and chopped cilantro (or more, if you're like me)

Instructions
Finely grind the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Pour into a large pot and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the lime juice and cilantro. Mix well. Set over heat and boil for 10 minutes. Keep on stirring while it boils. After boiling, turn off the flame and remove the salsa from heat. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Pour this mixture into pint jars (one batch makes about six pints). Place the canning lids and rings on the jars again and process the jars in boiling hot water for around 15 minutes (usually, a big aluminum pot is used to place these jars for the hot water bath. The boiling hot water must cover at least 1 inch from the bottom of the jars). Ensure that the leads of the jars are tightly closed. Store the salsa cans in a cool and dry place. Once you open the lid of the jar, you must refrigerate the jar. It is also advisable to use the salsa within one year.

P.S. The whole reason I was inspired to make this salsa was because I wanted it to go with some quesadillas that I made. The quesadillas were a big hit and contained the following ingredients: shredded chicken breast, fresh corn (just cut it straight from a fresh cobb), red onions, cilantro, and pepper jack cheese. So. good. (Thanks, Real Simple, for the idea!)

365 Photo Challenge: Week 5.

Day 35.

It's Week 5 of the 365 Photo Project and I'm going strong. I'm starting to enjoy this project more than I was. I told some girls that I am in a Bible study with that I'm doing it and they decided to join, too, which has been really fun. It's so interesting to see different takes on photography and creativity from each person. I'm likin' it. I'm likin' it a lot.

This week's navy photos came from an abundance of things. Day 32: The new water bottle that I got in Colorado to try to get myself excited about drinking water. Day 33: My calendar at my desk. Day 34: A random sign at 54th Street when I went with my family for the 4th of July. Day 35: Nail polish. Day 36: My least favorite picture I've taken so far this project... my pen at work (I was lacking inspiration that day.) Day 37: My cousin Eden's train birthday cake. Day 38: A dress that I got from eShakti that didn't fit me quite the way I wanted it to so I have to return it... but it's still a cute pattern.

It's crazy the things that you notice when you're looking for a certain color... On to another week of navy!

Day 32.

Day 33.

Day 34.

Day 36.

Day 37.

Day 38.

Operation Bridesmaid.

The dress.

Remember way back in January when I made all of those resolutions? Remember a couple months later when I checked in and said I was slacking on them? Well, I'm still slacking. And I can't slack anymore.  Mainly on the losing weight resolution. My goal was to lose 50 pounds this year... and I haven't. Can I be totally and completely honest with you right now? I'm in my good friend Valeria's wedding in November, and the bridesmaid dress that she picked out didn't come in my size... it came in one size smaller than my size. And so I bought it. And I have work to do. I have to lose a dress size by November or... else. I'm not that girl that buys a dress and starves herself until she fits into it... but this time I have no option. This is a good thing though. This is giving me the motivation that I need to make a change in my life.

So, Operation Bridesmaid officially began on Monday. What does this mean for my life?

1. I started Weight Watchers again. Counting points worked for me back in college... I actually lost 55 pounds. The thing with diets... they can't be temporary, just until you lose the weight and then you can go back to your old ways. I did that. And I'm just about back to wear I was. This change has to be permanent.

2. I will be baking less. I haven't baked anything in about 3 weeks now. This is a big deal.

3. I will be cooking more. And cooking healthy. It's actually been really good to replace my love of baking for a love of cooking. And finding healthy recipes that are still delicious. (Like this one! I made this on Wednesday... it was pretty tasty.)

4. I will be reading Made to Crave. This book gets to the root of overeating and makes the effort to lose weight less about getting skinny and more about the God issues behind it all.

5. I will start some kind of exercise regimen. I haven't decided what this is going to be yet. I do know one thing about myself, I really don't like running, so it'll have to be something creative if I am going to keep it going.

So, there you have it. I don't want to be that person who posts on Facebook every time she loses half a pound. But I may mention it occasionally just for accountability's sake. And I thought this would give an explanation for the lack of baking as well.

Alright, wish me luck! A life transformation is about to take place...

Try-It Tuesday: Apple, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad

Hey there! It's Tuesday and that means it's my night to cook. My dad was out for the night so my mom suggested that I come up with some fancy salad to make since we could actually get away with it with my dad gone... So I went with Pioneer Women's Apple, Pecan, and Blue Cheese Salad with Dried Cherries (I'm surprised she couldn't find a shorter name than that). I love salads with fruit in them, and I'm a recent fan of blue cheese, so I had a feeling this one would be a winner... and it was.

Pioneer Woman's salad consisted of:

-Lettuce
-Apples
-Pecans
-Dried Cherries
-Blue Cheese
-Salad dressing (the salad dressing she came up with is SO good, even if you don't like fruity salads, I would still recommend you try the dressing...)

I added:
-Grilled chicken (since it was our main course, it needed some protein, and you know how I love chicken...)
-Red onions (I. love. red onions.)

Anyway, it was definitely a hit! My mom and I both loved it. So if you like easy, and salads, and fruit in your salad... this is the recipe for you.

Apple Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad with Dried Cherries

365 Photo Challenge: Week 4.

Day 31.

We survived! The month of gray is over! Thanks to those of you who encouraged me to keep going. Last week I saw a lot of interesting things in gray: Day 25: an old, vintage sink. Day 26: a bear attack on a window screen. Day 27: a rock at the Alluvial Fan. Day 28: a cross at an outdoor chapel. Day 29: my window at home (notice it's shut, because we have AC at home, praise the Lord.) Day 30: lights in my bathroom (thankful for a bathroom big enough to lean over and not touch your bum on the wall, like in our rustic cabin).

Today is July 1st, and that means a new color begins... navy! Still not the brightest, most exciting color you've ever seen, but I'm excited for the change. There is a lot of gray in the world, so June was a piece of cake. We'll see about navy... Yay for a new challenge!

 Day 25.

Day 26.

Day 27.

Day 28.

Day 29.

Day 30.