Monday, August 29, 2011

Fall is Just Around the Corner

This is me and Matt's favorite time of year! I've been craving the cool weather, friends and family time, football, and sweet treats :) I'm SO excited about decorating the new house and experimenting with delicious recipes for our little family:) I can't get enough of rummaging through sites that have holiday this-and-that's and diy projects on them!
here are a few that I visit quite often:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday---Celebration-Recipes/Thanksgiving-Recipes

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/fall-centerpieces-for-dinner-parties

http://sandralee.com/cocktail/december/candy-cane-cocktail/435

http://www.pauladeen.com/article_view/baking_season_starts_with_a_pie/

http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/20-gorgeous-holiday-table-settings/pictures/index.html

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Strawberry Craze!

I have been so obsessed with making strawberry banana smoothies lately; even after workouts for Matt and I, but just adding a few scoops of protein powder...uh huh! Today I had an appetite for strawberry cupcakes and thought I'd make a batch for dessert after church tomorrow. A few members of the Nolan family have decided to take action towards being vegan; soooo, I thought it'd be a great idea to find a vegan strawberry cupcake recipe for everyone to indulge in. Yes, this was the very FIRST time I've ever made cupcakes from scratch, and it was super exciting! It not only tasted good, but also has a lovely color that makes it a perfect dessert for the holidays...which are just around the corner!!!

Ingredients to make 12 Cupcakes:

All purpose flour/Maida: 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder: 2 tsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Strawberry puree: 1 1/2 cups(I washed around 12 to 15 strawberries, cut into two pieces and pureed in a mixer.)
Canola oil: 1/3 cup(I used sunflower refined oil)
Granulated sugar: 2/3 cup(I added around 1/2 cup more as the strawberries were a bit tart)
Vanilla extract/essence: 1 tsp

Instructions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees F and place paper liners in the muffin tin or grease the tin with oil.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside.
3. In another large bowl, beat together the puree, oil, sugar and vanilla until well mixed.(I did this with electric mixer)
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until the batter is smooth.(Do not over mix)
5. Pour 3 spoonfulls of batter into the muffin tin.
6. Place the tin in the oven and bake for 25 minutes

The evening ended with friends Kat and Ryan stopping by for an awesome visit. Zoey of course made a scene and was showing off...she loves being the center of attention.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

halfway through the week

This morning started out a little rough because Matt and I found out that our sweet Zoey got tape worm and hook worm. The vet said it can be caused from having eaten a flea while cleaning herself :'( poor baby. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by it:) just look at that precious face!

Yesterday, Matt, Tory and I met up with a personal trainer to see if we can get our bootays whooped into shape for the tough mudder. We havent been doing a very good job getting ourselves to the gym, so this is hopefully going to be a better incentive. We each spoke with Kris(the trainer) about how active/non-active our lives are and what nutrients we're taking in. We did the Body Mass Index(BMI) testing to see how hard he needs to push us and what we need to change in our diet to reach our goal. (currently eating strawberry yogurt, with corn flakes and slices of banana) Kris wants us to keep a daily journal about what we're eating and whether we feel energized or slugish throughout the day. We start our first day tomorrow..say a prayer for us!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Breakfast

I tried out a new recipe this morning that I read about on Peanut Butter Fingers blog (http://www.pbfingers.com/page/8/) and it hit the spot! I was also introduced to a new ingredient...chia seeds! I have never heard about these magical little seeds before, but I definitely did some research and they are AMAZING!.... The Top 5 Benefits of Eating Chia Seeds:
1. Lose Weight Without Starving
The Chia Seed is a dieter’s dream come true. The tiny, healthy seeds can be made to taste like whatever you want, and their unique gelling action keeps you feeling full for hours. Hunger is a main enemy of real weight loss, and you don’t want to fight it with jittery expensive pills. When a chia seed is exposed to water, it forms a coating of gel, increasing its size and weight. Since the gel made of water, it has no calories. It’s also difficult to remove from the seed, meaning that it helps your body think it is full, without adding calories!
2. Balance Blood Sugar
Keeping balanced levels of blood sugar is important for both health and energy. Blood sugar may spike after meals, especially if you eat high-starchy foods or sweets. This can lead to ‘slumps’ in your day where you feel tired and out of energy. By balancing your blood sugar, you not only lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, but you also ensure steady, constant energy throughout your day. But how does the Chia Seed help with this? Both the gelling action of the seed, and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.
3. Help Prevent Diverticulitis / Diverticulosis
With the abundance of over-processed foods and white flour on the market today, rich sources of fiber are harder to come by. These foods of convenience have contributed to the rise of diverticulitis. Irregularity is a big factor in this risky condition. To help ensure regularity, you need plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. If you don’t want to eat celery, and whole-grain everything…or piles of bran flakes, the Chia Seed is here to help. Each seed is coated with soluble fibers which aid its gelling action. The exterior of the seed is protected by insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber is unable to be digested (it does not contribute any calories, or break down) so instead, it helps keep food moving smoothly through the digestive process. Soluble fiber, and the gel coating of the seed keeps the colon hydrated and ensures the easy movement of food.
4. Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet
Omega-3 oil is usually thought of as “that healthy stuff in fish”. But, what if you don’t want to eat fish every day? What if you’re a vegetarian, or simply worried about pollution adding harmful substances to your fish dinner? Chia is the richest plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.
5. Feel more energized all day long
Don’t want to feel like taking an afternoon nap? Your energy levels have a lot to do with what you eat. Chia is one of nature’s highest plant-based sources of complete protein. Usually protein from items like peanut butter and some beans are incomplete, meaning you have to combine them with other foods to get the full benefit. Not Chia though, it’s protein is complete to raise your energy levels. The combination of complete protein, vitamins, minerals and blood-sugar balancing gel all work together to make sure you have steady, never jittery energy. I think I'll be keeping these babies around for tomorrows breakfast :)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Our newest addition

Meet Zoey, our super sweet new lab/blue healer mix :) We have been looking into getting a puppy for quite sometime now, and are so happy that this little one just fell into our laps. Visiting every Petland in town for weeks, to looking online and talking to friends, we were determined. And just yesterday, our cousin Tory had a friend that posted about giving away a puppy for free! She texted us a few pictures, and we were able to meet up with her friend that day. We held baby Zoey for just a moment and knew we had to have her :) and she's been such a blast! We love her so much!

Friday, August 19, 2011

World Photography Day

World Photography Day originates from the invention of the Daguerreotype, a photographic processes developed by Louis Daguerre. On January 9, 1839, The French Academy of Sciences announced the daguerreotype process. A few months later, on August 19, 1839, the French government announced the invention as a gift “Free to the World.”
Another photographic processes, the Calotype, was also invented in 1839 by William Fox Talbot (it was announced in 1841). Together, the invention of both the Daguerreotype and Calotype mark 1839 as the year that photography was invented.
I have always had a passion for photography and an eye for creativity, 'or so my parents have told me'. I enjoy capturing moments as they happen rather than to make moments happen and then capture them. Photography for me is a genuine representation of the moment, every little detail, and small laugh. I feel so blessed to be doing what I love and thank God for it every day; hoping for the chance to glorify him through my work.

here's a link to my blog:
http://megannicolephoto.blogspot.com/

and to a fun photo store that I can't get enough of; even the name is fun:
http://photojojo.com/store/all-site

Happy World Photography Day! :D

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Thank you's

Finished ALL the thank you notes for our wedding gifts today! Wahoo! Probably some of the most repetitive thank you's I've ever written, but seriously..there aren't very many different ways to say thanks. However, my really cute notes from Target and floral/heart postage stamps made things a little better while writing.
I also ordered this amazing guest book the other day from Etsy's Modern Shabby: http://www.etsy.com/people/ModernShabby?ref=pr_profile, and even though I forgot to take it to the reception last weekend, I think I'm going to use it as a photo book. It was so easy to personalize; Amy of Modern Shabby lets you pick the fabric of your choice to put on the outside of the book, select from a variety of different ribbons, and she will even make a creative monogram for it. It's beautiful...

Monday, August 15, 2011

We like to drag it out

Ok, so we got married 4 months ago and we just now had a wedding reception this weekend with friends and family and it was fun fun fun! Amazing music, photo booth, cake! What more could you ask for :) Matt and I enjoyed the day so much! Thank you to everyone who came and shared in the joyful celebration with us!
My Aunt Becky made these yummy little fruit pie treats!
and my very talented and creative cousin Kimberly made our amazing wedding cake! :)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Check This Out!

Matt made this video last year and it's so cool!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Is this not the cutest puppy you've ever seen!?!!!!


I wish he was mine!

MUSIC

Music has always been an important part of my life. It strikes emotion, encompasses cultural and social purposes, is an expression of physical performance, and is a main form of entertainment. I listen to music All the time and love pretty much all genres. Here's a top 10 of my favorite songs at the moment:

300 Violin Orchestra by Jorge Quintero
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
Super Bass by Nicki Minaj
For the First Time by The Script
Save the World Tonight by Swedish House Mafia
Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons
Hometown Glory by Adele
The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco
Breathe Me by Sia
Good Life by One Republi

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Todays 5K

Having run a 5K this morning for the first time in 4 years was oh so difficult! Matt and I have been training for the Tough Mudder and thought that trying a 5k should help to show how well we're doing at this point. Ummm..help! We haven't really been doing a whole lot of running outdoors, it's mainly been on the treadmill, and I think that may have hindered us a little. Being out in the humidity and HEAT is so much different than having a fan blowing directly at you while running(note to self). However; Matt did great for his first ever 5k finishing in 25 minutes, and I actually placed third in my age group running it in 30 min and 15 seconds. I think we'll be running the trail again real soon and hopefully we'll see some progression.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

I love to eat.. eat.. eat...

Eating healthy hasn't always been a top priority; if it tastes good, I'll eat it. Especially during college! It's very hard to eat healthy on a low budget and without much time during the day to actually fix a decent meal. This year I have been challenging myself, or should I say Matt has been challenging me, to start better eating habits and to stay away from my frozen dinners, spaghetti-o's and my usual late night bowl of ice cream. ha!
I have grown to love being in the kitchen and whipping up some new meals for the two of us. Matt and I go to the grocery store together, so it makes it easier for us to collaborate meals that we'll both enjoy:)

Shish kabobs! Bell peppers, pineapple and beef...yummmmy! I love this mixture of ingredients, but you can add anything from cherry tomatoes to squash to get just what you want.




I do my best not to fall under the temptations of delicious sweets; however, sometimes I give in but have learned to limit myself.



This was my first time cooking salmon, and it was so easy! I added lemon juice and seasoned it with garlic, basil and salt.


Parfaits are the new ice cream :)



Last week my aunt had all of the girls in the family over for a bread making class which was super fun! Her friend Kelly taught us how to make wheat Italian dough, marinara bread, stuffed bread, and foccacia bread which you can see above with the chicken breast and broccoli.
Kelly was telling us about a 101 year old woman that comes to one of her classes each week and she's just the sweetest thing. Well she loves to crochet, so made us these beautiful dishcloths that had such an uplifting story attached to it..."Lessons From a Dishcloth: I am an instrument totally yielded to my master's hands and will. I wash dishes, clean counter tops, stoves, or whatever you want me to do - just use me as you desire. May 'we' be similar instruments in 'our' Master's hand!" 2Timothy 2:21 Handmade by "Granny" Nelson