A great big adventure and a whole new... CITY!

Wow!, I'm realizing I really let time get away from me.  It's incredible how quickly time flies--cliche, I know..    Since my last post (4/27/14), I have left my job, gotten married, and moved across the country! Things changed very quickly--unexpectedly!--but definitely for the best.

Photo credit to The Decisive Moment Photojournalism

My husband's job brought us to Denver ("Ah, the Sunshine State!") and it's definitely been an adjustment for this girl from Oklahoma.   I do have to say, I love the mountain views but the altitude was a crazy adjustment.  Stairs= Killer.

I know I'm among many women who've moved across the country, and the toughest part is the initial isolation.  I've always considered myself an extroverted introvert.  I have some serious social anxiety that I've always had to push through, and I was never the kid who loved the first day of school.

Truthfully, it's been a tough transition that I know I'm still amidst..  I've had my ups and downs, and for a girl who's used to being overly involved, I've had a hard time adjusting to the person who's struggling to find full time employment, and my days at home are boooo-oring! (We're currently childless and pet-less....no offense to those stay at home moms you've got a tough job!)  And there are only  so many things I can clean & organize.

Some of my best friends & family encouraged me to blog.....so here I am, at it again.  I do have to say I've invested some of my time in a direct sales business as a merchandiser for a newer jewelry start up, chloe+isabel, and I have a lot of faith in this company! Check it out if you're interested.

 In the meanwhile, I'll work on that job thing, and getting adjusted to my new life in a much bigger city.  If you're reading this, I hope it finds you well.  And I'll plan to begin posting much more often (Since I have PLENTY of time!)

QOTD

This is a short post today, folks!  

In an attempt to continue to decorate the empty space above my kitchen cabinets I had purchased a BOGO 50% off frame. 

(I used the first three here... which was really the original intent of the purchase anyway!)

And had one remaining and mismatched frame. 

In lieu of having a nice 8x10 photo readily available to frame, I instead made my own chalkboard art!

Since it was for the kitchen this quote was more than appropriate!

"People who love to eat are always the best people." - Julia Child

Here's the whole of the 'above the kitchen cabinet' area:

...Always a work in progress! 

I found my chalkboard background and fonts here.

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Getting your chalkboard to POP!

I finished a project a few months ago where I turned an old mirror we had laying around into a chalkboard- with the intent of increasing my signage in the kitchen.

I thought it would be so great to change out the sign seasonally or for a birthday- you know, or any special occasion. The only problem was when I couldn't SEE what I had creatively drawn on the sign from 6 feet below it....wah wah.....

In a matter of trying to come up with solutions I was close to purchasing some Expo bright sticks, erase able chalk markers when I came up with a last ditch effort before I spent the money on the new markers.

I had some old chalk pastels hidden away in a drawer from my high school art class, likely used only once!  And to my surprise, they worked perfectly!! 

I'm so happy with it and plan to change mine each season!  Good Luck with your project!


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Stale Bread? Don't throw it out!

I went to make a sandwich the other day and (of course) the loaf of bread was stale.  The bread was hard enough I didn't want to eat a sandwich from it, but it wasn't growing anything...yet.

Since i hate throwing food away (so wasteful!); it was time to make some croutons.

How hard is it to make croutons? I've already got them in the oven cooking while i blog... in other words-- it's not. 

Croutons are one of those things that I would never buy at the store, partly for all the added chemical preservatives, and partly because well, they're just not a salad staple for me.  But when it comes to throwing away food... it's time to figure out how to use whatever you've got.

Here's how to start: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Total cooking time is 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. (Mine turn out best at ~8 minutes per side)

Ingredients: 

• Stale Bread (I used about 4 slices)
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Italian Seasonings (or other seasonings of your choice)
• 1-2 tbsp. Olive oil or Butter  

*Note: I usually choose plant based oils vs. butter due to the lower saturated fat content of these oils.  In other words, they're more heart healthy!

Instructions: 

1. Chop bread into about cubes about 1" x 1".
2. Place chopped bread into a bowl and drizzle with oil.
3. Mix well, until each bread is lightly coated with oil.
4. Add in salt, pepper, and seasonings and mix well-- each piece should be evenly coated.
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake for ~10 minutes on each side.
   (Mine turn out best at ~8 minutes per side)
6.  Allow to cool.  

Storage: 

I have stored these for a maximum of 3 weeks in a ziploc baggie at room temperature, and had fresh, crunchy croutons! A word of caution to anyone eating things they have stored longer....

for Spicy Croutons: 

•  swap Italian seasonings for cayenne pepper- pairs well with Chili and garnishing soups

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Ipsy vs Birchbox: Monthly Beauty Box Subscriptions

If you haven't heard of Ipsy or Birchbox, you're missing out.

About 6 months a friend of mine told me about Birchbox.  Here's the scoop: $10 for a sampling of high end beauty products that are supposed to be tailored to your preferences.  How great?! 

I signed up for Birchbox almost immediately, and was thrilled with my first monthly subscription.  Getting makeup in the mail sounded like a sweet deal! (Since I'd never go buy a designer/high end product without sampling it first)

Within the next month, someone challenged this with a competing service called Ipsy, so I figured why not subscribe to both?, and then choose which was best.  

First off, the packaging: 

I don't know about you...but I'm thrilled every month when a hot pink bubble mailer arrives with makeup inside!

When you subscribe, you fill out a profile online as to your preferences.  Birchbox is a one time 'form' that can be edited on your profile.  Ipsy allows you to review the products you received individually each month and rate each one.  

For me, Ipsy provided more primarily makeup and nail polish and skincare products (not to mention that you get a cute little makeup bag each month), and Birchbox provided mostly skincare, fragrance, and haircare products.

Seriously, I don't want to try a different shampoo every month.... And a 1 oz sample of lotion just doesn't cut it.

It started out great, getting all these beauty surprises in the mail, but after a while, there was one that shone brighter.  (The last 3 months I have gotten shampoo in my Birchbox, and I'm not much of a fan of washing my hair anyway... and so, Birchbox got the boot.)

Not to mention many of these ipsy products I have received have actually been full-sized!

My Winner is IPSY! 

Why not give it a try? Indulge yourself.

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Blackberry Walnut Pancakes

I no longer make 'plain Jane' pancakes.  After a successful improv with some pancakes last fall, all my adventures in pancake cooking are now slightly more detailed.

On a lazy Saturday Morning, 'fancy' pancakes, as they're known around my house, are our usual breakfast.

Today's pancakes were
Whole Grain Blackberry Walnut Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Blackberry Pomegranate sauce. (Need I say, YUM!?)

Here's the recipe I used: 

I started with a basic Better Home & Garden's Buttermilk Pancake Recipe and edited it to my specifications.

Ingredients:
for the pancakes

•  1-2 pints blackberries
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup  Oat Flour
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups milk (buttermilk for a richer flavor, or whatever you've got around)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• Powdered sugar (as desired, for garnish)

 for the sauce

• 1/2 cup muddled blackberries
• about 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1-2 tsp agave nectar
• Splenda to taste 

Steps: 
1.  Whisk the flours, oil, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, milk & sugar together
2. Stir in the walnuts & blackberries (Muddled distributes the flavor better)
3. Once your pan is the appropriate temperature, Pour in the batter ( I usually fit 3 pancakes into a 9" skillet, but you can make them as large as you like!)
4. Once the pancakes begin to cook around the edges and begin bubbling on the top side, it's time to flip them. 
*This is when I made the garnish.  Only steps here involve muddling the blackberries and stirring all ingredients together. You could use pancake syrup, but I always prefer a fruit alternative, that way you get the added nutrients & fiber and not just plain sugar*
5. Remove from heat, and serve with sauce. 
6. If desired garnish with powdered sugar.

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Whining and Dining gets a Makeover!

This blog started as another way for me to share my adventures in food and cooking, and as I was blogging, I realized I was more interested in sharing some of my other projects.... so: 

Whining and Dining got a 

Consider this an all-inclusive girly blog, from everything to lessons on using power tools for the first time, to which brand of makeup lasts longer! 

My boyfriend tells me that my ideas are firing about a million miles per minute… The new direction of this blog is about the ups and downs, and my creative journey through it.  I’m a crafter, amateur chef, foodie, and so enjoy spending time with friends and family.  This is an all-inclusive blog of the events of my ascension into adulthood.  Hope you are able to find some ideas, maybe a little inspiration, and some humor in my journey.