Breakfast For Dinner

I normally never eat breakfast. In fact, it's like pulling teeth to get me to, so I usually just sip a protein shake or have a smoothie instead.

Last night I was craving breakfast foods, and decided to start my hunt for what to make.

I was browsing Heather's blog and found Pumpkin Pancakes. I had some left over pumpkin and decided to give it a go!



They turned out so yummy! not too sweet at all, and just enough flavor.

We also made some scrambled eggs and very crunchy bacon.





Pumpkin Pancakes
Source (Heather Drive)

Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp. vinegar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, eggs, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

2. In a separate, larger bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

3. Add pumpkin/milk mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.

4. Heat a lightly oiled (I use nonstick spray) griddle or skillet over medium high heat. Pour or scoop batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.


We had quite a few left over so we let the dog have some put them in a zip lock and stuck them in the freezer. I think we should be able to pop them in the toaster next time we're craving pancakes.

A New Addition

Let me just start out by saying I totally need to spend time taking photos of our house. I love looking at other peoples homes and decor, but never share much of my own. Well I'm going to start! Especially now that I have a lot more decor and home improving going on.

I love my couch. I mean not just *love* my couch but Really LOVE my couch.

There is kind of a funny story behind it too. 2 years ago we had moved into our new house in Sacramento sometime the first week in August. Our peak season of our business begins August 15th, so while we had a few basics, we didn't have the big stuff ie; couches, chairs, TVs etc. We didn't even have time to look for anything either, and decided we could make due until after our Halloween season.

Well November 10th hits, we're wrapping everything up with the business and start getting phone calls from family asking if we're hosting Thanksgiving. Since I'm the *chef* of the family, it was only logical that we did.

After everything is said and done we have a guest list of 18 and not one single piece of furniture. I of course go into panic mode and we start our shopping process. I knew the exact couch I wanted, but they ranged somewhere around $4000. There was no way in hell I'd pay that for a sofa, especially if I wasn't living in my dream home.

Store after store we hunted and found nothing. A week into our search we saw an ad that looked promising and was in our budget, so we went and looked and we loved it. It was a down couch, red in color and was the exact size we were looking for. I think they we're asking $850 for it. We had the sales men start getting our bill ready so we could buy the couch. after waiting an hour for the guy to come back, they said the sale had ended and the couch would now be $1200 and there would be a 4 week delivery date since they didn't have them in stock. WTF? First of all, we had the flier that stated the sale ended the following day and second of all, they said all items were in stock. Obviously it was gimmick. And we left, very, very disappointed.


We knew we weren't going to find something in time for Thanksgiving, so we just figured we'd get by with tables and chairs and everyone would have to deal.

We went that night to Sam's Club ( walmart's version of Costco)to start our food shopping and noticed they had a furniture section. They only had a few pieces but one of them was this couch. It was a down couch, that was tan in color, perfect size and $ 599.99 clearance. I started yelling for C to come over and sit, and we both knew it was the one. Now here's the even better news. They had a full matching set. The couch, a chase lounge and a chair with ottoman. For $699.00 we could get the chair and ottoman. So in the sale sign it said 3 pieces which naturally would have been couch, chair and ottoman. But no, the manager said it was chase, couch & chair ( he had no clue the chair included the ottoman). So we got all 4 pieces for $699.99 and we ran out the door as fast as we could with our new beloved furniture.


To this day everybody who sits on our couch loves it. It's so comfy and has washable seat cushions!


The only thing I hated about the sofa were the ugly pillows. No big deal. Although I didn't change them for almost 2 years, I've been on the prowl looking for the perfect pillow covers.

Cue Target ( otherwise known as my mecca)They have a new section of throw pillow covers. I found two that I loved, brought them home and switched those old ugly ones out!





They really brighten up the couch and the space. it was such an easy and cheap fix I can't believe I didn't do it sooner!


My next project are window treatments. I've bought half the stuff but I'm still looking for one more item. I should hopefully have it finished by the weekend.


Phew! This post got a lot longer then anticipated.

A Sweet Treat

I've been Tagged by Heather over at Heather Drive Thanks Heather! Everyone needs some sweet reminders once in awhile so here goes nothing.


The Rules:
- List 10 things that make you happy
- Tag 10 other bloggers and link back to the person who tagged you

My List:
1. Date Nights. I love dressing up and spending time with C

2. A Clean House. It makes me so happy to have no dust, no dishes and vacuumed floors

3. My puppy dog

4. Traveling. I can't get enough. New sights, new food, new people. It's amazing

5. My Camera. It goes where I go. I love learning new tricks and taking photos of things that other people can't see.

6. Stocked Fridge. While grocery shopping isn't my favorite thing, I love when we have yummy goodies to cook or eat waiting for us in the fridge

7. Snow Storms. I wish we had more of them around here, but the ones I've been part of are awesome!

8. New Sheets. I seriously sleep better one brand new sheets or even freshly washed and dried sheets. I hate when my sheets become wrinkled and slept in.

9. Hair Appointments. Nothing makes me feel better or more beautiful then just having my hair highlighted and cut.

10. Fall. It's seriously my favorite time of year. I love the smell, the weather, the decor and the yummy goodies. I could seriously live in Fall all year long.


Now I tag the following:

1)Kristal at Good Food Good Friends Good Life

2)Alyssa at My Husbands Watching TV

3)Holly at Life In The Fun Lane

4)Bethany at Somethin' To Talk About

5)Lisa at High Heels and Sweatshirts

6)Kirsten at Newlyweds Next Door

7) Meredith at La Buena Vida

8)Leah at Marital-Bless

9)Jenn at Living Life

10)Chelsea at Room To Inspire


Have fun ladies. I can't wait to see your 10 favorite things!

Low Fat Banana Parfait

I was looking for something different and healthy for dessert a few nights ago and found this recipe in an old Kraft recipe magazine. It was dated December 12th, 1989.

I had all the ingredients and at only 200 calories a pop I figured we couldn't go wrong.





Seriously, this is the easiest dessert I've ever made, and even easier to eat. I'm not a big chocolate lover, but who doesn't love chocolate pudding whipped cream and bananas?



Low Fat Banana Parfait
(Source: Kraft)

1 Package of instant chocolate pudding
2 Bananas
Cool Whip or Whipped Cream


Directions

Prepare pudding as directed on the box ( let stand until thick: I put mine in the fridge for 20 minutes )
Slice bananas
Thaw whipped cream ( or use canned)

Put a spoonful of pudding in a cup, then a dollop of whipped cream and sliced bananas. Keep doing this pattern until you have your desired amount.



Enjoy!

Giant Case Of The Mondays

I'm not sure what it is today. My mom left after a 5 day stay so I know I'm still adjusting to not having her or her dogs around.

C and I spent the better half of the day at a few thrift shops in search of some thing cool ( will post more on that soon) Then we ran to Target to get a few essentials. I also talked him into swinging by old navy to check out their fundamentals sale. Every year I buy a few new tanks and tees in the Spring, since they never last more then a year or two.


I missed my cleaning day yesterday so I could spend time with C and my mom and now I feel completely off balance. I don't even know where to start, but it's not gonna clean itself so I better just get over it.

Cussing is going slightly better but still not where I want to be. At least I'm just down to the classics.
"Shit" & "Damn" are the only ones that don't want to leave my mouth. While I'm still working on it, I'm glad the really bad ones aren't coming out to play.


Spencer went to the field early this afternoon to do his business, and apparently found a dead rabbit. He proceeded to pick it up with his mouth and treat it like a stuffed animal. C was thoughtful enough to take a picture and show me afterward. I freaked out and washed the dogs mouth out with Listerine and warm water.I hope he learned his lesson.


Last but not least. I will be adding a few goodies to my diet this week as I have two boxes of these gems laying around the house.





I bought 2 boxes of thin mints, and refuse to let them sit around for very long. One box is already in the freezer ( my favorite way to eat them!)

I'm Failing

My lent vow is failing me. I'm really trying not to cuss but it seems this was the worst week to stop.

You see, my mom is in town as I mentioned previously, which means there is scrabble and various other board games to play which means there is cussing to be said.

You know what's even worse? I forget to not cuss, and then as soon as I say something naughty, I quickly bash myself for saying it, by saying something along the lines of "shit, I just cussed". "damn it, I did it again"


I feel like a complete failure. I guess the positive side is I'm becoming more aware of my potty mouth, so maybe in time, while I become more aware of the things coming out of my mouth it will come more naturally to choose a different word.


Or, if that doesn't work, my mom said she can wash my mouth out with soap as she once did when I was a kid for saying a whole series of bad words in one sentence in a mean demeanor.


I've always had a smart mouth, and swear words have always been apart of that. But not for long, I tell ya! I'm gonna beat this! :)

Spring Has Sprung!

You know what the best part of all the rain is? The beautiful flowers that are blooming.







We have had GORGEOUS weather the last 3 days. It's been around 65 degrees, the flowers are popping out everywhere, the trees greener then ever and everything just feels fresh and not so gloomy. Of course, I better not get too excited just yet, we apparently have 4 long days of rain coming.*sigh* at least we enjoyed it while it lasted.






My mom is in town for a few days, so we decided to head out to the Oregon coast for the day.





There were even kids swimming in the water. I have NO idea how they could stand it, because while yes, it was spring "warm" it wasn't summer warm and even in the summer that water is barely stand-able.


We decided to take a tour of a very well known cheese factory.








If you have never had Tillamook cheese, RUN to your grocery store now and pick up some. It's been a family favorite since as long as I can remember, and still is.







Those are HUGE blocks of cheese that haven't been cut yet.





It was fun and very informative. The samples were even better.



We're heading into downtown tomorrow with my mom to finish up the weekend and enjoy the sunny weather. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Spencer!

Spencer turns 8 this year! He still acts just like a big ol' puppy dog. Always playing hide and go seek with dad ( seriously) fetching his ball, running around like a mad man and puddle jumping ( his newest hobby)


We're not sure when his actual birthday is. We got him on Valentines day so for us, that's his Birthday. He was found in a box, that was laying in a bush at Walmart. He was really on the verge of dying from malnutrition, and being beaten. Lucky for us, some friends of my mom found him, took him home for a few weeks, got him mostly healthy and then gave him to us. He was around 4 or 5 weeks old when we got him and he has been attached ever since.

Ash Wednesday

It's about that time of year again. For those of you that don't know Both C and I are Catholic. Although, sometimes we slack in the church department ( okay, most of the time) we still have our values and religion installed in us.

Actually this year, one of our New Years resolutions was to find a church in our new area and start attending at least once a month. I think after I post this blog I'll get to work on that.

Anyhow, I always practice giving up something for lent, as it helps me to redefine myself and reconnect with my religion. This year will be no different.

last year I gave up all fast food. I know it doesn't sound like much, but when you're on the road as much as we are and have to count on eating out while on the road, it was hard! But I made it. And to this day, I always try and choose something other then fast food and limit my intake. It not only has helped my health but also my wallet.

This year I'm doing something for my soul.I've decided to give up cursing. I do it way to often and sometimes in a mean way, especially when I'm mad at C. I don't think there is anything positive about cussing or using mean words.

It will be hard, especially with all the bad drivers around here (LOL!) but I'm going to make a very serious effort to install this during lent and I hope it will stick afterward too.

I've decided that telling myself to do this probably wont be enough so I'm also going to make a curse jar. For every word I have to stick a quarter in the jar.



Wish me luck!

California Bound

It's a really long drive that we make every 2 or 3 months. This time, we only went 30 days in between so it made it even longer.

12 hours in a truck, driving through every single weather condition you can possibly imagine only to know in the back of your mind you get to do it all over again in just a few short days. So Not COOL.

But as always, I stayed graceful and tried to see the positive side of the situation



( it's a cell phone pic. It doesn't get any bigger then this. sorry!)

The dog also made light of the situation. Actually, he was just happy he was going. He always thinks we're going to leave him every single time we start packing our suitcase. He will not leave or side, or budge for nothing.



(again with the crappy cell pic. I didnt want to pull out the big camera!)


We ended up arriving in the Napa Valley on Monday evening. We had some dinner, and went right to bed. The next day we were heading up to Lake Tahoe to do some boarding!


Unfortunately, I only got 1 or 2 pictures of Tahoe. We got there late Tuesday, and started our snowboarding lesson  early Wednesday morning.




We really had SO much fun. We bought snowboards something like 5 years ago and  haven't gotten much use out of them. We actually haven't been in close to 3 years, so we felt we should take a few refresher lessons and dust off some old snow rust. Surprisingly I didnt forget anything and picked it up really quickly. I'm thinking that Shaun White Wii game helped out! ;) I also learned a few new tricks and now can most likely master Blue runs.

We had so much fun, I think we're going to buy a few lift tickets for some local mountains in Portland and get a few more days in before the season ends.



Anyhow, we're finally home, (after yet another grueling drive home) and i'm just happy we made it home in time for Valentines Day.

Happy Valentines Day!

I normally am not a fan of this day. I've never in all my years have had a "romantic" day filled with love and kisses, or whatever. The first year Carlos and I started dating he got me one single rose and a card. Never again was there any of that. LOL

This year I didnt expect anything different, especially because we had been driving all night long on Saturday, and didn't make it home until 7:00am. Which meant we didn't go to bed till 8:00am and wake up till 1:00pm. I knew he wouldn't have time or the energy to plan anything.

I was in the shower, while he was supposedly walking the dog, and when I got up and moving around, I walked down stirs so we could head to lunch I found this beauty.



Immediate Tears. Seriously? It was exactly what I needed, and completely made me feel so loved.



The card was equally as sweet, and was totally what I needed to hear.


We decided not to go out to dinner. Not only did I not want to deal with the crowds, I wanted a home cooked meal, since we had been eating out all week.








We had crap, salad and cheesy jalapeno bread. everything turned out amazing, and it was the perfect Valentines Day.








Thanks for an amazing day & night Sparky. I love you and can't wait to share a million more of these.

I've Got The Sunshine!

I got my first blogging award from my new blog pal My Husbands Watching TV.
 She is so sweet and apparently is the only one that leaves me comments. LOL I guess switching new blogs doesn't mean your readers follow you over! That's okay :) I enjoy JUST her comments anyway! I kid, I kid.


I'm not sure how these awards are made up, or what you really do with them, but here goes the rules anyway!

-Copy that little orange flower pic and put it on your blog when you post about your award!
-Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers.
-Let the nominees know that they have been honored by leaving a comment on their blog (we all love comments!)
-Share the love and link to the person who nominated you!



I'm tagging the following girls!

Viva La Buena Vida
She is such a funny duck and just had the cutest baby girl ever! She has a great sense of style and I can totally relate to her AND her husband!

Heather Drive
I found Heather over on the knot when she first got engaged almost a year and a half ago. I love her witty sense of humor, her many recipes and her cute little weeny dog, Tessa :)

My Life In Transition
Julia is so cute! She is a craft queen, has a great photography eye, a baby on the way and a handsome dog! She also makes me want to run millions of miles a day, but alas I'm not as skilled as her.

Newlyweds Next Door
I just started reading her blog and am having so much fun! She seems really down to earth, and we share a few common interests! I can't wait to learn more!



I know I'm suppose to tag 7 blogs, but if I seriously don't get to bed my head is going to fall off and Sparky wont want me in the car for 12 hours tomorrow.


Enjoy your award ladies!

Ginger Chicken Salad Pitas

This is just something I threw together one night and it actually turned out really well. We had purchased a Costco rotisserie chicken one day for dinner and had some left over. I'm sure you can use regular chicken breast too, but if you can make 2 meals from one item and it only cost you $ 4.99 to begin with? I'll roll with it! :)



Ginger Chicken Salad
(Source: ME)

1 cup of cooked chicken breast
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp ginger juice ( use fresh ginger and use your garlic press to get the juice out)
1 tbsp lime juice (again, use fresh)


Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a medium bowl. 
Mix the next 4 ingredients, and add them to the chicken mix.



We served ours on whole wheat pitas with some frozen french fries and green beans.





Enjoy!

Mish Mash

A few randoms for the day ( or week)

It's raining cats and dogs. With a 2 day break I was spoiled. but now I'm back to stepping over nasty slugs, and getting drenched.

Sparky and I have restored our Friday night date night. Last week was fun! We made dinner at home, and then headed to a new movie theater, that specializes in living room settings. The chairs were big leather recliners, and you couldn't see anybody in front or back of you. We ended up seeing Extraordinary Measures. We really loved the flick, as it was based on a true story, and based right here in Portland. If you get the chance, and have 2 hours to spare, go see it!

We have a business trip planned this coming Monday to head down to California for a few days. While I'm looking forward to seeing a few friends and the in laws, I'm not looking forward to the 12 hour drive.

I'm secretly hoping on the business trip we will take a few days to go snowboarding in Lake Tahoe. It's been 2 years since I've rode and i'm both excited and scared. Wish me luck!

While down in California, ill be stopping by my hair lady and having her work some magic. I'm completely over my hair. I hate the length, the pouf, the color, everything!!While I fully understand she can't do anything about the length, because I am growing out my stacked bob, I need her to take some weight off, figure out something with my bangs and hopefully get me to a color that feels fresh for spring.



Please excuse the crappy cell phone picture.


Speaking of Spring. The ground hog saw his shadow and now we're at 6 more weeks of winter.
FAN. TASTIC.  ( sense my sarcasm?)

I'm working on organizing my bathroom. Ever since we moved into our house, we have had boxes, and things just thrown everywhere. It's finally driving me nuts! Since we aren't home much, and the time when we are home we have better things to do, I've made my Saturday completely clear so I can knock this out.


Other then those few things, not much else happening in our neck of the woods.

Lets Talk Bachelor.

Okay. Huge disclaimer here. I hate this show. WITH A PASSION. I feel like it's nothing but fakeness, and these girls ( and guys) are only here to make money and get their 5 minutes of fame. Moving on:

I had nothing better to watch last season on a Monday, so I tuned into the Bachelorette.I started from the very beginning, and sort of got sucked into it. Now, normally I would have been watching just to make fun of all the cheesiness, but I felt Jillian was there for the right reason. I also thought Jake was there for the right reason, and I voted for him all along. When they threw in all the drama with Ed, and guy who's name I can't remember, but only wanted a record deal, I was immediately turned off. I know that was a publicity thing.

Months and months down the road, I heard news Jake would be the next bachelor. Not only was I excited, I was just so hopeful there would be another Jillian for Jake.

I missed the first 3 episodes. I hate those ones anyway. Too much fakeness. Too much talking about " this could be it" NO THANKS! :)

After the last few episodes I have my top choice. I think she is the real deal and doesn't care about the fame, or the money. Jake is a pilot. He makes bank. He gets money for being on the show, and something like 500k for a dream wedding. it's pretty hard to narrow down the girls who are in it for love, or who are in it for the cash.

Let me first talk about who needs to GO. Vienna. She is a monster.She is ugly inside and out and should have never even made it this far. For a guy who ran back to Jillan to warn her about rockstar guy, you think Jake would take that into consideration. For the record ( I made carlos watch this with me tonight, and his opinion of her isn't good. His comment went something like this; "She must give good head, cuz she looks like a man!". Well said hunnie.


Now for my winning girl. Tenley. Not only is she from my home state and my county neighbor, she is sincere. She is so sweet, outgoing and beautiful. They would have gorgeous babies!

Now..if for any reason, this Vienna girl makes it to the last 2 or even wins. I'm done. I wont watch the show anymore. I fully understand most of it is fake, but for the love of god, match two right people together!

Favorite Snacks

I always wonder what other people eat for snacks. I feel like most of the time, I eat the same thing, and never stray away from those staples.


My number one go-to snack is goldfish crackers. I always have a package of them lying around, especially next to my computer. I generally only like the original flavor of cheddar, but sometimes I get creative and opt for Parmesan.

while they may not be the healthiest thing around they are now made whole grain and of course, I eat them in moderation.


My next snack is a granola bar. I really like the special K strawberry ones, that are only 90 calories.They usually curb my sweet tooth in the middle of the day, and again only 90 calories. You can't beat that!


 Those are my two staple items throughout the day.


Early last week, while grocery shopping, Safeway had a gorgeous selection of apples. at $2.99 a pound, I just about ran in terror. Introducing the mother of all apples; the Honey Crisp. I've heard about them before, but had never eaten them. We decided to grab 2 ( which ended up being around $4.00 for two freaking apples!!!! please excuse my inner tight wad) When we got home, we chopped one up and devoured it. let me just say: They were FAN.freaking.tastic! best $4.00 spent. Only problem? I needed to find a way to get a whole bunch, without spending my life savings.

Cue Costco. We needed a few house essentials, and decided to head to Costco. While browsing the fruit section, I found a package of 11 Honey Crisp apples for $11.50. While still not the cheapest apple in the world, I snatched those babies up.

My new staple snack? Honey Crisp apple with chunky peanut butter. Hurry. Go buy one, or 12. You wont regret it!