The Secret

So lately everyone's been asking me "what's your secret?". I laugh a little on the inside every time. I have no secret, being/getting healthy isn't some secret... It's pretty obvious actually: eat right and exercise. See, no secret! All too often we make excuses about why we can't so the simplest things, believe me, I know. I'm too tired, my foot hurts, I already took my bra off for the day (come on girls, you KNOW you've said this one a time or two!).

The truth is, you can either keep making the excuses or you can start to make the time to take care of yourself. It's a choice, you just have to make the right one. I made two choices: MAKE the time to exercise and find a useful way to keep track of what you eat.

EXERCISE: If you have an hour to waste on Facebook or Pinterest, then you have an hour to spend on exercise. Choices. "But I live like 20 minutes away from the gym or it's cold outside." Excuses. If you can't get to a gym or you aren't into/able to go outside, drop a little $ on an awesome workout DVD and some small weights. Jillian Michaels: crazy and scary, but awesome easy workouts! Or maybe use your late night Pinterest time to "pin" the links to the zillions of free online at home workouts (many require nothing but your body weight). BOOM, excuse is now invalid!

FOOD: fruits, veggies, lean protein... all good things you need, but how do you know at you're eating is really GOOD for you? How do you know you've eaten the right balance of calories, fats, carbs and gotten in the essential vitamins and nutrients you need? Now do you know if you've had too much? There are all kinds of ways people manage food intake. When I first started out, I became a huge fan of calorie tracking and thanks to smart phones, an app made it super convenient and easy!

If it goes in your mouth, it goes in your app. Every last little thing you eat or drink in the day. There's no sense in leaving something out so your "count" looks good. It went in your mouth, it's going to make its way to your hips, butt, etc... Put it in your log and learn from your habits.

About 2 years ago, after many years of constant digestive issues I finally found a doctor who put something real to my problems: a gluten allergy. I cut it out (well mostly, sometimes I cheat and eat something I shouldn't and regret it later- physical regret, not mental regret haha). Making that change really forced a change in my overall eating habits. Less unnecessary carbs, like pasta loaded with sauce, and more healthy foods, like fruits and veggies. (DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend a gluten free life as a fad diet, only go this route when medically necessary.). I really felt like my eating habits were fine. When I started using the app, I was shocked... At how much I was UNDER eating. Yes, under eating. Days when I barely had 1,000 calories. I didn't necessarily feel hungry on those days, but seeing those numbers made me realize how unhealthy can go both ways. I upped the calories and made sure I did it in a healthy way. I shoot for around 1,400 on average every day. That still seems low to me, but it's comprised of solid servings of lean protein, fruits, and veggies. 1,400 "good" calories feels a heck of a lot better in you than 1,400 calories of crap does! Each person is an individual and you need to research how much food YOU need based in your lifestyle, activity level, size, etc. keeping track of what you eat keeps you honest about what you're doing.


So there you go, there's the big secret! I'll post some of my daily food logs another day, check back!

Super Star!!

Gym Super Star, right here (toot toot my own horn!).  If you go to Golds @ Willow Lawn (or just want to go in there and see how awesome I am) check out the wall above the cubbies or the Personal Trainers desk and see your gal!

When I first started down this road, I planned to blog about it.  Well, actually I planned to keep a running word document to be posted later.  Like many other good intentioned ideas, I forgot to write anything more than my initial post.  So, I’ve gone back and put it into past tense and added my current reflection of life at the gym over the past 6 months.  It’s a long post, but I hope that someone who comes across it, friend or stranger, finds some level of inspiration and hope for themselves.  Here it is:

Back at the end of September some friends got together for a little visit, as always, we took the standard “girl group pic” and as always, someone posted it on Facebook.  I cried.  Seriously, tears rolling down my cheeks.  Why this picture, why now? I don’t know.  There are tons of pictures of myself I’ve hated over the past years.  In general I tried to hide in the back, no easy feat when you’re short!  In my head I knew what size I was and what I really looked like.  Standing in front of the mirror I could twist and bend and convince myself I wasn’t as big as I really was.  Pictures don’t lie and this one was staring me in the face.

After the tears dried up, I decided to join the gym.  Walking in that door was honestly one of the most difficult days of my life, but I had to face the demon.  All day I debated whether or not to sign up for personal training.  I really couldn’t afford it, but I decided it was worth the expense to get my life back together.  I was genuinely scared of the gym and a nervous wreck all day the first day I met with the trainer.  Pretty quickly during that workout I realized how truly out of shape I was.  Everything seemed impossible and at that moment I thought maybe I’d made a mistake.  Wouldn’t staying fat and unhealthy just be easier?  Of course my excessively logical side kicked in and I realized that it’s not.

Soon enough the training became fun and I really loved the weekly push to lift something heavier, do something better, and go a little farther.  Pretty soon the hard work started to pay off.  Each week got a little more challenging, in a positive way!  The area I dubbed “the man room” (aka the weight room) became my second home.  I was secretly motivated by all the crazy meatheads back there.  Not that I want to be a Jersey Shore-esque kinda gal, but seeing even the weakest looking guys back there made me want to push myself and be strong… for a girl of course! 

As I reflect back on the past 6 months or so, I think about the things that really made me feel like I made it and I could keep making it.  Making life better, making myself better, making this journey better.

1.      The 1^st time I bought pants a size smaller

2.      The 2^nd, 3^rd times, 4^th times I bought smaller pants!

3.      The day I took 10 bags stuffed full of clothes to Goodwill.

4.      The day squats became a piece of cake (so of course the trainer was like, oh let’s add weight to this… hm, great!)

5.      The day I benched more than just the 45 lb bar (65lbs, whoo, haha!)

6.      The day I ran 5 minutes without stopping.  Then the day I ran 10.  I’m by no means a runner, but I’m working on building up to being one!

I know my trainer will probably never see this, because honestly I’m a little embarrassed by just putting it out there in the blogosphere, I couldn’t imagine showing it to him.  Never the less, I am so grateful for him (and yes I've told him that!) and all his encouragement, motivation, and never ending faith that I could do it!  I am forever indebted to him to teaching me how to be an effective exerciser.  I’ve become a better person for it!  I can’t sing the praises of personal trainers enough for anyone out there who’s thinking about getting fit!  It is seriously the best investment you can make in yourself.

6 months, 40 pounds, 15% body fat, 4 dress sizes…. GONE!  The journey hasn’t ended yet, I’m just on to bigger and better goals.   Okay, now I’m crying again, but this time they are happy tears!

  

New goals for 2013:

1.      Do 5 legit pull ups all on my own

2.      20 good, easy push-ups not on my knees 

3.      Run a 5 or 10k

If the girl who complained her way through high school PE, makes every excuse in the world, and would rather be lazy can do it... you can do it!  Love, Anne :)

Rocked the Reno

Well folks, it was a labor of love... not so much for me, mostly for the guys who did all the work, haha!  Finally, some pictures of the finished work, though I do still need to get furniture for the room so it actually looks complete!  Check out the before & after views:

Left view before, where the w/d originally stood

Left view after, w/d are now beind the closet on the left and the door to the dining room has been taken out

Right view before

Right view after, new broom closet there on the right

Opposite side before



Opposite side after. Nothing changed here, just the paint color

 Not sure if you can see the coloring in the after pictures well, but the walls are a light grey (Silver Drop), the trim is a crisp white (Silver Dust), and the ceiling is a barely there blue (Coastal Fog) all from Behr.  The floor is a just painted tan, I'll put an area rug down later.  Picking out the paint colors for this room as inspired me to change up my whole house... though I haven't actually done any of that work, I'll save it for cooler days in the fall.  Once I get furniture in there I'll update the blog.

Gotta give mad props to Wes Barger and the BWB Construction team for the great work they did on what turned out to be the room of disaster!  If you are ever looking to do any renovations, repairs, etc definitely go with them!

The last mile is always the longest

Or something like that. I don't run, the last time I ran was probably a drunken stumble up to Lane Stadium because I heard kick-off about to happen and I was gunna miss it!  Okay, back to the reason for waisting your reading time...

In just a few short days I've gone from having a whole wall taken down to a room almost finished!  There are a few things left to do before I can take back over and start the fun part of paint colors and decorating!

Check out the before/in progress below...

Before



In progress.  The W/D will be in the closet on the left now!



Before

On the right will be a smaller storage/broom closet

New Deck!

For three years, stepping out on my deck was basically a crap-shoot.  The boards were so warped and rotten, it was only a matter of time before one step out the door landed a person straight through to the ground.  It was like Deck Roulette.  No more!  Got me a brand new deck, yippie!

Before:

You cant tell how bad it is in this picture, but the deck was ollllld, to say the least!

After:

Time to have a cookout!

Renovation Vacation

Well… the time has come… a major renovation project… well, at least more major than I can do on my own.  At some point in time, round about ’84 I’d say, someone turned the old porch into an enclosed porch/sunroom area.  Why 1984 you ask? Well, because I still have the washer and dryer from 1984 as proof (no, they won’t be staying much longer).  Whomever did the work certainly didn’t have an eye for design or function, at least not one I can figure out.  Genius put the washer and dryer right in the middle of the room, rather than on a side wall, therefore cutting down on the good “usable” space for the sunroom part.  Behold…

Door to Nowhere

Well, the room was “ugly as homemade sin” (as my friend Angela’s husband William likes to say).  Well, maybe not ugly, but very bland.  There was a Door to Nowhere (one point was a window, someone made into a door, but to go through it meant you had to climb over the dryer, lame). Something had to change.  So I covered the Door to Nowhere with a curtain, pulled up the old worn out carpet, put in new doors, and painted the walls and floors.  I fashioned another curtain to disguise the appliances as best I could.  Still, the “sunroom” felt more like a hallway to the back door.

May the odds be ever in my favor... 

Day 1: Must try to have vision.  I can see it all coming together, I’m just more of a finished project, “oh let’s pick out pretty paint colors and furniture” kind of person, not so much on the demo and drywall.  The odds were not so much in my favor today, shit happened...  What was supposed to be a simple tear down of some 70s wood paneling turned into a full exterior wall replacement.  Not only was the thing COVERED in mold (yikes!) but apparently it was also the final resting place of six birds (GROSS!).  Birds and mold gone and the entire side of the room taken off, here’s what it looks like partially put back together….

On the left will be the enclosure for the washer & dryer, behind closed doors, out of sight!  On the right will be a broom/ storage closet.  The third picture is the outside of the new wall in progress.

Oh, and what was supposed to be a simple replacement of deck boards turned into a total deck redo, what did I get myself into?!

Whar'd ma deck go?!

New Years Resolution

Okay... this is probably the most common resolution in the world, I guess I'll just join the ranks.  In 2012 I'm going to stop being fat.  Yes, I said stop being fat.  Not loose weight, be skinnier, but stop being fat.  Somewhere back many years ago I started eating less healthy and exercising less and less.  It happened by my choices of food, one too many beers, and plain laziness... so this year I choose to stop those bad habits!

It's been 5 days since I started my new commitment and so far (aside from NYE) I've stuck to my calorie count/eating plan and have exercised more in 1 week then I have in the past 6 months.  I downloaded an app to help me keep track of my eating habits, learn where I need to make changes, enter my exercise and weight... and hopefully watch that number steady drop in a meaningful way!  I'm already feeling better in general!

Oh, and if anyone is looking to be a free personal trainer, I'll gladly be your client :o)

A little Friday afternoon redecorating

Well, thanks to my new found obsession with Pintrest, I came across a pin yesterday that I looooved and had pretty much all the pieces for!  This morning i just went out and got a floating shelf (why are those things always so hard to install?!) and some spray paint.

Before of the wall:

Voila!  It's hanging over the chest with my TV on it...

The colors are a little off in the pictures, thanks to my crappy camera, but what do you think?  Success or unnecessary holes in the wall?

Soup, Stew, oh I love you!

It’s a rainy day in the neighborhood…  so that means I’m spending the day in my sweatpants inside!  I got tired of sitting in front of the TV, so I decided to get up and do a little cooking.  I’ve officially depleted my homemade frozen soups, so I needed to make more.  I made the squash soup I wrote about back in November, but this time I subbed plain Greek yogurt for the cream to make it a little healthier.  This is probably the best soup I’ve ever made!

To keep the cooking trend going, I decided to tackle a beef soup recipe I’ve had my eye on for a while now.  This recipe is from William Sonoma, The Weeknight Cook cookbook (slightly modified).  If anyone is looking for a cookbook with easy to make and very delishious meals, I highly recommend this!  There is a hardback version with main and side dishes and a binder version with starter recipes (sauces, doughs, etc), mains, sides, and desserts.  You will have people thinking you’re a gourmet chef after making something from here!

Hungarian Beef Stew (4-6 servings)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 lb Boneless beef chuck, fat trimmed, and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces

2 large yellow onions, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

3 cloves garlic

1 ½ Tbs paprika

2 Tbs tomato paste

4 cups chicken broth

1 lb new potatoes

1 cup baby carrots, cut in half

Ingredients!

1. In Dutch oven or large pot over high heat, warm olive oil.  Add beef and onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is browned and onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

The beef & onions braising!

2. Stir in garlic, paprika, and tomato paste.  Add the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heath to low, cover and braise about 1 hour.

Baby new potatoes & baby carrots!

3. Add the potatoes and carrots, and continue to braise covered until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve or cool completely and freeze.

Cooling down!  This isn't the best picture, but it's the best my cell phone camera could do!

Now, for the beef I used the already cut up “for stews” beef chunks, rather than a whole slab of beef, just seemed a lot easier.  As for the tomato paste, seems like all you ever need is 1-2 tablespoons, but you have to buy a big can or tube.  I don’t use it enough, but I hate to throw away good food!  So, I store the leftovers in 2-3 tablespoon portions, I put portions in separate corners of a baggie, then freeze.  Then when I need some again, I just pull out the one chunk and thaw.

Tomato paste ready to be frozen!

The mailman just dropped by a gluten free cookbook I ordered ($2, heck yeah Amazon!), the new Better Homes & Gardens magazine, and a Burpee catalogue… I think I’ll spend the rest of my afternoon deciding what new recipes to make next and creating hypothetical dream gardens!

T minus 2.5 hours until trivia, Goooo Clark W Griswold, Jr. you can do it!!

Internet heaven

Hello, my name is Anne and I am a pintrest addict!

Seriously, whoever invented Pintrest is AMAZING! I get lost on that site for hours on end and have to force myself to put the computer down.  I won't let myself start a board, because I know I'll just spend more time than I already do on there, but I love browsing others!

If you haven't tried Pintrest, check it out!

Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?

Is your house on fire Clark?  No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights!

I just love Christmas movies... Christmas Vacation, Elf, Love Actually (ok, not completely a Christmas movie), and the original Grinch Who Stole Christmas are my favorites.  I love putting on a holiday movie or music and decorating!

The one thing I really miss in a house is a fireplace.  Not only for the warm and cozy glow, but mostly because I have no mantle to decorate! So I gotta figure out something else instead.

Now, I don't go all out like my man Clark W. Griswold, Jr., but I like to have a touch of something in every room.  Behold

My (fake) tree!

My Hokie Tree!

Arraignment on my coffee table

My dining table (I need a table cloth or something)

A little snowman and jar of ornaments for the guest room

A Santa hanging on the mirror in my room

Those turkeys were wobblin down the field!

Well, my Hokies tried.... sort of.  I guess I can't whine about it too much, we did lose to Clemson once already this year, I was just hoping for some redemption.  Instead, we got a slaughter!

Until next year (or the bowl game in a few weeks!) Gobble Gobble bitches :o)

Gobble, Gobble, Pepper Spray!

I was so full from yummy Thanksgiving food, I couldn’t even make it to the computer to blog about it!!  For the past couple of years we have had a pretty small Thanksgiving family (small because there are only like 15 out of 1039230943409582304 family members present).  Well, this year we had a bit of change… up to Greene County (looks sophisticated, pronounced like gray-na kay-nee as the locals do it).  Got to start off the day by listening to the “shoot-em up house” (as my mom calls it) hunt for their turkey (or squirrel or sister/wife or whatever they were after).  Nothin’ like some shot gun blasts to start off the day!  Long story short, had a great feast with some great Marshalls and Thompsons! 

Best part?

TOY STORY! Yahzee with Bailey.

Fully tummy, lots of sleep, final hour of Gone with the Wind, day is done!  Then Black Friday happens… Black Friday is what I think hell is like.  A bunch of people fighting each other over crap that doesn’t matter and totally forgetting any sense of decorum and humanity.  I don’t care if the 300” Plasma is free, you will never find me in line at Walmart at midnight (or ever anyways…).  No siree!

 

About mid-day I had a massive need to decorate for Christmas, an activity I refuse to do before December 1^st.  I decided it would be morally appropriate to put up some lights outside (after all, they just say “shiny and pretty” not “Jesus season”) and make some kind of winter festive center piece.  Being that I had neither, I thought I’d venture out to find some lights.  I figured I’d drive by Target and if they were crazy I’d just go to Ben Franklin or somewhere less “black Friday mania”.  Well, Libbie Target at noon looked like Libby Target any old day, so I ventured in!  Not only were there plenty of their big ticket sale items left, but the store was so nice and calm!  I skipped over the electronics and just went for the Holiday Décor section (with a short detour through kitchen goods).  I made it out with being beat-up or pepper sprayed... I guess the Commonwealth really does have more class than those crazy Californians (they are lovin some pepper spray in LA this week!)  I got some outdoor lights, a sparkly table runner, some random festive décor, and candles to make a holiday centerpiece.  Lights are up, center piece is made, now I just need to get y’all some dang pictures!

(Come back later peeps for some pictures, dang!)

I’m now officially excited for Thursday night when I can watch my main man Dwight Shrute while I decorate the house!

For now, I think I’ll get back to work before I get caught blogging on the job J

It's a BEAUTIFUL day in the Commonwealth!

If you don’t live in Virginia… you have no idea what you’re missing this time of the year!  Sure, the weather can have Bipolar features at times (80 one day, snowing the next)… but it’s days like today that remind you why Virginia is the best state around!  I think those Jamestown folks settled here because of the weather (or maybe the friendly natives, fertile soil, and flowing rivers could have had something to do with it too).  It’s 70 degrees outside, a subtle breeze, and sunny skies!  The trees that still have leaves are on fire with color and look amazing.  Then there are the leaves on the ground, not so amazing :o(

So, I figured I’d capitalize on this nice day and rake and bag those unsightly dead lives on the ground.  Nice way to spend the day outside, but boy am I tired now!!  I only did the backyard- 7 bags worth… the front yard is an entirely different story… I’ll save that for another day.

After a hard day’s work, I needed to refuel in preparation for my difficult afternoon nap (haha!).  Yesterday I slaved away in the kitchen for a few hours and made Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread (yum yum yummy!) and a HUGE pot of squash soup.  IT IS AMAZING… between the soup and this weather, I’m in fall heaven today!  Here’s the recipe, I highly suggest giving it a whirl, it’s more than worth it!

Creamy Squash Soup, serves 8

1 butternut squash, cut lengthwise

1 acorn squash, cut lengthwise

4 tsp olive oil

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

   salt & pepper to taste

¾ tsp cayenne pepper

6 cups vegetable broth

8oz whipping cream

3 tsp fresh cilantro, lightly chopped

1.   Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle insides of squash halves with about 2 tbs olive oil, place face down on baking sheet, and bake for about 35 minutes or until tender.  Remove from oven to cool.  Scoop meat from squash when cooled (this part can be done well in advance, just refrigerate until ready to make the soup).

2.   Sauté carrots, celery, and onion in remaining olive oil in large stock pot until tender.  Add garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Add cayenne pepper.  Sauté 2-3 minutes.

3.   Add squash and vegetable broth to stock pot, stir.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.   Use an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender to puree entire pot.  Return to pot and stir in whipping cream (or leave this out for a lower calorie/fat version).  Keep on low heat until ready to serve.  Top with cilantro.

5.  Package and freeze the remainder for yummy goodness 

Behold:

BOO!

Okay, so my neighbors have really gotten into the Halloween decorating this year.  I’m not so much into the fake spider webs and gianormous ghosts and zombies hanging from trees- it’s all a little sadistic for my taste… I prefer something less gory and more fun and crafty!  So, I decided to make a little wreath for my front door in Halloween colors.  Behold:

(sorry for the crummy lighting, I just couldn’t get a crisp great picture, but you still get it!)

So if you want to make your own, it’s pretty simple, here goes:

1. Wrap foam wreath in ribbon (I chose black).
2. Attach little do-das and such to one side (I chose a black small feather boa and some glittery balls)
3. Make the “flowers” for the other side:

Making the flowers was pretty easy.  I started with 3 silk gerbera daisies (2 black and 1 orange).  Added some ribbon curls onto the back and front, a little round cut out of some scrapbook paper and bam!  On one I also added some of the leftover boa to give a little variation.

     4. Add some ribbon and tie in a bow to the door knocker or wreath hook!

Since it's not waterproof in any way, I put it between my main door and storm door.  I wouldn't suggest hanging this where it can be rained on...

Pretty easy craft! I think I’m going to try something similar in Christmas colors when the time comes.   

10/9/11 Trip to CVS!

So, I’ve decided that CVS is officially da-bomb!  Not only do they regularly have great sales, but they tend to have things for cheaper than at the grocery store, Target, etc!  Last week’s P&G Brand Saver insert had a TON of great deals and many of them coordinated with the CVS sales of the week.  Here’s what I got:

CVS 4pk D batteries- $6.79 on sale for $3.99

CVS Tissues (1)- $1.99 on sale for $0.88 (over half off!)

CVS 20ct fabric bandaids- $3.59 on sale for $2.69

Neutrogena face products current buy one get one 50% off:

Naturals Facewash- $7.99 less $2 off P&G coupon= $5.99

Neutrogena lip balm- $3.49 (50% off= $1.75) less $1 off P&G coupon= $0.75

Covergirl

            Pressed Powder- $7.99, Powder Blush- $4.99, Professionals Mascara- $5.99

= $18.97 less $8.00 off 2 covergirl face P&G coupon, $3.00 off $10 cosmetic store coupon, $3.00 Covergirl Professionals store coupon.

=4.97 total!

Tampax Compak (2) -$7.98 less BOGO P&G coupon and $1.00 off= $2.99

Vasoline Lotion (1) 24.5 oz= $6.89 plus (1) 10oz FOR FREE ($3.39 value)! Thanks to P&G BOGO coupon

Crest Complete Toothpaste 4oz= 3.89 less $2 off coupon= $1.89

Grand Total before coupons: $64.88

Grand Total after sales/ coupons: $31.04

Less Extra Care Bucks rewards to use: $5

Final Price= $26.04 (plus tax)

WHOA! That’s about a 60% savings! 

When I was done at CVS, I ran across the street and spend $4.20 on some Halloween decorations and trinkets at Dollar Tree.  Just over $30 spent and PLENTY to show for it!

Summery Spring Rolls

Summery Spring Rolls

So this is a combination of various recipes I’ve happened upon, modified to fit what I had in my fridge last night.  You could add and remove other ingredients as you see fit and easily make them vegetarian.  They are actually very easy to make, keep well for a few days, and can be made with leftovers (as mine were).  I happened to have a cooked chicken breast and some leftover plan brown rice, so that’s where I started!  Here’s the rest of the recipe.  It makes for a really great lunch sandwich alternative!

Prepare the different pieces first and have them set up in a “station” so you can just go down the line and assemble quickly and easily!  Makes 6-8 depending upon the size!

In a small bowl, mix:

2 cups shredded chicken

1 Tbs rice vinegar

1 Tbs sugar

1 large carrot, grated length wise

season lightly with a dash of salt and pepper

Set aside in separate bowls:

1/3 cucumber, julienned

4 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (can use mint or basil as well)

½ c cooked rice (white or brown)

Boston lettuce (or butter lettuce is fine too if you’re grocery store is as unfancy as mine)

6-8 Rice papers (found in the Asian section of the store usually, or an Asian market)

Sauce:

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 ½ Tbs chunky peanut butter

2 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Fill wide bowl with warm water.  Soak 2 rice papers for 15 seconds.  Remove papers and place on clean work surface.  Lightly pat dry with clean towel.

2. Assemble roll in this order: 1-2 pieces of whole lettuce (or pinch of cut up lettuce), 1-2 Tbs chicken mixture, several pieces of cucumber, pinch of scallions, pinch of cilantro, 1 Tbs rice. (basically just divide up the veggies to about 1/6 their amount per roll, or more if you like.  I definitely went with an extra pinch of cilantro).

3. Gently roll like a burrito (I guess this is basically the Asian equivalent of a burrito, right).  Place on plate and cover with damp paper towel while assembling the rest.

4. If eating right away, you could drizzle sauce over mixture before wrapping, otherwise just set in a dish on the side to dip!

(I forgot to take a pic of my own, this is from the interwebs, but looks similar to my rolls)

EAT!!

You can make these ahead of time as well, just be sure to lightly wrap in a barely damp paper towel and store air tight in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!

I guess if you really wanted to go crazy, you could bake or fry these up as well, for that “traditional” (and by that, I mean the corner Chinese take out) version… but they are fabulous as-is and a heck of a lot healthier!  If you’re into spicy foods (I’m not so much), you could add some Asian chili sauce into the sauce mix and kick it up a notch!

Wanna bite of my bear sandwhich?... and other favorite movies

I’m one of those people that finds interest in odd things and remains fiercely loyal to stuff others think is ridiculous or they’ve never even heard of.  This holds true with my favorite movies.  Most people haven’t heard of the first 2, most know the 3^rd.

The pseudo-autobiographical story of country singer Loretta Lynn.  It’s such a great story and if you like country music (old school country that is), you must see this flick!

It’s about 4 girls who just graduated from high school and head off to Myrtle Beach for the weekend to “dance and meet boys.”  It all centers around the Pavilion where everyone dances the shag all night.

 What a classic!  Enough said.

I’m waiting on a guy to come stand in my driveway with a boom box playing “In Your Eyes”, don’t hate.

I could watch this a million times… and I think I probably have.

Everyone has their favorite vignette… mine is the Jamie and the Aurelea.

 I have a mild crush on Jason Segel… either because he’s not afraid to be naked in everything he’s in or maybe it’s just because he seems like such a “normal” guy… I want to be his friend/wife, haha.

 “I also have an important announcement, there’s a colonial woman on the wing!”  While my girlfriends and I have never been this tragic, we’ve come pretty close a time or two.

 Not the movies, the show on DVD… so it’s not exactly a “movie”, but watching episode after episode (particularly season 4) is a fun way to spend a lazy Sunday!

 These last two tie for me, they also feature the same actress as the leader character.  Such cute stories!