Cranberry Breakfast Cake

We had a potluck breakfast of sorts at work last week, so I made this cranberry breakfast cake inspired by a post by Averie Cooks on Pinterest. The original recipe is described as being a mix between a blueberry muffin and pancake. I think it's just more of a quick-bread that looks more like a cake. But still tasty. And moist. It's the perfect, easy breakfast for a crowd. I elected to use cranberries instead of blueberries. Makes it more Christmas-y. But if you're not into some tartness, stick with the blueberries. You may also half the recipe if you're just making it for the family, and use an 8x8 baking dish.

Cranberry Breakfast Cake

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt

6 TBSP vegetable oil or unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp vanilla 

1 package fresh cranberries

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare a 9x13 baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
• Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, mixing lightly with a spoon or folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Don't worry about the lumps! You don't want to over mix.
• Gently fold in the cranberries.
• Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake until done. Watch the cake, not the timer. I covered mine at 30 minutes with foil to prevent the top from getting too dark. It was about another 30 minutes before it was done. Keep it in there long enough that a toothpick will come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
• Let it cool before serving. You may top it off with a dusting of powdered sugar, or get fancy and make some kind of glaze.

Enjoy!

Good Tidings and Great Joy

…Yes, I did steal the title of Sarah Palin's most recent book. It's too hard to come up with your very own catchy Christmas-y blog title. There's a reason I didn't go into some kind of writing. 

I love this time of year! I like to pick out presents. I REALLY like to wrap them. And, of course, I love to give them. I love the lights and the decorations. Thank goodness for pre-lit artificial trees. I mean, first off, it's impossible to perfectly string lights onto a tree. Second, a real tree would look real dead by December 25th…at least if I'm the one responsible for it. I can keep the tiny humans alive, but not so much any kind of plant. Obviously, there's some great music. I love setting my ringtone to TSO "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo." The baking of obscene quantities of cookies is quite fun. Then there's all the parties and the food. December is pretty fantastic.  

The absolute one (okay two) things that drive me crazy when Christmas comes--Elf on the Shelf and the Christmas shoes song. Also, the hippopotamus song. EOS has already invaded my Facebook & Pinterest feeds. It's just creepy. It's like the Christmas version of a clown. Not cool. Really, how can you not be creeped out by this? 

Things I'd like to do this season? I'm hoping I actually get a chance this year to drive around and see some lights. Maybe hit up the Chickasha Festival of Light, which I've never been to. Also, I want to go skating on one of the outdoor rinks. We'll see if it actually happens.   

This week has been kind of weird. I usually try to work 3 nights in a row, so I can be on a semi-normal schedule for part of the week. But I worked Sunday & Tuesday night, and I'm on again Friday…then on call through the weekend. It's been kind of nice though! I've been able to do some things I don't normally get to. I got to go out & eat a real meal with a friend one night (I hardly ever eat meals anymore…I snack all the time…like a small child). And, bonus, there turned out to be some live jazz band music happening. Score. I'd like to do some fun things tonight, but the weather could be problematic. 

I hope you all are having a fantastic week! Stay warm! 

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie

Happy (late) Thanksgiving! We celebrated on Friday this year because I worked Monday-Wednesday night…and slept all day Thursday. Fortunately, all I had to make was a pie. I decided on a Bourbon Pumpkin Pie from Serious Eats. I will admit that despite my love for all things pumpkin, I do not generally go for the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or Christmas. I'm very picky about the texture, and I feel like it's often lacking in excitement. This pumpkin pie, well, it's not boring.    

This is by far the most flavor-packed pumpkin pie I've ever had…and it's got a smooth, creamy texture. You can use bourbon or bourbon extract. The bourbon adds a nice depth of fall flavor with some vanilla, oak, and caramel notes. The ginger in the filling gives this pie another punch. If you're not big on ginger, I'd definitely cut the amount down…maybe add in some cinnamon. You've got another layer of flavor with the toasted chopped pecans. And then, the whipped bourbon maple mascarpone really tops it off. Delicious. 

You can snag the recipe by clicking here. I used Paula Deen's flaky pie crust recipe from her Southern Cooking Bible. If you do not have this, you are missing out. Mostly because she has written comments at the bottom of every recipe, which are very entertaining. It's like you can hear her saying what you're reading. The brother does a great impression. 

Fair warning: this pumpkin pie is quite rich. It's as rare for me to say that as it is for me to not be able to finish a piece of dessert. It's practically unheard of. Really all you need is like half a normal piece! 

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

I love spaghetti squash. It's super versatile. You can use it as a side. You can use it to replace noodles in  main dishes. You can mix almost anything with it. It's great stuff. I whipped it up as a side dish with some of my favorite herbs tonight. It tasted like fall. Yum!

It turns out, this is one of those things that can stay in the oven for a while after it's done and be okay. I had to test out my "cook time" setting tonight because I was halfway through roasting the spaghetti squash when I decided to run across town for a Sarah Palin book signing. I hadn't used the "cook time" before, but I assumed it would automatically turn the oven off when the timer was done. It works! The oven was still warm 3 1/2 hours later, but the squash wasn't over-done and the house hadn't burned down. Success!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeds scooped out

EVOO

Salt & pepper

Herbs to taste (I'm into rosemary, thyme, and sage)

Parmesan (optional--to sprinkle on top)

• Preheat the oven to 375*F.
• Place your squash on an oven safe pan, skin side down. Drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for about 1 hour.
• When it's done, remove it from the oven, and either scoop out the flesh or peel off the skin. Mix in a little EVOO or butter, along with whatever herbs you choose. Sprinkle on some parm. 

Enjoy!

{Workout Review} Ballet Beautiful

As most of you probably know, I've had some Achilles tendinitis going on. Which means I've, again, been mostly banned from my favorite high-impact workouts. Fun times… In my quest to find low-impact workouts, I came across Ballet Beautiful by Mary Helen Bowers. I read about it online. It happened that the local library had a couple of the DVDs (although you can find several of the workouts online). I figured I might as well give it a shot. Like, what's the worst that could happen? 

It could kill me. That's what. I'm pretty sure I took more breaks (doing the beginner version) than I did when I started Insanity. I didn't exactly break a sweat, but I was weeping. Ballet Beautiful is (obviously) a ballet-inspired workout. It hits your core, arms, butt, and inner and outer thigh. Most of what I tried out was mat work (a.k.a. torture). And it worked my muscles in ways they haven't been worked in a really, really long time…maybe ever. I've had pain I didn't know existed. 

What you need to know- Ballet Beautiful is completely portable. No equipment. No shoes. Very little space. There are several shorter (10-15 minute) workouts on a DVD, so you can keep it short or do them all. It's great for getting toned, long, lean muscle. There is zero impact. Lots of repetition.

Overall, I think it's a really nice compliment to what I like to do. It's a challenge. However, I don't think I could do it solely for any length of time. I like my craziness too much. At this point, I'm mixing it in with a couple of Les Mills Combat workouts that I can keep low-impact, Zumba, and Yoga. Fortunately, the tendon is getting better. I'm hoping it's 100% by the time P90X-3 is released!  

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

I love any reason to make cake, and today is the mother's birthday! Score! There were several recipes to choose from, but the winner was this Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with chocolate ganache and pumpkin whipped cream from i am baker. By the way, i am baker is one of my favorites for sweets. Great stuff. I'm generally against cake without frosting. I don't see the point. However, this cake is definitely the exception. The cake itself is perfectly moist. The pumpkin whipped cream is spectacular. And how can you go wrong with ganache? Deliciousness.  

I didn't really change anything from i am baker's recipe. My cake is just round instead of square. Mostly, well, all because I don't have a square plate…and a square cake on a round plate would really mess with my OCD. Here it is:

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

For the cake:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 TBSP vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups AP flour

2/3 cup cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

• Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare two round or square baking pans.
• In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin and buttermilk.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, powder, soda and salt.
• In a mixer, beat the sugars, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. 
• Alternating, add the flour mixture and pumpkin mixture to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix for about a minute on low, until fully combined.
• Divide the batter evenly among your pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes before inverting one onto your plate or cake stand, and the other onto a cooling rack or whatever you want to use!

For the Ganache:

12 oz Velata milk chocolate

6 oz heavy whipping cream

• Place your chocolate in a heat-safe bowl.
• In a small sauce pan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate.
• Mix together until smooth. Let it sit for just a few minutes to thicken.
• Pour over the top of each layer of cake. Spread to the edges &/or let it run over the edges. Let it sit for at least an hour.

For the Pumpkin Whipped Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1-2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup pureed pumpkin

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice

• In a small bowl, combine pumpkin and spices. Mix together.
• In a mixer, beat the whipping cream on medium-high until soft peaks are formed. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time). Mix until combined.
• Fold the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream.
• Beat in the remaining powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time) until the desired texture is reached. I ended up using a total of 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. 
• Let it chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

When you go to assemble your cake, I recommend using placing straws through the whipped cream and bottom cake layer to support the top layer. It'll keep the top layer from squishing out all the whipped cream!

Enjoy!

Decorating for Thanksgiving

My work week begins tonight, so I spent last night doing crafty things and decorating for fall. Yes, fall. I guess really more like Thanksgiving, if you want to get technical. I have many friends who have already decorated for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. But I feel like the time between asking strangers for candy and telling Santa about all the things you want is quite overlooked. 

And there's so much to be thankful for… Friends & family. Football is in full swing (although I wish my Sooners would play). NBA is revving up. Starbucks has red cups. I got to go to Zumba last night. And then tried out some Ballet Beautiful. Edy's has there slow churned egg nog ice cream out. It's appropriate to wear sweaters, boots & scarves. And I know there are many, many other things…but I've been awake since 11 AM yesterday… 

So, decorating for Thanksgiving. I obviously hit up Pinterest for some inspiration. I checked out Hobby Lobby, but they literally have like 1/2 an aisle for fall. The rest is Christmas. I knew I wanted to get a couple candlestick things to set little pumpkins on. There were a couple I liked at Hobby Lobby, but even 1/2 off, they were $15-$20/each. I found these at a thrift store for $2:

Ugly as all get out, but paint can do a lot of things.

And, of course, there were no little pumpkins left at Hobby Lobby. I found these at home. Apples & pears are fall-ish fruits, right? I got some supplies to make a banner for the mantel. I already had paint & twine at home!

Ta-da! I would like to possibly add some colorful ribbon between the letters, but this will do for this year. I made a template in Pages and traced around it on the burlap. Cut out the pieces. Stenciled on the letters. Hot glued the twine on back. It's really handy having a reclaimed piano thingy as a mantel because it has these knobs that made it super easy to attach the banner. 

I don't really know how I feel about scarecrows, but this guy was another $2 thrift store find…so, why not?

Here's the whole picture. I'd like to add something to the wreath (next year). The milk can at the bottom is a family heirloom, filled with wheat from the family farm. Score. 

And then there's, Tom. I grabbed him for under $9 during Scentsy's Monster Monday Sale. You can grab yourself one by clicking here! 

Now, I should really go sleep before heading into work this evening. Hope everyone has a Happy Hump Day!

{Snack Time} Apple Dippers

I can't say that I've been cooking a lot lately. I'm all about what's basically ready to eat. Food that someone else makes for me is even better. So, I thought I would share one of my new favorite snacks. It's incredibly easy. Super yummy.  

Just mix up about 1/3-1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt with a spoonful of peanut butter, a splash of vanilla, and a dab of honey or agave (I don't always do this). 

I like to dip granny smith apple slices in it, but I'm sure other apples or fruits would be just as tasty. I just prefer some crunchy tartness! 

Hello, Night Shift.

I switched over from days to nights the last week of October. I've gotten a lot of questions about how it's going, what's the difference, is it hard to stay awake, etc. I'll say it's literally as different as night and day. I think it's been easier to have charting done by shift change. The craziness is more at the beginning, with some "chill" time from midnight to 4, and then things pick up again. At this point, I think I still prefer the steady craziness of day shift. Overall, things are going well… The other night nurses are great. And I only have one week left on orientation!

The adorable 31 lunch bag from my coworkers!

Things I've learned…

• I can't eat vegetables & hummus in the middle of the night. These had been staple parts of my lunches. I also had generally been packing like a meat & cheese sandwich. But I can't handle the smell or taste at 2 AM. So now all I eat is a PB&J sandwich. Sometimes applesauce. 

• I don't have problems sleeping during the day… but I also can no longer sleep at night. Even on my days off. And being awake during the day is extremely challenging. I'm dead until like 3-4 PM. Maybe I'll just become a night lifer. It's amazing how much you can get done at night. Seriously. Try it. 

• A major pro is that I can wake up at like 4 and get in a quick workout before going to work. Whereas that would never happen before a day shift. It's a great start to the evening! 

In the words of a fellow night nurse:

"I sleep when I can. Eat when I'm hungry. 
And that's all I know."

I worked Halloween night. It was super fun to be able to dress up. And I've always wanted to be the Pink Power Ranger. Shout out to the mother for making covers for my Ugg boots!

Pumpkin Nutella Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm loving that it's pumpkin everything season! And it's feeling a little more like fall outside too. Perfection. This tasty pumpkin treat is a Pinterest find. Actually, I saw that the brother had pinned it, so I made these for him because I'm a great sister. Most of the time. The bars are nice and moist. Have great flavor. And while they're not super healthy, my version did cut out 1 cup of oil, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1/2 stick of butter. And I don't feel like they are lacking on sweetness at all. Next time around, I would probably take out more of the pumpkin batter before mixing in the Nutella (I've adjusted the directions below). Then, they might actually come out "swirled." 

Pumpkin Nutella Bars

Inspiration from The Gunny Sack

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup Nutella

• Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare a jelly roll pan (16x12x1) with nonstick spray. 
• In a large mixing bowl/stand mixer, beat together the eggs, pumpkin and applesauce. 
• Add all the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
• Pour half the pumpkin batter into your prepared pan.
• Mix the Nutella in with the remaining batter.
• Drop spoonfuls of the Nutella mixture over the pumpkin batter. 
• Gently swirl with a knife.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

• In a large mixing bowl/stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
• Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until smooth.
• Mix in cinnamon and vanilla.

I went ahead and put my frosting on with the bars were still warm. I feel like it makes them a little more moist. Also, I had just worked for 13 hours and didn't feel like staying awake for them to cool down… Enjoy!

Summer Squash & Spinach Frittata

Things have been crazy, and tomorrow marks my last day shift...I start nights on Monday. Party. I can hardly believe that I'm already over halfway through orientation! Time flies. Plus, I'm super excited about Halloween being next week! Yes, I'm working, but I get to dress up. And I'll be fulfilling a childhood dream. Any guesses? Hint--my costume involves the color pink. (Shocking, I know.) I need to finish it up this weekend.

I whipped together a frittata earlier this week for dinner. Mostly because we had eggs, summer/yellow squash and baby spinach that needed used, and I figured a frittata was the best way to go. Frittatas are really great. There's so much possibility. You can basically throw in whatever veggie you want. You can use more or less eggs depending on how thick or big you want it. Toss in some herbs. Maybe some cheese. It's simple. It's tasty. It's fabulous. 

Summer Squash & Spinach Frittata

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium summer squash, thinly sliced

1 bag/box of fresh baby spinach

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

7 large eggs

Basil to taste

Salt & pepper to taste

EVOO

• Preheat oven to 400*F. 
• Heat up some EVOO in a large, oven-safe skillet. Add the onion & garlic and cook for a couple minutes. Add in the squash and cook until it's pretty soft. Add in the spinach. If your skillet has a lid, throw it on top to help steam the spinach. 
• In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add cheese, basil, salt & pepper. Mix together & pour over the veggies in the skillet. 
• Let it all sit on the stove for like 1-2 minutes before transferring to the oven. Once it's in the oven, bake until set (it took mine like 5 minutes).

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato with Quinoa, Spinach & Cranberries

Here's a great, super easy, fast Meatless Monday dish! I came across it on Pinterest, but it didn't actually  link to a recipe...so I just kind of guessed as to how much of what went into it. I saved some time by having quinoa already cooked (at one point I made a bunch, divided it up, and froze it) and by using the frozen chopped spinach. It turned out pretty tasty!

Here's what you need:
1 sweet potato
EVOO
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup chopped spinach 
2-4 TBSP dried cranberries
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Salt & pepper to taste

This is how you do it:

• Heat up a small pan with a little EVOO in the bottom. Add the garlic & onion with some salt & pepper; cook until soft. Add in the dried cranberries, followed by the spinach and finally quinoa. Cook until everything's heated up.
• Meanwhile, cook your sweet potato in the microwave. Mine has a really great potato setting. And everything ended up being done at the same time. Perfect. 

I have to say, I'm enjoying this fall weather. And the rain. I switched out my sandals for boots. Pulled out my sweaters. Got out my big, fluffy blanket. There are various fall Scentsy smells warming throughout the house. It's kind of wonderful. Plus, I started watching "Parenthood." Why have I never seen this before?! Decent stuff. Tomorrow I will begin a work marathon of sorts...so I'll be accepting coffee deliveries through Sunday. But Seriously. 

I hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

Pumpkin, Sausage & Spinach Calzones

I came across a recipe for pumpkin, sausage and spinach calzones in some magazine. Since I couldn't pin it, I lost track of the actual recipe. But what I ended up making was pretty stinking good. Totally delicious. Decently healthy. Yummy goodness.  

I decided on using the spicy/hot Italian chicken sausage from Sprouts. I like a little kick, but if that's not your thing, sweet Italian sausage would work too. Of course, you can go with turkey, pork, or whatever meat you like. You can also use your cheese of choice. I went with a white extra sharp cheddar. Again, I like things that have a little extra bite or whatever. For time's sake, I rounded up a recipe for no-yeast WW pizza crust from Kristin in Her Kitchen. I also saved some time by using frozen chopped spinach. 

Pumpkin, Sausage & Spinach Calzones

Ingredients for the crust:

1 1/2 cups WW flour

1/2 cup AP flour

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup EVOO

Ingredients for the filling:

EVOO

8 oz Italian sausage

2 cups frozen chopped spinach

Salt & pepper

4 heaping TBSP pureed pumpkin

3-4 oz cheese, shredded 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450*F and grab a non-stick cookie sheet.
• In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the crust; whisk together. Add the water and EVOO. Mix well. Set aside.
• In a saute pan, add some EVOO and heat it up on high. Add the sausage. Cook thoroughly. Remove the sausage from the pan. Turn the heat down to low.
• Add a tad bit more EVOO to the pan (may not be necessary if you're using a sausage with more fat). Add the spinach, salt & pepper. Saute for a couple minutes, or until the spinach is warmed up. Remove from heat.
• Divide your dough for the crust into 4 equal parts. Roll out into like 7-8" circles. Place 1 heaping TBSP of pumpkin and spread it around (leave about 1/4" around the edges). Divide up the spinach, sausage, and cheese between the circles. Fold each circle over. Use a fork and go around the edges to seal them. 
• Place the calzones on your cookie sheet. You can spread a little EVOO on top. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until slightly golden. 

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

And on my days off, I get on Pinterest and bake... It's kind of great how many things you can get done when Monday is your day off. Everyone else is working, so the day is yours. I slept in. Watched "Once Upon a Time" while I had my coffee and breakfast. I vacuumed and mopped. Did P90X-2. Showered. Made lunch. Ran errands (got my watch fixed, got part of my Halloween costume, went to Sprouts). Baked. Got some paperwork done. Pinned a million things. And I'm going to make kickboxing. Exciting stuff. 

So...Peanut butter. Pumpkin. Dark Chocolate. Score. The original recipe is from Crazy For Crust via Pinterest. I really hadn't intended to change anything...but it turned out that I only had 1 cup of AP flour on hand. Thus, I ended up doing 1 cup AP flour and 1 cup WW flour. Not bad. Generally, you can go half-and-half and not change things too much. Using all WW flour will change the texture. Of course, you can use whatever kind of chocolate chips you like...but I'm a dark chocolate kind of girl.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup pumpkin puree 

2 eggs

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 TBSP pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup AP flour

1 cup WW flour

1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350*F and prepare a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl (or your KitchenAid), mix together the yogurt, pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter until smooth. Add sugars, pumpkin pie spice, and soda and mix. Mix in the flours. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. 
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It's thick so you'll need to even it out. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes, depending on if you want it a little gooey in the center or baked through. 
• Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to your cutting board.

Enjoy!

They Believe

I made it through my first week on the floor! And I feel even more blessed to be where I'm at. I'm enjoying the people I work with. I have a great coach. And despite the long hours and craziness, I'm loving it. And I get that it's all shiny and new right now. And there may be days that I don't love it. But right now, it's pretty great. When I think about everything that happened to get me here, how it came together just right, I know it's where I'm suppose to be...and it doesn't get much better than that! 

One question that I've been asked a lot is, "How can you work with sick kids? It must be so sad." Or something to that effect. I personally don't know how people do adult nursing. I went through my whole first year of nursing school wondering what I'd gotten myself into. I held onto the fact that my peds rotation would eventually come. And sure, there are some incredibly sad pediatric cases. And it'll be horrible to lose a patient. But for the most part, it's kind of magical. I get to work in a hospital where we blow bubbles and decorate the halls with patients' artwork. And Kids are hopeful. Kids want to get better. The simplest things can make their days brighter. 

"These are the tiny humans. These are children. They believe in magic. They play pretend. There is fairy dust in their IV bags. They hope, and they cross their fingers, and they make wishes, and that makes them more resilient than adults. They recover faster, survive worse. They believe."

And that is why peds is my favorite!

Team OC Fitness

As most of you have probably figured out, I love, love, love to workout. I think it's fun. Now, it took me a while to get to this point, but it happened. I'm hooked. And I love a good challenge. I think it was last year that my now alma mater started up free fitness classes for students, faculty, staff, and I guess alumni. They offered Zumba and vinyasa yoga a couple times a week. I didn't jump on board until towards the end of the school year. I didn't think it would be hard enough. But I was wrong. Terribly wrong.

I went to Zumba once, and I was sold. It's a party. A cardio party. And there's pretty much always a way to make a move harder, more intense (or less, depending on what you like). I was impressed. So I went to class for the rest of the semester, hit up the summer classes, and still try to go on Tuesdays or Thursdays when I can make it. Other classes are available, but I prefer the instructor that's there on those days. More intensity. 

This year, they added a kickboxing class on Mondays and Fridays. Again, I didn't think it would be challenging enough so I didn't think much about it. Then, one of my Zumba friends told me about it. Told me how hard it was. And I was like, "challenge accepted." Wow. It's a butt-kicking good time. I mean it's torture. But it's great. And it's hard for me. I love it. I would say it's kind of a mashup of "Insanity" and "Combat." This is from last Monday (with breaks...and some modifications): 

I have yet to go to the yoga class. But here's the thing, I really, really like my Yoga-X. Like a lot. So I don't know. I might try it out at some point. For now, I'm happy with my Zumba and kickboxing...and finishing up X2. 

In other news, I survived my first week of orientation! I'll be on the floor tomorrow! And I've been enjoying all the TV season premieres. I'm obviously a die hard "Grey's Anatomy" fan. But, I also like some "Castle", "Once Upon A Time", and "Parks and Recreation". I watched the pilot for "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D", and it was alright, but I don't know that I'm sold. I also watched "Trophy Wife". Decently funny. What do you watch? Any comedies you'd recommend? Ready go...

It's Here

I had my first day of orientation today! It's hard to believe that it's finally here. I'm about to start doing the thing I went through four years of school for. It's pretty exciting! A little nerve-racking, but mostly exciting. I woke up at 3, which was earlier than planned, but I was hungry, and then there wasn't much point in trying to go back to sleep. I can't say that I've missed waking up before dawn, but watching the sunrise on the way downtown was rather lovely. I was greeted by friendly faces. The classroom had an ample supply of snacks and coffee. I got to catch up some with a friend. Met my new colleagues. Listen to hours of well-presented speeches on really fun (not really) things like policies, procedures, and benefits. Great stuff. And I used some Melaleuca oil gel stuff last night, which seems to be helping clear out whatever junk I had going on this weekend. So, I'm feeling better, the first day of orientation is over, I made it to kickboxing class (which kicked my hind side), and now I'm watching the season premiere of "Castle." It's been a good day. So blessed!

Weekend Foodie

It's definitely been a weekend full of fun and food. I headed to the OK State Fair on Friday night to meet up with some friends. We walked through several buildings...the baby goats are my favorite...and indulged in some classic fair food. It's been a couple of years since I've been to the fair. And I normally go for a corn dog and a cinnamon roll and/or I share a funnel cake (because when you eat a whole funnel cake bad things happen...like you lose your gallbladder)...but anyways... I started off with a corn dog, which I regretted after I ran into the fried PB&J. Obviously, I will be trying that next year. 

For dessert, I opted for cheesecake (on a stick), dipped in PB sauce, and rolled in Oreos. It was good. But I know that I could make better cheesecake and better PB sauce, so people tell me I'm a "fair food snob." Better stick with the cinnamon rolls and funnel cakes... My friends shared some of their grub. We all tried some fried watermelon. I didn't hate it. And the marshmallow cinnamon cream dipping sauce was fab. The fried Oreos were pretty intensely sweet. And my bite of funnel cake was bomb.

This afternoon, I hit up the Greek Festival at St. George's. I've always wanted to go. Never had the time. I like Greek food. And I was told it's pretty great. So I went and got some tasty stuff. Like I would much rather indulge on Greek Fest food than fair food. I can recommend the gyro wrap and the calamari. 

And, if your sweet tooth can handle it, the Zorba sundae is legit. Salted ice cream with baklava. Goodness. Besides some great food, there's live music and dancing and a bunch of fun things for kiddos. And, let's not pretend that I wasn't tempted by the inflatables. 

My summer is officially winding down. Just in time for the official beginning of fall...aka PUMPKIN EVERYTHING SEASON!!! Now, excuse me while I go try to convince my body that it is not coming down with the upper respiratory infection that's been going around. I can't be having that! 

Where has the time gone?

Today marks my last pre-work weekday! It has been a wonderful summer, and I feel so blessed to have gone on so many adventures, met some wonderful people, and spent invaluable time with family. It's also been great getting 10+ hours of sleep a night (except for the nights I wake up and have to get a snack). And I've definitely enjoyed the days when I've had time to workout twice. But I'm very excited to be starting work on Monday! And more excited to reunite with some of the girls I graduated with! It will also be nice having some kind of schedule/routine. 

I have finished my annual Grey's-a-thon, which honestly hasn't happened for probably the past four seasons...I had school or something. It takes a long time to get through 9 seasons of something. So while that was going, I refinished my bedroom furniture (like stripping, sanding, and re-staining...and I had to paint knobs and pulls...), worked on some Scentsy things (have you seen the new fall stuff?!), and of course some cleaning and organizing. I've also been running what feels like an insane amount of errands. I've been doing a little cooking, but it's very random and totally thrown together. Like, I made some salsa yesterday and it's really good, but I couldn't give you the recipe because I just threw it together. I'm wrapping up phase 2 of P90X-2 this week. And just found out that P90X-3 is coming this winter!!! So I'm like a kid in a candy store or something.  

I'm definitely trying to make the most of my "last" weekend. I'll be hitting up the State Fair and the Greek Festival. And I get to watch the brother in OC's Freshman Fanfare. I feel like I was in that just yesterday. Time flies! 

{Flourless} Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Sea Salt

I got in a little baking amongst everything else going on today! I had found this "healthy" sweet treat recipe on Pinterest a while back. I'm so glad I finally tried it! Plus, it was a good excuse to break in my recent Target find:

Pretty great, right? These blondies are flour-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free...but not taste-free. The big secret ingredient? Chick peas. Mixed up with honey and natural peanut butter. ANYTHING is better with peanut butter. (Fine, I realize that may not be completely true...but mostly.) I broke apart some Velata discs for my chocolate chunks. Great choice. I promise there is a difference in the taste between regular chocolate chips/chunks and Velata. It's kind of epic. 

Being me, I under-baked these babies. So mine turned out very soft and gooey. Yum. I couldn't tell you what they might be like if you actually bake them for an appropriate amount of time...but I'd imagine they still taste good! Enjoy!

Flourless Chocolate Chunk Blondies with Sea Salt

Inspired by: Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz) chick peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup broken Velata premium chocolate pieces 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350*F. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine everything except the chocolate into a food processor (really, a Ninja or Vitamix is best). Process until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chocolate chunks. 
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean out of the center and the edges are slightly browned. 

Mushroom & Quinoa Salad with Tilapia

I cooked!! And it was good!! But seriously. This meal was inspired by the need to use the mushrooms, tomato, and goat cheese that were in the house. Also it's Fish Friday...so tilapia was an obvious choice. And I like quinoa and balsamic. So ta-da! Dinner.

The rest of the day has been fairly uneventful. Errands. Refinishing furniture. Recovering from yesterday's X2 Chest+Back+Balance, ab ripper, and Zumba combo. Like things are sore that I didn't remember could be sore...Yoga-X was much needed this morning. Still, it's been a pretty chill day...and evening. I feel like Friday nights should be more exciting... Anyways, here is your recipe: 

Mushroom & Quinoa Salad with Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 tilapia filets (maybe like 6 oz each), thawed

1/2 cup quinoa

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 large tomato, cut into small pieces 

2-3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Salt & pepper

EVOO

Balsamic vinaigrette 

Directions:

• Set the oven to broil on low. Line a pan with foil and place the tilapia on it. Season with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with some EVOO. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, have your quinoa cooking (according to the directions on the package...I like to use chicken or vegetable stock for my liquid...more flavor).
• This is also a good time to drizzle your saute pan with EVOO, and cook the mushrooms and garlic. 
• Once the fish, quinoa, and mushrooms are done, you can combine everything in a large bowl. Drizzle on your balsamic. Top with goat cheese. Eat up!

And So The Countdown Begins...

Well, I have to admit that I've totally been slacking on the cooking thing. It's like I'm in school again. Which means I'm just eating a lot of peanut butter (not necessarily sandwich), Greek yogurt, fresh fruits and veggies, string cheese, and protein bars. It's really exciting. I just haven't got back into cooking mode. I was too spoiled in Zambia. And then last week in Minnesota. 

Yes, I had my last summer adventure before starting work. I got to spend some time with family, which was a blessing. Played some quality card games. AND I got some really excellent sleep. I got the swinging bed in the basement. It's very quiet. And no light comes in. It's magical. 

I enjoyed some tasty cuisine prepared by my aunt, as well as fresh-baked bread and fresh-grown veggies (thanks to the grandfather). My favorite snack of the week would have to be the cherry tomatoes...which is weird because I don't generally just eat tomatoes. But these were fantastic. Sweet. Juicy. Goodness. There was quite the supply of tomatoes, so besides just munching on them, I had them in things like Texas Caviar and on a Naked Chicken Bruschetta Burger. Yum.

We spent much of our time sorting through things. Unpacking boxes. Packing boxes. It's just about miraculous that we managed to get about everything loaded in the car to come back to Oklahoma. My uncle has got some good packing skills! Seriously, we looked like the Clampetts. Rocking chair and all. But now I've got some pretty good stuffs for when I figure out where I'm living...I should work on that. 

But my last summer is winding down. And I'm getting ready to start work in just 18 days!

The countdown is on! 

Meet Miranda!

After some untold amount of time spent on research, comparisons, and test drives, I have a new (to me) car! I looked into several different vehicles, and somehow narrowed it down to a Ford Fusion or a Nissan Rogue. Which are two very different things. Sedan or compact SUV. Domestic or import. Automatic transmission or CVT. Really, the list goes on and on. And, ultimately, I decided to go with the Fusion. 

It had the safety features I wanted (really, you have no idea how excited I am about antilock brakes and traction control...it's a little sad). Fantastic gas mileage. Plus fun things, like a great sound system, a moonroof that I'll probably never need, SYNC, automatic lights, lumbar support...it's really quite an upgrade. Not exactly my dream Porsche, but I'm feeling pretty spoiled. Plus, I'm quite fond of the color. It's like a bluish-grey. It's different, but it doesn't scream at you. Also sparkly. And quite fun to drive. 

My challenge for the past several days has been trying to come up with a name. I'm told cars should have names. One of my friends named my PT Cruiser "Barbie." I think because I like pink. But anyways, I had a list. And I was taking votes. But I wasn't really happy with any of the options. And tonight it hit me-- "Miranda." Admittedly, as in "Miranda Bailey." Quite possibly one of the best TV characters ever. Judge me. But I think it's fitting. She's reliable. Smart. Spunky. Sassy. Small but mighty. Admirable. So, I think it works well.

And here she is--  
  

I had a good run with Barbie. Lots of fun memories. But I'm excited to begin a new chapter of my life with Miranda! Bring on adulthood.