Trying New Stuff

Last night I had a burst of energy and decided to whip up some yummy-goodness in the kitchen.  On most nights after work I have just enough motivation to make dinner and sometimes enough umph left in me to do the dishes.  Most of my cooking-adventures happen on the weekend when I don't have to get up early for work the next day, and actually was able to get enough sleep at night without waking to the annoying sound of an alarm clock.  All that to say, this was a sudden and unusual burst of energy.

Item #1:  Cranberry Chicken & Rice

Definitely one of my husband's favorite meals!  And the lovely thing is that if you have chicken cooked up, you just throw all the ingredients together in a pan and it's ready in 15 minutes!  Doesn't get much easier than that.

Item #2: Hummus

Each time I make a batch of hummus it turns out slightly different, probably because I never really follow a recipe.  My batch from last night however, was magnifique!  The perfect blend of ingredients and such a lovely consistency.  It was so delectable that I ended up having hummus & carrots as my dinner. :)   I love the versatility of hummus.  Aside from eating it as a dip with veggies, we often spread it on a wrap or sandwich to add more substance and protein, and eliminate dressing or mayo. 

Item #3:  Grapes

Several blogs I have read lately have sung the praises of frozen grapes.  I absolutely love grapes to begin with, so I was eager to try a method which claimed to make them taste even better.  I washed a bunch of grapes, sealed them up in a ziploc bag and popped them in the freezer overnight. 

The result?  Wow.  The first bite wasn't overly impressive, but the more I ate, the more I became addicted.  The flavor explodes in your mouth when you bite into them and the juice is sweeter than normal.  I'm definitely a fan now!  Try it and let me know what you think! 

Item #4:  VOO

Yes, that says VOO, which stands for Vegan Overnight Oats (no, I'm not Vegan -- I like chicken & cheese way too much for that!).  I have tried making these before, but without the Chia seeds, making it runny and admittedly rather gross.  This time I was armed with all the proper ingredients and a slightly modified version of the recipe so I decided to give it a try.  Angela from Oh She Glows has half a dozen variations of this breakfast and here is where I got the recipe for the one I whipped together -- Strawberry Carob Overnight Oats.  I made a few slight variations to boost the flavor and make it a bit sweeter for our first time, but overall I thought it was pretty good.  The more I ate of it the more I liked it.  The Chia seeds thicken it up nicely and adds a cool texture.  It's a great quick breakfast because you throw it together the night before and eat it straight out of the fridge in the morning.  I really liked this version of it with all the strawberries in it!

After I was done with all my creations I was too tired out to clean the kitchen -- so that's on my docket for tonight.  Why is it always so much more fun to make the messes than it is to clean them up?

Have you made anything new or exciting lately?

OPI - My new love

Last week I tried OPI nail polish for the first time.

Admittedly, I have been skeptical about everybody’s rave-reviews of this product, not understanding how one brand could really be that much better than another. (Plus I had never wanted to spend $9 on a bottle just to try it out.)

This past week I found it on sale and splurged, wanting to see if it really lived up to its reputation.

I applied the Japanese Rose Garden color to my nails, did a clear top coat and waited for the wow-factor. I got nothin'. It pretty much looked like any other nail polish I had ever used. Nothing special here.

The next morning however, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even after doing a sink full of dishes and showering, the polish was still firmly intact.

Now, four days later, it still hasn’t chipped! Typically nail polish will last 10-15 hours on me and then look awful. I have never found one that doesn’t chip, peel, crack, or need daily touchups – until now!! !

My tips need to be touched up now, but that’s just from normal wear & tear (I’m pretty hard on my nails).

All that to say, I’m sold!

Do you wear OPI?

Has anybody used the “Nicole” by Opi? Any differences or benefits to that one?

Saying It at Work

Sometimes the work environment frustrates me because I don’t feel like I’m able to be my genuine self. I’m not free to be “me” in a place where you are constantly working to keep everybody happy, fight every fire that arises, take no personal interest, and provide the answers to everybody’s questions.

But that’s what the working-world is, and I understand that.

People don’t know who I am behind the high-heels and pencil skirts. And usually, that’s okay. But sometimes…it’s not.

There are times when a person will come to my desk and unload some emotional trauma they're dealing with (painful event, ruined marriage, etc). In those moments, I put aside the work façade that we all use and simply be myself. When they’re willing to trust me enough to put themselves out there, I at least want to meet them half way. If God is opening a door for me to be a part of their life, if only for a few minutes, then I need to forget the high-heeled persona and just be myself.  The person they would see if they were at my house and we were sharing a cup of hot tea, all comfy in our lounge pants with Norah Jones playing in the backgound. 

“I understand what you’re going through; I’ve been there too. God is the only way to solve your problems, but sometimes we have to learn that lesson the hard way. I know that you’re hurting but I’ll be praying for you. ”

Yeah, that’s real office-appropriate.
*ahem*

I don’t care.

God made me with this love for people and a passion to share HIM with them.
So on most days from 8-5, I might appear a little bit stiff with my heels and French twist, but when God opens a door, well then, I just have to walk on through it. Following Him is way more important to me than caring what the employee down the hall might think about me vocalizing my Faith.

Do you get to talk about your Faith at work?