slacker...

well, I had planned on posting a kitchen adventure each week on Fridays, yep had all good intentions but never got around to it...slacker...I know! LOL! Instead I'll share it with you today...and then maybe this Friday I'll have something new to share from the kitchen. I do know that I am going to be doing some serious baking this weekend so I'm sure there will be something to blog about!

Last week, during one of our lovely snowed in days due to the Blizzard of 2011, I decided to make myself something that I normally eat (scrambled egg whites) but with a twist! I was in the mood for something Tex Mex, or Southwestern or whatever you want to call it and I threw this little concoction together, my black bean and egg white tortilla! I'm sure this isn't something new or inventive but it was for me..LOL!

I started by scrambling up some egg whites. While they were scrambling, I heated up about 1/4 cup of organic black beans in my microwave, heated up a high fiber, low carb, whole grain tortilla in my wonderful panini grill (oh how I love my panini grill), got my jar of salsa out of the fridge as well as some reduced fat shredded cheese. After everything was done I layered onto my tortilla the black beans, scrambled egg whites, a dollop of salsa (chunky kind) and a pinch of the reduced fat shredded cheese! Added a small side salad of romaine lettuce and cut tomatoes with a smidge of light ranch dressing and lunch was had!! It tasted soooo good! I would actually have this for breakfast too, and most likely will someday as I like to think outside of the traditional breakfast foods box every once and while!

Sorry for the crummy picture...sometimes food pics look, well, just downright gross but believe me when I say, it tasted really good!



I love that it's a low-fat, protein packed, high fiber meal...can't beat that for good health! Now if I can just get my lazy butt back to working out on a regular basis I'd be totally happy! My poor elliptical sits lonely in my basement just waiting for me to put him to good use...I'm actually considering bringing him upstairs to what would be a dining room if I had a dining room set and making that a workout room, that would be terrific for me and so much "prettier" a landscape to look at when working out! Okay, that's my goal for today, see how I can make that happen!

Alright, need to get moving, have some more cards I need to finish, some food I need to make for a party tomorrow, and my cup of tea is getting cold...

until next time,
blessings!

what do you do...

when you are basically snowed in by one of the worst snow storms in ages...you play! Yesterday I played around on the computer with a picture I took this summer. I am intrigued by photography but for some reason, as I've said before, I can't seem to wrap my head around all the technical stuff...the f-stops and apertures and white balance stuff! As a resort, I've decided that if I can't take a picture without using my auto setting, that I will work on learning how to edit photos! I really enjoy editing and so far I seem to be able to grasp that concept a wee bit easier! I mean, in the end, it's about personal like, what is pleasing to my eye, right?

Actions...actions are my best friend! I love that I can add some really cool looks to photographs to take them to places I could never do with my camera. In my pursuit of photography, I am more interested in landscape and fine art...I just don't care to photograph people or do portraiture. I do, however, admire those that do that and create such wonderful photographs and memories!

I love to take pictures of things that are broke down, grunged up, busted and dirty! LOL! I think they hold such character and are so cool to look at. While taking Mandi to Argo Tea in Evanston this past July, I decided to take my camera along and after getting some tea, we hit the road, walking all over downtown Evanston taking pics. This is a picture of the, well, not exactly sure what you call these..LOL, but they hold up the tracks of the El train above. I tweaked the curves a bit, upped the saturation a smidge and then added a couple actions...



Today I've been playing around with a crafty project for a swap I'm in for Valentine's Day, I'm really having fun creating it and will share it once I'm done! Made myself an interesting lunch today so in keeping with my friday food post, I'll tell you about it tomorrow!

Mandi is downstairs watching "Saw: The Final Chapter" , can I tell you how much I totally LOVE that this girl loves horror movies like me! Think I'll head down and see about starting some dinner for her and catch some of the movie....

Until next time,
blessings,

Blizzard of 2011!

Oh yeah, it hit and hit hard! We have been hearing for days how this storm was coming and boy, they were not kidding! It started on Monday night with a couple inches of snow, nothing terrible, then Tuesday morning the flurries began again. The news had warned us that we would start to see a pretty heavy fall of snow just around 3 p.m. and that the winds would pick up and sometime later in the evening, would turn fierce! They were not kidding! Todd decided to leave work around 5:30 ish or so and was going to attempt to drive over and ride the storm out with Mandi and me, but he got onto the expressway and it was totally a whiteout! He called to say he wasn't going to make it over and I told him I rather he go home and be safe then to try and come over. Of course I was soooo sad but I would have been even sadder had he tried and something happened to him. Let me say that I was still awake this morning at 3 due to the strong winds!! I was actually afraid that my windows were going to shatter and then what!! LOL! I just kept reminding myself that He would take care of me and not to be afraid. He did and all was well. When I woke up this morning, this is what I saw:

Front door and Front Step:

Looking across street from front door:

Side view off front porch:

Backyard...snow to top of fence!

My Pool is under there somewhere?

Backyard:


After trying to calm myself down (I hate snow, hate it, hate it hate it!!) and a couple cups of coffee, I ventured out and shoveled off that mess from my front step and walk. I thought I was going to die!! LOL! However, when I set my mind to something I do it and do it I did!! My plow service showed up a little while ago and the driveway is now clear...course I have mountains of snow on the sides (it amazes me that he was even able to push snow somewhere!)...and I am no longer feeling like I am confined to my home.

Todd called and was able to break out of his place as well and is on his way over. Got a pot roast cooking in the slow cooker for Mandi and him and it seems like this won't be the most awful day of the year for me! I will admit, that with the skies blue and the sun shining, the appearance of all this wintery white stuff is a pretty site...but, I'd much rather be looking at it from someone else's blog or photo and not out my front door. I think it's going to be a long time before I see my grass again!

Until next time,
Blizzardy blessings!