Summer Kielbasa Mix

It's been a while since I've done a recipe. When The Goob and I thought this up tonight I figured it would be something good to put on here.

We had originally planned on making Jambalaya, but I wanted something to get me more in the summer mood. Unfortunately, Mike had already been to the store and we really didn't have much of anything in the house.

I checked out the stash when I got home and figured we could make do even without the corn and peppers that I would normally put in this. We did have corn on the cob, however, so we just ate that on the side.

Summer Kielbasa Mix

INGREDIENTS:

     1 package kielbasa of your coice, thick sliced

     4 red skin potatoes, cubed

     1/2 red onion, sliced

     1/4 zucchini, sliced or cubed

2 tbs (approximately) olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

     

DIRECTIONS:

     1. Turn your grill on high.

     2. Put everything together in a foil pouch. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

     3. Cook 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

     4. Eat!!

That's it!! So easy!! And it's sooo good.

Ballmer Bucket List...Check 3

Wednesday morning was a doozy. Pretty sure all the beer at Max's and good food at Joe Squared caught up with me. Getting out of bed was really hard.

My friend and I had decided that we were going to get up early and check off number 3 from my Baltimore Bucket List before I had to go back to the conference.

This was another Diners, Drive In's, and Dives location. If anyone lives in the Maryland area and listens to 98 Rock in the morning you also may know of the person who own this wonderful little establishment.

I am, of course, talking about the Blue Moon Cafe in Fell's Point.

The owner's name is Sarah Simington and she takes the place of Amelia every once in a while on the Mickey, Amelia, and Speigel talk radio show. She's really cool and is a great fill-in. I was so excited when I walked in and saw her behind the bar. It was almost like she was a celebrity.

The Blue Moon Cafe is known for their famous Cap'n Crunch French Toast. Even Guy thought that was crazy....


The bartender/waiter from Joe Squared mentioned that he was friends with Sarah. He suggested that we try the GG's Country Scramble. We couldn't decide so...we tried both!! :)
OH.EM.GEE!! Legit best breakfast I have ever had!! Cap'n Crunch french toast was off the hook. By far, the best french toast I have ever had.

Funny thing is, the bartender from Joe Squared was sitting at the table next to us when we walked in. lol. Guess I gave him the idea to go when we were talking about it the day before.
Unfortunately, after breakfast we had to return to reality. I had to go back to the Convention Center for my conferences and my friend had to drive home. 
Any Baltimoreans out there who have suggestions for another Baltimore trip??

Ballmer Bucket List...Check 2

One thing I have always wanted to do while in Baltimore is go to Fell's Point. I have always heard awesome things about Fell's Point, but, we have never been. Like I said in Part 1, if we do come in to town we usually head home afterwards. Going to Fell's Point would definitely require a hotel room because there are so many awesome bars there. 
I think I always thought Fell's Point was so much farther away from the Inner Harbor. It's actually within walking distance. Now that I know that, I will definitely be going back.
I need to start this part of the post with a special shoutout. I recently found out that one of the bloggers I have been following lives in Maryland!! How I didn't pick up on it before, I'm not sure. Catalyn over at Confessions of a Northern Belle is awesome. She gorgeous, a teacher, AND she met her husband on a cruise...how awesome!! Some of you might not know that The Goober and I are cruise freaks. We go on one every year!! Next one is already planned for August 10th!! Wanna join?!!?
On Catalyn's Weekend Shenanigan's link-up last week, she mentioned taking some friends to Fell's Point. They looked like they had a lot of fun so I emailed her about some good places to go. She was so sweet and responded back with a ton of suggestions. Too bad she's moving at the end of the school year. I think she would have been a lot of fun to hang out with.
One of the places Catalyn suggested was Max's Taphouse. All she said was "Max's has every beer under the sun." DING DING DING!! WE HAVE A WINNER FOLKS!! 
My friend and I decided to grab a cab since we really didn't know how far it was. Turns out, it probably would have been faster to walk. And cheaper... Traffic was a bitch, which of course, ran the meter up on our cab. Oh well...
Max's was FABULOUS!! When you walk in you will notice the 6 coolers worth of bottled beer and about a hundred taps!! 

We tried out about 6 of the beers. One of them was another Sweet Baby Jesus, like at Joe Squared. So good! -Fordham Hopdevil -Harpoon UFO Raspberry Wheat -Oscar Blues Oscar the Grouch -Oscar Blues Chub -Burley Oak Just the Tip Sorry, I had to.

Can't wait to go back and get some more. We also ordered some food to soak up the beer. The friend got a reuben and I got some pretzel dogs with mac and cheese. Everything was so good.
From Max's we walked back to the Inner Harbor, stopped at the hotel real quick to grab some sweatshirts and went across the street to Camden Yards. 
Our seats were AWESOME!!! We were right back from first base and only 5 rows from the field. I legit got to stare at Nick Markakis's butt for like 20 minutes while he got stretched right in front of us. Then, of course, when he got up someone blocked my view and I couldn't get a pic. 

We were yards away from J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty, and...my favorite...Mr. Bubble himself, Adam Jones. 

Looking at The Hulk's A.K.A. Chris Davis junk in his trunk for the entire game wasn't that bad either. 
We called it a night after that because we knew we wanted to get up early in order to cross another thing off my Ballmer Bucket List....

Ballmer Bucket List...Check 1

First off let me say, yes I know it's not "tomorrow". Oh well...

So...Tuesday and Wednesday I had the opportunity to go to my favorite teaching conference, MSET (Maryland Society for Education Technology). This conference is 2 days and takes place in Baltimore, MD. It used to be tailored more to technology based teachers, supervisors, etc but it has now kind-of changed identities. Unfortunately, I'm not all for the change because there are less workshops tailored for me as a technology teacher and are now more centered around STEM and regular ed teachers.

The nice thing, however, is that I get set up for the night in downtown Baltimore...A.K.A. Ballmur

Besides this conference, I have never had the opportunity to stay the night in Baltimore. We go to Baltimore all the time for games and events, but we always have to drive home afterwards. This time I decided I was going to make the best out of this trip and knock some things off my Baltimore Bucket List.

Mike and I LOVE Diner's Drive-In's and Dives on the Food Network. Mike might be a little in love with Guy Fieri. I'm not hatin'.  So when my friend suggested we go to Joe Squared for lunch I was all in!!


Joe's is known for their square outside-the-box pizza. They will put anything you want on their pizzas without question. The restaurant we went to was located at Power Plant Live, not the same location they went to on the show. 
I'm sad to say, I did not order pizza. Truthfully, they were a little expensive and I knew we had a long two days ahead of us. (We only get reimbursed $10 for lunch *sigh*) I did, however, order the chicken chesapeake sandwich which was delish! I ended up taking it off the ciabatta roll ugh, my favorite and mixing it in with the salad they give you as a side. *healthy eating fist pump!!!* 
My partner designed his own pizza: meatballs, prosciutto, romano, mozzarella, and corn. *people's eyebrow raise* I was a little nervous about that one, but it looked amazing. He said it was absolutely delicious. 

We also each had a pint of Sweet Baby Jesus. Come again.... Sweet Baby Jesus is a chocolate peanut butter stout from DuClaw Brewery. I'm sure it's named that way because that's the first thing that comes out of your mouth after a sip. This beer is amazeballs!! 

This receipt made us laugh so hard.

Joe Squared is also amazing because it had my favorite beer of all time which I can never find around here Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat. You have got to try it!!

After lunch my partner and I headed back to the conference for some more workshops, then headed to our hotel room.  I had a friend come in for the night to go see the O's game and help me check number 2 off my Ballmer Bucket List!!

Until Tomorrow...

I know it's been FOR---EV---ER (The Sandlot) since I posted but things have been busy. I promise I'll write about my fun Baltimore adventures tomorrow.

My teaching partner and I are here for a conference. Found some awesome places!!

Until tomorrow...

Happies and Crappies...

For those of you who haven't gone to check out Hang on Honey you need to. Beth is so awesome. She's gorgeous and I just love her cute down to earth personality. I feel like we're old friends.

That's one thing I love about blogging. I love getting to know new people and feeling like I'm a part of their lives as well.

Beth links up with Sarah and Stephanie every Friday to talk about their "happies and crappies" of the week, so I figured I would join in this week. Might even make it a weekly thing since it allows me to get to speak my praises. :)

Happies

- My house finally warmed up and we have even been able to keep the windows open. That last month without heat was a doozy.

- I sold a bunch of stuff I don't wear on our schools "Craiglist" and made almost $100!!

- WE HAD SHISH KABOBS!!

- I got to watch my niece and nephew for a few hours on Sunday. They are too cute. I love them!!

               

Crappies

- Now that the house did warm up it smells like dog pee. lol. Long story short, some of the previous tenants didn't necessarily think dogs needed to go outside to pee.

- Missed the gym 3 days this week. UGH!!!

- I'm pale as ish and I have a wedding to go to tomorrow.

Tell me your happies and crappies!!

And if you read this blog, follow me. I love to get to know my readers!!

Finish the Sentence Linkup with Jake and Holly

Holly is another blogger that I have recently started stalking following. I also follow her husband Hubby Jack who is sooo funny. (You have to check out yesterday's blog post about Laura from Walking in Memphis in High Heels. Yet another awesome blogger. She does lots of fashion stuff and I definitely wish I had her wardrobe!!)

Anywhoooo, Holly and Jake are doing a "finish this sentence" linkup today and it seems pretty funny. Feel free to join us by going to Holly's blog and linking up with your own details!!

1. I laughed so hard I cried...whenever Kevin Hart tells a story. Love him!! "PINEAPPLES!!"

2. My high school...had students who drove tractors to prom in camo tuxedos. Enough said.

3. It really pisses me off when... people don't text back. Skinny people call themselves fat. Mike puts his finger in my mouth when I yawn. My dog barks at nothing. I walk into a spiderweb. Old people drive. People lack common sense....

4. In ten years...I hope my mother has learned to call before dropping by. One of these days she might be in for a treat. :)

5. If I could erase one thing...it would be the decimal point in my paycheck. :)

6. In 1999...I had bangs, wore flowered skinny jeans, and had a denim button-up shirt. Wait...that was yesterday.

7. Honestly...this starter is a little intimidating. 

8. To me, Sushi...is amazeballs!! The Goober has to crave it. I could eat it every day. There's a little place close to use called Cafe Sado right on the water and they do BOGO everyday!! So delish!!

9. Someone really needs to invent...the teleport. I know, I know...so cliche'. But, fo rizzle, I drive an hour to work each way. And how awesome would it be to snap your fingers and be at a little beach bar in Tahiti after a long day of work??

10. The first time I drank alcohol... I was probably 11. Yup, I know. Sorry Mom. I can't remember every detail but it was a party and I drank Boone's Farm. It was all downhill from there. Never got drunk. I guess I've always had a high tolerance. I always tell Mike he feel in love with me because I could drink his friends under the table!! :) 

11. The one question I would ask God is...Where's the bar?

12. Lindsay Lohan............................................................................................Enough said.

Join in and leave me a comment with your blog address so I can go look!!

P.S. AND FOLLOW ME!!!

Holy Lard Ass...

Let's just start with...I skipped the gym today...

It's not often that I get to come home and spend the entire night with my husband. He works nights. So on most days we see each other for a total of 2 hours. I usually head into the gym when he heads into work 7:30 ugh!!. On nights that he doesn't work I go to the gym after work, which means I don't get home until at least 6:30.

Yes, we have the whole rest of the night to spend together, but, by the time dinner is ready and I'm showered and changed, it's usually 7:30 or 8. And let me admit something....I can't stay awake past 10. Usually we have a lot of shows to catch up on which I plan to post about at a later date and staying awake through them is a difficult task. Hence the messages exchanged on Facebook yesterday...

P.S. #PrayforBoston

So, to come home and have so many hours to spend with My Goober is awesome.

We had been planning all week to have my favorite "summer" staple. Shish kabobs!! I LOVE shish kabobs. Don't know why, but when I eat them I'm in heaven.

We put everything on our kabobs. Tonight we used kielbasa, chicken, red onion, red pepper, and zucchini. But we have also had pork, sausage, squash, tomatoes, mini corns, etc. LOVE THEM!!

While The Goober was grilling I had the grand idea to eat dinner on our porch for the first time this year. Only problem was our porch was DISGUSTING. Our table was covered in pollen, dirt, and random debris. But, neverfear!! I was determined. So, we cleaned her off and had our first porch dinner, too.

After dinner we decided to head to the local dock bar and get some drafts while we watched the O's game. Many of you don't know that we have a beer obsession. Possibly the reason I gained 20 lbs.??? We love to try out new beers and then make our friend Hassan order them for his liquor store. :) We even have a homemade kegerator in our basement. Although we have been too broke to have any kegs for like 6 months.

My favorite color is purple. Better believe this
became mine. :)

This beer is like $9 per bottle. But soooo worth it.

The beer was delicious, however, whenever you drink beer you know you have to have something else to snack on. Unfortunately, we left thinking we would be good...Until 5 minutes later when we came across The Freeze, our local ice cream shop. 

Yes yes.....1 root beer milkshake, 1 medium mix cone, and a small ok a medium fry later....HOLY LARD ASS...

Inches, not Pounds...

I think this should be my mantra.

I have been working my tail off (literally) for the last 4 months and have seen such little progress on the scale. When I started working out in January I weighed about 152ish. I say "ish" because it depended on the scale. Mike and I purposefully do not own a scale. For a while I used the one at the gym until I realized it was totally wrong. Sometimes Mike sneaks me into the mens locker room so I can use that one because it's pretty acurate. But it wasn't until about a month after I started this lifestyle change that I realized there was an official medical scale in room across from my classroom. Duh!

So I have been working out 4-6 days a week for 4 months now. I generally run (elliptical) for 25-40 minutes depending on the day's events at a steady pace of about 7.5-8 mph. Then, my partner and I go and lift. Now, my husband (who, if you have read, is a gymaholic) created our workout plan. In my older days of working out long long ago I was a machine whore. I would use whatever machine I felt like using that day. I never worked on one particular muscle group or lifted anything except maybe a 10 lb. dumbell. Now, since The Goober (Mike) has been helping me, we do "real" lifting. By that, I just mean we do the same stuff they do; deadlifts, barbell squats, smith machine calf raises, etc.

Point? I feel like I have been gaining a ton of muscle. This is the only reason the scale is not discouraging to me.

When I weighed myself this morning I was the same as I have been for the last 3 weeks. 146 lbs.

I am not, however, discouraged. Yay me!! I have for once in my life listened to what everyone says about  inches, not pounds. Overall, I feel better. I can fit into my clothes easier. I don't cringe when I look at myself naked.

And...the best part...My Goober tells me all the time "You're getting so skinny!!". I love him...

Mike hates this pic...don't tell him I put it on here. hehe.

This is going to be inappropriate....

For the last 24 hours I feel as though I have only stopped crying at moments when I'm asleep or teaching. My heart bleeds for the bestie and her boyfriend's friends and family. So...I thought I needed to post about something that lifts me up.

Wanderlust.

If you have not yet seen this movie, you should. If for nothing else than one scene maybe two which will have you laughing so hard you won't need the workout that day. Fortunately for you, I'm going to try to embed it in this post. So maybe you won't need to go see it???

In this movie, Paul Rudd a favorite and Jennifer Aniston GORGEOUS!! have to move out of their downtown NYC "loft" apartment and in with Paul's brother. On their way they decide to stop at a Bed and Breakfast for the night. Long story short, the place turns out to be a hippie commune and they decide to stay. Being a part of this commune, they are required to have an open relationship. The following scene is when it comes time for Paul to go and sleep with another woman...

OH EM GEE!! Get's me every time. Sad to say my workout partner, Taylor, and I recite phrases from this scene constantly as we work out. Pretty sure everyone there thinks were nuts, and definitely unsophisticated. Oh well....

OK so, if you like that, watch the whole movie. There is another scene in the bedroom with the chick he's "fixins to" fluck. Sorry, just found out my aunt reads this. Had to censor. :) Love you Aunt Ellie!!

Enjoy!!

*Updated* Please send prayers...

 It is with a very heavy heart that I must inform you, Lee lost his battle with life today. I am at a complete loss for words and can't express how my heart aches for Katie and his friends and family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

_________________________________________________________________________________

     There are some times in my life when I think life would be so much less stressful without technology. And then there are moment like last night and this weekend where, without it, I would never be able to immediately give support to the people I love most.

     Last night I read a Facebook post about one of my best friends needing prayers. All it took was a little bit of research on her page to discover that her boyfriend was in critical condition and on full life support. While he was working yesterday, he fell off a roof and was unresponsive. He was flown to Ruby Memorial in Morgantown, WV where he had to undergo 4 hours worth of surgery. They removed parts of his skull in order to allow for swelling in his brain.

     Katie is the other best friend from college. We lived together our junior year and are hilarious together. She and her boyfriend Lee are the cutest couple. Unfortunately, they live in West Virginia. I don't often get to see them, but Katie and I keep in touch over Facebook or text messages.

     While I have only met Lee once, I can tell that he is an amazing guy. Unfortunately, he has had a pretty rough year. A few months ago Lee's eye was punctured by a nail. Doctors weren't sure how it would affect his vision or whether or not he would go blind in that eye. Luckily, all was well and he recovered fully.

     Please keep Katie and Lee in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. All is in God's hands at the moment. Miracles do happen, every day. I pray there's one in the making today, as well.

UPDATE!! Lee is now breathing on his own. The rest is still the same. Keep praying!!

I think I'm a blog whore....

Lately I have really been stalking some bloggers. I'm not sure if it's because I like to get ideas for my own blog, or because I can secretly look through the windows of someone else's life...

People in general just interest me. I LOVE to sit and people watch. I could literally do it all day, which could also just have to do with me being lazy. We used to live in an apartment right in the middle of town. There were times when I could spend days sitting in the opposite direction on the couch and staring at all the people walking and driving by our place. Sometimes, if people were out on our community porch, I would even go so far as to crack the window so I could hear. I know. Legit stalker status. However, we lived with a bunch of crackheads so I think it was just interesting to hear the nonsense they would talk about.

So, I thought I would post some of the blogs I love the most, some recent ones I've found, some friend's blogs, etc.

Yes, yes...I only have 4 followers one of which is myself but, maybe someone out there is secretly blog stalking me too?? Maybe not....lol.

Pretty sure this lady and I were the same person in a previous life....MamaLaughlin blogs about her life, fitness, and her awesome weight loss journey. Not to mention she's absofreakinloutely gorgeous!! I miss my long hair :(

This is Mama's friend and workout partner, SkinnyMeg. She is equally as awesome!! She has lost SO much weight. Check our her before and after pics, you will NEVER imagine!! She is definitely an inspiration to anyone out there who feels they might not be able to do it. P.S. Her house is amazeballs!!

Another gorgeous chick!! Beth has only been blogging for like a month and a half and has like 80 followers!!! ok I might feel like a loser now... She has also lost a ton of weight and looks fabulous!! I can't wait to hear a little more about her journey.

This is Mandy at House of Rose. Her house is amazing and has been featured all over Pinterest!! She blogs about her marriage and teaches how to DIY so your house can be as fabulous as hers!! 

Jess is at Operation Skinny Jeans!! I am so in love with her blog name!! She is also on a weight loss journey and has done an amazing job. She also used to do weekly menus that are great ideas to follow if you are also trying to drop those pounds.

This last one is a coworker of mine. She has vowed to do 365 days of Pinterest. I envy her. I wish I could have some more time to complete some of my "to do's " on Pinterest. I do, however, really enjoy when she makes food I have been wanting to make so I can tell if it's worth it!! :)

Please feel free to comment and leave me suggestions for other blogs you think I might like. I love to stalk check out what other people are blogging about.

Please send prayers...

     There are some times in my life when I think life would be so much less stressful without technology. And then there are moment like last night and this weekend where, without it, I would never be able to immediately give support to the people I love most.

     Last night I read a Facebook post about one of my best friends needing prayers. All it took was a little bit of research on her page to discover that her boyfriend was in critical condition and on full life support. While he was working yesterday, he fell off a roof and was unresponsive. He was flown to Ruby Memorial in Morgantown, WV where he had to undergo 4 hours worth of surgery. They removed parts of his skull in order to allow for swelling in his brain.

     Katie is the other best friend from college. We lived together our junior year and are hilarious together. She and her boyfriend Lee are the cutest couple. Unfortunately, they live in West Virginia. I don't often get to see them, but Katie and I keep in touch over Facebook or text messages.

     While I have only met Lee once, I can tell that he is an amazing guy. Unfortunately, he has had a pretty rough year. A few months ago Lee's eye was punctured by a nail. Doctors weren't sure how it would affect his vision or whether or not he would go blind in that eye. Luckily, all was well and he recovered fully.

     Please keep Katie and Lee in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. All is in God's hands at the moment. Miracles do happen, every day. I pray there's one in the making today, as well.

UPDATE!! Lee is now breathing on his own. The rest is still the same. Keep praying!!

Super AWESOME News!!!!

      This is not a post about me. It is about two of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of having in my life, and their super AWESOME news!!!

      Tonight I got home from the gym and logged on to Facebook, as usual, while I waited for the shower to heat up. The first post was a status update from one of my best friends from college.

She and her husband are ADOPTING!!! 

     

     Now, in most cases for them you would think that meant an animal. Amanda is a vet. I can't count how many pets they have and foster. But, to my excitement, they meant a human!! A real life human child!!

     Amanda and Adam are the sweetest, most caring, freakin amazingly smart people I know. Amanda and I met the first day of college. Never would I have guessed that she would end up being such an important part of my life. College was completely foreign to me. I knew not one person, nor was there anyone there that lived remotely close to my hometown. Going to college in West Virginia, I was 6 hours from home and in a major culture shock.

     Amanda was a little of a tomboy (love you!!) and didn't do things like wear make-up or dresses. Not necessarily that I did, but I liked to dress up and look "cute"(I have never considered myself "hot", but I try). She was more of a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. Her dorm room was diagonal from mine so on the first day we introduced ourselves. Little did I know it was the start of a life-long friendship.

     Over the first year we became so close. Her family didn't live that far away so we would often meet up with them or go to her hometown. It gave me a home away from home. We had many adventures over our years together. Going "up the holler" for bonfires, BOOBIES!!!!, making The Works bombs, playing the "turn" game (we made this up to see how lost we could get in da-na-neer-neer country). There is one night in particular we often talk about. We have dubbed it "THE NIGHT FROM HELL". lol.

A montage of "THE NIGHT FROM HELL"

Short version: We went up the holler to the house of a boy Amanda had class with. 

When we got there two older people were there. The lady told me I was "built like a brick shithouse". 

I was gearing up to tell her what I thought about her until I was told that was a compliment. 

She played with my hair all night, told me I looked just like her daughter (Cheyanne) 

and that I should date her son (weird). The old man forgot to zip his fly and we all got a 

little show from that. I shot a gun. We burned a microwave cart. 

Got harrassed a little more by the da-na-neer-neers. The end.

     

     

   The summer after my sophomore year, I lost my dad. He had a very rare disease called Amyloidosis. I came back to school 2 weeks after dad passed and it was really rough. Amanda and her roommate Devin would often let me come hang out when I was home alone. They knew it would help to be around people. That year Adam and Amanda really hit it off and started hanging out a lot more. She would invite him over and we played Drunken Cranium. It was awesome that year to see their relationship bloom. Amanda started wearing more girly things. We even got her to put on make-up!!

Love is in the air....everywhere I look around... 

     They were an awesome couple. Both so focused on their studies, smart, and motivated. Plus, Adam was really funny when he was drunk. lol. (love you too!!) Adam was a year behind us so when we graduated all of us hoped for the best in their relationship.

     Fast forward to 4 years later. 

     I was honored to be a part of their wedding. It was a gorgeous day and they were married in our college chapel. Everything was so beautiful. Amanda was gorgeous!! She even wore heels!!

     Last summer Mike and I got married. I had the honor of having Amanda as a bridesmaid in my wedding as well. I couldn't have imagined her not sharing in my special day with me.

Amanda and Adam,

     The child you are about to get is going to be the luckiest child in the world. He or she will have two incredible parents who will teach them how to love and live. There are no two people in this world who are as inspiring as you. You are so deserving of such an amazing gift. I love you both more than words. I can't wait to meet your sweet child. And maybe corrupt them with stories of your past. :)

     Love you. Miss you. XOXO

          

The Works bombs. lol. We were rebels!!