Take Me Back to the Start

Today was a great Sunday.

I rolled out of bed around 8:30, intending to fall back asleep on the couch.  Instead, I started goofing around on the computer - blogging, checking email, stalking people wasting time on Facebook, etc. - and soon enough, I was hungry for breakfast.

BFF was out of commission this weekend, so I was forced to fend for myself instead of heading out for our weekly ritual.  So, I checked out one of my all-time favorite blogs, Carrots 'n Cake, for a recommendation and came up with the ultimate protein pancake:

This was super easy; however, if we're being honest, I initially forgot to add the egg whites and had to scoop the half-cooked pancake out of the skillet to whip it up correctly.

Topping it off, I added pure maple syrup and a handful of chocolate chips.  Every time my brother and sister and I head home, my mom makes us breakfast one morning: pancakes with chocolate chips.  So, I recreated it for myself - a bit healthier - this morning.

Yum.

This was so filling that I actually ate half of it for breakfast and half of it for lunch.

Following breakfast, I started tackling by crazy to-do list.  I hosted our weekly "family" dinner tonight, so I had a lot to do in regards to prepping my apartment for company, acquiring the necessary ingredients, cooking everything, etc.

I started by cleaning up the house and saw something funny:

I realized that this is the perfect description for my life.  I'm pretty much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: I have the stereotypical "girlie" side (hence the sparkly silver high heels - brand-new BCBG) and the stereotypical "tomboy" side (hence the tennies - albeit with hot-pink laces).  I swear: if I'm not dressed to the nines, I'm wearing sweatpants and a tanktop.

Interesting.

I took a timeout from cleaning (well, maybe more than one) to play with my attention-starved feline:

(I know I'm crazy: humor me.  I love his polka-dotted tummy.  And he's so stinkin' cute until he tries to bite your face off!)

I regained my sense of sanity and headed to the kitchen to bake.

I know: me, bake?!

Well, I did.

But first, I dealt with this catastrophe:

I had three things of oregano, two things of thyme, several things of allspice, and God knows how many jars of cumin shoved into my tiny spice cabinet.

Today, consolidation happened.

And then I threw together cookie dough balls - no big deal.

I served them for dessert tonight, and not to toot my own horn or anything, but they were pretty darn well received.  I mean, who wouldn't love eating raw cookie dough - and doing so without fear of salmonella?!

This recipe is definitely a keeper.

After a trip to the grocery store and several peeks at recipes online, I got started on tonight's dinner:

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo.  I had this when I was home last, and it was so good that I knew I had to make it for "family" dinner.  It was super easy (and absolutely delicious), but it was a little time-consuming.  However, I love cooking, chopping veggies, etc., so it was a truly nice afternoon.

I also served grapes (that were on their last legs) and roasted Brussels sprouts that were marinated in sriracha and honey (inspiration courtesy of Pinterest).  They were so good, but next time I'm going to douse them in even more sriracha.

Eric brought over a side dish: black beans, chorizo, onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno, and cumin.  It was so, so good.  I probably could've eaten that for a meal!

Four of the five "family" members (does that make us sound like a cult?) chowed down dinner, drank some wine, and watched the Grammy's.

What can I say?!  I'm a sucker for awards shows.

And I knew this one would be a must-see due to the tragic passing of Whitney.  (Side note: I know it was a long-time coming with her drug abuse, but I am still very saddened by this tragedy.  She was so talented, so beautiful, and to succumb to drug addiction - which is what likely killed her - is so heartbreaking...)

I'm going to leave you tonight with this commercial that really hit me:



It is a Chipotle commercial that emphasizes the need for sustainable food systems (with Willie Nelson singing Coldplay's The Scientist).  It just made me think - even more than I already do - the necessity of local farms, local farmers.

I could get on a soapbox about this topic, but I will leave that for another day - especially since I continue to learn more and more and become even more passionate about the need to know your farmers.

So, hold that thought for now.

G'night!