Look what we found on the side of the road?!?!

Being dead serious, look what we found on the side of the road while we were on vacation visiting Cody's mom! She is sweet as can be and is about 4 to 6 weeks old. We aren't sure. She was super mal-nourished and we couldn't help but keep her. 

 When we came home from out of town with her, our animals went nuts. We have 3 other dogs and 3 cats, now including this one 4. Our other dogs don't understand what she is and it is quite comical. My cute Topaz (the dachshund) can't stand I'm giving another animal attention. It's super funny.

 Anyways, she is a husky german shephard mix. She has one blue eye and one brown eye and is full of life. I love animals too much, it's a problem. Haha

Busy Times

I know it has been a while, but I have been super busy traveling. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and that you have a fantastic new year! Enjoy these few (meaning three) pictures. My dog, cat and the tree my other half painted on the wall. Lovely, right? I have to go n ow since Im being rushed. 

Sunday Funday

Happy Sunday! I've really enjoyed my time off these past few days, I've done some projects, enjoyed the company of my animals and some friends, and finally have kind of gotten over my sickness. 

Here are some snapshots from my weekend:

This is my dog, her name is Topaz. She is a long haired dachshund, and almost a year old. I love her so..

Kitty: His name is Pele, like after the soccer player. He is almost 5 months old. He has a brother who is super camera shy and I couldn't get a photo ): He loves outside..

 Cuddle Time

 Dying roses, but I love them.

 I got this fantastic tablet, that I really recommend that photo lovers and editors should totally get. I'm actually starting to do some teaching tutorials or doing how to's on the blogs, what do you think?

Trying to be healthy and drink lots of water, but I always seem to empty my glass before I sit down. It tends to be contradictory. 

Having a good Sunday? What do you have going on next week?

Comment please!

Painting Inside Drawers

We just moved into an older town home. It was built in the 1970's, i think? Anyways, it's old. Had the original paint on the walls, the original wall paper on the wall, original everything. So, all my recent projects are having to do with the house. Eventually, whenever I get it all done, I'll do a home tour. Right now, I'm trying to do a room at a time, which can be hard sometimes.

Anyways, I have started this project because I hate what the inside of the cabinets and drawers look like. Basically, its just old looking.

What I used:

 - cleaner

 - sand paper

 - paint

 - foam brushes (i used the largest size)

 - drawer

 - patience

This is the inside of it, its an off white creamy color. I don't like it, so I wanted to refresh it.

 That is cockroach poop, which is disgusting because this particular drawer is my silverware drawer. So, I scrubbed and I scrubbed until I was satisfied (and I can be a major clean freak), then I sanded every little bit of it and washed out the saw dust and started painting. 

 It took about two coats to completely cover whatever was left of the other color. And I think the nice thing about this is, you can change it whenever your feeling spontaneous.

Now, it's all my drawers are white and pretty. And I like them a lot more. It's really simple, and I hope this inspires you to change something you might not being liking so much. Have a great Sunday!

Summer Europe Trip.

I went to Europe this past summer with my family, and I absolutely loved it. It was pretty, artistic, tasty and just all around fun. My favorite thing was walking around endlessly not being able to understand people (and of course take pictures), I'm being serious; I was completely enamored. Everything was different, thats their life, that language and that amount of tourists, all the time. 

Here are only a few snapshots of Europe, maybe I'll share more soon.

 we went to a perfume factory called Fragonard, and it was amazing. They're perfumes are very strong, have interesting names and are just wonderful. I bought one of every kind..

 The wine over there, as you may guess, is as good as you thought. I got wine drunk more than once at lunch time. It'd be really bad because the places we would go would have white and red wine out and I would always have a glass of each, at least. White, I would say is my favorite. 

 Dessert was a necessity, all the time. Always is, always will be

 Espresso. Always. I had to put a bit of sugar in it because it is a wee bit strong for me, but it definitely woke me from my wine drunk lunch slumber.

 Italy. is. gorgeous.

Again, I repeat myself. 

A new idea

This photo isn't the best quality, but that doesn't really matter. I've been thinking of some new years resolutions that I want to start. 

Ideas: 

1. Cooking a meal a day. That may be a little much for me, but I am really going to try. Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. I owe it to my guy and myself to start to being healthy. 

2. Which, brings me to this one. Gradually start incorporating healthy things for every meal and changing our lifestyle to be healthy: to exercise everyday, whether it is a walk or a run or something. 

3. I want to start doing Zumba

4. A photo a day challenge: it could be of the house progress or something that interests me.

5. Post often, and get my blog follower ups and views. I feel like such a newbie, I get excited over one extra view. Argh. (I don't like talking to the vast internet without anyone seeing it, help me out guys!)

Name is a changing

Ok, so I am changing my name of my blog soon. I'm trying to think of something a little bit more original. I have a hard time choosing if I like them or not. If you have any suggestions, let me hear them!

Such hard decisions. Hope everyone's night is good!

White Sauce and the Beef that went with it

Have you ever been to a Japanese steakhouse and had the white sauce? It's fabulous, isn't it? I could eat it with pretty much anything. Actually, that gave me an idea for when I get home from work I'm going to make some fried rice and eat it with it. Yeah, you can say I have white sauce problems, but I'm ok with that (:

Anyways, it was super easier. I found a recipe online and I modified it a bit.

Recipe:
2 Cups mayo
6 1/2 fluid ounces of water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 dash hot pepper sauce (the one in the picture isnt what I used, I changed my mind after I took it)
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
3/4 teapsoon of paprika
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch of salt

Then, just put it all together in a bowl and whisk it (or a food processesor) until its really really mixed. Then, season to taste. Some people like it different ways.

With this white sauce I made Teryaki Beef and Zucchini.

The beef was seriously just cooked with oil and a bunch of teryaki sauce, I also added cilantro because I like it.

The zucchini was cooked in oil and garlic and it was delish. I definitely reccomend the zucchini, but don't let it cook too long so it wont be mushy. Mushy zucchini isn't good zucchini. (:

Weekend Fun

I know this post is a few days late, but it's better now than never.

I absolutely love tea, I drink it all the time. That, and coffee.

  This weekend, my sister, my mom and I all ran a race. We, also all placed. I used to run races all the time and this was my first one in about a year. Honestly, I felt miserable. Haha, but I'll get better. I just want to be skinny again!

We also went to Universal! I drank too much Butter Bear, and I got too sick. But it was a fun time.

Cooking is just one of those things that I love and that I will post a lot about food. Love love love it


Have a fantastic week this week!

Milk Chocolate and Nutella Truffles...yum

I got the idea from www.abeautifulmess.com , which is a blog that I absolutely love.
They made a White Chocolate and Nutella Truffles , which is where I took the recipe from, but, obviously, I have changed it.'

The only reason I tried making these is because my guy, LOVES them. He absolutely loves truffles. Also, my father loves them as well. And since, these were a success, I'm going to make them for Christmas!

Recipe:
7 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Nutella
2 cups milk chocolate chips (you can use whatever chocolate you would prefer)
1 tablespoon oil (I used vegetable)
 sprinkles (optional, used for garnish)

To Make:
1.I don't own a double boiler so I used a glass bowl set over simmering water to melt together the first four ingredients (dark chocolate, butter, whipping cream and Nutella). Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, if you want to do it a . If you leave the mixture in the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours, it will likely become too firm to work with. So just allow it to soften at room temperature until it is easy to work with. 
2. I powder my hands with cocoa, so the mixture is easier to work with and doesn't stick to everything. (You can use a spoon for this as well) I form the mixture into balls (and yes, even with cocoa powder it causes quite a mess). Once you have all the truffles formed, place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
 3.In the mean time, get a microwave safe bowl and melt the oil and milk chocolate. I did it on high and every thirty seconds I stirred (it doesnt take too long to melt the chocolate, depending on how much you have). Once, it is melted, dip each truffle into the chocolate and place on a sheet of wax paper (or aluminum foil sprayed with pam). As you are working, put the sprinkles on, and if you prefer drizzle some extra chocolate on top for fun. 

It's fun and easy and messy and one of my favorite things to make. Especially since my guy loved them!  I love finding new treats to make, how about you?

I think next, I'm going to try and make it with nuts. We will see how it goes. (:

This is the only truffle that I made that looked absolutely perfect, kind of.

Spinach Risotto

I love this dish, but i can't eat very much of it. Actually, my brother in law came up with the idea to eat it with tortilla chips, which Im going to try tomorrow with the leftovers.

Spinach Risotto:
Ingredients-
1. Cooking spray
2. One pund large shrimp, peeled and deveined. (Not pictured)
3. 1 T. Olive Oil (not pictured)
4. 2 garlic cloves minced
5. 1 cup uncooked Arborio or other medium grained rice (not pictured)
6. 3/4 cup dry white wine (i used white cooking wine)
7. 4 cups chicken broth
8. 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
9. 10oz of spinach
10. 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Preparing it:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp from pan and keep it warm!
2. Heat oil in pan. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add rice, cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Stir in the wine, cook until liquid is almost completely absorbed, stir constantly.
3. 1/2 cup at a time, add broth...only when its almost completely absorbed (about 25 min). With the last 1/2 cup of broth add cilantro, spinach, cheese, and shrimp, stirring to combine.
Serve immediately.

It was really good. It was my brother in laws first time to eat it and he actually liked it. Also, i ran again today. And it was my friday at work, so now i have a three day weekend, which means working on my house and cooking more food. Ill be doing a home tour soon (: have a great weekend!

Munchin'

I get so ridiculously hungry at night. So, ive filled my fridge with healthy stuff. Of course there is some healthy stuff for the guys because they're guys and thats that. Anyways, i try. Ive been changing my lifestyle to be healthy. And Ive ended up getting an obsession with cheese, which is what I have been replacing junk food with. I just try different cheeses, i love cheese. The picture is of smoked goudam chesse. So stinking yum. I ad meat with it to balance myself, obviously. And, i run. Often. Actually im doing a 5k this weekend. Hope your having a fantastic day!

Starting Fresh. Starting New.

Ok, so I'm starting this whole blogging thing over. Like, completely. I feel like I never got off on the right foot the first time. Anyways, with some inspiration and persuasion from my guy, I ended up deciding to get back into it.

So, let me do a little bit of explaining of what I'm all about. Don't worry, I won't bore you to death. I'll be brief. We just bought our first home together, so there is a lot of projects and DIY and trials that will be going on, and I will share some, of course. As well as a lot of cooking and photographing and memories that will be made, which I will share as well. Don't worry, this wont be too personal and I wont pour my heart out too you, but I will definitely share some things with you. I'm feeling I'm starting to ramble.

Photos: 1. Our first tree 2. Our dog Topaz and my feet 3. A dozen roses that Cody left on my car for me while I was at a friend date 4. I've started running everyday (that's my new challenge).