Liebster Blog Award

I was pretty excited yesterday when I found out that I had been nominated for a blog award, by my fellow coffee mug swap buddy, Abbie @The Envelope Keeper:

Liebster is a German word for "favorite" and this award is meant to recognize your favorite blogs that have less than 200 followers. In all my Google searching, I can't (for the life of me) figure out who started this award, but it's been spreading...almost like a chain email...for a long time now.

When you receive the Liebster award, you are supposed to do the following:

• Post the award on your blog
• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award (by linking back to her/him)
• Choose five up-and-coming blogs, that have less then 200 followers
• List those five blogs you gave the award to, with links to their sites, and make sure they know that then were nominated (so that they can continue spreading the award), via commenting on their blog, Facebook or Twitter

My Liebster Blog award winners are...

*Bhrett @Lost in Relocation - a fellow knitter (like me), who has great Monday Inspiration posts, just opened up a new shop and craves adventure & peace in her life!

*Nina @peace.love. & good food. - this girl is fabulous! She is a regular weekly vlogger linking up for Stop & Smell the Roses and her passion for food will blow you away. She and I also laugh because we basically switched spots...I'm from the Midwest (IL) and moved to Charlotte, and she is from Charlotte and moved to the Midwest (IL)! :)

*Leah @Living Life as a Godly Woman - this girl not only discusses being a woman of God and how she puts God in her marriage, but she has to be one of the thriftiest people I know/follow. She finds the coolest things at thrift stores and yard sales, and for super cheap...and then transforms them into something amazing for the home. Check out this old trunk makeover, it's one of my favorites!

*April @a little of this and that - I don't even remember how I came across April's blog, but I know it was recently and it was because of her blog post about Wilmington, NC (I absolutely love that place). She writes about a lot of different things - fashion, decorating, life. Her fashion staples are cardigans & ballet flats...um, mine too, I'm thinking we should be best friends! ;)

*Ashley @Any Lovely Thing - can I just say, this girl's eye for photography, food, entertaining, and fashion will amaze you! She is always dressed "to the nines" (see here) and really knows how to throw a party (and see here)!

Join me in checking out these ladies' blogs - and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Thanks again Abbie for nominating me, it's my 1st blog award! And here's hoping that everyone continues to spread the award to even more fellow bloggers.

  pinned here

Instagram Love

Instagram is definitely one of my favorite apps...I love sharing photos, seeing other people's photos and editing my photos to give them that extra, unique touch!

So today is just a reel of Instagram photos that I haven't shared on the blog...

EATS/DRINKS

Chili/cornbread on these awesome soup plates; breakfast casserole from Pinterest

 Mushroom & cheddar omelet; lovely latte from local coffee house (I so want to learn how to pour like this!!)

Sushi - my favorite; fruit kabobs from Pinterest

WHAT I WORE

 I am loving blazers right now - this cream one is from the Lauren Conrad collection at Kohl's; new cross ring from Amy Cornwell

Rockin' my rose-colored Fossil Watch with a big bangle; Bobby pins I made - find them here

Sportin' a bright neon pink workout shirt, on my way to Crossfit; my favorite pair of BR leopard flats

MISCELLANEOUS

Harley being lazy; Not sure what this look is about...he's probably tired of me taking pics of him ;)

Been getting back on the treadmill when I can't run outside; Rider in one of his usual positions

(April) Birthday flowers from a friend; Birthday pedicure - present to myself!

 Quote given to me by a coworker; My amazing Erin Condren life planner

**You can find me on Instagram under @kmcginnis3**

Another Easy Peasy Dinner

Well, I'm back with another SUPER easy dinner that I threw together the other night. Again, it's nothing fancy and I'm sure nothing new & inventive in the cooking world. But it was quick, pretty healthy and tasted SO good!!!

Shrimp & Broccoli with Rice:

Sauteed about 20 small shrimp (I love shrimp) in EVOO, minced garlic and some crushed red pepper
Boiled broccoli (like the bag said), but then baked it in the oven (10 min) with some s/p/Parmesan cheese
Microwaved some white rice
Tossed all together with s/p

You could make this dinner with steak, chicken, tofu or just some other vegetables. I've been buying those little cups of rice (white & brown) that you can just pop in the microwave for about a minute. They are the perfect serving size and super easy. Plus, there's a coupon in each package! :) Also, I tossed the leftover EVOO mixture together with the shrimp/broccoli/rice...and it gave it so much flavor! You could also substitute the white rice for brown rice - I was out of brown rice, unfortunately, but I try to mix it up from meal-to-meal. All in all, quick & delicious!!

So I don't know if can you tell, but I'm on a health(ier) kick lately:

 

Mango-flavored coconut water; taco salad; my "easy peasy pasta"; salad with chicken, cheese & Italian dressing

Apple; edamame; baked potato with cheese

 Panera's Thai chopped chicken salad, apple & iced green tea; Panera's grilled chicken Caesar salad, chicken noodle soup, apple & iced green tea

You know I'm serious when I'm even eating healthier at Panera...it's one of my go-to places on a weekly or biweekly basis, but I'm usually ordering their broccoli-cheese soup, a panini, bread bowl, bagel...not as healthy, but SO yummy! I will say, if you haven't tried their iced green tea, go for it! It's AWESOME!

Hopefully I can stay on this kick, because I'm finding that it's easier to make healthier choices when I plan out meals, use things I already have in my pantry, and look at restaurant menus ahead of time.

I found this on Pinterest, and I'm trying really hard to listen to it, because I think it says a lot:

Pinned here (Fitness Board)

I don't know about you, but that just makes me really STOP and THINK about what I'm putting in my body!! I'm not perfect though...and I'm still learning - I have cheat days, I may not be eating something that is as healthy as I think it is...but I'm trying. It's a work-in-progress!

I'd love to hear about any quick & easy dinners you've been throwing together...or things you're eating that are on the healthier side - leave them in the comments!! :)

Easy Peasy Pasta

So over the years, I've definitely struggled to cook for 1 (since the hubby and I have spent lots of time a part). Heck, what am I saying, it's even hard cooking for 2 sometimes!! Am I right?! But so I've definitely stumbled upon a few favorites that I try to cook if I'm trying to stay at home for a meal. Recently I came across an awesome, quick pasta concoction and thought I'd share it! It's nothing fancy, and I'm sure others out there have made it or something similar, but I literally just created this by throwing some things that I had in my pantry/cabinets together:

• Cooked & drained about 1 cup of twi-colored bowtie pasta (you can use any kind of pasta)
• Mixed with a splash of EVOO, parmesean cheese, garlic powder, s/p, sprinkle of red pepper flakes

That's it! It was easy, flavorful and a perfect serving size for one (obviously, you could fix it for a whole family though). I chose to use EVOO instead of butter, but that's an option too. Depending on your spicy preference, you could also add more of the red pepper flakes or opt to not use them at all. And I'm sure other spices would be great too (oregano, Italian seasoning, etc.).

Any other readers have any go-to meals that are quick & easy, and perfect for just 1-2 people? If so, please share...I'd love to hear them! 

Lazy Lasagna Night

I have Rachel Ray to thank for tonight's dinner! I am definitely a daily consumer of watching the Food Network...any time of day, any show (but my favorites are Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives and most recently, Chopped). I also occasionally will watch Rachel Ray's talk show and last week, she made this lasagna and it looked so appetizing, that I just had to try it:

Lazy Florentine Lasagna

Broken lasagna noodles (that were boiled until almost al dente)

Mushrooms, spinach, onions and garlic

Creamy, roux sauce

Noodles mixed with the mushroom mixture, topped with the roux sauce and then sprinkled with LOTS of cheese (I used an Italian cheese blend)

Baked to cheezy-bubbly goodness...

And delicious!

I would definitely make this lasagna again and not having to layer the noodles/sauce/cheese made it a lot easier to put together.

*Recipe can be found by clicking on the link of the title above*

Making Some Big Changes

Prior to 2011, I had begun to make some big changes in my life. So, I don't technically group these goals/changes as resolutions. In reality, these are changes that I had started to make in the past...but unfortunately, never followed through with. I would go with them for awhile, making some progress...then gradually let them fall to the waste side. But, I'm proud to say that I am doing well in keeping up with these changes, especially with the help of my wonderful and supportive hubby! He is one great motivator, let me tell you! So, I'll let you in on some of these changes...

• An easy one...take vitamins every day! Okay, some of you may be like, uh...okay?! But seriously, for some reason, I will take them for a few days straight and then just magically forget, which then turns into...I don't take vitamins. I know that I need to take them and am really trying to make sure it is part of my daily routine. Around November, I purchased these from GNC:

I bought these, in hopes that they would provide me with a bit more energy (something I seem to always be lacking). I'm not sure that the extra energy supplements really work, but at least I know that I'm getting all of the vitamins that I need on a daily basis. So far, I'm doing good on this goal.

• Do away with soda and drink A LOT more H2O! This one is going great! I stopped drinking soda mid-December and am proud to say that I have not had one soda since. And I haven't definitely up'd my intake of water! I've done this before...I've gone on a 'no-soda' kick for a few months and then I'll give in, have one when I'm out at a restaurant somewhere...and once again, I'm drinking soda regularly. But the fact that I'm looking to water, sports drinks, green tea as alternatives has definitely kept me on my 'no-soda' kick thus far. I can definitely tell a big difference too!

• Running regularly! So, again...in all truth, I've never been a big runner. I was never on the track/cross-country team...I would occasionally run on the treadmill while exercising throughout high school/college. But, definitely nothing over 1 mile or so. I started up running a bit when I was living in Monterey...got up to about 3 miles, but stopped because, yeah...it's tough! :P But see, the husband over the past couple of years has really gotten into running, has ran a few races and is still getting more and more into it. Once I moved to Omaha, I was running outside on various trails and increased my mileage to about 6 miles...the most I had ever run...and then winter hit! I stopped! Excuses, excuses. Since the beginning of December, I have been running very consistently on the treadmill...about 3-4 miles and have come down from a 14 min/mile pace to a 11 min/mile pace! However, the treadmill is definitely much harder than running outside, in my opinion. I get so bored on the treadmill and I really have to work extra hard to keep from looking at my mileage/time every 5 minutes! But, I'm doing it and I always try to remember how good I feel after a run. I think that's big for me...but I am definitely looking at becoming a regular runner and completing some races in the next year or two. I even got myself some new running shoes recently, which I was in desperate need of! They are working wonders!!

• Counting calories/eating healthier! I know, this is on everyone's resolutions list/goals for the next year...but I am actually doing this! It started in early December...I began drinking a whey protein shake for lunch. This cut my calories big-time and I have not been eating out during the week (which is a big change). The husband and I are counting calories together, which is very helpful in keeping each other in-check. And, I mean, we are in no way starving ourselves. But, keeping a list of what we are eating each day allows us to keep track of what we're eating and how much we're eating. The hubby and I still treat ourselves, using the weekends to go out to eat...but I am so much more conscious of what I am ordering at a restaurant and what kind of foods I am putting in to my body.

*I don't want to get too hung up on weight or size, but in general, I just want to get back to being "fit" and working out regularly...in general, just taking care of myself. I have noticed a big difference in my energy level and my attitude towards making time each day to work out. And clothes are definitely starting to fit a little bit better (which is always a plus). :) 

• Find a job related to my degree/skills! So, a little background...I have an advanced degree in Applied Experimental Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial Organizational Psychology (a mouth-full, I know!). Basically, I have a background in areas such as: statistics, survey development, program evaluation and applied research practices. I was lucky to find a position in Monterey that allowed me to at least practice my skills analyzing data sets and working with a professor on his research projects...but a lot of my other skills that I enjoy were placed to the side. Moving around ( being in the military) doesn't really make things easy...and I have had to take temporary positions, which I am not too proud to take. I realize that with the economy as it is, I should be thankful to be given work and I will do anything I have to do to help support my family. But, I also really want to be doing what I paid to go to school for and enjoy practicing. I've been working my butt off, applying for jobs...working on my resume. Man, it is not easy and it's exhausting! Hopefully things will work out and I'll let you know if I hear anything :)

Well, those are some of the changes I have been making and are continuing to make in my life...and I just thought that I would share them all of you. My main goal each day is just to try and stay motivated!! It is an easy concept, but a challenge for a lot of people, including me...and I am really just taking it one day at a time :) Alright, well I am off to fix myself some dinner...hope everyone has a great week!

If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

~Martin Luther King, Jr., speech, Detroit, Michigan, June 23, 1963.

A Great Thanksgiving

Well, the hubby and I didn't end up heading home to family for Thanksgiving...but that doesn't mean we didn't have a feast for ourselves! We ate lots of Thanksgiving deliciousness...which lasted us a few days, needless to say. Here were some of the highlights:

 We snacked on a cheese ball and some veggies/dip

Sipped on some lovely vino

And turned this:

Into yummy green bean casserole:

And this (don't judge, I love boxed stuffing):

Into delicious stuffing:

There was also sweet potato casserole (sorry, no before picture...I got into a cooking rhythm and forgot) :)

And...

Ham, all the way from a butcher in Hagerstown, MD. A friend of ours' parent's sent us this ham last year and loved it so much that we ordered one for ourselves this year. It was well worth it!

I left the carving to the hubby

And, finally...my Thanksgiving plate:

For some of you that have been a follower from the beginning, you'll notice that I have meat on my plate, yet I've been a vegetarian since January 2010...I recently made the decision to go back to eating meat (definitely in moderation...especially red meat). It was just something that I had been thinking about for awhile now. And plus, I just couldn't pass up this ham!! ;) 

Needless to say, we had a great holiday spent together! Now that Thanksgiving is over, we say goodbye to this little fella:

And hello to...

Christmas time!! My favorite time of year!