Books Read in 2016

You guys...

I almost didn't share the books I read in 2016. I'm embarrassed. I only read 13 books in 2016, and 31% of them were those fluffy romance novels you buy at the grocery store. The kind of books that you would never review and probably not recommend either. Fun for you, but they are what they are- brain candy. The literary equivalent of a pint of ice cream. It goes down smooth and easy with no thought whatsoever. Ironically, I also read 31% of the years books in the last 2 weeks of the year, while I was on my Oregon vacation. It was a tough year. Dealing with my back injury for the entire year took its toll. Along with the injury, I also fought depression for most of the year. And when I'm depressed, my concentration is affected. My attention span is nil. It makes it tough and sometimes impossible to read. That being said, I did read some wonderful books that I'd definitely recommend. I hope next years list is more prolific but 2016 was what it was. In 2016, I read-

25 Tomato Recipes

Happy Monday! 

Wowsers, did this weekend fly by or what? I just can't even, I don't know where it went. I'll start with my doctor's appointment on Friday morning-

So, that appointment... It was first thing in the morning, 8 am. I was the surgeon's first patient of the day. Now, most of the surgeons I've seen, they start by asking me questions and conclude by giving me an exam. And truth be told, the exams are usually quite gentle. Painless. This surgeon started the appointment by giving me an exam. Somehow he managed to locate the exact evil spots on my back. Not only did he locate it/them, but he pressed insanely hard into them.

25 Rice Recipes

Rice. I love rice. It's a simple, affordable, and versatile grain product that's very familiar to most Americans. You can fry it, and come up with fried rice or even pan-fried rice cakes. You can bake it inside stuffed peppers, or casseroles loaded with veggies. You can serve it with a saucy stir fry with the sole intention of using it to soak up that sauce. One of my favorite ways to eat rice? In a bowl with a little soy sauce drizzled over it. Simple. Yet delicious. I credit rice with helping our budget when we first moved to Kentucky. Due to its low price, I added rice to a ton of dishes and served it often in our first years in the bluegrass state. We still eat a lot of it, even though things are much different these days. I wish I could get the hubby to enjoy brown rice, but you can't win all the battles :-)

25 Chocolate Recipes

Thanksgiving is upon us, my friends!

It's true, October would have been the perfect month for  25 Chocolate Recipes. That being said, I think November is a great month for this round-up too. For a couple of reasons-

#1. Not everyone likes Pecan Pie. Or Pumpkin Pie. I guarantee there's people out there that might want a chocolate dessert for Thanksgiving.

#2. Christmas and holiday baking are right around the corner. There are plenty of cookies, candies, and cakes in this round-up to choose for cookie swaps or last minute party gifts.

#3. I mean, it's chocolate. Come on. It's good 12 months out of the year. It's good for 52 weeks out of the year. It's good for 365 days out of the year. You get the picture.

So, yeah. Shall we jump right in?

*Warning- pictures may induce drooling, cravings, and a one-track chocolate brain. Proceed at your own risk :-)

25 Things You May Not Know About Me: October 2015

Happy Wednesday friends!

I was all set to post a roundup of 25 chocolate recipes. Yummy, right? Then, I had a change of heart. We can get to those chocolate recipes at anytime. I decided to do something fun instead. Everyone likes to get to know the blogger behind the blog. I actually haven't done a post like this since June 28, 2013. I really tried to dig deep this time. So, enjoy! I'll be back with a new recipe on Friday :-)

Top Recipes of 2014

Well peeps, it's almost 2015. Only 2 more days. 2 days that are holidays to me every year. 2 days, you ask? Yes. Today is my birthday (!!!) and tomorrow is, of course, New Year's Eve. I coast right into the new year every year after 2 lively days of celebrating.

Oh my gosh, typing that sentence just brought Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song" to mind. "Instead of 1 days of presents, we get 8 CRAZY nights". LOL. Instead of 1 night of celebrating on New Year's Eve, I get 2 crazy nights :)

Most Popular Recipes of 2013

Happy New Year! I'm hoping everyone had a fun-filled yet safe New Year's Eve. This newly 31 year old fell asleep around 10. Yep, feeling a little sheepish and lame this morning. Yet, well-rested. Maybe there are some perks to this getting older thing...

My birthday was on Monday, and I've got my birthday cake to blog about. That's right, I made myself a cake! YOLO, I say. However, I'm still too busy stuffing my face with it to blog about it. Y'all are going to have to wait on that one. In place of that blog post, I'll give way to the mathematician in me and present you with some stats. Ha! If you know me, you know there isn't a mathematician in sight. Blogger does gift me with stats though, which I can now pass on to you without fear of mathematical blunder. So, yeah, here are the top-10 most popular recipes of 2013 :)

10. Root Beer Float Cookies

9. Mint Chocolate Truffles

8. Easy Homemade Salsa

7. Raspberry-Banana Oat Muffins

6. Spiced Caramel Apple Cupcakes

5. Potato Soup

4. The Best Blueberry Muffins

3. Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

2. Snickerdoodle Blondies

And the most popular recipe of 2013...

1. Weight Watcher's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

~Make 2014 great!~

Why I Love Living in the Country

If you had known me when I was growing up, you would have said I was the last person you could imagine that would end up living in the country. I'd always fancied myself a city girl when I was younger. I dreamed of living in downtown San Francisco, in one of those impossibly skinny townhouses, riding Bart, and fighting the millions of people during the morning commute. Fresh out of college, I resigned myself to living in Portland instead of San Fran, but Portland was still a big city. 

Portland is where I discovered I'm not a city girl. I'm the exact opposite of a city girl. 

Here's why I love living in the country-

-This is my view.

-There is no traffic. I've driven on the main highway before, and only encountered 2-3 cars the entire time I was on it. A "bad" traffic day is one where someone has broke down on the side of the road, and traffic is delayed 2 minutes. There's been ongoing bridge work around here, (resulting in a sometimes-20 minute delay getting into the city)and you would think Rapture was imminent by the way people carry on around here.

-I have no qualms about building a bonfire on our property at 11 pm at night, because there's no neighbor's close enough to care. A very different situation from our last house in Oregon where our neighbor's house was about 15 ft from ours.

I'm crouched in front of our house (our last house in Oregon). Our neighbor's house is the one in the background. Ridiculously close.

-There's room for the dogs to run. I can open my garage door, and just let them run out onto the property. They've got our entire property to roam. We live on a gravel lane, so there's no cars driving by our house to make me worry about the dogs getting hit.

-I love sitting on our front porch at dusk, and seeing a herd of deer traveling across the field by our house.

-It's so quiet. No neighbor's arguing, being obnoxious, or having parties. No hearing babies crying, or little kid's fighting. At night, you can hear the bugs humming and the frog's in the creek.

-There's no light from a city to interfere with your view of the stars at night.

-Shopping at most anytime of the day is like going to the store in a big city at 3 am. There's no one there. It's fabulous. Same goes for the restaurants.

-It's ok to drive on the road by our house on a four-wheeler. Or a horse. Or a tractor. Or a segue-way.

-Everyone knows from "The Walking Dead" that cities will fall first in a zombie apocalypse. It will take longer for the zombies to spread out to the rural areas, giving us precious time for a plan of recourse.

-Everyone knows everyone.

And a few reasons why I don't like living in the country-

-Everyone knows everyone.

-There's no place to buy fresh fish within 2.5 hours. Same goes for Whole Foods. And Chipotle. And Bed Bath and Beyond. And Trader Joe's. The list is endless.

-Mountain Lions. Coyotes. Snakes. HUGE bees.

25 Things You May Not Know About Me- Take 2!

1. I'm a speedy reader. I read Catching Fire in 7 hours.

Image source: Wikipedia

2. I watch at least 2 hours a day of Friends. Well, I might not be completely watching it, but it's on in the background for at least 2 hours a day.
3. I didn't eat eggs until I was 16, or clam chowder till I was 20.
4. I've got a girl-crush on Jennifer Lawrence.
5. I'm addicted to online shopping. And Pinterest.
6. Sephora is my favorite store to shop in, with Victoria's Secret and American Eagle coming in close second and third.

Image source: simplychicxox.blogspot.com

7. Gone with the Wind is my favorite book and movie.
8. I wish I could have hedgehogs as pets.

Image source: rosecityhedgehogs.com

9. I hate the Patriots.
10. I love the Steelers.
11. My dream job would involve working with dogs in some manner.
12. At one point, I had braces, glasses, and a perm. All at the same time. Yikes.
13. I love living in the country, even though I never thought I would growing up.
14. I don't wear my engagement ring all the time, because I'm scared to death I'm going to lose it.

15. I carry at least 2-3 lip balms with me at all times.
16. I don't feel supportive of Paula Deen. The n-word tops my list of words you don't say, along with the r-word and the f-word (and I don't mean the f-word that rhymes with luck).
17. HBO and Showtime shows drive me crazy. Why do they only do 10 episode seasons once a year? True Blood, Homeland, Dexter, and Game of Thrones all make me want scream when they wrap up a season.
18. I think Game of Thrones is the best show on TV right now.

Image source: Fansided

19. I think Homeland is a close second.
20. I secretly wish I could pull off bright red hair.

Image source: Tumblr

21. My favorite color is purple, and has been since high school.
22. I wear yoga pants 90% of the time.
23. I've bought 872 songs on i-Tunes.
24. Sleeping is one of my favorite things to do, but it's also one of the hardest things for me to do.
25. I like to make up dance routines in my house when no one is home.

New Music: 5/23/13

Yep! It's time for some new music. Gotta keep on keepin' on.

I am obsessed with Robin Thicke's new song featuring T.I. and Pharrell "Blurred Lines". Obsessed. If you are going to download any song from this playlist, I highly recommend it. It's been on repeat on my iPod during my workouts. I thought I was cool when I found it about a month ago, however it's gone mainstream after being preformed on "The Voice" last week. Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles. I love it.

I'm still forging ahead on bikini season. I'm a little disappointed that I haven't lost any weight since moving into the house, but I feel so much better. I've toned up a ton. I've completely changed the hubby and I's diet since we moved in. I've been trying to drink lots of water (my goal is 10 glasses a day), and eating very clean. Lots of vegetables. It's making a huge difference. My skin has completely cleared up since we started eating better, and my hair is softer. And like I said before, there has been lots of toning. Overall, I'm pretty happy. My vanity pounds will come off when they come off. I've come to accept this.

I'm off to groove on the elliptical to my new playlist :)

Happy Thursday everyone! One more day until the weekend!

New Playlist: 4/24/13

Summer is upon us! I love this time of year, when the flowers are blooming, the sun smiles down on us, and you can actually picture getting into that bikini again. It's a panic-inducing moment, yes, but that's when the real motivation kicks in.

Winter is hard for me, because swimsuit weather seems so far away. I'm a short-term goal, instant-reward kind of girl, so this is the time of year when I'm finally able to kick it into high gear. And what helps me more than a new playlist? Not a whole lot. Good stuff, my friends, good stuff.

This is a great cardio list. It's a little bit longer, my workouts tend to get longer when bikinis are on my mind. And short shorts. And tank tops. And sun-dresses. Bass lines get my heart pumpin', and my ass in gear!

Workout Playlist #9

Well, guess where I am headed now? :)

Happy Hump Day friends!

Workout Playlist #8

Ah, again, it's mid-February. I seem to be suffering from the wintertime lackluster-ly's. It's too far from swimsuit season to see the finish line, and it's that time of year when motivation is fading. Fast.

But this girl must forge on. I will not give up. Maybe it's because I'm a year older (yes, I realize that's silly), but my body seems to be responding slower than I'm used to with getting in shape. I do realize it's a slow process, so I must give it time and move my arse. Easier said than done.

As always, music is my go-to motivator, so I've been feverishly creating playlists. Maybe one of them will light the spark again. Anywho, this is a great playlist for moving fast during your cardio. I'm not tired of Phillip Phillips' "Home" or Fun's "Some Nights" yet. I also threw in some older favorites as well as Eric Church simply because, well, I love him. Eye candy. Yum.

Keeping it movin' till next time :)

Getting In Shape- Week 2

It's Week 2 of getting fit again!

I'm still on track with my New Year's resolutions. My goal last week was to work out 4 days, for 30 minutes, and I did just that. I took Sunday off from working out, and probably drank too much wine in the process, but what are you going to do? Monday I got back on track. The goal this week is to work out for at least 4 days, maybe 5, doing 30 minutes of cardio, along with ab work. I pushed it really hard on Monday and Tuesday, and I'm feeling really, really sore today. I decided to make today a recovery day, and am therefore trying to keep my calories low.

Another goal I want to accomplish this year is drinking more water. As a person who prefers wine to water very much, it's hard for me to make myself drink water. I whipped up a nice little detox drink, Lemon Lime Green Tea, to help me drink more of that H2O:

It's super yummy, and very low cal. Green tea and lemon are proven to be beneficial to speeding up the metabolism. Just what I need right now :) It was easy to make, and I made a big batch to store in the fridge. All you need is water, green tea bags, a couple of fresh lemons and limes, a sweetener of choice, and ice. Having it already made is key for me, because I always have the excuse that I don't feel like making it. To make it, I brought 32 oz of water to boil on the stove. I then removed it from the heat, and put 4 green tea bags in the pot. While I was letting the tea steep, I added the juice from 2 lemons and 2 limes to the pan, as well as 4 packets of Sweet-N-Low. I let the tea cool on the stove, and then poured into an ice-filled pitcher with sliced lemons and limes. Voila! A ready-made water and green tea vehicle, right in my fridge.

I was getting a little bored with my playlists, which is never good for my motivation. Can you see where this is going? Yep, new playlist.

Oh yes, new music always put pep in my step!

I hope everyone is having a happy and healthy week :)

21 Days

Photo courtesy of http://photo.esolar.com

I must confess, I'm one of those people who loves making New Year's resolutions. I love the idea of making a fresh start and having a clean slate. January 1st is one of those days when I feel like I can do anything, while December 31st feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I know many people hate making New Year's resolutions because they never keep them. I'm pretty good at keeping up my resolutions for a while. But you know what? "A while" is worth it. They say it only takes 21 days to make a habit. Well, bring on 21 days! Here's what I'm looking to accomplish in 2013:

1. Get Back In Shape- 

2012 was a tough year. The hubby and I didn't have our own home for 6 months. Whilst this is no excuse to have fallen off the wagon as bad as I did, it happened. I was doing fabulously until October, working out 4-5 days a week. Then I left to go to Oregon for a month, and I went into vacation mode. When I returned from Oregon, I was still in vacation mode, plus I was eating pretty bad food. At the beginning of December, the hubby and I moved into our house and pretty much all my free time was spent unpacking and organizing. No more excuses. Time to whip this flabby, 30-year old butt into shape :) My goal for Week 1 is 30 minutes of cardio, 4 times this week. 

2. Keep A Food Diary-

I kept a food diary for a couple of months last year, and it was an excellent way to hold myself accountable for what I was eating. Needless to say, I've gained a couple lb's from my lifestyle at the end of 2012, so I'm going to need to keep track of calories to get back where I was.

3. Finally Learn How-To Roast a Chicken-

Those damn birds. I'll get a victory in 2013, watch me!

4. Improve My Photography-

After reading the Pioneer Woman's series on photography, I'm bound and determined to learn how to use my digital camera and in turn, create better pictures for my blog. I'm also going to be spending some time with Photoshop, and figure out how to improve the food images that I use.

5. Save More Money-

Last year, I had $3300 in my couponing account before the hubby and I used that money as a down payment on our new appliances. What a difference having that down payment made! We'll have our appliances payed off in 10 months, rather than doubling that amount of time. My goal for the year is $3500, which I think is a do-able goal.

There's 2013 in a nutshell for year. All my goals make sense for my lifestyle and the way I live, so I don't think I will have a problem accomplishing any of them this year. Well, the chicken is the only thing that keeps besting me...

But I'll get it :)

Jessica's Top 10 List: My Favorite Movies

As I fell asleep last night, watching the most boring movie of all time, "One For The Money", I couldn't help but think of all the movies I would rather be watching. My favorite movies are a mix of comedy and action, with one classic movie thrown in. Bottom line, I love comedy. Love, love, love a good laugh. I know my list would be laughed at and thrown out by any Hollywood critic, but guess what? It's my list. So, neener-neener :)

10. The Longest Yard (2005)

Oh, how I love Adam Sandler. There's not many of his old-school movies I don't like. The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore. The list is endless. I love "The Longest Yard". I love that it's about football (one of my favorite sports), I love the cameo's, I love Chris Rock, and I lurve the soundtrack. There are a few movies on my list who's soundtracks greatly enhance my viewing pleasure :) What can I say? The right song, and some action makes my heart go pitter-patter.

9. Mallrats (1995)

I can almost hear everyone going, "Huh?". I love Mallrats. I'm a big Kevin Smith fan, for one. His movies always emphasize dialogue, and I love that. Jason Lee was perfect for this movie, his comedic timing in this film is impeccable. And well, throw in Jay and Silent Bob, and it's hard for me not to like it.

8. Bad Boys II (2003)

I heart Will Smith. Here is another movie whose soundtrack done moved me to "Shake Ya Tailfeather". I first saw this on a blind date in college, and while the blind date was less than stellar and I never saw him again, I did see this movie many, many more times. It doesn't hurt that Will Smith was pretty hot in this movie, but the chase and explosion scenes are so glossy and wonderful. I just love to watch them. You can tell it's a Michael Bay film, the action scenes have the same flow and beauty as "Transformers".

7. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)

My list is sorely lacking in rom-com's. I'm not big on romantic comedies, I prefer straight up comedy much more. Rom-com's are just so... so... puketastic. Yes, that's a word. Puketastic. Life never works out like a romantic comedy. That being said, I do love this movie. It works because of the two actors. I don't think this movie would have worked without Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. The movie served up so many laughs,  that yes, a rom-com made its way on to my list. "Our love fern! You let it die!"

6. The Italian Job (2003)

Love this captivating movie. The casting was perfect in this movie. This movie started my Jason Statham obsession, and Seth Green and Mos Def brought excellent comedic relief to this action flick. Again, I love all the action in this movie. It's glossy and beautiful to take in. I don't think Mark Wahlberg gets any hotter than this movie (except for maybe "Date Night").

5. Billy Madison (1995)

Oh look. Another Adam Sandler movie. The most classic Adam Sandler movie, I think. Who doesn't love Billy Madison? With Norm McDonald and Chris Farley? This is another movie that never, ever gets old. I could watch this movie over, and over again. I'll laugh every time. "Quit looking at me, swan!" I discovered this movie in high school, and my adult-self still loves it.

4. Van Wilder (2002)

No other movie reminds me of college quite so much as "Van Wilder". There were a couple of years there where my friends and I would grab some bottles of Boones, and sit and watch "Van Wilder". I can quote almost every line in the movie. This movie was pre- "The Proposal" for Ryan Reynolds, but I thought he was hot, hot, hot! Still do actually. And I still love this movie. It's one of the only Tara Reid movies I actually do like. This might be considered a romantic comedy, but it's more comedy than romance. In my opinion :)

3. Old School (2003)

How can I not love this movie? It's the first movie my husband and I ever saw together. Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn are a comedy dream team. This movie is when I first fell in love with Vince Vaughn. I love his fast-talking characters, and his style of dialogue. Movie scenes don't get much more classic than Will Ferrell's streaking scene. I want to watch it now, just talking about it :)

2. Tropic Thunder (2008)

This is a completely underrated movie in my opinion. I've heard from more people that dislike it, than like it. Are they crazy? Or is the comedy just a little bit over their heads? I don't know. I love Ben Stiller's action hero character, Robert Downey Jr.'s impersonation of an African American, Jack Black's drug addict, the pyrotechnics guy, etc. It cracks me up. "I'm a leadfarmer mother*#$@!". Not too mention Tom Cruise's amazing cameo! I love when he gets down to Flo Rida with his fat belly. And what about Matthew McConaughey and the TiVO box? Love, love, love.

1. Gone With The Wind (1939)

Say what? Is this completely out of left field or what?? But, seriously people. "Gone With The Wind" is my favorite book of all time. I used to read it once a month when I was a kid, so I will tell you I've read and re-read this book many, many times. I love Scarlett O'Hara. I love how strong she is, while still being a human. A human with flaws. Big flaws. That never mattered to her, how flawed she was. She had the strength to power on. I so admired Scarlett O'Hara when I was growing up. The book got me through so many hard times in my life, and gave me tons of inspiring quotes to apply to life. The movie was like a visual adaption of what had been going on in my imagination. The dresses, the landscapes, the homes. Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable were perfectly matched to the parts. I don't think anyone else could have played Scarlett like Vivian Leigh. No matter how old this movie gets, it will always be my favorite.

Is that a crazy list, or what?? Hope everyone's having a fantastic, sunny weekend :)

A New Hobby? Yes, Please!

Over the past couple weeks, I have been researching the topic of couponing. I have become fascinated with the TLC show "Extreme Couponing" as I am sure countless others are. Now, I do NOT watch the show and think "Wow, I want to be like them." No, I will not be spending 60 hours a week scouring the Internet for deals, dumpster diving for coupons, or building a nuclear fallout shelter in my basement. Upon googling "extreme couponing" one of the very first websites I came across was all about "realistic couponing". Realistic couponing is more about using coupons on sale items to save 40-70% on your grocery bill. This sounded a lot more like me so I set out to go forth and save.

I wish I could say that I saved 70% my first trip. HA! I didn't do bad my first trip, saving about 27% at Kroger on groceries. My first trip was more about the learning experience and I have a lot to learn! Kroger has a savings card where you can go online and load digital coupons to your savings card to use in the store. The nice part is that all you have to do is swipe your card to use your coupons which eliminates/significantly decreases the need to carry a packet of coupons around. The downside is that you can't use digital coupons and manufacturer coupons together. Also, Kroger does not double their digital coupons but they will double the paper ones you bring into the store (under $0.50). 

One of the biggest couponing lessons I have learned (at least for me!) is to stick to my list! I have been making a list of what I am going buy and for what price and now have approximate totals on my lists. This week I was so close to my estimated total but still off $5. I know, I know, it's $5 but I have to admit I was disappointed when my total didn't add up. This lesson also came into play at CVS this week. CVS also has a savings card but with theirs you can scan your card as soon as you walk in the door and get free coupons! After getting my free coupons this week I saw I received one for $3 off a $10 makeup purchase. Of course I used this coupon and consequently added more money to my purchase since my makeup totaled slightly more than $10. Sigh. But, I'm learning!

As with all new hobbies, I am having fun figuring this out. I have since signed up for the Sunday paper, as well as a subscription to All You which is a popular magazine chock full of coupons. I have signed up for several email services for tips and popular deals for the week. I think Jerame is happy I have taken up a productive hobby as well as one that will help the house! As for me, it is time to head down to the post office to see if I got any new coupons in the mail... JOKING friends!