Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. George and I were in Arizona. Like I mentioned last week, I headed out there for work last Wednesday night and George joined me on Friday night.
And speaking of Arizona, I have an official announcement to make...We are moving back to Arizona!!!!!!!! :) George will actually be moving back first. His last day here is February 10 so we will probably both drive out there next Saturday (2/11). He will remain with Apple (Biltmore location) and his start date there is February 17. I will be in California for a bit longer....not exactly sure of a date yet. Hopefully I won't be too far behind him.
The plan is for us to stay with my parents for a little while until we find a place of our own. Our "suite" at their house is going to be nice....lots of upgrades for....TV, laundry service (thanks in advance, Grandma), couch and mini fridge in the room. They might not get rid of us. Haha.
Needless to say, we are very, very excited. Living near my family, George's family, and our friends is something that we've missed for the past almost 2 years. But we are really, reallllly going to miss Sergio, Andi, and Kez. We have become like a little family over the past 7 months...we eat dinner together every night, hang out on the weekends, play with Keziah. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye. BUT we're already trying to talk them into moving out to AZ...or at least visiting :)
Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more updates for you in the coming weeks. Goodnight!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
How to Comment
A couple of people have emailed me about commenting on my blog. Here is a quick tutorial:
-At the bottom on each post, it will indicate the number of comments (i.e "1 Comment" or "0 Comments")
-Put your mouse over "0 Comments" and click
-It will then open a text box
-Type your comment in the text box
-Below the text box, you will see "Comment as" with a drop-down menu
-Click on the drop-down menu
-Select either 1. Name/URL or 2. Anonymous
-If you select Name/URL, just write your name in the "Name" blank (you can leave URL empty)
-If you select Anonymous, you can just leave your name in the comment itself (unless you really do want it to be anonymous!)
-When you are done writing your comment, select "Publish"
Email me if you have any questions!
-At the bottom on each post, it will indicate the number of comments (i.e "1 Comment" or "0 Comments")
-Put your mouse over "0 Comments" and click
-It will then open a text box
-Type your comment in the text box
-Below the text box, you will see "Comment as" with a drop-down menu
-Click on the drop-down menu
-Select either 1. Name/URL or 2. Anonymous
-If you select Name/URL, just write your name in the "Name" blank (you can leave URL empty)
-If you select Anonymous, you can just leave your name in the comment itself (unless you really do want it to be anonymous!)
-When you are done writing your comment, select "Publish"
Email me if you have any questions!
Another Monday
How quickly Monday rolls around, huh? Monday is always a busy day for us at work. Our customers (grocery stores) are the busiest on the weekend so Monday tends to be a catch-up day. It's crazy how fast a workday can go if you're super busy. I am definitely prefer work to be busy...when it is slow, I feel every minute.
I am really looking forward to this week. On Wednesday night I am traveling to Phoenix for work. This year, I have been appointed the "campus lead" for recruitment at ASU. Basically, I am in charge of recruiting ASU seniors for the same program that I recently completed at Nestle. My first year after college, I recruited high school students for the Honors College at ASU. I really enjoyed it...it is fun to talk to people who are excited about the "next step" in their lives.
Of course, since I'm in Phoenix anyway, I will be staying through the weekend. George flies in on Friday night and we both head back to CA on Sunday night.
We don't have cable so when I do watch TV, it is online. The only problem is that shows don't come online right away. You have to wait a day or so sometimes. Right now, I am waiting for The Bachelor to show up on abc.com. I realize that The Bachelor is probably one of the stupidest shows ever, but I was bored last week and watched one episode and kind of got hooked. Just call me Emily ;) Hahaha
I am really looking forward to this week. On Wednesday night I am traveling to Phoenix for work. This year, I have been appointed the "campus lead" for recruitment at ASU. Basically, I am in charge of recruiting ASU seniors for the same program that I recently completed at Nestle. My first year after college, I recruited high school students for the Honors College at ASU. I really enjoyed it...it is fun to talk to people who are excited about the "next step" in their lives.
Of course, since I'm in Phoenix anyway, I will be staying through the weekend. George flies in on Friday night and we both head back to CA on Sunday night.
We don't have cable so when I do watch TV, it is online. The only problem is that shows don't come online right away. You have to wait a day or so sometimes. Right now, I am waiting for The Bachelor to show up on abc.com. I realize that The Bachelor is probably one of the stupidest shows ever, but I was bored last week and watched one episode and kind of got hooked. Just call me Emily ;) Hahaha
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Rainy Day
Happy Saturday!! I was so ready for the weekend after many, many hours of work this past week. Last night, George and I just picked up some Panera and hung out around the house....and then went to bed at 9:00PM. It felt great to go to bed so early on a Friday night! I am definitely one of those people who needs their sleep. I work with a bunch of people that can function on 4-5 hours of sleep each night. I think I need at least 8, but 9-10 is ideal.
Today it is overcast and rainy. I think I've mentioned it before, but those of us who get sunshine 350 days of the year, love getting some rain every now and then. One of George's old roommates moved from the midwest to AZ. I remember him saying, "why does everyone in Arizona get so happy when it rains?" Haha.
I got a little package in the mail last week for my birthday from my Grandma Warren. It was a Birthday Book exactly like the one she has! The book has little summaries for each birthdate that supposedly describe the kind of people born on that date. A few years ago we were reading everyone's and some of them were pretty funny. I think it was my mom's that described her so well :) My Grandma added many of the birthdays of of my family members, now I just need to add my friends. I try to be pretty good about writing birthday cards, but now I will be even more on top of it. Thanks, Grandma....great gift, I love it!
Please excuse the sideway picture. I am using George's Macbook and cannot figure out how to flip it. He is at work, so I will need to ask him when he gets home :)
Today it is overcast and rainy. I think I've mentioned it before, but those of us who get sunshine 350 days of the year, love getting some rain every now and then. One of George's old roommates moved from the midwest to AZ. I remember him saying, "why does everyone in Arizona get so happy when it rains?" Haha.
I got a little package in the mail last week for my birthday from my Grandma Warren. It was a Birthday Book exactly like the one she has! The book has little summaries for each birthdate that supposedly describe the kind of people born on that date. A few years ago we were reading everyone's and some of them were pretty funny. I think it was my mom's that described her so well :) My Grandma added many of the birthdays of of my family members, now I just need to add my friends. I try to be pretty good about writing birthday cards, but now I will be even more on top of it. Thanks, Grandma....great gift, I love it!
Please excuse the sideway picture. I am using George's Macbook and cannot figure out how to flip it. He is at work, so I will need to ask him when he gets home :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Birthday Weekend
Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. For some of you, it was a three day weekend and for others of us, it was NOT!
We started off the weekend with my birthday :) Thank you all for the birthday cards, calls, and Facebook posts. You made me feel special! I was ready for some rest and relaxation after a busy work week. George, Sergio, Andi, and I celebrated my 25th at one of my favorite restaurants, Mama D's (you've heard about it before on my blog). Man oh man, I always forget how good their bread is.
After George got off of work on Saturday, we headed down to Anaheim for my work party. It was kind of our belated "holiday party". It was at the Embassy Suites in Anaheim...my work arranged for a nice room discount so George and I decided to make a little "staycation" out of it and spent Saturday night at the hotel. The hotel was right next to Disneyland and there were a lot of people at breakfast who were heading there. We kind of got Disneyland envy.
Yesterday, I went with Andi to look at wedding dresses. I'm trying to think if I mentioned it in another post, but Andi asked me to be the "Matron of Honor" in her wedding". I was very honored and am enjoying helping her with the wedding planning process. I forgot how many little things (and big things) go into planning a wedding! BUT I love it. Sergio also asked George to be the Best Man. They haven't nailed down a date, but it will most likely be this time next year.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend too. George and Sergio have been obsessed with Monopoly (on the iPad) lately. I never knew that people actually like to play Monopoly! It does go much faster on the iPad b/c it moves the pieces quickly and automatically calculates the money. Grandma/Aunt Doris- I wonder if they have Upwords on the iPad!?! :)
The picture above is of the black bean burgers I made last night. I first had a black bean burger a couple of years ago and loved it. George and I actually both really love black beans. It sounded good last night so I searched for a recipe and found out that they are actually pretty simple, but incredibly delicious. In case you're interested....
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Directions
If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
**Note: I added corn, cilantro, and a little bit of lime.
We started off the weekend with my birthday :) Thank you all for the birthday cards, calls, and Facebook posts. You made me feel special! I was ready for some rest and relaxation after a busy work week. George, Sergio, Andi, and I celebrated my 25th at one of my favorite restaurants, Mama D's (you've heard about it before on my blog). Man oh man, I always forget how good their bread is.
After George got off of work on Saturday, we headed down to Anaheim for my work party. It was kind of our belated "holiday party". It was at the Embassy Suites in Anaheim...my work arranged for a nice room discount so George and I decided to make a little "staycation" out of it and spent Saturday night at the hotel. The hotel was right next to Disneyland and there were a lot of people at breakfast who were heading there. We kind of got Disneyland envy.
Yesterday, I went with Andi to look at wedding dresses. I'm trying to think if I mentioned it in another post, but Andi asked me to be the "Matron of Honor" in her wedding". I was very honored and am enjoying helping her with the wedding planning process. I forgot how many little things (and big things) go into planning a wedding! BUT I love it. Sergio also asked George to be the Best Man. They haven't nailed down a date, but it will most likely be this time next year.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend too. George and Sergio have been obsessed with Monopoly (on the iPad) lately. I never knew that people actually like to play Monopoly! It does go much faster on the iPad b/c it moves the pieces quickly and automatically calculates the money. Grandma/Aunt Doris- I wonder if they have Upwords on the iPad!?! :)
The picture above is of the black bean burgers I made last night. I first had a black bean burger a couple of years ago and loved it. George and I actually both really love black beans. It sounded good last night so I searched for a recipe and found out that they are actually pretty simple, but incredibly delicious. In case you're interested....
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Directions
If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.
**Note: I added corn, cilantro, and a little bit of lime.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Back to the grind this morning. We went to another Sunday afternoon movie. This time we weren't as successful as the last few times we went to the movies. We saw "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and it was boooorrring. Just really slow and not that interesting. The popcorn was good though.
George loves Chicken Tortilla Soup and over the weekend I finally decided to make it. I went to allrecipes.com and found the perfect recipe. I always look for the recipes with the most reviews and with 5 stars. Here you go:
Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chunky salsa
8 ounces corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Break up some tortilla chips into individual bowls and pour soup over chips. Top with the Monterey Jack cheese and a little sour cream.
A couple of modifications:
-I added black beans (yum!)
-I also chopped up some avocado and added it right before serving
-I used fresh salsa from Fresh and Easy and it happened to be a little bit heavy on the onions so I cut back the amount of chopped up onion
Let me know if you try it :)
George loves Chicken Tortilla Soup and over the weekend I finally decided to make it. I went to allrecipes.com and found the perfect recipe. I always look for the recipes with the most reviews and with 5 stars. Here you go:
Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chunky salsa
8 ounces corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, saute the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Break up some tortilla chips into individual bowls and pour soup over chips. Top with the Monterey Jack cheese and a little sour cream.
A couple of modifications:
-I added black beans (yum!)
-I also chopped up some avocado and added it right before serving
-I used fresh salsa from Fresh and Easy and it happened to be a little bit heavy on the onions so I cut back the amount of chopped up onion
Let me know if you try it :)
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Chicken and Waffles
Well, we had chicken and waffles for dinner tonight! There is this famous place in the L.A. area called Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. George and Sergio have been a couple of times. Fried chicken served with waffles has never sounded appetizing to me, but I gave it a shot and it was actually pretty good. I guess Barack Obama went to Roscoe's over the summer...as soon as you walk in, they have a huge picture of him at the restaurant. In case you're interested, here is the website: http://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
So Long, Vacation!
Back to reality today after a "cushy" last couple of weeks of vacation time and holiday time. And before I forget, Happy New Year to you all! George and I rang in the New Year with the extended Lucas family at their annual Lucas Family Christmas Party. The tradition, started many years ago, is to have the party on the Saturday after Christmas. This year, it happened to fall on New Year's Eve. We were afraid that we would have to miss the party this year because of George's work schedule, but at the last minute, he was able to get the time off. We got there a few hours into the party, but still managed to see most of the family. We both look forward to seeing everyone together once a year...but I have to say, as his cousins are getting older and older, I feel like I'm getting shorter and shorter!! His family is so tall.
We spent some great time with my family this weekend as well. I swear that Paisley is changing so quickly. We saw her last week and this weekend she already had a few new tricks to show us. She is clapping and giving high fives. It cracks me up because every time she sees "Wee Grandma" (aka Grandma Clark), she puts out her hand for a high five.
We played this ridiculous dance game on Monday night with my entire family. It is a Wii game where you follow dance moves and get scored according to how well you perform the moves. Of course, I was horrible and Emily and Hannah were awesome. Yep, coordination skipped right over me. My Mom and Dad actually surprised me with some smooth moves. There are some videos floating around of the debacle, but let's hope those never surface :)
This weekend is right around the corner and I'm looking forward to no driving to/from Arizona. It's sad when you recognize the gas station attendant in Indio!
That's it for now...time to make some quesadillas for dinner!
We spent some great time with my family this weekend as well. I swear that Paisley is changing so quickly. We saw her last week and this weekend she already had a few new tricks to show us. She is clapping and giving high fives. It cracks me up because every time she sees "Wee Grandma" (aka Grandma Clark), she puts out her hand for a high five.
We played this ridiculous dance game on Monday night with my entire family. It is a Wii game where you follow dance moves and get scored according to how well you perform the moves. Of course, I was horrible and Emily and Hannah were awesome. Yep, coordination skipped right over me. My Mom and Dad actually surprised me with some smooth moves. There are some videos floating around of the debacle, but let's hope those never surface :)
This weekend is right around the corner and I'm looking forward to no driving to/from Arizona. It's sad when you recognize the gas station attendant in Indio!
That's it for now...time to make some quesadillas for dinner!
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