Recipe: Best-Ever, Texas-Style Chili, 2.0

A while back, I made this chili, and thought it was the best chili ever. I was right then, but in the last few years, I've made a lot of chili and managed to improve on this recipe. So now I am more-right!

I added the diced onion as well as more diced tomatoes and chilies for their chunkiness. (Without them, it felt more like eating a bowl of coney sauce which I didn't especially care for.) Also, using beef broth instead of beer makes this paleo and can even be whole30-compliant (assuming your canned stuff was either compliant or homemade to begin with).

The addition of pumpkin came out of desperation one day because the chili had gotten too spicy for me (I accidentally bought HOT chilies instead of mild) and it was the only neutrally-flavored thing I had on hand. I liked it so much that I've been doing it ever since. It adds bulk, extra veggie-goodness, and an interesting texture that I really enjoy.

So with no further ado: my favorite chili, 2.0.

Best-Ever Texas-Style Chili 2.0
here, "Texas-style" meaning, without beans

2 lbs ground meat (I prefer 1:1 beef and chicken or turkey)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 7-oz can green chilies (I prefer mild)
1 t. dried oregano (I prefer Mexican)
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. ground cumin
2 T. chili powder
1 10-oz can Rotel (I prefer mild)
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can pumpkin puree
1 14-oz can tomato sauce
1 14-oz can beef broth (give or take)

In a large pot capable of holding a lot of chili, cook the meat over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the grease if there's a lot of it (you need a little to cook the onion in though). Add the onion and garlic and cook together with the meat for a few minutes until the onion starts to be come translucent. Add the green chilies and spices* and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the rest of the canned things, using the beef broth to adjust the thickness to your liking. (I usually use the whole can, but you do you.) Continue to cook over medium for about ten minutes, stirring pretty frequently so it doesn't have a chance to bubble too much and glop all over your stove. Reduce to a simmer and let it go, stirring occasionally, for at least half an hour.

Avocado and scallions are good on top too. If you're not into paleo, you can follow my family's tradition and put your chili on top of rice, add some cheese, and eat it with Ritz crackers or Fritos. Or maybe the guy you're dating will come over and bring cornbread he made. :)

*According to America's Test Kitchen, most dried spices release their flavor better in oil than in water, so adding the spices before all the liquid-y things does make a difference!

Quick Update: Jordan Makes T-Shirts

Hey friends! Remember that time I was internet-famous for a day? Well maybe it's a little belated, but I made a shirt. Also, in the quest for more Star Wars shirts for girls/ladies, I made a shirt.

I'm pretty psyched about this shopfront. It's ridiculous how much it feels like all these random designs I have sitting around were just waiting for something like this to come along. I have sold one shirt so far and I was super excited about it. :) Plus, I have no idea who bought it! Was it one of my friends? Was it a random person in a totally different state or country? I don't know!

If you want to follow me on TeePublic, please do. I have a random assortment of other shirt ideas stewing already (Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, the Gadsden flag, etc.) so there will be more soon!

Mortal Kombat Cosplay: A Photo-Dump Post

Hey! I know I've been mysteriously absent lately (or maybe just absent, but I like to assume mystery). One of the big reasons is that I was hard at work on a new cosplay! And procrastinator that I am, a lot of it still needed done at the last minute. In fact, I only have progress shots of my stuff because Justin's costume was done almost entirely the night before the convention. o_O

If you were at Origins Game Fair on Saturday in Columbus and saw some Mortal Kombat types roaming around, that was us. I was Mileena, Justin was Reptile, and his friend Mackenzie was Frost. We got asked for pictures about every 15 minutes once we were inside the convention, and even afterwards when we went down to Dirty Franks and 16-Bit. So, without further ado, a photo dump!

First time buying real fabric! Satin is kind of a jerk, FYI.

Made my top with help from my mom and her sewing machine.

Mask turned out pretty well after re-pinning a hundred times.

Modded a pair of Ninja Turtle sai with a hacksaw and duct tape.

Add a wig and makeup and BAM! Ninja.

Ninjas that are ninja friends!

Playing a game of giant Settlers of Catan at Origins.

We had a blast! It was Mackenzie's first time cosplaying, so it was extra great that people kept stopping us for pictures and whatnot. And I also decided that I only want to cosplay masked and/or angry characters now because it was SO awesome to not feel obligated to smile for pictures. I hope you enjoyed the photo dump and thanks for stopping by!

Eep! I entered a writing contest!

Thanks to this post by my friend Kerry, I entered a writing contest today which is something I haven't done since college. The only guidelines were that it had to be set in Ohio in the spring and less than 2500 words long. This year I set out to do more things that scare me, and this falls nicely into that category while still being small enough to seem doable. And I did it! So if you want to read my story it is here. (And you should read Kerry's too!)

Boozy Apple-Cinnamon Milkshake Recipe

Nothing has ever made me wish alcohol and milkshakes were good for you more than what I'm about to share with you. What started off as a random desire to use my Fireball Whisky became one of the best milkshakes I've ever had. Can you dedicate a recipe? I vote yes. I would like to dedicate this one to my Grandma K. because it reminded me of the Apple Dumplings she used to make for my birthday. If she was still with us, I would take her one of these; I think she would have gotten a kick out of it! So let's get to it, shall we?

Ingredients to a soon-to-be delicious creation

Boozy Apple-Cinnamon Milkshake
(serves 1)
2T. frozen apple juice concentrate
2oz Fireball Whisky
1oz Apple Pie Applejack
3(ish) scoops vanilla ice cream (this only has five ingredients!)
Whole milk (to taste)
Dash of cinnamon

Put the apple juice concentrate, Fireball, and Applejack one of your Magic Bullet cups. Add three or so normal-sized scoops of ice cream (it pretty much filled the cup but I didn't pack it down or anything). Blend! If it doesn't blend well, or you want it to be thinner, add some milk and blend again. Sprinkle some cinnamon on and Instagram that sucker! I mean, drink it!

The delicious creation! (Now I want another one.)

As you can probably see in the first picture, my Applejack is homemade (but not by me). There are a ton of recipes online if you want to make your own, or you could probably just add a little more of both the apple juice concentrate and Fireball. If you like the red-hot kind of cinnamon candy and you haven't had Fireball Whisky yet, I suggest you do so post-haste. If you're not into milkshakes (is there such a thing?), I've had it in Angry Orchard Hard Cider which was also pretty tasty. And no, I'm not affiliated, but special thanks do go out to Andrea because mine was a birthday present!

So are you guys going to make this? And can I come over when you do?

Doodle410

This week's weekly (perhaps biweekly?) doodle is a group of sketches for a cosplay I have coming up. Justin voted for Mortal Kombat, so these are some ideas I have for Kitana's bracers and fans. 

Doodle410: MK Ideas

I'm facing the challenges of A. knowing next-to-nothing about Mortal Kombat and B. changing an iconic look to accommodate being built like a normal person instead of a made-up, adolescent-fantasy warrior-princess. But the exciting news is that one of Justin's friends wants to cosplay with us! If all goes according to plan, we should have Kitana, Sub-Zero, and Sonya Blade. And this time around I'm determined to ACTUALLY TAKE GOOD PICTURES. (Mostly so I can blog about it. ;))

Lyndsey's Baby Shower: A Photo-Dump Post

My friend Lyndsey came home from Colorado for her baby shower last summer. (I am nothing if not a timely blogger.) I made a lot of the decorations and a couple desserts for the party. So there was a lot of pre-planning on my part to get as much done ahead of time as possible, then I packed everything into my tiny car and drove everything up to Lake Erie, and stayed in a 90s-tastic B&B where I felt like an imposter pretending to live in someone else's house. Since I don't have step-by-step pictures of anything, you get a photo-dump. Enjoy!

I made some pretty paper bunting and tissue paper poms.

I took an obligatory picture of my feet after I checked in at the B&B.

Made tiiiny bows, glued them to sticks, then made Rice Krispie pops.

Found a beach so I could hang out with Lake Erie (there's a storm coming in!)

Got some snacks at a little grocery store,  chilled a wee bottle of champagne in the sink. #classy

Finally, here is a finished tabletop! Stringing those raindrops took forEVER btw.

And here is a picture of me and the mama-to-be after the party!

There you have it! An abridged version of baby shower decorations. Lyndsey and Mike's families did a great job with the whole thing. I don't have any pictures of the awesome quilt her mom made or the Pinterest-worthy candy bar Mike's mom and sister put together. After all the decorations were up, I got to get off my feet and BreAnn took over running all the games and organizing present-opening which she is really good at doing. All around a great party for a great couple who are now back in Colorado being great parents! And I'm pretty sure I will get to meet little Owen sometime this summer!

The First Weekly Doodle! (408)

This week I read a post on Kerry's blog about blogging. Very meta, right? It made me realize that whether or it's a blog post, or a workout, or a painting, I have the hardest time with actually starting things. So I made this doodle. (It's on a Post-It note. No judging.) I plan to keep having weekly doodle posts, as well as reminding myself not to stress so much about starting new things. Because, frankly, I often end up loving them once I'm in.

Doodle from week #408

Don't believe me? Fine. Here's a list.

1999: Marching band - Definitely changed my life for the awesomer (yes that's a word).
2003: Varsity tennis - I sucked at it, but we had a good time regardless.
2005: Intramural indoor soccer - You can bounce the ball off the walls? Fun!
2007: Driving - I had my license, but didn't start liking to drive until I bought my own car.
2010: Guacamole - I'm eternally grateful to Justin for convincing me to try this wonder-food.
2012: Conventions/Cosplay: Made steampunk outfits and went to MARCON and had a blast.
2014: Ultimate frisbee: I don't love it yet, but it's growing on me and based on past precedent, I just might someday. ;)

Have you ever been reluctant to try something and ended up loving it? Let me know in the comments!

DIY: Fangirl T-shirts

Once upon a time, there was a semi-angsty college kid who had finally begun to develop her own taste in music. One of the very first albums she fell hard for was Fall Out Boy's "From Under The Cork Tree" sometime during her sophomore/junior year of college. As you may have guessed, that college kid was me and that love continues to this day. (Fun fact: if you Google my name and Fall Out Boy, you'll find the article where I was randomly called by my college newspaper while listening to that album.)

As you know (or don't know because you don't care) Fall Out Boy went on hiatus in 2009 and I was sad that I never got to see them in concert. But then they got back together last year AND were coming to Columbus. So much fangirling! Luckily for me, in the meantime I had rekindled some college friendships, one of which was just as excited about the Fall Out Boy reunion as me. Somewhere in the midst of totally freaking out about the new album, we decided to make our own FOB t-shirts to wear to the concert.

I guesstimated how big these should be and free-handed them onto freezer paper.

Using much research (read: Pinterest) we decided to try both the freezer-paper/spray-with-bleach as well as the write-with-a-bleach-pen techniques. We wrote lyrics from The Phoenix "change you like a remix" and "raise you like a phoenix" on the fronts of our shirts, and used the freezer paper to make bigger letters for the album/tour name on the backs.

This is my pal Bre, getting ready to iron her letters down.

As it turns out, writing with bleach pens is not something I would recommend if you like precision. The flow is hard to control and unless you use VERRRY thin lines, your words will bleed together. Or where your letters cross back over themselves, like in my "k" below. Or if it globs out too fast, because there is no undoing bleach. We also did a little spraying on the front to make it look similar to the backs.

Cursive was maybe not the best choice, but I have to say I still like it even with the blurs.

Ironing on the freezer paper actually worked pretty well. If you were doing something really intricate, it might blur your lines a bit, but with our big block letters, the edges came out surprisingly crisp. However, I would also recommend going easy on the bleach spraying. At first, it will look like it's not doing anything, but it will eventually get there so be patient. If you want to bleach it all around, get close and spray right at the shirt. If you want a more splattered look, stay back a little ways and sort of spray over the shirt so the bleach falls like a nice, toxic rain.

Here they are, after the bleach did its job and we took off the letters.

Once the bleach had done as much work as we wanted it to, we carefully peeled off the letters and rinse our shirts in cold water in the sink to get most of the extra bleach off. Then we just washed them like normal (but not with anything else you might not want residual bleach on, obviously.) And then after all that, we ended up running late the day of the concert, so Bre didn't have time to change into her shirt, and I forgot to take a picture of me wearing mine, so I got you this shot from the concert instead. It was so awesome: they played most of my favorite songs from all their albums, and I could not be happier that I got to go.

So fun. So loud. So much sitting in the parking garage after. So worth it.

These shirts were actually pretty fun to make, and as soon as I have another reason to make a t-shirt, you can bet I will be doing this again. I knew that my black shirt would bleach to that rusty color, but I actually like that Bre's fuchsia shirt went pink with bleach, so I'll probably experiment with other colors too. So what do you guys think? Want to DIY some sweet band t-shirts? 

DIY: Rinse & Scrubs

Happy New Year! (Is it too late to say that? Happy Current Year then.)

This week/weekend I spent a lot of time cleaning my kitchen and simultaneously messing it up some more. It's a fun game I like to call "Never-ending Dishes" and it's not really that fun. The main reason for this was preparations for my oldest nephew's birthday cake (another story for another post), but while I was at it, I decided to make some things I've been seeing around Pinterest.

The recipes I chose were this hair rinse with rosemary and ACV, this salt scrub inspired by LUSH Ocean Salt, and this lip scrub inspired by LUSH Mint Julips. The rinse I made according to the recipe and I've only used it once, but it did make my hair smell good all day. So the jury is still out on that one. I changed a lot of things in the scrubs though, so here are my altered versions.

Citrusy Salt Scrub
1/2 c. fine sea salt
1 1/2 T. lime-infused vodka
1/4 to 1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
10 drops Lemon essential oil

Salt scrub ingredients! (And reusing an empty LUSH container.)

You basically mix all these things together to a consistency you like, so it's pretty simple. I did infuse the lime vodka myself (1/2 a lime, zested and chopped plus 3 T. vodka, mix and let sit for three days then strain), but you could probably sub in 1:1 citrus juice to vodka, or even all juice if you don't have vodka. If I made it again I would add some orange or grapefruit zest to the scrub itself for more citrusy goodness. (Citrusy is too a word.)

The original recipe calls this a face scrub, but I used it on my feet and it seemed pretty rough to me, so I probably wouldn't use it on my face. But hey, I'm a sensitive little flower. I usually like scrubs for shaving my legs, so we'll see how that works. If it's still too harsh, I'll give it to someone else and just use the rest of my sea salt for something else. Like French fries.

Warm Vanilla Lip Scrub
1 T. vanilla sugar
1/2 t. honey
1 to 2 T. coconut oil, melted
Dash of cinnamon

Once again, mix everything until you have a nice consistency and pack it into little containers. I've seen other recipes for this that call for castor sugar (which is white sugar ground more finely) so I put my sugar in the littlest cup for my Magic Bullet and blitzed it a couple times first. And if you don't have/don't want to buy vanilla sugar, you can use regular sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mine will just look fancier than yours because of the cute little vanilla seeds in there. #opulenceclub

Fancypants sugar scrub! (And reusing more empty LUSH containers!)

I was going to make the mint version in the original post, but then I opened the cupboard and my vanilla sugar was staring at me. In my world, vanilla-cinnamon-honey is in the top three best flavor combinations of all time, so obviously I'm in love with this stuff. Also, it works like magic. My lips were so, so chapped that day but then I used this, licked off the rest (because it's completely edible and totally delicious), and put on the lip balm my sister made me for Christmas. It was the first time I hadn't been mad at my lips in about a week. Since our predicted high temperatures for the next couple days are in the single digits, I'm sure I'll be getting more use out of it soon. That is, if I don't just eat it.

The 2014 Pinterest Success Score (which is a thing I just made up) is now 1 okay, 1 undecided, and 1 love-it-so-much-I-would-marry-it, so I'm declaring this an overall Pinterest-win. I'm planning on keeping that up this year. What about you guys, make anything good from Pinterest lately?

SOTD: Pumpkin Pie

It's time for Smoothie of the Day! Do I even need to explain this one to you? It's fall. Obviously I'm hitting the pumpkin pretty hard already. Here's some proof:

First attempt at a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie.

That's the one I made yesterday. It was pretty good, but not quite good enough. So I made some changes this morning, and that's the recipe we're going to run with. Freezing the banana is always better, and the canned coconut milk adds some nice texture too. I'm not going to say it tastes just like pumpkin pie, because I don't generally drink pie. But it's pretty good and if you're like me and fall = PUMPKIN ALL THE THINGS, then it's probably worth your time. Obviously it's not as sweet since we're trying to be all healthy and crap, but you could always add some honey if you like. Or adding vanilla ice cream would probably turn this into a pretty great milkshake.

Take two, now with more ingredients!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (paleo, vegan)
(I didn't do much measuring other than the spices, so the amounts are -ish.)

1/2 c. pumpkin purée
2 T. canned coconut milk
1 T. almond butter (mine is maple/almond)
1 frozen banana
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 - 1 c. of your smoothie-thinner of choice (I used boxed coconut milk.)

Put everything into your blending device. The amount of smoothie-thinner is up to you. I maybe ended up using 1/2-3/4 of a cup. You can always add more if needed. All the other ingredients are pretty thick though, so might use more, especially if you prefer you smoothies thinner than I do. Blend away, captain. I also added a couple big chunks of ice to mine afterwards to keep it cold on my way to work. And I am slurping it as we speak.

Let me know in the comments if you try it! I'm also considering adding espresso powder or using cold coffee as thinner next time to PSL this business. I don't know how that will work with the banana, but we'll find out. Happy fall to you!

Food: Paleo Zuppa Toscana

I made soup for dinner last night. I spent the long, holiday weekend helping my parents move my baby brother across a few states for his new big-kid job. By the time I got home Monday afternoon, I was ready to crash, but knew I'd wake up at 3am and not be able to sleep anymore. So, I made soup. I have several easy soup recipes in my brain-storage because most soup is easy and also I love it. Here's one of my favorites, inspired by The Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana with some changes from yours truly. It's paleo if you're alright with dairy, but you could probably sub in coconut milk if you prefer. As long as you make it, because it's delicious. Warm, creamy, savory, a little spicy and a little sweet. So good.

Some soup I made. And Instagram'd.

Paleo Zuppa Toscana
1 lb Italian sausage
1 onion (Mine was white, but any onion will work.)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp of thyme
2 cups diced butternut squash (I got the pre-cut kind in the bag. [Lazy.])
1 bunch of kale
6 cups of broth (I used one carton chicken and one can of beef. It's what I had, don't judge.)
1/2 cup half-and-half (This is a guess; I didn't measure it. I also I usually use heavy cream instead.)

Put your soup pan on the stove. Turn heat to medium. Add your sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. I leave mine in larger pieces that seem like they'll fit on a spoon with some of their friends. (Or you could cook then dice links of sausage if that's what you like. I'm not the boss of you.) While your sausage is cooking, open a beer. (That's just for you, not the recipe.) Also, chop your onion in to similar friendly pieces and mince your garlic. Wash your hands if that smell bothers you, vampire. Check on the sausage. If the sausage is browned, add the onions and garlic. (If not, drink some more beer.) After the aromatics are in, add your seasonings. I guessed at those measurements, but obviously use as much or little as you like, especially of the red pepper flakes. When the onion starts getting transparent, add the squash. Let it cook for a few minutes while you remove the stems from your kale, chop it, wash it thoroughly, and let it drain (I use my salad spinner). When the squash starts to get soft, add the broth. Season it some more if it seems like it needs it. Add the kale. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down and let it cook until you like the texture of the kale. I like mine kind of crunchy still, so I pretty much turned it off after the boil. Stir in your half-and-half and nom away!

ReFashion I: Vintage Wool Coat

You all know I love thrift stores, but part of their nature is that you might find something you like but it doesn't fit you. Or you would like it more if it was slightly different. Well, a while ago, I discovered ReFashionista.net and was majorly inspired. Since I don't own a sewing machine or dress form, I have been slow to start refashioning things (although I do have a small to-do pile in my closet).

Fast forward to one of the many thrift store trolling days I have with my sister, and me finding a lovely red, vintage wool coat that fits me perfectly! However, I am kind of a shorty and this coat was almost floor-length. TOO MUCH RED! Also, shoulder pads = ew. But it was half-price day and I loved it, so $2.50 coat came home with me.

The alterations were pretty easy. The coat has visible stitches anyway, so that made it pretty easy for me to hand-sew, since I just had to keep mine looking about the same, and now having to worry about the thread being seen.

My room was messy and my cell phone was old!

So long story short: I made a long coat short! And ripped out the shoulder pads, obviously. With the length hacked down, it is much more flattering on my short frame. I would call ReFashion I a success! Apologies for the crap pictures; I'll have to remember to haul out the tripod next time!

Makeover May: Days 26-30!

Sunday, May 26
Hours of sleep: 10

B - Bacon, Smoothie (pineapple, banana, orange juice)
L - Snap peas, Blackberries
D - Pulled pork, salad (romaine, bacon, avocado, apple, walnuts)


Activity: Party at Hannah and BJs
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

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Monday, May 27
Hours of sleep: 7

L - Grilled chicken salad
D - Spaghetti squash with meat sauce
S - Snap peas, Iced tea


Activity: Memorial Day parade and lunch with Andrea and Steph
Non-essential money spent on: Coffee shop.

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Tuesday, May 28
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Smoothie (strawberry, banana, coconut milk)
L - Grilled chicken and veggies, Snap peas, Blackberries
D - HBE, Carrot


Activity: Memorial Day parade and lunch with Andrea and Steph
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

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Wednesday, May 29
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Smoothie (apple, banana, coconut milk, almond butter, cinnamon), Iced tea
L - Grilled chicken and veggies, Snap peas, Blackberries
D - Steak w/ mushrooms and onions, Carrots


Activity: Laundry at Mom and Dad's
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

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Thursday, May 30
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Iced tea, Almonds [forgot my smoothie at home :(]
L - Grilled chicken and veggies, Snap peas, 1/2 Orange, Iced green tea
D - Hamburger w. onions and mushrooms, Sweet potato homefries


Activity: Dinner/meeting at Mom and Dad's
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

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THE END! WHEW!

Makeover May: Days 21-25

Tuesday, May 21
Hours of sleep: 4

B - Banana, Almonds, Iced tea
L - Hamburger with mushrooms and onions, Snap peas, Blackberries
D - Chicken, zucchini, Iced green tea
S - HBE

Activity: Laundry, Played with my nephews
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

My new snacking BFFs.

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Wednesday, May 22
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Bacon, Iced green tea
L - Hamburger with mushrooms and onions, Snap peas, Carrots, Blackberries
D - Chicken with zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and red peppers
S - Smoothie (coconut butter, banana, pineapple, orange juice)

Activity: Played with my nephews
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.
Wednesday Weigh-In: 146.0 (down 3.5 pounds from last week)

Mmm, pineapple smoothie.

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Thursday, May 23
Hours of sleep: 8

B - Smoothie (apple, banana, coconut milk, almond butter, cinnamon)
L - Hamburger with mushrooms and onions, Snap peas, Kiwi
D - Sausage, Roasted broccoli, Iced green tea
S - Almonds

Activity: Cleaning the house
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

Roasted broccoli is the best vegetable.

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Friday, May 24
Hours of sleep: 6

B - Smoothie (coconut butter, banana, pineapple, orange juice)
L - Sausage, Asparagus, HBE, Carrots, Blackberries
D - Steak w. onions and mushrooms, Mixed veggies
S - Iced green tea, Almonds

Activity: Birthday party for my parents' friend
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

This was one of the best steaks I've ever had!

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Saturday, May 25
Hours of sleep: 7
B - Smoothie (pineapple, raspberry, banana, orange juice)
L - Sausage, Asparagus, Blackberries
D - Cedar plank salmon, Veggie kabobs, Grilled pineapple
S - Sweet potato chips, Coconut milk ice cream

Activity: First grilling out of the season! And it was awesome!
Non-essential money spent on: Some grill accessories I didn't have.

So pretty and SO good!

Makeover May: Days 16-20

Thursday, May 16
Hours of sleep: 6

B - Bacon, Banana
L - Taco salad, Snap peas, Blackberries
D - HBE, Bacon
S - Sweet potato chips

Activity: Drove to Columbus
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing

Here is something I refrained from buying!

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Friday, May 17
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Smoothie (blueberry nectar, banana, almonds, flax seeds)
L - Salad (lettuce, carnitas, salsa, guacamole)
D - Salad (lettuce, cabbage, bacon, apples, avocado, almonds), Iced tea
S - Sweet potato chips, Dried blueberries

Activity: Saw Fall Out Boy in concert!
Non-essential money spent on: Eating out (Chipotle/North Star), Baby shower supplies

This concert was awesome!

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Saturday, May 18
Hours of sleep: 10

L - Taco meat, Roasted broccoli, Raspberries
D - Hamburger with mushrooms and onions, Iced tea
S - Sweet potato chips, Coconut milk ice cream

Activity: Saw Star Trek 2 and went for a bike ride with Justin
Non-essential money spent on: Starbucks, Movie tickets

I wore my VFFs on my first bike ride on my new-to-me bike!

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Sunday, May 19
Hours of sleep: 10

B - Banana, Dried blueberries, Almonds
L - Sausage, Eggs, Iced green tea
D - HBE, Bacon, 1/2 hamburger
S - Iced tea, Coconut milk ice cream

Activity:Worked out with Justin
Non-essential money spent on: Starbucks

I didn't take any pictures of my food, but here's a pretty cloud.

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Monday, May 20
Hours of sleep: 6

B - Smoothie (1/2 banana, peaches, raspberries, iced green tea), Iced tea
L - Salad (lettuce, carnitas, salsa, guacamole)
D - HBE, Bacon, Snap peas
S - Popsicle (banana, coconut milk, cocoa powder)

Activity: Baking for the coffee shop
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

My new favorite iced tea: Market Spice Black.

Makeover May: Days 11-15

Saturday, May 11
Hours of sleep: 8

B - Sausage, Egg, Asparagus
L - HBE, Pork rinds, Iced green tea
D - Spaghetti squash w/ meat sauce, Chicken
S - Carrots, Snap peas

Activity: Worked in the flower shop
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

Making Mother's Day corsages!

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Sunday, May 12
Hours of sleep: 9

B - Eggs, Sausage, Sweet potato homefries
D - Burger w/ mushrooms and onions, Green beans, Applesauce, Iced tea*
S - Popsicle (banana, coconut milk, cocoa powder)

Activity: Shopping with Justin
Non-essential money spent on: *Texas Roadhouse

I have solved the needing-chocolate problem. You're welcome.

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Monday, May 13
Hours of sleep: 5

B - Smoothie (blueberries, raspberries, 1/2 pear, blueberry nectar, lemon juice)
L - Chicken, Asparagus, Carrots, Snap peas, Blackberries
D - Grilled zucchini w/ meat sauce
S - HBE, Coconut ice cream, Pineapple

Activity: Baking for the coffee shop
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

My first smoothie in the Magic Bullet!

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Tuesday, May 14
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Smoothie (apple, 1/2 banana, almond butter, coconut milk, cinnamon)
L - Chicken, Grilled zucchini w/ meat sauce, Snap peas, Pineapple, Iced tea*
D - Tacos! (taco-spiced beef and salsa wrapped in lettuce)
S - HBE, Blackberries

Activity: Played tennis with Andrea!
Non-essential money spent on: *Relax It's Just Coffee, Tennis balls

I don't know who decided "Taco Tuesday" was a thing, but I like it.

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Wednesday, May 15
Hours of sleep: 6

B - Bacon, Banana, Iced green tea
L - Tacos, Snap peas, Blackberries
D - Zucchini with meat sauce, HBE
S - Juice, Almonds

Activity: Lunch in the park, Laundry
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing
Wednesday Weigh-In: 149.5 (down 0.5 pounds from last week)

Tasty lunch AND squirrel-watching.

Makeover May: Days 6-10

Monday, May 6
Hours of sleep: 7

B - 2 Eggs, Sausage, Iced green tea*
L - Chicken fajitas, Pear, Iced green tea
D - Steak, Sautéed kale with bacon, shallots, and vinegar
S - Almonds, Pork rinds, Coconut milk ice cream

Activity: Baking for the coffee shop, blogging ;)
Non-essential money spent on: *Starbucks

Sautéed kale: So good I forgot I made a steak!

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Tuesday, May 7
Hours of sleep: 6

B - Smoothie (blueberries, raspberries, iced green tea, 1/2 pear)
L - Chicken, Carrots, Blackberries, Almonds, Iced green tea
D - Spaghetti squash w/ marinara and mushrooms
S - Pork rinds, Hard-boiled egg

Activity: Laundry at Mom & Dad's
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing

Stack of lunch!

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Wednesday, May 8
Hours of sleep: 6

B - Bacon, Smoothie (1/2 apple, 1/2 banana, almond butter, coconut milk, cinnamon)
L - Fajita chicken w/ onions, peppers, and mushrooms, Carrots, Kiwi, Iced green tea
D - Steak & Egg, Blackberries, Coconut ice cream
S - Pork rinds, Hard-boiled egg, Savory Coconut Flakes

Activity: Wedding talk and PPL with twin
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.
Wednesday Weigh-In: 150.0 (down 4.5 pounds from last week!)

Apple Dumpling smoothie and bacon!

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Thursday, May 9
Hours of sleep: 7

B - Smoothie (1/2 apple, 1/2 banana, almond butter, coconut milk, cinnamon)
L - Chipotle Salad! (lettuce, carnitas, salsa, guacamole)
D - Sausage, Asparagus
S - HBE, Coconut ice cream

Activity: Library, Cooking
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

Mmm, Chipotle. Thanks Dad!

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Friday, May 10
Hours of sleep: 7.5

B - Smoothie (1/2 pear, blueberries, raspberries, iced green tea)
L - Steak w/ onions and mushrooms, Carrots, Blackberries
D - Chicken, Asparagus, Sugar snap peas, Blackberries
S - Grilled pineapple

Activity: Reverse Book Club at Hannah's
Non-essential money spent on: Nothing.

I made grilled pineapple and faux-jitos for Girls' Night!

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Makeover May Running Totals:
Weekly weigh-in: 150
Average hours of sleep: 6.7
Paleo-ness of food: 99.9%
Nights not spent just watching tv: 4/5
Amount of non-essential money spent: $3.50