Roots

Remember approximately 1,210 years ago when I started my cooking blog?

Remember approximately 127, 210 days ago when it started to get mixed up and became a cooking/life blog?

Remember 422 days ago when I ditched it altogether because life became insane and I seemed to stop cooking?

Remember 4 months ago when I had it redesigned to make a fresh start, but then neglected to, well, actually start again?

Remember 5 minutes ago, when I said, "Let's just get this thing in gear already"?

Remember when I used the word remember 1200 times and made up absurd numbers to measure out time because I'm often ridiculous and dramatic?

Alright, kids, here's what's up: I'm picking this blog back up. (And keeping Amy Lives Life for the non-cooking stuff.) Here's what I know: this blog was a motivation for me to cook and try new recipes in the past. And there truly did come a point in the summer of 2011 where it was impossible to juggle everything. I had started a new job and was still learning about life in the NICU, was completing my BSN which meant papers/clinical hours/discussion boards/projects, moved, took part in all the fun activities leading up to Sesha's wedding, walked down the aisle in Sesha and Nick's wedding, and tried to soak up every moment out of our time together before the wedding happened. It took me approximately 9 months to recover. Just kidding. But it did take a while and then I jumped into the new adventure of travel nursing. And while I've cooked, it's not been very inspirational. I've felt uninspired and a bit lost.

Where did the joy go? Did I forget to pack it when I moved? Does not having a "home" kitchen impact me? Has night shift sucked out my soul and every bit of energy?

Y'all I don't know, but I know something has to change. First, I've been watching some documentaries that have really made me think.







I will fully admit that I'm the first one to approach these with some skepticism. But that's how I was taught to approach information that is supposedly research based... to listen to the information, follow the sources, and inform myself. That means that there are things in Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead that I don't fully support, but I don't disagree with them either. I think there is a little wiggle room with some of the details given. For the most part, though, I think these movies are meant to be wake up calls. And I think Food, Inc. shows us that we shouldn't be blindly accepting what is happening to our nation.

And so I'm jumping back into this blog. Do I have any idea what's going to happen? Nope. But I want to start a new journey and I'd like to invite you along for it. I want food to have a different place in my life and I'd like to open up the idea of it to you all. I think at the heart of it food is supposed to be life sustaining (physically, mentally, and even socially). It's what we use for energy, it helps to give us strength and sustenance, and it is often used to bond over.

These are the books I'm currently reading:

You can find each of these on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble.

Am I going vegan like Alicia Silverstone would prefer? Not likely. Will I cook all my meals from scratch and never let a processed food pass my lips again? Not a chance. However, I like the idea of being more aware. I want to be kind to my body and I want food to be an enjoyable experience that leaves me feeling better than before I started the meal.  So I'm going back to my blogging roots and picking back up the cooking blog. As Julia Child would say, bon appetit! (I mean I'm assuming she'd say that since Meryl Streep said it while in character in the movie Julie and Julia. That's practically real life, right?)

Vacation, Part II

After I returned from DC I ran off to Kansas City and Tulsa. It was a Vacation Extravaganza!

The point of Kansas City was to see friends and the point of Tulsa was to see David Cook.

Let's just enjoy the photos, okay?

Carolina Liar opened. I only had my point and shoot camera, so my photos are less than stellar. Hence, no photo worth posting of them. Gavin DeGraw and David Cook are co-headlining on the tour. I hadn't really listened much to Gavin before, but he is fantastic live and I enjoyed his performance.





But this is really who I went to see:



David puts on a great show. That's all there is to it. I was giddy, happy, and my ears were ringing when it was over.

Oh, and I stayed here... at the Hilton... for $45.

Gracious

It's ridiculous how behind I am in blogging! Let's do a quick remedy, okay? In early October I went to Washington D.C. to see my friend, Candace. It was my second trip to DC with my first one being 12 years ago.

Here's a recap:

Candace took me to the fun neighborhoods like Georgetown and Capitol Hill. My first night found me in a Lebanese restaurant trying lamb for the first time. The waiter was incredibly nice and so much fun. It was such a charming area.

On Friday, we headed to Richmond, VA where we dined at Julep's. It was in a charming old building, the food was insanely good... except for the pungent cheese that we simply found disgusting. But that led to lots of laughs, so it was worth the experience. We saw Wicked that night. I had to fight the urge to get up. I soooo wanted to sing and dance with them. I LOVED it. After listening to the soundtrack for a couple years, it was a delight to see the show. Phenomenal sets and costumes, a surprising twist, and a talented cast equaled absolutely one of my favorite moments.

Saturday we returned to DC and headed to The Hill for macaroons, hot chocolate, and sweet conversation. I took very few photos on the trip. I think my lack of pictures and blogging lately has been part laziness, but also partly in an attempt to simply enjoy the moments. But here's what I do have from DC:


The most amazing hot chocolate of my life. It came as steamed milk and melted chocolate that you mixed together. It was on the darker side of chocolate, so it wasn't overly sweet. The fact that I, a milk chocolate lover, enjoyed this speaks very highly of the product.


Candace enjoying her hot chocolate. Candace is such a foodie which means she knew great places to stop.


A white bean hummus that rocked my taste buds.


Macaroons from The Sweet Lobby. If you're in DC, you must stop here. For these and the following picture.


Jennilee suggested the chocolate salted caramel cupcake (top). I also bought the Smore cupcake because I'm a sucker for anything Smores. Jennilee was correct. You guys.... I can't even tell you how insanely delicious the chocolate salted caramel cupcake tasted. I'm not even a huge fan of the salted caramel trend, but those flavors blended perfectly. I'm sorry the image is blurry, but I'm not sorry I ate that cupcake.

Sunday found us in church. Single ladies of DC and surrounding areas: Go the Capitol Hill Baptist Church. That church is full of attractive men. I nearly decided to move there after visiting the church. Whew.

Okay, I have to race off because I'm now running late, but I simply could not ignore my blog for another minute. Expect more very soon!

Hugs and High Fives!

** I totally forgot to mention my IKEA experience! On our way back to DC we stopped at IKEA for my first every IKEA trip. Let's just say that if I lived close to IKEA I'd be in trouble. Cute, inexpensive design and organizational items? Yes, please! If you haven't been, go. Go to IKEA. Do it now. And you're welcome. (This was in no way sponsored by IKEA, but if they want to reward me for gushing, I'll accept.)

Whoopsie.

Hello friends.

I know. I've been a total slacker when it comes to my blog. However, I have a good excuse. Life was busy this summer, but then when everything calmed down I didn't pick back up blogging because, well, I was enjoying life. It's been a while since I've had for real free time and could actually take my friends up on all the activities to which I was invited. It's been gloriously fun. Sometimes I still feel like I'm supposed to be doing homework or something. And then when I realize that I'm not, it feels AWESOME.

In the last month I've:

Driven to PA. Did you know that Pennsylvania is beautiful? I had no idea. Also, I just want to say that I love driving. Seriously. I love having time in the car to think, sing, talk with God, listen to podcasts, discover new places, and be a giant dork. I'm quite entertaining to myself. I have my childhood to thank for that.

Roadtripped to KC with Gillian for Bon Iver. You all have no idea how insanely amazing that show was and I cannot even begin to appropriately explain. It was magical. Gillian said transcendent. No, we're not being dramatic. It was seriously a killer show and I'm so glad we went. It made for a late night since we drove up for the show and returned afterward, but it was totally worth it.

Attended a Beth Moore simulcast with my mama. Oh that Beth Moore has some good things to say. I cried that day. A lot. The worship was honest and the Lord definitely spoke through her. God is good. I love Him.

We went apple picking. The orchard wasn't so great, but the friends were so it all worked out. I love my friends. (Hi guys!)

I bought a ticket to David Cook's upcoming show in Tulsa. I'm headed back to Cain's Ballroom and I'm super pumped!! I wish Stalena could go with me, but it's still going to be amazing.

I bought a ticket to fly out to DC to see Candace and Wicked. I cannot explain the excitement and anxiety of this situation. I'm totally pumped to go, but I've only flown twice in my life. I think I'd be more comfortable driving, but that would cost more and take too much time. Plus, life is about pushing our comfort zone, right? Right? Luckily, I have lots of well traveled friends so I can discuss the details of flying numerous times to mentally prepare before going. I have issues with the unexpected.

Let's look at a photo from Bon Iver.


I'm just gonna say it: He (Justin- the frontman) became more attractive as the evening went on. Was it the talent? The passion for the music? The vibe in the room? I can't answer these things. But I would not be opposed to my future husband being musically talented.

And now I need to say adios. I must get ready for lunch with some of my favorite ladies. I seriously feel so blessed. I'm incredibly thankful for the life that God has given me. Does it look like I expected? Nope, but it's insanely better and fuller than I would have ever guessed. And, really, it's just getting started.

Zucchini Bread

I baked!!!!! Please feel free to dance about your kitchens with me. (Note: I did not say that I'm baked. I said I baked. I'm not on drugs, I'm just naturally weird.)

I took a trip to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. I arrived before they even started selling because I'm awesome and I like to make a game plan to get the best goods. Or maybe it's because I got the start time wrong and I could have stopped at Starbucks and still had plenty of time to analyze the area and make a game plan. Whatever. Anyway, I bought peaches (!!!!), tomatoes, red and sweet onions, strawberries, yellow squash, and zucchini. It was glorious.

Later on, I was standing in the kitchen eating yummy strawberries and in my trance I saw the zucchini. Then a voice said, "Psst. You're a baker. Bake zucchini bread." Then I calmly put the strawberries away, grabbed the zucchini, and threw it out the window because I'm pretty sure that talking zucchini are evil. Okay, just kidding. I knew it wasn't talking to me. So in my first real return to the kitchen (like baking for fun and with the purpose to blog), I made my mom's zucchini bread recipe. It's ridiculously good. Enjoy.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups zucchini
2 Tablespoons vanilla (yes, tablespoons)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves

Mix in the order written. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Those are pretty much my favorite baking spices. And since I'm in love with vanilla, this makes me happy. Now, if you have real vanilla and not the imitation stuff, you may think we've gone vanilla crazy since it'll smell a bit strong. Once the other ingredients are incorporated, the vanilla finds its place and makes everything right in the world.


This is one of my fears. Yes, I am an adult and I fear graters and thunderstorms.


Whoopsie. Never fear, a pan sticking problem does not affect the taste. It was still delicious. Stalena and I verified that fact. In the name of science, you know.


It feels good to be back. :)

Remember when?

Remember when I used to blog?

Remember when I used to cook and bake?

Remember when I spent legitimate time in the kitchen?

Kinda fuzzy memories, huh?

Well, guess what? I'm back! Now that I'm officially Amy, RN, BSN (please feel free to jump around with me), my calendar has opened up. I'm not quite sure what I'll do with myself. For the last few years I've been working and going to school. First there was work and nursing prerequisites, then work and nursing school (boy howdy was that tiring), and then working full-time as a nurse and working on my BSN (Bachelor's of Science in Nursing). Oh, and during the last month I threw in moving and my sister's wedding.

Maybe I should be sleeping right now.

Anyway, I plan to return to the kitchen very, very soon. Cooking has always been such a relaxing, joyful experience for me. I'm ready to feel giddy again about cooking and blogging and feeding the people I love. (Eek! I'm getting excited just thinking about it!)

Hello again, friends. :)

Best chai latte ever...