It's Over

Phew! What a week! From the Young Life banquet on Monday night, a 7am midterm Tuesday morning, 7am office hours Thursday morning, four papers and assignments due throughout the course of the week, and teaching my first lesson in the middle school, it was a whirlwind. I was certainly not sad to say good-bye to this week, and aside from the last week of class, I shouldn't have another week like this. At least I have two months to prepare myself for this madness again. I got a bit less sleep than I usually would have, but I made up for it last night by not setting an alarm and just letting my body wake itself up this morning. I made some pumpkin-banana-peanut butter pancakes for breakfast, did a bit of cleaning and not very much homework, and headed to do the gym where I set out to complete seven miles, but I ended up calling it quits after 5.2.

My legs were getting tired and I was getting kind of hungry, so I called it quits and moseyed on home to the clubhouse to continue to watch Texas take a beating. I think my mom said it best with her text that read: "I think Texas drowned in the Red River. :(" It's true, we did not make the best showing in our huge rivalry game, but let's look at the positives, we get to return to Austin and they have to go back to Norman. That's all I'm sayin'. That, and I still love my horns, despite the poor performance we showed today.

Anyway, let's just go over some of the highlights of this crazy week before I get back to my regular blog posts this next week.

I had a few good eats this week that I would love to share with y'all. The first is a fun little concoction that I threw together in a moment of inspiration. I don't really know what to call it besides a sausage and veggie bowl, because that's pretty much what it is. I bought these veggie sausages on a whim at HEB a couple weeks ago and since this past week called for quick and easy meals, I decided to put it to the taste test. 

I simply poured a little olive oil in a pan, put the soave on medium-high heat, and cooked the sausage for about seven minutes, turning every so often to avoid overcooking on any one side. Before that, though, I sliced up some squash and zucchini, spread some olive oil and lemon pepper on them, and slid them into the oven, preheated to 425 degrees, for approximately eight minutes. For probably the first time ever, I was able to coordinate the timing so that both things finished at the same time. How's that for time management! I put the veggies in a bowl, cut up the sausage, threw in some tomatoes and mixed it all together with some salsa and I had myself an absolutely delicious meal. Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious just can't be beat in my eyes.

On Wednesday, one of my roommates cooked up a baked potato, and that reminded me of the baked potatoes I had stored in the back of the pantry, so I put a little twist on the normal baked potato. I cut up the potato into fry-sized slices and put them in a mixing bowl. I added a touch of olive oil, enough to coat all of the fries evenly, and mixed them all up. I sprinkled some lemon pepper as well as some oregano leaves atop the slices and lined them up on a foil-lined cookie sheet before sliding them into the oven heated to 425 degrees. I let them cook for 35 minutes before taking them out, impatiently letting them cool, and chowing down. They were delicious and I made them again today for lunch. Winner! The hardest part about making these is not getting too hungry before these healthy fries are ready!

And last but not least, Friday was a very crazy day for me. I taught my first lesson, more on that to come soon, in the morning, rushed home to finish a paper that was due at 5pm that day, headed over to Northwest Austin to lead campaigners for my eighth graders, went for an evening swim at Gregory, and rounded out the evening with some Southwest Chicken Chili from Jason's Deli and the first episode of Friday Night Lights. Y'all, I can already tell that I am going to be way too emotionally invested in this show. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose. Texas forever!

Enjoy your Saturday evening! I am using this time to try and complete all of my homework for this weekend, as the majority of tomorrow will be spent at Austin City Limits, a three-day, eight stage music festival taking place in my very city. I have usually never heard of enough of the bands to justify spending money on a ticket, but there are about five bands that I am planning on seeing tomorrow. I figure I had to go at least once before I graduated, right? I will be sure to fill you guys in on my ACL experience come Monday - it's sure to be a fun one!

Here they are - Sunday passes!

Foam Party

Since I just finished taking a midterm, I have decided to take a short break from my studies and provide you with a laugh to start out this brisk Tuesday morning.

A great view before a 7am midterm

So, yesterday before leaving to serve at the Northwest Austin YoungLife banquet, I noticed that our dishwasher was full and dishes were starting to pile up in the sink, so I went to start the dishwasher. Well, we were out of our usual Cascade detergent drops, but some dishwashing detergent caught my eye, and since we use liquid detergent at home, I figured I would use it to run the dishwasher and be on my way. Well, about an hour later one of my roommates, Natalie, who was also volunteering at the banquet with me showed me a picture that had been sent to our house group text:

I immediately knew that it had to be a result of the detergent that I had used, thinking that I had maybe put too much in or something. Others assured me that it's normal to fill the container up to the top, so my roommate and I chalked it up to being a faulty dishwasher. We had a whole slew of problems upon moving in, so it was a definite possibility.

Around 9:00pm, I returned home to this sight:

and Sarah informed a confused me that dishwashing detergent is for the sink, it is dishwasher detergent that goes into the dishwasher. You really do learn something new every day! My roomies thanked me for the foam party and unexpected mop job, and they made me feel much better about causing this mess. I am thankful for roomies who take the time to clean up after one another - they really are the best - and I can tell you that it will be a long time before I make this mistake again!

Fall Fun

Well guys, it's happened. I will more than likely be neglecting the blog this next week due to a crazy week of school. I have something for every single class, and then some. I am still going to try to post a couple times, but they will probably be very quick, as I have to be very good about managing my time this week. Two midterms, four papers and assignments, one lesson plan, and one big Young Life event are all on the calendar as being due or taking place this week, and unfortunately they were all kind of assigned at the same time and there wasn't much opportunity for getting them done early. I just have to remember to stay calm this week and not get overwhelmed, because when I get overwhelmed, I get nothing done.

John 14:1

Anyway, to keep you updated on the workout front, I completed the IBM Uptown Classic 10K this morning - not in record time, but that's okay, it still felt great to get out there and run in a real race setting, despite the fact that I missed the memo that it was going to be about 50 degrees. I officially take back anything I said about the heat! Actually, I do like this weather, I was just a little bit unprepared - or dressed a bit "scantily clad" as I heard someone say at the starting line this morning! No worries, I don't think he was talking about just me, there were some other crazies dressed in just shorts and a shirt out there too!

And, as always, here is a fun little fall survey for your reading enjoyment. I am absolutely loving this cooler weather and I am hoping it is here to stay!

1. Apple picking or pumpkin picking?

You know, I don't think I have ever been apple picking before, so pumpkin picking wins by default. Don't get me wrong, I love a good pumpkin patch, but I would love to give apple picking a go!

2. Favorite apple recipe?

Man, I don't think I have ever really used apples in a recipe (I don't like apple pie, or pie at all, for that matter), but I love honeycrisp apples and peanut butter. Does that count as a recipe?

My favorite snack

No? Okay, well here are a few apple recipes that I would love to try:

• Dairy-Free Apple Cinnamon Cake
• Pork Loin With Apple-Cranberry Chutney
• Oatmeal Apple Cookies

3. Favorite pumpkin recipe?

Pumpkin-walnut muffins. Nom.

4. Favorite soup recipe?

Black bean soup. I could eat that all day long! I actually tried to make it for myself yesterday, but my chicken broth was old. And I mean pretty old. Sad day.

5. Football: on tv or in the stadium?

TV, for sure. I absolutely love watching football, but I really don't enjoy watching it in person at a stadium. I like being able to multitask, and be able to have breakdowns when things start to get too intense. Plus, who doesn't love ordering their favorite food, cuddling up with a blanket and cheering on their team to victory?

I did just that last night - it was my first time trying Thundercloud Subs and I give it two thumbs up!

6. Favorite football team to cheer for?

TEXAS FOOTBALL. And the Houston Texans. Superbowl 2013, I'm calling it now.

Go Horns Go!

7. Daylight Savings Time: love it or hate it?

I hate losing that hour of sleep, but I love that it stays light for longer. More time for playing outside, right? That's how I used to see it when I was younger, but I definitely still appreciate that extra bit of daylight. 

8. How do your workouts change (if at all) for fall time?

I start running more. Even if it is on the treadmill, the cooler fall weather helps to motivate me to run, as opposed to the summer months when I start falling apart after running one mile, even if I am inside! The fall weather in Texas is seriously perfect - not too cold, and it is such a relief from the hot summer months. It's also great because fall is typically the heart of race season, so I am more likely to take my longer runs outside

Not a bad view to have while trucking through a long run

9. Favorite Halloween candy?

Swedish fish. Although, I don't know many people who give those out on Halloween. I used to cherish Snickers and Three Musketeers as a child, though.

10. Any fashion essentials for fall?

Leggings and an oversized t-shirt. But if I am actually trying to be presentable to society, sweaters and boots are a must-have.

11. Do your meals change when the weather changes?

I crave chili and soup, especially on those cold bitter nights after a long day of school. I need something to warm my body and soul!

Turkey chili - one of my favs!

12. Favorite fall dinner?

I don't think I have a favorite fall dinner! I feel as though I eat generally the same types of things all year, but with less emphasis on soup and chili during the warm spring and summer months. I guess squash would be considered a "fall food"? So, I'll go with my turkey spaghetti squash!

13. Favorite fall dessert?

Pumpkin frozen yogurt. Yes, please.

There's definitely some pumpkin under all of that mess - my favorite fall flavor!

14. Best thing about fall?

The cooler weather, the holidays, the decorations, pumpkin flavored everything, sweaters, football, the changing leaves? I know some of you Northeasters will roll your eyes at the idea of the last one down here in Texas, but I love it! Texas forever!

Newest addition to The Clubhouse front door

Pumpkin pancakes

15. Worst thing about fall?

There's really nothing bad about fall, well, except for the fact that the arrival of fall means school is in full swing (and likely causing me way more stress than is necessary). Like the state I am in now, for instance.

16. Best thing (that will happen) in fall 2012?

Oh man, there are so many good things that will happen this fall! I will vote in my first election, teach lessons to middle school students, continue to cheer those Horns onto victory, and do fun Austin-y things in the perfect fall weather!

A fall morning at Mt. Bonnell - one of my favorite places in Austin

"It's October 3rd"

If you don't know where that quote comes from, I'm not sure we can be friends anymore. I'll give you a hint: it's only the most quotable movie ever, and it jut happens to be one of my personal favorites. I'll give you another hint: "On Wednesdays, we wear pink."

If that last quote didn't solidify it for you, it's.. drum roll, please.. Mean Girls! Today is National Mean Girls Day, and if you haven't seen the movie before, please, go watch it. It's such a classic!

(Source)

(Source)

Moving on! I have a new "recipe" for you today, but before we get to that, let's talk exercise.

I slept in a little bit and arrived at the gym a few minutes before 8:00am. I hopped on the treadmill with the intent of running five miles, and though I did end up running five miles, I broke it up and ran about a half mile in the middle of it. I ran three and a half miles, walked half a mile, and finished out the last mile and a half before calling it a morning. I did about five minutes of abs and headed home to attempt to work on some homework. As I predicted, I was pretty sore from Body Pump last night, though not as sore as I thought I was going to be. That being said, tomorrow will probably be worse, so I plan on running maybe two miles before my Body Pump class and then calling it a week, as I am running two races this weekend and I want to be well-rested for them.

Lunch

Now for the "recipe". I feel as though I need to put recipe in quotes because can I really call something that I throw into the oven for 20 minutes a recipe? I don't know but what I do know is that I will be making it again soon. I recently purchased some whole wheat flatbread from HEB, so I used that as my dough. I smothered on some tomato sauce, topped it with a bit of salmon, turkey pepperoni, broccoli, mushrooms, and black olives and threw it into the oven, preheated to 350 degrees. I let it cook for about 20 minutes and voilà, I had myself an easy, delicious, and filling lunch.

I mentioned before that I have quite a bit of seafood in the freezer, so this was my creative take on not getting tired of eating fish. Homemade pizza is quickly becoming one of my favorite meals! There are so many other toppings you could try, and I'd love to hear your take on the recipe!

Dairy-Free Pizza (feel free to add cheese, as cheese often makes the pizza)

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Wheat Flatbread (or pizza dough of your choice)
• Turkey Pepperoni
• Small piece of salmon
• Chopped Broccoli
• Chopped Mushrooms
• Black Olives
• Tomato Sauce (I use RAGU)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Spread tomato sauce on dough and add the ingredients as you would like

3. Put it in the oven for 20 minutes

There you have it! Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday evening!

October Skye

Holy October! Please, tell me where the time has gone because I cannot believe that October is already upon us. I am absolutely loving this cooler weather, though my body disagrees, as I have been bogged down with a bit of a cold these past few days. I have been trying to rest, but these next two weeks are pretty hectic for me, so I am hoping my immune system starts kicking in ASAP! Between YoungLife, school, and keeping up with workouts and this blog, there's just no time to be sick!

Some of my beautiful eighth grade girls for 'Merica themed club! Photo cred: Aimee 

Wyatt and Dylan: Gangham style - Photo cred: Aimee

Aimee and I - the dimples are coming out! Photo cred: Aimee

This morning started off with a beautiful bike ride to class, and ended in a meeting with one of my advisors as we discussed and planned out my final three semesters of college. Um, okay. I don't feel old enough to be discussing these sorts of things! All I know is that my senior year is going to be busy, busy, busy with student teaching. It's the sort of thing that should stress me out, but as it's more than a year away, I think I'll save some of that energy. My parents will be happy to hear that I will indeed be graduating on time, even though I wouldn't mind spending a year or two more living the college lifestyle.

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning..

All the courses I have left to take 

My degree audit

After my advising appointment, I headed home to fix myself some lunch, and I realized that everything labeled "KT" in the freezer is some kind of seafood. Don't get me wrong, I love seafood, but I feel as though I may not want to look at fish again after these next couple of weeks! Thankfully, fish is pretty darn easy to prepare, and I am definitely in the market for some easy meals. Today's lunch was of the shrimp variety, and it was pretty darn tasty. Pair that with a side of grapes and you've got yourself a winning meal!

Tonight's workout was a good one, and I'm not sure I will be able to move tomorrow. I took a Body Pump class at the gym, and I am not sure if it was tough because it was a new release, or if it was because I haven't gone to Body Pump class in about a week and a half. Probably a combination of the two. In any case, it felt good to work my muscles because I often forget to do that when I start running longer distances. Kristina is TOUGH, similar to Felipe at the MAC, and she makes sure to work us hard.

And now I'm off to get some serious homework and studying done, have a great night!

It's Tradition

Sorry for the absence, everyone! School has really started picking up speed and Friday was a crazy day as I battled some extreme Austin traffic on my way to Houston to spend a weekend at home. Friday night I headed back to the old stomping grounds, aka Tully Stadium, to watch my alma mater dominate in their football game. I visited with one of my favorite former teachers, and yesterday was a rainy Saturday spent lounging at home before meeting one of my favorite former coaches for Berripop - which you all know is one of my favorites! I'd say it's been a pretty good weekend!

"forever we'll honor you"

Daniel is #17

Now, here's your typical Survey Sunday, enjoy!
P.S. HOOK 'EM! My stress level was out of control during the game last night, and all I have to say is WE'RE BACK, BABY!

1. Are you a morning or night person? Morning person, for sure. I am a grandma when it comes to bedtimes and my high school friends were forever making fun of me.

7am before going 70.3 miles

6:35am before riding my bike from Houston to Austin for the BPMS150

2. Ninjas or pirates? Pirates.

3. What was your favorite childhood television program? Boy Meets World. Duh. I also loved pretty much anything on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel - you know, Hey Arnold, Sister, Sister, Lizzie McGuire, Rocket Power? The good stuff!

4. Any food dislikes? Sushi. Well, I have never actually had it but I just can't bring myself to eat raw fish. I have only recently started eating cooked fish, after all.

5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? The ability to apparate. If you don't know what that is, I truly feel sorry for you.

6. What is usually your first though when you wake up? Usually I am pretty good about getting up when my first alarm goes off, but now that I am back in school and staying up later than I would like, my first thought is generally "ughhhh.. is it really time to get up?!"

I can guarantee that I don't look quite this excited when my alarm goes off

7. What is your favorite color? Pink. But I also love yellow and orange - such happy colors!

Yellow is so happy!

8. Do you believe in ghosts? Nah.

9. Have any bad habits? Popping literally every joint in my body is probably not the best habit to have. I think popping my knuckles is more of a nervous habit, but I pop my back, neck, knees, ankles, etc., way too much!

10. Biggest pet peeve? Tardiness.

11. Any celebrity crushes? I wouldn't say I have celebrity "crushes," more like I go through celebrity obsessions, where I obsess over someone for a while and know every last detail about them before I tire of them and move on to the newest obsession. I do find that many of my obsessions are athletes, just saying.

(Source) I read Tim Tebow's book, obsessed!

12. Clean or messy person? I'll say that I am a combination of both. When it comes to my school things, I tend to be pretty organized, but when it comes to my room - especially when things get busy and my stress starts building - it tends to get a little messy. BUT, I've tried to be better about keeping my room somewhat neat this year!

Not one of my finer moments

13. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Oh man, this is a tough question because I absolutely love traveling and exploring new places. However, I am a Texas girl through and through and I honestly think I would choose to stay right here in the Lone Star State.

14. Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid. My carefree spirit.

That is one happy kid!

15. Name 1 thing you love about being an adult. Do I qualify as an adult?

16. Any regrets? I can't possibly have any regrets when my senior motto was NO REGRETZ. Seriously, we said this so many times that I am shocked that we never tired of it. That, and singing the "Graduation" song by Vitamin C. But in all seriousness, I truly don't have any regrets, or any major ones. Maybe I have regretted buying a blue shirt instead of a red one or something.

17. What was one of your favorite foods as a kid? Spaghetti-O's. Truth is, I would probably still eat those today if you presented me with a can of them.

(Source)

18. What would be your dream job? That's a great question because I honestly don't know what my dream job is. I have always wanted to become a teacher, but part of me really wants to do something in the fitness world. I also love baking and I think owning my own bakery would be the ultimate job.

19. What would your last supper be? Hmm.. this is such a tough question because I have so many favorite meals! I think I would go with something from Hungry's because that is my all-time favorite restaurant and I don't think I have ever not liked anything I have ordered. I'd start off with some black bean soup, maybe a burger or chicken gyro for my main meal, and then I would head off in the direction of Berripop to get myself my favorite frozen yogurt for dessert. That meal alone is enough to convince me to move back to Houston after I graduate.

20. Who was the best looking teacher you ever had? I'm thinking I should keep this answer off the Internet, but I'm betting those who really know me might know who I have in mind!

21. What’s the strangest talent you have? I can touch my tongue to my nose? I don't know if I have any particularly strange talents..

22. Which shoe do you put on first? Right.

This is the best photo I could find to demonstrate my right-foot bias

23. Do you parallel park or drive around the block? Well, seeing as I never learned to parallel park, and almost five years later I still can't do it, I will drive around until I find a parking spot that does not require parallel parking, no matter how far away it is from where I want to go. That's not the best method when it comes to living in Austin, but I do what I can.

24. Do you have any strange phobias? YES. I'm terribly afraid of escalators because one of my friend's dad told me that 70 deaths a year occur from people falling through loose steps on escalators, so I now harbor this fear that I am going to fall straight through and get grinded up in the gears. Feel free to judge me.

25. Name 1 thing not many people know about you. You know, I share a whole lot with you guys, so I don't know what you guys don't know about me. Okay, here's one: when I was really little, I was extremely shy, so much so that I wouldn't talk to anyone outside of my immediate family. Funny story for a girl who is putting a whole lot of information on the Internet!

Is that a shy little smile or what?