October 2010

If This Is Wrong…

Then I don’t want to be right. Ever.

I’ve made no bones about it: Mr. How Sweet likes things plain. I can’t tell you how many times I have offered to make dinner, asked him what he wants, then made an extravagant version of the dish he originally requested. I just can’t help myself. But sometimes he gets annoyed by that. I know. He is weird, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want their dish souped up in a fancy style that is obviously going to make it taste so much better? So that is where these chicken fingers come in. I’ve made healthier buffalo chicken fingers, honey-ginger chicken fingers, BBQ chicken fingers, and parmesan ranch chicken fingers. Is it too much to ask for me to make the man some plain chicken fingers? No matter how much is cuts me to my core. These were inspired by the chicken fingers Mr. How Sweet ordered during happy hour while we were in DC. I had a bite and truly, they were probably the best chicken fingers I’ve ever tasted. The breading was clearly panko (and maybe something else?) and it was thick and very crunchy. I tend to shy away from chicken fingers for the simple reason that I [...]

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Fall Fitness.

Remember when I decided to log my daily workouts? Oops. But I’m here to share what I did today. It is such a gorgeous day out! After being inside the gym (my membership isn’t up until November) and noticing how gorgeous it was outside, I decided to finish up my workout on our driveway. I broke it up into 4 squares, doing each square 3 times for 30 seconds. First round Square 1: lunges Square 2: pushups Square 3: squats Square 4: overhead presses Second Round Square 1: squat jumps Square 2: planks with dumbbell rows Square 3: step ups on a short table Square 4: plank hold This is my idea of perfect weather. I wish it was like this all year round. What was your workout like today? After exercise and eating, I did some work on this: Never fail? It must have been opposite day. Have a great night!

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Chocolate Orange Brownies with Ginger Chocolate Frosting.

I have never been a fan of fruit-flavored chocolate. Unless you count chocolate-covered strawberries. I remember seeing those chocolate oranges in a local drug store when I was younger and begging for one. Remember them? I wanted to try one so badly. I thought they were just the coolest thing ever. And a big ball of chocolate? Sign me up! It wasn’t until college that I got my share of a chocolate orange. Imagine, to my dismay, that it was hollow. What a disappointment. And the flavor? Well it just wasn’t for me. I prefer my chocolate plain and rich. I can be quite the chocolate snob. And well… sometimes certain chocolate just isn’t up to snuff I vowed to never eat chocolate + citrus again. But then I found some blood orange olive oil. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it mixed into decadent, fudgy brownies, just like someone in the store had suggested. No fear – if you do not have orange oil, you can do the same with orange extract and orange zest. In fact, orange zest may do the trick by itself. And the taste? The flavor is mild, but at times slightly explosive. The orange [...]

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Today.

I scrubbed the kitchen floor. I know. My jaw is still hanging open too. To make things even more unbelievable, I then dusted this table. For the first time. Ever. I sliced some fresh mozzarella: And sliced this fregetable. Really, what is it? A fruit or a vegetable? And then I burnt the heck out of my poor man’s toasted caprese bruschetta. I ate it anyway because… well, do you really think I’d pass up food? I started burning a new candle. One of my favorite scents of all time! Then I considered organizing our freezer. But I spied the Ketel One in the corner and the rest of my to-do’s flew out the window. Just kidding. Sort of. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. What did you do today?

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Savory Sweet Potato Skins.

Don’t mind my dirty cutting board below. I was chopping nuts. That has nothing to do with these sweet potatoes, but I felt that you needed to know. Now, stop what you are doing right this second and go make these sweet potato skins. They will complete you, Jerry Maguire style. Not sure what to do with all those leftover mashed sweet potatoes? Well, that’s an easy one. Make some whipped sweet potatoes or some waffles or some glazed sweet potato muffins. Or just mix them with some vanilla and cinnamon, then top with whipped cream. Makes a perfect afternoon snack if I do say so myself. How delicious are potato skins? This was my first time making homemade ones, but my goal was to make a few as a healthier side dish for Mr. How Sweet. I was nervous about the skins of the sweet taters, but they turned out crispy and delicious. Especially since they were coated with a sprinkling of sea salt. Potato skins really remind me of Mother Lovett. Any time we went out to dinner, she usually ordered potato skins and ” wing dings.” I think that is code for chicken wings, but one restaurant [...]

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These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things.

I’ve alluded to it in the past, but I have quite an obsession with makeup and beauty products. I’ve been fascinated with it ever since I was young, when most of my time was spent with my head buried inside Seventeen magazine. I am a firm believer in wearing a little bit of makeup, especially with a pop of color. However, I’m sure there were many times my parents were embarrassed to be seen with me and that I looked like a clown. I’m afraid to even show you my entire collection for fear of you never returning. Maybe sometime soon. Baby steps… These are just a few of my favorites. I love everything MAC. I mean… everything. But these are my 3 favorite eye colors at the moment. That would be contrast, hepcat and talent pool. I remember a few girls making fun of me in high school for wearing purple eyeshadow. That wasn’t very nice. This is the moisturizer I use everyday after washing my face. Love it – it is not greasy at all. I hate when things feel “heavy” on my face, so much so that I don’t even wear any kind of foundation. Mascara would [...]

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Easy 5 Step Chili.

Looking for something to eat with your cornbread? I have just the ticket! I have a confession when it comes to chili. I never, ever, ever use a recipe. Not even my own recipe. I just throw everything together, taste test, and season according to my tastebuds’ liking. I used to think that chili was very time consuming and complicated. It doesn’t have to be. Delicious chili can be made easy! Step 1: Chop your veggies. For super simple chili, I usually go with one medium onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, and one small red pepper. You don’t need the peppers, but make sure you use the onion and garlic. Step 2: Saute your veggies in a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. This only takes about 5 minutes. You want the onions and garlic to be soft and fragrant. Step 3: Add your meat, if any. This can easily be made into 4 step chili if you leave out the beef. We continually change it up, using ground beef or turkey, buffalo, or even chicken. Just depends on how we are feeling. Or how hangry Mr. How Sweet is. Step 4: Add your canned goods. This [...]

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DC at Night.

Here are some of my favorite pictures that I snapped at night. I don’t know a lick about photography, but I can tell you that my ISO was set at 500 the entire time. And I have no idea what that means.

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DC Day 2.

After our incredulous breakfast yesterday, Mr. How Sweet and I took off on foot to do some sight seeing. Highlights below! [my favorite part. obviously.] A friend had recommended that we eat at the Native American Museum, and I am so glad we did! Had we just stumbled upon it ourselves, it is probably not somewhere we would have chosen, but I ended up loving it. There were multiple different cuisines to choose from and it was just delicious. I had the best peach salsa I’ve ever had in my life. I was eating it with a spoon. Guess what Mr. How Sweet got? A buffalo burger and buffalo chili. Shocking, I know. The conversation kind of went like this: Me: Do you like your chili? Him: Yes. Me: What does it taste like? Him: ….chili. Me. Well is the burger good? Him: It tastes like a burger. The only thing he got excited about was this statue, and told me I had to post it on the blog. We walked around a bit more, then in true granny and gramps fashion, had to go lie down and take a nap. We were exhausted. It was challenging not to raid [...]

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