I wish it was Sunday
Cuz that's my funday.

How's everyone feeling out there? Was your Monday as crazy as mine!? I don't think I actually looked at the clock until 2:00 today and before I knew it, 6 pm rolled around and I was still at my desk. Crazy!

On days like today, I rely on fast dinner ideas and recipes to get me through the work week. Sure I could stop at the amazing and no fail Wawa for dinner, but that would be A.) a waste of moolah and B.) Calorie laden.

Tonight on my train ride home, I mentally scoured my fridge and decided what I would make for dinner.

Left over Chicken Quesodillas! Get it? Queso? Where are my spanish speakin' friends!?

This literally took me 5 mintues to make. After all, I rolled in the door at 8:30 and was ready to either eat my arm off, or eat truffles for dinner. Neither seemed totally satisfying.

Step 1 :I took an onion I had in the pantry and satueed it up with a little Filippo Berio Olive Oil (ps its the only brand I'll buy) and Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning. The fiesta lime was perfect because the rest of my ingredients were a little drab and needed a kick!

Step 2: I added some of my roasted chicken from saturday to the pan just to warm up the chicken and added a few more shakes of fiesta lime.

Step 3: In another skillet I sprayed a whole wheat tortilla with olive oil spray and placed in the pan to crisp. I added a few pieces of Muenster cheese and put my chicky and onion mix on top. I topped it with another tortilla, flipped it once and voila! A delicious and filling meal in 5 min!

Top that sucka with a little taco sauce...now that is a fast weeknight meal!  I'm off to catch up on Glee and snuggle into bed.

Question of the night: Do you have any fast recipes for weeknight dinners? Share with me!! Send me the recipe and a picture and maybe you could be my first guest post!!

Hello!! Hope you are enjoying a lazy Sunday. :)

Yesterday flew by which is not unusual for my Saturdays.

Just look at my to do list:
- Clean my apartment
- Clean for my parents (they're away on vacay)
- laundry
- grocery store
- walk the dogs
- go for a run
- wash my car
- go to Home Goods 

I didn't accomplish everything on the list, so today was an overflow day. I still felt pretty accomplished.

After running errands and doing chores all day yesterday, the BF and I decided to have dinner at my parents(since we were house sitting) and catch up on more Mad Men. 

I <3 cooking in my mom's kitchen! It is roomy and the layout is amazing! I have so many great memories cooking there with my mom and sisters :) I hope that I have a kitchen just like it someday.

Last night's menu was healthy, easy and oh so tasty!! I made Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken with steamed brussel sprouts and roasted red potatoes. This is one of the BF's favorite meals and one I need to repeat more often! The chicken recipe comes from my friend Laura and it is AHH-MAZE-ING 

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken (aka Change your Life Chicken)
Yield: 3 lb bird- for a 6lb roaster double the recipe

3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp of dried rosemary
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 lemon - cut into quarters

Take the bag o' innards out of the chicken. Wash the chicken inside and out and place in a roasting pan. Preheat the oven according to the cooking instructions on the bird.

Then mix together the soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, dried rosemary and minced garlic. Use a basting brush and brush all over the chicken. Cut the lemon into quarters and stuff into chicken. Place chicken in the oven and roast uncovered.

Baste every 30 minutes. Do not open the oven other than to baste the chicken. This will be the ticket to moist meat.

The theme for the night was roasted with brussel sprouts and roasted potatoes. This is a great meal that looks like much more work than it actually is! Definitely a keep for company! In fact, we both went back for seconds. 

And it looks like someone else wants in on the action ;) 

Serious concentration

Now I'm going to go enjoy watching the Academy Awards with my furry friends :) Does the weekend have to end so soon?

Question of the Day: Do you have a go to recipe for guests?

And cannot wait to do this (notice tongue sticking out)

Hey Blog friends! I am so sorry for being MIA for the last few days. This weekend was one I wanted to savor first hand and not through a camera lens. This weekend my family and close friends traveled the 3.5 hours (or more) to see 708 Penn Staters hit the dance floor for kids with pediatric cancer. This weekend was the 38th annual Penn State Dance Marathon in State College, PA.

WHAT IS THON?
THON is short for Penn State Dance Marathon, the largest student run philanthropy in the world! THON is a 46 hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon the students of Penn State started in 1973. Then there were 29 dance couples. Today there are more than 700 students that compete for the chance to scarific their bodies so that they can raise funds for the Four Diamonds Fund that supports families seeking treatment out of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. THON covers everything for the families that insurance doesn't. THON covers food vouchers at the hospital to gas money to get them to treatment. THON has allowed families to embrace their children instead of worry about their medical expenses.



My THON experience
My family has been active in THON since my junior year of college in 2006. I was a moraler, my job was to make sure my dancer was taken care of from activities to pass the time, to foot massages, to bringing them whatever food craving they had at 3am. My younger sister Lauren was a freshman and a dancer that year, and thus our family's love affair began with a truly amazing cause.

In 2007, as a senior in college, I had earned the opportunity to dance. It was the most emotionally and physically challenging experience of my life. Bar. None. It was also one of the best experiences. I have tried to explain the phonemonon that is THON, however you cannot truly know the feeling of palpable love and commorotidy until you enter the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday. Sunday is the hardest day as a dancer, and it also the day the Four Diamond families, tell their story and remind you that you are standing for a child. Some are stories of triumph, and others of loss. Each and every one hit you at your core.

Two years after I danced, a Four Diamonds father, Mike McCauley spoke about his son Lachlan's battle with cancer. As a dancer, and THON participant the parent speeches especially resonate with you, they are speaking to you, because every one of the 15,000 students involved has aided in THON's success. You can watch Mike's speech below. 

I never thought I would have the chance to tell him how much his speech touched me. Until the following year when I had the honor to run with him for HOPE Express. Hope Express are a group of 15 runners that run 135 miles in 24 hours. They run from Hershey Medical Center to THON in State College. Their mission: To bridge the gap between the children's cancer wing (named Marathon Ave) to Dance Marathon.

THON 2011- TOGETHER WITHOUT LIMITS
For THON 2011, my familiy realized Together we have No Limits. My youngest sister Megan had fundraised and applied to dance for Penn State Altoona. Her fellow dancing partners, Matt, Ian (a former 4 diamonds child!) and Mary were truly strong and amazing kids. The personal strength they showed this past weekend was that of cancer warriors. 

Altoona participants raised a total of $89,000 dollars this year, from October- February. This was the highest Altoona has EVER raised and also landed them at the top of the commonwealth campuses. I am so proud of my sister, just writing this brings tears to my eyes. She has truly embraced the cornerstones of THON (courage, wisdom, honesty and strength).

Penn State Student raised a total of $9.5 MILLION DOLLARS all for the kids. As a Penn State Alum I could not be more proud of my alma mater and sister and all of the students who dedicated their time and money for this incredible cause. 

So now if someone asks you "What is THON?" You know the answer. THON is love.

You can still donate today at www.THON.org. Check it out to see what its all about, and learn what we mean when we say WE ARE.....PENN STATE!

Now I will not pretend that my life stress is at all like HTP's. She's writing a book, moonlighting as the hub's secretary on top of being a full time blogger. My hat goes off to her for her coolness and positivity through it all. 

Stress is a touchy subject for many people to discuss. My stress is not the same as a business owner's, or as a new mother's or that of a college student cramming for final exams. Stress is unique to each of us, and that includes the techniques we use to diffuse the feeling. I refuse to use the words "coping mechanisms" - I feel it negatively connotates finding a solution and steers away from self-reflection to find answers to the stress.

Before I provide my personal advice on how I cope with stress, there are a few background facts you should know about me. I deal better with work related stress than I do with emotional stress. I am able to turn off work the minute I step off the train at the end of the day (most times). Trying to maintain the balance of work-life balance aids in diffusing my 'everyday' stress. Emotional stress on the other hand will cause me to physically feel sick, tired and disoriented.

But enough with the negative and onto the positive. Stress is temporary. 
So when the heat is on, I go these 5 stress relievers:

1. I ask myself Is this self induced?  - I have always been a worrier and admittedly, I sometimes bring on stress when it is unnecessary. Before getting (too) carried away, I ask, is this something I have control over? If so, what can I do to improve the situation. If not- should I be 'wasting' my energy stressing over something I cannot change? (Ahem insert Serenity Prayer here)
 
2. Exercise- The BF likes to tease how much I talk about running, but really running became a part of my life when my stress was at it's highest. When I am running, its my "me" time. I'm not thinking about the BF, work, my blog, nothing. All I am focused on is my foot falls and breathing and how my body feels. And it is bliss. 

3. Deep breathe- I have read that deep breathing is an instant stress reliever. I often forget this tip and (sometimes) feel instant effects when I start to inhale and exhale deeply. It slows your heart rate, and also slows the rants sometimes spewing from my mouth. Deep belly breaths are God's gift to decompress.

4. Cooking- Surprise, surprise. I know your probably thinking "Yeah OOOOK" This is a different type of cooking I do when I am stressed. I am not like my sister Megan or Izzy from old school Grey's Anatomy. I don't fill my kitchen counters with cupcakes on a bad day. But I do make a mean casserole. The chopping and process is therapeutic for me - especially when I am cooking for only me. Its completely selfish and that's really what a stressful moment is right? 

Stress is usually about how a situation directly relates back to you.

5. Retreat- Pulling away from the world (for a day or night) is not always a negative act. For me, I work in an environment that I am constantly interacting with others. And I love it! However, if I am stressed, I do love coming home to an apartment that is quiet and serene. I will certainly discuss whatever is stressing me out with those I trust and value, however sometimes its nice to take a step back, turn off the phone, and chat devices and reevaluate. Is this feeling worth it? Is this stress accomplishing anything productive? and of course Is there a new episode of Glee to steal my attention and change my mood? Yes? Great!

I cannot say these are cure- all or even slightly helpful for anyone, but they help me.

Stress (and the tricks for relief) are unique to each individual and situation. My mantra for a stressful day comes from the wise Leo Babauta of Zen Habits "Smile, Breathe Deep and Go Slowly"

Question of the Day: How do you de-stress? Is there a "go-to" plan you rely on when the world seems a little darker? This too shall pass my friends:)

Enjoy a relaxing evening!

Happy Valentine's Day!! I hope that someone you love (boyfriend, girlfriend, friend, family member) tells you they love you.

Much love to all my friends, family and of course you readers! You are helping a dream of mine come true by reading this blog. LOVE YOU! <3

On Valentine's Day, the first people I think of are my grandparents. As I was growing up my grandmother always made a point to send my brother and sisters valentines even though they were our neighbors. You see for my grandparents, Valentine's Day was special and marked the anniversary of their engagement. As the story goes, my grandfather showed up at my grandmother's house on Valentine's Day (for what she thought was their V-Day date). However, in his hand was a box containing a taffy and ring. He proposed in her family's living room with everyone listening in the other room. She always used to giggle when telling the story :)

They were married for 51 years before my grandmother passed. I can only hope that I have a "Lollipop love" like theirs, starting with a simple taffy and strong enough to hold the test of time.

Now for me Valentine's Day isn't all about love. What kind of food blogger would I be without a little sweet treat for ya'll? :)  Megan and I went to town this weekend creating Jessica's recipe for homemade truffles. And all I can say is WOW. They did NOT disappoint. In fact, they may or may not have been my breakfast.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry and Vanilla Truffles - (adapted from How Sweet it is)

Ingredients:
1 box of Pillsbury Strawberry or Vanilla Cake mix - (prepared and baked)
1 container of Duncan Hines Cream cheese Frosting (per cake)
8 oz. chocolate (can be dark, milk, white or a variety)
Sprinkles for decoration


Prepare cake batter and bake as directed. I used a 9 x 13 cake pan for fast baking time.

Once cake has cooled, scoop it out of the cake pan and into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add frosting and mix on low to medium speed until soft dough forms. This can also be done by hand, but may not be mixed as well and will take longer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Roll in 1-inch balls and place on parchment paper laying on a sheet pan. Freeze the balls for at least 1 hour.

Right before removing, melt chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave (if in the microwave, melt in 30 second increments until melted completely- chocolate burns quickly). Using a spoon, dip balls in chocolate and gently flip it around, just until coated. Lift it out with the spoon, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off. Decorate as desired, refrigerating immediately after for at least a few minutes.

Hope you all enjoy a sweet treat today!

Question of the Day: Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day? Or do you consider this a "Hallmark Holiday"?

I would like to tell you that I am not the girl that is all sappy around Valentine's day and that I treat the holiday like every other day. But that would be a blatant lie. I love telling those around me how much they mean :) And this weekend was a great kick off to Monday.

Yesterday my youngest sister Megan and I had the opporutnity to spend some serious quality time with each other. She came home to cut her hair and donate it to Wigs for Kids.Wigs for Kids is a non-profit organization that takes all the donations and uses them to create wigs for kids with pediatric cancer. Because Megan is dancing in THON next weekend, she decided to take her contributions to a whole new level. We are so proud of her as THON alums and supporters!

The Before:

Beautiful girl! 

I am so proud of her! Too often we focus on our physical appearance. She said to the women at the salon "My hair will grow back. I'm giving a little girl the chance to braid her own hair" 

Now I am off to share some delicious truffles with the BF while catching up on Mad Men. Don't worry I'll share the recipe tomorrow ;)

Question of the Day: Would you cut off all of your hair like Megan? I know I would need mine to be significantly longer before I did but am thinking about it for next year ;)

Hello Blog Friends! It's been too long! 

Thursday night my coworkers and I were treated to a great dinner at Dandelion Pub, the new Steven Starr restaurant in Philadelphia. 

The BF and I had walked in about a month prior but scooted out the door when we saw the crowds. This hot Brittish Pub is no garden weed! It was fantastic.

The group ordered a variety of foods, everything from the British style fish and chips, to Duck Bolognese.  I settled on the slow-roast pork belly on a bed of green lentils. I am not typically someone who orders pork, ever, so my expectations were high and Steven Starr delivered.

We finished the meal with a variety of desserts. My favorite was the carrot cake and the chocolate pot. Sorry the lighting was terrible! 

After we had stuffed our little faces, we headed over to the Sofitel to celebrate with business partner Ali. We really had such a wonderful time laughing and sipping some bubbly. Thanks again Ali!! :)

Needless to say, I am not 21 anymore so staying up late for a few (read:many) cocktails put me out of commission Friday night other than a little Jules action with the BF

Now I am enjoying my Saturday with my sister baking truffles and watching cupcake wars!! Get excited about the Valentine's day post to come ;)

Some week just feel longer than others. Maybe because I know my next 2 weeks will only have 4 works days? Maybe its the winter weather. Maybe I just need to get over the hump of the week.

I'm a planner. I enjoy planning my week from meals to miles run. And this week is a little bit lighter in the miles department. I need the lightening in the meals department to follow. Truth be told, I have been more unhealthy than usual and maybe getting over the junk food hump will start tomorrow. (Def doesn't help that Valentine's Day is on the horizon!)

There are a few things that I try to work with in order to get over the "this week is really long and my jeans are kinda tight" blues.

1. Plan my runs and stick to the plan. This week I plan to run Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday. I know that I my body (knees) can only handle 3-4 runs a week so I'm sticking to a schedule so I can run Broad Street in May. More on the training plan to come.
2. Plan my meals and stick to them. I plan my meals every morning. I'm a big lunch packer and so I can control my budget and calories eaten. That doesn't mean I'd quickly toss my sammie for a delicious cup of creamy (calorie laden soup)

3. And when I am stressed, I always will go for a good laugh. Wednesdays usually means Modern Family which is always good for a laugh- or if you're really desperate, go to hulu.com, click on Always Sunny in Philadelphia and prepare to laugh.

I can only imagine the hits I'll be getting on this blog post. No it is not that eggs and legs! 

Tonight there was a Valentine's miracle and the trains were running on time! This meant I was home at 6:30!! I grabbed a few pretzels before suiting up for my run.

It was a bit chilly (read: FREEZING) out there tonight so I layered up a little thicker than usual.

Since the sidewalks were clear I did cover some good ground! 3.3 miles in 35 minutes.

I'm pretty postitive my rough day and red-headed temper carried me through about 3 miles of it :) Wind and all.

The good news is, I got home just in time for Glee <3 

 I decided to make dinner on the commerical break and Julie's egg sandwiches sparked a craving. Bagel thins = best creations ever. Now if only the Bagel Barrel down the street could follow suit.... 

Breakfast for dinner was a good decision at the time, but now I'm feeling slightly ill. Uh-oh. I hope being around my mama this weekend didn't spread the flu to me! :(

On that note I'm off to bed early. Not to worry blog friends- I have some hot topic posts coming your way this week. Get.Excited.

G'nite!