Happy Spring

I have been terrible about blogging lately. I get behind, and then I don't know where to start again, so I put it off and then here I am... one measly picture and nothing interesting to say. I vow to blog more often than I have been - especially since Taylor keeps bugging me about how I never blog anymore. So here's to Spring, new blog posts ahead, and basketball season(unfortunately) not taking over all my free time. xoxo

COLOR is what's trending

Can anyone tell I have Spring fever?

Worth the calories...

This morning my parents came to visit for brunch, which was the perfect way to spend my Sunday. I made homemade hash browns, bacon and spinach quiche, and of course I had to stop and get fresh Bruegger's bagels from around the corner. It was my first attempt ever at making a quiche, and with my dad being the tough food critic he is, I was definitely up for a challenge. Hate to brag, but it was darn good. I wanted to share the recipe because it's so easy and delish, and you don't have to be Wolfgang Puck for this to turn out amazing.

You will need:

-8 oz bacon

-1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie crust (frozen section)

-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-3 tbspns all-purpose flour

-5 eggs lightly beaten

-1 1/2 cups half & half

-1/2 cup diced onion

-1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained of all water

Directions: 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. 

-Let frozen crust thaw out for about 10-15 minutes. Poke holes in bottom and sides of crust and bake by itself for 5 minutes. Sprinkle bacon inside of crust. In a small bowl, combine Cheddar cheese and flour. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, cream, onion and spinach. Combine both mixtures; stir well. Pour mixture into pie crust. Garnish top with any leftover bacon crumbles.

-Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

 

Sitting in bed in my freshly cleaned sheets, feeling thankful. Thankful for a warm bed to snuggle up in and soft pillow to rest my head on tonight. Thankful to be safe and rested and clean and warm. I'm thankful for many things, but right now it's merely the simplicity of falling asleep tonight in clean sheets right where I belong. It's true, we should all take a moment to smell the roses, or the fabric softener - either one.

To my little brother

Just heard this song and it made me think of one thing: when my little brother was a toddler and this was his favorite song and only knew the chorus. My friends are probably thinking that description sounds a lot like me now. His version went like this:

It's sumfin unpwedictable
In the end is right
I hope you have da tiiIIIiiime of yer lifeeee.

x 5,000

Joseph, you will be 18 in less than a month and not only do you know all the words to this song, but you can play it on the guitar perfectly. Even though I get on your nerves probably more than you get on mine, we will always be pals. However, I will always need to borrow some sweat pants when I'm home, and will always ask you to be my slave and get me something to drink whenever I'm thirsty. At 23, I am still not above being completely helpless the second I plop down on the couch. The dirty looks may stop eventually, but I wouldn't count on it. And I will probably always punch your arm with my bony knuckles every time I walk by you. Get used to it. 


BUT

I am proud of you and hope your are proud of yourself. Most importantly I don't ever want you to think you aren't good enough for whatever life has to offer. It's all yours if you want it badly enough. Please know there aren't shortcuts to great things, and if going far in life were easy, everyone would be doing it. Be that leader that mom always instilled in us, and never get mad at the obstacles that get in the way. Learn to embrace them and know that those are the moments that define us. You will be challenged and hurt at times, but it's important to get back up and dust yourself off. Always offer a hand, even to your worst enemy, and expect nothing in return. It's not about what you get, it's about what you give. And lastly, in all things you do, no matter who you're with or where you are, I hope you have the time of your life.

Love,
your big sister

Rainy Day

Today was such a rainy, dreary day. At work, all we talked about was how we all longed for our sweat pants and the remote in the comfort of our own living rooms, sheltered from the falling sky. I walked in from lunch, practically soaked, despite my best effort to shield myself with my umbrella on my walk from the parking lot. Of course I managed to lose my balance in the midst of dodging puddles on the uneven sidewalk, and planted my feet right in a nice cold puddle the size of Texas. Great. Soggy flats and frizzy hair was the best way to describe the rest of my day. 

Despite trudging into my office, sopping wet, wanting nothing more than to be moseyed up at home with a hot cup of chai tea, I appreciate days like today. Sometimes, that slowness of those rainy days is what keeps us grounded. We complain about how ugly it is out and how wet and cold it is, but at the end of the day when we are finally rewarded with sweat pants and a good dinner and a hot shower, we appreciate these little things a tad bit more than usual. I had the most relaxing evening making dinner, doing an ab workout, and finding my little nook at the end of the couch with my laptop and an over-sized sweatshirt. A lot of times, my life is so busy I either don't have time to appreciate these little rewards of my day, or I just flat out overlook them.

So tonight when I snuggle up in bed, I'll be sure to thank God twice for giving me the opportunity today to be patient and count my smaller blessings that I don't always count when the sun is shining and the warm breeze is blowing. It's easy to smile and skip on a bright sunny day, but there's never a rainbow without the rain.

Goodnight,

Jolene

It's all about the Fringe