Currently Reading

These are the books that I'm currently, or about to be reading. What have you been reading lately?

Going home: Childersburg/Roanoke edition

I'm a terrible blogger.  Sometimes I really feel the inspiration, and actually have the time to post.  Other times I'm just not into it at all.  I wish that I could become better, but I'm not going to make any promises.  This post is very long overdue.

Greg's dad is a UMC minister, and back in April he received a new appointment from the Bishop.  We found out that they would be moving to Roanoke, AL come June.  Greg's parents have always been so great to come and help, or help us in other ways when we have had to move (SEVEN times) over the past 3 years.  So, there was no question of whether or not we would be there to help them.  We decided that Greg would drive down with the dogs on Sunday before the move, and I would work Monday and Tuesday and then fly down on Tuesday night.

Well, the Friday before Greg was supposed to go down, we got a call that a very close family friend had passed away.  They had asked Greg to come be a pallbearer, and I strongly felt like I needed to be there for Greg.  I called my boss to talk to her about it because it's always hard for me to ask for last minute time off because I know that means that one of them will more than likely have to take a day off from work to take care of the baby.  But, my boss is amazing, and she told me that I needed to go and be with Greg and the family.  (side note: I am continually thankful for the family that I work for because they are so wonderful to me.  I realize that there are many nannies who are in a less than positive work environment, and I hate that for them.  I feel blessed to be a part of their family everyday)

We ended up leaving together Saturday night after Greg got off work.  It was actually kind of nice to get there early because we were able to attend Greg's dad's last service and the pot luck lunch the church had afterward to honor them for their service.  Sunday afternoon I was exhausted!  I am so glad that I was able to take a nap because the visitation was that night, and I knew that we were going to be there for the whole thing.  It's always nice to see family friends, but I hate when it is at such a heartbreaking time.

Greg worked so hard the entire time we were there, and apparently the dogs did too.  HA!

I'll spare you all the packing details because there are a lot of them!  We got the Uhaul on Monday morning, and Greg packed it as tightly as he could before we had to leave to go to the funeral.  When we got back his parents told us that they were going to need a second Uhaul to get everything, and Greg wouldn't accept that we couldn't fit it all in one truck.  We got everything there in 4 car trips on Tuesday, the Uhaul and 4 cars on Wednesday.  It was crazy, but I don't know why I was surprised because moving is always insane.

Moving day!  We finally had everything loaded up!  

We did manage to squeeze a trip over to Atlanta in for a Braves game one night with Greg's parents.  I am really glad that we were able to go because I think we all needed a break from the craziness that is moving.

On Sunday, we went to both services at Roanoke FUMC.  It was really nice.  Everyone that we met was super friendly, and I think that it is going to be a really good fit for Ralph.  We are so happy for Ralph and Linda as they begin their new journey in Roanoke.

Side note: We don't have Sonics in Durham.  I was so excited about getting a Cherry Limeade!  

We brought a lot of Greg's stuff back with us, and bless the dogs for tolerating the fact that they had no where to sit.  

Zucchini Bread!

About a week ago I decided to make some zucchini bread because I had several zucchinis that were going to go bad if I didn't use them soon.  I asked a few people if they had any recipes that they loved, and I never really got a reply from anyone.  I decided to google and look around to see what I could find.  I found a recipe on  Allrecipes.com that was okay, but I thought I could make it healthier.  I made some good changes, and the result was super moist and delicious zucchini bread!  I was shocked at how much I liked it, and I was even more shocked at how much Greg liked it!

My healthier version of zucchini bread: 

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 3 eggs

- 1 cup applesauce

- 1/2- 3/4 cup brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

- 2 tsp. vanilla extract

- 2 cups grated zucchini (I just grated 4 medium-large zucchinis, it was probably more than 2 cups.  You don't have to strain it because the juice helps to keep the bread moist)

- 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

You sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon) together in one bowl.  Whisk the eggs, applesauce, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.  Next, fold in the zucchini and nuts.

This makes enough for two loaves, so split the batter between two buttered loaf pans.  Bake them for somewhere between 45-60 minutes depending on your oven.  I would start checking them, and you can stick a toothpick or knife in to see if they're done.  If the knife comes out clean then you are good to go, but if it comes out with batter on it then keep baking.

Your house/apartment is going to smell amazing.  I love the smell of spiced bread... This is super delicious.  It's also a good way to get vegetables in your kids or picky spouse (ha!).  I hope that you enjoy it as much as Greg and I did!

Going home: Tuscaloosa edition

I made a last minute trip home to Alabama back in May.  The family that I nanny for was going to be gone for a week, and Mom was missing me (and wouldn't come to Durham)... So, I decided to go home for a few days.  It was a relatively short trip, Saturday-Wednesday, but it was certainly nice to see my family.

I had a pretty long layover in ATL, but it was actually a nice change from having to run to catch my next flight.  I enjoyed being able to get breakfast, and do some people watching.

I coordinated a family get together while I was home.  We met at one of my favorite restaurants, Jim 'n Nick's in Hoover.  To my surprise, everyone was actually able to make it.  Having everyone there certainly made it more fun, although we did all miss Greg.  I got to spend some time with my nephew, Justin.  He actually got to chew on his first rib bone!

Okay, so Jim 'N Nick's is actually Greg's favorite restaurant.  He was extremely jealous that we went to eat there without him.   

Here is me and sweet Justin.  I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with him! 

This is Alicia, Ben, me, Guy, Andrea, and Justin.  It's always great to get a picture of all of us together.

I also got to have dinner with my sweet friend, Mary.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture together.  It was one of the highlights of my trip home.  One of the hardest things about living so far away is that you don't get the opportunity to see you good friends on a regular basis.  I am always missing Mary, so it was especially nice to get together with her for dinner.

Mom, Dad and I went out to dinner at my all time favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa.  I absolutely love Depalmas.  I think the food is really good, and I love it's charm.

It's so cute!  I wish I had some pictures of the inside to show you.

I got one of the specials, and it was so good!  

Like always, it was really good to go home and see my family.  I wish that I could do it more often, and that Greg had been able to join me for this trip.  I was so glad to see my parents, siblings, and Mary!  We will be heading back to AL in a few weeks for a wedding, and maybe we will be able to see a few more people during that visit!

Sangria and Baked Brie!

When our friends were visiting, I decided that I'd make some sangria!  I had never made any before, and so I looked around at a bunch of different recipes to try and figure out how to make it.  I kind of picked parts from several different recipes, and this is what I came up with.  It was absolutely delicious!

The first step is to cut up all the fruit.  I used 2 lemons, 2 limes, 1 orange, 1 red apple, and one green apple.  You slice the citrus fruits and dice the apples.  Throw them in your pitcher.

Then you add the booze!  I decided to do a bottle of Spanish red wine (it's one of the cheapest bottles that I could find at Trader Joe's, all the recipes I read said to use cheap wine, so here you go).  Then I added a cup of orange flavored vodka and a cup of Triple Sec.  Then you should pop it into the fridge for several hours so that the fruit can soak up everything.  

This is the finished product.  We started drinking it, and I felt like it was missing something.  A few of the recipes mentioned adding something with bubbles like ginger ale or sprite.  Well, I didn't have any of those, but I did have a bottle of Prosecco.  I added a splash of that into each glass and it was perfect! Something worth mentioning, the fruit really soaks in the alcohol, so be prepared to be shocked when you take those first few bites of fruit.  It is seriously like taking a shot.  whew.  

Besides wine, one of my favorite things to buy at Trader Joe's is cheese.  They have very affordable cheese.  While I was there picking up the Spanish wine, I got some Brie and French bread.  This recipe is super easy and really delicious.  Put the Brie on a baking sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Also throw your sliced bread in there too, so that it can get crusty and toasty and delicious.  While the cheese and bread are cooking, toast some sliced almonds in a skillet.  When the cheese is good and oozy then pull it out of the oven, put it on the plate, throw the almonds on top and drizzle with honey.  NOM.  I mean, SO GOOD!

You should make both of these of your next get together.  I think that you should make a double batch of the Sangria if you are entertaining people.  YUM!  I hope that you guys enjoy this as much as we did.  Happy eating!

Friday Favorites: Currently Reading (or just finished)

I tend to go through spurts where I will read a lot in a short amount of time, and then I will take a break for 1-2 (well, maybe more) months.  I'm not sure exactly why it happens to me like that.  I've always wanted to be the type of person that reads at the end of the day, before I go to sleep.  I have just never been able to achieve that goal.  Recently, I have been successful at reading before bed and not staying up too late!  It all started with something that I'm kind of afraid to admit to all you blog readers out there...

50 Shades of Grey- I had seen a lot on twitter recently about this book.  I knew that there was going to a special on 20/20 with the author, and I had read some online about it.  I didn't know if I really wanted to read it.  It's about a recent college graduate who met a very successful business man, and there was an instant attraction.  She feels like she could fall in love with him, but he's into some serious stuff.... BDSM.  Now, that's not at all the kind of thing that I'm in to, so I have no clue why I was so drawn to this book.  I don't think it's fun or sexy, but I seriously could not put this book down.  I read the whole thing in 4 sittings over 5 days.  Now that it's over I'm debating about whether I should continue on with the trilogy, or if I should call it a day and be done with reading about freaky sex.  (HA!)

After flying through such a serious book, I needed something a little less intense.  I had bought this book right after it came out, but I just hadn't decided to pick it up.  I talked about Ree Drummond in my last Friday Favorites post.  I love her.  I love her food (in extreme moderation).  I love her blog.  I love her dog, Charlie.  I love the life that she lives.  I was very intrigued when this came out because I'm always wanting to know more about famous people that I like.  I also flew through this book, it was finished within a week.  It's her and her husband's love story.  It was so sweet and touching and heartbreaking and amazing.  I loved everything.  One reason I may have loved it so much is because it was simple, pure, and very sweet, which was a huge contrast to what I had just finished reading!  If you just want a sweet love story then you should pick this up.

Little Bee is another book that I picked up FOREVER ago, but after finishing the last book I was desperate to start reading something else right away.  I just started this one a few nights ago before bed. I have just read the first chapter, but I'm certainly intrigued!  I can't wait to get further into it.

I know that Little Bee is more on the serious side of things, so I decided that I needed to pick up something that was a little lighter to balance it with.  I couldn't resist picking this book up yesterday.  I'm already 60 pages in and I am seriously LOVING it.  I have already had several LOLs, and everyone that I have talked to that has read it highly recommends it.  I'll have to let you guys know how it goes.

There you have it!  Those are the books that I'm into right now.  I seriously cannot believe that I blogged about 50 Shades of Grey!  I feel like no one talks about reading it (at least I don't know one person that has told me they've read it), so maybe I broke the ice.  If you have read it, I want to know!  I hope that everyone has had a wonderful week!  I am planning on blogging with my Sangria and baked Brie recipe this weekend.

Scott and Kathleen visit!

Our very good friends Scott and Kathleen came to visit us this past weekend.  We had SO much fun, and it's always so good to see them!  They drove over on Thursday afternoon after they got off work.  Greg and I were so excited about their arrival that we both stayed up until 12:30 waiting on them to get here, and then we all stayed up an hour or so more talking.  If you know me, that's a pretty big deal (I tend to go to bed on the early side).

We did a lot of fun stuff on Friday.  First we went over to Duke Gardens.  It was so pretty!  We really enjoyed walking around and checking everything out, and then we walked over to Duke Chapel.  It is so gorgeous on the inside, and I think there were some organ students practicing in the Chapel.  I haven't been when the organ was being played, and so I just sat down to take it all in.

 Kathleen and I at Duke Gardens

Our handsome husbands 

The Gardens were beautiful!  I loved these flowers. 

Scott and Kathleen 

Me and the hubs.

The inside of Duke Chapel.  Isn't it gorgeous?!

After we walked back to the car, we headed over to one of my favorite lunch places in Durham, Foster's Market.  Scott and Kathleen had sandwiches, I had a salad, and Greg had a milkshake (of course).  When we finished eating, we headed home to catch a nap because we were all tired from the late night on Thursday.

Friday night we headed over to the American Tobacco Campus because they were starting their Music on the Lawn series.  We took a couple of blankets, and a bottle of wine for me and Kathleen.  The boys walked over to Mellow Mushroom and grabbed a pizza.  We had a really good time just hanging out and listening to the really good bluegrass band that played.  I think that was my favorite part of the weekend!

The Lucky Strike Tower is at the center of the American Tobacco Campus downtown.  The band plays right underneath it on the stage.  It's one of the big Durham landmarks.   

There were a lot of people there! 

I really love Bluegrass.  I think that Greg and I will become regulars at Music on the Lawn 

Scott and Kathleen really enjoyed it too!

Saturday morning, Scott and Kathleen went to meet some family friends for the Farmer's Market and brunch.  I just took it easy, and went out to run a few errands while they were gone.  Greg had to work a few hours that afternoon.  When they got back over to the house, we headed to Trader Joe's.  I absolutely love that place!

Saturday afternoon the boys went over to the driving range.  Kathleen and I had some sangria, and I made some baked brie with honey and almonds.  It was incredible!  I'll be posting the recipe later.  When the guys got back, Greg started getting the grill ready to cook dinner.  We had a pork tenderloin, grilled corn, grilled zucchini and squash.  It was delicious!  After dinner, we just hung out at the house, had some dessert, and played a few board games.

Absolutely delicious!!

Sunday morning we went to Watt's Grocery for brunch.  It was fantastic!  They had the best grits that I have ever had.  SO good!

Overall, I would say it was a great weekend and we had a wonderful visit.  We absolutely love Scott and Kathleen!  We are already planning a trip to Chicago in the fall to visit them.