Foodie Friday – Corn Dip

A few weeks back we went to a friend’s house for a cookout, and she made this really tasty dip!  Hubby really liked it so we got the recipe from her to make it at home.  It’s SUPER easy and great for the summer!

Ingredients

2 cans chipotle white shoepeg corn, drained
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda
scallions, chopped
8-10 oz feta cheese

Directions
Dump everything into a large bowl and mix together. 


Refrigerate and enjoy cold with Tostitos Scoops!

I personally don’t think you need that much sugar.  I only put 1/4 cup in this batch.  It sweetened it up a little but not too much.  I can’t wait to munch on this over the weekend!

You could also add tomatoes to it (hubby isn’t a huge fan of tomatoes so I kindly left those out).

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Until next time,

LiveJournal Tags: Foodie Friday,Tostitos,corn dip,summer

Tails on the Trails 5k recap

Last Saturday Guinness and I headed to Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville to run our very first 5k together!

I decided to go all neon (really, I just wanted to wear these fun Pro Compression socks)

Since it was going to take us close to an hour to get there, I wanted to make sure we weren’t rushing and had plenty of time.  Guinness was not feeling the 6 a.m. wake up call -

A little background on the organization from their website -

You lucky dog rescue is a IRC 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of homeless and abandoned dogs from the high-kill shelters of North Georgia.

We believe it is our moral responsibility to save, protect, and improve the lives of these dogs through the help of committed volunteers, foster homes, donors, local veterinarians, and trainers. We strive to re-introduce these dogs to society, assess their individual needs, and provide them with a loving temporary home while matching them with only the best, carefully screened forever homes.

I have volunteered for this amazing organization a couple of times and hope to do so more in the near future.  The dedication of the volunteers and fosters is impeccable and I was happy to participate in a race that gave back to a cause that I feel so strongly for.

The race was super easy to get to and very well organized.  Guinness and I met up with my friend, Ramona, her boyfriend, and some of her friends from their weekly running group.  We chatted a bit and then headed to the start line.  Guinness and I started toward the back so we didn’t get in the way of those running solo.

And we were off!  The course was very shaded, but quite hilly.  I did enjoy the course though.  Guinness did great!  He’s still learning how to run on the leash and needs a little guidance, but that comes with time.

Ramona was nice enough to snap some pictures of us making our way to the finish line (and we were running even though it looks like we’re walking) :P

Once we finished we hung out in the shade for a bit.

Ramona was pretty sure that she placed in her age group, so we headed up to the pavilion to hear the winners announced.  Ramona got 2nd in her age group, and Guinness and I placed 3rd in ours!

 

Everyone in our mini group placed in their age group!

 
After the race we headed home, but not before a stop to get Guinness a special treat – a celebratory beer!

Once we got home, Guinness did a lot of this for the rest of the day -

He was spent!

The race had a great race packet, and I really loved the race shirt!

They even included a treat for the pups :) 

I’m already looking forward to this race next year.  If you’re looking for a dog to adopt, check out You Lucky Dog Rescue.  They have some fantastic dogs looking for a “fur”-ever home!

What’s your favorite cause to run for?

Until next time,

LiveJournal Tags: You Lucky Dog rescue,5k,dogs,rescues,pro compression,dog adoptions

Weekly Workouts – May 27-June 1

I had another decent week of activeness :)

Tuesday
1.5 mile family walk around the neighborhood

Wednesday
30 minute arm workout in the gym followed by a very humid one mile run with Guinness when I got home

Thursday
Rest

Friday
2 mile run on the treadmill

Saturday
Guinness ran his first official 5k with me!  Blog post coming later this week

Sunday
Rest, did work around the house

I’m ready to gear up for another week, and I’m hoping to try something new! (Eeek!)

Until next time,

Weekly Workouts – May 19-26

I totally kept forgetting to post last week’s workouts, so instead of Foodie Friday we are doing my Weekly Workouts.  Foodie Friday will return next week!

I’m back on the bandwagon folks!

I’ve sat on the sidelines and made excuses for way too long.  I’ve got some runs coming up that I want to be prepared for, and it’s not gonna happen sitting on the couch!

Monday – had a girls sushi night with a friend, so no workout

Tuesday – 2 mile run with Guinness
 

Wednesday – 30 minute arm workout followed by a 1 mile run with Guinness once I got home

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Arms and abs in the gym, followed by a 1 mile run when I got home

Saturday – 1 mile walk around the neighborhood with Guinness and hubby

Sunday – 2 mile run…trying out some new intervals

Monday – 2 mile run with my friend, Zoila!

I feel I had a good week of training and I’m ready to hit it again this week!

Until next time,

LiveJournal Tags: Weekly Workouts

29 Questions

So my friend Brooke over at Sweats and Sweets tagged me in this post, so I thought “what the hell…I need to blog more”, and it might tell you a little about me, too! :)

1. What are you wearing?

Braves shirt, gym shorts, flip flops

2. Ever been in love?

Yep!  I married him :)

3. Ever had a terrible breakup?

Yep, but good riddance

4. How tall are you?

5 feet, 9 inches.

5. How much do you weigh?

#*& pounds :P.

6. Any tattoos?

2 total.

7.  Any piercings?

The ears.

8. Favorite song?

Right now I am loving Pharrell’s “Happy”…but who doesn’t??

9. Qualities you’d look for in a partner?

Honesty and trust.

10.  Favorite quote?

My pace, my race

11. Favorite actor?

I don’t really have one…

12. Loud music or soft?

It all depends on my mood and what I’m doing

13. Where do you go when you’re sad?

For a run or cuddle with Guinness

14.  How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning?

30 minutes.

15. Every been in a physical fight?

Nope.

16. Turn on?

A soft touch.

17.  Turn off?

Arrogance.

18.  Fears?

Failure, death

19.  Last thing that made you cry?

The thought of having to turn a found dog over to animal control (I found his owners thank goodness!)

20. Last time you said you loved someone?

Today to hubby before leaving for a lunch date

21. Meaning behind your YouTube name?

i don’t even know what my YouTube name is!

22. The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

She’s a good friend

23. Favorite food?

Mexican and Chinese….and pasta….and pizza….

24.  Place you want to visit?

Italy

25.  Do you have a crush?

Just the hubby

26. Last time you kissed someone?

Hubby about 2 hours ago

27. Last time you were insulted?

Everyday :P

28.  Favorite piece of jewelry?

Wedding rings and my necklace

29. Who should answer these questions next?

Whoever wants to! :P

Until next time,

Foodie Friday – Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This is one of my absolute FAVORITE summer treats.  The term ‘salad’ is used pretty loosely, as I would call it more like a dessert casserole maybe?  At any rate, I get excited every time my mom makes it :)

When hubby and I were discussing on our menu for Mother’s Day, I suggested this dish.  It’s my first shot making it so I had to call my mom and verify a couple of things, but overall it wasn’t bad for my first go at it.  I have a feeling I’ll be making it more as the summer goes along :)

Ingredients
3/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels (don’t crush too fine)
2 cups boiling water
1 large package strawberry jello (I used sugar free)
1 lb package frozen, slightly thawed strawberries
8 oz package cream cheese (I used 1/3 fat)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 small container Cool Whip (I used light)

Directions
1.  Combine margarine, brown sugar, and pretzels.  Mix well.  Pour into lightly buttered 9x13” dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool completely.

2.  Dissolve Jell-o in water.  While hot, add chilled strawberries.  Cool in refrigerator until mixture begins to set (around 2 hours).  Stir occasionally.

3.  Cream the cream cheese with the sugar and fold in whipped cream.

4.  Spread cream cheese mixture over COOLED crust.

5.  When Jell-0 mixture begins to set, pour it over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
6.  Refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight.  It’s best if you eat it within a couple of days before the pretzels get too soggy on the bottom.

It was a big hit and not too shabby for my first try!  Definitely a crowd pleaser :)

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

What dessert do you look forward to enjoying during the summer?

Until next time,

LiveJournal Tags: Foodie Friday,strawberries,recipe,Mother's Day

Anniversary Trip

Hubby and I have been married 5 years now…my how the time flies by!

(photos by David and Jess Photography)
We got married on Pensacola Beach and have returned every year for the past 5 years to celebrate our anniversary.  This year was no different!
We started off our anniversary with breakfast at the Bodacious Brew, a new coffee shop and breakfast place I found that I wanted to try.  The Bodacious Grits were great, and ya gotta love latte art :)

After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel hubby had stayed in the night before (he did some business down in FL and I had flown in that morning).  We checked out and headed over to Jackson’s Steakhouse, where we met my friend, Kristin, for lunch.  Why did we choose this restaurant?  The first martini is on the house at lunch…that’s enough to rope us in!

After lunch we said goodbye to Kristin and headed to the beach for awhile.

We finally checked into our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express Pensacola Beach, at around 5 and got ready to head to our anniversary dinner at The Global Grill.  Hubby is always trying to get me to try new foods (I can be a little picky…) and he definitely succeeded at dinner.  We had sheepshead fish, Carpaccio, Brussels sprouts in a Gouda cheese sauce, and….
  
Rabbit livers.  Yes, I said rabbit livers.  I was VERY hesitant, but our waiter insisted it was one of the best things on the menu and explained to me how they were prepared, so I reluctantly agreed.  But…they were actually really good!  They soak them in buttermilk which helps to pull a lot of the gamey flavors out of it, breaded them in cornmeal and fried them, then put them on a thin crouton with an aioli sauce.  I think I even ate 3 of them.  And for dessert, carrot cake with pumpkin ice cream.

If you’re ever in the Pensacola area, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant.  Just be sure you make reservations…it stays full every night.
Saturday we got up and headed out to the beach for the morning.  We had a late lunch at a new restaurant on Pensacola Beach, Red Fish Blue Fish
 
Then we headed to see the Pensacola Blue Wahoo's play the Mississippi Braves in some Double A minor league baseball!

We were the ONLY ones in the stadium cheering for the Braves, but they won!
 
Sunday morning we packed up and headed to lunch at hubby’s favorite restaurant, Peg Leg Pete’s.  He was still on the kick of making me try things, so he ordered a half dozen Buffalo Blue baked oysters.

They weren’t half bad :)  I had red beans and rice and he had a fish sandwich.  After lunch we headed home.  We lucked out and had gorgeous weather the entire time we were there and missed the heavy rains and flooding by 2 days!  I’m already looking forward to heading back next year.
Do you have an anniversary tradition with your significant other?
Until next time,
 

LiveJournal Tags: anniversary,Pensacola Beach,Mississippi Braves,Pensacola Blue Wahoos,Bodacious Brew,Jackson's Steakhouse,Holiday Inn Express,The Global Grill,Red Fish Blue Fish,Peg Leg Pete's,vacation,beach