Wedding Wonders

Happy Thursday!

Today, we're celebrating all things vintage and vintage-inspired. I love the combination of old things with new life together. 

Also, this post is dedicated to my sweet friend, Elizabeth Dew, who will be walking down the aisle on the arm of her father in 3 short days.

A picture.

A cake.

A dress.

A ring.

A flower.

An idea.

Cheers.

Eat Your Vegetables.

Take a walk down memory lane and picture yourself as a child, sitting at the dinner table. Remember all those foods that you used to sneak off your plate and under the table to the happy dog waiting underneath (assuming that doesn't just happen in the movies)?

Well, you may want to rethink those brussel sprouts. 

 A new study suggests that those vegetables and fruits which tend to leave a bitter or acidic aftertaste (brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, red wine, dark chocolate, etc) are likely HIGH in phytonutrients, which are important for disease prevention and MAY also be linked to cancer prevention as well! Pretty neat, right? 

Here's the link to an insightful article (from ScienceDaily.com) that discusses the results and implications of this study. 

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001128070121.htm

Happy Tuesday!

Memories on the Mountain

Last weekend, Kyle and I joined six beautiful friends for an early Thanksgiving in the mountains. Two of the couples, the Clarks and the Smiths, are dear friends of ours from college, and we were so blessed to spend time with them again. The third couple, Billy and Lauren, are new friends that we met for the first time last Friday. 

Kyle and I had an A-MAZING time. When we agreed to go on the trip, I second-guessed myself several times, thinking that two nights in Tennessee might not be worth the six-hour drive. 

I was very, very wrong.

What amazed me most about our time in the mountains is how little how changed between us. In college, we were full-time students with no jobs, little responsibility, and no idea where we'd be in 10, 5, or even 2 years. Fast forward to 2011, and we have wedding rings, careers, homes, and lives that are vastly different from the world that we lived in two years ago. And yet, despite all that change, we came together for three days, and I felt like I was back in Oxford, Mississippi. Football was watched. Settlers was played. Laughs were plentiful. Life was beautiful. 

Below, I've added a few of my very favorite pictures from the weekend. I can't help but smile as I look at these pictures and think about all of the wonderful memories we made in college, in the mountains this past weekend, and those that we're sure to make for years to come. 

Pretty sappy, yes? I can't help it.

Driving to Tennessee.

Yep, that's me. Bungee jumping.

At the Pancake Pantry.

I love him.

This is what Fall looks like.

Our God is greater.

Lauren and Katy, getting ready for bobsledding.

Chris and Hayden, being awesome.

Kyle is pretty stoked.

Lauren and Billy

Katy and Charles

Hayden and Chris

Kyle and Me

Beautiful friends.

 

Beautiful life.

FITNESS FRIDAY: Words of Inspiration

On this beautiful Friday, I thought I'd post some of my most favorite fitness words of inspiration. I found most of them on Pinterest, of course, but the fourth one down came straight from the Fitness Together website! 

(In case you're not making a connection, Fitness Together is the AMAZING company for which I am so blessed to work.)

May they be

Inspiring.

Encouraging. 

Convicting.

Feeling like you should get off the couch yet? 

Don't just sit there. Do something about it.

Wedding Wonders

Black and white. It never gets old.

Happy Thursday!

A Picture. 

A Cake.

 A Dress. 

A Ring.

(Her fingerprint, his ring)

An Idea.

(Old pictures of the bride and groom on the bathroom doors)

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (Low Fat)

 We all love a warm bowl of soup on a cold Fall night, but let's face it - chicken noodle is getting old. So, to keep your palate healthy and happy, here's my favorite recipe for chicken and sausage gumbo. The best part? My recipe offers a low-fat spin on this Cajun staple.

 

THE GOODS:

1/2 lb Italian style Turkey sausage, thinly sliced (not pictured)

2 T oil, 3 T flour

1 large boneless chicken breast, cubed (not pictured)

14 oz can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

16 oz fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth

2 cups frozen cut okra

1-2 T Worcestershire

Black pepper & oregano to taste

 In a large pot, saute sausage in oil until lightly browned. Sprinkle 3 T flour evenly over sausage and saute until flour is browned, but not burned (this is your roux). Keep stirring! If you're not careful, the flour can burn. If needed, add a small amount of the chicken broth to prevent burning.

 Add chicken pieces and saute 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly until barely done. Stir in the chicken broth and mix well.

Once the mixture is consistent, stir in all remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, or until okra is done.  Feel free to turn down the heat and let it sit a little longer - gumbo always tastes better if you give it a little time to rest.

 My not-so-secret ingredient? Crushed red pepper!! Sprinkle a modest amount into the soup and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Fall in a Cup: My Favorite Wassail Recipe

Would you enjoy sipping on a warm, comforting beverage when it gets chilly outside? Would you like for your entire house to smell like apples, cinnamon, and cloves? Would you like to taste Fall?

Of course you would.

For these reasons and so many more, I thought I'd share with you my beloved wassail recipe. There are plentiful wassail recipes throughout the world wide web, but Kyle and I have been perfecting this one for nearly two years now. Unlike its Middle Aged ancestor, ours is a recipe free of alcohol and ginger; nevertheless, it is quite tasty and equally fragrant.

And a bonus? The longer it sits, the better it gets. Enjoy.

 THE GOODS:

1 gallon of sweet apple cider

1/2 to 1 canister of frozen lemonade concentrate (depending on how tart you'd like your wassail to be

6-8 cinnamon sticks

30-40 whole cloves

1/4 cup of Red Hots

2 apples, sliced (Not Pictured)

1 lemon, sliced (Not Pictured)

 Wassail is pretty much the easiest thing ever to cook. Mix all ingredients (except for apples and lemon slices) in a crock pot, set it on LOW, and let sit for at least 4 hours. 

At least.

 See all that yummy good-ness? Don't drink it yet! As I already noted, the longer you wait, the better. If using apples and lemon slices, add those to the mix about 1 hour before serving. The lemon juice from the lemonade concentrate should keep the apple slices from turning brown.

 Just before serving, we add a (sort of) secret ingredient to our wassail to bring all the flavors together...sugar-free vanilla syrup!! You know, the kind you add to lattes and such. The syrup helps to mellow the tartness of the lemonade concentrate, and it pairs really well with all of the spices in the wassail. I'd love to tell you just how much to add, but then our sort-of secret ingredient would cease to be a secret at all! A word of advice...don't go overboard. 

Mmmmm.