Finish This: Week Seventeen

Joining the link-up fun with Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

My last growing pain was spiritually, probably last week when the Lord told me yet again that it's wonderful to be different from my friends and to stop comparing myself. My last physical growing pain was last night when my dance aerobics instructor led the longest 3 minute arm exercise ever!

I grow and nurture friendships by inviting people into my home and focusing on connecting our hearts, not just making sure they're physically comfortable. I tend to get task-oriented over people-oriented, so I have to be intentional about giving my whole self to the person or people I'm with.

The most guilt-free snack I enjoy most Veggie Straws!!! I blogged about them here, and I still love them. If you need some salty crunchiness, grab a bag of these. Or if you're craving something sweet, black bean brownies are a thing. Substitute black beans {drained and rinsed well} for the egg and oil and add it to a box of brownie mix. Stir it up and bake it for approximately 45 minutes {follow the guidelines on the brownie box}, maybe a little longer than the directions. It's really yummy and has a kind of cake texture.

The best reason to stay up all night ...hmm, I can't say that I've stayed up ALLLLL night, but I did stay up way later than usual to read both The Fault In Our Stars and Redeeming Love. Both I stopped, slept, and woke up and finished.
On New Year's Eve 2013, Cami and Samara and I stayed up until FOUR in the morning, just talking. Reading and talking with friends are probably the best reasons to stay up late, but even with a great book or great friends, 2am is this Cinderella's midnight and I turn into a pumpkin!

If I were stranded on a desert island, I'd hope and pray that I had a good book or six! Plus sunscreen, because holy moly I would be a lobster otherwise. Plus some mixed drinks, because reasons. Oh, and if my sisters or bestie or bosom friend could come, too, that'd be great.

If you want to Finish This, leave your answers in the comments or add your post to the link-up. See you next week!

This Won't Hurt A Bit

On Monday, I mentioned the Princess Diaries. Then my dear friend Victoria referred to the Princess Diaries in her hysterical post. I don't know how I'm going to bring Mia into this post, but I'm confident she'll fit in somewhere, because today I'm going to tell you a story. One time, I went to Washington D.C. and my friend pierced my ear in the hotel bathroom.

here's Mia!

I should back up. I specifically asked Whitney to pierce my cartilage, so she packed her piercing gun and I packed whiskey...just kidding, although now that I think about it, that would have been a great idea. Hindsight...

Anyway, we were in D.C. sweating like penguins in the desert and working for ye ol' Microsoft company. My friend used to work at Claire's and she still had her piercing gun, and I told her that I wanted her to pierce me, so she brought her gun. We got permission for her to come for a "sleepover" in my hotel room, and after we were settled in, we got down to business.

I put on my pajamas, because a) comfort and b) I didn't want to have to pull anything over my ear for a while. Whitney prepared her piercing gun and I prepared my heart... just kidding. But I did sit on the edge of the tub for a minute and breathe deeply. 

The most unnerving part was being able to watch everything happen in the mirror. Thank you, hotel bathrooms, for making sure that nothing was unnoticed. 

Whitney was ready. I was ready. She asked if I was ready. I told her I was ready. She made sure. I assured her. She counted down. I shut my eyes. I hope Whitney did not shut her eyes, but who's to know?

I'll spare you the needle gif

And just like that, my left cartilage was pierced! It was way less painful than I had expected, but then in the next couple weeks, it was more tender than I had expected. C'est la vie. 

I hope you've enjoyed this story time. If you've got a great piercing story to share, please let me know! But don't be gruesome, because I will faint. Poem series on that coming soon!

Happy Hump Day!

Monday's Musings

Bek, why do you title most posts with an alliteration? Where does this deep desire {there you go again} for similar sounds {and again} originate?

I have no idea, but I offer "The Princess Diaries" as a deeply important part of my foundational years, and she knows a good alliteration when she hears one.

via

Moving right along.

So what fun things happened and are going to happen? I will tell you! This is like a 7QT, but on a Monday with no link-up and more alcohol. 

This past weekend was full of birthday celebrations for Samara {yay, 24!}. Pizza, Notions, bacon, laughter, sangria, Grumpy Cat, and Miranda were all included. Proof's here. 

I tried a new drink on Friday: a Dublin Mule. My friend Julie and I went out for dinner a few weeks ago and she tried a Moscow Mule, which was quite wonderful, and this Dublin Mule did not disappoint. So we decided that we are going to have a Mule party and make our own Mule drinks. It's ok; you can be jealous.

"Call the Midwife" had sadness last week and it's making me nervous for this week's {meaning last night's} episode. My mom and I have been watching them together on Monday afternoons, so don't tell me what happens in Ep. 5, but know that after Ep. 4 I went home and turned on opera music and chopped up peppers for Mexican lasagna and was sorely depressed all evening.

My roomie arrives on Wednesday!!! It's going to be wonderful to have Catherine here, and our prayers are almost answered: the forecast for Thursday is in the eighties!! If you're not from the Pacific Northwest, that won't be a big deal for you, but for us to reach 81* on May 1st is a) wonderful and b) miraculous. So please keep praying for some lovely sunshine for us, and we'll post pictures as a thank-you.

Some friends and I are starting a book club for Sarah Bessey's Jesus Feminist. It's going to be amazing and I'm really excited for our first meeting in a few weeks. I'm going to try and re-read it before we meet, so be looking for a book review soon.

Yesterday I watched the first episode of Season Six of "The Office." Oh my goodness. Jim + Pam!!!! This show is my new binge, and I'm not ashamed! I give Samara updates from "the office world" and we both get kicks out of the pranks and antics on the show, even though I'm the only one watching it devotedly. Any other "Office" fans out there? What's your favorite scene from the show?

Finally, I'm thrilled to announce that Natalie and I will be blog swapping and interviewing each other in the next week or so {still have to nail down the deets}. It's been lovely to email and get to know one another in that special way that only the internet makes both entirely and not-at-all awkward. Tune in for a more formal announcement after we finalize a date - Natalie is so fun!

Happy Monday!

via

Funny Friday is Back! Scaredy Cat Edition

Try and contain your excitement - Funny Friday is back! Brace yourselves... literally, brace, because this post is about being scared by your flatmate. Coming back with a sha-bang!

Samara tells me on a semi-regular basis that she has extra adrenaline, and I believe her. I forget, but I believe her. She'll be making breakfast in the kitchen and I'll come down the hallway and say something really frightening like, "Good morning," and she'll jump and drop her toast. It's quite amusing, mainly because I never mean to scare her but she scares easily. {That's how the picture above relates: I'm the guy, minding my own business and going about normal activities, and Samara is the girl freaked out of her mind by my entrance.}

Last night was one of those nights that was awesome and hysterical and deep and profound and just plain groovy for besties {and that's all I'll tell you because I wouldn't be a good bestie if I told you everything, right?}. Samara and I were talking in my room and then we finally moved; she went to go clean her bathroom and I used my bathroom and then followed her to finish the conversation.

So I walked out of my bedroom ready to pick up our topic, but I didn't know where Samara was. The lights in both her room and bathroom were on, so I tried to see where she was. I turned my head from her bedroom towards her bathroom, but then there was a flash of light from her bedroom and SHE APPEARED with a casual "boo." 

I screamed. She laughed. We're best friends.

What happened was that she had tried to turn off her light but it flicked back on, and because of the angle of the wall, I hadn't seen her until she stepped forward. We both laughed {and continue to laugh} at ourselves because we never mean to scare one another; it just happens. 

Happy Friday, homies! Have a magnificent weekend, and try not to scare anyone.

A Real Live Cooking Post

Hold the phones! Bek is posting a recipe!!! And not just a recipe, but like an actual guide, with actual pictures, to show that she actually cooked!

Try not to be blown away by the tornado that is my own bragging.

Alright, here's what's up. I cook like maybe 3 meals that can actually be considered meals, as opposed to cooking meat and then adding an accessory dish {or not... I'm pretty low-key}. BUT! This recipe I got from Victoria at Happily Ever Strader and this is the second time I've made it!!! I figured that was such a big deal that I needed to blog about it. You're welcome. 

So here's the deal: Victoria's recipe is wonderful and I {mostly} followed all her steps the first time I made it. And this time, I kinda, um, forgot? skipped? didn't include all the steps/ingredients. The moral of the story is, Victora made some tweaks, I made some tweaks, and you'll probably make your own tweaks, so let's tweak {not twerk} away and eat yummy food, mmkay? 

I broke it down into ten steps. Wow, that's a lot of steps, Bek! Yes, but there are pictures and a running commentary, so I think you'll enjoy the read. hint hint it's a long read. Also, if you want the technical measurements and stuff, head to Victoria's post, because nary a measurement will be found here, but there's plenty of snarkiness to go around. And we begin. 

Ingredients:

• bell peppers {I used three because the grocer sells a three-pack. What can I say, I'm a sucker for things already in a bag.}
• half an onion
• can of corn
• can of black beans
• can of refried beans
• enchilada sauce {I've only tried mild because it's red, but if you try the medium or hot, do let me know how it is!}
• several handfuls of grated cheese {I have a bag of white and cheddar mixed; it's totes delish}
• 10-12 corn tortillas
• chicken {not found in Victoria's recipe - my own brilliance added that...because absolutely no one else could have come up with adding chicken to a dish}
• cumin 
• chili powder

Step One: Slice and dice those peppers! And the onion... but the onion isn't as colorful as the peppers, so it's only in like 2 pictures. While you're slicing and dicing, set a pan on your stove {about medium heat} and get it ready to saute those veggies.

Look at that yumminess!

Step Two: Once your veggies are cut and your pan is hot, add a teensy bit of oil to the pan and add your veggies. Sprinkle a bit of chili powder and cumin on them. You don't have to stir too much; just be careful not to burn anything. You want them browned, not completely blackened. Um, I found out the hard way that if you cut the onions into pieces that are significantly smaller than the peppers, they will cook MUCH faster. Just food for thought... get it?

Step Three: While your veggies are being sauted, open and drain the cans of corn and black beans. These are going to be sauted next. I got out a big bowl and had it ready to hold the peppers and onion while the corn and beans were on the stove. 

Oh, depending on how quickly or slowly your oven heats up, you may want to start preheating it now. 400 degrees is your goal.

Step Four: It's probably time to get the peppers and onions off the stove and put the corn and black beans in that same dish {yay for fewer dishes!}. Once you're on the second round of saute-ing, get out a 9x13 pan. Grease it. Grab your enchilada sauce {seriously, if you try medium or hot, tell me if you die of either happiness or heat stroke}. Spread some sauce over the bottom of your dish. I did a couple squirts up and down and then made sure to get the corners. 

Step Five: Stir your corn and beans. If you want to add cumin and chili powder to them, awesome. If not, awesome. No judgement here. Now open up your bag of tortillas {or grab them fresh from your oven, you pioneer woman you. No judgement.} and cut them into strips. They're going to cover the bottom of the pan. I think I used 3-4 for the bottom, and my strips were about as wide as my pinky and 2/3 as long. I know, I know, so technical. I'll stop, I promise. 

Step Six: Alright, the corn and beans are pretty much done, so add them to your bowl of veggies. Re-oil that pan {it's getting a workout tonight!} and put in some chicken. If you want to add the spices to the chicken, go for it. I did, and it turned out wonderfully. 

While your chicken is cooking, grab your bowl of peppers, onion, corn, and black beans. Half of that goes on your layer of tortillas. Just half. Trust me.

Step Seven: THE CHICKEN IS ON FIRE! Just kidding, but I made you check it, didn't I? Oops, it really is on fire. Well, cajun is a style of cooking, so we're good. Rollin' with the punches is what we do best, right?

Once your chicken is extinguished cooked, put it on top of the veggie layer in your pan. 

Step Eight: Alright, let's review our layers. There's the dish itself, obviously, and then there's some enchilada sauce, some tortilla strips, half your veggies {peppers, onion, corn, black beans}, and your freshly burnt cooked chicken. 

Now it's time for the refried beans. Victoria recommends adding some water to the beans so they spread easier, but I've tried it both without and with the water and I didn't notice a difference, so do whatever you want in order to spread the refried beans into your pan.

Is your oven on yet? 400 degrees, baby!

Step Nine: After the refried beans are spread nicely {or not so nicely - no judgement on how things go down in your kitchen. I definitely yelled at my refried beans, so don't feel bad if yours were pains in the drain also}, sprinkle some cheese over them. I find that the cheese covers up any deficits in the bean department, so be generous. 

Then cut up some more tortillas for another layer, squirt some more enchilada sauce on them, add the rest of your veggies, and top it all off with another round of cheese! Whew!

Your oven should be preheated and all toasty now!

Step Ten: Cover your dish with foil. Victoria has this clever trick where she sprays the foil with Pam before covering the dish, and that way nothing sticks to the foil. Try it; it's totes brilliant. Place the foil-covered dish in your 400 degree oven and set the timer for 15-20 minutes. The goal is for the cheese on top to be melted, so channel Tim Gunn and make it work. When the cheese is melted, hooray! Dinner's ready!

Ta da! Congratulations for sticking with it all the way to the end! Victoria's directions are probably way easier to follow and there's definitely less snark over on her blog, but if you've made it this far, a) you're my stalker-sister or b) you enjoy snark. Either way, I wish you well on your cooking endeavor!

Finish This: Week Sixteen

Linking up with Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

My favorite makeup item is Mary Kay's eye primer. I wrote about my love for this product back in February {actually, I wrote about a lot of products}, and this is still my favorite. One little tube lasts me about a year, so don't even worry about ROI.

The best book I've ever read was Les Miserables because only Victor Hugo can make me cry with his beautiful sentences...about the sewers of Paris. No lie, I would read this book in bed and would wake up my roomie with tears in my eyes: "Catherine, listen to this sentence!" Also, there is great love in this book, and I love reading about how fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, men, and women love each other and what they sacrifice for one another.

My favorite tv show is um, can you guess? Me neither. My favorite rotates between "Sherlock," "Doctor Who," and "Miranda." If we limit it to American television, then I'd say "Suits."

The most spontaneous thing I've ever done is dyed my hair purple. My friend Jessica said, "I want to do something wild," and after a few suggestions that were vetoed, I asked, "Like dye your hair purple?" She hesitated, "Mmm, no..." which meant I was close. "What about dye my hair purple?" And she exclaimed, "Yes! That's it! Do you mean it?" And I did, so we got AJ involved and used her sink and ta-da!

in process

from the back

all done!

I prefer dogs over cats because dogs actually like me back. Cats are such....{don't swear don't swear don't swear!} meanies. If you want a laugh and don't mind a wee bit of profanity, check out this video of dog-friends and cat-friends. It pretty much sums up why I will take a dog over a cat any day.

via

I met I'll meet my significant other as soon as God introduces us. Or as soon as Benedict Cumberbatch shows up at my front door; I'm open to either. ;)

via

To join the link-up fun, finish the prompts in your own post or in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Not Alone Series: Marriage

Welcome, friends! Today's link-up is brought to you by Jen at Jumping in Puddles and Morgan at Follow and Believe. If you want to join the fun, add your post to the link collection!

Most of us feel called to the vocation of marriage, but what exactly are you attracted to? What have you seen in others' marriages that you would embrace or would do differently {from married friends or parents}?

Continuing with the honesty theme, I'm just gonna let it all out. Marriage appeals to me the most because it means there's always someone with me. Hi, my name is Bek, and I'm a 9.5 out of 10 on the Extrovert Scale. Plain and simple, having a forever-partner sounds delightful, and I'm excited for that season of life to start.

When I first read today's prompt, what came to mind was favorite aspects of my friends' marriages. If it's not too cheesy, I'd like to share some favorites with you now.

First, the marriage that has directly affected me the most: my parents'! Mom and Dad have been married for almost 27 years, and what I love about their marriage is how they respect and honor each other. My sisters and I complain sometimes about how often we'd hear "go ask your mom" and "go ask your dad" after already speaking to the other parent. Frustrating as a kid when you want to go ride bikes, but as an adult, I realize how much my parents wanted {and still want} to prefer one another.

my cute parents

My paternal grandparents were married for 60 years and a few weeks before my grandpa passed away. I wrote about their marriage on what would have been their 61st anniversary, and I'll summarize my favorite part of their marriage was how they took care of each other. Grandpa always was looking out for Grandma, even when the Alzheimer's took away much of his understanding. And of course Grandma took care of Grandpa as his mind was further and further lost. What incredible examples!

My maternal grandparents just celebrated their 61st anniversary this year {my grandparents were all married the same year, actually only a month apart!}, and I've shared some of their hilarity from when I lived with them. What I love about their marriage is that they are always laughing with each other. After 61 years, my grandparents still flirt with each other and amuse each other. I'm looking forward to laughing with my husband someday.

My bosom friend AJ and her husband D are pretty awesome. I basically lived with them on the weekends for a couple years, and what I love about their marriage is how they really enjoy being together and doing things together. Whether it's going to Wally World or playing Skip-Bo, AJ and D really love being together; they are really good friends as well as spouses.

These are just a few things I admire about my friends' and family's marriages, and once I get married, I'll probably do a post about faves from my own marriage :)