I Thought I'd Finally Do An Update...

Hi friends! Long time, no talky...

Chris and I are still enjoying being back in Georgia. It feels like we've been here much longer, but it's only been about 3 months since we left Los Angeles. We are currently up to our eyeballs in the job search and I hope that something works out soon. It's a lot more difficult than I thought it'd be to find a new job. It's a tough market out there.

But you're not here to read about my job woes. Instead, I'll share some of the fun things we've been up to in the last month!

We decided to purchase a City Pass, which is a super cool deal that allows you to go to a city's main attractions for one low price. We went to the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Zoo, and Fernbank.

My nephew came to visit for a few days. He is 15, but I can't believe it! I still remember when he was a little guy so it's a little sad to see him all grown up. Luckily, he's a really great kid and so fun to be around.

We've been spending a lot of time in Decatur. They have so many great restaurants and beer places. We really like Leon's Full Service, Brick Store Pub, Farm Burger, and Raging Burrito. Needless to say, we've had some pretty good meals.

We also finally made it to Sweetwater and went back to Terrapin. The brewery laws in Georgia are so weird and different from what we're used to. In California, you can go to any brewery and actually buy a pint of beer. Here, you have to go between certain hours and you pay one price for tickets that will get you samples of the beer. Hopefully they get those rules changed soon.

But despite all of the good food (and beer), I've managed to lose 12 pounds since May 28. I did the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge and it's really where the bulk of my weight loss occurred. After the cleanse, I added in exercise and lost even more. Now, I'm not as strict with my food choices and I am still exercising on a daily basis. I'm maintaining my loss, but have just started the "diet" part again because I'd still like to lose about 5-7 more pounds. We ride 6 days a week, anywhere from 15 to 30 miles. It feels really great to be back on my bike! And to be able to fit into my pants again!! Ha!

Here is a stupid picture comparison I did. The first picture is the day I started the challenge (May 28) and the second is a picture from our trip to the aquarium (July 19). I have a chin again. Yay. I was definitely more fluffy so I'm glad to back on the right track again.

So that's about it.

Maybe the next time I update, I'll have a job. *Fingers crossed!*

What's new with you??? Please share...I've missed all of you guys!

Vacation Photos

Hi friends! I've been gone longer than I expected! Chris and I have been really busy the last couple of months and blogging hasn't been at the top of my list of priorities. But I'm back now to share pictures from our recent trip to Rhode Island for Chris' annual family reunion (see 2011 recaps here). We had a really great time, especially since we were able to arrive a couple of days ahead of the rest of the family to spend quality time with Chris' parents, Jeff and Danny.


We went to see the qualifying rounds for America's Cup, which was being held at Fort Adams in Newport. It was a beautiful and breezy day, perfect for sitting by the water and watching the catamarans race around the harbor.

That night, we had fresh lobster for dinner! It was my first experience eating an actual whole lobster and it was SOOOOOOO good! Jeff grilled them and man, they came out perfectly!

Chris and his dad usually take one day to go shotgun shooting up in the "country" part of Rhode Island. They decided it would be fun to take me. I'm not so sure I would agree, but I did end up having a lot of fun and I didn't accidentally shoot anyone so that's a plus. I only hit 2 clays all day, but one was really hard and neither Chris or his dad hit that (and they're really good!). They were pretty impressed!

Then the rest of the family arrived! From then on it was a full house, and we had a good time with everyone. One day we had breakfast at Sweet Berry Farm, we went to Little Compton for a picnic, we went to a collegiate baseball game (that was so much fun!), watched an awesome polo game, and we did a lot of sitting/relaxing/talking on the back porch. I think that's what everyone enjoys most!!

One day, Chris and I walked along Cliff Walk and it was so pretty. I've never lived near water, but I can see why people would want to. It's just so gorgeous.

Chris, AJ, and I drove to Patriot Place to visit the Patriots Museum and have lunch. We really didn't know what to expect, but it was AWESOME. I may or may not have pushed a kid over in order to get to Tom Brady's uniform...(just kidding, I wouldn't do that.)

July 4th was a fun day. We played a lot of Bocce and had a yummy dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs. Lizzie was so cute in her holiday attire!

The day before we left, a bunch of us went to Cape Cod to go bike riding. Once again, it was perfect weather and we had a great time. We had a nice lunch on the water and spent a little time shopping in Falmouth.

We had such a fun time and were really sad to leave! I guess there is always next year to look forward to!

PS - I realize that I wore the same gray shirt A LOT (and in black) over the course of this vacation. Best shirt I've ever bought and I now have 6 of the colors. They fit great, don't shrink too much in the dryer, and go with everything! And they're only $8 (but online they are $6!). I highly recommend this shirt!!

Graduation Cupcakes!

[ETA: Sorry, forgot to add the picture...I am a moron. Carry on.]

My nephew graduated from high school on Friday. His mom threw a graduation party for him on Saturday evening and I happily volunteered (actually, I insisted!) to make cupcakes! I have felt very out of sorts since moving and most of my kitchen belongings are still packed up in boxes in the garage. It was nice to pull out the KitchenAid mixer and whip up some fun treats. I find baking very relaxing and it makes me slow down and really enjoy the moment.

I also decided to decorate the cupcakes with fondant stars that I painted with edible gold glitter. I just used a box of premade fondant from the baking section of Michael's since I'm pretty sure most people wouldn't actually eat the decoration. Who likes the taste of fondant anyway? I've never met anyone that does.

I used this chocolate cake recipe and it made nearly 3 dozen cupcakes. I really liked this recipe because 1) it was simple to make and 2) it really created a light, airy, and moist cupcake. I found that 18 minutes at 350 degrees was the perfect amount of time.

For the white cupcakes, I used a recipe from a new book I bought, The Cake Mix Doctor Returns. I don't think there is any shame at all in using a boxed cake mix as the foundation for any baked good. I have made cakes/cupcakes/brownies from scratch and from a box, and find that most people can't taste a difference between homemade and box. Anyway, the white cupcakes were a big hit so I wanted to share the recipe:

White Sour Cream Cupcakes

1 package plain white cake mix

3 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup sour cream OR plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water OR orange juice

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and set the pans aside.

Place all of the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended.

Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. You will get 22 to 24 cupcakes.

Place the pans in the oven and bake the cupcakes until they are golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 18 to 23 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Place the cupcakes on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes longer before frosting.

Store these cupcakes in a cake saver or under a glass dome, at room temperature, for up to 3 days or for up to one week in the refrigerator. Freeze the cupcakes, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 3 months. Let the cupcakes thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

The book suggested using a cream cheese frosting for these, but I used vanilla buttercream and chocolate buttercream on both styles of cupcakes and those frostings tasted very good with each of the cupcakes.

Winner!

Hi folks. I'm sorry I've been MIA lately! We have been super busy since we got back to Georgia, mainly catching up with friends and family. My college roommate and her husband, two of my best friends, had their first baby two days after I got back. I was so excited to meet him and of course see Heather and Andrew again. We also went to Athens one day to visit Terrapin Brewing Co. and met up with one of my high school friends, Jim. He took us to a restaurant called Last Resort Grill and it was so delicious! Let's see, what else? We have been watching A LOT of basketball. Happy to see the Lakers make it to the second round and I'm currently watching the 1st game of the new series against the Thunder. Not liking our chances right now, but maybe they'll work it out. Oh, and we finally saw The Avengers! I liked it.

Here are some random pictures. Sorry if they are blurry or small, I am using my iPad app, and I think pictures sometimes import strangely.













Hopefully I can get in some sort of routine soon and find more time for blogging.

Thank you to all of you that entered my birthday giveaway. I apologize that it has taken me so long to announce a winner. Moving across the country really takes it out of you, much more than I ever could have imagined! I really enjoyed reading all of your favorite birthday memories!

I used random.org to pick the winner, and it is Amy at Forever 29 Blog! Congrats! Please shoot me an email with your color choice and shipping address, and I'll get your new earrings ordered and on their way to you!

And one last little teaser, Shabby Apple contacted me recently and we have a giveaway in the works for you guys! Stay tuned, I will have it posted in the next week or so!

xo, Angela


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Road Trip, Part 2

On the second half of our trip, we stopped in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Nashville. We had two days of extremely long drives, and with no air conditioning, the majority of it was pretty miserable. The only thing we had to look forward to by the end of the night was a good meal and a hot shower! 

The only good thing I have to say about New Mexico involves our meal and in particular, this dessert, from Chama River Brewing Company. 

A Belgian chocolate cup filled with 
vanilla bean ice cream. Topped with bourbon butterscotch, chocolate sauce, and piñones

We also got in very late to Oklahoma City. Thanks to a twitter conversation with @mamaellesays we were led in the direction of a neighborhood called Bricktown. We ate bar food at TapWerks and it was pretty good!

Our drive from OKC to Memphis was pretty long, and we also arrived into town pretty late. Thanks to Yelp, I was excited to try the food at Double J Smokehouse & Saloon. It was so good! Barbecue is pretty much my favorite food EVER! 

As we were leaving Double J, we noticed this motel and it happens to be the one where MLK was shot. Pretty historical and a neat thing to see.

Our day in Nashville was our final day on the road and gave us something to look forward to. We wanted to have a "fun day" and since neither of us had ever been before, we decided it was as good a place as any to check out.

We went to Yazoo Brewing Company and they had pretty good beer. I loved their hefeweizen! And they served baskets of chips and salsa. So yummy!

We walked downtown to Broadway and loved all of the bright lights and honky-tonk bars. Eric Church was playing a show at the Bridgestone Arena so the area was PACKED!

Here is where I tell you about the most amazing meal of the entire trip, and perhaps my entire life. We were lucky enough to walk a little off of Broadway and we discovered a newly opened restaurant called The Southern Steak & Oyster. If you are ever in Nashville, please consider going here! I'm already planning on my next visit to the city so I can go back. I wrote a 2 page review on Yelp so go over there if you want to know my thoughts on my meal.

On Sunday morning, we left Nashville and drove the 4.5 hours home. When we got here, my brother and his family and my parents were waiting for us. We grilled out for dinner and just had a good time sitting around and talking. Oh, and we had a lot of extra help unpacking the UHaul, which was really awesome.

Once again, this post is completely food dominated. But hey, it's pretty much my favorite activity besides sleeping!

Next up, I will finally pick a winner to the earrings giveaway :)