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Friday, August 27, 2010

Obsessions....

I am not sure if it is because I have an "obsessive" personality per say or if I just really get attached to things, but I use the phrase, "Oh, I am obsessed with that..." quite frequently. The thing is, 99% of the time I actually am infatuated with whatever "it" is. Whether it be a singer, band, food, drink, restaurant, workout, clothing item, makeup, book, blah, blah, blah....you can bet that at one time or another I have referred to it  as such. And since it has been SO long since my last blog, I have decided to combine six blogs into one and speak on my.....


CURRENT OBSESSIONS
(In no particular order)

1. Jillian Michaels
My girl, Jillian, ballin it up...
Alright, I know everyone either LOVES Jillian Michaels or HATES Jillian Michaels. I definitely fall into the LOVE category. Actually, OBSESSION, right? ;) I started Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD last year and loved it. Then I found more and more and more and more DVD's, OnDemand Workouts, and even Wii games, yay! 

She may appear harsh and tough sometimes, but that's what we all need to get our butts into shape these days. Her methods and mentality about eating and exercise are incredibly simple and healthy. Personally, she is my fitness role model...sniff, sniff...
Now she even has Yoga Meltdown - for anyone who thinks yoga is for the birds, check this out:  
 
You know I can totally do this already.






2. Lady Gaga


Well, so far all obsessions are people, but I am not a stalker at all (only on Facebook, with millions of other people...haha). I think this artist speaks for herself. And I am not trying to sound cheesy, but she is an artist. Between her clothes, her hair styles, her music, her videos, and her interviews...she is an interesting bird. If you haven't seen the performance that she and Elton John gave to together, you must check it out. AH-mazing...and then watch all of her videos. It never fails that a Lady Gaga video can make you laugh, roll your eyes, frown, look confused, and dance all within three to five minutes.








3. Franzia
One sentence: Don't knock until you've tried it.



4. Top Chef: This show is pretty much a constant obsession in our household, but Mike doesn't seem to have the same interest I have in a cooking contest...haha...Don't get me wrong, he loves to cook, but watching other people do it doesn't give him chills and cause him to cheer the chefs on as the chop, slice, and sautee their way to the top. Here is who I am hoping to take the crown this season:

Tiffany! Do you know where she started her cooking career?

I HOP.
Well, she was 15 then, but still. :)







5. Our "Soap Operas": Mike and I consistently watch the following shows, either on actual cable or Netflix: 
  • Dexter
  • Rescue Me
  • True Blood
  • The Shield
  • The Sopranos
  •  Sons of Anarchy
All of those immediately caught my attention with their trailers and previews, all of them except, the last one on the list. I never thought I would enjoy any entertainment involving a motorcycle gang, but oh was I in for a shock.
 New season starts September 7 on FX...that gives you plenty of time to Netflix or Hulu or whatever seasons one and two!

6. Napping: I need one now, and well the rest of these obsessions will just have to wait until my sixth obsession and yoga meltdown are complete!

Don't let the bedbugs bite!
Anyone else find that statement gross now that they are over the age of five?

Ash! 



Monday, August 2, 2010

Buffalo Style Chicken Cordon Bleu = DELICIOUS!

As the summer winds down and I start to mentally prepare myself to go back to work, I have realized how much I am going to miss having time during the day to look up new and exciting things to cook for dinner each evening. Today, I really realized this when I came upon this recipe:

Buffalo-Style Chicken Cordon Bleu

I followed the recipe pretty closely except for subbing turkey for ham and baking the dish instead of pan-frying it. It turned out GREAT!!!

See...look at that presentation! What a pro...
 For sides, I tried two new things! Needless to say, it was pretty daring of me...

I used barley (left side of plate) for a starch and followed this recipe:

Baked Barley - definitely follow the base of this recipe, but you could add any herbs or seasonings you like what ever matches the rest of your meal.

Then I made a creamed spinach...it's a Paula Deen recipe, so you know it's rich and yummy!!!

Eat Your Greens!

All three of these are recipes that anyone who has medium knowledge around their kitchen could make, and best of all, there are plenty of leftovers if you are just eating for two!

Till we eat again....

Ashley