Girl Talk

On Saturday, all of my bridesmaids came over so we could get everyone measured and their dresses ordered. Since most of them live in the Philly area, we decided to make a day of it and have lunch afterwards. The mall not too far from my house has quite a few restaurant options, so we had a lot to choose from.

We decided on The Cheesecake Factory, since it’s got something for everyone. Even though we were there at about 3pm, there was still a 30 minute wait so we headed to the bar until our table was ready. After perusing the drink menu, myself and two of my bridesmaids ordered a drink called “Girl Talk,” which had tequila, lime juice, strawberries, and other deliciousness. It basically tasted like a strawberry daiquiri, and looked pretty too!

Apparently trying on dresses and getting measured works up an appetite, because by the time we were seated, we couldn’t keep our hands off of the bread they gave us. I wound up ordering their Barbecque Ranch Chicken Salad (sans chicken), with avocado, fried onion strings, corn, black beans, and tomatoes… It was totally delicious! Sorry for the blurry iPhone picture, I was so excited to eat I just couldn’t contain myself! 😉

The rest of the day was filled with more wedding fun, including trying to narrow down a rehearsal dinner location. Have you noticed a trend yet that my weekends pretty  much involve just three things: wedding stuff, homework, and running? Now that the wedding planning for the weekend is out of the way, hopefully Sunday will involve some baking and a nice long run.

Southwestern Breakfast Bake

Thankfully, Saturday’s excursion to find Bridesmaid dresses was a success! Not only did we find those dresses, but my mom also found her dress, and I stumbled upon an adorable dress I’m planning to wear for either the rehearsal dinner or bridal shower, and will definitely be taking on my honeymoon. Triple score at Macy’s!

After the shopping trip, I had worked up a serious appetite, and since I had been out pretty much all day, felt as though I needed to spend a little time in the kitchen. This recipe really didn’t require much kitchen time, though, because as soon as a I put it in the oven, I went off to do a 30 minute yoga session. If any of you have iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, Macs, etc., I highly recommend Pocket Yoga (the app) – you can choose between three different practice styles, three levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced), and also three lengths of practice. It also has a library of all of the poses, and a few sun salutation sets also. I’m no yogi, but I’m really enjoying it!

But back to the food. It’s a really yummy twist on a quiche, and by naming it “breakfast pie,” it gets you excited for something different. Even though it’s a savory pie and isn’t sweet, it rightfully owns the title. The great thing about a breakfast bake, quiche, etc. is that you can really throw anything into the mix; anything goes. So I suggest getting creative!

Southwestern Breakfast Bake
– Serves 4 –

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pie crust
1 small onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 chile peppers of your choice (I used habaneros)
1/4 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp taco seasoning (I used chipotle, but any flavor will do)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Adobo
6 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream, or Greek yogurt (I used plain Chobani)
2/3 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 scallion, chopped

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sauté diced onion and peppers about 3-5 minutes. Add spices, and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes. Add corn and black beans, continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Place pre-made pie crust in a greased pie dish, and layer cooked bean, corn, and pepper mixture.
4. Whisk eggs together in a medium bowl, adding the sour cream/Greek yogurt. Mix in cheese and cilantro until combined, and pour mixture into pie dish.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, top with scallions, and a sprinkling of cheese (if desired) and cook for additional 5 minutes.
6. Serve with additional sour cream/Greek yogurt, and salsa

I know the alphabet

I know, I’m just like everyone else doing the ABC’s. But I realized I don’t really share that much personal information on my blog, so I figured now would be a fun time to do that!

A. Age: 24

B. Bed size: I’m 99.9% sure it’s a queen

C. Chore you dislike: all of them…

D. Dogs: None of my own, but my parent’s dog, Kennedy, is my first official pet dog and the #1 man in my life (sorry Andy)!

E. Essential start to your day: Enough time to lay in bed and think about the day ahead, followed by coffee and some cuddling with Leela the cat

F. Favorite color: Green! And I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect shade of green for my bridesmaid dresses

G. Gold or silver: Usually silver, but I like to spice it up with gold here and there

H. Height: 5’6″

I. Instruments you play(ed): I played the flute in 4th and 5th grade, does that count?

J. Job title: Implementation & Support Specialist

K. Kids: Does the cat count?

L. Live: New Jersey (insert fist pump here)

M. Mom’s name: Susan

N. Nicknames: Dan, Dani, Heff

O. Overnight hospital stays: None

P. Pet peeves: We don’t have that kind of time!

Q. Quote from a movie: “NO Todd, NOT NOW”

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings: Kate (aka “Just Kate,” because that’s the name on her birth certificate, it isn’t short for anything but people refuse to believe it!)

T. Time you wake up: Alarm goes off at 6:45, I’m out of bed by 7:15

U. Underwear: Yes please.

V. Vegetables you dont’ like: I don’t think there is one!

W. What makes you run late: I don’t. I guess that’s one of my biggest pet peeves, it drives me insane when someone else is late, and even more so if it’s me!

X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth (obviously), finger when I broke it

Y. Yummy food you make: I think most of what I make is yummy, but I’m usually most proud of my baked goods (I seem to struggle with them the most)

Z. Zoo animal favorites: Monkeys and Penguins

I hope everyone has a relaxing Saturday… I’m off on a hunt for the perfect shade of green dress for my bridesmaids (see letter F). Followed by a hopefully victorious shopping trip at Trader Joe’s. Fingers crossed, and here’s to hoping I don’t wind up like this…

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