Black Bean Enchiladas

I got paid today so I went to Wal-Mart for groceries.  I was proud of myself because I planned my grocery list instead of just buying whatever sounds good!  I borrowed an idea from the bestie Dirty Cow and bought the ingredients for 4 different dinners for ADE to choose from each night this week.  I think it will save me a lot of stress and hopefully some money, too!  

Choices for this week:

Shrimp/potatoes/corn/sausage (shrimp boil)

Black Bean Enchiladas

BLTTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, turkey, avocado) Sandwiches 

Sloppy Joe's (a fave of ADE's)

Tonight, he chose Black Bean Enciladas... I was a little nervous because I'd never made these before.  I heard of this yummy dish at Practically Perfect in this post.  The recipe can be found here.

It took a little longer than I expected (about an hour) but it turned out really well.  Adam said it's the best meal I've ever made him!

-sorry the pic is crappy, all I had was my b-berry

Black Bean Enchiladas

To go with our main dish I also made Avapico:

3-4 avocados (mash them up)

1 can Mexicorn (don't drain)

1 can Original Rotel (drain it a little)

Chopped purple onion (to taste)

Lime juice (to taste)

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (to taste)

Chips for dipping of course!

*mix it all together, it's easy, and YUM-O!*

Weekend Update

Hello lovelies... how was your weekend? Mine was "pretty, prettyyy, prettyyyy good". Btdubs, I cannot wait for the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm! Love me some Larry David.

Back to the subject at hand, this weekend was pretty low key, but still kinda fab. Friday ADE (boyfriend) and I went and got McDonald's (healthy I know) once he finally got back from school. After that I honestly don't remember what we did but it can't have been too exciting, then, huh?

Saturday morning at 8:27 AM, I was disturbed out of my peaceful sleep by the Safe Lite Glass dude calling and saying he was "here to fix my windshield"... did you know they come to you now, if you prefer? Balla. So, I went downstairs, let him at my car, and got to go back up to my bed and sleep a little longer. And 30 minutes later I had a spankin' new windshield! Cue me still with bedhead and crusty eyes going to wal-mart with ADE to get his oil changed. He insists on going early to beat the rush. I am not a morning person (by that I mean I'm a biznatch before double digit times) so I went on the condition that he buy me McD's breakfast! He was right, we beat the crowds and his car didn't take long at all, and my bfast bagel was delish.

We randomly decided we were going to drive to Jonesboro, which is about an hour and a half BORING drive away. I say random because normally if we want a day trip we'll head to Little Rock. BUT Jonesboro has a new mall and I wanted to see, plus I'd never been there before.

We walked through that whole flipping mall and it was just LOVELY! I bought the cutest shirt and two headbands at Gap and fantasized about buying a lot more at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond (both IN the mall, how convenient and tempting).

Then we walked around ASU's campus, cuz we are bothy kinda different like that and we like to do random things like walk around a campus we don't know and making my feetsies hurt.

We headed home around 3 and weren't home for long when ADE's friend in LR called to bribe us into watching the UFC fight with him at Gusano's. Downtown LR, Saturday night, it was packed!!! Mostly, packed with Meatheads who like UFC fights and get WAY too into them. But it was fun and we got free pizza and drinks via ADE's friend, how nice of him!

By the time we got home (after waiting in traffic in LR due to a huge wreck) we were *exhausted* and I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.

Sunday, I slept in, watched Sex and the City DVD's all day, and then we went and tried the new Fuji Steakhouse here in town. They gave us a free California Roll since it was their grand opening and it was really a good night. Our cook put on a good show, although he was kind of a pervert, really. He made the ladies at the table catch food in our mouths and when we were sitting there with our mouths wide open (so awkward btw), he made little comments and well.. let's just say he was inapprop! Then I came home and watched True Blood... *bliss*

Can you feel my excitement?

Tomorrow I go to Branson.

For my Mema's birthday celebration,

which she planned herself.

But not in the arrogant way. 

In the - I want to see my family and I'm a cutie - way.

The drive will be long.

I have to get up at 6:30 in the mornin' 

on a Saturday.

Know this about me...

I hate waking up early.

My Mema's excited though

and you can't let down Mema!

So I'll be armed with:

my iPod

my sunnies

my b-berry mapping system

lots of caffeine in the form of diet dp/coffee/red bull

and possibly a b-fast bagel from

good ol' mcdondons.

:)

and by tmrw night I'll be home

and Adam will most likely deal with

tired, grouchy, on edge

jen

but - maybe i'll keep it positive allllll day long

we'll see!

bye lovelies!

Freedom

I'M FREE!

 

Yep, you heard me, I am officially dunzo with the horrible incident that was grad school.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the opportunity I had to continue my education and get my master's degree, but I am also deliriously happy to be finished!

 

Sunday morning/afternoon I woke up, still tired from all the wedding excitement.  But I couldn't just lay in bed all day, I had a mission to complete.  ONE more paper and I would be forever through with homework, reading (for school), research and papers.  I started feverishly writing, just eager for the feeling of relief I knew would come when I turned that sucker in. 

 

I took a little break to go to Freedom Fest with Adam.  What is Freedom Fest, you ask?  We didn't really know either, we just knew the signs up around town said "everything's free" and as two people desperately trying to save money, we decided it couldn't hurt.  They might have free hot dogs or something!

 

"Hey, I'm gonna take you to dinner tonight." Adam told me as I typed as fast as I could on my paper.

 

"REALLY?!" I said excitedly.

 

"Yeah, we're going to Freedom Fest."

 

Oh.  Freedom Fest.  Dangit.

 

I secretly crossed my fingers they had some decent food there. 

 

We parked about a mile away and walked to the Events Center - aka a big field with a stage in the middle of all the baseball fields.  Lots of Searcy people there, which if you know Searcy, you know the people-watching was worth the trip to FF - free food or not.  But they had free food! Not only were there hot dogs, but there were bbq sandwiches, soda, chips, snow cones, watermelon, cotton candy.  ALL FREE.  Sweet.  I ate way too much, we listened to the Christian cover band for 5 minutes, decided our ears had been tortured enough.

 

Back at home...

 

I'm working on my paper when I hear a loud catastrophic BOOM outside.  W.T.F.  I ignored it and kept writing my paper.

 

15 minutes later Adam left to go jog at the track.  I heard more and more booms.  Are we being bombed? 

 

I walked out on the porch to check out the scene and determine whether Miller and I needed to hide in the bathtub with my mattress covering us. 

 

All the across-the-courtyard neighbors were on their balconies looking up at the sky.

 

I couldn't see anything at all when I looked that way, so I decided to walk outside so I could see.  I went downstairs and lo and behold... almost too good to be true... FIREWORKS.

 

I seriously love fireworks.  Freedom Fest was still going on, and since it was held less than a mile from my apt., the fireworks were so close it felt like they were right overhead.  As I sat outside by myself, I felt like the huge (expensive) fireworks display was just for me, saying "CONGRATULATIONS.. You're done with school, JEN!"  It was like the whole town was celebratng my impending freedom. 

 

I finished my paper, turned it in, and every night this week I've had a nagging feeling when I get home from work.  What homework do I have to do?  Isn't sad that this is an automatic thought and I can't stop feeling like I've got something to do?

 

But I don't!  WHOOT.  I'm done.  For-ev-errrrrr!

Tired Eyes

Went to the midnight showing of "Public Enemies" with my sweetie last night.  We live in a beyond lame town so it wasn't showing here.  I had originally looked up times for tonight at the Rave in Little Rock.  Then I noticed the midnight showing last night (this morning).  Adam and I debated on going and finally decided to live on the edge and go for it.  This was a movie on my list (right side of the page).  I'm not gonna lie, my little workin' eyes were tired and I fought sleep throughout the second half of this over 2 hour long movie, but not because it was boring!  It was a very good movie with a great mix of romance and action.  Good date movie for sure.  But boy did I pay for this little excursion today at work.  We didn't get home until 3:30 this morning and my eyes have been aching all day.  We ate an early dinner after I got off work and then I took a 4 hour nap.  Yeah.  I've been awake now since 9:30 pm and I'm ready to go back to bed again.  If you know me, you know the vital importance of sleep in my life.

The Power of ONE little HAIR

I've had some realizations over the past few days.  Let me just say I strongly believe I'm having a quarter-life crisis.  You may wonder... why, Jen?

Well kids, I found a grey hair on my head two nights ago.  It was just one tiny hair.  But it started a landslide.  I stood in front of the mirror for an unmentionable amount of time searching for more.  Wanna know something?  I found two more!  WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!?

Another realization: I can never own a little (as in low to the ground) car.  This week, I have the *ahem* privilege of trading cars with Katie because they needed my beloved Blue Betty SUV for the Florida trip I didn't get to go on.  Anyway!  I've realized that I can't stand getting in and out of a little car.  Add in the fact that I wear dresses every day and flash innocent bystanders anytime I enter or exit the car, and you have a recipe for some serious humiliation.

ANOTHER realization: My job is a little frustrating right now.  Today, I walked into the office I've been sharing with one of the girls for the past 13 days (I counted) and somebody took over my unofficial desk.  How am I supposed to check my blog reader and email important people (aka Whitney, Hannah and Adam) without a computer?!  Our office has a serious shortage of space so I'm going to be floating around a lot which is basically the most annoying thing, oh... ever!

"Is there any way I could call you 'Porkchop' and we could still get along?"

My boyfriend literally just said this to me out of nowhere.  My life with him is so random and hilarious.  He must've intrinsically known that I needed to laugh! :)

Adam x 2

Last night Adam and I went on a date.  We desperately needed to escape Searcy.  I had the brilliant idea to see who was going to be at the Loony Bin (comedy club in Little Rock).  Adam Hunter was performing, I heard about him on the radio.  He was actually on my favorite morning show Friday morning and made me laugh so hard I missed my exit.  So last night we had dinner at Hooters (I know, I know) and went to the comedy show.  Basically a perfect date.  This new Adam was funny.  It was a good night to get away and enjoy some good laughs together. 

adamhunter.com

Plus, he was pretty attractive and made me laugh.  2 points!

Why does the weekend go by sooo fast?  And the weeks so ridiculously slow?  

OH but the weekend isn't over yet!  Guess what tonight is?  

I just recently started watching this show once I got HBO at my new apartment.  I've been watching 1st season reruns and let me tell you I'm excited for the 2nd season premiere tonight!!!  It's like Twilight, but a little more adult.  Fantastic!

TRUE BLOOD

Impulsive much?

So.  Yeah.  Today I started the Master Cleanse.

It lasted about... ohhh 6 hours.

Then I got a headache, dizzy, nauseous and just a little bit hungry.

So I got a taco.  One Taco.  At Taco Bell.  

What a waste!  I spent money (not a ton, but still) on lemons, water bottles, organic maple syrup, a juicer... ugh!  That is so me and so impulsive.  I couldn't follow through with it though.

I decided it's ridiculous to make yourself miserable like that.  Deep down the only real reason I was doing it was to lose a few pounds.  If I had a little bit more self control and just ate better and exercised I could do that in a much more healthy way.  Monday, I'm going back to Weight Watchers, because it worked and I wasn't starving myself.  Makes sense right?

Other things I did today:

- learned to tie a tie (I felt so accomplished!)

- had a massive headache and watched two movies to try to relax

- ate at Mi Ranch!  I split something with Adam as an effort in portion control

- went with Adam to buy fancy clothes for his new job

I'm so glad my friends Hannah and Whitney now have blogs!

Show's Over

I just got in trouble.  I'm almost out of my Mac mascara, which has been pretty great.  I wanted to try DiorShow.  My cousin Becky uses it, and I've heard it's pretty fab.  So I go to sephora.com and get it in my shopping cart.  As I pull out my credit card to make the $24 purchase, Adam stops me.  He knows about my... ahem... {issues} with spending, and he performed an intervention.  He's right.  I don't need it and frankly can't afford it.  But still!  I need mascara anyway... I could definitely rationalize my way into getting the kind I want! ;)

Heading to bed now... shot down and probably going to dream of Sephora goodies!

Not the Warmest...

The reception was tonight.  It was about an hour away.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  The best part (for me) was getting to wear my new dress.  Not really, it wasn't that bad.  It was a beautiful reception with great food.  They had a buffet set up.  Great food.  I always feel like I can't eat though, really, because you don't want to be the heifer that eats a full meal off the fancy buffet.  Back to the point.  It's always awkward when you don't know anyone.  I only knew Adam and his best friend (the groom) so I was pretty quiet most of the evening.  We only stayed about an hour and a half.  

Can I just rant for a minute?  There was this girl there.  I'll try to be discrete.  She seemed to think it was cute to cut people down and just tear into them for no good reason.  She is a self-proclaimed bully who likes to give her husband's friends a hard time.  She said, "I'm blunt, I'm a bully, that's just me."  She was ridiculously rude, to the point where I felt awkward.  Does she think it's cute or funny to cut down her man's friends?  It's nothing but obnoxious and unattractive!  Gah!

Anyway.... it was worth the drive for Adam to see his best friend.  We got Arby's on the way home and now we're relaxing watching a movie.  It was nice to get out of the house but it's nice to be home.

I start my job Monday!  Eeeee!