Megan's Microcosm

Moving

2011-03-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

I've moved my blog....you can find it here: http://megansmicrocosm.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Morning Treat

2011-01-05T20:38:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday - A White Christmas

2010-12-29T14:36:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-22T13:25:00.001-05:00

(About time since it's been THREE MONTHS since my last post!)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-22T13:34:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T09:16:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-21T08:21:00.001-04:00

Top 10 Tuesday

2010-07-20T12:07:00.002-04:00

It seems I don't really have time to blog these days, but I thought posting a video with my "Top 10" favorite pictures from Hawaii might be a good start. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T12:53:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T10:04:00.003-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T13:39:00.004-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-31T13:09:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T08:35:00.005-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T07:35:00.001-05:00

Foodie Friday

2010-03-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

We've been making our own fat free pudding and sugar free jello from the box/mix at home for lunches lately. A neat variation on the jello recipe is to add 1 cup of boiling water (as instructed), and then instead of adding 1 cup of cold water, use 1 cup of your favorite soda (diet or regular should work). It adds some pizzaz to the jello, and it's fun to mix and match the flavors.

So far, we've tried combinations like lime jello with gingerale and orange jello with sierra mist cranberry splash, both of which were good. The combinations are (practically) limitless, so give it a try, and let me know what fun and tasty mixtures you create!

Foodie Friday

2010-02-05T12:17:00.004-05:00

I reeeeally like the oatmeal raisin cookies at Starbucks and was super stoked when I was able to find their recipe online. I made a batch last week, and they are oh-so-yummy!

I used my new cookie scoop, and it worked like a charm. The only thing I will probably do differently next time is to flatten the dough balls a bit before baking so that I can bake them for a shorter time (to keep them chewy), but they will cook evenly throughout.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-03T09:28:00.004-05:00

Foodie Friday

2010-01-22T12:57:00.007-05:00

I'm a big fan of chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans. I mean, I really love them...on a salad, in chili, on pita chips in the form of hummus, and the list goes on. Except...well, the list doesn't go on because I haven't found all that many different ways to enjoy my beloved beans. So, when I heard about ROASTED chickpeas, I was quite excited.

The especially good news about this recipe is that, not only are garbanzo beans very good for you, but the roasted ones are oh-so-easy to make. Plus, when making/eating these, you get to feel multi-cultural, as roasted, spiced chickpeas are a popular snack in Turkey called leblebi. :)

Here's what you do:

Rise and pat dry one can of chickpeas
Toss the beans in a little bit of oil (I used olive)
Season to taste (the options are endless, but I tried garlic salt for my first attempt)
Spread the seasoned and oiled chickpeas on a cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, shaking the beans around every 10-15 minutes
Increase the oven temperature to 400, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes
Remove roasted chickpeas when crunchy

Viola! Roasted garbanzo beans!

My roasted chickpeas were crunchy and good! However, if you don't love these beans as much as I do, I think you'll want some more seasoning, as I did feel they were a bit bland. Some ideas I'd like to try in the future are cajun seasoning, chili powder, and garam masala.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T21:26:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-06T15:40:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T11:25:00.003-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-23T11:13:00.001-05:00

Foodie Friday

2009-12-18T08:35:00.012-05:00

I had so much fun making Christmas cookies this year, that I'm almost starting to think I might like baking! ;-) Here are two of the recipes and a couple pictures of the goodies since, unless you live in my neighborhood, you probably won't get a taste of these (Sorry Christy!).

Flourless (Gluten Free) Peanut Butter Kisses

2 cups peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1.5 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together, shape dough into 1.5" balls, and roll in sugar. Bake at 350 F for about 9 minutes. Gently press Hershey's kiss on top of warm cookie (or just place the kiss on top, and it will melt a bit, as cookies have a tendency to crumble.). Makes around 3 1/2 dozen.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

(based on this recipe)

2 (18.25 ounce) packages spice cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 container of whipped cream cheese frosting

Blend the first 4 ingredients together, and drop quarter-sized balls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F. Let cookies stand on cookie sheet for 5-6 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack. After cookies have completely cooled, spread cream cheese frosting between 2 cookies. This recipe easily makes 4-dozen cookies (or 2 dozen "sandwiches). So you could definitely cut it in half and have at least a dozen servings, especially if you actually used "quarter-sized" drops (most of mine were 50% larger than that and required 12-14 minutes of baking).

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-16T14:24:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T09:47:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T10:59:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T08:20:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T13:15:00.002-05:00

(Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T11:15:00.003-04:00

PhD Comics

Foodie Friday

2009-10-23T10:04:00.004-04:00

We discovered an amazing, and fairly healthy snack/side a couple of months ago that I wanted to share with you. I've made "homemade" potato chips in the past by thinly slicing up some potatoes and putting them into hot oil in the pan. Well, that works decently, but (unless you have a deep fryer) it makes quite a bit of mess and it's sometimes difficult to get the oil at the right temperature and keep it there...not to mention all that oil that the potatoes soak up! Anywho, I discovered a great way to do it in the microwave with practically no oil! I didn't believe it when I first read about it online, but sure enough, I tried it and we liked these as much as the oil-saturated fried version! Here's how you do it:

Clean and thinly slice (1/16"-1/8" thick) potatoes. I found that about 1 small-medium potato per serving worked well, and I didn't peel them, since I'm looking for easy, not time consuming. Also, I used our food processor (which meant cutting the potatoes in half), but you could use a mandolin, vegetable/cheese slicer, or just a knife.

Rinse/soak the slices in cold water for 5-10 minutes. Some recipes I saw online don't call for this, but I figured it removes some of the starch and couldn't hurt. If you're looking to shave off a little more time, try eliminating this step.

Arrange a single layer of potatoes on a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly coated with oil (vegetable or olive), and try to keep the slices from touching each other since they will stick together during the cooking process.

Spray/drizzle a little oil over the potatoes and add seasoning (salt, garlic powder, chili powder, creole seasoning, etc.). Some recipes do not call for any oil at all, so you could try leaving this off, but I think it might help prevent sticking and potentially add to crispiness.

Microwave the chips on high for about 5 minutes until they are lightly browned and crispy. You might need to flip them over halfway through, but we had success even when we didn't do this. Make sure to check every minute or two (and maybe do a taste test) since cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your slices and your specific microwave.

Repeat until all the chips are finished, and store in an airtight container for 3 days. This is the one thing I've yet to try...for how long can they really be stored? We've always just eaten ours right away...in fact, so fast that I wasn't able to take a picture of the final product!

So, there you have it...a quick and fairly easy way to make healthy, homemade potato chips! Next, I want to try the salt and vinegar version, which involves dipping each potato slice into cider vinegar before putting it on the parchment paper, then sprinkling with salt before microwaving. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T08:17:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T09:54:00.001-04:00

Foodie Friday

2009-10-09T10:22:00.001-04:00

I have several "foodie Friday" topics that I need to blog about soon. However, I've just not had the time. Anywho, we went to the fair last night, and I just couldn't resist sharing with you the fried snickers we had! ;-p Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T17:00:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-30T09:24:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-23T11:33:00.001-04:00

Foodie Friday

2009-09-18T11:55:00.001-04:00

Today's food focus is oh-so-yummy black bean dip!

If you like salsa, this is a great way to add some substance to chips and dip or even a meal. I've spread some on a tortilla with cheese, chicken/beef, and sour cream, and it was yummy! Plus, it's fat free, and the beans provide additional protein and fiber. I first discovered it at our local grocery store (Harris Teeter), but I'm sure many other places carry such a dip, and it wouldn't be difficult to make it yourself.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T07:51:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T11:44:00.001-04:00

Foodie Friday

2009-09-04T13:32:00.006-04:00

For those of you who read my blog a few weeks ago about my first attempt at dehydrating, here's a little update. I've ALWAYS wanted to dehydrate watermelon...I mean, for years I've talked about this. Watermelon is easily my favorite fruit, and pretty much embodies for me the wonder of summer. :) So, I broke out the dehydrator once again and this time tried dehydrating a few different fruits, including...WATERMELON! I sliced up nearly a pound of strawberries, about 6 bananas, and the rest of our watermelon leftovers into 1/8-1/4" pieces, resulting in 2 trays of bananas, 1 tray of strawberries, and 2 trays of watermelon. For some fruits that tend to brown, you can pretreat with lemon juice (I'd consider it) or sulfite (no thanks), but I decided to just see what happened with the bananas.

I never really know for how long to let these dry, because the suggested range of time varies so greatly. I did, however, put the watermelon on the bottom, closest to the fan. For the first few hours of drying, our kitchen smelled like a yummy fruit cocktail! After ~12 hours, all the fruit still felt a bit gummy, and I think I ended up letting them go for about 18 hours total. None of the fruit ever got "crunchy," which is what I was expecting, but maybe I got impatient with the drying process.

The bananas, well...tasted like bananas! They didn't taste quite like the banana chips you may have had from the store because (1) they weren't fried and therefore weren't crispy, though they may have gotten more crispy if I'd have left them in longer, and (2) they weren't coated with honey or sugar before drying them, which would add sweetness. It might actually be just as easy (or easier!) to make banana chips in the oven, so I may try that next time.

The strawberries tasted a lot like the dehydrated strawberries you might have had in cereal, and the watermelon....well, it was interesting. It certainly paled in comparison to fresh watermelon, but it wasn't bad, either. It didn't taste quite like the delicious candy that I'd read about a couple of places online, but I am considering trying it again with more of a leather approach: blend up the watermelon, drain off the liquid (I'll probably drink it...yes, I love watermelon THAT much!), maybe add some applesauce (apparently leathers need pectin, and applesauce helps with that), and then pour the puree into the trays to dehydrate. If you get the hankering to dehydrate watermelon chunks, I'd definitely recommend larger strips than the little square pieces I used...not thicker, just longer.

Overall, I found that a LOT of fresh fruit makes a LITTLE dehydrated fruit. This is the end product of nearly a pound of strawberries, about 6 bananas, and a "good bit" of watermelon, and yes, those are small sandwich ziplock bags:

So, if you're looking for a way to preserve your garden's harvest or summer's great deals on fruit and vegetables, this may be a good way, especially if you are planning on using the fruits/veggies later in the year for cooking purposes. However, you'd have to perfect the drying process to make sure you've removed all the moisture, or else your dehydrated food will spoil. I also read somewhere that you should put the finished product in the freezer for a day or so to make sure all the bacteria are killed, so, whether that works or not, I tried it. It certainly made things a bit more crunchy, which gives me more reason to think that my batch of fruit was not completely dehydrated (since none of it was crunchy when it wasn't frozen).

My "take home" from this experience is that fruit leathers are the way to go. The prep work is a good bit less time consuming, since there's little/no slicing involved, and the fruit leather actually tasted better to me. Happy drying!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T09:46:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-26T09:21:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-08-25T08:54:00.008-04:00

If I'm going to be one of those obnoxious Apple owners, I figured it was time for another blog about something Mac! ;) hehe So, below are the top ten Mac-related products and websites I've come across over the past few months. Hopefully, if you're already on the Apple train, you'll find some of these helpful, and maybe you can share some of your favorite products and websites with me!

1. Apple's website offers some great tutorials if you're new to Mac, and these are some more great "pro" tips on Apple's website.

2. I'm all about some instant messaging, and Adium is a wonderful free IM application that lets me connect to AIM, Yahoo, Facebook, and more!
3. Two words: keyboard shortcuts!
4. Caffeine is a great little program that prevents your Mac from going to sleep or starting a screensaver...perfect for when you're making a presentation or watching a movie.
5. This is a helpful blog for "Macnewbies" and here's yet another website with tips for novice Mac users.

6. Since I use my computer on a regular basis to make presentations at the university and at church, I've found this VGA adapter to be essential in allowing me to connect to various projectors!
7. Okay, so I don't own this super cool sleeve yet, but it's a birthday gift that's on its way :)
8. While I'm probably going to stick with iPhoto for most of my picture needs because it is so well integrated into the OS, I HAVE to put in a plug for Picasa, since it is now available for the Mac. I think it is a better picture editor than iPhoto, and even if you're not a Mac owner, you should definitely check out the Windows version...it's awesome.

9. I wanted a bluetooth mouse for my Mac that looked nice but also had some curvature and wasn't itty bitty. So far, I like my Logitech V470, though it is at times a bit jumpy.
10. I use my Mac all the time and everywhere...needless to say, I've found this well-fitting and extremely thin keyboard protector to be quite helpful! I rarely even notice it now, though it did take a couple of hours to get used to.

Okay, now it's your turn! What websites and products have you found helpful in using your Mac?

Foodie Friday

2009-08-21T08:52:00.002-04:00

We borrowed a food dehydrator from my parents and finally were able to try it out last weekend. I bought a bunch of strawberries and blueberries and decided to make fruit leather. It was really quite easy as far as the hands-on work goes, but I don't think I realized just how long it takes for fruit to fully dehydrate.

First I used the food processor, though you could easily use a blender or chopper, to make a smoothie of the berries--1 1/2 lbs of strawberries and 1 1/2 pints of blueberries, give or take some. I didn't add any sugar, honey, etc. because I wanted to see how we liked it "au natural." Some recipes suggested using a seive to remove some of the seeds from the berries, but because the berry mixture was quite thick, I couldn't imagine that working well. Plus, I like texture and fiber in my food.

I lightly sprayed two trays designed for making fruit leather with cooking spray, and poured half of the berry mixture into each.

Then I plugged in the dehydrater, and let it do its thing....basically a fan moves heated air around in a circular motion. The recipe book said it would take anywhere from 8-12 hours, and since I didn't actually start the process of dehydrating until about 1 p.m., our leather still wasn't fully dry when we were ready to go to bed 10 hours later. However, the texture of the leather had definitely changed, and it felt gummy-ish.

So, we put the dehydrator on a timer for another two hours, and hoped for the best! In the morning, it felt *mostly* dry, and at that point I was just ready to wrap it all up. So, I rolled up the leather in individual servings using plastic wrap and, to be on the safe side, stored it in the refrigerator.

Overall, I was pleased with the result, and my husband has been enjoying the fruit leathers in his lunches, too. I think I'd like to incorporate some applesauce or something next time as a bit of a filler; some recipes even say to use applesauce as the main ingredient in fruit leather. Also, I'm glad I didn't use any additional sweetener. The fruit-only leather tasted sweet enough to me, and is certainly much healthier without the extra sugar.

If you're interested in trying out drying, you don't necessarily have to own (or borrow!) a dehydrator. There are a couple of other methods for drying food, including using your oven. In the future, I'm looking forward to making more fruit leather, and I also want to try to make some jerky and dehydrate watermelon!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T07:59:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T22:12:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T13:03:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T12:48:00.002-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-07-28T16:06:00.004-04:00

I was reading the other day about organic/natural foods (I'm always wanting to try to head more in that direction, but I have to do it slowly!). In the process, I stumbled upon all these websites touting the toxicity of cosmetics and personal care products. So, I'm thinking, "this is crazy...what's the point of trying to put healthy things IN your body only to go and put unhealthy things ON your body?"

Okay, so that's really just algae growing in a flask, but it was the most chemical-ish picture I had on my computer. Anywho, back to the topic at hand. My latest attempt at healthy is that I'm going to try to make a concerted effort to check for the following "Top Ten Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid" in our daily personal care products:

1. Parabens - Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Parabens: Used as a preservative and can cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. Studies show they possess mild estrogen-like qualities, and preliminary research found parabens in human breast cancer tumors.

2. Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA): Can cause allergic reactions, eye irritation, and dryness of the hair and skin. Also can be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time, and are associated with cancer in lab animals.

3. Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea (Germall): Often used as preservatives, the American Academy of Dermatology has found these chemicals to be a primary cause of contact dermatitis; both release formaldehyde, which can be toxic.

4. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate: Cheap, harsh detergent often derived from petroleum. Can cause eye irritation, dry scalp, skin rashes and other allergic reactions. Frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation "comes from coconut."

5. Petrolatum: Mineral oil derivative that can clog pores, which can disrupt your body's natural ability to moisturize its own skin, leading to dryness and chapping. Can also produce photosensitivity.

6. Propylene Glycol (PEG and PPG): Usually made from synthetic chemicals, it has been known to cause hives and eczema.

7. PVP/VA Copolymer: A petroleum-derived chemical that's used in hair styling products and some cosmetics. If inhaled, it can damage the lungs.

8. Stearalkonium Chloride: Toxic chemical used in hair conditioners and creams known to cause allergic reactions and irritation to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.

9. Synthetic Colors (FD&C or D&C followed by a color and number): Can be carcinogenic, or cancer-causing. Most are derived from coal tar. Not only are many people are allergic to coal tar, but coal tar has been shown to cause cancer when subcutaneously injected in lab mice.

10. Synthetic Fragrances: Labeled simply as "fragrance," there's no way to tell what chemicals are actually in the product. May cause headaches, dizziness, rashes, respiratory problems, and hyper-pigmentation (brown spots).

Just a disclaimer...I did not personally research the scientific merits of any of these claims, but used common (and educated, I guess) sense as well as some of the following resources:

Cosmetics Database

HealthGoods

Natural Skincare Secrets

fitsugar

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T13:37:00.003-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-07-21T14:34:00.003-04:00

For those of you that don't yet know, I got a new computer last month and am now the proud owner of...A MAC! :) There's been a bit of a learning curve, but so far I'm really enjoying my new 13" MacBook Pro. I've been so busy playing with my new toy that I've not done a good job of blogging lately. So, I'm trying to get back on the blogging train!

In honor of my crossing over to the "Mac side," I'm going to list my top ten favorite things about my new Mac:

1. It's so pretty! I love the aluminum casing and of course the cool glowing apple and backlit keyboard :)

2. It's very light and compact...really just feels like I'm carrying a book rather than a computer.

3. It comes out of sleep SO quickly and restarts in just a minute or two, which is nothing short of a miracle when you compare it to my old computer that took about 20 minutes to fully restart.

4. It seems that, for the most part, "things just work." I was easily able to connect to our home printer, it automatically and quickly connects to available wireless networks, and I can just drag and drop things that I want to email, open, save, etc. to the proper place and BAM!

5. The screen produces a gorgeous, crisp picture.

6. The multi-touch trackpad works quite well and is really intuitive.

7. The battery lasts for 5 hours, easy. It's supposed to last up to 7 hours, but I've not really done any "testing."

8. I can transfer pictures from my camera quickly since my Macbook Pro has a built-in SD card slot.

9. A lot of the software included is a cinch to use and lots of fun (iPhoto, Photobooth, and iMovie, for example), and I was able to synch iCal to the google calendars I currently use with no real problems.

10. The interface is really great looking and pretty darn easy to use. The fact that Macs now have a right click no doubt made my transition easier!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-15T08:09:00.003-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T13:53:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T22:31:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T08:47:00.001-04:00

Foodie Friday

2009-06-19T09:10:00.002-04:00

Today's post might be more appropriately called "Fluid Friday," since I'm writing about one of our favorite breakfast juices/drinks--V8 V-Fusion Light.

Now, before you stop reading on the basis that I just used the words favorite and V8 in once sentence, please "hear" me out! ;) V8 V-Fusion Light does not taste like vegetables (I'm not a fan at all of regular V8) and comes in three varieties: strawberry banana, peach mango, and pomegranate blueberry. All are made with the juices from a number of fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, beets, white grapes, oranges, apples, strawberries, and bananas. One 8 oz. serving of our favorite, strawberry banana, has only 50 calories and no fat (yay) or fiber (boo). So, for only 1 WW point, you can have your fruit/veggies (1/4 cup veggies and 1/4 cup fruit = 1 combined serving of fruits and vegetables) and drink them too!

Just a word of warning...while normally the regular version of something tastes better than the light, I would not recommend regular V8 V-Fusion. We've tried it before, and it tastes much more like vegetables, with a thick consistency, which is not how I like my juice! So, we stick to the light version, which means a smaller serving of fruit/veggies per 8 oz, but also less than half the calories, too!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T08:23:00.001-04:00

Foodie Friday

2009-06-12T13:43:00.004-04:00

Do you like chocolate? If not, I'm actually surprised we are friends...or maybe you accidentally stumbled onto my blog... ;) juuuuust kidding. But seriously, if you do crave things like warm chocolate cake or chocolatey brownies fresh from the oven, then you MUST check out the chocolate muffin mix made by Vitalicious.

This mix makes in an oh-so-chocolatey muffin that barely tastes like it's good for you. Of course, in addition to chocolate goodness, these muffins are surprisingly healthy, with 100 calories, 1.5g fat, 6g fiber...that's only 1 WW point per muffin! I think they're best served warm from the oven, but I've successfully frozen them in the past and just reheated a muffin or two at a time in the microwave. These are a perfect snack, and I even like them for breakfast (is there EVER a bad time for chocolate??). In fact, when we go on vacation, I'll pack a few in an airtight container, along with some bananas and juice, and voila--a healthy and fairly inexpensive "continental breakfast" right in our hotel room.

While they are available online, I've also found Vitalicious products at Harris Teeter in the Carolinas, and they're probably available at a store near you! If you're interested in trying these out but aren't sure you want to commit to making a dozen, they do come pre-made in packs of four in the frozen food aisle, though they're more expensive than the mix.

p.s. As you can see on their website, there are a ton of other varieties. I've tried the frozen version of the brownies (not bad, but I always end up coming back to the muffins) as well as the golden corn vitatops (muffin tops).

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T09:06:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-06-09T08:06:00.003-04:00

2 years ago, on this very date, Brian asked me to marry him. Given the chance, I'd say yes all over again!

In celebration of E-day, here are the top ten things I love about my husband...okay, I honestly couldn't really pick my top ten, so these are just ten things I love about him!:

1. He loves God.
2. He is a gentleman.
3. He puts up/goes along with my picky preferences in the kitchen.
4. He is patient and sensitive.
5. He listens well and gives great advice.
6. He trusts me and takes my advice.
7. He has the same quirky sense of humor that I do.
8. He loves me with his actions and not just his words.
9. He sings my silly songs along with me.
10. He makes the bed every morning.

Foodie Friday

2009-06-05T11:00:00.003-04:00

Today's post is in honor of summertime and all the cookouts, baseball games, etc. that go along with this warm, but wonderful season! We've found that Ball Park Lite Beef Franks are a good substitute for the full fat dogs without losing much/any of the flavor. Before I even give the stats on these low fat franks...I knooooow that hot dogs still probably aren't the healthiest food to eat. However, we like them, and they are a quick and easy meal when we're on the go. Plus, if you pair them with some baby carrots on the side, then it's not so bad, right? ;)

Ball Park's Lite Beef Franks have only 100 calories and 7 grams of fat per frank for a total of 3 WW points. Now, that may sound pretty high, since that doesn't include the bun, but is actually quite a bit better than Ball Park's regular beef franks, which have nearly twice as many calories and more than double the fat. There are, of course, even "healthier" options that are fat free and/or made with turkey that you may enjoy. While we don't like the turkey/fat free hot dogs by themselves, I think they would taste good with some turkey chili and melted low-fat cheese, which is how we often enjoy our lite franks!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T18:52:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-06-02T07:08:00.010-04:00

I'd be lying if I didn't openly admit that I am now "one of those people." Yes, I think it's fair to say that I'm a "crack"berry addict. I love, LOVE having access to my email, the internet, maps, and oh-so-many other fun things just about anywhere I am thanks to my Blackberry Pearl.

Today, I'm going to list my top ten favorite applications, most of which (to be fair) were at some point suggested to me by my tech-savvy husband who has the same phone as I do (but in black, of course). Even if you don't have a Blackberry, I would guess much of this information still applies to other smartphones.

1. Opera Mini - A web browser that I think works better than the default, making web pages appear pretty darn close to "normal" on the Blackberry.

2. G-Mail- I use gmail for everything, so having quick and easy access on my phone (with great features that allows me to search, archive, delete, etc.) was a must!

3. Pandora - If you're not already addicted to this free music service, having it easily accessible on your Blackberry is sure to put you over the edge. ;)

4. Google Maps - A definite Google gem, this mapping program gives you a fairly accurate (usually within a couple thousand feet) idea of your current position, and you can even share your location with friends via the "Latitude" option.

5. You Version - Really cool app that gives you searchable access to ~15 translations of the Bible. I like being able to easily/quickly read a verse in several translations right in the middle of Bible study/church (though I don't think people always realize that's what I'm doing...hehe).

6. Google Sync - Yet another application in the Google suite of mobile products...I love it because it allows me to sync with the online version of Google Calendar (which we use daily to keep our work and social lives quasi organized). How fabulous is it that I can access and modify the calendar right from my b'berry, and my husband can then see the changes on his phone (once it's synced) or computer?!

7. TwitterBerry - There are a number of twitter apps, and this is the one I like. I briefly tried Twibble, but felt like TB had a nicer interface, so I stuck with it.

8. Yahoo Messenger - Pretty self explanatory, and while I really don't use this all that often, it's nice to have on occasion.

9. Google Reader - Okay, can you tell I REALLY like the Google mobile apps? This one allows you to subscribe to websites so that you can see the latest updates in one place. I use this to keep track of my friends' blogs :)

10. Mvelopes - This last app is the only one on the list that isn't free, but I still thought it was worth mentioning. We use the mvelopes online system to keep track of our spending and finances. Since it has a mobile version, too, I can log in on my phone and see how much money we have left that month in any category (groceries or clothing, for example) when I'm out shopping.

Mozy Online Backup

2009-06-01T10:07:00.008-04:00

It's the nightmare of any graduate student...your computer crashes and you lose a year's worth of work and data.

So, I not only back up my laptop on an external hard drive we have at home (lovingly configured by my husband), but have also been using an online service called Mozy for the past year to double-back-up my data. We had been paying the minimal fee for "unlimited" space, but now that our year's subscription has ended, I'm switching to the free version, which still provides a sizable 2 GB of storage. This isn't really enough memory for me to back up all my pictures and music, but that's what the external hard drive is for. I use Mozy online for backing up things that I update on a daily basis and really don't want to risk losing, like my research and teaching stuff.

Anyways, I've not had any crashes or problems to truly test out the system, but I'd recommend it based on its ease of backup (it does it automatically, so you don't have to remember!). If you're interested...check it out! If you do sign up, please use my reference code so I can get more free space: DYHWBB

Foodie Friday

2009-05-29T10:57:00.003-04:00

We were camping and hiking last weekend, and I wasn't able to post anything on Foodie Friday (See Figure 1):

Figure 1. Megan, Brian, and Riley hiking at Pilot Mountain State Park :-)

So, this Friday, I want to tell you about a fabulous snack we enjoy in the great outdoors (and use to supplement many a lunch in the great indoors, too!).

Archer Farms' fruit strips are what I consider a healthy version of the fruit roll up. Incorporating enough fruits and veggies in our diet can be challenging, but these real fruit strips (primary ingredients are fruit purees and juices) make that task a bit easier. Oh, and the fact that they're organic AND sold at Target doesn't hurt either!

These quick snacks come in a number of fruity flavors, such as pomegranate, apricot, strawberry, raspberry, and tropical. I especially like they they have only 45 calories and include 1 gram of fiber (you'd be surprised at the things that SHOULD have fiber, but DON'T!), which comes out to 1 WW point. In fact, you could even eat 2 of these guys and still fall within the 1 point range. Pretty sweet, eh?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T10:46:00.002-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-05-26T09:37:00.007-04:00

A couple of weekends ago we were helping my parents clean out their shed, and I found several boxes of old toys from my childhood. Sorting through those things (some of which I still need to get rid of but am having trouble parting with!) was quite a walk down memory lane. So, today I'm blogging my list of top ten toys from the 80s (again, in no particular order). What were some of your favorite toys growing up?

1. Cabbage Patch Kids

2. Pound Puppies

3. Keypers

4. Popples

5. My Little Ponies

6. Strawberry Shortcake

7. Glow Worms

8. Kid Sister (& My Buddy)

9. Care Bears

10. Barbies

p.s. I found this fun site with other toys of the eighties that includes things I've missed like ALF (love him!), Rainbow Brite, Garbage Pail Kids (which I wasn't allowed to play with), and Teddy Ruxpin (somehow I had 2 used ones from yardsales/Goodwill, and neither worked!).

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T09:08:00.001-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-05-14T11:28:00.006-04:00

Okay, I think this alliterative weekly blogging plan is kinda fun (yes, I'm a dork!), so I'm going to have a "Top Ten Tuesday" blog about...well, whatever 10 things sound interesting that week. :)

This week, I'm posting the top ten places I'd like to visit (in random order):

1. Poland
2. California
3. Dominican Republic
4. Australia
5. New York City
6. Hungary
7. Hawaii
8. Spain
9. Carolina Coast
10. U.S. Virgin Islands

Foodie Friday

2009-05-14T10:21:00.012-04:00

I'm always looking for new tasty and healthy snacks, recipes, foods, etc., so I thought I might share some on here as I come across them. I tend to use the Weight Watcher system to help determine "healthiness" at our house, so I'll include Points values, too, when I can. Oh, and because I'm cheesy, I'll try to share on Fridays and call this Foodie Friday! hehe

My latest find is smartfood's popcorn clusters. I bought the "chocolate cookie caramel pecan" version to try because it sounded like it might be a good fix for both salty and sweet cravings. While the name sounds kinda busy, I think this snack is oh-so-tasty!The popcorn clusters come in individual bags, so portion control is easy, and it's only 2 points for a single serving (1 oz.) bag. I was impressed by the 5g of fiber and 20% of the daily recommended values for calcium in each serving. They have a couple of other flavors like cranberry almond (gluten free) and honey multigrain (slightly lower calories/fat) that I might try in the future.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-13T09:28:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-06T11:28:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-29T12:28:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T09:51:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-15T12:42:00.001-04:00

The Deeps

2009-04-11T21:38:00.003-04:00

A beautiful Puritan prayer I'd like to share on Easter eve:
Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.
Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as saviour, master, lord, and king. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.
Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until Thou alone art seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.
I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-08T10:41:00.001-04:00

Sweet Home Alabama

2009-04-07T21:00:00.015-04:00

I presented my research at a meeting in Birmingham, Alabama, last week. The talk went smoothly, and I also had the opportunity to see E.O. Wilson, an Alabama-born and Pulitzer Prize winning biologist.

Along with the famous Wilson, I was also able to spend time with some more infamous characters from my days at Judson and Troy. ;)

I enjoyed a couple of fabulous dinners catching up with Christa, my good friend with whom I got my master's at Troy. Our yummy Thai meal was especially tasty! :)

I also had the chance to visit my old stomping grounds at Judson for part of the J-Day activities. The President's Home and Jewett Hall were beautiful as always...

...and I can't forget the wonderful place in which I spent MOST of my time--the science building!

Of course, it's not the bricks and mortar that are the stuff of memories, but rather it's the people. It was so great to hang out with my girls, Laura and Polly Ann!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-01T16:47:00.004-04:00

Earth Hour

2009-03-26T09:36:00.004-04:00

We'd all probably agree that we can't just flip a switch and fix all the world's problems. However, maybe turning your lights out on Saturday, March 28 for one hour at 8:30 p.m. local time could be a small start.

Besides, who doesn't need an excuse for a spring evening walk, an hour of prayer and quiet time, a candle-lit dinner, star gazing, or anything else you can think of to do in the dark? ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-25T11:02:00.006-04:00

Wordless Wednesday (a day late...so what's new?!)

2009-03-19T11:36:00.003-04:00

I've Got the Blues

2009-03-14T18:15:00.006-04:00

As is typical with me and all that is science...today was somewhat of a frustrating day in the lab. See exhibit A below:

Gel electrophoresis equipment that helps me visualize the results of my experiment using the wonderful mutagenic/teratagenic substance ethidium bromide (please, Lord, don't let my children have flippers!)

The fact that it was cold and rainy out (after having been teased with a few gorgeous spring days last week) didn't really help my mood any. The people at the grocery store kept getting in my way, someone left a shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot that, of course, started rolling right toward my car, and the list goes on! By the time I got home from the uni and errands, I was nearly in tears (oh the joy of being female).

However, I'm actually not writing to complain about some of the normal frustrations of everyday life, but to say how thankful I am that my husband is such a great listener, encourager, and hugger! I am truly blessed to be able to come home to such a wonderful person, and I'm so grateful to God for this source of love and encouragement. Oh, and the chocolate-frosted brownies we had for dessert didn't hurt either! ;)

So, I'm wondering...what lifts you up after a rough day? What makes you feel better when life isn't going very swimmingly?

Back to Blogging

2009-03-12T21:03:00.001-04:00

I definitely go through phases when it comes to blogging. So, while I've been out of it for the past year or so (falling in love and getting married can keep a girl busy!), I'm going to try to get back at it. It's not like I really have anything terribly interesting or insightful to say, but I know I enjoy reading my friends' blogs, so I decided to get back in on contributing to the fun. :) Plus, what doctoral candidate out there ISN'T looking for one more way to procrastinate! haha

That's all for now, folks!