Rice for days

Hi all!
It's been awhile since I've written on here, and I won't bore you with all my excuses. Instead, I'm going to treat you to a recipe! In an effort to be more frugal, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to cook more at home. Because of my hectic schedule and social tendencies, it's so easy to just pick up some takeout or go to dinner with my friends.

I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day and came across an article I had already pinned: 51 Healthy Weeknight Dinners That'll Make You Feel Great. I don't ever remember reading it so I followed the link. It took me to the ever-trusty Buzzfeed. Seeing as how I stalk Buzzfeed on a daily basis, I have no idea how I missed this article.

It gave some great ideas and even categorized the recipes into categories such as "When you want fish..." and "When you need noodles..." I came across a recipe that made me do a double take: Edamame and Veggie Fried Rice. I followed the link for the recipe and found an AMAZING blog called Poor Girl Eats Well. She has all kinds of tips on how to make it when you're running low on funds. She even includes how much each recipe costs per serving. (This one is only 65 cents a serving!!)

Tonight I gave it a try, and I was very pleased with the results. Check out the recipe below reposted from Poor Girl Eats Well:

*Disclaimer: This is the picture from the original post and the Buzzfeed article. I did not photograph mine!

Edamame & Veggie Fried Brown Rice (makes 4-6 servings; total cost per serving: $0.65)

Ingredients
1-2 T cooking oil
1/3 c chopped yellow onion
2 c cooked brown rice (preferably day old) - Mine was not day old, and it turned out fine!
1 c frozen shelled edamame
1 1/2 c frozen mixed veggies (I used the Asian Stir Fry blend in mine, but regular mixed veggies also work) - I used a Spring Mix that included carrots, asparagus, and squash - Delicious!
3 large eggs, scrambled
2-3 T low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c chopped green onions

Directions
1.   Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook quickly, until fragrant and slightly translucent.  Add the cooked brown rice and cook for about 1-2 minutes, then add the edamame and other frozen veggies.  Cook until the veggies are thawed.

2.  Add the fried egg and soy sauce and mix together well.   Finally, add the chopped green onions and fold them into the rice gently.  Garnish with extra chopped scallions and soy sauce, serve with your favorite protein or on its own, and enjoy!

I think next time I make this, I'll try adding either shrimp or chicken to it, but it was great on it's own. Also, this recipe makes a TON. I'll be having leftovers for a few days, but it was so good I don't mind! I will definitely be trying more of PGEW's recipes in the future, and one day I hope to master her $25 Shopping Cart!

Check out the original post here.

xoxo,
JET

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made Of

Nine years ago, I boarded a plane for New York with my mother, grandmother, two friends, and their mothers. We had been invited to cheer in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and it was my first trip to the Big Apple. We had such a great time sight-seeing and dancing at Herald Square, I knew then that it would not be my last trip. My grandmother even made the comment that she would like to come back with all her girls.

She decided that for her 70th birthday, she wanted to go to NYC. The day after Christmas this year Mimi, my mother, my two aunts, my two cousins, my sister and I headed out for the adventure of a lifetime. We were all so excited, we could barely sleep. And thanks to our flight being moved to 7:00 a.m., we didn't have much time to sleep!

This was my fourth trip to New York, but there was still plenty I hadn't seen. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at Times Square. The location was perfect because we were in walking distance to everything, but we were still a couple of blocks away from the noisiness of Times Square.

When we arrived, we checked our luggage with the hotel and off we went. We headed over to Grand Central Station via Subway. Everyone was amazed by the size and the amount of people rushing about to get to their destinations. After a quick lunch, we headed to Rockefeller Center to see the big tree. I couldn't get over the size and the beauty of it! Caroline and I wanted to ice skate, but there were so many people and the line was forever long. We'll save that for next time.

Grand Central Station

Mimi made a friend on the Subway!

Radio City Music Hall

Rockefeller Center!

That night we went to dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. My mom, sister, and Mimi had all been there before and said it was something we all had to do. I'm not going to lie, I was not excited about the line outside at first, but we were seated in 30 minutes and got to enjoy the fabulous musical stylings of the singing wait staff. A lot of Broadway stars worked at Ellen's before they got their big breaks. It was so much fun!

Ellen's Stardust Diner

Friday, we got up early and headed to Battery Park to catch the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty. We had tickets for the 9:00 Ferry, but we got there early just in case. We actually were able to leave at 8:30 because the Ferry was full. The Statue of Liberty was AMAZING! I learned a lot that I didn't know about Lady Liberty in the museum, and we even got to go into the Pedestal. Ellen and I took the stairs, which was quite a hike! The view of the NYC skyline was amazing!

After Liberty Island, our Ferry stopped at Ellis Island. It still had extensive damage to it from Hurricane Sandy, so there were a few exhibits that we didn't get to see. But it was still really cool to see where our ancestors came to America. My great-great grandmother came through Ellis Island when she was 15 years old. Knowing that we were standing where she once stood was truly incredible and moving.

Later that day, we went to the Financial District to Check out the 9/11 Memorial. When Ellen and I were there in June, we walked right up and got passes. However due to the sheer volume of people visiting, you had to have advance passes to get in, and passes had to be purchased at St. Paul's Church. People were waiting in line for passes that weren't good for another two hours. With a large group of 9 in the cold weather, there was no way we could wait. We ducked in to Century 21 for a little retail therapy. Century 21 is Mimi's favorite store in NYC and is definitely a must-see. It's a massive, discount department store - they literally have everything! We found some great deals, and then made our way to Ellen's favorite - Chinatown.

My sister is amazing when it comes to Chinatown! She flits from shop to shop wheeling and dealing for everyone in the group. Caroline was following right in her footsteps. It was hilarious, and I never get tired of it! We took a short walk to Little Italy. Everything was lit up and decorated for Christmas - it was beautiful. Aunt Carley was loving it, and quickly decided that this was her favorite part of the city. We had a dinner at Amici II, which was so good. It was very small and quaint, and you could tell it was family owned. It was definitely the best meal of the trip, and I think it's safe to say it was everyone's favorite. We never felt rushed, and the wait staff was super friendly and helpful.

After dinner, I volunteered to go to the Empire State Building with Aunt Tammy, Anna, and Caroline. Even though I've been 3 times now, I still love it! The view is just so magical, I never get tired of it. When we got there, the line started outside. But I reassured them it was worth the wait. Once we got inside, it was really hot, and we kept thinking we would never make it. But we finally did! We took the first elevator bank to the 80th floor. Then we were given the option of waiting 15 more minutes for the second elevator or walking up the six remaining flights of stairs which took roughly 5 minutes. We were so tired of waiting we decided to take the stairs. (And yes, this was my second time to take the stairs that day!) We made it to the stop a little winded but excited. The view at night is so incredible! We had so much fun, but after we made it 3/4 of the way around, Anna's fear of heights got the best of her so we went inside.

Saturday morning, we loaded up on the Double Decker Hop On Hop Off bus Uptown. I know it's super touristy, but it's a great way to see the city. We bundled up and sat up top. Even though I had done it before, I still found it so interesting. The driver took us all through Uptown, around the Park and even through Harlem.

Up top on the Bus!

We got off at the stop in front of the Plaza Hotel, so we could go inside for a quick tour. The Christmas decorations were amazing. We went back outside and jumped in a horse-drawn carriage for a ride through Central Park.

After the bus tour, Mom, Ellen, Caroline, and I took a quick walk through Times Square and hit up Forever 21. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for our night.

Caroline was so excited to meet the Naked Cowboy.

We had dinner reservations at Angus McIndoe's before seeing Kinky Boots! My grandmother chose Kinky Boots because it had won a lot of Tony's. It did not disappoint! I seriously can't say enough good things about it... I absolutely loved it! The music was great, the storyline was great... it was perfect! After the show, Caroline got Stark Sands' autograph (He was the lead male in the show), and Aunt Carley even snapped a picture of us with him.

Before calling it a night, we headed to Junior's for some cheesecake and hot chocolate.

Sunday morning, we woke up and went to Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was under construction, so it was hard to see all of it, but it was still beautiful. Cardinal Dolan delivered Mass, which was really cool too. Unfortunately when we left, it was pouring down rain, but we ran to Fireside at the Omni Hotel for some brunch. Next we continued walking down 5th Avenue to Tiffany's. I could literally spend hours there.

We visited a few more shops including Macy's and my favorite - H&M before heading back to the hotel. Aunt D is a huge fan of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, and she really wanted to go to the Manzo Brothers restaurant in Hoboken. After a hop, skip, two subway stops, a train, and a cab ride later, we were there. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't my favorite, but it was definitely an adventure! I think my favorite part was Aunt Carley and Caroline striking up a conversation with the Aussies on the train!

I couldn't believe our trip was almost over. Monday morning I woke up early and went to the Museum of Modern Art by myself. I have an obsession with art museums, and I was so excited that I finally got to see my favorite painting, The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. I have seen the majority of his paintings, and I've even been to his museum in Amsterdam, but I still hadn't seen his masterpiece. It was definitely worth the wait. I stood in awe of how beautiful it was... I seriously didn't want to leave. While there, I also got to see works by Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollack, and Monet.

We said one final goodbye to the city before it was time to leave. It was a once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget. I'm so glad that we got to experience it together with Mimi.

Until next time New York!!
xoxo,
JET

Giving Thanks

With another successful Thanksgiving in the books, I've been reflecting on the many things in my life I am thankful for. I know I am truly blessed, and I don't think I'm nearly as thankful as I should be. Sometimes, it's so easy to focus on the bad. But on this quiet post-Thanksgiving Sunday night, I've decided to stop for a moment and think about all the blessings in my life.

1. My Family

I know everyone says this, but my family is AMAZING! They have always supported me in every decision I've made and in every path I have taken in life. Without them, I most certainly wouldn't be where I am today. I'm soooooo thankful for them!

2. My Friends

Again, I know everyone says this, but I have the BEST friends ever. From my friends that I have known since Kindergarten, to my college friends, grad school friends, post grad friends, and everyone in between, I have been blessed to call some incredible people my friends. Again, a group of people who are always there for me. I consider my friends to be an extension of my family.

3. My Education

It's so easy to take this one for granted, but I am truly grateful for my education. My parents have invested in this from an early age, and I have tried my best to make it worth everyone's while. I have had some awesome teachers who have taught me much more than was on their lesson plan, and that has made all the difference.

4. My Health

This is something I definitely take for granted. Although I don't say it enough, I'm thankful that I have the opportunity to lead an active life. When I think about the many people who can't run or play tennis because of health issues, I realize just how fortunate I am.

5. My Career

I feel so blessed that I have a job that I love going to everyday. I truly love my job and the many people I come in contact with on a daily basis. Delta State is more than a university, it's a family, and I'm so thankful that I was welcomed in with open arms.

This is only a short list of the many things I'm thankful for in my life. I've been afforded so many opportunities, and I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and that you take time to give thanks for your many blessings.

xoxo,

JET

I love a good makeover

You may or may not have noticed that this blog has been a little dead lately. I have been struggling for inspiration; therefore, making it difficult for me to keep this little project up. I also struggle with the question: does anyone even read this? (Other than my Mom of course - Hi Mom!). This blog started as an outlet for my need to write and explore some of my interests and share them with others who might have the same obsessions as me. I never wanted it to become a chore, so I took a little hiatus.

With that being said, lately, I've really wanted to get back into the blogging world. However, I really HATED how my blog looked. My friend Amber, whose blog After April is awesome, put it best when she said: "It's like your virtual home that people come into." So, thanks to her encouragement I'm back with a new look! It's still a work in progress, but it's a vast improvement on the old design. Be on the lookout for more regular posts. I promise I'll try my best not to be such a slacker!

xoxo,
JET

On Trend: French manicure... with a twist!

So it's no secret that I'm obsessed with nail polish. I really love to experiment with new colors, so when I saw this new trend fill up my pinterest, I knew I'd have to eventually give it a try.

 I normally don't go for designs on my nails, and I almost never go for a french manicure, so this was a stretch even for me. But I really liked the playfullness of the colored french manicure, so I decided to go for it - despite the judgement from some of my friends. I chose coral and gold for my colors. I've been on a major gold kick lately, so that was a no-brainer. The coral came out of nowhere. I just really liked it (hot and spicy by OPI). So here's how mine turned out...














All of my friends I've shown this to have pretty much laughed at me, but I like how it turned out. Needless to say, this trend has not hit Cleveland, MS. But if/when it does, I'll be the one laughing. After all, it's just nail polish. Why not have a little fun with it?

What do you think about this trend? Is it fabulous, ghetto-fabulous, or just plain ghetto??

xoxo,
JET

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have a confession... I LOVE Valentine's Day! I know as a single girl, I should probably be sad and/or bitter on this day known by many as Single Awareness Day, but I think a day completely dedicated to Love is such a wonderful thought - especially knowing the history behind Valentine's Day (no it was not created by Hallmark!) I wasn't expecting anything on Valentine's Day this year, so I was pleasantly surprised when I received a very special card by one of my oldest and best friends, Amanda Jo Mims.

I feel so honored to be a part of her and Alex's big day! We have known each other for over 20 years! And I have recently had the chance to get to know Alex. I think they are a perfect couple, and I wish them all the happiness in the world! I'm so excited for 12.14.13!

Me and Jo cheering on the Rebs at the Compass bowl in Birmingham

And if you're wondering how I spent my Valentine's Day.... I was cheering on the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen basketball teams! It may sound like a #singlegirlprobs, but it was actually really fun. And I was surrounded by some great friends! I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day as well!
Until next time,
xoxo
JET

A February wedding

Hello friends,

My oh my have I had a busy couple of weeks. One of my best friends from college, Martha Campbell, recently said "I do" to her long-time beau Terry. We started the celebration by heading to Nashville for her Bachelorette Party! When we got to Nashville Friday night, we got settled into our rooms, and then got ready for dinner at Sambuca. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was really cool. I'd definitely recommend checking it out next time you're in town.

Taylor and I at Sambuca

After dinner, we headed down the street to Bar Louie for a nightcap. None of us had been there, but it was close so we decided to check it out. We were able to get a table, which was perfect!

So good catching up with Frannie!

Allie and Josie at Bar Louie

We decided to call it a night, so we hailed a cab... little did we know what we were in for. When we climbed in, I notice there were lights in it. My first reaction was "Are we in the Cash Cab?!?" Then, we noticed the monitor, and realized we were in the Karaoke cab! It was fabulous! We sang a few songs on the way back to the hotel including "Starships" by Nicki Minaj. We were having so much fun, Jennings asked the driver to take a lap so we could finish the song! We made sure to get his number so we could call him throughout the weekend. From that point on, we refused to take any other cab! Here are some of the best Karaoke Cab pics....

In case you want the number....

Saturday, we woke up and walked to Tavern for brunch. It was fabulous as always, and our friend from college, Hillary, who lives in Nashville met us there. After Tavern we walked to Broadway Brewhouse. Of course I had to have a Bushwacker while I was there. It was so great to sit and catch up with friends I haven't seen in awhile. My sister, Ellen, also stopped in to hang out with us for a little bit.

Bushwacker.... Yum

Sisters!!!

Before we knew it, it was time to start getting ready for the night. Allie was sweet enough to host a Shower for Martha at her apartment. 

Next we headed to Cabana for dinner. Susan, another college friend living in Nashville, met us there. Cabana is a really cool restaurant that has private areas built into the wall. You can even plug in your own iPod. I'm pretty sure we played "I knew you were trouble" at least 15 times.

Cheers to the Bride!!

 Allison and I

 The old Market District crew... Josie, Allie, and I

EA, Martha, and I at dinner

After dinner, we headed downtown! We went to Honky Tonk Central and danced and sang along with the band. We had such a blast - the whole weekend was perfect and we were all so sad to head home on Sunday.

Before we knew it, two weeks later it was time for Martha and Terry's wedding! I got to Memphis this past Thursday just in time to change and head to Felicia Suzanne's for the Rehearsal Dinner. Before dinner, they hosted a cocktail hour; a perfect time to mix and mingle and catch up with old friends.

Felicia Suzanne's was delicious, and despite being seated at a table with an obnoxious guest haha, everything was perfect!

Saturday morning, we had the Bridesmaid Luncheon at Memphis Country Club. After the luncheon, we had a little time to kill before we needed to be at the Church for pictures, so Kate, EA, EA's husband Lee, and I headed to Local.

And EA got the biggest Mimosa I've ever seen! After, us girls decided to try out one of the local nail salons to prepare for the night.

Martha's wedding was at St. John's Episcopal Church on Central. When we got there, Martha was already dressed, and she was breathtaking! The ceremony was so sweet - Martha was so happy, she couldn't stop crying. 

Reading a letter Terry wrote her

Me with the beautiful bride

The reception was at the University Club, and I have never seen so many gorgeous flowers! It was absolutely beautiful, and the band was fabulous as well. We had a blast dancing the night away.

Mimi, Mom, and I - three generations

Mr. and Mrs. Robertson

First Dance... Notice the flower chandelier 

Friends!

And of course, no trip to Memphis would be complete without a visit to Raiford's... All in all, the wedding weekend was a complete success!! Congrats to the Bride and Groom. I hope they're having a blast in Maui while the rest of us are freezing!

Until next time,

xoxo

JET