I want to take a moment to remember those that have given their lives for this country, so that we may enjoy the freedoms that we so often take for granted.
In this country, we enjoy so many rights and freedoms that many people in other countries could be killed for.
Because these soldiers fought for my freedom....I can write this blog, I can protect my family, I have the right to privacy, I can go to school, I can vote for the leader of my country...my children will have the right and freedoms to succeed and flourish in ways not possible in other countries around the world.
Despite the constant battle in Washington between political parties, the rising cost of living, and all of the other things we complain about throughout the year (which we have the RIGHT and FREEDOM to speak and debate about, which in itself is amazing)...we live in the greatest country in the world.
Thank you to each and every soldier that has sacrificed their lives, sacrificed time away from their families, fought on the battlefields, the air or the sea, for every spouse and child that is torn away from that soldier for months, sometimes even years at a time and fears what each knock on the door may bring...THANK YOU. I am so proud and honored to know so many of you.
Well, I gave in...I very reluctantly bought Fifty Shades of Grey right in the middle of the hype. I usually wait until after the hype has died down. I really don't know why I do that...it's my way of rebelling against society, I guess. AnyHOO, I decided since this clearly wasn't a book that all the teeny-boppers and Twi-hards were going to be raving about, maybe it could be interesting after all.
O.............M.............G.
Exquisitely Explicit.
As my dear friend Lori so eloquently described it...Mommy porn. I think she hit the nail on the head! Although, I will say this book has many graphic moments. However, that's really not the heart of the story at all. It revolves around the innocent Anastasia Steele and kinky, jaded billionaire Christian Grey and how they come to have a real relationship. Unhealthy relationship, absolutely. I don't think that E.L. James was trying to portray a happily-ever after perfect existence between these two. I think she meant to show their relationship and their characters exactly as they are...imperfect people with deranged inner demons in a toxic relationship.
I've never written a book review, and don't really intend to start, either. However, if you are looking for a good, quick read that will leave you and quite possibly your significant other with a great big smile, go pick up the whole series. I've only read the first book, but I am waiting impatiently for the next one, Fifty Shades Darker to come in on Wednesday.
I may write an actual review once I finish the series. In the meantime, go buy a copy so we can all dish about it! :-)
I don't think I've mentioned on here, but as of Monday...I am a vegetarian. I'm not making this choice because of any political reasons. I still believe that cows were put on this Earth to feed man. I have decided that at least for the next 30 days, I'm going to give this lifestyle a shot because of the numerous health benefits. It's been two days, and I honestly haven't missed meat yet.
Anyway, recently when I mentioned to some friends that I would be making this lifestyle change, they told me that Indian food was a great cuisine for vegetarians! When I was pregnant, I worked in an apartment community that was predominately folks of middle-eastern descent. At that time, having never tried Indian cuisine before, and having an extra sensitive sniffer I had pretty much sworn off all Indian food before trying any of it. I pride myself on being able to try new things without hesitation, so I didn't want this to be any different! Today a friend of mine marched up to a local Indian kitchen and decided to give it a whirl!
We went to tarka Indian Kitchen in Round Rock. The atmosphere was lovely! Reminded me of Pei Wei a little bit, just brighter. For a party like us, that was slightly nervous about the unknown, the atmosphere was welcoming and familiar.
We both ordered the Tikka Masala. My friend got hers with chicken, and I got mine with Paneer (a creamy Indian cheese). I decided to get this because it seems to be a pretty popular dish, and I wanted to err on the side of caution. The masses can't wrong, right? Ha! At least not when it comes to food. I'm so glad this was my first experience with Indian food. It was absolutely delicious. Not only were the serving sizes perfect, but it was so tasty! I got mine "medium spicy". I can handle heat, but the difference between TexMex heat and Thai heat is outrageous, so I didn't know what their definition of heat was yet. I could have easily done hot, the medium was just a little spicy, but only enough to tingle. Served with Basmati Rice, which is one of the best rices out there in my opinion, it was a perfect lunch! It had an interesting flavor, I can't really compare it to anything I've ever had. I would get it again in a heartbeat, and now I'm more open to trying other dishes, too. Oh, if you go, get the garlic naan. OMGsh....so good.
tarka Indian Kitchen is in Round Rock across the street from IKEA.
From the post below...I promised a winner of an 8x8 customized word art giveaway to be drawn on April 30th! The winner was drawn from the comments section of this original post....and the lucky AustinTXMom.com reader is....
Angela Ortiz!!!
Congratulations Angela!! Thanks for following AustinTxMom.com!
I have a new obsession! I know you've those great pieces of subway art and word art in the stores. They are all over the place and they are just too cute! I've gone back and forth about buying anything like that because I kept thinking, "I can do this!" Well, as it turns out I CAN. It takes a little patience, and you have to be a font extraordinaire such as myself. I've put together a few samples.
These are just examples that have been personalized for a kid's room. This is such a cute idea for an anniversary gift, or even a wedding gift. I'm having these printed on canvas, and a couple I've printed for framing.
*****GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!********
All you have to do is comment on this post, and I will draw from the list of commentators on April 30, 2012 and that person will get an 8x8 canvas customized for them! Share with your friends!
I haven't been cooking as much as I normally do, because I'm dieting. Blah...I've decided I'm much more likely to stick to a healthy diet if I can make the food more interesting. I've just got to readjust the way I think about cooking! Replace the unhealthy fats with good ones, use more veggies, etc...
I was craving Mexican food over the weekend, and had everything I needed to make some deliciously baked, low-fat chicken taquitos.
This recipes makes 10 taquitos, each one being a serving. They are really filling and really delicious!
3 cups shredded chicken breasts
1/2 cup reduced fat, low sodium chicken broth
4 Tbsp fat-free cream cheese
1 Tbsp cumin
10 white corn tortillas
Cooking spray (I use canola oil in my Misto)
For dipping:
Your choice of salsa
Fat-free sour cream
Guacamole (love that good fat!)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Set aside your shredded chicken breasts. Personally, I throw chicken breasts in the crockpot on high for fours hours with about 1/2 cup of chicken broth. They come out very moist and tender. You can shred them with a fork and use them for many recipes!
In a pan, melt cream cheese and stir in chicken broth and cumin. You'll want to whisk together until it resembles a cream sauce. Then you'll add your chicken and fold together.
After that, add about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture to each corn tortilla. It helps to put the tortillas in a napkin and microwave for about 30 seconds so they are more pliable. Fill all of the tortillas, and lay on a baking sheet. Spray with your choice of cooking spray. This will help them get nice and crispy. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy.
Even though they are not fried, I still let them rest on a paper towel to get any excess grease off. There really shouldn't be much, but I figure anything counts.
Serve with your favorite fat-free condiments! They were delicious!
Although, I love Austin and I already feel very much at home here, there are a few places that are not here that I used to frequent in Dallas. Those being In N Out Burger, El Fenix, Pappas Bros., and Corner Bakery Cafe....well, guess what folks? Corner Bakery is opening it's first location in the Austin area on April 30th! WooHoo!
Not only that, they'll be giving away free commemorative mugs and free coffee for a year! One lucky person will even get free paninis for a year! I'm just a little excited!!
Some friends and I are doing a 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. We've been doing this for about two weeks, and so far we've all been pretty successful! We are watching what we eat and working out 5 days a week. For those of you that have ever tried to lose weight before, accountability can be the push you need to start making changes! I've been saying I'm going to lose weight since I had my daughter nearly a year and a half ago. I've instead steadily seen the scale go UP. I don't like that direction on my scale. Now, I'm slowly starting to see it go down again. Yay me! Although, I have to say in a big part my friends are a big part to blame both for my success and soreness. :-) Thank God for them!
Anyway, I've learned that sometimes you just have a craving for a giant, juicy burger. Rather than rushing out to get one, I'm letting my other senses do the work! Half the fun, but none of the calories! Okay, so it doesn't come close to the real thing...but you know what, it works for me! So, I say "If you can't eat it...PIN IT!"
In honor of my new theory, here are some of my favorite fattening pins from Pinterest. :-)
Mmmmm...double double animal style.
I've had a serious craving for beignets and a cafe au lait from Cafe Du Monde lately.
A bacon taco shell? What's not to love?
Home Slice Pizza....the best in Austin.
I know you've seen this floating around on Pinterest!
Cheese fries doused in Ranch Dressing! How about anything doused in Ranch Dressing?
Until earlier this week, I had a Nebraska Cornhuskers Welcome sign on my front door. I had let the madness go on long enough! (My hubby is a die-hard Cornhuskers fan. I, myself, pure Longhorn to the bone. It was a compromise to say the least.)
Anyway, I needed something new! It's not football season, so I wanted to do something a little funky and bright for Spring. I found some great leopard print ribbon in the clearance bin at Hobby Lobby, along with some bright orange flowers in the floral department. All you need for this project is a foam wreath, ribbon, flowers of your choice and a hot glue gun. I wrapped the ribbon around the wreath, using hot glue sparingly as I wrapped it. I secured the end on the backside of the wreath with a couple of pins, although more hot glue would work just fine. Then I glued the flowers to the front. Voila! Easy as pie, and a very cute front door accessory!
For those of you that aren't crafty, you can purchase one here. :-)
I have a new obsession! I know you've those great pieces of subway art and word art in the stores. They are all over the place and they are just too cute! I've gone back and forth about buying anything like that because I kept thinking, "I can do this!" Well, as it turns out I CAN. It takes a little patience, and you have to be a font extraordinaire such as myself. I've put together a few samples.
These are just examples that have been personalized for a kid's room. This is such a cute idea for an anniversary gift, or even a wedding gift. I'm having these printed on canvas, and a couple I've printed for framing.
*****GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!********
All you have to do is comment on this post, and I will draw from the list of commentators on April 30, 2012 and that person will get an 8x8 canvas customized for them! Share with your friends!
As you've no doubt heard by now, Dallas was slammed by at least 15 tornadoes yesterday. Lancaster was hit hard, Hutchins, Arlington, and Forney. There is major damage reported all over the metroplex. Even though I may live in Austin now, Dallas is still my home. I grew up in Mesquite, my parents, my grandmother, and most of my family and friends still live there. I'm a weather buff, but yesterday I was reminded of the sheer force and destruction these storms can create. Miraculously, no one was killed and only minor injuries have been reported. God was truly watching over DFW yesterday. I'm not here to preach, but you can't tell me that prayers don't work. I know many were being said and were answered yesterday.
The tornado in Forney has hit particularly close to home. Literally, Forney is just outside of the town I grew up in, and several friends have moved out there. One of my lifelong best friend's home was literally down the street from one of the areas hit the worst. In the Diamond Creek subdivision, somewhere between 20 and 30 homes were completely destroyed. 73 homes total just in Forney were hit by two different tornadoes. Some of the pictures I've included are not pictures from the media, but pictures that my friends have shared on Facebook, from their personal experiences. All are images of the tornado that pummeled Forney.
I want to share the story and the video of a family friend that lost her home. This girl is a dear friend of my cousin, and her mother was at her home watching her 18 month old son, and two of her other grandchildren when the tornado hit. They hid in the middle bathroom, and her mother literally held the feet of her 18 month old son as the tornado tried to pull him out of her arms. Thank GOD literally, that He was there with them to keep this boy and the others with their family. I've posted the video below from WFAA.com, as they spoke to her mother. They do an aerial view of their home in the later part of the video, and you can see the only thing standing is the bathtub they were in. If that's not direct evidence of God's protection, I just don't know what is. You can also hear Lindsey (whose 18 month old son was home) speak about her reaction to coming home yesterday.
When something like this happens, I usually send my $10 dollars into the red cross, sometimes I'll even send clothes. Now it's my family and my friends. My immediate family was spared from any damage, but several families no longer have a home. They no longer have clothes for themselves or their children. Their children no longer have toys. I talked to my cousin this morning and she said this family was only able to recover enough from there home to fill one black trash bag. Can you imagine going from everything you have today, to having only enough to fit into a trash bag for you and your entire family? Yes, I am sure most of us have insurance, but what would you do in the meantime? To wake up one morning, and have no material possessions? Thankfully, they still have the most important items, each other.
There are other families in DFW that need help as well. I'm asking anyone that has any extra clothes(XL mens' and womens' clothes, baby clothes (2T-3T), baby toys, toiletries, clothes for their teenage son, ANYTHING to help this family out. I'm not asking for money, but for much needed items, and even gift cards to places like Walmart, or to restaurants so this family can forget about everything and enjoy a meal together.
Please email me directly at laceydkrop@gmail.com if you have anything you can spare for this family.
I'm going to be collecting donations specifically for this family over the coming week, but I'm also going to post information below about how to help in other ways, and other families.
You can donate directly to the red cross by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999. It will automatically make a $10 donation that will be posted to your phone bill.
You can also donate through Community Life Church in Forney. Their information is posted below:
