Engaged!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I am still trying to sort through the transitions of a new job, school, and home. In bigger news.... I AM ENGAGED :)

Chad had a little surprise for me this memorial day weekend! A couple weeks ago we decided to spend the long weekend at his cabin in Northern Minnesota- fishing, four wheeling, and relaxing. Through out the weekend we had planned to go fishing several times but the weather was so rainy,resulting with us not being able to go onto the lake until the evening.
That night (Saturday) I finally caught my first fish and was ecstatic, In response to my enthusiasm, Chad asked me if I would like to go fishing the next morning, watch the sunrise, and drink coffee(all things that I love to do). Turns out the weather did not like that idea, and there was an awful storm that morning, cancelling our fishing trip. The day continued to storm but eventually lightened up after dinner. So we decided to go fishing off the dock instead(which at the time I wasn't feeling well and wasn't sure if I even wanted to go but decided I had to take advantage of the time we were at the cabin). Chad set up all of the fishing lines.ahed of time while I was inside of the cabin, so when we went outside we could immediately start our fishing. After sitting on the dock for 5 or so minutes, 
 I saw a bobber moving on the lake and got excited- I started asking Chad if I should bring it in. Chad told to real it in and when I did, a plastic fish was attached with the words "Marry me". Chad then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was a perfect proposal and I am so happy to call Chad my fiance!

Here are some photos from the big day

Chad and I have begun the wedding planning process and are hoping to be married January  2013. Stay tuned for updates!

Genesis 1:27-28 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth"

It is my Birthday!

Happy birthday... to me!

So far the day has been great.

My sisters surprised me with flowers, balloon, coffee, and a bagel this morning before I went to work (which I leave at 6:25AM... Thanks sisters!)

I am stuck working an 11 hour day so I have decided to treat myself by.....

eating all of the fat tootsie rolls that I want

and stopping by caribou to get my free drink ( a couple of times) ...

Tonight I am getting dressed up and going out with some of my best girlfriends to a local wine bar/restaurant to consume in massive amounts of desert (then returning to a healthy diet tomorrow... ;) )

Here are my outfits for the day.

DAY

NIGHT

then..

TOMORROW the boy and I are celebrating all day long 

On-ward with the festivities! 

Take me out to the ball game..

I am a huge baseball fan... hah! Well not really but I love Minnesota, therefore if there is any type of event  related to Minnesota-ness I am on board! 

Last week I got a chance to go to not only one Twins game but two. It was such a treat to go to Target field, enjoy the nice weather, and hang out with friends. 

View of Target Field

Game 2 with Kelly, Dave & Chad

I hope that I get to opportunity to get outside and go to some more games this summer. 

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

6 Peppers (Any color or variety)

2 c. cooked brown rice

1/2 lb. lean mean (the leaner the better)- browned with

1 yellow onion &

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup chicken broth 

1 can tomatoes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 c. cheddar cheese

1. Ensure that the meat has been browned and the rice has been cooked
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Remove tops, seeds, and cores from peppers
4. Bowl the  4 peppers for 5 minutes (this allow the shell of the pepper to soften)
5. Cut other 2 peppers into bit sized pieces
6. In a large saute pan, heal the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers and cook for about 3 minutes.
7. Add meat
8. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.
9. Add rice and chicken broth and stir well. Remove from heat and mix in cheese.
10. Pour enough water into a baking dish to just cover the bottom, about 1/8 inch deep. Stuff the peppers with rice mixture and place in the baking dish. Bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated trough, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tasty Healthy Treat!

I recently have created my new favorite treat, broiled bananas. As I have mentioned before I LOVE bananas. They are nutritious and delicious ;) this is a new way to enjoy the health benefits of this fruit as well as making into a little dessert!

Broiled Bananas

1 medium banana

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1. Pre-heat broiler
2. Cut banana into halves
3. Spread honey onto banana
4. Add Brown Sugar and cinnamon
5. Broil for 5 minutes

Dessert is served! This is also tasty on top of oatmeal or greek yogurt!

Isaiah 58:11 "the LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy too. You will be like a well watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."

Chicago!

The boy and I decided on a last minute trip to Chicago for his cousins confirmation. We had a lovely time hanging out with family and site seeing downtown.
We were able to go see some of the historical sites....

go hot tubbing & eat some great  treats

Chicago Dog

cappuccinos & croissants from intelligentsia

The weekend was a blast and was a great way to celebrate my graduation. I love this Midwest city!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end"

Graduated!

I am an official college graduate! I celebrated my graduation this last Friday. I cannot believe this college journey has come to an end but am beyond excited to start the next chapter in my life! God is good and I will be starting my graduate school program this Monday, where I will be studying public health! From there I am hoping to continue encouraging others to live a healthy lifestyle

and conduct research to benefit the health of all people! Here are a couple photos from the celebration.

Lamentations 3:22-24" The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh every day. I say to myself,  "the LORD is my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him!"

Breakfast Smoothies

One of my favorite ways to start the morning is with a breakfast smoothies. 

I have mentioned previously how much I LOVE my little bella (from Target-not online) aka my magic bullet knock off. It is the most convenient way to whip up a smoothie in a couple of minutes, and hardly has any dishes.

Here are some of my smoothie favorites. I tend to make them pretty healthy by adding spinach and flax seed in each one. Once you blend the ingredients together you cannot taste the spinach yet you are still receiving the amazing benefits of it.

I don't measure things when I make these smoothies, rather I just throw a bunch of stuff in. Also I tend to use frozen fruit, that way you don't have to crush ice prior to blending. 

Very Berry Smoothie

Frozen Blueberries

Frozen Strawberries

Frozen Raspberries

Spinach

Flax seed

Water

Orange Juice

Dollop of Greek Yogurt

Put ingredients in, shake together, blend. 

Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie 

Frozen Banana

2 scoops peanut butter

Milk

Flax seed

Protein Powder

Strawberry Banana Raz

Frozen Strawberries

Frozen Raspberries

1 small banana (not frozen)

Spinach

Flax Seed

Milk

Greek Yogurt

These are some simple ways to make amazing breakfast combinations on to go. Be creative with your smoothies- they can be an amazing healthy breakfast if you do it right. Don't add sugar (the fruit is already very sweet) instead add orange juice to make it a little sweeter (and get a little vitamin C in there)

Enjoy!