I spent four years during college living in the great city of Fort Worth! A few couples that I know are moving there this summer. So I'm trying to compile a list of things you must do / see / eat / drink while you are living in Fort Worth. This is what I could think of off the top of my head. I need some help from my Fort Worth friends to add more to the list!!
Mellow Mushroom (pizza) (www.mellowmushroom.com)
Chimys (Happy Hour - margaritas) (www.chimys.com)
Joe T Garcias (famous mexican) (www.joets.com)
Billy Bobs (2 steppin) (http://www.billybobstexas.com/)
Fuzzy's Tacos (www.fuzzystacoshop.com)
The Great Outdoors (sub sandwiches) (www.greatoutdoorsubs.com)
Pulidos (fresh squeezed OJ, great breakfast!) (www.pulidosrestaurant.com)
Curly's Frozen Custard (www.curlysfrozencustard.com)
Sweet Sammies (www.sweetsammies.com)
Yogi's Bagel Cafe (yogisbagelcafe.resercom.net)
Kinkaids (www.kincaids.com)
Fort Worth City Church (http://www.fwcitychurch.org/)
Yucatan Taco Stand (Strongest Margaritas in town) (www.yucatantacostand1.com)
Fort Worth Zoo (http://www.fortworthzoo.org/)
Railhead Smokehouse (best BBQ) (www.railheadonline.com)
Sundance Square Downtown (http://www.sundancesquare.com/)
Kimbell Art Museum (www.kimbellart.org)
Fort Worth Botanical Gardens (http://www.fwbg.org/)
Bass Performance Hall (in downtown) (www.basshall.com)
Four Day Weekend Improv Comedy Show (www.fourdayweekend.com)
Trinity Chapel Bible Church (www.trinitychapelbc.org)
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (www.fwssr.com)
Cupcake Cottage (www.thecupcakecottage.com)
Sprial Diner (vegetarian/organic food, but healthy!) (www.spiraldiner.com)
Southcliff Baptist Church (www.southcliff.com)
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Fav Oscar Dresses
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| You can't help but like her. She had a great performance in Black Swan, she's in love and pregnant... and won the Best Actress Award! Keepin it classy. |
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| Michelle Williams... how does she pull off that hair?!? She's so simple and classic, I couldn't pull it off, but she does it well. |
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| Gwyneth... one of my new favs lately. I loved Country Strong, and love this dress. However, i didn't like her performance dress or her performance... She seemed nervous. |
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| Again... I couldn't pull off this hair color or cobalt blue dress... but she does it so well. Happy to see some dresses that actually cover up the goods. |
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| Hillary Swank - always classy. |
Brickers in Plano!
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| The Brickers came to Plano this weekend for Clint's med school orientation and we made some delicious dinner on Saturday night! |
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| Stuffed Jumbo Shells = yum! |
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| Our appetizer! |
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| The stuffing mixture: italian sausage, spinach, onion, garlic, oil, egg, cheese! |
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| Here we are stuffing the shells, which was harder than we thought it would be! |
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| Yum! Yum! |
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| We ended up finishing the whole thing! Great for a group or party! |
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| And of course, finished a box of wine alongside... |
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| Sleepy Ranger dog. We really enjoyed having them come stay with us!! We're looking forward to when they move to Fort Worth and we get to see them more often. We're lucky to have another high school sweetheart couple who is married. Our history with them goes way back! |
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Challenge Accepted! 30 Super Foods in March!
"Real Simple asked the country’s top dietitians and nutritionists to tell us which superpowered ingredients we should be incorporating into our diets regularly."
30 Healthiest Foods:
Mushrooms
Walnuts
Whole-Grain Pasta
Peanut and Nut Butters
Oatmeal
Barley
Quinoa
Lentils
Bulgur
Almonds
Eggs
Nonfat Greek Yogurt
Wild Salmon
Sardines
Kale
Kiwi
Blueberries
Broccoli
Avocados
Black Beans
Sweet Potatoes
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Edamame
Chard
Kidney Beans
Oranges
Spinach
Pumpkin
Skim Milk
See full article here: http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/the-30-healthiest-foods-00000000051152/index.html
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! 30 SUPER FOODS IN MARCH!
Rules:
1. Between March 1, 2011 - March 31, 2011 both PK and I must eat all 30 of these healthy foods.
2. It can be from a restaurant, doesn't have to be homemade.
3. It doesn't have to be one each day, can consume multiple items in one day.
4. One meal can contain more than one super food.
5. Must take picture of each food to document!
JOIN US! And send me recipes if you have good ones that incorporate these foods!
Just between you and me... I'm nervous about: Sardines, Chard, Bulgar, Quinoa and Barley. Seriously, what the heck are some of those!?
30 Healthiest Foods:
Mushrooms
Walnuts
Whole-Grain Pasta
Peanut and Nut Butters
Oatmeal
Barley
Quinoa
Lentils
Bulgur
Almonds
Eggs
Nonfat Greek Yogurt
Wild Salmon
Sardines
Kale
Kiwi
Blueberries
Broccoli
Avocados
Black Beans
Sweet Potatoes
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Edamame
Chard
Kidney Beans
Oranges
Spinach
Pumpkin
Skim Milk
See full article here: http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/the-30-healthiest-foods-00000000051152/index.html
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! 30 SUPER FOODS IN MARCH!
Rules:
1. Between March 1, 2011 - March 31, 2011 both PK and I must eat all 30 of these healthy foods.
2. It can be from a restaurant, doesn't have to be homemade.
3. It doesn't have to be one each day, can consume multiple items in one day.
4. One meal can contain more than one super food.
5. Must take picture of each food to document!
JOIN US! And send me recipes if you have good ones that incorporate these foods!
Just between you and me... I'm nervous about: Sardines, Chard, Bulgar, Quinoa and Barley. Seriously, what the heck are some of those!?
Diet Coke
My name is Jackie and I drink Diet Coke. However... my habit is restricted in some ways. I only drink Diet Coke (DC) alongside food. I never drink DC in between meals (makes me feel dehydrated) and I rarely have DC with breakfast. But almost every lunch and dinner meal, whether at home or out is accompanied by a DC.
Now I'm one of those people who says: There are zero calories in DC and caffeine doesn't keep me awake at night, so why does it matter whether I do or don't drink DC? I think I've successfully weaned PK off of Dr. Pepper and onto Diet Coke, mainly because of the caloric intake in regular soda. However, have I created another DC monster?
Now I must admit, that when I think of a juicy cheeseburger and fries, a DC is a MUST on the side of that fast food meal!! When I consider choosing a salad for lunch, I don't think of DC as a MUST, only as a SURE, WHY NOT? Could DC be one of my triggers for eating unhealthy food?!
The question is on our quest to become healthier in 2011, is it time to start weaning off the DC? Read a good article about diet sodas below...
http://www.thatsfit.com/2011/02/22/can-drinking-diet-soda-help-me-lose-weight/?a_dgi=aolshare_email
Now I'm one of those people who says: There are zero calories in DC and caffeine doesn't keep me awake at night, so why does it matter whether I do or don't drink DC? I think I've successfully weaned PK off of Dr. Pepper and onto Diet Coke, mainly because of the caloric intake in regular soda. However, have I created another DC monster?
Now I must admit, that when I think of a juicy cheeseburger and fries, a DC is a MUST on the side of that fast food meal!! When I consider choosing a salad for lunch, I don't think of DC as a MUST, only as a SURE, WHY NOT? Could DC be one of my triggers for eating unhealthy food?!
The question is on our quest to become healthier in 2011, is it time to start weaning off the DC? Read a good article about diet sodas below...
http://www.thatsfit.com/2011/02/22/can-drinking-diet-soda-help-me-lose-weight/?a_dgi=aolshare_email
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Quirks
- Almost every single day while I'm driving, I think about what I'm going to tell my kids when I'm teaching them how to drive. Weird. Maybe I am destined to work for the DMV.
- I am a bit of a DELETER. My husband doesn't care for it. As soon as we watch a recorded tv show, it must be deleted! Its taking up space! I've even been known to accidentally delete a show before it's over or before my husband has had a chance to watch it. Woops! I delete all text messages. I FILE or DELETE most emails. In my g-mail I have 7 emails in my inbox and 34 archive folders to store emails in. At work, I currently have 2 emails in my inbox and 54 archive folders. It takes great strength for me not to go into pk's email accounts and organize them, I've gotten in trouble for that too.
- How awesome would it be to be a member of a gym, that not only has a nursery for your kids, but a dog park/doggie daycare for your dogs?! The whole package! Can anyone say "patent"??
- I'm obsessed with award shows. The OSCARS are coming up next weekend, and I'm pumped!! Expect a blog about my favorite winners and favorite outfits. It's like my utlimate dream to attend an award show.
- I keep a planner with me at all times and look at it and write in it every day at work. I already have something written in every month of this 2011 year. Now granted, some of them may just be holidays or birthdays or sticky notes with potential trips, but that counts.
- I am a bit of a DELETER. My husband doesn't care for it. As soon as we watch a recorded tv show, it must be deleted! Its taking up space! I've even been known to accidentally delete a show before it's over or before my husband has had a chance to watch it. Woops! I delete all text messages. I FILE or DELETE most emails. In my g-mail I have 7 emails in my inbox and 34 archive folders to store emails in. At work, I currently have 2 emails in my inbox and 54 archive folders. It takes great strength for me not to go into pk's email accounts and organize them, I've gotten in trouble for that too.
- How awesome would it be to be a member of a gym, that not only has a nursery for your kids, but a dog park/doggie daycare for your dogs?! The whole package! Can anyone say "patent"??
- I'm obsessed with award shows. The OSCARS are coming up next weekend, and I'm pumped!! Expect a blog about my favorite winners and favorite outfits. It's like my utlimate dream to attend an award show.
- I keep a planner with me at all times and look at it and write in it every day at work. I already have something written in every month of this 2011 year. Now granted, some of them may just be holidays or birthdays or sticky notes with potential trips, but that counts.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Recent Photos I Haven't Shared Yet
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| All the foundation girls with Emily and Cohen in the hospital! |
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| All the foundation boys with baby Cohen! |
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| check out pk's new desk from ikea! |
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| Ranger helped us babysit Mags |
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| Chris, Bobby & PK |
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| this is what my windows looked like during our snow/ice storms. it was really pretty, but annoying. |
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| this is how pk, chris and i spent our snow days. |
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| cute ranger in the 6" of snow! |
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| valentine's day yummies |
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| pk gave ranger a little valentine's doggie - it was torn to shreds shortly after this picture was taken |
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| here's pk, holding baby cohen after church today. adorable! |
Sloppy Joes = Yum!
Ingredients:
2 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 cup onion, chopped
6-8 hamburger buns
FOR SAUCE:
1 cup ketchup
½ cup water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1.Brown the meat in a saute pan.
2.Remove meat from pan and set aside.
3.Heat oil in the pan and saute the onions over medium-high heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
4.Return meat to the pan with the onions.
5.Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
6.Add sauce to the pan with the meat and onions.
7.Simmer 10-15 minutes.
8.Pour over toasted hamburger buns and serve.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Lasagna: What went wrong?
http://www.cozi.com/live-simply/recipes/lazy-lasagna
Not the best cooking performance I've ever had. The top half of the noodles were either not cooked enough or overcooked...they were still hard. The bottom half of the lasagna was great. The recipe specifically said use non-boil lasagna noodles and it said on the package, "boiling not necessary". Maybe I'll use another recipe next time!!!
Tomorrow night... sloppy joes!
Not the best cooking performance I've ever had. The top half of the noodles were either not cooked enough or overcooked...they were still hard. The bottom half of the lasagna was great. The recipe specifically said use non-boil lasagna noodles and it said on the package, "boiling not necessary". Maybe I'll use another recipe next time!!!
Tomorrow night... sloppy joes!
Friday, February 18, 2011
5K!
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| My cutie boys! PK ran the 5K! |
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| Ranger and I walked all 3.1 miles! Great Saturday activity for our little family! |
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Chicken Fiesta Soup: A Recipe Review
I have an app on my iPhone thats called Crock-Pot and I use it sometimes to find good recipes to throw in the crock pot before I leave for work and presto... dinner is ready when I get home! You can also check out their website at Crock-Pot.com. It helps when I get that "im so tired/don't want to cook anything/lets just go out" urge... as I'm sure many of you have felt. But, we're trying really hard to eat at home as much as possible!! Save some cash and save some calories!!! So here's the soup that we made for Valentine's night, which we both really liked. See below how we changed it up and our review.
Chicken Fiesta Soup
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast(s) cooked and shredded
14½ ounces stewed tomatoes drained
8 ounces green chilies chopped
28 ounces enchilada sauce
14½ ounces chicken broth
1 cup onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¾ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh cilantro minced
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 Unit yellow squash diced
1 Unit zucchini diced
8 tostada shells crumbled
8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Directions
Combine chicken, tomatoes, chilies, enchilada sauce, broth, onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, cilantro, corn, squash and zucchini in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.
To serve, fill individual bowls with soup. Garnish with crumbled tostada shells and cheese.
The Ray Family Spin:
- We didn't use green chiles, cumin or tostada shells, either becuase we couldn't find in grocery store, didn't have at home or because chips work just as well as crumbed tostada shells - so we liked it without these ingredients just fine
- I'm not a big fan of the stewed tomatoes, but I think they're necessary to add flavor, so I typically just spoon around them
- It was brothier than we thought it would be, but turned out to have great flavor; it kind of reminded me a minestrone type of soup, but with a mexican kick instead of italian
- Squash and Zucchini aren't always the veggies that eat often, but they turned out to be great in this, you hardly notice that you're swallowing things that are good for you!
- Healthy Route: if you're looking to go healthier, then go heavy on the veggies (squash, zucchini and tomato) and go light on the chips and cheese
We are in the market for healthy and easy dinner recipes (either crock pot or not), so let me know if you've got a good one to share!
Chicken Fiesta Soup
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast(s) cooked and shredded
14½ ounces stewed tomatoes drained
8 ounces green chilies chopped
28 ounces enchilada sauce
14½ ounces chicken broth
1 cup onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¾ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh cilantro minced
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 Unit yellow squash diced
1 Unit zucchini diced
8 tostada shells crumbled
8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Directions
Combine chicken, tomatoes, chilies, enchilada sauce, broth, onions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, cilantro, corn, squash and zucchini in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.
To serve, fill individual bowls with soup. Garnish with crumbled tostada shells and cheese.
The Ray Family Spin:
- We didn't use green chiles, cumin or tostada shells, either becuase we couldn't find in grocery store, didn't have at home or because chips work just as well as crumbed tostada shells - so we liked it without these ingredients just fine
- I'm not a big fan of the stewed tomatoes, but I think they're necessary to add flavor, so I typically just spoon around them
- It was brothier than we thought it would be, but turned out to have great flavor; it kind of reminded me a minestrone type of soup, but with a mexican kick instead of italian
- Squash and Zucchini aren't always the veggies that eat often, but they turned out to be great in this, you hardly notice that you're swallowing things that are good for you!
- Healthy Route: if you're looking to go healthier, then go heavy on the veggies (squash, zucchini and tomato) and go light on the chips and cheese
We are in the market for healthy and easy dinner recipes (either crock pot or not), so let me know if you've got a good one to share!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Goop: A Day in the life of Gwyneth Paltrow
Not sure if you've heard about GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow's weekly lifestyle newsletter and website, but it's fab. I receive the weekly newsletters by email, but most of the time I'm not interested in the places to see in Shanghai or the most fabulous interior designer she hired, etc. However - this one is definitely my favorite so far. You can read the full newsletter at the link below. It describes the day in the life of 3 working superstar moms: Juliet de Baubigny (venture capitalist), Stella McCartney (fashion designer) and Gwyneth Paltrow (actress/singer). I've inserted my favorite tid bits from Gwyneth's day below. It amazes me and disgusts me all at the same time. I'm thankful it's not me and then I'm jealous all over again!
http://goop.com/newsletter/112/en/
Gwyneth’s day on November 4th, 2010:
…We got downstairs and I made my son a quick breakfast of eggs and toast followed by a spoonful of lemon flavored flax oil that I try to remember to give them both every morning…
… Moses was a bit teary today so I hung around and watched him through the window. Periodically he would check to make sure I was still there. When all was well I dodged off as fast as possible but was still late to the 9 am workout. Did dance aerobics for 45 minutes then all of the butt lifts and the like. Rushed upstairs to have a shower, doing my post workout stretch while the conditioner was doing its magic on my hair to combine activities/save time…
…Got home and had a fitting with super stylist Elizabeth Saltzman for the upcoming Nashville trip (what to wear, what to wear?) from 1-2. This is my 4th out of 5 fittings for this trip. I have six looks I need to choose for the trip; there’s the radio press conference upon arrival, the red carpet for the Country Strong premier, press interviews, a Sony Music VIP dinner, the red carpet for the CMA’s and the outfit for my performance…
…I cook a lot, especially on the weekends, so I like to plan a rough menu for the whole weekend and get the food in on Friday. Obviously stores and websites that deliver make this a dream…
…Kiddies burst through the door and play in my office while I finish up, just drawing and hanging out and of course playing Plants vs Zombies on the iPad, their obsession that I have to limit like crazy! What up, gamers. Then downstairs to make cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale. It is ‘Bonfire night’ in the UK tomorrow and the bake sale is to celebrate and to raise money for charity. The kids indulge in a super sugary cupcake before bed but I don’t feel too bad because they had a brown rice stir fry for dinner with baked sweet potato on the side. It’s all about balance. My night to lay with Mosey so I tuck Apple in, say a prayer and go into Mosey's room for a story, foot massage and quiet time. As soon as all was quiet, I rushed downstairs to grab a blazer and some blush and flung myself in the car for girls night. Lovely dinner and great conversation…
http://goop.com/newsletter/112/en/
Gwyneth’s day on November 4th, 2010:
…We got downstairs and I made my son a quick breakfast of eggs and toast followed by a spoonful of lemon flavored flax oil that I try to remember to give them both every morning…
… Moses was a bit teary today so I hung around and watched him through the window. Periodically he would check to make sure I was still there. When all was well I dodged off as fast as possible but was still late to the 9 am workout. Did dance aerobics for 45 minutes then all of the butt lifts and the like. Rushed upstairs to have a shower, doing my post workout stretch while the conditioner was doing its magic on my hair to combine activities/save time…
…Got home and had a fitting with super stylist Elizabeth Saltzman for the upcoming Nashville trip (what to wear, what to wear?) from 1-2. This is my 4th out of 5 fittings for this trip. I have six looks I need to choose for the trip; there’s the radio press conference upon arrival, the red carpet for the Country Strong premier, press interviews, a Sony Music VIP dinner, the red carpet for the CMA’s and the outfit for my performance…
…I cook a lot, especially on the weekends, so I like to plan a rough menu for the whole weekend and get the food in on Friday. Obviously stores and websites that deliver make this a dream…
…Kiddies burst through the door and play in my office while I finish up, just drawing and hanging out and of course playing Plants vs Zombies on the iPad, their obsession that I have to limit like crazy! What up, gamers. Then downstairs to make cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale. It is ‘Bonfire night’ in the UK tomorrow and the bake sale is to celebrate and to raise money for charity. The kids indulge in a super sugary cupcake before bed but I don’t feel too bad because they had a brown rice stir fry for dinner with baked sweet potato on the side. It’s all about balance. My night to lay with Mosey so I tuck Apple in, say a prayer and go into Mosey's room for a story, foot massage and quiet time. As soon as all was quiet, I rushed downstairs to grab a blazer and some blush and flung myself in the car for girls night. Lovely dinner and great conversation…
Valentine's Day 2011!
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. It was 7 years ago on Valentine’s Day where PK and I sat at Johnny Carinos on 620 in Austin, TX. He got me one of the fake roses that sings from Walgreens, real cheesy. But it wasn’t long after that until we started dating, which was March 10, 2004. So this year will count 7 years of being together. That’s 30% of our years on earth have been spent together. We are so lucky to have found our soul mate in high school!
Valentine’s Day 2011: While I was at work, PK came and took my car out of the parking lot and went to get it washed for me and brought it back. I was worried someone would see him and think he was stealing my car!! But super sweet of him because my car was super dirty and the car washes have been about 4-5 cars deep in dallas after the big snow/ice storm. Then he picked me up for lunch and gave me a bouquet of flowers! I came home to some homemade soup (Chicken Fiesta Soup from the slow cooker), which was probably one of the best ones we made so far. We watched some good TV, started a puzzle and watched Ranger chew up his valentine’s stuffed animal we gave him. It was a perfect night of not having to fight off crowds or spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy valentine’s date. Simple, but perfect!
Praise God for his eternal love! 1 John 4:19, “We love becase He first loved us.” Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
Valentine’s Day 2011: While I was at work, PK came and took my car out of the parking lot and went to get it washed for me and brought it back. I was worried someone would see him and think he was stealing my car!! But super sweet of him because my car was super dirty and the car washes have been about 4-5 cars deep in dallas after the big snow/ice storm. Then he picked me up for lunch and gave me a bouquet of flowers! I came home to some homemade soup (Chicken Fiesta Soup from the slow cooker), which was probably one of the best ones we made so far. We watched some good TV, started a puzzle and watched Ranger chew up his valentine’s stuffed animal we gave him. It was a perfect night of not having to fight off crowds or spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy valentine’s date. Simple, but perfect!
Praise God for his eternal love! 1 John 4:19, “We love becase He first loved us.” Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Praises this week:
Time spent with family over the weekend in Austin
Had the Mirandas and baby Cohen over last night for a home cooked meal (creamy baked chicken breasts, baked potato fries, broccoli/carrots, rolls and wine! And of course some heart shaped cookies in honor of valentines)
PK made two sales in Austin last weekend and got recognized at the team meeting on Tuesday
My dad’s birthday today!
Healthy reports from doctor and dentist
We’re walking/running a 5k with ranger this Saturday – hope it’s not too cold!
Had the Mirandas and baby Cohen over last night for a home cooked meal (creamy baked chicken breasts, baked potato fries, broccoli/carrots, rolls and wine! And of course some heart shaped cookies in honor of valentines)
PK made two sales in Austin last weekend and got recognized at the team meeting on Tuesday
My dad’s birthday today!
Healthy reports from doctor and dentist
We’re walking/running a 5k with ranger this Saturday – hope it’s not too cold!
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