#24

Okay, I have to REMOVE this item from my list. As I was driving to work today, there was a hot air balloon VERY low right by the freeway. I never realized how LARGE the flames are that create the "hot air". It made me cringe! Yes I would probably love to see the view, however, I am not sure I would enjoy it because of the fear of all the variables...

Update

I did it...I began my workout journey. Now off to Eugene until Saturday night so it will be put on hold :) I didn't get a pic though. I went around 7:30 right after Brynn went down to bed and was home by 8:30...I didn't want to go too hard the very first day :) It felt good to get a sweat in and I had forgotten how much I truly did miss working out! It is so invigorating and uplifting! I am so soo soo glad Jerret and I decided we did indeed NEED a gym membership at this time in our lives!! We are still young and we can't let "life" get in our way of keeping our bodies healthy.

#10

YEAH!!! I can finally check another item off of my list!! Tonight while watching The Biggest Loser and sitting my out of shape butt on the couch I told Jerret I really wanted to join a gym. I looked up 24 hour and they were running a special. I briefly mentioned the special and set my computer down, knowing it probably wasn't going to happen. Then a few minutes later Jerret said "I think we should join". So, I signed us up :) We joined 24 hour Super Sport over in Tualatin even though it will cost us about $26.00 more a month than a regular sport. However, it is an all club membership which means, I can go to my moms gym too sometimes if I want :) We decided it was more in our path of coming and going so we would be more likely to go...Jerret is going to go in the morning and I will go in the afternoon tomorrow and let me tell you...I AM SUPER EXCITED! My thighs are already getting excited...oh and my chin too :) I figure once school is out, I will get up and go early in the morning before Jerret goes to work, because I think kids have to be 6 to go to the kids club (I may need to look into this, because that seems a little weird...). I wouldn't want to bring Brynn to the gym anyways, the germs GROSS me out, but sometimes it may have seemed nice...hey maybe this will give a chance to get a babysitter for an hour or so a few times a week...we will see :) Anyhoo, I will keep you updated on my progress :) ha ha!!! oh and I don't have a pic at this time, maybe when I get back from my first workout I will have Jer take my picture :)

#46

On Saturday my mom, sister, Brynn and I ventured down to Woodburn to visit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm. It was the day before Easter so Brynn participated in a little Easter Egg hunt. She really wasn't sure what to do so she got 5 eggs...other kids had over 20 eggs in their baskets. But oh well :) The Tulips were beautiful! I didn't expect the atmosphere to be so much like a mini-fair/pumpkin patch though. By the time we left there were SOOO many people! When we were walking in the fields of Tulips it was very relaxing. Brynn wasn't into pics as I had hoped, but I did manage to catch a couple cute ones. The best part about this day...it was almost 70 degrees! We haven't had weather like that since last year! It was a great day overall...but I do have to say "Been there, done that" I might take Brynn when she gets older, but I wouldn't need to go again...

#89

Chicken Marsala~ I have had it at restaurants before and my mom has bought the Macaroni Grill boxed dinner and fixed it while I was there...so as Jer and I were discussing meals for the week last weekend I decided to google search dinner ideas. I came across Chicken Marsala and decided it looked rather easy to make (which it was). I found it on some random site and when I actually went to make it, I couldn't find the exact recipe. So as I googled searched yet again (what I would do without google, I am not sure) I came across Emeril Lagasse's recipe. So I decided to use it. The bummer of a thing is, I thought I had a can of chicken broth, but I didn't, so I used water instead. The flavor was still great! I will use this recipe in the future, however, I will double or even triple the sauce mixture. I had this idea in my head, it would be very saucy and we could have it over noodles...much to my disappointment, it was not very saucy and we still had it over noodles :) Here is the recipe below, and I would highly recommend it!!! Pictures below recipe!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• 2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)
• 3/4 cup Marsala
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to aboil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and thesaucehas thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

#73 Take 2

I visited the downtown VooDoo donuts finally too! Last Thursday...the 23rd of December, I went out with my sis, my mom, Kel's friend Laura, Dani, my cousin's friend Monica, Auntie Gayle and my cousin Meredith to celebrate Meredith's 21st birthday. We began our night taking shots at my house before heading downtown to get some dinner. We ate dinner at Chipotle (after seeing Red Robin had a 45 min wait), then headed over to the Rose Garden to see the Radio City Rockettes Christmas show. From here Monica left us (she is only 20) and we headed to Dirty (to dance on some stripper poles to the one and only Britney Spears...we were the only ones in there being it was only 9:00 the night before xmas eve). From there we went over to Dixie's and danced the next 2 hours away. My mom and Auntie Gayle went to Powell's books while us girls partied it up. At an early hour of 11ish, the young girls were tired, so we ventured down to Voodoo donuts. It was full of weird people (as to be expected) and luckily none of us got sick from eating a donut from that dirty place. I had a maple donut w/ bacon...2 of my fav. things! The first time I was at Voodoo I chose something crazy and wasn't a huge fan, so I had to go with what I knew would be delicious...and it did not let me down :) The others in the group ordered a variety of donuts, in which all were satisfied. I am not sure if I would visit this place sober and actually eat the donut that was purchased....:) (PS the camera was left in the car :/...I was not in charge)

#73 Voo Doo

VOOO DOOO DONUTS!!! I did visit!! We have some long time family friends (my parents went to high school with them) who's daughter (more my age) got married @ Voo Doo Donuts on HALLOWEEN!!! It was a very interesting place! We didn't visit the downtown location, but rather the one on the East Side. I had a GIANT Carmel Apple Fritter that was delicious until I had about 3/4 left (it was so sweet and I felt sick but still kept trudging along. I was offering bites to anyone who wanted one!) I am not sure why I chose this donut either...maybe because it sounded unique?! I am not even a real apple fritter fan...weird!! I wish it would have had WAY more carmel than it did...next time I will try something different, as I will be visiting there again sometime because I LOVE DONUTS!! :)

Me & my Carmel Apple Fritter Donut

The Beautiful Bride and Groom

Yep I was there...finally

The menu, yet the spinning jewelry case had tons of different donuts in it.

Brynn was there and loved the donuts too!!