#GottaVelata

Yep, I totally just hashtagged my blog post title! ha

Tonight mom and I did a taste test of the Velata. It was soooooooo yummy. We made the milk chocolate (which is mom's preference), but I personally can't wait to try the dark chocolate. It's definitely a party/family style deal. We barely made a dent in the 6 ounces of chocolate that comes in each pouch. The awesome part is that you can leave it in the lid and stick it in the fridge until you're ready to use it again. Cool, huh?

PS - If you're not on my mailing list and you'd like to see the catalog - email me at emenchhofer@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you in a pdf. There are 3 styles of warmers and it's all quite reasonably priced considering you only buy 1 warmer and then as much of the 4 types of chocolate as you'd like! ;)

Velata is HERE!

I am sooooooooooo excited that my Velata Starter Kit arrived today! What is Velata?? Well, it's a new Scentsy company that uses specially designed Scentsy-style warmers as fondue pots and some of the world's best Belgian chocolate! YUM!

The company officially debuts May 1st and I already have 3 tasting parties set up. Can't wait until everyone tries this awesome product. :)

Tacos in Pasta Shells

This is such a yummy recipe...and our first time making it! Yum! We did make one substitution and that was ground turkey for the ground beef. We've been using ground turkey a lot lately in place of beef. Doesn't lower the calories significantly, but it is leaner (plus you don't really notice a taste difference) and it lowers the calories just enough to make it worth it. Every little bit counts! haha

12 oz dried jumbo shell pasta

2 16oz jars salsa

2 1/2 pounds ground beef

6 oz cream cheese, cut up

2 t. chili powder

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Optional: chopped tomato

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Rinse with cold water, drain again.

Meanwhile, divide about 1 c. of the salsa between two ungreased 2 qt baking dishes, spreading evenly. Set aside. In a extra large skillet, cook ground meat over medium heat until brown. Drain off fat. Stir in cream cheese and chili powder. Cool slightly.

Spoon meat mixture into cooked pasta shells. Arrange filled shells on top of salsa in dishes. Top with remaining salsa.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes more or until heated through. If desired, sprinkle with tomato. Makes 12 servings. (We only made 1/2 a batch because it's just 2 of us...and we were STUFFED, but it was oh so good!)

5QF - 4/20

YAY! It's the weekend again! haha I know, I know...I haven't blogged at all this week. Guess what? Nothing much happened. I live a pretty boring life most of the time. ;) I will hopefully have lots to post in my weekend recap again...I have some things planned, but it'll mostly be a quiet weekend when I hope to accomplish quite a bit on my To Do list. That darn list keeps growing too! Cross one item off and 2 more appear. haha Vicious cycle. I do have an update on the boy situation that only a few of you have been privy to thanks to twitter. I'll try to get that post knocked out this weekend.

In other news...I am sad to say that I gained 1.8 pounds this week. In all actuality, I gained 3.4 pounds last weekend (too much beer, but boy was it fun!) and managed to lose 1.6 of it, but alas I am still up from where I ended last week. It's kind of frustrating because this 50 pound weight loss marker keeps tripping me up! I have been back and forth to this point several times since last August when I initially hit it...I am gonna have to figure something out to get down from here!

And now on to some 5QF fun...one of the questions is again mine! :)




- - -

1. Groceries are high now, what is the easiest way you have found to cut back?

Honestly, I haven't cut back any. This past year I have actually done more grocery shopping than ever before (we were an eat out sorta family, it was the easy way out) and I don't mind spending the money on healthy food options in the store over fast food.


2. What are the top 3 things on your "bucket list"?

This is a tough question. I've always had a Bucket List formed in my mind, but I've never written it down. Not true, it was saved in my old phone on a note, but alas that phone is no more and I forgot to copy that note to the new phone! *sad face* I guess somewhere at the top of my list, not necessarily top 3, would be - running a 5K, traveling Europe, and living debt free.


3. Would you rather give up AC or heat?

I would give up heat, without a doubt. I hate loathe being hot & sticky! You can always add more layers, but you can only take so many off! haha


4. What's your favorite cocktail?

I guess my favorite is still vodka & cranberry juice. I do like all sorts of mixed drinks, but if I'm out at a bar, that will be my go-to order because it's hard for them to screw that up. haha


5. What was your first job & how old were you?

I've had so many jobs it would make your head spin! :p My first job would probably be working on the farm...when I was itty bitty (like maybe 4 at the oldest), my dad and his family were expanding their farming operation (we had a 500 head sow operation, farrow to finish - if you don't know anything about it, it was a big farm! ha). We were building 3 new farrowing houses and my job was to lay down all the pieces, in order, to put the stations together (gates & the belts). My grandma would then put them pieces together and my dad would follow behind and tighten it all up. It's my first memory of helping on the farm and I was pretty darn proud of myself! ha My first REAL paid job (besides babysitting) was when I was 14 and was a dishwasher on the weekends at a local restaurant/pub. Good stuff I tell ya! ha I hated that job, but the people made it enjoyable.

Weekend Recap

Another weekend has come...and almost gone. Not sure why they go so quickly and the work week takes so long. ;) haha

Follow along with the pictures and get a brief description of this weekend's adventures! It was much needed.

FRIDAY

Haircut - rockin' bangs now

Dinner at bd's - yum!!

And then we needed dessert...mmm...Coffee!

Listening to The Cousin Brothers play at The Melody Inn

SATURDAY

Sister Day!!

Brew Bracket at the State Fairgrounds = AWESOME

participants sampling the wheat beers & voting for their faves

trekked to Purdue for some more fun - ala Piano Bar with Bruce!

Ryne Smith (Purdue bball senior) grabbing a bite to eat

West LaLa has a new food truck called BigCheeze (omg...yum!)

Saturday night's special was a grilled cheese sandwich with mozzarella sticks & marinara in it...and yes, it was amazing!

SUNDAY

Boogie Burger's garlic fries :)

I finished my Sunday with grocery shopping, laundry, a 2.5 mile walk outside (boy was it hot!), and an ionic detox.

All in all, I am feeling so much better about a lot of things. There are still changes I hope will be happening, but I'm not gonna hang my happiness on those changes. I am going to keep doing what I do and hope that God has a plan for my chaotic life! :)

5QF - 4/13

Am I the only one who can't believe we're to the half-way point of April?!? How the heck did that happen? The days are flying by...I don't know that I'll ever get caught up. ha

I'm happy to say that I lost 1.8 pounds this week! It wasn't as much as I was hoping for, but I never complain about a loss! ha Just need to keep doing what I'm doing and I know it'll keep happening. I am definitely loving counting calories over points right now.

And now I hope you'll join in for 5QF fun! One of the questions is mine! :)





- - -

1. Who mows your grass?

Momma! haha I used to love mowing the grass, but our mower was so old and finicky...but just got a new one. If mom relinquishes her new toy anytime soon I may take up mowing again. ;)

2. Do you have a picture wall or photo gallery in your house? (show us!!)

I have SEVERAL galleries around the house. Every wall in my room has a picture, every shelf has at least 2 frames, and there is a whole wall in the living room dedicated to our photo gallery. We're a picture taking kinda family. haha

3. What book has influenced your thinking the most? Or, what blog? (I want to read what gets people thinking!)

I usually read non-thinking kind of books...just for a good laugh, ya know? However, one book that I enjoyed several years ago and got me to look at relationships and taking care of myself differently was the book by Robin McGraw (Dr. Phil's wife) called Inside My Heart. I would suggest it for all women! As a matter of fact, I may take it off my shelf and reread it. :)


4. Do you have allergies? If so, how do you handle it this time of year?

I do have slightly allergies. Until the past year or so, they never really bothered me albeit the occasional stuffy nose for a day. Mold & pollen are my enemies. Zyrtec seems to be working wonders this year (it was my first time to try it).


5. What's your go to meal to cook in a hurry?

I don't think I really have a go-to meal unless you count baked chicken (in the NuWave oven - that thing is awesome!) and steamed broccoli. I know it doesn't sound that appetizing, but it's one of my favorite meals and it's healthy. ha

Finding Joy

Yesterday I posted about needing to find the things that bring me joy and make me happy. Well, I am happy to report that I am moving full-steam ahead with this idea! :)

This weekend is going to be a much needed sister's weekend. Jen and I already had some plans, but I just added to them (with her ardent approval). Stay tuned for a recap of our weekend adventures! haha It involves several things that bring me joy - family, craft beer, travel, Purdue, music, and friends. What more could a girl ask for??

Also....a big THANK YOU shout-out to the lovely Sarah Kate! She had commented on my post yesterday about how often times good things happen when we least expect them. This weekend is a good thing (parts of it were unexpected when I got a wild hair this morning to do something spontaneous & fun like I sometimes am apt to do) and last night I came home to some awesome Scentsy news that my team grew again (and will likely grow by yet another before the weekend is over)! I have the best ladies rockin' the Scentsy spirit on my team and love that they are sharing the opportunity with other women who want to add extra income to their monthly budget. :)

Hope you are all finding moments of JOY today as well!

The Liebster Blog Award

I received a sweet blog award the other day from the awesome Nikki at The Pink Growl and as I alluded to in today's earlier post, I was feeling kind of down last night, so I didn't play along then...but I'm back in action. Cause something that brings me joy that I will be attempting to do more of? Blogging. Yup. Good stuff, huh? 


If you don't know Nikki, I highly suggest you check out her blog! She's a sweetheart who is a fairly recently engaged chica! I've gotten to know her through the blog and Twitter. Hoping to meet her in person one day. :)

Here's the award rules:1. Link back to the person who gave it to you.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.
5. Share 5 random facts about yourself.

Here are the 5 lovelies that I am, in turn, nominating for this honor:
1. Rajean @ DR Bergman
2. Missy @ Writing Home
3. Whitney @ Just A Country Girl
4. Noelle @ Various Shades of Pink
5. Sarah Kate @ Dixie Creek Farm
Please check them out and I can promise that you won't be disappointed!


And now for the 5 Random Facts about ME:
1. I have had my gallbladder removed. It was an interesting experience that started with me thinking it was my appendix!
2. I LOVE to read. I am always reading some type of book. :)
3. I have pictures everywhere...they cover my walls, sit on shelves, are taped to the filing cabinet at work, etc. I love being able to look at a picture and remember the happy moments captured there.
4. My favorite food is lasagna. I could eat it for pretty much every meal. I sometimes accidentally call it la-sag-na (say it phonetically, is that right?) because my dad was a jerk and always tried to make us kids learn how to spell (I'm a great speller by the way) and would pronounce the words incorrectly. Some of those incorrect sayings stuck with me (just a family joke) and I accidentally say them from time to time!
5. I listen to music when I need to clear my mind. My current fave song stuck on repeat would be:

Today's Lesson

Don't give more of yourself than you're willing to live without.

The past few months have really been draining my spirit. I know that sounds stupid. This post has probably been a long time coming and none of the words are quite right (and as I type this on my lunch at work, I'm trying not to cry like a big baby).

I'm kind of fed up with a lot of different areas of my life right now, but there aren't any quick fixes. The one thing that I thought was improving was the biggest chunk of what I felt was missing - someone special. This morning I learned that it might not be the case. Well, really last night set my wheels in motion (again), but this morning it all came crashing down on me. I can't really go into it right now and I'm not sure I want to; however, part of me needs to scream at the top of my lungs that I'm so frustrated with the boy. I knew a lot of things going into this and I kept telling myself to not get attached, but I am an idiot and did it anyway. I think I have to back away from this situation a little. I'm not completely giving up hope (because to be honest, my feelings are far to strong to dismiss as being wrong), I just need a breather and he most definitely needs to figure out what the hell he wants before I get crushed.

I've come to the realization today that I need crave communication. It's funny because one of my exes always said that was his love language and I never really got it. I do now. I deserve to be first in someone's life and maybe that's the part of me that creates doubt about the current situation...could I ever really be first to him with his son in the picture? Most likely not. I thought I could deal with that, but a part of me still holds out that "little girl Cinderella hope" for the one good guy who has never been married, who doesn't have kids but wants them, and who adores his family but doesn't need their input to make every little decision. I'm not sure that guy exists. I don't feel like I'd be settling to end up with someone else (like dad with a son and an ex), but part of me still wants to be someone's first and last.

I've also learned that I give a lot of myself. So much so that I often times don't have much of myself left. In all relationships. I've always been the one all my friends turn to when they need a shoulder to cry on or someone to celebrate a joy with. I'm the one my family comes to for any and everything. I'm the one at work everyone feels they can talk to about life and work. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy being someone of character and having trust placed in me to keep everyone's secrets. There are just so few that I feel I could go to in return and have the same confidence that my secrets would never be leaked. Make sense??

I am feeling uneasy about all the changes the company I work for is making...they are just not sound decisions. It makes me feel like I should pack up and get the hell outta dodge before it all comes tumbling down! (It's really not THAT bad, but I don't think there will be room left to grow here.) This was never my dream job. I kinda know what my dream job(s) would be, but I'm not really anywhere close to making one part of it happen. The other part (the Scentsy part) is getting closer to being a reality, but it will take some time.

Sorry for the woe is me post. I hate feeling this way. None of this still really encompasses the entirety of what I'm feeling right now, but it'll have to do I guess.

I need to find more of my joy again....the things that make me happy. Earlier this week I was working on a design project for a longtime customer and it hit me that I didn't enjoy it anymore. It used to make me smile and I used to get such a rush from my customers gushing over the work I'd done for them. I don't feel that way anymore. It's a chore. A chore that I've decided I'm no longer going to do after this month. I'm just down to a few customers left anymore, so it's the right time to put that to bed, even if I will miss the few extra dollars a month. I'm not sure what else I can add to my life because the one thing I enjoy most (traveling) is far too expensive to add in, although I may attempt some small trips in the near future. So for anyone who lives in driving distance - watch out - I may be coming to a town near you! ha

Thanks for listening....um, reading along with my drama. I think I'm done learning lessons today. Well, one can hope. There's still a lot of day left. *sigh*

5QF - 4/6

Good Friday is here! Most years, I have an easy time with Lent, but this year...not so much. I broke my "what are you giving up" on about the 3rd day and although I haven't thought about it as much this year as in the past, I'm glad I don't HAVE to eat fish anymore on Fridays after today! ha I do love seafood, but when I'm forced to eat it...I don't want to. :)

Anyway, super stoked that I lost 3.2 pounds this week! I hope these big losses continue for a few more weeks! I having been working my booty off every night doing Slim in 6 dvd workouts (that's what I used to lose my first 30 pounds last year and forgot it when I got the treadmill...thus when I started slowing up my weight loss) and walking on the treadmill. I'm not going to be running for awhile. I've decided I need to slim down more before my knees can handle that. Counting calories is definitely working for me right now!

And now for the usual Friday fun...



- - -

1. Would you prefer having people over for dinner or going to their house?

I think I really don't mind either way. I just like to be comfortable in my surroundings. Recently, I've been splitting my time between home and the boy's house for date nights/dinner and it seems to work out well. Having people over does make one feel the need to clean though. Blah!


2. Favorite bible verse and why?

I know it's way overused, but my friend Vonda always wrote it on everything and I still have it on one of my bulletin boards...I guess I've always been a bit of a dreamer (hence my tattoo saying Dream) and after reading the Dream Giver, it's nice to know that God places those dreams in your heart and mind, you just have to rely on your faith to get you there. Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


3. What was the first concert you ever attended and the most recent one?

I believe the first concert I ever attended was a Barbara Mandrell & Mandrell sisters show in Little Nashville (Indiana, people! ha). And the most recent one (was about 3 years ago) when my sis, her friend, and I went to the local Music Fest put on by our cousins who own a local restaurant. Some neighbor kids play in a band called 650 North and they played with a few other rock groups. It was cool, but not my scene. I have a whole list of concerts I'd love to go to, but no one ever invites me or I can't get people to go with me! *sad face*


4. The year is 2025. What are you doing and what have you done?

I would hope that I'd be married and watching my family grow. Maybe living somewhere different, but hopefully local to my hometown. (I have grown to love this little part of the world.) I would love to be working from home as a Scentsy Super Star Sales Director! I would have done more traveling and obviously since I'd be married, I'd have fallen in love with my Mr. Right. A girl can dream, huh?


5. What's your favorite Easter treat?

Without a doubt it's those damn Reese's peanut butter eggs. You have no idea how hard it is to stay away from them. Eating one is never enough. :p

A Sweet Treat

Right now the house smells like ooey gooey brownies. MMMMMMMMMMMM Yeah, I totally had calories left today and the box of brownie mix in the cabinet was calling my name. haha So, I'm going to enjoy a few tonight, pack 1 for my lunch tomorrow, and send the rest with mom to her work so they don't tempt me! Good plan, huh? :)

Oh yeah...did I mention they are the ones with hershey's syrup?? Oh my. Yummy goodness.

Dog Plus Cat Equals Headache

Toby has never been a fan of cats. At one point, my cat was also in the house (although confined to one room) because he was kind of vicious. Right now we have 2 barn cats. They didn't start out as ours...mom's friend brought out her indoor/outdoor cat after she had a litter because they couldn't keep her confined in the house and their dogs weren't having all the new kittens. Mom stupidly begrudgingly said that they could bring the cats to our barn across the road from the house. We thought if they stayed out there it wouldn't be too bad. Uh.....wrong! The mama cat (who the owners named Stinkerbell) and one of her kittens that is now fully grown (who we named Evil Kitty) are all that remains. Well, Stinkerbell is a pain in our asses. She is always up around the house, crying at my door and always under foot. It drives us insane! We actually keep a squirt bottle of water on the deck so we can get her to leave us alone. The past few days have been really really bad. She will not leave my bedroom door. (My bedroom is an addition to the house that has a door that goes straight outside.) So this is what I'm dealing with.......Stinkerbell meowing non-stop while Toby barks incessantly. Joyous. Headache much? UGH! Even after we scare the cat off, Toby sits like this for hours and hours and hours...he hasn't forgotten once in 4 days that something evil lurks on the other side of my door.

Welcome to my life. hahahaha :p