Mediterranean Baked Chicken

As the wedding is approaching quickly, Joe and I are trying to eat healthy to get ready for our honeymoon bods!  We have become increasingly more busy as we get closer to the wedding so we try to do something that can be whipped together quickly.  The below recipe was one that was whipped up quickly and can be modified to your liking.  As you can see from the pictures, half of our chicken was made with olives for Joe while the other half was left without.  It was an absolutely amazing meal and we will definitely be making it again!

Mediterranean Baked Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

Instructions

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken , diced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 1 red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes,  halved
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can chick peas
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 8 oz. fresh mozarella
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves. Cut the chicken into 1-2 inch cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F. To a large roasting pan or casserole dish, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.  Remove the roasting pan from the oven. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, olives, and mozzarella.  Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

Instructions

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

Instructions

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

Instructions

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

Instructions

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1½ lbs. chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp. marinade from artichoke hearts
• 4 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped

Bake

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1x 14 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1x 14 oz. can white beans, drained & rinsed (I used northern white beans)
• ½ c. Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 small tub marinated bocconcini
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil & parsley, to taste

Instructions

1. For the marinade, drain the artichoke hearts reserving its juice in a small bowl. Pat the artichokes dry with a paper towel and set aside. To another bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of the reserved artichoke juice, garlic, and oregano leaves (if you have any artichoke juice leftover, save it to drizzle over the dish when finished). Cut the chicken into 1½ inch strips and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and mix well to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, maximum 3 hours.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, preheat your oven to 400 F.
3. To a large roasting pan, add the sliced onions and tomatoes. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook (stirring occasionally) until the onions are soft and the tomatoes begin to burst, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tsp. of olive oil over moderate heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. The chicken will be slightly undercooked.
5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. At this point, the onions should be soft and sticky. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. To the pan, add the chicken, artichoke hearts, beans, and olives (not the bocconcini- if you add the cheese too early it will melt all over the place). Roast for about 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Roughly chop a large handful of both basil and parsley.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven. Now add the bocconcini and herbs and toss gently to combine. The heat from the pan will melt the cheese. Drizzle with a little good quality olive oil and extra artichoke juice if desired.
9. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a nice green salad.

- See more at: http://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/dinner-tonight-mediterranean-baked-chicken/#sthash.GPFVUt7Q.dpuf

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

As we get closer and closer to the big day, I realize more and more how luck I am to not only have Joe in my life, but also how lucky I am to have some amazing friends.  A lot of thought and effort goes into picking your wedding party, because it really is a big decision. As we started the planning process, I realized how blessed I am to have so many friends that have been with me through the ups and the downs of growing up.  Being the crafty person that I am, I wanted to ask them in a unique way.  After looking through Pinterest for quite some time, I decided I wanted to combine a couple ideas into one.  Since Joe had already "popped" the question, it was now time to "pop" the question with my own special box.

Champagne to POP, POPcorn, POProcks, ringPOPs, blowPOPs

Each one of my bridesmaids has been there in a very special way in my life.  My sister is my maid of honor and my best friend.  A lot of times people say that they are close with their siblings, but I am pretty sure I talk to my sister daily, even if it is only for a couple minutes.  We grew up sharing a room and with her being older, I always looked up to her.  We are very similar in some ways but also miles apart in others.  I loved stealing her clothes when we were younger and always hoped that I wouldn't run into her at school so she wouldn't find out that I was wearing them.  No matter what, she has been there as I grew up and became the person I am today.  As she starts her family with my brother in law and becomes a wonderful mother, I once again look to her for guidance as Joe and I start our own lives together.

Courtney was one of my first friends when I started swimming year around.  We were both 12, and she was way better than me.  Even though she swam faster than me, she still wanted to be my friend :)  Although we didn't go to the same high school, we spent hours together training early in the morning and late at night.  For any swimmers out there, you know club swimming quite time consuming, so we spent many travel meets sharing rooms and celebrating our victories.  We both went to Georgia Tech together and our friendship grew from there.  College brought it's own set of challenges and she was always there to keep me out of trouble, lift my spirits, or help me pass my test.  I really couldn't imagine life without my best friend, especially since she has been there for all the major steps in my life.

Amanda and I became fast friends in high school when she moved to Greenville.  It may have been the fact that she had gone to middle school with Courtney before coming to Greenville, or the fact that we were both super nerds in math and bonded over that.  We became fast friends when I had to carry all of her books for a couple weeks after she was on crutches, and she repaid her dues the week after she got off crutches because I showed up to school on my own set of crutches.  Carpooling from middle school to high school for our math class in 8th grade solidified our friendship forever.  We could talk for days about what seems like nothing and we constantly talked about our futures together.  It is crazy that my wedding day is almost here after we had talked so much about it.

Bethany made the move from Maryland to Greenville in high school and I was always on the look out for new friends.  It made it easier becoming fast friends after she moved in just down the street so that we could enjoy pool time as well as the outdoors.  Although she took her outdoorsyness to a new level by learning all about the soil, we continued to remain friends and argue about who's football team was better (she went to Clemson and GT seemed to win the games for the most part).  She is literally the nicest girl in the world and no matter what is going on in life, she is there to be the calm one between the two of us. 

Sarah Anderson was my lab partner when I came to GT because we deemed each other the most normal looking people in our class.  We became friends as I experienced the ups and downs of freshman year and always loved her crazyness.  After our sophomore year, we learned that we were both going to study abroad in France together, and that solidified our friendship.  We traveled Europe together, feeding off of each other's adventurous sides (thank goodness Courtney was there to keep us somewhat calm).  I love how sporadic she is and I can't help having a crazy time when I am with her, even if it is in supposed to be a calm spring break with her grandma in Florida (it ended up being MUCH more exciting than planned).

Sarah Borowicz and I had known each other for quite some time.  We swam for rivalry high school teams but didn't really get to know each other until we went to a mutual friends lake house.  It was a very sporadic trip and I can't even imagine if the trip hadn't happened.  From there she came to visit me at Tech while I made some trips to Clemson.  Through our friendships, both of us have grown up tremendously and she is always the one that I can unload my fears, dreams, and aspirations with.  I cannot wait to see where our lives take us as we grow up, because I think we both agree that we never thought we would be were we are now on that lake weekend.

Sarah Schoeff and I met the first day of college because we were both members of the swim team.  We enjoyed the ups and downs of freshman year but really became better friends when we became roommates Junior year.  They say that you shouldn't room with one of your friends, but I really do believe it made us closer.  We spent two years living next door to each other and driving to morning practices together half asleep.  I think all of the soul searching at 6 AM really brought up closer together.  Maybe someday we will live next door again, but for now she just has to hope that my work travels take me to Boston again sometime soon (when it isn't winter!)

Visitors make for GREAT weekends...

This past weekend we really didn't have much planned.  The week was filled with a sales meeting for me so that meant that Joe and I didn't get to see each other very much.  After a week filled with meetings planning out 2014, I was very ready for the weekend to get here!  After the meeting ended Friday it was time for my first tennis lesson!

Now let's back track a year ago.  A year ago I fractured and sprained my ankle playing tennis.  After some rest, I went against the doctors wishes and took a run on it and re-injured it pretty badly!  After taking a step back from anything that was hard impact on my ankle.  On the flip side, Joe had been playing ULTA tennis in the men's league and recently started on a mixed team.  I had watched him play the past couple weeks, and somehow got talked into joining the team since they were short on girls.  Although I was hesitant, I gave in because technically I was allowed to start getting back into running and such at the beginning of the year.  So, Joe and I signed me up, and I got the best ankle brace out there as well as real tennis shoes!  I was ready to go, but really didn't know how to play tennis or the rules.  A friend of mine that plays on Joe's men's team kindly offered to hit with me, so it was time to start learning the rules of tennis!  Friday we spent about an hour and a half learning tennis, and then I was sure I could handle anything thrown at me (really I wasn't convinced I would survive the real match!).  After tennis it was time to answer some emails before meeting up with Amber, who was in town from Charlotte!  We had some girl time as she got ready for the evening.  It was so wonderful catching up with her because it has been quite a while since we had seen each other.  After a failed attempt at shopping, Amber headed to dinner with some friends while Joe and I went to dinner since we hadn't seen much of each other all week.  After dinner, Joe had several friends come over, including one of his best friends that was in town from Florida.  After they headed out to the bars, we called it an early night because it had been a long week!

Two of my favorites hanging out by the fire :)

Saturday morning started with chocolate chip pancakes before we finished addressing wedding invitations.  We had planned to go to the Tech basketball game but changed our plans last minute and went to run some errands with Amber.  We went and bought some tennis shoes and a nice outfit for me to wear for my first match on Sunday!  After that we headed to lunch then got home.  It was time for tennis again so that I might not embarrass myself on Sunday! It was quite cold out but we survived and got a couple hours in of practice before it was time for dinner.  Joe had some friends over for dinner so we grilled out and enjoyed everyone's company.  Amber and I got some girl time in while getting ready, and then we headed out to the bars for a bit. We had a great night hanging out, but didn't stay out too late because we were all worn out!

Sunday morning started off with some waffles again and then Amber had to hit the road and head home.  It was sad to see her go but she is coming back in just over a month!  It's crazy to think that we simply hit it off as friends and it really does seem like I have known her forever.  I guess I should have known after our first 6 hour dinner date that we were going to be great friends!  Know I just have to work on getting her to move to Atlanta :)

After relaxing on Sunday, we headed to the tennis courts for my first tennis match.  After watching the other couples play, it was finally my turn!  After warming up, it was go time.  Unfortunately, the female on the other team got injured about 5 minutes into the match so it ended pretty quick, but hey I got a win!  After that, Joe and some of the other teammates hit the ball with me so hopefully if I keep practicing I can get better and more consistent with my hits!  After tennis we headed to Joe's parent's house for dinner before heading home to watch some football and get packed for the week.

The Tennis Courts!

Before I knew it I was flying to Chicago and seeing snow for the first time this winter.  It was exciting at first, but I must say, now I am over the snow and cold.  This southern girl needs to get back to warmer weather ASAP!  The trip has been very productive with calls and I am excited to see where this year takes me with WIKA!  And now, time to brave the snow once again to find some winter.  At least I am headed back to the south tomorrow!  Happy Week Everyone!

North Cleveland...my old home...

Outside of a customer visit!  Love the Red Berries!

SCUBA and Tuxes...

This past week flew by as I prepared for our national sales meeting to kick off the year.  We were also incredibly busy this week after work.  Monday evening we had our third meeting with Deacon Nick who is marrying Joe and I.  We started the workbook that we are going through and had a great time discussing our future and relationship with someone who has been married for years and raised 4 kids.  Tuesday evening, Kayla was having a mini girls night at her house where we enjoyed here amazing pomegranate pesto chicken pasta and angle food cake!  Wednesday I got to see the lovely Rialda and Elliot, who we invited over for dinner!  We had such a good time having them over for dinner and I sure do hope that they stay in Atlanta forever :)  Thursday evening Joe had some friends over, and then before I knew it, it was Friday evening and it was time to head up to our first SCUBA class!  Joe and I had been entertaining the idea of getting SCUBA certified for quite some time since we booked our honeymoon.  A couple weeks back we went to Divers Supply Atlanta to see how everything worked.  They told us we could take a intro class to make sure that we were up for the challenge before signing up for the full class.  Friday's class was a very informal class where you learned the basics of diving/dive safety then played around in the pool.  We had such a fun time at the class but there was a HUGE downfall.  The pool had just recently been refilled and the heater had broken the night before, so even dressed in wetsuits, the water was super cold!  We were standing around a lot listening to the instructor, so we did leave the class a bit early, but Joe and I were confident that we wanted to get our full dive certification.

The certification has about 8 hours of online class time that we can do whenever we have free time.  After the class work, it is time to put everything you learned to practice, and we do a full weekend of pull diving where you learn the basics of diving.  After perfecting your pool skills, we take a weekend trip to Florida to get our actual dives in to complete the certification.  You need 4 open water dives to get certified, which can be completed in a weekend.  We are super excited to start the process so we can do some diving while in Bora Bora and Tahiti!

After the class, Joe and I came home for dinner before having some friends over to hang out.  We went to Ivy for a bit but called it an early night after a long and busy week.  Saturday morning started fairly slow and we enjoyed sleeping in a bit before getting moving.  After we finally got up, Joe and I headed to Men's Wearhouse with one of his groomsmen to pick out the wedding tuxedos.  It was the next big thing on our to do list so we wanted to go ahead and get it taken care of.  After going back and forth for a while, we finally picked the tuxes out that we wanted and are all good to go!  I cannot wait to see Joe all dressed up because the tuxes look amazing! 

After we finalized everything, we headed to lunch before I went to the gym to get a good workout in before another evening of fun.  Saturday was Joe's best friend's birthday so everyone came down to our place to hang out before heading to the Virginia Highlands for the evening.  We had a great time seeing everyone, but did not stay out too late because really I think we are just getting old.

Sunday morning I wanted to make some ice cream with my new ice cream attachment that I had gotten for Christmas for my kitchen aid.  This time, I wanted to make a Peanut Butter Ice Cream with fudge and reese's chunks in it.  It turned out absolutely amazing and I am literally obsessed with the ice cream maching.  I cannot wait until I get to make more flavors!  It is such a quick and easy process and the ice cream is made in 30 minutes!  It is almost quicker than running to the store :)  Below is the recipe I used from the Ben and Jerry's cookbook that Joe got me for Christmas.

Ben & Jerry’s Sweet Cream Base #1:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
(makes about one quart)
1/4 cup chocolate (melted)
1/2 cup chopped Reese Cups

The basic process:

• Use an electric mixer and beat the eggs in a separate bowl, until they turn lighter in color.
• Sloooooowly, add the sugar while whisking the eggs. I usually use an electric mixer in one hand and then use the other hand to pour the sugar in a little bit at a time. Slower is better. When it’s all in there, mix it a minute or so more.
• Slowly add small amounts of the cream/milk mix until about a third of the cream and milk have been added. Then pour in the rest of the cream and milk and mix it all together, well
• Strain the mix into a container and let it cool for a bit before adding extracts that might evaporate. You can speed up this cooling step by putting the mix into a metal bowl that’s inside another metal bowl containing ice water. Add a teaspoon of good vanilla extract or ground cinnamon at this point to make those easy flavors.
•  Assemble your kitchen aid bowl that has been frozen for at least 14 hours previously.  Then turn on the motor so the dasher starts spinning, and pour in the mix.  Turn on kitchen aid to stir setting.
• It’ll take about 30 minutes, more or less, to churn until desired thickness.  About 2 minutes before it is done, fold in fudge then pour in Reese Cups and mix.
• Speed counts now. Get all the ice cream out of the machine, into containers, and into the freezer, as quickly as possible. After a few hours in the freezer, the ice cream will harden and be like what you buy in the store.

Sunday afternoon we headed up to Kennesaw for Joe's mixed doubles tennis match and I took Rox on a long walk.  After the match we headed to Joe's parent's house for dinner before heading to church.  Joe and I are doing quite well this year and are 2 for 2 on Sunday mass in 2014!  After that we headed home since Joe and I both had some work to do before starting a new week.  The weekend flew by, and now it is time to start preping for the sales meeting we are having this week!  Now, fingers crossed I get some good news and Amber is coming in town this weekend!!!!! Happy Week Everyone :) 

The Best Time of the Year...

So it has been quite some time since the last post but it has been quite busy!  The past couple weeks were spent enjoying my vacation with family and friends.

The Friday before Christmas Joe and I packed up my car, dropped off Roxie at Joe's parent's house, and hit the road to Greenville to spend some time with my family.  We got in fairly late, so we slept in Saturday before starting some Christmas fun.  My mom had quite a lot to bake so the day was filled with mixing dough for cookies and cakes and spending some family time.  We also had a lot of wedding stuff to do so I started addressing invitations, picked out wedding party gifts, and balanced our budgets.  Courtney came over to enjoy dinner with the family and as always, it was great to see her.  The day was over before we knew it and we called it an early night to catch up on much needed sleep.

Sunday morning we got up early and went to church.  After church I went on a walk with my parents before taking a quick nap myself.  After nap time we enjoyed an amazing meal, and of course Courtney joined.  We had our standard country fried steak Sunday dinner.  After dinner we did some more baking and preparing for the wedding and just hanging out with my family.  Sunday night, Joe and I headed to downtown Greenville for dinner with Amanda and Will.  We went to Grill Marks in downtown and the food was amazing! I always love burgers that you can get lettuce wrapped so that was a plus.  The Parmesan truffle fries are also amazing and I am pretty sure I ate the majority of them and didn't share with Joe!  It was so good having dinner with Amanda and getting to catch up, but it was also great meeting Will.  After dinner we headed home and went to bed fairly early again.

Monday, Joe was working so I addressed a lot of wedding invitations, helped with the Christmas preparation, took a long walk with my little brother, and relaxed on the day off.  I headed to hot yoga with Bethany and Whitney in the early afternoon at a local yoga place.  Although the workout wasn't what I normally do (I do more power yoga/flow), it was a nice change of pace, and it was HOT!  We walked out covered in sweat so I know we got a great workout in.  After getting home I enjoyed dinner with my family before heading the the YSSC Alumni Christmas Party.  It was so good catching up with everyone, young and old, and hearing stories of where everyone is now.  It seems like not that long ago that I was still swimming for YSSC.  I didn't stay too long and headed home to enjoy the end of Christmas Vacation since Joe and my family were watching it.  Joe loved watching it with my family because they show more emotion when watching a movie than I do!

Tuesday morning, my little brother and I went on a walk again before my sister, brother in law, and niece arrived for Christmas.  We spent the day enjoying their company, playing with Rose, decorating the Christmas tree, and getting the final things ready for Christmas.  After waffles for lunch (everyone wanted waffles but I didn't wake up early enough in the morning to make them!) Joe and I and my parents took Rose on a walk so that Ana could get some work done.  Once we got home it was time to get ready for Christmas Eve Dinner.  We were having a mixture of a lot of different foods so it was quite a process.  After my older brother got home, it was dinner time!  We enjoyed so much food and way too many deserts!  After dinner we opened gifts and then took our Christmas picture with everyone!  Before we knew it, it was time for Joe and I to hit the road and head to Atlanta.  It was so good seeing all of my family although we were all together for only 3 hours.  I cannot wait to see everyone again in April for the wedding!

Rose's first Christmas!

Play Time with Rose :)

Presents :)

Joe and I hit the road right at 9 and headed to Atlanta to attend midnight mass at St. Ann's.  We made it early enough to go to Joe's parent's house and then went to mass. It was a beautiful service and I always love the way the church is decorated on Christmas!  We slept in Christmas day because it was a late night.  We enjoyed some waffles for breakfast and then it was present time at Joe's parent's house.  It was fun to see how they open presents vs. how we do at our house.  At my house we always open presents one at a time, youngest to oldest, while at Joe's they all get one present that Joe distributes, and open them all together.  After presents, Joe and I walked to Joe's friend Dillon's house to see him before appetizer time.  Once we got home appetizers were ready to go and after some more relaxing, it was time for dinner.  Christmas dinner is Joe's favorite dinner because they always have prime rib! Roxie also loves it because she gets a prime rib bone to enjoy for the next couple of weeks.  After dinner and desert Joe and I headed home to open our own presents.  Joe is an amazing gift giver and got me so many amazing things, including a travel yoga mat that folds for easy packing, and a water proof/shock proof camera that we will get to use on our honeymoon and not worry about it getting ruined!  After presents we headed to bed after a long day of celebrating.

Presents again :)

She LOVES Christmas :)

The rest of the week flew by, I did more wedding planning and relaxed and Joe was at work.  The weekend was here before we knew it, and we didn't have to many plans.  We met up with Sam and Dem for drinks and dinner Friday night and enjoyed our first time at Monday Night Brewery.  It is so fun talking wedding with them because they are getting married a month before us and are on a very similar path!  Saturday was a day filled with grocery shopping and wedding stuff.  We took a trip to Men's Wearhouse to pick out what suits/tuxs the guys would wear.  We also picked out our wedding favors and got a general price for them.  Last, we went to the SCUBA place in Roswell to sign up for our intro to SCUBA class!  I cannot wait until our first class to see if we want to become certified or not.  Saturday evening Sam and Dem came over as well as Will and Katie and we had so much fun hanging out, catching up, and having a good time at 5 Paces with the most amazing bartender ever!

Sunday, Joe and I slept in really late and before we knew it, it was time to hit the road for our food tasting for the wedding!   We asked Joe's parents to come along so that we would have a more diverse pallet at the tasting, and we all enjoyed tasting appetizers, sides, and entrees!  Our food should be amazing and I sure do hope I get to eat some on our wedding day :)  After the food, I hit the gym before finishing up the day.

Monday and Tuesday were relaxing days since I was still on vacation. Monday evening we started the meetings with the deacon that will be marrying us.  It was a great meeting where we planned out what still needs to be done, what chapters Joe and I need to do before our next meetings, and making sure that both of us were really ready to get married.  It was a great meeting and I am looking forward to the next one.  Somehow the days flew by and before we knew it, it was New Years Eve.  Joe came home early on New Years Eve, and I went to the gym for a swim.  For those that swam club with me, New Years Eve was always the BIGGEST practice of the year for us, and we spent 4 hours straight in the pool.  I was feeling inspired and I hit the pool myself, and managed a hole 3300 yards!  I was quite proud of myself for swimming so far, and it may not have taken me 4 hours, and I may not have swam super far, but hey it's an accomplishment!  After the swim I started getting ready for the evening.  Joe and I went to dinner with Kellie Ann, Reza, and Tareq and enjoyed tapas at Basil's which is one of Joe and my favorite restaurants.  They have such good food, their bread they bring out that is more like a pizza is amazing, and it isn't that expensive.  After dinner we headed to our apartments where Matt Tang and Mike V met us to head to the bars.  We headed to 5 Paces since they did not have a cover and of course our favorite bar tender, Jessie :), was working.  We had so much fun bring in the New Year with a champagne toast and a New Year's Kiss!

Happy New Year

GTSD taking over 5 Paces :)

We had quite a crew sleeping over that night, so the next morning was spent cleaning up before heading to Joe's parent's house for dinner.  They always have Christmas pasta for dinner even though it is New Years, and it has about 10 different meats in the pasta sauce.  It was amazing and after dinner we started talking logistics about the wedding.  We always think we have so much planned, but the second you start talking details, I start realizing how much more is left.  I am so excited to see all of the details come together on the big day, but for now I will not worry too much because I know we will be stressing before we know it!

And with that, I am caught up, and all out of vacation days :)  Today I went back to work, catching up on emails that were unanswered, and planning out the year to come.  I cannot wait to see what 2014 has in store, because 2013 sure was a great one!  Happy New Year everyone and I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays.