Top Ten Perks of Unemployment

10. You finally have enough time to color-coordinate your cooking utensils drawer.  Who knew there were so many shades of silver?

9. You now save a ton of money on your heating bill, since you’ve found the time to knit afghans/sweaters/scarves for the whole family.

8. When your significant other so kindly asks you to “go make me a sandwich woman”, instead of yelling right back, you now reply, “Ham, turkey or tuna salad?  I made all three this afternoon.”

7. Your home is filled with fabulous arts and crafts, due to the abundance of time you now spend on Pinterest.

6. You had time to write this entire post with no interruptions.

5. Your children’s lunches now resemble a feast fit for the Queen of England, complete with hors d’oeuvres and a dessert tray.

4. You’ve consider writing a book about your homemaking skills.

3. Your friends and family tend to take pity on your financial situation and offer to pay for lunches, shopping, and gas. (Well, in my case they do, anyway.)

2. Your coupon-clipping skills have now surpassed the likes of Extreme Couponers.

1. Sleeping until noon is no longer a luxury-it’s a way of life.

 

You Know You’re a Blogger When…

10. Your “most viewed” site on Google Chrome is wordpress.com.

9. You have downloaded the WordPress app on your Android/iPhone/tablet to keep up on every single comment/like/view on your page.

8. You now take pictures of every food you make, but only if it’s from scratch.

7. You’ve taken up the art of photography just so your food pictures looks better.

6. You get upset whenever you log in (at least once an hour) and that little yellow button isn’t lit up.

5. You hope something extraordinarily interesting happens to you during the day so you can blog about it later.

4. When something interesting doesn’t happen to you, you spin your day so it sounds interesting, then blog about it.

3. You formulated this entire post in your head at 4 am last night (please blame my lack of sleep if you are hating this post…because I would be just crushed if I was considered a bad blogger).

2. Comments and likes have become the highlight of your day.

1. You dream about being Freshly Pressed, and are severely disappointed/confused when you wake up and don’t have ten thousand new views on your page (yep, this actually happened to me).

What would be in your top 10?

Six Things I Love Sunday

This week has been insane for me.  So many papers to write, so little time.  Naturally, my blogging had to take a backseat to my education, so I apologize for that.

So, let’s kick things off.

1. SSX

Why? Years ago, my brother and I would spend hour after hour playing SSX Tricky, a snowboarding game.  So when I found out they had a new SSX out, I had to buy it.  My boyfriend and I split the cost, because $59.99 is kind of ridiculous for a snowboarding game, but so far it has been worth every penny.  I love the graphics and versatility, and although I typically have better things to do than play video games, this one is a good exception.

2. Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

Why? I recommended this book to my psychology teacher in high school, and I had completely forgotten about it until about a week ago.  This book is an autobiography of Daniel Tammet, who relays his accounts of Asperger’s Syndrome and his savant-like abilities.  I’ve always loved learning about mental disorders and psychology, so this book was like a dream come true when I first found it.  His recollections are seriously incredible, and it’s enthralling to have an inside look at the mind of a savant.

3. Emma Watson

Why? I grew up reading and watching Harry Potter, which explains the majority of my love for this girl.  But also, I love her fearlessness when it comes to life in general.  I mean, who could pull off that kind of haircut besides her?  Not many.

4. Twisted Peppermint

This is what heaven smells like.

Why? This is my favorite candle scent, ever.  It’s so minty and delicious and I’ve had to buy three in the last two months because I burn it so often.  I probably should have included a fruitier or more spring-friendly candle instead, but this has been my go-to candle all winter.  While I’m at it, I might as well just note that I love Bath and Body Works in general.  Is there a better-smelling place in the entire world?  I challenge you to find one.

5. Apple Rhubarb Pie

Why? I really don’t think it’s even necessary to include a “why” section for this.  So delicious.

6. Jimmy Eat World

Why? This has been my favorite band since middle school, primarily because I literally love every single one of their songs.  I remember doing a presentation on them in high school, and three people told me afterward that they were going to go out and buy their cd because of my project.  If you happen to live under a rock and haven’t heard of them, I would suggest visiting this link and loving every second of it.

What are some things you guys are loving at the moment?

Holly, not Hollie

Six Pack Abs, Here I Come!

Today was a pretty good day for me, exercise- and eating-wise.  I made a ham and spinach omelet for a late breakfast (the first omelet I’ve ever not ruined, might I add), then some chicken pasta for dinner.  I know a lot of people shun pasta when their on a diet, but I just can’t give up my carbs.  Plus, I figure pasta once a week isn’t too bad, right?

Then, feeling extra motivated, I actually took my dog on a run.  Normally at the gym, I just ride the elliptical for about thirty minutes or so, but today it was absolutely beautiful outside (63 degrees in Wisconsin in March…how could I not take advantage of that?!).  I’m not going to lie, the run was more like half run, half walk, since my body just isn’t quite ready to go sprinting up the hills yet.

After my walk/run, apparently I just hadn’t had enough, because I decided to do these ab workouts.  I did all ten, and oh my God was I dead afterward.  I literally laid on the ground for a full ten minutes afterward because it hurt to even sit up.  I’m not sure that I would recommend doing all of them in one sitting, because I know I sure as hell won’t be doing that again.

Also, I’m in the process of starting up some knitting again.  I’ve been neglecting it because of my extreme school workload (see last post for details), and I think it’s time I start again.  I feel kind of guilty calling this a “crafting” blog without having any “crafting” to show for it.  Anyway, I got this free pattern for knit slippers on my Nook last night, so I’m hoping I can have them finished (and started) in the next day or two.

So cute! Can’t wait.

Holly, not Hollie

A New Twist on Friday Fish Fry

Hello all!  Today I come to you with a nice little twist to the traditional Friday night Fish Fry.  Not only is it certainly healthier than your typical Wisconsin deep-fried fish, but it will also give you a new perspective on fish altogether (at least, it did for me!)

So here’s the final product: Ham-Wrapped, Spinach-Stuffed Flounder.

Okay, so I need to apologize for my lack of picture-taking skills.  My brother takes the most beautiful photographs, and most of my house is decorated with his work.  My mother is crafty and creative with home decor, and even my dad has been known to be useful with a paintbrush and canvas.  Somehow, with all this artistic talent surrounding me, I failed to pick up on any of it, which clearly shows when I try to capture my dinner on camera.  Once again, my apologies that you eyes are probably now bleeding.

Anyways, my photographs aren’t the point of this post.  The point is, contrary to what you’re probably thinking, this was one of the best meals I’ve ever made.  If you like fish, you will love this.

Ham-Wrapped, Spinach-Stuffed Flounder

(As you can probably tell, I used asparagus as a stuffer instead of spinach.  My mom ended up eating all the spinach yesterday without realizing that I would need it for dinner tonight.  The asparagus was actually really good with the fish, but I’ll give you the recipe with the spinach and you can substitute it for, really, whatever vegetable you like.)

Number of Servings: 4
156 calories

4 (1/4 lb) flounder fillets
1 cup baby spinach
4 extra-lean slices of baked ham
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp dry vermouth (or reduced-sodium chicken broth)
1/4 tsp pepper
Chopped, fresh parsley

1. Rinse the spinach.  Lay out the fillets and sprinkle with pepper.  Add equal amounts of spinach on top of each fillet.  Roll up the fillets, spinach inside, and wrap one piece of ham around each fillet.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add fillets, turning occasionally until the flounder is opaque and ham is slightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Put fillets on serving plates, sprinkle with parsley, and keep warm.
3. Add vermouth and lemon juice to skillet.  Stir for about 30 seconds, then drizzle mixture on top of fillets.
4. Garnish with a lemon wedge, and enjoy!

It’s actually more simple than it might sound.  For me, the hardest part was turning the fillets (as you can probably tell from my picture, since they didn’t want to stay in one piece).

In addition to the fish, I made a some cucumber-and-lemon water to sip while we ate.  Clearly I’m not counting down the days until summer or anything.

I promise, I’ll work on my photography skills for next time.

Holly, not Hollie