Tag Archives: november

December Goals

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Holy smokes it’s December already??!

Well in that case, it’s time for me to recap my November goals and set new ones for December!

1) Drink more water

Yeah I kind of did this and I kind of didn’t. Some days I was really good and remembered, and other days it was already 5pm and I had only drank maybe a glass of water. This is one of my biggest downfalls guys! Maybe it needs to be pushed into December goals…

2) Run a 5k

YES! This I did, and I am so proud of Andrew and I! We both did better than we expected and had a lot of fun. This may have sparked a Turkey Trot tradition ;)

3) Take Annie on at least 2 long walks per week

I did really well the first week of November, but then she was at the doggie pet resort for two weekends raging around with other dogs, and since she has a janky knee I didn’t want her to over-do it. But her new favorite snack is carrots so she’s being a healthy little pup in other ways

4) Use the crockpot at least once a week

Considering the crockpot was only ever used to make my Tikka Masala, I’d say this was a no.

5) Read more

Actually yes. I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky which (I know I know..) I had never read before. I loved it! Right now I’m reading two books because I was too excited for both: Defending Jacob by William Landay and Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End by Manel Loureiro… yeah, a murder trial and zombies.

 

So November wasn’t a total flop, but time for some new December goals!

1) Do yoga at least once a week

This week I rekindled my love for yoga and really want to try and keep that love strong. I missed it so much, and I really think it will help in keeping me centered and focused this month.

2) Train for a 10k

I say train and not run because the 10k that I plan to sign up for is in the beginning of January. And I think I’ve totally convinced Andrew to start running with me, he even said he might want to train for a Half Marathon if he can do the 10k. Yay for a running buddy!

3) Try 1 new recipe per week

It’s strange that I even have to put this as a goal… but even as someone who loves to cook and create recipes, it’s easy to fall into the same routine just out for convenience. There are tons of recipes I’ve pinned on Pinterest that I’ve been dying to try.

4) Reconnect with friends

Whether it’s over the phone or in person, I really need to do this! Going home to Michigan for the Holidays will make it a little easier to accomplish but even then, I need to make sure I call/Skype with people to catch up, especially if I know I won’t see them for some reason.

5) Stay healthy

My immune system is pretty good because I’ve been working in hospitals for the past 5 years, but at the same time, being in a hospital exposes you to all of the colds and flus that are going around. I want to be healthy so that I can enjoy every bit of December! This means getting my sleep, washing my hands, and making sure to get enough antioxidants (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, etc).

 

Tell me a goal you have this month!

Monday Munchies: Chicken Tikka Masala of my Dreams

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In an attempt to fulfill one of my November Goals, I have a supeeeerb crockpot recipe for you!

This weekend, I was on a mission to put my slow-cooker to use. Instead of just going through pages and pages of recipes to try and find something that sounded good, I took a different approach. I dug deep into my soul and asked myself “what do you want to eat, Emily? what would fulfill all of your crockpot dreams?”.

But of course!… Tikka Masala. There could be no other answer.

It only looks like dog food, I swear.

The first time I ever tried Indian food was one of me and Andrew’s first dates. He took me to this place called Bombay Cuisine in our hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. They served each dish in these huge plate-sized bowls with basmati rice and fresh, warm naan bread for dipping. I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala per the waiter’s suggestion and was not expecting to like it… but I so wrong.

Tikka masala is traditionally an Indian dish, typically made with chicken. It’s guaranteed that no Tikka masala is alike, because spices will wildly differ from chef to chef since there is no standard recipe.

Here’s what I did…

Minced up half of a large onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Chopped up 3 chicken breasts into about 1 inch cubes. Threw it all into the crockpot. Added about 20 ounces of crushed tomatoes (about 2/3rds of a 28oz can). Mixed in the following spices: 2 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp coriander, 1/2 tbsp paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt. Let it cook in the crockpot on LOW for 8 hours. At the end, stir in 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup milk.. bring back up to temperature. Serve over brown rice.

This makes about 4 servings. In hindsight, I should have used pureed tomatoes instead of crushed to make it smoother… and a little less cayenne pepper.

But still… So. Freaking. Good.

 

What’s your favorite crockpot dish?

H-A-double-L-O-W-double-E-N

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Happy Halloween!

Annie was a pretty princess for all of 5 minutes. She was not havin’ it.

 

 

Since I’m too poor to be in the spirit this year, I was going to have a little collage of my past Halloween costumes. I quickly dismissed that idea though once I started looking through my pictures…. college is not a time of decency, my friends.

Not only did I not have a costume this year, I failed to wear anything festive at all! Last night I was looking through my closet and realized I do not own a single orange article of clothing. Huge fail.

What my wardrobe lacked in Halloween spirit, I made up for in candy.

We hosted a Candy Sale in the cafeteria at the hospital today. You could stop by and fill up a cute little Halloween bag as much or as little as you wanted since we charged by the ounce. All proceeds went to United Way and we actually made quite a bit of money!

The candy sale lasted close to 5 hours and I manned the table the entire time, so I ate straight candy for lunch. I’m not joking. Not my proudest moment but.. it’s Halloween, what was I suppose to do, say no to all those malted milk balls? Oh and my feet were absolutely screaming at me by the time I went home today. I don’t know why but my feet hurt worse when I stand in one place as opposed to walking around all day? Hm

I couldn’t wait to put these on when I got home. Andrew’s mom had sent me these slippers last week, along with an enormous box of candy. Good lord I’ll be glad when all this candy is gone. I tried to give some of it out to trick-or-treaters tonight but we got a total of 3. Another huge fail.

 

And tomorrow is November. I’m actually really excited for this month because I’ll be traveling a little bit around Florida, seeing my family and tackling those goals I talked about on Monday.

 

What did you do for Halloween? What was your costume?