Skinny Cocktail, heck yes.

I have a confession to make.
I am an addict.
I am completely addicted to tropical fruit. Lame, I know. In the past 48 hours I've consumed 4 (life changing) mangoes, 3 bananas, 3 kiwis and 2 grapefruit. Mangoes especially, I cant get enough. It's not enough for me to just eat them, I was also in search for a tropical fruity (low calorie) drink for tonight. I think I found one...and took off running to the ABC Store on my lunch break. Class act, I know.

Hello, gorgeous!

This tropical puppy is only 145 calories!

The goods:
2 Tablespoons (1oz or 2 or 3) tequila
1 Tablespoon (.5oz) strawberry simple syrup
3 Tablespoons (1.5oz) orange juice (about 1/2 navel orange)
3 Tablespoons (1.5oz) pineapple juice
1/4 cup (2oz) club soda
ice

To make the simple syrup:
 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3 large strawberries

Directions:
1. For the strawberry simple syrup: Combine sugar, water, and strawberries into a small saucepan over high heat. Mash strawberries as the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and allow syrup to cool completely. Transfer syrup to a food processor or blender, process until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the strawberry seeds (optional.) Chill in the fridge.

2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add tequila, strawberry simple syrup, orange juice, and pineapple juice. Shake until very cold. Pour into a glass, including the ice, then top with club soda.

I found this on Pinterest. The rest of this girl's blog looks equally delicious. Iowagirleats.com.

I let you know how intoxicating good it is.  

BTW, umm...isn't this an awesome idea?!

Annnnddd, I just remembered we don't have this kind of shelf in our fridge. Never mind the awesome idea.

 

Camping and Bravo TV

It started on Tuesday around 10:00 am (my morning snack time) after I ate the best mango of my life thus far. It was so sweet and juicy and delicious. It reminded me of our honeymoon in Mexico even though neither of us ate any mango in Mexico.It made me think of summertime, basking in warm rays with a good book, white sandy beaches, men with trays delivering my drink of choice....I want to go on vacation. Bad. 

I want to go to the Caribbean but unfortunately that's out of the question.  I started my Google search of "cheap vacations in North Carolina." Nothing exciting. We've been to the beaches a million times, we go to the mountains at least once a year and Charleston has basically become our vacation go-to for a while now. Key West or Miami would be fun, but this needs to be more of a long weekend trip, and airfare isn't really cheap.

So, I came up with the brilliant idea of camping. Me, Mark, the dog...maybe by a lake or a beach, snuggling up to a fire and drinking some wine, or beer...I think you drink beer when you camp....

I mentioned this to Mark and this is how the conversation went:

Me: Hey babe, I have an idea, we should go camping!

Mark: ::Laugh, Laugh, Laugh:: Just you and I?? ::Laugh, Laugh, Laugh::

Me: Well, maybe the dog too?

Mark: (After more laughing) Camping? That's like asking me to go to Wendover Avenue and hang out with the homeless guys for the day!!

Sooooo, I guess camping is out.

On a completely different and unrelated note, does anyone watch Bethenny Ever After? If so, are you sick of seeing this in every freakin episode?

Chick probably needs to put her booze factory/shapewear line on hold and get a grip on her life. She cries more than any millionaire I know. And, while we're on the topic...she needs to add a little more BOOZE to her BOOZE! Her Skinnygirl Margarita is like drinking Crystal Light. Of course it's "Skinny," any drink would be skinny T-minus the alcohol. If you're reading Frankle, can the tears and give your people more tequila! Also, you'd think if you had that much money, you would take walking lessons. I'm I the only one who thinks she walks like a duck?  That was mean, I know. I'm sorry. But it's true...


One more thing!!! Did anyone else see Gretchen sing onstage with the Pussycat Dolls and feel so sorry for her?? Like, I wanted to close my eyes and pretend it wasn't happening. 

But, on the other hand, she looked so dang good in her little sparkly bustier! I'd take the crappy voice if it meant having that body any day! I also thought it was funny that Alexis said Jim wasn't really enjoying the show and that he just came for moral support. Yeah.flippin.right.


say sumthin'!

What's up with my pup

This post is all about our pup, Boags. About a year ago Mark and I were enjoying Sunday Night Music in the Park. We had just cleaned up our picnic and were heading to the car. As chance would have it, walking out of the park we ran into the cutest little pup. We stopped to pet him and the girl with him told us he was for adoption and gave us a card. We thought about him for a long time that night. When I came home from work the next day, there he was, sitting (he was so scared he was actually shaking) on the couch! Mark gave me the biggest and best surprise ever!


He was so skinny when we adopted him!

We decided to name him Boags. In Australia, Mark's favorite beer is James Boags, so, there you have it, we named our dog after a brewski. We're thinking about naming our first born Dirty Martini, since those are my favorite. 

The lady we got him from operates a Jack Russell rescue out of her house. When Mark got him, he knew he had heart worms. He is a perfectly healthy pup, t-minus the worms in his little heart. The lady told Mark that she's treated a thousand dogs with heart worms through a "slow kill" process using medications. We've tried this for a year and have taken him to 2 different vets. Banfield, the PetsMart vet, told us 2 different things each time. Yesterday Mark took him to Cobb for a heart worm test to see if the medications are working. Sadly, they haven't killed off all the worms.

We had known all along that this would be a slow process, the medications. We've also know about a quick cure that's painful and keeps the dog crated for months (and is rather pricey). When talking to the lady we adopted him from, she made this option sound really scary. Basically, what they do is insert a needle 1 1/2 inches into his back and pump him with medicine. The medicine is SUPER strong and works fast to kill the worms. Kinda like chemo for dogs. After he has the shot, he has to be crated with NO physical activity for a month. There are 3 rounds of shots and he would need to be crated for 2 of those months. The reason for crating him is so that his heart wont beat fast, causing the dead worms to break apart and move into his blood stream, which could kill him. Very scary.

So, we have to make a decision. Let him live for 3 more years with worms possibly destroying the lining of his heart, or, do the quick and painful way to get rid of them fast. Mark asked the vet what he would do, the vet told him that Boags is the perfect candidate for the shots. He's young and healthy and has a strong heartbeat. Mark really likes and trusts this vet.

We are leaning towards the shots. Its going to be so horrible taking him to the vet for those shots. It's going to be even more horrible making him stay in a crate for 2 straight months. Poor little dude. :(

Birthdays and more mac and cheese!

It's May 1st and our one year anniversary is only 20 days away. Plans are still in the works, however, we know that dinner at Fleming's, champagne and stale wedding cake are on the agenda! Aside from spending some QT with Mark (and Fleming's Chipotle Cheddar 953.6 Calories-Per-Serving Mac and Cheese) I'm extra excited about using our wedding flutes! 



We all know how I feel about this cheesy gift from God.



Our Anthro flutes that have only been used once.

My sister has been looking forward to this coming Friday for MONTHS now. Actually, I think she's been looking forward to it for about 2 years. Annie (my sister) has been in grad school studying for her Masters in Elementary Education. Before she decided to go back to school, and after graduating ECU with a degree in Communication, she was a glorified chiropractor and a steel mill worker. I'm not going to explain because leaving you to ponder these jobs is way funnier. Anyways, while working at the mill, she met her husband. They just recently married on a beach in Charleston AND are in the process of planning another wedding for 2013. (Again, I'm not explaining.) While in grad school, she lived with our parents in Greensboro. Now she's pretty much settled in with her hubby and pup (Hammer) in their new townhouse in Charleston. On Friday she will become a MASTER (she graduates) AND it's her BIRTHDAY!! I'm excited to do some celebratin' this weekend. My sweet grandparents are even coming all the way down from Ohio to join in on all the fun! 

Happy early birthday, Annie van Graan, future educator of the youth of our nation!

I've been waiting a long time to pull this out of the vault of shame.