Weekly Goal

Well, it's official...Becky and I suck at blogging. But we have an excuse - she's had sick kids and I've had a crazy time with work and life as of late.

But, we're getting back into the swing of things and so i'm posting a weekly goal for us. If you'd like, play along with us.

The goal for this week is to:

Do 10 pushups, a few times a day, every day.

The little things add up.

Recipe for the week

Simple Tomato Pasta Sauce

Saute in olive oil:
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Add:
1 large can of crushed tomoatoes
1 small can of diced tomatoes
3/4 cup white wine (or water)
2 tbsp sugar
pepper (and salt if you want) to taste

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

I learned this recipe from the family I worked with. It is SUPER easy, kid-tested (I saw the pickiest of picky eat this gladly), and tastes yummy. Plus, no meat!

Go enjoy a bowl of pasta with some yummy, easy sauce. NOW!

Goal of the Week!

Wow...Beck and I were slacking last week. She had her twinner's first birthday and her first Mom-iversary, so she had a good excuse. I just was crazy busy, so mine isn't so good. Oh well. That's life.

So, the goal of this week (even though it's a day late) is to:

Take time every day to hug and kiss the kiddos

Even though I try to spend time with Riley every day, i know she can always benefit from some extra lovin'. And I get a lot out of it, too.

Goal of the Week

This week our goal is to

AVOID MSG!

It's no good for the ole bod. MSG is in a lot of stuff so make sure you read your labels on food products and eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies instead. Look for restaurants that advertise the fact that they don't use it, if you're going out. You'll thank me.

Good luck!

Recipe of the Week - - Black Bean Soup

Here's our recipe this week.

I'm choosing this recipe because it is a staple dinner in my household and it was one Amy and I discovered in a magazine while she was so graciously letting me live with her a few years back (Man, we had fun, eh, sis??)that we made a lot. It is vegetarian, actually you could consider it vegan if you used vegetable broth. Anyway, it's absolutely delish, so healthy and good for you, and super easy to prepare. Makes for great leftovers, but does not freeze well (as I have learned the hard way...). Here goes.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed really well
1 large can or 2 small cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 jalapeno pepper
4-5 (or more) celery stalks
2-3 (not small) carrots
garlic (whatever amount you like)
spices Cumin, Thyme, Bay Leaves
Vegetable (or chicken) broth
optional (not to me, though) brown rice, avocado, cilantro

Chop onion, celery, jalapeno, and carrots and saute them in your pot with garlic and a little olive oil for about 5 or so minutes, add the spices and cook for a couple more minutes As far as amounts on the spices, I kind of just eye it, but if I had to approximate, I would say a tsp or two of thyme and maybe 3 or 4 tsp cumin? (sound right amy??) and 2 bay leaves. Add the beans and tomatoes to that, mix it up and cover with broth (I usually just enough to cover what's in the pot). Bring to a boil for a minute or two, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the veggies seem cooked enough, maybe 15 minutes. That's it.

Yummy additions: I usually throw in about 1/2 or more of already cooked brown rice once the soup is done to make it even more of a meal. Plus rice and beans together make a great vegetarian protein. Doing this even fills my bottomless-pit-of-a-hus up. It's so yummy. We always always serve it with sliced avocado and cilantro. Those two additions are what make this soup so good, to me anyway. TRY IT!

See, told you it was easy.


p.s. Amy, I know this is obviously a recipe you know so it's nothing new for you, but it is just so "us" that I had to use it for this week. Next time will be something new for you to try. :)

p.p.s. if the phrase "black bean" plays over and over in your head like it has for me just now, it starts to sound really weird...black bean, black bean, black bean, black bean, black bean...see??

Goal for the week

Laugh really hard at something that usually makes you mad or frustrated or annoyed.

Laugh, and let it roll.

Photo Friday - Cell phone self portraits

This is what we look like today, as captured from our cell phones.

I guess it's clear who needs to work on her cell phone technique. :)

Recipe of the week -- Orange-Chili Chicken

Becky and I share very similar taste in food. We both tend to gravitate towards simple, healthy food that is really flavorful and heavy on the vegetables. We thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite recipes here, to encourage and inspire each other and maybe give some ideas to our readers. We'll be alternating weeks, and this week is mine.

Orange Chili Chicken (so easy and so yummy)

*Two pounds chicken (whatever kind you like - i've used this on chicken breasts, a whole roasted chicken, and Riley's fave - drumsticks)
*1/4 cup marmalade
*1/2 tps Chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
*seasoned rice wine vinegar
*salt
*pepper

Remove skin from chicken (you don't have to do this, but I always do.) Season chicken with salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. Mix the marmalade, chili sauce and a splash of vinegar. At this point, i strain the sauce because I don't like the chunks of orange peels from the marmalade. This isn't necessary if it doesn't bother you. It might just be a "me" thing. About ten minutes before the chicken is done, brush the glaze onto it. Repeat every three minutes until glaze is gone. See? Yummy and SO easy! And seriously - I have the pickiest child on earth. If she'll eat it, pretty much anyone will.

I usually serve this with steamed green beans and either baked potatoes or wild rice.

I should have take pics, but I totally spaced it. Oh well, next time!

checking in

Well, Becky's challenge has made me feel better already and has also made me much less productive due to frequent trips to pee. So, THANKS BECKY!

Seriously, though...I do need more water in my life. I drink it a lot when I work out, but the rest of the day....nope.

I just needed a sister challenge.

Goal of the Week

So...since Amy gave me a deadline of "no later than NOON on MONDAY!!" (sheesh, she's so bossy sometimes) to put up our weekly goal, here it is. Amy and I are both going to be working on our weekly goal together, feel free to join us...they are not big things necessarily, but just something to improve ourselves in some way. And since we're pretty much perfect as it is, the goal will be quite easy to attain, I'm sure...hehe.

Okay.

Our Goal of the Week is.................

hmmm.....


let me think.............

(I haven't thought of one yet, oops).......

Okay, well, I'm going to recycle one of my old Goals of the Week from my blog since I can't think of a good one and I'm going to add something to it that doesn't even relate. This is one I need to work on, so this week we will

DRINK MORE WATER!
(Specifics...drink a big glass first thing in the morning. Have water accessible and ready all day...
pee a lot!)

and call a friend you haven't talked to in awhile to catch up and check in...

There you go! Go get hydrated! And be friendly!

(I will do better next time, promise!)

Foto Friday...

My girls.

My boys.

(This is the one I was telling you about, Ame.)

Meet Amy

Have you ever heard of one of "those" kind of big sisters?

The kind who lets you in her "clubhouse" when you're not even in the "club"?

The kind who teaches the four year old version of you important life skills like how NOT to gulp your drinks while simultaneously dieing Easter eggs with you at the kitchen counter?

The kind who gives you a hand-me-down guitar shaped piece of wood complete with 80's colors and splatter paint that she used for an "Air Concert" and you're super excited about it?

The kind who launches you across the room with her kicking legs when you try to tickle her because she's that ticklish?

The kind who works endlessly to get through her schooling, even working full time as a full time student, and joining the Air Force.

The kind who lets you in on her college life by having sleepovers and pizza parties with you, throwing prank calling in there just to mix it up?

The kind who lets you drive her car all day on your first birthday as a licensed driver?

The kind who saves you from resorting to life as a homeless massage therapy student in Pioneer Park with all your potential art project material by giving you a room, food, and friendship when you need it most?

The kind who works at job that makes a difference, where she makes a difference?

The kind who takes care of everyone around her, putting others' needs in front of her own, because that's just the way she is?

The kind who completes triathalons and bike races?

The kind who launches a support party online for you as you are giving birth to twins hundreds of miles away that makes your memories of the whole thing that much sweeter?

The kind who tells you what you need to hear, or just listens if that's what you need more?

The kind who creates a beautiful little girl that sparkles and flares with the same spunk as her mamma?

The kind who shares texts, phonecalls, emails, facebook messages, or etc. with you an average of 25 times per day?

The kind who just gets you, even if the two of you are so different?

The kind who has some spunk, some charm, and a whole lotta life in her?

The kind who just freakin' rocks?


You ever hear about those kind of big sisters?

Yeah?

Well, this one's MINE.

(Um, no, I won't trade with you.)

And I get to share a blog with her.

Yeah, I know, I'm lucky.

Please meet Becky

I remember vividly the day Becky was born. I was in Kindergarten and my class was scheduled to go on a sleigh ride on that snowy December morning. My first concern upon hearing my mom was having a baby was whether or not my dreams of horses and snow and singing "Jingle Bells" would be trashed because some baby was on her way. Then, my Grandma made me eat toast with *gasp* BUTTER on it and my other Grandma thought it would be just fine if I wore green and black striped gloves with my red winter coat. Clearly, these women were out to ruin my life. But then I heard that the baby was a girl, and not another dreaded brother of which I already had four, and life was fine again. If fact, life was amazing....I had a SISTER!

Fast forward twenty-eight years and that sister has become my confidant, shoulder to cry on, and best friend. She has truly grown into her own as a beautiful woman, a fantastic and patient wife, and the perfect mother to energetic, almost one year old twin boys.

Becky is one of the most likable people on earth. She has a hilarious sense of humor and is dead on with her impressions, but you might not see this immediately because she is a little shy at first. She had a calm demeanor and a soothing spirit, and approaches her sometimes hectic life with a level head and a laid-back attitude. If there is a child in her immediate vicinity, she has them eating out of her hand in seconds. She laughs when most people would cry, finds amusement in the little things that give life it's richness and is constantly entertained by the somewhat random antics of her husband and sons.

She has been there for me through some of my hardest moments and continues to stand by me no matter the miles. I couldn't pick a better sister than her, and I'll never find a better friend. Plus, she's the only person on earth who can finish this sentence: "It's the worst day of my life and you won't even tell me...."

Love you Beck. This blog will be so fun!

Introductions

Hi, I'm Amy. You might know me from here or maybe from here, but this blog is a collaboration for 2010 with my sister, Becky. You might know her from here.

Becky and I have talked about collaborating on a blog for a while, and we decided that 2010 was a great time to do it. We communicate on a frequent (many times a day) basis and this is just one more method for us to communicate, but also a way to share a bit of ourselves with our family and friends.

We'll be introducing each other and the format of our new blog in the next day or so. Stay tuned. We think this experiment will be a lot of fun!