I don't know about you, but I know that I have a sweet tooth! I love smoothies, and drink them all the time.  I always like to try new combinations and make up new things.  Tonight I made a White Chocolate Strawberry smoothie.  It was SO simple! 

What You Need:

-Frozen Strawberries

-White Chocolate Chips

-Milk

(Only 3 Ingredients!)

I poured about 1/2 C. Milk, 1 C. frozen strawberries and a hand full of chips into a blender.  Then blended until smooth.  It made enough for me, but it's easy to adjust if you want to make more.  You can play around with the amount of each ingredient to get the texture and flavor that you want. Another idea would be to add Vanilla Cinch to it and it would be a great meal shake. IT'S SO SIMPLE!

What are some of YOUR favorite smoothie recipes? 

Since I've been on my own I've quickly learned that just because you're on a tight budget doesn't mean that you have to eat like it! I love to cook and the thought of living off of roman noodles and PB&J sandwiches sounds horrible to me! Shopping at Aldi can save a lot of money and still allow me to eat foods that I love. Here is one recipe that I find to be inexpensive, easy to make and delicious!

Shrimp Scampi (3 servings)

Ingredients

• salt
• 3/4 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined ( I got a HUGE bag of shrimp at Walmart for only $5!)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds

Directions

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon juice, and lemon slices. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Dijon Vinaigrette for Salad

• 1 ½ Tbs of your favorite Dijon mustard
• The juice of one lemon
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste     

Combine ingredients and stir. Mix well.  Pour onto salad right before serving.

"There is nothing like a dream to create the future".

- Victor Hugo

What are some of your favorite inexpensive recipes?

-Heather Ann

WE DID IT!!!

After MANY years of HARD work, papers, stress, juggling jobs with school,

family, friends, and multiple jobs...

WE GRADUATED COLLEGE!!

This is my mom after she got pinned :) She was SO excited!

We were all laughing and having a good time!

I couldn't even explain, how satisfying it felt to walk across the stage and get my diploma.

My Godson was there too... Maybe he'll go to my alma mater?

College was full of good memories and interesting experiences,

 but I can't say that I'm sad to see it go. 

Now that this chapter is closed, it's time to start writing a new one :)
What was graduation like for you or someone you love?

My Family

"Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul". - Thomas Moore

Mike
My dad is a very hard working man and always has been. One of the most intelligent people I know.  He loves his family and is a very religious man.  One of his favorite hobbies is singing in the church choir. I love when he plays guitar too :) August 2010 he got a new job in Kentucky which he loves! So he works and lives in KY Mon - Fri then makes a 5 hour drive back home to Indiana on the weekends to see my brothers and sister and sing in the church choir.

Sue
My mom is also very hard working! I admire her for how much she does. While working full time she graduated college this May and is now a Registered Nurse. I'm so proud of her and I'm excited to see where life takes us.  Even though her plate is full she always makes sure she has time for our family. She is an amazing mother!

Me
I'm now an Independent Distributor for It Works! I can't believe how much the products have helped me and I'm excited that I have the chance to share them with people that I meet.  I'm also a teacher's aide II at The Allendale Association and I pick up hours as a Mental Health Specialist II there as well.  There is always something interesting happening when you work with high at risk youth! My life is busy, but I love it. I have a lot of important people in my life that mean the world to me :)

Jason
Jason is my little angel.  In my worst nightmare I could have never imagined that my world would be flipped upside down. August 16th, 1992 was my mother's 25th birthday. It was about a month before Jason's 3rd birthday. What started out to be a fun, happy day quickly turned tragic. There was a flash fire and Jason was caught in it with our neighbor Adam who was the same age.  They managed to get out of the fire but their fight had only begun. The ambulances didn't have pediatric equipment which affected the way they were able to care for the boys. They ended up using the air angel to fly the boys to a hospital... but the wrong one. The one they went to didn't have a pediatric burn unit, when there was a pediatric burn unit that was equal distance from where we lived. It never crossed my mind that would be the last time I saw my brother alive. The next day which was our great great aunt's 50th birthday, a nurse was doing paperwork and failed to notice Jason's vital signs.  His oxygen tube had slipped off his face and he had a brain seizure from lack of oxygen. By the time the doctor got there it was too late.  He was one of the happiest babies I knew, who LOVED to dance and play any sport he could. Especially golf! Now, I truly believe he is in heaven watching over my family and me. He's my guardian angel.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him. I love him and miss him so much. I pray that one day we'll be united again.

Kara
My sister is my best friend, and I hope she always will be.  She is 20 and in college. She is working on her Bachelors degree in Nursing.  She has played softball most of her life and loves it. Her favorite position is catcher.She is one of the most dedicated, organized people I know.  She is quiet but she observes a lot. She doesn't talk a lot and may seem shy at first but once she gets to know you she opens up and is an amazing young woman. 

Anthony & Brian
The twins are 18 years old and in their senior year of high school. Even though they are identical twins their personalities are very different! Tony is quiet and a little more reserved.  He doesn't say much but when he does say something it's usually pretty funny. He is a sarcastic guy and I love it! Brian is very outgoing and like me will talk to just about anybody! He loves theater and playing guitar and is an absolute goof. Even though they are different they are like two peas in a pod and absolute best friends. They haven't spent more then a couple weeks apart from each other.  They are very smart guys and have grown up to be amazing young men with HUGE hearts.

Zoe
This lil' cutie is my baby.  She is a very dramatic pug. But she always puts a smile on my face (If only we could get her to stop barking!) Unfortunately the apartments here  don't allow pets so my ex has her back in Indiana. I really miss her :*(

Although we don't live close and I may not talk to them or see them every day my family means the world to me! It's not your typical family, we have our uniqueness and quarks... but that is what keeps life interesting! I'm truly blessed to have such amazing people in my life

-Heather Ann

             25  & Feelin' Fine

There are a lot of ways to look at it, twenty-five years old, quarter of a century, or half way to fifty. Not only is today's date 1-11-11, but it's also the day I'm turning 25. Life gets so busy and time flies, before you know it you wake up and you wonder how 25 years went by so fast! I must say, I'm not where I thought I would be. My mom was married with three kids at my age, I thought I would be too.  But I have no regrets. God just has a different plan for me and it's been a great ride, I'm looking forward to see what he has planned for my next twenty-five!

1986

The Year of the Tiger

 

Tiger people are sensitive, given to deep thinking, capable of great sympathy. They can be extremely short-tempered, however. Other people have great respect for them, but sometimes tiger people come into conflict with older people or those in authority. Sometimes Tiger people cannot make up their minds, which can result in a poor, hasty decision or a sound decision arrived at too late. They are suspicious of others, but they are courageous and powerful. Tigers are most compatible with Horses, Dragons, and Dogs

Now & Then
(picture coming soon)

1986

How Much Things Cost

Yearly Inflation Rate USA 1.91%
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 7.50%
Average Cost of new house $89,430.00
Average Income per year $22,400.00
Average Monthly Rent $385.00
Average Price for new car $9,255.00
1 gallon of gas 89 cents
Casio Portable Color Television $249.99
Tandy 600 Portable Computer $1599.00
Bacon per pound $1.75 

Pop Culture

first ten musicians are inducted into Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

Popular Films

• Top Gun
• Crocodile Dundee
• The Karate Kid, Part II
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Aliens
• Ruthless People
• The Color of Money
• The Money Pit 

Popular Musicians

• Billy Joel
• Lionel Richie
• Van Halen
• The Police
• Whitney Houston with " the greatest love of all "
• The Bangles with " Walk Like and Egyption "
• Madonna with " Papa Don't Preach "
• Prince
• Bruce Springsteen
• Pet Shop Boys

Popular TV Programs

• Magnum, P.I.
• Cheers
• Fame
• Family Ties
• The A-Team
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (UK)
• Murder, She Wrote
• The Cosby Show
• Growing Pains
• The Twilight Zone

The President of the United States at the time was Ronald Regan

The Bears won the Super bowl against the Patriots

Cost of Living Now

Average Cost of new house $232,880.00
Average Income per year $39,423.00
Average Monthly Rent $675.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas $2.73
US Postage Stamp 42 cents
1 LB of Bacon $3.19
Movie Ticket: $7.50
Loaf of Bread $1.77
In-state College Tuition $6,585.00
Price Of Gold Per Ounce  $958.00
Price Barrel Of Oil $53.56 per barrel
Pop Culture

Popular Films

• Inception
• Iron Man 2
• Harry Potter 7
• Alice and Wonderland
• Twilight 3, Eclipse
• A-Team
• Kick Ass
• Wall Street 2
• Toy Story 3
• How to Train Your Dragon

Popular Musicians

• Rhianna
• Lady GaGa
• Usher
• Talo Cruz
• Bruno Mars
• Lady Antebellum
• B.o.B.
• Eminem
• Katy Perry
• Miranda Lambert

Popular TV Programs

• Boardwalk Empire
• Breaking Bad
• Glee
• Mad Men
• The Pacific
• 30 Rock
• The Walking Dead
• The Big C
• Temple Grandin
• Modern Family

The President of the United States is Barack Obama

And the Bears in the Superbowl???? To be decided...

I'm Back!

It's 2011 and I'm back to blogging :) A new year, a new start & life is crazy as ever! I'm excited to start posting again. The start of the new year also means the start of my last semester of college, getting back to work, and starting a new internship! With life busy as ever it's hard to find the time to eat healthy. However, I've found a really simple, healthy & tasty solution! Shaklee's Cinch program. I'm not a huge fan of dieting, in fact I don't like the word "diet" but their shakes taste really good and they're a quick inexpensive breakfast or lunch when I'm on the go. I'll usually have a vanilla cinch shake for breakfast with some fruit and then I'll bring a chocolate cinch shake for lunch. Not only are they filling, but they are fast to make and only about $2.00 a meal which is great on my college student (aka very tight) budget! For snacks I like to bring almonds and dried fruit or some fresh veggies. Being on Christmas vacation I've gotten a little out of routine and have added some holiday pounds. I'm excited to get back into a routine and start eating smarter with my cinch plan and get back into shape. I'll have more posts and pictures soon! Happy New Year Bloggers!

-Heather Ann

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world".

- Harriet Tubman

If you have any questions about Shaklee's Cinch, feel free to e-mail me and I'd love to answer any questions and give you information on how to get started!