Annnnd We're Back!

Remember that line?  No?  From SNL?  Jimmy Fallon?  Ben Affleck?  Well, if I'm still not jogging your memory, here is the video....HILLARIOUS!  Definitely an oldie, but most definitely a goodie!

I realize it's been a little over a month since I've posted anything.  I'm sorry.  In fact, I don't think I've posted anything since before Christmas!  Man, I'm waaaay behind!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to y'all...I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Things have been pretty chaotic since then...I flew to MI for Christmas (it was a last-minute/unexpected trip, but one that was well overdue).  I was able to catch up and spend time with family and one of my best friends.  Overall, a successful trip and well worth the the crazy airport crowds!

Like everyone, one of our New Year's resolutions included getting healthy and taking better care of our bodies.  I know it's pretty cliche' and one that easily pushes you off the wagon after just a few weeks, but I must say that we're doing pretty darn good with it being almost a month in!  We never really ate really bad before (only sometimes) but we're just focusing more on incorporating more figure-friendly foods...things like more fish (eating it more than once a week), a lot more fruits and veggies, cutting back on bad starches and increasing our intake of good starches, drinking less soda and alcohol, etc.  We've also been really diligent on being more active and getting in more cardio each day just to better our health overall.

So....with all this healthy eating, I haven't had much to blog.  Plus, things were busy with work and now I'm going to be starting a new job in a week, so my schedule will be even more busy!

But I promise to be around more and I'm excited to be incorporating a few more features here!  I've slacked quite a bit on "Things I ♥" and need to start sharing with y'all more gadgets, tools and accessories that I love in the kitchen.  

I'm also going to be sharing our menu for each week with you, called "Menu Madness" and, of course, I'm going to continue participating in our What's Baking group!  Speaking of which, this month's theme is "Try something new for the new year" to challenge each of us to bake something utilizing a recipe, technique or ingredient that we've never used before.  I'm pretty excited to see what everyone comes up with!  I've also been chosen to host next month's group, so stick around to hear me announce the theme for February!


And last, but not least, I wanted to discuss something very near and dear to my heart....animals!  My friend, Branny, over at Branny Boils Over is hosting a Charity Souper Bowl in which she and her husband, The Omnivore, are going to donate $1 to the ASPCA for every soup recipe that is entered!  That's amazing and so kind of her!  That is actually their New Year's Resolution and it's a fantastic one and definitely something we can all contribute to.  Her goal is to reach a minimum of $100 and right now, she's 1/4 of the way there, so she needs all the help she can get!  I'm definitely going to be participating and you can too!  It's simple....all you have to do is make a new or favorite soup recipe.  If you're a fellow blogger, blog about it (and perhaps tribute the post to your pet or a past pet you've had) and share the link with Branny.  If you're not a blogger, email Branny with the recipe, a photo of the soup and the name of the animal you'd like to dedicate it to!  We've all seen those dreaded commercials with Sarah McLachlan songs playing in the background...the one that I always have to turn the channel because I just can't bear to look at those faces (it just breaks my heart).  So please help her out and let me know if you participate!


I'm signing off for now, but not for long!  Have a happy and relaxing Sunday and I'll see you soon!