Southern Blondie: September 2011

The Happiest Time of the Day

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Happy Hour!
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Chinese Beef with Broccoli over Rice

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I have a small obsession with Chinese Beef with Broccoli. I love it. I love the beef. I love the broccoli. I love beef and broccoli.

After going to the witch doctor I realized that I should probably start to learn to cook all of my favorite things at home. So...after researching a couple of recipes and picking what I liked, I came up with this...

 Here we are with the main ingredients. 
Beef. Broccoli. Beef broth. Ginger. 

Are you excited yet?

Go n' getcha' a 1/4 cup of flour. 

Dump that flour in a bowl. 

Pour in the can of beef broth. 

 Add a tablesoon of sugar. 

 Then add another tablespoon of sugar.

 Add TWO tablespoons of lite soy sauce. 

There is only one picture. But you add two tablespoons. 

Action shot!
Mix all together.

Ta dah!

 Slice ya beef up. 

Warm up your pan. I sprayed a Pam in there because...
1. I don't have a wok.
2. I didn't use a non-stick pan. 
3. I don't like things to stick and burn.
4. I just did.

 Throw in the meet. Salt. Pepper. 

Get it all brown up in da pan.

Cut up ya broccoli. 
I'm not sure what's wrong with my grammar right now.

 Once the meaty beefiness is all brown and good, pour in the sauce. 


 Looky there ladies and gentlemen. 

 Okay. Now add some ground ginger. 

 And, add your garlic. 

Then, add your broccoli and let this goodness simmer. 
Turn it on low. Put a lid on it.

Then go make your rice. I made brown rice because it's 'healthy' but I like the white stuff. 

Once your rice is good to go it's time to plate the awesomeness.

Boom. Shaka laka.

Enjoy. 

Beef with Broccoli over Rice:

1 Pound boneless round steak, sliced into strips
4 Cups of chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
2 Tablespoons of sugar
2 Tablespoons of lite soy sauce
1/4 Teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
1/4 Teaspoon of minced garlic
Salt and Pepper

1. In a bowl, combine flour, beef broth, sugar and soy sauce. Stir until dry ingredients are dissolved.
2. In a large skillet, brown the sliced beef until brown. 
3. Once the beef is browned, stir in the combined mixture, 1/4 ginger, 1/4 garlic and broccoli. 
4. Bring to a boil, then cover and set it on low. 
5. Cook your rice. 
6. It should all be good to go. 
7. Eat and enjoy!

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I Went to a Witch Doctor...

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Well...not 'technically' a witch doctor. More like a medical clairvoyant? Or, maybe a psychic healer?

Back story...

So for a couple of weeks I didn't feel like myself. Something felt off. Fatigue, dizziness, headaches, unable to focus, basically unable to get stuff done. There was something wrong. It wasn't just stress of working, school and life, it was something else. So, like a responsible adult I went to the doctor. I told the doctor what was going on, he asked a couple of questions, I answered, he decided that blood work would have to be done.

Blood work came back. Lucky me has a little high cholesterol for someone my age and extremely low in Vitamin D. What does that mean? Well...I can lay off the bad foods and pop a extra vitamin everyday.

On to the witch doctor...



Even after getting this 'answer' I still felt like something was wrong. So, like a rational adult, I decided to go see the witch doctor. He's actually the opposite of a witch doctor. He's religious and even talks about God in his diagnosis. That's okay with me. I believe in God and I believe that everyone needs to believe in something.

After waiting about 20 minutes after other people, it was my turn. He asked me what was going on. I gave him the list of: tiredness, unable to focus, headaches and so forth. He sits right across from you. He doesn't have a stethoscope. No x-rays. Just sits across from you. Listens. Asks a couple of questions. And then gives you a diagnosis.

What's wrong with me? Well, apparently I need to lay off the heavy acid foods and I have extremely low potassium. So, he suggest that I drink Aloe Vera juice for the next 90 days and take daily potassium pills for the next 30 days.

And I'm doing it.

I'm also doing what the medical doctor said.

It's been almost a week and I feel so much better. So, is it that I'm laying off the bad and acid foods? Maybe. Is it the vitamin d? Maybe. Is it the potassium? Maybe. Or the aloe juice? Maybe.

I'm not sure. Maybe it's the fact that I took the weekend off, spent time with  my family and never logged on to email, facebook, twitter or computer for that matter. Maybe I'm learning how to handle the stress of work and school better. Whatever it is, it's working.

Will I go back to the witch doctor? Absolutely.

It's a great story. And it's a gorgeous drive.
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Sometimes

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Sometimes in life you just need a pep-talk. Sometimes you need someone else to tell you the cliches of, "it's all going to work out," "you can do it," "you're awesome."

Sometimes in life you need to read quotes to inspire you. Make you feel like the path you've taken is the path you were 'meant' to take.

Sometimes you need to take a nap in the middle of the day.

And, sometimes you just need to laugh so hard you forget about anything else going on.
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Realizations

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"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

- Ferris Bueller's Day Off





1. I've had way too many girl moments the past four days. 
     Let me elaborate, when someone I know gets engaged, something psychological happens and I start    questioning if I'll ever: a) get engaged; b) get married; c) have someone take out the trash for me. On top of all of this, I keep watching the sappiest love movies on TV. Someone, please make all of this stop. 






2. I bought a new spoon-holder-thingy this weekend from Pier 1 and I feel like my life is now complete. 


3. Making an A on my first grad school assignment has encouraged me that maybe I'll make it through the first semester. 




4. When I pick out a fingernail polish I have an embarrassing way of picking which one I like...I pick the one with the best name. Currently the polish is called, 'Naughty.'  (My hands freak me out. It's like I have the length of ET's fingers. Creepy.)




5. I need a vacation...





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Forever But Not Always

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"Darlin, forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things."
- Big Mama, 'The Fox and the Hound"


The first time I watched The Fox and the Hound I was around eight-years-old and sitting on a couch at my parents house. I'll never forget crying while watching the movie and thinking how could time change people that much and why would two friends let each other go. Though it took about 16 years for me to be able to watch it again, I'll never forgot what Big Mama said, "Darling, forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things."

Maybe I'm reading way too much into a Disney movie, or maybe it's the quote that hits home, either way, I completely understand it now. 

Forever doesn't always mean always. And time can drastically change everything. 

I've written before about how much my life has changed just in the past year. And  how in the past five years, I've graduated college, moved to Atlanta, broken up with a long time boyfriend, moved back to Arkansas, started a new career and finally found who I was looking for. Myself. 

Throughout that time, there have been friendships and relationships that have changed. Some have been created,  some have faded and some have remained steady and strong. I've also realized that at the end of the day, it's my life and I can the only person I have to answer to about the decisions I make is me. Now of course, I want to do well at my job, as a friend and a daughter, but I've learned that life really is what you make it. 

The friendships that have faded are the ones that I never expected to lose. The ones who I thought were going to be there for forever, have moved in different directions in life than I have. No one tells you growing up that your best friend might just become an acquaintance one day. 

I guess Big mama was right. Time has a way of changing things. It does. Sometimes for the better and sometimes just for the different.
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Proof That God Loves Us

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Remembering That Day

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Though today is almost over, I couldn't help but think about this day 10 years ago.

10 Year Ago...

- I was 15.
- A sophomore in high school and on the dance team.
- Thought that when I grew up I'd be the editor of a magazine somewhere bigger than my small hometown.
- Was just getting started in dating the 'bad boys.'
- Thought that being an adult would be easy.

I woke up that Tuesday morning just like it was any other day. Said my daily, "I hate school. why do I have to go", went to my locker, and made it to first period. English class. A little later a friend named Taylor walked in the room and said that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in NYC. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what he meant. A plane? We turned on the and the second plane had his the second tower. We all sat in silence. The bell rang and we went to our next class. Some of my classmates in the hallway knew what was going on, some hadn't heard, some teachers knew, some hadn't heard. We all ran into our U.S. History class and begged our teacher to turn on the TV. We saw the towers collapse.

Our history teacher went to the office because he had received a phone call. Our guidance counselor came in to watch the class. He turned down the TV and started to talk. He somberly looked at everyone in the class and said that this would forever change our history. Life as we know it would change forever. Some of us in the class would go to fight this war. I remember watching the TV and hearing him speak, but I don't remember anything else. I don't remember what anyone said to me that morning or what else was happening. I just remember being very silent.


10 Years Later...

- I'm 25.
- At the end of my fourth year of my professional working career.
- Currently I do social media/communications for a non-profit.
- Completely over dating the bad boys.
- Realized that being an adult isn't always easy.


This morning I woke up and watched some of the Sept. 11 coverage. I watched as the victims family members read allowed the names of those who lost their lives that day. I watched as so many people remembered the pain and fear from so long ago. I sat on my couch and just sat in silence.

I feel so very fortunate for everything in my life. We can't be promised tomorrow but we must be thankful for today. 


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