Thankful Thursday

On this Thursday I'm thankful for....

1. DQ Blizzard ice cream. Yesterday, Mr. D. and I decided we needed to make an Ice cream run midweek just because. It was a great idea and I enjoyed every last bit of the blizzard. I think the only thing we'll change next time is to get a small instead of a medium. Although it was all good, it was a bit much, but no guilty feelings at all, at least for me, hubby felt a bit bad about consuming all that calories. It was fun and refreshing eating ice cream in the parking lot while sitting on the car and we weren't the only adults there either. Goes to say ice cream pleasure knows no age.
2. For the beach. Can't wait to be lying on the sandy beach this Saturday soaking up the sun and enjoying beautiful nature. It's been months since I was at a beach, so I'm excited about going this weekend and having a mini road trip as well.
3. SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance) If you are not currently watching this show, this is one show I will definitely recommend you start watching. The performances are flawless, the choreographers are brilliant and the talent is out of this world. I love this show and I've been watching it since the very first season, in fact it's the only show on my weekly schedule for the season. I love that it doesn't get old, because there is always something or someone that makes the whole season unique. I'm sad some certain people didn't make it into top 20, but there can only be 20 people, right? I guess they made up for that in a way because there will be two winners this season; a girl and a guy. I'm so excited for this season and the contestants that made top 20, definitely a unique and diverse bunch, can't wait to see how the season unfolds.

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Outfit Post: Pleat Shirt

What a beautiful day it was today. Not blazing hot as it was last week and the rain did help cool things down a bit. Hope your weekend was great. Mine was alright, didn't do much except for playing with and holding the cutest baby boy. The boy is such a joy, no crying or whining, got to love babies that don't cry much. His parents are friends from church; they paid us a visit on Sunday.
I was sooo looking forward to the next 3 day weekend and excited it's going to be in a couple of weeks. Well, the weekend I was thinking of is 4th of July weekend, so you can only imagine my disappointment when I realized it's falls on a Wednesday. Right in the middle of the week, what am I suppose to do with that, take Mon & Tues off or Thur & Fri? Sadly neither option is viable so I'll suck it up till September 3rd for Memorial Day weekend, which will also be our one year anniversary. Now that's sometime to look forward to.
On to the outfit. I've had this shirt for a long time but I don't wear it much. That's funny because it's actually one of my favorite shirts. Anyways, I decided it's time to break it out again, so I paired it with my mint skirt form H&M.
 
Top & Shoes: VS, Skirt: H&M, Bag: BCBG

Asian Grilled Salmon and Fried Rice w/ Recipe

 This was an Asian Inspired dinner. I was searching for some different and new ways to cook my fish when I came across this Salmon recipe on Allrecipes.com. At first, the soy sauce part threw me off and I wasn't sure if I wanted to go that route but I'm glad I did. I've made my Salmon using this recipe three times already, that tells you it's really good. I made it once for our guests and they loved it.  When I first came across the recipe and decided to try it, I thought why not go along with the soy sauce and Asian theme, so I made Chinese fried rice to go along with it. I tell you it was a very tasty dinner and I love the aroma that the fish gives off while grilling it. The salmon has a tad bit of sweetness to it which I love, but it's not a vivid or overpowering sweetness. I don't have to say there will be a repeat of this recipe because it has already made it's stamp and is here to stay.Fried rice Ingredients
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped carrots
4 green onions, diced
2 large eggs
4 cups cooked and salted white rice, cooled down(~ 2 cups of dried rice)
3 tbsp oil
1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube
1 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Fried rice Directions
1. Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Fry whisked eggs briefly, breaking into pieces. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat up 2 tbsp olive in a saucepan on medium heat. Add green onions, carrots and peas. Stir fry for 3 minutes. 
3. Add cold rice, garlic powder, dissolved/smashed knorr cube and soy sauce. Toss lightly to mix well and heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add in egg pieces and mix.

Asian Grilled Salmon Ingredients
 4 -6 Salmon fillet
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt

Asian Grilled Salmon Directions
1. In a large shallow bowl combine together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, vegetable oil, lemon pepper, garlic powder and salt. Mix until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Place fish in soy sauce mixture, place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill till hot and oil lightly. Place fish on grill and cook for about 4-6 minutes per side depending on thickness of fish. Serve and enjoy!

Outfit Post:Laced up w/ Peach Scarf & Rustic Jewelries


One accessory I don't use as often as I should is a scarf. A simple scarf can add glamor and a touch of elegance to an outfit. I'm happy I purchased this one and I love the soft and sheer nature of this scarf. It's easy to wear and I'm sure will go with a lot of outfits. I paired it with a lace tank top and lace skirt and I played around with the scarf a bit as you'll see in the pictures. Can't wait to pair it with another outfit. Cheers to the weekend!


Top: F21, Skirt and Scarf:H&M, Bag: BCBG, Shoes: Jessica Simpson, Jewelries: F21&Target

Outfit Post: Orange + Mint - Summer Colors

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great start to your week. If not, I hope it gets better. I think I found my colors for the summer. Lately I've been attracted to a lot of bright colors; well, summer might actually have something to do with that.
 There are two colors I'm particularly attracted to: Orange and Mint. I bet you can see that orange trend going on on here already. From the skinnies, to the dress and the shoes, and now the skirt. I officially declare orange and mint my summer colors :)
 Some fun and interesting facts about the color orange. Orange stimulates activity, stimulates appetite and encourages socialization (Source). In the United States and Canada, orange regalia is associated with the field of engineering (Source). Hum...hello, Engineer right here! Anyone feeling the orange color this summer as well and what is/are your summer colors?
 
"Orange is the happiest color." -- Frank Sinatra. Can't you tell.
  Skirt, Top and Bracelet: HM, Bag: BCBG, Shoes: VS

Weekend Recap: Hanging with the BoyZ

Weekend has come and is almost gone and before you know it, another one will be here. Thank God for weekends! Hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was very eventful. Friday after work, Mr. D. and I both arrived home, looked at each other and said, today feels like date night, so date night it was. It's funny how our date nights just seems to happen randomly and fall into place even without planning it ahead. I guess the fact that we don't eat out that often helps, so it doesn't seem like we are having "date night" every night. Anyways we ended up going to Cheesecake Factory.  I haven't been there in months and I like their food, so we ended up going there.
It's an addiction. Even when we go out we both ordered dishes with rice, at least hubby ordered brown rice, me, not a chance.
After satisfying out taste buds, we went next  door to do some shopping. It's hard to eat right next to the mall and not make it inside especially when you have me by your side.Hehe... All I can say is I was a very happy girl when we got home.

Saturday was spent with the boys. One of hubby's friends invited us over, so our Saturday was spent in Jersey City/NYC. My initial thought was that we would go there, all the boys would talk their talk and I'll just lay back and chill with my Ipad in hand; then maybe sometime in the evening we'll go get something to eat. Well, my thoughts were far off from how the day actually went. When we arrived, I was in my heels of course, all ready to lounge and enjoy the weather while looking directly at the Statue of Liberty, but all that changed when one of them asked me if I have flats. I asked him why and he said for driving. I was confused as to why he was worried about me driving and beside hubby drove us there. Later, I found out he was talking about go-karts driving. Yea, had no idea we'll be doing that, but thankfully I had a pair of flat in the car or else I would have been a spectator to the fun that was about to go down.
We headed for the indoor karting place to race and did I mention this would be my first time. I was a little nervous and the fact that I'll be on the track with 9 guys all competing with each other did not ease the nervousness at all. We raced and I wasn't surprised when they printed out the results and I was in 10th place. Lol! Yes, I happily accept that, otherwise they would have been pulling me out from under the barricades too. Yes, a guy got shoved under those things. When we were watching the video before getting on the track, they mentioned you could get stuck under the barricades, but in my mind it seemed impossible. Well, after it happened, it was very possible and scary. I was bumped into a couple of times and they were just pushing me back and forth to pass me. After the first encounter, I spent more time breaking and looking behind me to see if anyone is coming to get out of the way than actually driving the thing. I don't know if it was the group I went with or the actual thing itself that was scary, but the next time I happen to be at a go kart race, I'll be a spectator NOT a driver. Oh, did I mention those helmets are heavy and the most uncomfortable thing you can ever put on your head, definitely not a big fan of those. So, next time I think I'll have more fun taking the pictures and cheering hubby on, than being in the race myself.
After the race we went to the 9/11 memorial. Everyone definitely took that time to appreciate life and the fact that everything you've ever known can end in a split second.
Nearly 3000 names of the victims of 9/11 and the 1993 attacks are inscribed around the two pools.
The south pool
 
Going to be the tallest building in the U.S
The North pool. The two pools represents the original location of the 2 towers.
This definitely took my breath away and not in a good way.
Finally, we made it to dinner. by then, every one was tired, hungry and cold. Those 3 things do not go well together. It didn't help matters that they sat us by the open door at the restaurant, so the cold part remained for the rest of the evening. I have to say it was fun hanging out with the boys. I thought I was going to be doing my own thing, but it was the complete opposite. We spent some time just chatting and laughing our heads off at poorly made Nigerian movies at the end of the night. All in all, it was a good weekend.
How was your weekend? 

Thankful Thursday: Feels Like I'm Born Again

I hate to think that I almost skipped this Thankful Thursday post. Only because I know deep down inside what I'm thankful for the most this week, but not sure if and to what extent I should write about it. But here I am, giving you a glimpse of what my week has been like.

This week has been a FULL week for me emotionally and spiritually, and I use the word full loosely. It's that feeling that you get when something is weighing very heavily on your heart, or when you feel like you are carrying too much than you can bear.  So this week has been sort of a roller coaster for me. I glad I'm not in the same place I was at the beginning of the week anymore, I'm glad I shed off the load that was weighing so heavily, that was obviously not meant for me to bear, I'm glad I've made a change, and I'm glad the road ahead is looking brighter.

This song sums up my feelings as we draw close to the end of this week. A week that I'll always remember in my heart, not by date but by the experience.

Many Christians can talk about a single experience that changed their lives forever; a moment when they realize they have a decision to make and acknowledge God. Well, I can't really tell you that I experienced a moment or feeling or conviction in my spirit that rocked my world and lead me Christ. I was born in a Christian home, raised in the church, went to Sunday school, bible study, church camp, you name it I was there. So, I don't really remember when I made that personally decision, but I'm sure I did at some point and I've lived/tried to live my life in a way pleasing to God, in the ways I was taught and in the ways of the good examples that surrounds me. I have a personal relationship with God, but not the way it should be and not at the level I want it to be.

Lately, and by lately I mean a couple of months now, I have been burdened, I had this hunger in my soul, something wanting to be released, to be recognized, but I kept suppressing it and moving on. This week it got to a point where I could not fail to recognize what it was, I could not push it aside anymore and I surcommed to it. It was my hunger for God, for His word, for His spirit, for His understanding, wisdom and knowledge, for His presence, for His relationship and for His friendship. I wanted Him inside of me, it's almost hard to explain the feelings....the moments I acknowledged it, I felt free and broken at the same time.
I go to church, I pray, I read the bible mostly when it's convenient, and do things you would expect from a Christian. But I have realized it's a different thing to do it when you are told to because that's right thing to do and you're just going through the motions as oppose to doing it for all the right reasons in your heart.

So, this week I feel like I'm "Born Again", just like the song says. Not in the sense that I'm just recognizing that there is a God and I'm giving my life to Him, but in that I feel like I am renewed and redeemed, like my eyes are open and I see beyond what I saw before, like life is all new, like I can have a two-way conversation with God, like it is not that hard after-all to have a relationship with Him, like I can be friends with Him. I know to get to the place I ultimately want to be, it's going to be a long journey and we (God and I) are going to need to do a lot of work on me, stripping, breaking and remolding. Some have already been done and some weight have been lifted off. I know it will not be easy and challenges will arise, but I am confident in the promise of God.

This is probably the only time for now till....that I'll write in depth about this personal journal I'm embarking on and my experiences, highs and lows. The rest I'll keep between myself, God and a pen and paper.

This Thursday, I am Thankful for the work God is doing in my life. For the way He's doing it and for the time He has chosen to do it. Thankful because I now know what it feels like to want Him not just to need Him.

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Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

One of the things I believe I am absolutely good at is making banana bread. I say that specifically because I'm not really a baking person and this is one thing I can do no wrong with. Baking requires so much more patient and precision measurement and that's the opposite of how I cook; except in cases where I'm creating a recipe for the purpose of this blog. It's no surprise that hubby loves my banana bread also. Every time I make it, it goes so fast that I sometimes wonder if it's just the two of us eating or if someone else is secretly chipping at it slice by slice. There was a period when I made one almost every week. As soon as the one finishes, I'm making another one a day or two after. I haven't made any in a while; it's a much needed break, but I think we're ready for another round of banana bread, so here's my recipe for the scrumptiously delicious banana bread.

Ingredients
3 medium very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chip (Increase as desired)

Directions
1. Mesh bananas with a fork in a bowl till it's almost puree like and set aside
2. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and mix together
3. Slowly beat in the eggs into the butter and sugar; add vanilla extra and whip in the meshed bananas
4. Mix the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in another bowl
5. Pour and stir in the flour mix into the banana mixture and mix till all is well blended
6. Stir in the chocolate chip; transfer mix to a greased baking pan
7. Bake at 350deg. F for an hour or until you can stick a toothpick/knife in the center and it comes out clean
8. Allow to cool down before serving, enjoy!