Snow Day

(photo credit: Mike Nelson)

Instead of a high five this week, I'm telling my version of the past few days. In case you've been....I don't know... in a dark closet or somewhere without human interaction since Tuesday morning, Alabama had the worst snow storm since the blizzard of 1993. And yes, it's been that long since it really snowed here, and we all remember that day like it was yesterday. Little dustings here and there bring back fond childhood memories for many of us from that year. We actually got to build real, tall snowmen that weren't dirty with the grass that is usually only centimeters beneath the "snow."

(photo credit: Mike Nelson)

This most recent experience was not filled with as many fun and games. Many of you were also snowed in, and have stories to tell of your own. Here's mine:

(I-65 - photo credit: Mike Nelson)

Tuesday morning I went to school. Normal right? Not so much. I didn't really have to be there. I was trying to be a good little optometry student and take advantage of my morning "off" by practicing with other good little students in the clinic. So I got all dressed up in clinic attire, but decided to take a different pair of warmer shoes to swap and walk in (thankfully). I knew a light amount of snow was on the forecast, so I was a little excited in anticipation. But mostly I was just still grumpy about this cold weather, and am ready to have the option of wearing a T-shirt outside again, like normal, here in AL. 

I practiced and my partner practiced. Then friends came in and said "It's snowing! A lot!" And then the school emailed out that they were closing at noon. Well, it was almost noon already and I knew a lot of people would be leaving, so I ate my lunch with friends and we decided to wait out traffic. We even walked outside to greet the snow with some excitement.

 We quickly realized there was no waiting for the traffic to die down. We were watching live news footage on the classroom's projector screen and all over the city roads were covered in ice and cars... cars... lots of cars. This was the first time I had heard the term "gridlocked," and I knew it wasn't good.  People being interviewed on the news were leaving their cars on the side of the road to walk home, or to their children in school, and then to just find a warm place to sleep through the night. Many people, specifically those that were still in their cars until darkness came to freeze more of the snow, were in a much worse situation than I was.  But it's a bit of a sinking feeling when you realize you are somewhere and you can't make it to where you want to be. A 10-15 minute drive away is impossible. It takes a little while to realize. Normal days on the highways are busy with cars zooming around each other - people in a hurry. But not this night. The roads were all stand-stills, including University Boulevard, right in front of my school.

Some girl friends and I debated to spend the night in the school, but were thankfully offered a couch at another friend's apartment in walking distance. We walked through the snow then, finally seeing what was happening outside. Cars for as far as the eye could see down University Boulevard, cars sliding back down hills, and wrecks all over. We were all so very thankful for our warm and comfy place to stay (and the delicious food that was made for us)!  On Wednesday we all wanted to figure out a way home. Thanks to more friends with vehicles capable of handling ice and snow, some of us were able to get a ride home. Well, close to home. We live in a valley between two hills - a hill along our path that was clogged with cars and trucks. So that our driver didn't get stuck as well, we told him to turn around while he still could, and we would walk the rest of the way. 1.8 miles, which is not nearly as far as others walked. Once we made it passed were the cars could go, the roads were wide open with nearly untouched powdery snow. It was then that I could finally appreciate its beauty. I had been being selfish that the weather had ruined so many people's day(s) that I couldn't let myself enjoy this rarity. It probably had to do a little with the hope of being so close to home, as well.

(Nick & Alicia were my hiking buddies. Thankfully they were going to the same place!)

We made it - sweating in 30 degree weather. Home here has never looked so good. Again, I realize hundreds, maybe thousands of people, had a much more severe and alarming situation. I cannot imagine being a parent that couldn't get to their child, or someone away from life-sustaining medications, or in labor on the interstate that wasn't budging (yep... that happened - in Birmingham and Atlanta).  

So in honor of High Five for Friday - here are my favorite moments from this week's choas:

1. The top spot goes to this humble, dedicated doctor. Watch his interview after surgery HERE. 

2. Chilck-Fil-A handed out free sandwiches to those stuck in their cars. Just another reason to love Chick-Fil-A.

3. My friend Kelsey's response to my message that we were walking home, before she realized it was not from downtown. Can you tell she's a mom? Hilarious.

4.  It was a wonderful to see how a city like Birmingham worked together to help each other through a difficult couple of days. Maybe it has something to do with Southern hospitality. I'd like to think so. HERE is an article full of "Good Samaritan" stories.

5.  The fact that my husband was away on a work trip, which meant he was not trapped in his office for the night or stuck on 280. Also that each one of my friends were safe and warm through the night, either by making it to their own homes or each others'.

I was back to my normal routine today, and there is only patches of snow that remain, along with a few abandoned cars here and there. Thankfully it didn't take long to return to normal around here. 

High Five for Friday

I'm a little behind on this week's top five moments. Mostly because not much happen around Birmingham this week. Jesse was out of town for work, so I buckled down and tried to get a lot of studying done = boring! But, Jesse was able to have a little fun on his trip, which was to Texas.

1. This week I have done a little of this and that:

(not my patient)

(Click on the image to watch the video)

2. Meanwhile in Texas- Jesse had a conference and training program to go to. He and some co-workers ate at Downtown Aquarium, which is like an aquarium/amusement park with a restaurant inside.

3. Since Jesse was gone all week, we did a lot of Hangouts to see each other. Thank the Lord for technology (when it works properly)!:

4.  On Thursday night I went to our friends Kyle and Scarlett's home for the beginning of their Dave Ramsey Financial Peace focus group. I'm a little reluctant about it in ways (cash envelopes, no credit cards, etc.), but I'm excited to get some financial advice to see where Jesse and I currently stand and to see what we can work towards and improve upon. I'm sure there are lots of improvement that need to occur. Have any of you tried the Dave Ramsey program before?

5. My new phone came in the mail this week, which means soon (very soon) I can get rid of my current cell phone plan and carrier and finally have service at my apartment! This will be very good news to some of you, too! We can finally talk without having time delay or being dropped!

From Our Kitchen - Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

I've been trying to knock out some of the recipes I've saved onto Pinterest recently.  I have an ever-growing list of things I want to try.  Some of them are more involved and time-consuming than others, but I rounded up a few that looked like quick and delicious weeknight meals.  This was the first I tried, and while we didn't love it, I'm still sharing it anyway.

I am more of a pepper-and-onions kind of person than Jesse, so when I saw this recipe I didn't think he would go for it.  I knew eating the whole pepper along with the filling would mean consuming a large amount of pepper in each bite, which I thought I would like. I was wrong. It was too over-whelmingly peppery that I didn't even finish my first one. I ate only half the pepper, and dumped the filling out of a second to even things out. My sweet husband, who doesn't care for peppers, finished the whole thing. Bless him.

So why would I even share this?
1) The filling is so yummy I ate it alone for lunch the next day. It's packed with flavor and texture!  I packed up our leftover that day by dumping out the filling for the remaining peppers and dicing up only one pepper to add into the mix. So, with all that said, I would make this recipe again but as a side dish this way.  So, if you are a pepper person try this as is; if not, make only the filling and add in one diced pepper. The pepper does bring in good flavor that blends with the others.

2) This recipe calls for quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) - which I have never cooked, nor eaten before this. But it's been all the rage in food-land for a while now, and I've been interested in trying it. I like that this recipe was packed with a variety of other flavors, in case I wasn't too fond of quinoa. Why quinoa and what is it? It cooks like a grain, like rice, but it's technically a seed. Many recipes use it as a healthier alternative for rice because it has nearly double the protein content and a lot more fiber, while remaining lower in carbs. (Quinoa is higher in fat, but it's of the unsaturated variety which is "good" fat that can help lower cholesterol.) Quinoa is a little pricey, but it's nutrition benefits make it worth it in my opinion, especially to sub for rice every once in a while.

Let's cook!

First, you will need 3 cups of cooked quinoa. If you were as unfamiliar as I was, read how to cook quinoa HERE. Sources I read varied, but I can attest that it more than doubles when cooked. I cooked 1.5 cups hoping for an even 3, but wound up with at least 5 cups of cooked. Cook up however much decides to cook, then scoop 3 cups into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Once you have your quinoa, take six bell peppers (whichever colors you prefer; I think the red and orange are a little sweeter and work well for this recipe).  Cut off their tops and spoon out their seeds. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper and sit them inside.

Into your mixing bowl with the quinoa, add your green chilies, whole kernel corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Now give that all a toss to distribute everything evenly.

Scoop the filling into each of your peppers, then top with a little shredded cheese. Bake until the peppers are soft and the cheese has melted on top (about 30 minutes).

If you are making this as a side dish without filling the peppers, either chop up one raw pepper and through it in, as is. Or saute them before adding in, if you prefer.
(Original recipe found HERE @ damndelicious.net)

I used my leftover quinoa in a soup a few days later, and it was delicious! Maybe I will share that soon, too.

High Five For Friday

A belated High Five for Friday:

 1.  Last Saturday we spent the morning with friends at the Brickfair Lego Convention. Jesse loved playing with Legos as a kid, so it was fun to see all the different creations from people young and old. The most impressive to us were the skyscapers and various action scenes. It was so cute because many of the objects were created by kids who were there to represent their piece. They stood so proud and nerdy behind their works of art!

 Apparently there is a Tampa, Florida Lego Team. They created the downtown area of Tampa, complete with skyscapers, intersections, schools, and banks. Very impressive!

 A fight scene from The Lone Ranger. Check out the guys swinging off the train!

 The Alabama Theatre, created by a local lego artist.

And a pair of glasses (with built in eyebrows, of course)! Made by the braided, bearded man to the right. This was the only piece you could touch; everything else was roped off.

2.  This week I went to yoga class at my school's rec center. I really enjoyed it! It was a decent workout (more than my normal... which is nonexistent), but before you got too heated, the instructor would wind you down and work a different part of your body. And at the same time you are stretching everything out. The class is early in the morning, which I enjoyed being a nice before-class workout to get the day going.

3.  I learned how to use my BIO this week. This allows me to view through your pupil and into the back of you eye at fairly high magnification. It's a very particular technique and skill, so seeing my first image through my lens was very exciting! Below is the view I get, except it's only a very small portion at a time, which I have to piece together in my mind and remember what I saw in each section. Oh, and the image I see is really upside down and backwards from reality, so I have to keep that in mind to. :)

4.  I re-organized my "study" more with a new bookcase. Mostly because I have too many textbooks now to keep orderly.

5.  Last night we watched the movie "The Butler" with friends (Hi Scarlett!). It was a wonderful movie - interesting to follow the main character's view of changes throughout just one lifetime on racial perspective and civil rights.

From Our Kitchen - Sour Cream Pound Cake

My entire life I can remember my mom making pound cake. Her mom made pound cake; she makes pound cake. It is one of her go-to desserts to bring to family get-togethers or church events. Pound cake is pretty much a staple at any Southern dessert table, and my mom's doesn't let anyone down. Just one piece is often not enough.  Don't worry about needing ice cream, or strawberries, or anything else to go with this cake. It's perfect just the way it is. (That is most likely due to the quantity of butter and sugar... but we won't think about that too hard.)  My mom gave be a beautiful bundt pan for Christmas, and I figured it would be appropriate to break it in with her best recipe! Plus, a good Southern woman should know how to make one, after all.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.

First, you will want to preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Low and slow for this deliciously moist cake. Also, grease and flour your bundt pan. I used a generic version of Baker's Joy, which is an oil spray that has flour in it. I chose this method because my pan it nonstick; it might be best to actually grease and flour other pans to be safe and avoid any sticking.

Separate your eggs, and set each aside.  (I put my whites into my stand mixer's bowl, because those will be used first.)

Sift your flour and baking soda together in a bowl, and set aside as well.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat (with the whisk attachment) until stiff peaks form, then set these aside.  I was so excited about this part, because I have never down this before. (I still would like to conquer making and baking a meringue.)

(Check out this adorable apron, handmade by my wonderful mother-in-law! Her stitching is perfect!)

Next, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until well blended.

Then add one egg yolk at a time, mixing well after each. You will see the mixture begin to turn it's classic bright yellow.

After your egg yolks have all been added and mixed, your will have a nice, thick batter.

Next, fold your egg whites into the mixture.  This part made me a little nervous. I didn't want to undo all the fluffing I did to my egg whites.  To do this, add 1/4 to 1/3 of the whites to the batter, cut down the middle of the bowl with your spatula, scraping underneath the whites, scoop through the batter, up the side of the bowl, and dump batter up and over the whites in the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl and continue until the whites somewhat incorporated. Add another portion of the whites and continue folding; repeat until all are incorporated.
(Apparently I was so concerned about this step I didn't stop to take a picture.)

Now you are ready to fill your pan and bake. The batter is still fairly thick, so I evened out the top with my spatula.

Now you wait. With grand anticipation. Because sweet, buttery glory is on its way.
After and hour and a half, check with a toothpick to see if it's cooked through. Let it cool ~30 minutes in the pan, then flip and remove it. Cool the cake on a rack.  Try to resist the urge to eat it while it's still burning hot.
Now, the very best part is the crumbly top that crackles as the cake rises while it cooks. If you are planning to put this on a cake stand, I suggest you leave this part and do not cut it off to make it perfectly even, as you might layer cakes. Unless you want to keep the best part for yourself. In that case I wouldn't judge you too much.  ;)

And there you have it! Mix, bake, eat, and enjoy!

High Five For Friday

1. Survived the cold.  I realize it's been cold everywhere, and the northern states were hit much harder than the South, but there were record breaking single digit temps down here and we are not built for the cold. I dreaded Tuesday morning, as I had to dress up for clinic, and was sure the frigid wind would cut right through my dress pants. It did. But I made it. Mostly thanks to a scarf that is usually overkill for Alabama, and a thermos of hot tea.

2.  Community group; personality test.  This Sunday's sermon at church was about resolutions for the new year, and how you should get to know yourself well enough to be able to make better resolutions, otherwise you are making resolutions that you can never achieve. We were asked to take the Briggs-Myers personality test, and bring our results to community group to discuss. Jesse and I took them earlier this week and had a great time laughing over how precise mine was (ISFJ). His was pretty close too (INTP).  Go HERE to take yours to see what it has to say about you. It was a lot of fun to read aloud the things that make me tick, and it only takes 10-15 minutes! If you take it, come back and comment with your results!

3.  I started back to school. Not much else to say about that, except that it's full speed ahead already!

4.  Community Eye Care One of the classes I am taking this semester is Community Eye Care, which is wonderful because it allows us to see real patients and remember the reason we are all in this! Each week we have a different location to go to, to set up a vision screening.  Each student is assigned to a specific skill or task to perform on the patient, which is usually fairly quick and is pass/fail. At the end, each patient is counseled on the findings of the day and advised appropriately, whether that is to continue their current scheduled care with their optometrist, or urging those that haven't been in years to go for a full eye exam.  This week my group went to a local senior center, and we had a blast! The patients were fun and hilarious at times, especially when they like to tell you all about their love life and "lady friend."

5.  Jesse and I went to visit friends Mike and Kelsey after I got home from school today. Just an impromptu hang out to relax and chat for a while. Thankfully Addy woke up from her nap and provided us with extra entertainment. We love seeing this princess! (Her new thing is to wear her tiara = adorable.)

High Five For Friday

I'm sad it's Friday.  It's usually the opposite, I know. But my winter break is almost over and that means a new semester of school starts Monday! I'm not feeling it this time. I am excited to learn more and get to use new equipment, but last semester kind of burned me out. Studying is just so time consuming and it's always in the back of your mind. Anyway, I'm not inviting you to my pity party, or having one for that matter. I've just thoroughly enjoyed not having anything to do over my break except relax.
So let's look back at this week's high five:

1. Not gonna lie. My main goal for the week was to catch up on Grey's Anatomy. The 9th season has been sitting on Netflix, begging to be watched for a while now. So I watched it. All the episodes. It was the right thing to do.

2. We rang in the new year - see that post HERE.

3. At the end of each semester the house gets a deep cleaning. I worked on that throughout the week, and was excited to get my "study" organized. Christmas is a great season to weed out some old things we no longer need or use as we receive new things.

4. Our church here in Birmingham (Christ City Church) is moving into two new locations and out of the one place we've been renting. Jesse and I were able to help with part of this transition yesterday by going to our Lipscomb campus to clean and help set things up for church service this coming Sunday. It's an exciting time for everyone involved! I love that it's happening at the beginning of the year when we're all in the mindset of new beginnings and change.

5.  Kelsey and I tackled Hobby Lobby's Christmas clearance on Monday. Between the two of us we filled a buggy with lots of cute decorations for New Years and next Christmas. It's the best time to go when everything is 80% off - can't be beat!