Thank you, June! That was fun.

une was really great. It was exactly what I needed. Susan came all the way from Texas to visit and then I flew to Virginia to spend a long weekend with Amy and Kristi. All three women have a very special place in my heart. I am so blessed to know each of them and honored to call them friends. Amy and Kristi are friends from undergrad at Shenandoah University and Susan and I met in graduate school at SCAD.

Kristi, me, and Amy visiting the Shenandoah University campus.

Me and Susan at my wedding. Just had to point that out. Did not want you to think that I put my wedding dress on and ran around Savannah recently. Susan did take some pictures while here in town but all I have to say about those pictures is AWFUL! Not Susan, me. So gross. Pasty, pale, puffy and sitting awkwardly on a park bench in over 100 degree weather. Yuck. This one is much better.

Motivate Me! Wanna be a Runner?

have really been working on getting back into shape. I am so bad about being a yo-yo and I am over it. I started thinking about all the people I know (real people with real jobs and real lives)that are in great shape and I thought it would be pretty cool to to find out how they started and how they maintain their healthy lifestyle. My friend Valerie immediately came to mind and I wanted to pick her brain and share it with you. Who knows, maybe you need some motivation too?

I know so may people who say that the can't run and then they give you a laundry list of reasons why. I say you can. It may be hard at first, but you can. Meet Val...




My name is Valerie Albanese and I've known sweet Amanda since high school. We were both very active in drama back then and I used to deeply admire Amanda's beautiful singing voice. Those memories are some of my favorite from school. I got back in touch with Amanda this past year only to find out that we still share similar interests like cooking, faith, and fitness. That is just so neat after all these years!


When she asked me to write a guest blog post on her site, I was truly honored because of her reasoning behind it. She said that she wanted to reach out to people who are inspirational to her and that help keep her motivated. I took that to be a huge compliment that she asked me to write! While I’ve always been active and serious about fitness, running is by far what I love the most. I’ve run off and on for the past 10 years but I’ve been very serious about it for the past 3. When I started out, I could barely run 1 mile without cramping up or struggling to breathe. I had no idea just how structured running really should be and how individual it is for everyone. I also had no clue exactly how mental it was, either. I’d get highly discouraged easily and I quit; a lot.


Along the way, I’ve had friends that I’ve run with but I was never too good at that either, simply because I consistently told myself I couldn’t do it. I’d give in to doubts and insecurities and I’d just stop. Finally, I reached a place 6 years ago where I’d simply had it with all the crap I would feed myself. I had a friend at the time who is what’s called an ‘ultra marathoner’ meaning he does races past the normal 26.2 mile marathon distance. He’s done anything from a 30 mile race to a 100 mile race and he’s definitely who I consider a “pro” in loose terms. He helped me begin to understand the basics of running and how to “get out of my own head”. He taught me how to start out very slowly and get my muscles warmed up in addition to my breathing. I began to realize that I usually cramped up so easily within mile one because I’d start out way too fast. By starting out slowly, I was able to build up to a nice rhythm and, next thing you know, I’d run 5 miles with relative ease. It was a defining moment for me because something clicked inside and I realized I just needed to learn how to run…and how to believe in myself.


Since then, I’ve definitely fought the mental battle again at times, but I have fallen in love with running. I am addicted to the empowerment, the satisfaction, the drive – I am simply addicted to the personal challenge that running presents, each and every time I hit the road. I’ve run countless races of all distances over the past 3 years and I’ve completed 2 half marathons, both of which I was hugely proud of my finishing times. I no longer run just a couple of miles for exercise but instead I get out there and do 6 miles at the very least and I’m proud every single time. I’m proud because I no longer say ‘I can’t do it’. Instead, I exclaim that I CAN.


Thank you for the motivation, Val! What's that? Can't get enough of Valerie? Oh, I don't blame you. She is so darn cute! And she is just as sweet as she is cute. And she has a heart for the Lord. Plus, she cooks. Running AND eating. The perfect combination. Check out her blog. Thanks again, sweet friend!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

ive years ago today, I met the very handsome Justin James. Little did I know that in a few short years I would become Mrs. Justin James.

Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness! I am beyond blessed with your gift of a godly husband and I am forever grateful.

Color Me Beautiful

"Cherry Blossoms: Hope" by Tiffani Taylor

I have been in love with Tiffani Taylor's work for years. I am thrilled that this watercolor is the start of my collection. Simply beautiful!

Sidebar Pictures: Thank you, Erika! We love our pictures! For information on the Cleland's adoption visit their blog: Ethiopian Cleland

Am I a Loser?

I actually got online last night to see how much it would cost for me to go the the Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge. Really??? Has it come to this??? GET IT TOGETHER AMANDA!

And that is where I am right now. I am not a loser and I really need to be.

Dinner and a Movie

ustin and I just got back from seeing Robin Hood. It was a really good movie. I was on the edge of my set a few times and loved the excitement. In one scene, Russell Crowe comes charging out of the water, screaming, sword flailing, and I was reminded why the man is a movie star. I love that - when an actor is so engaging as a character that you forget that they are a huge star. Justin agreed. We tried to find another actor that we feel that way about but came up blank. What a lovely afternoon at the movies!

What about food? Are you not going to tell us about food?

Of course I am! I actually have three recipes for you today! We had some friends over for dinner last night and I made Baked Ziti with cheesy garlic bread, and salad. For dessert, I made a blueberry and pineapple dump cake. All I have to say is YUM!

Baked Ziti - Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2005

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 25 min., Bake: 25 min., Stand: 10 min.
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (26-ounce) jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (16-ounce) box ziti pasta
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Sauté chopped onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add beef, and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain beef mixture, and return to pan. Stir in pasta sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Cook pasta in a large Dutch oven according to package directions. Drain and return to Dutch oven.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour sauce over pasta in Dutch oven, stirring until pasta is evenly coated.

Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top evenly with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Neely’s Garlic Cheese Bread – Down Home with the Neely’s (Food Network)

Ingredients:

1 (12-inch) loaf Italian bread
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the bread in half, lengthwise.

Add the garlic, herbs, butter, and Parmesan to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Alternatively, you could fold the ingredients together using a rubber spatula.
Spread the butter mixture down the inner length of both slices of the bread. Wrap the pieces in aluminum foil and put them onto a sheet tray. Bake until the bread crisps up and the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. At this point, remove the foil, sprinkle the slices with the mozzarella cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slide the bread back into oven until the cheese bubbles, about 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven to a cutting board and slice before serving.

Blueberry and Pineapple Dump Cake - I got this one from my Momma.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries
1 20oz can crushed pineapple in syrup
1 18.25oz package white cake mix
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
Ice cream or whipped cream , optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place blueberries in a 9-by-13-inch greased baking pan. Cover with pineapple and syrup. Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix. Drizzle margarine over top. Bake for 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 1 hour. Spoon into serving dishes and top with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!

There you have it! Three dishes and a movie review of sorts. Could you ask for anything more? I didn’t think so.

Banana Pudding Slacker Sacrifice

have been a blog slacker. Sorry about that. I set some blogging rules for myself and those rules can at times lead to an overdue post. I wish I could say that it is only blogging that I have been slacking on. These days I am a cleaning slacker, a laundry slacker, a cooking slacker, a workout slacker and a dog walking slacker (I blame pollen for that one). I am lacking motivation. Oh well...

I did make a very easy Banana Pudding tonight. Here you go...

• 1 box vanilla wafers
• 6-8 bananas
• 2 (3oz.) boxes instant vanilla pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 1 can Eagle Brand milk
• 9 oz. Cool Whip

Line bottom and sides of 9X13 inch pan with vanilla wafers. Slice bananas and distribute evenly. Mix well the pudding mix, milk, Eagle Brand milk and Cool Whip. Pour over bananas. Refrigerate.

OR

Mix well the pudding mix, milk, Eagle Brand milk and Cool Whip. Refrigerate. When ready to serve put vanilla wafers and sliced bananas in individual serving dishes and top with pudding and Cool Whip. Add while chocolate shavings to make it extra rich. This is how we like to do it because it tastes so fresh. You never have soggie wafers or rotten bananas. This way it will still be good for the next few days.

Happy Cooking!

Photo by Lens Envy.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! Scarlett looks kind of like a bunny, only cuter.

Coffee Punch and Birthday Wishes

Coffee Punch is devilishly delicious. It is basically a coffee milkshake and is perfect for a special occasion breakfast/brunch. I was first introduced to this tasty treat at my bridal shower in Waycross. It is really, really, really good. Actually, it's great. You should make it and see for yourself. In honor of Savannah Katie's birthday I am posting this recipe. I am making Coffee Punch to bring to Katie's office birthday breakfast in the morning. We have the best office breakfasts! Everyone has a staple item and mine is, you guessed it, Coffee Punch.

Happy Birthday Savannah Katie! You are a great co-worker (that sounds so silly) and an even better friend!

Coffee Punch

• 6 qts chilled coffee


• 6 cups Half and Half cream


• 1 lg can of Hershey's syrup


• 1 3/4 cups sugar


• 6 qts vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Mix first 4 ingredients. Chill.Let ice cream soften and then add it to the other ingredients. Serves 78 (that is not a typ0 - I usually half the recipe) punch cup servings.

Enjoy! Did I mention that it is crazy good? I really like to drive the point home.

Adorable photo by: Simmessa

Really???

J. Crew and I are friends. J. Crew emails me almost daily suggesting things that I might like and alerting me to the savings I can experience if I shop TODAY ONLY. We are very close, but sometimes I am not so sure that J. Crew has my best interest in mind. Today, J. Crew sent me this...


And this...


All is not right with the world today.

All images are sadly by J. Crew.