Day 1

• Breakfast: a peach
• Lunch: broccoli and peas "sauteed" in a pan and seasoned with rosemary
• Dinner: ground beef, onions, and potatoes baked, then broiled in a vegetable sauce (water, rosemary, tomatoes, eggplant, cilantro, garlic blended together) Dinner turned out surprisingly good, considering there was no seasonings (no salt...tear). Jeffrey really liked it, which is pretty much how I rate my cooking because I am not a good critic of what I make

On a side note, I love my Magic Bullet. Jeffrey got it for me for my birthday and it makes things great. Saturday we had chocolate mousse, which was delicious...well, the second batch was. I used it last night to blend up the sauce for dinner. I have a feeling it'll be used more as the challenge progresses.

This week is the worst week to do the challenge. Thanks to Mother Nature, I'm having cravings for chocolate and tuna fish. It's awful. I told myself I'll get through the first day. If I continue to be tortured, then I shall give myself whatever I want tomorrow. Let's hope I'm not self-sabotaging.

Six hours left...

Of freedom to eat whatever high-caloric, processed, disgustingly yummy thing I want. I'm surprisingly excited about doing this challenge. Our fridge drawer is stuffed with a ton of veggies, the freezer has been filled with $80 of beef from Sandpoint (which we are very excited to try. The last couple cuts of beef we purchased from the store, well, sucked) and the cabinets are pretty much bare and cleaned out (I get tempted easily). Jeffrey is such a sport to go along with this (for the most part). But his lifestyle isn't exactly lenient to new ways of eating. Ahh, the beauty of Fritos Honey BBQ twists.
The main problems I image me having with this are 1. salt: I love salt. Enough said. 2. Chicken. When asked what my favorite food is, I always answer with this word. No matter how you bake, fry, broil, saute, roast, bbq, season, or baste...one usually can't go wrong. 3. the foods I love: pasta, bread, cookies, muffins, cereal, and of course...ranch dressing.


Kattie and Kendra spent the night last night. We had a lot of fun. I love those sillies. Only one word, however, can describe last night. Sanchez. Ha

I went to the Havana Ward today. The girls came with me (for moral support) and of course, we got there late. I really liked the ward. After Sacrament during the announcements, they had the new people do introductions. It was funny because I said my name and he asked if my last name was Hall and said he'd been wanting to meet me and if I would talk to him after the meeting. He and I talked, and I'm hoping he will talk to whom he said. It would be great to be officially re-membered into the church.

Produce!

Jeff and I went out to pick some produce. Here's a bit of what we got.

Next stop: meat!

Challenge

My mind is thinking...and over thinking about the Locavore challenge. I think I'm going a little crazy. For example, yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to experiment cooking without oil and seasonings. I figured it would be a lot easier and cheaper to play around with non-local foods, which really, is quite logical. But I chose to use celery. CELERY. First of all, celery has no flavor, it's primarily water, and tastes like crap (regardless of how much ranch it's smothered with). After a few skillets, I decided this wasn't very effective...nor intelligent.

I have also thought about purchasing a hen. Yes, a hen to lay eggs for me. Somehow I don't think Jeffrey, Phantom, the neighbors, or the apartment people would appreciate it. I contemplated keeping it on the balcony.

We were going to hit the Spokane Farmer's Market on Saturday, then head up to Greenbluff and prepare for next week, but I remembered I'm volunteering for LOVEspokane from 9 til 4. Then Kattie and Kendra are coming over at 6:30 because I'm cooking dinner and we're having a girls' night in. Sunday, I'm going to the Havana building because I'm apparently not in the boundaries for the ward I have been going to for the last year +

PS: Cilantro is pretty much my new bff

I took you up against the wall.

I ate this while Jeffrey had leftover pizza. Yesterday was Jeffrey's birthday. He's never had a party. His family wasn't much into celebrating...well, anything. I woke up feeling really bad. I'm allergic to something in the air (rash, itchy eyes/throat, etc) so that made us postpone our plans. Thankfully, I made him Blueberry Buttermilk Scones for breakfast the night before. He played the new Batman game pretty much all afternoon, then we had the Gordley's, Kattie and Kendra over to play Rockband (because he's a fan).

Today, we went to the Y and got picture frames, lunch, and a smoothie. I have been looking online for Farmer's Markets and local farms around Spokane. I'm really excited about the "eating local" challenge, but I have found myself stuffing my face with processed, sugary, artery-clogging edibles because I know I won't be able to indulge next week. One last hoorah, I suppose.

Weekend

This weekend was quite busy. Saturday was the Airforce Ball, then Sunday was my birthday. There were a lot more taken, but it would take FOREVER to upload.

In the cockpit. I'm the pilot (holler!)

Kendra and Kattie <3

Triple layer chocolate fudge frosted cake (before pink icing)

After :)

Ate dinner all alone.

sirloin smothered in my fabulous bleu cheese cream sauce, potatoes, and corn.

On the subject of food, I, Stephanie, am doing a "Locavore" challenge. Basically, Aug. 31 to Sept. 4th, the object is to eat food locally grown/raised/produced in a 100 mile radius. Everything that I shall consume will be from Spokane and surrounding area. Literally, everything: milk, meat, fruit, veggies, salt, sugar, etc. Apparently, I am going to cut back on a lot of things. I have a sad feeling that I am going to go through crazy sugar withdrawls and be a monster. This is going to suck. I love food and I love making food. I love spices and seasonings. I also love how Wal Mart supercenter is about 6 miles away. Even now, I sit here eating a highly processed, massed produced candy bar. But, I am up for the challenge. I'm going to hit the Farmer's markets hard next week, and I'm headed up to Greenbluff tomorrow.

Don'tcha wish...

melted chocolate

baked the brownie batter in springfoam pan

combined ingredients

pour ontop of brownie

marbled with chocolate

sampled :)

no comment.

almost done...

voila!

it needed a photoshoot

No Use For A Title

This week is my birthday week. It's been a fun past few days: bowling (see picture), movie/pizza night, dinner tonight. I'm making Chicken Marsala Masala and surprising Jeffrey with a brownie cheesecake. I'll have to post pictures. Sunday, my actual b-day, I'm having a little get together with friends (mainly church kids) and just having a cake and enjoying my day. I am wearing a pink crown, darn it. I think I'm going to wear a tiara to church. I deserve it. I am debating whether to bake my own cake or have Jeffrey purchase one (he claims one can't bake their own birthday cake).

I am feeling a lot of emotions and wish I better knew how to process and deal. It's crazy to feel sad and happy and anxious and worried and confused all at once. No wonder people go insane. I think a lot and it feels like thoughts just don't stop. Like, I really can't stop thinking...unless I engage in behaviors. I've been trying to actually figure out what and why I'm feeling what I am, but I hate not being able to fully allow myself. I hate when people I get close to leave. I am going to make a very big decision Monday, and I'm nervous for it. I feel one way and have been praying, but I don't know exactly what (if any) answers I've gotten. I think that I persuade myself too much.

School is starting next month and I'm very excited. Although changing majors four times kind of screwed me over (120+ credits and no BA), I finally found a major I'm going to stick with...Elementary Education. I am, however, sad that Culinary Arts didn't/won't work out, due to personal reasons. But cooking and baking is a hobby, and I can do it regardless. I have to take a lot of Humanities classes which feels so, I don't know, tedious. But one can't put a price on learning, eh?

Last Friday was the YSA dance. I hadn't been to a church dance since High School and I was really curious as to what to expect. Well, there was a live band and it sucked. Seriously, if one is going to play at a dance, at least play music that people will/can dance too. It was ridiculous. After they took up most of the time, better music was played, but they only did like three slow songs. How was I supposed to work on my twirl with three songs? Kendra and I had a blast! We're silly. Poor Kattie though. She was on crutches and just...couldn't really do much. It was honestly, not much different than a youth dance, which I thought was funny. Sure, the boys have gotten a lot better looking, but people still dance in their circles (which Kendra and I didn't do, thank you very much), boys still generally ask girls how to dance, and people are still very awkward and self concious. Ahh, some things never change.

Saturday is the Air Force ball. I'm super excited to get dressed up. I'm going vintage. Hat, fishnets with the seam up the back, Nine West's that look vintage and this little number...

Summer

It's been a long time since I've written anything. I suppose it's such an unnatural thing to write about my life. Life is...well, a lot of adjectives. It's crazy to me how things can change in a matter of hours, minutes, etc.
I think I'm going to sum up my summer (ha ha). June wasn't very exciting. In July, Jeffrey and I drove down to Kansas to see my family. I love road trips. We left early Sunday morning because we had reservations to stay at Whitebird Summit Lodge (B&B), go horseback riding, and the next day we were going whitewater rafting. The lodge is so serene (mom and I stayed there last summer) and Terri always makes great breakfasts. The morning of rafting was overcast and chilly, so the water was well...cold. We didn't have to paddle, which was kind of lame. Our guide was a funny kid who stopped to show us Indian painted pictures on rock, which was really neat. We also jumped off a super high log that hung over a cliff. It was awesome. I want to go cliff jumping.

Immediately after we finished rafting we left for the 22 hour drive to Kansas. Idaho really has great scenery. It was a long drive full of talking, snacking, and me begging Jeffrey to stop so I can get out of the car. We were kinda on a time limit though, because Jeffrey needed to be back earlier than expected because the silly Air Force needed his signature. Sadly, Jeffrey and I have different ideas of road trips. I like to stop often, walk around, browse small towns. He likes to drive. and drive. We stopped outside Boise for the night and left in the morning. We drove down through Utah and made a detour to SLC so we could see the Temple and Temple Square. Mormon central wasn't exactly his scene, so he read a book outside the square. I saw Daniel there...we talked, it sucked. It was like, everything coming back to get shattered. I still find it strange that he doesn't talk to me...

We drove the rest of the way without stopping (much) and got to the house sometime Tuesday morning. When we got there, Jeffrey went to sleep and I tried to my password to long onto the computer, which I eventually found by reading it in a cooking magazine. Mom got home a while later and it was really great to see her. Because this is Kansas, to do...anything really, we had to drive. We went to Wichita, to go shopping, see Ashley and to the zoo; we went to Hays to go to the Sternberg and eat German food, stopping at Ft. Larned and Pat's Beef Jerky. Saturday, we were supposed to go to Oklahoma City and hang out and wander while the parents went to the Temple, but we figured we were kind of over being in a car and had more driving to do soon, that we would rather hang around and chill at the house. We ate a Pizza Taco (a Pratt, America staple). Sunday was church. Mom, Brandon and I spoke...it was Jeffrey's first (and thus far, only) time going to an LDS church; it was nice that he went. I was surprised how well Brandon and Jeff got along. Being with the family was great and it was such a comfort being with mom and talking to her. Being at home though, was quite triggering. There's always a ton of food around and memories are haunting. I had episodes of behaviors, naturally.

We left Monday and drove the 22+ hours straight so Jeff could be home Tuesday. I wished we would have be able to stop in Laramie so I could see some friends and show Jeff the campus, but both times we passed Laramie, it was dark and the middle of the night. Montana in the dark is still pretty cool. Jeffrey found out that he liked Huckleberry taffy and cookies don't travel well not being packed carefully. We were given about....oh, 100 cookies, which had to ultimately had to be thrown away because they were just too dangerous sitting in the freezer.

Kansas does have some beautiful sunsets.

August came fast. It's crazy how time really does fly. The first weekend in August we had a YSA campout/water activity. I went with Katie and Kendra and had a BLAST! I love those girls. We had a full size air mattress shoved inside a 2-3 man tent, us, a dog, and all our stuff. It was crazy packed and messy with food prodcuts/wrappers, clothing, make up (yes, we took make-up), shoes, etc. Friday, we got there around 7ish and Katie and I set up the tent while Kendra walked around. It was just a fun night, talking to each other, meeting new people, and sitting around a fire. Brandon and I hung out until like, three in the morning. When I got back to the tent, I squeezed myself in between the girls and sunk to the ground as the air mattress deflated. Naturally, I was the first one up and woke Katie so I could talk to her. It was quite chilly the entire day, which sucked being in the water. We had an...incident in the tent in the morning. Breakfast looked disgusting, so we ate our feelings in Little Debbies, Doritos, Lunchables, and Pringles. Oh, and marshmallows. Katie played "chubby bunny" for the first time and almost choked on her 4th marshmallow, causing me to laugh and spit mine out all over myself.

We swam in the lake and went tubing. I hadn't been tubing since I was younger and had a blast. I got quite bruised and Katie further injured her foot, but it was totally worth it. On the boat with us was this kid Jon (who I kinda met the night before walking around with Brandon at night...he was laying on a raft under the pavillion thing and I made some sorta comment about waking them up and cuddling) and his friend. They were crazy. It was a blast.

I think I'm done for now. I'll have to update on the past couple days later.