Thank you Mum!

For my immersion blender, because without it, I wouldn't have been able to make this.
▼

Leek & potato soup with Gorgonzola croutons.
I've never made this before, so I kind of made it up as I went along, and it turned out great.
Potatoes, garlic, leeks, cream, salt & pepper, fresh chives, and then the croutons.
I want to lay down for a soup coma.
=)

Hemp is for hippies

Yesterday I wanted breakfast. I never want breakfast. I also got exactly 8 hours of sleep, naturally, with no alarm. It was a good morning.

I made a French press of good strong coffee, and scrambled eggs done the only way scrambled eggs should be done. Two eggs (organic, free range, cage free) with heavy cream, salt, extra fine pepper, and fresh chopped chives, cooked slowly over medium heat with butter.
I never really eat scrambled eggs and had forgotten how amazing they are. Why don't I eat these for dinner?

Later in the day, Angelina and I went on a tea hunting excursion. We were searching for Yogi Tea's Peach Detox tea, and according to the website it is sold at the Winn Dixie down the road. So we braved Winn Dixie, but not before stopping off at another hell hole called Wal-Mart.
It was a surprisingly good trip. I bought a new hair dryer since mine finally kicked off, along with my favorite perfume, Blue by Ralph Lauren, which apparently they sell at Wal-Mart but nowhere else I've ever looked.
I also found this delicious chocolate bar.

Dark chocolate with Pasilla chile, cayenne, and cinnamon.
A-maz-ing.
It starts out smooth and then kicks you in the face with spicy peppery goodness. I'm in love with it. I want to melt it down and drink it. You know what? I probably will.
Winn Dixie didn't have our tea, but they did have the spot for it. We asked the guy to go check and they were completely out. Lame. So we got some Lemon Ginger tea, because lemons are good, ginger is good, and tea is good.
Angelina gave me a tub of organic Hemp Shake, and it's tasty. It's green, but once I mixed it with cherries, strawberries, and almond milk, it wasn't. I also added a tiny bit of coconut extract and forgot to take a picture.
Last night at Seville's was a lot of fun. My boss's band, Schofield, is really good. The club was a little crowded for my liking, but it was nice to get out and have a nice pint of Guinness and listen to good music. I'll probably go out to see them play more often.
This afternoon I need to prune down the myrtles in the front yard, weed, remove border stones, pick up all the lava rock, and lay down mulch. Oh yeah, I'm excited.

Motivate Me

I've been doing my Jillian Michaels DVD since the beginning of December. It's been going very well, but lately with work and everything, my motivation is starting to wane.
I've lost a total of 24 pounds since December 1st with a combination of daily activity and adjusting my eating habits... yes, I know that sounds like a lot, but I want to keep at it. Not necessarily to lose more weight, but for the health benefits and preventative aspects of being active every day. A lot of the women in my family are bigger, and I do believe that genetics can work against you. That, and the fact that I love food. I'd rather work out hard every day and be able to eat great food than give up things like real cream and butter. Or be a vegetarian again, a lifestyle that Anthony Bourdain and I share the same opinion of. I love to cook, and I love to eat, and if left to my own devices, I could be a big fat fatty. For serious.
The work out is only 20 minutes long, and I can't seem to make myself want to do it anymore.
What is your motivation? Any advice out there in the blogosphere?
Many thanks.

Tilapia isn't boring, that's just a mean thing to say about such a nice little fish.

Dinner.

Tilapia and haricot vert with brown butter, almonds, and capers with an orange-fennel salad.
Have you ever eaten an orange-fennel salad? Well you should.
I tend to just buy whatever is "fresh, never frozen" at the seafood counter. Freshness and seasonality seem to rule my grocery shopping. That's a good thing.
I can't wait to do something fabulous with my Meyer lemons.
Also, check out this sweet makeup blog by Lorraine
lowster♥

Goodnight all!

Ha.

Candles, soap shaped like animals, pasta, Meyer lemons, regenerating crustaceans, curly hair, and Mexican food.

Okay. Lots of awesome things to cover.

My home currently smells like lovely Eucalyptus and Spearmint and Lemongrass and Cardamom by Bath and Body Works, as well as Sandalwood Vanilla by Slatkin and Co.

I also got some Lemongrass Cardamom lotion for myself. It's earthy and clean, and it moisturizes perfectly. I heart it.
Speaking of candles, at the Yankee Candle store the other day with Bethany, I found this little gem.

Isn't it precious? It's a votive holder... I love little bird things, and this looks so Pottery Barn to me.
Yesterday Angelina and I went to Grand Boulevard to shop at the glory that is J.Crew.
I got two new tops that I love. A great little ruffle tee and an open cardigan (size extra small, a-thankyou) and I can't wait to wear the set everywhere... mostly to J.Crew.

We also had a delicious lunch at Cactus Flower. I had the tortilla soup (spicy) and the mango shrimp. Go to Cactus Flower. Order the mango shrimp. Eat it. Be merry.
STAT.

We stopped by Luxe Apothetique and saw some adorable little soaps. Like this frog...

...and these little pigs, which are rose scented. Click the pigs to check out the Gianna Rose website.

I woke up this morning, feeling nothing like P Diddy, and had to deal with my fro.

Don't act like you're not impressed.
After a great day of work at Starbucks, I did some grocery shopping at Publix.
I got hoards of fabulous things. Like these fresh Stone Crab claws.

Did you know that Stone Crabs regenerate their claws? And that when they're harvested, only one claw is removed from each crab? That makes them a sustainable resource. Pretty cool, I say.
They also had Meyer Lemons.
This is the first time I've seen Meyer Lemons at a grocery store down here. Meyers have a less tart flavor than regular lemons. Here they are pictured in front of some regular lemons so you can see the difference in color. I can't wait to preserve some!

I made myself a delicious farfalle Florentine for dinner. Frozen chopped spinach, garlic, lardons, and Gorgonzola cream sauce. So simple and incredible fast. Just render your lardons, add the chopped fresh garlic, then the thawed spinach and cream. Stir in some crumbled Gorgonzola and let that melt, then toss with the strained pasta. It took all of 15 minutes.
I'm off to work out now... maybe twice. ;)

Me when I was 7, among other things.

I. Am. Awesome.
I'm friends on Facebook with a girl that was in my 3rd and 4th grade class. She sent me this picture of myself when I was 7... and I haven't stopped laughing about it. Where are all my teeth? What am I so excited about? Is it strange that I now have a tattoo of a bow that is the exact color of the one on that shirt?

Anyway, things have been going pretty well. Work is great, though very early and my days off are screwy, which isn't really a big deal. I'm liking it. Getting up at 0330 has its perks... not really. But it's nice to be done with work so early in the day, so I'll take it!
On Tuesday, which was my one day off this week, Angelina and I went to the gloriousness that is Cactus Flower Cafe. Delicious California-style Mexican food.

Angelina had chicken tacos and some tortilla soup, and I had the chicken and sour cream enchiladas verde. So good. I also had a glass of sangria, which was beyond words. ^__^

Our awesome waitress Kelly gave us some complimentary raspberry gooey cake. Yes, that's what she called it. It was warm and soft and sweet and raspberry-tastic. I'm glad Angelina and I chose to share a small piece. Heaven knows what I would have done if left to my own devices.

I've been making lots of smoothies lately

Banana Blueberry

Black Cherry and Vanilla
Strawberry Rhubarb with Chocolate Protein Powder
My favorite so far.
Last night I made myself a simple dinner of a teriyaki pork chop, sticky rice, pineapple, and grilled spring onions. It was tasty and salty and awesome.
Then I enjoyed the pretty sunset from my back porch.

After work today I went to the gym with Angelina. I did 50 minutes on the treadmill, alternating between walking fast on a 13% incline, running at a 7.5% incline, running on a 3% incline, and walking fast on a 1.5% incline. Then I came home and did my 30 Day Shred workout. I'm sore and want to go to bed.

Mrs. Powell's (that's me) No-Tahini Hummus

I wanted a delicious, healthy, snacky lunch. My mind was set on hummus, but I don't keep tahini on hand due to it's short shelf life and the fact that I rarely need it. What else gives the flavor of tahini? Creamy peanut butter.
-Mrs. Powell's No-Tahini Hummus-
1 can organic chickpeas, drained, and 2 tablespoons of liquid reserved
1/2 of a roasted red bell pepper, chopped (I use the ones that come in the jar)
1 tablespoon creamy, natural peanut butter
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse garlic cloves until they are broken up as much as they can be. Add the peanut butter, chickpeas, cumin, salt and pepper, and the roasted pepper. Puree, and while the blade is running, drizzle in the olive oil and reserved chickpea liquid to reach your desired consistency. Taste (after the blade has stopped, haha) and re-season with salt and pepper, if needed.
I serve mine dusted with paprika and sesame seeds, and with fresh vegetable dippers. My favorites are raw zucchini and red pepper, which are actually the only bell peppers I like.
Enjoy.♥

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday...

For dinner tonight I made myself some tasty linguine aglio olio peperocino.
For those of you going, "Oh, of course, 'aglio olio peperocino,' right..."that means pasta topped with olive oil infused with red pepper flakes and fresh garlic, and in my case, some parsley and mint. It's simply and delicious, and reminds me of Germany.

Now I'm cleaning up and watching the best movie ever.

You touch my sister again, I'll kill ya'.

Kick his ass, Sonny.
If you don't know that this is The Godfather, I don't want to be your friend.
I cry every time I watch Sonny die. AND every time he kicks the crap out of Connie's dirtbag husband. AND when Apollonia dies in the car... I cry a lot during this movie.

Happy Valentine's Day♥

I came home from work today to find these waiting on my doorstep.
♥
Mmmmm warm fuzzies.

Even though I always say I don't want flowers, he gets them and I'm so so happy. And look! No tacky, horrible baby's breath, and he mixed just enough red roses with white orchids, which happen to be my favorite flower. He knows me so well.

They look lovely on my coffee table.

Speaking of flowers, did I mention that Angelina brought some over the other day when she came for dinner? They're beautiful, and really perk up the dining room. I call this the "J.Crew" bouquet. ;)
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

A lovely Saturday.

Today my very handy neighbor came over and informed me that my dishwasher is kaput. I guess it's back to the pioneer days for this lady.
At least I have Mrs. Meyer's to make the task more enjoyable.
Later in the morning Angelina and I went to Pensacola to buy necessary things like skinny vanilla lattes with protein powder and makeup. It was a good, fun day.
I decided to switch foundations. I've only ever been loyal to one brand, and that's Lancôme. I love their products, they blend beautifully with my skin tone, and don't cause any complexion issues.
I switched from their Ageless Mineral Makeup to their new Ôscillation Mineral Makeup.
I thought the oscillation thing seemed gimmicky, but the lady took off my makeup and applied this stuff, and I loved it. It feels soft, has just the right amount of coverage, and is still sheer enough that my skin looks like skin. Plus it wears for 14 hours and has an SPF of 21.

I also picked up a new facial cleanser, Philosophy's Purity Made Simple. It's a makeup remover and cleanser in one (because those aren't the same thing, people) and it's got a nice, creamy texture. I'm pretty excited about it.

Shopping made us hungry, so we went to Panera. I had half a Fuji Apple Salad and half a bowl of their Garden Vegetable with Pesto Soup.

Angelina had half of a Greek Salad and some of Panera's awesome Chicken Noodle.

And we both had a Black Cherry Smoothie. They were delicious, and under 300 calories. Which made us happy.

One more thing. I've decided that I'm going to start wearing my hair in a more wavy fashion, so this morning I gave my hair some big curls with my flat iron. Strange, I know, for me to be curling my already curly hair. It fell flat rather quickly, but I still liked the way it looked.

And for no good reason at all, I thought I'd throw in a picture of my newest tattoo. It's not really new, I've had it for a while, but a lot of my good friends back home haven't seen it.

Haha, don't be jealous of my mad photography skills.
I'm off to work out and then go to bed! I work bright and early tomorrow. Happy early Valentine's Day everybody!