Friday Fun {1/16}

Since I have been an absent blogger of late, I am linking up with TWO lovely ladies today for twice the fun!

Thank you to Natasha for hosting Five on Friday & Leslie for hosting Friday Confessions. 

1. My save the dates came in yesterday! Ahhh!!! 
I cannot even talk about how excited I am. I LOVE the way they turned out. So perfect and simple. I need to mail them out by the first week of February, but I am still looking for inspiration for the calligraphy on the envelopes. I can't decide how I want it to look. Thoughts? 

I confess.... that my Save the Dates are in neutral colors because I still haven't selected my wedding colors. I am just way to indecisive. 


2. In other wedding news, I am having coffee with a wedding planner today. 
I never thought I would consider a wedding planner, but now I am. I am just not sure I have the time or creative genius to make the day what I want it to be. I don't expect to get a full planning package, but I would like someone to do month of coordinating. What do you think? 

I confess... that I had a conversation with a wedding designer and she asked me so many questions that I nearly panicked. I felt SO overwhelmed. She had a million things that I had never even thought about - but that is why is was incredibly helpful. 


3. This dinner. 
I threw this in the crockpot on Wednesday and we loved it!

Chicken and Wild Rice Stew (based on this recipe)
Ingredients: 

• 4 Tbsp fat of olive oil
• 1  cup chopped onion 
• 1  cup finely chopped celery 
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots 
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2-4 cups finely chopped kale 
• 2 tsp. dried sage, rubbed or crushed by hand into the stew 
• 1/2 Tb. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried. 
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 8 cups chicken or veggie broth 
• 1 lb. uncooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice, uncooked
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat) 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (optional: for garnish)

Directions: 

1. Place wild rice and 3 cups of water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. 
2. While rice is simmering, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until the vegetables are softened, about 3-4 minutes. 
4. Add the mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt and pepper to the pan and toss well, cooking for another minute or two.
5. Transfer the vegetables (add in greens now) to a 6-8 quart crock-pot. 
6. Stir in the chicken broth, chicken and wild rice (include the water from the pot). 
7. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the wild rice is tender and the stew is thickened (because of the rice). 
8. Stir in the cream and parsley (if using). Serve. 

I confess... All of my meals were made in the crockpot. Even my breakfast porridge that I reheated each morning. I am so so lazy. 

4. A new cleaning schedule. 

If you spend .08648 seconds with me, you will notice that I am extremely concerned about keeping things neat and clean. Some might say obsessive ;) 

I found this pin before the new year and have been loving the schedule! It keeps me from having massive cleaning days and spreads it throughout the week. This way, I never have a "my apartment is such a mess" moment. #success. 

I confess... I picked all the jobs I don't like doing and told AR he was responsible for them. And he said yes. Hahah. 

5. Back into running

Last week, running clicked for me again. I have blogged several times about my lack of enthusiasm for running post-Chicago Marathon. I let it go, did tons of yoga and strength training, and only ran when I felt like it. For the last two weeks, I have done 4-5 miles a day and enjoyed it! I am so excited to be back in the groove a bit (especially because I have a race in 6 weeks). 

I confess... I want to register for another fall marathon but AR keeps shaking his head. He says that we should wait for next spring. Let us see who wins ;)

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Weekend Recap! {1/12}

Happy Monday, friends! I am excited to share my weekend with you because it was jam-packed with Atlanta highlights. My little brother and his girlfriend came to visit AR and I and we had the best time! Due to school commitments, this will probably be my last "play" weekend in a long time, so I enjoyed every minute of it. 

Thursday

Our weekend started early when Sam and Becky arrived late Thursday night. AR and I prepared homemade pizzas for them and we all stayed up wayyyyyy too late catching up. 

Friday

Poor AR had to go to work, but Sam, Becky, and I started early. We went to the Atlanta History Center,  home of the Swan House, Old Smith Farm, and Atlanta History Museum. 

Recognize this? The Swan House was used in the film The Hunger Games for the party at the Capital. 

I had to head to class in the afternoon, but Sam and Becky went on to the CNN Center downtown (which is amazing, by the way). 

Because our guests had dinner plans, AR and I grabbed soup at our favorite casual spot in midtown - Metro Fresh. Then we headed to the P&P (Proof & Provisions) for drinks. Sam and Becky joined us by the time we were ready for round two :)

Dark bar photo. Love that man.

Saturday

More Atlanta sightseeing! AR and I snuck in an early workout while they were sleeping. After everyone was up and ready, we headed to the World of Coca-Cola. I'll be honest, I don't drink soda, so I wasn't holding any high expectations for this trip and I was so surprised. 

World of Coca-Cola is so well done! They had a museum, art exhibit, 4-D movie, and a test-tasting room. I even sampled my very first soda in YEARS. #whatcleaneating? I learned so much about the Coca-Cola brand and their extreme efforts to protect their image and their recipe. 

We took home commemorative glass bottles of Coke.
Mine will probably be  in my cabinet for ever, haha.

The four of us headed home for lunch and took a long walk through Piedmont Park. By the time we got back home, I had logged 4.75 miles - not including my run that morning!

Dinner was perfect at No. 246 in downtown Decatur. I had bites of pear-fenenl soup, apple and walnut salad, stuffed mushrooms, chocolate "Spoom" ice cream, and tiramisu. So so SO good. 

We were sad to see Becky and Sam leave on Sunday, but we so enjoyed their visit!

Do you ever do tourist things in your own city?

Have you been to the CNN Center or World of Coca-Cola?

x0x0, 

Hannah

*Linking up with B Loved Boston and Champagne and Suburbs today. Thanks for hosting, ladies!*

3 Ways to have a Fantastic January

I really love the fresh start of January. I make resolutions, I get excited about new goals, and everything seems full of possibilities. This year, I announced some of my upcoming goals for 2015, but I wanted to share ideas specifically for January.

Whether or not you make resolutions, these are specific ideas for your month. We stay home more in January. We stay inside more in January. So lets use that time for the fullest.

1. Pick an Organization Project. Or 5. 
Last year, I did the January Cure with Apartment Therapy. Has anyone ever done this? It was awesome and full of ideas to organize, declutter, and beautify my apartment. But it was a lot. Honestly, I didn't complete all of them. While I felt like I had done some awesome projects, I also felt like a failure by mid-January. (If you did all of them, jealous)

This year, I am picking a few must-do projects:
- Clear out the kitchen. AR and I did that last Friday while we were both off. We removed everything from the kitchen and pantry, and cleaned the whole thing. Then we sorted and reorganized. The space moves so much better now and looks neater.
- Clear out the bathroom - maybe next week? I have beauty products for days that I need to clear out. I bet I don't use half of them and they are just taking up space.
- Organize the photos on my computer and print ones from last year. If I really do well, I will order a Shutterfly Photo Book for 2014. #dreambig

Love this idea for Pantry Organization!


2. Wear What You Own. 

Confession: I shopped for myself over the holiday. And I received clothing as gifts. And I really didn't need clothes before all of this.
For the month of January, I am NOT buying any clothes/accessories/makeup. I am wearing and using what I have. Maybe you can do the same. Browse Pinterest for inspiration and work through your closet. You may find things you don't like, or things that you forgot that you loved!

3. Try a New Weekend Activity. 
Visit a museum. Volunteer at a local non-profit. Organize a dinner party at your house.
Weekends can fall into routine: eating out, shopping, watching movies, etc. Pick something new and try it this weekend!

I am going to visit one Atlanta attraction this month and try to take a long walk each weekend. What will you try?

What are your plans for January?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

5 on Friday {1/2}

Hello 2015 and happy Friday!

Today for my Five on Friday post, I am sharing 5 things I loved about 2014 and 5 goals for 2015. 2014 was a crazy year - I cannot believe all that happened!

Favorite Moments of 2014

1. Getting engaged - Cannot wait to marry AR! You can read more about our proposal story here. 

2. Running the Chicago Marathon and getting a PR. This marathon was great - despite the fact that I lost AR pretty early on and had to finish by myself. 

3. Finishing my first year of law school - this was such a challenge. Right now, I am half way done. Woo hoo!

4. Loving my summer internship - and know I was in the right place. I spent a summer working at a government agency and learned so much about the practice of law. But the best part was realizing that I loved the work I was doing. Switching from being a full-time first grade teacher to a law student has not been easy, but I know it is the right choice. 

5.  Joining the Junior League of Atlanta. I haven't blogged about this much, but the JLA has been such an important part of my year. I have made new friends and found new connections in the city. I cannot wait to move from provisional to active member and get my full time placement this spring!

Five Goals for 2015

1. Finish my second year of law school strong! 
Motivation is different the second year, but I am working hard to stay focused this year.

2. Plan an amazing wedding that reflects our personality, and not get caught up in all the stress and details.
You can read about our venue here... I am in love with the place!

3. Run 3 races + another marathon. 
I am running a 10k in March, and would like to do another 5k and a 10 miler. AR and I are discussing possible fall marathons and I am trying to be realistic about marathon training and wedding planning. We will see!

4. Manage my shopping spending better. 
I am very financially conservative, but as AR and I plan for our future, I want to limit my Target binges and get more use out of the items in my closet.

5. Limit my sugar. 
If I were to grade my eating, I would say I do pretty well. I hit 7 servings of fruits/veggies most days, I stick to whole grains when I am at home, and I follow a mostly plant based diet. My downfall? SUGAR! I LOVE sweets like no other. This year I want to limit my sugar intake and find healthier ways to bake my favorite treats :)

What are your goals for the new year?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Thank you for hosting Five on Friday, ladies!

WIAW #41: That time I roasted a whole chicken.

First off, I totally forgot which number of WIAW this was for me. I had to search my blog. #cantcount

Anyways, sharing my eats from yesterday and I am SO proud of them (check out my dinner).

I slept in and ate breakfast at 8:30ish. This is my last week of break before I head back to school and I am complete enjoying it.

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, clementines, and wheat toast. Plus 3 cups of coffee (I know this is a lot. Forgive me). 

I chatted on the phone with my mom while I drank my coffee. We were discussing wedding planning and my venue contract. If you missed it yesterday, AR & I found our venue!! We are so excited.

I headed to the gym for about an hour and a half. I ran 5 miles (very slowly....), stretched, and did some ab work. I love a lazy gym workout. After running, I walked on the treadmill and looked at my new magazine.

When I got home, I grabbed a banana and jumped in the shower.

Lunch: homemade vegetable soup topped with pesto, more wheat toast and clementines. And a greek yogurt. 

This soup was a mix of a million things. When I left for Texas, I chopped everything in my fridge and froze it. On Monday afternoon, I sautéed onion and garlic, then added the veggies and a can of tomatoes. I think it has bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and potatoes. Oh, and pesto. Pesto makes an awesome veggie soup.

After lunch I ran some errands and started the epic kitchen adventure. 

I wanted to roast a whole chicken. This is completely out of character for me. 1) I hate raw meat. 2) I was a vegetarian forever and hate meat served on the bone.

It is unclear why I decided I should roast a whole bird. It probably had something to do with the cooking magazines I subscribe to, and my love of the movie Julie & Julia (anyone else?).

So I bought an organic whole chicken (4.6 lbs) and found this recipe from Ina Garten. First, I watched her video on stuffing the chicken and gave myself a pep talk.

Next, I rinsed and dried the chicken, and stuffed it with thyme, garlic, salt & pepper, and a lemon. I placed it in a roasting pan with carrots, onions, and red potatoes, then topped it with melted butter.  The recipe called for fennel, but I didn't have any, so I skipped it.

It was SO much easier than I expected it to be!

I served the chicken and roasted veggies with a simple spinach salad.

After dinner, I made some bourbon balls for New Years Eve. These are best when made a day ahead and left to dry out the night before. I may have sampled a few before finishing ;)

So there it is - my day of eats! and my first adventure with roasting a whole chicken. How are you ending your food adventures of 2014?

What are you making/eating on New Year's Eve? I am prepping bourbon balls, stuffed mushrooms, and cinnamon rolls for the next morning! 

x0x0, 

Hannah

Thanks for hosting What I Ate Wednesday, Jenn! Happy New Year!