Awesome Weekend

1 - Friday night started off with celebrating my uncles last day of work after nineteen years, before he relocates and starts his own business.  After that, Justin and I went for supper with my parents, which involved a lovely bottle of wine.

2 - And deep fried pickles.  Yum!

3 - My niece Mackenzie was two months old on Sunday.

4 - A Caesar from Justin's and my patio date Sunday afternoon.  It was amazing!

 

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The Solution

Dear beginning of today, how were you so much better than the second half of the day!  Dear glass of wine tonight, please do just the trick.  Dear friends, although no plans are set in stone, let's have a blast this weekend!  Dear date night err Sunday lunch, Justin - let's have fun!  Dear food, be tasty!!

The Best Is Yet To Come

It seems this past weekend was the start of summer, the start of something fabulous, and the start of a new life.  Last week I celebrated achieving my goal weight, and let lose a little bit this weekend.  I relaxed, had a few drinks, ate way too much, and enjoyed life a little bit more than I have been lately.  I finally feel like a butterfly, after being a cocooned caterpillar for the last three and a half months.  If that's not a reason to celebrate, and the perfect story for this Click Chicks Challenge Photo, I don't know what is!

Long Weekend

1 - I had Friday off from work, but Justin had a work meeting.  When we finally left around 4:30, it was wide open space we were heading for.
2 - Breakfast Saturday morning consisted of a lot of fruit, and a little bit of french toast!  I really like strawberries and blueberries with sugar and cinnamon.  Yummy!
3 - Our second camping trip of the year, and it's only May!
4 - I could get used to this view!

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Mum's The Word

My parents are back from Vancouver, and I couldn't be happier.  They tried to surprise us when they stopped by last Thursday, but I had already figured out that they were back in town.  My mum is who I go to with all my problems, who I share all my secrets with.  Lately, she really has become one of my best friends, and I love our relationship.  I depend on her for so much.  Especially this week: we visited at lunch Monday, Tuesday I had her run something home for me, today she held my hand at my doctors appointment while I had a mole removed, and tomorrow she's kidnapping me for another lunch date.  I love her!

(ETA I'm using this post for my Click Chicks Challenge this week, I didn't realize that this weeks topic was mum, so I was a day ahead this time!)

Sometimes

Sometimes plans change.  Sometimes compromise has to happen.  Sometimes I come home and my husband is so stressed out.  Sometimes I figure out the route of his stress, and come up with a plan that can alleviate a lot of the worry for him.  Sometimes I decide that going to Oregon isn't as important as seeing my husband happy.  Sometimes I change our summer plans.  Sometimes I decide that instead of our week long vacation, we'll break up our holidays.  Sometimes it's more important to spend a holiday relaxing than to spend it rushing from point A to point B.  Sometimes we make sacrifices.  Sometimes we change our summer plans to involve a lot of camping, instead of standing at the edge of the ocean.  And sometimes, this change of plans has us looking forward to our summer more than ever before.

First Weekend Out

Another weekend when I didn't take a lot of pictures.  Actually, I only took one, and it was just before we headed for home.  Weekends out camping when I soak up the sunshine, savor the food, and enjoy the company are my favourite camping trips.  Next weekend we'll be spending our time the same way.  Except with the addition of a couple cocktails in the mix, so it can only get better!

 

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Ready To Get Away

I'm not really sure how another week has passed, and how we're back at Thursday again, but here we are.  Our weather has been so beautiful lately, putting thoughts of camping and vacations in my head.  It's this time of year when I start reminiscing about every vacation Justin and I have been on together.  Our week long trip last year to Idaho wasn't much fun while we were vacationing, but looking back it was full of amazing moments.  Priest River was a big highlight, and this bridge photo was taken at the dam, and is perfect for the Click Chicks Photo Challenge.

Gelled Strawberry Pudding

The weather this past weekend was amazing; filled with sunshine and warmth, it was really easy to find a patio and a couple cocktails!  If this weather keeps up, I'll be thinking that summer is right around the corner.  It's this warm weather that has me longing for summer food, and right now those cravings revolve around fruit.  I had this recipe in my sights to make (they call it a crustless pie, but it's really not very pie like to me), and since the weather was so nice, it was calling me to make it.  I changed the recipe a bit, and created what I'm calling a Gelled Strawberry Pudding.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 envelope no sugar added gelatin, strawberry flavour

1 envelope fat free pudding, vanilla flavour

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and cut into bit sized pieces

2 cups water

 

Steps:

1 - Pour the envelope of pudding into a small pot.  Slowly start adding the water to the pudding, whisking continuously, and stopping occasionally to make sure it's all mixed together.  This will take some time, but is worth it in the end.  You really want to incorporate the pudding evenly, otherwise it ends up looking like you have scrambled eggs in your gelatin.  (Don't ask how I know this.)

2 - Heat the pudding mixture on medium heat, whisking constantly until the liquid is bubbly.

3 - Remove the pot from heat and slowly start sprinkling the envelope of gelatin powder into it.  Whisk mixture continuously until it's completely combined, and pink throughout.

4 - Divide strawberries between four small serving bowls, and pour half a cup of the gelatin pudding liquid into each bowl, over top of the strawberries.

5 -  Allow mixture to set in the fridge for about an hour, and enjoy.

 

Another option for this recipe would be to make it in a large pie pan, just mixing everything together, and not dividing it into individual servings.  Normally I'm not a fan of fruit with gelatin, but this throws in that amazing vanilla flavour, which tastes so good with the fresh strawberries.  It's like having ice cream with it, but a whole lot less calories!

Just Banging Around

Yesterday at work my hair was bugging me so much, so I told one of the girls, (who just happens to be my hairdresser), that I was ready to cut it all off.  Immediately she asked if I really meant that, or if I was just having a bad hair day.  Just a bad hair day of course, but I was long overdue for a trim, so I asked if she was free to cut my hair that night. 

 

After making my appointment, I debated whether or not to get bangs cut again.  Just before leaving work, I decided I wanted bangs, and printed off some photos of bangs that were rounded: longer on the sides and shorter in the middle.  When I arrived for my haircut appointment, I knew I was making the right decision, and when Karen showed me how I looked, I was amazed by the reflection I saw!  So happy I went with my initial thoughts, and went through with it.

Walking For A Cause

1 - Waited more than nine months to crack into this bottle of wine.  Justin and I bought it last year in Priest River, Idaho and gave it to Amanda for her birthday, then her and Lincoln told us they were expecting a baby in March of this year.  Well, Mackenzie is now over a month old, so we busted out the bottle of wine Friday night.  Would of been perfect if I would have chilled it, and it was drank outside on a patio!

2 - Justin and I participated in the Threads of Life walk Saturday, which raises money for those impacted by workplace tragedies.  It was amazing to see all the yellow shirts out walking around the lake.

3 - After the walk, we needed some refreshments.  For me a double vodka lemonade, followed by a Corona did just the trick.

4 - Saw the licence plate my parents should have!  Both born on the thirteenth, and married on the thirteenth.

5 - Out BBQ shopping, missing my mum as it became a yearly occurrence for us a few years ago.

6 - IHOP breakfast to cap off the weekend.

 

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They Make Me Laugh

Today, the clouds have parted, the sun is shining, and it's warm outside again.  Warm weather makes me want to go back to Vegas, and enjoy an ice cool drink walking down the sidewalk.  Vegas makes me think of flamingos and the funny way they tuck their heads into their feathers and stand on one leg.  I love them, and make a point to visit them each time we go back to Vegas.  The perfect animal for the Click Chicks Photo Challenge today!

April Love List

How is it May first already?   April passed by in a flash, and it looks like that trend will continue into this new month.  It went by fast, and was a roller coaster, but we made it through it.

• I decided I could create a recipe, and then tweaked it to create roasted red pepper sauce.
• I also thought I should bake more, so I made some muffins.  I still need to make them healthier, but everyone said they were good.  Either way they made for a great bokeh photo!
• I celebrated my 28th birthday with a little trip down south with Justin.
• I made a crazy list of 28 things to do before I'm 29, and I've already started tackling the list.
• I had some weekends of relaxation, while Justin worked some long hours on a couple jobs.
• We got fed up with this crazy spring/winter weather, and started dreaming of camping.
• We had a weekend filled with sweets, sushi and cheesy bread.
• I decided to make healthy candy, and made gelatin gummy candies.
• Justin was unbelievably kind and understanding to me, and put up with my moodiness.  He convinced me that everything would be okay, and told me to just trust him.
• I died my hair a couple shades lighter (this photo is the after).
• I discovered that Mandarin oranges are my new favourite snack.

Now that I have one month of craziness behind me, I know I can tackle another one.  Here we come May festivities!

Randoms

• my husband.  I've expressed how crazy I've been lately, and I'm still not sure how or why Justin has put up with me through it all.  I love him; he's the icing to my spoon!
• good friends.  Old or new; online or in real life; text, phone or in person; friendship really is very important to me.
• mint pants.  I bought them this past weekend while Justin and I were out shopping, and I can't wait to wear them again (I wore them on our lunch Sunday).  I'd wear them to work, except I'm terrified of getting them dirty.
• small Mandarin oranges, aka cuties.  I've been gobbling these things up lately; they are packed with flavour, and remind me of Christmas.  Nothing gets much better than that!
• the good things that are waiting around the corner.  A fundraiser walk next weeknd, mine and Justin's weekend trip down south the following weekend, reaching my goal weight, getting out camping for the long weekend, and my parents coming back here.  May's going to keep us busy!

Weekend Happenings

1 - Friday I finally got around to dying my hair, which I had originally planned doing last weekend.  I personally think it's lighter, but people really aren't commenting on it - so I'll take that as meaning it looks like that's what colour my hair should be!  On the other hand, it could look horrible, and nobody wants to say anything!?
2 - Justin and I went clothes shopping Saturday afternoon.  Justin was the one actually looking, but I ended up buying more than he did.  Scarves are catching my eye lately, like this moustache one; cute, just not for me.
3 - The best kind of graffiti.
4 - A happy little face.  I'm so happy that he likes the bed I bought for him!
5 - Ever since food trucks have been all the rage, I've been wanting to have my own.  It'd be a crazy food fusion: comfort/pub food, with an Asian spin, and some Mexican flavour thrown in for good measure.  Everything I love.  With a side of dessert.
6 - A couple drinks might of happened with our lunch Sunday.

Find me on Instagram: juliemkeller, or just click the button on the sidebar.

My A Game

Today is a new day; it is a day filled with lots of possibilities, and is full of opportunities to make today better than yesterday.  Hence, why I'm bringing my A game today.  I woke up early, got my stuff done around the house, then headed to this spot to capture a little bit of magic through my camera lens.  This little spot holds a lot of memories for me, it's right by work, and a place to escape to during my lunch break when the day is crazy.

 

I think this photo captures the feel I wanted from a black and white photo for the Click Chicks Photo Challenge this week.  It's also a lot better than what I envisioned the picture looking like; it has a lot more depth.  I guess it's a kind of like how we are all, right.  There's a lot more to us that how we appear on the surface, and what we chose to portray to the world.

Just Trust And Believe

This past month, I've been under a lot of stress, and I haven't been the easiest to live with.  It all came to a head Sunday, and I kind of lost it a bit.  Justin was there to pick up the pieces, to reassure me that everything would be okay, and to tell me to just trust him.  It's always hard when he simply says, "it'll be alright, just trust me."  He has no idea how things will turn out in this life, but I just have to trust that it all will turn out okay.  I mean, none of us really know how our lives  will be, but we can't live in fear, we just have to believe.

 

And, my poor husband should seriously get a huge hero cookie for putting up with my BS this past month, and especially this past week.  He amazes me in so many ways, and he is so strong when times get tough.  I think both of us are finally figuring out this whole relationship/marriage thing. 

 

Talking to my Grandpa on the phone last night, who has been married for over fifty years, he informed me that he still doesn't have women figured out - and he's been married to two of them.  He said no one could live long enough to figure women out!  I've got to give it to Justin, as did my Grandpa, for having it figured out this past month.

Gelatin Gummy Candies

Since I've had such a sweet tooth, I decided to come up with a healthier alternative to the goodies I've been consuming lately, in particular gummy candies.  The part of these candies that I really enjoy is the texture: that rubbery, chewy consistency that makes my jaw ache after I've eaten too many.  Candy and I go hand in hand; so much so in fact, that Fridays were reserved as a candy day at work, and I'd have a stash of gummy candies ready.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I'd randomly dig into my candy stash and get hyper, leaving my co-workers annoyed at my sugar high.  If I'm going to get to my goal weight, I better kick my bad habits, and replace them with better ones.  So, I found this recipe on Pinterest for an alternative, and I tried my hand at Gelatin Gummy Candies.

Ingredients:

2 envelopes no sugar added gelatin, any flavor

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup water

Steps:

1 - Pour water into a saucepan, and sprinkle with all six gelatin envelopes.  For a variety I made three batches: orange, raspberry and strawberry.

2 - Heat mixture over medium high heat, until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is thick and bubbly.

3 - Remove from heat and pour mixture into molds.  I used a rubber heart ice cube tray from IKEA, but I'm sure you could find something similar at a dollar store.  Even the ice cube trays designed to make long skinny ice for water bottles would work.  It'd make gummy worms of sorts.

4 - Allow gelatin to set in the fridge for about thirty minutes.  This could take more or less time, just depending on the depth of the candy mould.  The thicker they are, the more time they'll take.

5 - Unmold the candies, and enjoy.



I made these for the first time last night, and they were a BIG hit.  I had two batches already made and in the fridge by the time Justin got home from work.  He didn't look directly in the bowl, but the bright red/pink colour caught his attention, and he just thought I had a bowl of beats on the go.  I took the bowl out to show him my creation, and he was eager for taste testing.  I told him he couldn't eat too many, since I needed to take photos for my recipe post.  I then made a third batch, and was thankful we were leaving the house, so Justin wouldn't eat too many of the candies.

When we arrived back at home, he was very impatient as I took the gummies out of the mold and took my pictures.  I delivered the candies to him on the couch, and he gobbled them up.  When he asked where I got the recipe from, I told him to take a guess.  He's catching on to my love of Pinterest!

Silliness And Sweets

1 - When I got home Friday night, I changed into my favourtite dress, and got my dance on.  Streaming YouTube music videos on my phone meant an instant Much Music Video Dance.  Please say I'm not the only crazy one that has crazy little dance marathons alone!?

2 - When Justin got home, we decided we'd go out for supper.  So an outfit change was in order.

3 - I might have been a little hyper.

4 - Justin's been wanting to go out for sushi for months, and I finally gave in to his wishes.  We went to the sushi bar that we haven't been to in years, and we actually ate at the same table where Justin and I had one of our first dates.  Thankfully, this date didn't end in a trip to emergency.  (On that date back in 2005, Justin was suffering from welder's flash, and I insisted he go see a doctor.)

5 - After sushi I was craving dessert, so we each enjoyed small double fudge cookie dough Blizzards, if you ever get a chocolate craving - have one of these.  So good!

6 - Saturday I headed to the mall for some new work clothes.  Two pairs of pants, two tops and two cardigans should make my work wardrobe a little fuller.  As a treat, I had a frozen yogurt.  Yup, I have a sweet tooth lately!

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Just Go With It

Dear weekend, I am more than ready for you.  Although I've only been at work three and a half days this week - I need a break.  Dear cheesy bread, be as amazing as you were two weekends ago!  Dear frozen yogurt or ice cream or fudge or brownie, (I don't know what I'll have!) please be extra tasty tonight!  Dear hair, I think I might dye you this weekend, get ready for a new look.  Dear tomorrow's shopping expedition, please let me find some new work pants.  As it is now I only have one pair that fit, and I can't keep wearing jeans to work!