New Recipe: Easy Roast Chicken

Recipe: Easy Roast Chicken

I found this recipe on facebook while I was scrolling one day: Recipe

It looks absolutely delicious! I've really been enjoying cooking lately - and since I just got a new slow cooker I've been digging through the internet (mainly pinterest) for recipes to use with it. This isn't one of them but those will be next.

Photo By: AlwaysButter.com

As of recently I've really been looking into different recipes for chicken that I can bake vs. fry or stir fry. The boys and I have been eating so much of the same thing that I want to change things up a bit. Baked chicken isn't much of a change - but the flavors and the recipe are something different that definitely need to be tried.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 whole free-range or corn fed chicken, broken down into 8 pieces (aka a value pack of chicken at the grocery store - skin on and bone-in)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp red wing vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

4 green onions, chopped

2 gloves of garlic, minced

Fresh parsley

Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 (or 475 in my case because my oven is 50 degrees off)

2. In a large baking dish - combine marinade and toss with chicken. Season it well.

3. Place chicken pieces skin side up and roast for 30 minutes until it begins to brown. Then remove and baste with marinade. Flip pieces and bake a remaining 10mins or until chicken is cooked.

4. Garnish with lots of fresh parsley.

Picture updates when this is baked!

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I was in a wedding!

Remember that wedding I went to back on Nov 1st?

Well here are the pictures and the post you guys have been waiting for.

So back on October 31st I had to skip classes and fly out to Maryland for my amazing cousins wedding. She was getting married November 1st and I was so happy to be asked to be in her bridal party. Originally Chris was going to join me on this adventure, but he ended up not being able to take off work and I spent Halloween running through airports.

One thing you guys probably don't know is that I get miserably motion sick. Like miserably, so I knew that the flight from Florida to Georgia and then from Georgia to Maryland were going to feel like the longest plane rides in the history of my life. They weren't actually the longest I've ever had, but my motion sickness didn't set in until I was about 19-20.

Nevertheless, if you've ever landed in the Atlanta, GA airport it is absolutely HUGE. And of course I only had an hour long layover so if my first flight didn't go right on time it was practically guaranteed that I wouldn't make my second flight.

But no worries, my flight out of Ft. Lauderdale went off without a hitch and the only problem in Atlanta is that my next terminal was literally across the entire airport. Even the stewardess on the airplane wished me good luck as I ran through the airport. Atlanta has a tram though, and I still only made it with 5 minutes to spare!

EITHER WAY: The moral of my story is not about airports or travelling, its about these lovely ladies right here and LOVE. Plain and simple.

Rehearsal time!

When I landed my Grandparents scooped me up from the airport and we went straight to the hotel and the wedding rehearsal. And thank goodness its a tiny airport because I don't know if I could have handled another large airport that day. I got to meet most of the bridesmaids that were going to be there and I finally got to see my cousin! It feels like forever since I've seen her, its so funny because we can spend years apart and then we get together and we always click and its like its been no time at all.

My Halloween Party!

Halloween Party!

So this past weekend I threw an amazing Halloween party. I spend the entire week before the party panicking and freaking out about food and who was coming and all the small details.

I freaked out for absolutely no reason, only 2 people cancelled, and some people brought +1's.

It started at 7pm, and the plan was to have everyone eat dinner at 8. And while that didn't go to plan, everything else did. I tried channeling my Grandma (who may be my hosting/party spirit animal) and had lots and lots of chips and salsa and horderves to eat before dinner. I ended up having a lot more than I even expected after people showed up and brought stuff.

For dinner I made lots and lots of taco stuff. Chris made his Mom's delicious shredded chicken recipe and I made regular beef taco meat. Then we had every single topping you could really ever want to put on a taco. We had both hard shells and soft shells and everyone stuffed their faces until they literally were like "Jenn I ate too much you had soooo much food."

And that was even before dessert.

My best friend made Owl cupcakes that were decadent chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting topped with oreo cookies and M&Ms.

And then someone else brought even more vanilla cupcakes with giant candy corns on the top!

Then the plethora of sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies were abound. 

And candy. So. Much. Candy.

After dinner we had the Murder Mystery part of the night, where they had to figure out who done-did it. I found the template for the party online and I promise as soon as I find it I will link you to it. It was a great ice breaker for some of my friend who had never met before or were a little shy. We gave away the board game 'Clue' to the person who figured it out, and the game 'Sorry!' to the person who got second. (haha, get it?)

Overall it was a great time and I'm thinking of hosting another party/game night/friends night sometime again because even though it was a lot of work, it was also a lot of fun!

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50th blog post

I can't believe this is already my 50th blog post!

When I started this blog I never thought in a million years that anyone besides a few friends would ever even be interested in anything I had to say.

To those of you who regularly read my blog:

I know I may not have the highest quality content all the time, but I post about things that make me smile. Thing that make me happy, because even through it all thats all that matters. And I want YOU to have a little moment in your day where you just smile and forget about the laundry, or homework, or how the hell you're going to get that waterproof mascara off because you are WAYY too tired for that fight today.

And to those of you who don't regularly read my blog:

No seriously. Lets be friends. I mean at the end of every post I invite you to stalk me.

Haha, but not in the creepy way though please. ;)

Overall: Thanks for stickin around ya'll. I seriously appreciate it.

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Throwback Thursday!

Throwback Thursday

I know how silly this is about to sound, but I seriously love Thursdays. Not only is it a day away from Friday and literally so close to the weekend I could taste it, but also I /love/ Throwback Thursday.

I love seeing everyones old photos, old memories, and what I love most is the radio when they decide to put a good mix on.

Now here's one thing you may not know about me, but I seriously resonate with early 90's Miami booty bass music all the way up until the early 00's hip-hop and r&b. There is nothing a good mix couldn't fix.

Speaking of: the radio stations down here usually do a pretty good job creating some bomb remixes. For me a good mix has equal parts sirens, amazing bass, fast tempo, and lyrics. I don't particularly care what they are talking about, but if its about shaking my butt, you can bet I for sure am. Singing the lyrics and wiggling in my car getting as crunk as I can without crashing my car.

Uncle Luke? Trick Daddy? Trina? DJ Laz? 69 Boyz? Quad City DJs? TLC? 2 Live Crew? Yes, please.

Basically, perfect throwback thursday mixes should make me want to twerk.

Everywhere.

Judge me tomorrow. Because today I'm enjoying myself too much.

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I found a Spooky Story that I just had to share

So I'm a sucker for creepy stories

And I read them as much as I possibly can. And I ran across this one, and it stuck with me because I feel like your family members stay with you after they've passed.

My great-grandmother was very close to my mom and was apparently an incredible woman. She died before I was born, but my mom tells us a lot of stories about her. From the time my little sister was born, she's had a very strong resemblance to old pictures of my great-grandma and her whole side of the family. Once, when my sister was a baby just beginning to learn to speak, my mom was holding my sister on her lap, talking and playing with her. My sister reached up and took my mother's face in her hands (like my great-grandmother used to do to my mom when she was alive), looked her in the eye, and very clearly said, "You always were such a beautiful baby." My mother was shocked, but my sister, who was not yet speaking in full sentences, had gone back to making her typical baby sounds.

My mom told this story at dinner when my sister was about six or seven. This was the first time my sister ever heard the story, and she was a little freaked out. As soon as my mom finished telling the story though, my sister's eye twitched, as if she were winking.

source 

Wedding Plans...?

The more comfortable I get in my everyday life makes me realize that marriage is no longer something that a couple needs to do to validate their relationship.

Ones relationship is just as valid as any others with or without the churches approval or a legal binding. This legal binding does however, protect and give your loved ones rights and protects them.

Which is why, after two years of engagement to my lovely fiance I've decided one thing:

I want to start planning my wedding.

I want to be legally bound to him, as he will be to me.

Falling off the bandwagon...

... and struggling to get back on.

To be honest, I haven't been the best at my diet since the week of Labor day. I have lost some more weight, but not entirely too much. Labor week was a busy one for me, with my anniversary and TWO labor day parties to attend too, I was seriously just CHOWING down on anything I could get my hands on.

The problem is now jumping back on the healthy "lose weight" bandwagon. I've lost 15 lbs? Which to me is significant enough to see a change in my body, but I want to see a change in my clothes. My clothes are fitting better, but its still not anything to call home about. 

Once I fell off the bandwagon I'm finding it harder and harder to get back on. And the wedding for my cousin is inching nearer and nearer and I'm not any closer to my -20 lb weight loss goal. I definitely notice the difference in my face, and in my pictures for sorority you can tell that my face has slimmed down. But I'm reaching the point where those first 10lbs slid off so easily and the rest is going to be work.

To be fair though, I put on an old pair of jeans today and they actually fit! It's the small victories from now on I suppose!

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Sorority Event - OOTD & FOTD

Sorority Event - OOTD & FOTD

Today's post is inspired by the absolutely lovely ladies in my sorority. I'm a sister in Alpha Omega Epsilon, which is the sorority that supports women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). I am a computer engineering major myself and most of my sisters are engineering majors as well. Last night was the night that we welcomed new candidates into the sorority, it was a pin attire event so we had to look our best. Here are some pictures of the lovely ladies!

Overall though, this was a night about the new candidates and them on the path to becoming lovely new sisters. I managed to catch everyone for an awesome picture with our banner + the membership educator.

Here are our lovely candidates!

I'm excited for the rest of this semester and to see these ladies grow into lovely new sisters!

Now down for why you're actually here: My OOTD & FOTD.

Dollar Store Haul!

$1 Store Haul!

Last night I had to make a run to the dollar store to pick up some things I needed for the house, so while I was there, I went a little crazy in the beauty section and picked up quite a few things. I love my dollar store because they'll carry elf, milani, and other brand items! Granted most of these items are off brand or drugstore, its still quality items for only a dollar!

Eyes:

I have been LOOKING for these trios from L.A. Colors for like FOREVER since I picked up the Orchid trio about a year ago. I've featured the Orchid trio in multiple FOTD's because I really do love it, and I wanted to try a couple more but haven't been able to find it. Imagine how excited I was when I came across these trios in the dollar store! I immediately grabbed the first one I saw which was Water Lily trio. It has this pretty blue-green color, a pretty lavender color, and a lovely light blue. I can't wait to use it and test out some looks! The other trio I picked up was the color SunFlower. Its a really neutral trio with a deep brown color, a rust color, and then a light gold highlight. It's going to be awesome to use as another everyday look alongside the Orchid trio. L.A. Colors has a WIDE variety of colors with these trios and I'm hoping to run into a few more soon!

The Wet Brush Vs. Tangle Teezer

The Wet Brush Vs. Tangle Teezer

Round 1: FIGHT!

Please note: I bought both of these products with my own money, and these opinions are all my own.

The Wet Brush

Firstly, lets talk about how it looks:

My Wet Brush is green and has a really smooth texture. When my hairdresser handed this brush to me and told me to brush my hair in the shower/when my hair was wet I was definitely looking at her sideways.

So when I took it home it sat on my dresser unused for a long time. I've been using it much more recently now though in the bath when I have conditioner in my hair. The bristles are sooo soft and they give way to knots and overall is a very gentle brush. When I'm running it through my hair it is very easy and gets the tangles out without pain and without all the tugging I was doing before. It also helps work conditioner out of my hair and when I get out of the shower I feel like my hair is smooth and soft.
The one qualm I have with the brush is that I feel like since the bristles give way so much that my hair doesn't get brushed through thoroughly all the time. But overall, I like this brush a lot and its currently in my shower.

A bit of a rant blog today...

... and it has to deal with the blogging community and social media

Today is a bit of a rant blog, and I'm seriously sorry about this but there have been a few things that have been seriously irritating me about a few things within this community.

Overall, I love it. I feel like I've made quite a few friends and I enjoy reading these blogs. But there are always just a couple bad seeds, ya know?

Where I'm at now

Weight Loss & What I'm Doing To Get Healthy

Post 3 of 3:

A little post on how much I've lost & how its going overall.

So far I've lost 13 pounds.
Well, since the last time I got on a scale I've lost 13 pounds. I make a conscious effort to not step on the scale everyday and to just weigh myself once a week, usually on Saturday, and before I've done any of my morning activities. Although in the new apartment I can't actually weigh myself because I don't have a scale. I think I'll just wait to weigh myself again when I go back to my Grandparents house. (in over a week)

Weight Loss Goals~!

Weight Loss & What I'm doing to get healthy

Post 2 of 3

Today I'm gonna chat about my weight loss goals.

And show embarrassing pictures of me staring down at the scale in disappointment.

Goals:

Short term: My only goal is to lose 20lbs before my cousins wedding in the beginning of November. I'm in the wedding party and I'm terrified I'm going to be the chunky one in the group. I mean I probably still will be but at least I'll be 20 lbs lighter. AND, being 20 lbs lighter puts me at 170lbs. Which for me is a great first goal.

Long term: I'd love to get back down to less than 160lbs. Putting me at 150-159lbs. This is the weight I find most ideal for myself and appropriate for myself to maintain. At this weight I can feel most confident in myself and achieving this goal will feel amazing. I am not tall, and I know that this weight is high for people of my stature, but I am built like a workhorse. I didn't get hit by a car and have the ability to walk away by not being built like a workhorse. I have always been heavier and have a stockier build than other women. So putting myself through hell trying to reach an unattainable goal is doing nothing but torturing myself and lowering my self esteem.

Overall, I would LOVE to be able to wear a bikini again.
I want to be able to be confident enough in my body to walk out in a bikini again. I know everyone has a bikini body by just putting a bikini on their body, but feeling confident about that body under the bikini is a big part of looking sexy in said bikini.

If you don't feel confident, you wont look confident. And confidence is sexy.

BIKINI HERE I COME. I WANT TO PUT YOU ON MAH NEW CONFIDENT SEXY BODY.
Also since when was a size 14 considered plus size and why are all the 'plus-sized' swimsuits awful? I wanna look cute, not like my Grandma. (ps. love ya grams! <3)

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-Jenn

When is the right time to start a YouTube Channel?

This isn't a normal blog post about when the perfect time to start a YouTube channel is: I'm posing a question to current/future/past youtubers.

When is the right time to start a YouTube Channel?

I'm one of those people who doesn't commit to something unless I know I can do it wholeheartedly and with the intention of keeping it up. I think a few prerequisites questions are necessary to start a channel. And heres my list of "omg what ifs..."

• Proper channel name - should I keep it the same as my blog or change it?
• Should the content be the same as what I post about on the blog, or should it be something related but not the same?
• How often should I vlog vs. how often would people actually want to see updates?
• In a slew of other bloggers & vloggers, is there really a way to stand out? (I mean, besides your personality)
• Should I have stuff prerecorded just in case I fall behind?
• My interests are varied, so is that a good or bad thing? (ex: I love beauty and fashion, but also enjoy videogames and comic books)
• What to record with (iPhone, digital camera) and what editing software is easiest to use?
• Do I honestly have the time to dedicate to this?

I do feel like the blogging community is an accepting one, but these are just some of the questions running through my mind as I try to figure out whats best for me.

I know people say to just "jump right in..." but thats not my personality. I'm an overplanner and I like to have most of my details down before I even start. Not saying I don't have any spontaneity, but I am saying that in the preplanning stages I like to cover my bases.

Anyway, if you will have/have/did have a YouTube channel, let me know in the comments how you approached it. I'd seriously appreciate all the details.

And as always, you can stalk me via social media:

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-Jenn

Fiancee finally moved + impromptu date!

This past Friday my fiancee finally made the permanent move from New York City to Florida. He didn't come in until late Friday night and we went out with my parents to Quarterdeck where he ate the greasiest burger I think I've ever seen with fried pickles.
Its like literally torture for someone on a 1200 calorie a day diet, with no calories left to eat that day! Its the last burger he's going to eat in quite a while because all I cook now is healthy food! Haha!

Saturday though was my Grandmas big estate sale for her friend so Will, Chris, and I volunteered to help. They didn't particularly need all three of us, and we ended up taking my Grandmas van and loading Chris's two suitcases and his big ol' box + some other stuff into the car and trekking it up to the apartment. Once we got back though we dropped the van back off and headed home. We unpacked both of his suitcases and started his laundry. (Some spices his Mom had packed in his bag for him had exploded and everything smelled delicious)

By the time we got everything unpacked we were exhausted and I was not in the mood to cook dinner, and neither was he. We decided to go on an impromptu date to Ruby Tuesdays so I hopped in the shower and threw this look together.

Two Week Apartment Update + Wifi Issues

Its already been two whole weeks?!

No seriously, its been two weeks since I've moved into my new apartment. There are boxes everywhere still, and Chris doesn't get in until tonight so we'll still have to unpack all of his things. On the bright side though, the kitchen is unpacked & organized, the living room is how we like it, and the dining room is coming along nicely! We went grocery shopping the other day and got food for the week. I think this week I'm going to bring back the Tuesday staple of Taco Tuesday. 
So basically, my rooms craziness is contained to just my room and I still haven't attempted to start my closet yet.

AND I FINALLY HAVE WIFI. So here's the story.

I'm wearing WHAT...?!

I'M WEARING WHAT...?!

Pants. Yes, pants.

To those of you who know me, you are seriously surprised because I only wear pants every once in a blue moon. Well, apparently a blue moon is tonight because I've got not only JEANS but SKINNY JEANS on.

To be honest I never thought I'd fit in these pants again. But, I do! They are still a bit tight, but wearable nevertheless. They are a darker denim and I've paired them with a colorful top. For my hair I've just done a simple hairstyle and paired it with simple makeup. I find going to work all glammed up to be a bit overkill. All I do all day is stare at code and the only people who notice are my co workers, who are already in shock that I've decided to wear pants. Please ignore my sandals: I had a charlie horse in my calf last night that left my leg aching for the majority of the day. (I actually left the house in my slippers!)

Moving Weekend - Update!

As you guys may know, this past weekend was absolutely crazy! I spent the entire weekend moving and hauling things 45 minutes away to my new apartment. I overall got so much done this weekend it was crazy.

Saturday:

We ended up having a really late start on Saturday. It was monsooning outside and nothing would be packed into the car. Chris and I had a late breakfast, and then Will came over and we loaded the car full of stuff to trek it back to the apartment. We basically spent all day Saturday running to and from the apartment and packing so much stuff into the car/apartment that we were exhausted. We did however end up taking my bed apart and removing the mirror off the back of the dresser. 

Sunday:

T-minus 1 week until move day!

It is exactly 1 week until I move from my childhood home to my new apartment! Oh my goodness I'm so excited but severely unprepared for this move! I feel like I dont even know where to start with the packing. I was supposed to start cleaning out my room last weekend, but I never actually got around to it. (my best friend moved back home, read here)

I know most people are probably a lot farther along than I am at this point, but I guess I need help. Or I just need a list of how to tackle my room, with my closet being a major part of it. Haha!

I'm still anxious and definitely more than a bit nervous about the whole move. But I'm also excited and looking toward the future that I'm building for myself. It is time for me to step out on my own, and although this is one of the more terrifying things to do. I'm ready.

We sign the papers next friday, and I'm hoping to get the kitchen and dining room done. It'll be a bonus if we can start the bedroom closets and organizing that (what I know will be) a mess. On Saturday is the day we move all the furniture, we're getting a big truck and hauling furniture from our respective homes. Asking for volunteers from anywhere we possibly can. ;) Sunday will hopefully result in us getting everything else in order and then another crazy week starts. My final project is due for my class next week but I have a final the wednesday after I move in. Eep!

These next few weeks will probably be nuts, but oh well, here we go~!

-Jenn