Apple Pie

Yesterday was my boyfriend's birthday. I know he isn't a fan of cake so I asked him what he would like to eat. Why, pie, of course!

The finished pie!

I haven't made pie of any sort since high school. Last time I tried I used pre-made filling with homemade crust. The crust was really bland. This time I went for homemade filling with pre-made crust. It turned out pretty darn good!

For the filling I peeled six granny smith apples and cut them into small slivers. The dogs were begging at my feet so I fed them some spare slices and parts of the peel. We have some apple trees in the backyard so in the warmer months the dogs are always eating fallen apples. They can't resist! Once the apples were all peeled and sliced I added about 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to the apples.

I used a deep-dish frozen pie crust to save on time. To top the pie I cut the edges off of a second pie crust and brushed it with a mix of rice milk and sugar. I tend to use rice milk when I bake because we always have so much on hand. I baked the pie at 350 F for an hour and a half.

A closer look at the pie. Sorry it's so dark.

It turned out pretty yummy! I don't like how the collapsed the top of the pie was, but the filling was delicious and we both really like the flavor of the crust.

Losing Progress

I feel like over the past few weeks I have become significantly less flexible. Now, this is completely understandable if I were a couch potato. However, I have been working out quite often. I have three-hour long dance classes twice per week, and also try to go to the rec center on campus or work out at home two or three other times per week.

From stock.xchng

Despite all this I have actually gained a few pounds (I don't think it's muscle mass, either. My tum tum sticks out quite a bit) and can no longer do movements that once came so easy to me. I feel a definite tightness in all of my movements, ranging from the mermaid pose to a simple standing pike pose. The thought of attempting the splits in this condition makes me cringe!

I wonder if this is the result of one of two things: a) not doing enough post-workout stretching. I made an effort to stretch more afterwards tonight. b) not working on my flexibility often enough. Surprisingly my dance classes don't have much focus on flexibility so I'm really left on my own to work on stretching. This means I only do intense flexibility work two or three times per week (when I'm on top of my game, that is).

On the other hand I am seeing significant progress in my ab strength. At the beginning of the semester I struggled with the series of 110 crunches. Now I can breeze through the 220 series of crunches and still be ready for more.

Guess What I Finally Did??

After putting it off for weeks due to a lack of free time I finally got around to setting up my sewing machine this afternoon! I guess if I had opened the box before going to the fabric store I would have known that the machine comes with bobbins. I read through the entire manual very carefully and played with all the buttons to know how things work. I started winding a bobbin only to realize that the very cheap thread I had bought for sewing my ballet shoes ages back kept fraying, tangling, and breaking. I guess I'll have to go to the fabric store tomorrow for thread.

So much clutter!

Now since I have so many little accessories I need a way to store and organize everything. I think once I get new thread tomorrow I'll try to make a simple bag to throw everything in. I found a site that has hundreds of bag tutorials ranging from complex clutches to simple beginner bags for people like me. Take a look at it here.

A Healthy Trip To The Grocery Store

It seems as if two of my goals are incongruent: saving money and cooking healthy meals.

I went to the grocery store tonight and picked up a few items. The total came to $24.05. How? I'll break it down here.

Kashi toasted bery cereal: $4.49
Sun Chips: $3.79
Bananas: $1.55
Asparagus: $2.75
Raspberries: $4.89
Red grapes: $6.58

We clearly love our fruits and veggies. But they're so expensive! In years past I always said 'well, fruits aren't THAT expensive. You can get bananas for just 60 cents per pound!' However, when buying so much produce in such quantities it does add up quick. I've heard that Aldi sells produce for cheap (at a loss to the store, actually) but that the quality can be really awful depending on the day of the week.

Tonight I made a wonderful dinner of ham steak and asparagus. It was really fast to prepare and super delicious!

Valentine's Day Part 2

Often the meaning of Valentine's Day gets diluted. It's usually passed off as a commercial holiday, something that's created by Hallmark and candy companies to make money. Those in relationships become tense wondering what gift to buy that is special enough—diamonds, candy, flowers, stuffed teddy bears—what is grand enough to show one's love? The single group dismisses it entirely, or proclaims that it's really Single's Awareness Day. Valentine's Day is a true holiday, but all too often everyone forgets the simplicity behind it: love. It's not just love for a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. It's love for every relationship in our lives. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brother, grandparents, and best friends.

I just want to take a few minutes to recognize how much I love everyone in my family.

To my dad. I appreciate all the help you've given me in coping with the aftermath of my accident. A few days after we were on the phone and I was very upset. You said, 'cheer up, sweetie.' That simple phrase made me cry, and thinking about it now I could swear someone is chopping onions next to me. I know we rarely hug, and I don't know the last time we said 'I love you'...but I do love you. You're a wonderful dad. You're my dad.

To my mom. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of us sitting together in your office, eating popcorn, and watching Roseanne. Story time meant so much to me. Hopefully we can do it again soon.

To my sister. I tell you everything. You tell me everything. We can be on the phone for an hour doing nothing but washing dishes and folding laundry. I may complain about it eating up my minutes but you know I love talking to you.

To my oldest sister. I feel like I haven't been a good sister to you in the past few years. I only see you on special occasions. I never talk to you on the phone. I want to change that. You're a wonderful woman. You're amazing for raising four beautiful children. I love you, and I want to be close like we were as kids.

To my brother. You were the best little brother a girl could ask for. Just a few days ago I was thinking about all the crazy games we played as kids. I love you. Though I'll still kick your butt at Crash Team Racing. 

Valentine's Day Part 1

The bouquet I got yesterday! Please pardon the messy kitchen. 

My boyfriend gave me a bouquet of roses yesterday afternoon. Mixed in with the bouquet is one white calla lily which is my favorite flower. Tonight when I get home from dance class we're going to have a spaghetti dinner.

It doesn't sound like much, but it is quite special for us. Why? Last year he gave me the exact same bouquet and made me spaghetti dinner. I still have the bouquet sitting on the mantle downstairs! 

The bouquet I got last year. Some of the flowers were too wilted when I got around
to drying, but I managed to save about half of them! 

I Guess It's An 'Easy' Way To Make Cash

Today I got my first bit of income since my accident. Since I have a new car I was able to get back to work delivering pizzas. I'm hoping to find a new job soon because I really don't want to put my new car through the stresses of delivery. Also, I made some cash by selling my old car to a salvage yard.

My old 97 Civic. Poor thing!

Here's the view from the back. The clothes I had in the trunk ended up scattered on the highway. 

For the past several months I had toyed around with the idea of buying a new car. When I set my new year's resolution to save money I had 'save for a car' in mind. However, I wasn't planning on making the leap for another six months to a year. See, I have a nasty confession: I was pretty reckless with my spending in the past several months. I spent a lot of money on nonessentials such as nail polish and takeout food. As a result I had no money saved up for this. The down payment plus cost of insurance hit me pretty hard.

Now I'm left saving in reverse. Instead of cutting back on spending, saving up a couple grand, and then buying a car, I am now forced to cut corners on spending wherever possible to keep my bank account in tact while building up savings for potential disasters in the future.

This entire ordeal reiterates the importance of having emergency funds stowed away.

Teaching My Own Workout Class

The dance classes I'm taking this semester are one-level-suits-classes. There's an even mix of true beginners, people who have some cheer or minimal dance experience, and a few of us who have danced for years before. I wouldn't call myself skilled or experienced in any sense. While I have had a few years of experience I still focus on basic technique rather than complex choreography.

My boyfriend makes fun of me for 'only' using 5 lb weights.

On the first day of class a fellow classmate noticed I had prior experience...and asked me to help him!

So yesterday we met at the recreation center for a workout. I led him through a series of crunches, push ups, yoga poses, ab exercises, and dance technique. I was sweating by the end of it, and am still feeling the burn today. A few times other students came into the area and asked if we were holding a class. This led me to think of how much fun it would be to teach my own class. I'm not certified in anything but I definitely think I have the experience to lead other students. Maybe I could recruit some more workout buddies to join us?

One Less Thing To Stress About

My new car!! I did not take this picture. I got it from the dealer's website.

After an intense four days of car shopping I made my purchase today. I got a 2007 Honda Civic LX. My old car was 1997 Honda Civic and I have been driving a 2011 Honda Civic as a rental. You could say I'm a bit loyal to the brand!

I get to take home my new car tomorrow. I can't wait!

A Brief Update On My Goals

It's been quite some time since I've written a post! A lot of things have happened that I wanted to write about but I simply haven't had the time nor the patience for an update. Things in my personal life have been kind of crazy in the past few weeks. Now I'm hoping to get back on track with my goals and regular blogging.

1. Learn to cook. I've ordered take-out a lot less in the past few weeks and have spent considerably more time cooking for all meals. Just yesterday I made oatmeal blueberry muffins for breakfast. So yummy! I tried potato soup for a second time (will write about this soon!). Also, I started making my tacos with chicken instead of ground beef. My boyfriend prefers to stay away from red meat so trying chicken tacos was a big step for us. However, I feel like our food choices are repetitive. I want to cook new and exciting things.

2. Get in shape. Plenty of good news here! I started taking ballet and modern dance classes at my college. The teacher certainly kicks our butts! Each class session we do a series of 110 crunches, 10 pushups, rowing exercises, and more. At the beginning of each month we add on to each movement. Since it is now February we will be doing oh...150 crunches, I believe? I would still like to do more work at home on my own.

3. Save money. About two weeks ago I went to the dentist. She recommended extensive dental work. I had no idea my teeth were that bad! I brush at least twice per day. In addition to that I was hit by an uninsured driver just a few days ago which totaled my car. Now I'm looking at $3500 in dentist bills plus the cost of a new car and insurance. Since the start of the year I've been cutting back on reckless spending which means no trips to Ulta on lazy afternoons. I have done some shopping for clothes but bought everything on insane clearance (more on that later!). I really need to kick my penny pinching into high gear. Coupons, here I come!

4. Learn to sew. Can I make an itsy bitsy confession? That super amazing sewing machine that 'Santa' got me for Christmas is still in the box. Oops. Sorry, Mom.

The past month has been absolutely chaotic for me. It's been nothing but tragedy, stress, and worry since my return from Mexico. Hopefully the year only goes up from here, and hopefully I can find time to actually start sewing!

P.S. I PROMISE my next post won't be so text-laden.