Rachel's Wedding!

I had a FABULOUS time this past weekend sharing in the celebration of Rachel and Marshall's wedding!

I traveled up to Madison, Wisconsin to celebrate where it all began. 

I love Rachel and Marshall to death, and couldn't be happier for the two of them to officially start their life together!

What a beautiful couple!

The wedding was AWESOME! And a perfect reflection of who they are, both as individuals and a couple.

 It's tough being the only single in your group of friends.  Makes you feel a little left out.  I'm still so happy for them, of course, but feeling a little left behind. In real life, most weddings are not like those featured in Wedding Crashers, and not a great place to meet someone! So, I'm focusing on how happy I am for my newlywed friends, and remembering that eventually, Carrie Bradshaw got her man.  And I will too.

Other things going on this week: First 10K Saturday! Very nervous, but hoping to get in some good practice for the Labor Day 10K Classic.  And I'm going to try and finish up my bathroom renovation so I can begin working on another part of my home renovation to-do list!

Stay tuned for more updates and insights.

Kitchen Adventures and new recipes

Do you plan your menu for the week?

For a long time, I didn't. It's just me and Sir Alex, and well, he always eats dog food. So I didn't plan what I was going to eat, instead just flying by the seat of my pants.

Well, a few things happened. I forgot to eat dinner a lot of nights. When I did eat, I ate random things out of the freezer. And I spent a FORTUNE on take-out. When they know you at the Mexican place and know what you're going to eat, you're there too much!

So, I started planning my menus for the week. I even made a pretty template to make me want to do it!

Isn't it fun?!

Anyways, in my menu-planning zest, I also decided to try a bunch of new recipes.

I made:

Risotto Primavera- very yummy

Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta

Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

Shrimp Jambalaya

Blackberry Pork Chops

Blackberry Cobbler

All very yummy. But again, it's just me. And these all made for 4-6 people. Note to self- read the recipe. If it calls for 2 pounds of chicken, it's probably gonna make a lot. But then again, it's hard to cook for 1. I mean, 1/4 of an onion. 1 chicken breast? 1 carrot? Not exactly grocery store quantities.

I don't eat leftovers, so I ended up putting things into multiple tupperwares- one for the freezer, one to give away. My neighbor loves me now, since I keep knocking on his door, shoving a container in his hands, and walking away.

I'm considering it a learning experience, and making notes on all the recipes what the proper amounts should be! Once I figure out how to link to the recipes, I'll post them in case you want to try. And have a bigger household.

What new recipes are you trying?

This week, I'm trying: homemade Brunswick stew, gnocchi florentine, and I'm making grilled veggies over whole wheat couscous.

Learning to FLY

Some of you may have heard about FLYLady. She teaches you how to let go of perfection, take control of CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and generally keep your house and life in reasonable order without stressing yourself into Prozac.

I'm on Day 10 of Flying, and I'm fluttering along. I have to admit, I thought it would be a lot of work. But, my kitchen is clean EVERY day, including my shiny sink.

Do you know how nice it is to have a perfectly clean sink? Think about it. If your sink is clean and shiny, the rest of the kitchen seems to be too. And I do it all in about 30 minutes a day when I get home from work.

I started this because I was sick and tired of spending my entire weekend cleaning up the disaster area that my house had become. I was afraid of inviting people over, because then they would see my bedroom was also my closet, and dog drool everywhere.

So, we will see how this goes. Hopefully blogging about it will keep me from falling off the wagon.

If you're interested in FLYing (Finally Loving Yourself), check out http://www.flylady.net/

I Started a Blog!

I've been following several blogs for a while now, especially The Richest Life, and The Ooey Gooey Daily News. After thinking about it for a long time, I've decided to start my own!

Naming something is SOOO hard! I was talking with my friend Nealy, and mentioned I was called Susie Homemaker in high school. Inspiration struck, and the Miss Adventures of Susie Homemaker was born! So thanks Nealy- here's your credit!

I'll be blogging about my adventures as a single gal searching for Prince Charming, as well as my kitchen adventures and life in general.

I hope you keep reading!