Love is not a whisper or a weakness. Love is strong.

So I completely rocked the kitchen tonight.  Clean Shepherds Pie.    I'm blogging the recipe so I don't forget the amazingness of it.  Here goes:

Ingredients -

2 small (or 1 large) sweet onions

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon oregano 

2 teaspoons cumin 

Salt and Pepper 

1 lbs Ground Turkey Breast (99% fat free)

1 bag frozen mixed veggies (ex: corn, green beans, lima beans, carrots, etc.) 

2.5 Sweet potatoes 

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup no sugar added almond milk 

Worcestershire sauce  

2 tablespoons tomato sauce 

1 cup red wine (I used shiraz this time)

EVOO

1.  Slice the onion thinly and caramelize in a pan with EVOO while cooking the sweet potatoes.  I baked my sweet potatoes in my convection oven at 425 for 1 hour.  In case you've never caramelized onions before, it is super easy. It just takes a while so you have to have patience.  I like to get the onions started over high heat for about 3-4 minutes and then cook them over low heat for about 30-40 minutes.       When the onions are done place them aside.  Also, peel the sweet potatoes after they have cooled enough to handle. 

2.  When the onions are done, cook the ground turkey with the spices.  When the ground turkey is browned add the wine, 1 cup of the chicken stock, garlic, tomato sauce, and worcestershire sauce.  As far as how much worcestershire to use, I just tossed some in until I thought it was enough. So just go with what you like!    Let simmer for 5 minutes and then toss in that bag of mixed veggies and onions.  Allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit.  

3.  While the filling is simmering take the peeled sweet potatoes in a bowl and add 1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup almond milk, and some salt.  I used my immersion blender to mix it all together.  

4.  Add filling to glass casserole dish and top with the sweet potato mix.  Pop in to the over at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (to allow the sweet potatoes to brown).  

I'm telling you, I couldn't get over how fantastic it was.  There is absolutely nothing bad about this recipe.  Clean and delicious, can't ask for much better!  This makes 5 servings at around 300 calories per serving.  Nom nom nom.  

This girl is on fire. Looks like a girl, but she's a flame.

Well I guess you saw this one coming.  The obligatory last day of the year post recap.  You'll get over the cheesiness of it. ;)

What a year this has been.  What a year!

How incredibly different things can be after one year.  I finished a masters, drove across country a few times, got a new job, and made a pretty big move.  It sure was nice to not have any finals or papers to write this December (but not nice enough to not go back for that third diploma in a few years)!

I feel like I've been flying by the seat of my pants.  I still can't believe this is my life.  The adventures I've had (and plan on continuing) have been pretty insane.  There have been lots of ups this year, and lots of downs too.  The end of 2011 was full of hope for the unknown.  I had no idea what I'd be doing 6 months later.  Hope for the unknown is a wonderful feeling, until push comes to shove and all of a sudden you have two degrees and no job.  Then it gets a little scary....Then it all magically works out, and everyone lives happily ever after.  Except, scratch the happily ever after.  

You idealize what you want for so long and then it finally comes, and it's never what you think it will be.  Life is what you make it.  So I'm going to make it great.  I'm at this weird crossroad of finding myself as a real adult.  Coming in 2013 "Lisa the real adult!" Weiiiiiiirrrrrddddd.   Ive been watching these sitcoms about 20somethings in America, and I'm ready for this 20something's life to start being like those sitcoms.

I was rereading the year's resolutions.    I didn't floss everyday this year, but I did floss more than ever before, so that's a success!  I got that job teaching high school band.  I. teach. high school band.  Craziness.  I never did get to run a race with a friend.  Maybe this year I should just commit to run a race period.  I'm not sure about any resolutions for 2013.  I plan on getting more involved with my church.  I'm hoping to make more friends here doing that.  Yesterday I went to the Bikram yoga studio here.  It's the first time I've done yoga since moving to Houston, and I'm am very excited to make that a part of my routine again.  I'm planning on going everyday before school starts.  I think it will help put me in a good frame of mind to start the new year.

(Oh! Side note!  I got a juicer for Christmas!  Wahoo! I've been wanting one for a while.  I've been a juicing queen since I got back to Houston.  My fridge is stocked to the brim with spinach, kale, celery, beets, pineapple, apples, and grapefruit.)

What was your favorite part of 2012?  I'm not sure if I can pinpoint one favorite part of the year.  It sure did leave me with some moments I will remember forever.  Hiking Snowbird, sitting on the front porch of friend's houses in Salt Lake (yes, they do that in places not the South), the movers losing my stuff for 6 weeks, and countless nights with good food and good people.  

Well here's to 2013!  A year full of health, love, good thoughts, great relationships, and helping others.

Am I doing the right thing?  What am I living for?  Why am I doing this?  What will this mean for the future?  How can I do this better?

Questions I ask myself all the time.  It's so easy to get caught up in everything happening in the world that I forget why I ever wanted to be a teacher. You think you have a clue, and really you have no idea.

OK.  That's enough of my philosophical thoughts.  I booked a flight to Salt Lake City for Spring Break!  I am STOKED.  SO excited.  Going to be in Utah for a week.  Snowbird!!!!

Tomorrow is the last day of the semester, and I feel like there is still so much more to do.  I've still got to pick out some music and make copies to pass out at the beginning of next semester.  I'm so excited to have the next two weeks off.  I'm going to attempt to figure out how to play the clarinet again while I'm home in Alabama.  I've got two reeds and I'm ready to go!  Should be interesting.

I keep meaning to sit down and write a longer post, but I get started and then I just get exhausted.  SO I guess that means it's bed time.

Sweet dreams world.

It's the final countdown...

Down to the last week of my first semester in this world as a teacher.  

This year has been intense. I don't really know how 2013 will measure up after everything that has happened.  I'm sure something completely unexpected will happen to liven up the year.  

I miss the mountains. Especially right now when it is snowing there and it's raining and 70 degrees here.  I can't wait to go out West for Spring Break and ski my butt off.  It'll be so great to see my friends too.  Man is it hard to be the new girl in town.  It was hard that first year in Salt Lake, but this might be harder.  At least at the U I was surrounded by people my age who lived similar life styles.  I'm struggling to find a life outside of what I do.  I realize the grass is always greener on the other side, but at least in Utah I could escape to a hiking trail or snap on some skis and enjoy the nature alone.  Here I just sit on my couch and watch How I Met Your Mother.  Oh boy, I'm becoming one of those complainers that nobody likes.  That's not going to help me make friends out here.  Sheesh.   

It's funny.  Last night I had no problem going to bed at 10pm, but on a school night I'm having trouble getting to bed at a good hour.   

I've got all of my Christmas shopping done.  I've definitely put a lot more thought in to what I buy everyone this year, but it's also been the first year I've had money to spend on Christmas for folks.  It's been a lot of fun trying to figure out what to get for people.  I hope they like their gifts!  It's been a lot of fun picking things out.  

5 days of school, then it's home to Alabama for a week.  I think I'm going to start brewing beer when I get back to Texas for the last week of the break.  I really want a puppy, but I really don't have the time for a live animal, so I figure a hobby is the next best thing.  We shall see.  

HIMYM

I'm obsessed with How I Met Your Mother.  Too bad Ted, Marshall, Barney, Lilly, and Robyn don't count as real friends and I can't hang out with them in H-town.

I need to make more of an effort when it comes to a social life.   I let little excuses get in my way all the time.  I need to just keep going out and enjoying myself.

This week has been a little insane.  There really must be something in the air.

All I want for Christmas...

So every year I always joke that "all I want of Christmas is you."  You know, like the Mariah Carey song from back in the day?  Well this is the first year that the "you" actually has a face and a name to go with it.  Too bad that won't happen anytime soon!

Well then.

Thanksgiving break.  What a beautiful thing.  A great time to regroup and rethink and finish the next 4 weeks strong.  So much has happened in the last few months.  This year has been a huge year of changes. I constantly overestimate things.  I guess that's better than underestimating. .  Hard to believe how fast the past 4 months have gone by.  I still have a hard time believing I'm a big girl, with a big girl job.  I'm not gonna lie.  It isn't the easiest thing in the world.  I'm excited to get established better in Houston.  It's going to take time to find my place in this new life.  It just hasn't happened as quick as I had hoped.  I'm not the kind of person to test the waters with my big toe;  I like to dive right in and it gets me in trouble sometime.  Right now, I just kind of feel like I'm treading water a little bit.