Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Liebster Award


I was nominated by my sorority sister Jacki from Wine Down for the Liebster Blog Award!


The Liebster Blog Award is for bloggers with 200 or less followers. Here is how it works:

1. Choose five up and coming blogs to give the award to, must have 200 or less followers.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. List the blogs you gave the award to with links to their sites. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they have received the award.
5. Share five random facts about yourself.

I am going to pass this award along to some of my friends starting out in the blog world:
Rima at Collecting Adventures
Francesca at The Buttery Mushroom
Christina at Cravings of the Heart
Megan at Crazy Beautiful Life
Meghan at MC Squared

Now, here are five random facts about me...
1. I am pursuing a career in Pharmacy. I am attending Wingate University School of Pharmacy in August! I cannot wait to start this new chapter in my life. Pharmacy has always been something that I have been passionate about since I was little. I knew that I wanted to be in the health field but I wasn't sure exactly where.  I knew that I wanted to help people, I loved to cook, and was interested in the chemistry side of medicine. Then my mom started talking to me about a career in pharmacy. It was like all of my passions were blended together into the perfect career. I want to change the world of pharmacy. I want to be more than a face behind the counter. I want to individualize medicine and combine life style, diet, and health history into pharmacy. I know I have a lot of hard work and time to put in but I cannot wait for the next 4 years of my life :) 
WSOP in Wingate, NC
Relay for Life 2012
P.I.L.L.S Pre-Pharmacy Relay 2012 Team

Kelsey(Pre-Optometry), Amanda (Pre-PA) , and Me (Pre-Pharmacy) at Relay for Life
2. I am a Margarita Junkie. I love margaritas. It is something about that cool refreshing tart taste that just relaxes me. It reminds me of long days at the beach with friends, college nights out, and family dinners. I order a margarita at every restaurant that serves them. It is my drink of choice. It is a way of life.

Pre-Graduation drink at my favorite Mexican restaurant
Margaritas before Phi Mu senior bar crawl 
Frozen strawberry margaritas for my birthday!
3. I am a huge football fan. It doesn't help that my dad is an offensive line coach! I have been around football all my life. It just doesn't seem like a saturday without a football game. My dad says that I have the best offensive blocking form he has ever seen ;) 
2010 International Bowl Champions 
My family in Toronto, Canada for International Bowl Game
Me, Amanda, and Jen at an FSU football game
Me and Nicole at an FSU Game


Me and the Garnet and Gold Guys!



4. I am a mountain girl. I would rather live in the mountains than on the beach. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THE BEACH, but I belong in that fresh crisp mountain air. My family has always been an outdoorsy family. Not the hunting and fishing type but hiking and exploring. We have been vacationing in the mountains my entire life. I think that was one of the big reasons why I chose to move to North Carolina for pharmacy school. There is just something about waking up on a mountain with no phone signal, cool breeze on the porch, and all the beautiful green trees surrounding you that just instantly relaxes me. 









5. I am addicted to trash reality tv. I think it is because I am so focused and busy during the day that when I come home to relax I just want to watch nonsense. My friends joke that Bravo is always on my TV. What can I say, I love the Real Housewives! 


I hope you have a great weekend! 


{Body} American Flag Cake


Here is a classic patriotic dish that is easy to make, festive, and yummy! Bring it to a pool party or backyard BBQ! 


American Flag Cake

Ingredients
1 box of your favorite cake mix (I used classic yellow cake mix)
2 containers of cream cheese frosting
strawberries, sliced
blueberries

Directions
1. Prepare cake mix as directed.
2. Cool and frost cake with 1 of the frosting containers.
3. Fill a ziplock bag with the other frosting container. 
4. Wash blueberries and strawberries. Slice the strawberries. 
5. Begin decorating the cake in a flag style. Use the frosting for the white lines between the strawberries.

Enjoy! 


Happy Memorial Day Weekend!


Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

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I hope it is filled with watermelon margaritas, sunny days and cool nights, country music, red white and blue outfits, and good food. 

My neighborhood has 3 pools and they all just opened this weekend! Perfect timing for Memorial Day Weekend. I can't wait to have the pool opened for the hot summer days approaching!

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Texas is all about lovin' your country, family, and beer. So it is only fitting that I celebrate Memorial Day Weekend Texas style with a country concert at Billy Bobs in Fort Worth, TX. Tonight, my family and I  are going to see Joe Nichols. His songs are perfect for a day filled drinking margaritas and at night two stepping. 

Here is one of my favorite songs: Tequila Makes Her Clothes Come Off 


(you should really listen to this by the pool drinking your favorite tequila drink!)

I will miss my friends even more this weekend because we are always about the themed parties. We look forward to holidays just so we can all come together and have a party! We had our fair share of American themed parties and socials. 





Have a great Memorial Day!!! 

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Saturday, May 5, 2012

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

This is by far one of my favorite holidays. I love anything and everything mexican. Its true, most of the dishes I make at home and the drinks I drink are mexican inspired. I am what you call a mexican-junkie.



Over the past couple years, cinco de mayo has become a huge holiday among my friends. Boating, bubba kegs, island hoping, and sun. Its the holiday we look forward to most after a long year of school - Cinco de drinko. Yes, this holiday has a lot of historical meaning but we use it as a celebration of good friends, food, and drinks. Its a holiday were the only stress is running out of limes or getting sunburned. Its a holiday were you just stop and relax. Like I said - it's my favorite.

I hope you all enjoy a fantastic holiday! Eat great food, drink a margarita, and lay in the sun with friends! Here is a recipe to my favorite margarita - the Mandarita. Its perfect by the pool or beach any day of the week!

The Mandarita

Ingredients
1 can of frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate
1 can of tequila
1 can of sprite
Ice (depending on if concentrate is thawed)
Salt
Lime wedges

Directions
1. Empty frozen concentrate into blender. Use empty can to measure tequila and sprite. Add ice if needed.
2. Blend until frothy.
3. Use lime wedge to coat rim of a margarita glass. Coat the rim by dipping the glass into plate with salt.
4. Pour margarita into the glass and enjoy!


This year I am celebrating this wonderful holiday in Texas with my family. My dad and I went to this local mexican meat market called La Azteca. Its a local market that sells mexican products, produce, baked goods and marinated meats. IT IS DELICIOUS. The moment you walk into the market you can smell the freshly baked goods, cilantro, and delicious cooked meats. 





My dad picked up marinated fajita steak and chicken. Tonight, we are making fresh steak tacos on homemade tortillas! We made our own salsa and guacamole too! My little sister Lauren works at Chipotle, and she whipped up some delicious secret recipes, she didn't tell me the recipe so I just had to watch her make it! Sneakyyyy! Below are a loose versions of the classics!

Lauren's (chipotle mock style) Guacamole


Ingredients:
4 Avocados
Cilantro to taste
1 TBS Salt
1 cup Red Onion
1/3 cup Lime Juice

Directions:
1. Put lime juice and salt in the bottom of the bowl before you put in the avocados.
2. Cut the avocados in half and scoop out the inside. Make sure you use ripe avocados!
3. Mince the red onion. Add to the avocado mixture. Mix well.
4. Add cilantro to the mixture and loosely mix in. 
5. Enjoy with some chips and salsa!


Mom's Pico de Gallo


Ingredients:
Roma Tomatoes
Red Onion
Kosher Salt 
Cilantro
Lime Juice

Directions:
1. Seed and dice the tomatoes.
2. Dice the red onion.
3. Chop the cilantro.
4. Add equal parts cilantro, onion, and tomato into a bowl and mix well.
5. Add lime juice and salt to the mixture.
6. Enjoy!


Have a great holiday! Ole!
Amanda