Worst Week Ever

and it isn't over yet.

This last week has been by far the worst week of my life. My dog, Jade became really ill on Monday evening after passing a very bloody stool. I will spare you the gory details. Then Wednesday morning at about 5:30am, my mom's dog Chloe had a seizure. This has been a bad week for puppies :-(

Jade has been hospitalized since Monday at the NCSU Veterinary Hospital and they have stabilized her and finally gotten control of the bleeding. she has had a blood transfusion which has brought her red blood cell count back up to normal. All tests have come back negative, so today they are preparing her for an endoscopy to see what else might be going on. It is currently looking like she will finally come home on Saturday.

For those of you who don't know, Jade is a huge part of my life. I moved home from my college dorm after one semester because I missed her so much. She means more to me than just about anything. The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster. I haven't been able to focus on anything, I haven't eaten much, and I haven't worn make up. I have had many sleepless nights. For some people this kind of attachment to a pet is unfathomable, but for me, Jade isn't "just a dog". She is my heart, my family. Every moment she suffers, I suffer. If she can't eat, I can't eat. Until she comes home, neither of us will be okay.

Hearty Oat Loaf Recipe

Everyone who knows me knows I love carbs. The Atkins diet is definitely not for me. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. I did make an error while baking this bread though: the oven was 50* too high. Oops. I cooked the bread about 1/2 the time, and it was a little dry.. but butter fixed that. I would make it again, but with the right temperature setting. 

Hearty Oat Loaf

Taste of Home Everyday Light Meals 

Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats, divided 

1/4 cup sugar 

3 teaspoons baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1 egg 

1-1/2 cups fat-free milk 

3 tablespoons canola oil 

"In a large bowl, combine the flours, 1/2 cup oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Spread batter into an 8 or 9in round baking pan coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining oats. 

Bake at 350* for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Serve warm. 

Yields 1 loaf (10 wedges)

Nutrition Facts: One Serving (1 slice) equals: 

229 calories 

6 g fat 

22 mg cholesterol 

272 mg sodium 

38 g carbohydrate

3 g fiber 

7 g protein"

Compromising to be Mr&Mrs

Let's face it, relationship are full of compromise. Spencer and I have this bizarre ability to agree on all of the major aspects of life: family, money, education, politics, etc - but then we disagree on the small stuff: towels, onions, the usefulness of bread makers, china pattern... so essentially anything and everything dealing with our home decor.

So we compromise and find something we BOTH like.

For example, Spencer likes plain white dishes, but they make me fall asleep. Our compromise? We registered for white plates with some character, and I have (almost)full reign to decorate the table with pretty napkins, table cloths, runners, and the occasional salad plate.

We registered for Portmeirion by Sophie Conran (found here). A four piece place setting retails for $71.50 but is on sale for $39.32. Let's hope it stays that way for the next 7 months. Made from porcelain, these plates are durable and can go from the freezer to the oven. And if you hit them on the display, they don't chip... (yes, we both did this multiple times because we are super clumsy). 

Brights and patterns will look so amazing against what I call "vanilla" plates. Here is what I have to spice up the table: 

Twist Wire Napkin Rings - Bed Bath&Beyond $2.99ea

Solid Turquoise Napkin - Pier 1 $3.95ea

Cotton Cloth Napkins - Etsy.com seller CarrottCreations $8 set of four 

What have you and your significant other had to compromise on? 

Visit to Blue Jay

I am trying to get Jade prepared for our move in the spring by bringing her to new places. We are also trying to be more active so she can have a healthier, longer life. She last lost 2lbs!! This might not sound like a lot, but when you start off at 12.5lbs, it is. That is 16% of her body weight. We are doing great.

Today we went to Blue Jay Point Park and walked a trail near the main entrance/play ground. Since the playground is being renovated and it is about 45* out, we basically had the park to ourselves. 

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Save-the-dates!

Our save the dates went out in mid-December as Christmas cards! Another big check off the list :-)

They were ordered from magnetstreet.com which allows you to customize colors. We also got matching return address labels and envelope seals. They looked great, but it took a few weeks for the product to get here. 

Holiday Pretzel Bites and News!

First thing is first: I have decided to stay at my current job for the spring full time beginning in February. I will still be taking about 10 hours of classes in the paralegal program as well. I can totally do this. After the semester is over I will continue to search for a job in the legal field.

Holiday Pretzel Bites
I made these wonderful little pretzel bites to take to Spencer's family Christmas party. They were a big hit and very, very easy to make. Any combo of Hershey kiss flavors and M&M colors/flavors can be used

What you need:
-1 bag grid pretzels
-2 or 3 bags of Hershey Kisses
-1 large bag of M&Ms (can by many of all one color at Popalops in Crabtree or can buy seasonal)
-Parchment paper

1) Preheat oven to 200*F

2) Line a cookie sheet (or 2) with parchment paper cut to size.

3) Place pretzels on cookie sheet with Hershey Kiss on top

4) Place tray in oven for 8 minutes or until chocolate is soft, but not melted.

5) Press M&M into top of chocolate and let sit for an hour or so or the chocolate to harden before placing in bag(s) or in a bowl.

What I learned: 
-Peppermint white chocolate kisses melt much quicker than milk chocolate. Cooking multiple types of chocolate at the same time is a bad idea.
-Even though it might seem like the chocolate will never harden, it will. Just be patient.