I wish...

• I wish I didn't hold onto material things for sentimental reasons but I do. I attach a memory of a loved one to an object and for some reason I think that if I throw away that possession I will lose that memory of them. I didn't really realize I did this until a few years ago when my grandfather passed away and I wanted to hoard everything of his. I literally slept in his pajamas for weeks afterwards. It was probably unhealthy. But after 3 years, I finally let them go along with a few other things of his I was keeping. After my grandmother's funeral, I kept a peace lily plant that was sent to me by my high school friends alive for over 5 years! It was my "grandmommy plant." (I know, I have issues...)

• I wish I could eat gluten. Some days I wake up and just want to eat at a normal restaurant and order from a normal menu and order something like pancakes, pizza or cheesecake without getting sick.

• I wish I were more organized. I blame my messiness on my right-brain. I am 100% right brained... in fact, I'm pretty sure the left side of my brain is probably just still more of my right brain. I don't think I got any left brain when God designed me. But can I just say that I'm happy my side is purple? (Geaux Tigers!)

• I wish I read more books. Let me clarify, I wish I FINISHED the books that I start. My husband has hundreds of books. He has a room in our home dedicated to his books. He spends most of his time in his library pouring of different books. And when he's not reading a new book, he's telling me about the one he just finished reading. I, on the other hand, get bored reading a magazine. I need one with pictures... lots of pretty pretty pictures.

• I wish I were more disciplined, had more self-control and more motivation. My laid back nature is refreshing in so many ways but in other ways it is 100 lb rock around my ankle tying me down.

• I wish I was a baller. I wish I was a little bit taller. (Sorry, I couldn't resist going back old school a little bit. If you have no clue, click here.)

• I wish I were more business savvy. This last year, I quit my full time desk job and started doing my passion, my true love - photography. I love the people side of this job and the creative side but like every job, there is a business side. I am slowly learning how to prepare my taxes and keep up with mileage and organize my receipts etc. This is where being more organized might come in handy. :)

• I can WISH all I want to about the life I want or personality traits I WISH that I had but above all, I hope, pray and wish that I appreciate the life that God gave me. It might not be perfect but it's our life and I love it! :)

Heeee's baaaack!

Remember this face?

JoJo (aka Harvey) is back at the Buie's Zoo. This news was both disheartening and a little bit exciting for us. Of course, we were thrilled to have this little guy in our home again but the reason why he's back is beyond saddening. What we thought was his forever home, did not turn into that. They only kept him about 6 months before surrendering him back into the C.A.R.E. program.

Without going into too much detail, the reasons for surrendering JoJo had a lot to do with his protective nature. JoJo is an Australian Shepherd mix and his Aussie nature is definitely apparent in just about every aspect. He is lively, energetic, eager to learn, eager to please, obedient and super smart! The Aussie is a working dog and most definitely needs a job to do. It is in their nature to herd and protect. In JoJo's case he was in a home with young children which he was great with but when NEW people would come over he would bark incessantly, probably trying to protect his own family. Due to the nature of the former owner's job (their business was run out of their home), new people were coming over everyday.

Though JoJo has never shown signs of aggression, he definitely needs to be in a family that would be willing to work with him daily. I just KNOW that with the right family, a little training and lots of love he would be the perfect pup! He needs DAILY exercising and he must have a job to do to truly feel instinctively fulfilled. If I could pick a dream home for him, he would be a ranch dog with wide open spaces and plenty of sheep and cattle to herd. He is 100% house trained. He knows several basic commands such as SIT, STAY, SPEAK, and he will "kennel up" with no problem if you give him a small treat for a reward. :)

Please read JoJo's bio for more information. If you are interested in adopting JoJo or finding out more information about him, please contact Central Arkansas Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.) They handle all of the adoptions. I do not work for C.A.R.E. I am just a volunteer foster. Feel free to pass along this blog post to anyone who might be interested in adopting him.

*side note: the home JoJo was in these past 6 months called him by the name given to him by C.A.R.E. which is JoJo so we are going to do our best to call him this since he recognizes his name and comes when called, etc. But it will be hard since deep down we know he is a rough and tumble "Harvey." hehe. :) Sometimes I find myself calling him that still...

mini spinach frittatas

I haven't shared a recipe on our blog in quite some time and I'm not sure why. It's no secret that I live with an amazing chef. Ok, he's not an actual chef but he's my personal chef and that is all that matters, right? ;) Buie is all the time cooking up something. Since he manages a bookstore, he often (and I DO mean OFTEN) brings home new cookbooks and cooking magazines for new recipes to try. I love it! I don't HATE to cook. In fact, I have a few of my favorite dishes I have somewhat perfected, including my gluten free gumbo, but I step aside when Buie is ready to cook. For instance, right now, I am on my laptop blogging away and where is he? Cooking. This is AFTER he already cooked a delicious flank steak for my parents tonight. His only request is that I keep him company while he cooks. Therefore, here I sit at the breakfast table, blogging and admiring his handiwork. (Please excuse the pictures. I just snapped them with my iPhone. I promise they taste SO much better than they look in these pics!)

Here is a recently discovered recipe that I literally cannot get enough of: mini spinach frittatas. These bite size frittatas are easy to make and have become a staple in our household. They make for a quick breakfast if you are running out the door or a healthy alternative for a snack to tied you over until dinner. If you have kids, these would be great to make to protein to their diet. One serving has 10g of protein.

Recipe by Nancy Statkevicus | Tucson, AZ found at www.tasteofhome.com

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2/3 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

24 slices pepperoni

• In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Place a pepperoni slice in each of 24 greased miniature muffin cups. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with the cheese mixture.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until completely set. Carefully run a knife around edges of muffin cups to loosen. Serve warm

Nutrition Facts: 3 mini frittatas equals 128 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 50 mg cholesterol, 396 mg sodium, 4 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein.

We ALWAYS double this recipe because they go so quickly in our house. They also freeze nicely. Enjoy! If you end up making them, let me know how you like them. I would be interested to know if kids like them, too. I would think they would since they have the pepperoni on the bottom. Maybe I'll have to let my niece and nephew try some. :)

the love of a great man.

It's Valentine's Day in the world or at least in the Western world where most of society believes in overindulging in little candied hearts, red balloons and filling up on sugar. I'm not much on the commercialization of holidays (unless I can get crafty with it). Alas, this year I did nothing crafty...unless you consider buying a Hallmark card crafty. Now before you judge me and call me a scrooge, please understand I have no objections to the holiday devoted to love. But honestly, I don't expect my husband to do or act any differently than he does the other 364 days out of the year. If Buie only expressed his love once a year, I don't think he would be the man for me.... and more than that, if Buie expressed his love for me in chocolate candies and overpriced flowers I would feel seriously unloved.

• I know I am loved every time he calls me at work on his lunch break just to check in with me.
• I know I am loved when he brings home my favorite magazine from work (he works at a bookstore) just because he was thinking about me.
• I know I am loved when he takes care of me when I'm sick.
• I know I am loved with each meal he cooks for me - which is a lot by the way. He does most of the cooking in our house. :)

Yes, I know I am loved. I don't need hearts, flowers, and chocolate...but it SURE doesn't hurt. ;)

Happy Valentine's Day! No matter who you are celebrating this day with, know you are loved. 1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.

Ramblings of one proud auntie.

These days I have been filling in at my old job. It has been good for the soul to see my old work buddies. I am reminded that there IS a life outside my four walls of my home office from time to time and it's good to talk to real human beings during the day while Buie is as work instead of making small talk with Conner, Scooter, Hazel and Charlie.

My most FAVORITE human beings (beside my amazing husband of course) are my niece and nephew. I love getting to spend time with them! I see Landon a bit more than Makaylan only because of geographic location but in my heart they both hold a special place.

This year my brother's families will be adding to my addiction of these little people. That's right, people, BOTH of my sister-in-laws are pregnant. Makaylan is having a little sister in July and Landon will be welcoming a baby brother this coming April! Oh I'm so looking forward to Spring! Last Christmas we had TWO kids! Christmas 2012 we will have FOUR kids running around. Cannot wait!

Looking up

Several weeks ago I wrote about my health. My health has been a normal topic of discussion in our household and amongst my family members in the last 5 years or so. I've come along way since being diagnosed in 2007 with Celiac Disease but lately I have been suffering from some not-so-fun consequences of the illness.

This past fall I switched doctors and was retested in many areas. I (following my dr's advice, of course) am concentrating on trying to improve upon these four main areas:

Vitamin D Deficiency: Things are looking up! yay! I've been vitamin D deficient for many years but thank goodness things are turning a corner. Normal vitamin D levels are between 50-70 ng/mL. My doc said he'd like to see my levels around 65 or 70. This past fall my vitamin D levels tested around 20. No bueno. :( This week they retested and I'm at 40! They upped my dosage from 10,000 units to 15,000 units/per day so hopefully I'll be in the 70's in no time. I'm thinking a little beach vacay with plenty of sunshine might just get me to the normal levels. :)

Candida Yeast: I am still doing a yeast free diet.... 99% of the time. I'll admit that I regularly sneak in a cup of coffee (or 2) per week but overall the yeast free diet is helping a lot. The main difference I've noticed is my face has really cleared up. My muscles aches and pains have eased up some and my cravings for sugar has decreased dramatically. I'll be staying on this yeast free diet for a little bit longer. I may just have to find a gluten free king cake for Mardi Gras though and have a cheat day. ;)

Thyroid: I'm still having some thyroid issues but my numbers are getting better....slowly.

Adrenal Gland: I haven't been retested on this yet. I still get really exhausted and feel fatigued most of the time but this probably is because my vitamin D levels are still low.

So why am I giving you a complete medical history? Believe me, it is definitely NOT conclusive, but I do want to record my progress along the road. Hopefully one day all of my lab tests will be 100% normal. I can look back and read about my journey of how far I've come physically and it will all be worth it! :)