Mingling in my comfortable Miss Match outfit after the show was over.
This is a repost from my work blog, but it's one of my favorites. I'm still so thankful that I did this. I thought today would be the perfect time to share it again!
I think I’ve mentioned before that I am not the biggest fan of public speaking. When I took Communications 101 in college, it was probably one of the toughest classes for me—but, also one of the most rewarding because it helped me improve in an area that was not my specialty. Sometimes you have to do things that scare you—whether it’s at work, school or in your personal life. Why? It keeps you from being complacent and, usually, you’ll learn something new about yourself to help you conquer future challenges.
One of my favorite clothing stores, Miss Match, asked me and a bunch of other girls if we’d take part in a fashion show they were putting on to raise money for StandUp for Kids. When they first asked me, the answer that came to mind was, “No, thanks!” Walking down a runway in front of strangers? I don’t even like speaking in front of people that I know sometimes! But, I’m also a huge fan of charity and helping people in need. So, I had to do it. The event was last night and I was completely nervous the entire time—until, of course, it was over. Now, I’m so happy that I decided to be a part of something that helped raise awareness for a good cause. Guests of the fashion show were asked to donate new pairs of socks for homeless children and many companies donated their time, products and services to make the event a success.
It was a great feeling, and Jeremy was proud of me for doing it.
Today I urge you to keep doing things that scare you and push your own limits. Who knows—you may end up helping others by doing something that you wouldn't normally do.
A lot of times when I get home from work, I have no idea what I want to cook. And, I'm tired. And hungry. And—well, you get the point. This morning I realized when I left my place that I hadn't taken any chicken or ground turkey out of the freezer to use for dinner. Crap. I hate when that happens. Then I remembered that I have canned chicken and canned roast beef from Costco. Not exactly the same as fresh meat, but I knew I could do something with it.
When I got home, I quickly browsed the internet for recipes using canned roast beef. I didn't find a single thing that caught my eye. It was time to take matters into my own capable hands. I checked the fridge and the pantry and came up with this recipe:
2 cans of the Kirkland roast beef
Baby carrots
Potatoes from the Costco gourmet specialty medley, cut in fours
Can of corn (drained)
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Basil
Paprika
Worcestershire sauce
Plain yogurt
Organic quinoa (optional)
In a large pot, combine the 2 cans of roast beef (INCLUDING the broth), baby carrots and potatoes. Add salt, pepper, oregano, basil, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. Please note that I don't measure seasonings. I just sprinkle a little of each and stir it up. Keep the seasonings nearby so you can add more later if you want! Be sure the carrots and potatoes are submerged in the broth from the roast beef. Cover and allow this to cook over medium heat. Basically, you want to cook it until the carrots and potatoes are soft. After about 15 minutes, you can turn the heat down just a little so the meat doesn't get overcooked and tough. While this is going on, heat up the quinoa, following the instructions on the package. Once the carrots and potatoes are about done, add in the corn. I added about two large table spoons of plain yogurt and mixed it in really well to give it a creamier feel and a nice taste. It was like a stew. Add up to 1 cup water at the end if you don't want it to be as thick.
Jeremy and I ate this over organic quinoa. You could totally eat it on its own, though!
Over the last couple of years, I've become really good at just making up recipes using random things that I have available to me. So, I thought that I should start writing them down. Besides, some of my friends could benefit from a new, quick and easy recipe or two. Enjoy!
i've never been someone to give two hoots about celebrities. literally, i have no idea what the kardashians are up to at this very moment. i mind my own business and watch tv when i remember that shows are even on. but, for some reason, i've been sad about finn from glee (cory monteith) dying since i heard about it. and no, it's not because i think that doing heroine is totally okay, or that i want to idolize someone and make impressionable youths think if they overdose on drugs they will get some grandeur sendoff.
people make mistakes. bad people make mistakes. good people make mistakes. great people make mistakes. i have watched glee since the show started--and they bring light to the fact that people need to just BE NICE. is that so hard to understand? finn represented the "cool kids" and taught people that being nice to everyone was important. i am an avid believer that bullying needs to be stopped. that people need to be aware of the things that happen in school, and that discrimination needs to end.
i understand that some may think because of the way that cory died, he should not have been memorialized on glee in the positive light that was given to him. what i want to ask of those people is... if someone you knew and loved died because they did something that you didn't agree with, would you be any less sad that they were gone? most likely, the answer is no.
