Saturday, December 31, 2011

December 30th


Happy Anniversary!

Ryan and I have now officially been married for two years. It is so crazy how fast time flies by. I love this man so much and I am so lucky to be his wife. I can't imagine my life without him in it. For our day I had to work sadly but when I got home we went out to eat then got shakes afterwards. Then we came home and spent the evening together and watched Cowboys and Indians. It's nice to be able to sit at home and be perfectly happy together without much entertainment.

I love you Ryan and can't wait for the years to come.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Merry Christmas To US!

Ryan and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in Cody with his family. We went Black Friday shopping, saw Breaking Dawn, went to the gas station twice a day to fill up on some much needed caffeinated drinks (even on Thanksgiving Day..) and stayed up past 2am every night as a tired and sleepy eyed family. Thanksgiving was a great day with awesome food and family. I am so blessed to be a part of an amazing family like the Murphys.

Before we left we purchased are one and only Christmas present this year. We didn’t plan on buying a CAR! But…we have been needing 2 cars for a while now and I am not sure how much longer my little white Buick will last. So we drove the 6 hour drive home from Cody, Ryan in the Buick and me driving our new 2005 Chevrolet Equinox! We are happy to say that we are now dirt poor! Life is always so much more fun and interesting when you and your spouse have to live frugally and spend nights together watching movies on the couch and eating Top Roman instead of going out to eat and spending money on date nights. Looks like you are stuck with me now Ryan!


Here it is! Dirty from the snow, wind and drive from Cody but still new to us!



Monday, October 24, 2011

My Favorites

I love these three little girls more than anything and was so glad to spend time with them this past weekend. While my family was visiting my apartment was filled with air mattresses and the girls had mucho fun playing on them. Sofie even found herself a nice comfy hole to sit in.


Planking


More Planking







They truly fill my heart with happiness.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Hooray For New Items!

Ryan and I have been living out of boxes and without a couch since May. It has been miserable. After our 6th move in less than 2 years we decided we would stay here and not move for as long as possible. One day we went to the store (out of boredom) and bought some couches out of the blue. Not my first choice in color but I settled because it was a fantastic deal that we couldn't pass up.

So this is it! Our couches! It took us many many tries to figure out how to fit both them and the TV because the room is so tiny. We finally did it and love it.

Ryan is already settled and relaxed.
In these pictures the couches look a little like sage but they are mocha. More like a dark cream.


I don't even want to take the tags off because I want them to stay new forever. Next project is making pillows from them. Any color suggestions?

P.S
Ryan... now all I need is a zig zag rug!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

I want

I have been dying to buy a zigzag rug! I found one but I don't know what to do. I can get the zigzag and pay a lot or get the blue and grey rug that is on sale. Which one should I get? I was thinking if I got the blue and grey rug I could get a zigzag chair which I also love! But then I would be spending more money anyway. I wish I had lots of money and could buy all the stuff I want. Too bad so sad....


Cheap rug but small size.

Large rug and large price.


Sorry pics are so tiny.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Furnished!

I am finally starting to furnish our apartment. (Keep in mind we are moving so it is a boxy mess) Ryan and I just got back from Utah. We had so much fun. We got to spend time with Kristen, Jason, Mel and Sofie first and did plenty of shopping and eating. Kris and I went to Ikea where I purchased my new kitchen table and chairs! Yay! Even though we are moving in 2 weeks I still had to set it up. I got wicker chairs which I love and a kind of wood table. I can't wait to make a center piece for it as well.


One very sad problem though. We had to take this stuff all the way home with us and in the process the top of the table got a chip. I am too far away from any Ikea to take it back so I need a solution! How do you fix a chip?

Projects In Progress!

I have been looking for a chair that I can redo for awhile now and I finally found one. Ugliest chair ever right!? Well it will be amazing when I'm done with it. I will be posting pics soon.

I also found a new hobby that I hope will make me money by selling them to the store I work at. I love interchangeable watches and so I decided I would make my own. This is the very first one that I have completed on my own.


It's hard to see but I love it and can't wait to make more.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Help!

Yesterday I bought this black side table. It needs a new paint job but I can't decide what to do with it. I have too many black objects as it is so I need a fun idea.

I love love this striped table but its more of a modern style and my table looks more traditional so would my table look good with stripes? I love the color scheme but I would probably do white and a light grey. Yes? No? Help me!

I also like this idea. The top is paper and I could get very creative with what I could choose from. What should I do? I can also just paint it a plain color but I want something unique that not many people have.

Any new ideas would be wonderful.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

So excited!

I am so excited about this new project I am working on. I have been making hair bows, hair bow holders, and going to make jewelry once all the stuff I bought gets here. And I plan on taking them to work and seeing if my boss with sell them in her store. Cross your fingers! If not I am going to make a website and sell them that way. These are the hair bow holders I made today. I love them and can't wait to be creative and make many more. I made the bows too.





I hope I am successful with these! They look much better in person. P.S. Emily I owe you one of these. The one I made you before isn't as good as these so therefore I am going to make you one!

Sick of Living in a Mess

Ryan and I have been in Laramie for almost 3 months. We are in the school apartments right now but we are moving in 3 weeks to a better and cheaper apartment. Can't wait! So since we knew we would be moving again we didn't unpack so we have been living in a complete mess this whole time. And I am SICK of it!

We left our couch in Powell and were planning on buying a new one once we got here but plans change and we decided not to get one until after our second move. We now realize why people have couches! We miss having a couch so much. We finally moved our TV into our bedroom because I got so sick of sitting on the floor to watch TV. Our living room (below) is just a messy room of opened boxes. I cannot wait to finally have a home again.

I just had to show our kitchen and what I have to work with. Yep this is it. The entire kitchen in this little corner. Oh it is such a "Joy" cooking in here. I CAN"T WAIT TO MOVE!


Friday, July 15, 2011

Peaceful Walk

Ryan and I went on a walk the other day and found some lovely surprises. Flowers! We saw wild snap dragons. Who knew they could grow in the wild? Ryan didn't know what they were so I opened its mouth and said "Rarrr" just like Mom does.

They were bright yellow. Sorry the pics suck it was getting dark so my flash took over.

And then I found this flower just lying on the sidewalk waiting for me.


I feel like my Mother when I notice all the flowers. Its a good thing because I miss home and it helps to know that I have part of my Mom in me.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Delicious!

I love salmon and trying out new recipes. This time I tried one of Bobby Flay's recipes and it was the best decision ever, when it comes to choosing recipes, yet! It was so good I didn't have time to even think about taking a picture because I gobbled it up. This is the closest picture I found to resemble what I made. The glaze was so good that you will certainly drench the salmon with it like in this pic.

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze



Ingredients
Salmon:
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each


Directions

On the side burner, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugarmixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.


Bri's Tips: I used regular mustard instead dijon and it was still amazing. I also don't have a grill so I wrapped the salmon in tin foil, put it on a cookie sheet and baked the fish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. It was awesome and the tin foil kept all the juice and moisture inside with the fish. Also heat up and save some sauce to spoon over the fish when ready to eat.





Sunday, June 26, 2011

Delicious Lunch

A couple weeks ago I watched Sunny Anderson on Food Network make Airman Anderson's Chicken. It's her twist on Chinese chicken and since I love Chinese food I decided I would try it. Awesome choice! The sauce on the chicken is to DIE FOR! It was so good Ryan and I could not stop eating it.


Airman Anderson's Chicken

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 eggs 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 orange, zested

1 1/2 cups orange juice 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 6 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, pour in enough oil to fill the pot about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 350 degrees F.

Directions

Line a sheet tray with a wire cooling rack. Slice chicken into 2-inch pieces. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste. In a paper bag, shake together salt, pepper, flour and cornstarch. Dip the chicken in batches, first in egg mixture, then in the flour mixture and shake to coat. Set on a wire rack and let sit 10 minutes. While chicken is resting, prepare sauce. In a large straight sided saute pan combine orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, butter, hot pepper flakes and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully place chicken in hot oil and fry until golden and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the saute pan with the sauce and toss until evenly coated.

Bri's Tip: Instead of dark meat I used chicken breast and it was just as good!


With the Chinese theme I had to make my favorite Ham Fried Rice.

Ham Fried Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 1/2 to 4 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
  • 3 1/2 cups cold cooked rice
  • 2 to 3 ounces honey or sugar-cured ham (yielding 1/2 cup cubed ham)
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas or baby lima beans
  • 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons green and white scallions Peanuts

Directions

Heat a wok or a small, heavy skillet over high heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, swirl to coat the pan. Add eggs and scramble them. As soon as there is no more freely running egg, turn them out into a bowl and break them into small bits. They should be soft and a bit runny -- not brown.

Heat the wok or a large skillet and add 2 tablespoon oil to coat. Add the rice and toss briskly to coat and separate each grain, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ham and peas. Toss to mix in the ingredients and allow the mixture to heat through, about 30 seconds. Return the eggs to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt, scallions and peanuts, tossing another 5 to 10 seconds to let the eggs get hot.


Bri's Tip: I didn't have enough peas so I added corn as well, excellent choice! I also simply used lunch meat instead of cubed ham because that's what I had and that too was an excellent choice.


This meal was AWESOME! Ryan loved it, I loved it so try it!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Trollbeads

I had never even heard of Trollbeads until I started my new job. Trollbeads come from Denmark and most of them are handmade glass beads but there are also silver and gold beads. I found a new addiction, I love Trollbeads and would by a ton if they weren't so expensive. To get an idea how expensive they are they range from $30 to $500 a bead! To make a bracelet can get very pricey. So my plan is to make a wish list and slowly collect so that I can have a bracelet someday. I got my necklace today and I love it.



I love my silver bead it's called The Neither Fish Nor Bird Bead because it can look like a fish or a bird.

I also got 2 glass beads.

I love my necklace and can't wait to get a bracelet.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

DYING to GO!

I recently got it in my head to go on a cruise for Ryan and mine's 2nd anniversary. But we don't want to go alone. We want to go with family or friends or both. I have been slowly killing my brain cells by searching for hours and hours for the best deals on flights and cruises. The flights are terrible! That's why it will be so dang expensive. Even though it would suck to pay for an expensive ticket I am determined to go on this trip in December whether friends come or not.

Plan of attack = donate plasma till my arm falls off.

OR
Someone could donate to my cruise fund.
www.briwantsacruise.com

I am going on this trip! I AM!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Desk

While I was home a couple weeks ago I found this desk that my parents were going to get rid of so I claimed it as my own. I should have gotten a before pic but I forgot. Before it was red and navy and very run down so I brightened it with a little paint. Now (temporarily) this desk is serving as a dinning table for me and Ryan because we left our old one in Powell and are planning on buying a new one.

Now looking at it it's a little sad that we are living this way. We only have one folding chair so one of us sits on the rubber made when we eat dinner. This is the only furniture we have besides our bed and Ryan's desk and office chair. Everywhere else you look is boxes boxes and more boxes. Only 2 more months of this and we will be in a new apartment with new furniture! For now we are just making wonderful memories.



Menu Day 1

Tonight I made Egg Drop Soup and Egg Rolls. The Egg Rolls were much easier than I thought it would be and there are endless ways to make them. For the Egg rolls I combined two recipes I found and mixed them to make one recipe.

My egg drop soup and egg rolls YUMMY!

EGG ROLLS

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 quart peanut oil for frying

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons water

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 ounces shredded carrots

4-6 mushrooms diced

8 (7 inch square) egg roll wrappers

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

Season pork with ginger and garlic powder and mix thoroughly. Heat mixture in a medium skillet, stirring, until pork is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.

In another large skillet heat oil to about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) or medium high heat. While oil is heating, Add cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms to the cooked meat and cook on low until vegetables are tender.

Lay out one egg roll skin with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and pork mixture on egg roll paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll. Brush a bit of the flour paste on the final corner to help seal the egg roll.

Place egg rolls into heated oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels or rack. Put on serving plate and top with sesame seeds if desired.

Bri's TIP: Let the filling cool all the way down before rolling them in the wraps. If hot the egg roll will be soggy. Also I just used water to seal the end of the egg roll instead of the flour mixture and it worked fine. I recommend buying the Sweet Chili Sauce in the Asian section to dip the egg rolls in.


EGG DROP SOUP

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2-1 cup Frozen Peas and Corn

4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean, and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Pinch finely ground white pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Add 6 tablespoons of the green onions, the spinach, mushrooms, soy and white pepper. Return to a bare simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Stirring with a fork or chopstick, gradually add the eggs in a slow steady stream. Cook until the eggs are set, stirring to create shreds or ribbons of the eggs, 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Ladle into bowls, garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of green onions, and serve immediately.


Both these recipes are delicious! I will be sharing all the recipes (if I like them) from my menu in future blog posts. Enjoy!

Menu

Ever since Ryan and I have moved we have eaten out A LOT! It is turning into a very bad and expensive habit. So today I decided to make a menu for the week and go grocery shopping. (Part of the eating out habit came from having an empty fridge.) Empty fridge= expensive shopping trip. This is what I came up with for my menu.

Chicken Empanadas
Corny Mango Salmon
Airman Anderson's Chicken (Chinese Chicken)
Egg Drop Soup
Ham and Cheese Roll Ups
Honey-Orange Chicken w/Sesame Sauce
Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I also came up with a few sides.

Bacon Fried Green Beans
Butter and Parm Squished Potatoes
Corny Salad
Egg Rolls

I started the menu tonight and made Egg Drop Soup and Egg Rolls. Yummy! I am really excited about cooking now because I have all the ingredients I need. Having what you need truly makes cooking a million times better.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

She's a Graduate

Melissa graduated yesterday. Good job Mel! She even got to sing in the choir which was very good except for the soloist who should have been Melissa.


The gorgeous graduate.


Sisters!


Congratulations Melissa. I'm proud of you.