The Monday Currently

It was an exciting, whirlwind of a weekend spent celebrating my besties birthday (we are totally 21, plus some, and that's ok) and binge watching episodes of Mindy, so I am taking part in the Sunday Currently on Monday (don't judge ok?! I'm not, I'm late a lot anyways). So anyways... 

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Reading: I am currently in between the choosing of two books; I just started reading Charles Martin's newest book Water from my Heart, but given that my reading time ability has been lacking lately I feel I should probably start our next book club book, Where'd You Go, Bernadette. 

Writing- This...

Listening- to the hum of background noises in the house, but wishing it was the voice of Dr. Mindy Lahiri. You guys, I have a new obsession and it is The Mindy Project. I have been binge watching like crazy and trying (without much luck) to pull myself away so that it lasts longer (and also so that I make time to do the whole adulting thing and ya' know work and clean and stuff). The Mindy Project may just be my spirit animal show! 

Thinking- That I really want to go and watch Mindy right now, "I will not. I will resist!" oh who am I kidding!?

Smelling- My freshly poured coffee! There was coffee in the pot when I woke up and I forgot to pour myself a cup, nothing like remembering it at 11:30. Yay for mid-morning pick me ups! 

Wishing- That is was Friday! We are finally bound for Crystal River this weekend after our last attempted FLoRida trip got postponed due to poor planning and sickness. It has been over a month and a half since Flo has gotten to stretch her wheels and she is itching to hit the road!

Hoping- That the little pumpkin seeds I planted, after making my pumpkin seeds the other day, actually grow into pumpkins for next Fall. They are already starting to sprout so here's to hoping the actually bloom!! 

Wearing- my PJs!! Amen for PJ Mondays! 

Loving- That cooler weather has FINALLY decided to make it's way to Orlando again! Hopefully it is here to stay this time?! 

Wanting- To load up Flo and hit the road right now!!

Needing- More motivation this morning to actually be productive! I can do it, I can, I can!! 

Feeling- Lazy! It's that love-hate relationship thing. I love the actual being of lazy (ie binge watching multiple episodes of my new favorite tv love while stuffing my face with pumpkin seeds), but I always feel like an unproductive slacker who needs to get off the couch. I know a little down time is important, I just need that cut off boundary! I just keep telling myself it's all about balance! For this last sentence forward, I will be continuing in today's adulting productivity! I can, I can... (please keep your fingers crossed for me!)

Happy Monday Y'all!! 

Sweet and Salty Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds! Pumpkin seeds! Pumpkin seeds!! 

I have a love affair with pumpkin seeds! I waited as long as I could this year, but it was finally time to crack our pumpkin open and get scooping! Every year I make the same seeds. I always say I am going to try others, but I like what I like. And so this year it was another round of...

Sweet and Salty Honey Seeds! 

As if I could have done anything else right?! As a lover of all things honey, these are the perfect seeds for my soul! And they are super easy too! Just three ingredients and a little over 30 minutes between prep and bake and you have yourself a tasty snack! 

Ingredients

Olive oil

Honey

Garlic Salt 

I am not a measurer of things, so if you need precise, then I'm really sorry. I kind of just throw in a little of this and a lot of that depending on my feelings in any particular moment. So this time the step by step looked a little like this...

Step 1) Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 2) Open and scoop out the pumpkin. I cut the top so that I take a large chunk out of the back. It leaves more room for me to scoop without getting overly yucky while still leaving the front nice and pretty so that I can put the lid back on and pumpkin back outside once finished. I then place all the seeds in a metal bowl of semi-warm water. I let the seeds soak for a minute or two and swoosh them around the get the stringy pulp separated. The pulp should settle to the bottom and then I fish the clean seeds out and place them on a paper towel.I like my seeds to be cleaned (no thick pulp), but not too clean (still a little orange film) because I think it add more of that pumpkin seed yumminess when finished.  

Step 3) I pat the seeds dry with a paper towel. I will usually do this twice, transferring the seeds from the first paper towel to a second in between patting (that way the seeds aren't sitting on a wet paper towel). The new paper towel will help to soak up some of the extra moisture, but I don't ever wait for the seeds to dry. I know some people will tell you that's a thing (and that you must wait), but I am too impatient to have that be one of my things, so they are still moist when I stick them onto their baking sheet (this method hasn't failed me yet). I prep the baking sheet with aluminum foil and a sprinkle of olive oil (makes cleanup a cinch).

Step 4) Place the seeds in a plastic bag and pour in just a tad of olive oil, quiet a good squeeze of honey and about two shakes of garlic salt. I close the bag and get to shaking. I shake (and knead) until all the seeds are coated, check to make sure I feel they are evenly coated (if not, or I just feel in the mood for more, I will add a dash more salt and honey) and then spread them evenly onto a foil lined baking sheet. *Note: You could mix in a bowl, I just find the bag helps to spread the honey and salt evenly and makes cleanup a lot easier!

Step 5) After making sure they are evenly spread (not a lot of seeds overlapping) I will sprinkle more garlic salt on top so that the seeds have an even coating of salt. Then for good measure, I squeeze just a bit more honey to give it a good pop and then place the pan in the oven. 

Step 6) Bake for 12 minutes and then take the pan out and flip the seeds. Pop back in oven for another 12-15 minutes or until golden brown (or crisped to your preference). Babe prefers his seeds a little more crispy so sometimes I will leave them in a little longer for him. Just watch carefully, they can go from brown to burnt real quick! 

Step 7) Voila! Just let cool and enjoy!! 

How seeds look going in...

How seeds look coming out!

Pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite fall snacks! 

How do you prepare yours? Any other sweet and salty recipes I should try?

November Currently

It's November people! As if being 6 days in meant you were just in the know. November is looking pretty exciting (and still very hot in Florida) around these parts! Linking up for November Currently with Jenna and Anne and for a little 5 of Friday fun! Join me? 

~COOKING~ Well considering I don't "cook" a whole lot of anything these days, I figured I'd fudge a little and go with something I prepared instead. Mixing cream cheese and mayo can totally count as cooking right?! Sure! Anyways, it was my turn to host a monthly book club I am in and we try to theme our food based off of things in the book. Luckily, I picked an easy one, The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. In honor of the main character, Josey, I baked a treats! Cupcakes and brownies, which meant licking clean the batter bowls = YUM! Josey's mom, Margaret, frequented going to tea, hence tea sandwiches. For these I used one 8oz. package of cream cheese (softened), 1/3 cup mayo, a good sprinkle of garlic salt and some fresh dill. I mixed the cream cheese and mayo together and then added the seasoning. I used the lid to the garlic salt to made bread rounds out of a slice of sandwich bread (usually 3 rounds per slice). I then spread the mixture on top of the bread and topped that with tomato or cucumber. Then I cut a little more fresh dill to sprinkle on top. Quick, easy and delicious!!

~PLANNING~ Flo's next adventure!! She hasn't been out of the driveway in a while and she is very sad about it! So because we has been cooped up for so long she has a lot of adventures coming her way in the next few months. We are doing two mini Florida adventures in November, but Flo is most excited about her big out of state adventure right after Christmas!! We are headed to Savannah and couldn't be more excited! I haven't been since I was in 6th grade and Babe and Flo have both been NEVER! Alright Savannah lovers, dish please! What do was have to see and where do we have to dine?!

~SMELLING~ Coffee sitting in the pot, filling the house with it's gloriousness!! 

~APPRECIATING~ Happy mail instead of scary movie moments!! So Babe was out of town and my bestie and I were having one of our "no-more-adulting, lay-on-the-floor" moments. We had literally made it through my front door and sprawled ourselves across the rug right at the entry to the house. We were scrolling through Pinterest, reading each other quotes (come on ladies, you know those moments). It is also noteworthy to mention that it was pitch black dark out... when the doorbell rang!! We both looked at each other like, "say, what?!" Babe was gone, we were together, who in the world could be at the door? So I get up and look at out the peephole. Oh, wait! It's nobody! Nobody is there!! It's two days after Halloween, we've all seen the movies. I love scary movies! So, I know you are all thinking, this girl sure ain't going to be dumb enough to open the door! Oh contraire! I did! However, our entry has a long walkway, with no ability to access the door from the sides, so I figured I would have enough time to peek out and then slam the door shut if necessary. But in fact it was just a little package of happiness, literally happiness, sitting right at my doorstep!! 

That was a long build up to this moment, huh?! Anyways, I got this sweet little package of Instant Happiness dropped right on my doorstep (apparently UPS people deliver packages at 6pm and you think it must be 9 because, well, darkness!). I received the Instant Happy Journal free to review, but all opinions are mine. I love, love, love it!! For a quote lover like myself it is the perfect little book! And it really is a great booster for finding a minute of happiness and joy in everyday. Each page has a place to put the date and then there is either a quote that you can then record your thoughts on, a question asking you to jot down whatever answers come to mind or both. Each page is a great reminder to remember the blessings that make life memorable and moments happy. I mean check these out... 

How would you answer those? And don't those answers just make you want to smile?! Mine did! 
I would definitely recommend grabbing a copy and adding an extra dash of happiness to your days! 

~ANTICIPATING~ Swimming with sea cows!! So, while I am pretty stoked about our big Savannah trip, we actually have an upcoming Florida adventure just around the corner. In two weeks we are Flo bound for Crystal River to swim with manatees! And I can't wait!! Yay!! I will hug them and love them and they will be my friends! 

And that's my November currently! 

What are you up to this month?! 

Words for Wednesday: The School for Good and Evil

I just recently finished reading The School for Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani. If you have not heard of this series, you should check it out. I loved it!! It is the perfect series for girls who are trying to figure out that balance between friendship, relationships and being true to who they really are. Really, the same could be said for all of us, because it's also a great book for any woman still trying to figure that all out (12, 17, 25, 31... doesn't matter). If you love a different spin on fairy tales (characters like Lancelot, Cinderella, Peter Pan...) and don't shy a way from a little dark adventure then you really need to read this! I started it after a recommendation from a 10 year old and I couldn't recommend it more (books really can span generations)! It also just so happens that it is being turned into a movie, so you should probably jump on the train before it comes out. 

Anywho, today's Word's for Wednesday post comes from the final book in the series, The School for Good and Evil: The Last Ever After. Here are a few of my favorite quotes... 

"What is it about a name that gives us a story to believe in?" 

"I'd sheltered him from his own weaknesses, and because of it those weaknesses won. I had to let you write your own story..." 

"Stories go wrong when people think that their own happiness is bigger than anyone else's." 
- I don't know what it is for me about the word story, but in my opinion it is such a powerful word. We each have a story, one that is ours alone, but one that can be shared with others. Hundreds upon thousands of stories overlapping each other, each story adding something to another. And it is in the sharing of our stories with others that we grow a bond that transcends time, distance and differences. It's our stories that bring us together in someway or another. 

And one final quote to leave you with, which just may be my favorite from the whole series... 
"Because as long as her story was about her she resisted her fate, as if living for herself was too much responsibility. But the moment she saw her fate was bigger than her, she finally felt free to embrace it." 

What parts of your story do you need to embrace?

What parts of your story, if shared, could help set both you and others free?

#flasbackFriday: Epcot Food & Wine Favorites

Sharing a little #flashbackFriday on the blog today! I first posted this almost a year ago today and thought that it was time to bring it out of the archives. With just over 2 weeks left to enjoy Food and Wine at Epcot I thought it would be a good time to shine some light on some favorites! That and I am missing Disney like crazy!! Enjoy peeking at (and hopefully eating soon) food around the world!! (post first published November 2014) 

I used to despise Epcot. I would beg my grandparent's not to take me there as a kid. "Please, pleeeaaase, take me to Disney instead?! Please!" As a young child Disney only meant one thing, Magic Kingdom. As I emerged into teenagehood and then into my early adult years, it broadened to MGM Hollywood Studios and then Animal Kingdom. But never, ever Epcot. And then our year of Disney living began and my world was opened to the wonderfulness that is the World Showcase... especially during 'Flower and Garden' and 'Food and Wine'. My poor Mimi, she just wanted to try to teach me the wonders of it at an early age. Apparently, I wasn't having it though. So when I said to Babe, "I love Epcot, it is my new favorite park!" And he responded in kind, I had to follow it with, "We are becoming my grandparents." And I am more than fine with that. Though it is doubtful, maybe I will have better luck convincing my grandchildren that Epcot is a glorious place. Kids?! Let your grandparents take you to Epcot!! I wish I had spent more time there with mine.

The necessities of the "Food and Wine Investigator"= sunnies for before the sun dips down, the Food and Wine Passport, a pin for jotting notes and the phone (my ever present companion)

While I doubt we will obtain our goal of trying every food item at Food & Wine, we are well on our way there. I loved playing Food and Wine investigator and apparently played the part as it was joked that I made quite the investigative reporter with outfit to match and so this shot was snapped. So, now that I have had the immense satisfaction of exploring the World Showcase and attending Food and Wine, who knows how many time in the last few weeks, here is a sampling of my Food and Wine recommendations: 

Our documented passport... A smiley face= well liked, marked GIMB!!= Get in My Belly!, not good= ick, and others received general notes (i.e. Canada, which we found just alright, though I really enjoyed the fish)

My Top 5 Five Food and Wine Treats

1.) Kalua Pork Slider in Hawaii- This was so yummy and takes the top spot for my favorite hearty food item. 

2.) Beijing Roasted Duck in China- I am waiting to go back and get the whole one to myself. A friend got this the night we went with a group and I tried a bite. So yum!! 

3.) Grilled Lamb Chop in Australia- I would have eaten the bone if it wouldn't have broken my teeth! I couldn't get enough of it and it's a good size portion for one person. 

4.) La Passion Martini Slush in France- I am not much of a beverage person, I prefer the food, but this was my favorite drink and I would get it again. 

5.) Seared Sea Scallop in Scotland- I am not a scallop person, but this was quite delectable and a favorite of everyone in our group. To quote: "That one needs a smiley face!! Do it!! Put a smiley face!" 

Those 5 above all received a smiley face, but the overall winners of our Food and Wine experience, receiving the only two GIMBs (Get in My Belly) so far were... 

Croissant Doughnut (my choice) at the Refreshment Port 

and the Lamb Meatball (Babe's Choice) in New Zealand

The only item to aquire an ick rating has been the Pineapple wine in Hawaii, I guess everything can't be amazing right?! Also, while honey and cheese would typically be a favorite of mine the cheese in Greece was just a little too much for me; too cheesy, which I didn't think was possible. Not cheesy enough for an 'ick', but I didn't eat the whole thing, way too rich. 

With the final weekend of Food & Wine looming ahead of us I hope that you find time to do some investigating of your own before it comes to a close for the year. We plan to try to check off a few more items on Sunday and Monday. Any recommendations? Anything we must try?! 

Our top 5 want to try items:

Mussels in New Zealand

Pavlova in Australia 

Salmon in Patagonia

Bobotie in Africa

Mahi in Singapore 

Fisherman's Pie in Ireland

Linking up with the 5 on Friday gals! 

I figured in honor of my first #flashbackFriday post, why don't we all peek through the blog archives and pull out a post we would all enjoy some love on. 

Link up any old post that you want to share that is at least over a month old!

Limit links to two posts please. 

Happy #flashbackFriday!!