My second home

Thanks everyone for all your amazing comments yesterday!! I'm truly blessed to have such AWESOME blog friends. The hubby made it in last night and it was amazing to finally see him. It's only been 3 1/2weeks, but I got nervous butterflies as I stood in the airport waiting for him to arrive. As we stood at baggage claim I just kept stealing glances, making sure he was really here!! We have a busy weekend ahead. Wedding tonight. Party with the inlaws tomorrow. Pack up the ole family truckster and hit the open road on Sunday. Kansas City here we come!! The cable and Internet get shut off today.....so I will see you on Monday! Have a fantabulous weekend lovelies!!

And now as my last official Ohio blog post...my tribute to Columbus

As I sit here ready to shut off my computer and officially sign off before I move 700 miles away, I feel I need to pay tribute to this fine city that's truly become my second home. I showed up on Ohio's doorstep almost 10 years ago....a nervous college freshman wondering what the the heck I'd just done. I didn't know a single person. Not one. My closest family member was now 10 hours away. I was determined to do it on my own. Prove everyone wrong who didn't think I'd make it so far from home. I'd be lying if I said I never once got homesick, but I jumped in head first and never looked back. I graduated from Ohio State in what seems to be these days a record breaking 4 years. I made lifelong friends. Got my first real grown up job. Bought my first home. Met the love of my life. Got married. It's certainly been an amazing 10 year run and I can't believe all the wonderful things I've accomplished. I have a lot of great memories here and even though I'm excited to go on this adventure and be closer to my family, it's a bittersweet goodbye. I cried the day I got here and you better believe I'll be crying the day I leave. There's a local band here called O.A.R...who I guess really isn't so local anymore...that I used to watch play in college. My favorite song of theirs is Road to Columbus and every time I hear it....I'll look back and remember my second home. See ya later Ohio!!! I'll miss you....O-H

Road Outside Columbus -- OAR

There's a road outside Columbus, Ohio
Feels like I drove along for years.
This Midwest way of ease it surrounds us.

I can't deny the rhythm here.

And as I pull away from Riverside beside me.

That High Street never looked so good.

I miss my lady even though she often writes me.

She tells me tales of my neighborhood.

Surprise, surprise, I travelled here.

Four hundred miles from where I'm known.

My friends are here.

A couple years I've spent, I found I have a second home.

Can someone please pass the tissues??

Man this week has been an emotional rollar coaster! I think by the time Sunday rolls around there may not be a kleenex left in Central Ohio!!

All these tears and I've only said good bye to my co-workers! The rest of the weekend is gonna be hell!! I have to say good bye to my in-laws. My friends. And my two best friends in the whole wide world. I'm crying now just typing it. This moving stuff is tough!

On a MUCH MUCH happier note....I GET TO SEE MY HUBBY TONIGHT!!!! Finally!!!

Guaranteed Heartburn

So last night I made my annual trip the Ohio State Fair with my two besties Mia Schell and ihatemichigan. Believe it or not....before I moved to Columbus I had never been to a fair. City, county, state or otherwise. Growing up in the burbs of Nebraska I thought I was pretty hot sh*t and we were too cool for the fair. Only the farm geeks went. Well the summer before my senior year at Ohio State, I stayed in Cbus to take some classes. When August rolled around, my friends thought it was about time to pop my fair cherry. I was mesmerized by the whole thing. It's one big people watching extravaganza...and we all know how much I love to people watch. Other than that, let's be honest....people go to the fair for the food. Sure you look at the animals and the other exhibits...maybe risk your life on one of the carnie rides....but that's really just to kill time before it's acceptable to eat again.

My general rule when I go is this....if it's not fried or served on a stick, it's not real fair food and therefore cannot be eaten while at the fair. In the many years I've been going we've tried it all. Fried Twinkies, oreos, candy bars, buckeyes, cookie dough, smores...the list goes on and on. And of course, the fair staple and my personal favorite...corn dogs. I even saw deep fried garlic mashed potatoes on a stick. Wow. Now that's one even I wouldn't try....gross. Yesterday I branched off from my rule and tried a Stromboli. Oh man was it delicious...it wasn't fried, there was no stick involved, and as far as I know...no fair gods died. So it was a rule worth breaking, right??. Yeah....until about 3AM when I woke up with the worst heartburn ever. I'm only 28....is that even possible?? Ugh. Apparently so. Guess I should have stopped at the corn dog....or that fried cookie dough. Lesson learned!

Tasty Tuesday

It's time again to dig into my recipe box! Years ago when I was on the low carb band wagon with everyone else, I found a low carb cookbook in the Dollar Zone at Target. Ended up being one of the best dollars I ever spent! A ton of the recipes have made it into my regular lineup and this one is my husbands absolute fave. In fact, at one of my bridal showers we played the "how well does the bride know her groom game" and when the question "What is your fiances favorite thing you cook" came up....I knew right away it was my Blue Cheese-Stuffed burgers. Since it is technically supposed to be low-carb, the recipe doesn't call for any buns. It's a pretty hearty burger on it's own so we usually won't use one, but you certainly could if you wanted. I usually serve them up with my favorite grilled veggies found here. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers

Serves: 4

Calories: 463

1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 crubled blue cheese

2 t Dijon musturd

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1 glove garlic, minced

1/4 t salt

1. Shape beef into 8 patties, about 4 in in diamet and 1/4 in thick

2. Combine cheses, mustard, Worcetire suace, garlic and salt in a small bowl

3. Mound 1/4 of cheese mixture on each of 4 patties (about 3T per patty). Top with remaining 4 patties; pinch edges to seal completely

4. Grill or saute in skillet until no longer pink

BON APPETITE!

And the award goes too.....

Moi! Two awards?!? Look at me! I'm so flattered...it's always nice to know someone out there is entertained by my daily ramblings. So much so that they want to hear more! Thanks guys! I've gotten so much more out of this whole blogging experience then I ever expected. In a time where I'm about to leave the place I've called home for 10 years and leave all my friends behind...I'm sooo glad I get to take all my Bloggy friends with me!


Ok. Enough with the sappy talk. Onto the awards! So first, I got tagged (again) to do honest scrap by Ashley over at Pink-ture Perfect. Now I've got to put my thinking cap on to come up with 10 more things you don't know about me. If that wasn't enough of a challenge, my fave local Cbus blogger Brittany from Sweet, Sassy and oh so Classy tagged me to name 10 things I love. Ironically this award also appears to embrace the leg lamp from A Christmas Story...interesting. So now without further adieu.....here we go. Buckle your seat belts...this one could be a long ride!

1. The cartilage fold in my left ear didn't form properly because of the way I was positioned before I was born. When I was 6 I had plastic surgery to fix it and for the rest of the summer, my entire head was mummy wrapped...all you could see were my eyes, nose and mouth. To this day I freak out if someone tries to touch my ear.

2. I wear a size 11 shoe. They are often times impossible to find. I despise my huge feet.

3. I eat peanut butter by the spoonful....right out of the jar.

4. I had a cabbage patch kids big wheel when I was a kid. I was the envy of the neighborhood.

5. I have night terrors. I wake up convinced I see bugs, spiders, etc all over the bed. I swat at my pillow trying to get these invisible bugs off. Do not try to convince me they're not there or I will scoff at you....while still sleeping. Just ask my husband.

6. I hate when people don't use their turn signal

7. Me, my mom and my grandma were all born in June...30 years apart. So basically I have to get busy in Sept of my 29th year of life and pray it's a girl...or my mom might just might kick me out of the family.

8. I have 2 tattoos

9. When I was in college I was falsely accused of plagiarizing my soph. English final paper. I had to go in front of the academic conduct board and plead my case. It was mortifying.

10. I broke my foot 21 days before my 21st birthday. I fell down 2 stairs. Not a flight. Two. I was dead sober.

10 Things I Love.....

1. My husband of course, that goes without saying. As well as all my family and friends, both real life and blog.

2. My pups...Kasey and Moose

3. Thunderstorms....especially at night

4. Christmas and all that goes with it...especially finding the perfect gift for someone.

5. College football

6. LaCasa's Pizza and Runza. Two things from Omaha....the land of my birth

7. Weddings. I've developed quite a soft spot since becoming engaged and getting married myself

8. Target

9. Getting mail. Not email. Real deal, in your mail box....OG original mail.

10. Hanging out with my best friend on a whim....because for 5 more days we can

Whew! That was a looong one. Hope I didn't bore you all to tears! Now I have to pass these awards along. I will let YOU choose which one you want to do....or you can be brave and tackle both!!

My real life bestie Mia Schell @ the ramblings of a single city girl

Summer Wind

JK @ Wicked Frills

Elizabeth Marie @ It's Unbeweavable!

Jamie Hiryak@ Jamie Unscripted

erin.patrice @ Wedding planning Memoir

The New Mrs. @ Newlyweds!

XOXO

Beer! Helping White Guys Dance Since 1862

So it's really no secret. I love beer. There's nothing better than an icy cold beer on a hot summer night or with some spicy chili while watching the Buckeyes pound Michigan in November. In my old age I've become a bit of a beer snob. Long live the years of drinking Nasty Light and the Beast. Hey, when you're in college and not "technically" 21 yet....you drink what you can. These days my beer of choice is an unfiltered wheat....for those non beer drinkers out there it basically translates to "cloudy" beer like Blue Moon. My personal favorite is Boulevard Wheat. It's a locally brewed Kansas City beer popular in the midwest. It's not even sold east of the Mississippi which means for the last 10 years, I have suffered without it here in Ohio. My dad always makes sure the fridge is stocked when I come home and I always smuggle a case back to OH. It puts a little smile on my face to know. That exactly one week from today. After my working interview. I can celebrate with a fresh....non-smuggled....straight from KC....Boulevard Wheat.

So what's YOUR favorite beer????

His legs move as if independent from his body....

I love Irish dancing. I've seen Riverdance....twice. And every year I drag the Mr. to the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival to get my Jig fix. The IrishFest is something I look forward to every summer. There's tons of food, shopping, Irish rock bands, bag pipers and of course...Irish dancing. He must have secretly been enjoying it all this time because when I told him I had to find someone else to drag along for the ride, he seemed genuinely disappointed. Anyways, last night I spent my evening mesmerized by the Irish dancers yet again. I think as someone who danced as a child I am just amazed at how they do it. It's nothing like the typical tap/jazz/ballet that I did. They seriously don't move from the waist up while their feet and legs are moving like 100 miles an hour. The best was when a little 6 year old boy went on stage and totally stole the show. He was too cute for words. I've already warned the hubs that if my children (girl or boy) shows any interest in it.....we will have a clan of Irish dancers to entertain me at any given moment. My poor future children. They're doomed already!

PS I wanted to include a video of some Irish dancing monkey's...cause I know deep down everyone wants to see that. But I can't for the life of me figure out how to get a YouTube video on my blog. Can anyone out there help me?

Happy Sunday!