"Better For You" Cheeseburger Wraps

We had an adventurous cooking week.  Sorry for so many posts lately, but I think I am trying to make up for what I know will be a lack of posts in the next month or so.  Here is the inspiration for this recipe.

Yummy, better for you (than a giant burger)

Cheeseburger Wraps

Approximately 1 lb. ground turkey (confession: we buy the large packages of ground turkey and then separate them out, so I don't actually know how much turkey I used.  I think it was less than 1 pound, probably closer to 1/2 pound, but that served Josh and I)
Tortillas
Lettuce
Cheese
Ketchup
Mustard
Beef Bouillon

Brown the turkey.  Mix one cup of beef bouillon (prepared) with 1 tablespoon ketchup.  Add the ketchup mixture to the turkey.

Prepare tortillas by sprinkling cheese down the center.  Drizzle as much mustard as you would like over the cheese.  After the bouillon liquid had evaporated, cover cheese and mustard mixture with meat.  Top with lettuce and wrap like a burrito.

Place on an indoor grill (like the Foreman) and grill until it gets pretty grill marks and the cheese is melted.  If I were going to make this again, I would make sure that we had tomatoes (like the recipe calls for).  However, it was still delish without them!

Yummm

We served these with curly fries for the full cheeseburger experience.  The recipe calls for burrito size tortillas, but we just used taco sized and made two per person.  Two was MORE than enough!  Josh immediately started praising this one, so I think we will be making them again.

p.s. if you are really health conscious, there are 100 calorie tortillas that you can use.

p.p.s. Don't forget that we are going private.  Send us a shout-out at bnroulli at gmail.com so you can keep up with us!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Inspired by our sweet pepper find at Aldi last week, we decided to try cajun chicken pasta this week.  I found this recipe on pinterest and used it for inspiration.  By the way, I've decided to start calling my recipes inspiration instead because I rarely follow them.

 Cajun Chicken Pasta

Pasta (however much you want)
1 lb. chicken, diced
Cajun seasoning
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 T minced garlic
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
cracked pepper
green onions

Season the chicken with the cajun seasoning and saute.  Throw peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic in a wok. Saute over medium heat.

Combine softened cream cheese and milk in a bowl and set aside.

When chicken is cooked, combine with vegetables. Stir in cream cheese/milk mixture and parmesan cheese.

Serve over cooked pasta and slice green onion on top. Yum!

The milk and cream cheese mixture.  It looks gross, but you ARE doing it right.  I promise, it turns out!

Veggies in the wok.

Again, I love filling pasta dishes with TONS of veggies so I can still get my pasta fix while staying relatively guilt free.

p.s. I FINALLY got a new phone.  So now my blog will most likely be accompanied by pictures!

*Going private March 1st.  If you have questions or still want to follow, send me an e-mail at bnroulli at gmail.com*

Grocery Shopping at Aldi

When Josh was working at Staples, we had to be overly conscious on what we were spending at the grocery store.  We (I) got really into browsing ads, finding coupons, and getting a deal.  The two places we went most were Rainbow and Aldi.

Now things are a little bit better, but Aldi is just such a good deal, we can't stop shopping there.  The produce there is so great.  You sometimes have to be a little more picky, but the prices just can't be beat.  I want to share what we picked up at Aldi this week for groceries.

We spent a grand total of $34.24 for all of this.

Basics

Lemons and limes- $.25 each
Honey crisp apples- $.79 each (a splurge because we didn't want a huge bag)
Avocados- $.39 each
Mushrooms- $1.29
Sweet onions- $1.69/bag
Sliced turkey- $3.49/lb.
Turkey meatballs- $1.99/bag
Stir fry veggies- $3.49/bag
Oranges- $2.29/bag
Multicolor peppers- $1.29/three
Grape tomatoes- $.79/container
Flour tortillas- $.99/package
Milk- $2.69/gallon
Green onions- $.99/package
Romaine lettuce- $1.99/3 hearts
Bread- $1.69

Fun Stuff

Cream cheese- $1.19/ 8 oz.
Hint of lime tortilla chips- $1.29
Minced garlic- $1.99
Drink mix (generic Crystal Light)- $1.49/pacage

Things change every week in price and what the store carries.  The only thing we weren't able to find this week was soy sauce.  Where are your favorite grocery bargains?

Closet Organization

Here is the after of our closet.  I got a burst of motivation and started cleaning it out so suddenly that I forgot to take a before.  Not sure I would have shown it anyway.  It looks 100 times better now, and reviewing this picture I realize it doesn't look that great now.  Oh well, at least we were able to get rid of some of the things Josh NEVER wears.  And now most of his clothes are too big for him.

I have seen a few different types of shelf dividers on Pinterest that I would like to use for our closet, but I think we will wait for that until we move.

Sorry to keep boring you, but ANOTHER reminder that we will be going private on March 1st.  Please be sure to send your contact info to bnroulli at gmail.com

Baked Banana Wontons

Beware.  These are delicious and VERY addicting.  They taste kind of like banana s'mores.

Recipe
1 ripe banana
chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
wonton wrappers
cinnamon sugar
Pam or other cooking spray

Mash the banana.  Place about a teaspoon of the mashed banana in a wonton wrapper.  Place 2 mini marshmallows and a few chocolate chips.  Use water to seal the wonton wrapper.  Spray each side of the sealed pouch with Pam and roll in cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes.  Keep an eye on them to make sure they are browned.

Just another reminder that we will be going private on March 1st.  Please send your e-mail address to bnroulli@gmail.com so I can add you to the approved reader list.

Kitchen Wall Art Update

Sorry for the poor quality photos again, I used my phone.  Hopefully these updates will get much better once I (hopefully soon!) get a new phone.  These went up on our wall today.

Print Number One

Print Number Two- One of my favorite hymns

Print Number Three

All 3 of them together

Sorry, again, for the glare.  These are right above our stove, hung on nails that were already in the wall.  They are all very cool, but the Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is just stunning.  I LOVE it so much!  In the future, I might hang them right in a row.  We'll see though.

P.S. I have been noticing some viewers coming from weird places on the internet, so I will be making our blog private soon.  I never really intended for this to be anything other than a journal of sorts for friends and family to keep up with us.  I currently have 2 "followers," but I know a few more people read this.  Anyone is welcome, but please send me your e-mail address at bnroulli at gmail.com so I can add you to an approved reader list.  We will be going private on MARCH 1st!

Being an adult is hard... and super exciting

This weekend, amongst other very fun things, Josh and I had to sit down to think about some very adult things.  

We had to think about and research cell phone plans.  We have been fortunate to have our parents help us out by keeping us on their family plans until now.  It has saved us a ton of money when we really needed it!

I think we will be taking the leap from Verizon to T-Mobile.  If you haven't looked at cell phone plans lately, things have changed a lot.  T-Mobile offers us exactly what we need at a much better rate, even with the weird way they sell their phones.  New phone is on the horizon, and I can't wait!

We also had to evaluate insurance options.  I have never had to do this before, so it was a treat.  It is really interesting to see all of the plans and how they break down.  After some charts and diagrams, we did finally decide on one.  Add to that 401K, budgeting, and prioritizing housing features.  All of it right up my alley... not!

We also had to spend some time yesterday shopping for new work pants for Josh.  Hardly any of his old pants fit him after losing weight, and he went from a full on suit every single day at work to a much more casual location.

We are super exciting.

Stir Fry and Homemade Cream Cheese Wontons

I have probably been over sharing this week, but this recipe was so good and easy, I just had to share.  Tonight Josh and I made Tofu Stir Fry and homemade Cream Cheese Wontons.  We bought the wonton wrappers on a whim on Sunday, but I am so glad we did.

Stir Fry
Sauce (I doubled this recipe because I really love sauce)
1 T sugar
2 T Rice Vinegar
2 T Soy Sauce
1 t Ground Ginger
1 t Crushed Garlic
1 t Chili Sauce

1/2 Package of Tofu (extra firm) diced
1 Package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 cups of rice

Make rice according to package. Mix together ingredients for sauce and set aside.  Brown tofu in a wok and set aside.  Sauté vegetables and add tofu.  Add the sauce. Toss to coat.  Tofu takes on the taste of whatever you make it with, so I let the sauce really soak in.  Serve the stir fry over rice.

Notes: I might let the tofu marinate in the sauce next time to give it a little extra flavor.  This recipe would be really good with any other kind of protein as well.  I got the sauce for this recipe from here.

Wontons
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t salt
2 Green Onions, chopped
Wonton Wrappers
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together the cream cheese, garlic, salt, and green onions.  Drop about 1 t of the mixture onto a wonton wrapper.  Use water to seal the edges into a triangle.  You can leave them like that or take the 2 corners on the long edge and fold them over onto each other.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spray the wontons.  Bake for 7 to 12 minutes.

Notes:  We used Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese and it was delicious.  Here is the inspiration for this recipe.

Have you ever made anything with wonton wrappers?  They come in very large packages, so I am looking for some more ideas.

Money can't buy you love

To take a piggy-back ride off of what Josh was talking about the other day, I think the last few months have taught us a lot.

1) It is sometimes unbelievable how blessed we have been.  We are both very hard workers and have worked very hard for the things we have achieved in our lives.  However, I know there are people out there doing just as much as me, if not so much more who are not as fortunate as I am.  I am thankful for the way my parents raised me and the gifts I have received because of that.  I am thankful that someone was looking out for me when I realized what my true passions were, sending me to Concordia and then to graduate school at St. Thomas.

Graduation at Concordia

2) Keeping up with the Joneses.  This is something I have never really been into.  I, sometimes fortunately and sometimes unfortunately, have always marched to the beat of my own drummer.  Even with this history, I find myself sometimes being caught up with what my peers are doing.  Many of my (our) friends are extremely successful.  As I am headed into a service profession, monetary success will never be in my future.  When I start to become jealous of friends living in and buying nice places, getting puppies, and having kids, I just remind myself of how much I love what I am doing and how much it will help our family down the road (tuition remission anyone?).  This is a great reminder that no matter what plans you have for yourself, there is something much bigger creating the perfect path for you.

Cobbers at a wedding in December

3) Lusting after material things.  This is something I get caught up in because of the world we live in.  When everyone around you has an iPad, iPhone, iThis, iThat, it's easy to think you need one too.  In these moments, it helps to think about the times (even though they were extremely short) when we were struggling financially.  Even though it was stressful, it was so reaffirming to know that I married someone who makes me happy even in those stressful times.  We do not need things to keep us happy. I think people become so unhappy living this lifestyle, it is important to have something (or someone) to keep you grounded.

Jumping on the cake pop train

4) Working together.  Something I have learned over the last few months is that no one can do it on their own.  We all need someone or something to help us get through tough times.  I think everyone, especially our representatives in Washington, need to take a few minutes to remember this.  We can't get things done or move forward without working together.

The Holiday card from our Grad staff this year

p.s. I am going to Las Vegas at the beginning of March.  The American College Personnel Association conference is having a joint conference with NIRSA (college and recreational sports organization).  Some of my co-workers will also be going as this is a great opportunity to network and job search.  Luckily they agreed to stay a few extra days, and we will be there over my birthday!  First time in Vegas and I will be turning 24 while we are there!

A Giant Change

From Josh

There are things about 2012 that will stick with me forever.  It was the year we got married, it was the year we got our first car, and it was the year I lost my job. During the months that I was without a job, there were days that I just wanted to fast forward to happier times. Now that I have a new job and it is over, I am glad we went through it. We are a stronger couple, we are better with our money, and we can make Ramen noodles into a fancy meal (At least Brienne can).  Looking back over the last 4 months, it is amazing how much we have grown. It has definitely changed us and I hope we can hold on to the values that we gained from the experience.

Update on my job.

My official title is Marketing Business Analyst for Green Giant and LeSueur shelf stable brands (Start eating your veggies).  I will be working at the General Mills World Headquarters in Golden Valley, MN. I start tomorrow morning and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Update on our life.

I finally found a video game that Brienne will play.  We just got Super Mario Bros. for our Wii. It’s a giant time killer but soo much fun.  Also, last night we had an at home spa date night.  I must say Pinterest is starting to have its benefits!  There is nothing like a fancy dinner followed by a foot scrub, massage, and facial.

Yum yum and fun fun

Since I hardly ever like to do the same meal twice, we are constantly trying new things around here.  Here are some things that we have tried lately.


Inspired by this recipe, I discovered that adding ricotta cheese to spaghetti sauce makes it super delicious with hardly any extra effort.  Adding sauteed onions, peppers, and chicken makes it even MORE delicious.  This is a great way to jazz up an old standby.  Also, by adding TONS of veggies to spaghetti sauce, I am allowed to eat spaghetti more, right?

I made this recipe from pinterest, which actually has no link.  So obviously I had to alter the recipe.  Because heaven forbid I actually follow one.  I used one large can of chunk pineapple in natural juices, 1/3 cup light soy sauce, and a sprinkle of brown sugar.  I think I would add something spicy next time because when I ate it the second time for leftovers I added Sriracha and that was super good.  I also might add onion, and possibly another vegetable but I can't decide what.  I served this over rice with broccoli. 

After Christmas, Grandpa Jerry made cucumber salad.  I saw this recipe shortly after and cucumbers were on sale last week, so I obviously had to try it.  So good.  I added red onion and ate 2 whole cucumbers in 2 days (with a small amount of help from Josh).  Grandpa Jer also put sliced bell peppers, which was also very good.  I will be doing this again during farmer's market season!

I am planning a date night in tonight.  If I remember, I will try to take some pictures and report back!

p.s. had a "coffee" date this morning and had SO MUCH FUN! I am super excited to spend some more time with these gals next weekend. Woohoo for no school fun time!

Project Ideas?

I went to my J-Term class last night only to realize that I did not need to take the class to graduate. Score.  I can tell I was very stressed last semester, because making a mistake like that is very unlike me.  Especially since I have had my class schedule planned out since I started the program.

Since Christmas, I have organized our front closet and family room closet.  Next, I am going to tackle the bathroom and bedroom.  Our bedroom closet needs some serious help.

I'm looking for some ideas for decoration projects to do.  We need some art in our kitchen and dining room.  Our colors are black and white with red accents.

I'm thinking this, this, and this for the kitchen, edited of course.  I have also been loving this idea for a while.  It may have to wait until after we move though.  Do you have any ideas?

Multiple Formatting Disorder

Sorry I have had so many changes.  I can't seem to find a format that I love.  Originally, I tried to stay pretty neutral hoping that Josh would post.  It doesn't look like that is going to happen, so back to my personality.  Hopefully I can stick to it for a while.  If not, thanks for loving me anyway.

Update: Josh had a customer last month who somehow got in contact with the PRESIDENT of Staples to tell him how great Josh was.  I'm not in the least surprised, but this is pretty cool news!

Update 2: I started my "first" day of training today. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after not running for about 3 months.  I'm trying to arrange workout buddies to hold me accountable.  I am also trying to workout in the morning.  I am not a morning workout person, so this will be my biggest struggle.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here is a quick update of some of the things we have been up to lately.  Unfortunately I have been terrible at bringing our camera anywhere, so all of these pictures are borrowed.  It's not always easy to get people together with so many different things going on in people's lives.  Fortunately, I have a few people in my life really dedicated to making this happen.

Girls' night at Natalie's new house!

We also went to Marshall for Christmas with Josh's family.  While we were there, Jeremiah and Amber had the whole extended family over for an ugly sweater party.  Uncle Dave was the winner with a stellar flesh colored, glittery sweater and a black dickie.

Ugly sweater party

Josh's idea... not kidding

After driving home in a wicked snow storm, we were thankful to be able to stay home for a while.  I worked on finishing up all of my school-work (probably my most self-motivated finish yet!) and we both worked on our Christmas shopping.  Chase and Josie came home from school, so we decided to all get together and make cake pops.  They were really fun and cute, but they tasted SO GOOD!

Cake pops with the fam

 On the 23rd, I picked Josh up from work and we drove to Moorhead.  My Mom's side celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve, so we went to church, had our traditional pizza dinner, and opened gifts.  Nothing is quite like being able to watch your "Secret Elf" (Secret Santa, but from elfster.com) open gift after gift and be amazed at all the great things they got.  Christmas is my favorite time for bargain shopping for this reason.

Our first Christmas together as a married couple

 It was actually a coincidence that we all matched. That's how fancy we are :)

Family

After Christmas, we came back to Saint Paul so Josh could work a bit.  We has a celebratory Pad Thai dinner (more on that later), went to a house warming party, and drove back to Moorhead for a wedding.  The wedding was so beautiful and I was so thankful to be able to see so many friends.  It's funny how even only 1.5 years later things can be so different in the small town of Moorhead.

Wedding. Congrats Lyndsi and Mitch!

We woke up nice and early on Sunday morning to head down to Dundee for the Jans family Christmas.  It was really nice to see everyone and catch up, meet Josh's new twin baby cousins, and get our fix of Grandma's famous Christmas cookies.  As we were driving down there, Josh realized that it was our 6 month "anniversary."

Reminiscing after being married for 6 months!

So many things have happened in the last 6 months.  In reality, 2012 in general has been crazy.  Recap:

• We bought a new car (and traded in the Sebring AND the Cougar)
• We got married (complete with LOTS of wedding drama)
• We went to Huatulco, Mexico for our honeymoon
• We moved Josh into our apartment
• Josh's parents moved at about the same time to the Tampa, Florida area
• Josh's brother moved at about the same time to Marshall, Minnesota
• I finished my first year of grad school and started my second
• Josh started a new job
• Josh lost his new job
• Josh spent 4 months underemployed at Staples (where he was, obviously, a stellar salesman, leading the store and district in sales)
• I obsessed over houses
• Josh obsessed over dogs
• We had approximately 1,000 friends get married and were only able to attend TWO other weddings
• I began a preliminary job search in the Twin Cities area (including conference hopping, exhausting!)
• JOSH GOT A JOB AS A MARKETING BUSINESS ANALYST AT GENERAL MILLS!!!

This year has been a roller-coaster.  We have so many things to be thankful for and are blessed in so many ways.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to the people in our lives who supported us during our rough time.  I am not always the best at expressing gratitude to people, but we really appreciate the shower of love we have been shown for the last few months.

Josh can't wait to start his new job.  He is so excited about each and every thing he will do, especially working at General Mills as a whole.

I have a few goals for myself and us as a couple for the year 2013:

• Find our first "home" where we will stay for more than a year
• Manage to move in the least stressful way possible
• Get a puppy
• Start saving to buy a house
• Start saving for a "big" trip
• Go to Florida, Duluth, and Chicago
• Go to "the lake" at least 5 times this summer
• Graduate and get a job!
• Run a 10k in the end of April
• Continue to grow my hair out

Let the games begin!