The Perfect Bowl

I have been on the hunt for the perfect bowl for about a year now.  To me, the perfect bowl will be suitable for chili, rice bowls, soup, pasta dishes, fruit crisps and ice cream, and on, and on, and on (you get the idea).  To clarify, the perfect bowl must be:

• wider than it is deep;
• deep enough to contain a full serving of food without spilling or overflow; and
• shallow enough to distribute any toppings over the entire dish.

About six months ago, when we first moved to Jacksonville and I was nesting, I was in Big Lots and spotted the perfect bowl...AND they were only $4.00 a piece.  Unfortunately, I was trying to "be good" by not spending unnecessary money and walked away without purchasing a single one.  

Lesson learned: 

When you find exactly what you have been looking for for a long time, GRAB. IT.!  

I mentioned these bowls to my mom, so when she visited this past weekend she suggested we go back to Big Lots to see if they were still there.  Luckily, they were, BUT only three were left. :(

Boo-hiss!

Regardless, we decided that three were better than none, and snatched up all three.  Who knows, maybe if I check at other Big Lots locations I can find another five or seven to round out my collection!

See what I mean?!  

These bowls are perfectly wide, sufficiently deep, and yet still shallow enough for tons of delicious toppings!

In honor of my perfect bowl purchase, last night I whipped up an old classic: 

RICE BOWLS!

I started out by making a batch of rice cooked in vegetable broth (for additional flavor).  Once cooked, I added:

• 1 1/2 T Earth Balance;
• 1 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese; and
• salt and pepper to taste.  

The texture and taste were similar to a risotto - without all of the tiresome stirring - SCORE!

For the add-ons, I:

• opened a can of vegetable minestrone (I drained out about 1/4C of the broth so that it wouldn't be too runny);
• added 2T extra hot salsa (for a little kick!); and
• diced up a chicken breast into Bo's portion.  

Then I:

• poured the spicy minestrone over the rice; and
• garnished the dish with an additional 1/2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese.

As simple as this dish was, it was incredibly filling and delicious.  

As Bo said, "this one's a keeper!"

In the future, I look forward to repeating this dish with different grains on the bottom and soups and garnishes on top.  For instance, I am already thinking about a cheesy polenta base, smothered in vegetarian tortilla soup, with avocado chunks and salsa for garnish.  

Doesn't that just should divine?!

In other somewhat sad news, Lola had an accident last night.

This was the end result...

Here's the back story:

Around 5:45PM, we let Lola outside in the backyard to tinkle (like we always do).  About 7-10 minutes later, Bo opened the back door to check on her.  As usual, she came running towards us as if to come inside.  Immediately Bo asked me to bring a towel, saying that it looked like she had red syrup all over her.

Well, it wasn't red syrup. 

It was blood.

Long story short, somehow, somewhere, someway, Lola received a 3 inch cut on her tail.  With every wag of her tail she was slinging blood E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E.  Bo and I were covered.  To be honest, it sort of looked like an ax murder took place on our back patio.

Five hours, twelve stitches, over $350.00, and one trip to the emergency animal hospital later, Lola was drugged, and Bo and I were exhausted.  It was not exactly the night we had planned.

Her tail looks so sad (sort of like a rat tails), she seems to be in quite a bit of pain, and she abhors the head cone.  None of us slept very well last night because Lola couldn't get comfortable in the head cone, Bo and I could hear here moving around all night, and she had a tinkle accident in her crate because when we did get home she was still so drugged that we could hardly get her to stand...much less poddy.  Now, poor thing, she smells like pee and we can't give her a bath because we can't get the tail wet.

Thank goodness for scented candles.

Overall, she is just incredibly pitiful.  Between the pain and the head cone she seems totally defeated...certainly not the happy-go-lucky puppy girl we are used to!  She tends to whine most of the day from pain, discomfort, and displeasure, and it is breaking both Bo and I's hearts to see her so sad.  On top of it all, we are going out of town this weekend and now have to board her with her vet.  I know that they will take good care of her, but I am so sad to be leaving our little girl in her time of need.

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite dish in the kitchen?  Do you have a special coffee mug?  Maybe it's a special cereal bowl or casserole dish?  Is there a story behind your favorite dish?  

Tell me all about it in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

(Antique) Treasure Hunting with Mom

I feel like I have been away from the ABC blog forever (OK, maybe not FOREVER, but certainly much longer than usual)!  Things have been super busy here with work (more on that in a future post), weekend getaways with family, weekend visit from family (i.e. Mom was here this Thursday through Monday), etc. etc. etc...all good stuff, but stuff that keeps me away from sharing with you all nonetheless!

I am looking forward to things calming down in the very near future.  Give me a week or two and things will be calmer and moving at a slower pace.  Until then, my posting might be a bit sporadic.  Regardless, don't worry.  I'm not going anywhere.  I've just got some other things on my plate right now that require my time and attention.

OK 

- enough pontificating -

(Fun word, huh?!)

Let's get to today's post.

Shall we?!

As I just mentioned, my mom was visiting from Springville, AL this past weekend.  My mom and I have become such good friends over the past few years (well, we have always been very close, but that closeness has evolved into a deep friendship as I have become an adult), and we always have so much fun when we are together.  It doesn't take much to make us happy!  Among the things that we LOVE to do are:

• relaxing in a local coffee shop, sipping on warm coffee or tea, sharing thoughts, memories, and laughs together;
• cooking;
• practicing yoga or dancing; 
• shopping at thrift stores and Goodwill's; and
• hunting for hidden treasures in local antique shops!

The last item on that list might very well be our favorite.  I don't know what it is about antique stores, but my mom and I just love them.  Maybe it is the history that is behind every piece...or maybe it's the face that every item echoes a time gone by.  Whatever it is, my mom and I are both in our element when we are surrounded by timeless and beautiful antiques.

On Friday morning, my mom and I stopped into a local antique store in Orange Park, FL (where Bo and I live).  As most antique stores do, from the outside this one looked like a hole in the wall...you know, nothing to write home about.  However, once inside, it was filled with troves of treasures!

Sidenote: Isn't "trove" a fun word?  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary it means "a store of valuable or delightful things," and man oh man were we delighted!

I just loved this old buffet.  One day, I would love to invest in something like this, repaint it, replace the glass panes, and display my china (and various other timeless trinkets) inside.  It's hard to find furniture like this anymore...unless you have $5,000.00 or more, that is.

BOOKS, books, and more beautiful books! 

(I love to use old books with colorful and timeless spines to decorate with...they bring such character to a room and really say a lot about its inhabitants).

My beautiful mother.  

I hope that I age as gracefully.

I thought that these old-timey tools were so cool!  

If we lived in more of a country-style home, it would be really neat to create a wall display with them, don't you think?  Oh, and by the way, looking at these tools really made me appreciate how easy things are these days.  The simplest of tasks used to be so much more difficult than they are today!

Old-timey kerosene lamps.  

Actually, we ended up picking one out for me because this is a great thing to have when/if the power goes out.  Now I just need to head over to Wal-Mart to pick up some kerosene and a wick to put it all together...

DISHES!

(Seriously, what cook can have enough cute AND practical dishes?)

More dishes and records.  

Although you may think I am too young to remember records, you are mistaken.  I grew up dancing to them in the dance studio (before tapes were widely used, and WAY before CD's were invented).  I remember that if we landed a leap too close to the record-player we would cause it too skip.  I also remember the teacher having to restart the song every. single. time. it. ended.  

WOW.

What good memories.

Trinkets filling every corner.

A beautiful decanter with matching tumblers.  

Can't you just envision a gentleman serving scotch or bourbon from this?!

Day's gone by.

Me...surrounded by antiques everywhere!

In the end, my mom helped me settle on a counter-top full of goodies, including:

• five Pyrex dishes with glass tops;
• a kerosene lamp;
• three old-timey Bell jars;
• a crystal decanter;
• a stainless-steel bundt pan;
• a hand-held, metal citrus juicer;
• ceramic salt and pepper shakers; and
• a beautiful, blue porcelain baking dish.

I can't wait to build shelves for our kitchen so that I can display all of my food-filled Bell-jars.  Dried beans, oats, cornmeal, lentils, quinoa, flour, sugar, chia seeds...you name it and I will be putting it in a jar for display!  It will be so nice to get them out of the pantry and onto the walls for all to see!

I have already cooked in two of my Pyrex dishes and they worked out perfectly.  Not only can I cook in them, but I am also looking forward to storing leftovers in them and saving money on Tupperware, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap.  Win-win!

All our loot in a carry-home cardboard box!

To my mother - THANK YOU for spending your time and money on me.  The memories will last a life-time, and thanks to its quality, most of the items that we bought will too!

I love you.

Question of the Day:

How do you like to spend quality time with your mother/father?  What are some of your favorite things to do together?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

30 X 30 Fashion Remix Challenge

Back in March, I wrote this post about "3 Steps to a Better Style".  It has taken me almost two months, but I have finally kick-started my first 30 X 30 Fashion Remix Challenge!  If you are wondering what I am talking about, here is a quick recap from the March post where I first wrote on this topic:

I feel like I have been in a fashion rut for the past few months.  When I look at my closet, I don't really get excited about what is in there...As a result, my style choices have been less than exciting in recent months.  [Moreover], when a party, military event, or friendly gathering comes up, I frequently find myself grabbing my purse and heading to the nearest mall to purchase a new outfit.  While new outfits can be fun, and at times necessary, it is not a sustainable behavior to be jetting off to the mall every week or two!  After all, I do have a monthly "Ally's Personal" budget.  I won't disclose the exact amount on the ABC blog, but I can tell you that Ross and T.J. Maxx are my best friends... 

So, the questions are: 

• How can I pull myself out of this fashion rut?!

• How can I use the "3 Steps to a Better Style" challenge to give back, to serve, and to remember that clothes (while fun) are really just necessary shapes and sizes of material to cover the body?

• How can this challenge help me to reconnect to some of the more important things in life (i.e. giving, serving, and making a difference)?

To address the questions above, here is what I did:

1. I started out my trying on EVERYTHING in my closet and donating the things that either didn't fit, were worn-out, or I simply didn't like anymore (i.e. closet detox).  
2. Afterwards, I made a list of the things that were missing from my wardrobe (i.e. simple t-shirts, patterned tops, a denim skirt, etc.).  
3. To help address the figurative "holes" in my wardrobe, last week Bo and I went to the outlets in St. Augustine.  Thankfully, I was able to pick up the majority of the things from my list at a good price.
4. On Friday, following Kendi's 30 X 30 guidelines, I went through my closet and picked out thirty items for the fashion remix.

Below is a breakdown of what I have chosen to include in my 30 X 30 closet.

• Five pairs of pants/shorts, including:
• dark grey skinny pants;
• dark denim skinny jeans;
• blue skinny jeans;
• denim boyfriend shorts; and
• red shorts.

• Two dresses and a cardigan, including:
• black maxi dress;
• white eyelet dress; and
• lilac 3/4-sleeved cardigan.

• Four skirts, including:
• black polka-dotted;
• white denim;
• black pencil; and
• abstract watercolor.

• Eight patterned/colored shirts.

• Six basic/neutral shirts.

• Four pairs of shoes, including;
• brown ruffle sandals;
• black ballet flats;
• gold ballet flats; and
• nude patent heels.

Here is a not-so-great (i.e. dark and dim...my apologies) picture of all of the items together!

I had to include an artsy picture of the shirts; and

 an artsy picture of the bottoms/dresses! :)

I have decided not to put the pressure on myself to take a picture of every. single. one. of the thirty outfits.  Let me be honest, some days I just don't feel like posing for a picture (case in point, I didn't take a picture of Outfit #1).  However, for the most part, I am going to try and show you how I am mixing and matching these thirty items to make (hopefully...my fingers and toes are crossed) cute and fashionable ensembles.  

Here's a peek at Outfit #2:

Bo and I were headed to Everett's first birthday party (remember him from Halloween?), so I wanted to wear something colorful and fun.  I think I achieved that goal.  I have to say, I felt comfortable, relaxed, and pretty in my weekend get-up!  Success in my book!

Outfit #3 fell on a Sunday (i.e. church attire):

I really liked the cream/white/tan/gold color combination.  It felt light and airy on a VERY hot morning (can you say 95 degrees on the first weekend in May?!), and I think it was perfect for church.

I think that this outfit is a perfect example of how important accessories are to an outfit.  With the belt, shoes, and bangles, this outfit would really be pretty bland.  But with these few items, it looks pulled-together and flattering...well, at least I think so.

What do you think?!

Next up - an update on growing out my hair...and if I feel like taking more pictures, possibly an outfit or two!

Can't you tell that it has grown since I started the blog back in October?!

Question of the Day:


Are YOU going to join me in the 30X30 Challenge?!  


You totally should.  Come one...it'll be fun! :)

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

3 Steps to a Better Style

I feel like I have been in a fashion rut for the past few months.  When I look at my closet, I don't really get excited about what is in there.  In fact, I don't even really like a lot of the things in there!

As a result, my style choices have been less than exciting in recent months.  Perhaps even more worrisome, when a party, military event, or friendly gathering comes up, I frequently find myself grabbing my purse and heading to the nearest mall to purchase a new outfit.  While new outfits can be fun, and at times necessary, it is not a sustainable behavior to be jetting off to the mall every week or two!  After all, I do have a monthly "Ally's Personal" budget.  I won't disclose the exact amount on the ABC blog, but I can tell you that Ross and T.J. Maxx are my best friends...

So, the questions are:

• How can I pull myself out of this fashion rut?!
• How can I use the "3 Steps to a Better Style" challenge to give back, to serve, and to remember that clothes (while fun) are really just necessary shapes and sizes of material to cover the body?
• How can this challenge help me to reconnect to some of the more important things in life (i.e. giving, serving, and making a difference)?

You must be the change you want to see in the world. - Mahatma Ghandi

(Step #1) - Closet Detox:


For me, the easiest place start was in my own closet.  After several hours of trying on EVERY. ITEM. OF. CLOTHING. from my closet, I identified stacks of clothing that were either:

• too small;
• too big;
• worn out; or
• I simply never wore. 

I ended up getting rid of much more than I thought I could/would.  Actually trying on every item of clothing really helped me to be honest with myself.  Some of the things that I loved in my closet were just past their due date.  Other items didn't fit correctly, and still others had sat in my closet for months - or years - without being worn a single time!  In all of the above cases, it was time to say good-bye.

In the end, I was happy to clear my closet of the unwanted, unused, and unliked.  Check it out, I was able to free-up over two dozen hangers!  Now, not only does everything in my closet fit, but I actually like all of the pieces in my closet as well.

There is only one problem.  I am missing a few "key pieces" in my wardrobe.  You know the ones, the basics that go with everything that every woman should own?!  Yeah...I am missing quite a few of those...

So I decided to make a list!

The shorts are a must since it is already in the mid-80's here in JAX(!), but the blazer and tunic are "maybe's".  Conveniently, Bo wants to go to the outlets in the next couple of weeks, so my goal is to try and find some of the key pieces at that time.  After that final shopping trip, Step #2 comes into play...

(Step #2) - Charitable Shopping Hiatus:


After shopping at the outlets with Bo, I will not shop for clothing, shoes, jewelry, or accessories for six months.  The one exception to the "no shopping" rule is for underwear, socks, and bras (and even then, only if absolutely necessary).

In addition, during each of the six months I will give the portion of my "Ally's Personal" funds that I used for shopping to a charity.  Specifically, I will be donating to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), an organization who's mission is very dear to my heart due to my own struggle with bulimia and anorexia.

NEDA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders.  We campaign for prevention, improved access to quality treatment, and increased research funding to better understand and treat eating disorders.  We work with partners and volunteers to develop programs and tools to help everyone who seeks assistance. (source)

In addition to detoxifying my closet (Step #1) and giving to a charity in place of shopping (Step #2), I will also be challenging myself to create style from the confines of my own closet.  Enter Step #3...

(Step #3) - 30 X 30 Remix Challenge:


As I mentioned in this post, I regularly read about half a dozen other food/fashion blogs.  Among those is Kendi Everyday.  Kendi is one classy and fashionable lady, but even she forgets how to style the items in her own closet sometimes.  That's how the 30 X 30 Remix Challenge was born!

1. Take 30 items in your closet.
2. Make 30 outfits.

(To read more about the birth of the 30 X 30 Remix you can read the lowdown from Kendi here.)

(source)

I, myself, have decided to take the 30 X 30 Remix Challenge TWICE during my six-month charitable shopping hiatus.  I plan to do it once for late spring and once for the summer (probably around May and August).  I hope that taking part in the challenge will help me to reconnect with my own closet, remember to appreciate every item in it, and learn how to make amazingly fashionable outfits from its contents.  Wish me luck!

Question of the Day:

Would you be interested in joining me in either the Closet Detox, Charitable Shopping Hiatus, or the 30 X 30 Remix Challenge?  


If so, please leave a comment below letting me know how you will be participating (i.e. taking part in Steps 1, 2, 3 or a combination thereof).  Just so you know, I plan to do:

• one post a month updating my experience with the Charitable Shopping Hiatus; and
• one post a week highlighting my outfits in the 30 X 30 Remix Challenge (when it comes time for that, of course).

I would LOVE to highlight your experience in the ABC blog too!

Just send me a picture, or written testimony, of your experience taking one, two, or three steps to a better style at: allyandbochronicles@blogspot.com 

Blessings,
Ally and Bo