Noodle Soup + Nintendo

Couple multiple Super Nintendo games with homemade noodle soup and you get a fifth grader’s perfect night… or an ideal night in the eye’s of two twenty-something guys. 😉

Late this afternoon Ryan’s cousin Daniel came over to our apartment so the two boys could enjoy an afternoon of throw-back video games.

Gamers

I wish I could say that the above picture was staged, but the facial expressions and random words coming out of these boys’ mouths were 100 percent original and genuine.

The guys weren’t the only ones enjoying the video games.

Can you spot Sadie?

Where's Sadie?

I hung  out with the guys for a bit before unpacking and starting on dinner.

This evening the three of us enjoyed homemade chicken noodle soup. I had to make an old-school dinner to complement their old-school video games. 🙂

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made the soup using my mom’s recipe, which is my all-time favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. It is a perfect cure for both colds and homesickness.

Sluuuurp

I love chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side. 😉

Wholesome Soup

Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 4 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 c. water
• 1 packet Knorr vegetable soup mix
• 2 large chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large celery stalks, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 package egg noodles

Directions

Pour chicken and water into a pot and simmer. Add chicken and vegetables and let simmer until chicken is fully cooked. Add Knorr vegetable soup mix and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add noodles and let simmer until noodles are fully cooked.

Ta-da! Easy, peasy and so delicious. This recipe will make your house smell ah-maze-ing.

You know what time it is… Bachelorette here I come!

Our First Registering Experience

It’s amazing how three days away from the gym can feel like so long! 

My body was seriously craving a work out this morning. 

If you just aren’t feelin’ the gym these days, try taking a few days off (more than one!). It may be just the thing you need to get your mojo back. 😉 

Ryan and I hit up the gym for a good workout a little before 9 a.m. I did a total-body workout, similar to the weights routine I did last Monday. I had a yummy breakfast bagelwich before my workout to help me power through. 

Breakfast Bagelwich

To make my bagelwich, I toasted a sweet wheat Alternative Bagel and topped it with a wedge of Laughing Cow light original Swiss cheese, MorningStar Farms veggie bacon and an egg white. 

I actually cooked the egg white in a mug in the microwave, which worked really well. I just sprayed a mug with cooking spray, added the egg white and cooked it on high for around 40 seconds, or until I heard a little “pop.”    

Egg + Bacon + Cheese

Fast food breakfast sandwiches ain’t got nothin’ on me! 😀 

Registering at Williams-Sonoma 

After taking Sadie for a walk around the lake near our apartment, eating another snack (hummus & cheese wrap for me) and showering, Ryan and I headed to Williams-Sonoma to register for our wedding!    

What a Lovely Sight

 My hubby-to-be in front of Williams-Sonoma??? I may have just died and gone to heaven. Would it be weird if I framed this picture? 😉    

A Glimpse into Heaven

Registering at Williams-Sonoma was a breeze.    

Ryan and I both thought the employees struck the perfect balance between helpful and aloof. Neither of us like someone breathing down our back, but whenever we looked especially confused, someone seemed to magically appear. 

Guess who was quite a big fan of the registering gun?   

Man and Machine

We agreed going into the experience that we would both have to like anything we scanned, but that we could each get one “freebie” item that the other person didn’t really care for. Neither of us ended up using our “freebie” item and we seemed to see eye-to-eye on almost everything! Maybe we’ll use our “freebies” when we register at Bed Bath and Beyond next weekend.     

Post-Registering Smiles

Ryan and I listened to the advice of former brides and those of you who commented on my blog before about creating a wedding registry, and registered for a couple of “big ticket” items like a set of Caphalon pans and a Wüsthof Classic 12-Piece Knife Block Set. I can’t quite imagine anyone going all out like that for our wedding, but a girl can dream! 

Wedding Band Selection   

Once we were done registering at Williams-Sonoma, Ryan and I headed down the street and picked up a grande chai tea Frappuccino from Starbucks. 

Chai Frapp

We then walked down to a nearby jeweler to check out wedding bands. 

I think we pretty much selected Ryan’s band today! 

He loved a thick platinum band with light etching on the top and bottom of the band. I’ll definitely post a picture when it comes in and we fully commit. 

I really liked a band with several princess-cut diamonds on it. I am not sure how many diamonds or what size diamonds I prefer, so the woman we were working with is going to shop around and give me a call when she gets some possibilities in the store. I’ll keep you guys posted!   

Lunch 

We swung by the grocery store on our way home from the jeweler and picked up food for lunch and for the rest of the week.   

When we arrived home, I got to work in the kitchen making a childhood favorite for lunch. 

English Muffin Pizzas

Pizza, Pizza

English muffin pizzas are the jam! 

To keep the “crust” crispy, I toasted the English muffins before topping them with tomato sauce and cheese and broiling them until the cheese melted.   

Oh-so-good! 

Now I’m off to unpack and CLEAN! Please try not to be too jealous.   

My goal is to clean, take Sadie for another short walk and make a homemade dinner before the Bachelorette tonight. 

Aaaand I’m off!

Spending the 4th on the Road

My 4th of July was spent on the road. 

Key Largo –>Sarasota –>Bradenton –>Orlando 

After seven hours on the road and a few pit stops, Ryan and I finally made it home. 

The morning began with a yummy protein-packed breakfast. 

Egg Sandwich

I made  myself and egg sandwich with ham on a whole wheat sandwich thin. 

On the side I enjoyed a Florida-fresh orange! 

Peeled Orange

After packing up and saying goodbye to my family, Ryan and I headed to Sarasota for a pit stop at his mom’s house. 

We arrived there around 2 p.m. just in time for a yummy lunch of summer salad, sweet corn on the cob, caramelized onions, a deviled egg and a homemade oatmeal cookie. 

4th of July Lunch

I refilled my plate with potato salad and lots of fruit and also enjoyed four chocolate mousse-stuffed strawberries that were delicious! 

After hanging out for two hours, we headed to Ryan’s dad’s house in Bradenton to pick up Sadie. We were so excited to see our little girl! 

Ryan’s dad and his girlfriend took great care of Sadie and she seemed to feel right at home when we arrived. We spent some time hanging out in Bradenton for a bit before piling back in the car for Orlando. 

We arrived in Orlando late in the evening. All three of us felt tired and decided the rest of the 4th of July would be spent cuddled up on the couch with some pizza! 

I made homemade pizza using a super simple pizza crust recipe. 

Pre-Cooked Pizza

After 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, the pizza was ready! 

Cheesy Goodness

Several Slices

After baking in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, the pizza was ready! 

Since the crust recipe didn’t involve any yeast or rise-time, this dinner came together in a flash. Ryan gave the pizza two enthusiastic thumbs up! 

Quick Pizza Crust 

Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 c. water

Directions 

Combine all of the dry ingredients. Add oil and water and stir until dough is sticky and soft. Knead on a floured surface for 3 – 4 minutes (I skipped this step). Spread out on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray and top with sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Bake for 15 minutes in a 400-degree oven. 

Today 

Today’s plans include: 

• Gym
• Pool
• Registering at Williams-Sonoma
• Looking at wedding bands!!!
• Errands

I’ll check back in really soon!