Let's compare...

First, Google Reader (they say) is really going away in a couple of weeks.  So, if you'd like to keep on following, make sure you hit on that Bloglovin' button to the left!

*Edit: Apparently GFC isn't going away.  But I secretly wish it would :)*

No makeup.  Skirt: Old Navy // Tank: Target // Watch: Fossil

...I'm just saying!

Which do you prefer?  

1.  I think my hair is turning brown and I'm okay with that.

2.  I held onto bright blonde (or at least it looks that way in the sun there) for a very long time because I wasn't about to let Alaska change me.

3.  I've worn this skirt 4 times. Once last summer. Once at the beginning of the school year.  In that snow-rific picture you see above. And then to the ice cream place (it was lovely) last week.

4.  People who say it's too hot here and they'd "rather be cold than hot!" are crazy.  They've obviously never truly been cold if they're saying that.  I know that humidity/heat/impending sunburn can be uncomfortable, but being cold is not what you think it is.

5.  In unrelated news, I watched Forks Over Knives while I was cooking dinner Monday night.  It goes without saying that I didn't eat much.  Did you see it?  What'd you think?  I don't think I can look at dairy the same way anymore.  Milk, anyway.  I'm not giving up ice cream.

Sharing at: Walkabout Wednesday, WIWW, Random Wednesday

Weekending

The Pulaski Regional County Fair.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.

At least it was free.

Unimpressed with the "fair", a friend and I went to the local cupcakery.

Sassy Sweets Cake Boutique.

The owners/employees were so nice, and the cupcakes were delicious; heavy-sugar frosting and moist cake.

On Saturday, Scott and I went to Springfield.  It's 90 minutes south-ish.  I went to Marshall's, which was refreshing, so I can see this becoming a once a month trip.  Springfield has pretty much all the shopping you could want, but it's just kind of far.  However,  it rained. A lot.

I really know how to pick a place to go, right? But it rained everywhere on Saturday, at least a little bit, and spending the day doing nothing at home would've been boring.

We went to a haunted castle.  I found this tourist attraction on TripAdvisor, and you can go here to look up the history of the Pythian Castle. 

The building next door where they kept WWII POWs. Really.  

You can read the history within that link up there.

"Haunted" tunnel in the basement leading to the building next door.

POW cell.  Complete with very accommodating air holes.

They let the POWs paint on the cell walls.

Can you spot the green orbs?  Totally a reflection of the lightbulbs, right?

Though, those were the interrogation rooms back in the day, so it'd make sense for them to be haunted.

I kept taking pictures of myself in random mirrors, hoping to see something pop up in the background of the picture.  No luck.  The bathroom was particularly creepy.

We also went to Bass Pro Shop (the flagship store).

And I thought the moose in Alaska were scary. 

(Those are random people. The line for photos was kinda long.)

Anyway, on Sunday night we went to a friend's house for dinner.  I wasn't necessarily pleased with this arrangment, because I was planning on having a True Blood premiere party.  The only problem being that I don't have any friends here who watch True Blood (in fact, I might be the only person I know in real life who does watch it...which is a crying shame). So it wouldn't be a party as much as just me, sitting on the couch, answering the millions of questions Scott would undoubtedly ask during the show.  But a good night, nonetheless, right?

It came down to...

Scott: So you'd rather watch t.v. than go out and socialize?

Me: I don't understand the question.  

Scott: We can watch it when we get home.

Me: It's not the same.

Scott:.......

So, we went. I legitimately like the people we hang out with here.  I really, really do and don't want there to be confusion about that.  However, I sat at a table with 7 other people who are all in the Army (wives included) and listened to them talk about the army for 3 hours.  Then, the 6-month-old baby went to bed and I officially had nothing in common with anyone else at the table.  

However, onto the important stuff:

True Blood was good.  I think it's going to be an action-packed season.  SPOILER: My heart broke just a little bit when Sookie rescinded Eric's invitation.  le sigh.

And Sally Draper is smarter than I gave her credit for.  Betty, deservingly, is going to have her hands full.

Spinach Pesto Sandwich

I am fully willing to admit that I miss one thing about Alaska.  I expected this to happen. 

I cannot get those spinach pesto wraps anymore.  Those ones that I ate almost every Sunday for 3 months (click on the link above to see a picture).

Normally, I'm not a sandwich person at all.  I just don't care about them.  Not that I don't care for them. I just don't care one way or the other. Sandwiches could disappear and I'd be okay with it.  I'm one of those people who will not go near mayonnaise.  Sandwiches tend to hide mayonnaise really well, so I've become used to saying "no, thanks" when sandwiches are around (just in case).

But this particular flavor combination is something I would eat if you topped a slab of wood with it.  It's that good!  Heck, I would even eat it on salmon, or meatloaf, or any of those other foods I refuse to touch.  Maybe.

So, to make this restaurant-quality sandwich, you need certain ingredients.  The combination of the feta, pesto, balsamic, and sun-dried tomatoes gives it an unbelievably rich taste.  Don't leave any of that out!  It took me a couple of tries to perfect the flavor, so I've really done the hard work for you (taste-testing and all).

My only complaint is that it's a lot of ingredients.  But these kind of ingredients last forever in the fridge, so aside from buying fresh veggies, this is something you can keep in the back of your head to make for lunch or a quick dinner (maybe with some couscous?) when you're in a pinch.

Spinach Pesto Flatbread

1 flatbread
1 roma tomato, diced or sliced
Some red onion, diced or sliced
Feta, 2-3 T., crumbled
Cucumber, diced or sliced
Sun-dried tomatoes, 4 or 5 little slices
Pesto (homemade or jarred), 1 T.
Balsamic vinegar, 1 t. drizzled
Baby spinach

On top of your flatbread, spread the pesto evenly (like you're saucing a pizza). Drizzle on the balsamic, sprinkle on the feta and sun-dried tomatoes.  Pile on the onion, tomato, cucumber, and spinach to your liking.  Bell pepper would be great too.

Fold it in half and press down (it'll be messy).  Cut in half to eat or you can eat it like a taco. Enjoy!

Your weekly television update

Were you underwhelmed with the Game of Thrones finale? I kinda was.

Though, unless they start bringing Starks back to life, I don't know how they could've topped the drama from the week before.

All I really have to say is...

APPARENTLY NOT, Ygritte.  APPARENTLY not.

Is this girl ever actually going to DO anything?  Like, anything at all?

Looks like a beauty pageant contestant for goodness sakes...

Tyrion is still my favorite.

Arya is a close second.

Here's to season 4!  

Next: Clearly, my Mad Men predictions didn't come true.  There's always tonight, right?

Maybe Ken will dance for us again.

Obviously, the end of Game of Thrones and the hysteria happening with Mad Men conspiracy theories are just opening acts leading up to the main event.

I'm so darn excited!

"Happier at Home"

Gretchen Rubin makes me want to live in New York City.  While the city is a nice place to visit, I've never felt the desire to stay for more than a day or two.  Her descriptive writing, though, almost has me sold.  (I don't think I could ever get Scott to even visit NYC.)

Happier at Home

My takeaway from the book:

1.  Setting up shrines.  Your house is supposed to reflect things you love.  There's no shame in showcasing that.  Like Gretchen, I set up a shrine of books.  I was having trouble deciding which books to display because I don't like clutter.  Out of my collection, I picked out my favorite children's literature, and then added in the adult books I cannot do without.

If you haven't read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, you need to get on that.

1/4 of my Dear America collection.  These are my favorites.

2.  "Just because something's fun for someone else doesn't mean it's fun for me".  When I read this Secret of Adulthood in The Happiness Project back in January, I was floored.  THIS was what I'd been looking for:  permission to be me.  I spent so much time struggling to fit in while we were in Alaska.  I learned that if I want to bake cookies and read books on a Friday night, it's okay.  If I prefer some Weeds re-runs to going out to a crowded movie theater, so be it.  And, most importantly, if I choose not to go camping in the cold rain, it does not make me a societal outcast.  It makes me ME.  And that's okay.

3.  Make your bed.  I've never been the person to make my bed, unless there's a reason (i.e. company coming over).  However, I've taken this task on each morning since we've been here.  It does make me happier.  It gives me a more organized start to the day and, really now, it takes 60 seconds.
Now if I could just apply this to "clean up kitchen at night"...

4.  Set aside 15 minutes to "suffer".  I don't really have a cleaning schedule, but I try to clean something everyday (laundry, floors, bathrooms).  When I do force myself to clean, I set a timer.  15 minutes of solid work and you'd be surprised how much gets done.  You should try it if you're a multi-tasker.  I often try to do so many things at once and none of them get completely finished.  When I'm disciplined enough to use this technique, it works.

5.  Moderation vs. rules.  I'm not good at moderation.  In the book, Gretchen mentions setting rules for herself, like not eating crackers and not eating at children's parties.  Those are good rules to follow in my opinion.  For example, I rarely ate anything my students brought in to share because it wasn't for ME, it was for the kids.  I like to choose when I eat cupcakes.  Also, I can't buy cereal.  I'll eat the entire box in 18 hours.  It's an exhausting cycle and one I don't care to get caught up in, so I'm one who sets some rules for myself.  Because I'm really bad at moderation.  I eat sweets, drink caffeine, and eat bread everyday.  But I don't buy cereal.  For me, it's about choice, not moderation.

6.  My love for this book was solidified when she ended it with an ode to Laura Ingalls Wilder.  To quote:  "Laura Ingalls Wilder is the best writer about home!"  To anyone who's ever enjoyed a Little House book, that's the absolute truth.  The Ingalls family made a comfortable, cozy, meaningful home anywhere.  In a sod dugout, in a cabin, in a shanty, in a hotel they helped to run, in an uninsulated store building and, later, an insulated one, in the Surveyors' house (a "rental").  It didn't matter where they were; if they were together, if they had their china shepherdess and kitchen table with the red-checked cloth, then they were home.

Did you read Happier at Home? I was really glad that it gave me immediate and relevant ideas, not just "Oh, I should think about that..." ideas.

(I borrowed this book from the library and all of the opinions are my own. I just really liked it and wanted to spread the word.)