Camping Breakfast Recipe - Mexican Skillet

When camping, we always try to come up with new ideas for cooking over the fire. My sister-n-law had the brilliant breakfast idea to create a copycat version of a Mexican Skillet served at her favorite breakfast restaurant ... and it was delicious!

This recipe does involve a bit of prep time and it takes a while to cook, but the result is worth the extra effort! Plus, it's camping, so you are bound to have time on your hands.

Mexican Skillet Recipe

Supplies:

• Iron Skillet
• Spatula

Ingredients:

• Chorizo - 1 lb. (seasoned sausage)
• Egg/Milk Mixture - 1 dozen mixed with 1 cup milk
• Jalapenos - to taste
• Chopped Onions - to taste
• Frozen Hash Browns - 15 oz.
• Shredded Cheese - 8 oz. package
• Sour Cream - to taste
• Salsa - to taste
• Oil

The portions of the ingredients above will vary depending on the number of people you are feeding - all of the above mentioned can be eyeballed. 

Directions:

1. First, cook the chorizo in an oiled iron skillet - remove from the skillet, cover with foil and set aside.

2. Second, cook the egg mixture with the jalapenos in the same oiled iron skillet used above - remove from the skillet, cover with foil and set aside.

3. Cook the chopped onions and add in frozen hash browns. Cook through adding oil as needed - this could be a slower process, so be patient!

4. Add the chorizo and egg mixture to the hash brown mixture and mix in 1 bag of shredded cheese.

5. Serve with sour cream and salsa to taste.

This Mexican Skillet is better than any restaurants' ... in my opinion! This is breakfast at it's finest, and it's made right over the campfire. Add a bit of coffee to the meal, and you will be eating well!

Give it a try next time you are enjoying a weekend of camping - you will thank me!

DIY Suede Band Bracelet Watch

I often times draw creative inspiration from online images or items I see in stores and, of course, Pinterest. And sometimes I am able to re-create the inspiration piece using my own personal flare!

I saw a photo of a leather band bracelet watch and decided I could re-create the piece. I headed to JoAnn Fabrics (there are always coupons on their website!) and bought some suede for the band and a watch face. I then took the items home and did a lot of troubleshooting until I figured it all out. I actually came up with a solution that I think works better than the inspiration piece ... plus, I was able to re-create it for much less than the inspiration piece as well!

DIY Suede Band Bracelet Watch Directions:

Supplies

• Suede Cord, approximately 60 inches long
• Watch Face 

 

Instructions

1. Cut the suede cord to 60 inches. The length of the cord will depend on your wrist size and the number of times you want the cord to wrap around your wrist. Mine ended up being closer to 55", but I suggest starting with a bit of excess.

2. Fold the cord in half creating two equal 30" sides. Create a loop by tying a knot with the folded side of the cord - the side opposite the two ends.

3. Thread the ends through the watch face - the looped side of the cord will be on one side of the watch face and the loose ends on the other.

4. Loop the loose ends through the watch face a second time creating the bracelet portion of the watch - you should be able to slip your wrist through the bracelet you created.

 

5. Create a knot with the two loose ends of the cord. Trim excess cord.

 

6. Slip your wrist through the bracelet and wrap the long ends around your wrist on either side of the watch face. Secure the watch by slipping the knotted end through the looped end.

7. The final product is a stylish, bracelet watch with a casual feel.

I re-created this watch for less than $15. The price is dependent on the cost of the watch face though - you could go more expensive with the watch face if you wanted to. It might take some trial and error when creating your own Suede Band Bracelet Watch, but it will be fun designing your own one-of-a kind piece. Consider choosing your favorite color for the suede cord or combining multiple colors ... choose a playful watch face or possibly re-purpose a vintage one ... the design is completely up to you! Enjoy!

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog if you like what you read - simply submit your email address in the field above to begin receiving my blog posts via email.

How To Grow Lemon Plants

When I came across a picture sequence on how to grow lemon plants on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try! Quick growing plants from seeds of a fruit that I always have on hand and a little extra decor for my kitchen, I'm all about that. The post consisted only of a picture of the growing process, no link to detailed directions, so I decided to try to re-create it. 

Unfortunately, my track record of keeping plants alive inside my home is something like, 0/10 ... no plant comes out alive! I had basically retired my gardening skills in order to protect innocent plant life from the torture that is my attempt to garden, but then I saw this idea and decided to give my green thumb one more shot ... and I found success!

1. Begin by extracting lemon seeds from ordinary lemons.

2. Soak the lemon seeds in water for approx. 30 minutes. Remove any pulp.

3. Choose a container for your lemon plants. The post showed a flower part, but I chose plastic containers with suction cups on the back (found in the bathroom aisles at most department stores ... I got mine at Burlington Coat Factory).

4. Fill the containers with soil and insert the lemon seeds - cover the seeds with soil.

5. Place a single layer of rocks over the soil (optional).

6. Place your containers in a location that gets some sun. My kitchen window does not get full sun, but the seeds still grew. Water regularly.

8. After 2-3 weeks, you should have green sprouts - a lemon plant!

Compared to the pictures I saw in the Pinterest post, my plants are a bit more sparse, but I plan to add a few more lemon seeds to create fuller containers. The plants unfortunately do not smell like lemons, as described by the post, but they look cute and add some pizazz to my kitchen!

Just a reminder ... don't forget to subscribe to my blog if you like what you read - simply submit your email address in the field above to begin receiving my blog posts via email.

Circle City Athletics - Flag Football

I was definitely born with a competitive spirit ... I thank my dad! I spent my whole childhood playing basketball, volleyball and a short stint running track. I get a rise out of challenging myself athletically, especially in organized sports. I am lucky to be naturally athletic though I'm not a dominant athlete ... but my competitive personality has always carried me!

So, when my husband and I were asked to play coed flag football through Circle City Athletics - it was GAME ON! Now, I have never played organized flag football before and frankly, wasn't even sure if I could catch or throw a football. I only knew that I would work my butt off to contribute to the team AND have a blast doing it!

Circle City Athletics Sports and Social Club is an Indianapolis locally owned and operated adult intramural sports league offering a variety of sports for every level of play. The sports include flag football, volleyball, soccer, kickball, dodgeball, putt putt golf, bowling and more. Various sports are played throughout the year at levels including beginner, recreational, intermediate or competitive.

We are playing in the beginner, summer, coed flag football league right now though for a beginner level, it is still super competitive. Our team name is the Screamin' Cheetahs! Each team in the league plays 1 game per week either 7, 8 or 9 pm at Park Tudor High School. We just finished our 4th of 6 regular season games on Wednesday. Following the regular season, every team plays in a single elimination playoff. The rules are 3 girls, 5 guys on the field at all times and a girl has to touch or attempt a touch every 3rd play.

Prior to our first game, my husband had to teach me quite a bit about throwing and catching. We play with a full-sized football and my hands are small so I struggle(d) with throwing. I wasn't as good at catching as I would have liked to have been either, but my nightly practice in the backyard with my husband really paid off! I am definitely no Reggie Wayne, but practice makes perfect, right! I was in pretty good cardio shape and can be pretty quick, so I wasn't too worried about defense - I was always a defensive specialist while playing basketball, so I had that under control. After learning a few routes and talking strategy with my team ... I was ready to hit the field!

As I said before, my competitive spirit takes over while playing any sport. I have caught a few balls, a touchdown pass, a 2-point conversion and kicked booty on defense. I am glad to know I still have IT on defense. My first game, I defended a pretty quick chick, and she never once got the ball! The games are fast-paced and extremely competitive. There is a good amount of incidental contact, but it's all in good fun. The two 19 minute halves and 2 minute halftime seem to fly by.

Our record in unfortunately 1-3 ... yea, I KNOW, that isn't a great record, but we have put up valiant attempts every game. No one likes losing, especially me, but I am cutting us a bit of slack considering no one on our team had ever played before! We will use this season as a learning experience - some of the teams in the league have been playing for 9 years together!

Check out my diving catch from game #4!

It has been so fun to attempt a new sport, push myself to learn new skills and make a few friends in the process. Our team is made up of several good athletes and good people, some that I may play other sports with in the future ... I have a lead on a kick ball team for the fall that needs a player!

Besides the fact that I can certainly tell I am not as young, fast or resilient as I once was, I have proved myself to be an asset to the team which is important to me ... I might have slightly injured my ankle, pulled a hamstring and felt a few aches over the past 4 weeks but who's keeping track! My husband, on the other hand, is somehow still getting better with age. He is so quick, has an incredible vertical and is a real dominant player - he had 4 touchdowns in our last game! I'm jealous but impressed!

I can't express how much I enjoy playing sports with my hubby - a husband and wife working together to kick some booty = perfection to me!

City City Athletics would be a good option to look in to if you are interested in playing organized sports. They offer a number of sports and everyone seems to really have fun with it! Many of the athletes play on multiple teams and play multiple sports. Each team is awarded a free pitcher of beer at a local bar to use the night of their game which really promotes the social aspect of the league.

I look forward to finishing off this season with a few more wins, but more importantly, I am happy I am able to satisfy my competitive nature with a little flag football action!  

Half Baked Pottery Trip with My Sisters

I scored a Living Social coupon for Half Baked Pottery in Broad Ripple. My sisters and I decided to make an evening of it complete with dinner and some window shopping ... such a fun night with two of my favs!

Half Baked Pottery, a paint-your-own pottery studio, encourages people to visit the studio for a creative pottery experience. The studio offers classes and is also open to the public during set hours. You start by choosing a plain piece of pottery then grab a seat at one of the tables, choose your paints, stencils and paint brushes and let the creativity begin!

I chose to paint a notepad holder and my sister chose a cute frog kitchen sponge holder - other options included plates, vases, figurines, mugs and more! Prices varied, but I have to say prices seemed a bit high. The notepad holder was only $18, which includes the studio time, paints, firing, etc., but some of the plates and bowls and such were $30-$40 of more. Our Living Social deal entitled us to two $17 items, so we paid a bit extra to paint these items that cost more.

The process was fairly intuitive and the possibilities of design are endless. There are shelves setup with paint and paint chips for selecting the right color and a number of tools such as dotters and permanent pencils. The tables are stocked with brushes and glazed tiles for which to squirt the paint. A water bowl is available on the table for cleaning brushes as well.

I decided to paint the background of my notepad holder light blue-gray and add thin tree branches with birds. I have actually painted this theme before for paintings that I did for my bedroom, and I thought it would translate well on this notepad holder.

The paint dried very quickly, within a couple of minutes. You could easily layer colors and complete the piece within an hour or two.

My sister's froggy turned out adorable - she choose a green speckled paint for the outside and a berry color for the inside of the mouth. She used the dotter to create the perfect eyes - it turned out soooo good!

I was also happy with the way my piece turned out - the little birdies resting on the branches complimented the angles of the piece, and I added a few single birds to the inside of the holder for an unexpected surprise thanks to the suggestion of my other sister who elected not to paint a piece. The studio seemed to encourage a social environment and welcomed the three of us even though only two of us were paying customers.

Once you complete your piece, the studio adds a glaze and fires it. The piece is typically ready for pick up within a week. Here are the pieces after the glaze and firing. These steps really enhance the designs and colors and seal the paint for protection.

I loved sharing this creative experience with two of my best friends! We shared design ideas, gave each other pointers and had some laughs. We also had a tasty dinner at the Monon Food Company prior to painting and did some window shopping to complete the evening. I love my sisters!

 

This experience will likely be one that I don't have the opportunity to experience often, but I will have a memento to keep for a long time. I can see this activity being fun for a group of friends or an individual. There were several children there painting as well - fun for the whole family. The studio had a very casual vibe. The price can be a bit high but considering the time you can invest in the activity, the fact that you create something to take home and its overall uniqueness, it is well worth it!

First Watch 2.8/4.0

Following the Monumental Yoga event on the Circle in downtown Indianapolis, my sister and fellow yogi stopped for a bite to eat at First Watch.

First Watch is apparently a franchise, though we did not know that when we chose it. There are 3 in the Indianapolis area - downtown, East 86th Street and Carmel. All the food is made to order using the finest and freshest ingredients possible. They pride themselves on leaving a freshly brewed pot of coffee at your table, the choice to share food and FREE newspapers and Wi-Fi among other things.     

The cafe we went to sits right off N. Illinois Street near W Ohio Street, and is adorned by an awning. The windows are stenciled with the words "breakfast" and "lunch" and a sidewalk sign features the days specials. It's super cute from the outside!

Inside we were greeted by a friendly gentleman who promptly sat us in a booth near the windows on looking the sidewalk. The decor of the restaurant was pretty standard, nothing too fancy. There were simple booths, and it was minimalistic. The specials were written on a big black chalkboard and containers of grass acted as dividers between some booths.

 

We unfortunately had a lot of time to check out the atmosphere because we sat in the booth for about 15 minutes before a server ever approached us. Let's just say the service was lacking a bit. It was slow and haphazard.

BUT, the service was eventually overcome by the delicious food we were served. It was flavorful, fresh and original. The cafe serves breakfast and lunch ... The breakfast menu looked incredible but it was lunchtime - we might have to hit this place up for breakfast sometime too. The menu described the dishes well and had appetizing photos throughout. The also had corky silverware wrappers like the ones below.

I decided to get "2 for You", a combination of a half sandwich and salad. I chose the Pecan Dijon salad  which was comprised of chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato and carrots with cheese and warm honey dijon dressing and the Monterey Club - turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, choose and mayo on multigrain.

The salad dressing was rich and like nothing I had ever tasted and the sandwich was hearty and fresh.

My sister went with the Santa Fe salad - Cajan chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and Santa Fe dressing with ciabatta toast.

She commented immediately on the freshness of the ingredients and enjoyed the salad very much ... the bread looked delicious too! I wanted to steal the bread for my own!

Here is how this experience stacks up based on my 1-4 rating system - 4 being the best:

Food: 4
Fresh ingredients; original offerings - not just your average sandwich or salad; hearty; large portions ... overall DELICIOUS!

Atmosphere: 2.75
The location, awning, chalkboards and comfortable vibe of the cafe suited the breakfast and lunch restaurant well. Nothing too special when it came to decor.

Price: 3
Large portions for the price. The "2 for You" offerings were under $8. The full-sized salad was around $9.

Uniqueness: 3
It was evident that the food was fresh and made to order - you don't see that too often. The silverware wrappers were a touch of whimsy. The items listed abov,e such as a fresh coffee pot at your own table, free newspapers and such, added to the uniqueness.

Service: 1.25
Unfortunately the service was bad, more importantly SLOW. If you want great food and aren't in a hurry, this would be a nice choice.

Overall Average: 2.8
The overall score is above average thanks to the food - did I mention it was DELICIOUS! The overall experience wasn't terrible, but the service definitely brought down the score. It is a cafe worth trying though!

I would recommend First Watch for a Saturday or Sunday breakfast, brunch or lunch. The food isn't what you think of when you think of a chain restaurant. It is truly fresh and unique.

Monumental Yoga on the Circle

Have you ever done yoga on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis with 1,000+ other yogis?

I have ... and it was so much fun!

 

Yogis in Indianapolis came together today, Friday, June 20th, to celebrate Indy's love for yoga and the summer solstice in an event called Monumental Yoga on the Circle. Participants laid out their yoga mats and followed instructors through sun salutations. It was a free event from noon to 1 and donations were taken to benefit Growing Places Indy and Y12SR.

 

Instructors from several local yoga studios gave instructions over a microphone to all of us who braved the heat to make this a monumental event! It was hot yoga at its finest!

 

It was such a beautiful day for this event - the sun was beaming down - so appropriate for the occasion. It was surprisingly super relaxing even though we were in the heart of the city. There was a live electric violinist playing in background. I somehow tuned out the cars, city noise and hustle and bustle of downtown Indy - I was in tune with the nature around me, relaxed and in the moment.

 

I have to admit yoga has not always been my thing - it took me a while to really appreciate the art form. My idea of exercise has always been competitive, action packed sports, but once I started researching yoga and its effects on mind and body, I began to really love it. Yoga is peaceful, though it can be super challenging. Yoga effects parts of my body that my daily fitness routine does not - I can push my strength and flexibility to their limits all while relaxing my mind and clearing my head.

This event was a great way to practice yoga in a nontraditional location - challenging each of us to let our breath take over and eliminate the distractions around us. It was a site to see so many people gathered in one location sharing a love for yoga and healthy living. I live for this kind of stuff!


As the Monumental Yoga tagline goes, breathe, find your center and enjoy time with friends! ... Mission accomplished!


Check out the Indianapolis Star for more pics, http://www.indystar.com/article/20130621/LIFE02/306210082/Monumental-Yoga-draws-hundreds-synchronized-sun-salutation.