NaNoWriMo Win!

I did it, folks! I wrote a 50,022 word novel in the month of November. 

And there was much rejoicing...

Happy (One Day Late) Thanksgiving!

My hubby and I made our first turkey yesterday--and it turned out delicious! It really felt like such an accomplishment. Now for turkey leftovers galore...

Delicious Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

My sister-in-law threw this recipe in my general direction and I snatched it up. I honestly wasn't even sure what escarole was  but I thought I would give it a chance still since I'm always looking for easy, tasty soup recipes. I gave it a whirl and I am so glad I did!

Let's jump in, shall we?

For meatballs you need:

1.3 lb ground turkey breast
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parsley--chopped
1 large egg
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the ingredients and form small meatballs.

For soup you need:

8 cups broth
1/2 cup orzo
1 head chopped escarole
Sprinkle of pepper

In a large pot, bring broth to a boil on medium heat. Add the meatballs, escarole and orzo when it boils.  Add fresh pepper and cook for 10 minutes or until orzo is done.

Enjoy, eat up, and try not to fight over the leftovers.

Stumbled Upon Favorite Videos

Here are a few videos that have been distracting me as of late. 

The Record Breaker

A Volvo Commercial

Girl Power

Albuquerque Balloon Timelapse

Bob Dylan's Rolling Stone Music Video

History of English

Don't Stop Lovin Me

Enjoy!

Pom Pom Flowers

My sister in law sent me this adorable vase for my birthday and I've been itching to make some little pom pom flowers to put in. I finally got around to it today and am so happy with the results. I used this pom pom tutorial and then used hot glue to attach the sticks.

Easy Turkey Meatloaf

So I was totally that weird kid that listed meatloaf as their favorite food for years. Kinda weird, right? I loved it! And I still do. I haven't had meatloaf in a really long time so I got super excited when I saw this recipe. I gave it a try tonight and...delicious!

Does meatloaf ever photograph well?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine:
1/4 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
2 Teaspoon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce

Saute on low until translucent:
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 Small Onion, Chopped

In a medium bowl, mix:
Cooked, Chopped Onions
1.3 lb 99% Lean Ground Turkey
1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs (Seasoned flavored)
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Marjoram
A Pinch of Salt

Once mixed, pat mixture into a loaf pan. Spoon sauce on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes and let cool for five minutes. 

Enjoy!

National Novel Writing Month

Have all of you heard of NaNoWriMo? I happened to find out about it on October 31 this year...just in time to jump in head first on November 1. During the month of November, nearly 300,000 people are trying to write a 50,000 word novel. So far I have just over 16,000 words done...not even half way yet. It is a bit overhwelming to think of writing 34,000 more words this month but I'm trying to take it one day at a time. It has been such a great kick in the butt for me to get writing which is something I've been wanting to do for years!

Knit Headband

I love knitting headbands and I love wearing headbands. 

It really works out quite well for me...

Banana Bread Oatmeal Bake

Over the weekend, I found myself hungry with almost nothing in our cupboards. (I find that this occasionally happens when you grocery shop by bike only...) I saw this recipe over here and somehow had all of the ingredients!  So I whipped up a pan and devoured it. Delicious!

What you need:

2 cups old fashioned oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Here is what you do:

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan.

Combine and mix all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Whisk in the eggs and then mix in the remaining ingredients.  Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir. Once mixed thoroughly, pour into the 8x8 pan. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until set.

Enjoy!

Eugene's Weather Halloween Costume

The one thing I am guaranteed to remember about Eugene, Oregon is its weather. Rain, rain, and more rain. I thought for Halloween I would embrace the rain and become an Oregon rain cloud. I went a little further and added some rainbow socks, a yellow shirt for some sunshine, and a teeny tiny lightning bolt on my headband.

I thought it was ironic that it rained on me as I was biking to a Halloween party....

 And now for a close up on that smiling lightning bolt...