Hand warmer mugs and olive oil

I'd like to start off by saying, olive oil is NOT disgusting. My mom thinks it is, and I simply do not understand it. It just makes things taste... yummy. :)
Super short post today. I would just like to announce that I am SUCH a gourmet cook. Well, not really. But  when it comes to spaghetti, kind of. On the menu tonight was Rachel's homemade marinara sauce with whole wheat noodles. YUM!! The recipe is as follows, whether you're interested or not. :)


Delish Marina
(Makes 2 servings)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Tablespoon chopped onion
4 tomatoes (or 1 drained can diced tomatoes)
Salt and pepper
Any extras you want to add (I like red pepper, olives, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sometimes browned ground beef)
Oregano
Basil
Parsley and Parmesan cheese to garnish

Heat up oil in a pan. Sautee the garlic and onion until onion is a bit soft. (I like to lift the pan off of the stove when I add the garlic and also turn down the heat, then gradually increase the heat. If I don't, I usually end up burning the garlic.) Scoop out tops of tomatoes. Then, over the sink, squeeze out as much of the juice and seeds as you can. If you don't, the sauce will turn out runny. Rough chop these, and throw them in the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you're using canned tomatoes, don't use salt. They already have salt in them. :) Now is also the time to add your extras. But if you're doing meat, don't put that in until right before the spices. After the mixture has simmered and become softer, add a few pinches of dried oregano, or chop up a couple of fresh sprigs. Also add a few pinches of dried basil. I used 5 fresh basil leaves. Stir, and serve with your favorite noodles! PS. Rachael Ray says that you should always stir your sauce into your noodles... So, don't just place it on top. I guess it looks more appetizing if you stir it in...? I don't know. Do whatever you want. I like to stir it in... Personal preference... Whatever. Garnish with a sprig of parsley, and a small handful of shredded Parmesan. Enjoy, and never use canned/jarred sauce again. ;)

Yep, that's about as gourmet as I get. Ha ha ;)
 Happy Sabbath!

"Our doctrine is clear; we are to be positive and of good cheer. We emphasize our faith, not our fears. We rejoice in the Lord's assurance that He will stand by us and give us guidance and direction. The Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts that we have a loving Heavenly Father, whose merciful plan for our redemption will be fulfilled in every aspect because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ."
                                         -Quentin L. Cook

Love-
Rachel :)

Nub & Tub... Bonkers.

Happy Saturday! It's hot outside, and I'm feeling the need to swim! I'll be doing that later, so I am all set.
Yesterday, I worked! Alexis and I made a trip to Walmart during my morning job, and we acquired the container we needed to finish up our project. During my afternoon job, I actually answered the phone! I was kind of afraid... But actually, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with that job. :)
Last night Lauren and I went to the mall to scout out some running apparel, and to just kick back and try some fun stuff on. We found ourselves at Forever 21... Yep. We forgot that this particular store has clothing designed to fit only those who are extremely thin and who lack certain... curvy... features. Ha ha needless to say, we had an interesting time there. We tried on these rather hideous fur coats, and I took a picture, but Lauren has forbidden me from putting it online anywhere, and because I'm so nice, I won't. After our adventures at the mall, we headed over to Macey's to buy some fruit to make smoothies after our run. Lauren found a magazine that had a special edition about our favorite boy band, One Direction!! While I was using my fruit picking skills to choose a deliciously ripened pineapple, Lauren was looking through this magazine and showing me every single attractive picture she found, and was reading all of the funny articles. I was too focused on my fruit to care much. Finally, she showed me what I wanted. Niall Horan.
Do you see him? He's super duper nice looking, he's not dating anyone, and he's Irish!! What more could you want from a celebrity crush? Hmmm... Yep. Just gaze for a minute, or two, or five. I promise you won't get tired of it. ;)
Ha ha ok. Anyway, we managed to leave Macey's with pineapple and frozen peaches. When we got home, we went on a late night run! You know, I'm actually starting to look forward to running everyday. I never thought I'd say this, but... I actually like it. Whoa. So we ran on that newish road that breaks off of Center Street and has a bridge that goes over the river. Um... there are no street lights down there. Don't go there after 9:30. It's not good for you. Actually, it was beautiful. The fields of tall grass were blowing in the breeze, and it was super warm, and there were stars and city lights in the distance, and the sky was kind of purpleish blue. So go there... just not by yourself. :)
 When we returned from our journey of cardio, we went to Walmart for my mom. She need something for primary. A trash can, actually. We went, and we found a trash can.

 

                                             "Am I confused?"                            Nub.

                                      "Your head isn't big enough!"                     Tub.

We walked around Walmart with these fashionable headdresses adorning our crowns. We were there after 11 at night. What else is to be expected by a couple of young adult women? On our way home we drove out by the lake to look at the fires that have been raging this past while. Goodness! You can see them from this far away! We are praying for those who are fighting those fires, and we pray for their families as well.

The lake is beautiful at night, and... Ah. I just love nature in all its glory. :)

When we returned to my place of residence, we made midnight smoothies!! :)

Pineapple Strawberry Peach Lime Smoothies

(Makes 2 generous servings)

2 cups of fresh chopped pineapple

1 1/2 cups of fresh stemmed strawberries

1/2 bag frozen peaches 

Juice from 1 small lime 

Handful of ice

Blend and be happy.

Anyhow, last night was fantastic, and was extremely eventful... and I think that Lauren and I should send apology notes to the poor girl who was manning the dressing rooms at Forever 21. Don't forget to enjoy life and tell the ones you love that you love them. It's important.

Love-

Rachel

PS. Recipe for this morning's breakfast smoothie

Strawberry Banana Peach Orange Smoothie

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

1/2 bag frozen peaches

1 banana

Juice from 1 large orange

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

Handful of ice

Blend and have joy.

Upcycling: "I squoze it and sled it in."

Announcement before I reveal what I do when I am in the DIY mood. I got a second job!! It's a second on campus job, and I work this one just 3 days a week. It's perfect. :) I work in the ASB as Michael Orme's assistant student secretary and file clerk. I basically log and file things onto the computer and into the vault. Oh, and I answer the phone. I am perfectly fine talking on the phone, but for some reason, it terrifies me at this place. I think it's because I have to be super professional and I have to take notes and transfer people and send messages over email... It's a bit frightening. But that's ok. I'll get the hang of it. :)
Anyway, DIY. I was on Pinterest a while back (I know, I know. Pinterest is... yep. I'm not obsessed, I promise. I just browse occasionally, when I need an idea of something to do. PS. It has great DIY dorm/apartment decor ideas that will help create your dream away from home setup without spending mucho casho), and I found these awesome things. And so... as I looked for something to keep myself occupied this evening, I decided to try this.

I had seen a lightbulb on the work bench in the garage and, after asking permission of course, proceeded to gut out that little sucker. (If you ever do this, wear gloves and protective eye wear.) Then my dad helped me fiddle with some hangers and pliers and wire cutters as we tried a few different methods of creating the handle part. We ended up using picture hanging wire, and my dad used his drill thingy to make a couple of holes in the sides of the metal on the bulb. Then after lots of twisting and clipping of wires, I was ready to carefully select my sweet peas and mint sprigs. (Obviously, you can use whatever plants you want, but these are the ones that grow wild in our yard, and my mom wouldn't be upset with me for "borrowing.")
So, as you can see, I am still on my DIY kick, and I don't see it subsiding any time in the near future. Hope you enjoy!
Love-
Rachel :)