Getting That Morning Fix

I cannot believe how many of you reached out to me and CB with words of love and congratulations over the past few days. I'm going to do my absolute best to respond to every single one!! We are both just so over the moon. We knew we wanted to get married one day for sure, but I don't think either us expected the absolute joy and love we felt for the other on Saturday afternoon. To sum it all up: IT WAS THE BOMB! 

We should get engaged every Saturday! Lols!!!

As far as wedding details go, we are going to do our best (key words there "do our best") to pump the breaks and really enjoy these next few weeks of being a newly engaged couple! We have a trip to Denver this weekend, just for fun, and can't wait to spend the entire time celebrating.

Today though, for those of you who might have missed the first two posts, I am collaborating with RaceTrac to talk about #Whatevergetsyougoing in the mornings. In the first post I talked about the 10 Things Experts Would Say I do Wrong Every Morning. Think hitting the snooze button multiple times and then running around frantic trying to get ready. In my second post, I talked about one of those really crappy mornings that all of us have. The kind where everything just seems to be going wrong. That post can be found HERE.

I'm coming at you today with the third post of this four post series, talking about morning habits, rituals, specifically what seems to be getting people going in Texas and across America!

RaceTrac released an interesting infographic about the different morning purchases across the country. Take a look below.

I thought I would break down how my mornings compare to the averages done in this study!

MORNING FIX
The norm is coffee and I love me some coffee. I have a strict two cup limit though, any more than that and I get a bit loopy. By a bit, I mean I lose control of my hands and word vomit starts to happen. Better safe than sorry, so I always just stick to two cups!

SWEET OR SAVORY
In nearly every scenario where I'm faced with the choice of sweet or savory, I'm going to choose savory. I don't really have a sweet tooth. I have a pizza tooth and a chips and salts tooth. And I'm pretty sure my molars prefer cheese. Although I'm not judging, the idea of a hotdog in the morning sounds odd to me.

My morning go to? Grab a breakfast bar and GO! I keep it simple!

CHILL OUT
I don't remember a time I've bought a bag of ice in the morning. Again, that's an odd one to me. Maybe people take coolers to work? I'm lucky enough to have a kitchen at work, with a giant fridge!

LONG DISTANCE EATING
588 miles of roller grill items? That's more than half of the drive from Dallas to Knoxville! Gameday road trip anyone?

COFFEE BY THE GALLONS
Ok, but if they drank ONE MILLION GALLONS (*Dr. Evil Voice) how many bathroom breaks does that equal? LOLS!

STATE BY STATE CRAVINGS

Texas is all about those breakfast burritos. I for one, cannot stand breakfast burritos. I like my eggs one way and one way only: RUNNY. The more yolk, the happier I ham (that was a breakfast pun). Breakfast burritos come with scrambled eggs - not my thing. Good thing I am headed to Miami in a few weeks, because Florida is where I would fit in on the breakfast spectrum. A piece of fruit, a breakfast bar, a cup of coffee and I'm golden!

Maybe this is just me, but I find it really odd that breakfast/granola/protein bars didn't make an appearance anywhere on this infographic. I feel like I see people grabbing a meal replacement bar all the time, but turns out those people, and myself, are in the minority!

I also love me some breakfast sandwiches! I know I mentioned this in the last post, but the next time you're driving to work and there is a RaceTrac on your side of the road, stop in and grab a breakfast sandwich and get a cup of joe for just 50 cents!

SO- tell me, how do you typically start your mornings? Coffee and a breakfast bar? Soda and a hot dog? Red Bull and a donut?? What gets you going?

WE ARE ENGAGED!!

CB AND I ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!

Wait --- you guys now know him as Drew. I can post his photo on the internet. 

Engaged.

Real name.

Photo.

My head is spinning. That is a lot to handle at once. Maybe I should have rolled this out in waves rather than going for it all at once??? Ah well, I can't hold in surprises. Nor can Drew.

Ok, that feels weird to type Drew. Can we still just call him CB?? Ok, cool. That's what we will do.

Ok I'll start from the beginning and do my best to get you guys all the details.

I have an upcoming blog post where I had to throw a 50 Shades of Grey themed party, so I had been planning all week to throw a 50 Shades of Darker party at our house on Saturday. Mid-week, CB told me that his friends were planning on getting together for a beer or two at Deep Ellum Brewery and dinner somewhere in Deep Ellum before the party. All that sounded good with me.

Saturday morning rolled around and I still had SO MUCH to do, to the point where 2:30 rolled around (when we were supposed to be at the brewery) and I still hadn't even gotten in the shower yet. I told CB to go on ahead so he wouldn't be late and I took my time getting ready.

I mean shoot, what did they need meeee at the brewery for?!? Getting this party blog post ready was more important than an IPA at the moment. 

I arrived at 4pm at the brewery... only 1.5 hours late, no biggie 😂

I had a drink with everyone and we all decided to go to this new restaurant in Deep Ellum I'd been dying to try, Stirr. On the way, my friend Heather asked if we could find a mural to take an all girl's group photo. I suggested the Texas themed hand mural (seen here). Come to find out this was CB's PLAN A mural, so I'm sure he breathed a deep sigh of relief when I suggested the exact one he wanted.

Side note: there are more than 40 murals in Deep Ellum.... just FYI. 

We get there and I jump up on the ledge expecting the gals in the group to follow suit. I start to get antsy when no one is joining in the group photo and I'm just standing up there alone. My friend Larissa then hands me a pouch and says this is for you.

I open the pouch and inside is a miniature figurine of The Traveling Man, which is an iconic Deep Ellum statue (pic here). I start freaking out asking Larissa, "WHYYYYY did you buy me this??" I know how expensive that figurine is (I've been eyeing it in the store for years) and I couldn't wrap my head around WHY she did this.

Then I see Drew (errr CB... whatever... this could get difficult)  climb on the ledge behind me. He tells me to look back in the bag and then I see a ring attached to the traveling man figurine and it was about then that  I scream HOLY SHIT.

editors note: i think this is mostly what happened, i kinda blacked out at one point. 

He pulls out a pocket knife and he cuts the ring from the traveling man. I then immediately take the ring from him, and he is then forced to take it back!! aaahhhahaa... I told you, I was blacking out, I couldn't control my reactions at this point. 

At this point he is still standing up. Right as I'm wondering if he is really doing this and if he is going to get down on one knee..... he kneels. He then says a series of things that at the moment I cannot remember.

What I do remember is having our friends all snapping photos and videos, then Drew asking me WILL YOU MARRY ME???? and me screaming YESSSSSS and then making out repeatedly with joy.

And then, after all the dust settled, I go...
WAIT ONE MINUTE....
All these people took photos and videos. What do I get to do with them??? Drew said I could post them and I shrieked so loud that everyone within a half a mile turned their head to make sure I wasn't dying. I actually was dying but a good dying. The "Literally Dead" form of dying.

IT WAS PERFECT. Everything was perfect.

So, with that said, here are a million photos.

CB/Drew (HELP I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO CALL HIM) then asked...

You didn't really think all these people were here for a 50 Shades of Grey Party did you?????? 

Uhhh... I did. I actually did! LOLS! I just thought everyone heard I had donuts and vodka... I thought that was all it took!

You'll see the full party in a later post... but here is a CB covered face for old time's sake!

It was a nice little Saturday, I'd have to say! Both of our families each sent us the kindest texts and calls.... each side welcoming us to the family. I think that was the coolest part for both of us, were all the WELCOME TO THE FAM texts! 

I'll leave y'all with my favorite photo of the two of us back in November at the Margarita Ball --- since I've never been able to post it! EEEK!

And for those that prefer video, here ya go!

I Woke Up Like This (And It Was Obvious)

Thank you to RaceTrac for sponsoring this post! 
In case you missed it, last month I kicked off a partnership with RaceTrac! In my first post, I talked about the 10 Things Experts Would Tell You I Do Wrong Every Morning. Take this morning for example, I hit snooze 3 times. So sue me. 
RaceTrac's new campaign is to support #WhateverGetsYouGoing in the mornings. They stand by their opinion that there is, in fact, no wrong way to get you going in the morning. If you need a hot dog, grab a hot dog. If you need twizzlers, grab some twizzlers. If you need a 32oz soda, well shoot girl get that 32oz and get going! 
Today, I'm going to talk about terrible mornings. 
I've been trying to think of a terrible morning in the past to share with you. Of course there was Bagel-Gate 2016 (who could forget that) and then there was the day when I snapped, and realized I have completely uncontrollable road rage and potential anger management issues. 
You've already read about those mornings though, so let's talk about a recent morning at the office. 
*footnote, just spilled coffee on myself. sigh.
Like any normal living, breathing 30 year old woman in the workforce, I try and put my best self forward for work each day. Sure, sometimes my outfits look like an 8 year old boy picked them out for me, and I wear leggings way too often, but I'll at least do either my hair and/or my makeup on days where I choose an 8 year old boy's Polyvore collage for inspiration. 

Well on a recent morning, long story short...
I was running late. Had zero time, didn't get to shower. Didn't do my hair.  Left the house with zero makeup on.  Threw on some leggings, a ragged spaghetti strap dress/tunic thing with tattered strings hanging off the bottom and a dull grey cardigan with 3 buttons missing.  (....more importantly.... WHY DO I EVEN OWN THESE ITEMS????) 
I tossed my makeup bag in my purse and figured I'd tackle that on my lunch break. The hair... well the hair was just going to have to suffice because, if you have curly hair, you get where I'm coming from there. 

Here, I took a selfie for you guys.... 

No biggie, nothing going on at the office today. I don't have any meetings... it'll just be me becoming one with the oldddd cubical. 
So I'm just sitting there typing away, editing photos, working on some graphics, checking social media, tending to my inbox.... yada yada yada......

And out of nowhere, up to my desk walks a film crew of 6 Japanese guys who don't speak English. Tripods in hand, video equipment in tow, still cameras around their necks, shining blinding lighting equipment in my face. I'm immediately a deer in headlights. 

I try to ask what is going on. I try to say "Oh, no no no. Thanks though." I try to get up and run away. I tried to call in sick.... *cough*. 
They didn't understand anything I was saying. They just kept motioning to me to act like I'm fake typing, and to smile at the camera while fake typing, because that is normal. 

To this day, I still haven't figured out what had just happened. But I will apparently be making my video debut somewhere in Japan without having had a shower, un-styled, unbrushed and unwashed hair, zero makeup on at all, wearing $3 H&M leggings, a ragged spaghetti strap dress/tunic thing with tattered strings hanging off the bottom and a dull grey cardigan with 3 buttons missing... fake typing and smiling like a confused, clueless bimbo who doesn't know what is going on.  

Those American girls are really something else. 

Super duper gang. Happy Tuesday. I spent the rest of the day in the bathroom, swimming in all the makeup I could fit on my face. 
Thank the lawwwd there is a RaceTrac just down the street from my office. I could actually walk there, if I were feeling really adventurous. Pick up a little more coffee, which is just $0.50 (any size!) for the month of January when you buy a breakfast sandwich. 
It might not save me from being an internet meme in Japan, but it would, at the very least, have lifted my spirits to have had some chocolate covered raisins and a diet coke that morning! 

Eggs Benedict Sandwiches with Beer Cheese Sauce

Messaging below is intended for ages 21+ and is intended to be enjoyed responsibly, in moderation: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BeersAndBuns #CollectiveBias

Has anyone seen the movie Julie and Julia? If you are not familiar, it is about a blogger (Julie) who cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook. There are parts of the cookbook that freak her out, parts where she lies awake at night panicking over how she is going to be able to pull off some of the recipes (i.e. deboning a duck).

Well, this is how I felt about poaching an egg.

Ok so that is a bit dramatic, but I'm just really not good with eggs. I'm the biggest Eggs Benedict fan in the world though, and I knew I wanted to make Eggs Benedict for our friends when they came over for the next gameday. I've been lying awake at night, sometimes even waking up in a frantic cold sweat all over the fear of poaching an egg for these Gameday Pepperidge Farm® Eggs Benedict Sandwiches with Beer Cheese Sauce I told my friend I would make.

Jk jk jk.......... jk.

I wasn't worried at all..................

I did all of the youtubing, all of the googling to find the best way to poach an egg. I even looked up egg poaching kitchen gadgets on the web, but didn't see anything appealing. I grabbed a 12 pack of eggs from Kroger and some vinegar and I was armed and ready to get to poaching.

According to the internet (you can't put anything on the internet that isn't true) to get the perfect poached egg you need to do the following:

1. bring saucepan filled with water to a simmer

2. DO NOT add salt to water

3. Once simmering, add a dash of vinegar to water

4. Using a slotted spoon, create a whirlpool effect in the water

5. Crack egg in ramekin

6. While water is slowly whirlpooling (new word, by me) carefully drop egg in water

7. Whirlpooling water should wrap egg around itself

8. Cook egg 2-3 minutes and remove with slotted spoon

9. Place egg on kitchen paper (I was watching a British youtube channel, I will now, for the rest of my life call paper towels, kitchen paper instead because that is a way better name)

First egg I whirlpooled too fast. Second egg I still whirlpooled too fast. Third egg I whirlpooled at the right amount but dumped the egg in too slowly. Fourth egg I allowed my friend Taylor to both whirlpool and dump egg and VOILA! Perfectly poached egg!

Step 10: Find friend named Taylor to dump and whirlpool for you. (That sounded odd...)

Let's get real though, and I'm not just saying this. THESE SANDWICHES WERE THE BEST VERSION OF EGGS BENEDICT I HAVE EVER HAD. Maybe it is because I poured made from scratch beer cheese on it, maybe not. You be the judge.

Eggs Benedict Sandwiches with Beer Cheese Sauce

| Ingredients | 

For the Beer Cheese Sauce

(you WILL have extra, use like fondue and grab some carrots and cauliflower for dipping later during the second round of games)

1.5 cups Pilsner Beer

Clove of garlic minced

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

1.5 cups heavy cream

salt and pepper

6oz sharp Cheddar (grated)

6oz Swiss (grated)

4 tablespoons flour

For the Eggs Benedict Sandwich

1 Package Pepperidge Farm® Bakery Classics Sweet & Soft Slider Buns

(I got these from Kroger, they are perfect for gameday and created by bakers so you know they'll always be baked the right way!) 

Bacon (we just cooked an entire package because YOLO)

1 Avocado 

1 Tomato 

FRESH Eggs 

(if you've never poached an egg, get a pack of 12 so you have some extras for trial and error😂)

| Directions | 

If you have good boys and girls in your house, I suggest you start by giving them a small piece of cheese and then wash your hands so you can start cooking. 

Start by grating your two cheeses. You'll then want to heat your butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Once melted add your onions and cook until they start to get soft, about 3 minutes. Next, add in your flour and cook, stirring about 2 more minutes. Add your beer and stir until smooth.

Once beer is smooth, reduce heat and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook out. Add in your garlic and cream until the sauce thickens. Stir constantly, about 10 minutes.

Pro tip: have your boyfriend cook the bacon during this time. Steal slice of bacon and eat it while stirring.

Remove from heat and add in salt, pepper and gradually add your cheese until melted.
Set aside and keep warm.

Since your boyfriend is already cooking your bacon, you'll want to slice your tomatoes and avocados. Then POACH YOUR EGGS. Just take a deep breath and do it. If you screw up, you've got 11 more fresh eggs waiting for you. Don't sweat!

I added a touch of butter to the top of my Pepperidge Farm slider buns and popped them on to the toast for just a minute. Then assemble your sandwiches with your avocado, bacon, tomato, egg and beer cheese sauce and serve with LOTS OF KITCHEN PAPER! This will get messy.   

I'll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the floor before I continue. 

I’ll wait for you to pour yourself a cold one, you know, to really get gameday ready!

All good? Ok here is your finished product! 

And then of course after the breaking of the yolk (aka the best part).... 

WHAAAAAA? 
Add a frosty mug filled with your favorite Pilsner and behold, the perfect gameday treat! I used Warsteiner German Pilsener, but feel free to use your favorite pilsner-style beer. 

Be sure to grab these tasty Pepperidge Farm Slider Buns from your local Kroger and check out this site for coupons and discounts on their products! Here is the aisle where you'll find the Pepperidge Farm Slider Buns I used!