Our Delicious Midwestern Adventure: Indianapolis

We arrived at the final stop on our trip Thursday evening...and it has been all fun since then!  Here is a rundown of the last couple of days.

** We had dinner & drinks with Shawn's friend Amanda Shelley and her husband at Rock Bottom Brewery.  Yummy!  The beer was delicious.

** We stopped at a liquor store to buy a case of Oliver Wine: Soft Red.  It is my favorite wine in the world and is unfortunately not readily available in Texas.  Problem solved now...I have a whole case!

** We layed around doing nothing with Theresa...watching Season 2 of Big Bang Theory.

** Went to a game night at Sarah & Corey Ruble's house in Avon.  It is a really nice house!  Got to meet their dog, George.  Shane and Jennifer English also came over for the game night.  We had a great time!  We took over Little Cesears Pizza and breadsticks and Shane brought beer.  We played Trivial Pursuit (boys against girls) and Loaded Questions.  It was a good time.  I will never see Corey the same way again....

We had lunch yesterday with one of my favorite people, Megan McVicker!!  She's awesome! Plus we ate at O'Charley's (be very jealous Mimi!).  We love that place and again...not so easy to find in Texas :( 

We forgot to go to Oberweis while we were in Chicago (we were too busy!) so we found the one in Carmel and headed there after lunch.  Oh boy...best ice cream EVER!  I really think that the Chcocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream is the most delicious dessert of all time.  Really.

After a little rest, we headed to Noblesville to go bowling with Theresa and some of her friends from work.  The Lebanon HS teachers like to drink and bowl for stress relief....and it was a good time!  I bowled the best game I've bowled in a long time (147) and we all did well and terrible at the same time!

We decided to try to go out with a bang so we went to Broadripple after bowling to meet up with a couple of Shawn's friends of Ball State, Amanda & Jenn.

I have completely realized that I am too old for places like Broadripple...but it makes me sad to admit it!  I was irritated by the noise, the smoke, the people constantly rubbing up against you, the bartenders getting up on the bar dancing in practically their underwear!  I guess I'm just and old fart now.  Oh well...I can deal with that!

While we were at the bar, some girl came up to Shawn and asked if he was single!  I was sitting right next to him too :)  Ah...good times!

The bottom line is that we spend the past few days with Theresa...and that is the most important part!

Now to start the long drive home.  To Texas.  Back to Logan.  Back to the warmth.  Back to our sweet puppy, Marcie, who is patiently waiting for us (or just me).



Snow Day!

We arrived in Indy last night with Theresa planning to take a vacation day today so we could hang out all day :)  However, we got a cold surprise overnight...SNOW!



Shawn and I went to get breakfast and I got stuck in the parking lot!  Shawn helped me out...as well as another lady who was stuck too.  He thinks it was his Superman hat :)  When we got back to Theresa's house she told us that her school closed for a snow day.  So she's not missing anything afterall...but she's mad because now they will be in school past Memorial Day.

Our Delicious Midwestern Adventure: Muncie

Our short visit to Muncie had some tasty treats.  We met Dave, Sara, Colleen, Haley & Holly at our favorite Mexican food ever...Puerta Vallarta!

Yummy Margarita & Queso :) The best ever!

Before heading to Indy on Thursday we stopped at Scotty's Brewhouse in Muncie.  I love Scotty's!  Such delicious Dill Chips...although I didn't get any because Shawn doesn't like pickles :(  I got what I always get, the Kinney Bacon Skinny Wrap.  So delicious.  Shawn tried something new: a burger with waffle fries and nacho cheese ON THE BURGER!  It was just a tad messy...haha!

Our Delicious Midwestern Adventure: Carroll County

Since leaving Chicago, we have been busy visting Shawn's family.

We started with a family dinner at Shawn's grandparents house in Wakarusa, IN.  The Daytona 500 was on, so everyone ate and watched the race.  (On a side note, the food we ate while visiting with Shawn's family is HIS favorite foods - not mine - so there will be no food pictures from these couple of days.)

The weather was getting pretty crappy on the drive and it didn't get any better that night at Shawn's parents house.  This is what I found the next morning on my windshield :)



Shawn's mom and dad took Monday off of work, and Patrick was home too, so we went to Lafayette for the day.  We had lunch at Steak N Shake (one of Shawn's favorites!) then wandered around the mall (another one of Shawn's favorite things).  We went into Kokomo on Tuesday with Patrick to check out the new comic book store, of course.  Then we took Shane to Chuck E Cheese's for dinner and games...ALL the boys had fun :)

Monday evening we went over to see Caleb & Lindsey's house and Kevin & Toni came out too.  Shawn really enjoyed seeing his old friends!  We all went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and then to Coldstone Creamery for dessert.  Yum!

Overall, we had a pretty nice visit in Carroll County!  I know Shawn misses his friends and family but he does NOT miss the roads and the weather!

Our Delicious Midwestern Adventure: Day 2

The Chicago portion of our adventure has ended...and it certainly ended with an adventure!

Yesterday afternoon Shawn and I headed to Superdawg for the best Chicago-style hot dog that you can get.  Delicious!

We went over to visit Grandma Lach's house because Aunt Mel & Uncle Glenn have moved it and made some changes.  By some changes I mean a complete remodeling...because her house had been exactly the same since the early 60's.  The house looks great!  They have a lot more to do, but it looks like the house will work for them.  I would post some pictures, but unless you saw the house before you wouldn't really appreciate it.  I'll just show Mimi when I get home.  She will be shocked!

Yesterday evening we had family gathering (in honor of me and Shawn) at my cousin Cristie and her husband Ben's home.  It was like a typical family gathering...

My cousins drinking and being loud.

Food.
My cousin's husbands telling bad (and dirty) jokes.

Drama.

The kids running around yelling and fighting.

Miller Lite.

Lou Malnati's Pizza (which makes the drive up here completely worth it).

Teenagers (my cousin's kids.)

Crying (the follow-up to the kids fighting).

Food.

Emergency run to the liquor store...

This is where the fun begins!  When Cristie and Kathy returned from the liquor store with Jager, Red Bull, Jose Cuervo Tequila, and Tequila Rose Cocoa...Jager Bomb anyone?

Oh, let the fun begin...

and it did!

I love my family!

Shawn enjoying his Lou's.  Best Pizza EVER!

Our Delicious Midwestern Adventure: Day 1

As we planned our trip to the Midwest we planned many things...mostly involving seeing family and friends.  I will not lie though: I was crazy excited for the food.  We have a list of places we HAVE to eat while we're on "vacation."  I decided quickly that my diet is out the window this trip, so I am going to chronicle the food with pictures so I always remember just why I didn't lose weight (or possibly gained weight) and then remember why it was all worth it! So, yesterday was our first full day in Chicago and we scratched a couple of stops off our list.

Butterfield's Pancake House

When we lived in Oak Park, we would meet Dad & Ana (and sometimes Niko) for breakfast at Butterfields every Saturday that we could.  It is our favorite place for breakfast!  Shawn LOVES pancakes and he thinks that Butterfield's are the best.  I have to agree.  The food is fabulous!

My favorite thing to order...California Scrambler. Yum!  Totally worth a whole days worth of calories :)



Wells Stree Popcorn

We drove to Oak Park after breakfast so we could grab the train into the city run a couple of errands.  Before we got on the train I had to stop for the world's best caramel corn.

We watched the Blackhawk's game at Dad's yesterday evening at ate some pizza after spending some time at Woodfield Mall in the afternoon.  By 10pm last night I could barely keep my eyes open.  This "vacation" is going to be very tiring!

Chicago

"I miss everything about Chicago, except January and February."

-- Gary Cole

This just about sums up how I feel right now...even though it is currently February!  As soon as Shawn and I drove into Chicago yesterday we immediately realized just how much we miss this place.  Not that we are going to move back or anything.  We are beginning to really like Austin too, it just ISN'T Chicago.  Not even close.  Austin has a few things that we like better though...like Logan most importantly.

Last night we went out to dinner at Houlihan's with Dad, Ana, Mike & Niko.  Always fun.  We did a lot of talking about Logan.  Basically he's all that matters anymore :)  This trip is going to terrible for my diet...terrible!  But at least I'll be able to remember just why I threw Weight Watcher's out the window this week and why it was worth it with this blog. My Spghettitinni with Shrimp, Mussels and Scallps was fabulous, but I was good and I didn't eat it all!  I'm at least keeping my Weight Watcher's habits in my mind!

Shawn and I are going to meet Dad, Ana, Aunt Mel and Uncle Glenn for breakfast today at our FAVORTIE breakfast restaurant: Butterfield's.  We are pretty freakin' excited for breakfast. 

YUM! YUM!

Driving in Texas

For the past 6 months we have lived in Austin and we're really starting to enjoy it.  There are many things were love, a lot of things we like, but also a lot of things we don't like very well.  Most of them we'll just have to get used to but there is one thing that absoultely drives me crazy...

DRIVING IN TEXAS



I cannot understand how people have survived this long with the horrible driving in this city!  Here are a couple *actual* examples from my drive home from work last night.

1. I was driving southbound on MoPac Expressway along a portion of the highway with 3 lanes in each direction.  This is a divided, elevated highway.  A REAL highway.  There is even a train that runs between the northbound and southbound lanes.  I saw flashing lights and a siren coming up the northbound side of the highway.  It looked like and ambulance.  All the cars in front of me started slowing down.  Serioulsy.  Slowing down significantly.  This will seem even more insane after you read point #2.

2. I was driving in the left lane, commonly known to be the passing lane.  Typically passing lanes are used by those cars driving OVER the speed limit.  The speed limit on MoPac is 65.  I typically have my cruise control set at 69 or 70.  This particular drive I was unable to set my cruise control because the left lane was driving AT 65mph!  No joke!  The passing lane was driving the speed limit.  This is not even unusual around here!  I have never lived anywhere that so many people obeyed the speed limit!  The right lane was only driving about 50mph.  I am totally serious!  Maybe coming from Chicago this seems exceptionally insane, but even in Indiana people speed in expected ways.  It isn't me that's crazy, right?

3. NO ONE uses turn signals.  It is like they are just a suggestion or something.  Everyone here just changes lanes or turns when they feel like it without any consideration for the other drivers on the road.  Drives me nuts!

Ok...I guess I can quite complaining now.  Just needed to vent.  I have to admit, I will be glad to get back to Chicago and Indiana for our trip over the next 2 weeks to be around NORMAL drivers again :)

Weight Loss Journey: Entry 5

As I took pictures of my beautiful lunch today, I realized that I never posted my weight loss this week.  Oops!  Well...another week of Weight Watchers completed and Mom and I are still going strong!  Mom has started losing some weight too, which is making her quite happy!

I lost 1 pound this week!

Total weight loss 12 pounds!

Now...on to the delicious lunch.  This is a recipe out of the new Weight Watcher's cookbook we bought recently at CostCo.  So far we have made some really delicious things.  Today's lunch only had 3 Points too!  AWESOME!

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

Here is the side view so you can see that there is a tomato slice in the center with the fresh  mozarella.

I also had a bit of am impulse buy this past Sunday while grocery shopping at SuperTarget.  This little ice cream maker was on sale and it is so freaking cute that I HAD to have it!  Turns out it is super easy to use too!  I made myself some Banana Ice Milk today for the first time...and put it in my Mike Wazowski bowl from Christmas.  Delicious!  There are a ton of recipes for Sorbet in my new cookbook too, so I'll be having fun with this ice cream maker.  Best part about this snack is that it is only 1 Point!



Also have to throw up a picture of Logan.  I just can't help myself!

Snowpocalypse Austin

I know all of you in the Midwest will be making some sort of face right now at this title...but let me tell you about the city-wide disaster that was Snowpocalypse Austin.  

It was Friday, February 4th.  I awoke at 5am to get ready for work.  I looked out the window and saw the ground covered with snow.  BARELY!  It was seriously less than 1 inch!

This insane amount of snow caused a city-wide meltdown!  ALL THE SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED!  The hospital offered to pay for all the employees to take cabs to work on their dime!  Businesses were closed.  It was chaos!  I have never seen a city taken to its knees over such a tiny amout of snow and ice! 

In Austin's defence...there are no plows and very few trucks capable of spreading salt on the streets.  No one has ice scrapers in their cars and the wiper fluid freezes in the car.  Most people here have never driven in snow so they have no idea how to do it!  They slam on the brakes when they hit an icy patch...BAD!  There were a TON of accidents. On my way to work on the highway, people were driving single file down the center of a 3 lane highway at 20 mph.  Seriously!  I was the rebel driving down the left lane at 40, perfectly safely.  Anyway...we all survived and by the time I drove home from work that night all the snow had melted and the ground was dry.  What a day ;)

Another afternoon with Logan

Just a few pictures of Logan to share today.

Look at that hair!!  He got a bath...can you tell?

For some reason our heat is being weird today (and although it is not Snow-pocalypse 2011 here in Austin, it is cold) so Logan is wearing his super cute Bear outfit that he has almost outgrown.  He looked so cute sitting in his chair we had to get some pictures.



Weight Loss Journey: Entry 4

My weight post is late again this week...sorry!

I did weigh a day late this week, but I have no real excuse for not updating everyone.  I really should have too because Mom and I have successfully completed 1 month of Weight Watchers!  We are doing great!  Mom has started losing weight now and I reached my first milestone :)

5% of my weight loss goal!

My next milestone will be 10% and I hope to reach it in the next month.  I am very happy with my progress so far!

I lost 1.8 pounds this week.

Total weight loss 11 pounds!

Yesterday, Shawn and I were at CostCo and I found a new cookbook that looks awesome!  It is Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook .  I went through this morning and flagged all the recipes I want to make...and there are a lot!  There are very few pictures in the cookbook though so I will be taking lots of pictures and will be sure to post them online.