Tasteful Thursday

It's my first time to link up with Kerbi for Tasteful Thursday, and if you want to learn new and exciting recipes, you should head over to her blog and link up too! :)

Okay, so I REALLY like to cook.. I think it's a rewarding thing for me. I like when people say how much they like it. It's an ego boost or something. However, I'm not creative enough to come up with my own recipes, (I'm afraid to mess something up) so I enjoy looking up recipes instead.

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. I LOVE her! It became a fast favorite for me. I make it for everyone. :) My boyfriend loves it. My family loves it. My friends love it. EVERYONE loves it.

Make it, I guarantee your people will love it too!

Lasagna Stoup

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

-1 pound ground beef

-Salt and pepper (enough to taste)

-1 large onion, finely chopped

-2 carrots, peeled and grated

-3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

-4 cups chicken broth (32 ounces)

-1 can Italian crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)

-1 pound lasagna noodles, broken into jagged pieces

-1 cup basil leaves, torn (I use the seasoning in the jar and eyeball it)

Directions:

In a soup pot, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat.

Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the onion, carrots and garlic and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.

Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth and tomatoes; cover and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 15 minutes.

Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Serve to your family and friends and listen as they praise your cooking skills! ;)

WILW!

Happy hump day blog friends! I hope you're all having a great week, and it's all downhill from here. The weekend will be here before we know it! I'm LOVING.. this new Coach handbag from their Poppy collection. I realized that my current black purse I'm carrying is too "wintry" and I need a new "spring" bag. ;) I'm LOVING.. that I actually worked out by myself this past week. GULP! Okay, I'm sure you guys do this by yourself all the time, but this is kinda a big deal for me. Before I started working out, I said I needed a friend to do it with, someone to push me. Well, I got into the workouts I am doing, and when my friends couldn't do it, or didn't want to do it, I wasn't going to let that stop me. So, I did it alone! :) Yay me! I'm LOVING.. that I got my own domain! :) If you guys didn't notice, (which I'm sure you have since I announced on twitter, take a look at the address above.. notice anything different?! I'm LOVING.. shellac manicures! They are definitely worth the little extra money, and they seriously last the whole 2 weeks without chipping. Amazing. I'm LOVING.. that Neely's birthday party is this weekend, and the boyfriend and I will totally be helping her celebrate! I'm LOVING.. my giveaway I'm hosting for hitting 200 followers! Have you entered yet? What are you guys LOVING this Wednesday? Go link up with Jamie and tell us!

Target Tuesday!

It's Target Tuesday, and if you were fabulous like Tara, you'd go link up and play with the rest of us.

Plus, if she gets 25 people to link up, she's going to randomly give away a $10 Starbucks gift card. Yeah, she's awesome like that!


First things first, I have been obsessed with getting a Keurig for the longest time, but I can't bring myself to buy it, so if/when I get married.. that's the first thing I'm registering for!


It'd be really nice to have an actual GPS to put in my car, so that way when I'm lost I'm not fumbling around on my phone. Let's face it, that's not very safe anyway. ;)


I've been wanting/needing a new camera. I've had the same digi camera for almost 4 years, and I don't use it that often anymore. I use my phone more, and I think if I had a better camera, I'd take better pics. How about this baby?!

I think when my time to get married comes, I'll go ahead and add this mixer to my registry as well, but in red! :)

Okay, I had to throw this one in. Is this not the cutest shower curtain you've ever seen in your life?! I love owls! :)


What are you guys lusting after this week at Target?

200 followers.. it's GIVEAWAY time!!!

I promised that once I hit 200 followers, I would host another giveaway, and I don't break my promises!

I hit 200 followers last week, but didn't want to host during the blog challenge, so I thought that announcing my giveaway on a MONDAY would be perfect! :)

To thank you all (old & new), and welcome all of my new followers, I am giving away this:

8x10 poster "Keep Calm & Blog On"

The winner will also be able to choose whatever color she would like:

This was found on Etsy, however, this is not a sponsored giveaway.

How do you win, you ask?!

MANDATORY ENTRY:
You must be a follower of my blog. (1 entry)

EXTRA ENTRIES:
Follow me on Twitter @BrunchWithAmber (2 entries)
Tweet about this giveaway (2 entries)
Blog about this giveaway and leave the link in a comment (5 entries)

That's 10 chances to win!

Please leave 1 comment per entry.

Giveaway will end on Sunday, April 3 at 11:59 pm CST and the winner will be announced on Monday, April 4th.

Thanks and good luck! :))

GTKY Sunday!

1. what inspires you?
my family & friends, blogger/twitter friends, my job, books & movies, life in general..

2. what was the last thing you bought yourself?
I bought lunch for me & Nate.. what a sweet girlfriend I am! ;)

3. would you rather watch a movie in a theater or from the comfort of your own home?
depends on the movie of course, but I love going to out to the movies, but normally we stay in and watch netflix.

4. household chore you don't mind doing?
okay, so I'm one of those weirdos who loves to clean, so there's a TON that I don't mind, but my FAVE is loading the dishwasher.

5. coffee or tea?
coffee, hands down.

6. what could you eat every day and not get sick of??
pasta. mmm, I love italian food.

7. what's the last book you read?
I have this bad habit of starting a book, and then starting another one when I'm still in the middle of the other one.. so, the last book I read front to back was probably Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang"

8. do you think you "look" your age?
no, I look younger. I know that I do. plus, I get carded all the time. for everything. not only drinks, but I ran into the store to buy cigs for my little sister (yuck, I know!) and was even carded for that! I seriously asked the guy, "are you kidding me? do I really look like I was born after 1992?!" oh well, I'm sure when I'm in my 40s I'll appreciate it. ;)

For me? Oh, you shouldn't have!

Happy Saturday everyone! What are you guys up to this weekend?

Nate and I slept in entirely too late and he decided he wanted to make a trip to the mall today.. our conversation went a little something like this:

Him: "Hey babe.. did you want to go to the mall today?"
Me: "Um, what? You want to go to the mall? For what?"
Him: "I need to get a Rangers hat for the game next weekend."

I give him this blank stare and scrambled around getting ready before he changed his mind. He's NEVER asked ME if I wanted to go to the mall. He even wanted to walk around after he got the hats he wanted!! We had a fun day. :)

Anyway!!

I was awarded the 7 facts blogger award from the darling Kim over at Pink, Pearls & Polka Dots.

Go check out her blog, she's a doll, and always has something good to say! She's got great fashion taste, too!



So, my 7 facts.. let's see. I'm actually going to have to think of 7 things that you guys don't already know about me!

1. I'm addicted to soap, and I try to hide it. It's like I can't stop buying them. Body soap and hand soap, mainly Bath & Body Works. I had a friend come over the other day, and ask for something in my bathroom - and the cabinets came open. My secret was out. Here come the questions, why in the world do you have so many soaps?! I swear I have enough to last me for AT LEAST the next year or so. I'll post a pic soon. ;)

2. I'm jealous of cheerleaders. As lame as it sounds, it's the ONE thing I miss about high school. I seriously consider looking up adult squads or getting in enough shape or getting the balls to try out for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading one year, far far away.

3. I have a hard time paying attention in "serious" movies. Nate and I will argue because of this. He sometimes won't even watch movies with me because of it. I think it's because of ADD, and I over-analyze everything. I prefer comedies instead. :)

4. I get very anxious when there's not a plan in place. Another thing that the BF and I will argue about... ;) I LOVE HIM though. He's a very "fly by the seat of his pants" type, and I am NOT. I like lists, and plans for everything.

5. I have a passport, and have never traveled out of the country. Why in the world is that, you ask? Well, I was suppose to go to visit a friend who was living in Italy one year for Christmas, and plans fell through. Long story, but luckily.. I long to travel, and won't have to tell with the whole passport thing in the future if I ever make plans again. :)

6. I don't own a single pair of plain white socks. Honestly.. I don't think I own a plain colored pair of socks, period. They all have some sort of design on them. I only wear socks during the week, with my crocs at work, and they are all fun socks, love 'em!

7. Thanks to genetics, I was blessed with high blood pressure at a young age. Yes readers, I'm only in my 20s, and I'm already on medication for hypertension. I work at a doctors' office where the majority of our patients are elderly. The medication I take is one that most of my patients are on. How do you think this makes me feel? OLD!

Now, I get to pass this on to 7 blogs. (As if coming up with 7 facts didn't take me long enough!)

Kerbi at So Are You to Me
Nicole at Sixty Nine Oh! Four
Michelle at The Vintage Apple
Lindsey at Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Anna at Life is Sweet*
Aubrey at High-Heeled Love
Michelle at A Little Bit of This & That!

Go check out these lovely ladies who are great friends and great blogs that I adore reading!

Spring is in the Air Challenge - Day 5

Good morning! TGIF my friends!

Welcome to the 5th and final day of mine and Meghan's Spring is in the Air Blog Challenge.

We appreciate ALL of you who have participated. It's been so much fun reading all of your blogs and making new friends along the way.

Even if you haven't played all week, you can still play today! :) Just grab the button on the left side of my blog, write your post, and link up!

What recipe or food do you look forward to most during the springtime?

{via}

I'm just happy that all the fresh fruit is in season, and will taste really yummy and juicy!

Sorry to disappoint, but I don't really have any fun spring recipes.. but I sure hope you guys do.. share with me! :)

Spring has Sprung Blog Swap Reveal

Thanks so much to Aly and Molly for hosting the Spring has Sprung swap!

I think I've found my new addiction! Swapping is incredibly fun, and of course, it's a fabulous way to meet new friends. :) Plus, who doesn't love mail..

But, I'll say that the people in my apartment office are probably starting to get suspicious with all the packages coming in the mail for me, haha!

I was paired up with Emily at The Journey of Parenthood who is the sweetest girl with the biggest heart! She's so much fun, and did an amazing job on my swap gifts. It's like she's known me forever!

What could be in this big ol' box?! :)

Here's a lil' sneak peek into the box!

And my loot, all for you to see!

Let me tell ya what I got!
-A water bottle, for all my exciting workout sessions
-My favorite candy, Starburst and Reese's Pieces (could she have gotten a bigger bag?! LOVE it!) :)
-One of my most favorite romantic comedies, (which oddly I didn't already own), The Wedding Singer
-One of my fave mags, Glamour
-A bottle of red nail polish (my fave color!)
-Target gift card

She did an awesome job, and I had a lot of fun! Now, where do I sign up for the next swap?!

Spring is in the Air Challenge - Day 4

Good morning sweet blog friends!

Welcome to day 4 of our blog challenge. I can't believe it's almost over and gone! It's been so much fun, and I don't know about Meghan, but I can't wait to host one again! ;)

Please play along.. grab the button on the left side of my blog, type up your post, and link up!

What are some recommendations for products you'll be using this spring as you're headed outdoors more?

Okay, the sunblock that I absolutely SWEAR by is Aveeno.. one year, Nate and I were going somewhere outdoors and forgot our sunscreen, well his mom had this stuff, and handed it to me so we'd have some, well I LOVED it, and I've been using it since. So go, get it. You won't be sorry!


Buuut, just in case you forgot your sunscreen, and you burn, or if your one of those girls who have fair skin and burn even if you DO use sunscreen.. well don't you worry. I have a product for you too! Hemp's makes the most amazing after sun gel! I always put mine in the fridge for a while beforehand, and it will soothe your burn like no other!Also, I have really dry skin. It's worse in the winter, yes.. but when your skin is more dry than normal, I tend to have a whole slew of lotions and potions! I also believe this is important when being outside a lot. Hemp's also makes an amazing body lotion. (who am I kidding, they make awesome everything.. shampoo, conditioner, everything, but we won't go into all that!) I LOVE their products!


And don't forget to wear a cute hat or scarf because did you know that your hair can actually get sun burnt too?! I know, it's crazy. The sun will dry out our hair and weaken it the same way it does our skin.. so put on something cute like this..



What do you guys recommend?!

WILW! :)

I'm LOVING.. that this week is going by fast! I know, I know.. why are you wishing your life away?! I just love the weekends too much :)

I'm LOVING.. today is my easy day at work. Because Thursdays at my half days at work (no patients) I don't have to pull charts or anything today, nothing to get ready for tomorrow, so that means today, basically all I have to do is room patients. Half the work. Makes the day a little easier and stress free!

I'm LOVING.. that yesterday on my paycheck I had a few more hours than usual!


I'm LOVING.. that I'm getting so use to working out, that I'm actually looking forward to it in the evenings, loving it and getting a rush from it! Who would've thought?! ;)

I'm LOVING.. my sweet friends and family! Without them, I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be!

I'm LOVING.. my boyfriend, who always makes me laugh even when I don't want to. :)

Spring is in the Air Challenge - Day 3

Good morning lovelies and happy hump day! :)

Welcome to day 3 of our spring blog challenge. I hope you ladies are having fun. I've been enjoying reading your responses, and I really appreciate those of you linking up with us!

Where are you/would you be headed for spring break this year (real or ideal)?

Okay.. because I didn't take any crazy spring break trips during college or anything my choices are going to be the typical ones! :)

Cancun, Mexico!

Panama City Beach, FL

Just an FYI - these are not my friends, found this on google images. Isn't this about right for spring break? Look at crazy fun they're having, ON A BEACH, none the less.. it's all about the crazy times with good friends. :)

My post may seem a little immature for my age.. ;) But I missed out on all this! Plus I love the water. Maybe I should just take a beach trip with some girlfriends and get it out of my system, haha! But NOT during spring break. The crowds? I can't even imagine!


I can't wait to see where you guys would love to go on Spring Break!

Spring is in the Air Challenge - Day 2

Good morning, happy tuesday and HELLO day 2 of mine and Meghan's blog challenge!! :)

Thank you to everyone who played and linked up yesterday. I hope you've came back for more today, and if you're new today.. grab the button on the left side of my blog, write your post and link up!

For the complete list of questions for the week, you can go HERE! :)

If you're not on spring break this week, (I'm not - sad face!) maybe this challenge will make ya feel a little bit like you are. :)

What's your favorite spring outfit (or two)?

Alright, I'll try not to go picture overload on you guys here..

I love sundresses, and adore maxi dresses. Last year, I got a few maxis, and wore them over and over. I think my boyfriend started to wonder if I owned anything else.

I also love shorts, in my opinion American Eagle makes the comfiest (definitely not a word), paired with a cute tank.

And of course, I wear flip flops almost year round!

My sister got me these for Christmas these past year, but in gold, and I can't wait to put them to great use!


AEO Triangle Thong Sandal

I'm LOVING these maxis from Target, of course! :)


Xhila Maxi Dress - Paisley Pink


Xhila Maxi Dress - Navy

Adorable denim shorts from AE


AE Faded Denim Shortie

Basically, I live for comfort! I love that I don't have to bundle up and wear my jacket, and worry about if it's too cold outside.

So, what are your favorite outfits for spring?! :)

Spring is in the Air Challenge - Day 1

Happy Monday!!!

Welcome to Day 1 of mine and Meghan's Spring is in the Air blog challenge!

Please grab the button (the code is on the left side of my blog) and play along! Don't forget to link up below too. We're going to have a lot fun this week! :)

What do you look forward to most about spring and what about winter are you going to miss?

I most look forward to the amazing weather, of course! Here in Texas, springtime is FABULOUS! The weather is perfection. It's stays around 75-80. Plus, we gotta soak it all in because then BAM, all of a sudden it's in the 90-100 degree range for 3 months or so, haha.

I love all the pretty flowers blooming, but could deal without the allergies.

{via}

I LOVE wearing my sundresses, shorts, tanks and flip flops. Speaking of which - here's my two newest sundresses I just got at Kohl's on sale..


And what I'll miss about winter.. I'll miss the coziness of the cold weather, even though I hate the cold. I love all the cute scarves and gloves!

{via}

I'll also miss the holidays. I LOVE Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not only does it give us a chance to stuff our faces with delicious yuminess, but we get to all come together with our families.

That's my favorite part about winter.

What about YOU guys?! :)

Getting To Know You Sunday!

It's back!!!

I played along every Sunday when I first started blogging.. and I'm so glad it's made it's lovely return. :)

Go to Keely's blog to play along!

1. if you won the title of miss america, what would your platform be?
World peace. Too cliché? Okay.. hmm, this question is harder than I thought it would be. I'd say something that would help people.. some sort of shelter or soup kitchen. Feeding homeless children. Something along those lines.

2. outdoorsy or indoorsy?
Outdoorsy if I'm in my swimsuit with a drink in hand and the pool's nearby. Indoorsy otherwise.

3. pajama's out in public..classy or tres tacky?
Definitely not classy, but I can't say I haven't done it. Have you ever been sick before and not had the energy to get dressed, but had to go out? Yeah, that's what I thought! ;)

4. what's your favorite room in your house?
The living room.

5. nook, kindle, or book?
I want a kindle sooo bad. But, I read books for the time being. ;)

6. would you rather wear the same outfit for a week or not brush your teeth for a week?
Wear the same outfit for a whole week. I'm too anal about my teeth. I freak if my teeth feel the slightest bit gross.

7. what's your favorite blog at the moment?
Playing favorites isn't nice. I have a bunch of favorites. :)

8. lately i've been daydreaming about.........?
Getting back into school so that I can get my RN and make more money honey!

Passing Notes, yo!

Click on the button above to play along.. you know you want to! :)


Click on my note to make it bigger.. it seems a little hard to read, doesn't it?


Click on the button above to enter the giveaway!

TGIF lovelies!! Tell me your weekend plans!