My husband built a power plant.

I just uploaded pics of my camera and found these that someone took. My husband built this, with lots of other awesome Kiewit peeps. Tell me this is not super cool. It's a power plant. And it works. Thanks to my hub's sweet skills.

We saw this go from the ground up, in just a little more than two years. So cool. And so proud of my hub. Just had to brag a little.

Strong work, ladies and gents. Strong work.

Kingsport Faves: eateries

Hey friends. Have I mentioned that I like to eat? I know, it's hard to believe. But I do. Kingsport had some amazing little places that I loved and don't want to forget! I'm going to start with breakfast and then work my way through the day, ending with dessert. Mk? Get ready for serious deliciousness.

1. Jan-Mar Restaurant: This is the best old school diner breakfast food, ever. The biscuits and gravy are magical. The pancakes are light and fluffy and the size of your head. The omelets are huge. And the hash browns. Oh the hash browns are the best of all. Also, you can buy all this food for like 94 cents.

2. The Mustard Seed: Alas, I have no pics of this. I don't really know why, since I went there a ton. They have super cute southern decor. Their chicken salad is yummy, tomato soup is velvety, their caramel cake is amazing. They also have a sandwich called the Micah's Smash, which is a panini with turkey, bacon, cheese, and some other stuff=my fave.

3. Korner-Copia: Another great lunch place that recently started serving dinner. They have tons of great sandwiches but the reason that I love the Korner is their chicken salad. To Die For. It has curry in it and the flavor is ah-mazing. I could eat this chicken salad every day. Of my life. I like it in a spinach wrap. Too much bread gets in the way of the chicken salad-y goodness. I begged for the recipe before I left. I was denied.

4. The Courtyard: This little place is open only from 11-2 on week days. It has a fountain in the middle of the restaurant and lots of fake ivy and flowers everywhere. Adorable. There are two reasons I love this place: the peach tea and the salad dressing. I probably drink a gallon of the peach tea every time I come here. I don't know how they make it, but this is magical nectar. The salad dressing is some kind of strawberry poppy seed goodness and they put it on a strawberry spinach salad. I could just put a straw in the dressing and drink it like the tea. But over spinach is the more normal choice. They also make some great quiches, the one below is chicken pecan quiche. Yum.

Stephanie, my fellow peach tea addict.

5. T.K.'s Big Dogs: this is the just straight up hot dog goodness. This guy gets classic hot dog combos from ball parks across the country, orders ingredients from where the parks actually get them, and serves them up to local Kingsportians. There is honestly every hot dog combo you could ever imagine. But we get only two: the West Coast dog, a hot dog with guacamole, sour cream, and chili in a pretzel bun, and the Chicago dog, pictured below. My mouth is watering.

6. Pal's: this is a fast food chain that is not Kingsport exclusive. But we don't have it in Kansas and I love it so I'm including it. My favorite food is probably a good burger. This place has huge juicy burgers. When you unwrap them, grease has already soaked through the paper. Judge me if you will, but it is good artery clogging food. The fries have some kind of delicious seasoning on them. And the peachy tea rivals #4's. Also, the front of Pal's just makes me laugh.

7. Stir Fry: Just a block from our loft on Broad Street, I have probably been to this restaurant more than any other non fast food restaurant ever. We ate there so much that we ate almost everything on the menu: sushi, stir fry, noodle bowls. After we got tired of eating these things, we switched to the American menu of burgers and fries. It was all good. Stir Fry also had delicious cocktails and insanely amazing carrot cake.

8. Zaxby's: I'm throwing this one in for my husband. Fast food chicken that we do not have in Kansas, honestly this was not my fave. But my man craves this like clockwork on Sunday afternoons. I will give them one thing: their fried white cheddar bites. So good. But who hates fried cheese?

9. Sweet CeCe's: this is a new frozen yogurt place and we only went there once. But it is definitely worth a mention. I had the pomberry sorbet with wide variety of toppings. Perfect for summer.

10. Babycakes Cupcakery: this place was right next door to my loft and my downfall. Amazing cupcakes, a free cupcake on Wednesdays, the reason I gained lbs. Lemon crumb, chocolate ganache, red velvet, carrot, fresh strawberry, blackberry, birthday cake, wedding cake, nutter butter...I could go on and on.

Lemon crumb. My favorite.

So there it is. Excuse the mix of instagram and other photos. But this is the good stuff. I loved discovering Kingsport through food. Check these places out if you are there!

And now I go to work off the damages done by all this goodness.

Happy Tuesday!

The newest member of our gun family

Oh hey, I know you may have thought this blog was dead because of my absence. I assure you, it is not. We have been moving and looking at houses and interviewing for jobs and hanging out with our fams. But I still have lots of Tennessee goodness to catch up on. 

First, and most important, Caleb got a new gun.

Why? I don't actually know. He needed to round out his collection with a rifle. To protect the homestead. To shoot things. To look super bad ass.

Here he is friends, holding his guns. Newest is the rifle in the front. 

Ladies, he's taken. 

 Apparently when you purchase enough firearms, there is a club you are invited into. Or maybe its just when you purchase a rifle. Which would make sense with the name: National Rifle Association of America. Extra bad ass points for you, Mr. Caleb Baker.

Two years in Tennessee has brought us three guns and many knives. Not quite right that we are leaving just when we started to fit in!

Girls night+skinny margaritas=FUN

So I promise that this blog is not dead. I have much to blog about and will get down to business. But things are about to get ca-razy. We are moving back to Kansas City at the end of May. Yay! Excited and nervous all at the same time. Bittersweet since we have really enjoyed living in Tennessee. Since everyone is getting ready to move, the Kiewit girls decided to have girls night on Friday. And it was so much fun!

Left to right: Me, Jami, Yliana, Debby, Kara, Cassie, and Shelly

We ate a lot of food. Chick food. Like chips and dip and mini meatballs and crack potatoes. That's right. Crack potatoes. I like how girls prefer lots of snacks to an actual meal. Its kind of my favorite.

Snickers salad in the background here. Did you know that you can cut up snickers, apples, mix them in some cool whip and call it a salad? Its magical.

Chick food. Oh, and wine.

I have loved getting to know all the Kiewit girls on this job. I love how everyone comes together as family and supports each other. We moved out here knowing no one so its refreshing to know that no matter where move to next, we will probably know someone!

Here's my recipe for skinny margaritas. I got it from Pinterest, there isn't even a link attached to it, so I have no source for you! But it is delish.

Skinny Margaritas


24 oz Sprite Zero
1 can frozen diet limeade (I used a can of frozen margarita mix because I couldn't find such a thing)
1 bottle Corona light
12 oz tequila

Mix together and enjoy responsibly!

Love you all, Kiewit girls!

(Coming up on the blog this week: more guns and Tennessee life. We have soak up the last few weeks!)

Why Kansas City is awesome, according to me

We are going to have a serious discussion. Why? Because it's Friday, I am not working, and I am sitting in my messy apartment doing laundry and drinking tea. By myself. It's lovely. And it has inspired me to have a frank discussion with the blogger world.

About why Kansas City is awesome. I was there for a long weekend and it was the best. I often get asked what there is to do in Kansas City (to everyone not from Kansas, the whole state is covered in wheat, tornadoes, and small dogs that resemble Toto), so this is my list.

Why Kansas City is awesome, according to me

Food

1. The barbecue. Duh. You have about 1,000 options for delicious bbq. These are the best.

• Gates
• Arthur Bryant's
• Oklahoma Joe's (Burnt ends=true love.)
• Fiorella's Jack Stack: as much as I love the bbq, do yourself a massive favor and order some baked beans and cheesy corn bake. That cheesy corn is magical. Jack Stack, I love you.

2. The Mexican food. You can laugh at me, but I love me some north of the border Mexican grub. And I'm sorry, but East Tennessee does not offer up fake Mexican food to my standards. Kansas City offers you Mi Ranchito and Jose Peppers. There are several of them in the area. They have insane cheese dip, fantastic margaritas, and my favorite: cream cheese chicken enchiladas. Happiness on a plate.

3. Jess and Jim's Steakhouse. I haven't been here for years, but it is so epic. Amazing steaks, amazing baked potatoes, and other amazing things, this is a hidden gem of Kansas City.

4. Louisburg Cider Mill. There is nothing better on a fall day then some hot cider, cider doughnuts, and a big bag of kettle corn. 

5. Twister's Frozen Custard. This was my first "real" job. Frozen custard is a delicacy of this world. I worked there for three years and never got tired of it. Or surprisingly, fat. The New Yorker with raspberries is my favorite. But I would honestly eat any frozen custard that you ever handed to me.

Yep, I know there is tons of great food in Kansas City. I could probably write a whole post on the food. Obviously, I just picked my favorites. But feel free to tell me what I missed!

Sports

It's true. You can get a good sampling of sports in Kansas City. In order from my favorite to least favorite, here you go.

1. University of Kansas basketball. Yes, you need to take a short road trip about 45 minutes outside the Kansas City area but it is worth it. This is college basketball at it's best. 

2. Kansas City Royals baseball. I don't care how much they lose, fans will always flock to the ballpark in the summer. It's only American. Their stadium is gorgeous and the games are always fun, win or lose. 

3. Kansas City Chiefs football. Super fun, or so I've heard. I've never actually been to a game (for shame, I know) since I prefer to watch football from the comfort of a my own couch. 

4. Kansas Speedway (NASCAR, duh.) See my NASCAR post for my opinions on NASCAR, as well as some high quality fashion advice.

5. Sporting KC soccer. This is the new cool thing, apparently. They have a sweet looking complex near the Speedway, you should definitely check it out.

Shopping

1. The Plaza. Tons of high end shops, delicious restaurants, and lots of fun things to do. I lived near the Plaza during nursing school and used to walk around and pick things out that I would buy when I was rich. Which will be never.

2. The Legends. Near the Speedway and the Sporting KC complex, the Legends has Nebraska Furniture Mart, Cabella's, and lots of great stores, including some outlets. Fun fact, I had my first alcoholic beverage on my 21st birthday at the Legends. Because I'm a good kid like that.

3. Zona Rosa. Up close to the airport, Zona Rosa is a HUGE area with a great variety of shopping.

4. Town Center Plaza. Down south in Leawood, I love this place. Again, a good variety of shopping. Nearby is also Crate and Barrel (true love), the Apple Store, and Trader Joe's.

Entertainment

1. Starlight Theater. An beautiful outdoor theater that gets tons of great shows, including Broadway tours and concerts. 

2. Theater in the Park. Another outdoor theater with a great line up of shows every summer.

3. Kauffmen Center for the Performing Arts. This just recently opened and it looks amazing. I desperately want to see Aida here in August.

4. Obviously, there's tons of small venues. We went to the Uptown Theater while we were home last weekend to see Cake, and it was a blast! Cool theater, great show.

Other Fun

1. World's of Fun. I have been to this amusement park many times and love it. Several good quality roller coasters and lots of spinning rides, for those of you with strong stomachs.

2. Kansas City Zoo. It's been years since I've been here, but zoos are generally awesome. This one is too.

3. Deanna Rose Farmstead. This place is in Overland Park and is FREE during the week and CHEAP on the weekends. It is great for kids, you can spend a few days here between the petting zoo and all the cool exhibits.

4. Union Station. Good, historical fun.

5. The Crossroads District. Lots of cool art galleries and music. Check it out if you are a hipster.

6. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Classy art. If you are poor, you can picnic on the huge lawn for free and feel cooler because you are closer to the art.

7. The Power and Light district. Cool restaurants and bars, includes the Sprint Center, where huge concert tours come to, if we are lucky.

8. The River Market. Huge outdoor farmer's market. Also has a stage for outdoor concerts. Also where I did modeling for a very short amount of time in high school. Back when I was slightly skinnier than I am now.

9. Fun Fact: Kansas City is the "City of Fountains." There are lots of fountains.

My Family and Friends

My family lives here, which is what makes it the most awesome. Kansas City will always feel like home and they make it that. I had such a great weekend hanging out with them, laughing at my niece and nephew, grilling with my dad, and enjoying life. Our families are both great, look them up whenever you are in Kansas City!

My dad, the grill master.

And that my friends, is my list. Feel free to tell me your favorite things about Kansas City, there are basically endless things. I actually kept adding to this list as I remembered more and more things. And I could keep going, since I am currently remembering things that I didn't add. But my husband needs clean clothes and fresh food, and so I will leave you with this.

Happy Friday!

How to cook an Easter ham in a hospital

Well, really you could cook this ham anywhere. But I cooked it in a hospital. And to be completely honest with you, it was insanely delish.

What you need for your Easter Ham (Adapted from All Recipes):

- a spiral cut ham (mine was about 9 lbs, bone in)

- approximately 2 cups brown sugar

- a crock pot

-a *60cc syringe (or a for-real baster)

- tin foil

*a cc is a now unapproved abbreviation for ml. Just fyi.

My crock pot was small than my ham. So the lid didn't fit well. But a little jimmy-rigging fixed it right up. I put most of the brown sugar in the bottom of the crock pot, jammed the ham in there, patted the rest of the brown sugar on the ham, and covered it tightly with foil.

I cooked it on high for about an hour, than turned it down to low. After a total of almost 4 hours, I uncovered it to see this. Mmmm. (I did NOT uncover it for the first several hours, this is important when using a crock pot.)

I stole borrowed a (clean) 60cc syringe and basted my ham with the amazing brown sugar liquid from the bottom of the crock pot. In case you haven't seen me for awhile, you can see that I now have 20 chins. And no hair.

But don't worry, I still have high cheek bones. I basted it about every half hour for the next hour, still covering tightly with foil in between.

It smelled insanely good. Insane.

After a total of about 5 hours cook and basting time, I finagled it onto this awesome Crate and Barrel serving platter that I got for my wedding. (That I have used a total of three times now.) I syringed approximately 180cc of brown sugary liquid onto the ham. I also may have drooled on it at this point. (I kid, coworkers.)

It was basically falling off the bone. Ah-mazing. It served about 15 people with leftovers to be had.

And we ate basically for the rest of the day. All the good things you should eat with an Easter ham: deviled eggs, hash brown casserole, green bean casserole, coleslaw, rolls, and chess bars. I felt slightly ill in my workout this morning. So worth it.

My favorite quote from the weekend, after dead-lifting a man off the floor with my coworker: "You girls should do wrestling- you could tag team it."


Yep, I'm that awesome. And yes, I did fill out a full fall report. Second favorite quote? The next day, the same patient says, "I thought about getting out of bed by myself, but then I remembered what happened yesterday." Thank you, kind sir. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

As much as I hate spending my holidays in the hospital, I know that I am right where I'm supposed to be.
I am so blessed to cook a ham for coworkers, pick people up off the floor, and serve a risen Savior.

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28: 6

Happy Easter!

Bacon Pasta aka Pasta Carbonara aka Happiness in a bowl

Highlights of last week:
1. KU winning in the Final Four
2. Seeing the Hunger Games (obsessed)
3. Shopping in Knoxville
4. Fun birthday party with Kiewit friends
5. Mimosas with coworkers

Low lights:
1. KU losing in the National Championship
2. Being really really tired and grouchy the next day. Dang it, Eastern time zone.

What makes losing the National Championship tolerable and gives you the energy to make it through a rough work morning? Bacon Pasta. Carb madness and bacon goodness combined in cheesy glory.

Let me introduce you to something awesome. Caleb calls it Bacon Pasta. The rest of the world knows it as Pasta Carbonara. I learned how to make this a very long time ago when we were dating and it's one of those recipes I keep in my back pocket. I have it memorized, so it's slightly different every time. Adapted from Paula Deen, goddess of all things comfort food, this was comforting on a sad, sad night.

Bacon Pasta aka Pasta Carbonara (Adapted from a Paula Deen Classic)

- 1/2 lb center cut bacon (or more, too much bacon is really impossible)
- one small onion
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 4 large eggs, yolks separated
- 12 oz pasta such as penne or rigatoni
- splash of white wine (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste


The A Team. Plus our senior prom pic in the background. Aww. Pour yourself a glass of vino and get cooking! (Sorry for the yellow-ness of these pics, I cook at night people!)

Heat up a skillet to medium heat and start some boiling some salted water. Dice up the onion and cut the bacon into small pieces.

Throw your bacon in the hot skillet and get it frying.

 Once the bacon is chewy and starting to brown, throw the onions in there. If you want to deglaze the pan, pour a little of your wine in there and scrape those little bits off the bottom. Yum.

Once your bacon and onions look like this and your house smells like heaven, turn the heat off and set aside. If your water is boiling, go ahead and throw the pasta in.

While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce. Separate your eggs and discard the whites. Or save them for something. Like meringue. Or egg white omelets. But I never make meringue or egg white omelets,  so I tossed them.

Separating eggs is easy, just crack open the egg and transfer the yolk back and forth between the shell halves until all the white is out. 

 Add 1/4 cup of cream to the egg yolks. Oh, did I mention this was healthy? Because it's not.

Add a liberal 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese to the egg mixture.

Add some pepper. I usually wait till the end to add salt, because the cheese and bacon can be pretty salty. Whisk it all together.

Once the pasta is ready, you have to work quickly. Drain the pasta and then put it back in the hot pan but NOT over heat. Add in the egg mixture. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs just enough but heat from the stove top will scramble the eggs. (Not good.)

Add in the bacon and onions.

Toss all together.

Serve it up.

Be happy and full of comforting goodness. Do some running the next day to burn off all those carbs. Cheer for KU. Love others.

This pasta inspires you to do good things. Make it this weekend! Happy Friday! (And Happy Easter!)