Heeey! I'm back. I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving.
Ok, so I've started! I went to the thrift store the other day with the hubby and we found some great pieces to start with. I'll post pics soon....as soon as I figure out what I'm doing, ha! I'm poking along at it, but I do have the sanding done. I'm getting excited. I'll def post pics of my progress and of course the finished product. Yay!

Munchie Monday!

Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. 

 
 Thank you Miss Kathy!

Who loves thrift stores??? This guy. Who doesn't like finding a great deal, right? I don't go as often as I would like to go, but that's going to change. So, let's talk refurbishment! Hmmm. I don't know what to say lol I can say though, that I have never refurbished anything and this will be an adventure. More to come on this...

Munchie Monday!!

Thai Style Steak Salad


3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds flank steak [If you haven't tried it before - do it! It's thin, easy to cook, and turns out moist if you slice it on a hard angle against the grain.]
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 English or seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
5 radishes, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (a generous handful), chopped
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
1 sack (12 ounces) baby spinach or 3/4 pound from bulk bins, washed and patted dry
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, three fourths of the grated ginger, the tamari, and hot sauce. Whisk in about 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil. Place the meat in a shallow dish and coat it evenly in marinade. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a small skillet, toast the shredded coconut until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it; the coconut can go from golden brown to burnt, quickly. Remove the toasted coconut from the skillet and reserve.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ginger, the sugar, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream. [This will help emulsify the dressing so it won't split into oil and the other stuff.]

In a salad bowl, combine the cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, shredded credits, onions, mint, cilantro, and basil. Pour the dressing over the veggies, toss to coat, and let sit while you cook the steak. [I think letting the veggies sit in the dressing for awhile was really key.]

Grill the flank steak for 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Remove the flank steak from the grill and let the juices redistribute before slicing, 5 to 10 minutes. [In my experience, it is fine after 5 minutes, but better after 10, so if you can wait that long, you should.] Thinly slice the meat on an angle, cutting the meat against the grain. To the dressed veggies, add the spinach, sliced steak, toasted coconut, and chopped peanuts, toss thoroughly and serve. 
Thank you Rachel Ray!!

If there's one thing you can learn about me right away, is that I love to eat! I love to cook. I'm no Rachel Ray or Paula Deen, but I do try. That's why I would like to announce....MUNCHIE MONDAYS!!
Every Monday I will feature one of my fav recipes. Please feel free to try and tell me what you think :)

Hi! Want to take a journey with me?
I've just hit 30 years old and I feel like I've been awakened. Some may call it "mid-life crises". I say that I'm ready to begin life! And I want you to travel with me!
I have these goals, intentions, objectives, whatever you want to call them. I have dreams. I have a list of these dreams and I intend to start checking them off.
Alright blogospere, here I come!!  Blogging.......check!
What's next...