Justin's a Workin' on the Railroad!

Finally!  I can say something!  For the past several weeks, we've been on pins and needles around our house.  We've never been the type to jinx something, so we've been keeping our lips sealed until the information from Justin's interviews, physical exams and physical agility tests had been processed and deemed acceptable.  But now, I can finally spill the beans!  Justin has a new job!  AND a new ride, too :-)

As I mentioned sometime ago, my husband has always wanted to work for the railroad.  A few years ago, though, he got really serious about getting on with either Union Pacific or BSNF.  So, he started stalking their career websites.  Every few months, he'd apply for a job, only for his application to automatically bounce back.

This Spring, he noticed an opening had come available for a train crew position about an hour south of us.  He submitted his application and for the first time, he was called for an interview!  This was a big deal considering every other time he had applied for a job with them, his application was always automatically denied.

He went to the interview and didn't pass the first test.

As you can imagine, he came home devastated.  

After failing that early into the interview process, Justin was pretty much ready to wave the white flag.  But after the disappointment wore off, he was back to stalking the Union Pacific Career site.  And good thing he did, because a few weeks later, another position was open.  This time it was for a track laborer about an hour northeast of here.

Fortunately, he was called for another interview so he headed up to Marysville for the day.  He made it through the test and it was eventually time for his face-to-face interview.  And he came home elated!  The interview committee and HR rep LOVED him...but now he'd just have to wait another week or so until they announced the candidates to fill their 3 open positions.  

The phone call came in and much to Justin's surprise, he wasn't selected for the job.  They told him he was #4 on the list and if anything ever came up, they'd keep him in mind.

Yeah, riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

After having his applications denied numerous times, just to finally get an interview (or two) AND get turned down (twice), Justin finally accepted that the railroad was not for him.  He loved his job at Asplundh but he had been promoted as far as possible--and he had maxed out on pay.  The next best thing was to stay with his company, but he would just really focus on growing his side business so he could help support us as I got started in my new career.

We spent June and July looking for a different work truck.  His Chevy got the small jobs done, but the size of trees were steadily increasing and he needed something with more power so he could take on the bigger jobs (and bring home bigger money!).  I just wanted a nice truck that worse case scenario, I could haul clients in--but it would need a big enough engine to satisfy Justin's hauling needs.  And much to our surprise, we saw the perfect truck in Dallas while we were down there for the 4th of July.  We took it for a test drive and LOVED it!  The only problem?  We hadn't sold the Chevy so the truck wasn't coming home with us.

2004 Dodge 2500--isn't she perrrrrty?!

As July progressed, Justin continued looking for trucks closer to home.  Nothing satisfied all our needs--or price range.  But we had already placed his Chevy in Wheels-4-You and sure enough, it sold the very day the magazine was published!  That said, he still had to have a truck to do his tree work.  The next morning, Justin called the dealership and told them he was making arrangements to purchase the truck we saw almost a month ago.  And he had it all figured out--his buddy would take the truck to a mechanic for an inspection and then he'd fly down to Dallas to grab the truck.  And we'd finally be able to expand his tree business!

Justin's 2001 Chevy Silverado.  While it had been good to us, it just wasn't getting the big jobs done!

The "big" day was finally here.  Justin's friend, Isaac, picked up the truck and took it in to be looked at. A short while later, the mechanic called and said the truck was in need of about $1500 worth of work.  "The pants in the relationship" told Justin that the price would have to be renegotiated if they expected him to buy that truck...we weren't about to dump money into a vehicle we just purchased!  If they chose not to renegotiate (which we fully anticipated), the truck would just stay on the lot.

Before Justin could call the dealership back and start the negotiations, his phone rang and it was Union Pacific.  Remember how they had said they would call him if they had a spot come open?  Well, sure enough, they weren't kidding!  They were offering him the track laborer position--but in a different yard than he had originally interviewed for.  Being this one was still about one-hour away, he had talked himself out of commuting two hours a day with gas at $4 a gallon.  Plus, he had already started working on growing his tree business (hehehe, no pun intended!).  And NOW they're calling him to work?!

Here we sat.  Justin no longer had his truck because in just 2 days, he was flying down to Dallas to pick up his "new" ride.  The Caddy was still in the garage, but there was no way he was driving that thing 100-miles every day.  Much to my surprise, he told the railroad people he wasn't interested, but he was appreciative of the offer and would apply for future jobs when the timing was better.

The 1980 Caddy!  It's a fun car, but nothing you'd want to commute in every day!

Three hours later and it was time for the guys to wrap up work.  Justin and the crews reported back to the yard, only to find out 50% of our electric utility's tree crews were getting laid off.  And it was possible that even more people would get cut in the coming weeks. This time, it wasn't the "typical" lay-off of one or two weeks that we had come to know.  Instead, it was for 3 months.  And you were getting shipped out to Connecticut to work for their utility company.

As you can imagine, Justin picked up the phone and immediately called HR back.  Much to his surprise, they had already entered his name in the computer as accepting the position!  If that isn't divine intervention, then I don't know what is!  All within three hours' time, Justin realized he probably wasn't getting a new work truck after all, his company was getting hit with significant lay-offs AND he receives a job offer from one of the best employers in the country!  All I could think was, "Is God watching out for us or WHAT?!"

Justin went ahead and formally accepted the job offer with Union Pacific--but we still had to figure out a vehicle for him to drive!  We had looked at cars one Sunday afternoon after his first interview, but it was hard telling which cars would actually fit him when they're all locked!  The whole idea of finding a fuel-efficient car to accomodate a 6'10" man seemed daunting, but it had to be done.

We looked at a Prius.  He didn't even begin to fit.

We looked at a Civic.  He wasn't about to fit in that thing, either.

We have an Altima that Justin fits in really well and we seriously considered getting another one.    However, the Altima's gas mileage wasn't quite as competitive as other cars on the market and we wanted to explore all the options.  Soooooooooooooo...

We checked out the Ford Focus, but again, he wasn't going to fit.

We went to look at the Hyundai Elantras and discovered they get 40+ mpg.  And he *comfortably* fit in the car!!!

After doing some research, we discovered that a used Elantra was only about $1000 less than a brand spankin' new Elantra.  BUT, when we discovered that Hyundai offers a 100,000-mile warranty and 5-years free roadside assistance on new vehicles, we couldn't justify buying a used model just to save $1000!  At a minimum, Justin will put 25,000 miles per year on his car so as you can imagine, we need a car with as few miles as possible :-)

Will he fit?!



It's hard to believe, but he DOES!

So, the big question--what EXACTLY will Justin be doing for Union Pacific???

Like I would know!  And I'm not sure if he even knows what his job will entail!

He will be starting as a Track Laborer...when I think of people working on the actual rail roads, this is what I think of:

And of course, you have to have the cowboy music playing in the background--such as this tune ;-)

In all reality, new age laborers look a bit like this:

But with less standing around, I'm sure :-)

To be frankly honest, neither one of us care what his exact job responsibilities will be.  But what we do care is that he got his foot in Union Pacific's door and with having a college degree, he should be able to rise through the company! 

It's just crazy to think that in the matter of two months, the two of us have started new jobs.  And not just jobs--but careers!  Things are going very well with real estate--I've gotten 4 houses in escrow (ie "under contract") and I'm working with additional buyers.  Justin's dream of getting on with the railroad is coming true and his degree will provide for upward mobility.  Another great perk of his new career--when he eventually retires from Union Pacific, I'll automatically receive a retirement check worth half of what his monthly check will be!  That's right--I don't have to do anything but put up with his crazy schedule and they pay ME a retirement check :-)  All smugness aside, the retirement benefit is HUGE for us.  As a Realtor, there is no retirement--unless I set up my own fund and if anyone reading this pays attention to current rates, you know a 401K is a worthless investment right now. 

But on a sappy note--I feel like we've already made a huge investment and it's starting to pay off.  Once we decided to journey down the road of Holy Matrimony, we prayed to God every single night that he would lead us down a path that would provide for us in our old age together.  Making a leap into real estate during a down market is crazy.  Leaving a job with great pay, plenty of overtime and setting aside your small business to commute 2-hours a day for a new company is risky.  Craziness aside, we put our faith in God's hands and told him we would follow his lead...and so far, it looks like He's taking us down a great path!

Friday Night Fun

I've always been a firm believer in "date nights"...but I've also realized that so-called "date nights" aren't always possible, either.

After we got married, we set the goal of having one date night a month.  In our minds, we would pack up, head out of town for the night and go do something fun--maybe a concert, festival, a new restaurant, shopping...just something that we could do together.

After the second month, real life set in.  We were lucky to have a weekend evening where the both of us were around AND we hadn't already committed to something.  Eventually, "date night" started to fall to the wayside and we just started going through the motions of married life.

Finally, by this Spring, we realized we really needed to have date nights again.  As mentioned earlier, we were going through the motions but not really, truly enjoying time as just the two of us.  We had plenty of time with OTHER people, but as just the two of us???  Not really!

Thankfully, we were in the midst of the Lenten Season when we came to this realization.  For most people, that doesn't mean anything to them--but for us, that means we forgo meat on Fridays during Lent.  And in order to get my husband to eat a meatless dish, it's gotta be hella good...

And that brought our date nights back to life!  We would pick a new meatless, semi-gourmet meal to cook on Friday night...then, we'd spend the evening preparing the meal, plating it up and then just really sitting back and catching up.  It was so nice to have a conversation that went beyond who paid the water bill, if the laundry needed switched out and what errands had to be taken care of the next day!

But one thing was still missing.

The music!

Granted, we have music channels on our tv--but you can't control what they play!  And you just don't want to risk throwing off the flavor of your food because of bad tunes ;-)

As the months progressed, we tried to make due and use the time in the kitchen to talk and catch-up...but I knew we could still have more fun than that!

The other day, we ran to the movie store and by the door they had the best thing ever--a Crosley all-in-one player!

I have wanted one ever since we bought our bungalow.  They look like they're something straight out of the 1930's or 1940's--but rather it has all your modern features, too.

Well, mostly modern.

It has your AM/FM radio, mp3 port, CD player, cassette player AND a record player!

I knew we would like having a radio and cd player in the living room--but I knew we would really, REALLY enjoy having a record player for our date nights!

We picked up the Crosley player, unpacked it and set it up right away.  It was a perfect fit for the top of our china cabinet!

The next night was Date Night.  After work, we ran to the grocery store to pick up some appetizer stuff (more on that in a moment) and then we stopped in at our local music store in the heart of Aggieville.

We had a BLAST!  My parents collected records growing up so it was fun to pull the albums that they used to listen to.  They also had a bunch of the music that Justin grew up listening to--and all on vinyl!

Before we knew it, we had already killed an hour just looking at all the different albums available on record.  Justin grabbed several records and they were only $6 a piece!  I decided to put all my eggs in one basket and went for the new Norah Jones album--on WHITE vinyl, nonetheless!  Isn't it a beaut?!

We hurried home and put the first record on--we knew right away that we had found the missing piece to our date nights!  Some people would disagree with me, but there's something really great about hearing a song on vinyl, versus CD or mp3.  And heck, it's just kinda fun to watch the record go round and round!

Now, I can say our date nights are finally complete!  Good grooves, good food and good company--can't get better than that :-)

Oh--and about good food...here's the recipe we tried for our appetizer!  It's very inexpensive, super easy and quite filling.  We made it again the following night and Justin added pepperoni because, well, he could!  For those of you who know your spices, you'll appreciate that it came out of a Penzey's catalog!

Jenny's Tomato Bread

1 loaf French bread, sliced lengthwise

3 TB. butter (Mary uses unsalted)

1/2-1 tsp. GRANULATED GARLIC POWDER (to taste)

3-4 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 tsp. KOSHER-STYLE FLAKE SALT (use 1/2 tsp. if starting with salted butter)

2 TB. olive oil (I used grapeseed oil with great success)

2 tsp. TURKISH OREGANO

8 oz. sliced Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 500°. Spread each slice of bread evenly with butter. Sprinkle with GARLIC. Line the tomato slices down the center of the bread. Note: if using juicy garden tomatoes, let the slices sit on paper toweling for a minute before using. Sprinkle with salt, olive oil and OREGANO. Top with cheese slices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 500° until the cheese melts and the bread begins to toast, about 5-10 minutes. If you wish to brown the cheese, put the oven on broil for the last minute, and watch carefully. Slice the bread into 4-inch sections and serve. Prep. time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5-10 minutes Serves: 8

My New Addiction--Thrifting for Clothes

I feel like I finally have to come clean.

I have a new addiction.

I've always liked clothes--well, in fact, I've always LOVED clothes.  My roommates in college used to tease me about playing "dress up" before going to class, a special occasion, you name it.  And if you were to ask my husband, he would have no problem confirming that I still do that!

But really--I don't think I'm the only person who can go through at least 5 outfits before finally settling on something to wear!  At the beginning of the summer, my "dress up" time was starting to become really complicated--and frustrating.  Once I decided to go into the world of business, I started buying more business-casual clothing.  However, I had no clue it would be 100+ degrees for weeks on end and the clothes I had purchased just weren't cutting it.  Frankly, I'm not sure what type of clothing is suitable for temperatures in the triple digits.  A few weeks ago, I heard a radio segment explaining that the best way to dress for the heat wave was to wear nothing at all...and the guy was dead serious!  While I could totally understand where he was coming from, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't fly at the office!

To the drawing board I went.  I HAD to find affordable clothes that I wouldn't die in.  It's not uncommon for me to spend 4-5 hours at a time, wandering between houses AND on top of that, showing houses without any air conditioning.  Trust me--if I could, I would personally pay those seller's AC bills just so I don't have to sweat to death while showing their property!

During a state of desperation, I swung by the Goodwill store in Topeka while making a Sam's run.  I figured it was worth a shot and if anything, I might get a good laugh out of the stuff at the store!  Lo and behold, I was sooooooooooooooooooo wrong!  And in a good way :-)

The store ROCKED.  It had most all the typical labels you could imagine--GAP, Banana Republic, Express, Limited, Ann Taylor, H&M, J.Crew, Apt. 9, New York & Co., the list goes on.  It took some time digging through the racks, but I found tons of great name-brand items that were in excellent shape (lots of the clothing still had tags on it!) and in style.  The only catch--it wasn't always the right size.  But for a person who's working--and incurring expenses just to work--with the first paycheck being months away yet, I was sure grateful for my finds!

A few weeks after I hit up the store in Topeka, a Goodwill was opened up here in our community.

Can you spell trouble?!

It was on.  I stopped by the store one day after work and found TONS of stuff!  I found clothes for the summer--and clothes for when the weather cools off.  I put all my stuff (or crap, as the husband would say) in my cart and went to check out.  When it was all said and done, I had 5 bags FULL of stuff--and it cost just $80, including tax!

I never should have stepped into that store because I'm convinced my brain is permanently re-wired now!  On average, a bag full of stuff from Goodwill runs me about $30--give or take.  Go to the department store to buy a shirt and that alone will cost at least $30.  Why on earth would I do that?!  Especially when I have to build a more professional wardrobe while lacking a paycheck?!  Even if we end up with all the money in the world (ha!), I'm not sure that I could ever go back to paying full-price for stuff from the department stores.  Well, with the exception of pants and shoes!  After all, there is a reason I'm nicknamed Taddy-Long-Legs ;-)

In all reality, there is a thrill to the thrifting.  You never know what you will find!  One of my girlfriends found a Halston caftan that would normally retail for $300-400...and it cost her $1.14!  Fortunately, I enjoy combining different pieces of apparel to create my very own outfit--I've never seen the point in buying the outfit worn by the mannequin in a window!  After all, you could end up in a room with another person wearing the exact same thing!  

I realize that for a lot of people, there's a stigma associated with wearing clothes from a second-hand store.  But being the second daughter in our family, I wore TONS of hand-me-downs and thought nothing of it!  In fact, I always loved going over to the neighbors and getting to pick out clothes that Rebekah had outgrown...she had the GOOD stuff and I felt pretty cool getting to wear it :-)  And to this day, if I have friends getting rid of clothes, I have no problem buying stuff from them!

So--what have I found on my thrifting adventures???  Below are some of the pieces that I have worn over the past week or two.  And trust me, based on the the number of bags I have brought home, there's more to come!

Merona Skirt--$3

This is what I get for asking Justin to take a picture!  Maybe I'll buy  him photography lessons for Christmas... ;-)

Yay for Listing Consultations!  Express blouse--$4, GAP bubble skirt--$6

Axcess Skirt--$6

Ann Taylor LOFT Skirt--$5, Next Edition Eyelet Blouse--$4

GAP Denim Skirt--$2, GAP Tee with flat pom-pom trim--$1

Apt. 9 Blouse--$4, Ann Taylor LOFT Capris--$1

Headed into the office to sign paperwork!  Apt 9 Chinos (rolled into crops)--$1

Peas--You Either Love 'Em or Hate 'Em

Green peas.  What can I say?  You either love 'em, or hate 'em.  Growing up, we loved peas.  In fact, my Grandma Marcene made the best peas EVER.  They were laden with margarine and salt--and let me tell ya, we couldn't get enough of her peas!

As an adult, I still love peas.  But to be  frankly honest, sometimes I get tired of them.  I haven't quite perfected my grandmother's salt-to-margarine-to-peas ratio, either.  So some nights, it's like "Seriously, why did I put peas on the menu?  I'm bored with peas!"

But lately, I've been running into a new issue.  It's so hot that I just don't want warm side dishes.  Luckily, I stumbled across a new way to prepare green peas (score!) and it is a refrigerated dish (double score!)...and you should have most of the ingredients on hand.  In fact, it blends the best of many worlds: bacon, ranch and cheese!

BACON RANCH PEA SALAD
Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 quart water
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen green peas
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1.  Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

2.  Bring the water to a boil in a pot.  Boil the peas 1 minute, until just tender, and drain. Cool peas under cold running water.

3.  In a bowl, toss together bacon, peas, onion, Ranch and cheese.  Refrigerate 30 minute or until chilled before serving.

Life As a Realtor...Thus Far!

As most of you are aware, I gave notice to my two jobs this past Spring semester and announced that I was going into the world of Real Estate!


For the most part, I was totally convinced that I had lost my mind--and I think most people around me felt the same way, too!  However, I was getting sooooo tired of having grant-funded jobs, watching the grant money disappear, while left to wonder "Hmmmm, wonder how much longer I'll have this job????"  I've always been a very driven individual, but it's kinda hard to focus on a "career" when you don't even know if the money for your job will be there next year!

After a lot of reflecting and discussion, my husband and I decided we're young--we have tons of time ahead of us.  But, I didn't want to continue changing jobs every two years in hopes of more secure funding--or slightly better benefits.  If I was going to make a big change, it was going to happen NOW, while we still had nothing but time awaiting us!

That said, I gave notice at my jobs.  I had decided I would join our local Coldwell Banker agency but the funny (or, scary) part--I hadn't even taken my licensing test yet when I quit my jobs!  This made my husband EXTREMELY nervous but as I kept telling him, "I got this, babe--just trust me!" 

Here I am, a month and a half into my new life as a Realtor.  And I'm still saying, "I got this, babe--just trust me!"  I took my licensing exam in April and passed the first time around--which, was really the only "option" because it took about 4 weeks for my licensing application to be approved by the State board.  I didn't have time to retake the exam because as luck had it, I listed my first property just 2 days after my license was approved!  Talk about perfect timing :-)

During the first two weeks of June, I spent my days in one-on-one training with my Broker.  It was pretty intense and I was EXHAUSTED by the time I got home.  There was TONS of information for me to learn--but all the while, I was learning to the ropes to managing a listed property.  Regardless of how draining it was, I gave 110% of my energy to my broker because hey, he knows what he's talking about!  It's with his leadership and guidance that our agency has become the #1 agency in our area--and if I can have things my way, I will do what it takes to become one of the top producers in our office!

So, what HAVE I been doing?
I have been working my butt off.

Last Saturday was the first day in over a month that I did not go into the office.  BUT, I worked from home instead!  When we went to Dallas for the 4th of July, I worked.  As we like to say in the world of real estate, there is no such thing as a weekend/vacation/holiday.   Even though Realtors work for an agency, we're all technically self-employed.  We're set up on 1099's as Independent Contractors for the agency we go in with and yeah, your broker has basic expectations of what their agents will do.  But really, we set our own hours.  For example, this past Monday, I stepped out of the office for the afternoon to have a play date with this cutie:

But once Marci and her momma hit the road (and baby girl said her "good-byes" to the dog), it was back to the office to meet with clients for the evening.  There is no such thing as vacation or sick leave in my new world, but rather, you just have to learn how to balance everything!  And that's exactly why the husband and I are headed out of town tomorrow for a day trip, as just the two of us :-) 

For the most, everything is going very well.  Or, at least that's what everyone is telling me!  I honestly don't have a frame of reference for success so I'm just going along, doing what I need to do!  I have spent many a hours out in the hot, hot, heat showing houses and following up on any leads I receive...as a result, it's led to offers on various properties and to be completely honest, I only get paid when I sell a house.  Oh, yeah--you saw that right.  The only paycheck I will receive is after a house successfully closes at the bank.  There is no "salary" or "hourly wage."  Based on what I currently have under contract, my first paycheck will be here in September.  Now, can you see why my husband thought I was crazy?  Start a job in June and not get paid until September?! 

And some people would say I'm crazy for what I'm about to say.  Honestly, the last thing I care about is the paycheck. Hell, after years of being in social services, you know I'm not about the all-mighty dollar sign!  My focus is on helping people.  Whether that's helping someone find a home that will meet their needs--or, helping someone sell their home so they can start the next phase of their life.  I don't care if it takes me 6 months and driving all over God's green earth to find the right house for first-time homeowners.  I want to ensure that my clients are purchasing solid homes, that will not cause them any problems.  I want to make sure that my clients can truly afford the home they're purchasing.  The last thing I want is for my wallet to be full while former clients find themselves in a world of financial or structural problems because of a home I pushed them into.  After all, real estate is all about word-of-mouth referrals.  If you start looking out for nobody but yourself, you can kiss your business good bye.  And, in my opinion, you'll go to H-E-double hockey sticks while doing so!!!

Like I keep telling my husband, I do believe "I got this, babe--just trust me!"  My first listing has already gone under contract (so, now I'm ready to help someone else sell their house and move onto greener pastures!), I've written multiple offers for other houses, my clientele base is growing (even though I'd still be happy to work with additional buyers--wink, wink, referrals, please!) AND PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO ME!  Like I told my broker, people have never listened to me before, even though I knew what I was talking about!  But people ask me for advice, I provide counsel, they make a decision that best suits their needs, and things work out!!!  I love it!  For once, people are taking me seriously.  As my broker says, he's convinced I've really been doing this real estate thing for years now, but guess it just goes to show, "I got this, babe!"

Quinoa--Your Must-Have Pantry Staple and True "Super Food"

Last night, I made a comment on Facebook about a new quinoa salad that I made and how I thought it ROCKED! And without looking, I'm pretty sure "rocked" was in caps on Facebook, too!  I'm not kidding--it was amazing!  But by this morning, it dawned on me again that not everybody knows what quinoa is...and that's okay.  Not many people do!

We've been eating quinoa for several years now.  I have no clue how I came across it...I just did.  Maybe it was in some magazine article or online health forum???  Anyhow, I eventually found it at The Merc in Lawrence and ever since then, I've been hooked!  It's affordable, super healthy and super yummy--what's better than that?!

Most people have two very basic, and to-be expected, questions when they first hear about quinoa.

First--how do you pronounce it?

Two--what IS it???

To answer the first question, quinoa is pronounced "KEEN-wah."  Go through the checkout line of the natural food store pronouncing it, "Kwin-O-uh" and the clerk is guaranteed to look at you like an idiot.  Trust me :-)  If it takes some time to get the pronunciation down, that's okay--there's days where part of me still wants to slip back into the kwin-o-uh days and then I remember the embarrassing stare...

Secondly, quinoa is usually described as a grain.  I even catch myself describing it as a grain, when in all actuality, it's really a seed.  It looks a bit like couscous and is as versatile as rice (one reason why I love it so much!), but it has a richer, nuttier flavor than either of them.

Quinoa is a native of the Andes in South America and it was first cultivated by the Incans.  They ate quinoa to supplement their diet of corn and potatoes.  European immigrants to South America were slow to incorporate the seed into their cuisine and it has only recently been 'rediscovered.'  So, if this is your first time hearing about quinoa, don't feel bad ;-)

Because if its nutritional content, quinoa is touted as a "Super Food."  It happens to be a complete protein, and has all 9 essential amino acids so it is actually a great staple for vegetarian diets.  Like I mentioned above, quinoa can be exchanged for rice in recipes and in my opinion, it's even better than rice :-)  And for those of you interested in the nutritional value of quinoa versus rice, check this out:

BASED ON A 1/2 CUP SERVING:

Carbs: Quinoa 63g, brown rice 72.8g, white rice 79g

Protein: Quinoa 13.1g, brown rice 7.5g, white rice 6.6g

Fiber: Quinoa 5.9g, brown rice has 3.4g, white rice 0

Fat: Quinoa 5.8g, brown rice 2.68g, white rice 0.58g (The two cereals have largely unsaturated fat which has nutritional and health benefits.)

Iron: Quinoa 9.25mg, brown rice 1.8mg and white rice 0.8mg

Apart from the health benefits already mentioned, quinoa happens to have a low glycemic index compared to other whole grains. The glycemic index – or GI – rates food based on how much they make your blood sugar rise. Keeping your blood sugar steady and balanced can help you to maintain weight and improve cholesterol – that’s why whole unprocessed foods that are low in sugar and high in fiber (like whole grains) are touted for their health benefits. Calorie-wise, quinoa also comes in about 50 calories less per serving compared to brown rice.

For the curious, this is what quinoa looks like as it's plant is grown...isn't it gorgeous?!  In fact, it kinda reminds this farm girl of milo!  My true-farmer brother would probably argue that comment down, but that's just my opinion :-)

When the plant and seeds are eventually harvested, this is what the quinoa looks like:

After you buy your quinoa at the store and prepare it at home, this is what the cooked version looks like:

Quinoa is generally sold in two different ways at the grocery store (that is, if your store carries it).  In the Little Apple, our bigger grocers provide both options.  Fortunately, our smaller grocers are starting to carry it but it's only available in the latter option. 

The larger stores will offer quinoa in their bulk section.  The price may vary based on the distributor, but you can expect somewhere around $3.49/lb (or $0.22/oz).

The other way is in a box.  Like I mentioned above, most stores will at least have the pre-packaged quinoa--but it comes at a premium.  Let's try an average of $6.99 for a 12oz box (or $0.58/oz) on for size!  The upside is that you can pick from a variety of colors when you buy the boxed quinoa.  A lot of times you have the traditional white, Incan red and even a black version to pick from.  But....we're cheap and we buy the traditional white from the bulk bins!

So, what do you do with quinoa???  Quinoa can be served on its own as a side dish, with a bit of butter or oil, salt and pepper, or other seasonings. It also makes a great breakfast dish mixed with dried fruit, cinnamon, milk, and maple syrup or honey. Paired with chili, stir-fries, beans or curries, quinoa is a healthy substitute for rice (it also makes a tasty pilaf). As a main course, use it to make meat-free burgers, mix it into stews or toss it into salads. Quinoa works as a baking grain aswell, and makes for delicious and nutritious breads and muffins.  Considering the nutritional benefits and versatility, you'd be silly NOT to make quinoa a staple in your pantry!

To make it even MORE tempting for you to give quinoa a try, here are some recipes worth trying!  Not only are the pictures incredibly appetizing, BUT the links are RIGHT THERE!  All it takes is just one click and you'll be captivated by a whole new world of super-food possibilities!  I have personally made most of the recipes below and I promise you, you won't be disappointed :-)

SEAFOOD SALAD with LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Quinoa, avocado, black beans corn & shrimp. yum!

http://iowagirleats.com/recipes/superfood-salad-with-lemon-vinaigrette/

QUINOA and SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD

http://mychiclife.com/2012/03/07/quinoa-salad/
(this is what I made last night!  We used chicken broth, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, green onion, chickpeas and balsamic dressing and were in HEAVEN!!!)

QUINOA with PEAS

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-with-peas/detail.aspx

MANGO BLUEBERRY QUINOA SALAD with LEMON BASIL DRESSING

http://www.veggiebelly.com/2011/06/mango-blueberry-quinoa-salad-with-lemon-basil-dressing-recipe.html

BACON QUINOA with ALMONDS AND HERBS

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/bacon-quinoa-almonds-herbs-recipe

CORN and EDEMAME QUINOA SALAD

http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/could-it-look-more-healthy/

BROCCOLI QUINOA CASSEROLE

http://eatingwelllivingthin.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/blast-from-the-past-with-a-new-twist/

SANDRA LEE'S QUINOA SALAD

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/quinoa-salad-recipe/index.html

Dallas For the 4th of July

Happy One-Week-After-The-4th-of-July, y'all!  We got in late Saturday evening from our trip to Dallas and as always, Dallas on the 4th of July was full of surprises!

Last time Justin and I went to Dallas for the 4th, we got engaged...needless to say, I didn't see that one coming at all, so it definitely proved to be a surprise!

This year, we decided to head down South again--the plans were somewhat similar to last time.  We would go to a family barbecue hosted by Justin's cousins, stay with his best friend Isaac (aka the "Brother From a Different Mother"), celebrate the 4th, go out and just relax.  Isaac and Justin first met when they lived in the dorms at K-State--Justin was on the basketball team, Isaac was on the track team.  Once they got out of the dorms, they moved into a house with two other friends and they are all super close to this day!  Anytime Justin and Isaac are together, you know there's fun to be had! 

And for the most part, our plans went exactly like that.

BUT--before we left, I felt our house needed to be a bit patriotic...and of course, if we decorated for the 4th of July, maybe people wouldn't think we were gone!  I had given up on buying buntings for our front porch--they're not the cheapest thing in the world and with me working a commission-only job, I didn't feel that we could justify the expense.  Until...Walgreen's had them on sale on July 2nd and I scored four buntings for $10!!!  I couldn't turn down a bargain like that AND we could leave behind a patriotic front porch!

We left Manhattan at 3:00 am on Wednesday morning...and yes, we're crazy!  We wanted to get down there decent time BUT we were worried about hitting the road after we both spent long days at work on Tuesday.  So, after supper we took a nap and left in the dark instead :-)

We arrived in Dallas at 10:15 am!!!  That included stopping in Oklahoma City for gas and letting the dog out to run and play.  Oh--and as it turns out, Mitzi does VERY well riding in the car for long distances!  She just laid in her crate and looked out the front window or she slept.  Guess we didn't need the doggie tranquilizers after all :-) 

Once we got to Isaac's place, we loaded up and headed to Justin's cousins.  They had just moved to a different house 3 months ago but they already had their house put together...it seemed more like they'd been living there 3 YEARS.  Wish I could have said the same thing about us when we bought our place!  Anyhow, we were pretty impressed with the house--especially knowing what the new-construction houses go for in that development.  This house came with a covered back porch, granite counters and professional kitchen, study, theatre room, billards room, and I can't even remember how many bedrooms and bathrooms.  It was great getting to celebrate their new home with all the family!

After the barbecue with Justin's family, we met up with one of Isaac's clients to swim and shoot fireworks.  Isaac told us ahead of time that their house sits on 40-acres in the heart of Arlington and is "pretty sweet" but let me tell you, I had no idea what we were getting into!

We got to his client's house and the kids couldn't wait to get into the pool!  It was actually cooler in Dallas (96 degrees) than in Kansas (105 degrees) but it was still miserably hot...I don't blame the kids for wanting to swim!

This little blondie is Isaac's son, Tristin.   I hadn't seen him since our wedding nearly two years ago and ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, do I love this little boy or what?! As he continues to grow, he just gets cuter and cuter!  I like to call him my blonde Eskimo baby which, eh, probably isn't the most racially sensitive phrase.  Isaac was born and raised in Alaska but he's actually Tongan--which makes Tristin Tongan, not Eskimoan.  If that's even a word!  But anyhow, we feel blessed to call him our nephew!  He has the "Uncle Justin" part down VERY well but he's still working on "Aunt Bria"--but, what kid doesn't struggle with my name?! 

Okay, so the pool at this place was freakin' awesome...check it out!!!  That building behind the pool is literally the "pool house."  There's a small pool in the walkway that flows down into main pool--looked like something out of a movie!

That was the awesome pool...check out the backside of this house!  It's not the best picture, but I was trying to sneak a shot while "acting" like I was looking at something on my phone ;-)  The main level is where the white columns are; the walk-out basement is where the brick columns are AND the upper level is above the railing way up top.  On the far left side of this picture are the stairs that lead up to the balcony and kitchen.  This place was absolutely insane.  The bathroom by the pool was pure marble and I kid you not--the bathroom alone is probably worth more than our entire house!  The "main" kitchen was one of those professional kitchens with a $30,000 gas range that was used by their private chef.  The fridge was one of those built-in all-glass units and at first, Justin thought it was a freezer.  I kept saying, "No, honey--we're not in the freezer aisle of the grocery store!   The thing is really a fridge!" and finally he noticed the pickles, mayo, eggs, whatever and took my word for it ;-)  There were also two other kitchens in the house that I didn't see, and that's probably okay!

The house sat on 40 acres of wooded land in the heart of Arlington and came with its own 9-hole golf course! It had multiple guest houses that put any house where we live to shame...there were also 20-foot tall stone gazebos scattered throughout the property.  And they had their own outdoor living room complete with a built-in fireplace and retractable window covers!  Did I already mention this place was insane?!  lol...

Our friend Isaac, with his son Tristin (the blondie)--and Tristin's brother, Braden, by the outdoor living room

Again, not the best picture because I didn't want to look like a tourist (!!!), but the super bright green area in the far back was where the golf course started!

Now, if a house has such a dramatic back-side, what can the front look like??? 

Isn't the front freakin' insane?!  If you walked out of the basement, you would come out through the little wooden door in the middle.  The driveway was all brick and as you can see, it's fairly large--and that's just HALF of the front parking area.  The driveway also forked over to the garage and then curved up the hill to the gated entrance.  Plus, if you can see on the left edge of the picture, they had a fountain!  Why would I be surprised?  Of course, they'd have a huge fountain out front!  When I told my friend Angie that this place was a "mansion," I wasn't kidding!  When she pulled up to meet us, all the two of us could do was laugh!  I mean, seriously--two Kansas farm girls spending their 4th of July at a mansion?!  Who woulda thought!  Oh, and should I mention I was wearing a $15 sundress from Maurice's?!  Ha!

Behind Justin's right shoulder you can see the archway to the garage...the little windows are also part of the garage structure!

Eventually, it was time to call it a night and reflect back on the independence that our country takes for granted and celebrate the sacrifices our service men and women make every day.  Right now, we have a good friend on his fifth--yes, fifth--deployment to the Middle East...with having a good friend currently deployed overseas, you really start to realize that how easy we have it here in the United States.

Anyhow, enough sappiness.

The next day, Justin and Isaac went to Six Flags.  You couldn't pay me enough to go there so Angie and I decided to hit up some thrift stores in the Dallas proper area.  Most of the stores were pretty lame but then we found the Salvation Army near the University Park area and holy cow--this place was like it's own little mall!  It had showrooms of furniture, home decor, home appliances, a whole room dedicated just to Women's Clothing...it was uh-mazing!!!  And the stuff was in great shape--now wonder the parking lot was jam-packed when we got there!

Finally, we just kind of spent Friday hanging out and running errands.  I had some work to get done so we made a Starbuck's stop and then--out of nowhere--popped up a Whole Foods grocery store.  Hello, danger zone!

I told Justin he could sit in the car and fry or come inside with me...and since it was hotter than Hades in Texas (but still 10 degrees cooler than Kansas), he agreed to tag along with me.  And he was glad he did!  We stocked up on our usual non-perishables (ie $2.99 bottles of wine!) and then we tried some new salsa and homemade peanut butter cups (only because they had his name on them--literally!).  Turned out, Justin LOVED both the salsa and peanut butter cups.  In fact, before we hit the road on Saturday morning, Justin requested one last stop at Whole Foods!  And then when we got back home, he said "Man, I wish we had a Whole Foods here."   Guess I won't have to fight him on going to the crunchy, granola-y stores anymore :-)

While we were out and about Friday, we ate at some awful Barbecue joint . Looking back, I should have trusted my gut--barbecue joints in nice buildings usually suck. It's the holes-in-a-wall that crank out the best food!

Once the sun set, we headed to the Uptown District to have drinks with some friends.  I could act like I know all about the Uptown District, but honestly, I don't know much about it!  It's in the heart of downtown Dallas and it looked like it was once the original business district.  The place kind of reminded me of Aggieville, but on steriods and a bit less trashy.  That said, is it even still comparable to Aggieville?!  lol...anywho, they had some really neat bars, valet parking (for only $5!!!) and fans with misting hoses, too! 

All in all, it was a great trip!  We never feel like we see enough of our friends and it makes the long drives worth every minute.  In just a few short months, Justin and Isaac will be back together for their former roommate's wedding.  We're already counting down the days until we see each other again and hopefully, Tristin will join us too!  Happy Week-After-The-4th-of-July, y'all!