This isn't how it's supposed to be

So, I have failed to mention to all of you that I have been doing a detox/cleanse for the last 17 days and I have 4 more to go.

I haven't mentioned it for several reasons.

1. It's not that important

2. I wasn't sure how it would go, and I don't like to be negative

3. It's not that important

Now, I do have lots of great things to say about it, but I still think "it's not that important".

The main point to take away from this is that I feel the best I have felt in 10 years!

That means I was 21. and that says A LOT!!!

If you want details, email me.

The basics (the important parts for me) of the detox/cleanse are:
No caffeine
No alcohol
No cheese
(Plus, only veggies and fruit, supplement shakes, and some protein)

Are you kidding me?

So for 3 whole weeks...
No coffee, no red wine, and no cheese?

Will power is the only way I've made it.

Frankly, it hasn't been hard for me at all, but there are moments when I have thought about the above three items.

Last night, the husband and I sat down to watch a movie.

When I watch a movie I want Popcorn, Twizzlers, and a glass of red wine.

Nope, not last night.

Can't have any of those. At least not until Wednesday.

I have been to the movies once already on this detox and I am going again on Saturday.

Am I trying to torture myself?

Seems that way, huh?

Anyway, very soon it will be normal again.

But, for now this isn't how it's supposed to be,
KHAK

PS. Donations of Bags of Twizzlers will be accepted after next Wednesday! ;-)

Letting it all out Friday.

I have an issue, well a big, HUGE issue that came to my attention about a month and a half ago.

Here's the problem, it keeps getting worse.

And now puts me in a very bad mood every morning and afternoon as I leave my office.

I used to be so sweet with no opinion.

I also know that NOW I am a bit outspoken and extremely opinionated.

I like to call opinionated something new. Like, Passionate.

Ok, so now I'm very passionate about things.

-Politics.

-People, in general.

-How I spend my time.

-Social Responsibility.

I could go on and on.

But this one topic is eating me alive.

It is giving me high blood pressure (I don't really know this, but I can feel my heart racing every time I get upset)

Here's the situation:

Roughly about 2-3 miles before my office, they are doing construction.

I am talking big road construction.

Every day they are out there 20-30 workers, big machines, orange cones.

The whole nine yards.

It is such an extensive project that it is mentioned in the newspaper quite a bit and they even had to lower the speed limit down to 35mph, while it is usually 45mph and even 55mph that last mile before my office.

For some reason that I can NOT comprehend, no other drivers except me, good 'ol Kelly, feel the need to go the 35mph.

I'm talking not even police officers, government marked vehicles, construction trucks, shipping trucks, even the regular citizens.

Why is this?

Don't they see how close the workers are to the street.

This is for the workers safety!

Why wouldn't you want to protect them???????????

Listen, I know we are all "inconvenienced" by slower speed limits and that everyone has somewhere to go, but wouldn't this be much better if we all respected these workers and went the speed limit?

I mean, come on people, let's get real.

This frustrates me to no end.

I mean, I've got people basically riding my bumper because for some reason they don't notice all the signs displaying the new speed limit.

I have no patience for rubber-neckers who are going too fast in the first place.

I am a fast driver, and given the opportunity I am always one to be driving faster then I should be, but this is an exception.

I cannot believe that people are so selfish and self-absorbed that they can't slow down for a few minutes, to keep these workers safe.

This is something I cannot and will not understand.

Whew, I have been wanting to blog about this for days.

I feel better already.

Everyone in my office thinks I am crazy because I get so upset about this.

They laugh at me and roll their eyes but I know I am not the only one.

Please tell me I am not the only person in this place we call Earth who abides by construction area speed limits and cares about these workers.

If you're with me, please tell me!
KHAK

Fun with pictures!

Michael at Inspired by Charm introduced me to this free photo site for editing, etc.

It's called PicNik, visit it here

I have ben trying to figure out how to hire a graphic person to do these types of things for me, but this site lets me to do it for FREE!

Yes, free!

Check this out...
Isn't this fabulous?

I loved this party we threw for New Year's Eve last year, and adding these extra's makes it so snazzy!

So wonderful!

It does not take a lot to make a girl like me happy.

I have been playing around on this site for an hour or so now, so I thought I would share it with y'all.

Some of you, HECK, probably ALL of you already know about this site.

I am not known for being the "early bird", if you get my drift.

I hope you find this resource exciting and a special thanks to Michael at Inspired by Charm for mentioning it in one of his posts a few days ago.

Bargain Spot:

Here's where I tell you a bargain I found today.

I am so excited about this one.

My favorite scented Yankee Candles are 50, YES, 50% off at Hallmark right now.

Run, do NOT walk to the nearest Hallmark store.

Even if you don't like these fall scents, then buy ME one for the next time you see me! HAHA, only kidding.

Love these and I am so wonderfully ecstatic about Fall I can barely stand it.

*Not sure how long this deal is for, I did not read the fine print, I was too excited when I discovered the deal.

I got both of these for roughly $23! That's a steal.


Happy Candle Shopping,
KHAK

BTW, do you like the additions to my photos on the side-bar?

Yummy Yummy Sweet Sweet

Monday for football night, I also made a Potato Salad that was gluten-free.

It is also linked to Gluten-Free Goddess.

I love her Gluten-Free recipes.

You really can have fun without cheese and all the other fun stuff.

This potato salad had sweet potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, AND NO MAYO.


Seems pretty impossible for potato salad, right?

Aaron couldn't believe it didn't have mayonnaise in it.

This was really good warm, and still very good cold too.

Next time, I will serve it warm.

Monday night, I made all my recipes in advance so I could relax, but next time I serve this I will time it better to be warm for the guests.

It really was still fantastic cold too though. I don't want you to think it's not good cold, because IT IS!

Here's the deal:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
2-3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, diced
Sea salt
Cracked pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Apple cider vinegar, to taste
2-3 teaspoons dill
Sliced or chopped red or purple onion, to taste

Place the cut potatoes into a pot of fresh salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender- about 20 minutes. Drain well. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Sprinkle with apple cider vinegar. Drizzle with olive oil. Add the dill and onion. Toss gently to combine. Taste test. Keep adding vinegar, sea salt and olive oil a sprinkle at a time; and toss; until the salad achieves the flavor you prefer.

Savor the taste of this dish,
Khak

Football Game Treats!

Monday night we had some friends over to watch the VT vs Boise State Game, and also to celebrate Labor Day!

We grilled burgers and chicken, had a scrumptious salad a friend brought, and had the two gluten-free recipes I made.

The second recipe coming soon!

For starters/appetizer/cool munchies I served:

Carrots and Cajun-Crab dip (YUM!)

Trail Mix made of cashews, M&M's, and raisins (Super Easy, but oh so Tasty!)

Caramelized Cashews with Cayenne (These were flavorful, with a kick!)


Notice: more Vintage Pyrex!


This recipe is from Epicurous.

What you'll need:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups unsalted natural cashews (about 10 ounces)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

What you need to do:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray; set aside. Lightly spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Toss cashews and all remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Spread cashew mixture evenly in single layer on prepared sheet.
Bake nuts until golden brown and coated with maple syrup mixture, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Immediately pour nut mixture out onto foil, spreading evenly. Cool 10 minutes, then separate and break apart any nut clusters. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

I made these on Sunday night and it was a very fast and easy recipe!

Try these the next time you have a football watching party!
KHAK

Doin' it for my Motha'

So my Mom was just diagnosed with celiac disease, so she has to change her diet drastically.

By drastically, I mean, she has to have a completely gluten-free diet.

To me this sounds really boring and dull, so I took it upon myself to try out a few gluten-free recipes for her.

We were having a cookout so I figured this was the perfect time since I had "taste testers" coming over.

This recipe is linked to Gluten-Free Goddess

Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint
1 cup dry quinoa
2 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 2 limes
2-3 fresh mint sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves or parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
A handful of sweet and ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons diced red onion- or use 2 chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced

Cook the dry quinoa as you would raw rice: in 2 and 1/2 cups fresh salted water, covered, until all of the water is absorbed. Scoop the cooked quinoa into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, tossing lightly with a fork until combined. Taste test and adjust seasonings.

Cover and chill for at least two hours. Let the flavors mingle and get happy. I think this salad tastes even better the second day. Makes 4-6 servings.

This was plenty for the 7 of us with plenty left over as a side dish.

The flavor of the mint and lime was delicious and perfectly light.

If you have never cooked or eaten quinoa don't be frightened, you cook it just like rice and a little goes a very very long way.

Note: I used my red vintage pyrex dish! I also bought two more this weekend when I went antiquing. Hip Hip Hooray.

I am loving these dishes and patterns!

Happy Week,
KHAK

Do you care to be hip?

Being the "fashionista" that I am (NOT!), I have been doing my research on what's hot and what's NOT so hot this Fall!

New seasons bring change in weather, food, spirits, and of course FASHION.

Here's what's (apparently) in.

Are you?

Military gear.
Specifically Cargo Pants!

Gray Accessories.
Clutch Purses
Bracelets
Shoes

Zip-Up Boots
Short and Tall

Big Chunky Bracelets with Stones
Pretty and Fun!

Do not run out and try incorporate all of these things.

In my opinion, doing just one of these things makes you hip!

Trying to fit all of these trends into one outfit would be a nightmare.

I anticipate it looking something like this....

Sorry Bjork, but you know this is awful!

What do you think of these trends?

Do you like or not!

Are you hip or do you care to be hip?

Let's talk about this, I want to hear your opinions!
KHAK