High Five and REALLY slackin'!

Have I done an AWFUL job of keeping up with the blog or what?  I guess I've been pretty busy and have spent some time with friends and family--good excuse, right?

I had a pretty good week for multiple reasons and I guess I can incorporate that into my H54F today!

one.  I made a great recipe I got from Kate at The Small Things Blog.  Her Cajun Chicken Pasta was AWESOME!  Jay loved it and definitely wants me to make it again so that's a good sign.  Here's the link to the recipe.  And check out my version:

two.  IT RAINED!  We got some pretty good rain over the last couple of days.  It's been so nice!  A lot of people have tweeted/facebook'd about how they've just gone and stood in the rain.  That's how awful it's been! 

Rain coming down!

three.  I got to have lunch with a good friend, Lindsay, from college on Wednesday.  We ate at a great cafe in a super cute neighborhood and we talked and just enjoyed each other's company.  She lives far, far away and I hadn't her in over a year.  It was a wonderful visit!  She brought me a cute gift for my classroom, too! :)

four.  I had cupcakes from The Flying Cupcake for the first time.  Lindsay wanted me to experience the goodness and now I'm dreaming about those cupcakes.  I got the Red Velvet Elvis and the Strawberry Dream.  Oh so good.

five.  Hair cut today!  You have no idea how excited I am to get my hair done.  It's been forever!  I'm going to a very trendy salon and spending more money than I've ever spent on a hair cut (mind you, my BFF usually cuts my hair so it's next to nothin').  The stylist I'm going to did my hair on my wedding day and she's amazing.  I'm taking a picture of Kate from The Small Things Blog.  I'm pretty obsessed with Kate. I'll be sure to post a picture when I've got my new 'do! 

Have a great weekend!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite recipe.  It is such a delish meal for lunch or dinner and it's pretty healthy, too!  Here's what you'll need:

1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
10.5 oz of condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup white hominy
4 oz can chopped green chili peppers
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

Optional:
Avocado
Cheese
Tortilla chips

The ingredients (Please ignore the coffee stains on my counter...I was messy this morning!)

Here's what you do:
(This is MY way--it always turns out fabulous--but feel free to try your own method!)

1. Boil your chicken.  I think this is the easiest and best way to cook the chicken you'll be adding to your soup.  You can kind of forget about it while you get the rest of your ingredients ready.

2. Prepare your onion and garlic.  Then add the olive oil to a large pot and heat it over medium heat.  Once the oil is heated, add the onion and garlic.  Cook until soft.

3. Add in the chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water.  Let that boil and simmer for about 7 minutes or so.

4. While this is simmering, get out your cooked chicken and chop it up into bite size pieces.  I then add it to the bowl that has the remaining ingredients in it so I can just throw it in the pot.


Isn't that so pretty!?

5. Stir in the corn, hominy, chilis, beans, cilantro, and chicken.  Let that cook for about 10 minutes.

6. Scoop yourself out a big bowl and dig in!  I add a little bit of cheese and crushed tortilla chips to mine.  Sometimes I add avocado, too!  It's delicious!!

Delicious!

Obviously I love it!

Let me know how your Chicken Tortilla Soup turns out!

Challenge Monday

Hello and I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! We got a little bit of rain here in Indiana but definitely not enough to do much.  It's pretty ugly looking around here.  For proof, check out my backyard:

Pretty sad, right?

We are hosting a cookout in a couple of weeks and I feel so embarrassed about the way our yard looks.  Jay made me feel better by reminding me that all yards look this way (with the exception of the environmentally unconscious who water their yards multiple times a day!) 

Anyway...let's talk about this upcoming week! My summer is winding down quickly and I need to get back in my classroom to do a deep cleaning/organizing/decorating session.  I'm actually very excited to get back to school.  I was not meant to be a stay at home mom!  I need my 8 hours during the day to work and be with other adults.  Is that wrong? So that's what I'll be doing most of this week: changing up my classroom in multiple ways.  Last year, being my first year teaching, I was much too lenient about classroom management and I didn't push myself with my lessons.  I want to change that this year and I think change is possible and a good thing. 

Here's my challenge to you: What do you want to change?  How will you do it and why?  Think about this and let me know.

Have a great Monday!

High Five for Friday

I'm so excited to link up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk blog for High Five for Friday!  I'm just going to jump right in!

1. I'm just in love with the jewelry tray I made.  I can't wait to give it to someone special as a gift (with some cute jewelry, of course!)
2. My coffee this week has been divine.  Especially this cup who smiled at me :)
3. Breakin' in my new kicks. I'm trying to push myself to go on a walk everyday
4. This salsa was amazing and I made it myself!  A plus was a good friend came to share it with me
5. My new blog.  I'm so excited to continue blogging and I love seeing my page views grow!

Goodwill Hunting

I love Goodwill.  Is that weird?  Well I don't care if it is!  I always find such awesome things there for cheap! I found a great staple outfit just a few days ago for a grand total of $10!  Both top and jeans are in great condition and come from a couple of my favorite brands. 

Banana Republic



Aren't the ruffle sleeves so cute?

Gap Long and Lean Denim

Simple Back Pocket

So what do you think?  I'm excited to wear this outfit--It's just too hot in Indiana right now for jeans! {Seriously-we're in a drought and it's 90 degrees almost every day!}

DIY Jewelry {or anything} Tray

So I went Goodwilling yesterday and found a really intricate frame for only 99 cents.  I immediately thought "Well, I could make a cute, little tray out of this!"  I couldn't wait to get home and get started! 

Here's what you'll need:

{A frame-I got mine from Goodwill for 99 cents!  Make sure it's deep enough to hold things.}
{Your favorite print for a background-I used damask print napkins but you could use scrapbook paper, fabric or even a mirror.}
{Scissors, tape, and glass cleaner}

Step One: Begin by taking apart your frame.  Clean the glass with the glass cleaner and remove the picture stand from the back.

Step Two: Place your print (for me it's a napkin) on top of the cardboard insert of the frame.  Make sure you lay it exactly where you want it before wrapping the print around the cardboard.

*Make sure you tape down everything so you have a nice, smooth finish.

{Optional Step} Spray paint your frame!  I chose black because I had extra from another project I'm working on and it matched my napkin!

Step Three: Assemble your tray!

Wah-Lah!  You have a beautiful tray to hold your jewelry, perfume, make-up brushes, or anything your heart desires.  Below you'll see an example of  some of my jewelry in my tray.

See how I hung my earrings from the side!  Bonus feature!

Good luck making your own tray!  I'd love to see what you've come up with! :)

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Akward Sugar!  Today is DAY 1 of blogging for me and I'm so excited!  After reading several blogs for the past few months, I have been inspired to start my own.  I'm a woman with a plan and I can't wait to share my daily thoughts, ideas, struggles, funnies, and more with you.  Here is my ::plan:: for this blog:

mondays...weekend recap/weekly goals
tuesdays...foodie tuesday
wednesdays...inspiration
thursdays...toss up {random post}
fridays...link up for High Five for Friday!

Check back often and please leave me TONS of feedback/suggestions for posts.

...I'm so excited to begin this blogging journey!  Stay tuned...