{Recipe} Balsamic Chicken

As 2016 rolled in, I decided to make a lifestyle change and be more conscious of my eating. I am still going to allow myself to splurge occasionally, but overall, I have really been trying to eat healthier. I used to eat veggies ALL THE TIME in China and I am trying to get back to that type of cooking. As much as I love veggies, I also love carbs. I am not cutting them out completely, just trying to limit my intake. Who knew that healthy food could taste so good! I absolutely love this chicken. After living in China for several years, it's now hard for me to find vegetable recipes that have enough flavor for me. This Balsamic Chicken is a winner for sure! Check it out:

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 1 lb. asparagus
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup matchbox carrots
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing
• 1/8 tsp red pepper seasoning
• salt and pepper
• Grapeseed oil (or Olive Oil)
  

Directions:

• In a bowl, whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey, and red pepper. Set aside.
• Heat Grapeseed oil in a skillet (I tend to cook Chinese style and don't measure my oil. Probably about 1-2 Tbsp). Season chicken with salt and pepper and then place in skillet. Rotate chicken and cook until cooked through and no longer pink.
• Add half the dressing mixture and rotate chicken to coat evenly.
• Remove chicken from skillet, but leave sauce.
• Add asparagus and carrots to skillet, add salt and pepper, stir frequently until cooked but slightly crunchy.
• Remove veggies from skillet.
• Add remaining dressing to skillet and cook until sauce thickens.
• Add tomatoes, chicken, and veggies to the skillet.
• Toss until coated evenly.
• Remove and enjoy!

{Friday Favorites} 2.5.16

Happy Friday! It was a good week but I am more than ready for the weekend. There are some fun things in store this weekend! Tomorrow night I am going to the Rock and Worship Roadshow which will be here in Tulsa! Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Mandissa, Phil Whickham, Family Force 5, Audio Adrenaline, Danny Gokey, Citizen Way, and Shaun Groves are all going to be there. I. CANNOT. WAIT. The best part? It's only $10 at the door to get in! That being said, it will fill up quickly so I am planning on getting there early to stand in line. Thankful it's supposed to be a high of 55 degrees here in Tulsa tomorrow so the wait shouldn't be too bad! Then Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday. Not only is it a fun tradition of watching the game but it's one of my favorite weeks at Church called "30 Second Theology," where Pastor Craig Groeschel takes his sermon from commercials. You can watch online if you are intrigued!

Now, onto some favorites from the week:

ONE  >>> I am still going strong with my New Year resolution of working out 4 days a week. I successfully completed week #5 this morning! By the time I get home from work in the evenings, I either have something going on or just want to plop down on the couch and relax so I am trying to work out before work. It has been tough waking up in the mornings but I feel so good when I'm done!  I also get to see God show off with His gorgeous sunrises at that time of day.

TWO >>> On Wednesday, my baby brother, Tage, turned 20! Talk about making me feel old. Check out the blog post here.

THREE >>> I received my monthly update and picture of the little girl I sponsor at New Day South Foster Home! Have you thought about sponsoring a child? For just $35/month, you can make a difference in the life of a child. Email me with any questions you may have!

FOUR >>> I have been loving this Revelation Study I have been doing through BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). It is a long commitment, started mid September and will finish up early May, but I have learned so much! I encourage you to check BSF out if there is one in your area.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! 

Birthday Boy

Friends, this is absolutely crazy. My baby brother is 20 today. 20! How in the world is that even possible?! Seems like yesterday he was born and became brother #5 for me. 

So proud of this guy and the man that he has become. He is well into his second year of college and  baseball. He is doing awesome!

We are still working on his picture taking skills. He likes to give me this look quite a lot. :) 

Never a dull moment with this one. Miss having his goofy self around all the time to make me laugh.

Happy 20th, Tage! I hope it's a great one and that you know how loved you are.

Just Like That

"The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

Psalm 19:1

And just like that, it's February. Here in Oklahoma, we have been spoiled by the weather. It hit 60 this weekend and it was glorious! It's supposed to be in the 60's again today which is going to make this a very tough Monday to be inside, working.

"The older you get, the faster time flies." This is a quote I have heard most of my life and it is so true! I feel like quite often I am rushing through life when really I should be enjoying it and taking each moment as it comes. Warm weather tends to remind me of this, probably because I want it to last forever! This morning I witnessed this beautiful sunrise. I get so caught up in life and work that I don't take enough time to pause and just be. This masterpiece by God reminded me to not just do just that.

"Be still and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

{Friday Favorites} 1.29.16

Thank goodness it's Friday! I hope that you all had a wonderful week. It has been a good week but I am more than ready for the weekend to get started. I ended up having something every night this week which was all fun, but made for a super busy week. Tonight I am having a movie night with some friends and cannot wait! Movie, pizza, and comfy clothes. Yes please!

Here are some of my thoughts and favorites from the week:

ONE >>> As I sit here, sipping on my coffee, working up the motivation to get to work, I am excited for the gorgeous weather we are supposed to have here in Oklahoma this weekend! Today's high is 72. 72 in January! Definitely need to plan some outdoor activities this weekend. By Tuesday, we are supposed to have snow showers. Welcome to Oklahoma, the weather is very bi-polar. 

TWO >>> My friend and I checked out a new life group this week and it was so much fun! I am excited to get to know some new people.

THREE >>> I am very happy with how my scarf knitting project from last weekend turned out. I had been thinking about making a beige colored chunky infinity scarf to go with anything and I finally sat down last weekend to start it. And I finished it in just two days! I think I may need to make some more. However with the warm weather today, no chunky scarves needed.

FOUR >>> A couple months ago, I switched departments at work and took on a whole new list of responsibilities. It has been a steep learning curve but finally this week I fee as though I am slowly starting to get it and become more confident in my new role. Baby step progress!

FIVE >>> I made a delicious Balsamic chicken with asparagus and carrots last night. "Yum" is all I have to say. I'll share the recipe soon!

Happy Friday to all! Praying you have a wonderful, restful weekend. I'll see you back on Monday! 

Would love to connect with you on Instagram! You can find me @annelifjohnson

{DIY} Mantle Decor

Happy Monday, sweet friends! I hope that all my friends on the East coast have stayed warm this weekend with all the snow you have gotten. No snow in Oklahoma, just cold, although today felt a bit like spring. I will admit, after seeing all of the cozy snow pictures, it did make me wish for just a dusting of snow. If you know me and my love of warm weather, this is very strange for me!

The Christmas decorations came down after New Year's and it had been a while since I had my regular decor up. Before Christmas it was all things fall! As much as I love Christmas and the holidays, I was ready to have my regular decorations back in place. I decided to take a little time and revamp my regular look to really make it what I wanted.

I became obsessed with HGTV "Fixer Upper" over Christmas break and love how there are so many flowers around the homes when they stage them for the families. I decided I wanted to add a little pop of color by my fireplace and found these yellow flowers at Hobby Lobby 50% for $2.50. The jar was brought for just $1 at Goodwill.

I love, love, love how this wreath turned out! I had been wanting one to add a little spring feel to my home and once I took down the garland and lights above my fireplace, I knew something was missing. I decided that a simple green boxwood wreath would be perfect! I found small wreaths at Target for $20 but really did not want to spend that much and decided I could probably make my own. Bought the grapevine wreath at Hobby Lobby for $2.50, boxwood greens at Michael's for $7 (I had a 50% off coupon), and the gray ribbon at Hobby Lobby for $2. I already had some wire to secure the greens so total I spent $11.50, half of what I would have spent at Target! I have a few more doorways this wreath would look adorable on so I may make a few more in the coming months.

I believe this one was another "Fixer Upper" idea. I love old windows and how they can be painted and displayed anywhere for a rustic look. I have been looking and looking for a wooden piece to paint and came across this at Michaels for $7 and with my 50% coupon, only $3.50! A little white paint did the trick for just what I wanted. You have probably noticed that coupon's are my favorite. :) I already had this potted candle from the fall and add some extra greens I had leftover from another project.

These candles were a Pinterest inspiration. Best part? $2 each. I already had the candles and bought the candlestick holders and glass jars at Dollar Tree. Just hot glued them on top and added candles. That's it! Super easy, super cheap, and super cute.

I already had this glass jar (Dollar Tree) and decorative balls (Hobby Lobby).

I also already had these flowers and vase. The flowers from Hobby Lobby sometime last year and the vase from Dollar Tree.

I knew that something had been missing from my mantle but it took me the longest time to figure out what. I was browsing for some inspiration in Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago and came across this sign. I absolutely love this verse. If you look closely, there is no 4th edge to it and was broken when I found it on the clearance isle. I bought it for a great deal and it only cost me $3. I put some greens in front of it to cover up the broken side and you would never know (except I just gave it away)!

My wooden "Blessings" piece I brought from China, completes the look. Simple and elegant. I love how it turned out and makes winter feel not quite so dreary. 

{Decor} Headboard

Since having my own apartment, I have discovered the most wonderful thing on the internet.

Pinterest.

I know, I know, it's been around for several years now but I didn't quite understand what all the "hoopla" was about until I had my own space to decorate and make my own. Oh my goodness, it has been a lifesaver. I love my job (although that is a little negotiable at the moment as I transition into a new position), but let's me be honest here. I don't make the big bucks. Therefore, not only has it been a difficult year of making my apartment a home, but making it a home while on a budget. I like to call it "decorating on a budget." 

My bedroom walls are a boring white. When I first moved in, I knew that I had to do something about them because I felt like I was once again living in a college dorm room. Slowly over time, I have made it my own and it is finally starting to feel like a room I actually want to be in (other than sleep of course). 

When I moved to Oklahoma, I had a super limited budget. My savings was just about drained and so I used what I had and was able to take several furniture pieces from my grandparents house. I did not have a bed, but we purchased just the mattress, boxspring, and frame. As I have been decorating my room, I realized that what it was really missing was a headboard. Now headboards can be expensive, and I could go look for a used one somewhere but I thought I'd take a look on pinterest to see what I could find. 

I found a winner, folks, and all for less than $15!

Several websites I looked it, said you could use wood, cardboard, or even poster board. I just have a twin size bed and it is 40' wide so I went with a poster board that was 40' exactly and on sale for $4 at Hobby Lobby.

I then bought "quilt batting" to pad it with. I bought the smallest one they had which was the size of a crib quilt for $4.99 at Hobby Lobby (I then had a 40% off coupon so it cost me even less). My first step was to doubled up the quilt batting and stapled it to to the poster board.

I washed and ironed the fabric and then did the same thing. Laid it on top of the quilt batting and stapled it on every side.

For stability, rather than hanging it on the wall, I decided to nail each corner on and it has worked great.

So easy and it looks really cute! I love it because you can pick out your own fabric to go with whatever style and look you are looking for.

My next project was to do a little decor above my bed. I found a frame at Goodwill for $3. I took out the print and glass that was in it and pained it a light gray to match my pink, gray, and off white theme of my room.

I had picked out another fabric to cover some canvas' that I already had. 

Finished off the look with some "Live, Laugh, Love" wall stickers I had from the Dollar Tree.

I am so pleased with how it turned out!

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below! Hope you all had a wonderful, long weekend! Today is back to the office.

Winter Is Here

All my NY friends posting pictures of snow today and talking about the treacherous conditions inspired me to post photos from our little "dusting" on Saturday.

One of the reasons I left NY was the snow, I'm just not a fan. The cold, the starting your car 20 minutes before you go anywhere, cleaning off your car, bundling up, etc. it's just not my favorite.

But this. THIS kind of snow I don't mind. We had an inch or two, big flakes, and the roads were clear! Of course I still didn't go anywhere because even though the roads were clear, Oklahoma drivers tend to drive like crazy people. It's like everyone forgets how to drive when we have a few snowflakes.

Since it was Saturday and I had nowhere to go (other than to the store to get some milk and where I had a mini crisis leaving, but that's another story for another day), I enjoyed sipping coffee and watching the snow fall outside my cozy apartment.

By afternoon the snow had stopped and the sun was shining. That's Oklahoma weather for you.

And now? The snow is gone. Lasted a few days and then it warmed up enough to melt it all away.

Until next time, snow. Next time though, could you come during the week so I can have a "work from home in my sweatpants" kind of day?  Thank you in advance!