Good stuff! Including (but not limited to) football, FroYo, and faith

What a week it's been! Had Sweet Frog for dinner with my very dear friends LG and NR on Monday...yes, you read that correctly...Juliana, the health fanatic, ate FroYo for dinner...but in my usual fashion, I only put fruit on top, so at least the dairy and fruit groups were covered. ;)  Then, after work on Tuesday night I headed to Charlottesville's lovely Downtown Mall, met my friend Denise for dinner at Eppie's (and unexpectedly ran into my friend Ryan on the way!), enjoyed delicious food and perfect weather in the outside dining area, then headed to the Jefferson Theater for the long anticipated Mat Kearney concert!!!  As expected, he put on an AMAZING live show, and I have been listening to his newest album nonstop (at the office, while driving around in Sunny II, while typing this blog post, etc.)! Despite the fact that I had already been listening to it quite a bit to psych myself up for the concert, it still hasn't gotten old yet! Don't you just love albums like that where you can just play them straight through and don't even have the desire to skip any of the tracks?  Albums of that caliber are usually a rare find, but in my music collection, Mat Kearney joins the ranks of Daughtry, John Mayer, Parachute, Jon McLaughlin, and One Republic. Good stuff!!!

Wednesday was an especially wonderful day which included lunch with several friends from the office and a surprise visit from my fave cigar aficionado and fellow ice cream/FroYo lover (which obviously resulted in my 2nd Sweet Frog excursion of the week...I keep forgetting that I need to cut back on my caloric intake since I haven't been able to go for a legit long run for over 2 months. It's bound to start catching up with me soon!). Then, I met up with my friends Mary Ruth and Andi to continue planning the YPG alum small group! MR made a fabulous dinner AND surprised us with Pearl's cupcakes for dessert! They were insanely delicious and I could feel the delectable chocolate buttercream icing going straight to my hips... (Despite the fact that this entire paragraph mentions food, I promise that I do occasionally do things that don't involve eating hahaha...but seriously :P). On a more serious and positive note, our planning session went very well and we are getting super excited for the awesome things that God is going to do through the group!

Okay, so those were some of the highlights of my week, but I figure you guys don't want to read every detail, so I'll move on....well, kind of.

Is anyone else totally amazed by the fact that October will be here this weekend???  Craziness!  But I'm especially excited for this weekend b/c I'm gonna be road-tripping to Alabama with my bro and a few of his friends for our mutual friend's wedding! I'm super stoked about it because it means quality time with my bro, plus roadtrips and weddings are always a blast, and since this is a double whammee it should be extra fun!

Speaking of weekends, this past one included a short roadtrip to Williamsburg to watch my DUKES take on the William & Mary Tribe for their family weekend game last night. The skies were looking kind of ominous when we left Richmond, but by the time we arrived on campus and parked (I would just like to point out here that JMU's visitor parking at the convo is FREE, but W&M charges $10...I knew that in advance, but still think it's lamesauce :P), the sun was trying to peak out from behind the clouds. We stopped by a friend's tailgate to say hello, meandered across campus and grabbed dinner at The College Delly, then walked around campus for half an hour to work off some of our dinner before heading to Zable Stadium for kickoff. Both teams went scoreless in the 1st quarter, but JMU was the first to get on the board with a touchdown early in the 2nd quarter. Then, the Dukes also put up a field goal, giving us a 10-0 lead going into halftime. In addition to JMU scoring, the 2nd quarter also brought rain showers.  Having experienced the monsoon at Lane Stadium during the epic JMU victory over VT last September, last night's rain wasn't too bad, but lasted long enough to leave my Madison Football hoodie significantly soaked (yes, leave it to me to bring a non-water repellent hoodie instead of a poncho to a game when rain is in the forecast...I did the same thing for the VT game. Maybe I'll learn one of these days! Haha).  Anyway, the rain clouds finally moved on sometime during the 3rd quarter (or maybe early 4th quarter, I don't remember exactly), and after a nerve racking 2nd half with several questionable calls and penalties that got us JMU fans riled up, the DUKES knocked off the Tribe 20-14!!!!  As I was walking back to Sunny II, I obviously had to call Mom so we could share in each other's excitement over the win! :)

Our beloved DUKE DOG!!!!!

The conference win was definitely a great morale boost for the players and fans alike, so hopefully we can keep the momentum going for the big homecoming game against U of R next weekend.

DUKES win!!!! :D

In other college football news this weekend, VT won, UVa lost, and U of R also lost. So, all in all, as I discussed with Jon last night, it was an awesome football weekend that could only be made better with a Redskins victory over the Cowboys tomorrow! :)

Okay, since I can't come up with a good segue, I'm just going to totally switch topics from football to spirituality...This has been one of those weeks where several "God moments" have occurred where the Lord's handiwork has become blatantly obvious to me. For starters, I realized how incredibly blessed I am that God has put so many wonderful Christian friends and influences in my life. Looking back over my lifetime, I am so thankful to my mom and dad for raising Jon and me in a Christian home and making church a priority from day one.  I regret that I never properly thanked Dad for that, but Mom, if you're reading, please know that I am forever grateful to you both!  The past year has been an incredibly difficult one, but despite all of the sadness, pain, and trying times, there have been SO many blessings!  As my blog posts over the past year demonstrate, I've learned to be more open and honest about my feelings and personal struggles. I used to put up a facade to try to convince myself and others that I was strong and independent, and didn't want to burden anyone else with my problems. Now, I finally understand that God intended for us to lean on and support each other during difficult times, and celebrate together during the good times.

God led me to the NEM YPG group when I was in serious need of a spiritual rejuvenation, and He used the group to provide just that, in addition to fostering some wonderful friendships that I treasure dearly!  I'm optimistic that God will continue to work through our new group to make those friendships blossom even more, and also to establish new friendships, as well as the accountability and support that we all need in our individual circumstances.  On another positive note, I'm starting to feel like the church I've been attending recently might be the right fit for me, so that would be a huge blessing!

Finally, the past year has also taught me to trust God's timing for our lives.  As I've mentioned plenty of times, I'm a naturally impatient person and don't like waiting very long for things to happen.  I always push the envelope when it comes to injuries (as I proved again last weekend when I ran 3 miles, which was my version of the doc's orders to "start running again very gradually." Unfortunately, my foot didn't agree and hasn't let me complete a run since then...I really will learn eventually.).  On a deeper level, I never fully understood how important it is to take ample time to let our spiritual and emotional wounds heal, but now I know that it can be an ongoing process and different hurts take different amounts of time to heal. And sometimes, the results of our own actions can cause us just as much pain as (if not more than) others' actions toward us. These instances can be especially difficult, since they often cause us to harbor feelings of self-blame, guilt, and regret.  But in my experience, admitting this to yourself, praying for forgiveness (from yourself and anyone else who may have been hurt in the process), and talking about it with trusted confidantes are all ways to help the healing begin.

I've also become more acutely aware of the timing of seemingly little things that really mean so very much. You know, that phone call or text from a good friend that makes you smile and lifts your spirits just when you need it most. Or, as was the case for me at church this evening, hearing a sermon that speaks directly to something you are currently dealing with and wondering if the pastor can somehow see through you and your struggles. Nope, that's another case of God actively working in your life. Again I must say, good stuff!

I could certainly keep going, but alas, it's getting late and I'm already down to a potential 4.5 hours of sleep tops, so I should probably at least attempt to get that much so I don't have to run entirely on caffeine tomorrow. :)

Wow, that was a deep topic to tackle right after football...I really should work on a better segue next time. Haha. But as usual, thanks for reading, and sorry this was kind of a long one. Maybe one of these days I'll start posting more regularly instead of trying to recap for all of the time I've missed.

Have a wonderful and blessed week, y'all!!!! :)  Nite!

My First Gluten-Free Baking Experiment

Tomorrow is JMU's home opener (so stoked!!!!), which means tailgating prep is underway! One of my good friends/tailgating co-host is allergic to gluten, so I decided that instead of baking my homemade pumpkin bread that has become a staple at our tailgates over the past couple of years, I would embark upon a new baking experiment and attempt to make something gluten-free (from scratch...obviously ;)  Knowing very little about gluten-free baking or which ingredients (besides flour) typically contain gluten, I conducted some research via Google (how did people survive before the Internet??? I mean really...I guess I would have had to go to the library and find a book about gluten-free baking...sheesh :P)  I also solicited advice from friends via Facebook to see if anyone had recommendations for the best type of GF flour. I got mixed suggestions, so decided I would make a game time decision based on what was available at the grocery store. 

 So naturally, I headed to my fave spot...Trader Joe's! Surprisingly though, they didn't have any GF flour in stock, but I remembered recently seeing a pretty wide selection of flours in the organic/specialty foods aisle at Martin's, so off I went. There must have been at least 15 different types of specialty flours, and I literally stood there for 20 minutes trying to decide which assortment of flours to try. My initial intention (based on what I read on various food blogs) was to create my own mixture of tapioca flour, potato starch, and brown rice flour...but then I spotted Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour and debated about whether I should take the easy way out and just settle for that. After comparing the labels to learn which flours produce the best texture/taste for baked goods and which are better in soups and gravies, I finally ended up throwing in the towel and going for the easiest option. However, I also learned during my research that GF baking requires the addition of some sort of binding agent to hold the food particles together. Xanthan gum seems to be the standard choice for this, but I just couldn't convince myself to fork over $12 for an 8 oz. package...and goodness knows I'm no tightwad by any stretch (quite the opposite in fact...Isn't that right, Mom? hehe). So, I decided to experiment by using cornstarch in place of the xanthan gum...The result? Well, I guess we'll find out when I witness everyone's reactions tomorrow at the tailgate. LOL. But seriously, the cake didn't crumble to pieces, so at least it served its purpose in that regard. The taste and texture test comes tomorrow, so if you're thinking about trying out my recipe for yourself, you may want to wait until after I post a follow-up with the verdict. :)

I borrowed the base recipe from here, but did some tweaking to make it my own, (namely adding more cinnamon and replacing the xanthan gum with cornstarch)...after all, that's half the fun of baking in the first place! (at least it is for me :)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin-Applesauce Bundt Cake 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin  
• 1 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil  
• 1 tsp pure honey
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (double check to make sure the label says gluten-free)
• 4 eggs  
• 2 cups gluten-free rice flour mix (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder  
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  

  Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat eggs in a large bowl until fluffy. Blend in sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, oil, and honey by hand just until combined. Do not overmix! Add all dry ingredients, one at a time, blending together.  Pour batter into a greased, large bundt pan. 

  
  Bake for 1 hour. Check with a toothpick or fork to make sure the cake is done.
  
  Transfer to a wire rack, let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then frost and enjoy! :)

I frosted my cake with cream cheese icing, but feel free to use any type of glaze or icing that you would prefer.

If any of you decide to try out this recipe, I would be eager to hear how yours turns out! In the meantime, go DUKES!!!! :)

Football Season is finally here!!!! :)

For some, Labor Day weekend signals that it's time to stash those white clothes away until next year and reluctantly kiss summer goodbye with one last BBQ. Others of us have been impatiently counting down the days until we can get all decked out in our team colors, load up our vehicles with too much food, drive to the stadium, spend hours tailgating with friends, jump up and down and cheer at the top of our lungs as our favorite team takes the field, and intently watch the game with thousands of other cheering fans who have also been anticipating this moment since the last playoff game ended last season.

For our friends who are less enthusiastic about football, but still want to hang out with us during the Autumn months, they know that they must at least fake an interest in the sport for several hours and either accompany us to a Saturday college game or head to the local sports bar on a Sunday afternoon to watch an NFL game. Otherwise, they know that they can pretty much write us off of their weekend social calendar until December rolls around.

Last weekend, Mom, Jon, myself, and some friends kicked off college football season by heading down to Blacksburg for VT's home opener against App State. We had a wonderful time tailgating and watching the Hokies as they easily demolished the Mountaineers! While that game wasn't even half as exciting as witnessing my Dukes pull off last year's upset, it's still always nice to watch App State lose, ever since they knocked JMU out in the first round of the 2007 FCS playoffs with a heartbreaking final score of 28-27. Sure, we got our own revenge in 2008 when they came to Bridgeforth and we showed them that they weren't as "Hot Hot Hot" as they like to think they are, but nonetheless, I think it's safe to say that most Dukes and Hokies alike were pleased with the outcome of Saturday's game at Lane Stadium.

Hokie pillow pal joined our tailgate! I saw him in JCPenny's the night before the game and couldn't resist his adorableness :)  Now if only I could find a Duke Dog pillow pal...

Unfortunately, my Dukes suffered a depressing loss to UNC later that afternoon, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that JMU will hopefully come out looking much better against Central Connecticut in our home opener this Saturday. I can't wait to rock my purple & gold jersey (not to mention purple earrings, purple JMU Football hoodie, purple & gold necklace, JMU spirit button, and purple nail polish)! And of course, you can't truly experience James Madison football without throwing a legit tailgate...heck, that's half the fun! :)

Speaking of football, I just completed my first ever Fantasy Football draft! It was pretty intense, but lots of fun! A few of my friends have found it hard to believe that a big football fan like me had never played in a Fantasy league before, but to be honest, I used to despise the idea entirely. To me, being an NFL fan was all about supporting your team through thick and thin (and even thinner for those of us faithful Redskins fans who have stuck by them during every "rebuilding year" only to wonder when that rebuilding will ever come to fruition). So, the idea of supporting players on rival teams that you used to despise, just to boost your Fantasy points, rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, could you imagine any self-respecting Redskins fan hoping for Tony Romo to have a fantastic game simply because he was on their Fantasy team? Ridiculous, right?  My brother explained to me that this is precisely why true fans shouldn't pick players from big rival teams for their Fantasy roster. Heeding his advice, I knew there was no way on earth I would possibly pick any Cowboys or Steelers players in the draft tonight. So, this is a new experience for me and it will be interesting to see how it affects my allegiances this season. Obviously, I will continue to stick by my Redskins regardless, but I will likely find myself cheering for a few players in other match-ups that I never would have supported in the past. But it will hopefully add a new and exciting element to NFL games this season! :)

Football certainly isn't the only reason that Autumn is my favorite season though! Cooler weather is perfect for jeans, hoodies, and cute scarves, early evening walks (or runs...hopefully),  pumpkin spice lattes, homemade pumpkin bread, pumpkin ice cream (can you tell I like pumpkin?! Hehe :), beautiful leaves changing color....ah, I could go on and on. The only downside to the onset of Fall is that the "Summer Casual" dress policy at the office has come to an end, so alas, the sandals and summer dresses must go to the back of my closet as the pointed-toe stilettos (which I can actually walk in again! yay! :) and business suits come back out. Okay, so maybe jumping right back into those heels so soon was a bit ambitious, but my doc told me last Thursday that I can wear regular shoes now...and heels are my regular shoes, afterall! :) This afternoon, one of my coworkers pointed out the fact that I finally didn't have any sort of brace or wrap around my leg for the first time in a while, yet I had upgraded from wearing flats to heels, to which I replied "What can I say? I tend to be one to push the envelope..." to which he replied "You?! Really?! No way!" Haha. I guess I just have that reputation...

On that note, I should probably be heading off to bed...Hard to believe tomorrow's already Thursday! Gotta love 4 days work weeks! :)

Night y'all!