Things I’ve Learned Since College

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This post was influenced by Chrystinas post a couple weeks ago. I loved the idea of it and wanted to do one myself. At this point I have been out of college for over 4 years as well, and a lot has been learned in that time.

Partying get’s old. Yes I said it. I loved my college lifestyle, and even lived it a bit afterward, but the honest truth is creative hobbies, and life pursuits are so much more fulfilling, which leads me to the next thing….

Experiences are worth more than things. I’m by no means saying that you have to spend all your money on a trip to Europe (though that’s really awesome), but my favorite memories are rope swinging into the river in Chucks Hometown, getting stuck in the mud in a back field with friends, adopting Brody, walking on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, lingering over dinner with Chuck, music and talking over campfires with friends, New year’s mishaps and potlucks, motor bike rides, hiking in the high peaks, teaching friends to cook, etc. I think you get the idea.

There is no comparison. This is something that I am still struggling with, it’s a constant struggle. I see friends with big houses and all of the gadgets and I’m over here with my broken phone, and hand me down clothes, still pinching pennies for that someday house. I will get there in my own time and in my own way. I don’t know their entire story, maybe they have tons of debt, maybe they are just lucky, but how do I know that they are happy? I am happy. I have something to work for that keeps me going and an amazing support system and really that’s all I need.

A good bath and hot tea solve everything. Ok maybe not everything, but taking some time away to think it through and make a plan really do make a difference.

Hangry is a thing, and one should honor it.

Just because it looks good on paper doesn’t mean that it is
the best option. This is another tough one for me. I am very much an analytical thinker and I like facts to support all decisions, but sometimes you just need the feels. I’ve made some pretty bad decisions on paper, like taking a new job at a pay cut, moving to a more expensive community to avoid a longer drive, and plenty of others. The thing is that these decisions are the ones that make me happy they reduce stress and to me that’s worth its weight in gold.

Being loud doesn’t always get you what you want. In fact most of the time killing them with kindness gets it done faster and better.

Good food and exercise make all the difference. I will be the first to admit that comfort food is where it’s at, however I have also learned that all the rich, carb loaded bad for you food needs to be balanced out with good wholesome healthy food. Otherwise my body is prone to get sick more, ache more, and I feel bloated and grumpy way more often. Same thing goes with exercise, I definitely don’t need to work out as hardcore as I did in college, but lack of exercise for me means lack of sleep, and eventual
soreness. My body needs at least a weekly workout to be happy.

Retirement must be planned for. Seriously do the math to figure out how much you will need it’s terrifying.

I am not an extrovert, but I need social interaction. After and
when Chuck and I first moved in together I went through a time where I didnt see many people aside from my immediate family, and after a while I started to get grumpy and anxious. Weird right? Chuck is an introvert and is perfectly happy to not see other people that often. In the last few years I have made it a point to have holiday gatherings with friends, game nights, and dinner date nights. I swear these little things make all the difference.

I will never be good at any one thing and that’s just fine. I have so many friends that have amazing talents, whether it be art, music, management, math, or whatever. I will never have anyone thing that I am good at. For starters I don’t stick with anything long enough to ever get really good at it, as a result I am kind of good at a number of things. It took me a while to own this about myself but now I think it’s kind of cool.

How about you anything stand out in your mind as something that you learned since college?

Weekly Meal Plan 4.12.15

By Jessica

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One of the new series that I am trying out this year is a weekly meal plan. This is a meal plan based on the real recipes that I cook at home during the week.

Monday – Chicken Noodle Soup & Salad

Tuesday – Venison Stir Fry over rice

Wednesday – 15 Minute Lo Mein

Thursday – Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

Friday – Bacon & Asparagus Carbonara and Salad

Seasonal Chicken Pot Pie

By Jessica

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So pot pie.

It’s one of those things that has been a staple in my life for pretty much the entirety of it. It can be pretty easy to throw together if you already have a pie crust, it’s so incredibly satisfying and it isn’t completely artery clogging. I’m pretty sure we eat one at least once every couple weeks.

So how do you keep from getting bored with the same old pot pie you ask? Well let me tell you.

There is no end to the combinations of ingredients for these little pies. I’ve made taco pot pie, and beef pies, one pan pies and so many more, but today we are going to focus on the classic chicken pot pie because it’s amazing.

So to really narrow down the question at hand here; how do you keep from getting bored with chicken pot pie? Again there is no end to the combinations of ingredients for these little pies.

A typical pot pie has onions, carrots, celery, green beans, and peas, maybe some potatoes or corn, but there are so many more good vegetables!!!! For example a late summer pot pie might have corn, summer squash, zucchini, bell pepper and tomato while a winter pot pie might have onion, carrot, turnip, parsnip, potato and squash. There is absolutely no reason not to try all of the vegetables! Yeah I’m excited, but who doesn’t get excited for pot pie. Today I’m sharing one of our favorites which is Chicken & Spring Vegetable Pot Pie. Asparagus and leeks are some of Chucks favorites so he gets especially excited for this one.

Seasonal Chicken Pot Pie

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 large leek, chopped (white & light green parts only)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken meat (about breasts, cooked)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ cup chicken broth
¾ cup whole milk
2 cups chopped Asparagus
¾ cups peas, fresh or frozen
2 premade pie crusts, rolled out

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat. Stir in leek and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until it becomes fragrant.
Add chicken, flour, salt, pepper and thyme, stirring well to combine. Cook for about 1 minute or until the flour starts to turn golden.
Stir in the broth and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the milk, asparagus and peas. Remove from heat and set aside.
Lay one pie crust in a pie pan and press it into the bottom of the pan. Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into the pie crust and lay the second crust on top. With your hands crimp the two pie crusts closed removing excess crust from the edges.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Visiting Friends & Tea Parties

By Jessica

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Recently I was lucky
enough to be selected by Plum Deluxe to be a part of their Tea Ambassador
program. I was given a few select teas and a set of question cards to throw a tea
party. This could not be a better fit for me and my tea obsessed friends, so I
decided to actually have the tea party while Amanda and I were visiting my friend Lindsey.

We had an entire girl’s weekend, full of chick flicks, awesome
snacks, shopping, and lots of good conversation. My favorite snack of the trip
was the goat cheese wontons that Lindsey made, the night that we arrived,
though Captain Scott’s chowder was a close second.

On the first morning over a hearty and delicious breakfast
we decided to break out the Ambassador kit. I think one of the things that I enjoyed most
about the kit was the conversation cards. Some of the questions asked sparked
long talks and helped me learn some new things about my close friends.

The rest
of the day was spent in bookstores and shops around Mystic. Unfortunately I don’t
have many pictures because it was snowing or raining most of the day, and any
that we took simply did not work out. I’m proud to say that the harsh weather
wasn’t enough to keep these tough northeast chicks in the house and we had a
great time.

To spice things up a bit I decided to make a cocktail out of
the Pacific Northwest Evergreen Mint tea. It took a few different tries to come up with this sweet and minty
cocktail, but I really think it is a great addition to any tea party. You can
bet that I will be experimenting with other tea flavors to make similar
cocktails in the future.

Champagne & Mint Iced Tea (serves 4)

16 oz of water

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

2-3 teaspoons of mint tea

16 oz of good champagne

Heat the water to a boil. Place the sugar in a tea pot or
pan and pour the boiling water over the top. Add the tea in a tea ball or bag
and allow it to steep until it becomes golden and fragrant about 5-6 minutes
(when making iced tea you want the tea to be a bit stronger than a normal).
Remove the tea and set aside, stir the combination to be sure all of the sugar
has dissolved. Fill 4 glasses with ice cubes and pour about ¼ of the hot
mixture over the top. Pour about 4 ounces of champagne into each glass. Add
more ice if needed and serve immediately.

Weekly Meal Plan 4.5.15

By Jessica

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

One of the new series that I am trying out this year is a weekly meal plan. This is a meal plan based on the real recipes that I cook at home during the week.