tumblr!

I'd really love for you girls to check out my flower-quote blog at:

http://rise-fall.tumblr.com/
thank you! ♥

hey guys! :) since I last posted, I've done a lot of... soul searching, that's the best word for it... and I've discovered a few things.

• This blog has helped me tremendously. All of you that leave me comments are such wonderful, caring people and I doubt I could have made so much progress without you. Thank ya'll so much. ♥
  
  
• I love photography so much. If you've read my blog for a long time, you're probably aware of how much I love taking pictures of flowers. If I had to fill out a form asking about my hobbies, I'd definitely list "photographing flowers" first. I've decided to open up a flickr account so I can expose my pictures to a larger audience. I think I might even start a blog that features pictures of my flower and an inspirational quote in every post. :]
  
  
• Blogging about my recovery is only a temporary solution. It helps me only as much as I post. If I don't post every day, I'm tempted to go back to ED tendencies. I can't keep posting forever, so I've decided to go out and find a new solution to ED. I'm going to stop blogging, perhaps not forever, but forever as in regards to recovery. ED does not have total control of my life and I think blogging about my struggles and conflicts gives him a lot more power over me than is healthy. I love sharing my food with you guys and it really does motivate me to eat healthier, but, like I said, I can't keep posting forever. "Too Much Of A Good Thing Is Wonderful" has reached the end of its run. I can't thank all ya'll readers enough.
  

So! With all that, this is it. :) I'd love to keep in touch with ya'll, so find me on facebook (it's new!) or send me an email (pullingstrings07@aol.com). I'll keep you posted on what other blog related things I do.

Thank you and goodnight. ♥

letting go is one way of saying I love you.

Hey guys, sorry I haven’t been around lately.  I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and I think that I’m going to take a little break from blogging, at least during the summer. I’ve hit a bit of a rough patch lately and I feel like I can probably handle it a little better without blogging. I really appreciate the support that all you girls provide and it’s helped me so much. =)

I hope ya’ll have a lovely summer.
I hope to be back soon.
mucho amor. 
♥ Emily

gimme a break!

gimme a break!
break me off a piece of that
kit
kat
bar!

tehe. That song is priceless. It makes you happy just hearing it.

But, on that subject, I'm going to be taking a little bit of a break. Here recently I've been pretty bombarded with things and I don't really have the strength to post everyday.

No need to worry, I'm fine.
I always love the support you girls give me. Thanks so much! ♥

Enjoy your summer.
I'll be back soon!

as fast as a speeding bullet.

Quickie update!

Remember those grilled peaches I had a few weeks back? Well, this past weekend, they got published on TasteSpotting and Photograzing! :]

And a follow up to the fusion cuisine of the ‘shroom wontons-

mushroom cups with bean and cheese filling.

The ‘cups’ are actually baked wonton wrappers, an idea I got from this post. They are quite yummy! If I were to make them again though, I wouldn’t use black beans and cheese, but rather spinach and cheese. I feel like I eat too much of that combo though, so the beans were a welcome change. :D

And, return of the ice cream!

vanilla ice cream with honey and ginger.

Best. ice. cream. ever.

Even though it’s really hot outside, I want to make some double chocolate cookies. Ohh, and maybe some home made ice cream to go with it!

Problem is… I have no ice cream maker. :(
Anybody know of a good brand or have a recommendation? Pretty sure I’ll be heading to Walmart to pick one up for dirt cheap and see what I can do with it.

have a nice afternoon! enjoy the nice summer weather. ♥

there must be mushrooms in my head.

After seeing Morgan’s yummy tortellini, I was inspired to create my own. Grabbing the past due wonton wrappers (June 8, oh no!), here’s my ode to the delicious mushroom….

 
‘Shroom Wontons
1 package of button mushrooms
1/3 cup of queso fresco (mexican food store, tasty!)
12 – 16 wonton wrappers
water

1) Steam mushrooms and drain. Cut them up into as small as you’d like pieces.
2) Mix mushrooms with crumbled queso fresco.
3) Spoon a bit of the mixture into the center of the wrapper and fold however you’d like. (mine are sorta, kinda like a wonton)
4) Steam or boil until wrappers are transparent.
5) Enjoy! :)

Lately, I’ve been a little behind in the land of food pictures, but don’t despair! I have plenty food porn for your viewing pleasure.

spinach & cheese quesadilla.

blueberry yogurt smoothie.

zucchini slop jar with greek seasoning.

buffalo burgers with onion rings and steamed spinach.

These past three days, I’ve been busy cleaning out the family kitchen. I started out with the spice cabinet and ended with the closet cabinet. Wow. It. was. fun. It really helped me space out and just chill.

However, I made a startling discovery.

we have much jello.
it’s taken over.

We have a total of 10 jello boxes. It’s scary. Who knew that one place could have so much jello, except a grocery store?!

Note to self: trash the jello.

♥

you’re like my favorite underwear.

As much as I’d love to take credit for that title up there, I can’t. That wonderful phrase is courtesy of Liz Phair and her song “Favorite”.

The song is the inspiration for my post tonight, full of my favorite things! Following my post from the other day about my favorite summer fashion, I wanted to share some of my –other- favorite things, besides clothes and, of course, emgurt!

my favorite shoes (that I own): the hobbit shoes.

I felt the need to put “that I own” after that because if I could have any shoes in the world, it’d definitely be the sandals I wrote about in my last post. Buttt! On to the shoes I’ve got….
It’s true, when I where these, people call me tinker bell, but that’s no reason why I can’t love them. They’re so comfy! Best thing about them? I’m allowed to wear them during the school day, according to the school’s dress code! :) I really want to find some cheap black ones and put pyramid studs on them or get a pair of white ones and sharpie the bad boys!

my favorite drink:

IZZE! the best fruity flavor there is! (besides fruit, of course!)

ED never liked the idea of drinking calories- it was a “waste”- so soda and juices were out of the question. IZZE beats down that stupid ED idea and is really wonderful. I love their Blueberry and Pear flavors. Too bad they’re so hard to find around here.

my favorite band:family force 5

No matter what anybody says, I love these guys. Their music just makes me want to dance. Doesn’t hurt that they’re from Georgia either. ;)

my favorite flower:the daffodil

Ya’ll might have noticed, but I have a tiny, really small, minute love of flowers. Out of all that I’ve seen or heard of (or taken pictures of), the daffodil is, by far, my favorite.

my favorite clothing brand: free people, the headquarters of boho, free spirited style.

One day, after I’ve made billions from the mass marketing of emgurt creations, I will be able to afford the gorgeous dresses that Free People sells. Until then, I’ll be searching the racks of Plato’s Closet for one.

and of course (this is a food blog, after all!)
my favorite food!

  yogurt!

What’s more delicious than plain ole yogurt? Greek yogurt.
What’s more delicious than Greek yogurt? Fro-yo! :D
All yogurt is delicious, the creamier and thicker, the better! Drizzle some honey on or top it off with some blackberries- the possibilities are endless. It doesn’t end with the toppings, there are so many different flavors of yogurt that  to try them all in one lifetime is impossible. (Won’t stop me from trying!)

Alright, I’m off to watch The Clique, which, by the way, was filmed at my school! :)

I’ll get to commentin’ tomorrow morning.
Night girlies! ♥

ring ring ring, banana phone!

I’m so glad that my summer style was so well liked! I hope to see some of your styles too. :)

Today, I was in a very creative mood, which translates into recipe experimenting. Combine that with my interest in Greek food and the result?

Dolmathes!

But with a really odd twist. I don’t have access to grape leaves (they’re $10 for a jar in the store!) so I turned to the only alternative I could think of.Muscadine leaves, fresh of the vine!

The leaves are much smaller than the grape ones but they worked just as well… that is, after I blanched them, froze them, speedily pickled them, steamed them, and then finally doused them in olive oil for thirty minutes. They were way too starchy and bitter, but the combined effort seemed to finally turn them into the delicious wrapping for my dolmathes. I’m sure that if you have more patience than I did, you’ll only need to use one of those methods. Here’s the muscadine-version, in case you too are short of grape leaves:

6 muscadine leaves (the biggest you can find; prepare by one of these ways)
1/2 cup of short-grain white rice
1 tablespoon of feta cheese
1/4 cup of chopped sautéed onions
olive oil
salt
makes 6 “dolmathes”  (dolmas or whatever you call them!)
1) Once you prepared the muscadine leaves, lay them out on a flat surface.
2) Mix the rice, cheese, onions, a little salt, and a spoonful of olive oil together.
3) Place a small amount of the mixture on the middle of the leaf. Take the top and bottom part of the leaf and place them together. Then slowly roll the leaf until it forms the familiar dolmathe shape.
4) Skewer about three of your “dolmathes” on a toothpick and place in a cup or bowl. Pour enough olive oil into the container so it covers the dolmathes and sprinkle in some salt. Let them soak for about ten to fifteen minutes.
5) After soaking, remove them and dab off any excess olive oil. Enjoy! :)

Here’s the finished product with my signature sweet potato side. :)

  
Even though it took my a little while to get the right flavor and texture for the muscadine leaves so they were like grape leave, I really enjoyed them. I don’t know how much time you girls have, but if you’re bored one day, try this out. I hope muscadine leaves are easy for you to find!

Another thing I came up with today that you’ll probably more interested in?
The Perfect Banana Ice Cream Smoothie!

1 banana
4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
5 ice cubes
1/2 cup of milk
a dash of cinnamon
makes 2-3 servings
1) Blend it up! It’s delicious and filling so enjoy!

I really feel like I accomplished a lot today. I woke up a little earlier and made pancakes!

buttermilk pancakes with fruit and honey yogurt.

I’m not really a breakfast person. It’s not ED related or anything but I just never liked breakfast, unless grits count, but even then. This changed my mind. Pancakes are so yummy! :)

I spent a lot of time picking in the garden today.  There were so many zucchini and beans, ready for pickin’! It was mad cloudy today so it wasn’t hot or anything, but, boy, that bending really tuckers a girl out! My eyelids are closing as we speak… or as I type and you read! :) I was so exhilarated while I was picking today though. I had this warm, happy feeling inside!

But, before I go to sleep, I want ya’ll to remember this:
Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances. - Benjamin Franklin

Happiness depends upon ourselves. – Aristotle

Keep being strong! Have a great night/day. :)

vamos a la playa…

…a mi me gusta bailar!

That was such a popular song in the dorm last year, buuuut
I am so ready to hit the beach and soak up some sun with a tropical smoothie!

Although the idea of an itty bitty bikini does not appeal to me at the present moment…. actually, it kind of scares me. The bikini seems like it would destroy all the progress I’ve made. It sounds crazy, but donning that scanty little thing seems like it’s inviting ED to make a comment and I just won’t let that happen. I’ve spent a lot of time and effort trying to make ED go away. I know you girls have done the same and I really admire that. I think part of the reason I haven’t strayed as much from the recovery path is because all of you have been out there, posting really positive and successful things and giving me advice when I need it. Thanks so much! ♥

On the topic of fashion, I spent a little time planning my fantasy (read waaay too expensive for me to afford) summer wadrobe. There are a few things I would looove to have and I am definitely going to be visiting Plato’s Closet this weekend to see if maybe somebody got tired of them really early in the season. ;)

   

*movie trailer voice* I now challenge you to showcase your own fantasy wardrobe. Will you accept this mission?

Pictures or not, post or comment, create something summery and completely you!

It’s so much fun! Great to relieve any stress or unwanted thoughts. :)

Have a nice night/morning!

♥ mucho amor!

OH! Almost forgot, check out a lovely giveaway over at Krista’s Kravings! I’ve always wanted to try Full Bars- there are a lot of flavors that seem so delectable. Hurry up though because it ends on Sunday.

country cookin’

I just adore being back in blogland!
And, what’s more, I love being back home in the South.

I missed all that good Southern cookin’. Really, how could I have left you, dear sweet Georgia? I mean, the fried chicken, fresh veggies, peach cobbler….

wait, hold up, Emily!
You don’t even like peaches!

Yep yep, it is a bit contradictory, me being from Georgia and all, but when I was little, I hated peaches. Those soft, fuzzy, too sweet, icky fruits were the bane of my existence. If given a peach, I would have thrown it as far away as possible and then pulled a Fiona from Burn Notice (my new addiction) and blown it up.

Today is the day I’ve overcome that dislike with these babies

Honey Thyme Grilled Peaches!!!
2 halved peaches
1/3 cup of honey
4 sprigs of thyme
1] Grill halved peaches, skin side up, for 3-5 minutes.
2] Mix honey and thyme leaves together, before glazing the grilled peaches.
3] Grill peaches for 5-10 minutes, skin side up.
4] Enjoy! :)

These peaches were gooood! I was watching Emeril today and he did a little something like this, but I toned it down and left out a few things. I was really skeptical of the honey-thyme mixture, but it really turned out great! I would definitely recommend this to anyone. If you want them to be the absolute best, be sure to use soft, juicy peaches, rather than the hard, first of the season ones.

And since the grill was fired up…

some zucchini to go along with the peaches.

Am I the only one that is obsessed with grilled veggies? They just seem tastier than if you sauté or boil them.

Oh, I bet everybody has heard about the new Larabar flavors coming out soon. Just so you know, the first German Chocolate Cake one to hit the shelves is mine! 
Not only do I enjoy eating Larabars, turns out I also enjoy reading comics about them! After reading this, I about died laughing. The scary part though? I’ve exhibited a few of these signs! :o Check it out and see if you do too.

Going along with my Southern theme, dinner tonight was too yummy. I warn you though- don’t get grossed out! It’s perfectly normal to eat this in Georgia and pretty much anywhere in the Southeast.

grilled deer meat (venison, if you will) and parsley potatoes with sautéed Vidalia onions and squash plus some green beans.

I believe the Holy Spirit visited me in this meal.

Come to think of it, I really do miss mass. As much as I complain about having to go, ohhh, three, four times a week, it’s a great time to gather my thoughts and realize what’s important in my life. One Sunday morning mass made me decide to start recovery and leave behind ED. Every mass after that kept me from turning back. I’m not Catholic (I’m not very religious either, but I’m no aethiest, believe me!) yet that quiet hour in church helped keep me in line. I wish there was a Catholic church nearby, but there isn’t. Maybe just some quiet time every now and then will work?

I’m about to hit the sack, so good night. :) Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

blast from the past.

Day one back at the cooking casa and I have a multitude of foods waiting to be cooked up. New fruits and veggies in season and ready to be eaten by me, all sorts recipes for me to try, even a grill all fired up… maybe not that far!

With all these choices, whatever could I choose?

Spanakopita! :D

When a food has served you so well in the past, you can’t just abandon it. Plus, it’s so delicious I had dreams about it the first time I made it. Which brought me to this startling conclusion:

Spinach = life.

And another amazing addiction? (ahaha, alliteration!) Fresh veggies from mi jardin! Yummy Italian slop jar with zucchini, tomatoes, and Vidalia onions. :D

Oh, and remember TangySweet I was talking about in yesterday’s post?

bam! pomegranate fro-yo with fresh blueberries. so friggin’ delicious that I’m craving some now.

And what would any vacation be without…

Alright, alright, I think my flower-photographing obsession is getting crazy. What on earth am I going to do about it? I should probably seek therapy but… never! I’m going to be a crazy flower portrait maker for my entire life!

Oh, and meet my new best friend: this is georgy jr, resident of the back field at mount vernon.
isn’t he just the cutest, with his wittle horns?

Oh, and do any of you lovely ladies (and gents, if you're out there) have any recipes you'd like to share? Tomorrow, I've got the whole house to myself so I'm getting ready for a cook-a-thon! Peaches, summer squash and mustard greens are piling up in the fridge, so maybe ones up that alley? Hit me with anything. :D

Have a nice night/morning! ♥

gardening 101.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
I’m home, I’m home, I’m home!
-excited jumps and squeals-

Oh, I think I might be a little excited to be back in the lands of Georgia. The ‘rents and I rolled in around 3 o’clock this afternoon from our cross-Atlantic coast road trip.

the little mommy monsta’ and me in dc!

If you’re ever in DC, hit up TangySweet, the best fro-yo place on the East Coast. The pomegranate is so delicious- ya’ll think you’re eating a real pomegranate. (Of course, I have pictures- expect them later!)

We were met with 95 degrees of humid, sunny weather.
Sweet Jesus! I was not ready for that.
Especially considering that Rhode Island’s been coasting along with a windy, dreary 50-60 degree climate these past few weeks.

But, hey, I’ve gotta suck it up ‘cause this was waiting for me:

time to getta pickin’

The tomatoes were hit with some sort of disease so they’re dying and the deer ate up the itty bitty cantaloupes and peppers my daddy had just put in the ground. :( He treated those peppers like they were his little children. Mean ole' deer!

These little critters are always welcome though:’cuse the messy pool- the ‘rents, I guess, forgot I was coming home and might want to go swimming.

Tomorrow, I’ll be posting more and finishing all the commenting I got behind on. I’m so happy to be back in the kitchen that I don’t even know what to make first.

Glad to be back:)
lots of love ♥

exam week.

Hiya girlies,

Quick update from moi, letting you know that I’m all good. Expect daily posts come next Monday ‘cause

TOMORROW’S MY LAST DAY! :)

Just have to make it through my FINAL Espanol 2 exam tomorrow morning and I’ll be peacing out from la escuela.
Seems like it went by super quick, now that I think about it.

But, I’ll leave you with this: emgurt’s making a comeback.

love you all♥

your eggo’s preggo.

Right now, I imagine all of you lovely readers glaring at me for my lack of posting (last time was April?!) and wondering what the excuse is this time…

Babies.
Yes, I’m pregnant.

Haha, no. Just kidding. But, I have been making my future children at Make Me Baby. Yeahhh, I know, it’s a lame, but really, I’ve discovered the David Beckham will never be my baby’s daddy. But between Fork Boy and Fritz, Fritz totally wins out. Makes me sad.

All of this stems from my friend’s SICK mind! She took a picture of Fork Boy and me and made our little “Edward”.
God, what an ugly child.
And I told her that, which she came back with, “Well, fine! If you don’t like that baby, make one with Cheesy French Fries.” (Read Fritz there.)

I accepted my challenge and bam!yes, she does have a turban on her head.
(& if you think hannah marie is not cute,
compare her to Fork Boy’s baby…. she wins.)

Which got me to thinking about ole dear Fritzy pants. 
And how we always used laugh and to talk on the phone.
Now, we just text.
I miss him a lot, to be honest.

But we text each other almost every day… that’s not healthy. Really. Not. At. All. But he makes me happy.

Seriously, I can not stop laughing when we “talk”. I get that happy warm feeling inside, which is not good ‘cause I’ve gone down this road before. Look how that turned out.

And what about Fork Boy? I thought I liked him. But when ever Fritz is mentioned, Fork Boy… well, he can go kick rocks compared to Fritz.

Which got me to thinking some more… would I ever… I dunno, go out with Fritz again? We’re definitely hanging out this summer (me+him at the Warped Tour) but I don’t know what that’ll lead to. More of, what do I want it to lead to? Can we make it work again? Should we even try? I know when I talk to him I get the feeling that’s what he wants but I never know. Am I being too self-centered? Has he forgiven me after all that I did to him? Was I really to blame? Did I really end it all with that decision or was it him?

UGGG! I don’t even know anymore. I refuse to think about it until after school’s out.

Now, for some photos.

scallops with the madre.

nummy sausage shrimp.

the madre’s steak taco bowl.

   my spinach-black bean burrito.

eggplant parmesan panini!

oh, and for your viewing pleasure:
FLOWERS :D

         I think I’ve bored you guys enough with that.

Anyways, I had the greatest Saturday night of all time. Why?

Because of the CARNIVAL! Yes, I’m officially a carnie now, hahaha! It was so much fun. Picture a 6x6 inch piece of fried dough with a centimeter of powered sugar, next to a spinny, scrambler ride, a stuffed fish/ornament, and a frozen Red Bull concoction.

I know, it sounds like the bomb.
’Cause it waaaas!

I watched Juno this past weekend too, so I’m even happier.

And today was pretty bomb diggity too! Except for a few lame parts, including one where this guy in my Humanities class asked me if I was smashed at the Carnival ‘cause apparently there’s a rumor going around about my ‘activities’ at said carnie.
Yay! /sarcasm
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I wasn’t. I have a low tolerance for sugar/caffeine, so yeah, when you give me a frozen energy drink and a cookie, I appear as if I hit the piss. (Tina, that’s for you! Fritz told me it was an Aussie term he used back when he was home in Perth, so if you aren’t familiar with it, blame him!)

At lunch, Fork Boy sat at my table.
I freaked, to be honest.
Even in light of my revelations about Fritzy, I was freaked.
I was scared shitless.

I probably wouldn’t have been half so scared if he and his little groupies weren’t listening to every single flippin’ word my lunch buddy and I were saying. I was trying to divulge the rumors going around (#1, see above) and all I could do was try and spell it out on the table with no words. All I got across was “B” and all I got back was “The…. lis..nin” which I assumed was “The butt holes over yonder on the other side of the table are listening”.
Gah!
Way to ruin our secret telling session.

Boys are butt faces.

Sorry for the lack of updating and commenting. I swear on the very soul of all that is sacred in my world (basically, emgurt) that I’ll get to commentin’. Expect deep, meaningful notes.

Mucho amor, mis chicas.
♥ Hooroo. :)