NEVER Let Anyone Dull your Sparkle!

Being new to the blogging world is to say the least, different.  You have people reading, but no followers.  You feel like you write about some good stuff, and then you double check yourself. But, honestly, I am here for YOU!  Whoever YOU are, you, who might need to read about a college experience, or blackened chicken, or just reading to read.

But, now I am going to give some advice, I am normally not one to give advice, because we are always learning, every minute, every day, but I had someone come to me yesterday, and I felt that I should share what I told her with all of you!

No matter where you are in life, NEVER stop being you.

You may hear this a lot, but have you ever really thought about it?

Take a minute, and really think about it.  Have you ever been in a position where you just don't know who you are anymore?  Or where you have been with someone that you never thought would take away your sparkle?  Sometimes things happen, people come, people go, people change.

But, my advice for you, is that, no matter who you are with, what you are doing, or where you are, NEVER stop being who you are.  Do not let yourself get to a point where you don't like who you have become, and do not let anyone make you feel less than you are.  Easier said than done, huh?  I know, it's hard, its a journey, it's different and sometimes you don't realize when you have changed.  But, having true friends, and that one moment where you know you do not deserve to be treated like crap, is that moment where you are ready, ready to remember and be proactive on being YOU!

It is time to let go of that negativity and just know that you matter, you do not have to be treated like crap.  You have trials and tribulations and things happening on a daily basis where you are tempted, questioned, saddened, but never should you be put down on a daily basis.  Leave that behind, and look forward.

If you have ever been faced with a situation that has really made you take another look at life and realize that it DOES NOT MATTER WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU, then you really need to take that in and know that it is true.  There is a point in life, in a relationship, in your family, in your home, where you realize that you can't please everyone, and you don't have too.  The only person that you need to make happy, is you, and keep that smile on your face.

But, even when you see this same advice, over and over, you start to not believe it.  You think that no one understands and nothing is going right...

Even though things like these feelings and mishaps are not permanent, and even if you ask for the advice you can't help but be frustrated because even when someone tells you their input, you think 'And you think I haven't tried this or that before?' or 'How do you expect me to do that?' or the one thing that prevents you from moving forward, being scared...

But, there will always be that fear, but there will also be that understanding that things cannot be fixed in seconds, it takes time, remember that.  But, putting on a smile and telling yourself you are happy, your brain will soon recognize and it will come as habit to smile and know that you truly are happy and that nothing can prevent that.

You are in charge of your own happiness.

Advice is advice, you can take it, you can leave it, they aren't always the words you want to hear, but remember you have no reason not to be happy. 

You are beautiful.

XOXO,

Cassie

Almond Crusted Teriyaki Chicken Salad - Happy Monday Y'all!

Happy Monday Morning, Y’all!

Yes, it is Monday!  Let it go, let yourself breathe, don’t let it get you down, it’s just a day!

So, as you know I have been pretty sick for these past couple of weeks, and I finally feel a difference, like I am getting better, which is a good sign.  It has been, honestly, a long, difficult, weird sickness journey, I have my allergies, then they react 10 fold, and then some weird ju ju has been happening, conflict with people you love that you never thought would happen, people shouldering other servers over beer servings, etc., it’s just weird! 

So, instead of advice, because honestly, sometimes you have to let things go, you have to deal and let the Big Man upstairs handle things, I am going to give you what helps me.  FOOD!

Almond Crusted Teriyaki Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing:

-          ½ cup Teriyaki marinade/sauce

-          ½ cup olive oil

-          4 T honey

-          4 T Cider Vinegar

-          2 tsp. fresh grated orange peel

Salad:

-          3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into thing tenders)

-          2 eggs

-          2 T teriyaki marinade/sauce

-          1 cup flour

-          1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I use Italian)

-          ¼ cup oil (olive or vegetable – I use olive oil)

-          3 oranges peeled and segmented

-          1 small container cherry tomatoes (optional) I do not get these AT ALL

-          And obviously some lettuce! (I use green leaf lettuce-healthier)

- For the dressing, put everything together in a bowl and stir – just like that, simple and easy!  And now for this delicious chicken salad..

1. Season chicken pieces with pepper.  Beat eggs with teriyaki marinade in shallow bowl until well blended. (by shallow, I mean something like a plate with higher edges)
2. Place flour in shallow dish.  Combine bread crumbs and almonds in another shallow dish.
3. Dust both sides of chicken with flour, then dip into egg mixture and finally coat with almond mixture.
4. In electric frying pan heat olive/vegetable oil. Add chicken and cook until done, turning once.  And add more oil as necessary.
5. In larger platter or bowl arrange 1-2 bags of salad greens, tomatoes and orange slices attractively.  Add cooked chicken and dressing.

Honestly, this is one of the best salads I have ever made and if you are looking to impress anyone (say - a mother-in-law) it really works! :)  Adam's Momma loves it and asks me to make it at least once a week!

Give it a try and tell me what y'all think!

XOXO,

Cassie

Update!! And your opinion!

Hey y'all! 

I just wanted to give you an update! I know that it's been a whole since I posted and I wanted to let you know why, I have the worst allergies when it comes to pollen and dust and lately my body just can't handle it, so I've been super dooper sick! And I haven't been able to think straight or sleep well, it's bad :(

But, I just wanted to take the time to post and let y'all know what's going on and then ask WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM ME?? 

What do you want me to write about, what advice do YOU want? What can I give you??  For those of you who view, feel free to stop and drop a comment below!!!  

Thanks!! 

XOXO,

Cassie

Mrs. Marie Grindstaff's Wedding!

Hello y'all! 

I hope you are doing fabulous on this fine Tuesday, or whatever day you are reading this! J

This past weekend was absolutely amazing!  My best friend, Marie, got married! She was/is so beautiful!

I just wanted to let you all in on this wonderful experience I had, not only going to a wedding where the family accepts you right away and you feel like you are a part of it, but being a bridesmaid for your best friend!

On June 6^th, Adam and I set out for a wonderful day to Elk Park, North Carolina for the newlyweds Rehearsal!  It was so fun!  Rehearsals are all different! Let me tell you, when I was a junior bridesmaid for my Step-Momma, the rehearsal was very nice, and they actually went through the priest’s words and whatnot, as well as the recession of the bridal party and we practiced a couple times.  

Adam was in a wedding not too long ago, and that rehearsal went on forever, and I was not invited (which is not an issue with me at all, I completely understand!) and then they also rehearsed the entrance for the bridal party into the reception as well.  And it took a couple hours!  Then for Marie’s we came in, stood around and did a little meet and greet, waited on everyone to come and then rehearsed walking down the aisle, where we were going to stand and then that was it, short and sweet. We practiced twice!

So with this, everything is different, everyone’s rehearsal is different, and it truly made me reconsider what Adam and I want to do for our rehearsal dinner as well!  But, the rehearsal dinner was fabulous, it was like a family BBQ and we just chatted and had a wonderful time.  Oh!! And it POURED down rain at the dinner and we all had to be driven to our vehicles via a golf cart looking thing!  It was so epic, funny and awesome!

Moving on to the next day, the 7^th, Mary (Marie’s little sister) I also like to call her my little sister, Taco, Paco, Myrtle,  graduated from high school!!! And she looked so beautiful! (Pictures to come, promise) I am so wicked proud of her!

Then June 8^th, 2013, my best friend, Melina Marie (Erwin) now Grindstaff, got married to a WONDERFUL man, Andrew Grindstaff! I am so happy for them.  The wedding was so beautiful, and very much full of love.  Marie and I took many photos while waiting for the wedding to start.  I wasn't allowed to state the time though, because it made Marie even more nervous!! But, I would cough it, if someone asked. Lol

Andrew teared up, and when I got to the front of the church he looked at me and I smiled huge, and gave a thumbs up.  When Marie walked down, I think that the whole church just stopped and held their breath.  Marie was just drop dead gorgeous and I was so honored to be a part of her big day!

The reception was fantastic, and again, very much them.  They had mason jars as their wedding glasses, BBQ as the dinner (phenomenal)  and they were surrounded by family and love.

It was such a awesomely awesome day and I loved it, as well as everyone else.  

For every blog, I normally leave you with something to remember, so after this beautiful weekend, this is what I believe everyone should remember!

“If she’s freaking out, kiss her forehead, hug her and call her beautiful…

If she growls, throw chocolate at her from a safe place.”

XOXO,

Cassie

Exhaustion at its FINEST!

Hey Y'all!

I hope your weekend was full of fun and relaxation!

I wanted to give y'all a short blog on wearing yourself too thin!  I truly know what it is like to be exhausted and have too much on your plate, and I know many of you know what it is like as well!

During school, I took 25-26 credit hours per semester on top of being a Resident Director, SGA President, creator and choreographer of the Dance Company, and being in a sorority, I was like the energizer bunny and just didn't stop!  I was also planning my wedding on top of all this!

But, now I am working, almost everyday, and I forgot how worn out you become as a waitress.

I work at the most amazing place, ever!  But, when you work doubles 3 or more days in a row, you get so tired and drained, especially on a weekend!

The point of this is to tell you a truth about exhaustion and its affects and to remind you to not work too hard or too much to the point of unhealthiness.

Obvious signs are: weakness, fatigue, tiredness, lack of comprehension, emotional state, etc.

But what I want to go over with you is some of the things that I believe you should do (I NEED to do) in order to help you along the road of exhaustion.

1. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!
2. Exercise!
3. Go out and do something crazy.
4. SLEEP!!!

When I say drink water, I mean it!  It not only hydrates you, but it is super good for you as well!

It is one of the most easiest things you can do for you body to improve yourself INSIDE and OUT! So let's think and list only SOME  of the things that water provides for you...

- clear skin

- skin tightness

- glossy hair

- reduction of fine lines

- healthy feeling all over

- natural detox

- less cellulite

Drinking water keeps you properly hydrated and reduces fatigue, and performance in general.

Exercise! This one is self explanatory and it shows what good it can do for your body!  I'm not sayin' go out and run 5 miles, cycle a little and then lift...because even I don't do that.  I would love to at some point in my life when I have time, but with my job, I work from morning until normally morning, and I try to sleep somewhere in there!  But, anywho, what I mean by exercise is go out there and walk... 

walk your dog, walk your cat, walk your boyfriend, walk your fish...I don't care, just walk.  

 And that will be a good place to start! 

When I say, go out and do something crazy, it isn't necessarily a cure for exhaustion...but for me it is pure fun and happiness!  It makes your life a little bit more, unique!

For example, the other day, my little crazy was getting another piercing, and they happened to be back dermals!

I love doing something outrageous because honestly, sometimes, it just makes you feel good!  So go out there and do something ridiculous!  I'm not saying you have to get a piercing, I'm saying do something that makes you happy, that makes you different!  If you collect things, add to your collection.  If you like tattoos, get another one (make it mean something). If you like ice cream, go out on a limb and try a new ice cream at your local Ben and Jerry's!  Just go out there and live your life!

and lastly, Sleep!

It is self explanatory as well!  Good rest really makes everything better.  Make sure you get on a regular sleep pattern and make sure you ARE getting your sleep.   It is IMPORTANT!

Faster metabolism...sleep

Happier...sleep

Refreshed...sleep

Feeling good...sleep

Not Exhausted...sleep

And many more, so please GET YOUR SLEEP! 

Love y'all!

XOXO,

Cassie

Recipe Review - Blackened Chicken Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Hey Y'all!!

I hope your week is going well!  Mine has been great so far! I work almost every day and I LOVE it, I love my job and the people I work with!

On Monday, Adam and I went to work, on our day off for our date night :) It was so nice!

But, anywho! On this day off, I happened to be on Pinterest (my usual hot-spot!) and found a recipe for a Salad with Avocado dressing and mango, and my stomach was just in heaven!

So we decided that on Tuesday, we (Adam and I) were going to make this!  If any of you are like me, I am one bossy cook in the kitchen.  It is my area, not in a feminist way, but in a I truly love to cook everything way!  It's what makes me calm, it's my happy place, and I know a lot of you can agree.

So, Adam doesn't always love cooking with me, because I like things my way, but he loves me anyway and he definitely loves the outcome!  He says he loves my cooking! :) Go me!!

This salad, the link above and I will list it below, was fantastic except I do not like mango so I didn't use that AT ALL!

So this blog is basically a review for this salad, the good, bad and ugly!

From the beginning, I made the dressing first.  In the recipe it doesn't specifically state that you need to make this first, but I highly recommend that you do.  It gives us the ability to chill the dressing before using it! 

Next, I was getting everything ready for the dressing, when I noticed that it was not going to be enough.  I was cooking for Adam, myself, Adam's parents and his Grandma.  It does say yield: 2 Large Salads.  but I was thinking because I eat small portions and not a lot of dressing, Adams Mom and Grandma are the same that it would be fine, but no worries, I just doubled up the amounts and that was truly more than enough. (I still have a good 1/3 left over)

Also, it calls for one small jalapeno, again, I just wasn't truly worried about the size, I went down to the corner to the local Walmart and picked up a regular jalapeno, and used the whole thing (not two) for the recipe.

Fun fact, I don't know about you, but when I get hungry, I get mean. (I get it from my Daddy) We call it the "hangrys" so when in the kitchen, I didn't care if something was "fat free" or not.  Also, fat is what gives things taste and flavor!

Anywho! Back to the salad, I would tame the lime juice down a little too, because even though it tastes fantastic with it, it also tended to be very over powering.  Also, when I put it in the fridge after we finished the pureeing, it got thicker, so add a little more water than you think is good for you, just so it has perfect consistency when you are ready!

And lastly, about the dressing, I LOVE it!!!

Now, for the salad/chicken!

 I used 2 large chicken breast, I didn't measure out the olive oil, I just put it in the skillet and I completely covered the chicken in blackened seasoning and it was great!  And I know you all will love it too!

The only thing I have to say is, if you don't like spicy then do not use a lot of the seasoning, just keep it light.

 The last step asks for you to cube or cut the chicken into strips, this is where the ugly comes in!  Again, I was really hungry so I didn't care what my chicken looked like and so I shredded the chicken, which in turn had me burn my fingers :(  But that's okay!  I think it looks better shredded, to be honest!

And to finish out this lovely review, all in all it was a fabulous, amazing, tasty, very summery salad! Please try it out!  I also enjoyed my salad with Apothic Red wine, it is phenomenal! (my favorite)  

Here is the ingredients and recipe to what I did below:

Blackened Chicken Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

For the Avocado Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/4 (ish) cup cilantro
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 jalapeno, seeded
• Water 

I doubled this (except for the jalapeno) for more dressing.

For the Salad

• olive oil
• 2 chicken breast
• Blackened seasoning, to your taste
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, no boogers (I did one tomato)
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion
• 4 cups Spring Salad Mix (Green leaf lettuce for us)

Directions

1. For the dressing, add all the ingredients except the water to a blender. 
2. Puree very well.
3. With the blender going, slowly drizzle in the water until a thick, creamy, consistency is reached. Set Aside. 
4. CASSIE SAYS PUT IN FRIDGE!
5. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
6. Season both sides of the chicken breast with the blackened seasoning, making sure it is fully coated.
7. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until fully cooked through. Remove and let it rest for 3-4 minutes. Then slice it or cube it up. (I flipped and cooked twice on each side)
8. Put the lettuce, tomato and onion together in a bowl and mix up!
9. Place some chicken on top of each and drizzle on your desired amount of dressing!

ENJOY!!

XOXO,

Cassie

To be or Not to be...Leader 101

Being a leader or a follower is something that is questioned more than once.

You get put through situations where you are given the option of being a leader or letting someone else take the reigns!

Between you and me, I do get scared if I become a leader, have the position of a leader or have that opportunity to be a leader.   Well, I wouldn't say "scared," but nervous and worried, sometimes, yes. 

When becoming a leader or being a leader, you need to remember these things:

1. You can do it.
2. The leader/person of higher position will and SHOULD take the fall for the negative things, yet...
3. ...give credibility to the group as a whole for any positive things.
4. Believe in yourself, and that will reflect on others.
5. Believe in your team.

Being a leader has its up's and it's downs!  You can get beat up and down, verbally, mentally, or emotionally.  But, you also have those moment of complete and utter happiness!  The feeling  of accomplishment, teamwork, that "sigh of relief" moment.

Coming from experience, you will have so many who try to take credit for what you do, try to obtain your glory, etc, but DO NOT LET THAT GET YOU DOWN!  It honestly, just shows how amazing you are and if you don't break or attack then it shows that you're a strong individual who has the qualities of a great leader.

I once read, "A level 5 (great) leader is someone who teaches others to become leaders."

When I think of this phrase, I think that in order for you and I to become the best that we can be, not only as a leader, but as a person, we need to be able to be the learner and from there become the teacher, so new leaders can be born.

As I stated earlier, letting someone else take the reigns is very important as well. Not only does it show how distinct your character is, but it gives others the chance to shine.

One thing that I recommend for every leader, no matter if you have been a leader before or for a long time or if you are just starting out, the one thing that I believe is best for everyone is to remember to:

"Make a DIFFERENCE!"

XOXO,

Cassie