I PASSED!!!!!!!!!

I passed the Ohio Bar Exam!!!!!! I have been waiting 3 long months to receive this news and I am so glad that it was positive! All week long I was so incredibly nervous to find out these results. Either way it ended up being, I NEEDED to know.

My plan was to go to my 6am workout class Friday to get all my extra nervous energy out before they posted the list at 7am. Well, that didn't exactly happen. I was so tired from not being able to sleep all night that I just re-set the alarm for 7.

So the alarm went off and I hit snooze. I immediately wanted to puke knowing that my fate was out there for everyone to see. They post a public list for this thing so that everyone knows when they look at the list. There is no private moment where you can brush it off for awhile if you didn't pass. Everyone knows. Terrible, I know.

So a few minutes later I got a call from my friend Kristen. I didn't answer because it was so early and I'm not that pleasant in the morning. But then I knew that it had to be good news. She must have checked and it would have been a jerk move to call me to tell me bad news.... So I pulled out the iPad and brought up the pass list.

It took forever to scroll down to my name because I wanted to see other names first. I was totally putting it off.... When I got down to the D's, I completely missed my name the first time and freaked out a little. But then I saw it- my glorious name on the pass list! I cried a little because that is what I do in times of most any emotion. Then I called all the important people in my life and started sharing the good news!

The evening was full of celebration! First, a drink at the Mexican restaurant near work with my friend Kristen who was so excited for me that of course I let her share in the first celebration drink :)

Later at home, I continued to celebrate with some champagne. Celebration bubbles are a must in times like these!

Tyler was so sweet and got me flowers and cooked a delicious dinner to continue the celebration. He made salmon that he actually caught in Michigan himself back in September, quinoa with feta, black olives, and roasted red pepper, and spinach salad. This dinner was fantastic!

We ended the night watching a scary movie to get ready for Halloween and making a run to the UDF for ice cream and a milkshake. 

Perfect celebration day for a perfect outcome to the most difficult exam I have ever experienced in my entire life. Thanks everyone who encouraged and supported me along the way these past years. It has now all been worth it!

Mexican Goodness!

The other night, I pulled up Pinterest and actually cooked a recipe I had pinned long ago. I really hope everyone else on Pinterest has this same virtual hoarding issue that I have. I tend to pin recipes and then never even look at them again. Well folks, this has to stop. Mainly because if I don't start using the recipes, then that proves that Pinterest is a waste of time and we all know that is just simply not true.

So, this time I made Creamy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas. First I started out with some shredded chicken which I quickly got by cheating a little and buying a rotisserie chicken on the way home to shred.

Then I put sour cream, avocado, garlic, cumin, chicken broth, and cilantro into the food processor to make the sauce. (the things that resemble brown ice cubes are actually just frozen chicken broth that did not thaw completely before I got impatient and just put them in there to get this dinner moving along...)

After blending for awhile, I had a creamy avocado sauce.

I mixed half of this sauce with the shredded chicken and put that onto corn tortillas.

After assembling all the enchiladas, I put them into a dish and put the remaining sauce over top of the whole thing for baking.

I baked this for 20 mins and then added cheese and green onion to the top and let the whole thing keep baking for 10 more minutes until the cheese was melted.

Here is the final product!

I wouldn't say this meal was super delicious, but it was good enough to want to eat the leftovers! I would add more cheese to the insides of the enchiladas next time to make it better. Oh, and a margarita will make this better as well. Extra salt.

Hanson Concert!!!

Last weekend, I FINALLY got to go see my favorite band of all-time in concert- HANSON!!!! I cannot even begin to describe how excited I was leading up to this day! I have been a Hanson fan since Mmmbop and somehow I still had not seen them in concert. So this was it. Friday, October 18 - HANSON.

I went with my sister and two of her friends. My sister and I grew up playing our Hanson CDs in our boomboxes and then in our cars when we got a little older. We both have every album they put out and we are very loyal fans. 

I also saw one of my ballet buddies Emily there! Seeing other people you know at a Hanson concert makes it even better because they share your love of all things Hanson and aren't afraid to admit it. (There are many secret Hanson fans out there; I found this out when I was telling everyone about my plans to go see Hanson...)

Here are my pictures that I got. I was just using my phone, so the pictures aren't super and I didn't get a ton. Sorry, I'm working on the whole new camera thing. Besides, I was way too busy singing to take pictures.

Taylor out front singing right to us

Hanson!! 

Overall, the night was soooooooooo much fun! They played a ton of songs from their new album and a bunch of songs from their old albums. Of course a proper Hanson concert would not be complete without Mmmbop so of course they played that towards the end. Everyone basically went crazy.

I can't wait for them to come into town next year so we can go see them again!! Also, a shout-out to the Tekoa Hanson Club! I totally thought of you during all this!!

Again with the Cooking....

And now for another episode of "Kelli Cooks Dinner", starring myself. But who are we kidding here? The real star of this show is the food!!! So let's give it up for our ingredients!!

Mushrooms, Carrots, Onions, Snow Peas

Tofu 

Chopped Peanuts

Korean BBQ Sauce

Rice Noodles

If you guessed that we were making an Asian stir-fry, you would be absolutely correct!! First, I cooked the veggies  in a skillet and then added the tofu, peanuts and sauce and let that all blend together and heat up.

Then I just served it over the cooked rice noodles and we were ready to eat!

This meal was super easy and you can mix it up and make it with various meats, veggies or sauces. Chopping the veggies probably took longer than cooking the actual meal. So there you have it, another successful episode of "Cooking with Kelli"! Come back next week when I set out to actually cook a recipe I pinned on Pinterest.

The Pumpkin Patch

I checked off another item on my List of Things to Do Before I Turn 30 this past weekend. I visited a pumpkin patch!! It was the perfect fall day for this type of activity and we had so much fun. We went to Neltner's Farm off the AA in Kentucky with some of our friends. There was a lot to do there! 

We started off by going to pick out a pumpkins. Or course, we had to go on a wagon ride to do so. It just would not have been the same adventure without this vital part of picking pumpkins. 

There were lots of pumpkins to choose from and we got some really good ones for carving!

After picking out our pumpkins and paying for them (mine was 13.5 lbs and Tyler's was 18 pounds), we ate some lunch and funnel cakes and listened to some awesome bluegrass music.

Then we decided to try out the corn maze. This was much harder than I ever thought it would be!! It felt like we were in there forever and we kept making wrong turns. But don't worry, we did finally get out. 

I took that last picture in case we needed to send it out for people to come searching for us. Or in case someone needed a "Here was one of the last moments recorded for Kelli and Tyler before they were lost forever in the corn maze" picture for the paper. 

Overall, it was a fun day! Can't wait to go back next year!

Ye Old Basic Good Time

One of the items on my list of things to do before I turn 30 was to go to the Ohio Renaissance Festival, so Tyler and I went up there yesterday. It was your standard basic good time. I knew that it wasn't going to the best experience of my entire life, but it turned out to be pretty good fun. We got there right when it opened at 10:30am and went on in with the masses of people that were dressed up in some really crazy costumes. Just for the record, Tyler and I did not dress up. The only costume I even have is my sparkle Minnie Mouse ears so.................... yeah........

We walked around the whole place and went into the shops that weren't too weird. There were a lot of shops that were the clothes that everyone was dressed up in, but we just didn't manage to get around to purchasing those capes and velvet gowns. I know you are all disappointed. We did get a few cool souvenirs which you can see if you come over to the house! 

Leading up to the day, Tyler kept talking about doing the wax hands and I honestly didn't believe that was even a real thing. But alas, it was. And no, we did not get our hands dipped in wax. 

We got some mead to sip on and it was delicious!

We saw a full armor joust! This was the real deal folks! 

We saw a parade of the people in the renaissance village before the joust and that was kinda cool. Check out the guy with the pumpkin on his head. (Sorry, it is hard to see; my camera skills need some work)

And lastly, we saw this guy. Obviously a giant knight. Maybe the Festival's mascot or something. 

Overall, it was a good time. We drove back through some back roads of Ohio and loved seeing the pretty fall leaves. And most importantly, I have checked off another item on the list! Next week is the pumpkin patch!!

Adventures in Cooking

Well, I cooked dinner last night and aside from a minor burnt pan at the end, it went pretty smoothly! The menu consisted of:

Seared scallops

Wilted spinach with toasted garlic

Roasted red pepper pesto over pasta

Here's how the cooking went! First I started by opening some wine because I prefer the French way of cooking where you should drink wine while doing so. This particular type is one of my favorite reds. It's about $12-15 a bottle and worth every bit. I had had a hard day at work so I decided that this wine was a better choice than a cheaper bottle. 

Next, I cut up the red peppers to roast. I always do this instead of buying roasted red peppers in a jar because it is almost just as easy if you have the time to do it yourself. First, I broil the peppers in the oven until the skins are charred.

Next, I put them in a ziploc bag for 25-35 mins so they can finish the roasting process and before soft. I forgot to get a picture of them when they were charred after being in the oven, but if you leave them in to get pretty charred, it makes the step after the ziploc bag easier...

Then, I peel off the charred skins and you are left with your own roasted red peppers! You can also do this with other peppers and it works the same way and really is super easy. So, then I put the peppers in the food processor with some basil, Parmesan cheese, a little garlic, salt and pepper. Then I blended that and poured in oil to make the pesto actually become pesto.

After it was all blended, I mixed the pesto with my pasta that I had made and the first dish of the dinner was complete!

Next, I cooked the scallops by pan searing them in some butter. This is where I burned the pan. As you can see. 

But no worries, the scallops were still delicious! After cooking the scallops, I threw some diced garlic into the pan to cook in a little butter and then threw fresh spinach in to let that cook until it wilted. After plating, the delicious dinner was ready to eat!

Bon Appétit!!

Big News!

So, Stephen King came out with a new book about a week ago!! I realize this is not what you thought the big news was going to be, but alas, I can't please everyone. And besides, this is really big news to me. 

As you may know from reading my intro post, I am a HUGE fan of Stephen King. I have been really into reading his books since high school. Of course I started by reading The Shining. I mainly started with that one since I had seen the movie so I figured I would at least be familiar with the story...... but we all know by now that the movie is so NOT like the book. (If you didn't, then go read the book because it is so much better) 

Side note and funny story about the first time I read The Shining: I read it in the winter and we just so happened to have an ice storm right at the most scary set of 150 pages. The power went out and we were actually stuck in our house thanks to a super icy and hilly entrance to our neighborhood that kept us in the house for awhile. While these might seem like ideal conditions to read this book in, I assure you- IT'S NOT. It's downright frightening. 

Ok, so back to his new book, Doctor Sleep. This book is actually a sequel to The Shining and picks up with the little boy years later when he discovers that there are a lot more people out there with the Shine like him. 

I have been looking forward to this book coming out for month now. I pre-ordered it back in July and was eagerly waiting for the day that Amazon would ship it to me so I could start reading right away and finish by the weekend and bask in the greatness that is Stephen King's latest amazing work. 

So of course, the book came and life got in the way of me being able to sit down and start reading right away. No big deal, the weekend was coming up. Where I promptly got very sick and didn't even feel like reading as I was in bed. So finally, Monday night was the night. I had the time to read (you have to read at least 75-100 pages of his books to start so that you really get into them and are fully engrossed) and I let everyone know of my plans who might try to change them. I was so ready. 

I bought champagne because I have learned from my co-worker that every big event in our lives should be celebrated and champagne is a good way to do so. I came home from work, popped the champagne, poured a glass, and FINALLY sat down for the moment I had been waiting for for months. And it was GLORIOUS. I am loving the book so far! I still have a ways to go so I can't give a complete recommendation yet, but if you like Stephen King, I believe you will be pleased. Ok, gotta go get back to it! 

Basically, I'm an Old Lady

Last evening as we were watching football (Go Tigers!), I said to Tyler, "Hey, can we take a trip to Meijer later after dinner?" He said, "Sure, what do you need to get?" I replied, "Yarn. To crochet. Because I'm an old lady."

It's true guys, I am basically like an old lady in a 29 year old body. (Although some days the body part is feeling older than it actually is as well....) I have always thought of myself as an old soul and it's totally ok. But lately, I have really began to look around and realize that yes, I am an old lady. Here's the proof:

1. I LOVE to crochet! This is what a Saturday night looks like for me: 

I think it's a fantastic idea to get a good scarf going on a Saturday evening when most people are out and about. I am perfectly content with a crochet hook and a good skein of yarn. 

2. I practically live in my house slippers. I think that they are the most comfortable shoes in the world and I take them very seriously. I have at least 3 pairs of them and they are all varying degrees of warmth. These are my faves:

I am always reminded of the fact that old ladies also live in their house slippers. Again, totally ok with this fact. I am just getting good practice for my days of shuffling around. This particular pair is good because they have a nice tread on the bottom. Handy for shuffling out to get the paper in the morning. 

3. I am constantly cold and constantly wrapped up in a blanket. I am even crocheting a new blanket for this purpose as we speak. (Ok, not exactly as we speak because I am obviously busy typing, but you know what I mean) I love the idea of wrapping up in a cozy blanket to read a book on the couch. Again, on a Friday or Saturday evening when most young people are out doing things. 

4. I own more cardigans than I know what to do with. I wear them so often that I think I have basically created a uniform for myself. I love them though and have them in tons of colors. As I get older, I'm sure the cardigans will become heavier sweaters that I constantly need nearby because I will be so addicted to the comfort of wearing a sweater over my outfit. And I will probably start wearing cardigans with patterns. And appliques. 

5. I often go to bed around this glorious time of night:

Yes, this is 9:33 PM. I realize most kids stay up later than me but whatever. I am old, remember? I LOVE crawling into bed this early. Basically, because I'm usually yawning up a storm by this time. 

6. I CAN'T HEAR A THING ANYMORE!!! I wrote this in all caps to represent that fact that I really can't hear and it would be easier if everyone would just talk louder. Like we do with old people without even realizing it. I'm not sure why I am so hard of hearing, but I am CONSTANTLY saying, "WHAT?" when people tell me things or ask me questions. 

So there you have it- I am an old lady. Although I'm sure if you know me at all, then you already knew this information....

Before I Turn 30

So a few months ago, I turned 29. I realize that this does not make me old or anything, BUT I feel like I need to make the last year in my 20's into something cool. So I made a list of 29 things that I want to do in my 29th year before I turn 30. Which happens again on July 4. The countdown has already started...

All the things on my list are things that I have never done but always wanted to do. They are also things that are actually possible to finish within this year. Somethings I have already started on since they are ongoing type things. Other things are fun things that I need my awesome friends to help me with! So if you want to do anything on this list, let me know and we can hang out and do it!! Here it is:

1. Go on a zipline tour

2. Run a 15k

3. Run a half marathon

4. Run/Bike a Duathalon

5. Have a picnic in the park

6. Take dance classes (I've done this in my former life, but not really my adult life...) 

7. Cook a big dinner for a big group of people (like more than 4...)

8. Cheers to Art night

9. Learn to Salsa Dance

10. Read 12 books on The List (the 501 Must Read Books List)

11. Read The Stand by Stephen King

12. Work on a Habitat for Humanity house

13. Watch all of the Lord of the Rings Movies

14. Do a 30 day photo challenge

15. Take a cooking class

16. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour

17. Try new foods from different cultures

18. Visit a pumpkin patch

19. Complete an entire book of Sudoku puzzles

20. Donate to Locks of Love 

21. Visit a vineyard

22. Have a Disney Movie Marathon weekend

23. Successfully learn how to play Euchre

24. Start to learn a new language (probably Spanish)

25. Put a lock on a love bridge

26. Have a day at the Cincinnati Zoo

27. Go to the Renaissance Fair

28. Movie Night at Washington Park

29. Visit 5 new cities/places



So that is the list! I will be sure to tell you about my adventures while completing the things on it! 

I'm Back!!

So, I have clearly been missing for awhile. Two months actually. Sorry about that. Please forgive me. I'm sure once you hear what I have been doing, you will be quick to jump back on the blog-reading bandwagon and be my faithful follower once again.

See what happened was that one day, I went to buy a lottery ticket from the local gas station down the street. The drawing was later that night and I was sure I was going to win; I just had that feeling you get when you know that magic is in the air. Lo and behold...... I won! 

I know, you can't believe it! I could hardly believe it myself. I had actually, finally won the freaking lottery like I had been talking about doing for a really long time now and never thought would actually happen and it finally did!! I was ecstatic!

So I took my lottery winnings and jetted off to the nearest exotic local and............





Ok, none of this really happened. Would you forgive me for being absent for so long if it did though? No? Ok, well then I will just move on to what I have really been up to for the past 2 months while you have been patiently awaiting my return.

First, I took the Ohio Bar Exam. I am so glad that is over. I am now patiently (or not so much....) awaiting my results. After the bar exam was over, we celebrated and we celebrated hard! I say we because I know Tyler was just as excited for the exam to be over as I was. He was so excited that he smoked lots of meat in the smoker so we could have people come celebrate with us. 

Who doesn't love a good meat rub?

I ate some sushi because who doesn't love sushi?? Oh and I see that I also had some wine. Delicious combo. Speaking of- I am basically always down for some sushi and wine so let me know if you want to make a date and I can! Because I don't have to study!

Half Price sushi is always a winner : )

I started taking ballet classes. I absolutely LOVE this!! I took some dance when I was younger but obviously haven't in a really long time. This is an adult ballet class with Contemporary Dance Theater. They are a fantastic place to take classes and I love going each week. 

Ballet love : )

Tyler and I actually made it to a baseball game one night. Just one game though, don't want to overdo it! 

Happy baseball people at a baseball game. Go Reds!

Bela is still cute and still a little goober of a dog! Here she is sporting her Clemson Football shirt that I make her wear for the games. In this picture she is obviously thinking, "Really, mom? I thought I tried to hide this shirt under the bed so you would quit making me look ridiculous in clothes since I am clearly a dog that should not wear clothes." Oh Bela, you look so funny though, I can't resist!

"Just take the picture already so I can go hide"

So there you have it- the real story of where I've been all this time. Don't fret, I'm back for real this time. Oh and I really did win the lottery- but it was only $2....