Just to let you know

These pins I have done I will link to the original blogs or websites that are linked to the pins I have repinned. Did you get that sentence; because I am still wondering if I even got it. LOL. The titles to the subjects in my blog will be highlighted and underlined so you can click on them and be directed to the blogs or websites to make it easy for you to find them(ex: recipes, instructions and so on). Now if it is a pin I have to go to a link of a blog and they also have it where it is directed to the original source, I will direct to the original source. This way it is not a trek on the web for anyone viewing this blog to find the information. I will do the trekking for you. I will however link at the bottom of the page the blog I was directed to in the first place before my journey to the original. Some of these bloggers have great info of other subjects that I don't want to leave them out. The pictures I post on my blogs are the pictures I take of my own finished projects. There may be pictures of some of the original pins to show how I got to my finished product or to compare for learning experience, such as wardrobe and crafty/DIY projects.

Also, don't be afraid to comment. I will try to respond to as many of you as I can. I want to keep this an open and friendly area for anyone. So lets have fun.

Prosciutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Spaghetti

Sorry I have been a bit slow lately with my blogging. The weather warmed up and I have been busy with other errands/chores. I know no excuses buuuuuuuut key words "warm weather". I can't help myself to enjoy it with a mojito or two. ;)
I have been doing a few pins that has been sitting, waiting, anxiously on my boards on pinterest. I am still doing what I said I would do and do these little obsessions. I have just slacked on blogging about it.

So, for the next entry, I made a recipe called Prosciutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Spaghetti that I really loved. It was so yummy with the salty, prosciutto and then the asparagus and mushroom earthiness, I could eat the whole bowl if I had two empty legs to fill. Since my husband and I are trying to eat better, I had made this dish with a bit healthier ingredients.

I used whole grain pasta and instead of heavy cream, I used 2% milk. Now, using the milk instead of cream, made it a bit runny and did not thicken up so next time I might use a little bit less and see how that works. The prosciutto turns a weird color that I did not expect but still had great flavor. I loved how easy this was to make and how quick it was. I recommend trying it. It would make a great side dish or just a main dish. I used the left overs for a side dish to steak that I grilled and woo it was good. It reheats well in the microwave too. Next time I am going to try it with heavy cream just because I want to and see how the flavors change if any at all. But for now, it is a nice light meal with my changes for the healthier way I did it. Give this one a try with the naughty version (not that its a super naughty meal in the first place) or the little adjustments with a bit healthier rendition I did. Bon Appetite'! 

 Let me know how you liked yours.

Cruises are a great vacation

Hi y'all. I just got back from a great vacation on the Carnival Magic cruise ship. This ship ported out of Galveston, Texas so it would be only appropriate that everyone on the ship was majority Texans. I had somehow picked up some of their slang but since I have been back here on the west coast, it didn't take me long to get back to my old self. This was a great trip and met some of the best people who have become good friends. I truly suggest through your travels to talk to everyone. It makes for great times and new friendships. Who cares if you never see them face to face ever again, thankfully we have social media and high tech phones. You can stay in contact with all these new people in your life. Only if you want to stay in contact. So don't forget to get their info if you want to keep that connection going.

Anyways, I have been on 2 cruises so far. Both were fantastic and both were more than I had expected. The first one was a 5 day cruise and the second was a 7 day. I honestly could have stayed probably for 3 more days. I love the relaxing fun that is to be had on the ships.

I have only been on Carnival ships and they have not ever disappointed me. The age range is great, from kids to 60 something with and average of 20's - 50's. Everyone I talked to were friendly and fun. The few friends I made on the ships are fabulous! These are resorts on the water with everything a person could need or want. Food is great, drinks to be indulged (they do not skimp on the alcohol) and entertainment is everywhere any time on these ships. Comedy, to headliners, with a casino, and many bars to have fun. There a many different areas for children as well. Fun for any age on these ships.
 
One of the places I ported to: Ocho Rios, Jamaica (first cruise)

This port I will say, is not my favorite. I am not going to lie and say it was beautiful and fabulous. I was told to not even get off the boat here by other cruisers but I did because I wanted to experience Jamaica. Getting harassed by the locals was the worst but once you learn how to ignore or deal with them it is not to bad. It is a cultural experience here and I would say do an excursion if you want to experience Ocho Rios. I have been told the resorts are great here but I have not been so I cannot say.



Now for port on second cruise: Montego Bay, Jamaica (second cruise)

This port actually is very nice. You will need to take the bus taxi's into town if you want to go to a beach or shop. It costs $5 each way and they stuff you in like sardines but it is not a big deal. The town was cool to wander around and shop. We went into a shop that was owned by some people from India and had been in Jamaica for over 20 years. She said her and her husband vacationed there and fell in love with Jamaica. They made the decision to move there and have a business. (see, talk to everyone you can on your trips, you get some great stories and meet some interesting people). I can say if I go on another cruise and we port here, I will get off the boat and explore again. I never felt scared or uncomfortable at any point. Oh and if you get in the water, I warn you, it is very salty and I mean very salty.

The next port I had on both cruises: Grand Caymans

The Caymans surprised me on how flat it was. Like Florida flat. It is a port that you have to be transferred on boats. Kind of interesting for your first time but piece of cake the next time. On my first cruise I did an excursion called Snuba and I loved it. It actually made me want to scuba dive. So, I am going to learn to scuba dive. The second time I wanted to go to Seven Mile Beach. It was beautiful there for the 20 minutes we were there. It poured buckets of rain on us and we decided to go back to port and shop. Then we decided to get back on the ship. Let me tell you, the Caymans are really nice but being on the ship with very few people on it was fabulous.

The next and last stop of the second cruise was: Cozumel, Mexico

This port has so much shopping, bars and food. It is beautiful with the colors. This was the best people watching here in the shopping areas. Here is where we did an excursion. The twister jet boats to Isla Passion. I recommend this excursion if you want to be at speeds up to 65 mph and have sharp 180 degree turns and get soaked. It was such a great ride. I would do it again. Oh and once you get to your destination it is all inclusive for food and drinks/alcohol. Then you get back on those jet boats to head back.

The sister boats at the Cozumel port.

For anyone who has not been on a cruise I suggest it highly. It is fun, relaxing and you only have to unpack once. Talk to your fellow cruisers and make new friends, don't be shy. Not to mention all the food you can eat as well as your room being taken care of twice a day. The alcohol is not included but hey your on vacation and your not driving so I say indulge.

You are waited on hand and foot with all the service that is at your finger tips. The crew are great people and fun to get to know as well. So go ahead plan your cruise and remember to just shut off the real world while on the ship, it is worth every moment of relaxation.  

My first "official" re-pin!

OK, so with Kristin on vacation, I had decided to post my first re-pin as a craft item. I have made the Buttercup Bag by made by RAE. Her version consists of a pocket on the inside and decorative buttons on the outside. Mine, however, is very basic with no pocket and no decorations on the outside. I wanted to see if I could actually do the whole project all by myself (without the help of my sewing instructor)! And by golly, what do ya know... I DID IT!
I honestly made this cute little bag after work yesterday. Seriously, START to FINISH! I was and still am so proud of myself! It was fairly simple to make as well. The pattern is a free download from made by RAE. It uses just a fat quarter (plus a little extra for the lining). I didn't use a fat quarter, I just bought a half yard of the outer fabric, so I had some extra and the lining was just some remnants I had sitting around. Next time I will try it with a heavier fabric or put some fusible interfacing on it, especially in the handle. This was definitely a fun project and I'm excited to be able to share it with whoever is reading this! Until next time, happy pinning!

Hello to all!

My name is Amanda and I am an Obsessed Repinner as well! Who turned me on to this crazy site? One guess, my friend Kristin. I do blame her for my obsession to this amazing website! I too, find myself pinning as much as possible! I have already made multiple recipes I have found from the site in addition to some craft items. I am so excited that Kristin has invited me to join in on this blog. I will be publishing my first entry this weekend! I look forward to this journey with my friend!

Welcome Amanda as my co-author

So my beautiful peeps in my beautiful virtual world. I was talking to a friend of mine who is as bad with the obsession as I am to the repinners community out there. She was thinking about doing the same thing I am doing right now and blog about trying out these pins. We both had the same idea about the same time and I just happen to start this blog before she did. Being that we are really great friends and she loves Pinterest as much as I do. I wanted to have her on board with me. We will do this crazy, fun blog together.

Welcome Amanda as the co-author of The Obsessed Repinner.

I am so happy you are jumping on board with me and excited to get to do the pins together. This will be so much fun.

First Repin I Tried

This is the first debut of a repin I had in my Yum-Yum board. This is my board where I repin all the scrumptious food that makes me salivate with the need of a bib to catch all the mouth watering.
This pin caught my eye when I saw the picture with the spaghetti squash. I was watching Diner's, Drive In's and Dives one night and it had a similar showing of the use of spaghetti squash. I was excited to see this one. It is called Spaghetti Squash with Meat sauce*. It is one of the most simple dishes I have made in a long time and if you don't know what to do with a spaghetti squash, this is a perfect way. I had added a few other things to the recipe for extra goodness. In the sauce I added 1 tbsp of minced garlic and a half of orange bell pepper. I just happened to have the bell pepper in the fridge and I am sure any color will work. I added the pepper when the other veggies were sauteing and then the minced garlic in when the meat was added to brown so it wouldn't burn. We know what burnt garlic tastes like. BLAH!

I also wanted to warn anyone attempting to cut a spaghetti squash. It is a tough one to get through and can roll around on you a bit. I learned this the hard way, cutting it on my cutting board as it wobbled, I got half way through and then carried it around by the knife as the squash was stuck to it, wondering how I was going to cut the rest of the way through without slicing my fingers off. I have horrible tile at home so I could prop it on the grout line to give the stability. I do not suggest this with flat tile that is normally used on counters, mine are not flat. Later I thought of other ways too and came up with rolling 2 towels and placing them side by side. Then nestling the squash sideways in between to keep it from rolling. Then with a big knife cut through with some force behind it. Getting through the stem was hard so I just split that, pulling the cut squash apart. That was the hardest part of this recipe and a bit entertaining too. Cooking time was easy. The sauce on the stove and the squash in the oven all at the same time. Groovy. Once the squash is done, definitely let it cool like the recipe says and then scrape it out using a fork. Don't want to burn hands. Salt and pepper to taste. The above picture is my finished product. Hope you try this recipe out. It is good and pretty good for you too.

*Recipe from : Skinny Taste