Music Monday v.3 +

"We're gonna live in Nashville and I'll make a career
Out of writing sad songs and getting paid by the tear"
Silver Jews - Tennessee

I don't want to say too much and get way ahead of myself here, but what's concrete right now is that Andrew did book a February flight to Nashville and he is going in search of future housing for us. We've been saving for this since our Nashville trip last April. We're in love, we belong there, and if all goes according to plan - we'll be there by summer. I can hardly contain myself. I wish we were there right now to take part in the Full Moon Cycle starting at the Parthenon in Centennial Park tonight. I can't wait to just go. But, nothing is set in stone just yet. I'll try and calm these butterflies. I just really cannot wait to start the next stage of my life..

Okay so anyway!

Last night I made dinner based on a verbal recipe bestowed upon me by my friend Meghan. Figured it'd only be fitting to share it, since we are going to move and we are going to go through those "young couple off on their own financial struggles", we're prepared. More so with cheap and easy dinners like these home made black bean burgers!


You will need:
1 can of black beans (79¢)
1 egg (13¢ if we're gonna be literal about it)
Maybe ¼ cup of bread crumbs (3 bucks for a whole cylinder of the stuff)



Chop up your beans in a food processor. You could also mash them yourself.


Stir it up with the egg and the breadcrumbs in a bowl until it has a slightly gritty consistency (enough so it all sticks and forms "burgers").


I added a pinch of basil because I was feeling fancy, but it's not really necessary with all the flavor in the Italian bread crumbs.


Coat a large pan with some extra virgin olive oil.


Cook 'em.


And that's it!
We ate them on whole wheat flat bread with melted cheddar cheese, salsa and some mayonnaise.


This guy loved 'em, so that means they're good.

A cheap, easy, and healthy meal. I'm going to be making these all of the time, to top salads or for taco fix-in's. Another idea would be to use chickpeas, which I'm going to do, since chickpeas are my favorite of the legumes.

What are some of your favorite recipes? Bonus points for cost efficiency!

Cake pops!

Recently, during her last visit, Andrew's sister Michelle told me about some cake pops that she made herself. I've seen these little treats popping up everywhere (no pun intended) and decided that it would be fun for us to make a batch together. Wanna try? This is what you'll need:

• Cake mix
• 3 eggs
• Vegetable oil
• Almond bark
• Lollipop sticks
• Wax paper
• Sprinkles!

First you go about baking regular cakes (we made two 8" cakes), but add 3 tbsp. more oil than the recipe calls for. This is important for making the cake more pliable and shaping it into pops. Let the cake cool, and then TEAR IT APART! and put all of your cake crumbs into a large bowl. Then take a handfull at a time and make cake balls, just like you'd make meat balls. Pop a stick in the center and freeze your halfway finished pops for an hour.
Then, break your almond bark into squares (almond bark is basically just a huge rectangle of meltable chocolate that you can buy at most craft stores or baking aisles) and melt it down using the double boiler method, or you could just stick it in the microwave. Once your almond bark is almost liquidy, take your frozen pops one by one and roll the cake around in the coating. Pour some sprinkles over them if you're feeling fancy. Have a wax paper lined cookie sheet handy for resting the pops on. Let them harden for about a half hour. And there you go!
These were so fun and easy to make, and also delicious! But the next time I make them, I'll be using styrofoam to hold the pops upright as the almond bark dries, so one side doesn't come out flat and I can put Starbucks' cake pops to shame.

It's been a pretty relaxing Sunday. Spent the morning on a hunt for an affordable juicer. Bought a new sweater instead (desperately waiting for fall, the season where I thrive most). Also today is a celebration! The 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball's birthday.
Happy birthday, Lucy!