Random Acts of Kindness

 

There’s a guy I’m friends with on Twitter who participates in Random Act of Kindness Wednesdays #RAOK.  While he lives in Lexington, I’ve never met him in person, but I am inspired each week by his passion for giving back to strangers in our community.  “Take time today to do something kind for someone,” one of his Wednesday tweets read. 

 

This could include something easy like buying coffee for the car behind you in line at Starbucks or donating used books to the library, to something more labor-intensive like helping an elderly neighbor with yard work, or volunteering your time with a local nonprofit organization.  Writing a letter to someone who made a difference in your life is also easy, yet thoughtful.

 

A friend of mine recently invited me to come with her to help pack backpacks for elementary students in need of food on the weekends.  Many times, the food provided in the backpacks is the only option for hundreds of local kids on the weekends when school breakfast and lunch isn’t available. It is a little thing like those snack-filled backpacks that makes a difference in how well a child eats… and it’s also the little things in life that makes a person’s day better.

 

Author Swami Kriyananda said: “There are realities we all share, regardless of our nationality, language, or individual tastes. As we need food, so do we need emotional nourishment: love, kindness, appreciation, and support from others. We need to understand our environment and our relationship to it. We need to fulfill certain inner hungers: the need for happiness, for peace of mind -- for wisdom.”

 

In our busy everyday lives filled with work, spouses, kids, pets and all our other commitments, it’s easy to zone in on the stresses of our own circumstance, but whether it’s a small random act of kindness for a stranger or volunteering our time to help a less fortunate child, as I challenge myself to give back more to our awesome community and the people in it, I encourage you to do the same. I’ve found that the more we give, the more we actually get back in return.

 

How do you like to give back?  Tweet me @MeredithLaneLEX.

Meredith

Candleberry Candle Commercials

This is pretty fun!  I recently did a couple holiday commercials for Candleberry Candle.  Don't laugh at the "hair shake"! :)






www.candleberry.com

Christmas Cards Are Ordered!!!

Brady has his first Christmas card!  I'm super excited to share it with my friends and family.  Special thanks to Shaun Ring Photography for the awesome pics!!!!  Merry Christmas! :)

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

An Update on Brady

My 46 lb. baby Brady lost his manhood yesterday. He's recovering quite well, thanks to Dr. Dobbs and Linda at Regency Animal Hospital.

Despite the fact that he's quickly becoming a giant, he refuses to sit in the passenger seat of my car---and instead, in my lap while I'm driving. Here's us yesterday on the way to the vet. Clearly this is a very safe way to be driving! 

Happy Tuesday peeps!

Halibut with Artichokes and Tomatoes

Jer dislikes tomatoes, so whenever I'm cooking a dish with them ever-so-present in it, I always have to be creative with how I'm going to "sell" to him that he's going to have "halibut with artichokes and tomatoes", or whatever I'm making for dinner that contains the tomato ingredient. :)  I didn't really have to "sell" him on this dish though.  He loved it. And so did I.

Halibut with Artichokes and Tomatoes (Whole Foods photo)

What's even better, is that it was really easy to make.  That's my kind of recipe!  If you look back through the food I've posted on this blog over the last year and a half, you'll see kind of a trend here.  I don't like to cook stuff that's hard to make!  Who does anyway, really?

The recipe is from my Whole Foods iPhone app, which is my go-to for quick, easy, flavorful and gourmet-tasting recipes. 

This delicious fish dish for one cooks quickly also (you can double it, etc. for how ever many guests you're serving).  Plus, there's no mess due to a very simple parchment-packet method.

Serve this with steamed rice or buttered pasta and a green salad.

Here's What You'll Need
1 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless halibut fillet
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (omit if using artichokes packed in oil)
3 lemon slices
6 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup oil- or water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or basil
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Here's What to Do

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange halibut in the middle of a 12- x 12-inch piece of parchment paper or foil. Drizzle both sides with oil (if using). Top with lemon and arrange tomatoes, artichoke hearts and parsley over the top and around the sides. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Fold up parchment like a package, making sure the seam is at the top, to seal the ingredients inside; tuck under the ends. (I cheated and used a stapler... teehee).

Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer package to a plate and carefully open the parchment paper to release steam before serving.

My dad makes "fish wrapped in paper" quite often and will use a mix of seafood inside... maybe a couple of scallops, some salmon, shrimp, etc.  He also uses julienned carrots, celery and onion inside in place of the artichokes and tomato. 

It's delicious.  Definitely give this one a go... and be creative with it! :)

Baked Zucchini Sticks

Earlier this week, I told you about the delicious lasagna rolls I made!  I served them with baked zucchini sticks... they too were so so so yummy.  I found this little recipe on everyone's favorite website, Pinterest.

These zucchini sticks are perfect as an appetizer OR side dish!

Here’s What You’ll Need

•  3 medium zucchini sliced into sticks
• 1 large egg white or Egg Beaters, which I used!
• 1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
• Approximately 2-3 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• cooking spray
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• fresh pepper

Here’s What You Do

In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with pepper.  OR, just use egg substitute, like I did. In another small bowl, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and stir well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. 

I used parchment paper to reduce the mess left on the cookie sheet.  Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and flip over several times to coat.

Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with marinara sauce for dipping. 

Want an AMAZING, yet easy homemade marinara recipe?  Check out my favorite one.



Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna rolls-- a fun twist on traditional lasagna.  This was fun to make and it's easy to customize to your personal taste. You can also make them as healthy as you want to.  For example, I used lean meat, low-fat mozzarella, low-fat ricotta cheese and whole wheat noodles. This recipe is from Whole Foods Market.

You can start with the basic recipe then add cooked sausage, pepperoni, ground beef, black olives, mushrooms, etc. if you like.  I added sauteed lean ground beef, mushrooms and fresh garlic to mine.

Here's What You'll Need

• Salt
• 1/2 pound (8 to 10) uncooked lasagna noodles
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce
• 1 1/2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Here's What To Do

Preheat oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add noodles and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and gently transfer to a clean work surface.

Grease a small roasting pan or casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside. Working with one noodle at a time, spread with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta and 2 tablespoons of the marinara then top with spinach.  See, steps 1, 2 and 3. :)

Starting at one end, roll up noodle snugly then arrange in pan either seam-side down or with the rolls close enough together to hold each other closed.

Pour remaining marinara over assembled rolls then sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake until golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

I served my rolls with baked zucchini sticks and grilled romaine salad.  I'll post those recipes this week.  They were mmmmm good!  This was a fun, filling, balanced meal.  Easy to make and tasty to eat!

 

Brady Goes Swimming

I have been the world's worst blogger lately.  Brady, among other things, has kept me very busy.  If you missed my first blog about Brady, he's my 4.5 month-old Labrador Retriever puppy.  I have had more fun with this dog in the last few months than I can remember having in a long time.  He is an awesome puppy.  Everyone loves him. :)

Looking back at pictures over the last couple of months... wowza, he has come a LONG way since March.

From his first bath...

To his first trip to the vet...

To his first UK game...

To his first Kentucky Derby...

To his first playtime in a "pool"

To his first playtime in the lake.  This past weekend, we went to Cave Run Lake and he just jumped in all on his own.  I was so proud of his natural born instincts to keep his head up out of the water and swim.  He's such a great dog.

ANNNND.... I have a video of it too!! :)   

He's been pooped ever since his big trip into the lake.  Which is actually just fine by me.  The pup has plenty of energy every other day, so I appreciate the lazy sweetness sometimes too.

He's learned four "tricks" so far-- to sit, shake, fetch and "come here"... if that's even considered a trick.  We're still working on "no jump", "no bite" and just canine obedience in general.  But he's really smart and catches on quickly... he'll be doing back flips and handstands in no time. :)

Downtown Lexington Condo For Sale

I am so excited to be listing a really cute condo at Clay Villa in downtown Lexington!  Clay Villa is located at 125 Forest Avenue in the historic Bell Court subdivision.  What's even more exciting?!?  It's listed at $94,000!  Where else can you live close to everything in a cute, renovated apartment that affordably!?

The Clay Villa property includes the former villa of James Clay, statesman Henry Clay's son, and is the oldest home in the Bell Court area.  That home is now used for 3 apartments.  The property also includes two additional renovated buildings used for condos.  One building has 30 units and the other building has 6 units.

I can personally vouch for how great this place is.  I purchased my condo at Clay Villa when the building was completely redone three years ago and lived there for two years before moving into my little fixer upper.  I absolutely love it there.  It is so peaceful, not to mention convenient to everything!! 

This 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo features hardwood floors throughout, ceramic tile shower and floors in the bathroom, crown molding, a private deck off the bedroom... PLUS all the appliances stay-- including the refrigerator, washer and dryer!!

This property will be on the market on Friday, June 1, 2012. Interior photos are of model home -- exact same layout/floorplan.  Pictures of my listing will be online on Friday.  Here's a sneak peek... isn't it cute?!?! 

And for $94,000?  You can't go wrong here...

This condo will be listed with Milestone Realty Consultants. Find out more about this condo and other properties for sale in the Central Kentucky area at http://www.meredithlane.com/.

Bud's Gun Shop and Range Commercial

Last week I shot a commercial for a gun shop called Bud's Gun Shop.  It was very random, but super fun at the same time. 

Now all I want to do is go to the gun range and fire off some rounds.  Crazy, huh?  I'm being dead serious--I even wanted to have my birthday party there.  Not sure if that's going to happen, but I'll definitely be back soon nonetheless.

The commercial focuses on Ladies' Night at the gun range.  And believe me when I tell you, "it's WAY more fun that karaoke!"  LOL...

Bathroom Demo

How long have we been talking about my awful bathrooms at this little fixer upper house that I love oh so very much?  Hmmm yes.... you are correct, since I moved in.  No offense to the little old lady who lived here before I purchased it, but my goodness, these bathrooms are horrendous. 

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll know that I call the two spaces "Bathroom #1" and "Bathroom #2"... they are numbered in order of which one is getting renovated first. :)

Bathroom #1 started off looking like this:

Before

Before

Super cute, right?  Yeesh...

We did a bunch of work to it -- stripped the wallpaper, added new paint, new light, new mirror, new countertops and faucet, new toilet, new curtain rod and curtain, etc...

Read here for details on the transformation. ...and it looked a LOT better.

After

However even though it was a major improvement, I felt like we were almost just putting lipstick on a pig.  The tile was not in great shape and it definitely needed to be replaced at some point. Also, there was no exhaust fan in the bathroom because when the house was built, that was not part of building code. The only circulation in the room was from the window, which I disliked opening because seriously, who wants to stand in front of an open window when you're naked?  Exactly.

A few of the tiles were starting to crack and break away from the others.  The curtain rod was starting to rust from lack of ventilation.  I felt like the grout around the floor tile constantly looked dirty, despite the fact that I had it professionally cleaned. 

The final tipping point though, was that the window in the shower was starting to become seriously damaged with wood rot from the water constantly hitting it.  I guess the lady who lived here before must have just taken baths all the time, cause it was in great shape when I moved in??  Look how gross this is:

That happened in less than a year.  So enough was enough.  I decided it was time to wash the lipstick off that pig and actually RE-DO Bathroom #1.  I have to do these projects a little bit at a time, ya know? :)  My first step was hiring an electrician to come in and install exhaust fans and can lights in both bathrooms.  This has already made such a difference.

My contractors are awesome, by the way.  Let me know if you ever need a good electrician, tile guy, trim guy, etc. in the Lexington area--I'll send you their numbers.

Next up, J and I demoed the bathroom.  This meant removing all the tile from the floors, walls and shower walls... plus the backer board behind the tile. 

This was an all-day job.  We also had to remove the toilet and the vanity, which we will be putting back in later.

The vanity will be painted black with yet another new top -- this time with Cararra marble, a white marble with gray (and sometimes black) veins running through it.  The faucet will remain the same, as we just replaced it with a nice upgraded brushed nickle faucet.

The obscured glass window will be replaced with a vinyl-wrapped one.  Thanks to Palumbo Lumber in Lexington for coming out to measure the window and hooking me up with a great product.

We are putting bead board up along the walls where the tile used to be.  The floors will be replaced with 2 inch hexagon Cararra marble tiles, like the ones seen in the photos below.

Here are some of my inspiration photos, thanks to Pinterest and Google. We are keeping the tub intact because it's in good shape, but I will have a professional re-glaze it, to give it a new, shiny white look.  The walls of the shower will be Cararra marble subway tiles, going all the way from the tub to the ceiling, like the picture below.  The walls will be painted gray.  I hope to be able to do a wall insert for bath products as well, like this one:

Here are some other inspiration/idea photos that I really love... will probably be taking small ideas from each space to complete my bathroom remodel:

We will be painting the vanity black and putting the new Carrara marble top on, as seen in these photos below.

Shane, my trim and tile man, will be building some decorative trim around the mirror to tie it in to the bead board along the walls.  He is SO GOOD with his trim work and is going to make it fancy.  :)Here are my inspiration photos for the bead board and trim as well:

 

Soooo.... the tile has been ordered!  The work should begin late next week or the following.  I am really excited for this project!  Now really the only thing to decide is what shade of gray?  Dark, medium, light?  Any suggestions?? Check back soon for updates. :)