I'm so hot.

Now, you may think I'm getting a little sassy and all "strong, independent woman" on you, but I'm actually just talking about what a sweaty, hot mess I am. :)

I'm hot. It's hot. Don't know why I'm surprised, living in Texas and all. Temperatures are in the triple-digits every single day and it's starting to get to me. You start to slow down and plan out your activities to avoid being outside for very long. For example, yesterday I took two full hampers of clothes to the laundromat (we should hopefully get our new (used) washer and dryer tomorrow!). After lugging them back up to our third-floor apartment one at a time, I felt like I just got done with an hour-long workout. Okay, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but it's something I need to get used to. Thankfully, things should start to cool down within a month or so, so the end is in sight! When the mild winters arrive, I'm sure it will be worth it. 

We are still working on unpacking...and figuring out how to work around the ridiculous amount of boxes and packing material. Seriously, I can't believe how much STUFF the movers used. They wrapped every.single.thing in multiple sheets of paper, which just seems like a huge waste. When I moved myself in the past, I literally just crammed stuff into however many boxes I could scrounge up. This time, we honestly had about 40 boxes for a 2-bedroom apartment. Ay yay yay. Still, we are VERY thankful that we didn't have to move ourselves. It seems never-ending, but we're working on a little bit each day.

At least the kitchen it totally unpacked so I can start cooking again! It's so nice to not be going out to eat so much as we have this past month. Last night, I made Andy's favorite dish, which is actually a great summer meal because it can be served hot or cold. I modified it from a Rachael Ray recipe. (I'm not a RR groupie, but I got her cookbook as a wedding shower gift.) I don't know the official name for it, but we just call it "Peanut Chicken Noodles." :) It is soooo yummy. Here it is if you're interested:

Sea salt

12 oz.   rice noodles (spaghetti would also work just fine)

1/3 c.    peanut butter (smooth or chunky---I like chunky)

2 tbsp   honey

1/4 c.    warm water

1/4 c.    soy sauce

1-2       garlic cloves

2           limes, juiced (or the equivalent with bottled lime juice)

HOT SAUCE!! (how much or little is up to you; you can also add once served)

3 tbsp   peanut oil (other oils can be substituted---you can always use a little less)

1 bag    frozen veggies (I like the sugar snap stir-fry mix)

1          med-large chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/4 c.   chopped peanuts

DIRECTIONS (I usually do the first 3 steps simultaneously):

1. Boil water. Add sea salt and rice noodles, cooking al dente. Drain, rinse and cool. If you're using uncooked chicken, have another pan going with which to boil the chicken breast in. 

2. Heat peanut butter in microwave to soften. Whisk PB with honey and warm water. Then whisk in soy sauce, garlic, lime juice and hot sauce. Add oil while constantly whisking. 

3. Heat veggies with a little bit of peanut oil until cooked but crisp. (You can cook the chicken in the same pan as the veggies; I just prefer boiling it.)

4. Toss noodles and sauce, then add veggies and chicken. Top with chopped peanuts.

There are lots of ways to change it up to better suit your tastes. It only takes about a half-hour and is always gone in about a day. :)

Phew! Now after all this talk of food, I think I need to go work out....then go grocery shopping for more goodies.