I was inspired to get creative with new recipes a few days ago when our neighbor gave us two large zucchinis from their garden. I enjoy eating zucchini, but have never actually cooked with it. Growing up, I loved the zucchini bread my mom made, a recipe I'll have to ask her for, and didn't mind eating zucchini when it was in a vegetable medley. I shared a photo of my zucchinis on Facebook and asked my friends if anyone had a favorite recipe to use them in. I couldn't believe the response...I have been missing out on the zucchini recipe craze!

Here are my zukes (as a friend on FB called them!)... 

A popular way of cooking zucchini is to just slice and cover with Parmesan cheese and crust them with Panko bread crumbs, like this baked "fry" recipe on Inspired by Charm. Looks and sounds amazing, right?! I plan on making them this weekend, I'm telling you my family is going to be sick of zucchini for a while after trying all of these recipes! 

I wanted to experiment first before getting all fancy, so I took a look in my cabinet to see what I had on hand. I was thinking pasta, but didn't want spaghetti. Luckily, I had an extra box of ziti that I purchased when I made my mom's baked ziti recipe two months ago! I planned on making the baked ziti again since everyone loved it, but never got around to it.

I also had three half packs of Aidells chicken sausage in the fridge (total of about 7-8 links); Mango, Italian Style with Mozzarella Cheese, and Habanero & Green Chile. We love cooking with these for any meal, even breakfast! The sausage links are fully-cooked, so you don't have to worry about under cooking them.

How delicious does the chicken sausage look? I love that you can see the mozzarella and other ingredients when you slice it. 

I sliced the zucchini in half, then started to cut the halves into quarters but thought they looked too small. I didn't slice up too much of the zucchini since I was only experimenting with this dish.

I'm not a food blogger, well really I blog about anything...but I'm not a "foodie", so I don't think about taking photos of my food until later on. That's why you're looking at an iPhone shot of my dish, still looks tasty right?! 

As you can see I added red tomato sauce to the recipe, we love Classico® brand whether it's red or white sauce. Then I topped the dish off with shredded mozzarella and dinner was served! 

When my neighbor offered us zucchini my husband said he wasn't a fan, but knew that I would enjoy cooking with it. Well, I may have changed his opinion with this recipe, he couldn't keep his fork out of the pot! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb of Ziti (or pasta of choice)
• zucchini (sliced)
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1-2 packages of fully-cooked chicken sausage 
• dash of pepper
• red tomato sauce
• shredded mozzarella (for topping)

Directions:

• Cook pasta as directed in a very large pot.
• Slice up zucchini and chicken sausage to your liking.
• Add olive oil to a large sauce pan, warm to medium heat. 
• Toss in your zucchini and dash them with pepper, then add in the sausage. (you may need to cook the sausage first then remove it to add in the zucchini if you don't have enough room.) Use the same pan to absorb the sausage flavor into the zucchini. 
• In a medium sized sauce pot heat the red tomato sauce on low-medium heat. 
• Drain your ziti and add heated sauce to the ziti pot. Then add in your cooked zucchini and chicken sausage. Mix well and plate. 
• Top off your plate with shredded mozzarella and enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by today, would love to hear a few of your favorite zucchini recipes. 

Have a great day! 

I Am Still Here

 I Am Still Here. I am still breathing, moving, thinking, dreaming, and living. Every day may not go the way I want it to; they say that normal is boring...right, but I am still here. I wrote in multiple posts, here and here, that I wasn't going to sweat the small stuff. While I am trying not to sweat the small stuff, there have been a few not so small, sweat worthy things that I just can't help but feel down about the last few weeks.

It hasn't been easy, and although I have been feeling pretty lost and empty, I pushed myself to get up and exercise to my Jillian Michaels DVDs or take a bike ride. I could have chosen to sit still and fill my void with food, but I was determined not to do that. I have been doing enough stress eating this year and I am putting a stop to it. 

I Am Still Here.

Everyone battles some type of struggle at some point in their lives; weather it's the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, home, etc., and we all deal with these things in our own way. I am trying to take this stress and walk it out, ride it out, and exercise it out. Sometimes when days are really tough, I write it out. 

Today, I am pushing through and turning the page. I Am Still Here. 

Five Things: Does Summer Have to End?

I'm still trying to find motivation and inspiration for new DIY post ideas, I just feel a little lost and unsure of what's next. My awesome Five Things link up co-host Tairalyn suggested that I might need to step back, take a break from the blog, maybe even give The World Around Her a little face lift, and then come back refreshed and ready to rock n' roll! 

So I think this might be my last Five Things link up post for a while, but that doesn't mean that you can't still link up with my girl, so be sure to stop by her blog Little Miss Mama while I'm on hiatus. 

1. Five Things link up is posted every Thursday at Midnight EST. Share any five things that are on your mind right now. Whether it's something you are obsessing with on Pinterest, a new and exciting event going on in your life, or even sharing five of your favorite books; it's totally up to you. 

2. Please put the Five Things button on the post you're sharing for the link up; sharing is caring, the more players involved the more fun we'll have.

3. Please follow both your hosts Diana from The World Around Her and Tairalyn from Little Miss Mama via Facebook {here and here} and/or Twitter {here and here}. As it’s not mandatory it is greatly appreciated.

4. If you tweet about your post or Instagram it, feel free to tag me or Tairalyn and use the hashtag, #FiveThingsParty

5. Check out the other bloggers who have linked up, show them some love and comment on at least one other bloggers link-up post.

Shall we get the party started...

1. Shorts and tank tops are my life right now! Oh and how amazing is the sand sculpture behind us? Atlantic City, NJ hosted the Sand Sculpting World Cup for the 2nd year in a row and my husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy it last year as well. This time we took my youngest daughter and her friend along for the trip. You never know if teens are going to be into something you like, but thankfully they loved it as much as we did!

2. Everyone one is talking about the Super Moon this week, myself included. And while I did capture a few great photos of it, it is not my favorite shot of the moon that I have in my collection. I just stumbled upon this incredible shot of the crescent moon I took from July 4th week when we were on vacation. Sometimes I take so many photos that I forget about the really cool ones until I finally upload them onto the computer! 

3. Unfortunately we didn't get to see fireworks on vacation because of Hurricane Arthur making the seas a bit too rough for Ocean City to set them off from the barge in the water. However, our local town did a pretty fine job with their own show the weekend after. I have to say, fireworks are one of my favorite parts about vacationing during July 4th week, when we don't see them it just doesn't feel right!

4. My Zinnias are in full bloom and I can't believe how much they have sprouted up. When we left for vacation they were only about 2-3 inches tall, and when we returned home they were about 8-10 inches if not taller! I'm so proud of my little garden; I don't do too well with potted plants, but give me a garden outside and I'll grow you a field of flowers! 

5. Have you ever tried a soft shelled crab? I LOVE THEM! My first experience eating one was in Maryland a few years ago and I have been hooked ever since. If you have never tried one, it's a must! You eat the entire crab, legs and all! The chips that came with the crab were really good as well, I had to push the plate away before I gobbled them all up! If you're ever in Ocean City, NJ you can find them at Ike's Famous Crabcakes on the boardwalk. 

So, do you think I should change the name of my blog or just the look? What are some things you would like to see in the design? What do you like best about my blog? 

Alright, now it's your turn to link up...

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... it's easier said than done, right?! I mentioned in my last post that I wasn't going to let silly little things get to me, and that I wasn't going to sweat the small stuff any more. A mess in the kitchen made by someone else, don't sweat it. Silly drivers on the road doing crazy things, don't sweat it. A number on the scale you never thought you would see again, never wanted to see again... don't sweat it. Breathe, and move on. 

It was a pound here and there over my goal weight that I finally reached at the end of 2012, beginning of 2013. However, recently it has been more than a few pounds. I told myself I would not see that number when I turned 30 or ever again (I'm now 31!), so I purchased a few Jillian Michaels DVDs that my friend recommended and got to work. I was so proud of myself for sticking to it; I changed my eating habits and worked out at least 4 times a week in 2012 to 2013. You can read about the start of this journey here and here. 

At first I didn't sweat the few pounds I had gained, why let it bother me when I could still fit into the same sized clothing? I tried to promise myself that I wouldn't see that number again, but since about the end of last year I have stayed over it. I got tired of keeping up with the food journal and only kept up with my work out routine every other week.  But now after three weeks of not keeping up with my workout routine and eating like there is no tomorrow, my clothes are starting to feel a little snug. Oh, and these love handles...what's to love about them?! 

 I know, I know, we are not a number on a scale. But, when I see the number I know that I am not being healthy and therefore I am not happy with myself. The clothes may have fit, but I knew I wasn't eating healthy and I saw that my body was changing. My thighs were getting bigger and I could see that I was just losing the curves and shape I had worked so hard for two years ago. 

So, why am I not keeping up with it? Well I am a big time stress eater, which is why I'm trying to learn how  not to sweat the small stuff!! 

Big time, life changing stressful events happen and sometimes those things get the best of us (GOD knows I had a few of those at the end of last year)...but I can't keep worrying about the little things that I can't change. 

I'm not sure if I'll start with the food journal again, but I did start my workout routine again. Yesterday was Day 1...

Five Things: My Random Thoughts

It's been a little quiet on the blog this week, but I couldn't leave my co-host and followers without a Five Things link up post, now could I?! However, I am a little stuck on what five things to write about today. I was on vacation last week and haven't been too inspired to get back into the swing of things. Where do you find inspiration when you're not feeling the need to write? 

1. Five Things link up is posted every Thursday at Midnight EST. Share any five things that are on your mind right now. Whether it's something you are obsessing with on Pinterest, a new and exciting event going on in your life, or even sharing five of your favorite books; it's totally up to you. 

2. Please put the Five Things button on the post you're sharing for the link up; sharing is caring, the more players involved the more fun we'll have.

3. Please follow both your hosts Diana from The World Around Her and Tairalyn from Little Miss Mama via Facebook {here and here} and/or Twitter {here and here}. As it’s not mandatory it is greatly appreciated.

4. If you tweet about your post or Instagram it, feel free to tag me or Tairalyn and use the hashtag, #FiveThingsParty

5. Check out the other bloggers who have linked up, show them some love and comment on at least one other bloggers link-up post.

Shall we get the party started...

1. Is it too early for me to retire and become a beach bum for the rest of my life...who is with me?!

2. So remember how I stressed the use of sunscreen two weeks ago? Well, I did make sure to use it before we went out onto the beach, but I guess I forgot to reapply... because I got burnt! ( Not as orange as Anne Hathaway, but still pretty red!) It's really important to reapply, friends. Don't just put it on in the morning and think it will protect you all day long...like I did! Put it in your bag if you intend on being out all day, like I should have done!

3. Just before vacation our local library hosted a book sale and I scored three books for a $1.00 each! I whizzed right through the first book "Glimmerglass" by Jenna Black. My step-daughter recommended it and said it was a must read. It's actually part of a trilogy and while I wait to get the second book in the mail I started on Nicholas Sparks' "The Best of Me". I don't want to make this post too long, so I'll save the book reviews for next time! (PS, I LOVED "Glimmerglass" and I'm really getting into "The Best of Me")

4. Last year I learned about the local non-profit organization Worthwhile Wear and how they help women and children, locally and overseas, escape human trafficking. I wanted to do more than just purchase the handmade items that Worthwhile Wear sells, I wanted to pitch in. With help from my girl Monica of East Coast Creative blog, who is good friends with the non-profit's executive director Dan Emr, I was able to physically help with Worthwhile Wear's new housing project The Well. She is helping with the makeover of this safe house and needs more than just local hands who can paint. So if you would like to find out more on how you can get involved with this incredible project stop by EC2 and read all about what she's doing to help fight human trafficking. I gathered a few volunteers from my local women's group, and together we painted a bedroom and made over a bathroom vanity.  The fight against human trafficking isn't an easy one, but together we can make life better for women and children who are either at risk or have escaped. Please considering joining the fight. 

5. Well, how can I sweat the small stuff when there are victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence, people battling cancer and other diseases, and just people in general who are depressed or angry from the moment they wake up in the morning? Sometimes we let the little things get to us; like rush hour traffic, a bad hair day, gaining a few unwanted pounds, etc., but I'm determined to not let these things I cannot change get the best of me. I don't have to be happy and cheerful every second of the day, it's okay to express other emotions. However, I will not let silly little things bother me any more. END SCENE!! 

Well, for a person who wasn't in the mood to write at the start of this post, I sure did find a few things to discuss! Now it's your turn...

Five Things: 4th of July Celebration

Since we're celebrating Independence Day this week (tomorrow actually!) in the states I thought it would be fun to do a 4th of July celebration round up for my Five Things link up party. Many of you may have left your patriotic decor hanging up around the house since Memorial Day, I actually don't have any decor for either holiday! So for those still in need of last minute craft and sweet treat ideas for a patriotic BBQ celebration, like myself, you have come to the right place...

1. Five Things link up is posted every Thursday at Midnight EST. Share any five things that are on your mind right now. Whether it's something you are obsessing with on Pinterest, a new and exciting event going on in your life, or even sharing five of your favorite books; it's totally up to you. 

2. Please put the Five Things button on the post you're sharing for the link up; sharing is caring, the more players involved the more fun we'll have.

3. Please follow both your hosts Diana from The World Around Her and Tairalyn from Little Miss Mama via Facebook {here and here} and/or Twitter {here and here}. As it’s not mandatory it is greatly appreciated.

4. If you tweet about your post or Instagram it, feel free to tag me or Tairalyn and use the hashtag, #FiveThingsParty

5. Check out the other bloggers who have linked up, show them some love and comment on at least one other bloggers link-up post.

Shall we get the party started...

1. Last week I posted a similar red, white, and blue treat on my Instagram, but it wasn't half as pretty as KariAnne's 4th of July dessert! Plus, I only used Reddi-wip with my blueberries and strawberries, she actually put together a little cool whip, yogurt combination...yum! Stop by her blog Thistlewood Farm for the complete recipe. It's an easy little treat to put together for your patriotic BBQ, and who doesn't love food in a mason jar?! 

2. Sometimes it's just easier to have a paper table runner when you're serving messy barbecue and have tons of little ones who will be eating at said table! But why let your paper table runner be boring when you can DIY a red, white, and blue one that will perfectly match your 4th of July party decor?! I love the stars on this one Monica and Jess of East Coast Creative put together using drawing paper, stop by their blog for the easy tutorial. 

3. Is this not the coolest patriotic wreath you've ever seen?! I have seen and shared cool wreath ideas before, but this is one I might actually put together. All you need is an embroidery hoop, fabric, and scissors...I think I can handle that! Check out the very easy tutorial over on Tell Love & Chocolate, not only does blogger Sara have a cute wreath but a cute blog name too! 

4. The awesome Kimberly at A Night Owl Blog (jealous of her blog name y'all!) put together a great round up of patriotic kids crafts that included this adorable 4th of July sand art from HoneyBear Lane. It's just the cutest craft that parents and kids can do together and it adds an extra little touch of red, white, and blue to help complete your patriotic home decor. These would look great at night time on your deck or porch with a tea light inside, like this DIY over on Martha Stewart. 

5. Another yummy 4th of July treat idea, there's always room for dessert right?! My sister's sister-in-law makes the best Christmas bark, so when I saw this red, white, and blue bark on Facebook I had to tag it and share it with her. I just love the swirls of red and blue that blogger Parrish put in the bark, head over to her blog Life With the Crust Cut Off to see the recipe tutorial. 

There are so many amazing patriotic craft and recipe ideas out there for the 4th of July, but I can only share five! What are some of your favorite ideas you've seen or put together for Independence Day? 

OK, now it's your turn to join the link up party with Little Miss Mama and I, what's on your mind this week?