Coconut Lime Shrimp Soup

Holy Cow! I made Coconut Lime Shrimp Soup last night for dinner, and it was delicious and so easy to make! I don't know why, but I have always been intimidated at the thought of making homemade soup. The ingredient list for soups tend to go on and on and I fear that 5 hours later (if I'm lucky) I might have a finished product. 

James and I are a week into the Whole 30 Program. Even though it has been only 7 days, James and I are already feeling the positive effects of eating healthy. Actually James has been eating like a king! Every night he tells me that the dish I prepared was the best meal he has ever tasted. You can also hear him saying, "I never knew you could cook so good!". 

I never knew I could too. 

It has actually been a lot of fun planning meals, prepping food, and experimenting in the kitchen. I feel like within a week I already feel more comfortable shopping for fresh produce and meat. It is amazing what delicious meals you can come up with by simply using the right ingredients. 

I was so happy with the outcome of this yummy soup, I had to share it with more than just one person. And according to James, this was the best soup he has ever had. :)

So if you are intimidated by homemade soup, don't be. If I can do it, you can do it. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil 
• 1 medium cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies (10 oz)
• 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1 Tbsp Tabasco 
• 1 medium lime, juiced (2 Tbsp)
• 1 diced avocado

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Saute onions and peppers for 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.
3. Then add garlic, tomatoes, shrimp and cilantro and simmer until shrimp turns opaque (5 minutes).
4. Pour in the coconut milk and Tabasco sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
5. Finish with lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy the yumminess with diced avocado on top.

Sunny Days Ahead

You know your ready for summer when your skin starts blending in with your white t-shirt! The sun came out last week and I was pretty happy about it. Since it has been warming up James and I have been taking walks around our neighborhood when I get home from work and it has been something I look forward to every evening. It feels so nice to be able to enjoy the outdoors and wind down after a busy day. I have been trying to enjoy the quite moments I get with James and appreciate the time we get to spend together. It is amazing how life continues to get busier and busier and it is easy to fall into daily routines. I always have to remind myself to stop what I am doing and let James know how lucky I am to have him in my life. He is my best bud and my partner in crime. Boy I sure do love him.

Makeup Organization

I have been wanting to organize my bathroom - particularly my makeup. I have never really had a specific way I organize my makeup. I have always just used one container where I stash all of my goods. Through the years as I have collected more and more [you know how that goes] I decided that the one container method is probably not the best way to store my makeup. It also makes it hard to keep everything clean -- since all of my makeup is just thrown into one tub. 

So I knew I needed to find a new method that would work better for me. I needed something to separate my makeup but still kept things accessible and functional. Something easy to grab and use. 

James and I were at Ikea over the weekend, and I saw their pull-out storage line, Kupol. Right when I saw these I knew they would work perfectly to organize my makeup. They have them in different sizes and you can combine and stack them however you want! I also love their simple design and that they are easy to clean.

So I got to work and organized my make up into different drawers. I also labeled each drawer with chalkboard stickers that I got at Michael's. 

I am currently storing these containers under my sink and I love how easy it is to pull out whatever drawer I need. I think that is what I love most about these pull out storage containers. If I need my "face" makeup, I just pull out that specific drawer. 

And you can stack them however you want!

And yes, I have been hiding behind these babies the entire time I was taking pictures. :) How do you organize your makeup?

Do you ride or ski?

Just spent the weekend at the Canyon's Resort in Park City. James' best friend Asa was in town which meant that snowboarding was definitely on the agenda. Every time I am on the mountain I always wonder why I don't do this more. Than I make a promise that I am going to go snowboarding more and than life happens.... Hopefully I can get out a few more times this season.

James also got me a pair of skis and I can now add that to my to do list of things to learn. I have always wanted to learn how to ski -- since I only now how to ride. How about you? Do you ride or ski? Or both?

Yes Please! [Revlon Color Burst]

I picked these babies up at target. I just couldn't pass up the fun vibrant color options -- I mean, I had a hard time just picking one... so I got three! I ended up choosing Audacious, Elusive and Shameless. But seriously, I am craving these colors. I'm especially in love with the velvety matte look they leave on your lips. And the balm is super rich in moisture which is awesome because sometimes matte lipsticks can feel dry. The matte balm has shea, coconut, and mango butters to nourish your lips. Yes please!

[Shameless]

[Audacious]

[Elusive]

Frozen Utah Lake

I love the fact that I can just walk out my back door and jump in the lake -- well I guess walk on a frozen lake. I will have to wait for the summer to go swimming. But seriously, I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. You just can't beat the quality of life here in Utah. 

I had been wanting to go out on the ice, so while my younger siblings were staying at my place I had them run down to the frozen lake with me. We didn't go out very far, but far enough to get some fun pictures. 

Road to Sochi

Go team USA! While James' family was in town for Christmas we went up to Park City to watch the Ski Jump. It is pretty dang amazing how fast and high those athletes go. It was also neat to watch the jump in person. I was surprised at how different of an experience it was seeing them in person versus watching it on the television. 

Craig and Jos also got us these sweet Team USA gloves. They are awesome -- especially when you are cheering at an Olympic event.

There was a band that was performing after the event called Holy Water Buffalo from Heber, Utah. They were pretty good and they also had pretty impressive hair. 

Also while I was walking around the event, I couldn't stop noticing everyone's amazing snow boots and realized that I am missing a very essential part of my wardrobe -- especially for someone who lives in Utah. How have I gone so many years without purchasing a pair of snow boots? Every winter my poor toes freeze. Does anyone have snow boots that they recommend? 

And for some outtakes --

Silly brothers.

I think I might be lecturing James in this picture. :)