Snaps and Mishaps

move over, beethoven

2012-02-07T17:27:00.005-06:00

So this used to be my favorite salmon recipe, sans puff pastry. It's easy, healthy, contains one of favorite ingredients on the planet: pesto, and was introduced to me by friend Giada. Tough competition in my opinion.
Salmon with Pesto and Puff Pastry (but minus the puff pastry)
4 pieces salmon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced

EASY: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Place salmon on foil and top with almonds. Cook for 10 minutes. I spread pesto on top of the fish and then top with tomato slices.

Then I bought salmon yesterday and was looking around online for an easy recipe with ingredients we already have in the house.

BINGO.

I have kinda been in love with coriander for about six months now, so I was initially excited it was an ingredient. Then I read the reviews, checked our pantry and fridge, and realized we had a winner.

Salmon with Honey-Coriander Glaze
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1/4 cup honey
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salmon (I bought a pound)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

EASY: Mix first four ingredients. Brush mixture onto one side of salmon. Heat oil in a pan and cook salmon 1-2 minutes per side. Then I wrapped the salmon in foil and put it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes (the recipe calls for cooking on the stove top the whole time, but the oven was already on and cooking cute little potato gratins in muffin cups, so I figured I'd throw the salmon in there). I reduced the rest of the sauce and drizzled it over the cooked fish. One of the tastiest things I can remember making!!

I thought about it all day today.

a hit and a partial miss

2012-01-08T20:39:00.005-06:00

I tried out two new recipes tonight. One didn't turn out as pretty as the picture, but it was delicious. The other was so easy and so exciting to watch that I danced around the kitchen.

Dinner:

Um, yeah...mine did not look like that when I cut it. Unfortunately.

I caught an episode of my good friend, Giada, making this last week and ever since then it has been on my mind. I read the reviews of it online and decided that Sunday evening would be the best night to attempt this since it is pretty time-consuming, although not difficult.

Eggplant Timbale (serves 4-6)
2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound penne pasta
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian pork sausage
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups diced smoked mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1/4 cup
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the eggplant slices with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until tender and colored with grill marks, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and pork, and brown the meat, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the peas and marinara sauce and stir to combine. Add the cheeses, basil, and cooked pasta. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a springform pan with the grilled eggplant. Be sure that the slices overlap and hang over the edge of the pan. Fill the pan with the pasta mixture, pressing down to make sure the pan is filling up evenly. Fold the eggplant slices up over the top of the pasta and add a few more slices on top to completely enclose the timbale. Bake the timbale until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes to set.

To serve, invert the timbale onto a serving plate and remove the springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. Slice and serve.

My notes:
*I did my research on Marsala wine. It is comparable to Port, which I find revolting. The recipe calls for such a small amount that I chose to use Marsala cooking wine instead of the real thing. I know this is frowned upon but I didn't want to buy a whole stinkin' bottle of wine to use a tiny amount and throw the rest out.
*Eggplant: I'd say three medium or two very large. I think I would peel it next time. Also-I heart my mandolin.
*It needs to cook for longer than 30 minutes; I'd say at least 45.
*The flavors were fabulous! While the presentation would be stunning (if it worked out well), I think I would just throw the filling in a glass baking dish and top it with eggplant or use the eggplant like lasagna noodles and just layer the whole thing up next time.

Any-time-of-the-day-goodness:

I bought a giant bag of almonds a while back during an overwhelming trip to Costco. I looked around online for almond butter recipes since I thought that would be a good way to use up some of those bad boys. All the recipes I found were pretty similar, but the one I ended up using had a fabulous description of the different stages of almond butter making, accompanied by pictures of what the mixture should be doing. I kept the website up as my little food processor went to work. :)

Almond Butter
2 C Almonds
1 T Raw Honey (optional)
1/2 t Sea Salt (optional)

Place almonds in food processor. Process for 8-12 minutes. You will need to scrape down the sides in the beginning. If you choose to use the honey and salt, stir in by hand after the butter is made as it will seize the mixture if you try to add it before.

Here's the website with step-by-step pictures:
http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-recipe-almond-butter

My notes:
*I toasted my almonds in the over for about 12 minutes and then let them cool.
*It only took about 8 minutes for it to go through the whole process.
*Your food processor will only sound like it's shattering for about 10 seconds when the almonds are first getting chopped.
*I stirred in a little drizzle of honey when it was all finished.
*I'm definitely not into the raw food movement, especially after looking at some of her recipes for things that are supposed to be cooked...like cinnamon rolls and doughnut holes. She hit a home run with this nut butter recipe, though.

expanding our family...

2011-10-19T19:53:00.007-05:00

...with a furry friend: Frank. :)

Here is Frank's short life story (he's lived a lot of life in 5 months!):

-Frank was dropped off at a church. A kind man who lives near the church traps strays, gets them fixed, and then releases them. He found a tiny kitty and contacted a rescue group who said he was too little to take just yet. Frank lived with this man and his wife for a week or two until he wasn't too teeny tiny to lose his man parts.
-Frank got all fixed up and taken to Petsmart to be put up for adoption.
-I go on Sunday to volunteer with kitties (alas, I made it a year without actually bringing one home) and send Bobby a text and picture saying this is the strangest cat I've ever seen:

-Frank is terrified at Pestmart.
-The following Sunday I warn Bobby that if said kitty is still there, there's a 90% chance I'll bring him home. Frank was not there.
-Frank got adopted and then returned a few days later because the people were allergic (seriously?! How do you not already know you're allergic to cats?).
-I emailed cat lady (contact at rescue group) about Frank. She can't keep him at her house and must take him back to Petsmart.
-We go to California for a wedding and I worry that Frank will be adopted before we get back.
-Frank is so scared/anxious/unsure that he licks his nose too much and the cat lady can't take him to Petsmart.
-Frank is better a week later. We go to thrilling Wichita Falls for the night where again I worry that he is going to get adopted before we can see him.
-We go to see him on our way home from WF and pick him up the next morning after church.

The end.

-I swear Frank is part-squirrel, part chipmunk, and part something-with-a-ridiculously-long-tail-and-big-ears.
-Frank kept his name because Bobby thought it was funny.
-We are now outnumbered and Traveler is still afraid of the two cats. Can you say "never a dull moment at our house"? :)

be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it all

2011-09-13T16:49:00.003-05:00

our wedding!

2011-07-31T16:48:00.004-05:00

It happened!!!!!! :) And here are a few pictures as well as a phenomenal slide show that I've already watched a handful of times today:

http://lightlyphoto.com/blog/mary-bobby-married-at-christ-chapel-community-church-and-colonial-country-club-ft-worth/

Thank you to our wonderful friends and family for making that night the most magical and special thing we've ever been a part of...it went far above our expectations and I had more fun than I've ever had in my life!

love for my sweet mama

2011-07-17T21:25:00.004-05:00

One of the song choices at church this morning couldn't have come at a more perfect time; here is the chorus which spoke right to my heart:

Oh No, You Never Let Go
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

This week stands to contain both the highest of highs and lowest of lows thus far in my life. I think I'll hum this tune to myself all day tomorrow as we wait for the amazing doctors to work their magic on my sweet mama.

If you're the praying kind, my family would be most grateful for any you care to offer up.

m and m

2011-07-14T12:44:00.010-05:00

To say I'm thankful for these two amazing friends isn't enough. Blessed, thankful, forever grateful and appreciative just begin to scratch the surface. I got to spend a full day with each of these lovelies as they stepped in to help me finish wedding tasks so that I can go be by sweet mama's side for two days (those two days just happen to be the week of our wedding-hello, stress and expletives and tears and no sleep and endless praying). Anyway, sweet Meredeth and Margaret took the reins as wedding planners and ran around with me in the 256 degree heat trying to finish things on the never-ending wedding to-do list. Meredeth went to 400 stores with me to find a rehearsal dinner dress, she tried on dresses that they didn't have in my size just so I could see what they looked like on, she befriended the saleslady in order to make sure my overnighted dress would get here in time, and she made me laugh the whole time, which was very much needed. Margaret and I went to a few less stores looking for jewelry and other day-of necessities. ;) We managed to find multiple pieces that would work and then came back and worked on the ceremony program for hours. Man, she is ah-mazing on the computer! It was so nice to get those things accomplished with friends alongside for the fun/stress.

More important than all of the items bought and tasks scratched off the lists, these two souls are the truest definition of what a friend is. They stepped in and required that I accept their help, they've made me laugh and they've listened. They've shown love in the most outstanding way and I will forever remember that while in the midst of heartache and uncertainty combined with the craziness and excitement that comes with finalizing wedding plans, my friends displayed loved that I've never seen before.

a cat and her cardboard

2011-06-22T16:24:00.015-05:00

**Disclaimer: I realize this post puts me fully into the category of being a cat lady.**

I'm ok with that because:
1. I love her.
2. Her love affair with biting/playing in/jumping in/hiding in it is mind-boggling.
3. She has made packing a very entertaining event, which is a miracle.
4. I can't truly be a cat lady if I'm getting married in a month, right???

P.S.-Instagram is the coolest app!!

hello, home

2011-06-15T20:55:00.003-05:00

She is ours! Isn't she cute:
We're running out of things to sign away, but for now this will suffice as signing our lives away.

The first child is going to the band for our reception.

The second child is going to the wedding photographer...really, the wedding photo album/book.

At this rate we're going to need to have more kids than we've discussed.

because i aspire to be snow white

2011-05-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

I want to be this woman:

tastes of summer

2011-05-23T19:48:00.004-05:00

Hello, summer: Edamame Succotash
1 slice center-cut bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped sweet onion
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons torn basil

Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; coarsely chop bacon.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt butter in drippings in pan. Add onion; sauté 3minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn kernels; sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Add edamame, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through bell pepper); cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon and basil.

*This is a light dish that is good on hot summer nights (you can eat it hot or cold) and also is a winner if you've got fitting into a very important white dress on the brain.

(from Cooking Light)

Here's another one I just made (doubled it) to take to a work luncheon tomorrow:

Strawberry Field Salad
1 (5-ounce) bag spring mix salad greens
1 1/2 cups strawberries, halved (about 1 pint)
1/2 cup prechopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Sesame Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Place spring mix in a large serving bowl and top with strawberries, nuts and blue cheese. Pour vinaigrette over salad, toss to coat ingredients well and serve.

1/4 cup bottled Italian salad dressing
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian (dark) sesame oil

Pour salad dressing into a small mixing bowl and whisk in honey, soy sauce and sesame oil.

(from The Dinner Doctor)

sacred

2011-04-10T19:22:00.003-05:00

In our young couples class at church, we've been going through a study based on the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. The idea behind the book and the group study is to ponder the question "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?"

That's quite a question to ponder. Particularly at the halfway point in an engagement. But I have ended up LOVING this study and am so thankful for the timing of it in our lives and our relationship. The study wipes away the romanticized notion of a marriage and instead talks about growing with your spouse and growing your relationship in order to bring God glory. Through this class, Bobby and I had many opportunities to talk with others couples, hear their insight and experiences in their marriages, reflect on our own strengths and weaknesses, and really look at how we help balance each other out and how we can honor each other. I could probably write a lot more about the study, but alas it is Sunday evening and everything I've put off doing over the weekend is now staring me in the face. Boo. My favorite thing from the whole study was a prayer suggested during class this morning: "Lord, how do I love my spouse today like they've never been loved before and never will be loved again?" I feel so honored to be the person who gets to pray that over my sweet boy.

they said it's not broken...

2011-03-13T14:30:00.012-05:00

Buuuuut, it ain't right.

In fact, it's a bit crooked.

This is the result of changing poses in yoga-going from downward dog to warrior 1. To quote my dear friend's blog, um....seriously?! I've done that change 100 times without injury.

Sorry to those of you reading this who are grossed out by feet.

just a preview...

2011-02-27T17:50:00.002-06:00

Yep.

Thank goodness for Photoshop (we now have a decent copy of this picture where he's actually looking at the camera...he's pretty).

Yes, there were laughable pictures of me as well, but after all, this is my blog and I chose to not share those with the world. :)

Thank goodness we did an informal practice shoot with a very patient friend...otherwise we wouldn't have known how important drinks will be before the real engagement photo session. After all, we're basically agreeing to give our photographer our first child in exchange for pictures and a wedding album, so we need to be relaxed and get some good shots.

Thank goodness for love.

ICE: you are not my friend

2011-02-02T16:13:00.002-06:00

Well, I just got official word that there will be no school tomorrow. That would be day 3. Day 1 is always exciting and much appreciated. Beyond that, we in education start waving goodbye to those precious end-of-year holidays that are so desperately needed. Now it seems we'll also be waving goodbye to at least one summer day...perhaps more if the darn sun doesn't come out and start melting some of this ice!

Day 1:
-made muffins for breakfast (got ingredients the day before in anticipation of being home to make them)
-looked at potential honeymoon spots...this may not have been such a great idea...pictures of beaches and imagining laying there soaking up the sun with a frozen beverage in hand...yeah, that idea gets sort of ruined when you attempt to look out the window, but can't because of all the frost and condensation on it from outside
-listened to Mazie meow to go outside, only to open the door for her, have her look at the snow outside the front door, and run into the bedroom. Like 50 times. Can cats have amnesia?
-once we'd bored ourselves of the TV, we decided to try and venture to 7-11 for a movie and snacks, most importantly to get out for a little bit
-bought horrible gas station snacks (and ate them!!), adult beverages and 2 Red Box movies
-made spaghetti squash for dinner
-painted my nails
-attempted to watch Anchorman...I just couldn't do it
-watched The Social Network instead
-used only cold water since the hot water pipes are broken at the apartment complex (=no shower yesterday)
-tried negotiating with a photographer...I'd say I was 60% successful

Day 2:
-slept in without interruptions
-cleaned out and wiped down the inside of the fridge
-decided to venture to Target for some groceries, and again, to get out of the house. Realized Target was not a terrific idea because the parking lot was one giant sheet of ice. Whimpered about parking and having to back out on ice. Finally decided to park far away from all cars in an open area where I could just pull forward to leave. Shopped in the 1/2 dark for the first time (electricity is evidently a precious commodity in North Texas right now, thank goodness it hasn't affected my apartment).
-went to the gym to shower. Yes, I had all the time in the world to work out but was seriously lacking motivation. So instead I just enjoyed their hot water and hair that no longer looks liked I emerged from the Gulf oil spill.
-Signed my first child away to a photographer. Well, really more to the wedding album she'll be making for us.
-Attempted to do my taxes. I didn't like what they said I owed, so I'll try again later.
-Started calling my work phone tree peeps
-I'd pour myself a glass of wine right now if I weren't going to pick up my sweet boy from downtown in about 30 minutes

Day 3:
I'm predicting:
-an actual gym visit that includes some exercise and sweat (and probably a hot shower since I'm doubting anything can be done about the underground pipes here in the 14 degree weather)
-catching up on 3 weeks worth of People magazines
-Modern Family season 1 marathon (it's ok to be jealous if Santa didn't bring this to you)
-banging my head against the wall
-creating a list of recipes to make for an entire month in an attempt to curb my lack of inspiration cooking rut
-mixed feelings if I get "the call" for day 4

recipe revamp

2011-01-06T20:21:00.002-06:00

Before about a month ago, I was not a fan of chicken salad. That was due to a star ingredient: mayonnaise. Mayo grosses me out. I was able to find a good recipe that used a combination of mustards, so that appeased once or twice (see: Barefoot Contessa). Then my Bible study leader brought this little ditty for our group and I fell in love:

Chicken Salad
4c. diced or shredded chicken (pull apart 1 rotisserie chicken)
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts
1/2 c. sliced almonds
seasoning salt or salt and pepper to taste
<1 tsp ground ginger (I recommend using fresh ginger)

Combine above ingredients and top with dressing (see below).

Dressing (Combine the following):

1 1/2 - 2 c. Brianna's Poppyseed dressing
1/2 c. sour cream
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
dash of Tabasco (optional)

I omitted the ginger and Tabasco; I'm a fan of neither. I used 1/2 cup of the dressing and that was plenty for me; I know others like their chicken salad creamier than I do. This is a good and easy recipe for those of us who have to pack a lunch in lieu of eating elementary school cafeteria "food."

your eyes whispered how we met

2010-12-24T14:33:00.009-06:00

Wednesday night: Bobby very casually asks if I want to go see his new office in the old courthouse tomorrow since it will be kind of quiet down there with not many people working. I say sure.

Thursday afternoon: We go to said courthouse, check out his new digs, and he asks if I want to see a really neat view of the city. I say sure. We then proceed to go through a door held open by a fire extinguisher...which kinda freaked me out since that meant the door obviously would lock if it got closed. Bobby says that it's fine, it's always there. Ok. We begin to climb stairs in what looks like attic space, complete with all kinds of furry and scaly friends and insulation everywhere. As we're climbing over pipes, I ask him if he is taking me somewhere to murder me since no one would find me in this space. We go up more stairs and across a little bridge like thing and then another set of stairs to this scene:

I stopped walking and said something along the lines of "oh my gosh" while also being acutely aware that my heart was beating harder than it ever had before. Bobby came back and walked me up the few remaining stairs and then got down on his sweet knee, said the sweetest words to me and asked me to marry him! I'm pretty sure I said "really???" about 7 times after I said yes and then about 70 more times throughout our time up on the observation deck. The little observation room/deck was so romantic and so neat! The view of Fort Worth was really amazing once I actually looked at it.

He did a great job!! I was totally clueless although I should have picked up on his ever-so-fast pace once we left his office and headed to "see the view." :) He'd set everything up earlier in the day and a maintenance fellow and a bailiff were the only folks who knew what was going on.

I kept thinking of that line from Legally Blond when Reese Witherspoon says "....and she's wearing the ring on her bony unpolished finger!" I had literally just taken my nail polish off the day before and hadn't redone them, so I did a hasty at-home job before dinner.

We went to dinner at Silver Fox to celebrate and then met up with friends afterwards. Even Margaret's sweet parents showed up to celebrate!

It's sinking in more today but yesterday was the most surreal thing I've ever experienced. I know I am beyond blessed and that this sweet man was hand-picked for me.

He told me "now we get to be a family." :)

I get to keep him!!

i could be british for this

2010-12-15T20:07:00.003-06:00

I mean, really, could anything look more like comfort food?? This is the pic from the magazine...mine wasn't as pretty but it sure was tasty. Perfect comforting meal for the cold weather and stressful holiday times.

English Cottage Pie
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 (8-ounce) package cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
Paprika (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour and butter; stir well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove vegetables from skillet. Add beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in broth and pepper. Return vegetables to pan, and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, thyme, and salt. Add flour mixture, and cook for 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.

3. Spoon meat mixture into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly. Combine the potatoes and half of cheese; spread the potato mixture evenly over meat mixture. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

I didn't tweak this at all except to use dried thyme instead of fresh. I made some quick mashed potatoes with a few Yukon golds, milk, butter, S&P. Oh, and I bought pre-sliced mushrooms...why wouldn't you? :)

Recipe from Cooking Light

these are a few of my favorite things

2010-12-04T13:23:00.009-06:00

I hope Santa has Internet capabilities way up there in the North Pole. If you see the jolly gent, please pass along my list...I've been very good this year! :)

How can you not want to bake with this cute yellow hand mixer?!

A Lululemon yoga mat!! It is specially designed to keep my hands from slipping when I get sweaty (which would come in extra handy if I ever get to do hot yoga again....fingers crossed).

Oh...my liking of all things owls (cute owls, not creepy ones or ones with eyes too big) might be blowing into a full on obsession. Yeah. I think it is. How cute are these note cards?? I would opt for my own name, of course, to be on the front. I think I'd also choose bejeweled and rosybrown as my two color choices from this cute website: http://www.ohlouisedesigns.com/pages/Item%20Pages/OwlsFolded.html .

How did the owl thing come to be, you ask? Do you see any similarities between the pillow and the furry:

(When she gets really crazy, her ears go back and her yellow eyes get HUGE and I am certain that one time she is going to sprout wings and start saying "whooo.")

And just because sometimes Santa's in a really awesome giving mood, here's my most favorite thing with four wheels:

Merry Christmas!!

slow-cooker goodness

2010-11-22T16:49:00.004-06:00

Here's a new favorite recipe. It's perfect for Sunday nights or when you're craving some warm comfort food.

Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada (serves 8-10)
•2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces
•coarse salt and ground pepper
•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•1 medium white onion, diced medium
•1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
•1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small
•5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
•1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•3/4 teaspoon chili powder
•3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
•6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
•2 bay leaves
•Flour tortillas, warmed, grated cheddar, and cilantro, for serving

•Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high. In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, 5 minutes per batch (add 2 teaspoons more oil for second batch). Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
•In same skillet, cook 2 teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 6 hours. Serve in tortillas with cheese and cilantro.

(from Everyday Food, 11/2010)

My thoughts:
-I bought already cut up stew meat...the less I have to handle raw meat, the better.
-Everything tastes even better wrapped up in a Central Market flour tortilla. :)

battle of the banana breads

2010-11-13T16:40:00.004-06:00

While I am far from a baker, I did try out two different banana bread recipes recently. One uses one of my obsessions: Greek yogurt. The other is fairly tradition...I assume, anyway, since I'm no baker.

Cho-nana Bread
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large overripe bananas
½ cup Chobani Plain 0% Greek Yogurt
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) *I would use 1/3 cup*

Grease large loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, stir together flours, baking soda, and salt.
Peel bananas. Cut each in half lengthwise and then cut each half into halves. Chop quartered bananas into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar into a smooth paste. Add applesauce and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add eggs on at a time, and beat until incorporated.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and mix well. Add chopped bananas, nuts and/or chocolate chips and Chobani.
Fold ingredients in, being careful not to break up banana chunks. Bake at 350F for 1 hour or until inserted knife comes out clean when removed from loaf.

Banana-Chocolate-Walnut Bread
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons fat-free milk

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add sugars; beat until blended.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.
Fold minichips and nuts into batter; pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

The winner (in my opinion, anyway): Cho-nana Bread! I liked the taste better, plus since I consider myself a bit of a health nut, I like the protein factor from the yogurt, plus the use of applesauce instead of oil. Happy baking!

words to ponder

2010-10-27T19:37:00.002-05:00

Some really great lyrics about forgiveness that make you think. If you can find the video of TSwift performing this song on the VMA's, I highly recommend checking it out. And yes, in case you've been wondering if the hype was worth it, let me reassure you: her new CD is that good. :)

An Innocent
Guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you

It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
Still an innocent

Did some things you can't speak of
But at night you live it all again
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
Wasn't it easier in your firefly catching days
When everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn't it beautiful running wild till you fell asleep
Before the monsters caught up to you

It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent

Time turns flames to embers
You'll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to
Be brand new

It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
You're still an innocent

Lost your balance on the tight rope
It's never too late to get it back

you are the best thing that's ever been mine

2010-10-13T19:21:00.003-05:00

human-ness

2010-09-23T17:44:00.004-05:00

So, my mind and my heart have recently been focused on how unkindly and unfairly some groups of people are treated.
1. I read The Help and although it's fiction, it's historical fiction and you can bet those stories really occurred between some white women and their "help." The segregation laws were very much real.
2.I recently watched an Oprah episode where she returned to a small town 20 years later after doing an episode about a young gay man with AIDS and the city's reaction to him jumping into a public pool. It was shocking to me to hear a man say "they should all be shipped to their own island so they can whittle down their own kind." Seriously?! What was almost more appalling was that views in that town hadn't changed much in 20 years.
3.I have heard bits and pieces of the debate over the Muslim center being built near Ground Zero...I listen until I get frustrated, which isn't too long.

I'm thankful to live in a time where people can drink out of whatever water fountain they want, people with AIDS (or cancer or even a prosthetic leg) can swim in a public pool without being ridiculed on national TV.

I'm sad and baffled that some people forget or don't want to remember that when we all lay down at night to go to bed, that we're someone's daughter, sister, father, uncle, or friend. We're human beings and we're way more alike than we are different. We all eat food, we all like to be comfortable, we all want to belong, to be valued, and to count.

Someone posted the Washington Post article below on Facebook and I think I read it about 4 times while simultaneously clapping. It made me think back to my graduate classes, and one in particular: Diversity. I loved this class. I loved how it pushed everyone's boundaries. I loved how it made me think and rethink and rethink again. I loved how it opened my eyes to other people's lives and struggles. I loved that it made me want to do better. The article inspired me to look back at my own "journal" entries from that class. We had readings each night and several guest speakers throughout the course of the class. Our assignment each night was to write a journal entry (for a grade) about the day's class discussions and readings. I have put one of my journal entries below the WP article.

Here's the Washington Post article:
Dear Muslims, let's all agree to reject hatred
By Kathleen Parker
Sunday, September 12, 2010

Dear Muslim World,

I am writing you today as an American citizen who is deeply embarrassed by current events in my country.

First, let me say that I am not representing anyone. I can't claim to speak for anyone but myself, though I am certain that many others feel as I do.

I want to address the current controversy over the proposed Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero and the so-called "pastor" in Florida who had been threatening to burn a Koran.

I'll begin with the easier of the two: Please ignore Pastor Terry Jones. I wish we had. He may live in the United States. He may have a building with a cross on it and call it a church. And he may know 50 or so people who care what he says, but he's nobody. His threat to burn a Koran was a desperate attempt to get attention and nothing more.

Anyone can call himself a pastor, but there's a reason Jones leads such a tiny congregation. We have a long tradition in this country of letting people speak their thoughts in public, but we don't take many of them very seriously. We laugh at characters like Jones but figure it's better to let fools reveal themselves in the light of day than to let them fester in the dark.

I know this is hard to understand. We have trouble with it sometimes, too. Freedom is a messy affair, and sometimes people get their feelings hurt but we think the trade-off is worth the aggravation.

What we hope you understand is that most Americans were appalled by Jones's proposal, too. Many of us would like for him to crawl back under his rock and stay there, never to be heard from again. Alas, our laws do not forbid stupidity. A few decades ago, Jones would be standing on a fruit crate on a street corner, where children would point at him and be scolded by their parents: "It's not nice to make fun of crazy people." Today, thanks to the miracle of mass communication, he can command a broad, if undeserved, audience.

What our laws do not require, of course, is that we give him our attention, and that's where we have failed each other and ourselves. As a member of the news media, I am sorry that we handed him a megaphone, and I apologize. Please be patient. In a few days, he will be forgotten.

Of more pressing concern, and less easily resolved, is the controversy in this country about the proposed Islamic cultural center in Manhattan. I understand the sensitivity, as I'm sure many of you do. When we were attacked by terrorists nine years ago, our hearts were broken. They still are.

Nevertheless, we don't hold all Muslims responsible for what happened any more than all Christians should be held responsible for what Pastor Jones has been saying. Muslims also died when the World Trade Center towers collapsed. To say that an Islamic center can't be built near Ground Zero is to say that all Muslims are to blame. I don't think that most Americans believe this, even though a majority now say that they would prefer the center be built elsewhere.

This can't be explained rationally because this is purely an emotional response. Obviously, Muslims have the same right to worship when and where they please, just as any other group in America. The same rules of tolerance that allow a Florida pastor to preach his message also allow Muslims to preach theirs.

We may never be able to agree on some things. That is life. But let us all agree to some terms. Let's agree not to tolerate hatred -- toward Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists or any others. Let's agree not to use inflammatory language. Let's agree to call out and condemn those who would incite riot, whether it's an imam who orders the death of a cartoonist or the preacher who wants to burn another man's holy book.

Let's agree that sometimes we will disagree but that none of this makes any sense if worshiping the creator means we must destroy each other in the process. Anyone who believes in God can't also believe that his divine plan included his creation's mutual destruction.

Peace be upon us all. Or as we say around here, God bless.

Sincerely,

An American

My journal entry
6.23.08

Well I am just eating up the information I’m learning about other religions, particularly the Muslim faith that I read about tonight. I knew a few bits of trivia about it, but feel so much more informed having read two different pieces about the faith. I did not know that Islam believed any parts of Christianity, let alone that the two religions share quite a bit of history. I can’t help but wonder how many Christians are aware of this…
In reading and reflecting, I thought a lot about the current state of politics and prejudices against Muslims. I find it sad, and honestly a bit ignorant, that people can hold an entire group of people accountable for something done by a handful of individuals who happened to be members of their faith…or claimed to be. There is no arguing that since 9/11 Muslim people have been the targets of profiling by officials and also citizens. The last time I was at the airport, I watched as an older couple, who I presumed to be Muslim, remove their shoes and had their bags searched. I remember feeling sorry for them…they were suffering the consequences of people’s actions they had never met.
I realize I’m coming at this journal entry with more of a racial/cultural discussion than a religious one. But as I read about the history and practice of Islam, no where did I read that followers were expected to fly planes into buildings, carry out suicide bombings, or plot to kill mass amounts of people-usually Americans. I don’t-but I do-understand why an entire religious culture is essentially punished for the crimes and malevolence of a small number of people. Is it just easier to place blame that way? Is it easier to make sense of tragedy when you can blame someone or a group of people that is still alive; that way you can fight the enemy? And is America really all that more protected by having all, although racial profiling “doesn’t exist”, Muslim-looking people go through intense scrutiny? Does anyone think to ask what religion they are affiliated with? I think a lot of religious assumptions are made, and are made based on looks. I am positive that there are white Americans who practice Islam, but are they made to go through extra security measures at airports? Who’s to say they are any less likely than the next Muslim to cause mass harm and panic to a group of people?
With all the disappointment behind those questions, there is hope after reading the article about Reza Aslan. As the author says, he is one of the “great hopes for Muslims to take back the faith…” This article brings about the question; can one person really change the world? Well, most likely, the answer is no. But, he can bring some awareness, advocacy, and education to people who are willing to listen. And he can encourage others like him to follow in his footsteps.
Do I think the Muslim faith will ever be fairly judged again? Not in my lifetime. But I can hope that when people allow their eyes to be opened a little bit, and their minds challenged even just slightly, that the followers of Islam may get a little bit more of a fair chance to practice their faith and be members of the human race.

must read

2010-09-07T21:12:00.003-05:00

Read this book:
It just might change your life. Or at least make you think a little more about life and people and kindness and relationships and what you didn't learn in history classes. It will run you through the gamut of emotions, all for the better.

Best of luck putting it down once you start.

(more) lyrics i like

2010-09-06T16:15:00.003-05:00

...I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet

Its gotta be
More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance...

(Just a snippit of the song "More Like Falling In Love" by Jason Gray)

just in case you've been wondering

2010-08-23T20:02:00.002-05:00

This house: Was even cuter and better in person. I know, I know...how is that even possible??? A-the living room set up was better and cozier than the pictures were able to show. B-the kitchen was way bigger (and has a huge pantry) than in the picture. C-the owners had lit a little candle on the porch for ambiance...cute! D-I got to go inside and dream.

must.make.now.

2010-08-23T19:47:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the wonderful world of blog stalking, I can keep up with the lives of complete strangers as well as old friends from middle school. This recipe come from latter (here's her blog: http://immeasurablymoore.blogspot.com).

Now, let me tell you, for a girl who really doesn't like to eat things that come from a can, and for a girl who likes creamy white foods almost less, this recipe ROCKS! Definitely a good Sunday night, eat off of it all week keeper. Thanks, Sarah!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
4-5 chicken breasts
1 can RoTel
2 cans cream soup (I use 1 mushroom & 1 chicken)
3 Cups grated cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder
salt & pepper
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, seeded, de-veined and chopped (optional)
1/2 onion, chopped
12+ flour tortillas

1. Cook thawed chicken breasts in the crockpot with RoTel & seasonings on low for 4-6 hours. (or until cooked through & very tender.) Drain excess liquid and using 2 forks, shred chicken.
2. While chicken cooks, saute peppers & onion.
3. Mix shredded chicken with remaining ingredients, reserving 1 cup cheese.
4. Spoon mixture into tortillas, roll them up and place seam side down into a greased 9x13 pan. Spread remaining mixture over tortillas and top with cheese.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*Because Bobby's more adventurous than me, he wanted to add some of the RoTel "juice and tomatoes" from the Crock Pot to the shredded chicken/cream/cheese mixture. I stepped aside from my OCD, recipe-following self and let him. It was a good adventure.
*I used 4 chicken breasts and had plenty-our enchiladas were huge!

very superstitious

2010-08-14T16:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Friday the 13th. Never before have I believed in bad luck on this day or been the least bit superstitious...however, after yesterday I might be a bit swayed. Like they say about deaths, my bad luck came in threes.

1. My blow dryer died about 5 seconds after turning it on yesterday morning. It just so happened that I'd gotten my hair cut the day before, by a brand new person, and I had a lot of new layers that needed to be fiddled with and styled. Scratch that plan; my hair spent the day in a ponytail with bobbypins. Luckily it was a super casual day at work.

2. Once I got to work with my semi-wet, semi-dry hair, I realized I'd left my phone at home. Obviously I knew I'd survive just fine without it, but I couldn't help but feel a bit off until I got home. On the upside, I was way productive because I had no phone to play with.

3. We stopped by Target on the way to dinner so that I could replace my deceased blow dryer. While in the checkout line I realized my wallet was not in my purse and was instead at my house. Luckily my sugar daddy was there to pick up the tab.

I ended this less than stellar day with a highly tasty frozen margarita, which helped everything.

welcome mat

2010-08-02T20:53:00.008-05:00

Yeah...I want to put one of those on this front porch reaaaaal bad. Like I look at this house everyday online bad. Like I tried to figure out how I could possibly live in it immediately bad. Like I drove by tonight(twice) and called Bobby to remind him how much I love it bad. Like we talked again 20 minutes later so I could reiterate my affection for it (and reiterate the cute neighborhood sightings I saw on my stalking trip: a group of little boys playing football outside, families at the park, men mowing their lawns) bad. Like I'm about as hyper as after I have a Mountain Dew bad. Like I told him I'm driving him by it tomorrow night so he can see for himself bad (that'd be 3 drive-bys in 24 hours...if you're counting). Like I'm counting on getting to see the inside on Wednesday night bad. Like my obsession with Adam Lambert bad.

How cute/darling/perfect/charming/lovely/warm/friendly/inviting is this house: Hello beautiful shade of purple, I'm in love with you and your chair railing. Oh and built-in white bar, I love you just as much.

Hello front living room where I would spend so much of my time watching jealous people drive by.

eye-opening

2010-08-02T17:57:00.003-05:00

But when we can manage to get a picture with his eyes open, boy is he good looking.

(Add a spiffy white dinner jacket and my little Great Gatsby knocks my socks off.)

my favorite go-to

2010-07-28T20:22:00.002-05:00

More Vegetable Than Egg Frittata (serves 4)

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
4 C mixed vegetables (I've used sliced Swiss chard, cut-up asparagus, diced zucchini, and/or cut-up green beans)
*1 tsp salt
1/4 C fresh basil leaves (optional)
3 eggs
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add vegetables and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary so vegetables brown a little without scorching.
2. Turn heat to low when vegetables are nearly done and add basil, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pan is almost dry, up to 5 minutes longer for wetter ingredients such as mushrooms.
3. Beat eggs and cheese (if using) in bowl while vegetables cook. Season with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Pour in eggs, using a spoon if necessary to distribute them evenly. cook, undisturbed, until eggs are barely set, about 10 minutes. Run under the broiler for a minute or two to brown very slightly.
4. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

*I use my favorite Parmesan cheese from Central Market, which is already pretty salty (and SO good!!!!). I thought a teaspoon of salt made it waaaay too salty the first time I made it, so now I only use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon total.

If you're getting cheese (or really anything else delicious at Central Market), I would recommend grabbing a yummy loaf of bread there too. A slice of good bread, a salad, and a slice of frittata: delicious!!

I don't do bugs

2010-07-26T20:31:00.004-05:00

If this sweet animal brings one more of these inside

she will be looking for a new home.

P.S.-The bug is a picture I found online; I did not take the time to snap a picture of any of them in the midst of trying to keep the cat away while I shoveled the giant things back outside.

God love him

2010-07-25T20:23:00.009-05:00

I feel bad asking people to take a quick picture of Bobby and me...most of our friends who've been asked will take several and give up. Why, you ask? Well, this wonderfully handsome guy turns into a wrinkled, mentally challenged man who looks three sheets to the wind even though he's stone-cold sober (he has a sweet sunburn to boot in the most recent ones). Bless him.

(Mere tried giving him lessons...obviously those haven't paid off)

And thank goodness for professionals who use Photoshop.

yummy breakfast

2010-07-14T15:22:00.003-05:00

Oh, baby, are these muffins g-o-o-d. And easy, which makes them taste even better. You can put everything together while the oven preheats!

healthy morning muffins (makes 12)
•Nonstick cooking spray
•1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
•1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
•1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
•1/2 cup raisins
•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1 large egg
•1/3 cup skim milk
•4 medium carrots, shredded
•1 medium ripe banana, mashed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and stir until blended.

Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.)

good listening

2010-07-13T18:53:00.003-05:00

It's not really too difficult for me to become obsessed with a single CD. If I get one I really like, then I listen to it over and over again until I worry that I'll actually make myself tired of the songs. Enter darling Dave Barnes: Margaret and I saw him play a few years ago and not only was he flipping hilarious on stage...like really, really funny and charming, but his CD was muy bueno. He recently released the CD above and it has been on play constantly on my iTunes player and in my car. It might be the sweetest little CD I've heard. Ok, it is. He is so in love with his wife and has written the sweetest lyrics about her and their relationship and their future. Still not convinced? Read theses lyrics and then tell me that you don't agree and don't also want to hang out with him because he's probably really just that cool:

I’ve been a walking heartache
I’ve made a mess of me
The person that I’ve been lately
Ain’t who I wanna be

But you stay here right beside me
Watch as the storm goes through
And I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I’ve lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it’s true
God gave me you

There’s more here than what were seeing
A divine conspiracy
That you, an angel lovely
Could somehow fall for me
You’ll always be love’s great martyr
Ill be the flattered fool
and I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I’ve lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it’s true
God gave me you

On my own I’m only
Half of what I could be
I can’t do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I pray we never undo

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I’ve lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it’s true
God gave me you, gave me you.
Gave me you.

Told you. :)

fireworks x2

2010-07-06T14:47:00.010-05:00

It goes without saying: I. Love. Fireworks. So much so, in fact, that I've been known to sneak into the Cats' stadium at the end of the games to watch the fireworks show. Luckily this July 4th weekend, I did not have to do so. I got my fill on both the 3rd and 4th. Score.

July 3rd

We went with Bobby's parents and friends to the Concert in the Gardens. It was so nice out and we got to listen to the FW symphony play some sweet patriotic music...followed by even sweeter fireworks that lasted for forever. They had the best fireworks finale I've ever seen!!

You can't tell from this picture, but the conductor had on a serious American flag shirt.

I promise I really was having fun, it just wasn't captured in this picture.

July 4th

Grant, Bobby's bff (they might even have some sort of weird friendship bracelet to prove it), invited us to play out at his parents' house with lots of other folks. Um, it was GORGEOUS!!! I wish I had thought to take a picture of their actual house, but you'll just have to enjoy the amazing view they have.

We swam in the pool, ate lots of good food and sampled a ridiculous amount of desserts, played with lots of cute dogs, and watched multiple fireworks shows. We could see at least 6 or 7 from around the city and then of course, because it's Texas and we were in the semi-country, fireworks were set off about 10 feet from the house. Before most of this, Grant took us a death ride via Mule to show up the property and the stocked pond. He and CB caught a few cute bass, Ashley and I managed to spill our margaritas within about 3 minutes of the start of the death ride, Bobby acted like there was nothing abnormal about going 40 mph on a Mule, and I saw more grasshoppers than I ever have in my life. Fun times!

Much better picture-taking experience than the day before (just wait for that post, it will be worth it...promise).

This picture is only showing about half of the cute doggies that got to play and take part in the holiday festivities. I am in love with that big, white, sweet polar bear named Gabe. I want to steal him. Reaaaaal bad.

Grant probably made the firework salesman's year. I'm not sure I've ever seen so many different kinds of fireworks close up. Which is why I learned just how much I like being far away from the actual explosion. Below: I could not get my sparkler to burn out fast enough or get far enough away from those two clowns with their Roman candles.

What a great, great, great weekend with fun people!!

feels like summer

2010-06-29T22:38:00.002-05:00

Sitting under that little cabana/hut, last one on the right. For about 7 hours each day. For 6 days. Soaking up the sun, listening to the amazing 90's radio station, laughing with some of my very favorites, enjoying some great beach reads, and drinking my body weight in frozen, fruity concoctions.

sounds like summer

2010-06-28T17:18:00.001-05:00

GIANT waves crashing along the shore...

smells like summer

2010-06-17T17:02:00.003-05:00

Oh how I do love my little herbs that have weathered many storms. Too bad you can't really see the darling garden markers (look for the utensils) all that well...wish I had a cooler camera. Thyme, shhhh...don't tell the others that you're my favorite.

Also, smells like lunch. In a restaurant (Lili's-yummy!). On a weekday. With my sweet boy.

looks like summer

2010-06-16T18:49:00.001-05:00

This is about our pace right now here on North Bailey Avenue...

tastes like summer

2010-06-15T13:11:00.002-05:00

Raw Corn and Zucchini Salad

Cut tips of 3 ears corn, husks and silks removed; stand corn in a wide, shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels (you should have about 2 cups); discard cobs. Transfer kernels to a medium bowl. Add 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced, 2 TB fresh lime juice, 2 TB extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 TB coarsely chopped cilantro. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and toss well to combine.

Yummy, easy, and refreshing!!

new favorite

2010-05-03T20:33:00.002-05:00

Oh, have I found a refreshing little ditty. You are going to want some.

Towards the end of a rather irritating trip to Central Market yesterday, I stumbled across a sale display. Typically, I am an impulse buy's worst enemy. I just never give into it or really even think about. I stick to my list. My list is planned. I like plans. Meet my well-worth-it impulse buy: I was immediately intrigued because there is a delicious prickly pear margarita I am in love with on the Riverwalk in SA. If you know me, you know that I stick to three main liquids: one comes from cows, one falls from the sky and goes through all sorts of processes to make it to my faucets, and one is made from grape juice soaked in barrels. This new ever-so-refreshing and pretty drink might throw a wrench is my regular routine....but it sure will taste good being sipped by the pool this summer.

love in the bond

2010-04-26T19:36:00.002-05:00

I got to catch up with so many of my favorites this weekend, courtesy of AXO! It was the 20th anniversary/celebration of when the chapter started at TCU. Friday night was a bid day recreation at an alum's house in Park Hill....I must say, it was much better the 5th time around: margarita machine. We definitely didn't get to enjoy one of those babies at bid day in college. After mucho margaritas and some good Mexican food, we headed downtown to see The Klocks, who played at Suzanna's and Jay's wedding just a mere year ago. I was quickly reminded of why I avoid downtown: Affliction shirts, hired girls dancing in nearly nothing, and lots of strobe lights. The Klocks were awesome at the wedding, but this night they were apparently catering to the downtown crowd who likes to hear "Baby Got Back" and the like. We didn't stay long.

Saturday night was the recreation of our formal, Red Carnation. In actuality though, we really did sort of crash the active's formal. Because it was cash bar, and because this cash bar was at Colonial Country Club, we opted to have a preparty at my place...we were trying our best to recreate college! The party was fun...that might have been in part to the flasks that were or were not snuck in...

I was most excited to see some of my favorite people whom I either hadn't seen in nearly a year and also the ones I had seen a few weeks ago. Either way, we always catch right back up and it's as though no time has passed at all. We had such a good time laughing, dancing, and retelling stories.

Can we go back to college but take out the class part??? I want all my favorites to live within walking distance of each other!!

(Too bad half of my favorites weren't around during picture time.)

little love

2010-04-05T18:07:00.003-05:00

This is my Thursday morning little love. I know, today is not Thursday. And he wasn't actually even in my office in the picture. And he wasn't actually even having a very great day, which is why he was in someone else's office. He's tired. Of a lot of things.

But every Thursday morning we go to my office and take animal quizzes, we draw, he shows me how fast he can do animal puzzles, we talk about why he's mad and how to handle it, we laugh together.

And on everyday that isn't Thursday, he asks "are you coming to get me today?"

I don't think he knows how much I look forward to Thursdays.

short soap box

2010-04-01T18:12:00.004-05:00

I thought about writing this last night when I was a bit more riled up, but alas, Idol drags on forever on Wednesdays and because I have to get up so stinkin' early, I have to go to bed so stinkin' early. Now that I've had a day to ponder my thoughts, they're still ever-present, but perhaps I have cooled down a bit.

So unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Sandra Bullock's husband has not been faithful and has possibly partaken in multiple affairs while married to her. Yesterday, Mr. Jesse James decided to check into rehab to "work on personal issues." Last I checked, making the choice to step out of your relationship, in secrecy, and get naked with others, is not an issue of addiction, nor is it an issue often necessitating rehab services. Some therapy, a good and honest look at your present relationship, and a swift kick in the pants, yes.

I have a very real concern that thanks to some of these stellar individuals (Mr. Woods and Mr. James in particular), that rehab might become the new "it" thing to do when you mess up big time and get caught. Don't want to have to say "Yes, I made a major, major, major mistake, I made a bad choice(s)....?" Don't worry, you can check yourself into an ultra fancy rehab facility and place the blame on your addictions...that way you don't have to actually take any responsibility for your actions.

This being said, I realize that some addictions are real and really do require treatment. I really do. But do I think either of the above gentlemen (or any of their potential followers) truly have an addiction? Absolutely not. I think they made conscious decision after conscious decision to put themselves in particular situations for reasons far from being addicted.

Maybe I wouldn't be so mad/disappointed/concerned/riled up if I didn't spend my days in a building with 700+ young kids. 700+ kids who are instructed daily about the importance of responsibility. And integrity. And respect. And honesty. 700+ kids who watch and hear the news, who are hearing and learning about adults who don't care to value some of these basic concepts.

I realize no one is perfect.

I'll step down from my soap box now...

english muffins

2010-03-07T14:56:00.003-06:00

I tried out a new recipe and had success. I like being able to make my own comparable versions of packaged and processed food from the grocery store. Here's the recipe for my newest endeavor:

English Muffins (makes about 15)
1/2 C warm water
1 TB honey
2 T active dry yeast (from one 1/4 oz. envelope)
1 T unsalted butter
2 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C whole-wheat flour
1/4 C rolled oats
1/4 C wheat germ
1 T coarse salt
2 T whole flaxseed
1 1/2 T caraway seeds (optional)
1/2 C low-fat buttermilk
cooking spray

Combine warm water, honey, yeast, and butter in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Combine flours, oats, wheat germ, salt, flaxseed, and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk and mix with your hands until flours are almost fully incorporated. Turn out mixture onto a clean surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Lightly coat a mixing bowl with cooking spray and place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, about an hour.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, knead for about 1 1/2 minutes, and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Roll and cut scraps once. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with cornmeal. Place rounds on sheet and cover with plastic wrap for about 20 minutes until puffy.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over low heat. Working batches, place rounds about 1/2 inch apart. Cook until golden brown and dry on both sides, about 7 minutes per side. Let cool for 30 minutes.

You can store in them in the fridge for about a week or put them in the freezer for no longer than a month.

My thoughts:
*I used ground flaxseed instead of whole because that what I have.
*I ended up turning the heat up to medium-low because they were taking forever.

monday morning sermon

2010-02-01T18:02:00.001-06:00

Ted Kitchens said that a sermon isn't really doing it's job unless you think about it on the Monday morning after. Let me tell you...I thought about it all day yesterday, this morning, this afternoon, and while on the elliptical machine.
The sermon he gave yesterday was one of the best I can ever remember hearing. It was so real, so applicable to any and every situation in life, and so simple...in theory. Faith.
Click the link below; you can fast forward through the little one-man show at the beginning if you want (I'm not a fan of the skits/what-have-you)...also, you're going to need about 25 minutes to listen [you don't have to watch :)].
I share this with you because I think it is something everyone should have a chance to hear:

#vString=15165,100000056,77

for your viewing pleasure

2010-01-25T18:28:00.003-06:00

To clear up any confusion as to why Suzanna, Emily, and I look as though we're 2 years younger and why my hair is short, here's an actual picture from this past Saturday night in Dallas (the other was literally from 2 years ago at creepy transvestite-who-is-also-a-Cher-impersonator karaoke). I didn't post it yesterday out of concern that you might not be able to figure out who the middle character was. Wait. Of course you would have figured that out, we all know Emily. In the midst of our random and fun evening out (it was actually our month-late Christmas exchange), we stopped by a cougar-themed 30th birthday party. Please do not ever throw me a cougar-themed anything. Needless to say, after a few beverages and looking at lots of people in leopard print, things appeared funny to us that might not be funny to the average viewer. Cases in point:

-Emily demonstrating an array of dance moves while wearing a lion mask (remember: cougar theme. Cougar theme is bad.)
-Jay wearing said lion mask pretending to eat brisket and a container of ice cream.

feels like home

2010-01-24T14:14:00.003-06:00

breakfast goodness

2010-01-05T18:18:00.005-06:00

Scandinavian Muesli
2 c old fashioned rolled oats
2/3 c rye or wheat flakes
1/3 coarsely chopped almonds
2 tb flaked coconut
1/2 c raisins
2 tb honey
1/2 t vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 c ground flaxseed

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread oats and rye/wheat flakes onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and coconut; bake until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Turn off the oven. Stir in raisins.

Microwave honey for 10 seconds in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon and pour over muesli mixture. Stir to coat. Return the mixture to the turned-off warm oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Stir in flaxseed.

Store in the refrigerator and it will last for a couple of weeks.

My thoughts (now that I've made it more than once):
*It's DELICIOUS and filling...I mix it with vanilla yogurt.
*The "mix-ins" are sort of up to you...you could use any dried fruit and any amount you want...I liked the raisins so much (they really plump up) that I added more this time...along with about double the coconut.
*I prefer to add flaxseed to it when I eat it...it all sinks to the bottom of the storage container.
*If you can't find rye or wheat flakes, just add more rolled oats.

Enjoy! Especially my little friend who is a vegan for 21 days....no animal products in this recipe! :)

recap of the end

2010-01-02T16:16:00.010-06:00

The end of 2009, that is.... My poor little blog hasn't gotten much attention from me this fall/winter at all, so I figured a little recap of all important/not-so-important events was due. 2009 ended by celebrating at dinner with friends, enjoying some bubbly, and just relaxed hanging out. It was nice and calm (minus a somewhat intense game of electronic CatchPhrase) and included nothing close to bottle service, which is always a plus.

On the work side of things, I got to be a part of one of my very favorite things to happen in my 5.5 years at Blue Haze. Our school was selected by the Marines to be a donation location for Toys for Tots. For several weeks families donated toys and the kids knew nothing except that a "plan" was in place one Thursday afternoon. At about 12:30 an announcement was made for everyone to begin heading out to the playground. At 1:00 (on the dot, just in case you thought the military might not be on time), a helicopter flew towards the school, circled the playground twice, and landed on the backstop. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen!! I was so thankful and so excited for our students that they got to be a part of something so special. I had chills as they landed and I'm pretty sure I wore a ridiculous grin the rest of the day.
Here are kids lined against the fence and the helicopter coming into view.

A 4-star general along with three other marines (one of whom is the dad of a Blue Haze kiddo) and the pilot walked up to greet everyone.

They shook EVERY kid's hand!!!

My sweet Character Crew kids who helped load all the bagged toys.

Once work/school ended for the break, things got a bit more busy. I left work Friday afternoon, went with Emily to deliver Angel tree gifts a family from school, and dashed to TCU to get my graduation stuff. Then it was time to head to dinner where "the parents" met for the first time. Success x 10! :) Saturday morning was my hooding ceremony nice and early at TCU...thank you, Mother Nature, for bringing the 40 degree weather in just in time for me to be sporting a very NOT windproof purple graduation robe. The hooding ceremony was really neat and special. And while I won't miss being in class until 10:10 at night and doing homework, I will dearly miss the people and professors I spent 2 1/2 years with. We all grew very close and the thought of not seeing them all every week makes me want to keep going to class just because. Graduation was a bit long...which is expected. We went to a delicious dinner that night to celebrate and then headed to a beautiful wedding reception afterwards.

After the weekend was over, I breathed, vegged a little, and then began my last minute Christmas shopping for almost everyone on my list. I will NOT be doing that next year!! The roads were insane and I'm sure I had way too many tacky thoughts in my head about drivers/people than I should've had so close to Santa visiting.

I got all my shopping done, however, and Bobby and I had our Christmas a few days early. In addition to other things, we both managed to get each other nearly the same gift....think we hang out much together?

And even though he will probably kill me for putting this on here, I couldn't resist. Thanks to some boredom and nasty weather in San Antonio, we opted to stay indoors and visited the museum which happened to have a circus exhibit. Now Bobby...I could have posted the video of you doing Super HulaHoop on the wii....

Welcome, 2010!

the best present under the tree...

2009-12-08T21:45:00.001-06:00

...when she's not trying to eat it, of course.

let it snow

2009-12-02T18:11:00.002-06:00

It might have melted by lunch time, but this is what it looked like when I walked into work this morning:
Score. :)

guest blogger

2009-11-05T17:40:00.001-06:00

Bobby told me this story the other day and after I finished my laughing convulsions, I told him it was too bad that he didn't have a blog, because his story was so very blog-worthy. Then I did some more thinking and came up with the idea of a guest blogger, so....here you go:

The other day I went to go visit a client that I had never met at a nursing home. When I arrived the staff told me that my client was a lady in her nineties who had a reputation for being cantankerous. At this point I figured that my boyish charm could get the best of any old lady…this was not the case.

The nurse showed me to my client’s room and then left us to talk. When I introduced myself as her attorney my client immediately started yelling that she didn’t hire an attorney and did not need me. I politely explained that I had been appointed as her attorney and she was more or less stuck with me. My client than proceeded to tell me that there was no way I could be an attorney because I was too young. I could see how to someone in their nineties could see how someone in their late twenties could be too young to do much, so, once again, I politely explained to her that I was her attorney and I was here to help. As you can imagine she did not respond too well to this either.

At this point I figured I may as well proceed and talk to her about why I was there. I started off by trying to just chat with her to figure out how senile she really was. I asked her about her house and she immediately responded by saying”you are just trying to figure out if I know where I live”. That is exactly what I was doing but I wasn’t going to let her know that so I responded that I was trying to get to know her. This apparently set something off with her because she then grabbed an unopened can of Sprite off of her table and hurled it at me. Thank God she was old because her aim was about 3 feet to my right. However, when the Sprite hit the wall it exploded and got all over me! I never thought as a lawyer I would have an old lady hurl things at me…apparently I was wrong.

...and i learned to like shallots (a lot)

2009-11-03T18:35:00.002-06:00

Israeli couscous with parsley and shallots
serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous (I found it in the bulk section at Central Market)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 shallots (about 1/2 pound total), halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook couscous until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, and transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add to bowl with couscous. Add parsley and lemon juice, and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

*I enjoyed this with some lime broccoli and sesame shrimp...I cooked Asian, go figure. :)

i wanna feel the sunshine shining down on me and you

2009-11-03T18:32:00.002-06:00

yes...still here

2009-10-19T20:00:00.010-05:00

Thank goodness for cell phones...otherwise some of you folks might think I had been kidnapped or fallen victim to the swine flu. Neither is true, luckily. Just trying to keep my head above water with the new job and all the scary unknown that it comes with.

I do better with lists, plus seeing as how I have so little time on my computer, I thought I'd run down the last month or so with bullet points. We all know I'm no good at storytelling, anyway.

~As stated above, my new counseling job is kicking my booty. One adjustment is that my time isn't my own anymore...there is always something that comes up that I have to do while in the middle of something else. I'm learning to navigate the ropes semi-on my own because there really is no one to guide you when you're the only counselor in a sea of 730+ small people. I love, love, love doing my guidance lessons! I am getting to know so many of the kiddo's personalities and I'm seeing the growth that happens from grade level to grade level.
~Haven't contracted the swine flu...however, I am in the midst of recovery from a seriously awful sinus infection. I thought my forehead was going to break out of my head while on a flight just last Monday...wouldn't wish that pain on my worst enemy...if I had an enemy, which I don't. :)
~I was on a plane coming back from visiting Ryan-from-the-train in Seattle. We've been friends for almost a good 10 years now. It was a gorgeous trip and it was really good to see him and catch up and shop at all the fun stores! We saw a lot of gorgeous scenery...stuff I don't get to see EVER here in the Lone Star State. Here are some of the pictures from my trip:

~Here are the sweet flowers my sweet Bobby left when I wasn't feeling well (thought I was dying) last week. I came home from work and saw them on the table and of course went into worst-case scenario mode for about 10 seconds before I realized there was no stranger lurking in my apartment trying to lure me with flowers. Turns out Bobby stopped by and dropped them off...which is a much sweeter story than a murderer hiding in my shower. (Do you like my candy corn placemats??)

~And finally, I got to go to this AWESOME concert a few weeks ago!! Taylor put on an amazing show and never stopped moving for the full 2 hours. She walked through the crowd twice, had all kinds of cool set changes, and finished the show by singing with the two opening acts. What a personable lady! I want to go when she comes back in March!!!

did i speak too soon?

2009-09-14T17:28:00.005-05:00

Remember how just days ago I showed you pictures of my shiny and organized office?

Remember how I said there is never a dull moment in my new job?

Well, to quote one of my favorite movies, The Little Rascals, "the clouds opened up and God said 'I hate you Alfalfa'!" Although, perhaps that should say Mary instead of Alfalfa.

I walked into the school today and was greeted by one of our secretaries who curled her face up and said "I just sprayed about half a can of Lysol in your office to make the smell go away." Um....come again???

Turns out, the roof and ceiling of Blue Haze Elementary, along with the clouds, opened up this weekend. Score. I'm really, really trying hard to choose my attitude and for that attitude to be a positive one. However, when the overhead lights start crackling due to water contact, there is nasty brown water dripping from the hole in the ceiling all the live-long day, the planner which is your Bible gets ruined, all the paperwork on your desk, including the sole copy of a child's psych. discharge papers are also ruined, and the library books you had laying out for lessons get destroyed, it gets tough. Oh, and did I mention the smell?

The only positive highlight so far is that all my documentation and paperwork for TCU happens to be kept in a hard plastic folder that I just happened to choose because it was purple. God bless plastic.

I might need (just a little) counseling

2009-09-10T17:19:00.007-05:00

Ah, yes, I am now 13 days into my new job as counselor to 700+ kiddos. It is...to sum up in a brief phrase...never a dull moment. The days begin and end before I can even realize what's gone on the middle. I am loving getting to meet all the kids. I was asked again and again at staff development if I missed being in the classroom. My answer was always a solid "no." I loved teaching for 5 years, don't get me wrong, but I was/am very excited about a new role and routine. I really didn't think I missed it until I read a book to a class during my first guidance lesson last week. I'm really glad that I will have 1-2 lessons a day. I'll still get to read to kids, teach them, and have the heart and soul conversations I so grew to love. I loved just talking to my kids about life "stuff" way more than I loved teaching them to do subtraction with regrouping. I still get to see all my previous loves and am meeting new little loves everyday. Yay! Here are some highlights/interesting things/tidbits/learning moments from the past couple of weeks:

-I now truly recognize the developmental differences between grade levels. I'm teaching lessons on trustworthiness (for what seems like the rest of my life, but really only 3 more weeks) and the "get it" factor is dramatically different between 3rd and 4th grades.

-Choose a book I really like, because by the time I've read it 6-7 times (6-7 classes per grade level), I want to throw it out the window.

-Contrary to some beliefs, I do not sit in the dark. I refuse to use the overhead bright lights in my office, so instead I have about 4 lamps on at all times. It's much more calm and relaxing.

-Pre-K kids are my new favorite. I spent the mornings with them the first week and quickly bonded with them. I miss them daily now that I'm busier and can't get down to see them as often.

-I have only cried once so far. And not really even at school, but on my way home.

-I listened to a frequent office visitor sing "When Good Girls Go Bad" from his desk in the little room where kids go when they can't quite get it together enough to stay in the classroom.

-Said child also randomly makes dinosaur/monster/not-sure-what shrieking noises, too. (Is it wrong that I actually really like him??)

-I nicknamed a TINY girl "Polly Pocket."

-I have conducted two meetings with parents who want their kids in either speech or special education...um, do they know I have NO idea what I'm doing??

-I didn't realize how much time I spent talking, laughing, and bonding with my 2nd grade team of teachers...that was probably the hardest adjustment so far...and may or may not have contributed to my tears.

-My knee got kissed during a kinder friendship lesson. Ok, creepy.

-I get lots and lots of hugs, which always make me smile.

-I walked back into my office this afternoon to find a kiddo laying on a blanket on my floor.

-I have learned to appreciate all the behind the scenes work my amazing principal and VP's do.

-I get to greet kids every morning and help them out of their cars. Your day can't help but start out great doing that...even if I almost got taken down by a boy who DID not want out of his car and subsequently pulled me in when I tried to get ahold of his arms.

Like I said, never a dull moment!

it's like taking a walk and not seeing the fences

2009-08-29T11:57:00.004-05:00

yummy.

2009-08-08T17:39:00.002-05:00

i heart ny

2009-07-27T22:42:00.009-05:00

Ok, so I haven't blogged about my trip for a couple of reasons:
a-I'm not a good story teller...in my next life, I want to be able to sing and to tell stories
b-Uploading pictures on here is one of the most annoying things known to man, so I put a few and then a link to mine and Emily's pics from the trip
c-I have been super busy trying to be lazy for my last few days of summer

Emily and I headed out to NYC about 2 weeks ago. After sitting on the plane at DFW, on the runway, on a plane which could not withstand the Texas heat and therefore kept shutting down (no a/c!!) on the runway while waiting for an hour and a half, we finally took flight and landed at LaGuardia and met up with our Texan-turned-New Yorker friend, Alyson, from TCU. We spent a full day shopping in the city, went on an all day wine tour, and then headed to the Jersey shore to see yet another friend from college, SarahMac.

Can I tell you the highlights, in bullet-form, por favor?

-I LOVED Chelsea Market. If I lived close by in NYC, I would be there all the time. Specialty food stores, bakeries with the cutest cookies and cupcakes, a really neat kitchen store, and wine store...seriously, what else do you need in life?!
-I enjoyed my first visit to a true NYC apartment...Alyson and her roommate, Sara, really know how to utilize their space. Their apartment was precious! And right in the middle of Manhattan, which I learned was pretty great. They were great hostesses and Alyson even left a giant Empire State Building chocolate on our pillows....she skipped right over the tiny one-bite-and-you're-done chocolates. :) She's my kind of gal.
-The guys, at least at the little bar down the block from Alyson's, were beautiful. Almost too pretty.
-We wine-toured it up all day Saturday. I rode on a limo bus for what was hopefully the first and last time. It sounds really cool, I know...but let me tell you...the combination of 8 a.m., mimosas, sitting sideways, 2 hour drive each way, listening to a 35+ old woman whose tongue was pierced ramble, 3 vineyards, and bottles of vino split at each vineyard do not make for a fun ride. The weather was gorgeous, however, and there was live music at the last 2 vineyards. It was a great day!!
-We headed to New Jersey on Sunday morning to go see our long last friend SarahMac. Her name is really just Sarah but her last name starts with Mc, so she has been SarahMac to us since our days of sorority chants and singing...thank the Lord that's over! Her family has an unbelievably amazing house right across from the beach and we stayed there for 2 nights (I even got my kitty fill thanks to the stray cat they started feeding last summer who has since had a family of his own; complete with 3 tiny kitties that I tried endlessly to befriend). We spent the next few days sunning, laughing a lot, and splashing in the ocean. I got taken down by one doozie of a wave and now my sunglasses are swimming amongst the fishes...it was a small price to pay for such enjoyment.

The trip was so relaxing (minus the transportation: both air and bus) and SO much fun. I am already anxious to go back to NYC and see the many things I didn't get to this time. There's also something to be said for friends you've not seen in 4 years whom you can just pick right back up with again like you saw them a week ago.

Here are a few of my favorite pics:

A cool, random collage of painted tiles for 9/11.

Alyson's sweet WELOME home sign...guess what grammar nazi noticed the cute mistake...

SarahMac's family's BEAUTIFUL house in NJ!

Happy hour at the beach.

Night lights of NYC.More beach fun.

Inside one of the wine cellars...I don't usually have a drink in hand at 10 a.m.

Pool time in NJ.

And here are the links to pictures if you want to see more:

(Warning: Emily likes the camera...she's like a performing monkey)

http://picasaweb.google.com/marylorangersnaps/NYCNJ2009#

http://picasaweb.google.com/ClarkyClark/NYCNJ#

pre bon voyage

2009-07-14T18:01:00.005-05:00

I'm not actually leaving until Thursday, but am currently doing any and all that I can to avoid thinking about packing. (my quart-size liquids bag is all ready to go, however!) Suddenly, I do not like any of the clothes in my closet, nor can I decide on a single item to pack. And let's face it, NYC peeps might be a little more up to speed on fashion than those of us living in FW, so I might be figuring out how I can blend in with my basics. I want to pack lightly. 2 reasons: 1) the sweet friend we're staying with lives on the 4th floor of her building. The building has no elevator. 2) I want to have room for all the goodies I find shopping! Therefore, I must decide very carefully on my outfits/clothes so that I don't take a lot of extra/what if I decide I want to wear this instead/I want options items.

Did I seriously just write a whole paragraph about packing?! Clearly I am stalling big time.

Packing is on my mind, though, because I'm going to be at my principal's house (gasp) all day tomorrow and I don't want to go into crazy packing mode tomorrow night because that is exactly what leads to overpacking of the suitcase I want to carry on. DFW baggage claim is THE worst. Always carry on if flying into that aeropuerto.

Maybe if I like you enough I'll bring you back a sweet magnet or shot glass that says this:

And maybe if I had darker, wavy hair, I could look like this in a few days:

And lastly, maybe if I had a super cool camera, I could take pictures like this while out and about in the city:

But alas, I do not have dark or wavy hair, or a really cool camera, but I do like those of you who read my words, so maybe the magnets can happen. I will share my pictures, taken with a normal camera, when I return. :)

good stuff

2009-07-09T13:25:00.002-05:00

This is my newest obsession...well, obsession is kind of a scary word when you're speaking in regards to another person (don't wanna be considered a stalker)...so let's say, I like to look at this blog A LOT:

http://mycharmingkids.net

Precious kids.
Really neat photography.
Entertaining and witty, but also hearty and honest writing.
Every now and then a yummy "granola/hippie" recipe.

What more could I ask for in a blog?

sho' good eatin'

2009-07-08T21:03:00.002-05:00

That's the motto from a yummy little place in Lampasas, TX that I've been known to stop at on my trips to San Antonio when travelling 281. Summer has given me even more time to be obsessed with food; mainly watching the Food Network and soaking up all that I can. Even if they are cooking something I won't necessarily eat, I often still watch just to learn. I've also become a little bit hooked on the show "Chopped" on FN...it's stressful but so interesting! There's always a mystery ingredient that does not go with the rest of the required ingredients but must be used somehow in the dish. Examples: gummy bears, baby octopus, animal crackers...I didn't even know what sharon fruit was until last night...and I have the Food Network to thank for the thing I learned yesterday.

I have made two tasty meals to eat off of this week. Both are from my friends (Giada and Ellie Krieger) on TV. Shocking.

Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta
(serves 4-6)

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.
Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

*My notes:
-I would cut the salt in half. I think the feta cheese gives plenty of salt.
-One of the easiest things ever to make. Throw everything in a bowl, mix it up, and put it in a baking dish-seriously?! I was done before the oven was even hot enough.
-Do I even need to tell you that I used skim milk instead of whole??
-I cut up a couple of sweet potatoes into wedges to make my own sweet potato fries...cooked them in the oven at the same time. Yummy, easy meal!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.
Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

*Another easy meal. A nice, light summer dinner.

Happy cooking! :)

R.I.P. MJ

2009-07-07T09:26:00.004-05:00

Apparently Mazie took the term "R.I.P." a bit too literally...or she was really bitter that I had left her alone all day. This is how she welcomed me home and showed her feelings for Michael. Is it wrong to be a little excited about watching the public memorial for him???

celebrate good times

2009-07-06T20:27:00.007-05:00

I love fireworks. I wish they were a part of every holiday celebration. Or maybe used to celebrate the end of each month. I would like that. I like them. Alas, I must try to get my fix on one day in July. Oh, but wait, not this year...I managed to see fireworks THREE nights in a row-booya!!

Thursday: minding our business, discussing all kinds of important things, sitting on the roof at 7th Haven, low and behold...up pops the show from the Botanic Gardens. What a great surprise! I then took pictures with each of my fireworks friends.
Mere and I...not sure I was quite ready for that photo, but it captured the fireworks, so I'm happy.

Claire and I....no fireworks that direction behind us...whoops.

Bobby and I...he was also my partner in crime on Friday as we snuck into the end of the Cats baseball game, found empty seats on the 3rd row, watched the last 1/2 of the 9th inning and then...FIREWORKS SHOW! Woohoo!!

For the actual 4th, I ventured to Lake Worth with Mere, Leigh, and crew...but not before a stop at Rosa's, Majestic, and the Dollar General first. What else is there to do in Lake Worth, really? We spent the rest of the afternoon at a lake house where we played a super fun game of baseball...I think all baseball should be played the way we played. I hit the first RBI of the game. Whatever that is. Then a couple of the boys proceeded to call me "Proud Mary" the rest of the night. Guess the Wii baseball playing paid off. I also caught a ball but it didn't count as an out because I wasn't holding my drink in hand when I caught it. See, now you wanna know how to play the game, huh? :) We played with the most precious tiny fluff of a dog and watched fireworks over the water once the sun went down. What a fabulous 4th!!!

Oh, wait, how could I forget the biggest man-made slip-n-slide ever! It was fun and luckily I'd had enough fun that afternoon that I wasn't grossed out by the fact that I was covered in baby oil, shaving cream, and grass. Here are my visible battle wounds, although a lot more of body hurt than just my hip and knees...internal bruising, perhaps...?? (And yes, one of my knees is more swollen than the other.)

Team America!!

let's go to the movies

2009-06-29T22:29:00.003-05:00

Let's go see the stars! (Did anyone else think of Daddy Warbucks and Annie all dressed up and tap dancing???) Love THAT movie, by the way.

But let's move on to my summer vacation. Which has included seeing two movies in the theater in 4 days. I usually see, oh, I'd say about two movies a year in theaters normally.

If you want to laugh, out loud, straight, for a good hour and half, then this is my recommendation:

Never before have I laughed so much at a movie. "Here's your car, officers."

On the other hand, if you are in a more sentimental mood, not wearing any eye makeup, want to cry for an hour and half straight, and also maintain a huge lump in throat afterwards, then this is my recommendation:

Of course, I recommend reading the book first. The ending was completely changed. And although it didn't really follow the book too much, it was still muy bueno. You will, however, get to watch one good looking dad for an hour and a half. Bring a box of Kleenex; a few stuck in your purse will just not do.

baker's dozen...

2009-06-25T14:53:00.003-05:00

...or not really. For a couple of reasons:
1. I do not usually bake, nor do I really like to.
2. I only have two items for you, not 13.

However, summertime has left me with quite a bit of time on my hands. One can only watch so many Golden Girls episodes (but not really; I can never get enough of those ladies!!)..or at least until one feels really lazy. I baked for two specific reasons. One being a get-together with some grad school friends and the other being that I had a significant amount of pesto sauce left after I made it last week. Therefore, I baked. I made cookies for the friends and pizza dough for a pesto pizza (complete with lots of cheese, bell peppers, shrimp, and tomato slices-yum!). Here you go:

Chocolate-mint wafers
(makes 44ish)

1 c all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t plus 1/8 t salt
6 tb unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 c sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
12 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/4 t pure peppermint extract
sprinkles (optional, but SO yummy and fun!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and 1/4 t salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture just until combined.
Form balls of dough (equal to about 1 t) and place on two baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a glass in water and flatten balls into 1 1/2-inch rounds (about 1/4 inch thick). Bake until slightly firm to the touch, 8-10 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Make chocolate coating: place chocolate, peppermint extract, and remaining 1/8 t salt in double boiler. Heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Set each cookie across the tines of a fork,dip fork in chocolate, then tap underside of fork on side of boiler bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place cookies on prepared baking sheet, and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Whole-wheat pizza dough
(makes 2 one-pound balls)

1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) water
2 packets ( ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for kneading
2 cups whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

Place water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Brush another large bowl with oil. In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil, and salt. Stir in flours with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds; divide into two balls. Set balls on a plate (they should not touch); freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

You can do what you want for the next part:
-Then freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
-Divide each ball of dough into 4 pieces. Using your hands, stretch each piece into a 5-inch disk (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let it rest a few minutes). Freeze shells on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake from frozen.

elvis has left the...garden???

2009-06-19T16:03:00.005-05:00

Dallas is quickly making its way to my heart. I trekked over there last night to attend an Elvis tribute band concert at the Arboretum with Emily and Suzanna. I got to tour a new part of Dallas as I made my way to Emily's new apt...I got an even longer tour (in the dark) of the ghetto when her directions did NOT get me to I30 to go home.

We headed to Whole Foods where we made salads, sampled and got some delicious, refreshing wine, and I got us some "wholesome junkfood" brownie bite things. Suz said that wholesome junkfood doesn't exist. They were interesting...sort of like chocolate fig newtons. Not bad, but not what you want if you are seriously craving something chocolate. Suz, being a good little mama, packed a picnic basket and blanket, along with waters, napkins, and forks for everyone. Emily, being Emily, got a bag of ice at Whole Foods. And when I say bag, I mean that she filled up a produce section bag (like you would put apples into) with "Sonic ice." "That's how I get ice, I don't have an ice maker at home." Oh, Emily. She's pretty.

I digress. Elvis was the reason for the gathering. He put on a good show and wore both a Hawaiian shirt for the first half and then a white, fringed, leather...or pleather... jumpsuit for the second half once the sun went down. The little girl in the picture below was deemed "little Emily." With the exception of wearing pink AND flowers, we decided had Emily attended this concert as a 5 year old, this is who she would have been. She was jammin'! Emily says in line (to me, the instigator), "Dare me to get him to sign my arm?" Dare.

Oh my goodness, I think the man left a good 1/2 inch of sweat on my shoulder/arm. SICK.

And she wanted Elvis's signature....too bad she had to settle for Kraig. With a K.

how does your garden grow?

2009-06-16T22:26:00.002-05:00

After being asked that question for the better part of my 27 years, I finally have an answer! Like this: Ok, so it's not exactly a garden, but my herbs are growing like crazy (which means I haven't killed them!). I've got oregano, thyme, and basil growing...I made my own pesto using some of my basil and it was tasty!

And because she's so cute and squishy, I took a picture of the Maze, too. She talks to birds and squirrels, chases wasps (s-m-a-r-t), and tries to run downstairs to eat grass while I water my plants and flowers everyday. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my patio and am out there some mornings and most evenings catching up on my stack of magazines. I feel like I live in a treehouse; the shade and sunlight are so pretty through the trees. Summer=goodness. Squared.

asian invasion

2009-06-14T18:59:00.002-05:00

I am, oh-so-surprisingly, sharing yet another delicious Asian recipe I just recently tried. It literally takes about 10 minutes and is made with 4 ingredients...score! I have started watching a show on Discovery Health called "Just Cook This." The "cooking guy," Sam, is highly ADHD, but he makes thing that look really yummy. Here's his recipe I tried:

Beef Chow Mein with Black Bean Sauce
(serves 4ish)

1 pound steak (I used flank)
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus 1 teaspoon
4 ripe medium sized ripe tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
One 7-ounce package Asian stir fry noodles (from the refrigerator section at the market), but don't use the sauce mix
2 tablespoons black bean sauce (also found in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets)

Trim excess fat from the steak and slice into very thin slices.
Preheat a pan or wok on stove top and heat really well over high heat, then add oil. When the oil is smoking, and not until, add beef and stir fry for a couple minutes until beef changes color and is cooked through. Remove and set aside.
With the pan back on the heat and smoking again, add a teaspoon of oil and the tomatoes. Stir-fry about a minute.
Add the beef, noodles and black bean sauce to the tomatoes. Stir the whole business until the flavor is through everything and all is heated.

That's it! It's really that easy and it's really, really good. I think I'll try it with chicken next time.

Piece of advice: make sure your vent works (mine apparently is sick)...this is super smoky (be sure you use the peanut oil or another oil that can handle high heat)...and while I miraculously did not set off the fire alarm, I did have to open windows and turn the fan on to try and rid my place of smoke.

summer: so far, so fun!

2009-06-11T20:35:00.002-05:00

I know I'm only about a week into summer, but it's been great so far. I haven't had much "free time" yet, which is nice because I haven't been bored, but I know that will be coming soon...I have been recording movies on my DVR to keep occupied in the coming weeks.

So far, so fun list:
~unpacked my office (which I have a really hard time saying) and am going back next week to start planning for the new school year. :)
~bought a pass for summer exercise classes at TCU...attended Pilates and loved it, am going again tomorrow (and attempting to soak up some sun if it's out). Next week, I'm trying TNT (tone-n-tighten)...hopefully I'll live to be able to blog about it.
~went to a Rangers game last minute. If you know me, you know I am very scheduled and not spontaneous, however, I have been working on it. I got ready in about 45 minutes for the game and had a great time.
~went back to Dr. Boothe and tomorrow is my LAST day of eye drops-WOOHOO!!! (see side note below)
~headed to Dallas for some QT with a BFF. It was a fabulously fun day that included tasting an interesting concoction of watermelon cucumber juice, a sushi lunch, manicures (I'm channeling LC from The Hills with my new red polish), shopping at Anthropologie, a delicious dinner and champagne in cute pink sugar-rimmed glasses for a bday party. Could I get used to Dallas easily? YES. Could my wallet? N-O.
~a patio date today once the torrential downpour was over.

The first week of summer has been so great...here's to hoping it stays that way!

Side note: Originally, I thought I would blog about my lasik surgery. However, there are reasons no one tells you ANYTHING about the process. Before. During. Or after. That being said, I highly recommend it and would do it again without a second thought.

come tell me your problems

2009-06-06T11:15:00.003-05:00

After a VERY, VERY long two weeks, I can now officially announce my new job as a counselor!!!

About two weeks ago the counselor at my school announced that she would be leaving the district. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen. I thought she would retire there...she's BFF with our principal and vice principal. Anywho, she sent an email with her news and some of my lovely coworkers all but held a gun to my head to go "RIGHT NOW" and talk to "them" (principal and VP). I resisted, mainly because I was scared of rejection and it's not my personality to do that sort of thing. Oh, and I can be really stubborn when I want to be. Meredeth and Carrie then began scheduling my day so that I could send my kids to them while I went to the office. No. Carrie then sent down a kid like every 30 minutes to check and see if I was in my room (because I lied and told her I'd go down there so she would leave me alone!). Yes I was. I met them halfway and agreed to email the principal and she wrote me back immediately and said to come down when I had time so we could "chat." Was this a good chat? Or a bad "we're moving people around in the district/one of the Summerhills is getting the job" chat?

It was a great chat that made me cry tears of pure joy! She had been anxious to talk to me about the job but was waiting for the current counselor to make her announcement. My principal said "This is just such a God thing." Hello, yes it is and hello, who doesn't want to work with someone who thinks like that?! I know and love the school and kiddos, they know me, etc... She did, however, say that my first test of confidentiality would be keeping the news quiet until it was approved in the admin. building. Um...she was not aware of the clowns down my hallway who looked like gophers sticking their heads out from behind doors to see if I was coming back yet. I tried.

I needed to get ONE piece of documentation from TCU to take to the admin. building in order to sign my contract. Well, this ONE piece of paper is only available from ONE person who just happened to be on a week long vacation. Enter the 2nd longest week of my life. I finally got the paperwork from her on Wednesday and took it to the admin. building Thursday. I had a little dance/concert party in my car after I finally got to sign my name on that sheet of paper.

I am beyond thrilled and excited to be starting this new job. I am even more excited and thankful to be staying with my Blue Haze family and some of my very best friends. I spent all day Thursday with the counselor "learning the ropes"...and am completely overwhelmed, too. I am heading up there next week to work on my office (score!!) and try to get organized a little bit.

Life is good!!

t-swift

2009-06-03T18:00:00.003-05:00

I have had several songs on repeat recently.
1. Mad World (Adam Lambert)
2. Falling Slowly (Kris Allen)
3. One (Adam again)
4. This sweet song by one of my very favorites, Miss Taylor Swift:

Crazier
I was trying to fly, but I couldn't find wings
Then you came along and you changed everything
You lift my feet off the ground, spin me around
You make me crazier, crazier
Feels like I'm falling and I am lost in your eyes
You make me crazier, crazier, crazier

(Obviously, that's not the entire song, but it's my favorite part)

(And yes, maybe this song is from the Hannah Montana movie...maybe...but please remember that I spend my weekdays with 8 year olds...)

I get to see her in concert in about 3 months! SO excited!!!

yummy recipe

2009-05-31T12:36:00.004-05:00

Penne with Eggplant Puree
4-6 servings

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red
pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.
Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

*SO yummy!! It has the texture of a meat sauce, but is all veggies. Best of all, it's from my future BFF Giada. :)

job security

2009-05-24T12:33:00.003-05:00

There will always be a need for teachers, even in this unstable job market. Check out the middle two entrees....

heart ache

2009-05-18T20:06:00.003-05:00

This is for my sweet friends, Emily and Freddie, and little Anna Sophia...I'm at a loss for words for them; their strength, faith, and love amazes all those around them. Please pray that they continue to stay strong through this trying time and that they be surrounded by grace.

When God Calls Little Children
When God calls little children
to dwell with him above,
We mortals sometime question
the wisdom of his love
For no heartache compares with
the death of one small child
Who does so much to make our world,
seem wonderful and mild
Perhaps God tires of calling
the aged to his fold,
So He picks a rosebud,
before she can grow old.
God knows how much we need them,
and so he takes but a few
To make the land of Heaven
more beautiful to view.
Believing this is difficult still
somehow we must try,
The saddest word mankind knows will always be "Goodbye."
So when a little child departs
we who are left behind
Must realize God loves children,
Angels are hard to find.

-Unknown

i'm going under the knife!

2009-05-14T16:54:00.003-05:00

Well...my eyes are, at least...and maybe it's more of a laser than a knife. But it's still scary and also exciting! I went for my initial consultation yesterday afternoon with Dr. Boothe. Little did I know that a mere 48 hours later I would be back there, taking a sedative, and having Lasik done. I'm currently wearing my 5+ year old glasses which is a joy that I can't even begin to express. Not. I'm also putting two different eye drops in my eyes every 4 hours; one of which burns like the devil. I stocked up on another set of eye drops at Target that I'll apparently need for several months after...and most importantly, I have my prescription for Vicodin ready to go!!

Also, because Deneise is so lovingly strange, she's somehow jealous of my surgery...which she has already had...with Dr. Boothe....and it went well...???

I saw the room where he does the surgery, I met him (I'll elaborate on that joyous event in a moment), and already had my eyes numbed so he could poke at them for some sort of measurement. They were oh-so-kind at the office and booked me a late afternoon appointment since we have 2nd grade luau day in the morning. My sweet mama is coming up to drive me there and back and stay with me for the weekend.

I had been warned by several people that Dr. Boothe and his kind are the most socially awkward human beings ON THE PLANET. His kind being complete geniuses with negative social skills. I thought I could assume just how awkward and uncomfortable it would be. NOPE. I have never heard someone speak in such a deep, monotone voice before. The expression on his face never changed and he didn't smile back at me any of the times I smiled at him to try and make it less awkward! It was like talking to a 2x4!!!! Or a deaf person.

Anyway, I'm just ready for it to be over and for me to not be the statistic that has a bad surgery. I think it's supposed to take all of about 15 minutes, so please cross your fingers and say a little prayer for me that I don't go blind between 4:00-4:15 tomorrow.

yesterday...was GREAT!

2009-05-06T18:49:00.004-05:00

Woohoo!! Several spectacular things happened yesterday.

1. I took my last final for this semester. I'm free as a bird this summer and can't wait! So far, out of two classes, I have one secured A, and unless I did horribly on a book report, I should be good to go in the other class. Those of you who know about my nerdy nightmare, have no fear, it has yet to come true. :) I got to celebrate with some class friends afterwards, too! Only thing left now is my Practicum class in the fall...and hopefully a new job.

2. My future baby daddy ROCKED the stage! I especially loved his duet with my other Idol favorite, Allison. Those of you who are doubting that destiny is on my side...you just wait til he stops here on his Idols tour and comes looking for me. I know he wants to have a mohawked-hair baby with me. Meredeth's blog has the picture to prove it. 3. This little diddy came in the mail:

My car is mine all mine! Now those payments will go towards my eyes...Lasik, here I come!

superwoman?

2009-05-04T19:53:00.008-05:00

Just maybe. Emily is the strongest, bravest, and most faith-holding person I know. I love you, Em!

pigs, Mexico, the CDC, or someone...owes me money

2009-04-30T19:42:00.008-05:00

Oh. My. Gosh. I'm about to move to Mexico just so I don't hear about the dang swine flu one more time. Not really Mexico, maybe a US island. Those of you from here and those of you not from here, thanks to the Today Show, most likely know that Fort Worth ISD closed ALL schools until at least May 11th. Because 1 child was confirmed with the flu of the swine and 3 others were probable. Nevermind the other 79, 996 kids who attend school in that district. I teach nearby, so of course I had 4 kids out today. One was legit; double ear infection. Not sure about the other 3.

My job is super important. I'm supposed to be shaping these young minds and developing their character. Preparing them for the scariness of TAKS. Teaching them how to solve problems-both word problems in math and social ones. Nurturing their sweet personalities and fixing the not so sweet ones. NOT listening to them argue over the "swine" vs. "swan" flu. Or mediating between 2 kids who were arguing (and getting quite angry, might I add) about how long a person with "the bad flu" had to be in the hospital. 3 weeks was the discrepancy. I didn't mediate. I said solve this amongst yourselves. The nurse's daughter, a complete ham whom I adore dearly, made it known that: a-the school was closing May 11th, b-her mom is the nurse and therefore she would know if the school was closing, and c-that White Settlement has the swine flu. I think the majority of my class listened to her.

We got Clorox wipes (purchased by the district) today to use to wipe down all surfaces...so we spent a good 10 minutes doing that this afternoon. Can I hire these kids for the summer???

I am asking that someone, whoever made this into a "pandemic," please send me a check to supplement my day's work...I'm about to make my kids start calling the news channels with their questions.

beauty in boerne

2009-04-22T17:25:00.010-05:00

Last weekend was my wonderful, fun, and dear friend Suzanna's wedding in Boerne. What a memorable, amazing, beautiful, and PERFECT weekend it was!! Perfect minus the rain during the (outdoor) rehearsal and the storm that woke me up at 5 a.m. the morning of the wedding...but here's all the good stuff:Emily, Margaret, and I decided to give a group toast to Jay and Suz because the story we wanted to tell involved all three of us (and Jay), and more importantly...to me, anyway, I knew if I stood up on my own and started speaking, I would get a mere 3-4 words out before I started ugly crying/no one can understand what you are saying business. Safety in numbers! Although, of course I did still cry. We recounted taking Jay out for margaritas at Chuy's and laying it out for him...we wanted him to be The One, which meant bumping the current clown Suz was dating and getting all their ducks in a row. Look how that turned out... :)

Margaret and I took more family/parent pictures than I think have been taken since I was about 3 years old. Of course I got none of all of us looking directly at my camera, but you get the drift.

My mama didn't know she would be color coordinating so well with the wedding decor.

It was a bit crowded in the "Sewing Room" of the Ye Kendall Inn...but we let Aunt Jemima stay anyway, closed eyes in pictures and all. At some point in the night, I decided to start using a British/Irish accent when saying the name of the hotel...not at all sure why. I think we'd had enough wine, dancing, and fun that none of us really cared about the reality that 3 of us were sharing a queen bed.

Thank goodness I'm not following this wedding anytime soon!!!! How do you top this entrance???

Ain't she a pretty thing?! :)

I'm trying to give you a peak at how beautiful and perfect the weather turned out...a mere 12ish hours after a complete downpour. Do you see a single cloud in that sky?

Mr. and Mrs. Rubottom!!

I stole this picture off someone's Facebook page whom I don't even know...but I couldn't resist. This was inside the tent where the reception and band were. Amazing.

I had such a great time and was so sad everything was over on Sunday. I also think I want to hire Suzanna to be me or coach me the weekend of my own wedding one day. That girl was more calm than I would have ever been. She did not roll eyes at Maureen, the wedding planner whom I was plotting to throw into the lake due to her patronizing way of speaking to everyone, she vacuumed hours before her wedding, she went with her now husband to be baptised in the lake 30 minutes before her own wedding rehearsal, and she said her face didn't hurt from smiling after a 5 hour long rehearsal dinner. I am so excited for them!!

is this weird?

2009-04-15T19:06:00.003-05:00

Why do I like (I would say I love him, but technically speaking, since I don't "know" him...even though our souls connect every time I watch him, whether the 1st or 10th time...I don't think I can actually love him. Yet.) him so much more when he wears eye makeup and has his nails painted than when he is a normal boy???

Due to delirium at super fun training for 8 flipping hours today, I explained to my fellow teacher friends how if Adam and I got married and had a baby, I could give it a cute mohawk since it would be a rocker baby. Meredeth contributed by suggesting an AB/CD shirt that resembles the AC/DC logo....yes of course we were being SUPER productive with our training materials and lesson plans for next year!!

recipes and a rave

2009-03-23T20:10:00.005-05:00

I'll begin with the rave. Um, I don't know that I have ever described a CD as sexy before, but that is exactly how I will describe my new favorite music. Sexy. It is absolutely wonderful!! He reminds me of Elliot Yamin a little bit because of the raspy/soul voice. Definitely way better, though. Check him out! Now on to the recipes!

Tortilla Pie with Chicken -serves 4
12 corn tortillas (6-inch), toasted
2 cups cooked, shredded dark-meat chicken
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles
1 1/2 cups Green or Red Salsa (recipe below)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In an 8-inch square baking dish, layer 4 tortillas, 1 cup chicken, 1/4 cup chiles, 1/2 cup salsa, 1/3 cup sour cream, and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat once. Top with remaining tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Bake until top is browned and bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.

Green or Red Salsa
8 tomatillos (for Red Salsa, substitute 6 plum tomatoes, halved)
1 onion, halved
1 to 2 jalapenos, halved (ribs and seeds removed, if desired)
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Coarse salt

On a rimmed baking sheet, broil tomatillos, onion, jalapenos, and garlic until lightly charred, 4 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth. Thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water, and season with salt.

*This is DELICIOUS and really easy. I did the green salsa and had a ton of it left, so I will use less tomatillos next time. Also, I used white meat...duh. Final note, I got 5-6 servings.

Cioppino - serves 4
1/4 cup (3 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 to 3 flat fillets of anchovies, drained
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry white wine
1 (14-ounce) container chicken stock
1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed (about 1 tablespoon)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
8 large shrimp, ask for deveined easy-peel or peel and devein
8 sea scallops
16 to 20 raw mussels, scrubbed
A loaf of fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

In a large pot over moderate heat combine oil, crushed pepper, anchovies, garlic, and bay. Let anchovies melt into oil. The anchovies act as a natural salt, the pepper flakes will infuse the oil, providing heat.
Chop celery and onion near stove and add to the pot as you work. Saute vegetables for a few minutes to begin to soften and add wine to the pot. Reduce wine a minute, then add chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to medium low.
Season fish chunks with salt and pepper. Add fish and simmer 5 minutes, giving the pot a shake now and then. Do not stir your soup with a spoon after the addition of fish or you will break it up. Add shrimp, scallops, and mussels and cover pot. Cook 10 minutes, giving the pot a good shake now and again.
Remove the lid and discard any mussels that do not open. Carefully ladle stew into shallow bowls and pass bread at the table.

*This is really good, too. I had been itching to make this soup, so when Central Market had all their shellfish on sale, I decided to find myself a recipe that looked like I could handle it. I know it may look a bit intimidating, but if you do the chopping ahead of time, it really isn't bad. Again, I got more than 4 servings from it.

Refrigerator Pie -serves 6
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
2 eggs
2 pinches kosher salt
Freshly grated nutmeg

For 1 Refrigerator Pie:
1 frozen 9-inch pie crust

Any one of the following combinations:
Cooked spinach, cheddar cheese, cubed cooked ham
Bacon, Sauteed leeks, and Gruyere cheese (this is what I used)
Cooked spinach, canned artichoke hearts, and Parmesan cheese
Roasted chicken, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes
Blanched asparagus and smoked salmon

In a nonreactive, stainless steel bowl, combine the cream or half-and-half and the eggs. Whisk until combined thoroughly. Add the salt and the nutmeg. Whisk to combine.
Refrigerator Pie Rules: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Evenly distribute the pie fillings in the pie crust. Do not overfill the crust with the filling ingredients. Do not pour too much royale into the crust. The eggs will expand upon cooking. Bake the pie until it is firm to the touch like set Jell-O, about 45 minutes. Cool the pie for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

*I made this for a breakfast at Suz's bachelorette party and it was a hit. Unless my friends were just being really nice...I made it again for myself to eat on over spring break and I used milk instead and couldn't tell a difference. I also used 3 eggs the second go-round and thought it had a little more substance that way.

Happy cooking and music-listening! :)

worn out

2009-03-22T20:02:00.003-05:00

This was easier: Than this:

However, I am enjoying both right now. The weather is perfect for sitting outside and I love, love, love my quiet neighborhood. The cats are finally getting along and were both so worn out at this point that they were willing to pass out next to each other.

If you would like the little 1 lb. orange fur ball, please let me know. If you would like to sip wine on my newly-assembled patio furniture, please let me know. I'm more than willing to throw in some free wine if you want the tiny kitten!

animal house: take two

2009-03-20T10:01:00.005-05:00

Oh, LORD, what an eventful evening I ended up having last night. I was on the phone chatting with my friend Halen when I heard Mazie going crazy with the blinds in my bedroom. This is not at all a-typical, however she was obviously very anxious to see something outside. I go open them for her and peek out because I, too, wanted to know what she was dying to see. Here it is: On my 2nd floor patio, no less!!! (My patio is by my front door for those of you who are wondering how a raccoon scaled a wall...it didn't...it climbed the stairs.) I opened the door, snapped a picture in about 2 seconds so as not to get bitten and then infected with rabies, and then deadbolted it. Then, like Mazie (you can see her eyes in the window), I watched this raccoon just chill out on my patio for about 15 minutes....weirdo! All the while, I was explaining my Snow White complex and my desire to pet this raccoon because it looked so cuddly. It went away finally, we hung up, and I checked a text message I'd gotten from Claire. I called her and she showed up about 20 minutes later with this:

He (I'm about 91% sure) is NOT staying here permanently. 1-I don't want a boy cat. 2-Mazie is still hissing and growling, although now that is in combo with chasing the kitten. 3-I found outside patio furniture yesterday at World Market that I really like...I'd rather pay for that than kitten shots, fixing, and declawing. Hopefully Claire will be able to find it's owner or a new home. It is a really cute, snuggly little thing...while it slept and wasn't being harassed by Mazie, it curled up in the crook of my neck. For now though, my apartment somewhat resembles a circus. Cheers!

slight obsession

2009-03-19T21:52:00.004-05:00

Maybe I got a little bored on this 4th day of Spring Break, or maybe I was so tired of trying to adjust resume layouts, rewriting cover letters and choosing the perfect wording, or maybe I am just one odd duck.

Any which way, I am a bit obsessed with looking at my handiwork from today. I finally took the calendar prints I've been holding onto for three months to Aaron Brothers to get frames that would fit their odd size. I succeeded, I framed them, and then I measured twice; hung once. Thank you very much, HGTV and TLC for that handy tip. MUCH better experience than my attempt at curtains. I feel like my bedroom is almost finished, I just need to print off some new pictures for frames and get the frames on the wall. Here's the finished work:
And not that I needed confirmation that Mazie is the smartest feline to ever walk the planet, but I got it today. I caught her up on top of my pillows, trying to climb/scale the headboard so that she could check out the new wall items...that's right, she noticed them. And wanted to sniff and bat at them.

the ranch

2009-03-18T21:59:00.009-05:00

I had the best time celebrating Suzanna last weekend at "the ranch!!" Margaret picked me up Friday afternoon, we loaded up her car, and headed that way to meet the rest of the girls. It's only a month a few days until Suzanna lives with a boy! Yay!! We had a smaller group Friday which was really fun. We ate pasta of a certain shape and then just hung out and talked the rest of the night...that is, until Emily decided at 1:30 a.m. to show us some killer yoga moves....all while wearing a brimmed gardening hat. That girl is NUTS! You know I couldn't pass up the opportunity to arise from my bed, run, and knock her off of her weird tripod pose....twice. She enjoyed it. She also led group exercise on Saturday morning. It was much needed after consuming all kinds of candy and baked goods the night before. I opted out of the kickboxing part since I can't punch to save my life (it's probably because of my sweet nature that I can't do anything resembling violence...), but I hung in there pretty well with the rest of her routine. And I was sore that night and for the next 2 days, so it must have been effective. Here are some pictures to highlight the weekend:
Suzanna got her sash!

Emily's handiwork...aka "Made with love by Nana." Also, Jay's last name (and Suz's soon-to-be) is Rubottom, so we made use of that as best we could.

I baked cakes for decorating Friday night...Margaret's is the best disguised, so I put it on my family-friendly blog. :)

The Friday night crew/Saturday morning exercise class. Margaret watched from afar as she worked on her awesome grad school portfolio.

BBQ for dinner...cheap, yummy turkey, and BYOB...or in our case BYOJS: Bring Your Own Jello Shots. I think we took one before every meal, after every meal, and whenever else anyone deemed it to be time for jello shots.

Some of the gals

Our big plans to show the Boot Scootin' a good time went down the drain as we got rejected because it's a "private club"...due to being a dry county....Texas is SO weird!! And because one of the girls did not have her ID. I'm pretty sure all 6 people in the bar were bummed as we walked out...they knew they were missing something good! Luckily, however, Emily and Robyn put on nasty camo hunting suits and did a semi-strip tease for Suz with the peni-yata when we got back. And they brought out trays of jello shots, of course.

The weekend was super fun, way too quick, and made me really excited for the wedding!

warm fuzzies

2009-03-08T17:34:00.002-05:00

There's nothing like spending a few hours in a children's hospital to help you put things into perspective.

I am not spending my 17th birthday in the pediatric ICU.
I am not deaf as a result of an intentional injury from the people who were supposed to love and take care of me.
I am not sitting beside the bed of someone I love, watching them hurt.
I am not one of two one-year-olds with no one coming to visit because I have been removed from my home.

No, no. I'm a girl with a pretty wonderful life and pretty fabulous people around me. Those kids and babies helped me remember that today.

I had my actual "first" day volunteering at Cook Children's Hospital two weeks ago, but it was actually more of a final training day. I didn't get to interact with any patients; instead I learned (or was supposed to learn) the ins and outs of the two floors where I will be volunteering. Today, of course, I couldn't remember if I was able to go into another patient's room after leaving a "contact isolation" room where I wore gloves and a gown...luckily, I found out the answer is yes.

I helped sing happy birthday to a 17 year-old boy in the ICU. Child Life got balloons, a cake, and presents (from the "happy room!" aka toy storage). We wore gloves, gowns, and masks...I felt so Grey's Anatomy-ish. Then I went back up to the floor I was on and checked on kiddos and their families. I took puzzles and movies to some of them. I then spent the rest of my time with a little 8 year old girl who had no one in her room all day. She is deaf and has developed really neat ways to communicate. She was a sassy, bossy little thing! We cut out hearts and the letters of her name...we colored...we put together a puzzle...she took her own temperature (bossiness!) when the nurse came in. I wished that I could hear her story; that she could speak it....that she could speak the words "cover your eyes until I'm finished" instead of using her hands to show me what she wanted me to do. I didn't spend the time feeling sorry for her, however, I was just glad to sit beside her and help her be an eight-year-old child.

I walked out at 4:30 to a beautiful, sunny day and such a feeling of accomplishment and purpose...what a good day.

apartment antics

2009-03-04T20:12:00.006-06:00

So I've been in my place for a little over a month now and I'm pretty settled in. I still need to get a few more things for the walls and I'm in a desperate search for an outside couch like the one I see in the backyard of a house on my walks. So far, no luck. Luckily I still have some time until its truly patio weather.

Being that I am by far one of the youngest people living here...by approximately 50ish years, I've already had quite a few experiences with the old folks.

1. The old man below me was wheeled out on a stretcher at 2 a.m. a few weeks ago...luckily... he's back. I told Emily about it and she wrote a whole blog about my experience here: http://clarkyclark.com/2009/02/19/a-real-life-nancy-drew/.
I think the next 2 adventures are payback for all my old spying days.

2. I have a serious Snow White complex. I have taken in many a bird and fed them watered down Ritz and water with eyedroppers, mealworms, and even taught one little survivor to fly. Elvis the cat would have been mine in the 2622 days had I been more interested in having a pet at the time. So instead of adopting him, I just let him in our apartment, cross-eyed and all, to hang out and nap on my bed. I believe he knocked his sister up at least once while we lived there. If I had a house, backyard, and doggie door, I would probably have 3 dogs by now. I want to make (almost) every stray a pet.
Enter this little nugget of affection:
The first time I saw her, she was eating with the raccoons at night in front of my car. Um, bada**. Second time, she was under my car and then just about climbed up my pants leg to get to my hand so I would then pet her. Well, duh. She came around a few more times, and since I'd been pondering getting Mazie a friend due to her recent wake-me-up-exactly-one-hour-before-my-alarm-goes-off and destructive tendencies, I thought maybe this was the perfect time. I made an appt. with my vet for the little kitty, but of course could not find her when it was time for the appt. She then showed up again and I decided to put some food out to see if she would come around. ONCE. I turned around from dumping out what was probably 1/2 cup of food and one of the older ladies in the complex was standing at her trunk watching. I knew immediately that I was in trouble. I think got a good 10ish minute lecture about how all these cats run wild and procreate and kill shrubbery from spraying and somehow also contributed to the death of her indoor, 12 year old cat. Then she saw my Blue Haze emblem on my shirt(thank goodness for field trip day) and I think that softened her up a bit; she's a high school librarian. Lord, please do not let me be the 60 year old cat lady living in a one-bedroom apartment giving lectures one day.

3. I went to turn in my rent check on Monday before class and the nice older lady in the office said "You can't leave a dog in your apartment." Um, I felt like I was 6 years old. Emily had come over for the day for a wedding shower and sushi dinner. She brought Rocky so he and Mazie could have a play date. Apparently he was barking and she got a lot of complaints. I apologized profusely since dogs aren't even allowed in the complex and told her he wouldn't be here again. She was really nice and said something about the spoiled older people who complain. Now I'm paranoid that the old folks are banding together to oust me and my animal ways.

4. I have seen TWO cars with "Clubs" on the steering wheel. Seriously?!?
A-Who has used one of those since 1992?
B-Who wants your 1990 Toyota Camry?

if you know me

2009-02-24T21:28:00.003-06:00

...then you know that I can easily become quite obsessed with a single song and listen to it over and over again, well past the point of when I should be tired of it. Most recently, I played two Taylor Swift songs back to back continuously in my car. Then there was Umbrella a while back. Some might even remember a certain rap CD from the 2622 days. As of right now, the song of choice would be "Happiness" by The Fray. The lyrics are wonderful, as is the music of the song. Lyrics are super important to me...I probably could not write a song to save my life, but I do enjoy writing....it's how I communicate and think through things. So here you go:

Happiness

Happiness was just outside my window
I thought it’d crash blowing eighty miles an hour
But happiness is a little more like knocking
On your door, you just let it in

Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can't make it come or go
But you are gone, not for good but for now
And gone for now feels a lot like gone for good

Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never mine to hold
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks

Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself that’s enough for now
But happiness has a violent roar

Happiness it's like the old man told me
Look for it and you'll never find it all
But let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, you'll wake up and it will be...home
Home, home, home

happy heart day! (almost)

2009-02-13T18:01:00.005-06:00

Ah, just one of the perks of teaching small people. I had a minor stomachache at the end of the day...probably due to a cookie bouquet cookie-only part!, some gummy bears, and the outside part of some gross chocolates...but thanks to Deneise and her "mo jee toes", I got a serious ab workout and the pain all went away. :)

All my blog fans (kidding) have been complaining about updating because apparently the picture of my poor back is not enjoyable to look at. I have literally not had 10 minutes to update, but the people who really want/need to know what's going on, do! Here's a short run down of updates, as I still have little time for my beloved blogging. :(

~School is kicking my behind...I have a project due Monday night and then a quiz and presentation Tuesday night.

~Work is good. My little people were oh-so-excited for their party today and it went really well and did not cause any stress.

~I'm settled into my new place, minus anything being hung on the walls. I love it!

~I believe I might start holding me some babies at Cook's next weekend-yay!! :)

~2 months and a few days until Suz and Jay tie the knot!!

Here are some parting words courtesy of The Fray:

And there is so much we don't know,

So we love and we hope that it holds

this is how i spent my ice day

2009-01-28T17:56:00.003-06:00

Jealous?

Due the fact that I haven't been able to breathe normally or finish many sentences without a series of sneezes or sniffling for over a month, I booked myself an appointment with an allergist.

Survey says: After 15 minutes of trauma (it was just as bad as when I was little), the doctor came back in and said my mountain cedar spot was "one of the strongest reactions I've ever seen" (letter D area in above pic). AWESOME. While I do like to excel at things, having such strong allergies is not one of them. I think shots are on the way, but we're gonna try the strongest medicine on the market for a month first.

Thank goodness I have learned lots of relaxation techniques in my counseling classes...I got really close, twice, to calling out for help. I was certain that my itching-which actually felt more like stinging-was some sort of freak reaction. Tropical beach and warm sand...check.

a thief in the night

2009-01-18T18:07:00.007-06:00

Ahhhh, what a great weekend I have had...and I still have one more day!! Woohoo MLK! Last night my favorite and closest 15 friends met at Gloria's for an early birthday dinner. I had called HOURS ahead of time to get us on "the list" since they don't take reservations and we were a pretty large group. Well, after about an hour of us all waiting around and feeling like sardines with the rest of the people waiting for tables, Jay and Emily decided to go regulate on the hostesses. I think the hostesses just wanted them to go away so they said it would be just a few more minutes. Looking around, we knew that was a complete lie as there were no available tables in sight. Freddie tried to go talk Spanish or something to them to try and get us bumped up, but to no avail. Then Jay got frustrated and told the hostesses we were leaving. Um, I still had a good 3/4 of my delicious mojito in hand. And I was annoyed that we had waited for so long and would have been waiting for way longer. We decided to go across the street to La Familia where they could seat us right away. There was just one problem....my mojito. I had on my favorite wrap sweater, so I just tucked my mojito into it and we walked to Emily's car. It was my birthday! Anyway, Smalls helped me finish it in the 25 second drive over to La Familia and now I have a cool glass as a parting gift.

I have some of the very best friends in the world. They each made sure I had a fun night during what has been a less than easy time. One in particular (Emily) seems to have recently taken a liking to cake decorating. Since it's hard to tell from the picture, the scene is a shaved-head Britney Spears hitting the paparazzi car with an umbrella...do you remember that picture? Google it if not. It's one of my favorites. Emily also put her favorite Britney song title on the cake, but I cannot write what it is. And my New Year's resolution to take more pictures....well, I'm pretty much failing miserably at it! I have a picture of only 2 people who were with us last night...perhaps I should have planned a different resolution....

randoms & recipes

2009-01-14T19:56:00.003-06:00

I had good intentions to blog about my super fun weekend, but time has gotten away from me! For a recap of my SUPER fun, I-want-to-do-that-every-weekend (well, maybe....), Friday night, visit Meredeth's blog...my famous words were the title for that blog. I definitely checked one thing off my to do list... :) As for Saturday, I met up with MJ, Suz, and Emily for a late Christmas exchange and dinner. We ate some yummy Mexican food, watching some new wrestling moves, analyzed life-ish things, and just laughed a lot-which is what we're good at! I love those girls!!!

I got my new bedding which I'm semi-obsessed with. I can't wait to put it all together. Speaking of, I got my llaves for the neuvo casa. :)

First week of classes at TCU-done. Not sure how I feel about my Monday class (Assessment). Pretty sure I'll love Tuesdays (DSM)...I'll be diagnosing all of you with all kinds of disorders as the semester progresses. Get excited!

Um, Simon is back. Oh how I have missed his "That was a horrible audition...worst thing I've ever heard...who tells you are a good singer?....you're finished." He's paused right now on the DVR so I don't miss a minute of his sweet face.

On to the recipes:

Pineapple-Stuffed Jerk Chicken (serves 8)
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (20 ounces each) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 scallions, thinly sliced
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
Cooked rice, for serving

In a small bowl, combine thyme, allspice, cayenne, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set spice mixture aside. In a medium bowl, stir together pineapple, lime juice, scallions, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Season stuffing with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Lay chicken flat on a work surface. With a paring knife, cut a 2-inch-long slit in the thick side of each breast; insert knife, and pivot inside chicken without enlarging opening, carefully forming a deep pocket (make sure not to pierce the opposite side). Dividing evenly, tightly pack each breast with stuffing; rub exterior with oil, and sprinkle with spice mixture.
Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; arrange chicken on sheet. Broil until chicken is opaque throughout and an instant-read thermometer inserted into stuffing reads 165, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve stuffed chicken with rice.

*I cut the recipe in half and only used 4 chicken breasts. This is pretty tasty and definitely fresh with the pineapple. I used some tasty brown rice courtesy of my twin.

Hummus and Vegetable Wrap
1 wrap or large tortilla
hummus
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 plum tomato, seeded and thinly sliced
alfalfa sprouts
1/4 avocado, thinly sliced

Spread hummus on wrap, leaving a one-inch border all around. Mound all ingredients in the center and then....wrap it up! SOOOOO tasty and fresh-tasting!! I highly recommend this one when you're brown baggin' it. :)

ELATED!!!

2009-01-07T17:57:00.004-06:00

This is by far the happiest day I have had in quite some time! I had applied over the summer to start volunteering at Cook Children's Hospital. I never heard back from them, so of course I started playing worst-case scenario. I'm really, really good at that game, by the way. I could have called and checked the status of my application, but time got away from me and I sort of didn't want to get rejected over the phone, so I never called. Fast forward to a few days after Christmas. I got a letter from them saying they'd sent me an email but never heard back from me and still wanted to interview if I was interested. Most certainly!! I contacted the volunteer director immediately and she offered to meet this afternoon.

She asked some standard interview-ish questions about personality strengths, why I was interested, etc... On the sheet I had filled out months ago, I had indicated that I was interested in the Child Life area and the babies. Well....she has a spot with the little bitties (0-3 yrs.) DOING Child Life stuff!! Hello-fate, much?? Needless to say, I had to tell myself not to cry tears of joy in front of this stranger....she may revoke the position after seeing my craziness. I will report and work with the Child Life specialists and the CL director. My "duties/opportunities" will be reading to the tinies, doing small art projects with them, taking them to the play rooms, and just rocking them. If you know me, then you understand how obsessed I will likely become with this-I am more than obsessed with babies! Also if you know me, then you know how disappointed/depressed I was about not being able to do Child Life (go read about it in my June or July posts if you feel so inclined).

I feel so blessed and fortunate that this has all worked out the way it has. I go to an orientation in about 2 weeks, then take a TB test (I can't remember if that involves a needle...does it???). After that, watch out babies because I might not ever put you down.

indian princess

2009-01-05T19:26:00.002-06:00

Easiest Indian Stew
Serves 4

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups homemade or best-quality store-bought tomato sauce
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and keep warm.
While rice is cooking, heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add curry powder and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve stew with rice and yogurt, garnished with lime wedges and a pinch of curry.

*I omitted the ginger because that is a flavor I could really live without. I also used quinoa instead of rice because I love it. This is surprisingly filling....easy, too!

blessed

2009-01-03T10:05:00.002-06:00

Someone above has definitely had a hand around my shoulder recently. I have had a really wonderful, fun, and relaxing week. I had been worried about being bored which leads to moping which leads to frustration. Not so much. From Chimy's happy hour, to spending the day in Dallas curled up on the couch and eating black eyed peas, to lunch and checking out the new TCU with a friend who was in town, to hanging out with friends for their "Puerto Rico" party with all the Puerto Rican liquor they brought back from their honeymoon, to the walks I look forward to with one of my dearest friends...I have been far from bored. More like blessed. Friends and landlords, family and strangers have been more accommodating and comforting than they know. They're all helping to heal my little heart together.