Stephanie Jordan

Lemon Icebox Pie

2012-02-15T16:53:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, I asked my husband if we could "take a pass" on Valentine's Day this year. No fancy dinner. No gifts to exchange. Just a normal, easy night at home, something I've come to cherish.

We eat out a lot ... and we eat at nice places semi-frequently ... and I can't have wine ... so the idea of a fancy dinner didn't blow my skirt up.

When it comes to gift, I don't really need anything ... delivering a baby is practically a car note ... we have a nursery to prepare ... I would like to take a trip before Baby Jordan's arrival ... we should save our cash for more practical things.

Valentine's Day is a really nice treat, but this year, I just felt I didn't need all that with so many other things going on. But I did want to do something special for my wonderful husband, Ty. So I decided I would make him a homemade lemon icebox pie, his favorite. It wasn't my original idea. My friend LJ was making one for her husband, Marcus, and I hopped on the bandwagon. But it was a good idea.

I've never made a lemon icebox pie or homemade whipped cream before. I was shocked to discover whipped cream is made from whipping cream (well, duh) and sugar. Such a simple confection!

It was easy as pie to prepare, and a treat that made my guy's heart flutter. Which is really what Valentine's Day is about. After all these years, who knew lemon icebox pie was Ty's love language?

(Photo courtesy of Southern Living)

Lemon Icebox Pie

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

2 (9-inch) ready-made graham cracker crusts

2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar

Fresh lemon slices (optional)

Fresh mint sprig (optional)

Whisk together first 3 ingredients. Pour evenly into crusts.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Cover and chill 4 hours.
Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over chilled pies. Top with fresh lemon slices and a mint sprig before serving, if desired.

Mardi Gras and Bayou Billionaires

2012-02-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

I could tell you a lot of things about our Mardi Gras parade weekend with the Krewe of Centaur.

King cake, Cane's chicken fingers, Maxwell's brie and crab dip (which we found out doesn't actually have brie or crab in it). All of these things made the 30-degree weather tolerable.

Well, and this.

These are two of Shreveport's most recent celebrities and stars of CMT's "Bayou Billionaires," Chantel and Albert, aka. Carl or Jimmy, "depending on what state he's in."

I'm a little embarrassed by how star-struck my husband looks. But we've watched this show since its premier and quote it often. When Ty asked if he could take a picture with the couple, Albert said, "Hold on, let me go put my new teeth in."

If you haven't seen "Bayou Billionaires," it chronicles the spending habits of the Dowden family, who struck it rich with the boom of the Haynesville Shale (the fourth largest natural gas deposit in the U.S.). "Bayou Billionaires" and "My Big Redneck Vacation," which also features a Shreveport family, are the two highest rated series in CMT history.

If you watch either show, don't judge my beloved city based on what you see! We're having a hard time watching our reputation dissolve ... but have to admit ... at least it's entertaining.

Basic Pimento Cheese

2012-02-10T16:29:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have read the title of this blog post and dismissed this recipe before I even had the opportunity to share.

Shame on you.

Let me persuade you with this fact. For most of my life, I've thought pimento cheese was disgusting. Like, make-your-skin-crawl gross. Mostly because this was my experience:

It is the color of cheddar, but I have great doubt that there's any actual cheese involved. Maybe cottage cheese, which again, is make-your-skin-crawl gross. My dad used to eat this all the time, and maybe he still does. But I no longer live under his roof and have to be subjected to something so distasteful.

With this being my prior knowledge of pimento cheese, it is understandable why I never gave the stuff a chance until a few summers ago. One of my church friends started raving about the pimento cheese sandwich at Newk's. I turned my nose up. And then she explained, "It's not what you're thinking. It's more like an adult grilled cheese."

Grilled cheese is more my language, so I tried the Newk's pimento cheese sandwich and could have died and gone to heaven.

Oozy, slightly spicy, sharp cheddar cheese on a warm toasty baguette. Could such wonders truly exist? It has become a household favorite. Hot, cold, however it's served. Nothing is better than getting out of the pool in the summer with that swimmer's appetite (yes, I realize I mostly float) and smearing some of this stuff on a cracker.

That is a weird association to make, swimming and pimento cheese. Wouldn't a hot dog or hamburger make more sense? Well, what can I say, I'm fancy like that!

I recently found a pimento cheese recipe in Southern Living that sounded similar enough to Newk's that I was encouraged to try it out. And since when have Southern Living recipes disappointed?

It's perfect to make fancy adult grilled cheeses or to serve cold as a dip with some crackers. I made some modifications to this recipe, which you can see in parenthesis below.

Basic Pimento Cheese

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (I would gradually add mayonnaise until it is the consistency you desire. I thought this was too much mayo)
1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. finely grated onion (I took a shortcut and used onion powder)
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
2 (8-oz.) blocks sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (I used one block of white cheddar and one block of yellow cheddar)

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in cheese. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Project People and Other Midweek Observations

2012-02-08T15:19:00.000-06:00

New Girl.

Have any of you been watching the series on Fox, "New Girl"? The show features possibly the cutest, most adorable human being to ever walk this earth, Zooey Deschanel.

I love her. If I met her I would be tempted to pinch her cheek because she's that adorable. And I secretly think we should be best friends. I'm sure most people feel that way about her. It probably would not work out because I secretly envy her bangs.

When I had bangs, like full-blown real bangs, they looked like this.

Not like this.

Anyway, "New Girl" is the new favorite show in our household. Even better than "Modern Family." There, I said it. I went to bed last night with a headache from laughing so hard at this show. Ty and I rewatched this one scene five times before I was ready to move on. You will enjoy this, please watch.

Pool Ball Sweater.

There's been a longstanding disagreement within my family that my dad once owned a sweater with pool balls all over it. This picture was recently discovered ... and the proof is in the pudding.

What else could those be but pool balls? Sorry, dad.

Haircut.

I think there's something about pregnancy that makes you do strange things. Dreams, for one, are weird. In one week's time, I dreamed that I was running away with a Middle Eastern prince that I met flying in coach. What prince flys coach? Then I was an accomplice to the murder of a school janitor.

The other weird thing I'm experiencing is an uncanny desire to cut my hair. Something I've not wanted to do in about 10 years. But I think this cut is really cute.

I'm only kidding myself and would end up crying about it in the end. Considering my hair's texture and mass, I would look more like a cotton swab.

Project People.

My brother, Chris, and his wife, Ashley, are all set to move into their new house this weekend. I'm excited for them and know they can't wait to be in their new home. This has kicked Ashley into project mode, and this past weekend (instead of watching the Super Bowl ... gasp) she refinished this beverage cart for her breakfast nook.

Here's a before look.

The work in progress. Her nephew Jacob likes to work on projects just like his dad!

The finished product.

I love to see cool pieces of furniture find new life!

My stepmom, Amy, has also been feeling inspired. For years, they've had a beautiful roll top desk in their office. But lately, Amy's been wanting a smaller desk to free up some space. She found this piece already refinished at a local antique store.

But the chair left something to be desired.

Sofie does not appear to be a fan of the pinkish/mauve seat. Amy switched out the fabric with this cute baby cheetah print, which completely changed the look of the chair.

I did have one question, though. Is that really what baby cheetah's look like? Those spots are so little! Maybe she'll grow into them one day.

Pictures from the Past

2012-02-07T16:54:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday, we went to my in-laws house for lunch after church, and after we finished eating, Ty's mom Margaret pulled out some old pictures of Ty and Mandy from when they were kids and into their teenage years.

If you know my in-laws, then I'm not spilling any secrets here, but in most of Ty and Mandy's childhood pictures, they're wearing swimsuits. And for Ty, this meant a speedo. He wore a speedo everywhere.

Riding his bike.

To the beach.

Everywhere.

The next time I visit my in-laws house, I'm going to borrow the best picture of all so that I can share it with you. Ty and Mandy always took an annual swim team photo together. The same picture year after year. But one particular year, you can clearly distinguish bite marks on Ty's inner thigh ... placed there by Mandy.

I asked Mandy how she could possibly have bitten Ty. He was just so darn cute! I guess he didn't always act as sweet as he looked.

But he was super cute as a kid. I'm hoping Baby Jordan has the same white blond hair and freckly face. I will be putty in this child's hands.

I cannot handle this sweet, cute face!

What if Baby Jordan ...

2012-02-03T17:01:00.001-06:00

I pulled out my baby book the other night in hopes of finding out some insider information about half of Baby Jordan's genetic make-up. The things I discovered terrified me.

We'll start with something good, though. I weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces. That seems like a manageable birth weight. I can do 7 pounds 4 ounces.

But I looked like this.

Have you ever seen such an angry expression on a sweet little baby's face? LJ said, "You look like you're about to cut somebody."

I'm pretty sure she's right. Either that or I was squishing something out in my diaper.

How did I forget that I wasn't a cute baby? Seems like something you wouldn't forget about yourself.

The second strike against my Netherton genes: My mom referred to me as "Miss Piggy" most of the time she wrote about me in my baby book. I was a girl who liked to eat right out of the gate. And everyone thought I was a fat baby. Now I'm insecure.

There are two things I'm counting on:

The Jordan genes seem to be working in my favor. Ty was a cutie pie baby! He reminds me of my nephew Beckett in this picture. I think it's just the lips.

And this reminds me I need to ask my mother-in-law about Ty's birth stats.

Even if Baby Jordan takes after me and comes out looking like a little red sumo wrestler, it won't last long. By Christmas 1981, six months after I was born, I didn't look so angry anymore.

But even if we make it through the first six months and Baby Jordan eventually stops scaring people with his/her withering stares. There are other mountains to conquer.

What if I bring more hair like this into the world?

I don't know if there are enough hours in a day to tame this twice. Maybe I should start facing the inevitable and seek out support. At what age is it appropriate to start straightening your child's hair?

The Latest Nesting Project

2012-01-26T12:55:00.000-06:00

Since finding out we were pregnant, I've felt a little more pressure to get my house in order. I've been ferociously tackling those house projects that have been swirling around in my mind. I figure once we find out the gender, all of my attention will shift to the nursery, so I better get the ball rolling on my other projects if I ever want to accomplish them.

I also decided I would relieve myself of some responsibilities and hire a housekeeper. This has truly changed my life. My baseboards now get cleaned! That's a first.

I posted a few days ago about the updates we're making in our living room and our bedroom, but the dining room has seen the most dramatic changes recently. To think, it once looked like this.

Dark green walls with dark green ceilings and absolutely no personality. I take that back. It had personality, just not a very good one. We stripped the wallpaper and hired a painter who did some fantastic work. He had doubts about painting my ceiling orange, but became a believer in the end. Then came the new table, followed by slipcovered dining table chairs.

I wanted six chairs around the table, but since the table can comfortably seat 8, I wanted two additional chairs in the room that people could pull up to the table. I didn't have anything in mind until last fall when I saw our neighbors had thrown out three chairs and two of them were still in good condition.

I have no problem salvaging furniture from the curb, but from your neighbor's house? Is that too close for comfort? If they ever visit, will they be bothered to see their chairs in our house? We sat out in our front yard, keeping an eye on the goods, and when the coast was clear, we hauled them back to our house.

The fabric was less than desirable. A red and gold damask pattern that didn't go with the dining room. But fabric is easy to swap out and worth doing when the chairs are free!

Upholstery Guy Mitch did a fantastic job on these in just four days! He replaced the fabric and made some minor repairs, and they were good as new!

The next week, Mrs. Connie called to tell me my dining room curtain panels were ready. Ty and I finished hanging them last night, and they turned out beautifully. I don't know why, but it always surprises me how much curtains can warm up a space.

The room is completely different than when we began. It's elegant but still comfortable. With an orange ceiling, my biggest challenge was to make the room interesting without competing with the statement the ceiling makes.

I decided to go with a neutral, gold fabric on the panels in a fun pattern. And a different texture and pattern on the fabric for the extra two chairs. The ceiling, chairs and panels are all pulled together by the fabric on the dining table chairs.

At some point, I would like to add a rug. But right now I don't feel the room lacks because there isn't a rug. Our next step will be to hang artwork. Just this past weekend, Ty's mom gave us two pictures that Ty's grandmother painted. Mrs. Johnnie was an art teacher for years and both of the pictures are of places Ty used to go as a child. I love that they're so rich with meaning and will be in our family for years to come.

Next step ... the nursery. Just wait until you see this room!

We're Having a Baby

2012-01-24T16:18:00.002-06:00

If you could catch a glimpse of my grocery store receipt, you may have figured this out a little sooner. The addition of Cookie Crisp cereal, Pop Tarts and gallons of apple juice and milk would be a dead giveaway. ... I'm pregnant!

It's become an adventure for Ty to unload the groceries and discover what his crazy pregnant wife has brought home this week.

Let's see, what else has changed?

My idea of cooking is picking up a pizza from Papa Murphy's and exerting enough energy to unwrap it and bake it at 350.

I have become a sweatpants-wearing maven.

We eat cereal for dinner.

I could eat a hamburger (or two) every day of my life.

But, despite the dust my cookbooks are collecting, we're loving this journey. Our little nugget will be 12 weeks tomorrow, and we'll find out in a month if we're having a boy or a girl. We had a doctor's visit today and an ultrasound. The baby was doing somersaults ... rolling, flipping and moving its hands and feet ... already taking after Dad's excellent swim stroke. I saw some pretty stellar flip turns, as well. Just like a Jordan, already swimming in utero! It's OK, Mommy's already seeing the scholarship dollars.

Baby Jordan is due August 8. From here, I'm not really sure what all I'll share about this pregnancy. I probably will not be showing you my belly. I don't want to look at it most days, so I figured you would agree. I will tell you all about my cravings and the crazy things people say to me along the way. I've already had some wonderful gems thrown my way. It's funny what people consider complementary!

My greatest blessing is that I get to share this journey with some of my closest friends. In fact, I'm pregnant at the same time as HALF of my bridesmaids. My cousin and matron of honor Casey is having a girl in April. My best friend, LJ, is five weeks ahead of me. And another bridesmaid (who's name I will not disclose) is just three weeks behind me.

As they say, good things come in batches! Or, more likely, the good Lord knew I would be better off not going through this alone!

What Has Gotten Into Me?

2012-01-20T15:23:00.001-06:00

As Mr. Baxter can attest, we have been majorly lazy around our house for the past month or so.

We being me.

My husband has been rather active. Waking up for work at 5 a.m. for the past several weeks and waking up about as early on the weekends for duck hunts. I'm glad his early morning schedule is coming to an end. Especially since I'm convinced that as soon as he pulls out of the driveway the ax murderer who's been hiding in the bushes will finally come in the house and finish me off. It's no way to live.

I never do well this time of year. I blame the grey skies and the long stretch of time from my last company appointed day off to the next. Thank heavens for Mardi Gras parades and king cakes, otherwise, I may not have the will to go on.

Being tired and worthless and boring does lend itself to one good thing. Lots of online shopping. As I lie on my couch with Mr. Baxter watching Harry Potter, I've managed to accomplish a lot for good our homestead.

First came the curtains.

We took down our Christmas tree and hung these in the same day and managed to stay married. It was miraculous. When I ordered fabric swatches from Ballard for my dining room chairs (you'll have to scroll to the bottom of the linked post to see them), I ordered a sample of this fabric and came to love it.

It didn't work for my dining room, but I think they turned out beautifully in our living room. Now I can watch Harry Potter in complete darkness. ... in the middle of the day ... since that's all I do lately. We also have curtains for our dining room that are in production and will hopefully be ready in the next couple of weeks. You can see that fabric in this blog post from August.

I also decided to get a start on our master bedroom. We've lived in the house for nearly two years and have done little with that space. I wanted to focus my efforts in the places that most people hang out when they come over. Now, it's time to make a cozy retreat for myself!

I used the money we were given for Christmas to put toward this headboard. I love upholstered headboards and think this will give the space a cozy, elegant look (once I paint over the mint chocolate chip colored wall paint). And since our headboard and bedspread are very neutral, I ordered two of these lamps, with a little splash of blue, from One Kings Lane for a great price.

I will have to document my final project on Monday. I had two chairs (that my neighbor put on the curb ... is that embarrassing?) reupholstered and they're being dropped off today.

I'll have plenty more projects and interesting things we've been cooking up next week. Toodle loo for now.

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-21T16:08:00.000-06:00

When it came time to put together our Christmas card for this year, I had a bit of a difficult time with it. What really happened this year? What were our memorable moments, and did I have the good sense to document any of them?

Ty turned 30. I turned 30. We went to the beach. That's about it.

But there really were all these great, small moments in between. Individually, they don't seem significant. But combined together, we've had a wonderful first year of marriage. Joy rides in the Jeep (although I once loathed its very existence), lazy Saturdays swimming in the pool and grabbing steaks from Maxwells, teaming up for our slew of home improvement projects. All of it amounts to one memorable year together.

I thought this card summed that up the best.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. I hope 2011 kept you laughing all the way!

One Stomach Flu Away

2011-12-08T11:41:00.001-06:00

Emily: Andrea, my God! You look so chic.

Andy Sachs: Oh, thanks. You look so thin.

Emily: Really? It's for Paris, I'm on this new diet. Well, I don't eat anything and when I feel like I'm about to faint I eat a cube of cheese. I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight.

This could be one of my favorite movies lines from "The Devin Wears Prada." Sometimes I think this diet plan could work for me. After all, I really love cheese. My problem is stopping after one cube!

It's all funny until you find yourself with a stomach virus and begging for your life to be spared. That's how my week started.

I kissed my niece on the cheek ...

She kissed me on the cheek ...

Less than 24 hours later, we were both yacking our guts up.

There were moments I thought I was going to die. Or at least have to go to the emergency room. Terrible horrible things have happened to me this week. Things you wouldn't want me to describe.

I've never seen a pharmacist scared, but when I walked in CVS to get my phenegran prescription filled, I swear I saw him shudder at the sight of me. And fyi, they really can fill your prescription instantly. You just have to look like you're going to have episode right there at the pharmacy counter.

Anyway, my niece and I are stomach flu survivors. And I'm down four pounds. How's that for looking at the glass half full?

Pinterest Recipes

2011-11-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

(I started writing this post more than a month ago ... finally getting around to posting it. Sheesh.)

My husband recently told someone that every dinner at our house was highly experimental. Experimental sounds bad to me. Experimental leaves things too open ended. Experiments can go wrong.

There are a few recipes that are in regular rotation around our house, but I do like to cook different things and try new recipes. I feel like I cook enough to discern whether or not I will like a recipe before I put in the effort to prepare it. Perhaps I have the gift of discernment because things typically turn out OK.

Pinterest has become a great resource for me. I can't resist beautiful food photography! It looks so good that I have to prepare it and taste it myself. So, here's a run down of my recent Pinterest successes ... and one flop. But one out of six ain't bad!

Angel Chicken

I would have seasoned this a little more, but this was delicious served over linguine. The recipe says to pour the mushrooms in the bottom of the crock pot and then top with chicken. Problem is, once you do that, the mushrooms adhere to the chicken like barnacles on a boat hull. Stir it all together and you'll have barnacle-free chicken.

Baked Spaghetti

We never make spaghetti at our house. Just not one of my favorites. But this baked spaghetti takes classic spaghetti to the next level. It's creamy and crunch and hearty, not runny like my spaghetti always turns out. So, so good, and it freezes well.

Lasagna Soup

I loved this recipe as well. It's very filling and has great Italian flavor. However, if you don't like fennel, I would avoid this soup. The Italian sausage has a lot of fennel flavor. Also, I would sub the broken lasagna noodles for a simple spiral noodle, just for attractiveness.

Pesto, Plum Tomato and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

This is one good sammy. The rich, stringy mozzarella is amazing paired with the nutty pesto and fresh tomato. As a card-carrying cheese lover, I could only eat half of my sandwich because it was so rich and filling.

Southwest Chicken Corn Chowder

I saw this photo and wanted to make it immediately. But somewhere my chowder went terribly wrong. It was water and bland and therefore sat on the stove untouched for two days until it became putrid. Skip this one.

Tuscan Pasta

I'm not typically a fan of jarred alfredo sauce. It always tastes a little off. But this jarred sauce is wonderful when you jazz it up a little bit. This was an easy meal after getting home late from working out. You literally throw it together.

White Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

It's rare that I meet an enchilada I don't love. These are spectacular. Ty ate on them for a few days until he'd polished off the dish. That's saying something since leftovers often go untouched around our house. We'll be making these again, soon.

Now, hopefully, I can start blogging as much as I cook.

My Memories Taste Like Turkey

2011-10-26T17:02:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned earlier this week, Ty and I recently traveled to Arkansas to see our good friends Tuck and Megan. We love our Arkansas friends. A four-hour drive north and it feels like I've been dropped in a strange land with a different language and customs.

A few weeks later, we were watching "Country Strong" for the first time and simultaneously agreed that these two characters are spot-on Tuck and Megan.

He's rough and tumble. She's a Country Barbie. Ty and I exist somewhere in the middle. But it's fun to go up there, drive old trucks, drink beer, eat cornbread, sit on a front porch swing, play guitar and act like we belong.

Well, it's probably not much of an act. Fifty percent of both mine and Ty's genealogy comes from Arkansas. His mom's from Magnolia. My mom's from Camden. Maybe we're country strong after all!

When we make our trips to Arkansas, I only have one request. A stop at Burge's. We would always stop here on our way to my grandparents' house, and I've yet to find a turkey sandwich that can come close to this one. Since it's asinine to drive over an hour for a turkey sandwich, I strictly enforce a stop when we get to Lewisville. Hungry or not.

It's not much, but I love that this place hasn't changed since I was a kid. There's something comforting about going to a place that you've always loved and it's exactly the same as it was years ago.

The menu has grown and changed and there are lots and lots of delicious homemade options. But I don't even need to look at this board. I know my order before the car pulls out of Shreveport.

Here it is. Absolute heaven. It's simple, with just turkey, lettuce and mayo between warm, buttery sliced white bread. I add pickles. Trust me and add pickles if you like pickles.

Ty ordered the BBQ sandwich, which I asked him to show me while he was driving.

Then I asked him to try to hold it still. I'm sure he finds me very charming in these moments. We ate our sandwiches, chased them with homemade fried pies (Ty did apple, I did cherry), and kept trucking our way northward to the tiny village of Guy.

Burge's, we hated to eat and run. Maybe I'll make a return visit soon. Humm ... exactly how crazy is it to drive over an hour for a turkey sandwich?

Don't Count Me Out

2011-10-24T16:40:00.001-05:00

I've heard numerous times over the past month that people are wondering what happened to me and why I haven't been blogging. Well, don't check the obits just yet. I'm happy to report that I am alive and well and clawing my way out of this dark abyss called Launching a Company Web Site.

In addition to the Web site launch, I've been out of town to a few trade shows and sick for about two weeks.

Are you tired of hearing my excuses yet?

I have proof.

This is my old company Web site. If you have eyes, you can see it's a little skunky and dried up.

This is my new company Web site. I think it's sexy. ... well, as sexy as a Web site can be. It was a lot of hard work and I'm glad she's up and running.

So, where do we go from here? You've heard my excuses. You've seen the fruits of my labor. I guess the logical next step would be to share some blurry cell phone pictures recapping my life over the past month.

Starting with the barn party Ty and I attended in Guy, Arkansas, a few weeks back. Let's run down the list of eventful things that happened.

1. I met a one year old wearing Usher cologne.

2. I saw a guy try to jump over a bonfire and land in the middle of it.

3. I ate the best cornbread of my life.

Ty and Tuck (the reason we went to Arkansas) playing guitar and singing at the barn party. I would do this every weekend if I had a barn.

This is Tootsie Roll. You've not lived until you've watched a sunset on a porch swing with a beagle. Just the facts of life.

This is a good depiction of the laziness that takes place around my house on a daily basis. I was home sick last week, and very slyly captured this picture of our dogs. They're worthless until the mailman comes by each day.

This was mine and Ty's third year to go to Brew, an annual beer festival in downtown Shreveport. But we've never had the pleasure of having so many friends there, too. It was such a fun group and a great day/night on the town with our close friends.

My dining chair slip covers finally arrived! They're a little wrinkled in this picture, but you get the effect. Once I get curtains made, a rug purchased and pictures hung, I can check this room off my list. It's hard to believe that in March, we were doing this. And why is there always a lazy dog in my pictures?

That's all I've got for now. I promise to have more updates, more frequently!

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

2011-09-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

{Photo courtesy of Sugarlaws}

It was raining when I got home from work yesterday, so instead of going for the three mile walk/run (yes, I'm trying to run now), I decided to crash on the couch and rest. Us Southern women don't nap. We rest.

Before I knew it, it was 7. I was groggy and in no mood to cook dinner, so I began negotiating with my husband. "If we go out tonight, I'll cook tomorrow night."

Very casually, he says, "I think we should just cook."

This was a very dangerous thing to say, and he knew it, so he followed up by saying, "But it's up to you. I feel like I'm telling you to get into the kitchen and make my dinner."

The freedom of choice with a side of guilt. Nice strategy.

I grumbled my way through dinner prep. Quartering potatoes, flattening chicken (which I really enjoyed), grating cheese. We were trying another Pinterest recipe, Artichoke Crusted Chicken, and my mood suddenly shifted when I saw my artichoke mixture bubbling and browning underneath the broiler.

O .....

M .....

G .....

I would have eaten seconds if there were any seconds to be had. I've posted some good chicken recipes in the past, but this tops them all. I love going out to dinner. So, to find a chicken recipe that makes you glad you stayed in is miraculous!

The chicken is tender and juicy and the artichoke mixture is creamy and soft and tangy. I think the first bite made me curse it was so good!

Try it out for yourselves!

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

2 six-ounce chicken breasts, pounded thin

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I used canned artichoke hearts)
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper

Salt and pepper the chicken and then sauté each chicken breast in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat, for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Set aside.
Mix together the mayonnaise, artichoke hearts and cheddar cheese until evenly distributed. Spread the mixture over the sauteed chicken breasts, and then broil at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes. Do not take your eyes off them — broiling can lead to burning faster than you can imagine. When the cheese is melted and bubbling and the tops are golden, remove and serve.

What's Brewing at Our House

2011-09-22T13:12:00.001-05:00

My husband and LJ's husband, Marcus, recently decided to get into beer brewing. They've researched and watched videos and ordered kits and watched yeast rise. Meanwhile, LJ and I mock them mercilessly because we are amazing wives like that.

Monday night, once the yeast packet had risen, it was time to make beer. It would have been preferable for this event to take place on a Friday or Saturday night when I am more prone to keep my eyes open past 9:30 p.m. But the yeast wasn't ready. And the yeast is very important. So we waited on the yeast. And because of the yeast we were up past 11 p.m.

For their first brew, Ty and Marcus picked Oktoberfest. I guess brewing a seasonal beer is how boys get excited about fall. I buy cardigans and tights and boots. Potato, patato.

I'm going to give this info to you in girl terms because I don't really know what all goes into the beer making or the tools of the trade. There is this giant tea bag that you steep. Then you mix it with some hops and this gel-like stuff that resembles what vampires turn into when they meet the true death on "True Blood." You boil a little while, then cool, then pour into a canister and store in a cold, dark place (my guest bath), and in two months, you have beer.

There is lots of wearing oven mitts and strategizing and timing stuff.

And stirring while wearing oven mitts and drinking beer, which is ironic since you can drive down the street and get some of that in less than two months.

And wafting the aroma into your nostrils. It does not smell good, FYI.

A glimpse inside our pot of beer.

And transferring the big pot of beer to a sink full of ice to cool down the beer quickly. Ty says, "watch out!"

Adding ice to the sink to cool the beer.

Baxter says, "Move over boys, this is a man's job."

And after some more shaking and cooling and other stuff I didn't document because I was watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, we have five gallons of our unfermented concoction. I'll let you know in a couple of months how things tasted!

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

2011-09-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

Stuffed pasta shells are a regular favorite in our household. When I can't figure out what I want to cook, these are always a good bet because I know my husband loves them. My recipe comes from my sis-in-law's artillery and is very good. It combines ground beef (or turkey), Velveeta, cream of mushroom, Parmesan for a delicious filling.

With our love of stuffed shells, I was practically drooling when I found this recipe on Pinterest. My bestie, LJ, says the large shells look bizarre and freak her out. Isn't that interesting? I think I'll make these the next time she comes over. JK, LOL, XOXO!

In the future when I make these, however, I will adapt between my recipe and the Pinterest recipe. The stuffing is perfection, but without any type of sauce, the shells get very chewy and difficult to cut when you serve them. And even if you like shells, I guarantee you won't like chewy shells.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.
Coat the bottom of the baking dish in a thin layer of spaghetti sauce and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish. Cover with as much spaghetti sauce as you like and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

Real Food Done Real Good - Part 2

2011-09-20T15:42:00.004-05:00

Now, where did we leave off? Oh yes, the wind in my hair. The Bloody Mary in my cup holder. On perhaps the nicest day ever recorded in the Farmer's Almanac for New Orleans.

So somewhere in between my pre-ride mojito, my Abita Amber and my Bloody Mary, I thought it would be a great idea to ask my tour guide to take me by Brad and Angelina's house. He didn't know where it was specifically, but he knew which block it was on, so he took us down that street, which was good enough for me. Did I see Brangelina's house? Probably. Do I know that for sure? No. Am I going to tell people I saw Brad Pitt on a balcony in nothing but a towel? Absolutely.

After our delicious Bloody Mary and some "No Penetration, Just Conversation," it was time for our next food stop. Our guide took us to Bennachin, which is this blink-and-you-miss-it spot serving African food in the French Quarter.

Ty and I shared this delicious plate of fried plantains. They're sweet and caramelized on the outside, and surprisingly, they go very well with the marinara sauce. These are often compared to bananas, but are more starchy and less sweet. Very different and yummy!

This was probably our shortest stop on the trip. I hate to eat plantains and run, but I was excited to see where the bike ride would take us for our final stop -- a guaranteed "special treat" by our guide.

We cruised along until we hit Canal Street. This was the craziest part of our biking experience. Lots of traffic, including people, cars, horse-drawn carriages and horse-drawn carriage "left behinds" that you definitely don't want slinging on you off your front wheel. But it wasn't a scary experience (other than those "left behinds"). We finally pulled up to our last stop, Palace Cafe.

It's such a charming restaurant with a comfortable French style. Ty and I decided we would enjoy one of their special treats, Peter's Planter Punch, which placed in the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail National Drink Contest.

I believe this was about the time I started bragging to my husband about how well I had done taking pictures and that I had remembered to get each building and each plate of food to be able to share our tour with you all.

Then I looked down at my plate and saw this.

I guess I spoke too soon. And I was so close! Fortunately, I found this picture on the web.

The crabmeat cheesecake is one of Palace Cafe's signature dishes. Imagine a savory cheesecake. It's baked in a pecan crust with a wild mushroom sauté and Creole meunière sauce. It's dense and fluffy at the same time. I really can't explain this thing, other than to say it's delicious.

By this point, we'd spent almost five hours riding around the city. It was so much fun and definitely not lacking in character. Here are some other signs we saw cruising around town.

The Facts, according to New Orleans. I consider these all worthy rules to live by.

So many homes in New Orleans still bear their markings from Katrina. The top of the X is the date the home was searched; the left lists the inspector; the right notes any hazards, such as gas leaks or infestations; and the bottom number is the death count for that home. Such a sad reminder that is still on the majority of homes.

And finally, there was this sign. It once caught the attention of Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern, and it's not hard to understand why. I'm a Louisiana native and many of these "wildlife specials" scare me.

FYI, they leave the fur on the racoon's feet so you know they're not trying to sneak you a rat instead. That's the kind of valuable knowledge you can get only on a culinary bike tour. Not that I would eat rat or raccoon!

Bon Appetite!

Real Food Done Real Good - Part 1

2011-09-16T16:53:00.003-05:00

I don't even want to tell you the process I have been through to share these pictures with you, but take my word for it when I say it has been a digital, virtual, absolute nightmare! The good news is, I get to share them with you now.

Our Culinary Bike Tour with the Confederacy of Cruisers in New Orleans was one of my favorite experiences of the year. If I can't spend my anniversary on the beaches of Cabo, drinking heavenly pina coladas and eating an embarrassing amount of refried beans, then I want to spend it doing this.

I haven't been on a bike since I was probably a kid, so this definitely brought out a very childlike, adventurous side of me. I was so into it, I think I'm asking for a cruiser bike for Christmas. We spent five hours cruising around different parts of New Orleans and eating at places I wouldn't have the gumption to find or visit on my own. Nevermind that all of the food is amazing, the entire experience is about as much fun as you can possibly have eating!

Our first stop on the tour was Elizabeth's, where we feasted on the fried boudin balls in creole mustard sauce and praline bacon. This was one of two restaurants we stopped at that has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

The fried boudin balls in creole mustard sauce were Ty's favorite of the day. They were crispy on the outside and warm, spicy and gooey on the inside. And the creole mustard sauce is good enough to spoon directly into your mouth. It's the consistency of white gravy with a tangy brown mustard flavor.

My favorite dish of the day was also from Elizabeth's. As if bacon weren't good enough on its own, the praline bacon takes it to a new level. It's got that salt/sweet combination and the praline sauce is caramelized and slightly crispy ... I die!

We biked a little more and eventually found ourselves at The Joint, another Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives spot. This is the sort of place you drive by, thinking they probably have really good food, and never actually try it.

They served us ribs, sausage and mac 'n cheese and we paired it -- to perfection -- with Abita Amber. I was a little disappointed when we pulled into a rib place, since I officially swore off ribs about two years ago. But these ribs were smokey and tender and flavorful. Good enough to change my mind.

I get kudos every now and then for my mac 'n cheese, but this dish is a divine thing!

The place was overflowing with character. I had to clean my hands to snap a picture of this sign. It made me think of our friend and die hard Saints fan, Clint Gulett. If only they sold T-shirts! Little did we know, there was more interesting signage ahead!

After all that eating, it was time for a cocktail, and Marie's serves the best Bloody Marys around. The place was a total dive. Slightly scary, but the kind of place I like. Ty said he wished we had a place like this in our neighborhood. I wouldn't go that far with it.

But this Bloody Mary is legit. I love a Bloody Mary with lots of pickled veggies in it. Olives, green beans, whatever. At that point does it become more of a snack?

Another interesting sign we stumbled upon along the way. I like it when people establish strict parameters for relationships right off the bat. Before we left, Ty and I spoke with one of the locals. We loved his stories until he told us the government blew up the levees with dynamite during Katrina. And ... time to move on!

More food and signage to come next time ...

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

2011-09-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

{Photo from Taste of Home}

I got together last night with some girlfriends that I met through my sister-in-law, Ashley. Love these girls! And technically, they're more Ashley's friends than mine (since they've all known each other for roughly a zillion years), but I always appreciate the invite to spend time with these ladies.

We usually get together for frozen dinner swaps, but this time we wanted to do something more low maintenance. So, we began to plan Whine with Wine. Everyone brings their beverage of choice and a yummy appetizer to share with the group.

The list of appetizers sounded delightful: cream cheese artichoke dip, buffalo chicken dip, meat pies, cream cheese with Pickapeppa sauce. Shall I go on?

I originally wanted to bring a hot, cheesy bean dip I found on Pintrest. I love refried beans so much I would bathe in them, so it seemed like a delicious option. But then I was short on time and probably going to run late and I needed to simplify. Plus, no one had really committed to bringing anything sweet. Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball to the rescue.

If you haven't had this dessert, brace yourself. This treat is always a hit at parties and it's so easy to make. I arrived at Angie's house, and soon Carrie walked in with a Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball, too. Thankfully, this is one divine dessert that you don't mind having duplicates of.

I never shaped mine into a ball. It still looks lovely and tastes just as good in a dip bowl. But you could always make the ball and even roll in chopped pecans if you're into that sort of thing.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (use regular chocolate chips if you don't have the minis)
Graham crackers for dipping

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and combined. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap; shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
If you're feeling nutty: just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers.

Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia

2011-09-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more I would love to do than share with you all my photos from our culinary bike tour. ... But. ... (and there's always a but) ... I managed to jam the memory card in this adaptor thingy and can't seem to recover it and must wait on my Mr. Fix It to, well, fix it.

So there you go.

Instead, I will share with y'all a delicious fish recipe I tried the other night. It wasn't as delicious as our culinary tour, but I'm doing what I can here, people.

Ty and I eat a lot of fish. Mostly grilled. Mostly the same way. Mostly boring. Although I will give us a big pat on the back for no longer using frozen fillets. That's the first important step with any fish. You can't slack on freshness. I like to eat fish about once a week. It makes me feel like I'm doing something good for myself, and I always feel a little skinnier the next day.

But I'm really bored with the same old grilled fillet, so I was thrilled to find this Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia recipe. It's not even going to come close in comparison to fried fish, so don't let me give you the wrong impression. But it's still good. Really, really good and fresh and crispy.

The dish calls for the fillets to be coated in butter before being patted with panko crumbs. I think next time I will skip the butter to lighten it up some more, or maybe opt for my handy I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray instead to dampen the fillets a bit more. Both would be healthier, better options.

Here's what you need and what to do!

Crispy Oven-Baked Tilapia

Zest from a lemon

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 teaspoon paprika

4 (4-oz.) tilapia fillets

salt, divided

6 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven 425° and grate zest from lemons to equal 4 tsp.
Combine panko, paprika and 2 tsp. lemon zest in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with 1 tsp. salt. Dip fish in 1/4 cup melted butter; dredge in panko mixture, pressing panko to adhere.
Place fish on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsp. melted butter over fish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

The butter does give the panko a nice golden color, but maybe the spray butter will accomplish a similar goal!

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary, Year One

2011-09-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

Last night, Ty and I cuddled up on the couch in our PJs, cut into some year-old wedding cake and popped in our wedding photo slideshow.

We had so much fun together in New Orleans celebrating our anniversary. Nice dinner. Sleeping in. Piano bar. But this quiet, intimate moment together, free of all frills, was my favorite part of our anniversary. It instantly took me back to our vows and reminded me of what our marriage is about.

It's not about whether or not his clothes make it into the hamper each day. It's not about the material things you have or strive to gain. It's not about having a clean and perfect house or an amazing meal on the table each night. And it's not about the millions of other things that snag us day to day.

It's a greater purpose that you share. What a blessing to share my purpose with Ty. He makes me so, so happy, but even more importantly, he makes me better.

Two years ago, a dear friend gave me a print to hang in our master bedroom. I read its words nearly each week and am reminded of the greater purpose of our marriage. It gives me the healthy dose of perspective that I so often need.

"How beautiful, then, the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in hope, one in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the religion they practice . . . Nothing divides them either in flesh or in spirit . . . They pray together, they worship together, they fast together; instructing one another, encouraging one another, strengthening one another. Side by side they visit God's church and partake God's banquet, side by side they face difficulties and persecution, share their consolations. They have no secrets from one another; they never shun each other's company; they never bring sorrow to each other's hearts . . . Seeing this Christ rejoices. To such as these He gives His peace. Where there are two together, there also He is present."

— Tertullian

I'm grateful for such a wonderful husband to stand side by side with each day. We don't do all of these things perfectly, but we have a lifetime to keep getting better.

Cruising Through New Orleans

2011-09-08T14:31:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow morning, Ty and I will be pulling out of town for a weekend in New Orleans to celebrate our first year of marriage. A whole year ... already!?

If the first year is supposed to be the hardest, and it was this easy, then the whole 'till death do us part thing is going to be a breeze. I'm not quite that naive, but consider me an optimist. I picked a good partner!

In celebration, Ty and I have some fun things lined up. One of the things we're going to do I saw in Southern Living in May and have been plotting to make it happen ever since. We're going on a culinary bike tour through the Confederacy of Cruisers. Think progressive dinner on wheels!

My in-laws, who are known for going on vacation to ride bikes, got a kick out of the fact we were taking a bike tour. I can't say that biking is exactly our thing. ... but when we're talking about food and I have a cup holder for my cocktail ... well, I'll pretty much follow you to the ends of the earth!

Here's a better description of what we'll be doing:

The route and menu follow the season’s best foods, but expect a sampling of NOLA classics (gumbo, po’boys, jambalaya) as well as a few ethnic surprises (locally made cannoli, Senegalese fried plantains) well off the tourist track. You’ll consume calories, yes, but burn a few too, while pedaling a one-speed cruiser—equipped with back-pedal brakes and a cup holder for cocktails—through a city that built a mound of dirt so its kids could see what a hill looks like.

We have a fancy dinner lined up and also plan to swing through the New Orleans Seafood Festival while we're there, but I'm most looking forward to a fun, relaxing weekend with my husband!

I Love College Game Day

2011-09-06T13:51:00.000-05:00

Each fall, it hits me ...

O ... M ... G ...

I love college game day!

Ty and I had the opportunity to go to Dallas this past weekend for the LSU vs. Oregon game. What a way to kick off the season in these amazing seats!

We had a great time tailgating with friends. Cowboys Stadium was unlike anything I've seen. We had a great time soaking it all in. But at the end of the day, I prefer games in Tiger Stadium. You don't have to hike 10 miles to get to your friend's tailgate. A Tiger Dog won't cost you $40, like our Cowboys Stadium chicken fingers and two Miller Lights.

{This is what expensive chicken fingers look like.}

But coming home, on the three-hour trip that turned into a five-hour trip, we definitely could say we enjoyed our experience! And hopefully, we'll make the trek to Baton Rouge for at least one game this year.

I can't believe it, but this upcoming weekend will mark our one-year anniversary! Ty and I are getting away to New Orleans for a fun, relaxing time together. We have some really fun things planned ... I'll tell you more about that later!

Back in the Saddle

2011-08-30T15:41:00.000-05:00

For my entire life, there's been one thing I've known for certain about myself.

I was meant to be a writer.

It wasn't ever something I had to debate, and more or less, it just poured out of me. I have journals dating back to elementary school. Once the conditions aren't so dry around here, I'm going to torch those before my husband can read them.

I was on the yearbook staff in high school. I majored in Journalism and minored in English in college. My path was set, and I figured the decision to write would always be an easy one.

I got a job at the newspaper, where I worked for roughly four years. Starting out doing page design, which eventually lead to my post as the Entertainment Editor and columnist for the Friday Preview section. Loved it. I may always consider that the best job I ever had.

I moved on to become the editor of a local magazine. And about the same time, I began to question if the thing I loved, the one thing I thought was for certain, was still right for me. Could I sustain a career in one geographic location for the remainder of my working life ... in an industry that was drying up before my eyes.

So, I let it go. And never have I regretted it. A lot of people didn't understand. It was how people identified me. They felt I'd given up on my dream.

I started working in marketing. It allowed me to apply my skill set and challenged me on new levels. And it paid better than my days as a "starving artist." I'd found the best of both world!

But inevitably, writing about concrete isn't as exciting as the topics of my previous gigs, and I was craving another outlet. This blog has been just that for me. It's the place I can ramble, post recipes, share my home makeovers, occasionally raise an eyebrow with deep thoughts.

Even still, I miss print. That's the print journalist surfacing in me! Can't help myself! So ... that makes me especially excited to share some news with you all.

I'll be back in ink in September as a lifestyles columnist for CityLife Magazine. I think that means I've officially written for every publication in this town!

I'm excited to have another avenue to write and express myself.

Journalist ... Marketer ... Blogger .... I wonder what'll they call me next!

Local Restaurants Have to Try Harder

2011-08-26T14:56:00.000-05:00

Preface: Brace yourselves, people! I'm about to have a full on Gordon Ramsey moment!

One of the benefits of living in the South is that there's no short supply of excellent, original restaurants where we live. Ty and I were following the "eat local" movement before we were even aware it existed.

Within two miles of our house, we can find the best sushi, Italian, sandwiches, Mexican, steaks, seafood, pizza -- and they're all locally-owned establishments! But before the doors even open, local restaurants are at a disadvantage. There's no corporate office dictating how things should be done. Instead, the responsibility falls on the restaurant owner, who's likely just getting his/her feet wet in the most difficult industry for entrepreneurs.

That's why it's always good to give restaurants a little time to work out the kinks before trying them. At the paper, when we would write restaurant reviews, we always gave restaurants a three month grace period before we would visit. Otherwise, you're not really giving them a fair shake. It's a good rule that I still follow when deciding whether it's time to try a new restaurant. Do you really want to be the guinea pig the restaurant works its kinks out on?

So, with all my love of local restaurants, I was thrilled to see a new pizzeria and market going in close to our house. The place was called Fresco, and for months, I drove by in eager anticipation as I watched workers transform the raggedy building into a cute little bistro.

Then, finally in June, I saw an open sign appear. We were there! I tried to wait the respected three months, but I hardly made it two weeks before my car steered itself into the parking lot. We hadn't even made it to the door when we were greeted by the owner who told us they weren't actually open yet. ... I thought that's what "open" signs meant? He handed us to-go menus and all but begged us to come back.

Strike one. But he was such a nice guy, I wasn't ready to write the place off just yet.

We decided we would go back again last night. I'd seen a growing number of cars in the parking lot, and was ready to give it a shot. The place was adorable and charming, but it didn't take long for me to know I would never return for the following reasons:

There was no wine or beer list. It was all left up to our waiters interpretation, which was far from accurate considering his drug induced state of mind. He could hardly hold his eyes open, so inevitably our order was wrong and Ty ended up with something he didn't want.
I continued to see items come out of the kitchen that weren't on the menu. And the menu wasn't even the same as the one we'd been given just a few weeks prior. There was hardly anything on the menu that even interested me. One soup. One full-portion salad. Maybe six sandwiches (the only difference between some menu items being the bread). And a variation of about six different pizzas.
So, if you're only going to offer a few items, they should be cooked to perfection. My Florentine pizza arrived at the table beautifully. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the homemade crust and fresh toppings, but after my first bite, I realized it was severely undercooked. Doughy and gross. Ty asked to speak with the manager (at this point, I thought he was going to lose it!).
Instead of the manager coming to see us, the chef was sent to our table. He apologized for the pizza and I felt bad for him since it's not really his job to interact and keep customers happy. Ty asked again to see the manager, but he couldn't be bothered to come out of his office. I've never seen anything like that! Who does this guy think he is, The Wizard!!

At this point, we were furious beyond repair. I could have overlooked the pizza and the waiter, but the manager ... I can't get over that and will never go back to the restaurant.

I love local restaurants because the customer service is usually so much better than at any chain. ... But at this restaurant, we were treated like just another check.

And for that treatment, I will be spending my money somewhere else.

What would Gordon Ramsey say about that?

Things of Pinterest

2011-08-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

I was absentmindedly surfing Pinterest at home last night when my husband looked over at what I was doing and said, "I don't really get what you like about that app."

I should have left him right then and there. But then I remembered I love him, so I took deep breaths and settled my anger by repetitively thinking "~~parents~~ husbands just don't understand." Then I tried to explain how I've discovered a whole new world of possibility -- recipes, kitchens, baths, clothes, curtains, shoes, jewelry, DIY things that I will never actually D -- what's not to love?

He still didn't get it.

So, I pulled out the big guns. I told him that new pasta dish I make ... the one with the from-scratch cream sauce ... yeah that's the one ... your new favorite ... I found it on Pinterest ... so shut your penne pasta loving piehole.

I didn't really say it with such gusto, but I like to pretend I'm a tough Italian since I can make good sauce. I hear on Real Housewives of New Jersey that's the most important characteristic a woman can possess. Something to aspire to.

Here are some things that have been Pinteresting me lately:

Baths.

{Some beautiful, clean elements I can incorporate}

{I'd love to see some fresh-from-the-oilfield boots in this bathroom.}

Kitchens.

{I love the reclaimed wood floors and the island in a different finish. I would subscribe to the newspaper if I could read it sitting here.}

{My favorite house from Southern Living. Can you believe this is new construction? This is how everyone should build. New that looks old.}

Laundry Room.

{This would be a great way to hide my washer and dryer since they share a space with my half bath. Ty will also appreciate us not having to buy those $500 drawers that serve little to no purpose}

Holiday. 

{I really liked this photo for a Christmas card with the tag line "Married and Bright" ... or just "Merry and Bright" if you're less cheesy than me. Ty says: "Do I look like the kind of guy who will do that." My response: "No, but it's fun to pretend."}

{I'm thinking these North Pole Cupcakes are going to get us back in the good graces of our neighbor since our minor fallout regarding the duration of Ty's 30th birthday.}

Recipes.

{And finally, the pasta that started it all. The justification to my new obsession. Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Try it immediately.}

{It can be 100 degrees outside and I still fantasize about soup.}

I've seen several of you lurking around on Pinterest. Can't wait to see what you've been loving lately!

Menu Monday on Tuesday

2011-08-23T16:36:00.000-05:00

I can most certainly say I've never had a weekend that I didn't look forward to. Except for maybe when I worked weekends at the paper. But since the weekend was actually my week, I don't think that counts when considering weekends that I didn't look forward to. Confused yet?

I say all that to say, I did not look forward to this past weekend. I'll even be as bold as to say I dreaded it.

Why?

We had a garage sale.

It's such a horrible, dirty, exhausting thing that I'd like to say I'd never do it again. But we did make more than $700, and if I ever end up with this much crap again, I'd probably endure one dreadful Saturday morning for the extra cash.

Ty and I each had our separate complete sets of everything from our single years. Then we got all new stuff when we got married last year. And it all combined into the perfect storm of household items. Some items for sale included:

5 utensil sets
20-plus unmatched pots and pans
2 sets of dishes
1 Orbis ring and necklace with about 30 interchangeable colored balls
Several pair of size 2 Abercrombie & Fitch jeans (I could have cried over this)
A love seat from when my parents moved into my childhood home ... I was around two years old at the time, which makes the couch roughly 28.

I was glad to purge the boxes we stacked in our garage a year and a half ago. But I wish there was an easier way.

After such an eventful weekend, I imagine this week will be extremely low key around our house. I'm cooking all week with the hope that we can eat and be in bed by 9:30 each evening. It's something we aspire to most evenings!

Here's what's on the menu:

Monday: Pork Tenderloin with Squash and Fairfield Grocery's Best of the Bayou (go pick this up for dinner ... amazing!)

Tuesday: Chicken Dorito Casserole (made by Jill Dephillips at our Frozen Dinner Swap) and Refried Beans

Wednesday: Red and White Tortellini with Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread

Thursday: Crispy Oven Baked Tilapia

Fabric for Dining Room Chairs

2011-08-19T09:21:00.001-05:00

Around six months ago, Ty and I killed the green wallpaper in our dining room (Hallelujah Chorus ... in unison everyone), and repainted it a golden beige with an orange ceiling. I adore it.

This picture is a little blurry, but I thought you would like to see the look Lacy is giving me. She looks at me like this every morning as if to say, "Are you going to feed me or what?" I live to be her servant.

Here we go. This one is a little clearer.

It was a drastic makeover that changed the feel of our dining room from cave-like to warm and inviting. And since then, I've been scavenging and hording fabric swatches for curtain panels and dining room chairs. ... the ones we're using have got to go! I've got fabric coming out the wazoo (wherever that is), but I've found some treasures that meet my criteria.

1. I want curtain panels to be patterned but the same color as the wall. This will add some interest to the room, while keeping the focus on the lovely ceiling.

2. I want chairs to be comfortable, plush and bring in some new interest and color for the eye.

3. I'm still looking for a square rug ... suggestions are welcome!

So, I've set my heart on this fabric for curtain panels. The color matches the walls perfectly, and I think the pattern adds the drama I'm looking for. It's delightful when you have something in mind and then actually find it!

But when it comes to fabric for dining room chairs, I've become non-committal even though I have a fabric I think I like above the others. Your help is necessary!! I'm going to share my top four choices (in order of preference) and hear what you have to say. I'll show you what the fabric looks like on the chairs and the actual fabric swatch because they can look drastically different.

1st Choice - Augustine Amber

I really love this fabric. It has a beautiful warm orange that will play well off the ceiling and I love the additional green this fabric would bring in. I wouldn't say I'm a huge floral person, but this one has the power to persuade! Even though the fabric is a lighter cream color, I don't worry about it too much since they will be washable slipcovers.

2nd Choice -Tuscan Vine

I really like this fabric, too. But I worry that it would be way too much beige when it all came together. It's a little heavier look than I like.

3rd Choice - Palomar Sand

I have three images for this one, and truthfully, I don't know if this fabric is even available.

The swatch on the web site.

The swatch delivered to me.

The pattern in a different color.

I like this fabric, if it's even available, but it's not really bringing in any color ... just more beige.

4th Choice - Anya Chocolate

I like this one on its own ... but for my dining room chairs, it doesn't blow my skirt up. It might be too dark and a little uninteresting.

Thanks gals for your votes and help! It's like trying to decide on a restaurant on Friday night, you know where you want to go but you need some affirmation!

My Day in Prison

2011-08-18T11:00:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's Thursday and I'm writing my first blog post for the week. Shameful, but par for the course these days. I've been extraordinarily busy ... and in lock up.

It's one of the interesting factors of my job and the marketing of precast concrete. When a job is completed, we're often invited to an open house ceremony (they always have these since taxpayer money is involved). And this time the job just happened to be a 40-bed prison in Central Arkansas.

Prison is an interesting place, even without the prisoners. Glad to say I've never been before and fingers crossed things stay that way.

I did see a few prisoners on my tour. I suppose they were bussed over from the old prison to help clean up after our catered lunch (yes, I ate lunch at the prison, too!), which brings me to the most interesting part of my trip. The prisoners don't wear hunter's orange ... they wear hot pink. I've heard of this practice that originated at Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Arizona prison, but I've never actually seen prisoners wearing pink before.

My day did get progressively better after leaving the prison. As you would imagine!

Before our drive home, we couldn't leave Little Rock without going to eat at Doe's Eat Place. You drive past ... and see this:

And, naturally, part of you wonders if you really want to eat here. But I'm a fan of the dive. Perfect example, Herby K's. It's what's on the inside that counts, right?

The place will not dazzle you with her looks, but once that plate, piled with a dozen hot tamales, arrives at your table. Her persuasion begins.

You have two and restrain yourself from having three since your entree hasn't arrived yet. But it's a spicy, seductive, tempting offer.

And within minutes, your patience is rewarded with the largest, most-tender, well-seasoned porterhouse you've ever tasted. Homemade fries accompany, and if your table mates aren't looking, you attempt to do a little sopping with them. And maybe if you were eating this steak at home, alone, in complete privacy, you'd gnaw on the bone. This is heaven for steaks. So blissful, in fact, that it brings you to a state of mind where gnawing on a bone doesn't seem so grotesque and uncivil. I regret not packing it for the ride home!

It appears I've had a love affair with steak. ... Perhaps my time in prison may have given me a greater thirst for life on the outside. Truly, crime doesn't pay.

Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes

2011-08-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height ..."

Have I ever told you guys what I think Elizabeth Barrett Browning was really getting at with this sonnet?

I think it all boils down to potatoes.

"I love thee freely, as men strive for Right" ... See, I would agree. I feel this strongly in regards to all things spud, and I have the freedom to do so.

"I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise" ... There could not be a more humble form of food cultivated from this earth.

"I love thee with a passion put to use" ... She is so right ... you can boil them, fry them, roast them, mash them, saute them, bake them, etc.

My college poetry professor may not agree. In fact, he may have just keeled over at even the suggestion, but I can see the interpretation so clearly. Or maybe I'm just hungry. At any rate ... clearly, I find everything about potatoes to be fabulous, so I'm always looking for new ways to serve them up as a side.

When it comes to new potatoes, I've always made them one particular way: dice, coat in olive oil and kosher salt and bake with sprigs of rosemary. The aroma is intoxicating and they come out of the oven crispy on the outside and tender inside. Divine. But unfortunately for me (and the plant in my backyard) my husband doesn't fancy rosemary as much as his counterpart.

Recently, a solution came my way and we've been baking new potatoes on a regular basis ever since. These Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes combine dijon mustard, a few seasonings and a little bit of olive oil for the perfect flavor combination. I like that the recipe calls for less olive oil, but still gives you enough to make the potatoes crispy.

They're so easy to make, I hope you'll enjoy them very soon! You may be inspired to compose a sonnet about them! I'm telling you, these potatoes just might have that power.

Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes

Cooking spray
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 and coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, oil, paprika, salt, thyme and pepper. Add potatoes and stir to coat.
Transfer potatoes to prepared baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tender on the inside, about 15 to 20 minutes more.

Interesting Things I've Seen Lately

2011-08-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm officially back from Disney Hell. I arrived at my hotel late Sunday night and immediately called Ty once I got to my room to tell him that I'd seen the ugly face of tourism. ... jacked up prices (Disney "magic" = highway robbery), pirate ship restaurants, twice-daily alligator feedings. Not exactly my scene. I've conceded that when I have children I will do all of these things and probably love it. But when I'm at a trade show, selling ... of all things ... prison cells, I'm not in the mood.

With that being said, it's good to be home.

My trip was wrapped in interesting sightings. From the time I left my office Friday to the time I dropped my bags at home ... oh, what these eyes have seen.

I know no one wants to say it ... it's the elephant ~~in the room~~ on the road?

It's not everyday you're "behind" (har har) an elephant's rear on Youree Drive. There was political messaging hanging on the side, but I quickly passed, fearing the conversation I would have with my insurance company if the elephant smashed into me. How could I possibly explain a single car/elephant collision?

I felt a lot better once the elephant was in my rear view. But really, when you have an elephant tailing you, can you really feel at ease? It's the closest I've come to experiencing an African safari.

As I stood around waiting to board my flight from Orlando to Atlanta, I saw someone who looked very familiar. I thought maybe I was crazy because no one else around me even reacted to his presence. Then I saw a Sharpie fall out of his pocket, and I knew he was in fact the person I had assumed him to be.

Can you guess?

I'll give you a hint. My brother guessed correctly right off the bat, but his second guess was Jerry Springer. This is not Jerry Springer.

Second hint, with fall upon us, we're all about to see much more of this guy.

Cajun Shrimp Pizza

2011-08-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

Every now and then, Ty and I will luck into an invitation to my Aunt Robbie and Uncle Tom's house for pizza night. It's a night of delicious homemade pizzas and "fellowshipping" with old friends.

Here's what happens: About 15 people get together at Robbie and Tom's. Tom starts assembling pizzas, with a variety of toppings. Fresh from the oven, homemade pizzas arrive on the table every 10 to 15 minutes. We eat pizza until we've all completely gorged ourselves.

Tom's pizza is amazing. The crust is super thin and slightly doughy. I know a lot of work (and bravery) goes into pizza night, so I'm especially grateful when we get an invite. I mention bravery because pizza dough has always intimated me. There's so much good pizza in the world, what makes me think I could do it better than the pizza place down the street, who's business is specifically to make pizzas? Or forget doing it better ... doing it at all might be the more realistic obstacle.

I don't find dough necessarily difficult to make, but I figure it to be one of those rogue ingredients. You can never fully trust its next move. You think you've made a beautiful dough, then you bake it and it swells to monstrous proportions, comes to life and eats you instead. See, I'm really scared of dough!

{Photo courtesy of Annie's Eats}

But then I saw this picture on Annie's Eats, and it beckoned to me, "Trust me. Make me. Enjoy me." And for a split second (which is all it takes to set my mind to something), I was convinced into thinking I could make homemade pizza. For starters, I've made several of Annie's recipes and they never disappoint. I was thrilled with both the Buttermilk Chive Biscuits and her Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. Next to Southern Living, most of my favorite recipes come from Annie's blog. It doesn't hurt that her photography is so beautiful that it's almost edible!

What I enjoyed most was that Annie's blog walked me through each step of the process and answered difficult questions. So, rather than post the recipe here, I'm going to share links to her blog where you can find the same helpful tips.

Here's how it went. I made my dough the night before and put it in the freezer until the morning. This keeps the dough from rising, turning into a monster and eating you instead. The morning of the day I was going to make my pizza, I pulled the dough out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. When I got home from work that evening, I put the dough on the kitchen counter to rest for 30 minutes and then started shaping my pizza.

I am in deep concentration as I work on my dough. Ty thought we needed a nice action shot for the blog, so he snapped this for me. He probably thought you all wouldn't believe me if you didn't see it for yourself!

In the meantime, you quickly cook your shrimp, just until they're opaque. If you cook them longer, then throw them in the oven on the pizza, there's a good chance your shrimp will turn out rubbery. This was my second greatest fear in making Cajun Shrimp Pizza ... monster dough and rubbery shrimp sound like quite the disastrous duo!

You assemble all ingredients: Annie's pizza sauce, mozzarella and Romano cheese, diced red onion, green onions, red bell pepper and the shrimp. Then bake for 10-12 minutes, spending most of that time praying that your pizza does what it's supposed to do!

I suppose I prayed really hard because mine turned out beautifully despite all my fears.

Don't let all the components of homemade pizza intimidate you because delicious things await. Now that I've gotten my first pizza under my belt, I can't wait to start hosting our own pizza nights!

Here are links to Annie's blog:

Cajun Shrimp Pizza

Pizza Sauce

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Homemade Pizza Crust

Be brave and bake on!

Chore Wars

2011-08-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

I saw this magazine cover at the grocery store yesterday and nearly collapsed between aisles 3 and 4.

Is Time Magazine trying to tell me that my husband does the same amount of housework that I do? I love him dearly and appreciate everything he does for us, but I'm not buying it. I bought the magazine to read the article (written by a woman ... let's fork her yard) to see how they've come to this conclusion.

Perhaps by the end of the story, I will have been swayed strongly enough to "let it go" and "make peace." But as of right now, the war rages on.

Am I the only one who wants to say "malarkey"!?

It's Just Another Menu Monday

2011-08-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

As Ty and I were getting ready for bed last night, I told him that I wished somehow I could make my weekends feel as long as my weekdays. I spend all my week looking forward to the weekend and then it passes in the blink of an eye.

No fair.

I would love to go back to being a kid. Time moved so much more slowly then. A single summer day could stretch on for what seemed like an eternity.

No fair.

Ty and I spent some much needed quality time with friends this weekend, but most of our weekend was spent helping my brother and sister-in-law move out of their house. It was a long Saturday and lots of work, but I was happy to help. It's one of the small ways I can pay Ashley back for being my right-hand woman during all the wedding planning.

Between helping Chris and Ashley move and taking care of some things around our house, I ~~unfortunately~~ managed to find time to go to the grocery store for the week. It takes a little more time on the front end to plan your meals out, but it'll make your weeknights so much easier and free you from frequent trips to the store.

{Photo Courtesy of Annie's Eats}

We have some delicious things on the menu for this week, and I can't wait to share a few new recipes with you:

Monday: Cajun Shrimp Pizza (I made homemade pizza dough last night and will make a homemade sauce after work today. This is our first time to try this, so I hope it turns out OK!) with Mandarin Orange Salad.
Tuesday: Heather Bradford's Chicken Spaghetti from the Frozen Dinner Swap. (Doesn't it seem like there are a zillion ways to make chicken spaghetti?! This will be a new recipe for me, which I'll post with some other chicken spaghetti recipes I've used)
Wednesday: Buffalo Chicken Strips with Zucchini Chips
Thursday: Pulled Pork Tostadas (The brining is set to begin Wednesday morning! This is a process, but it's worth every step.)

Frozen Dinner Swap: Chicken Zucchini Casserole

2011-07-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

I have always loved zucchini. I think it's a very versatile vegetable. Mild in flavor and easily prepared in a multitude of ways. I've loved fried zucchini since I was a kid. I was just as happy to eat it as I was french fries.

Although ... when I was in first grade I professed in the local newspaper's student spotlight that my favorite meal was crab meat salad ... so I probably wasn't like most kids!

We make zucchini from time to time at our house, mostly in the form of zucchini chips (an easy recipe I'll share some other time), so I was happy that at our latest frozen dinner swap I took home one of Kristen Deere's Chicken Zucchini Casseroles. I don't think I've ever eaten zucchini in a casserole before, so I was excited to try this dish.

To boil it down, it's pretty much a creamy chicken dressing with bits of zucchini in it. You can definitely taste the zucchini in the casserole, but it's not the showcase ingredient. Perhaps making this a great way to sneak some veggies past kids who usually turn their noses up at all things green. You know, kids who claim corn dogs rather than crab meat salad as their favorite dish.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

1 (6 ounce) package stuffing mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups diced zucchini
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, combine stuffing mix and butter. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping.
Add the zucchini, chicken, soup, carrot, onion and sour cream to the remaining stuffing mixture.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mixture.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Trixie Trohaugh - Office Humor at its Best

2011-07-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

The people you work with are one of the most important factors on whether or not you like your job. There are all different personalities, people from all walks of life, coming to the same place every day and working together.

At my sister-in-law's office, they recently hired a new worker. Her name is Trixie Trohaugh, and I've been getting updates on her performance for the past several days. As you can see, she definitely comes from a different world, one of entitlement and privilege, but she seems to be fitting in around the office just fine.

Here's the story of Trixie's first week at work, as the ladies at my sister-in-law's office tell it. I think she's going to be a nice fixture around the office.

{Have I told you about our new office assistant, Trixie? Her picture is attached. She's a whiz at filing.}

{Jill and Angie have gossip hour with Trixie}

{Trixie got a haircut on her first day of work because she didn't really look very business like. She kinda looked like a big time party girl, and you know, we couldn't have that. Angie did it for her}

{Trixie did the mail Tuesday afternoon. She's pretty slow picking it up, but at least she gets the job done.}

{Trixie showed up looking very "business like" on her third day of work, but the bitch refuses to wear shoes. Angie thinks she was originally used to a very beachy environment and doesn't like to wear them.}

{So, I walk into my office and Trixie has stolen my friggin water bottle!}

{Then ... she asked to borrow my tweezers.}

{And then, it had been a while since I'd heard her, I walk in to find her admiring herself in the mirror}

I don't know about y'all, but I can't wait to see what Trixie will get into next!

Meet Me at the Dixie Cream

2011-07-26T16:03:00.000-05:00

I decided a few weeks ago to take my first venture in becoming an official Gilmore Girl (aka., someone who finds the desirables in small town life).

My experiment is called Small Town Special. And instead of looking at all the things that aren't in this small town where I work, I'm beginning to fish out all the good things about small communities - starting with the food. I began this adventure just weeks ago, and last week a co-worker found a roach in the fried rice at Chinese buffet. I will be skipping this location and praying for sanitary kitchens as I press on!

My first stop was Dixie Cream. I picked this place based mostly on its name. On that fact alone, it's already oozing with charm! Then I pulled up.

Doesn't look like much, but I loved the sight of this place. I think walk-up windows used to be commonplace before my time, but since then the window has been replaced by the drive-thru. To me, this is the way "fast food" should look in a small town where things move a little slower. Everyone has time to get out of the car and visit with others. I know this isn't necessarily true (based on my workload alone), but it's how things worked on "Gilmore Girls"!

I felt a little on the spot when it came time to order. As you can see, the menu is extensive. So, I went with the standard menu item, cheeseburger and fries. I waited in the 100 degree weather for my food. The more my jeans stuck to my legs, the less charming Dixie Cream seemed.

Finally, my made-to-order lunch was ready, and I went back to my office to enjoy. By the time I'd made the quick 10-minute trip back to my desk, my brown sack was marred with grease ... a sign of good things to come followed by a twinge of guilt.

As I unwrapped the white paper from around my burger, I thought "this is what a burger is meant to be like." It was delicious, fresh, bursting with homemade flavor. I loved it, all the while apologizing to my hips and thighs. I'll be sure to return to Dixie Cream for ice cream and ribbon cut fries.

If this is what's in store, I can't wait for this small town to seduce me ... one greasy brown bag at a time!

Menu Monday, Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes and Weekend in Review!

2011-07-25T10:15:00.000-05:00

Today's blog is all inclusive. I have lots of news to share, including my weekly menu and a delicious recipe we made last night that will forever change your opinion of sloppy joes.

Weekend in Review

Sweet, adorable baby Beckett had to make an overnight visit to the hospital for jaundice. Although it is common in newborns, it added another level of stress to my sister-in-law's week. She and Beckett stayed overnight Saturday, and fortunately, he was doing well enough to go home Sunday. However, just about the time Mandy was coming home, Justin was leaving for New Orleans to take his bar exam. It's been a crazy week for them. I'm hoping they can settle into a routine very soon.
Upon Beckett's arrival, our church wanted to put a large stork in the yard welcoming its newest member. Problem is, the church had Mandy and Justin's address as our address. It was an easy mix-up since they lived with us for several months. The stork deliverer was on his way to our house when he called Ty and said we needed to water the lawn so he could stick the stork in the ground. I'm glad Ty was available to answer his phone and give the guy Mandy's new address. A giant stork in our front yard would have been a head scratcher for our neighbors!
Since Mandy has had her hands full with Beckett, Mimi and Pop have been looking after Ruby Belle for the last several days. Yesterday, they requested a few hours off, so Ty and I took Ruby Belle for the afternoon. We swam for about an hour, tee teed in the potty (I take pride in this one specifically), took a bath, watched cartoons and went down for a nap. It was a good trial run for me and Ty. Now we know we can be guardians in four hour increments!
We also got some good family news ... my brother and Ashley have a contract on their townhouse! In the next several weeks, we'll be packing up boxes and looking forward to seeing where they settle in. I'm couldn't be happier for them as they cross this milestone!

Menu Monday

Ty and I have a crazy week ahead of us, so there won't be much cooking going on this week. But I do have ~~some~~ one great meal planned. How sad is that? Sorry for the slim pickens for Menu Monday!

Monday: Grilled Tilapia, Roasted New Potatoes and Squash. I originally planned this meal for last week, but it didn't make it to the table once we found out our nephew was on the way.
Tuesday: I'm out of town, so hopefully Ty will finish off some leftovers.
Wednesday: I get back in town, we have band practice at the church and will probably grab something while we're out.
Thursday: Guys Night with church friends, and I don't cook for one!

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

To make amends for my lack of menu items for this week, I want to share this delicious recipe I finally got around to trying last night. I pulled it out of Southern Living more than a year ago, but just hadn't made it yet. I don't really like the idea of sloppy joes. In my mind, sloppy joes are synonymous with Manwich. I guess that's good marketing on their part. Even though it's just a sauce, Manwich grosses me out!

I understand it's an easy solution for feeding a family on busy weeknights, but we can all do a little better than that! This recipe took me less than 30 minutes to make, and is single-handedly responsible for the revival of sloppy joes in my household.

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

1 tablespoon liquid from pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

1 (11.25-oz.) package frozen garlic Texas toast

1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, jalapeño peppers and liquid. Cover and cook 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Texas toast according to package directions. Serve beef mixture over Texas toast; sprinkle with cheese.

My two cents: 1. Include the jalapenos. It'll give the recipe a little kick without being too spicy. 2. Shred your own cheese. So much better!

Easy Crockpot Roast and Mashed Potatoes

2011-07-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

It's been a long day.

I've flown to Oklahoma and back, and I'm glad to be home, out of the hot, turbulent skies, and ready for the weekend.

After long days like these, there's nothing better than coming home to the inviting aroma of a roast that's been slow cooking all day. I don't have a roast to welcome me home today, but we enjoyed one earlier this week, recipe complements of my sister in law Ashley. It's by far the best crockpot roast I've had, and with a crockpot liner, it couldn't be more low maintenance.

I've also got an easy three ingredient recipe for homemade mashed potatoes. I love mashed potatoes, but peeling, dicing and boiling potatoes is more than I want to contribute for a weeknight dinner. This is where Steam 'n Mash potatoes come in handy!

Here are the recipes, I hope this easy meal makes at least one weeknight dinner easier.

Crockpot Roast
Roast, whatever cut you prefer
1 can cream of mushrooms
1 packet of brown gravy mix (combine with water, according to directions on packet)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste

Combine cream of mushroom with gravy mix and pour over roast into crockpot. Season to taste and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Three Ingredient Mashed Potatoes
1 package of Steam 'n Mash potatoes
1/2 cup to 1 cup whipping cream
1 stick salted butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Steam potatoes according to directions on packet. Pour into stand mixer and roughly mash with hand masher.
Add in stick of butter, whipping cream and salt and pepper. Turn mixer on low/medium to whip potatoes. Add more whipping cream until potatoes reach desired consistency.

Meet Beckett King Smith

2011-07-20T19:01:00.001-05:00

We spent last night at the hospital with Mandy and Ty's family, awaiting Beckett's arrival. I've always come up to the hospital after the baby is born. I've never been on the scene at actual time of arrival. As we stood in the hallway, I didn't know what to expect.

Blood curdling screams?

Profanity?

Grunts of pain?

From that description, it sounds like I was expecting an exorcism rather than a child's delivery!

But I didn't hear any of those things. Instead, I heard Mandy giggling. I repeat ... GIGGLING!! My sister-in-law is a champ! She's the person you want to be on the scene with in the maternity wing. She's instilled a little bit of bravery in me even a second-hand witness.

And all of her hard work (that she made look easy) paid off. We met this sweet boy just after 10 p.m. and I love him already.

Beckett weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long. That's a big baby! If you've ever met teeny-tiny little Mandy, you think that's a really big baby! I don't know how she found the room for him since there's not much space to give up!

It was a lot of waiting and then we all just sort of stared at him. I think he looks like his sister.

{Big Sister Ruby Belle, Sept. 2009}

Or maybe it's just the cap?

Beckett is on the Way!

2011-07-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law, Mandy, went in for a doctor's appointment and found out she wasn't going home. Instead, she's having her baby today!

We're all very excited about meeting our newest family member, Beckett King Smith. Although, I don't think Mandy was completely ready. She text me this morning to ask how to make roast spaghetti and said she was trying to put away some frozen meals for once the baby was here. I don't think she meant this afternoon!

Ready or not, I always love a new arrival. It's magical to see and hold a little person who will forever be a part of your life. Even though it's been nearly two years, I still remember the first time we visited Ruby Belle. She was just days old when we drove up to northwest Arkansas to visit.

{Ty with Ruby Belle the week she was born.}

However, I don't know if this little princess is quite ready for the arrival of her little brother. She's used to ruling the roost and having undivided attention, especially from Pop.

{Ruby Belle on her first birthday, letting us all know "I'm No. 1!"}

I think she'll be able to maintain herself as a top priority ... doesn't hurt that she's the first and a girl.

Menu Monday and More

2011-07-18T16:55:00.000-05:00

I am officially a delinquent blogger. I'm in project overload in my real world life, which has resulted in fewer posts over the past several weeks. Hopefully, I can do a little better this week!

First, I want to share some new things that have gone in around our house.

These are the three beautiful Robert Furber botanical prints that Ashley and Jenny gave me for my birthday. There is a botanical print for each month, and the girls gave me April (Ty's birth month), May (my birth month) and September (our wedding month). I got them framed and finally hung them in our hallway this weekend.

I think they look elegant and simple. We have a really narrow hallway running through the center of our house, and these are the perfect size to visually work in the tight space.

We've lived in our house for over a year now and from time to time we've had some significant battles with our pool. My brother sent us this picture while he was staying at our house over Memorial Day weekend.

Dis-gusting!!! I wish I could say this was a green screen, but it was the actual color of our pool's water. Lacy and Taylor don't seem to mind! We felt we'd tried everything, so at the beginning of last week we agreed to give it two more weeks and then we were going to drain it and start over.

Then something miraculous happened. The pool started to make a dramatic turn, and by the weekend, it was close to crystal clear. I'm so glad because I was sick about how much our water bill would be to fill up our pool again!

To celebrate (and because they were majorly on sale at World Market), we bought some cute and comfy pool loungers. I don't know how we survived this long without them?

I'm happy my pool matches those cushions! I'm looking forward to when it's cool enough to read my Kindle poolside.

Now with those house things behind me, my sister-in-law Ashley had a wonderful idea that I think I'm going to incorporate on the blog. I'm calling it "Menu Monday," and basically that means at the beginning of each week, I'll share with you a list what I'm cooking that week.

Each Monday, Ashley and I always want to know what the other person is cooking that week. We exchange our menus, and that usually leads to some swapped recipes! I'm hoping it will work the same way for all of us here. It'll also be a nice preview of some recipes to come in the following weeks.

I invite you to share your menu and recipes, too!

Here's my weekly dinner menu, along with links to the recipes I've already shared!

Monday: Crunchy Herbed Chicken with Fresh Vegetables and Couscous
Tuesday: Ashley's Crock Pot Roast with Dijon Roasted New Potatoes and Vegetables
Wednesday: Whatever fish they have at Maxwell's (my favorite local market with a wonderful variety of fresh fish) to make herb and lemon fish.
Thursday: Frozen Dinner Swap Dish - Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Bon Appetit!

My Car's Hot, Sticky Sweet

2011-07-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

This morning, I opened the way back of my car to see this.

My heart sunk.

I'm an obsessively clean person. When I sold my last car, the buyer was amazed at how good of shape the interior was in. That's just how I roll, probably to a detriment.

And when we bought my new car last November, I vowed to her that she would go unsoiled (at least until we started packing in car seats and then all bets were off). I take care of my hard-earned stuff, so this sight nearly brought a tear to my eye.

Despite my cleaning obsession, I have a tendency to be forgetful from time to time. This time my forgetfulness had consequences. I guess at some point, I went to the grocery store and bought a six pack of bottled Diet Pepsi. I threw them in the back of my car and forgot about them entirely. Three bottles exploded in this 100-degree heat, spilling sticky soda all over the interior of my way back compartment.

I spent an hour of my morning scrubbing, blotting and praying over this spill. And then I sent a text to Ty, figuring he would be highly amused that the "clean one" in our household made a huge mess.

Steph: This is why I can't have nice things. Forgot a six pack of cokes and they spilled in the way back. I've been cleaning for about an hour.

Ty: Coke or Diet?

Mental Note: Umm excuse me!? What's he getting at with that comment?

Steph: Diet

Ty: That's better than regular.

Mental Note: My husband is quite the wordsmith!!

Steph: It's drying in my office now.

Ty: Diet doesn't stain.

Thankfully, Ty's only concern was for the cleanliness of the Volvo. I don't know if I could handle this spill and my husband indirectly calling me fat all in one day!

Hello Dolly Bars

2011-07-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

If getting ready to go on vacation wasn't stressful enough, I decided I would make a homemade dessert for our trip to the beach.

I always have time for dessert.

And cooking is strangely therapeutic for me in the midst of chaos. Once something delicious has been made, all is right in the world. That could also be attributed to the fact that I like to drink wine while I cook.

I made some Hello Dolly bars. I'd seen the recipe in Southern Living and it reminded me of a dessert my stepmom used to make and the cravings were instantaneous.

It's five simple components: graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, chopped pecans, coconut and condensed milk.

Ty walked into the kitchen to see the five ingredients and turned his nose up in disgust.

"I don't eat desserts with nuts in them."

I told him not to knock it until he tried it.

We packed our bags and Hello Dolly bars and headed to the coast, and by the next morning the Hello Dolly bars had been polished off completely and my husband's opinions had been converted.

Hello (Dolly)!! Never underestimate the persuasive powers of condensed milk. This is such an easy dessert to make and always a crowd favorite. Even for those who don't like nuts!

Hello Dolly Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Press mixture onto bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake 8 minutes. Sprinkle pecans, chocolate morsels and coconut over hot crust. Pour condensed milk over top. (Do not stir.)
Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are bubbly. Let cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Back from Vacation

2011-07-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

The Jordans are back from our Gulf Coast vacation and completely refreshed! I know I promised to blog, but I encountered difficulty syncing my mobile number to my blogger account. Forgive me?

In the matter of one week, I managed to ...

master the art of a Pina Colada.

finally finish the book I started reading in February.

get a glorious massage.

watch two consecutive hours of Family Guy.

eat lots of terrific seafood.

buy a dress for $7 at the JCrew outlet.

watch a beautiful fireworks show fired off directly in front of our condo balcony.

beat Ty racing go carts (forget the fact that his ride stalled out. A win is a win.)

drink the single most strongest cocktail of my life at the Pink Pony Pub.

and only reply to a single work e-mail all week.

Despite all the reasons I enjoyed our trip, I came home with one unwanted souvenir ... swimmer's ear. What am I ... 12 again? I thought only kids got swimmer's ear? Just goes to show you, I play hard.

In retrospect, I will no longer plan vacations on national holidays. After our Memorial Day trip, I came home with poison ivy. Now following my Fourth of July adventure, I have swimmer's ear. I'm staying put come Labor Day!

Vacation Amnesia

2011-07-01T12:15:00.000-05:00

By tomorrow evening, this will be my view.

Can. Not. Wait.

I'm can't wait to enjoy a week of R&R with my husband and some of our close friends. I'm excited about a long list of things. Fruity drinks. The smell of the ocean. Seafood nachos at Pink Pony Pub. Live music and Jet Ski Killers (that's a frozen beverage) at Lulu's. A visit to the JCrew outlet in Foley. Waves rushing in to splash my feet. Rarely/never straightening my hair and no makeup. Our resort's pool side bar & grill and spa services. Sleeping late. Fresh oysters and seafood. Putt Putt. Reading on the beach. Playing with the Gulett kiddos. Hanging out on the balcony at night. Crab hunting. Living in swimsuits, cover ups and pjs for a week.

Really, the days leading up to vacation are absolutely the most stressful. There's so much to do to prepare for your absence. Not that I'm that important. I'm sure everyone will survive the week I'm gone. My friend said that once we leave town all of that stress will quickly be forgotten. And we started referring to that phenomenon as "vacation amnesia."

I'm ready to not have a care in the world ... at least for a few days.

I will do my best to not forget about you all! It may be a week of short posts, but I hope to send a few beach pictures your way.

See you next week and happy Fourth!

Betty Netherton: "I knew I had a little umph left"

2011-06-30T10:52:00.001-05:00

In my life and the lives of so many others, my grandmother is an absolute treasure. Whether you call her Nana (like me) or Betty, chances are if you've met her, you've found her irresistably charming. She's 81, but full of spunk and spirit and determination.

My friends often comment on how cute Nana is, and I'll admit, she's pretty darn cute.

A few years ago, Nana went into the hospital. She seemed to be doing OK, just a minor illness, and then she took a turn for the worse. I was in bed one night, after spending part of the evening at the hospital, when my phone rang and my stepmom told me I needed to come back to the hospital that things weren't looking good.

Ty drove me to the hospital. I couldn't focus on anything besides where this night might lead. As soon as we walked onto her floor, and I saw my entire family and the look on their faces, I broke down in tears. I was going to lose my grandmother.

No matter how long and rich a life a person has lived, nothing prepares you for moments like those. Loss is loss. It leaves you craving for one more moment with the person you love.

I was fortunate enough to get more moments. Nana's determination kicked in and she fought for her life. She spent 60 days in the hospital and it took nearly an entire year for her to fully recover.

But look at her now.

{Doug Collier/The Times}

A local reporter played a round of golf with my grandmother this week and told her story beautifully. Next to her husband, family and faith, golf is one of Nana's greatest loves.

Here's Nana's story, if you'd like to read it.

I'm thrilled that not only is she healthy, but she's able to play the game she loves.

Reading her story today made me a little teary, mostly because I feel so blessed.

This remarkable lady is my grandmother.

Frozen Dinner Swap: Taco Pie

2011-06-28T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ty and I are going on vacation next week, which means this week is a little crazy. I have to do laundry, pack, grocery shop, get a spray tan (yes, this is necessary) ... and LJ and I are putting on a baby shower/girls night/dinner for my sister-in-law Mandy tonight, too!

Needless to say, one of the things I'm not planning to do this week is cook. This frozen dinner swap happened just in time for our family! I decided I would start my frozen meals with my sister-in-law Ashley's dish, Taco Pie.

Are you having a hard time keeping up with all these sister-in-law references?

You can't tell by this picture, but this serving pan is about five inches deep and it's filled to the brim. Ty and I hardly put a dent in it, so I'm sure you could feed up to eight with one recipe.

The dish possessed one of my favorite food qualities ... it was some major cheesy, gooey goodness.

By the way, I think I have a cheese problem. Thoughts?

The layers of cheese, tortilla, beans and seasoned meat made the dish taste like an unfolded taco in a pan. Delish! I love dishes that bring new life to familiar flavor combinations. This would put a new spin on family taco night, for sure!

Once Ty and I finished dinner, I was sure to send Ashley a text.

I sent her this picture, with a message that read: "Yum. Yum. Yum."

Here's the recipe if you'd like to try.

Taco Pie

1 pkg flour tortillas
1 lb hamburger meat
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 can chopped green chilies
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16 oz pkg shredded cheddar cheese

Sauté onion and garlic until clear, set aside.
Brown hamburger meat, add onions back, and add taco seasoning according to instructions on package
Add green chilies and enchilada sauce. Mix well.
Put two tortillas in bottom of round casserole; next add a layer of refried beans, top with meat mixture, then cheese. Repeat twice ending with cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Small Town Special

2011-06-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

Five days a week, I drive east 45 minutes (from my driveway to my desk) to get to work. The only advantage is that all traffic is heading in the other direction, into town, while I'm heading out. I've been doing this for nearly two years, and in the beginning, it meant some major adjustments.

Waking up earlier.

No more lunching with friends.

No more running errands on my lunch break.

Nearly an additional two hours added to my work day just from my commute.

All the "tending" that comes along with life has to be done on the weekends.

It's a good job, so that's the compromise I made. Plus, if I lived in a larger city, I would be doing this anyway. That's my pathetic attempt at a justification. But in the beginning, I experienced major culture shock. It may be just 45 minutes down the road, but someone might as well have dropped me in a foreign country.

See, this is a small town. Although my company is the largest employer in its parish, this town is very small. And I am not a small town girl. I've always thought small-town living seemed to have its charms on television shows and movies, but knew I couldn't thrive in that environment if it were reality. I like shopping, having options and sushi.

But, in a way, it has become my reality. At least from 8 to 5 each weekday. For the past two years, I haven't experienced much this town has to offer. If I eat out, it's either Subway or a Wendy's salads. ... and I don't think I can sustain that for another year. So I thought it was only fair to give this small town a shot.

I'll be trying local restaurants and shops in an attempt to experience what small town living has to offer. Not to mention all the interesting things that I'll probably stumble upon for free.

It's time to broaden my horizons. I figure it would be a shame to work here all this time and never experience the good things this town probably has to offer. Each week, I'll be blogging a new experience.

Maybe we'll soon find out that good things really do come in small packages.

My Week in Pictures

2011-06-24T15:40:00.000-05:00

After this week, I'm all tuckered out.

Speaking of tuckered, I'm so excited about yesterday's birth of Mr. Tucker Moss Duvall. Ty and I have been joking about the things we'll tell our kids regarding Tucker one day.

"Just because Tuck skipped swim practice doesn't mean you get to."

Or, "Well, Tucker gets to do those things because he's older than you. When you're his age ..."

I love to think about those little things that I know we'll be saying one day!

Tucker's dad, Moss, and Ty go back very far and got into lots of trouble together all the way through their college days.

Heaven help us! I'm now praying we have all girls!

Here are some other interesting photos from my week:

My brother Taylor went to the Tyler Zoo this week, and at some point, he came across this mug and thought he would send a picture of it to me. My reply: "Story of my life."

He did not buy it for me, however, I can only imagine what it would have been like to walk into my Monday morning conference call with that mug in hand.

Ty came in limping one day and I asked him what was wrong. He said his knee hurt where he'd been stung by a wasp the previous day. He put on some shorts (yes, he's wearing shorts in this picture) and showed his knee to me.

I freaked out a little. From the sight of it, I thought we might lose a leg in the middle of the night. But the leg hung on and the swelling is slowly going down. Of course, even with it looking as bad as it did, Ty didn't want to seek medical attention. He wanted to go eat at Carrabba's.

I found this picture of an outdoor cabana and think I will use it for backyard inspiration. Ty and I have wanted to add a covered structure to the backyard, and I think this has the right look. Instead of white, I'll probably use a natural wood finish. Top it with wisteria and twinkle lights ... instant party!

However, cabana is very low on the list.

I did Painting with a Twist last night with my sister-in-law, Mandy, and mother-in-law, Margaret. After seeing last year's Christmas card, I refuse to be photographed with these two. I always look gigantor next to them. Not to mention, Mandy is weeks away from having a baby and you can't even tell.

My self esteem is shot.

And, to add insult to injury, my painting is the worst one!!

On that all-inspiring note, have a great weekend!

Ty's New Reupholstered Chairs

2011-06-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

As a wedding gift to my husband, I promised him I would fix up his office. And nine months later, his office looks like this:

Clearly, I haven't gotten very far on this project. I hope this is not a poor reflection on me as a wife. And to my credit, I did provide that nice, big desk for him. You're so very welcome, honey.

Ty's not really in his office much, but I would still like it to be a nice place for him to get some work done. And I'm sure his office mates would appreciate him sprucing things up a bit. Their office building is less than two years old. It's a beautiful space with lots of reclaimed wood and rustic finishes. But right now, Ty's office is a depressing sight in the middle of an otherwise beautiful place.

The walls won't be such a problem. Note the collection of duck-themed artwork resting along the wall. They've been banned from display in my home, but they would look nice in here and represent Ty well.

But, I think one of the most important parts of creating an inviting office is to provide comfortable seating for office visitors. It ended up being one of the most expensive parts of his wedding gift project, but I wanted the seating to make a statement. To be masculine, but pretty.

These are not pretty, but I knew I could work with them. I bought them for $25 each at an auction my company was having to get rid of some old office furnishings. The price was right, and with the right fabric, I knew they could be beautiful.

I found some fabric at my friend Amanda's store, Milling Around. I refinished the arms and legs in a creamy white paint and glazed them to create a distressed finish. Then I roughed them up a bit with some sandpaper and sent them off to be reupholstered.

And I just got them back yesterday evening!!

I think they are absolutely beautiful. The upholstery guy did a fantastic job and the fabric lines up perfectly to create a magical, lovely pair of office chairs.

I'm so pleased, I have to remind myself that they're just chairs.

I'm so pleased, I have to remind myself that they're not going in my house.

I'm currently storing them in the garage because I fear if they come in my house, they'll never come out. And a promise is a promise. And I think under all circumstances, it's good to keep promises to your spouse.

In this instance, I could be easily swayed. Beautiful fabric is a weakness.

I plan to find some accessories, do some sprucing and finish up Ty's office in the coming weeks. I'll be sure to share the final results with you guys!

Belated Father's Day Thoughts

2011-06-22T14:52:00.000-05:00

Around Mother's Day, I posted this long, serious blog about my views and fears on becoming a mother. And then Father's Day came and went without a post. Probably because being a dad isn't something I have to worry about. Obviously.

But I thought about it, and if there's any one person in my life who deserves some credit, it's my dad.

He had to be a mom and a dad. He had to navigate hair bows, church dresses, slumber parties and my godforsaken hair. He had to do all those things that don't come naturally to dads. He had to do all the things a mom would normally do.

If you look at my childhood pictures, I don't think you could say it was done flawlessly. That's not a slam against my dad. He did what any dad would do. I dressed sort of tom-boyishly. My hair was a disaster, although we really tried everything. I didn't take dance, I played golf.

But the point is he tried.

And all of those things are external. On the inside, the things that really matter about a person, he gave me in huge supply. Character, integrity, strength. I learned those things from my dad.

This is one of my favorite pictures with my dad. I think it perfectly tells the story of a father-daughter relationship. Dads are there to pick you up when you fall. To dust you off, bandage you up and give you the courage to try again.

Even when my dad didn't understand my heartache, he gave me the courage to keep trying when life was cruel.

To think, he did all that for me.

I know my dad loves Ty, but I'm sure there's some emotion that goes into giving your only daughter away to be married. Relief definitely being one! Some of my favorite wedding pictures were taken in the moments my dad walked me down the aisle.

It's so symbolic of the journey we've been on for the past 30 years. Because of my dad, I arrived at this great place in life.

A girl worthy of a husband who loves, cherishes and respects her.

I'm so thankful for a dad who taught me to value myself, work hard and never settle. It was a long, bumpy road to get to that point.

I can't wait to see where our road leads from here. As strange as it sounds, I've learned a few lessons in motherhood simply by watching my dad.

Frozen Dinner Swap Returns!

2011-06-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

The frozen dinner swap is back! Revived for the first day of summer. Just in time to save us from having to turn on our stoves and ovens during this sweltering heat. It's hard to get motivated to cook when it's so darn hot.

A group of us got together last night to catch up and swap meals and devour appetizers and wine. It's always such a good time, and I love sampling some new recipes. I highly encourage everyone to round up friends and start your own recipe swap. Here's a list of what everyone brought and recipes I'll share in the coming weeks.

Taco Pie
Latina Lasagna
Chicken Dorito Casserole
Red and White Tortellini
Chicken Zuchini Casserole
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Spaghetti
Meatballs
King Ranch Chicken

I took a risk this time around and made a recipe I've been lusting after but have never made. Risky move. I made six servings of Latina Lasagna, a delicious recipe I eyeballed in Southern Living several months ago. It's a fusion of traditional lasagna and south of the border flavors. Mexican-inspired lasagna doesn't sound the most appealing, but this dish is a divine twist on the original.

It was a hit in my household. We nearly mowed down the entire pan. And there's only two of us.

I hate to call anyone out ... but I only had one serving.

The best part about this recipe is you can use no-boil lasagna noodles. Boiling should be forbidden this time of year.

The second best part about this recipe is that it uses chorizo, a spicy mexican sausage, which is not expensive and has far more flavor than ground beef.

Me encanta el chorizo!

English Translation via Google Translate, "I love chorizo."

Odio Wal-Mart.

English Translation via Google Translate, "I hate Wal-Mart."

It's true, but I'll go there for chorizo.

I found my chorizo at the Wal-Mart in the small town (population 12,799 as of 2009) where I work. If you can find it here, you can find it just about anywhere. Check in your grocery store near the other refrigerated sausage or wherever the specialty chilled Mexican ingredients are kept.

Here's the recipe and more great swap recipes are on the way!

Latina Lasagna

You can assemble and chill this up to two days ahead to bake before serving. Simply add 20 to 30 minutes to the baking time.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Total: 1 Hour, 48 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds fresh chorizo sausage, casings removed

2 (24 oz.) jars tomato and basil pasta sauce

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese

1 cup whipping cream

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 (16 oz.) package shredded Mexican four-cheese blend

Preparation

· Preheat oven to 375. Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking sausage into pieces while cooking. Drain; return sausage to Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in pasta sauce, cilantro and chilies; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

· Stir together ricotta cheese, whipping cream and eggs until smooth.

· Spoon 1 cup sauce mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Top with half of ricotta cheese mixture, one-third of shredded Mexican cheese blend, and one-third of remaining sauce mixture. Repeat layers once, beginning with noodles. Top with remaining 4 noodles, sauce mixture and shredded cheese blend. Cover with aluminum foil.

· Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Weekend in Pictures

2011-06-20T15:05:00.000-05:00

We had an unintentionally exciting weekend. You just can't plan for everything. Although, I do try my very best. We had some good and bad surprises over the past several days.

We came home from a baptism Saturday to find this burst water main waiting at the foot of our driveway. As we drove up our street toward the house, we could see water flowing, coming from the direction of our home. That's when we got that sickening feeling in our stomachs.

Doesn't my shadow look frustrated? Water poured and poured out of our yard for hours. When one hour became six hours, I lost hope that any city workers would be arriving at our house that day. You could hear rocks and debris rushing under the concrete slab. I was sure it was going to collapse. The neighborhood kids did enjoy playing in the cool, free stream of water.

I woke up Sunday morning and walked out back to see the river covering our street. It sounds so peaceful and relaxing, like a babbling brook. However, relaxation quickly passes when you remember this is pouring out of your yard. And as a result, you have no water pressure. And can't wash your hair, dishes or clothes.

As of this morning, Ty said the city workers had arrived. Two days after the water started spilling out of our yard. I'm nervous about what awaits me at home. Part of my driveway demolished? A gigantic mud hole? No running water in the house?

After such an exciting afternoon, we decided we would spend our Saturday evening at home. We really needed to be home in case any city workers came by so we could show them where our sprinkler lines and supply lines are located. And by we, I mean Ty. We agreed we would rent a movie, order a pizza and stay in.

We thought Arthur looked funny. And then Direct TV tried to charge us $29.99 for the rental. Completely absurd! So, we watched Red Riding Hood instead and more or less hated it. I still remain a devotee of Amanda Seyfried.

As a result of our water problem, we had to skip church Sunday. But that afternoon, once we'd resolved that no one was coming to fix our water problem, we went to Querbes to watch my little brother, Taylor, compete in the City Amateur Golf Championship.

{Douglas Collier/The Times}

Taylor won last year's tournament and was playing in the final round that afternoon.

{Douglas Collier/The Times}

There were a lot of our family members there. My parents, grandparents, brother and sister-in-law, aunt and uncle and other close friends. ... we were a fleet of white golf carts. It was a fun (and hot) way for us to spend Father's Day together.

It was especially fun to watch since Taylor won!

I gave my dad some steaks ... but I'm pretty sure my gift doesn't compare.

We took a family photo with our champ. I'm still not sure how Taylor managed to play two rounds of golf ... in 100 degree weather ... wearing a black shirt.

Proud siblings. Here's Taylor's interview with one of the local news stations.

Today, I thought life had returned to being somewhat normal. And then my husband sent me this picture.

The fence to our backyard was pulled up to be replaced this week. It needed to be done, but I'm pretty sure it looks like a natural disaster has struck our house.

More photos to come tomorrow.

I'm nervous.

Whoa, Blackberry (Bam-A-Lam)

2011-06-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

When you move into a new house there often accompanies moments of exploration and discovery. You wonder why the previous owner did this or that. You spend hours trying to figure out exactly what each light switch does. You devote time and effort into unraveling the mystery and history of your home.

Well, of course, unless your home is new construction then please disregard my ramblings.

Old houses, like ours, are quirky. We've lived in it over a year and still don't know what all the light switches actually do. We have two closets that lock from the inside (I imagine them to be his and hers panic rooms). And since we've been discussing a remodel, we're a little nervous about all the treasures we'll soon discover. For starters, we're pretty sure there's a hidden window built into one of our walls.

Sometimes I love all of those interesting details. Sometimes I'd rather not have to play Sherlock Holmes.

But with it, comes the occasional fun and exciting discovery like the one we came across this week. Our home's previous owner was a compulsive gardener. So with each season's change, we find something new we'd never noticed before.

I was thrilled with this week's find.

A week or so ago, I'd noticed a bush at the foot of our driveway with beautiful pink and tangerine blooms on it. We were discussing what to plant in the backyard, and I wanted to see if our landscaping friend knew what the plant was. We walked down the driveway to see the blooms and instead found this:

Where were all my beautiful blooms and what were those knotty, thorny things all over the bush? Then I saw something familiar.

Holy smokes, we have blackberries! Our bush is covered in emerging blackberries that I'm just waiting to ripen and turn into cobbler.

It's a little embarrassing how excited I was.

We have a lot of plants like that. Even some that we're still trying to figure out. Some of you are better gardener's than I ... admittedly, that's not saying much. So, I would love to put your detective skills to the test as we try to figure out some of these trees and plants.

We figured this one out last summer when our bright orange flowers started turning into these small, green bulbs. For most of the warm months, this tree bears small pomegranates. They never get very big and they never ripen to that deep purple color, but I think we might be the only people in our neighborhood with pomegranates growing in their backyard!

Still not 100 percent sure on this one, but we think it may be a bay leaf tree. The leaves are the right shape and texture, but the tree isn't as full or the same shape as the bay leaf trees I've looked at online.

We're almost certain this is a fruit tree of some sort. We have two of these in our yard and think they're probably grapefruit or lemon, based on these massive thorns that scrape my arms every time I mow around them. They're lethal.

Sorry this isn't the best picture. Sometimes my camera takes after me and has a hard time focusing. But look at those thorns. They hurt like the dickens!

I really, really, really wish these were lime trees. On our honeymoon, our resort's courtyard had four gigantic lime trees, their branches heavy with fruit. I can't imagine how much better my Corona Light would taste with fresh lime from my backyard.

OK, I just decided I'm going to move there permanently.

I'd be interested to hear the exciting things you've discovered in your home. And I always appreciate your help with my backyard mysteries!

Can Someone Give Me a Hand? Or Two?

2011-06-16T11:57:00.001-05:00

After an incredibly horrible day yesterday, I did myself the favor of going to the liquor store. $85 later, I was on my way home with only one bottle of wine and an assortment of goodies. Ty teased that only I could go to the liquor store and come home with more food than beverages. It was a moment of weakness. And as a result of my emotional vulnerability, I came home with two blocks of cheese, prosciutto, a sleeve of crackers, two different appetizers (for a party I'm attending Monday), and some blueberry sweet rolls for breakfast Saturday morning.

Some women shop for clothes when they're feeling down, I shop for cheese. ... and all is right in the world.

I did share some of my cheese board with Ty. Then I ate some Captain Crunch for dinner and went to bed. I'm feeling much better today.

Now, on to the next topic and problem I would like to discuss for today.

Since I turned 30 a little over a month ago, I've started to notice some physical changes. Of course, there's the reality that cantaloupe never affected me the way it does now, but I've started to notice a more severe problem -- the emergence of old lady hands.

I was so disturbed, I had to call my sister-in-law to see if she'd noticed my hands looking particularly old lately. She was thrilled I had called and shared this revelation with her because she too was feeling her hands looked old.

Then we exchanged pictures via text.

{Ashley's hand.}

{Steph's hand.}

I know, you've never seen saggier knuckles on a 30 year old.

That same night, Ashley decided she was going to combat her old lady hands by covering them in Vaseline Petroleum Jelly before going to sleep.

I couldn't do it because I kept thinking, "The only thing worse than a 30-year-old with paper-thin wrinkly hands is a 30-year-old with paper-thin wrinkly hands and acne."

I just think this would give me acne.

Oh well, I guess I'll follow up this post next week when my liver spots begin to appear.

Two Problems I've Been Having

2011-06-15T14:45:00.002-05:00

Let me just start this post by saying, "I've got 99 problems, but sorbet ain't one."

That's a Clint Gulett quote from our evening at the Mabry House. And it's true. While I feel like I have 99 problems, sorbet is not one of them and never will be.

Problem No. 1: I just popped three liquigels and chased it with a grape Jolly Rancher. It's just that kind of day. If that doesn't work, I plan to emotionally medicate with the three bags of candy/chocolate I bought on my lunch break. If that doesn't work, I'm stopping at the liquor store on the way home for a magnum of Cab Sav and a block of cheese.

Problem No. 2: Man, I love a cantaloupe. That's why yesterday, after looking up the calorie count on my favorite fruit and realizing there was only 188 calories in a medium-sized cantaloupe, I proceeded to eat the entire thing. I was unaware of the water weight this would add to my physique. Around 9:30 last night, I looked about 26 weeks pregnant with my cantaloupe baby. I tried to get Ty to take a "pregnancy highlight" photo but he thought I would regret that decision. It would have been darn funny.

Today, my cantaloupe baby is gone. But it has given me a brilliant idea to pass on to the school system. Forget the flour sack baby, all you home ec teachers. Start making kids eat entire cantaloupes and experience that displeasure.

I feel better after getting that out.

A Night of Mystery

2011-06-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, my husband took me to dinner at Noble Savage. And unbeknownst to us, he also took me to prom.

My wine was served in these 2010 prom souvenir glasses all night. Loved it. And then I kicked my leg up and made out with my husband against a downtown street light. Not really. But you can understand my overwhelming desire to do so.

Also, why do they give teenagers souvenir wine glass when they can't legally drink? You can fill a wine glass with M&Ms all day long, but it's still a wine glass.

We've eaten at Noble Savage several times. It's an eclectic place with sensational food. Each week, the chef prepares a variety of special dishes beyond what's on the standard menu. Specials include red meat, wild game, white meat, fish and sandwich options. I've never actually ordered off the standard menu because the specials are hands down the way to go.

Friday night, I went with the white meat, which was chicken cordon bleu. The chef stuffed the chicken with prosciutto (personal fav) and smoked gouda. Hold on to your souvenir wine glass because this is by far the best chicken I've ever had.

It's Tuesday and I can't get that chicken out of my head.

I may have the white meat version of Mad Cow.

What a sad way for our prom Friday night to end.

Update: Today's Living Social deal is for half price on food and drinks at Noble Savage. It's a perfect opportunity to try Noble Savage if you haven't been!

Crunchy Herbed Chicken

2011-06-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

I always thought all chicken was created equal. That it didn't really matter if my chicken was organic or vegetable fed or harvested in a humane way. Chicken is chicken, right? But after making one of our household favorites, Crunchy Herbed Chicken, with Smart Chicken instead of the regular run-of-the-mill meat, I was sold.

First, I didn't even have to trim fat off the breasts because there was no fat to trim. Then, my chicken breasts came out so juicy and fresh tasting that the quality of meat was obvious. You always hear on cooking shows that using high quality ingredients is the most important. Now, I'm sold that it's first step to making a delicious meal.

So, back to the Crunchy Herbed Chicken. Ty and I have enjoyed this recipe for years. I found it in Real Simple Magazine three years ago and have since given it a permanent designation in my cookbook. If you're like me, you always love to find new ways to prepare chicken! It's such an easy, wonderful weeknight meal that really amps up those everyday boring chicken breasts.

Before this dish came along, I thought of parsley as a worthless little sprig of garnish. You'll be amazed at the fresh, herby flavor it provides. Your kitchen is going to smell delightful as these bake.

Crunchy Herbed Chicken

4 slices white bread toasted
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, chopped
kosher salt, pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Pulse bread, parsley, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper until course crumbs form.
Add the oil and pulse to combine.
Transfer to a plate.
Spread mustard over chicken and dip in bread crumb mixture.
Place on baking sheet and bake on 400 for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden.

**If you're short on time, you can use regular breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs. The Panko gives it a nice, crispy texture.

The Reason I'm Still Reading "Unbroken"

2011-06-09T16:23:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, my friend recommended I read "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. She said it would start slow and eventually pick up, and I wouldn't be able to put it down.

Well, I'm halfway through and can't seem to pick it up. It's been a slow read for me, and with it has come the realization that I greatly prefer fiction. I'm sure Ty is sick of hearing my comments that there's no dialogue and it reads like a report ... a very well written report.

But I'm still reading it. And in my own weird way, appreciating it.

The book tells the story of Louie Zamperini, a 1930s track star who endured and survived in the midst of insurmountable odds during World War II. Universal has acquired the screen rights to "Unbroken," so it looks like there's a movie to be made soon. Here's how Hillenbrand describes first meeting Zamperini and learning of his story.

Eight years ago, an old man told me a story that took my breath away. His name was Louie Zamperini, and from the day I first spoke to him, his almost incomprehensibly dramatic life was my obsession.

It was a horse--the subject of my first book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend--who led me to Louie. As I researched the Depression-era racehorse, I kept coming across stories about Louie, a 1930s track star who endured an amazing odyssey in World War II. I knew only a little about him then, but I couldn’t shake him from my mind. After I finished Seabiscuit, I tracked Louie down, called him and asked about his life. For the next hour, he had me transfixed.

Growing up in California in the 1920s, Louie was a hellraiser, stealing everything edible that he could carry, staging elaborate pranks, getting in fistfights, and bedeviling the local police. But as a teenager, he emerged as one of the greatest runners America had ever seen, competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he put on a sensational performance, crossed paths with Hitler, and stole a German flag right off the Reich Chancellery. He was preparing for the 1940 Olympics, and closing in on the fabled four-minute mile, when World War II began. Louie joined the Army Air Corps, becoming a bombardier. Stationed on Oahu, he survived harrowing combat, including an epic air battle that ended when his plane crash-landed, some six hundred holes in its fuselage and half the crew seriously wounded.

On a May afternoon in 1943, Louie took off on a search mission for a lost plane. Somewhere over the Pacific, the engines on his bomber failed. The plane plummeted into the sea, leaving Louie and two other men stranded on a tiny raft. Drifting for weeks and thousands of miles, they endured starvation and desperate thirst, sharks that leapt aboard the raft, trying to drag them off, a machine-gun attack from a Japanese bomber, and a typhoon with waves some forty feet high. At last, they spotted an island. As they rowed toward it, unbeknownst to them, a Japanese military boat was lurking nearby. Louie’s journey had only just begun.

That first conversation with Louie was a pivot point in my life. Fascinated by his experiences, and the mystery of how a man could overcome so much, I began a seven-year journey through his story. I found it in diaries, letters and unpublished memoirs; in the memories of his family and friends, fellow Olympians, former American airmen and Japanese veterans; in forgotten papers in archives as far-flung as Oslo and Canberra. Along the way, there were staggering surprises, and Louie’s unlikely, inspiring story came alive for me. It is a tale of daring, defiance, persistence, ingenuity, and the ferocious will of a man who refused to be broken.

The culmination of my journey is my new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I hope you are as spellbound by Louie’s life as I am.

There's a reason I haven't put this book down. There's so much power in the truth. Not simply to hear the statistics of war, but to hear an intimate story of what men endured.

I remember as a little girl, my grandmother would sometimes pull out the telegram that arrived at her house. No matter how much time had passed, tears always welled in her eyes as she described in perfect detail the day they found out my grandfather's brother Don had been killed in war. From what I can understand, it's a feeling that never goes away.

I think there's much to value in "Unbroken," even though I can't say it's my favorite book to have read. I'm gaining the understanding of what so many have lost and endured to afford me my freedom.

Cheese, Two Ways

2011-06-08T15:04:00.001-05:00

Ty and I met The Guletts for dinner last night at Tacomania, where I proceeded to order this.

Holy freaking cow ... I love the Queso Asada Billy! This is by far my favorite guilty pleasure in the entire world. It's half fajita meat and vegetables, and half a sizzling plate of molten, melted, salty, gooey, heaven-in-your-mouth cheese.

Clint did have one question about my order, "Why do you get the chicken? The beef is so much better."

I explained that I knew he was right, but I felt like I was doing my body a favor by ordering the healthier option of chicken. Stick with me and you'll be able to justify just about anything to yourself. I can always find excuses for cheese.

So after dinner, we went home and caught an episode of "Million Dollar Decorators" on Bravo. We'd never seen the show before and were blown away by some of the homes and their over-the-top decor. These people have some serious cheese of their own.

One designer used a hand-woven leather fabric that cost $500 a yard. Insane.

In that same home, the furniture alone cost $3 million. Excessive.

In another home, the renovation and furnishings for a roughly 10x10 outdoor space cost $100,000. Stupid.

I told Ty I would like to call one of these decorators and ask them to finish up my dining room for about $5,000. I'm sure they would tell me it couldn't be done.

Here's my philosophy. There's nothing really that impressive about a decorator's finished product when they're working with such an inflated budget. Of course, the spaces are beautiful. But with that price tag, I'm sure I could create an equally impressive room. When price is no object, it seems easy to me.

I'm far more impressed with people who find affordable home decor and make it look like it cost a million bucks. Is it just me?

Coffee in the Afternoon

2011-06-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

Last week, Ty and I splurged on a portable air conditioning unit for our bedroom. When it's 100 degrees during the day and you have windows dating back to the mid-30s, things tend to get rather hot. We don't like hot. We can't sleep hot.

Sidenote: Is it really only the beginning of June? Do we really have at least three more months of this?

After one hot night of tossing and turning, Ty was done. He'd mentioned a window unit ... I told him not to mention it again. I can't bear the thought of hanging a window unit out the back of my house. Thankfully, they have these neat little portable air conditioners that sit inside very discretely! It was something we could agree on.

We went to Lowe's the next day after work, brought home our ac unit, set it on 65 and slept like babies.

However, this has created one small problem.

I've never slept better.

I wake up each morning and it takes a while to get my bearings. I've been sleeping so hard that I can't even figure out where I am when I wake up. Or who this strange man is sleeping beside me (just kidding, Ty!). I'm all but comatose.

And the coma has been sticking with me throughout the day. I just had afternoon coffee. I never have afternoon coffee. But I wasn't going to make it through my day otherwise. The coma was setting in.

In the instance I have afternoon coffee, there are very strict rules:

Morning coffee must come in a mug. It involves cream and Splenda. Powdered creamer is not acceptable. It's just not natural.
Afternoon coffee must come in a small styrofoam cup (The way it is served at auto repair shops. Well, that's what it reminds me of). It can not be served with creamer or Splenda, just a small single scoop of sugar.

I'm sure from all of these points you've realized two things about me.

I'm sleepy.
That makes a little crazy.

For all of us, I hope my body adjusts very soon.

Bingham and Baxter

2011-06-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

I left work Friday with no official plans for the weekend. I love it when that happens. We always stumble upon our best weekends when there's nothing planned.

We ended up going to the Ryan Bingham concert Saturday night. It was one of the best concerts I've been to in a while. Ty and I had such a good time together despite my major crush on Ryan Bingham. What can I say? I'm a sucker for raspy-voiced singer songwriters playing sad music.

After church Sunday, we spent the afternoon hanging out in the pool. As many of you already know, we can't keep our lab, Lacy, out of the swimming pool. Example A:

The Amazing Aqua Diving Dog

But our mini-schnauzer, Baxter, is a much different animal. He doesn't go near the water. He's terrified. It's probably for the best since he looks like a drowned rat when his beard gets wet. However, Baxter is learning to appreciate the finer things in life. And just because you're in the pool doesn't mean you have to get wet, right?

Why would anyone want to get wet when they could be escorted around the pool on a raft by stupid humans?

Spoiled rotten, I tell ya!

Ty's Fun iPhone Pics

2011-06-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

I may not be the best at taking pictures, but since Ty got his iPhone, he's been snapping enough pictures for the both of us. I'm so proud. I was recently perusing his camera and found a treasure trove of fun pictures to share. Enjoy the gallery ... considering my inability to use a camera, it'll probably be a while before you see another photo post.

{This was my niece, Ruby Belle, during her first Easter Egg Hunt. It was a big weekend for RB. She experienced her first jump house and her first egg hunt. Now I know two things that will bring this normally reserved little girl out of her shell!}

{Ty's dad gave us this "vintage" John Deere riding lawnmower and challenged Ty that he couldn't have it fixed the same day. This picture was proof that she was up and running. I kind of like having this ol gal to mow the yard.}

{LJ and Chris solving the worlds problems over dinner. Does this make anyone else nervous?}

{Ordering a pizza or dialing the secret service from the car phone mounted in the back of the limo. I can't remember what I was pretending to do, but it brought back fond memories of my old car phone.}

{Marcus finding something really funny.}

{Limo riding after the Mabry House. My brother Chris is not as intoxicated as he looks, he just likes to make that face in pictures sometimes. I'm not really sure. I have no excuse for Clint, and wouldn't you know, Ashley's always got her game face on!}

{Umm. ... We'd had about 9 glasses of wine.}

{My hubby cruising us around Lake Greeson. I asked him to wear his cute swimsuit this day, so I'm glad I got a picture of it. Cutie Patootie.}

{Our sunset cruise on Lake Greeson. This picture reminds me of a certain Jason Aldean song that we must have listened to at least a zillion times.}

{Me, a Blue Yummy and Ashley's legs enjoying our sunset cruise. Note the adorable personalized koozies made especially for our trip. Thanks, Ash!}

My summer has officially started!

Key Lime Pound Cake

2011-06-02T15:18:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, my dad made the comment that the man I married would be in store for some interesting dinners. To quote, "Hot Pockets and strawberry shortcake." It's true, my love for cooking really started with desserts, but I've since evolved and think my husband eats pretty good most nights.

But just for that comment, which has since lingered as a source of humor for my family, I wanted to post this picture of my dad as sweet revenge. After all, aren't sweets what I do best?

This picture hangs in the bar at Superior Grill. My dad is on the right and Hal Sutton is on the left and for the life of me I'll never know how my dad bent over to read a putt in those tight pants.

But even taking into account my longstanding devotion to desserts, until a week or so ago there was one staple dessert I'd never made before. The Simple Pound Cake.

How could this be?

I've got a one word response.

Shortening.

There's just something about it that makes me feel gross. Something about it that is just wrong. Something about it that makes my waistline cinch. I don't know why, considering I take absolutely no offense to butter. But shortening, at least in my mind, is a different animal. Straight. Up. Fat.

Eventually, I sucked it up, bought some shortening, made a pound cake and, boy, am I glad I did! It would take finding the Southern Living recipe for Key Lime Pound Cake to pull me from my slump. The cake is sweet with a hint of tart lime and a Key Lime Glaze that puts it over the edge. It turned out to be so delicious, I took it to church to share with my Sunday School class. Our Sunday School teacher paid me the highest complement by saying the glaze reminded him of the homemade icing his grandmother used to make. Not a crumb was left, which means there are more pound cakes in my future.

They have another variation that I'm wanting to try, the Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake. Doesn't that sound divine? I can't find a reason not to make it now that I've got that shortening thing behind me!

Here's the recipe for Southern Living's Key Lime Pound Cake. Make it for your next gathering. I can assure you that your friends will love the treat! And if not, there's always Hot Pockets!

Key Lime Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lime zest

1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice

Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, lime zest and lime juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
Prepare Key Lime Glaze, and immediately brush over top and sides of cake. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

Key Lime Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together powdered sugar, fresh Key lime juice and vanilla until smooth. Use immediately.

Lake Greeson, Cabin C-4, It's Dynamite!

2011-06-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

If I said one more time "Cabin C-4, It's Dynamite!" I may have gotten voted out of my cabin at Self Creek on Lake Greeson this Memorial Day weekend. I don't even know if C-4 is actually dynamite, but "Cabin C-4, It's Explosive!" Just didn't have the same connotation, so I went with dynamite.

And if you were expecting some amazing vacation pictures, think again. I'm the type of loser who packs a camera and never actually unpacks it to take any pictures. Even Ty told me yesterday that my pictures weren't very good. Actually, he told me that another blog had better pictures, and I interpreted that to mean mine weren't very good. They do look like crap, who am I kidding. Adding to my to do list:

Get a better camera.
Use better camera once gotten.

With that being said, I came home from our trip with literally two pictures, none with people in them. The one of our cabin (above) and this one of The Pancake Shop in Hot Springs. This place is amazeballs.

Ty and I went to Hot Springs on Thursday after work. We got in late and met a friend for drinks. But I had my eye on the prize. I wasn't there to socialize. I was there for blueberry pancakes the next morning. Hands down, the best blueberry pancakes I've ever eaten. I will plan a trip according to these pancakes, which we sort of did.

These are the banana pancakes, but even if you like your pancakes fruitless, this place has enough character to steal your beating heart. The Pancake Shop has been in business for about 70 years and little has changed. Its charm is undeniable, garnering national attention from the Chicago Tribune, Southern Living and the New York Times. With homemade apple butter and signature coffee, I wanted the works ... eggs, toast, whatever else is on the menu! I refrained since we were eating with company. Not the best first impression when you meet someone's wife and she plows through breakfast like a thoroughbred.

Friday morning after breakfast, we did some running around in Hot Springs and headed out to meet our group at Lake Greeson. We spent the next few days with Chris and Ashley (my brother and sister-in-law), Jill and John (Ashley's sister and brother-in-law) and some new friends Brice and Michelle (Jill and John's longtime friends). It was such a great weekend on the water.

We spent our mornings sleeping in, drinking coffee on the back porch, our days chilling on the lake and our nights eating delicious dinners and relaxing in the hot tub.

It made it difficult to come home Monday.

And somewhat arduous to sleep Monday night because I kept waking myself vigorously swatting away spiders in my sleep. Damn nature!

And nearly impossible to come back to work Tuesday.

And even though I didn't come home with many photos, I didn't come home from Lake Greeson completely without a souvenir.

I had the pleasure of bringing back arms and legs covered in poison ivy. I knew eventually bad things would happen if Ty and I continued to karaoke this song together. We've been tempting fate. So, after a trip to Velocity Care, these words have never been more true:

Measles make you bumpy

And mumps'll make you lumpy

And chicken pox'll make you jump and twitch

A common cold'll fool ya

And whooping cough can cool ya

But poison ivy, Lord'll make you itch!!

I'm most definitely going to need that ocean of calamine lotion.

Now, who wants those pancakes?

Sorry ... nothing like a rash to wipe out a healthy appetite.

Guest Blogging: Things Could Get 'Messy'

2011-05-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

The ladies at Messy Aprons extended an invitation to readers last week to write a guest blog featuring one of our own recipes. I jumped at the opportunity to join in! Their blog is super cute, with wonderful recipes and mouth-watering photos. I fear I may not live up in the photo department, but I think my recipe is one you'll like.

I decided I would share my Steak San Marco recipe. I love this dish. It's very similar to beef tips but with a tomato base, which really lightens it up for summer and gives it an Italian kick. I usually put all the ingredients in the pot, turn on the stove, go for an hour-long walk and come home to an aroma-filled house and dinner ready for the table!

If this dish is not your thing ... you have to give me credit for my dedication. I woke up this morning and realized I didn't have a picture of this dish. I threw my leftovers on the stove and let it simmer while I got ready for work. I do it all for you!!

So, make sure you check out Messy Aprons today, where I'm the "postess with the mostess!" And if you have a recipe you'd like to share, let them know. The invitation is still open.

Splish, Splash, 5 Reasons I'm Dying to Redo My Bath (Room)

2011-05-24T13:14:00.000-05:00

After yesterday's kitchen post, I was surprised to see that some out there liked my kitchen exactly as is. Others wouldn't go as far as to say they liked it, but they said it wasn't that bad. Today, I'm really putting you optimists to the test. I dare you to find something nice to say about our master bathroom!

Here are some pictures and my top five reasons I'm ready to renovate our master bath:

1. Thankfully, the walls are the color of Pepto since every time I look at this room I more or less want to gag. It's a dynamic color for a 1930s house. And what a prize that there are window treatments to match (cue the sarcasm)! I can't really complain about those too much. The alternative to not having those curtains is the entire neighborhood seeing me in the nude. Or showering in a one piece.

2. I can fully appreciate a large, deep jacuzzi bathtub, but this one is overkill! I've taken about two baths in it, but it's not very comfortable. If I lean against one side of the tub, my legs aren't long enough to reach the other side of the tub for support. We have a very large bathroom, but most of the space is taken up by this gigantic bathtub, which we've fit six fully-grown (and fully-dressed) adults in at one time. When we take it out, we're thinking about relocating it to the backyard and calling it a hot tub.

{I really need to wash some towels.}

3. I think at one point there must have been some wild Turkish Bath parties at this house. If there's not room for you in the bathtub, no fear! We can fit about six more in the shower.

4. The color of the bath tiles, along with their non-uniform texture, reminds me of one thing: the icing on a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart. Don't you agree?

5. One thing I treasure about our house is that the windows along the front of the house are original, adding so much character. The problem is they do not insulate very well, and with six of these windows in our bathroom, it gets very hot in the summer months. It's misery in August when I have to blow dry my hair. And we all know I can't go curly!

So, based on all those things here's the preliminary plans.

Board up and cover some of the windows to regulate temperature in the space.
Convert the shower into a walk-in closet for me.
Remove the jacuzzi tub for a smaller, clawfoot tub.
Add double sinks and vanities.

Once the tub/lap pool is removed, I imagine the space will be completely different! I'm dreaming it will one day look similar to this. Now that makes me feel optimistic!

Eye Spy an Ugly Kitchen

2011-05-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

I promised I would share some before pictures of our kitchen and master bath this week, so without further adieu ...

OK, first let me tell you how hard this is for me.

I'm perfectly fine sharing pictures of my 12-year-old afro hair because I don't still have afro hair. But this kitchen photo is difficult to share because it was taken this morning, and when I get home tonight, my kitchen will still be this way.

To make me more comfortable with sharing, let's make an eye spy game out of it. Here's picture no. 1, can you find the following items:

Mr. Baxter
Cantaloupe
Smoke Detector
Clementine
Lint Roller
Step Ladder

Truthfully, I hate this kitchen for a lot of reasons.

1. The look of it: Our house is old, classic and filled with character. This kitchen is a poor reflection of that, as a result of some late 80s remodeling. There's more dark green wallpaper (the exact same stuff we just removed from our dining room) - on the walls, on the ceiling, on the light fixtures. And then there's the fruit backsplash. Please don't get me started on this.

2. It's not functional: You can't work on the cooktop and open the fridge at the same time. Or open the oven and open the fridge. All the work space comes with no counter space.

So the plan is to more or less gut the space, but we're also going to make some modifications to the layout. The wall behind the refrigerator will be knocked out. The fridge will turn 90 degrees counter clockwise and back up to the space where the microwave currently sits. This will completely open up the space and even give us room for an island. I'm thrilled about the additional work space.

The cute little built-in buffet/cabinet thingy near the dining room will stay the same with some updates, including a possible wine fridge.

Right now, we're at the conceptual stage of our remodel. I'm tearing out magazine page, trying to get an idea of what I like. And it may take a while since I work out of town during the week and only have Saturdays to really shop around and find the materials I like. My ultimate goal is to restore this kitchen to the character it probably once had. To get rid of those white floors. And to never see a strip of that green wallpaper again as long as I live!

This Weekend I'm Planning To ...

2011-05-20T16:32:00.000-05:00

1. Make this Key Lime Pound Cake for my Sunday School class. If you're in my Sunday School class ... surprise! If you're in my Sunday School class and this cake doesn't come out of the pan right .... no surprise! I guess either way there's going to be a surprise come Sunday.

2. Begin mentally designing my kitchen and bath remodel. That's right, we're about to undertake a massive project: the complete remodel of our kitchen and master bathroom. That means there's a lot of materials to select. Tile, counter tops, vanities, appliances, shower heads, lighting fixtures, faucets, cabinetry, cabinetry pulls, flooring, paint. Is it over yet? There's going to be about a three month period of time without a kitchen or master bathroom. It's going to be painful and exciting all rolled into one. I have a list of things I want and like, but this weekend will be spent perusing kitchen and bath magazines, as well as a few local stores, to begin figuring out the specifics. Right now, all I know is that I'm in love with the bathroom pictured above. Next week, I'll show you pictures of our kitchen and master bath as they are right now. But today, I'll leave you with a preview: Do you know anyone in the market for a 12-seater beige jacuzzi bathtub with gold fixtures? Now you're dying to see it, aren't you?

3. Celebrate Marcus' 31st birthday. We're going to dinner with our dear pal Marcus on Saturday night as a nod to his 31st. And on a semi-related note, I'll be making Steak San Marco (which always makes me think of Marcus because it sounds like his name) to share on the Messy Aprons blog next week! How exciting!

4. Get another Brazilian Blowout. In an effort to prevent a vacation hair disaster like the one pictured above (yes, that's my real hair. And no, I can't believe I just shared that with you.), I'm getting my locks blown out tomorrow. This is the only solution when I'm going to spend multiple days on the lake. My early years would have been so different if Brazilian Blowouts were around. Thank heavens it was the '80s, although I don't think that helped me out much. And for the curious:

My hair doesn't look like that anymore ... even on its worst day.
And to my credit, I had just woken up.
I don't think I would ever have gotten married if hair straighteners weren't invented.
When you have big hair, you're required to develop a dynamic personality to survive. I wasn't cute, but I was funny. Actually, I just read a lot. And wore baseball caps.
Yes, we are eating breakfast on kick boards.

That's all I know right now, and we're playing the rest by ear. Have a great weekend!

My (Backyard) Bobby McGreens

2011-05-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

Right before Ty's birthday party in April, we had a landscaping friend come over and gut our flower beds. They needed to be purged of all the excess leafy stuff. And since then, our yard has felt so clean and nice and slightly bare. After a year in the jungle, I didn't mind the bareness. It was liberating! Like my flower beds were skinny dipping. Freedom.

But now, after a time of reflection, I'm ready to plant. The problem is our landscaping friend keeps telling me to pick out what plants I want. And I keep telling him I have no clue and he needs to decide. We're at a standoff.

Here's my criteria:

1. A variation in height to cover the heavy amount of wood fencing.
2. Some color, but mostly low maintenace plants.
3. Did I mention low maintenance? They don't call me Stephanie the Vegetation Vixen for nothin'.

I've been observing and we have the most sunlight in the morning and the yard begins to shade in the early afternoon. I think that fact matters, but I'm not exactly sure.

Here are the things I like, although I don't know if they will work in my yard.

1. I would like another gardenia bush. They're pretty when even when they're not blooming. But when they are blooming is when the real magic happens. The frangrance is intoxicating. We have one already, so I think this would work.
2. I love hydrangeas more than anything else. I would like to plant as many of these as possible, but I'm not really sure what kind of sunlight a hydrangea likes/needs.

Example A: My wedding bouquet. I didn't care what else was in the bouquet, just give me hydrangeas. Yes, give me hydrangeas in September. I knew I'd found my florist when she said "no problem." I could have kissed her.

Example B: My wedding party bouquets. I didn't care what else was in the bouquet, just give me hydrangeas.

3. I also love hibiscus. But I'm still not sure of their habits or desires. Sounds like a tough relationship, huh? Here's the one thing I do know.

I bought this one nearly two months ago and haven't killed it yet. In my opinion, that's a good start.

At more or less a complete loss, I thought it was good to walk around a local nursery and find a few things that I liked that also looked as if they would ask very little of me. Independent plants, if you will.

I liked both of these options because they offer a lot of color, but don't look like you would have to do anything to them. Although, I don't know what you call either of them, and I don't know if my philosophy is true. Thoughts? Anyone?

I've got to get something in the ground soon before all the old stuff starts coming back. Suggestions are welcome. Think Vegetation Vixen-Proof. I'd hate to plant all these beautiful things just to watch them die.

Why Did I Eat That Salad?

2011-05-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

I was a Nazi dieter for over a year, and although I'm not quite interested in returning to that lifestyle, I still try to do right most days with the occasional indulgence.

So you can imagine how peeved I was to discover the Wendy's salad (a seemingly healthy option) I'd been eating for lunch everyday was packed with 750 calories. It felt like such a betrayal. Freaking salad ... for that, I could have eaten a burger and fries and enjoyed my lunch much, much more! Of course, it's not the lettuce's fault. It's the dressing and croutons (that I don't eat), the fast food chicken and other fixins.

Another horror story: A friend of mine ate salad for lunch and dinner everyday last week and ended the week up three pounds. It was a difficult lesson for us to learn: Just because it goes by the name "salad" doesn't mean it's healthy.

Then possibly the most horrifying story of all: Last week, I read an article by the Huffington Post listing nine salads that are calorically worse than a Big Mac. To think a salad could ever compare to the fat-factor of a Big Mac. I'm disgusted.

So, unless it's prepared by my own hands, I'm avoiding salad for now and returning to my Lean Cuisine lunch. I know they're high in sodium, but at least the calories are printed on the side of the box! A solid number I can trust.

I know a lot of you guys eat Lean Cuisines for lunch, too. And most everyone has their favorites. I avoid all forms of fish and seafood and don't branch out very often from my regulars. Here are my top five favorite microwavable meals. I'm hoping you guys can recommend some others worth trying or this menu may get a little stale. Help a girl out!

Baja-Style Chicken Quesadilla

Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

Garlic Chicken

Herb Roasted Chicken

Pepperoni Pizza

Stuffed Pasta Shells

2011-05-17T13:39:00.001-05:00

I had this dish for the first time three or four years ago when my brother brought his then-girlfriend Ashley to the beach with our family. At the time, I didn't know the love I would one day have for Ashley, but I think her pasta shells were a strong indication of good things to come.

It's a miracle Ashley spoke to any of us after that trip. And a greater miracle that she married my brother after seeing how mad he got at his baby sister for leaving hair in the shower drain. My bad, I have a lot of hair!

My guess is that it all worked out because she cooked pasta shells for us one night. A bond was formed over cheese, pasta and marinara.

And maybe because Ashley doesn't shed as much as me during her shampoo and rinse.

My husband is also a huge fan of these pasta shells, so I made this dish for us last night. The recipe calls for ground beef, which I replaced with ground turkey. It still had plenty of flavor and was much leaner. I didn't even have to drain the meat once it browned. I recommend trying the ground turkey if for no other reason than it will save you a step in the cooking process.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

1 1b. ground beef our turkey
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
Parmesan cheese
2 one-inch slices of Velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom
salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta and set aside to cool.
Brown hamburger meat, drain. Add cream of mushroom soup, 3 heaping tablespoons of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and Velveeta. Mix well.
Spray Pam in casserole dish and pour a little spaghetti sauce on bottom of the pan.
Stuff shells and place in the dish.
Pour spaghetti sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Sidenote: Something terrible must have happened on Blogger because comments from the last several posts have disappeared and the order of the posts is a bit scrambled. Please don't hold me accountable!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2011-05-16T14:59:00.001-05:00

Ty and I had a rollercoaster of a weekend. Filled with ups and downs and in betweens. We managed to make it out alive. I'm being slightly melodramatic, but something did happen this weekend. Something very bad. Let's start with the good.

The Good.

We got to see a lot of our friends this weekend, which doesn't always happen. Friday night, we went to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law, Chris and Ashley, and Ashley's sister and husband, John and Jill. Our intent was to do some pre-planning for our Memorial Day trip. But the only thing we really decided on was that we needed a lot of beer and some Pop Tarts for breakfast.

Saturday night, we were invited to the Brewers' new home for a potluck! Ty and I brought along everyone's favorite mac 'n cheese and these yummy lemon blueberry cheesecake bars. Our group of friends can potluck like none other. We feasted on ribs, chicken, barbecue beans, salad, corn, tater tots and Strawn's pie (chocolate and strawberry). It was such a good meal and a good time with friends we don't see as often as we used to.

The Bad.

My right arm feels like it may fall off at any moment. I'm not exactly known for my upper body strength (more so for my hatred of arm pit fat and, yes, I think I have fat armpits). So, when I volunteered to weed eat while Ty mowed yesterday, this agonizing pain wasn't what I had in mind. I was thinking we might finish yard more quickly and do something like this:

How romantic. You can thank John Hughes for my unrealistic expectations of yardwork.

I don't even have a cowboy hat.

And my arm hurts. And I'm so bad at weed eating that I left several bare patches in the yard.

The Ugly.

Walt and Ty had a gig Saturday afternoon for the annual Cowpatty Invitational fishing tournament. It's always windy on the small oxbow lake, causing something really, really bad to happen.

That's the neck of Ty's guitar. Damaged at the hand of a strong gust of wind. He was sick about it. And I was sick for him. It's not that hard to go out and buy a new guitar, but he'd had this one for a long time, which makes it special to him. And it's not as simple as repairing the wood. It probably wouldn't sound the same.

And as much as my arm hurts, this hurts even more.