It's all about that new car smell......

My Subaru died. However, it was lovingly donated to the American Cancer Society, Cars for a Cure. In the Subaru's place, I bought this car and I LOVE IT! It is such a relief to not worry about getting stranded all the time. This car is cute, stylish and fun to drive! I feel like a very lucky girl!

What are you doing this Sunday?

When I first saw the sign, I was a bit concerned but then it totally made sense. I am sure they will attract a large crowd.

Tocco or Recipe #4

According to About.com, "Tocco is a Ligurian term that means meat sauce, or ragù, and is an example of frugality." From another website, "Tucco is meat sauce made in the whole Comunità Montana area." 

According to me, tocco is some serious good food. My friend's mother was taught the recipe as a child in Peru at the knee of an Italian woman who brought the recipe with her from the old country (I am serious!). My friend's mother is in her eighties so this recipe has been around for a long time. My friend was nice enough to give me the recipe (that her mother even signed for me) and then she made it for me once and then she watched me as I made it. See one, do one.... I was surprised how easy it was to make and it was so delicious. (Many of the recipes that I looked at used braising meat but we just used ground beef.)

Now that I have made you hungry, I have a confession. I promised my friend that I would not share this secret family recipe. So, you will just have to take my word that it is amazing (or you can ask my sister and her family) and be excited that this completes recipe #4!

 

Buon appetito!

I don't mean to GOAT...

I was driving with a friend to the outlets (last Fall) when I looked out my window and saw something strange in the back of a Subaru. It took me a second to process what I was actually looking at because it was just so unexpected. I got really excited. It was like the universe was just handing me the biggest present.

Here is what I saw at first.

Please notice the child safety gate between the driver and the cargo.

Here is my second picture. My friend who was driving had to work hard to stay next to the Subaru so I could get this picture.

Yep, it's a goat. Seriously, more reason to have a Subaru, they are good for transporting goats.  Who knew? Completely awesome!

Cute as a Button or Project #4

Whenever I am with my wonderful sister-in-law Ellen, we craft (and cook and shop and play.... you get the idea). It is just what we do. So, I thought I would show you our latest project and my Valentine's Day gifts to some work friends and the women I visit teach. 

We made earrings by making our own buttons (covering buttons with fabric) and then we backed the buttons with earring backs. We got the idea from this cute blog. It is super easy to craft when someone comes up with the good ideas!

 

And what would Valentine's Day be without a little chocolate! Cute Valentine's Day bags from Target for $1. Easy and cute! (Did you count how many times I used the word cute? Sorry. 'tis the season!)

Speaking of cute, the other day I was leaving for work and Eric was staring at the computer watching PBS kids with his earphones on. I tried to get his attention by tickling his side but I just got a sour look. So, as I was walking out the door, I tapped him on the shoulder and signed (in sign language), I LOVE YOU! He just looked at me and said, "Me too." then he when right back to his show. It made me smile. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

I LOVE.........

I don't have a Valentine this year. Nope, not a single one. It is a bit depressing but seriously Valentine's Day is a just a commercialized holiday created by retailers to make money, etc.....

Actually ignore the last sentence. I know that Valentine's Day is a commercialized holiday and I know that I would like to find someone who showed me love and romance every day of the year and not just on one Hallmark day. But with that said, I am a romantic. And I am not talking about just liking Valentine's Day. I am an over-the-top, fall over heels, hopeless romantic. Truthfully, I really don't know why because past experience really hasn't given me much confidence that romance is anything more than wishful thinking that is sold in the form of chocolate and chick-flicks. However, I really can't help it. I love romantic gestures and I love the whole idea of falling and staying in love. I think Jane Austen said it best, "A girl likes to be crossed a little in love now and then. It is something to think of"

Regardless, I still don't have a Valentine but I don't want to be ungrateful for all the wonderful things in my life. If Valentine's Day is about love, then I will share with you 36 things that I love (in no particular order).

1. My family including all of my cute nieces and nephews
2. Good friends who love me for me
3. Western sunsets
4. Hugs & Kisses (see hopeless romantic above)
5. Pedicures
6. Surprises (good surprises)
7. Packages in the mail
8. Sunday naps
9. A good home cooked meal
10. Freshly washed sheets
11. The kindness of others
12. Reading cookbooks and making new recipes
13. Farmer's Markets, Antique Stores, Flea Markets, Goodwill
14. Mill Creek Canyon and the smell of the creek, the trees and a campfire
15. Feeling understood and being able to communicate with someone freely
16. NPR and any good listening options for my commute
17. Chocolate covered cinnamon bears
18. My job, my boss, my work location- I love where I work and who I work for!
19. Landing in the Salt Lake airport
20. A good cry
21. Romantic movies
22. Thunder and lightning storms (If I am safe inside watching)
23. Going to quaint new places and experiencing new things including fun new restaurants
24. Completing projects and being organized (wish this happened more)
25. Hope
26. Amazing technology
27. Pumpkin Pie
28. Good books and the time to read good books
29. My testimony of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life
30. Small, medium and large miracles 
31. Homemade lemonade, limeade, root beer- basically any homemade beverage
32. The East Mill Creek 4th of July Parade
33. Mountains
34. Acupuncture
35. My Birthday
36. Babies

It's here!

I have wanted an iPhone for a very, very, very long time and I was almost about to give up on Verizon but FINALLY they came through for me! I have had my phone for a little over 24 hours and even though I am still working through some user error, I love it. I can see why it can be very difficult to get the attention of an iPhone user. So much to do. I am asking everyone what their favorite app is so if you have a favorite, please let me know!

Favorite NPR Quote of 2010

July 19, 2010
 
I was listening to Barbara Demick, a writer for the New Yorker about North Korea's "currency reforms". She said, "The changes actually wiped out the savings of North Koreans, and may have fueled more popular discontent with the regime. And as I keep on saying, you know, being a totalitarian regime means never having to say you're sorry."

Apparently this is just one more perk of a totalitarian regime, never having to say your sorry. Who knew? Maybe more people would try it if they knew of this extra perk. I know I am a bit of a nerd but I still laugh pretty hard every time I think about the quote.

So funny.

Flowers or Project #3

As mentioned previously, one of my 36 New Year's resolutions is to complete 36 projects (old or new) and/or learn a new skill. My dear, wonderful friend Bling is getting married and I was asked to do the centerpieces/ flower arrangements for her bridal shower. Mind you, I have never done flower arrangements. However, with a little help from my friends (thank you R&R), the idea and creation were born. I "wrapped" the inside of all the vases with hydrangea leaves and put the roses in the tall vases and the hydrangea in the small vases. When I was looking for small vases, I stopped by goodwill and found six for $0.49 a piece. I think they are scotch glasses but they made great vases. I also bought eight small picture frames and filled them with pictures of the happy couple.

I was a bit stressed about not finding the perfect color of flowers (her colors are purple, silver, black and white) so I went with pink roses and hydrangea and I loved how they turned out. 

Check off another completed project! Yay!

Dear VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation),

I am just wondering who thought that it was a good idea to close not one, not two but three lanes on 495 on the Sunday night following the Super Bowl. For the record, drunk/ exhausted people and merging traffic are never, ever, EVER a good idea.

I had a lovely time at my Super Bowl gathering (thank you for asking) but next time, seriously, please, think before you cause a traffic jam miles long.

Sincerely,

Chris

Peant Butter Cookies- Recipe #2.5

A girl in my sister's ward made these cookies for my nephews' baptism. They were so tasty that I hunted down the girl and I begged her for the recipe. She told me it was the easiest recipe and I didn't believe her until I tried it. They are delicious and actually dangerously easy. (This recipe gets #2.5 because I did make them over the Christmas holiday for a cookie exchange. However, I wanted to share anyway.)

Step One: Buy a peanut butter cookie mix. I know, it is cheating, it has added preservatives,they are not "homemade", I get the arguments but go buy a mix.


Step Two: Make up the mix according to the instructions and use a small cookie scoop to evenly distribute the dough into mini cupcake pans. Do not press down dough into the pans or the bottoms of the cookies will get too well done (like we did below).


Step Three: Bake according to the mix. When the cookies have about 3-5 more minutes left to bake, take them out and gently press a Reese's peanut butter into the center of each cookie. Put them back into the oven for 3-5 minutes or until cookies are done.


Step Four: Be patient and let the cookies sit for 2 minutes in the pan. Take the cookies out of the pan and let them sit for 2-3 more minutes. As Alton Brown says, "Your patience will be rewarded."


Step Five: Enjoy, repeat, go to the gym (the gym statement is just for me):) These cookies are super easy but they look complicated-a perfect mix.

Rack 'Em Up or Project #2

I told each of my nephews and niece that I live with that I would make them a surprise cupcake creation for their birthdays. I made Eric the race car, Jenna the butterflies and Alex the pool balls. I love how they turned out.

It is a relief to have the project done so I don't fell like I am behind the eight-ball (sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Slop Sloppy Joes or Recipe #3

I love sloppy joes. I love good, meaty sloppy joes. When I saw a recipe for sloppy joes on the Pioneer Women's Blog, I had to try them (yes, I am a little addicted to her blog). They were delicious. I loved the depth of the flavor and the easiness of this recipe. (My nephew Alex (who is 13 years old) told me that he had sloppy joes a while back but he couldn't remember their name. So he called them Floppy Johns. Creative.)

Recipe: Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 20 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ pounds Ground Beef
• ½ whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-½ cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
• Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls
• Butter

Preparation Instructions

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.
Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.
Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls, topping with a slice of cheese if it makes your skirt fly up. Serve hot with kettle cooked chips (or our favorite, tater tots!).

Butterflies in January or Project #1

It is freezing. It is so cold outside that it is hard to walk from the car to the house. I feel like my bones are frozen. I want spring to come and honestly I would like it to come really soon (like tomorrow). Spring to me is all about happiness, flowers, bees, sunshine, butterflies, etc. etc. So, in honor of the spring that has yet to sprung and in honor of my sweet niece Jenna's birthday, I made Jenna butterfly cupcakes from my cupcake book. The end result was great but making the chocolate butterflies almost made me pull my hair out. I feel that now that I have had some practiced, I could make the next batch of butterflies with a lot less stress. I bought the flower cupcake papers from Joann's but I am sure you can find them other places. I thought the flowers made a nice touch. (One of my 36 New Year's resolutions is to complete 36 new or old projects or learn a new skill. Here is project #1.)

Dear spring, please come soon.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp or Recipe #2

I am in love with the Pioneer Woman and her blog. She is amazing and her food is delicious. While I was in Texas last week, I tried her Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp. I had never cooked raw shrimp before and if I have to say so myself, the dish was pretty fantastic. My friend at work who is an amazing cook and grew up on the coast of Spain told me to soak my frozen shrimp in cold salt water to defrost them (he says the salt help get rid of that frozen in the bag taste and he was right!). So, I let them sit in the salty cold bath for about 10 minutes and then I rinsed them and put them in the refrigerator until I was ready for them. I bought a 1 lb. bag of frozen shrimp from Whole Foods and halved the recipe.

The shrimp were perfect after 8 minutes and the butter sauce was incredible. This is an easy, fast and delicious recipe.

Recipe: Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Prep Time: 5 Minutes | Cook Time: 25 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Raw Shrimp, Deveined, Shells On
• 2 sticks Cold Unsalted Butter Cut Into Pieces
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• ¼ cups Fresh Parsley
• ½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.

Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly.

Serve with hot crusty bread. Peel and eat the shrimp, then dip the bread into the butter in the bottom of the pan.

The Perfect Pot Roast or Recipe #1

As previously mentioned, I am turning 36 this year. To honor my 36th year, I wrote 36 New Year's Resolutions and many of them had something to do with 36. One of my resolutions is to make 36 new recipes. It seems like a lot of new recipes but I thought it would be a good goal.

So, for recipe #1, I found, The Perfect Pot Roast as found on the Pioneer Woman's blog. I love pot roast and the photos on the Pioneer Woman's blog looked so delicious, I had to try the recipe. I am telling you, she did not lie! It was the perfect pot roast. It was meaty and tender and the vegetables were delicious. Oh and the best part, it is easy. A little work in the beginning and the outcome is heavenly. I told my sister Michelle about the recipe (I made it the first time with Dan & Ellen in Dallas) so guess what I made on Sunday? You got it, another perfect pot roast. Don't believe me, try it for yourself.

Recipe: Pot Roast

Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 4 Hours | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead) I skipped the wine.
  
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock (Not beef broth, stock is richer and helps this recipe)
  
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. (The first time I made this recipe, I cooked the onions too long. They really only need a few minutes at the most to get some color. The second time I made the roast, I didn't cook them long enough.)

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

My Lucky Number

I will be 36 years old in March of this year. Wow, I said it. The big 36! However I have felt 36 for the last year. You see I have this problem. When I turn a certain age, I start telling people that I am going to be the next age. For example, someone will ask me how old I am and I will say, “Well, I am 35 but I am almost 36.” I am not almost 36 (I wasn't when I first wrote this back in November) but it is just what I say.

I have been worried about turning 36 because it just seems old to be single and childless. I know that it isn’t old per se and I know that you all know people who have had children in their 40's but it just seems like the biological clock is letting me know that I am on the downhill, my window is closing, the sand is running out......you get the idea. I have had crazy thoughts about just having a child (adoption, etc.) but I just don't want a child to have a child. I want the whole family; the husband and the baby!

Anyway, after I wrote the post about my nephew Eric’s birthday and his lucky number, I have changed my attitude (for right now). My lucky number is 6 because like Eric I am the sixth child in my family and I was born on the 26^th. So, with my great logic and simple math (6 x 6 = 36)! 2011 and my 36^th year is actually going to be my best year yet! I am going to have great happiness and success when I am 36. (I should write fortune cookies, ha, ha.)

Please remind me of this fact come March.

“What did I tell ya? There's the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars and the chimney sweeps.”-Burt

I finally moved into my new office (ok, I have been here for a few months). I am still in Georgetown and I am still in the same complex as my old space but I am now on the fourth floor. I am happy to be away from the rats in the ceiling (so smelly), the mosquitoes (so itchy) and the poisonous snake (so scary). However, I do miss my friends and I miss being in the hustle and bustle. Working in HR can be very isolating and I enjoyed the comradery.

So, now that I am on the 4^th floor. I have a huge window where I can benefit from the sunshine, observe the airplanes on their way to and from Reagan National Airport, listen and watch the military helicopters fly up and down the Potomac River and just enjoy my view. I tell people that it is my Mary Poppins’ view- a view of rooftops. Now, all I need a chimney sweep and some chalk.

Seriously drop what you are doing right now and watch this show! This is a new modern Sherlock (he texts and Dr. Watson has a blog). You can get the whole season (two disks) from Netflix and it is sooooo worth it! When I received my disks, I waited patiently for two days so I could watch the show with Dan & Ellen in Dallas (now that is love!).

I thought it would be good but I had no idea how amazing it would be! Just so you know, season two will be filmed in May and will air Fall 2011. I don't know how I will make it because it truly is the best thing I have seen in a long time! Did I mention it was pretty fantastic? (this is my new phrase of the week, pretty fantastic)! I love this show and you will have to let me know if you love it too!

According to Batman

I love clever, funny people and when I read the review of the new Green Hornet movie below, I laughed out loud. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. (Maybe you have to secretly love all superheros to think it is funny or again, maybe you just need my strange sense of humor.) Either way, enjoy.

Harnessing the power of humor
By Dan Kois
Friday, January 14, 2010

This morning, the unconscious bodies of three pickpockets were found on the front steps of The Washington Post's offices. Safety-pinned to one was an envelope containing the following movie review.

Yeah, I think you know who I am. Big guy. Wear a mask. I protect the innocent of Gotham from the garbage who pollute the streets with violence.

That's right. I'm Batman.

But now there's another masked vigilante on the streets. Calls himself the Green Hornet. He's taking over Los Angeles. There's a movie out about him right now. It's called "The Green Hornet." Obviously.
It gets my bat wings all riled up. Let me tell you why.

There was a time when movies about superheroes were dark and full of angst. Like "The Dark Knight." You know just from the title what that movie's gonna be like. Broody. Angsty. I'll be doing a lot of thinking on rooftops, you know, about justice and whatever. Maybe the girl I love gets blown up.
Then this johnny-come-lately shows up. This punk, the Green Hornet. His movie's fun. It's light-hearted. It's full of jokes. Jokes! My enemies tell jokes. Riddles, whatnot. Heroes don't tell jokes. Heroes keep it grim. Saving people is serious business.

When they made a movie about me, they hired Christian Bale to play me. Serious guy. Serious actor. Intense. So who plays the Green Hornet? Seth Rogen. A jokester. A funnyman. A Canadian, for Pete's sake. Sure, they had him do some crunches, but still, it just points to a real lack of seriousness in this movie.

Just as an example, when I'm weaving the Batmobile through the streets of Gotham, with explosions and gunfire on every side, I keep my trap shut. Maybe I utter a single quip through gritted teeth after I capture the bad guys with my Batarang.

But this Green Hornet guy? "This is awesome!" he yells. "Oh man, now we're in a car chase!"
What is this, amateur hour?

I was prepared to like this Green Hornet kid. We have a lot in common. Take his secret identity. Britt Reid's a millionaire playboy, which struck a chord, although his tastes run less toward tuxedos and fine art and more toward parties drenched in beer and Silly String. Like a certain superhero I know, he loses a parent unexpectedly; when his father, played by Tom Wilkinson, dies, Britt inherits his mansion, his garage full of luxury cars, and the newspaper he edited for years. (Yeah, I thought newspaper editors drove Hondas, not Rolls-Royces, but that's Hollywood, I guess.)

But does Britt Reid seethe about the death of his father? Is he filled with rage? No! He resented the old man, so he saws the head off his dad's memorial statue. What kind of hero does that?

Look, I will grudgingly admit that much of the movie was really funny. Sure, I didn't laugh - in lieu of laughter, I emit a harsh sound like a dog's cough - but all around me, the crowd really seemed to be enjoying themselves. Rogen and Jay Chou, the charismatic Taiwanese pop star who plays Britt's partner, Kato, have real chemistry. The movie somehow manages not to marginalize or insult Kato, a character who in the early "Hornet" radio serials was something of an offensive Asian caricature. (What! I've been thinking about getting a sidekick, so I did some research.)

In fact, Kato's often the best part of the movie. Britt calls him a "human Swiss army knife," and he's right; Kato is not a sidekick, but a fully formed hero who's full of surprises. And the gadgets he develops for the Hornet's sweet ride (a souped-up '65 Chrysler Imperial, respect) are pretty sweet. I've been thinking the Batmobile could use a fax machine and a turntable.

But really, I just want to make it clear that I am personally offended that someone would make a silly superhero movie. That's unacceptable. They couldn't even get a dark and complicated director such as Christopher Nolan to direct it; instead, it's directed by Michel Gondry. Michel Gondry! The Frenchman who directed "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and those White Stripes videos! How is that appropriate?

True, some of the handmade effects in which Gondry specializes work well in "The Green Hornet," dramatizing how Kato, for instance, can beat five guys up at once. And I guess that maybe Gondry's easygoing comic spirit is a better match for a movie like this than Nolan, who proved triumphantly with "Inception" that you can make a gigantic hit movie that contains zero jokes. (I loved it! I saw it four times, and asked Lucius Fox to start developing that dream technology for Wayne Industries.)
And what about the villains? My most recent nemesis was a crazed murderer whose ruthless anti-philosophy shook me, and the city, to the very core. Chudnofsky, the villain in "The Green Hornet" - played by Christoph Waltz - is having a midlife crisis. That's not serious!

Sigh. You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Or, in this case, a joke. Well, let me employ sarcasm: Well done, Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry. You made a superhero movie for people who thought "The Dark Knight" needed to lighten up. That's so funny I forgot to laugh.

No, seriously, I forgot to laugh. I actually don't know how. Alfred?