My husband's coming home!

Not a very catchy title huh? Well, I've been brainwashed by children and the wallet sucking circus AND a birthday party all weekend ON MY OWN. FG was in Mexico on business and he'll be home in about 1/2 hour or so. Thankfully SMA offered to pick him up from the airport - when I called him in a panic because I lost my ride home from the airport. I was supposed to go drop his car off for him today but the ride I had arranged to get ME home had something come up (as in her DH took the carseats with him to work - IN TAHOE). So SMA said he would be glad to help out and then offered to save the parking fee and just pick up FG tonight. Whew! He really was good to me this weekend. He brought me dinner yesterday knowing I was on my own with the kiddos and would be at a birthday party until 4:30 that afternoon and not really having time to prepare one of my "fabulous dinners" for him. Actually, I think he was just hungry for Pick Up Stix and wanted to get his kid fix as well. Whatever, I got dinner and didn't have to cook and he still loaded the dishwasher.

I don't like it when FG goes out of town. You would think I am used to it because it happens several times a year. But the worst part? He was out of the country and our cell plan doesn't cover Mexico so I couldn't TALK to him. WAHHHHHHH!!!! We sent a LOT of texts though. When he called me from Phoenix tonight I was incredibly happy to hear his voice. This won't be his last trip either. I am bound and determined to find a way to go with him soon too. Damn, the places he is staying are incredible looking. He did send me a message to tell me he had a dragonfly the size of a 747 in his room and a giant iguana outside of his room - no doubt after the dragonfly. I replied asking if he was trying to make me feel better that I was home, scrubbing toilets and floors?

Alrighty, I guess I'd better do a power pick up of the house before he walks through the door. Then again, why make it look like it was an easy weekend?

Me brain is all amush...

Playgroup on Thursdays just wipes me out, I tell ya! Today we went to an indoor bounce house place THEN to McDonalds with a Playplace (the ONLY one my kids have ever gone to because it's new and clean and in a very nice neighborhood. Yes, I can be a snob sometimes!). So I'm trying to recover from all the screaming and what the hell is with other parents??? ARGH! I have a great group of playgroup Mommy friends and our kids are now comfortable enough with all the parents that WE are comfortable enough with picking up a stray toddler or helping another child with their socks, you get the idea. But other parents? Pahleeeeze, take a parenting class and for pete's sake, do you really need hula hoop sized earrings to go to a bounce house place? And hey, fat-ass dad, get the hell out of the bounce house because I need to wear out my 3 year old and I'd rather her not fear for her life with you jumping around like a spasmatic frog in there. Anyway, I just wanted to share a funny sibling story while I could still form sentences.

A couple of days ago I hear DS telling DD to leave him alone and go somewhere else. She loves to be the annoying little sister and bug the crap out of him until he's near tears. She gets some secret evil pleasure from it as I think ALL younger siblings do at one time or another. Then I hear him say, "Fine, I'll give you money to leave my room." Not long after, DD proudly comes downstairs with a fistfull of dollars. Like a good girl, she gave one to me and one to Daddy and then went to try to give the last one to her brother (ok, so she's not so good at the value of money thing yet, she's just generous). He said he didn't want it and told her she was dumb because he gave it to her to get away from him. On the inside I'm saying "Yep, I agree with you. That is dumb." on the outside I said, "Don't call your sister dumb."
Fast forward to last night and she's bugging him again. I told him to go to his room and shut his door and asked her to leave him alone. He had on his headphones and just wanted to listen to his music in peace. I can give him that, I feel the same way sometimes. But there she went again, back to his room bugging him. He asked her to leave and I hear her say, "Ok, just give me some money." Bahahahahahahaha! Ok, so she's NOT dumb.
Then because she is only 3 and hasn't a clue of the true VALUE of money, she was satisfied with the pennies he gave her. But again, she passed them on to me and to Daddy.
However, she had wised up in the past few days and maybe she really was catching onto the value of money. She put her hands on her little hips after she so generously handed her precious, hard earned penny to her Daddy and said, "Ok, now give me a DOLLAR Daddy. The GREEN kind that's a rectangle!" FG just couldn't help himself and gave her a dollar. I was spliting my side trying not to let her see me laughing. Like a good generous girl she is, she came over to me and said, "Here Mommy. Here's a dollar for you."
I'm working on her numbers with her now, specifically 20, 50 and 100.

It's ok honey, just let it all out

Warning: This post is purely for my own mental health benefit. It's a bitching, whining, complaining, venting post that will hopefully make my week much better if I just get this all out now.

There's a person in my life that is just such a pain. She is unfortunately someone I have to see (i.e. "family" by marriage). She proves herself over & over to be a selfish bitch that would never do a thing to actually help us out. In the 10 or so years that she has been around she makes it clear that we are nothing but a nuisance to her and she wishes we were not around at all, unless of course she NEEDS something from us. She's a horrid mother too. Sure, surface wise it looks all fine and dandy but her young adult kids are as selfish and mean as she is. She has taught them zero respect for anyone, unless of course, they are getting some personal gain from them. I'm so tired of watching this family walk all over my FIL too. The only place in his entire house he had any pictures of his family - his oldest son and his youngest son with me in them as well - was his "office" at home. As soon as this coniving person didn't have an office away from home, our pictures were immediately covered up by hers. I swear there's not a place in that entire house that is "his" that she hasn't controlled and taken over.
Back to the matter at hand that is really bothering me. I am now starting to work with the family business more. That has always been the plan anyway as the kids got older. Well, she quit her job and is doing the same but out of town. It's a long confusing story but there's a certain trade account that I told her I would like to start dividing up evenly and let us get some benefit from it now too. Now that my husband has to go out of town to help out their portion of the business and I have to pick up more slack here while he's gone. It's a house cleaning trade - they advertise with us and in turn the company cleans their house. It seemed only fair to me that instead of the company going to their house every week that we divide it up and they come here every other week and there every other week. Her response: "No, I really enjoy having them every week so no, I'm not willing to change that."
Well first of all bitch, it's not really YOUR decision! It's my husband's and his father's decision because THEY built the company. Second of all FG and I have taken over the portion of the business that the trade is through so again, not really your call here. Third, you have two grown people living in your house and we have two grown people and two little people who do nothing but make a mess and certainly don't scrub the bathrooms (though she once did have my FIVE year old scrubbing her toilet. Ohhhhhh that one pissed me off! He's a lot closer to that toilet than her with the fumes of all those chemicals! Not to mention, it wasn't even HIS toilet - he was cleaning THEIR germs. I digress.) How damn hard is it to divide things up fairly?! I wasn't saying "Well, we've taken that over now so that trade becomes completely ours." No, I was trying to be fair and logical and thinking dang, I'm working more I don't want to be spending the time cleaning the house when I should be spending it with the kids. Now that I'm working when they are in school and that was when I used to clean!
I must run DD to preschool and get to the office. I just had to get that out. I'm really tempted to cancel the entire sponsor and trade and find a new one or leave that spot open for an actual paying advertiser. Screw her. She is just such a bitch and naturally, FG thinks so as well but it tired of listening to me complain about her. He feels the same way, he just chooses to not rehash it over & over like I do when it's really bugging me. Thank you for your time.

I'm it!

I've been tagged! My East Coast Twin at Domestic Accident has tagged me! Fun fun!

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes:

• 1. I always have to be able to see a clock. I'm slightly annoyed at my living room right now because I don't have a decent clock that I can easily see from the couch or chair.
• 2. I read cookbooks. I started when I was a kid and would read this ancient children's cookbook that was my mothers when she was a kid. Now on a weekend morning I like to get up before everyone, make my tea and sit with a stack of cookbooks.
• 3. I have the exact same routine every morning. This only varies if I don't shower right away. Otherwise I can just stay asleep until my tea is ready.
• 4. I don't drink coffee but have loved tea my entire life. I drink it all day long - hot or cold.
• 5. I also don't drink plain/white/regular milk. I have had a bottle of chocolate syrup handy since I was 5 when my parents finally figured out that was the only way to get me to drink any milk.
• 6. I recently went to a rock concert with FG and SMA and the guy next to me just could not fathom that *I* liked the music. I guess my pink t-shirt didn't quite fit in with the rest of the crowd but I really did love the concert and the hard grinding music! He just kept asking me if I really did like it.
• 7. I worked for my high school and college football teams doing their team "films" (even though it was actually video). I LOVED that job in college and had a ton of "big brothers". Who all, if you read my previous post, hated my ex boyfriend and made sure FG knew he would be seriously injured if he broke my heart.

Now I have to pick some people to tag so I'm not it any more.

I would love to read the 7 things about Madre Adoptiva, Domestic Sketchbook, Wiping Up Snot, KatieKipKyraJack and to de-lurk to Rockin the Suburbs I'll tag her too!

Feelin' the love...

16 years later and we are still in luuuuuvvvv, lust and all that other good stuff that gives me the warm tingly feelings deep in my belly (and, ah hem, other regions).

That first picture was one of our first dates. Yes, that would be Van Halen and yes, Sammy Hagar was hanging on my 21 year old cuteness and poor FG was pushed aside. That picture was taken on May 9, 1992 - a couple of weeks after we officially started dating. The recent picture was taken last month. But because I'm feeling so sentimental, let me share my little story from the beginning....

I was a broadcasting student and had to do an internship at a radio station for class. My friend and I always partnered up and as we sat looking through the sheet of business cards of local station contacts I will never forget when she said, "Let's go to this station. That's Jessica's uncle." I said, "Um, ok, cool, my boyfriend listens to that station maybe I can get him a shirt or a sticker or something."

The day we show up for our internship we were directed to "Jessica's Uncle's" office (of course that's not how they referred to him). He directs us to the morning DJ (the blond girl in the Van Halen pic actually). My friend and I are shown around the studio, various rooms with equipment that looked similar to what we worked with at school but on a much grander scale. As we are standing in the production studio where "stuff" is recorded to go on the air but not the studio where the DJ's speak on the air, I see a light-brown/blond head clad in a baseball hat go bobbing past the window. I do not remember anything else that was shown to me for the next 15 minutes. I got this very strange feeling in my stomach, I felt something was going to happen between that guy and me.

After our tour, my partner and I got split up - she went off with a salesperson named Todd and I got to stay in the studio and see how the whole thing worked with getting actual sound over the air. Who did I get to work with? Yep, that same bobbing head under a baseball hat that gave me an odd feeling. He was not supposed to be there that day. He was covering for the normal afternoon guy (who happened to be SMA). I had a boyfriend of 5 years so WHY was I feeling like a nervous schoolgirl around this dude? Why was I so happy that the normal afternoon guy SMA wasn't there and this guy got to fill in?

Fast forward a bit. I left that day feeling really giddy and silly. I just knew something was going to happen between this guy and myself. I knew what parts of me were hoping would happen and I actually had the thought that I would either 1) have an affair with this guy or 2) he and I would become really good friends.

I didn't go back for a few weeks because it was spring break for college. But that didn't get my thoughts off Radio Guy. And oddly enough I ran into him during that time too. I was at Taco Bell with my mom & aunt who was in town visiting. We were on our way back from San Francisco and stopped on that side of town for something quick to eat. Standing in line he showed up in line behind me with a friend (oddly enough, not SMA this time but a guy who eventually would be his roommate). I got all those wonderful flutters again. THIS was fate and it was just sealing up my predictions of what was going to happen with him.

I went back a week or so later for my next internship session. I walk in and sadly saw SMA sitting in the studio. I was crushed. Radio Guy wasn't normally there in the afternoons. But, since he didn't have too much of a life, he DID show up. Yay! At that time, we chatted more and I learned he was 19. My 21 year old college sorority girl brain screamed, "OMG, he's a BABY!!! He can't even go to the bar with me! What the hell am I thinking. Oh yeah, I want to jump him and take him right here and now! Damn. "

Now, mind you, I did still have that pesky boyfriend of mine. He was a real peach too, abusive in so many ways mentally and sometimes physically. I was really terrified to break it off with him. I had tried in the 5 years we had been together and always ended right back there with him.

But I found ways to talk to and see Radio Guy. We became friends and talked on the phone a lot. I went to meet him at a bar once (fake ID, don't tell the kids!) and went back to the radio station even after my short term internship was done. I was simply smitten! Ok, I'll admit, it was way more than that. I WANTED him. Yet I still didn't see myself leaving my boyfriend. I saw myself having wild, passionate, great sex with this guy and that was that. BTW, he turned 20 during that time. When I met him it was only a few weeks away from his birthday.

Finally around 2 or 3 am one evening after talking on the phone for hours and being very thankful my sorority house room mate was staying at her boyfriend's, he asked me to go out. *Insert college sorority girl squeal*

I was so excited! I spent a lot of time getting ready and primping. I said goodbye to my sorority sisters as they went out to a party and I waited for him to pick me up. ONE girl was still at the house when he did. It also happened to be the ONE damn girl who had kissed my boyfriend behind my back. grrrr. Yeah, so I hadn't exactly broken up with him yet, still. So the dumb bitch TOLD HIM what I was doing when he called looking for me that night. I hate her to this day for making my life hard, oh yeah, and for kissing my boyfriend behind my back because really, that's just not cool.

We had a perfect first date. Thank God SMA wasn't included. He held doors for me, he bought me dinner and a movie. He kissed me goodnight, sweetly, on the doorstep of the sorority house when he dropped me off and walked me to the door. It was heaven! Then I got the nasty messages on my answering machine from my boyfriend.

The Boyfriend came to the house the next day and I felt no sorror or fear when I told him it was definitely over and it had been over for awhile and he was insane if he thought it wasn't. He stalked us for awhile and then, mercifully, faded out of my life. But he would show up at places that Radio Guy, now nicknamed FG, and I would go. Because of the radio station we went to LOTS Of shows and concerts and since that was what The Boyfriend listened to he knew all about it. Oh, I never did get him a sticker or a t-shirt.

One night The (ex) Boyfriend grabbed me out of a crowd as I was walking behind FG but not holding onto him. He took me outside and tried to get me to tell him I still loved him blah blah blah. Thankfully, SMA was there and got FG to rescue me.

FG and I finally had sex. Whew! Gosh it felt like that took forever. I will never forget it. Oh yeah, here I am admitting that I had premarital sex. Whoops!

We got married a couple of years later, had kids 6 years after that. I'll save the engagement story for another day and the stories of how integrated SMA is in our lives. As you read, if he hadn't needed the day off I may have never seen FG's head go bobbing past the window and fallen instantly in love. I say bobbing because he walks with a bit of a bounce. It was worse back then. But it's just like his father - Jessica's uncle.

Cheetos need to come with a Parental Guidance Rating

I found THIS on my lunch plate a few days ago. Some of the wonderful orange chemicals have rubbed off because I've been keeping it in my kitchen and showing everyone. FG told me I should list it on Ebay.

An organized kitchen

I'm getting there! I've been on a purge & organize kick lately. Maybe it's the springtime approaching that's getting to me. Whatever it is, I have been going through drawers and cabinets and trying to get a semblance of order to them all. It feels gooooood too!


Here's some before and after pictures. I won't bore you with how I did it because it seems fairly self-explanatory. I tossed what I haven't touched in years, items I upgraded and will never need the old ones and tried to keep like items together and in an order of ease of use. The things I use often are accessible, the things I don't use often but want to keep are tucked out of the way. Simple. Now if I could just muster up the energy to tackle the junk drawers.....

I do not have before pictures of these two cabinets. They are much better than they were before though, just trust me on that!

Here are my utensil drawers. I knew where everything was but as you can see, messy messy!
Before:

After:Before:

After:

Ok, I'm not sure how the cat picture got in here but she's awfully cute and comfy so I'll leave it in.

Here ya go Liz, my spices before:And after. I'm not a HUGE fan of the corner shelf thing but it's working for now. I can at least get at my spices without them all tumbling down on me or having to take out every jar to find what I need. I did organize them into groups on the shelves so I know which shelf to go to for baking, seasoning and mixes. As you can tell, I love Penzey's. I've loved them since before they sent out a catalog and expanded. We used to shop in their store in WI and I found a way to order from them 18 or so years ago. Now they are EVERYWHERE, but here. :( I also moved the measuring cups out of the cabinet. It's a force of habit for me to have them there and I am slowly adjusting to the fact I put them in the lower cabinet with the other glass dishes.

And now, I must end this ever so exciting installment with something fun because it's just the cutest thing to see little kids in a big chair.....

You can blame FG on the poor picture. His one job and he didn't do so good. There are others of them actually looking at the camera but as usual, one or the other has a totally dorky look on their face.

Or how about this fine picture? DD loved this thing by the way!

Hey look Ma! No hangover!

You'll just have to excuse my giddy post last night. The wine was guuuuuudddd! I joined a wine club a year ago with a winery in the Eldorado County area of California called CG DiArie. The wine maker invented Captain Crunch cereal and Powerbars among several other recognizable food items. He's a food & taste genius and this is his "retirement". He and his wife were just the sweetest people and they send me 2 bottles every other month. I haven't been sent anything I haven't been able to drink. Sure, some I like more than others but it's all palatable, if that's the correct spelling.

Yesterday morning FG went to golf and the kids and I were home. I scrubbed down the house while the kiddos were playing so well and being so good. I didn't break up nearly the usual amount of fights. They didn't beg me to play anything with them and were happy having their toys and each other. I took advantage! At some point I talked to my parents who wanted the kids to come spend the night. My dad came by to pick them up, I finished up cleaning and hit the shower. Shortly after I got dressed I located the recipe for the dessert I wanted to make. I knew I had read it several times but couldn't remember WHERE. FG came home to a clean and quiet house and a happy wife. To top off his day, he won his golf tournament. (see, he's kind of a really good golfer and hasn't been playing well, with the 3 feet of snow on his course and all, so when he plays poorly he's in a crappy mood but when he plays his usual game he is the giddy one and I could almost ask for anything in the world and expect to get it. Ha!) I informed him we had no kids for the night and he asked where I wanted to go. THAT is when I told him we were staying in and he was to go dig deep in the "good and save" stash for a bottle of wine that will go with the lobster tails I was making for dinner. Could his day get ANY better?

So I baked us up a couple of huge lobster tails, made my parmesean cous cous, a tossed salad and then these little heavenly babies.....


Dinner was excellent even with the cat mewing at us the entire time. We had a nice time to reconnect and we didn't have to fight a crowd, worry about not drinking too much of the wine because of driving or pay an arm and a leg for the lovely meal. Clean up was a breeze too. The best part? Even though I drank too much wine, NO HANGOVER! That's my favorite part about a good bottle of wine, I don't feel like crap the next day and regret my entire evening.
Here's the molten chocolate cake recipe:

* Exported from MasterCook *
Molten Chocolate Cakes
Recipe By :Serving Size : 4
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
4 ounces semisweet chocolate squares
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg
2 egg yolk
6 tablespoons flour
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter four (3/4 cup) custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet.
Melt chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl on high 1 min or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide between prepared cups.
Bake 13 - 14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen and invert onto dessert plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Source: "Winter 2007 Kraft Food & Family"Yield: "4 "
NOTES : Can be made ahead and cups covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Bake as directed when ready to serve.


Soon I will share my organizing efforts over the past few days. My spices and my utensil drawers have had a makeover and are now presentable for the public eye. Liz, I know you are just waitng for pictures of my spices! Happy Sunday everyone!

Ha ha ha! I'm a lightweight!

I'll tell ya all about my evening tomorrow but one glass of good wine and I'm already buzzed!

No kids tonight! I'm making lobster tails, salad, parmesean cous cous and individual molten chocolate cakes for FG and I. We opened a good bottle of wine. Hmmm, maybe I should dig into some crackers because literally ONE glass and whoohooo!!!!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their Saturday night! Hopefully I don't regret it in the morning. :P

Home, Sweet Home

Well, whatever!
We had a great trip. The kids were SO surprised. I failed and did not get a picture. There wasn't much of a physical reaction anyway. Plus, if I may divert from the topic and vent about FG for a moment, *I* am the one who worries about all the little necessities - does each child have enough underwear for the trip? Did I pack enough and the right snacks? Are these jackets going to be too warm or not warm enough? Do I have sufficient toys/books/entertainment so they don't get bored when we inevitably make them wait or ride in the car for a few hours? Where are each of them at all times when out in public? I can't let them get too far from my reach? Did they just talk to a stranger? Are they both on the sidewalk? Are they going to step in someone's gross spit?..... you get the idea. So why oh why can't FG just take some fucking pictures? I'm too busy worrying about every other little thing to be snapping away with the camera. So lately we have soooo few pictures of anything. I'm getting annoyed. I really have started to not like our little digital too. I still love my film camera but it's big & bulky and with all the other crap I have to worry about, I don't want to carry that around too. But I ask FG to deal with the camera and because he takes pictures for work so much I guess he doesn't feel like taking pictures of his family. Thus I think I ended up with about 4 pictures of the whole trip. grrrrr

Regardless, we had a good time. I was amazed at the difference 9 months makes in DD's level of interest with the exhibits. She really seemed to "get" them this time and not just push buttons or move things around. She worked hard to figure out how things worked, cause and effect and desired outcome.
They were really very good children on the trip too. We live in such suburbia that I feel it's important that they are exposed to city life too. So tooling around San Francisco for a few days is good for all of us.
Now it's back to suburban life and I am hoping to get my kitchen utensil drawers organized and some laundry done. whoohooo. Big time!

Surprise Surprise!!!

I am not good at surprises. I don't like them for myself and when I attempt to surprise someone else, I usually give it away. But so far, we have been successful with this surprise for the kids. Mostly for DS. FG and I have gone to this place several times and couldn't wait until our kids were old enough to appreciate it as well. This past June, we took a nice little family trip and took the kiddos to The Exploratorium
DS has a bit of a science brain anyway and now realizing that he's got some Sensory Processing issues, this place is heaven for him. He's been talking about it since we left, wearing the t-shirt that we bought him as much as possible and asking to go back. It's all he wanted for his birthday. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for many reasons this past January. So now we are on Spring Break this week and I asked FG if we could go anywhere. I figured the answer would be no, but it turns out this is a good week work-wise for him to get away for a few days. Yahoo!!!!! So we decided to just not tell the kids our plan. They are going to spend the night with Grandpa tonight. That gives me time to pack up everything and have it in the car when they get home tomorrow. They won't even know where we are going when we head out. I plan to tell them that we just have to go to a nearby city for Daddy's work and since there's no school we thought we would all go. Since we are staying outside of the city, they still won't have a clue until we drive in the next day. I plan to have my camera ready to take a picture of DS's face once he realizes where we are going. As long as I don't burst and spill the beans first!

Oh, that means no MPM this week! Mama's not cooking most of the week. The only thing I know we are having is bbq ribs probably on Friday or Sunday - weather depending. Hey, it's my Spring Break too!

What to do when you are stuck home with a sick kid?

Why, reorganize your kitchen cabinets, of course!
While browsing around yesterday, killing a bit of time in between my house cleaning and I looked at Laura's stuff over at Organizing Junkie. I was reading the posts about the kitchen organizing, checking out what great jobs everyone did. So when I found myself with some time on my hands today, a clean house, clean/folded/put away laundry and no ability to finish my planned errands I attacked a couple of kitchen cabinets that have been really bugging me lately. I didn't take pictures, sorry! But oh it feels good to have them done!
I purged some stuff, put some other things where they belong with like items and tossed a few items that I don't even remember the last time I used! I have much more organized small appliance cabinets and baking dish cabinets. My mixing bowls, roasting pans, mixer, sifters etc. were getting so out of control that I was dreading getting into the cabinet. Then with the addition of the new (and bigger!) bread machine, I was shaking my head trying to get it in the cabinet. I tossed the electric knife that we got as a wedding present 13 years ago. I only did so AFTER looking for the blades without success and plugging it in to see if it works - it didn't. Same with a few other things that were useless but taking up space.
Now I'm going to treat myself to a Vitamin C dose and a bit of relaxation before DD calls me from her sick bed. One of these days I'll tackle my utensil drawers. *I* know exactly where everything is but don't ask anyone else to find it!

Now, I have a small request. Will you guys please de-lurk???!!! I feel like a little kid here and want some comments! I know several of you that come check on me - I talk to you in other ways as well but there's a few of you I'm totally curious about!!

Sorry, no time for foreplay again

I made the Chicken Spaghetti tonight. I used leftovoer shredded chicken from the roasted chicken pieces I made on Monday. I added some chicken broth to the noodle water and used that to add to the final mixture. I only used 2 oz of pimentos and about 1/3 of a green pepper. It was good. DS tasted a few bites and in his quirky way of rating things he said it was 70% good (which he informed me is slightly better than 69% - no, I don't know where he came from). FG didn't like it with the first bite and told me the chicken tasted like jerky. Then he ate some more and admitted he must have just gotten a drier piece of chicken. dork. I should take a picture of my seeminly 5 mo. pg belly to let you know how much I liked it. DD didn't taste it but she didn't eat anything but bread.
Oh, and the new bread machine fit right into the family with it's first dinner. I think we'll be a very happy little kitchen with the new arrival.
Keep 'em coming Pioneer Woman, we may just be inspired to cut the cords of our city life and move to a cattle ranch! I am going to need to do something more than walk to my garage or mailbox to work off the hearty meals I've been making.

Ready for a quicky?

I have to tell you how well the Penne a la Betsy went over here. Even my 7 year old DS liked it, the shrimp part at least.

I made it with my guests in my kitchen. It was easy to make and easy to be social while I made it. I had everything prepped earlier so it was just dump and cook in the right steps. Drink a little wine, add a little to the sauce...

It was a wonderful recipe to entertain with not only because I could prepare it while visiting but because it was easy to serve too. I put a dish of shredded parmesan on the table and some of us added that as well. YUM. I had only a small bit leftover and I ate that for lunch.

This is also a good recipe to increase or decrease depending on how many you are serving. I could have easily made quite a bit more or less just by eyeballing the amounts.

So, two big thumbs up for The Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy from this house! (Though I do need to rename it for us because I don't feel right calling it that when I don't know Betsy).

Yay! This week I tried something new. I wanted to see how much I actually spend per week on food. So I went to the stores I normally go to (Trader Joe's and a local cheap-o, bag-it-yourself place that has an AMAZING bulk foods section). Then I looked at the ads that come in the mail and looked at the two stores I sometimes go to for meat specials or fresh fruits and veggies. I found that one of them had shrimp on sale and wanted to make a certain recipe so I got some of that. They also have a great produce section and I got a few things that were on sale there. Combined with my other two grocery store trips I spend $102. That actually may last me closer to two weeks. Of course, I'll have to go back for milk and some fresh veggies and fruits but that won't be anywhere in the same time zone as $102. We are having several people over on this Sunday and next Sunday too. So here's this week's menu:

• Sunday - Penne a la Betsy from the Pioneer Woman Cooks site, roasted asparagus, tossed salad, sweet French bread from the bread machine, avocado salsa. We have several little kids that will get mac & cheese, baked chicken nuggets and green beans for dinner. None of which are from scratch. For dessert I'm making brownies for FG and the kids and lemon meringue pie.
• Monday - Baked Chicken pieces, Parmesan cous cous, steamed cauliflower
• Tuesday - Beef fajitas, tossed salad
• Wednesday - Chicken Spaghetti also from The Pioneer Woman Cooks site (I will make 1/2 the recipe for us and freeze the other 1/2 for later), steamed broccoli
• Thursday - FG works but the kids like Parmesan Crusted fish fillets, buttered noodles and a veggie
• Friday - Take Out!
• Saturday - leftovers or possibly grilled steak for FG and I, burgers for the kids (all of which are in the freezer waiting to warm up like the rest of us)
• Sunday - family over to dinner and I am hoping to find a good tri-tip or london broil, roasted sweet potato wedges, tossed salad, steamed veggies and whatever yummy dessert I feel like making that weekend!

Recipes:

* Exported from MasterCook *
Lemon Meringue Pie

1 9" pastry shell -- baked

1 2/3 cups sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup Lemon Juice

4 eggs -- separated

1 1/2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In heavy saucepan, combine 1 1/3 cups sugar and cornstarch. Add lemon juice. In small bowl, beat egg yolks. Add to lemon mixture. Gradually add water, stirring constantly. Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove from heat. Add margarine, stir until melted. Pour into prepared pastry shell.In small mixer bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks, gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Spread on top of pie, sealing carefully to edge of shell.Bake 12 - 15 minutes or until golden. Cool, chill before serving.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Avocado Salsa
2 medium avocado

2 medium Roma tomato

1/4 red onion

2 tablespoons cilantro -- chopped

1 lime

2 cloves garlic

salt to taste

Peel and seed avocado, cut into chunks.Chop tomato into similar size chunks.Finely chop red onion.Chop fresh cilantro.Juice the lime.Press garlic through garlic press.Add salt to taste.
Mix all ingredients in med. size bowl and let rest for 1/2 hour.
Serve with tortilla chips.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Parmesan Couscous
1 can chicken broth

3/4 cup couscous

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan; stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in cheese and parsley.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter -- softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 pounds tilapia fillets
1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.