Favorite Recipe: Shrimp & Sausage Etouffee

All that I can say about this recipe is...YUM! This is an adaptation of a recipe that was published this year in Cooking Light magazine. The spice in this dish is the perfect blend of flavors, and I felt like it was better than any etouffee I have ever eaten...even in NOLA! You can adjust the heat with the amount of cayenne pepper that you use, or you can just drizzle some hot sauce on top.

Normally, I am a fan of the quick meal, but this recipe is anything but a quick one. I suggest doing all of the prep work and measuring ahead of time since this takes up the bulk of the time to prepare. Also, this takes three pots to cook, so be prepared for some clean up. If a recipe was ever worth the extra time, this is it. This would be a great meal to fix for guests, and the sauce freezes well if you want to prepare several meals at once. I also think that this would be just as good if it was served over white cheddar cheese grits instead of rice. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Sausage Etouffee

Ingredients:

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound Conecuh sausage (or plain smoked sausage)

1/3 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2/3 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Directions:

1) Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.

2) Slice sausage into bite-size pieces. Cook in a separate small pan over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2) Melt 1/4 cup butter in sausage drippings in the same saucepan over medium heat. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour to pan; cook 8 minutes or until very brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat.

3)Add 1 cup broth mixture to pan; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add remaining 3 cups broth mixture, stirring with a whisk until smooth; set aside.
4) Melt remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter in a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and bell peppers to pan; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally.

5) Stir in 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper to onion mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6) Add reserved broth-flour mixture and Worcestershire sauce to pan, stirring well to combine; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7) Add green onions, 1/4 cup parsley, sausage, and shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice.

Yields 6 servings.

Favorite Recipe: Beer Cheese Soup & Fried Green Tomatoes

I decided to try out some new recipes for the new year, and I stumbled upon a couple of new hits with dinner last night. The Husby has been asking me to try making a Beer Cheese soup, so after some research and taking bits and pieces from a few different recipes, I came up with a great soup for those chilly days. Since I want to be Paula Deen when I grow up, I thought the meal needed a Southern twist. What better to make this a hearty meal than some fried green tomatoes with a little bit of remoulade sauce on the side. After The Hubsy went back for thirds, I thought this one should be added to the favorites list. Enjoy!
Beer Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

2 celery ribs

1/2 medium onion

1 Bay leaf

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1-3/4 cups chicken broth

1 (12-ounce) bottle ale (Newcastle or Bass)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

16 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1) Add onion and celery to food processor and blend until liquid consistency. You want the consistency to be as smooth as possible.

2) Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add onion and celery mixture and Bay leaf to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

3) Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.

4) Add milk, broth, and beer, and whisk together. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, for 5 minutes.

5) Stir in Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper.

6) Add cheese by the handful, stirring constantly, cooking until cheese is melted. Let simmer 4 minutes. Discard Bay leaf.

7) Serve soup sprinkled with crumbled bacon.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 and 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

4 green tomatoes

2 cups Japanese panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1) In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

3) Slice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices (about 5 slices per tomato). Dip the slices into the batter and coat thoroughly.

4) Cover both sides with panko bread crumbs. Add to oil in pan and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve with remoulade sauce on the side.

Remoulade Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

2/3 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon Creole mustard

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped capers

Directions:

To prepare remoulade, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

We Must Have Been On the Nice List

I told The Husby a couple of years ago that I would never buy my kids a Power Wheels because I never had one as a kid. Well, never say never. The Barbie Jeep was the one thing that The Fred had been asking for over the past year, and it was also mentioned in the stipulations of our "Potty-Training Agreement." Since we have been diaper-free, even at bedtime, for almost a month, I decided it was time to cave. Of course, there was no way Santa could bring a Power Wheels for The Fred and not bring one for StickyBun-Scotti too, so we put in a request for two of them on our necessary items list to the man at the North Pole. All I can say is...I know two kids that must have been on Santa's Nice List this year. The pics are too cute, and the video includes a clip of The Fred screaming for at least two minutes about StickyBun-Scotti being a bad driver...priceless.

30 Things To Do With Your Kids: Day #2

Since the Wonder Pets is one of our favorite shows, I decided to take advantage of some of the craft projects on NickJr.com. This project was a lot of fun and provided plenty of laughs. Enjoy!

Wonder Pets Christmas Schoolhouse Puppet Theater

Sit Still for the Christmas Card...

I knew that it was wishful thinking to ever dream that I would be able to get both of the kiddos to sit still long enough to take pictures in front of the tree this year. Luckily, TerriblyShy is "quick-draw-McGraw" with the camera, so she was able to grab a few snapshots of The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti in front of her tree. The "Popeye-style" picture of The Fred is my fave!

30 Things To Do With Your Kids: Day #1

 

Since I will be home with the kiddos for the next 30 days, I thought that it would be fun to try a different craft or activity every day for the next 30 days. For our "Day One Project," we decided to build and decorate a gingerbread house that we received as a gift from TerriblyShy and The Boy Dentist. With the Kwik Build Gingerbread House Kit, I was confident that even I could build a pretty cute looking gingerbread house in just a few minutes. The kids were very excited about this project. Who could blame them? How often do you get to be creative with three of your favorite things: cookies, icing, and candy?

I do have to say, the end product came out much better than I expected. The kids were great helpers with the decorating, and as long as we worked faster than the candy was being eaten, we would have plenty of candy left for decorating. After dinner, we each enjoyed a slice of our gingerbread house masterpiece!

Today, we will be making Wonder Pets Christmas Ornaments...stay tuned!

Pillowcase Dress How-To

I have a stack of cute pillowcases that I have picked up at sales over the past couple of years, and I am finally going to sit down and try to put some of them to good use. I have shared these instructions before, but I thought I would share again in case any of you have a stack of pillowcases waiting on the shelf in your linen closet too. I put these instructions together several years ago for a friend, and they are easy enough for the sewing beginner. Once your girls are older, the pillowcase dress instructions can be edited to make a top instead of a dress, and these dresses are also great over a long sleeved shirt for the colder weather too. Enjoy!

From Pillowcase Dress

From Pillowcase Dress

From Pillowcase Dress

From Pillowcase Dress

From Pillowcase Dress

Is It Really Over?

To say that the past few months of school have been stressful, would be an understatement. Today, I am finished with the semester. Done. Finito. Fini. Terminado. I have a whole month to spend devoid of mental stimulation, if I so wish. My children couldn't be happier to have me all to themselves, but I keep telling them that in 30 days they will be tired of me again. I plan to spend my time doing the things that I don't normally have the time to enjoy...sewing, reading, and napping...and of course, updating my blog.
I need the time off. My friends may be starting to wonder about me due to my absence from the social scene. If I have to turn down one more e-vite because I need to study, I may soon find myself without any messages in my inbox. All I can say is...Happy "I Have A Whole Month Off From School" Day!!!

Favorite Recipe: Beef Tenderloin with Mustard & Herbs

With the holiday season under way, we all have plenty of opportunities to showcase our culinary skills for family and friends. Here is a recipe that is sure to please the masses for a formal gathering or your holiday cocktail party. Enjoy!

Beef Tenderloin with Mustard & Herbs

Ingredients:
1 (2 1/2-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Prepare grill.

2. Lightly coat beef with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Place beef on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Reduce heat to medium. Grill 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145° or until desired degree of doneness, turning to brown on all sides. Let beef stand 10 minutes.

3. Sprinkle parsley, thyme, and rosemary in an even layer on an 18 x 15–inch sheet of plastic wrap. Brush mustard evenly over beef. Place beef in herb mixture on plastic wrap; roll beef over herbs, pressing gently. Slice beef.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 3 ounces)

I Want TinkerBell and KungFu Panda and Wall-E and...

If your kids are anything like mine, they are constantly asking to see a variety of new movies that are released on DVD. After a while, increasing that DVD library can put a strain on the budget. Thank goodness for OnDemand and DVR because they have saved us a pretty penny, but sometimes the movies are so good that we wish we had a copy. Well, I stumbled upon a site that seems to have answered my prayers.

The name of the website is ZML, and the site is a movie library with thousands of movies available for instant download in a large variety of supported formats, including DVD, DivX, iPod, and PDA. The downloads are compatible with Windows and Mac, and you can burn the downloads to DVD without a limit on the number of times you can download or burn a copy. The best part is that all movies are between $1.99 and $4.99.

Now, I know that everyone's first question is..."Is this legal?" Well, yes. The site is located in Russia, so Russian law applies. The cost for music and movie downloads in Russia is significantly less than it is here, so that accounts for the drastic price difference. According to legal analysis of these sites, it seems that there are not any legal implications to downloading, although some have voiced moral issue. I'll let you decide. I will be enjoying the sweet silence that comes from children that are being entertained by their new favorite movie download...enjoy!

You can check out the website here.

Biggest Loser Challenge: Final Weigh-In

Well, today is the final weigh-in for our 12-week Biggest Loser Challenge. Now I knew that my chances of beating JayDoug were slim, but I wanted to push on until the end. At the end of the challenge, I have lost a total percentage of 13.04% of my original body weight. I only wish that we had started the challenge back in April because I have lost a total of 21.05% since then. I haven't received the final numbers, but I am confident that JayDoug will be our winner! JayDoug has worked very hard with a strict diet and workouts up to seven days a week, so please join me in congratulating him! I will post the final numbers soon!

Congrats to all that participated! I am ready for another challenge!

Favorite Recipe: Toasted Ravioli

I am always looking for new appetizer recipes that I can take to various get-togethers, and my Bunco group served as the guinea pigs for my newest recipe.  Luckily, this appetizer was a hit, and I think that it would work well for various occasions.  Not only is it easy to make, but it requires very few ingredients.  If you plan to cook this at home and transport it to a party, cooked ravioli can be placed on a cookie sheet and kept in the oven at 225-250 degrees and then transferred to a covered dish to keep them warm in transit.  Enjoy!

Toasted Ravioli

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)

1 package frozen cheese ravioli

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

marinara sauce

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Warm marinara in a large saucepan over low-medium heat.

2) Whisk eggs and milk together in a small shallow bowl.  In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning and mix well.

3) Dip frozen ravioli in milk mixture and coat with bread crumbs.  Cook ravioli in batches until browned, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  Transfer cooked ravioli to a paper towel lined plate.  Serve immediately with marinara sauce.

 

The Constant Gardener...Literally

StickyBun-Scotti may have actually been lucky enough to inherit his father's green thumb. I, on the other hand, have very little to contribute to the world of gardening. I haven't tried my hand at it in at least five years, but my thumbs were very brown back then. I can only hope that things have improved. I assume that if I am capable of caring for two small children, I could not be too inept.

At first, I just thought that StickyBun-Scotti really liked dirt...playing in it, throwing it...eating it, but it seems that he really likes caring for plants too. He is just like The Husby...he craves order and is focused when there is a task at hand. And God forbid, you try to stop him mid-task or change the routine, you may be met with some opposition. Every time we visit TerriblyShy and The Boy Dentist, StickyBun-Scotti asks to go outside to care for the flowers...and yes, I am using the term "care" very loosely. Regardless of whether he is doing more harm than good, he sure does look darn cute while he's doing it! Maybe Unk will give him a job in a few years...

What Time Is It?

This past weekend was nothing short of fabulous!  The Husby and I had the pleasure of attending the wedding of one of my favorite girlfriends in Tallahassee, Florida, and it was quite the party.  Alli-Boo has always been the kind of girl that you want around for a night on the town, and if there isn't a party already, she can make one.  Long story, short...good friends + good music + good drinks + good food = a wedding to remember...not to mention an absolutely beautiful bride! Congrats to Alli-Boo and Banjo!

The only problem with the weekend was that between the time zone difference and the actual time change, I have no idea what time it is.  Of course, I can look at the clock and figure it out, but my internal clock seems to be very confused.  All I know is that when I got up on Sunday morning, the clock said 10:30 am, but it was really 8:30 am back at mi casa.  I am definitely not complaining because I can actually see a sliver of daylight when I leave home in the mornings...a lot can be said about the power of sunlight when it comes to starting your day off right.  Sunlight and a good cup of coffee seem to be my two defining factors in a good day.  

It has been almost a month since my last blog post...I'm sorry...I must have been busy...because the time seems to have flown by.  I will resolve to do better this month.  If nothing else, I have plenty of new fall pics that I can be posting.  Happy Fall!

Music Review: Nuttin' But Stringz

Who would have thought that my next fabulous music discovery would have come as a result of watching Noggin? As StickyBun-Scotti was watching Jack's Big Music Show (the "Jack's Big Oops" episode) the other night, I noticed that even though I was plugging away at some homework on the computer, I had started bobbing my head to the music that was playing.  When I looked up, I was surprised to see that the musical guests were two guys playing violins with a hip-hop beat in the background.  After a little bit of research, I found out that the group is called Nuttin' But Stringz and is comprised of two brothers that were classically trained at Juilliard.

I downloaded a few songs off of their album, Struggle from the Subway to the Charts, from iTunes, and I have been enjoying them all week.  If you get a chance to download these, they are definitely a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults.  I highly recommend downloading "Broken Sorrow" and "Thunder"...my two faves from the album.

Economic Outlook

This was just too funny not to share...

If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago you would have $49.00 left.

With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00.

With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214.00 cash.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.

It's called the 401-Keg plan.

A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found Americans drink, on the average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon. How about those CAFE standards.

No Kitties Were Harmed In The Writing of This Post

I had to steal this pic from TerriblyShy's latest blog post about StickyBun-Scotti. As you can see from the picture, StickyBun-Scotti is notorious for harassing TerriblyShy's and The Boy Dentist's cats whenever he goes for a visit. You can find the full story with additional pics on TerriblyShy's blog.

Favorite Recipe: Sesame Chicken

I don't branch out very much when I go out to eat Chinese. I tend to stick with just a few favorites, and nine times out of ten, Sesame Chicken is my go to dish. I thought I would take a stab at trying to prepare it at home and stumbled upon the perfect recipe from BlogChef. With just a little bit of tweaking to match my tastes, I created a dish that is better than any I have had in a Chinese restaurant. Not only was the recipe very simple to follow, but I was able to find every ingredient in my pantry or refrigerator without making an extra trip to the grocery store. The Fred liked it so much that she asked me if I would make it again the following night...enjoy!

Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
2 green onions, sliced
Batter-
½ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, beaten
½ cup water (or as much as needed to make batter smooth)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce-
3/8 cup honey (or 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons for those that want to skip the math)
1/4 cup sugar
salt (to taste)
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
a pinch of ground black pepper


Directions:
1) Add 1-inch of peanut or vegetable oil to a skillet and heat to 325 degrees over medium-high heat.

2) In a large bowl, combine all of the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly. The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.

3) Add chicken to batter mixture and toss to coat. Using a fork or tongs remove the pieces of chicken from the batter and add to oil in skillet. Cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

4) Combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and warm over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while stirring and cook until sauce slightly thickens.

5) Toss cooked chicken with prepared sauce in a serving dish and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Should I Include The Instruction Manual?

Sometimes I think that whenever my children are going to be under the care of any individual other than me, I should send along an instruction manual with an outline of very basic procedures categorized by potential circumstances.

To prevent this from happening, you would look under the category, "While Grocery Shopping." Procedure #2 states, "Never place any openable/breakable/poisonous items within reach of children."

Please Burn a Copy for My Deserted Island

We have all heard the hypothetical questions that begin with: "If you were stranded on a deserted island..." Well, The Husby and I were riding in the car, and I decided to fill in the blank with my own hypothetical: "If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only have ten albums, which albums would you take with you?"

Now, for me, this is a very difficult question because I love music...all kinds of music. There are several albums that I could listen to over and over again without getting tired of them. Narrowing down this list really became a daunting task because I wasn't sure if I could live without some of my faves. Now, don't read too much into this question. We aren't concerned with exposing future generations to music with our selections. We are only worried about what we could listen to every day without it becoming monotonous and boring.

Luckily for The Husby, most of our selections were the same, so it would probably be okay if we could each only pick five. I might let him stay on my deserted island after all. My top ten album picks are not in any specific order...there was no way I could manage to rank them by importance. I'm sure that if The Big Drummer Boy reads this, I will have to make some changes to my list. He seems to be my spiritual brother when it comes to music, and he would probably think of something that I forgot.

Now, it's your turn to fill-in the blank for my hypothetical question...have at it!

1) Rage Against the Machine: Self-Titled Album
2) Incubus: Morning View
3) Tool: Aenima
4) Korn: MTV Unplugged
5) Dave Matthews Band: Crash
6) Outkast: ATLiens
7) Al Green: Greatest Hits
8) Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Hits
9) Seether: One Cold Night
10)Pearl Jam: Ten

They Might Like Each Other

It has been a long time since The Husby and I have had a night out sans kiddos, let alone not having them for a whole 24 hours. The Boy Dentist and TerriblyShy were very good to us and have been entertaining them at their house. The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti were so excited when I told them that they were going to spend the night that I wasn't sure if either of them would get any sleep the night before.

Since it was just me at home yesterday afternoon, I got a lot of stuff done around the house...and I didn't have to be quiet. I got our HDTV cable and our DVR hooked up, so, needless to say, we have been having fun playing with the remote. The Husby took me out to dinner at The Melting Pot, and the meal was delish...and very quiet! After our three hour, four-course meal complete with a wine flight, we came home and crashed. I guess the only good thing to do when you don't have the kids is catch up on some much needed rest...but I'm not complaining.

The Biggest Loser: Week Three

Week three of The Biggest Loser Challenege was not a great one for me since my percentage lost was only 0.599%, but ToothFairy captured the top spot with an amazing 6.29% weight loss! Congrats to ToothFairy on this phenomenal percentage lost and all of her hard work!

At the close of week three, I am in fifth place with a total percentage lost of 3.77%, and JayDoug is still in the lead with a total percentage lost of 7.991%. Everyone's numbers have been amazing, so everyone keep up the good work! I have a feeling NonLucidDrivel may come out on top at the end of week four after silently hanging close to the top spot for the past few weeks...good luck!

Favorite Recipe: Black Bean Pie

Ihave been trying to find some more simple recipes to add to my recipe files, and I ran across this one and decided to give it a try. Of course, I had to make some changes to the original recipe, but it was a hit with the whole family. For those of you that shop at ALDI, all of the ingredients can be found there, and the entire meal can be made for under eight dollars. Since it makes eight servings and leftovers can be frozen, this meal turns out to be a lot of bang for the buck.

Not only was this meal delicious, but it was extremely easy to prepare. I would highly recommend this recipe the next time you need a quick meal. Enjoy!

Black Bean Pie

Ingredients:
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro (optional)
1 (11 ounce) can Mexican corn, drained
1 (2 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (4 ounce) can black olives, sliced
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, mix together black beans, taco sauce, garlic, cilantro, corn, green chiles, and black olives.
3) Place 2 tortillas side-by-side in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread 1/3 of bean mixture over tortillas. Top with 2/3 cup cheese, and cover with two more tortillas. Spread another 1/3 of bean mixture over tortillas, and top with 2/3 cup cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas, and top with remaining bean mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
4) Cover with foil, and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Cut into eight sections, and serve with hot sauce and sour cream.

Conversations With The Fred: Part Three

As I was putting The Fred to bed last night, we made our way through the usual bedtime routine: two braids, two books, chocolate milk, and a movie. Once we reached the "movie" part of the routine, The Fred and I had an interesting conversation...

The Fred: "Momma, this is not the beginning of the movie."

MommaDrool: "Well, hold your horses! I'm getting there."

The Fred: "Hold the horses? Momma, we are in my room. There are not any horses to hold."


Very wise, my little one, very wise...

Favorite Recipe: Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Casserole

Since I am participating in The Biggest Loser Challenge, I thought that I would share one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes. This casserole can be made ahead of time and still tastes great re-heated. At a Points Value of 5, this is a filling meal that is a great start to the day. You can also add vegetable fillings...I have added steamed spinach and mushrooms, and the result was very good. Enjoy!

Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:
6 slices turkey bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 (12-ounce) bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
3 large eggs
3 egg whites
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray three 2-cup oval baking dishes, casseroles, or ramekins with cooking spray.
2) Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and onion and cook until potatoes are tender and golden, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and let cool slightly.
3) Beat the eggs and egg whites in a large bowl. Add the ricotta, 1/3 cup of the Swiss cheese, the Parmesan, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne, stirring until blended. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup of Swiss cheese.
4) Bake until the casseroles are slightly puffed and golden and the cheese is melted, approximately 20-25 minutes.

(*If you bake the casserole in a single dish, the cooking time should be increased.)

Yields 6 servings.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 220 Cal, 9g Fat, 4g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 134mg Chol, 445mg Sod, 17g Carb, 1g Fib, 18g Prot, 271mg Calc

The Biggest Loser: Week Two

The results are in for the weigh-in from the second week of the Biggest Loser challenge, and once again, JayDoug came out on top with 3.024% lost! This puts JayDoug's overall percentage lost at 5.832% at the close of week two. Congrats to JayDoug on all of the hard work!

For week two, I came in third place with 2.244% lost and an overall percentage lost of 3.188%. At this rate, I am well within reach of meeting my goals over the remaining ten weeks. Best of luck to everyone!

Favorite Photos

The number of digital photo files on my computer had become so large that I finally sat down to organize the other day. I get so nostalgic every time I look at some of my favorite photos because they remind me of such important and special events in my life. It is amazing to see how much The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti have grown. I compiled a file folder with some of my favorite pics and decided to showcase them in a slideshow for all to enjoy!

The Biggest Loser: Week One

Some of us have gotten together to participate in a Biggest Loser challenge over the next twelve weeks, and we just completed the first week of our challenge. Our group is made up of men and women of varying ages, fitness levels, and starting weights, and of course, we are all competing for a cash prize.

After the first week, I had lost two pounds, but our top dog, JayDoug, was down six and a half pounds at the close of week one. I have factored in a heavier cardio load for this week, and I am almost down by another four and a half pounds. The official weigh-ins will be every Saturday with the results figured as the percentage of weight lost, so I will update for each week once the results are posted with the winner for that week (nicknames only).

Time To Revamp

Well, I decided that it was time to customize my cookie-cutter Blogger layout, and with a few tips from BloggerBuster, it was relatively quick and painless. After a few creations in Photoshop, things are looking a bit more my style, and I have a few more tricks up my sleeve...

I have been in awe of some of the great designs that I have seen from my fellow bloggers, so I decided to follow their lead and make some necessary design updates. Also, a big thank you to Squidfingers for my beautiful background pattern. For all of you that arrive here, I hope that you enjoy the new scenery!

Fishin' Time

You Could Have Left That Part Out

Ifinally made an appointment with a family medicine physician here in town and met with him yesterday afternoon. "Doc AM" has been telling The Husby and I since we moved here that we really needed to find a family doctor and quit using the "doc-in-the-box" for all of our ailments. Well, since I needed a physical examination and several immunizations for my medical clearance at the hospital, I figured that there was no time like the present.

Upon my arrival at the physician's office, I filled out and signed all of the necessary paperwork before following the nurse back to my exam room. The nurse was friendly and did a thorough background history before asking me the reason for my visit. I gave her the forms that needed to be filled out and signed for the medical clearance with a list of the immunizations that I needed. She told me that the doctor would be in soon and left the exam room.

I was pleased to meet the doctor, and he reminded very much of my OB/Gyn at the hospital where StickyBun-Scotti was born. Since I loved my OB/Gyn, I was pretty sure that this doctor would be someone that I would want to see again in the future. After some discussion, the doctor exited the room and let me know that the nurse would be back to give me my immunizations as well as draw blood for a titer test.

Normally, I am not fearful of having blood drawn or getting a shot, but I don't look forward to it. I also don't like to watch it happen to me...if it is someone else, I enjoying watching...I just would rather not watch when I am the patient.

As the nurse walks back into the room, she says something that I wish she had just left out, "I haven't done this many times before. I am still in school, so you may have to be patient with me. I haven't gotten really good at it yet."

WHAT!!!???

Now, I know that this could be me one day, but I also know that there are some times when it is better to keep your mouth closed. With those words, I had to try as hard as possible not to have an anxiety attack. I was just happy that I was the patient and not The Husby. If he had been the patient in that situation, he would have gotten up and walked out...or maybe he would run...and never gone back.

I wasn't too worried about her lack of experience when it came to the immunizations, but the blood draw had me a bit worried. I became even more worried when the nurse said, "Well, I want to make sure that I can find the vein before I start." You think?! After three sticks with the needle, she was successful, and I left there feeling like a pin cushion.

The moral of this story is..."Some things are better left unsaid."

Favorite Recipe: Spicy Shrimp Roll

If there is one food that I crave more than anything else, it would probably be sushi. The only problem with sushi is the effect that it tends to have on my wallet. The Husby and I have really enjoyed the sushi at a popular Thai restaurant in Five Points, and we always order the Spicy Shrimp Roll which was recommended by our waitress the first time we had sushi there.

I mentioned to The Husby that I would love to be able to make sushi at home, but I did not think that I would be able to pull it off. The Husby told me that the key to making sushi was to use a rice cooker, so I decided to invest in one and give it a try. I found a rice cooker for $15 at Wal-Mart and did some research online regarding sushi preparation. After watching some animations at Sushi University, I was confident enough to give it a try.

The endeavor was a complete success, and we may be eating sushi at home quite frequently now! Enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp Roll

Ingredients:
nori, one sheet
cooked sushi rice, handful
3-4 tempura shrimp, tails removed
avocado, 2-3 thin slices
cucumber, 2-3 thin sticks
imitation crab meat
spicy mayo (1/4 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce, 1 drop sesame oil)

Directions:
1) Lay nori sheet on bamboo rolling mat with the rough side facing up.
2) Get your hands wet, and grab a handful of rice. Place the rice in the middle of the nori sheet, and spread it into an even layer on the nori, covering all but the top inch of the sheet.
3) Place your shrimp on the bottom edge of the nori sheet and arrange avocado and cucumber snugly against top edge of shrimp. Mix crab meat with spicy mayo and spread on top of shrimp.
4) Roll sushi tightly with the bamboo mat and cut with a sharp knife into 6-8 pieces.
5) Optional step: Lay the pieces on a plate facing up and drizzle with a small amount of spicy mayo.
6) Serve with wasabi and soy sauce for dipping.

MommaDrool Mafia: Don't Call It a Comeback

It has been a very long time since The MommaDrool Mafia has released a new single, but I was inspired by a new fave song, "Handlebars," by Flobots. It is a catchy little diddy, so I edited things to make the song about StickyBun-Scotti's antics. This latest release by The MommaDrool Mafia is titled "Monkey Bars." If you haven't heard the original song by Flobots, I highly recommend this as your next download. Enjoy!

Monkey Bars
by The MommaDrool Mafia

I can climb the top of the monkey bars
The monkey bars
The monkey bars

I can climb the top of the monkey bars
The monkey bars
The monkey bars

Look at me, look at me
up in the air like it's good to be
A kid
and I'm a super climber
even when my mom says no sir-rey
I can show you how to do-si-do
I can show you how to climb a sofa
I can take apart the remote control
And I can almost put it back together
I can throw the dirt in a flower bed
I can tell you about which way it went
I know all the words to "Go, Diego"
And I'm proud to be a crazy kid,
Me and my friend saw a platypus
Me and my friend tore some comic books
And guess how long it took
I can do anything that I want cuz, look

I can climb the top of the monkey bars
The monkey bars
The monkey bars

I can climb the top of the monkey bars
The monkey bars
The monkey bars

Look at me
Look at me
Just want to say that it's good to be
A kid
In such a big world
Climb the shelf for a book to read
I can climb up onto the table
I can scale the face of any wall
I can open any door I want
With little effort from me at all
I can make a mess of my whole food plate
I can swim in a big pool with aquatic conditions
I know how to throw a big ball
And I can make you wanna lose your temper
Mommas, Daddies and Grandparents
Me and my friends understand the future
I see the strings that control the parents
I can do anything with no assistance

I can talk to you on Mom’s cell phone
Mom’s cell phone
Mom’s cell phone

I can throw a ball right across the room
Across the room
Across the room

Look at me
Look at me
Climbing and I won't stop
And it feels so good to be
A kid up on top
My smile is happy
My crocs are secure
My cause is trouble
My laugh is pure
I can have you yelling in desperation
Or let Mom cry in exasperation
Dad’s all worried about lacerations
From climbing, that was the conversation
I can make anybody go the distance
Just because I won’t mind ’em
and I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command

I can reach the counter with my step stool
With my step stool
With my step stool

and I can through my big ball down the hall
Down the hall
Down the hall

and I know that stitches might be the cost
Might be the cost
Might be the cost
Might be the cost
Might be the cost
Might be the cost

I can climb the top of the monkey bars
The monkey bars
The monkey bars

I can climb the top of the monkey bars
The monkey bars
The monkey bars

Congrats, MommaPeas!

Just wanted to say congrats to MommaPeas and family on the arrival of their new baby girl, "Airport!"

StickyBun-Scotti will be sad that he won't be the only baby in MommaPeas' life any more...he loves some MommaPeas!

Ready, Set, Salsa!

The Husby was kind enough to let me enjoy a Mom's Night Out a few weeks ago. I enjoyed some much needed quality time with my favorite "mommas" at a local Mexican restaurant before heading to a salsa lesson at the studio owned by Fabian (and his wife Jackie) from the TV show "Dancing with the Stars." For those of you that watched the show, Fabian was Marlee Matlin's dance partner.

I arrived at dinner late...imagine that...but was happy when the waiter hurried over to get my drink order. Can anyone say "margaritas?" I asked for a margarita on the rocks, and the waiter asked me if I would like a small, medium, large, or jumbo. I have learned from all of my shopping at Sam's that it is always cheaper to buy in bulk, so I order a medium margarita. In my mind, medium would mean between 10 and 12 ounces. When the waiter returns to the table, he is carrying a glass the size of a pitcher with a straw in it! All of the other "mommas" start laughing hysterically because they think that I have ordered the largest drink on the menu. Much to my surprise (and theirs), in Mexico, "medium" must be more like 32 ounces...but no, I was not complaining...

After some riotous conversation and enough margaritas to let us float out of the restaurant, we headed to our salsa lesson. I'm not sure if our instructor was prepared for a room full of drunk "mommas" trying to learn how to cut a rug. All that I know is we all were too intoxicated to notice that we weren't very good. "Seis" was my partner for the evening, and she kept me laughing the entire time!

We all decided that we should take another salsa lesson again soon, but we were all in agreement that we will wait to have our margaritas until afterwards next time!

Blogging Blitzkrieg

I have not done a very good job of updating my blog over the past few months with the fast pace of the summer semester, but I will have a week off before the Fall semester begins. Get ready for a Blogging Blitzkrieg because I have plenty of blog fodder in my arsenal!

And They Call It Work

I recently started my position with Children's Hospital, and I am loving every minute of it! It is hard to believe that something that is so much fun and so rewarding can really be considered work. I am working in the PACU (Pediatric Anesthesia Care Unit), so I get plenty of patient contact and am learning a lot along the way. Things are very fast paced, but that is how I like it!

I have been able to meet and spend time with some very precious children, and my "mommy skills" are definitely coming in handy. This experience has further confirmed that I have decided on the right career path, and I hope that I can remain with Children's Hospital for many years to come. You know that I love something if I am excited to get out of the bed before the sun comes up! And they call it work...

Yankee Belle Has a Twin Sister

I was checking out the website for a clothing line called Hunter Dixon, when I realized that Yankee Belle has a long lost twin sister. Jennifer Dixon, one of founders of the clothing line as well as a model for the collection, bears a striking resemblance to my beautiful Yankee Belle. As I continued to look through the pics for the Spring 2008 Collection, I was freaked out by how similar the two of them look. Check out more pics on the Hunter Dixon website...as well as some really cute clothes...

This Is The Life

It's About Time...

As I have told many of you, I have not done a very good job of having portraits taken of my second child. In fact, I somehow managed to delay having portraits taken until a few weeks ago, but StickyBun-Scotti breezed through his first portrait sitting like a pro! My little baby boy looks so big!

Conversations with The Fred: Part Two

Last weekend, The Husby picked up some lumber for our latest project and needed to store it in our bedroom due to the rain. Of course, the boards became a playground for both kids.

Here is a conversation that I overheard between Nana and The Fred:

(Setting: The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti are running across the boards and giggling like crazy.)

Nana: "What are you two doing?"

The Fred: "Nana, we're playing board games!"

No pun intended...

Happy Father's Day

To all of our favorite daddies, we hope you have a very Happy Father's Day!

Monarch Butterfly Emergence & Release

After a total of eight days in the chrysalis, our Monarch butterfly emerged early Saturday morning. It was a few days earlier than we had expected, so we didn't catch the emergence on video. We did get some video as the butterfly dried her wings in the aquarium. The Fred was intrigued by the whole process and decided to name the butterfly "Lane."

We put some watermelon on a small plate and watched "Lane" eat her first meal as a butterfly. When we woke up this morning, the kids helped me mix a bowl of sugar water to coax "Lane" out of the aquarium. We coated a net with the sugar water, and the butterfly quickly jumped on for the ride. As soon as we exited the front door, "Lane" took off like a pro, flying high above the front yard. Both kids thought that this was the most exciting part.

This will definitely be a tradition for us from now on. I have had just as much fun as the kids, and hopefully, we will be able to raise even more Monarchs next year.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

VBS Performance

The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti had a blast at Vacation Bible School last week and have been pooped after so much fun and excitement. To show off all that they learned during the week, some of the kids performed during the Sunday morning service. Check out The Fred showing off her dancing skills!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Monarch Butterfly Waystation

I wanted to find a fun project to do with the kids over the summer, and my interest was peaked by an article from Family Fun magazine on creating a Monarch Butterfly Waystation. Due to the widespread use of herbicides, milkweeds and nectar sources that are necessary for monarchs to reproduce and survive migration are steadily declining. The purpose of the Monarch Butterfly Waystation is to provide an ideal environment for the monarch to develop.

With the help of a few different websites, MonarchWatch and The AltaPass Foundation, we were able to create a small monarch habitat. Finding viable milkweed proved to be the most difficult part of the process. Luckily, we had some family connections in the nursery business that were able to provide us with clippings that had monarch eggs.

One of the eggs developed into a very cute caterpillar that almost ate up all of our milkweed before deciding to form his chrysalis. In 10-14 days, we should have a monarch butterfly that emerges. Within a couple of days, we will help him build some reserve strength with nectar and release him into the wild to continue his energy storage for migration.

The kids have enjoyed watching the process, and we are planning to plant a butterfly garden in our yard to encourage monarchs to lay eggs there for next year. I will keep you posted with pics and hope to catch the emergence on video. Definitely a fun activity to do with your kids!

Book Review: What I Read Last Week

Okay, I am taking a relatively light course load over the summer, so the studying and assignments have yet to pile up. With a little more free time on my hands, I decided to take any spare moments last week to read a few books that I have been wanting mark off of my reading list. To my surprise, I was able to breeze my way through five books. Let the review begin...

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

4.5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book! One of my favorites from the stack...plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

by Khaled Hosseini

5 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one the most! Maybe because it followed the story of two women, so I was able to sympathize with their plight. This one was definitely a page turner.

Beautiful Lies

by Lisa Unger

4 out of 5 stars

I loved this book so much that I read it in one sitting...a very quick read. Just my kind of story...a mystery with lots of suspense and even a touch of organized crime. Sexy and thrilling!

Sliver of Truth

by Lisa Unger

4 out of 5 stars

This was the long awaited sequel to Beautiful Lies, and it was more than worth the wait. Just as good as the first book and loaded with new spins on mysteries that we only thought were "solved" in the first book. Another quick read!

The Pact

by Jodie Picoult

3.5 out of 5 stars

It seems that most of the reviews that I have read were better than my impression of the book. I just didn't feel like the ending was strong. Interesting book, but in a "deeper meaning" sort of way.

6 Things About MommaDrool

random mommy tagged me for this one...

Here are the rules:

Write six random things about yourself. Then, tag six people at the end of your post with links to their blog.

Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1) I am not a picky eater...not just that, but I will eat almost anything. I love foods that most people despise. Case in point: I have a deep love for anchovies, caviar, strong cheeses, smoked oysters, capers, green olives, smoked salmon, and pickled okra. The only food on this earth that I cannot even stomach is pickled ginger. I will gag if I even eat something that has come into contact with it. It reminds me of a cross between soap and Listerine. StickyBun-Scotti can eat it by the spoonful...weird, huh?

2) I am scared to death of bad weather. A chance of thunderstorms or tornadoes will keep me glued to the TV for hours...even through the night. My next house will be equipped with a panic room that is severe weather proof...and you think that I am kidding.

3) I can no longer sleep at night unless I have earplugs in my ears and am holding a pillow. Since having kids, I can hear a pin drop on the other side of the house. Even with the earplugs in my ears, I can still hear my kids if they cry or call my name. Very odd because I can't seem to hear anything else.

4) I was scared to death of cutting my kids fingernails when they were babies, so I bit them off. I know that this is going to gross out most of you, but I couldn't bear to think of cutting their little fingers with nail clippers.

5) One of my least favorite things to do is dry my hair...it takes forever, and I am usually sweating profusely by the time I finish. Therefore, I usually take a shower at night and go to bed with my hair wet. I know, I know...if I would just cut my hair, it might not take so long. I just can't bring myself to do it.

6) There is nothing I dislike more than women bashing other women for unjustified reasons...you know what I'm talking about...just being catty because they don't have anything better to do. Now, if you have a reason, and it is justifiable, have at it!

Now ladies, if I am tagging you, this means that I think that you will actually take the time to do this, and your posts will be funny as hell...TAG...YOU'RE IT!

Roll Call: Terribly Shy, Non-Lucid Drivel, Glider Rider, We Doo Doo You, Little Red's Momma , and Hill Family Momma.

Conversations with The Fred

The Fred: "Momma, I want some of those animal cookies."

MommaDrool: "Well, why don't you go over there and ask StickyBun-Scotti if you can have some."

The Fred: (in her most serious tone of voice) "Momma, I don't think that will work so well to ask him. He is not so very good with talking."


She really makes me laugh...

Happy Mother's Day

There is nothing better than Mother's Day...a day to enjoy how great your kids are and to get plenty of "mommy love" from your family. When I woke up Sunday morning, I was happy to notice that the clock read nine o' clock. I had stayed up half the night watching the weather and keeping an ear out for the tornado sirens, so I was happy to have the extra sleep. When I rolled over, I realized that The Husby was already up with the kiddos...is there anything sweeter?

When I entered the kitchen, The Husby was busy preparing breakfast. Have I ever mentioned that this man is a fabulous cook? The Husby had whipped up a breakfast that couldn't have been better if I had dreamed it up myself. We had egg sandwiches on sourdough ciabatta with sopressata, Havarti, and hot pepper relish...dee-lish!

The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti were excited to give me my cards and my present. The Fred's card was outfitted with SpongeBob, and it said that she loved me because I make sure she has clean underpants...funny...and true. StickyBun-Scotti's card was sweet and made me tear up because he had scribbled his "signature" at the bottom of the card. My present was a new all-in-one printer to replace the one that someone mysteriously broke by putting irretrievable Barbie accessories into the paper feed...hmmm...I have a feeling I know what partners in crime were behind that disaster.

After church, we enjoyed a wonderful three-course meal at The Plaza II, complete with Caesar salad, filet mignon, and tiramisu. Both kiddos were on their best behavior, so lunch was very enjoyable. After lunch, we did our traditional Sunday grocery shopping for the week before heading home for nap time. The Husby and I enjoyed some quiet time together and watched a movie while the kiddos were sleeping. After nap time, we enjoyed a late dinner with The Husby preparing shrimp quesadillas....once again, dee-lish! I'm starting to wonder why I don't let him cook more often...

All in all, it was a wonderful day with my family...a Mother's Day that I will not soon forget. To all of my fellow mothers, I hope that your Mother's Day was as wonderful as mine because it feels good to be appreciated. Happy Mother's Day!

Fun at the Beach

Project Four: Final

Our final assignment for my ARS-372 class was to once again elaborate on our myth. Based on previous critique, I decided to make some changes to my artistic direction. I decided that my depiction of internal sin was too "pretty," so I shyed away from the Baroque-style images that I had been creating.

I had avoided making a correlation with religion up to this point, but I decided that there was no way to reference sin without bringing an element of religion into the images. I wanted this to be a positive correlation, so I referenced my personal beliefs on internal sin instead of concerning myself with appealing to the masses through shock value. The mealworms were an element that I added to symbolize something living inside of us, and yes, they are alive crawling around inside of those boxes. All in all, the project was a success, and hopefully, it earned me an "A" for the semester...I am keeping my fingers crossed...

If You Build It, They Will Come

The Husby and I are a bit of a creative duo...I tend to be the idea, and he is the action and implementation. Well, the other night, as we were flipping through channels, we stopped for a minute to watch The Bachelor. At that moment in the episode, they were showing a girl that had brought an airbrush tanning machine with her and was spraying one of the other girls. I looked at The Husby and said, "We need one of those." He nodded and said, "I wonder how much they cost."

A few minutes later, we were scoping them out online. The good airbrush tanning machines run for about $2,000...uhm...no thanks. Now, I have had the pleasure of getting an airbrush tan a couple of times when I needed to be tan for a special occasion. In general, I have been in full boycott of getting in the sun for almost five years now for two simple reasons: I don't want wrinkles, and I don't want to die from skin cancer because I am too vain to admit that endless hours in the sun are bad for me.

For any of you that have had the pleasure of having an airbrush tan, it runs you about $60, but it looks natural because it is applied as a fine mist by hand and lasts seven to ten days. As I was laying in bed that night, I thought about the setup of all of the airbrush tanning machines that I had looked at online as well as the machines that I had seen in person. I realized that they are all little more than a compressor outfitted with a hose and an airbrush.

The next day, I did a little bit more research and announced to The Husby that I was sure we could make an airbrush tanning machine using the compressor that we already own. We decided to order a Paasche airbrush system for $40 and invested in some sample size bottles of tanning solution. We were excited once all of the parts came in, so that we could test our little experiment.

On Saturday, we put together our tanning machine, and The Husby let me test it on him first...eureka! Our little homemade tanning machine worked as well as the real thing. The Husby and I both look like we spent the weekend lounging at the beach. The cost for our little endeavor is a fraction of what it would cost if we went to a salon, and we can spray each other every weekend, or whenever we need a touch-up. Friends and family are already lining up to get a spray down.

Welcome, summer! I am tan already!

Bottoms Up...Or Down

I have a great husband for many reasons, but one of many reasons that I love him is because in all of the time that I have known him, he has never left the toilet seat up. Now, this is not an exaggeration...never. I have become so used to the fact that he has never left the seat up that I never even think to check and make sure that it is down when I go into the bathroom.

When I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, which I do at least three times a night, I never turn on the light in the bathroom since it shines directly onto out bed, and the light switch is outside of the bathroom...so closing the door and turning on the light is not an option.

Well, the other night, I was making my second trip to the bathroom...groggy and half asleep as I stumbled my way to the toilet. When I got into the bathroom, I pulled down my pants and went to sit down...SPLASH! Wet hiney in the toilet! In all of the years that I have known him, the one time that my husband decides to leave the seat up is when I am trying to go to the bathroom in the dark...of course.

StickyBun-Scotti's 1st Haircut