On the Menu

Monday Night Menu: Gina's Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce and Baked Seasoned Fries (and frozen corn on the cob and chocolate pudding)
I used to cook.  I really did.  Promise.  Past posts (very past) will testify to that.  So although I learned I was really out of practice, tonight was a nice cooking experience that reminded me...I secretly enjoy cooking (just not the mess..hint, hint, Hubby Dearest).

With cooking memories in mind, I decided to focus this post on my all-time favorite cooking blog: Ginna's Skinny Recipes. She create the blog for those following the Weight Watcher's points systems (both old and new). The idea was to give powerful flavor to low fat/calorie dishes so people losing weight would actually enjoy their new way of life.


Ok. With that said, I am not on Weight Watchers (although I probably should be), but I still love these recipes! That's how you know a good cooking blog--even when it's diet, it's still super tasty! Hubby likes the recipes as well, and the girls usually do, even though they are extremely picky eaters. (HOW I have a child who doesn't like much cheese or ketchup, I'll NEVER know)



Yummy! The above is my version of the pork chops that really boiled instead of fried, but I was ok with that--they were still tasty and are now one of Snugglebug's favorite dishes! She ate 2.5 pork chops! These are thinner than Gina's, so I reduced cooking time slightly.  I'm also not a fan of the texture of onions, so I scraped mine off onto Hubby's plate :)

Of all things not to have on hand, I was missing oregano! I couldn't believe it. But, I found some pizza seasoning and used that instead. I didn't have the Greek yogurt for the garlic aioli that goes with these, either, so ketchup had to suffice!

What's for dinner at your house?

Beautiful Weekend Glimpses

BeAuTiFuL WeeKeNd gLiMpSeS

Take two.  I wrote this post once, but my internet wants to mess with my mind.  Hey, I think everything wants to mess with my mind lately!



This was a start.  No, it is a start.  Not much, not huge, but I need to get up and move instead of being stuck in front of this computer screen all day. 

I walked into my mom's house yesterday and found huge piles of "stuff" that was my grandmothers.  Knowing I wouldn't be able to deter the immediate urge to rifle through all the things I remember from my childhood.  This old Bible is one of my favorite finds, complete with beautiful black and white drawing of various scenes.

There were a lot of glass pieces in boxes.  I never used to like this style, but I'm diggin' this piece.

Anyone whose known me over the years knows my passion for music boxes and decorated boxes.  This piece immediately caught my attention and my love.

What beautiful glimpses did you have this weekend?

Choosing My Next Crochet Project

So, I've made two hats, which surprised and amazed me because:  a) I had no idea I could create something so cute with crochet and b) I had no idea I would be able to do it so quickly!  I'm now on Spring Break, and although I'm overwhelmed with schoolwork that needs completed, I can't help but wonder...what should I make next? Here's what I like so far:

This has the delicate Victorian vibe that I've always been drawn to.  Does it look too complicated for only my 3rd project?  I'm a little intimidated.

Or, I may go a "simpler" route:

I would then add a flower or something else to "fancy" it up. Which pattern do you think should win?

I really like patterns by Drops Design, but I love the pictures of the free patterns I found...in Japanese.  I know I'm ambitious, but I've decided to draw the line at foreign language patterns just yet, even if they say they contain an equivalency chart.  Call me crazy. 

Funnies

Just to let you all know, I'm finally recording funny/weird things the girls say, so they will be listed on the pages sections of the blog...may not be funny for everyone, but they give me a chuckle :) 


Speaking of chuckles, I learned of a new website in an article I'm reaidng for class...hope all you Princess Bride fans enjoy:


http://www.angryalien.com/aa/princessbridebuns.asp

Warning: I haven't seen all (or most) of the videos, so some may not be appropriate....the above link is, though.

Sales, Muck, & Mmm!

The day began with the intention of visiting the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival in Salem.  However, since we were starving, Hubby isn't a huge fan of pancakes/waffles, and our plumbing backed up (iiicck!), we stopped at Cracker Barrel first.  Next, we headed to the hardware store to get some drain cleaner.  Finally, at around 1 p.m., we headed to the festival.  And so did the rain.  Again, iiick.  The muck just looked too deep--not exactly conducive to the girls short legs.  Once again, the weather channel had it wrong.  Down with the weather channel!

I digress.

So, we maneuvered through the country roads and headed to the Little Treasures kid's consignment sale in Louisville.  Who needs to save gas or the environment anyway?  >: /

I spent about $80 at the sale (the picture doesn't include 4 My Little Pony toys), and I got some nice stuff for the girls for this summer and next fall.  They will both be wearing uniforms to school, but they need clothes for weekend and dress down days.  I normally shop these sales instead of resale or garage sales because they are:  a) orderly, b) clean, c) 1-stop shopping for clothes, toys, kids furniture, etc.

Next, we were starving again (we didn't eat much at Cracker Barrel in great anticipation for waffles with berries, whipped cream, and ice cream...and syrup, of course!), so we headed to Buca di Beppo, a place we go about 2-3 times per year.  It was super yummy, which helped improve our moods tremendously, as you can see from the above pictures!

The store may still be open at the Maple Syrup farm next weekend, so here's hoping...

What did you set out to do today?

Sunshine through the Clouds: Tohono Chul Park

When we visited Tucson this past winter, we walked through Tohono Chul Park, located diagonally from my old elementary school.  They had extended the park since I had been there last, and although I wasn't crazy about the sounds of traffic zooming down the road, I couldn't resist taking pictures of these gorgeous "life reminders" as I call them. 

 



"How many humans have had the patience to know even one saguaro well?"



These pictures give me a touch of sunshine on cloudy days.



"The desert is my lady.  She screams at the spring sky, dances with her skirts high, kicks sand, flings tubmleweeds, digs her nails into all flesh.  Hair unveield, lust fascinates the sun."

Where do you find your touch of sunshine?

Hat Craze

Lovely and her Purpley Flower Hat

Finished!  Can you believe I finished two hats in less than a week?  Well, I think it was less than a week...I only really worked on them about four days!  Allison was right--this was a super easy, super quick project that got me hooked on crocheting (no pun intended)!  What do you think?  I used really cute leather (or faux leather--not sure) buttons that I found in my mom's really, really, really old button jar. 

Snugglebug and her Snuggly Flower Hat

Snugglebug's hat was first, so the seams are a lot more visible and the stitches aren't quite as even.  However, she still seems pleased with it!  I let her pick the buttons for this and she chose a cute gold circle with what looks like white knitted material in the middle.  Then, she chose a really cheesey gold anchor buttom that I'm not so fond of, but hey, this is her hat, so I'll just deal with it ;-)

Below are the hats by themselves.  I'm quited psyched (or stoked, according to Hubby) about finishing these projects...Beware of what summer may hold!  My eventual goal for August:  crochet dresses for this winter!  Mwoohahaha!

This pattern is found at McKinley's Closet:  http://mckinleyscloset.blogspot.com/2010/03/spring-fever.html