Cougarettes

We got all Cougarfied on Saturday for the big game. Too bad it didn’t work. :( Oh well, at least the girls looks cute!

Love that little face!

Turkey Day recap

What a day!

I ran a 5k Turkey Trot in the morning with my friends Whitney and Eunice. I was so scared that it was going to be freezing and snowing/raining but it turned out to be nice and sunny, but still cold. But above freezing temps so that was good. My goal was to finish under 38 minutes and as I passed the clock it said 32:59, which I’m sure is close to my real time since we were in the very front of the race pack at the beginning. We thought we were at the very back until everyone turned around! So, even though it felt like I was absolutely crawling at times and I was sure I was closer to 45 minutes, I’m pretty proud of my time, considering the last time I ran outside was Crazylegs of 2008! I passed 16 people (yes, I counted my “kills”)! Sure, all 16 of them were either walking or children, but 16 is 16. And who cares if 5 of the 16 wound up re-passing me. All that matters is that I wasn’t the last person to cross the finish line! I had excellent views of Whitney’s and Eunice’s bums the whole time, but I was okay with that, since Whitney is a personal trainer (who ran it 6 months pregnant!) and Eunice trains with her everyday. It was so fun to see Derrick and the girls (and Joel and Carson!) cheering me on at the end. Definitely gave me a much needed boost to sprint run a tiny bit faster to the finish line. The fact that it was downhill helped a little too.:) It always feels good to finish a race and I may have reignited my desire to run a half marathon in the spring. I’ve maybe convinced a couple friends to do it with me, so that should help in the motivation category. Now if my knees would hold up, we’ll be in business!

After the race it was back home to start cooking a bird! I used Alton’s recipe, of course. It always produces such a beautiful looking turkey. And always gives me ulcers as I try to figure out if it’s done enough, even though I always use a digital thermometer. This was my first time trussing it, and I loved how neat and tidy it made it look.

I was having major anxiety making the gravy. Derrick was putting huge pressure on me to have a tasty gravy. Luckily, Martha Stewart pulled through for me and gave me great instructions. It didn’t make a lot, but what we got was yummy. Whew.

With a few 6-foot folding tables we created a massive table in our dining room and put all the food on it. I think it worked out pretty well. We decided it would be sweet to leave a hole in the middle and hire someone to stand there and pass dishes around. Like our own person Teppanyaki chef. All the food was amazing. We had tons of it. Isn’t that was Thanksgiving is all about, abundance? We definitely were blessed with an abundance of delicious food, friends, and conversation.

My 2 little turkeys. If Summer looks like a disheveled mess, it’s because she was in heaven running around playing with tons of kids. Kids almost outnumbered the adults. 10 adults, 9.5 kids. We need a bigger house.

It was a tiring, but very fun day. I love this time of year, and I love having great friends to share it with. I love how my girlfriends feel totally at home in my kitchen and just help themselves to whatever. We are definitely not strangers, and it makes me so happy to know I have such wonderful people here to share these events with. (I know that’s not grammatically correct but I couldn’t figure out how to reword it. Probably because I was up at 4:30am SHOPPING!!!)

I hope everyone a tasty and grateful Thanksgiving. We sure did. Now that it’s over, I am realizing how much I have to do before Christmas!

More Shutterfly

I learned about a promotion here where you can post a Shutterfly project and then get a free $25 credit to Shutterfly. So that's what the below post is all about!

And that will not be our Christmas card, fyi.

Christmas Card Girls Only

Peppermint Gift Wrap Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Shutterfly is so fly!

Shutterfly has given me the opportunity to blog about some of their products in exchange for 50 FREE holiday cards! Sa-weet!

I have never ordered cards from Shutterfly before, and I’m not sure why. They have tons of options, and they make it super easy. Plus, they have things I didn’t even know they made. For example….

Gift Tags! What a cute idea! I usually buy the stick-on ones the day after Christmas, but these are SO much cuter. This one, called Fa Lala Fete is my favorite. So colorful!Of course, they have darling cards. This one, called Peppermint Gift Wrap is my favorite. So simple but so festive. Just my style. I like the flat cards…they stay on my Christmas tree better!I love address labels. 1, because I hate writing out my address 100 times, and 2, because they are just so cute. I like this one, called Peppermint Bliss. I guess I can at least say my tastes are consistent! I’m digging the peppermint stripes this year! I’m excited to use Shutterfly this year. They have tons of card designs, so the likelihood of getting repeat designs in the mail is slim.

If you would like the chance to blog about Shutterfly and score some free cards, go here and fill out the online form!

Thanks, Shutterfly!

Things I’m loving right now

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted my favorite things, and I feel like I have a few right now. Most of them are food. Like always. What can I say? I love to eat.

My girlfriend Jessica introduced me to this a couple weeks ago: Stephen’s Peanut Butter Cup hot chocolate. It really tastes like you are drinking a Reese’s peanut butter cup. So delicious. I also picked up a can of Stephen’s Candy Cane and Cherry Chocolate flavored hot chocolate, but I haven’t tried them yet. BONUS: Stephen’s were on sale at Pick N Save 2/$7. Score! Of course it goes without saying that I use my CocoMotion to make my hot chocolate, another one of my most favorite kitchen appliances, even if it isn’t a multi-tasker. (Sorry, Alton!)

I saw these at the grocery store and had to try them. I’ve been looking for healthy snacks (besides gnawing on raw carrots) and these looked decent enough. Plus, only 100 calories! I didn’t have high expectation for them, since I think their cereal bars aren’t that great. HOLY COW! These are amazing! They taste like Pop Tarts! They are even crispy, like a toasted Pop Tart! I never toast my PTs because I’m always too impatient, but I love the crunch these crisps have. So, so good. I have to really contain myself and eat only one package (which has 2 crisps). Tasty, tasty.

While Daneise was here this weekend, she introduced me to Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Joe Joe’s. They are only around during the holidays and apparently sell out fast. So the day after she left I went to TJ’s and picked some up. They taste like Thin Mints, which is why I think I love them so much. They essentially are an Oreo, with a peppermint filling, dipped in dark chocolate then sprinkled with candy cane bits. There will definitely be a party in your tummy after you eat these. I’m thinking they will be good holiday gifts for the mailman/garbage man, etc.

I had a coupon for some Greek Yogurt so I tried it. I’ve heard other brands are better than Dannon, but that’s all Super Wal-Mart carries, and I’m just too lazy to go to multiple stores just for yogurt. Besides, these are good enough for me right now! It is soooo thick and creamy, it’s almost like eating custard, which I pretend I’m doing when I eat it after dinner. It’s just the right amount of sweet. It’s also great for a snack…tons of protein, no fat. I like the honey flavored variety. But I love honey. Buy it local and fight of seasonal allergies!

When my brother in law Daniel was here in September he told us about Tosh.0. How I’d never heard of it is beyond me. Actually, I know how. It’s called, I have DVR and never watch commercials and 2 kids and hardly any time to watch TV and if I do have time I’m catching up on my Martha Stewarts or Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (so awesome) or SNL’s. Anyway, it’s hilarious. And he’s kind of hot. 

I’ve been searching for matching Christmas dresses for the girls. It’s not an easy task to find the same dress in a 2T and a 3 month. But babyGap always pulls through for me! I coughed up an old email address and they gave me 30% off! I can’t wait to dress the girls up in them. Black tights and black patent leather shoes and a Christmas bow I’m whipping up---how darling will they be!?

 And last, but certainly not least: a recipe! Our friends Matt & Lindsey brought this to us after we had Hannah. It has bacon, and really, that’s all you need to know to know that it’s going to be fabulous. They didn’t add the salad on top, and neither do I. So really it’s more of a BT Mac N Cheese than BLT. I’m ok with that. And, they sell bags of frozen leeks at Trader Joe’s, so I picked up a couple. Now I can really make it any time I feel like it, because I’ll have all the ingredients! Well, maybe not the cheese. And since it’s a Rachael Ray recipe, you know it’s quick and easy. Perfect for taking to a sick friend or just making because you need some mac n cheese to warm up your sad soul on a cold wintry day.

BLT Creamy Mac 'n' Cheese

salt

1 lb ziti pasta (may sub penne)

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (EVOO)

6 slices bacon, chopped (I always use more!)

2 leeks, trimmed halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

two 3-ounce bricks cream cheese, cut into pieces (I use a whole package)

1 1/2 cups shredded asiago cheese (I use a bagged Italian blend mix)

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 cups baby arugula

1 cup basil leaves, torn

1/2 lemon, juice of

drizzle extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 500°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the leeks and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Stir in half of the shredded cheese, then the reserved pasta cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss. Pile into a casserole and top with the tomatoes and remaining shredded cheese. Bake until browned on top, 7 to 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the arugula and basil with the lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve on top of the pasta.

DELISH!

3-1

Today is Derrick’s birthday! We’ve had a fun weekend—his sister Daneise and her two gorgeous daughters Hayley and Lindsey were here visiting us. We didn’t really do anything super exciting, but we had a good time just hanging out. We did the Sprecher tour and had breakfast at the Original Pancake House (yum!) but pretty much bummed around the house and just played. We watched a couple flicks (some fell asleep…) and ate a lot of yummy junk. Oh, and we took a trip to Hobby Lobby, of course.

Today we made a birthday lunch and had cake and celebrated Derrick’s and Hayley’s (she turns 16 on Wednesday!) birthdays. And then, just like that, they were gone. So sad. We love having visitors! It was great to see them. Summer loooved having cousins to play with, and little Hannah was in heaven being held all the time. She was just content as could be being snuggled by her cousins. 

So it was a pretty laid back, low key day, but hopefully he had a good day. Veteran’s Day kind of screwed up the mail so apparently all his cards and gifts that were being sent are still not here, but he did get some candy, razor blades, and a gift certificate for a massage from us. I’m jealous!

Derrick does a bang up job at this whole parenting gig, and the girls just adore him. He’s the perfect husband for me…so supportive and tolerant and I really just have the best time with him.

Happy birthday! Love you babe!

3 months!

Hannah is 1/4 year old! She is still my snuggly little girl, and I just love it. If she could talk I’m sure she’d tell me to “just stop with the cheek kisses already, mom!” But I can’t help it, they’re so kissable! She’s such a sweet girl, and loves to be held and loved on. She also likes hanging out in her swing, bouncer, and bumbo.

She’s an inconsistent night sleeper, which drives me crazy. Some nights she’ll sleep a good 8 hours, and then the next night she’s up every 3 hours. Lately she’s been waking up every 2 hours or so and I know she’s not hungry because I try to feed her and she has no interest in it. I’m thinking it’s about time to let this kid start crying it out. She likes to think 6 am is an acceptable time to be awake and play (it’s not!) so after her 5 or 6 am feeding she’ll sometimes hit the swing and sleep another couple of hours. That makes mama very happy. She takes decent naps in her crib, sleeping only about an hour at a time, but she does fall asleep unassisted which makes me feel like I’m doing something right. Half the time the real battle is keeping Summer the Amazonian Beast quiet so she doesn’t wake Hannah. Apparently Summer learned how to whisper in a helicopter.

She’s gotten to be pretty smiley lately, especially in the morning. I love getting her up in the morning and being greeted with a big gummy smile. I caught these smiles yesterday and they just crack me up. She looks like a little old man! She gives me this tiny little belly laugh when she gets really excited and it’s the cutest thing. I couldn’t pick just one, so here’s three. The last one is so hilarious to me.

  An old man, right?!

We all just love our little Hannah Boo. If all my kids are this easy going, I’ll take it!

Hashblacks

I consider myself a pretty good cook. I can read, and therefore can follow a recipe. People who say they can’t cook or just don’t cook, are lying. If you can read, you can cook. If you say you can’t cook, it’s because you don’t want to. Which is fine. Not everyone likes or wants to cook. Restaurants stay in business because of people like that!

I love to try new recipes and techniques. I like all cuisines, and I’m lucky enough to have a husband who will eat pretty much anything, at least once. He gives me excellent feedback and suggestions. He’s also gotten to be pretty proficient at guessing what ingredients are in a new dish I present to him, spices included. It’s kind of a fun, albeit dorky, game we play.

I love food. All kinds. I often finish breakfast thinking about what I’ll have for lunch. And more often than not, I’m already dreaming about dessert before I’ve even started eating dinner.

There is, however, one food that eludes me. I have never in my life successfully made them. Never. They are one thing I think are always better at a restaurant than at home. Every fast food restaurant sells them for breakfast: hash browns.

Or as I call them, hash blacks. Because I burn them.

While we were at the Dells in May with the Greens, I was making burning them and apparently set off some secret inaudible smoke detector. The front desk called to see what was going on and told us to open windows and turn on fans. So we did. And then 5 minutes later we got a knock at the door from a worker to see if we really did, because the alarm was still going off.

Casey stepped in and saved the day and made us some edible hash browns.

Either they are too soggy, or too burned, or still frozen. They stick to the pan. I follow the package instructions exactly. What the heck am I doing wrong?

I like the cubed, not the shredded, unless I’m at Waffle House, and then I get those bad boys covered and smothered. Yum. Why can’t we have a Waffle House here in Milwaukee? Heaven knows they’d do great.

I hate to admit that I feel a little bit like a kitchen failure because I can’t seem to master this seemingly easy breakfast basic. It’s like not being able to boil water. Embarrassing!

Somebody help me! What are the tricks? Oil or butter? Covered or uncovered?

I can’t let my kids grow up never eating hash browns!!! Help a sister out!

Hallo-WEINERS!

We had a lot of fun this Halloween! As soon as I saw the cheeseburger costume at Old Navy I knew I wanted it for Summer. And when I found a hot dog costume for a baby I knew it was meant to be. And since I’m always game for a good theme, I decided to be french fries and Derrick dressed up as an In-n-Out worker. Perfect!!

Summer loved wearing her costume and saying “trick or treat!” until the time came for her to actually say it. She did warm up towards the end, but she was initially spooked by Batman who came to our house. I don’t think she likes other people in costumes. (Are we sure she’s my daughter???)

  I bought these tights in 2 sizes before Summer was even born. Neither size fit her last year. I was so excited that they fit this year! I looooved them! She did too! She hasn’t put her pumpkin down in a week. As soon as she wakes up she asks where her pumpkin is. I had to empty out all the candy because I would find her in a corner having taken a bite out of a tootsie roll, paper and all, just chomping away with the biggest grin on her face. Now she gets one treat per day, sans wrappers.

We got our fair share of trick-or-treaters this year. I always love to see the kids in their costumes. Most of them are so cute! BUT----we had some seriously LAME kids this year too! Lots of kids looked like they were just in regular clothes. I would ask them what they were supposed to be and they would say, “Well, I was a _____ but I took my mask/hat/whatever off.” The last two guys of the night were like 16, and dressed in regular clothes. I asked them what they were supposed to be and they said, “Nothing.”

Me: “You expect me to give you free candy and you didn’t even bother to dress up?”

Them: “Uh….yeah?”

Me: “I don’t think so. What are you supposed to be. Think of something.”

Guy 1: (Pointing to the name patch on his shirt that says "Kevin”) “Hey, I’m a mechanic!”

Me: “Ok, I’ll take that. Take 3 pieces of candy.” (Talking to Guy 2) “What are you supposed to be?”

Guy 2: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Better think of something!”

Guy 2: “I don’t know. I can’t think of anything!”

Me: “That’s lame. Here’s 1 piece. Dress up next time if you want free candy!”

Ok, really????? Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean it’s a free for all to go begging! Put some effort into it and make a costume! Throw on a sheet and be a ghost! Just because Obama’s president now doesn’t mean the free handouts carry over into Halloween! Not at my house!

Remember kids, you want candy from our house, you better be dressed up!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!!