Weekend Update: Bullet Style

In an attempt to shake things up, I'll be listing things with bullets, rather than numbers. It's called living on the edge, people. And that's what I do. Just read the first bullet.

• Yesterday, I went on a bike ride for the first time in over ten years. Oh.my.gosh. Riding a bike is harder than I remember. Why did I ever think it was fun? When I was younger, I just loved riding to the nearby gas station to get a drink and snack, and then riding back. But now, I just don't think it's worth pedaling the three blocks it would take me to get a Fudge Round and Diet Coke. I mean, today, I'm a little saddle sore from the bike seat. And I don't think the three blocks would burn off the calories from the Fudge Round. On a positive note, I like it much better than running, which I've never thought was fun. I never ran to the gas station for a snack. Fudge Rounds just aren't that good.
  
  
• Because I loathe running, I plan to continue bike riding. My friend, Jenny, loaned me her super-sweet road bike. It has REALLY thin tires, which made me a little nervous, especially while riding them on brick streets. After a chat with my super-cyclist brother, Paul, I discovered that riding a road bike on brick streets is not recommended. Now, I'm on a search to find a nearby route that would eliminate brick streets. And the potential for wiping out in front of all of the people that will soon swarm the Azalea Trail.
  
  
• This weekend was Canton Weekend, or as people not from a 40-mile radius call it, First Monday Weekend. Oh, it was beautiful out. I didn't buy much at all. I'm sure Husby will be relieved, since he asked what I'd be looking to buy. With Canton, you don't know what you need until you get there. Truth be known, he'd probably let me spend any amount of money I'd like at Canton as long as he doesn't ever have to go.
  
  
• Other than my bike ride and quick trip to Canton, I've had a working weekend. In April, our school will host a huge fundraiser, Off the Vine Wine Gala. My sweet and wonderful boss (so serious about that) volunteered me to do lots of fun things that involve using a design program known to be extremely non-user-friendly (so serious about that, too). That means every free moment of time after work will be spent designing things like posters and menu cards. I sure do wish they'd let me use some Crayola markers; I can do some serious posters with markers.
  
  
• Okay, I have to give a plug for NPR. I just love their program Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! If you have a long drive, or if you need something to listen to while ironing your husbands shirts, it's such a fun program. I laugh out loud at most everything. In fact, I'm planning to download as many programs as my iPod will hold for our next road trip. You can download for free from iTunes.

Y'all have a super great week. Be a blessing!

Friday Miscellany: Color Edition

I have not forgotten about my promise to Friday Miscellany, which, by the way, has never been posted on a Friday. Let's get to it...

1. I'm having a decorating crisis in our living room. My grand plan has turned out to be not so grand. Our living room is varying shades of neutrals. And I don't enjoy a vast array of neutrals. I need color to spice things up. The new couch was delivered on Tuesday. Don't get me wrong, I love the couch. It's just that now I don't love everything else in the room. It's not "me." With wood floors and Sherwin Williams Latte walls, a milk chocolate couch and tan chairs, now the sage green rug looks neutral. I'm working on it. I've been shopping for an area rug to brighten up the joint. But I haven't had much luck. And every time I show Husby a rug, he likes to point out that it's a neutral rug. Which they are. It's just hard to hear. All I want is the perfect rug. Blue, perhaps. But maybe not. Green? I don't know. What do I do?! I have no idea.

2. Speaking of blue. I'm really liking it more than I ever have. It started with the blue quilt and throw pillows on our bed. With the white comforter and shams, it looks so calm and bright. I think that's why I want a light blue rug in the living room. I want that feel in our living room. I want it to be cozy and it's just not.

3. I was really excited about the newest quiz in this month's Real Simple. The purpose is to help find which style best suits your taste. Only it didn't. I somehow had equal numbers on two of the categories: Cozy Casual and Vintage Eclectic with Modern Graphic not far behind. How did I do this?

4. If you notice the changing blog layout, I wasn't a huge fan of the grey background. Again, it was a drab, neutral color that doesn't do much for me. I much prefer the giraffe with yellow.

5. Because I should post more pictures with my blogs, here you go. I love the color in these two pictures I took in California. Don't they look good enough to eat?! I love that the limes have water droplets on them.

Y'all have a good weekend!

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Pot Pie

Aren't these the cutest?! Sometimes I allow myself to be proud of things I create in the kitchen. And sometimes, it's not necessary because it's such a bust. But these make me smile.

I found a recipe that I've altered quite a bit to get this final result. It's not difficult, but it is time-consuming. To cut down on the amount of prep time, you could purchase pre-chopped veggies, either fresh or frozen. Since cooking is usually therapeutic, I like the prepping process.

The original recipe claims to make 4 pot pies, but I think it makes at least 7, probably 8, men-sized servings. I divided the leftover filling into Ziploc bags and threw them in the freezer. When we're ready for them again, I'll pull them out the day before to thaw. I found 7" Le Creuset casserole dishes at Marshall's the day before, but Target has some round baking dishes that would be great.

I made the cut-out letters and hearts from extra pie crust using a tiny paring knife. But here's a link for tiny cookie cutter letters.

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 8 (filling freezes well)

Ingredients

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups water

2 tablespoons chicken base

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped (about 2 onions)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

Refrigerated pie crust (one crust per pie)

1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkly generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cook enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Shred the chicken with two forks. You'll have 4-6 cups of shredded chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the water and chicken base. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and rosemary over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken broth to the sauce. Simmmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the chicken and peas. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Fill ovenproof bowls evenly. Unroll a refrigerated pie crust and place over each dish. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3-4 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Have fun making these!

Weekend Update: Dr. Pepper Edition

This weekend was terrific. Husby and I left Friday night for weekend in Fort Worth. We were so excited to hang out with friends, Brent and Patti. I met Patti in 2001 in Romania.

(She hardly has an accent now.)

(Just kidding, she's from the great State of Texas.)

(And she does have an accent.)

On Friday night, we had dinner at Fuzzy's Taco. It was yummy. I wish I could elaborate more on Fuzzy's, but really the highlight of the evening was Menchie's. Husby and I had it a couple of months ago, and I've thought about it so many times since. I was ready to plead my case to visit Menchie's to the other three, but as soon as I said "frozen yogurt," Brent had already turned into the parking lot.

Now, I've been a little upset ever since TCBY closed its doors in Tyler. I just love frozen yogurt. But I had no idea how great it could be. Each of us concocted our own dessert. You'll see mine at the bottom of the picture. I had cake batter fro yo with Fruity Pebbles, Cap'n Crunch with Crunch Berries, and a little Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which turned out not to blend well with the other cereals. The others had things like mint fro yo with brownies and vanilla with brownies and peanut butter sauce. I'm sure you'd agree that mine was the best.

We didn't make plans for the trip. Only that we'd meet in Fort Worth. Since Brent and Patti live in the area, I felt fine with them coming up with a plan. But I didn't expect what they had in store: a trip to Dublin, Texas to the original Dr. Pepper plant. It's one of the things on my bucket list.

(Okay, I really don't have a bucket list, but when I create one, it'll be on there.)

I love Dr. Pepper. I just don't drink it. Because I have no self-restraint with it. I'd drink like a 2-liter a day. And that's just not okay. I was over-joyed at the beginning of the tour when they handed out ice-cold Dr. Pepper. It's not just any Dr. Pepper, but Dublin Dr. Pepper. The original recipe used granulated Imperial Sugar. When sugar was rationed during the war, they began using high-fructose corn syrup. So this was the real thing. Sure, I've had it before but NOT IN DUBLIN. It was better.

The tour is rather short. Imagine touring a 2000-square-foot house. Got it? That's it. We saw both sides of the conveyor and stacks of drinks. Then we moved onto the "museum," which is the size of a bedroom and large walk-in closet filled with memorabilia. But it was wonderful. Here are Patti & I on the tour.

We ate lunch in the little shop at the factory/museum. Husby had the B.E.S.T. Dr. Pepper float every. Bluebell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream + Dublin Dr. Pepper Syrup + a touch of carbonated water = AWESOME. I decided to try a NuGrape with my sandwich. It was yummy! By the end of our time in Dublin, I'm pretty sure that my body was in sugar shock. I don't drink sugary drinks, well, ever. It's either diet or water. But I didn't regret one ounce of Dr. Pepper, float, or NuGrape.

After our time in Dublin, we headed to Granbury to walk the square. It's full of cute little shops and antique stores. The four of us had fun in this store, trying on hats. I kind of wish they were in style! I loved wearing them.

Our grand plans to go to Billy Bob's--the world's biggest honky tonk--were put on the agenda the next time we're in Fort Worth. We were just so tired. Instead, we had dinner at a great hamburger place. Then we headed back to the hotel for some Canasta. Sounds like fun, right? Oh, it was. Give the four of us a deck or five of cards, and we'll be happy for hours. Or at least until the end of the game.

I hope this week is fabulous. Be a blessing!

Snow Day 2010

Now that everyone in Texas and the Deep South has posted pictures of the snow on facebook and blogs, mine are ready to go! Aren't you excited? Today's weather is hovering at 60 degrees--much different than this time last week.

(On a side note, I appreciate you reading my blog, especially when topics are as exciting as the weather.)

(Obviously, I live a boring life.)

Husby and I were outside taking pictures by 7am. Sure, I'd been sick the day before, but it was worth it. And what else is there to do on a snow day besides lounge all day?

Okay, in all honesty, though sick the night before, once we realized some snow had accumulated, I declared that snow ice cream must be made. Funny, but it wasn't as good as I remembered it the two times I had it as a kid. But it sure was cute in our Mr. & Mrs. mugs.

Thanks for spending your time with an update of last week's weather.

I appreciate it.

k-dub

Red Velvet Pancakes

Yesterday's post, today...

I've had a super-long extended weekend. Our teacher workday was cancelled on Friday because of the snow, and we're off today, and I was sick last Thursday. Total days off work = five. Number of times I've checked my voicemail and work email = zero. Potential for tomorrow to absolutely crazy = oh, so high. But almost five days off was totally worth it. I think.

Today, I've been somewhat productive. I've cleaned and washed clothes. And for the first time since we were married four months ago, I'm ironing. You did read that correctly. See, I don't buy many clothes that require ironing. And those that I do have make a special trip to the dry cleaners. Luckily, Husby has a good amount of button-up shirts that he's able wear a couple of times before needing to be washed. Other than bemoaning the process of ironing, I really do just forget about them. But when we were getting ready for church on Sunday, he asked which other shirt he could wear with a certain sweater since his normal shirt has been out of commission for a while. I chose another shirt with the promise of ironing today.

Here are pictures of our yummy Valentine's breakfast: red velvet heart-shaped pancakes. They were pretty great. The pancakes have the major elements of a red velvet cake: baking soda, buttermilk and red food coloring. Although they'd be great for Valentine's or an anniversary, I think they'd also be fun to do for St. Patrick's Day. Instead of using red food coloring, use green. And make clover shapes.

(Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited about this idea. I really did just think of it. But now, I'm totally doing it!)

Red Velvet Pancakes

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaton

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring (trust me)

3/4 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Add all wet ingredients, then mix together with dry ingredients.

3. Heat skillet to medium low, spray with non-stick cooking spray.

4. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter or spoon or an icing bag, drop batter onto skillet.

5. Cook until edges are set and under-side is lightly browned. Turn to other side and cook until lightly browned.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Weekend Update

I love that I took lots of pictures this weekend. You could imagine my delight when I attempted to upload these pictures to my computer only to find that the battery was dead. For some reason, I cannot remember to charge the battery. Until I desperately need my camera and only have ten minutes to charge it. Or when I finally decide I have the two minutes it takes to put the pictures on my computer and discover that it's dead.

(To clarify: this memory card doesn't fit in my computer. Sure, it came with an adapter, but I couldn't figure out why this extra piece came with the camera software. I'm 89% sure that I threw it in the trash. Smart move.)

Instead of posting the pictures, I'll tell you about them. Because that's fun for everyone. It's like the blog version of looking at my baby pictures. Right?! Only, I was a cute baby, so I'm sure it'd be fun!

As I'm sure the whole country knows (yeah, I'm pretty sure we have readers from at least 2 states, not including Texas), Texas got some snow. And not just a little dusting; we got five inches. It was beautiful. Our school workday was cancelled on Friday. Hallelu! I slept light enough to know when the magical text came through, which also acted as my alarm. I was up, looking through the blinds at 6:30am. It was a magical wonderland. Husby and I dressed in warm clothes to walk through the snow. And to take lots of great pictures. Which are on my camera. With a dead battery. And no other way of retrieving them.

Saturday was a day of errand running. It was like I hadn't run some errands in months. Which could be quite true. I prefer buying multiples of things we use to avoid visiting a store too often. A highlight of the day was the coupon I received at Target for $5 off a pair of shoes. I'm thinking these might become a part of my spring wardrobe. Saturday night was excellent. It was Husby's turn for cooking our fancy Valentine's meal. He made some killer lamb with a leek couscous and chocolate pots with strawberries for dessert. Um...yum! I was so impressed.

I decided to make Valentine's Day special. For breakfast, I made heart-shaped red velvet pancakes. They were so much better than I expected! Since we don't have a picture, imagine a red, heart-shaped pancake. Got it? Good.

For lunch, I made personalized chicken pot pies for lunch. (I just remembered this picture from my iPhone--although it's not a great picture.) They were so good. And had a special touch.

Our main activity this weekend has been watching the Olympics. Is it odd that I'd rather watch moguls, speed skating and luge than figure skating? I'm so un-girly in this aspect, I guess. That's okay, I make cute, heart-shaped foods.

Later this week, I'll post recipes for chicken pot pie and red velvet pancakes. You'll for sure want to try both meals!