not so MANIC MONDAY

"if you seek perfection in sugar confection..."

FLASHBACK february 15
dinner, drinks, and board games with friends is on the agenda. i want to take something. i can't show up empty handed. hmmmmmmm...time to check out my "toot sweet" board on pinterest. i find the perfect valentine recipe. blonde brownies with M&M's!! a treat to take AND an opportunity to give a pinterest recipe a try!!

FLASH FORWARD today
it's a boring monday. why not bring a little happiness to the people in your life? this recipe is quick, easy, and delicious! another pinterest success!!

VALENTINE BLONDIES

ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup to 1 1/3 cup M&M's (i used valentine colors, but you can use plain if you want)

preheat oven to 350〫. 
mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside. melt butter. combine brown sugar and butter until well blended. let cool slightly. add egg and vanilla. mix well. add flour mixture, a little at a time, until completely blended. spread, evenly, in 9X9 pan. sprinkle M&M's over the top. bake 20-25 minutes.
enjoy!!

and click here to follow me on pinterest!

not so MANIC MONDAY

"mamas in the kitchen with the mac n' cheese..."

FLASHBACK january 24, 2014
another mandatory friday night means we need to come  up with another dish for dinner. that means i get to try another pinterest recipe!! i find the perfect side dish involving 4 of my favorite things: beer, bacon, cheese, and pasta!!

TODAY
it's a comfort food kind of day. and my mandatory friday night side would actually make a delicious main course for a simple monday dinner. you should give this pinterest success a try!!

BEER BACON MAC AND CHEESE

ingredients:

12 oz thick cut bacon
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground chile de arbol (or cayenne to taste)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c beer (i used great lakes christmas ale)
1/2 c chicken broth
2 c milk
1 tsp worcestshire sauce
1 8oz bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese
16 oz dry elbow pasta

boil pasta until al dente. drain and set aside. 
cut bacon into bite size pieces. fry, over medium heat, until crispy. set aside and reserve 2 tbs of the drippings, discarding the rest. 
melt butter in skillet with reserved bacon drippings. whisk in flour. allow to cook a minute or two to cook off flour taste. add spices and beer. bring to a bubble for about 3 minutes. add milk. when it comes to a bubble, add worcestshire, bacon, and cheese. whisk to combine.
add pasta. stir to combine. allow to cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
pour into casserole dish. sprinkle with chives (optional). serves 4-6.

  

                         

enjoy!!!

bonus: kathy brought another successful pinterest recipe to mandatory friday night. click here to try CAKE BATTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. they were delicious!!!

not so MANIC MONDAY

"and eatin' hot chili...eatin' hot chili...i love hot chili..."

FLASHBACK yesterday
yeah. so. sometimes you only flashback 24 hours. duh. anyway, it was a rainy, cool, lazy sunday. the plan for the day? football. football. and, yes, football. it's the perfect day for a big bowl of chili.

















FLASH FORWARD today
looking for something easy and comforting for dinner on a cool, crisp, fall day? here is the perfect chili!

BIRD'S EASY CHILI

ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 15oz can light red kidney beans
1 15oz can dark red kidney beans
1 28oz can baked beans
1 26oz can spaghetti sauce
½ c chili powder
½ c sugar
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs pepper
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste (i cup my palm and fill for the perfect heat)

brown meat and onions until cooked thru. add all beans and spaghetti sauce. add spices *all spices can be added to taste*. let simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
yeah. it's that easy.

happy fall feasting!!

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

"peanut butter jelly...peanut butter jelly...peanut butter jelly and a baseball bat..."
FLASHBACK august 15, 2013
what? i know...just a few days ago...but i tell my stories how i want. so...
FLASHBACK august 15, 2013
what's your favorite cookie? bk "honestly? peanut butter.". really? bleck. but..you never eat peanut butter cookies. "because tah's allergic to peanuts, so i couldn't have them before. and then, we move in together. and you HATE peanut butter." yeah. i do. but that doesn't mean you can't have peanut butter. i mean...you do what you want...even if it does make me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
FLASH FORWARD august 16, 2013
i feel like i should surprise the bk and try to bake his favorite cookie. i search pinterest and find a "healthy peanut butter cookie" recipe that calls for applesauce and egg whites. off i go to the store because...surprise!!...there is no peanut butter in this house. bk will have peanut butter cookies when he gets home.

HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

ingredients:
½ c unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 c peanut butter, crunchy
¼ c applesauce
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
¾ c egg beaters
2½ c all~purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda



whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. beat together butter, peanut butter, applesauce, brown sugar, and white sugar. add egg beaters and beat until smooth. stir flour into peanut butter mixture. refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
preheat oven to 375〫. roll dough into small balls (size of a walnut) and place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart. flatten with a fork in a crisscross pattern. *hint: dip fork in water to keep from sticking* bake until just turning brown...about 10 minutes.
makes about 4 dozen cookies.

on a side note: i decided to face my fear of the dreaded peanut butter and actually taste one of my creations. so, after working a late shift and making everyone's handbag dreams a reality, i poured all the milk in the universe into a gigantic glass and ATE one of these peanut butter cookies. at first, i thought "hmmmm...not so bad." and then i couldn't get the taste of peanut butter out of my mouth and it will haunt me forever. however, bk claims this recipe a PINTEREST SUCCESS!!

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM ADDITION

"i've got your picture, i've got your picture...i'd like a million of you all 'round myself"









it's the little things that keep me happy around our house:

 ^bertie bots every flavor jelly beans from honeydukes^

 ^signs, signs, everywhere are signs^

 ^kitchen~aide mixers make life easier^

 ^coffee...it does the body good^

^halloween is everywhere...all year round^

and a little vine, cuz feeding our dog makes me smile:

what does it take to make you smile?

WHAT UP WEDNESDAY

FLASHBACK 1978/79
kat and i are in 7th grade...and we love make~up. we. L~O~V~E make~up. we spend all of our free time listening to blondie and experimenting with mascara and eyeliner. we apply...and, then, we wash it all off with noxzema...drench our skin in seabreeze (we love the way our skin tingles)...and we start all over again. we get it wrong. we wear so much eye make~up you can't even see our eyeballs. 
FLASH FORWARD today
i still love make~up. and sometimes i like to experiment with a smokey eye...or a bombshell eye...or pin~up girl red lips. but, most of the time, i like to look like i'm not wearing any makeup. a natural look just fits my hippy freak personality. how do i get that look? cheaply.  with the exception of my clinique different lipstick (a free gift when i picked up my mama's moisturizer), all my face care and make~up comes from the drug store. look inside my make~up bag and you'll find products that i have used for **cough cough** 35 years **cough cough**. do you have any favorites that you will never ever out~grow?

inside my bag:

• rimmel lasting finish foundation in sand
• maybelline cover stick in medium
• covergirl professional loose powder in translucent medium
• covergirl classic color blush in soft mink
• maybelline expert eyes liner in blond
• maybelline great lash in dark brown
• clinique different lipstick in shy
• love's baby soft cologne spray (i am not even kidding)
• olay complete daily moisturizer

don't forget: it's important to remove your make~up every night to prevent clogged pores and break~outs. i still prefer noxzema, followed by a gentle astringent (i've used witch hazel since high school...thanks kat!). 

SUNDAY TREAT

 "i got some ice cream and you ain't got none..."
FLASHBACK 1st century b.c. (or so they say)...
the roman emperor, nero, is rumored to order ice to be brought from the mountains and topped with fruit. and king tang, of china, has a method of creating treats out of ice and milk.
FLASH FORWARD 1776
the first ice cream parlor opens in new york city.
FLASH FORWARD 1846
a hand~cranked freezer is patented by nancy johnson. it is a method of making ice cream that is still used this very day.
FLASH FORWARD may 5, 1978
ben and jerry's open for business...in an old gas station...using an old~fashioned ice cream freezer. this is important because ben and jerry's is my very favorite ice cream ever!!
FLASH FORWARD july 21, 2013
today is national ice cream day. it's the middle of summer. it's hot. it's humid. it's perfect ice cream weather. i think i'll start with breakfast at dairy queen: one LARGE twist cone with crunch coat, please..lunch from the village ice cream parlor: a banana split? yes, i think i will...dinner? maybe a pint of ben and jerry's pistachio pistachio....followed by a late night snack from sonic: a chocolate cream pie shake *note: sonic offers 1/2 price milkshakes after 8p all summer long!!
how will you celebrate?

follow ben and jerry on twitter @benandjerrys...you might get a special treat like i did!!

TASTY TUESDAY

"girl you thought he was a man but he was a muffin...he hung around till you found
that he didn't know nuthin'..."
FLASHBACK may 2013
the bk and i join a farm co~op. why? because we love farm fresh veggies...AND veggies at the grocery are ridiculously expensive...AND because we can't really have a garden in an upstairs apartment. this is a great way to support your local farmers and enjoy garden veggies without the work.

FLASH FORWARD july 2013
finally, zucchini is in!! my favorite veggie! you can grill it...sauté it...fry it...and, best of all, bake it! so i set out to bake my, first ever, zucchini bread. the bk shredded the zucchini because, evidently, sharp objects are dangerous...and i was off and running. wait? what? we don't have a loaf pan? i'm not sure how that happened but i had to improvise. zucchini muffins it is!!

CARDINAL'S ZUCCHINI BREAD PAULA DEEN STYLE
ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. in a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. in a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

*this recipe made 24 medium~sized muffins. just bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

**try not to mix ingredients while talking on the phone. it might cause you to use tablespoons of cinnamon and nutmeg, instead of teaspoons. however, this is a DELICIOUS mistake!!

happy baking!!!

IT'S FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE

 "take off your shoes and throw them away...come back and get them another day...we're barefootin'"
FLASHBACK 1965
like every other baby, i am born barefoot.
FLASH FORWARD 1970 something
maybe...MAYBE...my parents will say different, but i hate shoes. i only remember wearing shoes when i had to. obviously, i wore them to school...or the mall...or in the snow. 
FLASH FORWARD today
i am still barefoot as much as possible. and i am not a fan of shoes. when other women are excited for that cute new pair of pumps...or sandals...or boots....i'm just like "whateva". i have shoes. i have some cute shoes. i have cute shoes because the bk said "i like these, you should get them". or because, when i go to work, the boss is all "really, you have to wear shoes. it's the rules". if i want to be barefoot and they won't let me in the restaurant, or store, or movie theater, i wear flip flops. which is an awful lot like being barefoot. 
there are health benefits to being barefoot:

• it helps stretch and strengthen muscles and tendons in your feet and ankles, using muscles that aren't used when wear shoes. this can help prevent knee strain and back problems. 
• it frees your mind. while you're focused on avoiding sharp rocks, sticks, and thorns, your mind is clear of everyday problems and anxieties. 
• bumps and rocks can stimulate reflex points in your feet, basically a free foot massage!

                           

but, if you're going to go barefoot, you're going to want those babies to be gorgeous. follow these steps for a perfect, at home, pedicure:

1. remove any old polish and soak your feet in a warm salt bath for 10 minutes. sally hansen has some good options...
2. trim your nails straight across, making sure they are about even with the top of your toes, and round edges with an emory board.
3. rub a pumice stone over callused spots. next, rub in an exfoliating scrub (try bliss super slough scrub available at sephora) and rinse with warm water.
4. rub on a moisturizer like kiss my face foot creme. wipe toe nails with a cotton swab to remove any lotion from nails.
5. pick your fave color and paint those piggies. start in the center, at the cuticle and brushing up, finishing at the sides. apply 2 coats of color and a top coat. 

i would do this tonight while your relaxing in front of the tv because tomorrow (june 1) is national go barefoot day!!!

"BETTER PUT THEM IN QUOTATIONS...

...say what you need to say..."

FLASHBACK march 22, 2013

i walk in the house and the bk is on the phone. he's excited about something but refuses to say. he hands me the phone and the voice on the other end says "so. do you prefer auntie (auhntie) or auntie (antie)?" ummmm...auntie (antie) duh doy! wait? whaat?! OMG!!! 

FLASH FORWARD march 28, 2013

i get a tearful phone call. "i'm on my way to the hospital. there's bleeding." it is an ectopic pregnancy.  of course they are devastated. but, also, hopeful. the doctor is positive they will get pregnant again. 

FLASH FORWARD today

never the person to have things go smoothly, this tubal pregnancy isn't over yet. there was a surgery on march 28. there was a dose (actually 2) of chemo on april 12. and an emergency surgery on april 14 that required removing the fallopian tube. the doctor is, still, certain she will conceive again. 

i offered my support in the form of ben & jerry's ice cream and a walking dead marathon. i, also, offered to shave her head if the chemo caused hair loss (which, by the way, can happen with one dose or not at all). but i avoided all the cliche sayings: "you're young. you can try again". duh. she knows this. "i know how you feel". no. no i don't. i can't even imagine. i had 2 very normal, happy, pregnancies and 1 that was complicated but still resulted in a happy, healthy baby. "everything happens for a reason". okay. i DO believe this. but, really? i'm not sure i want to understand the reason. and the statement isn't comforting, at all. 

deaths of loved ones, cancer, loss of a pregnancy...whatever the cause, offering support and comfort can, often, be difficult. how can you know what to say (or not) or do when you've never experienced it? you can't really, because it's personal and will be different for everyone. some people are going to want all your attention. and some are going to wish you would just go away. but i do have some ideas:

• do make contact. call, visit, email...but do offer your condolences and help. the person will let you know if the help is wanted. *when offering help be specific: can i bring you a meal? don't say "how can i help?" forcing them to think about what they might need done.* 
• listen. listen but DO NOT offer advice unless they ask for it. 
• don't say "i know how you feel". even if you think you do, they are feeling their own emotions, which might be different from how you felt.
• offer real help, like running errands. or bringing food. *idea: take toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues. especially in the case of a death in the family, lots of people will be dropping by and bringing food. paper products are the last thing on the family's mind.*
• avoid the cliches: he/she is in a better place, everything happens for a reason, or it could be worse. even if you believe it to be true, these statements don't help with the grieving process. the person will come to these conclusions on their own. in their own time. 
• understand that people heal in their own time. don't push them to get on with their lives at your pace. 

^pets can be incredibly comforting^