Deck The Halls

This is the first year I decorated for Christmas. I decided it was what I needed to do to get in the holiday spirit. It is still hard to get that Christmas feeling here in Arizona since it's not "Wisconsin freezing" here. It's only Arizona cold right now. Last weekend I went to Kirkland's and bought the following supplies.


There was so much more that I wanted to buy, but I figured one year at a time so I decided to start with the living room. I got lighted trees, nutcrackers, many snowmen, plastic green stuff and many more miscellaneous items. We had to go to Michael's to get the plastic green stuff, the fake snow and the Xmas tree balls. When in the store I asked Andy which color balls I should get and his response was "I don't care." I then responded with "Well, what if I didn't care about your balls?" (Maybe slightly inappropriate for the blog, but funny!) He replied with "I lost my balls about 20 minutes ago when I walked in this place with you." Again, he responded without missing a beat and I just cracked up in the store...it was too funny! He was a good sport and I told him how much I appreciate him doing girlie shopping withe me.

Anyway, here are pictures of my first time ever decorating for the holidays. Here is the stand for our TV, the wall behind our couch and the kitchen table center piece. I must say I didn't do to bad for my first time.

Happy Thanksgiving Includes Grandma's Buns

Well, I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving. This week Andy's dad and step mom were in town so we were able to spend Thanksgiving with them and our good friends, the Seifert's. I was able to accomplish baking this morning...with Andy's help of course. Every year for Thanksgiving my grandma makes her famous buns and I would look forward to these very tasty buns every year when I lived in WI. So, I thought to help make this Thanksgiving feel like home it would be a great idea to make this tradition known as grandma's buns. I have heard for years how hard these are to make and I have never made them myself and I have never watched my grandmother (or my mother) make these awesome buns. I figured I could do this...piece of cake...as long as Andy was up to helping me. Word got around that we were making the traditional grandma's rolls and all of a sudden there was pressure on the rolls to turn out as everyone was looking forward to them.

First I had to get grandma's recipe from my mom, so I called and ended up with a thirty minute explanation of how to make them. I then asked for her to email it to me since I was driving home from work and couldn't write anything down. When I get the email it was literally four sentences long and was nothing like the 30 minute detailed explanation I got over the phone. For measurements I got something like "use 1/2 a small bag of flour." Ok, that is not a Rachel Rae recipe, but as you can tell it's a grandmother's old school recipe. There was also an ingredient for cake yeast and my mom said it might be hard to find, but I will find it in the refrigerated section. Mmmm...after two grocery stores we couldn't find it. Andy hit up Google and found out Red Star Cake Yeast is a midwest thing and is not sold anywhere else. It's actually made in Milwaukee, WI. At first I thought we are screwed because grandma said we have to use the exact ingredients and brands she had listed. Red Star's website said that since it's not sold all over the nation we can substitute for the regular packaged yeast, so we were back in the game.

My mom warned me the rolls would take 3 - 3.5 hours to make, so we got up this morning and started at 7:30am...however, we did not finish until noon. So my mom's timing was slightly off. Let's just say that after 4.5 hours of baking I was exhausted. I couldn't imagine making a whole turkey meal for a slew of people.

I am glad Andy helped me with the recipe as we made a great team together. I got everything mixed and prepared and Andy kneaded the dough. I really wasn't interested in that part so I played the "my shoulder and neck still hurt" and I am not sure if he felt bad or if he really just wanted to knead the dough, but either way I didn't have to. Here is a picture of Andy kneading the dough. I promised I wouldn't get his face in the shot as he was not camera ready.


I will admit we had to make two batches of dough because we didn't think the first batch would turn out for two reasons: 1. the potato water was not hot enough to melt the shortening and 2. I measured the salt wrong as I used the teaspoon instead of the Tablespoon...oops! I am glad we decided last second to make the second batch of dough as that one turned out much better than our first batch. Here are both of our batches rising.



After the dough had risen two separate times it was time to shape the dough into dinner roll sized balls, covered all the pans and let the dough rise again. After we had the first pan put in the oven we left the rest of the balls on the counter. I asked Andy if that is smart because of the dogs and he agreed it wasn't but would watch them while I started to get ready to go to the Seifert's house. While getting ready I still had to pay attention to how long the buns had been in the oven. After about 15 minutes I head to the kitchen to check on the buns and pass through the living room where I find Andy on the couch watching football...I guess he was done guarding the rolls, or he started to trust our beloved doggies. I turn the corner and find one of the towels pulled back with the buns exposed, Madison's paws on the counter and she grabbed for two dough balls. As I yelled "Hey," Madison dropped the dough balls on the floor and went running because she knew she was in trouble. So, out of 5 dozen buns we lost two due to doggie interference. The rest of them survived. Grandma's buns were a huge hit at Thanksgiving and everyone was asking how to make them. After I explained the process nobody was interested anymore. Here is the final picture of the famous buns.

I Am All Jacked Up

So tonight was my first experience with a chiropractor and it was a better experience than I could have expected. Just over a week ago I started experiencing severe pain and it didn't go away for five days and then when it did go away it wasn't 100%. A couple days after enjoying my neck all went to hell again. My neck and left shoulder were back in severe pain mode this past Saturday. So, basically I had a crappy weekend while I iced my neck and sat around the house like I was 80 years old. After advice from everybody I know I finally called a chiropractor and made an appointment for tonight.

This just wasn't any chiropractor it was the chiropractor the famous Dr. Cox referred both Andy and I too. That alone didn't make me feel more comfortable about seeing a chiropractor. I basically spent all day today worrying about what he was going to do to me. I kept envisioning my neck being twisted in all directions while it just snapped in every which direction. Talk about a frightening image. Anyway I finally made it out to the west side of Phoenix to Stein Chiropractic and met the world's tallest chiropractor. Yes, that is what his website says and after meeting him I definitely believe it. Dr. Stein is seven foot two inches tall...he makes Andy look short...if that is possible. He was very nice and I explained my neck pain and how I just wanted it fixed. After a better understanding of how chiropractic works he took my x-rays and we looked at them together. Mmmmm...my spine is all jacked up! No joke! Starting from the tail bone in veered to the right and then back to the left and then to the right a little and then it went straight up to my neck. Ok, I thought this was somebody else's x-ray because how could my spine look like that...well, it does and I accepted it. So, normally Dr. Stein does not do adjustments on the consultation night but since I was referred by the famous Dr. Cox he did since he looks up to Dr. Cox.

Time for the adjustments. I really had no idea what was going to happen but Dr. Stein uses the Gonstead method which is very safe and he does not twist you at all. That made me feel more safe. Instead of twisting he pushes. First he pushed one of my vertebrae back in place up by my neck. I think I squeeled just a tad. Then he pushed on the middle of my back to put those vertebrae back in place and the cracking noise and feeling was just crazy. The feeling and noise is so not what I expected so I screamed...just a little. Then I laid down on a table/couch where he did my lower back and that wasn't so bad. Then he did my left shoulder which was also weird. All of this was a complete new experience for me and when I went to pay at the front desk when it was all said and done the ladies giggled a little and told me they heard my screams. Ooops! I hope I didn't scare any of your other clients.

I know a lot of people see a chiropractor, but this was my first experience and I thought it was quite the experience so I wanted to share with everyone. I wish you could feel what I felt because it was insane. My neck is already starting to feel better. I will go back again next week to see Dr. Stein for another adjustment of my back. I need to get my jacked up spine back to looking normal. If you saw what I saw on the x-rays you would be a little worried about your back too.

My New Toy

My new toy has arrived!



Yup, that is my new Sharper Image jewelry steam cleaner. My friend told me about this as he bought one for his wife. Once he told me how wonderful it is I just had to have one, so this past weekend we went to Bed Bath & Beyond to get it. They did not have it in their store, but they ordered it for me online and it was supposed to take two weeks to get here. To my surprise it took 3 days to get here! I got home from work last night in a semi-crabby mood and as soon as I saw by BB&B box my frown turned upside down. I immediately took it out of the box and while the animals played with the box I read the directions on how to use it. Yes, I know, there is a first time for everything! I mainly bought this contraption so I can steam clean my ring on a regular basis just like they do at the jewelry store. This will save me trips to the jewelry store to get my ring cleaned, so it's a nice little investment.

The cleaner came with it's own tongs so I can hold my ring from afar and not burn my hand. There is also a small basket for smaller jewelry to clean. I love my new toy! Here is the steam cleaner in use!

Pork Chops & Apple Sauce

Ok, so I didn't make pork chops and apple sauce like in the Brady Bunch, but I did make breaded pork chops and twice baked sweet potatoes this past Sunday night. It was soooo yummy so I want to share the recipes from Taste of Home with everyone.

Breaded Pork Chops
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons flour
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs (I used Panko bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
6 boneless pork chops (I only used four pork chops and just used a little less ingredients.)

Place flour in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat the egg whites, Worchestershire sauce, and vinegar. In a third dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, salt an dpaprika. Coat pork chops with flour, dip in egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture. Cover and chill for an hour.

Place pork chops in a baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

After you clean the potatoes nuke in the microwave for 14 minutes to save time. You can always cook them the traditional way in the oven for an hour, but who has an hour to waste? Don't forget to pierce the potatoes before cooking them. Once cooked you will want to scoop out the inside of the potato into a bowl. You can be all fancy and delicate when scooping the inside so you save the shell, but since it was just Andy and I eating dinner I was not delicate. I just cut the potato in half and scooped out the inside into a bowl. Then mash the potatoes and add the cream cheese, sour cream, butter and salt; mix well. If you saved your shells then scoop the mixture back in or leave in the oven friendly baking bowl. I used our Pyrex bowl as that is oven friendly. Once everything is mixed together you will want to sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

This dinner was so yummy and I can't wait to make it again. I know Andy doesn't like sweet potatoes, but he liked this recipe. Here is a blurry picture of the fabulous meal I served with green beans.

What My Engagement Ring Says About Me

So, as an engaged female I do have an account with The Knot. I don't do much with my account since we are having a no fuss destination wedding; however, now and then I read articles that sound interesting from their daily e-newsletter I receive. Tonight I read the title "What Your Engagement Ring Says About You." Ok, that caught my eye, but mainly because I had nothing to do with my engagement ring. Andy picked it out all by himself and that is exactly how I wanted it. So, I was dying to read this article. I have a princess cut ring and this is what my princess cut ring says about me.

Princess Engagement Ring

Your style: Lover of all things sparkly.
Your relationship: He treats you like a...yep, total princess.
Your wedding: You may or may not arrive by horse-drawn carriage, opt for the biggest ball gown, or sport the tallest tiara -- but you're bound to have a royal blast.

So, I guess I am a lover of all things sparkly, or odd, big and unusual would be another way to put it. I am going to have to agree with what it says about our relationship because in Andy's own way he does treat me like a princess. He does take care of me, spoils me and remembers the little details that I just can't remember. Here is a great example of how Andy takes care of me. At my company holiday picnic this past weekend I brought my Flip Video to take short video clips of the picnic for our firm Intranet. I get to the park and pull out the Flip to find out the batteries are dead. Andy's response was "If you would have let me know you wanted to use the Flip today I would have made sure the batteries were charged for you." I realized that I never thought about the batteries because for years now Andy has always made sure batteries have been charged in the camera, laptop, DVD, MP3 and any other electronic device before I want to use it. When I thought for a minute about it I thought how sweet that was that it's the little things that Andy does to take care of me.

Ok, enough of the mushy stuff and onto the last item that The Knot has to say about the ring Andy bought. I guess they are right about the wedding as I am not going to have a giant marshmallow ball gown, tiara or a huge wedding, but you better believe that I (we) will have the time of our lives!

Fake vs. National Geographic

So, I am sure Andy will not be thrilled with this post, but this is a funny conversation that we had last weekend and I think it's so funny that I want to share it.

A little background first: Andy has never been a fan of fake boobs. He has always said that he prefers them real over fake and if I ever wanted to get fake boobs he wouldn't like it. My thought is that I don't care either way. If people want fake boobs they can have them. It's their body and they can do whatever they want. I am not anti-fake boobs as maybe I will need them some day, but for now I am happy with what my mamma gave me and have no plans for surgery anytime in the near future.

So, last weekend we were discussing the possibility of having kids someday. Andy made a comment about breast feeding...ok, maybe he actually said "when you have baby on tit." Anyway, I said I don't know if I would breast feed...we will see. He asked why and I told him because I have heard so many people say that breast feeding ruins your boobs and I am happy with my boobs. His response was "Well you can just get a boob job then." I was shocked so I responded with "I though you are Mr. anti-fake boobs?" That's when he said "Well, I would rather have fake over national geographic. Oh my gosh! I was laughing so hard when that came out of his mouth. He said it without missing a beat. It was too funny! I then explained to him how those women have many children that they breast feed and they do not wears bras for support.

I learned from that conversation that Andy prefers real over fake, but fake over national geographic. Now everybody knows that Andy approves my future boob job post children.

Spinach-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

So, I made a fabulous meal tonight from the Taste of Home Cookbook. Andy and I both like a lot of recipes from this book so last weekend I went through it again to see what else I could make and came across this yummy recipe. I even learned how to butterfly a tenderloin while making this recipe. Here are the ingredients you need:

1 Pork Tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/2 Teaspoon of celery salt, divided (I used regular salt)
1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic powder, divided
1/2 Teaspoon of pepper, divided
4 Slices of provolone cheese
2 Cups fresh spinach
2 Thin slices of deli ham

First thing you want to do is butterfly the tenderloin by cutting a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2 inch of the bottom. Then open the tenderloin so it lies flat. On each half, make another lengthwise slit down the center to within 1/2 inch of the bottom. Cover the tenderloin with plastic wrap and flatten it with a meat cleaver until it's about 1/4 inch thick like below.


Then you will want to sprinkle a 1/4 teaspoon each of the garlic, salt and pepper. Then layer the tenderloin with the cheese, spinach and ham like below.



Then roll the tenderloin like a jelly-roll and tie roast with kitchen string like below.


Sprinkle the rest of the garlic, salt and pepper on top of the tenderloin. Bake, uncovered at 425 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until your meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees. You will want to let the meat sit for 10 minutes before you start slicing into it.

I served this with my tastefully simple garlic and bacon mashed potatoes. Andy and I both love this meal and it will definitely be repeated in this house.


I do want to say that I made this meal completely by myself. Andy did help with tying the kitchen string around the tenderloin while I held it, but that is all he participated in. I am pretty proud of my gourmet meal on a Wednesday evening...hu huh...a work night.

Disappointed In Halloween Costumes

So, as everyone knows Halloween is my favorite holiday and this year is no exception even though our costumes were not up to par like previous years. If you remember last year we were Zombie Prom King and Queen and the year prior we were Madonna and A-Rod and the list goes on-and-on for pretty decent costumes if not great costumes. This year we must have lost our mo-jo and I really lost my Halloween game when it came to costumes. The reason for this is the first part of October was focused on our WI trip back home and then it was focused on wedding dress shopping and then I got sick, so we basically started our costume last week on Thursday. That gave us a matter of two and a half days to get creative and shop for a costume. I know I am a creative person; however, I can't even work a miracle in that short of time.

Well, we decided on Morticia and Gomez Addams from The Addams Family. I wasn't super thrilled with the idea since we did go with the dark theme last year, but Andy was completely sold on it since he was going to wear a fake mustache. Unbeknown to him, the mustache only last approximately 30 minutes before it fell off his face. We didn't even get pictures of him with the mustache still on his face. With the mustache he still didn't look like Gomez anyway, instead he looked like a 70's porn star. Without the mustache he looked more like a brunette Justin Bieber since his wig had a nice swoop to it, so of course after a few drinks I started saying "I have Bieber Fever." HA HA! I felt I looked a bit more like a witch than Morticia herself. So, I am slightly disappointed in our Halloween costumes this year, but hey, we can't always have a winning costume...or can we??? Bahahahah! Next year we are starting much earlier with the Halloween costume so we don't get "stuck" with crap, but we only have ourselves to blame. Here are photos.






So, for Halloween we went with our friends (the king and queen of Halloween) to the Halloween Boo Bash at the Hotel Valley Ho. We thought it would be fun to check out one of the hotel Halloween bashes, especially since it was a nominal fee of $35 to get in. We got there early to avoid a long line to get in and we were glad we did that because not soon after we got there it was a gigantic line. Once inside we were able to check out all the neat and creative (plus skanky) costumes that people were wearing. There were definitely some neat ones, but Scottsdale is not like Madison were you can see some pretty neat and creative costumes; instead it's more of a contest to see who can be more slutty. That's ok though, because it was still entertaining to see boobs and ass hanging out everywhere. It was a fun night and we are glad we finally checked out one of the hotel parties, but next year if the Smith's don't have a party at their house we will be heading to a bar to partake in the Halloween festivities. Andy is not into dancing, and we really are not club people anymore so the hotel party really was not us. I must admit that since I was unable to get out of bed until 3pm the following day, it was a successful Halloween! I also have to give kudos to our friend AJ for picking us up at the Ho and providing us with a safe ride home.

Good times this year, but next year it's either the Smith's awesome house party (if they have it) or onto a bar!


Andy with Mike, Jordan and Nikki


The king and queen of Halloween (Jeremy and Lisa) with Jordan.