Stirring It Up with MEG

I'm in charge of dinner? Crap!

2010-03-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Dinner is usually planned out a week in advance. I normally have a dinner plan that I put together at the beginning of the month and have the food as pre made as possible for the upcoming week. Since the New Year and I started back at work, I have yet to put together a monthly menu or even have anything pre made. I have failed at my job, being the cook. I never realized how much more difficult it is for me to figure out dinner on a nightly basis without my plan. Coming home from work at 5 to look in the pantry or fridge and decide on what to make easily puts dinner past 8:30. Or instead of making anything, I pick something up that is pre made or we go out. With not cooking as often, we have both been eating lunch out more often than before. This isn’t the type of eating habits I want for us. If we both go out to lunch and dinner in one day, it puts our food total around $50 a day which is outrages. For $50, I could buy 4 days worth of food for both of us and Scott eats a lot. So my pledge for the rest of the year is to make 6 full dinners a week which will also provide us both with 5 lunches. It’s not only fiscally responsible; it is healthier for both of us. I am back on track with monthly meal plans as well as filling up the freezer with meals in advance for the nights we have sports. I can’t encourage everyone enough to sit down for one hour and plan out your meals. It makes it so much easier to eat at home when there is a set plan. It’s only 2 of us but we both work full time jobs and I am in school full time so neither of us has time or money to waste eating out at a restaurant as much as we have.

Dating Rules

2010-02-25T09:08:00.001-08:00

Last night I met up with some friends to watch the Texas Longhorns beat the crap out of the OSU Cowboys. Within 10-15 minutes of the start of the game, neither of us girls was paying any attention to the game. We pretty much used the game as an excuse to get out of the house, drink beer and gossip. So we let our boyfriends watch the game while we gossiped. This was the first time I had met her new boyfriend and previous to this guy she had gone on a lot of dates through match.com with very little to no luck. As we talked about her previous dates, I began to realize she had her dating pattern all wrong, or at least in my opinion. I may be young but I have gone on a LOT of dates. After my first year post high school sweetheart, I formulated a dating guide to help navigate the dating waters. These guidelines helped me a lot to weed out the bad ones and to catch a great guy. Some people disagree with them but I have had great success over the past year sticking to them.
1. First dates should never be anything more than a drink. Whether it is the first time meeting the person because it’s an internet date or you met the person at a happy hour or event, never do anything more than drinks.
2. First 3 dates should occur during the week. Dates on Friday and Saturday night don’t have the same end time as week dates. If you meet during the week, the date should end by 10:30. This takes the pressure off. It lets you get to know the person on a more casual level. Plus if the date is going really bad, there is the excuse of work in the morning.
3. For the Ladies: Do not text, email or call the guy until he calls, texts or emails you and only respond once for each line of communication. He sends you a text respond once and keep it brief. You want to look interested but not so interested that he thinks you’re crazy. I would typically wait at least 30 min to respond to a text, 2+ hours for an email and 12-24 hours for a phone call. I never answered the phone the first time a guy called. If he was really interested, he would leave a voice mail with info for a next date.
4. Do not introduce friends until the 5th date. Get to know the guy before you bring him to your friends for judgment.
By the 4th date, your judgment should be able to tell you if the person is right for you. If your gut is saying something is not right than trust it.

Bog? What Blog?

2010-02-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

So this Blog has fallen by the waist side for me. Life took over and I have not been a good blogger, clearly. Over the past few months I have explored many different blogs and really thought about what I want this space to be. A cooking Blog? Not so much because my cooking and photography skills are lacking, heavily. A blog where I can go and complain? No Thanks. Because who really wants to read a blog that the writer complains on EVERY. DAMN. DAY. I know I don't. So instead of defining what this space on the vast Internet will be, I am going to call it the junk pile. I will some days write about my struggles in the kitchen or with my boyfriend or even my crazy ass family. Please comment if you like or don't like something but remember this is my space. If you really don't like what you read, you don't have to read it.

THANKS!

December Recap

2009-12-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

Does December fly by incredibly fast for anyone else? I feel like I went to bed on thanksgiving and woke up on the day after Christmas. So this is going to be my fast recap on everything that has happened since thanksgiving.

December kicked off with a storm. It felt like we had something to do and somewhere to go every weekend. The first weekend we headed off to Dallas for the Big 12 Championship game. It was a nail bitter. I didn't think the longhorns were going to pull it out but they did! We parked about a mile from the stadium but I couldn't tell on the walk back to the car because I was so excited about the big win.

The following weekend we went to a friends Christmas party where I proceeded to drink way too much and spent the weekend recovering. I also finished another round of classes that weekend so it was kind of crazy.

Up next was my office Christmas party. My boss's wife was generous enough to agree to host so I didn’t have to do any extra work like normal. It was so nice to see everyone's significant other and the food was awesome. There was only one downer but she took off early so she didn't ruin anyone's fun.

The last weekend before Christmas, Scott and I had an awesome weekend away in Fredericksburg. We went to 4 different wineries and bought way too much wine but it was really relaxing to just walk around and enjoy all the beautiful Christmas decorations. I really didn't want to go home and face my kitchen....

This year instead of going out to buy 15 different gifts for my co-workers, I decided I would make them all a small basket of treats. It took about two days to make everything but the treats turned out great and everyone loved them. I loved the price tag and how much easier it was then going shopping for a bunch of pointless gifts. The grand total for all 15 gifts was a whopping $115 which included wrapping and all the materials. Last year I spent almost double that and I don't think people enjoyed the gifts half as much.

Christmas this year was a little rough. Kyle is still in Iraq so it was hard to celebrate knowing he is still in harm’s way. Christmas Eve we went to Scott's parent’s house for dinner. His Mom makes Swedish meatballs for dinner and we sit around drinking Glog. After dinner Scott and I drive back up north to church with my parents and sister. After church we all go back to my house for dessert, coffee and opening of some gifts. By the time everyone left, we got the house cleaned, and the dogs put to bed, it's always after midnight. We have to wake up at 7 Christmas morning to get everything ready to head back down to Scott's parents house for a brunch and gifts. By the time we leave there to head back up north to my parent’s house, I am ready for a nap. Christmas at my parents i spent opening gifts and listening to Christmas music. We were really lucky to get to talk to Kyle on Skype for about an hour. It's not the same as having him with us but it's better than nothing. After all the gifts are opened and dinner has been consumed. We go see a movie. This year we went to see Avatar. If you haven't seen it yet, go. It was a really good movie. It was a great message and the graphics were really cool. I also went to see It's Complicated with my Mom, Another GREAT movie. We were laughing through almost the entire thing. I still want to see Did you hear about the Morgan’s, and Young Victoria but I can probably wait for those to come out on DVD. Have you seen any good movies?

For New Years we are heading off to Houston. I am hoping I can talk Scott into going to the Art Museum but I have a feeling that won't be happening but keep your fingers crossed for me.

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and have a Happy New Year! I will be back after the first with TWD, MSCC, and CEIMB.

Oh Mrs. Palin...

2009-12-04T16:05:00.001-08:00

I told myself when I started this blog that I would try not to bring up Politics. But this to me is something that must be talked about. First and foremost, I am not a Democrat. Nor am I a Republican. I prefer to say I am somewhere in the middle. I like a balanced budget and prefer the Republican fiscal standards but on the other hand I usually agree with Democratic social issues. So let’s say I am a Redemocratican.

While watching the nightly news, I saw on the news ticker that Sarah Palin was asking President Obama to boycott the Climate Conference in Copenhagen on her Facebook page. So like any other concerned citizen, I logged onto Facebook, found Mrs. Palin’s Facebook page and read in detail what the hell she was talking about. You can find the article here.

After reading her full note, all I want to do is find her, and yell at her until she becomes an intelligent human being. What the hell goes through her small brain to make her think this is a good idea? What message does it send to the world when our President doesn’t show up? We are in a time where our nations is looked down upon by almost every other country in the world. As a whole we need to be looking to for ways to rebuild our relationships with the world, not tear them down anymore. I could go on and on and on but I am going to stop there for today.

Cohabitation

2009-12-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

I live with my Boyfriend and we are not married and do not plan to marry for another couple years. I read the statistics online and know what the “professionals” say about living together before marriage. But I disagree. We moved in together after only dating for 6 months. It was fast to say the least. We had not talked about marriage before moving and really weren’t sure if things were going to work out. But we made the plunge and moved in. After a year and a half we are still together and working through our issues one day at a time. It is not easy but we work on things daily. A great example came up recently. He is a huge clean freak. He is almost to the point of OCD. He does not like a thing out of place or a piece of paper to be left lying around. This inevitably caused an argument between us because I am not so much of a clean freak. I start many projects and don’t always clean up right away. We are both learning how to work with one another’s cleaning habits to create a living environment we both can live in. Some days it’s hard for both of us but knowing we are both willing to work on it really helps. I don’t know if I would make the same decision I made again in the future if it ever comes up but right now I am happy, Even if my mother bugs me daily to get married. I know in my heart I made the right decision for me at the time I made it. Critics say what you want about living together before marriage, but know that those of us doing it, did it by choice and are happy with the choice we made.

Monday Funday

2009-11-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break. I know for me it went by really fast.

Since it was my day to pick over at Martha Mondays, I decided to give martha another shot. I picked something I thought would be easy and straight forward, Picture-Frame Ornaments. I was wrong. It was not easy and it turned out horrible. So in light of all my failed Martha Stewart projects, I have decided to send Martha a letter. Let me know what you think.

Dear Mrs. Stewart,

May I ask what is going on? Your magazine has taken a sharp turn downward lately. Every recipe and project I have tried from you has been awful lately. Nothing has turned out as you say in your directions. I usually have great success with your stuff but lately it has been the opposite. I tried many different version of your stuff but have suffered the same problems. What is going on with Omnimedia? Is it time to hire on a new CEO? Whatever it is, I hope you fix the issue soon. Until then I am sorry to say I canceled my subscription to Martha Stewart Living. I hope you fix the issues soon and I will renew my subscription.

All the Best,
Maryann

Here are a couple pictures of my christmas decorations. Out house is pretty small so I have been limited to decorating the dinning room only.

Short and Sweet

2009-11-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

I am hoping to get back to blogging in the next couple of weeks but I wanted to post a little something before then.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A short list of things I am thankful for include:
1. My Family. We are spread out across the world but I think of everyone daily. My little brother is in Iraq this holiday season and it has been HARD. He will email me letters that are filled with sadness. It's hard not to cry when I read how miserable he is and that there is nothing I can do to fix it. I pray for his safety daily and for his return in February.

2. Scott. Although we fight and sometimes have problems, I am always thankful to be with him and support each other in whatever way we can.

3. My dogs. They are little bits of sunshine. I could be having the worst day but when I come home at the end of the day, their wagging tails make the awful day go away.

4. My Job. It can suck on some days but I have great job security for the next year so I really can not complain.

And last but most important, God. I struggle with my faith on a daily basis but in the end I know I can find the light at the end of the tunnel through him.

I hope this finds everyone enjoying the holiday season. I should be back to full time in the next week or so.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Overpriced Registry

2009-10-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Scott’s buddy from College is getting married this weekend and we are attending. I am really happy for him because he is a great guy with an awesome personality. That being said, I am not a huge fan of his soon to be wife. For starters, she hasn’t exactly been nice to me and has been pretty clear that she doesn’t approve of Scott and me living together since we’re not married. All of that aside, we are going to their wedding and will smile and have a wonderful time. My latest frustration with the wonderful couple is where they decided to register. I am a modern woman who believes in traditional manners in entertainment and this is where I believe me and the bride differ. The wedding is at 2:30 in the afternoon with an appetizer reception to follow that will end by 6. However they have registered as if this is a high end wedding. Their registry consists of Williams Sonoma, REI, and Crate and Barrel and on their registry; nothing is under $50 unless you would like to buy them a single plate. When I went online to find them an appropriate gift, my jaw dropped at what they were asking for. A shower curtain for $50, a tent for $170, and a Wok for $180? You have got to be kidding if you think I am going to buy you a shower curtain that will cost me more than the amount it will cost you to provide appetizers for me after your afternoon wedding. My logic is this, your wedding is at a nice hotel and will have dinner served, then you get a gift equal to the amount it will cost you to provide me dinner. I found it very rude to ask for overpriced gifts when you are having a low budget wedding. You cannot expect people to shell out their hard earned money if you are not will to do the same.

In the end I am the sucker who bought the $50 shower curtain for the wonderful couple. I hope they enjoy it.

I'm Back!

2009-10-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

My trip to Canada was really great except I came home with a terrible cold that I am still trying to get over. So unfortunately I am not going to post anything exciting today. Instead I will leave you with a couple adorable pictures of my dogs Pearl and Bowski. They are a 1 year old mix of cattle dog and dalmatian. Hopefully by this weekend I will be back to feeling better and will also have all the updates done that I would like to do to this blog. Wish me luck!

Pearl

Bowski

Update on my random Kitchen excitement

2009-10-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick update on the minimal cooking/baking I have been doing. I am hoping when I get back from my trip to Canada, I will be able to get back on track and back to my normal schedule.

Up first is Pepperoni Pizza Rolls. I got the idea from Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day. It was very yummy. I have and will make these again. I am also considering trying other pizza toppings and maybe even cinnamon rolls. They were just so easy and yummy, I really want to find another way to use this recipe.

I made the Chicken Pot Pie recipe from October’s Everyday Food issue. It. Was. Bad. I won’t even show the pictures because it was that bad. I will not make this again and I do not recommend it. I have tasted frozen pot pie’s that tasted better. I have had some problems with Martha lately. About half of the recipes I have made from her magazines have not been good and needed major adjustments. I am not willing to give up on her yet but she is on notice. Step it up Martha or you will be off of my subscription list.

That is it folks! Again, I will be back to my normal schedule next Wednesday. I hope everyone has a great week.

TWD

2009-10-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

This week’s host at Tuesday's With Dorie is Garrett of Flavor of Vanilla. He picked Split Level Pudding.

I have two words for Split Level Pudding, Not Good. It turned out very rubbery and had little flavor. I will stick to my Martha Stewart vanilla pudding recipe.
The best part of this was the wine we paired it with. I love this wine and highly recommend it. Texas Hill's Orange Moscato is one of the best desert wines I have tasted. It's not cheap but worth every penny.

Currently October

2009-10-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Lauren From Texas and thought it was such a great idea, so I decided to do it as well. I hope you enjoy and get to know me a little better.

Current Book(s): Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Current Playlist: Breaking Benjamin’s new album Dear Agony. I LOVE IT.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Going to the Britney Spears concert with my sister.

Current Color: Fuchsia is my favorite fall/winter color.

Current Fetish: I clean to toothpaste cap on a daily basis. For some reason, having toothpaste on the cap drives me nuts.

Current Drink: Liberty Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the perfect fall red wine. Not to mention its $9 a bottle.

Current Food: BBQ brisket sandwiches. I could eat them every day.

Current Favorite Show: The Good Wife. I hope it doesn’t get cancelled.

Current Wishlist: A new laptop and two new front teeth. I knocked mine out when I was little and I am seriously considering replacing my implants with full porcelain ones.

Current Needs: New tires for my car.

Current Triumphs: Finishing another 2 classes. I will graduate before I know it.

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: School.

Current Celebrity Crush: Ryan Reynolds

Current Indulgence: Starbucks Ice Cream.

Current #1 Blessing: Scott. I would be lost without him.

Current Slang or Saying: “I got this yo.”

Current Outfit: Pencil Skirts and boots. Especially skirts I can wash and dry with no ironing needed.

Current Excitement: Trip to Canada tomorrow. I can’t wait to see my Sister, Brother In-Law, Nephew, Niece, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and Cousins. I wish we lived closer so I could see them more often.

Current Mood: Excited and Nervous. I’m Excited about the trip but nervous about my root canal before I leave.

Current Link: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
Current Excitement: Trip up north and cooler weathe

NFL

2009-10-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

The NFL has gone Pink! And I love it. While watching another NFL game with Scott tonight, I noticed most of the players had on either pink shoes, gloves or towels. Now I know most NFL players would not be caught dead wearing pink. So maybe something was wrong with the TV? Nope! The NFL is doing its part to support breast cancer awareness. It is really great to see a sport that is dominated by men and has mostly male viewers supporting a cause that mostly affects women. So I applaud the NFL for stepping forward for women. It's nice to see a large group of men coming forward to support boobs without tucking dollar bills into a G-string.

Root Canal Haze....

2009-10-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been MIA. I have had an abscessed tooth that is being worked on. Between the antibiotics and the darvocet, I have been in a huge haze. Long story short, I have a cavity crack and break off so the Dentist tried to re fill it. A week latter I had intense throbbing and swelling on that side of my mouth. I was given antibiotics and two days latter the dentist attempted a root canal. He was able to finish about half but because the infection was so bad the tooth wouldn’t numb. So I am on another round of antibiotics and taking darvocet. Cooking has been sparse and rare along with any type of writing. Please forgive me. I will try to update and get back on track this week.

NEW CAMERA!!!

2009-09-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful mom I have a new camera! The one I have been using is about 2 years old and is made for more point and shoot. When I bought it, I needed something small to fit in my purse that would take pics fast. Now that I am trying to take photos of food, I needed a camera with better focus. While at my parents’ house yesterday, my mom volunteered her old camera. How could I say no? Only down side to this is I no longer have an excuse for bad pictures. ; )

I will update the blog with all the stuff I made this weekend on Monday. I hope you are having a good weekend!

Where did the week go?

2009-09-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already Wenesday night! Last night and tonight have been supper busy. To start, last night I made some supper yummy spaghetti. The sauce is from a couple weeks ago that was in the freezer. I try to make one big pot a month and use it when I am short on time. It's really basic. I can of crushed tomatoes, one can of diced tomatoes, italian seasoning, basil from the garden and garlic. Mix it all together in one big pot for about 30 minutes and its ready. It always turns out perfect.

Next up was treats for kyle. I made these yummy rice krispy treats with caramel and M & M's in the middle. If you want the receipe just let me know. they turned out supper tasty and I hope they make it to Iraq in one piece.

To end the night I made a pot of Tomato Soup for Craving Ellie in My Belly. More coming tomorrow.

Thursday was just as busy. I finished up The Craving Ellie in my Belly challenge which was super tasty. Again more to come tomorrow.

Finally I made cupcakes for a co-wokers last day at work before she gets married this weekend. I decided this would be the perfect time to catch up on the MS Cupcake Club. Augusts pick from Eat My Cupcake was a Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cupcake. I couldn't find the receipe on Martha Stewart.com but it is in her Cupcake book which is a must have. The Cupcakes turned out super tasty. The cake is moist and the caramel has a nice creamy sweet taste. I didn't follow the reciepe with adding the salt but otherwise I went right along with the directions. I would give them an A.

finished and ready.

These cupcakes were amazing!! I will make them again and again and again.

To Send or Not to Send?

2009-09-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

My younger brother is in the Air Force and is deployed to Iraq. I have been sending him packages about every other week since he left, along with my parents. Are we sending too much stuff for him? We try to send baked goods that we know will travel well and other random food items. Magazines have never really been his thing and he has not asked for really anything. I want him to know we support and love him but are we over doing it?

Are you a "Grown-Up"?

2009-09-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

I have heard this question a lot the past couple weeks. Soemtimes it's "When did you realize you were an adult?" or "Do your parents ever see you as an adult?". In the end the question always boils down to pretty much the same thing. Have you passed from child to adult? I have considered myself an adult since I bought my first business at the ripe old age of 20. To me that proved I was really an adult. Looking back though I never felt like an adult and I don't think I acted like an adult. I still depended deeply on my parents and no major decision was made on my own.

Fast forward three years. Right about the time I turned 23 is when I made my first real adult decision. I decided I would move in with my boyfriend and start our life together. My family dynamic changed to include him as a permanent fixture. It was a huge step that I didn't really see at the time. We had only been dating for about 6 months when we moved in together. It turned my world upside down. Suddenly I was responsible for putting dinner on the table not for just myself but for him too. If you know Scott, than you know this is something that must be done by 7:30 no questions asked. He is a person who thrives on schedule and order where I grew up more on the chaos theory. With two working parents and three kids with busy schedules, a set dinner stopped occurring after middle school. The Kitchen was not completely foreign territory to me but it was not familiar either. I could make simple things usually starting with a box but if you asked for something from scratch, I usually looked at you as if you were an alien. I wanted to impress my significant other and live up to the standard of food he was use to from his parents so I hit the books and began my cooking adventure. A year later and I very rarely use anything from a box unless I have to. Having my own kitchen has added to my increased feeling of being an adult. I have my own set of tools and gadgets that I hold dear and like knowing I can through a dinner party without so much as breaking a sweat.

Another aspect of my life that changed drastically and pushed me into adult hood is my two dogs. We found the little guys on craigslist and immediately fell in love with them. Little did I know they would entail so much work. Scott grew up with dogs and has experienced what it takes to raise good dogs. I however have had none. We had 2 dogs growing up. One that we left behind in Florida and the second one only made it 3 years before my Dad gave it to a loving family. I figured they were good protection and Scott would take care of the rest. I almost laugh at myself looking back now. The first week with the new puppies was hell on wheels. They were too small to sleep outside and the only suitable place in the house for them was the kitchen. For the first week they did not sleep more than 2 hours at a time and if they weren’t sleeping they wanted to be held. Scott could sleep through the crying but I couldn’t. So every two hours it was me and the puppies. Add in cleaning up poop and pee that always seemed to miss the newspaper and I was about ready to give the dogs away. I realize new moms go through this all the time and that the dogs would grow out of it much quicker than babies do but it was still a long hard week. The dogs sleep outside now and are much more of a pleasure than a nuisance. The responsibility of another living being even if it is a dog really makes you feel like an adult. I am responsible for their health and welfare. I can’t forget to give them water in the morning or food at night. If we go away for more than 12 hours we have to make arrangements for them too. We also have to pack for them when we go away. It truly is like a practice child. So far we pass but there are times I take great pleasure in knowing if I get frustrated with them, I can just throw them in the backyard and take a break.

I would say I am an adult. But I still have a long way to go. There should be a name for this stage in life. Your no longer a teenager but still not really a full fledge adult. Sometimes I still wake up and want to pinch myself because it all doesn’t feel real.

My Big Fabulous Weekend.

2009-09-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

So this weekend I went to Dallas and saw the fabulous Britney Spears in concert. Let me first say she only sang one song live and the rest was lip synching. However, I LOVED it. Totally everything I had expected and hoped for. It was a total Circus full of performers and great dances. I sang along with every song and am happy to say it was well worth the ticket price of $55, $20 for parking, 3 hour drive there and 4 hour drive home. Although I spent more of Saturday and Sunday recovering, I would do it again in a heart beat.

Yesterday Kelly Clarkson tickets went on sale in Austin. I am really torn. It would be $120 for 2 tickets and I just can’t see spending that. Her new CD wasn’t great and it is on a Monday night. So I think I am going to sit this one out. If Pink comes to Austin though I will probably pay double that to see her.

The drama of today involves my boyfriend Scott. We met his parents for lunch where they kindly gave us 6 bottles of really good wine. Said bottles came in a 6-pack like container box that we have had no problems using, until today. Poor Scott went to retrieve the box out of the trunk and the bottom of the box promptly gave out to spill all 6 bottles onto the drive way. Of course every bottle broke right along with both of our hearts. I have never hated the smell of wine unitil it was coming from my drive way. Talk about a bad way to end a weekend. We have both learned our lesson and will never trust those flimsy boxes again.

This week marks my half way point for this term of school AND my first Tuesdays with Dorie challenge. Up first is Split level pudding chosen by Garret at The Flavor of Vanilla. More info to come!

Welcome!

2009-09-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking out my new blog. I will try to keep you all updated on my baking trials and tribulations as well as my general life issues. Enjoy!