BREAST? CHICKEN.

It's 9:23 on a Monday night, and I'm using this blog to escape the chaos. Yes, chaos. My house is as loud as my mariachi-blasting neighbors next door, and I can't seem to figure out why this is happening. My over-the-top child is frantically playing the keyboard as if it's a life/death situation. I walked in twice in the last fifteen minutes; First time, he was playing it with his butt. Second time, he was standing on it, playing it with his feet. Let's not forget his extremely loud vocal harmonizing going along with it.. Oh, he's not unusual at all.. This picture proves it..

 

I rest my case. Meanwhile, his father is in the living room & has been blasting the TV Guide Network on volume level 44 for a good thirty minutes.. He's yet to change the channel, and all this one consists of is a man explaining all of the other channels..JOY. So I'm in here, blogging my little heart out without much to say. Hope ya'll are up for my rambles ;)

Tonight I was busy watching Real Housewives of New Jersey (that's the last time I'm spelling it out.. if you read my blog, get used to the acronym RHONJ!) Anyway, when it was over, I flipped over to catch the last five seconds of The Bachelorette premiere, and it was mediocre to say the least. 1) I wasn't a fan of the chick they chose from the beginning. Call me shallow, but I did NOT think she was cute enough to be in the final 3 of last season's Bachelor, yet she just so happened to be the most self-confident, which was strange. 2) I sometimes get the desire to stick my hand on the stove while watching any form of the Bachelor/Bachelorette. How in the WORLD is it normal for a GROWN MAN to CRY because he was eliminated on the first night from a reality tv show. "I really thought she could've been the one.." Yes, I'm sure somewhere within the few seconds that she brushed past you to meet up with Rodrigo by the pool for mimosas, ya'll clicked on an intimate level. Men shouldn't cry over females they don't know. Or drink mimosas. Or accept roses. Or wear batman masks.

That's not creepy at all.. Anyway, now that I purchased my HUGE 10x10 Cash prints for my living room (that I'm convinced the UPS man stole because they should've been here days ago!), I'm rearranging some of the pictures in my house to make room. I plan to make our dining room wall the "collage wall", so I've had all of my frames strategically placed out on my living room floor all day. I'm not sure how I'll be able to make it through the day tomorrow walking around them, because I'm slightly OCD and things like that just freak me out. As soon as J decides to pick up the ol' hammer & nails, I'll post a pic of my latest work ;) We've been doing some serious talking about Cash's bedroom. J is usually pretty laid back about most things involving Cash (which is nice because you KNOW how men are with their son's!) but he's finally taken a stand on Cash's bedroom. Clearly, chocolate brown, sage green, and stripes/polka dots are NOT "boyish" enough for our son. Before his little personality was overflowing, it was adorable for a baby & modern enough for mama to enjoy. I wasn't prepared for Cash to go from newborn to "manly man" so quickly, so in 6 months or so (if I can stretch it that long!) we're starting on the BIG BOY ROOM. J wants a " New Orleans Saints" theme, and I'm not much on theme-y rooms. However, I think Cash would rather that when he's four than polka dots, so I'm going to have to find some middle ground between sporty & clean, bold, contemporary colors/fabrics. I'll keep ya'll updated on THAT project as well.. Geaux Saints! (whomp.whomppp)

RANDOM THOUGHT: Does anyone remember this movie?

If I could have my own mini Indian in my cupboard, it would be this couple:

 

Don't ya just love em? They're lucky I don't know where exactly they live in Houston because I would major-stalk.

 

If you've made it this far in this ridiculous excuse for a blog, here's your treat: A product that I'm loving and everyone should go pick up. Right. NOW.

COVERGIRL NATURELUX GLOSS BALM

This the greatest summer lip concoction I've ever came across. I'm all about the chapstick, but sometimes when I'm out I still want a little bit of shine/color. This did the trick..perfectly! It's formulated with natural mango & shea butter, and it's SPF 15! .It's new, and did I mention it's super cheap & at Walmart or almost any drug store? BOO-YAH! I'm all about getting good products for little to nothing.. Everyone try this & let me know if you love it as much as I do.. PS, I got the nude shade, "Clay"

 

I was flipping through one of my new magazines, and I came across one of those "Word Association" surveys.. I was curious & decide to test it out. Let me know if you were as blown away as I was by the first things that came to my mind..

What word comes to your mind if I say life?

- STYLE

Spirit?

- GOD

Drugs?

- DOCTOR

Reality?

- T.V

Perfect?

- 10

Sad?

- CRY

Laugh?

- MOVIE (?)

Whisper?

- LIBRARY

Breast?

- CHICKEN

Bubbles?

- CASH

Birthday?

- CASH

Magic?

- MAGICIAN

Pretend?

- BARNEY

Games?

- DOMINOES

Hero?

- SUPERMAN

Wow. I'm cool.

So I know it's not cold outside, but you never know with this weather. It's been kind of muggy lately, so I totally think that in Texas, that's fair game to whip out a soup recipe. Especially if it's the greatest taco soup alive. Or created..I'd hate for it to be alive.

SIMPLE & TASTY TACO SOUP

NEED:

2 lbs ground beef

1 onion, chopped (I used half because we're not onion eaters!)

1 14.5 oz can whole kernel corn

2 16 oz cans of ranch style beans (I only used one can because I'm not a bean lover & it was fine)

3 cans of diced tomatos (substitute 1 can rotel if you like spicy)

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 pkg Hidden Valley dressing mix

STEPS:

1. Brown and drain meat.

2. Saute onions for a few minutes.

3. Combine all ingredients in a large pot.

4. Add chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 1-2 hours.

(I topped it with sour cream & shredded cheese!)

 

...and don't make it unless you're serving it with the easiest drop biscuits in the world. They're just too easy not to include.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

NEED:

2 1/4 cups bisquick

2/3 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp garlic salt

 

STEPS:

1. Combine ingredients and make drop biscuits by just dropping spoonfuls on a sprayed pan.

2. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes....AND THAT'S IT!

 

Last but not least, I received this recipe from a friend, and I hear that it is "THE Single Best Chocolate Buttermilk Cake Ever Created." I haven't tried this recipe, but I'm anxious to because the pictures were killing me. It was passed down two generations, which is always the best. I guess I haven't made it because we aren't coffee drinkers, and it calls for coffee. I guess I'll have to give in and drive to Starbucks for a cup..just to make this cake! If you make it before me, let me know how it goes PLEASE!

CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE

NEED:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)*

1 1/3 cups canola oil

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups freshly brewed, extra-strong hot coffee

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

24 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

STEPS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Place flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low to combine. Keeping the mixer on low , add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time. Add hot coffee in a thin stream, pouring down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth. Divide into pans and back until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans for at least 20 minutes.

3. Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a boil. Place chocolate chips and cream in a stainless steel mixing bowl (I used glass) and set on top of simmering water, Allow mixture to melt–do not stir right away, When chocolate has melted, stir it with a whisk. Allow to cool at room temperature.

4. Remove cakes from pans. Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Trim the top with a serrated knife to make it even (although I didn’t find this necessary). Place a scoop of ganache in the middle and smooth it out to the edges using a palette knife or spatula. Trim the top off the other layer and place the untrimmed side down on the top of the frosted layer, pressing gently. Spoon more ganache on the top and smooth it around the sides, adding more ganache as needed to cover. If you need to apply a second coat of ganache, put the cake in the refridgerator for no more than 15 minutes to set before adding a second coat (although I found myself with a surplus of frosting). Makes a single 9-inch layer cake.

 

PS, Good news! I got a hold of a sweet lady that I used to take cooking classes from. She's a friend of the family & looks/talks/acts/cooks JUST like Paula Deen.. In fact, she's BETTER than Paula! She's mailling me a ton of recipes that I still reminisce about from almost 15 years ago (They were THAT good!) I can't wait to get them in the mail, and I'm sharing them as SOON as I do.