I'd like to start this post by mentioning how SPEECHLESS I am at all of the comments I received from the last blog. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR! :) Thanks so much for all of the feedback & sweetness; it makes writing down my thoughts THAT much more enjoyable when I know that others are enjoying it as well. Now.. I was looking at some past blogs, and it seems as if the ONLY time I'm writing about Cash, it's telling a story about something bad that he did. Stealing a spool of zebra ribbon from Michael's, pulling a Picasso on my bedroom carpet.. If you're wondering why this is so, it is because he is doing something bad MOST of the time. Today was no exception.. If it's not one thing, it's another, and today..it was the coffee table. Since he's a genius mathematician & all, he found it suitable to walk around with a metal yard stick this morning, just in case he had to measure the circumference of something at a moment's notice. After several failed attempts at taking it from him, I finally let it become one of his new toys.. If toys really DO talk like on Toy Story, I'm sure that ol' Yard Stick is having a good time in the toy box with his new friends, Remote Control, Tampon Box and the ever so popular Water Bottled filled with Marbles for shaking. Don't bring your kids to my child's room, because all of his real toys are collecting dusts, and the only things to play with are NON play items such as those listed above. Anyway, I somehow maneuvered my way out of the room for five minutes, only to hear a loud clanking/drumming sound immediately upon my exit. Hmm.. wonder what that was. I walked back in to my perfectly perfect baby boy texting his pals on my phone.. Harmless enough.
I made the quick decision to stick around just in case the clanking noise returned. Cash then proceeded to hold up the ruler as if he was about to hit me with it.. or cast a spell on me. (His eyes looked like he was in a trance) Either way, I could do without both..
So I took it from him, like any mother should.. and got this face in return, mid "Peeeeeeeeaaaseeee"
Because I have a freakin' HEART I couldn't stand to hear him beg, so I gave it back. He reciprocated with this dramatic "overjoyed" face, which doubles as his "Cash show me your Chinese face"..face.
I promise it's funny when he's facing you. Anywho, a couple of minutes later.. the clanking returned. Come to find out, Cash was slamming the metal yard stick against our "wannabe wood" coffee table. Now it has chicken pox.. tiny bits of paint removed in little spots where he wounded it. I wouldn't care if the spots didn't look like dirt..So now I'll constantly be wiping it down to cure my OCD'ness, and it wont' even be dirty. Oh, joy. Here's his face after he was "disciplined" with the ruler.. A mama's gotta do what a mama's gotta do..
Let me contradict my last blog & officially say that if I have to hear anything else about the Royal Wedding, I may go crazy. Even worse, the death of Osama bin Laden, which has to be more important than the Royal Wedding. Only the clothes aren't as pretty.. Please, for the love of all things holy, PUT THESE STORIES TO REST. Or at least bury them at sea.. That entire excerpt was totally unnecessary, but still.. In BETTER news, Mariah Carey finally popped out those twins.. I started to think for a while that she would have the longest "twin pregnancy" of all time. She was as big as a HOUSE. How lucky was she to get both a boy & a girl in the first round, especially since she's 41!? You GO girl! Even better news, they picked the names! The babies left the hospital without names because they wanted them to be perfect. I'm all for the names being perfect, but did they NOT have 9 (almost 10 for her!) months to think about names? I guess there IS that chance that the kid comes out and looks nothing like the name you picked out, if that makes sense? Luckily, Cash looked/acted like a Cash from the minute he was born, which is good because it is the ONLY name we had picked out. Anyway, the boy twin is named Moroccan Scott Cannon, and the girl twin is Monroe Cannon. LOVELOVE Monroe, but the boy's name is questionable.. At LEAST they have a story behind it, from what I saw on the news. Either way, congrats to you both...since my congrats/approval means so much to the two of you ;) haha
DISCOUNT DISCOUNT DISCOUNT DISCOUNT! Anyone like that word as much as I do? In case you haven't heard, starting this Friday (May 6th) through Sunday (May 15th) all Frappucino's at Starbucks are HALF price from 3-5 pm, without a coupon!!! I'm sorry that I have no life and get excited over the smallest things, but I do. And I'm ecstatic. YUM.
Has anyone heard of the "Test Tube" beauty products by NewBeauty magazine? I totally hopped on board today.. This is the PERFECT treat if you're looking for new products to try out or need something new to add to your regimen, but don't quite know which products to choose. NewBeauty Magazine is the most hip, accurate & most comprehensive beauty product magazine on the market. They have massive studies to select the greatest luxury products in all aspects of the industry, and fill a "test tube" container packed with sample sized versions of some of the best rated products. Lotions, Teeth Whitening, Collagen, you name it.. Because who wants to buy the HUGE bottle of something you've never even tried?! The "test tube" sends by mail for $29.95, with a $150 value of products inside. New products are sent every 3 month but you can cancel at any time. Sneaky me, (who does NOT want $30 charged to my credit card each month) has already cancelled for the next order, because I'm only trying it as a one time deal.. However, if I'm loving the products, I may just get back on that list! Go check it out.. because who WOULDN'T want to receive all of this in the mail?
http://testtube.newbeauty.com/Default.aspx
Okay, this recipe is my "Go To" on the very rare occasions that I'm only cooking for myself. It's light, yummy and THE EASIEST THING YOU'VE EVER COOKED! I'm going to save you the long details because it is THAT simple. I cooked Angel Hair dried pasta according to the box. Popped open my favorite can of Ragu, and let it simmer on the stove. When it's warm, add a tub of Whipped Cream Cheese (or two sticks of regular Cream Cheese!) to the sauce. As it melts in, it will form a creamy consistency & turn a pinkish hue. When it is all completely incorporated, dump sauce into drained, cooked noodles & toss. Top with freshly grated Parmiagiano Reggiano (you can find this at any HEB MARKET.. there is NOTHING better than fresh cheese!) Voila! There you have it.. ANGEL HAIR PASTA IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE!
...and now for dessert! My sister would totally make fun of me for this recipe, because it came from a book in one of my favorite "Culinary Mystery" series.. Yes, mystery books jam packed with recipes.. What 67 old woman wouldn't love this? Oh, and me too.. Anyway, I made these once and they were DELICIOUS. They remind me of S'mores, and since camping season is well on it's way, they'd be perfect to pack up and take with you. WARNING: These things are addictive!
CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW COOKIE BARS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, rack in the middle position
BOTTOM LAYER:
½ cup butter (1 stick, 4 oz, ¼ lb.)
1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
½ cup white granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flower (packed down)
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs lightly beaten
CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
8-oz package cream cheese, softened (you’ll use 6 oz for this layer and the remaining 2 oz for the frosting)
¼ cup softened butter (1/2 stick, 1/8 lb)
¼ cup white granulated sugar
2 tblsp all purpose flower
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 beaten egg
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows
FROSTING:
¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)
1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
reserved 2 oz cream cheese
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb box powdered sugar
STEPS:
1. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate in microwave. Stir in sugar.
2. Combine the flower, baking powder and nuts. Add them to the chocolate mixture. Stir well.
3. Stir in the vanilla and the eggs.
4. Spread the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch by 13 inch cake pan. (Or spray with baking spray)
5. Make the cream cheese filling:
6. Start with the cream cheese. Cut off the two oz and reserve it for the frosting.
7. If your cream cheese isn’t soft enough, heat in microwave for 10-20 seconds. Combine the softened cream cheese with softened butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
8. Add the beaten egg and stir until well combined.
9. Mix in the chopped nuts.
10. Spread the cream cheese layer over the chocolate layer. Use a rubber spatula to smooth it out.
11. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.
12. Take the pan out of the oven, sprinkle the top with the miniature marshmallows and put it back in the oven for an additional 2 minutes.
13. While the marshmallows are baking, start your frosting. Your pan will come out of the oven before you’re through making the frosting, but that’s okay.
14. Melt the butter. Break the unsweetened chocolate square into two parts and stir into the butter.
15. Stir in the softened cream cheese and the milk.
16. Heat the mixture until it can be stirred smooth. Beat in the vanilla.
17. Beat in approximately a cup at a time of the powdered sugar. Stir frosting until smooth.
18. When the frosting is smooth, spread it over the hot bars, swirling it into the marshmallows. It will firm up as the bars cool.
19. Slip pan into the refrigerator, and chill for at least an hour.
20. Cut bars into pieces to serve.
20THINGS:
1) It takes a ton of mental breakthroughs and talking to myself for me to not unwrap, excitedly hug, and then re-wrap every single one of my Christmas presents.
2) I want my engagement ring to be a Princess or Cushion cut Solitaire, but I don't have to choose it.
3) I pushed Cash out in 15 minutes..even my doctor doubted I could do that!
4) I have a new tattoo. X-XY-MMIX.
5) I volunteered at a children's shelter with no running water in Belize for a week.
6) I do not color my hair, but sometimes I crave for highlights. Immediately after, someone compliments me on my hair and makes me change my mind.
7) I like to be very honest with the friends who matter to me. If there's something in the way of our friendship, I like to put it on the table, address it, and get it out of the way.
8) I have a somewhat "signature" (if I was cool) nail color, a pale pale baby pink that I've stuck to for about 8 years now. I sometimes stray (Red for Christmas, Taupe for fall, etc.) but I usually stick to this color 90% of the time.
9) I'm addicted to hand sanitizer. Specifically, Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple hand sanitizer. Yes, very specific and yes, it's only seasonal :((
10) I inherited a special gift from my Dad of cooking by taste. I can taste something & immediately know what is in it, and what it needs.. similar to a musician that can play by ear.
11) The first thing I do when I get home is put on sweats and put my hair on top of my head. It only feels right.
12) I'm an old lady at heart. I like old lady books, old lady movies, and I have a firm addiction to Murder She Wrote. Yes, it still comes on television.
13) I recently became addicted to Pandora on my Blackberry.. I just can't get enough, but there's something slightly "Ms. Cleo-esque" about the whole thing.. How does it know what I'm thinking?!? *looks over shoulder
14) I'm a stickler for manners. I won't tell you your soup spoon is in the wrong spot, but at least keep it classy!
15) I wait for the UPS man on the porch according to the time my tracking number says my package will arrive. Yes, I'm one of them.
16) Sometimes I think I could sleep until 3pm at least once a week, if given the chance.
17) J looks/acts/IS the man I always pictured myself marrying & starting a family with.
18) Cash is soo much better than the very best image I had in my head of a son when I was pregnant. He is Everything <3
19) I'm slightly sarcastic. Some get it.. others don't. I'm assuming if you've read my blog more than once, you get it. Which means I love you ;)
20) I'm extremely self-indulgent, as in almost like from a soap opera, and I always have been. Do normal people wear aprons when they cook and robes, house shoes, and face masks as a nightly ritual? Because I do..
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