trick or treat

Happy Halloween!

We've got a pretty low key Halloween planned. No costumes this year because we spent all day yesterday at the UCF game and decided not to battle the crowds at the bar after the game. I haven't even carved our pumpkins yet. I'm a Halloween slacker this year. I think we'll camp out on the couch today and watch football and hand out some candy should any little ones come knocking at our door.

Since I don't have any pictures to share this year, how about some pictures from years past? Let's watch my hair get progressively blonder, shall we?

Halloween 2007 - I went as Holly Golightly.

Halloween 2008 I went as the Wicked Witch of the East. Can you say last minute costume? The Mister went as George O'Leary, head coach of the UCF Knights.

Halloween 2009

We went with an Amazing Race theme for our costumes.

Hope you have a happy, candy-filled Halloween!

airing my own dirty laundry

A more appropriate title for this post might be "Things I'm embarrassed about today...but obviously not embarrassed enough to prevent me from sharing them with the interwebs."

• An old  Britney Spears song came on my iPod {I'm talking her first CD here people}...and I didn't skip to the next song.
• There's a basket full of clean laundry sitting in my living room waiting to be folded. It's been there since Sunday.
• I took half of my sandwich home from lunch today. I ate it at my desk at about 3:30. My office now smells like a Chicken Pesto Sandwich. I'm praying to 8lb 6oz newborn baby Jesus no one comes in to talk to me and realizes I've been pigging out in here.  I wonder what it's like to have willpower...
• I purchased a frame for my law school diploma yesterday.  I graduated four years ago.
• It seems I lost a pair of sandals. I have no idea where they are or how a person loses shoes. But I've done it.  Wonder where they'll show up.
• I've spent an ungodly amount of time on my fantasy football teams this week. {Yes, I said teams - plural.}  Like, a stupid amount of time.  And guess what - they still suck.
• This book was delivered to my house:

Yeah...it's a Baby Sitters Club book. Was anyone else completely obsessed with these as a kid? I read them voraciously.  When I saw that Ann M. Martin had released a new BSC book - well, I just had to read it. And I'm not {too} embarrassed to admit it.

Anyone else want to share any embarrassing tidbits with the group?  Bueller? Bueller?

Mike & Molly (& Maura) (& Marie Claire)

The interwebs are abuzz about the controversial Marie Claire article entitled "Should 'Fatties' Get a Room? (Even on TV?)."  Have you read it? 

I have. And I'm appalled. 

I intended to write my own scathing response to Marie Claire. But then I read Jen Lancaster's counterpoint to the article.  She nailed it. 

Marie Claire, you should be ashamed. If the intent in publishing that article was to generate controversy - congratulations - you've done it.  But you've done it at the expense of this reader. And I'm certain many more.

ETA - Another excellent response to the Marie Claire article, written by author Stacey Ballis, can be found here.

coveting blair's closet

I need to stop watching Gossip Girl. No, not because I'm nearly 30 and the show's on the CW.  I have no shame. It's because I fear it may bankrupt me. 

I want to buy everything Blair wears, carries or walks in. Unfortunately, most of her outfits cost more than my mortgage. 

But a girl can dream.  Here are a few of Blair's pieces I'd love to add to my closet.

Louis Vuitton Cuir Cinema Neo Speedy Bag

I love it.  It's $4,370.  Moving on.

Bensoni Polka Dot Dress

If I had seen this before I got married, it may have been my wedding dress.  Seriously.

Nanette Lepore Lady Gambler Dress

So fun and bright. I wish I would have seen this dress a little sooner. It's gorgeous, but not really fall appropriate.

Bensoni Military Coat

I want to pack my bags and head north just so I can justify buying this coat. If the average temperature here wasn't 70 in December, this would be in my closet. (And how cute are those tights?!?!) 

And on a side note, if Chuck doesn't turn back into a serious Bass-hole soon, I may lose interest.  Aside from the clothes, he's the reason I watch. And he's not Chuck Bass unless he's a scheming, two-timing jerk wad. From the last episode I saw, it looks like the old Chuck is still in there, but I need more. (I haven't seen last night's episode, so hopefully the Bass-hole is back.)

grub for the week

Look at me, meal planning two weeks in a row! Hooray! 

Last week didn't go exactly as planned but I think it turned out okay. I only made two of the four meals I planned but nothing went to waste. (I keep meat in the freezer for exactly this reason.)  This week's recipes are all simple, tried and true dishes.  My goal is to make it to the gym after work at least three days this week, so I wanted meals that didn't require a lot of prep time or effort. If I don't get dinner before 8:00, I get cranky. So, easy dishes it is!

Here's what's on the menu at our casa this week:

• Cheeseburgers on the grill & french fries (We had this tonight. I was the grill master because The Mister was busy working. Poor guy.)
• Greek Pasta with Chicken & Shrimp (adapted from Noble Pig)
• Chili & Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread (I'm planning to brown the meat & soften veggies, then dump everything in a crock pot to cook while I'm at work.)
• Turkey Soft Tacos & Guacamole
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken & Spaghetti with Marinara 

Hope you all have a great week!

magic

Last week, The Mister and I went to an Orlando Magic preseason game at our brand spankin' new Amway Center. 

A bit of background for those of you who aren't local: Orlando is in the process of building/renovating three new venues: a new arena for concerts and sporting events, including Orlando Magic basketball games (the aforementioned Amway Center); a new performing arts center; and a renovation to the Citrus Bowl, an outdoor sports venue. The Mister (who works in finance) has been a part of the large team working on these venue projects over the past two years.

In recognition of his contribution to the project, they put his name on the wall in the Arena.  Isn't that cool?

He was really embarrassed when I made him take a  picture by the sign (okay, so it was more like six pictures). But I thought it was really cool! 

Anyway, the new arena is AMAZING! Such a huge improvement over our old arena.

The wine fridge at the arena restaurant. Wonder if I can get one for my kitchen? 

I'd post the pictures we took of B and I together but I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction. It seems that the black top I wore becomes a bit sheer when the camera flashes. Oops! So, now we have a couple otherwise cute pictures of B and I - except you can totally see my bra.  Classy, right?

It was a great game and the Magic won! I'm so excited we have such a beautiful new venue to see Magic games and concerts. 

crap i should have posted yesterday, Vol. II

alternatively titled, menu planning failure

So yeah, it makes very little sense to post the week's menu on Tuesday.  Particularly when I only planned four meals for the week and the wheels have already come off the wagon. But you know what? I'm not perfect. It doesn't always work out as planned. And that's okay.  I often see people post their weekly menus and wonder how they can be so organized. I thought you might appreciate hearing about the reality of my attempts at menu planning.

So here the menu I planned for this week, and here's what has/will actually happened:

Sunday - Pizza (take-out, not homemade). Totally unhealthy, totally delicious.

Monday - Asian Beef & Veggie Bowls with Brown Rice (very loosely based on this recipe)

Tuesday - Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Oven Fries.  Yeah, that didn't happen. My meeting tonight ran past 8pm so B made himself lord knows what from the freezer and I ate leftovers.  

Wednesday - Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans. This was the plan. Plans change. Now, I'm heading straight from work to the Magic game with friends. B is on his own again and I'll probably have a couple Bud Lights and a pretzel for dinner at the game. 

Thursday - Cuban Pork Chops with Black Beans and Rice. I'll probably make the chicken planned for Wednesday because the chicken is already defrosted and The Mister loves it.

No plans for the weekend.  Friday we're doing dinner at Ceviche for my friend Katie's birthday (Hi Katie - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!). Saturday is Homecoming at UCF so we'll be tailgating all day.

So there you have it - the menu that wasn't.

crap i should have posted yesterday, Vol. I

I realize it's already Tuesday night but I never got around to posting my weekend recap and menu for the week. I'm going to go ahead and throw caution to the wind and post my recap and menu today. I know, I'm a rebel.

Friday night, The Mister and I decided to try a new restaurant that opened in our neighborhood. (For the locals, Shine Neighborhood Kitchen.) The restaurant is just around the corner from our house, in walking distance. It was a beautiful night and we had a nice walk on the way to dinner.  Unfortunately, the walk was the highlight of the dinner experience. Because this isn't the restaurant review section of the Orlando Sentinel, I'll spare you the full rundown.  Let's just leave it at this: we won't eat there again.  I'm sad it wasn't better because the restaurant is so close and I love supporting (good) local establishments.  After dinner, we camped out on the couch and caught up on some TV we'd missed while we were out of town.* After a busy few weeks, it was nice to have a quiet night at home.

Saturday was a productive day! I guess I should stay in on Friday nights more often because I was up before 8am and crossed many things off my to-do list. The car got washed, errands were run, the kitchen was cleaned, house was dusted & vacuumed and the Halloween decorations went up.  A couple snapshots of some of the decorations:

How cute are the little ghost marbles?

On Saturday night, we celebrated our friend Matt's 30th birthday with an awesome 80's themed party.

On Sunday morning, B and I had lunch at Tijuana Flats with Matt & Lauren and then walked around the Lake Eola Farmer's Market.  As delicious as lunch was, I was almost sad we ate before the Farmer's Market. There was so much good food I wanted to try - funnel cakes, arepas, roasted corn, empanadas - its smelled like heaven out there. I made a swing through the produce stand for some veggies instead. I got all these locally grown veggies and some organic, local honey - all for $10.

After the Farmer's Market, we went home and watched some football and I watched my fantasy teams implode.  I'm doing so terribly, my sister posted this on my Facebook page today:

Thanks for the love, jackwad. 

After football was menu planning and grocery shopping.  I'll post the menu for the week in Volume II of Crap I Should Have Posted Yesterday. 

*Still working on the vacation post. I'm tempted to slap up some pictures and call it done but this blog is a way for me to capture our memories. We had a great time and I'd like to do the trip justice with more than just a few pictures.  Bear with me!

jake ryan 4 ever

I need your help. 

I'm in the midst of a little sisterly disagreement.    A topic (of the utmost importance, of course) came up for discussion today and it seems that my sister and I are on two different sides of an issue. 

What is this pressing controversy, you ask?  No, no...not health care reform or defense spending. Not Team Jen or Team Angelina. And not whether it's appropriate to wear white after Labor Day.

Something much more important. This. Is. Serious.

Which is the superior 80's movie: Teen Witch or Sixteen Candles? 

OR

I know, it's ridiculous to even ask the question.  Sixteen Candles is clearly the superior movie.  Unfortunately, my sister - bless her heart - is under the mistaken impression that Teen Witch is a better movie.  Even more regrettably, a substantial majority of our friends responding on Facebook have agreed with her.  Blasphemy! 

Blog friends, I need your opinions.  Tell it to me straight. Which is the better movie - Sixteen Candles or Teen Witch? 

If you love Louise & Madame Serena and you're on Team Teen Witch, shout it out in the comments.  (Top that!)

If you're on Team John Hughes (RIP) and heart Jake Ryan, cast your vote for Sixteen Candles. 

Please help us settle this oh-so-important question once and for all! 

(If you've never seen either of these movies and think I've lost my ever lovin' mind, leave a comment and tell me your favorite 80's movie.  If you're a youngin' and haven't seen any 80's movies - take a hike.  Kidding!)

addicted

What I did tonight (instead of writing a decent blog post).

 Watched this

and read this.

I'm addicted.  I can't get enough of Jax and Katniss.

Gotta run - Mockingjay is calling my name.

product psa

I'm not a product junkie by any means. Once I find a brand I like, I stick with it. And there's a limit to how much I'll spend on make-up, lotions and potions.  I'll shell out $26 for my favorite Nars blush but drop $250 an ounce on LaMer?  Never.  I like good products at a reasonable price.

So, I was thrilled to find a great new mascara....at Target! 

I love Maybelline's Falsies mascara.  It makes my lashes super long. It's great alone, but I wear it layered over my other favorite mascara, Maybelline Full & Soft. 

A coat of Full & Soft topped with a coat of Falsies and my lashes are full and long.  Next time you're at Tar-jay, I recommend tossing a tube of Falsies into your cart. 

laziness, in blog form

I'm too lazy to cobble together a decent paragraph tonight, so let's jump right in to the randomness, shall we?

• Do you watch the Amazing Race? I love that show! I'm so jealous of the amazing experience the contestants have. What an opportunity to see the world on someone else's dime. 
• My toes are painted in OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark. For me, this means Fall has officially begun.
• I made Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins for my office last week. I am not exaggerating when I say it was the best muffin I have ever had. You can find the recipe here.
• Modern Family was hysterical last night. Cameron and Mitchell crack me up.
• Tomorrow, we leave for vacation with my whole family. It was nearly impossible to coordinate the schedules of 8 busy people living in different parts of the country but we did it. It's always a good time when we all get together so I can't wait to get this vacation started!
• When I get back from vacation, a major diet overhaul and re commitment to the gym is in order.  Someone wore too many comfy sundresses this summer and ate herself right out of her jeans. This is not okay.  I refuse to buy a bigger size so I need to make my arse a smaller size. 
• I'm playing in a second fantasy football league. It's so much fun!

Gotta run - it's almost time for Thursday night TV and I have to finish packing.  See you later, alligators!

chocolate bacon cupcakes

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was making Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes.  Quite a few of you asked for the recipe so I thought I'd share it with everyone here. 

I made the cupcakes for a bacon-loving coworker in celebration of his passing the Bar exam.  He loved them, as did quite a few other people who tried them.  I was pleasantly surprised by how many of my coworkers were adventurous enough to give these a try.  I got a few strange looks when I told them the "secret" ingredient and a couple people wouldn't try them, but those who did really liked them.   

As for me, I have to admit - I was pretty skeptical about these cupcakes.  I love salty and sweet combinations (chocolate covered pretzels - yum!) but chocolate and bacon?  I wasn't convinced.   However, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  Despite quite a bit of bacon going into the cupcake, I thought the bacon flavor was very subtle. There was definitely a hint of smokey flavor but the bacon didn't jump right out at you.  While I wouldn't choose these over a traditional chocolate cupcake, I thought they were tasty.  If you try them, I'd love to know what you think. 

Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes

Adapted from 52 Kitchen Adventures

Makes 16-18 cupcakes

Cupcake

• 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 1/3 C flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 C rendered bacon fat, at room temperature
• 1/4 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1 C  Chocolate Bacon Chips (recipe below)
• Fleur de sel

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine boiling water and cocoa in a heatproof bowl. Whisk until smooth and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream bacon fat, butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly in between. Mix in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add room temperature cocoa mixture and mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate bacon chips.  Fill each cupcake 2/3 full and sprinkle the top with a pinch of fleur de sel. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cupcakes are springy to touch and a toothpick insert in the middle comes out clean. Let cool before applying frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 C powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 3 T milk
• Chocolate Bacon chips for garnish

Set up a double boiler: heat water in a saucepan over high heat. Chop chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl set on top of the saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and melted chocolate. Add in milk and beat on high speed until frosting is smooth and glossy. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle the top of each with chocolate bacon chips.

Chocolate Bacon Chips

8 slices of bacon, cooked

8oz chocolate chips

Set up a double boiler: heat water in a saucepan over high heat. Place chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl set on top of the saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Dip bacon slices into the melted chocolate until well coated. Place onto a tray lined with parchment paper.  Place in freezer 30 minutes to an hour to allow chocolate to harden. Once chocolate has hardened, chop into pieces. 

*Save bacon fat from the chocolate bacon chips recipe to use in the cupcake batter. Also, the chocolate bacon chips can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

an important message

 

tgif

A few random thoughts on this beautiful Friday afternoon...

• 
  
  I am obsessed with the smell of my laundry detergent - Tide with Downy, April Fresh. I've always used Tide, but usually buy powdered detergent. I recently switched to the liquid because I was tired of yanking a giant box of Tide down from my laundry room shelf.  Holy amazing smells coming out of my dryer.  I'll never go back.
• 
  
  I made these cookies last week.  They were good. VERY GOOD.  Jess at The Novice Chef never lets me down. 
• 
  
  The Mister is finally ready to buy a new car.  Hallelujah!  I thought this day would never come.  I think he finally realized the old Explorer is no longer safe and not worth sinking more money into.  Let the miserable experience that is car shopping begin!
• 
  
  I've said it before, I'll say it again.  I have a TV problem.  I just ordered Big Bang Theory Season 3, Parks & Recreation Season 1, Community Season 1 and 30 Rock Season 4 on DVD.  When the packages arrived it felt like Christmas morning.
• 
  
  I have a big box of Halloween and fall decorations in my garage and no desire to put them out.  It just doesn't feel like fall to me yet.  I can't blame the weather because it's never cool in Florida at this time of year.  We'll see if the fall spirit finds me by Halloween.
• 
  
  My parents celebrated 31 years of marriage this week. How great is that? Congratulations & Happy 31st Anniversary Mom & Dad!
• 
  
  Today was randomly declared a jeans day at the office. My level of excitement about this is slightly concerning to me. 
• 
  
  I had chicken fingers and Kraft Mac&Cheese for dinner last night (secret single behavior). Apparently, I'm 4.
• 
  
  I scored last minute reservations to Seasons 52 tonight to celebrate my husband's promotion.  The food is amazing and so is the wine list.  The restaurant is on a lake and the weather should be beautiful tonight, so I'm really hoping we can get a table on the patio overlooking the water.  If you time it just right, you can see the fireworks from Disney World over the lake!  Now if only the work day was over and it was time to get the weekend started...

Happy (almost) weekend!