Don't get used to that there RV Clark

The Griswald Family Easter is rapidly approaching and I wonder why, as with so many other holidays I suppose, the majority of the things can not be done till the day before.  Carpet can't be sweep till the day before because our children shed. Combine normal shedding with springtime shedding. Food can't be cooked because well it's obvious some things just aren't the same. Cars can't be washed. Case in point: the Captain washed, waxed, clay bared, polished, Vergie this past Saturday. He drove her to work yesterday as I had took the other one for an oil change, but back to the point, a bird pooped directly on the hood. However, there are 24 usable hours in everyday. Those leading up to the late night Thursday arrival of our first guests will be thoroughly used!


On a completely different note, the weather is warming up and skin is dying to get shown. I read an article this morning about how Victoria's Secret Models get Bikini ready. What they fail to mention are their fabulous genes and early career habits of starving themselves. I despise reading articles such as this, guess I thought they would mention something different this time around, because of how terrible it makes me feel. I eat healthy: maybe not to the point they do but hey, organic food is expensive, food in general is expensive, and I'm pretty sure they have personal chefs. Exercising is fun. Wait, it can be fun. Again though, such different lifestyles between them and the average American or tabloid reader. This all relates to the Dove Campaign: self esteem: conform to what society states is beautiful or transform what society states is beautiful with your attitude. It's a tough world out there, gals. And it doesn't get any easier as you get older! Not that I'm older.

 Cheers!

Just a potato on the wall

Tonight along with the Rib-Eyes the Captain is grilling, we will be having homemade dinner rolls and smashed potatoes. Excluding desserts, these are my last taste-tests for Easter dinner. Both from PW, I have included the recipes below.

Dinner Rolls

• 4 cups Milk
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 9 cups Flour
• 2 packages (4 1/2 Tsp.) Active Dry Yeast
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 2 Tablespoons Salt

Pour 4 cups of milk into a stock pot or Dutch oven. Add one cup of sugar and 1 cup of vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Now, turn the burner on medium to medium-low and “scald” the mixture/lukewarm (between 90 and 110 degrees).

When the mixture is the right temperature add in 4 cups of flour and 2 packages of (4-1/2 teaspoons) of active dry yeast. After the yeast and flour are nicely incorporated, add another 4 cups of flour. Stir together and allow to sit, covered with a tea towel or lid, for an hour. After about an hour it should have almost doubled in size. If it hasn’t changed much, put it in a warm (but turned off ) oven for 45 minutes or so. When it had risen sufficiently add 1 more cup of flour, 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder, 1 scant teaspoon of baking soda and about 2 tablespoons of salt. Stir (or knead just a bit) until combined.

Butter 1 or 2 muffin pans. Form the rolls by pinching off a walnut sized piece of dough and rolling it into a little ball. Repeat and tuck three balls of dough into each buttered muffin cup. Continue until pan is full. Cover and allow to rise for about 1 to 2 hours.

Bake in a 400-degree oven until golden brown, about 17 to 20 minutes.

Smashed Potatoes

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

They both seem user friendly and uber delicious. I'm worried about my rolls though, I think they need a little encouragement on rising. 

Cheers!

What you got for me cooking in the kitchen

Last week was a busy week. My bro-seph was here for his Spring Break. He is nearly a foot taller and 14 years younger than me. Ridiculously tall, skinny, lanky, great kid, always make me laugh, except when he doesn't put the seat down.  I don't put up with that.  I'll post pics and stories of our attempts at adventures sometime. Hopefully.

This past weekend it was 70 and I was outside getting some much needed therapy in the dirt. Then yesterday it rained. I recovered our kitchen dinning room chairs and re-framed a picture for the formal dinning room.

Today the kitchen deserved my attention.  I'm pretty sure I used every measuring spoon and washed this one mixing bowl at least 4 times. Looking back it seems I was pretty determined to use only this one bowl for mixing everything. The rest of the bowls kept each other company in the cabinets.

I made brownies. Adding extra chocolate chips and powdered sugar on top. Heavenly.

I made Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins.

And Lace Cookies.

My house smelt delightful when the Captain came home. Then we worked out and now it smells like sweat.

Cheers!

This here giraffe, laughed

I want a baby giraffe.



This one was born at the Budapest Zoo and Botanic Garden approximately 3 days ago. I need to go get a tape measure to see if it can already see over our fence since it stands at 70 inches. I'm sure it's a girl and I'm going to name it Zoe.

Cheers!

Packing up the dreams God plants

In the 4 years and 2 months the Captain and I have been married we have lived in 7 homes, in 5 states, on 2 land masses. I have learned to always keep the boxes. That towels, socks, and sheets are the best packing materials. That things break but we can always buy new ones or better, yet, you realize you didn't really need it in the first place. I have learned to weed through my memories. To compact my 'must keep foreva!' boxes.

In the latest moving adventure, from the Land of Port to the where it all started before Vegas, we had loads of toilet paper. Naturally since we purchase everything possible in mass quantity from Costco, we had about 50 rolls left. All of these rolls, along with my 50+ pairs of shoes I, after hours of haggling, decided I could live without for 2 months, were all loaded, scrunched, pushed, and stuffed into the washer and dryer. Nice area to also point out that in my moves I have also learned to never leave a space empty. 

As a result of this cleaver packing, upon unloading all the rolls of TP were no longer in well...umm....rolls.  

These little bear friends of ours wouldn't know what happened to them!

Some ended up this shape: 

Others had the inside cardboard looking more of this shape.

Quick Quiz:

Circle all the shapes our TP rolls ended up looking like after 2 months of habitation in our W/D with shoes and handbags!! 

Answer:

All of them! Wow- you are smarter than a Fifth Grader! 

It was funny and made me laugh. Another one of those unique things related to this moving experience. 

So after unpacking, they all got stacked in the supply closet and eventually, over the past 6 months they have been used as offerings to the porcelain gods. Which brings us to the highlight of my Wednesday: The purchase of new toilet paper! Oh please do not be jealous of this exciting life I lead. 

It's thrilling. A cheap pleasure. Toilet paper purchased in the great state of Tennessee which will roll as a roll should on our TP holders. Y'all should come and visit. 

Cheers!

I got what I got from ballroom dancing

The Captain and I have been taking ballroom dancing lessons for about a month now. It was his anniversary gift to me. Forget linen or silk, I got my man dancing across the floor!

Usually about once a week we take a little evening drive to the Fred Astaire Dance on Studio on Germantown and stay for 1-2 hours working on our glide across the dance floor. It's freakin' fun.   I took a couple of semesters in college and yes that counts, but I have found an activity that I am good at, feel confident about, and have desire to improve upon. And that is important for this time of my life and the rut I'm in.

We practice at home to records. We practiced on Saturday at the Move It Memphis run as we were waiting for our friend to cross the finish line. We practice in the bathroom as the shower is heating up and in the kitchen waiting for dinner to finish cooking. It's a true blast. A de-stresser that always leaves us feeling better. An exercise. That costs an arm and a leg, but gives us something to work on together. To bond with. To connect.



Cheers!