We Should Really Take Cooking Lessons

Well Happy Almost New Year! I've been thinking about my New Year's resolutions - but then I have a "shiny penny moment" and forget to write about them.  So it may be a few days in that I finally get to write about them.  I should probably re-read last years, especially since I most likely tweaked them to not really working.

But instead of recapping our Christmas, you can go ahead and yell now, I've decided to cover other things. I mean, do you really want me to to talk about how we woke up, ate, opened presents and then traveled 97 miles around town? I didn't think so - but I will tell you that you should be prepared for a boat load of pictures since one of my new fangled gifts was a lens for my camera.  Oh yes - this baby does wonders....and if you see approximately 482 pictures of Tyson on a blog post that has nothing to do with the actual subject, please keep scrolling.  Let's be honest, his pictures will probably be more exciting to look at that whatever I am writing about.

Photo 1 of many of Tyson...but look what a good model he is!

Okay....so first shiny penny moment of writing this blog.

Anyway....Tony and I have been trying to be very good about making dinner and keeping it pretty healthy.  Remember, my trainers can see everything I write down that I eat...pressure is on.  So this week we planned out all of our meals - did our shopping and Tony even made dinner on Wednesday night.  Which is awesome for me, since I get home from class about 8 pm and am generally starving.

However, Wednesday I was running a bit behind, chatting to others of course, but I started getting worried when I had two missed calls, three texts to call him when I got out of class, and received a phone call while walking out.  This could not be good.

Me: Hey, what's up?
Tony: Ugh, well I think I just ruined dinner.
Me: What? (I"M STARVING...in my head of course) How?
Tony: Well, um, I didn't read through the recipe and didn't drain the beans and now instead of chili it's more like soup.
*Side note, this "chili" was only supposed to take about 20 minutes (thank you Cooking Light for your 20 minutes or less meals) and besides sauteing some onions, everything was a dump and simmer.

Me: Oh well, I'm sure it's fine - I bet it's not as bad as you think.
Tony: No, it's ruined, I mean I really messed it up.  It's not going to be good now.
Me: Now you get all the stress and pressure I'm under when I cook!
Tony: Whatever!!!

(And yes - that last whatever did happen....followed by laughter and something about how it's not that hard. However, I don't call him when I 'mess up')

So his 'mess up' was only not draining and rinsing the beans. It's a good thing I bought the reduced sodium ones.

Surprisingly, it wasn't bad at all - it actually was delicious and all we had to do was throw in a little bit of flour and it thickened right up.  Plus he made corn bread that popped right out of the muffin tins...last time I made corn bread, it fell apart.  Guess who had a big head after that excitement??

Of course, the next night, dinner....well, let's just say hot doesn't begin to describe the heat.

Again, I turned to Cooking Light for a quick, easy, and healthy meal. Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps.  Sounds easy, right? Well, it was. Nothing to complain about there.  However, instead of the chile sauce with garlic, all we had was sirrachi sauce. Eh, it looked about the same, I'm sure it wouldn't be too bad.  Big mistake, huge.

That mistake turned into a bigger mistake when I started noticing that I accidentally doubled the recipe. Thinking I would just lessen the sirrachi sauce a tiny bit, it would be fine.  Plus I had more chicken, so it would all be good to go.

Holy hot sauce.

Tony and I had to have approximately 4 glasses of milk - each - just to feel our tongues again.

Needless to say, we did not save any of the spicy Asian lettuce wraps for leftovers. Good luck to those nasty cats who want to go through our trash!

Between the hot sauce at the three bean chili (yes, three kinds of beans, I was optimistic) its been an interesting couple of days at our house.  Just kidding....but I do think Tyson grabbed some of those beans...hello gassy!

So looking back, I probably just need to take cooking lessons. Apparently Tony has great skills, knows how to remedy a recipe and can make cornbread not stick to the pan.

Looks like we're having meatballs for life!

Ugh. His ego is going to get so much bigger. Guess I'll just stick to making cereal and waffles for dinner. Rarely do I ruin those...rarely.

My first non-burnt Breakfast Pizza...taken with my new lens...get ready for more pictures of this.

Check out that Grill

My mouth is costing us a fortune this year, and of course right around the holidays.  Of course I don't mean that I'm costing us a fortune because I"m getting fined for things I say or spitting in public (can you get fined for that?), but rather because I have teeth that like to be difficult.

 While I know you all remember about my love Anniversary present by my dentist: a root canal, what you may not have known was the never ending appointments to get this sucker in.  Also, my apparent ignorance when it came to root canals.  I was a little nervous to actually Google "root canal" and although the part of me that likes watching surgeries and doesn't mind a little blood and guts, as long as its not a scary Halloween movie (don't ask, apparently I don't like people getting gored to death on a day when people get candy). Apparently I should have looked up the intense procedure.  I had a feeling my tooth was getting drilled - what I did not know is that they would stick me in that drilled hole with spear-like instruments.  Apparently I should have asked my hygienist friends - but I fear the judgement that comes from their scrapers and floss.

I see your eyes judging me. That mask doesn't hide everything.

Luckily for me, I don't fear the dentist. I mean, this girl had on braces for 6 year - yep, six. And in that time had some sweet oral surgery to fix my extremely large canines that decided to hang out in the roof of my mouth for a few years.  So I do what I normally do when I go see the friendly faces at the dentist office, tell a joke, do a dance and close my eyes until it's over.  It's like a little nap during the day - and they have some pretty good music that play while I lay there wondering if my jaw really does unhinge or just makes that popping sounds.

And digressing....

After having my tooth poked and "cleaned out" - and yes, I did want to look at it and see what came out of that root, I had apparently some temporary stuff filled in.  After informing people that I have to get a root canal, it's amazing how many people tell you their stories:

"Oh, I had to call for an emergency because the temporary filling came oozing out!"
"I had four root canals, they had to give me Novocaine and put me to sleep."

Or from my dad: laughter.

So what I thought was just one appointment had turned into three...or four since I forgot about one and had to reschedule.  The second appointment was the one that I should have researched.  They literally filed your tooth down to a nubbin. I feel like a root canal is similar to labor - people who have been through the experience should tell you exactly what is going to happen.  None of that, "yes, it was hard, but totally worth all the pain."

Really? You're telling me that getting a nice and shiny new tooth is worth getting a nubbin? You crazy.

I made it through though.  Being numbed up and getting a fake new tooth was exciting.  Usually I would reward myself with a small McDonald's shake to make it all feel better, but I would have had to record that for boot camp...and the shame was not worth the calories.  So I sipped on water. Go me.

Luckily, my tooth drama was coming to and end.  This week I got my new tooth.  The Dr. fitted my little nubbin perfectly and while I wanted to ask for a gold-plated tooth, and maybe even a little sparkle in it, I refrained. While I think I would have looked great with a sparkle - like those fake twinkles they put in peoples teeth on cartoons - I'm not sure it would go well in every day use.  Plus it would be a sad, sad day if that "sparkle" fell off and I swallowed it.

So is a hair brush Brit, Brit.

So here I am: brand new tooth, shiny and new, enjoying the fact that I can chew gum on the left side of my mouth again and sharing my stories of my root canal and how easy it was.

Of course that excitement of a shiny and new tooth wears off when I open the bill.  Yowzas. It's probably a good thing I didn't get the sparkly tooth - this baby is just fine.

Merry Christmas to me....this is all I'm getting for Christmas...and my birthday and Tony's birthday and probably Valentine's Day.

Tita is Coming! Tita is Coming!

The time has arrived: Gram is arriving tomorrow for Christmas.  Best present ever!

It's seems like Christmas every time she comes to visit, even in July.  Which I guess explains why people love that "Christmas in July" thing every year.  It's Kansas City's turn to have Gram for the Holidays.  I think it's a fight every year between the cousins, and you get double bonus points if you get her for a summer trip as well.

The lady is pretty great - she organizes like crazy, will iron anything that you put in front of her, and she loves on babies like no one else.  And as they get older, she lets them touch the fluffy white cloud.

So we have big plans for Tita's visit: cleaning, baking, and decorating cookies.  I think everyone in the family is excited, even Raleigh.  He loves when Gram comes, even though she calls him a girl all the time. If you need a Tita visit, be sure to stop on by....hopefully you'll be over just in time for enchiladas or  biscocittos.

For Your Funny Friday

After an interesting/shocking morning, I watched this on this funny lady's blog and it made me laugh.  I thank her for sharing this awesomeness and hope you enjoy as well.

It's Over, Cheese

Dearest Cheese,

I'm sorry, but I'm ending my relationship with you.  Yes, the time has come.  I've tried to have some separation with you, but it's just not working.  You fool me with your creamy, shredded goodness and I have immediate regret.  Cheese, you make me regret you.

You see, at one time you had me wrapped around your little mozzarella stick.  Pulling me into that bowl of queso, or as the gringos call it, Cheese Dip, and telling me that the little icky feeling in my stomach was okay.  So I kept up our relationship - thinking there was something I was not doing to help in our journey from dairy land.

At times, I even thought this feeling was caused by overeating - silly thought, I know - but after being watched during bootcamp by these skinny fusionista's, I knew deep down you were the culprit.

And while your distant relative, Milk never fails me, you slap me in the face with that ricotta and sliced Monterrey jack.  Yes, Monterrey jack on sandwiches, warmed on this great contraption called a panini press.

I thought I had done well for a few days - while you were out of mind, you definitely were not out of sight.  Tony cannot leave you, but somehow you do not betray him like you have betrayed me.  Of course he tries to mend our relationship, telling me that there is this little pill I can take before....but I can't be led into drugs just to enjoy your melty goodness in Mom's enchiladas...well maybe just one time.

So while you will fill the tummies with your stinky Gorgonzola and blue cheese on salads and tiny but overly priced fruit and cheese trays, I will reject you. Please don't mold. It's time. We had our last time together last night on some great chili (that I made in the crock pot! Points for me!), but you failed me again.  And this time you in turn failed Tony, since he had to hear me complain about all of your faults.

But do not fret, you'll always have a place in my heart, and maybe we'll be reunited again in enchiladas during the holidays. I'll even wave to you as I pass your homeland, the Osceola Cheese Factory, where your mice friends enjoy you.  However, I'll have to drive past, unless I stop in for a ginger snap cookie, cause dang that shi  ahem, cookie is good.

You know that mouse is only holding his stomach because he's actually lactose intolerant.

Goodbye cheese.  Thank you for all the memories, the espinaca dip at Jalapenos, the huge vat of cheese dip in college, the string cheese with apples, your melted goodness on nachos, and even the feta crumbles on my salads. Take your deliciousness and calorie craziness with you and go, leave me with less tummy pain.  It's for the best.

May you not get mold all the way through your cheese bricks, so others can enjoy more.


-Caitlin