Hit & Run, Damn Dogs and Meatballs

Well first and foremost, Happy Friday! I hope you have big and exciting plans for the weekend!

So on my way home last night, I witnessed a Hit and Run! Nothing serious but I just couldn't believe it! I was on the frontage road of the George Bush (because we are trying to save money and let's face it...it costs roughly $345.76 to use the George Bush each day so...you do the math) going straight at a light when a pickup decided to go straight in a turn lane and hit another car! The other car's tire screeched and they over corrected and eventually ended up pulling over on the overpass they were turning on to and the truck just kept going! I wasn't at a safe place where I could stop and I worried that if I tried to go back around, they would be gone, so I quickly wrote down their license plate number and called Hubby (because he always knows what to do). He called the Non-emergency Police and they said they had a call from the driver that was hit, so they added the license plate to the report. I just couldn't believe it. WHO DOES THAT?! Even if you don't insurance, you were in broad daylight, someone (including God) saw you! Idiots.

Then I promptly went home to find that the dogs are either digging to China or...trying to catch the moles that are living on the other side of our fence. Yay! They are trying to kill me. Bubba and Bailey have just been going to town trying to dig up our new bushes and frankly it makes me crazy. Yes, I do care about the yard BUT what I worry about more is that we have a busy street behind us! What if they get in co-hoots and double time a hole and dig under the fence. The thought makes my stomach lurch.

Hubby and I filled the holes with dog poop. And then beat the dogs with shovels. Just kidding...about the dog poop.

For dinner was homemade meatballs in marinara over a nice spaghetti/linguine mix (I ran out of spaghetti). Coming off the devastation that was the Joy of Cooking meatballs (read the recipe and you will understand...when it told me to roll them in corn meal, that should have been my first clue), these things were awesome! I adapted a recipe I found on Big Mama and it was delicious! Here's what I did:

1 package extra lean ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4ish of Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Salt (I am out of Garlic Powder)
Italian Seasoning
2 eggs (cage free of course), beaten

Mix and then roll into balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then flip them. Bake another 5 minutes.

During that last five minutes, I threw some chopped red onion and garlic into a pan and sauteed until the onions were transparent. Then I added a jar of marinara and 1/2 cup chicken broth (which I used to clean out the jar). When my meatballs were done in the oven I added them to my pan and simmered for 15 minutes. Then I flipped them and simmered for another 15 minutes.

Serve over pasta and enjoy!

I will definitely be making these bad boys again...BUT I will probably half the recipe as it made approximately 162 meatballs for the 2 of us. Go make it for dinner and tell me what you think!

Happy Friday!

Hobbies aren't supposed to make you cry

Well I think I have finally calmed down enough to write about "the incident" that occurred last Friday night.

So I was asked by a friend of Jennifer's (you may remember her as my boss's wife and an attendant of my cake class) to make a Stegosaurus cake for her son's 3rd birthday. Coming of the somewhat success of the "dragon" (that actually looked for like a Brontosaurs but it's fine) I agreed and found a really cute picture online that I was going to try and copy.

The cake only needed to be big enough for 5 - 8 people so I made the cakes on Thursday and was ready to begin on Friday evening. Although I thought the cakes might have been a bit small, since it was for so few people, I didn't worry about it.

I made icing, gum paste spikes (or plates as Hubby corrected), and cut the shapes I needed. As I begin to place the cake on the board, it really started to look small. I would even say petite. Microscopic. Freakish. I called Hubby downstairs to inspect and upon his agreement, I broke down into a two-year old tantrum causing me to cry in the bathroom and throw the cake and everything associated, in the trash. Mature and normal...I know.

After I calmed down he came back downstairs to make sure I was okay (because he is amazingly patient) and I told him that I was going to draw the damn thing on a sheet cake, apologize to her tomorrow, and not charge her. He said that I was being ridiculous, got out the pans I needed to try again, and asked what I need from the store as he was determined for me to succeed (again why he is amazing).

I made the cakes and went to bed around 10:30 as they cooled in the fridge, taunting me throughout the night.

I sprung out of bed at around 5:00AM (ON SATURDAY) and got to work. I was in cake mode and ready to work.

After about two hours, Steve was done

and while not perfect, he was actually kind of cute!

Hopefully it tasted good and they couldn't taste the tears.

Happy Baking!?

How did I get so lucky...

So Hubby and I were laying in bed last night talking football. Nothing detailed because don't get me wrong, I can follow a game but usually end up getting so anxious that I can't watch all the way through.

He had made mention that he was going to try and watch more college football this year and that he wouldn't be watching NFL. I asked him why.

He said because of Michael Vick....

How did I get so lucky?

Crossing my Fingers...

So Hubby and I are on a budget. We have decided to quit talking about it and actually stick to it. My meal planning got all out of whack this week because he went to Wichita Falls (he is already home so you can't come rob me...and we have a gun), so I have pieces of my planned meals left over.

I realized yesterday at work that I didn't know what I was going to do for dinner tonight. I am trying to learn how to take what I have and make something with it so that is exactly what I am doing tonight!

Pizza sounded REALLY good but I didn't want to go to the store and buy pizza crust so I thought to myself,

"Self...people back in the day didn't have canned pizza dough...why cant you make it?"

"Well self", I said "because every time you have attempted to make dough it turned to mush, a brick, or inedible...but good luck you cheap-o!".

So...last night in between my GIANT cupcake cake and yoga I made pizza dough! It actually rose like it was supposed to. Was actually stretchy and smooth like it was supposed to be. And it is now sitting in my fridge waiting to be floured, rolled, topped, and baked.

I have a 1/3 of a block of mozzarella, one chicken breast, cherry tomatoes, and some cilantro....oh and red onion (and a zucchini but I will be omitting him). This should be interesting!

Happy Experimenting!

Newest Project

This is my newest project. I have always wanted to do a picture wall but wasn't sure how it would look. Hubby and I were watching the movie Seven Pounds, and Rosario Dawson's character had one in her bedroom. I find them SO neat and captivating.

We used to have a bookshelf on this wall that was full of pictures anyway. I liked it but it kind of crowded the hallway and I'm going to be honest with you, dangerous. I have almost whacked my head on it numerous times upon tripping/falling down the stairs.

I know that none of the frames match. Don't judge me for that. I feel like that is half of the charm. I have included pictures of our wedding, our "family" Christmas photos, pictures from when we were younger, and pictures of our family. I want it to be interesting and different and for people to stop and look.

It could be a tragic idea when one of the dogs bumps into the wall and they all come crashing down...but in the meantime...I think I really like it!

Happy Picture Taking!

Day Three

Well I have embarked on the journey known as the 30-Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. Apparently everyone was aware of this DVD but me...oh well...better late than never?! I say that as a question because I am not sure it was such an amazing discovery.

So day one was on Saturday morning. Everyone was still asleep so I shredded at 6:30AM before taking Bailey for a walk. By the time we got back home, I could barely move. Throughout the day I was okay as long as I didn't move to fast, sit down, or stay stagnant for any long period of time. Awesome.

Yesterday morning was a chore just getting out of bed but once I got moving I was good to go. The thighs were the worst but I just kept pushing, despite my need to brace myself on anything stationary. To reward myself I promptly made two batched of Monkey Bread...okay so it wasn't a reward, just a recipe I wanted to try, but it magically made my legs feel better so I just kept eating it.

Last night I somehow convinced Hubby to shred with me. Although he was crying by the end, or maybe that was me, he made it through. Don't know that he will ever do it again but the girl in the green sports bra with the wash board abs may help. Bitch.

This morning I am moving slow but pushing through. It is a good pain. Kind of how I felt after drill team camp in high school, and that tidbit of info about me is for another post entirely. Waking up those muscles that I should be activating but just don't get much of a workout while I am eating. I don't know if I can make it through today but I am sure going to try. I kind of feel like Jillian is watching me and judging me, and let's be honest...who wants to be on that bad side?!

Happy Shredding!

Hubba Hubba Hubby!

I have decided that there is nothing sexier on the planet than my husband mowing the lawn. I have seen him do it on a weekly basis and it gets me every time!

Yesterday, Saturday, was chore day at the Holladay home. We stuck to our agreement, I scrubbed toilets on the inside while he tackled the jungle outside.

As I walked from the bedroom to the laundry room with laundry basket in hand, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him manning the helm of his riding lawn mower, sweeping from one side of the yard to the other. It was roughly...175 degrees outside so his shirt had come off and sweat glistened from his brow, and I tell you I actually stopped in my tracks and starred.

Who knew that yard work could be so enjoyable!

Happy Mowing!

Chicken Tostada with Roasted Corn Relish

I know what you are thinking...wait just one gosh darn minute...that looks like fish, not chicken. Wellllll, thanks to Mike Rowe and Dirty Jobs, Hubby will no longer eat tilapia after realizing that they should just be named "poop fish" since their main job is to eat the poop of all the bigger and badder fish. Thanks Mike Rowe.

So anywho, I found this recipe, again in August 2009 of Cooking Light and it pretty much stopped me in my tracks. I had to make it.

For the next time (oh and there will be a next time...it was already added to my cookbook), I will omit their tostada shell and either buy the prepackaged or just use a soft corn tortilla. They were good but a little tough to bite through.

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup green salsa
Cooking spray
1 cup yellow corn kernels
-> I used frozen
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
-> I omited this because Hubby doesn't do bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup diced peeled avocado
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
-> Insert grilled chicken seasoned with cumin, garlic salt, and chili powder...YUM!
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
-> Omited due to a lack of fish and I had a recent bad expereince with corn meal and meatballs but that is for a different post and a different day
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
-> I actually only used 3
1 cup packaged angel hair slaw
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
1. Combine sour cream and salsa.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Stir avocado mixture into corn mixture.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish; dredge fish in cornmeal. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn fish over; cook 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and fish.
-> Leaving this step in here in case you want to try it with "poop" fish or any other type of meat.

5. Coat both sides of tortillas with cooking spray. Arrange tortillas in a single layer on baking sheets; broil 2 minutes on each side or until crisp. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates. Arrange 2 tablespoons slaw on each tortilla. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons corn relish and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream mixture. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

So you should try this...tonight! Frankly I would have been just as happy eating the corn relish/salsa/goodness straight from the bowl. OH and the most important addition. I threw in a bit of cilantro into the relish/salsa/goodness as well. It has become my newest and most favorite ingredient.

Happy Poop Fish!

Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans and Greens

So this recipe that I found in my August edition of my Cooking Light magazine appealed to me for three reasons:

1) No meat - Always looking for good recipes with no meat
2) It has "lick" in the title
3) It rhymes

I mean, what more can you ask for?!

I made it last night and I must tell you, it was delicious!

Yield - 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)
Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
-> I used wheat pasta.
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
-> I totally used the stuff in the jar and it worked just fine.
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
-> I used canned chick peas because that is what I had in the pantry...well actually I misread the recipe and thought that it called for them. No judgements for my hurried reading.
5 ounces arugula leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Place pasta in a small bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing gently. Set aside, and keep warm.
2. Return pan to medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 2 minutes. Add pasta; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add reserved pasta water and arugula, tossing gently to combine. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 290
Fat: 10.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 11.3g
Carbohydrate: 38.1g
Fiber: 3.7g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Iron: 2.4mg
Sodium: 469mg
Calcium: 173mg

Try it. Love it. Share it.

Happy Cooking!

Weekend at the Movies

So we are definitely movie watchers at the Holladay home but this weekend was crazy! While we should have been using this time to relive John Hughes because let's be honest, Weird Science and Pretty in Pink are probably 2 of the greatest movies ever made, we unintentionally watched 5 completely unrelated flicks in 3 days!

Friday night Hubby and I had intentions on having a date night...yay! We found movie times and went to Costa Vida to grab a bite to eat (small veggie salad...DELICIOUS!) and then headed to the new Colleyville Cinema. We were going to see Transformers in the IMAX until we asked and found out that the tickets were $11.50...EACH! Are you kidding me?! No thanks. We headed to Blockbuster and rented:

Taken with Liam Neelson and Famke Janssen (aka Jean Grey in X-men).

Wow...this was a good movie. Hard to watch and a little stomach turning due to his daughter being kidnapped and sold into a sex ring and her being sold for $500K because she was a virgin, but still a good movie despite all that. I did cry, but I don't think normal people would. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Hubby liked it too. Car chases and fighting, what more can you ask for?

Revolutionary Road with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. At this point we were realizing that we should have opted for a comedy as well. Hubby was not a fan but I definitely was. This movie, if you don't already know, takes place in the 1950s when the "ideal family" liked the cookie cutter life with 2 kids, preferably a boy and a girl, and everyone was "happy" and everything was "perfect". Leo and Kate play a couple that fell into this cookie cutter and soon realize that this life contains NOTHING that they are interested in. They decide to pack up and move to Paris hoping to really start living, and they soon begin to truly come alive. This movie is emotional, impactful, and really makes you understand why everyone back in the day drank all the time. I didn't cry but was very moved. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Saturday was filled with errands, house cleaning, and a three hour lunch with one of my customers from BEK! We had a yummy dinner and then came back to the house and decided to watch:

Seven Pounds with Will Smith and Rosario Dawson. Hubby had already seen it but I convinced him to watch it again because I had heard such mixed reviews and wanted to form an opinion on my own. This was definitely a good movie. I have to say definitely impactful again. The character I felt the most for was Woody Harrelson, his story tugged at my heart. This movie made me wonder if I would be considered a good person. Would someone, a stranger, look at the story of my life and say "she was a good person"? I give it 4 out of 5.

Sunday was cleaning and a movie with Mom! We saw:

The Ugly Truth with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler (who looked at lot different than he did in 300!). So cute. My aunt and mom were turned off by the language but I thought it was hilarious. Although some parts could have done without, it added to the funniest and let's be honest here, who doesn't need a little c@ck in their life. Although totally predictable, it was still a fun and light hearted flick. I give it 3 out of 5.

To top of the weekend, last night was filled with a crappy dinner and The Day the Earth Stood Still with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly. Although I didn't have high hopes to begin with, I didn't turn it off (like Garfield: The Movie). If wasnt great but held my attention none the less. You life will not be changed if you do or do not see this movie. I give it 2 out of 5.

So there you have it. A completely unintentional movie weekend! Love it!

Happy Popcorn! (although I didn't have any and that is just not right!)

My Wonderful Evening.

Okay so I know I haven't been blogging much lately and I think it is because I feel like I have to include pictures with each post. I am going to overcome that today so if you are looking for pictures...check back this weekend...if you are ready for some wit...keep a readin!

Last evening was spent with Hubby running errands. I don't know what it is but I just LOVE being with him! I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, we are the HAPPY HOLLADAYS! (*insert cough and lack of laughter) We seriously went to PetSmart, Lowe's, The Post Office, Home Depot and Dickey's BBQ (I didn't feel like cooking), and I just had so much fun.

We picked out on sale toys from PetSmart. We take our time. Choosing the appropriate dog toys is not something that can be done on a whim. I have to squeak each prospect at least three times, I have to feel from the amount of stuffing that will eventually be spread all over the house, and I have to contemplate if it is capable of breaking anything when being tossed in the air by Vegas or violently destroyed by Bailey. We left with three different toys, one of which was a 4-pack! SCORE! (I realized this morning that I had a PetSmart gift card in my wallet...DAMN! That would have helped with the $65 bill...we had to get dog food too).

Then to Lowe's. Oh Lowe's. How you drain our bank account so easily!

Bailey decided to use the landing that is the midway point from downstairs and upstairs as her personal latrine. DELICIOUS! Since we also have a skylight there, the sun bakes that area and therefore the pee smell has become more than the both of us can handle. We borrowed a carpet cleaner from a friend but it just didn't do the job that we were hoping for.

We have decided to replace that carpet with wood, since it will tie the downstairs with the game room...BRILLIANT! We have the wood, we just need the glue...hence the trip to Lowe's. Didn't find it there, who knew there were so many different options?! Hubby...that's who!

Then to the post office...nothing exciting there except for a girl who had parked in the middle of the parking lot. People are so random.

Then Home Depot to look again for glue...no dice...Hubby has decided to order it from work. Good call.

Off to Dickey's. Not the best BBQ in the world but Hubby wanted more of those signature GIANT yellow cups. That's right, we ordered to go and left with 4 new cups. (FYI...$.50 each) He uses them for coffee. Yes, for coffee. To the top mind you. No judgements.

Hubby was such a good sport and watched all but the last 15 minutes of So You Think You Can Dance with me. Then at 10:00PMish he began removing the carpet from the landing...he picks the most appropriate times but he is so dang handy that I can't complain TOO much. Got everything up. Every last stinkin' staple and there is now a palm tree rug in it's place. Perfect.

I'm sure this weekend he will break down and buy glue because he just can't help himself but we shall see. I will DEFINITELY post pictures of that.

Happy Stinky Carpet!

Funny Dogs

I apologize for my absence...I haven't had much going on lately.

I have decided to dedicate this post to our funny funny dogs. Although we have hundred upon hundreds of pictures...these are some of the funniest. Enjoy!

Quick introductions for those of you who don't know,


Bailey, Bubba, & Vegas


Bubba is our oldest and we have had him the longest. He wears the pants in the family.


He enjoys chasing squirrels, rolling in the grass, and line dancing.

This is Vegas. She is a diva, and doesn't like the flash.


Bubba has been kind enough to let her nurse so she can grow big and strong.


This is Bailey. Her ears help her fly.


She didn't like flashes at first either.


But she has grown to love them.


It has become a show down between Vegas and Bailey.


Typically Vegas looses.


But in the end they are best of friends!

Happy Pooches!

"You can not change the world by adopting one animal, but you can change the world for that one. " - SPCA of Texas