And we're off

to our (belated) 5th anniversary celebration!
Tonight: Wicked!
Tomorrow: A stay in our favorite hotel!
Friday: Shopping!
Saturday and Sunday: Just spending time together. Yay!

Needless to say, I won't be posting any time soon. Have a great rest of the week!

A Walk in My Garden

It was a short walk...but the sunrise was so beautiful it inspired some pictures.

Tomorrow

Reflection reflections

I've noticed that pretty much every time I catch my reflection lately I see my mom. I've always resembled my mom (often due to matching outfits), but now it's getting crazy. Like, spitting image. In a way it's kind of nice, almost as if I get to see her every day. But it's not really the looking at her that I miss. It's the talking, the crafting, her surprise notes, being able to call from the grocery store and confirm a recipe, her competitive (which is an understatement) nature, the unexpected sayings (Stick it! etc.), the hugs, the laughter...so much. I love knowing that this is temporal, and that I will see her again.

Oh hello Fall!

I almost didn't recognize you, what with your disguise of bright sunshine and 85 degree temperatures. I'm sure soon enough you'll be masking our lawns with blankets of orange leaves, and dampening our doorsteps with light showers. But for now I'll take the lovely weather.

Dear Pink (color not singer),

Let me start by saying, I will always love you.

We've had our ups and downs, as I'm sure you realize. There was the wall situation of 1990-1995. I'm sure you remember our love (90-92)/hate (93-95) relationship in that period.

And lets not forget the years of misguided hot pink spandex numbers.

Or the time I raked pink palmade through my hair in an attempt to look like Gwen Stefani, and you resolutely refused to wash out.

But then there were times that were undeniably wonderful. Like when all the cute shirts came out in various shades of you. And when I got sparkly eye shadow in the palest of pale pink. And of course, my favorite dress of all time starred you. It looked similar to this, except, of course, pink. I wore it every day!

And I love that you support breast cancer research. So know, Pink, that you will always have a place in my life - and in my heart.

But, lately I've been seeing another color. I resisted at first, but it's everywhere...and it brings out my eyes. So, I'm moving on. I'm declaring a new favorite. Not because of anything you did...it's just time for teal.

Funny Tim

Tim just forwarded me an e-mail he sent to some friends. Here's what he opened with:

Erin and I are having two babies!

We think probably within the next five years, definitely.

Gotta love the disclaimer. He's so funny.

Stuffed Bell Peppers Ala Yum

So, over the weekend I decided to try something new. Stuffed bell peppers. But...I couldn't find a recipe for what I wanted. I wanted chicken (not ground), and Mexican flavors. It doesn't seem like an impossible combination, but flipping through online recipes and all of my cookbooks says other wise. What I eventually wound up doing was using the Better Homes and Gardens instructions for roasting peppers and making up the rest. The result...yum.

What you need:

Red, Yellow or Orange Bell Peppers (I used all three.)

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used three, which was more than enough to stuff five peppers)

Lawry's Chile lime marinade and/or Mexican seasonings (I use cumin, McCormick's Mexican seasoning, garlic sea salt, black pepper and lime juice.)

Rice A Roni Spanish Rice

14.5 ounce can of stewed tomatoes

14 ounce can of black beans

1 cup of cheese (I used Colby Jack)

Instructions:

Marinade chicken for at least an hour if you decide to use it (which I recommend, it's really good.)

Make rice according to directions on the box. When you add the tomatoes, add drained black beans as well.

While rice is cooking, start cooking your chicken (I put the breast whole on a hot skillet, let them cook on both sides for about 8 minutes, seasoned liberally, cubed it and then threw it back in the pan to get the last bit of pink out.)

Preheat oven to 375.

Carve your peppers by cutting around the stem and twisting it out. Technically you're supposed to scoop the seeds out, but I just rinsed and swished and called it good. Test your pepper to see if it can stand up on its own. No? Shave a tiny bit off the bottom with a paring knife until it stands.

Once the rice and chicken are done, scoop the rice into the bottom half of your pepper, then scoop chicken into the top.

Bake for 20 minutes until the pepper is blistering. Add cheese to the top and bake 5 minutes more.

Viola! Amazing meal for you and yours! I also added some chunky guacamole and chips on the side - just cube equal parts avocado and tomatoes, mix in a bowl with the same Mexican spices used for the chicken, pour in some lime juice and eat with chips. Sangria doesn't hurt either.

Let me know if you try this, I'd love to know what you think.

Tonight - Eggplant Parmesan! (I couldn't resist buying an eggplant the size of my forearm at Carpenito Brothers over the weekend. I'm going to try to recreate the eggplant Parmesan from the cruise.)

Sigh...

I just got notice that I'm being laid off sometime in the near future. Praise God for providing Tim with his jobs, so that it's not as scary as it could be. But, please pray that we will trust Him and that I will find something quickly.

Blerg!

I was just informed that 30 Rock isn't for another month. What the what? I'll have to console myself with Parks and Recreation (which is supposed to be much funnier this season) and the Office. Stupid $4000 ham napkin.

Tonight, tonight...

Yay! Although we are not throwing a premier party this year, like we did last year, I am still terribly excited for tonights NBC line up! To celebrate, here are some of my favorite 30 Rock quotes. I haev a feeling we won't be disappointed tonight!

Superman does good, Toofer. You're doing well.
Dr. Spaceman! Dr. Spaceman!
What's the frequency Kenneth?
Blerg!
What the what?
I got your nose.
Go get my nose back.
I want to hold a mirror up to society and then win the world record for largest mirror.
I'm snitting nechth to Herpo!
Hey Liz Lemon, are you coming to the afta afta afta party?
Live every week like it's shark week
Uhoh, somebody looks sleepy...
I am sleepy!
Werewolf Bar Mitsvah, spooky scary...boys becoming men, men becoming wolves
But I already have a drink. Do you think he'd buy me mozzerella sticks?
Right my Baloney?

Is it 411 or 911? I can never remember… New York… Uhhhhh… ‘diabetes repair’, I guess?

Oh, I'd like nothing better. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing where the heart is.

Oy with the Poodles Already!

I'm excited to get home. Here's the plan:

• Leave work


• Go to Costco to pick up glasses


• Pick up glasses


• Buy bell peppers


• Run to Barnes and Noble and (hopefully) get the new Cake Wrecks book.


• Go home


• Start laundry


• Pour cereal


• Watch 4 hours of DVRed Gilmore Girls while eating cereal.*

Yay! An uninterrupted** Gilmore Girl Festival! (I'm right in the midst of the Jess scandal, and rather enjoying it.)

*Not 4 hours of continous cereal eating. That would be disgusting. One bowl. 10 minutes max.
**Yes, it will be interrupted by laundry, but I can fold and watch simeltaneously. I know, I am amazing.

I got my eyes dialated yesterday...

They looked a little something like this:

Which made driving home a little something like this:

Lots of fun. My eyes stayed dialated from about 5:30 till I went to bed around 10:30. I kept telling Tim I felt like a vampire. Thankfully I woke up this morning with my pupils back to normal and my eyes in their proper place (you never know.) And I have a whole year to enjoy before experiencing this again!

Vcying = Amazing

There's a new Etsy shop called vcying. It's full of beautiful whimsical artwork, that I'm in love with. So here are the pictures that I absolutely can't live with out. (There are more that I desperately want, but these are the ones I need).

Doesn't this look a bit like Tim and me?

Young Love Under the Cherry Tree

What a cheery lady sharing her tea with her pup.

Tea for Two

I love this. It has that 101 Dalmatians feel to it.

A Teapot Collection

I want to be these next two girls. So glamorous.

Pinks and Yellows

I love that she's almost ballerina like.

Frilly and Pink

I want them all. Which to get first...

Early Christmas Present!

I got my first Christmas present over the weekend. Crazy, I know. Last year I got my first Christmas present in October (my dad got Lion King tickets, and had to tell me so I'd stop begging Tim for them). Anyway, on Saturday Dad and I were hitting all the thrift stores looking for my Barbie dress. We happened into a little decor shop that was closing, so everything was 35%off. They happened to have the very last piece of my nativity. My mom had been giving me a different piece every year, but she passed on before it was completed. My dad had wanted to finish it for me, but the remaining piece (the creche) is uber expensive. As it happened, this store had it discounted and had an additional 35% off! Bada boom, bada bing, I have my completed nativity. So this year, instead of being crammed into a shelf on our media stand like this:

(I don't know why this is so crooked. Either our house is on a slope or my head is.)

It will have a place of honor (to be determined) looking like this: