do the pretty girl rock

Girl Talk.

Naptime in Carter's Crib. Literally.

A family in our ward (who I love love love) brought a MEGATUB of cheeto ball thingies over just in time for our January Junk Food Hiatus, so we finally dug into them the other day. Poured just about the whole thing into a big bowl. Avery was in Gross Kid Heaven.

PM Dance Party Chez Nous. Girls Only. Mama Mia (the movie) playing on the big screen at full-blast is a must. Songs only. Lots of spinning. Carter prefers reading (shredding) magazines, but she thinks mommy and Av are pretty funny.
Now do the Pretty Girl Rock.

and you played it to the beat

Just bought this.
Thank you Adele.
You know, in advance.

innocent

It started out so innocently.
First, there was a package of cheap steaks in my fridge. Cheap because, well, we're on a budget. Steak because, well, it's steak. And they were calling my name. So I pulled them out to rest on my counter while I figured out what to do with them. Then, a memory. Late at night. Good Eats. Alton Brown. Steak au Poivre. It was decided.
But what more? It needed a sauce sans Cognac. Then, another memory. Flipping obsessively through Barefoot Contessa's Party cookbook. Blue cheese (always in the fridge chez nous). Gorgonzola Sauce.
My oh my. I can't stop there. Potatoes. Garlic. Parsley. I had to do it. Garlic Roasted Potatoes.
Green. Green. Something green. Arugula. Walnuts. Cranberries. A teensy bit more blue cheese. Balsamic and Olive oil. It was done. I couldn't take it back.
Glen dropped by, so I forced him to have a seat with us.
We all were unprepared.
For the magic.

I hereby promise to stop blogging about food. And soon. But right now I can't stop. I am obsessed. I am hooked.
I need help.

mmmmeltdown

This is the special roast chicken with croutons that I made on Valentine's Day (along with chocolate lava cakes mmmmmmm) before I got hit with a weird bug that has left me feeling like sewing myself into my sheets and never getting out of bed (if only I knew how to sew!) I have found solace in pretending like I don't have tons of homework due, these guys, her, them, him and, of course, my sweet kiddos who know just when to screech at the top of their lungs (When I am just drifting off to sleep), when to beg me to spin them around and around and around (All day. Every day) and when to give me sweet hugs and slobbery kisses (Carter still gives the WIDE OPEN MOUTH kind!!).

how can you know it if you don't even try?

Love is in the air.
Happy Valentine's Day!

veg out

Yesterday I made Ina Garten's veggie pot pie for the first time and Ho-ly-Crap was it good! I subbed vegetable stock for the chicken stock (effectively making this meal vegetarian-friendly) and made one HUGE pie (I only had one super-large oven-safe mug, so I made a tiny one just to see how cute it would be. SO. CUTE. Right?) and both turned out perfectly after an hour in the oven. Perfect winter meal. Yum.

I have been pouring over Ina's Party cookbook as well as her French one (I checked both out from the library! Love that place.) and I am more obsessed with her than ever! If you want some amazing ideas check them out!

cheese and crackers

I made a recipe for homemade Goldfish crackers this weekend and they turned out pretty well! I wish that I had teensy cute fish cookie cutters, but I don't so I pulled out the old alphabet set and made a Tietjen Alphabet Soup (KMAC). I substituted half whole wheat flour, and, after tasting the first batch, sprinkled the second with a little bit of cheese powder for extra zip. This dough rolled out so easily and was a cinch to make. I will definitely give these another try, especially if I can find an itsy bitsy fishy cutter.

where do cowboys cook their meals?

On the range.

man food

I love the Super Bowl. The commercials, the horrific half-time shows, the treats, the trash talk, and... Hmmm I swear I'm missing something... Huh. Oh well.
Growing up, my family always went to a friend's house to watch the big game and eat some amazing MAN FOOD. Now, Man Food always is composed of three things: ridiculous portion sizes, ridiculously high fat content, and no plate needed. Just your bare, manly hands. I love eating it. I love making it. This Sunday my sister-in-law, Mandy, and her family are coming over to hang with us and watch the game and I am prepping some awesome eats. if you are having some friends over, too, or are just craving something horrible and looking for an excuse to give in, check out my ideas for this Sunday.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza Bites for the Kiddos

Potato Skins

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Pie

There will also be a veggie tray, chips and seven-layer dip, and the like. And if you are wondering what has happened between this post and my last that lauded green falafel balls, well, nothing. I just can't pass up the big game without a little bit of ummm grossness. Sorry. But, I lost seven pounds (no joke) in January, so I think I'll take a one day hiatus from living well to celebrate football and Man Food and a family tradition and umm grossness.

what was beethoven's favorite fruit?

BANANANAAAAAA!