I finally made a good mac 'n cheese! I should have taken a picture...next time. On a scale of 1-10, Greg gave it an 8 :) Next time I'll cut the ingredients in half. It makes way too much for only the 2 of us.
Spicy Mac 'N Cheese
I pound cooked elbow pasta
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
8 ounces Monterey pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour cooked pasta into baking dish. In a large bowl mix together all the jack cheese, half the cheddar cheese, flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg and sour cream, egg, heavy cream and half-and-half. Pour over the pasta and incorporate together. Cover with remaining shredded cheddar. Sprinkle panko crumbs over the top. Melt butter and drizzle over panko crumbs. Bake uncovered until top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Mystery Song
Posted this on Twitter last night after a tortuous day of trying to remember the words to a song I heard yesterday afternoon. Just curious if anyone will know what it is. Let me know your guesses based on what I remembered about it. Well....maybe I'll give you a little extra info. Sung by a man. Very popular in night clubs and reached #2 on the billboards...this according to Wikipedia. Also, it's not "I Wanna Be Your Lover" by Prince.
What do you think it is?
KittenAtPlay
I was going crazy this afternoon. You ever hear a song and want to download it but forget what it was when you get home?
KittenAtPlay
I've been trying to recall the lyrics all day since I had no idea who sang it or what the name of it was. Pure torture.
KittenAtPlay
All I could remember was it was an 80's song and had the word "lover" in it. Oy.
KittenAtPlay
and there was a part where he said half the line, paused, then said the full line. something about lover. that's all I had.
KittenAtPlay
I finally found it by Googling "be your lover, 80's"
**Updated**
Here's the song. And possibly the worst 80's music video. But I didn't have MTV when I was growing up so I didn't see very many of them...it's sad to think there are worse videos out there. So just listen to the song :)
What do you think it is?
KittenAtPlay
I was going crazy this afternoon. You ever hear a song and want to download it but forget what it was when you get home?
KittenAtPlay
I've been trying to recall the lyrics all day since I had no idea who sang it or what the name of it was. Pure torture.
KittenAtPlay
All I could remember was it was an 80's song and had the word "lover" in it. Oy.
KittenAtPlay
and there was a part where he said half the line, paused, then said the full line. something about lover. that's all I had.
KittenAtPlay
I finally found it by Googling "be your lover, 80's"
**Updated**
Here's the song. And possibly the worst 80's music video. But I didn't have MTV when I was growing up so I didn't see very many of them...it's sad to think there are worse videos out there. So just listen to the song :)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Mac N' Cheese
The truth is, every time I make it....it's not very good. I mean homemade, not out of the box. If you can't make it out of a box, then you might just consider eating out.
Greg, on the other hand, can make mac n' cheese and it's always good! And his is a very simple recipe. No fancy roux or tempering eggs. Just noodles, milk, cheddar cheese, salt & pepper. We always end up going back to his recipe.
But then I come across recipes like this and think maybe this will be the one that redeems me. I mean, it does look good and she makes it all sound so good, but so did the others. Very tempted to try it....
Greg, on the other hand, can make mac n' cheese and it's always good! And his is a very simple recipe. No fancy roux or tempering eggs. Just noodles, milk, cheddar cheese, salt & pepper. We always end up going back to his recipe.
But then I come across recipes like this and think maybe this will be the one that redeems me. I mean, it does look good and she makes it all sound so good, but so did the others. Very tempted to try it....
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Nerdfighters
I stumbled across this YouTube channel and found these brothers to be pretty amusing. I'm also amazed at how fast they can talk. The video below is just their FAQ and not nearly as amusing as their other videos....so give them a view. The one how on to make a baby is the first one I ever watched. Maybe you'll enjoy watching them, too.
Vlog Brothers
Vlog Brothers
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Recipe
The other night I made a curried mango chutney to go over a Thai chicken dish. To the best of my recollection I've never had this before. Reason I say this is, I've stayed away from curry for about the last....oh....18ish years. Why? I got food poisoning after eating curried shrimp. You can imagine how disgusting that whole experience was for me. I never wanted to see or smell curry again. And to make it worse, I was in Indiana! We were visiting Greg's family and staying at his parents house. So on top of the whole bad curry disgustingness, I had to be at my worst with his parents. Traumatizing. Anyway, I guess 18 years was the key number for me to get over it all because I went for it and made the chutney due to such good reviews on it. I have to say....it was awesome! And not a single bad memory of the shrimp so I think it's safe to say I'm over the trauma of it :)
A few things about this recipe. I didn't know how to pick a ripe mango. I smelled them and got nothing. So I just picked 2 and hoped they were ripe. One of them was ripe and juicy and the other wasn't. And it was hard to cut...sort of like a potato, but it was even harder to cut than that. However, I figured since I was cooking it, it would be ok. I always hear cooks say that if you use unripened fruit in recipes that will be cooked, it's ok. Turns out, at least in this case, this is true. The mango got very soft and was sweet. The overall flavor of it is a hot/sweet taste. Both Greg and I liked it.
It says a lot that Greg liked it. He's a picky eater but has become more adventurous and will try new things. It used to be I was limited to only going to places he would eat at because he wouldn't try anything. He'd say it was gross even tho he had never even tried it! That's changed and he's realized he has been missing out and limited himself. Now we enjoy trying new things together :)
Curried Mango Chutney
Try this over chicken & rice or for dipping anything fried (shrimp, chicken tenders, fish). Also would be great with pork chops! If you use it to dip things in, the mango should be diced pretty small.
2 cups diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 mangoes)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally.
A few things about this recipe. I didn't know how to pick a ripe mango. I smelled them and got nothing. So I just picked 2 and hoped they were ripe. One of them was ripe and juicy and the other wasn't. And it was hard to cut...sort of like a potato, but it was even harder to cut than that. However, I figured since I was cooking it, it would be ok. I always hear cooks say that if you use unripened fruit in recipes that will be cooked, it's ok. Turns out, at least in this case, this is true. The mango got very soft and was sweet. The overall flavor of it is a hot/sweet taste. Both Greg and I liked it.
It says a lot that Greg liked it. He's a picky eater but has become more adventurous and will try new things. It used to be I was limited to only going to places he would eat at because he wouldn't try anything. He'd say it was gross even tho he had never even tried it! That's changed and he's realized he has been missing out and limited himself. Now we enjoy trying new things together :)
Curried Mango Chutney
Try this over chicken & rice or for dipping anything fried (shrimp, chicken tenders, fish). Also would be great with pork chops! If you use it to dip things in, the mango should be diced pretty small.
2 cups diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 mangoes)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday Laughs
This is one of Greg's favorite's.
The best part of this one is when you hear the scream after the dog goes in the room!
The best part of this one is when you hear the scream after the dog goes in the room!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Pineapple!
I love pineapple! Has to be one of the most delicious fruits out there. I came across this recipe and just have to try it. It sounds like an odd combo but I bet it tastes yummy and would be easy to take to work for lunch!
Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup finely choppsed carrots
1/3 cup sliced almond
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup plainyogurt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, each cut in half
8 Romaine lettuce leaves
Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf; fill each half with 1/3 cup chicken mixture.
picture from cookinglight.com
Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup finely choppsed carrots
1/3 cup sliced almond
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup plainyogurt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, each cut in half
8 Romaine lettuce leaves
Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf; fill each half with 1/3 cup chicken mixture.
picture from cookinglight.com
Thursday, May 05, 2011
101 Updated
I thought it was time to update this list.
I removed: 2, 10, 14, 19, 34, 39, 42. 53. 66. 69, 74, 86 90 and will update them with new things as they come to me.
Also crossed a few things off. Number 11 was kinda iffy, but I did get paid for a photo so it counts. I will be able to cross three things in October :) Still really thinking about number 6. Ugh, that one always has me on the fence. I don't see number 4 happening, but I really want to so I left it on there. I just love the smell of the ocean.
Digressing. Just now when I wrote that it reminded me of our cruise to Hawaii at Thanksgiving. It was 4 days at sea both ways. On the way back I remember having my laptop open playing Christmas music. The sliding door to the balcony was open and the salty air made the sheer curtains flutter. We feel asleep to the music and the scent of the sea. Love.
Anyway, that was just a random memory :)
Now onto the list!
1. See The Boss in concert
2.
3. Go back to Denmark
4. Live by the sea
5. Go to New York at Christmastime
6. Sell something on Etsy
7. Retire early (please, please, please)
8. Or at least work less than 40 hours a week...
9. Plus, work more than one day a week from home...
10.
11.Take a money shot (a photo worth some money)
12. Publish something
13.Go see Maya Angelou speak (I better get on this one)
14.
15. Wear a bikini....in public....and feel ok about it
16. Take Greg to a Bobby Flay restaurant
17. Go to Prince Edward Island
18. Have a fancy Christmas party at my house
19.
20. Have a realllllly beautiful craft room/office
21.Snorkel and see lots of pretty (small) fish
22. Go to Ireland
23. Age well
24. Wear a ball style gown to a fancy event
25. Enjoy reading again
26. Eat a croissant in France
27. Understand what all the buttons on my camera do
28. Renew our vows
29. Take the White House tour
30. See the Vietnam War Memorial
31. Have my backyard be spectacularly beautiful
32. Take a road trip across America
33. Stay at a nice ski lodge while it snows outside
34.
35. Have a chef quality kitchen
36. Feel peace
37. Love my hair!
38. Go to some kind of craft convention
39.
40. Be healthy
41. Live green(er)
42.
43. Eat 70% organic
44. Have a photo of mine in a magazine or calendar
45. Camp at the Wild Animal Park
46. Win a costume contest
47. Decorate my *entire* house
48. Sponsor a needy child
49.Clean out my craft room closet (ugh)
50. Well....keep my craft room clean in general
51. Be on the Martha Stewart show (dream big, right?)
52. Have less regret
53.
54. Go on a spa retreat
55. Stop passing up opportunity
56. Speak a foreign language well (ha!)
57. Learn to line dance well (ha!)
58. Discover California culinarily
59. Vacation in the Hamptons
60.Worry less about what others think
61. Love hard...forgive harder
62. See the cherry blossoms in DC in spring
63. Watch all my Buffy DVD's again
64. Take another photography class
65. Be an extra
66.
67. Grow a vegetable garden
68. Learn to sew
69.
70. Run thru the sprinklers every summer
71. Feel financially secure
72. Give 100 Barbie dolls away at Christmas!
73. See the 17 mile drive in a convertible
74.
75. Send Oprah a birthday card
76. Have a lemon tree in the back yard
77. Make homemade lemonade more than once a year
78. Wear jewelry again
79.See more movies
80. See more sunsets
81. See more sunrises
82.Live my life the way I want to
83. Get a more professional massages
84. Buy a custom pair of jeans
85. Eat at Spago's in Beverly Hills for my birthday one year
86.
87. Use those darn exercise videos I bought!
88. Take an art class of some kind
89. Go to Atlantis
90.
91. Turn my bedroom into an relaxing resort style retreat
92. Learn more history
93. Ride a horse on the beach
94. Make persimmon cookies or bread
95. Go to one of my high school reunions (yes, Laura...you, too)
96. Get a Sleep Number or TempurPedic bed
97.Take more pictures of Henry...our oldest girl
98. Have picnic style dinners at the beach with Greg a few times a year
99. Make sculpey ornaments for the Christmas tree
100.Leave work....at work
101. Make a difference
I removed: 2, 10, 14, 19, 34, 39, 42. 53. 66. 69, 74, 86 90 and will update them with new things as they come to me.
Also crossed a few things off. Number 11 was kinda iffy, but I did get paid for a photo so it counts. I will be able to cross three things in October :) Still really thinking about number 6. Ugh, that one always has me on the fence. I don't see number 4 happening, but I really want to so I left it on there. I just love the smell of the ocean.
Digressing. Just now when I wrote that it reminded me of our cruise to Hawaii at Thanksgiving. It was 4 days at sea both ways. On the way back I remember having my laptop open playing Christmas music. The sliding door to the balcony was open and the salty air made the sheer curtains flutter. We feel asleep to the music and the scent of the sea. Love.
Anyway, that was just a random memory :)
Now onto the list!
1. See The Boss in concert
2.
3. Go back to Denmark
4. Live by the sea
5. Go to New York at Christmastime
6. Sell something on Etsy
7. Retire early (please, please, please)
8. Or at least work less than 40 hours a week...
9. Plus, work more than one day a week from home...
10.
11.
12. Publish something
13.
14.
15. Wear a bikini....in public....and feel ok about it
16. Take Greg to a Bobby Flay restaurant
17. Go to Prince Edward Island
18. Have a fancy Christmas party at my house
19.
21.
22. Go to Ireland
23. Age well
24. Wear a ball style gown to a fancy event
25. Enjoy reading again
26. Eat a croissant in France
27. Understand what all the buttons on my camera do
28. Renew our vows
29. Take the White House tour
30. See the Vietnam War Memorial
31. Have my backyard be spectacularly beautiful
32. Take a road trip across America
33. Stay at a nice ski lodge while it snows outside
34.
35. Have a chef quality kitchen
36. Feel peace
37. Love my hair!
38. Go to some kind of craft convention
39.
40. Be healthy
41. Live green(er)
42.
43. Eat 70% organic
45. Camp at the Wild Animal Park
46. Win a costume contest
47. Decorate my *entire* house
48. Sponsor a needy child
49.
51. Be on the Martha Stewart show (dream big, right?)
52. Have less regret
53.
54. Go on a spa retreat
55. Stop passing up opportunity
56. Speak a foreign language well (ha!)
57. Learn to line dance well (ha!)
58. Discover California culinarily
59. Vacation in the Hamptons
60.
61. Love hard...forgive harder
62. See the cherry blossoms in DC in spring
63. Watch all my Buffy DVD's again
64. Take another photography class
65. Be an extra
66.
67. Grow a vegetable garden
68. Learn to sew
69.
70. Run thru the sprinklers every summer
71. Feel financially secure
72. Give 100 Barbie dolls away at Christmas!
73. See the 17 mile drive in a convertible
74.
75. Send Oprah a birthday card
76. Have a lemon tree in the back yard
77. Make homemade lemonade more than once a year
78. Wear jewelry again
79.
80. See more sunsets
81. See more sunrises
82.
83. Get a more professional massages
84. Buy a custom pair of jeans
85. Eat at Spago's in Beverly Hills for my birthday one year
86.
87. Use those darn exercise videos I bought!
88. Take an art class of some kind
89. Go to Atlantis
90.
91. Turn my bedroom into an relaxing resort style retreat
92. Learn more history
93. Ride a horse on the beach
94. Make persimmon cookies or bread
95. Go to one of my high school reunions (yes, Laura...you, too)
97.
98. Have picnic style dinners at the beach with Greg a few times a year
99. Make sculpey ornaments for the Christmas tree
100.
101. Make a difference
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Dude looks like a lady....
I'm starting to wonder about Steven Tyler. Is he wearing a blouse?
*shakes head*
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sweet Thing
It's a sad day. Our sweet Henry passed away 1 year ago today. I cry every time I think of her. We miss her very much.
This picture of her was taken 18 years ago when she was just a few months old. We always joked about her ears...they were so hairy. Big tuffs of hair in them for as long as we had her. Her feet were like that, too...tuffs of hair between her toes. It was so funny. You can see her "tuffs" in the bottom picture. She was very fluffy! Her fur was thick and a few inches long....made her look very poofy! Her nickname was Jigglypuff :)
She was such a sweet thing.
Henry's Memorial Page
This picture of her was taken 18 years ago when she was just a few months old. We always joked about her ears...they were so hairy. Big tuffs of hair in them for as long as we had her. Her feet were like that, too...tuffs of hair between her toes. It was so funny. You can see her "tuffs" in the bottom picture. She was very fluffy! Her fur was thick and a few inches long....made her look very poofy! Her nickname was Jigglypuff :)
She was such a sweet thing.
Henry's Memorial Page
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