Confessions

When I read a book where the narrator is suppossed to have an accent, I mentally read the book with an accent. 

For example, I'm reading a book where the narrator is British and the story takes place in France and Scotland.  So my mind is reading everything in either a British, French, or Scottish accent.

And then, I find myself randomly talking in a British accent, whether out loud or thinking it. 

Is that weird?

A Cat's Life

Tasty Thursday: Peanut Butter and Potato Chip Sandwich

That's right.  PB and PC.

The creamy goodness of peanut butter with the salty crunch of potato chips. Mmmmm.

I want to thank the BF for introducing me to this combo.  Out of the blue, he asks, "Want a peanut butter and potato chip sandwich?"

"What did you just say?" It was like he was telling me there really is a Stargate in Cheyenne Mountain (total nerdy sci-fi reference by the way).  My mind was blown.  I never heard of such things.  And my mind exploded some more after biting into the creamy crunchiness.

And now I make it as an after work snack.

And of course, anytime I'm eating a sandwich the dog is somewhere nearby (top right).

You're welcome.

Other great peanut butter partnerships:

Peanut butter and pickles.  My friend from high school brought this to my attention.  Genius.

Peanut butter and powdered sugar.  Delicious.

Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, aka Fluffernutters!  O.M.F.G. I'm pretty sure I die and go to heaven every time I eat one.

30 Before 30: Pay For a Stranger's Groceries

At the time, I completely forgot this was on my bucket list and didn't do this just because it was on there.

I just came out of ALDI (which is a great store by the way) and was loading the groceries into my car.  A woman approaches me and starts crying.  She's telling me how she lives in the motel next door with her kid, she just went over to the food pantry charity and they were closed, she's in between jobs, she's trying to do right by her kid, everyone she's asked for help has called her trash and to get lost, and she just wants some money to buy her kid food.  While she's saying all this stuff to me, out of the corner of my eye, I see this little toddler size kid hiding behind her. 

I was about to give her money, but then I decided against it.  I wasn't 100% sure if the money I'd give her go to food.  I hate to say it, but there are people here that have no problem begging for money in order to buy alcohol or drugs.  That's just the way it is.  I think it was seeing this scared little boy that made me change my mind.  I didn't want this kid to go hungry.

So I put the rest of stuff in the car.  I told the woman I don't have any cash (I lied) but that I would go back inside the store and come back with something for them.  So back to ALDI I went.  I got some bread, pb&j, granola bars, lunch meat, milk, fruit chews, canned food and other nonperishables.  I assumed they didn't have a car so I had to limit what I got to fit in one paper bag. 

When I came out, the woman was asking other people for money.  I approached her and gave her the bag of food.  She at first was very suprised and then looked like she was about to cry.  She said thank you and God bless and wanted to give me a hug.  I politely declined (I don't like any stangers hugging me) and walked to my car.  As I was driving away, I had to pass her and the boy.  I saw the boy look in the bag and give a huge grin.  And that was one of the most gratified I've ever felt.

I was kind of hesitant of posting this experience on the blog.  I don't want to make it seem like I'm holier than thou for helping someone in a bad spot.  I was just doing my part as a human being.

And just because I crossed it off my bucket list doesn't mean I'm going to write it off and never do it again.

And who knows, maybe this woman was playing me the whole time just to score some drug money.  But at least she got some free food instead.

Bailey's Salted Caramel Chocolate Pie...in Honor of Pie Day

March 14.

3-14

3.14

Pi.

Today is Pi Day.  Also known as Pie Day for those that like pie, such as myself.

For Pie Day, obviously I wanted to make some pie.

I've had a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream that I've been needing to use up for a while.  So I did a Google search for "bailey's pie."  And I stumbled upon this delicious creation from She Wears Many Hats.

It was super easy, most of the ingredients I already had and it required no baking.  It was a done deal.

It came out soooo good.  The slight bitter taste of the alcohol balances the sweetness of the chocolate, leaving it not too sweet and me wanting more.

I actually made this a day ahead and it was killing me something fierce to not take a bite yesterday.  But my patience paid off.  I dived into my slice after a workout and I can't even explain the joy I had.

Booze and desserts are always a good combo with me.  This pie is a win if you're like that too.  I wouldn't recommend feeding this to minors though.  Because baking isn't involved, the alcohol is definitely present.

Bailey's Salted Caramel Chocolate Pie
from She Wears Many Hats

-6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips or morsels
-1 c heavy cream or whipping cream
-1 tbsp sugar
-4 (or more) tbsp of Bailey's Irish Cream (your choice of flavor, I imagine it would taste good regardless)
-chocolate cookie pie crust (make it yourself or buy it)
-course salt for sprinkling
-and whatever toppings you want; I drizzled melted caramel over it

Melt the chocolate and set aside.

Beat together the cream and sugar until soft peaks form.  You want it pourable but enough of a solid to hold a shape.

Mix in the Irish cream and melted chocolate.

Pour into the pie crust and top with the salt and additional toppings.

Put it in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or until it sets.

For Everyone Done With Winter, Don't Worry...

Points if you understood the Game of Thrones reference!

Self Checkout

The BF and I had a snow day together earlier in the week.  We weren't about to shovel and clean off our car because we had nowhere to be.  But we were hungry and nothing in the kitchen sounded good.  We're lucky enough to have a grocery store we can walk to and took full advantage of that and trudged through the snow for some nom noms. 

After going through the self checkout, the BF commented how awesome it is you don't have to have a single human contact while running errands. 

And you know what?  He is completely right!

Gone are the days of being greeted by eager (or apathetic, depending on where you go) employees as soon as you enter a store.  And gone are the days of obligingly having to chat up with the check out person.

It's now the age of being able to get the shit you need and go, without a single human interaction.

God, I love self checkouts.

*And on a sidenote, I love self checkouts as long as I have a couple of items.  I cannot stand it when someone is scanning a cart full of crap and is holding the line up.  In an instance like that, I feel a live cashier is the best way to go. 

Confessions

I LOVE watching ice skating or as the Olympics call "Ice Dancing."

I have to watch all of the performances.  And the fact that the ice skating team competition is debuting, just means there's that many more I have to watch.

I think it stems from my childhood attempts at pretend ice skating on any wood, linoleum and vinyl floors with a pair of socks.  What I thought was a triple axle was a half turn jump of sorts in reality.  But I didn't care.  No one was looking.

I have no idea how to ice skate in real life, but I know I can win at sock skating.

An Idiot Abroad

Every single episode has me cracking up. 

The premise:

Carl Pilkington is an English bloke that just never had an interest to travel and was content with his life.  Well, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant make him travel all over the world, setting him up in dingy hotels, and partake in local customs, however unpleasant and uncomfortable they are.

The stuff Carl says and the awkardness about him is what makes the show.  I can watch every episode multiple times and still laugh my butt off. 

There's only 3 seasons of this series, so it's an easy marathon watch. 

Check it out. 

An Idiot Abroad.  It's on Netflix and possibly through your cable provider.

You'll be glad you were introduced to Carl Pilkington.


My favorite episode:  episode 3 of the first season.
He's floating around in the Dead Sea and reacts to something the camera guy mentions. 

I can't. 

You just have to watch. 

A Cat's Life

Old Man Winter

Like many parts of the country, winter is leaving his mark.

I've been lucky enough I didn't have to work in the worst of it, so I'm loving this snow!  

Stay warm my friends!

30 Before 30: Learn to Sew

I can cross something else on my list!

 

I actually did this back in September and never got around to mentioning it til now. 

 

We took the dog to the beach and for the roadtrip, I wanted a seat cover.  But I didn't want to use any of the ones I saw in stores.  Then I figured this would be an easy first time sewing project.  Off to the fabric stores I went.

 

I ended up finding clearance outdoor fabric for $6/yard.  Heck yes!  Outdoor fabric is meant to used as upholstery for outdoor furniture, so they're a little durable and easier to wipe off than other fabrics.  And the design was way cuter than those plain ole covers I was seeing commercially.  I mean, my dog has to have some class.

 

After purchasing 2 yards of fabric, thread, and bungee straps, I spent around $20.  Not too bad.

 

First, I hemmed up all the sides to get rid of the frayed edges.  Then I sewed the straps into loops on one side.  On the opposite side, I folded over the top and sewed additonal straps, so all I have to do is drape that side over the top of the back seat.

 

And that was it. 

 

 

Now Gypsy can sit in my backseat with her dirty little paws and not stain my upholstery.  This also prevents her from falling onto the floor everytime I turn or brake, which she did all the time. 

This was a good beginner project.  I winged it without measuring anything out and had a problem aligining the straps.  But the design on the fabric was forgiving and hid my uneven stitching and mess ups. 

And since then, I've had other uses with my sewing machine.  I've fixed hems and holes, so, yep, I can say I know how to sew!

Tasty Thursday: Peppermint and Pretzel White Chocolate Bark

Need a way to use up those leftover candy canes from Christmas?  Crush em up!  Along with crushed pretzels and white chocolate, you've got yourself a sweet and salty treat.

The last time I made chocolate bark, it didn't turn out so well.  They were as fragile as egg shells and started to melt as soon as they were touched.

Mindy at Creative Juice made the chocolate bark in a way that was sturdy enough to break into pieces but not melt at the sheer touch of fingers.

Here's what you do:

-Crush up some pretzels.  I crushed a handful at a time until I had about a cup.

-Crush up 2 candy canes...or more, whatevs.

-Melt some white chocolate.  I used 1 bag of Tollhouse chips and got about a square foot of chocolate to break up.  I melted half of the chocolates at a time.

-Pour the melted chocolate onto some parchment paper.  Spread it out to make it even along the surface.

-Sprinkle half of the crushed pretzels over the chocolate while it's still melty.  I pressed the bigger pieces into the chocolate to make sure they're nice and snug.

-Then go and do something to pass the time.  The chocolate has to cool completely and harden.

-Melt the rest of the chocolate and pour over the cool chocolate, spreading it evenly.

-Sprinkle the rest of the pretzels and crushed candy canes, pressing the bigger pieces into the chocolate.  

-Twiddle your thumbs while waiting for the chocolate to cool and harden.

-Break up the chocolate into pieces...or eat the thing whole.  Your choice.

Tasty Thursday

I have a slight obsession with Where's Waldo.  Every time I see a Where's Waldo book, my face lights up.  I've loved Waldo since childhood.  It's something about finding a man in a striped sweater and his friends that get me all excited...

For Christmas yesterday, the BF got me a compilation book of all the Where's Waldo puzzles.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

I've only had the chance to complete one puzzle and I've come to this conclusion.  There's no way a nine year old can do them.  Ain't no way.  After a couple of minutes, my brain was hurting and it felt like I was growing cataracts or something on my eyes, they were so sore.

Anyway, this Christmas I tried out two recipes that are definite keepers.  One's an appetizer type and the other's a boozy type.

I made Killer Artichoke Bread from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  Let me start off by saying that it really was killer.  You can't go wrong with bread, cheese and butter.  And artichokes are vegetables.  Right?  So it can't be THAT bad for you.

Killer Artichoke Bread
adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

-1/4 c butter
-big spoonful of minced garlic
-14 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, well drained and chopped
-about a cup of shredded Mozzarella
-about half a cup of shredded pepper jack
-about half a cup of grated Parmesan
-1/2 c sour cream
-1 loaf of Italian bread, sliced lengthwise
-salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the chopped artichoke, cheeses and sour cream.  Stir until everything is combined and remove from heat.

Spoon the artichoke/cheese mixture onto the bread.  Broil for about 4-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown.

Slice into pieces and you got yourself some cheesy artichokey goodness.

And since you've wrecked your diet by eating this bread, you might as well make yourself a boozy milkshake later.

This peppermint milkshake requires three must have ingredients:  peppermint schnapps, vanilla ice cream and whole milk.  Whole milk!  What!?  I know.  But the thick milk helps it have that creamy thickness that alot of milkshakes have.  And it's still thin enough you can drink through a straw without having a brain aneurysm.  And besides, at this point you've already gone past the point of no return with your calorie intake, so what the heck.  Indulge.

Peppermint Cocktail Milkshake
-1 c whole milk
-2 c vanilla ice cream
-3 oz peppermint schnapps

Blend everything together.  If you have some candy canes laying around, crush 'em up and add those too!  I don't want to say this makes two servings because, honestly, I could drink the whole darn thing, so enough for two glasses it makes instead.  And if you're feeling really fancy, add whipped cream on the top.

Truth

The proper way to eat pumpkin pie.

A Cat's Life

Thanksgiving in Seattle Recap

In September, my grandmother passed away.  It was a sad time for the whole family, but there was a silver lining to such a loss.  My grandmother wanted the whole family, her kids, the grand kids (and now a great grand kid) and spouses to get together.

Now we're not a big family (there's only 16 of us), but we all live in different parts of the country.  San Diego.  Arizona.  Texas.  New York City. Kentucky.  And Maryland.  This makes it kinda hard to plan and meet in a unified location.  It's been maybe a decade since a majority of the whole family has been in the same place.  Well, in memory of my grandmother, Aileen, and thanks to the planning of my aunt Bonnie, we were able to make it happen.

Aileen grew up in Seattle and that's where her family is peacefully at rest.  So, a Seattle Thanksgiving it was.

We had a memorial and reunited her with her parents, sister and husband and later spread some of her ashes in a lake from the neighborhood she grew up in.  As somber as it was, it was also comforting to know that Aileen got her wish.  The whole family came together to see her home.

The rest of the trip was spent catching up and just enjoying being in the presence of each other.

So here's a recap:
-We had a gorgeous house on Lake Washington that fit all sixteen family members.
-Each family contributed to a meal every day.
-Thanksgivakkuh.  Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah were the same day this year, which won't happen again in our lifetime.  I learned about the history of the menorah, more Jewish traditions and ate latkes.  Thanksgivakkuh for the win.
-My cousin Daniel.  The last time I saw him, he was in elementary school.  Now, he's almost done with college.  My goodness, he's a man now.  I.Feel.Old.
-I tried beef tongue for the first time.  It tasted just like salty roast beef.  Not too bad.  Points for trying new things.
-How happy my mom was to have all her kids together at the Korean grocery store, even though we were running around all over the place and brought random things to the cart.  Some things never change.
-Korean food.  Nuff said.
-Fried turkey.  Delicious.  Definitely the route to go if you want a turkey cooked in 30 minutes.
-Rounds of Catchphrase.  Nuff said.
-Having fish tacos from fish that were thrown at the world famous Pike's Place Fish Market.
-Hearing childhood stories from the adults.  Let's just say minors weren't allowed in the room.
-My family can throw down on some alcohol.
-The feeling of regret that we never did such a get together before, but energy to do something like this every couple of years.
-And Lola.  But Lola gets her own section.  Keep reading for more on her.
-I was a little bummed out that the BF didn't have his beard grown out.  All the Seattle men had beards, he would've fit in just fine.
-Came home to cat that hasn't had human interactions for a week and was needy and very talkative.

The BF and I stayed longer in order to enjoy Seattle more since we've never been.  We didn't go up in the Space Needle, but up in the Columbia Center building instead.  It's cheaper and it's taller and they have a Starbucks on the 40th floor with killer views.  It was the one day the sky was clear and we could see Mt. Rainier.  Awesome views of the whole place.  Speaking of Mt. Rainier, we tried venturing out there.  We drove 2 hours, just to get turned around because a snow storm closed the roads.  Bummer.  And also speaking of Starbucks, we found the oldest one at Pike's Place.  It's not the original location (that one is no longer standing), but again, it is the oldest.  And it was PACKED.  Waiting out in a line curving into the street is not for me.  I ain't got time for that.  But I did have time for a less busy Tully's Coffee, which is actually owned by Dr. Dreamy (Grey's Anatomy reference).  We discovered the Fremont neighborhood and the troll.  It was a neighborhood that I could see myself fitting right in. We caught up with a friend that just moved into the area a couple of weeks before we arrived.  And the BF and I also discovered two places that would totally validate moving to Seattle, if the need ever came up:  Taco Time and Taco Del Mar.

But something I will not miss, that traffic!  Well, not really the traffic, but the layout of the roads.  The city planners really love their 5 point intersections.

And Lola.  My dear Lola.  This almost one year old has captured my heart.  She is the calmest baby ever and it helps that she's adorably cute.  I'm just sorry, but I have to take a minute to gush over her.

...
...
...
...

Okay.  I'm back

Picture time!

Our home for the week.

Saying goodbye to my grandmother one last time.

Beef tongue...and my brother's silly face.

Latkes.  Anything fried is always good.

Searching for gold.

In case it got cold, I got this for my brother.

The kids...and Lola.

 And now, for your undivided attention, my Lola collage.

Oh and did I tell you she won in a battle with a T-Rex.  No big deal.

Tasty Tuesday

You know what's delicious?

Bacon.

Bacon is delicious.

Add a brown sugar coating to the said bacon and you have yourself a delicious start to your day or end to the night, or beginning of your afternoon.  Whatevs.  I don't judge.

First of all, I like to cook pork bacon in the oven.  It's a time saver, less messy, and the fat drips right off onto the pan.

Once the bacon is all laid out on the pan, sprinkle brown sugar on top with a little bit of black pepper.  And that's it.

Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  The result is a savory piece of bacon with a crunchy top of caramelized brown sugar.

You're welcome.

It's That Time of the Year...

My job performance review is coming up!

Now, I'm the lucky type of person that usually never stressess about work.  It's not high paced, I don't have people breathing down my neck, and I rarely have short deadlines.  Sure, there are moments when I get angry or upset, but it's so trivial, I'm over it pretty quickly.  And there's plenty of times when I just don't want to be there, but that's only because I would rather watch movies in my Snuggie, not because of a stressful job.

I pity those that have to take their work home, when work consumes their lives.  I'm aware there's plenty that like that arrangement, but I am definately not one of those.  As soon as it's time to go, I'm peacing out and my car is already halfway out of the parking lot.  Whatever I was working on will wait til the next day.  I'm lucky enough I have that luxury with my job.

But this is the only time of year I have to bring my work home.  A little background:   At the beginning of the year, we're given a set of performance objectives that we have to complete and show for at the end of the year.  Well, the end of the year is here (it's usually November/Decemberish).  With the way our objectives are set up, we essentially have to keep track of EVERYTHING we do.  No problem.  I've been doing that.  My problem and the reason I'm working at home, is because I have to put all this information together.  I have to quantify a year's worth of stuff and it always takes way more time than I give myself.  It's my own fault.  If I were to do this right, I would've used the whole year to work on this, but I always think the method we're supposed to use is counterproductive and end up waiting til the last minute.  Thus, this being the only time of year I'm stressed.  On the plus side, good reviews mean time off awards and bonuses.  Yes, please.

If You're Having a Bad Day...

Remember, 

It could be worse. 

You could be this car owner...