Peace Out, July

So, July is over today.  Not really sure how that happened, but it was a pretty spectacular month.  My birthday, 11 days off work, a weeklong vacation in Corolla, a Nissley trip, and a camping weekend...not too shabby.  And August will kick off with a float down the Juniata River and a night at the Rum-de-Gun Resort, the finest establishment in Perry County!

Last night was really nice, just getting to relax and not having anywhere to be but home.  The steaks turned out great, but I don't think I'll make a habit of buying that cut - the bone really gets in the way of the meat enjoyment [that's what she said].


The mashed potatoes turned out great - in addition to the standard milk and butter, I threw in some cream cheese with chives and bacon I had leftover from the BLTs the night before.  Really, anything with the word "cream" in the title will make your mashed potatoes so much better (cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream...whatever ya got).


I just opened that stick of butter for this meal - over half a stick GONE.

After dinner, we took the cat outside and sat out back for a bit.  She was hanging out on her leash in the yard for a while, and when we brought her back onto the porch, she somehow got herself tangled up in my chair and slipped out of her harness.  Not one to put down my wine in any situation, I of course still had it in my hand when I grabbed her and tossed her inside, consequently dumping red wine on my tan cat, and all over the outdoor carpet.  It was really pretty hilarious.


Explorer Kitty, BEFORE the wine incident.

Tonight is a volleyball game, that I'll be attending solo since Miah is doing a side job...makin' that paper, yo.  I have boneless skinless chicken thighs in two different marinades in the fridge - one in Sweet Baby Ray's, and the other in an Asian marinade I found on Pinterest.  Lots of soy sauce and brown sugar involved, so I'm sure it'll be delish.  Pictures to come tomorrow morning!

I Pick Things Up and Put Them Down

So, I finally joined the gym near our new house.  I think the weights were actually laughing at me as I struggled to do a shoulder press with only 20 pounds.  And the fact that they have mirrors in front of most of the machines in the "Lady Gold's" section of the gym isn't super encouraging, however, there was no way in hell I was venturing out into the Gorilla-ville that was the main portion of the gym at 5:30 PM on a weeknight.

I will GLADLY wake up at 0:dark30 and go that early to avoid people, but I wanted to at least get my membership done since they were running a special through Wednesday.  Miah (I'm tired of trying to remember everyone's nickname and come up with new ones) and I both signed up, with a $0 enrollment fee (usually $70 each) AND only $22 each per month.  SCORE!

After I got home, I had two vodka and OJs, some chips, and a BLT and a half, so that was pretty healthy.  Tonight I'm making an actual meal - porterhouse steaks, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob.  I'll try and remember to take a picture, since the main premise of this blog is cooking.  Oops.

Shits and Giggles Friday

I love you, Friday.  And I love you even more when I have happy hour plans after work, which tonight, I do!  Heading to the Speakeasy with my two work BFFs for an overdue birthday celebration for yours truly.  Hellooooo, half-price beers and cheap boneless wings.

SHITS

- It was like an insect zoo in my car on the way to work today.  I killed a huge spider (while driving 60 MPH, super safe), and had a race with a stinkbug on the OUTSIDE of my partially opened window.  I won, as in, the window was closed before he could make it inside.

- There's a guy that works in my building that weighs approximately 82364 pounds, and I had the pleasure of sharing an elevator with him this morning.  I've never heard such a struggle to complete a simple task such as BREATHE.  Gross.

- Does no one give "the wave" anymore?  You know what I'm talking about.  When I let you merge in front of me, have the decency to stick a hand up in your rearview mirror, dope.

GIGGLES

- We're camping/boating this weekend with my dad and stepmom, and a few of their friends and I'm SO looking forward to it. 

- For the camping trip, my contribution is breakfast on Sunday morning.  Anytime I'm asked to take care of breakfast on a camping trip, I make these.  They are THEE best thing ever, and the greatest thing about them is, I can be hungover and still manage to get them out of a container and put them on a fire grate.  BREAKFAST IS READY.

- We've been sleeping with the window open and I love it.  This weather is my favorite.

Also a fan of the open window.

Wednesday, I Hate You, Too

I think my calendar is broken, as I'm not quite sure how it can only be Wednesday.  I'm so ready for the weekend.

A bright spot in the early part of the week was that I had some spectacular sushi last night at a place super close to our house.  I can't even tell you how glad I am that I found a good sushi restaurant within 3 miles; it really seals the deal on how awesome it is to live where we do.

That bad boy in the middle with the sauce was delish - thanks to Wasabi Sauce for the recommendation!

Speaking of nearby establishments...there's a pretty rough-looking bar at the end of our street, and they must be open for breakfast because on my way to work this morning, there was a table of four sucking down Coronas at 7:45 AM.  Needless to say, where most people would be disgusted, I was actually jealous.  Squeeze a lime for me, guys.

We have a volleyball game tonight and I am SO thankful that it's a reasonable temperature outside.  I'm actually kind of over summer at this point?  I think it's because my vacation is done, and while we do have a few weekend excursions planned over the next month or so, I'm ready for football season, hoodies, and pumpkin-flavored everything.

Shits and Giggles Friday

Has this not been the longest week in the history of ever?  Maybe it's just because it was my first week back from vacation, coupled with my insane evening schedule, but I'm ready for about 983778892 glasses of wine.  SPEAKING OF, I'm super excited for this weekend because we're going to Nissley for their summer concert series tomorrow night.  Wine + food + music + friends = all of my favorite things.

SHITS

1. My alarm was set to go off at 7:20 this morning.  It had been going off for 14 minutes when I finally woke up at 7:34.  I have to leave my house at 7:45, in order to get to work on time.

2. I know it's pointless to complain about the weather, but SERIOUSLY.  Can it please just drop at least ten degrees or something?  This is ridic.

3. My house is an absolute MESS right now and it's driving me insane.  The problem is that this full-time job and rigorous extracurricular schedule keeps me from finding the time to do anything about it.  And oh, look, it's the weekend.  Where I probably won't actually FEEL like doing any of it.

GIGGLES

1. Since I was already going to be late for work, I stopped at Sheetz for breakfast a chili dog.  When I picked up my bag o'food, I realized they gave me TWO hot dogs instead of only one - SCORE!

2. After this week's matches, our volleyball team hit 100 points in the standings.  Go team, Dinks and Drinks!

3. I ordered from my favoritest place downtown for lunch today, Arepa City, and it was everything I'd hoped and dreamed it would be.  I could easily eat there every day of the rest of my life.

Back to Regularly Scheduled Blogging

Now that you've been able to thoroughly relive my vacation, it's back to my regular old life, and blogging about said boring life.

First of all, how is today only Thursday?  This week has been a killer for me, with a volleyball doubleheader on Tuesday, the Harrisburg Mile yesterday, and another volleyball game tonight.  And in case you've been living under a rock, it's approximately eleventy-billion degrees outside with ninety-teen percent humidity.  Not exactly ideal for outdoor activities.

It's been awhile since I've graced you all with my glorious skillz in the kitchen, and even though I made this Monday night, it was pretty bangin' so I thought I'd share.

We had leftover Italian sausage from the beach, and I snatched an unopened box of fettucine that someone else left in the kitchen.  Add all that to some baby portabella mushrooms I picked up at the store, and a jar of sauce from the pantry, and BAM:

Obviously the pasta came in at a later point.

Recipe, kids!  This'll make enough for two people, with two small portions leftover for lunch the next day.

3 or 4 links of Italian sausage, removed from casing (I used 2 spicy and 2 mild)
1/2 a yellow onion
1 small box of baby bella mushrooms
1-2 T butter
3/4 of a jar of Prego fresh mushroom sauce
1/2 box of fettucine, cooked

Saute the sausage until cooked through.  Remove sausage from pan and place onto a plate with paper towels to soak up the grease.  Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan, adding butter as needed.  I think I also threw in a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, along with some garlic powder.

Once the veggies are soft, add the sausage back in, as well as the sauce.  Pour over your noodles and prepare for a flavor explosion in your mouth!

I probably won't be cooking again until the weekend; I have to make some sort of snacky snack to take to a local winery for their summer concert on Saturday.  If it looks yummy, and isn't chips and dip, I'll be sure to post a recipe.

#OBX2013: Part Two

I wanted to make this a separate post because it was perhaps one of my favorite portions of the whole trip.  Fun fact about me: I absolutely LOVE raw oysters.  As in, I could probably eat a few dozen if they weren't so damn expensive, or if someone else was paying for them.  During this trip, I was in luck, because exactly that happened.

My birthday was the day before we left, and while I was talking to my dad on the phone that day, he casually asked me where my favorite place to eat in the Outer Banks was.  It took about .04 seconds for me to answer with, "Awful Arthur's."

Awful Arthur's is the Outer Banks only authentic oyster bar, and it absolutely has the BEST oysters.  We were already planning on making the 45-minute drive to Kill Devil Hills one afternoon while we were down there, and when we got there, I was surprised by something that totally made my week: my dad had called the restaurant and paid for a $100 gift card for me to use that day! 

We basically raced up the stairs to the second floor raw and steam bar and were greeted by the super-friendly bartenders with a, "You're the birthday girl, right?!" 


I didn't take this, but I basically could have, from our seats at the bar.

We started off with a dozen raw oysters for me, and a dozen steamed clams for Beast.  With accompanying beverages, obvi.

Once we realized how far $100 could actually take us, we made the best decisions of our lives and ordered the "Crabmeat 'N Butter."  Yes, my friends, it's exactly what it sounds like.  A soup bowl, full of lump crab meat, in melted butter.  With more butter on the side, and some sort of super hybrid version of Old Bay and salt.  Ah-maz-ing.


We may or may not have drunk the butter.  (We did.)

We had more clams, and another cocktail each, and it was just heaven all around.  I think I'm actually salivating just writing about it.  AND!  Right before the check was handed to us, one of the bartenders threw another 7 or 8 oysters my way (not actually thrown, that would be gross), and sent us on our way with a, "Happy Birthday, again!"

The damage.  My father was so proud.

And with our leftover balance, we swung by the gift shop and grabbed a sweet Awful Arthur's license plate for the front of our Explorer.  Such a fantastic afternoon.

We've already started thinking about next year's trip - and I can hardly wait all over again.

#OBX2013: Part One

Sorry I've been MIA lately, but I was too busy having the greatest vacation EVAH.  Below you will find my week, in picture form.  Full of sun, water, beach sammiches, seafood, and just pure awesomeness.

Almost every day was spent doing all of these things in the order of the pictures below the text:

1. Wake up, sit on chair on deck, read book.
2. Make Bloody Mary(s), enjoy on chair on deck.
3. Construct sandwiches for beach day.  Receive accolades from all other sandwich-makers from my perfect sandwiches.
4. Sit on beach chair, drink beer, smile.
5. Eat a fantastic dinner prepared by one of the housemates.

The following events are NOT pictured:

1. Get wasted.
2. Give/receive lap dances to/from other housemates.
3. Dance party.
4. Drinking games.
5. Hangovers.

All in all, it was seriously one of the greatest trips I've ever taken.  The people, the weather, and the house made it so totally relaxing and enjoyable.  And currently, I want to jump out of my 14th floor window thinking about how fun it all was.  Also, it's time for my Bloody Mary.



I can't even describe this.



Perfection in a solo cup.



Perhaps the greatest beach sammich ever.

My life for seven days.



Seafood night! I did my part by making homemade alfredo sauce.



Spicy Meals and Birthday Gifts

Another spectacular meal last night by moi, if I do say so myself.  I made jalapeno popper chicken - one of those things where I basically threw a bunch of shit inside a chicken breast and hoped for the best.  Recipe below!


Those carrots were awesome too - lots of brown sugar and butter involved.


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise, then pounded thin
4 oz. (half a block) cream cheese
4 oz. (half a block) monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 T of french onion chip dip...trust me, it's delicious
2 jalapenos, chopped (I took the seeds out of one of them, and left the other's in - perfect heat)
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion salt
1/2 cup chicken broth
Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix cream cheese, shredded cheese, dip, jalapenos, garlic powder, and onion salt together.  Spread the mixture on one end of the chicken breast, and roll up.  This recipe will make four "rolls." 
Spray each piece with cooking spray, and roll in the panko bread crumbs.
Pour the chicken broth into an 8x8 baking dish, and place the chicken in the broth (should be about a 1/4 inch of broth in the pan).
Sprinkle extra bread crumbs on the chicken and bake for about 30-40 minutes.


After dinner, we were sitting there watching TV, and all of a sudden, Beast grabs his keys and says, "I'll be back...I'm going to get your birthday present." 

[one episode of Real Housewives of NJ later...]

And this bad boy was on our back porch, with a bow on it!  I thought about setting it up in the living room and sleeping there, but I figure there's plenty of time for slumber on it next week at the beach.  Thanks, babe!

Birthday Month!

Today marks a period of time during which I like to declare My Birthday Month.  I love having a birthday in the summer, and more importantly, the day after our country's birthday.  'Merica. 

And this year, we leave for a weeklong vacation in the Outer Banks the day after my birthday.  All I gotta get through is three days this week, and I don't have to come back to reality for a week and a half.  I can taste the Bloody Mary and smell the salty sea breeze already.

The last few days added up to a pretty laid back weekend, which was awesome.  Friday night was pretty pink vodka drinks on the couch in the A/C, and ham steaks on the grill.  There was also a pretty mean round of Bananagrams.

What married Friday nights are made of.

Saturday morning, we woke up early, I made eggs benedict, and we headed out to run some errands.  I wish I would've taken a picture of the meat heaven that we visited in Elizabethtown.  When I asked for a delmonico steak, the girl at the counter sliced it off a huge hunk of cow (not the actual cow), and Beast got a fresh thick-cut pork chop.  I grilled them later that night and they were spectacular.  Sorry, Karn's, but I've found myself a new meat slinger (that's what she said).

Probably the best part of the weekend: as of yesterday, we never have to step foot in our apartment again.  The place is empty, clean, and the keys have been turned in for eternity.  Such a great feeling.

Last night for dinner, I made jalapeno bacon apple grilled cheese sandwiches and OH.  EM.  GEE.  I totally recommend getting the few ingredients and making one of these for yourself. 

As a side, we had Paula Deen's broccoli salad.  Don't worry, Paula, I got your back, girl.

Aaaaaand now it's Monday again...three more days...three more days...three more days...