Make this. Now.

Mike and I have been pretty busy lately and haven't gotten to spend much time together lately. So last night we decided to have an at-home date night where we cooked a fancy dinner together and watched CSI all night.

I love fancy dinner nights. I love picking out what we're going to eat and then I really love being in the kitchen with Mike as we're making it. It's romantic... in a productive sort of way. I came across this recipe at one of my favorite blogs and it truly one of the best things I've put in my mouth.

So drop what you're doing and make this. Now. Seriously.

EDIT: I made this again using chicken instead of shrimp and it was just as good. Yum yum yum!

Recipe of the Week

For 23 years, I had gone without knowing the joy of pesto. I never tried it because it looked weird and just assumed I wouldn't like it. After finding a recipe that called for a pesto sauce, I decided to be brave and try it out. And boy am I glad I did. It has quickly become a favorite in our house... an easy peasy meal that tastes delicious!



It is made of basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Tastes good but it looks gross.

Anyways, here's the recipe. It's sooo quick and easy!

Presto Pesto Chicken Pasta

4 chicken breasts
1 package of your favorite type of noodle
Jar of pesto (it's in the spaghetti sauce aisle)

So you cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. Put 2 T (give or take) of pesto right on top of the chicken pieces. Coat evenly. Throw the chicken in a pan with a little bit of olive oil and saute it until it's nice and brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the noodles until they are al dente-ish. Drain the noodles and add in an additional 2 T of pesto in the pasta and stir, coating the noodles evenly. You can put as little or as much pesto as you want in the pasta... do it to your liking. Serve the pasta in individual bowls and add pesto chicken on top, or just mix it all together and serve. It literally takes like 20 minutes to make and is goo-oo-ood!

Bugzilla!!!

Ahh! Bugzilla attacked us! It was enormous! It kind of flew at me and chased me out of the kitchen. Thankfully Mike protected me and took him back outside. I only got close enough to snap a couple of pictures. Then Mike was a jerk and teased me with it until I screamed.

It never rains, but it pours...

Oh rain.

My flowers desperately needed it. But unfortunately in these parts a steady downpour will knock your power right out. Instead of an afternoon spent watching CSI, surfing the internet and eating ice cream on our glorious couch, I sat in a dark house... for 3 hours. I ended up taking some pictures around the house, playing with the dog, and reading a book that is just so-so right now instead. And I did still have the ice cream. Then I went over to my church's little cooking class and sampled some yummy camping food. Now I have a few ideas for our own camping trip in a couple of weeks (which I may or may not be dreading). So a nice little day off despite the power outage... I'm just thankful our basement didn't flood!!

Here's another view of those gloomy clouds. I had to sneak out between rain showers to snap this shot.

Interview update

Well the interview is over and I can breathe easy again. After days of dread, I can say that it all went pretty well. I was interviewed for four potential jobs. They asked the questions, I gave the right answers... without putting my feet in my mouth or sounding mentally unstable. I was kind of twitchy and used my hands way too much when I was talking, but overall I think I made a positive impact on those who were interviewing me. The main thing is that I stayed true to myself and tried my best. It's out of my hands now...

Now I wait until Oct 4 to find out the good news/bad news.

Getcha Head in the Game!

Wanna hear the song I picked for my drill team to dance to? It's the pop version of a song from "High School Musical," the "IT" movie at the moment for all you teenyboppers out there. Don't mind the orangey blurs on the video. Just imagine 15-20 slightly awkward 6th grade girls dancing to the song.




I wrote 90% of the dance today. The rest will have to come together once I meet the girls and their mad skillzzzzz, hahaha. I'm kind of excited about it all, I just hope it doesn't look totally stupid. I still need to work on the tryout fliers, permission forms, and t shirt designs, etc. Practices don't start until October, but my plan is to have all of that stuff done so I can concentrate on the girls and their routines when that time comes. So for now, after listening to it about 100 times, I just gotta getcha getcha getcha song out of my head!!!

Another job interview

Another job opportunity has rolled around, this time its for me! I have an interview on Tuesday for an aide job at my favorite school. The school I sub at almost every day. The school in which I am coaching the dance team. So if I don't totally blow the interview, I'd say I have a pretty darn good chance at getting the job. But then again, you never know. But at least I got an interview! So please bust out those wonderful prayers of yours... I really really hope this is the one! Thanks!

It's here!

It's here! It's here! I never thought I'd be so excited about a piece of furniture!



Absolutely fabulous.

Most of the living room work is done. The walls are painted and most of the physical labor is done. We rearranged some things and got rid of some clutter. We still need to get curtain, better wall art, other non-ghetto furniture, etc. but all in good time.

Here's a before and after.


Before. What a sad sad white little room.



After! So much better! Notice Scout has already claimed her spot by the window.

We're in the works of doing the kitchen too. We put in a new ceiling fan and painted in there too. I'll post pictures of that once it's finished. But for now, I am going to lounge on the couch and watch CSI. Ahhhh, feels good!

Our couch comes tomorrow!

Our couch comes tomorrow!

Our couch comes tomorrow!

Our couch comes tomorrow!

I'm so excited... it's like Christmas... in September! YAY!!!!

That is all.

Recipe of the Week

Do you have hungry friends that have stopped by unexpectedly? Do you want something to munch on while you watch the Colts win? Or maybe you just need a snack that requires no cooking? Well I have the solution for you!

Impossibly Easy Bean Dip

1 can of refried beans
1 packet of taco mix
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 little can of green chilies
tortilla chips

In a bowl, combine the beans and the taco mix. Mix it really well.
In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and green chilies. Mix that really well too.

On a platter (I used a paper plate to complete the impossibly easy theme), spread the bean mixture out until flat and smooth. Next, layer the cream cheese mixture on top of that. Smooth it out until flat and smooth. Voila! Your bean dip is complete. If you want to fancy it up a bit, throw some black olives, tomatos, or green onions on top. Yum yum!

Bad but not suprising news...

Mike got a call from the school corporation tonight confirming our suspicions... he did not get the aide job that he interviewed for last week.

Le boo.

The personnel head honcho gave him the ol' "keep trying, get your name out to the principals and get your foot in the door" speech. Blah blah blah. We get it already. Unfortunately that technique hasn't been working well for us so far. But he did get an interview... so I guess that's something!!

Mike was kind of bummed out, or frustrated, or something. I told him that it means he is supposed to go on to do bigger and better things and we just have to be patient enough to let things work themselves out. I just wish those things would happen a little faster and we'd have a little more patience with all of this!

So I'm off to make my hardworking hubby a nice bowl of ice cream to ease frustrations. Maybe the next interview phone call he gets will have better news for him.

We Interrupt This Blog...

For some perfectly useless information.

Lions cannot roar until they reach the age of 2.

M&Ms were developed so that soldiers could eat chocolate without getting their fingers sticky.

Whales cannot swim backwards.

Buzz Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon.

Every year, 8,000 people injure themselves on toothpicks.

The state flag of Alaska was designed by a thirteen year old boy.

Counting how many times a cricket chirps on 15 seconds and then adding 40 to that number will tell you roughly what the outside temperature is in Fahrenheit.

The United States has never lost a war in which mules were used.

From This Book of More Perfectly Useless Information by Mitchell Symons

And so it begins...

We have officially started working on the house. We contacted our landlord and got the okay to paint our walls. Apparently she really is working on a contract for us (hooray!) and we can go ahead and start fixing the place up. So our first project is the living room. Mike wanted to fix a leak in the bathroom... but our new couch needs a pretty room to live in first, right?

Anyways, the seemingly straight forward job of painting a couple of walls has grown into quite a project. Our walls are gross and bumpy, so we have to sand, spackle, and wash everything down before we paint. So my day off of work today has been deemed prep day. Mike helped out for a while, but then he had to leave for work. So here I am alone.... with power tools.



Yes. Scary, I know.

I know nothing of power tools. I was the girl who dropped my shop class because I was scared of them. Mike must have faith in me, but I think he might be a little too trusting. Just look at me... I've been using my sunglasses as safety goggles. Stylish, maybe. A handy man, I'm not so sure.

How Many Pain Can You Stand?

My sister sent me a hilarious little video clip that just made my day. It's called How Many Pain Can You Stand? It's 6 guys in a library trying to be quiet while playing a card game. Usually that wouldn't be too difficult, but this game is a little bit different.

Okay, a lot different.

If you have 9 minutes to spare and a slightly sick sense of humor, I totally recommend you watch. Enjoy!

Blast from the Past

Here's an article I found in the paper about one of my all time favorite teachers. I was in her media class and also on her yearbook staff in high school. She is a great lady and an amazing teacher!

Mrs. Metzger

Quotent Quotables

One night a year or so ago, a friend and I happened to start talking about God. I believe in Him; she isn't so sure. She went on to talk about how she had trouble believing in something that is not logical; there is no scientific fact that God exists. To her, He is like a fairy tale.

I wished I could put into words why I believed. I kind of felt silly talking to her about it because she was perfectly right, believing in God is not logical nor scientific. But in the end, I still believe. There are so many unspoken reasons in my heart why I believe. I have faith that He is there and loves me, even in spite of all the mistakes I have made, and will make, in my life. That will never change.

I've been reading a book called Blue Like Jazz. It is a book of thoughts on Christian spirituality that my sister recommended to me. It's pretty good so far. I came across a passage in this book that reminded me of that conversation that night.

"I don't think there is an explanation. My belief in Jesus did not seem rational or scientific, yet there was nothing I could do to separate myself from this belief. [She] was looking for something rational, because she believed all things were rational. But that is not the case. Love, for example, is a true emotion, but it is not rational. What I mean is, people actually feel it. I have been in love, plenty of people have been in love, yet love cannot be proven scientifically. Neither can beauty. Light cannot be proven scientifically and yet we all believe in light and by light we see all things. There are plenty of things that are true and don't make any sense. I think one of the problems [she] was having was that she wanted God to make sense. He doesn't. He will make no more sense to me than I will to an ant." Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz

I don't usually say too much about my thoughts on God. While I feel very strongly about my faith, I also feel that it a very personal thing and one I shouldn't go blabbering on about. But for some reason, I just felt that I should share that little paragraph with all of you, asking those who wrestle with this question of logic to keep an open mind. I hope that my friend does too.

Our New Couch!

We made our first official grown up major credit card purchase this afternoon. After about 2 hours of stretching out and reclining on various types of furniture, we finally decided on a super comfy, micro suede sectional. It comes with a stain protection plan and will fit perfectly into the weird layout of our living room. It will be delivered here on Sept 19... I'm so excited I can hardly wait!

So without further adieu, meet our new couch!


Think of all the Colts game action that baby is about to get!


This one shows the color a bit better.

As soon as we are able, we are going to paint the living room walls blue with a grayish tone to it and do window treatments. I can't wait to get rid of all of our old mismatched college furniture and have some color on the walls! And of course, Mike is pushing for a fancy new TV with a surround sound system. It will definitely all have to been done in (tiny) baby steps, but at least we have an awesome couch on the way to get us started!

Orange is the Happiest Color...

At least that is what Frank Sinatra once said. And you know, I think he was right. Especially when you are with my family at Charlie's Mongolian BBQ!


I think Dad should audition for the part of The Joker in the next Batman!!


The gruesome twosome.


And this one... there are just no words to describe it...

Ah, just another night out with the fam.

We're going to see Bob Dylan!

On Fall Break this year, we are heading up to Bloomington to see the Bob Dylan/Elvis Costello concert! Better yet, it's Mike's parents' treat! They invited us to go to the concert then stay the night with them in a hotel suite. How awesome is that?!?

More Job News...

I just got hired to coach the elementary school dance team at my favorite school here in town. It doesn't pay much, but it will be a great experience! I'm really excited (and nervous too... what have a gotten myself into?!?) I'll be finding out more details on Monday. Yay for exciting job news day!

Mike Got an Interview!

Our school corporation called Mike today to schedule him for an interview! He's being considered for a 6 hour aide position at our local alternative school that will last throughout the whole school year! Hooray! He's scheduled to interview with personnel on Monday afternoon. So it would be wonderful if you all could say a little prayer of encouragement for Mike, because he'd be so great at this job and could make a difference in the lives of some of our county's troubled youth. Not to mention the fact of having a stable, everyday job would be terrific for us! I'll let you know how it goes on Monday!

Go Colts!

Tonight was the Colts' first regular season game! Mike and I were a little excited so we put our game gear on.



Even Scout got in on the action... she has her very own Colts shirt too.



The cats didn't really care though... they are more Hoosier fans...



Scout says it's going to be a good year!

A few pictures

Here's a lovely picture of the Ohio River at sunset. I really like this one. All I had to do was crop it... the colors of the sunset and water are all natural. I was lucky to get this one because none of my others turned out at all!


And I must warn you, this next one is slightly disturbing.




Mike and I shopped around at Party City to kill some time the other day. Out of the zillions of the masks there, we decided this one was the creepiest of all.

Recipe of the Week

Last night was fiesta night for Mike and I here at home. I made lime-marinated chicken, Spanish rice, bean dip, and the most wonderful salsa in the world. It's not a red salsa that you would find at your local Mexican resturant. It's closer to a pico de gallo thing, but it's not quite that either. The best I can describe it is a light summery delight that makes you tongue extremely happy. And it's pretty to look at too! Thank you Betty Crocker!

Tomato-Avocado Salsa
(warning: much chopping involved)

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 t finely chopped jalapeño chili (beware the sharp knife...)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 t salt

Chop the heck out of everything and squeeze that lime (although tasty, the smell of lime always brings back unpleasant memories of tequila). In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix gently. Refrigerate until cool and refreshing. Then enjoy!

I would have posted a picture of it, but we honestly ate it so fast that I didn't even think about it. Eh, maybe next time. We put it on top of our chicken last night, but I think you could eat it on/with almost anything. And it's not a real spicy dish, just very flavorful. Mike gave it a "Holy crap, this is good!" review, which is great considering he doesn't much like anything that doesn't contain meat. I think next week I'm going to make this again to put on top of some quesadillas or maybe porkchops. Oh the possibilities...

Lesson of the Day

Be careful when using a sharp knife.

Especially when you are chopping fresh jalepenos.

Ouch.

My Turn!

Everyone else is doing it, so I thought I needed to join in too! What can I say? Monkey see, monkey do!

Your Brain is 80% Female, 20% Male

Your brain leans female You think with your heart, not your head Sweet and considerate, you are a giver But you're tough enough not to let anyone take advantage of you!

What Gender Is Your Brain?

What's in a Name?

I've been married for 3 months now and still haven't changed my last name. I've been putting it off for one reason or another... too busy, the paperwork is a pain in the butt, yadda, yadda, yadda. But honestly, the real reason I haven't done it yet is I haven't wanted to change my name. I don't really know why, but I've had the hardest time dealing with this little detail of marriage. I worried about it for months before we actually got married and have been debating what to do about it ever since. Mike doesn't understand why I have such an issue with taking his name. I think it kind of hurts his feelings, but he's been so patient and nice about it all... he told me to do whatever made me happy. I heart him. But honestly it's not even about taking his name, it's about losing my name. I feel like I'm losing my identity and I hate the fact that I won't have a distinct connection with my family, whom I am extremely close with, anymore. I've been in tears more than once about it and have debated with myself over and over and over.

But today, I finally made a decision. I've decided that I'm going to take both of the names. No... I'm not going to be a hyphenated person... I can't tell you how many times people have asked me that then snarled their noses.... I wonder why people have such a problem with that anyways? I'm just going to have four parts to my name from now on. At school and on signatures, I'll use my married last name, but deep down I'll know that legally I'm still the same person that I was before. I know that may seem silly, but it's the only way I've been able to make peace with it all. I haven't told Mike yet, but I know he'll be happy to hear that I've finally made up my mind.

An extra little tidbit... I went to the clerk's office at the judicial building to get the social security paperwork I needed and a copy of my marriage certificate to get the name change ball a-rolling. I gave them my info then had to run to the ATM to get some cash to pay for the certificate. When I got back, they told me our marriage license wasn't on record anywhere and we had never filed for one in our county. My stomach dropped and all my limbs began to tingle. I assured them that we had and asked them to please look again. As I was standing there waiting, I must have had a look of complete horror on my face, because when they found it, the lady came over, patted me on the hand and said, "Don't you worry honey, you really are married."

Swamp Thing 1 & 2

While browsing our local Walmart today, I came across some facial mud masks that I decided to buy. When I got home, I tested it out and then promptly begged Mike to let me put some on him too. To my surprise, he didn't even protest against it for that long. He's either a good sport, or he just got it over with because he knew I'd eventually wear him down.

I also bought a pair of these babies while I was there.



Pardon me for posting panties, but I thought they were hilarious.

PS- I really hate the word panties. I just couldn't resist the alliteration.