I did a search for "throw pillow" on Etsy. Beautiful designs. Unbelievably low costs. Bad idea for my wallet.
Now I just have to decide which ones I want and find some decent and affordable inserts since many of my favorite sellers simply sell the pillow covers.
Speaking of my wallet - I paid off ALL of my credit card debt last night! What a feeling. I made parmesan crusted chicken for Dan and I with roasted asparagus (for me) for dinner tonight to celebrate. Super simple! Mix up some grated parmesan with a bit of flour, coat some chicken in it, and cook it up! Yum.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
In celebration of the beautiful weather, we had my parents over to grill on Friday night. Seeing as it was the first time Dan has turned the grill on and I actually had the stomach for it, I still decided to steer clear of a greasy burger and opted to try a recipe I saw on Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals when I was home sick a couple of weeks ago.
This was a great simple recipe for me because it allowed for a bit of experimenting without having to follow an exact ingredient list. Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure I would call this a "recipe" since it is so simple.
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
teriyaki sauce
grill seasoning
olive oil
1. Trim fat off of chicken pieces, rinse with cold water, and divide if necessary (mine were 2 HUGE pieces that Dan cut in to 4).
2. Place chicken pieces in gallon-sized ziploc bag with remainder of ingredients. Seal bag and shake to coat all pieces.
3. Marinade in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes while the grill warms up.
4. Grill until browned on all sides. Serve with pineapple.
Now here was the fun part... "grill seasoning" is not sold at the teeny grocery store at the end of our street, and I wasn't about to drive to the next closest store for 1 thing, so Dan suggested I make my own. Here's what I ended up using - onion powder, garlic salt, black pepper, a teeny bit of chili powder, and paprika. Yum.
As a side dish, the original 30 Minute Meal called for a whole pineapple which was cut into wedges, drenched in lime juice, grilled, and then sprinkled with honey and lime zest. I only had pineapple chunks in a can so I skipped the fanciness on that one, but I'll definitely make this again and try it with the grilled wedges.
I don't have much to say as far as "learnings" with this because it was so simple... but Dan's Aunt Claire told me that my notes are her favorite part of my recipe postings, so here they are!
A couple notes about this dish -
1. I didn't go anywhere near the grill, so I have no idea about the actual cooking of this. Thankfully, Dan is a grill master and I had perfectly cooked chicken for dinner.
2. Making your own grill seasoning at home is easy, and for a novice like me - exciting! I liked being able to just toss together the flavors I wanted and knowing that adding or subtracting something in the future can make the chicken a little different every time. I also enjoyed the fact that my experimenting did NOT result in a disaster. :)
This was a great simple recipe for me because it allowed for a bit of experimenting without having to follow an exact ingredient list. Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure I would call this a "recipe" since it is so simple.
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
teriyaki sauce
grill seasoning
olive oil
1. Trim fat off of chicken pieces, rinse with cold water, and divide if necessary (mine were 2 HUGE pieces that Dan cut in to 4).
2. Place chicken pieces in gallon-sized ziploc bag with remainder of ingredients. Seal bag and shake to coat all pieces.
3. Marinade in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes while the grill warms up.
4. Grill until browned on all sides. Serve with pineapple.
Now here was the fun part... "grill seasoning" is not sold at the teeny grocery store at the end of our street, and I wasn't about to drive to the next closest store for 1 thing, so Dan suggested I make my own. Here's what I ended up using - onion powder, garlic salt, black pepper, a teeny bit of chili powder, and paprika. Yum.
As a side dish, the original 30 Minute Meal called for a whole pineapple which was cut into wedges, drenched in lime juice, grilled, and then sprinkled with honey and lime zest. I only had pineapple chunks in a can so I skipped the fanciness on that one, but I'll definitely make this again and try it with the grilled wedges.
I don't have much to say as far as "learnings" with this because it was so simple... but Dan's Aunt Claire told me that my notes are her favorite part of my recipe postings, so here they are!
A couple notes about this dish -
1. I didn't go anywhere near the grill, so I have no idea about the actual cooking of this. Thankfully, Dan is a grill master and I had perfectly cooked chicken for dinner.
2. Making your own grill seasoning at home is easy, and for a novice like me - exciting! I liked being able to just toss together the flavors I wanted and knowing that adding or subtracting something in the future can make the chicken a little different every time. I also enjoyed the fact that my experimenting did NOT result in a disaster. :)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Garage Sales - Weekend #1
With spring and summer comes garage sales, and with garage sales come cheap treasures galore! This Saturday, our park district held a community yard sale where more than 30 families came out with items to sell. Despite the rain that morning and the fact that I went a little overboard with the wine the night before, my mom, Manda and I went to shop around a bit bright and early. I loved being able to just walk down the block to the park - so far I am really enjoying our neighborhood!
In the short time I walked around I grabbed three great $1 each steals that I'm loving having in the house -
First up, this great doormat that works perfectly on the porch coming in to the house.
Next, this pretty round stained glass piece that I'm planning to hang in the small window over the hutch where it will catch some great sunlight.
My final $1 find of the morning is my favorite of all. This picture frame was just screaming my name and I laughed for a solid 5 minutes about it. I think I'm going to have to get a plain frame and use letter stickers to copy this as a housewarming present for Mary. ;)
After coming home for a nap I decided to go back down to the sale later in the afternoon to look around a little more... and came home with something I have always always wanted... a papasan chair!
The chair was marked for $25 and I got it for $20, which is obviously not a practice of my best bargaining power, but I was way too excited about it to try and save another $5. Besides, these chairs are currently on "sale" for $199 at Pier One, so I would say $20 was a major steal either way! I dragged the frame down the block home and the seller was nice enough to deliver the cushion for me later in the afternoon. The chair is only a little over a year old and the cushion is in perfect condition. We already had the end table from Ikea so now all I need is a drink and a light blanket to curl up with and finish Eclipse. With garage sale season just beginning I am already well on my way to furnishing the front porch!
Total spent - $23. Success!
In the short time I walked around I grabbed three great $1 each steals that I'm loving having in the house -
First up, this great doormat that works perfectly on the porch coming in to the house.
Next, this pretty round stained glass piece that I'm planning to hang in the small window over the hutch where it will catch some great sunlight.
My final $1 find of the morning is my favorite of all. This picture frame was just screaming my name and I laughed for a solid 5 minutes about it. I think I'm going to have to get a plain frame and use letter stickers to copy this as a housewarming present for Mary. ;)
After coming home for a nap I decided to go back down to the sale later in the afternoon to look around a little more... and came home with something I have always always wanted... a papasan chair!
The chair was marked for $25 and I got it for $20, which is obviously not a practice of my best bargaining power, but I was way too excited about it to try and save another $5. Besides, these chairs are currently on "sale" for $199 at Pier One, so I would say $20 was a major steal either way! I dragged the frame down the block home and the seller was nice enough to deliver the cushion for me later in the afternoon. The chair is only a little over a year old and the cushion is in perfect condition. We already had the end table from Ikea so now all I need is a drink and a light blanket to curl up with and finish Eclipse. With garage sale season just beginning I am already well on my way to furnishing the front porch!
Total spent - $23. Success!
Feet Up
In my never ending quest to "finish" our living room, I found myself checking the Harlem Roomplace furniture site on an almost daily basis waiting for the ottoman that matches our couch to go on sale. Seeing as it regularly costs nearly as much as we paid for our clearance couch there was no way I was buying it without a deal.
Then came last week's Bed Bath & Beyond ad and a completely different but still perfectly matching storage ottoman they had on sale! I managed to convince Dan to go out not 15 minutes after getting the ad in the mail and a few minutes later we were walking out of the store with this lovely little addition -
The handles sticking off the sides bug me a bit, but grab them and lift and you've got yourself storage (currently housing a couple throw blankets and our board games)... and if you flip the top over there's a handy tray for drinks and snacks! Absolutely perfect for us seeing as we notoriously snack while watching TV. Not healthy, I know, but at least now I don't have to worry about things spilling.
The ottoman also came with these two little foot stools inside, which match our decor much better than the gray ones from Target that used to be there.
I also realized while taking these pictures this afternoon that our living room IS much brighter than I thought in my last post. Thankfully the weather is warming up and that means the days are getting longer, which means more time at home in the evenings enjoying some daylight and not having to switch on the lamps right away. In fact, when I came home from work on Friday Dan had a couple of the porch windows open with music on while he did a bit of yard work out front... summer is almost here!!
Then came last week's Bed Bath & Beyond ad and a completely different but still perfectly matching storage ottoman they had on sale! I managed to convince Dan to go out not 15 minutes after getting the ad in the mail and a few minutes later we were walking out of the store with this lovely little addition -
The handles sticking off the sides bug me a bit, but grab them and lift and you've got yourself storage (currently housing a couple throw blankets and our board games)... and if you flip the top over there's a handy tray for drinks and snacks! Absolutely perfect for us seeing as we notoriously snack while watching TV. Not healthy, I know, but at least now I don't have to worry about things spilling.
The ottoman also came with these two little foot stools inside, which match our decor much better than the gray ones from Target that used to be there.
I also realized while taking these pictures this afternoon that our living room IS much brighter than I thought in my last post. Thankfully the weather is warming up and that means the days are getting longer, which means more time at home in the evenings enjoying some daylight and not having to switch on the lamps right away. In fact, when I came home from work on Friday Dan had a couple of the porch windows open with music on while he did a bit of yard work out front... summer is almost here!!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Natural Light
My living room...
...walls are light blue with gray undertones
...couch is tan
...fireplace is white
...wood accents are dark
Basically, my living room has nearly identical colors to this one:
So what's missing from mine that makes this one so much more cozy and bright? One, which I am beating to death on this blog lately - a rug. But I think more importantly, natural light! Maybe I just don't see my living room enough during the day since I'm at work, but I feel like even with the huge picture window we just don't get this kind of daylight. This room also uses pink as an accent color, but I would bet I couldn't get Dan to go for that!
Image from House of Turquoise
...walls are light blue with gray undertones
...couch is tan
...fireplace is white
...wood accents are dark
Basically, my living room has nearly identical colors to this one:
So what's missing from mine that makes this one so much more cozy and bright? One, which I am beating to death on this blog lately - a rug. But I think more importantly, natural light! Maybe I just don't see my living room enough during the day since I'm at work, but I feel like even with the huge picture window we just don't get this kind of daylight. This room also uses pink as an accent color, but I would bet I couldn't get Dan to go for that!
Image from House of Turquoise
Pillows
Everyone that knows me and knows my blog knows that I am... let's call it... thrifty. In other words, I rarely pay full price for anything, and when people use the word "budget" to describe thousands of dollars in discretionary income I want to slap them because let's be real here - it just doesn't work that way for a nice chunk of us. Because of my ACTUAL budget that leaves little room for "unnecessary" items, I do a lot of window shopping and bargain hunting to find the best deal for what I'm looking for... and you know what? I love it!
Most of the time.
It's great to get a deal, it's exciting to know that we furnished an entire living room for less than $500 (and a generous recliner gift from the Lawlers for Dan), and remodeled the entire kitchen for just a few grand - including all new stainless steel appliances... but sometimes, I just want to buy something that I love and not wait for it to go on sale for fear of missing out on it (like the perfect-for-the-living-room rug that no longer exists anywhere in the Pottery Barn computer system... yes, I checked). And sometimes, I just want to buy things simply because they are so pretty and it's the little finishing touches that really make a room look "done".
And so I bring you a little collage of pillowy goodness that I am drooling over today.
While some of these are on sale for $25-$30... the regular prices jump quickly over $60 EACH. Are you kidding me? These pillows had better smell like lilacs all year round and be stuffed with gold flecks or something to justify that cost. Or maybe it's just me, being "thrifty". I simply do not understand how a teeny little pillow can cost so much.
But, clearly, that doesn't stop me from wanting them. :)
Most of the time.
It's great to get a deal, it's exciting to know that we furnished an entire living room for less than $500 (and a generous recliner gift from the Lawlers for Dan), and remodeled the entire kitchen for just a few grand - including all new stainless steel appliances... but sometimes, I just want to buy something that I love and not wait for it to go on sale for fear of missing out on it (like the perfect-for-the-living-room rug that no longer exists anywhere in the Pottery Barn computer system... yes, I checked). And sometimes, I just want to buy things simply because they are so pretty and it's the little finishing touches that really make a room look "done".
And so I bring you a little collage of pillowy goodness that I am drooling over today.
While some of these are on sale for $25-$30... the regular prices jump quickly over $60 EACH. Are you kidding me? These pillows had better smell like lilacs all year round and be stuffed with gold flecks or something to justify that cost. Or maybe it's just me, being "thrifty". I simply do not understand how a teeny little pillow can cost so much.
But, clearly, that doesn't stop me from wanting them. :)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Rustic
Thanks to Everything Turquoise posts over the last couple of days, I am currently feeling drawn to slightly rustic touches such as this console table -
And these garden accessories, you know, for when I garden. Ha.
Really though, I am actually anxious to have a little garden out in the yard at some point, whether it just ends up being flowers or actually has some easy veggies for me to tend to. BUT, I will be waiting for next spring to give gardening a shot, since this spring and summer will be filled with projects to fix up the "yard" that is currently one big uneven mud pile.
After looking at our upcoming summer and realizing how little time we would have to actually build a garage ourselves, we decided to go ahead and get a couple of quotes to have it done and although we haven't nailed everything down yet, it looks like that is the route we will end up going. Phew.
Since we do still enjoy DIY projects, we're also talking about putting in a small patio off the deck, which I am VERY excited about. We haven't quite begun our research on that yet, but we are traveling most of May so it probably won't start until June anyways, which gives us some time to plan. With a patio and garage in the works who knows if we'll even end up having grass this year, but it's a start!
And these garden accessories, you know, for when I garden. Ha.
Really though, I am actually anxious to have a little garden out in the yard at some point, whether it just ends up being flowers or actually has some easy veggies for me to tend to. BUT, I will be waiting for next spring to give gardening a shot, since this spring and summer will be filled with projects to fix up the "yard" that is currently one big uneven mud pile.
After looking at our upcoming summer and realizing how little time we would have to actually build a garage ourselves, we decided to go ahead and get a couple of quotes to have it done and although we haven't nailed everything down yet, it looks like that is the route we will end up going. Phew.
Since we do still enjoy DIY projects, we're also talking about putting in a small patio off the deck, which I am VERY excited about. We haven't quite begun our research on that yet, but we are traveling most of May so it probably won't start until June anyways, which gives us some time to plan. With a patio and garage in the works who knows if we'll even end up having grass this year, but it's a start!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Window Excitement Continued...
In 3-5 weeks, this huge disaster of a window...
...is going to look more like this beauty...
...and I absolutely cannot wait! All I really wanted was a grid window in that space, and that is exactly what I'm going to get. And then maybe, just maybe, I can finally settle on curtains. Ha.
I did decide that the Pottery Barn rug I found through This Young House would be perfect and I was going to just suck it up and spend the money on it... and then I went back to the website and it's gone. Sigh. Of course now I want it even more, so I'm thinking about calling a couple stores in the area to see if maybe they still have it.
I've decided to hold off on my "house tour" pictures that I was planning on until the new windows are in... which will mean LOTS of pictures in a few weeks.
I've also been scouring craigslist for furniture for our front porch, which is currently empty with the exception of a coat rack. I had no idea wicker was pricey! I'm thinking the porch would be a fun project to take on with some garage sale finds, bright paint and some funky cushions. I'll have to see what I can find as garage sale season is just beginning!
...is going to look more like this beauty...
...and I absolutely cannot wait! All I really wanted was a grid window in that space, and that is exactly what I'm going to get. And then maybe, just maybe, I can finally settle on curtains. Ha.
I did decide that the Pottery Barn rug I found through This Young House would be perfect and I was going to just suck it up and spend the money on it... and then I went back to the website and it's gone. Sigh. Of course now I want it even more, so I'm thinking about calling a couple stores in the area to see if maybe they still have it.
I've decided to hold off on my "house tour" pictures that I was planning on until the new windows are in... which will mean LOTS of pictures in a few weeks.
I've also been scouring craigslist for furniture for our front porch, which is currently empty with the exception of a coat rack. I had no idea wicker was pricey! I'm thinking the porch would be a fun project to take on with some garage sale finds, bright paint and some funky cushions. I'll have to see what I can find as garage sale season is just beginning!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Squeal
I am sitting at my desk nearly literally squealing with excitement since my latest phone call from Dan. Why, you ask? Because we're getting new windows!!!! Windows that open and close! Windows that aren't painted shut! Windows that lock and unlock! Windows with screens! Windows that are sealed around the edges and therefore don't let the 30 below zero winds in during the winter! Windows that will earn us a nice chunky tax credit next year! I could go on and on. Can you just feel my excitement radiating through the computer? I thought so.
Thanks to a reference from a colleague of Dan's, we are going with a local company that has been in business over 30 years. Unfortunately I was not at the house this afternoon with Dan to talk with the guy who came to do the estimate, but it sounds like they also offer a variety of other services including gutter work (which we also need), so if we're happy with them I am already confident that they will be a great contact to have for future projects as well.
Since we've done the bulk of our "remodeling" work ourselves and have also been lucky enough to have talented friends and neighbors to help with other projects (anyone remember my neighbor saving us from a $2,000 death scare?), we haven't actually hired a contractor with the exception of the guys that refinished the kitchen floor. That being said, when we first decided "Hey! We should get new windows so our heating bills aren't $300 a month anymore!" we did what (I assume) any new homeowner would do - we called Home Depot. Cue the smelly older man that came over this past Monday to do an estimate. Although he was extremely nice and had lots of (yawn) stories to share about houses with $70,000 worth of mahogany windows, I was personally not thrilled about working with him. But, I don't know the first thing about windows and we figured Home Depot must, so we were ready to bite the bullet and bring them in for the project. Thankfully, before we did that we were given the other reference, and now we're saving money AND giving our business to a local team rather than a big box store, which I am always a fan of when it's affordable.
The only downside to working with the smaller company is that the windows take a bit longer... but even so we will have brand new energy-efficient (go green!) windows in 3-5 short weeks!
Thanks to a reference from a colleague of Dan's, we are going with a local company that has been in business over 30 years. Unfortunately I was not at the house this afternoon with Dan to talk with the guy who came to do the estimate, but it sounds like they also offer a variety of other services including gutter work (which we also need), so if we're happy with them I am already confident that they will be a great contact to have for future projects as well.
Since we've done the bulk of our "remodeling" work ourselves and have also been lucky enough to have talented friends and neighbors to help with other projects (anyone remember my neighbor saving us from a $2,000 death scare?), we haven't actually hired a contractor with the exception of the guys that refinished the kitchen floor. That being said, when we first decided "Hey! We should get new windows so our heating bills aren't $300 a month anymore!" we did what (I assume) any new homeowner would do - we called Home Depot. Cue the smelly older man that came over this past Monday to do an estimate. Although he was extremely nice and had lots of (yawn) stories to share about houses with $70,000 worth of mahogany windows, I was personally not thrilled about working with him. But, I don't know the first thing about windows and we figured Home Depot must, so we were ready to bite the bullet and bring them in for the project. Thankfully, before we did that we were given the other reference, and now we're saving money AND giving our business to a local team rather than a big box store, which I am always a fan of when it's affordable.
The only downside to working with the smaller company is that the windows take a bit longer... but even so we will have brand new energy-efficient (go green!) windows in 3-5 short weeks!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
For my Banana
Manda,
Today, I'm at work and still don't feel well, and I know that you're at home still sick and missing out on a fun spring break. BUT, I just wanted to let you know that I was just trying to clean up a bit around my desk and I looked at the picture you painted for me when you spent the afternoon here at my office and I saw the little note you wrote me on my dry erase board that says "i love you! - manders"... and it made me feel better, and made my day.
I LOVE YOU KIDDO!!! I hope you're feeling better soon. When we're both back to 100% we'll have to go out and do something fun. Or maybe we can just have ham for dinner since we missed out on Easter. :)
Today, I'm at work and still don't feel well, and I know that you're at home still sick and missing out on a fun spring break. BUT, I just wanted to let you know that I was just trying to clean up a bit around my desk and I looked at the picture you painted for me when you spent the afternoon here at my office and I saw the little note you wrote me on my dry erase board that says "i love you! - manders"... and it made me feel better, and made my day.
I LOVE YOU KIDDO!!! I hope you're feeling better soon. When we're both back to 100% we'll have to go out and do something fun. Or maybe we can just have ham for dinner since we missed out on Easter. :)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Unfair
Happy Easter... and Happy Birthday to Dan! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday more than Manda and I did - we were both cooped up with the stomach flu - my second round of the bug in less than 2 weeks. I honestly didn't even know it was possible to get the same flu twice in a row, but I suppose if anyone could manage such a thing it would be me!
Since we figured I was done being sick LAST week, we had a birthday party planned at the house for Dan last night, which I didn't want to cancel just because of my 2nd round of the flu. So, the Lawlers and a few of Dan's friends still came by while I hung out at my parents' house with the other sick one. Although I definitely wish Manda wouldn't have had to deal with the throwing up and the fever I am becoming very well acquainted with, I was thankful for her company and we both got a couple laughs out of making fun of ourselves for being so miserable.
Seeing as I have been nearly constantly sick and our Chicago weather has yet to warm up for more than a day or two at a time, we haven't done a whole lot around the house lately. But, Dan did buy himself a birthday present that I'm excited to use lots in the coming warmer months!
Since we figured I was done being sick LAST week, we had a birthday party planned at the house for Dan last night, which I didn't want to cancel just because of my 2nd round of the flu. So, the Lawlers and a few of Dan's friends still came by while I hung out at my parents' house with the other sick one. Although I definitely wish Manda wouldn't have had to deal with the throwing up and the fever I am becoming very well acquainted with, I was thankful for her company and we both got a couple laughs out of making fun of ourselves for being so miserable.
Seeing as I have been nearly constantly sick and our Chicago weather has yet to warm up for more than a day or two at a time, we haven't done a whole lot around the house lately. But, Dan did buy himself a birthday present that I'm excited to use lots in the coming warmer months!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Normalcy
I am FINALLY feeling back to about 90% after suffering from a nasty stomach flu most of this past week, and I couldn't be happier about eating (somewhat) normally again. I had a typical girl moment where for a split second I thought "I think I probably lost about 5 pounds this week from not being able to hold any food down, nice!"... and then quickly settled in for the pancakes and bacon Dan made for me yesterday for breakfast, celebrating my almost back to normal stomach. I am forever grateful for my insanely fast metabolism - - it is clear that I would never do very well on a diet.
Either way, I'm rested up and thankfully feel ready to go back to work tomorrow. I was out of the office in Ohio on a press check last Monday and Tuesday, called in Wednesday and Thursday with my flu, and although I sucked it up and went in on Friday I only lasted until the early afternoon before deciding to go home again. I think it's a good thing that I honestly missed my work, but I'm already expecting to feel a bit overwhelmed with getting back in the loop tomorrow.
Although yesterday was supposed to be full of party hopping, we decided to skip my cousin Ryan's birthday get together and continue resting for the day. Since I was feeling up for it, we decided not to miss our friend Jeff's dinner and auction event for Catholic Charities, which we also went to last year and really enjoyed. Maybe it was the fact that I was actually OUT and not cooped up in the house anymore and maybe it was just spontaneity, but I managed to convince Dan that I should bid on 4 Sox tickets for this Wednesday night... and I won them! The seats are behind home plate and I am SUPER excited to go to a game so early in the season, even if we are bound to freeze our butts off while we're there.
After the entire auction was over and people started to clear out, we realized one of the most popular prizes from the "pick-a-prize" raffle was still sitting on the table, unclaimed. We had already put several raffle tickets in the box trying to win it, so thanks to a little help from Jeff's friend James, we offered a donation for the amount of the item, and ended up taking it home... leaving Dan and I the proud owners of a snazzy new 8-bottle wine fridge!
The lady who took the donation happened to be the person who had put together the prize package in the first place, and kindly sent us on our way with the fridge AND the 6 bottles of wine that were originally going to go with it. YAY! Dan set the cooler up on top of our fridge this afternoon and in my opinion, it makes the whole kitchen look a little fancier.
In other news, I haven't made any fun new recipes lately but did manage to cook up a pot roast with veggies for Dan and Jeff while I was home sick on Thursday. Just like when I made pork chops for the first time, I was excited to introduce a new meat besides chicken or steak to the meal rotation. I'm not sure about it being a regular weeknight meal since it is pretty big, but it's perfect for weekends at home! I used the largest of my new Pyrex dishes, and the McCormick seasoning and bag package that does all the work for you, and added onion, baby carrots, and potatoes. The guys loved is so I'm sure I'll make it again, and hopefully next time I'll be able to stomach eating some too.
I am planning to try several simple recipes I saw on Food Network during my 4 days on the couch, and this week I'll be looking for some new appetizer recipes to make for Dan's birthday party this coming weekend!
Either way, I'm rested up and thankfully feel ready to go back to work tomorrow. I was out of the office in Ohio on a press check last Monday and Tuesday, called in Wednesday and Thursday with my flu, and although I sucked it up and went in on Friday I only lasted until the early afternoon before deciding to go home again. I think it's a good thing that I honestly missed my work, but I'm already expecting to feel a bit overwhelmed with getting back in the loop tomorrow.
Although yesterday was supposed to be full of party hopping, we decided to skip my cousin Ryan's birthday get together and continue resting for the day. Since I was feeling up for it, we decided not to miss our friend Jeff's dinner and auction event for Catholic Charities, which we also went to last year and really enjoyed. Maybe it was the fact that I was actually OUT and not cooped up in the house anymore and maybe it was just spontaneity, but I managed to convince Dan that I should bid on 4 Sox tickets for this Wednesday night... and I won them! The seats are behind home plate and I am SUPER excited to go to a game so early in the season, even if we are bound to freeze our butts off while we're there.
After the entire auction was over and people started to clear out, we realized one of the most popular prizes from the "pick-a-prize" raffle was still sitting on the table, unclaimed. We had already put several raffle tickets in the box trying to win it, so thanks to a little help from Jeff's friend James, we offered a donation for the amount of the item, and ended up taking it home... leaving Dan and I the proud owners of a snazzy new 8-bottle wine fridge!
The lady who took the donation happened to be the person who had put together the prize package in the first place, and kindly sent us on our way with the fridge AND the 6 bottles of wine that were originally going to go with it. YAY! Dan set the cooler up on top of our fridge this afternoon and in my opinion, it makes the whole kitchen look a little fancier.
In other news, I haven't made any fun new recipes lately but did manage to cook up a pot roast with veggies for Dan and Jeff while I was home sick on Thursday. Just like when I made pork chops for the first time, I was excited to introduce a new meat besides chicken or steak to the meal rotation. I'm not sure about it being a regular weeknight meal since it is pretty big, but it's perfect for weekends at home! I used the largest of my new Pyrex dishes, and the McCormick seasoning and bag package that does all the work for you, and added onion, baby carrots, and potatoes. The guys loved is so I'm sure I'll make it again, and hopefully next time I'll be able to stomach eating some too.
I am planning to try several simple recipes I saw on Food Network during my 4 days on the couch, and this week I'll be looking for some new appetizer recipes to make for Dan's birthday party this coming weekend!
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