Pandy

(Pandy hiding in shame because of her weight gain.)

I'm a bad mom.

Pandy, has apparently gained 3 pounds,

which is about 18% of her body weight. Poor girl.

She's on a diet.

I wonder if that is why she's had such horrific gas lately?

It will seriously clear you out of a room.

Her gas is the SBD kind (silent, but deadly).

I don't like to call Pandy "fat" because I think that is an ugly word.

She is "pretty plus "...

hopefully she doesn't get too pretty

or else her legs wont be able to support her.

update!!!

For those of you who are keeping track of my treatments, I am down to the last 3 bottles of pills. (Que the Hallelujah Soundtrack). I had been saving a lot of my medicine bottles, hoping to have a bonfire and burn them. However, I figured I would be doing wrong by the environment if I did that, so I took the bottles to the pharmacy for recycling instead. Nothing like handing the Pharm tech four one-gallon bags of old pill bottles. They just raised an eyebrow at me....whatever.

As my hormones are going through "reconstruction" as I like to call it- I have had these weird phases of emotional instability (my husband would probably argue that this is not abnormal for me, but whatev). I was driving home from work the other day and heard a country song on the radio that I have not heard in well-over ten years. Its your typical country song, about a guy who loves his dog. I started crying. Crying to the point i had to pull over in the Mennonite Church parking lot to get myself together.

Sweet.

Whilst sobbing in the parking lot, an Amish looking woman

walked by my car and just stared at me blankly.

Double Sweet.

I figured I needed to suck it up and drive home.

So that's what I did. And proceeded to love on my kids.

So before you think I'm completely crazy, look up the lyrics

to "Feed Jake"

and tell me you wouldn't get teary eyed too!

Cold Weather Favorite

Chili
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (could use ground turkey)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) black beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, undrained
1 can (28 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (up to 1/2 tsp is fine, depending on tastes)
Freshly grated Cheddar cheese
Sour Cream
Sliced Green Onions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onion and garlic are soft but not browned, about 1 minute longer. Add the meat and break up with a wooden spoon.Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes.Add the chipotle powder, tomato paste, black beans, pinto beans, and diced tomatoes, with their liquids, and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chili simmer, gently stirring occasionally until thickened and the flavors are concentrated, about 45 minutes. Add the salt, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed, black pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve the chili hot with bowls of grated cheese and sour cream on the side, if desired, and corn bread. If you are not planning on serving the chili at this time, let it cool to room temperature. It can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Chipotle Cornbread with Cheddar Cheese and Green Onions
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons chopped chipotle chilies (optional)
1/3 cup sliced green onion tops
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan.In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir to mix. Make a well in the center.In another bowl, combine the egg and milk and whisk until just blended, about 10 seconds. Add the melted butter, chipotle chilies, green onions and cheese and whisk until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture and fold gently until the batter is just blended.Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.

I'm back!

I'm alive. After dealing with nasty bronchitis and a trip to Raleigh for work, I feel like I'm slowly getting my life back together. It feels good. Hopefully, I can get back on the regular homework track. I feel so behind! This past weekend, we had a billowing Nor'easter. I was in Raleigh for the worst of it, which I was grateful for and upset about at the same time. I wanted to be home with my family instead of being lonely in a hotel room. A king size bed for one, is just not that enjoyable. Since I wasn't in town, I didn't take pictures of the crazy weather but I assure you it was CRAZY.

As I was driving on the back roads on the way home from Raleigh, I drove through small, old towns along the way. On the outskirts of these towns, I saw countless numbers of old, abandoned houses. My mind started to wander about the history of these houses, and the families who may have lived there. How old were the houses? What was their story? Despite the crumbling of the wood, and the ivy growing up the side- there is something so beautiful about them. I'm sure they each had a story to tell, if walls could talk. Here are some of my favorites-

culinary rockstar / pioneer woman!

While I typically try to plan out a menu for the week, lately I have been in the mood to just cook what I feel like eating at the end of the day. Maybe its because I'm swamped with school work. Who knows. Luckily I love inventing new dishes and get a thrill out of making a meal out of the contents of my pantry or fridge, so I am able to put dinner on the table, get rid of leftovers, and have a creative outlet all at once! I plan on making this at some point this week.

Italian Tortellini Soup

In a big stock pot, combine:
Chicken or vegetable stock
Canned tomatoes
Veggies and Greens: I have carrots and a lone zucchini on hand, as well as some kale from the farmer's market (I heart kale. Buy some today.). Use added onion and garlic. You could substitue fresh spinach leaves for the kale, but just be sure that you leave the greens out and add them at the end of cooking, with the pasta.
Canned Beans: canellini beans, but garbanzos (chick peas) would also be a good choice.
Frozen Tortellini or Mini Ravioli: Once the broth/tomato/veggie/bean mixture has come to a boil, toss in a bag of frozen tortellini and simmer until tortellini is tender.

Cheese: fresh mozzerella is a favorite of mine. Spoon the soup into bowls, top with some cheese, and pop those suckers under the broiler until the cheese is all bubbly and melted, a la French Onion Soup.

Soup is one of my favorite ways to use what I already have in the kitchen. It saves money and leaves you feeling like a culinary rockstar / pioneer woman!

Vegas in Pictures

Leo Gets a Bath

Its really quite sad.

Here he is at the top of the stairs, knowing danger is near.

(notice how his leash is still on, its the only way we can catch him as he bolts down the stairs)

He is not a happy boy.


Resisting arrest.

Notice how his bottom foot is clutching the door in protest.

He's a lab. I don't know why he doesn't like water.

Isn't he supposed to be a water dog?