memorial day weekend

i love long weekends.

this weekend was so nice.

we had nice weather, and plenty to do.

friday, was date night.(i look forward to this, every week)

saturday we cleaned the garage,

and went to a baseball game with bee's family.

sunday we had church, made home made pizza and celebrated chicken #4's 10th birthday.

(his birthday is officially on memorial day.)
earlier in the week we celebrated chicken #3's 7th birthday...(may is a reallly busy month)

monday, we went to the scout pancake breakfast,

opened presents,

went geocaching (it's a boy thing, look it up here http://www.geocaching.com/ ),

relaxed,

and than went to a bbq!

what a nice loooong weekend.

10 years old!

7 years old!!

these are from my yard!!!

he has officially moved into the big boy seat!!

hanging out at the bbq,

lots of babies.

cutie

she is trying to get dad's attention.

getting dirty is the best part!

beautiful!

they caught a jack rabbit.

the baby's were getting tired.

one last jump off of his birthday present.

slammed from our wonderful long weekend.
(he is wearing his girlfriends pj's)

moddy.

our downstairs remodel

when we bought our house 2 years ago,

we weren't looking for a dream home.

we wanted a home in a good neighborhood,

we wanted to stay in our school district,

we wanted a 2 story,

and i wanted the laundry room

upstairs!

well, we found our house.
at first i wasn't thrilled with it.
it needed some work.

but, it had everything we wanted.

except,...it had oak cabinets, old white tile, and

the people before us had pets.

(i'm horribly allergic to animals)
we called our good friend who is contractor,
and he got right to work!!
      just recently i was looking at some pics. and found some from our remodel.
i had forgotten what our home looked like before!

i wish i had taken pics. of when the

other people lived in it.

the lady before was a collector...of EVERYTHING!!

*on a side note, i didn't do any of the work.
i am in no way able or have a desire to redo
anything except side tables. ;)

before:

sanding

oak..if done right can look good.
i just didn't love them.

oak, and old linoleum

brown carpet...i'm sure the animals had their way with it.

entry

sanded down

our fireplace had tan tile around it. (yuck)
we had a mantel installed.

after:

entry
(ignore my mock silhouettes...that's my next project..)

new flooring and painted white cabinet.
(i want to change this..i want lighter colors and wallpaper)

new appliances



i love the bare foot contessa kitchen.
i wanted white cabinets and black granite.



we added subway tile.
(my poor orchid won't bloom!!)



 

remodel break down:

new carpet

ripped out the tile and added hard wood

replaced kitchen tile counter tops with black granite

added subway tile to back splash

added a new mantel around fire place

updated downstairs bathroom

new paint through out house

new appliances

new chandelier in kitchen

new kitchen sink

                                                                                

domino!!

oh, how i miss domino magazine.

my girlfriend got me a subscription for my

birthday. the day finally came when

i received my first domino magazine!

it was different, cool, and NOT

pottery barn.

and,... i liked that.

don't get me wrong,who doesn't

love PB...but, it was nice to see

something different and unique.

sadly enough domino stopped publishing in
march of 2009..sniff sniff.
now, i display my domino magazines, and when im
in need of a little inspiration i just pull them out and look through the pages.

* btw, when they informed me that domino
was going to be canceled,  in return they gave me some LAME
magazine to make up for subscription, bluh.




seriously,...it's beautiful.



i love the wall color and pink wing back chairs.



why???!!!!
ok, i know why..it was the economy..bummer!

i like this couch because i secretly want to be british.



chandelier and metal chairs....



pink walls, and mirrored bed...love it.

moddy

the good's

i have an amazing mother in law,

on monday's she watches my kids!!

 this makes grocery shopping, 

 and going to lunch with my husband...

amazing!!

while out and about childless...
 i find the coolest things!!

here are a few....

$7.99...target....that's right...$7.99!!
(i got one in gold...i love gold.)



bolster pillow from PB Teen
for $7.99, plus free shipping!!!
(i got this lovely for my bed.)



you know how delish it smells when you enter Anthropology....?
well,... bee and i found one of the yummy candles that makes you want to
move into Anthro for $18.00
(now, my house smells of santiago huckleberry!)

last but, NOT least..
this little beauty.
spicy chicken sandwich from
Chic- Fil- A
yummmm!!
(get the chic-fil-a sauce to put on top)

moddy

ironestone

about 10 years ago i began collecting ironestone dishes.  i love ironestone because it's white, plain, and simple.  ironestone goes with anything and can be displayed anywhere: a wall, cabinet or shelf.  i love it stacked too.  when shopping at thrift or antique stores check the marking on the back of the dish.  i don't buy it unless it's english or american.  the mark will ususally be in the center of a dish's base in underglaze black, brown, dark blue or other colors.  sometimes it says ironestone sometimes it doesn't.  ironestone is a little heavier than china. i have quite a few homer laughlin peices.  http://www.hlchina.com/

bee

 

my boyfriend is 1!!!

yes,..my chicken #4..is...my boyfriend.

 i love him,

 i squeeze him,

 i kiss him,

i cuddle him,
and

 i..love...him.

on a side note,

i usually have to break up with

my chickens at the ripe old age of 2.

so, i absolutely cherish this time.

happy 1st birthday chicken #4!!

this made me tear up..

i love him

i would love to keep talking and gushing over my little chicken but,

it's
restaurant week!!
this is our last recipe for our
 restaurant recipe week!
with out fail, this is a HUGE hit every time!!
it's great when you are short on time
but, need a healthy dinner.
it's AMAZING!!!

cafe rio chicken salad

dressing:
1 ranch packet (made)
2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno

mix in food processor

chicken:
1 small bottle zesty italian dressing
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
3 cloves garlic
5 lbs. chicken breast

put all ingredients in crock pot cook on high for 3-5 hrs.

salad:
use your favorite lettuce
chopped tomatoes
chopped olives
chopped purple onion
mexican cheese..ranchero or cheddar cheese

rice:
4 C. water
4 T.
4 T. garlic minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 C. chilies
3/4 tsp. salt
1 T. butter
1/2 white onion
2 C. rice

blend cilantro, chilies, and onion in food
processor. bring water to boil
add rice, let cook.
add cilantro, chilies, & onion.

layer rice, salad, chicken, and amazing dressing.
ENJOY!

pf changs lettuce wrap

i LOVE these!

this recipe really does taste just like the real thing!
if i'm trying to make a WOW dinner for my family..this is it!!

MARINADE1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons sherry wine or red wine
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons soy sauce

FILLING INGREDIENTS1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced small

5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger or grated ginger
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions, minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, minced
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, minced
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, minced
1 (6 ounce) package chinese cellophane noodles, cooked to pkg. directions

COOKING SAUCE1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry wine or red wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
lettuce leaves, washed and taken off the head but left whole

mix all ingredients for "cooking sauce" and set aside.
in medium bowl, combine marinade ingredients and mix well. add chicken and stir to coat thoroughly. stir in 1 t. oil and let sit for 15 minutes.
heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. add 3 T. oil, then add chicken and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes. set aside.
add 2 T. oil to the pan. add ginger, garlic, and onion and stir-fry for a minute or so. add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts stir-fry an additional 2 minutes. return chicken to the pan. add mixed cooking sauce to the pan. cook until thickened and hot. break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces and cover bottom of serving dish with them. then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. serve along side lettuce leaves for everyone to take what they want, and then spoon into lettuce leaf and roll (like a burrito) individually themselves.
55 Min & 4-6 servings

http://www.pfchangs.com/

restaraunt recipe week: girls' night out favorite dessert!!!

applebee's maple butter blondie

1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. flour, sifted
1/4 c. chopped nuts (or more)
1 c. packed brown sugar
5 1/3 T. butter, melted
1 egg beaten
1 T. vanilla extract
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

maple butter sauce

3/4 c. real maple syrup (i use cheap maple syrup!)
1 stick butter
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

1. preheat oven to 350
2. add baking powder, soda and salt to already sifted flour, then sift again.  set aside.
3. add the 1 c. brown sugar to the melted butter and mix well.  mix in the egg and vanilla.
4. stir in the flour, a little at a time, until well incorporated. stir in the white chocolate chips.
5. spread the batter into a 9x9 baking pan.  bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. the sauce (by the way, i could drink this stuff).  cook syrup and butter over low heat until butter is melted.  stir in the 3/4 c. brown sugar until completely dissolved.  if you desire, you can add the walnuts.
7.  serve blondie warm with ice cream and warmed maple butter sauce.
so good!

bee

2 in 1

i'm going back one week.

i had such a great mother's day weekend!!

i just had to share!

first, we had my nieces (bee's daughter) surprise 16th b-day party.

i was the driver for the picture scavenger hunt.

i love teenager!

second, i got up at the butt crack and headed on out for

some antiquing with my girlfriend.

FUN!

third, i got a pedicure

and

fourth i layed in bed all of sunday..(after church)

reading.

my husband made me breakfast in bed and a wonderful dinner.

i'm so excited for next year!

SURPRISE........she is just so cute girl!

here are a few more of bee's girls...

such a cute group of kids.

antiquing...

this would look amazing re-painted...why do i lack the desire!?

he wanted $12...i wanted it for $7...he wouldn't budge..his loss!!

now, it's time for some restaurant recipes! this is one of my favorites!! my family loves it!! it's such a great salad for the hot summer nights. enjoy!

applebee's chinese chicken salad

dressing:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

salad

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 skinless chicken beast
• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup red cabbage
• 1 cup napa cabbage
• 1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup chow mein noodles

directions:

1. Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat.
2.  You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees.
3.  Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer.
4.  Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad.
5.  In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well.
6.  In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper.
7. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips.
8.  Dip each strip of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture, coating each piece completely.  Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has darkened to brown.

prep

1.  Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots.
2.  Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce.
3.  Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.
4.  Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks.
5.  Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. 
6.  Serve with salad dressing drizzled over it or on the side.

moddy