Menu Monday

This is a special week.  This week I turn 30.  Again.  Yes, I'm going to stick to that story because 31 just doesn't sound as cool.  Ah heck, I have two kids.  Who am I kidding?  Cool went out the window the moment the car seat was installed in the back of my car.

Since it's my birthday week, I am fortunate to have a few celebrations.  All of which I have strategically scheduled during dinner hours.  Sometimes I just marvel at my own geniusness.  Geniusness...is that even a word? 

Monday-Butter Chicken served over bowtie noodles, Mixed Greens Salad
Tuesday-Sandwich Melts with Sweet Potato Fries
Wednesday-Birthday Dinner @ my Mama's (T-Bone Steaks.  She loves me)
Thursday-Smoked Salmon, Broc-n-Cheese, Homemade Parker Rolls
Friday-BBQ Pork Chops, Corn Casserole, Fruit Salad
Saturday-Dinner @ Ciao's
Sunday-Mexican Lasagna (this is a new one for us, I'll let you know how it turns out), Mexi Rice and Black Beans

10 Things About Moi

Thank you so much for your comments about my house.  Any suggestions you have for me are well received.  Sarah, left a comment yesterday about Young House Love, and I am in love.  In fact, you might see a few replicas of their ideas.  Replica...yes, that's sounds better than stealing their ideas.

Moving on to today, I am blown away at the amount of people who actually visit this site on a daily basis.  At first this was written for our out of state family, and it has turned into so much more.  I am so thankful for people who are willing to read my writing.  I would someday love to be a writer, since I enjoy writing very much, but the idea frightens me a bit.  Maybe one day, I'll get an idea of what to write about and it won't seem so scary. 

Since there are some readers who visit this who are essentially strangers, I would like to share a few facts about me so you can get to know me even better. You'll get exactly 10 facts.  But, no more.  I just can't give anymore because I'm a secretive person.  Not really.  I'm a pretty open book.  There are very few things I keep protected, so chances are if you keep reading this blog, you'll eventually know almost everything about me.  Whoa...that's a scary thought for you.  So I won't scare you off today, I'll just share my 10.  Here ya' go...

10 Facts About Amanda Torres

{Yes, this is me.  However, frightening I might be. Portrait by Little Man}

1. I am a Christian.  It's the single best decision I ever made.  I'll share more about this next week.
2. I sing loudly in the car.  I'm fairly certain my children are tone deaf because they never complain, and I am NOT a good singer.
3. Smacking is my #1 pet peeve.  If you are smacking around me, chances are I am not listening to what you have to say.  Instead, I'm staring at you thinking how in the world I could get you stop without reaching in and grabbing whatever's in your mouth.
4. My husband smacks.  It's our biggest marital issue.  Seriously.
5. I long for alone time.  Fantasies of driving in my car and leisurely walking in and out of shops by myself is very appealing to me.  It's the little things that make me happy.
6. Despite Steven's perpetual smacking, he is my best friend.
7. All of my friend's have husbands that are their best friends.  I appreciate that about them, and it's probably why I'm close with each one of them.
8. If I could travel anywhere in the world, the destination would involve some exotic beach.  Beaches make my heart happy.
9. I used to have a 6 pack.  A real one on my stomach, not the kind you buy at the store.  Two kids stole that cherished part of my body and left me with a pocket of fat that I often cover up with the waistband of my pants.  My lovely SIL taught me that trick.
10. I sometimes have writer's block and end up disclosing my secrets to complete strangers for lack of better things to write.  That is the main reason I shared #9 with you.  I was running out of things to discuss.  Well, at least now you know.  If I ever run into you in public and you're staring at my stomach, I might have to hurt you.  Especially if you have a cutesy little tummy.

Happy Friday!

Around My House

The Tortoise and the Hare, now that an Aesop's Fable that I can relate to.  For most parts of my life, I am the Hare.  I can multi-task with the best of you.  I'm pretty good at accomplishing a lengthy to-do list in a short amount of time.  I get this from my mother.  However, when it comes to decorating I am the Tortoise. 

Slow and steady, steady and slow that's the way I always go.

We have lived in our new home for approximately eight months.  I thought by now I would have the place completely furnished/decorated.  When we were building, I had visions of what I wanted to do.  The rooms were empty canvases just waiting for me to get my hands on them.  They looked like this...

The possibilities were endless.  Then the walls were finished complete with a coat of Macadamia colored paint, and my ideas went out the window.  There was simply too much wall for me to handle.  So I decided that I wasn't going to purchase anything until I found the pieces that were perfect for my space.  The good part about that is you don't just run into the perfect pieces on a daily basis so it spreads my decorating budget over months and months.  The bad part is I sit and stare at blank walls frustrated that I can't find the perfect pieces.

This frustration led me to searching design sites.  My first stop, Apartment Therapy.  Once there I had to do some real searching.  I found a ton of cool ideas, but no rooms that were perfect for me and my family.  Then I decided to go back through the photos and look at individual pieces to the rooms.  BAM!  I struck gold. I found a ton of ideas.  Unfortunately, they are all ideas that consist of projects I must complete.  Like a gigantic chalkboard with a red distressed frame, and a wire corner shelf that would need to be spray painted red.  Then I'll have to sift through thrift store after thrift store to find all those crazy pieces to fit my wacked out style.  It's going to be a task, but I'm ready for it.  Maybe I'll find something soon, but I'm not counting on it.  However, I will share with you any little additions I find.

For now I'll leave you with new pictures of the blank rooms you saw in the above pictures.  Feel free to chime in if you have a brilliant idea for my space!!!

The Biggest Loser

This is going to be a super short post today.  I'm typing this out as I'm watching The Biggest Loser.  I absolutely love this show.  It's the only show I sit down and watch on a weekly basis.  We don't have DVR (gasp), so I actually have to sit down and watch it on it's regularly scheduled time.  Some weeks I miss it, and it throws me into a downward spiral.  My whole week gets off balance.  After all, I center my week around watching people sweat, cry, and reveal their deepest fears about being overweight.  I engaged myself so much into these people's lives I sometimes cry with them.  I cry all the while eating my bowl of ice cream, or plate of cookies.  Yeah, I said it.  I eat unhealthy food while watching people complete the hardest workouts of their life.  I also make mental notes to try out some of their workouts while taking scrumptious bites of brownies.   There is something seriously wrong with me, but I don't have time to figure that out right now.  The extra butter popcorn just finished popping in the microwave.

The Skinny on Skinny Jeans

I did it.  I finally broke down and purchased some skinny jeans.  I've tried several pairs on over the last year and I just can't commit to buying them.  At first they reminded me of the days of French rolling jeans.  Back in the early 90's boys and girls would pinch their jeans at the leg opening, fold it over with a crease, and then tightly roll them up.  Like this...

Skinny jeans just reminded me too much of this look.  After a long year of seeing some of the cutest little things pulling off skinny jeans, I purchased my first pair.  Along with the first pair, I also purchased an extra loooong cardigan.  Why you ask?  Well, I've got me a fairly large bootay for my fairly small frame.  Yes, this white chic has a ghetto booty.  The cardigan gave me ego a little cushion for trying to pull off the skinny jean.

After a couple of weeks I got a little more confident sporting my skinny jeans.  Slowly, I incorporated shorter and shorter tops.  Like mid-drift tops.  Completely kidding!  No one wants to see me in a mid-drift that's for sure, but I did go with a belt length sweater. Not too bad. The way the length hit with a longer tank underneath slimmed my gigantic backside.

My next attempt of donning the skinny jean was with a longer flowy top that conveniently rested on my hips.  Bad idea.  I repeat, B-A-D idea.  Unfortunately, I decided to wear this to church.  Church mornings are little chaotic so I didn't even take a full glance at my disastrous fashion choice until I went into the restroom with a full length mirror at church.  What was I thinking???  A shirt resting on my hips?  Let's just try to accentuate the biggest area on my body.  I looked like a gigantic pear.  Seriously, just look at my picture.  I'm the girl on the right...

Thankfully, we sit for most of church and the lighting is dim.  So let this be a lesson to you ladies.  If you are considering the skinny jean and you happen to carry your weight in your lower half, at least find a top that doesn't make your butt look five times larger than it is, and that's all I have to say about that.  Now I've got to go take my own advice and figure out how I get myself out of these jeans.

Menu Monday

It's Monday.  Again.  I really don't mind Mondays.  It's a fresh start to a new week.  A new week to accomplish great things.  At least that's how I like to start out a week.  Optimism brings great things.  Therefore, I try to be optimistic.

My grocery budget has been more than I'm comfortable with for this month, so I did the little pantry/fridge/freezer shopping and got creative.  This allowed me to only buy a few items this week bringing my monthly grocery budget back under control.  Good thing for the bottom line, but bad thing for those of you looking for something new this week.  Fortunately for you, my imaginary BFF (The Pioneer Woman) post fresh new recipes on her site.  Please feel free to visit her, and tell her I said hello ;)

Monday-Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Tuesday-Lasagna, Garden Salad, Cheesy Bread
Wednesday-French Toast, Sausage Patties, and Eggs
Thursday-BBQ Quesadillas, Grilled Veggies, Homemade Rolls
Friday-Lemon Seasoned Grilled Drumsticks, Corn Casserole, Fruit Salad
Saturday-Sandwich Melt, Sweet Potato Slices
Sunday-Dinner at my Mama's!

Chicken a la King

I realize that these teaser temperature days in Oklahoma are short lived.  After all, we had 70's followed by a blizzard, and now we're back to 70's.  However, it's still February so I'm continuing to fatten myself up by cooking ultra comfy food.  Ahhhhh...warm biscuits topped nicely with celery, onions, mushrooms blended in a just right creamy chicken broth.  Yes, definitely a comfort food. 

I actually saved this recipe for a colder Oklahoma day, so I don't have any pictures to share with you.  Sorry!  I guess the ingredients will have to speak for themselves.  That and me telling you it's delicious.

Chicken a la King (adapted from the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Simple and Delicious)

4 individually frozen biscuits (I make mine from scratch and use a lot more than 4)
1-3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup cubed butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 Tbsp diced pimientos

• Bake biscuits according to package directions, or bake yours from scratch.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet saute onions, celery, and mushrooms in butter until crisp-tender.
• Stir in flour and salt until well blended.  You want it to coat fairly evenly.
• Gradually stir in broth and milk.
• Bring to a boil, then cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Add chicken and pimientos. 
• Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Serve over biscuits.

As you can see this is the ultimate comfort food.  Ranks right up there with Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken & Dumplings.  Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!!!