Hump Day Confessional 6/12/13

 

So, I am sure most of you know, the reason for my lack of posts lately is because of "the move".  I say "the move" like that because I hear it with dramatic, scary music in the background.   So, I will start with the good:
I love, love, LOVE our new house....but the building process was like birthin' a baby.  I was on a total and complete emotional rollercoaster for 6 months.  But the end result?  LOVE IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I pretty much want to make out with my front door!!

 

 

 

I love, love, LOVE my new kitchen!

I also want to make out with the AMAZING hardwood floors!

But "the move"....OHHH "the move".  I thought it would be so much easier since we were only moving 3 miles up the road, and we would have 2 weeks from close until the end of our lease.  I thought we would be able to take our time and it would be a easy.  HAH!  It all started when our movers double booked, so they were only able to get the truck loaded (with the big stuff), then go do their other jobs, then come back at 6:00pm and unload, then go back and grab the rest of the stuff we couldn't get by ourselves.  This left an ass-load of stuff that I was moving by myself for a week after I dropped the kids off at school and before I picked them up.  Then I spent a week deep cleaning the old house.  UGH!  Moving a six-person household is not for the faint of heart. Now, I am in unpacking hell.  I say unpacking hell because the packing ended up being so disorganized, the unpacking is taking FOREVER! 

So, onto confessions:

~I have been eating every meal outside on our back patio.  There is nothing like listening to the birds chirping while enjoying some coffee in the morning.  Now dinner on the other hand...not so relaxing, lol!  We haven't purchased our new outdoor table yet, so there are 6 of us in camp chairs squeezed around a cheap IKEA outdoor table while listening to the the remains of construction and the construction workers.  Nothing like the sounds of Mariachi music with an entire crew singing along, interrupted by the POW, POW, POW of the nail gun.  Ahhh, good times!

~My sweet blue-eyed baby graduated from Kindergarten this year.  I could go on and on about how time flies and it seemed like yesterday that I was teaching him how to walk.  While I do feel all those things, I am most struck by how bad I sucked as a mom at the end of the school year this year.  Going back to the whole "moving" situation, I was lucky to have been able to find clean clothes (mostly) to put on him and me for graduation.  Ignore the fact that he went weeks without me signing his homework folder, reading aloud, packing his lunch (don't worry, he bought it at the cafeteria), NOT showing up to volunteer when I was supposed to, showing up in carpool lane looking like a crazy woman and smelling like a goat, and showing up to his graduation with no balloons and prizes and sporting 3 inch roots. 

~I coached my daughters Volleyball team this season...the Hulkettes.  At first I was petrified to do it because (1) these wee ladies pack a powerful punch.  In 6th grade, they are jump serving and basically kicking the ass of anyone I played Volleyball with in school.  I mean, what could I teach them?!  (2)  I didn't want to be the coach whom the parents looked at and thought "what the hell is she having my kid do that she can't do herself" (3) Middle school girl drama makes me want to hurl.
However, all that fear and trepidation was for NOTHING!  We had a fabulous time and only lost 2 games for the season.  The girls and parents were AMAZING and we definitely had the most FUN of any team in the league, hence the green tongues and the GRRR face for our team pic.

~I made quilts for my nieces whom are stationed in Germany.  It is the closest I have been able to give them a hug.  The above picture is the WONDERFUL housewarming present by brother and sister-in-law sent to us from an artist in Germany.  Funny thing is, it says "Welcome to our Home", but "Rouse" (our last name) basically means "get the hell out".
OH, the confession part of this is how sucky I am at going to the post office.  I started these quilts back in November...it took me until April to finish them...then, not until "the move" did I actually get my sorry ass to the post office.

Quilt for my new baby niece Harper <3

Quilt for my 8 year old niece Maddy, who loves Monster High and peace signs.

~Last but not least, I confess, that I feel like I have been eating like a ROCKSTAR the last few weeks (well, not the bloated, drunk, druggy type rock star)  Lots and lots of grilled meat, veggies, and salads.  Absolutely NO ice cream...yay!

Honey Lime Tilapia with Orange Cashew Rice

Hubs made homemade Beef Jerky

Cheater Migas with mushrooms

mmmm.....steak....

Oh well, yeah.  National Donut Day sucked me in.  But I only ate my 1 free donut, so yay for that :)

SO, how have you all been???

Hawaiian Fried Rice

Sorry about the crap picture....my camera died, so it is cell phone pic with NO natural light.

Hello friends!
I hope you had a GREAT Easter weekend filled with lots of yummy food and surrounded by lots of love! 
On Saturday, we had friends/family over for a little BBQ and between the laughs, good times, good food, and Hummingbird Juice (1/2 Hard Cider, 1/2 Raspberry Lambic...YUM!), it turned into a late night that translated into a completely lazy Sunday.  So lazy in fact, we decided to for-go the ham thing and just enjoy our lazy day and order pizza.  Monday, while the kiddos were at school, I worked on the ham dinner and I am sure like the rest of you, are still faced with lots-o-leftovers.
I saw this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe on Tuesday and made it Wednesday with the leftover ham we had.  Oh.  My.  Stinkin'.   Heck.  It was fabulous!  I would, without a doubt, make this any day of the week just using a diced ham-steak in lieu of leftovers.  It is easy, fresh, and totally hit the spot!

Hawaiian Ham Steak
Recipe Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

3 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce

1 TBSP toasted sesame oil

1 tsp Sriracha, more or less to taste

1 TBSP vegetable, canola or peanut oil

2 cups cooked, chopped ham

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

6 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 TBSP minced fresh ginger

5 cups cooked rice, white or brown, cold.  (This is actually important...hot rice will just get mushy.  Either use leftover rice that was in the fridge, or the handy dandy frozen rice you buy at the grocery store)

3 large eggs

1-2 cups pineapple pieces (fresh is better, and I liked using only 1 cup)

 

 

  Directions:

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Set aside. In a large nonstick skillet or electric frying pan (which is what I use), heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil until rippling and hot. Add the ham, red bell pepper, and the chopped white parts of the green onions. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and the red pepper is tender (but not mushy), about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Scrape the mixture onto a plate and set aside.
2. Heat another teaspoon of oil in the skillet until hot. Add the cold rice and cook, breaking up large clumps, until the rice is heated through, 5-6 minutes.
3. Push the rice to one side of the skillet and heat the last teaspoon of oil on the empty side of the skillet. Crack the eggs into the hot oil and stir lightly with a spatula or wooden spoon, cooking until the eggs are lightly scrambled and set. Stir the eggs and the ham mixture into the rice. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the rice and cook, stirring, until thoroughly combined and hot.
4. Off the heat, stir in the pineapple and green parts of the onions. Serve immediately.

Rudy's Famous Creamed Corn

I am going to skip the whole "I know it has been forever" and "life has just been CRAZY, I mean ridonkulously busy" and just say:
HELLO and I HAVE MISSED YOU!  xoxo
Today, I have one of the most INSANELY scrumptious dishes I have had in a long, long time.
In Texas, there is a fabulous BBQ place called Rudy's.
 

 
In fact, my brother (who is now in Germany) told that whenever someone goes back to the Austin/San Antonio area for training, they have to bring gallons of the BBQ sauce back for the crew.
Since moving to Austin, we have become quite the BBQ connoisseurs.
My hubs has become the brisket MASTER and we can often be found on the weekend next to the smoker making this:

Yeah....my Hubs is the bomb-diggity

Truth be told, I still couldn't get Rudy's famous Creamed Corn out of my mind.  So what's a girl to do?  Recreate it of course!
While this recipe seems silly simple, it crack-a-lakin freaking FANTASTIC!  I beg of you to make it  and experience this lusciousness for yourself...and if you are feeling generous, let the fam has some too!

I know this isn't the best picture...my camera died, so it is all phone camera right now

Rudy's Famous Creamed Corn
Recipe adapted from:  Blue Bonnets and Brownies

2 lbs. frozen sweet corn
1 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, diced into 1 inch squares
4 TBSP  salted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt

Directions
Throw all the ingredients, in any order, into a crockpot and cook on low for at least 4 hours. First time I made this, I made it on the stove top, but  the longer you can let it sit in the dairy hot tub, the sweeter the end result will be.  Allow all the cream cheese to be completely melted and it will easily break down and combine with the cream and butter to make the sauce.
Wait until serving to taste the salt level.  I think it was perfect as written.  Over salting this sweet creamy lusciousness would be a sin.  Yes, a sin I say.

Hump Day Confessional

(((tap, tap, tap)))....is this thing on?


It has been a long time friends...a very long time. I took an unexpected, extended sabbatical this summer. After packing and moving cross country, staying in a hotel with 3 kids for a month, subsequent unpacking, birthday celebration month combined with back-to-school craziness....I just couldn't do anything more.

But, here I am...back with a confessional!


~ For my birthday last week, I went kayaking. I have never been before. I never thought that would be something I could/should do until I lost weight. I mean, would I look like...a big gal on a tiny kayak. Could I even get on and balance? What would people think when they saw me? What if I got out there and didn't have the strength to get back? Guess what? I DID IT! I threw all of my concerns to the wind and DID IT! I am tired of waiting for the "as soon as I...." excuse to start living my life. I LOVED IT! It is something I fully intend on doing again and again.

~ I have some serious carpool lane rage. Seeing that I am in carpool lane for about 2 hours a day, I get to observe MUCH jackass behavior. It is a carpool lane, not a parking lot people! It is NOT ok for you to race and cut in front of the whole lane just because someone isn't moving up as fast as you see fit. I see red...seriously...why do you think YOU are so much more important than the hundreds of other people trying to pick-up or drop off their kidlets?!?! AGHH!

~ For the first time in 11 years, I am alone during the day. This has been a MUCH harder transition than I ever thought. I know there are some Mom's who relish the day that they actually get some time to themselves. However, at this moment I find that I am the Mom wandering around Super Target, going oh so slowly, murmuring to myself with employees asking every 5 minutes if I need help finding something. My oldest baby started middle school and my youngest baby started full day kindergarten. (((sigh))) It has hit me HARD how quickly time goes.

~ I have taken up watching re-runs of Beverly Hills 90210 during the day.

~ I miss Trader Joes.  I mean, I MISSSS Trader Joes.  I even had a dream about it.  The one in San Antonio opens next month, so I guess I will be making the trek there until the one in Austin opens next year..  Until then, I will dream about Sea Salted Caramel, Mac and Cheese, Mandarin Chicken, Sara Bee Wine, Two Buck Chuck, Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup, and all the other scrumptiousness my boyfriend Joe gives me.

So, do you have anything to confess this week?

Chicken Bacon Broccoli Ranch Foil Packets

Howdy from Austin!
I have been gone FOR-EVER I know...packing, house hunting, moving, road tripping, hotel-ing.  Technically, I am still not even back...I am battling the mind numbingly slllooowww hotel Internet to write this post.  Our house will not be ready until the 18th, so we have been hotel dwellers.  Oh.  My.  Hell.  I am so sick of hotel breakfasts and restaurant food, BLERG!
I was looking through some recipes I had saved up and saw this, and like Pavlov's pooches, I drooled.  It was so stinkin' good and I could possibly sell my pooch to have some now.

My sweet Bella

Awww, never mind, she's too cute...I miss her....she has been staying with Auntie Jan since we are doing the Urban Camping thing.  Urban Camping...it is when you cram 2 adults and 3 kiddos into a hotel room.  It sounds much more glamorous than it is.  Trust me. 

Anyway, it was scrumptious...seriously, what is not to love about chicken, broccoli, bacon, cheese, ranch, and a handy dandy foil packet?!?!  I highly recommend that you make it immediately, if not sooner!

Chicken Bacon Broccoli Ranch Foil Packets
Recipe Source:  the brilliant Cassie from Cassie Craves

• 1 package chicken-flavored stuffing mix prepared to package directions
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 TBSP ranch dressing, yup the stuff out of the bottle

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray.
Divide the stuffing mixture onto the center of each foil sheet.
Top stuffing in each packet with a chicken breast half, season with salt and pepper, then add 1 cup of broccoli. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the cheese and one slice of bacon, then drizzle with 1 TBSP of ranch dressing. Repeat with all packets.
Bring up foil sides and fold to seal, leaving room for heat circulation inside.
Place packets on a cookie sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Remove packets and let stand 5 minutes. Cut slits in foil for steam before opening.