The Happy List

Here starts an unusual post. A happy post. A happy list, to be exact. I'm going to share not one or two happy things with you, but TEN! A lovely friend in Baltimore shared a post like this a few weeks ago, and I'm going to do my best to create the 'warm, fuzzy feeling' I got when I read her list.
Here the requirements for The Happy List:
They can be memories or just general cool things that have happened. They can also be great life accomplishments too (ex. graduating college, giving birth, etc…).

Mine are in no particular order.
1. Cooking: I should change this to "cooking for others" because there's no sweeter feeling than making a meal for appreciative diners. Of course, I always have to preface it with a disclaimer, "Well, I hope it's tastes right...It's a new recipe and..."
2. Losing Weight: I never thought I needed to lose weight until my clothes didn't fit the way I wanted them to. That's when I knew I wasn't as healthy as I wanted to be. Also, I had to buy a larger size dress for a formal event, and was thrown for a loop. Now that I've been taking my health into my own hands and making MUCH better choices about eating and exercise, I feel SO good about my weight...and that it's going down! :)
3. Hot Tea on a Cool Day: Need I say more? There's just something about sipping tea and letting the steam bathe your face, while enjoying a cool day.
4. Jetta: Or, shall I say Hetta? (That's her name, and all.) I could not have been more proud of bringing home my first car that I had purchased, and had haggled all by myself. Yes, I've purchased all of my past cars, but I had never WORKED to get the priced I wanted. For me, this was a big accomplishment. Does that make me from Sherman?
5. MAC Makeup: I'm someone who takes pride in how I look, and I love the way makeup changes your appearance AND attitude. It just makes a girl feel good to wear some new eyeshadow that compliments her natural eye color. You know you look your best.
6. Winning the APO Presidential Election: It's weird to look back on things in your life you consider accomplishments, because it may pale in comparison to more recent ones. That being said, when I ran for President of my Alpha Phi Omega chapter at Texas Tech, I never wanted anything more. I was running against a more than qualified opponent, and knew I'd have to step up my game to beat him. When all was said and done, I was overwhelmed with the confidence the voters had in me. I won! It was a hard semester, but I'm so thankful I was able to serve as a leader.
7. Doing Something For Others: I talked about this before, but it's a small accomplishment for me each time I am able to help someone else personally. I remember the first time I chose to volunteer. I folded baby clothes for the Pregnancy Care Center, and helped young women 'shop' for their newborn. It was fulfilling, and empowering at the same time. I could make a difference in someone else's life! Other service projects over the years has reaffirmed what this first one taught me.
8. Drive-In Movies: Cramming several of your friend into a small sedan, turning up the AM radio station with the movie's audio, and munching on homemade treats. Recipe for a deliciously fun night.
9. Graduation: I knew it would happen one day, but didn't really see it coming until it was right in my face. Such a bittersweet time.
10. My Third Anniversary with Husband: I could have written "Marrying Husband" instead of our third anniversary, but I think the anniversary means more. We've been through a lot in 2011, and I feel like we're more understanding of each other. Now I know what experienced folks mean by "You never really know someone until you marry them." They weren't talking about laundry habits (or lack thereof)!

What will make it onto your list?

Whiskey Cake & Friendly Times

This past weekend was an intesnse one. Intensely fun!

I hung out with some old work friends on Friday at a friend's birthday party at Trinity Hall. Always good times at the Hall.

Michael and I invited a few friends (family, really) over for a fun night on Saturday. First, we went to Whiskey Cake for dinner. After waiting for a while, we were seated in one of the three huge rooms. (Huge for Plano dining.) We all ordered fancy cocktails and appetizers. I had the guava gimlet, which turned out to be an excellent choice.
We also ordered fried green tomatoes with remoulade, smoked salmon deviled eggs and hummus with pita bread. After devouring that, we ordered our entrees: the OMG burger (complete with spicy mayo and an onion ring), braised short ribs, ribeyes with white cheddar grits, and a roased chicken sandwich. Amazing! Then, for dessert...what else? Whiskey cake. I'd have to say, it was one of the best desserts I've had in a long time.

BUT
The highlight of the evening was the pickle that topped my cousin's roasted chicken sandwich. Yes, the pickle. (Side note: I have a serious love for pickles. I love them for their sour crunchiness, vinegary taste and briney snap.) When he tossed the obviously homemade pickle to the side, I hesitantly asked "Are you going to eat that?" (YES I AM A LADY.) It was delicious. So delicious, I stupidly asked the waiter if I could buy some to take home. Screw dessert, I'm having pickles for my nightcap! And yes, he came back with a to-go tub of homemade pickles! Thrilling! So, I've been rationing them since then. I could have asked for the recipe, but where's the fun in that?



Thanks, Jake, for ordering that chicken sandwich.

Food Filled

I've got a lot going on in the next few days.

First, a little recap. Michael and I went to Cretia's last night for dinner, and I have to say, I was a little underwhelmed. (http://www.cretias.com/mckinney/index.html) I had heard nothing but yummy things from my friends about their cupcakes and other menu items. Michael got the West Texas Wedge salad with candied walnuts and bleu cheese dressing. The walnuts were the only memorable part. I got the house salad, which came with field greens, roasted beets, grapefruit slices and feta cheese. Sounds like a winnning combination, right? It turned out to be just "blah." Later, we split their burger, which was cooked to our liking, and had delicious grilled onions on top. For dessert, we had their cupcake and champagne choice. It was the one thing I wanted to try before I made my final decision on Cretia's. Nail in the coffin. The cupcake was just a plain, four-inch, buttery cupcake with almond-extract in the vanilla icing. Lame. The Champagne was decent, but I just couldn't get over the cupcake let-down. Sprinkles still takes the cupcake.


After work today I decided to have some "me" time, and sit by the pool while reading. It was a nice treat.

Tomorrow, I am meeting Sarah for a pedicure and a chat. It will be nice to catch up! Then we're going to get our free lunches from work, and take them to have a coffee at Pearl Cup. We're doing it up!

Then I need to stop by Whole Foods to pick up items for that night's dinner. We're having Michael's parents, sister and cousin over. I'm making that Chicken Delmonico, since it went over so well last time, and garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and wheat rolls. I'm going to stop by Nothing Bundt Cakes to get a couple little bundts for dessert. It will be a perfect meal.

Sunday evening, Michael and I are taking my dad to Fogo de Chao for a combination gift. Last year, we were going to go to Fogo de Chao, but our trip to Las Vegas got in the way. So, we're rescheduling for this year, and giving him a Home Depot gift card. WHAT he will do with that is anyone's guess, but I know he'll be thrilled to have it! Also, endless MEAT! :)

Have a good Father's Day weekend, all!

The Update to End All Updates

So, here we are. We're at that point at which I said I was going to give an amazing update of my life thus far. Or at least of the last two weeks, or so. Firstly, Happy February.

Last Wednesday night (yes, we're talking January 23rd), Michael picked up my parents from Love Field and I met them for a lovely dinner at Gloria's on Greenville. I had eaten there for my birthday dinner and my mom wanted to go there after the retelling of the fabulous events that occurred there. I had a delicious fruit and grilled shrimp salad over mixed greens, and decided to mimic it later on in the week. Please see several paragraphs down to complete this story.

I will post about the 24th here in a few minutes. :)

Also, I am embarking on something familiar, yet new. I am planning on joining my first actual reading club, D Magazine's "Reading Room." (http://readingroom.dmagazine.com/) They're reading local writer Ben Fountain's Brief Encounters with Che Guevara this quarter. I'm a little behind, seeing as they've had two meetings and I don't have the book yet, but I'll catch up! I've been on Goodreads for a while, and I'm a part of a reading challenge there, but this is more of a challenge because I'm actually accountable! Wish me luck!

Thursday night I was so stressed out, the only thing I could think of to release some of it was to bake. Poof. Banana muffins. Not spoiled by crunchtastic walnuts. Just banana, cinnamon and vanilla. Check out this goodness.


Sunday night, after rescheduling because of the day from HELL (1/28/2010), our sweet neighbor, Ingrid, came over for dinner. We always plan in advance for our "Neighbor Dinner," and pick a cuisine we haven't made before. We've done Mexican, Italian, and American before, so this time we chose Asian. (Mainly because we wanted to use my new bamboo steamer! Man, I love that thing!) I made spicy pork dumplings (it's becoming a favorite!), a cilantro, peanut and cucumber salad, wilted cabbages, and a dipping sauce. Ingrid brought a yummy wine (what dinner would be complete without wine?!) and fried rice. Buttery fried rice. Mmmm. Anyway, we had a serious feast and a great time. I'm thinking Greek food next time?

To finish my story from earlier, I partially was successful in recreating my grilled shrimp salad from Gloria's Monday night for dinner.

Lastly, we are going to Austin this weekend to visit my sister and Qas. We're also getting to squeeze in a little camping! We're going to McKinney Falls to camp and hike. I'm so excited I might bust! I'll try to take a few pictures, or have someone take some with a real camera, seeing as I don't have one.
That's all I have for now! I'm off to get my car inspected (pesky yearly inspections...) and throw myself on an elliptical. Have a great Tuesday!

Goodbye 2009

Tomorrow will be the first year with double-digits at the end! Goodbye to 2009, a year that held a lot of ups and downs for me.

I purchased my first "adult" car. I love my Jetta, and I'm sure at some point I will give it an actual name. Right now it's "Boo." Get it? Because it's blue? Ha.

My grandparents gifted us with several items from their home once they moved into an assisted-living apartment. Two of the best things we received were antique chairs that we reupholstered. They're like new, and we love them!

I left a job I strongly disliked, and thus took a huge pay cut. It was my decision, whether idiotic or not, and I stand beside it. I know things will be better because of it.

I had my first big family dinner at my apartment, that I planned for weeks. It went well, and gave me a sense of accomplishment that I had created good food and elicited fun from my family.

Michael and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary together by going to camp in the Eldorado Lake area of Kansas. What a fabulous weekend - especially with the one I love.

I've made new friends, gone new places and learned new concepts. I am excited to see what 2010 has in store for me, and I have a few resolutions to make. Keep reading!

Game Day!

Tonight my parents and sister are coming to Dallas to watch the Texas Tech Vs. UT game, and we're going to grill out! I am excited! I'm making burgers (of course), avocado salad (more than just avocados, I assure you), fudge-Andes brownies, and fresh lemonade. My mom and dad are bringing all of the burger accoutrement, a key lime pie (!), and, of course booze. My sister is actually going to make it (we were unsure because it's her busy season), and I am excited to see her. And she is bringing more booze. Qas has a SUPER swollen ankle, so he is being a invalid at home. I better get to cooking, because it will be game time here in a few hours! Wreck 'Em Tech!

My Blender Isn't Broken!

Last night Michelle and Corban came over for dinner, and I made a fabulous roasted-everything salsa. That's right, roasted tomatoes, serranos, poblanos, and onions, along with all the rest of the usual salsa ingredients. When I went to pour the roasty, spicy goodness into a serving dish, the blender came apart! I thought I broke it because I hit the top of the blender on the bottom of an overhead cabinet. This morning I threw all parts in the dishwasher, in hopes that they would come out clean and unscathed. I was right! I had accidentally unscrewed the bottom plasic piece from the connecting glass. I had no idea you could do that! Anyway, I feel like I have a new blender, and I plan on making a multitude of smoothies and sauces soon.

On a side note, I made Huevos Rancheros and cinnamon-vanilla pancakes for everyone last night. Michelle provided the BEST mimosas and fresh fruit. It was awesome!

On yet another note, my cat is sickly. Giada is yarking every few hours, and I'm thinking she has a virus. Has anyone's cat ever had a virus? It's already been 48 hours, and I was hoping it would be gone by now. I'm contemplating going to the vet, but I'm not sure if it's worth the time/money/further upsetting the cat, etc. Advice?

Family Dinner Recap

I'm finally getting around to it - A recap of the Family Dinner! We had most everyone there, which means 10 people there. I made the same menu I described before, and it turned out very well! Here is the table:
And here is the food, with my mom sitting in the stool at the bar:
We played a mean couple of games of Taboo (remember that one?), and then talked for a while. It was a lot of fun! I think I might do another one later. Great times!

Dessert Sneak Peek!

Take a look at these fabulous dessert bars from Two Sisters:

It'll be a fabulous end to the Dinner Party on Saturday!

Cinnamon Rolls & Other Excitement

Yesterday morning I made cinnamon rolls for Michael and me - it was raining, and it seemed like a good day to make them. It took ALL morning (from 9:00am until noon), but they were excellent. I even made the cream cheese icing!



Tonight we're making a Garlic Roast Chicken (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/garlic-roast-chicken-recipe/index.html), an Ina recipe of course. We saw it on a DVRed show we missed a few days ago. (We just got a DVR...I know, we're behind with the times, but it's so neat!) We have carrots, onions, potatoes and parsnips to roast with it. It's going to be so beautiful.

This week is prep week here at the Oates apartment. It's finally here - the Family Dinner is set for this Saturday evening. I've finalized the menu - it's pretty much the same as the one I've already posted. Everyone but Jamie and Qas are coming, so it will be a full house! (10 total, I believe.) My mom told me that Qas will be in Albany visiting his father - I'm so jealous! I bet NY is so gorgeous right now! Anyway, it will still be a ton of people! I'm excited to have my family see the re-covered antique chairs and to see our apartment. Some of my family members haven't seen the apartment, and we've been living here for some time. I'll be sure to take pictures of the festivities.

Life - A Flurry of Feelings

I am so happy it's Friday.

I am going to finish the laundry, make black tea, and vacuum.

I need a haircut.

My printer is out of both color and black ink.

Catering is hard.

Next weekend is the Family Dinner - yikes!

I'm thirsty.

Today was SUCH nice weather in Dallas. It's shocking.

I need to check my voicemail.

I love my cattie-poos.

I have an empanada.

I'm so excited I get to RELAX! Yay for the weekend!

Tentative Dinner Menu

I know you all have been waiting in suspense for my family dinner menu. Take a look and let me know what you think:

Appetizers: Mini Pizzas (caramelized onion & fontina; tomato & basil) and Parmesan/Gruyere cheese straws
Main Dish: Tuscan Lemon Chicken
Sides: Roasted Asparagus & Green Beans, Green Salad with Vinaigrette, Creamy Parmesan French Bread
Dessert: Mocha Semifreddo, Make-Your-Own Italian Ice Cream Sandwich

Thoughts?

Family Dinner at the Oates Apartment!

The hostess in me has emerged again. I'm hosting a family dinner at my apartment in early August. I'm excited! With the chairs finally finished, and summer still in full swing, I think it will be a good time. I invited everyone on my side of the family (Michael's side will come later - I've got to cool down between families!). I'm enviting our Austinites too, so it will be a complete family affair!

Any suggestions for food choices? I'm looking at serving two appetizers, two sides, a main dish, and a dessert. I'm thinking chicken for the main dish, and something really rich for dessert. I'd love suggestions!