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!

Rain & Scratches

I have enjoyed the rain from the past couple of days so much! It's been a nice way to usher in autumn. I'm thinking it won't be in the 90-degree range for the rest of the year.

Also, this weekend in the rain, I had a great time with a few of my favorite girls at The Porch and Old Monk. While out, I incurred a few scratches in my paint over one of my wheel wells. (Blame the rain?) I went to Boardwalk (my dealership I bought my car from) to get a quote on repairing the damage in case I was still covered in my warranty somehow, and it was pretty high. Does anyone know a body shop in town (Dallas, Richardson, Addison, Garland) that will do a great job without charging me an arm and a leg? Please comment if you do. I am going this morning to get a quote from a shop near my apartment (as in down the street).

I think I've written enough parenthetical sentences for today. Happy Wednesday!

Kansas - Who Knew?

Finally - a recap! Things have been really crazy around here lately, so I'll begin my recap now!

As you know, we were planning on camping out near Hot Springs, in the Ouachita National Forest. We called in advance (earlier that week) to reserve our campsite. Out of more than 1,000 camping sites, there wasn't ONE available for that weekend. So, we opened up the atlas and began a search. We decided on Eldorado lake in Kansas, just outside of Wichita. Neither one of us had been to Kansas before, except for driving through it to get to Colorado.

We camped out lakeside, made food in my grandparent's cast-iron skillets they gifted me, and hiked all over the place. On one of the trails, we found this tree that had fallen over - they believe in preserving nature by letting it remain the way it would naturally occur. For example, if lightening hits a tree and it falls, it remains where it as fallen. This policy is adopted by many other national parks, one of which is Muir Woods (a surreal place, really). Also, we made smooooores! My boy scout Husband made us a fire, and we cooked all weekend. The food was amazing! Let's take some time to discuss my love of smores. A good blazing fire, roasting, melting, and caramelizing the sugars in the fluffy, white sugary knob - pure harmony within a sandwich of chocolate and graham cracker. One, if not my very, favorite desserts.

Here is a view of the lake:It was great weather the whole weekend because it had rained the few days before we arrived. Mild during the day and chilly at night. Great camping weather for fire-cooked meals and cuddling under the stars!

I would recommend Kansas to all those that think it's just farmland and not much else. We spent some time in Uptown and Downtown Wichita, and it was a good time. We tasted wine on the square, ate beef shawarma in Uptown, and discovered Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. It's clean, welcoming and homey. That's it's charm.

We're Back!

Unpacking this evening - after a great trip! I'll post about it later this evening or tomorrow!

Before I Go

I just got an email from my sister about the wonderful meal she made last night: boneless quail, wild mushroom risotto, and a Cabernet reduction. Does that not sound amazing? She sent this photo as well: Anniversary Camping will ensue in less than 36 hours! We're leaving bright and early Saturday morning, and won't return until Monday night. How fortunate to have an anniversary that falls around a holiday weekend! (And for it not being a holiday like St. Patrick's Day.) I'll be sure to take pictures, and I blog when we return!

Southern Successes and Books

Tonight, Michael and I made Fried Chicken, BBQ Beans, Cornbread and Lemonade. All from scratch. And I have to say, I think we did pretty well! Michael hasn't been feeling very well since Friday morning (He says the cats are trying to kill them with their fur), and this was really our first activity this weekend. He's been holed-up in the bedroom reading Book 6 and Book 7 of the Harry Potter series (A little late, no?), trying to recuperate.

Michael almost completely handled the fried chicken (a wonder, I know), and did a special breading that I thought was inventive. I worked on the beans, cornbread and lemonade. The cornbread is my Granny/Mom's family recipe, and it was my first time to prepare it by myself. It turned out well. Following a recipe for homemade lemonade, I discovered that it takes a heck of a lot of juice to make a decent pitcher of this stuff! It takes a whopping 1 cup of lemonade for a pitcher-full! Well, my pitcher at least. Anyway, it all turned out well!

The photo is a bit skewed due to the angle I was sitting at - yes, it shows my apparent laziness as well as my eagerness to chow down! This is Michael's plate of course; you can tell by the HEAPING amount of beans. :)

Also, I just finished two books: The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte (Syrie James), and My Life in France (Julia Child). Let me attack The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte first. I was very skeptical of this book to begin with, due to the "biographical" nature. I knew it was a work of fiction by James, and I didn't know how an author could just flesh out the days of someone's life based upon the well-know facts like publishing dates, marriages, deaths, etc. Was I surprised! With many letters (the kind people never write anymore) and other documentation, James was able to produce a thoughtful, compelling, and sweet telling of Bronte's life. A little of a tear-jerker if you're not used to that time period's usual run-of-events, as it mirrors her life. Great book.

Secondly, My Life in France - this book has somewhat inspired me to learn another language...so I can understand what the dishes Julia cooks are titled! It was a little frustrating when you can't understand what Child is describing (unless it's one of the few points at which she'll translate for the idiot Americans who are reading), but overall it was a truthful and dizzying look into her life. She's an interesting and intellectual character. Towards the end I felt like she was a little unfeeling or in denial towards the outcomes of her co-author (of her first two cookbooks), her family or in-laws, and even her beloved husband. Did anyone else feel this way? Has anyone else read this book? I won't go into any more detail, in case people reading this are planning to pick up the book.

Tomorrow begins another week. Much to look forward for.

WordXWord Festival

In Pittsfield, MA, one of the towns we frequented while in the Berkshires, a WORD festival is held every year - yes, that's what I said, a WORD festival. They feature plays, readings, original work, concerts, etc. Their tag line is "Written. Spoken. Sung." How amazing! And how hardcore - the event lasts for a week! I would love to go sometime. Then, we could stop at one of the 50 brunch cafes on North Street, and then buy books all day. Sound good? http://wordxwordfestival.com/

On another note, I have finished planning our 1 Year Anniversary vacation. (With heavy input from the Husband, of course.) We are going to the Ouachita National Park to camp, grill and hike, and then we are going to Hot Springs, AR for a little R&R! I can't wait! We've both been to the area before, but not since we were little kids. I am really excited, mainly because we both love camping and haven't gotten to go in a while. Also, my grandparents recently (as in last week) gave us a huge box of camping supplies. My dad is letting us borrow his lantern, which is similar to the one pictured above. It's a bit older (I not sure by how many years), but it still works very well. We now are more than ready for a great camp-out.

Any suggestions while we are in that area of AR?

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?

Past. Present. Future.

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!