One Third

i want to thank all of you who called and texted and emailed and facebooked me to wish me Happy Birthday! i had to charge my phone twice on Wednesday because you people blew me up. but i loved EVERY second of it. it's always a fun game with me and the BF when we hear our Blackberries start vibrating and guess to see whose it is and typically it's his cause he's so popular! but wednesday.... WEDNESDAY... it was ALL ME BABY! WOOOOOOOOOOOO


here are some pictures from the 12 Days of Christel!

flowers from my honey on Saturday night. he arranged them in a photo box all by hisownself.


me and Ang with yet ANOTHER one of the Thelma and Louise shots we've been doing for 17 or so years!


THOSE guys. Brothers and Boyfriends....


then on my ACTUAL birthday i got this! THIS! that my honey commissioned and designed. isn't he a peach?

yeah. it's PIRATEY!

look how fantastic it looks ON my bed!

it's fleece on the under side too. way ass cozy!

and then i went to dinner at Ang's. the Rottens made me a sign! (if you look closely you can see that the B in Birthday looks like boobies!)


and then a White trash cake too! (it's a little perverse looking too. i LOVE IT!)


and pirate flips!


and swirly earrings.



i'm a spoiled loved girl. thank you all again for the love!

Bacon and what?

DO WANT!


someone make these and bring them to my house.




















BACON CINNAMON ROLLS

SOOOOOOOOOOO not snakes.

i got a text from My Gay the other day informing me of NEW MnMs. and i know MnMs by themselves are fantastic. BUT the words "Indiana Jones Mint Crisp MnMs" made me swoon. cause you KNOW momma likes the mint and chocolate. and you KNOW that i have trained my Gays that THAT is the way to my heart.

i have searched high and low since i read those beautiful words in a text message a week ago. and i have been in Targets, WalMarts, Walgreens, Randalls, and a CVS looking for them. Target was even so hateful to have the new Indiana Jones Plain and Peanut ones, and then the GLARINGLY empty spots where the Mint ones SHOULD go.

my co-workers have listened to my plight. Ang and Allie have listened to my plight. My Gay has listened to my plight.... and finally the universe heard me. i got a text last night from a co-worker asking if it was "the mint crisp ones you're looking for, right?" YES! resoundingly YES! abso-freaking-lutley YES!

upon my arrival at the Saturday morning meeting at 8 in the am, i was greeted with not one, but TWO big bags of Indiana Jones Mint Crisp MnMs for my veryownpersonal person. i waited 2 hours and 18 minutes before their siren song weakened my resolve.




lemme JUST say,

UH


MAH


GAH

i am IN Love.




go get some. go right now. get some. eat em. and if you don't like them, i will give them a good home. i promise.

din-din

k, so Friday is the one year anniversary of when Gulliver and i had our first date. i am gonna make him a fancy dinner, but have NO idea what to make.


i need suggestions!!!!!

i have some ideas for sides, but the ACTUAL dinner part eludes me. i found a recipe for proscuitto wrapped asparagus. and i was going to make a spinach, strawberry and smoked walnut salad. but for the main course.... i'm lost.




HELP!



*edit*

possible menu:

Grilled Tilapia Piccata en Papillote
Sweet, mild tilapia blends exceeding well with lemon, capers, butter and white wine in this deceptively easy meal. The parchment paper lends a fancy touch to a very simple and fast dish.
Serves 2
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 tilapia fillets (about 6 ounces each), skinned, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup dry white wine, divided
juice of l lemon, divided
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, divided
2 tablespoons capers, chopped, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (for garnish)
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Coat the inside bottom of two large squares of heavy-duty foil with oil. Place two sheets of parchment paper over the oiled foil and coat the bottom of the parchment paper with oil.
Center tilapia fillets on parchment and drizzle each with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Top each with 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons wine, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons onion, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon capers, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Fold up the edges of the parchment and seal to keep tasty juices inside. Fold foil over parchment to contain it, making a small pouch. Center fish over heat. With the grill cover on, grill for 8-12 minutes or until tilapia flakes easily. Open foil, remove parchment pouches to individual plates, cut top of paper and peel back edges to serve. Garnish with fresh parsley.



Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Serves 4
20 stalks of asparagus
4 thin slices of prosciutto, fat removed
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan
1 lemon, quartered
Cut off tough ends of asparagus. Cover asparagus with water in a skillet; bring to a boil and cook until tender but still firm, 3–4 minutes. Drain well.
Divide asparagus into 4 bundles of 3 stalks each. Wrap prosciutto slice around center of bundle. Place the bundles into oven-proof dish; dot with butter; season with pepper, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place in the oven to brown the cheese, 4–5 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedge.



Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Transfer to a roasting pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Roast, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp, about 50 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.




still working on dessert? and i was told that the salad might not GO with the other dishes.

my next project

Bacon Vodka

Makes up one pint

• Fry up three strips of bacon
• Add cooked bacon to a clean pint sized mason jar. Trim the ends of the bacon if they are too tall to fit in the jar. Or you could go hog wild and just pile in a bunch of fried up bacon scraps.
• Optional: add crushed black peppercorns.
• Fill the jar up with vodka. Cap and place in a dark cupboard for at least three weeks.(No need to refrigerate)
• At the end of the three week resting period, place the bacon vodka in the freezer to solidify the fats. Strain out the fats through a coffee filter to yield a clear filtered pale yellow bacon vodka.
• Decant into decorative bottles and enjoy.

i will TOTALLY make Saucy Bloody Marys with those Bleu Cheese and Jalapeno stuffed olives!!!!


OMG.



idea courtesy of Brownie Points

mmmmmmmmmint

Allie posted about the Java Twix that i bought a few weeks ago... and that reminded me that i have picked up the new Mint 3Musketeers.... cause we ALL know momma likes some mint and chocolate.




i give these 2 thumbs up. and if you don't like em.. you can give em to me. i wont mind.

YAN CAN COOK!

ever since the Geeks were here 2 weeks ago... all i have wanted to eat has been good food. i usually live off of CHICKENANDFRIES... but i have only had that once since they left. partly because we all ate so well when they were here. we had Chuy's and Koreana, and Kerbey Lane. i have had MORE seafood in the past 2 weeks as well. i just want GOOD food. not crap.


as i was on my way home last night, i wanted to make myself good dinner. that required a trip to 2 grocery stores.


after i acquired all of my ingredients, i made myself some pretty kickass din-din. and im such a sweet bitch, i'll even share the "recipe"


1 pkg habanero/mozzarella sausage
2 cups cooked shrimp
1 pkg fresh spinach fettucine
1 tbl garlic salt
1 tbl garlic powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 a stick of buttah
1 bottle pinot grigio


boil the pasta.
in a skillet, cook the sausages with a pat of butter and some wine. when they had cooked off all of the liquid, remove them and cut them up. deglaze the pan with a bit more wine and cook the shrimp.

put the rest of the butter in the pasta pot and add a bit more wine. add the shrimp and the sausage. mix well. add the pasta and garlic salt and powder. add the heavy cream.

let it cook a bit more. and serve. with the REST of the bottle of wine.


OH SO YUM.

and YAY leftovers!