Veggie Chili & Random Photos

Hey Monday!  Are we all batting down the hatches for this blizzard that's headed our way?  Me too. 

I had big intentions of recreating this meatless meal today:

Grilled Veg Sammy & Corn Chowder...

Made by this gal...

Shared with this one...

Eaten on dishes from China...

Before experimenting with sweaters...

And finding out really weird stuff about my friends.

Unfortunately there was some miscommunication between Mr. Drew and I... and I found out last minute that he was going to be out of town for work this week.  Rather than make a big ol' fancy dinner for myself, I decided to bust open the freezer.  You know how I always say "This will freeze really well!"??  Well sometimes I have to actually eat the stuff I freeze.  I've been saving this chili recipe up for a day just like this.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 4 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I used a lot!)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Method:

• In a 4 quart pot, saute garlic in oil.
• Add diced tomatoes (undrained), tomato sauce, tomato paste, beer, chili powder, mustard powder, oregano, pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce. Stir in the pinto beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, red and white kidney beans, and corn. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes.  (I just stuck everything in the crock pot and left it there all day).
• Top each serving with cheese.

Yep, there's beer in there.  And so much other stuff that you won't even miss the meat.  This stuff is good!
 
Drew ended up coming home early so he wouldn't get stuck in BFE Missouri in 10 feet of snow so I had to turn one serving of chili from the freezer into dinner.  So I threw it on some baked potatoes, added some roasted broc, and called it dinner.

Hot potato.

We ate dinner on the couch in our sweats.  I'll tell you what, I'm super ready for this snow.  Bring it on because I'm not moving from this couch. 

Happy to be home.

Hot potato.

I'll be here all week, folks.

Ari is all set to wait out this blizzard on the couch too.  Call him if you want to cuddle.  He's ready for you.

"Do you need a hug?"

Alright friends, I hope you are keeping warm with some sort of soup... or booze.  Or soup with booze. 

Happy {meatless} Monday!!!

Big Ol' D: Week 8

The week in which we are reminded that sunshine is good for the soul...

... or, the week in which we are reminded that people are jerks and will try to hit you with their car.

I only ran three times this week.  And all three times were outside!  Running in the fresh air with the sun on your face is infinitely more satisfying than trudging along on the treadmill.  I may have been brainwashed during my five years of working at a tanning salon*, but I am a huge believer in Seasonal Affective Disorder.  I have a physical need for the sun.  It makes me hap-hap-happy.

Here's what my happy week looked like: 

Monday: 3 miles... outside... in the snow... with Mr. Dog.  I like to think that when we die, we get to watch videos of all the really great times in our lives.  This run will definitely be shown in those viewings.  We tried to stick to side streets since all of the sidewalks were covered in snow.  But we ended up having to finish with a mile down Roe.  It was way too busy to run in the street, so we plowed down the "sidewalk" with snow up to my shins and up to Ari's ears.  Ari went into sled-dog mode and seriously pulled me along as he bounded through snow as tall as him.  My legs were going so fast, and tears were streaming down my cheeks from laughing.  Every time a car passed us, you could see the driver laughing.  I think we made a lot of people's day.  We were both exhausted, but I'm pretty sure that one is going down as one of my all-time favorite runs.

Tuesday:  Yoga & Jillian Michael's 6 Week 6 Pack.  I finally started my yoga class at JCCC.  I don't know if it necessarily counts as a workout because we spend half the time learning.  Whatevs.

Wednesday:  6 miles... in the snow.  People are jerks.  I had so many people give me dirty looks for running in the street.  Umm... hi... please take a look at the snow covered sidewalk and realize that there's a reason I'm out here.  If you go running outside, please don't think that just because you are running on a side street with almost no traffic that people will give you some room or slow down.  I had to jump onto the curb and into the snow several times because cars were all up on me.  And yet, running outside is still better than the alternative.

Thursday:  45 minutes on the elliptical.  Boring.

Friday:  15 miles!!!  I decided to completely ignore the dirty looks from drivers and just go out and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful weather. 

I broke up the run into three 5-mile runs, looping back to my house for water, food, and potty breaks.  This helped me to just focus on enjoying my 5-mile run, rather than thinking about running 15.  I don't know if I was eating enough, because by the end of the second 5-miler, I was so freakin' hungry.  I grabbed a whole pack of energy chews to snack on for the final five miles.

Running snacks.

This run was amazing.  I felt so good the whole time and was just so happy to be running.  This was kind of a huge deal because the last time I went out for a 15-miler was the beginning of the end of training for the Wichita Marathon.  Oh, and it was the worst run of my life.  And it eventually led to two months sans running.

Both knees were happy; I was happy; Things are looking good.  I am feeling so optimistic about actually being able to pull off this silly marathon in April.  And I don't think I can put into words how flippin' happy that makes me.  A few months ago I was scared that I would never be able to run long again.   

Showing off my pear-shape.

This was by no means a fast run.  Seriously, women run full marathons in less time than it took me to run fifteen.  I'm just pleased I didn't bust my ass on the ice or get run over by a truck.

Yea yea yea!!!

Saturday:  Nada.  I had class all day.  I know, right?!  That was a terrible idea.

Sunday:  Nothing yet.  There may be a quick trip to the gym later to get in a couple of miles.  Or there may be a quick trip to the couch where I will sit on my pear-shaped ass for the rest of the day.  Your guess is as good as mine.  ETA:  I dragged Drew to the gym tonight.  3 miles... what what?!

Total:  24 27 miles

Next week is a taper week, which should work out with the snow schedule.  WTF is up with all this snow?  We finally get a day warm enough to melt the stuff and now it's supposed to all come back again!  This does not make me happy.

*SunKissed Tanning:  Get cancer into bed with the best.

Body Type

Do you ever read those magazine articles that are supposed to help you dress for your body type?  I get so frustrated because I never feel like any of those body types apply to me.  They always have petite (definitely not me), tall (not so much), busty (yeah, no), pear-shaped (don't think so), curvy or plus-sized (nope), and boy-shaped (I don't even know what that means).  How the heck am I supposed to know what to wear!?

Imagine how excited I was when I flipped through a Shape Magazine and saw this:

Body Type: Athletic

"As a marathoner, my thighs and calves are pretty muscular. This flared silhouette makes my legs look longer and leaner while accentuating my waist. Now I feel strong and sexy!" —Christina Luciw


Best Jeans: Dl1961 Roxy Kick Flare Jeans


Made with a four-way stretch fabric, these jeans hug Christina's curves without sagging or gapping—anywhere. The slim-to-the-knee fit and deep indigo rinse have a streamlining effect on her thighs, while the wider leg opening and longer hemline create the illusion of narrow calves. Add to that a medium rise (7 1∕2 inches) and curved waistband and these become the best jeans to give this body type a sleek look from torso to toe. $168, dl1961.com



Yes!  That's totally me!  I have a body-type!!!  Finally someone can tell me what to wear... at least what jeans I should wear I guess. 

So, here I am, all excited that I know my body type... when I get to my Fabrications class and find out that we have to have our measurements taken... right this very instant.

This might be super embarrassing... getting your measurements taken in a class full of 19-year old, 100 pound, fashion majors... but my saving grace was that we FACSY gals stick out like a sore thumb and tend to congregate together... and away from the waif-y fashion girls.

The FACS major who measured me was of a more substantial size and didn't gasp (at first) when checking the number on the measuring tape.  However, as we moved from bust to hips, she had to do multiple measurements because she couldn't believe my hips were that much bigger than my bust.

What can I say?  God has blessed me with a boy-shaped upper half and a curvy* on bottom.  She didn't need to make such a scene. 

After everyone was done measuring and fully traumatized, our teacher started explaining how to pick out patterns in the proper size... and then moved on to discuss body-type. 

"Do you know what it means if your hips are bigger than your bust?  It means you are pear-shaped, and you need to dress your body accordingly."

What?!?  No!!!  I'm not pear-shaped!  I'm athletic.  Athletic.  Just ask Shape Magazine!!!

Boo.  This would not have been the case had I worn my usual uber-padded bra.  But no, I picked measurement day to wear a sports bra to class.  At least we didn't have to weigh in or something awful like that.

*Don't hate on the ghetto-booty.

Jane Eyre

I'm always saying that I am going to read "the classics".  And I really always mean to.  Like over Christmas break, I had tons of extra time on my hands.  So I totally meant to spend some of that time reading one of the classics... but I ended up reading My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler instead.  Not quite a classic... yet.

It took me seeing a preview for Jane Eyre to get me interested in actually reading the book.  The movie looks really good, but I have a strict book before the movie rule.  And by that time classes were starting up and I'd run out of time for non-textbook reading.
So technically I didn't read the book, but thanks to a long commute and the JoCo Library, I was able to listen to the entire audio book. It is long.

The story is long. There is a lot of detail at the beginning that I didn't really see a point to... until the end. I even asked my mom if anything was ever going to happen. Oh, it happens.

Jane Eyre has romance, mystery, suspense... the whole sha-bang. Jane Austin is my favorite author, and Charlotte Bronte has a very similar writing style and the story has very similar settings. So its no surprise I love love loved this book. I can't wait to go see the movie!

Costco Pie

You know how much I love Costco.  One of my most favorite cookbooks is this one called In The Kitchen The Costco Way.  Seriously.  Everything I've made from this book is like gold.  Costco gold.

Tonight's dinner is a two-fer* of Quiche.  Quiche is one of my faves, and Drew can never remember if he likes it or not.  So I just feed it to him to remind him that yes, quiche is super awesome.  And since it freezes really well, and pie crust comes in packs of two (who eats just one pie?), I decided to make both the Veggie Quiche and Famous Mushroom Quiche. 

Veggie Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared 9-inch pie crust
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• salt & peppa

Method:

• Preheat oven according to pie crust package directions.
• Spread mustard on the bottom and sides of pie crust.  Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
• Place broccoli, cheese, and green onions in the pie crust, mixing well.
• In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over the vegetable mixture.
• Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes, or until center is set and top is browned.  Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting.

That soup came from Costco too.

Famous (?) Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared 9-inch pie crust
• 4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bake pie crust for 10 minutes, remove and let it cool.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
• Saute mushrooms in butter over medium-high heat until tender.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• In a bowl, toss cheese with flour; add eggs, milk, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper.  Stir in mushrooms.  Pour into the crust.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until set.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

We got a little crazy and moved dinner from the couch to the kitchen table.  I know, we're nuts.

Drew remembered how much he likes quiche.d



My cheeks are pink, but I swear I'm not drinking.



"What's going on here?"

The dogs were super confused when we sat down to eat at the table.  They just sat there and watched us eat.  Those puppies don't like change.

Show Costco some love and enjoy this quiche.  Add some soup 'cause it is cold.

Happy {meatless} Monday!

*Burger King anyone?

You've Won An Oven Mitt!

Name that movie.

Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway and sharing your hilarious stories.  I seriously had so much fun reading them.  There's some crazy stuff that happens online. 

So, without further ado... the winner of the Running Journal/Men's Health Report*/Batch of cookies is...

Kaitlin said...
I too am lured by the cookies. I experienced a buying mishap today actually, only I was the lucky person in it. Some other unfortunate Kaitlyn purchased some tickets from Amtrak online, and the genius (who puts a Y in Kaitlin?) managed to give them the wrong email address. Waiting in my inbox today are roundtrip tickets from Kalamazoo, MI to Dearborn, MI leaving on January 21st. How about I give you the tickets, and you give me the cookies. Not only do these tickets have an $80 value, but there appears to be a snack car on this baby. And it's a train!
January 20, 2011 9:03 PM

Congratulations Kaitlin! You were chosen at Random as the winner!!! Let me know what kind of cookies you want! Or I can just buy you a bag of chocolate covered Oreos if you want. Either way, I'm eating half.  And you can keep that ticket to Kalamazoo.  No way am I going anywhere north of here.  Now if you had a train ticket to Austin, Texas... that would be a different story.



If you didn't win, don't feel too bad.  Please know that you're always invited over to hang out and watch Mean Girls II and eat cookies with me.

*Totally caught Drew flipping through the "Who Ever Dreamed You Could Get So Big So Fast!" report.  I told him if he wanted to find out how to get that big, he needed to enter the drawing. 

Big D: Week 7

Just realized I didn't post my training plan for last week.  Well, it doesn't seem like anyone was deeply affected, so we'll just move on from here with week 7.

Is this snow weighing anyone else down?  January seems to be lasting forever and this dang snow is cramping my style and giving me way too good an excuse to sit on the couch instead of going to the gym.  That might be reflected in last week's training:

Monday:  Rest Day.  I drove back from Wichita and had good intentions of going to the gym, but decided I needed to make up some quality time with the DVR Drew instead. 

Tuesday: 6 miles.  I made up my own version of speed work by alternating one mile at 6.5 mph (about 9:00 minutes per mile) followed by one mile at 7.5 mph (about 8:00 minutes per mile) for the whole time.  It really made the time go by fast. 

Wednesday:  3 miles. 

Thursday: Jillian Michael's 6 Week 6 Pack and a Yoga Video.  I was super excited to start my new yoga class at JCCC, but of course class got cancelled for stupid snow!  Don't get me wrong, I love a snow day, but why couldn't I get a snow day when I had to drive to Warrensburg for class?  I thought about going to the gym, but it was snowing a lot.  So I stuck with FitTV in the living room.  Awesome.

Friday:  14 miles... on the treadmill.  Ouch.  Literally.  The great thing about indoor running is that you get to wear shorts.  Which is awesome.  But being that I haven't done a long run in shorts since August I kind of forgot the tiny little detail that... and this is totally TMI... my legs + shorts + 14 miles = super horrifying chafing.  I have big legs... what can I say?  With two miles left in my run I thought I was going to have to stop.  Like seriously, it was bad.  I don't even know if I was tired or not because all I could think about was the fact that I probably wasn't going to be able to walk for the rest of the weekend.  But I finished.  And it hurt. 

Saturday:  Are you kidding?  No I didn't work out.  I could barely walk. 

Sunday:  Another rest day.  That makes three for the week.

Total:  23 miles

Sooo... I missed a few workouts in there, but whatevs.  I'm just proud of getting through that 14 miles on the treadmill.  I really don't mind the treadmill so much.  What I have problems with is looking like a crazy person.  I think once you hit two hours on the treadmill, people think you're mental.  It made me feel better that two treadmills down was a guy who at least looked like he'd been on the machine more than the acceptable amount of time.  He was dripping in sweat from head to toe.  From now on I'll just try to saddle up next to a crazy looking person on the treadmill to take some attention away from myself.  And I'll remember to bring the Body Glide.

The forecast is showing 40 degrees for next Friday, so hopefully I'll get to do my 15-miler outside.  Crossing my fingers!!!

Snow Day Give-Away!!!

That's right.  I'm doing a give-away.  Because that's what people with blogs do, right?  But first, you have to put up with a bit of crazy.

I love Runner's World.  It is my favorite magazine.  It is full of inspiration in the form of stories and pictures of hot people.  But for the longest time I have felt that the people behind Runner's World are trying to screw me.

Two years ago, when renewing my subscription, I thought to myself that it would make more sense to do a two year subscription because it was less expensive per issue and I wouldn't have to mess with it again in a year.  So I paid for a two-year subscription.  I have no proof that what I say is true.

Imagine my surprise when I received a letter last year informing me that it was time to renew my subscription, along with a bill of $24.00 for the next year's issues.  $24???  Please.  They are always offering this magazine for like $12 a year.  No way am I paying twice as much. 

I know there isn't a huge difference between twelve dollars and twenty-four dollars.  But please remember that I totally paid for a two-year subscription the previous year... of which I had no record.

I almost didn't renew.  But I really really love that magazine.  So I did it.  I paid the stupid $24 and swore I was going to get a better deal next year.  Which is this year.

I received an email close to the beginning of January that offered me a twelve month subscription for $12.  Thank you!  That is what I want.  So I clicked on it.  I filled in my information.  Then there was a little box I could check to do one year for $12 or two years for $24.  Heck yes I'll do two years!  So I clicked the box.  I confirmed all of my information and thought I was done. 

Then another page popped up offering me a Runner's World running journal with a HUGE box that said "Yes!  I accept!" and a teensy tiny box that said "No Thank You."  I went to click "no" and my mouse slipped and I accidentally hit the ginormo-yes-box. 

The next page that popped up was just a confirmation of my order ---> two years of Runner's World and the GD Running Journal... which was an extra $15.64!!!!!  There was no way to un-do the mistake because they already had my credit card info.  Those gypsies got me again!!!

Here's the thing:  I love running journals.  I get one every year.  I get the same one every year.  So no.  I do not need another one.  Especially one that costs $15.00.

These are mine.

I wait every year until after the first of the year to purchase one because by that time they go on sale.  See???  I am super cheap.  I would not buy one on a whim.  I plan these things out.

On a fun note, when I pulled these out to photograph them, pictures from my first race fell out:

Wichita 1/2 Marathon!

Back on track!!!

Since I obviously don't need this running journal...

You win this one, Runner's World.

... I'm going to give it to you!  Not only will you receive this super awesome running journal (I have to admit it is pretty nice)... but you will also receive the Special Report from Men's Health titled, "Who Ever Dreamed You Could Get So Big So Fast!" that came with it.  Because I know you want that.

But that's not all folks!  Enter now and you could win this dog!

"Wait.  What?!"

No, I'm just kidding.  You can't have my dog.  You probably don't want my dog. 

BUT, since I know some of you aren't runners, if you win I will also include in your prize package a batch of cookies of your choosing, baked by me.  Your choice: vegan, gluten-free, or Jamie-style (full-fat, extra sugar).  To further entice you, please click here, here, or here.

TO ENTER just leave a comment on this post.  Bonus points if you tell me a funny story about a time you've been wronged when making purchases via the internet.

Contest will close Sunday at midnight.  Winner chosen at random and announced Monday morning.  To make things easier on you, I'm momentarily going to take off the word verification thingy, so if porn-bots invade my blog, please do not click on their links.  Good luck!

***Oh, and I printed out the order confirmation page this time.  So when RW comes knocking at my door next year, I've got proof that I paid for two years.

Rabid Dog

The furries were feeling a bit cooped up this afternoon so I let them out into the back yard to run around a bit.  That they did.  They also had quite the boxing match.  From the looks of it, I'd say Mya won.

Slobber, snow, and... rabies???

Ari looked like he was foaming from the eye.  But I believe it was just a huge glob of slobber.  A globber, if you will.  Whose globber, I'm not sure.

"So embarrassing."

I made him look me in the face for a close-up before I let him come in and get cleaned up.  He was not happy.

"You will pay for this."

What are you doing with your snow day?

Golden Glee Globes

I'm sure I'm a bit late on my fashion commentary here, but better late than never, right?  For the record I didn't actually watch the Golden Globes.  I'm not big into awards shows, but I love to see what people are wearing.  I was especially excited to see what my Glee gals were wearing!

Amber Riley

I thought Amber looked amazing.  The dress was beautiful and she carried herself fabulously.  Work it, girl.

Jenna Ushkowitz

I've never been a fan of Jenna's style, and this dress reminded me a bit too much of my Junior year prom dress.  Not a fan.

Heather Morris (!)

Stop it.  Brittany S. Pierce is gorgeous and that dress is stunning!  So fun to see her in something other than a Cheerio's uniform.

Dianna Agron

This is by far my favorite look of all the Glee gals.  I love the dress.  I love the hair.  This look is so classic and beautiful.  Love!

Lea Michele AKA Glee Barbie

Okay, I know Lea got a lot of crap for this dress, but I freakin love it!  I was so happy to see so many starlets wearing pink on the red carpet, and I think Lea's over-the-top dress was perfect for her.  Joan Rivers made some comment on Fashion Police about her being a fake bitch.  I'm fine with that.  And I'd probably dress like Barbie if I were going to be on the red carpet too.

Mark Salling ---> Hot!

Other looks I loved from the red carpet:

Emma Stone

I heard talk of this dress being too old for Emma.  I loved it.  Loved it.  Again with the pink.  Jess & I discussed and we think Emma is super wonderful and could fill any roll that is given to Lindsay Lohan.  And she'd do it with a bit of class.

Olivia Wilde (?)

I have no idea who Olivia Wilde is, but I love her dress.  Yes, it also looks a little prom-ish.  I don't care.  It's fancy.  Fancy fancy fancy.

Claire Danes

More pink!  I love when stars can make such a simple dress look amazing.  Claire is beautiful in pink.

Carrie Underwood

More sparkles.  Carrie looks stunning.  If I liked her hair more she might take Dianna's place as best dressed on my list. 

And there you have it... my professional fashion opinion. 

Who topped your "Best Dressed" list from the Golden Globes???

Jack Talk Thai...

... Jack talk Thai real good.

Hi friends!  It is Monday and I have been sans Internet since Friday morning.  For real.  Mya and I took a road trip across our fair state to the great land of Dodge City to visit her cousins Mattie and Doc. 

On Saturday we decided to stay in and I persuaded Jess and Ryan into having pizza night so I could eat more of my much obsessed over Pioneer Woman Pizza.  Jess gave me something else to obsess over when she introduced me to Thai Chicken Pizza.  I of course obsessed over it sans chicken.

Jess talk Thai.

We each made individual size pizzas ---> mine was goat cheese & basil.  Yum!  But Jess left the chicken off of part of hers so I could try it. 

Me gusta.

It was awesome.

"Hello?"

Not awesome?  I didn't take any pictures of Mya with her doggie cousins.  Jess & Ryan have two of the sweetest and prettiest dogs I've ever met... I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the three of them!

I took the scenic route home from Dodge so that I could stop in for dinner with my parents.  When my dad told me he was making Oriental chicken for dinner, I took it as a sign that I should make Thai pizza.

Peanut sauce, peppers, and green onions.

Add cheese and bake it up.

 I'm a push-over and let them have chicken on half of the pizza.  See?  I'm not a nazi-vegetarian.

Add sprouts and carrots.

Nom Nom Nom.

Serve with wine.  Duh.

Thai Pizza

Ingredients:

• Pizza Dough (or prepared crust)
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Hot sauce
• Sliced peppers
• Chopped green onions
• Italian Cheese
• Bean Sprouts
• Shredded Carrots

Method:

• Make the sauce by combining peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, and hot sauce until smooth.  Use however much of the spices you like ---> we like ours hot!  Or you can buy a prepared peanut sauce and just use that.
• Spread dough with sauce.  Layer on peppers, green onions, and cheese.  This is where you would add chicken if you hate me and don't want to go meatless.  Bake at 500 for 10-ish minutes or however long your crust directs.
• Top with carrots and bean sprouts.  Slice it up.  Serve with wine. 
• Prepare to be obsessed.

The pizza was a huge hit with the fam.  Between the four of us we ate all but one piece.  We McNieces like our dinners large.


Mya's butt.

In other news, when we arrived home from our little girls' weekend, Ari was not pleased to find that Mya smelled of other dogs.  To remedy the situation he immediately peed all over her. 

Happy {meatless} Monday!

Very Nice Things.

It is brutally cold out.  Cold makes me cranky... unless I'm on the couch with a dog and hot chocolate and no reason to leave.  Then I'm okay with it.

In order to keep my spirits up, I'd like to share some happy news.  No big revelations here, just the nice things that keep life humming right along.

• I have an oven light.  We were at Brooke and Bryan's last weekend and after a couple of bottles of wine, Brooke decided to pop some cookies into the oven.*  I commented how I really liked that you can see what's cooking in her oven.  "You mean the oven light?"  Yeah, I really like that.  She assured me that I also have one.  Last night the oven was making a funny sound and while Drew was messing with it, he found my oven light.  Voila!  Now I can watch my cookies bake.
• I have cruise control.  And heated seats!  Jade is a lemon.  My cruise control and heated driver's seat haven't worked in years.  That's why I always let Drew drive.  All of a sudden out of no where on my way to class yesterday, my butt started to get all toasty.  Whaaaa?!?!  Yep.  Seat heaters were on.  I thought I'd push my luck and try out the cruise control.  Yep.  It worked too.  If there was ever a time for Jade to flip the switch, I'd say she picked it.  My commute just got so much better.
• I heard Kansas City is getting a Nordstrom Rack.  I am freaking out!  That is super awesome-ness if I ever heard it!!!  It is going in right over by Oak Park Mall.  I.  Am.  Pumped.

So, there you have it: three very nice things.  Hey, we gotta look at the positives, right?

What positive things have happened to you this week?

*One of the many many reasons I love Brooke; after a couple of bottles of wine she'll put cookies in the oven. 
   

Puppy Smiles

Drew recently decided he was fed up with the heinous puppy breath in our house.  He's taken matters into his own hands and started brushing the doggy teeth on a regular basis.

While I'm still not sure how beef-flavored toothpaste is any better than their normal kibble/butt hole breath, I do enjoy watching the tooth brushing go down.

Brush 'em brush 'em brush 'em.

Ari is super funny when it comes to grooming.  He knows its coming and I think he feels like he should rebel against it, but then he ends up liking it... so he isn't really sure how to feel about the whole thing. 

Mmm... delicious!

Who doesn't enjoy a good beef-flavored brushing?

"I don't know what to think about that."

Mya on the other hand, loves any form of attention... especially when it is beef-flavored attention.

Beefy.

Nom nom nom.

"Now I will get a boyfriend for sure!"

We found puppy mouthwash at PetSmart.  How do you think that works???