Here he is about to do something ridiculously dangerous, I'm sure.
Happy Birthday, Little Brother!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Today is my little brother's birthday. Happy Birthday, Kinne! My daughter and I called to wish him a happy one, and even though he was upset that he didn't get what he wanted, I'm sure he'll have a great day.
Here he is about to do something ridiculously dangerous, I'm sure.
Here he is about to do something ridiculously dangerous, I'm sure.
Best Fish I've Ever Made
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The other night, I actually made a fish dish that both my daughter and the boyfriend loved. Neither one of them likes fish unless it's fried (mostly fish sticks), but both of them loved this. I was actually pretty proud of this, myself...although it just means I'm good at following directions. Anyway, I got the recipe from The Food Network, and the recipe is Tilapia with Escarole and Lemon-Pepper Oil. It cooked fairly quickly, but it was a moderate pain to make after work and dirtied a lot of dishes. Otherwise, it was awesome.
My daughter helped me wash the fingerling potatoes. She thought they were adorable "baby potatoes"!
Am I the only person who had never heard of escarole before this recipe?
And now with the tilapia. You steam the tilapia over the potatoes and escarole.
Sorry for the bad pictures, I had to use my old camera since the new camera's battery died and we are still unpacking (so I have yet to find it!). Because the battery died on the old camera as well, I did not get a picture of the final product with the lemon-pepper oil. I also recommend not adding the full amount of salt to the oil without tasting it first...I had to make a new batch with less salt the first time around.
My daughter helped me wash the fingerling potatoes. She thought they were adorable "baby potatoes"!
Am I the only person who had never heard of escarole before this recipe?
And now with the tilapia. You steam the tilapia over the potatoes and escarole.
Sorry for the bad pictures, I had to use my old camera since the new camera's battery died and we are still unpacking (so I have yet to find it!). Because the battery died on the old camera as well, I did not get a picture of the final product with the lemon-pepper oil. I also recommend not adding the full amount of salt to the oil without tasting it first...I had to make a new batch with less salt the first time around.
Gunnar
Sunday, August 15, 2010
We adopted the dog! The application process wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, although we thought we might lose him when she said he might be over 25 lbs (Our lease only allows for less than 25 lbs). Other than that, everything went okay. My daughter was as patient as can be expected for a five year old, and became very defensive when the paperwork was being filled out and some other boy asked his mother for "our" dog. She was very quick to tell him, "He's ours, but you can adopt the other one...". After three hours of formalities, paperwork, and a short shopping spree for things that we might need but hadn't thought about, our puppy came home.
My daughter is so excited. He has proven to be a lot more work than she thought he would, though (of course). She has been a great help and has been lending a hand every step of the way. She helps feed him in the morning, and loves to go on walks with him. I think it's really teaching her about responsibility and caring for a loved one. She's happier now than she's been since we bought her that new Mario game for the Nintendo DS. :P
Anyway, here are some pics of our new additon, some of his things, and, according to my daughter, his sister.
I need some ideas for exciting things to do with my daughter...we bought some baby cucumbers from the farmer's market and are going to make pickles together! Yay! We'll see how they turn out...
My daughter is so excited. He has proven to be a lot more work than she thought he would, though (of course). She has been a great help and has been lending a hand every step of the way. She helps feed him in the morning, and loves to go on walks with him. I think it's really teaching her about responsibility and caring for a loved one. She's happier now than she's been since we bought her that new Mario game for the Nintendo DS. :P
Anyway, here are some pics of our new additon, some of his things, and, according to my daughter, his sister.
I need some ideas for exciting things to do with my daughter...we bought some baby cucumbers from the farmer's market and are going to make pickles together! Yay! We'll see how they turn out...
We're getting a dog!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
(I wrote this last week and was so busy that I forgot to post it...so here you are anyway.)
Today is an exciting day...we're getting a dog! I know, not that exciting unless you're adopting one, too...but lots of excitement from this end!
Doesn't he just look like a little trouble-maker?
We thought we'd do our part as a responsible family and adopt from a shelter. Not that adopting a puppy from a breeder is not responsible. Anyone with a child knows that bringing an older dog home from a shelter without knowing its history can be more irresponsible than letting a child running with scissors, or giving a toddler a fork and setting them next to an outlet. (If you don't agree that these two things are irresponsible, please don't have children.) However, my daughter and I searched shelters for weeks and we found a puppy that we fell in love with, and we get to meet him today. All we have to do now is pass inspection.
The process goes as follows: select the pet that you would like to meet. You can't actually visit the shelter to meet your potential family member; instead, you email a generic email address the Thursday before a weekend, and they respond, letting you know that they will bring the dog to one of their 'events' that they hold at your local PetSmart (or not so local, in this case) over the weekend. You can't decide the day or the time, so if it's not convenient, cancel your weekend plans. You can't call; the phone number redirects you to the use the email address, or leave a message. At the adoption event (if your pet is still available), you get to fight others to try and see the pet. Are they actually adopting? Who knows. So you get to watch other people play with your potential pet while you just wait, even though you were the one who requested the pet even be brought to the event. Once you get some quality time with your potential pet and decide to adopt, you fill out the dreaded application form. You have to tell them whether you own or rent, and bring them a copy of your lease to prove that you can have dogs. You fill out the application form and turn it in to two 'adoption counselors', who more or less judge you. What do you have to do to be denied? We're going to find out. I would imagine that answering the questions like this might deny you (or would it?):
Here are some real questions, and pretend answers, from the application form:
(Q) Is any member of your household allergic to dogs?
(A) Yes, but we're hoping allergy medication will help.
(Q) Why do you want a dog?
(A) I get angry sometimes, and I'm running out of walls to take out my anger on.
(Q) If your new dog is not housebroken, how will you correct him/her when there is an accident, and what method will you use to train him/her?
(A) A leather belt, and a leather belt.
(Q) Are you ready to take responsibility of this pet for 10-15 years?
(A) Wait...they live this long? I guess I will just release it after a few years then...
I can't even joke about this question, but this is the answer that I wanted to put down:
(Q) What will you do with the dog if you move?
(A) Seriously? Do people just give up their dogs when they move? Really? I think I'm just going to abandon it...
Come on! How do they expect people to answer these questions? I understand all of the hoops that they make you jump through, though. They are trying to provide the dog with a safe environment and make sure that someone doesn't just adopt on a whim. It's kind of sad, though...it almost seems easier to just buy a dog from a breeder. We're staying dedicated to this process, and hopefully it will pay off!
Today is an exciting day...we're getting a dog! I know, not that exciting unless you're adopting one, too...but lots of excitement from this end!
Doesn't he just look like a little trouble-maker?
We thought we'd do our part as a responsible family and adopt from a shelter. Not that adopting a puppy from a breeder is not responsible. Anyone with a child knows that bringing an older dog home from a shelter without knowing its history can be more irresponsible than letting a child running with scissors, or giving a toddler a fork and setting them next to an outlet. (If you don't agree that these two things are irresponsible, please don't have children.) However, my daughter and I searched shelters for weeks and we found a puppy that we fell in love with, and we get to meet him today. All we have to do now is pass inspection.
The process goes as follows: select the pet that you would like to meet. You can't actually visit the shelter to meet your potential family member; instead, you email a generic email address the Thursday before a weekend, and they respond, letting you know that they will bring the dog to one of their 'events' that they hold at your local PetSmart (or not so local, in this case) over the weekend. You can't decide the day or the time, so if it's not convenient, cancel your weekend plans. You can't call; the phone number redirects you to the use the email address, or leave a message. At the adoption event (if your pet is still available), you get to fight others to try and see the pet. Are they actually adopting? Who knows. So you get to watch other people play with your potential pet while you just wait, even though you were the one who requested the pet even be brought to the event. Once you get some quality time with your potential pet and decide to adopt, you fill out the dreaded application form. You have to tell them whether you own or rent, and bring them a copy of your lease to prove that you can have dogs. You fill out the application form and turn it in to two 'adoption counselors', who more or less judge you. What do you have to do to be denied? We're going to find out. I would imagine that answering the questions like this might deny you (or would it?):
Here are some real questions, and pretend answers, from the application form:
(Q) Is any member of your household allergic to dogs?
(A) Yes, but we're hoping allergy medication will help.
(Q) Why do you want a dog?
(A) I get angry sometimes, and I'm running out of walls to take out my anger on.
(Q) If your new dog is not housebroken, how will you correct him/her when there is an accident, and what method will you use to train him/her?
(A) A leather belt, and a leather belt.
(Q) Are you ready to take responsibility of this pet for 10-15 years?
(A) Wait...they live this long? I guess I will just release it after a few years then...
I can't even joke about this question, but this is the answer that I wanted to put down:
(Q) What will you do with the dog if you move?
(A) Seriously? Do people just give up their dogs when they move? Really? I think I'm just going to abandon it...
Come on! How do they expect people to answer these questions? I understand all of the hoops that they make you jump through, though. They are trying to provide the dog with a safe environment and make sure that someone doesn't just adopt on a whim. It's kind of sad, though...it almost seems easier to just buy a dog from a breeder. We're staying dedicated to this process, and hopefully it will pay off!
Hooray for the zoo!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
We moved two weeks ago, which I think was a little rough on my daughter. We didn't move far, but she felt a little neglected over the weekend because we were constantly hauling boxes and things all over the place. She was a big helper, though. Her new room is now complete with new cubbies to organize all of her awesome toys! She was a little down since a lot of her things were still unpacked, so I let the boyfriend take care of that fun stuff and took my daughter to the zoo. She had a great time!
There were a lot of animals there, so I decided to create a collage:
A sheep, Mr. Ed, Ms. Llama, a creepy bastard that was staring at me, King of the Mountain, the albino ostrich, and a lazy kangaroo.
Daughter thought that the ostrich had dinosaur feet.
She was very excited about the funny pants on these guys.
This was our favorite...a kangaroo that looked like a really big dog. She told me she knew it was a boy, and did I want to know how she knew? Everyone else around us thought this was hilarious... :P
We also saw this strange, sad-looking sheep.
We had a lot of fun, and summer is the perfect time for the zoo. Next stop: The National Museum of Crime and Punishment! (Okay, not everyone's favorite but my daughter LOVES that kind of stuff!)
There were a lot of animals there, so I decided to create a collage:
A sheep, Mr. Ed, Ms. Llama, a creepy bastard that was staring at me, King of the Mountain, the albino ostrich, and a lazy kangaroo.
Daughter thought that the ostrich had dinosaur feet.
She was very excited about the funny pants on these guys.
This was our favorite...a kangaroo that looked like a really big dog. She told me she knew it was a boy, and did I want to know how she knew? Everyone else around us thought this was hilarious... :P
We also saw this strange, sad-looking sheep.
We had a lot of fun, and summer is the perfect time for the zoo. Next stop: The National Museum of Crime and Punishment! (Okay, not everyone's favorite but my daughter LOVES that kind of stuff!)
The Pork Chop Endeavor
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Since I don't have too many hobbies, I thought I would start to spruce up my meals in the kitchen a little bit. I love cooking, and it's always been fun for me, but it's not fun when you get off of work at 6 and have a 1 hour commute. Being as such, I try to use the weekend for fun meals. Last night I made stuffed peppers...they were great. But tonight, I wanted to try a truly difficult family dish, one whose tenderness has eluded me at every attempt: pork chops.
Okay, I never said I was a great cook. It's just that I can't get them to taste good, ever! However, my friend Cheryl (a real friend named Cheryl, not some imaginary friend that I made up and gave the same name, or me speaking in third person) promised me that pork chops taste good. I must have been doing something wrong, so I did what any cook would do: I called my mother. Now, my mother is Southern, born and raised in Georgia, so sometimes it's hard to get a recipe out of her. I'll ask her for her recipe for cornbread, and she says, "Oh, you just take some meal, add some milk until it looks good..." or her recipe for gravy: "Just take some oil, throw it in a pan, add some milk and salt and pepper and stir it until it looks good". Long story short, there aren't a lot of measurements done in my mother's kitchen, which is sad, because this means I may never be able to recreate her perfect turkey gravy. She told me I could brown the pork chops in some oil, add some diced tomatoes, and simmer until tender. It sounded almost too easy...and guess what, it was!
It smells really good...we'll see how it tastes.
I've heard rice is great with pork chops, and I chose yellow rice because it is one of my favorites (sorry mono-sodium glutamate haters! I'll try to keep it to a minimum!)
My finished product:
I did make one mistake; I added basil. I didn't even know what basil tasted like, and it gave the pork chops a sweet taste (but it made it look so pretty!). Better luck next time...still pretty good though. Thanks Cheryl!
Okay, I never said I was a great cook. It's just that I can't get them to taste good, ever! However, my friend Cheryl (a real friend named Cheryl, not some imaginary friend that I made up and gave the same name, or me speaking in third person) promised me that pork chops taste good. I must have been doing something wrong, so I did what any cook would do: I called my mother. Now, my mother is Southern, born and raised in Georgia, so sometimes it's hard to get a recipe out of her. I'll ask her for her recipe for cornbread, and she says, "Oh, you just take some meal, add some milk until it looks good..." or her recipe for gravy: "Just take some oil, throw it in a pan, add some milk and salt and pepper and stir it until it looks good". Long story short, there aren't a lot of measurements done in my mother's kitchen, which is sad, because this means I may never be able to recreate her perfect turkey gravy. She told me I could brown the pork chops in some oil, add some diced tomatoes, and simmer until tender. It sounded almost too easy...and guess what, it was!
It smells really good...we'll see how it tastes.
I've heard rice is great with pork chops, and I chose yellow rice because it is one of my favorites (sorry mono-sodium glutamate haters! I'll try to keep it to a minimum!)
My finished product:
I did make one mistake; I added basil. I didn't even know what basil tasted like, and it gave the pork chops a sweet taste (but it made it look so pretty!). Better luck next time...still pretty good though. Thanks Cheryl!
My First Blog Post!
Dear Friends and Family,
Don't worry, my blog name is not self-deprecating or a desperate cry for attention, but let's face it: we all try to be good parents, but we're not (and that's okay). So I thought, since a few of my friends would love to see me start a blog, what better to write about than the triumphs and defeats of something I know a lot about: motherhood? I will try to keep in interesting. Love you all!
Don't worry, my blog name is not self-deprecating or a desperate cry for attention, but let's face it: we all try to be good parents, but we're not (and that's okay). So I thought, since a few of my friends would love to see me start a blog, what better to write about than the triumphs and defeats of something I know a lot about: motherhood? I will try to keep in interesting. Love you all!
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