Dining Room Decor

I know, I know...I'm late!  I was having a war with the wall shelves that need to be put up in the living room (1 up, 1 to go).  Then, I gave up and decided to put up stuff on the wall in the dining room.  That went much smoother.  But, my camera died before I could get a picture and upload it... So here I am, a few minutes from midnight, posting.  The inspiration for the decor in our dining and kitchen area comes from the painting on the right.  It's a copy of a painting my uncle did of my mom's grandpa.  It's very special to the Murphy family!

You might be wondering why I am occupied with decorating when there's a million other projects to do around the house. (1) I may be a bit of an avoider. (2) I was hoping that something homey on the wall would distract me (and any potential guests) from the glaring unfinished house projects. (3) I wanted to get all that stuff off the table!

Sorry! No food tonight. The boy was at "Manly Meat Night," and I don't like to do any kind of cooking production for two.  So all I did was heat up a bag of Great Value "Chicken Alla Vodka with Farfalle."  It's in the freezer section at Wal-Mart.  Dinner for two in a snap.  It's pretty good...although I added a bunch of fresh baby spinach so I wouldn't feel too guilty about the cream sauce.

Memorial Day Dinner

I'm not sure why it is, but I feel like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day all call for hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad.  Occasionally, we'll even throw in brats (although I don't personally like them); I hear some people do hamburgers.  So, in keeping tradition, this evening we had Nathan's hot dogs (they are kosher), with cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, and relish on a toasted whole grain bun.  On the side we had Bush's Bourbon & Brown Sugar Grillin' Beans and salad (field greens, strawberries, blueberries, feta, and almond slivers, drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette).

Tonight begins phase two of P90X (there are three phases).  I was hoping to workout earlier today, but we were busy with house stuff this morning and went to see Kung Fu Panda 2 this afternoon...(no, that was not our first choice; Pirates 4 was sold out).

Blackberry Cobbler

I made a genuine blackberry cobbler for dessert today.  The recipe was courtesy of Ree Drummond, a.k.a. "The Pioneer Woman."  I ended up using the zest and juice of one whole lemon versus only what the recipe called for.  I mean, what was I going to do with the rest of the zest and juice if I didn't put it in the cobbler?  I thought it may be too lemony or tart, but it was a hit.  The only thing I might change is actually putting some sugar in the dough, instead of just sprinkling it on top.

 In the dish

   a la mode

The evening has been successful so far, including Yoga X and dog bathing.  Yoga X is something I have learned to appreciate over the course of my experience with P90X last summer and this summer.  It takes focus and patience.  Over and over, I hear people say that they've tried P90X, but they started with yoga and stopped before it was over.  Let me say, that's not the whole P90X picture.  That is why it's scheduled for "day 4" and not "day 1."  Also, I've found it easier since doing Jillian Michael's "Yoga Meltdown." 

We bathed 3 out of 4 dogs in my tub.  (If you are wondering WHY we only bathed 3, you have not met Alex...I personally do not want to die bathing a dog.)  My brother is a real trooper, getting in the tub with whichever dog we're bathing at the time.  I'm thankful we have a detachable shower head thingy that comes down, and a drain snake to get all the hair out (I will spare you that picture).  Needless to say, I better go start cleaning the tub!

Saturday Scones & Berries

This yummy breakfast was courtesy of my mother! Just your basic "from scratch" buttermilk scones with fresh blueberries and strawberries on the side. Simply delicious!  

I apologize for not posting earlier... I was busy going through stuff in the garage this afternoon and went to a friend's wedding this evening.  I guess progress was made in the garage.  Both big trash cans are full, things are stacked mostly on one side of the garage, and we have a pathway so we can actually walk around in there.  We did happen upon some unfortunate plastic totes though.  One Christmas one STILL had WATER in it (gross!), and there were a couple others abounding with mold spores.  Not my cup of tea!  Well, I better go check on tomorrow's blackberry cobbler.  Goodnight!  

Lemon Pepper Chicken & Quinoa Salad

Tonight I made a Quinoa (KEEN-wah) salad, and Chris grilled chicken breasts seasoned with McCormick Lemon Pepper and Herbs.  (Go easy on the Lemon Pepper seasoning, if you use it... It's got quite the bite!) For those of you unfamiliar with quinoa, it's a whole grain packed with fiber and protein.  In addition to the quinoa, the salad had cherry tomatoes, lime juice, green chili peppers, artichoke hearts, green onions, mushrooms, and avocado.  Mom and I thought it was pretty good...Chris thought it was "chick food."

On a separate note, I need your help to meet my Scentsy goal this month...So, if you message/contact me with your order, SHIPPING IS FREE! Or, you can order off my website (www.catchic.scentsy.us) and I will send you a FREE TRAVEL TIN! Let me know if you want samples or need to smell testers. Thanks :)

An Evening of Tornadoes and Planting

In Oklahoma there are two kinds of people: those that panic and seek shelter from tornadoes and those that have a BBQ on the back porch while the tornado comes down the street.  Okay, maybe an exaggeration, but you know what I'm talking about.  I remember as a kid being very scared of them, running immediately to our "shelter" once the sirens started.  Now, I wait until it's down the street.  Tonight, we checked to make sure it wasn't too close, finished P90X, sat back, ate cereal, and watched the weather a little longer...THEN my brother, three dogs, and I "enjoyed" some time in the laundry room.  Not too bad though (other than the smell, of course); let's just say I was glad to have put Scentsy room spray in there along with the flashlight and weather radio.  I am glad to report that we are safe and sound, and the house is intact.  My heart goes out to those who haven't been as fortunate!

The "scare" was over for us around 7, so I figured it would be a good time to plant some flowers.  Logical, don't you think?  Unlike tornadoes, planting is not something I know a whole lot about.  What I do know is that it makes my hands very red, blotchy, and itchy.  And I know that I do not like to get dirty.  But tonight I had this lovely vision of neatly planting flowers in the pots on the porch.  Jokes on me.  It is possible I got more dirt on me and the porch than in the pots.  Oh well.  Hopefully they will stay alive!

This is a "before" from a couple months ago

The Makings of a Backsplash

It has been almost a year since the house flooded, and there is still a lot to be done.  A "major" thing that has yet to be finished is the kitchen backsplash.  I am planning to tackle the project myself.  No worries, I have watched a couple DIY videos and talked with a pro.  The biggest hold-up (other than no time) has been indecision on what to do.  That issue has been solved, so now I'm just waiting on a piece of granite to go behind the range. Hopefully, you will be seeing this on the wall soon:

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

This Sunday's menu was pretzel crusted chicken, mashed butternut squash, and brussel sprouts (or, as I call them, "little lettuce-looking things").  The recipe for the chicken comes from Kraft, and involves crushed pretzels (obviously), Grey Poupon mustard, ranch, parsley and onion.  The mashed butternut squash is pretty straight-forward--microwave, peel, mash, add butter, salt, and pepper, and eat.  I personally am not a fan of brussel sprouts, but Mom had bought them so they needed eaten.  I had high hopes that cooking them in a little butter and white cooking wine would do the job...Well, they were the best I've had, but I would still rather not eat them.

In other news, we have been working on cleaning out the shed this weekend.  Found some stuff I'd been looking for to decorate with.  Fortunately, they just need cleaned up.  Also came across of moldy Christmas ornaments :(  Hopefully I will get pictures up soon as far as house things go!

Don't forget that I will send you a FREE bar of Amber Road when you buy from my website (www.catchic.scentsy.us) through the end of May! I've also got warmers and bars in-stock for those last-minute gifts. :)

Bubba's Key Lime Pie

Chris and I went up to Stillwater last night to eat dinner and spend time with some very special people.  I of course offered to bring dessert because I love making desserts...(I mean honestly, if it was healthy, that's probably all I would ever make.)  I took a risk and made Bubba's Key Lime Pie (a Paula Deen recipe).  I trusted Paula's recipe, but wasn't sure if I would mess it up or not...  The only other pie I've made is pecan, so key lime was pretty adventurous.  It turned out wonderfully though! Tart and smooth! 

Repurposing Spaghetti

Remember the whole wheat spaghetti from last night? Yeah, we had plenty of it left. I am not really sure what one would call this dish, but it's spaghetti, marinara, zucchini, ground turkey, and mozzarella.  I browned the turkey with onion and garlic then threw it in a baking dish with everything else.  It turned out wonderfully.  

Weeknight Chicken Parmesan

This meal is becoming a favorite (or maybe just a default).  It's fast and super easy.  I cooked whole wheat spaghetti on the stove, while the chicken was in the oven and the green beans were in the microwave.  I used some kind of Bertolli marinara for the spaghetti, seasoned the green beans with dill, and sprinkled the chicken with parmesan.  The chicken is just plain pre-whatever that you pop in the oven and bingo.  Tonight I used the DJ's chicken tidbits or whatever it is Chris was selling for Ag...I'm sure Tyson makes something that would work just as well. Anyways, here it is:

Things to do when you buy too many bananas...

Once upon a time, I went to Crest...and got too many bananas. They were all kind of green, and I had this brilliant (or not) thought that they would become ripe and edible at different times. Wrong. They all got ripe at the same time.  Then some (the uneaten ones) got really ripe.  So we used two in banana milkshakes (with 1% milk and Edy's No Sugar Added Vanilla Bean ice-cream). Then there were five. I had one in a smoothie (with blueberries and Silk Original Coconut Milk). And then we still had four. Banana bread is always a favorite around here, so I made that. I also tried a new recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Cookies (click here for recipe).  

 We had mixed feelings about the cookies.  If you looked at the recipe, you know they consist of oat flour, whole wheat flour, honey, peanut butter, and banana.  If you hadn't looked at the recipe, now you know. My point being: this is a fairly "healthy" cookie. I liked it. Mom described as "healthy...like something a tree-hugger would take on a hike." Chris called it a "glorified dog biscuit." So if you are a health nut and enjoy "healthy" tasting things, this is the cookie for you! 

 The banana bread was pretty much a given hit.  I've made this recipe many, many times...really only butchering it once (which is now a funny story, but it wasn't in 6th grade).  It comes from the Gold Medal "Alpha-Bakery" Cookbook, which Chris got as a birthday present a LONG time ago. It's a great book, though. Seriously. If you run into it, I would recommend getting it.

Penne with Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini

Last night's dinner was a fabulous find on Tasty Kitchen (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/).  My brother apparently had never had eggplant before, so I decided he needed to try it! The recipe is basically penne, eggplant, and zucchini (obviously) and tomato, basil, and feta.  To make it healthier, I would suggest whole wheat penne and reduced fat feta.  

It's definitely a keeper! Plus, it made enough for dinner tonight...so I get the night off :) 

Turkey Polska Keilbasa & Beans

Wednesdays are crazy around here! By the time we're all back from work/school, it's time to eat and run out the door for Bible class...So a quick and easy meal is a must! All I did was put the Polska Keilbasa, dark red kidney beans, and black beans in the crock-pot before I left. When I got home, I added in the petite diced tomatoes and seasoning, cooked the minute brown rice in the microwave, and ta-da! Simple and tasty.

Grilled Rosemary Salmon Skewers

Tonight I tried a new recipe for salmon that I got from the "Losing It! With Jillian Michaels" newsletter. (Yes, I'm a Jillian fan. Judge me.) It was super easy and delicious! I just combined lemon juice, EVOO, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, pepper and salt in a bowl and tossed the chunks of salmon in it. I used the George Foreman grill, so it doesn't look too pretty. (The real grill is lost in the shed somewhere...I'm not even sure if it works or not.) We had fresh-steamed asparagus and leftover biscuits on the side. 

Click this link for the recipe: Grilled Rosemary Salmon Skewers

Click this link to get the newsletter: Losing it! With Jillian Michaels

Mother's Day Lunch

Happy Mother's Day!

I wanted lunch to be special for Mother's Day...so I did more than a main dish and side.  After much deliberation, I ended up making Montreal Chicken with tomatoes, green beens with sauteed mushrooms, and Sweet Potato-Ginger Biscuits.  I got the idea for the chicken from the fabulous woman I nanny for; it was absolutely delicious! I just seasoned chicken tenders with Montreal seasoning and cooked them on our George Foreman grill.  The petite-diced tomatoes were really easy too, once I figured out how to use the can opener.  The green beans and mushrooms is a favorite of my mom's, so that was a must-do for today.  The "biscuits" were courtesy of a recipe I found on Paula Deen's website, "Bobby's Lighter Sweet Potato-Ginger Biscuits." Technically, you are suppose to roll them out and cut them into perfect circles, but I don't have time for that! So I made the "horny" version. Also, very tasty!  

To top off a wonderful meal, I made Angel Food Cake and topped it with sugar-free Cool Whip and sliced strawberries...I'll admit, I didn't make the cake from scratch; it came from a box.

I encourage you to take some time looking at Psalm 31 today. Just take a few minutes and reflect on all the things your mom has done for you..."Her children arise and call her blessed."