Food Porn!

So, as some of you know...I like to cook, but you might not have known that I make food porn of the food I cook sometimes. It's this weird thing I do. I even plate it up like I'm still in a restaurant or something. So, here's one dish...It's called Balsamic chicken. It's pounded out chicken breast with real parmesan, fresh basil, and roasted garlic rolled up on the inside. Then it is floured and pan fried until all the sides are golden brown(and the chicken is done, of course.) After I slice it to display the yummy insides, I drizzle some Balsamic Redux on the top. On the side is some roasted tomato couscous (with tomatoes being roasted by me.) and some haricotsvert (french green beans) with panchetta and some of the parmesan. It was the best dinner ever or atleast for Valentines. My boyfriend sure is lucky that I don't get him some chocholates and roses!

Another food porn from the grill this time...Some Kabobs!

Hi there!!!

Another Baby Congrats (no pic yet)

Congrats to Dan and Jenny for having a healthy 7lb. little girl last night. I mean, way to go Jenny for pushing that baby out! Her name is Abigail Mosi and I can't wait to see a picture of her. I hope Lake will get to know and love these babies as her friends soon! (As usual, as soon as she gets over her constant "daycare" cold.) Any one have pictures of this baby yet???

Congrats to Kendra & Bill!!

My friends, Kendra and Bill, had their baby on Dec. 9th. (Well, Kendra did all the having the baby part and Bill tried not to pass out) Her name is Elizabeth Grace and she's here now! Yea. Now, If I could just get my kid over being sick, we could go and visit them sometime! Oh, I hope Bill's stepdad doesn't mind that I just ripped off one of their pictures off his website. (thanks Victor!)

That's a seahorse!!!

I'm back

I've been outta the office for the past two days b/c my baby can't seem to break her fever that she has had since Monday. So, daddy is at home with her today. I called to check in and he told me that Lake had dumped a glass of water on him when he wasn't paying attention, which caused him to hurt his back somehow. So, now they are both laid up at the house probably watching Little House on the Prairie reruns! I got a new laptop for Christmas from my generous folks in Oxford, so maybe I will be able to get this blog bumpin' in a couple of days. Yes, I said bumpin!

Random picture...

Here's the mountains and part of South Knoxville from the Sunsphere. It's pretty cool up there. I took this about a month or two ago during our Health Fair at the Worlds Fair Park, b/c well, they have A.C. up there and it was hot and sunny outside. Plus, health fairs aren't all that fun. I thought(knowing I have severe allergies,) would let the Allergy people test my skin. By the time I got back from the Sunsphere, my whole entire forearm was a big, itching gross hive! Good times.

Christmas Blues

I've never been one to get really excited over Christmas time. When I was a kid, it usually meant we would spend Christmas eve in Oxford, then Christmas day, open presents, pack, and go to Grandma's in KNoxville. Not exactly the trip you want to take when you just opened your damn presents. Sometimes we could just stay in Oxford and that was awesome b/c it didn't include a 7 hour trip that turned into 9 b/c of the bathroom breaks and me getting car sick. So, you see, I don't really care for Christmas time. BUT...WAIT...THERE'S MORE! I had a baby 15 mos. ago, and she is going to need to experience this wonderful thing called Christmas. I have decided to cook a dinner or lunch at our house so little Lake can enjoy all her gifts she gets from "Santa" without having to be packed up and shipped somewhere else, like in her mommy's childhood. I hope that it becomes a tradition, b/c well, I don't want to travel on the holidays. It sucks and traffic is jammed packed with last minute shoppers like myself. So, needless to say, I have Pre-Christmas blues and haven't started my shopping yet. We draw names in my family, so that leaves 3 $10 gifts to get. Which, wait...doesn't Kroger on Broadway sell any damn gift card you need these days? Perfect, I'll get those next time I go! I don't want anyone to get me anything, b/c well, I can't afford a gift for them. My "parents" in Mississippi are getting me a laptop and that makes me smile, but they have everything, so me showing up sometime in the near future with my daughter would be enough present for them. Whew....I feel a little better now. So, that's it. I've just gotta suck it up. It'll be over soon, right? Here's a pic of my dear ole home town...Maybe that's part of my blues too, I'm a homesick Mississippi girl?

no, not really...

Believe me when I say I don't really agree with the "Genuis" level thingy. I thought it was awesome when it didn't pop up, "This blog is dumbass level" That really made me happy. Just sitting here thinking what the hell a 15 mo. old baby would like for Christmas that she doesn't already have. We've got to get a tree this weekend. We can't just put one up on Christmas eve, can we? Nah, I'll motivate Andrew to find us the perfect "porch" tree. You all know by now that I break out in hives when I walk outside, so the tree will be on the table outside the living room window. I think it will look like a Christmas picture! Well, if you figure out what babies like for Christmas, let me in on it!

Lake swimmin' @ the YMCA