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

Politics...

I don't really like politics, but I have to deal with them everyday here at work. All I really have to say about it is, Please, GO Vote!!! And vote for a guy that is not term-limited and in his term-limited seat right now! Any guy! OR Girl!

Lake's Walking!!!

Christmas time already??

It's Christmas picture day at Lake's daycare today! She looks just adorable. The hair bow was already out by the time we arrived, but I put it back on. Maybe she'll get a good picture. I sure hope so, then we can be one of "those" families that sends out Christmas cards with their kids decked out in christmas gear! Can't wait!

Happy Baby

This is Lake after an all-out battle to change her diaper and clothes this morning. She was so mad at me for waking her up. I think she takes after her dad a little bit after I witnessed that fit. She was thrilled with her pink outfit after she sat up and then she smiled for me. I have the cutest baby in the world, unless you have one, then you are obligated to call your baby the cutest b/c that's just how it goes in mommy-land.

Sun Shade baby

Lake has finally grown to 20 lbs. so we could turn her car seat around in daddy's truck. Since she faces the full sun, she doesn't like it very much. It actually makes her really mad when the sun is in her eyes, so she has figured out that her dad's sun shades for the windshield work well. Andrew is driving and taking pictures at the same time. I warned him about that, but he can't turn down a cute baby.

Yippie!

After almost a week of having Roseola, Lake no longer has the rash anymore and was able to return to daycare today! It didn't make her sick really, but just contagious to the other babies. We took her out yesterday to Gander Mtn. and then to Concord Park. She was asleep by the time we got to the park though. :( We'll just have to take her again sometime.

Seriously??

Baby Lake had a new hair do when I went to pick her up yesterday. The teacher was trying to tell me about the three sick kids that went home early yesterday and all I could do was laugh when I looked down at Lake. I made sure to tell the teacher I wasn't laughing at the kids being sick though. Andrew is still in Chattanooga and boy does Lake like her daddy. That's all she said last night and this morning too. He left behind his car seat (probably for Lefty to ride up front,) and all Lake did was sit in it last night. It was sweet. I asked her if it smelled like daddy and took a whiff, then she did the same thing. She might think it smells like daddy, but mommy says it smells like baby vomit. I'll be glad when he gets back so the baby will be happy again. Not that she is not happy with me, but he's the "fun" one! I make her eat, sleep, and bathe.

Peek a Boo!

This is my darling little baby taking a break from a long bike ride. (Bike ride previously reported in blog, not diff. one, b/c well, I'm not that athletic.) I have to agree with the strangers we talk to and say she does have wonderful blue eyes. I guess she does take after me a little bit. Hardy har har. Well, I'll take some more pics and put them up soon. We really do live a pretty boring life.

My little tomgirl...

Lake say's BEAT BAMA!

This is my baby being cute and posing! A few minutes later, she was trying to rip off the bib and spitting food at me and trying to feed it to the dogs. I was unaware that a baby could just decide all of the sudden that fishsticks are gross.

Happy Baby

This is Lake overlooking the Tennessee River while we were breaking on a long bike ride. Someone (namely Andrew) should have told me it was going to be 7 miles. I did okay, but I haven't rode a bike that far in a long, long time. I guess I better get use to it since we have a cool baby trailer and a cool baby that loves to go for rides! And yes, she is cute!

I didn't know that...

Did you know that whole milk will curdle (rather quickly) in a baby bottle when you warm it in luke warm water? Hell, formula sure didn't do that. How was I to know? I mean, sure, I was a chef once, and yes, had milk get too hot making soup or something, and what did it do? CURDLE! But, I didn't relate that to the baby milk thing. They asked me at daycare what I put in her bottle yesterday morning and I said milk. They were like, "Well, she wasn't getting anything to drink b/c it was curdled." That's embarrassing as crap. I told them I didn't know and she will just have to drink it cold from now on. Then the lady said, "If you have any ?'s, just ask me, I have three kids." Arghhhh! It wasn't ever a question in my mind b/c I didn't know! I hate it when people say that. I have twenty kids, let me tell you how to raise yours shit. No thanks. Well, Lake is okay and had non-curdled milk on the way to daycare this a.m.! Woopie! Now, since Andrew is going on vacation for a week next week, I guess I'll just wing it! And please don't call trying to give me advice! I'll just call my mom if an emergency arises. Because, yep, you guessed it...she's had kids and will tell me what she did to them back in the day to get through it all! and no, I'm not angry. I actually wrote this while laughing aloud!

I wonder....

If anyone actually reads my everyday boring life? If you do, what should I do to improve on it? Nothing really exciting happens to me to post about.

WATE should've paid for parking!!!

This is by far the highlight of my day. Not only does WATE get on my nerves by the way they make ever thing into a freaking soap opera, but it seems to have rattled the feathers of the bike police. They park there every day, blocking the sidewalk, crosswalk sometimes, and pumping diesel out of the exhaust for hours at a time when it's hot. So, here's to you bike police! IT's the only good thing you've done. Except for not ticket all the cars parked with their hazards on across the street!

Some funny signs...

Wow. IT's still raining, the boss left for the day, and I have nothing to do. So, I found an article about signs used in England to speak plainly to the common person. I guess it's a good idea, but some people just ignore signs b/c they don't like being told what to do. Like my boyfriend sometimes. Well, here they are... I can't think of anything else to say right now. I might be blogging again later if I have a brillant idea or something. (chances of that happening today, 1-99%)

IT'S RAINING!

woot, woot...I just want my grass to be some sort of shade of green. Hopefully it will rain all day and make that happen. Not much going on here lately, so this is all I have to talk about I guess.

So, one more pic, b/c she's cute!!!

She is her daddy's girl. Hope you all enjoy the pictures. I'll get around to emailing them soon, but steal them from here if you want.

How to canoe with a baby...(saftey pics included)

So, we went a little bit country...

We went to the fair last night courtesy of Catherine. All Andrew wanted to see at the Fair was Craig Morgan (, who I thought should have been told that moving your hips like that with your teenage daughter in the front row, is...well, embarrassing.) Plus, it was a little sissy. Anyways, dude has a pretty good voice and it was an entertaining show. I sat in a puddle of water and my jeans were soaked. That's always fun. And, I got lost from Andrew and had to walk down "Carnie Alley" and those carnies were harassing me, for real. One said, "I've got your ball right here honey," and another said, "Shake what you got." If you know me, I don't got much of anything but skin, a little fat, and some bones. I don't know what he was telling me to shake. Anyways, I finally caught back up with Andrew and we made it back to the car. Oh, Lake was at home being baby sat by my mom since we wanted to do something kinda like a date for Drew's birthday. We don't get to do that very often. Well, I guess I better blog me up some work or something around here. Have a good day. This pic is from our seats at the concert, which overlooked the fair, sort of...

Birthday Princess

I won't be posting for a few days b/c I have computer classes for the next three.. So, here's the update. I still feel like crap and I think Lake is getting better. I forgot it was Andrew's birthday and had to call him on the way to the daycare to tell him. I'm having the worst hot flashes and think I have a fever, but I have to go to these classes. Oh well, it'll get better, right? Here's Lake on her birthday...

She's gonna be a musician, I just know it!

Delayed reaction

I have been ill since Sunday, so that's why there is no new post. I have bronchitis again and am on all the same crappy medicine again. I think it's the fresh Knoxville air that keeps giving me this ailment. I never had it when I lived in Oxford. There are actually places out there in the world with good air quality. So, I miserably sit here at my desk, pretending to work, but instead blogging. My kid had diaherra on the way to school and when I went to change her diaper, it was a weird purple, greenish color from all the pedialyte I had given her last night. I expect the daycare will probably call next time b/c it's the freakiest thing I've seen come out of a human being. Well, I'm going to work, but I'll post when I get some pics of Lake to put up.

Did you know that....

I honestly wouldn't have know this unless the back of this pickup truck didn't tell me. Hey, they've got a number too. Is that for Jesus to call in case he has some extra scrap metal??

Baby birthday....

Doom...doom...doom...

Man am I worried about hosting Lake's party at my house this weekend. I know that she is only one, so she won't be sad that there is no princess or barbie theme, yet. I think. She is smarter than I think sometimes though. The only decoration will be her in a princess dress (amount of time in dress undertimined,) and the cake. Well, mustard and ketchup are pretty on hotdogs...I just hope that I get the house cleaned in time and all goes well with the preparation. Janet said she will come over early and help me get the trays of food together and other stuff. Also, there's no parking really...Oh well, I think I am getting myself in a tizzy over nothing. I am just one that likes to prepare ahead of time sort of like I did when I was a chef during Ole Miss football season. Except this time it is just burgers, dogs, potato salad, and cake that comes from Kroger, because Andrew says that no cake compares to a Kroger cake. I swear that boy is mental sometimes. Anyways, I guess I am just ranting about my nervousness and I'll get over it, I will. Oh, atleast Kendra wanted to bring the beans! I love pregnant women!

My dog is cooler than yours...

This is Cassie and she will beat your ass if you mess with her, me, or Lake...so beware for those of you coming to Lake's birthday party...

I went to Bristol!!!

The only way you can get a good picture of racing is a caution from a wreck. It was loud, obnoxious, and fun. We did have to walk about a mile...but, when we couldn't find our gate, some dude on a golf cart asked if we needed a ride and we(and our beer) hopped on and he flew us to the gate. Also, we paid $40 to park in someone's backyard, but atleast the property line backed up to a campground, which had porta potties!!!

Teefers...

So, Lake is finally getting her teeth in! Yippie. It however does mean a bunch of fussiness that I'm not use to because she is such a perfect baby. And no, I am not being funny there. I'm just glad that she'll be able to chew on my arm and leg now if I don't give her what she wants.

So, here it goes...

I guess you have figured out that this is Lake's mom and that is Lake to the left. I think that I will start out as a mom to Lake and blog about everything related to her. Funny tidbits and stuff might just appear in between.