awkward

sizzling

Bacon makes everything better.  In this case, it's really going to make this corn chowder extra yummy.

caramelitos

I made these to share with the Franks and Heaths, but wisely kept a few at home for later.  Wes loves these things.  Like, almost more than he loves me.  Seriously.  He told me so :)

i like to tidy up

Trust me, you didn't need to see the before picture.  It was shameful.  I figured it was the least I could do since the hubby did the hardest part :)

deep freeze

Every so often I whip up some cookie dough for the husband.



I put some of the dough in freezer safe containers.  I scoop the rest into balls and freeze them.



I think Wes prefers the balls of dough because it makes it so easy to have warm cookies... But recently he thawed one of the containers of dough and just took a spoon to the stuff.  Ate it raw right out of the tub.  Like cookie dough ice cream--except it was just cookie dough.

Yikes.

yeasted waffle

Monica has a room at the Olive 8 for her visit this weekend.  After a fun time at Von's with the girls, we had a good ol' fashioned slumber party complete with junk food, hard cider, synchronized dancing on Netflix and more girl talk :)



This morning we slept in then had breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  I'm not typically a sweet breakfast kind of girl.  I almost always go the protein and potato route--especially after a late night.  I was intrigued by the yeasted waffle on the menu, so Monica came up with a good solution.  She ordered the eggs and potatoes so that I could order the waffle.  We both ate half of our orders then switched plates :) 

I loved the waffle.  Now I need to get the hubby to take me to Sur La Table to buy a waffle maker.  Anyone have a favorite waffle recipe that contains yeast?

Von's

I love this place.  My Mini Thanksgiving, four cocktails, tax and tip came out to $18.  Seriously.

Grinders

Monica is here!  Monica is here!  She flew to Seattle this weekend on a whim.  Woo hoo :)

So far we've parked ourselves at Grinders to enjoy some kick-ass sandwiches and indulge in girl talk, both of which are fabulous!



I had the Chicken Pesto sandwich:  Grilled chicken tossed with pesto, caramelized onions, portabello mushrooms, garlic, and basil finished with melted mozzarella on our Italian roll.



Mon had the Pulled Pork:  Low and slow roasted pulled pork tossed with caramelized onions & house BBQ sauce. Stuffed into our signature roll, topped with diced onions with a side of slaw to cool the palate. Pick your heat – mild, spicy, or extra spicy.

Both were delish, but way too much for a single meal.  We really should have shared one :)

treats for the boys

I'm not exactly sure what they've done to deserve this.



If nothing else, this is proof that they can tolerate each other.



At least long enough to inhale their treats :)

breakfast

These are the best pancakes ever.  Trust.

draggin'

Wes and I have really been dragging our behinds this week.  Aloha Ramen to the rescue!

I L-O-V-E the katsu don.  Totally.  I could eat it everyday.  I'm drooling as I think about it.  hehe

Happy Valentine's Day!

There was a huge accident on I-5 that blocked all four lanes of traffic when I was on my way to work this morning. Thankfully I had Mr. Kindle to keep me occupied for an hour while we waited for the wreckage to be cleared. I was also able to check the DOT website to get the details on the hold up. Apparently a semi flipped over, but the driver was ok. A passenger car was also involved and the people in that vehicle were taken to the hospital.

Despite the not-so-great start to my day, it has been a happy one :) Came home to a special yummy dinner prepared by my wonderful hubby. He let me pick the movie we watched (and didn't complain... too much), did the dishes and gave me the sweetest card and a giant hunk of chocolate.

And what did I get him for Valentine's Day?

Nothing. Yep, it's true. I think he thought I was joking when I said I didn't have anything for him. Then he was shocked. I'll never live this one down.

Every year we have the whole we-don't-believe-in-this-bogus-holiday conversation. He told me that I shouldn't expect anything this year. I said that was fine by me. The only thing I expected was for him to fix dinner. I was just sticking to our agreement, man!

I'm a terrible wife, I know! Guess that means he earned himself a pass for next year :)

hearts

Better late than never
but never late is better

-Drake (Fancy)



And also, it's the thought that counts :) In any case, tomorrow is Valentine's Day, but the recipients of these packages won't get their hands on them until the holiday is over.

64

Today would have been my dad's birthday.  It sort of bummed me out, so I took pictures of the kitties to cheer myself up.  Kitties always make me feel better.

How could I possibly be sad when this squishy little face is looking at me?


Or when this furry old man is pretending to be aloof?


Everything's ok :)

perks

Do you ever show up at work in the morning and wish you were still in bed?



That feeling went away when one of my students gave me an itty bitty cupcake :)

heart glazed cornmeal cookies

I made these cookies for Kim and Jodie since we're meeting up for breakfast at the Whistle Stop Ale House.  It's almost Valentine's Day, so it seems like the thing to do.  Anyway, this is probably the fussiest cookie you'll ever see me make.  I'm not big on decorating baked goods.  In any case, I'm glad I made the exception for these.  They were incredibly easy to make and super yummy, too!  Enthusiastic thumbs up from all of my cookie tasters: Kim, Jodie and Wes :)

i like surpises

The mailman, FedEx man and UPS man are all very familiar with our house.  I feel like they deliver packages weekly.  Most of the time it's something from Amazon because I'm addicted to online shopping.



It's always exciting when something unexpected shows up.  Darling little Valentines cookies from my favorite Monica :)  So sweet!

10 am

I didn't want to get out of bed. My alarm went off three times. Finally, the husband opened the curtains and said he'd make breakfast. I'm up, but I can't stop yawning. It's just one of those days.

super bowl

I certainly hope I got my information correct. I don't know anything about football even though I live with an avid sports fan. When the hubby starts talking sports, I swear I hear the noise that Charlie Brown's teacher makes when speaking. Might as well be gibberish :)

he likes to tidy up

BEFORE

Ick.  Nasty.


AFTER

So fresh.  So clean.


The best part?

 

It was all his idea.  I just stood back and snapped a few pics :)

on the tube

Our favorite shows right now are Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Firefly and Top Gear.

words

my view today

Most of the time this is my view in the library.  I almost posted a photo of the view in another direction, but it was too horrifying.  No one needs to see that much filing and microfiche.