In Limbo

Well, we finished watching Weeds. BTW don't read the entire Wiki entry it HAS SPOILERS! but we watched it, ALL of it! Season 3 disks one and 2 came in the Netflix mail, so we plowed through that in 2 evenings. Then, yes, sadly, I ran to Blockbuster and got the rest of Season 3 and all of season 4 on Saturday afternoon. And by Tuesday (impatient me) we even finagled (?) the cable company to give us Showtime for free for 6 months so we could watch Season 5, which we tore through by Wednesday night. All I can say is "Croquet Mallet? SWEET!" Now, how will I wait until 2010 to see Season 6? it's pure torture!
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Shock of the day - Jenji Kohan is a woman. WOW, for some weird reason I assumed the show was written by an Asian dude. Whoops! We figured this out after watching the special features on one of the Weeds DVDs.
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So why do I love the show so much? WITTY DIALOGUE, FABULOUS acting, HILARIOUSness, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Watch some (if you have Netflix, you can watch Season 1 and 2 entirely on the instant play online). Not to mention all the little nuances and innuendos and double meanings. The town they lived in was called Agrestic. If you look it up, that word means "uncouth" - HA!
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The weekend was mostly indoors watching Weeds (due to the crappy weather we had been having), but on Saturday I managed to escape up to Bahama Breeze for lunch with my mother-and-sister-in-law. Fish Tacos - yum!
Found some cheeeeapy sunglasses to replace my stolen/missing/walked-off-on-their-own pairs from previous blog post. Charlotte Russe has them 2 for $10. You can't beat that! I got a plastic black pair, and a plastic Mauvey/Yellow pair. So far so good! They also have some awesome funky rings 2 for $8. I got some nice flowery ones. Spiffy!


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We ran out of Centenario Rosangel Tequila yesterday. I tried to find another bottle, but even the best package store in town didn't have it. DARN! I will have to keep looking. If you see one, buy it for me? I will gladly reimburse you!
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We signed up for a YMCA membership (well I renewed mine, but added Matt on there). We've gone about 5 times in 2 weeks, which is pretty darn good. I'd like to get to the point where I go EVERY morning (except not weekends assuming I'm doing something else active on weekends). My right leg was super sore last night though, so I took it easy today.
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New obsession (other than working out in the mornings) is True Blood. Matt is just totally in love with the oboe music that comes on anytime there's a scene with Bill the vampire. I just like the storyline, the lighting, etc. Very interesting! Perfect timing before Halloween too!
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In Limbo: waiting for Weeds Season 6, waiting for more Rosangel, waiting, waiting, waiting. I hate waiting. :-D
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The Office - Premiere's TONITE!

Friday night, happy hour at Tijuana Joe's to celebrate Jeff's new job! Jeff's one of Matt's co-workers. They decided to do shots named after girls, so we did the "Dirty Girl Scout" and "Red-Headed Slut" shots. This while I'm trying to sip a cultured and fancy bit of tequila. Thank goodness we went home right afterwards!
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Saturday I took Sport to the Red Bandanna for a "Dog Wash for Charity" event. He basically "took one for the team" and had a bath there. He hates baths. And then the money we paid for the bath went towards the AHIMSA House charity. YAY Sport! you did a good deed today!
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Saturday night was girls' night out at TAP. Yummy! We were hanging out with Ruth's sister who just returned from Swaziland and the Peace Corps. She mentioned another Peace Corps buddy was coming, and guess what? It was a girl I hadn't seen in years! Maggie! So we all caught up and had a nice bite to eat. What a small world. I had no idea these girls all knew one another.
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Sunday we went to a friend's house to watch Formula 1 Monza (Italy), and dine on Italian food. Delish!
Sunday afternoon-evening, (after we got Alex hooked on it too), we continued watching Weeds. We got all the way through the last episode of Season 2, and then AHHH! IT was a CLIFFHANGER! We all voted to watch just the first episode of Season 3, so we could actually sleep (even though it was LATE for a Sunday night). But lo and behold, Netflix doesn't have Season 3 on instant play. ARG! So we had to put it at the top of our queue and wait a few days to get it in the mail. NOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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Tuesday we had a surprise/impromptu dinner with an old friend (our dear Kymry) who is finally back from Boreway (aka Norway). We dined on scallops in basil pesto sauce and beef marinara sauce for the carnivores in the house, spinach salad, and lots of vino (of course).
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Wednesday, we had another impromptu opportunity to see her again before she left town, so I went over and we did girl's night at her friend's house. YAY for KY! I do hope she settles down into her new job soon, so we can plan visits and all that jazz.
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The OFFICE Premiere's tonight! I'm super excited about this.
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Weeds Season 3 has arrived, so it's ON like Donkey-Kong!

Remembering 09/11/2001 - Did you wear your Red,White,and Blue today?

Photo Credit

...and in the face of humor...

Mad Men character, Roger Sterling Quotes.

Flavio "Piquet" a tattletale driver?

HOT DAMN!
Nelson Piquet's Statement.

BUT WAIT:

"It's believed that Symonds and Briatore aren't disputing the fact that they had a discussion about a deliberate accident to assist Alonso, but are adamant that it was Piquet Junior's own idea and they didn't ask him to do it.

Piquet's claim is understood to be that Symonds and Briatore asked him to crash to bring out the Safety Car. So there seems to be little dispute at all that it was a pre-arranged accident, the only area of contention is - did he jump or was he pushed"

EVASIVE?
Pat Symonds (Renault technical director) looks like he doesn't want to answer specific questions. Not looking good.....

The Case of the Missing Sunglasses

Ok Nancy Drewz and Hardy Boyz - if you see my sunglasses, gimma a hollah! More on that later.
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WEEKEND UPDATES:
Thursday - we were invited to go see Inglourious Basterds with some friends. I'm a huge Quentin fan, and I enjoyed the movie, although I was confused about the ending. Up until then, I had no idea this was an "alternate history" and not "based on a true story" - hmmmm. If that had been real history, WOW! Matt said he was bored with it. I guess everyone had a different take on it. Oh well.
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Friday afternoon - Impromptu happy hour with coworkers at Con Sal. The bartender there was out of my dear Rosangel, but he is designing a new "Tequila Flights" menu for tastings, and he gave me small samples of Corazon Anejo, Chinaco Blanco, and then of course I had some Asombroso. The Chinaco Blanco was very unique. He described it (and I agreed) as having essence of Sandalwood, and then afterwards your tongue tingles. Sort of like a minty freshness but not a minty flavor. Love it!
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Friday night, we had the lovely pleasure of dining at Mina & Chris's house. We dined on shrimp cocktail, salad, butternut squash, marinated spicy beef yakitori, grilled asparagus, grilled peppers, and later tiramisu. Then of course we paired each part of dinner with different imbiberies, such as Sauvignon Blanc from Marlbourough, Red Wine, Rakia, and a small tasting of Centenario Rosangel. Pure Delishioushness!! There goes my diet again. darn it. but I'm not "really" complaining. ;-D
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Saturday, I slept in (sore back), while Matt biked on his new bicycle for 13 miles. Boy did I feel lazy, but it was worth it to get that rest. Then, Matt & I headed to Get Coffee for some light breakfast, then met up with our dear friends The Blairs and another friend Jeff for some Bone Garden fare. What-do-you-know? Bone Garden had Chinaco Blanco, so I introduced Matt to the minty freshness. Bone Garden is known for it's EXCELLENT and REAL Mexican food (corn masa, tamales, etc). Thankfully, the menu is mostly tapas style, so you can order little bits of everything and share. Very educational! The Blairs' daughter Ella was there (she's 10-12 months old (something like that)) and just CHERUBIC! We had a blast hanging out with her. She's such a good-natured, all-around pleasant baby! Then we hit Sam Flax (Matt has taken up sketching and needed supplies), and then we had a lovely nap at home.
Saturday evening, we took a bouquet of roses over to Baba Stefka's birthday party. Baba Stefka is our dear friend Stefka's grandmother, who lives with Stefka's parents here, and she turned 88. Wow! Much Bulgarian feasting and fun was had by all.
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Sunday, Matt was trying some new lighting techniques, and so I dressed up for a short photo shoot. He's going for cinamatic-style photos now. Photos that sort of tell a story or hint that more is going on outside the frame. He was inspired by a scene in Inglourious Basterds when Shosanna is in a red dress, looking out of the cinema and down onto the Nazi's below with a myriad of emotions in her expression. I did the shoot but channelling more of a "Ashley Judd in DeLovely" sort of mood.
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Sunday afternoon, we had an online meeting for the Staff of The Voyeur Magazine to discuss upcoming issues, articles, ideas, etc. Very fun!
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Sunday evening
We went to McPherson Beach for some End of Summer Party. Mina & Chris & baby were there, and Erika & Ben came along also. I got to play with the baby quite a bit to give the parents a break. :-D. If you have never heard of "MacBeach" as it is called, you have to see it. A wonderful, and quite eligible bachelor friend of ours has made a beach PARADISE in his back yard. Click on the link to see photos and the documented history of his imaginative and creative Oasis.
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Monday, Erika and Ben had slept over with Radley (Sport's girlfriend), and I made green chile breakfast burritos smothered in ranchero sauce and sour cream. New Mexico Pinon Coffee was the order of the morning also. Yum! Later, our friend/model Ruth and her sister stopped by for a visit. Ruth's sister is fresh out of the Peace Corps from Swaziland. Interesting to pick her brain about Swaziland and all of the drama over there.
Erika came back for a brief visit, and then we were off to Cafe Intermezzo to close out the evening.
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THE CASE OF THE MISSING SUNGLASSES:
I must be losing my mind, but I had 2 pairs of sunglasses in the glove box of my car. Both were in individual black drawstring bags. One pair of sunglasses was black/grey animal print style, and the other pair was a maroon/blush color. I know I wore the maroon pair on Saturday when I had lunch at Bone Garden, and I remember putting the sunglasses back into the glove box and into it's special bag - that evening on the way to Baba Stefka's party. Both pairs were in the glove box at that time. However, Tuesday morning, when I looked into the glove box, both pairs of sunglasses and black bags are missing. I totally do not remember bringing them into the house, or taking them to Dave's. I wore a different pair to Dave's. SO WEIRD that they are just GONE. Matt says perhaps I forgot to lock my car when we went to Cafe Intermezzo, and perhaps someone got into the car but just took the sunglasses. It's true that nothing else valuable was in my vehicle. I travel light I guess. C'est la vie. At least they were only 2 pairs of $10 glasses each, so I'm only down $20 I suppose. Darn it. I really really liked the maroon ones. Damn!

SPA, Art, and BBs Burgers

Not to be outdone by the other busy weekends this month... Last weekend was no exception.
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Friday we celebrated 2 co-worker's birthdays with lunch at BB's Burgers. I had the Bison Burger with PepperJack Cheese, and a few onion rings/sweet potato fries.
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Later that evening Matt and I drove down to Castleberry Hill for the Art Stroll. We went early so we could visit one of our favorite galleries. Of the entire stroll, our favorite pieces could be seen at the Besharat Gallery Exhibition for Merab Gagiladze. Then we went over to No Mas for dinner with friends. As seems to be the recent case with every Tequila Bar I hit, they were out of the Centenario Roseangel, so we each had a sipping shotglass of the Centenario Anejo. Later I switched over to the Asombroso La Rosa Reposado (my 2nd fave tequila) and Matt decided he wanted the Cabo Wabo Anejo. We had a lovely dinner with friends, and then we went over to Elliott Street Pub to see what was going on. You may or may not know, the APG or Atlanta Photographer's Guild meets every other week at the Elliott St. Pub, and it is (in and of itself as well as nearby several) prime photography location(s). Although, we weren't there on an APG meet night, we were able to show our friends, the lovely view of the city from an old abandoned bridge. Trains still go under the bridge, and it appears to be in stable condition (for walking), not so sure if I'd ever drive on it. The moon was shining down on us all, and (although it may be a local secret), they do let you carry your drinks with you while you are near the pub (on the bridge, etc). I was at least somewhat smart enough to have switched to water by this hour of the evening, but it was still a lovely night to be outside. It is just now starting to cool off a little bit in ATL.
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Saturday was the Taste of Chamblee and the Grant Park Summer Shade Festival. Matthew surprised me this week by buying himself a bicycle, and has actually been riding it nearly every morning. Saturday morning, he even got up EARLY to meet a friend and go riding on a local biking trail. I was shocked albeit pleased to see him working out again. Not to be outdone, I walked the dog down to the lake and back. YAY for health! After he returned home, I made him some breakfast with Kona Coffee (thank you Erika and Ben!), and then we ran some errands, etc.
Saturday evening, we couldn't decide what to do, and very late in the dinner hour, I finally decided to whisk Matt off in the car to a new restaurant as a surprise. We went to Aomi in the Forum. Aomi is supposedly Japanese for Blue Ocean and YES you guessed it, they serve SUSHI! We had a lovely dinner, and then back home for movie night. We rented I Love You Man, and laughed our way to bedtime. In hindsight, yes we missed the festivals, but we also had a lovely day together.
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Sunday was the big day for Formula 1 SPA-Francorchamps (or as I like to say "Frank-uh-shauuuun"). Everyone was very surprised that the Force India guy (whose name I will not even attempt to spell) got Pole in Qualifying on Saturday, so it was a "drama" filled race. As I was hosting a Belgian themed party in honor of the race, we did Belgian "burgers" (yeah like I'm going to serve Belgian mussels when 14 people are coming over. hee hee), Belgian Fries (french cut, thus they claim they created the "French Fry"), Godiva Belgian Chocolates (thank you Perimeter Mall!), and a smattering of Belgian "heavyweight" beers to sample. We decided since the beers themselves were each unique and expensive, we'd set them out with tasting cups, and let people try a bit of each. And then of course we had some "Hoegaarden" on hand. Silly us, we forgot Stella is also a Belgian beer. DOH! Anyhoo it was fun. In all the comraderie, I jokingly suggested we get that sparkling jello stuff to make "Fizzy Jello" in the shape of a "pole" for the Force India guy, but thankfully that was just an idea. I seriously don't own a jello mold, not to mention a POLE shaped one. ha ha ha ha. Anyway I digress. Lots of jokes when you have funny-named drivers and Belgian food. I think the naughty joke of the day was "honey can you put your Francorchamps in my Belgian Mussell?" yeah yeah yeah.
I also made a side salad of mixed greens, strawberries, and balsalmic vinegar dressing. For the ladies who did not drink beer, I made the "St. Hillaire-ious" (aka: Prosecco with a few drops of St. Germain liqueur, garnished with a strawberry.)
As so many of our parties often do, an afternoon lunch party turned into an evening party, and by the time all the Prosecco was gone, we ended up ordering pizza, playing Apples-to-Apples, and then watching Duplicity just before bedtime. Cute movie, but it was sort of missing something. hmm. Francorchamps? hahahahaha!
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Monday it was back to the grindstone.
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Tuesday, my dear friend Lee told me where she FINALLY found a place that sells Centenario Roseangel. So I went out on my lunch break and got me some!
Also, Tuesday I woke up with that very tired, achy, blah feeling, and was worried I was coming down with something. Nothing a little Airborn fizziness, echinacea, and liquids cannot fix. I promptly nipped that little bug in the bud. By evening-time I was feeling right as rain.
Alex made us dinner (Gorkem says this is now the 2nd time he has ever cooked for her). He is actually a very good cook, he just says he doesn't enjoy cooking, thus he does it rarely. He made us ground turkey spaghetti. It was spicier than most Spaghetti's I've had, but SUPER yummy. And then we had some Ferrer Roche (those Italian chocolate thingies) for dessert.
And to end the perfect evening - we watched another movie (of course). Have to use up my NetFlix right? We watched Taken with Liam Neeson. I am usually tense when I watch these kind of movies, but with Alex and Matt joking about the plot and how "lucky" Liam Neeson's character always seems to be, it helped me enjoy the movie without getting too involved in it.
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I bet it was the spicy spaghetti, the small nip of tequila, and the wonderful Airborne/Echinacea that fixed my bug. I was feeling GREAT on Wednesday!

Grilled Beef Gyros and other flavors of life

This Recipe is compliments of my own Auntie Julie.
GRILLED BEEF GYROS

Marinade
1 Medium Onion Chunked
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Mustard
2 Tsp Fresh Ginger Minced
1 ½ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
½ Cup Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Water
Blend until smooth in blender or food processor.

Meat
2 Lbs Cubed Lean Sirloin or Round Steak
Mix marinade & meat & marinate for 24 hours.

Cucumber (Tzaziki) Sauce
1 Medium Cucumber Peeled, Seeded & Cut Into Chunks
4 Garlic Cloves
½ Tsp Sale
1/3 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Blend until smooth in blender or food processor.

Instructions:
Drain meat & skewer on shish kabob skewers.
I add vegetables that will hold up on the grill. Tomatoes & potatoes are risky.
Cook on grill until done.

I use the Cucumber Sauce as a dip for the meat & veggies. You can also stuff pita halves with the meat & add tomatoes & onions & top with the Cucumber Sauce.
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Abbie's variation (because she did not have time to follow the recipe prep exactly):
Buy 1 container of Trader Joe's Tzaziki Sauce (similar to Aunt Julie's but chunkier).
Buy 2 4oz Omaha Sirloin Steaks.
Defrost the Sirloin in bowl of hot water. While it's defrosting, Preheat the George Foreman Grill AND get a small bowl and shake the following spices into the bowl - it's all to taste, no measuring.
-Dried Minced Onion
-Ground Ginger
-Ground Black Pepper
-Cayenne Pepper
-Garlic Powder
Then get the Mustard and Soy Sauce out of the fridge for the next part.
When steaks are mostly defrosted, but still cold to the touch - lay them on a plate or in a flat bowl. Squirt a small amount (maybe a nickel size) Mustard, then soy sauce (use about 2 tblsp) on top the steaks. Massage with your fingertips. Use pressure so that not only will the flavors rub in, but the meat is getting tenderized. Turn steaks over and do the same on the other side.
Sprinkle dried spice mixture (from above) on to the steaks. Massage in the spices. Turn steaks over, repeat.
Put Steaks on George Forman Grill, cook to desired level of done-ness. Unplug Grill.
Place cooked steaks on plate, spoon Tzaziki sauce on side or on top of steaks.
Serves 2.
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I did side salad of spinach leaves and strawberries in balsalmic vinagraitte dressing, and glass of Lodi Zinfandel Wine.
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Enjoy!

Hatch Green Chile and Revolutionary Road

Photo Credit
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Soon after we discovered that Trader Joe's carries canned Hatch Green Chile, we started buying it and making all sorts of yummy foods. Target Super Center also carries Hatch Fire Roasted Ranchero Sauce and Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. We are in heaven! We started off Saturday with Huevos Rancheros. Then Saturday night I made my version of Matt's favorite recipe of Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. It's similar to lasagna,baklava, or Trifle in that it is a layered dish. WARNING: This is not a meal for the calorie-shy.
Ingredients
1 bag of 4 inch round soft Corn Tortillas
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 16 oz bags of Shredded Mexican Cheeses
1.5 cans Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
2 cans of chunk chicken breast meat
Cumin (to taste)
1 small can of V8
Olive Oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In Medium sauce pan, mix cream of chicken soup, and Enchilada Sauce. Heat on med-low, stirring occasionally. Don't want to leave unattended, basically you are letting the flavors meld, and keeping it warm. I used only 1 can of sauce but I underestimated the cream of chicken muting the spicy flavor, so I would recommend using at least 1.5 cans of the enchilada sauce, or more (if you like it more spicy).
Meanwhile, In Skillet, pour in olive oil (enough for at least an 1/8 inch level in the skillet), heat to medium with lid partway on (cracked a little so it heats slowly). Once oil is hot enough, reduce heat to med-low. Using Tongs, soften the corn tortillas in oil. I just layed them in the pan, one at a time, turning once, letting it crackle a little and coating the tortillas, but not letting them get crispy. After done softening the tortillas, I put them in a bowl temporarily to cool off a bit. You may not actually get through the entire package of tortillas. I only used about 3/4's of the bag for my recipe - until the olive oil was mostly gone.
In the same skillet (the olive oil is mostly gone, so it's okay to keep the leftovers in there) reduce heat to low, pour in 1/2 can of V8, and add the canned chicken, sprinkle with ground cumin. Gently sautee the Chicken, letting the flavors meld. Seperate chunks into smaller pieces with spoon. Let simmer on low heat while you get to the next step.
Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with a bit of the enchilada sauce mixture. Tear the softened tortillas into strips, and add layer of tortillas to the baking pan. Scatter a layer of chicken pieces over the tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese layer over the chicken. Pour thin layer of enchilada sauce over the cheese. Repeat layers again - Tortillas, Chicken, Cheese, Sauce, and so on, until you are out of sauce. The top layer should be tortillas (to seal in the layers), and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the top tortilla layer.
Put pan in the oven - at 350 - for 25-30 minutes. Mixture should be bubbly and edges on the top layer of tortillas & cheese should be getting crisp. Set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
Serve in squares, garnish with sour cream and Ranchero or enchilada sauce (if desired). I did not realize how MUCH food this was going to be. There's at least 10 servings in one pan (it's now day 4 and we still haven't eaten it all!!!)
Recommended side dish would be Refried beans. I used large can of Kroger brand refried beans, but I heated it while adding salt and half n half cream - for better flavor.
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We watched Revolutionary Road this weekend. It reminds me a LOT of Mad Men, except perhaps that they fight a lot more. In Mad Men everybody disagrees, but they argue more with glares, glances, and their eyes. Revolutionary Road is a bit more verbose in its arguing. Phenomenal performances by both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. What a year for Kate! She was in The Reader AND this movie. It takes a special kind of person to pull off that emotional drama in one year without going slightly bonkers. Good for her! I know I couldn't have pulled it off.
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Sunday we watched Formula 1 Valencia, and next weekend is Formula 1 SPA! Belgium!
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Well this week is off to a good start. It's beginning to get cooler in the mornings and evenings, but the daytime hours are still blazing hot. I am looking forward to fall.

De-Lovely

I finally had the pleasure of watching De-Lovely. Words cannot express what an absolute joy it was to see a movie of such quality and talent. It was superbly edited, and the story flowed well with the music. I was quite impressed and highly HIGHLY recommend this movie about Cole Porter's music, life, and love. I was surprised to learn that I knew so much of his music already, and that he did Kiss Me Kate (one of my FAVE musicals) - can't you just hear them singing "So In Love" ?
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I must have been one of those red lipped brunettes in a former life... considering I'm such a fan of musicals and Mad Men...
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Also, just for fun and a quick pick-me-up (hey, work has been stressful), I also watched Confessions of a Shopaholic and He's Just Not That Into You.
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We are also dog-sitting for Sport's girlfriend, Radley. She is a sweet puppy, and is mostly obedient, although she is very insistent when she wants to be petted. I do see a streak of selfishness in Sport though. He growls at her if she gets too close to his toys or if she beats him to the ball I threw for fetching. I'm trying to nip that behavior in the bud. I don't like having a possessive doggie. He isn't like that with humans though, thank goodness.
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Matthew (the best husband in the whole world), took me out for dinner last night to this new place in Brookhaven called Valenza. It was absolutely delicious! Fabulous wine list too! We had a bottle of the Chianti Castiglioni Frescobaldi. I had swordfish over polenta with heirloom tomatoes, and Matthew had the seafood risotto nero. Dessert was Ricotta Zeppole. mmm heavenly!

Mad Men returns

Last week was busy, I suppose busy as usual.
We had Wine Club - Viognier on Wednesday the 12th. It's a bit sweeter than I usually like my white wines (I prefer dry), but it was still a tasty varietal!
I'd also like to announce the Debut of the Twits Wine Club Blog. Enjoy!
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Friday I took a day off to drive myself (and the doggie) up to visit Grandpa. We had a nice visit with him. Even Auntie Julie and Cousin Amy were there. Grandpa said he was feeling the best he had in a long time, so I am very glad of that.
Click for Photos of the trip.
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Sunday I returned home just in time for a nice dinner (we had Filet Mignon steaks rubbed with Emeril's spices, fresh snap beans, broccoli, and cheesy potato balls), with a nice Bordeaux of course. And then, the big finale of the evening - MAD MEN season 3 premiere! It was every bit as good as expected, and then some!
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Which Mad Men Character are you? I took the quiz and I'm
Jane Siegel - Secretary, Sterling Cooper
"You're new in the office. When it comes to clothes, you favor the low cut look. When dealing with others, you play your hand well. You love poetry, but that doesn't mean you're good at it. You have trouble with the truth, and this gets you in trouble. Luckily, you're sexy and wily enough to attract powerful allies to rescue you. Where this will get you in the long run, however, remains to be seen."
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Later this week, we are dog-sitting one of Sport's girlfriends (as her owner is in Hawaii right now), and I plan to visit the Hair Lounge for a touch-up and trim this weekend. Other than that I am hoping to just clean the house (it needs a good vacuuming right now, and the toilets need new hang-on thingies in the bowl), and relaxing!
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Although, in hindsight (yes this is a pun, you'll get it in a moment), maybe I don't want to vacuum with TWO dogs in the house all weekend. hmm. dogs playing, and fur everwhere. maybe I should wait to vacuum? (now you get the pun, right?)

The City of Brotherly Love

August came in with a "gust" of activity again.
Saturday the 1st, we dropped Matt's car off at the Mazda dealer to finally get his Aux port made available. LONG story and it's totally Mazda's fault, but in the end he is now able to play an MP3 player or iPhone/iPod through his speakers in the car. Yay!
I did a quick brunch with Ruth at Cafe Intermezzo, a brief visit from Erika, and then later in the evening we went to CosmoLava to celebrate Janssen's birthday! He surprised us by having a nice VIP area reserved. Woo hoo! It was fun, and I also got to rock my new one shoulder dress from Victoria's Secret Catalog! As usual, Matt and I ended the night with the dirtay nachos from Taco Cabana!
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Sunday was a bit more relaxed, and Erika slept over, so we had coffee and eggs on the screen porch and chatted about the previous night's activities. Later, we did a photoshoot at Erika's Spa Waverly. And last we ended the evening with a better-than-expected-comedy Get Smart.
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Monday was a hectic, as I finalized my packing, went in for Allergy Shots and Nutritionist appointment, grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy's, and finally Matt gave me a ride to MARTA so I could ride to the airport and catch a plane to Philadelphia for work.
The flight was fine, and then I got on the Shuttle to the hotel. I swear, this guy drove his 12 passenger capacity van as if it was a SPORT BIKE in NYC traffic. SCARY! Talk about bad driving, cutting people off, and hard braking. Anyhoo, I did get a nice little tour of the city from the backseat. AHH!
The hotel was perfect, and I had a restaurant recommendation for RAW Lounge, which was within walking distance. The OhToro was delish, and so was the Matsu. I recommend trying it! During Happy Hour they have $5 drinks also. Unbelievably, Philly was JUST AS HOT as Atlanta, and humid too. Yech!
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Tuesday I met my boss for breakfast, and then he showed me how to get to the office (since its kind of hidden). We did a nice lunch at Paganos Market, and then after work we checked out the Liberty Bell and Maggiano's.
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Wednesday was work work work and I ended up staying in and ordering room service (so tired!), but they DO have an excellent Crab Cake entre!
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Thursday was more work work work, but I did get off work at a decent time and then hopped a bus to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I went up the steps and was thinking of paying to see the place, but turns out I would have only had 45 mins before closing time, and they were still charging full price (bastards!), so maybe next time. However, this was the ONE of the nice cool days in Philly. It was a breezy 75 and sunny, so I took a nice long walk down the parkway from the top of the museum, and all the way to the City Square, then down Market Street to the waterfront. I passed by the Rodin Museum, Ben Franklin Institute, and many other lovely buildings. I finally came to a stop at the PennsView Hotel's Il Bar to have a flight of wine. They have a special system called a "cruvinet" - and can offer over 120 wines by the glass.
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Friday I worked from the hotel room, then hopped a cab to the airport, and whisked back to Atlanta again. Photos of the City of Brotherly Love.
Marybeth was visiting us this weekend, and so she was kind to meet me at MARTA, then we walked to her car to get home. She brought her daughter Catherine with her this time, so we had a nice evening at Season's 52 for dinner, and then later Matthew & I went to Gulru's Housewarming Party near Peachtree Battle.
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Saturday, we went to Goldberg's for breakfast, and then Matt went home to mow the lawn, but the ladies and I went off to the Atlanta Zoo. Why we did this in such ungodly heat? well, opportunity struck, so off we went. I'm ashamed to say I hadn't seen our zoo yet, so why not do it now? Armed with a cooler of water bottles, and carrying some more in hand, as well, we bravely sweated our way through the Panda's, Lions, Tigers, and Monkeys. LOL. Later, we met up with David and Matt for dinner at Chow Baby. Finally, we headed back home to view our photos of the day, and then finally fall asleep.
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Sunday, our guests departed (for the Aquarium and then the airport). Matt and I took it easy and went to Get Coffee for breakfast, stopped at Target to get Matt some nice new dressier/casual shirts, and then drove up to "Alph-Alaska" to see a friend who had just had hip surgery. She loves Prosecco, so I brought some for her (along with some St. Germain and strawberries for a different option). Awesome! Finally, we went back home to do laundry and relax. I made Spaghetti for dinner, and we ended the night with the movie Watchmen. I decided my two favorite characters were Silk Spectre and Rorschach. Both were played by amazing actors! Loved the writing too! Some scenes were a bit violent for my taste, so I hid my eyes and had Matt tell me when it was over, but for the most part it was pretty good. BTW it's a 3 hr movie!!!
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Finally back to normal (?) this week? We'll see.

The Week of Insanity

Last week was nutso.
Absolutely nutso.
I am seriously wondering what's in the water these days! LOL.
I was oncall last week (aka getting paged at all hours of the day or night). Every workday last week I worked through lunch and stayed over 1-2 hours to help keep the work caught up before the next day. Sheesh!
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However, the weekend was more relaxed thank goodness.
Friday, we stayed home and had an impromptu screenporchparty with friends. Saturday, Matt and I went to Get Coffee for breakfast (my fave), and we watched Multiplicity with Alex & Gorkem (one of Alex's fave movies). Saturday night, Matt took me out on a "date" and we went to WASABi for some excellent Sushi, and then later an impromptu dessert over at Apres Diem. The Espresso Martini is just delicious.
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Later on, I couldn't sleep due to upset tummy (later found to be result of the St Germain), so we stayed up until 4am watching Groundhog Day (one of my favorite movies), and then slept in very late on Sunday. Sunday, we relaxed, played some Wii Sports (I beat Matt at Tennis again!), had a nap, and then watched Thomas Crown Affair 1999- one of my favorite movies. Gorkem hadn't seen it yet, but she enjoyed it. YAY! I also have the 1968 original movie, but have not watched it yet.
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Matt's off to a VIP suite to see the Tool Concert tonight. I was the backup person if they couldn't get all the spots filled. VIP suite includes the concert, food, and drinks. Hmm. Should be fun. At the last minute another guy wanted to go, so I am off the hook. Not that I don't want to go, but it's a "school night" and my boss is in town this week (which means I usually have to work later hours), and it sounds like they won't get home until 1-2am (which means less than 5 hrs of sleep for me) and I prefer not to have the hassle. Anyhoo, I hope the gentlemen have a GREAT time! :-D
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Finally tracked down a bottle of St. Germain Elderflower Vodka (well I thought it was vodka, but actually it's more like a liquer), and some champagne to make myself a St. Hillaire beverage. It's very tasty and summery. Garnish with strawberry. mmm. However, I soon learned that for some odd reason, this St. Germain stuff totally wipes me out. I feel like I'm having a total sugar crash right after I have any of the stuff. So, I am guessing that means it will be something we go through very slowly.
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This week is going to be hectic, and next week I'm off to Philly for work, so I may not be updating the blog for a while.
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Have a great rest of July & start of August!

Ponderings

Three Sheets Premiere was awesome! We recorded it on our DVR, but I was still there to watch it live anyway. LOL.
I definitely will have to DVR it in the future though. It's really rough for me to be awake after 10pm and still get to work on time in the morning.
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Thoughts. I've got a lot of scattered thoughts right now. Lately both my work and home lives seem absolutely insane. It's like everybody's taking Crazy pills. Of course that usually means it's me that is out of whack right? or is it?
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I think I need another vacation and some time to think.

Three Sheets Premiere - TONIGHT

Raise your glass
give a toast
check your channels
I have to boast
Three Sheets is BACK
and tonight's the night
Fine Living Network's where it's at!
10 Eastern, monkey in hand
Zane Lamprey's rockin'
Three Sheets New Zealand!
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In other news, although I'm still hacking up a lung and fighting a cough, the house is finally rid of this awful cold/sinus/whatever the hell bug we all had.
Matt had a photo shoot Sunday afternoon and both the model AND the Makeup Artist showed up! YAY!
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Our dear White Russian turned 30 yrs old, and we hosted a small gathering at the casa. As it was an unusually cool weekend for Atlanta in July, we had it outside on the deck, with tiki torches lit. I guess it wasn't too cool for mosquitos (nasty little buggers!). James had homemade blueberry cake from the Bulgarians, and Matt and I gave him a bottle of Johnny Walker Black. We had light snacks of strawberries, bing cherries, blueberries, cheese wedges, chips, and salsa (homemade with those weird purple hull peas from the CSA farmer's thingie). Delish!
BTW check out James' website: www.viterashn.com.
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Cousin Tara and her family met us for brunch at Atkins Park on Sunday also. In spite of the unlucky battery situation in their vehicle. No worries, it was the kind of day where nothing could make you upset, and we just dealt with and moved on. Sweet! It was a lovely weekend. Sunny, breezy, cooler than normal, oh yes and I got my hair done (it always feels SO good to have freshly colored/styled hair!).
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Lastly, my monthly visit to the liquor store, didn't turn up any St. Germaine Elderberry Vodka, or Gran Centenario Rosangel Tequila, but I did find the Asombroso Rose Reposado, and that was good enough for me.
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Have a great night with Three Sheets everyone! and may your week be prosperous also!
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SALE FOR THE LADIES:
Victoria's Secret's 70s Jean (IMHO the BEST jeans ever)
are on sale for $19.99 a pair in 3 styles and 5-6 denim shades/hues.
Item numbers: Z7-228-947, Z7-244-031, and Z7-233-330.
even if they are long on you, get them hemmed, and I swear you will love them forever! I have 3 pairs, and I am still thinking of getting 1 more. I love these jeans!

Happenings this weekend

Luxe is having a Summer BOGO party on Saturday 07/18/2009 12n-7p.
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Solstice Cafe is having a Burlesque show on Saturday night.
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BTW I forgot to mention, I won a free iPod Shuffle at work this week. YAY! It's a spiffy bright Green color. Now what to put on it?
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Visiting Grandpa, Refi, Sickness, White Russians, Sad Movies, and all that jazz

Whew it has been a while, sorry about that. We've been very busy.
July 4th weekend, I drove up to visit with Grandpa, Aunt Julie, and Uncle John & Lynette.
Grandpa is now on oxygen 24/7. He does have a portable tank for when he has to go to the store, church, or run errands. However, the pulmonary fibrosis is definitely doing its thing. It's not curable.
I hope to go back and see him soon in August sometime.
On the upside, we had a good time visiting, and saw the local fireworks from the safety of the backyard.
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An old highschool friend looked me up on Facebook, and she and her new husband were in town over the July 4th weekend. When I returned from visiting Grandpa, we went out for a nice Indian Food dinner at our fave place - Himalayas. Turns out they have a grocery store in the same shopping plaza, so we checked that out as well. Great place to get some mango!
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Matthew and I refinanced the house (signed all the paperwork on the 6th). We got locked in while the rates were still in the 4%'s, so that is really nice (of course now it's back up in the fives and sixes, blah). Paid off a few bills in the process. Not trying to say the worst is coming, but now we will be in a safer position financially if (God Forbid) Matt or I get laid off at work. One of us should be able to handle the bills alone on our salary if something happens now. I certainly hope that doesn't happen, but it is always smart to be prepared. We had the BEST broker for the situation, I couldn't have been happier with him. If you need a recommendation, let me know and I'll send you his way.
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We even got around to painting the master bathroom finally. Well it's still not 100%, but at least it's not the textured sandy alligator green anymore. We used the same surrey-beige color that is in the hall bath and in the roommates' room. It went on very nice over the textured paint. Now we just need someone to do the trimwork and ceiling. I don't mind doing it myself, it's just that the idiots who lived here before us, use OIL paint for the trim (pale pink, ewww), and then someone painted LATEX on top of it afterwards, and now the paint is peeling. So someone will need to literally STRIP the door/window frames, and totally redo them. I am not in the mood for this right now. I seriously want to pay someone. Also the ceiling paint is cracking and old, it may need some drywall mud to flatten it out. I am also not in the mood for this. Anybody know a cheap but effective painter who can do this for us?
Although, the new color looks VERY nice in spite of the trim/ceiling issues. I am very happy with it!
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As if we weren't busy enough (last week at work was a NIGHTMARE) - the roommate caught a cold, then somehow Matt caught it, and then I caught it. And then my cold turned into a Sinus Infection (I guess, because I thought Sinus infections were NOT contagious?). I spent 2 days "working from home" and sleeping on and off between meetings. Thank Goodness for conference calls, so nobody had to see my horrible self those days.
I finally went to the doctor on the 3rd day (since my snot was turning yellow, that's when you know it's an infection, when it changes color), and he put me on a new antibiotic that I hadn't tried before. It's the first time he's given me one that has a GENERIC - so instead of the brand name drug that cost me $150 even after discounts last time, this one was only $2.90! talk about a good deal! I just hope it works. Last time he gave me a Z-pak, but it didn't cure me, and then I had to go back and pay for the expensive one (Avelox). I sincerely hope this generic thing can kick the sinus infection's *ss, because I really don't like being on an antibiotic if I can help it.
I'm able to be at work now, but I'm still coughing up a storm. I hope it won't go into my chest.
Why do we get colds in the summertime? that just seems odd to me!
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On the upside from being sick, I caught up on all the sad movies I have been wanting to see. I watched "Seven Pounds" and "Nights in Rodanthe." I'm a huge Richard Gere and Diane Lane fan (separately not necessarily together). Although, I'm kinda pissed at Nicholas Sparks about the ending of that movie. Does he HAVE to make it so damned depressing? The Will Smith movie was VERY good though.
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I also realized that somewhere between switching from Comcast to AT&T Uverse, I missed the season finale of Desperate Housewives. I finally watched both Part 1 and 2 of the finale last night. AWESOME cliffhangers. I can't wait for next season.
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Three Sheets Premiere is Monday July 20th on Fine Living Network (if you get it). DVR that puppy!
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Mad Men Premiere is Sunday August 16th on AMC. Cannot wait!!!
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Our dear White Russian friend is celebrating his 30th Birthday this weekend, so Saturday night should be a bit of a party (although I'm still not sure WHERE it is happening). He lives in Vegas now, but came back to ATL for the birthday celebration. He put in his facebook status "The Desert Eagle Has landed" I love that stuff! YAY!
I will attempt to behave myself so I don't get any sicker though. Have been avoiding alcohol.
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Getting hair touched up on Saturday, and oil change. Very exciting stuff right? ha! But honestly after being sick all week, it's NICE to go get pretty again. I seriously have let my roots go too long. The last day I was home sick, after getting the work done, I treated myself to a mani/pedi/brow wax at the nail salon. It is nice to feel normal again.
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Well that's all for now. Hope everyone is having a great July!

Chateau Montelena Chardonnay & Bottle Shock Movie

Photo Credit.
Last night, we had the utmost pleasure of watching Bottle Shock with some friends over a bottle of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay.
Granted, it was the 2007 vintage, not the 1973 featured in the movie, but close enough (potAYtoe, patAtoe). It was just delicious!
I highly recommend both the movie and the wine. Albeit the wine runs about $39.99-42.99 here in Atlanta.

Bent Tree, Harp, and ApplesToApples

PHOTOS.
We packed up our gear and even brought the doggie. On to Bent Tree and Lake Tamarack. We stayed at a friend's cabin, and tried multiple activities such as canoeing, beach volleyball, swimming, rafting, and jumping into the frigid swimming hole. We totally wore the dog out! He slept like a log when he finally got back home.
We always see Deer when we are up there, but this time we had 3 sightings of Black Bear! The last sighting was a mother with 2 cubs. They were so cute. Of course I was very glad we were just driving by and not walking near the bears. Whew!
Another couple joined us at the cabin. We hadn't met them before. They brought their white German Sheperd named Loki. He was so adorable! Sport kept trying to "herd" the poor guy when we were playing fetch in the shallow stream. Eventually, the dogs worked out their heirarchy and calmed down though.
We dined on organic/fresh zucchini squash (3 different kinds), asparagus, and wilted chard - all flavored with olive oil, garlic, and spices. We grilled the squash and asparagus, along side the various meat options (Burgers, Brats, beef hot dogs, and tuna steaks). Delish!
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I was hoping for a Trivial Pursuit or Apples to Apples game with the 6 of us after dinner, but for some reason the other couples went off with the 2 canoes (in separate directions) for some alone time. Matt and I walked a bit and sat by the lake, and then cleaned up and went to bed. It was a very quiet weekend for the most part.
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Sunday, we met Matt's Family at Harp (an Irish Pub) for a nice brunch and birthday celebration for Bradley and Ms. Rachel. Rachel and her hubby are off to Ireland next week. How much fun? They will have a ball!
Matt had the fish and chips (they have the most amazing tarter sauce there. they make it themselves). I had the Corned Beef and Cabbage. some very very tender and juicy corned beef. Delicious!
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Later that night we finally got some game time playing ApplesToApples with Alex, Gorkem, and Gulru! For once I was winning, it was sweet!

Low-Carb Pad Thai and Low-Carb Mojito Recipes

Low Carb Mojito
1 oz vodka
4 oz Fresca
1 Fresh Mint Sprig (crushed/ground gently into bottom of drink)
Ice Cubes (if needed)
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Low Carb-Pad Thai
I researched this on the internet before making it. However, this recipe is my own, not copied from someone else.
Ingredients needed:
1 Spaghetti Squash
Chopped up Celery
Chopped up Radish (small radish)
Satay Peanut Sauce (or any Thai Peanut Sauce) I get mine at Trader Joes.
Olive Oil
2-3 Fresh Basil Leaves (chopped or torn up) or add more to taste.
1/2 cup chopped Peanuts (unsalted)
1 Can of White Chicken Breast (chopped)
1 Egg
Lime juice
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How to prepare it:
Follow these instructions for How to Cook Spaghetti Squash.
While your Squash is in the oven, prepare the other ingredients.
Put the spaghetti squash strands into a bowl. We only need 1/2, but save the other 1/2 for another meal (unless doubling this recipe). Since the strands are already hot this helps to prepare the meal faster.
NOTE: This cooks FAST so have your ingredients ready to go before turning on the stove-top burner.
In a skillet (or flatpan) pour some olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan).
Heat oil on Medium heat while you are adding the ingredients. Add the Spaghetti squash, Celery, Radish, Peanut Sauce, Chicken (drained), chopped Peanuts, Basil Leaves, and egg.
Stir ingredients slowly until entire mixture is mixed/heated/and is sizzling slightly on the bottom (but do not burn it). Usually takes about 3-5 minutes to heat up as you stir.
Serve with lime wedge (or lime juice squirt on top) for flavor.
Makes 4 servings (or 2 large servings if you are super hungry).
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Substitutions:
You may use any other meat or meat substitute instead of chicken (ie: shrimp, tuna, tofu, etc).
You may use Bean Sprouts and chopped Green Onions instead of celery and radish. I just didn't have any on hand last night. I also felt that the Radish would give the dish an extra KICK, and so it worked out beautifully.
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Enjoy!