Off We Go!

See you in a week!

It's a Spicy Fry!

Here's a little recipe worth sharing for spicy oven fries. You can use real potatoes (I like to leave the peels on) or in a pinch use the frozen french fries. Season, bake until crispy, and eat up! And if you're me, that means getting myself a generous helping, then standing over the pan and eating more.

SPICY OVEN FRIES
Combine:
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt (I don't have any, so seasoning salt works)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Shake over the fries. Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes until the fries are crispy and golden. Eat standing up over the pan.

I Might Have a Problem

This is what my counter looked like the other day:

I Heart the Barefoot Contessa

A few weeks ago, we saw the movie Julie and Julia. I loved it! Not to mention the title has a great name. I thought Meryl Streep was fantastic and portrayed Julia Child in a way that I didn't even know her. I liked her love of life, love of her husband and love of food. It makes me want to start trying out some of her recipes.

My favorite current TV cook is hands down Ina Garten, nee' the Barefoot Contessa. I have told my family, that should I have a dying wish, it would be to stay at Ina's house where I envision she would have the guest room all ready for my arrival, just like she does all her friends on TV (that's real, right?), and we would have breakfast on the patio and she would invite me to "never leave". I think it would be fabulous. Doesn't she look just so friendly and welcoming?

I have all of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and love trying out new recipes. Watching her shows is also fun to get inspired with new ideas.

• I subscribe to her philosophy that cupcakes and other treats are just the vehicle for the yummy frosting . . . pile it on!

• I've learned the delight of roasting vegetables to make them taste good . . . all of them. Now, I have never been a big vegetable lover . . . at all. But, from Ina, I've learned that a little olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, clean hands, and all put on a sheet pan roasted at a high temperature for 20 minutes or so - and you come out with yummy veggies every time.
  

• Even though she is a cook, you don't need to cook everything from scratch to have a great party. Make a few things and buy some too. No one will have a better time at the party because you slaved all week.

• I want someone to adore me like Jeffrey adores her . . . and she adores Jeffrey in return. They are cute. She knows how important it is to make him feel like he never wants to leave too.
  

My friend, Holli, had a recipe for a yummy chocolate cake and frosting that uses zucchini on her blog that I can't wait to try. This is my favorite way to prepare zucchini . . . with parmesan, thanks to Ina.

This is What I Think About

I'm a night person, which as Melinda has so eloquently put it before, means staying up late on weekends watching TV. Here are some realizations I came to:

During a 2:00 am showing of Wings, I realized that Tim Daly is the new Dick Clark - he has not aged a bit! Come on, how cute is he?

I was watching Family Feud, and realized that I think Richard Dawson is an attractive older man. Even with the bell-bottoms. There! I said it. And I'm clearly not alone based on all the kissing on that show.

Then I got curious about whether Richard Dawson is alive or dead. I went to one of my favorite web sites and found out he's alive! And only 76. He must've been prematurely gray (I can relate). THEN I stumbled on THIS GEM. Richard Dawson lives! And someone updates that site every day.

Landscaping Tip

Note to Self: Next time, get the fence installed BEFORE the landscaping is complete.

Shortcuts

Kristen and I go to the same gal to get our hair did. We both recently went in for a trim, and she may have gone a wee bit short...

It'll grow back, right??

It's Not Just For Old People! (Though There Are a Lot of Them)

I love to learn stuff! So I love going to Education Week down at BYU for a day or two every year. My first memory of Education Week is when I was in preschool or kindergarten and Mom and Julie left for Education Week. This left no one to do my hair. Dad was kind enough to fix breakfast for me and put my hair in a ponytail - and he did a pretty good job!

When I tell people I'm going to Education Week, they either don't know what it is, or they think it's something old people do (it is, but there are a lot of younger people there too).

For those of you newbies, I've put together Kristen's Beginners Guide to Education Week!

There will be hits and misses. Avoid all storytellers, Michael Ballam, and anything with a large proportion of Grey-hairs.. Check the credentials of the speakers - if they teach seminary or institute, they're probably pretty dynamic speakers.

Build in breaks and meals. You shouldn't be spiritually enlightened the WHOLE day!

Plan to walk slowly. When I was at BYU, we had a scant 10 minutes between classes. At Education Week, they give you 25. Negotiating all the (slow) foot traffic, Moms in Capris, not to mention the rolling backpacks (oh, the rolling backpack!) is a trial to my patience.

Sit back and enjoy!

This IS My Crack

Who knew that the food court in the mall could contain so many goodies? While Kristen hasn't been to Panda Express in years, I haven't eaten at the food court in years. And it was a treat!Since this is basically a food blog, it is well known that we Bird gals all need a sweet ender after we eat. Julie and Kristen snuck off to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (who knew that was in the food court?) and came back with these sweet nuggets...

That's right, it's a chocolate covered potato chip! See how it's right over my heart? That's because my newly hardened arteries and I are in love.

It's Like My Crack

Judge me if you will - I love Panda Express. I love their orange chicken most of all. The genius is in the sauce. I don't know what they put in there, but it's like my crack. However, I'd all but gone cold turkey on Panda Express in the last couple of years (breaded chicken once a week is probably not great for my health). Every time I pass a Panda Express, I think my mouth waters.

So today we went to the mall with Aiden and Maia to shop for Aiden's first suit (and he looked smart!) Afterwards, we went to the food court and I caved. Was it was good as I remembered? Yes - for the first couple of bites. After that I became more and more aware that I was eating not so much a sauce, but a goo.

Still tasty as ever - but I think I'm good for another couple of years. Here's me enjoying the first bite. Melinda took this with her Blackberry, and I have no idea why my head, hand, and lips look enormous. I swear I'm more well-proportioned in real life!

Is Love Blind?

So, I was talking with Melinda the other day and about shows we were watching. The new show, Dating in the Dark, came up and she wondered who was watching it . . . I totally am! And it's fascinating! I'm a reality show nut (although I do have my standards. . . nothing with the Kardashians, please) especially when they deal with relationship interaction (ala Survivor or Amazing Race). The premise is when you get to know someone first by just their personality - when you actually get to see what they look like - will you still like them. Is love blind? This is totally what we single gals have often thought - if guys would just get to know us - how can they not like us?!? Well, this show is proving that the girls are often way more shallow than the guys when it comes to looks . . . what's up with that, ladies?

First, three guys and three girls are living in this house on opposite ends. They get to meet each other in the dark room and see who would they would like to date. We get to watch their interactions on TV through the beauty of infared cameras. It's interesting to see how many of the people connect and get to know each other. Then, after a few dates, they finally get to see each other face-to-face in the dark room. First, the light will shine on one person - so the other person can see them without the other knowing their reaction. Then, it switches and the light is on the opposite person to be seen - again with no interaction. At the end of the show, if you decide that you want to continue in the relationship - after you have seen them in person - you come to the balcony and you continue dating. If one person doesn't want to continue in the relationship, then the person who is waiting on the balcony for their date to arrive, sees them leave the house with their luggage and doesn't even look back at them.

I totally thought that more guys would have left when they saw the girls. Not so. The guys are more often than not willing to continue in the relationship based on the personality connection. Too many girls are leaving through the front door for totally superficial reasons . . . not tall enough, don't like the scarf he's wearing, etc. Sometimes there is a surprise happy ending where the people decide that even though they wouldn't have normally been attracted to this person they were paired with - now that they have gotten to know them - they want to keep dating. It's a fascinating study.

I Don't Heart Change

I'm not a big fan of change. I get used to the way things operate, and I usually like them to stay that way. Case in point . . . my neighborhood WalMart. I was pretty excited for them to come to Saratoga Springs a few months ago. The closest one had previously been American Fork and me, nor any of my neighbors, like going to that one. As an aside, when we were on a youth trip to the Draper Temple recently, one of the leaders drove her own car so she could shop at WalMart while we were "in town" as I like to say because she won't go to American Fork.

Anyhooo . . . so the WalMart opens to much fanfare and when I finally make it over there - I am totally disillusioned. Nothing is where it is supposed to be?!?! The beauty products are the first thing you come to (on the side I like to enter from). There are short shelves so you can see over every aisle, which I read are supposed to make the store feel more open. On the contrary, I just feel like I have to duck and hide while I am shopping for my personal hygiene items so everyone in the ward doesn't know what I'm purchasing right as they come into the store. I still have no idea where the office supplies are . . . one of my favorite aisles. And the party products are in the corner, where the gardening items should be.

The other weird thing is the parking lot. You can't easily go from one side to the other without going through a maze of concrete barriers. It has taken some practice to figure out how I can enter, get to "my side", and navigate out of there. Why do I have just one side I will enter from you ask. Well, on one unfortunate visit to a WalMart, like a maverick, I parked somewhere new. When I came out to the parking lot after my shopping escapade, I had no idea where my car was. It was literally a good 10 minutes of me going up and down each aisle with my cart until I found my car.

Luckily, my beloved Draper WalMart hasn't changed a thing and still receives my business.

So I Might Be a Klepto…

I am by nature, very much a rule keeper. I drink my milk before it expires, I whisper in the library, and I rarely cross over solid white lines in traffic. So imagine my surprise when it turns out that I steal pens from innocent servers after enjoying a nice meal out.
For whatever reason, I have a bit of a pen obsession. I like me a nice, fine point pen that glides and swooshes nicely across the page. And the pen that fits this bill is the Pilot G-2 clickable roller ball gel pen, preferably in the .05cm tip. I have yet to work for a company that will provide me with such a pen, so it’s not like I can purloin one of their pens (I just love the word purloin!). I have purchased my own pens before to compensate for this travesty, but those tend to mysteriously end up on my co-worker’s desks within a matter of hours. So as I’ve eaten at various restaurants over the last few years, I will find myself oogling all of the pens that are supplied to sign my bill. As soon as a nice pen is placed in my hand, I can immediately tell that it’s a keeper, and within seconds, it’s in my purse. And I do not give it a second thought. It is because of me that your server says, “Can you guys share? I only have one pen.” And for that, and only that, I am sorry.

More Powerful Than...Another Cheetah!

Better Off Ted makes me laugh out loud. Take this clip from an episode last night. All you need to know is that Ted and Veronica have to make a presentation on a product called Jabberwocky to hundreds of people. Except that the product is made up, so they have to do the presentation without actually saying what Jabberwocky is.

Being a cubicle worker, I love how it pokes fun at all the stupid things we say in business (favorites at my work include "robust" and "synergies"). Yay for this show being renewed for next season!

I Heart Jake Ryan

John Hughes, the filmmaker who passed away last week, created such classics as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty In Pink with Duckie, and of course, Sixteen Candles. It is from him, that all these years I thought a cute boy would see the light and be waiting for me with his sweet red car.

Yep . . . . still waiting. Thanks, John.

Shhh...It's a Local Secret

Julie's post about Italian Village got the wheels turning in my head. What are some of my other favorite "local secrets?" You know, those neighborhood places that are must-dos? If I were writing a little "insider's guide" to The Salt Lake City, here is what I would include:

Burger Joint: Gotta be Hires Big H. I like the New York H with grilled onions. Their fries are hand-cut (right, Melinda?) and don't forget to top it off with a mug of frosty root beer. And don't forget the fry sauce! Runner-up: Crown Burger.

Ice Cream: Nielsen's Frozen Custard. It's so thick and creamy you will die. Get a cone or try a huge concrete in a variety of flavors. Best location: sit on the benches overlooking the St. George Blvd. Runner-up: Iceberg.

Patio Dining: Ruth's Diner. Gotta go to Ruth's at least once per summer. They usually have live music, and with canyon setting, white lights and good food you've got yourself a lovely evening.

Summertime Must: A local Demolition Derby. Is there anything better than watching a bunch of crazy people in beat-up cars crash into each other until there's only one car left running? It's the perfect summer night for me. Runners-up: Local Rodeos, outdoor concerts

Best spot to roast mallows: Millcreek Canyon. This is always where we would go growing up and Mom would whip out her stacked rubbermaid containers with hot dogs, potato salad, and Jell-O squares.

Best Dessert: The Dodo's Tollhouse Pie. I can't even explain how tasty it is. Just get it.

Best stretch of freeway: I-215 heading eastbound - the only place you can see the city without the sound barriers. It's the best view in town.

Never disappoints: I love Temple Square every time I go down there. I always just want to stay and hang out. And the lights at Christmastime are a must-do, no matter how many times you've gone before.

Best Grocery Store: I gotta say it again: Harmon's all the way.

Best hard-to-find restaurant: the Mandarin in Bountiful, smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood. This is the only restaurant our whole family can agree on. Runner up: Cowboy Grub (not exactly hard to find, but I couldn't think of another).

Best way to sound like a local: Master the "unh" sound. See: Layton, mountain, etc. Runner-up: Drop all your g's off the -ing sound.

Best Mexican: A tie: Baja Cantina in Park City (their steak fajitas slay me) and Cafe Rio (there are lines for a reason).

What would be on your list of "Local Secrets?"

This is for you, Mindy Pugh! (Hey, that rhymed)

An Ode to the Italian Village

When we were vacationing in Maui, we learned about a special tanning lotion that you can only get in Maui . . . it was called a “local secret”. The Italian Village restaurant is our version of a “local secret”. This gem in Murray has been serving pizza and other Italian delights for years. We have been going since we were wee children. Our Dad has always been very perceptive about what needs to be done. If he came home from work and saw that nothing was ready for dinner, he knew that it was best not to ask and that the day had probably been hard. He immediately said to Mom, “What am I getting for dinner tonight?” and often it was a take-out pizza from Italian Village. They are crazy busy on Friday and Saturday nights where it’s often standing room only. They don’t advertise – they don’t need to. They aren’t open for lunch – except for Saturdays – which is a new thing. The dining room area is large – and totally dated – which is part of the charm. There are vinyl booths and chairs with dried flower arrangements on the wood paneled wall. They have pizza benders (aka a calzone) with your choice of ingredients as well as a variety of pizzas and pastas. My personal favorites are the combinations that you can get for under $10 – a pizza and lasagna or pizza and a salad (complete with lettuce and one single carrot), pizza and manicotti . . . I could go on and on. Kristen gets the tortellini, Melinda likes the benders and as I mentioned, I’m a ham pizza and combo gal. I’m all about the next meal too, so I can eat the side item from my combo meal and a slice or two of pizza and then take the rest home – so it’s really only $5 for each meal. It’s good food at a fair price. They have had some of the same cooks and servers for years – not overly friendly – but efficient. While you are waiting for a table, you can see back to the ovens and watch everything being made. A guy I used to work with had an annual date with the Italian Village and his family as they came home from Lake Powell. Everyone would meet up there for a final dinner before the trip was over. And don’t forget . . . they serve fruit punch too!

Spotted . . . Grape Goodness

I came across this fantastic wedding picture on photographer Rebekah Westover's Blog with my favorite fizzy grape goodness. Love it! Cheers to you!

I'm Just Saying...

These babies from the Training Table are half price Monday-Thursday. You're welcome.

Eyes Wide Shut

Last week, I had to go to the dentist. I may have previously mentioned my affection for my dentist in a completely platonic way. He not only keeps my teeth from falling out, but is also a sweet, semi-nerdy man who plays in a blue grass band on the side.

However, I hear that he is not as fancy as some other dentists. Apparently, those other dentists have TV's in the ceiling so that you can watch movies while you're having your teeth scraped. It's never really bothered my that he doesn't have something like that until this last time. He was using his latest toy, which was a high speed tartar scraper, and it was killing me! It was a lot faster, but was also more painful than the traditional method of scraping.

So as this is happening, I realize that I am in the following position: Death grip on the arm rests, stomach tightly clenched, feet ready to kick him at a moments notice, and eyes that are glued to the ceiling tiles above me, because goodness knows I can't look right at him, and there's no TV in the ceiling to distract me! So then I start wondering if I should close my eyes, because maybe I'm making him feel awkward that I'm not closing my eyes. Is it weird that I was just staring at the ceiling? I was relaying this story to Julie, and she told me that always closes her eyes. Am I the only one who doesn't close my eyes whilst in the dentist chair? What's the protocol??

That's Not Something I Want to Remember

You know when someone takes a picture of you at a really bad angle, like when you're in the middle of a sentence or something? That's kind of how all my race photos turn out. I would be happy to pose but I never know where the photographer is!

The sites where you find your pictures have all these options: you can get 20 wallet size photos, or even get your picture on a mouse pad or a mug! Now why - I ask you - would I EVER want a mug with this picture on it:


Couldn't the photographer have the decency to catch me at the start line - when I was fresh and rarin' to go - instead of near the finish line when I wanted to die? I was so hot at this point I had even rolled up ONE sleeve and exposed my tan line for the whole world to see.

I've got two more pics where I look similarly in pain - if you want me to get you a mouse pad for Christmas, just let me know!

I Heart Sunday Night Shows

I love coming home on Sunday night to some of my favorite shows. Right now, there is the Next Food Network Star (almost over, sad), Army Wives (a guilty pleasure that I LOVE) and a new little gem . . . Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime. I am loving this show. I find myself laughing outloud. If you haven't seen it yet - we are only a few episodes in and you should find them online to catch up. It's a lot of fun. And that Brooke Elliott as the lead character is great!

I'm Unpredicable . . . Sometimes

For the most part, I think I'm easy to figure out. I'm pretty easy to shop for because it's easy to know what I like and I'm pretty vocal with things I don't like. I like romantic comedy movies and I love Coca Cola. These are pretty well known facts. There are, however, sometimes when I like to switch it up. Last night, I threw everyone for a loop by getting fruit punch, yes fruit punch for dinner at Italian Village. I don't know what it is, but it's a great choice there with my predicable ham pizza. There are several restaurants I like to switch it up by getting a drink other than my beloved Coca. At Training Table, I love getting lemonade . . . it's delicious . . . with the #27 Turkey/Bacon sandwich (hold the tomato) . . yum! And at Hires it's got to be the classic rootbeer in a frosty mug. At Arctic Circle, hands down, it's the Lime Rickey.