Full of Food

I had to hit the 'burbs this weekend for the Katy Budget Books Semi-Annual Sale in Katy, Texas.  Dolla books make me holla, y'all.  Brother's Pizzeria though makes me squee!  And, since I rarely see The Chapa anymore, I made him meet there for lunch after I scarfed up some books at the book sale.

 

The usual large with cheese even if sometimes I get daring and get pepperoni.  And, it has to be baked extra crispy.  Oh baby.

However, the spaghetti with meatballs, with it's chunky, fresh, not too sweet marinara is amazing.  It's a simple sauce but it's delicious.  I woofed it all down.  Ok, not really, but I came close.  They offer kid's meals now so, next time, I will have to do that so I can eat more pizza.  Holla!

Sunday consisted of our usual House of Pies visit and try as I might, I continue to choose the Waffle Platter.  I rarely finish it

For Sunday dinner, it was made up of rice, beans and fajitas.  I used old reliable corn tortillas to make tacos while the BNC used Romaine lettuce to make his.  Whack. 

My rice was perfect this time and I used part of my last batch of frozen beans.  As for the fajitas, or skirt steak, I cooked them with some sweet onions.  When they were almost done, I added a touch of tomato paste, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for that slight kick to the teeth that you sometimes need until you bite down on a tiny fleck, cause you're lucky like that, and you vow to start using the SMIDGEN measuring rather than DASH. 

Good stuff.  Good weekend.

Damn Kids

Mom!  Brother is all up in my sun spot and I was here first!

After weeks and weeks of being a complete shithead, Apolo finally allowed me to come home and now have shit on the floor.  Maybe our failed attempt at taking Apolo to the vet where he whined and whined so much so that my BFF, with whom I was on the phone with, thought I was whipping a baby, gave him the scare he needed to STOP SHITTING OUTSIDE THE LITTER BOX.  Maybe it was the fact that the vet's office was so packed, with people and pets still waiting to be seen after 3 hours, I decided to give up and come home.  The secret is out on the vet and everyone is going there.  Great.  Then, just like that, the asshole cat stopped.  I still wanted to beat him. 

He's still a good cat but geez, he's incredibly picky, a bit of a bully and the sole butt scooter.  Logan, on the right hand side, is very sweet and would love nothing more than to cuddle with you and, if you let him, nibble from your plate but, not unless you give him the go-ahead.   I didn't raise no ill-mannered cat.  In other words, for the most part, the damn kids are ok because, if my biggest problem is dealing with a shitting cat then I will gladly take it.

Oh, and dealing with Bitty Girl and her killing ways.  Yea, I'll take it.

Another Cat?

I try to furminate the cats at least once a month.  They aren't long-hairs but they still need a good brushing.  Thank goodness they LOVE it especially the fat one in the middle, Apolo.  He will stay still and even back his stinky butt up towards me for a furminating.  And, after the grooming, a nice big ass ball of fur is left over.  It kind of looks like a Gremlin after you poured some water on poor Gizmo. 

Cause I Can

I truly love the cats.  They're my babies.  Many people will say that it's not the same as having children but others say it is.  I have no children so I can't compare.  I just know that my pets rely on me to feed them, clean up the box for them and, most importantly, get them their much deserved treats.  That's like having a child, right?

No?  Then getting them a stocking solidifies it, eh?

I knew it. 

Move Over, Julia!

Sometimes you need to clean out the pantry and the refrigerator, bust out your dutch oven and make something that just is nothing short of yums. It came at the right time, too. I've been burnt out lately. I'm tired, slightly stressed and despite my Lunesta, not sleeping as comfortably as I would like. Add the urgent need for new pillows and a perfect storm of yucks in the morning is created. My spine feels off center and that in turns makes everything hurt. I have always suffered from terrible back problems so feeling my back out of whack (haha) has me feeling sluggish and incredibly old. But making dinner is extremely therapeutic for me so, despite a long and tedious work day, putting the time and effort for some chicken noodle soup was just what I needed to get a little spring back in my step. Part of the routine is to talk to a feline, doesn't matter which one, that may have wandered into the kitchen in hopes of a nom, as if I'm on the Food Network, and explain to them what I'm doing, why I'm doing and why it needs to be done. It's got Crazy Cat Lady written all over it (including an A&E show) but I tend to be home alone for a good while until that old Ball-n-Chain comes home. Typically Bitty Girl is my main audience. She listens and watches attentively, doesn't have her legs in the air that much and doesn't yawn. So, excuse me while I check my phone for any missed calls from the Food Network, TLC or A&E.

Live from NY, It's Saturday Night!

30 Rock was amazing last night. It was live and utterly hilarious and it was what I wish SNL could be one day (again); hysterically funny. I long for the days of Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and, most certainly, the genius Phil Hartman. I wish I could share my favorite skits but I guess just saying that era was my favorite is all I can muster. Those early SNL with Belushi, Chevy, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, etc. were great as well. Samurai Deli, the Blues Brothers (great movie btw) and Belushi's Olympic commercial for donuts are some of my favorites. Ah, good stuff.

30 Rock gave me hope even if the laughing audience threw me off since 30 Rock doesn't have a laugh track.

There is no reason, much less a tie-in to SNL and 30 Rock, with the following photo other than to showcase exactly what I walk into when I come home every day; A cat nap that I'm sure is well into its 6th hour. It's as if Logan McFatPants was playing with his toy and just decided to take a nap. That is a jerk move if I ever saw one.

If those 3 aren't in a pile then they are scattered. Bitty Girl may be on the counter passed out or on the table passed out. Apolo could be on the couch or under the table.

Notice Apolo's stumpy legs under the table with Bitty Girl nonchalantly wondering why I'm making such a big fuss when I clearly should be getting everyone some treats. She's a menace (II society) for tearing up all of my paper napkins that should be in their holder in the background. If there was a cat juvi, Bitty Girl would surely be in it.

Lick my wounds

A chorizo con huevo y frijoles taco is a nice reward for going to work early Saturday morning. So early that there was NO LINE at Laredo Taqueria. SCORE.

Caldo de res is also a nice reward after your team loses a second straight game. At least the Cowboys lost too but how dare they make me root for the Titans. Had we won our game against the Cowboys, I wouldn't have cared much less watched the whole game.

The Texans lost again, Logan. I'm sorry.

The Pantry

I've had that realization, the same one wherein you take a photo, yourself included perhaps, and realize dude, I look terrible.

After The Fridge 1 and 2, I noticed I had to clean out my fridge a little. The same now goes for The Pantry.

Wowza. I need to sift through it again and either have a big pantry party or just throw it away and not get sued. Fine, my stuff isn't that old, it's just, well, I have a lot of kitchen towels.

But, I didn't clean it out. I left it as it was and posted it anyhow. Why pretend? But, I do plan on cleaning it out this weekend and update my spices, etc. Until then, I'm on my way to being on Hoarders.

The top shelf, not seen from the first photo cause I'm short and my kitchen is a little tight. The contents are Bounty paper towels, Honey Nut Cheerios, Britta filters and generic Corn Pops. I hate Corn Pops, both brand and generic. Honey Nut Cheerios though, yum. But alas, those aren't for me. I've banned myself. Those, with even the skimest of milks, will raise up my blood glucose levels to 200 and beyond. Never, ever bueno.


The second shelf consists mostly of spices, salts, Nutella, peanut butter and bread.

The third shelf is mostly pastas, rices, oils, cat treats, my sugar-free drink mixes and canned tomato sauce.


The fourth shelf, ouch, look at all those towels. I did some purging in my closet and I guess I should do a kitchen one as well. Anyhow, dry beans, lentils, napkins, bacon press, matches and wet canned food for the cats. Shit, are you seeing those towels.

The fifth shelf is mostly trash bags, ziploc bags, foil, my toaster oven (rarely used but dude, it needs a cleaning), my hand mixer and my rolling pin for all those flour tortillas I shell out. :(



Lastly, a recycled container of cat litter, that I no longer purchase, full of cat food. I used to leave it in the bag until I once left the door open and BAM, food and fat cats everywhere.

It's evident I need to work on my organizational skills in the kitchen and while it may not seem like a lot of food, I don't like to store too much of it or chances are it will wind up in the trash. And, I have shaky hands and a tiny kitchen and I was trying to hold onto cats, who know the treats are in here, and eek, my photos are not that bueno.

However, I'd love to see other people's pantrys and fridges.

The Fridge, Part 2

Yesterday I showed you a photo of the front of my fridge. Today, let's take a look around the bend.

The dry erase calendar, an essential in every kitchen with a husband who has no set schedule at work and plays bass in a band. A lot.

The program to the BNC's beloved Grandmother's funeral. (Evidently, I collect memorial service programs.) She was buried on Halloween 2008 so our costumes that year were People Who Had Just Buried Their Grandmother. One of the crappiest weeks ever since we had to put Boochie down at the vet's.

A pencil drawing from our God daughter to the BNC for Father's Day. It's her and him, holding hands and, it seems, doing some sort of gangsta lean. It's adorable. This sketch is being held up by more Office magnets. Look, there was a time when I adored this show and Target, with their awesome dollar section, had gone Office crazy with all sorts of stuff and I bought into it, ok? I sooo bought into it that I actually have an I heart Jim mug. I eagerly await Target's Community dollar stuff and the potential for an I heart Jeff (or Troy, Abed, Pierce or Chang) mug.

Moving on....

Cutting boards, lots of them, all shapes and sizes and every single one of them has a job. Veggies, resting, carving, all of that. Justification submitted. Waiting for acceptance....

Linguini pasta holder with the stereotypical Italian chefs all around. Why there is only linguini inside is beyond me. I guess one day it decided it just wanted to be only for linguini.

Fruit, fruit, fruit. I buy it a lot because that BNC can scarf it.

And now, a tour of the inside.

Top shelf-some of my meds that need refrigeration, water, sugar-free Kool-Aid, Fresca and chicken broth.

Middle shelf-heavy cream, tomato sauce, corn tortillas, ham, turkey, cheese and eggs.

Bottom shelf-chicken breasts (that were made into chicken soup last night) and grapes.

Next, the door.

From the top-salted butter.

Middle-A sauce called Bodacious cause I fell for the cooking demo at the store. (Worth it.) Pickles, lime juice, steak sauce, mayo and beer.

Bottom-grape jelly, grated parmesan cheese (for my corn), ketchup, a marinade, shredded cheese, low sodium soy sauce and.....I have no idea what that last bottle is.

On to the freezer...

From left to right, container of beans in front of a container of chili, ice cream, chuck steaks, a whole chicken and the ice cubes trays.

And lastly, the freezer door.

Arm and Hammer freezer thingamajig (there should be one in the fridige but maybe it got shy and hid behind the Kool-Aid), a breakfast sandwich, sugar-free pops and my finger.

After viewing the photos now, my fridge seems a little bare. I just hate having to throw away food (who doesn't?) that either went bad sitting there, waiting for me to come around and incorporate it into our meal or, I made too much and the BNC couldn't stay for dinner or no need for a leftover lunch because of some function at work, blah, blah, blah, down the garbarge disposal/trash can. (I told you that calendar was essential.) So, I buy things I know I'm making that week, plan for leftovers, or not, and try my hardest to NOT throw money away. The pantry, on the other hand, is cramped. It's stuffed with dry goods, food storage baggies, spices, kitchen towels and cats treats that the cats are now aware of where they're stored because they stand in front of the pantry door and do the I know the treats are in there so give me one, mom stare. (In the great words of Conan the Destroyer) But that is another story...

So, what do you have?

Torture

With a doctor's appointment looming, I have no idea why I keep staring at this photo. I'm starving for a bowl. Maybe I'm just studying for the test that will be sure to follow. Maybe it's that tiny piece of fiber in the upper left corner which I most likely ate. It was good.

And, on a completely unrelated note, check out this kid.

My Baby Juggernaut, recently devoid of original sin and a devil tail, wearing his momma's heels. I love this kid. I adore his momma. I adore the fact that she doesn't make a big deal that he loves to wear her heels and his sister's tutu cause, for realsies, it's not a big deal. If Shiloh can do it, then The Boy can do it too. He wears heels better than me. He's so awesome and has the sweetest nature. After getting a talking to, he usually asks me, "Are you mad at me, Margie." Heart.Breaking. "Of course not, kid. Just please, please stop annoying those poor kittens.


I never saw such annoyed kittens. I'm totally picking this kid to take care of me when I'm older over his sister. I changed his diapers and he should change mine. Word.

Killer

Bitty Girl likes to "drown" things. I'm assuming its her animal instinct to kill stuff but the fact that she dumps items (hair bands, twisty ties, her toys) she's played with tirelessly into the water bowl makes me wonder about Apolo and Logan. Maybe their instincts will kick in if the couch is under attack. That or the food bowl, whichever comes first.

Cleaning & Sorting

While cleaning and organizing my photos I found the following that made me laugh as well as sigh very deeply.

The orange tree outside my parents's home. It's a pain to get the ones at the top. It's where a ladder and the BNC come in handy. My parents share their bounty with the couple across the street who have a peach tree. It's a nice companion to the avocado tree on the opposite side of the front yard. Viva Mexico!

Prior to my brother's diagnosis, I had already decided to grow out my hair to donate to Locks of Love. It was a difficult process since my hair was layered and the donated hair has to be one length and at least 10" long. In September of 2009, I reached my goal. It meant a great deal to me since it took on a more personal meaning earlier in the year. In all honesty, I may never do it again. I loathe long hair on me since I have curly, fine hair and it's a pain in the boom boom to care for. Let's not even get into the humidity.

Bitty Girl chilling on the floor of my car as we await the vet to open for business so Bitty can get her spaying on. She doesn't do well inside the pet taxi.

Oh yea, she is adorable but she singlehandedly brought Christmas down last year. I woke up one morning to find the star that was atop the tree on the floor. I had to bring it down or run the risk of having my beloved Transformers ornaments broken. It took me a year to find one of the lambs that had been missing from the nativity scene.

Boochie rubbing up against Joseph. Sigh. One of the best cats ever.

And I cannot believe that I'll be 34 next week. Already? The only plans I have are dinner. I want dinner, dinner, dinner. And froyo.

Cats, yo...

Whomever said that having pets is almost like having children may be on to something. I don't have children but I imagine the love, worry, frustration and pain must be along the same lines. Right?

For example, Apolo, named after Apolo Anton Ohno since him and Logan were born during the Salt Lake Olympics, is a finicky eater. He's fat but he won't eat just anything. He also likes to eat plastic thus ensuring he have a nice file at the vet's office. Logan, named after Wolverine, has only been to the vet once, to get neutered yet he is terrified of loud noises. Hurricane Rita really traumatized him not from the wind and rain (cause there wasn't any) but from the boarding up of our old house.

And then there is Bitty Girl, whom had to be bottle fed the first month she was with us. I would wake up every 4 hours to feed her and then burp her.

And now, all that hard work paid off cause she is nothing but a jumping, killing, antagonizing fool who likes to keep mom company.

What would I do without them?

ps...I am in a complete cooking funk. I hate when that happens. Off to read some food blogs and get some ideas.

Neighborhood Watch

How many "uncles" does Ms. Gustafson's little girl have?

Those pants are WAY too tight.

Oh no she didn't.

You are not going to believe who is barely coming home right now!

That's right, I'm watching you. Keep it down! My mom is trying to watch Law & Order!

Litter Test

So far, the 3 I have tried have had an unusual odor. When I'm cleaning it out I can smell the ammonia. No likey that smell. Arm & Hammer Essentials has that distinct odor. By recommendation from Jeremy and Kathleen I've purchased World's Best Cat Litter (yea, that's the name). It's pricey but I've read the reviews, looked at the site and heard from Jeremy and Kathleen. I'm extremely hopeful that it will work and that it will make the cats happy and healthier. Once the current litter is gone, then it will be on. I hope the cats like it. I have a feeling the smell is getting to them because someone pooped on the mat rather than inside the box. Sigh.

Once I have the perfect litter chosen, better food for them is next. I don't want to have Bitty Girl as fat as them especially since she will likely not grow into a long cat like her brothers. Any recommendations?

Crossing my fingers.