Let Us

The BNC, without having to, partakes in my sugar-free diet.  He eats, and drinks, reduced sugar, low fat, high fiber, whole grain, zero calorie, low sodium stuff with me.  It's one of the many reasons I love him.  His support means the world and makes what I have to do so much easier.  And while I don't enjoy all the good stuff I'm supposed to eat, I don't stop him from enjoying what he likes. 

So, on Sunday (and Monday) we I made lettuce wraps.  I used my new purple Slap Chop on some onions and tomatoes and cooked them down alongside some ground chuck. 

The mixture was seasoned with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some tomato paste.

As a side dish, I made rice with orzo.  (Is that rice pilaf?)  Whichever, it was yums and both the rice and orzo were perfectly cooked. 

I toasted and cooked them together and out it came; perfect.

I didn't eat any lettuce but, from the looks and sounds of it, they looked and tasted awesome.

It's certainly a dish that will be put into heavy rotation especially with summer looming and the desire to crank up that oven grows less and less.

ps....excuse the shadows, the weird lighting and the less than stellar photos.  I'm still trying to find my angles as well as work the laptop I recently received.  Thank you, come again.

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.

Welcome to Kitteh Korner

Welcome to the corner of our home now named Kitteh Korner.  The majority of their stuff is here, out of our way as well as any guests.  Sure, there is more of their stuff in other parts of our home but all the good stuff is in this corner. 

  

I finally managed to find a nice, inexpensive cat tree for the kids.  If they tear it, or just  rub their butts on it cause anyone with kids knows all about the butt scooting, then I'm fine with it.

I'm happy to say that they love it.  Logan reminds of Chris Farley.  They're both fat and yet incredibly agile.  He managed to get up there without faceplanting it.

 

Then Bitty Girl comes along cause she noticed some shit needed to be stirred and that shit was a dangling tail. 

Remarkably, Bitty Girl, while an active and crazy thing killer, has been behaving very well.  It's the older ones that are acting up.  Shitting right outside a litter box with fresh unused litter as well as pissing all over the new mat made from Astro turf.  I've been chalking it up to them being 9 years old, senior citizen kittehs.  It makes me sad to think of them getting older but it may just be them getting all snotty on me.  All in all, I may have to buy a new litter box this afternoon.  

Damn kids. 

Happy birthday, Mom

My mom, beautiful, wise, optimistic and strong, turns 57 today.  I have sung the praises of the Old Man many times here before so my mom is due up for one.

Let me tell you, she is quite a woman.  She taught me many, many things stemming from cooking some of the specialties my Grandma, her mom, taught her, to never playing second fiddle to anyone.  I enjoy the Saturdays I spend driving her around as she runs her errands, visits friends, looks at every dang thing at Ikea, and, telling me every detail of her week.  Sure, it's tiring but, it's my mom.  She sacrificed so much for her family and it's a small price to pay in my effort to pay her back.  Ah, moms and their soothing touch, the one thing that makes it all better. 

Smashburger

What can I say?  The burger is still amazing.  The fries, known as Smashfries that have rosemary and sea salt seasoning, were a little eh, but it's really all about the burger.  Isn't it always about the burger?  Though I recently went, without the BNC, the burger has remained the same; succulent, juicy, orgasmicy, and overall yummy. 



Troop loves it.  It's a small price to pay for me having lost his gun. 

Albondigas

The weather continues to be erratic here.  Cold and windy one day, and then, today, muggy and foggy with the promise of falling temperatures (again) this afternoon.  Monday evening, with the cold still hanging in the air, I decided to make some albondigas, meatball soup, to warm our bellies and our toes.

I like to keep my meatballs simple.  Back in the day, I would put a few pinches of rice, maybe some cut up potatoes, into the mixture but simple really is best.  Salt, pepper and 1 egg, maybe some bread crumbs if they're on hand.  After a little mixing, not too much, I form small little meatballs and let them hang out while I warm up my dutchie on the left hand side.  A little olive oil and, in small batches, sear them a bit.  (I don't thoroughly cook them.)  Also, they aren't perfectly round and really, who cares?

You have to make these in batches otherwise they will fall apart during the flipping process as well as being boiled rather than getting a nice brown color.  No bueno.

After they're all done, pour in some diced shallots until slightly translucent.  A little tomato paste and chicken/beef broth, or water, to remove all the bottom Klingons.  Bring to a boil and, if you didn't use broth, like me, put in a couple of tablespoons of your Knorr, bouillon base, a Mexican staple.  A little time and let it boil for a minute before adding your noodles.  I have ceased using rice because I still get called out on the childhood incident when I poured more than a couple of cups of rice and made porridge with meatballs.  Thanks, mom.  Anyhow, noodles is best. 

I like Oaxaca cheese so a few little cubes go in along with a little lemon.  Throw in some toasted up tortillas to help scoop up some of this deliciousness as Roseanne, Season 1 on Netflix plays and you're good to go. 

Bitty Girl, World Watcher

I'm sure the slogan is the same in every city.  "If you don't like the weather, give it a minute and it will change."  It certainly rings true here in Houston.  It's been a little warm, extremely foggy and muggy; A nasty combination.  Saturday morning was a typical warm, sticky morning.  I was ready to tackle Ikea with some shorts and a t-shirt.  Then bam.  I had to put on some jeans and a long-sleeved tee when I opened the front door and got a cold handed slap in the face.  Go figure.  Regardless, the day was beautiful.  I opened up all of the windows and let the cold air run through.  And you know how much Bitty Girl loves opened windows.   She spent a good chunk of the afternoon sitting and watching. 



She's easy to please. 

Neighborhood Watch, Part 3

By the looks of it, it may not be much of a view for her, but there are a lot of squirrels and birds running up and down those trees and roof.  She's good.  She misses Ms. Gustafson's little girl and her many uncles though. 

1979

According to the back of these photos, and Billy Corgan, the year was 1979.  The wood paneling should give it away.  It's the coat that really cements it though. 

I remember this photo being taken.  I also remember this house.  Absolutely some of the best times there.  B would be born later that year, in November. 

I'm so hood.

 

Tummy teaser. 

My parents are giving me all of the family photos.  There's so many but it's awesome to look back and remember.  It's going to be quite a chore to scan them.  But, after I do, I am going to display them on one of the two streaming photo albums I have.   

Decisions

I have to find a new vehicle before May is over.  When the lease on the BNC's vehicle (a Toyota Tundra) ran out in August, we opted to not purchase it.  I chose to give my huge-ass Toyota Sequoia to the BNC and asked my dad if he would let me drive one of his cars for a while until I decided what I wanted.  The car he lent me is a Toyota Avalon.  It's waaaay smaller than the Sequoia and it was quite an adjustment to drive it.  And then, when I had to drive the Sequoia a few times, whoa Nelly, I learned I lost my flare for driving it as well as parking it.  For shame.  So now, my old man wants to sell his Toyota Tacoma and keep the Toyota Avalon as his primary mode of travel.  It would make more sense to keep the Tacoma since it's a pick-up and he's a mechanic but you can feel every gust of wind, every pebble when you drive it.  I used to have a Tacoma so I know.  With the Avalon you get a smooth ride, quick turns and comfort.  I don't blame him for wanting the Avalon.  Besides, his choice.  So, my car search has begun.  I used to have a 4-Runner and loved it but traded it in for the Sequoia so naturally, I wanted to get another 4-Runner.  I narrowed the search and spoke to my bank about financing it.  Then, the Old Man, bringing along his Consumer Report Book, suggested I get a Toyota FJ Cruiser.  Shit.  Years ago I thought about it but wasn't too impressed with it.  I figured, "I'm not 20 and there aren't any mountains in Houston so WTF?"  But now, I've had to put it in the Maybe Column.  My search just got harder.  That's what she said. 

The 4-Runner, a beautiful and reliable car.  I love it. 

But then an FJ Cruiser shows up and now you got Brandon/Dylan problems. 

Let's throw in a Toyota Camry to symbolize the Mega Burger from the Peach Pit that I always wanted to try. 

I'm an amazing driver, TOOT, TOOT, so I know I'll rock out in any of these cars.  For example, a trailer blew a tire this morning on the freeway, right in front of me, and I kept my cool and didn't hit him.  Scared me the fuck out but I didn't contribute to morning traffic so yay.  But, I need to make a choice. 

Dilemmas. 

BTW, Toyota ain't paying me shit to write this.  I just love them.  My parent's home can look like a Toyota dealership when we all gather there since my mom has a Rav-4.  B drives a Dodge Magnum though.  Go fig. 

Emails

I'm supposed to be sifting through emails, saving, printing, filing, catching up, etc. but eh, if those emails waited this long, they can wait a little longer.  I've been on vacation since Friday, February 11.  Yay for me.  However, it wasn't all rainbows and cupcakes.  We were in the midst of moving and, while it only took 2 days to move all of our stuff over, unpacking and organizing and settling in while battling a nasty cold is not the ideal vacation.  But, at least I wasn't at work, not going to the doctor and dying a slow death.  Shit got done.  We're settled and the cats have settled in nicely.  Proof, check it.

A few scenes from my time away in a completely non-cohesive manner.

Helping a friend with his yard work.  Talk about embracing the Mexican roots.  I didn't know I had it in me.  I'm going to print up some business cards soon. 

My reward for the yard work was chicken fried chicken topped with fries and bacon infused gravy with a side of decadent mashed potatoes.  I couldn't finish the whole thing, which brings me to a small side note.  Dude, can we start using smaller portions?  This was a ridiculous amount of food and, while it was good, (definitely not something I would eat on a regular basis) wowza.  And, we're back.

Troop, sans gun, at House of Pies.

We moved back into the hood both the BNC and I grew up in.  We're extremely happy about our decision and are relishing in visiting the park 3 blocks away.  Since I was denied being a part of the little league, I am living my dream of learning how to properly catch a ball.  Verdict?  I suck at it.  My index finger and part of my palm are bruised but it's not stopping me.  Even B has offered to help me since he's a softball fanatic.  (That is downtown Houston in the background.)

It was incredibly windy and cloudy Sunday evening when these shots were taken.  There is a bit of a hill in the background where we used to fly our kites as kids.  I can't wait to do it again. 

Meat lasagna with Darth.  Yea.

Ugh, 71 emails still inbox.  Wish me luck.

I haz a cold.

It all started yesterday,  the tightness in my throat, the congestion, the headache, the overall yuckiness; a cold has found its home.  As with any cold, it's not the right time to get sick as I have a busy week at work and at home.  Postings of the cats, the lack of good pictures of the food I eat as well as my mundane musings on 80s movies and music will be scarce. 

For now, enjoy this photo of Lily, waiting for a treat, her just reward for watching over my parent's home against a raccoon attack.  Or zombies.  Whichever comes first.

FYI, the Black Eyed Peas suck.  What, The Black Keys weren't good enough for you, Super Bowl?

Happy birthday, Dad.

Thug life.

Yesterday my Old Man turned 64.  It makes me happy and sad at the same time.  My dad is in great shape and takes very good care of himself.  I'm happy he's ok.  I'm happy he is here with us.  Yet, I am sad for the obvious reason; my dad is 64 now.  Next year he will retire and I am trying to learn as much as I can from him.  I want to spoil him as much as I am able to and I want to tell him that he has always and will continue to be loved immensely by B and I.  Truly, we have the best dad. 

Because I Can

That's right, I totally purchased these from Williams-Sonoma.  Why?  For evil cooking.  Holla.

They're flexible spatulas, able to withstand temperatures up to 480º.  Cooking in hell?  No problem. 

Evil meeting her evil cooking utensils.  Empire omelette, anyone?

Poor Troop, trying to take an Onda photo with his Empire Family only to be photobombed by Bitty Girl. 



Ah, that's better except for that shadow.  Nice.  I'm a huge Star Wars fan and, for a while in my 20s, I was actively searching and collecting with the BNC.  We have a tiny collection that includes our childhood toys that weren't buried after they were destroyed in combat.  I'm looking forward to using these because I can.  Ooooo, I wonder if the internet can find me a Death Star cookie jar!  BRB

Found it!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

The 70s were a grand time, huh?  Well, from what I remember it was.  The 80s were much cooler though.

Except some, if not most, of the clothes.  Those, not so much.  How tragic was my dad's shirt?  His mullet?  My yellow shirt and red pants combo?  The automobiles?

Paneling on the walls was awesome once.  Wearing a dress, cause your mom wanted you to, was not.

I need to steal my mom's photo albums and scan all of those photos.  Hopefully, in a few weeks, when time gives me some, I will do just that. 

Troop and I

Having Spider-Man has been pretty awesome BUT, it's no fun to play with him while he's on his invisible motorcycle.  So, I did what any normal person would do, I bought a toy; A Storm Trooper whom I call, Troop. 

I was really looking for Han, Chewy or Darth, but they were gone.  I'm not too fond of Luke and Leia so no.  Troop though, being part of the Empire and pure evil, was the logical choice.  (I root for the underdog, ok?)  And now, our adventures begin.  First up, Smashburger.

Troop and I, along with Chapa, headed out to Smashburger, a location on The List to find out for ourselves whether it was still the best burger I ever ate.  The burger was juicy, seasoned very well, cooked to perfection (medium) and oh man, there aren't enough words to describe how awesome it was.  For realsies, I cannot wait to go back and eat another one.  The fries went down to ok after being ranked yum a few years ago.  But, who cares when you have that burger, the one I forgot to take a picture of because it was delicious.

You so silly, Troop.  This isn't Return of the Jedi.



Sundays typically are House of Pies days for us, and Troop was happy to join in.  So far, we're having a good time and no waitstaff have given me the you crazy eye from playing with Troop as we wait for our food. 

Bitty Girl, on the other hand, isn't too frazzled by another evil entity in house.  Not while it's time to clean the fur, that is.  Will they join forces or will a war break out?  Stay tuned.