Merry Christmas from the Family...

Well shucks, I TOTALLY meant to post this on Christmas Day and gosh darn it I forgot. At least my kids have all been fed, I swear I'm only this forgetful when it comes to the blog, I'm actually pretty with it in real life. Well sometimes at least.

Anyway, growing up in Texas you are pretty much issued your first Robert Earl Keen Jr. cd when you enter high school. That is if you didn't already have one. He along with a few other key singers (think Jerry Jeff, Willie & Waylon) will always remind me of high school, cheep beer, boon's strawberry hill and well a lot of other things I should probably skip discussing here since my dear mother and mother in law make up roughly 50% of my readers.

I hope you enjoy this little ditty and for goodness sake don't take any offense!




Belated Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Cheers, 
Ouiser

Holiday Wrap Up with Something Sweet

As I dropped of my dear mamere at the airport yesterday I realized that yet again I'd ignored the blog this week. I mean I can't feel too bad, I wasn't just sitting around twiddling my thumbs, although having the time to do some thumb twiddling might be a nice change of pace. I did have a wonderful Christmas with Mamere, DH and our two little ones filled with way too many presents, too much food and juuust the right amount of wine!

DH even managed to film and upload several videos to our son's blog from Christmas day which as it turns out is quite a feat since allegedly I was heard complaining about the dificulty in opening almost every single toy on the videos. Apparently it took a lot of editing on his part. What can I say I'm anti plastic ties. Can the toy stores really loose that much money to stolen items? I find it hard to believe but then again I'm not willing to do the research either. I'd rather just complain loudly about it while hacking away at the security grade plastic keeping my son from his newest favorite toy and of course leaving my hands cut and bloody. But this really isn't the direction I wanted today's post to go in so...

In short, I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends. Tis the season to celebrate excess! And if you've been following this model, you aren't alone I've been doing my fair share of excessive baking and eating sweets for the last week. I had hoped my sweet tooth would go away after my pregnancy but she's still here and she's super bossy! So here is an extra yummy recipe for the next time you need to bring a sweet treat to a party or PTA meeting.

Note: this recipe is from one of my favorite cook books, The Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook. It is fabulous!!! and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Caramel Candy Brownies
Makes 12


1 1/2 C  Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 C     Unsalted Butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into small pieces
3            Eggs
3/4 C     Sugar
1/4 tsp   Kosher Salt
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2/3 C     All Purpose Flour
3/4 C     Caramel Squares, coarsely chopped


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack in center of oven. Butter and flour an 8 inch square metal baking dish. (I used glass because I don't have a metal one and they turned out just fine!) 


Combine Chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler and set in sauce pan with 2 inches of simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth, about 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool till lukewarm.


Combine eggs, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk until the sugar melts and mixture is frothy, about 2 mins. Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, add the vanilla and stir. Whisk in the flour until just incorporated. 


Spread batter evenly in the baking dish and sprinkle caramel candy evenly over the batter. Bake for 23-30 mins. Do not overcook!


Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.

Happy Baking!


P.S. don't worry about calories, they don't start counting till  Jan.1st!


P.P.S. If you are wondering why there are no links attached it's because this is my first post on my new computer (THANK YOU MAMERE!) and I don't know how to copy and paste. Yes, that's right I said it... can't copy and paste. Am so not a tech genius today.


Cheers, 
Ouiser

Addicted to Baskin Robbins Commercial... You Too?

So wow, its been like a week since my last post and I'll be honest the last post was lame and pretty sucky. Not that I don't love Neimans or big sales, in fact other than my immediate family and a big jar of nutella there isn't much I like more than a sale, especially if it's at Neiman's but you're right I didn't so much give it my all. Oh and I also love wine, like a lot... so my immediate family, nutella and wine. Yep those are my favorite things.

I don't have much of an excuse, well you know other than the fact that I'm busy trying to shape the minds of two (sometimes three) men so get off my back! side note: Baby duex totally rolled over the other night. Like I said before, genius. Clearly DH and I make some pretty freakin' great kids.

But never fear, cause Mamere is here! (yes that is meant to rhyme and be sung a la Mighty Mouse theme song)

Not only can Christmas officially begin with my mother's arrival I will also have time to do all those luxurious things I've been putting off... you know like showering, brushing my hair, putting on clean clothes... and if you dear reader are really lucky some new blog posts for your enjoyment as you hide from your family and pretend to be "catching up on news." Yep I've used that excuse too, but usually because I'm reading some salacious fan fiction.

But enough about me and my inability to efficiently manage my sleep to work time ratio....

Have you seen the Baskin Robins Ice Cream Cake Commercial? Its hilarious, like beat yourself over the head with a baseball bat repeatedly hilarious. I'm pretty sure this commercial... much like Celine Dion... is something you either totally love and are obsessed with or makes your ears bleed. I'm in the former group. It literally makes me dance in my seat when I hear it and yes I totally sing along- off key and mostly getting the words wrong. Just one more thing that makes DH cringe with embarrassment. I'm not sure if he's more embarrassed for me or of me.

So with out further ado here it is. Let me know if you think I'm crazy to love it or if it makes you want to pull out your hair.






And I will try my best to take advantage of mamere's visit to post some more deep, meaningful and thoughtful posts... like today's!



Cheers,
Ouiser

Extra 30% Off ~ Neiman Marcus Last Call Sale!!

Just a quick post to tell you about one of my favorite things. A Sale on a sale!

Yep, Neiman's is offering an additional 30% off their last call sale. There are lots of bargains for you last minute shoppers... While there are literally only two handbags offered (boooooo) they make up for it with the number of shoes on sale. There are some great designer summer shoes for those taking a beach vacation as well as a number of Cole Haan's "air" shoes. You may recall me talking about one pair in particular that saved my life here.


So if you're a good shopper and have already taken care of everyone on your list maybe you'll find a special treat for yourself and if you are (like me)a totally disorganized shopper, get clicking and find those last minute gifts.


Happy Shopping!

Apparently I STILL haven't figured out how to add a link to a picture, sooooo to link to the sale, Click HERE



Cheers,
Ouiser

1980's Flashback

Happy Friday... If you can get through the randomness of my post there's a delicious little video surprise at the end.

As I sit here watching my son press his nose to the television while watching his favorite show (Super Why in case you're curious) I can't help but wonder where this obsession with the television came from... (rhetorical question, it's ME of course)

I have after all made some pretty serious life altering decisions based on a current movie obsession.

Example #1 Dead's Poets Society. Afterwhich I became obsessed with the idea of leaving home (Austin, Texas) to attend boarding school on the east coast. About 6 months later, several long conversations with my mother and one trip to visit my options I was off to a very small town in the middle of Connecticut. God, you should have seen what I wore the first day, I was a preppy nightmare in jeans, brown suede loafers (no socks, natch), a purple & white polo with a matching purple blazer. And as luck would have it I curiously picked the only school in the tri-state area where preppy was decidedly uncool. I stuck out like a sore thumb that whole year. Thankfully I was returned to my rightful place in public school by my junior year with only a little bit of flannel and alternative angst to show for it.

Example #2 St. Elmo's Fire. Yep, Judd Nelson literally drove me to Washington DC. No it wasn't Rob Lowe... I always tended to prefer the unfavorable characters, think James Spader not Andrew McCarthy. Anyway, yes the degree in Poli Sci helped but it was Judd Nelson that I was in search of. As some sort of self-loathing Democrat I was in search of the adorably arrogant Republican (minus the whole cheating thing of course). And you might say that I found him in DH. (by the way I totally meant arrogant in a good way sweet heart!)

And then of course there have been a number of movies that have made me seriously WANT to do something... thankfully DH has been able to shake some sense into me on a number of occasions. Like when I decided I'd be the best NFL head coach after watching Any Given Sunday. Speaking of which why aren't their any female head coaches? I think that'd WAY more fun than being the President... but that's just me.

And then there was The Thomas Crown Affair (the remake). THUD... there went my heart. That is one HOT movie by the way. Anyway, where was I? Yes, Rene Russo....I thought for sure if I studied antique art appraisal I could become her character... basically an international bounty hunter with a designer wardrobe. I even went as far as to apply (and be accepted) into the Art Appraisal School here in DC.

I know this is long and rambling but if you've read any of my posts you've come to expect it... so here's my point, It's late on a Friday and I wanted to share the link to some fabulous clips of iconic movie songs and film clips from the 1980's. Think Karate Kid, The Goonies, Gostbusters and The Breakfast Club.

I can't take credit for putting the list together but I have no problem passing it along. This is from a tweet I received earlier today from the hilarious "our kitchen sink". You can follow them on twitter here if you aren't you should be! And if you are so inclined you can follow me on twitter here.

Here's a one video teaser... I'm going to sit back with my large glass of wine and enjoy. Wasn't Val Kilmer a hottie in 1986? With a jaw line like this one could even say he was the RPatzz of the '80's. Oh and have you seen the Saint? Umm, yeah not only did Val Kilmer make me drool, it also made me want to be an international spy.

If you like what you see you should totally check out the full post, 12 Songs That Define 80's Cinema from http://www.chicagonow.com/.







Cheers,
Ouiser

All I Want for Christmas....

Dear Santa,

Since my "real" Christmas wish list is so sad ~ think post maternity jeans and a new light fixture for the hallway ~ I thought I'd create a "past life" wish list. You know, my own past life... the time when I had a job that paid really well and a surprisingly large amount of free time due to the lack of children running around my house with jello stained hands only to drool all over me once I'm "caught". Seriously, my oldest son drools so much I wonder if he isn't dehydrated. The doctor says its normal but I'm not convinced. What does he know... aside from a medical degree and five children of his own.

Anyway.... Santa here's what I'm thinking would look marvelous under the tree, in my stocking or just delivered to my front door, whatever is easiest for you.

1. Bottle of 1988 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Brut Champagne

2. Pair of custom made cowboy boots, by Texas' own Lee Miller

3. Louis Vuitton, Alma Bag - Monogrammed Vernis in pomme de'amour

4. Monthly massage at Sugar House (my neighborhood day spa)

5. Christian Louboutin peep-toe black patent heels

 

6. Day at Bergdorff's with a personal shopper.

7. Personal Trainer to prepare for #6.

8. Nanny-- oh wait, I forgot this is pre-kids, scratch that...

8a. French lessons. Followed by obligatory week-long visit to France to practice. Perhaps for a wine country tour?

Is it just me or is my list becoming increasingly unrealistic? Just checking...

9. Rob Pattinson, sorry I just couldn't help myself he's just so darn pretty....

10. Dinner with Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in NYC. (I have a major culinary crush on Monsieur Ripert but yes yes by all means DH can tag along)

And with that I'm off to clean up the kitchen where my son has thrown most of his lunch overboard and change what is most likely a very unpleasant diaper. Oh and did I mention it's laundry day?

Cheers,

Ousier

Recipe of the week ~ Turkey Meatloaf ~ No Really It's the Best Ever!

Do you have a culinary icon? Someone that is both an inspiration in the kitchen and in life? For me it's with out a doubt Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa.

Aside from the fact that she and her adorable husband Jeffrey started out their marriage living in DC and working for the federal government (a la DH and myself) she also embodies the type of cook and entertainer I strive to be. She radiates happiness and I imagine her parties to be welcoming, unstuffy (is that a word?) and comfortably elegant. And of course her cooking is divine without being pretentious. She takes the best ingredients and makes simple, delicious food.

I have almost all her cookbooks and literally (I'm not kidding) every recipe I've tried has become an instant "new family favorite". How frequently can you say that? Usually there are a few stand out recipes but EVERY recipe? That's rare.

Side Note: Having raved about her cookbooks, if you only ever buy one cookbook it should be the Joy of Cooking. It has EVERYTHING you will ever need. It's the best comprehensive cookbook I've ever seen.

However if you are looking for a fun gift for the entertainer or home cook on your list any of Ina's cookbooks would be a huge hit I'm sure. A couple of my personal favorites are The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and The Barefoot Contessa Parties.

Okay back to Ina and her meatloaf. I bet you were wondering when I'd get to the recipe. :)

If you are anything like me, you didn't grow up liking meatloaf... at all! I'm guessing mamere didn't much care for it either as I don't recall having it all that often. Perhaps it was the green peppers or maybe it was all that ketchup or maybe even the oddly molded shape but until I discovered this recipe I just assumed meatloaf was something I didn't like. Sorta like sloppy joes but I digress.

Leave it to the one and only Ina Garten to make an absolutely delicious and (kinda) healthy meatloaf. I've made this for family dinners, pot lucks and even for dinner parties to rave reviews. This recipe makes a ton but before you consider cutting it in half it also makes incredible left overs.

Its rainy and cold here in DC this week and as my in laws have returned to Texas I'm on my own for dinner planning. I'm thinking about making this recipe over the weekend for DH and I. There will be plenty of left overs for a night or two next week when the best I can do is pour myself a big glass of wine and relax after the kiddos are asleep.

Turkey Meatloaf
serves 8-10

3 C Yellow Onions, chopped (I prefer sweet onions)
2 TBS Olive Oil
2tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp freshly ground pepper
1tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 C Worcestershire sauce
3/4C Chicken Stock
1 1/2 tsp Tomato Paste
5 lbs Ground turkey breast
1 1/2 C plain dry Bread Crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4C Ketchup

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium saute pan heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add Onions, Salt & Pepper and Thyme. Cook until onions are translucent but not brown, about 10-15 mins. Add Worcestershire Sauce, Chicken Stock and Tomato Paste. Mix well. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp.

Combine the Turkey, Bread Crumbs, Eggs & Onion mixture in a very large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for an hour and a half or until internal temp is 160 degrees.

Ina Note: A pan of hot water in the oven under the meat loaf will keep the top from cracking.


If you try it please let me know how your family liked it!

Happy Cooking!

Cheers,
Ouiser

Texas Is National Championship Bound!!!!

Holy - this is going to be the death of me- Batman!!!

I HATE games like this... I seriously stoped breathing for the last minute. Usually in a down-to-the-last-minute (in this case it was the last second) game I'm more than happy to put the fate of the world on our quarterback's shoulders (a la Vince Young) but a kicker? That's just too much for me to take.

Even though the kick wasn't pretty it got the job done ... we are heading to Pasadena to face the Crimson Tide for the National Championship and I can't think of a match up I'd rather see. Alabama has had such a tremendous year! 

Sadly, I won't actually be at the game unlike some of my friends... yeah that's right G-money I'm talking about you! Instead I'm sure I'll be sitting at home stuffing my face with chips and queso and yelling at the tv, but that's another post I'm sure no one wants to hear about.

I'll leave you with a few words from Mac Brown from just a few moments ago...  "we're the best come from behind team". So very true Mac, but must I always carry a bottle of tums with me to watch a game?

Now I'm off to sleep with a huge goofy grin on my face!

Cheers,
Ouiser

~Update~ New Folgers Coffee Christmas Commercial

Hat tip to one fabulous reader, Jonathan for sharing a link to the  the new Folgers Coffee Christmas commercial.

You might remember I blogged about my love of the original commercial circa the 1980's here and then about the new commercial here. As promised I'm adding the video clip for all of you that have been on pins and needless waiting to see it yourself.



Do you love it? Hate it? Could care less?

If you love it here's a free tip, try tuning into the Hallmark channel I'm pretty sure they play it at least once during every commercial break.

Okay back to the Texas vs. Nebraska game. Thank the God of all things football that we made that last touch down.

Cheers,
Ouiser

Ticking Clock....

Holy Cow! I just realized I have exactly 27 minutes of free time for the first time in ... ummmmm.... let's see.... ummmm... okay... a long time?

So of course I've headed straight to my blog to post something... anything, regardless of the fact that I've given no thought at all to what I'm going to write. That's beside the point, you won't mind if this is mindless drivel right? Cause we're friends, like really great friends right? And friends are required to listen to total drivel and nod supportively. Sometimes I love being a woman! I am pretty sure guys don't do that... just a slap on the back and an offer to buy you another round.

My continued lack of sleep has pretty much assured that I no longer have any real sense of time. When DH asked what time I got up in the middle of the night to feed the baby my regular response is "I dunno? maybe 3am? or was it 4am? I'm pretty sure it was between 3am and 5am."

I should note, that I'd literally be walking into walls if my in laws weren't here. My MIL has been making scrumptious dinners every night and getting up with our older son every morning. I'm totally ignoring the fact they are going home in a matter of days. No, no I can't think about that now, I won't think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow. I think Miss Scarlett was really on to something.

15 minutes left....

So with my coffee buzz waining and the fact that I'm pretty sure I'm running out of words I know how to spell I'll wrap this up. Ugh, still no spell check on the new and (not) improved blogger.

Happy Friday.. oh wait... College Football! Okay you gotta check out the games this weekend. Of course you should watch the Texas game, natch but THE game to watch is the SEC championship between Alabama and Florida. The game will be great for sure and the winner will likely face Texas in the National Championship! Oh and a nod to my actual alma mater, SMU is going to a bowl game for the first time in like 20 years! Go Mustangs!!!!

7 minutes left...

Okay, so I'm going to leave you with a funny video from one of the funniest shows ever. Anyone else remember Mystery Science Theater 3000? Hilarious! And the fact that they are making fun of Twilight makes this even better. *Yes DH, I can make fun of Twilight and still be obsessed!* Enjoy and the next time I have a few minutes I'll try to post something equally silly and mindless.



Cheers,
Ouiser

with 1 minute to spare!

Did I Miss Christmas Already?!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend filled with family and food... lots of food! I'm thinking I might just toss out my scale till after the holidays. That or maybe I should go in the opposite direction and start weighing in every morning as a good reminder to behave? Okay, lets be honest after Turkey day leftovers and sipping on my father-in-law's intoxicatingly delicious egg nog last night it'll probably be the former but on to bigger issues than my post baby weight... Christmas! Eek gad its here already.

It's amazing to me that even though we've hardly had time to clean up after Thanksgiving dinner much less finish all the left over turkey and dressing I already feel behind the ball with my Christmas prep. I realize that we did celebrate Turkey Day two days after the rest of the country but still ... how is it that I blinked and all of a sudden I'm late for Christmas? I even got an email from a (not to be named) massive online vendor that I only had one more week of "guaranteed to deliver by Christmas" free shipping.

With the new baby's arrival (note: must come up with cute baby names for the blog-- mmm, something else for my to do list, *sighs loudly*) there are more than a few things I've put on hold for the sake of my sanity and generally I'm okay with that.

This year for example we will not have the enormous gigantor tree that I foolishly fall in love with every year and then have to listen to all of DH's reasons as to why it is impractical. Piiishaw I say, we can always trim the branches. No, this year we're going with a baby tree.

I should mention, that we had really high ceilings in my house as a child so we could accommodate the 13 ft. trees. However, this is not so much the case in our present home. And of course we have a very curious 18 month old boy who'd love nothing more than to shake off every last needle from the tree, giggling like mad the entire time.

At least that would mean he'd be shaking something other than his baby brother's bassinet. And no I'm not kidding. We've essentially created a furniture barricade around the bassinet but some how that little munchkin slips and slides his way around it all if we aren't paying attention. It's so nice my child loves his little brother so much. (please note sarcasm)

I've lost my train of thought again haven't I? Well that's no surprise as I wondered around the house for about 5 minutes this morning looking for my coffee forgetting what I was looking for no less than three times over the course of said 5 minute period.

I'm pretty sure I was talking about Christmas...So here's my question. Are you an early bird shopper? or last minute deal grabber? I soooo want to be the early bird, but something tells me this year all my gifts will be ordered online and *fingers crossed* before Christmas Eve.

Mamere (that's my mom incase you're new to reading this blog) is definitely an early bird. She informed me last week that she'd just completed all her Christmas shopping. Arrgh, I hadn't even started my list. Mmm, lists... how I do love lists, especially in excel. Nothing better than sorting, highlighting, color coding, bolding and italicizing. Did that just sound as nerdy as I think it did? Well I can't help it, I LOVE lists!

I managed to get my Christmas card list and a proof of our Christmas card done last night, now I just need to get a good picture of the boys. Of course this will be the real challenge. I'm tempted to just send out the one with my older son pointing at the baby and looking at the camera like .. who's this kid? and more importantly when is he leaving? but I'm not sure everyone on our list would get the humor of it.

This year I'm just going to accept my lack of time & energy and enjoy the season, soaking up every song on the "Sounds of the Season" channel ~ probably driving DH mad in the process. Relishing in addressing and writing notes on my holiday cards. And best of all wrapping presents! oh golly, I do love a well wrapped present. I'm sounding weird again aren't I?

Okay, on that note I'm off to nap as one son is finally in his crib for some quite time and my wonderful mother in law is watching my wee little one. yiippee!

Cheers,
Ouiser

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I sit here watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and sipping on what is probably my fourth cup of coffee I'm kinda sad. But this cartoon did make me laugh...

As many of you know I just had our second baby boy a couple of weeks ago and my wonderful inlaws are arriving tomorrow afternoon to spend a week or two with us to help out. Note: I'm extremely grateful for their help!!! But, this means DH and I decided to forgo making a big fuss about Thanksgiving dinner today and instead are doing the big meal on Saturday.

This is of course the rational and practical decision and I totally realize that. Having said that (anyone see the finale of Curb your Enthusiam? tee hee hee) since I'm neither practical nor rational I'm all grumpy and wishing I was in the kitchen fixing all our traditional favorites a la Norman Rockwell ...

Instead in a "what was I thinking" moment, I actually planned to defrost some salmon to make for dinner tonight. Ummm, I don't think so. We may not be having Turkey and all the fixings today but there is no way I'm serving something from our freezer. Thank goodness Harris Tetter is open all day today! We are going to have something homemade if it kills me. And it just might as I'm seriously contemplating packing up my 1 1/2 year old son and my 3 week old son and heading out to the store. Is that crazy? Yeah probably.

DH (who incidentally is visiting his Uncle and grandmother for lunch today-- what a good boy!) logically asked me how I would have room in the cart for food with both boys but I can't be bothered by rational problems like that. Nor can I be concerned with what shoddy reminents will be left in the stores today. At least I know I can't go wrong with canned green beans, canned mushroom soup and of course French's fried onions. Perhaps I'll throw in some sweet potatoes and make a dinner of side dishes. Those are my favorite after all.

I know I've been WAY behind on sharing recipes with you so I promise to make up for that next week. We are trying all new recipe's this year, again this may end up being a "what were you thinking" mistake but at least it'll be an interesting twist. So if any of the new dishes work out I'll share some them.

And all joking aside, I feel very lucky this year to share the day with my "Darling Husband" and our two precious sons. I hope you are enjoying this day to it's fullest! 

Now log off and go grab a big glass of wine, over eat, watch football, bicker and laugh with your family. That's what this day is for right? :)

Cheers & Love,
Ouiser

New Version of Folger's Commercial

What a coincidence, the same week I write about how much I love and still cry during the Folger's Commercial circa the 1980s they actually remake the commercial for today's generation! Of course this time "Peter" is coming home from Africa... we can only assume he's on some humanitarian volunteering mission, natch.

Oh how we've changed since the 1980's but that is an entirely different post and although I LOVE talking politics I've pretty much decided to avoid the topic on this blog lest I get into some online ranting which seems particularly pointless. Can't we all just get along??

Where was I? Oh yes, coffee commercials...

This version isn't quite as sappy and sentimental as the original (sequels rarely are) nevertheless I still teared up when I saw it last night and thought I'd share it with you since I'd written about the original version in this post.

Expecting a clip of the new ad right? Yep, this is the space I'd planned on adding it but I'm pretty sure it's not online, atleast I didn't find it during my 30 second google search. Clearly I'm a research genius. But I did find this post ranting about the new ad. If it does get posted online I'll try to remeber to add it. Of course these days I'm lucky to remember to shower. Oh and check out the comments, the aunt of the actor playing the new "Peter" gets a little defensive. Ouch! See, this is why I try to keep this blog positive!

I'm still working out a schedule with DH and the babies so my blog is suffering and for that I apologize. Frankly, if I stopped reading fan fiction I could probably still get a quick post in everyday but well, I can't seem to stop. I know if DH is reading this he'll roll his eyes and snicker at this next point but really there are some tremendously talented writers out there. Kudos to you ladies!!!

Seriously, I think I'm currently more addicted to fan fiction than to Edward & Bella and the whole Twilight gang. Eeeek did I actually admit that? Mmm, don't hate me SM I'm of course still waiting with baited breath for Midnight Sun and frankly anything else you dream up and write about.

Okay, off to browse the world of twitter and probably some fan fiction if I'm honest before baby deux wakes up demanding to be fed. He's so needy like that.


Cheers,
Ouiser

Amazing Beauty Deals ~ Thanks Alpha Mom

You're Welcome! Yes, that's right I said it, you're welcome... for not posting any of the things I've written over the past 72 hours. Just re-reading some of my would be posts and they are god awful!

I know you don't care about the crazy number of dirty diapers I've changed on a daily basis. Who knew newborns went through so many? Clearly I had forgotten. Nor are you interested in how brilliant I think my newborn son is for being able to slightly hold his head up for a second or two. Amazing right?! I'm already convinced that our older son is going to be the next Mozart but that's another post you'll never have to read. Again, you're welcome!

So what is a blogger to do when all she does is change diapers, feed her children and clean & sterilize bottles all day (and ALL night)? Well thank the good Lord for other MUCH more talented bloggers whom I can poach err, promote!

I was browsing through my favorite blogs this morning...after watching KStew on Regis & Kelly of course. Cute sweater and she sounded so great when talking about the process of acting and digging into the character but the rest of the interview seemed a little awkward. Of course I'm sure she's already tired of answering the same questions over and over again. And she's only 19 after all. I'm sure at her age I wouldn't have been half as polished. I probably would have said "umm" and "like" about a million times in a 10 minute interview. And God only knows what I would have worn. At 19 I was pretty much wearing Harold's exclusively. For those that don't remember this semi-preppy and more than a bit matronly clothing chain they went out of business a few years ago. But I donned quite a few denim vests and paisley velvet pants with my jon hart purses over the years. Okay enough about me.

Where was I?

Oh yes, "sharing" the sage advice from one of my all time favorite bloggers, Amalah. In addition to her own blog, she also blogs on Alpha Mom and today's post is PERFECT for all you ladies who are looking for some fun new beauty finds. Or for those out there that are trying to think of great gifts to give your girlfriends, nieces, mothers, sisters...or even your metrosexual male friend who cares as much about keeping his skin fresh and well moisturized as you do!

For my money, I plan to try out the Tarte Treasure Chest as well as the World of Kiehl's Holiday Gift Set. And I can think of at least three ladies on my Christmas list that I can take care of from this post. I don't want to name names or products though since there is a very good chance they are reading this!

Take a peek and discover some great new beauty products. Oh, and I can attest I LOVE the Laura Mercier line-- Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer (with SPF) is awesome as is their loose powder and I'm totally hooked on their line of lip gloss. And if you've read some of my previous posts you know I'm a stickler when it comes to good lip gloss.

So enough of my ramblings, please check out Amalah's The Advice Smackdown Holiday Beauty Gift Guide post today on Alpha Mom!! And perhaps I'll have something worthwhile to share in the next day or two.

Cheers,
Ouiser

25 Things You Didn't Know About Dolly Parton

I am the first to admit that I count down the hours till my US Weekly arrives every week. It may be a step below People but its still a good staircase above some of the other trashy celeb mags i.e. OK Magazine.

Sadly, with each passing year I've gone from knowing every "celeb" in the magazine to knowing fewer and fewer. This is mostly due to the fact that they all seem to be getting younger and younger... mmm, kinda like I never know who the musical acts are on Saturday Night Live anymore. Am I the only one? Please say I'm not! Could it be that I'm just getting older and less in the know? Surely not!

So imagine my surprise when I turned the page to some fun personal information about one of my all time favorites, the adorable Dolly Parton. You may recall my ode to Dolly in this past post.

It was fascinating, for example, did you know that she is dying to go to Spain? She's never been. This extremely successful woman with oodles and oodles of wealth has never been to Spain. I'm just blown away by that and find it rather endearing, especially because Spain and Portugal are #1 and #2 on my travel wish list.

And of course there are things that you'd totally expect like she makes the "best" chicken and dumplings and most endearing... "I pinch myself everyday to remind myself that I'm not dreaming. This life is real and I'm grateful." Ummm, yeah, she's the best!

As if you needed another reminder how awesome she is pick up a copy of this week's US Weekly and read for yourself!

Cheers,
Ouiser

The Stork Finally Arrives!

In case you are wondering what happened to me and my deliciously witty writing these past few days, no I haven't been abducted by my family and shipped off to a clinic for Twilight addicts (although sometimes I think DH wishes he could). I'm safe and sound and now the proud mother of two precious little boys. That's right our second son arrived on Monday morning! Via a special delivery by Mr. Stork of course. Oh if only that were the case, how wonderful it would be.

Judging from my late night frenzy of tweets last night I'm guessing that my blog posts will become either less frequent or increasingly more incoherent. Who am I kidding, it'll probably be a bit of both. Perhaps for the next couple of weeks it would be in your best interest to double check my recipes in case I am so sleep deprived I suggest using salt instead of sugar or other such nonsense.

Oh dear, that reminds me, please forgive me if I post a rave review of the snuggie or another such late night TV sales pitch. I'm afraid I've always been vulnerable to such sales attacks even without my current sleep deprived state. I actually purchased a 12 disk compilation of Dick Clark's Golden Oldies. Yep, you heard me right, 12 cds featuring music from the 50's. And once in college I actually purchased spring break tickets to Cabo at 4am. Well that might have had more to do with a bit of a.... shall I say "buzz" than actual sleep deprivation, but it was a silly compulsive purchase in the middle of the night so I'm counting it.

Speaking of television, did you know there is a whole other Today show on every morning? That's right, it's called Early Today and it starts at 4:30 am. So basically you can go from this program right into Willie Geist's Way Too Early at 5:30 and then follow it up with Morning Joe from 6am - 9am. After which you will need to go back to bed of course as you'll be completely overloaded with the most useless news of the day. But lets be honest as a new mom, no one is taking anything I say seriously, nor should they since I am rarely able to complete a full thought before I forget my point altogether. Mmm, I seem to have a similar problem keeping on track with my posts. Interesting, very interesting.

So there you have it folks, I just wanted to check in and let you know that I'm alive and kicking, well maybe not exactly kicking but as of about 4pm today I'm actually able to walk. Albeit it with the legally required help of a nurse. And god bless sweet DH, not only is he a great dad he is willingly staying with me in the hospital and sleeping on the world most uncomfortable bed. And when I say "bed" I mean a thin plastic chair that unfolds into two pieces of flimsy foam with two connecting metal bars for comfort. Yeah, it's that bad.

Cheers,

Ouiser

Already Intoxicated by Holiday Spirit?

Is it a problem that its only the first week in November and I'm already so excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas that I'm all goosepimply? I actually woke up this morning feeling like it was mid-December. Something about having the heat on and wearing toasty warm socks while sipping coffee and of course watching Morning Joe-- of course he is year round fun!

By the way, does anyone else think that the guy in this photo looks like Ross the Intern from the Tonight Show? I miss him....

Are you crying you're laughing so hard? Yeah, me too. No matter how many times I watch that.

Back to my holiday obsession...

I'm actually giddy to pick up the mail these days in hopes of a new catalog. I blame Mamere for this obsession. No joke, I think she receives every single catalogue out there. I worry that one day her mail box is going to explode but God bless her, she loves browsing through them all.

Not only is it the season of a million gift catalogs but it's the season of a new holiday issue of Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, WS Home, Restoration Hardware, Ballard's Design and so on and so on.

Speaking of gifts. If you have children please read the follow post, Five Toys That Are Made of Magic from DC area Mom Blogger amalah.com. (Mamere & Grandma Warning: colorful language abounds!) And for the record I'm totally buying this for our son.

Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper

By the way, What exactly made Hasbro go with "skool" instead of "school"? Aren't we supposed to be teaching our children by example? If you can't spell school correctly why should I trust you or your educational toys?! Then again, as it's been described to me this toy is like crack for toddlers and frankly that's enough to sell me on it!

But I digress...

Have you seen all the fun home decor that's out there this fall??? I mean I know I'm giving birth in like 4 days but now all I want to do is decorate my home in all things holiday.

Be it the decorative straw turkey from Williams Sonoma...

Or the monogrammed glass hurricanes? Also a la Williams Sonoma. I think they'd look perfect on our table this year. Oh I so want to tell you all about our menu plans this year but that will have to wait. It's way too early to get into all that. For now I'll just obsess over the decor like this pomegranate centerpiece from Pottery Barn....

So the point of today's post? Yeah, I'm not sure either... but it did give me the opportunity to post a funny video, a link to an even funnier blog and some pictures of things I'll likely forget all about buying once the stork delivers our newest little bundle of joy on Monday.

Happy Browsing... on line and in print!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Extra Recipe ~ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm making a new dessert for my monthly girls supper tonight that I think is going to be awesome! A friend made these for an event I was volunteering at this past weekend and I was hooked from the first bite!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Ummm yeah Y-U-M-M-Y right? Oh and here's the second best part, these muffins are low fat... that's right I said tasty AND low fat.

After I have an obligatory taste test this afternoon, I'll share the recipe with you!

Till then... have another pumpkin spice latte and keep drooling!

Cheers,
Ouiser

~ Recipe Update ~

Okay folks, now that I've fed, bathed and put my little one to bed I'm sitting down with a nice glass of chardonay. I've still got an hour or so till DH gets home and I can head out to meet the ladies. Perfect time to share the muffin recipe with you.

I've mixed ... I've baked ... I've tasted ... and now I'm in heaven! (oh the things I do for this blog and you readers! tee hee hee) These muffins are soooo moist and delicious. You just have to try them!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins ( I had extra batter but since my muffin tin only held 12, me and the little one ate the extra batter. Please no judgement, gracias!)

1 18.25oz. pkg. Moist Yellow cake mix
1 15 oz. can Pumpkin Puree
1 C Chocolate chips
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves (we didn't have any on hand so I skipped this)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Mix together all ingredients and spoon into muffin cups.

Bake for 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Recipe of the week ~ Caramelized Onion, Blue Cheese & Rosemary Chicken Pasta

Happy Recipe Wednesday Everyone!!

I love Wednesdays not only because it marks the half way point till the weekend, but it also offers the food section in the Washington Post. Aside from the wedding section (which had vastly improved over the last few months) the food section is my favorite feature of the Post. It's got great little articles and tips and most of the time there are at least one or two recipes that I want to try. The recipe I'm sharing today was originally taken from a WP feature-- Dinner in under 30 mins. And although it's from about 7 years ago, it's undeniably delicious. One of my family's favorite pasta dishes. Even my picky little eater had some of my leftovers for lunch the next day.

If you know me at all you will know that I'm quite sentimental and very emotional about everything! Yes, that's right, I'm a cryer. I'm the girl that crys during the Christmas Folger's commercial when the college student surprises his mom with a visit and some coffee. Yep this is the one...




And don't even get me started on the animal cruelty ad featuring "In the Arms of an Angel" by Sara McLaughlin. I am literally a puddle of tears in the 2 seconds it takes to scramble for the remote. And of course being pregnant has taken this condition to a whole other level. I'm not kidding when I say that DH often times has to sensor what I watch lest I become a blubbering mess.

So, needless to say I get sentimental thinking about the days when DH and I were first dating. He is of course still a total sweetheart but there's something so wonderful about the "firsts" in your relationship. This is the first meal that DH ever made for me and so it will always be a wonderful reminder of that evening and that very special time in my life. Thank goodness its exceptionally yummy... I mean what if he'd made sauerkraut? I'm not saying we wouldn't have ended up together or anything but... ick ick ick.

It's also nice that this is a super easy recipe that you can whip together in less than an hour and pair it with a salad for a scrumptious weeknight dinner.

As a disclaimer I should mention that I didn't make my own pasta for this recipe as the above picture might lead you to believe... but... that's not to say you shouldn't try it some time. On a weekend of course! Making your own pasta is a very messy first time project but I think it's sooo delicious!!! And it's so much fun to play around in the kitchen especially if you can get your spouse or significant other or heck a best friend in there with you to help even better! Grab a bottle of wine (or two) and make a Friday night into a great memory. The left overs are almost just as tasty so make a full recipe even if you're only cooking for two!

Caramelize Onion, Blue Cheese & Rosemary Chicken Pasta
Serves 4 dinner portions

1 lbs. Pasta (Orecchiette, fussilliee or farfalle are best)

4 Large Sweet Onions
2 TBS Butter, unsalted
2 TBS Olive Oil
1 ½ lbs. Chicken Breast
4 tsp Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
4-6 oz. Blue Cheese (gorgonzola works too)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook Pasta as directed. Thinly slice the onions (I love using my mandolin for this teary task). Heat the olive oil and butter over medium low heat, add onions and cook until caramelized about 30 mins. You may need to lower the heat to be sure the onions do not brown to quickly.


While watching the onions, flatten chicken breasts to ¼ in and season with salt and pepper. Broil or saute the chicken turning once. Cook time should be about 10 mins. Once the chicken has cooled, cut into strips or chop into 1 inch bites and mix with the fresh chopped rosemary and set aside.

Once the pasta is done, drain and mix with the chicken mixture and the cheese. Toss to Combine. Cover and set aside for a moment or two while the cheese melts.

Add the caramelized onions and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Happy Cooking!! Or in Italiano... Cucinare felice!


Cheers,
Ouiser