Recipe of the week ~ Best Ever Macaroni & Cheese

Even though I've lived on the East Coast for more than ten years now (10th anniversary was in August!) I spent the previous 20+ years (no need for exact #s here people) in Texas and am therefore used to summer lasting through September and well into October before the "chill" of fall sets in (did you just think of George Strait's Chill of an Early Fall? really?? Me too! now it's stuck in my head and you can hear it by clicking the link) and we start seeing temps drop into the say, upper 70's.... bbrrrrrr. Wow that was a long (and as my computer's thesaurus would say "too wordy") sentence. Thank goodness I have no editor.

Anyway, my point is that it's chilly here in DC and I love it! I've got the a/c off and all of our windows open as I enjoy the nice breeze. I can tell you this is very unusual for me! Again it may be the Texas girl in me but I am a lover of a/c ... yes, year round. I try to keep our thermostat at 68 degrees at all times and love to have the down comforter on our bed all the time. Perhaps I've shared too much for a "Recipe of the week" post. I'll move along now...


While Fall is in fact my favorite season it's hard to say it's my favorite culinary season because I genuinely have favorites in Spring, Summer and Winter (although I do tend to lump fall and winter together when it comes to cooking). I actually get excited for spring asparagus and summer tomatoes and corn but with fall comes homey, warm, and probably a bit rich and excessive flavors. Thank goodness for winter sweaters and other wonderfully bulky clothes!

Here comes the one and only health disclaimer so pay attention....Today's recipe is the epitome of rich and excessive flavors and is a good reminder that we should practice self restraint and moderation in our eating habits. If you want the nutritional breakdown of this recipe you can find it here. I'm not going to add it to this post because just looking at the list of ingredients you can imagine for yourself. May I suggest that this is a fabulous dish to serve to a big crowd so that you can take a reasonably sized portion, savor every mouthful and then give away the leftovers!

Okay enough of that nonsense and on to the delicious recipe. I saw an episode of Oprah years and years ago featuring some of her favorite recipes, this was of course one of them and all the credit goes to Patti LaBelle. In case any lawyers are reading this let me be clear. This is her recipe. I didn't create it nor am I claiming any right to it. I've simply enjoyed it time and time again and in fact, everyone, yes everyone I've made it for has as well. Thanks Patti for creating this and thanks Oprah for sharing it with the world!

I implore you to try this for your next big family gathering, or big dinner party. You might not think of Mac n Cheese as being very "dinner partyish" but trust me it will be the hit of the evening!

Patti LaBelle's "Over the Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese"
Serves 6


1 TBS Vegetable Oil
1 Lbs. Elbow Macaroni, dried
8 TBS Butter, plus 1 TBS butter
1/2 C (2 oz.) each of Shredded Munster, Mild Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar & Monterrey Jack Cheeses (I tend to always add a little extra)
2C Half n Half
1C (8oz.) Velveeta, diced into small cubes
2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Lightly butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare macaroni using the oil. Do not overcook. Drain and return to pot. In a large saucepan melt the stick of butter and stir in macaroni.

In a large bowl mix all the cheeses and set aside.

To the macaroni add the half n half, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mix, Velveeta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese mix. Dot the top of the casserole with the remaining butter.

Bake for 35 mins or until bubbling at the edges.

And I couldn't help but add these pictures. I love that you can order it as a T-shirt or as a stamp. Truly for the lover of cheese and pasta. I wonder if it comes as a onesie, I'd surely order one for Baby Fig!



Happy Cooking!

Cheers,
Ouiser

Itunes Tuesday ~ Muse

For anyone that knows me, this will not come as any great shock. I'm not that creative nor am I musically gifted. In trivia games, music is always my worst category. Well to be fair science is actually my worst category but music is a close second.

This isn't to say that I don't like music in fact I'm generally very effected by it. Being the often overly dramatic and emotionally charged girl that I am I've cried, laughed, cried and just generally felt moved by all kinds of different songs and artists from country to rock. Of course my emotional outpourings are something I long tried to hide when first dating DH. I think he was genuinely surprised when he finally realized that I was in fact "a crier" despite my best efforts to cover it up and in one case actually deny it. Oh well, surely he's accepted the reality now. And frankly I'm even more emotional when pregnant. I hadn't thought about that until this moment but I bet looking back to when we were dating is a bit amusing in retrospect for DH. You know in the way that you once thought that little stomach pooch was cute when you were 5 months pregnant but somehow now that you are 8 1/2 months pregnant and can no longer see your feet it's not so much? Mmm, perhaps that's just me.

Anyway, back to today's post...

As I'm expanding my musical interests I've discovered some new (I say new because they are new to me and probably me alone!) music that I really like and thought I'd share a couple of songs with you today.

I'm thinking that like the email I get every Tuesday morning from Itunes, "New Music Tuesday" I too can share my own Itunes Tuesday! That is as long as I have a fun song to share, I promise not to subject you to anything I find annoying! Unless it's so annoying that its funny, that's acceptable, right?

I'm fully aware that Muse has been around for a while but as I said before they are new to me. I think by now you can guess that in no way will these musical Tuesday posts offer the latest breaking news in the music world, instead I'm just hoping to share a few songs I like and perhaps introduce you to a couple of new tunes that you might find enjoyable as well.

I hope you like what you hear, you can bet I've added both these to my ipod and will be jamming along to the music as the little one and I head off to our weekly class at the baby gym later this morning.

Note: I've already shared two muse songs that I particularly like so if you like what you hear please go check out my previous post.

Oh and yes, I guess I should also disclose that I was introduced to Muse by Stephanie Meyer and the world of Twilight. There I said it, yes yes yet another aspect of my life initiated by Twilight. Thank goodness DH doen't read my blog every day anymore, he'd just have one more thing to tease me about!


Cheers,
Ouiser

Something Dangerous ~ Book Review

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, I know I did! It was a bit busier than a normal weekend in our house so it seemed to fly by. Luckily, Sunday afternoon and evening (always my favorite part of the weekend) was spent with just DH and our little one so that made it all the more enjoyable. As we prepare for baby fig's arrival (we've been calling him fig until we share his official name) I'm reminded how quickly babies change. It's so amazing to watch our little one, now almost 16 months old as he learns and experiences everything around him. I have a bit more understanding as to why I still catch mamere occasionally staring at me. And while it still annoys me just as it did when I was a child, I can understand and appreciate the reasoning much better now.

How did I ever get so off topic in the first paragraph?! Oh dear...

Last night I finished the second book in the Lytton Family Saga, Something Dangerous. In case you missed it you can read my review of the first book, No Angel in this earlier post.

If I was on the fence about the series before I'm utterly engaged now! A point I made to DH last night which he found quite amusing seeing as I'm already two thirds of the way through the series. Honestly I really have been enthralled the entire time just often frustrated by the character's behavior. I guess it would hardly make for very compelling reading if everyone made the "right" decision all the time.

Something Dangerous continues to follow our lead character Lady Celia Lytton, her husband Oliver and their rapidly growing family. However, this book focuses more in depth on her children's generation- their coming of age, marriages, careers, families and of course their own terrible mistakes and personal shortcomings. However disappointed I was in some of the choices made in No Angel I seemingly with out reason have more sympathy for some of the same mistakes made in Something Dangerous. I'm not sure if it is due to the fact I've become more involved (for lack of a better word) with the characters and their family saga or just somewhat desensitized to the similar choices in this second generation. Whatever the reason it was much easier for me to read.

The story begins in 1928, continues through WWII and ends with a bit of a surprise in the Autumn of 1946. It's amazing that as the book has seen us through nearly fifty years of change so many of the characters find themselves in somewhat similar predicaments. It's a good reminder to listen to your parents, they do in fact know a few things. I was continually amazed by the timeless wisdom of Lady Beckenham, Celia's mother. Even in her late 80's she is shockingly non-judgemental and the one character that seems to have an unflexible set of beliefs. While these beliefs are often questioned by both the characters and the reader they never fail to make the most sense and when followed seem to guide those on the receiving end onto a much happier path.

I wasn't at all surprised by whom I found to be my favorite character in No Angel because he was dashing, handsome, honest, headstrong, loving and sincere. I was however shocked by my favorite character in Something Dangerous. For some still to be determined reason I found myself strangely caring for and terribly worried about the arrogant, childish, selfish and extremely needy character who caused more than his fare share of problems in the first book. I won't go into the phycological reason this may be I'll just leave it with the idea that even the (so called) worst characters are compelling in certain ways. Every one of the characters struggle with their own issues, difficult choices and seemingly no end to their family's drama.

I highly recommend reading this series, and if like me you struggle with No Angel you will be rewarded with Something Dangerous. It's just as juicy and racy as the first book but somehow didn't shock me as much this time.

The moment I finished the book last night I rushed to my computer and put in a request online at my local library for Into Temptation, the third and sadly final book in this series. Although the system found four available copies, of course none were at the branch nearest me. I'm hoping it will only take a day or two for the transfer. I'm so eager to get reading!!

Happy Reading!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Friday Football Fever

Happy Friday Everyone!

It's a bit humid and rainy here today which is perfect as I'm completely absorbed with the book I'm reading, Something Dangerous. As you may recall from an earlier post this is the second book in a fiction family saga trilogy. Like the first book, No Angel it's filled with conflicting characters, intense romance and sadly some very poor behavior. I'm about half way through so I'm sure you can expect a full review early next week.

On to college football!

This weekend the Texas Longhorns are again at home and taking on the UTEP Miners tomorrow at 2:30 pm (Austin time). For those unfamiliar with this team, they are the University of Texas at El Paso. Now I'm certainly not one to take ANY game for granted but I'm guessing the odds are fairly good that we win this one. Of course last week's game against the also unranked Tx Tech Red Raiders was (while a great game) a terribly uneasy nail biter until literally the last 2 minutes. Something I'd prefer not to go through tomorrow.

Instead I'm hoping to casually check the scores as I'm fairly confident that the game is not televised here. Plus DH and I are taking our little one to the National's baseball game against the Atlanta Braves. It'll be our last game of the season as a family since I'm getting progressively more pregnant (6 weeks to go). It'll be our little one's third game and we are always so impressed (and never biased) with how well he handles himself! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the predicted rain holds off so that we can enjoy at least a few innings.

In my brief search for a fun UT football image to go along with this post I've discovered some very disturbing images. It's amazing what some "fans" will purchase in support of their preferred team. While I do admit to dressing my son up in UT jumpers and even an adorable burnt orange set of overalls I just can't fathom spending money on some of these things. Eek gad!

Do you own any thing outrageously tacky that you just love? Send me a picture, I'd love to see it and hear all about your sports team lovin'!

In the mean time here are few of my personal favs... oh and yes if you are wondering about the above picture it is in fact a stuffed longhorn pacifier, something every baby needs.

Cheers,

Ouiser

Funny Commercials ~ Payton Manning and Shankapotomus

I'm hardly one to send out long email forwards about the seemingly real Internet taxes or chain letters or even (despite this particular post) funny baby/puppy/kitten etc emails. Its just not my cup of tea.

However, a few months ago I saw this commercial and literally couldn't stop laughing. And anyone who knows me or has seen this occur knows it is a process that takes about 10 mins. It starts with my normal laugh then seemingly uncontrollably builds until I'm crying and can hardly breathe. I'm rendered speechless with blotchy eyes and very sore stomach muscles as I try to regain some sense of composure. Usually this is brought on by something ridiculously charming and hilarious that DH has said probably not even realizing how funny it was. I don't think I've mentioned before just how alarmingly funny he is... definitely the first thing I realized when we met. I'm so easily amused I've often wondered if it wouldn't have made more sense for him to end up with someone who possesses a more mature sense humor. Alas, too late now. He's all mine!

Aside from the fact that this commercial is hysterical it provided me with a new favorite word... Shankapotomus... I mean really don't you want to try to inject it into your conversation today? Lets all try that at least once!


And here's a little bonus video courtesy of SNL. Although I'm never awake late enough to watch the show live DH is pretty good about taping it if there is a guest we are interested in. This is a video that's been floating around for a while now and I was just reminded of it when a good friend posted it on face book this week. Since I was already doing this post about the e-trade commercial I thought I'd add this one for a good laugh as well.




Please enjoy and I'm sure tomorrow I'll post something much deeper and insightful than today... You know something all about the latest and greatest scarf that you simply must have or risk all sorts of social suicide this fall. You think I'm kidding? I've got the link if you don't believe me!

Cheers,
Ouiser

Cashmere Sweaters *ON SALE*

Just a very brief post letting you know about a fabulous sale at BlueFly.com. If you aren't already aware of their website you should check it out regardless. They have (for years now) offered some really great quality designer clothes and handbags at a discount.

As I've mentioned before I've been searching for a replacement cashmere sweater for the beautiful one that was tragically and irrevocably shrunk last year. I'm happy to let you know I've found one! I'm not familiar with the brand, Magaschoni but they are sold at SAKs and at Neiman's so I'm guessing the quality isn't too shabby.

I had a hard time picking between the ice (winter white) and the almond but in the end went with Almond mostly because I don't have any sweaters in this exact color.

In addition to being 50% off, yes I said 50% off you can also take off an additional $30 by using your VISA along with this online coupon code VISAS30 or if you spend over $200 use AFF40 to save an additional $40 off your purchase.

Happy Shopping!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Recipe of the week ~ Waldemar Chicken Salad Supreme

Last night I made a perfectly roasted chicken! (please feel free to clap, I know I am.)

I've mentioned before how very much I love to cook and frankly both DH and I love to eat so it usually works out quite well. Last night I made one of DH's favorite meals, Roasted chicken with potatoes and collared greens. I can't speak for the rest of you out there but for me, it's very easy to over cook a whole chicken at least the breasts are and thus when I do get it just right its cause for great celebration in our house. In this case a very tasty Chardonnay! (yes yes, only one glass for me mamere.)

Of course I shan't mention the poor sweet potatoes that were burned beyond recognition. Seriously, it looked like the aftermath of a fire. I usually use Yukon gold for this particular recipe so I didn't take into account the extra sugar in the sweet potatoes. It was sad and smelly and even involved a screeching smoke alarm but thankfully the chicken and collards seemed to make up for it. Plus we split a delicious slice of chocolate fudge layer cake with ice cream for dessert. Why oh why did I only buy one slice?!

Anyway, back to the point of today's post. Waldemar's Chicken Salad Supreme is my all time favorite chicken salad recipe. And since DH and I can hardly finish a whole chicken ourselves it offers a great excuse to use the left overs to make this delicious chicken salad recipe.

For those who aren't familiar with Waldemar, it's an all girls summer camp located in the beautiful hill country of Texas. I was a camper here for a number of years and enjoyed every minute of my time there (and truly I loved all of the camps I attended). I can't thank my wonderful mother enough for giving me the opportunity to enjoy so many wonderful memories and make so many friends, many of whom I am still close with today.

Amongst many other things, Waldemar is known for their outstanding food and even produced a cookbook while I was a camper. Over the years I've made a number of wonderful dishes from this cookbook, among them Blarney Stone Cake with peanut butter frosting and coffee ice cream. Oh wow, even just thinking about this cake makes me want to make one today but I've already got a busy day planned. Maybe this weekend.

Back to the chicken salad I swear!

So this recipe calls for diced chicken,as in any kind, however I strongly suggest only using white meat. Maybe it's the Southerner in me but I just can use dark meat in my chicken salad, it seems wrong somehow.

Waldemar Chicken Salad

Serves 6

2 1/2 C Cold chicken, diced

1/2 C Celery, chopped (I usually skip this as I hate celery)

1 C Grapes, sliced

1/2 C Slivered Almonds

2 TBS Parsley, minced

1 tsp Salt (kosher is preferred)

3/4 C Mayonnaise (Hellman's light is my favorite)

1/2 C Whipped Cream

Mix chicken, celery, grapes, almonds, parsley and salt together in a large bowl. Toss with mayonnaise and fold in whipped cream.

Optional: Garnish with artichoke hearts (I've never done this but by all means feel free!)

If you like chicken salad I hope you'll try this recipe. It's simply divine! I actually prefer to eat it with crackers as I always feel that if I have it as a sandwich I taste more bread than I do salad.

I have also made this for several bridal showers and girls suppers. Usually serving a scoop of chicken salad on individual endive slices. It's always a huge hit!

In visiting Waldemar's website this morning I noticed that although they no longer sell the cookbook I own, they do have a new one from 2000 that you can purchase online. If you are so inclined just click here and get cooking!

Happy Eating!

Cheers,

Ouiser

British Rock a la the 80's & Today

I am a technology goddess and I'm not afraid to brag!

For weeks now I've wanted to post music on my blog. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm totally obsessed with my ipod now that I can listen to it in my car. It's addicting I tell you, totally addicting! Couple this newly fueled obsession with my recent addiction to British rock circa the 1980's and you have my mind set these last couple of months.

As you all know I'm very technologically challenged and so in addition to not really knowing if it was even possible I was pretty sure even if it was I'd have no way of knowing how to link or post to my blog. However, thanks to Stephenie Meyer (doesn't it always come back to Twilight?) and her wonderful website I figured it out all on my own! Apparently all you have to do is visit this little gem of a website and you too can create your own musical play list. Did I mention it is free?! How cool is that? For the record I have purchased all these songs either on tape in the actual 1980's or more recently on Itunes but I digress...

Each of these songs brings back specific memories for me as they may for you... One of my very first "boyfriends" if you can call it that in jr. high was obsessed with New Order and Blue Monday still reminds me of him. Did anyone else's boyfriend give them one (or more!) swatch watches to wear indicating that you were "going together"?

And of course didn't we all have that one friend who ALWAYS had the very coolest new album that was of course NEVER played on the radio. eek gad, who would dare listen to pop rock! Somehow this person not only had the coolest music she somehow already knew all the words too! Looking back I think I have to credit the fact that she had a pretty cool older brother to help out a bit. Even though it's been over 25 years since we first met I'm so glad to say I still keep in touch with this particular friend. So many of these songs remind me of her but especially The Smiths and Morrissey not to mention The Cure. She's now a mom of her own with a precious baby girl but I'm willing to bet she's still one of the coolest people I know.

I hope you enjoy this blast from the past as much I have. I've added a couple of recently released songs that I particularly like as well. Personally, I think DH is eagerly looking forward to my next musical obsession as I tend to over do it on whatever I'm currently "in to" but maybe thats just my perception. Did I mention I'm also in the midst of a sparkling water obsession?

Oh and now that I know how to post these, you can probably expect a new list when I move on to a new musical genre. My guess.... 90's rap or TX outlaw country... just a hunch.


Happy Tunes!

Cheers,
Ouiser

Del Merei Grille ~ Restaurant Review

I fully recognize even as I begin this post that the wonderful few friends and family members that actually read this blog do not in fact live in the immediate area and thus will likely not fully appreciate this review but if you find yourself visiting my dear family or just in the Washington DC area I do hope you'll consider adding this little gem to your dinning experience. That is if we haven't already forced it upon you during previous visits.

Del Merei Grille (pronounced del-Mary) is a wonderful little restaurant tucked into a small corner of restaurants and shops, about a quarter mile from our home. However, it's truly not just a great "neighborhood spot" we have close friends who regularly travel from the district to Del Merei just as frequently as we do, maybe even more. I think they are smitten with the frickles. Mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about these little delicacies, fried pickle slices served with a delicious dipping sauce. An appetizer I order ever single visit.

We decided to take Mamere here on Saturday night for an early family dinner. Since our little one goes to bed around 7pm he eats dinner at 5:30 pm thus making us the definition of "early bird" diners when we go out. Having never eaten this early in my life I continue to be surprised by how many specials restaurants offer during the 5-6pm hour. That coupled with my temporary limit of one glass of wine per day has really made our dinning tab quite reasonable where ever we go.

Happily, Del Merei is always willing to accommodate our family and as I learned during our last visit the owner, Mary has a little boy of her own about the same age as our son AND another boy on the way. (Boys are obviously the in thing these days.)

The restaurant describes itself as Southern-inspired with a modern yet inviting setting. I would heartily agree. I've tried almost the entire dinner menu and while I think that their biscuits and cornbread starter could use a bit of tweaking I have never been disappointed with anything I've ordered, especially the desserts! But I'll get to that in a moment.

There are a few items that I think particularly stand out and that I would highly recommend. First, are the frickles appetizer. As I mentioned above this is a delicious Southern delicacy that you should not pass up no matter your apprehension.

Second, is the Lolla Rossa salad which features blue cheese, raspberries, spiced pecans and a classic vinaigrette, pretty much my ideal salad. All of their salads are quite large for starters, I've often split mine with DH if I'm ordering an entree as well. And you can order any of their salads as your entree and add any one of several delicious proteins. My favorite is the grilled salmon. It's always perfectly grilled with a wonderful crust and cooked through to a perfect medium.

They offer a number of proteins-- beef, chicken and seafood that you can have grilled and paired with a wide assortment of sides. I'm partial to the petite fillet but the buffalo hanger is excellent as well. And by far and away my favorite sides are their smashed potatoes with truffle oil (usually only offered in the fall), garlic cheese grits, and their sauteed spinach.

I really can't speak to their kids menu because we've only ever ordered one thing- the grilled cheese with tater tots. There is nothing special or high brow about it, just absolutely delicious and because of which we've never bothered to even look at the other options. Both DH and I inevitably steal a few of our son's tater tots while he's not looking.

Last, but certainly not least is their dessert menu. I used to have no problem skipping dessert, as I never really had a sweet tooth. Sadly, since the moment of my first pregnancy I've become quite a fan of dessert. Especially chocolate desserts! They have the most scrumptious seasonal brownies which are paired with ice cream. On this visit I tried the cheesecake brownie with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Sounds incredible decedent and rich right? Well it was, every last bite of it! Of course my favorite is their mint brownie served with peppermint ice cream but I'll have to wait a few more months for this to return to the menu.

Although, to me this next dessert seems just a bit too decedent, I feel I must mention their Grilled Glazed Donut. If a grilled donut isn't enough for you, they've topped it with vanilla ice cream, pecans and an apple caramel sauce. On the rare occasion DH or one of our guests will order this and usually they enjoy it so much there is very little sharing, so I know it must be fantastic!

So, I hope you are now just as hungry as I am. Unfortunately I don't think my egg whites and toast are going to be quite as delicious as anything I've just described but a brownie for breakfast is not acceptable... right??

Happy Dinning!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Fall Favorite ~ Louis Vuitton Alma

Fall is without a doubt my favorite time of the year! There's something about the changing season, the crispness of the air and the inevitability of pulling out your favorite sweater ... that one that is so soft and goes perfectly with just about everything in your closet? Sadly mine didn't make it through last season. An accidental cycle in the dryer shrunk my beautiful purple cashmere sweater to about the size of my 15 month old son. I'm still not completely over the loss, but on the bright side it does give me a great opportunity to go sweater shopping this season. I'm thinking a soft grey or even perhaps a creamy winter white this year.

I've clearly strayed off topic ...

Even though this purse isn't new this season it catches my eye every time I visit the Louis Vuitton website which by the way I highly recommend it's really well done and fun to browse. The Louis Vuitton Alma in Monogrammed Vernis and featured in pomme d'amour is absolutely stunning and perfect for the fall and winter. I just want to put on my highest most pointy black patton heels, a pair of long dark jeans, my soon-to-be new favorite cashmere sweater and head off somewhere fabulous with this purse on my shoulder. Sadly, I think I'd get some pretty strange looks if I were to stroll up to our neighborhood park looking as such but never the less this stay at home mom can dream right?

Take a peek at all their handbag lines, they offer a large number on their website and now you can even purchase online if you like. You used to have to go through a secondary website. Normally I'm a big fan of online shopping but not in this case. If you are anything like me this is a big purchase and when I buy something this nice I much prefer to make a trip to the store. It's a fun little adventure, walking in through the big glass doors feeling the cool air mixed with the smell of new leather and just taking it all in. Plus it's not a bad idea to start a relationship with your local store either.

Happy Shopping!

Cheers,
Ouiser

~ Friday Football Fever ~

Photo Note: Yes this is exactly what our little one will be wearing tomorrow, he's nothing if not an avid sports fan and supporter!

Just a quick mini-post to remind you Texas Longhorn fans of this weekend's BIG game against Texas Tech's Red Raiders. Thank goodness tomorrow's game is at home surrounded by more than 100,000 screaming fans. Not a bad way to get pumped up for a game, huh? Boy do I wish I could whisk the family off to Austin for the game. One of these days I'll get my boys down there...

I find it painful even now to bring up the debacle that was last season's Big 12 Championship but because we lost to Tech (our only loss I might add) it created a bizarre situation involving Oklahoma, Tech and Texas. It is a painful reminder of how desperately the BCS needs to be revamped to include a playoff system instead of the antiquated popularity contest amongst coaches, reporters and computers. But I will get off my soap box and return to my excitement and anticipation for tomorrow's match up.

Kick off is at 7pm (Austin time) and will be aired on ABC. If you find your self, like me oh so far way in Washington DC, ABC is airing the game locally. Thank goodness! Just in time for the family to have dinner out, perhaps our favorite Mexican spot, Rio Grande Cafe then home to tuck in the little one and back to the sofa in time for kick off!

Cheers,

Ousier

Monogrammed Mini Guest Soaps

Warning: This is a totally fluffy girly post ... don't expect anything noteworthy. Oh except that I will refer to my mother as Mamere from here on. This is the name she picked once our little one was born instead of grandma, nanna, memaw, etc.)

To this day my mother (mamere) is one of the best hostess I've ever known. Growing up in the South I think most girls would say this about their own mothers and likely grandmothers as well. Hospitality is just in the blood. Whenever DH and I come for a visit there are always special treats and goodies especially for our stay that make it all the more welcoming, as if that were possible. I'm always excited to crawl into the extremely comfortable bed and check out the fun magazines she's laid out on each of our nightstands, usually Southern Living and Veranda on my side and Time and some other newsy mag on his. Another favorite feature are the fresh cut flowers (from her garden, natch) along with a beautiful glass bedside water carafe.

The hand towels in the bathroom are another touch I love, she always offers both linen and fluffy towel options. It had never occurred to me that some people don't like to use linen hand towels until I was cleaning up after a dinner party one evening. I noticed that our guests had all used the paper hand towels I had in our guest bath in lieu of the embroidered linen ones hanging next to the sink. I mentioned something to DH and he seemed surprised that I didn't realize some people prefer a "real towel". Live and learn right? Now I always try to offer both, mostly because I can't give up my collection of linen hand towels. I find every year I keep adding to the growing collection. I can tell you just how much I love them because they are the only things I still iron. Once our little one arrived, I gave up ironing our sheets, napkins and place mats and I've never been one to iron DH's shirts (bad wife I know!) but the hand towels remain.

DH and I have had the pleasure of having enough room (just enough in some cases) to offer our guest room to a number of friends and family over the last 5 years of our marriage. I have always tried to make things as comfortable as I can for our guests, of course I know nothing is ever as comforting as one's own home. With that in mind I always like to offer fresh soaps for each guest. The main problem I have is that all the nice guest soaps I've found are so large that they rarely get used. When I stumbled up these little mini soaps I fell in love! They are just the perfect size and if that weren't enough you can have them monogrammed as well. As a girl that loves all things monogrammed this was just extra butter cream frosting on an already delicious cupcake.

You can find the mini soaps along with a number of other cute things at Mulberry Moon. They are packaged in sets of three soaps and are offered in five scents; Key Lime, Apple Blossom, Fresh Lilac, Lavender and Verbena. I ordered the verbena because it's one of my favorite scents but I know if mamere was ordering it'd be lavender for sure. Everything in her house is lavender and therefore the scent always reminds me of her.

I realize these are hardly necessary and probably a little frivolous but if you are looking for something to add a little extra to your guest bath, I think these look perfect. Of course since I haven't actually received them yet I can't yet recommend them. However I do have high hopes. If for some reason they aren't fabulous I'll be sure to let you know.

Happy Shopping!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Recipe of the week ~ Verde Chicken Enchiladas

While I'm very excited to share with you another family favorite, Verde Chicken Enchiladas, I feel a teensy bit bad about giving away this particular recipe because its in no way my own. However, it's just so darn tasty I simply can't resist!

This is one of DH's all time favorite meals and since I will be out of the house tonight and tomorrow I thought it'd be nice to leave something he'd enjoy for dinner. It's really one of the few "left overs" that he actually enjoys.

I have to thank my mother-in-law, who incidentally is an amazingly wonderful home cook for sharing this recipe with me. It is one of several dishes that she makes for DH that I've attempted to replicate. I say "attempted" because mine never seem to turn out quite as scrumptious as hers do. But that is of course how it should be, as every good daughter-in-law knows!

Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 4-6

1 7oz. can Mexican style Verde sauce

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese (light is okay)

1 4oz. can green chilies, do not drain

3 C Chicken breast, diced

2 TBS olive oil

2 C Shredded Mexican style cheese

2 bunches green onions, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Dash of oregano, parsley, salt & pepper

Flour tortillas

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees

Mix verde sauce, cream cheese, green chilies, salt & pepper and parsley using a blender or stick mixer then set aside.

Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet, add chicken, 1/2 of the green onions, garlic, oregano and salt & pepper to taste. Lightly brown and cook through then set aside.

Spoon about 1/4 of a cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Add a couple spoon fulls of the green sauce over the chicken then roll up snugly. Place in a greased 9 x 13 in. baking dish. Continue making enchiladas with the remaining chicken mixture and green sauce placing next to one another in the baking dish. Try to conserve at least a cup of the green sauce to pour over the top of the enchiladas once the dish is full. Cover with shredded cheese and remaining green onions. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil after about 25 mins and let the top brown for the last 5 mins. After resting for 10 mins, serve and enjoy!

Here are a couple of variations or really just tips that I've tried and enjoyed in the past.

-using a de-boned rotisserie chicken in lieu of cooking several chicken breasts.

-coating the entire tortillas in the green sauce and then adding chicken mixture before rolling enchilada. Makes the tortillas even softer once cooked.

-using fresh herbs in lieu of dried always makes for a wonderful flavor.

I also highly recommend using a hand held stick mixer instead of your blender. I'm a HUGE believer in the "clean as you go" approach to cooking and therefore wholeheartedly embrace anything that requires less cleaning. And a stick mixer does the same job as a blender and requires much much less effort to clean. It really is one of my all time favorite kitchen tools, in fact I gave away our blender during the last move. I hadn't used it once since our little stick mixer joined the family and it had grown so sad and dusty.

You can add Spanish rice, black beans, re-fried beans or a simple salad to complete this meal.

Happy Cooking!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Twilight Post ~ New Moon Trailer

Okay okay, so believe it or not I really do try to limit my time spent in the world of all things Twilight... and believe me when I say it seriously has it's own world! And its not just filled with screaming teens. I am a big fan of TwilightMoms as I've mentioned before and even though it can be a bit racy (to say the least) the ladies at Twitarded are hilarious and I thoroughly enjoy my daily visits to their site. Mini-E is such a charmer, perhaps he'll replace Flat Stanley one day? Wouldn't you like to see Mini-E visit the White House?

And just in case you are worried about it being a Wednesday with no recipe from Ouiser, never fear I fully intend to post one later today... after my moment of Twilight weakness.

I stumbled upon this fabulous little gem yesterday, it's the Twilight: Ultimate New Moon Extended Movie trailer while browsing around in the online Twilight universe (please no judgement, it's not my fault the library didn't have the book I wanted.) I'm not sure if it was created officially or by a fan, but it's a combination of all three of the New Moon trailers released so far, a "3 in 1" if you will. It is courtesy of Robsessed and even though I've now seen it a number of times while trying to remember how to post the video on my blog, I still get goosebumps all up and down my arms by the time the clip is over. I really think New Moon is going to be awesome! Yep, I said awesome, like totally totally awesome. :)





Please enjoy and remember only another 2 1/2 months till the movie comes out. No, I haven't taken the time to count the days, I'm not that bad.... yet.

Oh and just because I couldn't help myself I thought I'd also post this picture from last weekend's MTV VMAs.



I really don't care if Rob and Kristen are dating but the dress is really quite beautiful and I do love her new haircut and yes obviously the pose is completely adorable. Makes me want to snuggle up to DH right now.

Happy viewing!

Cheers,
Ouiser

No Angel ~ Book Review

Having finished No Angel at some point late last night or early this morning, both of which are long past my normal bed time of 10pm has left me a bit uneasy about how to write this review. Perhaps due to lack of sleep? I should probably give it a few days to really think about first but no, no that's not me at all. I'll just plow right ahead and tell you what I think about it this morning. Oh how I wish I could have a fully loaded cup of coffee... less then 8 weeks till baby deux arrives... oh dear that makes me think of all the little things I need to be doing. Mm, best get on with this review!

As I previously mentioned this is the first in a three book series described as a "family saga" and centered around the life of Lady Celia Lytton and her family. A saga is certainly the best way to describe the book. While it was nearly impossible to put down because I was so consumed with the characters and their lives, it was difficult for me to read for several reasons. I'm sure I'll continue on with the series and hope for the best but there were a couple of things that made me uneasy.

First, I should probably mention that the book is much racier than I was expecting. I think I may have even blushed at several parts so please keep that in mind if you decide to pick it up. I'm so curious where I got the recommendation, for the life of me I can't seem to remember. I swear!

Secondly, I tend to get very emotionally involved and frankly personally effected by the books I read. Somehow they seem so intimate I feel as if I am going along with each of the characters and their lives. This is probably due more to an excellent writing style than to my personal reactions but never the less, because of this I tend to get upset if the characters choose a path I wouldn't necessarily choose or even understand their choice. I know I know, quite silly of me right? They are after all fictional characters and I've been reading fantasy for months now! but I'm nothing if not a contradiction in terms, I consider that my right as a woman, especially when pregnant!

Back to the story.... Lady Celia is raised by a very upper class family living in the English country side and although she is popular, beautiful, kind of heart, loyal and clearly destined to marry very well she is also extremely stubborn, strong willed and more than a bit manipulative. At only 19 years old and after being told she will not be allowed to marry the man she is deeply in love with because he is not of good enough breeding she decides (with out consulting her love, Oliver Lytton) that she'll get pregnant thus forcing her parents to allow the marriage. All seems well as Celia spends the next several years madly in love, starting a family and watching as Oliver leads his father's publishing company to many a great success. All is perfect until the outbreak of World War I.

The book is literally split into two parts at this point. Even offering a page noting that you have reached part II. Given the severe transition it hardly seems necessary to me. From the moment the war starts things seem to go awry. Celia is thrown into a leadership position that while she appreciates and even succeeds at also wears tremendously on her spirit. For anyone that has read and loved Gone with the Wind and Scarlet O'Hara, this section of the book is a drastic reminder of how war irrevocably changes people.

A quick aside, I was fascinated by the description of how strongly all the men seemed to feel about volunteering for the War. At every level of society from a working bricklayer to Lord Beckenham a wealthy aristocrat. They all felt a moral obligation to fight for their country, I'm so curious if that was actually the case at the time.

But back to the review...

After Oliver and most of the other men return from the war, some things return such as galas, parties and other social events but so many of the men and the women are forever changed. It it a difficult period in the book to see how Oliver and Celia try to rebuild their marriage, their love, their faith and most importantly their trust in one another. Even more difficult is watching as they (again in my opinion) selfishly get through the following years.

I won't go any further with the plot simply because I don't want to give anything more away, but the story also follows the lives of Lady Celia's aristocratic parents, Oliver's wildly unconventional sister, LM and their charming but fool-hearty younger brother Jack. There are a number of antics and scenarios that occur in the family owned publishing house that are also quite entertaining and more than a bit scandalous. Also linked to this story is Oliver's brother Robert who has moved to New York and has made quite a successful career in the new booming world of real estate and finance despite some family troubles of his own.

One of the things I particularly loved about the book was the way in which it was written. The language at the time and words spoken seem enchanting to this little American girl. I guess it's one of the many reasons why I've always been so fascinated with Great Britain and London in particular.

As I finish this up I find that I seem to like the book more than when I started the review. This of course means that I'll have to hit the library this afternoon and pick up the next book in the series, Something Dangerous which continues through the mid-twentieth century. And in case you are curious the third and final book in the Lytton family saga is Into Temptation following the family into the latter half of the twentieth century.

I'm taking this one book at at time of course but will post a review of Something Dangerous should it be as compelling as No Angel.

Happy Reading!

Cheers,

Ouiser

Delicious Surprise from Garrett Popcorn!

Who knew that someone, other than my family and a few wonderful friends was reading my blog?!

Apparently the good folks at Garrett Popcorn noticed my post about their delicious product and very generously sent DH and I a 2 gallon tin filled with their heavenly Caramel and Cheese popcorn, Oprah's personal favorite! Incidentally, I discovered this mix is also my sister-in-law's favorite, must be a Chicago thing. If you read my original post I was a little unsure of the mix but I can tell you, after more than a few handfuls that it is absolutely scrumptious!

So, a BIG thank you to Garrett Popcorn for the wonderful surprise!

Oh and if you are on twitter you can follow Garrett Popcorn by clicking here. They usually have some really cute and funny tweets. Did I mention I'm also on twitter? :) I'm not nearly as witty nor do I tweet that often but you can follow me as well if you like by clicking here.

Lastly, I finished my latest book late late last night and if I can I'll post a review later today. It was quite an interesting read.

Cheers,

Ouiser

Finally ~ The September Issue Review

Good Morning dear readers, I must begin off topic today ... again ... as I'm terribly distracted this morning. I had quite a difficult time pulling myself away from a new book I started this weekend to write this post but as I only have about a hour during my son's morning nap I would hate to disappoint my mother in law by not posting anything. Alas I'm afraid she may be my only reader today as my own mother is away at a conference and I'm not really sure she's learned to navigate the Internet on her blackberry. I am in fact still trying to help her turn off the annoying read receipt on her email. It's a bit like the blind leading the blind.

Anyway, I'm midway through book one of a devilishly wonderful fiction trilogy. Oh I can't wait to finish. If the other two books are half as addicting as the first I may just have to do a review of each as I don't think I can bare to wait. A quick teaser can't hurt right? Its set in London at the turn of the 20th century and it details the life of a very well to do woman-- her marriage, unconventional career, family, hopes, dreams, fears and as I'm just discovering temptations.

Okay okay, back to the movie review...

Just as I expected, The September Issue was absolutely delicious!

The whole film was really just so interesting. Aside from the beautiful fashions (which there are enough to make anyone woman drool), it was a brilliant glimpse into the lives of such fascinating people. It is literally a visual run down of how they conceptualize, design, create, edit and finalize their most important magazine of the year.

As so many other reviewers have pointed out Grace Coddington, Vogue's Creative Director was a shining star in the film. She is shown to be charming, realistic, sensitive, sympathetic and clearly a creative genius. Her photo shoots are breathtaking -- fun, romantic, flirty and bold. I felt in so many ways the film sets her image against that of Anna Wintour, Vogue's Editor. Anna was portrayed (and quite rightly I'm sure) as a quiet, thoughtful (as in giving much thought not as is kind and generous of spirit), brilliant perfectionist. I think this is a fair comparison, because while the two smart, stubborn women are almost constantly at odds they obviously have a mutual and genuine respect for the other's talents.

I'm not at all sorry to say that I completely disagree with a number of the film's critics who say it was not a flattering portrayal of Mrs. Wintour. I didn't think she was, as some have described cast as the villain. It is her job and ultimately her responsibility to publish the best magazine, something she clearly takes very seriously.

Perhaps it's my own background that leads me to this conclusion. I have worked for a number of strong, smart, determined women who just also happen to demand perfection, as they see it. I have also worked in a field that often requires a 24 / 7 commitment. In politics, and especially in campaigns you are always on call -- on your weekends, your vacation, a birthday, and yes in some cases your wedding and honeymoon (oh yes, I have a wonderful friend who spent her honeymoon working in Iowa during the primary, she's a much better staffer than I, but I do love and respect her immensely!) If this is something that is intolerable best pick a different career because I don't see it changing anytime soon.

But back to the film... another highlight for me is Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's Editor At-large. He is a gregarious, over the top, entertaining bright shining light through out the film. A particularly favorite scene is Andre playing tennis, decked to the nines in Ralph Lauren attire, a diamond encrusted Piaget "tennis" watch and dramatically draped Louis Vuitton throw wrapped around his shoulders. Oh, and of course a LV racket holder and yes LV travel vanity to hold his bottled water. Such extravagance is so over the top that it actually comes off quite charming and not at all pretentious.

Over all I think this is a wonderfully entertaining film for anyone interested in fashion. It reminded me so much of why little girls love to play dress up and pretend to be princesses. It's a world of beautiful fantasy. Not a bad way to spend two hours on a Saturday morning.

Cheers,

Ouiser

Patriot Day

At first I wasn't sure how to handle today's post. It seems hard to think of much else for very long on this particular day but the memories of Sept. 11th 2001. Although I was living and working less than 5 blocks from the US Capitol at the time, I don't want to use today's post to remember how the day effected me. Instead, I'd much rather talk about how we (all of us as a nation) can do something today to support our country and service members still fighting and defending freedom around the world.

I had only a vague knowledge of the USO until about a year ago, mostly it was images of celebrities performing for overseas troops. I had no idea all the work that this organization does for our troops and their families. I should stop for a moment and recognize that there are thousands of wonderful organizations in our country supporting our troops and their families and by no means do I want to forget about any of them. However, this is just one post from one person and lets be frank, I'm probably only talking to my own family right now so I'm going to focus this post on the USO.

I was blown away by a USO representative who spoke at a DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) chapter meeting I attended. In addition to entertainment, the USO provides services and programs including referral services, Internet and e-mail access, housing and emergency assistance and support groups to more than 1.4 million active duty service members and 1.2 million national guard and reserve members as well as their families. Stop and think about that, this organization helps over 2.6 million Americans, that's an enormous effort.

I hope that you will take a moment today and look at their website, and perhaps find a local chapter in your area. There are so many ways that you can easily help this organization. Send a care package, write a letter or if you find you have the time in your schedule volunteer for a shift at the USO organized airport hospitality suite. In the Washington DC area each of our three airports host a suite for troops as they wait to depart or are on their way home.

And although it's not just about money, as a professional fundraiser I'd be remiss by not at least posting a way for you to make a donation to this very worthy organization. Please visit this link to make a donation.

I can think of no better way to honor our soldiers than to give back, just a little, today of all days.

Cheers,

Ouiser

**Movie Reminder** The September Issue

On the off chance you haven't been counting the days since I last posted about The September Issue this mini post is for you!

Just a friendly reminder that The September Issue, a documentary about Vogue Editor, Anna Wintour and how she and her team assembled the September 2007 issue, it's largest ever is finally being released across the country this weekend. My mother (also known as Mamere) is in town visiting and we have a wonderful Saturday morning planned at the very artsy Shirlington theater to see the movie.

While I'm sure you will be at the first showing, as we plan to be. If for some reason you can't make it (I guess tailgating for the 2:30 pm kick off of the TX vs. Wyoming game is really the only valid excuse I can think of) never fear! I will happily post my own review of the movie come Monday.

And if you want to check out more information about the movie, it's cast and crew and a number of reviews they have a new website up and running.

Cheers,
Ouiser