I don't care if you're not familiar with the band Cowboy Mouth - if you hear that they're coming to your town, you MUST go see them. I've been to a lot of shows, but when it comes to energy, stage presence, heart and pure soul, they all pale in comparison (sorry to all my other favorites!)
Yesterday was crazy. Normally, after I pick M up from work in the afternoon on Wednesdays, we come home, inhale dinner, and he's off to class. The last time we had an opportunity to see Cowboy Mouth, we missed the show, and they didn't come back to San Antonio for 7 years, so come hell or high water, we were not missing this one. It meant that M would work 2 hours late, and instead of a 3 hour class, I'd take him to school and pick him up an hour later before we went out to Old Town for the show at Martini Ranch.
Martini Ranch is kinda cool. I don't know that its my favorite venue for live music, as the only place I could sit to actually see the stage without having people stand in front of me was so far to Stage Left that I was nearly BEHIND it, and I was at the "service" end of the bar, so I was constantly worried I was in the way of the lone waitress. Just before Cowboy Mouth takes the stage, M decides he wants a beer, so I'm left alone at said service end while he orders. I feel a tap on my shoulder and a man I don't know says "Can I buy you a drink?" Now, my husband was not that far away, and I wasn't sure I heard this guy right, because I think the last time I had a drink bought for me was back at the Rivertown Saloon (RIP) in Detroit (when I was all of 17...), so I probably just tilted my head like so many Cocker Spaniels, prompting him to say "What do you want to drink? I own the place. Thanks for coming out tonight!" Startled, I think quickly and say "Oh! Thanks! A Blue Moon would be great!" So Martini Ranch, and the super friendly owner, gets a few more points from me. M told me later that the owner stood next to him to order my drink, and he asked the bartender "Is there a drink called a blue moon?" - obviously not familiar with the beer he stocks in his own bar, but I won't hold that against him :)
Cowboy Mouth, I should mention, is all about Audience Participation. They want you to sing. They want you to scream. They want you to clap along and shout and sweat and dance as if your life depends on it. They want you to have fun and appreciate the life you have. Cowboy Mouth FANS take this well to heart, and I saw a lot of sweaty, smiling faces. Everyone was having a great time. The girl behind me was dancing so hard she dropped her drink on me, and knocked me in the head with her elbow at least four times. She hugged my shoulders each time saying "Oh I'm SO sorry! I'm just dancing!" (M said she stored her purse under my chair. Thank you. I'd like a quarter please for being your personal locker and punching bag) The girl in front of me was high as a flipping KITE. She kissed my hand for no reason. She danced like Elaine on Seinfeld. She kept crouching down and grabbing my ankles and knees. At one point. She knelt at my feet and put her hands on my thighs (hello, personal space please!). I looked her square in the eye and said "Can I help you?" And she just said "I am sooooo high!"
Yes. Thank you Captain Obvious.
Cowboy Mouth played for two glorious hours. Our throats were raw from singing. My shoulders and hands, on FIRE from clapping and holding them over my head for two hours (thank heavens for Degree!). I was able to get a copy of the set list, and we chatted with the band afterward and had it signed. We were so buzzed after such a high energy night that I was afraid I'd never get to sleep, but I was so tired, I passed out instantly after hitting the pillow. I woke up with the song "This Much Fun" stuck in my head (which sadly, I could not get to load properly on my playlist)
M said he was excited for me to listen to the live album again. "It sounds totally different," he said, "after experiencing it yourself. You want to shout and sing and clap right along with the audience. Every time Fred says 'Are you WITH me?!?!?!?!', you want to scream right back at him. Its fun before you see them, but after you've seen it live, you feel like you're right back in it with the live album."
He was right :)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
This past Saturday, we made a 40 minute drive down to Gilbert for a Halloween party. I would like to take a brief moment to mention that this was my first Halloween party since grade school, and I don't often do parties anyway. We're just not party people, I guess.
Costumes weren't required, but were definitely encouraged, so M dressed in a ton of old cowboy gear (his brother's old boots, a cool belt buckle of his dad's, an old hat - insisting that he didn't feel like he was in a costume, as this was what he used to wear anyway...) He looked impossibly cute, all rugged and cowboy'd up. I went a comfy but cute route, and dressed as Rosie the Riveter - my own jeans, cuffed up to my knees, a blue work shirt, red scarf in my hair, and seriously FIERCE makeup. I wish I could wear red lips like that on a daily basis, it was gorgeous.
I don't know how long the red lips lasted once we arrived, I was quickly handed a Caramel Apple Martini. The first of MANY. I was also rather hungry, and despite nibbling on a tasty spread of goodies that did nothing for my appetite, an empty stomach and copious amounts of booze meant that 2 hours and 2 drinks later, I was already drunk. Amazingly enough, my martini glass never seemed to be empty for long, which is probably why I don't really remember anything beyond about 10pm.
Sunday morning I woke with a headache and an uncomfortable dizzy sensation (but as expected, was never sick). I also woke to an itchy (and thankfully, short lived) rash in my cleavage, blood on my socks from a cut on my ankle I don't remember getting, and various bits and pieces of the plot of "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" meandering through my head - learning later that M asked me to tell him about the movie on the way home, to help me stay awake. Apparently, all I could mutter was "pants. 4 pants. no, 4 girls. Gilmore Girl. Greece. Ugly Betty. Marriage. Dad is douchebag. Soccer camp girl is a whore. Gilmore girl. Greece. GREECE! Walmart." And then I passed out.
I should totally review movies when I'm wasted, yes?
Costumes weren't required, but were definitely encouraged, so M dressed in a ton of old cowboy gear (his brother's old boots, a cool belt buckle of his dad's, an old hat - insisting that he didn't feel like he was in a costume, as this was what he used to wear anyway...) He looked impossibly cute, all rugged and cowboy'd up. I went a comfy but cute route, and dressed as Rosie the Riveter - my own jeans, cuffed up to my knees, a blue work shirt, red scarf in my hair, and seriously FIERCE makeup. I wish I could wear red lips like that on a daily basis, it was gorgeous.
I don't know how long the red lips lasted once we arrived, I was quickly handed a Caramel Apple Martini. The first of MANY. I was also rather hungry, and despite nibbling on a tasty spread of goodies that did nothing for my appetite, an empty stomach and copious amounts of booze meant that 2 hours and 2 drinks later, I was already drunk. Amazingly enough, my martini glass never seemed to be empty for long, which is probably why I don't really remember anything beyond about 10pm.
Sunday morning I woke with a headache and an uncomfortable dizzy sensation (but as expected, was never sick). I also woke to an itchy (and thankfully, short lived) rash in my cleavage, blood on my socks from a cut on my ankle I don't remember getting, and various bits and pieces of the plot of "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" meandering through my head - learning later that M asked me to tell him about the movie on the way home, to help me stay awake. Apparently, all I could mutter was "pants. 4 pants. no, 4 girls. Gilmore Girl. Greece. Ugly Betty. Marriage. Dad is douchebag. Soccer camp girl is a whore. Gilmore girl. Greece. GREECE! Walmart." And then I passed out.
I should totally review movies when I'm wasted, yes?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
"Big Sue"
Every morning, a group of 6 or 7 ladies come into Curves to "work out". I use the quotes because really, none of them get any sort of work out, outside of moving their mouths nonstop. They're nice, but don't bother trying to get a word in edgewise, which makes my job a little difficult, considering that not a single one of them does the workout properly.
Since I've been at this location, I've heard every morning about "Big Sue":
"Have ya talked to Sue?"
"No! But I sent her an email last week and she didn't send one back"
"I saw her car the other day! I called her and left her a message and told her that I saw her!"
"Oh! I talked to her on Saturday and she says. . ."
Its the funniest thing. Honestly, I was starting to think Big Sue didn't exist. An urban myth, that "I know someone who knows someone who has a cousin who saw a UFO".
Today, Big Sue came in. She does exist!
20 minutes into their 30 minute workout, the three chattiest ladies are still here, the rest have finished and gone. Conversation turns to something that requires so much focus, you simply can't work out while talking ("Mamma Mia!". . .), and fifteen minutes later, I realize that all three of them are just sitting ON the machines, gabbing away, not working out at all. When two more ladies came in to start their workout, they left. And stood talking in the parking lot for 10 minutes.
Good work out today, Ladies! ;)
(I should mention, they really are nice and I do like them, it just cracks me up how little they really do)
Since I've been at this location, I've heard every morning about "Big Sue":
"Have ya talked to Sue?"
"No! But I sent her an email last week and she didn't send one back"
"I saw her car the other day! I called her and left her a message and told her that I saw her!"
"Oh! I talked to her on Saturday and she says. . ."
Its the funniest thing. Honestly, I was starting to think Big Sue didn't exist. An urban myth, that "I know someone who knows someone who has a cousin who saw a UFO".
Today, Big Sue came in. She does exist!
20 minutes into their 30 minute workout, the three chattiest ladies are still here, the rest have finished and gone. Conversation turns to something that requires so much focus, you simply can't work out while talking ("Mamma Mia!". . .), and fifteen minutes later, I realize that all three of them are just sitting ON the machines, gabbing away, not working out at all. When two more ladies came in to start their workout, they left. And stood talking in the parking lot for 10 minutes.
Good work out today, Ladies! ;)
(I should mention, they really are nice and I do like them, it just cracks me up how little they really do)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A few ramblings before bedtime
So Weezer this past weekend was AMAZING. Seriously. I wish I could rewind my life, go back, and do it again and again. They played for HOURS it seemed. Everyone sang, or played something different, at some point, so I think it was a case of nobody getting tired too soon. At the end of the show, they brought out about 35 local folks with instruments ranging from guitars and drum sets to flutes and cellos, and even some guy with a didgeridoo (awesome!), and they played a few songs with the band. I would have been a nervous wreck up there with an entire coliseum full of screaming fans in front of me, but everyone did a phenomenal job :) The show openers were Tokyo Police Club (not to be confused with Tokio Hotel, who were also in town on Saturday), a band from Toronto - very cool, I recommend them, and Angels and Airwaves. A&A had a pretty large crowd themselves, and they performed fine, but I just can't get into them, and was almost bummed that they were on the schedule. The only great part, as far as I'm concerned, was when Tom, the lead singer (formerly of Blink 182) came out to sing "Undone (The Sweater Song)" with Weezer. That was fun.
The show ended around 10pm, so we had our obligatory deep fried something (polish sausage) at the State Fair, washed it down with a beer, and went home. A good night, but like I said, I'd love to go back and do it again. I miss going to a great concert every other weekend. Back in Michigan, from about 97-99, I went to a LOT of shows. I was the Youth Editor at a local Catholic newspaper, and - well OK, I probably abused my title a bit - because I discovered how easy it was to get Press Passes to just about any show I wanted. Free tickets, CDs, press booklets. I went to probably 6-10 shows during the 6 months or so that I worked there. It was a lot of fun.
During that time, my brothers' band (Freed/The Bowery Kings/The Leeds) and all of their friend's bands (Solid Frog, I Hate Mars, All Hail Me being the three I saw most) were attempting to take Detroit by storm, so I was at THEIR shows every other weekend as well. Add to that my lucky streak with 105.1 The EDGE and 89X, and I was winning tickets left and right. Over the course of about 2 years, I saw Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Ani DiFranco, Cake, Reel Big Fish (at least 3x), Fastball, Collective Soul, Ziggy Marley, Shawn Mullins, The Bloodhound Gang, Live, Bush, Everclear, Duran Duran, Elvis Costello, and a BUNCH more (yes, there's more!). The marketing manager at The EDGE asked me to pass out fliers at the Goo Goo Dolls show, thinking I was one of her employees. When I corrected her, she said "but I see you at everything we're at! Why don't you work for me?! Here's my card, maybe we can work something out!" (we didn't, much to my dismay, I was busy working 40hrs a week piercing ears at Claire's) So going to a great rock show makes me a bit nostalgic for 10 years ago, when I could stay up for days, sustained only by a steady stream of Doritos, Dew and ridiculous conversation (and fit into some amazing, sexy but NOT skanky, outfits)
Fast forward to 2002. I'm living in TX with M and working at Linens N Things as a cashier. If you haven't heard by now, Linens N Things has just announced that they're going out of business. Though I no longer work there, this makes me really sad, because it was a job I loved, and even though I quit in 2005, a part of me still feels attached to it. I spent a LOT of time (and a lot of money. . .) there, and I forged some amazing friendships. Few of them stuck in the long term, but they're always in my heart. It feels a bit like the slamming shut of a chapter in my life, you know? I shouldn't get into conversations this random at 1am. I don't know where they go :)
And on a "since nobody asked MY opinion" note, I think a lot of LNT's undoing was partnering with too many "celebrities". It started with Emeril. Then Nate Berkus (who? Exactly. I think he was one of Oprah's designers). Then Rachael Ray (man am I ever glad I'd already quit when THAT came into the picture), followed by Paula Deen, and a gaggle of other "famous" chefs and designers and people nobody'd ever heard of or cared about. Prices went up with the attached names, and the next thing you know, they're kaput.
Anyway, I'm going to bed. I have a busy day of being UnSingle ahead of me tomorrow (it is, after all, a Tuesday.)
The show ended around 10pm, so we had our obligatory deep fried something (polish sausage) at the State Fair, washed it down with a beer, and went home. A good night, but like I said, I'd love to go back and do it again. I miss going to a great concert every other weekend. Back in Michigan, from about 97-99, I went to a LOT of shows. I was the Youth Editor at a local Catholic newspaper, and - well OK, I probably abused my title a bit - because I discovered how easy it was to get Press Passes to just about any show I wanted. Free tickets, CDs, press booklets. I went to probably 6-10 shows during the 6 months or so that I worked there. It was a lot of fun.
During that time, my brothers' band (Freed/The Bowery Kings/The Leeds) and all of their friend's bands (Solid Frog, I Hate Mars, All Hail Me being the three I saw most) were attempting to take Detroit by storm, so I was at THEIR shows every other weekend as well. Add to that my lucky streak with 105.1 The EDGE and 89X, and I was winning tickets left and right. Over the course of about 2 years, I saw Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Ani DiFranco, Cake, Reel Big Fish (at least 3x), Fastball, Collective Soul, Ziggy Marley, Shawn Mullins, The Bloodhound Gang, Live, Bush, Everclear, Duran Duran, Elvis Costello, and a BUNCH more (yes, there's more!). The marketing manager at The EDGE asked me to pass out fliers at the Goo Goo Dolls show, thinking I was one of her employees. When I corrected her, she said "but I see you at everything we're at! Why don't you work for me?! Here's my card, maybe we can work something out!" (we didn't, much to my dismay, I was busy working 40hrs a week piercing ears at Claire's) So going to a great rock show makes me a bit nostalgic for 10 years ago, when I could stay up for days, sustained only by a steady stream of Doritos, Dew and ridiculous conversation (and fit into some amazing, sexy but NOT skanky, outfits)
Fast forward to 2002. I'm living in TX with M and working at Linens N Things as a cashier. If you haven't heard by now, Linens N Things has just announced that they're going out of business. Though I no longer work there, this makes me really sad, because it was a job I loved, and even though I quit in 2005, a part of me still feels attached to it. I spent a LOT of time (and a lot of money. . .) there, and I forged some amazing friendships. Few of them stuck in the long term, but they're always in my heart. It feels a bit like the slamming shut of a chapter in my life, you know? I shouldn't get into conversations this random at 1am. I don't know where they go :)
And on a "since nobody asked MY opinion" note, I think a lot of LNT's undoing was partnering with too many "celebrities". It started with Emeril. Then Nate Berkus (who? Exactly. I think he was one of Oprah's designers). Then Rachael Ray (man am I ever glad I'd already quit when THAT came into the picture), followed by Paula Deen, and a gaggle of other "famous" chefs and designers and people nobody'd ever heard of or cared about. Prices went up with the attached names, and the next thing you know, they're kaput.
Anyway, I'm going to bed. I have a busy day of being UnSingle ahead of me tomorrow (it is, after all, a Tuesday.)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Off To The Fair
I'm SO excited. M and I are going to the State Fair this afternoon. Normally, I wouldn't care much about the fair, but WEEZER is playing, and all you need is the fair admission, $12 each. That's WAY cheap to see my favorite band :)
Have a great weekend y'all!
Have a great weekend y'all!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
EEEEEEEEEEK!
WARNING: Shameless gloating and celebration ahead!!!
If you hadn't checked my profile, you may not have noticed or known that I am an Avon Representative. I intend to keep, for the most part, business out of my blog, but it will creep in now and again. This is one of those times.
Today we had a sales meeting. Recognition is the first 5 minutes or so of the meeting. I learned that, out of 775 Reps in my district, I am #9 in sales. NINE. As in "cracked the Top Ten". As in, there are 766 people on the list UNDER me for once, instead of above and far ahead. As in "I probably contribute to more of that total than I should admit, and most of it is eyeshadows and lipgloss"
I am entirely too excited for words (or not, as there are less wordy ways to exclaim this. . .) But that's why its midnight and I'm not sleeping :)
Hooray!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
how to get absolutely nothing done
a short lesson in productivity:
wake up feeling less than great, but not horrible.
volunteer for a study (last week) about cold medicine, get bottle in the mail today, follow instructions to take cold medicine per survey. Feel glad that it came today since we have no cold medicine in the house.
spend rest of afternoon staring off into space and/or napping.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
wake up feeling less than great, but not horrible.
volunteer for a study (last week) about cold medicine, get bottle in the mail today, follow instructions to take cold medicine per survey. Feel glad that it came today since we have no cold medicine in the house.
spend rest of afternoon staring off into space and/or napping.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
blech.
I'm not feeling all that great today. I haven't really been feeling sick, just. . .off. Sorta run down, I guess. Which is stupid, because its not like I've been any busier than my normal "not busy at all"
The weather here in Scottsdale has been INCREDIBLE lately. The normal highs for this time of year are usually around 90 still, but it was in the low 70's all weekend. Its sunny and breezy and just beautiful. This bums me out a bit, because the weather is perfect today to take a walk, but I just don't feel up to it. Booooo.
M and I received an invite to a Halloween party at the end of the month, and I'm looking forward to it. Believe it or not, this will be my first Halloween party since. . .oh, probably elementary school. Costumes are required, so we spent the weekend trying to figure out what to do. M's parents are sending him a bunch of cowboy stuff (the real deal - spurs and all!). My original idea was to wear this to go along with him, but it appears that EVERYONE had the same idea, as that costume is sold out at every online retailer - EVERYWHERE. Booo.
So I'm probably going back to my black pants (vinyl if I can find them), black top, boots and wig. My "standard" costume since 1999, seen here:
The weather here in Scottsdale has been INCREDIBLE lately. The normal highs for this time of year are usually around 90 still, but it was in the low 70's all weekend. Its sunny and breezy and just beautiful. This bums me out a bit, because the weather is perfect today to take a walk, but I just don't feel up to it. Booooo.
M and I received an invite to a Halloween party at the end of the month, and I'm looking forward to it. Believe it or not, this will be my first Halloween party since. . .oh, probably elementary school. Costumes are required, so we spent the weekend trying to figure out what to do. M's parents are sending him a bunch of cowboy stuff (the real deal - spurs and all!). My original idea was to wear this to go along with him, but it appears that EVERYONE had the same idea, as that costume is sold out at every online retailer - EVERYWHERE. Booo.
So I'm probably going back to my black pants (vinyl if I can find them), black top, boots and wig. My "standard" costume since 1999, seen here:
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
as I feared . . .
I'm running out of things to say :( How many times can I post "sat at home alone tonight. M left all the lights on again. . .". I think my blog is boring. What would spice it up?
Actually, tonight he only left on two before he went to class, and I didn't eat alone. We got home from work and I started in on dinner pretty quickly (recipe to follow!) we ate, watched a little news and then M was off to class. I was lucky to find "Chicago" running on E! - lucky because I've had the soundtrack in the car all week, singing unabashedly at the top of my lungs, wishing I hadn't quit Show Choir after 8th grade (Annie, if you're reading this, I'm totally jealous that you stuck with it and are STILL with it!) M called halfway through his film editing class. They're broken up into groups right now, assigned different 3 minute or so short films written by a classmate. One of M's group members had the script and promised to email it to the rest of the group. Just before class, M finds it in his inbox, but doesn't have time to open it. The call halfway through class was to ask me to save it as a word doc; the writer had sent it out in the one format everyone said NOT to send it in - I was the only one who could open it on M's laptop (which of course, was here at home, not with M.) I saved the day by emailing it back out in the proper format. . .
only to learn myself that what was sent was NOT the script, but the outline that they all had already. The guy's email said "oops, sorry, I went out of town and forgot to send this" but "this" was the wrong "this" after all that (and of course, he wasn't in class OR answering his phone), Now they start filming next week with no script. Fabulous. Needless to say, the rest of the group was less than pleased. And M wonders why I'm not thrilled with the idea of going back to school.
Anyway, as promised (not that anyone asked, but hey, its something to write, right?), here's tonight's dinner. This recipe came from an issue of Glamour, probably 3+ years ago, but we love it. Its simple, fast, tasty and pretty darn healthy too.
Quick Thyme Chicken (for 2!)
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme (dried is fine - but if you must, get it from Penzeys!)
1 egg, beaten
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin (I find that one is plenty for us to share, really)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Preheat the broiler, placing the oven rack directly under in. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, bread crumbs and thyme. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat. Place the chicken on a nonstick cookie sheet and cook directly under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. (if your breading starts to burn before the chicken is done, just move the cookie sheet down to the next lower rack until it is cooked through. I did this today for an extra 2 minutes per side, because I hadn't pounded the chicken thin enough, as I smashed my fingers with the mallet instead of the chicken. . .)
We typically serve this with mashed potatoes and - because I'm lazy - a packet or jar of chicken gravy. Besides, where am I going to get pan drippings to make gravy?
Nutritional Score (because I have a wicked software on my PC that does it for me! - though I think this is for a whole breast, not half)
285 calories
8g fat (4g saturated, 1g polyunsaturated)
141mg cholesterol
499mg sodium
382mg potassium
14g carbohydrates
1g dietary fiber
37g protein
Enjoy!
Actually, tonight he only left on two before he went to class, and I didn't eat alone. We got home from work and I started in on dinner pretty quickly (recipe to follow!) we ate, watched a little news and then M was off to class. I was lucky to find "Chicago" running on E! - lucky because I've had the soundtrack in the car all week, singing unabashedly at the top of my lungs, wishing I hadn't quit Show Choir after 8th grade (Annie, if you're reading this, I'm totally jealous that you stuck with it and are STILL with it!) M called halfway through his film editing class. They're broken up into groups right now, assigned different 3 minute or so short films written by a classmate. One of M's group members had the script and promised to email it to the rest of the group. Just before class, M finds it in his inbox, but doesn't have time to open it. The call halfway through class was to ask me to save it as a word doc; the writer had sent it out in the one format everyone said NOT to send it in - I was the only one who could open it on M's laptop (which of course, was here at home, not with M.) I saved the day by emailing it back out in the proper format. . .
only to learn myself that what was sent was NOT the script, but the outline that they all had already. The guy's email said "oops, sorry, I went out of town and forgot to send this" but "this" was the wrong "this" after all that (and of course, he wasn't in class OR answering his phone), Now they start filming next week with no script. Fabulous. Needless to say, the rest of the group was less than pleased. And M wonders why I'm not thrilled with the idea of going back to school.
Anyway, as promised (not that anyone asked, but hey, its something to write, right?), here's tonight's dinner. This recipe came from an issue of Glamour, probably 3+ years ago, but we love it. Its simple, fast, tasty and pretty darn healthy too.
Quick Thyme Chicken (for 2!)
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme (dried is fine - but if you must, get it from Penzeys!)
1 egg, beaten
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin (I find that one is plenty for us to share, really)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Preheat the broiler, placing the oven rack directly under in. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, bread crumbs and thyme. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat. Place the chicken on a nonstick cookie sheet and cook directly under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. (if your breading starts to burn before the chicken is done, just move the cookie sheet down to the next lower rack until it is cooked through. I did this today for an extra 2 minutes per side, because I hadn't pounded the chicken thin enough, as I smashed my fingers with the mallet instead of the chicken. . .)
We typically serve this with mashed potatoes and - because I'm lazy - a packet or jar of chicken gravy. Besides, where am I going to get pan drippings to make gravy?
Nutritional Score (because I have a wicked software on my PC that does it for me! - though I think this is for a whole breast, not half)
285 calories
8g fat (4g saturated, 1g polyunsaturated)
141mg cholesterol
499mg sodium
382mg potassium
14g carbohydrates
1g dietary fiber
37g protein
Enjoy!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Camping
M and I went camping this weekend. In our living room :)
We pulled the futon mattress off of its frame, threw down a ton of pillows, hung out and cuddled on the floor all weekend. We caught up on our DVR (tell me you're watching Fringe!), watched a few movies, and just locked ourselves away from it all. It was really nice. We turned off the A/C and opened all the windows for some fresh air. Saturday we made BLTA sandwiches (the "A" is avocado!) with a zesty, spicy mayo that I "made". Sunday morning, we made the most amazing Belgian waffles, with fresh whipped cream (with a dash of my homemade vanilla!) and macerated strawberries. It was divine.
There's just one problem with our weekend in. It dawned on me sometime late yesterday afternoon that we'd spent the entire weekend (with GORGEOUS weather, no less) inside the house. Now its Monday again. . . and I'll spend most of my week inside the house. I'm sure by Thursday I'll have nearly gone stir crazy. Oh well. We do have a lot to do coming up. M and I both have to work this weekend. Next weekend we'll be going to see Weezer at the AZ State Fair. On the 29th, we're going to see Cowboy Mouth in Old Town Scottsdale, and on November 10th, Local H will be back in town. How lucky are we since we've lived here, that almost all of our favorite bands have been to town! Now if only Eddie Izzard hadn't been here TWICE, when I couldn't attend either show :(
I'm off to make lunch. Thanks for reading!
We pulled the futon mattress off of its frame, threw down a ton of pillows, hung out and cuddled on the floor all weekend. We caught up on our DVR (tell me you're watching Fringe!), watched a few movies, and just locked ourselves away from it all. It was really nice. We turned off the A/C and opened all the windows for some fresh air. Saturday we made BLTA sandwiches (the "A" is avocado!) with a zesty, spicy mayo that I "made". Sunday morning, we made the most amazing Belgian waffles, with fresh whipped cream (with a dash of my homemade vanilla!) and macerated strawberries. It was divine.
There's just one problem with our weekend in. It dawned on me sometime late yesterday afternoon that we'd spent the entire weekend (with GORGEOUS weather, no less) inside the house. Now its Monday again. . . and I'll spend most of my week inside the house. I'm sure by Thursday I'll have nearly gone stir crazy. Oh well. We do have a lot to do coming up. M and I both have to work this weekend. Next weekend we'll be going to see Weezer at the AZ State Fair. On the 29th, we're going to see Cowboy Mouth in Old Town Scottsdale, and on November 10th, Local H will be back in town. How lucky are we since we've lived here, that almost all of our favorite bands have been to town! Now if only Eddie Izzard hadn't been here TWICE, when I couldn't attend either show :(
I'm off to make lunch. Thanks for reading!
Friday, October 3, 2008
A cooking lesson.
How Not To Make Homemade Bread Crumbs
Step one: slice rolls in half, place on cookie sheet
Step two: turn on broiler to toast rolls, put cookie sheet in oven
Step three: start washing dishes and forget you put the rolls in the oven.
Step four: wonder why your sink smells like burnt toast. . .
Step five: remember that you put the rolls in the hot oven, pull them out smoking and black.
Step six: throw in the garbage, put "bread crumbs" on grocery list.
Step one: slice rolls in half, place on cookie sheet
Step two: turn on broiler to toast rolls, put cookie sheet in oven
Step three: start washing dishes and forget you put the rolls in the oven.
Step four: wonder why your sink smells like burnt toast. . .
Step five: remember that you put the rolls in the hot oven, pull them out smoking and black.
Step six: throw in the garbage, put "bread crumbs" on grocery list.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
One last time, to drive the point home.
We have been home for less than ten minutes.
The foyer light is on.
the hall light is on.
the laundry room light is on.
the bedroom light is on.
the bathroom light is on.
the closet light is on.
I give up.
The foyer light is on.
the hall light is on.
the laundry room light is on.
the bedroom light is on.
the bathroom light is on.
the closet light is on.
I give up.
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