What's been cooking

Hello from Dallas!  Sorry for the way overdue posting to let you all know that Steven and I are safe and sound and LOVING our new home in Dallas.  Sadly this post wont be filling you in on any specifics of our new digs, but instead will let you know some of the delicious recipes we've eaten in the past two weeks (so that I won't forget later).

p.s. remind me to fill you in on the grocery shopping ridiculousness that I must endure...let's just say I never realized having options for where to grocery shop would be so overwhelming.  The only option in Waco was HEB (which I love) or Walmart (which I avoid at all costs but that's another story).

Chicken Divan

from SkinnyTaste.com

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

From SkinnyTaste.com

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Baked Zucchini Sticks

from SkinnyTaste.com

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Mixed Baby Greens with Pomegranate Seeds, Gorgonzola and Pecans

From SkinnyTaste.com

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Because I'm bored...

We're all moved in to our new apartment in Dallas!  Wohoo!

No internet yet which means I finished my two remaining papers in record time this morning.

Just stopped by Barnes and Noble to swoon over the latest literature submit my finals and thought I'd add a quick blog post before I'm disconnected from the rest of the world for another 24 hours.  (not that I mind...)

Steven humored me this morning and let me take a picture of him before his first day of work holding his coffee mug and the lunch I made for him (just now realized I forgot to add a hand-made note...mom will be so disappointed )

Only problem with our apartment...we get 10% off at Pinkberry just for living here...and Pinkberry is right down the street...Steven's rightfully concerned and told me he's going to put me on a Pinkberry budget...jerk

Because we're moving tomorrow...

To commemorate our last night in Waco we will definitely be eating...

Definitely something I'm going to miss the most about this place I've called home for the past 6.5 years.  

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Because you lost...

Dear Baylor Football,

It's me again.  Well, apparently my request meant nothing to you...it's ok I'm over it.  Lucky for me I have very sweet in-laws who did not rub the victory into my pitiful Baylor face, but still, I would have preferred to be the one extending grace to their pitiful Aggie faces.  Oh well, I live to see another day.  Fortunately I've been a Baylor fan for a while now (4 generations...remember?) and I'm used to the gut-wrenching feeling of losing a game we could have won, but for some reason I still get all worked up about it.  Lucky for you I am too busy with school to really make a big deal about it so this post will be all you get from me this time.

Still forever at your service bleeding green and gold thru and thru,
Katie Ferguson Murray

Because I can't handle losing...

Dear Baylor Football,

I really need you to beat the Aggies today.  You see my in-laws are coming in for the game and most of them will be wearing maroon.  This is a problem for me because I grew up learning to make fun of Aggies and now I am having to go against my upbringing to love them.  I've had 5 years of practice so I'm pretty much there, except when Baylor plays them in football.  You see guys I am a fourth generation Baylor Bear, I cannot take the emotional toll of you all losing and then having to hang out with my Aggie in-laws afterwards, it's just simply asking too much of me.  So if you win today I'll be eternally grateful.  I even promise not to rub it in after the game...at least not out loud where they can hear :)

Forever at your service,
Katie Ferguson Murray

apparently we share genes?

This is my youngest sister Mary

gah isn't she beyond gorgeous?????

One of her friends posted this pic on facebook from her homecoming dance and my jaw dropped.  What happened to my little sister??? She had just turned 9 when I left for college in 2004 and now she's 15!

She always gets frustrated that I still treat her like she's a little girl but this is what she looked like when I left for college!  I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that she is a sophomore in High School and playing in the band (it feels like only yesterday I was in her same shoes)

Even with our 9 year age difference Mary Jane and I have always connected and I love seeing the beautiful woman she is turning in to, even if I can't come to grips with it on most days. So in honor of my beautiful sister I decided to make up the list below.  enjoy!

My top 10 favorite things about Mary Jane

1. she's easily one of the funniest people I know

2. the girl is beyond witty.  her quick comebacks even give my dad a run for his money

3. she's humble and doesn't realize how gorgeous she is 

4. she is friends with everyone

5. she's the sweetest person you will ever meet (thus number 4)

6. she loves to lend a helping hand 

(Lizzie James and I take credit for this because we always used to make her do things for us when she was little...perks of being the youngest :)

7.  Because we are 9 years apart I got to use her as my excuse for watching the Disney Channel all through High School.

8.  She laughs at my dorky jokes

9. She will talk to me on the phone for as long as I want

10.  She's slightly OCD and has organized my apartment ever since grad-school (the first time I lived on my own)

I can hardly contain my excitement...

I had every intention of blogging about our two most recent vegan recipes (both a huge success btw) but to be honest I had to share my excitement about who I get to see tomorrow!!

HUDSON!

and his precious parents AMBER and RYAN!

I first met Amber and Ryan almost 5 years ago now (wow!) after I had been dating Steven for several months.  They both went to high school with Steven in Oklahoma (Ryan is Steven's best friend) and then both went to Oklahoma State University together.  

Now those of you who know Steven well are familiar with how incredibly goofy he can be.  When he is around Ryan it's like 100x worse better ;)  They both start acting like 15 year old boys and thus Amber and I have learned that it's best to just let them do their thing and back off which has allowed us to become really good friends as well!  I so treasure our friendship with them and wish we could all live in the same city.  We keep trying to convince them to move to Texas and they keep trying to convince us to move to Oklahoma.  Perhaps we should call a truce and move to another state together...ha!

And we are so so so excited about seeing Hudson again!  The last time we saw him he was just a little bitty 6 week old baby and now he's 10 months old! (or almost...He was born in mid January)  To be honest Steven was a little disappointed that Hudson wasn't more interesting at 6 weeks old, he kept saying to all of us "he doesn't do anything" (another reason we aren't quite ready for children yet...) but Amber has assured Steven that Hudson will keep him plenty busy this time around.  

The five of us back in March at Ted's Escondido, our favorite Mexican Restaurant we visit every time we go to Oklahoma.  We were honored to be there at Hudson's first Ted's trip :)

So needless to say I am beyond excited!  I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to share once we get back (Amber always takes pictures which is great because I always forget! ha!)

Vegan Dinner #1

Well our first purposefully vegan dinner was less than ideal...in fact I must be honest here and admit that after eating some forced bites Steven and I decided to go to Wendy's and get 99 cent frosty's...not exactly the most vegan treat : \

I tried to make a vegan "pot-pie" recipe that ended up tasting really bland even with all the amazing veggies inside.  I think the liquid filling is to blame...it was basically soymilk, cornstarch to add thickness and salt/pepper...probably should have added something to it but I'm still not sure what would have done the trick.

Steven was really sweet and said he liked it while forcing down spoonfuls.  I on the other hand took three bites and called it quits with Steven following suit about a minute later (ha!)

No worries though, we are still determined to find amazing Vegan recipes and I have very high hopes for tonight's endeavor!  Hopefully my next Vegan post will leave you drooling :)

Going vegan for dinner in november

Friends It's VEGANovember at the Murray's!

For the past few months Steven and I have been trying to do something "out of the ordinary" each month in an attempt to either save money, be healthier, or both.  

September: no eating out.  We weren't perfect at this, but we certainly gave it a go.

October: no coffee unless it is made at home.  aka: the birth of our own pumpkin spiced latte :)  we only broke this 2 times all month!

November: we are trying to go vegan for each dinner meal we make at home.  This does not include thanksgiving (duh) or eating out at restaurants.  No worries Amber and Ryan!  (our dear friends we get to see in Dallas this weekend!!!!!!)

Why this particular challenge?  Well Steven and I are trying to loose some weight/be healthier and all semester i've been reading up on healthy eating habits.  I'm not interested in going on a diet, but instead I want to make changes within my eating that will last further than when I finally decide I'm back to a desired/healthy weight.  I've been learning a lot about vegan eating and have heard great statistics on how it is a much healthier way to eat.  (for more info try out these links here, here, and here)

Basically the average American eats way more animal products than he/she needs to which can have harmful effects on their health.  Now don't get me wrong, I love my burger and steak, but Steven and I thought this would be a great way to try out some new recipes and limit the number of animal products we consume each week.  (Thanks Aurelia and Lyle for really introducing us to this idea!) 

So get ready for some new veggie-filled recipes coming to the blog!  I'm about to leave for the grocery store now...watch out produce aisle, and will attempt to find tofu for one of my recipes.  I'm not even sure if HEB has tofu, where I would find it if it does carry it, or if Steven and I will even like it...oh well, this month is all about experimenting!

My thoughts...in no particular order

1. The bears are bowl bound!
2.  I think I'm still wet from the monsoon at the Kansas State game this past Friday.  Sic' em homecoming!
3.  I'm moving to Dallas in less than 2 months...whoa!
4.  Within the next 6 months I will have traveled to two foreign countries.  I've never even left the country before
5. I need a passport (see #4)
6. I'm a really really good procrastinator (strengths perspective)
7. I'm sore from bear cycle today...damn my 3 week hiatus from working out.  what was I thinking??
8. In exactly 2 months I will be having the first Christmas away from my immediate family (thankfully I have awesome inlaws!)
9.  My brother is playing for Louisiana Tech next year!  So proud!
10.  My husband has his first interview tomorrow!  So excited for him and am singlehandedly taking on all of his nerves...I guess that's my contribution.

The DOW went up 38.6 points today

How do I know that??

This is my current study spot

Steven and I both have lots of studying to do and he has to work on his presentation for some class where he gets to trade stock to raise money for Baylor endowed scholarships...eh I guess I'm proud.

He apparently needed some fancy bloomberg machine he can only get in this room so I joined him.  I feel extra classy reading about community development while the stock ticker scrolls above my head, CNBC is playing on the TV and I get to see how the dollar is trading with other foreign currency.  

1.390 with the Euro  if you must know. 

Oh and just incase I get bored I can see what time it is in Singapore, Bahrain, London and New York

Why we aren't having children soon

::our conversation after I told Steven that one of our couple friends is waiting to completely determine the name of their child until he/she is delivered because they want to make sure the name fits with the baby's personality::

Steven: Babies don't have personalities right out of the womb.
Katie: Sure they do!
Steven: how so?
Katie: well they can be calm, hyper, alert, looking around etc.
Steven: What?  Babies don't look around right after their born, their eyes don't even open for a few weeks
Katie:...that's puppies Steven...

Candle Math

I think I'm developing a slight obsession when it comes to candles.  I attribute this to my nose's amazing ability to remember and appreciate really good smells.   

Example 1: When people ask "what is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex" my answer has always been the way they smell.  Weird, I know, but it's true.  

Example 2: When Steven and I were just friends our freshman year I used to always give him a hug, not because I particularly loved hugs, but because he wore the best smelling cologne.  

Example 3: Once we started dating I decided to buy him new cologne for Christmas because he was running out of his so I went to Dillards and picked out an amazing fragrance by Ralph Lauren that I just loved.  I called my mom on the way home because I was so excited about how great this cologne was and when I told her the brand she laughed saying "that's what your Dad wears."  awkward??? um yes...did I return it??? no because I had fallen in love with it 

Example 4:  My mom has always used Yankee Candles at our house and when I would get particularly homesick in college I would go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to smell the candles we used at home.  I never bought them because they were too expensive...

So needless to say I have been on the lookout for the perfect fragrance(s) for our home.  I fell in love with Woodwick candles a few years ago because the family I babysit for always had one lit when I would come over.  They are amazing because the wick is real wood and crackles (thus the name woodwick...)  When I went to the store to buy one a few years ago I realized their large jars were so expensive!  Why in the world would I buy a large candle for way more than I could buy one at Bath and Body Works?  So for the past few years I have been buying Slatkin and Co. candles from Bath and Body Works dreaming of one day being able to afford a large woodwick candle.  

Disclaimer:  Slatkin and Co. is actually really good.  The aroma will fill up your entire apartment, but I was really wanting the crackling sound the Woodwick candle makes...

But this year I decided to do some math.  I was admiring some Woodwick candles at the Hallmark store and realized that the medium jar burned for up to 100 hours.  I thought wow that seems like a lot....so I did some research and found out an amazing discovery!  WOODWICK IS CHEEPER THAN YANKEE CANDLE OR SLATKIN AND CO!  let me explain.  (this experience is truly life changing so brace yourself.

Slatkin and Co. (Bath and Body Works)

Price for 14.5oz Jar (Large): 19.50

Burn Time Max: 65 hours

Price per hour: 30 cents

Yankee Candle

Price for 14.5oz Jar (Medium): 21.99

Burn time Max: 90 hours

Price per hour: 24 cents

Woodwick Candle

Price for 10oz Jar (Medium): 17.99

Burn time Max: 100 hours

Price per hour: 17 cents 

So really it's all in the math :)

Needless to say me, my nose, and my ears (remember the wood wick crackles) are eternally pleased.  

Fragrances used in the Murray household to date:

Applewood

Autumn Sunset (purchased this afternoon. mmmmm fall :)

Things that make me laugh...

...people who call my husband "Steve" after he introduces himself.

For instance, the dialogue below has happened more times than I can count.

Steven: "Hi, nice to meet you (insert name here) my name is Steven"
Person: "It's nice to meet you too Steve"

He used to correct people, but now he just nods in agreement.

But just to be clear...don't ever try to call me Kate because I will smack you down.  Not that I don't like the name Kate, because I do, in fact I have many friends who go by Kate and it doesn't make me cringe...but for some reason I can't handle it being my name.

In fact only my sweet sweet sweet 83-ish year old grandmother is allowed to call me Kate and that's because she's too precious to say no to.

So the point of this post?  I laugh when people call my husband Steve and cringe when anyone but MeeMee calls me Kate.  

I leave you with my favorite picture of Steve and Kate (laughs while cringing :)

Ode to Pumpkin Butter

I have a new love of my life and it is called pumpkin butter. (Not actually butter, but a spread) I have been putting it in everything recently and thought I should chronicle my experience.

Now usually I try to only add my own photos to this blog when I cook food (unless I forget to take some).  But recently both my point and shoot camera and my phone camera have not been giving me the best pictures and this is a very important post :)  So I will intersperse my pictures with the pictures from Skinny Taste where I got all these recipes from.  (don't worry, I'm pretty sure you will be able to tell whose pictures belong to who...whom?  eh you get the point.)

Pumpkin Butter.
The crowned jewel in this whole experiment.  The perfect staple for your fall-inspired recipes.  I'm drooling just typing about it.  You can mix it with greek yogurt and granola for a parfait...mix it with oatmeal for a pumpkin treat in the morning...put it on toast...or "pumpkin butter fingers" (inspired by Joey on FRIENDS...obviously)

Pumpkin Spiced Crepes with Pumpkin Butter

This was the first time Steven and I had ever had crepes.  I don't have a cast iron skillet, which I think would have helped them cook a little more evenly, but they were still delish!

 Steven posing with the crepe he made all. by. himself.

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte
This recipe was crucial to Steven and my health.  We gave up coffee (that isn't made at our house) for the entire month...during fall...aka pumpkin spiced latte month...what was I thinking???  So when this recipe came up on Skinny Taste where I could use pumpkin butter to make my favorite fall coffee I almost cried.

I have yet to have a full cup myself (we just found the recipe last week) But Steven has already made it for himself twice.  I decided to show you his mad pumpkin spiced latte skills below.  

 I could lie and tell you he loved me taking those pictures and putting them on the blog, but alas the husband does not enjoy taking pictures.  Luckily I have a great pouty face and he obliged (after telling me I was being childish).  Marriage is all about give and take and picking your battles. 

What's been cooking

Time for another installment of what's been cooking in the Murray household.  (ps...I am on the lookout for a point and shoot camera for Christmas so hopefully one day the pictures will look good)

Broiled Tilapia Oreganata.  

This is a super quick recipe that uses stuff we almost always have in our pantry.  Sorry for all the parmesan cheese.  When I took the fish out it smelled strange so I was hesitant that it wasn't going to be good and sprinkled cheese all over it. It tasted great (sans cheese) and we later found out the weird smell was from our oven...oh well :)

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime. 

 A Paula Deen inspired recipe which the amazing woman at Skinny Taste lightened up.  

 Chicken Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes.  

Yum Yum Yum Yum Yum (that's all)

 Asian Glazed Drumsticks  

Steven loved these and they were great as leftovers a few days later.  

Oven Fried Drumsticks.  

Amazing recipe if you like fried chicken but don't want it to actually be fried. The batter is actually crushed up bran flakes with seasoning! We had my brother over and he loved them as well.  (Picture from Skinny Taste)

Design

Ok I am no expert at design, but as I mentioned a few posts ago, I have been keeping tabs on a few blogs in order to get ideas.  I came across a fantastic picture of a living room re-do and wanted to share!

It has many of my "check-off list" items for how I feel a room should function.  The color scheme is good in any season, it is timeless, at least one piece of striped furniture (I really want a striped couch...no idea why), bookcases for my love of books, warm and inviting.  Now this room looks a bit formal in these pictures but it still looks like people live here.  Nothing drives me more crazy than a room that, despite being beautiful with all its gorgeous furniture, paintings, and priceless treasures, is too "pretty" to actually use.  This room looks very functional and seems to say "welcome, come sit down and relax/talk for hours in my comfy furniture"...wow, I've obviously been looking at too many photos of rooms now that they are talking to me :)

 Love the splash of green next to the fireplace in the pillow and pots

vintage pepsi box is fun!  probably a flea market find for minimal $.  love when cheap finds can bring personality to a room. 

(all images found here)

What's been cooking

Ok I've decided on a new post (that I will hopefully repeat as necessary) where I will share my most recent cooking endeavors and provide recipes when I can.

So...

Lasagna Style Baked-Ziti from Real Simple except I used meat instead of spinach.  

Baked Chicken Chilies Rellenos from Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (BHG).  Steven and I both agreed this was the best thing I have ever made! (and it's low fat!)

Fish Tacos complete with mango salsa (BHG).  See this post to read about my previous attempt at fish tacos.

Caesar Salmon Pizza (BHG)...if I made this again I would make it as an appetizer instead of as the main course.  I forgot how "fishy" smoked Salmon tastes.  It was good though!

Three Bean Turkey Chili from Skinny Taste.  Delicious, healthy and easy recipe! 

Chicken Quesadillas with Mango Salsa from Skinny Taste.  Once again healthy and the mango salsa makes it sweet.  It was a nice change.  

Picture from Skinny Taste (did the quality give it away?)

Blogs Change Lives

I know what you are probably thinking..."wow Katie, what a self-serving title for a post," but I'm not actually talking about my own blog, although I'm sure it does bring a smile to some of your faces because there are a few of you who get mad if I don't post often...

Thanks to Google Reader I am now an advanced blog reader.  I simply "subscribe" to different blogs and all I have to do is sign in to google reader and it shows me which blogs have been updated as well as the post, talk about convenient!

I've started looking at a lot of different design blogs, DIY blogs, and funny blogs (aka Catalog Living where they take ridiculous pictures from Catalogs and give them dialogue...trust me it's hilarious!).  Anywho I'm doing this mostly because I think I am starting to discover my design style but I want to be sure before Steven and I decide to buy furniture in a few years (yes, I realize this might be a bit over the top, but I am anything but spontaneous so I must plan).  Also I'm learning all kinds of tricks for refurbishing old furniture which hopefully means when it comes time to replace the IKEA college furniture I'll be able to do so in a somewhat green/recycled way :)

Decorating.  There are tons of moms who have blogs (that they get paid to do...how jealous am I?)  and they are beyond crafty (which I am not) but they have step by step tutorials on how to create cost effective decorations for your home!  They also all have a love for pottery barn but not the prices so they will simply look at a catalog picture and figure out how to create it themselves, pure genius!  I'm planning to make this $5 wreath at some point this fall (A Martha Stewart Knock Off).

Next, Food!  Ok I have no idea how weight watchers works but there is a blog (Skinny Taste) where this woman puts tons of recipes online that come complete with weight watchers points.  So what do I do?  Simply look for meals that have lower points than others which hopefully means they are healthier.  Seems reasonable right?  I have some Turkey Chili in the crock-pot right now (3.125 points...again have no idea what that actually means) so I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Lastly, inspiring families.  Steven and I are pretty much in sync with many of our decisions, something that comes from a healthy habit of good communication; but we are starting to think of what type of family we want to be (not that we want kids any time soon...sorry moms!).  We are starting to sort out our "grown-up" priorities and I've found that there are some great blogs out there to get ideas from.  One that I came across last week is Young House Love.  They are a young couple, live in a fixer-upper, recycle, buy organic, grow their own produce when they can, and have a 4 month old with cloth diapers. I'm not saying I want to be exactly like them have found several similarities with values Steven and I have: not being the American-consumer family, budgeting, helping the environment, working on house projects ourselves instead of paying for labor (within our skills), focusing on what's important and not what is "trendy" etc.  I would really suggest perusing through that blog for great ideas on how to save money, DIY projects, and how to live simply!

The only downside to all of this?  It keeps me from my ever growing pile of homework...

oops

Sorry for the delay my faithful followers.  Life has been crazy now that school is in full blast...so while I try to find my bearings I will leave you with a few of my favorite FRIENDS clips :)

Rainy mornings

Started off this morning getting my butt kicked in bear cycle with Aurelia.
Quick meeting at  Truett Seminary
Impromptu Common Grounds outing with Morgan where we sat and talked about life whilst drinking soyboy caballeros with moca java blend

All in all one of the best mornings I've had all week.

Also since Aurelia and Morgan are my top blog commenters I felt I should honor them by mentioning them in my post :)  Thanks for a great start to my day friends!

Body, Mind and Soul

Watch out world.  Steven and I are on our way to being the newest power couple on the block...aka we will soon be replacing Bragelina and I'm sure get lots of offers for our own reality tv show.  :) Having one year of marriage under our belt we decided to examine our relationship and see what we could improve.  We came up with two areas and hit the ground running with a new semester of school!  This week has been filled with strengthening our body, mind and soul.

#1 Body:  Steven and I both decided that we need a little more consistent exercise in our lives.  I feel like I should tell you my philosophy on exercise here for clarity.  I am completely against weighing myself because I never want to be unsatisfied with my body if I don't fit within a certain number range on the scale.  To be honest I really don't know how much I weigh and I am completely ok with that. But I have noticed that when I exercise I have more energy (which is a must in grad school) and my pants fit a little better (which is a must when you are on a budget and can't go out and buy more pants. ha!)  So this past week we started working out every day at the SLC at Baylor.  I'm also attending my very first spin class tomorrow with my friend Aurelia!  I am scared out of my mind, but so excited!  It has been so nice to step away from the books for an hour every day and go lift weights/do cardio.  Hopefully we will keep this up throughout the semester!

#2 Mind:  I'm in grad-school...need I elaborate more?  To be honest this wasn't one of the areas of marriage Steven and I decided to work on for the time being, but I needed to add it in order to have the relevant title for this post :)

#3 Soul:  There is always room for improvement in spirituality, so Steven and I decided to look at what specifically we could work on as a couple.  We both realized we are really good at talking about the theology of our faith.  Between my seminary/social work classes and Steven's love to talk about faith and politics we have conversations around these topics pretty much every day.  Something we both struggle with though is the devotional side of faith.  I attribute this to our almost identical Myers-Briggs types: INTJ (Me), ENTJ (Steven) which highlight our amazing ability to analyze things based on facts but our struggle to be more in-tune emotionally with our faith.  We decided to start doing a devotional every night before we watch our Friends episode...um...I mean go to bed :).  We are using "A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants" as our liturgy for these devotions.  I would recommend this book for anybody (couple or individual) who struggles in their devotional life.  The best thing about this tool is that it does all the structuring for you.  It follows the church calendar and for each week provides you with a liturgy full of prayers, scripture verses, reflective readings and even a hymn.  It really has made the experience of leading a devotional life together very enjoyable for Steven and me.

Lady Gaga + Britney

It might be time to dust off the marimba mallets from college and ask my percussion professor if I can get my key back to the marimba room...

Only in Aggieland...

Let me first preface this post by stating that I am, through marriage, related to Aggies.  My amazing brother and sister in-law both go to A&M and I love them dearly...

Let me also state that I grew up with a father who made fun of A&M all the time and grew up hearing more Aggie jokes than I could possibly count.

Let me also state that when I started looking at colleges my father told me I could go anywhere I wanted, but if I wanted him to pay for college I would not go to A&M...and I'm pretty sure he was completely serious...I never tested him though.

So when I went this past weekend to good old Aggieland to see my brother-in-law Ryan graduate I couldn't help but snap this picture and send it to my dear old dad.  

Perhaps at first glance you aren't really sure what is so great about this picture.  I mean obviously this is an Aggie graduation because of the maroon...perhaps you are chuckling a bit at the man with a cowboy hat on...but then again you aren't to surprised because it is A&M.  What is truly endearing about this picture is that this man isn't drinking coke out of his Styrofoam cup...no friends, that is his dip cup.  Apparently doing dip (which of course implies having to spit it out at some point) is classy enough for a college commencement.  :)

What's even better is that later in the ceremony his father (who is sitting to his right, not pictured, with a cowboy hat on too) at one point reached into his front shirt pocket and brought out a little metal tin, almost like a teeny-tiny embellished trash can which he opened and spat into!  I'm still kicking myself for not snapping a picture of that...he was much too quick and sneaky with his superior spit methods as opposed to his amateur son with his Styrofoam dip cup.  I really wanted to ask them at what point you graduate from a Styrofoam dip cup to a metal embellished travel sized dip spittoon...but I was afraid I would embarrass my in-laws.

This is why I will forever make-fun of the Aggies...even the ones I love dearly :) 

Summer's best

Sorry for the overload of blogs in the past 24 hours.  This is due to two things mainly (1) it's the last week of summer and I have no job, no school, thus I have been BEYOND bored, (2) I've had diligently been taking pictures of my cooking endeavors and various excursions in order to make blog posts for the past month and now have time to post them (see #1).

I have decided to put two of my favorite meals I have made this summer.  Truly delicious so I will boast :)

Enchiladas!
These were delicious chicken enchiladas with green sauce...like the kind you take a bite of and then proceed to say "oh...my...gosh."  I think Steven loved me even more after this meal, and the best part is it was ridiculously easy and quick to make so everybody wins.

Cinnamon Rolls!!! 

Ok these were in no way easy to make but very therapeutic.  I made them with yeast so it was quite a long process and you have to make them the day before because you chill them in the fridge overnight before you cook them in the morning.  Most amazing cinnamon rolls I have ever had though and they kept really well so I had one for breakfast every morning for the next week :)

the rolls...the two weird ones on the left were the end pieces I cut off, thus they didn't have any filling.

Cream Cheese Icing.  A bit different taste than the icing in the pillsbury can (a staple growing up) but still delicious.  

One of these babies in the morning and you won't be hungry for lunch...perhaps I'm on to a new diet regimen?

As you can see there are no recipes this time...hopefully this will entice you all to come visit me or ask me to make you dinner.  It's my evil plan to fill you all up with cheesy mexican dinners and sugary yeast filled breakfast treats...(insert evil laugh here)

Meet Marcel

Posted by my cousin on facebook.  I laughed out loud through the entire thing.  If we have the same sense of humor you will too...if we don't have the same sense of humor you probably wont laugh at all.

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

So you will recognize me the next time you see me...

I now come with bangs :)

...and am very excited about it apparently