Things I've Learned from Rachel Ray, and The Ease of "Pre"pared Meals.

Last night I spent about 3 hours cooking meals to freeze.  Fix, freeze, and forget it, I think is was this process is dubbed.  After the kitchen cleaning process started... it took about 2 hours last night and moved into tonight before dinner (I had to do another round before dinner started tonight)!  I have a hashbrown casserole, 4 broccoli and cheese casseroles, a chicken pot pie, and two servings of spaghetti sauce.  I roasted another chicken... it's like Picadilly's around here!  It's just a small start, but a start none the less!

Things I've learned from Rachel Ray (and things I've added to her cooking methods).

1. Talking while cooking is therapeutic (even if it's to yourself).
2. Cooking can be fun... especially if you use a garbage bowl (or your Crock Pot bowl).
3. Cooking with her pots, pans, and utensils makes it all better (especially the orange ones).
4. 30 minutes is easy (when you have parts of the meal "pre"pared).
5. Prewashing herbs is the way to go (... it's keeping them fresh and bright green without a staff that's a problem).
6. Always have the right spices on hand (... and if you don't, just add rosemary).
7. A little fresh Parmigiano Reggiano makes everything good (but the sprinkle kind from Kraft works, too).
8. When you put a casserole in the oven, it doesn't come out with the bread (especially when you forget to put it in on time).

Now that I've learned the rope of my semi-professional kitchen, "pre"paring food is the name of my game.  I'm excited to see how it all tastes after it's thawed out and cooked.  Tomorrow night's dinner is grilled chicken, broccoli and cheese casserole, green beans and rolls.  Wednesday is still up in the air, but I'll bet it has something to do with roasted chicken and hashbrown casserole.  Maybe spaghetti?!  Who knows... the frozen possibilities are endless!

Day 3... Half of Week 1... and I'm exhausted.

So goes the cooking challenge... so goes the creativity.  I am definitely digging deep in my recipe repertoire to make things seem not so boring.  Yes... I realize it's day 3, and day 148 is a good way away.  I guess it's all your perspective.  Here's the break down:

January 1 to May 31, 2011

Basically two season

Five months

22.5 weeks

151 days

129 meals (If I cash in every free night)

119 meals (If I cash in my additional two nights a month)

I've cooked 3.  So I'm either at 125 or 116... or my math might be completely off (those of you who have seen my handy work with a pencil and paper and equation may be leaning to the last option)!!  Annnnywho... we've enjoyed dinner so far.  I followed my dinner with one Smidgen... it's better than 3 bon bons, I guess.  :)

Geeeez.  January 3.  One day at a time.

Happy cooking (or for Troy, Happy Eating)!!

Jack Sprat Could Eat No Fat...

I wish I could report this bet was made in a drunken stupor on New Year's Eve, but alas, no.  It was simply my trying to be a good wife and provide for my husband right before I decided to call it a night.  Yep... I said, "My New Year's resolution is to cook for you six of the seven nights a week."

It only gets worse.

Not only did I make a resolution that I'm fairy certain I will renege on later, I agreed to the following terms: "I'll bet you can't make it past this week."  I said, "Sure, I can.  I can do this until June..."  Then I followed that empty promise to myself with "... at least."  Dumb.

I kinda feel like the character from Julie and Julia.  I've taken on a task I'm not sure if I can accomplish, but I'm hellbent on doing my dead level best to make it to June... fingers pruny, pots and pan worn out, dishwasher lagging, and garbage disposal choking.

Now if any of you really know TB, you know that there's not a bet in this world he's certain he won't win.  And he usually doesn't make bets he can't win, but I mean business, folks.  Tonight, we decided on ground rules for this bet:

    1. I get two sick days a month that will not count against me in addition to my one night off each week.
    2. It has to be 6 of 7 week days.  If I cook 7 days a week, good for me.  Meal 7 will not count toward the
        next week.  As he put it, "This isn't AT&T... you don't get rollover meals."
    3. Three times each month, I get to cook something he may or may not eat.  I won't know until he decides
        to try it or head to Whataburger.
    4.  If Troy or someone else decides to go out to eat, and Troy agrees to this outing, it does not count
         against me.

So far, I cooked chili on New Year's Day, and tonight we had chicken biscuit casserole with sides.  When I say I mean business, I roasted a chicken.  I have enough chicken to cook a meal for a small fleet of warships.  He's going to be so sick of home cooking come June, we may not eat one meal in this house for a month!

You may be giggling, even busting out laughing (that I doubt, however), but we're not kidding, people.  We placed our wagers... put up our stakes.  If I win, I get new cookware.  If he wins, we get a weekend at a casino so he can play poker (see... I kinda win either way!).

I'll keep you posted on my progress.  I plan to keep up the menu on the page appropriated titled "Chopped: TMB Edition."  I'm think that I may turn over my one night off to Willie's Ice House this weekend.  We'll see... I definitely know I will think twice before using my one free pass!

Merry Christmas from our Family!

After a tumultuous year, we've settled into our new place... our new home... our new life.  We are very thankful for the riches we've been given this year--family and friends.  We love each and everyone of you dearly and wish you a very happy, healthy 2011.  May it rain luck, love, and may all your wishes come true.

Troy, Mandy, Max & Marlee

Up, Up and Get Me Away From This Heat...

Well... summer is proving to be summer in Houston. Today's high was 103, and that doesn't include the heat index. Man... it's sweltering out there. We've managed to beat the heat with a little Blue Bell ice cream and a lot of time on the couch!!

This past weekend, Troy ventured to Lubbock for his fantasy football draft, and I spent Saturday with Dave & Teresa, and my favorite mode of air transportation, their Cessna Skyline. We flew the I-10 Corridor to Galveston and then home by way of Sugarland. It was a beautiful morning for a beautiful plane ride over the greater Houston area and beyond. I was able to get some fantastic pictures from our 1,300 feet view, which are posted on my Picasa site.

I told Dave that flying with him is on my top 5 reasons that I love living in Houston, and I can't wait for the next trip!!

Enjoy the pictures... These pictures are fab... if I must say so myself! :)

Vogue.

So, Max & Marlee decided to sit... and shocker... be still for the camera. Max, as always, tries to have the upper hand, and must perch on the sofa for all pictures. Not sure if it suffices for having small dog syndrome, but we'll go with it. Marlee actually smiled instead of running from the big bad camera. I had fun. Here are a few more!

Long Time... Know What's Going On?

Wow. A year. It's been a year since I last posted. This is neither good or good! I am so sorry, readers, that I haven't written in so long. Well... let me catch you up!

As of Troy's 36th birthday, things were going great! We loved our jobs... were tolerating Philadelphia... and dreading, more than you know, the impending winter. We make it through winter, my birthday, cursed the unseasonably warm Spring, and May rolls around. Long story short, we both quit our jobs and decided to move to Texas.

So on June 5, we said our last good-byes and see ya laters in Philadelphia, and started the 1,500 mile trek through eastern United States to the humid, hot, and happy South. We drove through Pennsylvania; took a quick trip through the northeastern most corner of West Virginia; hit Maryland; and entered Virginia. Oh boy did we enter Virginia. From on end to the diagonal other, we drove through the Lover's state, and we hated it. Every mile marker just screamed how much longer we'd be in the that state, and finally, we entered Tennessee where I've never been so happy to see a hotel. Thanks to VIP member points, our free room cost us $100. Well... actually our pups cost us $100, but they are worth every penny!!

The next morning, we headed even further south and drove until we got to my parent's house where a very happy family and friend get-together was waiting!! It was great to see everyone, and ate and ate and ate until our bellies were full as ticks. Life already seemed better just being around our family. Our leap of faith paid off!

On June 7, we pulled into Texas and ended our trip at Prairie Clover Lane. For the next 6 weeks, we resided and played house with Dave and Teresa. It was a circus... a wild trip of 5 canines, 4 adults (sometimes 5 or 6), and 2 kiddos!! We had the time of our lives... until we found our new place!

We now have our wonderful apartment in Cypress, Texas. We are very, VERY happy here and are looking forward to starting our new lives in our new state in our new jobs!

Our third anniversary is approaching, and we're hoping for a great first year in Texas. A first year together where we can start anew and with family. That's the way it's supposed to be.