Overcompensating

As I was driving my sister, Ashley to school, we got stuck in a little morning traffic. Waiting in line to drop her off, we kept hearing this, "Beeeenk! Beenk!... Beeeeeeeenk!" It sounded like the horn of a minuscule clown car. Looking around, we both could not figure out who was honking. "Beeeeeeeeeenk!!!" Ashley and I were puzzled at the incessant honking coming from one of the cars around us. Hmm... then we both looked to the left and saw a gargantuan SUV idling outside the house we were stuck in front of, just laying on the horn. Good thing I used the can before drop off, otherwise, my fit of laughter would have resulted in using the upholstery cleaning coupon a month early. I don't know why I found such humor in this freakin' HUGE car with a pipsqueak of a horn. And thus, we refer to the title of this post...

And the glory be thine...

I had so much fun reading all of the comments left for me yesterday by way of SITS! Thanks everyone for the bloggy love. My favorite comment has been chosen from each featured post to share. Please enjoy...

From: It's all going to the birds
Vickie said...
Happy SITS Day! This was a funny post. I swear birds are psycho or rude.

And to that I say, yes Vickie, birds are psycho AND rude. Especially that bird. Really, how much does it take to just see a little feather... Dude, I'm married...

From: The Dilemma
Ryan Ashley Scott said...
hahaha! To work out or LOOK like you've worked out? I know what you mean about the step-sister shoes, though - some of those comfy puppies could make cankles out of broomsticks! And with the "sockless" look (read: nineties scrunchy socks are apparently out of style) there's no hiding anything.

Any post with the word, 'cankles' in it gets the automatic vote. Parenthesis are always an added good measure. All the good stuff's in the parenthesis.

From: Travelling Pearls of Wisdom:
Tia said...
here via SITS....... mmmmmmmmmm Wilmer Valderama.... Handy Manny, yum indeed. just closer your eyes, sip a cup of joe, and relax!

Tia, you win because I had to Google who played Handy Manny... and, yes, I will do what you say- please explain to my husband why I don't do the laundry anymore. I think he'll take it better from you.

I know, I know

I changed my background, AGAIN! There is reason, my friends... I have many visitors coming by ways of SITS! I have been a member of this blogging community for almost a year and I finally get to be their featured blogger! Which means, it was time to clean house. For you guys, I never pick up- but when it's people I barely know- full treatment, baby!

My beef with the letter 'K'

Kaitlin and I feasted on these babies tonight...what I don't understand is why I am so in love with a food that is bad for you disguised as another food that is so bad for you... I must be a glutton for punishment. Those Krabby Patties are so sinfully delicious (as I am typing, all that goes through my head is the 'magically delicious' jingle from the Lucky Charms commercials). Also, I have a MAJOR problem with any product/place of business that misspells on purpose. example: the Kar Korral in Napa. People, people, people... do these business owners think it's a great idea to look stupid?!?! How many people DO NOT know how to spell the word 'car'? I'm sure the big guys were sitting around a table trying to come up with a name like this:

Fat Vinnie: So, uh, Gio- whats' choo wanna name yo bidness?

Hairy Gio: I dunno, we's selling cahs, right? And we in Cali, right? Choo like 'Cahs of the wild west' gettit?! Harumphhahaaa- choo know, like cowboys n' stuff?

Fat Vinnie: Whaddchoo thinkin'?! People might think we's talkin' about da ladeez or sumpin'! I's gotta acks you sumpin'. Whut if these dem cahs were like a cowboy's horse?! where's do dose cowboys keep dem horses?

Hairy Gio: I dunno. Inna cage?

Fat Vinnie: No! It's like a fencing in yahd... you know, with a fence 'round it?

Hairy Gio: Choo mean a COR-ral? That's whut you talkin' about?

Fat Vinnie: Yeah, yeah... 'cept, we gotta make it d'ffrent... how can we's do that?

Hairy Gio: Whaddya think of puttin' a 'K' instead of a 'C'? People'll think we's smaht!

Fat Vinnie: Now you's talkin'...

And so, ladies and gentlemen, the beautiful a classy Napa Valley has a 'Kar Korral' happily doing business about the civilians. I refuse to shop anywhere or purchase any product that uses the wrong spelling on purpose. There are two exceptions to this rule:

1) The business uses a pun to misspell, such as, 'Let's have a fun Thyme!' as a cooking store. Now, that's clever.

2) The business is selling a bite size piece of gummy deliciousness masked as a product of the grill.

p.s. my spell check went HAYWIRE when I tried to check spelling on this post.

Let's get ready to Ruuuuummble!!!!

Today at brunch with the in-laws, Jimmy was being especially ornery to all the girls- from his mother down to Kailtin. We were all getting dizzy from the constant eye rolling at his outlandish and teasing remarks. Mom had mentioned that the youngest grand baby, at eighteen months, had just learned where her nose was. Norah's newest game was pointing to her nose when asked. As Ashley and I shared our excitement, Jimmy started teasing again... "Eighteen months?!?! Kaitlin could point to her nose the minute she was born!" And with that I said, "Maybe not her dainty nose... she saw your face a knew what a nose was upon seeing your big schnoz! OOhhh!!!!" Jimmy nearly choked on his food.
She shoots, she scores! She nearly brought down the house with Jimmy's puzzled expression seeing someone dare tease him back! It seems that my husband can dish out plenty, but growing up with all younger sisters , the retribution was few and far between. Add Stephanie, who grew up with all brothers, to the mix and you've got yourself a game worth watching!
Stephanie-1
Jimmy- zip
Stay tuned for our half time entertainment.

Recent hang up

I have been spending all my time recently, searching for perfect picture frames, shelves, accessories and such for a wall I'm trying to re-decorate. I cannot think of anything else. I went to the temple this week and during the whole session, all I thought about was going to the book store afterward to find the perfect sized picture to complete my puzzle of perfection. Pure bliss will be achieved when I get to post the finished product on this here blog... but until then, do not expect a good post about anything else... did you not see my last post about cupcakes?!?!?!


p.s. do like my post title and intended pun? Aren't I so clever....

You know you're old when

naps are fun and frosting is your least favorite part of the cupcake.

The newest Bear Cub

We went to North Carolina to meet my newest niece, Rebekah Marie Bear. She is gorgeous! Prepare yourself for a ridiculous amount of pictures...These pictures of smiling airplane passengers were taken before the flight. Pictures of after the flight were unavailable.Meeting Meemo for the first time. Grabbing at Grandpa Bear's beard... try and say that three times fast...We were having a moment, and thus begins our generations of fabulous girl talk. I know I will be a happy woman when she asks me about shoes.Jimmy has always been great with babies. Rebekah feels safe... until we sick our daughter on her.Rebekah looks incredibly worried that we placed her in Kaitlin's arms. I just imagine her thinking, "Dude, seriously? Who's idea was it to hand me off to this one? Someone give me a phone, I need to call Dr. Phil..."
And what's a good post without a reference to Twilight?This apple was the biggest apple I have ever seen in my entire life! It was bigger than Kaitlin's head!

What a pleasant way to wake up

That fabulous lady is *Natalie*... I have been stalking her blog since before I even had a blog. So, when I got a comment from her, it was like Christmas... thanks, April for encouraging me to wake up and look under the tree!

Thanks to Jimmy for his help making the video and the photo of Natalie was taken by Nicole Hill.

Winner Cashes IN!

April won my 100th post giveaway. Prepare yourself for a VERY LONG post... of just look at the pictures...

Here's how it all went down... we got to the Kennedy family's home and were pleased to find a beautifully set table. Oooh la la... when I grow up I want to be just like April! Look at what she just 'whipped up' from existing decor already in her house! Course 1: Blue Cheese stuffed Grapes with Candied WalnutsCourse 2:

Here I am plating the bacon and apples... yum! Kaitlin only ate the bacon off her plate.

Here's the completed salad with recipe to follow.




Field Greens Salad with Apples, Caramelized Bacon and Feta


1 (5 oz.) bag spring mix lettuce
1 (5 oz.) bag butter lettuce
2 fuji apples, cut into slices (or if tossing salad, rather than plating- cut into bite sized pieces)
10 slices of thick sliced bacon
1/3 cup brown sugar (or more, depending on preference... I always go more!)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup roasted sliced almonds

to caramelize bacon- Preheat oven to 350. Lay out bacon on cookie sheet in a single layer and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Make sure sugar is covering entire bacon slice. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Watch carefully, bacon tend to burn easily. Let cool slightly before cutting into pieces. (The bacon may be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated, just be sure to microwave it a few second to warm up before serving)

Dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple cider
2 Tb. apple cider vinegar
2 Tb. sugar
1 Tb. Good Seasons Italian Dressing spice packet
Combine all ingredients in covered container and shake well.
Assembly:
On a plate arrange alternating bacon pieces and apple slices. Toss greens, almonds and desired amount of dressing in a bowl. Evenly distribute salad on prepared plates and top with feta cheese.

And here is Course 3,

Corn Spoon Bread with BBQ Pulled Pork, Crisp Onions and Horseradish Dijon Aioli:


Corn Spoon Bread:
6 Tb. butter, softened
1/4 cup Masa (corn flour)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup milk
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup corn meal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter, masa and sugar. In blender mix 1/2 bag of corn and 1/2 cup of milk, puree. (If there's not enough liquid, you can use remaining 1/4 cup of milk) Stir blender mixture into butter mixture and add remaining ingredients. Pour into 8x8 deep glass dish. Cover very tightly with aluminum foil. Nest 8x8 pan in a larger (9x13), deep sided dish. Fill larger dish with warm water (about 1/2 way up the side of 8x8 dish) and put in oven for 2 hours. Keep covered and do not open the oven while baking.

Barbecue Pulled Pork:
The secret to great pulled pork is the slow cooker AND not putting the bbq sauce on until almost ready to serve. Slow roasting in the slow cooker yields good, tender pork. If the sauce is cooked with the pork, it will separate.
1 boneless pork shoulder roast, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups apple cider
3 minced garlic cloves
1 Tb. kosher salt
black pepper to taste
Directions: Put all ingredients in slow cooker and heat for 5 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW. When meat is tender, pull apart with two forks and mix in desired amount of bbq sauce.

Horseradish Dijon Aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp horseradish
Directions: Stir ingredients together until smooth- you may adjust dijon mustard and horseradish to taste.

Crisp Fried Onions:
easy peasy! I just use French's Fried onions that have been crisped a little in the oven.

Course 4:
Look what we had for dessert! I will make anything to go in my stemless martini glasses... french vanilla ice cream with fruit compote works for me!
Fruit Compote:
1 cup black cherries ( I use the frozen from TJ's when I can't get them fresh)
1 cup wild blueberries (also frozen!)
1 cup blackberries (yep. you guessed it- frozen, baby!)
1/4 cup strawberry jam
1/4 cup apple cider
sugar to taste

bring all ingredients to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 8 minutes, or until thickened. Pour warm over ice cream. Can be made ahead, just heat it up in the microwave.

Here's the happy and very full Kennedy family:
I had the greatest time being able to serve my friends. Look forward to my 2ooth post giveaway... I'll do the same!

I did have a very favorite moment of the evening. Blake was weirded out by the food (most kids think it looks like an alien landed on their plate...let's not talk about aliens, though, they really freak me out...) So, his sweet daddy got him a hot dog to munch on. Kaitlin looked right at Dave and said, "Can I have a hot dog, too?!" Poor kid... she didn't stand a chance being my daughter... I don't do kraft macaroni and cheese either...but I digress. As Dave put Kaitlin's plate in front of her, April reached over with the bottle of ketchup and said, "Kaitlin, does your mommy do it like this?" and proceeded to put ketchup around the plate in a very animated and exaggerated flourish, much like the way I did with aioli on our plates. I'm glad I didn't have anything in my mouth, or this post would be written by a family member mourning my loss because I choked to death.

If you were to read my Face Book status

you would know that it says, "Stephanie is sick:( She cannot stop coughing and sounds like a 60 year old male trucker when she talks!"

Well, my sweet little five year old came into my room and noticed I was under the weather. When informed that I would not be taking said child to school, she took the matter into her own hands and called Nana to ask for a ride to school. Apparently, the lack of perfect vision has given her the ability to dial a seven digit phone number from memory. That, and the accomplishment of complete embarrassment on my part by letting my mother-in-law know that I have the inability to care for her son's offspring.

The glasses post

Here's our girl in her new optical accessory

Dear April,

I was wrong... turquoise and red are not so terrible together. I find it to be a love hate relationship. After much time with a cartoon Jimmy and Stephanie, I had to find a new background, thus, leading to a 'you were right' post. April, ruler of Fashionista Land- please forgive your humble servant and speak of her wrongs no more... she shall be eternally grateful.
Love, Stephanie

Note to self

Never again cough while applying mascara...

fashion statement

Our little Kaitlin is about to be really chic for a preschooler. At her preschool evaluation last week, Kaitlin's teacher expressed amazement at Kaitlin's ability to share with her peers. Also, she was impressed by Kaitlin's imaginative play and comprehension of phonics. The teacher was, however, concerned about some of Kaitlin's development. She pointed out that the things Kaitlin was lacking in could be due to dyslexia or some other learning disability in conjunction with sight.

One doctor's appointment and $250 later- Kaitlin is officially in reading glasses. Hopefully, she'll be able to catch up in time for kindergarten this Fall. Look for an update and a picture of Kaitlin with her new glasses!

Does anyone else find it weird that a child that cannot yet read has reading glasses? She does look like the smartest and most chic preschooler I've ever seen!

Dirty

For FHE last night, we planted our seeds to germinate for later planting outside. Lets recount the steps taken:

1) Went to Walmart to purchase supplies... child kept putting seed packets in the cart- mom kept putting them back. As simple as that sounds... there were literally hundreds of packets to put back.

2) Waited in ridiculously long line to purchase supplies (why do they only have two lines open???To add insult to injury, all the other lights are on, but no one is at the check out... I suppose they were trying to weed out the stupid people... uh-oh.)

3) Label each seed cup with designated label. Try to decipher lettering done by the insisting 5 yr old.

4) Fill seed cups with dirt- one hundred in all. Clean up seed cups knocked over- 2,025 in all.

5) Get freakin' tiny seeds in little hole in dirt that's making everyone sneeze.

6) Make little flags for seed cups... because once they're in the containers, the previous writing cannot be seen *sigh*

7) Water plants

8) Sweep Floor

9) Mop floor

10) Mom is flying solo next year

Why do I insist on doing these things for a family activity when I end up so frustrated? Oooh! Oooh! I know! I know!!! Pick me!

It's because we have these great pictures to show how much 'fun' we had. Please note that pictures were taken before the opening song:

Is it sad that we've taught out daughter the 'ghetto lip' pose?

Uh... don't look down....

As I was sitting in front of all the women at church today, I realized I missed a whole strip of LONG hair while shaving my legs... yeah, nice mental picture, I'm sure...