Saint Louis Trip

Well, we are back from this year's Naslund Family Reunion in Saint Louis! It went by much too fast, but we had such a great time! I am just crazy about my extended in-laws! Here's a trip summary:

We left Thursday morning, around 7:30am, to make the drive. It only took us about 9 hours to get there. I think we only stopped once to fill up, grab lunch, pee and get back on the road. (We ate lunch in the car.)

 Ryan was pretty excited, as you can see.

Pausing for the obligatory "car picture".

Friday, everyone else who doesn't live in STL began to arrive, then we caravan-ed over to Marissa's graduation party. Scottie (my bro-in-law) and cousin Josh rode with Ryan & I.

Saturday we celebrated Aunt Peggy's "Sensational 60"th birthday. The restaurant where the party was hosted was really neat, and the foot was amazing.

This is Ryan & his Mom.

L-R: Josh, Ryan, Scott

The Naslund's!

Ryan, me and his Mom

The Hubs & me (Saint Louis is pretty humid, so I had to rock the curls.)

After brunch on Sunday, Aunt Peggy opened all her gifts while the rest of us watched from around the pool.

Ryan getting baby Dublin up from his nap. This picture does not help my serious baby fever...he is such a natural with kids!

Ryan with his precious grandparents. (Clearly, he gets his height from the other side of the family!)

We left to drive home on Sunday afternoon. We had to make a quick pit stop at 17th Street BBQ, which we'd seen on Food Network and The Travel Channel. It was SO worth the stop. It was, hands down, the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. And I've had a lot...

Bye-Bye Saint Louis! We will miss you!

 It took us a bit longer to get home. We were tired, and we stopped more but we made it home very late Sunday night, or early Monday morning, depending on how you look at it! It was an awesome trip, and we are already ready for next year's! :)

Now, to snap back to the "real world"...

Whatever Wednesday!

Hello again faithful readers! Apparently, there were 119 of you from last Wednesday to today! YAY! Per Google Analytics, a lot of you got here by Googling "Lee DeWyze". See how I roped you in there? ;) I added some new states to my list of visitors this week, too. Welcome N. & S. Carolina, Oregon, Michigan and Vermont!

We are leaving tomorrow morning for the annual Naslund Family Reunion! It's my 3rd, and I am really excited to see everyone. I am crazy about my extended in-laws and its always such a fun weekend. Ryan & I are driving this year, so I am also really looking forward to some good road trip time. Its a crazy concept, but we actually really like being together so, 8+ hours in the car is appealing to me. :) Lucky me, my awesome brother is willing to stay at our place and keep an eye on the kitties (and the movie channels) while we are gone!

I will give a quick Weekend Wrap-up! We had a long weekend for Memorial Day, and I'm going to touch on that before I talk about the fun stuff. On Monday, I did some serious thinking about all the people in my life who have served this country. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII. My Granddaddy lost his leg when his Humvee drove over a landmine and Gramp, the Screaming Eagle, fought in the Battle of the Bulge. My Uncle was in the Air Force, my father-in-law in the Navy. My cousin Travis is in the Marines. I have countless friends in various branches of the military, and am fortunate to only know one brave solider who died in Iraq. I thought this little cartoon said it all. :)

As for the rest of the weekend, Friday night we went to one of my favorite places to eat, Sweet Tomatoes. It was Ryan's first time there and he loved it, just like I knew he would. Then we came home and relaxed. Saturday, we spent some time over at my cousins' Mike & Kim's house. My Aunt Suzie & Uncle Frank where there, and so was my cousin Steve's precious daughter Emma (and of course Mike & Kim's sweet little ones, Steel and Akina). It was so great seeing everyone, though it felt a little heavy knowing that Steve was in the hospital a few hours away, continuing his aggressive cancer treatment. After leaving there, we tried to go to a pool party with our friends...tried being the operative word. After leaving my family, I wasn't much in the "party" mood, so my sweet hubby brought me home. Sunday was the day I'd been waiting for. Gavin DeGraw, probably my favorite singer on the planet, was playing a free show in McKinney to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Ryan & I and our friends Brittany & Jacob headed out to watch the show. Holy cow was it crowded! I expected 1/2 as many people as were actually there. Because of my poor planning, we did end up really far away from the stage. But, I still enjoyed myself. Though, I must say, giant, outdoor venues do not do him justice. I'll hold out for this next appearance in Dallas, which will hopefully be smaller and more intimate so he can let his vocal prowess shine!

Everyone have a GREAT Wednesday! I will try to blog from the road, but if not, see ya next week!

Idol Finale Wrap-Up

What a night! I am SO happy that Lee won!!!

I think it is so sweet and endearing that he is such an emotional guy. I've said for a long time (and will continue to say) that the only thing that "gets me" more than a musician, is a musician who CRIES! (YAY me for marrying "that guy"!)

I want to re-live this sweet moment (below) over and over. I love how close these two got. And I LOVE when they sing together, so can we get at least one collaboration on one of your albums? Please? KThanks.

But, can we talk for just a second about how long and drawn out the Finale was?! And was it weird to anyone else when Janet lip-synced [lip-sank perhaps? ;)] a Michael song?! And why do they consistently have "guest" singers who've lost their voices over the years?! (See Hall & Oates, the remaining Gibb brothers, Chicago.) I did think all the Simon stuff was cute...except for the crazies that Kayne'd the mic and Paula's bizarre "comedy sketch".

Anywho...CONGRATS to you Lee DeWyze! See ya in August for Idol Tour!!

Whatever Wednesday!

It's Wednesday!
I have great love for this day of the week. Some call it "Hump Day"; the day in which we've reached the proverbial "hump" on the mountain that is the work week. I often find myself reverting back to childhood when my parents would make us paper chains counting down to special days like Christmas, birthdays or the last day of school. When my Mom or Dad would wake us up they'd say "10 more get-ups until school is out!" This morning when I woke up and realized it was Wednesday, I immediately thought to myself "2 more get-ups until the weekend". I do realize "get-ups" (days in which we have to wake-up early) is a weird thing to say...blame my parents. But, this Wednesday is especially wonderful, because it means I am just two "get-ups" away from a 3 day weekend! (More on that later.)

Recipe time!

This is not my recipe, nor did I discover it on my own. My friend Mandy shared it with me and it was soooo good, I just had to pass it along! We have been really trying to eat on a budget lately, and this is so easy on the pocketbook.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I salted/peppered before cooking)
1/4 cup Light Zesty Italian Dressing
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth (I had to add a little more because it was too thick)
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans), thawed, drained
1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz. pkg.)

Heat oven to 375°F.

Cook chicken in dressing in large skillet on medium heat until no longer pink. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir until melted. Stir in flour until well blended. Add broth and vegetables; stir. Simmer 5 min.

Pour into 10-inch deep-dish pie plate (I used a regular pie plate); cover with pie crust. Seal and flute edge. Cut slits in crust to permit steam to escape.

Bake 30 min. or until golden brown. (In my oven, it was about 25 minutes.)

My thoughts: This is delish! I will probably add a potato next time, just because I felt like it was missing. You could definitely use left over rotisserie chicken, just heat it for a few minutes in a pan with the Italian dressing. This is slightly less fattening since you only use one pie crust and neufchatel instead of regular cream cheese but it still fills my "comfort food" cravings. Plus, it could not be easier. Enjoy!

Let's Talk Idol!
This Idol post is bittersweet. I know many of you will be relieved when it's over, but people searching Idol land on this blog so, I know I'm not alone! Anyway, last night was the final performance show of this season, and Simon's last night judging. Both Lee and Crystal did great, but if I'd been watching this show for the very first time, Crystal would have won me over. That being said, I think Lee should win. I think he has grown the most over the season, and possibly the most of any contestant ever. (Calm down, I said *possibly*.) SO, we find out tonight who will be [insert Ryan Seacrest impression here] the next American Idol! Then this blog will be Idol free...until next season! ;)

More Randomness & Ramblings from Rachel!
I have to brag on my hubby now. He really is such a catch, and I'm reminded of this often. Without getting too terribly mushy (but it is my blog, so I can do what I want!), there are moments when I think about my grandfathers and the kind of man they would expect their granddaughter's husband to be. My sweet Gramp knew & loved Ryan, in fact on our wedding video he says "he's like a son to me, but even better, he's now my grandson". [Oh my goodness, I miss that man. :'( ] Moving on, my wonderful Granddaddy (my Mom's Dad) never got to meet Ryan. He passed away when I was still in high school, and though Ry & I were dating then, he lived in Kentucky. But, he set a huge example in my life as I watched how wonderfully he treated my Grandmommy. The two of them were such sweet, southern gems. My point to all of this rambling is that I have moments when Ryan says or does something and I think to myself "Gramp, Granddaddy, did you see that?!" Yesterday was one of those moments. I had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day. Nothing went right. Nothing was easy. Everything made me want to cry. Ryan knew this, so when he walked in the door after work, he had these in hand...

Beautiful, thoughtful, perfect Passion roses. He spoils me. Or maybe he just loves me a lot. ;) Either way, as I burst into tears (again) and thanked him over and over, I glanced at the Heaven's to seek my grandfathers' approval. I think he's got it.

Happy Wednesday all!

Its Whatever Wednesday!

Hi Readers! I can say that now, because according to Google Analytics,  I had 111 hits last week! I know, a drop in the bucket for many of my favorite blogs, but to little ol' me, it feels HUGE!

I also have to point out where my hits are coming from.

I get Texas, seeing as I live here. I know a few people in Colorado, California, Oklahoma & New York and I have family in Missouri & Kentucky. But, I can honestly say I don't think I know anyone in Washington, Jersey or Virgina. So, that's kind of cool!

So, apparently, 56 of my hits last week were for various recipes I've posted, so to keep the trend alive, I have more!

Tonight, I made Broccoli Beef and it was SO good! I have a lot of friends (and maybe readers?) who don't eat red meat, and I'm sure you could substitute beef for chicken, beef broth for chicken broth, etc. But, I'm married to a red meat lover so, we eat beef.

Broccoli Beef
adapted from Simply Recipes and My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
3/4 - 1 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
2 stalks broccoli (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oill
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced or smushed through garlic smusher
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
For the beef marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of Sriracha (you can adjust this to taste as well)
For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cooking rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
Method
-Marinate the beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes ( I let it marinate for 2 hours)
-Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender and drain thoroughly.
-Prepare the sauce: Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
-Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan. Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and cook until no longer pink. (I drain about 1/2 of the juice that is created by the beef or my sauce gets too runny.) Pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, this shouldn't take long.
You can add toasted sesame seeds the last 30 seconds of cooking, if you'd like.

 Let me tell you, this dish is seriously delicious. If served with rice, this would easily serve 4.

So, moving along, Let's Talk Idol!

I've been rooting for him since day one. I think he is immensely talented. I've said how adorable and sweet I think he is about 100 times. Who am I voting for to be the next American Idol? Yup, Lee! He is this years most improved by leaps and bounds. Crystal is still so, so good and I still really like Casey, but they have been on a plateau for weeks. Lee just keeps climbing the proverbial mountain. And Simon definitely did him a huge favor by picking "Hallelujah" for him to sing last night. In the words of Kara, he "owned it".

Well, that's all I've got for today! If you stumble across my humble little blog here, leave me a comment and let me know where you are reading from!

Strawberry Summer Salad

 This is Ryan's very favorite dressing and my favorite salad to serve in the summer. Lucky for you, I'm going to share it. ;)

Strawberry Summer Salad

Dressing:
1 c vegetable oil
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 cloves finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp pepper

Salad:
1 pint sliced strawberries
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c sliced, toasted almonds
lettuce (you can determine how much lettuce is enough)

Mix dressing ingredients (I have a plastic dressing mixer, pictured below) and shake until combined. I make this at least 2 hours before so the sugar completely dissolves. Refrigerate until ready to use and then obviously shake well right before using.

Slice strawberries and place in a paper towel lined colander and allow to sweat. Meanwhile, roughly chop lettuce and toast almonds. Mix lettuce, strawberries, almonds and mozzarella. Top with dressing right before serving!

This is what the dressing should look like. As you'll see, we are running low. Hey, if this gets my carnivore hubby to scarf down salad, I'll keep making it!

 

















This salad will not disappoint. I promise!

Taco Soup!

One of my favorite things that Ryan makes is Taco Soup. Last week, he gave me the sacred recipe. Shame on him...cause now, it's going public. ;)

Ryan's Taco Soup

1lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 can corn
1 can black or kidney beans, rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1 taco seasoning packet
1 ranch seasoning packet
1 can beer (any kind. if you don't consume alcohol, use O'Douls)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 a small onion, minced
4-6 Tbsp salsa
Cayenne to taste
Cilantro to taste

Cook and drain meat in a large soup pot. After draining meat, melt butter in pot, add garlic and onion and cook until tender. Add meat back in and stir. Add corn with 1/2 the juice from the can, beans, diced tomatoes, 1/2 the beef broth, beer, ranch and taco packets, and salsa. Stir well and let simmer. Add the rest of the beef broth as needed to get to your ideal soup consistency. Add chopped cilantro and cayenne to taste. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

It's a real crowd pleaser!! Enjoy!! :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

It's been a while since we've had a weekend worth "wrapping up" but I'm happy to bring this segment back!

Saturday, we went to Ryan's parent's house for Mother's Day lunch with them. I made my "famous" Summer Strawberry Salad (I'll post the recipe soon) and Ryan cooked up steaks and salmon. I'd stayed up late Friday night working on the Mother's Day gift and dessert all-in-one. I have to give props to Amanda at i am baker for the inspiration. (She does the most creative things with baked goods.) I feel like I did a pretty good job, considering I've piped icing like twice in my life.

I wrapped Susan's up like a present...or tried to. And as you can probably tell, after she took it all apart to look at each cookie, the two on the very bottom got pretty smashed. It wasn't exactly how I pictured it, but she still loved it.

After lunch Ryan & I came home (and I took a nap) and got ready to go out to Denton to see our friend Danny's new band. They were GREAT. After we all came back to our place because I had recorded Betty White on SNL. It made for a really fun (and really late) night.

Ryan & I at our apartment before heading to Denton

With two of my best friends; Kim and Brittany

The band was rockin'!

Ryan is going to kill me for posting this picture of him about to blink ;)

So, when we finally got up on Sunday, I called my Mom to see what time she was coming over for dinner and she was really not feeling well so I insisted she stay home and rest and I brought over her cookie gift. Since I wasn't happy with the way they traveled all tied together, I just put hers out on a platter. They traveled much better that way.

With the exception of my Mom not feeling well on Mother's Day, it was one great weekend!

xoxo

Whatever Wednesday

So, a blog I used to follow (it no longer exists) did a bit called "Whatever Wednesday". Pretty self explanatory; you blog about any random thing that maybe doesn't merit its own post. Quite similar to Holly's Monday Potluck only without set topics.

I have found recently that I have more and more I want to blog about, I even start to write, but then I feel it falls short of a full post, so I delete it and move on. Then, when talking to a friend about blogging, I remembered Whatever Wednesday!

Since American Idol is coming to it's season end, and since my wrap-ups have become the same old post every week (let's face it, we all know who I like by now) and will add my line or two here: I think Mike and Lee were the best this week. I think Aaron or Casey will go home. I think it should be Casey, Crystal, Mike and Lee in the top 4.

Moving on. Ryan & I are both iPhone users/lovers. I don't think I'll ever love another phone as much. Yes, I realize its silly to love a phone. If you have one, you understand. So, I've had AT&T for 11 years now and I am faithful. I've never strayed. Ryan has bounced around from plan to plan, well, until me. I vowed to be AT&T till I die. Or they do. Which ever came first. Back to the point, a few months ago Apple announced the release of the oh-so-amazing iPhone HD 4G for June. Ryan & I immediately freaked (in a good way) when we saw both our contracts would be up this summer and we could both get the new iPhone. Then, the unthinkable happened. Apple also announced that this oh-so-amazing iPhone HD 4G would be releasing exclusively with...VERIZON?! Break my tech-savvy heart, why don't you?! Ryan shrugged. No problem. We'll just switch to Verizon. Um, PROBLEM! I'm nothing if not loyal. This has proven to be a heated topic in the Naslund household. To date, we've yet to make a decision as to what we will do come June...

Next up. Lately, I've been really into old pictures. Especially of my parents. And recently, I've been given pictures of them I'd never seen before.
Here is one of my gorgeous Mom when she was a junior or senior in high school.

Seriously. How beautiful is she?!

And one of my super handsome Dad when he was 20. Sorry if the shirtless thing is weird.

That was his dog, Thor.

For me, its crazy to look at the features Frankie & I got from them. We both have my Dad's thick, dark, curly hair (which inevitably turns silver) and his chin. We both have my Mom's eyes, eyebrows, lips and smile. I have my Dad's nose. Frankie has my Mom's. I can't wait to see what my future kiddos take from that mosh of features!

So - that's about all I have to say in this week's Whatever Wednesday! Turned out to be a pretty long post, but I got out all the randomness I wanted! :)

xoxo

Cancer

I've been hearing this word way too much lately.

I feel like it's surrounding my friends and family.

I HATE that word.

Yesterday, we celebrated my Dad's 59th birthday, and spoke briefly about his battle, and how grateful I am that he won and is now cancer free.

Today, my cousin Steve heads to MD Anderson in Houston to learn of options to fight his leiomyosarc​oma, a very rare form of cancer. For anyone who would like to be kept in the loop, please see his Caring Bridge site.

Last night, Ryan received a phone call to let him know his Aunt Peggy has follicular lymphoma, also a rare form of cancer. She was a cancer survivor before this most recent news.

It makes me feel angry, sad, scared, helpless.

My Dad used to say "If you live long enough, everyone gets cancer." That used to be an acceptable rationalization for me, but now it seems out dated. More and more people, of all ages and health, are being affected by this heinous disease.

There was no real point to this poorly written post other then to vent...because cancer SUCKS.

Mini Idol Wrap-Up, Mini Update

So, I'm not going to go into too much detail about this week's Idol because it comes down to this - I really liked everyone except for Siobhan. I am just not a fan of hers. I wish she'd go home tonight, but I don't think she will, which makes me really nervous about who WILL go home!

I've been unusually quiet lately. Due in part to me not feeling great. But I'm on the mend now, so I will try to post more actively. Ryan interviews for a job today that could be really great for him, and for us! Please say a prayer, cross your fingers, keep us in your thoughts - whatever it is you do - that he will get this job!

And a Happy Belated Bday to my brother-in-law Scott who turned 22 on Monday. And Happy Early Birthday to my Dad who celebrates his last year in his 50's tomorrow! :)

Idol Wrap-Up

*Note: I could have sworn I hit "publish" yesterday...but apparently I did not.

I decided to do a Wrap-Up this week, since it’s been a few. Since we are down to the Top 7, I will just give my two cents on everyone, in the order they sang last night.

Casey James – I must have been watching a different show then the judges. I really like him. I know he is starting to be the same every week, but his “same” is GOOD! He just looks so natural on stage. I’d buy his album tomorrow.

Lee Dewyze – MY MAN! I just love him. Have I already said that?! Oops. Well, I do. He is SO good. I loved his song choice, because he was so emotional, and I thought he sang it so well.

Tim Urban – GO HOME! He is just not good enough.

Aaron Kelly – I thought Aaron did really, really well. He has so much raw talent and I thought he sang the shnikies out of that song.

Siobhan Magnus – I am not a fan. I don’t “get” her. I think she sounds nasally a lot. And I’m sorry, but what a terrible song choice.

Michael Lynche – My OTHER Man! ;) I really liked this performance. I appreciate how versatile he is and I think the judges were a little harsh. Vocally he is always really solid. And, can we talk about the size of his arms?! That man could probably lift a bus with one arm if he needed to!

Crystal Bowersox – She blew.me.away last night. As my brother would say, not only can she sing, she can SANG! So, so good.

I do want to take a moment to talk about my long lost Alex. He is on a show called If I Can Dream, which is online only but pretty cool! YAY Alex!

Overdue

I've been unintentionally neglecting my blog lately.

I haven't done Idol Wrap-Up in two weeks, mainly because I have my clear favorites and I felt like my posts were becoming redundant.

I haven't updated on any personal happenings because things have been a little tough lately. I don't want to go into too much detail (for my private hubby's sake) but if you pray, prayers would be appreciated.

I will, however, try to bring a little Sunshine and Rainbows into this post with some cute pictures of our Chloe and Cooper. Cooper is settling in nicely, though Chloe still isn't sure she wants him around. ;)

Here is the Little Miss Priss, looking cute as usual, all snuggled up to Ryan.

Here is Cooper, snoozing. I love how his little "fangs" stick out when he sleeps. :)

Here they are, eating together. This is rare. Very rare. Chloe usually realizes he's next to her and bolts.

Yes, I know. Cats are not children. But for now, they are to me.

Updates!

I leave tomorrow for a business trip, so I wanted to do a quick entry since I won't be blogging for a few days.

Cooper is settling in nicely. He is VERY hyper, and Chloe is still not sure about him, but we sure do love him!

Ryan, Frankie, Brittany & I went to a club called Trees to see our friend Andrew Tinker perform live for a spot at Edgefest (a local concert that features 10-15 bands). He did an amazing job, and was robbed of the spot! L-R; Frankie, Brittany, me, Ryan, Andrew.

This weekend, we went to Good Friday service with Ryan's parents. Saturday, Ryan helped a family friend with some home remodeling. Saturday night we went to our good friends' Jennye & Gavin's home for a BBQ. We had such a good time enjoying the gorgeous weather, even though my allergies just about killed me. Easter Sunday my Mom & I went to church, then met Frankie for lunch. (Ryan was home with a sinus headache.) After lunch, we did our grocery shopping, then vegged on the couch watching the Discovery channel "Life".  Chloe loves shows about animals. Last night was an episode about birds. She didn't take her eyes off the TV the whole hour!

And that's pretty much what's going on with us! I hope everyone had a great Easter.

xoxo

Idol Wrap-Up

Since we are down to the top 10, I will give my two cents on all of them and I will keep it short and sweet.

In order of appearance:
Siobhan – Yikes. I thought everything about her was a train-wreck last night.

Casey – He was on fire last night! He just continues to stand out as the most “natural” on stage. I loved it.

Big Mike – LOVED everything about this performance. I dug the guitar, loved the song choice and thought he sang it so well.

Didi – I don’t think she did as badly as the judges made her feel she did. I do agree with them; I miss the singer/songwriter Didi. I do think she is a little lost, but I still think she is good.

Tim – PLEASE tell me this kid is going home tonight! He’s cute as a button…but that’s all he has going for him.

Andrew – HE’S BACK! I LOVED his version of Forever. So, so great.

Katie – She just underwhelms me all.the.time.

Lee – My #1!!! He was always neck and neck w/ Alex for my #1 spot, and he owned it last night.

Crystal – Though I prefer her as 'the hippie with the guitar', I really liked her last night.

Aaron – I think he lost some of the intensity he had during rehearsal, but he still sang well. Was it my favorite of the night? Hardly, but I still like him.

Who did I vote for? 6 of the 10, in order of who I liked most: Lee, Casey, Big Mike, Andrew, Crystal, and Didi. I probably should have voted for Aaron too.

Chicken Piccata

We had some delicious Chicken Piccata last night, so I thought I'd share the recipe we used from Jamie. [We modified it slightly.] It's such a light, tasty dish. Its not super Weight Watchers friendly, unless you exercise portion control. ;) This is one of those meals best served with a salad...so then, I eat more salad and less pasta goodness.



Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white whine
2 tablespoons brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
3. Immediately add minced garlic to the pan and mix until fragrant. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock, wine and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with basil.

Serve on top of angel hair pasta if desired. [We always do. When we plate, we put the pasta down, top it with chicken then pour the sauce on top!]

Enjoy!

Idol Wrap-Up

I have to start this Idol Wrap-Up with the obvious elephant in the room. Miley Cyrus as the musical mentor?? Really?? I mean, I get that she is “current” to tweens, but what about the rest of us who watch?! Not ok, Idol.

On to the actual competition; I actually voted for 6 people last night, including one who is becoming a favorite that hadn’t been before:

Lee Dewyze – A lot of people out in the cyber world have compared him to David Cook and Danny Gokey. The raspy voice and adorable personality among the top reasons. But, I really do think he is good all on his own, without any comparisions needed. I loved his performance last night. I thought it showed some versatility and I actually really like the song choice.

Crystal Bowersox – I knew it was only a matter of time before she tackled a Janice Joplin song. She did well. I liked that she didn’t try to sing it like Janice did, she put her own [or apparently Pink’s] twist on it and I dug it. I also thought she showed more of her personality [which we’ve been missing] by asking Ryan to plop down on her carpet square with her for the interview.

Mike Lynche – Oh how I love me some Big Mike! He is the first legit R&B singer in YEARS. Probably since season 2, honestly. I know some of the judges think he dips too far into the Velveeta, but I think he is great.

Didi Benami – I am sticking by my girl Didi. I agreed that last night’s song was a bit cabaret, but I still love her vocally and I think she sang it well.

Casey James – I just think this guy is by far the best overall musician this season. He just looks at ease on stage. I think no matter how far he goes in this competition, he’ll be fine. I’d buy his album tomorrow.

Aaron Kelley – Here is my newbie. He proves himself more each week. I’m not a big Rascal Flatts fan, so when he was only channeling them, I wasn’t loving him. But he’s become more of his own performer and I like him more. I thought he sounded really good last night considering he has laryngitis.

On a separate note, since I’m still not over Alex going home…Can I just say, Siobhan’s weird Technicolor faux-hawk bouffant thing was just as horrible as Alex’s little “fashion mullet”.

Who should go home tonight? Paige or Tim. If I had to pick one? See ya Tim.

Meet Cooper!

This weekend, we welcomed a new family member into our home. A new kitty! Chloe is wonderful and we love her SO much, but she gets bored and lonely during the day while we are at work, which results in unrolling entire rolls of toilet paper, scattering anything left on the bedside table around the house and, worst of all, pulling her hair out! So, we got her a playmate. She is still not totally sure how she feels about this "intruder" but I think she'll warm up soon.

So -- Here is little Cooper! He a 10 month tabby/Maine Coon mix [probably]. He has medium length hair on his body with the size and coloring of a tabby but the "M" on his forehead and big bushy tail of a Maine Coon. He is tiny - only 6 lbs right now - and the foster Mom didn't think he'd get much bigger then 10 lbs full grown because he was a bit of a runt. His name was Sean for the first 9 1/2 months of his life, but we thought Cooper [or "Coop"] fit him better.

A blurry shot of his sweet little face:


He curls up like Chloe!


He loooves having his belly rubbed.


Look how tiny he is! Ryan calls him "our little ferret" :)


Welcome to the family Sean Cooper Naslund! :)

A Birthday During Basketball Season

My Mom's 29th and holding [for the 27th time] birthday was March 9th. I totally failed to dedicate a blog post to her that day. Consider me ashamed, Mom. BUT, I thought this was as good a time as any, since I finally got around to pulling the pictures off my camera.

So, my Mom LOVES college basketball. University of Kentucky basketball to be exact. She was raised in Louisville, KY and is a 2x grad of UK [bachelor and masters]. In Kentucky, college basketball rules all. In my house growing up, UK basketball ruled all, much to my father's chagrin, since he went to IU. My Mom carefully molded Frankie & I into Wildcat fans. I will admit, Frankie follows more than I do, but I still love my 'Cats.

Moving on...so, my Mom's birthday is in March. In fact, it falls extremely close to one of her favorite times of year. March Madness. So, this year, since Kentucky has had such an incredible season, I decided it was fitting to theme her birthday around that. We celebrated on March 7th, which was strategically chosen for two reasons; one - there was a UK game on, two - I needed free time on the weekend to help my talented friend Jennye create a Kentucky basketball cake masterpiece.

It was a total surprise to my wonderful Mom and she absolutely loved it.


Here are two shots of the AMAZING cake:




Mom's adorable reaction when she opened her eyes to see the cake


I can hear her saying "You guys, this is so cute!"


She is going to kill be for posting these because she "didn't fix her hair", haha.


So, I know it's a week+ late but - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MOM!!!! :)

Idol Wrap-Up

I write this entry with a still heavy heart after last weeks eliminations. I lost 3 good soldiers; Alex, Lilly and Katelyn. One of whom I am still particularly bitter about...Alex! I am still in shock he got voted off! He has such an amazing voice...and I know he was like a little turtle afraid to poke his head out of his shell but...COME ON. He was one heck of a singer. Moving on...

Last night I was, well, bored. I am finding it difficult to even remember all the performances.

I'm just going to tell you who I voted for and why, in order to keep this from being super long.

Big Mike: He's just so good. His weird tippy-toe dance kind of drives me crazy, but I can look past that and see how darn hood he is.

Didi: I know she doesn't have that many fans [from reading emails, comments, etc] but I adore her. I think she is fantastic and last night, even though her voice cracked once and she flubbed the words once, I think she sang really, really well.

Casey: Last night he was who I "see" him being as an artist. I loved it. It was a perfect Americana blend of country, rock and blues.

Lee: He is my #1 now that Alex is gone. ::sob:: But he really is so great. Easy on the eyes and ears. I see him going all the way [at least top 3] at the rate he is going now.

So...there's this weeks little wrap-up!

Idol Wrap-Up

Here are my Idol thoughts for this week…

Top 5 Guys:
Alex Lambert – 1st…the mullet is getting worse. Someone really needs to nip this in the bud…or pull a Jackass and take an electric razor to the back on his head. That being said…I’m still a fan. I thought “Trouble” really fit his voice and I still think he’s a great singer.

Andrew Garcia – I think Andrew is starting to lose me. I agreed when Kara said he peaked WAY early. Because of that…I think he will never out-sing “Straight Up”.

Casey James – I loved his song choice…but it didn’t blow me away. He sang it well, but for me, it was nothing special.

Lee Dewyze - I really love this guy. It was an…interesting song choice, but I kind of dug it. Parts were crazy pitchy but over all I appreciated the different spin he put on it. There were moments in the song where I think he really shined. I also heard little bits and pieces of what I thought sounded a bit like Counting Crows. Lucky for Lee, I love Counting Crows.

Michael Lynche – BIG MIKE!!! He is my big winner for this week. He did AMAZING. I had goose bumps through the whole song. He was by far the best of the guys AND girls this week. WOW. I don’t know what more to say.

Top 5 Girls:
Crystal Bowersox – She did well. But, we all knew she would. I still like her a lot but she is starting to feel a bit like Adam Lambert last season. We get it. You are great. You are 10x better at your craft [read: style] than anyone else this year. The judges love you, you are going to do great every week, etc. I guess for me, she needs to have a moment like Adam’s “Mad World” last season to really blow me out of the water. Otherwise, she’ll continue to do great, but it will become predictable for me.

Didi Benami – Way to go Didi! I know a lot of you [my readers] are not huge fans of Didi, but I really thought she did an amazing job this week. Her Fleetwood song choice was brilliant and she really showed off how talented she is. Love this girl.

Katelyn Epperly – Eh. She has a great voice, but this week felt sooooo piano bar. I hope she stays one more week to redeem herself.

Katie Stevens – Yikes. Horrible song choice. She did not sing well this week, however I still think she has huge potential…if she could get a little help with song choice.

Lilly Scott – I have to be honest…I kind of forgot about her until I saw her name just now. I had to go back and watch her song on You Tube. It was good. But obviously forgettable. I still think she deserves to stay in the competition…I guess everyone is just being a bit overshadowed by Big Mike right now!

[Note: For people new to my Idol Wrap-Ups, I don’t always talk about ALL the contestants. Usually just the stand-outs and/or disappointments. And I try to touch on my Top 5’s, which is the direction I went today.]

Locks of Love Challenge

I’m blessed. I have a lot of hair. And it grows pretty fast. I’ve donated my 10 inches once before, back in 2006. My hair was the longest it had ever been and I just decided one day on whim…I’m going to cut it. I did my research and found out how much I’d have to cut to donate it to Locks of Love. Here is a picture of me, right before I donated:



Well, I grew it back out and then after our wedding in 2008, I chopped it off again, only it wasn’t long enough to donate this time. I’ve been wearing it at a medium length ever since. Anyone who has been following my blog for a while knows all about The Gray Debacle of my life. I am going to be 27 this year and I am going gray – fast. I come from a long line of Silver Tops, including my Dad and his Mom, my Gram. I really take after my Gram. I have her feet, her body shape, her height, her chin [thanks A LOT] and…her hair. Gram was 100% Swedish and apparently, upon further research, going “silver” is a Swedish thing. At 18, I started plucking them as they appeared but they were sporadic. By 25 I had a “skunk stripe” around my face. [Think Bonnie Raitt, or Rouge from X-Men, but slightly less dramatic.] I’ve been coloring it ever since.

What was the point to that whole shpeel? I’m rapidly becoming more and more “silver” and I want to donate my locks one last time before I become too gray and have to color so much that they can’t take my hair anymore. It’s pretty short [for me] right now, about 2 inches below my color bones in the front, so it’s going to take me some time. I plan to grow it even longer than the picture above…and then cut it all off for a sweet baby in need!

Anyone want to do it with me?!

Idol Wrap-Up

BACK by "popular demand"! [No lie, I've gotten probably a dozen requests for this.] Let's talk Idol!

I felt hugely optimistic at the start for Season 9. I felt like there was an abundance of talent and I thought I'd have a hard time narrowing it down to my favorite 5 guys and 5 girls. Well...no. It's been really, really easy.

For anyone who hasn't seen my Idol blogs before [I used to have a whole separate blog for it] I pick my top 5's based on the performances and potential, but I also go to iTunes and listen to clips of their recordings, because I think how they record is important. Then, I pretty much just talk about it.

So - here you go! [In alpha order]

Top 5 Guys:
Alex Lambert - I know. He had a REALLY rocky start, but I really, really love him. He is my Matt Giraud this season. I see SO much potential in him and I think he has an amazing voice. And he records beautifully. I am even willing to over-look his TERRIBLE "fashion mullet" haircut. Will someone please tell this kid there is nothing fashionable about a mullet?

Andrew Garcia - This guy has more talent in his pinky then most people have in their whole bodies. His song choice this week was...unfortunate. But, I still think he is one of the best. He is extremely unique and I get excited to see what he will "do" to a song.

Casey James - I have been rooting for him since day one. And although I am REALLY over them harping on how freaking cute he is [which he is] I still think he is super talented. This week's performance wasn't as strong, vocally, as we've seen him, but he is well rounded. He plays the heck out of the guitar and I really like his presence on the stage.

Lee Dewyze - I have a serious crush on this guy, for several reasons. He is really cute, has a sweet personality and MAN can he sing. I really love his tone. He reminds me a bit of David Cook, but I hope he'll be able to show case what's different too. I do think his style is a bit "taste specific" but, I love it.

Michael Lynche - I've been a "Big Mike" fan since the first moment he was on camera. I know this is a "singing competition" but I do think his contagious personality is important. I loved his song choice this week, because I think that's the musical avenue he does best.

Top 5 Girls:
Crystal Bowersox - I love this girl. I think she is just awesome. I think she has the pipes AND the chops for this business. And, who doesn't love a girl who can play the harp?! [By the way, that's harmonica for anyone who may not know.] I was so worried that her diabetes hospitalization would eliminate her from the competition...but she came through and really nailed it.

Didi Benami - Didi is kind of like Alex for me...I see SO much potential in her. I think she is a beautiful girl and I really like her voice...when she sings the right songs. This week, sadly, her song choice was soooo wrong. I just hope I'm not the only one who sees how great she could be.

Katelyn Epperly - I love her voice. It's so rich and natural. I know it was a really slow song choice last night, but I got lost in it, in a good way. She can get a little pitchy but I think as she works with voice coaches, she will be really great.

Katie Stevens - When she sings, I forget she is barely 17. She has really struggled with song choice, but I think its partly because she is so young and hasn't had much [if any] real experience. Regardless, I think she has so much raw talent and I see her going far in this competition.

Lilly Scott - I think Lilly Scott is a name we should all remember. I didn't love every vocal choice she made in her song last night, but over all, she never disappoints me. She always stays true to the kind of artist she wants to be and I really respect that. I don't think she has the most powerful voice of the girls, but its really different. I'm rooting for her...even if I do think her grayish-purple hair is weird.

So - what do YOU think?!