No Time to Say Hello Goodbye

The past week has been out of control crazy and this week isn't looking much better. A couple of updates:

 

1) Mandie is doing much better. I check her urine twice a day (she just loves peeing on a paper towel)and haven't noticed anymore red since day two of the antibiotics our fabuloso vet put her on (big shout out to Dr. Malter at Oceanlake Veterinary).

 

2) The biggest change for our family this week came in the form of getting rid of our non-family friendly car. Yes, that's right folks, Husband bought this undomestic diva a very domestic vehicle. A Subaru! Happy early Valentine's Day to me.

 

I've wanted a Subaru since I was in high school and it's all I ever talk about owning (besides a Lamborghini, dream big girls, dream big). The Mustang was supposed to be a Subaru but sometimes I let Husband have his way when he shouldn't. Either way, we are now the super stoked owners of a 2010 Subaru Impreza. Pictures as soon as she gets a bath. Oh and suggestions for names welcome.

 

That's it in the the what's new here category. Didn't manage to get out and walk the dogs as much as I would've like because the weather finally remembered that this is the Oregon Coast and it started to rain again. I'm aiming for five out of seven days this week. Still no running on the horizon but believe me when I do, I'm looking at all hill work.

 

I can't believe the amount of stuff that I need to accomplish. Between paying bills, cleaning, laundry, getting Melodie's nails cut, grocery shopping and the list that never ends, I should not be writing; however, my sanity requires me to take a moment and breath. So here I sit.

 

It's amazing that I even had time to cook at all. We did break our no eating out rule big time, so this week's menu isn't nearly as exciting as last week's. However, now that I have Husband on board with eating at home more (he saw how much we really did save and rather enjoyed having something for lunch too), the menus should go back to being rather complete. Here are this week's:

 

 



 

Kathy's Delicious Slow Cooker Chicken

Literally fall off the bone fantastic. A little prep work with getting the skin off and I didn't use a whole chicken. I used bone in chicken breast halves and they worked perfectly. Perfect Sunday dinner. 

 

Johnsonville Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausage Mexican Market Soup

(I'll say it here: this recipe has the dumbest name)

This was a really great soup, even if it was spicier than I would've like it. This also made a ton, so I have a big container of it in the freezer for one of those "I don't want to cook and you can't make me" days. 

 

Quick Tuna Casserole

This is my favorite meal to make. Super easy and I realize that it sounds like it would gross from just the ingredients, but give it a try (the recipe is below). Husband and I both love it and we know how rare that is.

 

Master Pizza Dough

I use this recipe for my dough when I'm in a hurry. I think I may have been trying to hurry a little too much this time, though, and didn't allow it to rise properly. Next time, Master Pizza Dough, next time.

 

 

Quick Tuna Casserole
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com, originally posted by Tresa Raymer)
Printable Version

2 packages macaroni and cheese mix

2 pouches of tuna, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbl seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare macaroni and cheese according to directions. Stir in tuna and cream of mushroom soup. Pour mixture into greased 9x9 baking dish. Top lightly with breadcrumbs. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until bubbly. Take out of oven and try not to consume entire dish by yourself (sharing is caring).


Yes I left out the peas. Yes I doubled the recipe. Yes I want my butt to grow three sizes. Don't judge.

Well that's it for now. Off to find some motivation a.k.a. caffeine.

How do you keep sane in the midst of the hurricanes of life??

Just When You Think It's Safe to Get Back in the Water

We're already into the second month of the new year. How did that happen? It feels like just yesterday Husband was putting away the Christmas decorations (and if I had my way, it would've been yesterday).

 

This past week was definitely different. It was the first official week of being completely in our new home. I even meal planned for the week. We were finally settling into a routine when I noticed that something was quite right.

 

Our Mandie is a creature of habit and prefers sleeping in her "chair" over just about anything else (except food; girl loves her Taste of the Wild). However, the past few nights have seen me getting up in the middle of the night to let her drink and go out potty. I haven't gotten up this many times since Melodie was a puppy.

 

While on our walks (which I have been trying to get better about since Mandie was referred to as roly poly at her last check up), Mandie will pee every two feet. Now for dog owners, we know-this is not unusual. It's all about being top dog and peeing on someone else's territory. However, when I say every two feet, I mean literally every two feet. Waddle waddle waddle squat. Waddle waddle waddle squat (hey she's four inches off the ground, not exactly Giselle like). Today was waddle waddle waddle squat and pee blood. HOLY HECK IN A HAND BASKET!

 

Frantic call was made to Husband via my personal electronic leash, which of course he didn't answer. Then it was home as fast as possible, still with the waddling and the squatting. Got home called the vet, made an emergency appointment and was told we could come in early, though, to see if she could be seen. We showed up early.

 

Of course, Mandie was all peed out, so now she's at the vet being waited on hand and foot while this puppy momma is at home FREAKING out and trying to snuggle Melodie who just wants to play outside. The novelty of a front yard has not worn off for that one.

 

Instances like this make me feel like I'm going to be a terrible mother some day. I had every worse case scenario running through my head and was thinking about the horrible invasive procedures they were going to have to perform. When Mandie was taken to the back, it's quite possible I almost started crying. Worst feeling coming home without her. If we don't hear anything by two, I'm supposed to call them but I don't think I'll be able to wait until then.

 

So while this week showed great potential, I'm calling it as a bust. There was much cooking going on in the kitchen, though. I signed up for Allrecipes.com Pro Membership which includes a super cool meal planner. You just choose the meal you want to cook from your recipe box (which is akin to my Pinterest board in the overwhelming amount of recipes it contains) and drag it onto the menu. It automatically generates a grocery list, which I love, because without a list, I blow my grocery budget every time. Here are pictures of the recipes I made this week:

 

Lasagna Alfredo Roll Ups.

 I was really expecting these to be time consuming. They were not. AND even though they were overwhelmingly vegetarian, Husband ate it with no complaints (when in doubt smother it in Alfredo sauce). Keep in mind when using frozen spinach that you want to rinse it and squeeze out any extra liquid, otherwise interesting is the nicest way to describe the way it tastes. I also sauteed some garlic in with my spinach because, well, I heart garlic.

 





 

Taco Pie.

 Again, another super easy recipe but I had to make quite a few modifications which I'll list below.

 



 

A-Maize-Ing Corn Chowder

Surprisingly, while Husband enjoys corn, he doesn't care for soup, so this wasn't a huge hit, except for the bacon on top. I, however, thoroughly enjoyed it and can't think of any changes that I made to it.



 

Baked Chicken

This was quite easily the yummiest meal of the week. Full of flavor and fat, I would totally make it again, but only after a really really really long run.

 



 

Crescent Pizza Pockets

Meh, not sure I'd made these again. Great idea but the proportions of ingredients to the directions was off. Tasty, but a bit aggravating.

 

 

Taco Pie
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com, originally posted by Stephanie)
Printable Version

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 large onion minced

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 minced clove garlic

8 oz. sour cream
1/2 can refried beans

8 oz colby jack cheese

1 cup crushed tortilla chips
 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lay crescent dough flat on the bottom of a square cake pan and bake according to package directions. DO NOT UNDER BAKE. Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey and saute onions together in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir together well. In separate bowl, mix sour cream and refried beans together. When dough is done, remove from oven and place meat mixture on top, then layer with sour cream and refried beans and cheese, and then top off with the crushed nacho chips. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Well that's what's happening around these parts. I want to hear from you now. How did your week go?

 

I Am Undomestic, Hear Me Roar!

I feel the need to make some clarifications about what being "undomestic" means. In all actuality, I have a love-hate relationship with the word. On the one hand, I think it clears up any misconceptions that I'm the manicured, dust free, clothes ironed, always have something to whip together at a moment's notice June Cleaver type but on the other hand, it's a rather glaring reminder that I am not the manicured, dust free, clothes ironed, always have something to whip together at a moment's notice June Cleaver type. Sometimes I feel I've single handedly set women back fifty years because of my inability to keep dishes out of my sink and work a forty plus hour work week (Husband also has his complaints about this but seeing as he has the inability to keep his dirty underwear off the bathroom floor, his gripes are summarily ignored).

 

I'm beginning to feel like the pre-fix in my moniker might be synonymous with lazy, except when I realize that both Husband and I have developed the rather impressive talent of dozing off if we so happen to sit still for longer than five minutes. Maybe "lazy" isn't the word I'm looking for; "exhausted" kind of sums things up.

 

There's no pretense of being able to eat off my floors, although, occasionally Mandie will when guinea pig poo is involved. I can't tell you the last time I folded AND put laundry away. Sometimes dinner comes from Subway, or worse yet, a box with an expiration date further out than my golden anniversary. The girls' dog toys sometimes get stumbled over and cursed at and may be put away but most likely not since it will be a matter of moments before Melodie has the box emptied out in her endless search for squeakers.

 

It has been chronicled here that I do have my moments of brilliance. While my participation in the monthly Crazy Cooking Challenge is spotty at best, I try to be a team player. There are several ingredients between my pantry and my refrigerator that could be put together in an attempt to put together a home cooked meal. My washing machine undergoes a thorough scrubbing and running of it's clean cycle bi-weekly, if not weekly, and I've discovered that vinegar is an excellent fabric softener for those of us with epidermis of the sensitive variety.

 

All of these things, the mishaps and triumphs, the mountains of housework and the joys of eating ice cream out of the tub, just happen to be me. I know that Husband didn't marry me because I look perfectly coiffed every time I leave the house; I wasn't that way ten years ago and believe me, there will be no changes in that area anytime soon (except that I have a new found love of mascara-another post entirely). He did marry me, though, because when push comes to shove, I never give up, even if that means getting a few dishes dirty...and then leaving them for him to clean up. 

5,000 Words

Sometimes when I don't know what to say about what's going on here at Casa de UDG, I feel it's best to let the pictures do the talking.

Melodie makes it ridiculously hard to go to work in the morning. With her soft come-hither-sleepy eyes, willingness to snuggle in any situation and her happiness to share her toys, she's a total triple threat. Nothing relieves more stress that doling out belly rubs to this one, especially when the reward is unlimited kisses.

Oh man oh man oh man. The Safeway gods finally listened. Growing up, I lived for weekends when Paternal Unit would make Puerto Rican food. My conversational Spanish might land us in international hot waters but I can name (and eat) all kinds of dishes from PR. Every birthday for as long as I can remember, I would request arroz con gandules and no matter where we were living, whether in West Virginia, where the nearest Spanish market is two states over, or Michigan, where I could get Grandma Paternal Unit to make it for me, it was always served. That's love.

Recently, I made the mistake of watching an episode of Animal Cops: Philadelphia. Huge mistake, colossal. People who abuse animals make me want to empty my stomach contents on them, see how they like it. When I catch my Mandie girl having a happy moment, rolling all over the floor and making happy growly sounds, it completely and utterly warms my heart and makes me so thankful for the rescue that pulled Mandie out of a kill shelter and put her in Husband's heart (oh OK, mine too).

I heart my coworkers. I heart them even more when they bring me free, like brand new AeroGardens so that I can grow lettuce and basil and thyme and strawberries and lettuce (Bubbles is way excited about the lettuce. So excited he just tossed his water bottle on the ground. For the 16547254785th time). Will keep you updated on the status of my nearly green thumb.

Last but not least, what would a post about my goings on be without my main squeeze (for the record, I have no other squeezes). Husband was recently promoted to a new position and while that means longer hours, phone calls in the middle of dinner (he has two phones on him at all times), paperwork everywhere and frequent trips out of town, I couldn't be more proud of him and the way he's always willing to give every new task 100%. I also love that he still takes his turn taking the girls outside to do their business and makes breakfast on Sundays. And does his own laundry. And leaves his underwear on the bathroom floor (wait, no, I was temporarily delirious from love).

It's been such a busy month and I can't believe it's almost over. So thankful for any and all time my little family has been able to spend together. Always grateful for a moment captured in time.

What are your favorite times caught on camera lately??

**Food Friday!!** Happy Gotcha Day!

One day in July three years ago, Husband refused to leave Petsmart without Mandie. Like full on temper tantrum. So we left with Mandie.

I'm absolutely one of those people who treat my dogs like my children, aside from the fact that I leave the girls locked in a house by themselves for hours at a time. They are fed high quality food, have an overstuffed toy box and are always begging for something from their endless supply of treats. Treats are not cheap, so for Mandie's Gotcha Day ,I decided to try my hand at making some homemade ones. Off to Allrecipes.com, my number two go to website, and lo and behold they have several doggie biscuit recipes like this one.

**Disclaimer: Uh apparently my cookie cutters disappeared in our move so please don't judge the way mine turned out.**

I had read on a dog forum that fresh parsley will help with dog breath and was more than willing to test the theory.

This is one of those many undomestic moments that make up my life.

I heart my pizza cutter. Took about fifteen seconds to cut my dough.

My ever present taste testers.

Okay, feel free to judge. It's more than obvious that I need to invest in new cookie cutters. *hangs head in shame**

 Best Friend Doggie Biscuits
(posted by Allie G. on Allrecipes.com)
Printable Version
 

1 cup cornmeal

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 1 cookie sheet. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg together with the oil. Stir in the chicken broth and parsley. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to combine and make a soft dough. Working on a lightly floured surface, lightly knead dough. Roll out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies one inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until firm.

By the way, as far as dog biscuits go, these are kind of tasty. Or so I've been told...

So, how do you pamper your pooch??

Splash splash!

Husband was cleaning out a truck for one of his guys and asked if I wanted to help. I chose instead to wash the girls. Yeah those trucks are that bad.

Is this really necessary?

Momma I wants OUT!

Banished to the deck to dry.

Now I wants in.

Very unhappy puppy.

And because he feels that the girls are given way too much attention, here are some of Bubbles, our loveably loud cavy.

Nom nom nom.

Hanging out outside the cage.

My what big eyes you have...

So now the annual washing, brushing, flea preventing has been done. Mandie and Melodie both stayed in the tub (now if only Melodie had stayed off the couch grr) and enjoyed a treat in the sun. Mom is going to enjoy a treat in a glass.

PS Welcome to my new readers from the Crazy Cooking Challenge! You obviously have great taste.

Edumacation

The saying goes, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade." I can go with that, except I'm going to strain it because I hate pulp, add a few ice cubes, use Splenda and then add ice tea flavored vodka. Wait what was I making again?

Recently, I was promoted to a new position at The Hotel. I'm thrilled really. Completely overwhelmed and SOOOOOO glad the Biggest Loser Challenge is over (one less thing to worry about), but thrilled. It means adapting to a new schedule (Binky if you call me a vampire one more time, I swear I will stop loving Little Love 1 and Little Love 2!) and new challenges. It has also meant a renewed love of learning.

Anyone who's ever had more than a five minute long actual conversation with me knows that I am a treasure trove of trivia. I am this way because I love to read and I have taken on "Knowledge is power" as my personal mantra since my days of Bible Buzzing in Sunday school (anyone else remember doing that?). I love the rush when I have the answer to a question. It's right up there with the rush of being right (I get light headed a lot).

My point is I really do enjoy learning. I enjoy it more when it's on my terms, hence my not so always stellar grades in school, but nevertheless, I won't turn down wisdom, no matter where it comes from. Now imparting my own wisdom, that's where things get tricky.

So here I sit in a hotel room. I'm on day two of a three day of meeting with other people who are already functioning in the capacity that I will be. Since this has been purely for my edificiation and the people that I've met with have been so attentive to me, it hasn't been a time where I could coast. I've had to ask the questions I want answers to and try to think of the questions that I might not even know that I need to know the answers to (which is tricky, it's kind of like meeting my future self and causing a huge rift in the galaxy). When resources have been pretty much laid at your feet, smiling and giving support, you'd be pretty messed up not to take advantage of them. Hi, I'm the Undomestic Goddess and I'm a user (but in a good way).

I will say, I haven't enjoyed being away from Husband. Before I left, we'd spent a record three nights in the same bed. Not only were we not quite sure what to do (some things really are like riding a bicycle) but the girls are super confused as to why both of their humans are taking up their space. Melodie keeps wedging herself between us as if to reassure herself, that yes, we are both really there. Mandie makes sure with a quick cold wet nose to some inconvenient part of the body. In the future, all furry children will sleep on the floor, two or four-legged.



How do you feel about learning? Always ready to tackle a new challenge?

**Food Friday** Easter Eats

I love to cook (duh) but sometimes I wish it was just more than Husband and myself so I could indulge in my love of big meals. Well for Easter, I got to do just that when I cooked lunch for us and the Neighbors. They are by far one of my favorite families and even let us partake in hiding and the subsequent finding of Easter eggs. It was such a beautiful day, our girls even participated (well they spent a lot of time trying to slip their head harnesses and roll in the grass).

Not only did I get to make a big meal but I also, wait for it, planned it ahead of time. I know, Husband was shocked too, and when cleanup time rolled around and it was just a matter of sticking everything in the dishwasher, I had to really ask myself, "WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE THIS BEFORE?!" So having done pretty much everything but the mashed potatoes the night before, I got to enjoy the morning sitting on the porch soaking up as much vitamin D as possible with Mandie.

I promise you, she's thrilled it's Easter.

Homemade Bread

HAM! (I remembered to get a picture this year)

Potatoes boiling away

Alfredo Cheddar Butter Mashed Potatoes...eat if you dare.

 I also made a green bean casserole sans french fried onions (horrors I know! But I don't particularly care for them and neither does my hips) but since it is such a standard dish, I didn't deem it picture worthy. That and it only lasted like two seconds.

And if you're wondering, yes I did eat some of my Alfredo Cheddar Butter Mashed Potatoes. I actually had two helpings and I'd do it again because they, my friends, are freaking spectacular.

Alfredo Cheddar Butter Mashed Potatoes

Printable Version

 

5lbs yukon gold potatoes

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

water

salt to taste

1 jar alfredo sauce (I used the roasted garlic Safeway brand)

8 Tbl butter

1/2 cup milk

2 cups grated Sharp Cheddar cheese

Peel and chop potatoes into 1 inch pieces and put in pot with chicken broth and enough water to cover. Add salt and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn down heat and let potatoes cook until fork tender (I actually let mine get to fork mashable but that's just my preference).

When they potatoes are soft, drain and either return to pot or put in whatever bowl you're going to use to mix them in. Add alfredo sauce, butter and milk (I put the butter in first and then the potatoes in so butter melts from their heat). Use electric mixer to beat smooth (unless you have another prefer mashing method, I'm undomestic remember, so I do not). Stir in cheese until melted. Resist urge to take pot to your bedroom and not come out until the entire thing is empty.

So what did you do for Easter??

Food Friday

I have to admit, I found this week challenged me foodily and not in a good way. I could never quite get on the same page as my menu and I found that my kitchen just wouldn't stay clean. Throw in the rain and 40 mph gusts of wind, and it's just been one of those weeks. Case in point: I have a carpet runner in the washing machine because Husband couldn't get Mandie out the door fast enough this morning. I don't know if you can actually wash a carpet runner in the washing machine but Maternal Unit suggested the delicate cycle, so we'll see what happens (apparently, I'm way too lazy to track down my Little Green machine). I did manage to come up with some edible items, so here they are in all...their mediocrity.



Slow Cooker Ham

We're a total turkey for Thanksgiving, ham for Christmas family and I only make my ham in the slow cooker. I also ate the piece with all the crispiness on it. It was delish.

Husband devoured this ham, which I glazed with my own homemade glaze. Okay, are you ready for this? Are you sure, because it's complex. Take a half cup pineapple juice and a half cup brown sugar and put them in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring continuously, until thickened. Pour over ham. I know, I'm totally full of myself.

So this year, I went very low key. Instead of making everything myself (short of growing whatever veggie I decided to make), previous holiday food had all been from scratch. This year I had to work 12 am to 8 am at The Hotel, so I knew I wasn't going to want to cook when I got home. So it was corn from a can, brown and serve rolls from Safeway and the mashed potatoes were from scratch. Because I make the best mashed potatoes. Just ask anyone (who values their life).

source

Once a week, I end up having to work back to back shifts at both jobs and with the need to get enough sleep, I don't have the time to really cook, so we have a Freezer Food day. That's right, I buy frozen entrees and myself an extra hour hour of sleep. This week, we had Margaritaville Calypso Coconut Shrimp, which were quite tasty but don't expect Red Lobster perfection here. The biggest plus, though, was the abundance of sauce they give you. One packet totally sauces 12 shrimp and I'm a huge double (okay, triple) dipper. Kudos on the sauce Margaritaville!

Out of the frying pan and ready for the oven

I will say, though, while this week was particularly humdrum, I did conquer one of my fears: frying food. *wild applause here* I am deathly afraid that I will somehow spark the Apocalypse by frying anything. However, when I came across a recipe for Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, I couldn't resist. The Taco Bell inspired grilled stuffed burritos had been such a huge success, I thought, why not try to recreate the whole menu?! (okay maybe not the whole menu, but at least the stuff I like). Anywho, I used a whole pound of ground turkey versus a half pound, so I turned mine into double decker Mexican pizzas.

Whatever the Spanish is for "eat me," insert that here.

These were really good, except you wouldn't know it from Husband. Unbeknownst to me, he'd picked up something to eat (from Taco Bell, ironically enough) right before coming home. Well, all was not lost, as I've now popped my frying cherry (wow that really does read just as disgusting as it sounds and yet I can't bring myself to delete it). It's like a whole new world for me.

So, did you try your hand at something new this week? Flambe perhaps or maybe making ketchup from scratch?