O.M. GAW! Best Dinner and Halloween EVAR!

Last Saturday I watched Lidia's Italy while lounging in Tasha's recliner.  Lidia made this amazing dish, Pasta with Baked Cherry Tomatoes, that I had to have.  Tasha had just made me breakfast, but I couldn't get my mind off this dish.  Lidia really sold me.  Anyhoo, here are some pictures from my first attempt at the dish.  Mistakes were made, but no tears shed.  This dish was amazing and I'm glad for leftovers.

 Cherry tomatoes waiting to be breaded

 Cherry tomatoes following their bath in olive oil, breadcrumbs, etc

 Let me warn you....I made a mistake by using foil and not parchment paper.  Tomatoes should be crispier but no deliciousness was lost in the baking on foil

 At this point the smell in the kitchen is so ::singing:: AMAZING!! That there is some olive oil and sliced garlic

 Final dish, you can't see the parsley (last from the garden) and shredded basil

I finished it up with parmesan instead of the cheese recommended because I had it.  I can't imagine how much better it would be with all the recommended touches.  

Now I'll end with Monster.  She was Barbie Princess this year.  She wore her dress up shoes and was IN LOVE with her outfit.  Look at her stand there like a precious little angel and not a single sign of her monsterness.  She's really a little devil.  Do not be fooled by her!!  Also, don't let her hug you.  Her power is increased tenfold with a hug.

Warrior Dash 2011

I ran in the Warrior Dash this weekend. I was nervous as hell. I was originally going to run it with my friend Tina but her doctor ordered her to drive me there and wait in the sun for 3 and a half hours instead. I selected the 9 AM run because I thought it would better to just go first and not see anyone cut up and bleeding before I go. The guy below is the attitude I had before I arrived. Note how kick ass his attitude is:

This is my real attitude after picking up my packet. Meh. Can I, like, totally leave now?

Setting Up:

They line us all up and introduce our celebrity announce, Sione from The Biggest Loser. He was entertaining. Then it was time to run. Please note awesome bee guy. He was third! There were people running in all sorts of costumes. When they released us from the run there were about 3 dudes in full suits running past me. Show offs (please note the jealousy).

The race consisted of 12 different obstacles:

1. Over and Under: 4 walls about 3 feet high to go over and 4 walls of barbed wire to crawl under.

2. 3 dirt hills: Seems easy, right? The dirt was super loose and steep and with the crowds of people standing at the top scared to go down it was pretty tricky. I had to dodge them and keep the momentum so I didn't get skeered.

3. Junkyard: This consisted of tires and cars to run through and go over. 20 feet of tires then cars, 20 feet of tires then cars, 20 feet of tires then cars, phew. Getting off a car and stepping into tires was a little more difficult than I would have thought. The varying tire size barely held my size 11 feet.

Run some more through the farm fields.

4. Rappeling: This was a what it sounds like, rappel down a cliff (They put up some mdf). I want to thank my gardening gloves for saving my hand.

5. Hay Fever: Huge bales of hay. Wish I had a camera for this. Not too difficult but they were huge and went up about 20-25 feet. More scratchy than anything else.

6. Cargo Climb. Whoo boy. I had to tell myself to just climb and not look at anything else. That works until you get to the top. Then you have to get your leg over without kicking anyone in the face/get kicked in the face. On the way down I thought, "I'd rather give birth every day this week then do this again".

7. Single Track (?). This was a skinny board about a foot width and six feet long. that went up and down with a flat narrow part in the middle. Just balance and go. Just balance and go. That's all! Ignore the flailing and screaming from other participants.

8. Wall climb: A 12 foot wall with ropes on one side. Climb up and climb down. Woot! I was sick to my stomach thinking about this one. It was much easier after doing that damn Cargo Climb.

9. Chaotic Crossover: This was a complete surprise. This consisted of 12 feet of cargo net suspended about 6 feet off the ground. Ouch. Just ouch. Everyone tried a different tack to get across. They were all horrible and consisted of bruising.

10. Web: Easy, annoying. Bungee cable set up like a web. You had to use your inner spy to get through.

11. Fire! Whee! We get to jump over fire! It was hot and taller than I thought it would be. Onto the last.

12. Mud pit. The mud pit was deep and had barbed wire stretched across the top. I wasn't worried about this. This is where most of my injuries came from. There were tiny shards of rocks cutting up my knees the whole time (thanks again, gloves!).

I look good.


I made my way to the "showers". A fire hose to the face isn't nearly as fun as I thought it would be. I had to go back a couple of times because I didn't realize how much mud was stuck in my undergarments. Whoo boy.
This is what happiness looks like.

I finished 371/479 in my age group and 5361/6378 overall. Total Time: 58:34:05

Paella

I made paella for the second time ever this evening. The first time I made it didn't work out too well. The rice never fully cooked and the flavor was somewhere along the lines of "I guess this could be good???". I found a vegetarian paella recipe on epicurious. The only struggle I had was finding frozen artichoke hearts. In the end (read three stores later) I used artichokes hearts bottled in water.




I made Steve cut the onions up for me. I'm the perfect customer for the onion goggles.




Things went a little better this time, I don't know if it's because I actually followed the recipe. I usually like to do my own thing after getting a general idea from one. By this point the onions and red pepper smell amazing. I've still got about half an hour until dinner so I busted out the Triscuits.




Here's the final outcome. It was fantastic. After serving it up for everyone else I added some crab for myself (I picked up king crab legs at Costco). I enjoyed it with and without the crab-the flavor is great either way. I highly recommend this recipe. If you don't have a paella pan, you may also use a large frying pan.

Chicken Fart

We went to Sophia's friend's birthday party this weekend. It was really fun, the kids decorated gingerbread houses and were generally raucous for hours.



Sophia grew tired of working on the house and decided to eat hers within 10 minutes. What an angel.

Following gingerbread house time the kids all got on adult shoulders. One parent said "I wasn't expecting a chicken fight!" and it was GAME-OVER. The kids (okay, Sophia) started screaming CHICKEN-FART over and over for the next hour. There was a brief interlude where we called out BIRTHDAY CAKE but it didn't really catch on. Chicken Fart is all the rage and is sweeping the nation...Just like Baby Fish Mouth.

My dearest Tasha, I'm so jazzed

It's your birthday-CELEBRATE!

I want you to start out by choosing to have the best year EvAr! I know that you can be the best Legal Assistant, Kwilter, SugHo Krew Cyclist, Person With Better Plans, Scrapbooker, Rollerbladerer that you ever set your mind out to be. Let's do it, girl. Kick some ass! I can't believe how incredible it is to have you as a tier-one-friend. It was destined to be..we can't leave each other....don't let Steve and Rich know.

I'm reusing this pic. I love it.

Awwww!

Wuv! Twue Wuv!

Hand Dryers!

They are so awesome! As shown here:

3rd Half Marathon of 2010!

I did another half-marathon this weekend, The Other Half in Moab, Utah. I did this with my friend Tina and also Leslie (although Leslie is a rockstar and ran!). I convinced Tina ten weeks before the race to actually sign up. She hadn't been running or training, but I thought she could do it...and she did!

We drove down Saturday morning. This is the first time that Steve and I have driven down since having our kid, Monster. This is also the first time that we have driven down during the day (another story!) We honestly didn't realize what a short drive it was, just 4 hours. Whoodathunkit?

The drive was beautiful. I was really sad that we haven't done this more. Just more proof that the people who live an area don't always appreciate it. We stayed at the Red Stone Inn. It's a great Motel on Main street close to everything. There is a winery and a brewery in town that we didn't visit this time but I would highly recommend it.

Tina arrived around 5:30 pm so we had about an hour to pick up our registration packets, have our spaghetti dinner (delicious!) and go to bed. Nighty-night!

6:00 am the alarm goes off...put on shirt...put on pants...answer text message...Leslie is go-getter and already there...why is it so early...and cold...how can 47 degrees in Moab feel so different than 47 degrees in Boise?

I walk to the hotel next door and got on a bus. Sit down and we get moving. The ladies behind me are talking a mile a minute. I'm not awake yet so I barely acknowledge the woman next to me. The bus keeps driving and driving. About half an hour in the lady behind me says "here's the finish line!". What? We've been driving FOREVER. "How much further?" I'm thinking-because it's so early I don't think "duh, 13.1 miles". The sun starts peeking over the park. My God it is glorious. I only had my iPhone so I couldn't get any pictures from the bus.

I get off the bus and it's colder than before! I might not make it. Why didn't I bring a drop bag? Why didn't I wear the long sleeve tech shirt they gave us? Too late now, just grab a coffee, (there is coffee at the Moab runs, Angry Runner)mix it with hot chocolate, stand by one of the fire pits and look around for Leslie. When I can't find Leslie I decide to use the DJ to my advantage. I ask him to page Leslie. There she is 4 feet away from me. Yay! Hugs and more fun and freezing.

We get in line for the potty. Start to freak a little bit, how are we going to get this done walking? I didn't mention before that we were walking since I convinced Tina ten weeks before to do this and she hadn't been running. There is a 3 1/2 hour time limit. There is a sweeper van. OMG!! THERE IS A SWEEPER VAN!! I don't want to get swept up!

We start-we are running-Leslie is on her way! Go LCP! I'm crossing my fingers that she gets her best time yet. This is the third half we have done together. She was my inspiration at Riverton and Salt Lake so, GO GIRL!

We run past the Start line and slow to a 15 minute mile walk. This is how we are going to make it before the Sweeper Van. SWEEPER VAN!

It's beautiful. It's so freakin' beautiful. We are walking along the river and it's gorgeous. I get passed by Grandma. A GRANDMA! A fer-reals, 80 year old, curved spine grandma. She is kicking ass and taking names. I look at Tina and she looks at me. We pick it up. We are then passed by a woman about 35 to 40 and I tell Tina that's the woman we are going to keep up with-not Grandma because she's too fast.

There are aid stations at every two miles. It's great! They actually have water unlike the Salt Lake Marathon (I did the half there)
where they ran out of water. Repeat-RAN OUT OF WATER-I was running that one and at the 6 mile aid station (loosely stated there) they ran out of water. A kind woman was filling bottles with her filtered fridge water. Thanks, Kind Woman!

We stop at the 4 mile aid station for another potty break. We lose our advantage. Ack! We need to catch up to yellow shirt and Grandma. We get moving. A pregnant woman passes us. This really gets us going-also Dr Feelgood comes up on my shuffle. We kick it up and pass the pregnant woman, pass the group of four wearing all black, pass another person and now we are passing Grandma. Kick ass!

Grandma passes us.

Mile 6 I hand out Shot-blocks. It's starting to hurt. Mile 7 there is a guy and his son with a cow bell-Go us! Mile 7.5 there is a hill. If you've looked at the course the elevation gets serious at mile 7 and it doesn't stop. The beauty of the park keeps you going though.There's a woman with a bell who tells us that it's all "down river" from here. Get it! Down river and not down hill!

Mile 10 and Tina stops talking to me. I warned her ahead of time. I offer her a Shot-blok and keep going. Mile 12 and the drummers are in full force! Yay for drummers! Tina takes the last Shot-blok. I had warned her that she needed them when she really wanted to cry. No crying yet.

Mile 12 and the police come by and tell us to go single file so we don't get run over. They had opened the roads. Oh dear. Just have to make it. We can see the finish line! We can see it. I can't wait! We turn in, we are on our way. The people wearing all black run past us-Grandma's friends are waiting and start walking with her. We are doing this. It's taking forever! Final turn. Steve is there with Monster! He made it! We start running! Go! WE CROSS! (3:32:Something they took the overall down)So great...so great...I can't believe that we did it. I'm waiting for Tina to cry-no crying. The medal is great. Free beer is great. Seeing Leslie is great!

I forget how you can't do anything after this. I would love to talk to Leslie (2:43:04!)but I can't. Monster is making me push her up on a rock, Steve runs the 1.5 miles to the car and we head home. NAP.

Boise, You Rule! Who knew?!

I went to Boise this week for an ICD-10 training with a couple of coworkers. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Downtown. I've never stayed in the downtown area. It was AWESOME! It's partly a historic district and it's all super pedestrian/bicycle friendly. There were bicycles everywhere. We would walk past a bar and 35 bicycles-well, fixies-were locked up outside. These people are serious.

I met up with my Aunt Elicia and Uncle Ralph who I haven't seen in 3 years. 3 years? I can't believe I haven't been there since baby girl was 6 months old. We chatted for hours! It was a great visit since I didn't have to share with the rest of my family. ;) I'm thinking I need to do this a lot more and maybe I'll bring Monster and Steve.

Everywhere the group of us ate was fantastic. Bardenay, Solid, Asiago's, Bittercreek Ale House, Cottonwood Grille were all outstanding. I was so sad to leave! There were more to try. We were all talking about plans to come back with family for fun.

The other fun thing about downtown is the painted electrical boxes. I only got a shot of one-it's the awesome owls at the start of this.

There's more...I'm just too tired.

Dress Up?

Leslie and I discussed wearing a crazy outfit to The Other Half in October. I'm thinking it sounds a little fun. Has anyone out there dressed up in some sort of crazy outfit for a race? Is 13 miles too long to run in a tutu? I'm just curious.

Moab Training

I'm in training for the Moab Other Half. It's been going "okay". I've only run 3 times in the last two weeks (if you don't count running to first base for kickball) and I'm hoping for the best. My foot is bugging me, which is too be expected with the vampire tooth causing the worst heel pain ever.

This doesn't bode well.

I know I'm snarky..

but
I love my family (even you, baby Coco)
I love all my friends
I love my job
I love my house
I love my car that keeps on going (even though I want it to die!)
I love that we pulled 10 snails off of the garden 15 seconds after we came home
I love that Sophia checked my butt for ticks
I love that Tivo recorded the new Jersey Shore
I love Twitter and Facebook because I get all of it delivered to me

Double Rainbow

Roughing it

We are on our way to Yellowstone! Here's a shot of Sophia roughing it in the backseat of the wagon. She's plating Jirbo Match on the iPad. Sometimes it's just so hard for these kids.

How do you get rid of rocks?

Steve keeps gathering rocks up from the backyard in some sort of deranged effort to rid the yard of bumps. He spent a good two hours gathering rocks into these two planters. He wants to know how you get rid of rocks, can you throw them in the garbage can? That's where I know he's truly lost it. How can he not understand the beautiful rock sculptures I can make from these things? I can plant lettuce next year and mark where they are instead of accidentally ripping them up a week later because I think they are weeds. Oh friends, I cant wait to show you the path through the backyard that I decorate with these babies. No! I can line the chicken coop with rocks! Oh, the possibilities!

Arts Festival

Clara contemplates the artist's skills.

Sophia with her usual crazy face

We are ladybugs!





The girls talked and talked and threw pine cones at us. It was a pretty nice evening with the Neubert family!

Chickety-chickens!

I recently visited a bunch of chicken coops on Wasatch Community Garden's Tour de Coop. I wanted to see how other people in town were keeping their chickens so I could get some ideas on what I would need Steve to build. These first two photos are of my favorite coop. This is Tasha's old neighbor's coop. They are quite good gardeners and have two bee hives as well. The coop was built last year and then they built the cover for the run before winter. They used to let the chickens run through the garden but the chickens started to eat everything so this run was built with access to the compost heap.

This is the Taj Mahal of chicken coops. This guy had so many birds! There were ducks and chickens running all over. The area that was given over to the birds was enormous!

All in all I figured out that the chickens will like whatever you make them as long as they have a place to roost, they are safe from predators and you feed them properly. No longer as scary as I thought it could be.

My first quilt, Fer Shizzle!

These are some seriously bad photos of my first quilt, but I don't care. Here it is! I picked it up from the quilter, Cindy Leon, today and I'm in love.
As usual, I questioned all my choices as soon as I saw it quilted but now I'm sold. I love the brown thread! I'm hoping to finish the binding in a few weeks and then I'll wear it as a cape/wrap dress/shawl everywhere I go.

I heard a Peter Murphy song on the way back from the quilter's and I wondered how I had become a crazy quilter who works in health insurance and plays kickball once a week. Who cares? I finished (nearly) a whole quilt!

What a day

I finished mom's birthday present, a lovely purple sling purse.

Steve cut down a bunch of tree limbs so you can see our lovely house.

I weeded and cut down bushes that I hate.

I planted lettuce.

Steve rented a wood chipper and chipped the hell out of the branches.

Dinner was made; grass-fed cheeseburgers, black bean tacos, strawberry and arugula salad.

Wii Resort played until I hurt myself canoeing.

The movie Milk watched.

Chickens

I am getting chickens. Backyard chickens. Real frickin' chickens who lay eggs for me and my friends. Fer reals.

Tonight I was invited by Tracy to visit her friend, Mike, who has had chickens for 4 months. This is his coop and his lovely birds. Check it out! There is a beautiful tree in the middle!
Mike had a new baby, he had accidentally gotten a rooster before. Mike is going to name him 'Roo in reference to the rooster that he had traded in (apparently there's a "crazy chicken lady" who will take these birds).I can't wait for the chickens! I've been checking out some coops, got a book on farming in the urban jungle and will be attending "chicken week". Steve is waiting for this to die out but the obsession will live on!