Happy Halloween

This is a story about my 2 dogs.

Last night I went out with my big dog, Dog The Bounty Hunter that is.  

My husband and I went to a Halloween party and looked to this classy couple for inspiration:

The Chapmans

So we became this:

Then I got to come home and cuddle with my other dog.

Isn't he sweet!

My family had a fun Halloween weekend, and I hope that all of y'all did as well!

Jeers - Where nothing goes your way

Don't confuse the new bar I am going to open with the classic  iconic bar in Boston known as Cheers.  Cheers is the place that everybody knows your name, friends meet to laugh, and to have a drink. 

Jeers on the other hand is a place WHERE NOTHING GOES YOUR WAY!  Sounds like a great concept huh?  I think so too.  People laugh at my bar too, except they aren't laughing with you...they are laughing AT you.  People have drinks at my bar, except you aren't so much drinking it as you are wearing it, because it WILL  be spilled on you.  And lastly, people at Jeers, don't only know your name, that chant it.  But don't be fooled the chants aren't positive uplifting make you feel like you can do anything chants, they are Jeers (see what I did there).  The  locals will take your name and turn it into something humiliating, i.e. Chelle would become Smelly Chelle or Smelly Chelle Belly.  

Doesn't it sound like a blast?   I am telling you, it is a cash cow waiting to be born.

Earlier this week I was playing golf with my husband and we decided that we would play in the month's end golf scramble.  Yes!  I mean, I would definitely be an asset to the team because I can drive the ball (kinda).  Then I got asked to sub on Friday.  I took the job because I can't just go around turning down jobs can I?  No.  So Matt was disappointed that I couldn't play in the tourney, but found a suitable replacement.  No harm no foul.  We would both be making money.  Me working, and him sinking a putt for the win. Then today the teacher called me and said, "Oh, thanks, but I think I am going to work friday."  No big deal....guess what that means?  Mama gets to play golf.

PYSCH!!!

As I as hanging up the phone with the teacher and walking in the door my husband was making a phone call to another disappointed golfer.  He had to let them down with the sad news that the team had been filled, but that if someone dropped out he would be next in line.  Aww, shucks.  Always behind the bar.  Which if I could go to Jeers would make me feel right at home. I needed a good ol' "Smelly Chelle" right about then.  

I didn't really think that someone would drop out, but they did.  About 30 min later Matt got a phone call..."Sorry dude, but I can't be on the team, replace me..."  I could hear him on the phone from the other side of the room and I was quietly making my argument, ready to plead my case to be let back on the team.  But no.  I have an honest husband who had already committed that spot to another.  Did I mention that this happened at the same time that I became available.  Was I disappointed?  Yes, but I will never complain about having an honestly husband.  Oh well...  I think they (the 4 golfers) have some bad juju to shake going into the shotgun start tomorrow, they have some big shoes to fill without me there.  Come about hole #6 they are going to be wishing they had my advantage on the red tees.

Now in my ultimate disappointment if I could only go to a bar that would mirror my bad fortune tonight.  Just what I need is a drink spilled on my lap.

It didn't end so badly.  I am eating a big bowl of vanilla ice cream WITH chunks of cookie dough and sprinkles.  And that my friends will be the ONLY option for dessert at Jeers.

See ya there!


P.S.
Dear Matt,
I am not mad, not in the least.  I hope you have fun playing tomorrow and win something cool.
Love,
Smelly Chelle Belly

New Sinus System

I need one, pronto.

I am officially putting out a classified ad for a new sinus system.  The one I have is broken down and for the past two days has left me with the inability to breathe, see, or taste.  

If anyone has a clue as to where I can find a new one....or if you want to get one for me, I would be okay with that.

One of my love languages is giving/receiving gifts, so I mean the perfect way to find favor with me would be to wrap up a brand new nose in a beautiful package and deliver it to me on my doorstep.

Hello Nyquil....Goodnight World.

Oooo, Me Leeky

Tonight with our grilled pork chops we had Vegetable #2 on Chelle's List of Vegetables.

Leeks.

I see them all the time used on cooking shows and I have always been curious.  Granted they look like an oversized green onion, but an exotic oversized green onion in my eyes.  

My leeks look like this:

Most of the recipes I found that called for leeks were soups.  I love soup as much as the next person, but I didn't think that we needed soup and pork chops and broccoli and corn and cake...so I needed to find a way to cook them that went well with everything else on our menu.  I stumbled upon Honest Fare, and Gabi had what looked like a great recipe for grilled leeks.  I was excited to see if they tasted as exotic as I had imagined them to be.

Par boiling them to make sure they are cooked all the way through

After grillling

Rolled up and keeping it hot in the pan with the broccoli.

Um, they were okay.  Definitely not something I would cook again as a stand alone side dish, however, I would use it as an ingredient in another dish.  At least now I know.  Next on the list...Spaghetti Squash.

Going Bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Thank you Gwen Stefanie for turning the word banana into such a catchy tune and thank you Matt for buying more bananas than we could eat at the store.  Really, that might sound like a dig at my hubby, but I assure you...it is not.  He went to the grocery store with me last week and I put him and charge of fruit, boy did he hook us up.  We have until today been able to almost all of the fruit that he secured for our family, with the exception of the bananas.  Technically we probably could have gotten one more good day out of them, but realistically we would have just continued to sit there and stare at them as they turned to brown goo in our fruit bowl.

While searching for something to do with the bananas so I didn't have to trash them I found a recipe for a Banana's and Cream Bundt Cake.  Usually the trick when I do something like this is that I NEVER have all of the ingredients that I need on hand.  There is always a random ingredient that you need 1/8 of a teaspoon of that you know leaving out will lead to the dishes certain ruin...so I am left to just wish that I could cook the said recipe.  Amazingly enough, I had everything in my modest pantry, well kinda.  It called for sugar, and I had splenda.  It called for sour cream and I had light sour cream.  Tell me it will work out okay...no seriously, tell me.  I have about 23 more excruciating minutes to wait to find out. 

We are having a guest over for dinner tonight, so I will make Matt test it before we feed it to the visitors...you know in case it is poisoned or tastes that foot.  

I'll eat it!

On a side note, remember what I told you yesterday, about Lowe's...yeah, guess where Matt went today when he got off work?  Lowe's.  Figures, it has become kind of a running joke between the two of us.  The more I say it over and over in my head, and picture myself leaning over my future child's crib (no dad, not in the near future) I think that Lowe's Langford has a nice ring to it...don't you?

They will name Lowe's after our first born child.

They say:

The family that prays together, stays together.  I believe that.

The family that plays together, stays together.  I believe that as well.

What about the family that tackles carpentry projects together?  Before today I had my opinions.  Matt and I are both incredibly stubborn people with dominant personalities so when we both try to tackle a project together it usually ends badly for us.  We are better off each doing our own thing and then complimenting each other on a job well done.  

Since Matt has been back from Iraq he has gotten a bug.  An I want to use a hammer and saw bug, as in our back yard has become the "field of dreams".  If he builds it, they will come.  The weekend started with the successful construction of a pull-up bar and the installation of lights to make our back yard more people friendly at night time.  During the execution of said projects I took a backseat and let my hubby do his thing.  Duece and I stood proudly, albeit nervously at the back door.  We watched, waved, and made glasses of cold water.  In one weeks time, I don't think that the Langford family has gone a single day without making a contribution to the "keep Lowe's open for business fund".  I am fully expecting to be put on their Christmas card mailing list this year.  

Everything is seemingly innocent at this point.  Wife inside the house making cold glasses of water and husband outside sweating with a skill saw and concrete. Then yesterday happened.  We decided to make something together.  After an intense game of Bocce Ball yesterday with our friends Chuck and Lisa, Matt and I decided we wanted a backyard game of our own, CornHole.  A normal couple might just buy one, but why would we do that?  We have skills.  We have tools.  We have a  close relationship with Lowe's.  I was a little skeptical at first, I mean it sounded like a good idea in theory, the instructions looked harmless enough, but our inability to do projects together (the whole stubborn thing) had me a leery.  

I am proud of us, take a look for yourself.

Matt outside of Lowe's.  Yes I actually made him take this picture.  It was quick and no one was looking.

Our Loot

Making the first crucial cut, this determined the outcome of the rest of the project.

(notice the pull up bar in the background?  Nice huh?)

See, he trusts me to measure, and that my friends is a VERY important job.

Putting the pieces together.

Drilling the holes was my favorite part.

The test....Can Chelle use a jigsaw to cut a hole?

YES SHE CAN!

Very proud of my jigsaw handy work. You could say that I got "jiggy" with it.

Almost finished boards.

I owe both of us an apology.  I am sorry that I ever doubted us babe.  We did great!!!  We completed a carpentry project without dying, throwing a hammer, or stabbing each other with a hacksaw.  Obviously we still need to paint them, but we ran out of daylight and dry weather.  I will be sure to post a finished pictured when we get them painted.  

Duece wanted to do something today to, so he did the only thing his paws sans opposable thumbs would let him do, dig a hole...he got caught and got in trouble.  Uh, oh duecy.

"Mom please help me."

Also, tomorrow I am trying vegetable #2.  Leeks, I have NO idea what to do with them, but they use them all the time on Food Network and I have never had them, so they meet the criteria.  If you have a suggestion, I would love to hear it.

Trying new things with Vegetable #1

Now that I have someone to cook for, I have found myself in the kitchen the past few nights cooking some of the old favorites.  While it is nice to have stand by's that you know your family will love, it is really easy to fall into a rut, especially with vegetables.  As I was making the 4 o'clock dash through Kroger I had an epiphany starring at the assortment of fall squash.  Every time I look at them I wonder what they taste like (among other veggies) but I still side with the ever predictable zucchini or green beans.  I have decided that over the next week or two I am going to try new 7 vegetables that normally I would be reluctant to try. Seven is a random number that I just pulled out of my head, so I don't have a reason for that.

"Why not start tonight?", I asked myself. 

Vegetable #1

On the menu at the Langford house is....drum roll please...Acorn Squash!

Technically it was Golden Acorn Squash .  Purrrty...

 First I cut it in half and cut off the top part where the stem was.

 Secondly I took a spoon and scooped out the seeds and the stringy stuff from the middle, just like you would do while cleaning a pumpkin.

 Next I sliced it into 1/4-1/2 in crescent shapes.  And lined them on a baking sheet and brushed them with olive oil. I then sprinkled them with kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper, brown sugar, and a *dash* of chili powder.

Then I baked them for 5 min @ 400 degrees, flipped them, and then continued to bake for 20 min. 

They were a hit with me and my much more vegetable cautious husband.  I have permission to cook them again.

However, the next time I would make sure to line the baking sheet with aluminum foil, and I would cut them differently, maybe even peel the skin off (even though it was edible, maybe that is just personal preference).  I am lucky that my husband trusts me and has agreed to willingly participate in my vegetable adventure, he only had one stipulation...no olives and I agree.  The only olives in this house are the Olive Yous! 

And here is a riddle for you.

What is hairy, has big ears, and loves ice cream....

DUECE BEAGLEOW!