Four Very Non-Important Things

After reading this post, your life will never be the same. Or, perhaps you will just wish for your five minutes back. Either way, I am here for you.

1. Today is our office Fare Share and guess what the theme is??!! (You might want to sit down). Are you ready for this? It is DESSERTS ONLY! Yes, we are re-packing on the pounds and slipping into diabetic comas all in the name of community and fellowship. I cannot wait, my friends! CANNOT WAIT!

And for my dessert, I took a peek at PW's dessert list and made a chocolate peanut butter pie. Let's take a moment to think about that: CHOCOLATE. PEANUT BUTTER. PIE. The crust is made out of Oreos and butter and the filling is made out of cream cheese, cool whip, peanut butter and powdered sugar.

Angels are singing. Can you hear them? I am pretty sure I am experiencing a part of heaven at this very moment.

This delicious recipe will follow tomorrow so you may want to run out and get those ingredients right now.

2. You may have noticed the change in my blog design or stumbled across the bloggerific mess that it was yesterday. See, in my head, I can envision a blog that is both funky and classic combined with a little bit of international flair and a touch of honky tonk...you know, just like me. Yet this design eludes me. It could be because I have absolutely zero graphic design skills. Or basic blogger skills.

Or any skills, for that matter.

But seriously, I do not know how to change out my template without having to fix the margins and expand the what-not and change the color of the doo-dad and clickity-click on the whizzbang. Ugh. If you know how to do all of that, please give me a holler because even though I like my background template at the moment, the actual writing space is becoming more narrow by the second and pretty soon I'll only be able to type

one
word
at
a
time.

Tedious,
right?

Thanks for your patience and perseverance.

3. Tonight, my friends, I am going to Film on the Rocks with my good friend Sara and I am oh-so very excited about it. And guess what they are playing? Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Oh, this is so very appropriate in my world because just this weekend I was hanging out with my bro, reminiscing about how he made it into National Honor Society because our sponsor happened to feel sorry for him.

Did you get that? It had zero to do with merit, academic achievement or any type of sucking up. It was because she felt sorry for him and felt he should be an honorary member, regardless of his achievements.

I, on the other hand, busted my buns to be apart of this so-called prestigious group, even being its vice president my senior year, all the while hoping it would provide me with a much-deserved scholarship to an Ivy League school. Life is full of disappointments and this was one of them.

So, needless to say, tonight should bring back a lot of memories. I have all of Jeannie's lines memorized and together we can lament about our "golden child" older brothers and pray that one day a bit of that charisma and charm will rub off on us.

And who can beat a summer night at Red Rocks or Charlie Sheen before he became icky?

4. Lastly, I am once again road-trip bound to the great state of Oklahoma for a fun-filled family gathering of epic proportions. And when I say "epic," I mean EPIC. Do you know how much homemade ice cream is required for my 38,319 cousins? And do you realize that we double the size of the town when my family decides to get together? Elvis himself has even made an appearance in what could be the weirdest 4th of July picnic in the history of small-town America. Let's hope that doesn't happen again, but if it does, you can guarantee you will hear about it.

Now, with that being said, stay tuned for a Trivia Question-o-Fun that will be posted on Friday. And as always, I will bring the winner an irreplaceable Oklahoma treasure that you can only find at your local Walmart.

You can hardly wait, right?

Enjoy the sunshine, peeps!

Daddio

I am a pretty big fan of this guy:

Pretty DARN big.

And today is his 60th birthday. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. And since this is half of my gene pool, there is hope that I could look this good at 60 too.

If you have not met my dad, here are 10 things you should know about him:

1. He is the definition of chivalrous.

2. He is hilariously funny.

3. He is great with kids, including children, grandchildren, cousins, first cousins once-removed, second cousins, neighborhood kids and random strangers.

4. He works harder than anyone I know.

5. He bought me a horse when I had no idea what I was doing.

6. He is creative, thoughtful, innovative and brilliant.

7. He loves Westerns, a good book and an afternoon nap.

8. He gave me my dark hair and my love for all things chocolate

9. He is in love with my mom and completely devoted to his family.

10. And he loves his God most of all.

Happy Birthday, Daddio. I couldn't ask for a better one.

Finito

The STUPID INTERNATIONAL FITNESS CHALLENGE OF DEATH is officially over.

And do you know what I did on my first day off?  I ate two pieces of chocolate cake and worked out for three hours.

Apparently I am messed up in the head.

Picture Happy

So the other day my darling, adorable, ornery-as-heck nephew asked if he could borrow my camera to take a few pictures.  My first instinct was "ARE YOU NUTS?" This was the same beloved camera that almost didn't make my Middle East trip. This was the same camera that made the guy in short brown shorts perform a minor miracle in order for me to have it ONE HOUR before I left for the airport. And this is the camera that I spent my life savings on to purchase.

Side note: that really doesn't say  much for my life savings...or for the concept of "saving" for that matter.

But then I realized that it would be kind of fun to see things from his perspective. Plus, we strapped that puppy on as best as possible to make sure it didn't fall off. And I figured that I would bill his dad if anything should happen to it.

He was tentative at first, not quite sure how to fit his tiny hands around the big camera. But then he started taking pictures faster than I could change poses. And he took pictures of everything. By the end of the evening, he had taken over 200 pictures!

Oh blessed technology. Could you imagine if we still used film? I would be forced to garnish his allowance.

Here is a sampling for you:

I love that kid. He makes me smile, a lot. And it is always fun to see what the back of someone's head looks like.

And on that note, Happy Friday!

The Stupid International Fitness...Blah Blah Blah

I can't even write it out, that's how disgusted I am with this entire thing.

We are in the home stretch, people. At midnight on Saturday we will officially end this ridiculous challenge. Some will gloriously run past the finish line, boasting hundreds of pounds lost and thousands of hours of sweaty exercise.

Others, like me, will crawl across the finish line with a frappuccino in one hand and a brownie in the other. I am counting down the minutes, people. COUNTING.

No more working out at 10:30 pm just to squeeze in another 30 minutes.

No more office Fare Shares that resemble the Dust Bowl.

No more loathing, cursing and beating-up of my treadmill.

No more bitterness towards others who have far-excelled at this challenge, bitterly coveting their svelte figures while eating Oreo balls.

No more attempts at new work outs where you hear things like "shred," "ripped," and "extreme muscle confusion."

No more feeling guilty if I eat a cupcake...or five.

Freedom is right around the corner, peeps. I can taste it and I can't wait to dive in.

Oh, and yes, I do feel healthier and all that rot. But whatever.

Mi Hermana

Like I mentioned, June is birthday month in my family and today's birthday belongs to my beautiful, funny, strange, brilliant and funky little sister.

Happy Birthday, Claire!

You are anything but boring.

Recipe Round-Up: Green Chile Chicken Tacos

This is, without a stinkin' doubt, the EASIEST RECIPE EVER.

Ever.

Can you handle it? I am thinking you can. You are an above-average group. Gifted, really.

Here is all you need:

Chicken and Green Chile Enchilada Sauce.

It is almost a crime that this recipe only calls for 2 ingredients.

Almost.

Throw the chicken into your crockpot. Go ahead, throw it in.

And cover those suckers up with enchilada sauce, which is essentially perfect green goodness from Mexican heaven. I want to live there. Ahora.

Now, let that cook on low for 3-4 hours. Oh man, your kitchen is going to smell so very good. You may want to just pull up a chair and let the smell seep into your skin. Or maybe not. Whatever.

Now, after a few hours, your chicken will be completely fabulous and saturated with green chile sauce.

Grab a couple forks and start shredding it.

Keep on shredding.

At this point, it is totally up to you how you use your green chile chicken. You can make nachos, tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, chimichangas or you can even put it on top of a salad.

This is a free country, peeps. Choose away!

But on this day, I chose to make tacos. It's the kind of girl I am.

So, grab a tortilla and let's fill her up.

Start with a little chicken. Or a lot.

Grab some of the green goodness from Mexican heaven and pour it on top.

And then squeeze a lime on there. Trust me, the LIME IS YOUR FRIEND.

God made this specifically for all things Mexican.

Next up: sprinkle with some cheese. Whatever floats your boat.

I used a crumbly Mexican cheese, like Panela or Queso Fresco.

Now, throw on some cilantro. Or not. It is a love/hate thing with cilantro. I loved it on this dish.

A little sour cream adds just enough tang. Oh, I love me some tang.

And then add a few tomatoes, for color and all.

Apparently their healthy as well.

To sum it up: add whatever you want!

Now fold it over and dig in.

Dig in right now.

You can also use this same technique with pork. Or you can add a beef roast and throw in a jar of salsa. The possibilities are endless. ENDLESS, I tell you.

So go forth and bust out some serious Mexican food, my friends. And happy Summer to all of you!

Rough Week

I am tired, peeps. TIE-YERD.  Between agonizing over the romper, reliving the the horror of my Journey debut, and celebrating birthdays, babies and everything in between, I am ready for the weekend.

And apparently he is too.

I especially like the bite of pizza in his right cheek.

Aren't you glad it's Friday?

Faithfully

It's confession time, people. And what I am about to tell you could very well make or break your undying devotion to me and this blog. No doubt, it could rock your world.

Are you ready?

Here we go: I once sang "Faithfully" by Journey in a wedding. By myself. Without a wind machine. Without permed hair. Behind a pulpit. During the daylight hours.


crickets chirping.


Are you still there?

Do you need a back story?

Okay, here it is:

When I was a freshman in college, I met a guy named Ryan Herboldsheimer. He grew up on a farm in northeast Colorado and loved John Deere tractors and Walmart. Naturally, we became friends. He was funny and awkward and smart and weird all at the same time.

I think he could possibly be a long-lost cousin.

Once, a group of us even went with him to his parents' farm for a weekend where I perhaps had the best homemade biscuit on the planet. ON THE PLANET. His parent's called me "SarahDell," as in one word, that was my name. I loved it.

Now one day Ryan met, courted and fell in love with a girl named Lara. And a few days after that, he decided to propose to her. She said yes.

Side Note:  Attention possible suitors! That's how it works.

I digress.

By the time Ryan and Lara had gotten engaged, I had transferred colleges and only saw Ryan on occasion. And when we had officially reached adulthood, graduated from school and had accumulated millions of dollars in college debt, I lost touch with Ryan, figuring he and Lara had ridden their tractor off into the sunset.

Until one blessed day I got a phone call from Ryan. I was in graduate school in Denver and he and Lara, still engaged, were living in Greeley. He called to ask me if I would sing in their upcoming wedding.

Now, let's stop right there, peeps. Let's just have a little chat about me singing in public. I am not a singer. Nope, not at all. Yes, I can carry a tune. And yes, I burst out into song quite often. And yes, I have been in a musical or two. BUT I DO NOT LIKE SINGING IN PUBLIC. Yet for some unknown reason, I have sung in seven weddings. SEVEN.  What's the deal with that? Do you want your guests to get up and walk out?

So, for yet another unknown reason, I agreed to sing in Ryan's wedding. He suggested we meet for dinner to discuss their song choice. At dinner, he presented me with a CD that read "Faithfully" on it. I thought, "Oh, how cute! I am sure this will be a song about marriage and commitment and Jesus and la la la."

Needless to say, I was wrong.

Hey, I'm a 90's girl, remember? And my parents home schooled me for a few years.

When I got to my car, I popped it in and my initial response was sheer panic. For starters, I am not Steve Perry. Second, Ryan is not a music man on the road so why in the world does this song relate to their relationship? Third, are you kidding me? JOURNEY? Sung by a GIRL? At a WEDDING??

When I told my brother and his friends about this upcoming solo performance, they demanded that it be recorded and that either a fog or a wind machine be going at all times while I sing. And if I could wear leather pants and get a perm that would be ideal.

When the day of the wedding rolled around, I was nervous, sweating and wishing I were dead. And by the time the ceremony started, I thought that I may very well puke on a bridesmaid. Thankfully, that did not happen, but what did happen is a total blur. All I know is that I sang the song, behind a pulpit, with a 70 year-old piano player at 3:00 in the afternoon. And I did not wear leather pants.

Afterwards, an elderly lady came up to me and said that was one of the prettiest songs she had ever heard. Someone else asked me if Ryan and Lara had changed the lyrics. Yes, yes they had. And yes, yes they were even more cheesy than the original ones.

And to top it all off, Ryan and Lara paid me to sing. PAID. ME. I think that made it worse.

So, there you have it. I will understand if you never talk to me again. And no, I will not sing it for you the next time I see you.

Mi Mamacita

June is birthday month in my family and guess who's birthday it is today:

My mama's.

Happy Birthday, Mamacita. It doesn't get any better than you.

Your Thoughts on the Romper

Apparently, I am on a clothing kick this week and I am just dying to know your thoughts on the romper.

Oh, believe me, I have my own thoughts on this onesie for grown-ups, but I would love to know what you think: do you love it? Hate it? Have one in your closet at this very moment? Thought you grew out of them when you were potty trained? Secretly want one but are too afraid to buy one?

There is no wrong answer.

Well...

Boyfriend or Bust

Have you all noticed that everything now is "the boyfriend" something? For instance, there is: "the boyfriend jean," "the boyfriend shirt," "the boyfriend sweater," and "the boyfriend capri pant."

Do boyfriends wear capri pants?

Should they be your boyfriend if they do?

I'm just saying, peeps.

Why can't there be "the boyfriend lunch date" or "the boyfriend change your oil package?" Those would really be helpful. And functional.

Besides, if your entire wardrobe is based around some kind of "boyfriend something" then perhaps you should re-think shopping altogether.  Shoot, why don't you just shop in the men's section of Gap or Banana Republic? Or for that matter, you could just go through your dad's clothes every so often because at one time, he was indeed a boyfriend...to your mom, that is.

It's not that I don't like "the boyfriend" style. Each piece looks comfortable and has that cute feminine/masculine combo going on, and who doesn't want to roll up their pant legs in the dog days of summer? But if I wanted to dress like a guy, wouldn't I just buy guys' clothing and spend a whole heck of a lot less?

I am so confused. Or maybe I am just jealous because baggy clothes look ridiculously cute on some but absolutely abysmal on me.

So to all of you who can rock this style, keep it up! But for me, I will probably continue "the single girl who wears high heels and loves her Spanx" trend.

Although, I would totally be up for "the boyfriend dinner and dancing" combo any day.

Recipe Round-Up: White Chocolate Blueberry Tart

Catch-up #3: Blueberries

I just cannot get enough blueberries these days. It is almost ridiculous how much I love them. So, after being inspired by my good friend Shelley and having been given a new recipe from my office chum Nadine, I am here to show you the world's simplest, most delectable, blueberry tart!

You must make this immediately. IMMEDIATELY.

Are you ready? Let's do this.

Here is what you need:

Blueberries (naturally), Graham Cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, sour cream, white chocolate and cream cheese. Oh yes, and a tart pan.

SIDE NOTE: What is the difference between cream cheese and neufchatel cheese? Anyone?

SIDE NOTE #2: I got that tart pan off my birthday registry. I love it. And I love registries. You should get one.

So, let's start with the crust. Throw in some graham crackers...

Add some butter...only the heart-clogging kind will do.

Add a bit of sugar, sweet cheeks.

Mix those up...

And throw it into your brand-spankin' new tart pan.

Or it can be an old tart pan.

Make sure you press it up the sides. I like to use a measuring cup because I am resourceful like that.You can copy me, that's cool.

Lovely.

Now, pop that sucker into the refrigerator and let it get cold and delicious.

 

Next up: melt some white chocolate.

Just like that.

 

And throw a block of neufchatel/cream cheese/heaven into a bowl...

And beat the tar out of it until it is light and fluffy.

Then, add the chocolate and stare at it for a while.

Now, here is where I get a bit crazy. Are you ready? I zested a small lemon and squeezed its juice into the mix. I love lemons and blueberries together! Go ahead, give it a whirl.

And then I add a bit of sour cream.

And mix it all together.

Now, stick your finger in it and taste. I guarantee your eyes will roll back in your head and you will wish you could bathe in the stuff.

Next, grab your crust out of the fridge...

And pour the filling into the crust.

Spread it around and try not to drool.

 

I need a bib.

Next up are the stars of the show: blueberries.

Aren't they scrumptious?

Cover that sucker with as many as you want.

Just keep piling them on.

Mound them up. Go ahead, mound.

And when you're done, you will have a beautiful, simple, delectable white chocolate blueberry tart!

My brother, who usually doesn't give a flip about desserts (obviously I was adopted) ate two pieces of this last night. TWO PIECES. Of course, I ate the rest but I was extremely impressed with his efforts.

Oh, I kid. I am, after all, still hump-deep into the STUPID INTERNATIONAL FITNESS CHALLENGE OF DEATH and eating entire desserts is not on the menu. See why I loathe this thing?

So, here is the recipe. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you try this; it is perfect for dinner parties, BBQ's or evenings at home by yourself.

White Chocolate Blueberry Tart:

CRUST:

6 Tbsp melted butter

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbsp sugar

FILLING:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 ounces white chocolate, melted

1/4 cup sour cream

lemon zest and lemon juice (optional but SO WORTH IT)

TOPPING:

2 cups blueberries

Directions: Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press into a 8- or 9-inch tart pan, making sure to press it onto the sides of pan. Set in refrigerator.

For filling, melt white chocolate in small saucepan over low heat. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, lemon zest, lemon juice and sour cream. Mix thoroughly. Pour into cooled tart shell and spread evenly. Add blueberries. Chill until served.

Enjoy your weekend, my friends!