Back by Popular Request...

You request and I shall fulfill. I have a great salad and salad dressing to go with said Strawberry Pasta. I bring this salad to many o parties too.

If I may be a salad snob for a moment, I rarely buy bottled dressings I really do prefer to make them. Eh gads have you read what's in most bottled dressings!!!! Many of them have the what I call "evil stuff" high fructose corn syrup, I try very hard not to have that in any foods that my family but that is a personal choice but I am kinda freaky that way!

Ok now I am off my soap box, for now, on to the "salad of heaven".
Strawberry Avocado Salad
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 1/2 Tbl sugar
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp/ pepper
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 head romaine, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 (11 0z) can mandarin oranges, drained ( I have used the whole can because that's how I roll)
1 cup strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup sliced read onion (I forget this a lot)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans (yes you do need to toast them)
1/2 avocado, sliced (I use the whole thing b/c really when you love avocado like do, who the hell can leave a half of avocado on the counter)

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, salt, pepper and cinnamon in a jar. Shake well and refrigerate for 2 hours. Combine the romaine, oranges, strawberries, onion, pecans, and avocado in a large bowl. Top w/half the dressing; toss well. Serve w/the remaining dressing on the side.

Hope you enjoy it,
k-

Lessons Learned Today

So it's the usual "when life gives you lemons you make lemon aid" right? So when a lovely friend gives me a 4lb box of strawberries I make Strawberry Pasta!!! Yes PASTA, don't be scared try it you sissy!

Strawberry Pasta
1 pint fresh strawberries
1/2 pound spaghetti
1/4 cu grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
mint sprigs for garnish

Puree the strawberries in a blender. Strain to remove seeds ( I never strain as I have a life). Cook the spaghetti using the package direction; drain and toss with the cheese. Heat the butter and cream in a small saucepan. Move the pasta to a serving bowl, cover with strawberries, and then the butter sauce. Toss well. Serve with additional cheese and garnish with mint, is desired.

I know what I am having for dinner tonight, how about you?

-k

Ode to the Cupcake

Why on earth do I have an obsession for cupcakes? I love those little suckers. I want to make them all the time. I call friends up and beg them to make them for them or their kids parties. I know I have an unhealthy love of the cupcake. I should probably be medicated but what to take?

When people ask me that lame arse question about "If you could do any job what would it be". Well I would go to work for a cupcake bakery, for free, just to learn how to make amazing cupcakes.

I have one problem when I make cupcakes, just that, I have cupcakes around me. I don't want to eat them, I just want to give them away! If they are around me I might eat said cupcakes and then said arse can't fit in the door, and trust me nobody wants to see that.

So unfortunately each kidlet birthday party I set myself up. I keep setting the bar higher and higher darn it! I even start doing the research over 6 months in advance...SOMEBODY STOP ME!!!! I have another party coming up in August and I am already stressing about how or more like what type of cupcakes to make for my little princess.

If Jessie James can get treatment for being "an asshole" is there any treatment for cupcake making addiction?

Food Byte: Another way to kill bacteria on sponges (besides the micro for 2 minutes) you can boil your sponge for a full 5 minutes.

Live Laugh Love!
Kristin

Something I Usually Don't Talk About

When I woke up this morning and my very challenging son used a method to climb up the beg only to give me a sleepy smile then to crawl on my stomach to snuggle me I thought about a day that feels like it happened on another planet.

Please let's go back in time (insert wooshing here), Elyas' pregnancy was a total surprise (long story don't let me bore you w/it). I was totally terrified that some medication that Tarik was taking would jack up my baby or my sugars being out of control so early in the pregnancy would jack up my baby etc... so yes I had an amino on our wedding anniversary no less!

Well I can't tell you how amazing it was to find out we were having a boy, I mean really I didn't care, I thought I was having another girl because, well because I already had one so that ment I was having another one right? NOPE IT WAS A BOY!!! So now we had our girl and now I was being given this gift of a boy. I thought the universe was being kind for once, oh the irony at that alone sends me into my best evil laugh!

It was an ordinary OB visit, I had tons of them. I got to have another scan and in my thinking all was good. That was until my sweet OB got to tell me that usual bit of, "We don't want to worry but we seem to think he has some extra fluid on the brain". WTF? How do you not worry, I mean I didn't at the office because I didn't have time for the words to sink in. Then the sun sets and your alone w/your thoughts...and then your up at 1 am w/Dr. Google. That helped TONS let me tell you!

I had to go to a special office w/a high powered machine thingy, and they, not really assholes but because they made me wait a week, yes a whole week to get in I call them assholes. The very same people that told me I was having a boy, were fully and completely assholes according to me and that's all that mattered...so for over a week I had to contemplate the idea that there was something wrong w/my son even though the amino said "it's all good lady", see assholes, all of them.

I didn't many people, I didn't want anyone to feel like I did at that moment, esp. if there was nothing wrong in the end. That was just stupid to do that to people I loved.

In the end my son didn't have any fluid on his brain, he just had a big ass head! Well that alone brought up new fears and I think I started demanding a c-section cause there was no way I was gonna have my lady business trashed up again!

As a Mom I need remember when I get frustrated at his little arse I need to think back about the time when I almost lost him. I think I will go hug him right now.

Kristin

Words I Like

When your see a word you think "oh how the heck can I remember that?" Well I think I am going to make myself a list. I will be short but sweet...

Craptacular-because we have so much crap in our lives
Fucktard-we all know at least one
buttmunch-sometimes I just don't know if it's a compound word or hyphenated but heck it's a great word regardless.
Smarticus-because I know my kids are...
bitch-clean and simple, doesn't bother me one bit if someone calls me that either...I am one, deal with it.

Happy Frickin Holidays peeps...
Kristin

So There Is This Blog Thingy

So I have this blog thingy that I don't seem to use, well that's just not right is it. Or should I be smarmy and put write but that would mean I was funny while trying to be and again that's just not right.

You know when you try to be funny and well, it's just painful. Yeah that's me. I mean I gots LOTS of great quotes I get from others, like what you may ask. Well I used to be a Vol. Firefighter and I would use the station to do my homework for quiet and no distractions but of course the guys would come out and bug me with the questions about what I was writing my paper on. So my answer was, "Oh it's about Nymphomaniacs, compulsive behavior or just plain fun". It shut them up and I could get my stuff done.

It would be great if I was one of those stand up people but that's just not me. Hell I am just thrilled these days I can get my kids to eat Brussels Sprouts...and like them! Ask me how and I will tell you!!!

I want to start using my blog more often. I mean I have all these great ideas but to focus my mommy brain on any one thing for more than 5 minutes would be something for you all to amaze at.

My latest best quote is regarding the New Moon media crap...Don't get me wrong I LOVE these books and movies and I want to be Kristen Stewarts new BFF and Robert Pattingson's, well anything (I swear that man can eat crackers in my bed anytime) but all the media hype AAAHHHH I am over it. So I say, "If I hear another thing about Twilight or New Moon, I am going to punch a baby"

Special Request...

A dear friend of mine has been requesting this recipe from me since I had made it for her I think about a year ago. Well me being not one to rush into things, my dear Kathy here you are!!!

It's for Pan-Seared Scallops-I like the frozen one's from Trader Joe's the "Japanese Scallops". two things to take note of, the packages are 1lbs and the recipe is for 1 1/2 lbs and yes you do need to remove the tendons from the side of the scallop!

1 1/2 pounds sea scallops (about 30 per pound).
small tendons removed from the side
salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tblsp. unsalted butter

1. Sprinkle the scallops on both side with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minutes. Add half the butter and swirl to coat the pan bottom. Continue to heat the pan until the butter begins to turn golden brown.
2. Add half the callops, one at a time, flat side down. Cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the fat from burning, until the scallops are well browned, 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. Useing tound, turn the callops, one at a time. Cook to medium-rare (the dise have firmed up and all but the middle thrid of the scallop is opaque), 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes longer, depending on size. Transfer the scallops to a warm platter; cover with foil.. Repeat the cooking process using the remaining butter and scallops. Serve immediately.

Then when you want to really WOW someone try this...
Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon, Shallots, and Capers
1 recipe Pan-Seared Scallops
1 medium shallot, minced
1 cup dry white wine (I have always used vermouth)
1 tsp. grated zest and 1 Tbsp juice from a small lemon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves (flat leaf ONLY)
1 Tbsp minced capers
salt and pepper

After searing the scallops adn transferring them to a warm platter (I just put them in a warm oven), pour off all but 1 Tbsp of the butter in the skillet and saute the shallot in the fat until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Addthe wine and lemon zest and simmer until treduced to about 1/3 cup, 6 to 7 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the butter, parsley, lemon juice, capers, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the scallops and serve at once. I usually serve it w/bow tie pasta.

These are from Cook's Illustrated or aka America's Test Kitchen

I like to make this during the week only because I can do all my chopping/prep work during nap time and be able to make it really quick along w/some simple veggies and I call it DONE....I hope you enjoy it.