Beautiful Butterflies

In theme with keeping things totally stress free we made our way to a butterfly garden on Sunday afternoon.

My first butterfly garden experience was while attending Iowa State, and I loved every minute in the garden. This experience was no different.

Every time a butterfly would flutter past it gave a light feeling in my stomach, almost taking my breath away. There is something so magical and special about these creatures that just totally enamors me.

My fascination with butterflies began when I was very young. My grandmother (my mom's mom) loved butterflies, especially Monarchs. She had window hangings of butterflies, and butterflies mounted outside her place. It was then that I discovered my love for butterflies.

Every butterfly in the garden was amazing and beautiful. When one would fly past me I knew Grandma was near. 

At our wedding, Scott and I released 25 Monarch butterflies, a small tribute to my Grandma, who was with us in spirit.

To this day, when a butterfly crosses my path, it's a sign that Grandma is always with me.

Upper left, I'm super excited about the giant blue butterfly chose to briefly land on me (see the blue blur, that's the butterfly just taking off).

The green butterfly (lower left), and the giant blue butterfly (lower right) were two of my favorites. I'd never seen either, and couldn't get enough of them.

Upper right, a butterfly is just taking off from landing on my arm. 

If you've never been to a butterfly garden I encourage you to check one out. They generally aren't too expensive to enter ($12 or less, at most places), and your admission goes toward the upkeep of the gardens, and the well-being of the butterflies. The gardens are such a unique experience, and give plenty of great photo opportunities. 

Water Parks to Concert in the Park

After our morning cup of Snowball coffee we were off to the Sioux Falls water park, Wild Water West.

 

It's been forever since going to a water park, or any aquatic venue, and not managed it, lifeguarded it, or oversaw most daily activities. The minute we walked through the front gate it was like coming home. The faint smell of chlorine hit my nose and brought a smile to my face. We laid out near the wave pool, and though the clouds were persistent, I managed to soak up a few rays and obtain new tan lines. We took a venture around the lazy river, only to find the water was FREEZING! Cold water aside, it was a great way to relax on a Saturday afternoon.

That evening Better Than Ezera was playing downtown at Falls Park, and Amy managed to score free tickets. Free, yep, we're there!

Haven't heard anything new from the band? Yeah, me either. But, here are two of their hits that probably ring some bells (if the song titles don't look familiar YouTube them and I bet you'll recognize them):

"Desperately Wanting"

"Good"

Although I didn't know many of their songs they were a great band to listen to. And, what a great way to wrap up a Saturday!

Sioux Falls Food!

Last Friday I jetted off to Sioux Falls, SD to spend one very relaxing weekend with my best friend, Amy. 

Let me just tell you, sometimes I think Amy knows me better than myself. That, or she has known me for so long she knows what I like, and what I'll want, before I do.

For example, while attending Iowa State I found this amazing little coffee shop in Ames that had the BEST coffee around. Not only did they have amazing coffee, they had a flavor I was/am OBSESSED with. Snow Ball, a fabulous combination or carmel and coconut - DELICIOUSNESS in a cup! 

Should you ever stop through Ames and need a good great cup of coffee seek out Burgie's, you will not be disappointed!

Amy contacted Burgie's, the coffee shop, and ordered some Snowball for us to enjoy during my stay. This wasn't any bag of coffee, this was the economy size bag. This is the bag that retailers use. There is enough coffee in that bag to last her at least a year. But, you'll hear no complaints from me. Each morning I settled onto their comfy couch with a piping hot cup of my favorite joe.

I was also treated to some of the yummiest places in town. Most likely I flew back to L.A. with a few extra pounds - and not in my luggage. But, sooooo worth it.

Gourmet grilled cheese - WHAT?! Yes please! Cheese is a serious weakness of mine, an there was an entire restaurant dedicated to making hot, melty, gooey grilled cheeses. My mouth is watering just thinking of my sandwich (turkey, avocado and spinach with an assortment of cheeses on a whole wheat). We also make a couple (yes, couple) of trips to Peachwave, the fro-yo joint. Another weakness, frozen yogurt... I won't say no to a trip to a place like that. And, as if I hadn't consumed enough, a trip to Sinful Things lead us to sharing an AMAZING strawberry cheesecake.

Not only did we eat out, although that's always fun to do in new cities, there was an evening where Amy and her hubby grilled some tasty chicken breast, steamed some asparagus, and treated me to REAL SWEET CORN!! It seems like it's been for ever since I've had the pleasure of sinking my teeth into a steaming cob of wonderful, amazing sweet corn.

That night at dinner I intended on just one ear, but I threw all will power to the wind and downed THREE. :) 

I promise we did more than eat... But, I'll share the rest of my trip for later this week.

Sioux Falls Bound!

Soooo excited! I'm headed to the airport, my trip to Sioux Falls is finally here! I can't wait to see my BFF and spend some time outside this crazy city!!

How I was able to get all of my stuff into carry-on is beyond me. I impressed myself!!

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend in the Midwest. Can't wait to post pics when I get back.

Have a great weekend!!

The Guys Boston Trip

The weekend my aunt and cousins were into town Scott traveled to Boston to meet up with his dad, brother-in-law and his dad. They had tickets to see the Red Sox and Yankees play.

I was hoping to get Scott to blog about his trip, but that just hasn't happened. So, I'm going to post some pictures he took, and hopefully narrate the best I can. I'm sure if there are any changes or corrects he'll make them later.

 Walking around Boston, Paul Revere's House,

Scott and Mac, the city sky line, eating at the oldest Italian restaurant in North Boston.

 Mac next to the Ted Williams statue (Ted Williams is his favorite player), Red Sox made out of cups stuck in a fence, the entrance to Fenway Park,

the plaque on Ted Williams statue, the exterior of the ball park, a bar that looks into Fenway from the outfield.

 Perusing the campus of Harvard - the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. 

 The inside of Fenway, the "Green Monster," the oldest major league stadium in America.

Scott and Mac enjoying the game!

Scott and his dad have been talking about, and planning, this trip for years. It was great the guys finally had their weekend, and had so much fun! 

Crab and Cream Cheese Ball

Since I have a little more free time :) I've been clocking more hours in the kitchen, which is a good thing.

In preparation for  a BBQ we attended this weekend I wanted something simple - a finger type food - and delicious at the same time. Thoughts wandered to a crab and cream cheese ball that my mom has made for about as long as I can remember.

I thought it'd be all sorts of difficult to make, but to my surprise it was super easy!

Crab and Cream Cheese Ball
1 package cream cheese *
1 package crab meat **
Chopped green onions, to taste (optional)
Western salad dressing, to taste and color (optional) ***
Crushed nuts ****

What you'll need.

*I used 33% reduced fat cream cheese and it worked well. I was a little worried the ball wouldn't hold up, but it did just fine.
**To save a few dollars I used the imitation stuff. If you have money to spend I'm sure the real stuff is even more amazing.
***Californians apparently don't know about Western salad dressing, or Dorothy Lynch for that matter. I had to use French dressing, and it worked as a good substitute.
****My mom uses walnuts or pecans, but I mixed it up and used crushed almonds and pecans... YUM!

In a small mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, crab meat, onions (optional), and dressing (optional).
After mixing, shape into a ball and roll to cover with nuts.
Note: I tried using a spatula to mix everything together, and it didn't work as well as just getting my hands in there. After mixing everything up I placed the cream cheese mixture in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Then I shaped the ball and rolled it in the nut mixture.

Cutting up the crab and green onions.

On the right: The mixing of the cream cheese, onions, crab, and dressing.

On the left: The formed crab and cream cheese ball.

Tadaaa! The finished crab ball, ready for the BBQ.

It took me all of about 20 minutes to prep and make (including the 10 minute fridge cool down). It's served with your choice of cracker... This was a HUGE hit at the BBQ, and disappeared before my eyes!

Celebrity Spotting... In Church!

Does this guy look a little familiar?

Yeah, I thought so, too. 

We were sitting in church yesterday when this guy walks by for communion. I'd seen him in church a few times before, holidays mostly. And, I knew I had seen him on the big screen. I did a little digging and here's what I found -- and here's where you've probably seen him, also.

Neal McDonough

Some of the movies that stuck out for me included: 

Band of Brothers (he was 1st Lt. Lynn "Buck" Compton) 

Flags of Our Fathers (he played Captain Severance)

The Guardian (he was Jack Skinner)

Captain America (he played Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan).

I'd expect to find actors near Beverly Hills, or maybe the swanky restaurants, but what a pleasant surprise to spot an actor in church!

Strawberry Cake

Lately I've been flexing my cooking and baking muscles. I mean, I have the free time, why not do a little experimenting in the kitchen?!

Flipping through a family recipe cookbook I came across a strawberry cake my aunt had contributed. Strawberries are in season right now, so I figured no better time than now to try it out! And, the best part, it's EASY!

Strawberry Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 package strawberry jello mix
1/2 cup corn/vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained *
1/2 cup water or juice from strawberries **
4 eggs

*I sliced fresh strawberries and froze them, and then let them thaw.
** I used the juice from the thawed strawberries - I didn't have enough juice to make 1/2 cup, so I filled the rest with water.

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients together, except for the eggs, with an electric mixer.
Beat 4 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating one minute for each egg.
Beat an additional minute, after all eggs have been added.
Pour in a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake for 35-45 minutes.
Cool.

Upper right: Dry ingredients

Lower right: strawberries, juice/water mix, and vegetable oil added to dry ingredients

Left: Al ingredients beaten together

Upper photo: Cake batter, pre-bake time

Lower photo: Cake, post bake time

Frosting
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup strawberries *
1 pound powdered sugar

*I used fresh strawberries, but I'm sure frozen strawberries, thawed, would work just as well.
Beat fronting ingredients together. Spread on cake.

Frosting being whipped together

The finished product!

The frosting was a little runnier than I was hoping. I think it's because I used a butter substitute, rather than real butter. Next time I'll use real butter, or maybe cream cheese.  Aside from the runny frosting it turned out quite tasty!!

An Attempt to Make Vanilla

I'm not a baker, by any stretch of the word. But,  I do enjoy baking a good batch of chocolate chip baked goods for Scott. And, when I make a batch, I always use a bit more vanilla than is called for in the recipe. Apparently that's ok, because Scott is always asking me to bake his favorite treat.

With that being said, I go through vanilla extract like it's going out of style. And, I don't like the cheap stuff.  I like the stuff that has a scintillating smell and fabulous taste. For those of you who bake, and use vanilla, it's not cheap, especially if you get the good stuff.

Thank goodness for a friend of mine who is obviously outstanding in the kitchen. I found a home made vanilla extract recipe on her blog, and decided to give it a go. If it turns out well, I'll let you know. But, you'll have to wait about 8-12 weeks as that's how long it takes to gather the goods.

The mason jars, all ready to go.

The ingredients: vanilla beans and vodka.

After snipping the beans in half they're submerged in the vodka.

In about 4 weeks I'll check the jars to see if the vodka smell has been replaced by the sweet aroma of vanilla.

(I'm filling the middle jar this afternoon.)

After just one day a beautiful brown hue begins to emerge.

If you're searching for some AMAZING baking recipes I urge you to check out my friends blog. Her stuff looks so yummy, just reading her blog and seeing her pictures makes my mouth water. Here's the link to her blog http://www.lemon-sugar.com/ , check it out!!

A Meal in the Microwave - in 23 Minutes!

Don't jump the gun too fast, at first I saw this recipe and thought, "Chicken? In the microwave? No thanks." But then I saw the amount of time to make it - 23 minutes - and I couldn't resist.

If you're looking for something with a Mexican flare, and doesn't take all day/evening to prep and cook, try this recipe out. It was simple, and surprised me with it's great taste!

Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 4 good size breasts)

1 tbsp Southwestern Seasoning Mix (if you don't have any in your spice rack, and/or can't find it in the grocery market, try using taco seasoning instead)

1 3/4 cups salsa verde

1 cup 33% reduced-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 cups authentic restaurant-style tortilla chips (use the thickest chips you can find - I used Mission brand tortilla strips and was very happy with the result)

2 cups shredded Chihuahua cheese (Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend work as great substitutes)

1 cup queso fresco cheese (all my grocery store had was a chipotle blend, and it worked GREAT - check the soft cheeses to find this particular type of cheese, it may be by the ricotta)

Sour cream (optional)

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine chicken and seasoning mix in a Deep Dish Baker. Spread chicken evenly over bottom of baker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Microwave, covered, and additional 4 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Drain using a small colander.

I use Pampered Chef's Deep Covered Baker - one of my favorite kitchen pieces. If you don't own one, put it on your Christmas/Birthday list! 

2. Combine salsa and broth. Chop cilantro. Arrange half of the tortilla chips over the bottom of the same baker, breaking chips (if needed); top with half of each chicken, salsa mixture, and cheeses. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cilantro. Repeat layers one time, ending with cheeses.

3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH for 5-7 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

To cut down on prep time in the evening, I pre-cut the chicken the afternoon before I prepared the meal. I also snipped the cilantro before-hand.

Upper Left: The chicken with seasoning before entering the microwave.

Middle: The finished product!

Lower Right: The salsa verde and chicken broth mixture.

Because of it's quick prep time, and great Mexican flavor, it has been added to our "keep" list!

Enjoy.

Source: 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2/Pampered Chef

These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things

Having guests is the BEST excuse to hit up some of our favorite restaurants. Last night was no exception. We headed down to Manhattan Beach - our favorite beach community - and stopped in at Mama D's Italian Restaurant.

If you're a first time visitor to the restaurant they treat you to a free appetizer. Most generally it's their homemade raviolis. Sooooo delicious! And, each meal is complimented with their homemade bread with oil and garlic dipping sauce. HEAVEN!

The lasagna, homemade bread, and homemade raviolis.

Our group ordered some of Mama's pink sauce, meat lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, and spicy spaghetti with meat balls. Oh, and did I mention, if you have to wait to be seated the host passes around bread, appetizers, and other yummy goodies to hold you over until your table is ready?!

Post Mama D's we had to treat everyone to a stop a Diddy Reese (pronounced DeeDee). It's a baked good (*cookie) and ice cream shop. And all items are homemade. The line is always out the door, and usually there's a 30 minute wait, but it's worth it. When you walk out with your personalized ice cream sandwich... DEEEE-LISH! 

The line, the menu line up and options, all the baked goods, the final product!

Just a fair word of warning, when you come visit us, we'll take you to all of our favorite food joints... And, we apologize if you board the plane home a with a few extra pounds. :)

Mission: L.A. Experience

With my aunt and cousins in town my goal has been to give them the TOTAL L.A. experience. So far, I think, mission accomplished!

An Angels v. Twins game, a day in Santa Monica, an afternoon of whale watching, The Farmers Market and The Grove, a trip down Beverly Hills Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose, along Hairspray, the Musical, at the Hollywood Bowl!

Who wants to visit next?!

Blue Whales!

Saturday afternoon we ventured down to Long Beach to see if we could spot some Blue Whales.

My cousins, Dana, Allison, and me, on the cruise.

The last time I'd gone on a Blue Whale cruise we didn't see any whales. However, we did spot several dolphins.

This trip was the exact opposite!

We spotted a few different Blue Whales, all of which came up for breaths on several different occasions. Because the animals are so huge - one of the largest to ever live on the planet, ever - they don't breach the water. They just come up for air every 5-10 minutes.

Because they are such huge animals, when they surface for air all you really see is their back, and the tiny dorsal fins (refer to lower left picture). Blue Whales, although the largest whales, have the smallest dorsal fins.

Wouldn't you know it, one of the whales dove down and his/her tail came up out of the water. And I miss it! I was trying to snap a good photo and I missed the tail. Guess Scott and I will just have to go back!

Amtrak and Angels

My Aunt Sandy and cousins, Dana and Allison, are visiting from Minnesota this weekend. On their to-do list while here was see the Minnesota Twins play the Los Angeles Angels (who actually play in Anaheim).

We traveled by Amtrak. The train doesn't seem to move all that fast, but I'm sure during Friday rush hour (which it was), we shaved off tons of time getting to Anaheim.

The train drops passengers off in the outfield, literally. It's so convenient! 

It was hat night, so we scored some "skater" A's hats. They're pretty cool, but my guess is that none of us will be sporting these bad boys anytime soon.

To our surprise our seats were AMAZING. We were four rows from the field, on the first base side.

 

We were thisclose to the players and field! 

Being so close to the field we should have brought along a few gloves for foul balls!

I'm not a huge baseball fan, but there's just something about being inside the stadium. Perhaps it's the smell of hot dogs, pop corn, and other stadium food. Maybe it's the crunch of peanut shells below my shoes as I walk through the rows. Whatever it is, the buzz inside stadiums is such a fantastic experience.

Though the Twins - whom we were cheering for - lost in stunning style, 1-7, we had a great time!

Two Weeks Notice

Wow, and just like that I turned in my two weeks notice.

After much discussion with Scott, I realized it was time to move on from the pool. As much fun as it's been, and as cool as it's been to see some great homes, it's time I climbed out of the pool. It's time to hang up my swimsuit.

What is next? Where do I go from here? I'm not totally sure. Pools are all I've known for the past 12 years, but what I do know is it's time for a change.

I'm seriously considering going back to school. For the past 10 years I've been teaching... In a pool. I think a transition into an actual classroom would be a natural transition.

Whatever the future brings our way, wish us luck!

M.O.T.I.V.A.T.I.O.N.

After breaking my arm in the car wreck I lost a lot of motivation to run. For those of you who know me, I used to love running. A few years back I started training for half marathons and fell in love with them. It's been two years since I've run one... :(

Perhaps a few new purchases will pick me up and put me in the running mood again.

It was clear a new pair of running shoes were needed. 

I fell in love with the Nike Free Run +2 as soon as I slipped them on. The shoes are so light, it almost feels like you're running barefoot!

The Nike/iPod chip is an amazing running partner. It times your runs, clocks your fastest miles, and is your person cheerleader. 

It's time to hit the pavement!

29 Minutes to Make Lasagna

Wow, I sure have been posting a lot about food lately. I am a true Dudding :)

But, whatever. If I find a good recipe I want to share it! And, I do believe I found a keeper.

This bad boy is prepped and prepared in under a half an hour! Here's another perk - this lasagna doesn't require the oven. Nope. Not one minute is spent baking in the oven.


Here you go....


Skillet Lasagna
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce of your choice *
3 cups of water*
8 oz lasagna noodles
1 lb bulk hot Italian turkey sausage or sausage links (casings removed)**
2 garlic cloves pressed
2 oz fresh grated Parmesan cheese***
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley divided****
1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta cheese (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Additional grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

* I used a non-chunky sauce, and I believe the three cups of water may have been a bit too much. Next time, should I use the non-chunky sauce, I'll reduce the water to 2 cups.
** I'm a big baby when it comes to spicy food, so I didn't use any hot or spicy sausage. I used Italian seasoned ground turkey, and it tasted great.
***  To cut even more time off the prep, I just used the Parmesan out of a container
**** I didn't chop up fresh parsley, I just used what I had in my spice rack - which also cut prep time

1. Combine sauce and water in a large (12 inch) skillet. Cover; bring to a boil.

2 Meanwhile, wrap noodles in clean kitchen towel and break crosswise into quarters*. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 16-18 minutes or cook until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

3.  As noodles cook, place sausage into a smaller (10 inches) skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Add pressed garlic; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir into noodles and sausage.

4. Meanwhile, grate Parmesan cheese (or use the pre-shredded stuff, like me:). Chop parsley (or use what you have in your spice rack); set aside 1 Tbsp parsley for garnish. Combine cheese, remaining parsley and black pepper into a mixing bowl.

5. Scoop the cheese mixture over the noodles using a small or medium ice cream scoop. Cover skillet and simmer gently 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and ricotta mixture is heated through.

6. To serve, sprinkle lasagna with reserved parsley and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yields 6 servings.

*Breaking the lasagna noodles in a clean kitchen towel it prevents the noodles from flying all over the kitchen, and prevents you from chasing the flying noodles all over your kitchen to clean up.
Side note: The recipe stated the dish would take 29 minutes to make. I timed how long it took, from prep to plate. Twenty-seven minutes, boooyahh! I think skipping the fresh shredded Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley shaved those two precious minutes off. 

It was great the night it was served, and possibly even better the next day as left-overs!

Enjoy.


Source: 29 Minutes to Dinner/The Pampered Chef

Hollywood Bowl

Last week we treated ourselves to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl - an amphitheatre.  The line-up was as follows: Gavin DeGraw, Train, and Maroon 5. 

If you look closely in the upper right hand corner is the Hollywood sign. The Hollywood Bowl, so far, has proven to be the best spot to view the sign.

I have to admit, I don't know many Gavin DeGraw songs, but the man is amazing on piano. Scott thought Train was the best on vocals out of the three. But, I thought Maroon 5 was awesome (this could be due to the fact that I think Adam Levine is nice on the eyes:).

There were even surprise guest appearances from Javier Colon, winner of The Voice, and Stevie Nicks.

And, aside from the screaming teenage girls sitting directly in front of us we had a great time. Perhaps will have to make another trip this fall to see Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance, or Incubus. :)

Photo Sources: Javier Colon binsdetv.net; Stevie Nicks tvguide.com