Just sayin' . . .

I'm knocking on wood of course as I post this:

Easiest. Dip. Ever.

I began making this dip at some point in college. I have no idea where the original recipe came from, but it's so flippin' easy I just have to share. I made this for my work's MSU vs. UofM tailgate party on Friday. Part of the work celebration was a "Decorate Your Cubicle" competition. I decked mine out in all the MSU gear I could find, and I got second place! Go State!



Mexican Layer Dip

1 can of refried beans
1 jar of chunky salsa
2 packs of cream cheese
1 tub of sour cream
1 package of taco seasoning
1 block of sharp cheddar cheese
1 block of monterey jack

Spread the refried beans along the bottom of a pan. I use 9x13, but you can use whatever you've got on hand. Spread to the thickness you desire. If you don't like beans, you can always skip them too.

Pour salsa over the beans and spread evenly.

In separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and cream cheese and taco seasoning. You can add vary the sour cream and cream cheese to get the thickness you desire, and also vary how much taco seasoning you use to vary the spiciness.

Spread the mixture on top of the salsa.

Shred the cheeses and put on top - viola! Easiest. Dip. Ever.

I like this basic recipe because you can vary it to your own personal tastes. My mother skips the salsa and beans altogether. You could add black olives on top or mix some green chiles or jalapenos into the creamy mixture to add some heat. Whatever suits you and your tastebuds.

Oh, and in case I haven't rubbed this in yet. . . .

GO STATE!

Happy Stuff #2 - Flight of the Conchords

TV Show + funny = I'm a happy lady. This will not be the only TV show on my list of Happy Stuff. So, the show for this post is Flight of the Conchords. They've been around for awhile now, I remember Danielle directed me to some YouTube clips of them a year or two ago. Then last spring we purchased the DVD's and had some good laughs. For some reason, comedies like this are always funnier when watched in a group with friends. Perhaps while drinking too.

I picked a few of my favorite clips/songs from the show for you to enjoy. I realize the show/humor isn't for everyone, but I like it still. It's hard to argue with lyrics like "I’m the mother flippin’ Rhymenocerous" or "I'm not crying, it's just been raining . . . on my face."







Now go do yourself a favor and watch a few more of the clips on YouTube.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Last night, I finally fulfilled one of my wifely duties. I baked. Andy granted me 100 wife points. But I also asked him to open a beer for me, so I think I lost some wife points then. Did I mention that while I was baking (and doing a load of laundry mind you) Andy sat on the couch and watched the Red Wings game? Yeah, apparently that's how he earns his husband points.

But I digress - back to the cookies. I had seen the recipe online and felt like doing something festive. As a non-baker I had to go to the store and purchase alomst all of the ingredients. I had never needed baking soda, baking powder, etc. before. And yes, I did have to make a second trip to get a bag of powdered sugar after Toby's breakfast incident yesterday.

Here's the recipe I followed:

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

I did everything by the recipe, except I didn't have nutmeg, I used 1/2 a cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar, and the glaze needed about 2 more tablespoons of milk to get the right consistency.

Overall, I think they're tasty! Also tasty was the delicious beer I consumed while baking. New Holland Brewing Company's Ichabod.




It's a nice pumpkin spice beer. A lot of time I find spice beers to be too overpowered by the spice, but this is much more subtle.

So, it's hard to get a true verdict on the cookies, since Andy will eat anything and like it. I'm bringing these cookies tailgating tomorrow, so I don't know that a group of drunk hooligans will give me an informative critique either. Which means my opinion will rule supreme, and I give these cookies an A.

Let's play a game.

This is the Guess What Toby had for Breakfast Game. Previous answers in this game include, A sudoku book, a magazine, a bag of apples, a belt, a bra, and a plastic hanger.


Now make a guess.


Did you guess a bag of powdered sugar? If so, then you would be correct.


I now have a white dog and a white living room. Of course, when Andy found Tobias, Toby gave him the "What? I'm not doing anything. Is something wrong? I'm just hanging out here" look.


I wish he would have taken a picture. Kind of like when parents find their kids playing with make up. You want to be mad at them for being naughty, but it's so stinkin' cute you have to laugh and take pictures.

Happy Stuff #1 - stuffonmycat.com

There are various things that make me happy. I've decided to post about these happiness makers one at a time. The first one on my list is the website: http://www.stuffonmycat.com/

Now, the site is exactly what you would think it would be. Stuff on cats. So simple, yet so amusing. I cannot explain to you why I find this amusing either. Perhaps it's a combination of the cuteness and the silliness of the whole thing. Really, I have no idea what's so funny about stuff on cats, but I keep looking at the pictures and smiling.

Running to Stand Still

So, I've been slacking in the running department since doing the 10K in the Fifth Third Riverbank run here in Grand Rapids last May. Not that big of a deal really. . . . if I didn't have to run in the Detroit relay marathon this coming weekend

My leg of the marathon is just short of a 10K (only 5.8 miles) but I just have not been in training mode - in both the eating and exercise departments. I've maybe put in about 10 miles per week in the past few weeks, when I should be around 20 - 25. Yesterday, I ran 5 miles and was logging just over 9 minute miles. That's ok, but for the Fifth Third run I was at just over 8 minute miles. It looks like my slacking is really showing. Bummer.

So, we'll see how this weekend goes. I'd like to do my 5.8 miles in less than 55 minutes.

And next year, Andy and I have both vowed to do the 25K portion of the Fifth Third run. That's more than a half-marathon, and thus an extremely terrifying distance for me. But, I want to challenge myself. And the more I run the more donuts, candy and ice cream I can eat - right?

P.S. - Apparently, when I run, my left wrist likes to look broken.

Feeling young and looking young

Photo by Amy Carroll Photography

I went over to my parent's yesterday to help out with a digital picture frame we had bought them as a wedding gift. That didn't go so well, but I won't get into all of the I-hate-technology details here. I was reminded that I hope I got my Mama's genes - because I am always astounded by how young she looks. Not that she's OLD, of course, and no I won't reveal her actual age. :) Let's just say she was in her 30's when she had me. I'm pretty sure she has done this by doing something doctors tell us to do all the time. Avoiding the sun! She burns easy, so she has no choice but to use sunscreen and stay away from those rays. I try to keep that in mind and I am proud, in a strange way, of how pale I stayed this summer. Yes, a tan is nice, and I still get a little color in my skin, but I don't want to have a face lift at age 38 either.

I have probably been to the tanner about 10-20 times in my life. Not a lot. I think I'll make a vow never to go again. When I think about it, I get this eerie feeling that generations down, people will think it was crazy that people went to tanners. I can just see them saying, "Wait, they purposefully put themselves under proven cancer-causing and wrinkle-inducing rays? Wait, wait, they PAID for this to happen? So those crazy people back then thought that turning thier skin a few shades darker was more important than avoiding cancer?"

Hey, I'm still vain, and I haven't fully learned to love the pale of my skin. I'd like to test out some self-tanners. My Mama gave me a few before the wedding that I didn't end up using. Now that it's becoming cold and I can cover any streaky/blotchy/ucky mishaps with clothing I may crack them open.