Karaoke

Background: about 5years ago my now husband and I were meeting his roommate and his roommates girlfriend for dinner at a common burger place. This burger place was next to a sushi place an they saw the sushi and decided to eat there. We joined them to chat after our meal and were about to leave as karaoke night was announced to the near empty restaurant. I remember being terrified there was no way I would ever do karaoke.

Now I should inform you I am totally gone deaf and I know it. I was also scared by my 4th/7th grade music teacher. I do not sing.

Fast forward to LAST Friday. We were discussing plans with friends for tonight....as I was watching my best friends wedding on tv...and the karaoke scene. It is no secret I am lacking on new things...it had to happen. So tonight at dinner i mentioned it to my friends, calls the place I found (small low key bowling alley lounge) and verified...begged my friends ANY friend to sing with me and we drove a few blocks to the bowling alley. I had finally decided to sing alone one time thst is it.

The event: I sang 2 piña coladas....not sure what happened but the laughter made my voice supe scratchy....horrible'. But funny, over, off the bucket list.

Another friend sang his go to karaoke song and then one ordered another drink so we ended up signing longer...almost did a duet but it didn't happen. Really the plan was in sing and leave, should h e stuck with it.
But we didn't, and if we go again I would sing I hopes of not having a croaky voice. At least I know I can't sing. One of my friends tried to tell me otherwise. To him I say: people like you are the reason people embarrass themselves on American idol....

Key lime pie

I adapted this from a low fat recipe....and made a ton of changes so here we go (if I can remember what I did)

2 small boxes of lime jello
1 8 oz container low fat cool whip
3 'light' key lime pie yoplait yogurts
1/4 cup boiling water
Undetermined amount if key lime juice

So when I started this recipe it said one box...but I wasn't sure what size so I got two small ones...and when I decided to use them both I decided I needed a KEY LIME flavor, not just lime so I added probably about 1/4 cup when it wa sall Sao and done (I did lots of little splashes though next time I would just short of boil it with the water)

Then I add everything else in....mix it up an pour in graham cracker crust.

I feel thst this would be better in the middle of summer (and refreshing!) but it was grand grand grand and I still have a ton left....

Creme brûlée

So I got this mix from a box...but it is something new. I do enjoy a good crime brûlée and when I saw the box today at the store I figured I could try it. With any luck I will make real ones from scratch in the next few weeks.

I don't have a creme brûlée torch, but the box said (and mutual things online) to put it under the broiler with the oven opened for a few minutes.
The over all texture is good though slightly warm and not as think as I wanted. My own attempt will be an adventure.

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast

I really try hard to cook up a batch of quinoa a week and use it creatively over the next week.

Thanks to the great people at fit sugar (no way to add link on phone sorry!) I have this recipe. I changed it a little to what I had.

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup coconut milk
Splash of vanilla extract
1 tbs cinnamon
4 eggs
Little less than 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar.

Mix it all in a bowl and bake at 375 for 25 min

Very curious if this matches up to my husbands favorite oatmeal...the brown sugar kind.

Potato skins

So I wanted these in a decent amount of time, and I was reading about potassium in potato peels.

I cut the potatoes into long slices, an sprayed my pan and the potatoes both with olive oil an a little seasoning salt.

Baked at 350 and flipped halfway through. It took the last quarter of the football game.
Then I added some fresh ground pepper and shredded cheese and threw the boiler on.

6 minutes later delish!

I didn't have very many cause I am trying SO HARD to be good. But the husband says to make again.

Coach!

So a friend of mine needed some help coaching her team, just another adult around. So I got to go! It was a grand adventure, and really I did more swimming than I did coaching, but it was right before Thanksgiving.

A grand adventure, though I do believe thst my friend is a much better coach than I will ever be, and that I should stick to math and reading.

Casserole bread

So what I mean by this is bread in a casserole dish. I have had this somewhat small dish for over a year, not the perfect size for a great casserole, but perfect for bread! The best use I have found for it yet!

Pound cake cupcakes.

I rarely use this cool cookbook I have, where I adjust ingredients for a box mix.

This one involved melting some white chocolate. (That is always an adventure)

Hard to explain and turned out really sweet.

DIY taco seasoning

You have seen as many posts about this as I have in Pinterest. Don't lie.

It seems that the last couple days I have seen them A LOT more....which gave me an insane craving for tacos....so why not make the seasoning too?

A few things:

1. A year and a half ago I would have been the person to run to the store for JUST taco seasoning or not bother making them at all.
2. I haven't made tacos in awhile and I don't tend to keep the seasoning on hand.
3. I do however keep a ton of spices and seasonings on hand, so I knew this would be an easy activity.

The main ingredient in the recipe I used was chili powder, and lots of other random spices in small amounts like paprika, garlic salt, pepper etc. (I looked a a couple different recipes and mixed an matched)

Now I made a double batch of seasoning for two reasons
1. I habitually double everything and had already doubled the chili powder.
2. I just kept going cause I thought I would need the second batch another day.

The first taste was a little bland with a spicy after taste, so we added the other and it was a little too much.

Might try again with a different combo, and WILL be making the seasoning input in the crock pot next time I make chicken for enchiladas.

App review

Lately the Facebook app on my phone has driven me insane. When it offered me the opportunity today to review it I took it.

Just another new thing...reviewing an app.

Shrunk chip bag

So I saw this and have noooooo idea what I will do with them...but it worked!

Matt's response? Duh why wouldn't it work?
Me: because it doesn't work until Pinterest says it will!

Never would have thought about it and not keeping the trash but kinda neat.

Honey oat bread

I have always wanted to be the person that made fresh homemade bread every couple days....didn't buy it just made it. With a bread machine that meant an awkward hook hole in the bottom and it still took awhile. So I abandoned that idea.

Enter this honey oat recipe....raise a couple hours and then pop in th oven. And I really like the honey on top sticking some oats on. Really yummy. And no sugar...bonus. Sorry to the person that wrote it I never remember recipes just nap it with my phone. Very nice turnout though Mann

I should also note: first time using a rolling pin to make a load of bread.

First success making a loaf of bread in pan :-)

Gravy

Rumor has it my grandma used to make gravy almost every time she made meat. I don't make a lot of meet or a lot of gravy. But the other day with a batch of tri tip I made some. It was decent and I could do it again, but I really don't love gravy....

Sold something.

Ok granted I purge my belongings as much or more than the next person. More often I end up giving it away cause I don't like stuff and clutter being in my way just a general fact.

But our old wii is another story, an because we wanted it gone we took it to game stop. Huge long process and a huge line with only one person working, but we are over it! Yay! Weird thing is they didn't take accessories, so we have a couple games that included them sitting around.

Bell pepper egg ring

You have allllll seen it on Pinterest. That cute little egg in a bell pepper ring that looks like a flower.

Well here is my version. I am working in eating a healthy breakfast on a regular basis. And you should know I don't like eggs, but with the bell pepper and coconut oil it was pretty good. Could do this more often. Need to be eating healthy breakfast all the time.

Lamb

My parents took the hubster and I out for dinner for his birthday. My dad ordered lamb. I tried a piece cause I had never had it before. It was decent not amazing.