Ready and Waiting

Sure is a pretty slab of concrete!  ;)

The last steps before framing were completed last week.  The lot was cleaned up and graded, the sewer was inspected and covered, the crushed concrete driveway was made and the final pieces of green fencing put up.  The dumpster should be delivered this week then we are ready for framing.  We don't think that will start until next Monday so it will be a long week of nothing as far as actual changes taking place.

Get out of My Pond!

A couple of weeks ago, we took Admiral out to the new house while we checked on the slab preparations.  After we did all the supervising we could do, we took a stroll around the pond that our house faces.  I think Admiral was trying to stake his claim to the pond and was not happy that someone (or something) was already taking up residence.

There is a old metal barrel a little over half way in the water.  I am not sure what Admiral thought this barrel was, but he was NOT happy to see it.  I wonder what he would have done had we let him off the leash?

Chocolate Heaven

I love chocolate and in all honesty, I think people who don't like chocolate are C.R.A.Z.Y!!!  Last week someone posted the link to Bakerella's blog on a local message board.  It was definitely a bad idea for me to look at this blog.  She has some AMAZING baked goods on her blog.  As soon as I saw the first picture in "Thaaank You, Betty", I was hooked.  And to top it off, it was a super easy recipe...of the likes of Sandra Lee's "Semi-homemade" recipes.  

It is actually a recipe off the Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (the kind that comes in a bag).  Other than the mixes, all you need is butter, eggs, oil... things you probably keep on hand anyway.  I always have one of these cookie dough mixes in the pantry in case I get a craving and am amazed that I had not noticed this recipe yet.  Maybe because I don't keep brownie mix on hand?  

Anyway, Bakerella did not steer me wrong, this is an amazing treat... Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Frosting all in one pan.  HEAVEN!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

from Betty Crocker

1 Box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

2 eggs

1 pouch Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

Chocolate Frosting of your choice

Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.

Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. 

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. 

If you want to make your own frosting, do so while the brownies cool.  

I used Bakerella's recipe for Chocolate Ganache.

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

6 Tbsp butter

In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.

Pour over the chocolate morsels.

Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.

Pour over brownies and let set before cutting.

To make 48 brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.  I have a feeling this sized brownie will be too small for my sweet tooth family and coworkers! 

Super Bowl XLIII

Super Bowl Sunday Highlight:

• Grown adults in paper glasses
  
• 3D commercials
  
• 4th quarter Safety
  
• "Sleeper" victory in Football Squares Pool
  
• Good friends
  
• Good food
  
• Game winning "Tippy Toe" Catch
  

One Year Anniversary

Three posts in one day... but I have been planning to write this one for some time now.

Feb 1, 2008 was my first post on this blog. I wrote about making a King Cake and intended for this blog to be mostly about cooking. Ryan made a good bit of fun of me at the time, and still does sometimes in private. But he knows as much as I do that for at least my family and his family, this blog has been a good way for them to keep up with us. Over the year, there has been lots of cooking and eating written about here. I like to cook, we both like to eat, that's just how it goes.

But the blog has also had it's share of stories of our lifes and of late has transformed into a good place to post progress on our new house.

And, in all honesty, I didn't really think I would keep this up and be as regular at posting as I have been. I could be crowned the queen of starting things and not finishing them... like the cross stitch of the SAE coat of arms that I started in college and is 75% complete; or the wedding scrapbook that's barely been started; or the artwork I was going to make with Granddaddy's old license tags with his Ham Radio call sign on them; all the times I tried to start a journal. I guess there isn't a "finish" to this blog but I would have to say I really stuck with this and am proud of myself for it.

I enjoy writing when I can and it's nice to know there are a few "regulars" that read my blog... Hi Mom!! Thanks for reading.

Walking on the Slab

When I left the new house on Thursday to head to work, only about 1/4 of the slab was poured and of couse I couldn't walk on it. So on Saturday, Ryan and I went out to take a look and walk around. 

The first thing we saw when we approached our street was that the signs for our neighborhood and the Welcome Lodge have gone up.  They look really good!

Once we got to the house, we walked around a lot and tried to get a feel for everything.  It's hard for me to visualize things without the walls.  I could tell sizes pretty easily on the porces and showers because the slab is dropped there.  But the rooms are still so hard to get a good picture of.  But, it was exciting to see so much progress and to know that we are close to having walls. 

"Overhead" shot I took standing on a big pile of dirt, and posing in our entry/dining room!
Sitting on the front porch... and on the toilet in the guest room downstairs.
View from master bedroom into master bathroom, where Ryan pretends to take a shower.

Things will be a little slow for the next couple of weeks while we wait on the framing to start.  I'll continue to post updates as things happen. 

Houston Marathon 2009

A friend and former co-worker is the volunteer coordinator for the first sector of the Chevron Houston Marathon. This is the second year that I volunteered as a race monitor. It's a really early morning (5:45am) but is so neat to see all the people running through the streets of Houston.

My friend Natalie was running the marathon but unfortunately I never saw her! She finished right on her goal pace and we were all really excited for her.

The race started at 7 and not much later the first runners were passing my location.  They weren't even sweating yet. 

I can't imagine running this far, or doing the marathon in a wheelchair. Each year there are a few people that race the marathon in wheelchairs and it's amazing to see them zoom by.

The most inspirational part of the race was when I saw two men running against the outside of the street near where I was standing. They appeared to be tied together at the wrist and then I heard one of the men say to the other, "We are in a straight away now, the crowd is really picking up." That's when I realized the man closest to me was visually impaired and the other man was his guide. It of course brought tears to my eyes as I could tell that this man was part of the US Military and could only assume that he was injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. I found this article that explains who he is. An amazing story of the heroism of our military.

Here is a video of what the race looked like as the bigger pack of people came past my location, just before mile 5.  It was steady like this for a good 20 minutes.  Amazing!

I wish I could say "I'll run next year" but I think that is a little amitious for me at this point.  Maybe one day?  I dunno.