The Masters = Yard Work

Mike and I had to go down to Augusta, GA this weekend to clean up granddaddy's yards. The Masters start this coming week so the police will be on patrol and will start fining people. So we drove down Saturday morning and started mowing and picking up sticks. That's how it works- I pull a huge trash can around behind me and pick up pine cones and sticks and such and then Mike comes in after me and mows.

We did all 5 houses (including the one Sam lives in). Then we had to blow off all 5 driveways and move two cars out of two front yards... Whew. It was a long day. I also pulled out some clippers and trimmed the hedges at a few houses that were out of control. Needless to say we're both exhausted.
Below are a few pix of the yard work and other interesting things I found along the way:)

Mike mowed so much he wore a blister into each hand! I made sure to take a pic of me healing him with my first aid kit;)

The town is also transformed for the Masters. Look at the Hooters pic- they added an ENTIRE additional temp building next to the restaurant, doubling their space! Crazy. Basically every single other business has done the same thing.

Oh, and duh. We ate at California Dreaming. Twice:) :) :)

More updates from outside our home...

So I have literally been kicked straight in the face by allergies in the last week. I wake up each morning and immediately sneeze until my nose bleeds. This morning, for example, I counted 17 sneezes in a 5-10 minute window before I finally gave up and got in the shower to try and wash whatever was on me off. And then it stormed and the rain helped wash some of it away too- how cool is this pic of the rainbow DIRECTLY behind our house?

Anyways, there have been a few updates in and around our house that I thought I'd share. Everything is so pretty and blooming outside (even though it's killing me). Below are some pix of these weird hangy-vine-grape-looking flowers.

Of course here are some more updates of my first blooming tree (cherry tree) that got gorgeous flowers all over it. They have since fallen off and only lasted like 5-7 days which sort of disappointed me. I was hoping they'd stick around for at least 2 weeks...

Here is a pick of our FINALLY bloomed tulips. These have been budding out of the ground for over 2 weeks. I thought they'd never bloom! And apparently only half of them bloomed... My mom said that is something tulips do- even though they come back every year, they don't always bloom. Well then why come back??!!!

And here is what I did today. Almost suicidal by staying outside long enough to do it. But our yard was starting to look ROUGH. It's rained every day it feels like for two weeks now, so everything has grown two feet in that same span of time. We filled three bags of pulled out weeds! I just wish I had taken pix of the "before" so you could appresh how bad it was! PS. Look at how good my hydrangeas are coming back! FINALLY!

Oh and apparently spring time makes the boys a little rambunctious and excited to be outside!

DUNKAROOS!!!!!!!!

DUNKAROOS!!!!!!!!! Praise Jesus!

I finally found Dunkaroos! After looking at Cosco, Sams, BJs, any grocery store I've ever been in, and Dollar General, I finally found them online. Apparently Betty Crocker still makes and sells these treasures:) I am sooooo happy! So here is an entire post about Dunkaroos.

Scooter is just as excited as me!

Spanish Tortilla

Tortilla Espanola!
I made one of favorite things the other night when Mike was out of town. So I thought I would put a few pix on here of how I made it.


First, you have to buy a special pan (or at least that's what I think because I tried it with two "normal" pans and it was a disaster!). It took me a while to find one online, but I finally did. It is specifically made for Spanish Tortilla. The two pans clip together on the front and allow you to very easily flip the egg concoction to it's other side for further cooking.

This is what it looks like when it's done!

It looks a lot like a quiche some people say or an omelet. But this has only egg, potato and onion. I actually like it with green pepper too (and that's how it was made for me a lot in Spain) but I always forget to buy the green pepper!


Anyways, here is my recipe. I really just researched it on the internet and combined of few of the more delicious sounding ones to create this. 
-Start by warming olive oil in one of the pans (1/2 cup). 
-While that is warming (medium heat) peel and slice the potatoes. Also dice up a 1/3 cup onion. 
-When the oil is ready, add the potatoes to the oil so that they are all touching the bottom of the pan as much as possible and not laying on top of each other. These need to cook at a lower temp because you don't want them to fry like french fries. You just want them cooked well enough that you can easily break them in half with your spatula (about 10 minutes). 
-About 5 minutes in, add the onion. 
-While the potatoes are cooking, you should be moving them around and flipping them if necessary so they cook all the way through. 
-When they're done, strain them to get rid of the excess oil but DON'T wash out the pan. Leave whatever small amount of oil that is left behind on it. 
-Set it back on the stove and turn the temp back to medium. 
-Set the potatoes and onions aside for a minute while you whisk 12 eggs together. Add a few shakes of salt to them when you're done whisking. Then add in the potatoes and onions. 
-You are now ready to pour this into your pre-heated, lightly oiled pan.
-Pour the mixture in gently so it doesn't splash out. Allow to cook for a minute or two, then start skirting around the outer rim of the pan with your spatula. You do this so the tortilla doesn't stick to the pan's sides so you can easily flip it in a few more minutes.
-Keep pushing your spatula around the sides (between the side and the tortilla) until you feel the bottom of the tortilla has cooked through (about 5 minutes).
-Before flipping to your second pan, be sure to spray Pam or some other cooking greaser!
-Flip the tortilla upside down and into the other pan. Put back on stove.
-Again, use your spatula to keep the tortilla off the sides.
-Flip again when you feel this side has also cooked through. I usually flip back to each side twice before deciding it's done. I also use a fork and when it comes out clean, it's ready! Enjoy! Ps. this heats up great as a leftover- I take it to work for lunch all the time.

Austin = Awesome! = Lots of pix!!

This past weekend, I went to Austin to visit my long lost sis-in-law Jen! Haha I say long lost because it's only been 3 weeks since I last saw her but it feels like 8 years!!! I was so excited to go to Texas, my motherland (ha), that I made a list of all the awesome things I had heard about doing while in town. I'm sure Jen and Chris were super pumped to find out I had a frickin list- but then again Jen knows I make a list for everything so she probably assumed as much. Anyways, here are my photos summing up the awesome weekend in Austin! FYI- it's a lot of pix:)

1st night, Quattro Gatti downtown- phenom and delish

 2nd night, Salt Lick!

Chris and The Duke

 Really cool patio with live band- duh, it's Austin

 The Meat Pit as I've named it...

 Jen and Chris and the Longhorn

 For only three people!

 Day 3 at the Domain outdoor mall; people take their dogs EVERYWHERE!

 They have the coolest trees in Austin- all bent and twisty

 So much pretty stuff, I tried to get a pic of it all

Speaking of dogs everywhere, this pup is in the Apple store at the Domain!

Got strep throat- no worries, it did not interrupt my shopping!

 Downtown Austin

 Last Day:( On our way to the Capitol!

 Fave pic

 Walker Texas Ranger:)

 Me and Pres Bush

 In case you weren't sure, it's Texas.

Yep, Texas

 And finally we made it to the University of Texas!

 What what!