We're Moving!

I'm moving my blog from Blogger to Wordpress.

Blogger is blocked at work, which makes it hard to share recipes with my co-workers, or check on my blog on my lunch breaks.....so we're moving!

Please note the new address, and head on over! You may see a variety of changes to the layout on the new wordpress blog over the next few weeks, but please be patient....I'm working out the kinks!

New Blog Address: http://www.kellycooks.wordpress.com

See ya over there!

Step Away From Food: Bathroom Remodel Week 5

Week 5 contained just enough changes to give us hope, but not enough to actually get anywhere near finishing our bathroom.

*sigh*

This week our electrical was finished, including all new switches, outlets, light fixtures, heater, and exhaust fan. Hurrah!

Also this week, our flooring was put in. I like it (I originally wanted a stark black-and-white tile, but realized if I ever got sick of the current color scheme, such flooring would be a hindrance and not an asset, so we went with something a little more flexible) but it's a little more 'red' than 'gold'

Oh well. It's still a thousand times nicer than what we had.

Unfortunately, we had a call from the contractor on Thursday morning, explaining that when they went to stain our vanity with the color we'd chosen -- the wooden panels peeled back!!!

WTF??!?

So the contractor was having it fixed and/or a new one built by the guy who built the first one. The only thing anybody can figure out is the stain and these new "environmentally friendly" glues that are used didn't jive so well.

I don't really care what happened, as long as it doesn't happen again. Ever. Ya know?

So now we're on hold until Monday. We'll see what Monday brings!

Menu Mondays

I'm currently working on moving my blog over to Wordpress -- any advice or tips?
Blogger is blocked at my workplace, which makes it a pain to give co-workers recipes. Wordpress, however, is not blocked, so I'm thinking of switching camps....


Monday: Hopefully the cinnamon bun cake for my co-workers tomorrow; maybe soft pretzels. Steak, broccoli and pasta for dinner -- DH was away all weekend, so we're not doing anything for the holiday
Tuesday: Crockpot French Dip sandwiches, chips, salad
Wednesday: cheddar brauts on the grill, baked beans
Thursday: Crockpot French Dip leftovers
Friday: marinated grilled chicken, green beans, wild rice medley

Old-School Stuffed Peppers

I don't know why, but I've had a hankering for stuffed peppers lately.

What makes this odd, is that I HATE -- venhemently hate -- peppers. Most of my aggression is towards green peppers (which I think taste like toxic green clumps of dirt) but still.

Peppers are not my thing.

Nonetheless, I was hungry for them. So, I took out an ancient family recipe card, and made some changes, and came up with stuffed peppers.

They were deeeeeeeeelicious.

Old-School Stuffed Peppers

(Makes 8 medium-sized peppers full)

8 medium-sized peppers (I used all red, since my farmer's market had them)

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey (your pick)

1/2 cup minced onion

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (white or brown; your pick)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2-2 cloves of garlic, minced

2-15 oz. cans of tomato sauce

1 cup shredded cheese (your pick on type) -- optional

Directions

- Cut the tops of the peppers off, remove all the membranes and seeds. You can stuff these peppers whole, but I like to cut them in half and stuff each pepper half. Cut them however you'd prefer to do it.

- Cook the peppers in enough boiling water to cover them for 5 minutes, then drain

- Cook the ground meat and onion in a large skillet for 8-10 minutes over medium heat, until meat is browned and cooked through. Drain the meat and onion combination and return to the skillet

- Stir in the rice, salt, garlic and 1 can of the tomato sauce, cook until warmed through

- Heat oven to 350 degrees F

- Stuff pepper halves (or whole peppers if you go that route) and place in a casserole dish, stuffing-side up.

- If you have leftover filling, go ahead and spread that over the stuffed peppers

- Pour the remaining can of tomato sauce over the stuffed peppers
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes; uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until peppers are tender

- Sprinkle with cheese (optional); serve.

Step Away From Food: Bathroom Remodel, Weeks 3 & 4

Week 3 of our bathroom remodel (yes, that's right. The job they told us would be 3-4 days, has come to this point) was really not newsworthy.

Tallying it up later, I concluded that I only actually had contractors in my house for 6 hours, the entire week 3. SIX HOURS. That's not even a full day of work.

We complained to the contractor -- who got attitude and told us "he was trying to finish it".

bull. pucky. BULLPUCKY!!! If you were trying to finish it -- you'd have guys here for more than 6 hours in a week.

Unfortunately, said contractor is still holding most of our stuff for the bathroom hostage...so firing them isn't really an option.

Week 4 actually made some progress (noted in the images below). I got a painted ceiling, painted walls, and beadboard put up.

Note there is no:

- flooring

- vanity, vanity top, sink, or faucets

- outlets

- lights

- shower head

- toilet

- baseboard or chair rail

- also note that my stupid-expensive-bathtub is FULL of construction supplies. nice. real nice.

Contractor claims his guys will be back on Wednesday of week 5, to install flooring. What I'd like to know is why we can't install lighting, chair rail, and shower heads while we're waiting on the flooring to arrive. :P

This is easily going to be a 6 week project, if not longer. *sigh*

I miss my bathroom, guys.

Menu Mondays

Not much to report this week...

Sunday: Cinnamon Bun Cake for work
Monday: steak, broccoli/cauliflower mixture, pasta
Tuesday: spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, homemade bread
Wednesday: stuffed peppers, old school style
Thursday: whiskey glazed pork chops, green beans and baked potatoes
Friday: stuffed pepper leftovers