Manic Monday

If I had the closet of my dreams, this is what I would be wearing today...

The September Issue...

of Vogue has arrived! I have it at home and am waiting for the perfect quiet night so I can really sink into it without interruption. Of course I will be armed with a diet coke and snickers (my favorite things to munch on while reading HUGE issues of Vogue, not sure why). I also like to get my tape flags out and mark everything I would wear if I were a size 0, looked great in everything and money was no object. Sometimes I pick out things that would look great on other people or that I know that would like even though they may be like $3500 pants. I love it!
It is so fun to play make believe - sort of like my Manic Monday posts.

Did you hear there is a movie coming out as well about Ana Wintour and Vogue? I am super excited about this, I can't wait!
It is actually called "The September Issue".

Really?

I went to the dentist this morning and got my teeth all clean and sparkly.

How soon we forget, I just ate a Bumble Bar and now my teeth are chalk full of sesame seeds and flax seeds.

Really?

Manic Monday

If I had the closet of my dreams, this is what I would be wearing today...

Project Runway

Project Runway starts tonight on Lifetime at 10 PM.
I can't stay up that late tonight, need to get to work early tomorrow - right now I am so thankful for my DVR.

Pinto Beans Ole!

I am having to make super cheap meals these days so I went to the store and maybe made the cheapest dinner I have ever made.
Bulk is the way to go if you are pinching pennies - or in my case, pennies are all you have (this too shall pass).
At my local (overpriced store) for under $5 I got the following:

• 2 cups pinto beans
• 2 cups rice
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic
• 1 small can of mild roasted green chilies

Here is what I did with it:

Soak 2 cups of beans in 6 cups of water for 12 hours (or overnight) - strain from soaking water and set aside.

Add about 1/4 water (olive oil if you have it) to the bottom of a heavy bottomed pot and saute diced onion until soft and translucent, add 4 cloves of chopped garlic and saute for just a moment until you can smell them. Add beans and 6 cups of fresh water - do not recycle your soaking water (gassy!). If you have a Bay leaf, throw it in. Bring everything to a boil and then let simmer for 2.5 hours on the stove top. Once you notice beans are soft (around the 2 hour mark) add the chilies. Let cook a little more until everything is soft (but still holding its bean shape) about 30 minutes more.

Serve over rice or with corn bread, corn tortillas or chips.
If you have them around, cheese, sour cream, olives would be great toppings.

This meal was served at our house Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night! Cheap, fills you up and gets better tasting as the days pass.

You could probably make this in the crock pot, but I was home and didn't want to wait it out. Sometimes the crock pot doesn't cook beans all the way.

Manic Monday

If I had the closet of my dreams, this is what I would be wearing today...

Monkey Bread

This sticky breakfast treat was HUGE in my family while I was growing up - we all loved it then and still do now! It is not healthy, but is quick and deeelish.
It was a hit this past weekend with my girlfriends.
Monkey Bread
4 packages of refrigerated pre-made biscuits (10 per pack, regular size)
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Tbls + 1 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Margarine (we used Earth Balance)

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease (or spray) a bundt pan and set aside.
Mix sugar and cinnamon in a ziplok bag and shake to blend together.
Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and toss into bag of cinnamon and sugar. When all the kids are in the pool (all biscuit pieces in the bag) give it a good shake to coat and separate each piece, turning the bag while coating to make sure each one is enrobed in the sugar mixture. Using your clean hands remove the pieces from the bag (leaving the sugar mixture behind) and place them into your prepared bunt pan (evenly placed of course).
In a small sauce pan, melt 3/4 Cup margarine, once melted add sugar mixture from bag and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, turn off heat and pour mixture evenly over biscuits in bundt pan. Bake 40 minutes.
Turn pan over immediately onto serving dish to prevent any sticking - be careful though as the sugar syrup is HOT and may run over if you take too much time inverting.

PS - for added excitement you may layer in some chopped pecans while placing the biscuits down to rest in the pan.
Photo - tablespoon.com

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was amazing - Emily and Angela both flew in for our weekend away on the beach and the weather was simply amazing.

Here is my lovely group of gals...

Wendy, Emily, Angela, Robin

We rented a house in Bodega for the weekend. We were not right on the beach, but close enough that we had a great view. Here are some highlights from the weekend:

• Appetizer night
• Fresh locally caught fish dinner that was better than any restaurant
• French Toast casserole with blueberries
• Greekfest dinner
• Many rum drinks
• Moving the living room chairs outside to bask in the sun
• Crabby old men playing golf
• Expanding vampire knowledge
• Dipping everything in chocolate
• America's Best Dance Crew
• Crystal Ball readings by Katie
• Pedicures by Robin

It was a great weekend, yesterday was a rude awakening having to work and it was one of those days that feels like it would never end plus I was tired. Emily flew out at half past midnight so we had a late night taking her to the airport. It was so worth it though. I was sad to see my sister leave, she is moving to Chicago soon and I am super excited for her but sad as well because I don't know how much we will see each other after she moves. You know how things change when you are out on your own, working, paying rent, etc. Anyway, she is the best on the planet and I wish she lived closer to me so I could see her more often.

We had a great time. Thanks Angela for flying out from Colorado, again, wish you lived closer so we could see each other more often. Time with my friends is priceless and I can't imagine not having these wonderful women in my life.

My next post will be a receipe that I made for breakfast while we were away, everyone asked for it.

Manic Monday

If I had the closet of my dreams, this is what I would be wearing today...

600!

Just wanted to make a note that, my last post was my 600th post as the Maltese Kat. Thank you to my loyal readers, thanks for all of your comments over the years. I never thought when I started this I would like it this much and meet (and be reunited) with so many amazing people.
You all inspire me and make my life so much more fun!
Thank you so much, all of you add much light to my life and I am grateful!

Emily....

Is arriving in the next hour!

Boring Weekend = Exciting Week

Boring weekend for me this past - nothing to report.
Laundry, movies, Uno, hanging out with the Babe.

I like weekends like that though. I suppose I am charging my batteries for the GO GO GO week I am going to have. Working today and tomorrow with a half day on Wednesday and then..... my sister Emily arrives!!!!

Wait...there's more, Angela arrives on Thursday night!!!!

Friday is our annual girls weekend away, so we will meet up with Wendy and Robin up on the coast. I am super excited!

Our schedule is a little insane, but should be fun - I feel like I may be the walking wounded next Tuesday at work, but that is OK, it will all be SO worth it.

Manic Monday

If I had the closet of my dreams, this is what I would be wearing today...