Jalapeño, Sausage, Jack & Egg Breakfast Braid

"Breakfast braid."

Odd phrase, isn't it?

Immediately makes me think of hair (braid) and who really wants hair in their breakfast?

Regardless, this is another Cooking Light recipe that I wanted to try. I wanted to have for a late breakfast, but our weekends are filled with activities for Grace, so we ended up having for lunch today.

Very good -- I'd give it an A-!

Jalapeno, Sausage, Jack & Egg Breakfast Braid

Ingredients:

1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

4 ounces chicken sausage with jalapeño peppers, chopped (a package of four is 12 oz, so I ended up using two sausages)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped seeded jalapeño peppers

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

 

Preparation:

 

1.  Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15 x 10–inch rectangle.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sausage; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set. Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle Monterey Jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border on each side. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeño peppers.
5. Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Arrange strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling. Press ends under to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

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This last step was a bit confusing to figure out. Basically, you cut the dough that is not covered with sausage, egg, cheese in diagonals and then you literally braid it/overlap it.

 

Eh voila!

 

 

FYI: It's a bit spicy and you can cut down on the jalapenos (as they're already in the sausage.)

Crafty McCrafterson-in-Training

I've never enjoyed nor been good at crafts/DIY projects.

Period.

Any type of DIY project that I've attempted since I've been an adult has turned into disaster/ends up looking like a preschooler's project -- at best. Therefore, I just haven't done many crafts projects.

However, with the advent of Pinterest, I must say that my interest in craft projects has been rekindled. I even have a "Crafty/DIY" board. (Of course, I've pinned a million things and will probably never get to half of them.)

Anywho, I was thinking about fall decor recently, Googled it, and found this:

photo credit

Someting about the off-white color throughout attacted me to it. (I've never been fond of orange, and since orange is such a big part of fall decor, that may be why I've avoided traditional pumpkin stuff.)

I followed the directions on the website, with a few exceptions. Here's the shopping list:

• an unfinished candestick holder (got mine at Michaels.) The official instructions say to get a candlestick base. I couldn't find one at either Michaels or AC Moore, so I skipped it (and there doesn't seem to be a top-heavy problem.)
• can of spray paint in off-white/cream color. I ended up getting....
• 25 oz hurricane vase (got mine at AC Moore).
• pinecones (if I'd had any in my yard, I would've used those.) I bought a bag of them at Michaels, but could only find cinnamon scented ones. Heavy duty!
• small fake pumpkins (bought a bag of mixed pumpkins, gourds, squash at Michaels)
• fall stems (fake flowers) (I got mine at Michaels)
• Gorilla Glue

First, spray paint the candlestick holder and the pumpkins (I put two in my final product). I put Scotch Tape around the stems of the pumpkins so they'd stay the brownish color they were.

And yes, I'm a little heavy-handed with the spray paint.

My candlestick holder was lined with a small tin insert, which created a small lip on top. I wanted the vase to stay flat on top of it, so I had my loving husband remove the tin insert.

Once that was done, I removed the sticker from the bottom of the vase, cleaned it, and then wiped the bottom with a damp paper towel. I put the Gorilla Glue on the top of the candlestick holder, pressed together, and then put a book on top to seal the deal.

Yes, that's Julia Child's latest biography and yes, I realize that I have two different wall plates inches from each other -- one being completely hideous. Don't hate.

After an hour or so, all was dry and stuck together. I added two or three pinecones and two pumpkins to the vase and then the fall stems. (I cut/bent them to make them "work.)

Here's the finished product.

Not bad, eh? Actually doesn't look like a preschooler's work. I'm pretty happy with it, although now that I look at the picture, the stems are probably too long. I'll work on cutting those tomorrow -- when I make my second one! (One for each side of the mantel.)

So, the moral of the story is this -- it's never too late to start crafting. At age 40 I can barely sew a button on and if I had a glue gun, I'd probably glue my fingers together, but baby steps, people, baby steps!

50 States? 50 Blogs!: Colorado

photo credit

 

 

 

I think I could do that!

 

 

Great name, isn't it? Very "glass half full." Ever heard of BlogHer? That's how I came across this one.  BlogHer is basically a gigantic network for women bloggers. I think it does lots of other stuff (hosts an annual conference), but I haven't delved into that as of yet. Anywho, I searched in the BlogHer directory for Colorado and came up with a few that I found interesting, but none as cool, yummy, and funny as this one. "Cool" you say? Yes, the owner's name is Katira (or is it really?) and I must say that's a name I've never heard and it's a pretty cool one. "Yummy" you say? Yes, per the sub-title, this blog contains the "ramblings of a self-proclaimed baker." Lots of cakes, people. Diabetics may want to back away from the blog. "Funny" you say? Yes, the "ramblings" are pretty darn hilarious. Example: Katira is pretty serious about a boy named Harry Potter. Let's just say that if show up at Ollivander's and ask why it "is," you might get the stink-eye from Katira. (DISCLAIMER: I've never met Katira and don't want to purport that she's known to give the stink-eye. This is simply my own assumption based on her writings.)

Things that caught my eye about this blog:

• Katira is not some super-human baker. You know what I mean? Sometimes you read people's blogs and think, "Do they EVER make something that isn't just slightly "picture perfect?" This is not to say that Katira's creations aren't "picture perfect," but she freely admits when part of her creation may have gone wrong. (And living in a high-altitude location is no picnic when baking!)
• This isn't a "one-track mind" blog. (Did you notice I'm using a lot of quotes? What's up with that?) It's not ALL about baking. She shares her travels and on a more serious note, a post about the canyon fires that engulfed her hometown of Colorado Springs.
• How about "caught my stomach?" In addition to some gorgeous cakes, Katira makes a mean chicken salad, which I can't wait to try!

 

Things on this blog that I'd like for my blog:

• The FAQ portion of the blog. Answer the questions that you get asked the most and post them on the blog!
• Even though I have a "labels" section on the right, I like the font/spacing that I think I could do that! has. It doesn't seem as crowded as mine.
• I'd like more pictures of gorgeous cakes that I've baked. I wonder if Katira could teach me? (Let me check the FAQ section...)

 

Check this blog out if you want to drool over some gorgeous baked goods or to have a good laugh!



9th Anniversary Celebration

On September 13th, it was John's & my ninth wedding anniversary! Traditional gifts for the ninth anniversary are pottery or copper. Hmmm...these didn't figure into our celebration at all, but regardless, our celebration was completely wonderful.

We have been talking about going canoeing for years. Literally. I think for a Mother's Day a few years ago, John printed out information from a local canoe rental shop and put it in my card, saying we'd go. Well, life has just been busy (whose isn't?), but we finally decided to take the plunge (figuratively and NOT literally...thankfully) yesterday.

There's a canoe rental joint right on the Ipswich River in nearby Ipswich, MA. (The place John printed out the information for.) We figured this was as good a place as any to go for it. It's called Foote Brothers. Here's a blurry pic of the sign.

We signed in and got our life jackets. The owner says, "You don't have to wear them, they just have to be in the canoe." I say, "Yeah, I think I better wear mine." He says, "Why? Did your husband just take out a new life insurance policy on you?" Obviously the guy was NOT familiar with my lack of balance/clumsiness.

The canoe was put in the water, we stepped in (gingerly), and we were off! I sat in the front and (surprisingly), got the motion of the paddling down rather quickly. (Did I mention I've never canoed?)

Here was our view in the very beginning of the trip. It was so peaceful. Even though the road runs parallel to the river and we could hear cars, it was so amazingly serene. (We also didn't see anyone else until later in our trip.)

Here's another picture a little further along.

After going for about 45 minutes (yes, my arms were killing me by then), we found a little clearing and decided to pull over, park, and have a little picnic. We had to parallel park the canoe. Hilarious. I can barely parallel park a car!

Here's a view of our "ride" looking down from our little picnic spot.

We had an amazing little feast with liliputian-size bottles of wine, bread, cheese, crackers, and fruit. It was perfect.

Here's John gazing out onto the Ipswich River, taking in its splendor. (NOTE: He started the canoe ride with a hat on. About mid-way to our pit stop, it flew off. We had to "back the boat up" and grab it.)

Here's me with my fakey smile.

Shortly after, we were on our way further down the river. We kept seeing these amazing lilypads with gorgeous flowers. The sun was causing some weird reflections, but we did our best to get some photos.

We went as far as our arms would allow and turned around. I must say that there were A LOT of underground trees, which caused some bumps along the way. That actually was the fun part...seeing a potential obstacle and figuring out which way to go.

All in all, it was amazing. Peaceful. Nature in all its glory. We'd definitely do it again!

Afterwards, we came and took some Ibuprofen for the sore arms and a nap!

We then headed to the Blue Mermaid Island Grill in Portsmouth, NH. We've been there before for a few Valentine's Days and it's a great restaurant!

We started out with some drinks (of course!) Sangria Roja for John and a Caribbean Cosmo for moi:

 

 

(One just has to be careful not to swallow the mermaid!)

 

We had Saddle Bags for an appetizer (a chicken wonton). Tasted exactly like fried chicken.

 

John ordered the Parmesan Panko Fried Chicken:

 

 

 

Delish! (It had him at "andouille cream sauce.)

 

I got the scallops with blueberry bourbon glaze. Now, let me tell you, I wasn't so sure about this. I knew I wanted scallops and they recommended this pairing, so I went for it. It.was.amazing.

 

 

 

 

And to end the evening?

 

White chocolate banana bread pudding. Need I say more?

 

 

 

 

We had an amazing full day of each other's company with amazing scenery, good food, and drink added in.

 

Here's to many more! Cheers.

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: TEAL TAKE OVER

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Each cancer awareness initiative has its own "signature" color (breast cancer being pink) with ovarian cancer's being teal. My friend Crystal at My Ramblings lost someone very near & dear to her at a young age -- her grandmother. While no one in my immediate family nor myself have been affected by ovarian cancer, I can relate to losing my own grandmother at a young age (from breast cancer, another hideous disease.)

I join Crystal in raising ovarian cancer awareness by participating in the TEAL TAKE OVER: Blog Link Up.

Here are some facts about ovarian cancer:

This is a disease that is silent... the symptoms are common with other diseases and disorders, so less than 20% of women are diagnosed in the early stages. Early detection is key.

 

By the Numbers...

• 5th leading cause of cancer deaths in American Women
• 22,000 American Women will be diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in 2012.
• 15,500 Women in American will die from Ovarian Cancer in 2012.
• A woman's lifetime risk of developing invasive Ovarian Cancer is 1 in 71.

Symptoms...

• Pain in the pelvic or abdominal area (the area below your stomach and in between your hip bones).
• Back pain.
• Being tired all the time.
• Bloating, which is when the area below your stomach swells or feels full.
• A change in your bathroom habits, such as having to pass urine very badly or very often.
• An upset stomach or heartburn.
• Discharge from your vagina that is not normal for you.
• Pain with intercourse.
• Constipation
• Menstrual Irregularities.
• About 10 to 15 percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have a hereditary tendency to develop the disease.

Increased Risk

• Older women (Middle Age or older)
• Personal or Family history of Ovarian, Breast or Colorectal Cancer
• Having never been pregnant or given birth
• Eastern European Jewish background
• Have endometriosis

Other Points of Interest...

• Early detection is key.
• Women need to learn their own bodies, to know if the symptoms are abnormal.
• There is no test for early detection. Pap tests do not detect Ovarian Cancer
• The symptoms are often misdiagnosed. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms and ask for a transvaginal ultrasound or a CA-125 blood test, especially if you are at an increased risk.

 

PLEASE pass this information along to all of the women that you love!

Sources of Information...
Ovarian Cancer: What All Women Need to Know from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

Ovarian Cancer: Inside Knowledge from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

It's Sunday Night ALREADY?

Weekends go by much too fast.

Period.

To try to keep my mind off the fact that it's back to work tomorrow, I'll ramble, I mean write a blog post.

1.  We had Chili Corn Chip Pie for dinner tonight. A sure sign that Fall is on the way!

2. Another sign that Fall is on the way? Football. Ugh. Enough said.

3. On the other hand, only 16 more days until the Boston Bruins' first game!!!!

4. And to round out the sports talk, the Red Sox are going down in flames. I've said it a bunch of times already, but I'm jumping on the Orioles bandwagon.

5. To go with our Chili Corn Chip Pie tonight, I made Spicy Cilantro Slaw. It's from Cooking Light and was intended as a topper for the Jerk-Rubbed Catfish in the recipe, but we had as a side dish. Pretty good!

6. I'm actually making a craft project. Yes, that's correct. I don't want to reveal any details yet (in case it comes out like crap), but it's a Fall decor craft that I really liked. We shall see.

FYI: This blog post was just interrupted by four rousing games of UNO with G. And we're back....

7. Yesterday, John, G. & I went to our great-niece Sienna's first birthday party. She's so cute! Here are a few pics.


Here's the birthday girl with her Auntie Kristen:

Singing Happy Birthday!

Dora cupcake!!!

Daddy!!!

Her "brother" Nemo:

8. I'm having a mint Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich right now and it's pretty good.

9. Four more days and John and I will have been married for nine years!

10. As much as I've tried to avoid it by writing this blog post, the work week will be upon us shortly. I hope everyone has a good week!

40 Before 41: Less Than 5 Months Left!

 Slow & steady wins the race???

1. Read 50 books in one calendar year. DONE! See here.


2. Finish my master’s degree. DONE!

3. Lose 25 lbs. Oh so close!!! According to the "official" Weight Watchers' scale, I've lost 19lbs. According to the unofficial home scale, I've lost 22 lbs.

4. Take an advanced calligraphy class. This is a tough one. I check community college offerings and adult education centers. I'll keep trying.

5. Post at least eight times per month on my blog. Good thing I left this one purposely vague. I DID in fact post MORE than eight times in January of this year. The months before and February? Not so much.

6. Complete the Couch to 5K program. DONE! See here.

7. Hang out with my friends more often (or talk more often to those I can’t hang out with more due to geography.) I'm only half crossing this one out. I've been doing A LOT more with my friends since the start of 2012 and I'm really happy about that. I still need to work on calling those I can't see that often.

8. Have one room in our basement finished. We have moved things from the basement to the attic (while sorting out at the same time.) We've gotten some recommendations for electricians. We're moving...s..l..o..w..l..y.

9. Revisit horseback riding (which I haven’t done some since summer camp in elementary school). DONE! I took four lessons.

10. Go on vacation again to Rehoboth Beach, DE. DONE- twice!

11. Buy a houseplant and nurture it so that it will live for at least one month. (I’m setting my sights low.) Read the book I got out the library. Got overwhelmed. Set a goal to purchase the plant within the next month.

12. Watch Netflix movies within two weeks. Hmm. I stopped the whole "get a movie by mail" from Netflix after they raised their prices. Is it worth another $8/month?

13. Have a gathering of friends at our house. Um, no. This fall?

14. Drink only one soda per day. DONE! I have maybe 4-5 per week, and it's diet/caffeine-free.

15. Go on a vacation with my mom. Someday. Mom?

16. Play tennis with my husband at least twice. We have agreed to play at least once the weekend after this one.

17. Go parasailing. Hopefully next summer (yes, which will be after I turn 41) in Aruba. Looked into it in Delaware, but it wasn't spectacular weather.

18. Join the technology revolution and get an iPhone. Check!

19. Go through the plastic tubs of photos from my grandparents’ house and scan the ones I want to have copies of. Sort of did this when my Granddad passed away, but didn't do a thorough job.

20. Create a photo wall of family pics in the front entryway. I've been collecting ideas for this on Pinterest.

21. Take a cooking class. Again, checking community colleges and adult ed.

22. Finish an entire game of Monopoly. Maybe when my stepson comes home. He likes that game and is very competitive, which will force me to finish.

23. Get up early on Black Friday and go shopping. Went last year, but did not get up early.

24. Go to a Bon Jovi concert. This WILL happen (if Bon Jovi cooperates with me.)

25. Follow through with my cleaning schedule for an entire month. Um, not yet. Printed it out and plan on starting next weekend.

26. If #3 is not accomplished, at least go down one pant size. DONE!

27. Exercise enough so that I do not have to take pills for high cholesterol anymore. Still running, losing weight, and have a physical in October -- let's hope I can cross this off then.

28. Go to a professional development event, i.e., ALA. Hmmm...Seattle or Anaheim? Probably not. However, in 2016, ALA will be back in Boston.

29. Turn in a school assignment a whole day before it’s due. DONE!

30. Try downhill skiing. Thinking about it.

31. Go out for tapas. Need to find a local Tapas restaurant.

32. Put money into savings each month. Working on.

33. Get the entire “Bones” series from Netflix and watch them all! Have watched the first two episodes of Season 1. Getting there.

34. Join a book club. Help me out peeps! Anyone know of one near me???

35. Do SOMETHING with my wedding dress. Help me out again peeps! Anyone know of a talented seamstress near me??? I have an idea in mind.

36. Revisit crocheting. This might change to knitting. I've had an offer to teach me!

37. Try 5 new restaurants. DONE! #1: Agave Mexican Bistro. See review here. #2: Wang's Table: Local yocal Chinese restaurant that's actually pretty good. #3: FINS Fish House & Raw Bar: A to-die-for Pear Pomegranate Martini and delectable Swordfish. #4: Birches Bar & Grill at Mohegan Sun. Had a lovely Pomegranate Martini there. #5: Margaritas: OK chain Mexican.

38. Try yoga. We have a yoga class at work that I'm eyeing.

39. Pay off at least one credit card. DONE!

40. A wild card item—my choice. Still mulling over.