Cinco de MayOh Pinterest!

via http://www.sheknows.com/

A week ago I saw this photo on Pinterest.  How cute are they!! They are so colorful, AND have a fun surprise in the middle.  Here in Dallas the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo is a big deal.  I guess it is because we are so close to Mexico maybe, not sure.  But there are block parties, restaurant specials, and festivals every where.  It actually is pretty cool.  You hear Latino music floating up from neighborhoods as you drive around East Dallas. 

This year Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday so we are looking forward to being able to celebrate all day!  Patio?  Why yes I will.  So I thought, "why don't I make these cookies?"  I read the instructions and it doesn't look THAT hard.  Famous Last Word.  Although they did turn out ok, making them was a horrible experiance.  It involved me spending 30 mins just mixing the balls of dough to create the colors.  I was sweating it was so exhausting.  Lot's of arm work!

Before I did anything, I had to go get cookie supplies.  I needed a donkey cookie cutter and food gel coloring. My friend Summer suggested Sur la Table and I'm very happy she suggested that.  It had the perfect items!  I got the cookie cutter for $1 (so what if it is a horse, it works) and a box of 12 colors for $15!  I figured the colors were an investment.  

The cookie cutter is on top of the M&M's, kind of hard to see. 

The colors are pretty cool!  It even has black, brown, and the odd colors that one MIGHT need for future baking.  I used the black, but it didn't make all the way.  You'll see.  Anyway....when I make a new recipe I like to following the instructions to a T.  These cookies are really just sugar cookies, but the recipe for their sugar cookies called for 1 cup of vegetable oil.  I have never put oil in a sugar cookie recipe, but thought maybe it has something to do with the colors?  So I did as I was told.  Waaaaaaay to oily for me.  Next time I make these, I'll make the old fashion Betty Crocker recipe of sugar cookies.  It will be cleaner fo sho!  Once the dough was made, I started coloring it.  

Do you see how shiny the wax paper is?  That is how oily the dough was, gross!

This is the teal color.  You put the color on with a toothpick and then mix.

The end results. They were very bright in person! 

Coloring these suckers took me about 30 minutes and I was sweating by the end of it.  It wasn't messy, with colors.  I liked that part, just took forever to get it blended.  My right arm was starting to get sore and I was sweating.  Yuck.  Once these were made I had to layer them.  THAT was hard.  I recommend rolling first.  You would think that is common knowledge, but even I failed to think of it until 3 layers in.  Duh! 

Here is the layering.  Do you see how straight my lines are?  It is just perfect.  ::rolling eyes::

After I layered it and put it in the freezer, which is actually the end result picture to the right.  It is easier to show the layering in this photo than in a pan without see through sides.

Once it was ready (freezer for 4 hours) you slice it, bake it, and THEN cut it.  I thought that was odd, but I said I would follow the instructions and it really isn't that bad.  Below are the rest of the pictures of my adventure.

The baked slices

After cut. The black section is suppose to be their feet, but they all fell off. Didn't "stick" well.

time to make the pinata!

putting in the surprise!!

Ta Da!

It stands! It stands!

The whole heard, one fell over.  

Now this....Is the donkey graveyard.  RIP donkeys.  Lost....but not forgotten.

Legal Age

Sitting at dinner tonight an old F150 pulled into the valet across the street.  I loved the way it looked.  My husband has been talking for several years about wanting to get a truck. I pointed out how that should be the truck he should get.  He then said words that caught me off guard.  

"I wouldn't get anything that I wasn't of legal age."

What? "Say again?", I said.  He clarified.  He said he would never get a vehicle that he wasn't able to drive legally in the year it was made.  It was slow motion as the words sunk into my head.  I should never buy a car that was made prior to 1980.  But why?  And then he explained.  

Every person who turns 16 has a dream car.  They have a dream of the car they saw in a magazine, on TV, or someone at school that drives the EXACT car you would love to drive.  In Preston's idea....that car should be for them, not us.  The truck I saw should be driven by a person that turned 16 in the 1980's.  A person that wished to drive a 1980'ish F150.  To drive it to the football game on Friday, to take their high school sweatheart to prom.  That is who should have those cars.  We should drive cars built 1996/97 and up.

I had never thought about it before like that and to be honest, it was really refreshing.   

Look at this Kid!

I had lunch yesterday with a good friend of mine named Wendy. Wendy and I met years ago when she worked with me. Together we have been dating guys, single, dating wrong guys, single, dating the perfect guy, and getting married. In fact, we both got married in Vegas. We are pretty on track together in life, but she has beat me to the kid part. Last time I met little Dominic was in December when he was born. I was SO excited to see him again. Here he is....he is perfectly baby chubby and so well behaved. He loves to cuddle and sit in your lap. Oh' I miss holding him already.

Darting Around Uptown

What a fun Sunday! We woke up and went to the 8:45am service this morning. Apparently this service doesn't have a choir or such. I believe we will be partaking in the 11:00am service again going forward. It's awkward to sing a hymn when there is no choir to back up your horrible voice. After church we went home and I made us a delicious breakfast of my Dad's "special" eggs and toast. It really made me feel great when hours later Preston asked me how I made those eggs. He was still trying to figure out how I got them so perfect. Thanks Dad! I told him I couldn't tell him, they were special eggs. Five minutes later I told him. (he better not tell) We both sunk into the sofa and I begin working on my photo album from my trip in 2008 with girlfriends. It has taken me that long to figure out which photos I want to use. I narrowed it down to 139 pics. Yikes! Around 2:30pm we met up with half of our couple half at State & Allen for a very late lunch and good convo. Man that place has changed. We didn't recognize one person working there! We used to know everyone. After lunch, the guys were hankering for a mean game of darts. I was out numbered, but had a good run at Cricket when I was in college so I went for it. First throw out of the gate and I got a bulls eye!

It's amazing how when you are playing without five million drinks in your system how aware you are of the dangers of darts!! There were several close calls of darts by our flip flops...whoooooooooa. I ended up not winning, but got pretty close.

We are now back home and about to grill some pork chops. It isn't even 7:00pm yet and I feel like I have had the longest day. It was so great to get out, have lunch with friends, play some games and come home still feeling like I have my whole night left. Tomorrow is gym day, upping my cardio to 35mins! I'm not going to give up on my challenge.

Trying New Things

I went out on a limb the other day and bought Gluten Free pasta. Whaaaat?! I know, sounds unsarahistic. But I have seen so much on TV about it and a lot of my friends have been talking about it, etc. Since I'm doing my 8 week challenge on my photos I thought this would be a good time to try it out. I deceided to start simple with a lasagna. This brand looked good to me, so I bought it.

I boiled the pasta like normal. Browned some lean ground beef seasoned with salt & pepper, added in onions. In the dish I poured a little bit of roasted red pepper sauce in the bottom. Next put a layer of lasagna noodles. Layer of meat and then a layer of low fat cottage cheese. I like using cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese. Repeat and that's it! End with the sauce on top and if you want, a little sprinkle of grated cheese. Bake covered at 350 for 30 mins. It was perfect!! I'm going to try more and more gluten free items.

Happy Easter!

Besides Christmas, Easter is my next favorite Christian Holiday. I just love everything about it. The meaning, reason, and memories of celebration with both family and friends. This Easter I woke up early and made the Gibson family traditional breakfast of Gold Rotten Eggs. What is that you ask?

Serving Size for 2
You will need:

2 Leftover Hardboiled Easter Eggs. (if you have any that have some dye that got to the whites, you those for color)
4 slices of toast
Medium White Sauce
2T of butter
2T of flour
1/4t of salt
1C of milk

1. Chop up both hardboiled eggs and set to the side
2. In a sauce pan melt butter on low
3. Once melted add flour and salt, whisk right away
4. While whisking, pour in milk
5. Whisk to get rid of clumps, use spoon or fork to scrap from bottom and sides of pan.
6. Increase heat to medium, stir consistently as to not let it burn.

While you are stirring your white sauce, take your third hand and start toasting the bread. Feel free to increase heat on sauce, make sure to stir. Sauce will begin to thicken. Remove from heat once you reach desired thickness. If you go too thick, add milk a little at a time to thin out. If not thick enough, increase heat and add a little flour.

Once removed from heat, add 3/4 of your chopped hardboiled egg to sauce. Stir till mixed in. Place one whole piece of toast in middle of the plate. Take another piece and cut diagonally placing each triangle on the sides. Pour sauce over toast and top with crumbles of hardboiled egg. Salt & Pepper to taste. TaDa!! Gold Rotten Egg. I didn't take any photos....boo.

After breakfast we went to Church at our favorite Church in Dallas. First United Methodist in Downtown Dallas. We both really like the preacher and we love the tradition of the pipe organ, choir, orchestra, and children’s church at the front. So Cute. When we got home, I started to make the deviled eggs for Easter lunch at Preston's Grandparents. I had 3 eggs leftover so I made some deviled chicks that I saw on Pinterest. We laughed at the outcome, but I'm happy I made them. I DID take a photo of this. See Below. My 3 are on top, pretty funny.

Happy Easter!!

I've Been Challenged

My trainer Jessica has given me a challenge. For over a year now she has watched me workout, lose some weight, gain some weight, and still be unhappy that I haven't lost the 20lbs I so want to lose. She says I need a goal. My wedding was once a goal. done. But not 20lbs. Then it was our cruise, was happy with that...but no 20lbs. I need a new goal!!

So with nothing but my never ending desire to lose the 20lbs I have gained in 12 years...she challenged me. She said, "let me take a photo of you once a week for 60 days. You have to blog about it and post the pictures and your measurements." My response, "Are you Cra Cra Jess?!" Then I thought about it. It would be totally a goal and I would be humliated if I failed. Now I don't really think I can do the whole 20lbs in 2 months, plus that's unheathly. BUT I CAN do 10lbs...maybe even 15lb!!

Starting tomorrow, April 6th, 2012...Jessica will take my photo. She will take a full body (clothed...shesh) picture and then one of just my face. Once a week I will blog about my week and my feelings...and post the picture. My goal by the end of 60 days is to have 2 square photo cubes.

1. All 8 photos (60 days, once a week) from start to finish of the full body shots
2. All 8 photos (60 days, once a week) from start to finish of my face

I told my husband that I am going to turn into a flipbook wife. He will be able to take the photos and watch me change. I think this is going to be a good challenge. I'm nervous, but I think this will be a good start. So, for those that still read this, wish me luck!!

I will take any support you can give me. Muah!