Dinner, Cookies and a Good Book.

Simply meat and potatoes. This is one of my husband's favorite meals. Our BBQ is broken, so sad, but I really wanted steak so I pan-seared it on the stove. Turned out great but I did miss the smokey grill taste.


This is my plate.....lots and lots of croutons, and yes those are black olives on my baked potato. Most people have either a love or hate relationship with black olives. I love them and put them on all types of dishes. I've copied the Wood Ranch method for baking potatoes. Rub oil all of your potatoes and the sprinkle with a little bit of salt before putting them in the oven. The outside gets super crispy and delicious.


This is my honey's plate before he doused his potato in sour cream and butter.


I made pumpkin soup. I thought it was yummy. My husband declared it "interesting" which means he won't be eating it again. Too bad since I have a huge pot of it left.


This is my famous (well at least in my house) BCAT. I don't like lettuce on my sandwiches, so this is Bacon, Cheese, Avocado and Tomato. So good. I could eat one every day.


M&M Cookies my nephew helped me bake.


Here he is with the dough. One egg crashed on the floor, lots of flour dusting every tile but it was so fun to bake with him and his cookies turned out great.


I finished this book tonight. It was a touching story and of course I cried a few tears at the end. It's the tale of 4 women at different stages in their lives who become friends and meet once a week for coffee.
I bought The Shack today with a Borders coupon. I've read it once and cried the whole way thru. One of those books I want in my collection. It's definitely a must read.
Any good books you can recommend?

Peach Bourbon Cake

I found this recipe here http://peacefulcooking.blogspot.com/2010/09/peach-upside-down-rum-cake.html
I purchased some beautiful peaches at the Farmer's Market Saturday morning and I just knew I had to make this cake. I had a little bit of bourbon left from another recipe and really didn't feel like buying a bottle of rum just for this cake so I used that instead. It was delicious. I served it warm with vanilla ice cream. The bourbon wasn't overwhelming at all and the peaches were so amazing juicy and sweet. Try it, I know you won't be disappointed.

Pumpkin Maple Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkins! Yay! Trader Joes has pumpkins now and I was so excited I had to stop myself from buying more than 3. Aren't they cute?



I found this recipe here http://www.theungourmet.com/2010/09/pumpkin-and-maple-baked-oatmeal.html
She has a great blog and her recipes are always delicious. I hope you give it a try. This can be made the night before and then baked in the oven the next day. Fast breakfast in the morning is always appreciated on work days.
Blopper: I forgot to add the maple syrup when I made it so I poured it on top after it was done baking....it turned out really yummy. I love it when a mistake turns out ok. Saves me from eating something I don't like cause I can't stand to throw food away.

Letters to Juliet

I just finished watching Letters to Juliet and even though I had a food post planned the romance of the movie diverted my attention to love. Do you ever watch a movie full of romance, love, affection and hope that it almost makes you a little sad? You let a few tears slip as you watch the final kiss of the movie and imagine them living happily ever after, all the while feeling a little wistful for such an experience. The idea of such passion and overwhelming infatuation that the characters in the movie are so moved by one another that they are willing to give up everything just to be together. Does that ever really happen? Oh I'm sure there is the is the occasional truth to some of these stories but in reality our busy, distracted lives don't lend to such dramatic expressions of adoration.
Do men as well as women truly offer each other grand displays of affection anymore? Do we make ourselves vulnerable to each other and really tell how much we are in love and how desperately we need each other? Don't get me wrong, I'm truly happy and content in my marriage (honey, if you are reading this, it's time to send me some flowers at work, LOL) but after watching the movie I found myself craving some romance. Craving the butterflies in my stomach, tingling in my toes and flush of excitement you feel on your first date, first kiss, proposal of marriage and of course, wedding day.
So in attempt to remind myself to step out of my comfort (or maybe lazy) zone, I'm going to add a little romance. They say the French and Italians are experts at love and if the movie is any indication then maybe I'll take a little motivation from them and of course some advice from you...my Blog Friends.
What do you do to keep the romance alive? Or better yet, what would give you that "I've been swept off my feet" feeling?

Blogger Secret Santa

Such a cool idea, check out the link to the Secret Santa Gift Exchange on the right of my blog.

Barley Bros Brewery- Lake Havasu

We went to Barley Bros Brewery to watch the Saint vs 49ers game- Go Saints! They brew their own beer and it's really good.

It's located right next to the London Bridge.

Potato Chips- yum!

Sliders with fries- just ok.

Wings with spicy sauce- yum!

Derby Pie- unbelievably delicious. As our waiter called it "life changing." I would go back to Havasu just to have this pie.

Lake Havasu, AZ

The London Bridge found a home in Lake Havasu, AZ. Weird but cool. This was our view from our hotel balcony.

We stayed at the Heat Hotel. Great view, great whirpool bathtub, great bed; however needs some maintenance. The carpet, walls, and furniture have taken quite a beating and need to be replaced. I'm sure it's from all the crazy Cali Spring Breakers. Oh and the front desk people (all who seemed to be teenagers) were really unhelpful. I got a lot of blank looks and "I don't knows" when I had questions. Overall though, I would stay there again.

The Heat Hotel patio bar. My first of many caloric cocktails, a pina colada. If calories don't count when you are on vacation then why did I come back with pants that are too tight? LOL

My favorite Havasu restaurant- Taco Hacienda. It's super casual, the staff is always friendly and it's cheap. Be prepared for lots of salt, tons of cheese and nary a veggie in sight.

I always get the Mexican Pizza without onions. If you're really hoping for a mild coronary, try the chimichanga.

I have family in Havasu so I make the trip at least once a year, but this is the first time the hubby and I stayed in a hotel. We were craving a little luxury after some tough work weeks. It was so worth it. We met up with family for lunches or dinners and the rest of the time was ours.

Have you ever been to Lake Havasu? Is there some place you visit annually?