My step mom gave me these 2 end tables ages ago.  The tops were pretty torn up with water stains and what not.  So, I decided to personalize them a bit and spruce them up!  The oval one I did a while ago, but I just started on the rectangle one.  It's not done, but here they are!

So, I have this picture of Ophelia from Hamlet above my fireplace in my apartment.  Today, my sister-in-law had to take one of my nephew's to the dentist, so I agreed to watch my 6 year old Nephew, Kaden and my 1 1/2 year old niece, Savannah.
Here is a rough idea of the conversation that he and I had...

Kaden: Who is that?
Me: That's Ophelia.
K: Why is she like that?
M: Well, she drowned herself.
K: How?
M: She jumped off a bridge into the water.
K: Why?
M: Because she was sad.
K: Why was she sad?
M: Because her boyfriend didn't love her anymore.
K: Why?
M: Well, he did love her, but in order to save her life, he had to tell her he didn't love her.
K: Why?
M: Well, there was a conspiracy against him.
K: What's a conspiracy?
M: A secret plan.  Bad guys were planning on killing him and the people he loved, so he had to tell her he didn't love her to protect her.
K: Did they have swords? 
M: Yes, they had swords.  With poison on them.
K: Were they big swords? (insert stabbing motion here)
M: Yeah, they were big swords.
K:Oh!  Why is her hair wet?

And that, is Hamlet to a 6 year old :)

I found this in one of my mom's cooking magazines and it looked so good, I had to try it!  We both LOVED it!



Chile-Chicken Posole

1 Pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
1 tsp dried Thyme
Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbls vegetable oil
1 large white onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 6-Ounce cans whole green chiles, drained
1 cup fresh cilantro
4 cups low fat, low sodium, chicken broth
2 15 ounce cans hominy (I used white) drained
Sliced Avocado and tortilla chips to garnish

1. Season the chicken with 1/2 tsp thyme, and salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to blender, then add the chiles, cilantro and the remaining 1/2 tsp thyme and puree until smooth.  Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and turns deep green, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth, hominy and chicken to the saucepan.  Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.  Garnish with avocado and corn chips.


It was so full of flavor, and so delicious!  Very filling too, but not full of calories and stuff.  I used the 98% fat free, low sodium Swanson Chicken broth.  Let me know if you try it and love it as much as I did!

Oh, and the tortilla chips are the low fat, baked, no salt ones by Guiltless Gourmet.

I haven't posted a lot lately.  I've been entertaining my love.  However, today I had to drop him off at the airport in Seattle.  Very characteristically of Washington, and my mood, it was raining all the way to the airport and all the way on the way back.  The last time I dropped him off in Seattle it was raining as well.  It's just the weather matching my mood I think.

Matt's trip here was amazing.  I don't even know where to begin.  I was a bit nervous about spending the month with him here.  I mean, we've spent time together, but not just doing normal things.  I knew (and still know) he's the one I will be with, but it was nice having him here for sort of a trial run.  It was nice to come home to have him here in the house.  Nice to have him fold the laundry and put it away :)
I know it was only a month and a whole lifetime is a lot different thing.  But, we didn't need him here to know that we are going to work.  It was just the opportunity to spend time together.  Every day when I thought about going home from work, knowing he was waiting there for me, was the most amazing feeling.  Everything about it was amazing.
The only thing that wasn't was his episode in the kitchen sniffing up his nose and moaning and complaining about the smell of the Molasses! (He claims it smells like cod liver oil...)  Other than that one point, I never really got to the point where I was going to strangle him :)
It was so hard dropping him off at the airport this time... It was hard because it was the 3rd time we've had to part ways and be unsure of when exactly we'd see one another again.  I know he will be here soon.  Once we get the rest of the immigration under way, we can set a date for the wedding and get everything going for him to move here.
The only thing that made it bearable to leave him was to know that it was the last time we'd have to leave one another. 

Sitting in my house right now is pretty bad...  I hate walking through it and just seeing little things he left... I teared up over a rolled up Hershey's Kiss wrapper...  I'm exhausted, but dreading going to bed.  I hate that first night of sleeping in the bed alone after being used to curling up to him.

Undergo the crazy, anxiety ridden, expensive, long, terrifying, ridiculous process of immigration.  6 months into the process, and we're still waiting... Probably another 6 more to go.

Matt and I had our first Christmas morning together :)  It was very nice.  Last night we called his parents and opened presents on the phone with them.  I got a beautiful compact mirror from his mom and dad and a pretty scarf from his Aunt.


Aslan and his present :)


I honestly think this was Matt's favorite present!

I got all sorts of stuff, and all of it was great!

Hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful as well!

I know I haven't posted in forever, but I really haven't had the time!  Matt has been here since the 5th and I've been working a ton!  We did get the chance to go to Leavenworth, Washington this weekend with my mom and my step dad.  They actually have an Australian shop there, where they have, guess what!??! Tim Tams!  So, we walked to the town square, bought a cup of hot cocoa, and I schooled Matt on how to do a Tim Tam Slam.  He did 4 of them!

Matt will be here tomorrow!!! Picking him up at 6:00pm in Seattle!! Yay!!!! I can't wait to have him here for a whole month :)

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt linked me to this website. I think it's pretty awesome, and I'd like at least 1/2 of the products!

io9.com/5407713/the-30-most-disturbing-twilight-products/gallery/#

I really love this song :)

The other day, I had Masaman Curry at 1-2-3 Thai. (Seriously, that's the name of the restaurant.) I had a friend recommend it, and let me say, it is delicious! It is SO good. Just everything that I love about Thai food. So, I decided to make it myself. After going to FOUR stores, I finally found Masaman Curry paste. I managed to spend $60 in the meantime at the grocery stores I don't normally go to. (I found some awesome Greek yogurt with pomegranate!) Anyway, I made a batch of Masaman Curry and it is pretty damn good! I'm pretty proud of myself actually. I've never really dabbled in making Thai food, and this turned out excellent. However, it made a giant batch and I'm going to have to find some other people to eat it as well! Otherwise, I'll be eating it for 2 weeks. Though, I doubt I'd get tired of it.
General recipe... Masaman curry paste, coconut milk, chicken, onion, carrot, potato, tamarind, cardamom, bay leaves, lime juice and peanuts. All deliciousness!

Ok, on to some other stuff... We're still trying to get Matt's medical for the Visa all figured out. There was a slight snag, but we're working on it. He's fine, everything is fine, but there's a form he needs a doctor to sign, and they're being total bastards about it. But, we'll get it worked out before he gets here in like... 15 DAYS! :) Hard to believe it's so close to him being here. Just over two weeks and we'll be together again. I can't wait. It always seems so surreal to know that I am going to be able to be in his arms and go to sleep next to him at night and wake up next to him the next morning. (Or in my case, afternoon!)

Not much else going on, really... Just thought I'd give a quick update. When my mom gives me my camera back, I'll take a picture of my super yummy curry!

One of Matt's Christmas presents arrived in the mail today. And, of course, it included a free present for Aslan as well! Oh, how easily amused they are!

I thought it might be a little early, but of course not! The holiday season is upon us! So, let me know if you want a card or not! I need to get them ordered!

I'll collect addresses after I figure out who wants one!

So last night I made tote bags for the nephews and my niece.  Here they are!

I work at an assisted living community, so putting together a surgeon's costume wasn't too hard!  We had a great time!

5 times, I had to take Aslan off of my keyboard.  The first time, I just heard this beeping and I turn around and there he is, all up on it, just getting comfy.  I did let him stay long enough to take a picture!

Just thought I'd do an update with more scrapbook pages.  Good thing this book is expandable, because I think it's going to be a foot thick when I'm done!
( More England Scrapbook Pages! )

Just thought I'd share my first couple scrapbook pages from my trip to England!  I couldn't take super great photos of them, but you get the idea!
( Scrapbook Pictures Behind the Cut! )