Annnd here we are...

   So, since I last wrote on here, the Cowboys lost their playoff game to the Vikings...Some people I know make excuses for their team when it loses ("well THAT team hired special people to help them", "There were a ton of bullshit calls", etc), but I'm not like that at all...You get what you give, and the Cowboys played a shitty game, so they saw shitty results...Plain and simple. It seems to me all they were focused on was beating the Eagles, and then it was like whatever happened afterwards, would just happen...Hopefully that game showed them a little something, and they'll use it to build the team up better for next season...

   Not a whole lot has been going on since my last entry...Ryan's working swings now, which works out great for both of us...They're not letting the guys come home for a dinner break this time around, so he brings something to snack on to work, then he'll just reheat the plate I make up for him when he gets home...It's nice spending so much of the day with him :)

  Also, I had to call Security Forces on Sunday, cause there were 3 kids trying to light fires under the playground equpitment in the field behind our house...Long story short, no one ever showed up to deal with it...They actually wanted ME to go out, tell the kids to stop, and to go home...Yeah, cause that's M job, right? Ryan yelled out to them before he told me anyway, and they ignored him...That's typical for the kids on my street though...I yelled at two of them a few weeks ago, cause they were standing under our overhang trying to catch the water from our roof in their mouths...WTF is that??? When I was a kid, I didn't go into someone I didn't know's yard & do shit...Then again, I didn't do a lot of the things these kids do...It's obvious no one on this street gives a shit what their kids do, and where they go...You don't even see parents out on our street, but there are a TON of young kids (probably 3 - 9 years old), that are forever playing in the road & causing trouble...I LOVE our house, but sometimes I wiah we'd have gotten one on another street...I don't not like kids, but I feel like that's how I sound ever since moving back here, lol...

   Hopefully on his way home from work, Ryan stops by the shoppette to grab the number for the auto center...My car needs an oil change really bad, but freakin Saturn off base is apparently closed, even though their website says they're open for parts & service...If you call the number though, it rings into the Saturn dealership in SLC...It'd be completely stupid to drive all the way down there just for an oil change...Ah well, the base did a good job before, so I don't mind going with them...

   Oh! I also called & bitched out DirecTv the other night...When I was out grocery shopping Saturday evening, Ryan let Captain go run outside while he took a smoke break in the back yard...Apparently the DirecTv guy left everything he cut out back on the ground, even though he KNEW we had a dog, and a small one at that...The pieces were sharp & jagged metal & plastic pieces...Thankfully Ryan found them before Captain did, cause that would've turned out very badly...In the end they gave us free Starz for 3 months, but I just wanted the jackass to get in some deep trouble for being so careless...

   I guess that's about it...I had a few requests for me to post the recipe I used for dinner tonight, so here it is...It was really good!!! Like I said on Facebook, the risotto I made to go with it was a boxed risotto kit put out by Archer Farms...Not sure where else you can buy it besides Target...Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Target? :)

Lemon Chicken

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt & pepper

1/3 c. Vegetable oil

1 tsp. Minced garlic

2lbs. Sweet white onions, halved & sliced

3 Tbsp. Diced green chilis

1 c. Freshly squeezed lemons (about 6 lemons, yes I hand squeezed them)

1.) Season both sides of the chicken liberally with salt & pepper. Heat the oil in a deep skillet. Add the chicken & sear on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

2.) Remove the chicken & add the garlic and onions to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Stir in the chilis & return the chicken to the pan. Spread some of the onions over the chicken. Cover & cook for 10 - 15 minutes, until the chili sauce has completely infused the mixture & the chicken is cooked through.

3.) Add the lemon juice. Cover & cook another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Finally!

   So last night, the Cowboys won their first playoff game since in 13 years...It was awesome!!! Even if they win nothing else this season, I'll be happy...Seeing McNabb eat turf countless times last night was a beautiful thing...And seeing Vick follow up a huge TD for the Eagles with the biggest screw up ever, made me laugh SO hard...The Cowboys defense right now is crazy good...Lets hope they do well next week against the Vikings...

   Moving on...lol...

   I don't know if anyone who reads this watches it (I'm not sure how many people do in general, really), but we are addicted to Teen Mom...I thought 16 & Pregnant was a really good show, and I was SO excited to see that they would be following some of the girls for at least another season...We're way too into it though, and have really strong opinions on them, lol...You'd think we personally knew all these people or something!

   For example, we both think Ryan is the biggest douche & that Maci could/should do WAY better...He's a huge loser, who seemingly doesn't care about his kid at all...And it's obvious that Bentley, their baby, can tell...Or with Amber & Gary, sure he means well, but Gary is completely thick skulled, and doesn't do "the right thing" until it's too late...Amber isn't without fault though; she ALWAYS finds something to start screaming at him about...I think they're both just really stressed right now, and could probably benefit from some counseling...We hope they work it out, but Amber's pretty much had enough of everything...While the show makes it look like Farrah is always going out & stuff (cause they don't show much of anything else about her), we think she's still a good mom...She seems to have a hard time trying to balance everything sometimes... I think she's going out so much half the time to get away from her family...They really aren't all that supportive of her...I remember on 16 & Pregnant when her mom kept telling her not to keep the baby...All her parents & sister do now is say that she doesn't care about her baby...Shoot, I'd probably try to go out a bit as well if I got nothing but criticism at home...

   I think our favorites though are Tyler & Catelynn...They were the teen couple who made the hard decision to put their little girl up for adoption...They knew they couldn't really provide for her, and  they didn't want to have that happen...Catelynn's mom & Tyler's dad were dead set against it; her mom wouldn't even sign the adoption papers...I think what they did was really mature & grown up of them...Shoot, seeing how unstable their mom & dad are, it's probably best they didn't try to raise Carly themselves...And through all of this, they've remained together, and are just SUCH a cute couple! We really feel for them now, cause they don't even know her last name or where she lives...The adoptive parents say it's a trust thing, and I kind of get that, but they made it sound like they would know everything upfront whenever they saw Tyler & Catelynn...I hope they get some answers soon, and that they get to see her at some point in the near future...

   So yeah, we're way too into this show, lol...I love it though, and I think it's a pretty god show for teens...They don't glamorize teen pregnancy/parenthood, but they don't all out bash it, either...I think it shows both sides of it pretty well, and overall sends a pretty good message to teens...

Is that PROGRESS????

   I noticed something different in the mirror on Sunday morning; my body was starting to look different...All my hard work is starting to pay off! Not that I've been doing much else than running most every day, and eating just a little better, lol...I started running with the Wii Fit when it got here in Ryan's shipment from Korea in February...By St. Patty's Day, I was seeing results already...Then I had to take a break for a few months, cause Sandra & Nate needed our help getting things ready for their move in June...We didn't mind it at all, we were honestly more than happy to help, I'm just saying that that's the first reason I stopped running...Sure I could've run when we'd get home, but I was too lazy, lol...I started running again after they left, and stopped by the end of July when my family got out here...I planned to run with my sister every day, but she pretty much half-assed it (if even giving that much effort, lol), and I just stopped doing it all together...I gained between 5 - 10lbs in that time...

   After they left, I began running again...I'd run all week, but then I wouldn't do anything all weekend...I felt good that I was at least running during the week, but I still wasn't serious enough about it...For the past month, I've run nearly every day, maybe taking a day off every here & there...And I'm starting to see results again...I've made up for all my slacking it seems, and things are looking up...I really hope to lose some more before we go back home again...I think with the determination I have this time around, I'll be able to do what I hope to :)

   In other news, I've been asked by many people to put some of the recipes I make up here in my blog...So to start that off, here's the recipe for the Carne Asada we've been making...It's sooo good!!!

Carne Asada

2lbs. Flank or skirt steak

4 cloves Minced garlic

1/2 c. Fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Jalapeno, minced

2 Freshly squeezed limes

1 Freshly squeezed orange

1/2 c. Olive oil

1 tsp. Cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. White vinegar

1 Corona

1.) Mix all ingredients (except steak) in a sealable bowl. Place steak into marinade. Refrigerate overnight, turning once.

2.) Preheat grill & rub with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Take steak out of marinade & place it on the grill.  Grilling time takes anywhere from a few minutes to 10 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of the meat & your preference for doneness. When to your liking, remove steak from grill, and allow to set for 5 minutes, allowing the juices to settle.

3.)Thinly cut the steak across the grain for tacos. Keep the Carne Asada warm in a covered dish.

Wow, 2010...

 

   January 1, 2010...Wow, where did that come from? Seems like just yesterday we were moving back here to Hill...Time flew by this year...

   2009 was definitely an interesting year....Ryan came home in January...We moved back out here to Utah in February...March saw the rein of Ryan's evil supervisor begin...I also started my own business with Athena's Home Novelties as a Goddes...April - June we spent most all our time at Nate & Sandra's hanging out, catching up after a year apart, and helping them pack...Great-Papa passed away at the end of May...In June we had to say goodbye to them, when they moved back to Oklahoma...My parents, sister & Gram R. came to visit us from the end of July until mid-August...I turned 23 in August...Ryan turned 22 in September...Ryan's evil supervisor made life hell in September...October & November, Ryan tried to lay low at work...December was a ton better, and Ryan got an awesome new supervisor...

   Even though the year had it's definite ups & downs, we agree that it wasn't really that bad, because we were together once again...While 2008 sucked no matter how you look at it, it was 100 times worse because Ryan was in Korea...This year, at least we had each other...We also had enormous support from our families this year...I especially don't know how we'll ever thank my parents for everything they've done for us...And not just from 2009, ever since we've been together, really...They are just amazing...

   I'm really looking forward to this coming year, and have made a few resolutions/goals so far...This is what I have for now:

*Continue to keep a positive, upbeat attitude

*Keep up with my workouts

*Laugh more

*Build my business

*Make it home for Kirstin's graduation in June

*Meet Ryan's grandparents in Bath, ME when we go home

*Move on

*Hold less grudges

*Let everyone know how much they mean to me

   I read a quote last night that I absolutely love, and I plan to live by it (and a few others) in the year to come...The quote was, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I think if we all do that, we can accomplish anything :)