Cheap Date

Megan & I have perfected our Tuesday nights! We grab dinner first...tonight we even shared a wrap at Chickfila. Then we go to Dollar Tree and buy theater candy for way less than the theater. $1.08 just can't be beat. With candy hidden in Megan's purse (my purse is always too tiny), we head to the dollar theater. It's technically the $.75 theater, but that doesn't roll off the tongue very well. This theater offers movies that have left the theater, but usually aren't on DVD yet. It's nothing fancy...think cinemark from before you could drive. However, it's nice enough and I will basically watch any movie for three quarters. Wouldn't you?

We felt adventurous tonight and tried some new candy. Luckily, our dollars weren't wasted because these treasures were tasty!

Cupcake Bites: Made from the cookie dough bite people. They're little cake balls with a touch of frosting and sprinkles. You can see 2 of them on the box.

Raspberry Cremes: Basically Junior Mints, but with raspberry in the middle instead of mint. Surprisingly good!

Ok, it's movie time! Watching The Vow. I'll probably cry a lot and lust after Channing Tatum.

The Modesty Tan

I will recap the weekend soon...just too busy right now! The whole family went to the San Jacinto Battle Reenactment down in Houston. Yes, it was as thrilling as you could imagine. I was a genius and decided a maxi dress, cardigan, and reefs was the perfect outfit for this outdoor adventure. I.WAS.WRONG. We had to tromp through mud and high grass, sit in the sun, and other stressful things! I might be slightly exaggerating. Due to my fashion over function choice, I got a very interesting sunburn. I've chosen to call it the modesty tan. 

Here you go:

GRRRR!!!! I don't know why it keeps turning it sideways! Any help with this would be greatly appreciated! It looks correct in my photos before I upload it. Blogger hates me. Perhaps it's jealous of my sweet cardi tan. 


I promise to get the rest of the pictures up soon, but tonight is $.75 movie night and tomorrow is bunco, so I just don't know when. I'm such an old lady with my weeknight activities! I might even stay up past 9PM :)

Last Call...Good Call

I took a giant shot of liquid cough syrup in a high school parking lot before I went to train the students this morning and I just had to tell y'all. I felt like I was doing something illegal and was looking around like a crazy person. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat, but like most people, I don't have time to be sick. This liquid cough syrup is supposed to be "cooling & soothing" as it goes down, but I just felt like I was drinking blue curacao. Gag. 

Anyways, I got an email from a coworker about a special event going on tonight at the new Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio in Plano, so I took another shot and sucked it up. All for a sale. The deal was: the first 150 in line got a $25 gift card and a tote bag. They also had free champagne & cupcakes by trailercakes. Hello, dinner! (Emily & Mom - I ate a salad after, no worries.) Apparently the "studio" is different than the last calls you see at the outlet malls. They buy direct from buyers, so the merchandise is more "on trend" and hasn't been tried on before. *This all came from a friendly saleswoman. I convinced Megan & Courtney to go, so we all got in line a little before 6. I don't know how to word this nicely -- I was SHOCKED by who was in line. Just not the clientele I was expecting. Now, I realize that the ritzy JLers of Collin County don't need to line up for $25 off, but this crowd did not match at all. In fact, I'm not sure if most of them had even been in a real NM. 

See what I mean?

This also drove by. Maybe it's Maybelline?

The cutest shoppers there!

The only pic. I got distracted inside by all the shiny things!

 Now you better believe that I found a bargain. We didn't have to use the gift card tonight, but I figured I might as well. I just had a tragic death in my family...my sunglasses. So I found some super cute Tory Burch ones for a STEAL. As in, retail is $170 and I paid a teeny tiny fraction of that.  Here they are with their cute gold case.

Perfect!

Off to bed...gotta rest my voice for tomorrow. Oh wait - can we just talk about how much older high school students look these days? It's weird. I blend in with them. I just know for a fact that I didn't look that old or mature in high school.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

I did it. I actually cooked something I pinned. Now, this wasn't my very first pinterest completion, but let's go ahead and say I'm nowhere near my whole list of 110 pins. When I first saw this recipe for homemade pizza rolls, I thought of the beloved Totino's just like the original author. They are obviously bad for you, but they taste so good! I've experimented with won ton wrappers before with some success (just bake them in the oven with a little seasoning...surprisingly tasty!), so I thought this recipe had promise. 


I tweaked the recipe a bit, because I didn't think Jenna and I needed 48 rolls. I clearly was just hungry and didn't do any real calculations here, because I still ended up with over 20 rolls plus some extra filling. For the record, we didn't eat all of them..just most of them! The original recipe is at the end of the post or can be found here. I added in ground turkey because we don't do meatless Mondays around here, but I think some turkey pepperoni or a vegetarian take would be great. Don't stress about the won ton wrappers. They are pretty durable and you really can't mess this recipe up. The key is to not overfill the wrappers. I put a little bit less than a tablespoon in each, then sealed it up. I also broiled the rolls for a few minutes after the 15 minute cooking time. This helped crisp & brown them.


Now for some pics....
*I just want y'all to be impressed with the fact that I at least instagram my horrible pictures. I feel this shows some effort. I can barely remember to take pictures, let alone get out my camera and worry about lighting. I've got pizza rolls to eat!

Won Ton wrappers are everywhere -- even Wal-mart. Check the produce section.

Cheese! I didn't cut back this ingredient. I also shredded my own -- read the original post.

Using a cooling rack on the pan allows them to cook all around and not be soggy on the bottom. No one likes a soggy bottom :) You can even be classy like me and use two small racks...As Tim Gunn says, "Make it work!"

Before they headed into the oven. There is no after pic..too much eating involved.

We paired the pizza rolls with a salad and had ourselves a great dinner. We also watched "Missing" while eating. Have y'all seen this show? Ashley Judd is in it and it comes on Thursdays on ABC. It's about a former CIA agent who is looking for her kidnapped son. It's very suspenseful and is keeping me occupied until Revenge and Pretty Little Liars returns. I know, my taste in shows is amazing.

Baked Homemade Pizza Rolls

by Cassie Johnston

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 48 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 large green pepper, diced fine
• 1 small onion, diced fine
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Cooking spray
• 1 package wonton wrappers (about 48 wraps)

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add in garlic, green pepper and onion. Cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marinara and mozzarella.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange three wonton wrappers along the bottom edge of the sheet. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of each wrapper. Using a finger dipped in water, run along the edge of each wrapper and then fold wrapper in half and press down to seal. Continue until baking sheet is filled with pizza rolls (spaced about 1″ apart). Spray tops with cooking spray and bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until rolls are golden and crispy. Repeat process with remaining wraps and filling.
4. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving (filling will be hot).

"Y'all got me!"

Have you ever heard of the cinnamon challenge? It's where a person tries to swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon in 60 seconds. Sounds easy enough, but it's basically impossible. There is even a website dedicated to this challenge: http://www.cinnamonchallenge.com/

I have no desire to ever do this challenge, but I will watch videos of people's attempts for some major entertainment. There is just something about seeing people spew cinnamon that cracks me up. I'm not sure if these people haven't done their research or just think they're above the burning power of cinnamon, but their reactions are priceless. My friend Courtney showed me this video and I had to share. Do not watch this video if you can't laugh and snort so loudly it's uncontrollable. Enjoy!

While I have no intention to do the cinnamon challenge, saltine challenge, or the gallon challenge, I have completed a dare from my brother in law. A few years ago, the family was all sitting at Cristina's eating lunch when Brad made a comment about how the crayons at the table were non-toxic. This lead to him daring me to eat half a crayon for $50. You better believer I did it. Yes, in public. Yes, I had yellow wax all in my teeth. And yes, I bought a new pair of shoes immediately after. I clearly earned them. He hasn't dared me since...

100 Foods Before You Die

I've seen this list floating around Facebook, but I refuse to click on it. I'm afraid it will steal all my information & post weird things on people's walls. Moving right along....

I found the list thanks to google, so now you can go through and see just how adventurous your taste buds are. I'm pretty impressed with myself...I've tried 73. This coming from a girl who only ate plain & dry hamburgers and peanut butter on saltines (not bread!) for most of her early years.

Feel free to comment & tell me your number. There is no shame in saying the only things you've checked off are mimosas & frito pie. Sounds like a good life to me. And plus, I have no comments and that's no way to become a blogebrity. *Another RVR word.

100 Foods to Try Before You Die:

Abalone
Absinthe
Alligator
Baba Ghanoush
Bagel and lox
Baklava
Barbecue ribs
Bellini
Bird’s Nest Soup
Biscuits and gravy
Black Pudding (made from cooked blood)
Black Truffle
Borscht (Ukrainian soup made from beetroot)
Calamari
Carp
Caviar
Cheese fondue
Chicken and waffles
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chile Relleno
Chitterlings/Chitlins
Churros
Clam Chowder
Cognac
Crabcake
Crickets
Currywurst
Dandelion wine
Dulce de leche
Durian (southeast Asian fruit notorious for its odor)
Eel
Eggs benedict
Fish Tacos
Foie Gras
Fresh Spring Rolls
Fried Catfish
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Plaintain
Frito Pie
Frog’s Legs
Fugu (pufferfish)
Funnel Cake
Gazpacho
Goat
Goat’s milk
Goulash
Gumbo
Haggis
Head Cheese
Heirloom Tomatoes
Honeycomb
Hostess Fruit Pie
Huevos Rancheros
Jerk Chicken
Kangaroo
Key Lime Pie
Kobe Beef
Lassi (Indian yogurt drink)
Lobster
Mimosa
MoonPie
Morel Mushrooms
Nettle Tea
Octopus
Oxtail Soup
Paella
Paneer (a cheese)
Pastrami on Rye
Pavlova (meringue cake)
Phaal (curry dish)
Philly Cheesesteak
Pho
Pineapple and cottage cheese
Pistachio Ice Cream
Po’ boy
Pocky
Polenta
Prickly Pear
Rabbit Stew
Raw Oysters
Root Beer Float
S’mores
Sauerkraut
Sea Urchin
Shark
Snail
Snake
Soft Shell Crab
Som Tam (spicy salad made from shredded unripened papaya)
Spaetzle (German dumpling or noodle)
Spam
Squirrel
Steak Tartare
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweetbreads
Tom Yum
Umeboshi (pickled ume fruits common in Japan, similar to a plum)
Venison
Wasabi Peas
Zucchini Flowers

Keep Austin Delicious

So here are some of my favorite places to eat in Austin. This list is by no means complete! I actually sent this list to a friend recently & did a few edits, so this is a cheat post. I'm posting from my phone at the airport, so no pictures. I would have waited on this post, but my kindle is dead & the people watching is slow right now. I'm entertaining myself here, people. I'm also debating on whether or not I "need" some Amy's ice cream. Sometimes I forget that when I travel I'm not on vacation, so eating whatever I want isn't justified. #dilemmas

Brunch AKA My Favorite Meal
*Brunch is different than (and superior to) breakfast. You must consume a mimosa or bloody mary for it to be brunch.

-Taverna - I've never been to the Austin location, but I'm practically a regular at the Dallas one and they have the exact same menu. The food is all really good and ONE DOLLAR mimosas...hello!

-TNT: Tacos & Tequila (Sunday brunch only) - They have a $18 buffet that is legit...it includes bottomless mimosas. They have a sister restaurant in Dallas which I love too (blue mesa). Their dinner food is good too...updated Mexican.

-Magnolia Cafe (24 hours) - more of a breakfast place vs brunch, but their gingerbread pancakes are amazing!

-J Black's - this is a bar on 6th street, but they have a good brunch. Bloody Mary bar and mimosas, plus good food. Try the tacos!

Drinking:
-Trio at the Four Seasons - a really nice happy hour from 5-7, Great patio.

-House Wine - literally a little house that has lots of good wines. Very chill and in a random little area.

Lunch/Dinner:
-Second Bar + Grill - one of my favorites. It's just really good food! I've loved everything I've ordered. The buffalo fried pickles or avocado fundido for an app. The pizza with the tobacco onions (trust me) is the best!

-Moonshine - You can literally order a shot of moonshine, but I wouldn't recommend it! A great menu full of updated classics.

-Sago in the Triangle - Great queso. Chilaquiles & rellenos are the best.

-Shady Grove - ok this place is a trailer park turned restaurant. However, the food is good and it's a fun atmosphere.

-Walton's Fancy & Staple - One of Sandra Bullock's restaurants. Good for lunch....walk up and order sandwiches, etc.

-Bess Bistro - Sandra Bullock's fancier restaurant. Really, really good food.

Hopdoddys - Delicious burgers!

FoodHeads - Cute house, serious sandwiches.

G'Raj Mahal - Indian food trailer with a fun outdoor seating area.

Zocalo's - Get the queso & a carafe of sangria to start...if with other people. The zocalo salad with jicama & fried goat cheese is spot on.

Galaxy Cafe - Sister to zocalo's. Big menu. I always get the sandwich with Brie, because you can't go wrong there!

Hipery Loves Company

Hip•er•y: acting like a hipster
*from the Red Velvet Revival Dictionary

I'm in Austin for work this week and being in this town makes me want to eat vegetarian, not let my car idle, and wear mix matched prints. This all fades as i hop on my private jet (What up, SWA!) back to Dallas. I'm lucky enough to be in Austin about once a month and do my best to eat at only local places, trying new places as often as possible.

Tonight I tried out Maoz. Pronounced like wows, but with a M....not ma-yo like a misinformed yelped said. Now, Maoz is actually a chain, but I've never been and they're a Euro chain, so I felt justified. They're know for their falafel and their menu is simple. We're talking 3 options with some different add-ons. I chose the #2 which included a 1/2 Maoz pita (3 falafel & lettuce), Belgium fries (AKA French fries or Freedom fries -- remember that one?), and a drink. Since I got it to go, they gave me a container to fill up on their salad bar. I chose a few different things and 3 sauces. Their garlic sauce was the best! The meal was $7.50 and plenty of food. I honestly couldn't imagine getting a #1 which is, as you can probably guess, a full Maoz pita. The food was all very good & I would definitely go back.

*I'm posting from my phone, so I've added pics but I don't know where they're going to show up. I also don't know how to format on here, but all my "avid readers" have requested more posts! Beggars can't be choosers. Man, I'm on a roll with my sayings tonight.

One last thing...Maoz serves fresh lemonade and iced tea. They also offer an "Arnold Palmer" which I thought everyone knew was a mix of the two. Wrong. While waiting for my food a girl about my age asked for a refill, stumbling over her words and saying something like "umm, Arna Palma or whatever that is." The worker nicely says the proper name and follows that with "I don't know where that name even came from." Come on, people. We are in the South, this is our thing! I am my father's child and could let these people go uninformed so I butted in and told them who Arnold Palmer was and how the drink got its name. They both looked confused and unconvinced, but I felt so much better.

I plan to do a post soon with some of my favorite Austin spots...get ready!

Family, Food, & Funnies

My parents came in this weekend for Easter & we had a really great time. I don't know about you, but my parents don't know how to sit & relax. I love them for this, because we always get lots done, but it also makes me want to take a nap like nobody's business! That's what Sunday afternoons are for, right?!

One thing I finally checked off my to-do list was to find a way to store my Christmas wreath. I know, I know, it's April. The Container Store pulled through, of course! This box is by no means dainty, but it does the job beautifully. They're having a spring organization sale now too.

 

We celebrated Easter on Saturday night with dinner at Breadwinners. Yay, another chance to try more menu items! Considering my dad wanted to drive to Denton and have some "authentic" Mexican food, I felt Breadwinners was a personal victory for me. Dad chose Chicken &Waffles - no surprise there. I pulled up the menu and showed him before we left. My mom and I split the hummus appetizer and the salmon entree which came with asparagus and a risotto cake. I didn't really know you could make risotto any better, but frying it obviously did the trick. My Ma-Maw went too and had the Shrimp Po-Boy, but she didn't really understand why I wanted to take a picture of it and just started enjoying. 

After dinner we stopped in Kohl's, because I had a 20% off coupon and I have a hard time not using a coupon. I found a maxi dress (I'm officially obsessed with them) and some new black wedges. Hello, Summer Wardrobe! I'm not sure when the update happened, but Kohl's fitting room had a makeover. I thought these signs above the room's hooks were hilarious.

Yesterday, we all went to FUMC for Easter Service. This is the church my whole family grew up in, so it was great to see everyone. The sermon was about the before & after of Easter and Christ's resurrection. A funny story that was told:

One day a woman was doing the dishes and as she looked out the window she noticed her dog had something in its mouth. She rushed outside to find the neighbor's pet rabbit hanging lifeless from the dog's teeth. Of course, these were the neighbor she never really got along with. Frantic, she took the rabbit inside and washed it off. She then took the rabbit to her bathroom where she used her blow dryer to restore its "fluffiness." Feeling that the rabbit looked okay, she quietly snuck over to the neighbor's yard and put the rabbit in its habitat. A few hours later, she heard the expected cry of anguish. She innocently peered over the fence and asked, "Is there something wrong?" The neighbor looked up and said, "Our rabbit died two weeks ago and we buried him in the yard!"

HAHA! That was not where I thought the story was going during church. A few more Easter funnies:

My sister got me this signing hen from Hallmark...hilarious!

And a real "peep show"...inappropriate, but laughable!

Let's Recap

I obviously survived the 13 tornadoes that hit DFW. I spent yesterday afternoon in the downstairs bathroom with pillows, a flashlight, some valuables, and Easter candy...I was prepared! My mom told me to put my heaviest coat on which led to me almost sweating to death. The coat wasn't necessary, but Cindy doesn't mess around with tornadoes and I felt obligated to wear it.

Ever wonder what 40 or so 2nd graders sound like while taking cover from a tornado? This video is hilarious and pathetic all at the same time. Poor kiddos! *Don't mind the finger (?) or lack of footage..the noise is enough.

Let's back up to this weekend. I flew to Houston for a garage sale. That's dedication to bargain hunting right there! Actually, it was a fundraiser for the Guatemala mission trip I'm taking in July. I left my house at 6:45AM thinking it would be just another morning at the airport. Ha, I was way off! A woman, rocking mom jeans and too many bags, got on my parking shuttle and I just knew she was going to be on my flight. Before we got to the gate though, I had to get my palms wiped/scanned by TSA, witness two TSA-ers get into an argument, and watch said lady try to roll her suitcase through the metal detector. I was also "chosen" to do the body scan. Something on my leg set it off, so I got a pat down too. Once I finally made it out of security, I checked the monitors to realize my flight had been canceled. I headed to the earlier flight and was able to get on...B44. If you know me at all, you know that I'm crazy about checking in and like to be in the early A group for Southwest. While lining up to board, guess who was B43? Yep, that same lady. She then started STRETCHING. Like hands over her head and then some calf raises. She of course chose a middle seat next to a "don't sit by me, I'm wearing big headphones for a reason" man and wanted my advice on how to get her bag in the overhead bin. I found space for my bag towards the back of the plane and an aisle seat close by. Score, right? No. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a woman who was large & in charge and decided to do her whole face of makeup on the plane. At one point, she was balancing three brushes and two compacts in her hand. She then added a Dr. Pepper and peanuts into the mix...it got real.

I spent the rest of Friday helping my sister up at the church where the garage sale would take place. I picked up a few things to buy and wouldn't you know, my sister had donated all of them. She made me pay for them, too! The garage sale was a huge success...we made $5,000! That's a lot of junk! After the garage sale, my parents treated us to dinner at the Monument Inn. I was too busy enjoying all the yummy food to snap any pics. We also got our Easter presents...candy and money are always a hit! (If you've never had a Peepster, you're missing out. Run to CVS right now!)

I flew home Sunday and while there were no major hiccups, I did sit in front of three high school girls who had never been on a plane. There was lots of, "OMG!" and "AHHHH THIS IS SO SCARY!" I had to remind myself that I was once an annoying high schooler and give them a break. While waiting for my flight there was a blind woman using an iphone. It was fascinating. I tried not to stare, but it's pretty amazing what technology can do now! 

I had lots of  pictures to add (including one of the fascinating blind woman), but my computer doesn't want to upload them in the right direction and frankly three times is too many tries. Hopefully the video is satisfying enough :)