Ant Loses a Bet

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

November 08, 2009

Final Score: Cowboys 20, Eagles 16

Take a good look. These are once in a lifetime pictures. If you don't already know, I'm a huge Cowboys fan and Anthony is a huge Philly Eagle Fan. I'm not sure why. He's a born and raised Texan. He's never even been to Philly! Go figure. Well, we decided to make a bet on the game. If his precious Eagles lost, he had to wear a Cowboys t-shirt to work. The funny part of the whole thing? He suggested we go and get a t-shirt "just in case". That's right. He picked out this shirt all by himself. I have to admit, he was a good sport about it!

I even let him take a "Boo Cowboys" picture.

I'm not sure why he wanted to take a picture with the Eagle helmet (which was the cake topper on his groom's cake at our wedding). The good luck kiss he gave it before the game didn't do any good!

I wish this crazy Eagle fan would just admit that my team is better than his. Someday he'll figure it out.

I still love him...despite this flaw :)

A California Guy Visits Texas

My long-time awesome friend Kap decided to take a trip and visit Texas. This would be his second visit to our Lone Star State. His first was for Anthony and I's wedding. He didn't really get to see anything that first time, so I'm glad he decided to mosey on over this way again. Although we didn't get to take him everywhere we wanted to, I think (at least I hope) he had a good time.











Of course, we had to take him to the Stockyards. What better way is there to welcome a California man to DFW than with the smell of livestock? He loved it, I know he did! (haha) He tried his hardest to "fit in" with his Texas accent. While I give him credit for trying, it was bad. Sorry Kap, your "y'alls" need a tad bit more work :)






We did get him to try on a hat or two. He didn't get one because he says his "noggin" is too big. Everything's bigger in Texas Kap, we would have found you one!

He claims he's not much of a drinker. The man had more margarita's than I did! It's too bad that we didn't get him drunk. He'd a been a hoot to mess with! haha

We got him to sit on a horse. Well, sort of. I tried to talk him into getting on a mechanical bull but he wasn't having it. So I guess to compromise, he got on a mechanical horse. The poor little kids were begging him to get off so they could ride it! Haha, just kidding. We didn't put any money in the horse. He wasn't properly padded up and we didn't want him getting hurt in case he fell off. In the end though (pun intended), he went home saying that he got to touch some Texas ass :)

Kap's a Doger's fan. Unfortunately they weren't playing while he was here, so we took him to the Ballpark to watch the Rangers play the Angels. Little did we know, they moved the game up so we missed the first inning or so. That sucked, but we still had fun.

The Rangers won 3-2. Go Rangers! What a great shot of an Angel taking the "walk of shame". See ya suckahs :P

Beer Bread

Thanks to my high school friend Leanne, I've made my first Beer Bread. It was so easy to make and smelled yummy baking! I have to be honest though. While it was still delicious the next day, I liked it better the day I made it. It was soft on the inside and hard on the outside. So good right out of the oven. Like I said, it was still very good the next day, the outside had just gotten softer and I prefer it to be a little crunchier. Maybe I stored it wrong but either way, a big "Thank You" to Leanne for the recipe :)

Beer Bread

1 can/bottle beer of choice
3 cups self rising flour
½ cup sugar (less if you don't want it sweet)

Mix everything together.

Bake in loaf pan at 350º for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Frozen Mini Cinnamon Coffee Cheesecakes

Frozen Mini Cinnamon Coffee Cheesecakes

While on a quest to eating better, I've had fun trying new recipes. The challenge is satisfying Anthony's sweet tooth. The man has to have a dessert every night...and during the day...haha!

I found this recipe on the Weight Watchers website. They're made with Splenda and surprisingly, they're pretty good! So good, Anthony ate two of them the first time I made them. I've made them twice and they've been a hit both times. The second time I made them, I didn't quite put the full amount of Splenda it calls for. Also, in half the mix I added cocoa powder to make them chocolaty. The chocolate ones were topped with half of a maraschino cherry and the regular ones were topped with pineapple tidbits. I'm not a fan of raspberries so I picked something else. Yum!

Frozen Mini Cinnamon Coffee Cheesecakes

Weight Watcher Points Value: 2

Servings: 12

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 3 Hours 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

12 Ginger Snaps

2 Tablespoons Decaffeinated Instant Coffee granules

1 Tablespoon Water

½ Cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1 (8 ounce) package Light Cream Cheese Spread

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups Lite Cool Whip Whipped Topping

1 cup fresh raspberries

Instructions:

1. Line 12 muffin cups with paper muffin liners. Place one cookie in bottom of each muffin cup. Set aside.

2. Mix coffee granules and water in large bowl until coffee is dissolved. Add Splenda, cream cheese, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat with wire whisk until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping.

3. Spoon evenly over cookies in muffin pan. Top each cheesecake evenly with raspberries. Cover and freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

4. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Yields one mini cheesecake per serving.

**I can't wait to try making them with pumpkin puree and adding pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg with the cinnamon instead of the coffee!

Team Cisneros To The Rescue!

Earlier this evening, Anthony and I made a quick trip to North East Mall. He's got a big project due for school on Monday and they have to dress nice for the presentations. He wanted to get a new tie, so we decided to try Sears. We ended up getting a nice one on sale (with no tax!) at Macy's, but that's beside the point.

We were walking out to our car and we watched this red suburban start to pull out of its parking spot. In a loud voice, Anthony said something like..."watch it, you're gonna hit that car". Well, sure enough the suburban hit the Acura SUV that was parked in a handicap spot. We both watched as the Acura moved forward and then back into place as the red culprit changed gears and moved forward itself. We were both thinking that it was going to hit the car that was once beside but was now in front, also. It didn't. The suburban started to pull away and Anthony and I both started yelling for it to stop and that he/she had rear ended the Acura. Finally they stopped and a Hispanic lady opens the driver side door. I told her that she had hit that car and of course she said "no, no". Anthony and I proceeded to tell her that we watched her hit it. She kept saying over and over again "it's okay, it's no problem". She says this as we're all looking at the dent in the Acura's rear bumper. Idiot. She asks us more than once if it's our car and of course we tell her no, but what difference did that make? She still hit it. So, as Anthony is arguing with her, I pull out a pen from my purse and find the back of a receipt to start writing on. I take down her plate number, and the company information that is so conveniently printed on one of those magnets which is displayed on the front doors. Got the company name, two phone numbers and an e-mail address. Thank you very much! After the lady drove off...because "it's no problem"... we had to laugh at a few things. 1) The driver was a lady 2) She was Hispanic 3) The suburban was loaded with kids 4) The company listed on the side of the door was for a lawn care service. Am I stereotyping? Yes. So deal with it! :)

Well, we went back inside Sears and asked the people at the checkout by the doors, in clear sight of where the action took place, if they could page the owners of the Acura with the plate number blah blah blah. They happily did and even gave me a new piece of paper so I could re-write the information I had scribbled down. While doing so, we saw the suburban drive by again! I guess they had to check things out one more time. A few minutes later we left the information on the windshield of the dented SUV with our phone numbers in case they had questions. As we drove off, we found a mall security guy, honked him down and told him what happened. I gave him all the information we had left on the windshield and that was that!

Yay for us doing a good deed! Just call us, Team Cisneros, the New Rescue Rangers!! :)

I Hate Chocolate Chip Cookies!

It's true! Well, sort of. I don't really hate the chocolate chip cookie. They are after all, very yummy! I just hate baking them!!!! They NEVER come out good. Wait, let me clarify again. They come out tasting okay, they just don't look good. And darn it, I want them to look pretty! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've tried different recipes, and today I tried using a different brand of flour and sugar. Maybe it's because I mix everything by hand instead of using a mixer. Or maybe it's because I spray the cookie sheets when it says to place on an ungreased one. Or maybe it's because the chocolate chip cookie can sense that my speciality cookie is the snickerdoodle. Yes, I can make a mean snickerdoodle. I guess that's what I'm going to have to live with making forever. Which I'm okay with. Not to toot my own horn but they're SOOOO good :)

Like I said, the chocolate chip cookies came out tasting okay. I just don't know why they look so bad. Now, the batch I made today showed a little bit of improvement. They weren't AS flat as usual. Usually they come out paper thin and hollow underneath. Don't ask me how that happens but of I can produce something that comes hollow while being so thin, I guess that's a talent...right? So I'm thinking the change in flour and/or sugar brands made a little bit of a difference. I don't know. All I know is that I want them to look like the cookies on the Toll House® commercials that we've all seen. And yes, that's the recipe I used today. You know, one would think that with my having a mom who makes beautiful and yummy cakes, I'd be able to make a simple chocolate chip cookie! WRONG!

Any advice? Until then, I guess I'll stick with my snickerdoodles :)

Baby Faced Anthony

Well, it turns out that last night Anthony got some kind of burr up his behind and decided to shave his goatee off. I've never seen him without any facial hair, he's always had a goatee. Now, sometime last year he got that burr and decided to shave off everything but his moustache. That took a little getting used to but thank goodness he grew everything back. This time, I have to admit it's not so bad. Yes, he looks like a total different guy. I think he looks so much younger! Makes me feel like a cougar...haha! I know he doesn't like it but I don't think I mind this look. With or without, I still think he's handsome :)

Kool-Aid®

Dear Kool-Aid® Man,

Oh Kool-Aid®, how you remind me of my youth! You were there for me after school and on hot days when playing outside. Where did you go when I got older? You were so nice to take the back seat and let the sodas and tea take your place. You didn't say a word, you just stepped aside. BUT WAIT! You've come back to me! Oh how I've missed you!!! Welcome back to my world :) I have a feeling, you'll never be in the back seat again!

So it's true. Until I met Anthony, I really hadn't had Kool-Aid® since I was little. Now, I'm seriously making a pitcher of it almost everyday! I need to buy stock in this stuff! Well, I guess technically Kraft Foods®. We don't even have kids and we're going through it like water! What's going to happen when we do have kids? I know...

...We'll just have to buy a house with it's own watering system that comes from a private water well. Then, I can just dump as much Kool-Aid® in the well and it'll come out the tap. Imagine it, every time you turn on the kitchen sink Kool-Aid® would come out! I know my husband would LOVE that! What about washing? Eh...that's what water bottles are for :P

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make another pitcher. It seems my wonderful husband left it sitting on the counter empty and unwashed last night. He's so nice :P Let's see...cherry was the last flavor...think I'll go with grape this time.

Pizza Dough

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my sister for sharing this recipe with me! It seems I've married the Pizza Monster! I think Anthony would eat pizza everyday if he could! When my sister told me they make their own, I couldn't wait to try it out! The dough is so easy to make and it really is good. I haven't tried making a thin crust by just using half the dough but I bet it'd be just as yummy.

I add some garlic powder, dried oregano, basil and a little rosemary to the dough to flavor it. Probably about a Tablespoon of each. I don't measure it, I just throw it in. I don't think you could mess it up :)

For the sauce, I use a small can (8oz) of no salt added tomato sauce. To that I add a little sugar, a tiny bit of salt and dried Italian seasonings. Taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed. I set it aside and let the flavors meld together while I start working on everything else.

3 cups flour

1 (.25oz) pkg active dry yeast (I use the rapid rise)

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup warm water

Combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast in large bowl. (I add the spices at this point too). Mix in oil and warm water. Cover with a towel and let sit for about 10 minutes. Spread out on large pizza pan or stone. Add desired toppings.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Married Life

Well, I can honestly say that married life has been interesting so far. Later this month will be our six-month-aversary. It doesn't really feel like I'm married, but yet it does. Strange, but true.

Our wedding was definitely a day we'll never forget. Neither will those that attended for that matter! We like to refer to it as a train wreck :) I'll go into that some other time. We didn't get to go on a honeymoon because Anthony's still in school. He'll be done at the end of this month! Yay! I'm so proud of him! We'll go on a trip eventually :)

I got laid off from radio a year ago this month. That hasn't helped contribute to the first year of wedded bliss. It's been tough. Although I've had a few interviews lately, none of them have turned into a job offer. I'll keep you updated on things on that end as they arise.

The one thing I'm really enjoying since getting married is learning how to cook. It's so much fun! Although Ant has a somewhat strict diet and can be sort of picky (I'm being nice) I really am learning a lot. I would love to share my experiments in this blog thing. I've taken pictures of meals I've made and I'll post those along with the recipe. I'd love to get feedback if anyone should decide to try them!

So thanks for reading and starting my blog journey with me. Please take a minute to read the About Me section. Anthony wrote it, and I might have added my two cents in every now and then. It'll give you a little insight as to who we are.

Thanks again and welcome to our First Year of Marriage!!

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