Dinner Party Delight

Last night I was treated to yet again another fabulous dinner party hosted by my cousin Kelly. What a great mix of women and conversation and amazing dishes. We laughed and talked for hours, sharing all sorts of random bits of information. There is always harmony with good conversation and food... as if they were just meant to go together. I think meals with friends with laughter and heartfelt words are what makes life so sweet, and Kelly knows how to pair the two so well. Bravo.

Kelly has all the delicious details\recipes posted here. Definitely make the soup sometime. My new favorite!

Re-Cap

I don't know what is happening but i have majorly been slacking on the blog-ola. The last 3 days I have hardly even looked at my blog... even at work when i get bored. I guess I'm just busy at work, or I have other things on my mind. Nevertheless, This is what i have been up to:

Wednesday night, Shannon, Ellen, Kelly and I went to a Shecky's Girl's Night Out event at the MPLS Depot. There we were treated to complimentary cocktails sponsored by various companies including Midori or as Kelly called them McDorky's. There were tons of jewelry, clothes, purses, shoes... a girly girls heaven. We even got some SWAG with a goodie bag full of fun things.

I took Thursday off and my plans were to go to the Russian Museum of Art to see the Impressionist exhibit, but it didn't work out. Instead I had the inspection for my house. Which lasted a whopping four hours! But the inspector was very thorough and showed me every little detail of my home. And despite a few minor things to repair\look into, he declared it a very nice house! To which I then said to him, "Are you sure there is nothing MAJORLY wrong with it???" translation: Please tell me there is something horribly wrong so i can back out now!

But he assured me that it was all good. SO i guess I'm really going to be a homeowner. I found myself getting panicky thinking, what have i got myself into??? But then i just thought of having a place of my own and having a place where people could come over anytime and i could entertain to my little heart's content. Because really that is what i want my home to be, a place where everyone feels welcomed, loved and well fed!

Friday was really sweet because my supervisor gave me a beautiful Azalea plant and balloon for Secretary's Day. Because although i just tell people that i am a Librarian for a living, my true title is Media Center Clerk. nerd.

Once work was done i was planning to go home and relax but decided to bring my favorite Shrimp and Scallop stew with Israeli Cous Cous over to Kyle and Kelly's. Kyle said earlier, Oh wow, the Cous Cous is bringing some cous cous. get it?

Kelly was in full prep mode for her dinner party tonight (can't wait, yumyumyum) so i was happy to bring a meal over. Serendipity struck when Kelly overcooked the pie, because then we HAD to eat it and it was goood. Well Kyle and i thought it was pretty good since we almost ate the whole thing! Kelly and I set the table and decided to invite a special guest to dine with us... Dwight Schrute.

Nerd Fleurs

Part of the reason of wanting to own a house is for the gardening. I am a lover of flowers and plants... and i so desperately miss have a garden of my own. I do like growing vegetables but there is something about flowers that bring me complete happiness. Kelly asked me to blog about the types of flowers i am going to grow. Now this totally opens up a can of worms... where to begin? I have had a vision for the most amazing garden for years... but that would be a huge project and this back yard I'm obtaining is not that large. Although the backyard is already beautifully landscaped with many perennials and rose bushes. There is a fountain and a trellis gazebo that i am so excited to grow vines and morning glories around it and create a little hidden oasis for al fresco lunches in the summer. I am going to mostly focus my energy on planting annuals... although I really want to grow my 2 favorite flowers... dahlias and hollyhocks.

Dahlias are tubers and I hope that it will not be too late to plant by the time i move in and hollyhocks are bi-annuals and they are tricky.

For annuals i am thinking a mix of sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, petunias, snapdragons, pansies and others as i make my final decisions.

Im sure i will grow some gladiolas too. I will have to wait and see what comes up as far as perennials, so perennials might come later in the fall. Plus i will have a delish herb garden for all my cooking needs... mmmm fresh basil, thyme and cilantro! I have theories about growing flowers and plants that i will not get into, which would most certainly add to my nerdiness. Growing something isn't just sticking a seed in the ground and hoping it will grow... no no no, there are methods and techniques that are crucial for proper gardening.

Sometimes i wonder if i just have uber-nerd written all over me? I like all genres of literature, but i am a closet science fiction geek. I have my own theories on parallel universes and time travel and if i were better at math i just might be a quantum physicists. I work in a library, I am in love with literature. And plants are exciting and i almost went to school for botany. NERD!

And yet i play flaky really well as not to scare people with my nerdiness. Maybe i should just learn to embrace it! HOWEVER! you will never see me at a Star Trek convention! ew.

OUI!!!

This weekend was one of those weekends just for pure enjoyment. Work on Friday was actually pretty fun too, with a little party and a cake I made. It was also Jeanelle's Birthday (Happy 30th Jeanelle! You are wonderful!)
Friday night i had some friends over and we ate treats, talked and laughed. A lot. Saturday Shannon and i went to Ikea & the Mall of America for some power shopping. Have I told you i kinda don't like IKEA and the MOA bugs. But Shannon and i still found ways to have fun and amuse ourselves no matter what we do. I am not ashamed to say that we might still possibly be stuck in jr. high. Which reminds me of a few months ago when Shan and i went to a movie. When we walked into the theatre no one was in there. Sitting there on the top row with my Sour Patch Kids, I said, "Do you think I can throw one of these and hit the screen?" She told me to give it a whirl... So as hard as I could I whipped a sour patch kid at the screen. I didn't hit it, but Shan also needed to give it a try. So the next thing you know we are 30 something women throwing candy at a movie screen. Kinda reminds me of the time in 10th grade when we repeatedly smashed my car into a snow bank. I guess we will never grow up. HA!
Saturday night Kyle and Kelly totally invited themselves over to use me for my cable so they could watch the WILD game. They ate my food and drank my soda and then left a big fat mess. They insulted my cat and smelled up the place. I am so over them.
Sunday I had a perfect day of lounging and cleaning and enjoying solitude. I started to re-read Les Miserables... from the last half of course, because that is the best half. I was inspired to re-read it per a conversation I had on Friday. I haven't read one good book lately and so I decided to revisit a classic, my favorite. So brilliantly lovely and beautiful.

I feel like I am forgetting to tell something, hmmm... Oh yeah, I'm a homeowner.
It's official, the house is mine... May 16th is the closing date. I think I must be dreaming!!!!

My Name is NOT Samantha!

I have this small problem. Well it's not really my problem, its other people's problem that become mine! When people first meet me or they cant remember my name or think they remembered my name but really didn't, they call me Samantha! My whole life I have been Samantha. I know it is somewhat similar to Sabrina but really its not even that close. I could see if people messed up and called me Serena or Selina or even Sabena... but Samantha. It happens on a pretty consistent basis that i am thinking about getting a T-shirt or bumper sticker that says, My name is not Samantha. Although, that might be a cool name for a band.
I know other people have had similar name debacles. please share...

The house

Im trying not to jinx anything... but if i were to get a house, it would be this one.

Senorita

I think this might be one of my new favs... Super-duper quick and easy! After dinner I met with my realtor to finalize some VIP house paperwork. Then I went and picked out paint samples. It's getting close...

Spanish Shrimp and Farfalle

Health Magazine April 2008

Makes 4 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook: 13 minutes
Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked farfalle

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped onion

1⁄2teaspoon dried thyme

1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1⁄2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives

Instructions:

1. Cook farfalle according to package directions; drain.
2. Toss shrimp with cumin, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes per side; remove from skillet.
3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet. Add onion, thyme, and cinnamon; cook until onions are soft, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to high and add orange juice, vinegar, tomatoes, and olives; cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add shrimp and remove from heat. Toss with farfalle and orange zest, and serve. (Serving size: 2 cups)

Nutrition:Calories 417 (22% from fat); Fat 10g (sat 2g, mono 6g, poly 2g); Cholesterol 168mg; Protein 28g; Carbohydrate 53g; Sugars 7g; Fiber 5g; Iron 6mg; Sodium 870mg; Calcium 84mg