Measuring up

This is why I cook...






This is why I don't bake...


Seriously? I love to cook because you can improvise...add a little of this and a little of that, omit this, substitute that and so on. However, baking is a completely different story. I hate measuring and there is very little room for mistakes. As you can see, I added too much of something to the homemade frosting and my strawberry cake split apart like the freaking San Andreas fault. I think I will stick to cooking. Tonight I'm making braised short ribs over creamy polenta. Stay tuned for pics and the recipe!

20 things you might not (or might) know about me....

1. The first thing I notice about someone is their teeth. (Mine have gone a little crooked so I'm currently doing invisalign...should be finished in April)

2. I cry EVERY single time I watch The Biggest Loser and Grey's Anatomy.

3. I did a national Walmart commercial...See Below. LOL!

4. If I could only take 2 things with me to a deserted island it would be chapstick and tweezers.

5. I have been to the gym 4-6 times a week since Feb 23rd of last year. The "Rooney curse" is officially gone...later muffin top!

6. I can do the alphabet in sign language.

7. I have never been to Canada or Mexico.

8. In college, I was the weather girl on a local am radio station.

9. I eat an apple a day.

10. I believe what goes around comes around. Unfortunately, it has come back around to me a few times.

11. I'm named after Richard Nixon's daughter.

12. I would love to be a storm chaser. I've never seen a tornado.

13. I love to cook, but hate to bake because you have to measure.

14. I flew for the first time when I was 20 years old. ( to Sarasota Florida...the second time I flew was to Melbourne Australia...alone!)

15. I have Vanilla Ice downloaded on my iTunes, Ice Ice Baby

16. I'm afraid of heights and hate driving over bridges, but I don't mind flying.

17. I can remember the season and year a song was the most popular, but only songs from 1986-1997. Weird, I know.

18. I have used dove soap as long as I can remember and I always take a bar with me when I travel.

19. I have never tried an illegal drug.

20. I think people that drive smart cars are kind of stupid. Especially here in Texas...um hello...you are going to get crushed by an SUV!

Walmart - Trish (2004) 0:30 (USA)

Quote of the Day

Kate and I were on our way to the gym this morning and out of nowhere this is what she says...

"Mommy, I want a sister so I don't have to grow up all by myself."

This child is wise beyond her years.

Quote of the Day

Kate will basically only wear dresses, but I prefer her to wear pants to the gym. So, after 20 minutes of chasing her around the house (a workout in itself), I finally got a pair of pants on her by bribing her with a piece of gum. She just learned to chew gum without swallowing it which is soooo cute.

5 minutes later...

"Mommy, I can't chew my gum with these pants on!"

Happy New Year!!!!

I usually don't make a new year's resolution, but this year I decided to give it a whirl. So, I have decided to complain less and just go with the flow. Three days down...362 more to go

Kate's Gingerbread House

The North Pole Express

Grapevine Texas is such a wonderful place to visit this time of year! They fancy themselves to be the Christmas capital of Texas and I believe it! I'm sure most of you have seen the movie "The Polar Express" and they do a wonderful job of recreating that same feel here in Texas. It was a pretty cold night so that helped to feel more like the winter wonderland that this Midwest girl is used to at Christmastime:) Kate even had her PJ's on!


Yes, that is a chip hanging out of her mouth


My two favorite people in the whole world


The train conductor


SNOW!!!


KJ and Mommy on the train


Mrs Claus


The real star of the show...SANTA!!!!!!

The vintage train


And no evening is complete without a trip to Chilis and mommy and KJ being silly!