SLOPPY JOES!!!!!

These are Evgani Malkin's parents. They have mostly nothing to do with this post, but they are still pretty awesome. 

Here is the real post now.

Friends, I have just finished dinner (as in, I rinsed my sticky fingers and rannnn to my computer) and I HAVE to share our dinner with you, because it was so out of this world delicious.

Side note: I have been craving El Charro and also Primanti Bros. ALLLLLLL DAYYYYY LONGGGGG, so it was not easy to put aside those cravings, but this almost matches them.

Please IMMEDIATELY go and make these. They are from The Pioneer Woman, and I can't even describe how yummy and satisfying they are.

They are low cal (no)
They are healthy (probably no)
They are tasty (definitely yes)

SO YUMMY!!!

Here are my adaptations:

1.) We used partially frozen beef. Mostly because we forgot to let it completely defrost before we threw it in the pan. Does this contribute? I don't know, but I wanted to add it just in case.

2.) We also used more onion. Because I just kept chopping and we are onion people. It's healthy for you?

3.) I omitted the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and Tabasco sauce (we didn't have any) (we didn't feel like buying it)

4.) I threw in a squirt of yellow mustard because we didn't have dry mustard.

5.) I added more chili powder than called for...I know. Shock of shocks, because I am NOT usually a spicy spicy flavor person, but I thought WHAT THE HECK and just did it. Then I spilled it on my foot and the floor and the counter, ugh.

6.) I eyeballed the red pepper flakes, but probably did about 4 or 5 shakes around the pan.

7.) DEFINITELY you need to toast the buns. It makes them extra heavenly. I used wheat buns to pretend we were being healthy. (pffffft)

8.) Make fries with this. I know it says potato chips but...hot fries from the oven are equally amazing.

9.) ADD SOME CHEESE! I added Provolone as soon as I heaped the sloppy joe-ness (aka mmmmm) onto the toasty bun and it got all melty and the bun was crusty and the joe-ness was sloppy, but in the best way possible. I want another.

(If you're confused about the "we" and "I" switching around, Ben did help with getting the meat ready, then he got upset about the beef accidentally being kind of frozen and went to read sports/reddit articles on the computer and made the fries as well. They were yummy fries.)

Pioneer Woman rocks. Go make this. I have to lie down because I am stuffeddddddd.

By the way, these are good in that Sidney Crosby is back and multiple players are scoring 3 to 4 points per game and Malkin has ridiculously cool parents and the Pittsburgh Penguins are in beast mode way.

Yeah. THAT good.

Love and hat tricks,

~A

My Rainy Day

It's a rainy leap day hump day, which means I:

decided that the 40 minutes of straight jumping activities, followed by flat-out running for Follow the Leader counts as my exercise for today

came home to an extra snuggly cat who watched Paula Deen with me

toasted two (!!) pieces of homemade bread and topped them with strawberry jam as a snack

drank a deliciously warm and cozy mug of tea while looking out the window at the rain and feeling glad I was inside

put on slippers to keep my feet extra toasty and snuggly

For some odd reason I love rainy days, don't you?

~A

Pittsburgh Penguins: Filet Mignon Game

The game this afternoon was perfect.

And it was my sister's (almost) first time seeing a live hockey game. Her first one was when she was an infant, so not much participation from her back then.

But seriously, this was everything you could ask for in a hockey game.

The game was at home, in a gorgeous arena. She had a brand new (birthday) jersey on, new Pens earrings, and a new hat as well.

Before the first period was over, the Penguins were winning 3-0. Kunitz scored first, then Cooke, and then Staal. To make it more awesome, Staal scored a short-handed breakaway goal, always AWESOME to watch.

By the end of the second period, then Pens were winning 5-1, and the game had a few fights, which always livens up the fans.

The third period, though, was where the magic happened. Earlier on in the game, Malkin and Tampa Bay's goalie had an altercation, which resulted in the goalie shoving Malkin down. Well Malkin decided to get even by scoring a bunch of goals. 3 to be exact. Which is a HAT TRICK!!! What a cool thing to see at a game!!

And the Pens won, 8-1.

And they are going to the Melting Pot tomorrow to celebrate Kathryn's 10th birthday!

GOAL. OF. THE. YEAR! (Malkin's second goal of the afternoon, btw)

Oh man. Reminds me of Mario. 

I love hockey. So much.

~A

Friday Night Fun

Combine this with Ben's Workout Mix...OUCH!!

~A

Hodgepodge

It's Ash Wednesday!

There are about 24095729487 things I want to post about, so hopefully I can get a few cleared up today, and we'll see where we are from there.

First and foremost, um, did you watch Glee?!? I kind of flipped out because it was one of the best episodes ever. Also Smash was really good on Monday. And New Girl continues to make both Ben and I laugh until we start crying.

Secondly, the Pens got a shutout last night against the Rangers (!!) and it's also the 32nd anniversary of Herb Brooks' Miracle speech (he later went on to coach the Pens)

I'm hoping we will be able to get our kids to do this speech one day too :)

Thirdly, can you believe Lent is upon us already? Ben and I are giving up ice cream (goodness gracious!) and I am adding exercising and letter writing to my daily schedule. Today I barely made it through a session of P90X, although I did sweat a LOT.

Fourthly, I just finished this book:

It was super awesome. 

Now I'm re-reading this book:

I'm trying to be happier each day. I even bought Ben a newspaper to read JUST CAUSE! 

Fifthly (?) we had tacos last night. Yes. With guacamole. It was devine. 

Sixthly, it's almost spring break and I am getting so so SO excited to have a week to just relax. This is a hint for lots of people to come and visit. We can watch you eat Creamery ice cream. 

Seventhly. I kind of just wanted to type seventhly.

Happy Lenting!

~A

Valentine's DAYYYYY!

What a crazy out-of-control day today.

School was wild, the weather is this gross snowy, rainy, slushy mess, and I think I lost my core (Seinfeld...anyone?) because I am freezing!!!

But check out what's on the way for me from my one and only true love (he ordered it, but it isn't here yet)

I got him underwear, socks, and a new pizza paddle. 

We're in love :)

~A

Oh my pizza!

All I have to say is...

really Paula? Really?!

it's called We Need to Talk Chocolate Pizza

I am appalled. 

I also have decided I want to be Paula Deen when I grow up. But minus the diabetes.

~A