shark hunt

splash

saturdays and pancakes

Fresh blueberry pancakes -- a perfect way to start a sunny weekend by the pool.

So yummy.

coming home

I'm sure it's a combination of factors ... like the fact that Ty gets home in less than two weeks after serving away from us for the past two years.

Or it might be the fact that I'm particularly prone to hormonal outbursts right now as a result of the baby girl I'm half-way finished carrying.

But most likely, it's just the simple fact that this is a display of the most beautiful, raw, and true emotion.

After watching this, I found it very difficult to dry my eyes for a while. It's beyond touching ... had to share.

gills and fins

Aidan is learning how to swim, and he adores it.

Sometimes my little guy can be a tad hesitant when it comes to trying new things, so I wasn't too sure how he'd take to this new little (but non-negotiable) adventure; however, my fears were totally unnecessary -- he's all over it!

The set-up at "Swim School" (as Aidan calls it) is perfect. He's in a very small class (four kids) with lots of instruction. The teacher basically throws 'em right into the action from the beginning, yet [obviously] supports them at the same time.

I'm the one who, in the end, was probably more nervous than he was -- silly, mom.

Ty is going to be super-proud when he sees his rescue swimmer in the making. :)

goggles

lunch date

I had the BEST lunch date today with my one-and-only little guy.

In a rare occasion, I was able to break away from work to surprise Aidan at preschool with a bag o' McDonald's and a milkshake.

His reaction was priceless and totally melted this mama's heart. And the fact that his teacher was reading I Love You, Stinky Face (one of our current favorite night time stories) when I arrived made it that much more special. He couldn't wait to share it with me.

Why has no brilliant scientist yet figured out the formula for freezing a moment? So much to cherish, so little time.

wine, cheese and baseball

It just doesn't get much better.

This Saturday, my hometown Houston Astros are hosting their inaugural Astros Wine and Cheese Night, just prior to the game against the visiting San Diego Padres at (game at 6:05 pm). The festivities will be from 4-6pm in the Union Station Lobby.

Ticket and pregame event includes:
* Two glasses of wine
* Light hors d'oeuvres
* Wine sampling
* Wine classes with Texas' first Master Sommelier Guy Stout
* Wine glass charm
* Silent auction to raise funds for Breast Cancer research

How great is this event?

Proceeds will benefit the Astros in Action foundation with a portion of the proceeds going directly to Breast Cancer research. Go pink for a great cause and enjoy a great event at Minute Maid Park!

an ode to the jalapeño

How I love thee, let me count the ways.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, amigos! ¡Felicidades!

In honor of today's events (aka, just another reason down here in Texas for us to drink margaritas and eat a bowl of chips and queso out on a sunny patio with friends), I thought I'd focus on my favorite pepper (technically, a fruit!) -- the jalapeño pepper.

The thing that's great about the jalapeño is the level of heat -- not too much, not too little -- total Goldilocks.

I honestly can't go more than a few days without eating a jalapeño. Most of the time, the green goddess finds herself on my plate at breakfast time on a taco, or a burger, or sliced and wedged in a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese.

Down here in the Lone Star State, the jalapeño possibilities are endless. You can order a jalapeño margarita (made from the oils/essence of the [boiled] pepper, mixed with a simple syrup and traditional margarita ingredients) -- a perfect blend. And you can't beat jalapeño jelly on cream cheese & crackers -- a perfect and quick appetizer. We grill 'em all the time in the back yard at most festivities, stuffed with cheese, shrimp and bacon. Williams-Sonoma makes the perfect accessory.

So again, Happy Cinco de Mayo, my hot little pepper. Thanks for adding so much spice to my life.

don't mess with the texas economy

Fiscal responsibility is something we take seriously down here in the Lone Star State -- so much so that state law requires a balanced budget.

Mike Shires at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, who develops the annual "Best Cities for Jobs" survey called this year "an awful year." Chances are good if you're not a government employee, you're hurting.

One other exception might be if you're living in Texas. The economy isn't what it used to be, but Texas has managed to avoid the massive bleeding that many other states have not. Half of the top-10 cities named on the Pepperdine list hail from the Lone Star State.

So without further ado, here's the list of the best cities for jobs:

# 1 - Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
# 2 - San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
# 3 - Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
# 4 - Northern Virginia, VA
# 5 - Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX
# 6 - Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

# 7 - Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

# 8 - Raleigh-Cary, NC
# 9 - Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE

# 10 - New York City, NY

oh, snap

My favorite garden flowers on the planet are snapdragons.

I adore this time of year when everything is in bloom and temps are steadily in the 70s and 80s -- sunshine galore.

But the best of the best is the snapdragons ... they're everywhere. Happiness on a stem.

posh cupcakes

From MingMakesCupcakes

Vanilla with Strawberry Filling and Milk Chocolate Glaze

Vanilla with Lemon Filling and Meringue Frosting

Vanilla Almond with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Sour Cream Raspberry with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sour Cream Chocolate with Nutella Frosting

better than frozen

Aidan has a bad cold and stayed home from school with his mama today.

We decided to add some excitement to an otherwise cloudy day by getting creative in the culinary department and making pizza for lunch.

... mine had mushrooms, Aidan's didn't. And we shared some giggles and forgot about cold medicine and kleenex for a little while.

how to order an [old school] martini

Maybe it's the fact that I haven't had one in months, but I love this oh-so crucial, yet informative bit from bartender, Karl Kozel:

The martini in its classic form was made with gin -- make no mistake about it -- and years ago a martini meant gin, period. Vodka has usurped gin for many years now as the base of choice, so that has to be considered in this discussion. It should also be understood that a classic martini contained dry vermouth and perhaps orange bitters, but we will leave the bitters out for now.

Now I am not here to tell anyone what proportions of vermouth to have, or whether you should order it shaken or not. I simply want to enlighten those of you who were born after WWII as to how it was done then, and how easy it is to get what you want by following these simple steps:

First: Call your base, either gin or vodka or your brand of choice, e.g., Beefeater or Stoli.

Second: Dry or Extra Dry or Wet (Dry=less vermouth; Extra Dry=no vermouth; Wet=extra vermouth)

Third: Choose "Up" or "On the Rocks"

Fourth: Your garnish, olives or a lemon twist. (With a cocktail onion the drink is called a Gibson, so you don't need to say onions just substitute Gibson for martini). They used to order them "Naked" if they didn't want a garnish, but I haven't heard that in a while.

Lastly: If the bartender looks like he/she knows what they are doing, and the establishment is one of high repute, you don't need to tell them whether to shake or stir, because they should know that you only shake if a cocktail contains ingredients other than booze like juices or cream, or if the customer requests it, or if the drink is called "dirty," which means with olive brine which then could be shaken).

class of 2033

My little girl is going to be representin' right from the start, thanks to her first Aggie gifts from Aunt B.

The only thing greater than maroon gear is maroon gear in a size newborn.

Whoop!

Tejano with a side of bacon

Such a great morning. We tried a new spot for breakfast and had a blast, as well as an incredible meal. The entire experience was a feast for the senses.

El Hidalguense is one of those "hole in the wall" dives that are a dime a dozen in Houston; however, this one stands out from the crowd by serving up some damn fine Mexican grub.

We picked a booth and settled in. I immediately loved the fact that instead of providing us with a basket of chips, we were instead given fresh taquitos with a bowl of smoky salsa.

The huge glass of orange juice I ordered took a while to arrive (I could've ordered a beer ... that's what everyone else was having with their breakfast!). But all was forgiven after my first sip -- it was freshly-squeezed and amazingly sweet. So, so good.

But the show-stopper was, without a doubt, the absolute best chilaquiles I've ever eaten -- served with a generous portion of fresh avacado, queso fresco, and pico de gallo on top. Seriously divine.

And the tortillas were made to order, piping hot and perfect.

The food was the best part ... but a very close second was the atmosphere. A band of three caballeros (Aidan called them the cowboy singers, as all three were wearing straw hats) struck up authentic Mexican music for us to enjoy while we dined. It felt like memories from the past of early morning, post-hang-over breakfasts, eaten down on the border after a summer night of margaritas and music, back when the border was safe. Great times.

I can't believe I've grown up and have lived less than 5 miles from this diamond in the rough, yet never found my way in before today. Shame on me.

cowboys and cabernet

If you're looking for a beautiful weekend get-away, The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio offers a great escape in the majestic Texas Hill Country.

Something that recently grabbed this wine-lover's attention is the wine tasting opportunity offered at La Cantera, featuring eight Texas vintners. From resort sommelier, Steven Krueger:

The other Texas wine opportunity we offer is the afternoon Texas wine tasting; from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on Wednesday through Saturday everyone is welcome to come to our bar, Steinheimer’s, where I am pouring two ounces of three different Texas wines for a nominal charge of five dollars. We offer three different wines each day, so if a guest came all four days they would taste twelve different Texas wines from seven different wineries! I am really enjoying pouring the Texas wines and I am encouraged by all the very positive compliments the wine receive. If you are in the area, please come by and say “hello.”

The twelve wines in the Texas Wine Tasting are (in no particular order):

1. Super Texan, Sangiovese Blend, Flat Creek Estate, Texas Hill Country, 2008
2. El Guapo, Tempranillo, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Texas Hill Country, 2004
3. Viognier, McPherson Cellars, Texas, 2009
4. Viviano, Sangiovese Blend, Llano Estacado, Newsome Vineyards, Yoakum County, Texas, 2005
5. Provencal, Dry Rose, Grenache, Becker Vineyards, Texas, 2008
6. Viognier, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Texas High Valley Block, Cherokee Creek Vineyard, 2008
7. Cornelious, Tempranillo, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Newsom Vineyards, Yoakum County, 2007
8. Sangiovese, McPherson Cellars, 2008
9. Viognier, Becker Vineyards, 2009
10. Raven, 80% Malbec 20% Petite Verdot, Becker Vineyards, Tallent Vineyard, Mason County, 2007
11. Syrah, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Tio Pancho Ranch, Texas Hill Country
12. Viognier, Brennan Vineyards, Texas, 2008


La Contera Wine List information courtesy of VintageTexas.com.

baubles, beads and light

I'm on a chandelier quest.

I have two completely different rooms in mind, as far as potential homes for my fabulous finds: one for a kitchen, and one for a little girl's nursery.

It's a fairly pricey lighting choice. But after doing some thorough eBay browsing, I've discovered that many options are available for under $200.

Here are a few lamps that particularly tickle my fancy . . .