Week #??????

Dearest Family and Friends,

I am quickly realizing that once you decide you want to start posting on a blog regularly that it takes a lot more discipline and determination than you originally thought.  I apologize for probably the 100th time for not writing in a long while.  It has been such a long while that I am no longer able to quickly think right off the top of my head what number week this has been for Kyle and I in Texas together.  Some of you may not have spoken to Kyle recently but there has been a lot of things happening in his crazy Texas life lately.  Some highlights of the last two weeks has been:

1. We saw "The Sound of Music" at Zilker Hillside Theater.  It was an incredible musical to watch and it was neat beacause we watched it picnic style on a hillside.  I loved it because I got to use my picnic accesories Beth, Kyle's sister, has given me for past holidays/birthdays.  YAY!

2. Kyle was told a couple weeks ago that he is no longer welcome to stay as my visitor :(  A. it isn't fair to my roomie and close friend that he has been staying for such a long while.  B. The company I work for owns my home and pays for my rent which means that it isn't cool I have a long term visitor taking advantage of that sweet deal.  Kyle is currently still staying with me but he has hit the ground running looking for an apartment.  Currently, there is no apartment is lined up. Please say a prayer for him so that his awesome girlfriend doesn't have to literally kick him to the curb :(  Sidenote: I love Kyle dearly...don't take this information the wrong way.  We will still be dating when I kick him to the curb :) 

3. KYLE HAS A FULL TIME JOB!!!!!!!!!!!  If you haven't processed that last sentence, I encourage you all to read it over and over and over again....because I am so proud of him!  Starting this upcoming Monday, August 27, Kyle will be employed full time at Amplifier.  I am not exactly certain what this company is.  I know that one of their clients is The Onion.  I believe companies use Amplifier to print their material and what not.  This has been a company Kyle has been eyeing since he heard one of my good friends has been working there.  He thought is sounded awesome and right up his alley; while I still sit here clueless as to what exactly the company does.  So after showing interest in this company over a year ago and looking for other jobs in the meantime, he got an interview with them and VOILA....a job!  I would like to shoot a big thanks to my friend Nicole for helping make this magic happen. 

4. The last couple of weeks has been full of talk about this sausage and beer place called Bangers.  They just recently opened up and it has been coming up in many conversations.  This past weekend we got to try out Bangers.  We went out with my friends Lindsay and Kristi.  First to dinner at a place called Doc's where Kyle was in Heaven eating his stuffed fried avacado.  Afterwards we headed over to Bangers.  We did not try their food but we had beer and a good time out in their beer garden.  Bangers was on this unique street called Rainey Street.  Basically, these restuarant/bar owners bought/leased homes on this everyday neighborhood street.  So basically it is a street of houses but all these houses have been transformed into bars and restuarants.  Pretty neat looking! 

5. There was an awful sound coming from Kyle's car on the way back from Bangers.  I immediately got antsy when I heard the sound.....

6. This past Monday, Kyle left for work.  At 5:40am I receive a phone call that his car died about 30 minutes from my home.  Already I began kicking myself, I meant to tell Kyle that morning that he should just take my gem of a car to work so not to put stress on his car.  Turns out that he blew a gasket on his engine....those of you who have had this work done or know stuff about cars probably know that this is far from a cheap fix-up.  His car is currently getting worked on. 

This is where we are now.  A tad on the stressed out side of things.  If I am stressed out then I cannot even imagine where Kyle is right now with his feelings.  He is currently scurrying to find a place to live before I officially tell him he can't stay with me and he is now trying to figure how to recover both emotionally and finacially from such a terrible blow to his car.  UGH....This all sort of shadows the excitement of finding a full time job.  So please, if you talk to him support him and congratulate him on getting 1 out of 2 (job & apartment) big things completed while he is in Texas. 

xx
Madeline

P.S. Recipe of the week(s)  (this recipe is so easy to do and so delicious...we are definitely adding this to our regularly used recipes!)

Creamy Pesto Chicken and Bow Ties

Rated: Submitted By: Campbell's Kitchen Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 4

"Use Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, chicken breast, and bow tie pasta to make an easy one-dish meal with a creamy pesto sauce."

Ingredients:

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's®

Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free) 1/2 cup pesto sauce 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1.	Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2.	Meanwhile, heat butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often.
3.	Add soup, pesto sauce and milk. Bring to a boil. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until done. Stir in drained pasta and heat through

Week 8

OLYMPICS...'MERICA. Enough said about this week.

xx
Madeline

P.S.
Recipe of the week:
Savory Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole (see image)

Serves 6 to 8

This recipe is perfect for using up stale bread since its firm texture stands up to overnight soaking. A casserole stretches expensive ingredients by using them to flavor low cost ingredients so this meal is a good value when you need to feed a holiday crowd.

Nutrition
Per serving (about 7oz/206g-wt.): 370 calories (210 from fat), 23g total fat, 10g saturated fat, 285mg cholesterol, 940mg sodium, 18g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 22g protein
Ingredients

5 cups (1-inch) cubes sourdough or white bread
1/2 pound loose breakfast sausage, cooked (about 1 cup cooked)
1 cup spinach leaves
8 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Directions

Layer bread, sausage and spinach in an 8-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, salt, pepper and sage then pour over contents in baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover dish and bake until cooked through and golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes then serve.

Week 6 & Week 7....Two for One Deal!!!!

Hello Again.  I apologize for missing Week 6 entirely.  The 2 past weeks sort of blended together since I came home from summer vacation this past wednesday. 

"What were the highs and lows of your last half of summer vacay, Madeline?" you might find yourself asking this great question....Let me share, starting with my biggest low of vacay:

• Low: As you all know my old cell phone was dealing witha  cracked screen issue...so John, my bro-in-law, offered to help fix it since he has had experience fixing cell phones.  Well, I got a little too excited about this fiscally cheap idea and pressured John into doing much earlier than planned (leading him to be completely unprepared for fixing an Iphone).  Long story short....my Iphone was no more due to neither of us really understanding the inner workings of this complex phone.
• High: I filed an insurance claim on my phone and still got a new Iphone replacement for a somewhat decent price.  BOOM...take that $600 phones directly from Apple!
• High: I enjoyed an amazing extended weekend up in the boundary waters of northern Minnesota with my family.  We cruised the waters in our sweet houseboat rental for a solid 4 days.  The Boundary Waters are absolutely breath taking and I love my family = best vacay ever!
• High: Kyle had an interview with Golf Smith (?? hope that's right) & he was able to make a couple connections this last week for a different job!  Kyle is getting some job action which is always a great sign!!  YAY!
• High: Kyle had a splendid time with our friends Em & Shawn while I was away.  It sounds like they did a ton of stuff and I can't even remember the list of things.  AND apparently Em & Shawn got so used to Kyle, they now expect to find him around the apartment still :)
• Low: I found out once I got back to work that our program is much busier than we thought in the fall....this means that with only 2 weeks left until training starts I need to hire 4 more people.  Ahhhhh.....Under Pressure (sing along if you know the words!) .

(Up in northern Minnesota left - right: Owen, Becky, Theresa & Me)

As always I hope this letter finds everyone in good spirits.  Let me know what memorable event took place during your summer as well, I don't want this to always be about me and Kyle :)  We love and miss you all!!

XX
Madeline

P.S.
There is no recipe for these past 2 weeks since things have been crazy tranistioning from vacation back to texas life, sorry.   

Week 5: The Tables have Turned

I'm in Chicago...Kyle is in Texas.  Something here is not adding up.  This past week has been a little backwards with myself spending time back home for summer vacation and Kyle staying back in Austin to continue his job search.  I cannot lie, I got a little emotional leaving Kyle in Austin which seems a tad ridiculous since I will be going back there in a couple weeks.  Ahhh love. 

Before I left for home, Kyle and I spent Tuesday night at a friends watching the All Star baseball game.  The game itself was not too awesome but the company was fantastic.  I got the chance to see some friends that I have not seen in ages.    

This past week I have been blessed to spend time with family and friends.  The majority of the time home is going to be spent on actual vacation trips.  I already spent an entire weekend with some of my closest highschool girlfriends.  We had such an amazing wine weekend in New Buffalo, Michigan. Great winery I encourage everyone to check out if they visit the wine trail in Michigan is Gravity.  They not only give you wine tastings but they also pair a cheese or chocolate with that specific wine tasting.  This trip was so fabulous that I am already anticipating the next trip I take with these girls! I would not change a single thing about that trip! 

Kyle, supposedly, has been spending this past week working, job searching, running, disc golf & spending some quality time with our Austin friends.  I really can't give you too many details because I am not there so these 2 weeks you'll all have to find out for yourselves :)  I do know Kyle familiarized himself with a couple of tough disc golf courses.  He also got to experience a week of rain.  Yes, people, RAIN all week in Austin!!!!! 

Until the next post....I hope everyone is having an incredible week and I can't wait to share next week about my family vacation this upcoming weekend! 

xx
Madeline

P.S.
Recipe of the week....(this recipe is so simple and yet super cute for some kind of baseball event or baseball themed party)

Baseball Sugar Cookies
Ingredients -
1. tube of pillsbury break off sugar cookies
2. 1 container of whipped vanilla icing
3. 1 tube of red decorating gel

Instructions-
1. bake the sugar cookies by following the directions on the packaging
2. spread about 1 - 2 tbsp of vanilla icing over each cookie
3. with a steady hand put the laces on each cookie with the red decorating gel
4. use a toothpick to pull from the laces to make the actual lace markings
5. ENJOY! 

Male Mail: Week 4

MALE MAIL: WEEK 4

 

I hope everyone's electricity is back up and running to those of you back in the Chicago area or out eastward.  I could not imagine combatting that heat without A/C.  Also, a very Happy Belated 4th of July to all!  

 

Kyle and I spent our 4th of July at home relaxing.  We grabbed a little charcoal grill from the summer camp and Kyle grilled up some burgers and other good eats.  We also walked down to the lake I live on and watched the fireworks.  It was extremely convenient just walking 5 minutes down the road to watch the fireworks.  It was a fantastic relaxing day for us!  

 

Something not so relaxing that we began this past week was our 5k training.  Kyle and I are contemplating running a 5K at the end of August.  Needless to say getting back into running is no fun.  2 miles alone feels like I am running an ultra marathon.  Kyle may think differently but I like to pretend he is just as miserable as me starting out :) 

 

Veering away from the healthy aspect of our lives, let me give you a little info on our restuarant experience of the week.  This week our "once a week eating out meal" was at one of the top BBQ places in the Austin area, The Salt Lick.  OMG.  We went on a busy Friday night and our wait was 45 minutes.  The shocking part is that I was actually bummed our wait wasn't longer.  The waiting area is outside in a large open area with picnic tables and benches through out the area.  There is a small stage and when we were there an amusing guitar player was the entertainment.  The atmosphere was fantastic.  The Salt Lick is a BYOB BBQ joint.  So just imagine a ton of people coming into this open area with coolers and finding a spot to sit and enjoy their beverage with great music.  Ohhhh and not to mention their food was delicious! 

 

The rest of the week was spent either at work or work/job searching.  I spent the week being the only one in our office at work.  I was fairly lonely since the office fits 9 people but I was the only one utilizing it this week.  I'm not gonna lie I spent a bit of the week bribing Kyle to come job search in the office just so I had some form of company.  Kyle has been working hard at job searching.  He is also going to begin the hunt for apartments this upcoming week and hopefully in about 3 weeks he'll have a place and (keeping our fingers crossed) some other form of income.  I am so proud of him and all the work he is putting into creating a life in austin, please keep him in your prayers! 

 

This wraps up a full month of Kyle living in the Austin area.  We're having a fantastic time and are so grateful for all the support back home.  Thank you!  As for the "Male Mail" newsletter.  I am going to switch the newsletter from being a weekly email to being a blog.  SO if you are someone that still wants to get the newsletter via email YOU MUST LET ME KNOW...otherwise you'll have to read the newsletter from the blog.  If you subscribe to the blog you will actually get notifications each time I post a newsletter so that is a great option for those of you that look forward to this newsletter weekly.

 

xx

Madeline

 

Favorite Recipe of the Week:

 

This recipe is too die for!!!  I could not get enough of it this week so get your pie plates out everyone and enjoy!!!!!

 

 

Winter Solstice Chicken Pot Pie

By Patricia Burnside 

 

1 1/2 lbs. of cooked chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

3/4 – 1 cup of chopped fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, green pepper)

10 oz. Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Crème

10 oz. Philadelphia Original Cheese Cooking Crème

Package of 2 piecrusts (easiest to find is 9 in. but I use them in a 10 in. glass pie plate)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Place the chicken, veggies, and both cooking crèmes in a bowl and mix until all blended.

Place a piecrust in the bottom of your pie plate.

Pour the contents of the bowl into the piecrust.

Place 2^nd piecrust on top and crimp edges.

Place in hot oven and bake for approx. 45 minutes if using the convection setting but check after 30 minutes to see how brown the crust is getting.  If using a standard oven, you will probably bake the pie 30-35 minutes.  Check at least once to see how brown the crust is getting. 

When baked to your satisfaction, take out and cool 10 minutes. Serve!

Week 3 of Texas for the duo

Male Mail: Week 3

 

My apologies for sending two updates so closely together.  I would like to get in the habit of sending the newsletter as close to the end of the week as possible instead of on some random Thursday.  I also want to say sorry for the weird formatting some of you may have noticed with the last couple of emails...apparently gmail does not like my version of microsoft word. 

 

High Points & Low Points of mine and Kyle's past week:

• Kyle was not forced to watch the bachlorette this time around...he got to escape!!!  Although he missed one heck of an episode. (High for Kyle/Low for Madeline)
• Kyle got to experience one of THE worse disc golf courses ever!  All you disc golf junkies feel free to ask him all about it.
• Tuesday night game night also consisted of homemade sushi...one of mine and kyle's favorites.  It was soooo yummy!
• Kyle and I eat out once a week.  This past week we went to a place called Pecan Street Brewing*.  The food was incredible.  I had a lamb burger with feta cheese and it melted in my mouth.  The beer was pretty good as well, however Double Horn still holds true as one of our local faves when it comes to beer. 
• BRAVE: one night this past weekend we went to the movie Brave.  Cute movie.  I was inspired to wear my curls proudly the next day but realized quickly that the 100 degree weather was not all for that same game plan...booooo.
• My workplace owns several farm animals because we teach a pioneer class here which incoporates them.  Well, it turns out that one of our little pygmy goats had a baby boy this weekend!!!  He is the cutest little guy ever!
• Last but not least, but definitely the worst....Kyle's back window on his car shattered.  It was a silly accident but none the less a little stressful.  Luckily, his car will probably be back to normal by this thursday! 

This week looks promising for us.  We are changing the pace a little for both of us, quite literally.  We will begin training for a 5K this upcoming week.  We are both thrilled to start a new healthy habit in our lives and work out on a more regular basis! Woohoo to being healthy!

 

I hope this email has found you all in good health.  We noticed back home took a beating lately from terrible weather.  It was so bad it was on the Austin news this morning that DuPage County has experience at least 82mph winds!!!!  Please, be safe and keep us posted on any news from home.    

 

*Interesting Fact: Pecan Street Brewing is located in Johnson City, TX.  Johnson City is LBJ's hometown...and is only about 20 miles away from Marble Falls.

 

xx

Madeline

 

Fave recipe from week 3:

 

Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Serves 6 to 8

This recipe easily serves more than four. Perfect for leftovers the next day, it's sure to become a family favorite. Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available in the Whole Foods Market Family of Brands.

Nutrition
Per serving: 410 calories (160 from fat), 17g total fat, 9g saturated fat, 25g protein, 42g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 10g sugar), 80g cholesterol, 890mg sodium

Ingredients
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided*
1 cup grated 3-cheese blend, divided*
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained well
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce*
9 to 12 no-boil uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix ricotta, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the 3-cheese blend, egg, spinach, salt, pepper and oregano. In another bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup 3-cheese blend. Set both bowls aside. In a 9- x13-inch non-reactive baking pan, layer 1 cup of the sauce, then a layer of noodles and a layer of the ricotta-spinach mixture; repeat. Top with sauce then sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Pour 1 cup water around the edges of pan, then cover with parchment paper, then very tightly with foil. Bake 1 1/4 hours, then set aside to let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  

--

Week 2

                   Male Mail: Week 2 of Awesomeness!Another week flies by, almost as fast as the soap box cars we saw a little over a week ago!  Kyle & I are quickly learning how to live the more affordable and yet fun lifestyle while he continues his job search.  We spent one weekend watching the Marble Falls Soap Box Derby.  Kyle took it upon himself during the races to dream up his own soap box car team.  Here are some of the key players:
·         Chris Marks (Kyle’s friend) as the engineer...this man could probably draw up one mean soap box car.
·         John Nachman (my bro-in-law) as the car mechanic….let’s just say this man is genius under the hood of any vehicle.
·         Braden Kass (this man needs no introduction) as the driver of the vehicle….I bet everyone just got a sweet image of this in their head!
·         Mark Peluse & JP Kuhlman (once again no need for an introduction) as Kyle’s fellow drinker and pit crew guy….I know sweet title. 

Either way no matter who partakes in this process it sounds like Kyle has some pretty incredible dreams of being a soap box car champ!

Last Tuesday night we enjoyed a games night at some friends’ in Austin.  It is always nice to get away from the mundane life of repetition and change it up with some good company, good food & good laughs.  We also spent an evening celebrating the 1 year anniversary of a brewpub we like a lot, Double Horn Brewery.  I got to try delicious Belgium Amber…boy, was that a smooth drink!  Thursday night, Kyle, myself and my roommate Lindsay all went to check out a summer camp activity call Torch Light.  Something everyone should know, my job has nothing to do with the summer camp.  This was my first summer camp experience EVER in my adult life;  AND it was awesome, we got to see some great and some mediocre skits, but the coolest part of all was watching the fireworks show.  Who knew I’d get to see fireworks on a day that isn’t the 4th of July???  What a treat! 
Kyle began his part time job this week as well.  He is currently working for Great Harvest Bread Co.   He enjoys the job and gets off work mid-day; granted he also starts his day at 4:30 am every day.  I thank God though that he at least as something that he enjoys and it will help bring in a little income as he continues his incredible job search of 2012.  Please, keep him in your prayers, once again.  He is working hard and one of these days his luck will catch up with him and God will bless him with a wonderful work life J  I could use a few thoughts as well.  This was a fantastic week, but my Iphone sort of had a mean encounter with the pavement the other day and I am now dealing with a mega-cracked screen.  Not to mention my car is having a few difficulties…nothing major, it just won’t start J.  Ahhhh such is life.   Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers and please let us know how you are all doing!!!   We miss you all and almost every day we have to talk about things going on back home! 
Fave recipe from this 2nd week is at the end of this letter!
xx
Madeline    

Weight Watchers Recipe - Chicken Fajitas
7PointsPlus Value Prep time:  20 min
Cook time:  15 min
Serves: 4
Fajitas are a fun meal — just set out the ingredients and let everyone make their own. We made a fantastic fresh salsa but your favorite jarred salsa is fine, too.
Ingredients
1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), peeled and smashed   
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes   
1 tsp chili powder   
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice   
1/8 tsp table salt   
1/8 tsp black pepper   
  1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), cut lengthwise into thick strips
To make the salsa:   
  2 cup(s) fresh cherry tomato(es), coarsely chopped   
  1/2 cup(s) uncooked scallion(s), chopped, green and white parts   
  1 small jalapeño pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (don't touch seeds with bare hands)   
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional (see note below)   
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice   
1/8 tsp table salt   
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
To finish the fajitas:   
1 spray(s) cooking spray   
  1 medium uncooked red onion(s), thinly sliced   
  1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), thinly sliced   
  1/2 medium green pepper(s), thinly sliced   
1 tsp canola oil   
4 medium whole wheat tortilla(s)   
Instructions
·         In a medium-size glass bowl, combine garlic, red pepper flakes, chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper; add chicken to bowl and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
·         Meanhwhile, to make salsa, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Set aside to allow flavors to blend.
·         Coat a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add onion and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes; spoon vegetables into a small serving bowl and cover to keep warm.
·         Add oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and any marinade remaining in bowl, but discard garlic (juices will sizzle so be careful of splattering liquid). Cook chicken until well-browned on bottom, about 3 minutes; flip chicken and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes more. If chicken is not cooked through, reduce heat to low and cook an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
·         To serve, place 3 ounces of chicken strips on each tortilla; top with about 1/2 cup of vegetables and 1/2 cup of salsa. Yields 1 fajita per serving.
Notes
·         If you’re short on time, substitute 1 cup of store-bought salsa for the fresh salsa (could affect PointsPlus values).