just us.

shall we dance?

Be still my heart, I LOVE Dancing with the Stars. And I am beyond excited that it started this week! With the season finals of both Jersey Shore and Top Chef All Stars showing this week, I was afraid I was not going to have anything left to watch!

I have to say, Kirstie Alley can move!! Holy cow!! I absolutely loved her dance last night and was so surprised to see her move like that. I was sitting in bed, with Mike sleeping next to me, clapping as if I was in the audience.

Next up...Ralph Macchio. You know, the Karate Kid? Wax on, wax off? Oh, he had me at hello. While he still looked the same, you could tell he has aged. But my goodness, how smooth was he? Yes, I know its only the first dance and the edges are still rough, but with that tuxedo and his height, I felt like he was floating in air. Again, I clapped like a happy person.

Hines Ward is another one I really enjoyed. And that bootie on him? Um, yes please. I liked his smile and learned he is half Korean.

I had a hard time watching Wendy Williams, almost too painful. I was squirming in my own skin. I felt bad for her partner Tony Dovolani, it was almost like dancing with Kate Gosselin again.

Other than that, no one else made a real impression with me as having that wow factor, that potential to be standing tall at the end. But its only week one, so there is still a lot of time. Yay for DWTS!!!

tonight

 

so I made dinner tonight.  angel hair pasta with homemade pesto, topped with chicken and mushrooms.  Pesto itself is really easy to make, all it is is basil, toasted pinenuts, a couple cloves of garlic and olive oil, plus some salt and pepper to taste.  Use a food processor to put it altogether and voila!! 

made an attempt to work on some stuff for Label Tulip's gallery reveal on Sunday, and it didn't work out too well.  of the 4 layouts I started, I've finished none of them.  mojo isn't flowing very well this month, I hate to say it.  I still at least one more thing in mind and I'm hoping that goes a lot better.

as for Top Chef's season finale last night, I am glad that Stephanie won.  She's always been a consistent player and has won 4 elimination challenges, as opposed to Lisa's one.  I don't like Lisa, plain and simple.  She's got a major stick up her you-know-where and just can't seem to wipe that snotty look off her face.  not to mention that she just has an attitude problem.  I like Richard, he's into that molecular gastronomy stuff, using liquid nitrogen and electric smokers and sous vide-ing chicken and whatnot.  Unfortunately, Richard didn't fair too well and let his nerves and overthinking get the best of him.  Stephanie and Lisa were neck and neck throughout, both with high points and low points to what they made.  but thank goodness Stephanie came out on top, otherwise I might've just thrown the remote through the television. 

so while I finish watching Ace of Cakes on the Food Network, I must get back to the scrapping.  but I really feel like just going to sleep.  deadlines, deadlines...

food fun and the tv

Mike sent me this link for a local food blog for Orange County.  and I'll admit that I scrolled through every single page I could while at work today.  and I'm about ready to go out and try them all.  so if you like to eat, like me, and live in Orange County, like me, then you'll like the Food Frenzy blog.

did anyone watch Jon & Kate plus 8 on Monday?  the one where Jon gets a hair transplant?  I will start by staying that I was very disappointed to know that he was getting one.  I think he's fairly decent looking guy and so what if he's 30 and already balding?  Embrace your baldness!!!  so Mike and I sat and watched the actual procedure and I think I almost gagged once or twice. for the most part, i can handle stuff like that but to see them plunge a needle thing as thick as a ballpoint pen into his forehead made me squirm.  and yes, I still want 8 of them.  if only they could just come out and already be 3 years old, I'd love it. 

let's see, what else to report.

I'm off tomorrow, but will be scrapping like a maniac to get my stuff done for the reveal on Sunday.  I have a different schedule this week at work, so tomorrow's got to be the day to get things done.

did you know this Friday is the 13th?  dum dah dum dum DUM!!!!

Season finale of Top Chef is tonight.  I will probably watch it tomorrow, so Erika we will discuss as soon as I digest it, okay??   AH BUMMER!!!  I just went to link the show site and what do you think I do??  FIND OUT WHO THE WINNER IS!!!  well at least it isn't the one I don't like.  still, I will watch it anyway.

I can't think anymore.  so I'll share a picture from this weekend's Mud Run.  two words:  got toilet?

let's talk Top Chef

okay so, if you don't watch Top Chef, then move on.  if you do and haven't seen the finale, then move on.  cuz I'll be holding a discussion (with myself I'm sure) about last night's show.

so these 3 made it to the very end: Hung, Casey and Dale.  I've always thought Hung was a little cocky and over-confident from the beginning.  He thought he was the shit...and then some.  He must've had some magic monkey because he always said the challenges were so easy his monkey could do it.  Casey was pegged as the pretty one with the nice smile, she wasn't a favorite or mine but she also wasn't on my shit list.  Dale was the cool-mohawk-and-manpris-wearing-gay guy, and I liked him.

(now that I think about it, I should've been doing weekly recaps after the show...oh well.)

The chefs' final challenge was to prepare a 3-course meal together in the same kitchen and to present their dishes to the judges together as well.  They were given celebrity sous chefs for the first day of preparation and even then, the celeb chefs questioned some of their decisions.  For day 2 of prep, Howie, Sara M and CJ (former contestants from this season) returned to help.  at the last moment (and it wouldn't be a challenge without it), the chefs were told they needed to prepare one more dish using whatever was available to them.

Long story short, Casey just couldn't deliver.  I guess her flavor profiles and whatnot were off and the judges just didn't like anything she made.  Dale and Hung, on the other hand, were tied 2 for 2.  Hung has always been, in the judges eyes, a great technical chef with awesome knife skills.  Dale made a lamb dish that he's never done before and they loved it.  So I knew at this point, Casey was out, but couldn't decide between the other two who would be worthy of the title. 

I'll admit Hung is good, but I couldn't get passed his arrogant personality.  it's one thing to be good but to go around saying you are good is another thing.  Dale was more grounded in my opinion and had everything to gain.  Part of me wanted Dale to win, but the other part was rooting for Hung as well (go Asians!!)

the final decision was given live, and Casey knew it wasn't going to be her.  Dale almost broke down in tears when asked how he felt about the whole competition and Hung was his normal self, wanting to do it for his family and how he knew he was on point.

so in the end, Hung prevailed.  I admit, I did cry tears of happiness for the guy.  I could see in his eyes that winning not just for himself but for his immigrant family was really important and that's just what he did.  It's too bad there couldn't be two winners, because I think it would've meant just as much for Dale to win.  Marcel from Season 2 was there at the finale as well, rooting for his buddy Hung.

I'm gonna miss the show...watching reruns won't be the same.  I wonder when Season 4 is gonna start...

one more thing...

here's my layout for the Pink Contest over at Label Tulip.  there's still time my scrapper friends to get something done!!

and the season finale of Top Chef is on right now.  dude, the contestants have the likes of well-known, kick-ass chefs Rocco Dispirito, Tom English and the other lady...I can't think of her name...as their sous chefs!!  I'm still kinda new to this whole culinary world, but from what I understand, these celebrity chefs are spectacular!

so I'm gonna clean up, get under the covers and finish off the show...

hollah!

a monkey can do it

Right now, I'm watching tonight's Top Chef rerun.  It's nice that they show the new episode right after it airs initially.  And why did I miss it the first time around?  well...

I had to run out to the baseball field Mike and Ryan were playing at to bring ice BECAUSE Ryan rolled his ankle.  I got to the field and he was sitting out, with his cleat off and a tiny little ziploc of ice on his ankle.  I was in the middle of a total scrap roll when I got the call.

He's okay, can move his ankle but it's swelling.  I ran to Walgreens to pick up whatever ankle brace or wrap I could find since I didn't know exactly what would work.  Thank goodness for 24 hour pharmacies (I'm just glad I don't work in one).  Managed to squeeze in a call to Deanna too while I was there.

Had a yummy dinner of grilled steak, zucchini and rice.  Took a picture but camera is downstairs and I don't feel like getting it to post.  (sorry ARadd)

Had the day off today, so got some laundry done before it piles up out of the hamper and onto the floor.

Got a whole 4 layouts done today too!!  I've realized that when the mojo is absent and I'm making an attempt to scrap, it usually takes me one or two layouts to get it flowing again.  I'm really happy with my final one, which I will be adding to the honeymoon album. 

alright, I must concentrate on Top Chef now, and then hit the sack.  until tomorrow friends...

Sam

I love watching Top Chef (it's on Bravo, Wednesday nights at 10pm).  it makes me want to bust out the Henkels and whip up something hearty and out of this world.  Unfortunately, I decided to go the route of health care provider rather than cooking extraordinaire.

It's so amazing to watch what these talented chefs can do in 30 minutes (the QuickFire challenge) with an unknown ingredient.  it takes me 30 minutes just to get ingredients ready for a meal, but they do it all in the same amount of time.  By winning the QuickFire challenge, they win immunity. In the Elimination Challenge, the chefs have to prepare a course (either individually or as a team) for a particular event and pray that they end up in the top 3, rather than the bottom 3.

I would love to be able to start using culinary vocabulary in my normal, everyday language like sommelier and coolis, or reduction and canape.  how cool would I sound?

This season is number 3, and I'm already catching on to everyone's names.  The one I can't stand the most is Hung, he's cocky as all hell.  He's a lot like Season 2's Marcel, who reminded me alot of Wolverine (it was the hair).  What bugs me about Hung is that he "calls out" the judges, saying that they don't know what they're talking about and criticism is "[their] personal opinion."  And the judges know he's arrogant, yet pretty talented.  Dude, if the judges are telling you what you did wrong and where you need to improve, nod your head and say nothing.  After all, they've been doing it longer than you've been alive.

I don't have a favorite from this season yet, but I have to say my most favorite, simply because he is hot stuff, is Sam.  Oh lord, he's just steamy.  He reminds me of a friend of mine from back in the day.  Totally the tall, dark and handsome type.  Bravo just aired a Top Chef reunion episode this week and Sam was there.  He's apparently a shy and reserved guy, but totally the lady magnet.  oh hell yea, I'd gravitate that way anytime.  And he's up for a little nookie action in duck fat too.

I could sit there and watch Top Chef reruns over and over again, maybe one day I'll actually try one of their recipes and be my own Top Chef....someday....

that's major

I have a new show.

as Mike would say, "oh no, another one?"  I can tell already he's thrilled that there's another reality show on my list.

I think Victoria Beckham is fantastic.  She's positively English and wears heels to a little league field to learn how to play baseball.  and she always looks so put together, I almost want to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe so I can be more girly.  no so much the make-up part, but I want a new hairdo too.  but whenever I cut my hair short, I end up looking more like a boy than anything.

and not to mention she's got a hot husband too.  oh lord he's hot.  and yes Mike does know that, so it's okay.