A Twofer

So I’m going to combine what would have been two separate blog posts because I got too lazy to blog yesterday. And by too lazy I mean too distracted by the Home Run Derby.

This past weekend was one of my favorite weekends so far. It was so relaxing and yet filled with so many activities. On Friday, two movies came out that Mark and I have been dying to see: Horrible Bosses and Zookeeper (okay, this one is more me… but that gorilla gets me every time). So we decided to do a classic dinner and a movie date night. After work we went to my apartment workout room and ran for an hour before we began the night’s festivities. It always feels so good to get a run in! After our run Mark and I went to Fireside Pies at Legacy. We love this place. Typically we will go with the Burrata pizza which consists of oven-dried tomatoes and basil pesto; however, we had wanted to try their famous Balsamic Roasted Chicken pie which is covered in spinach, blue cheese, and tomatoes. It was good, but it turns out blue cheese isn’t that great on pizza. I guess sometimes it’s best to stick with what you know.

Once we’d finished dinner we had some time to kill before the movie so we went to the patio at Gingerman Pub right by my apartment to grab a beer. With the sun down, it was such a nice summer night to enjoy some time together on a patio… one of our favorite activities. Spoiled by our Alamo Draft House experience in Austin, Mark and I had decided we wanted a drink to enjoy during our movie, so we saw Horrible Bosses at Movie Studio Grill in Plano. Unfortunately, by that time, we were hungry for second dinner (yikes) so we also tried some chicken nachos and sweet potato fries with the movie. They were both delicious, although second dinner probably isn’t the healthiest habit.

On Saturday morning Mark and I surprised my mom by bringing her (and ourselves... we are only human) a Chick Fil A breakfast and then doing the yard for her. My mom is such an amazing woman that she mows and “weed eats” the front and back yard by herself nearly every week, so we really wanted to help her out. It was so much fun being able to spend time with my mom and help her at the same time. I was even able to snap this great shot of Mark mowing my mom’s front yard.

After the yard work was done, we were all pretty exhausted, so Mark and I went back to Plano to rest for awhile. Always the creative date-planner that he is, Mark suggested we go to dinner and then go bowling Saturday night. It was an absolute blast, one of my favorite dates so far. We enjoyed Rock Fish for dinner and then drove to 300 in Addison where we played three games of bowling (I don’t win and tell, but I’ll let you guess who won).

The bowling alley had giant televisions above the lanes too, so we were able to watch the Ranger game while we bowled. By the time we finished bowling, the game was in the seventh inning, so we decided to stop by Stan’s Grill, a sports bar in Plano, on the way home to watch the end of the game. It turns out, we couldn’t have picked a better game to watch. In the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs, down 6-5, Josh Hamilton hit a walk-off home run to win the game. What a deserving home run for him and a great win for the Rangers.

Sunday was relaxing, as most Sundays are. Mark and I went to church with my mom and then out to lunch, something that has become the highlight of every week. This week Erin was in Oklahoma, so we jumped at the opportunity to eat Mexican food at Mi Cocina. Of course, those fajitas never disappoint. Some Sunday shopping filled up our afternoon until we came back to my apartment where we got to enjoy our favorite time of the week: Cold Stone Sunday. Every single Sunday Mark and I go to the Cold Stone Creamery right outside of my apartment. We are both huge ice cream lovers and it’s fun to try a new combination of mix-ins each week. We finished our weekend up with some grocery shopping (still one of my favorite things to do together) and dinner at Café Express.

Last night Mark and I returned to the kitchen to try our hand at another homemade meal. This time, however, the “kitchen” was at Mark’s apartment. We had decided to make grilled barbecue chicken and since Mark has a great grill on his apartment patio, we wanted to take advantage of this to make legitimate grilled chicken (sorry, George Foreman).

We used the leftover chicken from our California Grilled Chicken Sandwich since we got twice as much as we needed in the first place. Naturally Mark was in charge of manning the grill while I stuck to what I know best: the veggies. We had chosen green beans and then also decided to try out corn on the cob for the first time.

Mark covered my chicken with seasoning since I didn’t want to fully commit to the sauce and then covered his piece of chicken in the barbecue sauce he’d bought (I can’t remember what it was called). While Mark was grilling the chicken, I washed and cut the stems off of the green beans then put them into a pot of boiling water to cook. I was a little scared to make the corn on the cob because we’ve never made it before, but I placed it in boiling water to soften it then Mark covered it in cooking spray and marinade then grilled it. The result was nothing short of amazing.

More posts to come :)

M&m

Grilled Chicken Dinner Recipe:

-2 4-oz. Chicken Breasts
-1/2 Pound of Green Beans
-2 Ears of Corn
-Cayenne Pepper
-BBQ Sauce
-Cooking Spray (Pam works)

1. Cover chicken in BBQ sauce and place on grill
2. Wash green beans and cut off the ends. Place in a pot of boiling water.
3. Green beans will cook until the rest of the meal is finished.
4. Peel husks off the corn and place in a pot of boiling water.
5. Boil corn for 3-5 minutes. Spray with Pam then cover with seasoning of your choice.
6. Place corn on grill and cook until chicken is done.

The Undefeated Season Continues

Mark and I are undefeated when it comes to Rangers games. We have been to five games this season and the Rangers have won all five of those games. You might say we're something of a good luck charm. I wouldn't mind being painted with that brush.

A couple of months ago I bought Mark and I tickets to a day game against the Oakland A's. It was a sporadic purchase, but I figured we can always use an excuse to take a vacation day from work and attend a Rangers game. Unfortunately, as with most of the dates I plan, there was a bump in the road. The game was rain delayed for almost two hours and eventually canceled. After hovering under the roofing at the ballpark for hours, we eventually had to make a run for it in the pouring rain. Needless to say, by the time we made it to the car we were both soaked. Also, Mark had left his car window open so his car was soaked as well. But that's neither here nor there.

Last night's weather was much better than the previous attempt. It seemed a little less hot than the past few days and since we were right by home plate, our seats were already shaded by the time we got to the game. Because we've had bad ballpark food experiences in the past (never order the BBQ chicken sandwich at the ballpark... trust me, I'm doing you a favor), we ate at On the Border before the game last night. There is something about chips and guacamole that make any meal 100 times better. The food was delicious and we were right on time for the game.

Since it was a make-up game, there was a less-than-usual crowd at this game.

Derek Holland pitched his third career complete game shutout which was fun to see.

The weather was great and the night was all around perfect. Sports games have been a huge part of our relationship, so it's always fun when we get to go to any sporting event.

As I mentioned earlier, our ballpark attendance has proven the Rangers undefeated. Personally, I wouldn't mind them paying us to attend games... just so they can keep the streak alive.

However, as I'm sure everyone has read by now, there was a horrific tragedy that happened during the second inning of the game last night. After a foul ball hit by an Oakland A ricocheted back onto the field, Josh Hamilton tossed the ball up toward the left field stands were a fan reached out to grab the ball and was unable to keep from falling over the stands and behind the scoreboard. The gasp throughout the stadium was chilling. It wasn't until after the game that the Rangers released a statement saying the man, father to a six-year-old boy who was with him at the game, had passed away.

Just typing that makes my stomach turn. That poor boy was at his first baseball game ever, sporting Rangers attire from head to toe. Things like that just shouldn't happen. A time that is supposed to be so precious and so memorable has turned into a life-changing moment for that young boy and his family. It makes me sick to know that boy, only six years old, will spend the rest of his life without his dad. He won't have his dad cheering him on at his own baseball games or be able to ask his dad life advice. I feel robbed having my dad taken away after 24 years and this reminds me how lucky I am to have all 24 of those years with him. It's hard when something like this happens because it was no one's fault, yet it makes it no less hard. I hope that family gets showered with love and prayer because that's what gets us through times like that.

More posts to come :)

M&m

Dover Sole Dinner

Since Mark and I both love fish, we decided to make something fishy last night. I had never tried dover sole before two Sundays ago where I tried it during a Sunday lunch and was hooked. It's a lot like orange roughy or tilapia, very white and flaky. So Mark and I decided to venture out of our comfort zone and try to cook something we never have before. The result was a complete success.

This was hands down one of the easiest meals we've made. We covered the fish with some seasoning and lemon and put it in the oven to bake while we prepared the other sides, which were equally as easy. We went with steamed broccoli and Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Medley Brown & Wild Rice.

Because the fish is so flaky, it's difficult to keep from breaking apart. Once we had the fish baking, we washed and cut the broccoli before steaming it. We may or may not have cheated a little on the rice and used the "ready in 90 seconds" kind, but it's so good and so easy! We love this rice. Mark even had time left over to snap a photo of me preparing our food.

The end result was amazing. Plus, dover sole is great for you! More posts to come :)

Dover Sole Recipe:

-2 4-oz. Filet of Dover Sole
-2 Stalks or 2 Cups of Fresh Broccoli
-Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Medley Brown & Wild Rice
-2 Lemons
-Garlic Salt/Pepper
-Any Fish Seasoning You Want

1. Rinse dover sole in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray the foil-covered sheet with pam.
3. Season fish with garlic salt, pepper, seasoning and lemon. Place on cookie sheet.
4. Bake fish at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
5. Wash and cut broccoli. Pour broccoli into a pot of water filled 1-2 inches with water. Steam broccoli, making sure to cover the pot with a lid. Steam until fish is finished, about 15 minutes.
6. Heat rice in microwave for 90 seconds :)
7. Place on plate and you're good to go!

M&m

California Grilled Chicken Sandwich and a Trip to Costco

Since our Austin trip, Mark has been feeling under the weather, so I forced him to let me cook dinner for him last night. It was like pulling teeth, but he finally gave in. Because we'd been out of town, the kitchen was a little sparse so we pregamed dinner with a trip to the grocery store. For some reason, going to the grocery store together is one of my favorite things to do.

For awhile now, Mark has been raving about the samps (samples to the common folk) at Coscto. Since Mark's mom has five kids, she did a lot of Costco shopping while Mark was growing up, so he still has fond memories of the place. For anyone who doesn't know, Costco is basically like Walmart on steroids. Everything is bought in bulk, so you get about three times the amount what you normally would. So Mark and I decided to do our weekly shopping at Costco this week to save a little money and try some samps. After walking through the store for about 30 minutes, we came to the sad realization that Costco may not be our grocery store of choice yet. It's tough for two people to eat 4 pounds of grapes without them going bad... So we stocked up on some free samps and headed to Tom Thumb where we bought the week's groceries.

I was a little nervous about cooking alone since Mark and I always work as a team in the kitchen, but I was determined to make dinner for him since he was sick. I mean, what kind of a girlfriend would I be if I couldn't at least do that? I made Mark choose the dinner too, so he decided on a California grilled chicken sandwich. Thankfully, not too difficult.

I have had a request to list our recipes as we make them, so here it is!

California Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe:

-1/2 Pound Chicken
-2 Whole Wheat Burger Buns (or Sourdough bread, but these were leftover from the Turkey Burgers)
-1 Whole Tomato
-1 Avocado
-Salt/Pepper
-Chicken Seasoning
-Mayo (optional)
-I served these with 1/2 pound of green beans and a few fresh strawberries

1. Boil one cup of water. Once the water has started to boil, put in the green beans. These will cook until everything else is done.
2. Cover chicken in salt, pepper and chicken seasoning. Place on grill.
3. Slice tomatoes and avocado. Toast the whole wheat buns if you want.
4. Once the chicken is finished cooking, slice into small slices.
5. Put chicken, avocado, tomato and mayo on the whole wheat bun.
6. I seasoned my green beans with cayenne pepper to add some spice.
7. Serve with strawberries and you're good to go!

More posts to come :)

M&m

Fourth of July Weekend

This past weekend Mark and I went to Austin to enjoy the fourth of July weekend. Always the sporadic couple, we embarked on our road trip on the no-plan plan. With a road trip playlist and lots of snacks, we were on our way.

Since we were in no rush, we decided to stop in Waco so I could show Mark around my college town. While we were in Waco, Mark and I stopped at Olive Branch for lunch. Man, I'd missed that place. After lunch, we drove around campus and I showed him all the Baylor landmarks. (And by Baylor landmarks, I mean places we'd played pranks in college.)

Being the Red Raider that he is, Mark got a little fussy being on Baylor campus.

Saturday night we went to an amazing Mexican restaurant on Lake Austin called Hula Hut where we ate a ridiculous amount of chicken fajitas. It was so nice out on the patio that we stayed for awhile and tried some of their drinks. It turns out, their margaritas are pretty tasty.

Mark and I had designated Sunday to kayaking, so we headed to Kerbey Lane Cafe for some brunch before the kayaking began. Neither of us had ever been there before, but it was amazing and came highly recommended. After brunch we drove to Zilker Park to rent our kayak. Kayaking is one of my favorite things to do, and with the sun shining, it was a perfect day to go.

After kayaking, we were pretty exhausted, so we spent the rest of Sunday just relaxing. Sunday night we wanted to find a patio on the lake again, so we went to Abel's on the Lake where we both enjoyed some of the best tilapia fish tacos we've ever had. (Maybe even better than the ones we made... maybe.) We'd both heard a lot about Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, so we decided to catch a flick after dinner.

Sadly, our weekend getaway had to come to an end on Monday. We wanted to grab one last brunch before we left, so we tried the restaurant at the Four Seasons hotel where I got my dream breakfast: a gigantic bowl of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. Needless to say, I was in heaven.

Monday night for the fourth of July Mark, my mom and I grabbed some dinner at Jason's Deli then watched fireworks at Bakersfield Park in Flower Mound. It was so nice to be with both of them this fourth of July and the fireworks never disappoint.

Hands down, this was one of the best weekends we've spent together so far. It was so relaxing and we got to experience so many new things together. More posts to come :)

M&m

Dinner With The Threetards

We decided to take advantage of our drive to Austin and get in some much needed blogging. Currently, we are jamming out to some Two Princes by Spin Doctors. Yes, this is on our road trip playlist. We are undeniably kids of the 90's.

Last night I finally got to meet the triplets and Kennedy, as mentioned in our previous blog post. It was everything I'd hoped it be and more. Those may be the four coolest kids I've ever met. I'm already ready to hang out with them again. And yes, we were able to get in some quality trampoline time and even managed to get a game of pig in as well.

Dinner was delicious. We got some Campisi's pizza, which I haven't had in forever and always love. Plus a great caesar salad with shrimp, some pasta and birthday fruit sorbet for Mark's birthday.

After we left Mark's family we went to one our staples, Mi Cocina, for some patio sitting and drinks (and maybe some chips and queso... Whoops). The weather couldn't have been better. It was a great finish to the night.

This morning the guilt of the queso proved too much so we decided to go for a run before we headed out on our excursion. We both had a great run. I stayed at my usual six miles, but Mark dominated me with seven. He's a beast.

So now we're on our way to Austin, jamming out to some classic tunes, nomming some tasty snacks and just enjoying the time together. I don't want to spoil any of the trip. An Austin post will follow :)

Austin or Bust

Since our turkey burger experience, things have been pretty low key in the kitchen. Last night, Mark and I both went out to dinner with friends, so the cooking was put on hold. Don’t worry, it will start back up next week.

Tonight Mark and I are going to his mom’s house for a yummy pizza dinner with the family. I’m more than excited because I get to finally meet his 7-year old triplet brothers and his little sister, Kennedy. It’s been a long time coming. Plus, they have a trampoline, so… what’s there to not be excited about?

After dinner, we are going to the Inwood theatre in Dallas to see a midnight showing of Fight Club. I can’t wait. Instead of regular theatre seating, there are couches set up everywhere and you can bring in drinks. It’s a lot of fun.

In two and a half hours, the three-day 4th of July weekend will begin and I couldn’t be more ready. Mark and I will be going to Austin Saturday, Sunday and Monday for no reason other than to get away and relax. Mark and I both love to be outside, so we are going to kayak at Lake Travis while we are there.

Other than that, I foresee a lot of pool time, patio sitting, Mexican food and music… our kind of weekend. Plus, it will be something exciting to blog about! Now these next couple of hours need to fly by. More posts to come :)

M&m